You! Go Bathe!

Early on Sunday mornings Geoff grabs a basket, a metal bowl and about a kilo of beans for sorting, then he heads out to the porch to sit in the sunshine while he starts the bean prep for lunch. A couple of weeks ago, while making my REQUIRED java, (decaf mind you, another "I'm now over 50" story for another time . . .) I heard a voice other than Geoff's at 7 :15 and found Kakande, firmly planted in the chair next to him, talking and laughing. Bubbly, our black lab mutt, never wanting to be left out of anything, had also joined them.

I tell you with confidence that you do not have the up close and personal knowledge with which to absolutely appreciate God's miraculous work that was occupying the plastic lawn chair across from Geoff. So, let me fill in your cavernous knowledge gaps.

We arrived at New Hope Uganda only 8.5 years ago. The founders of New Hope arrived 29 years ago. Twenty-Nine years ago Kakande was already of full grown size, yet of minimal mindset and a complete inability to care for himself. Truthfully, he scared young children and adults both with his unpredictable behavior and unkempt appearance. He "lived" with his grandmother two villages away from New Hope, but wandered all the nearby villages, neglected and also frequently abused by many. He had a harsh demeanor and usually only showed up for food. One of the nurses in the clinic followed him as closely as was possible with all his other nursing responsibilities, but there were still long absences in which we didn't know where he was or what was happening to him. A little more than eight years ago, our veranda became one of his chosen landing places. Whenever we had bananas, we shared. He didn't talk he just sat: disheveled, smelly, covered either with wounds or with bandages (depending on whether or not he'd already been to the clinic that day) and he drank tea, ate bananas, smacked his lips and belched.
Our kids, then 2, 3, and 4 didn't know what to make of him, but they would say hello and move about their toddler business acutely aware of his presence. We attempted to talk with him, but between our small amount of polished Luganda and his lack of enunciation, we didn't usually say much. And that was about the extent of our interaction with him.

2009. The year everything began to change for Kakande. One of the most beloved blessings to ever set foot on New Hope soil is Kate Tolhurst. She came with her humongous heart for those with special needs and over the course of the past five plus years has built a special needs program called, "Treasures in Jars of Clay." Among the many she serves is Kakande. Long story, somewhat shorter, Kakande is now a permanent part of the New Hope Community. In 2012 a small room was completed for him where he has his own bed and a place for his clothes and his radio. He fetches water each and every day for the special needs program and Aunt Kate's house. He likes to help us in our gardens from time to time. He loves to make tea in the afternoons at Aunt Kate's house and he attends David Family devotions most nights in the week. He is gentle with the young ones and loves to worship God. He talks to all of us now A LOT, though with very limited vocabulary and many slurred words, and HIS SMILE, oh, his smile is amazing! Every once in awhile he will spend  his own money on buying treats for the other special needs kids. Even though they can't eat what he brings due to their physical condition--it is his huge heart that fills them with the nutrients of love.

One who used only to beg for food now gives freely. One who had few clothes and all of them dirty and torn, now is properly clean-clothed.  Though, he still has a fairly narrow focus: his primary seemingly insatiable desire is food! He loves food! He is fed three meals and snacks everyday, but his nose can still keenly track roasting meat. He visits our house EVERY DAY at some point and usually that point is during a meal time. His draw to food is only broken by the sound of a motor vehicle moving. If he hears ours or another van moving he comes running to be a part of the ride! When Geoff had a motorbike, he wanted to go wherever Geoff was going, ALL THE TIME. Sometimes we just rode him around the yard because the smile on his face was an easy reward.

And we have witnessed first hand the therapeutic effect animals have on the physically and mentally challenged. Though Kakande cannot clearly speak our dog's name, "Bubbly" he tries with "Buppy!" he loves to pet her, and though she does not always allow him to, he greets her anyway.

I laughed out loud that Sunday when he, Bubbly and Geoff were on the porch together. Kakande, formerly unkempt and smelly, was instructing, "Buppy! Okunaba!!!"  (Bubbly, go bathe!)

The contrast between Kakande then and Kakande now is only one of the many ways this ministry is making a difference in the community. Thank you for your support of New Hope Uganda. Together we are making a difference. www.newhopeuganda.org

"Buppy okunaba!" directs Kakande as he takes a gander in Bubbly's ear

Kakande tries to assure Bubbly that having a bath won't be as bad as she expects it to be.

Bubbly shoots a begging, pleading glance Geoff's way--trying to weasel out of the inevitable scrub!