Saturday, July 11, 2009
ENTEBBE
We have bid farewell to the Colleen Hotel in Mukono. After a stop in Kampala to see the Namboole church that is currently under construction, where we picked up Henry, and lunch and a trip to the Ugandan-style flea market to do some shopping, we are now in Entebbe at the Sophie Hotel. Tomorrow, we SHOULD be on a plane home (Ethiopia Air). Bye for now!
Friday, July 10, 2009
Chickens
Because the goodbye to the children last night was so emotionally draining, I forgot to mention our experiences Friday morning. We had decided it would be nice if we could add a little something to the children's Friday night dinner (this was before we knew there would be a big celebration hosted by the bishop). Somehow, it was decided to buy chickens and, oh, by the way, we had seen many chickens at one of the many food stands in Mukono on our walk, so we knew where to get them. And since refrigeration is not common in Uganda, fresh meat means live chickens. So Friday morning, we loaded up the clown van and headed to the chicken store and bought 20 fat roosters. Now, as an animal lover, this is a tad hard to write about, but it was for a good cause. Anyway, the vendors tied five roosters together by the legs into chicken bundles and then they were stuffed under the seats. When all 20 chickens were in the van, we reloaded and headed off to Humble. (The children enjoyed the chicken later on)
P.S., I passed on the hello to Adechan Sarah for the Careys last week and she returns her love
P.S., I passed on the hello to Adechan Sarah for the Careys last week and she returns her love
Jajja Jen
Today, we headed off to Humble thinking it would be another brick throwing day, but the kids were out playing when we arrived, so we got to play instead. (By the way, the guy in charge of computers here at the hotel threw me off last night before I could mention that Jil actually mastered the task of catching and throwing two bricks at a time -- 22 pounds total. Before this point, Doug was the only one to be able to do it more than a few times with the locals). Doug's mom and dad came to the school to visit.
The afternoon was dedicated to a farewell celebration that the bishop held for the team. The children sang and did skits for us and presented us with gifts they had made. They are very talented and the school is hoping that by teaching them skills like weaving and bead making, they can make money later in life, if necessary. We will be bringing some of their beadwork back with us.
One of the highlights of the celebration was when the bishop baptized Jen Score with a Ugandan name. He said because of her compassion and love of the children and because she was (these are his words) an elderly female of the team, he was now naming her Jajja, which translates into Grandma. Jen turned a bright red and Pastor Dave was rolling in his seat, he was laughing so hard.
The bishop had a nice dinner buffet brought in for everyone and we all sat around eating with the kids. What a pleasure it was to sit on the grass as dusk fell surrounded by kids with plates full of food and lightning bugs dancing about. Finally, it was time to go. It was so hard to tear ourselves away from these incredible children. Tears fell readily, hugs and kisses were shared, and our hearts were broken. We will miss them all. Our prayers are that every one of these angels has his or her opportunity to shine in this world and that they live up to the promise God has placed in them.
The afternoon was dedicated to a farewell celebration that the bishop held for the team. The children sang and did skits for us and presented us with gifts they had made. They are very talented and the school is hoping that by teaching them skills like weaving and bead making, they can make money later in life, if necessary. We will be bringing some of their beadwork back with us.
One of the highlights of the celebration was when the bishop baptized Jen Score with a Ugandan name. He said because of her compassion and love of the children and because she was (these are his words) an elderly female of the team, he was now naming her Jajja, which translates into Grandma. Jen turned a bright red and Pastor Dave was rolling in his seat, he was laughing so hard.
The bishop had a nice dinner buffet brought in for everyone and we all sat around eating with the kids. What a pleasure it was to sit on the grass as dusk fell surrounded by kids with plates full of food and lightning bugs dancing about. Finally, it was time to go. It was so hard to tear ourselves away from these incredible children. Tears fell readily, hugs and kisses were shared, and our hearts were broken. We will miss them all. Our prayers are that every one of these angels has his or her opportunity to shine in this world and that they live up to the promise God has placed in them.
