Today a miracle happened. I got into the shower and turned on the water. More than a droplet came out and it was hot. I stood under the water for a long time and it never turned cold and it never shut off. Oh, wait, I'm back in America! And last night I ate dinner and when it came and had meat on the plate I recognized it as meat. It had no fat on it and it looked really edible. Oh wait, I am back in America! And then when it came time for bed last night there was no mosquito net I had to crawl through and this really nice looking guy was sleeping next to me. Wow, it is good to be home!!! Not to mention that I was greeted at the entrance of my home by my dog who just couldn't get enough licking of my face. The irony is as I passed through customs is Washington, DC the woman at the desk asked me if I was carrying any food products with me in my suitcase. I had to suppress a grin as I thought to myself "is that what we were eating for the past month". I assured her that all food products had been left behind. I think the fact that my pants were barely hanging on she believed me and passed me right through! I have such a better understanding of Dorothy in the Wizard of Oz, there truly is "No place like Home!"
So let me back up to the last day of our safari. Our toilet did finally get fixed so we no longer had to wade through water filled with dead ants to get to the potty. It was the most disgusting experience ever! Almost made going outside to squat seem like a great alternative except for the off chance of being dinner for some wild animal. But it did make you think twice before drinking any liquids! We did have the amazing experience of seeing an African lioness up close and personal. She walked within 10-15 feet of our vehicle just strutting through the plains. She was so majestic and so graceful. I got some incredible shots of her and couldn't believe she was so close. All our windows were down and we just watched her sash-shay by. You'll be glad to know I did not get out of the car and try to pet her. We also saw more herds of elephants and they are so regal and beautiful. The herds we saw all had little baby elephants and those little guys are just precious. Again we were able to get really close and it was amazing. Then just driving down the highway and looking left and right and seeing herds of various animals along the road was great. I knew I wasn't in Kansas anymore!
We then headed up the mountain to get a view of the volcanic craters. The view from the top was beautiful and again in the craters we could see herds of elephants. The path we took was definitely not something I would call a road. It was a red dirt lane with only ruts where previous cars had travelled. The grass in the middle of the ruts was long and there was no telling what was beneath it. We did manage to hit a few rather large rocks as we went by. Meanwhile our guide in the back seat is telling us that leopards may be in this area as well as pythons and both can “spring” rather quickly and so we should be prepared to roll up our windows quickly. With that I put on my seatbelt because any jaguar that comes for me is going to have to pull me out of my protective gear first! Besides it isn’t the leopard that scares me. But the python, now that is very different. For starters the “road” is so narrow that some of the branches of the trees are hitting me in the face as we drive by. And all I can envision is a python joining the van for the rest of the tour. My nerves are now a little frayed. I’m feeling a little like I’m in a horror movie and I am going to be the next victim. The relaxing end to our month in Iganga is taking on a whole different look. But I’m telling you, for someone who’s eyesight is less than perfect, I gained eagle eyes in an instant. I was scanning everywhere. I couldn’t decide at that point whether ignorance would be bliss or not, but I guess I wasn’t willing to take any chances. The good news is that we finally hit treeless lanes without seeing a single jaguar or snake! At the mention of the word Jaguar the back van window slammed shut. Scovia was taking no chances! It did provide a moment of comic relief!
That night we had a quick final meal (I didn’t realize at the time how final) and then went back to the room to get packed up and off to bed for we had an early start in the morning. We left Tuesday morning at 7a.m. for the twelve-hour drive to the airport in Entebbe. In addition to us, we added one more passenger… our guide, Maureen. She needed a trip to Kampala and somehow someone in our group had agreed to be her transportation. So we added not only her but her luggage and her new, boxed 21” T.V. which sat on her lap and Jack’s for the entire journey. Because we had to be there in time to catch our flight we actually took “good” roads most of the trip, though good roads turned into bad in a heartbeat! Seriously, we could be driving along at 80 kilometers and the next minute the road had switched from paved to red dirt and rutted. And not just rutted but deeply rutted. We did stop in one small village to buy matooke (green bananas). I thought this process would take just a few minutes. I couldn’t have been more wrong! Four or five huge stalks were bought and the matooke was broken off the stalks one by one and placed in huge bags. I think we sat in the market for a good hour waiting for the transaction to be completed! Then of course, there were several potty stops along the way, which is always an interesting adventure. I never know what I will find but I do know it will always make for a good story. This time it was a squatty potty with a little (maybe 4x7”) rectangular hole in the ground. Having already skipped breakfast, I decided I would not be drinking any more liquids along the way! As we drove down the road we were eight people, one baby, lots of luggage, three, three-foot high bags of matooke, a car seat, and a TV all in one van. And according to Uganda standards we still had room for a few more!
We got to the airport, said our goodbyes and went through our first security check. There were four in all before we finally boarded the plane! We went and sat in the lounge for a few hours until it was time to go to the gate. At this point it was just good to get out of the car and have a chance to stretch our legs. Along the way on the drive I had twelve hours to reflect on the past month and what it had all meant. I’m not sure that I have yet fully digested it all but I’d like to try to give you all some perspective of what this trip was about. When I planned the trip I had high hopes and dreams of what Liz and I could accomplish. We were both very excited to go and thought that a month would be the right amount of time. Last year when we went we stayed for two weeks and both came back feeling that was much too short a time frame. In a month we would have a better opportunity to get to know the children and to really get a feel for the country in which they live. I also thought the time would fly by like last year and we would be back in the blink of an eye! I had an agenda I hoped to accomplish. I had done the legwork and God seemed to be with me every step of the way. I saw miracles in how things happened and I was blessed with the support I got from people, including those I had never met before and may never meet. God provided in ways I never thought possible! And so I thought I was ready and I thought the trip would be an easy one. I had but two goals when I left; to buy shoes for each of our children and to update their records for our sponsors. In a month I thought this would be a breeze and the rest of the time I would be available to play and interact with the kids and help Liz to accomplish her goals. Enough money had been raised not only to buy the shoes but also to purchase all the things Phil had requested for the kids such as medical supplies, school supplies, Bibles, etc. It was time to go and I was ready!
But in reality the trip was not easy. It was probably the hardest thing I have ever done in my life. My emotions were on a constant roller coaster and I experienced the whole gambit of them. I experienced pure joy and love, but I also experienced frustration, anger, sadness, and disbelief. The country is so impoverished – I have never seen anything like it. Everywhere you turn it is all you see. The tattered clothing, the extended bellies, the mud houses, the barefoot children… it leaves an impression that will stay with me forever! And then you see their faces. As we walked down the red dirt lane every day every one of the kids yelled “Mzungu” and smiled and waved at us. They gathered around us and grabbed for our hands and walked us down the road. They have so little and yet have so much joy! The community knows each other because they all stay outside during the day. They are like one big family. And yet, children hold very little value. If father’s die, and the mother remarries the children are often discarded like trash. If mother’s die, the father’s often leave their children. As we took our kid’s history I was shocked at how many had been thrown away in just this way. Thrown out on the street to dig through trash for their own survival! I was also saddened to see how many of our children had lost parents to AIDS, TB, Malaria and other illnesses that for the most part in our country are unheard of. Then there was joy in the way the kids look out and protect each other. In all the time we were there I never saw a single argument or fight. I did see them taking great care of each other. They live 6-8 to a room and eat posho (cornmeal mixed with water) and beans every day for lunch and dinner except on Sunday’s when they get meat. They are each expected to do their do their own laundry (regardless of age), which they do in a small bucket and hang on the line to dry. School starts early 7am and the older kids don’t get home until after four in the afternoon. And the classes can be as large as 160 students to a class. Having been in those classrooms to attend church they are not that big. So that implies to me that the students are crammed in the benches thus making taking notes a very difficult proposition. And then to study is always a challenge because there is no electricity in the kid’s home. I took solar panels for the girl’s section (the boys already have it) but as of the time we left it had not yet been set up. And yet, the conditions we have given them to live are so much better than what they have ever had they are grateful. When you look at the pictures of the kids now versus when they first came to live with us the change is amazing. They now look healthy versus sick and they have a look of pure contentment in their eyes. They have a family, some for the first time ever!
So in looking back, this has been one of the hardest times of my life. I can’t, and really don’t want to, go into all the things that made this trip difficult, but it was a struggle in many ways from start to finish. I know that God had a plan for me and I am still trying to see fully what that has been. I feel like many a day I was swimming upstream against the current. What I have learned is that the trip was not all about the kids. In many ways it was about me. I learned on this trip to rely on God in ways I never had before. He was, for the most part, the only one I had to talk with. And talk I did. I was in constant communication with our Lord. My relationship with the Lord grew in leaps and bounds. I learned to trust and rely on Him fully in all situations. I learned just how much I need him in my life and how thankful I am that he was there to listen, to comfort, to hold and to help me through the difficult times.
I also realized that there were 142 children and only Liz and I. Even after a month’s time it was impossible for us to know them all. I can honestly say that there was only a handful that I really came to know well. And I know that was true for Liz as well. Fortunately, we came to know different children. That is not to say we did not love on and hug on many more than that, but to honestly feel that we knew them is limited to a few. Many more touched our hearts but how many we truly made a difference in is hard to measure. In that regard a month is not a very long time. But in other ways a month at times seemed like forever. I will say that Liz is mature beyond her years and handled all the stress and anxiety in a very positive manner. I have finished with their histories so I know about them, but that is far different from knowing them. Some of the kids remained unapproachable even after all this time. They seemed to appear only when it was required. Others were desperate for the attention and clung to us from the moment we entered the gate. Even some of the older boys made sure we knew they were there by teasing us and coming up for hugs. But the ones that were distant were distant and there was little we could do to change that.
The kids that I did get to know are amazing children. They are so compassionate and loving. I worry about them and their future. What will become of them down the road? I will continue to pray for them and will continue to communicate with them, as I want them to know they are thought about and loved. I want them to know that they are not just a passing thought but that they really touched my heart and I really do care for them. We have some amazing children in our orphanage with incredible hearts and minds. It was so easy to love on them and walking away that last day was difficult. They are a precious group of children!
In closing, I want to thank all of our sponsors for your part in helping our kids. They all asked about you and would love for each and every one of you to come to Iganga and meet them and see where they live. They truly are grateful for everything you do to help them and realize they would not be where they are without you. They appreciate your prayers and your love and the fact that you care about them half way around the world. Do not for one minute ever believe they do not appreciate what you do! They do!!!
I’d like to say goodnight to my new friends; Rehema, Angela, Sylivia, John Bosco, Emma, Abraham, Jenifer, Caroline, Samuel, Paul, and little Adrian! May God watch over you all and know you are loved!
Friday, November 11, 2011
Monday, November 7, 2011
Lucy and Ethel take to the African Wild
Today is Monday our final day in Ugangda and the weather is perfect. However, I woke up in the middle of the night thinking it was pouring rain outside only to realize that we had a major water leak in our hallway and so it was really raining inside! So I quickly packed up my suitcase and Little Lizzy's and put them on the end's of our beds so that if it started flowing toward our room they wouldn't get soaked. I unplugged the power strip and everything attached to it and put that up as well. I did all this with Liz sleeping soundly. The last thing I had to do was zip my suitcase so everything wouldn’t fall out. With that Liz woke up and wanted to know why her suitcase and everything else was on the end of her bed. After explaining the situation she was back asleep in no time. But we are in the wilderness so a little excitement was OK!
Saturday when we got here we went on a boat safari. We got the boat early and the captain told us to sit on the left side. So we did and waited in the hot sun for about 45 minutes before take off. But it was well worth it cause that was the side closest to all the animals. We saw water buffalo, hippos, elephants, crocodiles, eagles and a python. That was one more animal than I bargained for! And we got close enough for some awesome pictures. It was a really nice trip and we were on the water for about two hours! We came back and ate dinner at the lodge – which is a really nice place; not where we are staying however. We are staying at their poor man’s neighbor – the hostel! Our little house has three rooms and probably the worst restroom I have ever encountered though in Lizzy’s words it does not have a squatty potty so there are some things to be thankful for. But it leaks all over the floor and in the water are ants, now mostly dead from drowning. So going potty is an adventure I dread every time! Liz and I share a room that has power. Last night as the flood started Phil went outside to try to find help. Peter decided this was not a good idea and went out to follow him and find him. That is until he heard an animal sound. He quickly turned around and came home announcing there was no reason for both of them to die! He does have a great sense of humor; very dry but very funny!
Yesterday in the morning we got up early and went on our first land safari. We saw lions from a distance (and actually got out of the car for a better view). We also saw warthogs (for those of you who have seen the Lion King Pumba was much cuter), cobb (like antelope), water bucks and water buffalo. And we went over some pretty rough but beautiful terrain. In the afternoon we went back out for a second trip and this time we were inundated with elephant; big ones, little ones, even tiny baby ones! What incredible animals they are! We also saw baboons (thanks to Liz’s eagle eyes. We saw more warthogs, mongoose and lots and lots of birds. The national bird of Uganda is beautiful and majestic; much better than the Texas mockingbird!
At lunch yesterday in between the two trips there was a warthog in the back of the grounds by the restaurant. I was intrigued to see how close he would let me get. Well we got pretty close to the old fella and got some pictures with Liz and I within 3-4 feet. Today at breakfast a whole community of Mongoose (geese) came by to say howdy so again I went up to check them out. They had little tiny babies with them and they were so cute. The mothers were so exhausted they just lay there and they babies, well, they were acting like babies, getting into everything. So we have pictures with them too. But you’ll be glad to know we will not attempt this trick with the Lions and I will not attempt it with any snake I see. This afternoon at two we are headed out for one last safari. I can’t wait. It is so much fun to see the animals in their natural habitat and the scenery is so beautiful. God has blessed Uganda with such beauty. All you have to do is look outside and know He exists.
I will try to write again tonight. Until then, know I am in photographer’s heaven. But then with all the children around, I’ve been there for the last month (just ask Liz). We are both very anxious to board that plane tomorrow night and begin our journey home. We miss you all and love you.
Saturday when we got here we went on a boat safari. We got the boat early and the captain told us to sit on the left side. So we did and waited in the hot sun for about 45 minutes before take off. But it was well worth it cause that was the side closest to all the animals. We saw water buffalo, hippos, elephants, crocodiles, eagles and a python. That was one more animal than I bargained for! And we got close enough for some awesome pictures. It was a really nice trip and we were on the water for about two hours! We came back and ate dinner at the lodge – which is a really nice place; not where we are staying however. We are staying at their poor man’s neighbor – the hostel! Our little house has three rooms and probably the worst restroom I have ever encountered though in Lizzy’s words it does not have a squatty potty so there are some things to be thankful for. But it leaks all over the floor and in the water are ants, now mostly dead from drowning. So going potty is an adventure I dread every time! Liz and I share a room that has power. Last night as the flood started Phil went outside to try to find help. Peter decided this was not a good idea and went out to follow him and find him. That is until he heard an animal sound. He quickly turned around and came home announcing there was no reason for both of them to die! He does have a great sense of humor; very dry but very funny!
Yesterday in the morning we got up early and went on our first land safari. We saw lions from a distance (and actually got out of the car for a better view). We also saw warthogs (for those of you who have seen the Lion King Pumba was much cuter), cobb (like antelope), water bucks and water buffalo. And we went over some pretty rough but beautiful terrain. In the afternoon we went back out for a second trip and this time we were inundated with elephant; big ones, little ones, even tiny baby ones! What incredible animals they are! We also saw baboons (thanks to Liz’s eagle eyes. We saw more warthogs, mongoose and lots and lots of birds. The national bird of Uganda is beautiful and majestic; much better than the Texas mockingbird!
At lunch yesterday in between the two trips there was a warthog in the back of the grounds by the restaurant. I was intrigued to see how close he would let me get. Well we got pretty close to the old fella and got some pictures with Liz and I within 3-4 feet. Today at breakfast a whole community of Mongoose (geese) came by to say howdy so again I went up to check them out. They had little tiny babies with them and they were so cute. The mothers were so exhausted they just lay there and they babies, well, they were acting like babies, getting into everything. So we have pictures with them too. But you’ll be glad to know we will not attempt this trick with the Lions and I will not attempt it with any snake I see. This afternoon at two we are headed out for one last safari. I can’t wait. It is so much fun to see the animals in their natural habitat and the scenery is so beautiful. God has blessed Uganda with such beauty. All you have to do is look outside and know He exists.
