Back from the farm and onto Kayunga with the children sponsored by Billings families via AIDspirit, partners in Uganda with Kenny's brothers organization Tender Mercies outreach ministries....we were greeted by 10 children singing sad songs of loss and no parents who care...and there was not a dry eye! Bio-sand training, village teaching ensued and we hope for the deep water well to be drilled Monday, more village training on healing with clean water, bio-sand filters, village clinic, sickle cell clinics etc...all is sooo good and today was a day of rest and fun in Jinja!
Here goes from the team...
Hello once again. This is Brenda.Cant describe the experience in Africa. Will start work again in early am doing village teaching and clinics tomorrow afternoon. Will post more later.
Hello, this is Tom and Jean from AIDSpirit Montana and to say we are having a wonderful time is a mild understatement! We arrived in Kayunga onm Wed and we were greeted by several smiling faces of the wonderful children many of you sponsor. I took little time for Jean and I to choose our child, Rachel and make her ours. Se was rescued from a very hostile environment and she is now safe at Terder Mercies. Today Jean and I went shopping for her and tomorrow we will take her to the clinic for a check-up. Please keep praying for us as we do the work that we came here to do on your behalf.
Tom and Jean Jacques
Dave here...can't believe I leave in 3 days! The experience has been incredible...from Richard and Susan and the kids on the farm, the Oregon nurse team, the Billings team, and especially the People in Africa that I have met and am working with ! I love this place and need to figure out how to get back here....
Had a down day in Jinja .. paddled on the Nile River for a half day ...ran class 5 rapids - one flip but what a great trip!
Walked around Jinja this afternoon and shopped (as much as I could shop!). Heading back to Kayunga early tomorrow to oversee the borehole....hopefully everything goes as planned...
That is all for now...Peace
Dave
Sunday, January 18, 2009
Friday, January 16, 2009
Back from the Farm
Hi! We have had a fabulous week on the family empowerment farm in rakayata village near Masindi. All went amazingly well and we have been very blessed! Thanks for the prayers! They sure have carried us and those we have met along the way. Next stop is seeing crippled Roger and then on our way to Kayunga to meet up with Kenny's brother Prichard and the second montana team from AIDSpirit. The internet is terrible so will write again when possible..
Here are a few posts from the team....
\hello every one...what a great experience....the people the country Richard and Susan are terriffic \hosts....they have taken care of all of us...\nadine is a great organizer...\love to all Carol ie jaja..
Greetings from the Oregon group!--
Words cannot grasp the incredible experience we have had in Masindi at Canaan Farm. Beyond all the troubles and strife the families have faced, they are amazingly warm, happy and beautiful people. We are all honored to have met such strong and inspiring folk.
We are also thankful for having this experience to build our nursing foundation on. The Montana group has been wonderful teachers and letting us participate in health care. It is so fortunate that we all clicked so well and were able to work well together. Although we are parting ways (Oregon is off to Fort Portal to work with orphaned children), this is certainly not the last time we will be together...
Hello all this is Brenda. Time is flying by here. You know how they say time fly's when u r having fun. We have been doing LOTS of very rewarding work. But also have been having an experience of a lifetime. We have prepared and planted gardens and completed them with drip irrigations, have built biosand filters and treated many sick people. We have left the farm today and are now starting second phase of mission. Have so many stories to share but will stay brief for now.
Leigh here.... emailing from Africa seems to be a big challenge, so I will say a quick hello to everybody. Uganda is an amazing country filled with beautiful countryside and beautiful people. I can't wait to share all our pictures when we can!! I hope all is happy and healthy at home, and I have to say I am not missing the cold weather. Hugs to all.
More from the rest later....will post this before the power goes down!
Love to all, \nadine
Here are a few posts from the team....
\hello every one...what a great experience....the people the country Richard and Susan are terriffic \hosts....they have taken care of all of us...\nadine is a great organizer...\love to all Carol ie jaja..
Greetings from the Oregon group!--
Words cannot grasp the incredible experience we have had in Masindi at Canaan Farm. Beyond all the troubles and strife the families have faced, they are amazingly warm, happy and beautiful people. We are all honored to have met such strong and inspiring folk.
We are also thankful for having this experience to build our nursing foundation on. The Montana group has been wonderful teachers and letting us participate in health care. It is so fortunate that we all clicked so well and were able to work well together. Although we are parting ways (Oregon is off to Fort Portal to work with orphaned children), this is certainly not the last time we will be together...
Hello all this is Brenda. Time is flying by here. You know how they say time fly's when u r having fun. We have been doing LOTS of very rewarding work. But also have been having an experience of a lifetime. We have prepared and planted gardens and completed them with drip irrigations, have built biosand filters and treated many sick people. We have left the farm today and are now starting second phase of mission. Have so many stories to share but will stay brief for now.
