YOu would never know

This is Lucy. Lucy just gave birth to a beautiful baby boy. He is so sweet. She is recovering well from her c-section, thank you to everyone who prayed for her. I want to share a little bit about Lucy’s story. Lucy has a “husband”, who really isn’t her husband. Culturally for some people in Uganda, individuals, if they live with their significant other, or are committed to each other, live together can consider themselves husband and wife even though you are not husband and wife. The marriage will not be recognized by the tribe without the dowry and traditional marriage and the church will not recognize their marriage unless they get married in a church.

So Lucy is married, but not married to her husband/boyfriend. Hopefully you have understood. Lucy is also the second wife of this man. The second wife is not valued as the first wife is. Lucy has not seen her husband since she has gotten pregnant. This is normal for some here, even though I wish it wasn’t. He was not there for the birth as so many men are not. She hasn’t seen him yet, since her son has been born.

So I noticed for three or four days in a row, that her beautiful boy was always wrapped in blankets but he never had any clothes on. I didn’t think anything of it the first two days, but day three and four, I started wondering why she wasn’t dressing her new little one. So I went up to Lucy and nicely asked why he is only wrapped in blankets but has not clothes on. She replied that she didn’t have any for him.

She never asked. She never even gave a hint that she had a need. She never mentioned anything. She made no signs or gestures that would have signaled to me that she was in need. She just accepted what was in front of her and did they best she could with him with what she had. She is such a proud momma. She is a great momma too. These women have hard lives here, so hard I cannot describe it without wanting to cry. But they are strong, resilient and truly walk in a strength that seems to be unbreakable. They make me want to be a better person, each and every day I spend with them.

So today, I went into my suitcases of baby clothes that were donated from the Rice Lake Pregnancy Help Center, out of Rice Lake, Wisconsin, in the United States (writing details about the location in case others read this that are not familiar with where we lived). They donated so many clothes to our ministry of starting a crisis pregnancy center. I am so thankful to them. I can now help Lucy.

I went this morning with outfits for her sweet little guy. I even found a red Christmas outfit that says, “My 1st Christmas.” When I showed her all the outfits I saved the Christmas one for last. I wish I had recorded her response. She was so happy. She just kept saying, “My first Christmas” over and over again as she held and joyful just looked at her early Christmas present, her beautiful baby boy. My heart melted.

She immediately went to work putting on his Christmas outfit. It fit him perfectly. She smiled and smiled. Such a simple way to show love, made possible from the donation for the Rice Lake Pregnancy Center. Now her little one has clothes to wear each day, and mommas heart can rest knowing she can now properly clothe her baby and take such good care of him.

I am excited for the day we can open our center and help so many more mommas who are in need. Who silently sit in need and just are thankful for the few things they do manage to get. The suffer so silently here. You would never know. You would never know, unless you are careful to look, to really look, to really watch and study your neighbors. To really get to know them, sit with them and learn about their hearts, their lives, their families.

I am grateful I can be here for her. Our sacrafice to leave everything we knew and had to come here has allowed God to use us to meet the needs of others. But it has also met needs in me. The need to learn to be thankful for the blessings we have. To not complain about what I don’t have. To give to others who have needs and not hold my fist closed. To love like Jesus would in any and every situation.

It is an amazing, hard, joyful, gut wrenching journey. It broke my heart to see her unable to provide for her son. But it blessed my heart to be able to give, out of what had been given to us, to see her now able to provide. God is good. He truly does bring so many people together on life’s path to make sure His will and His way are accomplished. I love being His daughter and seeing what He does each day. I look forward to what He is gonna do next. I just keep saying, use my daddy, use me!

A huge thank you to those of you who have donated to pregnancy help centers. You have no idea how much you have blessed the mommies that you may never know personally, but have impacted for life. Thank you to those of you who have donated to our ministry, either by giving financially or through material donations. It is because of you we can be the hands and feet of Christ and provide for those who need a helping hand. Thank you to the Rice Lake Pregnancy Help Center, without your donations of clothes we wouldn’t have been able to give Lucy these baby clothes. God truly does weave us together to accomplish His purpose. May GOD abundantly bless each of you in return for the blessings you have passed onto others.

In Jesus Name, we give, we love, we sacrifice. May God bless you and keep you. May He make His face to shine upon you and give you peace. Amen.

Love to you all.