Suzy's African Adventure

Another Perspective

2010-02-03T16:50:00.000-08:00

My friend Jason Carson has been updating his blog (The Proud Suburbanite) with stories and photos and pictures of his trip. I think his blog is very interesting and touching. For anyone who wants to learn more about Nsambya Babies home, his stories and photos provide lots of information.

Embassy and Onto Gulu Day 2

2010-01-30T07:02:00.000-08:00

After a long day on Monday, Shawn and Joseph retired to their room. Suzanne graciously let me bunk up with her in her "suite" (ha, ha). We both ended up not being able to sleep and talking for much of the night. Shawn, Joseph and I headed to the US embassy very early and as luck would have it, we were number one in line to meet with the consular. Our intentions were to get Joseph a visa so that he could come and visit, meet the family and in general see how he liked life in our family and the US. From there, we would then make decisions based off the visit. The consular called our small group up, Joseph, Mama Dorothy (the women Joseph lives with), Susan (the women who helped me get Joseph's passport) and Shawn and I. The consular, Sahara immediately asked us to leave. I was severely disappointed as I had been told by Susan that we should be with Joseph when he applied otherwise his chances would be slim on receiving a visa. To our dismay, he walked out of the office 10 minutes later with no visa. I protested to a clerk, then another one and she would not let me in to find out why they denied him. The paper he received said, "No strong ties", meaning he didn't have anything in Uganda that would prove he would come back. "Help, wait, please"! I wanted to shout. "I promise I'll bring him back, I'm an honest girl"! I had to face the fact that he was denied. As we walked out outside I turned to Joseph and asked how he was feeling and he replied, "It's in God's hands, I still have hope". What, come on Joseph! I'm madder than h@$ll! How can you have hope? I learned a big lesson from him that day and continue to think about it now that I'm home. I have since talked to the consular on the phone and understand pretty clearly why they said no, but it doesn't mean that it doesn't hurt.

After the embassy we headed back to the Red Chili to pick up the rest of the group and took off for the long ride to Gulu. Our van had seats that faced each other so we had lots of fun goofing off and doing stupid things to entertain ourselves. We had a nice big sunroof and several times stood on the seats with our bodies popping out of the top of the van so that we could get photos and enjoy the scenery. The van had very dark tinted windows so it was hard to see out of them which was kind of a bummer when you are trying to soak in every scene. We did make a stop at the Nile River for a photo op, see the funny man in the fur hat!

We arrived in Gulu around 4PM and didn't wait 2 minutes to start working, that is why we were there right? We drove to small village where a group of child mother's were waiting for us. They greeted us with clapping and a traditional high pitched yell. Their enthusiasm was contagious. We inspected and purchased their beads until dark finally forced us back to the hotel. Oh, did I say hotel? I think I misspoke when I told the group that we would be staying in one of the nicest hotels in Gulu, the Boma. To me, it was quite nice, but to the group that was misleading. Suzanne faced the week in a room that was tomb-like sleeping with roaches the size of her hand! Shawn and I lucked out, our room actually had functioning air conditioning and was quite nice. The group was quite jealous when we woke up in the morning and I said our room got cold! I think for Joseph this was certainly a first. He had never felt air conditioning and Uganda never gets cold! One of my favorite parts about the trip was tucking in Joseph at night. Although he is almost 15, I would say he is more like a 12 year old and really craved that mommy attention. He was such a joy to have with us throughout the week. The whole group quickly became attached to him and as we dragged him around from IDP camp to IDP camp throughout the week even he saw the contrast in poverty between the north and the south. Some things the group quickly learned: Dinner takes about 3 hours start to finish, when you order, it is likely that the food you want is "finished", and then the next item on the menu, and the next. There is never going to be syrup in the morning, even though someone was sent to the market on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday.............Electricity is never a guarantee. You are camping, even though you are in the nicest hotel in Gulu. Suzy does not like lizards! Joseph has never flossed.

More to come.....................

Day One-ish

2010-01-27T06:51:00.000-08:00

Suzy and Patrick

We arrived in Uganda on Sunday night,late. We traveled for about 30 hours and were greeted by our driver Kiganda at the Entebbe airport. The teams first experience with extreme poverty took only minutes to manifest. As we were at a stoplight a small girl holding her baby sister approached the van and stuck her hand in the window asking for food. I handed her my peanut butter crackers and Jason, who was eating a sandwich handed his over, half eaten. The kids eagerly ate on the side of the rode as we drove away into the night. They were so quiet that Shawn missed the whole experience sitting up in the front.

We arrived at the Red Chili Hostel around mid-night. I had booked 3 rooms well in advance. Upon arrival only two rooms were available. It's one of the only times the "team" saw my ugly side. We were so tired and had no where to sleep. Maybe a little like Mary and Joseph, there was no room at the inn! The manager finally figured out a solution. He said that we could sleep in the dorm. Yippee! I had slept if the dorm before! It had 24 beds and I figured that we were going to get the whole place to our self. Wrong! We walk into the dorm only to find that almost all 24 beds were occupied! We couldn't turn on the lights and had to navigate through our bags to find our belongings and work our way to the top bunks without getting tangled in the mosquito net. Throughout the night loud music played, followed by a 5AM call to prayer by a local mosque. Needless to say, it was the night from hell. Although, the prospect of the famous Red Chili Pancakes pulled my out of my rut early in the morning.

Our first real day in Uganda I didn't wait long to introduce the group to the reality of orphans. We visited Nsambya Babies Home (you'll see a post about them in 2008 earlier in this blog). Remember Patrick, my baby? Sadly, he was still there, no one had adopted or fostered him. He was still as wild and crazy as ever. Nsambya hasn't changed a bit. The children still bit, hit and fought each other to get a bit of your attention. As always, there were no diapers, the babies just peed wherever and then if lucky, had their clothing changed. We witness one baby standing in the grass with diarrhea pouring down his leg. Within minutes, the others were walking in it and playing in the same area. The sadness was impenetrable. The groups opinion was such that they never wanted to see that place again.

After Nsambya we ventured to a wonderful orphan school called St. Mary's Kevin. Were were treated with some wonderful music and a tour of a typical school and orphan home.

In the evening we had a reunion or sorts. Although everyone who came were friends of mine, it didn't take long for the group to see why I cared about each of the visitors. Alex Magero (June trip) the missionary I met last spring came and we were able to deliver his school fees to him so that he can attend High School. That night was also that night that Shawn met our son Joseph. When he saw us he literally knocked us over he hugged us so tightly. More to come about Joseph later, but let's just say that Shawn was as smitten with him as I was.

We were so tired that I put an end to the party quickly. We were all so jet-lagged and needed to get to sleep so we'd be ready to go to Gulu the next day.

Coping

2010-01-27T06:39:00.000-08:00

In some ways, returning home feels like what I imagine PTSD feels like. There are so many things flashing through my mind. In many ways, I want to hide away in my room until all of the racing thoughts go away. But will they ever go away? How does your mind forget a starving child with sores covered by flies? Or children so wild they seem like ferrell children raising themselves in a pack? Or Joseph, saying good-bye to him leaving him in a home where he is being mis-treated. Although my previous trips have taught me one thing, that is, amidst all of the suffering there is joy and a deep reliance on God, this time, that wasn't always evident. How does one find joy amidst such devastation? If they can see the joy, why couldn't I? As I am finally home I'm dealing with so much more emotion than I have dealt with in past experiences. This time, I had my best friend/husband with me. It was so awesome to have him there with me. Now Africa is not "my thing" it's "our thing". I am happy to be home, but I always feel like a piece of me is still in Africa, this time even more so as we had to leave Joseph behind.

We're Off To Uganda

2010-01-14T11:38:00.000-08:00

I am so happy to say that we are off to Uganda! This time, APF's full board of director's will be going. We will be purchasing and bringing home about 1000 pieces of jewelry! We are also meeting with World Vision and some other local NGO's in Gulu hoping to get our sponsorship program running. For those who don't know, APF buys necklaces from impoverished women in Uganda,many are widows and/or HIV+. By giving the women income they help lift themselves out of poverty through their own handiwork. We then sell the jewelry in the US and all profits will go back into supporting orphans in Northern Uganda. My husband Shawn will be coming with me for the first time and we will be going to the US Embassy to get our "son" Joseph a visitor visa. We hope to update the blog while there, so feel free to follow us and drop and encouraging word!

Bright Blue and White Varigated Medium Length $15.00

2009-12-08T11:41:00.001-08:00

This size necklace makes a great lanyard! Attach your ID tag for work and you are set!

