Till We Meet Again - Perhaps in Heaven

In some way, my second trip to Uganda was less emotional than my first trip.  I still allowed myself to be vulnerable to such an amazing journey, but I feel I approached things more practically.  I wish Uganda was much closer.  I’d love for my wife and kids to meet Jesse and Norah, our two kids in Uganda.  I’d love for our kids to be exposed to the same love I’ve been exposed to.  I’d love for them to see they joy in kid’s faces when they dance and praise.  I’d love for them to see how beautiful Africa is.  I’d love for them to know how blessed they are to have been born in the US and to be able to share their blessings with others

Uganda will forever have a special place in my heart.  I don’t know if I’ll ever go back, but I can always dream of the day.  It is hard to believe I’ve been back home for almost a week already.  Things have been busy at work and I’ve been dealing with some illnesses, so I hadn’t really stopped to meditate on things until now.  There are many thoughts and feelings inside of me, but there is one sentiment that I’d like to continue writing about.  This is something I shared once already, but I am compelled to write about again.

I shared earlier that our Pastor spoke about how the fruit of a Christian life is his/her relationships.  In Romans 12:10 thru 15 Paul urges us to be devoted to one another in love, to rejoice with those who rejoice and to mourn with those who mourn.  I often think of what it would have been like to walk with Jesus, like the disciples did.  What would it be like to know someone whom is completely selfless and would give of himself for you?  Someone whom would rejoice with you and someone whom would mourn with you?  I think I would feel completely safe, free to abandon myself in love for that other person.     

Not only this, but don’t we rather live life rejoicing and mourning with those whom we love rather than being alone?  And why limit the number of people we love when we are surrounded by opportunities to build relationships.

Going to Uganda has opened my eyes in many ways.  I am beginning to understand the importance of being purposeful in building relationships.  It is too easy to go through life without caring for others, but what an empty life that would be. 

I don’t know how I will put any of these thoughts into action, but I pray God will show me the way.  For now, I am content to have experienced the joy of rejoicing with close to 1,000 kids in Uganda and to have met the amazing people that work with them there.  I am also certain that if I don’t get to see them again, I will see them in heaven, for eternity!

Please keep Uganda and it's people in your prayers.

Love,

Jeronimo      

Bbel Academy

Today was our last day working with the kids at the Bbel Academy, a small primary school attended mostly by kids living with someone other than their parents.  Sadly, many of the young parents have been lured to move to the city and have left the kids behind with other relatives. The school is located about an hour drive from Kampala. Steven Muyimbwa, whom has had a relationship with Kailua Community Church (KCC) in various capacities for many years, started this school a few years ago.  KCC contributed funds to the construction of a pole building.

We've been visiting this school every afternoon for the last three days. Steven invited the local kids to participate in our activities. We had about 100 kids in attendance today.

The setting is a big contrast from Neteete, where we spend our mornings at the Gospel of Life Church. Neteete is considered a slum, where the Bbel Academy is very rural and to a great extent it has a picturesque setting. The kids here are absolutely sweet. Whenever our vans arrive, they run to the vans and cheer loudly. When we get out of the vans they rush to give us hugs and grab our hands.

Many of the kids present during our visits are wearing uniforms even though classes haven't started. This is probably because these are the best clothes they have.

For some reason performing our skits (Moses in the Desert) here is a lot of fun. For some reason the kids here laugh with all their hearts at the silliest joke.

We've been tremendously blessed by these kids even though this is the first time KCC has visited this location and therefore we didn't meet the kids until this week.  None of us know if and when we can make another trip to Uganda, but we know that a part of our hearts will remain here, with these loving kids.

Nateete

One of the churches where we are working with the kids is called Gospel of Life. This church is located in Nateete, which is one of the poorest areas surrounding the main city of Kampala.  The church is ran by Pastor Chris and his wife Sylvia. The church is also located within a predominantly Muslim population.

Today we had approximately 350 kids in attendance.  As word spreads through the neighborhoods of the skits, songs, and games, more and more kids show up every day.  Working with these kids is very rewarding. They are so full of life and love.

