Update

Hello again,

I know it is time for an update. I remember checking our blog each day while Josh was here and we were still home, hoping he had posted :). I've posted a few pictures here but it takes awhile to upload each picture on the blog and it goes much faster on facebook so there are many more on my facebook if you want to see those. Look under photos; there are two albums: Ugandan Life Take One and Ugandan Life Take Two.

I'll start with last Saturday...we spent the morning around the guest house. I swept, dusted, cleaned and organized, basically just making our temporary home feel a little more like our own. Bob and the boys worked around here as well, and the boys worked on school homework. It was a nice morning.

In the afternoon we headed to a children's party at church, which was basically 4 hours of speeches and sermons, with the occasional singing or dancing by a group of children. We were protected from the sun by tarps for which I was very thankful. All the Ugandans sat on hard plastic chairs, while the guests of honor...the speakers and us...sat on couches they had brought outside from someone's home. I'm not sure how the people (including children and babies) managed to sit so quietly and politely listen to the speakers for that length of time, but they did. Josh and Drew provided some comic relief periodically (privately of course), but it did seem to go on and on. One of the politicians who spoke held up a poster with his name and a photo on it, something we at home might put up around town as campaign literature. He then stated that he was running for office, and kind of as a side note mentioned that the photo wasn't really him, it was his twin brother, but close enough. It was hilarious. I don't know if he couldn't make it to the photographer or if he thought his brother was better looking or what, but what a hoot!  Livened it up for us a bit which was good. Then was lunch! When they serve food, all the adults go get their food first, while the children sit to the side and wait. They sat so patiently and quietly. Then when the adults are through, if there is food left, then the kids go up. Not quite sure what to make of that. I can tell you that when our kids were little, if we wanted to eat in peace, we fed them first, but these little kids are so patient!  Once we were done eating, all the older kids headed out to the sports field to play football. Josh, Drew and Jake all played and had a great time. It was a good way to end the children's party after all those speeches and sermons.

Sunday morning we drove 2.5 hours to attend a church that has been started among the Karamajong people, a tribe in Northern Uganda.  The pastor is a really neat young man, very passionate and animated. They were singing when we arrived and he was jumping up and down. leading the congregation. Could that man JUMP! His vertical jump had to be about 3 feet high. There was much energy and enthusiasm in praising our God and it was so fun to be part of their praise time. They asked us to introduce ourselves and say a few words. Josh introduced us and we told them how happy we were to be worshipping with them and that we brought greetings from our church in America. Tim Sliedrecht preached the sermon. Let me just say this...Josh, Jake and I had all taken motion sickness pills for the ride there as these were the roughest roads yet in our time here. We did fine on the ride as far as motion, but the pills make you sleepy. Like Josh said to Tim, nothing against your message or your preaching, but staying awake was a CHALLANGE! :)

 After the service we were invited into a building made of cornstalks where we had lunch. The lunch was a tortilla like outside with fried ostrich egg inside. There were very good, but huge. We are always served soda with meals...I've never drank so much pop.  Afterwards we headed outside for a tour of the village. Inside the building was very good, but outside it was SOOOOO hot...over 100 degrees! I think Jake was dehydrated and got overheated. He didn't feel good at all and just wanted to sit down.

 One thing when you visit a village here, you tend to draw a crowd just for the simple fact that you are a mazungu (white person). Now add the fact that you look like you don't feel well, you keep either bending down or kneeling down, and you draw an even bigger crowd. Needless to say, Jake wanted some space but didn't get any.  At one point I thought Jake might be feeding the 5,000 and not feeding them anything they would want...aka...puke. Josh and Drew found it quite amusing which helped the situation even less.  We kept trying to shoo the crowd away. They would back up for a few seconds, but would crowd right back in as soon as they could. At the time Jake didn't find amusing, but we've been able to laugh about it later. We need to remember to drink lots of water with meals they serve. 

The tour of the village was very interesting but sad in ways. Alcoholism is a big problem amongst the Karamajong people. They dry out seeds and brew alcohol (rum I believe). There were numerous drunk men roaming around, one of whom wanted me to take his picture. It wasn't until he came up to view it that I realized what was in his cup. The

church there is doing what it can, but it is a big problem.  Witchcraft is also very prevalent here. One woman had a cross around her neck, but also a witchcraft charm hanging right next to it. Our hearts were heavy to know that there is much spiritual darkness among these people. Please pray for the church here that they might be a light to the people and that the saving knowledge of Jesus Christ may continue to grow amongst the Karamajong people. Jennifer, the nurse on the team here, is in the process of seeking God's direction in regards to living and working among the Karamajong people. Please pray that God's will becomes clear to her. There is a great need here for Godly teaching and influence.

