Not your typical thanksgiving

When I think of thanksgiving, I think of 3 things ...

1.  A big meal with family and friends to share what we are thankful for
2.  Cooler weather
3.  No work or school

Well Hawaii took care of number 2... but every other thanksgiving for as long as I remember... 1 and 3 have taken place... that is until today

. 

Thanksgiving in November is an American holiday... so in Uganda it is just a normal day to work.  Being the only American in the village, it is difficult to enjoy a holiday by yourself so I chose to work today.  

With the term and the school year ending tomorrow, there were lots of preparation for parent day/promotion tomorrow... cleaning... inventory... reports... etc.  Spent my morning cleaning both at home and in my office...washing stuffed animals from baby class... moving furniture.... taking down posters... etc.  This afternoon I have worked on the report forms for each student.  Before the sun went down played ball with some of the little brown eyed cuties in the front yard and then sat on the porch and colored until it was almost dark!  

With no oven and the lack of a good turkey... the meal is simplified to tuna patties, pasta, and steamed veggies!  Haven't decided what to make for dessert but it may be a rare treat of reeses peanut butter cups sent by a friend in a care package!  Blessed to have food on my table and friends and family around the world that stay in contact via facebook, skype, and phonecalls!

A year ago I flew in to New York on thanksgiving and got to see the Macy's parade and have a big thanksgiving meal with friends.  Within a few days we got to see the snow and cut down a real christmas tree. What a huge difference a year makes.

Thankful for all the experiences that God has allowed me to have.  Who knows what next thanksgiving will hold?!?!

Meet Richard...

Mutaawe Richard is one of our little brown eyed cuties that is up for being sponsored.  After struggling with some on going health issues like jiggers… wounds that won’t heal…rat bites… and ringworm the size of a baseball…  we decided to go on a second home visit.  We went 2 weeks ago in the midst of the jigger plague but soon learned that the original house was not where he was truly living.  He was staying there while his grandmother, who cares for him, was away. 

Richard is a 3 year old little boy in baby class at Integrity Primary School who walks about half a mile to school each day.  (The hill from his house to school… left Allen, Phiona, and myself out of breath on our way back!)  His mom and dad have abandoned him and he is being cared for by an elderly grandmother.  

She is in the process of “building” a house but due to family issues it has not been finished.  It is the beginning structure of a mud house with a thatch roof… from inside you can see through the walls that have yet to be mudded… it is just branches with grass woven in.  Through the roof you can see patches of blue sky… or today grey sky… as when we were visiting it was beginning to rain.  The grandmother wants to build a kitchen outside of their living space to keep the rats and other critters away but hasn’t been able to with the house not being finished.  

On the positive side… they do have beds that are off of the dirt floor with mattresses on top.  One concern expressed by the grandmother is that they need mosquito nets as their house has no doors or windows at this point.

Concerning the health issues… we were really concerned about the open wound on his foot from a bike pedal that just wasn’t healing.  Due to the grandmother not being around it was not being cleaned or wrapped at home except for when we took him from class to the clinic.  Kimberly gave him a pair of spider man slippers after cleaning his feet from jiggers.  (They were his first pair of shoes and he doesn’t  take them off except to sleep!)  So today I had our clinic staff check his foot and it did look clean and not quite as infected.  After talking with the grandmother… she is going to bring him to the clinic everyday to get it cleaned and medicine put on it until it heals.

  This is daily life in the village for many of these children.  Little Richard has captured my heart with his smile and sweet spirit.  I pray that we can get this little one sponsored and some assistance for his grandmother so he can truly be a happy little boy that is well taken care of  and treasured!

A weekend in pictures

These precious little hands are what holds the future of Uganda
and my heart!  They are so absolutely precious!

A little hesitant over the fried grasshoppers...
but they were quite delicious!

Had the opportunity to see how they are collected...
they take very bright lights at night and s
hine them up in the sky and then use metal sheeting
to funnel them in to a collection bin.
Only happens at this time of the year!

Sheba came in on Saturday night with a Jackfruit mustache... the sap from the jackfruit was all over her fur but under her nose she had collect dirt in it so it looked like she had a mustache!  Too cute!

Paulina and her baby doll picked out by Isla!  She was amazed that there are dolls that look like her!
All the dolls here are white so this is a priceless treasure for this little one!

One of my sunflowers that survived the jackfruit tree massacre!

This is what  I came home to on Saturday... all the jackfruit trees around the apartment had been "trimmed"...  the workers were told to not let the limbs fall on the house but they didn't mention to watch out for the sunflowers and the garden.  Some of the garden was salvageable... but the rest will have to be replanted! :(

Sheba trying to make friends with the little black kitty... 

black kitty wants my attention but not Sheba's!

