September 09
I recv this story from my mom today so I am sending it to you from her email account. This is her son Geovanni and I am just passing on this story because I know you guys keep my mother in your prayers at all times.
Geovanni can you I have a story to tell you that broke my heart. Share with anyone if you feel like it.
Yesterday two boys were fighting and since Abu and I were at Busuma they brought the boys to us to discipline. You know I DON'T allow CANING, but in the conversation Abu asked them, do you want us to cane you or go to your parents? There was a little brother and a bigger brother. The little one began to cry and the other one was smirking. I (tried to stay very serious) tried is the key word. Anyway Abu told them to go get a stick because they said "cane us".
We started to try to find out what the problem was and they finally opened up, one had borrowed a razor blade (they use that to sharpen their pencils) so the brother asked to borrow it and instead of giving him the whole razor he cut it in half so the little brother got mad and hit his bigger brother . They went to get their sticks to be caned and the whole school was silent. Since it is wide open because we don't have walls yet. They were shocked and were waiting to see what would happen. We had them kneel and tell their story. So I told the older one if someone took your shirt and cut it half how would you feel................he answered with a smirk "that shirt would be useless to me because I can't wear half a shirt".
So I asked, what will you do for this boy whose razor you broke? He smirked, I told him you think this is funny (trying to look stern) so he got serious. I said you will replace his with another razor. |He said OK I have an old one I can bring. I said I will look at it and see if it is the same quality as the one you broke and you are to respect other people's property etc. You know the spill. You will bring me the razor and I will see it and see if it acceptable. We had the two boys write I WILL NOT FIGHT 100 times. Actually helps them with spelling and English ha ha.
This is where the story gets to be a REAL STORY. I told him if the razor is not acceptable you will work for the money which is 50 shillings (like 2 cents) and you will buy your brother a new one. Abu asked if they had paid their school requirements, like maize and 2000 for grinding and exams. They said my grandmother has been is the hospital and she could not farm so the big one started crying, by this time the third brother , older than the other 2 came and we asked how they had paid for their school requirements before. They all said we would go on Saturday and Sundays and go cut wood and sell it for firewood so we could pay our requirements and for our notebook!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! But the firewood is finished by now. The oldest brother is in real tears by now; my grandmother is sick and has no maize. We go after school and try to go to our aunt's house to get some sweet potatoes and bring it back so we can eat and give to grandmother. We want to come to school every day but we can't at some days. OH MY GOD by now, I am holding back the tears and trying to stay firm.
These 3 orphan boys walk over 3 MILES each way to come to school. OH MY GOD!!!!! It gets better. They left and we had the 2 that fought hug each other and say I will not fight and they left to head back home.
The next day before 7 am Abu comes and says to the boys, you are here. I'm still in bed in the hut so I got up. It was the two oldest ones; they came and BROUGHT A BRAND NEW RAZOR to give back. I asked them "how did you get money for this"? The little one (which is actually the middle brother) said I went to get some firewood and sold it and bought this razor blade and the rest we used to eat food. He had made 500 shillings which is like 25 cents!!!!!!!!! But they made sure they fed their grandmother. These are some of our kids and you never know all these poor kids go thru just because they want to study. I hugged them, gave them responsibilities that morning to see who came on time , let one wear my watch for that time, and we sent the oldest brother on the bicycle to buy us bread................ they were so proud and all had smiles all on their sweet faces because we were considering them and taking them serious. Wow!!! and we think we have it bad huh?
If anyone is interested in helping this family or sponsoring any of these 3 boys, Anthony the little one is 8 and in third grade, his brother Wilson is 9 and in third grade and Joseph 11 is in 4th grade. This is real life.
That is my story for this week!!!!!!!!!
Love you your mom
June 28th, 2009
Yesterday we were in a service and a so called prophet stopped by to say hello. Well a few minutes later he started ministering if you will about how the people of Uganda would continue to die and starve to death if they didn’t repent. He said the drought would continue and that nothing would change. Then God stirred something within me, something I had never felt before and I jumped up and said to him "Not my God, Not the God, I serve, not the God I love and follow, he is the God that brought me from America all the way to Uganda and he is the God that can make it rain and it will rain TODAY! Maybe I lost is for a second because I told him that if he didn’t agree with me and my God he could shut up and leave the church.
It had to be less than a minute later that the skies opened up and it began to pour rain almost flooding some of the grounds around us. I had never witnessed anything like that in my life. How amazing our father is. Our Jesus is an awesome God. The people were trying to tell me to come in because I might get wet. I laughed and told them that I want to get wet by the rains that he had sent to us.
Can you imagine? For months people have been dying and all of their crops dying because there has been a major drought and to finally after we have all been praying together he answered our prayers and let the skies open up on this land.
Thank you for all of your prayers.
Our God is an AWESEOME GOD!
Please keep ACM Ministries in your prayers. If you would like to contact Geovanni or Ketra about any information please e-mail them directly. If you would like to contact me please feel free to e-mail me as well. Please keep in mind that it may take me a little longer to respond back to you because I only get to check my e-mails once in a while, but I would love to hear from you.
Thank you and God Bless You!