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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Church, Pictures, and More Pictures...

Today I got woken up by Angela coming in and telling me it was time to get up and get ready for church. She was all smiles and loved waking up the Mzungu. Showers this morning were not such a sweet thing however. Liz gave up after a few minutes of being without water and her hair probably still has a little cream rinse in it. When it came to my turn I started out optimistic. But I was wrong. I had drizzle at best; and it was rarely hot! Thank goodness I have short hair! Liz and I got ready quickly and walked to church by ourselves so we would be there in time for the singing. Phil was still at the house and when we arrived Jenifer (Jesca’s, the children’s care takers daughter) and Martin Isabirye were leading the service. They were coordinating the activities and one by one called all the different choirs up to sing, starting with the youngest group of girls and ending with the oldest. There were no strictly boys choir groups though several of the boys joined in including Henry (Apaito) Lemukol, Gabriel Lotukon, Martin and Moses Okere. The voices were beautiful to hear and they are so animated it is such a joy to watch. One young man was beating a drum and another young guy was playing a keyboard. Once again we were in a very small classroom with the kids sitting on wooden benches, many to a row. The service started at ten and we finally said our final Amen at close to one. Mixed in with our kids were several men and women from the village all dressed in beautiful attire. When it was time for the offering, the singing continued, and even very small children came up and dropped in coins.

And then it was time for the sermon. Phil preaches and Emma Aliau (the Shelton’s young man) interprets. Emma is such a fine individual. He has the greatest facial expressions and has the kindest heart. But he takes his translating for Phil very seriously. Today’s lesson was from Luke 8:22-25. He talked of fear and faith. He talked about the customs in Iganga and how they were good. And how the kids should not be trying to change them and follow Western ways. (This was in reference to the dancing at the celebration yesterday). He spoke of acting in a way that would honor God and not in a way that would make them accepted by their friends. I found the style of preaching to be very different from what I am use to. Phil spent a lot of time teaching right from wrong.

We then came home and the kids were supposed to be here at 2 for a Bible study. They started to trickle in around 2 and the study finally got started at 2:45. By then the kids that were on time had already been sitting and waiting for forty-five minutes. We met on the back porch of Phil’s house where there was shade for most of the kids to sit in. Phil had two translators, John Bosco and Evaline Lochoro. They translated into the two native tribal languages; Losoga and Karamong (most of the kids are Karamong). This is a time that all children are supposed to be here although not all the children showed up. The kids are supposed to be able to ask questions related to the service or other questions that are on their mind. The first question was asked by one of the older boys. He was concerned that the matron at the kid’s house was portioning out food to the kids in unequal amounts. He felt there was a discrimination-taking place. Phil wouldn’t even take the question. He completely deferred to Susan and told them that they would have to take this up with her as she was in charge of the help. So they moved on to the next question, which regarded fasting. The question was how long should you fast if you have a problem. Phil tried to explain to the kids that fasting should be a matter of the heart. It shouldn’t be tied to anything but instead should be based on improving your relationship with God. This was a very hard concept for the kids to grasp. The kids were a little loud during the study but in fairness to them they were a large group in very hot conditions. I know this study is standard for them but they had already been sitting most of the morning. Phil kept asking them to settle down and it wasn’t until he brought out the “cane” that they finally got quiet! As for me, after the walk home from the church, I was ready for the fan to blow full speed ahead! I was glad to see him spending the time with the kids.

After the study I had the kids who we had not gotten picture of yet stay behind at Phils. I didn’t think we had that many and I thought we’d have to pull them away from playing but instead they crowded around me and pushed each other out of the way to be next. The hardest part was trying to understand who they all were. They would tell me their names so quietly I could hardly hear and then in an accent I could hardly understand. But between Liz and I we got them all figured out. Not to say we got them all done but we got a lot finished. I have learned to get them to smile and the ones I really enjoyed were the ones who showed up with attitude. They are the ones who made faces. After squatting down and getting up at least 40 times my legs gave out; I then went inside and pulled out a little wooden stool and sat on that the rest of the time. Even after all the time it took not one child complained or whined. They just stood there and tried to get each other to smile. Meanwhile Liz had at least 10 kids trying to help her find the names on our list; all of them yelling at her at the same time. They were trying their best to be helpful but I’m sure all she heard was “wa wa, wa wa, wa wa!” Liz thinks I took 1,015 pictures just today! That included some of the cute faces that are outside of Phil’s gate! The neighbor kids have multiplied since last year and they are still as cute as can be!

