Hero’s Return and New Births

Late last night, a Ugandan Hero returned home.  This Hero had been in the United States for reconstructive surgery since November to “fix” injuries inflicted by a witch doctor.  For more on why this little boy is my biggest Hero, click here.  Fittingly, he returned to Uganda with Bob Goff, the guy who brought him to the United States for surgery and the guy who orchestrated the prosecution of the witch doctor, and with Ted Worrell, who provided Hero with a family in the United States while he recovered after the surgery.

In other news, today was a double birthday here in Uganda.  We had the chance to sing “Happy Birthday” to Henry today over the phone as he celebrated his 19^th birthday in the best school in Uganda.  I still vividly recall wishing him happy birthday two years ago today while he was languishing in a Ugandan jail.  By God’s grace, as Henry constantly reminds us, he has come so far.

Henry also told us that Rosella had a cow today.  “Rosella” (named after my mother), is one of the nine cows we purchased for Henry’s family to replace those they lost while Henry, his brother, and his father were wrongly imprisoned.  For more on the cow purchasing, click here.  Mother and baby cow are said to be doing fine, and Henry’s family is thrilled to have number ten.

The Gash family was blessed today to spend a couple hours at a home run by Cornerstone in Kampala for former child prostitutes.  As Joline describes in her post today, it was so heartbreaking to meet these girls who are the same ages as our daughters who had been forced into prostitution.  It was also so heartwarming to hear their stories of redemption and rebirth as they are back in school and feeling so loved by God and by those nurturing them back to physical, psychological, emotional, and spiritual health.  We will be back to visit them soon.

Finally, we were thrilled that two families we have gotten to know this past week were granted legal guardianship over two darling Ugandan orphans who were desperately in need of a family.  It was a joy to be there at the courthouse when they received the news that their petitions were granted.  I had absolutely nothing to do with these petitions being successful, but I am hoping to be helpful to a different family this next week.  They have authorized me to seek prayers on their behalf as they are currently facing a denial for a visa to enter the United States based upon some underdeveloped Ugandan law on mental illness in parents.  Please pray for the Doyle family of Tennessee and the baby they love so dearly, Hannah Eden.  More on this case in the next week or so.