Our last flight landed us in Albuquerque, NM where Dw and the kids were waiting for us. They had made signs and were cheering for us. Such a joyous reunion!
Driving home I plopped between the little guys and then eventually moved between more of my little guys. Everyone {including me} needed some snuggling {even in car seats} with mommy during the four hour drive home.
We got home sometime after 1am. After tucking everyone into bed, Dw and I climbed into our big log bed and talked till almost 4am. It was so good to be home, curled up next to this best friend that I have shared life with for almost 33 years now. There was so much to talk about. Grievous things and beautiful things.
This morning as I walked about the house I was struck by how absolutely beautiful our home is. The color of the walls. The softness of the carpet. Our flannel sheets. Our soft towels. The wood front door. The windows that can be easily opened. The screens on the windows. Our quilt. Our log bed. Our children’s bedrooms.
And then I look at these pictures….
The homes that were next to where we dressed the street boys for the wedding.
If you live in a home like this in the slums of Kampala you are considered LUCKY.
Because not everyone lives in a home like this.
Many, many, many just live on the streets.
I can’t even comprehend it.
Life is like this for these precious people, day after day, after day after day after day – with no end in sight.
Ever.
Can you imagine?
Picture going home to this every day.
Every single day.
Tropical storms.
Water must pour in.
It must.
No protection from rodents.
No ‘home improvement’ Saturdays.
How can we not do more?
“He who is kind to the poor
lends to the LORD,
and he will reward him
for what he has done.”
Prov. 19:17
Glad you made it home safe and sound and had a great reunion with your bunch. Every trip over seas brings home with us a mix of feelings. Let's continue to do more. Love you.
So glad to here you are home with your sweet family givng and receiving hugs and lots and lots of love. Look forward to your posts on your mission trip…
I NEED a trip like this. I am way too comfortable.
Thank you for sharing. You and your family are such a light–very special!
Blessings!
Mary
http://lundkids.blogspot.com
My heart is broken reading about this trip. I so wanted to be able to go with you on this trip, but the time wasn't right. I couldn't leave my daughter yet. My heart was broken following along, and looking at pictures, and reading about your experiences, and I will go just as soon as the time is right.
I also wanted to meet you at the airport last night (I live in Albuquerque), but I didn't want to intrude, and I knew you'd be exhausted in every way. Someday we'll meet.
Thank you for sharing your heart.
Love,
Rebecca
I so wish I could have been able to make it on this next trip with you guys; I might just cry 🙁 I'm so glad you made it safely and I'll still be praying for you all
Sooo happy to know you are home, hugging your "treasures" and your "hubby." Also, sooo happy to know you're remembering those whom the "church" has forgotten. Sooo happy to be your friend.
blessings and hugs (soon as I get you to wrap your arms around my neck!)
lotsa love,
lisa
You don't have to post this, and I know you've just returned from your trip, but I couldn't email you. Can you please pray for Keeley Green in Austrailia. Our daughters share a commonality in that they are both hemi kids. They had half of their brain disconnected in a surgery called a hemispherectomy, although for different reasons. Keeley has the sweetest smile, and a ridiculous sense of humor. Sadly, her first hemi didn't stop her seizures (there are amazing amounts of them daily) so they decided to do a second hemi (it might even be her third actually) to remove tissue that the doctors believe is causing her seizures. The problem this time around is that she isn't recovering well. Usually the kids are up and interacting within a day or two, although definitely not themselves for a couple weeks. Keeley can't keep food down, and is losing weight, and it just shouldn't be like this 8 days from surgery. She needs prayers of many, and I'm hoping you'll take a minute and offer her up in prayer. If I can find her blog I'll post it here so you can see her.
Exactly everything I've been feeling for the last week.
So glad you're home, safe and with your loved ones. This post brought tears to my eyes and a question. How can we have so much and them so little? Hugs and love
Oh Linny, I'm so glad you are safely home. Thanks for taking your readers on this journey. I'm undone just reading.
I've seen poverty of that magnitude and loved on orphaned treasures who called me mama. I've celebrated God's blessings upon returning home and ached remembering what was left behind. Reading your stories takes me back to those days of brokenness. May I never grow so comfortable that I forget there is still much more to do.
Much Love,
Kathie
Summer (Mama in Uganda) just built an earthbag house to live in http://fromglory2glory.blogspot.com/ is it possible to help build these houses for the people in the photos that you shared? It only just needs dirt and empty durable plastic bags (I think) to build it and seems relatively easy once they know how… it'll keep the people warm and the rain and wind out and cost next to nothing.
The permalink to Summer's post about earthbag house is
http://tinyurl.com/3cvroyg
and more information on how to build one is in here:
http://www.earthbagbuilding.com
Linny (and Team),
My students just saw me cry for the first time. They're working away, so I stole a few minutes to look at your updates.
My heart is broken. It's broken on so many levels.
I did, however, call my students back to the computer to see Uganda. To see the children. The homes. The clothes.
Many were as wide-eyed and open-mouthed as I was. Many couldn't believe it.
What a learning opportunity.
For all of us.
Thank you for being His hands and feet (and tailor).
So glad you made it home safely. Please pray for me that God would show me how to do more!