Tuesday, July 26, 2011
The Comforts of Home
We are in the good old USA!!! After a 17 hour flight from Ethiopia, all of the passengers started clapping and cheering when we touched ground. We all ate 5 Guys Burgers & Fries at 10am, and we are some full and happy Americans now. We'll be boarding the flight from DC to Atlanta in a few minutes and we are beyond excited to see our families and get a hot shower. Thank you so much to all of you for so faithfully praying for us. Truly the Lord has watched over and guided each step of our journey. We are so excited to share all that the Lord has shown and taught us. For anyone interested, our church service on Sunday will be dedicated to sharing testimonies from our trip (11am at Western Heights Baptist Church). Over and out from Team Agape!
Sunday, July 24, 2011
Wow, our last full day in Uganda, and what a day it was. It started with an amazing suprise: we drove out to the new orphanage to find that the workers had finished the roof for us! Hallelujah! Such an awesome sight. It feels good to have that part of the building project completed. And we're that much closer to seeing a new home for the Agape children.
We spent the remainder of the day at Ssezibwa Falls with the children. They were waiting for us when our bus drove up and mobbed all around the door again, ready with lots of hugs and warm greetings. I tell you what, that is one experience that will never get old! These precious children are so incredibly loving; they just love to hug and be loved on. We had some Spirit-led and Spirit-filled church under an open African sky with lots of singing, more testimonies from the children, and messages from brother William, Miss Sarah Corson, and the Reverand Father Anthony, who is a very dear friend of William and a large part of the Agape ministry. We finished the service with a special time of prayer during which Mr. Dan anointed each child's head with oil while we all sang and prayed for God to bless and lead each life. Some of these children have been through so much: living in the streets, abuse, going without food, HIV, the death of parents, etc. A couple even have patches of grey hair, which is a very rare occurrence in children that is only caused by extreme stress. To see immense joy on the faces of those who have known true hopelessness and poverty is beyond amazing.
After that we had lunch, followed by three stations of VBS where the children made bookmarks, prayer journals and salvation-bead bracelets. And then an African dance group came and performed some traditional African dances to the beat of drums and singing. The children and some of our team even got to become part of the act. The highlight was the dance-off between Katie & Kevin wearing "goat hair booty-shakers". (I don't know if that's the technical term or not, but that's what we're calling them.) Lots of joy and laughter accompanied the entire afternoon. Unfortunately all good things must come to an end. At 6pm they finally had to start herding us back onto the bus. Some of the children just wept, and we cried right along with them. I honestly felt like a mommy leaving all of my babies behind, never knowing if or when I might see them again. How can such a strong bond and attachment occur in such a short period of time? I'm sure I speak for our entire group when I say that our lives are forever changed. We leave tomorrow for a our long journey home, but a large part of our hearts will remain here in Uganda.
Lord Jesus, thank You so much for bringing us here. You did not need us to accomplish Your will here, but You chose to use us nonetheless. We are humbled and so very blessed that You would give us the privelege to come so far to be with our brothers and sisters in Uganda. We praise You for all that You have done and all that You are going to do in and through the ministry of Agape Total Childcare. Amina!!
We spent the remainder of the day at Ssezibwa Falls with the children. They were waiting for us when our bus drove up and mobbed all around the door again, ready with lots of hugs and warm greetings. I tell you what, that is one experience that will never get old! These precious children are so incredibly loving; they just love to hug and be loved on. We had some Spirit-led and Spirit-filled church under an open African sky with lots of singing, more testimonies from the children, and messages from brother William, Miss Sarah Corson, and the Reverand Father Anthony, who is a very dear friend of William and a large part of the Agape ministry. We finished the service with a special time of prayer during which Mr. Dan anointed each child's head with oil while we all sang and prayed for God to bless and lead each life. Some of these children have been through so much: living in the streets, abuse, going without food, HIV, the death of parents, etc. A couple even have patches of grey hair, which is a very rare occurrence in children that is only caused by extreme stress. To see immense joy on the faces of those who have known true hopelessness and poverty is beyond amazing.
