ENOCH

Enoch on the street

Enoch on the street

Enoch, Mama Joyce and I as soon as Enoch was off the streets

Enoch with his soda after coming off of the streets

When we came back to Uganda, there was a boy in our street programs, Enoch who God instantly put on my heart. He was so wild and spirited yet absolutely desperate to prove himself. I knew he was supposed to be in our home from the first program since coming back into Uganda. Yet at the same time I felt overwhelmed, there are SO many kids in our programs and bringing a child into our forever home is a, well, a "forever decision". Also, the kids on the streets are so very traumatized, sexualized and abused. I also felt overwhelmed in choosing a boy that would be safe to all of the other boys in the home.

For weeks David and I got on our knees and prayed for guidance on which boy, especially if it was Enoch was to come into our home. Finally last Friday morning I told God, "God I know you have asked us not to test you and I am not. I mean I don't think I am. But it's just that, I feel drawn to this boy and I don't know if he is not the boy for the home, or if he is unsafe. I am going to assume you want us to bring him in, so if he is not the one, will you please show me today that he isn't? Have him do something inappropriate or say something inappropriate or have someone caution me about him. If you show me he is not the one, I will respect that."

I went to the programs intending to be nothing more than a fly on the wall and watch every moment that boy made, (without him knowing it of course). I walked into the church and Enoch came running up to me shouting, "Babirye! Look I made you a necklace, I got you earrings and a bracelet too but I forgot them, I will bring them tomorrow!"  Uncle Eddy then came up to me saying that Enoch would not stop bothering him about coming into our home, that he was a very good boy and that he was dying to get off of the street and into our home and that his father was an evil man he could not be resettled with. About one hour later, a different uncle, Abbey called Enoch up in front of all the other kids and asked them to raise their hand if they were in our programs because of Enoch. Almost one third of the kids raised their hands. Abbey went on to tell the other kids that Enoch was a good example to them of being caring and a good friend, for being respectful and that they should follow his lead. I had made two big cakes that day (thank you grandma for the mixes!) and Abbey asked me if I could give Enoch an extra, very large piece. I hadn't known it but Enoch (who is not even 10 years old) was going out to the slums, rounding up small street kids and literally taking them by the hands and leading them to the programs! As soon as the programs were over I called David and told him what had happened, about my prayer and God's overwhelming confirmation. I got off of the phone and 5 minutes later, who did I run into? Little Enoch of course! He took one look at me and taking my hands into his pleaded, "Please Babirye, please, please take me home with you!"

Enoch's mother had died and his father would leave Enoch alone for the entire day and torture him if he so much as went out to play with other friends, sometimes tying him upside down from trees and beating him with a stick.  Of course, after enough mistreatment and neglect, Enoch had run away to the streets. After staying on the street for sometime, Enoch had tried to go back to stay with his father but his father had sent him away telling him he never wanted to see him again. I felt overwhelmed with God's goodness that we could take this beautiful and broken child and bring joy and hope into his life once again. God had been pouring out his love on this child and now we were getting to have a bigger part in loving on him too!

The next program as soon as the program was over we took Enoch to the dentist to remove a rotten tooth, and to get him medicine for a skin condition he had picked up on the street . We then talked with him, telling him how much we and God loved him and that we wanted to bring him into our forever home if that was what he wanted where he would go to school and be loved and cared for. In shock he said yes. Over the next couple of hours as we got him ready, buying him dinner and shoes, the idea became more and real. After one hour he gave a huge smile, looked up at me and said beaming,

"I am going to be such a good boy. I am going to be so respectful in the home. I am going to go school and study hard and I am going to become a pilot!"

I looked at him in the eyes and told him, "Enoch, I already knew you are a very, very good boy. And with God on your side, you can become anything!"

After dinner Mama Joyce, my mother-in-law a beautiful, wise, and godly woman who God absolutely gifted at being a mother of many came to pick up Enoch and bring him into his new forever home. Mama Joyce is the head mama of the younger boys home and is just overflowing with love, she is a, "force of love" as my mother calls her. When she got the call that we were with Enoch and would love for her to pick him up (we ask the full-time caregivers of the home to come and be the one to literally take the child off of the street so that the Ugandan who is living with them and taking care of them every moment of the day is their primary attachment and source of security) she flew to Kampala as fast as she possibly could! Mama Joyce has done miracles for the boys in the home as she loves on them, teaches them, and tells them about the love of Christ.

Thank you all so much for praying for us for guidance as to which children we are to  bring into our home and we ask that you continue to do so, we still have many beds to fill! Please pray for the healing and restoration of all the boys in our home, they have gone through so much. Please pray that God will fill their hearts and give them a peace that only He can bring.

God bless you all!

Abby and David