Saying Goodbye to GSF and Uganda

We woke up today - our last morning at GSF. We all woke early, had breakfast as a team on the veranda, and went for a missionary devotional on Tom and Sharon's front porch. Then we decided to go and do a prayer walk by every house, the school, the administration building, the staff housing, the maintenance department where the men have spent the last two weeks in fellowship with the men- building relationships and witnessing to them. We prayed over the children, the Aunties, the missionaries, and then went up to the hill overlooking the entire campus to pray over GSF and what GOD is doing through GSF.

GSF really is an oasis in Uganda for babies and orphans. It also educates and feeds the village children from all around. When you walk on to the grounds, there is a peace, joy, and comfort that comes over you. God is at work at GSF. God is ALL over the place. 

The children are full of laughter, giggles, huge smiles, play, and wonder. It is contagious. Whenever the  heaviness of the reality of Uganda hit, the best medicine was to go and simply be around the children of GSF. They may not have much by our standards, yet they are FULL of love, wonder, and joy. The Aunties are likewise full of love, patience, and comfort for these children. 

We saw the example of this first hand. Children arrive from challenging situations, not even knowing the full extent of what they have experienced, some arrive sick, not speaking, afraid, and obviously coming from horrible backgrounds...and once they are at GSF for a several months, they start to smile. They start to interact with the other children, the aunties, and soon they start to eat and talk. It is a miracle to see. 

Just while we were here these past two weeks, there was a child in the toddler house, Praise, who had been found abandoned. She probably has some level of autism and has seizures. She has been through a horrific time in her childhood. No one knows exactly what happened, but she came to GSF not speaking and not allowing anyone to touch her. When she did speak it was in the third person repeating what she has heard most of her young life- cursing, telling "Praise" that she was bad, yelling. We saw the transformation just in the short time that we were with her. The other children interact and play with her. She has a best friend who takes her hand and leads her all over the place; to the swing set, to the table for dinner, to her bed. And Praise went from withdrawn with us, to coming over and sitting on our laps. Allowing us to pray over her and rub her back. Allowing us to sing love songs over her. Before we left, she was asking with words to get up on laps. She is so precious and to think of what she has gone through in her very young life. She is probably only 4 or 5. Yet the love of Christ through the Aunties and through GSF and through everyone coming into contact with her; she has been transformed. In Christ ALL things are possible.  To witness the Power of Love was beyond amazing! 

So we packed up today and before leaving we went to sign the new sidewalk. This is what the men on our team have worked on long and hard in the hot African sun day in and day out. It was needed for the children who have handicaps and are in wheelchairs or slide around on special skateboards. So they can easily get up and down to their houses and school. The men worked very hard and finished a beautiful sidewalk that was so needed. In the process, they were able to build relationships and fellowship with the Ugandan maintenance crew. We went and each signed the sidewalk with chalk messages for the children.  

As we were leaving we also saw the result of the men's hard work around the administration building. Previously when it rained (rainy season), the rain flooded the building. They shoveled rocks, not just shoveled, but broke up the rocks, and as smaller truck loads of rock came in- they moved them all around the building creating drainage from the foundation so the building will no longer flood. They also mulched all around the building. It will be finished and landscaped with lovely plants.

It was an amazing two weeks at GSF. It is hard to describe what GOD has been doing in each of our hearts as we spent time with the missionaries- seeing their sacrifice; with the children- seeing their joy and wonder in the midst of GOD's love; seeing the oasis that has been created at GSF and ALL they are doing to LOVE on and share GOD's love with orphans, the villagers, and everyone they come in contact with...it is amazing to watch GOD at work! 

We now are getting ready to depart for the airport and ask for your prayers for safe travels home as we fly to Amsterdam, then Detroit, then Raleigh, and then home! 

We look forward to sharing more about our experience and more photos with all of you!
Thank you for your prayers and for your support in sending us here. It has been life-changing to say the least...