They were orphans. Either by definition or for the simple fact that they have no mother or earthly father. They were alone. Some on the streets. Others in homes where there was no one to care for them. They were starving and sick. Some were babies left in dumpsters. Some were toddlers left alone to fend for themselves. Some were teenagers, wandering the streets, begging, stealing, afraid and without hope.

It has been said that before we judge someone, we should walk a mile in their shoes. To really understand who they are and how they came to be where they are in life. 

Jinja, Uganda is not an easy place to live. There are many places around the world where there are cities with slums. Jinja, however, is a slum with slums. So much so that Gladys, our Africa Child Care Coordinator, told us it was a “very difficult place to be.” She called it “heartbreaking”. And Gladys is certainly no stranger to poverty, considering her work in Kenya serving orphan children in the slums there.

The hunter pulled up to the Forest Service gate and put his truck in park. It was still dark, but a soft glow to the East told him dawn was coming soon. He poured himself a cup of coffee from a thermos and took a sip as he made a mental inventory of what he was going to need for the day.

Whenever someone you care about becomes ill, it truly gets you thinking about a lot of different things. The other day, someone I have known since I was a teenager passed away. He was on vacation and suffered a stroke and simply never woke up.

He looked in the mirror and wiped the sleep from his eyes. The man staring back at him looked much older on this morning than perhaps any other before. Tired. Frail. The face in the mirror was thin. The cheeks hollow and sunken. Not even close to what he had looked like just a month ago.