Dreams - More than we imagine

(This article will make sense if I've told you about my family in Uganda and fundraising for them.  If I haven't, see the introduction here http://www.margaretskids.org.uk)

A couple of weeks ago, my Ugandan sister-in-law Jane said this to me:

“The kids are happy, they have what they need. I never dreamed about that.”

How wonderful to hear. So to everyone who has prayed, given money, advice or help, encouraged me to keep fundraising, or even just followed the story, showing interest which keeps me going… thank you for being a part of making that happen.

When people ask how it’s going, I can feel frustrated that we’ve made very little progress towards my dream of buying land and building a house. The money gets swallowed up by the latest medical bill, rent, food…

But then I think how amazing it is for them – how normal for us - to be able to go to the doctor every time someone is ill. Never again do I want them to suffer for lack of money to get basic treatment. Who knows which of the diseases they’ve received treatment for could have been fatal without us? Most of the kids have had malaria once or twice this year, a couple of cases very seriously requiring a course of several daily injections. Badru and Gloria have had Typhoid, which can be fatal. Even just being able to go to the dentist as soon as you’ve got toothache is a priviledge. When all this was starting last Autumn, I gave Jane a few quid (of Ali’s money!) so she could do just that.

Normality for this family, my family, has changed significantly.

Like my own boys, Jane’s household now beg and pester their mum for treats not basics. “Take us to the beach, mamma, to grandma’s, to the zoo.” “Angela did when she was here.” (Oops, I kind of regret raising the standard too high to maintain but it’s hard not to treat your nieces and nephews when you’re with them!) “Please can we have a bike, mamma.” is heard by both Jane and I! Though it’s still a different scale – Alex asked me for a real chest of treasure for his birthday – I don’t think Jane’s lot are that spoiled yet!
Like my boys, I expect Jane/Margaret’s Kids are beginning to take decent food for granted, I don’t know. We don’t always get them money on time when it runs out but they can always know it is coming soon. A text from Andrew when we hadn’t got it shows the importance: “It’s so sad that we are 2 sleep hungry tonight.”

And for 5 of the children, we have sponsors committed to pay their school fees/expenses each month, an amazingly secure position few families in Uganda can know. 

I wanted to do spectacular things. I had hoped by now to have built a house, brought the family together in it, and made Peter and Andrew self-sufficient in jobs, as they long to be. That’s still my dream for the future.

But what Jane hadn’t dared to dream before; what I thought unattainable before a chat with my friend Agnetha last summer - is already happening. Food, shelter, family kept together, clothing, medical treatment, education, the knowledge that people care about them, happiness…

Thank you.

And

Praise God.

Eph 3:20-21