Losiya Paul then asked if I would help him with his math. Now I know my family is rolling on the floor laughing just thinking of me tutoring math in any way, shape or form. And so he came into the house and we started with addition. I explained the ones column and the tens column and proceeded from there. By the end of the session he was adding three column numbers and carrying numbers as well. I felt like a huge success and he was smiling from ear to ear. Tomorrow we will do some more to reinforce what we went over today and then try to do some subtraction. He is so willing to learn and is so focused. Cody I wish you were here to help this young boy. I know you could improve his math skills in leaps and bounds!

Today’s story is about Rehema Naigaga. She is a 14 year old girl and is as cute and sweet as can be. Her father was a business man who travelled to the northern part of Uganda. He sold truck loads of corn and other things. He was ambushed by thieves in 1997 and was killed. Before he died he had two wives; Rehema’s mother and another woman. His second wife died shortly after he did and now Rehema’s mother takes care of her children as well as her own. When she grows up she wants to be a nurse. Having observed her for the past five days taking care of Sylivia I would say she has the heart for this. She is such a gentle spirit filled with love. She has the kindest smile and is a blessing to be around. In every way she is a beautiful young lady and my life has been enriched by knowing her. God definitely has a special purpose for her life. I see such love in the faces of these kids. They are reaching out to us and Liz and I are thrilled to be there for them. I do see God working through us and in the kids. And I see him in Liz every time I see her with the children. She is most in her element when she is being clung to and pulled in every which direction. He is doing amazing things in her and through her!

Miss you and love you. Also have to say, I am missing all foods American!

P7 Party, Interviews, and a Ugandan Education…

The top ten Uganda moments:

1. Me telling Liz “Don’t bite me”. Yes, we are a good example to the children at all time!
2. Liz continually yelling at me to, “Get out of the street”.
3. The kids pouring water on our hands to rinse them before eating and then eating with our hands, only to find out that the water is from a borehole contaminated with typhoid and all the other diseases that are prevalent here.
4. Going to a church service and celebration party for small children that last for hours on end. The phrase “all things in moderation” has not yet made its way to this country.
5. Seeing young babies and having them stare into your white face and burst into tears!
6. Listening to Phil’s housekeeper rattle off the dates of birth of her children; 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006… and we’ve only talked to five of the thirteen!
7. Playing Uno with, American cards, Ugandans can read and react to the cards faster than Liz can! But in the end she was victorious!
8. Coming within a foot or two to live baboons and their little babies and being more afraid of the traffic than of them.
9. Seeing our kids laugh at the Mzungus as we try to speak their language. Between us we know about four words!
10. Teaching little Phiona yesterday in the car after buying her shoes to say, “Cool shoes!” She was so proud of them and kept saying “Cool shoes” over and over again!

Today the day started with pancakes. Definitely not a bad beginning to a Saturday. We then rushed out of the house as Phil got a call that the Primary 7 (seventh grade) celebration at New Grace was waiting for us to begin. No surprise there!! So we waited for Moses to dress in his Sunday best (as he was giving a prayer) and off we went. The ceremony was held in one of the bigger classrooms (originally built as one of the boys dormitories) and with few windows and a lot of people it was very hot! This group had 160 children all together but only six of them were ours; Dorothy Kogoya, Agnes Anyakun, Sumaya Nangobi, Zipola Nangobi, Michael Achila, and Emma Aliau. At the end beginning of November these kids will take a state mandated exam that will determine if they will be passed onto the senior level. The exam is done at a pre-determined sight and the exams are brought in under police escort to make sure that there is no foul play. When the kids are done they are removed under the same protection (the tests, not the kids). The interesting thing is because the kids have come to us at such various ages the kids in this grade vary in ages from about 12-20. So there were teachers there as well as some of the parents of the other children, though not many. The celebration started with the National anthem and then the emcee pointed at Liz and I and asked if we’d like to give the opening prayer. Liz quickly deferred so up I went caught totally off guard and not really liking to pray out loud. So there I was in front of 160 expectant faces and praying that something worthwhile and meaningful would come out of my mouth. Fortunately God did speak through me and I managed to pray for peace and God’s love for each of them as they prepared to take this test. And then I sat down and gave a short note of thanks to my one time boss who made me, on my second day of employment as a young 20-something, prepare and give a speech to the president of the company I was working for! And that was the beginning of a celebration that lasted almost five hours! Poor Liz got so desperate half way through that she broke down and used the outhouse… she says it smelled like the zoo. I’ll let your imagination take you where you want to go with that detail!

