Rose and Paul's Orphanage and Hope Orphanage

Today was awesome. We left the hotel this morning at 7am. We have experienced urban poverty, but haven't seen village life. We have visited well-funded orphan homes, but haven't been able to see what an orphan home is like that isn't sponsored that is in the middle of nowhere.

So.... we took them to an orphan home that belongs to Jackie's friends Rose and Paul. It was about a 45 minute drive on a horrible road where people rarely see white people. The kids were all dancing while waiting for us. Last year Jackie's group had built a bunch of gardens at this school and Rose and Paul had implemented the square foot gardening techniques that Jackie and HELP International had taught them. This home had 26 kids, and no sponsors. They can't afford the trasnportation or the costs of receiving medical care. Some of the kids are HIV positive, and it is a real struggle for them to put the children in schools. They were SOOOO esxcited ot see us. We went into their gardens and helped pick beans, fetched water with the children at the well, and played with the children. As a team, we decided we wanted to donate $585 of our project funds to this orphan home. They were SOOOO sooo grateful. I loved watching our girls be able to give so much wiht the hard earned money they raised through all the tedious fundraising we did. Such a great feeling. Money goes a long way in Uganda. It will impact this home for the entire next year. Also, the kids make handmade paper beaded necklaces. The girls decided to buy every single necklace and that was a huge support to the home. The thing that I notice everywhere I go in Uganda, that is, amidst the poverty there is always joy. You find it in Rose and Paul's home for orphans, in the slums and even in the homes for the disabled. They have something that I feel as a western culture we haven't quite figured out. I often get people saying, "That is so great that you are making a difference, serving, etc etc etc.", but the interesting thing is, I get sooooo much more from these people than I have ever given to them. The lessons learned and the priveledge of sharing time with thme is much greater than anything I have ever done for them.

We then headed to the town of Lugazi. We went to an orphan home called Hope orphan home. THis home has about 49 kids, including two albino girls that were abandoned in Northern Uganda. They were considered cursed so they were alone and shunned in the North until this home in the south took them in. It was so sad because their skin cannot handle the sun and they were burned all over . We helped them with various chores, and they fed us chapati (like a cafe rio style tortilla) and beans, which we ate with our hands. We also presented this orphan home wiht about $425.

So far, some of the things we have spent project funds for are: sponsoring a little girl we met the first day for a years worth of school, helping a little baby get medical treatment including a feeding tube at the babies home, and after today, donating a significant amount to two orphan homes. What a great use of our money. We have about $4,000 left, and it is fun to discuss what we want to do next.

We then headed to Lugazi town for a soccer match.... we were all BEAT, and weren't really ready for what was waiting for us: a team all uniformed up with a stadium full of people. We arrived late, but quickly got ready to play, and this team put up a pretty good fight. We had more people at this game than any of our high school games. TONS of people. It was really fun.

We then drove back to Kampala, packed up for our trip tomorrow for Northern Uganda. We leave at 6am, and will be going to Murchison Falls for a boat ride safari and then the next day on a game drive safari. Then we travel to Gulu, and have our three night sleepover at Laroo boarding school for formerly abducted children.

Jinja, Day 1

Woke up and had a really good breakfast, then jumped on the bus to a Primary school in Jinja. This school was pretty well funded, but still most of the 1,000 students had no shoes, and ripped uniforms. When we first got there, we assigned the girls in pairs to visit one of the seven grade levels and to watch a regular school lesson. They learned a lot. Then all 1,000 students came to the field and played with us...and it was complete chaos turned really fun. Each pair (some girls had to fend for themselves alone) manhandled around 50 little kids each, and we led htem in all sorts of silly American games and song. The younger girls got placed with the younger kids (which was by far the hardest group because they didn't speak English. I was so proud of them... they weren't quite sure what to do, but figured it out and did great. After, we played soccer with a group of about 22 P7 Girls (prob 13-15), while the rest of the student body watched (TONS OF KIDS) and gave our presentation of what we are all about, and the importance of goal setting in life, and we handed over the "every girl should have a goal" bracelets. The girls are now doing the presenting rather than me of Jackie which is SO fun to watch. We then sung to the whole student body "I love you like a mango"...a song Dani (member of the film crew) taught us on her ukulele. So fun.

Then we headed over to a secondary school called BMM Secondary. It is an all girls high school. They organized a group of girls to play us on their field, and we had a lot of fun playing...then presented them with a full set of uniforms (donated by US Passback program) and our goodbye "message" we are leaving at every school we go to. THEN.... we just let girls be girls. A HUGE group of the Ugandan girls gathered around some of our girls and they began to sing and dance, and had a circle where girls would go in the middle and "break it down". It was SO fun to watch. There were just tons of them. No matter where you go in the world, high school girls are the same. They were immediate friends.

