Hi everyone,
Thanks so much for your support and prayers back home throughout the time we have served here in Uganda.
On Sunday, we travelled to Jinja and visited Pastor David's church for worship. What a lively service it was, complete with celebration, dancing and singing from the platform, a terrific message delivered by Pastor Justus (a message on the theme of "Where are you?" based on Genesis 3), and a warm, warm welcome from the congregation. We were given an opportunity to introduce ourselves during the service, and when the service was over, we connected with a couple from Oregon who are in Jinja working on setting up a women's clinic there. Pastor David was thrilled to see the Forestview team - he looks very well and his glowing smile brightens up an entire room! As has been the pattern throughout our trip, Forestview is always fondly in the hearts of those who greet us and have made previous connections with teams that have visited! It is an honour to represent our Grimsby church as we bring greetings on behalf of our congregation back home.
After the service concluded, we enjoyed a lunch (many of us enjoying whole Tilapi fish and chips) at a beautiful hotel overlooking Lake Victoria. It even came complete with the spotting of what we believed was a crocodile entering the water by the shore, a monitor lizard, large bats roosting in a palm tree, and a variety of beautiful water birds. Quite a beautiful place! We enjoyed good fellowship together with lots of fun and laughter.Our party at lunch included Pastor David, along with Sarah and Pastor Justus from IN, Stephen, who serves as deputy at the primary school in Kiyindi, Daniel our driver for the journey, and of course our team. After browsing in some shops in Jinja, we returned home to Buikwe, where we enjoyed dinner and then did some packing in preparation for our departure from the compound on Monday.
We will be taking some time with Sarah and Pastor Justus to debrief on Monday morning, and say some final goodbyes before we head out to Kampala.On the way to Kampala we will visit Irene.In Kampala we will do a little shopping and then head on to Entebbe, where we will rest and then head to the airport around 3 am Tuesday morning to get our boarding passes. We fly out of Entebbe at 5 am, heading to Nairobi, then board a second plane that will take us on to Amsterdam. Our final flight to Toronto will land Tuesday evening EST!
We have made so many new friends here in Uganda and it has been such a blessing to not only reach out, but also be embraced by such a beautiful community of people. It will be very difficult to say goodbye! We look forward to sharing with you about our experiences, in words and pictures, when we return home!
Blessings,
Paul
Sunday, 27 July 2014
Enjoying Time to Rest on Saturday
After a rather hectic agenda this week, we made a mutual decision that our Saturday would be a day to rest and recharge before we headed to Jinja on Sunday. All of us appreciated time the down time to remain at the guest house and relax.
In the morning, we walked over to the primary school to visit with some teachers who were busily attending to marking mock exams that their students had completed this week. One of the teachers, David, was present with his wife Arita and two children, 2 year old son Elisha and 2 month old daughter Serina. David and Arita were both wearing Canada t-shirts that they had recently received from the team, and they were proud to have their pictures taken in their Canadian colours.
It is soccer tournament time, and a large group of students were awaiting a ride to a neighbouring school for a day of competition. We were astounded that the entire group - about 25 children and coach - were all able to load into one single van! Definitely a tight squeeze! They arrived back later in the afternoon quite excited after a successful series of games!
After lunch, we enjoyed a nice extended conversation with Henry, where we compared some of our observations and understanding of Canadian and Ugandan cultural distinctives. This was a neat time to reflect and appreciate just what makes each culture so unique. We will all miss Henry - he is kind and caring, with a wonderful, witty sense of humour. He loves to tease and tell terrific stories and our room is always full of laughter when he is with us.
The skies opened in mid afternoon and we got a little taste of what the rainy season must be like in Uganda. Officially, one of two rainy seasons begins in August, yet we have seen a little rain almost every day that we have been here. After a good soaking, Henry took us on a walk down the road in front of the compound and then circled around back to have a closer look at the well that rests below the guest house where we enjoy our meals. There were several children there with bright yellow jerry cans, collecting water that they were manually pumping. The water came slow and steady as they pumped and pumped. A little further along, another group of children stood knee-deep in muddy water as they collected a steady stream that was pouring from outlet pipes that were fed by an underground spring. Green algae settled in the ditch that collected much of the water's outflow - giving evidence to the phosphorus that would be accumulating from those doing their laundry here. We have a tremendous appreciation for the convenience of fresh, clean tap water at home when we see what the residents of Buikwe are faced with. Trips to the well are part of the daily rhythm of life here, and we even see younger children carrying their own scaled down versions of jerry cans to collect what they can and contribute to the family's daily water needs.
After dinner, we enjoyed a visit from Pastor Herbert, who collected some food bags that we had prepared to share with some in his congregation. Augustine stopped by along with Jonah, an engineering student, as we worked on trying to fix a login complication that we had with one of our computers. A spirited game of Scrabble was also enjoyed by Glenna, Henry and Julie!
Now, we prepare for our journey to Pastor David's church in Jinja. It is an hour long trip and we will be accompanied by Pastor Justus! We are looking forward to a great day as we venture to the location of the source of the Nile River!
Sorry about the lack of pictures posted - it is a slow Internet connection and it has been a challenge to post them in the last couple of days.
Blessings to all of you,
Paul
In the morning, we walked over to the primary school to visit with some teachers who were busily attending to marking mock exams that their students had completed this week. One of the teachers, David, was present with his wife Arita and two children, 2 year old son Elisha and 2 month old daughter Serina. David and Arita were both wearing Canada t-shirts that they had recently received from the team, and they were proud to have their pictures taken in their Canadian colours.
It is soccer tournament time, and a large group of students were awaiting a ride to a neighbouring school for a day of competition. We were astounded that the entire group - about 25 children and coach - were all able to load into one single van! Definitely a tight squeeze! They arrived back later in the afternoon quite excited after a successful series of games!
