We're checking out of the Mosa Courts this morning. We're going to the village of Kateete for a short time this morning, having lunch at La Chateau, and then going to spend the afternoon at Charles and Eva's home. Our flight leaves at 10:20 pm.
Great day yesterday (big surprise!) Pastor Chuck and I met with Nakabango's church council and then we went to the Source cafe for lunch and some shopping. The meeting was very productive and I'm excited about our plans for the village!
After that we headed to Kampala. We went t oEva's new hair salon and Pastor Chuck got a trim. We had dinner at the Grand Imperial Hotel. We were sitting outside and as soon as it was dark, they set up a projector and the DJ played 80's music videos the rest of the night. It was a blast from the past for most of us, although some had no memory of most of the videos. The theme shifted between Kenny Rogers and Michael Jackson most of the evening!
We're off to load suitcases now. This will be my last post before we get back to St. Louis on Wednesday - around 4:20 pm local time. We're all anxious to see our families! Please keep us in your prayers!
Monday, June 29, 2009
Sunday, June 28, 2009
Monday Morning in Jinja
It's Monday morning and we're getting ready to leave Jinja. Pastor Chuck and I have a meeting with Nakabango's church council here at the hotel at 9:00. Everyone else is packing up and checking out. We plan to leave around 11:00.
Yesterday was a wonderful day of worship in Nakabango! The 3-hour service included 19 baptisms and confirmation of around 25 kids. We also had the chance to commune with the members of Nakabango and listen to a sermon by Pastor Chuck. Our group even got asked to sing an anthem - no rehearsal! We went with our stand-by song - "Lord, I Lift Your Name on High". I asked Charles last night how we did and I got a "so-so"; guess that's the best we could hope for! The only thing missing from the service was a new member welcome at the end!!!
After church, we got to participate in a feast of rice, meat and soda. We felt confident that all bellies were full before we left. Most of the village was served bags of rice and then one small piece of meat and soup were added. Our lunch also included cooked cabbage, matooke, greens, & fried "cow meat". Yummy!
We also got to present 10 goats that we had purchased. We also bought bedding kits, but rain prevented us from making an "official" presentation to individuals yesterday. all the kids who will receive them are school-age kids. Having a mattress, sheets, and mosquito net is a major luxury for them.
I was pleasantly surprised to hear my name as I got off the bus yesterday. My family's sponsored child, Rachel Nakawala, had come home from boarding school to see me!! She is such a doll. She asked about everyone in the family and loved the pink cowboy hat I had brought for her. She is 16 and is studying to be a doctor. I asked about her favorite music and she told me "gospel". I pushed a little further and found out she loves Beyonce and Rihanna! She thinks it's funny that I could sing along with her on some of their songs. (My kids would tell you that I can sing along - I just don't sing the right words!)
We collected almost all 100 of the disposable cameras that we had handed out on Friday. I can't wait to see the results!
We enjoyed our final dinner at the Sunset last night. It rained in the late afternoon and was actually very cool sitting outside. Everyone I have polled this morning says they could stay longer.
Hope to post again later today or tomorrow. That will be our last. We leave Tuesday night at 10:20 pm - around 2:20 pm St. Louis time. We are heading to the village of Kateete for awhile this afternoon and we'll be back at the Mosa Courts apartments this evening.
Yesterday was a wonderful day of worship in Nakabango! The 3-hour service included 19 baptisms and confirmation of around 25 kids. We also had the chance to commune with the members of Nakabango and listen to a sermon by Pastor Chuck. Our group even got asked to sing an anthem - no rehearsal! We went with our stand-by song - "Lord, I Lift Your Name on High". I asked Charles last night how we did and I got a "so-so"; guess that's the best we could hope for! The only thing missing from the service was a new member welcome at the end!!!
After church, we got to participate in a feast of rice, meat and soda. We felt confident that all bellies were full before we left. Most of the village was served bags of rice and then one small piece of meat and soup were added. Our lunch also included cooked cabbage, matooke, greens, & fried "cow meat". Yummy!
We also got to present 10 goats that we had purchased. We also bought bedding kits, but rain prevented us from making an "official" presentation to individuals yesterday. all the kids who will receive them are school-age kids. Having a mattress, sheets, and mosquito net is a major luxury for them.
