home

Have you ever thought you were born one place,

but your heart belongs in another?

That you weren't created to live where you do?

Wondering why you were put here...

When you could have been born somewhere else entirely.

Knowing there must be a reason...

Being more comfortable on the other side of the world,

than I am in my own hometown

Feeling more at home in a little country 

thousands of miles away.

Wondering what home really is

if my heart is torn between two

very different places.

Like I have two different lives

and parts of me.

One part always longing,

for the day I board a one-way flight

The other wondering if I could ever truly leave my life here.

One part daydreaming about what is to come,

the other wanting only to live in the moment.

One part nonstop tugging at my heart,

whispering that I don't belong here,

Another trying to imagine

how I could ever call anywhere else

HOME

You will never be completely at home again, because part of your heart will always be elsewhere. That is the price you pay for the richness of loving and knowing people in more than one place.

-unknown

I'm not that great.

There's something I get a lot.

Something I hear almost every time I mention Uganda.

Every time I talk about it.

People tell me how great it is that I do that,

and what a great person I am.

I love compliments as much as the next person, but it kind of makes me cringe.

I'm NOT that great.

God is great, and I pray that he does great things through me and Future Hope Ministries, but honestly I'm not that great.

I go to Uganda because I love it there, I love the kids, the people and everything about it.

When people tell me how "selfless" I am for doing it, I feel like I'm taking a compliment that is not rightfully mine.

I feel more selfish than selfless, honestly, they give me more than I could ever repay them for.

I don't feel like I give these kids that much, but the love and joy they give me is incredible and unbelievable.

I come and I play with the kids and love on them, and honestly, have the time of my life.

I love them so much, but I feel like that's all I have to offer.

The kids that call me "auntie" or "sister", in a way, they've adopted me into their family.

Even the people there thank me for what I do, but I never feel like I did that much.

I don't feel like I deserve the compliments I get.

I'm really not doing that much, sure I went to a third-world country for a month, but I wasn't sacrificing much, I LOVE it there, God allows me to go to a place I love and feel at home,

I hope and pray that God touched their lives through me, but in the end, I didn't do much.

I feel like I'm getting all the glory for what God did.

So I want to tell you right now that it's all because of God that I went to Uganda.

That we had the money for the flight,

that we made it there safely, 

that I got to spend time with those amazing children,

and if any lives were touched in the time I spent in Uganda,

It's all because of Him.

Not the best photo by any means, but I felt like I should put it on here

an apology // photo dump

Well hello there, long time, no see, huh?

I promise you I meant to post more while I was in Uganda, and now that I'm home.

And... that didn't happen.

obviously.

It has now been over a month since I posted... Sorry!!!!

I'd love to say it's because I was in another country for a month so it took me awhile to settle in and make a bunch of dumb excuses.

But it's not, I've had plenty of time to "settle in".

Honestly, I'm just stuck.

Stuck for ideas, stuck for what to post. I just don't even know what to write.

I know I should tell stories, but I didn't even tell stories when I came home because all my family had already heard them all.

I cannot even think of a good story to tell!

That's just sad.

So hopefully I'll actually start posting again in the next few days if I think of something.

Until then, I leave with some A.D.O.R.A.B.L.E. pictures of the sweetest kids in the world:

These kids are my loves, my world, being with them makes me heart full, leaving them makes my heart shatter, and being apart from them breaks my heart more and more until I see them again.

Mirembe Cottage.

Have you ever wondered what a home for ex-street girls would look like?

Ever imagined it?

Ever thought they would be the sweetest most wonderful little girls you've ever met? 

The most loving and trusting kids that you've ever come across?

The most appreciative, happy children you know?

Because that's what the little girls at Mirembe Cottage are like.

Every single one of the little girls that live here have lived on the streets and every one of them has been assaulted, some of them multiple times.

They all had to go into hiding at night because it was so dangerous. 

The littlest of these girls is only 6 years old.

Many of them are under 10.

And yet, by the way they act, you'd never know.

You'd never think so unless you asked them.

They are so happy, it's amazing. These little girls have horrific pasts, and yet they laugh and dance and play just like any little girl would. 

