advance

Days before it is all supposed to change
oh, and it has all been changing
but what i need is more than change
light.

tragedy and beauty

unfurling paper, and bleeding onto the floor 

one can't even feel anymore 

the finality has come and lingers here like a shadow of death in the heart

so many things unspoken

frail words collapse under the weight

oh the weight, of tragedy and beauty

onlookers see and try to believe, saying they understand

pain is our own however

to believe otherwise is to have never stood where I stand

to have never held what I held 

and nothing in me begs to explain...

yes, the pain is our own

and when we start to see God.

John Bunyan's great poem

Chris Davis, our pastor at Whitton, has used this poem in a couple of sermon's lately and I thought I would share it with the world. It is an amazing little piece of food for thought showing the contrast between legalism and the Gospel's good news.

Run, John, run, the law commands
But gives us neither feet nor hands,
Far better news the gospel brings:
It bids us fly and gives us wings.

support wikipedia

Post 100: Don't Fret

From Oswald Chambers' "My Utmost For His Highest" concerning psalm 37:8 which says "Cease from anger and forsake wrath; Do not fret--it only causes harm."

"It is one thing to say 'Fret not,' but a very different thing to have such a disposition that you find yourself able not to fret. It sounds so easy to talk about resting in the Lord and 'waiting patiently for Him' until the nest is upset--until we live, as so many are doing, in tumult and anguish; is it possible the to rest in the Lord? If this 'don't' does not work there, it will work nowhere. This 'don't' must work in days of perplexity as well as in days of peace, or it never will work. And if it will not work in in your particular case, it will not work in anyone else's case. Resting in the Lord does not depend on external circumstances at all, but on your relationship to God Himself....

   Fretting springs from a determination to get our own way. Our Lord never worried and He was never anxious, because He was not 'out' to realize His own ideas; He was 'out' to realize God's ideas. Fretting is a wicked if you are a child of God.

  Have you been bolstering up that soul of yours with the idea that your circumstances are too much for God? Put all 'supposing' on one side and dwell in the shadow of the Almighty. Deliberately tell God that you will not fret about that thing. All our fret and worry is caused by calculating without God. "

- Oswald Chambers

dreams

Tonight my country elected the first black man to the office of President of the United States, the single most powerful position on the planet. For that I am proud. I am under no delusions that the sin of racism is dead, but it is yet another sign that we're moving in the right direction. I don't have to support the candidate himself (or the one who lost) to admit just how historic and beautiful the election of a non-white person to the highest office of the land is. I believe that in my lifetime I will see the first woman president too. The world is changing, and God is still in control, and I feel blessed to live in this time, even amidst the horrifying injustice that exists all over this world. I, and everyone reading this, was born in this era for a reason. May we make the best of it and be the change we want to see in the world.

simply put...

today, Nov 3rd, was a good day. I was able to have some interesting conversations about God and feminism in class, able to see Emery totally rock out (even though the crowd was no good) at Martini Ranch, and spend time with Clint and Jake. I was able to read an amazing article for my Women, Societies, & Cultures class that really caused me to think, I was able to begin reading G.K Chesterton's Orthodoxy, which I already love. These are small gifts from God that remind me that it's good to be alive. I savor them more these days... today I was writing in my journal next to a beautiful desert thinking about the future and a peace that can only come from above came over me. My heart has suffered greatly in the past few months, but even now I can see the light cutting through the darkness...

Thank you Lord for my life.

Davis

 

This is Davis, one of the boys at African Hearts in Kampala, Uganda. He's an incredible kid, one whom I adore so much. Right now, however, he is very sick with Malaria, a common disease in Africa. However, while most people have Malaria more times than they can count, there are different strains of the disease. Davis has caught one of the worst strains, and is currently hospitalized because of it. I'll update this post as I know more, but he's no longer on Oxygen although he still can't really talk. He's on heavy drugs right now in hopes that the parasites do not reach his brain. Please, please pray for this wonderful friend of mine. Thank you, Dan

I've just found out from Jessica who just visited him in the hospital that he's of oxygen, and can't really respond to people although he can hear and understand. It is probably cerebral malaria and they think they caught it just in time. Please continue to pray. 

