As promised...

Several posts ago, I introduced you to the team, but there were some missing. Here are more photos of the team. Please take time to pray for them.
Volunteers are a very important part of the team here at Watoto. People will come and volunteer in a department (many of them up to full time hours) to get experience and possibly a job with the department when a vacancy on the team opens up. We have several hard working and eager to learn volunteers that I would like to introduce you to.

Norbert

Daniel

Steven

Warren

Dorothy. There aren't many women in the trades here. I am so proud of this young woman and the way she eagerly works alongside the guys.

Timothy

There were some of the paid staff members the that were away when I took the last set of pictures. Here they are...

Robert is an electrician who has joined the team in the last couple of years. We met him on our trip last year.

Michael is an electrician and has been with the team since prior to our joining the team in 2013.

Duncan is another team member who "draws pictures" i.e.. he creates the plans for  what needs to be built. Duncan  was on leave when we arrived so we have only seen his smiling face for the past week.

A Weekend of Blessing

Our days are quickly coming to a close here and we are getting busier and busier. We have lots of adventures to tell you about but no time to stop and update you. Here is a quick tour of our weekend and the events that are yet to come.

On Friday night we went to Pizza Hut (yes they have Pizza Hut in Uganda) with Grace and Julianna. Grace is one of the original members of the team we worked with in 2013 and Julianna will be his bride in just a few short months (April 2018). We always love the time we have away from work when we can get to know people better. Grace visited our apartment quite frequently in 2013, but we had not yet had the opportunity to get to know Julianna. We had a nice visit and Grace told us today that she still plans to marry him- we didn’t scare her off, so that is always a good thing!

On Saturday we made a trek a little way out of the city to visit with Jackie and her family. When Greg and Mike were here in 2015, they had the opportunity to visit Jackie and her family, but I had not yet had this privilege.

Everywhere we go, our friends serve us pineapple because they all know how much we love it and how we are working hard to get our fill before we leave. This home was no exception. We were fed yummy, sweet, juicy pineapple and papaya while we visited with this wonderful family.

Jackie’s mom is a delightful, feisty woman who is very well educated and has worked in management positions with organizations in east Africa and globally.

It is very easy to see where Jackie got her strong work ethic, desire for knowledge and love for the Lord. She was raised by an amazing woman. Jackie’s father has been very ill recently and is now recovering, but we were very privileged to have him join us for a portion of the visit.

After we finished our appetizer of fruit, we moved on to the main course. I should have mentioned at the beginning about the amazing smell of meat grilling that greeted us as we arrived. What an amazing meal we had! Wonderfully seasoned pork and beef, pea curry, avocado, rice and matooke with the best taking g-nut sauce ever. And I can’t even begin to describe the fresh pineapple juice and fresh passion fruit/tangerine juice!

Visiting with Jackie’s parents after the meal was an absolute treat. One can read about a country’s past in history books, but sitting down with two amazing people who have spent most of their lives in Uganda was a lesson that no history book could ever teach! It was one of those moments that you wished would never end. We also learned that both Jackie’s parents come from Mount Elgin area in eastern Uganda, very near the Kenyan border.  The coffee we bring back to Canada is grown in this location.

And that started another learning session. We learned so much about coffee: how it is grown, when it is picked, how it is processed and so much more. I’m sure we could have sat there on that porch for the next ten years listening to this couple pour out their wisdom on us and we still wouldn’t have scratched the surface of the extensive knowledge and experience this amazing couple possesses.

After the dishes were done, us ladies and Greg sat around the table and enjoyed dessert and coffee together. I haven’t said anything about Jackie’s sister Stella yet. During dessert and the time visiting afterward, is when we got to know Stella. You know when you meet someone for the first time, yet you feel like you have known them for your whole life. That is how I felt when I met Jackie in 2013 and also when I met Stella on Saturday. It is probably a good thing that we live on two different continents, because I think we could get into a lot of trouble together! Stella has stated that we MUST visit the village (where the coffee is grown) on our next trip to Uganda. It doesn’t sound like it is optional so we are going to need God to multiply our time so we can get the work done and make the journey to the village on our next trip. That is one regret we have from 2013, we didn’t travel more and get to see more of this beautiful country. Please pray for God to multiply our time so we can travel to the village on our next visit.