Thursday, July 9, 2009
Back to Humble
Today, we went to Humble School. The women and Tom threw bricks (I was allowed back on the brick line and didn't drop a brick. Whoo hoo!) Kara discovered that at the bottom of the brick pile is where lizards like to live. One of the local workers did a very admirable job of imitating her screaming and hopping in circles. We also learned that it is true that lizards drop their tail when you grab them by it and that it wiggles for a very long time after it detaches.
Doug visited with his parents, who are with the Anglican Church and just happened to be in Mukono at the same time (isn't that weird?). Pastor Dave also had lunch with them.
Drew, Rhett and Dave Bennett put the finishing touches on the new basketball half court that they have put in for the kids. The kids seemed very excited about that. We also bought rope for the girls so they could play the African-style jump rope game they like to play.
While at Humble, we were informed that the bishop was coming with a team from California, who we were supposed to meet. We enjoyed the children's choir as they performed for the Californians, who were from the Oakland area. Afterwards, we all had lunch together.
Later in the afternoon, Pastor Dave took some of us on a walk through Mukono, which was a very interesting journey.
Doug visited with his parents, who are with the Anglican Church and just happened to be in Mukono at the same time (isn't that weird?). Pastor Dave also had lunch with them.
Drew, Rhett and Dave Bennett put the finishing touches on the new basketball half court that they have put in for the kids. The kids seemed very excited about that. We also bought rope for the girls so they could play the African-style jump rope game they like to play.
While at Humble, we were informed that the bishop was coming with a team from California, who we were supposed to meet. We enjoyed the children's choir as they performed for the Californians, who were from the Oakland area. Afterwards, we all had lunch together.
Later in the afternoon, Pastor Dave took some of us on a walk through Mukono, which was a very interesting journey.
Wed - Gulu - 7/8/9
We visited the Koch-Goma IDP camp today and attended another church service. The people here were very nice. It was sad to see a little baby with malaria among the group. Kids in the Gulu camps are definitely shyer than the Humble kids, but they were very sweet.
We had lunch with the New York team at the Diana Gardens, then set off for home. We were now a clown car of 13 people as we had picked up two additional people (long story). Journey to Gulu was about the same as the one going to Gulu, just reversed. It was a long day and we were quite glad to return to Mukono and the Collene Hotel.
We had lunch with the New York team at the Diana Gardens, then set off for home. We were now a clown car of 13 people as we had picked up two additional people (long story). Journey to Gulu was about the same as the one going to Gulu, just reversed. It was a long day and we were quite glad to return to Mukono and the Collene Hotel.
Day Two - Gulu, Tuesday 7/7/09
In the morning, we traveled to the Opit camp. On the way there, we stopped and the pastors in our group and the New York group, plus Rhett tried plowing a field with a team of oxen. As we have learned time and time again, nothing is as easy as it looks.
Pastor Titus, the Opit camp pastor, rode in our clown van to the site. Normally, he rides a bike the 35 kilometers over dusty, rutted dirt roads to church with his wife as a passenger to get to church service. And then he has to ride back home, all while wearing his best suit. And even more unbelievable is the fact that, as is the case with most pastors in this region, he is not even paid for his work.
sidenote: this was probably one of the dustiest roads ever. By the time we got to camp, our van was filled with red dust and we were covered in it.
Opit was a surprisingly clean and orderly camp with wonderful people who came out to greet us. We had a short church service under a tree, then walked about the camp and was shown their bore hole (well).
We then traveled back to Gulu town to have lunch where Rhett and Drew managed to find a game of pool with the locals.
After lunch, we went to the Layibi camp, which was closer to town. The children in the camp performed dances, played the drums, and sang for us. It was better than any show we could have paid for. After the show, we walked around the camp. I tried to help a small woman with a baby on her back carry a plastic container of water up the hill, but much to my chagrin, I couldn't carry it for more than a few feet. After observing my feeble attempt, she motioned for me to lift it onto her head, and after struggling to lift it, I finally got it on her head, and away she went -- baby on back, 50-pound container of water on her head up the hill, with me looking on wondering how I could possibly be any weaker.