Nov 2nd: Yesterday I talked to Lutaaya and today I talked to Jessica, and from what they are saying Davis is improving very well. He's still "out of it" quite a bit, but he can move now, is able to speak at a whisper, and can respond to things. The doctors, from what i'm gathering, still don't know how much the malaria has affected him and are going to continue to monitor his blood but also want to take urine samples and do a spinal tap. Scary stuff, so please be in prayer for him. He's such an awesome kid... well, they all are! There have been so many visitors at Mengo Hospital that have come and seen him. Some distant family, all the people associated with African Hearts, etc. Tony told Jess that yesterday over 50 people came and saw him. He is definitely loved. He may not be able to read them right away, but at some point in time! On another note, Ronald, the four year old boy at African Hearts Ssenge house now has malaria as well. It's not as serious, but all malaria is bad so if you could pray for him and the rest of the boys at the house that'd be awesome. Thank you so much. God Bless. Dan

Nov. 8th: I talked with Lutaaya in Kampala a couple of days ago and he says that Davis is doing better and should be home in a couple of days (now) but that another boy is very sick and hospitalized as well... please just keep everyone at African Hearts in your prayers as sickness is pretty common there at this time. Thank you.

fully alive

Life beckons with promises of failure and uncertainty, and yet to be a man fully alive, which is the glory of God, is the strongest call on my life. He who loses his life saves it Christ says, and I can’t imagine saving it here for the ‘pleasures’ of this life. One has to wonder what pleasure should really mean since man is not good, and life not fair, and suffering and pain the norm. Why then do we have pleasure? We needn’t have taste buds to eat, or to enjoy sex to reproduce. But they are good gifts from the Father. So then is our pain, which reminds us that we’re alive, and that this world is not all there is. And, if we hold anything to be true, it should be that the world should be much worse, as it holds the likes of you and I, broken people in desperate need of grace. And yet in this paradox of pleasure and pain I find myself longing to taste the freedom on being truly alive, and have that be God’s glory. This young, yet worn man, much prefers a simpler life to the distraction and abundance found here. The fondest memories I hold are not of things I’d consider fun, but of things I consider beautiful. Holding a small fatherless child in the biting, frigid wind. Praying with a dying woman in her small house. Sharing God’s word with people who have little hope. These are what have defined me, yet defied explanation, as is obvious by my relative silence about them. Yes, I have beheld amazing beauty; from the islands of Hong Kong to the hills of Uganda to the mountains of Hawaii I’ve seen it. Nothing compares to the profound beauty of love, the mastery of which I’ve yet to fathom. I’ve known love in its many forms at various times in my short love, and it defines me, and drives me to a place of pursuing it harder. I’ve received love as well, and for that I am grateful and blessed. True life beckons…. promising what could never be grasped apart from Christ, grace, love, truth, freedom, and hope. Lord, Make me fully alive.

take my life.

take my life.

the past couple of days have been a culmination of something God has been doing in me for a number of years, specifically in the past three months. and praise God because He is good, and i will choose to praise Him amidst my deepest pain and greatest loss. what loss is that? the loss of something i loved in ways that will forever be unknown except to God and i. the (probable) loss of my job. the loss of a grade at school for a class i will probably fail. The loss of my identity as someone stole it. and it was that phone call from USAA reminding me that my identity was not my own anymore that it hit me that this is the story of the past few years of my life. everything has changed since i came back from overseas in 2005. everything. many things have been asked of me that i failed to deliver on. i started to see everything anew, experiencing radical change. every belief i used to have has been shattered. i prayed a prayer a long time ago desiring brokenness and this is where it has led me: to loss. i don't know if He is done and if this is really the culmination, but at the bottom all you can see is up. there are no romantic ideals attached to that concept, and no one's pity will make anything fair or easier. it was never about me, however, it is about Him. making me willing. making me available. making me understand the things i couldn't understand otherwise. i choose to love Him then. i put my heart, the broken, divided, and overused thing that it is, into my palm and offer it with a pained, whispered 'take my life'. He puts His nail-pierced palm out and lets life drip from it onto me saying tenderly 'Take My Life'. but Christ's life takes something i'm not sure i have, courage. i could die much easier for someone i love than to sacrifice my life for simply more pain and loss... but as G.K. Cheserton said "Courage is almost a contradiction in terms. It means a strong desire to live taking the form of a readiness to die." He goes on to say, referencing Matthew 10:39, "'He that will lose his life, the same shall save it', is not a piece of mysticism for saints and heroes." in me is such a strong desire to truly live... and to lose my life. do i have the courage now that i have little left to give up?

fierce. pt II

Sometimes things change, but time is everything

Maquiladora, our murders

The sand beneath her feet was harder than before, and the laughter behind her won't stop. Only part of the tragedy is her last screams will be heard only by her Diablos, the dozen or so men moments away from brutally raping her, cutting her up, and burning her "alive". The other part of the tragedy is the black-on-pink crosses painted around the city in her honor that no one with power will listen to. Justice costs too much. The Maquiladora will come, bringing the money and narcotics that will silence her death. The Maquiladora will leave, silencing the impoverished masses who will work for less. Her tears matter not then, as she's one of hundreds buried in the sands of Juarez. The numbers are our murder weapon of indifference.
Diablo come; Diablo take her away.

