Rescued from Child Labor
 
Dear friends of Prepare the Way Ministry,
 
I want to share a story with you about two young boys. Once I met them; my heart broke for them and I fell in love. It was impossible for me to hear their story, and not do something! I pray that you will feel the same as I did.
 
Ten year old Livingstone and his eight year old brother, Kirkstone have lived in dire poverty in the village of Sseya, Uganda all of their young lives. Most night they would go to sleep, with very little if anything in their tummies.

They were recently invited to attend King’s Kids Learning Center (Prepare the Way Ministry’s primary school located on the Hope Children’s Home property in Sseya, Uganda). Every morning the boys walked the distance for their free schooling. They never missed a day, being intelligent and eager to learn. The boys arrived unwashed and wore ragged clothing. A smile was never seen on either of their faces.
 
As Madiina, their teacher watched the two boys; she saw a repeating pattern of deep sadness and lack of interaction with others. She asked Livingstone, the older one about the problem. With sorrowful eyes, Livingstone looked down at the floor. She could not get him to answer the question.
 
One day during a special chapel service, I handed out cookies and a drink to all the children. These two children said, “Thank you”. This touched my heart so deeply because although this is not the custom in Uganda, it is very important to me. I commented on their politeness to Madiina.

After hearing about their sadness and withdrawal, I had our patron of the children’s home speak to Livingstone in his native language, Luganda. The boy opened his heart, and shared his concern. After arriving home from school each day, the boys immediately got their hoes and went to the garden to dig. They were responsible to provide the food for the family because the elderly grandmother was too weak to do this heavy labor. At 7:00 PM when the sun set, Livingstone was responsible to prepare the evening meals however simple. Childhood had been stolen from these precious boys, by making them child laborers in their own home.
 
There was immediate concern for the welfare of these two kids. The next day, the children’s home manager, my assistant, and myself drove to the home of the boys. The house was very tiny, but the surrounding land looked fertile enough. There was a garden behind the house where the boys worked each day. The kids were there but did not say a word as we talked to the grandmother. She was a nice lady, and more than happy to have her grandsons live at Hope Children’s Home. She had other mouths to feed, and it would ease the burden for her. It is still so hard for me to watch adults so freely give away their children. I don’t understand how a beautifully precious child created by a loving heavenly father could carry such little value in a broken and hardened adult world. Tears welled up inside of me, but I refused to let them escape and run down my face. For the sake of the boys, I didn’t want the grandmother to change her mind. I did encourage her to visit and spend time with them because she was a very important part of their lives.

Livingstone and Kirkstone were held in each of my arms on the way back to our home base in Lugazi. I wanted to start immediately to make up for all the lost time that they did not receive the love that they so dearly deserved. The boys were involved in choosing their new clothes and shoes, which they desperately needed. After a large, nutritious meal; they played until it was time to return to Hope Children’s Home. They needed a little time to get settled into their new lives. The two boys climbed into a real bed, and snuggled up together. Soon they were fast asleep. As I was walking out, I turned to look closely at them. Did I see a hint of a smile on their faces?

Daily we encounter children who have devastating and hopeless lives. Let God move upon your heart to reach out to one of these boys or perhaps another child.
 
Enter 2017 knowing that you made a difference. You rescued one/two young boys from the abuse of child labor. For $50 per month, you can offer a child hope and become part of their blessed future. Jeremiah 29:11 “I know the plans I have for you declares the Lord … plans not to harm you, but to give you a hope and a future” Please contact us at mailto:dearpastorbill@yahoo.com" style="mso-line-height-rule: exactly;-ms-text-size-adjust: 100%;-webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%;color: #2BAADF;font-weight: normal;text-decoration: underline; - dearpastorbill@yahoo.com to get started on your adventure of changing a young boy’s life forever!
 
Thank you and blessings,
Doctors Bill and Linda Campbell