There were speeches and there was singing and dancing; the latter was much more fun than the former. At one point two girls got up and danced and people in the audience (including the students) would go up and hand them money. Phil said this was a way of them showing their appreciation for the performance. Liz and I both spent the whole time during the dancing trying to figure out what was going on. There was one young man (who is our child) who danced with one of the girls rather provocatively. I was a little surprised that no one stopped him. Phil has said that he will talk with him tomorrow though they are just copying what they see on TV. I asked where they get the chance to view television and the response was from the different vendors as they are walking through the market. He could have been Michael Jackson reincarnated!

One of our young ladies, Zipola Nangobi, got the award for the best discipline. By this I mean she was the most disciplined in her studies, something I never would have gotten! For this she was given a prize. She was the only one in our group who was pulled out and individually recognized.

The headmaster of the school stood up and spoke for nearly an hour. He was speaking in English and their native language but regardless it was hard for me to understand. I must say after three hours of sitting on a hard wooden bench in the stifling heat I had lost my focus. And he had only started his ramblings. Meanwhile all the children sat patiently, five or six to a bench. If I was hot they had to be boiling. The circulation was non-existent and did I mention they had a DJ that only knew one volume – LOUD! The base was vibrating so strongly I thought it was going to bounce the kids right off their seats! We started with 160 students and parents and still they kept bringing in wooden benches for the stragglers that came in late. The room was packed to the gills. Children were crowded on the floor and peering in the windows through the bars. And finally it was over… I said a silent prayer of thanks and thought that meant we would head home for a few enjoyable minutes of cool circulated fan air. But no. Instead it meant us moving to a smaller classroom and being served food… my worst nightmare. I have been so blessed so far to be able to pick and choose what I eat. And now I was being served as their guest. Phil had taught me how to say, “kotono, kotono” which means only a very little bit please. But they didn’t even ask! I felt so ripped off. First, however, they came around with a big bowl and a yellow water pitcher so we could wash our hands. This is where the borehole-contaminated water came into play. So I rinsed my hands, (mind you there are no towels to dry with) and proceeded to pick very carefully at my food using my fingers as utensils. I managed to eat the rice and the potato and avoid all things green and the meat. After eating I went back outside to get a picture of the kids who were involved in the P7 celebration. We then hung around the school for a while talking with the children. What a great group they are!

Finally we left the school with the van loaded with a carful of kids, all children of Ida’s, Phil’s new housekeeper. She has 13 in all. Her husband died in 2010 of AIDS and she currently is HIV positive. As it turns out her husband had two wives; the second wife is still alive and living on the farm. Ida, however, cares for all the children, which is very unusual in this country. Knowing Ida though, this doesn’t surprise me at all. Phil and I spent the next two and a half hours talking to her younger kids trying to find out things about them. She must have had a child every year for years. And every one of them looks just like her and they all look alike. It is just like looking at stair steps. Sitting with Ida she had to really think about birthdays as that is something they don’t celebrate here. They all look out for one another; in fact, when you ask them about their best friend they often will tell you the name of their sibling. I love my sister now very, very much, but at twelve I would have been hard pressed to tell you I liked her much less than tell you she was my best friend!! Several hours later after it was long past dark, the kids finally began their trek back to the kid’s house. Rehema, Angela and Sylivia are staying with us another night and are just now sitting down to eat. Liz is serving them dinner and it is a wonderful sight to see. I wonder when the last time was they were served and not being the servant!

Every day I learn something new about life in Uganda. Today I learned that wives are often the target for abuse and the abuse often lends itself to the abandonment of their children. I heard two different stories today from our children; in both cases their mothers left them. I pray that they are learning a new way of life. That they are learning to love because they are loved. I pray that they will continue their education so they will have a chance to better their lives. I pray that marriage will not be the only choice they have. I have also learned that the kids here are much better prepared to sit and listen than any child I have ever met. I was antsy at the end. In fact, I was antsy in the middle. I have learned that the kids really do look out for one another and that since this is the only family many of them have they take that very seriously.

It’s been a good day. Love spending time with the kids though I have to say I am exhausted from being in the heat all day. I talked to Steve tonight and he was in the food court eating pizza. I have to say I was a little envious. He didn’t need utensils but I bet he had really clean hands.

I love you all. Debbie thanks for taking care of Maddie. You are such a blessing to me.

A Walk on the Wild Side...

