God’s Plan for Barbara

I was not expecting to witness a miracle when I went to Uganda in June 2009.  Instead, I was expecting to go to Uganda, love and play with the children, and come home satisfied with the smiles that I brought to them and the many memories that they gave to me.  However, God wanted Barbara and me to meet and change each other’s lives.

The story begins when I came home to Williams and Peruth’s house one day.  There were many children in the yard playing which was a normal scene that happened every day, but there was a new girl playing in the yard.  Her name was Barbara.  We immediately connected and began to play.  We laughed and played carefree in the yard.  I did not see her that night, so I assumed she was a girl from a nearby house who just came to play for the day.  I thought nothing more about Barbara until the next day.

Pastor Michele and I were talking the next day when she mentioned Barbara.  Peruth had told Michele Barbara’s story, so Michele shared her story with me.  Barbara’s father had died and her stepfather did not want her to live in the house.  Her stepfather was abusive to her.  Barbara had never had the opportunity to go to school.  She was living around the neighborhood without a home.  Her mother had brought her to Grace Children’s Home to see if Peruth would be able to take her into the home.  I do not think that Peruth was able to take her in at that time because some of the children who were living in the home did not yet have sponsors.

When I heard Barbara’s story, my heart was filled with compassion.  I could not believe that yesterday I was playing and laughing with this beautiful girl and today I would live knowing she did not have a home to live in or a family that loves her.  I went to talk with Peruth to ask her some more details about Barbara.  My heart spoke and I told Peruth that I wanted to sponsor Barbara and that I wanted her to live in the children’s home.  Peruth was very happy to hear about this so she made plans right away for me to purchase some shoes for her to go to school with.

I was able to see the joy that was restored to her during her first night living in the children’s home.  She had already made several friends (Jovia, in particular) and was feeling loved and accepted by the children who lived in the home.

The team left to return to the US on a Monday morning.  Before I left the children’s home, I saw Barbara and the other children getting ready for school.  It was her first day of first grade and she looked very excited to be going.  Barbara changed the way that I view sponsorship and orphans.  In just a few days, I was able to see how sponsoring a child completely changes a child’s life.  Barbara went from a life of rejection, abandonment, and abuse to a life of joy, peace, and hope for the future.  I was not expecting to witness a miracle when I went to Uganda in June 2009, but I saw what I saw.

Ashley Loehmer