We retired to the hotel after that and had dinner. During the meal, we realized the odor everyone kept smelling was coming from a stinky milk pot that came with the tea. It contained good milk and had a verse everyone liked from Jeremiah 11 on it (which I can't remember at present), but smelled to high heaven. So it became the Bible lesson for the meal -- don't judge things by their outsides. Weird story, yes, but the team wanted to remember the tea pot, so I'm including it in the blog
Pastor Titus, the Opit camp pastor, rode in our clown van to the site. Normally, he rides a bike the 35 kilometers over dusty, rutted dirt roads to church with his wife as a passenger to get to church service. And then he has to ride back home, all while wearing his best suit. And even more unbelievable is the fact that, as is the case with most pastors in this region, he is not even paid for his work.
sidenote: this was probably one of the dustiest roads ever. By the time we got to camp, our van was filled with red dust and we were covered in it.
Opit was a surprisingly clean and orderly camp with wonderful people who came out to greet us. We had a short church service under a tree, then walked about the camp and was shown their bore hole (well).
We then traveled back to Gulu town to have lunch where Rhett and Drew managed to find a game of pool with the locals.
After lunch, we went to the Layibi camp, which was closer to town. The children in the camp performed dances, played the drums, and sang for us. It was better than any show we could have paid for. After the show, we walked around the camp. I tried to help a small woman with a baby on her back carry a plastic container of water up the hill, but much to my chagrin, I couldn't carry it for more than a few feet. After observing my feeble attempt, she motioned for me to lift it onto her head, and after struggling to lift it, I finally got it on her head, and away she went -- baby on back, 50-pound container of water on her head up the hill, with me looking on wondering how I could possibly be any weaker.
We retired to the hotel after that and had dinner. During the meal, we realized the odor everyone kept smelling was coming from a stinky milk pot that came with the tea. It contained good milk and had a verse everyone liked from Jeremiah 11 on it (which I can't remember at present), but smelled to high heaven. So it became the Bible lesson for the meal -- don't judge things by their outsides. Weird story, yes, but the team wanted to remember the tea pot, so I'm including it in the blog
Time to Play Catch Up - Heading to Gulu
So we stuffed the 11 of us in the van, which has affectionately been dubbed the clown van, and headed off to Gulu, which is approximately five hours away. After meeting up with a New York mission group, headed by a man named Bob Schooley, that was also heading up north, we set out two hours behind schedule.
For background info, Gulu is in an area of northern Uganda that had been hard hit by the Lord's Resistance Army, a group that kidnapped children and murdered untold numbers of people. To escape falling victim to the LRA, local villagers fled to what are known as IDP, Internally Displaced Persons, camps. The difference between IDP camps and refugee camps are that refugee camps are for people fleeing from one country to another. IDP's are for people who are fleeing from one region of their own country into another part.
Until two years ago, the Gulu area was considered too dangerous for most people to visit. In fact, my Fodor Uganda book actually had a passage that said it was suicidal to attempt to go in this region but it was written two years ago. Everyone says it is now safe to travel even without military escort in northern Uganda as the LRA has moved to Congo at present.
So now back to our journey. You may think that riding in a van with 11 people, each with backpacks for two days of travel would be fun, but add in rutted dirt roads that are sometimes covered in miles of random speed humps, and you have a small picture of our trip.
Guess what we learned on our long drive? They have drive throughs in Uganda, but they are very different than American drive throughs. If you pull up into most of these little villages or trading centers, your car is swarmed by people selling boiled peanuts, a flatbread called chipotti, orange drinks that have been made and put into bottles to look like orange soda, and meat on a stick. We actually bought batches of the chipotti, which was very tasty. I guess we'll find out soon if it was a smart thing to do.
On the drive, we saw approximately three fleeting glimpses of monkeys and passed a beautiful waterfall. We arrived in Gulu around 6:00, then had to wrangle rooms, which turned out to be surprisingly hard to do. Apparently there are very few hotels up to western standards and lots of relief type workers in Gulu. Three van loads of people pulled into the hotel compound as we were waiting. Bob Schooley's group ended up not getting rooms at the Pearl Africa and stayed instead at a hotel with plastic tub showers, but at least they had toilets. As for our rooms, they were rooms. It's probably best to leave it at that.