After that we had lunch, followed by three stations of VBS where the children made bookmarks, prayer journals and salvation-bead bracelets. And then an African dance group came and performed some traditional African dances to the beat of drums and singing. The children and some of our team even got to become part of the act. The highlight was the dance-off between Katie & Kevin wearing "goat hair booty-shakers". (I don't know if that's the technical term or not, but that's what we're calling them.) Lots of joy and laughter accompanied the entire afternoon. Unfortunately all good things must come to an end. At 6pm they finally had to start herding us back onto the bus. Some of the children just wept, and we cried right along with them. I honestly felt like a mommy leaving all of my babies behind, never knowing if or when I might see them again. How can such a strong bond and attachment occur in such a short period of time? I'm sure I speak for our entire group when I say that our lives are forever changed. We leave tomorrow for a our long journey home, but a large part of our hearts will remain here in Uganda.
Lord Jesus, thank You so much for bringing us here. You did not need us to accomplish Your will here, but You chose to use us nonetheless. We are humbled and so very blessed that You would give us the privelege to come so far to be with our brothers and sisters in Uganda. We praise You for all that You have done and all that You are going to do in and through the ministry of Agape Total Childcare. Amina!!
Saturday, July 23, 2011
Lunch on the Nile
We got to sleep in this morning! Breakfast was at 8am and they served our favorite meal: crepes (aka rolled up pancakes). We got on the bus at 9am and headed off to William's garden. On the way, we were passing a family who had large tarps out in their yard with vanilla beans drying in the sun. So we pulled over and had a lesson in the process of harvesting, drying, and exporting vanilla, along with some coffee beans. It smelled wonderful! Vanilla is so expensive in the U.S., but the workers here are paid so little.
We also drove through a tea plantation and pulled over to visit with the workers. These plantations are owned by the large tea corporations where we get much of our tea. I think this particular farm was owned by an Indian company. The workers are very poor and they are paid $.05/10kilos of tea leaves. At the very most they can get 50 kilos of tea per day, and that is only if they work all day long. That means that the most they will be paid is $2.50/day. These companies make so much, but provide their workers with so little. I will forever look at tea differently.
We did finally manage to make it to the garden and it is so impressive. William has done such a fabulous job working to make the Agape orphanage a sustainable place. He grows bananas, cabbage, onion, tomatoes, papaya, corn, yams, some sugar cane and many other things. He has several cows and chickens. And all of these things help to feed the children. During their breaks from school, the children come to work in the garden and enjoy some of the fruits of their labor. Willilam said they love to go right for the sugar cane to get a little treat.
After the garden, we headed into the city of Jinja, which is famous for being the source of the Nile. Did you know that the Nile River is one of only 2 rivers in the world that flows south to north? Pretty cool, huh? We ate lunch at a beautiful hotel overlooking the Nile River. To think that this is the same river that baby Moses floated down in Exodus is truly amazing!
After lunch, we headed to downtown Jinja, where we learned how to barter for some fun Ugandan souvenirs that we'll be bringing home to many of you! There was so many cool things to buy - it was hard to choose. I think all of us really enjoyed the shopping experience, with the exception of Mr. Glen. (Shopping's just not his thing :)
We are so appreciative to SIFAT and William for making this trip such an educational experience. We have learned so much more than how to put up a building. Tom, Peggy & William have given their time, hearts and wisdom to help us learn about this wonderful country and culture. We are truly grateful for their presence here. Tomorrow we will have church and a picnic with the children of Agape one last time. I am sure that it will be very difficult to leave, so you can be praying for sweet goodbyes tomorrow. My heart hurts just thinking about it. Blessings and goodnight from Team Agape!
Friday, July 22, 2011
Harvesting Soles
Sorry this post is later than usual. We stayed late at the job-site to finish as much of the roof as possible and then we had an African BBQ under the stars. It was the best meal we've had yet, but it was later than usual. After that we were all exhausted and went to bed.