Leigh here.... emailing from Africa seems to be a big challenge, so I will say a quick hello to everybody. Uganda is an amazing country filled with beautiful countryside and beautiful people. I can't wait to share all our pictures when we can!! I hope all is happy and healthy at home, and I have to say I am not missing the cold weather. Hugs to all.
More from the rest later....will post this before the power goes down!
Love to all, \nadine
Thursday, January 8, 2009
Hallelujah! We made it to Uganda!
We met up with the 5 graduate nursing students from Oregon, joining us on the first leg of the trip to the Family Empowerment Farm....Graham, Beth, Maura, Rebecca, Rachel.
All of us, the tubs etc made it in one piece amd customs was a breeze. We stayed in Entebbe overnight and are now in Kampala doing the money change, some shopping etc.
This internet is soooo slow so will keep it short.
Next step is on to Masindi in our own hired bus and all the stuff!
All are feeling very well and happy to be here!
Nadine
All of us, the tubs etc made it in one piece amd customs was a breeze. We stayed in Entebbe overnight and are now in Kampala doing the money change, some shopping etc.
This internet is soooo slow so will keep it short.
Next step is on to Masindi in our own hired bus and all the stuff!
All are feeling very well and happy to be here!
Nadine
Tuesday, January 6, 2009
Here We Go!
Up, up and away....we made it to the Billings airport with 14 tubs and all our carry ons....and all our first team members....Brenda, Carol, Leigh, Dave and fearless (or fretted) leader Nadine.
We had two emergency calls for delivery of extra (long) tub ties, medical licenses (in case we get stopped by customs). The trip has otherwise been uneventful and we are now in Amsterdam for a few hours before heading to Entebbe! Surprisingly, I feel less tired than I have on previous trips and more at peace. You'd think I'd be used to this by know...trip #5, it is always a different dynamic each year. I know the "power of prayer" has contributed immensely! Thanks all so much! And thanks for looking after Kenny and Gma! As I have not really slept and was wide awake...my study for this mission is evolving around " From Captivity to Freedom" Isaiah 61:1-4 as I prepare for our first leg of the mission on the Family Empowerment Farm, as self-sustaining christ centered community for refugees of the LRA 20 + year war, one of the longest running wars in Africa.
I'm pretty new at this blogging thing so will try to see if this works and will eventually try pictures!
Here is from the rest of the crew....it is always so fun to see the mission evolve from new eyes:
Hey Brenda here. Am looking foreward to getting to the farm. Fourthousand miles from home and still another 13 hrs of travel left. Not much else to say yet but am looking foreword to keeping in touch with everyone.
Greetings from Amsterdam. Leigh here. Just a little sleep deprived, but anxious to land in Entebbe. Let the adventure begin.
...and hello from Dave, .... travel uneventful so far, except the expensive cup of coffee in the Amsterdam airport. I'm anxious to get working on the water resource projects I came to do!
more later...
and, well, Carol is off cleaning the airport looking for her cell phone....so we are entering for her....we told her since she was gone we were going to post juicy stuff about her...but we haven't had time to gather much dirt yet so.... we will keep u posted. We are grateful our patriarch is with us and her Mom and Dad are recovering well too!
The Fab 5
We had two emergency calls for delivery of extra (long) tub ties, medical licenses (in case we get stopped by customs). The trip has otherwise been uneventful and we are now in Amsterdam for a few hours before heading to Entebbe! Surprisingly, I feel less tired than I have on previous trips and more at peace. You'd think I'd be used to this by know...trip #5, it is always a different dynamic each year. I know the "power of prayer" has contributed immensely! Thanks all so much! And thanks for looking after Kenny and Gma! As I have not really slept and was wide awake...my study for this mission is evolving around " From Captivity to Freedom" Isaiah 61:1-4 as I prepare for our first leg of the mission on the Family Empowerment Farm, as self-sustaining christ centered community for refugees of the LRA 20 + year war, one of the longest running wars in Africa.
I'm pretty new at this blogging thing so will try to see if this works and will eventually try pictures!
Here is from the rest of the crew....it is always so fun to see the mission evolve from new eyes:
Hey Brenda here. Am looking foreward to getting to the farm. Fourthousand miles from home and still another 13 hrs of travel left. Not much else to say yet but am looking foreword to keeping in touch with everyone.
Greetings from Amsterdam. Leigh here. Just a little sleep deprived, but anxious to land in Entebbe. Let the adventure begin.
...and hello from Dave, .... travel uneventful so far, except the expensive cup of coffee in the Amsterdam airport. I'm anxious to get working on the water resource projects I came to do!
more later...
and, well, Carol is off cleaning the airport looking for her cell phone....so we are entering for her....we told her since she was gone we were going to post juicy stuff about her...but we haven't had time to gather much dirt yet so.... we will keep u posted. We are grateful our patriarch is with us and her Mom and Dad are recovering well too!
The Fab 5
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