Who needs a Gym?

Today was a day where the team divided and conquered! We had several different projects to accomplish and thus we divided and each went our separate way. One group went off to a classroom to do a medical clinic with the kids. The second group (of which I was a member) took pictures of all the sponsored kids and dispursed the gifts that had been sent, and the third group worked with the women’s ministry. The day ended with the clinic ran out of vitamin A and thus we will all resume tomorrow and finish up. I was happy because I got to see little Rashidah again! As I got off the bus she reached for my hand and whenever she was not in class, she was right there beside me.

Since I couldn’t be three places at once I have asked the various teams to report. Stacia who worked with the Women’s ministry had this to say, “When we arrived at the women’s ministry building, we were greeted by about a dozen women who sang and danced for us in welcome. They tied scarves around our waists to get us to dance too. We were not very good dancers, but Lynda is quite good at the “Yi Yi Yi Yi” greeting that is common here. They liked to hear her do that! We sat down in the shade of a tree, while they showed us all the crafts they had made, including woven baskets and jewelry made from paper beads. We agreed on prices so we can buy the items from them, then re-sell them in the U.S. After lunch, Lynda showed them how to make beads from polymer clay, as a new craft project. This will take some time to learn, but at least we got started. Overall, it was a very productive, and very satisfying day. I loved spending time with the women. They are so sweet, and so eager to learn new skills, so they can empower themselves and help provide for their families. Praise the Lord! Lynda’s comment, which made us all laugh out loud, was when one woman asked her if she took English in school!!! I guess she sounded pretty fluent!

I worked with Judy and Adam today taking pictures of all the sponsored children.  Again, I was in my element. The Lugandan word for smile is seka and if I said it once I said it a thousand times today. Some of the kids, no matter what, are not going to smile. But most of them have the most beautiful smiles. For the first half of the day I continually stepped up and down a ledge that stood about 1-1/2 feet. By lunchtime I hurt in places I didn’t know could hurt! So after lunch I changed my location and continue to shoot away. By the end of the day we had photographed every child that was in the school and sponsored. Tomorrow we hope to catch those that were not there today. I did manage to squeeze in about 50 of little Rashidah!

The clinic saw approximately 250 kids today and only stopped because they ran out of Vitamin A. The majority of the kids they saw were healthy. They did one test for malaria and it was negative. There were a few wounds that were treated and overall it was a hugely successful day.

Today’s highlights and comments from the team:

Hajji: He was on the bus when I had the opportunity to give Rashidah and her father the groceries I had bought for them. I was trying to explain to her father all that I had for them. I finally asked Hajji to translate for me because I could tell he couldn’t understand me. Hajji’s comment was that we should all talk MUCH slower when talking to Africans.

Judy:  Many of the sponsors have sent lanterns to distribute to their sponsored child. She loved watching the kids get so excited about receiving their very own source of light. Her hope and prayer is that this will impact their grades since they will be able to study at night when the sun goes down.

Lynda: She loved the whole day being at the Women’s Ministry but especially loved the way they were welcomed. She went with Stacia and when they arrived the women took them into the house and started singing and dancing. The rest of the day they sat under a mango tree. Her low point of the day was running for the bus at the end of the day and stepping in animal dung! If I had seen it I would have captured it on film!!

Vicki:  She loved it when the nursery class came through the clinic. One little guy just was grinning from ear to ear. Every face she made at him he just mimicked back at her. He was so innocent. The little ones are not yet bashful about looking you in the eye. Her low point of the day was that her sponsored child is failing school miserably. Her mother came to the school and the issue is that her parents just don’t care. They are not going to help her study, nor are they willing to pay the 10,000 shilling required for school fees. She is in P6 but realistically could be put back in P1 or P2. Instead, she is going to repeat P5.

Russell: He loved being the Bubble Meister. While he was blowing bubbles the kids had found feather like sticks and were tickling him and Adam.

Sylvia:  She loved being the vitamin dispenser to the younger kids. After receiving their pills they really didn’t want to leave. They loved the attention.

Vickie:  She commented that the crew in the clinic today was great. Russell was the heal man (checking the heals of the children). He was also responsible for weighing the children. You’ll be glad to know that girls of all cultures take off their shoes before being weighed. It must be a chromosome thing! One little girl that she caught yawning and pointed quickly bowed her head in embarrassment. She loved being able to see their personalities. Unlike yesterday there was no chaos. The kids were very well behaved.