The older kids were in school until noon taking exams and the younger grades were in class. As we were again left to our own devices we decided to see some of the countryside. although this time time our final destination was not a burial. We drove west of Iganga about 1 1/2 through some beautiful landscapes. The roads were paved (at least partially) and the view was green fields as far as the eye could see. In some areas there were swamp lands planted with rice. Even a few hills sprouted in the background. There were stretches where there were no villages and no people. Quite a change from what we are use to. At one point we stopped at a roadside stand to buy bananas and were surrounded by different vendors all trying to sell their wares. There were oranges for sale, as well as chicken on a stick, sodas and even live chickens hanging upside down. All we wanted were bananas. After much talking (none of which I could understand) the gentlemen came back with bunches of bananas and wanted certain payment. Susan gave him the money and waited for her change which he was reluctant to give. They kept negotiating (actually she was not moving the car until she got her change and since the bananas were already in the car he did not have much bargaining power) until one of his friends finally gave her the coins. She then put the car in drive and off we went. Our final destination was to see the baboons that we had the opportunity to see last year. But unlike last year we actually saw a man walking along the street with the baboons and Susan asked if he was safe. He must have answered her yes because the next thing I knew she was opening the car door and getting out. Well, that was that was all the incentive I needed. My camera and I quickly left the vehicle and there I was walking right among the baboons. It was an incredible experience. I think I was actually in more danger of getting run over by a passing car than I was of getting mauled by a baboon. And so there we stayed about 15 minutes, Liz throwing bananas at the animals and me clicking away. Finally even the babies came out of hiding and literally posed to have the paparazzi take their pictures. We were literally within a foot of these animals and all I could hear was Liz warning me to get out of the street! I have to say they grow up to not be so cute, but those little ones are just adorable!

On the way home we passed a burial sight that Susan said held about thousands of people. She said there was an accident there a few years ago. A truck carrying gasoline rolled over. The driver was also carrying a large sum of money from previous sales and when the truck overturned the gas and the money went flying everywhere. The people came from all over and started stealing not only the gasoline but the money as well. The driver asked repeatedly for them to take the gas but to leave the money. When the people wouldn't listen he lit a match and blew up the truck killing all those around. He then fled and has never been caught. We also went through a village that was the first village in Uganda to be identified with the AIDS virus. The village was known for prostitution and still is. If you drive by the village at night you can hardly get by on the highway for all the cars parked along the road. But overall the scenery was beautiful. There were vegetable stands every where and the colors were so vibrant.

We then got home and headed immediately to the Kid's house to begin taking groups out to buy shoes. Last night Liz and I sat up past midnight trying to record who we had already bought shoes for and who we had pictures of. Today we managed four trips to the market and bought shoes for thirty children. I had the luxury of being in the backseat with all the kids today. There were never less than nine of us in the backseat so it was a little crowded to say the least! The girls were a little squirmy but we managed and even had a few tickling contests. We made name tags for everyone and the girls especially loved sticking them right in the middle of their foreheads. What a crazy bunch of kids! At one point we had a little boy with us who was not on our list of kids. He had gotten into the car at the kids house and so we gave him a name tag. He was not on our list and no one seemed to know who he was. Susan called Phil and it turned out that his brother is one of ours and he has been invited to the house for meals to help out the family but he is not really a sponsored child. Well, by this time the little boy had already picked out a pair of shoes and I was not going to tell him under any circumstances to put them back. So we purchased his shoes with all the others and he is now one happy camper. After that we made sure that all the children we took were ours before we loaded the car to the max. Once again the little children at the market flocked to us. And they are all so darn cute. So now we have twenty two children still to buy for. We won't do any shopping over the weekend but will resume on Monday. Tomorrow we will be going to some celebration party for those kids in Primary 7. Not sure what that will hold in store but I guess we will find out! After that we intend to stay at the kid's house for awhile and play!

On our third trip back from the market place Susan pulled off the road about 100 yards from the children's house and told Liz she was driving the rest of the way. Now you have to realize that the steering wheel is on the opposite side of the car and they drive on the opposite side of the road. In addition, the turn signal and the windshield wipers are reversed. So Little Lizzy jumped into the driver's seat and off we went. I wasn't too concerned as it was a desolate road with no cars coming in either direction until we turned onto the road with the house and I realized she had to pull into the house through the narrow (let me restate that - very narrow) gate. I have to say she did a fine job! Her first Ugandan drive was a huge success. Then after our last trip of the day I drove home to Phil's. This was an adventure as chickens, goats and cows, not to mention kids and people on bicycles were in the streets. In addition to avoiding them I was trying to avoid the potholes. I will say I made it back though getting through Phil's gate did take quite awhile. No dents in the car after Mzungus first day behind the wheel is considered a success!!

