You Are Welcome Here

by Holly Habimana, Executive Director of The African [SOUP]

But Jesus called the children to him and said, “Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these.”  - Luke 18:16

When you walk into one of our classrooms at The African [SOUP] in Eastern Uganda, our students greet you by rising and exuberantly yelling in unison, "Thank you for visiting The African [SOUP] school, you are MOST welcome!" And they mean it in a way that is far more profound and genuine than we could ever imagine. This is exemplified in so many ways in daily interactions with our students.

Solomon, a student at African [SOUP]

A volunteer recently shared a story with me: it had just rained in our village and she was about to sit down on the wet, muddy ground to take a break from work. Primary 7 student Solomon saw she was about to sit down, and yelled, “Wait, wait!” He then proceeded to take a broom and brush the ground for her, insisting that, “It’s clean now – sit, sit!” This air of genuine concern for her welfare stuck with her enough to tell me this months later.

It also reminds me of when our team was walking to one of our teacher’s homes in the village and out of nowhere, several girls come running up to me as fast as they could. One of the girls, a [SOUP] Primary 6 student, came forward and presented me with a perfect tomato from her family farming plot. As she knelt down and presented her prized possession to me, she simply said “thank you.”

The type of gratitude, selflessness, and authentic compassion for one’s well-being emphasized in both of these examples is the epitome of Jesus’ message of love, empathy, and acceptance. It reminds me of His ability to welcome everyone to His community, to love unconditionally, and to give wholeheartedly in His name. These children don’t have much. In fact, that tomato might’ve been part of that little girl’s dinner. But, she was determined to make me feel welcome and to thank me for my role in her education and future. It was a powerful moment for me, as was Solomon’s insistence on cleaning the muddy ground for our volunteer, because it reminded us of the true lessons of Jesus’ love.

So, when I think of someone saying, “Thank you and you are most welcome,” it reminds me of how our [SOUP] students embody Jesus’ teachings in ways that are more sincere and exemplary than we encounter in the West. While I may help them receive an education and a future with limitless potential, they have given me the power to see God in action on Earth. It doesn’t really seem like a fair trade.

Holly Habimana is the Executive Director of The African [SOUP], a Cove Church Mission Partner.  The African [SOUP] is a sponsorship program for orphans in the country of Uganda.  For more information, you can visit theafricansoup.org.