Heading Home

Well, today is the day.
The last few days have been amazing, but tough. I do want to assure you of one thing though- remember when you were a kid and your parents told you that if you don't stop eating so much of whatever, you are going to turn into that food. Well, let me assure you, if Greg and I did not turn into pineapples and mangoes this week, it won't ever happen to anyone! We made sure that we got our fill and then some!
We are now out and have just enjoyed a nice meal, including samosas, and soon it will be time to leave this beautiful country.
Soon we will venture back to Watoto Central to meet our "Ugandan sons" who will escort us to the airport. This will be the hardest "see you later" of them all. These young men really have become family to us.
In just a few short hours, we will begin our journey from this

To this...

See You Soon!

Blessed beyond belief!

We continue to feel as though we are the very more blessed people on the planet.
When we were originally given this gift, my first thought was- "We don't have time." Wrong and very wrong. God will make the time!
We have been so very blessed to have this time to decompress and reflect. As we have sat on the shore of this incredible river, God has showed us that what He has taught us here is for us to take home and apply there. As we talked about it, we just saw more and more opportunities to connect our Canadian resources to our Ugandan family and ways that we can apply what we have learned here to our lives in Canada.
We are so very thankful- there are no words!

The view from our room

The Week Goes On

Another day and a lot more “see you laters”. Yesterday the nannies from the babies home had their Christmas party…on the beach at Entebbe! I still struggle with Christmas lights on palm trees and Christmas parties on the beach, but that is my issue! Back to the story- since the nannies were all going to the Christmas party, they all met at babies home to board the buses. That gave me an opportunity to hug each one and say “see you later”. What a blessing that they all could be there.
Then I could hang out with my “little man”- my 2 year old boyfriend. This is an extremely active child that “terrorizes” the babies’ home everyday, but as soon as he sees me, he comes running and we cuddle- sometimes for three hours without him moving. I kept joking that I was taking him home with me on Monday- one of the staff members actually thought that I had adopted him and was really taking him home with me- that is the bond that this child and I have. Needless to say, as I was driving away from babies home and he was standing on the steps crying/screaming at the top of his lungs, it was certainly not a “dry eye” moment!
After a stop at a few different grocery stores, I was off to the guesthouses to say my “see you laters” there. These young men and women have become like kids to me- I am either “Mommy” or “Auntie Lorenda” to almost all of them. They are wonderful people and I am so glad that God gave me the opportunity to get to know them better, but that makes leaving even harder.
After I got done these two visits, I texted Greg and told him that next time we come I am going to be mean to everyone so they will hate me then leaving won’t be such a heart wrenching experience. Of course I was kidding, I am so blessed to have every one of these relationships- feeling pain as I leave just means that these are valuable relationships and I thank God for every one of them.
At the end of the workday, we had the maintenance team Christmas party. The plan was to visit, watch a movie and eat the snacks I had gathered on my numerous grocery stops. There were some issues with the movies due to “bad” power (too high/too low- whatever!). Good thing the company was so good- that was the important thing.
This amazing group of young men has become our family here. Our children refer to them as their Ugandan brothers. Since our children were here, two women have also been added to the team- Amy is the administrator and Jackie is Greg’s replacement. We thank the Lord for Jackie- knowing that the team is in such capable hands makes it a little easier to leave.
Today we will be off to Jinja to enjoy our time at an amazing resort that is literally “in” the Nile- you have to take a boat to the island it is on. I got many things done yesterday and now know where all of our belongings will be going and how they will get there so my mind can relax and enjoy this beautiful “mini vacation”.
On Monday we will make our rounds around Central and then the entire maintenance team will accompany us to the airport. That will be our biggest and wettest “see you later” session, but we won’t think about that just yet. Instead we are going to enjoy the next day that we have in God’s amazing creation.

Our Week of "Lasts"

Yesterday began our week of “lasts”- the last time we will do certain things before we go home.
But before I tell you about the lasts, I have to tell you about my first! On Monday I got on a boda boda (motorcycle taxi) for my first time! It isn’t as daring as it sounds (at least to those of you who know Kampala traffic) because I was in Gulu. There are only 1 million people in Gulu so the traffic is light and everything moves pretty slowly- compared to Kampala, Gulu is sort of like Radiator Springs in the Disney movie Cars. It wasn’t that long of a ride and the good news is…I survived!
Now, back to our week of lasts. Yesterday was our last team devotions with our Watoto family. When I say devotions, that sounds like a small gathering- no, it is a gathering of around 300 Watoto staff. Of course, I was in Gulu still so I wasn’t there, but Greg was. During devotions, Jack (Greg’s boss) spoke about our ministry here and more specifically about Greg’s work with the maintenance team. He discussed how Greg has made changes that have changed the way the work is being done and has raised the standard for maintenance here. He was given a standing ovation- the pastors and district administrators are the ones that are most aware of the changes and are very appreciative for the work he has done.
I recently realized that you haven’t heard much about the work that Greg has been doing. There are two reasons for that:
1. I am the one that is writing the blog,
2. The things I have been doing are much more fun and makes for more interesting story.
Don’t get me wrong, the work Greg is doing is extremely important, but describing to you how he has repaired a toilet or taught the guys about generators, doesn’t make for real interesting reading!
Yesterday I said “see you later” to the guesthouse staff in Gulu. It was very hard and we were all fighting back tears. There will be many more of those sessions in the week to come.

We did do some amazing shopping on the way home from Gulu. I arrived back in Kampala with six pineapples, 11 large mangoes, 24 passion fruit, 1 bunch of bananas, 3 green peppers and 6 red onions- all at the cost of 20,000/= ($8 USD). We are going to spend this last week eating all the fresh fruit that we can!

World AIDS Day

Today is December 1- World AIDS Day
Living in North America, the view of HIV/AIDS is very different than it is in Sub-Saharan Africa.
I have been a nurse for more than 29 years and to the best of my knowledge, I have cared for only three people that were HIV positive. Since February this year, I am sure I encounter ten times that number of HIV positive people on a daily basis.
In North America many people will never actually know someone who is HIV positive. In Uganda, I have yet to meet a family that has not been affected by the HIV/AIDS crisis.
Unfortunately, most of us in North America are also not very knowledgeable about HIV/AIDS and I can tell you, from a first hand perspective, that includes health care workers. Due to our own lack of knowledge and the fact that HIV is often transmitted through IV drug use in NA, we imagine HIV positive people to look and behave in a certain way. Many of us imagine HIV positive people as down and out drug addicted people who live on the street and work as prostitutes. As soon as we hear “HIV positive”, our antennae go up and we start to make all kinds of assessments and judgments.
I would like to tell you about the HIV positive people I have met and what they actually do look like. They are beautiful, happy babies who love to cuddle, giggle and play. They look like healthy, mischievous toddlers who run, climb and test the limits. They are children who sit in school all day, dreaming of being outside playing with their friends. They look like beautiful, kind, friendly women who sew, do bead work, cook, clean and raise their children.
Doesn’t it sound like I am describing “normal” babies, toddlers, children and women? That’s because I AM! These dear friends that I have described to you are regular people who have an illness that can fortunately be controlled with medication. I have had the privilege of cuddling, chasing, hugging, working alongside and crying with these people during our time here. I am so grateful that I have had this tremendous privilege. I have grown as a person and have had the opportunity to confront some of my own biases. I am so thankful for that.
I do want to clarify one thing- I have spoken about women and children that I have had the privilege of knowing during my time here. I don’t want anyone to think that there are no HIV positive men here. That is certainly not the case. I have been working with women and children during my time here so I know many of them very well. I know that I have encountered HIV positive males during my time here, but I have not gotten to know them well enough to discuss their HIV status with them. I just wanted to clarify so that no one made the assumption that there were no HIV positive males here.
If you sponsor a child in Sub-Saharan Africa, it is almost certain that the child’s life has been affected in some way by the HIV/AIDS crisis. On this World AIDS Day, please pray for the African continent and for HIV positive people around the world.