Les:  Yesterday he had talked to the Pastors about the possibility of going into the business of making bricks and the consensus had been negative. Today, Trevor, one of the people Tree of Life works with, stopped by Tree of Life and spoke with the Pastors directly. His passion for this business and the positive effect it can have on the future generations was amazing. By the end of the meeting the Pastors were all in agreement that it was the way to go! In fact the enthusiasm was so overwhelming that Les expected all the teachers to come running out of their classrooms jumping up and down!

Adam:  He had the opportunity to meet Hilary, his grandparent’s sponsored child. She opened up a Bible that was a gift to her and the whole room lit up. Another child received a harmonica from his sponsored family. Though he had never seen one before one demonstration from Adam and he was a natural. We were all amazed!

As for me the highlight was giving Rashidah’s father several bags of groceries for his family. Afterwards he asked for a picture so Hajji took one of his five children and us. It was a very sweet moment and I know if something happens to me Hajji can become the team photographer!  I love you all very much and thank you for being a part of my life!

A Church has many Purposes...

The day started early with a soft knock on my door at 6:45. At 7:15 we were at breakfast, me eating a package of oatmeal brought from home shared by one of my teammates. Oatmeal has never tasted so good! Then we boarded the bus for an hours drive through fairly good roads to Festo’s church. When the bus stopped, I was sure we were just pausing for a moment. We were in the middle of nowhere with not a building in sight. As the team started to exit the bus I was mystified. I wondered where we were headed with nothing in sight but open countryside. We were greeted at the bus by a group of girls whose smiles just melted our hearts. And then we approached a bridge (and I use that word very loosely). The stream below us was not wide but it was a stream non-the-less. The bridge across the water was made of logs – but they were not laid down in any fashion. It was a challenge at best to get across. And I was only trying to get myself across. I was not responsible for small children; nor was I carrying a child on my back! Once we crossed the bridge it was still quite a hike before the church building came into view. Tree of Life had applied for a grant for the building and had been granted the funds to build the church. Though the building has been completed about a year ago today was the official dedication and Les was honored with cutting the ribbon. As we approached the church the community was there to greet us. The women were dressed in typical Ugandan dress and the men were dressed in their Sunday best. The pews were hard wooden benches with no backs. As usual they sat the Mzungus in the front of the church on very comfortable seating. As for me, I roamed the church taking a million pictures trying to capture the atmosphere. The worship was started by the Pastor saying it was going to be a “short” service today, only two hours! But that was not to be… and not a single one of us was surprised. The choirs sang and danced and they were beautiful! So full of life and joy. It always is wonderful to see the younger girls start to sing and have the older women jump up out of their seats to join in! They do have rhythm! Then we sang as a choir (yes, I was invited to join a choir) and not one single Ugandan even thought about joining in! I’m sure they are still trying to find our rhythm!!

Russell gave the sermon and it was great. The message was on the generosity of God and one of the pastors translated for him. He was so good to listen to and the message was so positive! I missed hearing Scott but Russell was really a blessing and his message hit home in a time and place where we are giving and receiving on a daily basis.

During the service people kept filing in and the benches got more and more full. The church was filled to the brim with people and children were sitting on the floor. I was amazed at how well behaved they were. Not a peep out of any of them (except for the singing). One little boy crawled into my lap and sat there for a portion of the service. He had the smoothest skin and he spent quite a while tracing the veins on my hands. If it wasn’t so dang cute I might have been insulted. He kept whispering to me and I had absolutely no idea what he was saying! He leaned his head against my chest and lay still for a while and then hopped down and went outside to play.

When the service was over (three hours later) they brought in this banquet of food. This is always an awkward time because we know they are feeding us (who need it the least) and not offering it to the congregation who need it so much more. At this point the people of the church rose to leave and there we were left to eat enough food to feed a village. Strange as it all sounds, it is there custom to feed the guests and they would be insulted if we didn’t eat. By the end of the meal my bladder was overly full and I would have traded ALL my worldly possessions for a restroom. Fortunately someone else on the team felt the same way and so we went in search of a bathroom. Let me assure you, it was nothing like you would recognize. But by this point I really didn’t care. It was a small building surrounded by wood walls on three sides (yes, only three sides) with a dirt floor. Sadly, it was wet before I arrived. I’ll let you draw your own conclusion from that! But it served its purpose and I felt much better afterwards. Besides a trip to Uganda isn’t the same until you’ve gone to the bathroom while squatting!