To say that we came away with our tanks (and stomachs) full, would be an understatement! What an amazing, blessed day we had!

On Sunday it was our dear friend Albert’s birthday so we were invited for the party. Last year we showed you a picture of their little baby Darren who was 3 months old. He is now 15 months old and he is such a cutie! It took a while for him to warm up to us and our pasty complexions, but eventually Jajja got to enjoy a few cuddles.

We were treated to more pineapple- Albert asked “Do you want some pineapple?” We both just looked at him, he laughed and said, “Let me get you some pineapple.” It is kind of like asking us if we want to breathe! Diana had prepared a fantastic meal for us to enjoy and then came the birthday cake. Of course, the best part of all was visiting with our dear friends and enjoying every single minute we could with them. It was another day loaded with blessing!

Both Saturday and Sunday, we stayed out past dark. That seems like a strange thing to be telling you, but driving in the dark is a whole new experience here in Uganda. As we have said many times, the traffic is a challenge and could be described as chaos. There are many cars, taxis, bodas, bikes and pedestrians, everywhere. When you add in the darkness, it becomes a whole new challenge. In most areas, there are no street lights to illuminate the area and the glare from the headlights of the oncoming vehicles make driving very difficult. Prayer is a requirement before setting out and during the journey.  It takes two pairs of eyes to be on watch for vehicles, people, animals that may appear out of no where in front of you or beside you. Greg does an amazing job driving here and manages to get us back to our guesthouse safely everytime- even in the dark.

Our last few days are jam packed full! We have a supper with some of the Watoto Church leadership tonight and supper with Joanna tomorrow night. There are still meetings, more organizing to do during the day, and somewhere in there, we need to pack for the trip home. We would appreciate your prayers for our final couple of days here. We always want to finish well- each trip, each project, each thing that God calls us to do.

Thanks for partnering with us as we serve the Lord here in Uganda.

Let's Catch Up, shall we?

As I told you in the last post, we have been doing a lot of wonderful things in the last several days so it is time to get you all caught up.
On Saturday, we went to hang out with an amazing group of kids. You have all heard about Joanna and her kids- that's who we got to hang out with. Only Brian (the oldest, who celebrated a birthday two weeks ago) knew that we were in Uganda. When we arrived at the place where the kids were having dance practice, there was much yelling and excitement! It is such a joy to see these kids, get their hugs and watch them dance!

Greg and his special little girl Vivian.
Usually when kids are comparing our hands with theirs, it is because they are comparing the colour of their skin vs ours. However, Vivian is very used to being around Mzungu, she was actually comparing her straight fingers with Greg's crooked ones!

Wherever Greg is, there is Vivian (sshh- don't tell Hayden)

After watching the kids practice dance, we went to Joanna's home and had a birthday celebration for some of the kids and for Greg too. Brian made a cake for all of us to enjoy and by the end, there was not one crumb left!
Then it was on to the show! Brian coaches a dance group of boys and they put on a show Saturday night to showcase their talents and also to raise money for uniforms. This was also Brian's birthday gift to Greg so we, along with Joanna and two other people, were seated at a table just off the stage. There were several singers, DJs and dance groups in addition to Brian's boys. At one point we had to get up and dance (it was supposed to be the parents of the dancers, but somehow we ended up being up there too) and Greg was asked to speak about Brian also. On our first missions trip we were told as missionaries, one always has to be ready to "preach, pray or die". After our first trip to Uganda, we added "sing" to the list and now we have also added "dance".
It was a late night full of all kinds of fun and we were exhausted when we arrived back to the guest house just before midnight.
Sunday was the day of Kampala Festival- it is utter chaos! There are four or five stages with entertainment scattered throughout the downtown area where various groups and individuals perform. In addition, the streets are filled with "all things carnival"- face painters, food vendors, booths to buy nearly anything. Saskatchewan has one million people spread out over a very large land mass. We saw more than a million people (not exaggerating here people) in the two hours we were at festival, and they were all packed into an area not much larger than a square kilometre! The only reason we went to the festival was to see Joanna's kids dance and we didn't even get to do that because we were at the wrong stage and they danced way later than they were scheduled to (no surprise there!) So we ended up walking several kilometres (up hill both ways) in the blazing Ugandan sun, getting sun burned, all for nothing!
Fortunately, our day got much better after a cool bath, a little rest and then our visitors arrived. Ed, Phina and six month old Jeremiah came to see us. This was our first time meeting this little man and Jajja made sure to get lots of cuddles. He is such a pleasant, content little man with an ever present smile on his gorgeous little face.

