A Dropped Kid...A New Sponsor

We came on this trip hoping to find a new kid to sponsor...turns out we found two.  We decided to sponsor Biryeri Eron as she just graduated from Primary school and is moving to Secondary.  She is also Perez's cousin and they grew up together.  She was previously sponsored, dropped, assigned to a new sponsor and then we asked if we could sponsor her so Perez could stay connected to the family.  It all worked out and we just told her that we were her new sponsor and she just beamed.

We also decided, by the pulling of heart strings, that we needed to take on Kitenda (the boy in the photo).  He's been around every year that we have been here and we usually smile and wave from afar...maybe saying a few "How Are You"'s and a few "I'm Fine"'s.  But this year was different.  It seemed as if he hung around us a lot more, not saying much but just trying to be around as much as possible.  I started talking to him when he was writing a letter to his sponsor.  It turns out he had just been dropped by his sponsor (and he didn't know because the social workers are not telling the kids to save them the heart break).  He asked me if I knew his sponsor and if I could send a special message to her.  It's really hard when you know bits of information that you can't share.  I told him that I did know his sponsor and I would love to send the special message.  At that point, I knew I wanted to be his sponsor.  I told him a few days later that he had been dropped, but only because God had a different plan for him.  Through out the past two weeks we have spent as much time with him as possible and have tried to gleen as much of his past from him and others that know him.  Turns out...his father abandoned his family 9 years ago and left his mom with 8 kids, one of which is deaf and requires special help.  A few years ago Kitenda started acting out.  He was totally unruly and defiant and started getting into a lot of trouble.  He basically has the characteristics of a street kid.  A lot of anger, bitterness, and hurt.  His mom thought it would be best to send him to a school where he could be raised better.  So he ended up at Victor's...and I truly believe God has saved him from a life of trouble.  He is timid, gentle and respectful with a little of an edge and a heck of a good soccer player.  He has so much potential.

We stopped by his house today to see where he lives and to meet his mother and siblings.  We were warmly welcomed into a very "humble" home by his mom and a bunch of kids who are all related somehow.  I got to share with her that we were his new sponsor and she got to share with me the dreams she has for her son.  It was a really cool moment.

I got back to the school and told him that we visited his mom and saw his home, he kinda started blushing and said, "You did what?"  It's kind of unheard of to visit a child's home without telling them first.  But he was happy that we got to share a little more of his life with him.  I'm super excited about a new beginning for him and I know that God is blessing what's going on here.

I can't wait to get home and show you the pictures of other kids who have been dropped so you all can pick them back up again and give them a new beginning.

From Uganda With Much Love To Share Today...Ali