After lunch, we enjoyed a nice extended conversation with Henry, where we compared some of our observations and understanding of Canadian and Ugandan cultural distinctives. This was a neat time to reflect and appreciate just what makes each culture so unique. We will all miss Henry - he is kind and caring, with a wonderful, witty sense of humour. He loves to tease and tell terrific stories and our room is always full of laughter when he is with us.
The skies opened in mid afternoon and we got a little taste of what the rainy season must be like in Uganda. Officially, one of two rainy seasons begins in August, yet we have seen a little rain almost every day that we have been here. After a good soaking, Henry took us on a walk down the road in front of the compound and then circled around back to have a closer look at the well that rests below the guest house where we enjoy our meals. There were several children there with bright yellow jerry cans, collecting water that they were manually pumping. The water came slow and steady as they pumped and pumped. A little further along, another group of children stood knee-deep in muddy water as they collected a steady stream that was pouring from outlet pipes that were fed by an underground spring. Green algae settled in the ditch that collected much of the water's outflow - giving evidence to the phosphorus that would be accumulating from those doing their laundry here. We have a tremendous appreciation for the convenience of fresh, clean tap water at home when we see what the residents of Buikwe are faced with. Trips to the well are part of the daily rhythm of life here, and we even see younger children carrying their own scaled down versions of jerry cans to collect what they can and contribute to the family's daily water needs.
After dinner, we enjoyed a visit from Pastor Herbert, who collected some food bags that we had prepared to share with some in his congregation. Augustine stopped by along with Jonah, an engineering student, as we worked on trying to fix a login complication that we had with one of our computers. A spirited game of Scrabble was also enjoyed by Glenna, Henry and Julie!
Now, we prepare for our journey to Pastor David's church in Jinja. It is an hour long trip and we will be accompanied by Pastor Justus! We are looking forward to a great day as we venture to the location of the source of the Nile River!
Sorry about the lack of pictures posted - it is a slow Internet connection and it has been a challenge to post them in the last couple of days.
Blessings to all of you,
Paul
Saturday, 26 July 2014
Reflections on Friday
We have a resident rooster who proudly announces the morning to all who will hear and care to listen. We have heard its triumphant call very early, and often well before dawn (try 4:30 am or earlier!). While we enjoy breakfast in the guest house, this rooster, along with some hens and a number of chicks, will often come right up to the back door, and will welcome a handout or two from us as well. Sheila has developed an amusing friendship with a brown and white cow who appreciates handouts of the banana peels left over after breakfast, and now responds to Sheila's voice when called.
The compound where we are staying during our time in Buikwe sprawls over a few acres and contains the secondary and primary schools, two guest houses, Pastor Herbert's church, and living quarters for some children and teaching staff. From the porch of the guest house where we eat our meals, deliciously prepared by Barbara in the kitchen, we look over the valley which includes a community well that is used all throughout the daylight hours by the neighbouring residents of Buikwe. This well is truly a meeting place, and we will frequently see people gather and enjoy conversation together while water is hand pumped into large yellow "jerry cans" to be taken back to homes in the village. On laundry days, we see large amounts of clothing spread out over the ground to dry in the area around the well. Some of the water is carried up to the area of the schools. We marvel at the beauty of God's creation here - the beauty all around us is evident in a wide variety of tropical plants, pine trees, flowering plants and shrubs, and a number of colourful species of birds. It would be nice to have a book of native African birds as we observe many new ones that we are unable to identify. We have taken some pictures though that we will share with you if you like when we return!
Friday proved to be another full and fast-paced day, but satisfying and memorable in so many ways! As it is filled with so many experiences, it is not surprising that the team is quite ready for a good rest by 10 pm. With much to do, our team once again divided into two for the day's events. A highlight of the day for Sheila, Glenna and Julie was remaining back at the compound and meeting with the primary school staff. Not only did they have an opportunity to visit a classroom and observe a wonderful lesson, but they were also able to present the staff with teaching materials, sports equipment, computer and projector and Kobo readers. What a special time to enjoy with Joseph, the school's headmaster, Augustine, the deputy, and the many teachers! Everyone was most appreciative of what we had brought to them, and the staff were able to survey the various items spread across several tables in a vacant room, including the newly inflated soccer balls ready for action. A highlight in classroom observation time was watching one younger primary class participating in a word-building activity with the students organized into small groups. It was exciting to see the effort to incorporate the group work idea that we had expanded upon in our workshops, and to see the high level of student involvement in the learning task. Along with the visit to the primary school, an opportunity to visit the homes of Charity and Alice, the Roddy's newly sponsored children, was another special event!
Gord, Sharon and I travelled a considerable distance to visit a variety of schools in neighbouring communities, including Lugaze and Mokono. Along the way, we picked up Irene and Crystal, and Sarah, who is director of all of the sponsored children programming, and it was so exciting to have them accompany us to the school at Mokono. This school combines a regular primary school with a section that offers training for special needs students to develop workplace skills. We thoroughly enjoyed the tour of the room where students with hearing and developmental needs could demonstrate their skills in sewing and paper crafts. Many wares and items hung along the walls of the classroom and were available for visitors to purchase, including wall hangings, children's clothing, assorted baskets and colourful handbags, and even welcome mats constructed from pop bottle lids. One student proudly demonstrated her amazing skill in using a Singer treadle sewing machine with which she has produced school uniforms! Another child enrolled in that program was busily cutting out the netted framework of pocketed envelopes that would be later glued together to be used in the distribution of medication. While we visited the school, a district soccer (oops... football :)) tournament was underway on the school grounds, and we enjoyed seeing school children sporting their school colours and spread far and wide on the fields and along the sidelines
We travelled along a variety of paved and dirt roads to reach a number of other schools to meet foster children and deliver packages that had been lovingly prepared for them. The schools are linked by a network of roads that are in various states of repair (or disrepair), and the drive can be bumpy and dusty as we are whisked from place to place. We are grateful for Daniel and Simon, who are able to guide us as we venture through sugar plantations and more remote villages to get to our various destinations.