After lunch the rains came and so we decided to set up shop and do just the clinic instead of some of us going out to evangelize. Seeing the amount of rain that fell, I think we made a wise choice.!  The people had been told the clinic would be free so as you can imagine a LOT of people showed up. We also decided to distribute the mercy bags (containing sugar, salt, tea bags and soap) along with mosquito nets to the people there. At first it was crazy. Oh wait a minute. It was crazy for a long time. Everyone wanted to be seen and I think they were afraid we were going to leave before they had their chance. The crowd just pushed in until we were crammed into the front quarter of the church. Every time we would ask that they move back it would last about 30 seconds before the next wave pushed forward. Finally, things settled down a bit – but all in all we saw about 200 people! The first woman Vicki saw had several cuts on her hand that had gotten infected. As Vicki attempted to take the existing Band-Aid off it was apparent that it had stuck to the wound and that removing it was very painful. I held the woman’s hand and though I’m sure she wanted to yell out and cry she was very stoic. Vicki was extremely patient with her and took the time needed to gently remove the gauze. She then soaked the wound, covered it in a medicated cream and gave her both an antibiotic and a mild painkiller. Her comment to me was that they take so few antibiotics that in a week’s time it should be healed completely. Meanwhile at the table with the glasses people were dying to become “four-eyes”. The supply we had was gone in no time. In fact, one elderly gentleman came in wearing a pair of glasses with one of the lenses shattered. We took special care to get him a new pair, which he promptly put in his pocket and put back on his old ones.  I can’t understand this because I can’t stand looking through smudged glasses, much less than broken ones. Maybe he was saving them for a rainy day. Oh, wait, it was raining!!! All in the clinic was a huge success. The team worked very well together, jumping in where needed to insure that everyone was seen. 

While all this was taking place Russell was outside in the rain blowing bubbles with the kids. By the time they were done everyone was drenched but in his words, they were clean. I’m not totally convinced he isn’t having more fun with the bubbles than the kids!

The highlights of the day were:

Adam:  He enjoyed the music and watching the choirs sing and dance.

Stacia:  She enjoyed putting the ringworm medicine on the kids. They did this in the back of the church in a room off the sanctuary (the big room). The kids were very patient and waited their turn and were helpful in pointing out areas on others that needed to be treated. It was nice to be helpful without all the craziness!

Judy:  She loved watching Festo in his own environment and meeting his wife. He seemed so alive and full of spirit. Since it was his church that was being dedicated today he was filled with so much joy.

Vicki:  As we approached the church there was a lady who welcomed us with a high-pitched yell. She was so filled with joy. She was dancing and yelling and was so uninhibited. As the clinic approached she knew it was going to be crazy and so we prayed over the time and she was filled with a sense of peace.

Lynda:  She loved getting off the bus and being greeted by a group of girls who then helped us across the bridge.  They were so welcoming! She also thought the music was great – theirs and ours!

Russell:  He loved having bubble duty in the rain. As he gave each child a chance to blow bubbles they kept saying, “And Me”, “And Me”, “And Me”. And older boy holding the hand of a much younger girl (perhaps a sister) kept asking him to give the girl a chance. This caring touched his heart.

Sylvia:  She was stressed out while giving away the glasses as the people kept pushing and grabbing for a pair, but she loved that during worship she got to sing a song with her husband and son!

Vickie:  She loved how the people (especially the women) really get into the church service. She also loved the teamwork that went into the clinic. Without it, we could not possibly have seen the number of people treated today!

Les:  He enjoyed watching the team work together today. It was great seeing the team work together in such chaos. The team really rolled with the punches.

Hajji:  (he is our driver and one of the nicest guys you will ever meet. He also has a great sense of humor). The roads today were very narrow and cars were passing us all the time. He was a little stressed as the driver. Then as we left the church it had been raining and we had to cross back over the infamous bridge. He said he kept looking out the bus window to see who would be the first to take a plunge!!! I think he was disappointed we all made it across in one piece!!!

As for me, I was amazed at the gentleness of those working the clinic. They could have become frustrated and angry at the pushing and lack of personal space that was taking place. Instead, everyone just chilled and took each person one at a time and devoted all the time needed to diagnose and treat. The love shown was incredible.  It was a huge picture day for me. Every time I thought I captured the true essence of what we were doing someone else would do something even more special. That is every photographers dream!

I spoke to Phil tonight and will be visiting with him and the kids on Thursday! So tomorrow we get to sleep until 7:30. That is a dream come true! I miss you all and love you very much.

