Best Service Club/Volunteer Group Float

The hope of a partially built house, decorations, costumes, smiles, laughter, tears, music, dancing. These were some of the things we experienced while decorating, and enjoying the float for Watoto. Not unlike the children themselves when we enjoyed their presence here at Long Creek. We are no different from our brothers and sisters in Uganda. Longing for a safe place for our children to grow up, family, love, friendship, food to eat and the need for God in our lives. I feel privileged to be called to go to Uganda in May. Even before the mission trip was announced I felt the need to go. As we worked together to construct the float an excitement began to grow within me. A reality of what was coming. We started with a white flat-bed metal trailer, but as we worked together what unfolded was hope for tomorrow being a brighter future. As we set up the partially built house, a deep excitement grew within me. Things were coming together and I realized that is what it is all about – hope for the hopeless! It was a brief example of what was to come. I imagined myself as a young child all alone, living on the streets of Africa, cold, hungry, alone. Someone comes along and says "Come with me. I have something to show you." Uncertain of the intent, but I follow anyway. I don’t want to be alone. They take me to see a hole in the ground and say "This will be your new home. A group of people are coming from far away and they are helping us to build you a home." They point to a woman and say, " This woman will be your new mother." They then show me other children as they say, "These will be your brothers and sisters. You will be part of a family! You will have food to eat, a school to go to where you will be able to learn how to read and write. You will learn about a God who loves you. You are important to Him. You are loved! You will have the opportunity to grow and to have a future! You are not alone!"
A partially built house sits upon a foundation of a metal trailer ~ A young child waits to hear the words ~ "This foundation will be your home" Soon a team arrives and begins building upon the foundation that was laid. Like the house on a flat-bed trailer, a partially built house now stands. An excitement grows within the heart of the child. It is becoming reality. "I will have a home. I will have brothers and sisters, I will have a mother, I will have love. God is real and He loves me!"
A reality struck deep into my heart that day. This is not about what I can do... this is fully about what God is doing. He has already laid the foundation, He has simply asked us to go, to follow Him. When you look into the eyes of a child and see hope ignite, how can you not respond? From plain white trailer to winner of Best Service Club/Volunteer Group Float ~ that may feel nice for the moment. But to go from standing on plain cold ground to a home full of God’s love and a hope for tomorrow. Nothing can top that!!!