I will try to write again tonight. Until then, know I am in photographer’s heaven. But then with all the children around, I’ve been there for the last month (just ask Liz). We are both very anxious to board that plane tomorrow night and begin our journey home. We miss you all and love you.
Saturday, November 5, 2011
The Safari started
We got here and saw animals...not lions and tigers and bears but elephants, and hippos, crocodiles, and buffalos and a small python. Now we are at dinner and that is all I am writing. It was awesome but back at the ranch (hardly a ranch) we have no Internet so this is it for the night. I love you all and will see you when I get back. Thanks for all your support.
Friday, November 4, 2011
The Journey that Went on Forever...
Today we got up and were suppose to leave Phil's abode at 9 (we got a reprieve from our six a.m. departure time last night due to Peter having something to do this morning) but we finally backed out of the driveway around 10. We got to the gas station when the phone rang and it was Esther telling Phil he had left his computer at home. So we waited for her to get a taxi (a motorcycle) to meet us with his stuff. Meanwhile, Scovia, Susan's mom, realized she'd left her phone behind at her house. So she hopped on a taxi and took off for home. And there we waited. Next thing I know cute little Esther is jumping off the motorcycle with computer in hand running up to the car. She is so dang cute! And within minutes Scovia returned and we were on our way!
Now Steve looked up Queen Elizabeths Resort last night and in an email to me he said it should take seven hours. But then Steve has never been to Uganda to see the road system. The roads can be paved one minute and the next you are facing craters a foot in diameter and at least that deep. So again it is a test of who can swerve the best. The biggest car on the road has the right of way; no exceptions allowed. It is not at all surprising for three cars to be passing at once on a hill around a curve, while a truck is heading straight for them. On several occasions Phil opted for the shoulder of the road as opposed to be killed and taking us with him. Because I am the photographer I get the front seat. It has its advantages but I have grown several new gray hairs since being here; and even more just in our trip today! The roads are amazing. We did see one major accident today. A truck carrying a load of carrots went off the road and into a ditch. I'm not sure the driver survived and the carrots were scattered everywhere. The accident was a result of a blown tire which I'm told is quite common due to the lack of upkeep on the vehicles. The good thing was that several cars stopped immediately to see what they could do to help.
And then we just moseying down the highway when what to my wondering eyes did appear but zebras. Not deer like at home! But zebras just grazing on the side of the road. That's when I knew I was not in Kansas anymore! It was the neatest thing to experience. Along the way I took a lot of pictures of Uganda. This is such a pretty country when you look at the landscape. Everything is so green. And then you come to the villages and they all look the same. Red dirt roads and houses made of sticks packed with mud. Some are made of wood but those are in such bad condition that the poverty just shines through. I have never before seen such poverty as I have seen in this country. It seems to be everywhere. Every once in a while I have come across a nice house but they are the rare acceptation and definitely not the norm. I have such a hard time imagining people living in these conditions and yet this is their life. I am so blessed for all that I have and I hope that I never take it for granted.
So tomorrow we are driving the final three hours to the game park and we will begin our day with the boat ride to see the animals of the water. Our original plan was to stay there tomorrow and Sunday and to leave Monday for Kampala. But now that we are not arriving until tomorrow we are on Plan B. We are now going to stay through Monday and leave Tuesday early and head directly for the airpot. As for me, I like plan B better than the original. I have no interest in staying in Kampala and another day at the park sounds like fun. I guess I will have a better idea tomorrow. So for Liz and I we bid you goodnight. Pray we see hippos, crocodiles and all those other African water creatures. May God Bless you all.
Now Steve looked up Queen Elizabeths Resort last night and in an email to me he said it should take seven hours. But then Steve has never been to Uganda to see the road system. The roads can be paved one minute and the next you are facing craters a foot in diameter and at least that deep. So again it is a test of who can swerve the best. The biggest car on the road has the right of way; no exceptions allowed. It is not at all surprising for three cars to be passing at once on a hill around a curve, while a truck is heading straight for them. On several occasions Phil opted for the shoulder of the road as opposed to be killed and taking us with him. Because I am the photographer I get the front seat. It has its advantages but I have grown several new gray hairs since being here; and even more just in our trip today! The roads are amazing. We did see one major accident today. A truck carrying a load of carrots went off the road and into a ditch. I'm not sure the driver survived and the carrots were scattered everywhere. The accident was a result of a blown tire which I'm told is quite common due to the lack of upkeep on the vehicles. The good thing was that several cars stopped immediately to see what they could do to help.
And then we just moseying down the highway when what to my wondering eyes did appear but zebras. Not deer like at home! But zebras just grazing on the side of the road. That's when I knew I was not in Kansas anymore! It was the neatest thing to experience. Along the way I took a lot of pictures of Uganda. This is such a pretty country when you look at the landscape. Everything is so green. And then you come to the villages and they all look the same. Red dirt roads and houses made of sticks packed with mud. Some are made of wood but those are in such bad condition that the poverty just shines through. I have never before seen such poverty as I have seen in this country. It seems to be everywhere. Every once in a while I have come across a nice house but they are the rare acceptation and definitely not the norm. I have such a hard time imagining people living in these conditions and yet this is their life. I am so blessed for all that I have and I hope that I never take it for granted.
So tomorrow we are driving the final three hours to the game park and we will begin our day with the boat ride to see the animals of the water. Our original plan was to stay there tomorrow and Sunday and to leave Monday for Kampala. But now that we are not arriving until tomorrow we are on Plan B. We are now going to stay through Monday and leave Tuesday early and head directly for the airpot. As for me, I like plan B better than the original. I have no interest in staying in Kampala and another day at the park sounds like fun. I guess I will have a better idea tomorrow. So for Liz and I we bid you goodnight. Pray we see hippos, crocodiles and all those other African water creatures. May God Bless you all.
Thursday, November 3, 2011
Painted Verses, Final Shoes and a Final Farewell
Before I start this blog I should let you know that we are once again without power! It is a such an appropriate way to end the trip! Some things just are meant to keep us humble and this is only one of a few that are in that category for the last day of our stay in Iganga. I woke up this morning to Liz pleading for five more minutes. It reminded me of Christmas mornings in the old days when I would bury my head and ask the kids for just that! I got in the shower and had cold water and drips but finally ended with a hot shower! We ate a breakfast of toast and headed out to the kid's house...early! We were on a mission to get the wall painted. So off we headed for one of our final trips through Mzungu lane! I love that walk. All the little children run toward us yelling, "Mzungu" and we wave at them and smile. Once we got to the house the project started. Liz did all the work; all I did was go over what she had written for a second coat and fill in the holes where the white paint didn't cover. She did a wonderful job. She painted the words in blue, red (although the red paint was like using water with a touch of color) and green. It just livens up the courtyard and looks so encouraging. I am so excited that she finally got to do this as it is one of the things that she really wanted to do. She painted love, mighty, hope, purpose, courage, serve, follow, faith, grace and comfort. Underneath each word she wrote the verse that applied to the word. I can't tell you how good it looks. And she didn't even end up completely covered in paint, though she did have her fair share. All the kids were crowding around as she was doing this project watching her with eagle eyes. And they all took an interest in what she was writing. That was really nice to see!! So now every time they get served their meals they will have verses to look at to remember the word of God.
When we finished Liz and I headed home to change and rest for just a minute. We were both wiped. It was hot and while Liz was painting I was trying to take pictures of anything I might have missed. So off we trekked one more time. Back through the village with all the cute little kiddos. When we got home we stayed for about thirty seconds before Liz was dying to get back to the kids. This time we grabbed Jack and back we went. We wanted to spend as much time with the kids as possible and yet it was really hard knowing that this would be the last time we would see them. I tried to keep my camera so that I would have something to distract me but that did not work so well. As soon as I walked through the gate someone took it off my shoulder. So there I was and it was just me and the kids. I kept trying to postpone that we were really leaving so I kept everything light and easy. We stayed for a couple of hours and by then my emotions were raw and I had to get away for awhile. Fortunately Susan showed up and we took the two boys who were missing shoes into town to buy them. Susan's timing could not have been better. A few more minutes and I would have lost it completely. So back to the market we went. While there Liz and I decided that we would buy Ida and Esther (the two women who work at Phil's) something for being so sweet to us while we were here. They have just been wonderful and have taken such good care of us. So we talked to Susan and decided to buy them each some fabric to have a dress made. At the same time we decided to do the same for Susan. Susan picked out her fabric and Liz and I picked out the fabric for the other two. We then gave them each the money needed to pay someone to have the dresses made (that equated to about $5.00).
When that was done we headed back to the kid's house to drop the boys off and to bid our final farewells. That was harder than I expected though I was so exhausted I was all out of emotions. Several of the girls broke into tears and that was really hard to see. Some of them gave me notes to read, which I have left to read at another time. I can't do it yet. And one girl gave me the cross she was wearing (Angela Kitasala) to keep as a memory. There are several of the older girls who have really touched my heart. They are such a wonderful group of girls and I have really bonded with them this year. They are such a part of my heart. The younger girls I have enjoyed playing with but the older girls I have established a relationship with and I will really miss them.
As we got home several of the kids came with us wanting to call their sponsors. Moses was so excited to have the chance to talk to both you, Jen, and you, Blake. He just smiled the whole time he was on the phone. He is such a girl on the phone. He tucks it under his ear and begins to wander the front yard. I have to coral him in after a while and remind him that he is talking to the states and maybe it is time to say goodbye. He truly loves you both and wishes you would both come to visit. John Bosco feels the same way about you, Brian and Courtney. He, too, was grinning from ear to ear the whole time he was on the phone. He is a great kid and I've really had a chance to get to know him this trip. He has a great sense of humor but is such a big help with everything. And finally, Samuel Aguma really wanted to talk to Bonnie. He was so excited when I connected and he got to say hi. He has been the biggest help to both Liz and I in the painting department. He has the biggest grin ever and is such a ham. Other kids wanted to "phone home" as well but I did not have their sponsors phone numbers. Probably just as well as they all get so excited and many of them don't speak very good English. After all the calls I had to go down to the local store (two doors down from Phil's and replenish my phone with minutes) but it was so worth it to see their faces.
Tonight Rehema, Angela and Sylivia came over and we gave them skirts that we aren't planning to take home, Liz gave away a pair of sandals and we gave them letters that we had written. We also asked them to deliver letters to other children that we had written to. Again, when it was time to leave it was really hard. These three have definitely made an impact on my life. I love them all. Before they left I prayed over them and then it was time for them to go. Someone definitely knew what they were saying when they coined the phrase, "Parting is such sweet sorrow!"
I am now headed to my room in the dark (a prospect I am not looking forward to) to begin the process of packing. I should have thought more about this as I was in Jinja buying all those goodies to bring home. I can't imagine it all fitting in my suitcase, but then I am not one to be beat by a challenge. This is my final blog from Iganga as tomorrow morning at 6 am (or so they tell us) we are headed out for the twelve hour journey to our safari. We will be crossing the equator and seeing many parts of the country I have never seen before. I am very excited about the day though not so excited about the bumpy, muddy roads we shall travel. I love you all and miss you all very much.
When we finished Liz and I headed home to change and rest for just a minute. We were both wiped. It was hot and while Liz was painting I was trying to take pictures of anything I might have missed. So off we trekked one more time. Back through the village with all the cute little kiddos. When we got home we stayed for about thirty seconds before Liz was dying to get back to the kids. This time we grabbed Jack and back we went. We wanted to spend as much time with the kids as possible and yet it was really hard knowing that this would be the last time we would see them. I tried to keep my camera so that I would have something to distract me but that did not work so well. As soon as I walked through the gate someone took it off my shoulder. So there I was and it was just me and the kids. I kept trying to postpone that we were really leaving so I kept everything light and easy. We stayed for a couple of hours and by then my emotions were raw and I had to get away for awhile. Fortunately Susan showed up and we took the two boys who were missing shoes into town to buy them. Susan's timing could not have been better. A few more minutes and I would have lost it completely. So back to the market we went. While there Liz and I decided that we would buy Ida and Esther (the two women who work at Phil's) something for being so sweet to us while we were here. They have just been wonderful and have taken such good care of us. So we talked to Susan and decided to buy them each some fabric to have a dress made. At the same time we decided to do the same for Susan. Susan picked out her fabric and Liz and I picked out the fabric for the other two. We then gave them each the money needed to pay someone to have the dresses made (that equated to about $5.00).
When that was done we headed back to the kid's house to drop the boys off and to bid our final farewells. That was harder than I expected though I was so exhausted I was all out of emotions. Several of the girls broke into tears and that was really hard to see. Some of them gave me notes to read, which I have left to read at another time. I can't do it yet. And one girl gave me the cross she was wearing (Angela Kitasala) to keep as a memory. There are several of the older girls who have really touched my heart. They are such a wonderful group of girls and I have really bonded with them this year. They are such a part of my heart. The younger girls I have enjoyed playing with but the older girls I have established a relationship with and I will really miss them.
As we got home several of the kids came with us wanting to call their sponsors. Moses was so excited to have the chance to talk to both you, Jen, and you, Blake. He just smiled the whole time he was on the phone. He is such a girl on the phone. He tucks it under his ear and begins to wander the front yard. I have to coral him in after a while and remind him that he is talking to the states and maybe it is time to say goodbye. He truly loves you both and wishes you would both come to visit. John Bosco feels the same way about you, Brian and Courtney. He, too, was grinning from ear to ear the whole time he was on the phone. He is a great kid and I've really had a chance to get to know him this trip. He has a great sense of humor but is such a big help with everything. And finally, Samuel Aguma really wanted to talk to Bonnie. He was so excited when I connected and he got to say hi. He has been the biggest help to both Liz and I in the painting department. He has the biggest grin ever and is such a ham. Other kids wanted to "phone home" as well but I did not have their sponsors phone numbers. Probably just as well as they all get so excited and many of them don't speak very good English. After all the calls I had to go down to the local store (two doors down from Phil's and replenish my phone with minutes) but it was so worth it to see their faces.
Tonight Rehema, Angela and Sylivia came over and we gave them skirts that we aren't planning to take home, Liz gave away a pair of sandals and we gave them letters that we had written. We also asked them to deliver letters to other children that we had written to. Again, when it was time to leave it was really hard. These three have definitely made an impact on my life. I love them all. Before they left I prayed over them and then it was time for them to go. Someone definitely knew what they were saying when they coined the phrase, "Parting is such sweet sorrow!"
I am now headed to my room in the dark (a prospect I am not looking forward to) to begin the process of packing. I should have thought more about this as I was in Jinja buying all those goodies to bring home. I can't imagine it all fitting in my suitcase, but then I am not one to be beat by a challenge. This is my final blog from Iganga as tomorrow morning at 6 am (or so they tell us) we are headed out for the twelve hour journey to our safari. We will be crossing the equator and seeing many parts of the country I have never seen before. I am very excited about the day though not so excited about the bumpy, muddy roads we shall travel. I love you all and miss you all very much.
Wednesday, November 2, 2011
Heartbreak is a Day Away...
Last night we tried our best to wait up for Phil to come home with Jack. But we failed! We called them a little after one and they were still an hour an a half away so we unbolted Fort Knox, left our security to Moses (the blind watchman) and went to bed. I didn't even hear them come in so I guess it was a good thing no bad guys came in! This morning I awoke to Jack snoozing on his bed. He'd already been up and was napping; not at all surprising since he'd been traveling for such a long time! We did a few more interviews and then headed out once Susan got here. We went into the village to buy paint because the only color that Phil has is blue and Liz does not want to paint all the words in the same color. So we picked out red and green and bought a little more white to fill in the places that didn't quite get covered yesterday. On our way home from that adventure, which included Jack, Susan called and found out that Pious was home today as well, so we stopped by Scovia's, picked up Keith, and went back out to their house so Jack could meet him. Jack sat in the back back seat holding Keith and he had the magic touch. Within minutes Keith was sleeping soundly in his lap. Next to him, little Adrian, who was not feeling up to par, was leaning against him as well, soundly sleeping too! We stayed out there long enough to have a Coke and for the village kids to find us and seek out pictures. The whole time we were there at least ten children were standing at their front door (which has a hanging curtain during the day) just watching us. Periodically Pious would acknowledge them and poke at them and make them laugh! On our way home, Susan told us that she saw monkeys along the "highway". Liz and I looked at her like she was nuts. So, in typical Susan fashion, she backed up the car and parked on the side of the road and told us to get out. So we did. We walked just a little bit and sure enough up in the trees were several monkeys just enjoying the view. Now I can honestly say that is a sight I have never seen before! We stood and watched them for awhile. Meanwhile just to our right was a man herding his cattle. And behind us was the highway. Put it all together and you have Uganda!