Falling in Love...Again

Tomorrow our day will begin by going to Festo’s church (he is the oldest pastor here and the first Baptist convert in Uganda) and worshipping with his people. Church here is not like in America. There is no time limit. The people will not be looking at their watches and wondering if the Muslims are already filling up the restaurants. They will be enjoying the spirit of the Lord and possibly worshipping for hours! I love this time with them. The singing is beautiful, they dance with pure joy and they truly love worshipping with one another. This time they spend together that we get to share is one of the best times we have! It is really a beautiful moment.

Today was filled with a wonderful experience. We left the hotel early and headed out to the second school Tree of Life sponsors. Keep in mind it is Saturday. The only children that board at the school are P7 students (equivalent to our 7^th graders) who are preparing for the end of the year exam), so I really wasn’t sure what to expect. I should have known better. As we drove up the grassy area was filled with children waving to greet us. In the crowd was the cutest little girl ever. She was very little and had the biggest smile on her face. She had on a tattered striped shirt and was just beautiful. I fell in love just like that! I got off the bus and she immediately reached for my hand. Needless to say, that closed the deal! She just latched on to me (absolutely no encouragement from my end!) and stayed by my side from that point forward. Her name is Rashidah. Now for the challenge. As it turned out she was recently sponsored by Les and Vickie. What a sad moment in time. But Les and Vickie were really generous and offered her to me with the understanding that they would take on another child. What a blessing. With that Vickie and I headed with her out to her house where we met her dad and gave them a lantern and a mosquito net. He was so thankful and gracious. She is one of eight children; with three younger siblings. The father pulled out two chairs and before long all the village children were closely piled around us. As is always the case, where one Mzungu or more gather there is always a crowd. And the children are always smiling. It is such an amazing gift to be around them. They have so little and yet find joy in everything.

We then went back to the school and stayed there sitting under a tree in the shade surrounded by a different group of children. In the grassy area a group of boys were busily playing a game of soccer. As usual they were barefoot and not deterred one bit by the hardness of the ball or ground. The temperature today was hot and they continued to run and play for a long, long time. Meanwhile, the cluster of children around us continued to grow. I had Rashidah on my lap the whole time while taking pictures of all the other faces. While we were there the others on our team had gone out into the surrounding area with the pastors to evangelize. They had taken with them the mercy bags we had made last night (each one containing a bag of two cups of sugar, salt, soap and tea) as well as mosquito nets. They went out into people’s homes and prayed with them. It sounds like this was a very positive experience for all.  Sylvia taught the girls how to jump rope (Lynda, Les, Stacia and Vicki all proved to be quite competent in this skill) while Adam taught the kids to throw a Frisbee. This proved a little more challenging as most of them had never seen one before. While these activities were taking place Russell had his own gaggle of children flocked around him as he was blowing bubbles. At first he was blowing them and the children were trying to catch them. Then he turned the tide and had them attempt to blow their own bubbles. Some were much more successful than others but they all had a good time trying. Truth be told, I’m not sure who had the most fun. Then the team members, the pastors and staff members convened for another delicious meal. There was no meat so I was a happy camper and we all managed to eat quite well. After lunch we got back on the bus and headed out to the second farm. This is a 30-acre working farm that Tree of Life has invested in. We walked the land (this is where travelling with people my age is something of an advantage. No one was rushing me to hurry up or taking off at break-neck speeds). Adam and I climbed a very high rock (Adam on his own accord and me with a little help) where the view of the area was absolutely beautiful.

Afterwards we headed back home but not before stopping in town at the pharmacy to buy medical supplies and for me to do a little shopping for Rashidah. I bought her a pair of shoes (every child should have one) and then went to the grocery store to buy some staples for her family. I will get to deliver these to them on Monday when we go back to the school. We finally got back to the hotel around 6:15 at which time we showered to get ready for dinner, and prepare for tomorrow. By the time I got to dinner I was tired! Make that TIRED! But I was also renewed. Today was a really special day. Up until now I have been in Uganda doing. Today I was in Uganda being. I connected with the life here and with a very special young lady (she is six). I love this country and I feel this is truly where I am called to be.

Now for our thoughts on the day:

Les:  Enjoyed seeing the farm. They mission has talked about it for a long time and it is part of the future of the ministry. He loved seeing the crops and the trees on the land. He was amazed at how big 30 acres is and how great an investment the mission made upon purchasing the land.

Russell: His greatest part of the day was evangelizing. Last year was an awful experience for him. He felt like he was better qualified to be a Wal-Mart greeter. This year he feels he has learned how to talk about Jesus. He also appreciated the gratitude of the people they talked to.

