Before I even step foot in Namatala, I hear the children shouting, "Mzungu! Mzungu! How are you?" The same beautiful faces come running towards me simply to hold my hand. I spread my fingers as wide as they can go allowing for as many little hands to grab on as possible. Once my hands are full, they grab for my arms; once my arms are full, they grab for my skirt. They just want to be loved. I smile at each one knowing that at this moment I'm being Jesus' hands and feet. "And whoever welcomes a little child like this in my name welcomes me." Matthew 18:5
I continue walking as the crowds of children grow larger, greeting familiar faces along the way. "How are you?" "I'm fine. How are you?" I pass by hut after hut of women washing their clothes, preparing their meals, bathing their children and sweeping their property. I think to myself, I could learn a thing or two from these women about being Jesus' hands and feet. "Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men." Colossians 3:23
I'm on my way to visit those whom I've built such a close relationship with. My friends, Regina and Brian; Sulli, Moreen, and Loru; Margaret and friends; Agnes, and Okirori and his mom. I'm there because of their need for medical attention. I'm there to treat a sickness which has lasted for six months. I'm there to put ointment on a one year old boy waiting for his final surgery. I'm there to provide vitamins, protein and nutritional supplements to a malnourished five year old. I'm there to relieve the pain of a severe burn immobilizing and covering an entire hand. I'm there to clean and re bandage two large wounds. I'm there to serve and to be HIS hands and feet. "Just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many." Matthew 20:28
I approach the house of Regina and Brian seeing the same scene I see everyday. Regina lying on a tattered and torn bamboo mat. Hopeless. Wondering when the day will be that she gains her strength back and is able to live a normal life. Her seven year old son, Brian, greets us with a beautiful smile in his over sized t-shirt. I know behind that smile is a young boy wondering when his next meal will be, wondering when his mom will get better, wondering when his mom will start taking care of him instead of him taking care of her. I'm told that Regina has had nothing to eat or drink in days. I'm shocked. I've never once had to experience that, and to be honest, I probably never will. I supply them with a stash of protein enriched granola bars hoping it will satisfy their hunger for some time. I travel to the nearest well and pay the fifty cent fee to fill up two jerry-cans full of water hoping to hydrate Regina's frail body. I hand her some Aleve to relieve the pain, but her weakness continues. I pray over her for healing. I pray to be HIS hands and feet. "Jesus turned and saw her. 'Take heart, daughter,' he said, 'your faith has healed you.' And the woman was healed from that moment." Matthew 9:22
I'm invited into the home of Loru, Sulli and Moreen. I'm asked to put ointment on my finger and rub it into Loru's rectum. I'm not prepared for this. This is not what I signed up for. I gag a few times as I slowly push my finger in and hope it'll be over soon. Loru starts to cry. I can only imagine the pain he's in. Once I finish, the parents ask me to come back everyday to do this until his surgery. They just can't handle putting their baby through this pain. I say yes because I just want to be HIS hands and feet. "I can do everything through him who gives me strength." Philippians 4:13
I arrive at Margaret's ready for a couple of hours of slowly peeling charcoal off her burnt hand. She unwraps four dirty rags uncovering a fly invested, blackened hand with a smell that makes you nauseous with the tiniest whiff. As I stare at her hand in utter amazement, I'm trying to figure out why anyone would think to use charcoal as a means of healing. But I continue on. I pull out my tweezers, beginning to peel off the charcoal piece by piece, while a villager helps to keep the flies away by fanning a rag over the hand. The smell intensifies as the fanning blows it straight into my face. I pull away trying to get some fresh air. I quickly see how time consuming this will be wondering if there's a better way. I explain that I'll be back tomorrow and request boiled water to soak her hand, hoping the charcoal will easily dissolve. Unsure of how to proceed with this burn, I hand it over to God trusting he will give me guidance. I just want to be HIS hands and feet. "Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight." Proverbs 3:5-6
As I walk from house to house, I pass by what seems like the place to be. Loud music, lots of people, and tons of chatter. I quickly realize that this is where everyone gathers to drink, smoke and play games. My heart breaks. A voice whispers to me,
Share My love with them. Instead, I continue on while saying a quick prayer, "Lord be with the people here. Help them to know that what they are doing is wrong. Reveal your truth to them." Again the voice whispers,
I want YOU to reveal my truth to them. I ignore it and continue walking, making excuses. They're too drunk, they won't understand. I have people I need to treat. There's always tomorrow. I pass up an opportunity to be HIS hands and feet. "How, then, can they call on the one they have not believed in? And how can they believe in the one of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone preaching to them?" Romans 10:14.