Two of the days we've been there we gave them little gifts. The first day was some bracelets that I made and the second one was some little crosses that someone donated.

You'd have thought it was Christmas and they'd just gotten what they wanted more than anything in the world. 

Both times the cheered when we said we had something for them, when we told them I made the bracelets, they cheered even louder, it was the sweetest thing I've ever experienced in my life.

Well, maybe second best.

We do devotions with them at night, Rebekah reads a Bible story and we ask them questions about it. 

After that, they tell us their prayer requests.

Each of the things they said brought tears to my eyes.

Pray for the night guard, so he can keep them safe.

Pray for Uncle Daniel, that he would continue to be able to provide for them.

Pray that they would get sponsors for school.

Pray for Mandy's healing. (A little girl there who has polio in her leg)

Pray for the children still living on the streets, that they would be safe.

These girls have seen so much in their short lives, they know what it's like to not have a home, or anyone that loves them.

And now they have that, and they know what's important.

These little girls are the reason I'm in love with Uganda. 

They have never asked us for anything, not ever.

But every.single.day, even if we're just passing by, they ask "Are you coming back later, are you coming back tomorrow???"

They just want to be loved. They want to know that we care about them.

Would you join me in praying for these beautiful little girls, and all the other children not as lucky as them?

Currently....

I've seen a lot of "Currently" posts from other friends and bloggers lately, so since I haven't posted in the last few days I thought it would be the best way to catch up :)

• Shopping for food at the market at the market - This is actually pretty cool, not something I'm used to, but definitely a neat experience. I don't take my camera, just in case, so I sadly don't have any pictures.
• Doing crafts in the most orderly way possible - Yesterday we did crafts with the kids at SASCU, all our orderly and precise plans went out the window. The kids had a blast and that's all that matters. (Did you know super glue burns when it gets on your skin? Cause I didn't)
• Singing and dancing to the hokey pokey - The hokey pokey and the hula song are the kids favorite games, we do it all the time and it's a lot of fun.
• Talking to family online - Skype. is. the. best. 
• Cuddling kiddos - This morning in church a little boy that I barely know fell asleep in my lap towards the end of the service and it took me 5 minutes to wake him up, sweet boy ♥
• Taking pictures - Haven't posted many on here, maybe I'll do a miscellaneous photos post soon. I've taken a whole bunch, I'll need to find my camera cord though :/
• Getting bags and shoes made - New products for sale when we get home!!! 
• Learning Ugandan games - It's so much easier to have them teach us the games than to teach them American games, so we play a lot of Ugandan games.
• Having our hair pulled a thousand different way - Rebekah reminded me of this one, the kids love to play with my hair and twist it and braid it, it HURTS. I had to stand up and walk away a couple times to give my scalp a rest. And I think they pulled out a lot of my hair....
• Deciding it's okay to wear jeans - Usually I only wear skirts, but I'm kind of getting tired of that, I'm actually wearing jeans and a tshirt right now :)
• Missing my friends - I've been seeing pictures on Instagram, I seriously miss my best friends more than I expected to, I missed one of our famous sleepovers Friday night. Feel like I'm missing so much.
• Getting to see my Ugandan friends - I may be missing my American friends, but I got to spend time with my American-Ugandan friend/role model Emma a few days ago, it was amazing!
• Thankful I'm not in pain - I pulled my shoulder partially out of socket a few days ago, It happened earlier this summer and it hurt for DAYS, I can't even feel it right now and I haven't even taken any medicine today. Thank you to everyone who prayed for me! 
• On our way to Jinja!!!!! - Saved the best for last, we're on the road on the way to Jinja! I can't wait to see my babies!! Pictures soon, I promise!

Well I hope that satisfied you all for now, love to all!

Not everything is easy to hear.

Today we visited the primary children at school.

The second school we went to had a wonderful principal who gave us water and bananas and loved talking with us.

When we walked in her office there was a little boy in there, not one of the Sascu kids, or dressed in  a uniform.

She told us that she had brought him in there to see if Dixon would take him to Sascu.