First Aid- Ugandan Style

Today I spent a couple of hours teaching first aid to the maintenance team at Watoto Church. Teaching first aid here is a whole different ball game than teaching it in North America.
In North America, when a person comes upon a serious medical situation, the first order of business is to have someone call 911 and get help coming. In Uganda there is no 911 system. There are ambulances, but you may wait a very long time for them to arrive, if they arrive at all.
After a serious injury or medical situation, a North American trip to the hospital will take place in either an ambulance or a car/truck/van. The likelihood is very high that a Ugandan trip to the hospital will include a boda boda (motorcycle taxi)- especially if time is critical. Bodas are the fastest mode of transportation because they weave in and out of the traffic and don’t obey any traffic laws. However, with a broken limb or a snakebite, I can’t imagine that the trip would be very pleasant. Actually, I can’t imagine that any boda ride would be pleasant, but less so when in a medical emergency.
I have learned several new remedies- some useful and some…well, I’ll tell you about them and you can decide if you want to try them.
I have had to spend some time learning about my least favourite of all God’s creations- snakes. I have never taken a first aid course or taught anything about what one should do if you are bitten by a cobra, black mamba or puff adder. All of a sudden, that has become relevant information that should be taught in a basic first aid course and I needed to do some quick research.
The first recommendation is that you try to determine what kind of snake bit you. Even if I saw one, I wouldn’t know what it was- OK, if a cobra puffed up and spit, I would recognize that. However, I have mistakenly assumed that a black mamba was black in colour- wrong. The inside of its mouth is black, but who wants to get that close- I don’t want to check it for tonsillitis! The colour of the black mamba is actually dark green or brown.
The first aid is different for someone who is has been bitten by a black mamba than it is for someone who has been bitten by a puff adder. One of the readily accepted first aid treatments for snakebites is to apply a tourniquet above the bite to stop the venom from spreading to the rest of the body. I now know this would be useful if bitten by a puff adder whose venom travels in the blood stream, but would be useless in the bite of a black mamba whose venom attacks the nervous system.
OK enough about snakes- I get all crawly every time I even talk about them!
I did get a few new first aid/health tips from the class that I had not heard before. Pretty sure I will not be using any of them, but I will give you a couple of them in case you are ever in a tight spot.
When we were discussing burns, several remedies were discussed. These included applying Vaseline, butter, cooking oil to the burn. I didn’t find this one all that alarming because that was what I was taught as a child- burn yourself while cooking, slap some butter on it. Of course we now know that is the worst thing you can do. I proceeded to teach that the burn should be put in cool water for 10 to 15 minutes. Then I was presented with a whole new treatment- don’t use water, use urine as it works much better. Normally, I like to refute inaccurate information with facts, evidence based research, but instead I just stood there with my mouth open. Hey- is anyone out there doing a degree and you need a research topic- how about researching the effectiveness of urine vs water in small burns.
Then once we were on the topic of urine, the discussion just went downhill from there. I was then informed that urine works well for a hangover. I naively asked, “So you get up the next morning and drink your urine.” They all laughed at me and informed me that of course you don’t drink your own urine, it has the alcohol in it that you are trying to get rid of- you drink SOMEONE ELSE’S urine.
Every day is a learning experience here.

Riders

Well, we just got done watching the Saskatchewan Roughriders win the 101st Grey Cup. The game started at 2:30 AM local time so we went to bed early and got up to watch the game. Greg has got his Rider hat on to celebrate the win and has headed out the door to work. It could be a very long day!
Since none of our friends or family would come and join us for a Grey Cup party, it was just the two of us. I volunteered to make hot wings, but somehow that didn't seem so appetizing as a "pre-breakfast" food. I know the party has just begun in Regina- have fun and stay safe.
We are continuing our transition here. Greg's replacement started last week and she is going to be great. She is a very capable young woman that will continue to build on the foundation that Greg and the team have already laid. Greg has told her that she is "in charge" starting today. That will give her two full weeks of "running the show" while Greg is still behind her for back up.
The suit cases are down from the cupboard and packing has begun. We will be traveling much lighter on the way home than we did on the way here.
Continue to pray that we will finish well as we wrap things up here, say "see you later" to our Ugandan family and fly home to hug our family and friends.

Blessings everyday!

We just continue to be blessed every day.
On Sunday we had a great day worshiping at Watoto Church. Oh- we are so going to miss our Ugandan brothers and sisters and their energetic, enthusiastic worship style.
After church we went out for lunch with a group of friends. This group meets every Sunday for their cell (Bible study) and every so often, we crash their party! Our friends Randy and Judy (yes, both of them) were having a birthday on Monday so we had a little party for them at lunch on Sunday. It was so much fun and such a blessing. Randy and Judy are such an amazing couple that encourage so many of us- it was great to do a little something for them.
Our days have continued to be busy. Tuesday morning we had team devotions- another amazing time of praise, worship and learning with our Watoto family. After that I went out to the Buloba farm (the farm where the chicken barn is) to help Judy hang curtain rods in the new house there.
Yesterday was a day of waiting, waiting, waiting. When our children were here in June, our son met a wonderful girl from Australia. In August, he went “down under” to meet her family and friends. She then began to make plans to come to Canada. However, she decided that she wanted to surprise Carlen so she told him that she would be arriving on November 30, but really she was arriving November 20. She and our daughters devised a plan and managed to keep it from Carlen. I put her itinerary into my iCal so that I could know where she was all day (it gets a little confusing just looking at the itinerary with four different time zones and me living in another time zone). I prayed for her as she flew across the Pacific for 14 ½ hours and then waited impatiently as she sat in Vancouver waiting for her next flight.  I went to bed and did manage to sleep for a while, but got up at 4:20 AM so that I could Facetime with everyone and be part of the excitement. We are so blessed.
Fortunately last evening was the night that our cell meets so we were able to be there being blessed, instead of waiting impatiently for Amy to arrive. Our cell is always such a blessing, but last night was incredible. Since we will be leaving soon, they had a time after our Bible study to honor us and thank us. It was such a huge blessing and so incredibly humbling to listen to our dear friends tell us how we have impacted them- but we didn’t do anything, we were just obedient and just loved the people that God has put in our path. They also had a cake to celebrate our 30th anniversary with us and told us how they are encouraged in their own marriages. I never really thought about it before, but people don’t usually marry really young here and the life expectancy is around 50 to 53 years so I guess being married for 30 years would not be that common here.
These people have been such a blessing to us- I really cannot put it into words that even come close.
Blessings, blessings, more every day!

What a Week

The last week has been very busy. Hard to believe it has been so many days since I last posted an update. Although we have been very busy, there is not a lot of news to report. We are just working hard to finish well.
Greg is working hard to finish up things that he has started and continues to encourage and motivate his team- a job that I believe he will continue even after we have gone home.
Lorenda spent some time last week putting together first aid kits for the guesthouses and for the maintenance department. With all the stuff she brought along, very little had to be bought.
We have begun the task of sorting and giving away our stuff. We don’t plan to haul much of it back with us so it will be nice to be traveling light on the way home. The problem is that much of it will be needed up until the last day (clothing, kitchen supplies) so a lot of that will be last minute.
One of the amazing things that God has blessed us with is the opportunity to meet so many people from around the world. Staff, volunteers and short-term teams come to Watoto from all over the world- what a great opportunity to learn from others. I’m sure I will miss some, but we have met people from Japan, Hong Kong, Wales, UK, Sweden, Denmark, Germany, Norway, Mexico, as well as various places in Canada, US and Australia. What an opportunity to learn.
We have learned, from all these people, about how things are done in different churches and different countries. Many of these people will serve as future contacts for ministry opportunities around the world. What an amazing network of people we have had the privilege of meeting.
As we sit back and try to count our blessings, they are too numerous to count. We just keep saying thank you.