Other highlights of the day included Glenna's first ride on the back of a boda-boda driven by Henry - her wide grin from ear to ear says it all! Sheila enjoyed some time to discuss matters of school administration with Paul, the headmaster of the high school. Sharon and I enjoyed a meeting with Samuel who has a heart for helping teenagers at the high school to grow in their faith. We spent time brainstorming ideas around mentorships and we were quite moved by hearing some of Samuel's personal testimony. Please pray for Samuel and Edward who have a passion for discipleship of the high school students who are very young in their faith, and pray for the students themselves that they will be strengthened and supported in their faith journeys. The collection of bibles that we have donated to the school will eventually find their place in the school library, and will be vital in the work there. Later in the afternoon, Sheila and I enjoyed a tour of the secondary school with Paul and Samuel. A new, partially constructed wing of the school includes a beautiful science lab that is now in use, another room that will house a library when completed, and a third room slated to be a computer lab which was receiving a fresh coat of paint when we visited. A few teachers are busily marking exams that students have just finished this week. I had a chance to look at the front page of a geography exam, and was amazed to see a map of our Great Lakes with questions asking the students to identify locations that included Cleveland, Detroit, Chicago, Duluth, and the Sault and Erie Canals!
The compound where we are staying during our time in Buikwe sprawls over a few acres and contains the secondary and primary schools, two guest houses, Pastor Herbert's church, and living quarters for some children and teaching staff. From the porch of the guest house where we eat our meals, deliciously prepared by Barbara in the kitchen, we look over the valley which includes a community well that is used all throughout the daylight hours by the neighbouring residents of Buikwe. This well is truly a meeting place, and we will frequently see people gather and enjoy conversation together while water is hand pumped into large yellow "jerry cans" to be taken back to homes in the village. On laundry days, we see large amounts of clothing spread out over the ground to dry in the area around the well. Some of the water is carried up to the area of the schools. We marvel at the beauty of God's creation here - the beauty all around us is evident in a wide variety of tropical plants, pine trees, flowering plants and shrubs, and a number of colourful species of birds. It would be nice to have a book of native African birds as we observe many new ones that we are unable to identify. We have taken some pictures though that we will share with you if you like when we return!
Friday proved to be another full and fast-paced day, but satisfying and memorable in so many ways! As it is filled with so many experiences, it is not surprising that the team is quite ready for a good rest by 10 pm. With much to do, our team once again divided into two for the day's events. A highlight of the day for Sheila, Glenna and Julie was remaining back at the compound and meeting with the primary school staff. Not only did they have an opportunity to visit a classroom and observe a wonderful lesson, but they were also able to present the staff with teaching materials, sports equipment, computer and projector and Kobo readers. What a special time to enjoy with Joseph, the school's headmaster, Augustine, the deputy, and the many teachers! Everyone was most appreciative of what we had brought to them, and the staff were able to survey the various items spread across several tables in a vacant room, including the newly inflated soccer balls ready for action. A highlight in classroom observation time was watching one younger primary class participating in a word-building activity with the students organized into small groups. It was exciting to see the effort to incorporate the group work idea that we had expanded upon in our workshops, and to see the high level of student involvement in the learning task. Along with the visit to the primary school, an opportunity to visit the homes of Charity and Alice, the Roddy's newly sponsored children, was another special event!
Gord, Sharon and I travelled a considerable distance to visit a variety of schools in neighbouring communities, including Lugaze and Mokono. Along the way, we picked up Irene and Crystal, and Sarah, who is director of all of the sponsored children programming, and it was so exciting to have them accompany us to the school at Mokono. This school combines a regular primary school with a section that offers training for special needs students to develop workplace skills. We thoroughly enjoyed the tour of the room where students with hearing and developmental needs could demonstrate their skills in sewing and paper crafts. Many wares and items hung along the walls of the classroom and were available for visitors to purchase, including wall hangings, children's clothing, assorted baskets and colourful handbags, and even welcome mats constructed from pop bottle lids. One student proudly demonstrated her amazing skill in using a Singer treadle sewing machine with which she has produced school uniforms! Another child enrolled in that program was busily cutting out the netted framework of pocketed envelopes that would be later glued together to be used in the distribution of medication. While we visited the school, a district soccer (oops... football :)) tournament was underway on the school grounds, and we enjoyed seeing school children sporting their school colours and spread far and wide on the fields and along the sidelines
We travelled along a variety of paved and dirt roads to reach a number of other schools to meet foster children and deliver packages that had been lovingly prepared for them. The schools are linked by a network of roads that are in various states of repair (or disrepair), and the drive can be bumpy and dusty as we are whisked from place to place. We are grateful for Daniel and Simon, who are able to guide us as we venture through sugar plantations and more remote villages to get to our various destinations.
Other highlights of the day included Glenna's first ride on the back of a boda-boda driven by Henry - her wide grin from ear to ear says it all! Sheila enjoyed some time to discuss matters of school administration with Paul, the headmaster of the high school. Sharon and I enjoyed a meeting with Samuel who has a heart for helping teenagers at the high school to grow in their faith. We spent time brainstorming ideas around mentorships and we were quite moved by hearing some of Samuel's personal testimony. Please pray for Samuel and Edward who have a passion for discipleship of the high school students who are very young in their faith, and pray for the students themselves that they will be strengthened and supported in their faith journeys. The collection of bibles that we have donated to the school will eventually find their place in the school library, and will be vital in the work there. Later in the afternoon, Sheila and I enjoyed a tour of the secondary school with Paul and Samuel. A new, partially constructed wing of the school includes a beautiful science lab that is now in use, another room that will house a library when completed, and a third room slated to be a computer lab which was receiving a fresh coat of paint when we visited. A few teachers are busily marking exams that students have just finished this week. I had a chance to look at the front page of a geography exam, and was amazed to see a map of our Great Lakes with questions asking the students to identify locations that included Cleveland, Detroit, Chicago, Duluth, and the Sault and Erie Canals!
