A Visit to the Widows

On Friday afternoon, we all went to Naminya to see Abdu's dairy farm. He has 30 dairy cows and utilizes the foilage around his farm to feed his herd. We all walked to Abe's mother's house. If you remember, he used to work for Paul and Pam and was a good friend of Don Neufeld's. He was killed in a shooting a year and a half ago and we visited his grave. Abe has a little boy and it was such a joy to see the baby as well as Abe's mother and sister. Next we went to see the widows, who are a group of born again women who support themselves by baking and renting out wedding dresses. At this time, their oven was not working because it was leaking heat.
Byron and Don went out the following day to repair it.

This is the photo of the widows from left to right: Sarah, Regina, Florence, Sissy and Margaret.

This is Abe's mother and his son whose name is also Abe.


Byron fixing the mud oven for the widows.

posted by Brenda and Sheri

Dove Voice Band

On Friday evening we had the priviledge of hearing the Dove Voice Band. They were all refugees from the Congo living in Kampala. Many of them were college students and they ranged in age from 15 to 32. It was a big treat for them to eat supper with us and we wondered how hungry they were when we saw their plates piled with food. Their music was amazing and many songs they had written themselves. We had a good time visiting with them and most of them were trying to improve their English.

Could they ever dance and they said when they danced it was to honor the Lord. They even got an elder and deacon to cut the rug with them.

posted by Brenda and Sheri

Sunday in the Village

Sunday was eventful for us. We attended church at David and Sarah's village. It was humbling that they set up chairs for us while they all sat on wooden benches. The building was a crude structure with a dirt floor, but as you can see, they had hung beautiful cloths at the altar area to honor God. There was a long time of worshiping thru music. Most of it was in their native language, but some were in English so we joined in. Then, David gave a wonderful message from Isaiah 6 about being prepared and ready when God sends us.

After the service, we handed out some of the clothes we brought from our Fairview kids for the African children. It was like Christmas in March for them! They were so thrilled to get the new things!
It was quite a process handing out the clothing, as they were so eager to get something 'new'! They thanked and thanked us and the adults were overwhelmed at the Mazungu's (white man's) love for their children. We are the ones who were blessed!

We wanted to take this picture so the kids of Fairview could see the African children in their new shirts! Now there will be a piece of Fairview, Oklahoma running around the villages outside Jinja Uganda!

We went to the village of Masese in the afternoon to take medicine, and nothing could have prepared us for the conditions there. It is said here that even the poor villages consider Masese poor. Some of the children had no clothes on at all and all of them swarmed us. We had kids holding on to every finger. We couldn't imagine people could actually live there if we hadn't seen it for our own eyes. Many of the children were sick and so the medicine was a blessing to them.

Justin made the mistake of letting one of the boys hang from his arm. They quickly flocked to he and Trent. The guys soon found out 2 boys on each arm was way too much for them! We were told that then men in this village don't work. The kids are expected to make beer for them and the guys are drunk before noon. The women and children do all the work. They even send the kids into town to beg along the streets. To say it was sad was an understatement.

From the village we went to an orphanage for HIV kids. The conditions there were good compared to the village, however knowing the kid's medical issues was heartbreaking. This little guy, Kevin, was 7 months old and had just returned from the hospital for malnutrition and bowel problems. He has only been with them a couple of months. He is SO tiny, all of the clothes were hanging off him. There were wonderful 'Aunties' working there caring for them. What a special ministry they have! The kids are truly loved and told of God as they grow up. There were kids from tiny babies to age 13.

This little guy was having great fun playing a game pushing Jodi around and then she would turn around and get him! He about lost his britches many times and was laughing so hard! It was good medicine for our souls hearing his laughter! Once again, our eyes and hearts were opened to what we saw and experienced here.

Posted by Brenda

Princess and the Pea

Monday morning we were sitting at the paint store getting paint for Bukeeka and we noticed across the street this woman that was shouting and punching at the air. Paul told us that she was fighting demons. I asked Paul if there was any way to help her be relieved of the demons and he said that we could pray for her. We went over to talk with her but there were too many as she felt we were going to take her to jail and she was scared. The moment Paul mentioned Jesus her eyes became big and she walked away.



