We're Home Safe and Sound!!

"Praise God." ... "Amen."  This is the greeting and the response whenever a Christian addresses a group in Uganda.  On behalf of Team Uganda...  "Praise God." 

We are home safe and sound from our incredible life changing mission. We praise our wonderful Lord for His faithfulness to answer the prayers of His children on our behalf. We thank you, our wonderful blog followers and prayer partners for praying. We saw God at work in us and through us and we feel so full of joy! 

As we arrived in the Houston airport this afternoon, Saturday, we were greeted by our families holding signs of welcome and cheering. What a blessing! They didn't seem to mind that we hadn't really showered since Thursday afternoon Houston time. The water was off in our hotel Thursday night and Friday morning when we were leaving. Did you know you can clean your whole body and wash your hair with  one small bottle of drinking water?

We stretch out to sleep now in our comfortable beds, after hot showers and lots of soap, mindful of the fact that many still sleep on mud floors tonight without food in their stomachs, a blanket to cover them or a mommy and daddy to tuck them in. We know we made a difference for many. We will continue to pray for the precious people of Uganda each night as we get into beds, drink pure water or stand for a long time in the shower. Our lives are forever changed and we are grateful for that.  

Thank you Lord for allowing us to live out the Scriptures in Isaiah 6:8, which says "Then I heard the voice of the Lord, saying, "Whom shall I send, and who will go for Us?" Then I said, " Here am I Lord, send me!"  

Amen. 

Please check back for additional photos from the team posted later.

 

*Intended to be read in a Steve Irwin Accent…

Deep in the African jungle, away from all civilization, our vans trekked through the thick foliage to Tororo, where wild baboons roam free. After an hour of bumpy roads and jolting whiplash, we were surprised to find the subjects of our adventure strutting along the side of the highway. Some people were aghast and nervous at the sheer size of the hairy beasts while others saw them as furry friends to be made. By the time the final team member emerged from the van, we found ourselves surrounded by curious and hungry creatures. Armed with bananas, we began to interact. At first we would throw the bananas about 20 feet to the 15 or so baboons in the area, but as time progressed they got braver and braver until they were eating right out of our hands. The one baboon that was banana shy and camera shy was the mama with her baby on her back. As we loaded up the vans and turned to wave goodbye, we were bid farewell with the flick of a tail and shiny pink bottoms fading in the distance.

On a more serious note, today was our last day at Lulwanda. Those of us who had previously endured this painful goodbye dreaded the inevitable sadness, while those who would experience it for the first time knew not what to expect. After a short playtime with the kids we had our final lunch at Lulwanda followed by the children’s goodbye presentation composed of beautiful songs and dances. When they had finished, we gave our own presentation to the kids and staff: our version of the Chris Tomlin song “Hello Love.” After distributing gift bags to the Lulwanda staff, we all watched a slide show composed of pictures of our activities at Lulwanda throughout the week. The kids thoroughly enjoyed seeing themselves projected onto the wall with magnified faces and amplified smiles. We then enjoyed a goodbye cake baked by the staff and soon after began to pass out backpacks filled with a prayer blanket and a toothbrush to each child. It was then time for us to leave. Full of emotion, we hugged the children and said our goodbyes. Goodbyes are never easy; however they are often a necessary part of maturity. One thing the people of Uganda reveal to a weary soul is that love is not easy, in fact it is often painful, but it is always worth the risk. God does not want us to hide away from love but rather to embrace it.




Thank you so much for praying for us and thinking of us as we have embarked on this incredible journey. We have continually felt the power of prayer in the midst of our work here and hope that those we have touched will continue to be blessed by the grace of God. Continue to pray for us as we depart for home. We thank you all from the bottom of our hearts.

Submitted by Sarah Hurst & Kelley Kerr

Another full and fulfilling day

The women’s hygiene team broke away from the group today to teach a hygiene conference at Namajae Church. This was deep in rural Uganda; we felt like we were reaching the outer most part of the world. Pastor Abraham is truly a man of God and it was apparent that the villagers love him and that he is greatly respected. When we first arrived, we were blessed with an indescribable time of worship. We all agreed we saw a small glimpse of heaven and what it will be like will all nations come together to worship him. The women seemed to love the lessons; they lingered on every word, asked questions, and even took notes. Afterwards, we were able to give them a small gift of soap, sugar and salt. These women were very joyful and gracious as they left with their gifts. Pastor Abraham shared with us that we were an answer to his prayers. He expressed that we could never understand what our teaching meant to these women and that our gifts were so needed. He was praying for people to come to lift the spirits of the village and bring gifts because there are no crops during this season. We truly serve a merciful and gracious God and we thank him for the blessing He gave us today.

