Easter Celebrations!

April 26, 2011

I hope all of you were as blessed as we were to remember our Saviors death and celebrate His resurrection. I kept saying Christians should be the happiest people in the world. The world should hear us rejoice this weekend. We have the victory!

Many of you will remember at Christmas we had a party for the street kids in Soroti to share with them the birth of Christ. Since then it has been my goal to share the rest of the story with them on Easter. It is amazing how I could talk myself out of things I know God wants us to do – I don’t know what to do, I am too busy, maybe it wont work, they will be fine without it… Thankfully when God puts something on my heart I can’t shake it and just have to be obedient – and pray!

Thankfully I have my family and team to encourage me. Josh, Jennifer, Rebecca, and Sherry all helped. On Saturday we went to the house that is open for street kids to come to three days a week. Martin, Dennis, Kennedy and others help council the boys, make crafts, and play with them. I am so impressed with the work and heart of these men who desire to help these street kids. There are a couple boys that now go to school and another boy wants help going back home and starting school there. I think I could even see that the boys were cleaner and happier than they were at Christmas.

Our time together started out with playing soccer and Frisbee. Josh was the goalie for the shoot out and the boys loved it. We then moved inside and started the “program”. Lydia and Grace did motions to the song “Hosanna”, Josh told the Easter story using props, the boys drew pictures of what they wanted to give to Jesus and laid them at the cross, I gave an invitation to receive Christ as their Lord, they made necklaces, and we had a snack – colored Easter eggs decorated by Jennifer! It went so well we all enjoyed our time with the boys. They listened intently and had lots of smiles. It is so good to share Jesus!

My heart goes out to these boys every time I see them. I really do love them because Jesus loves them. No child should be living on the streets because their families don’t want them or they have no one to call family. Many of them drew a picture of themselves sniffing a bottle (glue of some sort to give them a high) and gave it to Jesus at the cross. No one wants to feel pain, hungry, afraid or alone. I pray that this Easter party reminded each boy they are loved – loved so much Jesus died for them. It is my prayer that each boy knows Jesus as Lord and have new life and peace in Him.

On Monday we went to the Elim House (a transition home for kids who were left on the streets). There are eight kids there now most of them in their early teens but one is only six years old. They have a new boy who father died, mother went mad and then died, and doesn’t know any of his relatives or where his siblings are. Makes your heart break doesn’t it. It has been nice to interact with these kids for almost a year now. They are very polite and quiet. Our program was basically the same. I don’t know how God used it in their lives but I am sure He did. It was a joy to celebrate Easter with them. They were so grateful too.

Our family and team also remembered and celebrated this past weekend. Thursday Josh told the story of Jesus washing His disciple’s feet and washed the kids and my feet. Lydia and Grace thought it was great. Then they washed Josh’s feet. On Friday our team met for a Good Friday service where we also had communion. For Easter everyone came to our house. The kids did an Easter egg hunt – which made them very happy! Then we had a feast – it was suppose to be ham but since Uganda has hoof and mouth going on there is no pork or beef to be found around here. But our meal was still awesome. We then had a worship service. The kids did motions with ribbons to two songs. They were a highlight. Josh reminded us all that Jesus work is done, He has the victory, and we now have the power of His resurrection in us.
After our service we walked down the road to where some people where singing and dancing. They were from the Acoli tribe. They used calabashes and a group of metal sticks that they hit it with – sounded awesome! Lydia joined right in and danced her little heart out. She had the biggest smile on her face. She loved it! Grace shyly stood watching.

We ended Easter with dessert (lemon meringue and banana cream pie!) and games. It was a beautiful day. We had a great time celebrating Jesus resurrection! I want to leave you with something someone sent to me. I think it speaks it all.

Jesus had no servants, yet they called Him master.
No degrees, yet they called Him teacher.
No medicine, yet they called Him healer.
No army, yet the kings feared Him.
He won no military battles, yet He conquered the world.
He committed no crime, yet they crucified Him.
He was buried in a tomb, yet He lived today!

Don’t you feel honored to know and serve Him? Jesus the greatest ever!

(Pictures are coming...)