Prayers

We know there are many friends praying for us in the US and in Uganda. We don't take that lightly. We are very grateful. Trips like this can be dangerous for various reasons. Today we witnessed a horrific traffic accident. A large truck loaded with sand could not stop and crashed onto incoming traffic.  We were shaken up pretty badly.

Please continue to pray for our safety and for our work to be fruitful.

Rejoice and Weep

Yesterday our verse to study was "Rejoice with those who rejoice and weep with those who weep". Yesterday was also the last day we spent with the children from the orphanage. Just like prior years, we had a big party at the resort where we were staying.  I don't know the count, but we must have had some 200 people, most of them children and most of those in the pool.  I didn't get a good picture showing the large number of kids, but below are a couple of pictures anyway.  It was a lot of fun. It was easy to rejoice.

It was bitter sweet though, because we knew the time was coming to say good bye.   The pool started emptying out and by the time I walked to the parking lot, children were already boarding the buses that would take them back to the orphanage.  There were lots of hugs and a few tears.  Time to weep with those who weep.

                                             

One thing you may know about me is that I lack empathy. It is something that doesn't come naturally to me. I have to work at it.  I didn't know exactly how one could weep with those who weep without truly feeling the emotion.  However, maybe all it takes is a little effort to participate in life.
It would have been easy to extract myself from the roller coaster of emotions that took place yesterday. I could have stayed in my room during the pool party. I could have found a secluded place to read a book, or I could have found some way to not rejoice with the children.  I could also have chosen to stay away during the sad good bye. But that would have meant missing out on life.

I am so glad for every moment I rejoiced with those kids and for every little hand I touched through the windows of the buses as we said good bye, and for every smile and look of love lived in between. It is good to learn that even at this stage in life someone like me without the gift of empathy can experience life, the way it is meant to be. All it takes is willingness to participate, to join in.

Uganda's Beautiful People

I mentioned in the past how friendly Ugandans are.  I wish I could share with you in person of the many experiences that illustrate this.  I can share a few stories though; I love seeing children waving at us as we drive through various streets. I wave back of course, but what you may not expect is that whenever you wave to an adult they will also wave back and many times they do so with a wide smile on their face.

Today after returning from the orphanage and the local church in Jinja, I decided to go to the pool here at the hotel we are staying at. There at the pool I saw Hope, the young lady that serves breakfast at the hotel.  She was in the pool playing with a boy and a girl (her friend's kids). I approached her and said hello. It wasn't long before we were all tossing a frisbee.  Then some other young adult (Kato) joined in. Perhaps this isn't an extraordinary thing, but there is something about the Ugandan culture that is so welcoming.

Two days ago I visited a very small local shop where they sell touristy stuff.  I recognized the lady working there from my last trip here. I helped refresh her memory by reminding her that I gave her a string backpack so she could copy the design. When she remembered me she reached out and gave me a warm hug. I wasn't expecting that reaction at all.

Some other day I gave a mostly melted small candy bar to a little girl that was sitting on a chair, watching after some items for sale. She got up from her chair, reached out for the treat and then bowed to the ground with her hands together to say thank you.  This is the same thing my Ugandan son Jessee did (twice!) when he found out I had decided to sponsor him.

On New Years Eve, a few from our team stayed up late to welcome the new year. They played cards for hours. Later I found out a couple of workers from the hotel had joined in and taught my friends some new card games. I wasn't surprised at all. In fact, it seems we are making new friends everywhere.

Rivers of Life

I love the children at the orphanage (Siita).  After all, our church has had a long standing relationship with Siita.  However, the children at the Rivers of Life church bring so much joy to our work here that I wanted to share about them.

As we arrived for our second day and got out of our vans, the children came to hug us and greet us with their bright smiles.  They clung to our hands as we walked to the room where we would all gather.

When it was time to sing and dance they were eager to participate and once they learned the songs the room was bursting with children's voices and dancing in a manner that I hadn't ever heard or seen before.  When I think of what I witnessed I can't help but to think of the word REJOICING.  The room was so full of life, flowing like a river.  Then it hit me, this is the Rivers of Life church.