The next stop was back to Scovia's to drop Keith and Adrian off (I was beginning to feel like we were playing Monopoly and we kept passing Go; but we never collected our $200 shillings!). We then took off back to town to buy fabric because I promised a little girl that I would get her a new school uniform. Her mother, in anger one day, burned hers and she has not had one since! At the same time we are making one for Adrian who will be starting school in February when the new school term begins. Unbeknownst to me, the uniforms are made. So at least now the fabric is bought and the process can begin. Then it was back to Scovia's again. This time to get money to buy supplies for the kids and then back to town again. This time we went to the market place and Susan went to a little shop that was so jam packed that most of the items are stored outside. Then finally we made our way to the kid's house where we distributed the stuff to the kids. As soon as they saw Susan pull up and open her trunk they started forming a line. One by one she handed out first the skin lotion. As soon as they received this, they moved to the next line and patiently waited all until all the kids had received their lotion. The next item was shoe polish, followed by toothpaste, soap and toilet paper! Each item required them to form a new line!
Sometime during the day the "Shoe Man" had come and he gave 13 more kids their shower shoes. The hard part is that school times do not correspond for all the kids. It seems that every grade level goes at different times and now that it is exam time, some of the exams are taken in schools a long distance from here. So there is no telling when the kids will be there and who will be there when we show up. I never imagined giving the children shoes would be such a difficult task. We will try again tomorrow to wrap this up and if it just doesn't work out I will leave the money here for the job to be completed. We still have two kids we have not bought regular shoes for but we did find those kids late tonight and asked them to please be there tomorrow. So I'm hoping that will happen. And then I will leave Susan with money to buy a pair of each for Faith since she has not been with us for any of the trips.
I did a first today; something that unless done a trip to Africa is not complete. I squatted to go potty. Now this doesn't sound like a huge accomplishment to many of you but before you just move on go ahead and try it. First, envision yourself in a skirt, in a room that once the door is closed is completely dark and with a little hole in the ground that you can't see. Now getting down is not the hard part. Getting everything out of the way is. And getting back up without touching anything, floor or walls, is the real challenge. Once you have done this successfully you too can pat yourself on the back! And, thank the good Lord for indoor plumbing!!
We have three children who need to have umbilical hernia operations sometime in the near future and one young man who needs to have his leg operated on. A tree fell on him in 2003 and he never had surgery to repair the damage. The hernia operations will cost approximately $250.00 a piece (which is next to nothing compared to what it would cost us in the states). The kids though never complain about their ailments.
So our trip has one more day left. Tomorrow Liz and I ARE going to the kid's house early and painting the verses. I can't believe our time here is almost over. It hit me today that I won't be able to see these precious faces every day. I won't be able to walk out the door and hear the sound of children playing and drive or walk down the street and always see people. I won't hear the sound Mzungu and see children waving and smiling and I won't get my daily hug supply from our kids. I won't get the teasing smirk from Emma or John Bosco reaching for my camera. I won't get the kids running up to hug me and the feel of them wrapping their arms around my waist. I won't get the tickling that they have just learned to do without seriously poking me in the ribs and I won't get to tickle them back. And there are some kids I have grown to truly love and I will miss them with all my heart and soul. I can't believe that they will be a half a world away. In a nutshell I will miss them terribly and it will be very hard to leave them behind. I feel like a part of me will always be in Iganga!
I love you all and miss you all.
The next stop was back to Scovia's to drop Keith and Adrian off (I was beginning to feel like we were playing Monopoly and we kept passing Go; but we never collected our $200 shillings!). We then took off back to town to buy fabric because I promised a little girl that I would get her a new school uniform. Her mother, in anger one day, burned hers and she has not had one since! At the same time we are making one for Adrian who will be starting school in February when the new school term begins. Unbeknownst to me, the uniforms are made. So at least now the fabric is bought and the process can begin. Then it was back to Scovia's again. This time to get money to buy supplies for the kids and then back to town again. This time we went to the market place and Susan went to a little shop that was so jam packed that most of the items are stored outside. Then finally we made our way to the kid's house where we distributed the stuff to the kids. As soon as they saw Susan pull up and open her trunk they started forming a line. One by one she handed out first the skin lotion. As soon as they received this, they moved to the next line and patiently waited all until all the kids had received their lotion. The next item was shoe polish, followed by toothpaste, soap and toilet paper! Each item required them to form a new line!
Sometime during the day the "Shoe Man" had come and he gave 13 more kids their shower shoes. The hard part is that school times do not correspond for all the kids. It seems that every grade level goes at different times and now that it is exam time, some of the exams are taken in schools a long distance from here. So there is no telling when the kids will be there and who will be there when we show up. I never imagined giving the children shoes would be such a difficult task. We will try again tomorrow to wrap this up and if it just doesn't work out I will leave the money here for the job to be completed. We still have two kids we have not bought regular shoes for but we did find those kids late tonight and asked them to please be there tomorrow. So I'm hoping that will happen. And then I will leave Susan with money to buy a pair of each for Faith since she has not been with us for any of the trips.
I did a first today; something that unless done a trip to Africa is not complete. I squatted to go potty. Now this doesn't sound like a huge accomplishment to many of you but before you just move on go ahead and try it. First, envision yourself in a skirt, in a room that once the door is closed is completely dark and with a little hole in the ground that you can't see. Now getting down is not the hard part. Getting everything out of the way is. And getting back up without touching anything, floor or walls, is the real challenge. Once you have done this successfully you too can pat yourself on the back! And, thank the good Lord for indoor plumbing!!
We have three children who need to have umbilical hernia operations sometime in the near future and one young man who needs to have his leg operated on. A tree fell on him in 2003 and he never had surgery to repair the damage. The hernia operations will cost approximately $250.00 a piece (which is next to nothing compared to what it would cost us in the states). The kids though never complain about their ailments.
So our trip has one more day left. Tomorrow Liz and I ARE going to the kid's house early and painting the verses. I can't believe our time here is almost over. It hit me today that I won't be able to see these precious faces every day. I won't be able to walk out the door and hear the sound of children playing and drive or walk down the street and always see people. I won't hear the sound Mzungu and see children waving and smiling and I won't get my daily hug supply from our kids. I won't get the teasing smirk from Emma or John Bosco reaching for my camera. I won't get the kids running up to hug me and the feel of them wrapping their arms around my waist. I won't get the tickling that they have just learned to do without seriously poking me in the ribs and I won't get to tickle them back. And there are some kids I have grown to truly love and I will miss them with all my heart and soul. I can't believe that they will be a half a world away. In a nutshell I will miss them terribly and it will be very hard to leave them behind. I feel like a part of me will always be in Iganga!
I love you all and miss you all.
Tuesday, November 1, 2011
A wonderful Day in the Neighborhood!
Today was a great day! We both slept well and woke up rested though it is now 11 at night and at least I am beginning to wear down. Once again youth is winning as Little Lizzy is still going strong! We awoke to more interviews. This is taking more time than I anticipated so after about an hour, Liz and I slipped away to the kid's house. At least twice along the way, she pulled me out of the road and out of harms way. I was too busy looking for the perfect shot and believe me I found plenty. I love hearing the kids come running out and yelling Mzungu at us as we walk by. They all come out waving and smiling. As we get close to the house the kids start coming out in groups running up to us. It really does make your day! Our plan today was to paint. We were saddened to hear that only a portion of the courtyard had been plastered and therefor was ready for us to paint. Liz's initial hope was to paint Bible verses over all the walls of both courtyards; the one in the boys section as well as the girls. Instead only a very small portion was ready. In usual Uganda style "manana" really does mean "manana's manana". So we had on our least favorite skirts and tops and were ready to take on the task. This way if we got covered in paint we wouldn't mind so much. At least that was our original thinking.
And so we got to the house and asked Steven (the houseboy) for the paint and the rollers. He started to pour the paint into a tub and it was like watching glue being poured. The paint was SO thick. I knew then we were in trouble. And that was even before I dabbed my roller in and applied the first coat. Then I knew I was in serious trouble. My roller sucked up the paint like there was no tomorrow but it refused to apply any of it to the wall. At this point the kids are all trying to tell me how to paint, like I've never done it before. Seriously, Liz had painted a huge section and I was still on my first little part. And now this small section of wall that has been plastered began to look as big as the Great Wall of China and I am wondering how two little Mzungu's will ever get it painted. Knowing that we need the night for it to dry I know we cannot leave until it is completed. And knowing we leave in three days does not help. So I continue to put my useless roller into the paste like substance and do my best. Now we've painted as high as we can both reach and the wall looms above us reaching to the sky (OK, maybe not that high, but it sure looked it at the time). The only ladder is at Phil's house so we look around for a good substitute and they come up with this little wooden bench that is probably held together by one tiny nail. As I stand on it for height I just know I am going to come crashing down to the ground. But since I've been eating bearly nothing for the last month it holds me up. I breathe a sigh of relief and continue painting. However, even that is not tall enough so we proceed to the next best thing. We roll over a big plastic barrel used to hold water and once again I say a silent prayer and step from my wobbly wooden stool to my even more unsteady barrel. And continue painting. But by now my neck and my arms were really tired. (Sidebar: I just jumped a mile and Liz is standing on her chair because this huge bug just landed in my lap!) Just at that moment Samuel Aguma came to my rescue. He took the roller, now on a makeshift pole that Emma had manufactured and painted the rest of the high places for us. He was my knight in shining armor. He did a great job and had a smile on his face the whole time. He was such a gracious young man and if not for him, I may not be moving tonight. What a blessing he was to me. Then Agnes Anyakun took the roller from Liz and she painted for quite awhile and did a great job as well. All the while the kids were gathered around watching us and John Bosco was our photographer. Courtney and Brian he has gotten really good with a camera and he really enjoys taking pictures. I barely get in the gate at the house and before he confiscates my camera! Finally we were finished and by this point I was thanking the good Lord for the "Manana's manana" mentality of this country! I was covered in paint (which does not come off easily and really takes a good scrubbing and the loss of at least one layer of skin!) from head to toe and my skirt had a few new decorations (hand prints) compliments of Liz. We decided to head home to clean up and then head back to the kid's house just for an opportunity to play and be with the kids. And so we headed out with Samuel Aguma escorting us so we wouldn't get lost. What a great kid. When behind us we heard a chorus of kids yelling that Susan is at the Kid's house with the "Shoe Man". So we turned around and went back. She then told us she had a surprise for us tonight and we should go home and clean up and she would meet us at Phil's (he is at the airport picking us Jack). SidebarL By the way I just killed the big bug with Liz's shoe so for those of you who were worried about us we are now going to be fine!
So off we went again, this time by ourselves, without an escort. We got back to Phil's about five minutes before Susan and were trying desperately to get the paint off, with no success at all when she came in and told us we had to hurry. She wouldn't tell us where we were going but assured us that we could go with paint on our hands and that they had Coke where we would end up. And with that we were off. We had little Phiona, Adrian, and one of our older girls, Rose Naigaga, in the car with us, so I figured if it was safe for them she couldn't get us in too much trouble. But then if you know Susan there is no telling... We got on the road headed toward Jinja and she asked us where we thought we might be going. I had an idea but was a little hesitant to present my point of view. Finally I spit it out and suggested that we might be going to meet Pious, the one she has been introduced to. And sure enough that is where we were headed. She veered off the main highway and we went through this little village and then she stopped in front of this cute little house. She was smiling from ear to ear as she took us into her house and introduced us to her "husband". As you walk in the house you walk into a living room. Off the living room to the right is a sitting room. Both rooms are beautifully furnished but in a very welcoming manner. To the left of the living room is their bedroom and the only pictures on the walls are of the two of them at their introduction party. Behind the living room is the kitchen and to the left of that is a room which right now houses Keith's (her baby boy) chickens. Eventually the chickens will move outside and this will become Keith's room. The house has a one car garage attached and it is perfect for the two of them. I have to say that Pious was really a nice guy. He was so good with the kids; both loving and playful at the same time. He was so helpful to Susan and it was evident to me that he really does love her. He was very appreciative of all that I did for her when she was in the states last October and when Susan went into their room to nurse Keith he sat in the living room with Liz and I and conversed. I told him that he better take good care of her or I'd come back and have a talk with him and his response was that he loves doing just that. He has a good sense of humor and from what I could see he takes good care of her. He was gentle and kind and she looked really happy. I have to say that I doubted that he really existed but after tonight I know he does and I know they make each other very happy. She was the most relaxed I've seen her since I've been here. So it was a really good surprise for us. Liz did say at the beginning that she was not up for, and did not want to go, to another burial. This was much better. Both Liz and I found it to be a very enjoyable night and felt right at home in their house. At the end of the evening they both drove us home and Susan made sure we got into Phil's house and showed us how to lock up so we would be safe til Phil and Jack get back from the airport.
I also had a great time tonight teaching Phiona and Adrian how to sign "I love you". I always thought that would be a simple thing to teach but getting their little fingers to cooperate was not so easy. So while I was teaching them this, Susan taught me how to say I love you. It sounds like Gwendino (the I is long) and is spelled Nkwendainho. So we spent at least 10-15 minutes saying "Gwendino" to one another and then signing the message. It was really fun and kept the kids entertained for awhile. Susan did cook my favorite things tonight, bless her heart. We had fish, potatoes, rice she mixed with awesome spices, beans and matooke (OK, four out of five's not bad). I am always amazed by how much Adrian can eat!
I may not blog tomorrow night as we may have three of the girls come stay with us for the night and if they are here I don't want to take time away from them to blog. But I will Blog on Thursday for sure. And in closing Nkwendainho!
And so we got to the house and asked Steven (the houseboy) for the paint and the rollers. He started to pour the paint into a tub and it was like watching glue being poured. The paint was SO thick. I knew then we were in trouble. And that was even before I dabbed my roller in and applied the first coat. Then I knew I was in serious trouble. My roller sucked up the paint like there was no tomorrow but it refused to apply any of it to the wall. At this point the kids are all trying to tell me how to paint, like I've never done it before. Seriously, Liz had painted a huge section and I was still on my first little part. And now this small section of wall that has been plastered began to look as big as the Great Wall of China and I am wondering how two little Mzungu's will ever get it painted. Knowing that we need the night for it to dry I know we cannot leave until it is completed. And knowing we leave in three days does not help. So I continue to put my useless roller into the paste like substance and do my best. Now we've painted as high as we can both reach and the wall looms above us reaching to the sky (OK, maybe not that high, but it sure looked it at the time). The only ladder is at Phil's house so we look around for a good substitute and they come up with this little wooden bench that is probably held together by one tiny nail. As I stand on it for height I just know I am going to come crashing down to the ground. But since I've been eating bearly nothing for the last month it holds me up. I breathe a sigh of relief and continue painting. However, even that is not tall enough so we proceed to the next best thing. We roll over a big plastic barrel used to hold water and once again I say a silent prayer and step from my wobbly wooden stool to my even more unsteady barrel. And continue painting. But by now my neck and my arms were really tired. (Sidebar: I just jumped a mile and Liz is standing on her chair because this huge bug just landed in my lap!) Just at that moment Samuel Aguma came to my rescue. He took the roller, now on a makeshift pole that Emma had manufactured and painted the rest of the high places for us. He was my knight in shining armor. He did a great job and had a smile on his face the whole time. He was such a gracious young man and if not for him, I may not be moving tonight. What a blessing he was to me. Then Agnes Anyakun took the roller from Liz and she painted for quite awhile and did a great job as well. All the while the kids were gathered around watching us and John Bosco was our photographer. Courtney and Brian he has gotten really good with a camera and he really enjoys taking pictures. I barely get in the gate at the house and before he confiscates my camera! Finally we were finished and by this point I was thanking the good Lord for the "Manana's manana" mentality of this country! I was covered in paint (which does not come off easily and really takes a good scrubbing and the loss of at least one layer of skin!) from head to toe and my skirt had a few new decorations (hand prints) compliments of Liz. We decided to head home to clean up and then head back to the kid's house just for an opportunity to play and be with the kids. And so we headed out with Samuel Aguma escorting us so we wouldn't get lost. What a great kid. When behind us we heard a chorus of kids yelling that Susan is at the Kid's house with the "Shoe Man". So we turned around and went back. She then told us she had a surprise for us tonight and we should go home and clean up and she would meet us at Phil's (he is at the airport picking us Jack). SidebarL By the way I just killed the big bug with Liz's shoe so for those of you who were worried about us we are now going to be fine!
