Wabiyinja and Fountain

I need to blog about the last 2 days or I am really going to be behind. Yesterday we went to Fountain to give out sponsored children's gifts. That went well and I got lots of pictures to share. From there we drove to Wabiyinja True Worship Center. They were having a conference, so they had different pastors that had been invited. We drove up and they welcomed us with much celebration! They started in with a time of praise and singing. Then each of the team members introduced themselves. They were all so happy that we were there. That we came all the way from America to their little village...such a loving people. One of the pastors stood and told everyone that we needed to pray for Colorado and the fires they have been having. We looked at each other confused that they knew about this and we did not. Then Pastor Robert gave a 45 min. talk about being determined and dedicated in your walk with Jesus, and not building walls that make your relationship unsuccessful. After his talk the ladies brought out lunch. It was a feast! The African people can eat a lot! We had rice, potatoes...irish and sweet, chicken, spaghetti, matooke, beans, pumpkin, greens, bananas, soda and water. After lunch Pastor Ken was going to give his talk and Todd was not feeling well so he stayed at the church. The rest of us went to do some outreach in the bush. We visited 4 households. Where ever we go we always have a gathering of the village children. So we had sweeties to give out to them. This is a very poor village and it showed in the children. In the clothing they had on...or barely had on....so dirty and torn. It breaks your heart. They are always so happy to see the mzungu's(white foreigners) and some were scared because they had never seen white people before. My mom actually had kids running from her crying and she was just trying to say hello. The people we visited...1. a blind older woman...she was so sweet and danced when she received her gifts...(we again gave, rice, beans, flour, sugar, a washcloth and an apron) She lives in just a little mud hut. All the households we visited lived in mud huts. The second....was a woman taking care of her grandchildren. Then we visited a woman who had no family, but did have a caregiver. The fourth was a widow who had bad feet and is just now healing, before she could only crawl like a baby. Sarah M. said a prayer at every house. The roads we traveled were actually trails and I can't believe the van could actually make it. Sarah thought for sure at one point that the van was going to roll over. When it was too bad, we had to get out and walk to the hut. We then went back to the church and they gifted us with a basket of avocados. The ride home was very bumpy. We ate dinner and then went to bed. Which brings us to today. We decided to tackle the shoes again. Oh, I forgot to say that after we were done yesterday we went back to the school and picked up the child Todd sponsors so he could spend the night. His name is Latibu. We found out he is Muslim, but he is hearing about Jesus everyday and we will be praying hard for him! He is a sweetheart. He and Todd had a great time, playing soccer, goofing around and watching a movie on Todd's laptop. Okay, back to the shoes...we went to a different shoe shop, found all the shoes and used the same method we did the first time. We ended up getting a little better deal then before, but not much. We are just glad the kids are getting their shoes. It was visiting day at the school. This is where all the families of students come once a term and bring them food to eat, visit with them, and find out their grades. Robert and Sarah take care of 20 students on visiting day. They make a bucket of rice and meat for them and bring them sodas. They also go around and speak with the teachers and find out all the grades. Robert was happy with some and not so happy with others. He let the kids know that he expects harder study and better grades. We got to meet many parents of sponsored kids as we gave out the gifts we had bought here...(school supplies...etc.) We came back to the house and had dinner in the dark...the electricity had gone out again. So, I am blogging in the dark as well...good thing Sarah had charged her laptop. Tomorrow we go back to Wabiyinja for church and there will also be baptisms tomorrow in the Nile River. I will close for now. God bless!


Beth

Shoes, Shoes, Shoes

Hello to all....here in Uganda we are an itchy bunch. We are covered in mosquito bites. So far none of us has malaria. The mosquitos are bad this season because the rainy season is lasting longer than usual. Yesterday was kind of a frustrating day. We set out in the morning prepared to buy 28 pairs of shoes for sponsored kids. This is no easy task in Uganda. So we had a few other items to get first...more mattresses, bedsheets, underwear, 2 dictionaries, Nomi laundry soap, more beans, a flashlight (which they call a torch), and medicines and vitamins. Then we went to the shoe store and the fun began. Sarah M. and I were very prepared for the task. We had measured the feet of the 28 students. So everyone got a piece of paper with the size of the foot. Once they found the one shoe that was the correct size they folded the slip of paper inside the shoe. Then the shoe sales person found the matching shoe. All the shoes were black, which is required at school. This process took roughly an hour, which was awesome! Then we found out the price. Half of the shoes were going to cost $55,000 shillings (roughly $25 dollars american) and the other half was going to cost $35,000 which is about $15 american. We were not okay with this....these shoes are not new. They are all used shoes and we could have gotten them cheaper in the States. We let the gal know this and said we would not pay that price. She brought it down to $50,000 and $30,000 and would not budge anymore. Shoes are expensive in Uganda! We told her we would not pay that price. So, we ended up taking all the slips of paper out of the shoes and walking away. We were so disappointed and also surprised that they would prefer to have no sale. It still would have been a big sale had they dropped the prices. Then we went to another shoe store. The first store was a store front that had all the shoes on racks...easy to see and pick what you want. This second store was not really a store, there were 5 or 6 piles of shoes on the sidewalk. We decided to take a break from looking for shoes. My dad and mom did get out because they had wanted to get Napoleon a pair of tennis shoes and a pair of sandles. They found them and we headed back to the house. Sarah M. and I started to organize all the gifts for sponsored kids. While we did that Mo and Marilyn sewed on fish. My dad was preparing for a sermon he is giving today in Wabiyinja and I think my mom was resting. Sarah and I again tried to be very organized about the process of sorting the kids gifts. We wrote the name on a piece of paper and taped it to the wall. Below the name we would place the gifts being given. We just went down the list...who gets shoe polish and a brush....who gets knives and so on. Marilyn placed all the things in plastic bags as we were separating everything. It went very well and the gifts are ready to be given out. When we were done it was time for dinner. We had mashed potatoes, coleslaw, peas, pineapple, and fried chicken. We gifted Napoleon with his shoes, a torch, a backpack, socks and writing books and pens. He has nothing and was so greatful for receiving them. Then we all fell into bed. Love to all.

