Give them Eyes to See

One way we are trying to help the community is by creating jobs. We are not big on giving handouts. For some of you that may sound strange, to that I recommend reading "When Helping Hurts," by Steve Corbett and Brian Fikkert. After being involved in the community for over 6 months we are seeing the detriment of organizations that just come in and throw things at them and leave. Well meaning people who are trying to patch a bullet hole with a bandaid. Spiritual poverty being the hole. These handouts without relationships leads to more chaos, and more dependance, and more problems for the gospel, for the Karamojong anyway. Difficult to understand if you haven't seen it first hand. We have seen the importance of building relationships and being involved in the community to really see what the needs are. I used to feel a bit more sorry for the women begging on the streets to earn a living. Thinking this was their only option. I was wrong, and perhaps a bit naive.  Don't get me wrong their lives and situations are troublesome but not changed overnight. Talking to different people in the community has opened my eyes further to see that you have to change the person's character to make a change. How do you do that? You don't, God does. You just plant the seeds, and let Him water them. Strenuous for control freaks.  So I pray, and pray some more. That God would transform one, two, three, and then the whole community. I know it seems far fetched. I am a dreamer, I'll keep believing.

These stubborn women have really grown on me and I pray and hope they can rise out of the pit of addictions, that they can be examples of the community of someone who used to be on the street begging, women who used to traffic their children, who used to be spiritual impoverished.

 We found someone in Uganda who is helping us train about 15 women/men in different skills so they can make a living for themselves. We do want to help but we want it to be sustainable, and helpful. It is a trial thing and it seems there are a lot of "ifs" but I feel we have to start somewhere and try. There is never an ideal situation here, so we are just taking it step by step. We are first going to teach them some business management skills, along with some basic education to prepare them for this endeavor.  If you were wondering how to pray. This is a way to pray for the people we are involved with. Pray they can be able to save enough money to get started. They have it and for most of them it will be a choice of drinking for a day or forgoing alcohol and saving some money. Maybe not a struggle for all of them but for many. Pray for them. Pray that God would give them eyes to see.