What a blessing it is to be able to witness life to the fullest.  I pray that I never forget what true rejoicing is and that I have the courage to live life like these children do, without hesitation and in complete abandonment to love.

Fruitful Lives

Yesterday our pastor shared a message using the acronym LIFE. He shared with the graduates from the Orphanage that when they received Jesus they began a long race. They had a great start, but now they (and us) need to continue the race and have Longevity ('L') to finish strong. We must live in a manner to love others.  The letter 'I' stood for Integrity. The letter 'F' stood for Fruitfulness.  The letter 'E' stood for Equipping others to continue the work the orphanage started.

It was FRUITFULNESS that stirred something inside of me. Pastor mentioned the fruit of a Christian is his/her relationships. As I have mentioned in the past, I've learned life is about love and relationships.  Well today our team did skits and songs at two places.  One was the orphanage (Siita) and the other was the Rivers of Life Church.  It was at the church that I met Annet, a nice young lady that graduated from Siita and now works for Amazima. Amazima is the ministry founded by Katie Davies, author of "Kisses from Katie".  It was fun to learn how the church in Hawaii helped Annet connect with Amazima and how she eventually was hired from a pool of 600 applicants. And it was great to see how Annet's new relationship with Amazima may help other Siita graduates as Siita's graduates need jobs and Amazima needs workers.  Above all, it was great to learn that Annet is cultivating relationships with so many children in Amazima in the same manner that she grew up, surrounded by children at the orphanage. Fruitfulness indeed!

Not that we should cultivate relationships expecting something in return, but simply we should do so out of love. I am guilty of not doing a good job in maintaining relationships.  This is something I really need to work on. At least now I am more aware of this.

Thanks again for joining me in this journey.

Siita's 15 Year Anniversary

Today we visited the orphanage, Siita Nest, during their 15 year anniversary celebration.  We had a chance to see the kids, though we didn't have much of a chance to interact with them due to the activities. The celebration lasted for hours. It included a few performances by the kids and messages by a few people involved with Siita, including our pastor, and Mama Alice (Siita's founder).  

One of the highlights was seeing so many of the graduates from Siita visiting the orphanage. Many of them are successful professionals that are involved with Siita not only to give back, but also because Siita is where their family is. 

I was able to find my two kids. I hugged them and told them I love them, but didn't have much of a chance to really spend time together.  I can't wait to see them again tomorrow. 

Safari

After our first night of rest in Uganda we got back on the road for an eight hour drive on bumpy roads to a safari destination, the Mweya Safari Lodge in the Queen Elizabeth National Park.  On out way here we stopped at the Equator line in Uganda.

Once we  arrived at our destination we did a quick drive to try to see some wild animals before spending the night at the lodge.  This morning we got up early to drive around the park. Between last night and this morning we've counted six lion sightings, three elephant sightings, a few hippos, and several other types of animals. Late today we will go on a river boat to hopefully see more wild life.

Here is a picture of a female lion we saw last night. She was hiding behind some shrubs next to the road keeping an eye on some antelope. We speculated she was patiently waiting for nightfall to hunt.

As we continue team building and enjoying Gods creation we have been preparing to meet the kids. We've been practicing our songs, skits, etc. We are also studying Romans 12:1-21. I leave you with this: "For just as we have many members in one body and all the members do not have the same function, so we, who are many, are one body in Christ, and individually members one of another."  I find it encouraging that through your faith and prayers we are together in this journey and are one body in Christ. 

UPDATE

We just got back from the river boat. We saw plenty of elephants, water buffaloes, hippos, a couple of crocodiles, some baboons, and tons of birds. 

Aloha Uganda

We are in Uganda. It was another long day of travel from Brussels. We are in Entebbe in a rustic place for one night. Tomorrow we will drive to a Safari destination.

I'll write more later. Keeping this blog up from a phone and limited wifi is a little challenging, but I am glad I can do it.

Blessings!

Greetings from Brussels

I met with the team in Newark, NJ. It was great to see so many of my friends from KCC. I am excited to spend time with them again.

