Home Kids

Hello! I am in an internet cafe with dodgy internet connection so fingers crossed this works!

Yesterday, Matt and I joined Redondo at his normal church; 7th Day. It was good to see so many people passionate about God and full of hope in a place which needs it so much. It's true that there is always somewhere you can call home in any country if you attend a church. The people made us feel very welcome.

After church, we handed out all the gifts which were so kindly donated by you! The children who are being sponsored received school bags full of stationary and a letter from their sponsors. They loved them so much. They immediately ensured their bags would be kept in a safe place. They walked everywhere with it on their backs, with huge smiles on their faces, feeling extremely grateful. Thank you sponsors!

(More photos to come)

We also handed out all the clothes; tops, jackets, trousers, shorts and football socks. We would hold an item up and the boys would put their hands up if they liked it and Redondo would choose the boy who needed it the most. Every boy received at least two items and they were very impressed with the amount of clothes we had brought over.

After handing out everything, the boys wanted to express their thanks. They came up one by one, in front of the whole group, and told of how grateful they are to us, the sponsors and the church. They said that they wish they could find a way to thank us but hope that we can truely believe them when they say that they are thankful. It was a lovely moment. I told the boys that I have seen a huge improvement in the home and in their behaviours which has made me so proud of them. I had to fight back the tears as I was talking to them because it is so so lovely to see them acting like brothers and developing so well.

We also handed out all the bibles which Brislington Church gave, plus the bookmarks. They loved them so much that they put their names on them straight away and kept them safe, ready to read. Today, they brought their bibles with them as we walked to church as a big group. It was a 'born again' church - very lively and packed full! The boys enjoyed the worship, dancing and singing with huge smiles on their faces. It was all in Lugandan so we couldn't understand what was being said but there was a lot of cheers and hands being raised!

All of a sudden, Dan, Brian and Gerald got up from their seats and walked towards the stage. We couldn't understand what was happening at first but then Peter told us that they wanted to share their testimony with the whole congregation! We were amazed! These street kids were now voluntarily walking on to a church stage in front of at least 300 people to share their story! One by one the boys took the mic and spoke of how they are orphans, once living on the streets, and how we have helped them to survive and go to school. The whole congregation whooped and clapped as the boys told their stories. My eyes filled as they spoke and Gerald even knelt on the stage, praising God for saving him from the awful situation he was in, calling it a miracle. Dan said that he was so happy with all the changes he has seen, especially since we have been here this week, that he could not hold it in any longer so really wanted to share how he felt with everyone. It was seriously amazing. I was so proud of them. I am so proud of all of them.

This is the happiest I have ever seen the boys. Matt and I have been interviewing them about their past and all of them have seen awful things. Their mums and dads have either died from sickness, AIDS, a car accident or war. Half of them lived on the streets, scrounging through rubbish for scrap metal to sell. Most of the children who live on the streets are normally so stuck in their rut that they struggle to adapt to a new life, even if it was given to them. But with the consistency and persistence of Redondo counseling them and being a genuine friend, and with our support filling them with hope, they have managed to change their lives around. Now, these boys no longer call themselves 'Street Kids'. Instead, they call themselves 'Home Kids'.

Amazing! xxxx