I was pleasantly surprised to hear my name as I got off the bus yesterday. My family's sponsored child, Rachel Nakawala, had come home from boarding school to see me!! She is such a doll. She asked about everyone in the family and loved the pink cowboy hat I had brought for her. She is 16 and is studying to be a doctor. I asked about her favorite music and she told me "gospel". I pushed a little further and found out she loves Beyonce and Rihanna! She thinks it's funny that I could sing along with her on some of their songs. (My kids would tell you that I can sing along - I just don't sing the right words!)
We collected almost all 100 of the disposable cameras that we had handed out on Friday. I can't wait to see the results!
We enjoyed our final dinner at the Sunset last night. It rained in the late afternoon and was actually very cool sitting outside. Everyone I have polled this morning says they could stay longer.
Hope to post again later today or tomorrow. That will be our last. We leave Tuesday night at 10:20 pm - around 2:20 pm St. Louis time. We are heading to the village of Kateete for awhile this afternoon and we'll be back at the Mosa Courts apartments this evening.
Saturday, June 27, 2009
Saturday Afternoon
Hello again!
This will probably be our last chance to access the internet until possibly Monday evening here (Monday morning there.) The business center is closed on Sunday at the Sunset Hotel and we will be leaving Monday morning to go to Kampala. Don't be disappointed if you don't get any emails between now and then!
We had a great time with the kids in Bulumwaki. It was "Punch Ball-palooza"!!! We also helped them make friendship bracelets and painted about 250 precious faces! The men made the rounds to Nakabango and Naigobya and, when we left, were working on getting the solar panel installed on the roof of the cottage in Bulumwaki. Bill and John were actively involved - actually doing the bulk of the work. And Pastor Chuck, well, we all know he's more of a relationship guy! I think he handed out a lot of candy and some frisbees! Hopefully we see them back here at the hotel sometime before midnight!
We also let the kids paint on some muslin fabric squares today. They did a great job and as always, we're pleasantly surprised at the result!
We stopped by Noah Isanga's house on our way back. He is the president of the Lutheran Church in Uganda. He is currently suffering from malaria but expects to be well again very soon. He is the third person we have met with malaria this week.
Tomorrow it is back to Nakabango. We will worship with them in the morning. I believe Pastor Chuck will be preaching and also baptizing at least one (I would imagine there will be more.) We have also sent money ahead of time so the village can have a feast tomorrow after church. Most likely this will consist of rice, MEAT, and soda. The fourth element of any good feast in Uganda - plastic chairs - will probably also roll in on trucks.
I have made arrangements for goats, bedding kits, & Bibles also to be delivered for us to give to women and children in the village. It promises to be a very special day. It's always a blessing to worship together with those who seem so very different from you on the exterior and find that we share a love for the God who is the one true God! I'm looking foward to tomorrow so much!
Thank you once again for your prayers of peace and protection. Everyone is doing really well. Busy is better; otherwise we miss you all too much! Hope to be able to write again on Monday!
This will probably be our last chance to access the internet until possibly Monday evening here (Monday morning there.) The business center is closed on Sunday at the Sunset Hotel and we will be leaving Monday morning to go to Kampala. Don't be disappointed if you don't get any emails between now and then!
We had a great time with the kids in Bulumwaki. It was "Punch Ball-palooza"!!! We also helped them make friendship bracelets and painted about 250 precious faces! The men made the rounds to Nakabango and Naigobya and, when we left, were working on getting the solar panel installed on the roof of the cottage in Bulumwaki. Bill and John were actively involved - actually doing the bulk of the work. And Pastor Chuck, well, we all know he's more of a relationship guy! I think he handed out a lot of candy and some frisbees! Hopefully we see them back here at the hotel sometime before midnight!
We also let the kids paint on some muslin fabric squares today. They did a great job and as always, we're pleasantly surprised at the result!
We stopped by Noah Isanga's house on our way back. He is the president of the Lutheran Church in Uganda. He is currently suffering from malaria but expects to be well again very soon. He is the third person we have met with malaria this week.
