Excited in Uganda to just show up!

It is very exciting when friends and family come to Uganda. Part of the excitement is because we love to be around our friends and family that we love. But, mostly for me, it is excitement because I love to see my family and friends catch the vision. When you love something so much that is from the Lord, it is natural to want loved ones to experience it. The vision is from the Lord. Today, in Masese, I got to see my brother, Ken, and his brother in law, Gary, catch the love and vision of Uganda.


We drove around to several places that I am involved with. They got to experience the love of Amani Baby Cottage, the love of the Crisis Pregnancy Center and the love of Masese! That is a pretty full day in Jinja! The majority of the families that live in Masese are single parent families. Masese is one of the largest slum areas in Jinja. I had to change the weekly Bible study in Masese from Monday to Tuesday this week, but the importance of just "showing up" each week is critical. One of the ladies in the village reminded me of that today.

Today, I shared my story a little more with them. Each week, I share more and more and each week, our friendship strengthens. At the end of the lesson, I asked if there were any questions and one lady spoke up and asked, "How long are you going to be coming each week?" Behind my sunglasses I could hide the fact that her question hit me like a big mack truck with tears that welled up. You see, in Masese, the 300 plus ladies and children that were present to hear about Jesus today, have not experienced consistency. They have experienced hopelessness, abandonment and people quitting on them over and over. And so......the question brought pain to my heart.

I shared today with the ladies and the children about HOPE and TRIALS. I have certainly had my share of trials and I explained to them why I could not talk loudly anymore. They could not believe that cancer was a part of my life. They laughed when I said that my friend is bringing me a speaker megaphone! I explained that God sent me here to be with them and that I was committed. When the sweet lady asked me how long I was committed, I simply answered "as long as God allows me to be here, I will be with you every week." I also explained that I would be traveling to America in the fall but that I would return if God allowed it. They began clapping and the happiness is really not about me at all. It is about teaching consistency, love and just "showing up" for those in need.

The next few weeks, I'll be visiting Masese and taking crafts and just spending time with the ladies and the children. I'm researching the area and trying to figure out the situation of the children with Pastor Andrew. There are many women that are taking care of children that do not belong to them. There are street kids living in Masese and I want to know where their families are. They show up each week to get a "sweetie". Today, Ken and Gary brought dum dums to share and they were so happy!

I am blessed to be working with Pastor Andrew of the Canaan Church in Jinja. He and I are making plans to really grow the women's ministry which is focused in Masese. We hope to be able to council, train vocationally, help with preschool and have continued Bible lessons in the future in a central location. Every person that I feel called to serve lives in Masese: abandoned women and children, orphans and widows. As I look around each week at the hands that are raised when I ask the question, "how many of you are raising children alone?" I'm reminded over and over the need for family focus.

The crowd of 300 ended with dance and song. They were so excited to be able to perform for us. What a blessing! There is nothing like the african drum and dancing. What an exciting day for Ken and Gary to experience. They are excited to go back to their home church and town to spread awareness. And, how exciting for me to see God's seeds grow and spread in a way that I never could have imagined. God is at work in Uganda and it is bigger and better than I could have planned. I am just here because the women can relate to a broken woman that has had trials.

As we were leaving, a sweet young lady named namayambo (I am sure that I am butchering the spelling) came up to me and Pastor Andrew worried about her baby boy. He was so hot with fever and lathargic. We asked how long her baby had been sick and she said for many days. We took her to the clinic that was nearby. The baby had 103.5 fever, malaria and pneumonia. The mama could not afford to take her baby to the doctor and was so worried about him. My sweet brother offered to pay for her care. For only 25,000 shillings (about 10 u.s. dollars) we were able to get the baby treated, medicine and an IV to start antibiotics.

It is no accident that I blogged about malaria in the previous post. God has really placed that on my heart lately and when I looked at the baby, I knew that he had malaria. Maybe I really didn't "know" but I felt like that is what it was. Fortunately, for Namayambo, it was malaria and it was caught in time to save her child. Maybe God called me to Masese today to spend an afternoon in the clinic with Namayambo and her sick, sick baby. Maybe it was to see that new excitement and passion through the eyes of new viewers like Ken and Gary. Maybe it was to simply talk to the ladies and the children and to say I care and that I will show up as God allows. Maybe it was to see the excitement in Pastor Andrew's eyes as we discussed working together with the women and the children.

Whatever the reason, I'm blessed and excited to be able to just "show up" again!

“To me it seems that to give happiness is a far nobler goal than to attain it: and that what we exist for is much more a matter of relations to others than a matter of individual progress: much more a matter of helping others to heaven than of getting there ourselves.” Lewis Carroll

Uganda is a small country with BIG problems

It has been a week since I blogged and sorry for the delays lately. Part of the adjustment to living here is getting used to the fact that communication is not instant. The first two months that I was here I found myself getting so frustrated with the slow internet. I felt so disconnected from my "normal" world. Now, I am settling in and realizing that I am much more content living in the moment and that most of the time that "moment" means enjoying the now and NOT worrying about communication. Life goes on.