Sylivia is doing better though not fully recovered from typhoid and now Phil is sick. The doctor has just come by and taken some blood to see if he, too, is suffering from the same. So far Liz and I are holding our own. I keep telling Phil to cough in the other direction! Sylivia is still staying at the house and Angela and Rehema are here as well to help look after her. Tonight the three girls ate with Liz and I. They are all such great young ladies and really kind and gentle with one another. I'm hoping by another day Sylivia will be up and feeling 100%. The good news is she now has two days to fully recover before heading back into exams.

My story for today is a little boy named Adrian. Adrian is five and last year I met him at Scovia's house when we went there for lunch one day. He was on the ground at the time drawing with a pencil and Amanda and I took several pictures of him. I happened to see him at church last Sunday and he is as cute as he was last year. I was immediately drawn to him from a photographers standpoint. I took a lot of pictures of him in his dirty white button down shirt and tattered brown suit. Susan had brought him especially to see me since we had talked about him the day before. Well, since then he has come to the kid's house just about every day. He doesn't even stand three feet tall but he can eat with the best of them. He loves to hug and he loves to smile. He also loves to have his pictures taken. He grabs for my hand when he sees me and always gives me a huge hug at the end of the day. Both his parents have died and he is living with his grandmother. Yesterday he didn't come to the house and Susan said he cried all day. He is just the cutest thing in the world. I would bring him home in a heartbeat except Steve warned me against any more stray dogs or children!!!! He has certainly touched my heart. His smile can melt anything! And he has that glint in eye that spells trouble. It just adds to his personality. He has been such a blessing to me this trip. When I need a hug from a child he is always there!

The kids are getting more and more comfortable with Liz and I. As we go to the kid's house they greet us with handshakes, smiles and hugs which are now coming from the heart. Of course, we are greeting them the same way. It is no longer stiff and mandatory because the Mzungu is in town. They have etched their way further and further into our lives. Tomorrow we will get to know them even better...

Money, Shoes and Power!

We woke up to no Power and spent the day powerless. Phil had left with Sylivia so once again we were on our own and totally wiped out. I spent the morning editing pictures and found that my own power supply had drained as well so decided to take a nap. The power finally returned at about 8:30 tonight after we spent several hours tonight sitting in the dark!!!

The bank transfer finally came through!! It's been almost three weeks since Jen and I started the process of wiring funds to Iganga and today they finally showed up! I just love modern technology! And so the only logical thing to do was to take it all out and continue buying shoes - not one pair but 35 pairs! We loaded the SUV (two bucket seats in the front and a bench seat in the back) and made four, yes, only four trips to the market. Now imagine this included Susan, Liz and I as well as many children as we could fit at one time. Some of the children were small kids and so the ride was not quite as uncomfortable for little Lizzy who was in the backseat (she now claims she has no hip bones) but a few trips included the big kids and we still piled them in. For those of you who have been to the circus we looked a lot like the clowns getting out of the very small car. There was always at least one child on her lap at all times. By the way once we deducted what we owed Scovia (Susan's mom) for shoes that had already been purchased, and money owed me for personal expenses I had contributed to shoes we still had 7,500,010 shillings. Sounds like a lot of money and for just one minute I was feeling very wealthy! Unfortunately the moment didn't last. The kids were funny - the boys mostly went for tennis shoes or soccer shoes and the girls all went for school shoes or heels! Some things never change regardless of the culture! And surprisingly, a few of the kids (all boys) asked if they could go back when there was a different selection; they couldn't find anything they liked!!

Every time we got to the shoe vendor a group of small children would appear and just stare at us. I think Mzungus are still a rare find in Iganga and they are all in shock when we appear. We tend to attract them in groups. At first they stare from a distance and then they approach slowly and carefully. Once the camera comes out though, I've made friends for life. Each trip back to the market a new little face would appear! The kids were all thankful for the shoes and upon return to the children's house they couldn't wait to show them off to their friends. With that there would be a little pushing and shoving to see who would be the next group to enter the car. I had the kids write their names on tags so I would know who was who. Sounds simple enough but trying to write while driving down these roads is a near impossible task. Even harder was when I had to write them, trying to decipher who was who with their language and accents. The interesting thing is there are no legal documents on any of these children. The country of Uganda for the most part doesn't even know they exist. There are certainly no birth certificates. Therefore, if they want a new name they just change it. I know several of ours have done that in the past year. So not only was I trying to figure out who they were I was trying to match it up with our records. The two were not the same. But by the end of the day we got it all figured out. We had 35 happy children, one very happy vendor, and two worn out Mzungus. Tomorrow is another day and we will back to the market for another adventure. I'd like to think the puddles we have to hurdle to get to the shop will be dry by then but with all the rain tonight that will probably not happen.

