Katie Davis graduated highschool in 2007 – and then got on a plane for Uganda. Serving at one orphanage near the town of Jinja was to be short-term. One year – and then back home to “normal” and the shimmer of the American dream.
But those plans changed when she watched parents hand over their children to orphanages so they’d get three meals a day and education. One night, in January 2008, a mud hut down the road from the orphanage collapsed on three small AIDS orphans during a rainstorm.
Davis couldn’t find any living relatives willing to take any of the girls, and she refused to send them to an overcrowded orphanage.
“The workers are always changing,” Davis said of the orphanages. “Even if you form a relationship with one of the aunties or mommas, or whatever they call them at the orphanage, that momma might leave.”
She ended up pioneering a sponsorship program, including meals and school fees, to keep kids in families — over 600 of them.
She also adopted 13 orphaned and abandoned girls.
But how easy was the adoption process? By law, Davis is too young to adopt in Uganda, said child welfare officer Caroline Bankusha. The rules say an adoptive parent must be at least 25 years old, and at least 21 years older than the child being adopted.
Apart from the age issue, Bankusha also disapproved of Davis taking care of so many children.
Nevertheless, Bankusha conceded that there’s a legal loophole that allows judges to make exceptions in the “best interests of the child.”
Recently interacting with Canada’s Ann Voskamp, a prominent author of the New York Times Bestseller, ‘One Thousand Gifts: A Dare to Live Fully Right Where You Are,’ Katie revealed some unexpected life-transformative secrets she has experienced since coming to Uganda.
To love is to obey
“Jesus wrecked my life.“ Katie told Ann. ”For as long as I could remember, I had everything this world says is important. In high school, I was class president, homecoming queen, top of my class. I dated cute boys and wore cute shoes and drove a cute sports car.”
Having everything doesn’t mean you have the right track, she said.
“Slowly but surely I began to realize the truth. I had loved and admired and worshiped Jesus without doing what He said … I wanted to actually do what Jesus said to do.” she said.
God wants us to come closer
“We are done with loving Jesus – without doing what He says. We know that loving Jesus means doing what He says. We want clarity; God wants us to come closer. Life is always clear when you press closer and see it through the sheer love of God.” she said.
“You are doing something great with your life – when you’re doing all the small things with His Great love,” she added. “You are changing the world – when you are changing one person’s world.” she added.
Jesus changes everything
“Yes, if Jesus comes to live in your heart, you will explode… That is exactly what we should do if Jesus comes to live inside our hearts. We will explode with love, with compassion, with hurt for those who are hurting, and with joy for those who rejoice. We will explode with a desire to be more, to be better, to be close to the One who made us.” she said.
male@ugchristiannews.com