Dirty Faith

In my spare time I have been reading a book entitled "Dirty Faith" by Audio Adrenaline that my aunt left.  It is all about being Jesus' hands and feet... not just living in our safe clean bubble.

One of the paragraphs that moved my heart this morning said...

"Being Jesus' hands on earth means we need to learn how to have some of Jesus'  heart on earth.  Are you moved with compassion for people in pain?  Does your heart hurt for the lonely and sick and abused?  If nothing ever moves us to feel with the people around us, we're not very likely to get involved in their lives."

Sometimes in the midst of full time  ministry, we get tired... we get weighed down by the on going need around us...  This got me thinking... if Jesus every got weary and needed a break... and I think that the answer is yes.  Did Jesus ever get so weighed down by the need that he saw all around him?  I think he may have because we read in scripture how he acted with kindness and compassion and stopped what he was doing in order to help those in need.

So with that said... why do I feel guilty when I get weary and need to rest?  Why does my heart ache to see all of the need around me?...  my final conclusion is that is how God made us so that we image him.  If I am to follow in his sandles then I need to get down and dirty.  I need to follow exactly where He leads and he will provide strength and rest when needed!

My challenge to you this morning is to step outside of your "Christian bubble" and serve those around you that are in need... it can be something as simple as a smile... a hug... a word of encouragement... a peanut butter sandwich... the possibilities are endless... just be his hands and feet to a world in need of HIM!

Wages

"FOR THE WAGES OF SIN IS DEATH"

This is a promise out of God's word but something that I got to witness last night.  With John and Kimberly leaving to go back stateside we spent the night at Sheron hotel in Kampala.  After a long taxing day, I went to bed  a little after 9 only to wake up an hour later to a blood curdling scream and lots of yelling.  From my 2nd story window, I watched a mob scene beat and stone a guy to death.

This morning we heard several stories from the workers at the hotel but the real story came from the security guards at the gate...  there has been a group of 6 guys in the area stealing phones, purses, laptops, etc.... the police basically said if they got caught  by the local people that they were to kill the one caught.  So a young lady had something taken from her... she screamed... then all the surrounding people chased the guy down. 

After watching all this go down I decided to go back to sleep only to have John text me from down the hall making sure I was ok and to see if Kimberly could come to my room to watch the action.  An hour later... almost midnight... the police finally showed up to take away the body and send everyone home.

Moral of the story... crime does not pay good wages!

Life in Nabisooto, UGANDA... part 2

This has been a long time in coming.... the list of FAVORITES

Favorite game for boys.... football (or american soccer)
Favorite game/activities for girls... netball, singing, dancing,

Favorite food for breakfast or snack... posho, kabagalagala (pancake)
Favorite food for supper... maize, rice, matoke, cassava, beans
Favorite food for holidays like Easter or Christmas... uncoco aka chicken
Favorite treat... biscuits (cookies) and juice
Favorite fruit... jackfruit, sweet banana, and mango

Favorite pets... animals in our village are for working ... we don't keep animals for pets

Some of our chores include... sweeping our compounds, taking care of our baby brothers and sisters, herding the cattle, feeding the chickens and pigs, helping collect and clean food for supper, fetching water from the bore hole,

Favorite subject in school... religious education, numeracy, language development

We like to spend time outside of school and chores with our friends.

Life in Nabisooto, UGANDA... part 2

This has been a long time in coming.... the list of FAVORITES

Favorite game for boys.... football (or american soccer)
Favorite game/activities for girls... netball, singing, dancing,

Favorite food for breakfast or snack... posho, kabagalagala (pancake)
Favorite food for supper... maize, rice, matoke, cassava, beans
Favorite food for holidays like Easter or Christmas... uncoco aka chicken
Favorite treat... biscuits (cookies) and juice
Favorite fruit... jackfruit, sweet banana, and mango

Favorite pets... animals in our village are for working ... we don't keep animals for pets

Some of our chores include... sweeping our compounds, taking care of our baby brothers and sisters, herding the cattle, feeding the chickens and pigs, helping collect and clean food for supper, fetching water from the bore hole,

Favorite subject in school... religious education, numeracy, language development

We like to spend time outside of school and chores with our friends.

Counting Blessings!

After having a rough couple of days with a heavy heart over the passing of Romeo (my cat on MKK), my aunt and uncle leaving, my little brown eyed cuties with chicken pox, and having some tummy issues... I have spent many hours in prayer desiring to question what God is doing but I just can't.   Everytime I start to even try to get upset with the God of the universe... tears well up in my eyes and my heart only gets heavier.  Who am I to wonder what He is doing... who am I to choose just the rose without the thorns... who am I to desire a perfect, pain free life when that is not how my Savior lived... so I am choosing to trust Him and be thankful.