Aztlan Journal article by Alicia Gaspar de Alba on the Maquiladora Murders (click "open full text")

Why I'm voting for John Obama

I'm voting for John Obama because I believe he's the right man for the job. He'll do what every politician before him has done; tell us what we want to hear rhetorically (formerly referred to as "lying"). He will use his "Christian" faith to get votes and pander to huge groups of supposedly discerning constituents. He'll raise and lower taxes depending on what is politically feasible. He will listen to anyone who pays enough to have an opinion. He will spend an inordinate amount on defense, and not enough for other things that matter. John Obama is my hero. John Obama will pretend that America (and by association, Americans) is/are superior to everyone else and that they all wish they could be us and if we sell Americanism to the world, they'll be rid of their issues, just like we (almost) are. John Obama loves America. He loves apple pie, high school football, and knows that America needs to enact some "green policies" but will fail to mention to his minions that it will cost their cushy way of life dearly and that our society of consumerism is the single biggest culprit in climate change… after all, it takes a lot of hydrocarbons to move all that junk around the planet! But John Obama believes, even more now than ever, that capitalism is still the miracle cure for our ills and multi-national corporations should do what they want in the world because the only really bad poverty and exploitation is of Americans. John Obama will help restore balance in the universe while blindly supporting Israel, even though Israelis are not Israelites (but shhhh, people don't know that!), much to the chagrin of the millions of Arabs who get their news not from unbiased Western news outlets like CNN but from public terrorist networks like "the Island", Al-Jazeera. Oh yes, John Obama is the man for the job to run the most powerful nation on earth. He'll bring new jobs to America. He'll tell people in Michigan that Toyotas are not better vehicles and that labor union greed and corporate greed are not to blame for sales slumps, after all, who would drive a Lexus over a Lincoln? He'll try and fix healthcare, he's just not really sure he knows how to afford it no matter which route he chooses. He, along with his running mate, Joe Palin, will move quickly to enact many needed changes in American policy like keeping the death penalty even though real 'progressive' and equality-minded societies have long since banned it. He'll also keep the suppression of the metric system at the forefront on his domestic policy, after all, counting by 10's is just too easy and who actually wants to look at the small numbers on their speedometer? John Obama will finally make a decision this country has needed for some time. He will once and for all destroy the evil socialists of Bit Torrent, the P2P file-sharing network, which is the gravest threat to "intellectual property rights" since the iron curtain of communism. Speaking of Communism, John Obama will continue to chastise our brothers to the south. After all, they need to fix themselves, get rid of corruption, deal with the cartels, and convince millions of American addicts to buy American narcotics. John Obama hasn't yet decided on "The Fence", but he's decided on a slogan: "there's enough of you here already". That's why John Obama has developed the 'American Bypass Highway', which will stretch from Juarez to Toronto, is stocked with clean bathrooms and Taco Bells and NO off-ramps. He expects unanimous congressional support. Last but not least, John Obama will never look at the Constitution for guidance, because it's old and brown…. But Wait! Look over there!… a shiny Internet blog written by someone from Bakersfield saying they know something about "Constitutional Freedom!". John Obama will listen to him, the average Joe American. (notice how not a single woman is mentioned in this entire post? That's how John Obama would want it.)

This note is not written to support or tear down either presidential candidate whether it is John McCain or Barack Obama, as there are things about both of them I like and dislike. Rather it is simple satire at the expense of American politics as a whole and has the subtle intent of showing the candidate's similarities over their differences and that maybe the real issues get overlooked in the heat of partisan battle. This election cycle has been rife with doomsday predictions, xenophobia, and saviorizing the candidates ("God, save us from that other guy!") on both sides of the spectrum and I think I was sick of the proselytizing done by believers in the American political faith system who, in my opinion, need to cool it a bit. This isn't 'fair' and sure to upset some people, but I sure feel better.

FYI

Don't believe the hype: To vote or not to vote is not necessarily a moral choice.
:)

friend wheel (pretty cool huh?)

eQuality

"Men of quality are not threatened be women's equality."

nivek.