Keepin' Busy

We are in the midst of busy days- so much going on! Thanks for all your prayers because that is what is getting us through these days.
Greg has been busy this week in meetings regarding the expansion of the Watoto Central building. It is a very old building (sorry I don’t remember the year it was built, but Greg could tell you) that used to be a theatre. Then it was taken over by the military prior to Watoto acquiring it so it was in need of some TLC. Watoto has done some things to make it look good, but we have outgrown the building.
Every weekend at Central there are six services- one on Saturday and five on Sunday, each one packed to the rafters! The building needs to be expanded so that more people in this area of Kampala can be reached for Christ. There are four other Watoto celebration points in Kampala, but getting around the city to another church isn’t as simple here as it is in NA. Watoto South opened a new tent in May that is double the size that the old one was. Watoto North is also full to bursting and the plans are in place for yet another Watoto location in northwest Kampala. People need Christ!
Anyway, back to the meetings…this week a team of architects from the US is here to look at the expansion plans for Central. They have been meeting for many long hours each day because they are only here for a short period of time and have a lot to accomplish! Greg has found the days to be very long (especially with his sore back), but full of lots of great information and much anticipation regarding what the Lord will do.
Greg left the church shortly after 7PM last night, but at that time the traffic is very bad so it would usually take about two hours to travel the 5 kms (roughly) from church to our apartment. However, sometimes there are other “obstacles” in the way and it takes even longer.
Whenever the president of the country moves about, the roads are shut down ahead of him so that his path is always clear. This happens every night when he leaves his office in Kampala and moves to his home in Entebbe. Last night for some reason he was heading back into Kampala and Greg had to wait for about 40 minutes at one corner. I have never seen this “parade” of vehicles, but I have been told by Greg and others that the president always moves with about 20 vehicles, including an ambulance and much security, accompanying him. Interesting the way things are done in different countries around the world.
I have been busy this week creating first aid manuals and attempting to assemble first aid kits for the guesthouses and the maintenance department. Last week I taught first aid to the staff of the two Kampala guesthouses. That should be pretty simple right? I have been a nurse for 29 years and have taken first aid many times. However, not once have I ever been taught what to do if a venomous snake bites someone. Also, in all serious situations, the first command from a first aider to a by stander is “Call 911”. Yep, yep, yep- no such thing exists here. Not all hospitals have anti-venom, or rabies vaccine, or can treat a person having a heart attack. First I had to learn what to do, then figure out where help could be acquired, then decide the best means of transport (and yes, with a snake bite where time is of the essence- that would be a boda) and then teach this to the staff. When I am teaching or speaking on a particular subject, I like to know the subject well and feel confident as I speak. That really wasn’t the case on Thursday, but hopefully the staff learned something new! I sure did- I’ll have to tell you about black stones some time.

Saturdays are Great!

On Saturday we were back over to see Joanna and the kids. Greg has some work that he wants to get done there and our time is quickly running out!
One of the requirements for running an organization with this many children is that the boys and girls have to be separated. There is a separate building in the compound that will house the boys so some work was needing to be done there. Joanna had carpenters and painters in to do some of the work and Greg hung lights on Saturday. It was a job that should have taken about an hour, but with so many helpers (and a very sore back), it took a little extra time!
The children were so very excited because their beds were being delivered the next day. They are “triple decker” bunk beds! I have not seen such a thing in North America, but they are pretty common here. The excitement level was very high because none of these children has ever had a bed before. Things that we just take for granted, but they could not even dream about until God sent Joanna and some sponsors their way. Next time we are there, I will take pictures of them and their new beds- you will be blessed.
Here are a few pictures that we have of the children.
Check out Joanna's blog www.theselittleangels.blogspot.com
She has many pictures of the kids- you'll love it!

Some of the children needed new shoes so off we went to the local shop.

This young man thinks the world of Greg. His face just lights up as soon as he sees Greg and is willing to do anything to help. That tool bag weighs nearly as much as he does! Also this boy is an incredible dancer.

When you have a big family, you need a big pot to cook meals. Here is Cyrus stirring the posho.

Please Remember

Today is a day of remembering.
For our family, it is a day of remembering my dad. He was not a veteran, but today is his birthday. He would have been 78 years old today if he were still with us. If you see my mom or any of my family members today, please give them a big hug.
Today is also the day that we honor our veterans. Many people living today are too young to remember when the world wars occurred. For many the wars/conflicts/military missions (whatever word we use to make it seem better) that have occurred in recent years, have been far removed geographically so they aren’t that “real”.
However, for many, these wars are very real. There are many families in North America and around the world who have lost loved ones in recent years. Tell those families today how much you appreciate the sacrifice of their loved one. Say thank you and let them know that their son/daughter/husband/wife/parent is a hero.
Living outside of North America for this time, I have come to appreciate more and more the men and women of our police forces and military. God has opened my eyes to a lot of things while we have been here and this is certainly one of them.
This Remembrance Day, I appreciate more than ever the democracy and safety of Canada that I inherited because of the veterans that fought for me. Please don’t take it for granted.

The Most Blessed People on the Earth!

We really do believe that we are the very most blessed people on the whole entire planet. Everyday just gets better and better.
Yesterday, I (Lorenda of course) had an amazing day. I was meant to be working on a first aid manual for a course I was teaching today. One can only sit in an office for so long before you decide to look for another option. Hmmm, what to do- I know, I’ll go see my “boyfriend”. Before anyone starts to get concerned about it, let me tell you that he is the cutest little two year old on the whole continent!
Normally, he is running around the babies’ home and causing trouble wherever he goes. As soon as I arrived, I scooped him up and he sat on my knee for two whole hours and at one point he even fell asleep in my arms. No one could believe that he could possibly sit still for that long, but he is my boy and he will sit and cuddle with me! It gave me a chance to visit with my dear friend and favourite nanny, Florence. We had not had a chance to sit and talk for a long time- what a huge blessing. Cuddling my favourite boy and chatting with one of the most amazing people I have ever met- my life is so great!
How can it get any better you ask? Well, we are friends with one of the leaders for Watoto Choir number 65 which will be touring across Canada starting in January. He asked us a few days ago if the choir could perform for us. We arrived thinking that they were going to sing one song for us and we would be on our way. WOW were we wrong!
This was an anniversary present that they had prepared for us. The children had rehearsed their welcome for us and an anniversary greeting for us. THEN they did the entire choir performance JUST FOR US. To say that this was a tremendous blessing doesn’t even come close. It was an absolutely overwhelming, huge privilege to be honored by these beautiful young people. Of course, we both sat there crying through the entire performance knowing that we are the most blessed people on the planet. How many of you have ever had your own private show from this amazing children’s choir? We are blessed, we are blessed, we are blessed.
And as if that wasn’t enough, we had a “hug break” part way through where we got to hug all of the children and another hug session at the end- more, more, more hugs.
They are so excited to know that they will be coming to our church and they will get to see us in our country. We may need to buy a lot more beds when we get home so that we will have room to keep the whole choir at our house! They are my kids and I don’t want to share them with any of you!

There are no words!

November 5

Yesterday we celebrated our 30th wedding anniversary. Not sure how that can be since I am certainly not old enough to have been married for 30 years!
We spent a pretty quiet day. We both took the day off work and just had a quiet, relaxing day together.
We had a nice lunch at a great little place called Bean Café. Remember how I keep saying that our diet is so much healthier here than at home? Well yesterday was a bit of an exception. I did have a nice chicken salad for lunch, but we each had an “Oreo Frappe” to drink and it was yummy.
Our plan for the afternoon was to go to a resort that is on top of one of the hills. You have a beautiful view of the city on one side and Lake Victoria on the other side (no- of course we didn’t take our camera!) We had been told that there is a great pool and it was a nice place to relax. That may be the case on some days, but not yesterday! The pool area is small and seated near the pool were the four most obnoxious people I have seen/heard since we have been here (none of them were Ugandan- all tourists). We stayed for maybe 20 or 30 minutes and decided the peace and quiet of our apartment would be a much better option.
We went out for a nice simple supper and just enjoyed the peace and quiet.
Thirty years- not sure how that has happened, but we know that we have been very blessed and we are very thankful.