Tomorrow it is back to Nakabango. We will worship with them in the morning. I believe Pastor Chuck will be preaching and also baptizing at least one (I would imagine there will be more.) We have also sent money ahead of time so the village can have a feast tomorrow after church. Most likely this will consist of rice, MEAT, and soda. The fourth element of any good feast in Uganda - plastic chairs - will probably also roll in on trucks.
I have made arrangements for goats, bedding kits, & Bibles also to be delivered for us to give to women and children in the village. It promises to be a very special day. It's always a blessing to worship together with those who seem so very different from you on the exterior and find that we share a love for the God who is the one true God! I'm looking foward to tomorrow so much!
Thank you once again for your prayers of peace and protection. Everyone is doing really well. Busy is better; otherwise we miss you all too much! Hope to be able to write again on Monday!
Friday, June 26, 2009
It's Saturday Morning!
Good morning to everyone! We got back from Nakabango later than usual last night and the Business Center was closed, so I will try to update everyone on Friday's happenings!
We started the day by stopping in Jinja to buy a few supplies. It was my first time of seeing the "local market" - not the organized storefronts where I usually buy things. It was row after row of small spaces piled with clothes for sale, while women were in the back working their treadle sewing machines. It was quite a maze. My goal was to find some shorts for a special little boy we had seen in the village. He is obviously mentally challenged and was wearing incredibly tattered clothes the day before. We took 2 new pair of shorts and gave them to his guardian who was most gracious. Just the little things, right?
The hit of the day was meeting with the sponsored kids. Just amazing to see the faces that go with the names that I look at all year. I believe we managed to see see at least 85 of the 110 kids; I think those are great numbers. Several were taking exams or were at their boarding school and couldn't make it back. We handed out all of the cards, letters, and hats and gave each person an information sheet to fill out. We'll be sharing those with you when we come home. Also gave each one a disposable camera to bring back to us on Sunday. Can't imagine what the result of that will be!
We also distributed hats, played with some punch balls, & organized several games again. We made bracelets with the women and showed them a few new techniques.
Pastor Chuck and I did some interviews on video with a few of the kids. They have some amazing stories. I asked one little girl which song was her favorite at church and she said, in her precious little accent, "Would you like a sample?" Of course, I said "Yes!" Out of her mouth came the most beautiful music I believe I may have ever heard. When she finished, I told her that I believed that was now MY favorite song, too. God just gives us these gifts in the most unexpected times and places.
When we arrived yesterday, all of the trusses and perlins were up on the carpentry shop (John taught me those terms) and the men worked together to trim them and put up the fascia. We expect to see tin up when we go back to Nakabango tomorrow!
We ate under the stars at our hotel again. Pizza seemed to be the theme of the evening and we have a growing affection for garlic naan. Pastor Charles' wife joined us last night.
From what I can tell, everyone is feeling good and having a great trip. Beds could be softer, showers could be hotter, and the bus could have better shock absorbers, but all that just fades away when we turn down the road to the village. The numbers in the village have increased significantly each day we are there. So many precious children and their amazing caregivers. Again, I feel so blessed to be here.
Today, we head to Bulumwaki. The men are going to Nakabango and Naigobya first to pick up some supplies so that they can install solar panels on a cottage in Bulumwaki for Rudy & Dorothy Schaser. The women are going straight to Bulumwaki. We'll have a chance to spend some time with the kids there . I love going to this village as part of our trip. I think it's a great opportunity for everyone to see another village and how they function.
Not sure if the business center will be open tomorrow. We will be heading back to Nakabango for church and a feast!
God's blessings on your weekend!!!!
We started the day by stopping in Jinja to buy a few supplies. It was my first time of seeing the "local market" - not the organized storefronts where I usually buy things. It was row after row of small spaces piled with clothes for sale, while women were in the back working their treadle sewing machines. It was quite a maze. My goal was to find some shorts for a special little boy we had seen in the village. He is obviously mentally challenged and was wearing incredibly tattered clothes the day before. We took 2 new pair of shorts and gave them to his guardian who was most gracious. Just the little things, right?