Beth

Many Blessings!

Greetings from Uganda! Those are three words I never thought would come out of my mouth, but God is good! I am happy to report that we have had another successful day in Bukeeka. We started the day with breakfast at Robert and Sarah's which consisted of toast, bananas and sausage. Also, there is always a cold glass of mango or passion fruit juice to drink. After breakfast, Martha organized the gifts to take to the families in the bush and Marilyn and Monita separated the sponsor gifts to prepare them for distribution at the school. I do not recall what the rest of us were doing, although Pastor Paul (from Next Generation Ministries) came by for a quick visit. We loaded everything in the van and Robert's car. Todd had the opportunity to drive Robert's car today (with Robert) and he did a great job! Driving in Uganda is not easy, especially when you are not used to driving on the opposite side of the street. We stopped to bless two of the ladies, whom we met yesterday, with a new mattress, soap and a washcloth. They were both elated! We also stopped at the home (small mud hut with a thatched roof) of a woman who attends True Worship Center. She lives with her sister, son and grandson. Her daughter has left to complete her schooling. The conditions they are living in are very poor. The hut is so small and they have no mattress. She cooks from inside the hut, so they breath the smoke from the fire when she cooks. Also, at night they tie their goat up in the hut as well because they are afraid it will get stolen. We spent a little time with them and gifted them with rice, beans, flour, sugar, soap, a mattress, washcloth and an apron. She was so grateful! As we were walking out of the village, a man, who we had seem earlier, asked us to pray for him. His heath was not good. So, Pastor Kenny (as Sarah and Robert call him) prayed for him. After the prayer, he asked to receive Jesus into his life. Pastor prayed again with him, with the help of Elisha, and he received Jesus into his heart. We continued on our journey and ended up back at Fountain of Hope School. We had a list of all the children we need to buy shoes for and had them come to get their feet measured. It went quite smoothly. We had lunch at the school. Robert brought chapati and eggs, mandas and there were also beans to eat. When lunch was over, we had the opportunity to hand out a number of gifts to sponsored students. They are sooo happy to receive these gifts. It means so much to them! We took pictures of each child with their gifts and helped answer any questions they had about the items. You may think that our day ended there, but no...there is more!! We met with high school students for about an hour and a half after handing out the sponsor gifts. There are 200 high school students in three grades. (Senior 1, 2 and 3). Next year, FOH will add Senior 4 and continue adding a new grade each year until they have Senior 1-6. The students led us in singing a few songs before we had a question and answer session. The seven team members had the chance to share a brief message with the students and then answer several questions. With questions answered, we got into the van to head back to the Sityo's home. We rested a bit and then had a well prepared meal of chapati, beans, meatballs, rice and pineapple. I could eat their rice and beans everyday! Before we went to bed, Robert shared the story of his childhood with us. He had many, many struggles growing up, but is so faithful to God. I am sitting in bed now, with my mosquito net draped around me, and can not help but give thanks to God for the adventure I am having, the people who love me in the States and in Uganda, and the opportunity to show God's love to those around me. Be safe and take care of each other!

Sarah M.

Shopping and Outreach

First, I have to say that we had the biggest storm last night. I don't think I have ever been in such a storm. The lightening was constant...the thunder shook the house and the rain poured! We tried to fall asleep...I think I only screamed twice:) The last two days have been filled with shopping for sponsored children. The items that we have been buying are....Trunks, mattresses, blankets, sugar, backpacks, bedsheets, shoe polish and brushes, jelly..what they call lotion for their skin, box files..for highschool paperwork, shower shoes, writing notebooks, pens and pencils, slips for under skirts, graph books, art pencils, socks, math sets, toothpaste and toothbrushes, towels, knives...they teach the girls how to peel and cut food, calculators, soap, snacks, sanitary pads for girls, and locks for the trunks. As you can see, it is a lot and it takes a long time to buy. We have not even started on shoes...I think we will go up to the school and measure feet first and then tackle shoes. It is not like the US where you can go into a big store and find everything you need and then leave. We go from shop to shop and African time is just slow. It is good to slow down though. There was one highschool boy that is not sponsored that we bought a mattress, bed sheets and blanket for. His name is Fred and he is the only boy at Fountain that is in a wheel chair. His bedding and mattress were very poor quality and it hurt his back. If they don't have a good mattress, they are just laying on wooden slats. We gave him his new stuff yesterday and he cried. He kept saying thank-you and God is so good. We said a prayer for him and then Sarah M. wheeled him back to class. If anyone feels that they can sponsor Fred, please contact Grace Giving. We also had bought beans, flour, sugar and rice for outreach. While myself, Todd, Sarah M. and Pastor went shopping, Mo, Marilyn and Martha stayed at the house and filled big ziplock bags with the food so we could hand them out in the afternoon. We did outreach in Bukeeka. Sarah S. had 5 older women that she wanted us to bless. The first we visited went prostrate on the ground when she saw us. She was so thankful that we were there. She lives all alone because her only daughter died. The second woman sleeps ona thin mat on the floor, so we will be going back to gift her with mattress as well. She had ten children, but all of them have died. The third woman was Muslim, and sick...Sarah S. says that we don't just visit the people associated with the school or church, they visit all those in need to win them to Christ. This Muslim woman wanted us to pray for her and her sickness. We will be taking her a mattress too...she is sleeping on the dirt floor. The fourth woman was a very serious woman, not many smiles. She is alone too...meaning, no family. Someone does come to help her cook. Finally the last one lives with her daughter, who is mute, and her her 7 grandchildren. The daughters husband had left the family. They only survive on blessings from others. At each house (hut) we prayed for each woman. They were all so very thankful for the food we brought. The group had some tears as well. I took lots of pictures. We are having trouble getting pictures to load in a timely manner. The two we have shared took about an hour, so that is why we have not posted many. When we got back to the Sityos we had dinner with Peter(our driver from our last two trips) and his wife Asiina and their daughter Precious. There were lots of laughs and Peter shared his story of how he came to be Born Again! (that's how they say they are a christian) Well, I am going to close. Breakfast is ready. If anyone has questions about anything, just ask it in the comments and we will answer. Have a blessed day.