Anyhow, regarding today's title: It is not a spelling error! While Kiley, Sue and I (Nicole) were harvesting sweet potatoes yesterday, we happened to dig up soles to some old shoes. Hence the title: "Havesting Soles", since truly our hope is that we are not just havesting sweet potatoes, but that our group is leading souls to Christ as we share our time and our work and our hearts with the workers and neighbors of the job-site.
I cannot believe that our time at the job-site is completed!! Props to our roofing team: Glen, Nick, Kevin, Barry, Tom, Darryl, Katie, and many of the Ugandan workers who spent long hours working on the roof of the new school. It is 2/3 completed and it looks awesome! The administration building is completely painted inside and out, and the glass has started to be installed in the windows. All of the sweet potatoes that William planted have been harvested. While we are all so pleased with all that has been accomplished, we are dying to see this entire project completed. Truly it will be a place of blessing not just for the orphans, but for the entire community in Mukono. It is hard to leave the job when it is not entirely completed!
Our relationship with the workers grew to be a sweet fellowship throughout the week as we shared our love for Christ Jesus with one another. We have thoroughly enjoyed the people of Uganda and their beautiful language (Lugandan). So I figured I would give you a bit of a sampling:
Hello mugandawange! Olyotya? Jendi. Tukwagala and tujjakusubwa. Osumaluddwa. Yesu yebazibwe! Amina!
Interpretation: Hello brother and sister! How are you? I am fine. We love you and we miss you. But you have been delivered. Praise Jesus! Amen!
We also experienced the customs of an African funeral yesterday. There was much more traffic at our job-site yesterday as many people came to mourn with Mama Maria. We were able to contribute a bag of beans and a whole wheelbarrow full of sweet potatoes for Mama to feed to all of her guests. Tim even helped dig part of the grave for her son in order to come alongside these people and show our sorrow for their loss. Many of our group attended the funeral service during which both William and Miss Sarah Corson were asked to speak. From what I understand, Miss Sarah preached a good sermon that William interpreted for her. Truly, the Lord is amazing to have allowed this event to occur while we were there, so that the name of the Lord Jesus would be shared with many more lives than would have happened otherwise. Yesu yebazibwe!
Today we will visit William's garden and we will go to the city of Jinja to see the Nile River and shop for some Ugandan souvenirs. It is almost time for breakfast! I will write more later. Blessings from Team Agape!!
Anyhow, regarding today's title: It is not a spelling error! While Kiley, Sue and I (Nicole) were harvesting sweet potatoes yesterday, we happened to dig up soles to some old shoes. Hence the title: "Havesting Soles", since truly our hope is that we are not just havesting sweet potatoes, but that our group is leading souls to Christ as we share our time and our work and our hearts with the workers and neighbors of the job-site.
I cannot believe that our time at the job-site is completed!! Props to our roofing team: Glen, Nick, Kevin, Barry, Tom, Darryl, Katie, and many of the Ugandan workers who spent long hours working on the roof of the new school. It is 2/3 completed and it looks awesome! The administration building is completely painted inside and out, and the glass has started to be installed in the windows. All of the sweet potatoes that William planted have been harvested. While we are all so pleased with all that has been accomplished, we are dying to see this entire project completed. Truly it will be a place of blessing not just for the orphans, but for the entire community in Mukono. It is hard to leave the job when it is not entirely completed!
Our relationship with the workers grew to be a sweet fellowship throughout the week as we shared our love for Christ Jesus with one another. We have thoroughly enjoyed the people of Uganda and their beautiful language (Lugandan). So I figured I would give you a bit of a sampling:
Hello mugandawange! Olyotya? Jendi. Tukwagala and tujjakusubwa. Osumaluddwa. Yesu yebazibwe! Amina!
Interpretation: Hello brother and sister! How are you? I am fine. We love you and we miss you. But you have been delivered. Praise Jesus! Amen!