Jeremiah loves his bananas

Monday was Independence Day in Uganda and was a public holiday. Uganda has been an independent nation for 55 years. Both our homes had celebrations on that day- Thanksgiving in Canada and Independence Day in Uganda.
We had the privilege of spending the day with a couple of our team members. Ambrose and his lovely wife Moreen invited us to their home and Jonathan came along to be "the map" (insert the song from Dora the Explorer here). In Uganda, there are no addresses so when you go to someone's home for the first time, someone has to take you there (then we mark it on our GPS and we are good to go). We had a lovely time visiting with Ambrose, Moreen and Jonathan, getting to know them all a little better. We got to see Ambrose and Moreen's introduction and wedding pictures. There is so much to learn about the traditions here and everytime we look at photos from someone's introduction, we learn more. We enjoyed a wonderful meal (the best meal we have had since we arrived in Uganda) and then went to see the house Ambrose and Moreen are building. What a joy it was to see the home they will soon live in and to pray over this house where they will raise their family- oh, did I forget to mention that the baby is due in April!
That, in a nutshell, was our amazing weekend. As we have said from the beginning, it is all about the people and we had many people to love on, and be loved by, this past weekend!

Ambrose and Moreen in the doorway of their amazing new home- just a few more months and they will be moving in.

No Internet!

Hi All
Don't worry, we haven't forgotten about you. We have been without internet access for the past several days. Things that we take for granted in Canada...well, it's just not the case here.
We have so many exciting things to tell you about. We have been very busy in the past several days and want to share that with you.
But first we want to ask you to stop and pray. We are very busy here and have been trying to get as much done as possible before we head back home in 9 days. Please pray that our days will be fruitful and we will get everything accomplished that God sent us here to do.
Prayer is so important in everything we do and when God prompts you to stop and pray, do it!

We use Dr. James Dobson's Devotions for Married Couples. Here is the devotional from October 6. A good reminder to all of us...

"The missionary rose and prepared to leave the campsite where he had spent the night en route to the city for medical supplies. He extinguished his small campfire, pulled on his canvas backpack, and hopped on his motorcycle to continue his ride through the African jungle. Every two weeks he made this two‐day journey to collect money from a bank and purchase medicine and supplies for the small field hospital where he served. When he completed those errands, he hopped on his bike again for the two‐day return trip.

When the missionary arrived in the city, he collected his money and medical supplies and was just about to leave for home when he saw two men fighting in the street. Since one of the men was seriously injured, the missionary stopped, treated him for his injuries, and shared the love of Christ with him. Then the missionary began his two‐day trek home, stopping in the jungle again to camp overnight.

Two weeks later, as was his custom, the missionary again made the journey to the city. As he ran his various errands, a young man approached him—the same man the missionary had ministered to during his previous trip. “I knew you carried money and medicine with you,” the man said, “so my friends and I followed you to your campsite in the jungle after you helped me in the street. We planned to kill you and take all the money and drugs. But just as we were about to move in and attack you, we saw twenty‐six armed guards surround and protect you.”

“You must be mistaken,” said the missionary. “I was all alone when I spent the night in the jungle. There were no guards or anyone else with me.”

“But sir, I wasn’t the only one who saw the guards. My five companions saw them, too. We counted them! There were twenty‐six body‐guards, too many for us to handle. Their presence stopped us from killing you.”

Months later, the missionary related this story to the congregation gathered at his home church in Michigan. As he spoke, one of the men listening stood up and interrupted him to ask the exact day the incident in the jungle had occurred. When the missionary identified the specific month and day of the week, the man told him “the rest of the story.”