Thursday, 24 July 2014
Thursday's Experiences
On Thursday, our team travelled to Kiyindi to visit the local IN sponsored medical clinic, the local primary school and high school, and to make home visits. Kiyindi is a lively fishing village located on the shore of Lake Victoria.
The journey to and from Kiyindi was quite a trip! The road is narrow, dusty and very well travelled. There are many pedestrians who make use of the road, as well as those on bicycles and boda-bodas (commercial motorcycles that are primarily used as taxis). We cannot say enough about how grateful we are for our driver, Daniel, who safely transported us there and back. Though our speed rarely exceeded 60 km/h, Daniel's expertise showed itself again and again as he navigated around the countless potholes, rocks, ruts and uneven surfaces of the roadway. There is little room to maneuver on the road in many instances, and occasionally the sideroads upon which we travelled narrowed to a single lane path, lined with forested areas, and used by the many local residents. When we entered the market area along the main road into Kiyindi, we were all amazed to see a goat that was quietly resting in one of the large ruts on our right hand side as we carefully squeezed past it on the other side.
As Kiyindi is a fishing village, we experienced the sights (and smells!) of a busy fishing community along Lake Victoria's shores. There were fishing boats dotting the shoreline, with many people busily spreading their catch of silver fish to dry, either on the beach or on large flat tables that were erected along the shore. On the beach, we observed workers removing the fresh catch from spread-out fine nets. Simon, who accompanied our team, explained that the fishermen head out in the evening onto the lake and remain there through the night, returning to shore the next morning with the fruit of their labours. The silver fish are considered a delicacy here, and we observed people bagging the bountiful fish catch into huge bags to be transported to market for sale. Also present along the beach were little children and some livestock, as well as various sea birds, including huge, unusual storks that look like something like pterodactyls from a dinosaur world.
We appreciated a wonderful opportunity to visit the local medical clinic in Kiyindi, where a great deal of excellent work is being done to provide preventative immunization for the people of the community. They are truly doing a remarkable work here with the resources that they have. The hospital includes a birthing room and we learned that there are an average of 30 children born at the clinic each month. We were introduced to a mother who recently had twins and one beautiful newborn child was resting comfortably in another room. We saw a freshly minted hospital ward with many new hospital beds, and we were given a tour of the hospital's lab that contained a microscope and a manually operated centrifuge. The clinic plays a vital role in the health care of the Kiyindi community and it was very encouraging to learn about the difference it is making in the lives of the people there.
After leaving the clinic, we travelled a little further to the primary school at Kiyindi, where we were warmly welcomed by Barnabas, the headmaster. We were thrilled to meet up once again with several of the teachers who had recently attended our teacher workshops at Buikwe. We had an opportunity to tour the school, including several classrooms where we met and introduced ourselves to the students there. Classes were quite crowded - in one case, there were over 60 students squeezed together in a small room. We enjoyed watching kindergarten children demonstrate their abilities to count at the chalkboard, and we had a drumming demonstration in another room. Some of the older students were busily reviewing for a social studies examination in a beautiful area above the school buildings lined with lush pine trees. The location offered a gorgeous vista, as it looked down toward the school grounds and beyond to the waters of Lake Victoria. We saw fishing boats plying the waters and large islands in the distant horizon.
At the school, we delivered the school supplies and teaching materials that we had brought with us from Canada, including a Kobo reader and sports equipment. The teachers were most appreciative, expressing their gratitude for all that we shared. They enjoyed trying on the reading glasses that we brought along, and were thrilled to see a brand new volleyball and net (Along with soccer, volleyball is very popular in Uganda). In the early afternoon, after lunch, we met many of the foster children who were attending the primary school and enjoyed watching them open the packages that were lovingly sent by our many Forestview families. The Roddy's were thrilled to meet Mercy, their foster child, and to also have an opportunity to travel to her home for a visit later in the afternoon.
We said goodbye to our friends at the primary school and set out to deliver home visit packages and bring greetings. As always, our gifts were received with so much gratitude. In one case, we even received gifts of a hen and a massive bunch of bananas, as well as being prayed for by the woman who was so appreciative of what we offered her. It was very moving and reminds me of God's love which is so clearly evident in the midst of our encounters. We serve an amazing God!
We also dropped by to the high school in Kiyindi to deliver more packages. Sharon and I met Dorothy whom we sponsor, which was quite exciting. The students at the high school were in the midst of exams that afternoon, and we did not linger there too long as we were completing a long day and were needing to head back to Buikwe.
All in all, it was a wonderful day! We wearily returned home for some much needed rest. We enjoyed a dinner with two visitors, Pastor Justus and Augustine, the deputy of the primary school. Please continue to pray for Glenna, who is experiencing much discomfort while walking with two bruised and painful toes on her left foot. She persevered to accompany us today, though she will likely remain back at the guest house on Friday for some much needed rest.
Thank you for your many prayers and support. It is a privilege to be able to share with you some of our experiences - we hope that you enjoy keeping up with our experiences on the blog.
Until next time,
Blessings!