We also experienced the customs of an African funeral yesterday. There was much more traffic at our job-site yesterday as many people came to mourn with Mama Maria. We were able to contribute a bag of beans and a whole wheelbarrow full of sweet potatoes for Mama to feed to all of her guests. Tim even helped dig part of the grave for her son in order to come alongside these people and show our sorrow for their loss. Many of our group attended the funeral service during which both William and Miss Sarah Corson were asked to speak. From what I understand, Miss Sarah preached a good sermon that William interpreted for her. Truly, the Lord is amazing to have allowed this event to occur while we were there, so that the name of the Lord Jesus would be shared with many more lives than would have happened otherwise. Yesu yebazibwe!
Today we will visit William's garden and we will go to the city of Jinja to see the Nile River and shop for some Ugandan souvenirs. It is almost time for breakfast! I will write more later. Blessings from Team Agape!!
Thursday, July 21, 2011
Nobody fell off the roof!
Well, we started the day with another pig being slaughtered in what we have affectionately dubbed "the killing field". Thankfully, the power saw drowned out the bleating noises. Some of our group members like to spectate, but this is just about enough to make me a vegetarian!
It was another busy & successful day on the job-site. I would say about 1/3 of the tin has been put up on the roof. The men have done such a great job. Also, the exterior of the administration building only needs one more coat of paint. More sweet potatoes were pulled out. And Cindy spent about 3 hours doing VBS / fun activities with the neighborhood children who now flock to our sight. They are so bright, and it is heartbreaking to see some of the children who, even just the week, can no longer go to school because their families cannot afford it. We see such potential that may never be fully developed. Pastor Greg, we've all discussed how much you would enjoy visiting with all of the neighbors near our sight!
We have continued to visit Mama Maria, who received some disturbing news today. Her one kind son (her other 2 children treat her very poorly) passed away. He was returned to her home where he will be buried tomorrow. William has given us a bit of insight regarding the funeral customs in Africa. Mama will be visited by as many as 50 mourners tonight & tomorrow and she will be expected to feed all of them. She does not have the resources for this, so we do not know how she will begin to feed everyone. Her predicament has been a heavy topic of discussion today, as we would love to help her. However, we do not know what is best. Our purpose in being here is to help William and the children of Agape, who have no shortage of needs. Yet our hearts break for Mama Maria as well. Truly, there is an overwhelming amount of need all around us here, and we cannot help everyone. Also, is our definition of help truly helping? Some profound thoughts and questions come with this whole line of thinking. Ultimately, we will follow the advice and wisdom that William offers us. But please continue to pray that the Lord would guide each one of us. Please pray that we will look to Him for guidance in every word and choice that we make.
Things are truly so different here, and we do not always (ok, we rarely) understand the Ugandan ways. But maybe that's not our job. The Lord asks us to love our neighbor as ourselves. Pray that He will show each one of us how we can best do that in our interactions with neighbors, workers on the job-site, employees at our hotel, and each other. Tomorrow is our last day of work - please continue to pray for safety and that we will accomplish the things that are important to Christ.
It was another busy & successful day on the job-site. I would say about 1/3 of the tin has been put up on the roof. The men have done such a great job. Also, the exterior of the administration building only needs one more coat of paint. More sweet potatoes were pulled out. And Cindy spent about 3 hours doing VBS / fun activities with the neighborhood children who now flock to our sight. They are so bright, and it is heartbreaking to see some of the children who, even just the week, can no longer go to school because their families cannot afford it. We see such potential that may never be fully developed. Pastor Greg, we've all discussed how much you would enjoy visiting with all of the neighbors near our sight!
We have continued to visit Mama Maria, who received some disturbing news today. Her one kind son (her other 2 children treat her very poorly) passed away. He was returned to her home where he will be buried tomorrow. William has given us a bit of insight regarding the funeral customs in Africa. Mama will be visited by as many as 50 mourners tonight & tomorrow and she will be expected to feed all of them. She does not have the resources for this, so we do not know how she will begin to feed everyone. Her predicament has been a heavy topic of discussion today, as we would love to help her. However, we do not know what is best. Our purpose in being here is to help William and the children of Agape, who have no shortage of needs. Yet our hearts break for Mama Maria as well. Truly, there is an overwhelming amount of need all around us here, and we cannot help everyone. Also, is our definition of help truly helping? Some profound thoughts and questions come with this whole line of thinking. Ultimately, we will follow the advice and wisdom that William offers us. But please continue to pray that the Lord would guide each one of us. Please pray that we will look to Him for guidance in every word and choice that we make.