For background info, Gulu is in an area of northern Uganda that had been hard hit by the Lord's Resistance Army, a group that kidnapped children and murdered untold numbers of people. To escape falling victim to the LRA, local villagers fled to what are known as IDP, Internally Displaced Persons, camps. The difference between IDP camps and refugee camps are that refugee camps are for people fleeing from one country to another. IDP's are for people who are fleeing from one region of their own country into another part.
Until two years ago, the Gulu area was considered too dangerous for most people to visit. In fact, my Fodor Uganda book actually had a passage that said it was suicidal to attempt to go in this region but it was written two years ago. Everyone says it is now safe to travel even without military escort in northern Uganda as the LRA has moved to Congo at present.
So now back to our journey. You may think that riding in a van with 11 people, each with backpacks for two days of travel would be fun, but add in rutted dirt roads that are sometimes covered in miles of random speed humps, and you have a small picture of our trip.
Guess what we learned on our long drive? They have drive throughs in Uganda, but they are very different than American drive throughs. If you pull up into most of these little villages or trading centers, your car is swarmed by people selling boiled peanuts, a flatbread called chipotti, orange drinks that have been made and put into bottles to look like orange soda, and meat on a stick. We actually bought batches of the chipotti, which was very tasty. I guess we'll find out soon if it was a smart thing to do.
On the drive, we saw approximately three fleeting glimpses of monkeys and passed a beautiful waterfall. We arrived in Gulu around 6:00, then had to wrangle rooms, which turned out to be surprisingly hard to do. Apparently there are very few hotels up to western standards and lots of relief type workers in Gulu. Three van loads of people pulled into the hotel compound as we were waiting. Bob Schooley's group ended up not getting rooms at the Pearl Africa and stayed instead at a hotel with plastic tub showers, but at least they had toilets. As for our rooms, they were rooms. It's probably best to leave it at that.
Wednesday, July 8, 2009
CHANGE IN PLANS
FYI for anyone who has family or friends or coworkers on the Ugandan team. We are not coming home Sunday as planned. An itinerary mishap has occurred and we are coming home Monday morning instead -- same time
Sunday, July 5, 2009
Leave us a comment
A few people have asked how to leave a comment for us. After each blog entry there is a pencil icon. You can click that to leave a comment. You can also click on the title of any blog entry and you will just see that particular entry. At the bottom of an individual blog entry there is a comment form.
We are looking forward to hearing from you. As they say in Uganda, "You are most welcome".
We are looking forward to hearing from you. As they say in Uganda, "You are most welcome".
Church and Site Seeing
Today, we headed to Jinja for a church service - a four-hour church service, but it was very good. The Humble choir came and sang and there were several other choirs. They even invited anyone who wanted to sing to share a song. At one point, I remember finding the whole scene rather surreal. We were sitting in a church set high on a hill. Lake Victoria was visible from the open door and windows on my left. I had a little Ugandan child sitting in my lap. Behind me was the Bishop of Eastern Africa. In front of me, the Humble choir was dancing and singing in that incredibly uplifting way they have. To my right, I could see Drew and Kara feeding cookies to a little Ugandan boy, and out the window to my right a herd of Ugandan cattle, who have horns the size of Texas Longhorns that grow up instead of sideways, could be seen grazing.
About three hours into the service, Pastor Dave took the stage and gave a sermon, which was also translated into Lugandan, about love and included bubble blowing and a magic bubble, which really entertained the children. (By team vote, it has been decided that his new name on the trip will be Pastor Bubbles.)
After service, we went to eat at the Jinja Nile Resort, viewed Bujagali Falls on the Nile River, and went souvenier shopping in Jinja. Drew and I/Kara got shirts that say Mzungu (which basically means foreigner and is what everyone has been calling us, like when we all crossed the road and almost got hit by a car, and they yelled, "Mzungu! It's sort of the same way we yell "Tourists" in D.C. You know how it is.)