Each morning this week we are going to Amecet to tutor the older children. They all speak English, as well as Ateso and most are just learning their ABCs so there is much work to be done. We review the letters with them, play games that deal with ABCs and try and help them with the sounds each letter makes. Today we played an video for them that reviewed each letter of the alphabet. They enjoyed that. We'll see tomorrow if they remember anything from it :).

Yesterday we went with Jennifer to Katine, a village about 15 minutes away to visit a family who have children with brittle bone disease. This family has had 15 children, although only some of them are afflicted with this horrible disease.  All but two of the afflicted children have passed away.  Sara is of school age and Lazaro is 2 years old.  We brought lunch of posha and beans with us. When we arrived, you could tell they had prepared their yard for us. All the dirt showed signs of being swept and the children had brought out chairs for us. We had brought along two girls with us who could translate as the family does not speak English. Lazaro was inside the hut with his mother and news was brought to us that Lazaro had a broken leg. Jennifer went into the hut and came back out saying he had a broken leg right up by his hip. Apprently someone had accidently stepped on him in the night and due to the disease, broke his leg/hip. They were able to bring him out and set him in the special chair Jennifer had brought for him, but he was in much pain. It was so heartbreaking to see. The Ugandan people don't see much value in people who are handicapped. They see it as a waste of resources to feed and care for them, but we want them to know how much God values each one of us, even those the world considered the least of value. This is why Jennifer brings food for the family and cares for Lazaro. He is valued and he is loved and we were able to show God's love through our visit. Jennifer also brought along a large storybook that told the story of Christmas. She asked if I would tell the Christmas story. One of the girls translated for me as I shared the story of Jesus birth with Lazaro and his family. It was so incredibly touching and emotional for me. I so badly want each of those children to know that God loves them so much that he sent his son as a baby to this broken and sinful world, that through Jesus they can have an eternal life that will be so much better than what they know here. It is such an amazing gift and I was blessed to be able to share the story of this special gift with them. It touched my heart deeply!  The lunch of posha and beans was really quite good. Posha is a mashed potato like dish without much taste, but the beans and broth make it really good. You eat it with your fingers. Quite messy, but good and very filling.

Yesterday afternoon Bob and the boys went to Elim, the home for street kids and hung bug nets for them. They received new mattresses and bug nets. The boys were so excited to see their new beds and nets. Until last night, they slept on a reed mat on the floor so this is a HUGE improvement. Hopefully this will help will the prevention of malaria and will be much more comfortable than sleeping on the hard cement floor.

Tonight Josh is taking us out for supper in Soroti so that should be good. We are going to the Soroti Hotel, aka SoHo.  Jake has been told they have chips (french fries) so he is looking forward to that. 

I can't tell you how life changing this has been for us. We have seen and experienced things that have deeply touched our hearts. The emotion that wells up in me at times is overwhelming but good. God has used the people of Uganda to open my eyes, ears, heart and soul to the lost and hurting of this world, whether it be here in Africa or within our own community. I have never wanted so badly to share the saving message of Jesus Christ with all who either have not heard and don't know or have yet to accept it personally.

I am reading a book that friends gave us right before we left for Uganda. It is titled, True Religion and is written by Palmer Chinchen, PhD. It challenges each of us to get off the couch and give our life away to change what is broken in this world. In it, Chinchen says "Oppression, injustice, poverty, bigotry and abuse are real and present. But it doesn't have to be this way. God put you and me here to make this world a better place, a more beautiful place. When Jesus left, He asked that you and I continue to change and love the world. The mission and purpose of the local church was never intended to end at the edge of our community.  So whatever the cost, go in the name of Jesus and love people who hurt. Tell them and show them that God has a better way, a more beautiful way, a life-giving way."  Thank you to those of you who supported, encouraged, loved and prayed our family to Uganda. We are blessed beyond words and measure to be here, engaging with the lost and hurting. God is working in our hearts and changing our lives as we watch the team here love, care for and enfold the broken and abused in this country. We are BLESSED! Now we pray that we might be a blessing!

Please pray for Nathan as he finishes his exams at U of M and heads here this week. Please pray for focus as he finishes and safe travel as he comes to Uganda. We can't wait to see him and be together here in Uganda as a family. This will be a very special Christmas for our family; different from any other before. We hope that each of you has a wonderful Christmas with your loved ones. 

Julie