“On the exact night of your incident in Africa, it was morning here in Michigan, and I was on the golf course. I was about to putt when I felt a strong urge to pray for you. The urge was so strong that I left the golf course and called some men of our church right here in this sanctuary to join me in praying for you. Would all you men who prayed with me that day stand up?”

The missionary wasn’t concerned with who the men were; he was too busy counting them, one by one. Finally he reached the last one. There were twenty‐six men—the exact number of “armed guards” the thwarted attacker had seen.

LOOKING AHEAD . . .

Do you ever find yourself so caught up in the busyness of life that you forget about or postpone a time of prayer? I’m sure the missionary in the story above is one man who was grateful his congregation took seriously the urge to pray!

My father, James Dobson Sr., also took his prayer life seriously. He was known to spend hours at a time on his knees in conversation with the Lord. At Dad’s request, the words “He Prayed” are written on the footstone of his grave. Through his example, and through God’s response, I learned firsthand the power and privilege of prayer. In the week to come let’s take a closer look at this awesome opportunity.
-James C Dobson

• “Protected by Prayer” by Cheri Fuller. Taken from When Families Pray by Cheri Fuller. © 1999. Used by permission of Multnomah Publishers, Inc."

Just hanging around...

Many of you know that one of the big reasons we are in Uganda right now is to determine what needs to be done prior to the Canadian team arriving to do the power house project. In 2018, we will be bringing a team of tradespeople from Canada to upgrade the current power situation at Watoto's main building in downtown Kampala.
The project will serve two purposes:
1) To upgrade the power in the building so the organization can enjoy more stable power (something we take for granted in North America) and the organization can stop losing expensive equipment due to poor power supply.
2) The facilities team members will be working alongside the Canadian team members as this project is completed. It is going to be a great learning experience for the facilities team (and for the Canadian team, as they see how things are done differently here in Uganda). Ugandan schooling for the trades is very different than it is in Canada- there are no hands on experiences and no apprenticeship where one can learn from an experienced journeyman. This project is going to be like a "mini apprenticeship" for the team members and will give them more knowledge, more experience and more confidence.
Building into people- that's what our ministry is and always has been about. If you read our blog from our time here in 2013, you will see that theme presented repeatedly. We love people and we want to build into people. We are so thankful that God has given us the opportunity to do that.
So...back to our present trip. One of the main reasons that we needed to make this trip was for Greg to assess what needed to be done, particularly what needs to be done by the facilities team before the Canadian team hits the ground. Greg and Ed have been doing some preliminary work in that area and have had some discussion about it. However yesterday was the day they did the crawling around in the attic to determine what really needs to be done. I'm not sure what all they found but here is what the process looked like. I'm glad it was them and not me!

Ed crawling about in the attic while Jonathan pops up like a gopher to see what is going on!
Greg is up there too- he is the one taking the picture.

Meet the Team

We are always telling you about our team so we thought that today you should get to meet them. You may have heard us refer to them as "our boys". That was a habit we got into in 2013 and even though there was one young lady on our team for the last few months of 2013 and Greg's replacement was also a young woman, we still continued to call them "our boys".  There are now three young women on the team and we have tried to get into the habit of calling them "the team", but every so often the phrase "our boys" does slip out. No matter how you slice it, this is a fine group of people who we are privileged to have in our lives.

I wish you could come here and meet them all, but I know that is unlikely so I will bring them to you.
I think we were only missing two team members today- Michael and Duncan. I will catch up with them next week and then you can meet them too.

Jackie- the team leader
Jackie is an architect by training
She took over Greg's job when we left in 2013.
For all my coffee drinkers out there- it is Jackie's family who grows the coffee.  
You still have time to order coffee!

The plumbers
Johnson and Isaac
Isaac is one of the original team members from when we started here in 2013.
Johnson joined the team late in 2013- just before we left Uganda to return to Canada

This one- what can I tell you about this one?
Mama's little brat!
He gets himself in trouble and then just flashes that smile!
This is Grace

This is Emma and we met him for the first time when we traveled to Uganda in 2016.
The first question he asked us was, "Will you adopt me?"
Emma works upcountry at the Watoto Church campus in Gulu.