I had been praying for her since I met her and on Wednesday we were back at the paint store and she happened to be laying back at the same place so Peter and I went over to talk with her again. She said that her name was Princess Ellenacarta and said that she had three children and she lived on the streets there in Jinja. Peter told her that I had come a long way just to meet here and that in America I was a counselor. She said she knew that a counselor was one who counsels or guides. Peter told her that I could help her brain get right again. When we asked if we could pray for her she declined again. We told her we loved her and asked if we could bring her breakfast the next day and she agreed. She also let me take a picture with her and hug her.


On Thursday we went to take her breakfast and talk with her but she was not there. We continued to pray for her and on Friday we were shopping in town and Peter told me that he saw her at her spot again. I brought a sack with clothes and shoes that we gathered just in case we saw her while we were in town. We stopped and brought her a cinnamon roll to eat.

We gave her clothes and she changed right there in the street. We also gave her a new testament and she looked through it. I asked her if I could pray for her and this time she agreed. YEA!!!

Priceless end result, a big hug and a smile!!! :-)

Posted by Amanda

From Nurses to Doctors

Thursday, March 17th turned out to become yet another medical mission for Byron and Dawn. Robert Sityo's uncle, Fred, had fallen off a boda and injured his arm. He did not initially seek any medical assistance. Some fellow villagers made a splint from bamboo and wrapped the arm with cloth. He had his arm splinted completely straight for 4 days, until we saw him.


Robert brought Fred to Paul and Pam's house for Byron and Dawn to treat. After assessing the injury, we felt it was necessary to have an x-ray done. We loaded in the taxi with Fred and headed to a local clinic that had a working x-ray machine. Upon arrival to the crowded clinic, we were able to get the x-ray done immediately because the patient was accompanied by white people. We then stopped by a local pharmacy to get supplies we may need to treat the injury. We also were able to get medications that would otherwise need a prescription in America.



After completing the x-ray, we brought the films back to the house to review being that the radiologist was still at the hospital and it could have been all day before we would have known if there was a fracture or not. Dawn and Byron reviewed the film and did not think there was a fracture, but wanted to be sure. So, thanks to technology we were able to contact Dr. Klinger back in Fairview to review the x-rays via email. It is difficult to get a good picture of a picture, but Dawn did the best job she could. We all agreed that there was likely no fracture. So, we wrapped the arm with an ace bandage and made a sling out of an old shoulder bag that Pam had around the house. We sent him home with pain medicine and muscle relaxers that we purchased from the local pharmacy. When he left us he was having less pain and he was very appreciative of our assistance.


Continue to pray for Fred as his arm is healing. Pray that God will heal him quickly so he can return to work on his farm.

Posted by Dawn

Rock of Ages Nursery and Primary School

On Friday morning, we all went to Rock of Ages Nursery and Primary School. This is the school that Abdu's wife, Betty, started. At the present time there are 110 students. The oldest grade this year is the second grade, but she has a dream of going to P7 (seventh grade). Sheri got to tell the story of Zacchaeus three different times. She got the experience of having an interpreter which was Abdu.

The elementary students at Fairview sent school supplies to give to the children of Uganda.
This is a picture of the children after they each received a new pencil with a new eraser on top.
They were very excited with the gift. We also gave Betty lots of markers, paper, jump ropes, and other things for the children to use.

We also gave each student a new toothbrush and toothpaste. Sara did a great job of explaining how to properly brush your teeth.

Thursday at Bukeeka

On Thursday, all the team but Dawn and Byron worked at Bukeeka. Dawn will explain further in the next post what exciting adventures they had that day. Don, Justin, and Trent worked on the well. They re-plumbed the bottom tank so it wouldn't leak. Abdu saw a red frog on the tank and flicked it on Justin. It's a good thing he didn't fall off! They had a audience the entire time they worked.