The last week has been very busy going back and forth from Amani Baby Cottage, the villages and the Crisis Pregnancy Center. The young 14 year old girl that I blogged about a couple of months ago had her baby. They are doing great and all of the sudden she looks "grown up". She loves her baby and she is doing a great job taking care of her. The ladies in the villages that I have been meeting with are bonding and forming their own community. Fazirra is doing great and everyone is healthy and sweet Shariff is still in school.

If you have followed any past blogs, you recognize the stories. If you have not, that is okay. The stories just mean that everyone is gradually getting better, gradually growing in Christ, and rapidly winning my heart. Life may be simple here, but the love and relationships are deep and genuine.

I made the mistake of delivering shoes to the villages on last Monday. Monday was a holiday here and so every child was out of school! It only meant that there were literally hundreds of children in line for shoes and I only had about 100 to deliver. We took the names of those that received shoes so that the next time the teams deliver them, we will not repeat giving shoes to the same child twice.

I spent the afternoon at Canaan Children's Home yesterday. Girls are girls everywhere! We laughed, beaded bracelets together and played jumprope. Some of the smaller boys even made bracelets. Each week I learn a little more about their stories and each week they grow a little more comfortable with me. We went around the room to tell what we were thankful for. Most of them were thankful for life and a place to sleep. Several of them were thankful for God's protection over their lives. The older girls are facing life's challenges as growing young ladies and they are really trying to stay pure. Please pray for their hearts and for their protection.

I have been spending alot of time researching the areas around Jinja. There are some villages that have more needs than others. Everywhere that I turn, I see needs. The biggest needs that God keeps placing before me is the need for family intervention. The need for a feeling of community. God allows so many trials in our own lives so that we can better understand and relate to those He places in our path. It is no surprise to me that He placed me in a country that is predominantly single moms. I have read reports that at least half of all families are headed by single parents, usually women. There are many widows due to aids.

Uganda statistics reveal that 88% of the people in Uganda live in rural areas. When I drive around Kampala, I realize how crowded this country is if only 12% live in the urban areas. Uganda is about the size of the state of Oregon in the U.S. There are over 2.5 million orphans in Uganda. One million of those orphans are due to AIDS. Life has been hard here and has resulted in a life expectancy of only 53 years of age. The number one cause of sickness and death in Uganda is still malaria. Education can prevent these statistics from growing. I am so frustrated when I meet a child in the village that needs a simple malaria test. The fact is that malaria contributes to the poverty here. If they are sick, they cannot work. If they are sick, they have to spend 25% of their income on medicines and treatments. Their income is very low. The average Ugandan makes 130,000 shillings a month which is about $57 U.S. dollars a month.

My heart aches for the hurting hearts that I am getting to know. When I am in the villages talking to ladies, I always ask if they are living with a husband. Nine out of ten times they tell me how they were abandoned. Many of the women have a house full of children. Many times the JaJa's (grandmothers) are left to raise children. There are many, many, many children that need a family model. They all want the same thing: a chance for a family full of love.
That is what the sweet little 14 year old girl desires that just had a baby. She was kicked out of her village and lives in a small room behind a house in Masese. The Crisis Pregnancy Center is trying to reunite her with her family. Some of the people here just need someone that believes in them. They need to hear about the HOPE of Christ and they need to hear that it is going to be okay. I would love it if I could help each and every one learn something today that would make their tomorrow better. I am realizing that I am not supposed to help every person I meet but that I can show a smile to everyone I come across. I can show the love of Christ through a simple smile.

There are many languages in Uganda. I'm still learning the Luganda language and working on that weekly. It is a difficult language to learn but even when I don't know what to say, I can simply smile. That translates universally. I take my camera everywhere I go because the people love it. They ask me to take their pictures and then I show them what they look like. In the villages, the ladies will run around and gather their children so that I can take their picture and show them. We may not be communicating to each other entirely all the time by speaking but one thing that we do understand is our smiles to each other and our love for our children. So, I'll keep shooting pictures, loving, serving and smiling until further instructions from the ONE that sent me!

"Let us meet each other with a smile, for a smile is the beginning of love." Mother Teresa

Easter in Uganda

What a glorious week-end to celebrate! Like many holidays, sometimes the meaning behind Easter or Christmas gets lost in the celebration. We always remember that Easter is about what Christ did for us but we sometimes focus on the Easter bunnies, the new clothes, the Easter baskets, the eggs, the special lunch, etc.

Eggs are a great representation of Easter because an egg hatches new life. And that is the true meaning of Easter, new life. I'm so thankful that Christ died for each of us and gave us the wonderful opportunity of new life in Him and new life forever.


This Easter I'll be celebrating new life in Uganda. Uganda has become my new home and the new life that I spend here is focused on the One that gave me this very life. There are no distractions here that I had in Nashville, TN. Life is simple here and I'm learning to adjust. There is no constant and instant communication and news. How blessed I am to experience such a wonderful existence! Getting back to the basics: simplicity and Jesus!

