Hands of Hope Missions

Uganda - Debriefing, Amsterdam, and Heading Home

2011-12-14T17:07:00.000-08:00

(Check out the photos related to this post HERE on our FACEBOOK ALBUM)

Waking up in the Sunset Motel was wonderful. We had a good night's sleep (although I had forgotten to lock the door of the hotel room and Violet escaped in one of her sleepwalking moments... I caught her walking down the hall), and eagerly looked forward to a hearty breakfast served by the hotel staff.

After breakfast, we met in the same room we started our Africa trip for our debriefing. Kristopher talked to us all about what to expect going home... of ourselves, of others, and how we move forward from here. We discussed the whole experience and whether we felt like we achieved our intent being there and how God spoke to us. Each of us shared a defining moment on the trip and how we were going to use that moment and that memory to spur us onward.

Patrick stopped by with a bagload of jewelry he was delivering for us to take back to the states. A friend of mine is selling necklaces to help fund her family's trip to Uganda and I was more than happy to help out in this way.

We then headed back to Nicky's Pizza for lunch. Christina, who had been fasting for days and had declared this to be her first meal off the fast, was thrilled to enjoy some pizza! Rick discovered the hair salon that was situated above the pizzeria and headed up there to see about getting a shave and a haircut... and next thing we knew, Rick was getting what he described as one of the best haricuts and shaves he had ever gotten in his life! Kristopher was so intrigued that later that day when we had free time (some people went shopping, others napped, and others packed up), he went back to the salon and got his own shave and haircut!

Finally at about 6pm we headed to the Entebbe Airport. Security was tight because of an international conference being held that day, so we werent sure how long it would take to get in. It turned out to be fine. The only problem? We were 5 hours early for our flight and they would not let us check in until 4 hours before the flight left. We went into a secured separate area of the airport (where we still had to scan all our bags), and we hung out for a bit, shopping in the little gift shops, eating snacks, and playing cards. Violet was introduced to the ever popular game "52 card pickup", which was always fun. If you don't know how to play, just ask someone. I am sure they will be happy to show you the finer points of the game.

What was extra awesome (and slightly freaky) was the fact that the power kept going out in the airport. We would be sitting there and everything would go dark for a few seconds. Good times. Eventually we just got used to it. We're practically Africans now.

After finally getting to go through the main security checkpoint and checking in for our flight, we had dinner at the cafe in the terminal. There the team presented Rick with a special gift... a shield that had been autographed by all the members of the team, thanking Rick for his vision and leadership on this trip. We all had the opportunity to tell him why we appreciated him and really how this trip could not have functioned the way it did if it weren't for his hand in the whole thing. We praised him for his Godly wisdom, his thoughtfulness, his humiilty, his willingness to listen, and his strength of character. He was very moved by the gesture, and it was obvious that he appreciated what we all said. Later we all had the opportunity to share what we appreciated about each other and it was a wonderful time of building up and strengthening our relationships, and just making sure each of us had the chance to be thanked before we went our separate ways. It was the perfect way to end our time in Uganda.

We boarded our plane to Amsterdam without a hitch and settled in for the long flight. Our goal was to stay awake for this leg, then sleep the rest of the way. If we did that, we would be totally adjusted back to US time. The problem? None of us made it. HAHAHA.

In Amsterdam, our 4 hour layover turned into an 8 hour delay when our plane had hydraulic issues in the tail section. All of us were boarded on the plane, which sat on the tarmac for 2 hours before we all had to disembark and get on a different plane. They offered us food and drink vouchers for our troubles, which at least got us a quick meal while we waited. Unfortunately, most of us had used up our fee wireless access during the first part of our layover, so we didn't get the chance to chat with our familied about what was going on. And by this time it was the middle of the night in the US, so communication was not going to be easy.

Finally, our flight did take off! We were on our way to San Francisco!! We slept, we ate, we watched movies, and we read books. We did lunges and squats down the aisles to stretch out our legs, and we learned to appreciate airplane food. And finally, after nearly a full day of traveling, we touched down on US soil!

All of us were incredibly relieved to have made it (almost) back home. The majority of the team had to drive back to Elk Grove, and Violet and I had to catch a plane to Las Vegas (which we had already missed, so we were hoping Southwest would have mercy on us and allow us to take a later flight without penalty). At customs and immigration, we all were admitted back into the country! Yay! AND all our bags were waiting for us! Double YAY!!!

Our two week trip had finally come to an end. It was full of blessing upon blessing, miracle upon miracle, and so many stories. I have tried to share as much as I could on this blog, but there are still so many more to share. God is good... all the time! Thank you for joining us on our journey.

Photos related to this post can be found on our FACEBOOK ALBUM.

Uganda: Safari Day 2, Street Meat, and Our Last Night in Africa

2011-12-14T16:25:00.000-08:00

All images related to this post have been added to our FACEBOOK ALBUM for today!

Sleeping in our huts was an adventure. I kept waking up in the night hearing sounds outside our window… no doubt it was the water buffalo, which like to roam the grounds. Between that and the thunderstorms and my fear of the roof leaking, sleep was tricky. The Harrisons had the adventure of a guest bat in their room. Willy and the guys dealt with a giant gecko. Kristopher’s room was inhabited by a ginormous snoring bear… oh wait. That was Rick! Hahahahaahaha

We got up early and met for breakfast at 5:30am. We had yummy omelettes, French toast, fruit, toast, and more. We filled our bellies and piled into “the Roach Coach” for our tour. Although the driver had sprayed to kill the bugs, we weren’t so sure they were all gone.

We rode into the park and picked up a guide named Emma. He was going to let us know all about the different animals we would be seeing on our tour. We got to witness a gorgeous Ugandan sunrise yet again, which was amazing! Uncle G missed it, as he was snoozing away on the bus.

We arrived at the same place we started yesterday, only this time we were waiting for the ferry to take the bus (and us!) across the river so we could drive through the park. As soon as we crossed the river, we saw a momma baboon with a baby clinging to her belly. She was walking all around the little waiting area, and all sorts of people were taking pictures of her. And then, quick as a flash, she jumped into the car in front of ours and stole a bag of fruit! She took it outside and shared it with her baby, daring anyone to even attempt to take it away from her. No thank you, ma’am. We will just take pictures.

We began our drive along the dirt road through the game preserve. There was not much to see at firs,t but the landscape was amazing. Then! Animals!! We saw hartebeests, antelopes, and more baboons. A warthog crossed the road in front of us, and a family of elephants was up on the ridge in the distance! Giraffes roamed from tree to tree, snacking on the fruit they could find. There were monkeys in trees, and water buffalos just hanging out with birds on their backs. Seeing these animals this way and realizing this wasn’t a zoo or a park but their natural habitat was amazing! Everywhere we turned was a new creature! We even got really close to an elephant on the side of the road who was not interested in showing us anything but his backside.

After about an hour or so of driving, we encountered another vehicle coming in a different direction. The driver and our driver spoke quickly and it turned out that there were rumors of lions ahead. We decided to head up there and investigate! As we drove past the animals, it was almost certain that lions were about. Their demeanor had totally changed and they were all looking in one direction, very guarded. Sure enough, we rounded a corner to see a bunch of tour vehicles with people all parked in a clearing. We pulled up quietly to join them, just as a mama lion emerged from the brush and into the clearing. She was followed by one… then another… and another… and finally, a fourth lion cub!!! They all came out to lounge in the sun and mama gave us a nice show as she strolled in the clearing.

After that, we pulled about 100 yards away and the bus driver and guide said we could get out, stretch our legs, eat our lunch, and have a bathroom break. We could use the nearby bushes as our bathroom. YOU KNOW. THE BUSHES. WHERE CREATURES LIVE. LIKE LIONS. LIKE LIONS THAT ARE A FEW HUNDRED YARDS AWAY. I tried to calculate land speed and decided I did not have to go to the bathroom that badly. We stretched our legs, took pictures by the water as a family of hippos hung out behind us, and stayed close to the bus just in case lions decided to charge. Kristopher flung a piece of animal dung on Willy. Erin tried to stop his shenanigans. Jackie almost got hit with dung. I think everyone was giddy from being trapped in a vehicle for so long.

Back in the bus, we drove some more, passing more giraffes (some of them VERY close to us!), elephants, and more. It was a wonderful ride full of animals and adventure. When we left the park, we were about an hour ahead of schedule. Rick decided we should use that time wisely, so he suggested we drive to the top of Murchison Falls and check it out.

The road to Murchison Falls was seriously sketchy. It would have been difficult terrain for an experienced Jeep off-roader, and here we were in a humongous bus trying to navigate roads that were half missing, giant potholes, huge rocks, and more. Somehow (God’s grace and Godfrey’s skills!) we made it to the falls!

The ground sparkled all over the place. Grant let us know it was the mica in the rocks, and sure enough if you picked up a rock, the sparkles flaked off like glitter. The roar of the waterfall was intense and we could not wait to see it! The walk was only a few steps down from where we parked, but not even the sound could prepare us for the sight of the entire Nile River being forced into a canyon less than 30 feet wide. It was truly incredible to view the awesome power of God’s natural creation. The water churned and foamed and sloshed and sprayed. In the canyon, there was a permanent rainbow created by the mist from the water spray, and if you weren’t paying attention, every once in awhile the water would shoot up over the railing and get you completely soaking wet! (trust me… ask Will!)