Fiona is the facilities department administrator
We met Fiona when we traveled to Uganda in 2016
She works alongside Jackie and Saul to see that the place is running smoothly

Ronnie is an electrician and has taken a keen interest in air conditioning.
Ronnie has married in the past year since we were here last and his beautiful bride has the same birthday as Greg (today!)

Joseph is an electrician and seems to coordinate stuff- when the car needs fuel, he is the guy. When we needed passport photos for our Watoto ID last year, he was the guy.
He also is one of the people working from this side to get the container here.

Ambrose is an electrician who joined the team late in 2013
He takes every opportunity he can to learn from Greg and often calls him when we are home in Canada, as well
Ambrose is another of the team members who got married since our last visit

Elton has joined the team in the last year so this was our first time to meet him.
Elton draws pictures (aka does drawings/blue prints)

This is Jonathan (aka Trouble!)
Greg met him on the 2014 trip while working at the Big Party
I met him on our trip in 2016 and knew right away that he was trouble

This is Amanda and she draws things- that is the answer I get whenever I ask one of the guys!
Amanda is at a very exciting time- she is getting married in two weeks.

This is Saul.
What does Saul do? He bosses me around when I'm here!
I don't know what he does the rest of the time, right Saul?

                                           

And this is Edward. He is one of the original team members that was here when we started in 2013
Ed is an electrician who has taken on some leadership responsibilities and is working closely with Greg, Mike and Adam in the planning for the new powerhouse.
Ed and his wife Phina had a baby boy since our last visit- Jajja is excited to get Jeremiah cuddles!

                                                

This is Jack, the Operations Manager for Watoto (I think that is the right title!)
He has been steering this ship since before we arrived in 2013.
He and Greg have become good friends.
The ritual that goes on when they see each other for the first time when we arrive in country cannot be explained- it has to be seen!

So that is the team we keep telling you about. We learn a little more about each of them on every trip. I really can't explain to you what a privilege it is to have a home and a family on each side of the globe- we are so blessed.

Now, all of you who are reading this need to leave a comment about yourself so the team can get to know you too!
                                               

Happy Birthday Brian

A few days ago I told you about how we had surprised Brian last Friday night when he didn't even know we were in Uganda. Well, today we surprised him again. Today is his 20th birthday and he had a birthday like never before.
In Uganda, people (particularly people with very low incomes) do not celebrate birthdays (or Christmas or other holidays, for that matter). Every day is a struggle to keep children fed and to pay school fees- there is no extra money for celebrating birthdays. Many children in Uganda don't even know when their birthday is. Many mothers don't know the birth dates of their children. It is just a reality here where, for many, life is a struggle every single day.
Brian was raised in a home where his mother worked very hard to provide for her children. He did not grow up knowing that children were supposed to have birthday parties. Cake, candles, balloons, goody bags- all foreign to him and his siblings.
However, since Joanna has been in Uganda, she has found out the birth dates of the children in her organization and she has done something special to celebrate them on their day. A few days ago Greg asked Joanna if we could take Brian out for supper for his birthday. She gladly accepted on his behalf, but when she tried to call him to tell him, she was unable to get ahold of him for more than a day. Finally, yesterday she walked to Brian's house to find him to tell him about supper. It turns out Brian's phone had gotten broken and was no longer usable.
It is amazing how God works! You see, just the day before yesterday, Greg had called Joanna and asked if it would be ok if we give Brian a smart phone. We have so many generous donors at home that give us phones that we can bring here to bless people. Joanna was excited that Brian would have a good phone and Greg was excited that the two of them will now be able to communicate everyday via Whats App.
So tonight Joanna picked up Brian and met us at Cafe Javas for supper. We all ordered our food and once it arrived, we started eating and chatting away. Brian had a very large plateful (he is a big, strong young man), but when the rest of us were done eating, he had only eaten a very small amount. He asked if it would be ok if he had the rest packaged up to take home and we all told him yes. He then said that he wanted to take it home for his mother and his brother. We just looked at him, with tears running down our cheeks- what an amazing young man who always looks out for the more vulnerable around him.
After supper, we ordered cake and the Cafe Java staff sang Happy Birthday to Brian. Of course he saved most of the cake to take home as well.
Then came the moment when Greg gave him the phone. I am having trouble even describing this moment to you. Initially, there was a look of utter disbelief on his face and he kept asking repeatedly, "Is this really for me?" Then he got up and hugged Greg, sat down for about a minute staring at the phone and got up to hug Greg again. He was absolutely speechless. As we sat and chatted for quite a while longer, Brian would put the phone away in the bag, but only for about a minute before he would take it out again and stare at it. The only words he kept saying were "I can't believe it."
Things that are "throw aways" to us in North America can be such a huge blessing to people here.
With each new part of the evening: the meal, singing Happy Birthday, the cake, the gift, Brian kept saying, "This is a first for me." He kept thanking us over and over and over.
Little did he know, we had already been blessed to overflowing at the privilege of spending his "1st birthday ever" with him.

