Home from Gulu

Hey friends, sorry you haven't heard from me for several days. On Thursday I got malaria! Now that was NO FUN!! Along with that I "think" I have returned to the US with an extra intestinal "friend". I flew home last night and went straight to the doctor so we will see what the "specimen" results say. =)

Anyway, the trip was AMAZING!!!! (other than the hospital visit, I could have gone a long time without visiting that place).

My niece Tracy and I had the BEST time!!! Here we are standing on the foundation of the first home!!! The kids from the Safe House were so excited to see their new home. (Scovia in the photo with us, has stickers on her head, in case you were wondering) I can't wait until we are able to move all our children to their new homes!!!!

Thank you for your prayers and love while we were in Uganda. I will update with more stories and photos.

Back in Gulu

Dear Friends, it is good to be "home" in Gulu!!! We had such a good time on the land, and then took the children through the safari park to see the animals!!! It was a long day of driving for us all but it was worth it to see the excitement on their faces when they saw giraffes, elephants, hippos and other wild animals!!!

Today we are going to meet the Taylor who is teaching 4 of our children how to sew. They are making the "hippie" bags that we will sell in the US!!! I can't wait to see what they have come up with!!! This is a great project for the kids as they will then train the other children... and it will give them a skill. But more than that it gives them pride and a sense of accomplishment!

Last night we went to Obiya IDP camp, it is the poorest of the camps... the children are younger and most only wear shorts or skirts, few even have shirts... and those that do, they are so very torn! This camp always makes me feel sad. We played with the kids! They sang songs of hope in Jesus... I am not sure if most of us in the US would feel like singing of hope if we were living in this seemingly hopeless situation... but then again our Hope is not from our circumstances, but from a person.... Jesus!

The College Team is heading back to the US today... they are all sad to leave the kids!!!

Thank you for your prayers, it is good to be here.... to spend time with Rose... to spend time with our kids.... i really can't imagine any place I would rather be!

love and blessings

cindy

Good morning from the Village!!!

This is my first email from the land!!!! We got here last night after picking up the kids from the Safe House! They of course sang the entire 2 hour drive. =)

It was so amazing as we drove up last night to the land... the living compound, which is made up of 6 very large huts had a fire built in the middle of it.

We spent the evening sitting around the fire, the children danced and sang and ended with an angel voice choir of worship songs and prayers! Just a glimpse of what Heaven will be like.

We all went to bed in our huts! It was cool and we were lulled to sleep by the sound of frogs and crickets!

This morning the children were up early, sweeping the dirt area in the middle of the compound, catching chickens and taking off the feathers. (I guess we are having chicken for dinner) some of the kids were washing dishes, others played soccor. It was a busy morning for them... and it was fun to watch "normal village life".

Tracy & Lindsay removed the little rocks from the rice (I didn't know rice had rocks). (I guess we are having rice for dinner too).

The foundation for the 1st home is completely poured... we took the children to see it, and they ran from area to area... "this is my room". The school foundation is 1/2 way poured and should be completed in 3-4 days.

As we sat last night around the fire, we talked about how this was only a "dream" 2 years ago... and now God is making it into a "reality"... how surreal it is to be here, with friends, my niece, Mike, Rose.... What more could I want!!!!

God is good!

Bush walkers

Another exciting day in Gulu.... last night we went to visit some of the children who we rebuilt their huts on the land where there family lived before the war. Of course you are never prepared for what you will do, that is why it is always good to take: bug spray, flash light, and food rations with you everywhere you go.

We drove down a dirt road for a couple of miles then they stopped the van. We piled out and followed a bush trail about 10-15 minutes. Tall grasses surrounded the trail. We made it to Gloria's new home. She is living next to her uncle who is HIV+ and very sick.

Then we went to the next home... walking down the trails to Irene's new home... she walks everyday 2 hours in the morning and 2 hours after skill training. But she was happy to have a new home.

We went to about 5 new huts that we built and it was dark by the time we headed back to the van. So we played "Marko" "Polo" to make sure we didn't leave any straglers behind. =)

It is good the kids don't have to worry about having thier huts in the IDP camp burned down, but now they have to walk so far and they are so far from their friends. There doesn't seem to be a win/win situation for them until we get the Village completed!!!!

All the girls are doing great. We picked up two new young ladies from Canada. They are friends of Janet's daughter Rachel. So our little group keeps growing!!! Fun Fun Fun!!!

thank you for your prayers

the "journey" continues....

the sparrow has landed

well we have arrived safe and sound in Gulu!!!!!!!!!!!! The flights were all very good and there were no delays and ALL the bags arrived too!

last night we spent the evening with the kids at the Safe house, they sang like angels to us! Then loaded them up in the van and went to Abili IDp camp to see the kids make the beads. Tracy especially liked that since she has been our top 'BEAD LADY' selling 100's of beads since november.

The kids showed her how to roll the beads! But of course they supervised her very closely to make sure it was 'good quality'. =)

This morning we went to the market and bought tons of beautiful material for the second IDP camp to make 'hippie' bags. now for those of you who KNOW me, i hate shopping especially when it is in an African market. It isn't so much the smell of fish that lingers through the air, but more the whole "bartering system' and how it takes several hours to make 1 simple purchase. But today was fun. I didn't have to 'barter for the price, since Rose had previously negotiated the price. We are excited to get the kids started on this new micro economic project.

The bags are beautiful. Tracy now will be changing her name to 'Bag Lady". =)

Yesterday we also met with the Chris College Team. They had some funny stories to tell of their month in Uganda. They are taking a few days of much deserved rest... after spending a couple of weeks working on the land. We just dropped off some pizza to them.... which was a BIG hit. yes, we found a pizza place in Gulu. it doesn't taste like Pizza hut, but it will do!

Tonight we are going to give the materials to the children at the IDP camp so they can begin making bags!!!! They all will be sooooooo excited. They are so proud when they can make something beautiful and something that has value. it in turn makes them know they have value!!! i love how God does things like that.

thank you for your prayers and we will keep you posted. Oh yeah, sleep.... well i slept great until the electricity went off (which means the FAN went off) ... but it came back on early this morning, about the time the rooster started crowing. =) hee hee....

love and blessings

Cindy, Tracy & Katelyn....

Preparing to leave

Well Friends, Thank you for joining my adventures back to Uganda. This is my 7th trip! Wow, can that be right? I don't think much about packing anymore... it is just second nature I guess.



But what I really need to get ready is ME! I have been trying to get Village of Hope things in order, my apt in order, etc... but the thing that REALLY needs to be in order is my heart. I don't want to just "GO" on another visit to Northern Uganda, I don't want to just do what I "need" to do over there... because that is what a "director" is supposed to do. I REALLY want God to lead me step by step. To be a servant, to be His hands and feet and to have HIS heart for our children, the local people, the local workers on the land... and our American teams!



Pray for me that God would give me wisdom as obstacles come up. (and trust me they will!!!!!!) Pray I would not react to the situation, but be still and wait on God to ACT! Pray my actions would overflow with GRACE and LOVE!



I leave Saturday!!!!! I can't wait to hug everyone of our kids!!!! I miss them so much when I am here.



So, begin praying WITH me! And as you read this blog, maybe you can feel like you are WITH me in Uganda... maybe not physically but I know you are with me in "spirit". Let's expect God to do more amazing things!!! Let's pray He shows up in very real ways!!! And let's thank Him because He allows us to be a part of HIS work on the other side of the world!!!!!!



Hang on for the adventure of a lifetime!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!1