I love my roommate Kevin. He's always keen on when I'm hurting or need something or have something on my mind. He will encourage and pray for you often. He's still trying to adjust to life back in the US after being in Armenia 17 months.... but he's still the same ole' guy, with lots of humor, wisdom, and brokenness for the hurting. I think he prays more than anyone I know... and it's deep and personal. He might be one of the biggest blessings in my life right now... I thank the Lord for him, not as much as I should, but in that I am learning.

Grand Canyon Photos from Ryan (thanks bro)

success in the "relief" field

I just went to a class for human rights and social justice (Master's level), very interesting. However the guest speaker lady was very.... i don't know how to describe it. She was cool, and fair, but unique. But this is what I learned about "relief" work (sorta, this isn't really fair, but it was funny and you had to be there):

drink. alot.
IREX, and you must know the language
work with the locals, find funding
be committed, get "accepted"
market self: know literature, strong social science research background
have education background
get tan in SE Asia
wait for email for various adventures
love Toyota Land Cruisers ("TLC's" in the biz)
have a little ego
suck up to your "minder"
love WorldVision
do not have a strategy
do not know, for sure, what you do
get a niche, like male sex trafficking
have a thing for 5-star hotels
write emails like they write emails
it is NOT about the issues.
LOG FRAMEWORK
if you don't know: lie.
you have made it if you can say "google me".
overwhelm yourself with data
don't be taken too seriously
tell em' you are a lesbian
"grounded in theory"

may we not forget...

there is always hope.

Jake's blog: When Nature Attacks

Originally from Jake Hane's Blog: http://parapraxticals.blogspot.com/

There's really only one word to describe going backpacking in the Grand Canyon. If you're thinking "Grand," you'd be wrong and also not funny or clever. Speaking of clever, there's this little saying that goes "failing to prepare is preparing to fail." This is good advice when it comes to taking tests or planning a vacation or something, but not when it comes to the governenment, and I'm not referring to certain corporate bail-out plans. I'm talking of course about our National Parks Association or whatever it's called.

They give you two options to hike the Grand Canyon legally:

Option 1: Reserve a permit 9 months in advance

Option 2: Drive up to the Grand Canyon and physically write your name on a walk-in permit waiting list.

To hike illegally in the Grand Canyon, you just show up and hope you don't get caught. This is strikingly similar to the strategy adopted by Mexican border-crossers.

The Grand Canyon doesn't have Border Patrol though, so it's easier to get away with things. Just ask Dan Hoffman. Who's Dan Hoffman? Long story short, he's one of the 3 other guys I went with to the Grand Canyon last week, and he's hurt and he needs your help.

That's why I've created the Save Dan Hoffman Foundation. According to field data reports and eyewitness accounts, Dan is stranded somewhere in the Grand Canyon and here's how it happened:

Our group chose Option 2 and ended up miraculously getting a 2-night permit and awesome trail route after Dan and I accidentally made the nice Park Ranger Lady think we were veteran hikers who had just conquered Mt. Kilaminjaro the day before. So we went from having no plan, to having a great plan, to have it being completely altered.

About a mile into our hike, we realize we're being stalked by a Big Horn Sheep. It keeps appearing on these rock outcroppings, and each time it's closer and has this really territorial look in it's eyes. And then, out of nowhere after we stopped to take some pictures, it comes flying through the air with it's head down and takes Dan out at the knees.

Ryan pulls out his knife, puts the sheep in a headlock and stabs it in the brain with his 10-inch knife (nope that's not some euphemism, he really had this sweet knife!). The sheep and Ryan and Dan scrabble on the rocky terrain and after an indescribably long 15 seconds, it was over: Dan was laying on the trail with a compound fracture, gritting his teeth in pain. Ryan is covered in sheep blood and brains and completely out of breath and the sheep is in a couple pieces, most of which fell over the edge of the canyon. Me and Kevin are eating Clif bars.

We all decide that it's best to try and finish the hike so we can track down the rest of this sheep's tribe and brutally murder them with a vengeance. But first Ryan helped Dan hop back to the rim so he can get some medical attention. Ryan tells him if his knee is feeling better the next day to head down and try to catch up with us for our second day of hiking and sheep killing.

Then, for whatever reason, we take our itinerary and launch it into SPACE and make our own plan: this plan includes camping in the wrong campground both times and hiking out a day early. When we get back to the top at 11 at night, it's cold and Ryan, Kevin and Me are pretty tired. Kevin is so tired he's not even speaking English anymore; instead he's muttering inanities in Armenian. That's understandable since we just hiked 9 miles that day and went up almost a mile in elevation. Ryan's limping, and was also a little pissed off that he didn't get to kill any squirrels with the knife he kept strapped to his hip. And I'm starting to realize that I was in no shape to hike more than a few flights of stairs, let alone the Grand Canyon.

