my Christmas money, a bike accident, and time away

Almost a month without a shower (basin baths don't count) and having a constant line of people outside George's Mom's home made for some long, long days in the village. We just wanted to get away. Away from the pain. Away from the squalor. Away from the hopelessness we see on a daily basis. Just for 2 nights. Just to relax. 10 mins after asking for donations to do so, we had the $140 we needed to go to Vision for Africa. $35 per person, per night and THAT was all inclusive. It's 45 mins away from here. George visited a couple months ago and it is his dream for our village here. By staying there, we were also helping build another organization, so it was a no-brainer. Our last week of 2010 is detailed here, through my Facebook status updates :)

I started the week out by spilling water on the carpet.
Of course I immediately saw Africa. George? Not so much.
So I posted it on FB and everyone agreed. I win :)

Dec 27th – ‎$150 for Christmas. I daydreamed about what I would buy. But yesterday, everything changed. The guy George put in jail came to thank him for saving his life. He also wanted a job so that he could pay for the bike he destroyed & so he wouldn't have to go to prison for 14 years. I watched as his head hung the whole time. I thought about the shame he must feel. George even sent him out so he wouldn't cry in front of us. I thought about what Jesus would do, but moreso what He wanted ME to do. George took the owner of the bike into Kampala today to buy a new one. Happy Birthday, Jesus. I wouldn't have rather spent my Christmas money on anything else. Matthew 25 isn't just for the hungry and the sick. It's for the poor, too. You can't shape that verse to fit your ministry. I came here to serve as Jesus would, and He didn't just serve the cute kids. He served the drunk guy that was facing prison time because he was hopeless. I will never forget him crawling into this house and half-sitting on a chair (after we MADE him get out of the floor), nor will I forget how he had to look to the ceiling to keep the tears from rolling from his eyes. It reminded me of my visit with Charles, as I had to do the same thing. I am praising God that this guy, whose name I don't know, KNOWS that I am doing this on behalf of Jesus. And that makes my heart smile. I am still trying to get over what happened yesterday. My heart races just thinking about it. I am nervous for his court date tomorrow because the system here is corrupt. Praying that because I bought the bike, he won't go to prison. Please pray with me.


Dec 27th – REALLY needs to get away from the village. I can't get anything done. I haven't had a shower in a month. I want a REAL SHOWER, not one from a bucket. I want to wash my hair with clean water. I want a good night's sleep. This 3" foam mattress (and by foam I don't mean memory foam) is killing my back. Just two nights. I just want two nights. The next $75 in jewelry sales is going toward a vacation :)

Dec 28th – It's 66 degrees here and George has on a sweater. I'm not joking.

Dec 28th – was told we were needed outside to treat someone that had a bike accident in front of the house. We got cotton, cleanser and ointment and rushed out there thinking he/she was a child. We found a grown man (my age) with serious wounds. We took him to the clinic in Bombo where they gave him stitches, a shot and tabs. We found it raining when we left so George got in the middle and let me drive home. You should have seen the guy's face when he realized I was driving!!! HILARIOUS!!! I imagined him thinking, "I thought this girl was trying to help me. She's trying to kill me!!!" We took the "bumpy way home" and George finally got out and got in the back. I kinda went a little fast to make him pay for all the times he puts people in the back and forgets about them as he goes fast. It bothers me a little that George said the people think I'm a little crazy for taking him to the clinic when they've seen worse wounds than that. The man needed stitches. There's nothing "crazy" about that. I'm pretty sure Jesus would have done the same thing. Do YOU think He would have turned someone away because his wounds weren't the worst the people around him had seen?

** PRAISE GOD! I went out to find that the guy wasn't outside. I asked George where he went. He said, "He has gone to the church for prayers. I think he has had a change of heart." I am soooo blessed to be living such an awesome life for Him. I truly feel like His hands and feet today.

This is an updated pic of him. His face is healing nicely!

Dec 28th – just got a visit from the guy that I gave my Christmas money to keep him out of jail and he has been cleared of all charges. Praising God for the heart He gave me. A heart that doesn't pick and choose which Scripture to apply to my life because it's the "easy part". There's nothing easy about Matthew 25. I want to encourage you to do something today for someone without wanting anything in return.

Dec 29th – should be packing for "vacation". First thing I'm doing when I get there? SHOWER! George has forbidden me from taking the laptop but I'm thinking about slipping it in the bottom of my bag. Shhhh, don't tell him. Excited to see what God is up to as we have time to just relax and talk about our plans...scratch that...God's plans for the village through us.

Dec 29th – feels like a kid sneaking to get online. 3 hilarious things from today - 1) took the forever long dirt road here & stopped to pick about 4 people when they yelled to the ones behind them & so on. Next thing we know there are 25+ back there, 2) saw a chicken & a goat fight AND have it on video, 3) took a 15 min shower & as soon as George got in, the power went off. You should've heard him scream. Bahaha! Night!

Some of the pics from our 2 days at Vision for Africa

Dec 30th – Me: Do you smell that? It smells like something's burning. George: I don't hear anything.

Dec 31st – ‎"This is the deepest meaning of hospitality - to give each other rest on the way to our eternal home." - Romano Guardini . . . it was good to get away but so good to be home. How many people do you know that have NO check-out time but leave at 11am to get back home? Yeah, we're weird.