Instead of writing the 30 days of thankfulness on facebook and getting discouraged because I missed a day, I am choosing to list what I am thankful for here. So with thanksgivng day just a few days away.... I am going to count the things the Lord has blessed me with!  Living internationally has definitely made me realize the little things that I take for granted on a daily basis.  So with all of this... my heart is ultimately thankful to God because every good and perfect gift is from Him!

1.  for biological family... for raising me in the ways of the Lord and for blessing me with more than I deserve and for loving me despite my imperfections
2.  for spiritual family... my brothers and sisters in Christ around the world that pray... encourage ... and love me!
3.  for God and his lovingkindness that gently brings me to repentance
4.  for provisions of everything that is needed
5.  For ice to make drinks COLD
6.  For padded seats with backs at church
7.  For hot running showers
8.  For air conditioned shops where it is not 90+ degrees within the store while trying to grocery shop
9.  For fast convenient food that doesn't take 2 hours to make or recieve
10. For fast internet service
11.  For well maintained roads
12.  For drivers that follow the rules of the road
13.  For prompt mail delivery
14.  For the US postal service... you don't know how good we have it in the US until you live in another country
15.  For friends that send care packages
16.  For iced coffee and just coffee in general
17.  For electricity
18.  For computers that work
19. For a sense of humor when you say or do something completely wrong in the culture you are living in.... for example... I was walking around campus on Monday whistling and teaching a few of the older children how when one of the Ugandan staff whispered ... that is not good in our culture... that is what is used to call Snakes!
20.  For little brown eyed cuties that are always happy to see me
21.  For partners in the ministry that come along side to help
22.  For 60 pairs of christmas shoes and 120 pairs of socks hand delivered by Godlive the manager of Bata shoes...who knew buying shoes could open the door to meeting a sister in Christ as well as her fiance who is going to use Nabisooto as a starting place for their sanitation and hygiene training for the entire community
23.  For a flushing toilet
24.  For pets that bring so much joy and laughter into our lives
25. For rainy season as everything is so green
26. For friends that choose to lose sleep so that we can talk on the phone
27. For airplanes that bring family and friends to visit
28. For entertainmet ... like movies and tv and game night
29. For the ocean and all of God's creation
30.  For worship songs in all languages that lift up His name
31.  For the amazing opportunity to serve... and be His hands and feet... it is tough and lonely at times but the smiles on my little brown eyed cuties makes it all worth it!

Oh... and for clean feet!

As I close out for the night.. my heart is at peace and I am ready for a good night of rest.  Counting blessings definitely puts everything into perspective!  May I challenge you to do the same this thanksgivng week.

It's beginning to feel a lot like Christmas....NOT!

After living in Hawaii for 12 years, I have come to terms with the fact that Christmas can be warm...  I have come to terms with being far away from biological family...  and I have come to terms with not always having the traditional foods I grew up with for thanksgiving and christmas....  With all that being said....living in Uganda puts an entirely new spin on things.  All of the above still apply here however there are very few Christmas decorations and the only ones in the village are in my apartment... there are no christmas lights... or baked treats... or things like egg nog or candy canes!

This morning I woke up to one of our workers playing Christmas music... and it kind of caught me off guard.. It got me thinking that thanksgiving is less than 2 weeks away and Christmas not far behind.  It really does not feel like the holiday season.  This holiday season will be very different as thanksgiving day is just another workday in Uganda (and the day before the end of our school year)....our holiday break is all of December and January... and I don't have other American's to celebrate with that are close by...unless someone wants to come for a vist!

John and Kimberly did get me a Christmas tree when we went to Kampala and I plan to make cinnamon ornaments.  Going very simple this year.  I would still like to hear from you via christmas cards and several of you have asked for a current needs list for myself and my little brown eyed cuties...

@travel size alarm clock that takes AA or AAA batteries
@boy's clothes ...shorts and shirts
@paper clips
@felt... different colors
@yarn for knitting
@scotch tape
@wall calendar
@sponsor for P1 field trip to Kampala
@sponsor for health/hygiene program...donations can be made through ITFM...SAME AS THE SHOE LINK JUST ADD WHAT THE MONEY IS FOR
@any other fun treats
@monetary donations can be sent to... my mom in NC or ITFM...please don't send cash or checks to Uganda... they won't make it to me!

Reminder low values on the custom slip as well as writing educational materials...take off all extra packaging and careful with things that may melt or spill!