More Growing, More Stretching, More Learning

Yesterday I went out with a team from Revelation Life. We went to minister in one of the slum areas of Kampala. They do not refer to them as slums, they refer to them as communities.
I can’t give you an account of what it was like to be there because I am still processing those feelings myself. God has brought me to a place where I could go there without being completely overwhelmed, but it was an eye opening experience. So this post will simply be a description of who we saw and what we did.
On arriving in the community, we walked a long way through narrow passages between homes. The trails were narrow with lots of up and down, often unidentified liquid running down these trails. You really needed to be part mountain goat to navigate parts of the journey and you always needed to be looking down so you didn’t fall or step in something. But you also needed to be always looking up so that you did not cut your head on one of the sharp metal overhangs from a roof.
After walking a very long way, we arrived at a very tiny dwelling where we visited a mom and her three month old twins. The father of the twins died just prior to the birth of the twins so the three of them are staying with the mom’s sister and her family- ten people staying in a place that is about the size my living room (maybe even smaller). Sarah (the nurse from Revelation Life) weighed and measured the babies, gave mom formula and vitamins. The Revelation Life team will continue to check on them in the future to see that they are growing and staying healthy.
We went to visit a few other homes and check on people Sarah had seen previously. We saw a little girl with Rubella (German measles)- that disease is not one that they are immunized against here. Of course I had many questions for Sarah about that- how did she know it was measles? On white skin we assess the level of redness, etc, but on black skin, all the rashes look the same to me.
Next we saw a little boy who very likely has TB- nasty cough and night sweats. Many people in Uganda don’t believe that TB is treatable so they don’t seek medical help. This little guy’s mom had TB and Sarah is not certain if the mom was treated or not. Of course, in a place where everyone lives as closely as they do in this community, the disease spreads like wild fire.
Everywhere we went we had an entourage. We were four Mzungu and one Ugandan (translator) in our group and the children all argued over who got to hold hands with the Mzungu. The kids loved to have us there and were very eager to come along wherever we went. Everyone (adults and children) was so kind and loving- they have so little, but they still have joy.
As we walked, I pelted Sarah with questions- some medical, some cultural and whatever else came to my mind. I believe that God is giving me every one of these experiences to learn and to grow. I don’t know yet why I needed to learn these things, but I know that yesterday wasn’t just a “tourist outing”- there was a much bigger purpose in me going there and at some point God will reveal that. I did learn a very sad new fact about Uganda- this country has the highest rate of alcoholism in the world. Please pray for this country.
There are several pictures on my Facebook page that my friend Judy took yesterday. It gives you a bit of an idea of life inside this community.
Maybe by the time I get home, I will have processed the experience a little more and I can give you better description of the experience, rather than just a forensic analysis.
Revelation Life does a number of different programs/ministries in this and other Kampala communities. They are a great organization. Check out their website www.revelationlife.org.uk

Please pray for them and the great work they are doing.

This photo gives you a snapshot of life inside this community. There are several photos on my Facebook page.

This is the day...

Psalm 118:24
This is the day the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it.

Yesterday was another great day!
We started off the day in our usual way- worshiping with our church family at Watoto Church Central. It is wonderful to be sitting among people who are so excited about Jesus that they just can’t contain themselves. The excitement is so contagious, but it is more than just excitement- it is a genuine love for Jesus and the desire to praise Him with all that they have.
In the afternoon, I (Lorenda, of course) had an amazing opportunity. Good friends of ours have a former Watoto child named Prossie working for them. Prossie decided that she wanted to go back to Bbira Village, where she was raised, and have a Thank you party for her mom.
It was an amazing afternoon with nearly thirty people in attendance. Of course we started off with a huge Ugandan meal- no gathering is complete without  food…and lots of it! We had matoke, yams, Irish potatoes, cabbage, rice, chicken, beef, watermelon- I know I am missing some things, my plate was WAY fuller than that!
After the eating was done, several of Prossie’s classmates got up and talked about what an amazing young woman she is. Many people spoke about her: one of the village moms, one of her teachers, a youth worker, her grandmother, two of her aunts, my friend Judy who is her employer. Most everyone in the room had the opportunity to speak. They say when you go to another country to do missionary work, you need to be prepared at all times to preach, pray or die. On our first trip to Uganda, we added “sing” to that list and yesterday I added “make a speech” as I heard the MC say, “Now we will hear from Auntie Lorenda.” Good thing talking is easy for me!
After we were all done discussing what an amazing young woman she is, it was Prossie’s turn to talk. She thanked her friends for all that they have meant to her and still do mean to her. She expressed her gratitude to her grandmother who raised her when she was young and to her aunties, as well. Teachers, youth workers, other moms from the village were all present and given a big thank you. Then it was time for Prossie to address her mom, Hope.
Kneeling in front of the table where Hope sat (it is cultural for a younger person to kneel when addressing an older person), Prossie tried her hardest to address her and tell her how thankful she was. Try as she may, not even one word would come out. The two of them sat there looking into each other’s eyes with tears flowing. Then Prossie got up, presented her with a gift and hugged her- no words were necessary.
What a huge privilege to be a part of this very special day. I assure you, tears were flowing throughout the room.
The bond the children have with each other and with their Watoto mom is so special. If you sponsor a Watoto child, make sure you pray for the mom, the other children in the home and the bond they all have. If you sponsor a mom, pray for the children in that home as well. I have been in Watoto children’s villages many times, but I have never experienced anything like I witnessed yesterday.
To God be the glory, great things He has done.

Neighbourhood changes

We have been here long enough now that we are starting to see some changes in our neighbourhood. The garden across the road is on its third crop since we arrived- this time they are growing maize. The plants in our compound have grown so much since we arrived. We were looking at a picture of our apartment building that we took several months back and we can’t believe how different it is now- the vines have grown way up the building and are threatening to take over our balcony.
Other things in the neighbourhood have started to change as well. We were thrilled when we saw them start to put up a new tower a few months back. All the communication we use is mobile and so both our internet and our cell phones are very “hit and miss”. Sometimes you can get a great connection and sometimes you can’t get anything at all. We watched the workers as they worked very hard to get the new tower up and surprisingly, it was going up very quickly. But then, something happened- we don’t know what, but construction stopped and the tower has been sitting at this stage for the past few months.

It is hard to get a picture of the tower. On sunny days, it is too bright and on cloudy days, it blends into the clouds!

 The other change that has started recently is in the vacant lot behind our building. Since we arrived, we have had daily “visitors” back there- goats that come to graze for the day and then go back home for the night. We had gotten accustomed to hearing their voices as they called out- sometimes they sounded like children screaming. We always knew when the owner was coming to collect them at the end of the day by the sounds we heard. The owner would bring his dog, who would lay by the road while the man untied them all. Then the dog would run behind them, herd them up and follow them home. The goats would always start making this horrible screeching sound as soon as they saw the dog. This was often our entertainment for the evening (no- we don’t get out much!) We will miss agribition this year and our favourite event there is the stock dogs (where the dogs herd the sheep through a course and into a pen). So we figure this is the Uganda version of stock dogs- we are pretty easy to please and enjoy free entertainment (which is easy to come by around here- you just have to look out any window or sit on the balcony- ask Tanya about that!)

Anyway, back to the vacant lot. It seems as though someone is going to start building something on there at some point. This week two guys have started to work on leveling and landscaping the ground for construction (we assume). At home this would involve front end loaders, graders, etc. In Uganda, it means two guys with large hoes. They have made quite a lot of progress this week, but it is going to take a loooong time to clear that whole lot and get it ready for construction. I am told that it takes a few years (3-5 years, depending who you ask) to build a home in Uganda so I have no idea how long this will take. I am glad that our apartment is within walking distance to the guest house so we can come and check the progress on our next visits to Uganda.

A Funny Story

I have a funny story to tell you.
On Wednesday we went to our cell group (Bible study group). In the house where we meet there are three children- all girls. The middle one (Alexis) decided she was going to sit by me this week and we were going to chat.
First I need to tell you a little bit about her. She is five years old, but she seems older than that. She is tall for her age and the way she speaks and acts make it seem as though she is older than five. When she speaks to you, she is very assertive, almost confrontational, in everything that she says. You feel like you need to defend yourself or at least, explain yourself, when you are having a conversation with her. Don’t get me wrong, she is a delightful little girl, but can be rather intense when she is questioning you.
So Alexis decided to sit beside me this week. After we had chatted a bit, she pointed right at my face and said firmly, “I want to go to your house!” I told her that the apartment where we stay was very near to her house, only three gates away, and she was welcome to come anytime.
She then asked me, again very assertively, “Do you have children?” I explained to her that my children are very big and they do not live in Uganda. She gave me a puzzled look so I tried explaining that to her again. Still, no. So I decided to take a different approach- I told her I have grandies (grandchildren), but she still didn’t seem to understand what I was trying to get at.
I then told her, “I am JaJja (grandma)”. She got this funny look on her face, then she started to look like she was getting angry, she pointed at my head and demanded, “WHERE IS YOUR GRAY HAIR?” The entire room burst out laughing and she just looked rather indignant. I know that she did not believe me and I am sure that she is rather annoyed with me that I would tell her something so outrageous! In Uganda, if you are a Jajja, you are “old” and you have gray hair.
Later on in the evening, I shared that Greg and I will be celebrating our 30th wedding anniversary very soon.  One of the guys in the group said, “What? I thought you were only about 35 years old.” (He wasn’t there yet when the previous conversation took place.)
I think maybe we do need to stay here afterall- I often get told that I look like I am early to mid 30s. My kids just laughed when they were here and keep telling me that I must have found the fountain of youth- yep it is in Uganda if anyone is looking for it!