After enjoying this amazing sight, we headed back into the car for our 7 hour ride to Entebbe. On the way, we stopped in a village where street vendors came up to the windows in the car, offering fruits, sodas, and a variety of cooked meats on a stick. Grant, Will, and Rick all bought some “street meat” (and, I feared, the gastrointestinal repercussions of consuming them). They said it tasted amazing. I believe them, but there was no way I was eating that meat. We also saw a portion of the highway being paved. This was of course fascinating to the men on the trip who work in this particular industry. What was most entertaining to me was the street signage telling people to “stop”, “slow”, or “caution”, which were all but ignored by everyone driving.

In Entebbe we had dinner at Nicky’s Pizzeria, a restaurant recommended by Terry Nester. It was great, and a perfect way to end our long day of driving. Back at the Sunset Motel, we were all grateful for a room that did not have creepy crawlies joining us. We all had a great night’s sleep for our last night in Africa.

To view the pictures related to this blog post, check out our FACEBOOK ALBUM.

African Safari Day 1 - The Bottom of Murchison Falls

2011-12-08T22:42:00.001-08:00

To view photos related to this post, check out our FACEBOOK ALBUM from this day.

We had to get up crazy early to leave for our safari. We were going to Murchison Falls National Park, which was about a 7 hour drive from Jinja. We rented a big bus to hold all our luggage plus us, and we packed it to the hilt. At 5:30 am, we said Goodbye to Terry and we were off. We got to watch the sun rise in Africa, which was pretty cool. Most of us spent time in the car sleeping on and off. Once we entered the main gate at Murchison Falls, we still had a 2 hour drive to the boats so we could take a boat tour of the Nile. On that drive we already started to see animals! Baboons crossed the road a few times, and we even saw birds and a warthog!

We stopped at our hotel to drop off our overnight bags. Our hotel room was a little cabin-hut-thing among the trees. The bathrooms and showers were a short walk away. There were lizards, spiders, ants, and centipedes everywhere. And apparently at night if we are walking through the grounds, we need a security escort because water buffaloes roam the property. Neat!

Back in the bus, the guys decided to energize by doing “coffee shots” – straight instant coffee packets in their mouths. Ridiculous. Hahaha! At the water’s edge, we had to use the bathroom, which was inhabited by bats, spiders, and at least one rat. We tried not to think about it. :::shudder:::

We boarded the ferry and took a 3 hour ride on the Nile River to the base of Murchison Falls. While on the boat, we saw all sorts of hippos, water buffaloes, elephants, and even a Nile crocodile! It was absolutely amazing. And the falls were incredible! All of the Nile River comes down those falls in a canyon that at some places is only about 6 meters wide. The power of the water was truly awesome.

On the way back, we got to enjoy a gorgeous African sunset and then dinner at the hotel. Dinner was good. The rooms, however, were pretty sketchy. From the bats that flew around there, to the giant geckos, to the tsetse flies, to the centipedes (that I mistook for a small snake at first), to the ants, to the spiders, to the potential for water buffalo attacks, to the showers that would not properly drain, to the toilets that didn’t like to flush, we realized just how spoiled we had been the past several days at the Nester’s house. Sleeping in the room, which was hot and sticky, was a challenge under mosquito nets that weren’t exactly free of holes. There was only power for three hours – 7pm to 10pm – and no cell or internet service. Oh and did I mention we discovered that our bus was infested with cockroaches? Cause that was pretty awesome too. All of us were pretty skeeved when we went to bed and we hoped we would have a good night’s sleep, free of creatures visiting while we dreamt.

Want to see pictures of the safari day one? Check out our FACEBOOK ALBUM to see them all!

Taking a Field Trip with the Redeemer Kids

2011-12-08T21:26:00.001-08:00

All pictures related to this post can be found on our FACEBOOK ALBUM.

Today we were going back to Redeemer! I could hardly wait. Some of the team wanted to do a little shopping, so we made a pit stop downtown (Rick had to pick up his fancy shirt anyway) and dropped off the guys plus Jackie. Erin, Violet, Christina, and me all stayed in the car to go to Redeemer. The plan was for the car to drop us off at Redeemer and then return to town to get the rest of the team and bring them back to us. Then we were going to get another van to take the kids on a field trip, either to a resort to go swimming or to a tour of the Nile River.

On our way there, the girls had a bit of an adventure. We got to the traffic circle and were stopped by a large man with a stick that looked like a hockey stick, only at the bottom it was a flat paddle with huge 6 inch spikes. He forced us to stop (or we would have gotten a flat tire) and would not let us pass until the driver paid him 5,000 schillings. It was super shady and the guy was totally like a Mafioso. We learned later that it was actually the government and apparently it was legit. Once that was over, we thought all was good… and then about 20 minutes from Redeemer House, the car started making some funky sounds. Our driver pulled over just as the front passenger seat started smoking. He pulled the cover off the bumper and noticed that the battery terminal was completely melted. He apparently needed a part that would somehow connect this janky terminal back together. Supposedly it would only take 10 minutes, and he was going to call a mechanic from a nearby village to come fix it right there. Meanwhile, he got a cab and paid the driver to take us to Redeemer House. We asked and made sure that the new driver knew just where to take us and he said yes. The car also had two other passengers in it, so here we were… four American girls and three African strangers in a cab going to an address we did not know and with no way to contact the people who were there. We trusted God that our driver was capable and all would work out. I sent a quick text to Grant to be sure the guys knew what was happening. After about 15 minutes, I finally recognized a landmark so I knew we were on the right path. And soon we were at Redeemer House!

The kids all came running as we walked through the gate! Their joyful shouts filled us up and made us so happy to be there. The kids could not wait to play with us. We played cards, the girls did our hair, and we sat and chatted with Kathy. It was wonderful to spend time with them. We had an early lunch so that when the rest of the team arrived, we would be able to take them on a field trip. Our plan was to either take them swimming or a boat cruise of the Nile River, depending on how much time we had.

Our driver arrived about 45 minutes after we got there and we were able to unload the van, and then he left to get the rest of the team. We hoped the “fixed” battery would hold up for the rest of the day.

Big Daddy Rick finally arrived with the rest of the team sporting his new awesome safari hat. In fact, it looked like all the guys may have bought one. He rang the bell to gather all the kids in front of him and told them we would be taking them on a boat ride to the Source of the Nile. ALL of them screamed and jumped up and down for joy! It was so cute. The kids piled in a van we rented. Violet joined them, too. The rest of us went in our regular van, which decided to not start for us. We couldn’t believe it! (Actually, this is Africa. Yes we could.) Finally, the driver punched the battery a few times and Timothy said, “Jesus have mercy on us” and Jesus did. The van started! We may be stranded at the Nile River once we get there, but at least we will get there! We made a quick pit stop in town to buy some sodas for an extra special treat for the kids and then took our 45 minute drive. We made another stop at the house where LeAnn and Katie were staying and picked them up, along with Rich and Jennifer, who just arrived a couple days prior. They are in the process of adopting one of the girls at Redeemer, too!

We arrived at the Kingfisher Resort, right on the banks of the Nile! It is a beautiful location, with gorgeous landscaping, trees, a playground, and a sparkling pool (in which we would have gone swimming if we hadn’t done the river tour). We played in the playground for awhile until our boats were ready. Our group was so big, we needed two boats. Most of the Redeemer kids, along with Rick, Grant, Violet, and I were in one boat, with everyone else in another.

Although slightly terrified that one false move by Rick and we would capsize, the boat ride was smooth and beautiful. We glided along the water until we got near an island. All of a sudden you could feel a current forming and pulling us away from there. The skipper guided us to a bank where we could get off the boat and explore the area. All around us, the water was churning and bubbling up from a natural spring deep below. This was the source of the Nile, and this spring alone is responsible for over 1/3 of the water that flows up the over 4,000 mile river from here to the Mediterranean Sea. (for a sense of perspective, the US is about 3500 miles coast to coast) There is a marker that signifies the beginning of the Nile River right there in the water.

The guide talked to us about the history of the area and how there used to be a waterfall here (which has since been dammed up) where people used to sacrifice cows and goats to the water gods. We then got back on the boat and toured around the islands out here to look for some wildlife. We saw a monitor lizard (!!!!!!!), tons of birds (kingfisher, herons, hawks, cranes, etc), and more. The kids started singing on the boat “I’ve got my mind made up… and I won’t turn back… cause I want to see Jesus someday!” and as we got close to the other boat, they started singing louder and louder so the others could hear them!

We got back to the resort and played some more with the kids, dancing and singing with them, swinging on the swings, sliding on the slides, teeter tottering, and playing tag. Soon it was time to say goodbye. The children did another performance for us, thanking us for a great day and thanking us for supporting their educations. Then it was time to say goodbye. We gave and received all sorts of hugs. I hugged Kathy extra tight, thanking her for everything she does for these wonderful kids.

