The Mooguyz

Down On the Farm

July 30, 2011

Crossing the highway

Grass still had to be chopped for cow feed.  Milking was scheduled for 4 PM.  Time had run out. The white guyz from America, who had arrived on the farm to escort a cow, piled back into the van so Peter could take them back to Jinja for dinner. Project postponed.  Why not deliver this cow early tomorrow morning after milking had been done and the air was still cool for transporting the next high quality dairy cow to her recipients in Uganda?

Ronald and Herbert had already walked this just over two year old and pregnant cow down from Abdu's farm and had reached the highway by the time I arrived with Hannah, Rose, and Sarah, the next morning, to experience the handover of this fine animal to Beatrice and Joshua.

Jessica

Three young Smith brothers had a passionate desire to do something.  They gave themselves the name Mooguyz and began to share, with anyone who would listen, the Cow Project of Next Generation Ministries.  This project intends to empower hard working, responsible, and teachable Ugandans.  A high quality dairy cow is given to those who qualify with the requirement that the first heifer born to their milk cow would be returned to Next Generation Ministries.  This calf would be raised, bred, and given to another qualifying recipient. Timothy (15), Thaddeus (13), and Zachery (10) have collected nearly $1,500 and donated it to NGM so that milk cows can be distributed in East Africa.

Hannah with Beatrice

Hannah is their 18 year old sister, the first born to their parents, Matthew and Elisa Smith.  She, along with her two friends Sarah (17) and Rose (16) are living with Pam and me, in Jinja, Uganda, for seven weeks for relational mentoring.  The boyz agreed that their sister would be their choice to bring this amazing gift to those chosen.

The night had been filled with claps of raucous thunder and sizzling lightening as rain cleansed cities, town, villages, and rural hillsides. The morning air was damp, the ground was sticky as three excited young ladies and one aging father climbed the road with the two cow hands and their boss, Abdu.  Anticipation carried us to the three room home of Joshua and Beatrice.  Living a simple life with no electricity or running water, just a step above perpetual camping, this patriarch of 80 and his wife of 70 stood regal in their small front yard.  Joy rained down on me in mid morning and drenched my heart like the previous night's rain had quenched the earth.

Joshua & Beatrice in front of their small house

We followed the cow and her hands up the hillside, beyond the house and pass a couple of pigs tied to a small tree.  We found a cow shed with a concrete floor, the new home of this dairy cow.  Animated conversations ensued, clothed in joy.  Hugs and handshakes were made all around and then Joshua told us a story.

Some years ago, he said, a local pastor promised him a cow if he would build a place to keep that cow. Joshua and his family invested their hard earned money in a concrete slab and pole barn for their cow.  It gave birth to two calves over the time they had it.  Then, one day, the pastor came, took the cows, sold them all and pocketed the money.  Today, Joshua said for all the family, "our tears have been dried with this cow."

I then told the story of the Mooguyz.  I told them I had been praying for over a year that God would provide a cow for this couple.  I told them that we were going to thank God for drying their tears and blessing them with this cow.  But, first, they must name the cow before we could pray for her and the calf within her.  After some discussion with his wife, Joshua declared that the name of this animal was Jessica.

Hannah stood between them and thanked God for the blessing they were receiving.  Gratitude was thick. Grace was in abundance. Joy was overflowing.  Mooguyz:  Next Generation Ministries is proud to be a part of your team and the work of the Kingdom you are doing!