We are in the World

Crafts Wednesday

Typically, it seems that a Crafts Wednesday consists of the women sitting in the shade on their matts learning different ways of creating bracelets, necklaces, earrings, table matts, etc., but yesterday was different.  Henry, James, three visitors, and I arrived and the women immediately began filing into one of the small classrooms on the property where we hold our gatherings.  The women greeted us with smiles, hugs, and song; embraced by love.

The Chairperson began welcoming us and soon after she began addressing several different topics of concern and interest among herself and the members. First, we clapped and cheered because Lazarus Community, in its own way, has been established now for 3 years and we are planning on having a celebration next Wednesday; you are all welcome to join (ah, wouldn’t that be amazing if you could just zip on over to Uganda)!! After this discussion we moved on to which seeds we should purchase to harvest for their tiny garden of less .5 of an acre and they decided on maize (corn) and beans, which work really well in this type of soil.

The third topic was that of savings.  The Chairperson and the other members of the council had sat until very late last Wednesday going through each member’s savings book to go through the reports on who has been contributing to their savings and who has been lacking.  Henry went through each booklet, called out each name, and the discussion was that some women, who are receiving some small treatment from St. Francis every other month, are also among those who are not participating in the savings.  I found this process, first of the council to go through each savings booklet, and then for Henry to go through each name, to be vital to their understanding of the importance of saving some small money.  They ask for a mere 500 schillings once a week or even once a month; 500 schillings is around $0.25. The women all agreed to start bringing their small contributions to the Community savings in hopes to establish resourceful means if needed.

The women then started talking about how they would like to learn English because they want to be able to communicate with me and my “visitors” (meaning all of you) when they come.  The women yearn to be able to communicate with me directly and wish to have a tutor come three or four times a week after their days work to teach them the alphabet, common words and greetings, etc.  One of the visitors that came with Henry, James and I told me that the women long to hold a conversation with me without a translator; their desire is heart-felt.

                *When I say “visitors,” the entire Lazarus Community pray for more of my friends to come to Uganda to see where they live, how they live, and to meet them personally.*

James then stood and addressed the women saying that I have been very busy working towards trying to find ways to support our mission…he then said, “You are on her heart…” and this is so true. I may have written about this before, but I need to stress that these women are REAL.  As I sit day after day doing research, writing proposals, interviewing etc., it is sometimes easy for me to get wrapped up in the wording, the editing, the preciseness of my work (which is not a bad thing), but I tend to forget their faces, their eyes, their smiles, their hands, their bare feet as I work.  These women are not just words on paper, they are not just a project proposal, they EXIST, they are here, and they are working hard to try and better their lives. 

I was able to interview/talk with Margaret who is somehow a member, but more along the lines of a companion to the founders of Lazarus Community, she is also the Head School Mistress of the primary school where we meet each week.  Her words touched me a in a way in which I was not prepared for; she talked about the purpose-driven life, that God has put a Spirit in each of us, that we have a certain purpose.  What she is learning from the Lazarus Community is that there are some things that God wants us to do and we miss them if our eyes and our heart are not open to seeing or hearing them.  She said that as Uganda seems to be a peaceful country for the time being, there are still people who need to be touched in certain ways, that are being challenged in ways that many people overlook their needs, and that having this Community for these women to belong to has given them a reason to live and strive on.

She shared with me how she became involved in Lazarus Community and her views on which ways to try and reach the immediate needs of the group.  She said, “You can rise and see that these women are needy and impoverished.  That you could turn in circle and see that there are many different issues that need to be addressed; but what is important is addressing the most essential needs first.”  In her opinion the land in which we are working towards purchasing, harvesting, and marketing is a step, but what we also need to keep in mind is that it will take time to see our profits blossoming…what about now she asked me.  She is concerned more about the children and grandchildren of these women, and that sometimes life ends too quickly, and then what. 

I realized that while in the grass, under the shade from a strong tree, that I have much work to do.  It was overwhelming to hear her words and then again it was reassuring that she believes with all her heart that I am here for a purpose. She said that when she heard I was coming she knew that I would help lead Lazarus Community in a new direction, and with your help dear family and friends, I believe we can do this together.  After being in Uganda for nearly 12 weeks I was discouraged at times thinking, “how did I ever think that I could help change the world…” and there I sat with Margaret who was addressing all of these different topics and issues and I realized that we are helping to change the lives of these women, which will eventually help change the world even if it is one acre at a time, one child at a time, one craft sell at a time; we are all making a difference.

The needs are endless, the challenges to be worked through are countless, the days at times seem to be too short, but all in all with the help of your prayers and support we can make a difference, we WILL make a difference. At the end of the meeting, one of the women closed with a prayer and through her Lusoga I heard my name, “Tereza” I asked Henry what she has said…and he told me that she was continuing to pray for my health, for my hard work, and grateful that God has brought us all together.

The power of a human being: we are in the world to help change the world.  

These women are REAL