Category: Uncategorized

Dolls With A Message

We were sent a lot of handmade with love dolls by ladies in our home church in America that help to explain the love of Jesus and have been trying to find the best way to give them out. We couldn’t just hand them out here in the village at once, we would have people at our door night and day wanting dolls and more. Here, just the fact we are giving away something means we have lots of stuff to give and we don’t. So we give them out as the opportunity arises. We are getting ready to take a bag full to the new hospital and give some out to children patients and have a school we are going to take some to when they start up again. The children that received them on this day were so happy, and I had been worried about the dolls that were “blonde” and blue eyed, but the blonde one was the one they fought over!

Daily Life

Life has slowed down a little bit since Christian and the guys finished their part of the school buildings. When the other crew is finished with the aprons around them I will post more pictures. So Christian is home, taking a break before starting another project – just not too long of a break! We have seen so much happening in the lives of the guys that Christian has been working with and we don’t want to lose momentum, or them to lose hope.

We’ve had time to walk through our part of the village every evening, and one day came upon a group of kids in front of a house. Actually, we turned down what we thought was the path to our home and ended up in someone’s yard! The kids started asking Christian to give them money and he told them he had none. They didn’t believe him – a mazungu with no money? Not possible in their way of thinking! He emptied his pockets and showed them he only had a pocket knife and some atom ball candy, which he gave to the oldest two boys. They then showed us their “ball” which was plastic soda bottles taped together so they could kick it around. They asked us to get them a ball. So the next time we were in town we bought one and took it over. They were so excited about that ball! They all gathered round it and inspected it and were laughing and carrying on. There was an old man there that we sat and “talked” to – he didn’t know much English and we don’t know much Lusoga! But he said thank you many times for bringing the ball!

On the way back to our home, there are always ladies outside,  they and the kids always want us to come sit. Raelee used their language to say hello and that tickled them to no end. All the people here get so excited when we use any of their words. Although, if we say one word in Lusoga they automatically think we know more and start having a conversation that we don’t understand! And everyone wants us to hold their babies, which is always okay with me! Even Christian who normally doesn’t hold babies is known to hold one or two! I tried to hold the one that is crying, but he is scared of our white skin. It’s so odd for me, who can usually calm any baby and put them to sleep, to have them scared of me. I will never get used to that! And while most still yell muzungu to us, many of the kids call me Jessica, that is the other woman that is here and I’m not sure if thats the only name they know, or if now they think all white woman are called Jessica! I’m sure after time they will get our names down! But even the ones that know us call us Mama Raelee and Baba Raelee instead of our names! (It’s always about your kids isn’t it?!)

Raelee is getting ready to go to school and is very excited. I am excited and nervous – praying she does well and doesn’t take over the school! I believe it will be a good experience for her, she has already fully emersed herself into the culture, learning the language AND the mannerisms so much faster than Mama and Baba! School will be a good thing for her, I just pray she is a good thing for the school! I’m sure she will, she brings life and joy everywhere she goes and has such a kind, caring heart.

Birthday For A Friend

Wednesday we attended our friend Harria’s 21st Birthday party! It was a great celebration and we had a lot of fun, until I had to get up and say a few words! Always so awkward for me, but wasn’t so bad because Harria is a wonderful girl, loves children and has a great heart. She and her sisters have been great friends and help to us.

They had so much food – I didn’t realize there would be food so I had already eaten which was great for the kids sitting behind me, I kept passing food off of my plate to them. It is hard being guests because we get treated like royalty and everyone else gets what is left. So, I made a lot more friends with the kids I gave my food to! It was a really good day!

Harria, the Birthday Girl!
Not the birthday girl but the guest of honor!
Harria has the headband

Prayers For Elections

0412_Uganda_BreakThe Presidential Elections for Uganda will take place February 18, 2016. Campaigning in Uganda is a far cry to what we are used to in America, truckloads of people yelling and music blaring, with booties shaking off the back, yes, I think I will vote for their candidate! People that are from here, and ones that have lived here for many years say this years elections seem different, more unrest and some violence. They even postponed the start of school term until after the elections which is said to be unheard of.

The current President, Museveni, has been in office for almost 30 years and is campaigning for re-election for another 5 year term. Many people have lost faith, seeing no changes in the healthcare system, there is still unemployment, and peoples’ incomes haven’t changed and the same leadership for so many years, Ugandans don’t see any reason to vote. They don’t feel they are being heard.

I can’t say it is so much different than issues America is facing right now, just thankful that the guy in office there hasn’t been there for 30 years, and grateful that at this point can’t be re-elected for another term. So I ask for prayers for elections here, and I will be praying for America when elections come there.

Christmas Day Fun

The excitement of Christmas day celebration with our boys going for the pennant in the Christmas Day Football Championship! Was a fun time, game ended tied 2-2 and then there was a vote and the opposing team were the champs. I went home thinking our team had one, the way all of our people were celebrating! I think that is as it should be, both teams had great seasons and being able to be in the championship game was exciting for everyone. We had to make two trips going and coming back with the truck full of team members and supporters. After the game, everyone but us went to the village center where celebrations of the holiday went late into the night!

Our Village Boys
Prayer before the game

Working On The School

Christian and a crew of our guys have been working at a school, plastering their 3 classroom buildings. With each job, we see the skill level and the confidence level go up with our guys. It really is exciting to see the changes in their outlook and how they are looking at themselves and each other differently. They have started giving us a small amount of their pay each week, we told them we would match what they put in, for medical expenses. They have been amazed at how much is already in the account after just a couple pay periods. Being on the grounds of the school, and seeing some of the older school kids helping on this job, getting experience, I think has caused them to think about their childrens futures, and how they can send their children to school. Please be in prayer with us, that we can help them in saving and setting goals and achieving them in order to have a better life, and to give their children a fighting chance. Most men here don’t have an education, and if they do, it is usually not past the 7th grade. (I’m really not sure that is even equivalent to our 7th grade.)

One of our guys is now working on getting his family a house built, he has been making his own bricks when he is not working. He needs 10,000 bricks total, so far he has 4,000 made. It is very interesting to see how they make them.

The school they are working on is run by The Mandate’s friends, Chad and Terra from Canada. They are a wonderful couple, and we are so thankful to have them in our lives! Terra has been here since she was 18, first with an orphanage, and since then have successfully found family and homes for the children and work with the families to keep them in school. We want to do whatever we can to help them and the children out! And we are excited, they just got their piggery finished so there will be pork! I have to say, it is the nicest “pigpen” I have ever seen!

I am so happy we could help on this project, but I am ready for my husband to be back home with Raelee and I! We aren’t used to him being gone all day everyday, and it has only been two weeks! Hopefully by the end of next week, or beginning of the year they will finish – the holidays will interrupt the timetable!

I Think The Boy Likes Me

I had to walk down our road to meet up with Raelee, and this little boy followed me the entire way, quietly until I would turn around and he would start jammin’ a “song”? to me! I believe he is rapping, but I know he is having fun and really got excited when I started recording. I didn’t get pictures, I was afraid of what moves might come next if we hung around and Raelee doesn’t need any ideas!

 

 

*Header photo credit: <a href=”http://www.freepik.com/free-photos-vectors/mask”>Mask vector designed by Freepik</a>