We are BACK! After almost missing our 1:45 am plane in Entebbe, the Uganda team is home! The folks headed to St. Louis had a 30-minute delay in Detroit, but were back at Lambert before 5:00 pm on Saturday.
Friday was SUCH a full day! We got to Nakabango for the workship service and church dedication only to find out we were finishing building benches first! The guys completed at least 40 and it was a good thing because there had to be over 500 people in attendance. We gathered outside the new building and watched the chairman of the congregation cut the ceremonial ribbon. The choir began singing and we all processed in behind them. It was the most amazing, emotional processional I have ever been a part of.
Pastor Chuck baptized 2 babies and dedicated the 100 Bibles purchased by members of Messiah for the congregation last summer. It was a wonderful worship service; so much joy in that room. To God be the glory for the lives that will be changed because of this new building!
We presented many gifts to the people in Nakabango after the service - new soccer uniforms for the Nakabango team, fabric for the women, tools for the carpentry shop, the new banner made by kids at Messiah Lutheran School, and much more! We participated in our traditional feast and finally left mid-afternoon. Always a hard time....
From there it was off to see the newly-purchased land for a seminary. Unbeknownst to us, this included a walking tour of the perimeter - which was actually directly through a sugar cane field! Tough to navigate in a skirt, let me say!
We spent a short time shopping in Jinja before heading to Kampala. The normal 1 1/2 hour drive was almost 3 hours long and we drove into Charles' and Eve's home much later than expected. Eve had appetizers and drinks ready for us - even though it was HER birthday. We all changed clothes and headed to the airport. When we walked in at 11:30, we were told the plane (that was scheduled to leave at 1:45 am) was already boarding and we only had 10 minutes for all 22 of us to check our bags, clear customs, and pass through security. Not at all they way we had planned to spend our time at the airport that evening! Everyone made it and most slept a good part of the 8-hour trip to Amsterdam.
Many of us took a quick shower in Amsterdam and had a cheeseburger at the McDonald's there - tasted so good! Eight more hours to Detroit and the team parted ways to head to St. Louis and Dallas. Ideas were already forming on ways this team could make changes to improve the lives of the people we met in Uganda!
What a great group of people to work with. An amazing sense of unity - in a group made up of many who had never met each other! Thanks to all for the sacrifices made to allow this team to be together.
Sunday, January 23, 2011
Thursday, January 20, 2011
Friday Morning in Jinja
Mixed feelings this morning. Excited about the many things we get to be a part of today, but sad that this week is coming to a close. I've met so many wonderful people; this trip never ceases to change me.
Most are finishing up their last breakfast here - toast, fried eggs, pineapple, watermelon, and sausage. We will pack up and check out shortly. Loading our 35 bags is a work of art!
The church service in Nakabango is supposed to start at 10:00 am - sharp! They are expecting several dignitaries and pastors from surrounding villages. Very exciting to dedicate the new building to the glory of God! It truly is beautiful.
We have many things to hand out in the village today. Can't wait to see the faces of some teenage boys when we give them the brand new soccer uniforms that Water's Edge has brought! It will be sad to leave; there are just so many people that we have connections with in Nakabango.
Next we will go visit the land where we would love to see a seminary built. Pastor Tim Radkey has been hard at work making this happen. It could have a major impact on the Lutheran church in Uganda.
We will come back through Jinja for a brief shopping trip and then it is off to Kampala! We are going to Charles and Eve Bameka's home to help celebrate Eve's birthday. We should be leaving for the airport around 9:30pm; I don't expect too many shops to be open during our stay.
Thank you all for your prayers. Please continue to pray for this mission and for the people of Uganda! See you soon!!
Most are finishing up their last breakfast here - toast, fried eggs, pineapple, watermelon, and sausage. We will pack up and check out shortly. Loading our 35 bags is a work of art!
The church service in Nakabango is supposed to start at 10:00 am - sharp! They are expecting several dignitaries and pastors from surrounding villages. Very exciting to dedicate the new building to the glory of God! It truly is beautiful.
We have many things to hand out in the village today. Can't wait to see the faces of some teenage boys when we give them the brand new soccer uniforms that Water's Edge has brought! It will be sad to leave; there are just so many people that we have connections with in Nakabango.
