There was a lot of singing. Singing in a language I do not understand, but could decipher through the laughter and uplifted hands. Someone translated a line for me:
“Tell Pharaoh we are not going back to Egypt.”
This is the beginning of a new life.
A life safe from groping hands.
Safe from the threat of disease.
After the girl’s got the eviction notice, we didn’t have much time to act. But God always knows what we need before we know we need it. We found a house in just two days (which needs some work–seems to always be the case with any house I find 🙂 I negotiated with the landlord and a day later out of the 46 women and children who could have been on the street, homeless–11 are living in a home with 12 children. It isn’t perfect. There are still some, some who choose to still rent small rooms and continue with the only life they’ve known for the past 8 years. I understand.
Sometimes it takes a lot for us to change.
But we have time. I believe in time, they will come home too.
Already Miriam, our house mom, is running a tight ship. She is doing devotions and worship, is teaching them English classes, and bead-making. We know that if we want to keep them from going back to prostitution we need to find income generation projects. I wish I was gifted with a business mind. It isn’t easy. This was more than I ever expected. Happened faster than I had time to prepare. Didn’t have time to think, only act at the thought of the chance we had in front of us: To change a life. They have children.
I look at those children and think one less child to grow up under the shadow of a broken mother.
I was amazed at how God worked it out. Amazed more so by all of you. You, who after hearing, send donations and phone calls and emails. You, who amidst your own lives, and own problems, still find a way to care. It is you who made this possible. I can’t say thank you enough.
Maybe it will never be a perfect situation. I find I am now running two homes when I barely had started learning how to run one 🙂
But to see them smiling. To know it is one less. One less….lost. It gives me strength.
I am however, very honestly, exhausted. I will be gone for 5 days at a retreat in Jinja. Not superwoman after all 🙂
Thank you for holding my hands.
with love,
Sarita