We made it back to the Nester’s house in plenty of time for dinner and fellowship with them, which we loved. They are good people, and the service they provide for missionaries is so wonderful. To know that no matter what we do during the day, no matter how we pour ourselves out in service to others, we can come home to good food, a comfortable bed, and the cheerful humor and uplifting banter they provide. Having this place has been an incredible, God-ordained blessing and we are so thankful.

To see the pictures related to this post, please visit our FACEBOOK ALBUM from this day! While you are there, check out the rest of our albums of the trip, and "Like" our page to post comments!

Update on the Slums of Kampala Post

2011-12-08T13:35:00.001-08:00

Sorry for the lack of post updates and photos! We had been without internet for a few days. If you were waiting to see the pics from the day we spent in the slums of Kampala, they are at the following link:

FACEBOOK GALLERY WITH SLUMS OF KAMPALA PICS

More posts, updates, and pictures are coming soon!

Uganda - The Slums of Kampala

2011-12-06T18:27:00.001-08:00

EDIT: PICTURES CAN NOW BE FOUND HERE! Thanks for your patience :)
We are still working on the upload of pictures from Monday... we haven't had internet access for a couple of days, as power has been going on and off. As soon as there is a link with pictures, I will add it to this blog post.

We left early in the morning to go to Kampala. We had a few things to do, the first of which was to find a new backboard for Terry’s basketball hoop, which Willy broke in an epic slam dunk. We stopped at “Game”, the Ugandan version of Big 5. Unfortunately, they did not have what we needed. Before getting into the shopping center, our vehicle was stopped by security because it was a taxi and taxis are not allowed in there. We were in the middle of trying to explain to the guard that we had hired this driver for the day and it is not being used as a taxi when cars around us started trying to get by us. We had to pull backward, but cars were too close behind us, and more were pulling in front of us. This caused a ridiculous gridlock which ended up making a Dutch man very angry. He got out of his car, and in a fit of road rage came over to our driver and shouted, “Don’t you know how to drive a fooken car? Get out of the way!” We couldn’t believe how upset this guy was, and finally in a chain reaction of moving cars we were all able to move around and get into the parking lot. While in there, we saw a coffee shop called “Good African Coffee” that everyone wanted to stop at. And that man was there, sitting outside reading a paper and smoking a cigarette. Kristopher, being the diplomat he is, went out and chatted with him, learning he was from Holland, on business here in Uganda, and he is not feeling well and thinks he may have caught malaria in the Congo. Gerald came out and spoke to him as well, and even apologized, telling him that he was planning on coming out to tell him off, but realized that by doing so would not be reflecting the Jesus that has been working in his heart. The man was so appreciative. It was a cool moment.

We drove into Kampala traffic and finally got to the square where we were to meet Patrick, who had offered to help us for the day. It was so great to see Patrick’s smiling face again, and he was excited to serve with us! Next we met Derrick and we made our way to the open field where we would be playing sports with the slum children that are part of Derrick’s Front Line Ministry.

The boys were so excited to see us! They ran up to the car, grabbing our hands, jumping up and down, and shouting in excitement. With the help of the counselors, we played games with the kids like soccer, dodgeball, tag, and more. We got to share with them the soccer jerseys that had been donated by people all over the United States, and they loved them.

While we were there, mama and her young boy (no older than 2 or 3) were watching us. Violet took one of the African dolls donated by our friend Julie and gave it to the boy. He was so excited and the mama was so touched. The boy only spoke French and Swahili, though. They were Congolese. The mama understood very little English, but enough to know that we were there and sharing with her because we loved Jesus and wanted to share Jesus with them. She was so grateful and thankful, and as they walked away, she and her boy kept waving at us. Violet grabbed the smallest soccer jersey she could find and ran it out to the boy too. He was so happy, and Violet was so excited to do something special for him, since he wasn’t part of the group and would not have gotten anything had we not given it to him.

After our time of playing, we walked with the children from the field to their home in the slum. Describing what we saw is hard because words cannot adequately convey the smells and the sounds and the images that surrounded us. Huge open trenches filled with human waste and drainage water were bridged by old corrugated aluminum sheets and scrap planks of wood. Dirt-covered piles of trash carpeted the ground so that every step you took was either mud or trash or both. Barefoot children ran through the filth and the waste past the drunken men and prostitutes. Some were digging through the trash piles, others were in the water. Toddlers with green goopy snot coming from their noses sat huddled together with no mama in sight. Young children sniffed rags soaked in turpentine to dull their pain and hunger. This was the first place in Uganda I had visited where it was hard to see hope in the eyes of these people. They were trapped in this life of incredible despair.

We brought the youth into the youth center building to share with them our drama. Kristopher even had the opportunity to preach to them and challenged these boys to get rid of those rags, get rid of the drugs, and come to the living water of Jesus Christ. He also challenged the boys that some of them were meant to be leaders and he wanted them to step up and take the opportunity to be an influence on the children of the community, so that they can help each other see that they do have a hope and they do have a future and it is not with drugs or with alcohol or anything else. Many of the children were falling asleep because they were totally stoned, some of them as young as 7 or 8 years old, with bottles of turpentine in their pockets. Some relinquished them to their counselors, and some definitely got the message and wanted to step up and lead. Christina saw a very young boy give his bottle to the counselor and her heart just broke and she could not stop crying.

We tried to distribute more jerseys, but after awhile the boys became difficult to control and Derrick suggested we just leave before it got out of hand. It was disappointing that we could not have made more of an impact that way, but we were able to step aside and give one of the counselors a couple of complete team sets so that he could start a league of sorts… putting the equipment away after each game so that it can be used over and over. He was very excited to try it with the boys, and I really hope that it can work to make a positive difference in their lives.

After this emotional day, we stopped at Namirembe House and had some lunch and decompression time. We were able to give Patrick his Christmas gifts, including the new book bag and school supplies and the tools he was able to buy from the sale of his crafts. He and Emma joined us for lunch too. Kristopher was slightly ridiculous and pulled out a bag of cooked chicken he had brought with him and topped his sausage with chicken. He offered to share it with Patrick and Emma, who thought it was ridiculous. Emma said the way we felt about trying grasshoppers was the way he felt about trying this chicken! Hahaahahhaa

We had to say goodbye to Emma here, and we were all sad to see him go. He has been our faithful driver and companion for three trips now, and we wouldn’t have it any other way. Emma is good people and he will be very sorely missed.

Our final leg of time in Kampala was spent looking for a new backboard for Terry. Sadly, however, our efforts turned up fruitless. We ended up in a shopping center for wealthy people and it was completely strange to be surrounded by so much wealth and excess when we had just come from such poverty. The disparity between rich and poor in this country is ridiculous. There seems to be no middle class at all.

As we left Kampala, we encountered a bit of a scare. We were stopped at a busy intersection when all of a sudden we heard an explosion and a flash in front of us. At first we thought it was some sort of bomb that went off in front of us, but we think the engine of the car blew. Our driver was quick to react, though. He had us out of there and away from the commotion instantly. That and our exhaustion made for one giddy 2.5 hour car ride back to the Nester’s house. Timothy entertained us all with his gospel music and Elvis impersonations. We were so glad to fall into our own beds that night and get a good, restful sleep.

See the pictures related to this post HERE!

Sunday - Church, Chinese, and Shopping

2011-12-06T18:23:00.001-08:00

To see the pictures related to this post, please visit our FACEBOOK ALBUM for today.

For the majority of our team, Sunday was a wonderful day of rest and renewal. While Kristopher, Timothy, and Uncle G went to preach in other churches, the rest of the team stayed and attended Acacia Church, right on the Nester’s property. And the best news was that the Redeemer kids got to come! We hired a van to bring the kids over and spend Sunday morning with us. They were all dressed up in their finest clothes… the little boys in shirts and clip-on ties, the girls in their dresses with cute bows and blossoms in their hair.

Church was out on the grass. Lots of mzungu missionaries attend Acacia church. It was crazy to see so many white people on one lawn! We hadn’t seen this many the entire time we had been here! And I was excited to have the chance to meet one mzungu girl I had only known through reading her blog and her book. Katie Davis, who wrote the book Kisses From Katie, attends this church with her daughters. I had read the book before coming here and it was wonderful to read it to mentally prepare for what to expect here. During worship, it showered a little, but thanks to a merciful God we did not get poured on. The worship team was wonderful. Led by Debbie, they sang from the covered patio (because of the sound equipment), and they had beautiful harmonizing singing voices. My favorite song we sang was called “Let the Waters Rise” by Mike’s Chair. I want to get a copy of that song to listen to over and over.

After worship was a time of praise and prayer. People stood up to share the good things happening in their lives… Rick even shared how thankful we are to be here at the Nester’s home receiving the blessing of their hospitality. Terry preached on Luke 1 and the time when the angel Gabriel came down to Mary, an ordinary girl who loved God and found favor with Him. She wasn’t extra special or extra holy. She was just a virgin, who one day was greeted by Gabriel and was willing to receive the world’s most important blessing of all. It was a simple message that was so impactful, and a wonderful message to think about during this holiday season. It’s also crazy to think about this being a holiday season right now. People here don’t have lights and trees and music playing nonstop. They aren’t making lists of toys and games and items of entertainment. They are living each day to survive. It’s such a crazy different world.