So off we went again, this time by ourselves, without an escort. We got back to Phil's about five minutes before Susan and were trying desperately to get the paint off, with no success at all when she came in and told us we had to hurry. She wouldn't tell us where we were going but assured us that we could go with paint on our hands and that they had Coke where we would end up. And with that we were off. We had little Phiona, Adrian, and one of our older girls, Rose Naigaga, in the car with us, so I figured if it was safe for them she couldn't get us in too much trouble. But then if you know Susan there is no telling... We got on the road headed toward Jinja and she asked us where we thought we might be going. I had an idea but was a little hesitant to present my point of view. Finally I spit it out and suggested that we might be going to meet Pious, the one she has been introduced to. And sure enough that is where we were headed. She veered off the main highway and we went through this little village and then she stopped in front of this cute little house. She was smiling from ear to ear as she took us into her house and introduced us to her "husband". As you walk in the house you walk into a living room. Off the living room to the right is a sitting room. Both rooms are beautifully furnished but in a very welcoming manner. To the left of the living room is their bedroom and the only pictures on the walls are of the two of them at their introduction party. Behind the living room is the kitchen and to the left of that is a room which right now houses Keith's (her baby boy) chickens. Eventually the chickens will move outside and this will become Keith's room. The house has a one car garage attached and it is perfect for the two of them. I have to say that Pious was really a nice guy. He was so good with the kids; both loving and playful at the same time. He was so helpful to Susan and it was evident to me that he really does love her. He was very appreciative of all that I did for her when she was in the states last October and when Susan went into their room to nurse Keith he sat in the living room with Liz and I and conversed. I told him that he better take good care of her or I'd come back and have a talk with him and his response was that he loves doing just that. He has a good sense of humor and from what I could see he takes good care of her. He was gentle and kind and she looked really happy. I have to say that I doubted that he really existed but after tonight I know he does and I know they make each other very happy. She was the most relaxed I've seen her since I've been here. So it was a really good surprise for us. Liz did say at the beginning that she was not up for, and did not want to go, to another burial. This was much better. Both Liz and I found it to be a very enjoyable night and felt right at home in their house. At the end of the evening they both drove us home and Susan made sure we got into Phil's house and showed us how to lock up so we would be safe til Phil and Jack get back from the airport.
I also had a great time tonight teaching Phiona and Adrian how to sign "I love you". I always thought that would be a simple thing to teach but getting their little fingers to cooperate was not so easy. So while I was teaching them this, Susan taught me how to say I love you. It sounds like Gwendino (the I is long) and is spelled Nkwendainho. So we spent at least 10-15 minutes saying "Gwendino" to one another and then signing the message. It was really fun and kept the kids entertained for awhile. Susan did cook my favorite things tonight, bless her heart. We had fish, potatoes, rice she mixed with awesome spices, beans and matooke (OK, four out of five's not bad). I am always amazed by how much Adrian can eat!
I may not blog tomorrow night as we may have three of the girls come stay with us for the night and if they are here I don't want to take time away from them to blog. But I will Blog on Thursday for sure. And in closing Nkwendainho!
Monday, October 31, 2011
The Greatest thing in Life...Kids!
Miracles do occur! Today I got out of bed early; a little afraid to still be asleep if Susan showed up on time! I knew if that happened there would be no stopping her from coming in and jumping on me. So all-night I slept the restless sleep of little children waiting for Santa to arrive! And what to my wondering eyes did appear…but Susan, thirty minutes early even for Mzungu time! I ran outside to greet her and collapsed to the ground in shock and admiration! She thought I had died; but I told her today is not my day! She then had that evil look and hoped to be able to get Liz but even she was up and already in the shower. Susan was so disappointed! And so at 9:44 we backed out of the driveway right on schedule! And off to Jinja we drove! What a beautiful drive that is. I am still amazed at the driving along the “highway”. On one hand there seem to be no rules. There is passing over dotted lines and there is passing over solid lines, white and yellow both. There is passing on flat stretches and there is passing while going uphill and down. On the other hand, the drivers are very courteous. If you are in the passing lane and someone is coming right at you, heading for a head on collision, they will move onto the shoulder to avoid you until you can get back into your own lane. Maybe this is self-preservation. I prefer to think of it as kindness. Trust me, I have seen more cars heading straight for me since being here than in my whole entire life. It makes driving an adventure especially when I have my head out the window most of the time taking pictures and all of a sudden look up and go whoa!
Once we got to Jinja Liz and I jumped out of the car and the shopping began. We probably only walked through eight shops at the max but we kept seeing things we liked. This meant, of course, that we had to go back after scooping out all the other places to see if they had something we liked more. Phil and Susan tagged along, I’m sure wishing we would hurry up and stop acting like tourists. We’ve all been there when others are doing the shopping. Boring is all I can say… Little Adrian was with us as well and he had a great time touching everything. I finally bought him a little car made out of wire that he can push along with a wire handle. That brought a huge smile to his face and he was a happy camper after that. The woodworking they do is phenomenal. The carved animals are absolutely gorgeous and since we are going on a safari I felt that was something I just had to have. Not to mention the few other things I bought. The real question now is how I am going to pack it all to fit for the flight home. But that is not today’s problem. I don’t have to worry about that until Thursday night! And for those of you who know me you know I will wait until the very last minute!
We would have stopped and eaten at the Source Café but unfortunately they were closed today. Ugh! So on the way home we stopped at a gas station pizza shop for lunch. Sadly they only had one pizza already made and it would have taken at least another hour to make a second one. So we split the one cheese pizza and got back on the road. Forty minutes later we were back at Phil’s and the kids were on their way so we could do more interviews. One of the girls that came was wearing a dress that was ripped right through. The entire waistband was hanging lose from the top of the dress. So I brought her into the house and provided her with an extra “Haiti” dress. She was thrilled. While waiting for the older kids to get out of class Phil put in Lion King 1 ½ for the little guys to watch. Even though it was in English they were mesmerized. When the big guys got here the interviews started. We didn’t get through very many but it’s interesting to find out how many of our kids are related to one another. We have a lot of siblings and we also have a lot of cousins. I’m still in awe at how well all the children get along and how much they look out for one another. I’m also surprised at who they have told us are their best friends. As far as I can tell it has nothing to do with age. Many times it is a sister or brother. At other times it is someone much older or younger. But then their schoolmates are often not their own age.
As we were doing interviews tonight I had a group of the older girls all around me. I just loved it. As I was walking out to take a picture of one of the boys Rehema Naigaga asked if she could speak to me. She took me by the hand and led me down the hallway to our room. She then put her arms around me and told me she loved me very, very much. She started crying and told me she would miss me very much. I love this young lady very much as well. She has such a gentle heart. Her father was a businessman who sold truckloads of corn and other things. He was traveling north when he was ambushed by thieves in 1997 and killed. Her father had two wives at the time and shortly after he died his second wife died as well. So now Rehema’s mother takes care of her three siblings as well as her father’s other three children. That must be where she learned to be so kind because it is very rare in this culture to care for someone else’s children. This 14 year old is so sweet; I am going to miss her like crazy.
I have asked Phil if Rehema, Angela Kitasala and Sylivia Nangobi (Liz’s child) can spend the night on Wednesday so we can have a slumber party. These three have touched our lives in such a special way. This is not to say the others have not impacted our lives because believe me they have. They started the trip living here because Sylivia was sick so we thought it might be a good ending to our journey. I ask that you all pray for the kids. Pray that they all come to know Christ in a way that they can truly rely on Him and trust Him with all issues in their lives. Pray that they know He will always be there for them as for many this is a feeling they have never had a chance to understand. Pray that they know they are loved. Also please pray for Liz and I because leaving these kids is going to be incredibly difficult. Pray for Liz as she tries to process all that has happened in the last month. And remember I love you all and am praying for you every day.
Once we got to Jinja Liz and I jumped out of the car and the shopping began. We probably only walked through eight shops at the max but we kept seeing things we liked. This meant, of course, that we had to go back after scooping out all the other places to see if they had something we liked more. Phil and Susan tagged along, I’m sure wishing we would hurry up and stop acting like tourists. We’ve all been there when others are doing the shopping. Boring is all I can say… Little Adrian was with us as well and he had a great time touching everything. I finally bought him a little car made out of wire that he can push along with a wire handle. That brought a huge smile to his face and he was a happy camper after that. The woodworking they do is phenomenal. The carved animals are absolutely gorgeous and since we are going on a safari I felt that was something I just had to have. Not to mention the few other things I bought. The real question now is how I am going to pack it all to fit for the flight home. But that is not today’s problem. I don’t have to worry about that until Thursday night! And for those of you who know me you know I will wait until the very last minute!
We would have stopped and eaten at the Source Café but unfortunately they were closed today. Ugh! So on the way home we stopped at a gas station pizza shop for lunch. Sadly they only had one pizza already made and it would have taken at least another hour to make a second one. So we split the one cheese pizza and got back on the road. Forty minutes later we were back at Phil’s and the kids were on their way so we could do more interviews. One of the girls that came was wearing a dress that was ripped right through. The entire waistband was hanging lose from the top of the dress. So I brought her into the house and provided her with an extra “Haiti” dress. She was thrilled. While waiting for the older kids to get out of class Phil put in Lion King 1 ½ for the little guys to watch. Even though it was in English they were mesmerized. When the big guys got here the interviews started. We didn’t get through very many but it’s interesting to find out how many of our kids are related to one another. We have a lot of siblings and we also have a lot of cousins. I’m still in awe at how well all the children get along and how much they look out for one another. I’m also surprised at who they have told us are their best friends. As far as I can tell it has nothing to do with age. Many times it is a sister or brother. At other times it is someone much older or younger. But then their schoolmates are often not their own age.
As we were doing interviews tonight I had a group of the older girls all around me. I just loved it. As I was walking out to take a picture of one of the boys Rehema Naigaga asked if she could speak to me. She took me by the hand and led me down the hallway to our room. She then put her arms around me and told me she loved me very, very much. She started crying and told me she would miss me very much. I love this young lady very much as well. She has such a gentle heart. Her father was a businessman who sold truckloads of corn and other things. He was traveling north when he was ambushed by thieves in 1997 and killed. Her father had two wives at the time and shortly after he died his second wife died as well. So now Rehema’s mother takes care of her three siblings as well as her father’s other three children. That must be where she learned to be so kind because it is very rare in this culture to care for someone else’s children. This 14 year old is so sweet; I am going to miss her like crazy.
I have asked Phil if Rehema, Angela Kitasala and Sylivia Nangobi (Liz’s child) can spend the night on Wednesday so we can have a slumber party. These three have touched our lives in such a special way. This is not to say the others have not impacted our lives because believe me they have. They started the trip living here because Sylivia was sick so we thought it might be a good ending to our journey. I ask that you all pray for the kids. Pray that they all come to know Christ in a way that they can truly rely on Him and trust Him with all issues in their lives. Pray that they know He will always be there for them as for many this is a feeling they have never had a chance to understand. Pray that they know they are loved. Also please pray for Liz and I because leaving these kids is going to be incredibly difficult. Pray for Liz as she tries to process all that has happened in the last month. And remember I love you all and am praying for you every day.
Sunday, October 30, 2011
The Expression of Love
We got up this morning to an American breakfast of pancakes. After quickly eating Liz and I headed out for the walk to the church; down the same path we are so familiar with now. We like to get there in time for the praise and worship time before the sermon. The various children’s choirs perform by singing and dancing and they are much fun to watch and listen to. Their voices are so pure and they just sing from their hearts. Today many of them wore the dresses they picked out yesterday (the one’s made for the Haiti mission) and they all looked so cute in their new digs. There seems to be no end to the singing and yet it is as if time stands still. I just sat there mesmerized by their voices. Please take a minute and close your eyes after you read this and really try to envision the environment in which they worship. The room is probably 30 feet by 20 feet and there are easily 150 people sitting in that space. The floors are made of concrete. There is no alter; instead a blackboard that has been written on so many times that prior writings are still visible. Windows are just holes in the walls where bricks have not been placed; but they are certainly not square holes. They are random shapes. There is no electricity and so a battery box is brought to plug in a keyboard that is lugged to the church each week (no easy feat because it is extremely heavy). The pews are hard wooden benches that are designed to sit four comfortably that cram in six to seven. The walls have random writings on them – none of them Christian related. Today was a good day because there was a breeze that came through the “windows”. But last Sunday was miserable. There was no breeze at all and it was so hot. Two of the older children lead the service (the worship portion) and they do a wonderful job. There is such respect in the church.
Today’s service was the first time that Emma Aliau preached. He was so nervous beforehand and I could see him sitting in the back of the church with his head in his hands and his legs tapping up and down. I walked back to him and asked him if I could pray over him. He accepted my offer and I was so blessed to be able to do so for him. I prayed for comfort, peace and for God to speak through him. I prayed for calmness to overcome him and for him to be able to speak his heart to the kids. John Bosco was his translator for Liz and me. He talked of God’s love for us and for us not to judge others. As he spoke of different Bible verses Jesca (the kid’s housemother) read those verses for the kids. It was great to see her heart as well. He did a great time and I was so proud of him. The kids welcomed him with applause when Phil said he would be talking today. And when he finished they applauded again. He is such a great kid and is such a blessing to the kids.
After the service Susan was supposed to pick us up at Church and we were going to go to lunch before meeting the kids back at Phils for Bible study and a celebration of Liz’s birthday. Little Lizzy turned 20 today! But in typical Uganda style Susan was not there and didn’t show up for over an hour. So there we sat…waiting! Fortunately I had my camera and that entertained me for a while but, unfortunately, not long enough! She finally came and off we went, but not before making several stops along the way! Meanwhile the kids were coming back to Phil’s at 2 pm for the study and we hadn’t even gotten to the restaurant yet. I just don’t understand Uganda time and I think it is fair to say I never will. We stopped at the restaurant and ordered our food (the same restaurant we ate at last year where we had fish) and then left to go see Faith. Faith is so grown up. I couldn’t believe how big she has gotten. We were hoping she could go to lunch with us but the school would not release her. There was a program that she had to attend but we did spend a little time at the school loving on her. Tamara, I did give her your notes and I got a hug from her for you, the two girls and Ken. I took a lot of pictures of her and she smiled in all of them. She is still as precious as can be.
By the time we got back to the restaurant about an hour later, the fish was still not ready. Uganda time…again! They are just not in a hurry…ever!! Meanwhile, the kids have now been at Phil’s for over two hours waiting for us to return and we are still nowhere ready to head in that direction. Finally lunch arrives, the whole fish, head and eyes included (Liz called the birthday card and pointed the head in my direction) and we begin to eat. At close to five (now three hours since the kids were asked to be at the house) we finally begin our trek home. Side note: Liz, Phil and I have decided to head to Jinja tomorrow MORNING to do some shopping. Liz and I are adamant that this happens in the morning so that we can spend the afternoon with the kids. In the morning they are all in school so we wouldn’t be able to see them any way. So I am being steadfast that we leave early. As a result of this I am a little hesitant to have Susan as our driver. Mornings to Susan can mean anytime between 1-4 PM. So this was brought up at lunch (Scovia was with us as well) and Susan has insisted she can be on time. I continued to say I want to run on American time tomorrow. Scovia has promised me that she will throw Susan out of their house in time to be here by 9:30. With only four days left we want to spend all the time we have left with the kids so I am praying that just for this one time she will be an honorary American!