The hit of the day was meeting with the sponsored kids. Just amazing to see the faces that go with the names that I look at all year. I believe we managed to see see at least 85 of the 110 kids; I think those are great numbers. Several were taking exams or were at their boarding school and couldn't make it back. We handed out all of the cards, letters, and hats and gave each person an information sheet to fill out. We'll be sharing those with you when we come home. Also gave each one a disposable camera to bring back to us on Sunday. Can't imagine what the result of that will be!
We also distributed hats, played with some punch balls, & organized several games again. We made bracelets with the women and showed them a few new techniques.
Pastor Chuck and I did some interviews on video with a few of the kids. They have some amazing stories. I asked one little girl which song was her favorite at church and she said, in her precious little accent, "Would you like a sample?" Of course, I said "Yes!" Out of her mouth came the most beautiful music I believe I may have ever heard. When she finished, I told her that I believed that was now MY favorite song, too. God just gives us these gifts in the most unexpected times and places.
When we arrived yesterday, all of the trusses and perlins were up on the carpentry shop (John taught me those terms) and the men worked together to trim them and put up the fascia. We expect to see tin up when we go back to Nakabango tomorrow!
We ate under the stars at our hotel again. Pizza seemed to be the theme of the evening and we have a growing affection for garlic naan. Pastor Charles' wife joined us last night.
From what I can tell, everyone is feeling good and having a great trip. Beds could be softer, showers could be hotter, and the bus could have better shock absorbers, but all that just fades away when we turn down the road to the village. The numbers in the village have increased significantly each day we are there. So many precious children and their amazing caregivers. Again, I feel so blessed to be here.
Today, we head to Bulumwaki. The men are going to Nakabango and Naigobya first to pick up some supplies so that they can install solar panels on a cottage in Bulumwaki for Rudy & Dorothy Schaser. The women are going straight to Bulumwaki. We'll have a chance to spend some time with the kids there . I love going to this village as part of our trip. I think it's a great opportunity for everyone to see another village and how they function.
Not sure if the business center will be open tomorrow. We will be heading back to Nakabango for church and a feast!
God's blessings on your weekend!!!!
Thursday, June 25, 2009
Friday Morning
Good morning! Another great evening at the Sunset Hotel restaurant. The Chinese food was another big hit, although the chef's buttons were prominent. John and I both had Pasta Mafiosa - we're feeling very culturally diverse in our food selections!
Forgot to mention yesterday how amazing the pictures were that came back on the digital cameras we sent home with some of the kids the night before. I was absolutely thrilled with what I saw; inside their homes, their families, etc. New experience for me - I sat in the field at Nakabango and loaded pictures from the memory cards onto a flash drive using Violet's laptop. Only had about 60 kids "helping" me with that little project!
I love the connections I get to see between the kids and the team. We're learning so much about them and their caregivers/families. It's just an amazing opportunity. There is just never a doubt that God is in this place and has His hands on all of us.
Have a great day - we plan on it!!!
Forgot to mention yesterday how amazing the pictures were that came back on the digital cameras we sent home with some of the kids the night before. I was absolutely thrilled with what I saw; inside their homes, their families, etc. New experience for me - I sat in the field at Nakabango and loaded pictures from the memory cards onto a flash drive using Violet's laptop. Only had about 60 kids "helping" me with that little project!
I love the connections I get to see between the kids and the team. We're learning so much about them and their caregivers/families. It's just an amazing opportunity. There is just never a doubt that God is in this place and has His hands on all of us.
Have a great day - we plan on it!!!
Thursday Evening
It was a GREAT day in Nakabango!!! We painted 500 t-shirts & watched the kids paint 100 canvases. Several of our skirts are now a more vivid hue than before! Julie M. also did a backpack sewing project with the women and it went very well. I believe she taught them a lot.
We got to spend lots of time with the kids reading books, playing hokey pokey, and they even learned the chicken dance. I'm not sure how much got lost in translation, but they had so much fun. They also got to jump rope.
A highlight of the day was tug-of-war. Pastor Chuck, John, and Pastor Charles coordinated the effort and even participated. Let me just say that a whole lot of kids on one end and those 3 men on the other made for a strong victory for the kids of Nakabango!!!
The trusses were hoisted to the top of the carpentry center today. That was quite a sight!