Paul
The journey to and from Kiyindi was quite a trip! The road is narrow, dusty and very well travelled. There are many pedestrians who make use of the road, as well as those on bicycles and boda-bodas (commercial motorcycles that are primarily used as taxis). We cannot say enough about how grateful we are for our driver, Daniel, who safely transported us there and back. Though our speed rarely exceeded 60 km/h, Daniel's expertise showed itself again and again as he navigated around the countless potholes, rocks, ruts and uneven surfaces of the roadway. There is little room to maneuver on the road in many instances, and occasionally the sideroads upon which we travelled narrowed to a single lane path, lined with forested areas, and used by the many local residents. When we entered the market area along the main road into Kiyindi, we were all amazed to see a goat that was quietly resting in one of the large ruts on our right hand side as we carefully squeezed past it on the other side.
As Kiyindi is a fishing village, we experienced the sights (and smells!) of a busy fishing community along Lake Victoria's shores. There were fishing boats dotting the shoreline, with many people busily spreading their catch of silver fish to dry, either on the beach or on large flat tables that were erected along the shore. On the beach, we observed workers removing the fresh catch from spread-out fine nets. Simon, who accompanied our team, explained that the fishermen head out in the evening onto the lake and remain there through the night, returning to shore the next morning with the fruit of their labours. The silver fish are considered a delicacy here, and we observed people bagging the bountiful fish catch into huge bags to be transported to market for sale. Also present along the beach were little children and some livestock, as well as various sea birds, including huge, unusual storks that look like something like pterodactyls from a dinosaur world.
We appreciated a wonderful opportunity to visit the local medical clinic in Kiyindi, where a great deal of excellent work is being done to provide preventative immunization for the people of the community. They are truly doing a remarkable work here with the resources that they have. The hospital includes a birthing room and we learned that there are an average of 30 children born at the clinic each month. We were introduced to a mother who recently had twins and one beautiful newborn child was resting comfortably in another room. We saw a freshly minted hospital ward with many new hospital beds, and we were given a tour of the hospital's lab that contained a microscope and a manually operated centrifuge. The clinic plays a vital role in the health care of the Kiyindi community and it was very encouraging to learn about the difference it is making in the lives of the people there.
After leaving the clinic, we travelled a little further to the primary school at Kiyindi, where we were warmly welcomed by Barnabas, the headmaster. We were thrilled to meet up once again with several of the teachers who had recently attended our teacher workshops at Buikwe. We had an opportunity to tour the school, including several classrooms where we met and introduced ourselves to the students there. Classes were quite crowded - in one case, there were over 60 students squeezed together in a small room. We enjoyed watching kindergarten children demonstrate their abilities to count at the chalkboard, and we had a drumming demonstration in another room. Some of the older students were busily reviewing for a social studies examination in a beautiful area above the school buildings lined with lush pine trees. The location offered a gorgeous vista, as it looked down toward the school grounds and beyond to the waters of Lake Victoria. We saw fishing boats plying the waters and large islands in the distant horizon.
At the school, we delivered the school supplies and teaching materials that we had brought with us from Canada, including a Kobo reader and sports equipment. The teachers were most appreciative, expressing their gratitude for all that we shared. They enjoyed trying on the reading glasses that we brought along, and were thrilled to see a brand new volleyball and net (Along with soccer, volleyball is very popular in Uganda). In the early afternoon, after lunch, we met many of the foster children who were attending the primary school and enjoyed watching them open the packages that were lovingly sent by our many Forestview families. The Roddy's were thrilled to meet Mercy, their foster child, and to also have an opportunity to travel to her home for a visit later in the afternoon.
We said goodbye to our friends at the primary school and set out to deliver home visit packages and bring greetings. As always, our gifts were received with so much gratitude. In one case, we even received gifts of a hen and a massive bunch of bananas, as well as being prayed for by the woman who was so appreciative of what we offered her. It was very moving and reminds me of God's love which is so clearly evident in the midst of our encounters. We serve an amazing God!
We also dropped by to the high school in Kiyindi to deliver more packages. Sharon and I met Dorothy whom we sponsor, which was quite exciting. The students at the high school were in the midst of exams that afternoon, and we did not linger there too long as we were completing a long day and were needing to head back to Buikwe.
All in all, it was a wonderful day! We wearily returned home for some much needed rest. We enjoyed a dinner with two visitors, Pastor Justus and Augustine, the deputy of the primary school. Please continue to pray for Glenna, who is experiencing much discomfort while walking with two bruised and painful toes on her left foot. She persevered to accompany us today, though she will likely remain back at the guest house on Friday for some much needed rest.
Thank you for your many prayers and support. It is a privilege to be able to share with you some of our experiences - we hope that you enjoy keeping up with our experiences on the blog.
Until next time,
Blessings!
Paul
Wednesday's Events
With our teacher development workshops now finished, the team has turned its attention to other areas of our mission objectives. This is truly a remarkable experience for all of us.
On Wednesday morning, our team was invited to travel to meet families with children in need of sponsorship. For most of the team, this was the first occasion to visit the homes of people in the community surrounding the school and our eyes have been opened to the considerable need and poverty that surrounds us, as well as the undeniable warmth and welcome that we receive again and again from the new people that we meet. Our visits have provided opportunities to deliver staple food items and to pray for families. We have been blessed by the occasions to give as well as receive. The families are very grateful for our offerings of love to them, and on our first visit, appreciation was shown in one instance by a mother who shared a gift of freshly chopped sugar cane that we would later enjoy with our lunch back at the guest house.
That afternoon, our team divided into two groups. Sheila, Julie, Glenna and Sharon visited the homes of some of the local children who are currently receiving sponsored support. One highlight of their visits was observing the efforts of a woman in establishing a successful farm operation that included a solid series of structures built for cattle and an innovative five story apartment complex for rabbits, including a basement wing that offered protection for young ones. While these visits were underway, Gord and I had an opportunity to visit the local high school and make a 45-minute presentation to over 100 high school students on goal setting and how to maintain and build personal character.
