Opportunities and Double Blessings

From Trace Thurlby in Uganda

Leaders do more than set the tone. They define the values which mold their people. Pastor JJ at M’bira, Uganda, gave another great example of that today when we asked him what his hopes are for the children under his care.

“On Saturdays,” he began, “I take the children and members of the church, and we go to care for the jajjaa (local word for the elderly). We clean their homes. We bring them a meal and a little money. I tell the children, ‘You have been given this opportunity, and I want you to use it to give to other people.'”

Forget for just a moment that “the opportunity” Pastor JJ is talking about is to live in an orphan village, and focus on his key point: you’ve been given an opportunity. Use it to serve others. Come with me. I’ll show you how. We’ll do it together. I hope for the same spirit within my own heart and my family that JJ is instilling in the children at M’Bira.

After leaving there, we visited Aid Child. For more than ten years, Aid Child has cared for HIV-positive orphans. At first, with limited medication, Aid Child basically provided hospice care. Today they offer a lifetime supply of ARVs to 95 affected children. In Uganda, HIV-positive orphans are commonly considered double cursed. Aid Child’s love and care addresses those two problems. In the eyes of the children, one could see these kids are actually double blessed.