Nails

21 Feb 2011 9pm

I figured I would finish up the day today. I'm very tired so we will see how much I can elaborate!
After lunch we went to help the workers on the library. They were going to finish up the plaster and didn't need our help. Honestly I was relieved, at this point I'm very exhausted, it is very very hot out, I'm sticky and starting to fry! Plus I'm not good at that job :)
So I headed to the clinic to see how Dr. Jeremy was doing. Hung around long enough to see 1 of 3 extractions from a teenage girl. Yup that was enough for me. Headed back and pulled out the nail polish and started painting nails and toes on all the pretty little girls and some boys. I think all of us ladies that participated had fun, except I spilled a little on my skirt. We also did it in the shade, which was a nice break! :)
Next we finished organizing the letters from back home to pass out to all the classes. They have Baby, Middle, Top, Primary 1-7 (10 different classes in total).
Dennis and I got primary 4 class, after arriving we found out there was a little confusion and the children had already graduated to the next level- Primary 5. So we changed classrooms and got the letters, toothbrushes, toothpaste, pens and pencils to every student.
It was great the kids were excited to see us and sang for us when we walked in. They all smiled and thanked us after they got their stuff.
Our guest house is next to the large play field so sometimes we will find the kids standing by our back door waiting for us to bring stuff out! They wanted bubbles this time, but with the broken well we didn't want to waste their precious resource!
Instead we pulled out soccer balls, frisbees, and more nail polish. It was great to sit on the ground and they all would surround us and put their hands in your face. But they are so well behaved if you say, your next they say 'Okay" and wait patiently.
Once dinner started we found out another miracle happened, this place is filled with amazing things!
The workers on the well wanted to try and get the broken pipe out themselves instead of having to wait for the equipment for a month! They made a funnel and fished it down the hold and after just the second try they threaded it on to the broken pipe over 90 meters down, than slowly pulled it out!
They finished fixing the well problem and soon they were pumping water out of the ground again!
I'm exhausted at this point, need sleep and to re energize for tomorrow!
One funny thing, our cook Tony (which is great and super friendly) is a little overwhelmed of our processed foods and doesn't know hot to cook them all. So we have been showing him small things to help him along. This morning Shannon and him made pancakes. Than for dinner I had explained how to make the Top Ramen we brought. He loved it!
So far the food is pretty good, I'm staying away from the meat, mainly because they machete it all and there are bones in stew, kebabs, everything! But the fruit is fantastic! For every meal we have had pineapple, watermelon, papaya and avocados.
They are all the best I have ever had! Tony's eggs are the best, he says he adds spices, but so great and they come fresh from the chicken coop!
This place is so sustainable its great!
Okay arm is cramping and I'm tired!

The Well

21 Feb 2011 1:56pm
Woke up to some back pain this morning, which is nothing new, after some stretching I'm feeling just fine.
The kids were heading in to school when we started eating breakfast.
We at first decided to find something to do while the dental clinic was being set up. But the work seemed to find us. We found out the well can not be easily fixed. The pipes fell down 120 meters and can only be reached by certain equipment that there is only 2 of in the entire Uganda!
The closest one is on the other end of Uganda and doing a project. It has been expected the well will take a month to fix!
We decided to help fill the jerry cans, Fred got us a truck to drive us, 3 large tanks and jerry cans to the river to fill. We all piled in the back and held on tight for a very bumpy ride.
We got lots of stares as we filled our containers in the very dirty water.
To tell you how dirty it is, Shannon put her arm over the container to keep it from spilling and with in 1/2 hour had a rash all over that arm.
Once we got back we all got ready to mix up the plaster to fill in the brick walls inside the library. Very dirty but fun job for those that did it. I opted to fill the cans for the plaster and for the kitchen to make the children's lunches.
The kids lined up for lunches and after having to wait for the food to be cooked because they just got their water they got a more than expected helping of rice and beans.
Now we are all enjoying our lunch break.

When I hear stories I'm trying to be better about remembering to write them down.
Fred was talking about why the children have their ears pierced. It is a sign that they are "un-pure" to the head hunters.
He said there are allot of rich men that have witch doctors and before they build new buildings, the witch doctors have instructed them to find and sacrifice a child and than build the building on top to have their building flourish. They pay headhunters to find them "pure" children to sacrifice.
There  are so many stories of the horrible treatment that still goes on in Uganda, and most of Africa itself.
There are so many men that just have sex for pleasure and some have 25 children that they don't feed or take care of. Most are extremely malnourished. Most men will beat their children for crying and just leave the woman to attend to them.
Fred is such an amazing man for being so different and loving than the rest. He was abused in numerous homes growing up and still deciding to do all he could do to help children.
He started this orphanage in 2005 not just as a place for orphans but as a school to be able to educate the children. He encourages and teaches each one to be their best, they want to be teachers, doctors and business men.
He said most of Uganda is so uneducated they don't know anything different. He tried to teach safe sex and the men believed the condoms produced cancer, because of the lubricant. They don't know any better. They said they would rather die of aids than cancer.
He is educating this generation so they can lead and spread the good educated words. He has so many wonderful things happening here.