We continue to make connections with teachers and administration in Buikwe who appreciated the content and professional learning relationships established in our four day PD workshops for teachers. There are a variety of opportunities for an exciting exchange of ideas and possibilities, and for this, we are energized and hopeful. Please pray for the educators here, who work extremely hard with large class sizes and the stress of preparing students for written state examinations. They are excited about the possibilities of implementing new and fresh ideas from the conference, and we ask that you pray as they reflect on where they can best apply their learning in their own classrooms in areas of behaviour and discipline, literacy, special needs and instruction that address individualized needs of each child under their care.
The administration here at Buikwe is most grateful for the generosity of Forestview church in sponsoring many children who attend school here. There is still need for more children to receive sponsorship, of course. It is incredible to see the fruits of the sponsorships that are taking place, as sponsorship provides children the opportunity to not only attend school but also to receive nourishing meals while they attend. New developments while we are here include the news that Sheila is thrilled to sponsor a young girl, Patience, while Glenna, Julie and Gord are now sponsoring two young friends, Alice and Charity.
On Wednesday morning, our team was invited to travel to meet families with children in need of sponsorship. For most of the team, this was the first occasion to visit the homes of people in the community surrounding the school and our eyes have been opened to the considerable need and poverty that surrounds us, as well as the undeniable warmth and welcome that we receive again and again from the new people that we meet. Our visits have provided opportunities to deliver staple food items and to pray for families. We have been blessed by the occasions to give as well as receive. The families are very grateful for our offerings of love to them, and on our first visit, appreciation was shown in one instance by a mother who shared a gift of freshly chopped sugar cane that we would later enjoy with our lunch back at the guest house.
That afternoon, our team divided into two groups. Sheila, Julie, Glenna and Sharon visited the homes of some of the local children who are currently receiving sponsored support. One highlight of their visits was observing the efforts of a woman in establishing a successful farm operation that included a solid series of structures built for cattle and an innovative five story apartment complex for rabbits, including a basement wing that offered protection for young ones. While these visits were underway, Gord and I had an opportunity to visit the local high school and make a 45-minute presentation to over 100 high school students on goal setting and how to maintain and build personal character.
We continue to make connections with teachers and administration in Buikwe who appreciated the content and professional learning relationships established in our four day PD workshops for teachers. There are a variety of opportunities for an exciting exchange of ideas and possibilities, and for this, we are energized and hopeful. Please pray for the educators here, who work extremely hard with large class sizes and the stress of preparing students for written state examinations. They are excited about the possibilities of implementing new and fresh ideas from the conference, and we ask that you pray as they reflect on where they can best apply their learning in their own classrooms in areas of behaviour and discipline, literacy, special needs and instruction that address individualized needs of each child under their care.
The administration here at Buikwe is most grateful for the generosity of Forestview church in sponsoring many children who attend school here. There is still need for more children to receive sponsorship, of course. It is incredible to see the fruits of the sponsorships that are taking place, as sponsorship provides children the opportunity to not only attend school but also to receive nourishing meals while they attend. New developments while we are here include the news that Sheila is thrilled to sponsor a young girl, Patience, while Glenna, Julie and Gord are now sponsoring two young friends, Alice and Charity.
Wednesday, 23 July 2014
Tuesday, 22 July 2014
Workshops Successful!
Well our 4 days of workshops are finished and they were so well received. The teachers were very appreciative of the work that was put into them and loved their certificates that they received this afternoon. We have met so many wonderful people and fast friendships have been made with so many of the teachers. It has been such a busy time and I am usually in bed before we get onto the internet to blog that I haven't posted since we first got on the internet in Uganda. The internet here is very sketchy even with the proper modem sticks. We have not lost power though! I probably shouldn't say that. :-)
Sharon will post with all of the details of our time since she is keeping a journal and doing a great job. I will just let you know what is happening with us today. Actually I will start with yesterday when Glenna fell on the rocky path between guest houses and scraped up her left leg. Today Glenna slipped on the hill between the guest house and the church (where the workshops were being held) and she broke 2 of her toes on her left foot. See a theme here? Please pray that she does no more to harm her left side or her right side! She is in a lot of pain tonight so I would really appreciate your prayers for her. We begin our home visits tomorrow and Glenna doesn't want to be left behind here at the guest house. She wants to join us on the trip. We will be visiting the very needy here in this area. Yesterday I also lost the front part of a tooth and I have that nice filling showing. :-(Note to Ian- I will need an appointment for a crown when I get back :-)) I would also appreciate prayers that it doesn't get worse. It has been a good couple of days but with its challenges. We will get through it though. Glenna is a trooper and refuses to give into pain. I am not in any pain with my tooth, I'm glad to say.
The package arrived today! Thanks to Tracy for sending it to us. For those not in the know we left a bag in the van in Toronto. It contained all of Gord's medication and a laptop for the school here along with 4 Kobo readers that we are giving to the schools. We now have a very big bill to pay for the shipping along with another bill for the extra luggage in Toronto. Now the computer teacher at the secondary school will have a computer with which to teach computer skills with. Can you imagine teaching computers without computers?! It is theory only.
There is so much to talk and tell about but I don't know where to start tonight. We have experienced so much in such a short time. It is kind of overwhelming. Actually no kind of to it. It is overwhelming. You can talk about it, but to experience it first hand, WOW. There are so many problems here and such terrible poverty and yet the people have hope and they are always singing.
I will post more later.