Beth

Final Day of the Tournament

Yesterday was a loooong day! We were out at the school by 9:30am for church at True Worship Center and then the day ended with dinner back at the Sityo's 8:30pm. Church was not "Lutheran":) We sang and danced and clapped. It is a different way to worship and it is good to see different ways. The people are so in love with Jesus! When it was time for children's church, Marilyn, Martha, Sarah M. and S., Irene and I went to another building where all the children were gathered. Mo, and Todd stayed to listen to Pastor Ken's sermon. Robert interpreted for him and Sarah S. interpreted for us. I don't know the topic of his sermon, but it had to do with Peter. The children's talk was given by my mom, Martha. She did a short review of the story we did last year and then tied it in with being a disciple and a "fisher of men". The kids were very attentive and liked the big pictures we brought. Sarah M. then led singing...she taught them the song...My God is so great, so strong and so mighty, there's nothing my God can not do"! We did it with the motions and they loved it. What I thought was really cool was that the visiting student athletes were there and so they heard the message too. They had kids lined up looking in the windows to see. We gave out the fish bean bags and fish crackers at the end and you would have thought it was Christmas.  They played with them all day...some I think were curious to find out what was inside, so there were a lot of fish that were taken apart and flat by the end. Once that was done we ate lunch and then the tournament started again. We sat most of the day watching soccer and netball. The girls won, although the final game I heard was a nail biter! Robert, of course, is unable to watch because of his anxiety. I said Robert you need to stay and support your team...He said " Do you want to watch me die?" Everyone laughed! He can't stay on the school ...he has to drive away and come back when it is finished:) The boys got 2nd place like they did last year. There game was a nail biter too. It ended up with a shoot out at the end. For those who won there was much celebrating,  and singing. It was close to evening when the prizes were handed out...so we left the school and it was dark outside...all the visiting schools started to walk home. They gave away the 2 bulls...one for Fountain and then prize money, medals, trophys and soccer balls. I do have to tell you that there were officials there for the tournament that came from Kampala. They were so impressed with the FOH netball team, they said that they are the best team they have ever seen in any of the villages. They invited them to play their teams in Kampala on Wed. Robert said they will be going and he was happy that they will be challenged in their playing so they can only get better. All in all the tournament went very well. We ended the day pretty exhauasted, came home, ate dinner and fell into bed. Today we are taking the morning kind of slow. We plan to make of list of things we need to buy for sponsored students and there families. We will go after lunch and do our shopping. I feel so fortunate to be here among these people. Much love to all of you.

