The Child With No Origin

I'd like you to meet Emmanuel because for some reason he stood out to me from day 1 and he's been on my mind ever since. I want to share his story with you. He's around the age of 5, no one is quite sure his exact age. He is the child that Pastor Dickens says,

"Has no origin."

 The beginning of what we know about his story is that a village girl found him abandoned. She took him to her father but the father didn't want him and sent him away. But after a little while, the father had a change of heart and told his daughter to care for him. Only four months later the girl died. Her grandmother took Emmanuel to the brother of the caretaker girl and from there they applied to Otino Waa.

The people caring for him didn't have enough money to pay the 20,000 shillings (about $7) fee needed to enter Otino Waa. When some of the staff heard this and saw Emmanuel, they gave what they could to bring him in. He couldn't speak much when he came, but now is talkative in Luo and is learning English.

For some reason little Emmanuel has stuck with me. I believe that God has some great plan for his life because he was rescued from such a desperate state. And I'm really so grateful that there is a place like Otino Waa where I know for certain he is being cared for, loved, has friends and is going to a school that will give him the best chance possible.

I miss my little buddy and hope I get to see him soon.

~Amanda

I got a letter!

A little shade in the middle of the day

The other day, a completely normal day, I walked out to the mailbox to get the mail. I only half paid attention as I quickly flipped through gaudy advertisements and junk mail.

To my delight and surprise, I found a letter, hand addressed to me in a brown envelope. I love getting mail, there's something exciting about it. Email is nice, fast and convenient, but there's something magical about seeing your name printed in someone else's handwriting.

This particular letter was extra special. Printed in the penmanship that I've only seen from one part of the world, was my name, and in the top left corner: Otino Waa, Lira, N. Uganda.

Ever since I met Betty I loved her. She was 5, one of the youngest at Otino Waa last spring when I visited. She was one of the new kids who'd recently arrived to the orphanage and had the serious eyes of one who had been through a lot. 

The first few days, Betty was shy, serious and reserved

Barely speaking English yet, the other kids translated for us. Times like this I'm amazed how there are so many other ways to communicate and she soon became one of my shadows - or perhaps I followed her around?

Betty is a strong little girl and very determined. Her adopted house mom told me that soon after she arrived at Otino Waa she asked for tools to dig in the garden, so her mom brought her a little shovel and Betty went to work tending the garden outside her home.

Throughout the week I knew I wanted to commit to helping Otino Waa more. I wanted Betty to be mine, to pray for her and care for her as much as life would allow. The cool part is that through PATH Ministries, it's possible! I became Betty's sponsor shortly after getting back to the States.  I have so much respect and gratefulness for those who give and care for people they've never met. There are many who sponsor, pray for and advocate for the children of Otino Waa who have never visited and may never meet any of the kids or the moms whose lives they've changed. I feel blessed to have been one of the few with the honor of meeting the kids first hand. Truly, each supporter is changing real lives.

There's nothing quite like seeing a child, who's been through so much, smile and laugh like a child should.

In some ways I feel like I'm connected to Betty and I'm grateful and excited for that. I'm thankful that she's safe, well fed, clean, receiving one of the highest quality educations in Uganda, and has a new family that loves and cares for her. I'm so excited for the day I'll get to see her again! She's amazing.

Betty and sweet Prisca

To learn more about Otino Waa, PATH Ministries, or to look into sponsoring a child, visit http://pathministries.net/