# 8 Short Fat Yellow/Black with Fat Bracelet

2009-12-07T22:34:00.000-08:00

The yellow isn't quite so bright in person! $15.00 necklace $10.00 bracelet

#7 Earthy Fat Long Necklace $20.00 SOLD

2009-12-07T22:32:00.000-08:00

A super cool earthy looking long necklace!

#6 and #9 Super Long, Fat Mixed Beads $25.00

2009-12-07T22:28:00.000-08:00

These two are super unique! They are very long 24 inches and way cool! Definately and attention getter!

#5 Short Fat Necklace, Short Fat Bracelet

2009-12-07T22:27:00.001-08:00

Necklace $15.00 Bracelet $10.00

#5 Short Fat Necklace, Short Fat Bracelet

2009-12-07T22:27:00.000-08:00

Necklace $15.00 Bracelet $10.00

#4 Fat Bracelets! $10.00

2009-12-07T22:25:00.001-08:00

We have lots and lots of these! Many colors to choose from!

Fat Bracelets! $10.00

2009-12-07T22:25:00.000-08:00

We have lots and lots of these! Many colors to choose from!

#3 Short Fat Necklace, Short Fat Bracelet

2009-12-07T22:23:00.000-08:00

Items can be purchased alone, or if you want, many have matching items. This necklace sells for $15.00 and the bracelet sells for $10.00. The color of this item is a light creamy color with hints of black.

#2 Long Multicolored

2009-12-07T22:21:00.000-08:00

Each necklace is completely unique, but has the same general color scheme. The longs can be double or tripled. (Adri, this is the one I originally sent to you via e-mail)

New Beads Are Here! #1 Long Multicolored

2009-12-07T22:17:00.001-08:00

APF is pleased to announce the arrival of our latest bead order. Each bead is hand-crafted from recycled paper by HIV+ women in Uganda. Each piece comes with a tag explaining how the beads were made, where they came from and who they are supporting! Please take a peak and e-mail or call me as soon as you know what you want!(Adri, this is the one I had in mind for you)

Where We Are

2009-11-21T16:25:00.000-08:00

Well, it's been a long time since I've updated the blog. Why? Well, remember I said I was moving full steam ahead? I've been so busy forming APF that I haven't had a lot of time to update the blog. I have been so blessed to come up with our initial board of directors. African Promise Foundation is now rolling! A little background on what we are doing................APF will work with women in Northern Uganda who make beautiful necklaces out of paper. Each bead is hand rolled and when looking at them you would never guess it was made from paper! By creating jobs that help lift women out of poverty, we estimate that between 20-30 people are affected. How? Women tend to care for those around them. That means if one women is financially stable she will spread her income around to those she loves. Maybe it's her brothers orphaned children, her father, her sister and her family. We have a unique opportunity to possibly work with an organization called Paper to Pearls (papertopearls.org). Barbara Moller, their founder had the same vision I had only 4 years earlier. We are hoping to begin working with her as she already has 3 cooperatives of women making beads for her organization. One of the co-ops is made up of a group of formerly abducted child mothers. After beads are brought to the US, APF will sell the beads at a higher cost. Profits will then be spent on orphan care and other worthy projects in the same women's communities. We are so excited about our new relationship with Paper to Pearls. Barbara will be flying out to Seattle next month to meet with us. Other exciting news! We were able to sell our jewelry at Sassy Mei Boutique two weekends in October and November. I am happy to say that we almost sold out! We generated $1600 dollars. We are now working on getting more product for Christmas. The most exciting news is our upcoming trip to Uganda. In January, our board will travel to Uganda with Paper to Pearls founder Barbara Moller. There we will establish our work and set up operations. We are hoping to bring home 2000 pieces of jewelry. When we return home we will start our web store, begin doing home parties, boutique and craft shows as well as seek retail outlets to sell at. We really believe that we are different from other charities because we are not completely dependant on donations. We generate income just like a business does and more exciting, we create jobs for impoverished women. Don't get me wrong, we gladly accept donations, but we don't fully rely on them which sets us apart. I have also been working hard on getting jewelry here by December 1st. We won't have a lot, but I'm hoping to have 200 pieces, much of which will be bracelets. We will be getting quite a variety including chunky beads which is new to APF. I'll post a picture of the anticipated items. We are seeking volunteers! Do you want to help? Please contact us at suzy@africanpromisefoundation.org, or leave a comment. We'd love to hear from you. Stay tuned to this blog as it transforms into APF's official blog with a new look!

Acholi Beads for Sale!

2009-09-04T14:54:00.000-07:00

Help support HIV+ women and orphans in Uganda!

Here I Go!

2009-09-04T14:38:00.001-07:00

It's been awhile. I'v had time to think, to process and to mourn. I've now arrived at the next phase of my African Adventure. When I set out on this journey I thought that I was "serving" people, trying to help others who needed my help. What I've found though, is that although I do make a difference in others lives, it is my life who has changed more then theirs. When I go to the store and see shelves lined with food, I remember the people in Keyo IDP camp bare boned and hungry. When I tuck my kids in at night, I think of Joseph, no mom or dad to hug and kiss him while he is wrapped snugly in bed. When I send my kids to school, I think of Alex, 21 years old, double orphaned, trying to round up school fees to finish High School. My world has changed. From these experiences I've drawn the courage to start African Promise Foundation. I'm laying the ground work and moving full steam ahead. A good friend will be filing the 501c3 non-profit paper work. I'm hoping to have a BYU business team help me with a business plan. I'm looking for committed board members. Are you interested? I also need a Treasurer/Secretary with money management experience. Many people have mentioned to me that I am one of the busiest people they know. Yes, I am busy, but who's not! My youngest is headed to school this year. Thehouse may never be as clean as it could and the yard a tidy, but while the kids are in school I'll spend much of my time working on African Promise. We will be focusing on child sponsorship and women's business development. I just can't forget it guys. Now that I've seen, I must do!
africanpromisefoundation.org

My African Promise: For Tiger

2009-07-15T15:54:00.000-07:00

It has taken me a long time to post about much of my trip. It has been very difficult to talk about some of the things I've seen because of the weight it has left around my neck. I will continue to post about Africa, but as this is the last official post about my June trip I am ready to talk about Tiger. Tiger is an old man who lives in Keyo IDP camp. After seeing a large group of Americans in the camp, he descended upon us quite forcefully. He began to speak to us in a very angry voice. He said, "You must go back and tell America, tell Obama about my people. I am angry, very angry. Why has the world not seen the suffering of my people, we have suffered for so long!" This continued for some time and all of us watched this beautiful man as he poured his heart out to us. I had no answers for him. So, with tears streaming down my face I promised Tiger that I would tell the people. I promised that I would not forget him. I cannot and will not. I now set out on the next phase of my African journey. I'm not sure where that is leading to. In some ways I feel ready to start a non-profit focusing my energy and attention on needs I saw while there. In other ways I'm too scared to do it. I don't have a clue how to run a business! Either way, I won't forget and I will keep my promise. So, to those I actually converse with. I'm sorry for the amount of time you have to listen to me talk about Africa, but now you know why. I made a promise, one that I intend to keep. If you want to make that promise too, the door is open.

A Tribute To My Son

2009-07-15T15:35:00.001-07:00

While in Uganda I was adopted by several wonderful kids. One of them is Joseph. Joseph is a double orphan, both of his parents died when he was young. He is now about 14. The first day I was in Uganda I visited an orphan boarding school. A group of kids were playing soccer with a ball made out of grocery sacks. I asked if I could play and I ended up on Joseph's team. We had this great connection and made some great combination plays. I continued to spend time with him during my stay before the team arrived. It has been hard to even write about this because I'm not sure if anyone can understand how deeply the connection became during my 3 week trip. Leaving him is one of the hardest things I have ever done. On my last day he came to visit me at the hostel with another sweet boy. I told them I would pay for their ride if they could get there. I had a big suprise for Joseph. Joseph loves soccer and his dream was to play on a team. I had arranged for him to be on a Kampala Kids League team and one of their staff was there to meet Joseph and offer him a spot. Joseph was elated and I had my video camera catching it all on tape. The KKL coach asked Joseph if he had cleats and he said no. I was so happy to tell Joseph, on the spot that I had a pair waiting for him in the room. Joseph was so thrilled, but shortly after shared the concern that he would have no transport to get to the practices on Saturdays and Sundays. I had forgotten about that problem during the excitement of planning the suprise. All I had left was $30 USD so I gave that to him to get started. I call Joseph every Sunday morning to ask him how his practices went. Now, he has run out of money and has not been able to go. It breaks my heart when I talk to him to think that for $4.00 a weekend this boy could realize his dream. I am working on getting money to him now and I've pledged to pay for his transport to soccer from now on. I was very sad when I got home and still have difficulty talking about him without getting emotional. He wrote a special letter to Shawn asking him to be his father. Although I don't think Shawn is ready for a commitment like that, he suggested that we get him over here for a long visit. We are now working on that. I miss all of those boys. My motherly heart aches for them. I became attached quickly and deeply and it's hard for me to explain. At times I've felt the weight of the world on my shoulders. I have several kids that I am now supporting, and several others that I've been finding sponsors for. Sometimes I just feel like things are so heavy. That's when I've really felt support from people around me. I've told God that I can't do this alone and he continues to send others to help me bless the lives of the children I met. I don't know what will happen with Joseph, but he has changed my life forever and I love him deeply.