Will update everyone after I go to the main post office to pay custom fees to pick up waiting boxes as to how much the cost is on my side.  However things like cards and pictures go through just fine with a single international stamp!

The address is

ITFM
c/o Angela Calhoun
PO Box 71748
Kampala, Uganda, AFRICA

LOOK FORWARD TO HEARING FROM EACH OF YOU SOON! 

Exam week

As I am sitting in proctoring the exams, I am watching the children process through numeracy problems...  one of the problems is a word problem that states... "A goat has 4 legs, how many legs do 5 goats have."

To solve this, the 14 year old child next to me draws 5 goats with 4 legs each and then counts all of them.  He came up with the correct answer... just very creatively.

While I am going from class to class, I am noticing some of the teachers forgot to take down their number posters.  Very quickly  the children realize this and I see eyes wandering.  Once I noticed this I started going around taking down posters.  Will also reminded the teachers to do this during staff meeting.

Events

I have been encouraged lately to make sure I am journaling through this process of living in a culture that is not my own... a language that is not my own... and a people group where I stick out like a sore thumb... (to the point where Hannington gave directions to find Nabisooto... drive to Busunju and ask the boda driver to take you to the village where the muzungu lives). 

I am not one to sugar coat what is going on... this journey is difficult... but it is also wonderful!  I have been in the village for two months with very few tears ... however the last week has been taxing emotional.  Coming to terms with I can't be savior of the village...  Jesus came to do that... but if I can give a hope and a future to one child... then I will do it.  My heart is so heavy with emotion as I want to share what all is going on but setting emotion aside at least temporarily,  I will go throught the event of the last two days... 

Monday...well I now have an official office that I spent Friday setting up... was in my office by a little after 7 to get the exams ready for the teachers to give... this week is set aside for exams to see what the children have learned this year... their school year goes February through the end of November... all the children  including the baby class (age 3 and 4) take pencil and paper exams...CRINGE...walked from class to class monitoring as the teachers gave the exams and to make sure that all the posters from that days exam were down or covered...  after exams the children all went out to help out on the property...the girls swept the dirt while the older boys slashed the grass behind the school with their pangas or machetes.... the children were sent home at 1 so the teachers had time to grade exams... one by one the teachers brought their graded exams up and itgave me a chance to chat with them... after 2 months they are starting to open up a bit... offer suggestions... and ask questions (which thrills me to no end)...  met with all the teachers on classroom discipline, making exam times as stress free for everyone (these teachers have the cultural fear that if their children do poorly that they will get beaten by the administrator).  They are begiinning to realize that I don't rule with a big stick but lead with willing hands.  As I flipped through the exams, I realized how biased the grading is and how not develpmentally appropriate these are for our little ones!  Stepping down off my soda box!

Tuesday... had to go to Kampala to get some supplies and check on what is needed for my visa...went to immigration and got the run around...every person I spoke with gave me a different response ....so I am going to Kenya over Christmas break to visit a friend...when I come back into the country I will pray they will give another 90 days...if not then I have 1 week to get my visa extended.  God has a plan and at this point I am not sure what it is but I will trust him.  By the the time John, Hannington and I had gotten back Kimberly had had a rough day with noticing that a couple of our children had jiggers.  This prompted her to be in action mode to figure out how to get shoes on their feet now.  With jiggers they come from the dirt ... they are little bugs that bore into the skin and suck blood... the females lay their eggs in the skin and then you have an infestation.  Not only do they need shoes and socks, they need to wash their feet, spray jigger killer all over there property and then using a needle and peroxide dig the jiggers out of the skin...like getting a deep splinter out.  Not a fun process.

Wednesday.... got up to the school and arranged to have the lady from Bata come to campus tomorrow to measure feet.  Proctored exams.  The teachers gave me a list of those children with jiggers so we took them to the clinic to start cleaning and to go on home visits.  Will blog more on this later.  Spent time sorting the graded exams and asking a lot of questions about how children eith special learning needs are handled.  Lots to be done.  Will add more info layer.

Common sights in town

Every trip to Kampala brings a new sign or experience that growing up in the US would not afford.  Today we are driving in downtown Kampala and as usual while waiting at the intersections we are approached by street beggars.  Our windows are tinted so it makes it hard to see in but once they see the buzungus (more than one muzungu) they start trying to sell their goods or gain sympathy for a few shillings.  We have witnessed young mothers with babies pinching them so that they are crying to raise the sympathy factor. 

Today a young lady with a beautiful baby girl on her hip approached Hannington's window and starts with the cordial greeting.  After a couple of minutes of ignoring her... I tell Hannington I will take the baby... Hannington proceeds to roll down the window a little and tell the lady we will take the baby... just put it in the boot.  The young woman looks at him confused so he says... you are out on the street begging... you don't provide for the child.  Why are you producing? 