While the hygiene lessons were taking place at Namajae, the rest of the group organized and produced another game day for the children at Covenant Primary School. The event operated similarly to the previous game day, with the exception that there were about twice as many kids. After we finished and left the equipment with the school, we returned to the vans to head to our next destination, but lo and behold one of the vans wasn’t there (side-note: “American time” here means on time, “Ugandan time” means whenever). Inevitably, a group of students began to gather around us expecting us to do something else with them. Morgan, being the selfless person he is, volunteered me (Smith) to sing some songs. We ended up singing our theme song “O-kwa-gala-kwe,” and we were able to explain His love to the students. An alternate van arrived, and we headed off to our next location: the Luwanda Children’s Home!

Today we concluded VBS - three days of Bible stories, worship, and crafts. In crafts, they made frames with mirrors in the center and decorated the frames with jewels. When they peeled the layer of film of the mirrors and saw their reflection, their eyes beamed with excitement. The children closed the day with a surprise performance filled with dancing, drama and of course reciting scripture. The kids were precious, especially the little ones who followed the older children with the exact same song. By the end we all realized how hard it is going to be to leave children after getting to spend so much time with them.

God is good, and thank you for your prayers.

This is Tonya, Smith, and Helen, signing out.

Clean Hands Clean Heart

“Our bodies are the temple of the Holy Spirit – keep it tidy, keep it clean, Our bodies are temple of the Holy Spirit”.
Today the team drove an hour to arrive at the village of Kahginima and visited a primary school named “Geritol”. We were welcomed warmly by the children and staff through the gift of song and dance. The children were divided into three groups according to age and were taught basic hygiene skills accordingly by Di, Cathy, Heidi, Connie, and Tonya. The gospel was also presented during these lessons. Following the lessons, each of the 350 children was given a backpack with a toothbrush, a bar of soap, and a pair of sandals. It was beautiful to see the gratitude through their warm and gracious attitudes. By the way, we gained even a greater appreciation for the porcelain throne and Charmin today.

We truly enjoyed the opportunity to see the beautiful Ugandan countryside on the drive back to Lulwanda. After a well-prepared lunch, we started the afternoon with a few songs of worship with the children. Then, the children were divided back into their groups and day 2 of VBS began. Today’s focus was “Worship Him”, and all three stations followed this theme. The Bible story was based on Matthew 4:18-22 where Peter walked on the water. In Smith, Heather, and Sarah Hurst’s station, the kids were taught some new worship songs as well as the game “4 Corners”. The craft today was called the “worship whirligig”. The older children constructed hanging mobiles while the “baby class” strung beads together to make worship bracelets. One of the biggest blessings God has given us on this trip is the unity that our team has; it was very apparent today as everyone worked together so well.

Following VBS, we were told that we had to entertain the children for an extra 45 minutes due to the fact that a staff meeting was being held inside the home. Props to Smith, Heather, and Sarah H. for once again coming up with exciting songs and other improvisations to pass the time. Thank you very much for your continued prayers. The team is on the mend and we look forward to the last few days of the trip and returning safely home.

Heidi, Di, and Nathan

Expect the Unexpected

We started our day loading slides, toys, baby blankets, and lots of love into our vans for the children of St. Kizito Baby’s Home. Our first stop was at a local market in Mbale where we purchased 200 kilos of food supplies for the children. This included flour, sugar, oil, salt, rice, and beans. Upon our arrival at the baby’s home, Sister Mary met us and gave us a brief history and tour of the house. Currently, there are 45 babies residing in the home from the ages of 1 day to 4 years old. We know the babies had not yet been tested for HIV; we were briefed on how to handle the babies safely. Each and every baby we met had an incredible impact on us. Today was the first time Nathan and Phillip had ever held a baby! After we had a chance to love on them, we surprised them with toys, rattles, mini-bikes, and three swings. It was a blessing to watch these children come alive when they saw their new toys being unwrapped. It was incredible to share in the lives of these babies even if it was just for a moment.

After arriving at Lulwanda, we were all physically and emotionally exhausted and it was exhilarating to have a lovely lunch waiting for us (guacamole was our favorite!). The children were so excited for their first day of Vacation Bible School. We started with worship led by Smith, Heather, and Sarah H. We broke into groups and the children were led to different stations to rotate through. The crafts station was led by Kelly E. and Maureen. The kids really enjoyed decorating and putting together their “name-a-rangs”. The music/games station was led by Smith, Heather, and Sarah H. We played follow the leader, musical bean bags, and were taught a new song. In the Bible stories station, led by Helen, Heidi, Phillip, and Nathan, the children heard the story of “Peter’s Invitation”. They were taught the importance of following Jesus by listening to a story and watching a skit. It was fun and relaxing for everyone. We were amazed to see how knowledgeable the children are with stories from the Bible. We know they even taught us a thing or two!

On a sad note, we ask for your prayers for Diana Solheim (from Katy), who has been the nurse at Lulwanda for the past 4 months. Today she received word that her brother passed away unexpectedly. She will be flying home tomorrow with another team who is leaving Uganda.

Connie, Cheryl, and Sarah M.