Sylivia who has been sick since Tuesday night has finally been diagnosed with Typhoid. The poor thing is now getting IV treatment by night and still having to get up for exams by day. Both Angela Kitasala and Rehema Natgaga are staying here with her. The doctor (Ivan) has come by each day to reconnect the IV but Sylivia has spent the time doing little else but sleeping. Fortunately tomorrow they only have exams until noon as opposed to the 4 pm deadline they've had all week. Just watching her go through this misery has been so hard. I have enjoyed watching Phil interact with the other two and I have to say he has been really good with Sylivia. He takes her to school each morning and sits outside her door in case she needs him during the exams. At the end of the day he brings her back to his house and gets her all settled in. Tonight he was teaching the the other two the story of Adam using paper to diagram his lifetime and all his descendants. He spent the good part of an hour interacting with them and patiently teaching.

Susan then showed up with Julius Isabirye. He is the story I will tell tonight. He has been accused of getting a girl pregnant from the village. He denies doing so and Phil and Susan both believe his story. However, because he has been accused if he is caught he will be taken to jail. As a result he has had to leave the kid's house and is now living with an uncle about an hour and a half away. He is continuing his education but for now is not at New Grace. We bought him a pair of shoes tonight and Susan asked the Uncle to come to Scovia's so she could deliver the shoes. She then brought Julius over here so we could see him. I have to say he looks great. We did not talk about the situation which will not be resolved until the young lady gives birth and they can do a paternity test. Until then he will remain in hiding. He was excited to see Angela, Sylivia and Rehema and connect with some of his friends from here.

While he was here Susan and Angela played a wild game of Uno. I've never seen two more competitive girls (myself and Laura Turk included). They were having a blast and it was good to see the girls having fun and smiling. Tomorrow we are going to try and finish up the shoe shopping. Though Rehema and Julius were just watching they were not shy about throwing in their two sense!

Today was a good day. I got an encouraging letter from my daughter talking about God's timing and it couldn't have come at a better time. Liz and I had talked a little about that last night and it was confirmation that all things will work for those who trust in the Lord. I know He has great things planned and I have to sit back and be patient (not often my strong suit) but something that I see him working on in me. Again, it still comes back at the end of each day to the little things. The kids were so gracious today looking at and buying the shoes. There was no pushing or shoving. They all were excited for themselves and each other. And yes, the shoes we purchased were used! So when you go to bed tonight hug your kids, be thankful for your spouses, and your families! Remember to say a prayer for these children who are in so many ways so much less fortunate than you and in so many ways so blessed!

I love you all!

Dirt Roads, Craters, and Death

Last night as we headed for bed we thought our day was over. Much to our surprise it was not. Jesca called from the kid's house (she is the Matron) and told Phil that one of our girls was very sick and couldn't keep anything down. So Jesca and two boys walked Sylivia to Phils in the dark. They arrived around 10:30 with her vomiting and with a severe headache. All I could think of was having to walk under those conditions to seek help. She got here and we put her in the shower. By her own will she opted for a cold shower as that is all she knows. When she was done with that we tried to figure out the best course of action. Unfortunately being in Senior 4 she has exams this whole month and there is NO valid excuse for missing. If she misses she will have to repeat the entire year! Finally it was decided that she would sleep in with Liz and I and at least get a good nights sleep. So we tucked her under two wool blankets and she fell asleep at least until the next time she was sick. This morning we awoke at 5 am so we could get her ready for school (the transportation as we understood it came at six). Next thing I knew six had come and gone and no one had come for her and she was still not feeling well. But she was up and trying her best to stay awake. By now Phil was trying to contact the doctor and Susan and Peter (for they both had the vehicles) and no one was answering. In fairness it wasn’t really morning yet! Finally, two girls came over bringing her school uniform which she managed to get on. All I could think of was this was time she should have been taken care of by a mother. Finally Peter called and said he got an exemption and she could show up for school at nine but not one minute later. So at a little after eight Phil left with her and the kids to see the doctor and to then get her to class. The other two girls who are in younger grades were late to school.

