A Fathers Heart
I write my first post in a hotel room in Jinja east Uganda. It’s my 6th day in the country and the first time I have got a room to myself! I am currently rudely intruding on the Clays holiday, a holiday which, judging by what I have seen of them so far, is much deserved. Both Dave and Raych clay juggle responsibilities at New hope, the home for orphans, work on the farm, and parenting their five children. As far as I can judge my job here will involve making as many of those jobs as I can a lot easier. My main focus however will be on the children.
Every weekday Dave and Raych leave the house mid breakfast and go to New Hope for a morning of training. While they are gone Jo, the childrens teacher, comes and teaches two sessions with various Clay children and a few others from New Hope. The Parents usually return at about 1 o’clock only to rush out again on various errands and responsibilities. Both parents are usually home for tea followed by the nightly battle to get the children in bed. A few brief moments of relaxation take place here before both parents go off to bed only to be woken bright and early by some fresh faced youngster eager to start a new day. For this daily routine I have nothing but respect for them. And my job, it would seem, is to fill in the gaps with the kids.
I suppose for those who don’t know them a brief introduction of said children is in order. So, starting with the eldest, there is Moses. Moses is very nearly 8 and has instructed his brothers and sisters in the fine art of saying the word ‘why?’ to just about anything. This particular talent has come from his practice using this word whether the context makes sense or not. However as annoying as it can be at times it does show that Mo has an inquisitive mind and occasionally asks some really brilliant questions that the ‘grown ups’ are too polite to ask. Then there is Susanna or ‘Zanna’. Zanna is one of these children who knows the rules, enforces the rules but at the same time does whatever she can to stretch the rules in her favor. She does however have a very kind heart and seems to only really want what’s fair for her and her siblings.
Then there is Jed, short for Jedidia…or Jeddidiah…or something, you get the idea and why we call him Jed. The only thing to say about Jed is that he is not only full of beans, he invented the concept. He bounces around the house all day crashing into things and people quite often coming off worse for ware. Number four is Naomi. Most of the time Naomi is the quiet one but when she has something to say you had better believe she will be heard! Finally Becka is nearly 2 and amazingly advanced for her age. She can almost string a sentence together and has no problem telling you exactly what she needs.
I can’t help but wonder how I am going to cope looking after these kids. Over my stay so far Raych Clays parents have been on child watching duty while I stand by and secretly die inside as I wonder how on earth I am going to look after these little people who fall over, cry, eat, cry, drink, cry, make a mess, cry, fight, cry, cry and cry all by myself when the grandparents leave. In a moment of said dying inside a few days ago I did what any self respecting Christian lad would do in that situation and consulted my Bible. The book fell open at a verse we paraphrased one night in youth group, part of my paraphrase read, “God fills our Gaps and carries us through hard times” well at that point in time I was feeling very gappy and was in need of a lot of carrying. So that is my prayer at the moment, that I would have my Gaps filled by God and somehow we might do some impossible things.
Another thing God has challenged me with in my first week is the concept of having a fathers heart for the kids. I don’t understand why but God speaks to us all differently, for me I don’t get a big booming voice and usually don’t get bible verses. Usually for me I hear Gods voice through my surroundings, and at the moment God is speaking load and clear about Fathers and how he wants me to be one. Now I realize at this point my mother has probably fainted so let me qualify that. I don’t mean in a literal “lets go make some kids right now” type way, I mean being a father to the children and to others who aren’t lucky enough to have a father like Dave. At Soul survivor they speak a lot about “being a father to the Fatherless” and I think that’s what Gods saying to me. I don’t know what form that will take but it’s a step forward. One of the clearest ways God has shown this to me was by how much I miss my own father already. Obviously I miss all my family and friends very much but all I can think about at the moment is how much I love my Dad and how much he means to me. I only hope and pray God gives me the strength and patience to as good a father to these kids as my dad was to me.
Well its night time in Jinja and everyone else has gone to bed. I should probably follow their examples and make the most of not having to share a room with Jed and Mo (The other morning they played who can wake up uncle Dan first…little did they know I had been awoken by them a while ago and was playing dead very successfully until the game escalated to “try jumping on him”) so I will sign off there and wish all you readers the best of health and thank you foe reading this article all about ME!!!