This little boy ran away from home, and ended up at this school.

She said she would take care of school fees until we found him a sponsor, but he needs somewhere to stay.

He was a sweet little boy, they gave him a mountain dew and a banana and he smiled and said thank you.

I asked him his name and he told me and how old he was.

I had the whiteboard with me so he wrote on it.

He smiled, he talked, he was a very sweet little boy. 

Alafa is on the far left, basically the only one not in a school uniform.

But here's where it gets bad, sad, nasty, horrible, whatever you want to call it.

She told us that if this little boy hadn't been there, he would be the "perfect" kid for child sacrifice.

He was the right age, 

and had no one, no one would miss him if he was gone.

It made me sick to my stomach, if he hadn't gotten there when he had, he could have been killed.

would have been. 

It makes me cringe just reading that, that's not right, and it's not easy to hear, but it's reality. It's horrible, but it's happening.

This little boy was 7 years old.

7 year olds should never be on the streets.

7 year olds should never be without a family that loves them.

7 year olds should never be alone.

and 7 year olds should never, ever, have to stay awake at night worrying about being killed. EVER.

7 year olds should live with a loving family, safe in a house with a roof over their head, going to school, always knowing someone REALLY cares about them, and falling asleep at night safe in bed.

This little boy was lucky, and not all of them are.

The worst part, is we have the ability to stop children from being killed, no, we can't save every child, I wish we could, but sadly it's not that easy.

But we can save other children like Alafa.

He is safe in bed at Sascu, the children welcomed him as their brother as soon as he got there, they were playing soccer when we left.

We can give other children like him a chance at life.

(Alafa also needs a sponsor, would you be willing to show this little boy that he is LOVED? and to help give him the life he deserves?)

My favorite word.

We drive down the road and we hear children calling out "Hi Mzungu!"

 The kids in the mornings shout "Mzungu Mzungu!" when we show up.

They call me Mzungu to get my attention.

Some people don't like it, these kids calling you mzungu,

mzungu means white person, it's as simple as that, isn't that what I am?

Some people are offended, but it's really just an observation, they don't mean it as a bad thing.

Personally, I love it.

The kids that shout out greetings when we drive down the road and are smiling and jumping and waving.

I love to hear the little ones say it, I'm so used to it, I answer to it without thinking.

Don't ask me why, I really don't know, but I love it.

And yet, as much as I love hearing it, that one isn't my favorite, 

my favorite word to hear their little voices say behind me,

My favorite thing to hear come out of their mouths, 

My favorite, especially to hear from the little ones who don't even live at Sascu,

Is my name.

This is Joello, don't ask me if that's how it's spelled, I haven't got a clue, but that's the closest I've got to how I say it.

I met that little cutie last summer. He doesn't live at Sascu, but he comes to play almost everyday.

He's a sweet, smart, and precious little boy, he's always called me mzungu.

I've told him my name again and again, but he still calls me mzungu all the time, I'm perfectly okay with that.

I'll ask him what my name is, he just smiles and shakes his head, I'll tell him my name again, though in the back of my mind, I don't think he'll remember it.

Yesterday was the first time, this little guy looked at me and called me by name.

Maybe it was just the first time he remembered it, or maybe it was easier to get my attention,

all the same, my heart melted the second it came out of his mouth.

Nahea and Fad. I met Fad last summer, but he was scared of me, this year he clings to my hand and plays with me. I just met Nahea a few days ago, and she is my bestest little friend.

a few days ago they were shouting my name repeatedly, they wanted me to watch the tumble and somersault in the grass, and though I was watching them already ,they shouted my name again and again, I just watched and smiled.

To hear them call me by name is so incredibly meaningful to me.

They're making an effort to remember my name, 

It means I'm not just "mzungu" to them, I'm Molly.

I'm their friend and their my friends.

I love them so much, and hearing them say my name melts my heart again and again.

Whenever I hear it behind me as I walk away, I spin around again, and usually end up exactly where I was again.

It's really one of my favorite things in the world every single time one of the littlest ones say my name, I just love, love, love it :)