Our team arrived in the morning of 12/28 in Brussels, Belgium. We were tired and wishing to go to sleep, but decided to go out to town instead. We took a 15 min train ride to the down town area. We visited the famous Grand-Place area. I'll try to upload some pictures soon. 

We spent the night here. We'll be heading out to the airport soon for another long flight to Uganda. We arrive there at 8:35PM.  

I'll try to write some more later.  

Blessings and thanks for following along. 

Getting Ready to Visit Uganda Again

It's been about three years since I last wrote.  As some of you may recall, this journey started as I began discovering that life is about love and relationships.  It never occurred to me that I would one day be going to another country simply to cultivate this.  After my first trip to Uganda I couldn't imagine not going back.  Here I am, continuing this blog, because once again I have this awesome opportunity to travel to Uganda.  I will be going with the same church I went with last time (Kailua Community Church).  I left many good friends in Kailua and I am very excited to see them again.  Not only that, I left many good friends in Uganda.  Most importantly, I have two kids there (Jessee and Norah) that I can't wait to see. 


I've explained this a few times, but I think it is worth repeating that although Rebecca and I sponsor Jessee and Norah through KCC and Siita Nest (the orphanage), my relationship with these beautiful kids is a little different than what you would expect.  Suffice to say that they call me dad.  Yes, it was hard to wrap my mind around that, but if you understand a little of the culture in Uganda and understand that kids grow up with many moms and dads because their real parents may not be around, then things start making sense. 


I still have to catch up on things with the team, but I understand we will be visiting one orphanage and three churches.  We have three teams; a medical team (I am unsure about this), a skit/games/crafts team, and a team that provides good and sound advice to the young adults we will be visiting.  On top of that, our pastor and another good friend will spend some time and provide training to some of the local pastors. 


We fly out the day after Christmas and we return January 15th.  This time we will be traveling via New Jersey, Brussels, and Uganda (Entebbe).  My friends ask me how I can get away from my wife and kids during the Christmas break and not get in trouble.  Well, I am blessed.  Rebecca knows what a life changing experience this was for me and realizes this is such a unique opportunity. 


I'll be missing my family, but I trust they'll be fine.  Here is a recent picture of our family doing some work outdoors.

More About Siita and Sponsoring Kids

Let me tell you more about the Siita Nest Mother's Love Home orphanage we partner with and visited during our trip to Uganda.  Siita is located in Jinja, which is a couple of hours East from Kampala.  Jinja is also a major city and it is located on the shores of Lake Victoria.  The orphanage is ran by an amazing woman, Mama Alice.

I don't know exactly how many kids there are at Siita but I know we invited 250 of them to join us at a pool party at the hotel we were staying at.  They have kids of all ages there.  As I mentioned before, the kids are very well cared for.  They are clean, they looked healthy, they are receiving a good education, and they have great manners.  I know they receive a good education because their English is much better than other kids we visited.  In addition, I met Siita graduates who are professionals or are in college, pursuing a degree.

Our church has partnered with Siita for a few years now so we have seen the positive impact Siita has had on the lives of kids.  As we continue to see the benefits of sponsoring kids and gain assurance that whatever funds we send there are being used wisely, others want to contribute.

Over the last two weeks we've been sharing with the congregation at church about our trip and our visit to Siita.  As you know, being a kid in Uganda is rough.  Aids and violence have left many kids orphans.  A place like Siita provides a loving home a loving family, and education to many of these kids.  Last weekend we had a sponsorship drive, to try to get more sponsors for kids at Siita.  So far we know of 50 new people that have made a commitment to sponsor a kid. That's totally awesome!  $35 dollars a month can change the life of a kid.  We will have at least one more drive so we may even get more sponsors.

Mama Alice and her staff will have to open their arms to a few more kids.  I don't think that'll be a problem.  Speaking of Mama Alice, I recently heard she is in the hospital.  Please pray for her.  

If you are interested in learning more about how to help or even sponsor kids, check out this site.  http://kailuacommunitychurch.com/BlessAfrica.php.  Here's a link to Siita's Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/SiitaNestLoveHome?fref=ts and some other info from that page.