On the way back to Phil’s we make one more stop. This time we stop at a store and Susan asks us all to wait in the car. All I can think is this is more time away from the kids who by now have been waiting forever. After waiting another fifteen minutes in the car (which at this point felt like hours) we finally got back to the house…and there were all the kids. We took Liz back to our room and told her she had to stay there until someone came for her. Esther and Ida had baked cakes for her and for the kids to share to celebrate her big day. Once all twenty candles had been placed, Sylivia Nangobi and Paul Umo were sent back to get the birthday girl. But they were sent back with a blindfold. After they attempted to blindfold her unsuccessfully Liz finally blindfolded herself. They did lead her down the hallway and out the back door where all the kids greeted her. They then proceeded to sing Happy Birthday. Liz then helped Esther serve all the kids a little sliver of cake. It was a special moment and I’m sure it is a birthday she will remember for a long time. After the kids went home she came inside and opened a birthday present from Susan. I must say she was a little leary; you would be too if you knew Susan. She was sure that whatever it was, was going to jump out at her. But instead it was three little plastic, squeaky lambs; blue, pink and white. She keeps telling me she is going to annoy me all the way home on the plane. I may have to “lose” them between now and next Tuesday…
Before the kids left I wanted to leave them with a positive message of God’s love and the love that Liz and I both feel for them. Well I expected this to be a short and easy talk but my emotions got the best of me. I wanted them to know that God loves them and that unlike any human He will never leave them alone. That He is always there and He can always be counted on. I told them that Liz and I both believe very strongly in the Lord and that I hoped they would take the time to develop a relationship with him that would continue to grow through their lifetime. I also told them how thankful Liz and I were that we were here (about this time I lost it and the tears started streaming down my cheeks) and how much we love them; how precious they are; and how much we have loved spending time with them. I also told them that we are going to be so sad to leave them when we return home and that we would be praying for them and that they will always be in our hearts. As I looked around at their faces I realized how blessed I have been to have them be a part of my life. They are such a joyous group of kids. I certainly won’t remember all of them but there are many who have touched my heart in such a special way. And I will miss them terribly. It seems unbelievable that our time with them is coming to an end.
There have certainly been frustrating moments, sometimes frustrating days. We’ve run through a compendium of emotions but in the end we will be blessed to have spent the time with the kids. I am so thankful to God for the strength and the energy to have kept going day after day. He has taken me on a roller coaster ride – ups and downs. He has given me a friend for life in Liz. I will add her to my collection of daughters. Kari and Sam you still remain the only ones on my Christmas list!! I love you all.
Today’s service was the first time that Emma Aliau preached. He was so nervous beforehand and I could see him sitting in the back of the church with his head in his hands and his legs tapping up and down. I walked back to him and asked him if I could pray over him. He accepted my offer and I was so blessed to be able to do so for him. I prayed for comfort, peace and for God to speak through him. I prayed for calmness to overcome him and for him to be able to speak his heart to the kids. John Bosco was his translator for Liz and me. He talked of God’s love for us and for us not to judge others. As he spoke of different Bible verses Jesca (the kid’s housemother) read those verses for the kids. It was great to see her heart as well. He did a great time and I was so proud of him. The kids welcomed him with applause when Phil said he would be talking today. And when he finished they applauded again. He is such a great kid and is such a blessing to the kids.
After the service Susan was supposed to pick us up at Church and we were going to go to lunch before meeting the kids back at Phils for Bible study and a celebration of Liz’s birthday. Little Lizzy turned 20 today! But in typical Uganda style Susan was not there and didn’t show up for over an hour. So there we sat…waiting! Fortunately I had my camera and that entertained me for a while but, unfortunately, not long enough! She finally came and off we went, but not before making several stops along the way! Meanwhile the kids were coming back to Phil’s at 2 pm for the study and we hadn’t even gotten to the restaurant yet. I just don’t understand Uganda time and I think it is fair to say I never will. We stopped at the restaurant and ordered our food (the same restaurant we ate at last year where we had fish) and then left to go see Faith. Faith is so grown up. I couldn’t believe how big she has gotten. We were hoping she could go to lunch with us but the school would not release her. There was a program that she had to attend but we did spend a little time at the school loving on her. Tamara, I did give her your notes and I got a hug from her for you, the two girls and Ken. I took a lot of pictures of her and she smiled in all of them. She is still as precious as can be.
By the time we got back to the restaurant about an hour later, the fish was still not ready. Uganda time…again! They are just not in a hurry…ever!! Meanwhile, the kids have now been at Phil’s for over two hours waiting for us to return and we are still nowhere ready to head in that direction. Finally lunch arrives, the whole fish, head and eyes included (Liz called the birthday card and pointed the head in my direction) and we begin to eat. At close to five (now three hours since the kids were asked to be at the house) we finally begin our trek home. Side note: Liz, Phil and I have decided to head to Jinja tomorrow MORNING to do some shopping. Liz and I are adamant that this happens in the morning so that we can spend the afternoon with the kids. In the morning they are all in school so we wouldn’t be able to see them any way. So I am being steadfast that we leave early. As a result of this I am a little hesitant to have Susan as our driver. Mornings to Susan can mean anytime between 1-4 PM. So this was brought up at lunch (Scovia was with us as well) and Susan has insisted she can be on time. I continued to say I want to run on American time tomorrow. Scovia has promised me that she will throw Susan out of their house in time to be here by 9:30. With only four days left we want to spend all the time we have left with the kids so I am praying that just for this one time she will be an honorary American!
On the way back to Phil’s we make one more stop. This time we stop at a store and Susan asks us all to wait in the car. All I can think is this is more time away from the kids who by now have been waiting forever. After waiting another fifteen minutes in the car (which at this point felt like hours) we finally got back to the house…and there were all the kids. We took Liz back to our room and told her she had to stay there until someone came for her. Esther and Ida had baked cakes for her and for the kids to share to celebrate her big day. Once all twenty candles had been placed, Sylivia Nangobi and Paul Umo were sent back to get the birthday girl. But they were sent back with a blindfold. After they attempted to blindfold her unsuccessfully Liz finally blindfolded herself. They did lead her down the hallway and out the back door where all the kids greeted her. They then proceeded to sing Happy Birthday. Liz then helped Esther serve all the kids a little sliver of cake. It was a special moment and I’m sure it is a birthday she will remember for a long time. After the kids went home she came inside and opened a birthday present from Susan. I must say she was a little leary; you would be too if you knew Susan. She was sure that whatever it was, was going to jump out at her. But instead it was three little plastic, squeaky lambs; blue, pink and white. She keeps telling me she is going to annoy me all the way home on the plane. I may have to “lose” them between now and next Tuesday…
Before the kids left I wanted to leave them with a positive message of God’s love and the love that Liz and I both feel for them. Well I expected this to be a short and easy talk but my emotions got the best of me. I wanted them to know that God loves them and that unlike any human He will never leave them alone. That He is always there and He can always be counted on. I told them that Liz and I both believe very strongly in the Lord and that I hoped they would take the time to develop a relationship with him that would continue to grow through their lifetime. I also told them how thankful Liz and I were that we were here (about this time I lost it and the tears started streaming down my cheeks) and how much we love them; how precious they are; and how much we have loved spending time with them. I also told them that we are going to be so sad to leave them when we return home and that we would be praying for them and that they will always be in our hearts. As I looked around at their faces I realized how blessed I have been to have them be a part of my life. They are such a joyous group of kids. I certainly won’t remember all of them but there are many who have touched my heart in such a special way. And I will miss them terribly. It seems unbelievable that our time with them is coming to an end.
There have certainly been frustrating moments, sometimes frustrating days. We’ve run through a compendium of emotions but in the end we will be blessed to have spent the time with the kids. I am so thankful to God for the strength and the energy to have kept going day after day. He has taken me on a roller coaster ride – ups and downs. He has given me a friend for life in Liz. I will add her to my collection of daughters. Kari and Sam you still remain the only ones on my Christmas list!! I love you all.
Saturday, October 29, 2011
Dresses, Hats, and Trouble in all Shapes and Sizes...
As Phil and I were going through pictures last night very late in the evening putting names to all the faces of our precious kids, Little Lizzy was sitting across the table from me being her usual kind self. She was working on her blog while harassing me with a pencil that she had attached to the end of a stick. Every time I looked down at my computer screen this stick appeared out of nowhere and poked at me. She was not being kind! I’m guessing she had used it all up on the kids playing during the day…
The night ended with me making a formal complaint to management. Liz and I had been without light in our room since the second day of our arrival. We had pursued this with management (that would be Phil) several times and were assured that when there was enough power our lights would come back on. We believed this for a while but by last night I was no longer buying it. So I personally watched Phil take the light bulb out of the third room and replace it with the dead light bulb in ours. And miracle of all miracles we had light. Until today, that is, until the power actually went out. Then it was back to darkness!
So today we woke up and decided it was time to distribute the dresses and knit hats that were so graciously donated to us to bring on this trip. In between doing interviews Jenifer Kawudha, one of the sweetest girls around, and the daughter of Phil’s cook, helped me sort all the dresses into the different sizes. I was concerned there wouldn’t be any for the older girls, long enough for them to wear, but we solved that problem by offering them as blouses as well. The girls were thrilled to go through the piles and find one they each liked. As for the hats they were a great treat! And they all looked so cute once they put them on! The real little hats that are still remaining Liz and I plan to give to the neighbor babies. We have to do this inconspicuously so that no one feels left out. But what a joy it will be to give them to someone who really will use them and need them. It was so much fun watching them go through the trunk and get to pick out the dress and hat they wanted. What is remaining we will certainly give to someone in need before we leave.
And then it was time to proceed with the interviews. This process is taking much longer than I hoped it would but it is interesting to find out their backgrounds. I know I’ve said this before, but their histories just tear at my heart. Some of the stories are just gut wrenching. And then you look at their faces, and their smiles, and you just can’t understand how the two go together. The kids are so resilient. The other thing I find so interesting is that because the kids have all come to Phil’s at different times in their lives they are all at different levels of education. It is not at all unusual to see a young teenager still in primary school because they did not attend school at all as a younger child! These kids were often living on the street or being kept at home to watch the younger children. I’m in shock at the number of our kids who have been thrown out of their homes by their mothers or stepmothers for one reason or another. And I am not talking for disciplinary reasons. I am talking because they were unable to feed and care for them or simply because they did not want them anymore. And still we come and they smile. Some more easily than others but given time I can make them all smile. In spite of their backgrounds they are not afraid to love. I have found that true with the younger girls, but I have especially found that true with a group of the older girls. And even some of the older boys. I guess that has been the greatest part of the trip for me. Seeing the older kids smile!
During the interviews Emma and several of the older boys were helping to translate. Emma likes nothing better than to harass me (I think he’s taken lessons from Liz). So today he took his comb and started combing my hair. Now again, I don’t have much hair but I am very particular about people playing with it (just ask Steve)! So here he is doing all sorts of weird things to my hair and all I could think about was who else’s hair has he used that comb on! But I continued to sit here and let him do his thing! I have yet to figure out why he likes my hair and not Liz’s. She’s the one with the long beautiful hair!!
Then I’m sitting here minding my own business (you all know I am the good one) when I feel this thing on my neck. Now I think Liz is handing me back the key to our room (we lock it every time we leave since that is where we leave all our stuff) but no… I go to reach for it and it’s moving. Well I must have jumped a mile because next thing I know all the kids are laughing. Turns out it was a bright green grasshopper she had found outside! I know God talks about revenge but I don’t remember seeing anything about payback in the Bible. Little Lizzy better watch out!!!
We did get a lot of interviews done; in fact, we finally had to stop because our computers had died due to lack of power. It was also late and the kiddos had to go back and eat dinner…, which brings up the story of our dinner. Tonight we had chicken. Step one was going to the market to get the chicken (live chicken). Step two was bringing it home so Moses (the guard) could cut the head off. Step three was plucking all the feathers off. Step four (which I saw for the first time and couldn’t believe my eyes) was someone holding the whole chicken, by its feet, over an open flame on the gas stove while it browned. Step five was seeing the finished result and thinking to myself “I am not eating that” for the neck and everything else was included in the pot! So once again I dined on potatoes and noodles! Even Liz refused to eat the chicken and that definitely should tell you something about its quality!
Tomorrow is Sunday and that means another church day filled with singing and dancing. It will be our last Sunday here so I am hoping that we have a full day with the kiddos. Emma will be preaching in the morning for the first time and I am so excited to see how he does. He is so good with the kids – I just wish I would be able to understand his message. I hope to speak to the kids in the afternoon at the Bible study. I want to leave them with a positive message about how much our God loves them and what a pure joy it has been to be here and spend time with them. Jerri and Sam, Emma loved talking with you both today. He is such a good guy. You would be so proud of him.
May God bless you all. I love you and miss you.
The night ended with me making a formal complaint to management. Liz and I had been without light in our room since the second day of our arrival. We had pursued this with management (that would be Phil) several times and were assured that when there was enough power our lights would come back on. We believed this for a while but by last night I was no longer buying it. So I personally watched Phil take the light bulb out of the third room and replace it with the dead light bulb in ours. And miracle of all miracles we had light. Until today, that is, until the power actually went out. Then it was back to darkness!
So today we woke up and decided it was time to distribute the dresses and knit hats that were so graciously donated to us to bring on this trip. In between doing interviews Jenifer Kawudha, one of the sweetest girls around, and the daughter of Phil’s cook, helped me sort all the dresses into the different sizes. I was concerned there wouldn’t be any for the older girls, long enough for them to wear, but we solved that problem by offering them as blouses as well. The girls were thrilled to go through the piles and find one they each liked. As for the hats they were a great treat! And they all looked so cute once they put them on! The real little hats that are still remaining Liz and I plan to give to the neighbor babies. We have to do this inconspicuously so that no one feels left out. But what a joy it will be to give them to someone who really will use them and need them. It was so much fun watching them go through the trunk and get to pick out the dress and hat they wanted. What is remaining we will certainly give to someone in need before we leave.
And then it was time to proceed with the interviews. This process is taking much longer than I hoped it would but it is interesting to find out their backgrounds. I know I’ve said this before, but their histories just tear at my heart. Some of the stories are just gut wrenching. And then you look at their faces, and their smiles, and you just can’t understand how the two go together. The kids are so resilient. The other thing I find so interesting is that because the kids have all come to Phil’s at different times in their lives they are all at different levels of education. It is not at all unusual to see a young teenager still in primary school because they did not attend school at all as a younger child! These kids were often living on the street or being kept at home to watch the younger children. I’m in shock at the number of our kids who have been thrown out of their homes by their mothers or stepmothers for one reason or another. And I am not talking for disciplinary reasons. I am talking because they were unable to feed and care for them or simply because they did not want them anymore. And still we come and they smile. Some more easily than others but given time I can make them all smile. In spite of their backgrounds they are not afraid to love. I have found that true with the younger girls, but I have especially found that true with a group of the older girls. And even some of the older boys. I guess that has been the greatest part of the trip for me. Seeing the older kids smile!
During the interviews Emma and several of the older boys were helping to translate. Emma likes nothing better than to harass me (I think he’s taken lessons from Liz). So today he took his comb and started combing my hair. Now again, I don’t have much hair but I am very particular about people playing with it (just ask Steve)! So here he is doing all sorts of weird things to my hair and all I could think about was who else’s hair has he used that comb on! But I continued to sit here and let him do his thing! I have yet to figure out why he likes my hair and not Liz’s. She’s the one with the long beautiful hair!!
Then I’m sitting here minding my own business (you all know I am the good one) when I feel this thing on my neck. Now I think Liz is handing me back the key to our room (we lock it every time we leave since that is where we leave all our stuff) but no… I go to reach for it and it’s moving. Well I must have jumped a mile because next thing I know all the kids are laughing. Turns out it was a bright green grasshopper she had found outside! I know God talks about revenge but I don’t remember seeing anything about payback in the Bible. Little Lizzy better watch out!!!
