I am so thankful for the time that we spent in Uganda. I know that I have seen things and learned things that will go with me for the rest of my life. It's difficult for me to understand how we are so blessed that we don't even realize it and they have so much joy even though they have so little compared to us.
One teacher mentioned to me that he thought God must be a little closer to us in the USA because we have so much. It made my heart sad. It might be more that all the stuff is actually a distraction more often than a blessing. Something to ponder.
To those He has entrusted much, much is to be expected!
I for sure learned that we have a responsibility to be a blessing to others!
Anyway, I already put together a 5 min snapshot of the school and it is posted on facebook. If you aren't my friend, feel free to friend me if you want to see the video. I will be working on putting other videos together over the next few months. I hope to have two or three done before Thanksgiving!
Thanks for all your prayers!
Jeremy
Monday, October 24, 2011
Tuesday, October 18, 2011
Amsterdam Again
Our team made it to Amsterdam on our journey back to the states. Travel from Uganda went safely. We are not headed to Detroit! We will be home by the end of the day!
Monday, October 17, 2011
Monday in the Kampala Area
Today we went to visit a partner of With God's Little Ones in the greater Kampala area. We visited another school/orphanage, medical clinic, and building under construction for a future volunteer house for teams wanted to come and work in Uganda.
It was very interesting to see other parts of Uganda. It really is a beautiful country. We witnessed a huge rain storm with pea size hail. I was amazed with our bus driver as he was able to navigate the red clay/dirt roads with the water rushing everywhere.
After we made it back to the city of Kampala we went to a local market to shop for Uganda/Africa items. Pretty neat how many things there are. We also visited a local grocery store. In some ways it wasn't very different from our stores...and in other ways it wasn't even close to our grocery stores. Products are obviously different.
Anyway, we enjoyed eating dinner with our Uganda friends who are leaders out here in the Lutheran Church...Pastor Charles, Violet, Fred, and Joshua.
This is our last night in Uganda even though we will not get back till Wednesday night. Tomorrow we pack up and will get to one more market before we make our way back to Entebbe for the Airport.
It was very interesting to see other parts of Uganda. It really is a beautiful country. We witnessed a huge rain storm with pea size hail. I was amazed with our bus driver as he was able to navigate the red clay/dirt roads with the water rushing everywhere.
After we made it back to the city of Kampala we went to a local market to shop for Uganda/Africa items. Pretty neat how many things there are. We also visited a local grocery store. In some ways it wasn't very different from our stores...and in other ways it wasn't even close to our grocery stores. Products are obviously different.
Anyway, we enjoyed eating dinner with our Uganda friends who are leaders out here in the Lutheran Church...Pastor Charles, Violet, Fred, and Joshua.
This is our last night in Uganda even though we will not get back till Wednesday night. Tomorrow we pack up and will get to one more market before we make our way back to Entebbe for the Airport.
Sunday, October 16, 2011
Leaving Kawete
This morning we got to worship with our Uganda friends. It was great how Pastor Charles led us in a great two language service. It was great to hear the music and singing as well.
After worship we got to hang out and play with the kids, talk more with the teachers, and even though the plan wasn't to open the medical clinic, Cathie and Kent couldn't turn away some really sick kids. They worked in there again this afternoon for a few hours at least. What amazing servants!
After they packed up we said our goodbyes and headed back to Kampala where we will be the next two nights. Tomorrow we will go visit another place to great work for kids and then Tuesday, we start our 30 hour trip home. It is strange because while it is Sunday and our trip is winding down, we will not be home till Wednesday evening.
Our time here has been amazing and I can't wait to start working on the 13 to 15 hours of video to tell the stories of Kawete Uganda!
After worship we got to hang out and play with the kids, talk more with the teachers, and even though the plan wasn't to open the medical clinic, Cathie and Kent couldn't turn away some really sick kids. They worked in there again this afternoon for a few hours at least. What amazing servants!
After they packed up we said our goodbyes and headed back to Kampala where we will be the next two nights. Tomorrow we will go visit another place to great work for kids and then Tuesday, we start our 30 hour trip home. It is strange because while it is Sunday and our trip is winding down, we will not be home till Wednesday evening.
Our time here has been amazing and I can't wait to start working on the 13 to 15 hours of video to tell the stories of Kawete Uganda!
Saturday, October 15, 2011
Saturday Fun in Kawete!
This morning started with a trip to the market in Kawete (the village where CCLSU is located). The market has people selling second hand clothing as well as other clothing from all over the world. There are people selling spices, food, meat, torches (flashlights), radios, ice cream, knives, cows, goats, and anything you need to support your family in East Uganda! It was very amazing to see everything and even try a few things.
