Friday

First day we got to sleep past 6:30! Woo Hoo! We slept in till 7 and had a meeting at 9 with one of the baby homes we had previously visited. We spent about 2 hours brainstorming ideas on how to partner together for the benefit of their children. We discussed everything from adoption to toilet paper to sewing machines....seriously! It was a fabulous meeting and I am so excited about all the projects that we brainstormed together and it was such a blessing to see them get so excited and encouraged by our ideas as well. More to come on that soon!

After our meeting we met up with the Director of the baby home we visited in Jinja. She had gotten stuck in Kampala while we were in Jinja so we missed each other yesterday so we arranged to meet for lunch. We at a Java Cafe(?)....I can’t quite remember the name, but it is located in the Oasis/Nakumatt Mall.


It is kinda like a cross between Starbucks/Panera/Applebees? Decor like a Starbucks, with great coffee, smoothies, milkshakes, etc, but with a full menu from fruit platters to hamburgers to mexican food too. I got Mexican food in Uganda! I just kinda thought that would be fun to say and it sounded good at the time....but anytime there is guacamole on the menu....it is easy to pull me in! Another GREAT meeting. More great ideas!

Then we went to the Friday market which is the spot for local crafts, jewelry, scarves, bags, flip flops, you name it! Did some shopping for my kids and ok...maybe I bought myself a pair of earrings....and a pair of flip flops....and some new oven mitts....and oh yeah..some super cute candle holders. Yeah, like I said, we shopped for the kids and then headed back to our guesthouse to chat with our driver friend who is part of that ministry I told you about a few days ago....Be a Blessing. Talked about some ideas he has and then at 4:30 we met up with a couple that had contacted me about Rwanda adoption, but then Rwanda closed and the ended up going with Uganda and they happened to be in Uganda NOW picking up their 2 new daughters and they are staying just down the road...literally...walking distance away! It was fun. Came home and skyped with my daughter for like an hour and she had us laughing so hard we were crying...just funny stories from her week. And we later got to chat with our boys too.
Tomorrow we will meet with Be a Blessing to try to help them set up a blog as an alternative website for their ministry. Then it’s off to the airport!

Thursday: Jinja

Today we had a meeting in the morning and then headed out to Jinja to visit another home. We made a few pit-stops along the way...one that I will remember whenever I think of Uganda. Now, I know you might be expecting some description of some real poignant moment or encounter with someone along the way that touched my heart oh so deeply...but in reality....it was an unforgettable experience with chicken! Yes...chicken....in fact...it was chicken on a stick. Yummy AND fun!

On the way to Jinja there is sort of a road side market/BBQ. I can’t remember what it was called, but if you ever plan to come to Uganda all you have to do is ask anyone to take you to the place (on the way to Jinja) that has chicken thighs cooked over the fire. Of course it is a long way to go just for chicken on a stick, so make a day of it and actually go all the way into Jinja for the day. There are some cool sights to see in Jinja, some pretty falls and rapids of the Nile River and even the source of the Nile is there. There is a place you can bungi jump over the Nile too. The best part about going all the way into Jinja for the day is that you can get chicken for lunch on the way there....and then stop for dinner on the way back! And if you are like me...you might even get 2 chicken sticks for dinner...I know...oink. But it was worth it..so good!...ok I promise...I’ll stop about the chicken already...oh...sorry...one more thing that might make all the difference in your future chicken on a stick experiences in Uganda...don’t buy the chicken from the millions of people that will rush to your car but ask your driver or Ugandan friend to get out of the car and go to the fire to get the fresh ones. They also have liver pieces or chicken gizzards on a stick too! This reminds me that we have all these pictures but can you believe that we forgot to pack the cord to download the pics to my laptop! Sorry...you will have to wait till we get home to see some pics of our adventures.

As a sidenote, probably did not make any news back home, but people have been holding these “walk to work” protests to express to the government that the fuel prices are out of control and as we were heading out of Kampala some commotion began between police and the protestors... and then apparently another protest was going on in another town that we had passed through already. The only way we knew anything even was happening was that someone had called one of our friends and asked where they were to make sure they weren’t caught in the commotion. So we felt very protected by God to have not been caught up in all that during our travels! Needless to say, we decided to hang out in Jinja for longer than we had originally planned in order to not hit any major towns along the way during “rush hour”. We did not see a single issue there or back.