This is not the first time Hannington has done this but it still catches me off guard and I find it funny as he calls it like it is.  The last time it was a boy out selling wears in the middle of the day... Hannington told him why wasn't he in school?  There are schools he could be in but he refuses and runs away because he doesn't like the rules.  The boy was probably glad to see us move on.

It is moments like this that I am glad I am in the village and get to work face to face with these children.

"Mamma said there'd be days like this"

Today was just one of those days where knowing about certain situations within the village just makes your heart ache.  Children covered with scabies...numerous children and workers with malaria...older kids that go to other schools wandering around because their parents won't/can't pay school fees...children as young as 4 years old being left at home by themselves while the mom leaves for several days at a  time...

Here I had been upset at one of the staff because he had not been doing what I was told was his responsibility.   As I searched out the situation I found out that he was not being given the information needed in order to do what was expected.  So spent some time giving individuals specific directions instead of general instructions where no one picks up the responsibility

A day that was supposed to be fun and enjoyable was taken too seriously and the children were upset and angry as a result of the teachers stress.  Culturally corporal punishment is a way of f dealing with all kinds of issues including not writing neatly ... so after witnessing several instances today of harsh reactions to minor infractions... I know what we are going to be discussing at Monday's staff meeting and what will be written in the policies.

The situation also came up of one of the teachers pretending not to understand me and not working with me or the rest of the teachers in providing a quality education for these children.

To top it off Sheba killed mouse number 2 this morning while I was up at the school.  By the looks of it the mouse had gotten into the poison we put down in the shop so when Sheba got the mouse she got really sick and just cried with her tummy all puffed up... she ended up vomiting all of her stomach contents under my uncle's bed which thankfully is just concrete floor and easily cleaned up.  At one point I found Sheba in the clinic on one of the exam tables seeking treatment.  Thankfully after all that she is back to her playful self.

And that was just Monday...  this week has been a difficult week filled with situations that can only be defined as spiritual attack.  I know I am supposed to just let things go but after being bombarded in battle for 7 days my heart is heavy and I am physically tired.

Here are the things you can be praying for...
@Christmas shoes... after days of trying to get the word out and computer issues and internet issues...finally got posted and have 10 pairs of shoes sponsored ... great start but still alongway to go especially within the next two weeks!
@computer... seems like each computer on campus is having issues.  Mine has been on the  verge of a crash for the past month... finally crashed this week... my uncle put in a new hard drive and started loading programs back on it and it crashed again.  Time for a new computer and really have no way to get one at the moment.
@Strength to do what God has called me to do for today and peace to wait on his timing for the future
@Wisdom to know how best to help this community... there is so much need that one person can't alone do it and there are cultural issues that break my heart that I alone cannot solve.
@Health and God's protection from things like scabies and ringworm. 

Thank you for your prayers and the words of encouragement.  I have really enjoyed the snail mail letters! (Hint, hint) 

"Mamma said there'd be days like this"

Today was just one of those days where knowing about certain situations within the village just makes your heart ache.  Children covered with scabies...numerous children and workers with malaria...older kids that go to other schools wandering around because their parents won't/can't pay school fees...children as young as 4 years old being left at home by themselves while the mom leaves for several days at a  time...

Here I had been upset at one of the staff because he had not been doing what I was told was his responsibility.   As I searched out the situation I found out that he was not being given the information needed in order to do what was expected.  So spent some time giving individuals specific directions instead of general instructions where no one picks up the responsibility

A day that was supposed to be fun and enjoyable was taken too seriously and the children were upset and angry as a result of the teachers stress.  Culturally corporal punishment is a way of f dealing with all kinds of issues including not writing neatly ... so after witnessing several instances today of harsh reactions to minor infractions... I know what we are going to be discussing at Monday's staff meeting and what will be written in the policies.

The situation also came up of one of the teachers pretending not to understand me and not working with me or the rest of the teachers in providing a quality education for these children.

To top it off Sheba killed mouse number 2 this morning while I was up at the school.  By the looks of it the mouse had gotten into the poison we put down in the shop so when Sheba got the mouse she got really sick and just cried with her tummy all puffed up... she ended up vomiting all of her stomach contents under my uncle's bed which thankfully is just concrete floor and easily cleaned up.  At one point I found Sheba in the clinic on one of the exam tables seeking treatment.  Thankfully after all that she is back to her playful self.

And that was just Monday...  this week has been a difficult week filled with situations that can only be defined as spiritual attack.  I know I am supposed to just let things go but after being bombarded in battle for 7 days my heart is heavy and I am physically tired.