The Team in Our Africa Dresses

2009-07-15T15:33:00.000-07:00

Baby Legs and Calle Shirts

2009-07-15T15:31:00.000-07:00

I haven't mentioned much soccer, but we did play a lot of games and hosted several clinics. We gave out Baby Legs and Calle shirts as prizes and they were a hit!

Keyo IDP Camp: I thought I'd seen it all.......

2009-07-15T15:10:00.001-07:00

While in Gulu we took a large amount of supplies including health and education kits that we assembled to Keyo IDP (Internally Displaced People). Why are these people there? Years ago the government forced the people in northern Uganda to move into these government protected camps. They gave them 48 hours to get things together and promised them protection. It did not work. People were not protected and children were concentrated in one area where the rebels soon began to abduct children from the camps. Children would walk miles and miles alone at night, unaccompanied to larger towns where they would sleep under the verandas of police stations and hospitals because they were more safe in the towns. They would then walk back in the morning and go to school, if they were lucky. Now, the war is over and the people have lived in the camps for so long that they have no where to return to. Squatters have moved onto family lands and while the government claims it is trying to resettle the people, it is happening slowly, too slowly. We were greeted by the camp leaders and were taken on a tour of the camp. I have seen these camps and even visited one last year, but I have never walked through the deep parts and seen the suffering the way I did in Keyo. We came across a very old women, blind from cataracs crawling on all fours in her soiled dress. She had no bed, no running water, no toilet, no chair. Instead, she was alone crawling on the ground. We were so stunned by her suffering and one of the sweet girls in the group immediately lowered herself to the ground and tried to let her know she was there. I also came across as sweet mother whose little baby has a massive growth on his head about the size of a baseball. She was taking to me and mid-sentence the baby picked up her breast and began to nurse. I have never seen so many dried out breasts in my life! Their couldn't have been much milk for any of the children as their mothers were hardly eating themselves. That was heartbreak. After our walk through the camp the whole village gathered together and we made a presentation of the goods. We left everything in a pile on the ground for the elders to sort through. There is a good chance that fights broke out as the air was tense when we left. We quietly left on our bus before anything happened. The people need so much and if you don't have enough for everyone you can actually do more harm then good. I did not see joy in the IDP camp. Everywhere else, amidst the poverty you could still feel the joy, not here. As I am back now, 4 weeks home I am slowly adjusting back to life at home. How do you forget though? At times I feel myself slipping back into my old life. I don't want that life. I can't forget.

Market in Gulu

2009-07-15T15:05:00.000-07:00

Church in Gulu

2009-07-15T14:58:00.000-07:00

Gulu has missionaries for the very first time. We had such a great experience visiting the branch. There are only a few members and we had two women in Relief Society besides us. After church, a herd of cattle passed through the area! I was able to deliver 10 dresses good friend of mine made to the missionaries. I left them with them to distribute so we didn't cause problems by not having enough.

Roaches and Stinging Ants

2009-07-15T14:51:00.000-07:00

Laroo's toilets were considered to be quite nice. The only problem was, that at night 2-3 inches roaches covered the facility. The night we slept there, Chanel and I went to use the bathroom before bed, but we just couldn't do it. No one was around and it was late, so we decided to squat on the grass. Just then, a lady walks around the corner, "What, what is this"? I reply, (while still peeing)"We could not use the bathroom, there are great stinging ants everywhere!" Shocked she says, "Oh no, I must get the torch!" We follow her, (after we wipe) and she leads us back to the bathroom.........she starts laughing at us! "These are not ants! They are safe". ME "Oh, I am so glad, I thought they would sting us!" HA, HA!

Where did I come up with that? I have no idea, I just felt so stupid because people there don't think roaches are a big deal.

Night Visitor

2009-07-15T14:40:00.000-07:00

The first night we stayed at Laroo, the girls from Laroo opened up and told their stories to many of the girls. We had just finished talking about these difficult things with the girls and started out for the long night ahead. We slept with just our group in a dormitory. We failed to notice that the other students kept their windows shut at night, mistake number one. When I'm in a foreign country I always sleep with a mask on my eyes and some heavy duty earplugs. It was also so hot that I was sleeping in my t-shirt and underwear, not expecting anyone to figure that out, so I thought. At about 4:00 in the morning I hear a ruckus going in the dorm. Although I had earplugs, I hadn't slept well as a neighboring village had some kind of major party going on all night. So, I fumble out of my net and emerge in my t-shirt and underwear, mask still on and earplugs still in. SUZY (annoyed voice) "What is going on, it's 4:00 in the morning! People are trying to sleep! Get the lights off"! With that, I reluctantly take the mask off fully and realize that everyone is up. What on earth! Then, one of the girls goes onto explain that in the middle of the night, someone climbed in through the window and tried to climb into bed with two different people. I thought I had heard a scream, but had attributed it to the party outside. In actuality, it was Kendal. The girl fled the scene after Kendal screamed. We don't' know who this person was or why she was in our room. But, after the stories the girls had listened to the night before, many were very scared and didn't want to stay. Unfortunately, early in the morning, someone told a group of Laroo students what had happened and by the time we were up for the day the whole school new. We would have preferred to keep it quiet and just talk to the headmaster because of the storm in created. Everyone in the school was convinced it was a demon and stories were flowing throughout the whole facility of the demon that came into our room. It was an unfortunate event and we decided to make the girls feel safer that we would stay in a hotel for the rest of the time at Laroo.

Forgiveness Restores Peace?

2009-07-15T14:14:00.000-07:00

Forgiveness restores peace. At least that is the hope in Northern Uganda. While Joseph Kony still holds children in the DRC, Gulu and all of N. Uganda is trying to move on. All around you, positive signs of change are making themselves known. Could Kony come back? That is what many of the children at Laroo fear. On our first night our girls divided into groups with the Laroo girls. That night, many of the girls opened up in their small groups and shared their stories. In my group I met a sweet sixteen year old named grace. She is 16 years old and was born into the bush to a mother who was a soldier. She stayed there for 12 years so she had only been free for 4 years of her life. As she told her story, she was very quiet, almost a whisper. I have read so much and seen so much in videos, but hearing her speak of her life in the bush, forced to kill was something I wasn't prepared for. I also met a little girl named Cindrela age 7 who the girls told me was also born in the bush. Seven, that is the age of my own child. Now these kids are living in a boarding school, most are orphaned and they are trying to heal after their traumatic starts in life. I have to admit, there were several times that I looked into the eyes of some of these large 20 year old men living in a primary boarding school and wondered what they had done to others as a result of the war. Hearing first hand from Grace how the rebels came in the night, burned her home and killed her parents made me wonder how this could have happened for 21 years and I never heard about it. What kind of world are we living in where this can happen to children yet we go about our daily lives as if this horror isn't taking place. There were visible scars on the children's bodies, but what about their heart, their minds. Will forgiveness restore peace? If the name of Kony is spoken, the children all believe that he can hear them. They have been so brainwashed and traumatised, will they ever be normal. Yet, amidst the sadness, I still saw joy. Although subdued compared to the kids in the south, many still have a positive outlook! What lessons I learned. We stayed at Laroo for several days and slept their for one night. I am changed forever by this experience.

Note: Photos above, Grace is in the yellow shirt, John, the boy I am kissing is missing a leg, boy in white has burns on face, little girl in blue was also burned.

Day One at Laroo Primary School for War Affected Children: Assembly Day

2009-07-15T14:04:00.000-07:00

Laroo Primary school is a k-7 school that is specifically for kids affected by the war. Built by the Kingdom of Belgium, most of the kids range from ages 7-20 and the majority are formerly abducted kids that at one time were child soldiers. The ages vary because when the kids were living in the bush they missed school for the years they were in captivity. As part of Goals for Girls, we developed an assembly that related to goals in life, not just on the field. We called these SMART goals. Each letter stands for something: S is for specific, M is for measurable etc, etc. Anyway, our first day there we held the assembly for the kids in the school. We were under the impression that the assembly would just be for girls, but then all of the sudden the boys were there too. Some things just get lost in communication and we were happy to have them join in. We sang Lean on Me during the assembly and singing the words while thinking about what the kids had lived through was very moving. We gave a t-shirt to every kid in the school and they were thrilled.