My next stop, Agnes' house, but Agnes is nowhere to be found. We ask her neighbors if they know where she's gone. Their response, "she's out searching for food." My heart sinks. I think about the filling lunch I just had and the dinner that will be waiting for me when I arrive home. I've never had to search for food, it's always been right at my finger tips. I continue on, making a mental note: Bring food for Agnes tomorrow. I just want to be HIS hands and feet. "For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in." Matthew 25:35
Not far from Agnes' is Okirori, a five year old boy the size of a two or three year old. I noticed him a few days ago because of his thinning hair and lack of energy. I watched him carefully, picking up on how out of breath and tired he got. I measured the circumference of his arm to determine if he was malnourished and by the results, there was no doubt he was. I decided to make a form of Plumpy-Nut for him by giving him vitamins and a mixture of peanut butter and powdered milk. I instructed him to take a spoonful of the peanut butter mixture three times a day everyday until it was gone, as well as taking one vitamin everyday. His mannerisms have changed. He is growing stronger and healthier by the day. I add in a few healthy snacks to help. His smile is bigger than ever. I know this wouldn't happen without the healing power of my Savior. I just want to be HIS hands and feet. "Great crowds came to him, bringing the lame, the blind, the crippled, the mute and many others, and laid them at his feet; and he healed them." Matthew 15:30
I've come with bags full of clothes to pass out to those around. I enter a cluster of huts full of people belonging to the Karamajong tribe. I begin to strip the children and dress them up in a brand new outfit. They don't know how to react and look at me as though I'm insane. I can tell they've never really experienced this type of love before. Once everyone gets an outfit, I hand out a few snacks that may just be there only source of food for today. They inhale the food and ask for more. I smile knowing that this might just be a once in a lifetime experience for them, and God chose me to be a part of it. I just want to be HIS hands and feet. "Suppose a brother or sister is without clothes and daily food. If one of you says to him, 'Go, I wish you well; keep warm and well fed,' but does nothing about his physical needs, what good is it?" James 2:15-16
I start heading home as the sun begins to set, re tracing my steps on the familiar path. This time though there's a crowd of children playing a form of monkey-in-the-middle. I stop and watch, intrigued by their creativity in this game. I get excited and cheer along with the rest of the kids. When the round is over, I ask if they will teach me how to play. I become the monkey-in-the-middle. The object: to turn over all the bottle caps on the ground without getting hit by the ball. They tell me when to go and I quickly turn over my first and second bottle cap while dodging the ball they are throwing at me. I succeed, but only because they went easy on me. I want to continue playing with them, but know I must get back for nighttime is quickly approaching. I'm grateful for the opportunity God gave me to play with these kids and to be HIS hands and feet. "This is the day the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it." Psalm 118:24
I'm sitting in the comfort of my own home now. My mind is consumed with thoughts of Uganda, wondering when I'll be able to see all those beautiful people again. I scan through all my pictures over and over again, smiling at the memories. Not only have they stolen a piece of my heart, but they’ve changed my way of thinking, my way of loving, my way of serving. They’ve changed me. I pray that I will never forget the names and faces of the people that have become so dear to me. I just want to be HIS hands and feet. “I thank my God every time I remember you. In all my prayers for all of you.” Philippians 1:3-4
I quickly get caught up in the American life. Three meals a day, with snacks in between. My own vehicle to get me where ever I want, whenever I want. A job that pays me more in a month than most Ugandans make in a year. High-speed internet that allows me to communicate and browse at anytime. TV with hundreds of channels so I don't get bored. A closet full of clothes where a majority of them are worn only five months out of the year, while others aren't worn at all. A washing machine and dryer to clean all my clothes, as well as, a dishwasher to wash my dishes so I don‘t have to do them by hand. And if anything is not how it should be, a big heaping of complaining goes a long with it. I still need to be HIS hands and feet. "Do everything without complaining or arguing, so that you may become blameless and pure, children of God without fault in a crooked and depraved generation, in which you shine like stars in the universe." Philippians 2:14-15
Christ has no body on earth but yours,
No hands but yours,
No feet but yours.
Yours are the eyes through which
Christ’s compassion for the world is to look out;
Yours are the feet with which He is to go about doing good;
And yours are the hands with which He is to bless us now.
~ Saint Teresa of Avila