Learning, learning, learning!

Our days are clicking by quickly now! In six weeks we will be saying our good byes to our Ugandan family and heading home.
We have started to reflect on what we have learned here. Don't worry I won't go into all of it because that would be a REALLY long post.
I think the thing that strikes me most is the tenderness of God as He teaches us and leads us to deeper truths and experiences.
On our first trip to Uganda in 2010, I cried most of the time that we were here. I felt overwhelmed with the poverty and the great challenges this country faces. I was, however, very thankful for people like Garry and Marilyn Skinner, who can look past all of that and see the potential. They started this organization when Uganda was in much worse shape than it is now. I don't have the ability to do that- to see the "big picture" and see what "could be", but I am thankful that there are people who can and then I can come along and do my little part to support that.
On our second trip, I was more prepared for what I would see. I had done A LOT of reading and I had asked our host Apollo A LOT of questions when we were here on our first trip. (Apollo has told me how sometimes people will say to him, "Am I asking too many questions?" He just laughs and thinks of me. He has assured me that I hold the record for asking the most questions EVER!) So I thought I was prepared for that second trip, but God took me to new places- not just different parts of Uganda, but to new depths of learning.
When we arrived this time, I quickly learned that we are EXTREMELY sheltered when we are here with a building team- which I think is a good thing! If I had seen all of this stuff on my first trip, there would not have been a second!
However, God is kind and nurturing and He gives us things as we can handle them. For example, we drove by this one corner every single working day. It was about two months into our stay before I noticed that there were 20 or 30 homeless people sleeping on that corner every morning. If I had seen them on the first morning, I would have been overwhelmed, but God opened my eyes to them when He was ready to take me to a "new level".
There is one corner where many children are begging every day. We used to hate when we had to stop at that corner and have the children come up and press their faces against the car window. Now we roll down the window and chat with the kids- we know several of them by name. Six months ago, that would not have been even in the realm of possibility!
Over the months here, we have had so many new experiences. God keeps taking us to new places and new experiences. We now look forward to these rather than fearing them.
And on that note...on Friday I get to go to one of the slum areas of Kampala. There is an Australian nurse here who used to work for Watoto and now works for another organization. I don't know exactly what all her role includes, but she makes "rounds" in one of the slums and she provides health teaching, health care, support and on Friday, I get to go with her. I can't wait! God is so good and has opened so many doors while we have been here. Watoto is a great organization, but it has been a tremendous privilege to have the opportunity to see what other groups are doing here too.
Yesterday we were out for lunch with a group of friends. We had a great discussion about paths that God has taken us on in our Christian walk and all that God has taught us along the way. However I did have to confess to the group that I feel like- the more I learn the less I know. As we learn and obey more, God reveals to us how much more there is to learn. Maybe I used to think that I knew 1% (just throwing a number out there) of what I needed to know. I have learned much while we have been here, but now I am down to knowing 0.00000001%! And I can't wait to learn even more so that I realize I know even less- what a great place to be!

Machine Gun Preacher

Each day continues to hold new adventures for us.
Before we left home you may have heard Greg talk about a man named Sam Childers aka “The Machine Gun Preacher”. He is an American who came to Uganda and Sudan during the insurgency. He decided that somebody needed to start fighting back against Joseph Kony and the LRA. He and a small group of men started fighting back and rescuing children who had been abducted by the rebels. There is a book about him called “Another Man’s War” and Hollywood made a motion picture called “Machine Gun Preacher”. We recommend both to you, but you should read the book first.
Anyway, on our previous trip to Uganda, we knew that we were going to be in northern Uganda and Greg hoped that he would have an opportunity to meet Sam Childers while we were here. It didn’t happen on that trip, but on Saturday when we went to buy groceries, there he was (Sam Childers- in the flesh) sitting outside the grocery store at a little café. Greg went over to him, introduced himself and spent several minutes visiting with him while I went and did our grocery shopping.
He is a very personable guy and Greg had a great little chat with him. He owns a security business and a restaurant here in Kampala (both businesses are very near to our apartment). He also now has five homes for children- I believe that only one is in Kampala, but I am not certain what area it is in.
What a great day it was for Greg to meet someone that he had read about, watched a movie about and is grateful to for the tough work that he has chosen to take on.

Greg’s Bucket List
Meet Sam Childers- check!

Finishing well

Suddenly, we are starting to feel like we have a lot yet to do and not much time to do it. We have less than eight weeks here and it feels as if there are still many loose ends that need to be tied up before we move on from here.
Greg has been handing over the daily work to his colleagues who will be in charge after we are gone. It is a good training period for them as they start to fly on their own, but have Greg’s knowledge and expertise to fall back on, if they need it.
Lorenda continues to finish up projects that have been started and not finished or talked about and not done. The next few weeks will be filled with finishing up all the projects that have been started. We feel that it is better to complete some projects and do them well, rather than “half do” a lot of projects.
We really want to “finish well”. Although we are eager to see our family and friends at home, we don’t want that to be our focus. We don’t want to “check out” from here before our time here is done.
Please pray that we will continue to do our best work here even as we prepare to leave. We hadn’t really thought about what a challenge that would present, but it does.
The rain has been starting to taper off- still lots of clouds, thunder and lightning, but less rain. I’m not sure if this means that rainy season is ending or if it just the weather this week. Some people tell us that the rain will continue until we leave. Others tell us that the rain will stop soon and it will be very hot for our last few weeks here. I guess we will just have to wait and see!

Dance Heaven

We had a great time on Wednesday evening at the dance competition “Dance Heaven”. Joanna’s kids (they are known as ACOGI- African Children of God’s Image) did an amazing job! They were definitely the crowd favourite. When they started to dance we couldn’t even hear the music because the cheering was so loud- and we were in the third row!
The judges loved them, the crowd loved them- it was so exciting to be a part of this experience and even more special because we have had the privilege of getting to know these kids. Never mind Joanna’s kids, those were OUR kids up there dancing and we were as proud as any parents could be.
The judges rated them as number one, but the prize money is given out based on votes. Now we are all voting on our cell phones so that the kids will win the competition and the 30 million Ugandan shilling prize money (about $12,000 USD)- that would be a great boost for this new ministry.
The final for this competition takes place on December 14- just days after we are scheduled to leave here. I told Greg, “We have to change our flights. We have to be here for the final.” Greg told me that I was the one that needed to break that news to our family, since several of them are on the countdown either on a paper calendar or on an iphone app that has it down to the second. We mentioned it to Courtney and she told us that her kids would be camped out at the airport from the original date until the date we finally arrived. No- we will not be staying any extra days, we never even considered it. There will always be one more thing that we should stay for and then we would never leave.
Another really fun thing happened while we were at the competition. Since it was Independence Day, we sang the national anthem prior to the competition beginning. We shocked most people standing around us- Ugandans and Mzungu because we knew the words. When we were here with the building team in 2012, we challenged our Ugandan work team to a soccer game. The day prior to the game, we learned the Ugandan national anthem so that we could make the game very “official” and sing both national anthems prior to the game.

Happy Independence Day

Today marks 51 years since Uganda became an independent nation. It is a public holiday so we have had the day off to relax and enjoy time with our friends. The festival that happened on Sunday was to celebrate Uganda's independence and for some reason is held the Sunday prior. The festival started only last year (Jubilee year), but I believe the plan is to keep it as a yearly event now.
In about 30 minutes, we will be leaving to go and attend a youth dance competition that is being held at one of the large churches here in Kampala. If you have been following the blog, you know about my friend Joanna. If you haven't been following you need to go back and read about her and the ministry God called her to. Joanna's kids will be competing this evening so we are very excited to go and watch them and to vote for them so they can win the competition. Voting is by text message and since these children are all street children, they have no one to vote for them. We are taking three friends along to vote for the kids. At the last competition, the judges judged them as the top dance team, but they didn't have enough votes to win. We'll see what happens tonight. We know it will be a fun filled evening with lots of high energy music and dancing. We can't wait to see the kids perform for real! Each time we have been there to visit, the children have sung and danced for us and we have enjoyed it very much, but I think tonight will be even better! We'll let you know!

