My return home to Uganda after two years!

I had been separated for too long from the people I love. I was starting to forget the smells and tastes - and the feeling of being home in Uganda.  But it didn’t take long for all those familiar senses to wash over me like a tidal wave. I surprised myself at how overwhelmed with emotion I was when I arrived and looked into the faces of people I had been longing to see.  My trip began with intense joy, and that joy became the guiding light throughout my entire trip.  Reuniting with staff members, hugging the children, being in church, visiting homes in the village, hosting a center day for all our sponsored children: all these things brought such a deep joy and sense of purpose. 

There were several parts of this trip that were deeply significant to me.  One of them was celebrating the completion of the school fence at Agape Primary School. The day started off with a one mile run with the teachers, staff and children. We had a great time running together in honor of my sister Michelle. Michelle was a long-time sponsor and supporter of AICM. We remembered her and celebrated her life and the impact she had on all of us. A sense of celebration was in the air. After our celebratory run, we danced and sang, enjoyed a meal together, and then dedicated and prayed over the memorial fence. We prayed that the fence would stand for protection and love for each of the students passing through its gate. We ended the day with gifts for the teachers and students and bouncy houses for the children. Our theme for the day was “Michelle’s Life Mattered And So Does Yours!” We wanted each of the students to be reminded their life matters to God and encourage them to make them count for the Kingdom.

Another monumental moment for me was our visit to Iganga. Our first stop was at the humble home of a young boy named Dixon, a sponsored child in the ACCS program. As we arrived at his home, the staff and I were unaware of the life-changing impact this visit would have on all of us. While his mother was far off looking for something little to do to provide for her family, this 10-year-old boy was feeding and looking after his five younger siblings. As we were spending time loving on Dixon, we heard the painful cries of small children. Two staff members, Joanne and Joy, went to see what was wrong. As they began talking with the five small children, they realized hunger had overtaken them. Joanne inquired from the children how they get fed each day, and their response was that Dixon feeds them, if there is food. On this particular day, there was no food anywhere. These two staff members, moved with compassion, remembered that they had packed their breakfast. As they dispersed the food to these hungry children, they were overwhelmed with emotions and thoughts of their own broken childhood and the struggle to search for food at a young age. As the rest of us were surrounding Dixon and speaking with him, we also had a moment that affected us all. Dixon became overwhelmed with gratitude and joy, and he could not contain himself. He began weeping and fell apart in my arms. I held on to him as he wept uncontrollably. I felt this release of heavy burdens being melted away off of him. We all knew that we were experiencing something incredibly special. I’m not sure how to put it into words; however, we know that we all encountered the heart of God in that very moment. We saw God lavishing His love upon Dixon. God was restoring hope and reminding him that he is a child of God. God gives good and perfect gifts to His kids. It is an experience that none of us will ever forget. We walked away from that visit more deeply in love with a God who sees, a God who loves, and a God who provides good gifts for His children. 

There were so many of these God-moments; I cannot tell them all. But I know one thing for sure: even if I could, some are too hard to put on paper. It is difficult to express the power of the Holy Spirit and the move of God that we all experienced each day. But one more JOYFUL moment for me was the Commencement and Graduation Ceremony.  On this day we celebrated ACV children transitioning out of the program, students receiving Certificates from Tertiary Programs, and 2 University Graduates. As I sat listening to the speeches of Julius, Gift, and Joanne, I felt like my heart was going to explode. I cannot even begin to express the joy I felt at that moment. I was having memories of a young five-year-old Julius, a rebellious teenager, Joanne, and the hundreds of fun life activities we all shared together. As they were speaking, I thought to myself, “could this be so? Is this really happening? Have these kids been able to accomplish this much in life with all they had to overcome?” As Joanne spoke of her young 8-year-old self, roaming the streets looking for food for her 5-year-old brother, she began to weep. She was overtaken by the faithfulness of God. God had fed her and her brother. It was God that brought them to ACV where they found a home. And it was God that provided them the strength to endure. As Joanne wept through her speech, I too became so grateful for the faithfulness of God in the lives of each one of these kids. I realized that God had placed me in their lives and that He used me as a funnel for His resources. I am very humbled by the work He allows me to continue to do. I became so thankful for the many donors and sponsors that have stood along with these kids to see them succeed in their academics. Thank you, Jesus, for the Victory!

As I sit stateside and write my thoughts to you, I feel empowered and compelled to tell you that each one of these kids’ LIVES MATTER and God has great things in store for their future. He wants to use YOU to funnel His goodness and resources into their lives. Please join us in making lasting impacts for the kingdom; you will never regret being a part of their story.

Tears are pouring down my face as I think of all the hundreds of kids yet to be impacted by our program. We have so many more Dixons to touch and so many more Joannes to see through to university. God, help us have the strength and courage to be a part of what You are doing.

-Sandi Balli