Author: rhondajwelch

For to us a child is born, to us a son is given; and the government shall be upon his shoulder, and his name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Isaiah 9:6

Want to wish everyone a very Merry Christmas! I have pictures to post but we are watching movies…The Lion King is coming next so no time to upload pictures! It’s been a quiet day which has been very nice. Raelee had the “best Christmas ever” and has been playing with her kitchen sets and baby doll clothes! As I post this most of you are just starting your Christmas Day, we just ate supper and are wrapping up our Christmas day!

The Birthday party was mostly a success! Apparently one of the older girls must have put the word out that the party was kids only – except for the older girls! Haha! So we had plenty of cupcakes and fun. I made a balloon dart board, each balloon had candy in it and when popped candy went everywhere! But I didn’t count on her still having the fear of loud noises so she freaked out a bit. After picture time though she was back to running around playing. I took quite a few videos, the pin the tail on Rainbow Dash was a lot of fun. I pinned the tail on his neck and that went over real well! Nelson Mandella stayed and played along, he had fun. Raelee loved the party, just requested we don’t pop balloons at the next one! Don’t worry all Grannies and Grandma, we are doing a photo shoot for good pictures tomorrow. Just got so busy today!

Raelee and I are in the Christmas spirit but to my regret, I didn’t bring any of my nativities when we moved here. The only Christmas decorations we’ve found are very few and very expensive in Kampala. (Expensive but cheap!) Only one store carries any and the trees they have are not good. So, we decided to make our own. We searched Pinterest for ideas and Daddo made us the tree. We only had one fail and that was me trying to make dough from glue and cornstarch. The recipe I used was apparently wrong because every one I’ve read since had different proportions. Raelee stuck with the salt dough recipe and her ornaments turned out good. All but the nativity she made which is a little disturbing to me! She isn’t finished with it so I finished the tree so that there was no room for her lumps of colorfully painted clay to go on it. I’m a terrible mother, I know! I told her they would be perfect for her room! Ha! But she did an awesome job on the popsicle stick angels, the burlap angels and ornaments. She is now addicted to making paper snowflakes but did not have the patience for the origami Christmas trees. (It took me a few tries to get it.) My favorites are the nativities and the placemats she laminated. I think we are finished but she has different ideas!

Popsicle stick angels

Origami trees

Christmas worksheets

I have a strict rule about people who “happen” to come pump water right at porridge time in the mornings. Porridge is only for workers who are on the job. But when I stepped out the other morning and saw these little cuties I had to make them honorary part-timers so I didn’t have to kick them out! How can I say no to those little faces? Especially knowing that’s all they will get to eat until evening time. The two on the right end weren’t even a couple months old when we moved here, Becca and Sophia’s kids. We’ve watched them grow from babies to toddlers and are now really starting to show their personalities. They are both going to have siblings soon…Becca is due anytime and Sophia is due in January, although she looks like she is due anytime! Christian keeps telling her she is going to have twins! We were very excited when they both came to tell us they were expecting. They went on birth control soon after their first babies were born and one of the husbands was very hesitant, the myth here is that if one goes on the “family planning” they will have trouble conceiving again. Apparently they didn’t have any trouble, I pay for their transport to get their monthly injections and know they only skipped one month before telling me they were expecting! So that is a good witness to others that there shouldn’t be fear in planning their families.

Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men, knowing that from the Lord you will receive the inheritance as your reward. You are serving the Lord Christ. Colossians 3:23-24

We made it through another exhausting week! I have been able to breathe a little more but still busy and Christian didn’t get much rest. The roof of the government school is finished and they are putting the roof on the other school buildings. But now the school needs desks to put in the new buildings. Saw that one coming!

The workers all got to keep their jobs – on one month probation. (That was very confusing to them because this was the last week of Nov. so what date would the month probation be over!) We had a big meeting with them on Monday, changed some things and it has taken all week to implement them. Changing the way things are done is very hard here and causes much confusion. A lot of it shouldn’t be changes – the work was supposed to be being done in the first place.  We had to use tough love – these people aren’t just employees, we love them as family. We want them to understand that every project, everything we do – they are a part of that. They help to make a difference in their community. I told them we weren’t happy with any of their work but for each one of them I told them the good things I love about them. We all get slack at times in our work and have to get a swift kick in the tail but it is doubly important to do our work well when we are taking care of animals. Grass can grow up to our knees, just makes work harder. Slack off with the animals and you lose some that you can’t get back. We just asked them to work with us and not against us. Showed them a job opening for rabbit farm manager in Kampala that had quite a few qualifications, one was a college degree, and still didn’t pay what they get each month. So they could see that they should appreciate their job. This project is very important to us and whether they can see the importance or not if they work for us they will do the job the way it needs to be done or they will be gone. They don’t know it but we are going to make one of them Farm Manager and I’m not sure it will go over well at first. But that is the cost of not taking initiative and doing your job well. We can’t do everything as the farm grows and the ministry grows and we need someone we can rely on. This person may not be perfect but has proven we can depend on her for most everything and will do whatever we give as her duties.