We also got to see the dam that separates the Nile River from Lake Victoria today. Then we drove back to the hotel straight into a traffic jam, which left many of us in a diesel-induced stupor. There apparently isn't the same kind of controls on pollution here as in the U.S. and traffic jams turn into the opposite of an oxygen bar. Smoke from fires burning alongside the road and cars and trucks belching gaseous fumes combine to form a pretty toxic cloud. So please forgive me for any nonsense on here (like the Pastor Bubbles comment *snicker*).
Anyway, we will not be able to access the internet for a couple of days, as we are heading to a hotel in Gulu that will more than likely not have internet. So Caio for now!
About three hours into the service, Pastor Dave took the stage and gave a sermon, which was also translated into Lugandan, about love and included bubble blowing and a magic bubble, which really entertained the children. (By team vote, it has been decided that his new name on the trip will be Pastor Bubbles.)
After service, we went to eat at the Jinja Nile Resort, viewed Bujagali Falls on the Nile River, and went souvenier shopping in Jinja. Drew and I/Kara got shirts that say Mzungu (which basically means foreigner and is what everyone has been calling us, like when we all crossed the road and almost got hit by a car, and they yelled, "Mzungu! It's sort of the same way we yell "Tourists" in D.C. You know how it is.)
We also got to see the dam that separates the Nile River from Lake Victoria today. Then we drove back to the hotel straight into a traffic jam, which left many of us in a diesel-induced stupor. There apparently isn't the same kind of controls on pollution here as in the U.S. and traffic jams turn into the opposite of an oxygen bar. Smoke from fires burning alongside the road and cars and trucks belching gaseous fumes combine to form a pretty toxic cloud. So please forgive me for any nonsense on here (like the Pastor Bubbles comment *snicker*).
Anyway, we will not be able to access the internet for a couple of days, as we are heading to a hotel in Gulu that will more than likely not have internet. So Caio for now!
Saturday, July 4, 2009
Pictures!
Here is a link to a slideshow that shows the way the kids and workers had to retrieve water before the pump was fixed.
Happy Anniversary & Happy Fourth of July
What a fantastic evening. Dave Bennett arranged for the hotel to have a 4th of July Ugandan-style BBQ waiting for us when we got back from our trips to the school. We had grilled corn on the cob, steak, chicken, pork and lamb and corn and veggies and assorted other Ugandan stuff. The highlight of the evening was the celebration of Rhett and Jillian's 7th Anniversary. Doug and Dave Norman had made a foray into town earlier in the day to bring back a Ugandan cake and card. Let's just say the cake was unique. Because Dave and Doug could not find an anniversary cake, they bought a birthday cake and then duct taped over the word birthday and wrote anniversary on it. Thanks to the cake's exceptionally hard frosting, the duct tape did not stick. We all wish we could have shared a piece of this "interesting" cake with the congregation. If you run into the Breedens at church you will have to ask them how much fun they had cutting it.
High School Musical
Today we spent the morning at St. Henry's Secondary School where some of the Humble students have moved on to. Secondary School is roughly the equivalent of 8th grade and up and starts at Senior 1. After what they call their Senior 4 tests, they either go to Senior 5 and 6 or to vocational school. While at St. Henry's, we got to watch a drama/musical competition the different houses were having against each other. We got to see a play, a mime (karaoke basically), and two folk songs. Some of it was in English and what we didn't understand, we pestered a seminary student, Henry, who was with us (also known as Pastor Dave's second son), to translate. The kids were extremely talented.
Next we drove to Namogongo Secondary and vocational school, which is where some other Humble Student graduates have moved onto. This was a long and interesting drive past memorable Ugandan landscape. At the school, we were taken on a tour by an former Humble Student named Blessed. She was truly a blessing, sweet and without a shy bone in her body. While at the school, Drew got to play basketball with some of the students. It was a beautiful, very large school.
Next we drove to Namogongo Secondary and vocational school, which is where some other Humble Student graduates have moved onto. This was a long and interesting drive past memorable Ugandan landscape. At the school, we were taken on a tour by an former Humble Student named Blessed. She was truly a blessing, sweet and without a shy bone in her body. While at the school, Drew got to play basketball with some of the students. It was a beautiful, very large school.
