Oli Otya-Bunnange! 08/12/2011
August 8th found the team ready and raring to continue the work we have been called to do here in this amazing place. We began our day with a short walk to Sonrise to wait for our driver Faroukh who had been temporarily delayed. The wait gave us a chance to visit with the babies a bit and meet or get reacquainted with some of our Ugandan friends who would be joining on us on the day’s projects. Once Faroukh arrived we headed out into the forest to do a breakfast feeding at a school that Damali had set up for us. We found out on the way that the pastor who runs this school is one that Pastor Robert had told Regan we should try and hook up with (unbeknownst to Damali). When we arrived at Vision Primary School we met this very friendly and dignified man named Pastor Patrick who we also found out is one of the pastors who was part of the training our own Pastor Doug and the Cassels recently conducted in the area. We met a lovely group of school age children who were very happy and excited to see us. We sang some songs with them and told them a little bit about us and proceeded to the feeding. We were also able to include some of the other children who for whatever reason do not attend the school. We found out from Pastor Patrick that over 80% of the children at his school are orphans. Vision is situated on a fairly large piece of land and while the school is very humbly constructed (perhaps a little bigger than a cattle stall, and about as well ventilated) Patrick is praying for God to provide the resources for a bigger school and boarding facility for the students as well as a health centre for this remote part of the Wakisi district. It was very encouraging to spend time with this soft spoken man with big dreams and an even bigger heart for the people he has been called to minister to. The plan for the day included beginning the work of delivering family kits which we were looking forward to. As we arrived in Jinja for lunch we found that some suppliers were not available or didn’t have the items we needed and also that rain was in the forecast. Slightly disappointed, we were taken instead to visit a couple of other children’s ministries just North-West of Jinja. The first was an orphanage that has only been open a year or so and is run by Damali’s friend, Pastor Mike. This young man has 8 pre-schoolers of both genders who all share the same bedroom. They were a little shy but Mike and one of the aunties who helps him convinced them to sing for us. We brought some salt, sugar, rice and soap to add to their stores only to find out that they had run out of food that day and were wondering how they were going to feed the children that night. Our disappointment over not delivering family kits faded as we realized we were in the right place at the right time. As we said goodbye to Mike and his little ones we headed past the Anglican cathedral in this area to a place run by a woman named Edith. Edith runs a residential home for children with multiple physical and developmental challenges ranging from cerebral palsy to encephalitis to developmental and physical challenges resulting from untreated malaria. This was a hard visit. It does not appear that the state provides much (if any) support for children in these categories and Edith is a self-taught expert in caring for these children due to her own journey in raising a son with cerebral palsy who is now 10. As a public school teacher knowing what kinds of services are available for these children home in Canada it was difficult for me to see these children in what appeared to be less than ideal conditions. As our visit progressed, however, I realized that all the adults caring for these children love them unconditionally and are doing their best to provide a clean and safe environment for them. Edith has hired an occupational therapist to help build muscle tone amongst other things. She recently received a pregnant cow, thanks to a government grant she applied for, but her landlord is threatening to evict her because of it; an immediate prayer item for that situation. We brought the same gifts of food for this centre also to find out that they had run of most things in almost the same time period as Pastor Mike. What a blessing it was to be a blessing to this woman I referred to as Uganda’s Mother Theresa when we were back on our bus. It was a reminder that I certainly needed as to Who continues to be in charge of this trip. As Pastor Gabriel (you’ll be hearing more about him later) is fond of saying, “Praise the Living God.”. Mweraba for now, Ian Sommer 2 Comments This morning we all went to Pastor Robert’s Church. The service was a powerful combination of worship music and a message of being thankful for everything in our lives. The music was delivered by a talented group of individuals who co-ordinated their outfits and movements and brought the congregation to their feet with their phenomenal voices. Our group noticed the generosity of the village; people who have very little themselves, but offered up sugar cane, chickens, vegetables, and a variety of other items. We were lucky enough to witness the dedication of baby Solomon and participate in communion, which funnily enough was referred to as the communion of cookies and grape pop! Our team was flooded with visits after the service. Many of the people were so grateful to see us that they fell to their knees and shook our hands and thanked us for coming. It was very powerful experience to be part of. After the service, our team took a tour of the new facilities at Fountain of Hope. We got to see the new boarding house that has been developed and went inside the school rooms. The children very happily accompanied many of us, holding our hands, and looking at themselves in the pictures that we had taken of them. Unfortunately weather prevented us from taking Damali’s children to the pool, but Faroukh drove us to Ivan’s children’s house and we took 9 eager children with us downtown Jinja to buy some ice cream and cookies. The children were so excited to come with us! We took them into the Supermarket before boarding the bus to go back to Ivan’s to eat the ice cream. Six of Damali’s children joined us for our delicious snack. The children enjoyed their treat so much that many would not give me their container lids until they had licked off every bit of ice cream! After our treat, the team enjoyed some time playing with the children. Some of them found their way to the bus and enjoyed sitting in the big seats, while others kicked the soccer ball around or played tag games.I enjoyed playing with a boy who enjoyed stepping on my feet while I walked, and spinning around in circles. The giggles and smiles that we helped to create this afternoon were amazing and I won’t soon forget them! After an eventful day, the team arrived back to the Guest House for a delicious dinner prepared by our very generous hosts. We are tired, but very excited for the projects that are to come tomorrow! Christine Roth, on behalf of the Grandview 2011 Uganda Team Greetings from Uganda! 08/06/2011
After our Toronto-Heathrow-Nairobi-Entebbe flights, we arrived in Uganda just after midnight on the morning of August 6th. We were thrilled that all 31 pieces of luggage arrived and we were able to clear through customs with no problems. We arrived at the Entebbe Central Inn and got a few hours sleep before hitting the road and heading to Jinja. It was a long drive; traffic was exceptionally heavy and the road was even washed-out in one section due to the heavy rains. However, thanks to the exceptional driving skills of our bus driver, Faroukh, we were able to take in the sights, smells, and sounds of numerous villages on the way to our destination. After settling in our homes for the next week, we went off in search of Damali. We were not disappointed; only a few minutes later our paths crossed on a red-dirt road and our team was greeted with cheers, cries of excitement, and hugs. It was wonderful to see our friends again! Everyone is pretty tired, so I am going to cut this one short. We are all safe and excited about what the days ahead will bring. Looking forward to sharing more in the coming days! Grandview’s August 2011 Missions Team |