Just When We Thought We had Seen It All

Today is Sunday. We love Sundays very much. We drive Watoto Central in less than 15 minutes- a rare treat on Kampala roads. We take part in an amazing worship service and head back to our apartment or sometimes out for lunch. Sunday afternoons usually include a nap and quite often a walk or some other outing. We love Sundays!
However, today there was something different. As we were attempting to drive to church we saw the flags up- oh no, the dreaded flags! These mean that there are important people (usually government officials from other countries) visiting. What it means to all of us is more traffic delays and even tighter security than usual. Our first thought this morning was, “Who’s visiting Uganda now?”
However, these flags didn’t look like the usual flags and they weren’t in the places that they usually were when dignitaries visited. Each time we tried to go down a street to get to the church, there was police there with the street blocked off. We ended up driving through “downtown Kampala”, the part of the city that Greg refers to as “the belly”. Fortunately, the shops were all closed so the streets were not jammed to capacity with people, but still it’s “the belly” and one never really knows what to expect. This is our third trip to Uganda and we have been here for a long time now so not too much surprises us anymore. However, this morning there was a man leading a camel down the street! Yep, walking right past Nakasero market and heading up to Kampala Road with a camel! What on earth is going on in this city?
Finally, we arrive at church and find out that today is Kampala Festival 2013. There was a parade, bodas waiting to join some kind of parade, people, people, people and even more noise! I think it qualifies as the craziest thing we have seen in our time here.
After church, finding a route out of this chaos was another challenge. There are some one-way streets in Kampala, but there are no signs to tell you this- you just have to know it. Today- none of that mattered! One-way streets became two-way streets, but not everyone knew that it had happened. Driving in Kampala can always be described as chaos, but today it was ramped up to a whole new level.
Getting back to the apartment after church today was a really huge treat and believe me, we were really ready for a nap after that!

Bodas lining up on the street behind the church waiting to join in the fun. Not sure what the colour coordinated helmets are about. Who knows with boda drivers?!

My Handsome little "date"

Everyday seems to be full of things that we need to tell you, but the day gets too full and we aren’t able to tell you. Then the next day more things happen and we get even further behind.
On Thursday last week, I (Lorenda) had such a great day! I had not been by the babies’ home for a while so I decided to stop in there for a visit. During the four months I spent at the babies’ home, I would often say that I didn’t have a favourite baby- there was something special about each and every one of them. However, if forced to choose a favourite, it would have been one of the older kids there. He was very ill as a baby and continues to have asthma now. Due to his health condition he has remained at babies’ home even though he is around 2 years old- most other children get moved out to Suubi babies’ home at 4-6 months of age.
There are many things I love about this kid. He is so smart- he just sits and watches things (like how to open the gates and escape), he watches and watches and then one day he just goes for it. He also loves to figure out how things work- he would be one of those kids that would dismantle everything in the house just to see how it works. In spite of, or maybe because of, all that he has been through in his short life, he is very “stubborn” and very determined- when he wants something, he WANTS it! The very best things about this gorgeous little boy is his smile that melts your heart and the cuddles he gives when he gets to know you well enough to deem you worthy.
Last Thursday I spent most of my time at babies’ home cuddling this gorgeous little man. I only had a couple of hours that I could spend there so the time came very quickly for me to say good-bye. I told the nanny in his room that I didn’t want to leave him. She said, “So take him with you then” and I did! We got a car seat, put it in my car and off we went. He absolutely loves riding in the car- he waves at everybody like he is the king!
First we went to Watoto Central to do some visiting there. Greg was in a meeting, but his team members sure loved my boy. Next I took him for ice cream- he loved it and gobbled down every last bit of it! Our next stop was at one of Watoto’s guesthouses where I had some work to do. My boy explored the entire compound while I did my work- the girls at the guesthouse thought he was the cutest (and he is!) Greg called to see where we were and wanted us to come back to Central so he could see my boy so back to Central we went. My little man loved the maintenance office- he could pull tools out of the cupboard and try to figure out how all the stuff worked! He had a blast there! By this time, we had been out and about for nearly four hours so it was time to go back to babies’ home, but he cried and cried when I left him.
The next day, one of Greg’s team needed to go to babies’ home so I volunteered to take him. As soon as I got out of my vehicle at babies’ home, one of the supervisors said to me, “That son of yours!”
It seemed that my boy thought he needed to go for another car ride so every time a vehicle left the babies’ home compound on Friday, he wanted to go. When he didn’t get to go along, he would have a tantrum and throw himself on the ground- often on top of another child (and remember I said that the oldest kids here were only 4-6 months). After a couple of those tantrums, the staff had to put him into a chair to protect himself and everyone else. He screamed so much and got so upset in the chair that he ended up having an asthma attack! When I arrived, he was in the clinic getting a nebulizer so I got to cuddle him while he got the treatment.
Oh- I love that kid so much! He is so feisty and full of mischief! Even though I love what I am doing now, I sure do miss my daily cuddles with that gorgeous little man!

My Life as a Driver

Since I (Lorenda, of course) have stopped being at babies’ home everyday, my tasks and responsibilities have been very varied. One day last week, I was the driver for the maintenance team.
Getting around in Kampala is much different than at home. In Canada, in order to be a tradesperson with a service company, you would be required to have a driver’s licence. Here, many people do not have a licence and most people do not have cars. An organization like Watoto has drivers that take people to where they need to be. However, the number of vehicles/drivers available isn’t always adequate to meet the needs so sometimes you need to wait for hours for transport. Of course, that makes Greg crazy to have his guys sitting around waiting for transport to one of the other sites. For that reason, Greg found a way to get a vehicle for the maintenance department- that helps to get the team to where they need to be. Sometimes, they need to have people in different places in one day so we also use our vehicle as a maintenance transport vehicle at times. That’s what I was doing last week when I was driving some of the team members around the city.
Greg has a great team of guys and it has been a real joy getting to know them during our time here. Most of them are young enough to be our children and we refer to them as our “Ugandan sons”. Last week Ed and Grace (the “men in black” from the pictures a couple days back) needed to be transported to a site near the guesthouses and our apartment. Since I was going that way, I was to drop them at the site and go back for them a few hours later- no problem. You need to know something about my relationship with these two young men- they really are like my sons, they are quite comfortable with me and we laugh and joke with each other all the time.
As we were about to drive out of the parking lot, we were flagged down. Two welders from Suubi (Katamba and Moses) also needed to go to the same location and wanted to hop in with us. I have met Katamba only once before and had never met Moses. As these guys would find out, they were in for a very interesting ride!
At this point I need to give you a little information about Ugandan culture and demographics. Half the population in Uganda is 15 years of age or younger. The life expectancy is 50-53 years with only 2.1% of population being 65 years of age or older. Age is treated with great respect here- when you see a younger person being introduced to an older person, the young person will kneel to shake the older person’s hand. Keep all of that in mind as I tell you my adventures!
I knew the route to our destination, but at certain times of day or certain days of the week, some routes are better than others so I asked which way I should go- big mistake! I would get to a corner, Ed would tell me to turn, Grace would tell me to go straight, then they would start to “argue” about it and the other two just sat there looking on at the madness. I just took my normal route and ignored them and their banter.
If I were to compare Ed and Grace to my kids, Ed would be Courtney and Grace would be Charissa (and on this day, the other two would be Carlen- just sitting back and watching). When we are going to the vehicle, Grace always gets there first so he can ride in the front and give me instructions on how to drive- “You’re going too slow. Get in this lane. Cut this guy off. Go, go, go!” Fortunately, I have the skill of being able to ignore people very well, but the looks on the faces of Katamba and Moses was hilarious- no one talks to their elders that way! Grace knows what he can get away with and knows that I will give it right back to him- we have a great time, but in this culture, it is seen as him disrespecting me.
As we were driving along a little further, we started to have a conversation about age. I really don’t remember just what we were talking about, but it was something related to age. At that point Grace comes out with a comment that I think was supposed to be a compliment (they aren’t always easy to spot here). He looked at me and said, “You don’t look old, but you are!” When I responded, “You’re lucky I’m driving right now or I would beat you down”, Grace gave me one of his big, glowing smiles, Katamba and Moses looked like they were ready to get out and walk, Ed just laughed- he is used to our exchanges!
We arrived safely at the destination and I told them I would be back for them at 1:00. Since they would be working over lunchtime, I decided to make lunch for each of them. I made them each a sandwich and bought a Pepsi and a small pack of Gorillos (kinda like cheezies) for each of them.
Time for another short cultural lesson. They do not eat sandwiches here- they may have a piece of bread with jam on it, but they don’t do meat sandwiches.
When I got back to the site, Katamba and Moses finished their work first so I gave them their lunch and they enjoyed it. Grace was next to be done so he ate his lunch while we waited for Ed to finish up what he was doing. Since we were now running a little behind, Ed had to eat his lunch while we drove. I wasn’t really paying attention to what was going on in the vehicle until I heard Ed say, “Grace, stop looking at me!”
I informed them that they sounded like my kids when they were five years old, “Mom, Courtney is looking at me.” They all laughed, but Ed said he knew that Grace was going to try to steal his lunch. Predictably, my next line was, “If I have to stop this car…” Of course I had to explain to them what that meant, but then they all laughed.
Ed managed to finish his lunch without Grace nabbing it. He thanked me for the lunch. Then a few minutes later I heard Ed say, “Lorenda”- you need to know that Ed is quieter and not nearly so sassy as Grace. When Ed said my name, I responded, “Yes”. Rather tentatively he asked me, “What did I just eat?” Everyone in the vehicle was quiet- they were probably all wondering the same thing!
My response was, “Do you remember the cat that has been hanging around our compound that I don’t like?” They all laughed. They don’t always get our humour/sarcasm, but they all understood that.
I then proceeded to explain the sandwich to them and realized that there was nothing about it that they recognized. I had bought multigrain bread and had sliced it nice and thick. There was mayonnaise, ham and salami- all foreign to them, but things that we take for granted. Greg took Grace out for lunch a couple of weeks ago and for the first time in his life, he had a burger. There are so many cultural things that we don’t even think about until something like this happens.
In my first two visits here, I never thought I would get to the point where I could possibly consider driving around Kampala as fun. But it is- because of the people that I get to hang out with. Part of me really wants to “pull back” and stop getting to know people better because it is going to hurt so much to leave here. Of course I know that is wrong, but when you start to love people this much, it is going to make it so much harder to leave.