God bless
Uncle Dan
Every weekday Dave and Raych leave the house mid breakfast and go to New Hope for a morning of training. While they are gone Jo, the childrens teacher, comes and teaches two sessions with various Clay children and a few others from New Hope. The Parents usually return at about 1 o’clock only to rush out again on various errands and responsibilities. Both parents are usually home for tea followed by the nightly battle to get the children in bed. A few brief moments of relaxation take place here before both parents go off to bed only to be woken bright and early by some fresh faced youngster eager to start a new day. For this daily routine I have nothing but respect for them. And my job, it would seem, is to fill in the gaps with the kids.
I suppose for those who don’t know them a brief introduction of said children is in order. So, starting with the eldest, there is Moses. Moses is very nearly 8 and has instructed his brothers and sisters in the fine art of saying the word ‘why?’ to just about anything. This particular talent has come from his practice using this word whether the context makes sense or not. However as annoying as it can be at times it does show that Mo has an inquisitive mind and occasionally asks some really brilliant questions that the ‘grown ups’ are too polite to ask. Then there is Susanna or ‘Zanna’. Zanna is one of these children who knows the rules, enforces the rules but at the same time does whatever she can to stretch the rules in her favor. She does however have a very kind heart and seems to only really want what’s fair for her and her siblings.
Then there is Jed, short for Jedidia…or Jeddidiah…or something, you get the idea and why we call him Jed. The only thing to say about Jed is that he is not only full of beans, he invented the concept. He bounces around the house all day crashing into things and people quite often coming off worse for ware. Number four is Naomi. Most of the time Naomi is the quiet one but when she has something to say you had better believe she will be heard! Finally Becka is nearly 2 and amazingly advanced for her age. She can almost string a sentence together and has no problem telling you exactly what she needs.
I can’t help but wonder how I am going to cope looking after these kids. Over my stay so far Raych Clays parents have been on child watching duty while I stand by and secretly die inside as I wonder how on earth I am going to look after these little people who fall over, cry, eat, cry, drink, cry, make a mess, cry, fight, cry, cry and cry all by myself when the grandparents leave. In a moment of said dying inside a few days ago I did what any self respecting Christian lad would do in that situation and consulted my Bible. The book fell open at a verse we paraphrased one night in youth group, part of my paraphrase read, “God fills our Gaps and carries us through hard times” well at that point in time I was feeling very gappy and was in need of a lot of carrying. So that is my prayer at the moment, that I would have my Gaps filled by God and somehow we might do some impossible things.
Another thing God has challenged me with in my first week is the concept of having a fathers heart for the kids. I don’t understand why but God speaks to us all differently, for me I don’t get a big booming voice and usually don’t get bible verses. Usually for me I hear Gods voice through my surroundings, and at the moment God is speaking load and clear about Fathers and how he wants me to be one. Now I realize at this point my mother has probably fainted so let me qualify that. I don’t mean in a literal “lets go make some kids right now” type way, I mean being a father to the children and to others who aren’t lucky enough to have a father like Dave. At Soul survivor they speak a lot about “being a father to the Fatherless” and I think that’s what Gods saying to me. I don’t know what form that will take but it’s a step forward. One of the clearest ways God has shown this to me was by how much I miss my own father already. Obviously I miss all my family and friends very much but all I can think about at the moment is how much I love my Dad and how much he means to me. I only hope and pray God gives me the strength and patience to as good a father to these kids as my dad was to me.
Well its night time in Jinja and everyone else has gone to bed. I should probably follow their examples and make the most of not having to share a room with Jed and Mo (The other morning they played who can wake up uncle Dan first…little did they know I had been awoken by them a while ago and was playing dead very successfully until the game escalated to “try jumping on him”) so I will sign off there and wish all you readers the best of health and thank you foe reading this article all about ME!!!
God bless
Uncle Dan
posted by Daniel at 10:23 AM
2 Comments:
amen dan, is all im guna say. i can relate...
also i congratulate u on your 100% eloquence u cud write a book!
aww uncle Dan that's amazing!!
sounds awesome what you're doing, and yes I agree, you should write a book!! and then you can sell it when you've bought borders :D
cannee wait to read the rest of your blogs! Missing you lots and lots!! Byeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee
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