Mary-Kevin Nabukeera

About a year ago, I had an auction. I sold some pictures that I'd taken while I was in Uganda (which seems like ages ago now). Although I haven't done anything with the money yet, it is persistently on my mind (and safely set aside).

But I think it's about time to spend it. Or more importantly give it away...

That said, I was at my church a few weeks ago and I noticed that we are now able to sponsor children from Uganda (some of which I met while over there). There is one little girl that has been on my mind for the past while. When I met her, I told myself that if a program was ever under-way, I would sponsor her. I remembered her name was Mary, and that she had lived with her grandmother and that her parents had died of AIDS. I also remembered that we could NOT get her to smile no matter what we did....and it absolutely broke my heart. Each of my pictures show her with this solemn face...hardly any expression at all. I couldn't believe a child not knowing how to smile.

Anyhow, I was scanning the table at my church for a picture of her face. It had been a while so I realized that she would look different...but I just couldn't find her. The 'Marys' that I saw didn't look like her. So I started sharing a bit about her story to the volunteer at the table (who had met many of the children being sponsored), and he hands me a picture of the most adorable, SMILING child. And I sat there for a moment thinking 'this cannot be her.' But sure enough it was her, with a cute little grin across her face.

I wonder what is was that actually got her smiling? I wonder if it was the fact that she's living with a bunch of other children in an orphanage now, or if she goes to bed with a fuller belly than before. Personally (even if she may not fully realize it at age 4), I think that maybe she's smiling because she understands that God helped her out...provided for her. I hope that maybe she's smiling because she sees, even in her young mind, God's love for her. I don't think that my assumptions would be too far off...

So I think that the 'giving' will start. There is maybe a portion of me that has been hanging onto the 'auction' money because it has been a sign that God has worked in the spaces around me. And there is a portion of me that REALLY wants to go back to Africa, but in the present time that just isn't a reality. So given that this girl has been on my mind for the past year and a half, I think it may be a good way to start.

So Mary's got one more reason to smile :)