The "goings on" around here!

On Monday morning last week, Lorenda headed out to Country Lake Resort on beautiful Lake Victoria. The event was a retreat for the staff from the three Watoto guesthouses. They have never had a retreat- they are always needed to host other people instead. This year management decided they would block out two days for the staff to get away, have some education sessions, get to know each other better and have a little fun.
We arrived at the resort (not far from Kampala) at about 10 AM and checked into our rooms. It was wonderful to spend the next two days getting to know the guesthouse staff and management better. We spent time in education sessions, eating great food, talking, swimming and we had one great volleyball game. Peter (guesthouse general manager who used to be the chef at the guesthouse our building teams have stayed at) and I started out on the same team, but since I am rather competitive and he is a ball hog, we had to get put on opposite teams so a fistfight did not break out! Just kidding, of course- it was all in good fun!
After our time of resting, fun and learning, we boarded the bus at 3:00 on Tuesday. We left our quiet solitude behind and headed back to noisy, crazy Kampala!
Meanwhile, there were exciting things going on in other parts of Watoto while we were off enjoying our time in the country.
As I mentioned earlier, Greg went off on Tuesday to buy a suit to wear to the wedding we were attending on Saturday. I mentioned the purple shirt, right? Ugandans seem to love purple- we even have a purple chair and stool in our apartment! My sister would love it here! Anyway, on Tuesday Greg went and bought his suit and purple shirt (photographic evidence below!)
Another very exciting event happened last Tuesday. Our Watoto family grew by 4300…chicks! Watoto has several sustainability projects that include a goat barn, a vegetable farm and now a chicken farm. Construction of the chicken barn has been underway since before we arrived and now it is up and running- what an exciting journey it has been. The barn is a fully automated operation with a conveyor belt that takes the eggs away as they are laid. The second batch of chicks (another 4300) arrived yesterday so in about 4 months there should be about 7000 eggs per day being produced in that barn. That is enough to feed the children in the Watoto villages and have some to sell. Four of my friends and I went out yesterday to see the chicks and see the barn in operation. It is so exciting to see such an amazing operation in the middle of sub-Saharan Africa (much thanks goes to an egg producer from UK who is a great friend of Watoto).
Sustainability- one of the big things that drew us to Watoto when we first started looking at the organization several years ago.

Greg with two of our Ugandan "sons" Ed on the left and Grace on the right and of course, the purple shirt!

The Men in Black- Grace, Ed and the pasty white guy!

They are all so proud of their new work van- it had to get in the photos too!

The Rest of the Story...