Phil left with the kids and basically left Liz and I to our own devices for the day. Since the kids were in school we tried to update some information on the children. Finally late in the afternoon Susan showed up and took us for a drive. I thought we were going on a tour of the countryside. What I didn’t know was we were going to our second burial in as many days. The drive led us through many small villages on dirt roads like none I’d never seen before. The ruts in the roads could well lead us to China. No wonder there are no lines down the roads designating where one should drive. It is a constant game of swerving left and right just to stay horizontal! If another car should be coming from the other direction it is not unusual to drive into the cotton fields to get out of their way. And thank goodness for the horn. It is the most used item in the whole country. Susan was honking at cars, bikes, motorcycles, children. She even honked at cattle and goats to get them out of her way!

The woman who for whom the funeral was for died of a snakebite. Ok, now for those of you who know me well, you know I hate snakes. I can find nothing redeeming about them and this just adds fuel to the fire. Now the village we went to was in the middle of nowhere. I guarantee you it is not to be found on a map. I’m thinking if the cause of death was a snakebite why are we all sitting around waiting for the snake to come back. Meanwhile everyone is walking around with bare feet sitting on the ground. I spent the time watching the ground around me to see if anything was moving. On a serious note, it was very sad. The woman left behind eight children – the oldest was 13 (a girl) and the youngest had just turned one. As we approached (the burial ceremony started yesterday) I could hear the wailing of the older two girls. My heart was breaking. We walked to the gravesite where Susan placed a stone at the head and foot of the grave (mind you it was still fresh dirt). I’m told this is a sign of respect since she missed the actual burial and was unable to throw dirt into the grave. Susan was also telling us that since now both the mother and father are deceased it is most likely that the older two daughters will forgo school and soon get married as she will have no other way to support herself. When this does happen their husbands more than likely will not take responsibility for their siblings. So now the remaining children are on their own. Life is so fragile over here.

I’m always amazed too at the actions of the people we visit. No matter where we go they bring “us” chairs to sit on and then they sit on the ground. I was watching this group of women tonight get up and down off the mats. I must say I was so impressed with their leg strength! But even the young women look old. Their lives are so much harder than anything I’ve experienced. They see death on such a regular basis.

We didn’t see our kids today. Instead we saw a picture of the country they come from. I keep learning more about this place they call home. For most of them this is the only place they will ever see; the only experience they will ever know. I guess in many ways it is the same for us. If you drove two hours in any direction from San Antonio you would see highways with billboards. You would see signs for fast food restaurants. You would see stores and open fields. It isn’t any different here. You see markets. You see vendors. And you see open fields. What is different is that you see people. Everywhere you look you see people. Students walking to and from school, people carrying loads on their bicycles, boys herding cattle, children playing in the streets. And they are always amused to see us; the Mzungus.

And now we are home and Sylivia is back. She is still sick and will be spending the night with us again. So prayers for her health are much needed. She has another exam tomorrow as she does every day for the entire month. Please lift her up before you head to bed.

I miss you all. I love you all.

October 18, 2011 And so we wait on Iganga time...

This morning Liz and I woke up and decided we could not spend one more minute at the table talking to the kids without first getting out of the house! So we quickly ate a delicious breakfast of scrambled eggs, cinnamon toast, and the ripest, juiciest pineapple ever and hit the trails down to the kids house. Fortunately Liz's GPS was working as I still have no idea where I am or where I'm headed. That should come as no surprise to any of you. So within a few minutes of walking we were greeted by running children heading right at us and lots and lots of smiles. That was exactly what I needed to be rejuvenated. We headed straight back to the girls area and I was amazed by how neat each of the rooms was. All the beds were made and the clothes were hung neatly on the walls or stored in their footlockers. There was nothing on the floor. I wish I could say the same about the boys rooms but some things remain the same no matter where one is. It was definitely easy to tell which rooms were which! Some of the girls were washing their clothes by hand and in the courtyard their clothes were hanging out to dry.

Jesca was there (she is now the girl's matron) and she still has that incredible smile of hers. She was in the kitchen (a large separate room with three large charcoal fire pits) cooking lunch for the kids - all 139 of them. Today, as every day, they were eating posho (which is corn flour and water) and beans. Now the metal posho pot was big enough to sit in and it took three kids to carry it to begin serving. Two little boys had spent time before lunch rinsing the dishes in a large bucket of water. Stephen (the new houseboy) served the kids a huge, heaping portion of posho and then covered it in beans and bean sauce. It didn't seem to matter if the kids were big or small, they all got a heaping amount of food. Some have spoons but for the most part the kids eat the food with their hands. Tonight when they prepare for dinner they will eat exactly the same thing. This routine will continue every day of the week, week after week, month after month, except for Sundays when they get meat and fruit as well. Needless to say, Sundays are pretty special days! And yet, no one complains. They are just so thankful to have food in their stomachs and not have to worry about where their next meal is coming from!