We never did see any more sheep on that hike. But when we get to the top, we're all pretty eager to have Dan come pick us up in the car so we can eat some of the donuts we left in the trunk. And also to see how his leg is doing.

Making a really long story short, we can't get ahold of Dan. His cell phone goes straight to voicemail. After a few phone calls and a talk with some ranger named Bruce, we assume that Dan was either out for a day hike or had decided to try and hike down into the Grand Canyon to meet us.

And that brings us to the Save Dan Hoffman Foundation. No one has heard from, or seen Dan since Ryan helped him limp back to the top of the trail that fateful Sunday, October 5, 2008. So Ryan, Kevin and myself are accepting cash donations so that we can launch a full scale investigation and search for Dan, who is by now either dead or a crazed, injured canyon-dwelling nomad, lost forever in the depths of the largest crack in the world.

Think Sand People from Star Wars.

When we find Dan, we will give him the burial he deserves, or if he's alive, use the money that you send to get him a haircut and a good meal. The main portion of the funds will go toward buying a helicopter so we can fly around and look for him. Factoring in the other rescue gear we'll need, the total amount we need to raise is about $5 Million.

So what I'm asking is for you to look in your heart and ask yourself, what would Dan do? Dan would have given you $5 million if you needed it, because that's what kind of guy he is. Or was.

If you were wondering what word describes backpacking in the Grand Canyon, and haven't figured it out yet, I'll just tell you:

give.

That's all, just give.

And if you're wondering how and when Dan evaded Canyon Police and got around not having a permit... well, you'll just have to donate to our foundation so we can find him.

And if you can't give monetarily, please just say some prayers and know that we will never speak to you again because you obviously don't care THAT much.

details forthcoming...

FACT

There have been no terrorist attacks in United States since Jack Bauer has appeared on television.

News from Ssenge!

-This letter is from Lutaaya, my passionate friend at African Hearts who started it all... it's about the new house at Ssenge and the boys there. I think it's a wonderful look into what God is doing in Uganda as we speak! Thanks for reading. 

Dan

Hullo Bro,

How is your life? It is always my wonderful pleasure to write to you and give the updates, everything is so exciting here with the new family of boys who came in I cannot believe how they have changed drastically, in my social work classes am told that desocialisation is a process and that it takes long time for people to give up what they have been doing for a long time to give it up in a short time but am surprised. What am seeing here is a real miracle, God healing his people in the shortest time possible my faith has grown and sure God can do anything as he wants. These boys am talking about were on the streets for a long time and had started doing all sorts of evil that street kids do, sniffing drugs, stealing, fighting among many other becoming behaviors and for the time I have worked with street kids I had prepared myself expecting many challenges but these people God has changed their hearts and they are understanding, we discuss, and they follow instructions some of them are even leading in the house, they have a discipline to wake up very early every day and  greet that is a big deal in Africa, do house work, study and then play. We also do devotions every night, they have given testimonies in the church we go several times and they always thank God for the new place, now this sounds normal but to a street kid to come to this point is almost impossible.

As you know we have 7 young men here and our last family member is called Abdul who we brought in last week he also has his own unique characters, so quiet and has something special that most people will like him before he even speaks a word. On money we were celebrating Wasswa’s Birth day you know when they come into the house we give them birth days which they choose themselves and so we celebrate them to make them feel special and also to boost their esteem. So we celebrated the young man’s birth day it was fun we had chicken, rice, Irish as that is what the birthday boy asked for they invited their friends from the community and we had fun together. God has really connected me to these young people they do things that matter to me, for example some of them have written me letters saying that they love me and to me this is something that I cannot take lightly. Please keep praying for these young people prayer really works. Am going to send you their pictures soon.

We have also been going out to Kisenyi slums as we have always done, it is also some good work, and every day I go down there I get more clarity on how to help these young people and also God continues to confirm my calling, am dedicated to serving in this way and I need your prayers because it involves a lot of self sacrifice, dedication, commitment, but I know it is about God for this is his work.

We are planning on having 16 street kids but we think that we first need to put some things in place like, water tank, kitchen, more beds, and many things for the house so that we don’t create situations where some have good things and other don’t have.

God Bless.

quoteable

Great social forces are the mere accumulation of individual actions. Let the future say of our generation that we sent forth mighty currents of hope, and that we worked together to heal the world.

