FINAL DAY IN AFRICA

Fred writes:  Our final day in Uganda was one of travel and visits.  First we made our way to Jinja where we once again caught up with Tim and visited Abide, the family ministry where he is serving for three months as an intern.  We then journeyed about an hour to The Suubi Project, an orphan ministry, church and school that Heather has assisted in the past and where some KCCers served last year by conducting a VBS and sports camp.  After a very brief stop at the source of the River Nile we traveled back to Kampala to visit Pastor Solomon's school where Heather was able to Skype with Jason's classroom back in the U.S. - the Ugandan kids went absolutely nuts!  Heather then went on with the driver to run some errands while Tim and I jumped in Solomon's Landcruiser and headed to the countryside to see the Mud Run's Village Drill in action.  The human-powered well drill we provided with the proceeds from the 2013 Kalamazoo Mud Run is hard at work drilling water wells in partnership with local churches, bringing clean drinking water to places that have not previously had access to it.  Tim and I even got to work on the crew for while.  The rig functions flawlessly but the energy required to spin the thing is considerable.  I don't think many construction laborers in our culture would be willing to work that hard but Solomon's guys are pouring themselves into it on a daily basis.  Then it was back for a final cold shower and then to Entebbe to catch the redeye for home.

Thank You to all of you who helped make this trip possible, whether you contributed financially or held us up in prayer, or both.  When I accepted the invitation to go along on this journey I had no idea the grand adventure it would be.  I visited places that rarely, if ever, had been set foot upon by mzungus and saw things most of you will never see.  The entire experience was breathtaking.  Being a "list person," I have returned home with a list of things to do to assist both The Way Home Africa and Pastor Solomon's well drilling ministry.  Please pray for me that I would be faithful to make good on my commitments and that God would bless my efforts to the extent that they are in keeping with His good and perfect Will.  And pray for Heather and Jason as they continue to advocate for the awesome ministry of The Way Home while maintaining a healthy balance between that, their increasing level of involvement at KCC, and the needs of their young family.  

I look forward to sharing more about our experiences in Uganda soon.  For now, some photos from our final day.  Grace & Peace.

Toes in the River Nile

Skyping with kids Jason's classroom in Mattawan

The Village Drill in action

Hard work for an old man!

BITTERSWEET

Fred writes:  Today was bittersweet as it was our last day at The Way Home.  While today was sweltering and we're tired and starting to look forward to coming home it will still be hard to leave this place and its wonderful people.  This morning Heather sped off on the boda to track down the last three grannies while I stayed behind and spent some time talking to director Russ about how our church might be able to assist him in what God is doing here.  Later in the day we had a very special treat as we were able to be present at a granny interview where she was informed that she would be receiving a new home.  Her son passed away and left her with three orphaned grandkids and she still has three daughters at home as well.  They are all sleeping in the round eight foot diameter hut pictured below.  They will soon have a 10' x 30' house, a new latrine and three years of training and assistance with their garden.

Director Russ shared with them how God has a heart for widows and orphans and that there are people in America who love God and desire to obey Him and invest in the things that He cares about and that is how they are receiving their new home.  At the end of our time with them He then also had an opportunity, at the request of one of the Ugandan pastors who will be following up with the family, to share the way of salvation with them.  It was astounding to hear the sensitive, culturally relevant way in which he was able to share the Good News - Good News that began 2000 years ago in Palestine and now traveled to east Africa by way of North America.  Amazing stuff here.

At the end of the day we were treated by the Ugandan staff here at The Way Home to a traditional Ugandan dinner of mitoke (an un-sweet banana kind of thing cooked like mashed potatoes), greens, rice, potatoes and even some of Tom, one of the turkeys we've been watching strut around the yard all week.  It was great to sit down and break bread with the builders, farmers and pastors who work so diligently bringing shelter, food and Jesus to the people of Uganda.

Tomorrow we head to Jinja so Heather can tie up some loose ends and then to Kampala to visit Pastor Solomon and the Village Drill.

Granny with three of her surviving children and her three orphaned grandchildren.

This is their existing house - all seven of them sleep in there.

Not much privacy left at the latrine.

The Way Home staff cooking us a traitional Ugandan meal.

Mitoke, greens, rice, potatoes and a little bit of our friend Tom the turkey.

"You seen Tom?"  "No, don't know where he went.  Last time I saw
him he was over there by all those people at that kitchen thing."

BARNSTORMING

Fred writes:  Yesterday we attended church at Acacia Community Church in Jinja, an open-air thatched roof church both reaching out to Ugandans and providing a place to worship for mzungu missionaries.  And led by a pastor from West Virginia no less - "Can I get an amen!!"  We then ate lunch at a little place called The Haven on the Nile river.  Last night I had the privilege of executing our first African rat.  Sucker was eating our bananas.

Today it was back on the bodas for a barnstorming run to 20 granny homes.  We have only three left which we will get to tomorrow morning.  One of the highlights was visiting a home where they had spent the very first night in their new home last night.  They were walking on air.  We went inside with the family and prayed a blessing on the home and that all who live there would know Jesus and look forward to the day when we all have a permanent home with Him.  We also visited a home with a shrine behind it where the clan keeps their demons -not just any demons mind you, specialty demons.  They give them a little house out back so they can call on them when they need them.  Handy, I suppose.  The granny there is a Christian but not all of her clan has followed in her footsteps, hence the continued presence of the shrine.  Pray for them to see the Light and turn from their old ways.

I have a lot of time to think as I'm riding down the back roads and trails and today I was captured by thoughts about the masses of people I have seen, even out here in the bush.  Walking, riding bikes, standing around in the trading centers, carrying jerrycans of water, pushing old bicycles laden with everything from huge bunches of  bananas to massive bags of charcoal for their cook stoves, walking to and from school, laying around on their lawns with their babies (it was a scorcher today).  I wondered how many of them have heard of Jesus.  I couldn't escape the question, " If no one tells them, how will they know?"  There are so many great things going on here and yet so much still to do and so many lost who need to be found.

Tomorrow we'll catch up with the last three grannies and then observe an "interview" with a prospective granny home recipient.

Acacia Community Church

Rapids on the River Nile

Demon shrine

Just spent the first night in their new home last night