We did get a lot of interviews done; in fact, we finally had to stop because our computers had died due to lack of power. It was also late and the kiddos had to go back and eat dinner…, which brings up the story of our dinner. Tonight we had chicken. Step one was going to the market to get the chicken (live chicken). Step two was bringing it home so Moses (the guard) could cut the head off. Step three was plucking all the feathers off. Step four (which I saw for the first time and couldn’t believe my eyes) was someone holding the whole chicken, by its feet, over an open flame on the gas stove while it browned. Step five was seeing the finished result and thinking to myself “I am not eating that” for the neck and everything else was included in the pot! So once again I dined on potatoes and noodles! Even Liz refused to eat the chicken and that definitely should tell you something about its quality!
Tomorrow is Sunday and that means another church day filled with singing and dancing. It will be our last Sunday here so I am hoping that we have a full day with the kiddos. Emma will be preaching in the morning for the first time and I am so excited to see how he does. He is so good with the kids – I just wish I would be able to understand his message. I hope to speak to the kids in the afternoon at the Bible study. I want to leave them with a positive message about how much our God loves them and what a pure joy it has been to be here and spend time with them. Jerri and Sam, Emma loved talking with you both today. He is such a good guy. You would be so proud of him.
May God bless you all. I love you and miss you.
Friday, October 28, 2011
Children of the Cross
Before I start with my story of today I want to take a moment and congratulate my daughter, Kari, on her new position as a Pediatric ICU nurse in Oklahoma City. I am so proud of you Babe and so proud to be your mother. I know God is going to use you in amazing ways!
Last night for the first time I woke up in the middle of the night really cold. I couldn’t get warm to save my life. I looked over at Little Lizzy and she was soundly sleeping so I quietly got up and turned down the fan and curled up under my blanket. It was my turn to have a sleepless night. I guess I was thinking of all the things we still want to accomplish in the short time we have left and wondering how we are going to get it all done. In the long run the difference in “time” would drive me nuts! The waiting game is not part of my DNA. Especially when I have a short time frame and a list of “wants” to get done. Not including the things on Liz’s list.
Our morning started with more kid interviews. But before they started I had a plan. I had seen a great picture on the Internet of a group of people who had used their hands to form the shape of a cross. I decided to do this with our kids. So outside Liz and I went with the camera. We had six kids arrange their hands so that when they were all hooked together they formed a perfect cross. That part in itself was not an easy task but they all enjoyed being a part of the project. I then lay on the ground underneath them (yes in my skirt, trying to be ladylike) in the middle of the kids and shot the image looking skyward. The final result is awesome. I will post it on Facebook tonight. It is such a neat representation of what we are trying to do here. To share the love of God and all he represents.
The interviews become more interesting the longer we do them. I am finding that kids are the same everywhere. They really only want people to know the good things about them and if there is nothing good to tell they will create a good story. One of our girls started telling us about her father who had died of AIDS. That was the good story. The truth was he had committed suicide. Two things struck me as so sad by this. First, that dying of AIDS is so prevalent here that to say a parent died of this disease is no big deal. Secondly, that here was this beautiful girl so ashamed by her background. The stories we continue to hear are so heartbreaking. And yet, I am continually amazed by how protective the children are of each other. They take care of each other in very loving ways. We did three interviews before Liz and I headed out to the kid’s house where we were suppose to meet Susan at one with the man selling the shower shoes. Today, as almost every day we’ve been here, was hot and humid. We walked the road with the little ones yelling Mzungu to us and waiving to us. When we got to the house we were both greeted by running hugs. And I mean running. There was no slowing down before they collided with our bodies. My back is paying for it tonight but it was so worth it. Both the big ones and the little ones now come in hopes of a hug and we are more than willing to comply with their wishes.
Today we took a smaller soccer ball for the little boys to play with. We’d already taken a bigger ball for the older kids and felt that the little guys deserved a chance. That plan did not work out so well. The ball was quickly taken out of the hands of the youngins and the older boys started a serious game of soccer. Since Susan was coming at one she had instructed the older kids not to return to school in the afternoon until she arrived. So Liz and I did what we do best. We played patty cake (over and over again) and then I taught them how to play the Hokey Pokey! I haven’t played that game in a million years! I think they had as much fun laughing at the two of us as they had playing. By three o’clock, with no Susan, Liz and I were beyond tired, and ready to head back to Phil’s for a short rest and recharge. So off we went.
Not long after returning to Casa Blanca Susan called and was finally on her way to the Kid’s house. It was now about 4 pm! So once again Liz and I headed that way with several of the kids that Phil had been interviewing. The only downside was that it was starting to rain. So our walk started with a few sprinkles landing our heads and ended with larger raindrops falling from the sky. By the time we got to the house and saw the shower shoes laid out on the ground the skies had opened up. The kids were all trying on shoes in the pouring rain while Liz and I tried to stay dry hiding under the one tree in the yard. You should all know we were not at all successful in this endeavor. Color doesn’t seem to be an issue with anyone. Little Adrian was there and he was so proud of his brand new bright pink shoes!! We were short by about 40 pair and we hope to finish up tomorrow but with this Uganda time that could mean anytime in the next week! By the time we left to finally come back the front play area was one big mud puddle. This did not deter Liz from stepping in the puddles and splashing me at every opportunity! She did wash my shoes when we got home and found great pleasure in dousing my feet with the very cold water to clean them off! She, too, is such a sweet child!!
The kid’s stories are really hard to hear. And yet, when you see them and talk to them, you wouldn’t know the kind of history they have. They all have such gentle spirits and I am going to miss them terribly when I leave. I can’t come close to knowing all their names but I do know each of them. They all have such distinct personalities, such beautiful smiles and such wonderful hearts. I love the hugs and the sincerity that comes with them. I wish I could bundle that up and bring back just a little piece for each of you so you could experience what all they have to give. They are an amazing group of kids; both the boys and the girls. The little ones want to play and the older ones want you to talk to them and listen. I hope I have given them all just a little of what they need.
I can see that we are wearing down. Each day is a challenge to keep going strong. Liz rejuvenates me with her humor and the kid’s with their love but I am tired. That is not to say that I would have changed this trip. I am so blessed to be here. So blessed to be traveling with Liz. But again, I wish there were so much more that I could do. I see our departure date arriving and they will once again be left here. I would love to sneak so many of them into my suitcase and bring them home. What a wonderful group of kids and I worry so much about all of their futures. I pray that God will protect them and guide them as they continue to grow. Please pray for them collectively and individually. They deserve that and so much more. I love you all.
Last night for the first time I woke up in the middle of the night really cold. I couldn’t get warm to save my life. I looked over at Little Lizzy and she was soundly sleeping so I quietly got up and turned down the fan and curled up under my blanket. It was my turn to have a sleepless night. I guess I was thinking of all the things we still want to accomplish in the short time we have left and wondering how we are going to get it all done. In the long run the difference in “time” would drive me nuts! The waiting game is not part of my DNA. Especially when I have a short time frame and a list of “wants” to get done. Not including the things on Liz’s list.
Our morning started with more kid interviews. But before they started I had a plan. I had seen a great picture on the Internet of a group of people who had used their hands to form the shape of a cross. I decided to do this with our kids. So outside Liz and I went with the camera. We had six kids arrange their hands so that when they were all hooked together they formed a perfect cross. That part in itself was not an easy task but they all enjoyed being a part of the project. I then lay on the ground underneath them (yes in my skirt, trying to be ladylike) in the middle of the kids and shot the image looking skyward. The final result is awesome. I will post it on Facebook tonight. It is such a neat representation of what we are trying to do here. To share the love of God and all he represents.
The interviews become more interesting the longer we do them. I am finding that kids are the same everywhere. They really only want people to know the good things about them and if there is nothing good to tell they will create a good story. One of our girls started telling us about her father who had died of AIDS. That was the good story. The truth was he had committed suicide. Two things struck me as so sad by this. First, that dying of AIDS is so prevalent here that to say a parent died of this disease is no big deal. Secondly, that here was this beautiful girl so ashamed by her background. The stories we continue to hear are so heartbreaking. And yet, I am continually amazed by how protective the children are of each other. They take care of each other in very loving ways. We did three interviews before Liz and I headed out to the kid’s house where we were suppose to meet Susan at one with the man selling the shower shoes. Today, as almost every day we’ve been here, was hot and humid. We walked the road with the little ones yelling Mzungu to us and waiving to us. When we got to the house we were both greeted by running hugs. And I mean running. There was no slowing down before they collided with our bodies. My back is paying for it tonight but it was so worth it. Both the big ones and the little ones now come in hopes of a hug and we are more than willing to comply with their wishes.
Today we took a smaller soccer ball for the little boys to play with. We’d already taken a bigger ball for the older kids and felt that the little guys deserved a chance. That plan did not work out so well. The ball was quickly taken out of the hands of the youngins and the older boys started a serious game of soccer. Since Susan was coming at one she had instructed the older kids not to return to school in the afternoon until she arrived. So Liz and I did what we do best. We played patty cake (over and over again) and then I taught them how to play the Hokey Pokey! I haven’t played that game in a million years! I think they had as much fun laughing at the two of us as they had playing. By three o’clock, with no Susan, Liz and I were beyond tired, and ready to head back to Phil’s for a short rest and recharge. So off we went.
Not long after returning to Casa Blanca Susan called and was finally on her way to the Kid’s house. It was now about 4 pm! So once again Liz and I headed that way with several of the kids that Phil had been interviewing. The only downside was that it was starting to rain. So our walk started with a few sprinkles landing our heads and ended with larger raindrops falling from the sky. By the time we got to the house and saw the shower shoes laid out on the ground the skies had opened up. The kids were all trying on shoes in the pouring rain while Liz and I tried to stay dry hiding under the one tree in the yard. You should all know we were not at all successful in this endeavor. Color doesn’t seem to be an issue with anyone. Little Adrian was there and he was so proud of his brand new bright pink shoes!! We were short by about 40 pair and we hope to finish up tomorrow but with this Uganda time that could mean anytime in the next week! By the time we left to finally come back the front play area was one big mud puddle. This did not deter Liz from stepping in the puddles and splashing me at every opportunity! She did wash my shoes when we got home and found great pleasure in dousing my feet with the very cold water to clean them off! She, too, is such a sweet child!!
The kid’s stories are really hard to hear. And yet, when you see them and talk to them, you wouldn’t know the kind of history they have. They all have such gentle spirits and I am going to miss them terribly when I leave. I can’t come close to knowing all their names but I do know each of them. They all have such distinct personalities, such beautiful smiles and such wonderful hearts. I love the hugs and the sincerity that comes with them. I wish I could bundle that up and bring back just a little piece for each of you so you could experience what all they have to give. They are an amazing group of kids; both the boys and the girls. The little ones want to play and the older ones want you to talk to them and listen. I hope I have given them all just a little of what they need.
I can see that we are wearing down. Each day is a challenge to keep going strong. Liz rejuvenates me with her humor and the kid’s with their love but I am tired. That is not to say that I would have changed this trip. I am so blessed to be here. So blessed to be traveling with Liz. But again, I wish there were so much more that I could do. I see our departure date arriving and they will once again be left here. I would love to sneak so many of them into my suitcase and bring them home. What a wonderful group of kids and I worry so much about all of their futures. I pray that God will protect them and guide them as they continue to grow. Please pray for them collectively and individually. They deserve that and so much more. I love you all.
Thursday, October 27, 2011
A DAY OF DOUBLE BLESSINGS...
The final thing I said to Steve last night after hanging up with him early was that I was headed to bed. I was very tired and worn out. But little did I know that it was to be the latest night yet. Little Lizzy does not like to be alone in a room and I really don’t like to leave her to her own devices. So after I finished blogging I gave her my computer and you would have she was writing a novel. First came the outline, then the giggles and then the first draft, and then more giggles and then the final draft. Did I mention this was followed by even more giggles? She was very proud of that blog!! Then she had to answer an email from John. Followed by several other emails and then Facebook. Meanwhile if there had been soup I would have been sleeping in it! Finally we went to bed. While all this typing was going on Phil and I headed down the street to buy some drinks in the dark. What I failed to remember was the puddles. Next thing I hear is Phil repeating, “Sue, Sue, Sue”. Ok, that was good but maybe he could have mentioned why he was calling my name. Before the warning came out I stepped into this huge puddle and was covered with mud up to my calf. I was black all over. The people in the street thought this was a great source of humor. Having been the brunt of jokes all day, I figured this was just another one to add to the mix. The good news is that when I finally got into bed, I was asleep in no time at all. I missed the thunder and lightening. I missed the lights going out and the fan going off. I missed Liz tossing and turning all night long. I slept like a baby!
And then today started. Susan’s last words last night were that she would be here by ten. So we got up and were ready to leave by then only to wait…and wait…and wait. My shower this morning had consistent pressure but it was NOT hot. I am so excited to get into a shower and know the water will be hot for the whole time! It is the little things that I use to take for granted that I am no so thankful for! Anyway, Susan finally called around one to say she was getting ready! Getting ready! Now does that sound like anything like ten? At around 2 she showed up and had Adrian and Obama with her. Obama was here last year periodically but was a very little baby. He is now almost three and no longer cries when he sees Mzungus. In fact he has a beautiful little smile. Adrian is the little boy who has stolen my heart. Our journey was to go out and meet Adrian’s grandmother and see where he lives. I thought this was going to be a short journey into town. But I was, oh, so wrong. Susan led us down the road toward Jinja and then veered off to the left and drove deeper and deeper through little villages. We stopped along the way and bought bugoyas (sweet bananas) off a street vendor. I did venture to try this and took a bite but decided after yesterdays adventure I better be careful. The total drive probably took a little over an hour as she swerved left and right avoiding potholes and oncoming traffic. Halfway there I decided that seatbelts were really a good idea and I quietly and inconspicuously slipped mine on. We drove through some rice fields so the land was flooded and then over some roads that were not fit for cars. I kept being amazed that we could get through! When Susan finally stopped the car we were in the middle of nowhere and I was wishing I ‘d brought breadcrumbs to find my way home. We went into this house and met Adrian’s grandmother (who couldn’t have been more than 40). It is customary here that if you visit someone in their home they feed you. Fortunately (and this is my first blessing) Susan told her I was sick (Hallelujah for yesterday) and that I couldn’t eat anything. Yeah for me!! Otherwise it would have been a huge insult not to eat! When the food came out I was doing a silent dance inside. The rice they served each person could have fed four of us back home. And then came the meat. All I could think of was I couldn’t tell what it was by sight and I couldn’t tell what it was by smell. What I could tell was that it looked worse than it smelled and there was no way I would have been able to stomach it. Liz however, didn’t fare so well. She served herself some rice and then silently backed away before the meat could be served. I was so proud of her tactics. But that was only the first stop!
Every time we go somewhere we attract the village children especially once I pull out the camera. This village was no different. When we drove up I didn’t see many kids but within a few minutes they were everywhere. And they all wanted a picture. Their faces are all so cute. What amazes me every time I see it is children taking care of children. It is so common for five and six year olds to be toting young babies around. And I’m not talking about for a few minutes. I’m talking about them being responsible for the entire day. They are cute as the dickens but I can’t imagine giving that kind of responsibility to our children at home.
Then we went to visit Susan’s aunt (her father’s sister) and she lives even further out in the boondocks. Her house was rather nice once we found it though the chickens kept walking through while we were there. She had corn drying from the rafters so she can plant the kernels. Here again they served us food as their guests and here again I pulled the sick card. Hallelujah again! This time they served matooke (which is like eating Elmers glue mixed with mush) in some weird sauce. Liz was again served a portion and hers came with a little bug! This did not make her day! Liz and I were granted chairs to sit on while the family was seated on mats on the floor. That is always so strange to me. At least this time the family stayed in the room while they served the guests. But they did not eat with us…, which they never do when they serve guest. In fact, usually they don’t even stay in the room while the guests are eating. Meanwhile little Obama and Adrian ate it all at both places. They kept shoveling it into their mouths like there was no tomorrow! I can’t believe how much that little boy can eat!
The second blessing of the day was getting to spend time with Adrian. He is such a blessing to me. He just smiles all the time and he is such a special little guy. He has wormed his way into my heart and I just love spending time with him. I gave him an A&M shirt yesterday and today he was still proudly wearing it. I just enjoyed spending the time with him. He talks to me like I understand everything he is saying and the language barrier doesn’t matter to him. On the way home tonight he fell asleep in my lap.