The people here are beautiful and celebrate in a way that I have never experienced. They are uninhibited in their daily work and worship. This Easter I'm praising God and thanking HIM for my life, for the new life in HEAL Ministries and the board of directors and this wonderful new life of simplicity, love, and focus in Uganda!

"The resurrection gives my life meaning and direction and the opportunity to start over no matter what my circumstances." ~Robert Flatt

It takes a Village

I have been getting back into my routine since the HEAL board of directors and advisors left and in doing so, life seems back to normal. I miss my friends already and I am so thankful that they were here and saw first hand God's calling on this ministry.

I handed out letters from students back home that have been on HEAL teams in the past to the kids at Canaan and it was so fun to watch them open the letters. Such simple things in building relationships mean so much. It made me realize that I need to start a pen pal program with some of the kids here.

One of the joys that I receive is in distributing shoes and Children's Vitamins to the different orphanages. When we thought of this drive a couple of years ago, I never dreamed that children would benefit for years. Not only do they get a new pair of shoes, but they are able to attend school because schools here require black shoes. We received several suitcases full of black, closed toe BOBS shoes which serve a dual purpose: play and school. Many people have participated in the SHOES and Vitamins drive. Soles for Souls helped us out by donating several suitcases of BOBS shoes by Skechers. We have a need for adult size black shoes right now because most of the smaller children were able to receive shoes but the older teenage girls and boys did not get a pair because there were no adult sizes.

I spent Saturday afternoon helping kids fit shoes and then met with the teenage girls at Canaan to give them their sanitary pads. They were so happy and excited to receive them. I can't imagine being a teenage girl and worrying about such private issues. They are so thankful and joyful. The drive called "paper for paper Project" is based on this very concept: that every girl deserves security monthly and a paper dollar helps to give a paper product that gives that security and confidence to a beautiful young lady.

Many of you reading this have helped us with these projects and we are so thankful. As I visit the villages here and see the love of everyone helping each other and the love from everyone around the world helping orphanages here, I realize that it really does take a village. God uses each of us working together to complete His tasks. I noticed one of the older girls, Esther, carefully trying to fit her younger brothers and sisters with a new pair of shoes. She so wanted to make sure that every one of them received the perfect size and then she asked me if she could hand out their vitamins for that day because of how the children love them. She also came up and asked me for pads for one of the girls that was away and one of the auntees that was away for the day. They have learned to look out for each other.

God puts us all together so carefully and I'm thankful that it does take a village. It takes us all working together, helping one another and serving one another. The people here, most especially the children, have truly taught me about unconditional love and looking out for each other. The children all work together even with the chores, separating rice, cleaning laundry, and even assisting me when I'm around. I'm so blessed and thankful to be a part of this village.......

"Missions is the overflow of our delight in God because missions is the overflow of God's delight in being God." – John Piper

It was an amazing, eye opening and enlightening experience for all of us. We really were able to see the needs, feel God’s presence and have deep discussions about the future vision for HEAL. Although, we all had different experiences and thoughts, we truly came together as a team with a new, deeper respect for what Tina is doing to further His Kingdom. We also felt very encouraged and gained a deeper respect for Trey as well, becoming a true Godly man and son.

Uganda is a very difficult place and if God was not leading them, I could not imagine why someone would want to live there. The need is great, the people are beautiful, however, the living conditions are hard. It was a much more desperate place than I could have imagined; very primitive, dirty and desolate. The villages (slums) were probably as I anticipated, however much more than I could have imagined.

The city/town was much worse than I anticipated. I expected to find a more modern culture and enterprise but was surprised to see that was not the case. It felt like a time period close to the wild west vs. 2012. Run-down buildings, daily power outages, dirt roads with massive pot holes, trash and very little modern business is what I experienced.

I guess I expected to see more progress which ultimately would have provided more hope. Certainly, there are areas of paradise in Uganda with Lake Victoria, the Source of the Nile, and lush environment in the outlying areas, which provide a since of why Uganda is known as the “Pearl of Africa”.

The board had the blessed opportunity to visit Amana Baby Cottage, Amazima site, Serving His Children, Canaan’s Children’s Home, Ekisa, Cure Hospital, Watoto Church and Rafiki Village, all of which served different needs for the communities. All of these ministries opened my eyes to see how God can inspire people to do great things, however, for me, personally, Masese Village was where my heart bled for the Lord. A village so full of desperation, yet filled with great hope and love and kindness. They kids loved the “muzungas” (white people), the mama’s were more than happy to show us their homes (although made of made of mud, wood, cardboard, etc.) and we were more than happy to share our hearts with them.

As we journeyed along, we made great progress in the next steps for HEAL. As we continue to make smart, patient decisions, we believe we understand more of where God is taking us along His path. We hope to learn more through prayer, patience and guidance from the local Ugandan people, ministries and government officials with the goal to announce something special soon. God Bless.

Kevin Hagan,

Chairman of the Board