- Jeffrey Sachs
The End of Poverty

You should go to this! some of my photographs have been repainted by James and will be on display!

 www.jamesvanfossan.com

 

---

 

Rive Gauche Art Galleries

is proud to present an exhibit of paintings and fundraiser* by

 

James Van Fossan

 "FACES OF AFRICA"

 

Thursday, September 25, 2008, 7:00 p.m. - 9:00 p.m.

*a portion of all proceeds will go to "Mending the Soul Ministries",

a non-profit organization working closely with the people of Africa.

 

*James Van Fossan will raffle off a beautiful painting at the end of the night.

All monies collected for the raffle will go directly to

Mending the Soul Ministries.

 

7173 East Main Street, Scottsdale, AZ 85281

480.947.6372

rivegauchegalleries.com

 

One of the best men I know...

  This is Jumah Patrick, one of the best men I know. My "brutha from anotha mutha" and the future orchestrator of change in Uganda. He is an amazing man and when I shot this photo he was speaking to government leaders on behalf of Congolese refugees in his country....

   Jumah and I were roommates when we were in the Congo and it was such a joy to get to know him more than I had from my previous time in Uganda... I already miss him! He just got married so please join me in praying for this amazing man and his awesome new wife!  

one of the best things I've ever watched. Period.

http://www.nbc.com/Saturday_Night_Live/video/clips/palin-hillary-open/656281/

African Hearts Update!

You have to read the latest post from my friend Abby's blog! It's amazing and about the new boys at African Hearts Ssenge!

http://africa-love.livejournal.com

Thank you!

Hey guys, thanks for reading this blog! I just want to say that I appreciate it! From time to time someone will say via email, phone, or in person, "Hey dan, i read your blog, and this or that meant so much to me". That's SUCH an encouragement to me, so keep reading, I'll keep the good stuff coming, and definitely comment if you want! It is really easy! Well, I'm off to do what I do... (see below)

Dan

Interns!

This summer when the Congo team and I flew to Africa, we were not the only people flying there to be instruments of change that summer. We had three girls, Hannah, Sarah, & Coreen, from the Phoenix area coming with us! it would be hard to explain how they really got involved with African Hearts and all that, and it involves many different things, but suffice it to say, in short time we convinced these three awesome ladies to give up their hot Phoenix summers (ok, so maybe the convincing was easy) and raise a couple thousand dollars so they could serve at African Hearts for almost a month. And serve they did! I, unfortunately, missed most of the action with them in Uganda because I was in Congo, but upon my return to Kampala I found three girls who loved those boys as much as I did and were so involved and had such servant's hearts. They had been taking the boys swimming, and to the movies, helping with homework, just spending time with them, helping out a lot at Ssenge, all kinds of stuff! They had a blast and I think it should be know that their work and servant's hearts paved the way for Ssenge to be available as soon as it was. They have a legacy in Uganda, and they returned to the US with a passion to remember what they experienced and never forget those awesome boys who impacted their lives... thanks again ladies for all that you did! It was great to get to know each one of you even during the short time I was there. I'm sure we'll see you again out there before too long!




back: Jessica & Junior (not interns); Coreen Walsh (Intern)
front: Sarah Parks and Hannah Bentley (Interns)

Ssenge: The new house!

Many of you may wonder "where did the money go when I bought a necklace?", well, you're looking at it:) This is the Ssenge house in the Wakiso district just outside of Kampala. Here there are currently 4 "new" boys living a new life away from the streets, and another dozen are on the way. Coming to this point has been over a year of work for the Americans and Ugandans alike that have been involved... but having been to Ssenge, I know it's worth it. However, even if I hadn't been there I would know it's worth it because every day one of those boys sleeps under this roof knowing that he is loved, is one less day of huffing gasoline that rots his body. It's one less day that someone can hurt him. It's one less day of being forgotten.

No real light shone down from Heaven when this place became what it is today, but the reality is better than the dream, it's real life ministry lived with the people for the Kingdom. Nothing real fancy, just the joy of being a part of it all for every house is built by someone, but God is the builder of everything! If you bought a necklace or gave money or prayed for African Hearts, this is for you too. $20,000 later and a couple years of prayer and this is where we are. Thank you. God Bless you. Welcome to Ssenge.

~Dan~

International Coordinator
African Hearts Community Organization

Street Children

This is probably one of the best websites in existence:

www.streetchildren.org.uk

I hope you can check it out!

Photos with the street kids

Photos from Kampala

"How was Africa?"

I have come to believe that “I have returned to the US” is a relative term for the sojourner who makes his 2nd, if not, 1st home in a place far from where he spent most of his life.