Church – Ugandan Style

Today we attended church at Bulolelo, located right behind Lulwanda Children’s Home. Morgan and Phillip joined Pastor David sitting at the front of the church while the rest of the group joined the village people and Lulwanda children on the wooden benches. The women had beautiful dresses on; it is typical for them to wear their best clothes to church every Sunday. The worship was very involved, both in Ugandan and in English. Singing, dancing, and clapping were a part of every song. We were blessed to be invited to sing our much-practiced song “Love” by Chris Tomlin in front of the whole church. After an hour of authentic, energetic worship, the children were released for Sunday school.

Sunday school was held outside under the blazing sun. Maureen planned and organized all of the fun activities that the children participated in. Sunday school involved telling a story while cutting pictures out of paper to illustrate it. The stories included “Creation”, “The Fall of Man”, and “Sampson and Jonah”. The other team members acted out the stories as they were being told. The children also got to “cut and tell” the stories themselves. The Sampson wig was a big hit! The children got to go “fishing”, catching paper fish and gum (aka “sweets”). The provision of the crafts and the time spent planning the activities were appreciated by the children and the staff; we could really see this by all the laughter and the joy in their smiling faces. They all had an attitude of gratitude, good manners, and joy!

Meanwhile, back in “big church”, Morgan and Phillip were each given the opportunity to share a message with the congregation. Phillip spoke first and shared Ecclesiastes 3; God makes everything beautiful in its own time. The congregation was very engaged, and some villagers even asked questions for Phillip to answer at the end of his sermon. The people were so hungry to understand the Word in an in-depth way. Morgan taught on Philippians, and he talked about the importance of having a steadfast life for Christ. They both did such an awesome job, and God clearly spoke through them.

After a powerful and exhausting four hour church service, we ate lunch at Lulwanda with the children and staff. It was so impressive to witness the manners of the children; all 90 of them waited to eat until everyone was served. They also ate in almost complete silence, a respectful tradition in their culture. The children are always grateful for whatever food they get even though the meals are very similar every day. After we finished eating, we loaded into the vans and headed back to Mt. Elgon Hotel for a few extra hours of rest before dinner.

Overall, it was a wonderful day and a unique experience in the Ugandan culture. It was neat to watch and engage in the worship service and to lead the Sunday school.

Maureen Hiller and Phillip Arneson, on behalf of the team

Game Day for 200 children

After an emotionally intense day yesterday at the Namatala village, today was filled with extravagant joy and laughter! After beginning the day with our usual worship and devotional time at the hotel, we loaded up the crates full of equipment on top of the vans, piled in and traveled the 30minute journey to Lulwanda. The trip is never boring as there are so many incredible sights to see along the way. So many people walking and riding bicycles and motorcycles carrying an amazing assortment of things with them. We’ve seen animals, furniture, food and other treasures all piled on their heads or tied on their vehicles.

We began the day at the Children’s Home worshiping the Lord with the children as their friends from the neighboring village slowly trickled in. Each Lulwanda child has been paired with a child from the surrounding village in a program called The Good Neighbor Program (TGN). This program was created in attempt to keep the LCH kids in touch with their local culture and avoid becoming a sub culture unto themselves. It also serves a means for outreach to bless the poor villagers with some of the blessing that God has poured out on Lulwanda.

While the TGN children ate their breakfast, Kelley Kerr improvised a rousing sing-along with the LCH kids, while some made last minute preparations for the events and activities of game day. Two hours of fun and excitement under Pic’s excellent leadership and the blazing Uganda sun with jump ropes, parachutes, catch the monkey’s tail, bean bag toss, and “flip your lid” made everyone very hungry for lunch! The staff had as much fun as the children did and joined in every activity. The laughter and giggles truly filled our hearts with joy.

Lunch was served to about 200 kids, 58 visitors (us plus a visiting team of 36 from Rocky Mt Bible Church in Colorado), and 30 staff members. After lunch, the children blessed us with a sampling of their singing, dancing, a skit, and scripture recitation. Many of us shed tears of joy and we know God was smiling at His precious children. The children at Lulwanda absolutely love to sing and make up dances; they could do it all day long. After the presentation was complete Kelley, Connie, Cheryl, Cathy and Heidi joined in with the children to continue dancing, and we have video to prove it! Gifts paid for by the generous support of many of you were distributed to the TGN children as they departed. Each child received a bag with 3 mosquito nets and a prayer blanket in a nylon drawstring backpack to take home.

By the end of the day, our team was exhausted, sunburned, and yet still full of joy. It was a blessing to see how God is working in the lives of these children. They are so full of love for Him. Some even broke into spontaneous prayers of thanksgiving when they were handed their gifts. Over 100 more mosquito nets were distributed to the children and the staff of Lulwanda before we departed to head back to the hotel.

We thank God for your prayers. The Lord has kept us safe and based on the debriefing sessions we hold each evening in our large group and small groups, He is revealing Himself to us in amazing ways. Some of our team members are a little sick with headaches and some intestinal problems. We ask that you pray for them to heal quickly and that the rest of us will remain healthy.

God bless you our wonderful prayer partners!!
Pic and Cathy
For the Team!