A Thank You Letter To Friends and Family

Here is a thank you letter I sent to friends and family who contributed financially to this trip.  Some things I may not have shared here yet.  

Hello again and most importantly, thank you, for joining me through your contribution and prayers, in showing love to kids in Uganda.  I hope you’ve been able to read the blog I started to share with friends and family about this journey.  I’ve been blessed tremendously in so many ways and I trust you have been blessed too, as you’ve read or heard about some of the things that took place during this trip.  I am confident God will continue to bless you, for when you take care of His little ones, He’ll also take care of you. 

Mark 9:36-37 reads: 36 He took a little child whom He placed among them.  Taking the child in His arms He said to them, 37”Whoever welcomes one of these little children in my name welcomes me; and whoever welcomes me does not welcome me but the one who sent me."        

You may not realize it but you have certainly welcomed several of these little ones.  We opened our hands to them, we opened our arms to them, and we opened our hearts to them.  Every single time I extended a hand to one of them they reached out and grabbed it.  In fact, often I extended a hand to one of them and two or three others also came to grab my hand.  Every single time I opened my arms to one of them they embraced me, and others also came looking for an embrace.  I was blessed to be there physically but I know I also represented you and your heart towards these little ones. 

As you know, the main purpose of this trip was simply to give love to these kids.  We did this through songs, dancing, plays, holding hands, embracing and lots of smiles and laughter.  (We also had a medical team and a life skills team focused on counseling young adults but it all revolved around giving love).  

Why was this so important?  Many of these kids are orphans or come from broken or dysfunctional families.  Remember Aids has rampaged through Uganda.  In some of the best case scenarios, care givers are often consumed with trying to provide for the basic family necessities and may not be there for the little ones.  We saw some very crude realities too.  I met a little girl with a beautiful smile but with a broken front tooth.  I tried asking her what happened but she backed away as she covered her mouth.  Later I found out that relatives sometimes break the teeth of little girls to protect them from child sacrifices.  I didn’t inquire much, but I understand such things do take place.  I also heard of young women sharing stories of rape and sexual slavery.  I also saw a kid whose face had been cut with a knife. He had a long scare on the right side of his face.  He was likely a victim of the Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA).  The LRA is known for killings and ruthless treatment of kids.  I heard some stories that are so horrible I would rather not have heard and I would rather not repeat.

It is not surprising that these kids loved us back so much.  They are not used to someone simply loving them.  The funny thing is we thought we would be going there to give love but we were the ones receiving.  In the process, my life was changed.  I didn’t know I was capable of pouring out my heart like this and being filled like this.  I realize most of us have not begun to understand how vast love can be and how powerful it is. 

By now, you probably know Rebecca and I will be sponsoring two kids from the Siita orphanage.  As I’ve shared before, this is very different from any sponsorships we’ve been involved in in the past. 

The love God has placed in my heart for these two kids baffles me considering I’ve only spent a few days with them.  I think of them often and I pray for them every day.  Rebecca and I are still discussing this, but I can’t imagine not being part of their life in a somewhat tangible manner.  We don’t know what this means but at a minimum I think it means we’ll be making more trips to Uganda.  Again, I thank you for your prayers.    

So we went to Uganda to love kids.  We did it, it was great, and we’ve been blessed tremendously but that’s not all.  We also loved young adults and adults.  I personally built relationships with a few of them but must importantly, our church strengthened its relationship with many of them.  See, our church has been involved in the lives of many kids in Uganda for a while.  Some of these kids grew up and are now young adults.  It is very rewarding to see how through the Siita Nest orphanage and the partnership with Kailua Community Church (KCC) and people like you, kids that were once orphans now have a huge family.  They have a family with many moms, many dads, many brothers and sisters at Siita and at KCC.  Some of these kids have grown now to be responsible young adults contributing to society and giving back to their family at Siita Nest.  I met several college students that are orphans, grew up at Siita and are actively involved at Siita.  I know of a young man who will graduate as a lawyer in 3 months and intends to go into politics to affect the lives of Ugandan’s in a global manner.  I know of a young woman who is a nurse and continues going to school.  She is currently, by default, the main healthcare provider at Siita, though she has two jobs.  I know of a sharp and eloquent young woman who is studying mass communications and has a promising future.  I know of a young man who started his own business and wants to expand it to the US via the internet.  I know of another young woman who is about to graduate from college, who is also a distance runner.  I don’t know her times, but she is good enough that she has been invited to international competitions.  All of these young people consider the kids and staff at Siita as their family and they are becoming mentors to the little ones. 