Here are the things you can be praying for...
@Christmas shoes... after days of trying to get the word out and computer issues and internet issues...finally got posted and have 10 pairs of shoes sponsored ... great start but still alongway to go especially within the next two weeks!
@computer... seems like each computer on campus is having issues.  Mine has been on the  verge of a crash for the past month... finally crashed this week... my uncle put in a new hard drive and started loading programs back on it and it crashed again.  Time for a new computer and really have no way to get one at the moment.
@Strength to do what God has called me to do for today and peace to wait on his timing for the future
@Wisdom to know how best to help this community... there is so much need that one person can't alone do it and there are cultural issues that break my heart that I alone cannot solve.
@Health and God's protection from things like scabies and ringworm. 

Thank you for your prayers and the words of encouragement.  I have really enjoyed the snail mail letters! (Hint, hint) 

All I want for Christmas is shoes and socks....

Every year near christmas when I hear the song "Christmas shoes" by NewSong my eyes mist with tears at the simple gift that a pair of shoes can make.  Living in the village of Uganda, a simple pair of shoes can be a life saving gift.
 

What is on the christmas list for the children in your life?  Toys? A new game system? What if your child just wanted a pair of shoes and socks so they don't have to travel the rocky, mud covered roads in their bare feet to get to school?  Or bust open their toes while playing futbol?
 

I currently have 60 little brown eyed cuties with this one simple request... a pair of shoes and socks for christmas.  But for one of these children to ask their parents for a good pair of shoes that won't fall apart after the first time of being worn, it is more than many of these parents make in a month.  It would mean a sacrifice of food and all the basic needs for the entire family.
 

Hannington and I have worked out a deal with Bata shoes in Kampala to come to the village (2 hours away), measure these little feet, and bring shoes and socks the next day.  This is not only assisting the families and children in the village but also the local businesses.  These shoes are high quality and will be a treasured gift to the children.
 

As much as we would like to do this, we can't do it on our own... we need your help... will you help us put shoes and socks on these little feet?  Will you provide Christmas shoes?
 

$25 will provide one child with shoes and socks
$100 will provide for 4  children
$1500 will provide for all 60 children
$3000 will provide for  all our current children plus the ones starting in February as our enrollment for the new school year will double to 120 children
 

A friend recently sent me a message wishing she could teach her children to be grateful for the simple things of life like the children I was blogging about.  Most American chIldren could care less about clothes or shoes but those are the greatest desires  for these children.  Christmas time is a great time to teach others about giving rather than receiving.   Let this Christmas be a time when the children in your life reach out to a child in need to provide Christmas shoes!
 

One last story that made needing shoes evident in my mind... the P1 class was learning about the local Uganda currency... their highest note is 50, 000 UGX or about $20 US.  One of the older boys was looking at the actual paper note and I asked what he would do with that if it were his... he thought for a moment...then his eyes lit up and he said... I would buy new shoes!
 

Please partner with us by making an online donation at..https://app.etapestry.com/onlineforms/InTheFieldMinistriesITFM/donate2.html ... put in the comment line "Christmas Shoes".  The goal is to have someone from Bata come to campus on November 26th to measure feet and give the shoes out before the school year ends on November 29th.  We can only do this if these little feet are sponsored for Christmas shoes!

Mpola Mpola

In Luganda this means "slowly, slowly"... which is a perfect description of our day as well as life in Uganda.  Life on Molokai prepared me somewhat for this ... but this is moving it to the next level.  Take today for example... had to run some errands today and get some supplies from Kampala... here was our time table....

6am ... take the cat out... make coffee and breakfast... get ready... load the car... and wait for Jospehine to come to work to drop Sheba off with....  Hannington visits with Mulongo and the crew to see how the countertops are coming along... John walks up to the top of the property to inspect where they are starting a house
8am... leave the house and drive almost an hour and a half to get a generator... once there they had to pick out a decently made generator... test it out... find the right oil and prime the fuel... dikker on the price... and then wrap it in a box and load it into the truck. (Morning coffee set in and I need to go to the potty but only urinals were found)
10:45... head to the bank to pull out money for the supplies we had to buy... Hannington and Kimberly went in while John and I sat in the truck... there were only 2 people in front of them in line but it took almost 40 minutes (and I really needed to find a potty but the outside toilets were in process of being cleaned) 
11:30... leaving bank headed to XingXing furniture store...get stuck in traffic behind the presidents motorcade... finally get to the store...we are dropped off to find furniture for the administrator office while Hannington gets a boda to find some hardware...cooking pots for the new school kitchen... and hire a big flat bed truck to take back desks and chairs for the new classrooms, furniture for my office and other big furniture... waited for them to find cardboard to wrap the furniture ( and I finally found an inside potty to use and even though it was a squatty potty I could wait no longer)
1pm... go by with the flat bed truck to pick up three sets of welded bunkbeds for our workers who are currently sleeping on the floor of the shop and then head to Oasis mall where there was very little security compared to the past few visits... Hannington dropped us and the car off... hires a boda to go to three locations looking for furniture and supplies while we had lunch ... walked over to Garden city,.. found ink cartridges for the printer...office supplies...airtime for phones ... looked at appliances for the new house the walked back over to Oasis to grocery shop at Nakumatt...find Hannington... met with the manager of Bata shoes for Christmas shoes for the little ones ... had ice cream... and went back to Nakumatt to pick up cold items
5:45pm...  by this time traffic is getting really bad...took us almost two hours to get Kgas for the cook stove... then run by Tuskers to pick up dinner... and head home...
10:30pm... arrive back to Nabisooto