So…the rabbit house is getting into ship-shape! There is no reason the entire grounds shouldn’t look everyday the same as when we are preparing for visitiors. (They think there is a difference). We will be having Monday morning meetings with one person from each area to go over what is happening and what needs to happen during the week. We have been trying to implement things to make the job easier – I learned a lot this week as far as cleaning and see some areas we can do differently and improve on. They have been working hard and I have been with them everyday training (or re-training). There is one guy that hasn’t been working in the rabbit house long, I don’t think he had any kind of training as to the rabbits – he just throws feed in and cleans the metal. (We have had a supervisor over the rabbit house.) Which is fine as long as there is someone else that inspects every cage and every rabbit every day. It is best if every worker does that. Our prayer is that they all see what we are trying to accomplish and as Christian told them, when we look at each rabbit or each goat  it’s not money we see but what each animal represents as far as bettering the community, helping children be healthy and women that have no one to help them.There has been misunderstanding on their part that we are trying to be a business. We explained that we are not, that is not our intention with anything on our property. Everything we do is to help others around us to better their lives and to share the love of Jesus to all we come in contact with. Yes, we do have goals financially – our organization depends on donations. The giving hearts of others to help those with less. And if we are able to generate some income, if there were ever a time when donations aren’t as much, our budget has to be smaller, we can still put in bore holes, we can still employee people, we can still help. With all the money Mandate has put out we will most likely never be able to say we profit from anything. They have a hard time understanding what profit really means!

We put our choice for farm manager in the rabbit house for this month with the reason to them being that she is the only worker we have on the grounds that hasn’t worked in there. Also, we believe a farm manager needs to have first hand knowledge of all positions to effectively manage the entire farm. Most importantly we told them that all work – whether we like it or not – should be done as unto the Lord. We can slack off, we can hide it from the boss but we can’t hide it from God. Some argue about what worship is, music or no music; hands raised, hands down…. Pleasing God comes from doing everything everyday with thanksgiving to Him for His love for us and all the daily blessings He gives. Living everyday in thanksgiving. That is worshipping Him.

Due to recent developments here at Mandate Farms Uganda we have had to re-arrange work duties. The C.O.O. of the farms has decided to shift from her current position to Chief Rabbit Caretaker. So the following positions will need to be filled. Please read all qualifications and benefits before applying. Only serious applicants need apply. Positions are:

1. House cleaner: Hours of 9 am – 4 pm Monday through Friday.
2. Cook & Dishwasher: Three meals a day prepared. Hours negotiable. Must be able to cook Mexican and Chinese food.
3. Tutor: Hours of 8 am – 1 pm four days a week. Must have patience and knowledge of second grade work.
4. Nanny: Hours of 12:30 pm – 5 pm Monday through Friday. Must be able to withstand abundant energy, constant chatter and be able to dance, sing, untangle dreadlocks, counsel, talk down a chocolate induced frenzy and enforce rules. (And be good at hide and seek…especially seeking).
5. Accountant: Hours and days negotiable. Must have knowledge of Excel spreadsheets, have detective skills to hunt down and decipher receipts.
6. Secretary: Hours of 7 am – 5 pm Monday through Friday. Must have good people skills, will be dealing with the public daily. Must work with accountant to know how best to deal with the requests made daily.
7.  Graphic Artist: Hours and days negotiable. Needed for newsletter design, website updates and any materials needed for our organization.

There will be no personal days or sick days. You will be paid in abundance of papaya’s, mangoes, avocados, jack fruit, rabbit meat and a goat for a Christmas bonus. If you feel you can meet one or all of the qualifications, are satisfied with the benefits you can inquire about these fulfilling job positions. Thank you.

I can dream can’t I?