Two of the staff at Siita had a calling to start a church.  They did and the church is growing.  This is the Rivers of Life Church.  We spent a few days there too and interacted with some 200+ kids.  These kids are not necessarily orphans but they clearly come from poor or broken families.  The point I want to make is that through partnerships of various sorts, Siita Nest is having a tremendous impact in the community.  

This is also the case at the Gospel of life Church.  This church is in the slums of Kampala.  A few years ago the building was in such bad shape that it actually collapsed during a storm.  KCC partnered with the Gospel of Life Church and financed the construction of a solid and large concrete structure.  This church brings hope to many families in the slums.  We also spent a few days there and we interacted with some 400 kids. 

Finally, I want to close with a quote by Jim Elliot.  “He is no fool, who gives that which he cannot keep, to gain that which he cannot lose.” 

Thank you again and may God bless you richly as you have welcomed His little ones.

How Is It Possible I Care for These Kids So Much?

I drafted this post several days ago but I hesitated to post it.  I've shared much of what God has been doing in me but some things are a little more difficult to share than others.  Most of all, I have to search my heart and find out what my true motives are for sharing.

If you know me, you'd know I am not (or was not) the type of person who reaches out to people to build or establish relationships.  I hardly even keep up with friends.  I am not (or was not) the type of person who would just all of the sudden grow a love for someone whenever or wherever.  In fact, much of my married life, Rebecca has accused me of lacking empathy.  Sadly, I was even proud of this.  I can be calculating and cold.

So what happened?  Well, God happened.  He trully has been working in softening my heart for a while.  First, I have to say the simple messages I've been hearing at church for the last several months began to speak to me more than usual.  I don't know why.  Then I started meeting with a great group of guys who challenged me in the areas God was already working on.  Then God sparked an interest in me for the book "Kisses from Katie."  Just look at the title.  Does that look like the type of book any guy would want to read?  No way!  You'd be surprised to know that I went to the book lady in the house (Rebecca) and told here I wanted to read the book.  God used this book and placed that first seed in my heart for Uganda.

Then God created an opportunity for me to go to Uganda. Then he caused me to have this extraordinary love for kids that I have barely known.  I can't even begin to understand how it is possible to love James and Sarah as much as I do after having spent only a few days with them.

This isn't me.  This isn't what I do.  This is Him and this is what He does.  I have been transformed.  I have tasted what He has given me and I want more.  My desire for more of Him reminds me of Phillipians 3:10

I want to know Christ and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of sharing in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death

For whatever reason, He chose to do this work in me.  If anything, what I've done is I have asked Him to use me and to certain extent, I have allowed Him to work in me.  The journey continues because I know He is not done with me.

Please continue praying for the kids in Uganda.  May God bless you richly.

Our Last Day in Uganda

There is so much to say I don't even know where to begin.  I think I'll share about today and perhaps I'll do a separate post about my other thoughts some other day.  Today was a day for all of us to do whatever we wanted to do.  Some wanted to take the opportunity to buy crafts and art for gifts or take home.  A few of us wanted to visit the Christian university where some of the graduates from the Siita Nest Orphanage attend.  We were also hoping to visit a couple of hospitals where some of the Siita graduates work.

We left the hotel shortly after breakfast.  One of our graduate friends from Siita joined us on the trip to the university.  Before we got to the University we visited his apartment, off campus.  It was a nice and clean place, especially considering it is the home of three male college students.

After this we drove to the University, which was a 10 to 15 minute walk away.  We toured some of the facilities.  It so happened that today was a registration day so there was a bit of activity on campus.