Beth

First Day of the Tournament

Well, after such a long day of being at the school yesterday, I ended up falling into bed right after dinner. Sarah M. said she would try her hand at the blog, but same thing with her...went right to bed. So, I will try and remember everything that happened yesterday. We woke and had a breakfast of toast, omlets with peppers...which were so good, and bananas. Our goal was to be out at the school by 8:30am. When we had the briefing about the tournament the director said....schools will be arriving at 8:00, we will begin the tournament at 9:00. We got there at 8:30 and not all of the schools had arrived. Fountain had painted all the bricks surrounding pathways...alternating orange, yellow and white...it looked so pretty. We unloaded all the suitcases into one room and then the checking in of teams started at 10:00. They wrote the colors of the t-shirts on little slips of paper and each coach picked the color of their team. We then started the process of placing bands on each athlete...you know the bands that kids wear at waterparks in America? Todd thought of that idea...it was a good one. It was announced in the beginning if you don't have a band you can't play...the band also served as the way the kids got lunch too. Those types of bands are not transferable either. We have had cheating in the past where the teams are set, the kids are weighed and measured and found eligible to play, they get the shirt and then the the coaches give the shirts to kids that are not eligible, hoping to increase their chances to win. The bands if removed rip and can't be replaced and if you don't have a band you don't play. They did try to get around it by putting a shirt on another player, coming back and saying this player didn't get a band. But we did not give a shirt until we saw they had the band, so we turned them away...saying no. It was a little chaotic, but we got through all 12 teams and by the time we were done the tournament started at 12 noon. I have been here before so I know African time so it did not surprise me...you just roll with it and have a good time. We went and watched netball first. The Fountain of Hope team is incredible. They have an awesome coach and better training then the other teams. They played 3 games and I don't think the other teams even scored. One of the matches was like 30-0. There was much cheering and people dancing on the field. The soccer team is matched pretty good with the other teams, so their games were pretty stressful. Pastor Robert said he can't watch the boys play because something happens to his heart. It must race from all the anxiety:) The boys did end up winning the first game, but it was close. They ended up with one more goal in like the last 2 minuets of the game, so it ended 2-0. We had lunch out at the school. They made us rice, beans and meat...I think it was beef. They don't normally have meat during the week...only on weekends and on special occasions. We then watched another netball game. During the games the team is interacting with all the kids. We play with them, Todd chases them...which they think is hilarious, we take pictures and show them photos of themselves, they sit on our laps, hold our hands...we just love them. While the games were going on in the afternoon, Sarah S. got her church choir together in one of the new buildings and held practice for church in the morning. She gathered quite a crowd...I was able to video the practice. They are so good...singing and dancing, praising the Lord! We left the school around 4:30, handing out sweeties as we left. By the time we got home everyone was very tired. We had a wonderful dinner of spaghetti with meat or peas, pineapple...the best I have ever tasted, potatoes, cauliflower and greenbeans. After dinner Sarah M. sat on the porch and talked about family and culture with Irene and Napoleon. Todd played soccer with Israel...wait, I think this happened before dinner...because after dinner we all fell into bed:) Sarah M. showed Irene and Napoleon a picture of her family and Napoleon asked if he could have it. She said it was so sweet...he put it in his pocket and then would take it out to look at it and would say I love this so much...like it was a treasure. Napoleon comes from the Congo and his family is still there living in a camp and they don't always have food to eat. He sends money to them. Well, I better go get a shower. Soon it will be breakfast and then we will head back to the school for church. Oh, one thing I did want to mention was the torrential down pour of rain we experienced the other day. I know in Spokane we had been having some pretty heavy rain fall, but compared to Jinja...it's nothing. This rain goes on for about 30-45 min. and gushes from the rooftops...ponds of water form in the grass and once it is done the water soaks up right away...but there is mud everywhere. Ok, I need to close, have a great day!

Beth

Photos!

Bubble Frenzy!

                                           

The Three Jjajjas!

Fountain Fun and Tournament Preparation

Hello blog followers...I have tried to get someone else to write the blog, but for now you are stuck with me. Today we started with a breakfast of sausage, toast, oatmeal, bananas, and passion fruit juice. Since Pastor Ken and Todd did not go out to Fountain yesterday we went again for another tour of the grounds and visiting students. But our first stop was to a certain grandma...Vicki, we visited your grandma. She is the sweetest lady and so thankful to God for all that she has. What a lovely home she has.  Before we could enter her home she had to sweep it clean. She also showed us her new toilet and bath. My mom gave her a kiss on the cheek and there were many hugs all around. She was so sad to hear about Terry and also had to let us know about her stomach pains (ulcers that Sarah S. gives her medication for). Her back troubles her a lot too, it's hard for her to bend over. But still lives her life with such joy in Christ! We then went to FOH, when we drove up students were picking up leaves that had fallen to the ground. Making sure the grounds were looking good for the tournament tomorrow. Sarah S. gave us all a tour again  and Todd and Pastor introduced themselves to the highschool classes. Of course everyone was so excited to see Todd again. The new boarding house is stacked full. They have now resorted to triple bunks and there is just enough room for a walk way space. It is packed with 128 girls on one side and 115 boys on the other. Their hope for the future is one more boarding house so they can have one building for boys and one for girls. Even though there are so many kids the house mama and papa make sure everything is kept ship shape. It is very clean and all the beds are made and kept just so. The one problem they do have is bed wetters with the younger kids. We are hoping to replace the mattresses that are really bad and then cover them with the plastic mattress covers we brought. They have a list of rules they must follow that are posted on the wall. The one rule I found interesting was that they are only allowed to speak English inside the dorm. I asked Sarah S. why.. and it just helps with the learning of the language and good practice for them. When it was time to go we went to the van and had to wait for the driver. The little kids were out of class so Sarah M. decided to get out the bubbles she had brought and blow them for the kids. It caused quite a commotion and kind of scared Sarah a little. The kids get so excited and everyone is trying to pop the bubbles and they were crowding in on her and kids were falling and caused a dog pile in front of her. She finally stopped so that kids would not get hurt. We will try it again but maybe two of us will blow bubbles and then they have more bubbles to pop. They love just being around us and holding our hands...they are so easy to love. We also handed out sweeties..what they call any kind of sugar candy. The kids love their sweeties! We then went back to the house to a lunch of rice and peas and bananas. Then the women sat down and finished sewing the 250 fishies that are needed on Sunday. There are still many fish to sew, but we will get to them. Marilyn, Sarah, Mo and I then went through all the tournament stuff. Making sure everything was in order and packed for easy loading in the van tomorrow morning. Our dinner was talapia and tartar sauce, mashed potatoes, chapati, pineapple, and beans. The food tastes so good and lovingly prepared by Monica, Irene, and Salivia.  We are also protected by a guard named Napoleon. He guards the house 24/7 and sleeps only from 6am-9am. I don't know how he does it. We asked what he would do if someone tried to enter the compound. He has a bow and arrow for protection. This evening as I sit writing this blog, Sarah and I are in our room and hear a male voice out side our window. Sarah said is someone talking to us? Scared us half to death. I finally said Napoleon is that you? While thinking in my mind...please Lord let that be Napoleon. It was...thank-you Jesus! He was telling us that we left the back door open...crazy Americans! He is so good to us, another gentle, loving person. Well, I will close and hand it over to Sarah, she wants to add some photos...that yes, I had promised yesterday:) Much love to all. Oh yeah, I need to make a shout out to my peeps at The Center for Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery...thinking of you:)