After we left the market we headed down the street to CCLSU. Being a Saturday, there were no classes, but because we were visiting, there were activities and students and teachers around all weekend. I got to help fix a new wagon that wasn’t assembled correctly a couple of years ago. It now works properly which will be helpful for hauling water from the well to homes.
We also hung out with students, recorded more student interviews, took a tour of the garden, and ate some beans harvested today from the garden (the first crop to be harvested).
Cathie and Kent worked their hearts out in the clinic as they saw over 120 people this week including about 40 women for a women’s health and wellness seminar! That is incredible and they really have gone nonstop the last three days!
We ended our day handing out gifts to those students who participated in music, drama, choir, and athletics. They lined up and waited patiently for gifts of markers, pencils, shoes, and a half a bag of Reese’s Pieces. They were very grateful and it was fun to be a part of that ceremony!
The CCLSU teachers in their new shirts! Thanks CCLS and Adam Wedel!
Pictures from the Market
Cathie and Alvina eating a fried piece of bread in the Marketplace.
This is where the fried bread was being made!
Potatoes for sale. There was lots of cloth for making African dresses behind her.
The bicycle became the hanger for selling clothes.
This gentleman was sowing part of the traditional Aftrican dress.
Friday, October 14, 2011
Interviews and Football
It rained all night last night...like seriously all night, and the rain from the roof falls three floors down to metal sheeting right outside my window...so it is really loud. I woke up from the storm at 5:45 a.m. to catch the online play by play of the Cardinal's game. Not the outcome I was wanting, but at least I didn't get up at 3 to watch the whole thing. Hopefully tonight's will go a little better!
I got back to sleep for an hour to only to wake up to more rain. It rained all morning and it made the place a big mud pit (which became funny when we started playing soccer later in the afternoon.)
When we got to the school today, my mom and I got to interview a bunch of students and all the teachers. It was amazing to hear what they had to say about why they like the school and what their challenges are. It is amazing how good the teachers are. They do so much with the kids with so little. Think about what school would be like with no text books, little paper, no electricity, and 60 to 100 students in each classroom. Yet they are focused and working on learning together!
This afternoon I got to go with the Head Master Moses and Pastor Charles to visit about 6 or 7 different homes. The places where these kids live are brick houses constructed by the families themselves. Again, most with out electricity. Many of the kids sleep in the same room (sleeping on the floor) as the kitchen which just means they have all the pots and pans, food, wood burning area, or charcoal right there where they sleep every night.
After I got back from visiting the homes, we brought out a new soccer (football) ball started playing. When I carried the ball out to the field, they were looking at me like I was holding a million dollars. The half deflated and ripped up ball they have been playing with didn't come close to how awesome this new football was. I got to play with them for a little bit and they thought it was funny when it would hit me. The field was full of mud and the kids were falling all over the place. (Rob, you'll be happy to know that one of the students had the helmet cam on for some of the game...pretty funny.)
I am looking forward to seeing how the video of today turns out so that i can share it with all of you.
Thanks for the Prayers.
I got back to sleep for an hour to only to wake up to more rain. It rained all morning and it made the place a big mud pit (which became funny when we started playing soccer later in the afternoon.)
When we got to the school today, my mom and I got to interview a bunch of students and all the teachers. It was amazing to hear what they had to say about why they like the school and what their challenges are. It is amazing how good the teachers are. They do so much with the kids with so little. Think about what school would be like with no text books, little paper, no electricity, and 60 to 100 students in each classroom. Yet they are focused and working on learning together!
This afternoon I got to go with the Head Master Moses and Pastor Charles to visit about 6 or 7 different homes. The places where these kids live are brick houses constructed by the families themselves. Again, most with out electricity. Many of the kids sleep in the same room (sleeping on the floor) as the kitchen which just means they have all the pots and pans, food, wood burning area, or charcoal right there where they sleep every night.
After I got back from visiting the homes, we brought out a new soccer (football) ball started playing. When I carried the ball out to the field, they were looking at me like I was holding a million dollars. The half deflated and ripped up ball they have been playing with didn't come close to how awesome this new football was. I got to play with them for a little bit and they thought it was funny when it would hit me. The field was full of mud and the kids were falling all over the place. (Rob, you'll be happy to know that one of the students had the helmet cam on for some of the game...pretty funny.)
I am looking forward to seeing how the video of today turns out so that i can share it with all of you.
Thanks for the Prayers.
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