Does the Nile run through America?

A few days ago James and I were able to spend a couple of days in the slums. First we went to the Grace Fellowship Primary School. We asked how we could help and they told us they had a class that needed someone to teach them. They gave us a book with a little lesson about “People and their Nationalities”. You never really realize how strange English is until you try to teach it. If you are a native of Uganda you are a Ugandan. If you are a native of America you are American. So if you are from France you are Francean then, right? Wrong. We went over this for a while, drilling all the strange nationalities into the kids heads. French. Congolese. German. etc. Eventually we had been over the lesson twenty times and they were getting it. Now what? They didn’t tell us anything else to teach. I asked what time the class was over. They told me one thirty. It was barely twelve. Time to improvise! I asked them if they had any questions about America. They had plenty! Who is the President? Which part are you from? Are there mountains there? Does the Nile run through America? Once that last question was asked I realized they had no idea where the U.S. was. I found a picture of a world map in the English book and showed them. Then a little girl raised her hand and asked if we could teach them about God. Yes we can! We brought out a book of Bible stories and James read one aloud as I brought kids up and got them to act it out – sort of like puppets, I moved them around as the story unfolded. They loved it! We did the prodigal son and then got to explain to them about God’s unfailing love. Finally it was time for them to go to lunch. James and I said goodbye and left to go find Pastor Nelson, who pastors Grace Fellowship. We ate lunch with him and then went to the street boys’ home, where about fifty boys sleep every night. We hung out with the boys for awhile and then it was time for devotion. We sang some praise songs – they were mostly in Luganda, so really we listened as they sang praise, and then James and I told them the prodigal son story as well. We got them to act it out and had one of the “Uncles” (the older guys who watch over the boys) translate to make sure everyone was getting it. Afterward, they went around and told what they learned from the story. It was such a blessing hearing what they had to say. After this they ate dinner and everyone went to bed. Between sleeping on the floor and waking up at six as the boys do everyday, I didn’t get much sleep. We returned to the school in the morning and this time they wanted us to teach math. Now, I am horrible at math. Horrible. But I tried my best and we got through it. Then we read the story of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. Such a great story of faith! After that they sang some songs for us and it was once again time to go. We told them goodbye and went to where they have the street boys’ “program”. These aren’t the same kids who stay in the home – those kids are in the school. This is another group of about fifty more boys who are still sleeping on the streets at night. We taught them some English, parts of the body, the prodigal son story, and they made necklaces from string and tiny beads - all the while we're under a tin canopy and some of the hardest rains i have EVER witnessed are falling around us. After this it was time for them to eat. We told them goodbye and got a taxi back to our house. It was an incredible experience, and I can’t wait to go back again next week and continue to teach them, learn from them, and show them God’s love.