Beth

Answered Prayer

I think this is the happiest day of my life! Ok...when I got married and had my children..that was pretty good too. Jesus answered our prayers!!!! OUR BAGS ARE HERE!!!! Just in time for the tournament...Our God is an awesome God...I prayed hard for a miracle and everyone else prayed and he answered! So, I praise him in the good and when there is bad also. Never stop praising him! We woke this morning and Robert and Sarah (my sister) called the airport in Entebbe and all the bags had come in last night. Our plan was for the whole group to go to Fountain, but plans changed. Robert, my dad and Todd drove to Entebbe to pick up the luggage. When they got there, sure enough it was all our bags. The man opened our luggage and said that we need to pay taxes on the tournament shirts. Todd was having none of that and said no...we will not pay. Why do we have to pay taxes on these shirts and not on all the other luggage? The man said those are personal items...Todd said well then these t-shirts are my personal shirts as well. Their is a lot of coruption in Uganda and the man would have just pocketed the money if we paid it. I think they had a stand off and Todd was not budging. So the man said fine...You just go. I could not believe my Todd did that. My dad said he just sat back and said nothing and let Todd handle it. So all of us have our personal bags...I saw a note from Miriam that meds were coming for Pastor with the Newport team. I saw him take his diabetes shot this evening. Thank-you so much for loving him and wanting to help him. The rest of us traveled to Fountain. Oh my goodness...so much has changed. So much growth is happening. Sarah Sityo and Boscoe (the financial director for the school) gave us a tour. They now have a fence all the way around the school with 2 gates so they can control who comes and goes. It is better security. They have 2 "gate keepers" that are there all the time. Robert said it was a big adjustment for all the teachers because now when they come to school they also have to be checked, their bags checked, for safety of the students. With the auction monies that were raised by the community last year, they added on to the Highschool. They now have a building for Senior 4. Next year they want to add senior 5 and last senior 6. Then students can go to Fountain for their entire education. They have new buildings going in for the primary grades. The new kitchen is already too small for the number of students. The plan is to knock out one of the walls and add more and bigger cooking areas. Right now they are cooking in two shifts. I had never been in the kitchen when they were actually preparing the meal...(posho, beans and rice) It is scorching hot in there and the cooks are just dripping sweat. They also have to have big muscles because they are stirring such large pots of food. I am thankful they are there and feeding all the amazing children! We were greeted by many of the younger classes who ran out of their classrooms to greet us. Which surprised their teachers...so they had to round them up. This is not a normal accurance, they are very well behaved. Only when the Mzungus come that everyone goes mulalu:)(crazy).
Sarah cries at the drop of a hat. She can't even wave out the van window without tearing up. We went back to the Sityos house for lunch and then Martha, both Sarahs , Boscoe and I went to go shopping in town for the supplies for Sarah's stockpile and for outreach in the bush that we will be doing. We bought many things...writing books, pens, pencils, toilet paper, sanitary pads (for girls), soap, toothpaste, rice, beans, sugar, and flour for posho. We went back to the house and when we got there the suitcases were there! We ate dinner to the music of Chane Matoon and Becca Klimper...(see, you are here:) Then we sat and shared conversation with Robert and Sarah about how they met and how Fountain of Hope got started. Those of you curious...come next year...they can tell it again! Marilyn and Mo did not go on the shopping trip with us. They continued to sew up the fish we filled with beans. We also helped before we all had dinner. What a great day! I raise my Fanta in the air...and say Thank-you Lord...and now I will go to bed with a smile on my face.   Oh, one more thing...I got to see Peter and Sera today in town when we were shopping...that was a wonderful surprise. The preparations for the tournament have already begun and will continue tomorrow. The tournament is on Sat. and the whole community is excited. Blessings on your day!

Beth

Day of rest

Hi....it's Beth again. Today was a good day. We took it slow today. I think every one of us were able to take a much needed nap. We have not heard about our 6 lost suitcases. It's actually 3 of us that do not have our personal bags....Mo's did not arrive either. Please pray for my dad. He has pain in his feet and he only brought a few days of his meds in his carry on, the rest are in his lost bag. His diabetes meds are in the lost bag as well. I know that Jesus is taking care of all of us, and it will be okay in the end. The sports tournament is on Sat. and we only have enough shirts for 5 teams. WE NEED THOSE BAGS!!! PRAY, PRAY, PRAY! Today started out with no running water...we thought we would not be able to get a shower today. That was bad news...I looked a fright and Sarah and Todd could not stop laughing about it. But, our most gracious hosts brought in water and filled the tank and everyone was able to take a shower...a freezing cold shower...but it felt wonderful!!! We then had a great breakfast...they made french toast (which they didn't know that is what we called it) They said we have bread with eggs...so now it is known as Ugandan toast. They also had bread with peanut butter or jam, sausage...not sure what kind, mango-passion fruit juice and bananas. They feed us well here. After breakfast we went into town and bought some items needed at Pastor and Sarah's home and also beans to fill the fish that we will be giving out to the children when we tell the story of Peter and fisherman. We ate lunch in town at a cafe called the Source and then came home and that is when everyone took a nap. Sarah and I went through the suitcases we did have and organized them into groups...tournament stuff, sponsorship gifts, medical supplies, school supplies, gifts etc.  We then had a wonderful dinner of  chapati bread and beans, yams, potatoes, fried chicken and watermelon. After dinner we sat in the living room and filled the fish with beans and had wonderful conversation with Pastor Robert, Sarah, Sarah's sister and brother...Irene and Israel. They are such gentle and kind people with lots of questions. They love the Lord so, so much! Sarah learned much about Israel's schooling. Israel is in highschool...level 4. He has 2 more levels before he graduates. They study very hard and education is so important to them. He wants to be a pastor someday too. While we were sitting there our driver from our last 2 trips walked in....PETER! We were so happy to see him. Todd and I are very close to him, he is family and he told Todd, if you would have been here for my wedding, you would have been my best man. We love him so much! Vicki Gamble...he was so appreciative of all the gifts you sent for his family. Everyone was fascinated by the dog you bought for his daughter, Precious. They could not believe that it could actually say her name. It got passed around a lot.  Their next child is due in September. Well, that was our day today. We are very excited to wake in the morning...We will be going to Fountain of Hope! We will also be making a list of things we need to buy for the school....Sarah and Robert always have children coming to them and saying we don't have paper or pencil or toilet paper, soap...it could be anything. So our goal is to have a stock of the basic neccessities to be given out as needed. Hopefully we can keep it replenished. I will make sure that I add some pictures to the next blog. It's 11:45pm so I better get to bed. God be with all of you! Goodnight...or Good Morning for you.