Murchison Falls Game Park

2009-07-15T13:52:00.000-07:00

Murchison Falls is the most narrow spot in the Nile River. The result is a super powerful fall that you can view by boat. We took a cruise up the Nile River and then the next morning ventured out on a Game Drive. We hired a ranger who packed his gun with him. We didn't see any lions, but saw everything else. I had issues with the bats at night that flew all around my door. At one point I closed my eyes and ran all the while making a little noise. A few people stepped out of their rooms as I passed by their doors and asked if I was o.k. A little embarrassing. I know, I know, just like snakes, "They aren't going to hurt you"! And yes, they have echo location!!! I'm still scared!!!

Rose and Paul's Orphanage and Hope Orphanage

2009-06-21T07:00:00.000-07:00

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

2009-06-21T06:45:00.000-07:00

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

2009-06-21T06:32:00.000-07:00

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

2009-06-21T05:56:00.000-07:00

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

2009-06-03T10:47:00.000-07:00

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

2009-06-02T11:13:00.000-07:00

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

2009-06-02T04:36:00.000-07:00

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.

Feelings

2009-05-25T21:16:00.001-07:00

I leave in less than a week for my second trip to Africa. Last year I came back with a vision to take a US girls soccer team to Uganda and do soccer clinics for the poorest children in Uganda. I met a wonderful person, not by chance, and she had a soccer team she thought would want to go. We then put together this daunting experience for 16 American girls. We are the first team ever to go to Uganda. At times, the planning has been like a full time job. At times, I've wanted to quit. I didn't get paid to do this. Yet, I know things will work out. Uganda is about the unknown. You can't expect anything to happen on your "American" timeline. I have anxiety about leaving Shawn and the kids for so long. How is he going to do it all? I'm trying to put it all aside and let God take care of it. I am going to be different when I come home. I'll probably go through a period of time where I have sleep issues (like I did last time). I'm a visual person and I couldn't get the images out of my head. I'd tuck my kids in at night and think about the millions of kids who didn't have a mom or dad to do that simple task. Anyway, bare with me........if I talk about Africa constantly, I can't help it. Really. Follow my journey here and at goalsforgirls.blogspot.com. I'll try to update it as often as possible. Either one or the other, or if I'm lucky, both!

The Rescue of Joseph Kony's Child Soldiers

2009-04-16T11:11:00.001-07:00

Think about this for a minute. As our days and lives go on in normal fashion, there are thousands of abducted children living under the direction of a madman, Joseph Kony. Who is Kony? He is the leader of the Lord's Resistance Army, or the LRA, a rebel group once wreaking havoc on Northern Uganda. The war in Uganda has ceased, but Kony, after fleeing like a coward still has thousands of children hiding in the bush being forced to kill and terrorize people wherever they go. Are they rebels? No, they are children, brainwashed and turned into killers. As we go about our normal routines, let's stop and think about them, better yet, let's do something. On April 25th, Invisible Children will be hosting an event across the globe in 100 cities. One of them happens to be in Seattle. It is called The Rescue of Joseph Kony's Child Soldiers. The point is to make people who have power, authority and fame take notice. It's sad to say, but atrocities of this nature get noticed, through media and moguls, not the little guys like me. But, with all of us little guys gathered at this event, the media and moguls will come to "rescue us" and in turn will rescue the thousands of children held captive by making them a priority. Will you join me? What if you were the unfortunate one and your child was abducted. Put yourself in the mother's shoes whose child was ripped from her arms and led into the bush. This is real people! I have been there and loved these children. Please help me rescue them!

Great News!

2009-02-14T17:17:00.001-08:00

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I am sooooo excited to get back to Uganda. As it gets closer and I start to work on the trip a little more I can barely contain myself. Something super cool......US Soccer has agreed to partner with us (Goals for Girls) and is allowing us to use their logo on all of our brochures. In essence they will be a sponsor and we should know by next week how much equipment they will be donating for us to take to Uganda.

Random Memories From 2008

2009-01-17T14:06:00.000-08:00

2009-01-04T21:50:00.000-08:00

Make an on-line slideshow at www.OneTrueMedia.com

Friends From Mitsiko Children's Choir

2008-12-23T21:30:00.000-08:00

Last night we were blessed to mingle with some new friends from Uganda. It was so fun for the kids and Shawn to get to meet people like the ones I have fallen in love with in Uganda.

Random Pictures of My Beautiful Friends

2008-12-18T17:49:00.000-08:00

I sometimes ache physically when I think about Africa. I am so anxious to get back in June that I feel like a child anticipating Christmas morning everyday. Ever since I have been home I have had trouble sleeping. It's been hard to stop replaying the images I saw. I think the memories help me stay focused and motivated to do something more. I need Africa more than Africa needs me!

A Must See Video

2008-12-14T09:45:00.001-08:00

The Longing Is Painful

2008-11-06T20:57:00.000-08:00

I don't know how to describe it. But, in a rudimentary way, I'll try. There isn't a day that I don't think about the children I met in Uganda. Sometimes, I can close my eyes and smell the dirt, feel the humidity, hear the giggles, and feel the children touching my skin. I know it's hard for others to understand.........but, I could really live there. What a better way to live my life then serving God's most vulnerable people. It' not realistic, I know..............but by doing the things I'm trying to do with work in Uganda, I at least hope that I can have an impact. On a happy note, I have had a few friends who have recently been successful in adoption in Uganda. I've also enjoyed following a blog about the Penner family who brought home two children. One step at a time..............we can all change the direction of the world.

Uganda Or Bust! It's Official

2008-10-14T20:43:00.000-07:00

Yipee, It's official. Through something I consider divine intervention I met a gal named Jackie Skinner. We got to talking about soccer and I told her of my dream to go back to Uganda with a girls soccer team and she said, that's my dream and I think I have a team. It's now official! Timpview High School girls soccer team from Provo, Utah will be making the first journey as an American girls soccer team to Uganda in the history of time. (That is, of course, as far as we know. So Jackie and I teamed up and we're making it happen. The trip is in June of 2009 and it's a lot of work, but boy, am I ever excited! Here is a photo at our introductory meeting back in Utah. Suzy, Left, Jackie, Middle, Jenny, Right. Jenny is our fundraising gal and she thought of an inspirational phrase and made t-shirts out of them. That is what we are all wearing. They say on the front, "If no 1 can make a difference.................. and the back says.......................then I am no 1"
Think about it......it's a beautiful concept. That's really exactly how I feel about all of this!

Memories of a Special Boy

2008-08-10T21:09:00.000-07:00

Although my trip to Uganda was five months ago, the images that fill my mind are still so vivid. This is one face that stays in my mind. Patrick. A little boy orphan who lives in the Nsambya Babies Home. I saw so much potential in this boy, yet, in reality he has no chance at a good life. I wake up every morning and feed my kids a good breakfast, scurry them off to school and then meet them in the afternoon, usually with some kind of homebaked goody, fix them a hot homecooked dinner, read to them, snuggle them and kiss them goodnight I can't help to think of the injustice of it all. This boy is just as loved by my Father in Heaven as my own boys. Why then, is he so unlucky? I don't know. It's a question I haven't been able to find the answer to yet. Maybe I never will. But what am I left with? A hole in my heart longing for this boy to be my own. What is he left with? Well, nothing really. Hope that he'll be fed tomorrow, fear, abandonment, deprivation, anger, hunger.. I love you Patrick.............................if you could be mine I would make it happen. Until then, all I can do is pray for you that you will find some peace in your life.

Angela and Her Cousins in Their New Clothes

2008-06-22T21:19:00.001-07:00

Good News!