Matthew 5:16

20 Feb 2011 9:52pm

Today was a day of hope.
We woke up to the sweet sound of a rooster :) Great breakfast of fruit and eggs, which were delicious.
Got in our Sunday best and headed off to church. What an amazing experience to see.
The church members walk up to 2 hours to attend the service, and they all showed up in their beautiful, dolled up attire.
The children carry in their own pews which are their desks from school. Service was amazing, I felt like they honored us for the entire service! They sang the most beautiful songs, all the congregation claps while so many children stand on stage and sing.
Trevor recorded them, can't wait to listen to that again and share it.
The rest of the service was a great speech and story from the Pastor and his translator. It was actually very entertaining and wonderful. So glad to be apart of that.
After church we set up the dental office in the clinic, while that was being done the rest of us played with the kids.
I pulled out the bubbles and the kids went crazy. It was so much fun. We put dish soap in small containers with water and played with the wands. By the end most of the kids were covered in soapy bubbles!
The boys set up the soccer nets and played and played with the kids.
We went to check out our dentist Jeremy and his nurses Katie, Jen, Joy and Mikaela. Wow he had a line around the corner and was extracting teeth left and right! He saw 9 people, 15 extractions, and one reconstruction. All in one day!! Amazing and he has 2 more full days!
Found the well broke again today, this time a chain. Fred called the technician but he won't be out til tomorrow morning. We saw the children walking with their jerry cans and wanted to follow. We asked Fred if it was okay and he gave us a guide and we were off. We walked about a mile, half way there, when we found the children walking back and herding a bunch of cows out of their way!
All the children carry around 10 liters of water each, some twice that.
We finished down to the lake. Once we reached the lake we had to go down a hill to reach the muddy water. Again amazed that the children A. have to carry all that water and that B. they have to drink it!
Our guides took a swim, we took photos of course! We are exhausted and it is very very hot and we are sticky. We still have the long trek ahead of us. We only did this once!
On our way back we passed the children coming back down to the lake to do their second run! Yes they do that twice!
We headed back to the orphanage and checked in on our mobile dentist clinic. Watched a woman get Novocaine in her gums to prepare her for an upcoming extraction!
After dinner we all gathered for a quick group meeting and I wrangled everyone in to a group photo!
The best part was walking out to the open field and seeing all the stars. I couldn't believe how many you can see. It was a sight of beauty.  You can see the entire milky way! We saw quite a few bats that started dive bombing us, which of course I found cool!

Another game of uno and off to bed.

-Note of the trip to the lake. I would say walking in there steps to the well was what has so far made my trip. Being able to actually see what these children have to do is amazing.

I also love it that all the kids call us Auntie :)

The verse Trevor read at church:

Matthew 5: 16 Let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.

This meant so much because their light is their smiles, and they shine right through all the bad stuff and straight to your heart!

African Rain

20 Feb 2011 3:23am
African Rain!
We woke up this morning to the sound of rain on the tin roof. So excited we all peeked out to smell the beautiful smell of fresh dewy rain. Some of us girls ran out the front door to dance in the rain, just to marvel in God's wonder!
I just remembered another thing we heard about God's greatness. Joel was telling us what happened with the well. A few weeks ago it stopped working because of iron build up in the pipes. They all needed to be replaced. But since the well supplies the entire orphanage with water at 20-30 liters per child, per day, they needed an alternative. But God had already provided. With out seeing rain for awhile, the day before the well broke it rained , and they have rain catchers in these big containers, they were able to have enough water for the time it took the well to be fixed!
Talking about the well, we visited it quite often yesterday. Each one of the children pump and fill two 10 liter jerry cans for their daily use, everyday!!! We jumped in to help, wow it is very tiring, and we hardly filled one! You have to pump the handle from one end and it pulls the water from the ground and drips it over a filtration system to try and clean the water as much as possible. Than goes through small spout for the kids to fill the jerry cans with.
These are you children filling these cans and carrying them. We pumped and got tired very fast. They say us Americans have no stamina, so true! When they have American workers they always give up first!

Fred's Story

19-Feb-2011 9:08pm

Where do I begin?
First let me tell you a story that Pastor Fred just told us:
Today is Saturday and Thursday he went to the Village of Bulanga, he was just driving by when he saw a large crowd forming around a latrine (public bathroom). He pulled over to see the commotion and was told there was a baby in the hole. They pulled out a flashlight and in the feces is sure enough a baby, crying. They had to pull the latrine apart very carefully to not have the mud floor collapse on the baby. Then someone climbed in and brought the baby out. Than they learned the story...