After church, Terry and Debbie took us to lunch at a Chinese restaurant in Jinja. (I KNOW, RIGHT??!) It was amazing authentic Chinese food! And the food kept coming and coming. Fried rice (mmmmm), ginger rice (mmmmmm), cashew chicken, spicy beef, lemon chicken, fried noodles, and more and more and more and more! Our spirits were filled in the morning, and our bellies got filled in the afternoon!

We went out to the market that late afternoon and visited the craft market street. We got to meet Faith, a woman that owns a craft shop and knows Debbie. Her little shop had some of everything and Violet and I got all sorts of souvenirs and gifts. Many of us got drums, clothes, bags, jewelry and more. At one point, Gerald saw a young man from the crusade day on the street and they chatted for a bit. I think Gerald can make friends absolutely everywhere.

Back at the Nester’s home we had a lovely evening of good food and great fellowship. Gerald and Kristopher sang some sort of ridiculous “peanut butter” song, and then there were some rousing games of cards. This home is such an amazingly perfect place for our team to get filled up so that we can continue to serve. And we needed it, because the next day we were to be heading out into the slums of Kampala.

See all the pictures from today in our FACEBOOK ALBUM.

Jinja - Visiting Redeemer House

2011-12-04T12:15:00.001-08:00

Want to see pictures? Check out our FACEBOOK ALBUM with all sorts of images from this day!

This was the day I had been waiting for! I could not wait to see those kiddos at Redeemer House. We had a nice, lazy morning, which was wonderful considering the last few mornings we were out of the house before 8 am. I spent the morning trying to take pictures of Debbie, our host mama who is NOT a fan of the camera. It didn’t stop me from trying, though! At one point she chased me down with a wooden knife and whacked me on the leg. Another time she threw a glue stick at me (she has incredible aim!). I was bound and determined, though… and I ended up with a few great images of her that I love, including the glue stick one!

We left to go to Redeemer House through some pretty crazy roads. When we arrived, the kids opened the gate and we came in… as soon as they saw Uncle G, they started chanting “UNCLE G! UNCLE G! UNCLE G!!!!” He could barely make it out of the car before he was mobbed by the kids.

It was hard to tell who was more excited for us to be there… the kids or our team. We absolutely loved spending time with them. For those who had never met the children before, it was love at first sight. These kids just grip onto your heart like nothing you have ever seen. Christina got to meet the child she sponsors. Little Natasha knew her sponsor was coming, and she was completely bursting over with joy when she saw Christina. Likewise, Christina was overcome when she knelt down to meet the little girl she had only known from a single photo. Kristopher and the rest of the Freedom Fellowship missionaries got to meet Api and Gloria, the two students they sponsor. Timothy and the Reflect Church team got to meet Deo, the boy the church sponsors. We made ourselves at home and it absolutely felt like home there. Redeemer House is so full of love and compassion that it simply overflowed onto us right away.

It was also awesome to meet Leanne and her daughter Katie, two Americans who are adopting from Redeemer House. They were there to finish up their adoption process. They’ve been in Africa for over a month. Violet was super excited to see another American girl her age!

While most of the children were preparing to do a performance for us, Api and Alex went out back to prepare dinner. By prepare dinner, they took three chickens out back to be slaughtered. Violet was completely intrigued, so I took her out back to watch the whole thing. The boys held down the chickens with their feet… one foot held down both wings and the other foot held down the feet. Then they plucked the feathers from around the neck of the chicken so that they would have a clean neck to cut. They took a very sharp knife, and holding the neck nice and tight, Api sawed off the head of the chicken, tossed it into the grass, and held the chicken at the neck to staunch the blood flow and let it die Surprisingly enough, Violet was not completely grossed out by the whole thing… instead, she was rather fascinated! I don’t think she will ever look at a chicken dinner the same way again.

We went back to the front of the house and the children began their song and dance show. Mercy Mika, their social worker, led them with her guitar and they praised and sang and entertained us with their awesome dance moves. Deo played the drums and all the children were involved. It was so cute!

My favorite moment of the little show was looking to the grass behind the children to see Scooby, their puppy, playing with what I thought at first to be a dog toy… until I realized it was actually the chicken head. AHAHAHAAHAHA gross

Afterward, we entertained THEM with a performance of our own. We did “Dead Man Walking” and it was so wonderful because the kids “got” it! At the end, I spoke to them saying, “This man DIED. And then after he died, Will gave him muscles, but he was still dead, right? Then he got coolness… and music… and money… and women… and even a crown to be king! But he was STILL DEAD. There is nothing in this world that can overcome death. But if you have Jesus in your heart, you can overcome death! Jesus can give you eternal life forever in heaven with Him!” and the kids all cheered. It was so cute!

By special request, Uncle G sang and danced for the kids and he even got to teach them the Cha Cha Slide. Everyone got involved in the dancing, which was super fun. Scooby even came out to show us his new toy, a chicken leg. AHAHAHAHAAHA. Scooby. I like that dog.

We played games with the kids (they loved UNO), built fun things with legos, and shared our time with them. Christina gave some special gifts to Natasha, and Kristopher shared letters from Freedom Fellowship with Api.

Lunch was wonderful – beans and rice and fruit. We all sat together and ate. After lunch, we helped the boys with their chore of dishes, and then we gave the children their gifts of new backpacks. Each backpack contained notebooks, pencils, erasers, a t-shirt they can sleep in, toothbrushes, toothpaste, a matchbox car, and an African doll. The kids loved them so much!! Each of them played with their cars and dolls and showed off their other treasures. Little Gloria marched all over the courtyard with her bag over her shoulder. The boys showed off their cars and “drove” them on the play mat.

After that, we shared even more gifts that sponsors and donors provided, including a huge pile of legos for all the kids, crafts, books, DVDs, playing cards, watercolor paints, mosquito nets, and much more. It was so good to know these children would be getting some wonderful things. And some of the best things are yet to come! We have three beds that were donated from the Christmas catalog and we surprised Kathy by giving her the pillows. The beds are being ordered and will be coming very soon! They also have socks, shoes, and underwear and a bunch of toys that they will get on Christmas morning… and all the sponsored children will also be receiving a chicken of their own! This will be so special for them.

One thing that Violet did was she brought all her old Beanie Babies, about 30 toys that she was able to share with the kids. The joy she felt giving away the toys was extra special for her. And the best part was that she brought her very first baby doll she carried around as a toddler. She wanted to choose the child that received it, and she knew right away that Natasha was the one. Violet gave the doll to Natasha, who giggled and laughed and hugged her like her own. Violet told Natasha that this is a very special doll named Princess, and she was her very first doll. She loved that baby very much and it was now time for Natasha to take care of her. Violet hugged Natasha and cried a little, but it was a happy cry because she knew that Natasha would love that baby just like Violet did. I am so proud of that girl of mine.

Kathy knew of a woman who would be very blessed by a toiletry and medical kit, so we loaded up a car and went off to her home… only the directions to that place were a little sketchy: “turn right after the clothes vendors, take your second left by the big palm trees, go down the road, and then make a sharp right.” We ended up getting a little lost and I was extremely surprised we did not get stuck in the road which had some seriously huge potholes and ditches and mud bogs. We realized we had probably missed a turn somewhere and we did not find the house we were looking for. Instead, Kathy had recognized a home from when she had ministered with a friend of hers, so we stopped there instead. The mama was not home, but we were able to talk to the teenage daughter and tell her that we were there because we wanted to bless her. We believe in Jesus and His love and we want to share with her a gift that will help her family. Will and Jackie presented her with the toiletry kit and Kathy explained the items in the medical kit. The girl was overcome with happiness and she could not believe that someone, a stranger, would do this for her. We told her about the love of Jesus and how we were there to share it.

Meanwhile, a small crowd had gathered and Uncle G was singing and dancing with them. Then he was filled with sadness as he realized that only one person in this area was getting gifts but probably all of them deserved something. So he began to preach – and he shared that while only one person received a physical gift, we are here on a mission from God and that Jesus is the ultimate gift, because He can give you eternal life and salvation. He preached and preached – it was awesome. At the end, he asked if there was anyone who wanted to accept Jesus into their life, and a young woman raised her hand. Her name was Christina and she prayed the prayer of salvation, accepting Christ in her life that night. Kathy talked to her about finding a church body to worship with, and she promised to follow up with her family to support her.

We returned in time for dinner and prayer time with the kids. We enjoyed the chicken from this morning, cooked and rolled in a chapatti with rice and avocados. Then the kids all gathered in the living room and we sang worship songs. Deo and Gloria played the drum and the children sang their hearts out. Their little voices filled the room with brightness and color, and it was almost overwhelming to hear. Most of us were moved to tears at the sound of their sweet singing.

Prayer time was even more amazing. First everyone shared stories and praise, and then shared prayer requests. The stories and praise were amazing. Things like Brian, who had received a special award in school for good grades and cleanliness. The award was a bar of soap, which he was excited to share with the other kids. A BAR OF SOAP. And do you know how excited they were to get one? They were THRILLED. The prayers were even more incredible. The children prayed for their sponsors, for the people of Uganda, the starving children affected by famine, families that might be willing to adopt them, for the health of those who are sick, and more. The children were facedown on the ground, crying out to God to hear their prayers coming from their hearts. It was humbling and amazing to see these kids who know how to pray better than most adults.

