Are You Poor in Love?
One of our missions staff members who just returned from Uganda shared this with me. I was so moved by it I asked permission to share it with you. It speaks for itself.
After church one Sunday, our teaching team was holding the Pastor’s Conference while our children’s teams gathered to spend time teaching, worshipping and playing with the Pastors’ and villagers’ children. Grace, a parent and teacher in this Ugandan village’s school, greeted me warmly and we quickly fell into conversation comparing teaching tips and the differences in life in our respective villages.
I asked Grace about her school day routine.
She said, “We go to school early in the morning until midday when it gets very hot. Then we return to our homes. Our people are very poor and may not have enough to eat, so we gather what food we have, and then come together in the center of the village and share our food so all can have some to eat. Then we relax together in the shade and play with our children until it is time to return home for evening and sleep.”
She then asked about our school day and I, a little embarrassed, said, “We send our children to school early in the morning where they stay until late afternoon. Once school is over, many go to play sports, tutoring, or music lessons. If the family can, everyone gathers for dinner and then more homework until bedtime.”
Grace lamented this and tried to comfort me, repeating, “I am very sorry!” 
Next I asked if her church day was always like this, with everyone gathering and resting and playing in the shade of the trees right outside the village’s church.
She said, “Oh yes! We share stories of the Lord and our ancestors and talk about our dreams for our children. We play here until it gets very hot. Then we go to our homes and rest and spend time gathering food. We then come back to the church and cook a large meal to share and stay together until it is time for bed.”
Now it was my turn. I really felt ashamed and uncomfortable as I told her,
“We go to our church for about an hour…maybe an hour and a half. We then might go to lunch with a few others from our church, or just our own family. Then we head to our own homes where we stay, or even have more busyness with activities like sports or meetings.”
At this Grace really fell into mourning for us.
She took both of my hands and said, “Sweet sister. We are poor in food and belongings. But you and your village are very poor in other ways. You are poor in love.”
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