Beth

We Are Here!

Hello.....it's Beth, and I am going to attempt our (and my) first blog. As you read in the title....we are finally here. I have lost all sense of time...but am told it is Tuesday evening on the 19th of June. We have had quite the journey so far....I will bring you all up to speed, forgive any typos as I am exhausted. We started out in Spokane with what we thought was 21 suitcases...but in fact there were 23, don't ask....it still stumps our fearless leader.  We got to Seattle....good , short flight. When we got there, my dad had to go out to the Emerites counter to get our boarding passes and vouchers for the hotel stay in Dubai. We thought we had plenty of time....but I think we were in some kind of warp speed time continueum...because by the end we were racing to get to our already boarding plane. So my dad goes out....and said he would call us all if he needed us. Of course he did..,.they needed to see all our faces and passports...big , duh moment I think. So, we leave Todd with all our carry on bags so we could have an easier time getting through security again. Sarah and I got our stuff first....as we were standing in the loooong line to get through security...which by the way...we were supposed to be boarding in 30 minutes....here comes my mom....by herself mind you (if you know my mother and I, you would know we both have a debilitating disease called...Don'teverleavemealoneIhavenosenseofdirectionandwillgetlostitis!) It worried Sarah and I, but knew we needed to get through so we could relieve Todd to get his boarding pass. Oh, another part of the story is that Mo and Todd did not have hotel vouchers for when we got to Dubai...we were going to wing it and do a covert, smuggling of them into the hotel if necessary...I am only kidding:) So , Sarah ended up having to go back out with Todd because he had no idea where he was going...it has hit the third generation people....he is young so intervention might help. I am left with an enormous amount of carry on luggage and a little stress looking at the clock and realizing the amount of time we don't have. Everyone finally gets through security, and we realize that Nonie is lost.....LOST...we can not find her. She decided not to take her cell phone with her..so we left Sarah behind, just in case mom shows up. The rest of us get racing to the gate since it was boarding. Mind you there was a lot of praying going on, dad thought he was going to have to stay behind if she was no where to be found. And wouldn't you know it, that little trooper found her way to the gate...I am so proud of her! Sarah got there in time too and we were headed to Dubai. (on a side note to my sister, Becca...I know I said I was going to call you from Seattle...but as you can see, there was no time..I love you:) The flight to Dubai was 14 hours or so. I am going to ask for some prayers for myself and you might find it kinda funny....please pray for my backside! I have been having problems sitting for long periods of time because my tailbone hurts terribly! Right now it is pretty bad...but I am coping. We got to Dubai all of us kind of punchy by now. We found our way through the beautiful Dubai airport and found our way to the bus counter to go get to our hotel. We let the gal know that 2 of our people didn't have hotel vouchers and she said it would be $115 dollars each to stay. My dad about swallowed his tongue, but we trusted that God was going to get us through this one too...he got us to the plane on time....He helped my mom find the right gate...He could do this too. We got to the hotel and it ended up that Mo and Todd were able to stay in the rooms with us. Hallaloo! We had our boarding passes for the next flight so it was going to be a breeze in the morning. I think our room was only able to sleep for 3 hours....we got to the airport on time, ate a little breakfast, and then went to go through security. None of our boarding passes worked, so we had to get new ones. Got new boarding passes, got through security and Sarah couldn't find her money pouch. It had her ID, all her money and her Visa card. She had left it on the chair that she had sat in while waiting for dad to get all the passes. A nice gentleman...ok, a stern gentleman led her back out to see if it was still there. A little girl was sitting in Sarah's seat and was on Sarah's money pouch! Yeah, God!!! We got to Entebbe, Uganda, very exhausted from lack of sleep and found out that 6 of our suitcases didn't make it....I am running out of battery, so long story short....yeah right!...pray that we get the bags. It had soccer tournament t-shirts. My personal bag, my dad's personal bag etc....I need to sign off. I am excited to see what God has in store for us tomorrow.  

Beth

I just want to say that I am so thankful to God that we have this opportunity to share His love with so many people here in Ethiopia, who are so much less fortunate than we are. I think the main thing that has stood out to me the most so far, is the way that the Christians here are so much more thankful, and express their joy than most people in America.