Sylvia:  She, too, loved the evangelizing. At the third house they visited the woman they spoke to just brightened up when she put on the pair of glasses they gave her. She read the front of the mosquito net speaking in perfect English.

Stacia:  Over the last few days she viewed the people of Uganda collectively. It was a nation of poverty with faces filled with smiles. Today the people became individuals with personalities. Evangelizing with Vicki and Wilson was an awesome experience for her. She learned so much from them in how they communicated to the people they encountered.

Adam:  As we were coming back up from the bottom of the farm Steven (our pastor) had taken Stacia’s hand. He found it interesting to watch his wife holding hands with another man!! He also enjoyed teaching the kids how to throw a frisbee.

Vicki:  While evangelizing she was touched by Stacia’s sweet spirit. She was also touched by how many people accepted Jesus today. She knows that God prepared the way for them as went to the various houses. She was also amazed by house much the pastors love one another and the children. They brought a child who lives a good distance from the school today because he had an infection on his leg and knew he would be able to seek the medical attention he needed. It was incredible that they cared enough about one child to go out of their way to help him!

Lynda:  She enjoyed spending the day with Debra (Irene’s granddaughter). She was also touched deeply that one of the nurses that Tree of Life had put through school died yesterday in childbirth. Death during childbirth is something so rare in our country. Yet here it is still prevalent and so unnecessary. Quality medical care still has leaps and bounds to make in this country.

Judy:  She got to see the kids that her family sponsors. As she was leaving the school to go evangelize with Russell she heard her name being called. As she turned around there were three girls running to catch up with her. They ended up going out with Russsell and Judy to evangelize to the people. It was exciting for her to know the girls have now seen the team give to the children themselves and know that the girls have seen them also give to the community at large. It was good for the girls to see them share Jesus with everyone, not just the kids at the school; but instead to know that sharing God is a part of who they are.

Vickie H: She enjoyed going to Rashidah’s house. There was extreme poverty along the way and Rashidah is one of eight children. But immediately upon arrival we were surrounded by neighboring children. And by surrounded I mean practically right on top of us. As we prepared to leave one of the women holding a very young baby said, “Praise God”. That was exactly what we were doing!

As for me, the best part of my day was meeting Rashidah! I feel at peace about the door closing in Uganda on the mission I’ve been a part of for the past two years. I will see those children while I’m here, but I now know in my heart that my long-term involvement with that ministry, at least for the present time, is over. I am able to say that with no regret. However, I do believe God has opened another door.  And I am willingly walking through it…

Clinic, Sponsorships, Photography, and Loving on Children…

Clinic, Sponsorships, Photography, and Loving on Children…

What a day! We started with an early, breakfast at 7:15 and didn’t get back to the hotel until almost 6! At 6:45 my Ugandan phone, in a very nice British accent, advised me it was time to rise and shine. Without any hesitation, much to the surprise of many of you I’m sure, I was up, dressed and out the door.  We spent the day at Bulubandi today and it was a full day for all of us. We ran an medical clinic where the children were weighed and given a wellness exam and then given a vitamin A pill and a deworming pill. By the looks on their faces I think it is fair to say that neither medication tasted great. But it was our objective to make sure that the pills were chewed thoroughly and completely so none could be spit out upon leaving. Since there is a language barrier it was much like watching a game of charades. The pills would be dispensed and our team members would start mimicking chewing. Every once in a while they’d find a creative child who would do his or her best to hide the pill without swallowing. But much to their chagrin they were always caught! I don’t think any child left without the pills being digested! It was a victory for the home team! The group did find several cases of malaria and one case of typhoid today and were able to begin treatment so it was a hugely successful outing.

Vicki, who saw the child with typhoid was fairly sure that what she was seeing. But in her own words she is a Mzungu and this is a disease she doesn’t often come in contact with. So the recommendation was to send this child to a larger clinic for diagnosis. So they loaded her in a car with one of our pastors and sent Adam (a first timer to Uganda) on their way with this child. We attempted to ask Adam tonight where the clinic was located and he looked at us like we all had three heads. His response was “Somewhere in Africa”. Fortunately Adam is back with the group and the young lady is getting the treatment she needs to recover.  Many of the children were treated for ringworm, but overall they seemed to be healthy and without a doubt a really happy group.

Meanwhile, I was right in my element taking pictures of all the sponsored children. They are all so beautiful and have the most wonderful smiles. They love to have their picture taken and even enjoy more having the chance to look at it when its done. There were times I must have had at least a dozen children grabbing at my camera to see the picture I ‘d just taken. And then they would just laugh! The sparkle in their eyes just says it all.