After prayers, it was bedtime and we wished them all a good night. The children get to come to church at Acacia Church with us, so they were all super excited about the prospect of riding in a motorcar and seeing us again! We couldn’t wait either. It was an amazing day and we just love those kiddos.

To see the pictures of our day at Redeemer House, don’t forget to check out our FACEBOOK ALBUM.

Loco Village - The Medical Clinic and Crusade

2011-12-03T21:38:00.001-08:00

(Pictures related to this post can be found IN OUR FACEBOOK ALBUM.)

The first best thing to happen with our medical clinic was that Kathy from Redeemer House heard we were doing it and offered her services for the day. Early in the morning, Rick picked her up and brought her back to our place and she got to be part of the plan from the beginning.

The place where we were doing the clinic and crusade was in an open field in a small village near the railroad tracks, where trains used to run down to the water's edge for freight pickup and delivery. Over time, the train stopped running, and these buildings, which used to house these shipped items, are now homes for the people of the village. They live in one-room brick boxes, about 8 feet by 8 feet. Entire families live there. There is one large window about 2 feet by three feet with a wooden shutter (which, in almost all the windows remained firmly closed), and above that a row of smaller glass windows that would give light to the home. In the middle of the homes was a brick structure without a rooftop that was the "bathroom." You walk up 4 steps and turn left, and there are three "stalls" (no doors of course). The poop smell is almost completely overwhelming. Your nostrils sting, even when you cover your face. The first stall was full of trash, the second stall had a hole in the ground what had been covered by a large rock, and the third stall had a small pile of poop right at the entrance. The hole in the ground was almost completely full of feces. The back of the building has pipes that open up to a trench in the ground, and everything leaks out of there. The trenches run all through town. As I stepped down from the bathroom stairs, a couple children ran across the trench and one of them accidentally stepped in it, getting his foot soaked in raw sewage. He never stopped running. The village was just up the hill from the water's edge, so it smelled like fish and cows and poop and all sorts of pretty things.

When we got to the field, we had Emma do a "decoy drop" with Gerald, Willy, Violet and I on one end of the field, so that when the kids started running out (which they did as soon as they saw a carload of mzungus), we could distract them and allow the rest of the team to begin setting up for the clinic. Willy, Gerald, and Violet played with the kids, setting up relay races, exercises, music and dancing. It was a perfect set-up. Across the field, Rick and Michael unloaded supplies with Kathy. While Kathy set up the pharmacy table, Michael and Willy used the ropes and poles to establish the perimiter of the clinic. We had two tents that went up, and tables and chairs were brought over from the nearby school. The moment we started setting up, a line began to form. People waited patiently for the clinic to open. Kathy worked the wound care table, and Violet decided to be her right-hand man. :) Violet was an extremely good assistant, helping Kathy administer malaria tests (Violet may just be the only American 11 year old who is proficient in malaria testing), clean wounds, and more. Erin, Christina, and Jackie worked the pharmacy with a couple of Ugandan nurses. Kristopher and Timothy were on hand to counsel and pray for the sick, and the rest of us volunteered wherever we were needed.

As the day drew on, the lines grew and grew. People were so grateful to receive care. Some who could not see well were given glasses, and their faces when Doctor Faith, our Ugandan doctor coordinator, had shown them they could now read the words in a Bible, were absolutely precious. One mama came up to me with the sweetest baby in her arms. She told me she came for treatment, and then received prayer from Pastor Kristopher. She was so moved, she told me she is staying until the crusade this afternoon because she wants to give her life to Jesus Christ. AND THAT IS WHY WE DO WHAT WE DO. For hearts to be changed for God's glory.

One funny moment was when Willy, Gerald, Michael, and Grant all had candy to hand out to the kids in the field. It was mass chaos, and each guy took a different approach. Michael tried to calm the crowd with his voice. Willy used speed to his advantage and handed out his candy as fast as his arms would let him. Uncle G (the Pied Piper) somehow got all the kids to sit down first. And Grant didn't want to have to decide who did and didn't get candy, so his approach was the "toss and run". By the time it was all over, lots of smiling kids were running around with treats and candy.

At midday, Rick loaded up a van with mosquito nets and we went with Pastor Monic to her village on the water so that we could distribute nets to the people there and share the Gospel with them. Christina, Grant, Rick, Violet and I were there with Monic and Pastor Gerald. Monic was so excited to show us her church... we walked between the shanty homes, which were all built on a hill of coal that led right up to the water's edge. The tiny alleyway opened up to a square which was about 15 feet by 15 feet, situated between four small shacks. Fishing line was strung across the top of the square in a kind of a grid. Monic said, "This is my church. This is where we worship. We cover the top above our heads and we minister to the people here." Here. in a square of coal and rock between shacks. And she was so proud. She introduced me to the mama that owned the land and lets her use it for free. She said she hopes to someday build her own church when she has the money to do so. God doesn't need big, fancy buildings and programs. He will meet Pastor Monic right there in her village where she is.

Monic led us to different homes to hand out nets and small toiletry kits. These women were so grateful to be receiving the gifts, and we were able to let God minister to the people. One woman was sobbing, and she said she wanted Jesus into her heart. Pastor Gerald and Monic prayed with her and she was overcome with joy. At another home, Pastor Gerald shared the Gospel with a couple of families and asked if they wanted to receive Jesus into their hearts. Two women raised their hands, and Gerald took my arm and said "Pastor Jessie, you lead them in prayer to accept Jesus!" I told him I was not a pastor and he said to me, "Right here in this place you are a pastor. God has placed you here to pray for these women." So with my heart in my throat and surrendering my pride to Jesus, I quietly asked Him to give me the right words to say, since this is something I had never done before. And with the help of Gerald translating what I was saying, God somehow used me and my broken self as a vessel for Him. I don't know at all what I said, because I had no idea what to say. It was all God at that point, and it was pretty amazing.

When we got back, it was time to begin wrapping up the clinic and starting the crusade. We had served over 500 people at the clinic! Timothy and Gerald and Violet, with the help of Derrick translating, led the children in worship songs and the Word of God as people started to gather. The crusade was very interesting because we did not know what to expect... would there be hundreds of people? Thousands? None? But what happened was so perfect and wonderful and so about God. The field continued to fill with children. Hundreds and hundreds of children came forward and sat in the grass. There were some adults there, but it was predominantly a field of children. Rick's vision for Hands of Hope Missions has always been about the children and building up the future generation, so to see a field of children worshiping, learning, and being led to Christ was pretty incredible. Many children accepted Jesus that day, and even some adults (including the mama I mentioned earlier). It was wonderfully perfect and all from God.

If you want to see pictures related to this post, check out the Hands of Hope Missions Facebook page and VIEW THE GALLERY.

Wrapping Up the Pastor's Conference

2011-12-02T12:33:00.001-08:00

All our pictures from this post can be found on our album on our FACEBOOK PAGE

All the pastors who had completed the conference were able to receive a special certificate prepared by the Hands of Hope Missions team. We even had a group photo we took (courtesy of a schoolhouse table, Grant's tripod, and my sprinting skills to get back to the crowd in time) that they all got to receive. Once we had taken that photo, I went back to the house with Erin, Violet and Jackie.

While I printed the photos for the pastors, Erin, Violet and Jackie put together the medical kits and toiletry kits which were purchased as catalog gifts. We will be talking to Kathy Vaughan from Redeemer House about which families she knows would be most blessed to receive these gifts. We hope to distribute them on Saturday when Kathy can help us.

She played with the kids and learned how to roll a tire around the grounds with a stick. The kids ran circles around her! Then while we were hanging out, the cook lady took Violet by the hand and was walking with her down the path away from the school. Christina and I saw this so we followed a ways behind so we could see what was up. After walking a ways, Violet stopped and said goodby to the lady and came back. We asked her what was going on and she said that the cook wanted Violet to go with her to where she was cooking the food to teach her how to cook. "I'll make you tea!" she declared. Violet told her no, and that she wasn't supposed to go anywhere without her mom. "Don't worry," she told Violet. "Your mom and I are friends. You come with me." and that is when Violet told her no and she had to go back. (Confidential to my husband: stop panicking. Christina and I were there the whole time and everything was under control and our daughter was never in any actual danger of being kidnapped by an African woman).

The conference ended with a Q&A session for the pastors, many of whom had very real fears of being actually cursed by others. They talked through the truth of God's word and how to walk in it. Then all the pastors prayed for our team, thanking us for our work in putting the event on. We filled out certificates for all of them and had Kristopher and Timothy sign them to be an official record of their completion. By this time, the sun had set again... fireflies were out and we were signing papers by the light of Rick's flashlight. And once it was all over, we still had to put the school house back together, returning the desks and seats to their proper location and removing all the rental chairs.

By the time we got back to the house, I was completely exhausted. I could not keep my eyes open and fell asleep on the couch. It's probably a good thing I wasn't staying up super late... the next day would be our busiest yet! The medical clinic and crusade. LOTS to get done for that event.

If you haven't seen the pictures from this day, check them our on our FACEBOOK ALBUM. SO MANY MORE to share tomorrow!! I can't wait!!