Meanwhile while we were gone Phil continued to do some of the interviews for me which is a huge help. We just finished dinner of chicken (which reminds me that on the way home we had a live chicken with it’s legs tied riding in the back of the car), rice and potatoes. I’m going to leave you with something I read today that I really liked:
Only he that has traveled the road
Knows where the holes are deep.
Today is the first day of our second two weeks. I will be the first to say that a month is a long time to be away from friends and family. I miss you all very much. I hope that Liz and I are doing God’s work. I pray every night that He will show us the way. Some days I feel we have done nothing productive and feel a day has gone by wasted. I hope in those days that we have touched just one child. Now more than ever we need your prayers. We are both working from exhaustion, our emotions are raw and we want to love on our kids with abundance in the time we have left. I love you all.
And then today started. Susan’s last words last night were that she would be here by ten. So we got up and were ready to leave by then only to wait…and wait…and wait. My shower this morning had consistent pressure but it was NOT hot. I am so excited to get into a shower and know the water will be hot for the whole time! It is the little things that I use to take for granted that I am no so thankful for! Anyway, Susan finally called around one to say she was getting ready! Getting ready! Now does that sound like anything like ten? At around 2 she showed up and had Adrian and Obama with her. Obama was here last year periodically but was a very little baby. He is now almost three and no longer cries when he sees Mzungus. In fact he has a beautiful little smile. Adrian is the little boy who has stolen my heart. Our journey was to go out and meet Adrian’s grandmother and see where he lives. I thought this was going to be a short journey into town. But I was, oh, so wrong. Susan led us down the road toward Jinja and then veered off to the left and drove deeper and deeper through little villages. We stopped along the way and bought bugoyas (sweet bananas) off a street vendor. I did venture to try this and took a bite but decided after yesterdays adventure I better be careful. The total drive probably took a little over an hour as she swerved left and right avoiding potholes and oncoming traffic. Halfway there I decided that seatbelts were really a good idea and I quietly and inconspicuously slipped mine on. We drove through some rice fields so the land was flooded and then over some roads that were not fit for cars. I kept being amazed that we could get through! When Susan finally stopped the car we were in the middle of nowhere and I was wishing I ‘d brought breadcrumbs to find my way home. We went into this house and met Adrian’s grandmother (who couldn’t have been more than 40). It is customary here that if you visit someone in their home they feed you. Fortunately (and this is my first blessing) Susan told her I was sick (Hallelujah for yesterday) and that I couldn’t eat anything. Yeah for me!! Otherwise it would have been a huge insult not to eat! When the food came out I was doing a silent dance inside. The rice they served each person could have fed four of us back home. And then came the meat. All I could think of was I couldn’t tell what it was by sight and I couldn’t tell what it was by smell. What I could tell was that it looked worse than it smelled and there was no way I would have been able to stomach it. Liz however, didn’t fare so well. She served herself some rice and then silently backed away before the meat could be served. I was so proud of her tactics. But that was only the first stop!
Every time we go somewhere we attract the village children especially once I pull out the camera. This village was no different. When we drove up I didn’t see many kids but within a few minutes they were everywhere. And they all wanted a picture. Their faces are all so cute. What amazes me every time I see it is children taking care of children. It is so common for five and six year olds to be toting young babies around. And I’m not talking about for a few minutes. I’m talking about them being responsible for the entire day. They are cute as the dickens but I can’t imagine giving that kind of responsibility to our children at home.
Then we went to visit Susan’s aunt (her father’s sister) and she lives even further out in the boondocks. Her house was rather nice once we found it though the chickens kept walking through while we were there. She had corn drying from the rafters so she can plant the kernels. Here again they served us food as their guests and here again I pulled the sick card. Hallelujah again! This time they served matooke (which is like eating Elmers glue mixed with mush) in some weird sauce. Liz was again served a portion and hers came with a little bug! This did not make her day! Liz and I were granted chairs to sit on while the family was seated on mats on the floor. That is always so strange to me. At least this time the family stayed in the room while they served the guests. But they did not eat with us…, which they never do when they serve guest. In fact, usually they don’t even stay in the room while the guests are eating. Meanwhile little Obama and Adrian ate it all at both places. They kept shoveling it into their mouths like there was no tomorrow! I can’t believe how much that little boy can eat!
The second blessing of the day was getting to spend time with Adrian. He is such a blessing to me. He just smiles all the time and he is such a special little guy. He has wormed his way into my heart and I just love spending time with him. I gave him an A&M shirt yesterday and today he was still proudly wearing it. I just enjoyed spending the time with him. He talks to me like I understand everything he is saying and the language barrier doesn’t matter to him. On the way home tonight he fell asleep in my lap.
Meanwhile while we were gone Phil continued to do some of the interviews for me which is a huge help. We just finished dinner of chicken (which reminds me that on the way home we had a live chicken with it’s legs tied riding in the back of the car), rice and potatoes. I’m going to leave you with something I read today that I really liked:
Only he that has traveled the road
Knows where the holes are deep.
Today is the first day of our second two weeks. I will be the first to say that a month is a long time to be away from friends and family. I miss you all very much. I hope that Liz and I are doing God’s work. I pray every night that He will show us the way. Some days I feel we have done nothing productive and feel a day has gone by wasted. I hope in those days that we have touched just one child. Now more than ever we need your prayers. We are both working from exhaustion, our emotions are raw and we want to love on our kids with abundance in the time we have left. I love you all.
Wednesday, October 26, 2011
A Most Unwelcome Visitor...
This morning we woke up to the sound of a screaming child. I thought it was the baby from across the street who cries all the time, but instead it was Mama Jonah’s little boy, who is seven. He has a massive ear infection and is running a high fever and is in major pain. All I could think of was my daughter, Kari, when she was an infant and having the same problem. Because she also had a digestive problem, the ear problem was overlooked for months. When we finally put tubes in her ears she smiled for the first time in her life and she has never looked back. Unfortunately Phil has said they don’t do tubes here so basically the problem has to be treated each and every time it occurs. The screaming was from sheer pain. So Phil put him in the shower to reduce his fever at the same time I was showering. As a result he got the all the water and I stood there lathered from head to toe with not even a drip. I couldn’t even open my eyes because I had just washed my face. So there I stood! My first lesson in patience and it was still so early in the morning. A friend once warned me never to pray for patience but to instead pray for grace. I am beginning to fully understand her words! So Phil and I then began our medical research…where else but on the Internet and have determined that the next step is to start him on Amoxicillin. Right now he is sleeping soundly in Phil’s bed…Hallelujah!
Liz and I then headed out to the kid’s house thinking we might begin the painting process. Liz wants to paint Bible verses on the walls in the rooms. This sounded like a much easier process than it is turning out to be. For starters, Phil wants all the walls in the bedrooms painted white before we begin. This is a huge project in itself as there are 14 bedrooms altogether. Liz has selected beautiful verses to go on the walls – I am so proud of her for spending the time picking them out. She put a lot of time into this project and I really hope that it can come to fruition. She plans to paint the words in big letters, for example, “Love” and underneath it in smaller print she will put the Bible verse it came from, in this case Jeremiah 31:3. The words she has chosen are Mighty (Zephaniah 3:17); Follow (Luke 9:23); Live (2 Corinthians 5:15); Faith (Hebrews 11:1); Beauty (1 Peter 3:3-4); Purpose (Jeremiah 29:11-13); Comfort (John 16:33); Serve (Luke 1:38); Courage (1 Corinthians 16:13-14); Grace (Ephesians 1:7); Strength (Psalms 18:31-32); Thankful (Colossians 3:15-17); Encouragement (Isaiah 41:10); Hope (Romans 8:28); Truth (John 8:31-32); and, Wisdom (Matthew 7:24-27). Since starting to write we have come up with a solution. We’ve decided it would be better to paint these on the outside walls so that all the children can view them. Susan is going to make sure that they are correctly plastered tomorrow and we will allow a few days for drying before we begin. Starting Monday Liz and I are going to be doing the flight of the bumblebee. We hope to do the painting in the mornings while the kids are in school so we can surprise them when they come home. Liz is so excited about doing this and I will be her indentured servant, which I’m sure she will take great pleasure in!
This time I took my good camera and a little digital camera I brought with me thinking I’d maintain control of at least one of them. I don’t know what I was thinking! I no sooner got there both were taken from me by the kids – they love taking snaps! We got there just in time for lunch and had the pleasure of watching Jesca and Steven fill their plates to the brim with posha and beans. I am constantly amazed by how much the little ones can eat. They still have that poverty mentality. I think they are afraid that there won’t be another meal in their future. Then it was time to gather ten children to bring back to Casa Blanca to continue the interviews. This was quite a process. I kept trying to coral them in English and they kept running away to play. I think the lack of a common language was definitely at my disadvantage. No sooner would I gather two one would disappear! Finally I got smart and asked one of the older kids to gather the children. Surprisingly within minutes we were ready to go. By this time the Liz and I were about to pass out with the heat. So we gathered our flock and headed back. I started to head back down the road and they all looked at me like I was nuts. With that they headed through the maze fields dragging me with them. Turned out it was a short cut – who would have thunk it! Meanwhile Sumaya still has my camera and I am talking with John Bosco (who’s English is really good). I told him that later in the day if he will tug on my shirtsleeve to remind me, we will call Brian and Courtney. We were carrying on a really normal conversation in English that for just a little while I forgot that I was half way around the world. As we approached Phil’s house it dawns on me that the young lady with my camera is nowhere in sight. Phil and Susan immediately send me back out in search of her saying that in Iganga the cost of my camera is enough to buy a car! It is safe to say that just a little anxiety begins to creep in! And so I head out in search of the camera to be met at every turn by the sight of nothing. Not a child in sight! At this point in my mind I’m beginning to come up with the story that I am going to be telling to Steve when one of our other kids comes up to me and tells me that my camera (and the girl…yes, in that order) are both at Phils. I am so glad that it turned out that way because I have never once doubted our kids and I sure didn’t want to start now. I trust them implicitly. So when I finish blogging tonight I can’t wait to see all the pictures that were taken. I think throughout the whole day I only took about ten! But I know there are more because I’ve gone through four batteries!!
Back at the house Susan, Liz and I left Phil to do the interviews while we gathered up a group of kids to head back to the market for more shoes. Fortunately for this first trip we had a mixture of young and older children. We got to the market and no sooner had I gotten out of the car than Montezuma’s revenge decided to hit. Now you all need to take a minute to envision this. We are in the middle of a market a good five-minute drive from the house if there are no cows in the road. There is not a restroom any where in sight and we have seven kids with us all running to the vendor in anticipation of getting new shoes. And I know if I make a single move I am going to regret it for the rest of my life. So I kindly (OK, maybe a little loudly) ask Liz to PLEASE get Susan. And she does at a speed, which to me looks like a turtle. Finally, after what seems like hours, she comes back with Susan and they are both laughing hysterically. You have to know I was not laughing. But Little Lizzy was thoroughly enjoying the moment. We left the kids to look at the shoes and headed home. I think Susan made the qualifying time for the Indy 500 and as we approached Phil’s gate not more than 3 minutes later she practically pushed Liz out the door and told her to get the key to our room. At this point Liz was doubled over with laughter. Needless to say I stayed home and did interviews while Susan and Liz did the first two runs for shoes. I did manage to make the third and final run of the day but I have to say my prayer for the day is that I live long enough to laugh as hard at Liz as she laughed at me. Somewhere along the way whatever respect I had is gone. All she does now is laugh. Good thing laughter is good for the soul!!
We have finished the shoe shopping with the exception of a few kids who were nowhere to be found today. We hope to catch up with them tomorrow and be done for good. We still have money left and I hope to be able to buy each child a pair of shower shoes as well. This time, however, we are going to bring the vendor to the children’s house if possible. Carting that many kids to the market place was fun once but it was an exhausting experience. Susan is going to look around and see if one of the vendors will be willing to make the trip. Once we get all the details we will make a decision. I will keep you posted on what we do.
After that we came home and I no sooner walked in the door John Bosco came up and tugged on my sleeve. He is such a great guy and he was thrilled to be able to talk to both of you, Courtney and Brian. He has been a tremendous help to us while here and it has been wonderful to get to know him. Jaimie, Paul Aloko was also very excited to hear your voice. He, too, waited at Phil’s all day to make sure he was here at 5 so he could call. You guys are all very special to these boys.
I am going to go now so Liz has a chance to blog. The day has been a long one and feeling sick has not helped. But seeing the kids always brightens my day. Angela Kitasala ran up to me on her way to school and gave me a big hug. It is the little things that make my day. I love you all. Shalom.
Liz and I then headed out to the kid’s house thinking we might begin the painting process. Liz wants to paint Bible verses on the walls in the rooms. This sounded like a much easier process than it is turning out to be. For starters, Phil wants all the walls in the bedrooms painted white before we begin. This is a huge project in itself as there are 14 bedrooms altogether. Liz has selected beautiful verses to go on the walls – I am so proud of her for spending the time picking them out. She put a lot of time into this project and I really hope that it can come to fruition. She plans to paint the words in big letters, for example, “Love” and underneath it in smaller print she will put the Bible verse it came from, in this case Jeremiah 31:3. The words she has chosen are Mighty (Zephaniah 3:17); Follow (Luke 9:23); Live (2 Corinthians 5:15); Faith (Hebrews 11:1); Beauty (1 Peter 3:3-4); Purpose (Jeremiah 29:11-13); Comfort (John 16:33); Serve (Luke 1:38); Courage (1 Corinthians 16:13-14); Grace (Ephesians 1:7); Strength (Psalms 18:31-32); Thankful (Colossians 3:15-17); Encouragement (Isaiah 41:10); Hope (Romans 8:28); Truth (John 8:31-32); and, Wisdom (Matthew 7:24-27). Since starting to write we have come up with a solution. We’ve decided it would be better to paint these on the outside walls so that all the children can view them. Susan is going to make sure that they are correctly plastered tomorrow and we will allow a few days for drying before we begin. Starting Monday Liz and I are going to be doing the flight of the bumblebee. We hope to do the painting in the mornings while the kids are in school so we can surprise them when they come home. Liz is so excited about doing this and I will be her indentured servant, which I’m sure she will take great pleasure in!
This time I took my good camera and a little digital camera I brought with me thinking I’d maintain control of at least one of them. I don’t know what I was thinking! I no sooner got there both were taken from me by the kids – they love taking snaps! We got there just in time for lunch and had the pleasure of watching Jesca and Steven fill their plates to the brim with posha and beans. I am constantly amazed by how much the little ones can eat. They still have that poverty mentality. I think they are afraid that there won’t be another meal in their future. Then it was time to gather ten children to bring back to Casa Blanca to continue the interviews. This was quite a process. I kept trying to coral them in English and they kept running away to play. I think the lack of a common language was definitely at my disadvantage. No sooner would I gather two one would disappear! Finally I got smart and asked one of the older kids to gather the children. Surprisingly within minutes we were ready to go. By this time the Liz and I were about to pass out with the heat. So we gathered our flock and headed back. I started to head back down the road and they all looked at me like I was nuts. With that they headed through the maze fields dragging me with them. Turned out it was a short cut – who would have thunk it! Meanwhile Sumaya still has my camera and I am talking with John Bosco (who’s English is really good). I told him that later in the day if he will tug on my shirtsleeve to remind me, we will call Brian and Courtney. We were carrying on a really normal conversation in English that for just a little while I forgot that I was half way around the world. As we approached Phil’s house it dawns on me that the young lady with my camera is nowhere in sight. Phil and Susan immediately send me back out in search of her saying that in Iganga the cost of my camera is enough to buy a car! It is safe to say that just a little anxiety begins to creep in! And so I head out in search of the camera to be met at every turn by the sight of nothing. Not a child in sight! At this point in my mind I’m beginning to come up with the story that I am going to be telling to Steve when one of our other kids comes up to me and tells me that my camera (and the girl…yes, in that order) are both at Phils. I am so glad that it turned out that way because I have never once doubted our kids and I sure didn’t want to start now. I trust them implicitly. So when I finish blogging tonight I can’t wait to see all the pictures that were taken. I think throughout the whole day I only took about ten! But I know there are more because I’ve gone through four batteries!!