Several of the children just stole my heart today. They are so endearing and so gentle but yet so full of life. I am continually amazed by how patiently they wait. They don’t push or shove and they don’t fight with one another.  There is a level of tenderness that is just beautiful to watch. One little girl, Faith, who is probably around two, I got to hold for a while. She very willingly allowed me to pick her up and just nestled her head into my shoulder. Had I not been so busy I could have held her all day long. She was just the cutest little girl. At one point she took a fall face first into the dirt and came up crying. I immediately picked her up and the tears stopped. It is the only time since I’ve been here that I have seen tears; except on the faces of my team members. We seem to cry quite easily at all the emotion around us.

I wasn’t in Bulubandi long enough to learn many names. But I was there long enough to have the children worm there way into my heart.

Last night when I wrote about the parts of the day that were so special to each of us on the team I inadvertently left Judy off. Being team members for all of three days now she very kindly reminded me of that tonight at dinner! That should tell you how well the team is getting along – we really can kid and joke about most anything and do! So in her honor I am now posting what she reported as yesterday’s most special moment. She saw so much joy in everything around her but sees that there is still so much more that she wants to do. She also loved seeing Les and Vicki sitting in the grass with their sponsored child, Grace, after so many years.

Tonight as we went around the table this is what each of us shared:

Russell:  On a non-serious note he loved carrying the 120 lb bags of sugar up the flight of stairs! (We then put 2 cups of sugar in smaller bags, along with salt, tea, soap and a mosquito net and dispense them to people in the village we will encounter tomorrow). He enjoyed working in the clinic with all the children looking them in the eye and trying to get them to look back. He loved hearing them say, “I am fine”. He also enjoyed watching his son, Adam, and daughter-in-law, Stacia, on their first trip interacting with the kids.

Sylvia (Russell’s wife):  Gifts were dispensed today to children from their sponsors. She loved watching a little boy open his package. He opened a card that had five cars on it. When he saw the cars he squealed with joy.  Little Faith, who I mentioned earlier, also fell asleep in her lap. All was well until Faith went potty!

Adam:  He took his new sponsored child, Sharon, to the clinic today. Just being there with her to make sure she would get the medical care she needed was great.

Stacia:  She said that though a lot of the kids are very shy they look at you in a quiet way that says how thankful they are for all we are doing for them. She loved hearing them read their sponsor letters.

Judy:  In the past she has always been a part of the team that has worked in the clinic. Today she was part of the sponsorship team and she felt this gave her more of a chance to interact with the kids. She also enjoyed watching Stacia and Adam as they experience Uganda for the very first time.

Vicki:   She feels it is a huge honor to get to see these kids every year; to see the improvements in their health, in their growth, to get to hug them and love on them. She questions why she is so blessed to have this job that she loves so much. She is so thankful for the wisdom to send Sharon to the clinic to get treatment for typhoid and to see her getting better already.

Lynda:  She had never worked in the clinic before this year and loved the opportunity to greet every child. She commented that the older children would attempt to fake chewing the pills but she would make sure they were chewed before letting them leave. (Sidebar: she also straightened every child’s collar before they left. A mother’s touch!)

Vicki H:  She loved working in the clinic touching each child and looking in their eyes. She and Les had the chance to meet Grace’s mom (their sponsored child). At first she would not look them in the eye. After giving Grace a few gifts she invited them to her house where they got to meet his siblings. At the house her demeanor was very different. She got down on her knees and thanked them for everything and then went outside and cooked them a small meal.

Les:  He loved the time he got to spend with Grace. He and Vicki gave him a solar powered lantern and Grace was translating for his mother as Les explained how to make it work. Then when Grace got the soccer ball the grin on his face was unbelievable. It spread from ear to ear. At days end he told Les that he loved him very much.

As for me, I stopped to take a picture of a little boy that was leaving the school. His father stopped me and touched my arm. He told me thank you for being so kind to his son – that without us his son would not be able to be educated. This put into perspective exactly why I do the things I do.

The team is also a great group of people to be with and to work with. I am so impressed by how hard everyone works and how well we are working as a team. There is definitely no “I” in this group. Everyone pitches in where needed. I am blessed to be a part of the group.

In closing please continue to pray for strength, health, and wisdom. Marvin and Tina I am thinking about you and praying for a speedy recovery. As for my family you know how much I love you. All the way to God’s house and back.