That is one happy young man there...and his very proud Pop!

Tuesday Morning

On our drive into the office today, we were talking about how exciting it will be to bring a team to Uganda with us next year. Most of the team have never been to Uganda and I am not sure what their experience is in other majority world countries. It is always fun to have someone new join us and we start to look at things here differently again- with fresh eyes if you will.
Things that were so foreign to us on our 2010 and 2012 building trips have now become "everyday" to us. However, there are still some things that are not comfortable for us and never will be. The "red hats" fit into that category. What on earth are the "red hats", you may be asking. Well, in Uganda there are several different types of police who wear different uniforms and have different functions. The traffic police dress in white and we see them every single day directing traffic and handing out traffic tickets. There are others dressed in brown and the ones dressed in blue who are often outfitted in riot gear. Then there are the "red hats". They are in a league all of their own.
Uganda often has riots, usually minor, and can be controlled by the guys dressed in brown or blue. They wear riot gear and, when necessary, use water cannons, tear gas, etc to subdue crowds. Our Ugandan friends were very surprised to learn that we had no idea what tear gas felt like- nope, that one is still very foreign to us. If crowds continue to escalate, even with the above measures, then the "red hats" show up and things usually disperse rather quickly. They carry serious weapons and it is my understanding that they have the authority to "shoot to kill". Yikes- that is serious business.
So you say, what does all of this have to do with your title "Tuesday Morning". Well, the main court building is just over a block from where we hang out everyday at Watoto Downtown. Normally we drive by the court building en route to our destination. However, this morning the road was blocked off (by the water cannon) and on the lawn were more "red hats" than we have ever seen in one place ever before. There were tents set up where they slept overnight on the lawn of the courthouse and as we drove by, they were lined up, presumably getting instructions for the day. There is a very important court case going on right now (regarding changing the maximum age the president can be) and it is expected there will be rioting. This is our first time seeing more than 50 "red hats" at one time and I am told there are several others posted throughout the city.
Now you are probably all thinking that this is a crazy place and we are unsafe. No- that is not the case. Even though seeing the "red hats" is never a good thing, we just know to avoid that area for the time being. We are safe. God is still God and He is in control of everything- He has far more power than a million "red hats"!
After our little detour, we arrived to begin our Tuesday. And let me tell you, Tuesday is an amazing day at Watoto Downtown. The whole Watoto team (around 300 people) gather for team devotions, an amazing time of worship and teaching. If you have never been here for a Watoto worship time, I wish you could be here to experience it. If you have been at Watoto before, I know you are envisioning it now and you are very jealous. So, for both groups- those who have never experienced it and those who are missing it, I tried to attach a little video, but that didn't work. I will try putting it up on Facebook.

Photos to go with the previous blog

Must have been my poor wifi connection that was causing the problems- now we are in business!