While there I had my camera and that is a great tool for attracting the kids! They are so excited to see their image and they just love laughing at the way they each look. My problem is trying to keep up with who they all are. Susan Sunday (Laurie and Todd Cheves little girl) has become my sidekick. She has been a great help in telling me who everyone is. Of course, I have to put up with her laughing at me but it is a small price to pay. She is such a sweetheart! Emma (the Shelton's young man) loves the camera too. So every time he is around I lose control. He takes the camera right off my neck and starts taking pictures. While at the kid's house I was met by several of the kids who desperately wanted to talk to their sponsors. I tried to explain that back in the States you all were still sleeping as it was very early, but if they would come to Phil's at 5 pm we would try. Well, let me tell you, at 5 pm on the dot all three of them were on our doorstep. Jen, Moses was so excited to talk to you. He was beaming from ear to ear and all I could hear was him telling you again and again how much he loves you. Believe he really does. He is so proud to be your son. As soon as we hung up he was asking about talking to you again! Then Paul Losiya could hardly stand still while I dialed Linda's number. LInda, he too was one big smile. He's been talking about you non-stop since we arrived. So to both of you, thanks for taking the time to talk to your guys. You made their day. Nicole, Eliya was disappointed that you were not there. I hope you got my message. We will try again to talk to you tomorrow. Jaimie, Brian and Courtney we have not forgotten you. Your children were not here today and I have to get more minutes before I try again!!

On our walk back to Phil's we encountered our first runaway goat. This poor boy was trying to herd three goats and one had gone MIA. So there were Liz and I on a good samaritan mission. We actually caught the goat and gave it back to the poor guy. Now that was something I have never done in all my years on this earth!

Then we came back to the house to start talking to the kids. This is a process that truly stresses the differences between "our" time and "Uganda" time. And I have to say, in the nicest way possible, that Phil has certainly adapted to Uganda time. Everything here runs in slow motion and I have come to realize that I am an American when it comes to schedules. The waiting for things to begin can make one go crazy. Minutes turn to hours and we are still waiting. The children are so patient. I could certainly learn something from them. So tomorrow is another day. Phil is trying desperately to get me to be "Ugandan" and I am trying with all my might to get him to return to his American roots. So far we are at a standstill. However, at the rate we are talking to the kids I may not make it back to the states in time for Christmas!!

We continue to find out amazing things about our kids. I hope that just being in a place where they are cared for will change the pattern so many have grown up with. The story today I want to share with you came from one of our young girls. She is eight (or so we think). She doesn't really know her age or when she was born. Her mother and father are still married and living here in Iganga. Her father actually is educated (has a secondary 3 or 4 level education) and started out working in a shop. Her mother is an alcoholic and is violent when she is drunk. Her father started drinking and not showing up to work and thus lost his job. He now is selling brooms in the market place. Her older brother is forced to beg and dig through the trash on the streets for food to feed the family. She was coming to school but living at home until her mother kicked her out. Her mother then came to the school and then the children's house with a knife demanding that she come home. The sole purpose was so she too could beg on the streets. When she refused she burned her school uniform figuring if there was no uniform she wouldn't be allowed to go to school. Fortunately, because she is so young she can go to school without being in uniform. Liz and I have promised her we would get her a uniform before we leave the country. Meanwhile back at the ranch. her mother and father have produced three other children, the youngest who is still being breast fed. These stories continue to haunt me. And yet, our children treat each other like family. But then, in reality in some cases they are the only family they know. So again, thank God for all you have. Thank him for all the little things that we take for granted each day. The lights in your house. The fact that you can feed your children so they do not have to go hungry. The fact that your children will grow up knowing how to read and yes, can reach for the stars!

I enjoy each day I am here and I love our kids but as I sit to write each night I just find myself getting sad at the conditions these children live in. And I am not just talking about our kids. I know that they don't know any different. But I guess I have difficulty separating the have from the have nots. These kids are so joyous with so little. I want them to know that they are loved and cared for. But can we adequately do that in a months time? At the end of the month Liz and I will come home and they will still be here. Though we will try to maintain contact in reality there will be little. And so I wonder do they think we have forgotten them? So many of them don't have parents, or don't have parents that are around, that they are basically a group of children raising each other, which is certainly better than each one struggling on the street alone. But I worry about them and hope we are making a difference - if even in the life of only one child!

I hope you all are enjoying the cool front that has come your way. Our weather is still very hot. Love you all. Shalom. Sue