So today was Eddy’s 15th birthday. I must admit, I feel pretty old to call a 15 year old my son! I wanted the day to be really special, so a few days ago I began arranging a surprise for him.
I’ve said it before, but Eddy used to be in our forever homes. Before that, he was on the streets. Throughout that time, Eddy had a best friend with whom he did and shared everything. Kato went from the streets to the home with Eddy, and they have a bond that is pretty special. They are the same age, and the same year in school, even in the same class (which is like, what exact semester you’re in). Each time I see one of them, they tell me to pass a hello on to the other. They haven’t been able to see each other for the past two years, because Kato stayed in our homes when Eddy ran away. Needless to say, you have to really love someone to ask about them when you don’t EVER get to see or communicate with them. That's pretty solid friendship.
So, my surprise was to bring Kato to Kampala for the day :) It worked out really well, because Lauren has bonded with Kato, and so she wanted to spend the day with him anyways. At around 12, Lauren and Kato came from Bombo. It was pretty adorable, watching Kato pace around our house, waiting for Eddy to show up. Out of all the kids I know, Eddy and Kato are very cool; they definitely care about image. Seeing Kato shamelessly excited was really something. At one point, Kato disappeared. I called for him, but couldn’t find him anywhere. Then, I looked down in the garden and saw Eddy walking with him. The two of them were deep conversation, holding hands (*In Uganda, its weird if a girl and a guy show affection, but its not weird at all if two guys or girls do. Holding the hand of your friend shows how close your friendship is, and isn’t considered gay at all). When we called to them, Eddy came up to me with this HUGE smile on his face- he kept smiling like that all day, and by the end he told me his mouth hurt.
We went over to Garden City, where there is an arcade with bowling. We taught them to bowl, and the boys played together all day. In the evening we went to dinner at Eddy’s favorite restaurant, and the boys got ice cream for dessert. It was fun spending time with them, because I love them a lot. But the real fun of the day was watching the two of them together. You can just tell when two people have that special bond. That David and Jonathan connection. I feel very blessed in my own life to have a few friends like that, and to have one of them with me in Uganda. Having Abby is truly one of the biggest blessings I’ve ever received, and her friendship fills me up daily. I also know what its like to miss friendships that close (love you girls ;) It made my day, watching the boys together.
Thank you Jesus, for giving me friends to share this walk with. Friends who have been with me each step of the way, through the hard times, and the blessings. Friends who cried my tears, and shared my joy. You’ve given me such a gift! I pray that you would nurture those friendships, and bless them.
I’ve said it before, but Eddy used to be in our forever homes. Before that, he was on the streets. Throughout that time, Eddy had a best friend with whom he did and shared everything. Kato went from the streets to the home with Eddy, and they have a bond that is pretty special. They are the same age, and the same year in school, even in the same class (which is like, what exact semester you’re in). Each time I see one of them, they tell me to pass a hello on to the other. They haven’t been able to see each other for the past two years, because Kato stayed in our homes when Eddy ran away. Needless to say, you have to really love someone to ask about them when you don’t EVER get to see or communicate with them. That's pretty solid friendship.
So, my surprise was to bring Kato to Kampala for the day :) It worked out really well, because Lauren has bonded with Kato, and so she wanted to spend the day with him anyways. At around 12, Lauren and Kato came from Bombo. It was pretty adorable, watching Kato pace around our house, waiting for Eddy to show up. Out of all the kids I know, Eddy and Kato are very cool; they definitely care about image. Seeing Kato shamelessly excited was really something. At one point, Kato disappeared. I called for him, but couldn’t find him anywhere. Then, I looked down in the garden and saw Eddy walking with him. The two of them were deep conversation, holding hands (*In Uganda, its weird if a girl and a guy show affection, but its not weird at all if two guys or girls do. Holding the hand of your friend shows how close your friendship is, and isn’t considered gay at all). When we called to them, Eddy came up to me with this HUGE smile on his face- he kept smiling like that all day, and by the end he told me his mouth hurt.
We went over to Garden City, where there is an arcade with bowling. We taught them to bowl, and the boys played together all day. In the evening we went to dinner at Eddy’s favorite restaurant, and the boys got ice cream for dessert. It was fun spending time with them, because I love them a lot. But the real fun of the day was watching the two of them together. You can just tell when two people have that special bond. That David and Jonathan connection. I feel very blessed in my own life to have a few friends like that, and to have one of them with me in Uganda. Having Abby is truly one of the biggest blessings I’ve ever received, and her friendship fills me up daily. I also know what its like to miss friendships that close (love you girls ;) It made my day, watching the boys together.
Thank you Jesus, for giving me friends to share this walk with. Friends who have been with me each step of the way, through the hard times, and the blessings. Friends who cried my tears, and shared my joy. You’ve given me such a gift! I pray that you would nurture those friendships, and bless them.
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