We had no idea that it would take us this long but thankful we are  home safe and sound.

Family dynamics.... following Rosemary

Since Kimberly has been here I have had a walking buddy to cruise around the village. So we have been walking daily visiting with families in the village. Friday night we walked over to Rosemary's house... the 9 year old that we took to Kampala.
Rosemary lives in a mud hut with her mother, grandmother and two younger sisters... Paulina (4 to 5 years of age) and Teopista (almost 2).

(Ages are really difficult here as birthdates are not recorded and due to malnutrition children are much smaller than their American counterparts. Many time when we ask how old a child is there is much confusion and they ultimately guess.)







The mother has epilepsy and has difficulty taking care of her girls. Just recently she had an episode and fell into the cooking fire burning her hand quite badly. She has been receiving medical treatment at the clinic and the hand is healing but still she is in pain and it looks really bad.





Rosemary (P1) and Paulina (baby class) attend Integrity Primary School which ultimately gives them hope for a brighter future. The goal is to break the cycle of poverty that these children currently live in. The only way of doing this is to provide a good education and the love of Jesus! Because the school is close to where they live, in the case of an episode with their mother they are close enough to run home.
As we walked up to the house the older two girls were out preparing the beans for their supper so I sat down and helped them. The mother and grandmother are very grateful for taking Rosemary to Kampala and continually bow and thank us. While I was helping the girls, the grandmother brought up stools for Hannington and Kimberly to sit on as customary for their culture. Kimberly took pictures of the “new” chicken coop as well as Teopista (the baby).



The mother didn't believe that the camera actually captured the image so we took several pictures of her to show her that they were different. Her expression is priceless.

 

Today the girls were at church without their mom or grandma... all dressed up in the best clothes they have. Many of these children have 1 “nice” church outfit that gets worn until it is thread bare. Even when the zipper won't go up or buttons won't button... they still wear it unzipped or unbuttoned. Clothes are expensive and hard to come by!

These children are so very precious and not like some of the children that greet us with “give me ____” . They have very humble hearts and quiet spirits. I pray that they will continue to grow to follow Him in all they do and that they will follow wherever He leads!

The "new" chicken coop.  Rosemary's house looks about the same ... it is just on the ground!

The inside of the chicken coop

Picture from Saturday's home visit to Mamma Jordan's house.

This little lady captured my heart!  So precious!

Arms filled... Heart blessed!

“Whoever welcomes this little child in my name welcomes me; and whoever welcomes me welcomes the one who sent me. For he who is least among you all- he is the greatest.” Luke 9:48

After being in the village for almost two months, I have realized that part of me being here is to assist the school but the majority is to be His hands and feet to the people here.

Children were precious to Jesus during His earthly ministry. Numerous times he referred to how children were to be treated.
 

Jesus said, “Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these.” - Matthew 19:14

Children in Uganda are born to work. The mindset in the village is the more children you have the more hands you have to dig dirt and work around the house. Very little time is given to spending time with the children. There are even parents that refuse to send their children to school because it takes away the work that is done around the house.

This is very different from my view of children and what God's word says about these precious little ones. In my mind, to be His hands and feet, is to hold, comfort, and love on these little ones. I can't seem to go any where in the village without having at least one little hand to hold. Church on Sunday, normally finds my lap and arms filled with little ones... and normally by the end of the three hour service, several of the little ones have had a good rest.

Jesus made time for the children... he wasn't afraid to touch them and bless them... he also offered pretty severe consequences for those that caused these little ones to stumble.