The mother was homeless and this man took her in, he said if your pregnant (with another mans baby) and give birth in this house I will kill you. Afraid for her life and home she gave birth in the latrine, hoping the baby would die in there. He was in the hole for 18 hours before they got him out.

After the village found out about her, they all started running after her with knives and machetes to kill her. The police stepped in and put her under custody.

The baby is at the hospital getting checked out and should arrive in the orphanage tomorrow.

What a way of miracles happening. The woman that found the baby still crying and Fred just happened to be there.

So the baby will live in the orphanage. First infant, but will still need a sponsor.

(Fast forward to present day, since I didn't journal this, the baby didn't make it, his intestines and liver were consumed by maggots from the feces. He lived for 11 days. So sad)

__________________________________________________________________________

Now for the travel of how we got here.

Woke up Saturday morning, the team met for a great breakfast of fresh fruit and toast.

Than off to what we thought was supposed to be a 8 hour drive to be presently surprised with only around 4 after stops.

We went first to exchange our money from dollars to shillings.

2 banks were closed due to the elections so our guide Robert (Fred's brother) found us a guy to exchange them for us.

May sound scary at first but great experience, for we had to walk through Kampala to find him.

Not sure how to explain how it was, very interesting we were scared at first to take photos cause everyone is already staring at a group of white people, also referred to as mzungu. We took our exchange man back to the van to do what felt like an illegal drug deal! haha but it was really interesting.

Than we headed off to the equator. We stopped got our photos on each point and than went  shopping. Now that was fun! Such interesting crafted items. We picked up a few gifts than headed off to Masaka for lunch.

After lunch we had 1 1/2 hour drive left to the village. So great driving by everyone, they are so warm and inviting everyone smiles and waves.

When we arrived in the Rakai District we knew it! The road ended and turn in to what we now know is the "Ugandan Back rub".

When we pulled into HCCP it was amazing and exciting to see the children come running to our van, they started singing about what a  joy it is to see us.

I instantly started crying. We got off the bus and the kids come running to hug and greet you. What an amazing thing to see these children with there tattered clothing and never having the smiles leave their faces. Such beautiful faces full of life and God. We introduced ourselves, took lots of pictures, which the children love, there favorite part is looking back at the camera to see themselves. They point themselves out, laugh, get all excited and want more pictures.

We brought out a few soccer balls and they went crazy.

We met Joel, which is from Indiana he has been here for one month and staying til April 1st. He has been helping with farming. He came to HCCP to find more spirituality connection and has found that through the Pastor and the children.

We got a tour of the land, wow can't believe he just started this in 2005, and has so many buildings and amazing things! We saw the library we all raised the money to build, it is huge but very empty. We found out it will cost another $10,000 to fill with books!



Kitchen





Cafeteria



The Library

The School Rooms

After a great meal of fruit, rice, beans, avocado, and tomatoes we all settled in for some group talk about God's vision on this mission.

After preparing for bed, some of us played a game of Uno with Joel and Fred's sister Sylvia. So much fun, felt like we were camping. Now in my bottom bunk surrounded by my mosquito net and my headlamp on during "lights out".

Okay hands cramped.

Church and riding Emu's tomorrow!

Handing out the soccer balls

Playing Uno

Journal Enteries

Since we didn't have access to the Internet or computers, I kept a journal. After doing this, I probably enjoyed it the most!
Over the next few weeks, I will add my journal entries, in order of when they were written. I will also add some pictures.

17th, Feb, 2011 6pm.
My favorite thing to hear as I try and curl up to sleep after 2 movies and still 6 hours of flight time left., Dennis' laugh! I love to hear him laugh, shakes my body awake with a smile.

Feb 19th 12:50am
We made it to Uganda!!!!
The first moment that this trip hit me was as soon as we landed Dennis says to me "We are in Africa". That brought tears of Joy to my eyes.
When we landed Trevor reminded us to slather on our mosquito repellent. We weren't sure at first if we really needed to. Everyone warned us of the bugs, but we were still not prepared for what we saw! We did us our deet wipes and wipe down all exposed skin before we left the plane. Good idea!!! As soon as we saw the first window outside it was covered in mosquitoes, the corners had to have over a million of them piled up! I'm not kidding!!! They were swarming around the whole airport, I'm pretty sure I ate a few. :(
We headed to the immigration center and once we got to the bottom of the stairs there was a man holding a sign that said "Eastlake". I really had wished I could have taken a picture, no photos in the airport. We all proceeded to customs and there was a huge line, he took us straight to the front of the line, wow Fred really took care of us! Once we collected all of our bags- yes they all showed up! We walked outside and Fred (owner of HCCP) was waiting for us!
After a bumpy and interesting sightseeing of nightlife, we arrived at our hotel. Very, very nice!
We ate- not everything was good, but great french fries, now time for bed!

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