Things are truly so different here, and we do not always (ok, we rarely) understand the Ugandan ways. But maybe that's not our job. The Lord asks us to love our neighbor as ourselves. Pray that He will show each one of us how we can best do that in our interactions with neighbors, workers on the job-site, employees at our hotel, and each other. Tomorrow is our last day of work - please continue to pray for safety and that we will accomplish the things that are important to Christ.
All of the things we have witnessed only serve to make us more passionate about helping the children of Agape, for they are the future for this community in Mukono and for the country of Uganda. Pray, pray, pray that this will be a generation that rises up to bring hope and faith through Jesus Christ to this nation and this world.
Sarah Corson arrives at our hotel late tonight and will spend the remainder of our time here with us. We are so looking forward to being around such an amazing woman. I can't believe the week is almost over. Thank you so much for being a part of this mission!! Blessing from Team Agape
Wednesday, July 20, 2011
"Did you know there was a building there this morning?"
Today was a hardcore workday. The morning started with a building being taken down. Tim, Kylie, Katie, Tom & Susanna took down the building and saved all the bricks by chipping the remaining plaster off of them. So the catch phrase for the remainder of the day was: "Did you know there was a building there this morning?"
The roofing project has been slow going - lots of work building joists and trusses. And this evening the tin has finally started going up! I assure you this is no small accomplishement! Please be praying for the safety of our men as they will be balancing up on the rooftop for the remainder of the week.
The entire inside of the administration building has been painted and the iron work on the windows is coming along as well. The painting was accompanied by an impromptu sing-along of our favorite hymns. Even Emanuel (the overseer of the painters) was humming along.
Towards the end of the day, many of the ladies took down another wall & saved the bricks again. Some of the local women even joined the assembly line! Overall we had a very productive day and we are excited about the progress being made.
A couple of us visited Mama Maria again this morning and fetched her water for her. And the neighborhood children came for a long time to hear stories, color, write their letters & numbers and sing lots of silly songs. The children along our route each morning and evening are growing accustomed to our schedule and often look for our bus so they can squeal, giggle & wave at us. Totally cute!
We are all pretty tuckered out, and I suspect it will be an early night tonight. We love and miss you all - thank you so much for all of your prayers. So far they've been answered, as we are all safe and sound. Blessings from Team Agape!
The roofing project has been slow going - lots of work building joists and trusses. And this evening the tin has finally started going up! I assure you this is no small accomplishement! Please be praying for the safety of our men as they will be balancing up on the rooftop for the remainder of the week.
The entire inside of the administration building has been painted and the iron work on the windows is coming along as well. The painting was accompanied by an impromptu sing-along of our favorite hymns. Even Emanuel (the overseer of the painters) was humming along.
Towards the end of the day, many of the ladies took down another wall & saved the bricks again. Some of the local women even joined the assembly line! Overall we had a very productive day and we are excited about the progress being made.
A couple of us visited Mama Maria again this morning and fetched her water for her. And the neighborhood children came for a long time to hear stories, color, write their letters & numbers and sing lots of silly songs. The children along our route each morning and evening are growing accustomed to our schedule and often look for our bus so they can squeal, giggle & wave at us. Totally cute!
We are all pretty tuckered out, and I suspect it will be an early night tonight. We love and miss you all - thank you so much for all of your prayers. So far they've been answered, as we are all safe and sound. Blessings from Team Agape!
Tuesday, July 19, 2011
Don't become friends with your bacon!