We then went into Jinja town for lunch and a little craft shopping. We tried to teach the girls some bartering skills... they have some working to do on that. :)

After Jinja town, we headed over to Wanyange (all girls) Secondary School, which was on a big hill overlooking Lake Victoria. It was gorgeous. The field was ....well... a cow pasture with cow patties, termite hills, and a huge mound of dirt in the middle. But, that did not stop us from having a really intense game. This field was fenced off, and the rest of the student body gathered around the fences to watch us. They were SOOOO loud. Everytime anyone did a sweet move, or a good save, or fell on their faces, or made a goal...they went wild. It was SO fun. This was a higher end school, but still half the girls don't have shoes to play in. One girl cut her toe up really badly, but Mrs. Boshard came to her rescue and helped clean her up. After, we gave our "message" presentation again, handed over a set of uniforms donated by New Mexico Highlands University, and then invited ALL the girls in the student body to join us on the field. We wanted to sing/dance with them again... so the girls did:)

We then stopped by the "source of the Nile" on the way home and took a quick boat ride to where Lake Victoria ends and the White Nile begins. It was really quite beautiful. Kimmy and Hannah ended up swimming in the Nile! Then we came home and ate, had our nightly meeting, and everyone is now passed out.

Sunday at Kololo Branch

When I flew to Uganda, I flew with a missionary named Alex that was returning home from his mission to Zimbabwe. He is a double orphan (has lost both parents) so he had no one to welcome him at the airport or anything. My ride was late, and he refused to leave me there until I was safe. I made the comment about him needing to go because his parents would be anxious to see him and that is when he told me his parents were both dead. I felt so honored to be with him for that hour. He told me that there was no sadness now as I was there to greet him and welcome him home. We went to church today and it just happened to be the church that Alex was speaking at. He talked about me being at the airport and what it meant to him to have someone there for him when he arrived home after two years of serving in a very difficult mission. Come to find out, after his ride arrived they could not locate where his step-brother lived (his only living relative) and he had quite the day after we departed from the airport. He did not want me to worry about him, but nevertheless, I gave him some money to get him started. I know he was short on food and he had no home or cell phone, so getting a job is going to be tough. On a sweet note, the girls on the team also worried and cared for him throughout our trip. So, on the last day of the trip they decided to take $200 from their fundraising money and leave it with Alex. They really got the sacrifice he had made in serving the Lord for two years and wanted to pay him back. Kimmy made a "care package" for him with the money tucked inside and we tried to drop it off at the mission home on the way to the airport. No one was there so we left the money with Jackie who is staying longer and she is going to get the money to him. Church was amazing and I think it really opened every one's eyes. Jordan was asked to play the keyboard and several girls bore their testimonies along with the Ugandan members. On a funny note, the branch president announced a marriage and after that he said, "Any opposed? Speak now or be quiet until the Celestial Kingdom". We all had to stifle a laugh. After church we headed to Jinja where the source of the Nile begins from Lake Victoria. More updates later.

Uganda Update Part 3

The girls arrived on June 5th. I had 3 wonderful days alone in David's village until the girls arrived ready to go. The night they arrived we went on an impromptu visit to David's village, Birra, and were treated to a wonderful music program. The school consists of mostly orphaned kids and they gave the Goals for Girls team a welcome like none other. The next day was jam packed. We started out volunteering with the orphaned babies at Sanyu Babies home in Kampala. We happened to be there the day volunteers came to immunize. Imagine my suprise when I saw that the volunteers vests said, "Mormon Helping Hands". Wow, all the way across the globe, members of my church were doing great things. I was so proud. I was extremely moved by the way the girls handled the situation. It was a heavy load and they jumped righ in feet first. There were 2 babies in particular that were in dire straits. They were both completely malnourished and desperately needed feeding tubes. There is a wonderful women from the US named Hedda who is over there adopting herself, but she is also a volunteer social worker for Sanyu. Two of the girls approached her independantly and both gave her $100 of their own money to get feeding tubes for the two babies that were sick. We were all completely overcome with emotion. Hedda had had a very hard week and was so grateful. Of those two babies, one of them, Esther caught a special place in Kimmy's heart (one of the girls on the team). Her mom Susan was along and they talked and later asked me if they could get help to adopt Esther. Esther is one of the sick babies. Without help, Esther was most likely going to die, so Susan called up her husband and he said, "Bring her home". It was one of the most selfless things I ever witnessed. Susan is 51 and her kids are almost all raised. I was so impressed with her and learned to love her deeply while I was there. She is now in the process of adopting Esther. After Sanyu, we went and played a soccer game against disabled children in the Kampal Kids League. KKL is who we partnered with. They bring sports to disadvantaged kids, street kids, orphans and disabled children. It was so fun to watch some of these kids running on their hands as they had no legs. They were bright and fun. Like I said, the day was jam packed. We soon left KKL to go to the Salvation Army home for disabled children. We gave all of the girls pretty headbands made by Kimmy and the boys got rubber bracelets. The home was very humble and it was a sombering experience. We then went onto Katanga Slum. There is a soccer field (if you want to call it that) that we met with a KKL girls team and taught a short soccer clinic, followed by a game. The field was dirt, completely bumpy, bushes randomly growing in it, followed by an occasional cow crossing during the game. This was a huge highlight as the field was situated lower than the slum and whenever there was a good play the people up above in the slum would cheer. We gave everyone Calle shirts and took lots of pictures and film. Calle is a street soccer brand and they donated tons of balls and shirts. In return we were to get footage of the girls and African girls wearing their brand in a street soccer setting. The pictures turned out beautifully. It was a jam packed day. What impressed me the most, was the fact that we could drage these girls all over to extremely emotional situations and they were always ready and willing to jump right in feet first.