Back at the house Susan, Liz and I left Phil to do the interviews while we gathered up a group of kids to head back to the market for more shoes. Fortunately for this first trip we had a mixture of young and older children. We got to the market and no sooner had I gotten out of the car than Montezuma’s revenge decided to hit. Now you all need to take a minute to envision this. We are in the middle of a market a good five-minute drive from the house if there are no cows in the road. There is not a restroom any where in sight and we have seven kids with us all running to the vendor in anticipation of getting new shoes. And I know if I make a single move I am going to regret it for the rest of my life. So I kindly (OK, maybe a little loudly) ask Liz to PLEASE get Susan. And she does at a speed, which to me looks like a turtle. Finally, after what seems like hours, she comes back with Susan and they are both laughing hysterically. You have to know I was not laughing. But Little Lizzy was thoroughly enjoying the moment. We left the kids to look at the shoes and headed home. I think Susan made the qualifying time for the Indy 500 and as we approached Phil’s gate not more than 3 minutes later she practically pushed Liz out the door and told her to get the key to our room. At this point Liz was doubled over with laughter. Needless to say I stayed home and did interviews while Susan and Liz did the first two runs for shoes. I did manage to make the third and final run of the day but I have to say my prayer for the day is that I live long enough to laugh as hard at Liz as she laughed at me. Somewhere along the way whatever respect I had is gone. All she does now is laugh. Good thing laughter is good for the soul!!
We have finished the shoe shopping with the exception of a few kids who were nowhere to be found today. We hope to catch up with them tomorrow and be done for good. We still have money left and I hope to be able to buy each child a pair of shower shoes as well. This time, however, we are going to bring the vendor to the children’s house if possible. Carting that many kids to the market place was fun once but it was an exhausting experience. Susan is going to look around and see if one of the vendors will be willing to make the trip. Once we get all the details we will make a decision. I will keep you posted on what we do.
After that we came home and I no sooner walked in the door John Bosco came up and tugged on my sleeve. He is such a great guy and he was thrilled to be able to talk to both of you, Courtney and Brian. He has been a tremendous help to us while here and it has been wonderful to get to know him. Jaimie, Paul Aloko was also very excited to hear your voice. He, too, waited at Phil’s all day to make sure he was here at 5 so he could call. You guys are all very special to these boys.
I am going to go now so Liz has a chance to blog. The day has been a long one and feeling sick has not helped. But seeing the kids always brightens my day. Angela Kitasala ran up to me on her way to school and gave me a big hug. It is the little things that make my day. I love you all. Shalom.
Tuesday, October 25, 2011
A Million Pictures Taken... Half a Million Deleted!
I have to say before I start blogging tonight that we are all tired so this will probably not be very long. Susan is sick again (we are hoping it is not with Typhoid) so we did not do any shoe shopping; instead the kids came over and we did more interviews. I want to give you all a picture of what this looks like. First, and foremost, you have to realize that the majority of the children do not speak English - therefore we need an older child to translate. As a result, the questions we ask have to be pretty simple and stated quite simply. We bring the children over in groups of about 10-20. But today it seemed we had so many more than that. The little ones all stayed outside in the front playing. We threw out a ball (a soft small ball) and they were entertained for hours. The bigger kids came into the house with us and altogether there must have been at least twelve. And that meant at least six different conversations going on at once inside not to mention what was taking place outside the wide open window. Meanwhile the one being interviewed spoke in the softest voice possible. Trying to hear the answer among all the noise was really difficult. Not only in terms of hearing what they were saying but in terms of what they were telling us. One of the girls, as Phil was relaying the story that he already had about her parents, was reading his computer screen when she started crying. The tears were from her reading her own story! Its not that she didn't know the story it was that she was reading it again and it brought it all home to her. Phil just reached out and hugged her until she was able to get herself back in control. It was a really gentle moment. While this was taking place the chaos around us continued. None of the other kids in the room were touched by the show of emotion. I was however. I wanted to reach out and give her a really big hug. When the interview was over I did get a chance to hug her and she just wept into my arms. It was emotional for me needless to say.
It has been a very emotional day here. I think we are exhausted and that is playing into the overall feeling. The kids continue to lift our spirits every time we see them. They love the camera and I tend to lose control of it every day. The interesting thing is they are so excited to play with it that they don't really care what they are taking pictures of. So at the end of the day when I look back at the photos there is no telling what I may find. Usually I see pictures of the ground, the refrigerator, and this awful looking fake pink flower arrangement that Phil has. I also get a lot of headless children (I have a hard enough time identifying them when they have heads). The thing they love the most is seeing their image after the picture has been taken. They all crowd around and grab at the camera to be the first to see. Every night Phil and I sit down and we identify who all the children are - something I didn't do last year and lived to regret. I hate to say it but there are still so many I recognize but cannot put a name to a face. But then I am not very good at doing that a home either so it is just an overall character flaw!!
I am starting to see that my goal of updating all the profiles may have been overly ambitious. I am still doing my best to fulfill that goal but honestly I don't know if it will be possible. The interviews with the kids are taking much longer than expected partly because of the language barrier and partly because the stories are so difficult to understand. The kids don't really know their history and so trying to piece it together does take time - a commodity we don't have a lot of. Most of the kids really don't know their age either so we are doing our best to figure that out as we go. Interviewing two kids from the same family does not necessarily generate the same story! And since we are using a translator we can only hope that we are getting the right story and it is not becoming a game of telephone. At best we are getting five or six done a day.
We still have our twenty two kids to buy shoes for. Depending on how Susan is feeling I hope to finish that up tomorrow but I am learning the meaning of patience. This was supposed to be finished yesterday and still we are waiting...So I am learning to wait on God's timing which I am learning is often NOT MY timing! The kids we have bought shoes for were very excited to get them and I want to make sure that we share this experience with all of them.
Jerri Shelton, since you are now so computer literate, (I feel as one non-computer person I can say this to another) if you will email me your cell phone number I will do my best to get both Emma and Wilson Bombo to call. It was not my intent to have all the kids call but word has spread here and the kids are all so excited to call "home" that how can I refuse them that simple pleasure. The call would come in to you around 9 AM as the kids would then have to be back at the children's home in time to eat dinner. Brian Garrison, Vicki Marquez and Jaimie Piatnik we have not forgotten about your kids.
In closing another day has come and gone in Iganga. Each day begins with new hopes and dreams. Tomorrow Liz and Phil are going to start a Bible study with a group of about 11 kids, both boys and girls. The good thing about starting this so late in our stay is that we have had a chance to get to know the kids and their personalities. We are both so excited about the girls in the group - they are a wonderful group of women. And having just seen the boys list they a great group as well. Liz is going to take the girls and Phil will lead the boys. I plan to sit in with Liz and listen. But this is her deal and I am so excited to see her in action. I know she will do great and will be a wonderful example to the girls.
My prayer for tonight is health for Susan, rest for the three of us, and God's will for tomorrow. Shalom.
It has been a very emotional day here. I think we are exhausted and that is playing into the overall feeling. The kids continue to lift our spirits every time we see them. They love the camera and I tend to lose control of it every day. The interesting thing is they are so excited to play with it that they don't really care what they are taking pictures of. So at the end of the day when I look back at the photos there is no telling what I may find. Usually I see pictures of the ground, the refrigerator, and this awful looking fake pink flower arrangement that Phil has. I also get a lot of headless children (I have a hard enough time identifying them when they have heads). The thing they love the most is seeing their image after the picture has been taken. They all crowd around and grab at the camera to be the first to see. Every night Phil and I sit down and we identify who all the children are - something I didn't do last year and lived to regret. I hate to say it but there are still so many I recognize but cannot put a name to a face. But then I am not very good at doing that a home either so it is just an overall character flaw!!
I am starting to see that my goal of updating all the profiles may have been overly ambitious. I am still doing my best to fulfill that goal but honestly I don't know if it will be possible. The interviews with the kids are taking much longer than expected partly because of the language barrier and partly because the stories are so difficult to understand. The kids don't really know their history and so trying to piece it together does take time - a commodity we don't have a lot of. Most of the kids really don't know their age either so we are doing our best to figure that out as we go. Interviewing two kids from the same family does not necessarily generate the same story! And since we are using a translator we can only hope that we are getting the right story and it is not becoming a game of telephone. At best we are getting five or six done a day.
We still have our twenty two kids to buy shoes for. Depending on how Susan is feeling I hope to finish that up tomorrow but I am learning the meaning of patience. This was supposed to be finished yesterday and still we are waiting...So I am learning to wait on God's timing which I am learning is often NOT MY timing! The kids we have bought shoes for were very excited to get them and I want to make sure that we share this experience with all of them.
Jerri Shelton, since you are now so computer literate, (I feel as one non-computer person I can say this to another) if you will email me your cell phone number I will do my best to get both Emma and Wilson Bombo to call. It was not my intent to have all the kids call but word has spread here and the kids are all so excited to call "home" that how can I refuse them that simple pleasure. The call would come in to you around 9 AM as the kids would then have to be back at the children's home in time to eat dinner. Brian Garrison, Vicki Marquez and Jaimie Piatnik we have not forgotten about your kids.
In closing another day has come and gone in Iganga. Each day begins with new hopes and dreams. Tomorrow Liz and Phil are going to start a Bible study with a group of about 11 kids, both boys and girls. The good thing about starting this so late in our stay is that we have had a chance to get to know the kids and their personalities. We are both so excited about the girls in the group - they are a wonderful group of women. And having just seen the boys list they a great group as well. Liz is going to take the girls and Phil will lead the boys. I plan to sit in with Liz and listen. But this is her deal and I am so excited to see her in action. I know she will do great and will be a wonderful example to the girls.
My prayer for tonight is health for Susan, rest for the three of us, and God's will for tomorrow. Shalom.
Monday, October 24, 2011
Kids, kids and More Kids....
Today was a day filled with kids! It poured last night and Susan was uninspired to go shopping for shoes in the mud and Phil had taken the older children to continue their exams. So that left Little Lizzy and I to our own devices. We quickly decided that what we needed most was a day of kids and laughter. So we put on skirts we liked the least, white shirts (what were we thinking) and headed down the muddy road to the kid’s house. As we got close several of them greeted us with hugs and led us by our hands into the gate. We took with us today two of the balls; a volleyball and a soccer ball. That was all it took to light up their faces. Once we got there we found a hand pump and blew the balls up. It didn’t take long for the balls to disappear and the games to begin. I had taken my camera with me but before I knew it someone had taken it from my neck and started clicking away. So I decided to join in the fun. I played patty cake until I didn’t think I could raise my arms another minute. Those little girls can play forever without ever losing a beat! As soon as I finished one game there was another little girl to take the place of the one I’d just finished playing. Meanwhile the boys were playing “football” barefoot and knocking the heck out of the ball. There was no mercy on either side of the ball. And you better stay out of their way because they were not looking out for you! Sadly, the bigger boys were not letting the little boys play. They were forced to play with the girls! Remember the rain I talked about earlier. Well imagine the playing surface one big mud puddle. Being oblivious as I usually am when I’m taking pictures, I got severely splattered when the ball landed in the puddle right by where I am standing. So much for my white shirt! But it was worth it to hear all the little girls giggle at me.
We went back to Phil’s house in the middle of the day. It started out as Liz and I going back, but before we knew it we had a following of kids. As it turned out the timing was perfect. Phil had just returned from the school and so we were able to do a few more interviews. We have some very interesting stories to go with our children. I also am realizing for the first time how many siblings we have. Because surnames are not the same (parents can chose their child’s surname) I never realized the kids were related. We are trying to find out some things about the kids but interestingly enough some of them know very little about their past or about their parents.
When we finished with this Liz and I hiked back to the kid’s house, though this time the kids showed us a short cut. I will never take it by myself. I’ve been here almost two weeks and I’ve just now mastered the main way to go. So I will take no chances. It is fun to go down the road and hear all the little kids yelling “Mzungu” as we pass by. And they are all now feeling comfortable enough to run up to us. One little girl (about three) runs out of the woodwork and poses for me every time I walk by. This time I stayed in control of my camera and the kids could not stop posing for photos. I was exhausted from snapping pictures. Everyone wanted a picture of themselves with their best friend. Over and over they yelled “Sue” and tugged on my dirt-covered shirt.
As we left to come home tonight for the final time we still had several followers. Paul Losiya, Peter Longoli, Eliya Umo and Moses Okere all wanted to call their sponsors. Several of the other boys followed us to a grass football field where they stopped and pulled out their make shift soccer ball to play. Eliya called Nicole but then became frustrated because he couldn’t understand the language. I explained to him when the conversation was over that she loved him very much and that she was crying on her end of the phone because she missed him so much. You could see his eyes light up when we talked. He immediately asked when we could call again, so don’t be surprised Nicole if we call again. Just hearing your voice is just what he needed! Peter Longoli was thrilled with the letter from you, Tina and Marvin. He then shared it with the other boys while we were waiting for the calls. He too, lit up when he heard your voice. It was great talking to you too, even if it was for a short while. As for Paul and Moses, Linda and Jen, they would talk to the two of you every day if I let them. And Moses particularly is like a teenage girl. He puts the phone on his shoulder and just paces while he talks. I finally have to tell him to say goodbye or he would talk to you forever! But seeing their faces when they get to connect with each of you is worth a million dollars. Thanks for being so gracious with your children – you really do make a difference in their lives.
Today was really a good day. We needed the time of no structure; of just being with the kids. They are all so precious and though we won’t come home having connected with them all we have both made some very special bonds. They have impacted my life in such a wonderful way. Let me share that they all know who their sponsors are and they all appreciate everything that you do. They love the communication they get from you and you are close to their hearts. They would love for each and every one of you to come and meet them face to face.
Thanks for your continued prayers. I love you all.
We went back to Phil’s house in the middle of the day. It started out as Liz and I going back, but before we knew it we had a following of kids. As it turned out the timing was perfect. Phil had just returned from the school and so we were able to do a few more interviews. We have some very interesting stories to go with our children. I also am realizing for the first time how many siblings we have. Because surnames are not the same (parents can chose their child’s surname) I never realized the kids were related. We are trying to find out some things about the kids but interestingly enough some of them know very little about their past or about their parents.
When we finished with this Liz and I hiked back to the kid’s house, though this time the kids showed us a short cut. I will never take it by myself. I’ve been here almost two weeks and I’ve just now mastered the main way to go. So I will take no chances. It is fun to go down the road and hear all the little kids yelling “Mzungu” as we pass by. And they are all now feeling comfortable enough to run up to us. One little girl (about three) runs out of the woodwork and poses for me every time I walk by. This time I stayed in control of my camera and the kids could not stop posing for photos. I was exhausted from snapping pictures. Everyone wanted a picture of themselves with their best friend. Over and over they yelled “Sue” and tugged on my dirt-covered shirt.
As we left to come home tonight for the final time we still had several followers. Paul Losiya, Peter Longoli, Eliya Umo and Moses Okere all wanted to call their sponsors. Several of the other boys followed us to a grass football field where they stopped and pulled out their make shift soccer ball to play. Eliya called Nicole but then became frustrated because he couldn’t understand the language. I explained to him when the conversation was over that she loved him very much and that she was crying on her end of the phone because she missed him so much. You could see his eyes light up when we talked. He immediately asked when we could call again, so don’t be surprised Nicole if we call again. Just hearing your voice is just what he needed! Peter Longoli was thrilled with the letter from you, Tina and Marvin. He then shared it with the other boys while we were waiting for the calls. He too, lit up when he heard your voice. It was great talking to you too, even if it was for a short while. As for Paul and Moses, Linda and Jen, they would talk to the two of you every day if I let them. And Moses particularly is like a teenage girl. He puts the phone on his shoulder and just paces while he talks. I finally have to tell him to say goodbye or he would talk to you forever! But seeing their faces when they get to connect with each of you is worth a million dollars. Thanks for being so gracious with your children – you really do make a difference in their lives.
Today was really a good day. We needed the time of no structure; of just being with the kids. They are all so precious and though we won’t come home having connected with them all we have both made some very special bonds. They have impacted my life in such a wonderful way. Let me share that they all know who their sponsors are and they all appreciate everything that you do. They love the communication they get from you and you are close to their hearts. They would love for each and every one of you to come and meet them face to face.
Thanks for your continued prayers. I love you all.
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