Seeing God Work

Ruth House girls harvesting ground nuts.

We are well into our second term of school. After living here for a year and a half, many aspects of life have taken on a feeling of routine. Yet even amidst the routine, we treasure how we see God working.

For example, every weekday morning (except wash-day Wednesday) at 6:45 we have house devotions on our veranda. Ordinarily the mentors (i.e., the adults) are the ones who lead the devotions. This term we started having the girls lead devotions on Friday mornings. The simple truth is that when the kids lead, devotions improve. They ask the right questions, their insights into the lesson are relevant to their daily experiences, and during discussions they draw out girls who usually do not speak. They do so well that, as mentors, we wonder why we even lead devotions at all. 

What is even more satisfying than seeing them lead so well is the realization of how much spiritual growth has occurred in the Ruth House girls over the past year. Last year around this time, we heard lots of talk from the girls about “salvation” issues, but very little recognition of “sanctification” topics. We felt like the emphasis was skewed very far towards evangelism at the expense of any talk about discipleship, about what it means to live a relationship with God, walking daily with our eyes set on Christ. The devotions now, however, focus heavily on the discipleship aspect of our identity in Christ. Unlike last year, the girls readily and easily discuss discipleship issues. They now talk about how to die to the old self, to put off the old ways, and to put on Christ. These are small moments when we recognize the growth that has occurred over the past year, but they are moments we cherish.

Teaching on the veranda.

Wednesday evenings are "church" nights. This term we are tackling the very challenging topic of sex and relationships. The foundational truth of this topic is that, as Ugandan girls, God has created us with the same value as Ugandan boys. To an American, this may sound like a basic idea that should be inherently recognized as soon as it is mentioned. In Uganda, such is not the case. The idea itself is revolutionary, which upsets virtually all village cultural practices. For example, we are teaching that if we, as Ugandan girls, believe we have equal value with the boys, then we are free to refuse to do the boy's homework even though he has demanded that we do his work and promised that he will pay us a treat from the canteen for the effort. More than just affirming the God-given worth of the Ruth House girls, however, we also want them to understand that the value God has given them includes the responsibility to treat the boys as also having received God-given value. This requires that the girls treat the boys with respect.   

At our discussions on the veranda about the Wednesday lessons, Sandra led the conversation about needing to show respect to the boys as a way of recognizing the value God has given to both boys and girls. (Understand, the boy houses have similar discussions about how the boys needs to change their actions and attitudes toward the girls.) The examples of showing respect included not verbally abusing the boys or “slapping” them when they are being obnoxious or immature, two common cultural practices that are difficult for the girls to stop doing. The response of one of our girls to the discussion made us laugh. The next day, when the girls returned from school, Sandra asked Janat if she had been able to show respect to the boys as discussed Wednesday night. Janat's first response was “yes,” until she thought a moment. She then informed us that one boy, “Oh, he was so stubborn and annoying. I just had to slap him.” 

We have tried to empower the Ruth House girls by giving them responsibility for many of the routine tasks around the house. In many ways the girls have stepped up to the challenge, but in some ways they have not. For example, we have had issues with the room keys where the girls failed to lock and unlock the doors in a timely fashion, and let other girls borrow keys to run back to the rooms (when they are supposed to be in class) and retrieve forgotten homework or books. The problems came to the point where we had to take the keys back from the girls. To include the girls in the problem-solving, we discussed the situation at a Sunday night meeting. The house seemed to recognize the problem, but offered no realistic solutions. As time went on, with much thought, Sandra nominated one girl, Rosie, to step up as Key Captain. (Note from Denny: Rosie’s position as Key Captain is not the same as the Keymaster in Ghostbusters.) Rosie seemed like the perfect choice. She returns quickly from school to unlock doors and often is one of the last to leave for dinner because of her late return from the basketball court. Rosie responded to the role extremely well, performing her duties diligently and encouraging girls to leave timely. Rosie has not always blended easily with the other girls. The Key Captain position put Rosie upfront in a leadership role. In response, to our delight, we saw other girls responding in very inclusive ways toward her. Not all key issues are resolved, but it was very encouraging to see the response to this solution.

An example of how well the girls take care of things around the house.
Here the casual shoes are neatly arranged and ready for use.

Our routine also includes regular visits to the girls' homes in the surrounding villages. Even here we are able to rejoice in the small ways we see God working. Arach Christine is a quiet girl. Her mother, Mama Arach, is a very hard working lady. She grows maize and beans over her entire compound, selling products on the side at a small local stand. She also works day jobs, such as housecleaning for westerners. She is very happy to have these jobs. Christine’s father is not an asset to the family. He lives out of the area, but occasionally visits. Last year, his return was problematic. He showed up drunk and beat Mama Arach, causing significant physical injuries. The threat of the father’s random visits loom over the family.

When we recently visited Mama Arach we were initially told all was good. On the surface this appeared to be so. The crops looked strong and plentiful, Mama Arach was happy with her work, and the kids had smiles on their faces. We soon learned though that all were quite worried that Christine’s grandfather was in the process of requiring the family to move and return to the traditional home in northern Uganda. Christine was quite upset over the prospect of having to leave the Amazima School, as were we. Mama Arach stated that she did not know why the grandfather would require them to leave. They were fine where they were, she was making enough money, and Christine was happy in school.

At a recent home visit we picked up this traveling companion.
The children always love to follow us bazungu around.

As Biti, our Ugandan partner, talked further with them, we learned that the grandfather was concerned for the family’s safety. He had heard of the father’s visits and knew that Mama Arach had been beaten. In order to protect them, the grandfather decided they should move away. He had asked Mama Arach to call him and talk about the move. No call had yet been made when we visited, so Biti volunteered the use of her phone. As we sat there, Christine was able to talk to her grandfather and explain how well she was doing, and how much she enjoyed school. The family was able to tell the grandfather that they were okay. Mama Arach had taken steps to protect herself from the dad if he were to return. The grandfather received the news well. He agreed that they should not move.

When the call was finished all were relieved. The family could remain. But, more importantly, they understood the motivation for the grandfather’s desire that they move away. They could see that he cared about them deeply, he wanted them to be safe, and his suggestion was simply his way of trying to keep them safe. In addition, they appreciated that once they could explain to him that all was well, he quickly relented. We were so grateful that God gave us the opportunity to provide such a simple thing as Biti’s phone in order to resolve this worrisome situation. 

Saturday dance night.

In the midst of our routine, we also try to bring in small pieces of America. Saturday nights are often nights where, as a house, we have the freedom to plan "family" activities and just enjoy each other. One Saturday night we had a dance party on the veranda as our team event. The girls invited a few of the young, western female teachers to show us how to dance to well-known U.S. line dances, such as “Wobble,” “Cupid Shuffle,” “ChaCha Slide,” “Footloose,” and the “Macarena.” Everyone had a blast. 

We thank all of you for being part of us in this journey. We often think of you and know that you are here with us in your thoughts and prayers.