Today we awoke to some kind of parade or something outside of our hotel and all through the streets, and I was later informed that it was a parade of mourning, probably signifying the death of someone of some kind of significance. The culture here is so shockingly different. There was also a chorus of barking dogs, probably strays, that joined the parade, and also the daily call to prayer, before the sun was even out. We met for breakfast and had a team meeting, praying and planning for the day, and the VBS that will be taking place the rest of this week. 


After a delicious breakfast, we again loaded into the van, that is super shady and scares me a little bit, and traveled the cobblestone roads from Addis into Burayu, where we met with the pastor of the Full Gospel Church of Burayu in a local coffee shop. The macchiatos that we drank were by far the best tasting coffee I have ever had. 


We walked down the street a ways, and Pastor Emmanuel led us into the church building, and led all ten of us up onto the stage, where they had seats waiting for us. Dale introduced our team to the whole church. I was so overcome with emotion when the choir stood up and led the church in worship. I was thinking so much today about how awesome it is that even though I have no idea what these people are saying, by their body language, tone, and expression you know they are filled with the holy spirit. We worship the same God here in Africa as we do back in Coeur d' Alene, Idaho, it is just in a much much different way. Different language, different culture, different continent, the same HUGE amazing and all powerful God! I started crying tears of pure joy when I leaned over to Samuel, one of the church leaders and asked him what the people were singing. He told me that they were singing about how they will never forget all that God has has done for them, but they thank Him because he has done so much, and He is so good. Wow! They are having church inside a building that has been built with sheets of metal for walls, and a tarp for a roof. Why am I not as thankful as them? I have so much more. I guess the church really is the body of believers and not the building. Cool! I started crying another round of tears of joy when at the end of the church service, they had an altar call, and five people came up and dedicated their lives to Christ for the first time. I had no idea what they were praying, but I did know that I am going to see those beautiful men and women again someday in the kingdom of heaven! Praise God.


One of our big goals this week is going to be to connect the kids who are sponsored through GGI to their sponsor back at home. Today we gathered as many of those children together as we could, and took pictures with them so that we can show their sponsor how they are progressing. It was such a blessing for me to get to spend more time with the little boy I sponsor, Fraol, and meet his beautiful mother. What an honor! We played with the kids, taught them how to high five, and Audrey led them in a new song to them, head shoulders knees and toes! It was precious. They are such a blessing. We got to visit four of the homes of sponsored children today, hoping to find out how we can meet specific needs, and bless them in the most helpful way. We have found that a lot of them need beds and mattresses, because a lot of them sleep on the dirt floor. Pray that we will be able to find good deals on beds and bedding so we can get them up off the ground, out of the dirt, and away from all the critters that love to crawl all over them. One thing about todays home visits that stood out to me most, was a sign that I saw hanging on one of the mud walls. I asked one of the school officials to translate it for me, and it said, "We thank God because he is good to us". They are so thankful and so full of joy, that it leads me to tears on a constant basis. 


We prepared tonight for VBS tomorrow, and shared a lot of good laughs over dinner tonight. Please be praying that we will have a spirit of flexibility as we go into this week with a plan, but not knowing exactly what is in store. We have already seen that things are very subject to change here in Ethiopia. Pray that we will have the energy to keep loving these kids as much as they need. I have already found it to be very rewarding and awesome, but it takes a lot out of me. It has not been easy for me to put mind over matter. I look at the places they live and how dirty their faces are, and the flies literally in their eyes, and have a hard time not crying. So I have... A lot! Next week should be the first week in the new church building for the Full Gospel Church of Burayu, so be praying that that gets completed on time. Also, please pray that the Lord will make an impact on these children's hearts this week as we tell them about God's plan for their life, how much He loves them, and how they can spend eternity with Him! I pray that I will be a vessel that God will use in whatever way He needs me. I hope He stretches me, and grows me in ways that I could have never expected. I am seeing that already.


To God be all the glory! Good night or Good morning :)
~ Jill and the GGI team

Know therefore that the Lord your God is God; He is the faithful God, keeping His covenant of love to a thousand generations of those who love Him and keep His commands
Deuteronomy 7:9

After almost three days of traveling, our team of ten people made it to Addis Ababa, Ethiopia safe and sound with the exception of some lost luggage. This morning (Saturday) we were able to set out and begin to explore the city of Burayu and meet many of the people we will be serving with this next week. 

As we loaded up into one of the most sketchy vans I've ever been into, our driver merged onto   a main road filled with crazy drivers, people walking straight through it and people's livestock taking up way too much space in the middle of the road! I instantly pulled out my camera and slowly but surely began to fall in love with the people, the culture and this beautiful place. The buildings are made from anything to metal roofing material, to dried mud and straw mixed together to make walls. many of the people sit in the side of the road with their merchandise spread out for people to purchase. I loved seeing the small produce stands with the bananas hanging from the roof. The colors are just beautiful here...the people don't really match their clothes like we would, instead they just wear an array of bright colors all together. 

As we continued on our bumpy and crazy van ride, I had my head out the window and couldn't stop smiling. I'm one of the few white people in the city, so all of us are easily spotted by the locals. I waved and smiled at them and got shocked looks, big grins, waves or raised eyebrows as we passed by! After awhile of driving I waved to some small boys and they were so excited they ran up to the van shouting to us. A member of our team, Carol, immediately let out a shout of joy and called the boys over, speaking their names and saying "I love you, I love you" over and over. She knew these boys from the GGI school when she lived here two years ago. We had finally arrived at the school! This is the moment I was so anxious for...I would finally get to smother these precious children with hugs, kisses and "I love you's". We walked into the courtyard and were immediately greeted with big brown eyes and happy smiles from dozens of children. They poured into the main room and greeted us with the polite handshakes they have been taught to. I shook their hands, but quickly taught them I preferred big hugs and kisses. As the smiling kids poured in I was just overcome with tears and couldn't stop them from flowing! I was so utterly joyful because God had brought us all to these beautiful children...many who do not have parents to show them this kind of affection. We spent some more time at the school but soon left to walk down the street to go to our next stop. I was heartbroken as one little girl named Chaltou had gotten attached to me and started crying when we told her we had to leave. She followed us all the way to the street and would not let go! She stole my heart. 