I am, as most of you know, currently in the United States, back in school at ASU and Phoenix College, pursuing my degree and the rest of my life… and what a pursuit it has become, and it often feels a pursuit of time while a pursuit of truth and direction. I don’t speak this way to confuse, but to enlighten about the odd sense one has when he leaves much undone and much yet to understand. That sense of tearing away came unexpectedly for me this time. I had an odd sense that I desired to return to the US, to pursue school, and to move on with my passions, knowing I would return… But as I said goodbye to Lutaaya, Bosa, and Musa at the airport in Entebbe, it was too hard, harder than ever before. For the 1st time Uganda felt right, it felt like I understood something, that living there had the potential to be what it needed to be for me to actually consider such a radical change. Being easy, it would not be. The romance has worn off, but the reality is so much sweeter, no more pipe dream, just the people and the beauty of it all…

I spent just under one month in Uganda after I returned there from the Democratic Republic of Congo. Congo was phenomenal, and the place where I saw God moving in miraculous ways, and the plight of the people broke my heart. But Congo (and Malawi, where I spent last summer), isn’t where I sense the most peace, despite the passion I have for that kind of ministry, and my desire to return to both whenever I can. I just love Uganda. Confused yet? Me too… but spend a month in Uganda with me, and somehow it all makes sense.

It makes sense because one night at African Hearts I went to my bed downstairs where all the boys sleep, and I found my usually messy bed perfectly made. Bosa, one of the boys who lives at the house, made my bed just to show that he loves me.

It makes sense because Laurence (who we lovingly call Mzungu) wants to be a freedom fighter, and his beautiful heart for the street kids, those who have been through so much like he has, grows every day, and we can get lost in the complexities of this life and what God desires of us….

It makes sense because Lutaaya, when told of an injustice in his country, concerning the people of the Congo who were refugees in Kampala, had his heart broken for how some people can just be used and abused… and he knew in that moment he had to do something about it.

It makes sense because I walked through the slums of Kisenyi with two amazing boys holding my hands, and all that they wanted in life was to be given a chance, to not live the life they lived, surviving on the streets, seemingly forgotten by God, huffing petrol to forget they are hungry… they just want to go to school, be loved, and to understand that a dream could come true… but more than that, that God hadn’t forgotten them and moreover loved them more than anyone else ever could…

It makes sense because I know a man Jumah who has devoted his life to his people in every facet and way and is strategic and passionate to see change in his land, and the world. He doesn’t have to brag, his life speaks volumes about the change that Christ can bring through a man. He trusts God with every step of his life, and it shows… and he, to me, is Uganda, and represents the hope I feel about that beautiful land.

It makes sense because a boda boda driver told me about a great church, because the guys who make my favorite kikomando get a kick out of my attempts to speak Luganda, because I’ve met men and women whose hearts break for the realities that exist, because you can just be yourself and know that life is good as you walk through small villages out at Ssenge.

Uganda, a place I would only claim to slightly understand, is a place I fully love. That’s why it makes sense that I feel sad when detached from it. That’s why I laughed as I talked to Bennon, Musa Musoke, and Musa Aworhi today on skype. That’s why I had a sense of longing when I spoke about those boys and the boys who I don’t even know that well living on the streets, cold, alone, and almost forgotten today at the Bead Museum where we sell most of our beads for African Hearts.

You know, people lately have asked me “How was Africa?” and depending on the day I’ve given different answers. There are not run-of-the-mill explanations or answers to encapsulate the things I, and those who I was with, experienced. I am thankful that everyone who speaks with me knows that, and is patient with me, as I search for the words. Sometimes I think of a story, I think of a moment, holding that boy at CEPIMA in Beni, Congo, and crying more than I’ve cried in a long while. I think of Jumah’s laughter, or Laurence’s shy face, or Sandra’s smile, or Serge’s broken heart, or that boy who held my hand for a couple of hours as we walked over the city. To answer that question would be to simply say “as it should have been”. Some of the darkest nights of my soul have come since landing here in Phoenix a couple of weeks ago, hearing of the injustice and tears that continued in Kampala as I left. It’s not so much that I ask “Where is God?” but I seek to know what to ask, what to do. I, however, am left with something more than that, a longing much greater, much deeper…