Update Date 2

Dear Friends, What to I say. Already I feel like I have grown more in 2 days than I have in a lifetime. I have had a different experience so far as I have been staying in village experiencing life with them. I have been eating delicious food cooked from a fire, had no shower, and used a "long drop". Today I spent the day at a primary school and all 300 children are orphans.
They sang and danced more beautifully than I've ever heard. At the end, they pulled us and the villagers up and we danced to the drums. It was like a high. Feeling the beat (although I couldn't keep it) and losing yourself to the dance. I was also presented with several double orphans who are available for adoption. I am trying to help David find families for them in the US. So, I have video and pictures and can now share. It was a heavy, heavy moment. I had a grandmother who is caring for her grandson ask me to take him. This is heavy. It's very emotional. We were invited by a sweet student named Patrick Magonga to go to visit his home and meet his family. We trounced through the jungle avoiding the stinging ants and wer welcomed into his home. I've spent many hours in deep conversation with several teenage boys who are orphaned. I felt so privileged to have them open up to me and share their stories. One of them has adopted me as his mother and when I left him for the last time tonight we embraced and he wouldn't let go. He was very emotional. I will send pictures of all of this or put in on blog soon. I am honored to be here serving. Thank you to the people who donated money. I want you to know that today there were 2 children who were not in uniform, that is an indication that they were to poor for school. I found out later that they are the sports teachers children. I was able to put together my money and the donations to pay for the 2 girls school fees for the year. They will start Monday. At first I told the father that I could only afford to pay for one. I was so sad to tell him that, then I remembered the donations and it hit me like a ton of bricks, give the donation money to pay for the other girl. The father had asked me to go home and see if someone would sponsor his other daughter, and now, both are cared for. There are plenty of others if any of you would ever like to sponsor someone. This is real, I have seen them. The fees are $150 for one year. Just a thought. I feel so privileged to be here with David and his foundation. He is a member of the church and is an amazing Christian man. The love for his people is so evident. I hate to make blank statements, but please keep these people in your prayers. They are precious.....................Thank you from the bottom of my heart to those who are helping with my family. I really feel like I am making a difference and I couldn't do that without you. Love to all!

Uganda Part 1

Hey There, I made it safely. I am in Bira which is about 45 minutes outside of Kampala. I got here this morning and on my plane was the Ugandan National Soccer Team, as well as two Ugandan Elders returning from missions in Zimbabwe. Today I did something I said I would never do, that is, ride on a Boda Boda(motorcycle). They are super dangerous. I didn't have a choice as I had to change money and that is the mode of transport that David had for me. I was really scared, especially in Kampala when we were in the middle of 5 o'clock traffic. There were hundreds of cars and buses and bikes and people and we were zooming by them within inches. I won't be doing that anytime soon. On a funny note, the driver asked me out and I had to inform him that I am married. It is wierd to be back here again. It doesn't make sense unless you have experienced it, but you almost feel like a celebrity. People either stare at you like you are an alien, or children run at you, touch you and yell Mzungu (white person). You feel like you are loved for doing nothing at all. It's a great feeling. I joined some boys playing soccer today. I've never played in flip flops with a ball rolled up with plastic bags. I scored two goals, but I think they were going easy on me, you think? I met a sweet girl today whose mother died 3 days ago. Her father passed 3 months ago and so she is now double orphan. She came to live her from Kenya 2 days ago and she was shell shocked to say the least. She only speaks swahili, so she was very confused. She wouldn't speak and didn't even perk up when I took her picture and showed her. Her eyes were glazed and she looked as if she was going to cry. So sad. I will post her picture soon. I visited with a lady today who had a beautifuy baby and the minute I picked her up, she peed on me. I will post that picture too. Conditions are pretty primitive, but I can handle roaches. I've got my net all tucked in. I lifted up my mattress and there were a few bugs. All our food is cooked over charcoal (wood) and is is really good. The people are lovely as usual.

Touchdown

Well, I am finally here. After a 40 something hour journey. I went to london and navigated the tube and found my way into the city. Went to Westminster Abbey and that was quite the experience. I was completely exhausted and ready to get back on the plane. Arrived at airport and met up with 2 missionaries who were just returning from Zimbabwe. I felt really good as one of the missionaries is a double orphan and he had no one to greet him. They waited for their ride and we formed a quick friendship. He said that he was no longer sad as I was his mother. I gushed all over him and told him his parents were proud. I will see him on Sunday when we go to the Kolo branch. Arrived in David's village. Staying at his compound. Accomodations are primitive, but nice for Uganda. I helped mix concrete..........i'll post pictures later.......too hard to describe. David's great Aunt died and today we are going to her burial. Should be an interesting experience. Thanks for all your support.