The next chapter…if you didn’t read yesterday’s blog yet, you need to go back and read it or none of this will make any sense.
So even though she is now working with Cyrus and the kids, Joanna still plans to honour the commitment she made to work at the home for pregnant teens. Her plan was to rent an apartment (as had been her plan from the beginning), work at the teen home for her shifts and help Cyrus with the kids as much as possible.
Then God revealed to her that He wanted her to live in the home with Cyrus and the kids and be a mom to the children. She was a little reluctant to discuss this with Cyrus as she didn’t want him to feel like she was “swooping in”- the rich mzungu coming in with all her money to pay rent and bills and “take over” after he has done all this hard work “in the trenches” (literally) with these kids. She stewed and fretted about it and asked the Lord to show her the right time to speak to him about it. The Lord showed her the right time and his response was not one of being territorial or defensive. He welcomed the idea and said, “Of course you are not going to rent an apartment. You are going to live here with us- these children need a mother!”
One girl wrote Joanna a letter and told her how much her love meant. She had never had anyone that loved her. She was so grateful that Joanna gave her 100% attention (the girl’s words). As Joanna said, I didn’t give her anymore attention than I gave any of the others. So the reality is that this girl was getting 1/46th of Joanna’s attention, but to her it was 100% because for the first time in her life she had a “mom” who loved her!
Joanna has money to pay the rent and utilities, buy food, pay school fees for whatever period of time, but she knows that she can’t do it indefinitely so she started to pray for sponsors. The week they moved into the house she asked the Lord to provide one sponsor for each child in the next 7 days (46 sponsors in 7 days in an organization that doesn’t even really exist yet- can’t be done, can it?). On the Friday of the first week, they were having a celebration supper to thank God for their new home. A few days before, Joanna said, “God, can I change that request- I want one sponsor for each child by Friday so that we can celebrate that too!” (Is this woman crazy?) Thursday night at 10:00PM they received their 50th sponsor! “God can do exceedingly, abundantly more than we can ever ask or imagine” I know that is not a direct quote of that verse and I don’t know where it is found in the Bible, but those were the only words that came to me when Joanna told me that.
Joanna’s plans have now changed! She is still going to honour her commitment to the Youth for Christ teen home, but two weeks ago she moved into the house with Cyrus and the kids.
She is in the process of getting registered as an NGO and she is staying here forever! She has no plans to go back to Sweden. She has huge hopes and dreams that God will build this so they can help even more kids.
She just beams when she talks about the kids. They used to be the really bad kids in the slum, stealing all the time (just to survive!) The police cannot believe the change in these kids- they used to be dealing with these kids all the time for stealing and now these kids are like little evangelists, telling others about the love of Jesus. The kids pray four times a day and basically pray without ceasing in between- they pray with each other and for each other. There is a 10 year old that is “the pastor”- God just gives this kid so much wisdom and he preaches to the others. It is unbelievable!
Joanna is absolutely beaming- like a new mother which she is! She had always dreamed of having children and lots of them, but at some point in her marriage, they found out they would not be able to have children. She was devastated! Now God has given her 46 children! I think that falls into the category of “be careful what you pray for, you just might get it!” She just keeps saying, “God this is too much- I don’t deserve this much blessing.” I wish you could see her beaming and see how radiant she is! If you look at the pictures on her blog, you will see her with the kids- beaming and radiant!
All of the above is clips from an e-mail I sent out to our family after my conversation with Joanna. At that point we had not met the kids yet. Two Sundays ago we went over to meet the kids and drop off some things we had for them. Watoto had recently replaced the mosquito nets at the three guesthouses. The old nets were discolored and had some small holes in them, but could still certainly be of good use to someone and Watoto was looking to donate them. We had the privilege of providing all the mosquito nets these kids need to protect them from malaria carrying mosquitoes as they sleep. Greg had a roll of duct tape in our vehicle and asked if she could use that. She was so excited for that roll of tape and had lots of plans to fix things with it. As Greg’s t-shirt says, “I can fix anything. Where’s the duct tape?”
Mattresses have been donated by some volunteers Joanna met here. Another couple has donated beds- triple decker bunk beds that are currently being made at Watoto’s metal fabrication shop. Right now the kids are sleeping on mattresses on the floor but that is way better than they have ever slept on before!
It was such a privilege to meet these amazing kids (number 47 had arrived the day prior to our visit). Greg was smart enough to wear sunglasses so the kids couldn’t see him crying. I was not that smart and just stood there with tears running down my face! Some of the older kids (the ones dancing in the YouTube video below) were not around as they were performing at a church that day. The other kids danced and sang for us (video attached) and it was such a tremendous blessing.
Joanna showed us around their house. Minimal furniture right now- just the mattresses on the floor that the kids sleep on. They have plates to eat off of, but they eat with their hands (not uncommon in Uganda). Another woman who has a heart for street children bought a washing machine, fridge and stove (or cooker, as they are called here). They still have lots of needs, but the children have way more now than they have ever had in their lives.
As Joanna gave us a tour of the house, she told us how the children responded to everything there. I already told you how they all stood in the bath tub and were singing into the shower (there are pictures on Joanna’s blog- address below). She has had to lock the room where the washing machine is because the kids would all huddle around it and watch it. The machine has a glass lid so the children can see it washing, but they can’t understand how the clothes get clean without a person scrubbing them.
It was such a joy to see these amazing children so thrilled with the everyday things that we all take for granted. It was an incredible blessing to be in their midst. We have been gathering a few more little things for them and we can’t wait to go back and see them all again.
We have attached the video of the kids singing for us.
Joanna also has a blog   www.theselittleangels.blogspot.com
She is a little disappointed in the blog because she is writing it in English (Swedish is her first language) and can’t express herself the way she would like to. I think it is a great blog and it has lots of pictures.
The link to the YouTube video http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XLGXI54hLkE
When the kids danced in this competition, the judges scored them the highest. However, the competition is kind of like American Idol in that it is the number of votes that determines who wins the competition. People send SMS (text message) to vote and that is what determines the winner. There is a really “awkward” moment at the end of this video where the MC tells the kids to get their parents and everyone to vote for them! Of course they had no family there to vote for them- they have no family! They came in third at that competition because of the votes by SMS. However, they are in another competition on October 9 and we are gathering “an army” of people to go, watch and vote for them. The winning team gets a prize of 500,000 shillings- that would be a big help to Joanna, Cyrus and the kids.
I hope you take the time to check out the videos and the blog- it will be a huge blessing to you. I guarantee it!

My friend Joanna

As promised, here is the story of Joanna.
I (Lorenda) met Joanna while working at Watoto’s Babies’ home. She arrived in early May and planned to work with Watoto for five months and then she was going to work with Youth for Christ at their home for pregnant teens. Because of the timing of her arrival, my sister-in-law, Tanya and all three of our kids got to know Joanna as well. So here’s the story- I am trying to edit it down, but I don’t want to miss any exciting details so this may be a VERY long post with links and an amazing video at the end!
One morning I was sitting at my desk and Greg calls and asks if I want to go to Suubi children’s village with him. My first thought was “Why on earth would I want to drive out to Suubi and turn around and drive back?” But for some reason I decided to go along. Greg was already out on Buganda Road (street behind the church)- he was already on his way and for some reason he decided to call and ask me to go along. Little did we know that there was going to be a huge “God moment”- or more like “God hour” when we got there.  As we arrived at the metal fabrication shop at Suubi, there was Joanna. I hadn’t sat down and talked to Joanna for quite some time so I was eager to find out what was new in her life- boy, was I in for a big, long, exciting adventure.
A couple of months ago, Joanna decided to go to a dance competition at The Miracle Center. Most of the dance groups were youth groups from various churches, but there was one group that stood out- so much better than all the other groups. Joanna came to find out that they were street kids and God planted in her a desire to know more and to meet these kids. Through a friend she got connected to Cyrus- the young man that works with these kids. He agreed to take her to the slum so she could see where these kids live.
But how did Cyrus get connected with these kids, you ask. Three or four years ago Cyrus had a dream one night. In the dream he saw a slum area of Kampala, then he saw a specific building and behind that building, a bathroom (outhouse). In that building was huddled six children and God told him the name of each of the children- Sharon, Beatrice- sorry I don’t remember all the names, but Cyrus did. The next morning he got up and said to a friend, I need to find these kids and off he went. God led him to that slum, to the building and to the bathroom behind the building. He opened the door and there was six children huddled inside. He said to them, “You are Sharon, you are Beatrice…” and named each one of them by name. The children asked, “How do you know who we are? No one knows who we are. We are no one to anybody. No one knows our name.” Cyrus told them, “God knows your name.” The kids asked, “Who is God?” Cyrus told them, “I am going to show you.”
Cyrus took these six children home to live with him in his very humble dwelling. Cyrus too lived in a slum as a child and got money by dancing on the street- that was the only skill he knew so he taught it to the kids. Then the kids started to tell him about other kids who live in the slum so he would go back to the slum and teach all the kids to dance so they could earn money. There are now 46 children, but Cyrus did not have room to house anymore than the original six. The others slept in the “homes” of people from Cyrus’ church, but the families did not have food to feed an extra mouth. The children learned to dance to earn money to pay their school fees (sometimes they had enough to pay school fees) and some very basic food-posho (corn flour and water cooked together).
Now back to Joanna- she meets Cyrus and the kids (who immediately fall in love with her) and she knows that she has to be involved in some way so she starts to pray and seek the Lord for what her involvement is to be. God reveals to her that she needs to rent a house for Cyrus and the kids to live in so they begin the search for a suitable home. They finally narrowed it down to two homes- one that Joanna preferred (but was a long walk from the school) and one that was nearer to the school. Joanna spoke with Cyrus and he said that they should take the one nearer the school- even though she wasn’t completely settled, she agreed and went to bed.
The next morning Cyrus called and said, “No, we need the other house.” Why, you ask? These children have been praying for a house ever since Cyrus started working with them- these kids have such incredible faith. Cyrus and Joanna had not discussed any of the house stuff with the kids- I don’t think the kids even knew that Joanna was planning to rent them a house at this point. On that morning, one of the boys said to Cyrus, “God is so good. He has shown me our house.” Cyrus asked what he was talking about and the boy described the house in detail- the exterior colour, the interior layout and colour, the other buildings in the compound, the trees and plants that were growing in the compound. He described EXACTLY the house that Joanna thought they were to have!
So Joanna heads off that day to go and meet with the home owner- up until that point she had only been meeting with a real estate type person. As soon as Joanna met her, the woman started to cry and told her that she too had a dream the night before (lots of dreams going on!). The homeowner had dreamed that a Mzungu lady who was going to do great things was coming to rent her home!
When they told the kids about the house, they were so excited and were praising God. THEN- they took the kids to see the house. They were running from room to room screaming in excitement. NONE of them had ever seen a shower before- they were standing in the bathtub screaming and singing into the shower head because they didn’t know what it was for.
One twelve year old boy came up to Joanna and said, “I am so glad that I have never had a home before. If I had then I wouldn’t appreciate this one so much.” If that statement doesn’t humble each one of us, I don’t know what will!
I had planned to shorten up the story to fit into a one day blog, but that is impossible! God is in the details and that is certainly the case in this story- I don’t want you to miss out on any of the details. So we will continue with this story tomorrow…