So, “How was Africa?”. It was as it should be… but the thing most on my mind, the thing that was seemingly the most unexpected, was how the kids on the streets affected me. I didn’t spend an incredible amount of time with kids on the street, but much more than I ever have before…. But something in me, this time, caused a stir… it was akin to that draw I feel towards the homeless here, it was akin to the pain I feel to see a disabled person treated with contempt as if they chose that life and situation. In Kampala, one day, I was walking alone and I saw a young boy sitting on the street, begging for money… this is not your average street kid actually, as the real street kids are usually boys who you won’t ever really see, and live on the margins of society… but this child could barely speak, having seen terrible things throughout his life no doubt. At a hamburger joint, one of the few in Kampala, I picked up some chips (fries) and gave them to this young boy… he just looked at me, accepted, sat there and ate. I walked some distance away and just watched him eat, and watched the people see this downtrodden human being eat, and watched their response… where before he had been invisible, now he was visible, and people seemed taken aback by this young boy who didn’t speak, just eating slowly and deliberately, with not much of an expression. Some laughed, some walked a wider circle, some stared, some looked with fascination, and such is the life of the victims of society. But what is an average Ugandan, barely getting by in the face of rising food prices, to do? Can they be affected after they've seen so much? Before he had eaten no one even looked, some had actually stepped over his legs, but somehow this boy eating caused society to face the reality. Somehow it made it harder to see. Maybe eating made him human again, and it is harder to ignore the plight of one you see so much of yourself in. And sometimes your joy of helping can be ripped away by the numbers and desperation of the situation. Today I came across Matthew 18:10-14, where Jesus speaks of going after the one sheep while leaving the 99, and the great joy of helping that one. Sometimes that’s what you have to remember… When we were in Kisenyi among these smiling, very high, beloved children, there were “99”, and over Kampala probably 99,999+, and their numbers and stories as you listen to each one, overwhelm you. You become overwhelmed by these sweet kids that you know have seen hell up close and personal, and you have to remember the one… that each is precious and loved and worth it.

Today that one came to us at African Hearts. Tomorrow there will be 3 more, and in the future, more. Today an 8-year-old boy, Wasswa, was taken off the streets and brought to Ssenge, African Hearts’ project on the outskirts of Kampala (for the bigger story go here). I nearly wept at what this means. There he will be loved, safe, taught about the Lord, fed, and given a chance. He is but one of “99”, but wholly special, unique, and loved… He’s been on the streets for two years, alone, cold, hot, neglected, despised, most likely beaten, and worse yet, forgotten. He is that lost sheep… and praise God for Lutaaya, Tony, Junior, & Roscoe’s vision to change the lives of a few, doing their part to restore the sons and daughters of the King by seeing in their faith and love that the Kingdom of Heaven is as much for now as it is for later. This isn’t abstract theology, but the very heart of God… to set the captives free (Luke 4:18/Isaiah 61), it's an act of worship to do so. Today, my faith has been stirred, affirmed, and challenged…. I am not a major player in this saga, but God did whisper in my ear, above the roar of lies that satan screams at me, “I love you”. I’ve been blessed to have but a taste of this ministry, to assist in a supporting way here in the US and there in Uganda, helping those with a healthy dose of vision get their plans and dreams into action. I feel comfortable in that position, where my desire to serve can be used effectively… but also ultimately looking to continue in the revelation about how my particular talents and passions can be used to glorify God through setting these captives free...

So that is how Africa was, and is. It’s amazing, it’s beautiful, and it’s real. This boy, even if it were only him, and it won’t be, would make it all worth it. I don’t even know if he was one of the ones I had the pleasure of meeting while I was there, I just know that I love him. I love what Jesus says in Luke 18: 16 & 17 “Jesus called the children to him and said, ‘Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these. I tell you the truth, anyone who will not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it’.” The kingdom of God belongs to this young boy, Wasswa. It belongs to all of us who call Him Father.

Thank you all for your support, for reading these updates, for checking my blog, for being the amazing people that you are! It is my desire that God has spoken to you through what He allowed me to experience in Africa this summer. I hope that my breaking heart for the women of Congo and the street kids of Kampala, breaks your heart. It is a blessing and a privilege to be affected by what we see and experience. Please stay in touch, I’d love to talk to you more, and thank you personally for your emails/comments, monetary support, and most of all, prayers. I know many of your went to your knees for Africa, the Congo team, African Hearts, and me during the past few months, and God heard your petition, and He responded. God Bless you all.

Until next time, Dan

Dan Hoffman
Phoenix, AZ
www.glocaldan.blogspot.com
www.afrihco.org


ps. Email me if you would like to know more about how to help African Hearts, we have so many ways for people to get involved, and everyday we're getting better at connecting people to Africa, so they too can be a part of what God's doing!

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