Jinja - The Pastor's Conference

2011-12-02T10:10:00.001-08:00

To see the photos related to this post, check them out on OUR FACEBOOK PAGE.

The Pastor's Conference was an incredible success! Many pastors from nearby villages and as far away as Kenya came to learn how to shepherd their sheep. We had planned on a church service the first evening, but when we got to the field, there were no lights... and the generator that the worship team had brought was gone. We held church by candlelight... Kristopher taught about the importance of sharing your testimony and the impact it can have on people, and Christina shared hers. Gerald also shared, and then several of the African pastors did as well.

After candlelight church, we served the pastors their dinner. They had rice, potatoes, meat, and beans. We also ate with them and chatted with them as well. It was interesting to eat in the dark with them and hear their stories about their churches, how far they traveled, and how much they were learning in this conference. So many pastors in these countries are leaders because they are the only ones who own a bible or they can read the best... however they are lacking inbasic skills of leadership and teaching, so they spent time this week learning about that, learning how to set up an effective church based on the Bible, and receiving sound Biblical teaching from Kristopher and Timothy.

The final day of the conference, Kristopher and Timothy worked with Pastor Protus from Kenya, who led the morning session. Then they had more breakout sessions, instructing the pastors on ways to study, use, and teach the Bible. While they did that, Rick, Michael, Violet and I went to the town with Emma to buy some of the supplies we needed to get for the Hands of Hope Missions Christmas Catalog. We bought jerry cans (the yellow buckets they use to gather water), basins, medical supplies for the medical kits (these included burn treatment for cooking burns (which are common), de-wormer, which is necessary, analgesics, anti-fungals (especially important when it is rainy season as fungus is common), malaria meds for children and adults, wound care, and more), basins, vaseline and lotions, and lots more items. While we were there, some guys were cooking up grasshoppers and Emma promised I would not get sick from it, so I said I would try some. Michael was in the shop paying for the basins and yelled "Don't eat that stuff without me!" and so he and I ATE. THE. GRASSHOPPERS. And they were not awful! Rick tried some too, and he didn't even gag! haha. Violet refused, although she promised that if the rest of the team ate some, she would too. So we bought a bag to bring back to the rest of the group.

Back at the Pastor's Conference, we got to enjoy lunch with the pastors again. Violet played with the kids and then we shared our yummy grasshoppers with everyone. She even tried them! She said they tasted like chewy fries.

We took a group photo with the pastors and a few of us went back to the house to prepare the certificates of completion for the pastors. I had my little printer, so I was able to print a copy of the photo for each of the pastors to take home as a souvenir of their time with us.

So much good is happening as a result of this conference! It was a great part of our mission. More in the next post! Until then, be sure to check out the pictures in our FACEBOOK ALBUM.

Jinja - Preparing for the Pastor's Conference

2011-11-30T05:49:00.001-08:00

Once again, Blogger is not interested in allowing me the opportunity to share the photos from the trip. Once again, I have uploaded all of them to a Facebook album so you can see what's going on (at least this time I could see them upload so I added captions to each so you knew what was going on). CHECK THEM OUT HERE. If you "Like" our facebook page, you can even comment on the pictures!

Today has been full of our preparations for the Pastor's Conference. It started out with an incredible breakfast prepared by the Nesters, and we were fueled up for the day. Our team drove to the conference area and set up the registration table and waited... and waited... and waited for the pastors to come. A few were there and many came, slowly but surely. When you are in Uganda, time takes on a whole new meaning! Things finally got started a little after 10:30am (it was supposed to start at 9). The worship team was amazing, dancing and singing all over the stage. You couldn't help but dance right along with them.

Meanwhile, a group of us were outside where some of the children in the neighboring homes came out to see what was going on. They were just so adorable, their tiny brown faces illuminated by their wide Ugandan banana smiles! We shared with them a few little candy treats, and made paper airplanes with them and helped them launch them all over the little courtyard.

Violet made friends with some school girls who were her age. They talked about what they were doing in school and they had all sorts of questions for her, like "do you have bicycles in the US?" It was very cute to hear them chatting.

A group of us (Rick, Jackie, Violet, me, Erin, Gerald, Will, and Grant) piled into the van and went to visit the location of the crusade and clinic. It's just a field out in the middle of nowhere, pretty much, and in the middle of this field is a raised stage platform which was made by some locals for this event. It was pretty amazing and humbling to see the stage, which was by no means fancy whatsoever. However it was perfect in its humble nature. Just as Jesus would have preached from a similar stage, so we will have the honor of sharing the Gospel to hundreds of people... no fancy platform, no high tech systems... just us and our hearts. It's going to be an amazing time.

The moment we arrived on the field, the children came running from EVERYWHERE (seriously, where were these kids like 2 minutes prior??). They kept saying "YES! YES! YES!!" and crowded around the van and pressed their way in closer and closer to see the mzungu people who had come back. We had nothing to give them, though... but they didn't seem to mind, only wanting to touch us and feel our light skin and hold our hands and get their pictures taken. And they ADORED Rick. Emma helped translate for us so we could lead the kids in some fun songs like "Jesus loves the little children" and others. Violet did "head, shoulders, knees, and toes" with them all, and Uncle G had the kids dancing and singing all over the place with his rhythms and beats. We finally had to leave, but we promised we would return on Friday to see them all then.

After this little field trip, Rick suggested we have a traditional Ugandan lunch... so we headed to the Park Villa Cafe for boiled chicken, goat, rice, plantains, pumpkin, sweet potatoes, and something they call "yams" but which are anything BUT yams that we know of! The food was good, and I am proud of Violet for trying it and doing well with the fact that the chicken was 80% carcass and 20% meat.

Next, we made our way back to the Nesters house for some regrouping, planning out how on earth we were going to set up an organized clinic, and listing out the supplies we needed to make things happen. Violet and Michael took naps while Erin, Jackie, and I printed out and cut out number tickets for the clinic. Rick and the rest of the team went back to the conference, and I have been uploading and organizing photos. The rest of us will be heading back to the conference later tonight. I will update more when I can! Don't forget to click the link at the top of this post to see the pictures!!

Uganda - Entebbe to Jinja and the Hospitality of Missionaries

2011-11-29T11:44:00.001-08:00

Trust me when I say I have a ton of great pictures. Imagine the cute pictures Violet took of the flowers, the tree that looked like a crocodile, and some of us. And then of the roads as we headed out toward Jinja... but first we got caught in a torrential downpour and decided to double back to have lunch at the Crocodile Cafe in Kampala.

While at the cafe, our great friend Derrick from Uganda joined us for lunch. He is helping coordinate the pastor's conference which we are putting on tomorrow. I met Derrick last year when we visited the slums of Kampala giving away soccer jerseys. Right now he is a hardworking college student (he even had to leave lunch to go take an exam!).

After lunch, we drove to Jinja... the drive was about 2 hours long, and it was incredible passng throguh villages and towns, slums and shantys, seeing cows and cranes and goats and dogs, men on motorcycles with all sorts of items piled high, women with bushels and bags and baskets blanced on their heads, and children playing happily in the dirt and the streams.

Finally, we crossed the Nile River and made it into Jinja! After paying a man on a motor scooter to lead us the way to the home in which we were staying, we arrived at the most amazing house. The American missionaries who own it open up their home to other missionaries passing through. They have tons of beds and room at the table and seats in their living room. The yard is expansive and beautiful and their hospitality is Southern to the core. They even fed us chicken and dumplings for dinner!! It was fantastic.

The home has a beautiful yard where they have church every Sunday right outside (unless it rains, and then they move it to under their huge covered porch). The ladies (and Grant) spent the evening at the house sorting our medical supplies and donations while the other guys scoped out the location for the pastor's conference. We all reconvened together at about 10pm and I worked on the blog (which is not allowing me to upload any photos at the moment). I did get some of them to upload on Facebook and you can check it out on our FACEBOOK ALBUM. So check those out and hopefully they will get to upload onto here very soon!

Thanks again for your support and prayers! We feel them and we definitely appreciate them! Tomorrow is going to be a HUGELY BUSY DAY. I can't wait to share about it (with pictures this time!!)

Uganda - Entebbe

2011-11-29T11:29:00.000-08:00

We arrived in Amsterdam without a hitch... Here we are, heading to our gate for the final leg of our flight adventure!

My hair was all sorts of a mess. Trying to braid it to make it less ridiculous looking.

A few of us were able to skype with our loved ones while we waited for the flight...

Uncle G got to talk to his beautiful wife too...

We even had a little breakfast at the cafe in the restaurant.

Uncle G as we head down the jetway to our last flight...

And we made it to the Pearl of Africa! Welcome to Entebbe, Uganda!

Our KLM plane... we could only pray that our bags made it through the two different plane transfers!