This is a Christian university and there was evidence of that throughout.

We also got to see one of the rooms in the dorms.  It was very small and it had four beds (two bunk beds).  The hallway was dark.  The entire dorm was pretty quiet considering it was the boy's dorms and it was a registration day.

The library was awesome!  It is a new building, finished in 2012.  It look very modern, spacious, well equipped, etc.

I was curious about the bathrooms and at first they looked like everything you would expect to see in the U.S.  until I peeked in one of the toilet stalls.  There was no toilet seat.  This type of "toilet" is actually more common than I ever imagined but it works in Uganda.  I think I could get used to it.

After our visit to the University we went to a public hospital.  In fact, I learned this was the only complete hospital in all of Uganda.  We couldn't take pictures there.  I understand why.  The place was very busy.  I saw patients sitting or laying on the ground in certain areas.  Clearly there is a lot of need there.  One thing most people don't realize is that here in Uganda patients are cared for by their family.  Their family will bring food, bed spreads, clothing, etc.  So, not only is the hospital at or near capacity with patients but then there is at least one relative or friend near each bed or patient.  I didn't go to the bathroom there but I could see the hygiene standards are well below what we are used to.

After this we drove by private hospital.  We didn't have time to go in but from the outside it look very modern.  The neighborhood where the private hospital is located is in the same area where some of the various embassies are located.  We also drove past what looked like a nice apartment or condominium complex.  It was a gated complex.  I asked our driver and good friend Timoh and he said the rent there was roughly $2,000 per month for a one bedroom apartment.  This is still shocking to me.  Apparently housing in Kampala is very expensive.

The highlight of my day was spending time with one of the graduates from Siita.  Let's call him Mo.  Mo's story is awesome.  He became an orphan at a young age and found a home and a family at Siita.  He's been sponsored by a friend from Kailua Community Church.  Mo has been given the opportunity to go to the university and he is about to obtain a degree in law.  Mo's aspiration is to help Ugandan's.  He is very involved in the community, he has a few hours in a radio show where he shares his views and hopes for the country, and he is considering a career in politics.  Most importantly, Mo hasn't forgotten where he came from.  He calls the staff and kids at Siita his family.

I love hearing the stories of the young adults that graduated from Siita that are now responsible adults, contributing to society, and helping their brothers and sisters at Siita.  From everything I can see, these young adults are strong Christians who seem to have their priorities right in life.  Without organizations like Siita, many of the orphan kids would never have such opportunities.  I know there are many more orphans out there that haven't been helped but I think it is okay to celebrate success where we see it.  This also gives me hope that one day my little James and Sarah will grow to experience a fulfilled life and eventually be able to give back to their family at Siita.

Time for me to take a shower, pack, and perhaps take a nap.  We leave to the airport shortly after midnight.  I'll probably update this post to include pictures before I leave.  

  

 

Last Day at Nateete

Today was our last day at Nateete.  Today is also the medical team's last day at the Siita Nest orphanage.  They will be joining us later for dinner.  It will be nice to see them again and to exchange experiences.

Our last day at the Gospel of Life Church was a little different.  Normally we split the kids in two or three groups.  This time we didn't.  It was challenging dealing with so many kids but it was fun.  I am still bothered by some throat soreness and I had to raise my voice during the Daniel performance.  I still have a voice but my throat hurts more a lot more today.  It is all worth it though.

Before I left Hawaii I asked my two daughters for any bracelets or kids jewlry they were willing to give away to kids in Uganda.  I had misplaced the bag with the jewlry but I found it last night.  So I decided to bring the jewlry to give it away today.  I also decided to give away the last few pieces of candy one of my sisters in law had sent all they way from Minnesota.  When giving things away to kids here you have to be careful because you'll bet swarmed and maybe overwhelmed.  So I was careful to only hand things out when I wasn't surrounded by too many kids.

One thing I wanted to do was to give the pretiest necklace to  my little climbing friend.  She was as full of energy today as ever.  She found me quickly and was pleased when I picked her up.  Needles to say, she was happy with her new present.  A few other kids noticed and asked for a necklace too.

