What a week...

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This has been such a busy week. On Friday Mary, a 20 yr old volunteer from the states, came from Masaka to visit for the weekend. She is so wonderful, a born again, Pentecostal christian, studying to be a doctor in Albany, NY. She has been at Peter K, for about a month. Most of the boxes that you saw pictures of went to her school. So it was great to see pictures of the end result. The kids were so happy and grateful.
Sweet girl, she was like part of the family, joking with the boys, hanging out with them. She has had a very adventurous time here. We leave just a few days from each other. She has picked up a lot of Lugandan because she is with the children 24/7.
On Sunday, Aunt Molly was preaching at a church in the outskirts. What a dynamic testimony about us all being on a journey, and we play different parts in the journey of life. Sometimes we are the good Samaritan helping others some times we are the ones in need of help. Sometimes we are the naysayer, and sometimes we are the innkeepers. But God has set the path and will see us through to the end. She shared how she came to be a mother to so many, and how she came to Christ. Absolutely powerful. After church we had lunch and then Mary went back to Masaka, on a boda boda and then a taxi bus.

That evening we went to the airport to pick up an American father {Mike}/daughter {Kelly, 20ish.}. Wonderful people. They hung out with us at Kibuye for a day. They talked to a bunch of older students. Watched the choir practicing, and even joined in at the end. We went to town and they bought the school a copier/fax/printer/scanner. The school was so excited. It was what they needed so badly. They didn't have a copier of any kind so if they needed to print something they either brought the printer from home or they would go down the street to a copier center. This will save them time and money. They left Tuesday to visit friends and help with their farm. God bless them. They started a Nonprofit, called Cornerstone youth. They help disadvantaged youth, with tuition scholarships and other helps.

Also on the flight Sunday night was a team from Ireland that is going to be here for a couple of weeks at Masaka at the farm school and children’s village. They brought all kinds of stuff for the children, shoes, toothbrushes; they bought medicine, and sewing machines. they helped to harvest the maze. They had lost several pieces of luggage so all week they were with out it. A couple of the ladies had no clothes till the luggage finally arrived on Thursday.

On Monday as well we, (Mr. Armstrong, Aunt Elizabeth {headmistress of the elementary}, Director Paul, and I, went to Samaritan's Purse. I was so excited because for years we have been shopping out of their Christmas catalogue and doing Christmas boxes for them. So to be at the office here in Uganda was so amazing and such a blessing. Almost as exciting for me as a wild safari, which I have not gone on. They gave the school girls who lost all their belongings in the fire money for new items such as lockers, netting for their bed, bedding, clothes, uniforms, toiletries. What an amazing ministry. They are also doing education on fire and prevention. All the schools are required to have 2 fire extinguishers but not required to know how to use them. So the school had them just no one at school knew how to use it, or what to do with it. So they do education so the schools can have a little control over fire situations instead of having to rely on the fire dept. which could take some real time.

I went and saw this amazing micro financing project. There is a micro finance group called BAP. Born Again Pentecostals. The goal of BAP is to put people in churches to work, and they teach them to tithe. Therefore lifting the whole Ugandan economy slowly. They are teaching about saving and budgeting, and their motto is Saved to Serve, meaning Christ saved us so we could serve him, and you save money so you can serve with it. The "teach a man to fish" principle applies here.
They have micro financed to start a commercial poultry egg laying company. They have 2000 birds, and in about 2 months they will start laying. There are 5 full time employees. The demand for eggs in high in Uganda because it’s cheap protein. And easy to cook. They already have some commercial contracts to take the eggs when they arrive. They are praying for funds to build again to house another 2000 chickens. When they get to 10,000 birds they will use some for reproducing, so then they can sell the birds to others who want to start a small chicken business.

All week Uncle Paul and I waited for the Irelands group of luggage to show up at the school so we could take it to Masaka when we went. So, on Thursday we finally got to go to Masaka. I had my first Taxi ride. It was really a bus full of people. And the worst part is while you’re on the bus waiting for it to fill up so you can leave all these venders for food, drinks, pens, electronics, ect. come to the bus window and try to hawk there stuff on you. Very interesting. You’re a captive audience. the bus ride was a few hours. Beautiful country. When we finally arrived in Masaka, the choir bus was there to meet us and bring us to the farm school. On the dirt road leading to the school I felt like I was finally home. Exactly what I thought Africa was going to be like. Of course when I got to the school I started to cry. Cliff was there for me to cry on. Very understanding of him. He actually told me this was an emotional place to begin with. Between the devastating poverty here and the hundreds of children orphaned by aids. There is a children’s village here because most of the children have no parents so there are house mothers that teach the children what their parents would have taught them. cleaning, washing, and cooking. Most houses are co-ed and have 20 give or take. The boys share one room and the girls share another room.

I asked about Aids education, and if there were orphans here with aids. the answer to the later is yes. Many children here have aids, but the only education they are doing is safe sex. The children don't know that they have aids, because they would most likely drop out, and then have no future. The children get aids medication, they just don't realize that’s what it is. I asked about early prevention concerning peer to peer. No sharing food and drinks, careful around bodily fluids, cuts, vomit, and the likes. there doesn't seem to be any of that. My understanding is that the Ugandan board of education dictates what they can teach in the schools. Cliff said the spread of bacteria and disease is briefly gone over in the primary schools as science. It’s very interesting here. I know the children understand the severity of the disease because they have watched their whole families die of it. I just have to wonder if there should be some direct communicable diseases teaching being done here, especially here, with the lack of sanitation, and lack of readily available medication.

I have to keep reminding myself, I am a visitor here. I can't change this place in the time I am here. All I can do is help as seen fit/need arises. And pray for the rest.

So, at the farm, I saw the cow, and got to pet it, and the pigs, didn't pet those. I saw the chickens, and the rabbits. The one rabbit came right up to the wire and we were nose to nose, so sweet. I love it here. The chickens in their house have swings and a small playground to play on so they don't get bored. they have a huge maze field to both feed the animal and the children with. They have a potatoes field. There are honey bees in the bush, about 5 boxes. So soon they will have honey to use and sell.

I don't think I am going to make it to living at the school. The time remaining is so short. I have stopped planning my days and now go to the beginning of each day with no agenda, and what happens happens.
I will try to post mid week again. Love to you all.

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Photos

Baby I have adopted
Just joking, he is so cute. I hold him when ever I can.