So....in Jinja...we visited a baby home that we just loved. The aunties were awesome, they knew every child’s name and age. We were there during nap time so we did not disturb their naps but just played with a few that were awake while we chatted with 2 aunties and got a tour of the 2 different facilities that they run. One for babies and one for older kiddos.

After our visit there, we decided to go see Bujagali Falls along the Nile River. It was beautiful and a nice cool spot on a hot day. Best part.... I got to put my feet in the Nile River!




After that, we decided we could head back to Kampala, with one important pit-stop on the way home...for CHICKEN...I know I promised to stop...but I couldn’t resist. =) Can you see how happy I am about the chicken!

Update

Thank you all for praying. I heard from my daughter that Brayden is feeling better today. I am trying to stay awake so that I can give the kids a call in about an hour. We had another great day. Really fun. We were able to visit a few different baby homes today and learned more about the work they do.
Nsambya was a very well organized home with many helpers and children that all seemed very happy and content. I loved seeing their facility and learning more about all the work they do for vulnerable children of all ages. Our wheels are spinning as we contemplate how we might be able to support their efforts in educating children and training the older girls with skills to earn a living. Brock and I each got to hold some wee little ones as we toured the rest of the home. I really loved this home and was impressed with the cleanliness and organization that made it clear they want the best for these kids.
We also visited Dwelling Places and I don't think I could even remember all the different ministries that they manage, but it is incredible... they go out in to the streets and build relationships with the street children and from there they have several programs to educate and reintegrate the children back into their communities. They do so many things it is hard to even describe. Most of the children here ranged from age 6 or 7-17 years old so when we brought out the jump ropes and soccer balls they were overjoyed. One of the teachers told me that they had been wanting jump ropes so badly. That made my day! We had many for them and it was so fun to see them jumping rope with huge smiles from ear to ear. We also got to pass out little bendable figures some shaped like animals and there were a few ninjas and cowboys mixed in and when I handed a ninja to one of the older boys he shouted out, "oh yes!" I think he must have been 16 or so but was thrilled to have this small ninja toy. LOVED that moment.
Another favorite moment was when Brock was holding one little boy about a year old and a girl about 3. Both kiddos had a lollipop and even though the baby boy had his own pop he was sucking on, this sweet girl bit a small piece off of her pop and placed it in the babies mouth. LOVE THAT
Ok another cute moment....we had opened the suitcase full of shoes and clothes and a pair of green flip flops fell out on the ground and this little 3 year old girl, who had been very shy all morning, just stood there staring at them and when I looked closely, she had one little finger pointing at them....I could tell she really wanted these new shoes so I helped her put them on and she almost smiled...then I pulled out a pair of boys athletic pants and she immediately stripped down so that she could put them on. PRECIOUS! I finally got a smile when she started playing with a jump rope.
Well I'm getting sleepy so I will sign off and try to call home now. Until tomorrow......

Prayer Request =)

To anyone following this blog....would you please pray for my oldest son, Brayden? He has been sick ever since the day we left...OF COURSE!....and his Grammy brought him to the doctor and while he has no strep throat or ear infections, his fever still comes and goes and he is just not feeling well and I'm half way around the world. I know that he will be fine and this is not a crisis by any means, but it would bless me to know people are lifting him up in prayer. Thanks! =)

Tuesday

As I type this entry, I am sitting in the car as we drive back to Kampala. I look out the window at the green hills in the back ground with the red clay in the forefront and am once again just struck by God’s creation and the beauty of Africa. I wonder how it is that I have come to love a land so foreign to me and yet it feels like home at the same time. Only God can do such a thing. Sometimes people here think Americans are the lucky ones and that we are so blessed and I can’t help but laugh at the fact that I have the opposite opinion. Yes, I have more possessions, but these things are only a temptation to cling to something other than God. These people simply love God for WHO HE IS....not WHAT He has blessed them with. Can I say the same? Can you?

