Meet Tami Hoffman's Grand Daughter, Elise.
Written by Elise King
June was the month of memories.
Not like beach memories. They were heart opening, life changing memories. It all starts with a plan. Of course the flight was very long and tiresome but with every journey there is always a wait. When we arrived you could not imagine all the traffic. The cars and motorcycles were going every which way squeezing you out of your lane. It was so crazy. We drove through the city and villages admiring the men and women competitively selling their goods. Each of them would have their own shack or a piece of the sidewalk. It was nothing like the U.S. stores. Here there are no cash registers and barely any room to shop. You could tell when people needed more help than others. Some mothers were just selling a few tomatoes probably just trying to sell enough to feed their children for the day.
You couldn't help but smile at them and wonder.
The one thing I noticed, the children never seemed unhappy. Their clothes could be torn and dirty and they could be barefooted but they were so happy. Everyone treated us like we were celebrities. You couldn’t help but smile back at them and wonder…..why is this person so happy after everything they have gone through? I knew God had sent us here to bring hope and joy and even sometimes food to them just to make their lives a little better. The children couldn’t stop waving and giving you hugs and holding your hands every time you came near them. It’s sad to leave them after you have given them gifts that they have never had before. You wish they could live like you. Like sleeping in a real bed and not a mat on the floor. Or like having a variety of food to eat like pizza, tacos and hamburgers…instead of just one cup of porridge for the day. But when you are there they don’t care how poor they are or how in need they are, they just want to take care of you.
The people in Uganda are beautiful.
They live in a beautiful place in this world. The agriculture and the Forrest just make you want to go and explore this place. The animals on the safari were so calm as you were driving close to them. It wasn’t long before we were back on our plane and heading home and I was wondering what all my new friends were doing now. I was enjoying a cold bottle of water and snacks while they might be hungry and working in extreme heat. I think if everyone got to experience what I did…real change might happen in Africa. Families and children could be helped so that they could have a better life. People would also realize how lucky they are and when they started complaining about their air conditioning being broken just think, people in Uganda don’t even know what that is!
I am glad to share my story with you and I hope I can do it again. -Elise King
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