2008-06-22T21:19:00.000-07:00

Written by my Sister Holly! We visited Rainbow together when we were in Uganda.
I am so excited for this new post! One of the places we spent lots of time at in Uganda was the Rainbow House of Hope in Kampala. It helps orphaned and disadvantaged children. One of the kids we met was a ten year old girl named Angela. She was orphaned when her parents died of AIDS. Each day we went there, I was drawn to her. I didn't know at first that she was HIV positive but when I found out that she was, I knew that I could do something to help her. One of the directors was this young guy named Timothy. I loved him the minute I met him. You just knew that he was someone special as soon as he spoke. He takes care of all these abandoned, disadvantaged kids. He makes sure the kids have food, medicine, clothing and whatever they need. He runs the programs that they have in place and sleeps there with the kids that have no where else to go. He teaches the kids how to play the trumpet and has a brass band that played for us each time we came to visit.
I spent some special time with little Angela where I learned more about her. Each day we went there, she had the same dress on and it was pretty ragged. I asked Timothy what she needed and he said money for food and medicine would be much appreciated. I gave him $200 and told him to go and buy her some new clothes and shoes and get her whatever she needed. He also said that there were some others who needed clothes as well so I told him to use the money to get whatever he needed for these kids.
When he told Angela that I had given him some money for new clothes, she dropped to her knees and kissed my hands and said thank you over and over again. It was very heart wrenching and made me cry!
Here is a photo of my sweet Angela in her ragged yellow dress. I showed her and her cousin how to color and she made me a picture to bring home to my family.
I was so excited when I opened my email today and Timothy had sent me a photo of the kids he helped with the money I gave him dressed in their new clothes. I was so happy to see them with their big smiles and new, clean clothes on! The other kids are cousins of Angela's. Angela is the girl on the right standing in front of the RHH.

2008-05-30T15:21:00.000-07:00

Salli and me. He is wearing a shirt my parents gave him when they were both in Europe. He was so cute and loved American girls. I didn't qualify!

Can't Wait to Get Back to Uganda!

2008-04-17T18:40:00.000-07:00

I still bear the remnants of the Ugandan soil on my toenails. The red dirt seemed to stain them. That's o.k. with me because it's one more reminder that I was really there. I am anticipating my next adventure and hoping to get as many people involved as I can. The journey has begun...........my step-brother-in-law leaves for a mission in Sierra Leone this week.....................I can hardly wait to hear about his adventures.

A Post From An Amazing Woman, Annie

2008-03-27T07:29:00.002-07:00

About a week ago I received information about an single American woman in her twenties who is caring for triplets from Uganda and after living with them for a few years in the US went back to Uganda and is helping to run an orphanage for babies. What follows is her first newsletter and then a list of opportunities to help. I'd appreciate anyone forwarding this info. on to folks who might be able to help.
Annie and Moses
Annie and her girls
Newsletter February 2008Hi Friends and Family, I often find myself wondering how someone is doing and wanting to send an email, but I’ve lost touch with so many of you that I didn’t know where to start. So in order to play catch-up, here’s an explanation of why I now call a messed-up East African country home.
I frequently get asked by visiting foreigners why I’m here and doing what I do. I find it difficult to answer, largely due to the fact that I never really ‘decided’ to do any of this. Rather, the last 5 years of my life has taken shape by just taking the next most logical step. I guess really that’s what happens to most people in their 20’s. They graduate with a degree in the field they studied, and so of course will look for a job in that area. They’re in love with a great person and so they marry them. They have a couple kids, so they get a bigger house and vehicle.
For me, the next most logical steps just took me on a road less traveled. I left college when I realized my get-me-through-college job was something I loved. Working with preemie multiples (twins, triplets, etc) gave me travel opportunities, freedom in my schedule, good income, and most of all was something I loved doing. A few years later, with good savings in the bank, a short jaunt to volunteer in an African orphanage seemed to make sense. When faced with dying twins who would only survive if I took them home with me, of course I did just that. When their medical and care added up to over $50,000 my only option was to keep them in the US while trying to pay it off. Four years later when they could no longer legally stay in the US, we got on a plane back to Africa. When bound to Africa by beurocracy and red tape, the logical thing was to accept one of the first jobs offered to me.
And that’s the short version of how I’ve ended up living in Uganda looking after 3 little girls and 83 abandoned infants. I’ve been here for well over a year now and most days I still wonder what the heck happened to my semi-normal life. While most days are ridiculously exhausting and frustrating, I’m thrilled to be on this ride. Boring it never is! I opened the orphanage for abandoned infants on Jan 15 and after getting 7 the first week, arrivals were slow and steady giving us about 30 babies by last summer. Must be something about 9 months after drunken Christmas parties, but the babies started pouring in August and haven’t stopped since. I reset the original capacity of 60 to 75, but recent newborn arrivals Katie, Daisy, Charlie, Jack, Anthony, Emmanuel, and twins Ethan and Ellie didn’t seem to care that we were full. My babies are left in third world hospitals or found in dumpsters, pit latrines, cemeteries, on the side of the road, and in buckets of water. They come in as 2 lb preemies, barely breathing newborns with untied umbilical cords, malnourished 8 month olds, and terrified 18 month twins. They struggle with cerebral palsy, hydrocephaly, club feet, burns, hernias, and broken bones. A rare one is healthy and happy and we wonder what caused someone to abandon an obviously well looked after baby. Sometimes babies come to us when it is too late and while we do everything we can, they don’t make it. Others succumb to third world diseases with third world medical care. Our local drive through coffin shop has had our business more than I’d like. However, when they are faced with life as an African orphan with AIDS, I’m sometimes happy to see an early end to their struggle and take comfort in the fact that they died warm, fed, clean, and very much loved.
Anyway, I’ll probably be sending random updates now that I’ve given a little background to my crazy life. Let me know if you have no clue who I am, or don’t want to receive emails for any reason and I’ll remove you from my list. Thanks so much to those of you who have supported me with emails, prayers, and financial support and I’m so sorry I rarely have the time to tell you what a difference it makes! Better close now, just got a phone call that newborn baby 84 is waiting to be picked up. The fun never ends.
Annie
Preemie Baby Daisy
Several of the children on the lawn at the orphanage
Email from February 21, 2008
Ok so my last email was the story behind why I'm here. Now comes thereality...:)Reality is that I now have 88 infants I'm responsible for.Reality is that at least 6 of those should be admitted in a neonatal or pediatric ICU.Reality is that we have a staff of 70ish that come with more problems than the babies and have to be handled like 5 year olds.Reality is that two of my babies just had surgery and both came home with double casts on their legs.Reality is that my car is in the shop and I'm walking everywhere.Reality is that there was a baby snake in the laundry and I'm wondering where the mother is.Reality is that I wonder daily if there is any hope for these people.Reality is that we do 372 laundry loads, 12,648 bottle feeds, and 16,368 diaper changes per month Reality is that both my laptops have crashed.Reality is that I've been asked by the government and the organization I work for to open two more baby orphanages.Reality is that I'm really tired, really stressed, and really overwhelmed.I lost a little friend this morning. He was born one month and 7 days ago, a preemie. His mother is dying of HIV and is admitted in the hospital. He was fed only when she was strong enough and felt like feeding him, about once every 24 hours. We found this out after about two weeks when he had lost almost half of his body weight. When we could spare a nanny or when my friend Nicola or I had the time, we would go and feed him. He never had any diapers and would be laying in a filthy stinky incubator. He LOVED a bath and lotion massage and being wrapped in clean blankets and clothes. His incubator didn't work and his body temp was usually 32C (88F) so we would fill gloves with warm water and lay them next to him. He had meningitis that required once daily IV drugs. The nurses would only give him this every 2-3 days when we put pressure on them. He was so stiff from the meningitis and so skinny from starvation that he developed bedsores on his hips. The doctors notes yesterday said 'Baby looks stable. PLEASE GIVE THE IV DRUGS'. Last night I meant to go check on him, but was too tired. I arrived at the hospital to bathe and feed him this morning, 1 hour after his body was moved from his incubator to 'the bucket'. His death certificate said he died from meningitis. It should have said he died from lack of drugs, warmth, food, and love. He didn't have a name.Reality is I feel guilty.Annie
Annie's Little Friend
Annie's List of Ways You Can Help….1) You can send a one time financial donation to the babies home. This is best sent to Watoto’s office in the country you live in. I have a list of needed items/projects that are outside of what sponsorship covers or are items that cannot be purchased in Uganda. This is currently being updated, but I can send it through if anyone is interested as soon as I’m finished. Then you can pick an item off the list or if you tell me a dollar amount, I can tell you our biggest need at the time. People tend to like this option because they know exactly what their money went to. If you do this, please let me know, so I can be in touch with the country office to tell them whether to send the money (if it is an item that can be bought here) or to keep it at their office if it is an item I need to purchase there and have sent.2) You can sponsor the babies home at http://www.watoto.com/ and send support monthly.3) You can send a physical donation to the babies home. I also have a list of physical items we use and need here that you can purchase and send, or send if you already have them. If you contact the local office for your country (http://www.watoto.com/) they can tell you an address of someone coming over here in the near future and you can ship them items, rather than shipping them to Uganda (expensive and unreliable).4) You can support me and my girls. I am employed by Watoto to direct the babies home which means I receive a fair local salary. Initially this was sufficient to cover our very basic needs, however I couldn’t afford to send the girls to school or hire a quality teacher/nanny, let alone any extra activities, car repairs, etc. Thanks to a corrupt new tax law put in place in September, I now loose over half my salary to this lovely government. This means that I’m actually going into more and more debt every month I stay and am having to reconsider my future here. We are moving into a cheaper flat and cutting corners where we can, but still struggling. So I could pretty desperately use any help in this area. This can be sent to my parents at:Annie Duguid6416 Latta Springs CircleHuntersville NC 28078
5) You can send an ‘anything’ donation to my parents at the above address and I can designate it where appropriate. I’m surrounded by great and genuine need. Often I encounter a situation that doesn’t fit our organization and have really appreciated having a bit on hand to help out. For example, I’ll be told that there are preemie triplets in the hospital, but they have a mother who wants them, so we can’t take them. However this mother will have been abandoned by the husband/boyfriend and will have no money for food, which means she has no breast milk to feed her babies. I’ll buy her some meals in the hospital, so she can feed her babies and take them back to the village.I used to and still do, REALLY struggle with asking for financial help. Growing up, I often heard missionary types asking for money and thought ‘They are off doing the fun stuff and they want us to work our boring jobs and support them???’ However, I’ve learned a couple important things in the last couple years.1)Most of it is NOT fun stuff.2)Even the stuff I find enjoyable, most other people don’t. I’ve finally realized that there are people who want to help, but actually don’t want to be stuck in Africa. If you are one of those, I’m happy to be the hands doing the work if you want to be the fuel behind them!Thanks so much…!!