Several of us went on a tour of some of their gardens. We saw sweet potatoes, tomatoes, some different types of greens, zucchini, pumpkins, & ground nuts (peanuts?) They are very proud of their gardens and work very hard on them. We also saw their piggery which currently consists of 4 pigs. We have been told that several cows have died of "foot and mouse" disease! Sounds scary.
We presented several of the items that had been shipped over on the Orphan Grain Train container including tools,nails, choir robes, & communion ware. We also gave them a large banner that reads "Messiah Loves Nakabango" that members of our congregation had signed. That was a big hit.
We had the chance to hold lots of little ones today; what a great reminder that they are truly all precious in His sight.
We got to spend lots of time with the kids reading books, playing hokey pokey, and they even learned the chicken dance. I'm not sure how much got lost in translation, but they had so much fun. They also got to jump rope.
A highlight of the day was tug-of-war. Pastor Chuck, John, and Pastor Charles coordinated the effort and even participated. Let me just say that a whole lot of kids on one end and those 3 men on the other made for a strong victory for the kids of Nakabango!!!
The trusses were hoisted to the top of the carpentry center today. That was quite a sight!
Several of us went on a tour of some of their gardens. We saw sweet potatoes, tomatoes, some different types of greens, zucchini, pumpkins, & ground nuts (peanuts?) They are very proud of their gardens and work very hard on them. We also saw their piggery which currently consists of 4 pigs. We have been told that several cows have died of "foot and mouse" disease! Sounds scary.
We presented several of the items that had been shipped over on the Orphan Grain Train container including tools,nails, choir robes, & communion ware. We also gave them a large banner that reads "Messiah Loves Nakabango" that members of our congregation had signed. That was a big hit.
We had the chance to hold lots of little ones today; what a great reminder that they are truly all precious in His sight.
Wednesday, June 24, 2009
Thursday Morning
Wow - internet access again this morning. Our apologies to those of you looking for emails from us. We're having an especially hard time getting into Charter accounts.
Had a great meal under the stars at our hotel last night. The vegetable fried rice and spring rolls were abundant! I love having Chinese food in Uganda!
Most everyone is sleeping well. Personally I choose to lay awake from 2:00 to 5:00 every night, but that's not much different from home!
We love having Violet along with us. Violet really maintains some order with the kids for us. We love her so much!
Pastor Chuck was walking across the field yesterday and was stopped by his sponsored child, who immediately wanted to know how Shelby is! He then proceeded to ask about each of his children, by name. At one point, he even said, "Now Kate, she is 9 now, right?" It was a really cool moment for me to get to witness. Just reinforces the personal connections that are happening from year to year.
We handed out digital cameras to some of the kids yesterday and hope to get them back today full of pictures. Charles says there is a 17% chance of this happening! Guess we'll see. We're handing out the 100 disposable cameras to the sponsored kids tomorrow and hopefully they will be returned on Sunday.
Again, everyone is doing well. Casey took a little tumble in the tub night before last and has a couple of bruises she is not afraid to show us!
We're off to Nakabango. Thanks again for all your prayers!!
Had a great meal under the stars at our hotel last night. The vegetable fried rice and spring rolls were abundant! I love having Chinese food in Uganda!
Most everyone is sleeping well. Personally I choose to lay awake from 2:00 to 5:00 every night, but that's not much different from home!
We love having Violet along with us. Violet really maintains some order with the kids for us. We love her so much!
Pastor Chuck was walking across the field yesterday and was stopped by his sponsored child, who immediately wanted to know how Shelby is! He then proceeded to ask about each of his children, by name. At one point, he even said, "Now Kate, she is 9 now, right?" It was a really cool moment for me to get to witness. Just reinforces the personal connections that are happening from year to year.
We handed out digital cameras to some of the kids yesterday and hope to get them back today full of pictures. Charles says there is a 17% chance of this happening! Guess we'll see. We're handing out the 100 disposable cameras to the sponsored kids tomorrow and hopefully they will be returned on Sunday.
Again, everyone is doing well. Casey took a little tumble in the tub night before last and has a couple of bruises she is not afraid to show us!
We're off to Nakabango. Thanks again for all your prayers!!
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