“And if anyone causes one of these little ones who believe in me to sin, it would be better for him to be thrown into the sea with a large millstone tied around his neck.”- Mark 9:42

Out for a morning walk

Kimberly and I headed out after breakfast this morning to find one of the girls that Kimberly had not seen in the week she had been here. 



Mamma Kimberly holding baby Mary... Jordan's youngest sister!  Such a cutie!

As we walked... we stopped at different houses and visited with the families... after each stop, we gained a few more children in our entourage so that by the time we headed back we had 10+ children to return to their houses! 


Jordan and Harriet playing with Mamma Kimberly's umbrella.  These two joined us for most of the walk.

I guess I have made a name for myself in the village because everywhere we walked... people would come to their door saying "Angela"... and the children would come running to hold my hand.  A couple of times it became an all out slapping war as to who would hold my hand and who just hung on by a finger!





This little one... was timid of the "muzungus"
when we walked up but within moments
she was in my arms and wanted to follow when we were leaving!

Waving good bye!

A typical mud house in the village.

Life in Nabisooto, UGANDA... PART 1

In response to the "adopt a classroom" post a week or so ago, I have had a couple of groups of American school children interested in learning more about life in the village.  So I am going to post a series of life in the village.  These will be from the perspective of the children here.  Part 1 will be basic information and then in the future will shadow certain children.

 

If you are reading this info for the first time and desire to help... here are some ways you too can help...

@sponsor a child through icn.net and search for Uganda... or message me and I will hand pick a child for you!  It is less than 40 $ a month to provide schooling, meals, healthcare, and supplies for a child.... less than one cup of coffee per day!

@invest in a project...currently we are building a kitchen to serve meals out of but there is always a project to be done... donations can be made through In the Field ministries and they are tax deductible (inthefieldministries.org).  Will be posting a list of projects soon.

@adopt a classroom... I posted a list that was needed of supplies and such.  Have heard that sending the packages from the US is quite costly so a couple of cost saving ideas...remove the extra packaging and pack things in ziplocs...send them through USPS as cheap as possible as there is no reason to expedite...send them down with someone coming to visit or for some things sending money through ITFM and we can get certain things in country.

@we are looking for willing hands and hearts to come down on short term mission projects... would love to have doctors and dentists to provide medical care... teachers to help the local teachers wiith ideas... builders or carpenters...musicians...pastors...and the list could go on and on...  if you have a willing heart the Lord can use you!

 

Now onto the regularly scheduled post... Life in the Village part one...

 

Uganda is a land locked country on the continent of Africa. 
It is right on the equator and has 2 seasons... wet and dry.  Wet season runs from August to November.  Temperatures range in the 70's to 80's year round.  If it gets below 72, you will find us in heavy coats or sweaters and boots because we think it is COLD.

The view of the village from the school veranda.  The poles will be the walls of the new kitchen.

Our village of Nabisooto is up above a swamp. We have lots of mosquitos especially during rainy season.  Due to all these mosquitos we are told to sleep inside nets at night. If we don't, we end up very sick with malaria.  Our houses are built out of mud bricks and dirt floors. 

Mamma Vencencia's current "kitchen" making school lunches

Our school is Integrity Primary School and it currently has four classes ... baby (ages 3~4), middle (5-6) and top class (6-7) and P1. Our school day as a Top class and P1 student goes from 7am to 4pm... the younger siblings in baby and middle class go home at 1pm.  At school we learn how to write and spell...we learn our numbers and how to count... we also learn basic hygiene skills to keep ourselves clean like washing our hands with soap and brushing our teeth.  Lunch is from 1 to 2 pm and we eat porridge.   Mamma Vencencia is our school cook and her kitchen is a campfire under a lean to to keep the rain off.  A new kitchen to serve more children is currently being built.

Numbers in Luganda

 

 

 

The language we speak is known as Luganda but we learn English at school.  After school we do chores... some of our chores include getting water from the bore hole in the middle of the village... digging dirt for planting food... sweeping the dirt inside of the house and the compound around the house... washing our clothes in a tub... and moving the goats and cows to a new location for them to eat.

Playing futbol at recess

 

 

 

 

 

When we are not in school or doing chores we like to play futbol (American soccer) for the boys or net ball for the girls...or play with our friends.  We walk everywhere we go as very few people have a vehicle in the village so riding in a car is a real treat! Most of us have grown up here and never been outside of Busunju.



Eating lunch at school... porridge and cassava



Working on building the new kitchen

This is our hand washing station... we just learned how to use soap and clean the dirt from under our nails



We write our daily assignments from the board into our notebooks.  Today we are learning about healthy foods to eat.

We are waiting on the porch outside of the clinic to brush our teeth. 

We love to brush our teeth!! 



In part two we will look at some of our favorites!