“ All in all, the world doesn’t need our guilt, it needs our action.”
Going into my senior year of high school, I read a book called Kisses from Katie, written by Katie Davis Majors. It is about a young girl, right out of high school, moving to Uganda and eventually adopting 14 little girls. Each page taught me about the importance of serving others and loving them well, one person at a time. While I read the book, and still today, the Lord continues to reveal to me that we are loved beyond our imagination and that love received isn’t just for us. It’s for the brokenhearted, the needy, the weak, the orphaned, and everything in between. He has taught me that a lot of times, answers to prayer come in the form of people, and I believe my trips to Uganda are testament to that.
When I found out I was going to go to Uganda, I knew it would be both challenging and heart-breaking, but I knew it would be even better than I could dream. As I prepared for the two weeks I would spend in Lira, Uganda, I prayed that the Lord would provide a trip where the team could experience the depths of our God’s goodness and joy like never before. As we got to know the current and former street children we would be working with, spoke in a Ugandan prison, and made plans for new land given to us by the government, I reflected on the way the Lord has blessed us with opportunities and grace that we are not worthy of. We spoke to the kids about being chosen, loved more than they could ever imagine, created in Christ’s image, necessary, and unstoppable because of our God.
SGU Annual Birthday Party
Housed at Saving Grace in Uganda Children’s Village are dozens of kids who were formerly unseen, beaten, discounted, and even sometimes literally thrown away. But, because of the SGU ministry, they now get to live in homes where they are fed regularly, have their own beds, are loved beyond belief, get a quality education, and can just be what every kid dreams of. Getting to know each one of them was incredible. Whether it was during the big birthday party as they performed gymnastics routines for us, sang in fellowship, saved us from a chicken attack, or made bracelets, they never failed to amaze me. To look into eyes that have seen more than any person ever should have and then look down at their huge smile seems like an impossible feat, but that’s exactly what they gave us… plus quite a bit of dancing. The enemy telling them they are unwanted, unlovable, and useless is not the end of their story. It is really only the beginning of a victorious one. To quote the head teacher of the secondary school, SGU has “wiped the tears from their eyes” and given them new life in Christ. They are overcomers, learners, servants, and disciples. The Lord is doing big things in their lives and He is not nearly finished with them yet. The rejection and pain they have felt in the past are replaced by knowing they are precious and valued. Their lights cannot be hidden. These kids are world changers and I am so honored to know them and to have them as eternal friends!
One of my favorite parts of the trips was giving the street children new shirts. They were able to pick them out and leave the feeding confident and encouraged. It was like they were totally new people and they were so excited about sharing their new clothes with the world. I have never seen a group of kids so excited and appreciative! On the first trip, the same day I witnessed this, we were able to take six new kids off of the street which was just insane. I could not believe what I was able to be a part of! There aren’t really words to describe the feeling of watching Jesus give someone new life, but it sure was amazing.
Children raising their hands to accept Christ at a street feeding
Of course, amongst all of the incredible moments on the trip, there were moments where I couldn’t help but feel crushed, defeated, and upset. I would look at the children as they shoveled down food at the feedings and then head back to the streets and ask myself, “If these people are God’s people too, then why were they given this life and I was given mine?” As I learned more about the way the street children were arrested, abused, and abandoned, what has been said about this ministry being “more than something to just talk about” rang even more true. But I have learned that it is not our job to fix everything, nor can we, but God calls us to be a part of His plan to make earth as it is in Heaven. And I firmly believe we have to stop limiting God to what we can think of to get to that place. During both trips, the Lord kept telling me that, although I may not understand what He is doing, He never once has stopped thinking about, loving, and caring for His children. Not even for a second! He is exceedingly good and His plans are always better.
I continue to pray that the Lord sweeps the nations with His presence and that there are people willing to make His name known. He is so evident in Lira—in the faces of the kids and the staff—but also in the way that they love and serve others wholeheartedly. They worship the Lord the way He should be worshipped and rely on Him the way He has always intended for us to. SGU is a beautiful picture of the way the Lord rescues us from the hold of the enemy, calls us His own, and gives us the keys to Heaven so we can share Him with the world.
I could go on and on about what the Lord has taught me on these trips, but I just want to include a little more about what God has taught me in my opportunities to share the Gospel, both here in the States and abroad! First, he taught me that we are exactly who God says we are—on our worst days and on our best days. The Creator of the Universe is literally obsessed with us.
Second, don’t ever worry about being ready to serve. I truly don’t think we ever can be, because there are things the Lord is going to do that we have no idea about and will far surpass anything we can imagine-- so how could we be ready for that? If we were going to prepare, I think what that looks like is to spend time in the Word, getting to know His heart, His voice, and how Jesus loved. Getting to know God’s people is getting to know God’s heart, and vice versa. The more we spend time with Him and get to know Him, the more we will be able to value His work and recognize how He is moving, because He always is. We have this portion from God that we get to have close fellowship with Him and His people in our backyards or across the world. Sometimes it’s easier to look so far beyond the people in front of us and just focus on the world beyond-- I know that was my problem. But He has placed people in front of us for a reason and it’s our choice whether we are obedient. We all possess something that can make life better for someone else, and we have so much more power than we think we do but it’s because of God in us. We might not be able to heal people, but we can help take care of their needs. And thankfully, we have the Ultimate Healer (it’s literally the meaning of His name, Jehovah Raffa) who meets our needs, and in abundance. So do not fear, because the King of King’s believes in us and is walking beside us.
Third, we are called to be more than to do. I think this means a lot of things, but to me this means being obedient, loved, trustworthy, gracious, and from those we can DO good works and DO the will of God.
Fourth, something that I have learned from both current and former street children, and from people of all walks of life, is that storytelling changes the world. Storytelling, especially in the form of a testimony, is a way to praise our Heavenly Father. And the best part is, we all have one! We all have restoration stories, regardless of our background or experiences.
Kennedy with SGU child Brian
All in all, the world doesn’t need our guilt, it needs our action. There is no time for passiveness. In saying that, I will leave you with this quote by Gary Haugen, the founder and CEO of International Justice Mission: “When our grandchildren ask us where we were when the voiceless and the vulnerable in our era needed leaders of compassion and purpose, I hope we can say that we showed up and showed up on time.”