Conversation of the day. (It’s been a blur but Raelee pulled a tooth while helping her daddo pick sunflowers. As I am trying to get three people what they need and off the property so I can finish with the rabbits – the all day job, I pass by to see the tooth. “Let me have it so you don’t lose it”) So, five hours and 260 plus rabbits, eight visitors, lunch and supper later I get asked “Can I have my tooth now? For the tooth tree” “Tooth, you gave me your tooth?” “She did, I saw her. You said so she doesn’t lose it” (Thanks DEAR). Frantic, I am trying to remember this whole situation and where the tooth could be. I’m exhausted, all I want to do is crawl into my bed. For a month. I’m praying harder than I’ve prayed all week. “Please God don’t let this be the thing she throws in my face for the rest of her life – ‘Remember when you lost my favorite tooth?'” I go get the jeans I took off, check the pockets. No….Wait. Back it up here. Tooth Tree? What in creation is that? What have I missed? I go back, without a tooth, and I ask “Tooth tree? Really? The tooth fairy is banned in this house – by you – but there is a tooth tree?” “Of course, you plant the tooth and a tree grows. Now because of you there will be no tooth tree” (Raelee is nodding along with the smirking father). “At least if there was a tooth fairy we could write a little note explaining the situation and she would understand and leave something under the pillow” “The tooth fairy is nonsense and she won’t be entering this house” “Oh, but the tooth tree is real.” I found the tooth on the floor of the bathroom where I took my pants off. (Thank you Lord!) I left them in deep conversation about the legitimacy of both the fairy and the tree. We are all three so exhausted I don’t really know if I’m supposed to put money under the pillow or we are planting a tooth tomorrow.

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So I saw that there is nothing better for a person than to enjoy their work, because that is their lot. For who can bring them to see what will happen after them? Ecclesiates 3:12

Yesterday was a long day for us. First thing we went over to the Gov’t school where we have a crew putting a roof on their office. Raelee and I have never been over there, it is further in the village. The head master and teacher came out and had me sign their guest book and thank me for the work. I noticed Raelee standing alone off to the side, she gets a little anxiety and awkwardness (surprising I know) when around adults she doesn’t know. So I walked over to her and handed her my camera for the first time ever. Showed her how to focus and snap the photo. I took the first two pictures – you look at her first hand at it and you’ll know this picture takin’ mama is pretty proud of her! Some of the pictures of people she took driving down the bumpy road! Definitely going to encourage her in photography and be glad to have someone else take pictures also. Sometimes you don’t realize the things you miss because you are behind the camera taking the pictures!

The Gov’t School

Gov’t school office – we are just putting the roof on.

Gov’t school bldgs

Naked boy watching us drive by

The private school across from us. Their current building.

One new building

On the left – the temporary bldg

Sula heard Raelee was outside. Wait for it….

…wasn’t long for Kadetti to come see!

The Christian school across the road from us is basically mud and sticks. It has seven tiny classrooms with over one hundred children now. Crammed in rooms that can’t even fit desks. They asked us in the beginning of the year if we could help them build a temporary building for the seventh grade class since they did not own the land. We did. It’s not a building we are proud of – we had other things going on and without supervision it turned out a little leaned to the left! Haha! A month ago they were inspected by the government and were informed that if they added three more classrooms they will get a certificate and be placed on the list of government approved schools. This will qualify them for some government help – not a lot. But being on the list will elevate them, more people will want to send their kids to the school and they will be able to pay their teachers. The lady that owns the land said she would sell it to them. So they came to us again and asked what we could do to help. We told them that before we would bring it up to our board they would have to at least buy the land and we would ask for the three buildings to be built. They did and the board approved the buildings. Christian has worked hard cutting all the boards, a bigger job here since wood is not the same width or thickness from board to board and as of yet he hasn’t found a good planer; staying just ahead of the crews that are building. And the crew has been working hard – and this time there has been more supervision and a new crew chief! Christian also showed them how to ship lap it and if you look in the one picture you can see the difference in the older building and the newest one. The old one they asked for space to be left between each board to get circulation but we wanted the new buildings to look nice so they agreed to the ship lap sides only up about seven feet and then the windows. With screens! So now, if we can come in under budget we would like to take apart the first one and make it like the new ones. We tried to help with a plan looking forward if they add, build in a way they can tear down the stick and mud building but they have their own plans! So, as long as they are happy and we can still be proud of our work we are all good! We believe in the importance of having the school here and are so happy God has blessed us with favor from the board and their trust that we are good stewards with what we are given. We are thankful for all the people that have given to our organization to help lift this community up and make an impact to the Kingdom of God.

THEN we came home and worked nine hours on sawing, feeding, cleaning and doctoring! On Thanksgiving day I was so very thankful I have been given a husband who, after a full day of work took pity on me and actually looked up a recipe online and surprised me with dinner at 8:30. And it was delicious!