Unity

This past week has involved a few exciting stepping stones for Lazarus Community.  These stepping stones in which we have embarked upon have helped us feel more established, empowered, and recognizable as a Community.  Earlier this week, Henry, James and I set up a bank account here in Uganda at the Bank of Africa and we could not have been more proud of ourselves.  We are hoping that in due time this bank account will flourish with funding to help stabilize our mission and truly uplift the standard of living for our members.  Henry and James said, “Because you have come Tereza things are moving…we now have a bank account in our name, something that would never had happened if you had not joined us here.”  Ah, the simple things in life; opening a bank account.

The other major step was yesterday at our “crafts Wednesday” we celebrated Lazarus Community’s three year anniversary.  When Lazarus Community was founded in 2008, there were only ten members (in the Wairasa District where we meet weekly in the village of Ntinkalu), now there are sixty-two.  There are a few of the original members still among us today, others have died or have left for various reasons but the group that I sat before yesterday was strong, proud, and confident.  We asked for some of the women to share what they have learned from Lazarus Community and what good things have come to them since becoming involved in the organization.  As you all know more than 90% of these women are widows, and before joining this community they were alone, bitter, and depressed.  They had no one to turn to if they fell sick, they had no one to converse with, and they had no one to rely on.  Now, these women have each other, and they have us (the founders); they have a commitment to one another to work hard to not only improve their own lives, but the lives of their friends.  These women support one another.

Hearing these words, seeing the tears of joy, and the gestures in their movements, I realized that when this organization was forming, I was somehow already in the plan to be present three years later.  I could not have felt more flattered for all the praises and thanks for my presence…”and now we have a friend of a different color…” When it was my turn to stand and speak in front them, the room fell quiet as I started off my comments with, “Praise God; today we celebrate your three years of being an established community…” (cheers and clapping), “and tomorrow, I celebrate my 3 months of being with you…” (cheers and clapping)…and so it went on…and to be honest, as I stood there and spoke to the members who I now call friends, not merely faces in a crowd of women, I felt at home.  Feelings of peace, comfort, and excitement flowed through my veins as if something/someone was telling me that I am exactly where I am meant to be…a founder of Lazarus Community.

As I have mentioned before, it’s as if they were just waiting for me…they knew that one day I would join them…but do not fret, they continue to ask about all of you…they ask when more visitors will come, when my family and friends will come to visit them…and I say to them, “when there is Will, there is a Way…one day…” And so the day carried on with good food, laughter, speeches, and dancing, ah, the dancing.  These women sing, clap, and dance.  The room was filled with so much happiness…it was filled with the abundance of life.   

The party came to a close with prayer, hugs, and handshakes…and as the bliss of celebration was still present the reality of what it truly means to be a community came into play.  The council members hopped on to the back of Henry’s truck as the founders and other visitors piled into two cars.  We drove, just for a few moments and the mood changed dramatically.  First, we all entered a very small home, lit only by candle light and doomed with grief.  We were visiting one of our members whose husband is still living, or at least struggling to live.  A few weeks ago, he fell ill and it was thought to be his liver, when just recently they discovered it was an advanced case of HIV/AIDS…as he laid there he tried to roll over to greet Henry and James and he could barely speak; we remained only for a few minutes, prayed for his comfort and for his soul and we left them there.

 Again, we piled into the cars and drove up through the village to another home.  This place I remember visiting; this family I remember seeing; this member I remember crying for…just three months ago Henry, James, and I were walking through the village visiting each home.  This day I remember vividly; it was just Henry and I and we walked to this home where many children were all around and this man could barely speak, was losing his eye sight, losing control his joints; the look in his eyes, it stings me even now as I recall this visit.  I couldn’t help myself from glancing towards my members direction, she was sitting there, knowing that soon she would be left alone to care for her children, that her husband was going to pass away and there was nothing that could be done to prevent this from happening.  I left there completely choked up, unable to grasp my breath. I felt and knew that I was helpless, and here we were back again.

We entered the home, again lit only by candlelight, filled with a very distinct smell…he was motionless, he had shrunk since I had seen him three months ago, and he was unconscious.  As I sat there among the members my mind was racing, my heart was grieving, and I felt as if the inevitable was tangible; his days, his hours, his life is limited.

United as a community…the council members wanted us to visit these women and their dying husbands, because it is what they have become, they’ve become a family of their own…these women who are elderly, young, widows, caretakers these women are now joined together because of Lazarus Community.  They not only have each other and the founders, but they also have all of you to continue to pray and support them.  These two men are leaving behind their children, grandchildren, and their wives…their wives who will struggle even more than before to survive and to provide means for their children/grandchildren.

…And this what I am here for…to see, to experience, to realize that these are not just stories I hear or read about, they are happening right in front me…Going from such a happy and wonderful celebration to being in the presence of death not just once but twice in an evening…I was only having a very small taste of the reality of the lives these women lead.   

I mentioned earlier that today I am celebrating my three month mark of being here in Uganda, hardly seems possible.  My time here has been a whirlwind capturing so many different experiences thus far that I can only imagine what the next three, six, nine, etc., months will bring…what I do know however, is how grateful I am to be here, through the celebrations and the grief…I am here, I am present, and I am learning.  Life, ah, life is what we make of it, yes of course it is, but life is all the more better when we do it together…UNITY.

Much love for you all,

Anne Therese

We were able to sit in one of the classrooms at the David and Mary Young Ntinkalu Primary School because the students are enjoying their "Holiday Break"