I'm Home, Yet Somehow I'm NOt

2008-03-27T07:29:00.001-07:00

I arrived after 22 hours of flying. It took two days to make it back to Utah. I was so excited to see the kids and Shawn, but after I got them back, I immediately felt a longing for the sea of black faces yelling Mazungu, Mazungu! How I miss them. It's almost a physical pain. I will go back. There is no question. Africa is in my blood and I will do whatever I can not only to go back to Uganda's children, but to bring Uganda to those around me right here in the good old U.S. I'm hosting a screening for Inivisible Children's latest documentary in American Fork on April 12th at 1pm. Please come! Bring your friends.

Gecko's in my Room!

2008-03-21T04:44:00.000-07:00

Two nights ago, I was just about to hop in bed and I looked on my wall only to see a lizard climbing on my wall. For those of you who know me well, this was a serious problem seeing as I was about to get into bed. I made my sister Holly get a long umbrella and poke at it, but instead of getting the gecko, she knocked down a box and it crashed to the floor. Still, no gecko. I was a little freaked out, so I zipped all my bags up and when I went to bed we still hadn't found it, so I tucked my mosquito net in so tightly that I new nothing could get in. The only problem was, I had to go to the bathroom in the middle of the night and I had to hold it because I was too scared to get out! Next morning there was another one hiding behind the toilet. I've resorted to hiding out away from my room, keeping my bags zipped tight, and tucking myself in like a wee little babe. I can't wait to get home. I am very homesick.

Gulu, Post Conflict Zone

2008-03-21T02:35:00.000-07:00

The last few days have been very interesting. We left the game park and drove another few hours to Gulu. This is where much of the northern conflict took place. We drove by a school where close to 3,000 children slept during the conflict. They would walk up to 5 hours each way from their villages and "commute"to the school in the town so that they would be safe and not be kidnapped in the night. At one point there were 22,000 children commuting, thus the name "Night Commuter". We slept at the Acholi Inn, once occupied by the rebels. It was not a very nice place, but the nicest place in Gulu. There was no electricity for much of the time, a problem that we've dealt withmost of the trip. I was frightened in the night because I was dreaming of the rebels and two times someone tried to open our door. I was freaked out. We enjoyed the first night in Gulu by going to a soccer field and watching a match put on by The Kids League in our honor. Very few had soccer shoes and the field was dirt and concrete. They asked me to play, which I did in flip-flops because there was glass and dung on the field. The Kids'League Directore said it would make a huge impact if I played because it would show the girls that they can play just like the boys. Aside from the teams, about 100 children came from the surrounding village to get a look at us. Two women walked by with large loads on their heads and my dad, ever the photographer, had been dreaming of taking a picture. As you can see fromt he above photo, Holly and I got in on the act. Everyone was laughing so hard. As you can also see from the photo,it is always a mob seen wherever we go. We had a great night. The next day was the day we visited the IDP camp. Again, several sporting matches were played in our honor and Holly and I joined in the football, (soccer) game. There were 576 kids surrounding us looking at us like we were from Mars. These kids were much more reserved and skittish around us, but all followed us and then scurried when we talked to them. They all warmed up though. Some of that is because of the fear they''ve dealt with in their life. We then had a rather formal presentation with all 576 students sitting on the ground in front of us(pictured above). We were thanked for coming and then all of us made presentations of the items we brought as donations. I had a large duffle bag full of the things Beau's school donated as well as the donations from my friends. I could hardly speak. I talked about Renassiance Academy and told them about the students there who brought 1 dollar to help provide the health and hygeine kits we brought. It was extremely moving and a highlight of my life. We then got a t0ur of the school and it was very humble. The supplies we brought are all they have. We took tours of the classes and the average teacher student ratio is 1 to 100. There were only a handful of teachers. It was an amazing experience. No one had shoes, those who were lucky enough to have uniforms were torn and tattered. We went into the staff room and there was a sign on the wall depicting how many students have disabilities, HIV etc. Almost 20% of the students there have experienced trauma. Some were captured by the LRA and are now back. It's my opinion that all of them experienced trauma as they were all night commuters and lived in fear of being taken everyday. As my journey ends I will continue to tell some of my experiences and add pictures. I hope those who have enjoyed my experiences will be moved to get involved as well. I've got a lot of work ahead of me this next year and will need a lot of help! Thanks for your comments and support!

This Is a Recap of the Last few days written by my mom in case I don't have time to write!

2008-03-21T02:34:00.001-07:00

WE SPENT THREE DAYS AT THE GULU REFUGEE CAMPS WHERE WE PASSED OUT GIFTS AND BAGS WITH SUPPLIES OF TOOTHPASTE, BRUSH, NOTEBOOK, PEN AND PENCIL. WE PUT ALL OF SUZY AND HOLLY'S DONATED MONEY TOGETHER WITH OURS AND WERE ABLE TO PRESENT 576 KITS TO THE KIDS. YOU WILL DIE WHEN YOU SEE WHAT THE KIDS HAD FOR SOCCER SHOES...THAT WOULD BE NONE...ONE BOY HAD ONLY ONE SOCCER SHOE. WE HAVE PICTURES OF THE SQUAD AND THEIR FIELDS. THERE WAS GOAT AND COW DUNG ALL OVER THE FIELD...VERY UNLEVEL AND FULL OF TERMITE HILLS AND YES, THOSE KIDS COULD PLAY SOCCER! AT EACH OF OUR VISITS, THEY PUT ON TWO SOCCER MATCHES AND A NET BALL GAME FOR US TO WATCH. THE HEADMASTER AND SPORTS COACHES HAD US TOUR THEIR SCHOOLS AND THEIR SPORTS FACILITIES. THE KIDS WERE SO LOVING AND FRIENDLY. THE UNGANDANS ARE NOT STANDOFFISHISH BUT VERY WARM AND FRIENDLY. ON OUR TRIP NORTH, WE DID MANAGE A SAFARI IN TREVOR'S FOUR WHEEL VEHICLE AND DAD WAS THRILLED TO SEE A MALE AND FEMALE LION IN THE OPEN ABOUT 50 YARDS FROM THE CAR. THE LION POSED AND STRUTTED FOR US. WE ALSO SAW LOTS OT GIRAFFES, ELEPHANTS, ANTELOPE WITH ODD NAMES, NILE BUFFALO, MONKEYS, AND THE GIRLS AND MY FAVORITE...THE HEDGEHOGS! WE TOOK AN AFTERNOON CRUISE ON THE NILE UPSTREAM WHERE WE SAW ABOUT 500 HIPPOS PLUS COOL BIRDS, ETC. IT WAS HOT, HUMID.....FELT LIKE I WAS ON THE OLD AFRICAN QUEEN, A MOVIE STARRING HUMPHERY BOGART AND K. HEPBURN FILMED AT THIS SPOT IN THE 1950'S. WE HAVE SO MUCH TO TELL YOU...NOT JUST TOURISTY STUFF BUT THINGS OF THE HEART.