Friday, July 3, 2009
Pump it Up
Yay! The pump is now working. The company hired to fix the pump was able to do the work today and water is flowing to a rain-catching tank at this point. All the kids, workers and staff were very excited. The head mistress of the school said she even let the kids use extra water today in celebration. Next week, we will be running the plumbing from the school grounds to a water tower that will feed the plumbing for the school infrastructure. Doug got some excellent video of the pump being fixed that he hopes to share with the congregation.
Before it was fixed, several of the Crossroads team, led by Pastor Dave, took turns pushing the bike-water-mobile up the hill. Rhett carried two water holders up by himself. The kids were so happy when they found out they no longer had to lug water up the hill for washing and cooking anymore.
Others of us set off to throw more bricks. Sadly, I was kicked off the brick throwing line to prevent further injuries to myself and others -- actually, I think it was a mutual agreement since I somehow lost my brick throwing mojo and was wreaking havoc. I tried mortar-ing instead. In my defense, these bricks are not dainty US bricks. They are more like the size of a kleenex box.
After lunch, we had a three-hour meeting with the Uganda/East Africa school management team and Bishop Daniel. Dave made a casual comment at the end that American meetings are normally one hour :o)
Before it was fixed, several of the Crossroads team, led by Pastor Dave, took turns pushing the bike-water-mobile up the hill. Rhett carried two water holders up by himself. The kids were so happy when they found out they no longer had to lug water up the hill for washing and cooking anymore.
Others of us set off to throw more bricks. Sadly, I was kicked off the brick throwing line to prevent further injuries to myself and others -- actually, I think it was a mutual agreement since I somehow lost my brick throwing mojo and was wreaking havoc. I tried mortar-ing instead. In my defense, these bricks are not dainty US bricks. They are more like the size of a kleenex box.
After lunch, we had a three-hour meeting with the Uganda/East Africa school management team and Bishop Daniel. Dave made a casual comment at the end that American meetings are normally one hour :o)
Thursday, July 2, 2009
An update from Pastor Dave...
The Uganda Mission team is doing very well. Every day we are more than graciously welcomed at HUMBLE United Methodist School. The children are healthy and well. The teachers are working hard in their classrooms. The administration is doing a superb job of keeping everything moving in a positive direction.
Each person on the Crossroads Mission Team loves to talk, play and just be with the students. There is no doubt that each team member has met the presence of Jesus in the children of HUMBLE. Even in the adverse conditions of extreme poverty that surrounds their lives every day the children are still full of laughter and joy. They have truly lifted all our spirits and reminded us once again why we need to stay in relationship with them. They have blessed us in ways that far exceed what we have given. As wonderful as the pictures you see on the blog are, they only capture one dimension of what the total experience is like on the ground.
Please continue to pray for us as we continue our journey here in Uganda. On Monday the team will be travelling to Gulu to visit children at IDP camps. This will be a powerful and life changing experience for our team as there we will meet many children who have been run out of their villages fleeing for their lives and now live in camps as refugees.
All the teachers and students at HUMBLE send their prayers and love to their extended church family at Crossroads. What a blessing it is for our church to be connected to HUMBLE.
I have met many of the children who were with us last year in the Hope for Africa Children's choir and they especially send their love to the host families. You have made a place in their hearts that will last forever. By the way the new Hope for Africa Children's Choir will be with us in November.
Again, let me assure you that all is well in Uganda.
Peace
Dave
Each person on the Crossroads Mission Team loves to talk, play and just be with the students. There is no doubt that each team member has met the presence of Jesus in the children of HUMBLE. Even in the adverse conditions of extreme poverty that surrounds their lives every day the children are still full of laughter and joy. They have truly lifted all our spirits and reminded us once again why we need to stay in relationship with them. They have blessed us in ways that far exceed what we have given. As wonderful as the pictures you see on the blog are, they only capture one dimension of what the total experience is like on the ground.