And, praise the Lord... THEY ALL MADE IT! 24 bags :) WOOHOO!
Another sweet thing that we got to witness was a family from Alabama on our flight with us. A mother and father, their daughter and two sons were all on their way to pick up the boys they were adopting... 11 year old twins, who were meeting them at the airport. I SO WANTED TO TAKE PICTURES OF THIS!! Out of respect for the border agents, however, I had my camera put away and didn't get the picture. But here's what happened... while we were waiting to leave the secured area, the family, who was right in front of us, stepped out the door. All of a sudden we heard a shriek of joy as two bald brown boys ran from the arms of their caretaker into the arms of their new mama. The children jumped up and down laughing and crying at the same time and none of us in our group could hold back the tears as we saw God restoring family in the life of these two children. Mama couldn't contain her joy as she introduced her two sons to us... Matthew and Paul. They boys had the biggest banana smiles we have ever seen and their American brothers and sisters could not stop hugging and holding their new brothers. It was absolutely the most perfect way to enter the country, and I will never forget the joy in that moment.

We had to load the hotel shuttle through the windows...

G is excited to be on the shuttle bus!

So is Rick... he kept saying, "God is good!" ...we couldn't agree more :)

Here is our driver, Steven. He was waiting for us outside with a handmade sign reading "HANS OF HOPE MISSION - SUNSET MOTEL". He did a great job of getting us there safely!

The hotel was wonderful and had a great meeting room...

Pastor Timothy and Kristopher led an evening devotion for the team.

Most of us ended up taking melatonin to help us sleep, and we slept very well. Violet did a little sleep-walking and sleep-talking, which was entertaining. (Don't worry, Rick. I was right there and got her back into bed. Plus we locked our room door so she couldn't get out)

We met at 7am for morning devotions...

We all shared our reasons for being here in Africa and what we wanted to get out of the trip...

Violet and I went outside to read and journal...

The grounds of our hotel were absolutely beautiful! We had to leave the grass a few minutes later as Violet noticed ants all over her shoes. haha

Breakfast was great! We had eggs, sausage, toast, and coffee.

Shortly after breakfast, our favorite driver, Emma, came by and we planned our day of travel. I attempted to blog, but as soon as I tried to post, the power went out and our internet connection was lost! I have another post to add about the rest of the day.... hopefully going up very soon!

Team Uganda - WE MADE IT!

2011-11-28T14:39:00.000-08:00

Hi everyone -
We have made it to Uganda and have settled into our motel for the night in Entebbe. We will be heading to Jinja in the morning, from which I will post a more extensive blog post with pictures... But rut now, for all who have been waiting and praying, just know we are HERE! We are SAFE! And all ur bags not only made it, we had NO PROBLEM going through customs with everything. God is good, all the time!

It's now 1:30 am... time for all of us to snuggle under our mosquito nets and try and get a full night's sleep. Tomorrow is a busy day!

Traveling Part 2 - thank you, free wifi!

2011-11-27T23:34:00.000-08:00

Here are the rest of our traveling images...

Uncle G, checking out the awesomeness of our baggage collection...

Rick and Violet guiding our baggage carts to the elevator (we originally went to the international terminal, but because we are going through Minneapolis, we had to go to the domestic. Good thing it wasn't too terribly far away...)

Violet modeling our awesome shirts for the trip... Speaking Truth in Uganda, with the letters KING IN U in red. I love them!

And just to prove I am actually ON this trip, here's a (rare) pic of me :)

We had breakfast in SFO before leaving...

We enjoyed the time to just chill and stretch out...

And then we got to our gate and boarded the plane!

Here we go... it's getting real now!

We all got to sit together in a couple of rows... Rick shared a row with Violet and I. We gave him as much room as possible :)

When we got to Minneapolis, we actually watched as our bags were unloaded from the plane and taken to the next one! Thanks, Wendi and Angelica, for tying those ribbons on the bags! It made them very easy to identify!

In Minneapolis, we had about an hour to have some lunch and relax.

Some of the guys got Chili's... a last American meal before leaving country!

Speaking of chilly, the weather outside of the airport was rather nippy...

We are very thankful to have Grant on our team. It seems like anytime we have a question with regards to our technology, he is ready, willing, and able to lend a hand.

Violet decided our last American meal should be from McDonald's. Gross. haha :)

Okay! Like I said before, I am excited about our next stop.... as we hang out in Amsterdam, we are all gearing up for what the next 2 weeks has for us. I can't wait to share it all with you! Pray for decent Internet connections so this sharing can take place!!

Mission to Uganda - Travel Day

2011-11-27T22:45:00.000-08:00

We finished our training day with some teaching from Pastor Timothy...

And once again Wendi made sure we had a wonderful catered dinner so our bellies were full :)

Everyone who felt like they could sleep camped out on the floor for the few hours we had before leaving at 3am...

And then just before we left, we made sure we cleaned up the place. Christina was amazing with the sweeper!

Jackie took care of Erin's unruly hair...

and the van arrived for the team to head to SFO airport!

The ride was dark and foggy, but our capable drivers, Jim and Linda Miller and Tim Schmidt got us there safely!

Crossing the Bay Bridge...

And we made it! Leg #1 was complete! Now onto the flying leg!

We unloaded 24 very full bags and they made it through security fine.

I have a bunch more photos to share, but Internet here in Amsterdam is super slow and I've run out of time. Know this... our bags have already made it this far! One more leg to go! Pray they make it safely to Entebbe with us! We are excited for this last leg of the trip and finally getting to African soil! Red dirt, here we come!!

Team in Training - Preparing for the mission

2011-11-26T21:00:00.000-08:00

Today is the day before we leave for Uganda, and it is reserved for our mission training. We are all in Elk Grove, CA, and we have loaded up the trucks...

We headed to Open Door Church, which has graciously allowed us to use their facility for our training.

The Expedition is filled to the top with 24 bags weighing in at 50 pounds each.

This took the work of a Tetris Master to maneuver, but it worked! All the bags are loaded.

Next it was time to begin the training... and I got to meet another team member who hasn't been introduced yet! This is Grant Rosenquist. He is no stranger to traveling, but this is his first mission trip. He is a videographer and he will be documenting what he sees in video while I work the still pictures. I can't wait to see what he comes up with, and I can't wait to see how God uses him on this trip!

We got a debriefing on some of the mission expectations and guidelines, and received our team assignments. We have two main teams, Team Hope and Team Truth. Both teams will be working closely together and each team has a pastor who will help lead.

We all registered, thanks to the tireless efforts of the mission volunteers who weren't going to be traveling, but instead doing the work to be sure things stateside run smoothly.

All of us had to digest a ton of information to prepare us for what was to come. And the yellow bags? They had our awesome team t-shirts as well as some great treats from Wendi to start us on the right foot. She even included candy treats. So many people went into the preparation of today that aren't even going. They are selfless people who believe in what we are doing. It was awesome!

Next, Pastor Kristopher led us in some drama practice, which are short skits that help us preach the gospel through actions, bridging any kind of language barrier and allowing us to speak the truth even when people may not understand our words.

The first one was "Dead Man Walking." Willie gets to be the dead man.

After he "dies," he gets propped up and dressed up. Different people walk by, giving him muscles, coolness, money, book knowledge, clothing, royal status, music and dance, and even ladies. However, none of this changed the fact that he was dead. Nothing can overcome death except a relationship with Jesus Christ.

The next drama we learned was called "Baggage." In this one, various people dragged heavy bags across the stage.

They could not carry them on their own, but they weighed the person down, making their journeys nearly impossible to continue.

Some of them were so attached to the baggage, they did not want to get rid of it, no matter how heavy it was.

Then "Jesus" would stop and connect with each one of them, offering to take their heavy burden they could no longer carry. For Jesus, His yoke is easy and His burden is light. When he picked up the bags, they were easy to pick up. And each of the people felt the release of those heavy burdens when Christ offered to take them away.

Soon He was back, arms outstreched, holding all our bags while the people who once were burdened were finally free. Christina shared a powerful personal testimony of how God freed her from her spiritual baggage.

Pastor Kristopher challenged us that any of us might be called upon to share how God freed us from our baggage, and that both teams needed to be prepared to share this drama.

Rick led the second team's practice as that group's "Jesus"...

Once again, the baggage was heavy and the people could not carry it on their own.

They collapsed under the weight of their burden.

Some continued to struggle, even when it was nearly impossible.

And with each person, he came over and offered his hand... he took their burden and lifted them to their feet.

And as he stood there, Erin shared the importance of giving our burdens to God.

The dramas were fun and encouraging and we could really see the power in being able to share the Gospel this way. It also gave us opportunity to really get to know each team member and see people step up and share their strengths.

And that was just the morning!
Wendi and her amazing team of volunteers had lunch waiting for us after our drama sessions, and we gladly ate while planning more for the afternoon and evening.

I will share more about the rest of our training when I get to SFO airport tomorrow... we are leaving at 3am to make our drive over there! Thank you for your prayers and your encouragement as our team of 12 prepares! We are asking for a good night's sleep and traveling mercies tomorrow. If you have any messages for the team, add them as comments to the blog and we will be sure to share them all!! THANK YOU!

Packing for The Trip

2011-11-25T06:00:00.000-08:00

Each missionary gets two allowed bags of luggage to take to Uganda, with a maximum weight allowance of 50 pounds.

Each of us has agreed to use one bag for our personal belongings and donate the second to the mission. We have bags and bags filled with medical supplies, toiletries, soccer jerseys, sports equipment, and toys and gifts for the children.