For the next few hours we walked all through the city and had the honor of visiting Pastor Emmanuel's home and drinking coffee with his family. Bonus: it was also some of the best coffee I've ever had. We got to see the rest of the GGI school and visit the new church building that the Full Gospel Church of Burayu has been working on for over a year. What a blessing that it's almost complete! Tomorrow's Sunday service will be the last time they are in their old building. 

As much as I love seeing the city, meeting the different people and trying the different food,  everywhere we go I seek out the children. They are where my heart completely is! Although I only know about four words in their Ethiopian language, I've learned how true it is that a smile means the same in every language. God is so good and allowed us to meet many many precious children today. We hugged, kissed and held them and smiled to let them know they are loved. This is the first day in our adventure, but I already think it's been one of the most blessed days of my life. I thought it would take me awhile to adjust here, but I feel such an overwhelming peace about being here. I absolutely know that this is exactly where God wants me and the rest of my team right now, and that's why this feels so normal and so right. I am overcome with the type of joy that only comes from resting in the Lord's strength. And it is such a blessing to know the rest of my team is experiencing the same peace, joy and comfort as well. Praise God!

Some specific prayer requests would be for a member of our team, Betrese, who is not feeling well tonight. Her stomach and head are upsetting her. She is one of our main translators, so not only do we need her language skills, but also her sweet and encouraging spirit with us tomorrow! Also pray for wisdom for Dale and Roy as they attempt to open up better communication with the GGI school board in Burayu. 

Thank you so much for your prayers and support, this blessed trip would not have been possible without your loving encouragement. I am so excited to see how God will be moving tomorrow!!

Under the protection of the Almighty God,

Audrey and the GGI team

                                                  The GGI sponsored kids waiting for lunch

                                          Betrese translating for me and my sponsored girl Lydia

                                                      Coffee at Pastor Emmanuel's house

                                                                    The new church building

                                                                                       Oops

Isaiah 1:17 says "Learn to do right! Seek justice, Help the oppressed. Defend the cause of the orphans. Fight for the rights of widows."

God is speaking to His people in this verse, plainly telling us what our lives should be about. As God-lovers, no matter what place we are at in our life, we are to be about these things. I believe the reason we remain on this earth even after receiving Christ, is so that we can be the literal hands and feet of Jesus Christ, sharing His love to the people He loves. And those are often the unloved people of our world; the widows, orphans, oppressed and unjust. 

As modern day Christians, the word "worship" is often misinterpreted or misused. The Apostle Paul clearly describes true worship in Romans 12:1-2... 

      

         “I urge you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God to present 

          your bodies a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God which is 

          your spiritual service of worship. And do not be conformed to this 

          world but be transformed by the renewing of your mind that you 

          may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable, 

          or well pleasing and perfect.”

We often view worship as the time allotted during a church service to sing praise songs. But worship is not a specific time during the week, rather a way of living. True worship is finding ways to incorporate loving people unconditionally into our everyday life. It is following and obeying the commands that the Lord has revealed in His Word. It is meditating on the Word throughout the day, so that our minds will be renewed. Because this is what is good, pleasing and acceptable in the eyes of the Lord. 

Because we believe these things so plainly seen in the Bible, on June 6th a group of ten individuals will set out on a missions trip to Burayu Ethiopia. We are working through Grace Giving International with the purpose of bringing glory to God. Eight of us will be working at the GGI Academy in Burayu to put on a Vacation Bible School for over 400 children. Our theme for the week is "God has a plan for you". We want Jeremiah 29:11 to become a reality for each child there, and for each one to embrace it personally through a relationship with Jesus Christ. Although planning, teaching and communicating a VBS for 400 children who do not speak our language seems like a daunting task, it is nothing compared to our mighty God. We will have five different translators helping us teach the Bible lessons that week which is such a blessing. We are so excited for this opportunity, and we are honored to be able to tell these precious children there is a God that loves them more in a moment than any other lovers could in a lifetime. 

If you would like to pray for our team, it would be greatly appreciated. This trip will not be successful unless it is soaked in prayer. Some things to be praying for are...

- For God to be preparing the hearts of everyone we come in contact with so that they are ready to receive His truth. 

- Safety! We are traveling to a third world country and there are obvious safety issues that we could come in contact with. 

- A spirit of flexibility for everyone on the team. Although we are planning how we would like the trip to go, a lot of the time God has something different in mind. We want to take everything in stride and realize it's part of God's sovereign plan. 

- That we would not miss any opportunity to share the gospel. Whether it's on our flight, in the airport, hotel, village, marketplace, restaurant or someone's home, we want to take advantage of every opportunity that the Lord places in front of us. Carpe Diem. 

- Most importantly, that this trip would bring God glory and win hearts for His kingdom. 

Thank you for your prayers and support, we are so excited to see how God is working in Ethiopia! If you would like to read about what God is doing during our trip, we will be putting up posts and pictures while we are there, when we able. 

Under the protection of a Mighty God,

~ Audrey and the GGI team