Sorry for the heavy, deep thought moment....let me just get back to telling you about my day =) So we arrived back in Kampala in good time and proceeded to a market to gather more supplies of food for tomorrow’s agenda. We will go to 3 different baby homes near Kampala and try to be a blessing to the children and workers there. After the market we came back to clean up a bit and try to email our family. We were invited to meet with a ministry that our driver participates in call “Be a Blessing” ministry. What a treat. We were greeted so warmly and laughed with each other. One of the men on the team introduced himself as “Brown”, to which Brock says, “I noticed!” and I went to shake his hand and said, “I am white.” They all busted out laughing...it was so fun to joke around with them. Brown proceeded to share a passage from Luke chapter 19 and then he shared how God was speaking to him through these verses and then we all had the opportunity to share our thoughts on the verses. We then heard about their ministry which is really all about using your passions and talents to BE A BLESSING and seek ways to take action. They closed the meeting by singing, “Worthy is the Lamb” and praying. Across the street from where we were meeting is a restaurant called Cafe Roma.



We got some yummy pizza for dinner and came back to the guesthouse to organize all the donated items to be distributed tomorrow. We look forward to more smiles,giggles, and laughter that we know tomorrow will bring.

Monday April 11, 2011

We started out early in the day to begin the long journey to Ibanda. We stopped at the Equator along the way and took a picture to show our kiddos that mom and dad stood on the equator...cause how many times in your life can you say that you stood on the equator!


Then we continued on until. We became very hungry and stopped for lunch at Agip Motel in Mbabara. While the food was good, it took a long time to get served which made us even more late than we would have liked.

We stopped at a local market when we finally reached Ibanda to buy some rice, beans, potatoes, vegetables and bananas. When we arrived at the baby home around 6pm some children were out front playing and came running to the car to greet us. We played with these kiddos for a little while and then we were led to the backyard where more children were playing. They were all very cute. Brock and our driver brought the kids out front to distribute all the toys. I came back outside to many smiling children playing with jump ropes and balls. The caregivers were also excited about all the toys. And they all had a blast seeing their image on the screen of our camera! They kept pointing to each image and saying the names of their friends as they giggled. It was so adorable!

It was a good day, minus the headache I had been fighting all day, but a good productive day. We traveled back to Agip Motel for the night, had some dinner and then a nice hot shower to remove the insane amounts of red dust from our hair and skin. Now it is time to collapse in bed and rest up for the journey back to Kampala in the morning.

Some pics of Agip Motel...

We made it!

We have arrived safe and sound. We are all checked in at Emmaus Guesthouse and just finished dinner. The picture is the view from our table in the dining room looking out onto the garden area in back. We will soon head back to our room and finish organizing all the donated items. We are VERY tired. It was a long journey and I don't ever remember being this tired on my previous trips to Africa. As soon as we finish organizing we will get some sleep. Our driver will be here at 7am to bring us to meet up with our attorney friend and we will then head out to western Uganda. A six hour trek! We will spend the night out there tomorrow and be back here by Tuesday evening. I don't expect to have internet service....but if I do...I will update as I am able.

That's really all I have for now....all we have done is sit in a plane, airport or car...nothing real exciting to share.

Mugisha Ministries in Uganda

As I type this post there are probably 100 other things I should be doing to get ready for my trip to Uganda, and yet I will sit and take a moment to reflect and dream. I never would have imagined 4 years ago that I would be preparing for my 4th trip to Africa! But adoption changes everything! It changes YOU, it changes your family, it changes your priorities and in my case, it has changed my "work". I am trained to be a teacher and while I am not in a classroom setting anymore, in some ways I use those skills even today. God has done amazing things in my life and I am learning everyday what it means to truly hope.....to wait EXPECTANTLY for Him in every circumstance.

I am clinging to this hope as I get to head into some unknowns and wait for Him to show me His will for me personally and for the future of this ministry. I TRUST that He has equipped me for this, but if I am honest, I don't FEEL equipped. But I am also learning lately that if I let my FEELINGS dictate my state of mind, I will live in fear and that is NOT how He calls us to live. I am to be bold and I am to live in TRUTH.

The truth is that I believe He has called me to this. The truth is that the Lord loves me, He loves the orphan, and He has called me to DO something. Will my efforts be fruitful? The truth is that HIS will WILL be done as I submit to HIs leading. Will the outcome be what I expect and hope it to be? I have no idea....but I can trust that He will never leave me or forsake me. And I can trust that obedience will bring blessing. It may not be what I want or hope to happen, but I know that whatever happens there is purpose in it. So I go knowing that I cannot change the world, but I can do my part to change the world for ONE child at a time. Let the adventure begin!