Katie Martin, Purse of Hope's awesome new volunteer, has been in Uganda for almost 2 weeks now. We're excited to share with you a glimpse of her life here...
“I'm bubbling over with all of the incredible things that have gone on in just 10 days of life in Uganda, and yet so little time to stop and share about it. 10 days has felt like 2 months. I am honestly incredibly humbled to be here doing this work. It's hard to articulate the sense of OVERWHELMING joy that I have when I'm at the house with the girls. There is no other place I want to be when I'm there with them.
I must share a story about Beth.... I went over to visit the girls this evening (today is Sunday), and it was yet ANOTHER adventure on the Boda ride there, today was my first Boda ride post rain storm. Bwaise had a rain storm today, which means the dirt roads are muddy and puddle filled. So, that translated to my sandal wearing feet getting splattered with mud....which is honestly NBD (no big deal)...I was more concerned about the huge man holes of murky water we were navigating our way through in the midst of INSANE traffic.
I arrived (safely...phew) at the Purse of Hope house to the usual incredible greeting from the girls, they were standing at the gate ready to hug and greet me. I showed them my muddy feet and they all felt so sorry that I had gotten muddy....one of them said, "Auntie Katie (they call me Auntie :)), it is a huge sign of love that you would make the journey in the rain." That melted my heart. I stopped and just felt blown away at the continual thankfulness and gratefulness these girls show.
Then......Beth. As soon as Beth saw my muddy feet she grabbed my hand and walked me straight to the bathroom. She insisted on cleaning my feet for me. I tried to help and SHE WOULD NOT LET ME, so I surrendered, and sat there in total awe at this beautiful beautiful girl tending to me, cleaning and washing my feet, and just had to let myself receive the love she was lavishing upon me. It was such a beautiful moment, but also a moment of feeling helpless in letting her tend to me. I wanted to be the one washing HER feet. It is my heart to be the one serving these girls and loving them. And yet in that moment I felt humbled....and knew....as I've been seeing in these past 10 days, God is using these girls in my life far more than I will be used in theirs. They are teaching me how to love, how to trust, how to have incredible faith, how to be free.
I've heard a lot of people say, "I need Africa more than Africa needs me" and tonight that rang true more than ever. These girls are among some of the most courageous I have ever met. They are embracing their second chance at childhood with all that they have. They are dreaming and they are taking that scary step of letting themselves love and be loved. These courageous and beautiful girls have the fingerprint of God smudged all over them :).”
-Katie Martin
