One of the funny realities of daily life here is thinking in the millions daily. One dollar bill is worth roughly twice as much as the Ugandan 1000 shilling note. So we deal in the thousands for small money, and in the millions for bigger money.

Last night, 3.8 million was stolen out of our bursar’s office. The thieves, who must have been insiders, used a crowbar to pry two sets of locks out of the wooden doors in the administrative building, then clearly knew where to look for the keys hidden in the bursars office (no, we didn’t know he hid them there for safekeeping.) Though this is the equivalent of only a few thousand dollars - it is a huge amount for us to lose. It’s a fortune here, and a fortune in terms of what it buys us for students we are already vastly underfunded to provide for.

In two brilliant moments of response to this crisis I first criticized my husband for being “too fraternal with students” - what this has to do with the theft I’m not sure exactly but my hasty words didn’t need much of an explanation in my own mind. Then I went outside and told the school gardener, “what else should we expect from the Babwisi, they have a habit of stealing.” Lovely. Glad to report to you all that I am totally filled up with the Holy Spirit, all the time.

Desmond, our bursar, told a story last week during our meeting for sponsored orphans. He told how a street kid, if you look them in the eye for more than a little while, will pick up a rock and throw it at you. Amidst the uncomfortable laughter of the students, (who haven’t really seen street kids), he explained that that’s the kind of orphan the Bible says we are. We don’t believe that anyone will come through for us: not parents, not friends, not God himself. We think that at the slightest danger we must protect ourselves with the greatest force. We are street children, our arms cocked back and armed with the biggest rock around.

And isn’t that the truth about my own heart? Faced with the reality of hardship in the form of stealing, I fought back quickly, fiercely and unreasonably with my words. And no doubt our thief has done the same; faced with the reality of lack in their own lives, they are using any means necessary to acquire what they believe they need.

I’m glad to report that I went back to both David and Samuele within the hour to ask their forgiveness and speak truth instead of lies. Though I have been adopted into the family of the King I often forget that I am no longer an orphaned street child . . . . He will care for me, if I can only learn to trust.