Some of the Awesome Animals we Saw

2008-03-21T02:30:00.000-07:00

A Long Day

2008-03-17T11:04:00.000-07:00

Today we set out early am on a game drive. We were lucky enough to see lions, elephants, giraffe and lots me. We were able to get close.....................We also went on a boat cruise on the Nile River and saw tons of Hippo, Crocs and Elephants. The baboons are everywhere around the lodge and they can be vicious. We are so very tired..........................It's been pretty hectic and we're all exhausted. I'm still worried about the geckos getting in bed with me.......................cross my fingers that they won't. We'll do another game drive in the morning and then it's off for another 3 hour drive to Gulu. I learned that we will be staying in the nicest hotel in Gulu and that it was once occupied by the rebels. Trevor said that Joseph Kony, the LRA leader def. slept in the bed I will be sleeping in. That gives me the creeps as he is an evil, evil man. I'm off. Thanks for the comments. It helps keep my spirits up.

The Neverending Journey

2008-03-17T10:58:00.000-07:00

Yesterday we left Kampala and drove North to go to Parra Lodge on the Nile River. The drive realistically should take 3 1/2 hours but it took 8. We loaded up in the back of Trevor's truck, the 3 ladies squished like sardines and set out. You can't believe the roads. There were potholes the whole way, we're talking 1 foot deep and hundreds of them all over. It was like driving through a maze. We drove all over the road and then when the big buses came head on you moved out of the way. Meanwhile, people and bikes are also navigating the road. We were so worried about missing the ferry that we didn't stop once. I had not gone potty since 8 am and I finally went at 7pm. I was dying.......................We made it though and it is beautiful. Right on the Nile. Tomorrow we go to Gulu to deliver our kits. I'm so excited. Hope I don't see any rebels.

Random Photos

2008-03-15T10:09:00.000-07:00

Holly and my dad while walking through the slums pose in front of a bananna stand. Another photo shows some children in front of their home.

A baby lays in a crib in the babies orphanage.

We bought our meat for dinner at the half price butchery. Just kidding.

Baby Martina at potty time. She was a special girl to me. I would have loved to take her home.

Poor Children From the Rainbow House of Hope

2008-03-15T10:02:00.000-07:00

Several of the kids today were dressed like this

Kits Being Assembled for 576 Kids. Thanks Renaissance Academy

2008-03-15T09:58:00.000-07:00

Potty Time At the Baby Home, A Most Unpleasant Experience

2008-03-15T09:50:00.000-07:00

The children in the orphanage do not wear diapers. Therefore, about once or twice a day they bring them in, strip them of clothes and have them all sit on potty's. This is when they are supposed to have a bowel movement. Otherwise, throughout the day, the wet themselves. There are puddles of urine throughout the place and then they use a wet mop to wipe up the urine, mind you they don't rinse it off between clean up. The two boys standing are old enough that during potty time, they come in here. It was an awful experience.

Rainbow House of Hope

2008-03-15T07:11:00.000-07:00

Today we spent more time at the Rainbow House of Hope. The children run to us whenever we come and start hugging and touching us. I had a two dollar makeup kit with me and I put make-up on the girls and boys. The boys got warrior make-up. My mom did finger nail polish and it was so fun because the kids gathered around us and acted like it was all the most exciting thing they had ever done. The children were very ragged and most of them were dirty with ripped clothing, yet with all they go through they are still the happiest kids I have ever seen. We found out that some of the kids that we really took a liking to are not going to school because their family does not have enough money. Their father is an alcholic and tried to kill their mother, now he is not around. Holly gave some money to the director and asked him to buy Angela, an aids orphan a new dress. Timothy, the director, whispered into Angela's ear that she was going to get a new dress and she fell to her knees and grabbed Holly's hand and said thank you. Some of the kids clothes were so bad today and I had an extra very large t-shirt and I gave it to Timothy and said pick someone who needs this the most. The sad thing is, they all looked like they needed it and I didn't have enough. Another cool thing today was when I was in a market the bagger asked where I was from and I said Salt Lake City, Utah and he said have you heard of my church? The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. I said, I'm a member and we hugged. It was so cool. I was also impressed because I gave the cashier way to much money and he told me it was too much, so I had been thanking him for being honest. When I found out he was a church member I was so proud of him! Tomorrow we are going to church. I think Holly and I are going to sing. Momar Khadaffi is coming into town and so things are really crazy in the city. The are "cleaning"it, if that's what you call it. This is the dirtiest place I have ever been. The pollution is horrendous. We also ran into some mormon missionaries the other day. It was a couple and I was so excited to see them so I ran up and hugged the women. You feel so different here. Everyone looks at you either in a funny way or they smile and shout Mazoongu. The kids are so amazed by how different we are. You feel so very dirty when you are done spending time with them because they touch you everywhere. It's worth it though. I've never felt so overwhelmed, sad, and happy at the same time.

What Do You Do With All Your Goats

2008-03-15T07:09:00.001-07:00

We made friends with a church member named Jane. The other day she and my sister Holly were talking and Jane mentioned that a big meat here is goat. Holly said we don't eat goat in america and Jane replied, "Well what do you do with all of you goats". It was pretty funny. At the "mall"yesterday we went to eat and one of the menu items was goat and chips. Yummy!

My Sister Holly Holding Some Children. These kids go to the school our host owns.

2008-03-14T11:31:00.001-07:00

Kids Crowding around wanting their picture taken. Rainbow House of Hope

2008-03-14T11:28:00.000-07:00

Some of the Kids from Rainbow Hope Center

2008-03-14T11:26:00.000-07:00

My Sister Holly With Angela, an Aids Orphan

2008-03-14T11:18:00.000-07:00

Look How Far the Money Went

2008-03-14T10:59:00.000-07:00

I am so excited. We found out today the The Kids League has made arrangements for us to pass out health and hygiene kids to 576 students in Gulu. We bought the kits with money we raised and today we assembled all of the kits. Each kits cost $1.60. The school is going to have an assembly and we will get to pass out the kits. Most of these children are former child soldiers and are still living in IDP camps, or Internally Displaced People Camps. I can't believe how far the money went. Thank you to Rennasiance Academy for your generous donations. You can see exactly how a little money makes a huge impact on so many kids.

Mother Nature

2008-03-14T10:57:00.000-07:00

Waking up in Africa feels like God pushes a button and mother nature comes alive. Every morning at 6:15 the birds start to sing so loudly that you wake up. I have never heard so many birds. It is so beautiful here.

Mazoongu

2008-03-14T10:53:00.000-07:00

Everywhere we go we hear shouts of Mazoongu. This means white person. It's like we are from Mars. The kids are so excited to see us everywhere we go. We saw our first street children last night and it broke my heart. It's so fun walking around everwhere. The streets are so crowded. it's like another world here. Millions of people walking everywhere. The driving is by far still the scariest thing.

Another Good Day

2008-03-14T10:48:00.000-07:00

Well, the last few days have flown by. Yesterday we spent another day at the orphanage. One of the worst things that happened was when my sister Holly saw a little girl pee on the floor and lick it up. These poor children! We were just as horrified as we were the day before. Later in the afternoon we went to the Rainbow House of Hope again and spent time with the older children. Holly, my sister had a chance to spend some time with Angela, an aids orphan who also has aids herself. She is ten years old. I will try to post her picture another time. We danced and sang with the children. They were so obsessed with our fair hair and skin that they kept touching us all over and feeling our hair. They were wonderful kids and tomorrow we are going to spend time with them!