Please continue to pray for us as we continue our journey here in Uganda. On Monday the team will be travelling to Gulu to visit children at IDP camps. This will be a powerful and life changing experience for our team as there we will meet many children who have been run out of their villages fleeing for their lives and now live in camps as refugees.
All the teachers and students at HUMBLE send their prayers and love to their extended church family at Crossroads. What a blessing it is for our church to be connected to HUMBLE.
I have met many of the children who were with us last year in the Hope for Africa Children's choir and they especially send their love to the host families. You have made a place in their hearts that will last forever. By the way the new Hope for Africa Children's Choir will be with us in November.
Again, let me assure you that all is well in Uganda.
Peace
Dave
Diversifying
Today was a mix of things. There was a little brick tossing, some brick walking (carrying them instead of throwing them), some brick stacking, some cement mixing, some mortar work, dirt shoveling, and a lot more water toting by the team. As mentioned before, to get water to the work site, water has to be transported up a steep hill by a guy pushing a bicycle. Approximately three plastic containers weighing approximately 50 pounds can be brought up in one trip. Several members of the team wanted to lessen the amount of times the worker had to go up and down the hill and helped hand carry two containers of water at a time up the hill. Extremely exhausting work.
The workers building the wall have commented several times to different team members that they are amazed that the team has been pitching in with the manual labor. They assumed that people from the United States did not do these kinds of things and it really, really surprised them. It was actually really nice to get to know and talk to the workers. Even though there was a bit of a language/accent barrier, we managed to joke and get to know people a little.
We had lunch back at the hotel and then when we returned to Humble, we all just sort of started playing with the kids, though I don't think that was supposed to be on the agenda at the time. But they were out of school and who can resist playing with these wonderful kids? We played with some of the new balls, but it was sad to watch the girls trying to play a kind of hopping through rope game with pieces of plastic tied together. Every time one of the kids would hit the plastic, it would break and they would have to retie it.
The adults on our team then attended a fellowship with the staff of Humble. It was a great service. Cheers for now
The workers building the wall have commented several times to different team members that they are amazed that the team has been pitching in with the manual labor. They assumed that people from the United States did not do these kinds of things and it really, really surprised them. It was actually really nice to get to know and talk to the workers. Even though there was a bit of a language/accent barrier, we managed to joke and get to know people a little.
We had lunch back at the hotel and then when we returned to Humble, we all just sort of started playing with the kids, though I don't think that was supposed to be on the agenda at the time. But they were out of school and who can resist playing with these wonderful kids? We played with some of the new balls, but it was sad to watch the girls trying to play a kind of hopping through rope game with pieces of plastic tied together. Every time one of the kids would hit the plastic, it would break and they would have to retie it.
The adults on our team then attended a fellowship with the staff of Humble. It was a great service. Cheers for now
Wednesday, July 1, 2009
Compassion and Listening to Bricks
I (Jane Ellis, the team blogger) realized just now that I haven't introduced my team members. They are Pastor Dave Norman, Dave Bennett, Jil and Rhett Breeden, Jane and Kara Ellis, Tom Nealley, Debbie Neff, Doug Schnelzer, Jen Score, Marie Priou Lewis and Drew Stevens.
First, the team would like to start off by telling you about something that touched us all. One of the things that we learned upon arrival at the school was that the pump to the well on the property of HUMBLE was blown out by a huge power surge during a storm. This means no fresh water has been available for the students of HUMBLE for at least one month. It was quite clear that we could not allow the students to continue having to carry heavy water in buckets from a pond some 500 yards each way that was good for bathing but not palatable for drinking. To fix the pump it cost $2,500. We gave the go ahead to fix it so that by Friday of this week the children will once again have fresh water pumped up to the school site and no longer needing to walk and haul water up hill that long distance. If you would like to contribute to this you can simply give a gift online or a check made payable to Crossroads and mark school pump on the memo line.