Blessings to all,
~Julie
Sharon will post with all of the details of our time since she is keeping a journal and doing a great job. I will just let you know what is happening with us today. Actually I will start with yesterday when Glenna fell on the rocky path between guest houses and scraped up her left leg. Today Glenna slipped on the hill between the guest house and the church (where the workshops were being held) and she broke 2 of her toes on her left foot. See a theme here? Please pray that she does no more to harm her left side or her right side! She is in a lot of pain tonight so I would really appreciate your prayers for her. We begin our home visits tomorrow and Glenna doesn't want to be left behind here at the guest house. She wants to join us on the trip. We will be visiting the very needy here in this area. Yesterday I also lost the front part of a tooth and I have that nice filling showing. :-(Note to Ian- I will need an appointment for a crown when I get back :-)) I would also appreciate prayers that it doesn't get worse. It has been a good couple of days but with its challenges. We will get through it though. Glenna is a trooper and refuses to give into pain. I am not in any pain with my tooth, I'm glad to say.
The package arrived today! Thanks to Tracy for sending it to us. For those not in the know we left a bag in the van in Toronto. It contained all of Gord's medication and a laptop for the school here along with 4 Kobo readers that we are giving to the schools. We now have a very big bill to pay for the shipping along with another bill for the extra luggage in Toronto. Now the computer teacher at the secondary school will have a computer with which to teach computer skills with. Can you imagine teaching computers without computers?! It is theory only.
There is so much to talk and tell about but I don't know where to start tonight. We have experienced so much in such a short time. It is kind of overwhelming. Actually no kind of to it. It is overwhelming. You can talk about it, but to experience it first hand, WOW. There are so many problems here and such terrible poverty and yet the people have hope and they are always singing.
I will post more later.
Blessings to all,
~Julie
Monday, 21 July 2014
Sunday, July 20
Today
was a wonderful day of worshipping at local churches. Most of our team stayed
here at Buikwe and attended Pastor Herbert’s church while Gord braved the bumpy
22 km ride to Kiyindi to Pastor Sam’s church. At each church, greetings were
brought from Forestview. Each congregation also had a translator so that we
could understand most of the sermon. Some songs were sung in English and some
in the native Latongan. We were welcomed most warmly which was no surprise and
given seats of honour. We saw familiar faces as some of the teachers with whom we
have been working were at each church.
In the
afternoon we went to the market with our Ugandan friends Henry, Jamil and
Augustine. Here we purchased 50 kg of sugar, 50 kg of rice, 24 litres of oil,
24 large packages of bar laundry soap, a large quantity of tea, and also a
large quantity of salt. .We also
visited a produce market and Henry bought jackfruit and pau pau for us to try
since we have never had it.
When we
arrived back at the Guest House we packaged the rice and sugar into smaller
bags. We created food bags that will be given to families we visit on Wednesday
and Thursday. These families have been identified as being especially in need
of food. Augustine joined us for supper and had a nice visit with us in the
evening. Our friendship with Augustine has been a real joy as he is the headmaster
of the school here at Buikwe. It has been with his assistance as well as a
couple of other teachers that we have been able to adjust our workshops to meet
the real needs of the teachers and schools here. Praise God for this – He has
indeed gone before us – God is up to good things.
After
dinner, it was time to prepare for our workshops on Monday.
Internet
service is slow here in Buikwe, so we are grateful for what we have been able
to post in our blog (including the pictures).
Blessings,
Sharon
Sunday, 20 July 2014
Saturday, 19 July 2014
Today we welcomed back our Ugandan friends for a second full day of
teacher workshops. We met between 9:30 a.m. and 3:30 p.m. Sheila enjoyed
greeting many of the teachers and taking their “snap” with an Instamax camera.
All thoroughly loved watching their photo develop before their eyes, and some
even wore their portrait in their lanyard throughout the day’s activities. We
were really grateful that 25 teachers joined us on their day off (Saturday).
Many had left behind their home responsibilities and some had children at home
with illness, so we appreciated the sacrifices they made to spend the day with
us.
Our workshops continued to touch on a wide range of themes (including
professional learning communities, special needs, discipline and behaviour, and
literacy) across a variety of different grade levels. In Uganda, the primary
school is divided in levels that range from nursery (our equivalent to
kindergarten), then infant (levels P1 to P3), and then upper primary (levels P4
through P7). The secondary school levels extend from S1 through S4. Both
schools are located at the same site in Buikwe, and we enjoyed meeting
representatives, including teachers and administrators from both locations in
our workshops. The administrators are identified as headmasters (similar to our
principals) and deputies (similar to our vice-principals). Other teachers
joined us from a school in a neighbouring town as well. Our guest house located
onsite proved useful as a location to share resources on identifying special
needs of students and appropriate teaching strategies to address them.
Discussion has been lively, interactive and stretching for all.
Together, we have developed a relationship of openness and trust by
participating in various small and whole group discussions around the workshop
themes. We have appreciated the sincerity and honesty of the African teachers
in sharing questions that they have about how to be more effective in teaching
their students. It is challenging however to come even close to addressing all
of the varied topics and areas of interest that they have shared with us.
Please pray that we will know how to best use the limited time that we have
with these wonderful people to best come alongside and support them as they
seek to further develop their teaching practices. How amazing it is to learn of
similarities we have in the nature of our shared concerns about our students
and their learning needs! God has provided an incredible opportunity for much
learning to take place for all of us. What a tremendous opportunity it is to
grow and learn together as we meet!
Late this afternoon, we enjoyed some much needed rest and relaxation. We
were invited by Henry to gather around the television to watch a live football
match between Uganda and Mauritania (Uganda won 2-0) taking place at Mandela
National Stadium in nearby Kampala. For you soccer fans, the game was a
prequalifying match for the 2015 African Cup. Football is hugely popular and it
has been a treat to watch as the children play this game nnd others for hours
outside (nearly all in barefeet)! We had a great time with lots of laughter and
good times. After dinner, Simon came to help us get our Internet up and running
on Sheila and Glenna’s computers. We are now able to post photos successfully.
We hope you enjoy them!
Tomorrow, we will be splitting our group to visit two churches for
worship. We look forward to the opportunity to praise and give glory to our
amazing God in the fellowship of some of the local people we have met over the
last few days!