In front of sign for the babies home

2008-03-12T11:36:00.000-07:00

An Example of Children Fighting over Us

2008-03-12T11:34:00.000-07:00

The Orphange

2008-03-12T11:12:00.000-07:00

Today we spent time at two orphanages. In the Morning we visited a baby home. The minute we walked into a crowded room with all of the babies, they literally attacked us. By this, I mean that tackled us. They grabbed, pulled and jumped on us. I was so overwhelmed....................the children would actually push, bite and pull one another to fight their way to us. The top picture is shown for a reason. Notice that I am holding two children and a 3 wants to come on board. In the morning at the baby home the women had us carry firewood to the cooks. It was interesting because most of the baby workers were sitting in the play yard watching us work while they sat and did nothing. They hardly interacted with the children and when they did many of them were abusive. The children did not wear diapers, so within 5 minutes of being there one of them peed on my mom's lap. When the children wet themselves they get a clean pair of pants and put them on them. That means that there is urine all over and you just mop it up. Mid morning the children were filthy from snot, urine and the red dirt that they play in. So, after a mid-morning snack they were all stripped and put on potty's. This is the time of day that they are supposed to have a bowel movement. When they do that they are put into a large sink and washed then they walk outside, are rubbed down with oil and put in clean clothes. I participated in all of this. Well, by lunch, they were filthy again, but we went into a room and they age maise (porridge) with some kind of gravy. This is the only time that I saw them drink water, now mindyou it is hot! After lunch they whole routine of cleaning them and changing clothes happens again. Then they all go for a nap. The food is cooked on an open fire and I put a picture at the top. The thing about the orphanage is that there are no toys. I mean, not even 1. The children play in the yard in the dirt, find bags, toilet paper rolls or whatever waste is on the ground and play with it. They are severely deprived of things that we in the states take for grante, yet they seemed to have a few decent meals which was comforting. Today there was little boy named Patrick and he wanted my attention so badly that he began beating, and biting another child. The problem was that I had two children in my arms and one on my back so I proceeded to ask Betty a worker for some help, boy was that a mistake. She took poor little Patrick, pulled down his pants an beat his bum very hard. He was crushed and wouldn't look me in the eye for 5 minutes no matter how hard I tried to engage him. I felt terrible. The children were absolutely filthy and so by the end of the afternoon we were so dirty! It was a mixture of many undesirable things all over us. But, you figured out quickly that you just have to get over it! Anyway, it was a very difficult thing to see, but I'm glad I can play a part in stimulating these children if only for a short time.

I've Arrived

2008-03-10T07:12:00.000-07:00

Well after 22 hours on a plane and 40 hours later we finally arrived. The first thing I noticed was the humidity. It feels like Chicago in the summer. On the road to our hosts home there were homes "shacks" on either side of the road. Women cooking outside and people everywhere carrying large yellow containers to hold their water. The other thing I've noticed, is that no matter how poor everone is, they manage to all look "dressed up". The men wear dress shirts and the women where beautiful dresses. There are children running everywhere dressed in matching school uniforms. They are beautiful to see. It really is like stepping out into a different world that only in your wildest imagination can you make up. Everything is lush, green and there is the sound of birds everywhere. We saw a monkey up in a tree right outside of the airport. Our host has a lovely home. It feels like it's old and maybe a British colonizer would have lived here. I'm a bit worried about drinking the water anywhere in Africa, but our host assures us that their water won't harm us. We have to conserve the water as it is collected by an elaborate system Trevor designed that collects the rainwater, and that is what we are living off of. The shower water is very brown, but they boil and filter the other rain water for drinking. Trevors home has a beautiful garden. This place looks like God personally designed it. It is magnificent. Tonight Jane, a local church member is coming over and we are going to plan out our service work. I am seriously pinching myself...............................I am extatic. Let's just pray no one gets sick. Best wishes to all!

I'm On My Way

2008-03-04T08:33:00.009-08:00

What a Gift

2008-03-04T08:33:00.008-08:00

These are some of the beautiful wall hangings that a friend at my church made for me to take and give to an orphanage. They are so beautiful! What a gift!

Saturday's the Day

2008-03-04T08:33:00.007-08:00

Well, with much anticipation I leave tomorrow. The older kids school ended up raising $470.00 and Beau brought home enough school supplies to fill my second suitcase. I am also grateful for the other donations that came from friends and neighbors totaling $450.00. I feel so blessed. What a miracle...............................I can't wait to spread the goodness around when I get there!

Interesting News

2008-03-04T08:33:00.006-08:00

Our host sent me this e-mail, thought it was very interesting. For those of you who gave me money to take and buy things when I get there, this should make you feel pretty excited.

ANOTHER THING. IT SOUNDS LIKE YOUR DAUGHTER WILL BE TAKEN AROUND AND HELPING WITH MISSIONARY WORK IN SCHOOLS AND ORPHANGES IN KAMPALA. THIS IS FINE. BUT REMEMBER THAT YOU ARE BEING GIVEN THE OPPORTUNITY TO GO PLACES THAT NO OTHER TOURISTS GET TO GO. I WILL BE TAKING YOU TO THE IDP CAMPS (REFUGEE CAMPS) IN GULU DISTRICT. THERE YOU WILL SEE AFRICAN LIFE AS AFFECTED BY CONFLICT (DONT WORRY ITS NOW POST CONFLICT!!) AS COMPARED TO THE POVERTY IN KAMPALA AREA WHICH IS URBAN POVERTY CAUSED BY TOO MANY PEOPLE CROWDING INTO A CITY WITH TOO FEW JOBS. THERE IS A FAR MORE PRESSING NEED FOR HELP IN THE NORTH THAN IN KAMPALA WHICH ONLY ENCOURAGES URBAN DRIFT. SO CAN I SUGGEST YOU PLEASE SAVE MOST OF YOUR DONATIONS FOR THE NORTH.

Santa Claus

2008-03-04T08:33:00.005-08:00

I've been having a nightly dream for the last week. It comes half way between being asleep and awake. I have been given donations of candy, small toys, clothing, money and school supplies by many friends and strangers alike. The dream is this. I want to be like Santa Claus. I want to carry a pack (backpack) everywhere I go in Uganda, and when I see a child that is on the streets begging for whatever it is that he/she needs I will be able to open that pack and deliver great joy. I can actually visualize it. It's a wonderful dream.

Awesome Kids

2008-03-04T08:33:00.004-08:00

Last night I showed the kids something on T.V. about the World Food Program. When the show was over I talked to them about how the kids in the show want two things, 1 meal/day and to go to school. This really hit them hard and before the night was over they had collected all of the money between them and given me $70.00 to use for orphans. I was so proud. I cried and cried and hugged them. Benson gave me $50.00 and he had been saving that so he could go to Alaska with Grandpa B. I'll def. have to help him figure out a way to go when I get back. Beau and Peanut began cleaning out their closets asking me to take things for them. I hope I can fit all of it!

The Kids Collecting Money At the AM Carpool. It was cold!

2008-03-04T08:33:00.003-08:00

When You Know Better, You Do Better

2008-03-04T08:33:00.002-08:00

Anyone who knows me or meets me knows that if you ask me a question about Africa, then you will get an answer. I am sad that when I tell people about the children of Uganda that 99% of them have know idea what has been going on. If it were your child and this were happening to them, think of how helpless you would feel in the world. But, I believe most people want to help, they just don't know how. So when I did a lesson at church for the young children I wasn't suprised that so many wanted to help with my trip. So, I sent out a letter to the families and invited the children to donate school supplies. My own children wanted to help, so Benson and Brinlee have been working at their school to raise money. Their school has been very supportive and they are trying to collect $1.00 from every student, faculty and staff member. Today they stood outside of school where the carpool lane is and held up signs they made reminding everyone to donate a dollar. I'm so proud of them for helping. Beau didn't want to be left out, so he is collecting school supplies at his school. I'm not packing much for myself so that I can bring all of the donations with me. It makes me so happy to see everyone get on board. Now that they know, they too want to act.

Why Uganda

2008-03-04T08:33:00.001-08:00

Several years ago I learned about the plight of the children in Northern Uganda. War has been raging in the north for over 20 years. Until recently, children who live in villages were in danger of being kidnapped by a rebel group called the LRA. If kidnapped the children were forced to become child soldiers. Rape, torture, drugs and horrible things happened to the children. In order to stay safe thousands of children would leave their homes before nightfall and walk to towns where they would take refuge in front of police stations, hospitals and other safe buildings. They would sleep there, and in the morning walk back to their villages. They were given the name "Night Commuters" or "Night Walkers". Recently peace has come to northern Uganda. The rebels are in the final phases of signing a peace agreement with the government. Less than 2,000 children are now commuting. Now the big problem is all of the internally displaced people. Over a million are still living in these IDP camps waiting to go back home. I was captivated by Uganda primarily because of the children. How could this take place and we not know about it? Do we live our lives in a tunnell not wanting to know about things that are to painful for us? Or, does the media pick and choose what it feels is important to tell us about? If this were Turkey or Spain would we know about it? Would we act? Does Africa have so many problems that we don't even want to think about it? For me the conclusion was................now that I know, I must do something. For me, going and seeing the children myself is something I must do. I must act, because I know I must.

How It Began

2008-03-04T08:33:00.000-08:00

My passion for Africa began many years ago, but my quest to go there and see what I can do began 3 years ago when I saw first hand how deplorable the conditions for the children of Africa can be. I had the opportunity to work with a family of Somali Bantu refugees who came to the Chicago area after spending much of their lives in refugee camps in Kenya. I became fixed on the idea of, "What can I do if I go to Africa"? Can one person really make a difference. I believe the answer is yes and I now set out on a journey to prove myself right!