some weeks and slow and kind of boring, others are good and you feel like you have accomplished some important work, and others are GREAT! this was one of the GREAT and exciting weeks! thank you Jesus! we felt as if we accomplished so much and had such a wonderful time doing it. well a wonderful time, EXCEPT for taking demon dogs to the vets for the last of their puppy shots. they looked so cute sitting quietly in the rear of the van as we shut the tailgate and pulled out of the driveway....didn't last long!! before we were a half mile down the road, both had jumped into the passenger area and vomited and well, you know....done 'other things' as well. between the heat, the smells and the pups tracking through all the puddles of messes, it was not a pleasant trip. we had to wait at least an hour at the vet's. it is, without a doubt, a very unusual set up for a vet. the waiting room is also the examining room. small dogs are examined on a wooden round table in the middle of the room (someone removes the plastic plant first) and larger dogs are treated in the middle of the floor. bob and woofie were treated on the floor...bob first...on goes the muzzle and GOOD THING! during every injection, there was a symphony of sounds as if he was being skinned alive! there were whimpers and groans and muffled howls, yelps and whining....omg..it was horrible! woofie next...muzzle...injections...not a sound! yay woofie. wow, thank goodness that's done...then you have to go into the vet's office as he hand writes the bill and calculates the cost and you pay him cash. he is happy to see me again, he remembers that i have been in the states and is looking forward to me bringing the pups again. seiously, looking forward to bob? hahaha....Ugandan politeness. someone has helped to clean the messes out of the van...he suggests next time we do not feed the dogs....and we give him a tip and the ordeal is over. this 'event' took at least four hours...and we are all exhausted!
tuesday we made a trip to the commodities market to buy posho and beans for naguru and citizen's trust academy. we contine to be shocked that the government isn't providing funds to purchase food for the 155 kids currently residing in naguru. we bought enough to get them through the week and asked if we could present a musical show for the kids on friday. everyone was so appreciative, even the kids thanked us for the food....and YES, the staff said the kids would love to watch a show.....uh-huh...just what i thought....time to call upon my 'peeps' hahah! we were told that maria was still waiting to go home as no one had provided transport money for her yet....how much? oh $50? yes, we can do that...maria has been waiting for at least a month to go home maybe longer. not right, considering she has 'served her time' and deserves freedom!
wednesday we visited 2 new amazing facilities in the kibuli neighborhood. the first was the citizen's trust academy founded by freddie nyanzi. they presented a wonderful welcome program and gave us a tour of the facility. it is so obvious the staff is kind and caring and the children are very happy....but the facility is in major need of repairs....there isn't any furniture in the classrooms, some of which are crumbling due to last weeks torrential rains...they need paper and pencils and books and the children need shoes and everyone needs posho and sugar for porridge.....ok....andrew and i just look at each other and nod....no need for discussion, we have a really good feeling about this place and these people....we will help. we have posho and a little sugar in the van and explain we are tight on funds...but yes, we will help. we talk about going deep into the country..to the remote villages and hold a crusade....yes, we will go too. let's work together! that's the plan...perfect!
we then traveled down the road just a short distance to the earnest primary and nursery school, with 400 children, founded by 20 year old amos sendikadiwa. yes, i said 20 years old....he is totally awesome...commited to providing education and care for the children of the local impoverished community.....including many street children who com each day for a meal. God bless amos...we cannot help now, but his school will be added as soon as there are funds available.
thursday...yay, it's raising up hope day and the house of hope awaits. yay! and even better, peter is coming with us. the kids love peter, well, especially the girls! we stop to buy 50kgs of rice and lunch for everyone.....beef, matooke, rice and sweet potatoes and gravy. i love to watch these kids eat..they love knowing that on thursdays their stomachs will be full and i love that they are full. after lunch we went outside and most took part in a volleyball game. everyone was in such a good mood...andrew was jumping for no reason, peter was jumping rope and everyone was laughing. that's what i love about this place, there is always joy! sometimes no food, no water or electricity...but always joy. these kids are so special....i appreciate every minute i spend with them. it has been a great day...but they need water and soap and charcoal. yes, of course....we can't say no as long as we have cash in our pockets.
