Uganda, Africa | Compassion International

I had another post almost ready to go for today but I was waiting on a few things for it so instead you get to read about our involvement with Compassion while in Soroti!

Compassion and YWAM {Youth With a Mission} were two of the organizations Eleanna and I had the huge honor of working with while in Soroti. Working with Jesus’ children in a foreign country is one of the most wonderful things ever! They are so eager to cross cultural and language barriers and their innocent hearts overflow with love and excitement for Jesus and us! 

Pastor Job of Deliverance Church in Soroti is on the board of H.I.S. and a longtime friend of Uncle Meredith’s. His church leads a branch of Compassion’s ministry, serving over 260 sponsored children each week. Thanks to him, Eleanna and I had the privilege of jumping into that ministry one of the weekends we were there. 

They asked us to teach the 12 & older class on Saturday, so we did. But I’m sure both of us felt like we came away learning so much more than we taught! The children gave us a whole lesson in Ateso {the local language} which was great!

A few words/phrases we used the most during our visit:

yoga- hi/hello

yoga noi- hi to you too

biabo- how are you

jakuna - fine/good

eyalama- thank you

Edeke- God

waka-waka -- faster faster

mot-mot -- slower slower

toto- mother

mzungu- white person


I know it can be really confusing to tell the boys & girls apart-- boys are wearing shorts & the girls are wearing skorts {skirt in front/shorts in back}.

 We had lunch plans that day and had to leave for a while but after lunch we came back... not sure what the afternoon would hold. Some of the children had started practicing worship songs they were going to sing during the Children’s Sunday service the next day so we sat in the church for a bit listening to them. We soon realized that all of the children were crowding into the tiny church building to be with us {c’mon! we’re mzungus! that’s pretty exciting! haha}, which was distracting for the musicians so we stepped outside and stood by the windows.

Then I noticed that for some reason, the rest of the children had pretty much been left in our care and were just standing around. So we started them singing and dancing to the music coming through the church windows. We spent at least two hours doing that!

Though Eleanna and I had had a heads-up about the teaching, we didn’t know it would be up to us to entertain the children all afternoon! At times we were like, “what are we doing?! I’ve gone through all the kids songs I can think of!”. But Jesus gave us ideas & El even came up with a whole dance on the spot!

 As long as the the worship music kept playing through the church windows, we kept dancing & singing & laughing and we all had a bunch of fun! 

the love to dance and have great rhythm!! {sorry this video is sideways but check out this kid's moves!}

Late in the afternoon, the Compassion leaders grouped everyone together under the big tree for final announcements and to pray. Eleanna and I were seated in the middle of them and as soon as prayer was over, they all jumped up and thrust  their hands in our laps for good bye shakes & smiles. A few minutes later as the dust, which had been kicked up by the chillens scrambling to leave, settled around us, El & I pulled eachother up off the ground and looked around. What a day it had been! We were sweaty and tired but it was such a good sweaty and tired!

Children’s Sunday the next day was full of Compassion kids so we saw many familiar faces. As we walked into the already overflowing church building, the leaders pulled El & I near the front to sit with everyone. The children did such a fantastic job leading worship, calling for testimonies, praying & preaching. I’ve never heard John 3:16 preached on as I did that day! Hearing it “from the mouth of babes” was incredible!

One of the songs they sang in Ateso that we slowly picked up!

Part of one of the songs the kids taught us that became my favorite from that weekend! This was after the service was over... and they just kept singing! love it!

After the service, El &I hung out for a long while after the others from our house had gone home. During that time, the chillens had so much fun with our cameras!

my camera meter was going crazy from Gabrielle's hot pink shirt in the bright sun! But it sure looked snazzy in person:)

they so fly!

 they love the feel of mzungu hair:)

me, Isaac, Eunice &  Eleanna

When we were finally ready to go home, Isaac, a friend we had made through choir & children’s ministry, and two other guys from the church walked us home. That produced all sorts of random conversations from hereditary hight to what series {tv shows} they liked to watch. {told you it was random! haha} El & I loved walking places and it was fun when after choir & such, different people would offer to walk us home!


{Thanks to El for the videos & two images of the church service!}