Strange title, I know, but there was a bit of a pork theme going on for much of the day today. On the way to the job-site there were several people walking pigs down the road with leashes wrapped onto one of their hooves, which was just kind of random. Then while we working this morning we heard a sound like a pig being slaughtered because there was a pig being slaughtered right next to the job-site. A few hours later, the same neighbor (who also happened to be a witch doctor) had another pig that was delivering babies. Needless to say, it's been a crazy & eventful day.
After lunch, Katie participated in a local brick-making experience. It wasn't until afterwards that she realized the mud was pretty much just manure. I don't think they're going to hire her any time soon.
I know it sounds like we didn't get much work done, but I promise that we worked our tails off doing construction and painting.
At 2pm, Tom from SIFAT brought us over to meet one of the neighbors, Mama Maria, who is an elderly lady that lives in a dirt hut the size of a typical toolshed in America. Mama Maria has buried 3 of her 5 children on her land that is the size of a garden. Her two remaining children are drunkards that just want to sell her house for the money. They take her food and mistreat her terribly. She is in pain from head to toe and can barely walk, but has to go fetch her water every day. I cannot even begin to fathom her life. A few of us were able to give her food, water and medicine and then we spent time praying with her. I don't even know how to begin to find words to describe this moment. I will just say that it was powerful and emotional.
Finally, at 3pm we headed to the current orphanage site in Lugazi, where we got to be with the children again and witness their living conditions. Again, we were greeted with a love and warmth that we do not deserve. They were so proud to show us their meager beds and living spaces. Their beds were neatly made and proudly displayed their bibles, letters from sponsors and penpals, and other small mementos. Their rooms were probably 10x12 with at least 2 bunk beds in each room and some had 2 to a mattress. We sang and played and just hugged on the kids. We are all so amazed and moved by the way that William takes care of these children. Truly he is a father to them. He has taught them such manners and respect towards others and each other. Most importantly, He has truly taught them the Word of God. We all have so much admiration and love for this man who has given his whole life for these little ones. Please remember to pray for him as he carries responsibilities and burdens beyond what most of us can imagine. We love and miss you all. I'm getting delirious again, so I have to go to bed. This was an insanely full day, so hopefully you can catch a small glimpse of all that's going on. More tomorrow...
After lunch, Katie participated in a local brick-making experience. It wasn't until afterwards that she realized the mud was pretty much just manure. I don't think they're going to hire her any time soon.
I know it sounds like we didn't get much work done, but I promise that we worked our tails off doing construction and painting.
At 2pm, Tom from SIFAT brought us over to meet one of the neighbors, Mama Maria, who is an elderly lady that lives in a dirt hut the size of a typical toolshed in America. Mama Maria has buried 3 of her 5 children on her land that is the size of a garden. Her two remaining children are drunkards that just want to sell her house for the money. They take her food and mistreat her terribly. She is in pain from head to toe and can barely walk, but has to go fetch her water every day. I cannot even begin to fathom her life. A few of us were able to give her food, water and medicine and then we spent time praying with her. I don't even know how to begin to find words to describe this moment. I will just say that it was powerful and emotional.
Finally, at 3pm we headed to the current orphanage site in Lugazi, where we got to be with the children again and witness their living conditions. Again, we were greeted with a love and warmth that we do not deserve. They were so proud to show us their meager beds and living spaces. Their beds were neatly made and proudly displayed their bibles, letters from sponsors and penpals, and other small mementos. Their rooms were probably 10x12 with at least 2 bunk beds in each room and some had 2 to a mattress. We sang and played and just hugged on the kids. We are all so amazed and moved by the way that William takes care of these children. Truly he is a father to them. He has taught them such manners and respect towards others and each other. Most importantly, He has truly taught them the Word of God. We all have so much admiration and love for this man who has given his whole life for these little ones. Please remember to pray for him as he carries responsibilities and burdens beyond what most of us can imagine. We love and miss you all. I'm getting delirious again, so I have to go to bed. This was an insanely full day, so hopefully you can catch a small glimpse of all that's going on. More tomorrow...
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