We are so excited that we can be a blessing this way!
Will you join us in prayer for all the bags as they are being packed? Will you pray with us that the items all fit, that they make it under the weight requirement, and that they arrive safe and undamaged to their destination?

Thank you for standing with us! Our trip begins very, very soon!

Uganda Bound - Meet the Missionaries Part 3

2011-11-22T22:57:00.000-08:00

You've already met Rick and some of the team... here's a chance to meet the rest of the missionaries headed to Uganda!

Meet Will Cross, Rick's brother.

Here is what Will has to say about joining us this year:

As a husband of 11 years and father of 5 with 2 additional foster children, I often have my hands full. I’m a 34 year old business development estimator for the pavement preservation firm, Valley Slurry Seal. I am going to Africa for many reasons but mostly to be the hands & feet for Christ. I believe when we are willing, God moves and utilizes us to do his work. God will do many amazing things during our trip. I am looking forward to seeing his miracles firsthand!

Meet Gerald "Uncle G" Delacruz.

Gerald has an infectiously positive attitude, and serving alongside him last year was a highlight for me for sure. Here's his perspective on why he will be going back to Africa:

First and foremost alongside the missionary team, I am going to be a witness and servant of the MOST HIGH GOD at work on an international scale. It is always humbling to be a part of what GOD is doing especially in a beautiful country like Uganda. I hope to see miracles of healing, and thousands of salvations for the GLORY of GOD in the name of the LIVING MESSIAH JESUS CHRIST! I also want to see the smiling eyes and faces of those I have already met and going to meet. Finally I hope to be drenched in joy while singing songs, playing games and acting a fool!!!

Meet Violet Baldwin, the youngest member of the team.

Violet is my daughter. She's 11 years old, smart beyond her years, and very outgoing. She's always had a heart for others, and ever since I came back from Africa last year she has wanted to help the kids there.
In her own words, this is why Violet wants to go:

I am going to Africa to learn new things and to help the kids learn more about Jesus. I am also going there to have fun with my mom and the kids in the orphanage. I can't wait to meet them all and give them their presents!

Meet Jessie Baldwin, photographer and blogger of the mission trip!

That's me. I am mom to two kids, daughter Violet (above) and son Riley, 8.5 years old. I've been married to my husband Rick for 16 years. Two years ago I was introduced to the idea of mission photography, documenting an adoption in India, then joining Rick and Wendi on their adoption trip to pick up their son Nebeyu. I believe God has gifted me as a photographer so that I can make a difference in the world, and I love being able to share the stories of the missionaries as they serve and love as Jesus would. Why am I returning to Uganda?

I want to go back and see the children I said goodbye to a year and a half ago, and for them to see that people like us DO come back and we DO care for them. I want to share their progress and stories for those who have sponsored them, and to help Hands of Hope Missions reach more people than ever before through my words and photos on this blog. Bringing my daughter alongside me on this trip is more than I could hope for. I love that she and I will forever have the bond of sharing in this mission.

Thanks once again to all of you who are reading and supporting us as we journey across the ocean! We are looking forward to some amazing experiences, and I am eager to share them all with you! As long as I have power and an internet connection, blogging will continue throughout the entire trip!

Speaking Truth in Uganda - Meet the Team - Part 2

2011-11-22T11:56:00.000-08:00

As promised, here are more introductions of our Uganda Team members!

Meet Pastor Kristopher Dahir, team member from Reno.

Kristopher's greatest accomplishments are very close to home. He has been married for over 18 years to his lovely bride and has two incredible teenage boys. He is thankful for the opportunities that the Lord has given him to pastor, train pastors and lead teams in over 40 nations, and work with youth daily at the school he serves as Vice Principal. When I asked about why he wants to come on the mission trip, his response was:

I am going on this trip to give away my time and life to help care for and encourage the people of Uganda and the team that is traveling together. As one gives away their life they just might have the chance to find it...

Meet Jackie Denson, also from Reno.

When I asked her why she was going on this trip, this was her answer. I loved it:

I don't really have one single reason why I am going to Uganda. I am a mom of 1 girl and 4 boys. I am a people person. I talk to everybody. I love the God has put this opportunity in my path. I can't wait to see what He reveals.

Meet Christina Edwards. This is her first mission trip.

In her own words, this is what is calling her to Uganda:

My name is Christina L Edwards, 39 years of age. Mother of two, son 22 (in Marines), daughter, 11 (Ryan & Hannah) wife to Keith Edwards of 14 years. I feel God is calling me to be his hands and feet. To grow in him more and become more like him. I have a long journey of drug addiction and depression. By the grace of God he has brought me so far in such a short time, and now he is calling me to do his work. I very happy to be joining this amazing Team to Uganda and can't wait to see what God has in store for me and my family.

Meet Michael and Erin Harrison, married missionaries from Reno.

I spoke to Erin and asked her to share with me a little about the two of them and why they are going to Uganda. Here's what she said:

Michael: husband. father of 3 beautiful kids. Michael is excited to go to Africa to come alongside his best friend, Rick Cross, and experience first hand the vision that he has for Hands of Hope Missions. He is a natural helper and friend and is looking forward to whatever surprises this trip brings.

Erin: I have wanted to travel to Africa since the first Hands of Hope Missions trip in 2009. I have a great desire to get out of my comfort zone, and serve in a whole new capacity. I am excited for the opportunity to bring love and hope to the needy, sick, and poor in spirit.

Meet Pastor Timothy Stewart, leader of Reflect Church in Elk Grove.

He shared with me these words:

Here is something about why I am going. Several years ago, I wrote down two words that I believed captured my purpose: Communicate Truth. I’ve always been a seeker of truth and there is nothing else that makes me feel fully alive than speaking truth. The Apostle Paul, in Romans 9:1, said, “I am speaking the truth in Christ.” For me, I’ve always been quick to speak truth. However, it was when I realized “the truth is in Jesus” (Ephesians 4:21) that everything changed for me. The word of truth is the Gospel of Jesus Christ. As the Lead Pastor of Reflect Church, it has been my ambition to speak truth and spark a truth-speaking movement. So, when I heard the theme of the missions trip was “speaking truth in Uganda” I knew—without a doubt—I was meant to go with Hands of Hope Missions and speak the truth in Christ in Uganda.

There are still more team members to introduce! The rest (including my own!) will be up in the next blog post. Thank you for praying for our team!

Mission Uganda - Meet the Team Part 1

2011-11-22T10:45:00.000-08:00

With just 5 days to go before our trip, our team of missionaries is preparing, packing, and praying for what is in store for all of us. THANK YOU to all who is reading this blog and supporting us, whether financially, through prayer, by taking care of our kids, or the countless ways you have made it possible for us to go BOLDLY out into the world to share the good news of Jesus!

Our team is a beautifully diverse group of people, all called for different reasons but with a common goal in mind... to see lives and hearts changed for Christ. In these next few blog posts, I will be introducing the different team members so that you can get to know them as well, and be able to pray specifically for the individuals who are embarking on such an amazing journey!

Meet Rick Cross, the founder of Hands of Hope Missions and missions team leader.

In Rick's words, when I asked what he wanted to share about this mission trip:

This is why I do what I do, why HOHM is on Mission today and everyday as we march forward to reach the fatherless, to inspire the faith and integrity of our future generations. In 2008 in the slums of Kampala Uganda I took a moment to reflect back, and think of my worst moments, my sorrows, my losses, and my sadness. Will you join me now? Deep in thought really try to imagine and re-live your worse moments. As painful as they may be; actually stop reading this now and take a moment to really gather your thoughts as you go back in time to those slums we have all lived.

As you sit here today re-living that unimaginable, remember what it was like to climb out of that darkness, to start over if you will. You might be embarrassed as I was reliving those dreadful moments, or did you want to hide those moments away. Did you justify those moments of sorrows by making excuses, and even by making the most subtle excuse deceived yourself that everything was ok? Those are all ok responses they are all natural responses.

However, I have good news. We don’t need to have natural responses, when we believe in a supernatural God. God showed me in the slums that day back in 2008, that here I was, still living, breathing and able to even remember those darkest of moments. Somehow you got through the worst day of your life, you got through the trauma, we got through the trial, you endured the temptation, and we survived the bad relationship.

As we make our way out of the dark remember the bad things and fast forward where you are today in Christ. When we remember how difficult life used to be and how far we have come in Christ, we set up an explicit contrast in our mind. This contrast is fertile ground for the extraordinary to happen. Once we realize it was God who gave you the strength to crawl out of the darkness, and begin a new life walking hand in hand with him through the next trial life brings, you become grateful, and a sense of indebtedness overcomes your heart. Here is the supernatural response forthcoming. If we capture that feeling of indebtedness and hold on to it, we come to the realization we can never repay what Christ did on the cross. So we lay our ordinary life down in exchange for an extraordinary one, in Christ forever changed!

More introductions from the missionaries in future posts!

Our 2011 Christmas Catalog!

2011-11-05T23:03:00.000-07:00

It's here! Our 2011 Christmas Catalog! Support the children of Redeemer House by purchasing a gift. This year, our very own missionaries will be shopping for and delivering the gifts to the children! Make a difference in the life of an orphan today!