Blessings to all,
Paul
Photos
Three primary level Buikwe school girls pose proudly for their picture.
Julie receives a warm greeting.
At the teacher workshop, having fun working together.
Our Ugandan friends proudly wearing their Canadian hats.
Friday, 18 July 2014
First Day of Workshops Successful!
We had our first in a series of four workshops today and it was very successful! We had 29 teachers out from 2 primary schools and the seconday school. We built some good relationships today and tonight we have the deputy headmasters over to discuss a lot of questions. Paul and Sheila are busy right now in a deep discussion. We have learned a lot from today and plan a lot for the next 3 workshop days.
On Sunday our team will split up and go to 2 different churches. Paul, Sharon and Sheila will stay here and go to Pastor Herbert's church and Gord, Glenna and I will go to Kiyindi.
We have had such a warm welcome here from both the adults and the children. It is dangerous to go out with a camera (just kidding) as the kids gather around for their picture to be taken. Then they all want to see it on the screen at once. Much pushing and shoving to get there first. We are moved by their enthusiasm and wonder.
I am using Sarah's computer (Sarah Lawanga from the IN office here) as we have found that our computers are too new for the technology here. In other words our computers won't work with the internet here! This is when it pays to have an old laptop.
The weather here has been very warm and sunny although we had a light shower this morning. It is the dry season right now. We are enjoying the food and had a real African meal at lunch today that was served by the women of the community. We are all drinking so much water. You should see the boxes of bottles we have! Barbara is our cook for all of our other meals.
Last night Henry (IN) came and regaled us with some African folk stories. They were most interesting and entertaining. We had a night of laughter and fun. We are making friendships that I hope will last a lifetime.
Today on one of my trips back and forth from the guest house (we were putting on the workshops at the church) a young man came up to me to introduce himself and asked my name. He then asked if he could give me a wild rose that he had picked. I was so touched, it is hard to describe.
We are learning about African time and the slow pace. Everyone who comes here talks of it but until you experience it you really can't understand it. Now I do! :-)
I will sign off now for tonight. Hopefully this will post up before the internet kicks out. We will write more later and hopefully get some pictures up.
Blessings to everyone
Julie
On Sunday our team will split up and go to 2 different churches. Paul, Sharon and Sheila will stay here and go to Pastor Herbert's church and Gord, Glenna and I will go to Kiyindi.
We have had such a warm welcome here from both the adults and the children. It is dangerous to go out with a camera (just kidding) as the kids gather around for their picture to be taken. Then they all want to see it on the screen at once. Much pushing and shoving to get there first. We are moved by their enthusiasm and wonder.
I am using Sarah's computer (Sarah Lawanga from the IN office here) as we have found that our computers are too new for the technology here. In other words our computers won't work with the internet here! This is when it pays to have an old laptop.
The weather here has been very warm and sunny although we had a light shower this morning. It is the dry season right now. We are enjoying the food and had a real African meal at lunch today that was served by the women of the community. We are all drinking so much water. You should see the boxes of bottles we have! Barbara is our cook for all of our other meals.
Last night Henry (IN) came and regaled us with some African folk stories. They were most interesting and entertaining. We had a night of laughter and fun. We are making friendships that I hope will last a lifetime.
Today on one of my trips back and forth from the guest house (we were putting on the workshops at the church) a young man came up to me to introduce himself and asked my name. He then asked if he could give me a wild rose that he had picked. I was so touched, it is hard to describe.
We are learning about African time and the slow pace. Everyone who comes here talks of it but until you experience it you really can't understand it. Now I do! :-)
I will sign off now for tonight. Hopefully this will post up before the internet kicks out. We will write more later and hopefully get some pictures up.
Blessings to everyone
Julie
Thursday, 17 July 2014
We're Here!
We’re Here! We arrived in Uganda very early in the
morning on Wednesday (just after midnight). We met our driver Jamil who took us
to the Lake Victoria Guest House. We just barely fit all of our luggage in the
van (15 checked bags + all our carry on bags) and then we also squeezed in. We
received a very warm welcome from the Ugandans. We were very exhausted from a
couple of days of travelling but very happy and excited to be here. Internet
access has been very difficult (non-existent). Paul and I have worked very hard
at trying to get internet up and running.
On Wednesday, we spent part of the day
in Kampala. We exchanged our money and felt very rich with the wad of money we
were given. I have never held 700,000 worth of bills in my hand (they are
shillings, and only about 300 dollars in Canadian). Kampala is a very
interesting city of about 2 million people, and only 3 to 4 stoplights (so you
can guess what traffic is like). Thank goodness Jamil is an awesome driver!
We arrived at Buikwe Guest House around
4 in the afternoon. Justus and Sarah were here to greet us very warmly. All of
our luggage was waiting for us filling up the entire living room area. We
unpacked and sorted most of our supplies for the next two weeks. We all
collapsed in our beds, but it was an interesting sleep with a local club
playing music until 2 in the morning. Then the roaster started in crow around 4
am. School begins at 7:30 am and you could hear the excited chatter of
children, a very welcoming sound. It was great to see all the children heading
to school.
Today, we had the opportunity to go into
both the elementary school and secondary school here at Buikwe. The children
are very excited to see us and are constantly wanting their picture taken or to
just touch our arms. We have been mobbed several times and feel kind of like
celebrities. We have got used to hearing “Musungas” which means white people.
It was great to sit in on several lessons and see how they do things here. We
are in awe at how many students are on a class (there were 44 students in the
grade 2 class today).
Tomorrow we start our workshops, and
everyone is hard at work preparing for it.
As I am typing this message, there is a
cow at the window of our guest house mooing. We hope everyone at home is well
and we will keep battling the internet in an attempt to keep this blog updated!
Glenna
Glenna
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