friday....always naguru day, but today will be special. you see, over time i have connected to facebook friends who are entertainers. young, local guys who sing and dance and perform. i never really knew why we had friended each other, only that God always connects me to people who are wiling to work with me to further my work and to improve or enrich the lives of the kids. this was surely another series of divine connections. robbie jakay and soldier rashid....singer and dancer.....robbie says sure he will perform and he will bring soldier. i said 'what, you know soldier?' and he says 'yes, he's right here.' now what are the chances of that? not a coincidence.....divine planning i'm sure. robbie also says he knows others who will perform, how about another dancer, a 5 year old, and a mime comedian? oh, i'm thinking, this is going to be great!!! we picked them up friday noon and traveled to naguru to discover it was a special day there. the newly appointed dormitory leaders were being installed and there was a group there called No Kids Behind Bars who was talking about children's rights, and now...there was entertainment! yay.....the guys were all wonderful!!! they all said they had lived in kampala their entire lives and didn't know naguru existed...yep i said, neither did andrew....i head heard about it on facebook, coincidence? no again. the kids loved the dancers and mime and the robbie asked them if they wanted to learn his new song "Troubles".....perfect song about how everyone, everywhere has troubles and how we must defeat them. the kids joined right in and i felt a huge "THANK YOU LORD!" flow from my lips because again and again He proves that He is right by my side helping me help His children. WOW...when i thinnk about that i get all teary eyed and i want to do more to show Him i am doing my best on this path i am traveling. it has been one amazing week....i'm exhausted, but ready to see what next week will bring.
tuesday we made a trip to the commodities market to buy posho and beans for naguru and citizen's trust academy. we contine to be shocked that the government isn't providing funds to purchase food for the 155 kids currently residing in naguru. we bought enough to get them through the week and asked if we could present a musical show for the kids on friday. everyone was so appreciative, even the kids thanked us for the food....and YES, the staff said the kids would love to watch a show.....uh-huh...just what i thought....time to call upon my 'peeps' hahah! we were told that maria was still waiting to go home as no one had provided transport money for her yet....how much? oh $50? yes, we can do that...maria has been waiting for at least a month to go home maybe longer. not right, considering she has 'served her time' and deserves freedom!
wednesday we visited 2 new amazing facilities in the kibuli neighborhood. the first was the citizen's trust academy founded by freddie nyanzi. they presented a wonderful welcome program and gave us a tour of the facility. it is so obvious the staff is kind and caring and the children are very happy....but the facility is in major need of repairs....there isn't any furniture in the classrooms, some of which are crumbling due to last weeks torrential rains...they need paper and pencils and books and the children need shoes and everyone needs posho and sugar for porridge.....ok....andrew and i just look at each other and nod....no need for discussion, we have a really good feeling about this place and these people....we will help. we have posho and a little sugar in the van and explain we are tight on funds...but yes, we will help. we talk about going deep into the country..to the remote villages and hold a crusade....yes, we will go too. let's work together! that's the plan...perfect!
we then traveled down the road just a short distance to the earnest primary and nursery school, with 400 children, founded by 20 year old amos sendikadiwa. yes, i said 20 years old....he is totally awesome...commited to providing education and care for the children of the local impoverished community.....including many street children who com each day for a meal. God bless amos...we cannot help now, but his school will be added as soon as there are funds available.
thursday...yay, it's raising up hope day and the house of hope awaits. yay! and even better, peter is coming with us. the kids love peter, well, especially the girls! we stop to buy 50kgs of rice and lunch for everyone.....beef, matooke, rice and sweet potatoes and gravy. i love to watch these kids eat..they love knowing that on thursdays their stomachs will be full and i love that they are full. after lunch we went outside and most took part in a volleyball game. everyone was in such a good mood...andrew was jumping for no reason, peter was jumping rope and everyone was laughing. that's what i love about this place, there is always joy! sometimes no food, no water or electricity...but always joy. these kids are so special....i appreciate every minute i spend with them. it has been a great day...but they need water and soap and charcoal. yes, of course....we can't say no as long as we have cash in our pockets.
friday....always naguru day, but today will be special. you see, over time i have connected to facebook friends who are entertainers. young, local guys who sing and dance and perform. i never really knew why we had friended each other, only that God always connects me to people who are wiling to work with me to further my work and to improve or enrich the lives of the kids. this was surely another series of divine connections. robbie jakay and soldier rashid....singer and dancer.....robbie says sure he will perform and he will bring soldier. i said 'what, you know soldier?' and he says 'yes, he's right here.' now what are the chances of that? not a coincidence.....divine planning i'm sure. robbie also says he knows others who will perform, how about another dancer, a 5 year old, and a mime comedian? oh, i'm thinking, this is going to be great!!! we picked them up friday noon and traveled to naguru to discover it was a special day there. the newly appointed dormitory leaders were being installed and there was a group there called No Kids Behind Bars who was talking about children's rights, and now...there was entertainment! yay.....the guys were all wonderful!!! they all said they had lived in kampala their entire lives and didn't know naguru existed...yep i said, neither did andrew....i head heard about it on facebook, coincidence? no again. the kids loved the dancers and mime and the robbie asked them if they wanted to learn his new song "Troubles".....perfect song about how everyone, everywhere has troubles and how we must defeat them. the kids joined right in and i felt a huge "THANK YOU LORD!" flow from my lips because again and again He proves that He is right by my side helping me help His children. WOW...when i thinnk about that i get all teary eyed and i want to do more to show Him i am doing my best on this path i am traveling. it has been one amazing week....i'm exhausted, but ready to see what next week will bring.
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