Poverty Striken

It's been 5 weeks since we landed at Entebbe International Airport in Uganda Africa. Many foreigners travel to and from Uganda, all with various agendas. Perhaps this is the reason for why it has taken 5 weeks for my new friend Noah to let me into his heart.

"Ben, can we talk?" asked Noah a few days ago. Seeing the pain in his eyes, I quickly told him I wanted to hear what he had to say. "Sure" I responded, "Let's go for a walk". So out we went. We exited the base and walked along the pothole laden orange dirt road that wound its way through the verdant Ugandan rain forest. As we trudged along, it became evident that Noah had a tremendous weight on his heart.

Noah is the firstborn of ten siblings. Two years ago Noah's dad died. It happened as he was completing his final exams in secondary school. Suddenly, in a matter of seconds, his whole life changed. Here in Uganda, if the father dies or runs away, it is the eldest son's responsibility to care for his siblings and his mother. The mother, who spent everything she had on medical bills for her dying husband, now runs a small vegetable stand on a street in her village where she sells the produce from her garden. Noah was the only one who was able to finish secondary school. The rest of the children are awaiting sponsors to assist with their school fees since what little money the mother makes goes primarily to food or medical care for the children.

Noah has since come to work at FDLM and is now getting ready to go off to college with an all expense paid scholarship from the governmet. He leaves in two weeks. But amidst the joys of getting ready for college, his heart still carries the weight of his family. I can see the concern in his face. Noah is a man who loves deeply. He has not forgotten them, they are fresh in his mind. He tells me about how sometimes he will send his whole paycheck to his mom just to help them get by.

He is now approaching me looking for options. He has already managed to get his mother set up to receive $30 from an NGO when funds are available. But it's not enough. School fees alone for the children cost about $380 for all 9 of them to finish this next term. Then there are medical costs and food costs and school supplies costs....

I told Noah that we would have to pray for God's guidance since there isn't much we can do in our own right. But we can pray. I also suggested to him that we look for sponsors for the children or try to research various NGO's that have resources we have not yet tapped into. But Noah needs help for his family now. So we started praying and asking for God's help. And soon we will see what God does. Perhaps He will provide through sponsors for the children or perhaps He will network us with an NGO. Or perhaps this season He will have us wait. I don't know. But I do know He is faithful.

This story is a common one here in Uganda. Everyone is trying to make ends meet as well as try to help the next generation to have a better life than the generation before it. And so we will see what God has in mind. I have already been having internal dialogues with God about what exactly constitutes abundant living. Does a college degree secure this? I have many friends here who have gone through the rigors of higher education but now don't have jobs here in Uganda because the demand just simply isn't there. At the same time having a forward motivation to keep the mind encouraged and the heart passionate regarding bettering the livelihood of oneself and one's family is a good thing. But just how high of a standard of living does one need to be content? I know many Americans who are still unsettled on this question. However, having a good meal for your family daily and being able to care for each other when a family member is sick are all good things.

The Word of God says, "for the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking, but of righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit" (Rom 14:17). What if our standard of living isn't based on what we have but on our levels of righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit?

Noah and I pray around this verse as we finish our walk together. Our hearts are to be filled with the good things of God and to have His abundance. At the same time, we see our friends and families in need. Noah's family is still struggling, despite being filled. But maybe being filled with the fullness of God is enough. Maybe God will provide the rest, just like He says in Matthew 6:33 - "Seek first His Kingdom and His righteousness and all these things will be added to you as well." In the meantime we pray that God will give us wisdom and leads us in the way we should go, with an undivided and a thankful heart that is full of praise and full of joy.

Come Lord Jesus come!