An African Adventure is a story of fear, joy, danger and love,

but mostly love, love for a continent, a people and the God

whom they try to serve. It is also a story of courage, the

courage of young people mostly, young people who are

struggling with the loss of their families to AIDS and civil war,

young people who face a brighter future but still have to deal

with a devastating past. It is a journey, a journey not only of

miles but of the soul. It is a journey that will lead Ralph and

Jeanette Reaves to the beautiful mountains of Rwanda and

carry them through the sometimes heartbreaking task of caring

for over 115 orphans. It is a journey that will bring them to

their knees in despair and teach them that to survive, they

have to lean totally on God.

Chapter 7

The Ultimate Challenge

Tuesday, July 8:

I think I’m finally beginning to understand Uganda English.  I was sitting on the front steps this morning before school, drinking a cup of coffee and watching the children play when Secunde, one of the twelve year old boys came toward me crying.

“What’s the matter now?”  I asked.

“I beat my leg with a stone!”  He wailed.

I studied on this for a minute and then asked, “You beat your leg with a stone?  Now why would you beat your leg with a stone?”

“But for me, I was playing football,” he said through gasps and hiccups.  “I was passing from heah, while Ruben was disturbing me, and Kajuna abused me for Ruben.  Then, when I kicked at the football, the stone beat my leg.”

I looked down at a bloody big toe, and it all became clear.  He was playing soccer with Kajuna, another of the twelve year olds.  He ran too close to Ruben, the donkey, who chased him, which he loves to do.  Secunde tried to dodge Ruben at the same time he kicked at the soccer ball and stubbed his big toe on a rock.  Then to add insult to injury, Kajuna laughed at him.

“Okay,” I said, “let’s go fix it.”