I am sitting in my favorite chair right now enjoying my favorite day of the week.  Sunday is special to me.  The pace and energy of the world seem totally in sync for a brief moment.  

I cannot believe how long it's been since I last blogged here.  I can use the excuse that life is too busy, too hectic, I'm too overwhelmed, blah blah blah.  Nearly 6 months ago I took on a job with Children of Uganda and life has never been richer, fuller or more busy.  I have not made the time to stay connected here on MySpace.  And I miss the community that grew so quickly around Children of Uganda.

And I feel compelled to reconnect this morning.  There's so much good to share.  I hardly know where to begin. 

I bear witness on daily basis to the absolute goodness, generosity and kindness of people ~ many of whom I have never personally met and perhaps never will.  However, our common thread is the love and dedication we have for the children served by our programs.

The other day I received a phone call from one of our child sponsors.  His name is George and I only knew him as the sponsor of Bwette and Faridah. 

He proceeded to share a rather remarkable story.  Several years ago he received a letter from Bwette's mother.  He lives in Virginia and the mother was living in Uganda.  To this day, George says he does not know how this woman got his address or why she wrote to him specifically. 

She wrote a harrowing story that is not unique to Uganda or any part of Africa for that matter.  Her husband had died from AIDS, she herself was gravely ill and she desperately wanted help for her son Bwette and her niece Faridah.

George told me that he knew that something "bigger" was happening upon receiving the letter.  He had heard about Children of Uganda (and again ~ does not remember where or how) and contacted our offices.

He shared the contents of the letter and the mother's plea to help her child and niece.  Gratefully, someone in our office contacted our Country Director in Uganda.  They finally found Bwette's mother and her story was very real. 

George said he would personally guarantee to sponsor both Bwette and Faridah through their university studies.

Bwette and Faridah subsequently joined Children of Uganda's programs and began their studies.  Today, Bwette is in his second year of university and Faridah is about to begin her first year.

There's a great line in A Streetcar Named Desire that says "I have always depended on the kindness of strangers."

Yet ~ are we really strangers after all?  

I believe more in the goodness of people than I ever have before since being a part of Children of Uganda.

A few days after speaking with George ~ a young mother in Oregon wrote a thank you card for a CD she had ordered from us.  The card was so beautiful and looked handmade.  I had to call her and ask her if she was the artist.

She said no ~ her 3 year old daughter was the artist in the family.   The mother went on to explain how she and her husband had seen our dance troupe perform two years ago.  At the time, their daughter was an infant and very, very fussy.  When they took her to the performance, she began to get really cranky right before our children took the stage.

The moment the show began, the baby stopped crying and watched the full 90 minute show in complete awe and without any fuss whatsoever.

Today, her daughter is eager to do something for Children of Uganda.  She wants to make cards like the thank you card her mother sent to our office.  And she would like to sell them and give the proceeds to the children we serve.

This child's extraordinary spirit reminded me of another movie line from one of my all-time favorite films - Fried Green Tomatoes. 

Mary Louise Parker's character says at one point there's a separate God for children.  Experiences like the one above give me proof of just that.