Now for today. Okay, so we did more brick throwing. Most of us have some sort of brick mishap wound at this point and Tom and Rhett have football injuries. Good thing we have a first-aid kit with us. The wall is coming along in amazing fashion. Several team members, Tom, Pastor Dave, Kara, Drew and Rhett have all helped get approximately 150 pounds of water from the bottom of the steep hill mentioned above on the back of a broken bicycle. They have to fill these plastic containers and then push the bike back up the long rutted hill. (Just fyi, most of the team made the trip down the hill with the children yesterday to see what they had to do to get water and were all stunned by the amount of labor involved).
We have been having a great time (though I dislike bricks intensely now. I'm not supposed to use the word hate). And we have learned to throw bricks compassionately and to pay attention to the moment or we have bricks land on our feet or other body parts (it's all stems from the scripture lessons Jen gives us in the morning).
In the afternoon, we were all able to enjoy time with the children. Some played football, some just talked to the children as they did their chores and practiced their singing. Again, a tiring but worthwhile day for all.
First, the team would like to start off by telling you about something that touched us all. One of the things that we learned upon arrival at the school was that the pump to the well on the property of HUMBLE was blown out by a huge power surge during a storm. This means no fresh water has been available for the students of HUMBLE for at least one month. It was quite clear that we could not allow the students to continue having to carry heavy water in buckets from a pond some 500 yards each way that was good for bathing but not palatable for drinking. To fix the pump it cost $2,500. We gave the go ahead to fix it so that by Friday of this week the children will once again have fresh water pumped up to the school site and no longer needing to walk and haul water up hill that long distance. If you would like to contribute to this you can simply give a gift online or a check made payable to Crossroads and mark school pump on the memo line. Now for today. Okay, so we did more brick throwing. Most of us have some sort of brick mishap wound at this point and Tom and Rhett have football injuries. Good thing we have a first-aid kit with us. The wall is coming along in amazing fashion. Several team members, Tom, Pastor Dave, Kara, Drew and Rhett have all helped get approximately 150 pounds of water from the bottom of the steep hill mentioned above on the back of a broken bicycle. They have to fill these plastic containers and then push the bike back up the long rutted hill. (Just fyi, most of the team made the trip down the hill with the children yesterday to see what they had to do to get water and were all stunned by the amount of labor involved).
We have been having a great time (though I dislike bricks intensely now. I'm not supposed to use the word hate). And we have learned to throw bricks compassionately and to pay attention to the moment or we have bricks land on our feet or other body parts (it's all stems from the scripture lessons Jen gives us in the morning).
In the afternoon, we were all able to enjoy time with the children. Some played football, some just talked to the children as they did their chores and practiced their singing. Again, a tiring but worthwhile day for all.
Hello To Crossroads From the Children at Humble
As promised here are the names of the children who wanted to thank their sponsors. Some of the clues the children gave me was a bit cryptic, but here goes:
Diana, Justine and Pamela wanted to thank Aunt Janet, Sarah, Andrew and their family for hosting them.
Patricia, Sawiya, Prisca wanted to thank Aunt Kathy for hosting them.
Winifred wanted to thank Aunt Rachael and Uncle Ken for hosting and thank you for the gifts.
The Chorus children also wanted to thank the church and whoever was responsible for the t-shirts and sandals they received last year.
You all must have done a super job of hosting as these children were so excited to be able to send thanks. These were only the kids I talked to. Tom on our team was given a couple of letters from children to bring back to the US. And I'm sure there are others I haven't had a chance to talk to you yet. They are looking forward to hearing from anyone who is able to read this and wants to write back.
Diana, Justine and Pamela wanted to thank Aunt Janet, Sarah, Andrew and their family for hosting them.
Patricia, Sawiya, Prisca wanted to thank Aunt Kathy for hosting them.
Winifred wanted to thank Aunt Rachael and Uncle Ken for hosting and thank you for the gifts.
The Chorus children also wanted to thank the church and whoever was responsible for the t-shirts and sandals they received last year.
You all must have done a super job of hosting as these children were so excited to be able to send thanks. These were only the kids I talked to. Tom on our team was given a couple of letters from children to bring back to the US. And I'm sure there are others I haven't had a chance to talk to you yet. They are looking forward to hearing from anyone who is able to read this and wants to write back.
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