Next we will go visit the land where we would love to see a seminary built. Pastor Tim Radkey has been hard at work making this happen. It could have a major impact on the Lutheran church in Uganda.
We will come back through Jinja for a brief shopping trip and then it is off to Kampala! We are going to Charles and Eve Bameka's home to help celebrate Eve's birthday. We should be leaving for the airport around 9:30pm; I don't expect too many shops to be open during our stay.
Thank you all for your prayers. Please continue to pray for this mission and for the people of Uganda! See you soon!!
Thursday Evening
Just returned to the Sunset Hotel after visiting Kamuli and Mbulamuti! An hour and a half bus ride but well worth every minute.
Kamuli might just be the happiest congregation I've ever seen. Every church leader had a grin from ear to ear during our 2 hour visit. What a great group of people! We handed out some soccer balls, cross necklaces, and "Trust God" pins. Took lots of "snaps" of the kids!
From there we took the leadership of Kamuli with us to Mbulamuti. Wish I could describe the abandoned building we met in. Amazing people, but obviously not receiving the care the kids in Nakabango and Bufuula might receive.
I know the team could detect the stark contrast of these 2 villages with the prior 4 villages we have seen. Kids were dirtier, sicker; but that universal smile of joy is the same wherever we have been. Wish I could bottle that up!
Saw so many eye-opening things during the ride today. Families and friends- you have many pictures to see and stories to hear when this team gets home.
I have to mention the amazing devotion time we spent this morning. It was mostly a time of sharing and I 'm sure there wasn't a dry eye in the room as we each shared how we have been touched during the week. What a wonderful group of strong Christian men and women who are looking to serve our Lord in bigger and more powerful ways! They are a joy to know.
Hope to post once more tomorrow! Not happy that this is our last evening here, but we'll all be thrilled to see family and friends on Saturday.
Kamuli might just be the happiest congregation I've ever seen. Every church leader had a grin from ear to ear during our 2 hour visit. What a great group of people! We handed out some soccer balls, cross necklaces, and "Trust God" pins. Took lots of "snaps" of the kids!
From there we took the leadership of Kamuli with us to Mbulamuti. Wish I could describe the abandoned building we met in. Amazing people, but obviously not receiving the care the kids in Nakabango and Bufuula might receive.
I know the team could detect the stark contrast of these 2 villages with the prior 4 villages we have seen. Kids were dirtier, sicker; but that universal smile of joy is the same wherever we have been. Wish I could bottle that up!
Saw so many eye-opening things during the ride today. Families and friends- you have many pictures to see and stories to hear when this team gets home.
I have to mention the amazing devotion time we spent this morning. It was mostly a time of sharing and I 'm sure there wasn't a dry eye in the room as we each shared how we have been touched during the week. What a wonderful group of strong Christian men and women who are looking to serve our Lord in bigger and more powerful ways! They are a joy to know.
Hope to post once more tomorrow! Not happy that this is our last evening here, but we'll all be thrilled to see family and friends on Saturday.
Wednesday, January 19, 2011
Thursday Morning
It's a cloudy morning in Jinja - maybe even some rain today. That will add to the adventure, I'm sure!
Amazing day in Bufuula and Mufubira yesterday! The folks from Hope Lutheran in Lubbock who have partnered with Bufuula got to present dresses, t-shirts, and goats. Had a wonderful worship service, too; Pastor Tim rocked the house! Played some soccer and had lunch in Bufuula before moving on to Mufubira.
The day ended with a surprise from Pastor Charles Bameka! He had arranged for boats to pick us up on the river by our hotel to travel to the source of the Nile River. We saw some beautiful bird and enjoyed the peace of a ride on the river. We got out on an island and spent some time having snacks and drinks - it was a great "wind down" from a busy day. You'll get to see some great group pictures!
Dinner at the hotel again. I saw lots of pizza last night, as well as samosas & whole tilapia. Someone in Bufuula gave us 3 dozen eggs so we brought them back to the hotel and had them hard-boiled - best eggs I've ever had. New idea for an appetizer for your next party!
