The Trees are Running

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Transcript:
We had completed our 5th King’s Kids home in rural Uganda and 10 needy orphan children were chosen out of a sea of hopeless, helpless, precious young ones, to become the children of this new King’s Kids’ home. This is a heart rendering task for our program administrator, Glenn, and the local Pastor to choose only 10. Before the children move into the King’s Kids home, they have to have a medical check-up and they must shop for clothes and shoes. They probably had never worn shoes before and certainly never slept in a bed or worn pajamas. Can you imagine the excitement and perhaps some uncertainty as Glenn gathered the children into the van for their first car ride into town? Their big brown eyes must have been enormous as the van picked up speed and drove away from the village. They were headed into unknown territory to places they knew nothing about. And they were about to see things they had never seen before. As grownups, that would scare many of us. How much more for four and five year-olds? So after a day in town, they are treated to something else they’ve never had the pleasure of experiencing, lunch at a restaurant and…ice cream! I imagine there hadn’t been much laughter in their young lives, and I only hope that this was the beginning of giggles and smiles and contentment.

But to me, the story that stands out from that day is one of amazement, a reminder to us all to find the miraculous in the everyday occurrences. When Glenn was driving down that dusty road toward Mbale, one of the little boys was staring out the window and was mesmerized by the passing scenery and shouted out “Uncle Glenn, Uncle Glenn, the trees are running!” How adorable is that? Did he think the trees were moving as fast as they were? What an imagination. And now, three years later, we see that newfound imagination beginning to develop into even greater things as the children can now imagine a future, one filled with hope.