  

After we were done with the kids, something was announced in Ugandan.  Then I saw kids running out the door.  I was confused.  It seemed kids were happy to be done.  I followed a few of them and then asked someone where the kids were going.  That person told me they were going to get food.  I think they said porridge but I am not sure.  I kept walking, following the kids and finally found them lined up waiting to get some food.  I didn't know, but the church had a kitchen/eating area way in the back in what seemed a completely different property.

 

I had to rush back to the van because our team was leaving.  Kids were coming to give me hugs and say goodbye.  The staff was very grateful that we came.  We kept on telling them what a great blessing this was to us.  As we were driving off, the kids were saying goodbye mizungu!  Mizungu is the term they use generally for white people, I keep telling locals that I am not white but they still call me Mizungu.  We know the kids mean well so we don't mind the term, although I bought a tee-shirt that says "My name is not mizungu."

We are going to miss our little friends.  I think they will miss us too.  In fact, they know we are not going to the church tomorrow but one of the pastors told us that some of the kids will show up anyway, expecting to see us.  We begin the long journey back home tomorrow.  

Our First Day at Nateete, Near Kampala

Today was our first day of actually spending time with kids at the Gospel of Life Church.  This church is located in a slum area near Kampala called Nateete.  We showed up expecting to see some 30 kids and maybe maxing out at over 100.  We were surprised to see only a handful of them in church.  So my roommate and good friend Doug and I went to the street and started calling on kids to come and join us for some singing and dancing.  It occurred to me to put on my Daniel (from the book of Daniel) costume and Doug did the same.  We went to the street and started telling kids we would be performing a play and told them to go get their friends and pass the word.

This pic was shot during our early session of the Daniel play.  We didn't have a room large enough for the play so we performed next to the church building.

Soon we had some 20 kids following us and we started walking up and down the muddy streets inviting anyone who would listen to join us at the church.  Kids were immediately excited to see two mizungos (white people.  Yes, I am considered white by Ugandans) dressed in funny costumes calling on them to sing and dance along.  Adults were curious too.   By the time we got back to the church we had some 30 kids there.  Our team members in charge of music and dancing began playing music and started dancing, which attracted more kids.  I stayed outside of the church and joined the dancing while remaining outside trying to encourage kids to come in.  As it turns out, our effort to attract more kids was probably unnecessary.  By the end of the day we had well over 300 kids, probably even close to 400.

At the time I shot this picture we had another group of kids doing arts and crafts.

This became a challenge but the type of challenge we would welcome any day.  In fact, we asked the kids to make sure to come back tomorrow and to bring a friend.  Rebecca my wife was surprised we could get so many kids.  The reality is the population in the slums is very dense.

We did our thing, a play, arts and crafts, singing, dancing, and above all, loving the kids.  It was great fun!  I have to tell you about this little girl who reminded me of my oldest daughter.  I was up there dancing when I noticed a little girl attached to my leg.  I was able to move around while she clinged on.  Then I decided to pick her up.  I held her with one arm as I kept dancing and making motions with my other arm.  She was comfortable there and had no problem doing her dancing motions with her arms.  Eventually my arm got tired and I tried putting her down, except I couldn't.  I picked her up from under her arms and lowered to the ground but she stretched her little legs towards me, making it very difficult to make her stand on the ground.  Somehow I managed to put her feet on the ground and she quickly proceeded to climb up on my leg again.  I didn't mind one bit.  She's a beautiful girl and she is full of life.

My little climbing friend -  She is much more beautiful than what the lens captured

Eventually a lady from the church asked me if she could take her.  I said yes not realizing she felt the little girl was bugging me.  Had I known I would have made it clear that I was enjoying every minute of it.  This stopped the little girl.  A few minutes later she found me and held my hand.

I am excited about the possibility of seeing over 400 kids tomorrow, perhaps even 500.  We can definitely use your prayers.  We are so blessed to be here, the kids love the plays, the singing, and the music.  My roommate, who plays the part of Aspenaz, the king's high ranking officer, is a huge hit with the kids.   

The older kids displaying their dancing skills