What a blessing to see people from so many place in the U.S. come together in this experience. We are humbled by our experiences and everyone is trying to absorb and process as much as we can. It can be overwhelming, but we all feel honored to serve in this way. Thank you for praying for our continued safety. It has been an amazing week!
Amazing day in Bufuula and Mufubira yesterday! The folks from Hope Lutheran in Lubbock who have partnered with Bufuula got to present dresses, t-shirts, and goats. Had a wonderful worship service, too; Pastor Tim rocked the house! Played some soccer and had lunch in Bufuula before moving on to Mufubira.
The day ended with a surprise from Pastor Charles Bameka! He had arranged for boats to pick us up on the river by our hotel to travel to the source of the Nile River. We saw some beautiful bird and enjoyed the peace of a ride on the river. We got out on an island and spent some time having snacks and drinks - it was a great "wind down" from a busy day. You'll get to see some great group pictures!
Dinner at the hotel again. I saw lots of pizza last night, as well as samosas & whole tilapia. Someone in Bufuula gave us 3 dozen eggs so we brought them back to the hotel and had them hard-boiled - best eggs I've ever had. New idea for an appetizer for your next party!
What a blessing to see people from so many place in the U.S. come together in this experience. We are humbled by our experiences and everyone is trying to absorb and process as much as we can. It can be overwhelming, but we all feel honored to serve in this way. Thank you for praying for our continued safety. It has been an amazing week!
Tuesday, January 18, 2011
Wednesday Morning
So sorry for no updates yesterday - no internet access! What an amazing day we had though! I do believe it may have been our most productive - both tangibles and intangibles!
We started the day by heading into Jinja to exchange our money. Had a great conversation with our guard who was carrying the most darling little AK47 - complete with bayonet. :) Very nice man and they so love when we visit!
After that it was off to Nakabango - one of my favorite places on God's green earth! You can imagine the songs and shrieks of the women as we pulled up - children coming from every direction. Closest thing to a rock star we'll ever be - okay, except for Bill and Richie. What a joy to watch the faces of so many of the newcomers receive this greeting for the first time!
We played with the kids for an hour or so before we started planting the "green fence" (a hedge) that was about 300 yards total! We definitely got our hands into the red, Ugandan soil! Imagine a line of 22 Americans and 50 Ugandan kids all kneeling planting small bushes together - it was precious!
We also had the pleasure of helping paint the outside of the new church building - and what a building it is! Amazing to get to see what God has placed in that former field of not much! There is even stained glass -I wasn't expecting that and it is gorgeous! I'm not supposed to let you know, Shea, but Andy can really paint! He and some of the guys looked like Mark Twain and Huck Finn when they were whitewashing the outside of the church!
Lesli and I handed out 130 precious little dresses that had been sewn by some women at Salem Avenue Baptist in Rolla - what a sight that was! Not only did we have the pleasure of handing them, but I got to put each one on a precious little girl and tie her ribbons!
Building benches was also part of the day - hard work, but I think it was so rewarding for the guys. Todd Larkin had the cutest little guy helping him the entire time - probably 8 or 9 years old. Priceless.
Such an honor to watch EVERYONE engage with the people in this village - kids, women, men. The relationships formed yesterday may not be tangible, but the impact is huge.
A few sore muscles today - maybe not from hammering or painting, but from swinging so many kids around or holding so many babies. I got to see a lot of talents in action yesterday!
I'm off to be a part of our study of "The Hole In Our Gospel" - a great way to start our day together. Thank you for your continued prayers and a special thanks to each of our families for allowing us this opportunity! We love you all!
Off to Bufuula and Mufibira today!
We started the day by heading into Jinja to exchange our money. Had a great conversation with our guard who was carrying the most darling little AK47 - complete with bayonet. :) Very nice man and they so love when we visit!
After that it was off to Nakabango - one of my favorite places on God's green earth! You can imagine the songs and shrieks of the women as we pulled up - children coming from every direction. Closest thing to a rock star we'll ever be - okay, except for Bill and Richie. What a joy to watch the faces of so many of the newcomers receive this greeting for the first time!
We played with the kids for an hour or so before we started planting the "green fence" (a hedge) that was about 300 yards total! We definitely got our hands into the red, Ugandan soil! Imagine a line of 22 Americans and 50 Ugandan kids all kneeling planting small bushes together - it was precious!