One week in

One week ago right now we had just boarded our final flight in Amsterdam and were about to start heading south to the equator. Our time here always goes so quickly- it is hard to believe it has been over a week since we left home.
Our first weekend here consisted of some social activity- meeting up with old friends and getting to know some new friends.
On Friday night we went out for supper with our friend Joanna. If you have been following our story since 2013, you will be very familiar her. She arrived in Uganda in 2013 with the intention of staying for one year. God had another plan for her and she has remained here and has started her own organization. She is an incredible woman and a dear friend. What a joy it was to sit and catch up with her. She is such a strong and passionate woman who loves the Lord with all her heart and also loves the vulnerable children of Uganda. Many people come to Uganda (or other majority world countries) and go home again to go about living their lives. Joanna has said, "How can I go back home and live in my nice house, knowing what I know about the need here?" Yet her attitude is one of such humility and she insists she is not doing anything special. It is so humbling to sit with her and listen to all that God has done as she has trusted Him through some really trying times. What a huge blessing to spend the evening with her.
The oldest boy (actually he is now a young man) in Joanna's organization is called Brian. He was raised without a father figure and over the last few years, he and Greg have become closer and closer. Brian has told him, in the past, that Greg is his role model and that is the man he strives to be. We are continually humbled by the people and situations God has placed in our lives. Brian is an amazing dancer and he is now coaching/mentoring a group of young male dancers who will have their first competition this weekend. They were practicing on Friday night so after we finished supper, the three of us stopped in to surprise Brian. He didn't even know we were in Uganda so he was a very surprised and excited young man when Greg walked through the door. After the hugging was done, he told the young dancers, "I want you to meet my best friend Greg." Tears welled up in Greg's eyes. Friends, it doesn't cost a lot to build into someone's life. Genuine care for another goes a very, very long way. Who needs your caring today? If your answer is "No one", just pray and I know God will send you someone.
Saturday supper was spent with some of the Watoto leadership, discussing plans for the organization and just getting to know each other better. It was a wonderful evening filled with many stories, lots of laughs and good food. We met at a place called Cassia Lodge, which boasts the best view of Kampala.
Again, I wish I could share those pictures with you, but blogger will not allow me to attach photos (I know my kids think I am the problem, but I do know what I'm doing, on this one at least!) I will post photos on Facebook so you can see them there.

All the Beauty

Hi All

Finally we are caught up on sleep enough to write a post that may actually make sense!

We have had a wonderful first few days here in Uganda, but the weather is “very cold” today.   Of course everything is relative- it was 17 degrees this morning and is warming up nicely now.

We are staying with dear friends who have a lovely view of Lake Victoria from their balcony. Their compound is full of beautiful flowers and plants- none of which could survive the harsh reality of a Saskatchewan winter!  This country is so very beautiful- when Watoto choir sings about “Beautiful Africa”, they are not kidding!

Watoto Church is a busy place loaded with new activities everyday. We continue to run into “old friends” and have had the opportunity to make some new ones.

Greg has been very excited to see the growth in the facilities team since our previous visit. During our last trip to Uganda, he did an “everything you wanted to know about air conditioning in three weeks” bootcamp. There was a lot of information packed into a short period of time.  It is so encouraging to come back a year later and see how that knowledge is being put into action every day. The team is doing an amazing job maintaining the air conditioning and continuing to take on new challenges all the time.

We are so thankful to our Canadian supporters who have donated money, equipment and tools to be put into the hands of these very capable tradespeople.  Without your support, none of this could be taking place. You are making a lasting difference in this country.  We cannot ever thank you enough.

Uganda 2017

We are very thankful for an uneventful journey to Uganda. All went well and we arrived on time on Monday night. Several members of the facilities team were at the airport to welcome us home. We are so blessed to have two homes and two families- one on each side of the globe.
Friends of ours recommended some jet lag tablets that they take. They travel all over the world and never experience jet lag anymore. We were very hopeful and felt really good while on the flights (the tablets are taken every 2 hours while traveling). Unfortunately, it seems the benefits were limited to feeling good while flying. Last night we were hopeful when it was 8:00 and we needed to go to bed. We slept so soundly...until 10:45 PM. The rest of the night was spent praying, tossing, turning with a few short naps mixed in. Oh well, as they say, this isn't our first rodeo! This too will pass and our bodies will adjust. We just need to power through these first few days.
Not much to tell you about yet. We spent yesterday wandering around and hugging lots of people.
Today we need to get our phones up and running. Greg is off helping with a problem already this morning. We will see what else the day brings...