We also had the pleasure of helping paint the outside of the new church building - and what a building it is! Amazing to get to see what God has placed in that former field of not much! There is even stained glass -I wasn't expecting that and it is gorgeous! I'm not supposed to let you know, Shea, but Andy can really paint! He and some of the guys looked like Mark Twain and Huck Finn when they were whitewashing the outside of the church!
Lesli and I handed out 130 precious little dresses that had been sewn by some women at Salem Avenue Baptist in Rolla - what a sight that was! Not only did we have the pleasure of handing them, but I got to put each one on a precious little girl and tie her ribbons!
Building benches was also part of the day - hard work, but I think it was so rewarding for the guys. Todd Larkin had the cutest little guy helping him the entire time - probably 8 or 9 years old. Priceless.
Such an honor to watch EVERYONE engage with the people in this village - kids, women, men. The relationships formed yesterday may not be tangible, but the impact is huge.
A few sore muscles today - maybe not from hammering or painting, but from swinging so many kids around or holding so many babies. I got to see a lot of talents in action yesterday!
I'm off to be a part of our study of "The Hole In Our Gospel" - a great way to start our day together. Thank you for your continued prayers and a special thanks to each of our families for allowing us this opportunity! We love you all!
Off to Bufuula and Mufibira today!
Monday, January 17, 2011
Monday Afternoon
We are HERE! Everything went great on the flights. Long, but uneventful, thank goodness. So far travelling with 22 is great - and I don't anticipate that changing!
Chris' suitcase did not make it out of Amsterdam. Thankfully he packed an extra set of clothes in his backpack and has had lots of offers for donations of socks, etc. from teammates!
We got to the hotel around 10:30 last night, checked in and gathered in the restaurant around 11:00 for dinner/snacks. Most were in bed by 1:30. I do believe delirium had set in for a few of us, but it was a fun evening!
Left Kampala this morning and stopped by the village of Kateete. It was the group's first expereince with the kids and it was a great one! It took a lot to get them to leave. I met a young woman and found out her name is also "Julie"; she really would like me to be her "mum". Likewise! Handed out some soccer balls, frisbees, and candy. Now we are at the Source Cafe having lunch (it's 3:20pm). After this we will check into the Sunset Hotel and go to Bujagali Falls!
Big day in Nakabango tomorrow! Thank you for all of your prayers!
Chris' suitcase did not make it out of Amsterdam. Thankfully he packed an extra set of clothes in his backpack and has had lots of offers for donations of socks, etc. from teammates!
We got to the hotel around 10:30 last night, checked in and gathered in the restaurant around 11:00 for dinner/snacks. Most were in bed by 1:30. I do believe delirium had set in for a few of us, but it was a fun evening!
Left Kampala this morning and stopped by the village of Kateete. It was the group's first expereince with the kids and it was a great one! It took a lot to get them to leave. I met a young woman and found out her name is also "Julie"; she really would like me to be her "mum". Likewise! Handed out some soccer balls, frisbees, and candy. Now we are at the Source Cafe having lunch (it's 3:20pm). After this we will check into the Sunset Hotel and go to Bujagali Falls!
Big day in Nakabango tomorrow! Thank you for all of your prayers!
Wednesday, January 12, 2011
Wednesday, January 12th
Wow - a balmy 12 degrees Fahrenheit in St. Charles this morning. Looking forward to 80 degrees in Uganda!
Packed 9 supply suitcases Monday evening - dum dum suckers, soccer balls, soccer uniforms, tools, school supplies, 115 gorgeous hand-made dresses for some little girls in Nakabango, and lots more.
Seems like everyone is packing their own bags, too. We're seeing forecasts of rain for Uganda next week so having shoes that we don't care about bringing back with us may be important. Red dirt becomes red clay pretty quickly!
Packed 9 supply suitcases Monday evening - dum dum suckers, soccer balls, soccer uniforms, tools, school supplies, 115 gorgeous hand-made dresses for some little girls in Nakabango, and lots more.
Seems like everyone is packing their own bags, too. We're seeing forecasts of rain for Uganda next week so having shoes that we don't care about bringing back with us may be important. Red dirt becomes red clay pretty quickly!
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