Several of the African children wanted to take painting lessons. We were selective, but Geoffery, Grace's son (Grace is our cook) was very helpful. I think the paint showed up a little more on him than on the rest of us.

Jodi and Paul finished the room we had been working on by painting the floor red. We all felt a feeling of accomplishment when we saw the finished product. The rest of us worked on the office rooms. At the present time, there is more work to do in this area. We hope to finish it next week and start work on the dormitories. We don't know if we will finish, but we will do our best.

Blessing the Sityo's

Before we came to Uganda, we learned that Robert and Sarah had been robbed and all their belongings had been taken, including the new cooking stove that the Idaho group had bought for them. Sarah was very upset about losing it and said that was worse than loosing all of her clothes. We had planned to surprise them and replace the stove. Last night Robert and Sarah came to the house to share their testimonies and sing for us. We had a wonderful time with them and when they were finished we presented them with the new stove and propane tank. They were so surprised!!

We also had the privilege to present them with the money that the kids from Power House had raised to buy book for the Fountain of Hope School. They are hoping to purchase the books before we leave. They also would like to start a library and they are teaching the children about giving to others in need. They are planning to post the picture of our children that gave the money to them in the library when it is completed. Then they are planning to continue the gift of giving by helping another school that Robert is helping to get started deeper in the bush. What a great lesson to be learned. This picture is of Don giving Robert the money.

The happy couple with their new stove!

Posted by Jodi and Brenda.

Shakin, Paintin, & Shopin

Wow! What a wonderful day we had again, and may I say we have a powerful God. Our morning started out a little different than usual. The majority of us where woken by a small earthquake around 6:30 and a rain storm. It just goes to prove that God is always showing us how powerful and present He is. Once we all got around after a great breakfast, prepared by chefs Jodi and Dawn, we had an awesome devotional given by Brenda about us looking at what we have now and acting on it in the way God would want us to. After her words of wisdom, it was then time for us to head out for the day. The men took on a big adventure in going to Kampala and searching for a van to buy for Next Generations. I think they would all have to say it is completely different trying to buy a vehicle here than in America; however, they do feel like they are making progress. The women, plus Byron, left to Bukeeka to Fountain of Hope schools to continue on with our painting process. For the majority of us, this was the first time we got to ride Bodas. Byron looked like a pro riding the boda plus holding a 5 gallon paint jug.

We had a great time painting and spending time with Sarah Sityo. She even got in on some of the painting. Our magaga (boss), Jodi showed Sarah how to paint. She was so excited to get to take part in the painting process. It is already amazing how great the classrooms are looking. I can't wait to see the finished project.

Even though it was a hard day of work we still found time to have fun. I am really enjoying getting to know everyone and seeing all there quirky sides.

One of the biggest challenges that we have come to face is seeing how much we take for granted in our comfy lives. During our lunch time, we had the opportunity to walk around and see how the children's lunch hour went on a daily basis. Everyday there lunch consists of posho (maze porridge); if you are able to pay for your lunch then you are lucky enough to get beans on your posho. Here is a picture of two boys who aren't lucky enough to have the luxury of getting beans with there meal.

Everyday God is showing me and everyone else just how much we take for granted in our lives and how we need to be thankful for all He has given to us. I am so excited to see what else God has in store for us in the days to follow. (Posted by Sara)

An Adventurous Day!!!

Our day began with a shopping trip for paint. For the part about being flexible we found out how flexible we can be. We thought we were going to paint Paul & Pam's house, but ended up working on the new buildings at Fountain of Hope in Bukeeka. Our fearless leader, Jodi, got to pick out the paint colors for the new dormitories. I hope they like colorful rooms!!!! While we were waiting and waiting and waiting on our paint, several of us saw a woman on the street corner that was demon possessed. She was yelling at the demon and talking to a "being" we could not see. So, Paul, Amanda, and Sheri went to talk and pray with her. When Paul mentioned Jesus, her eyes became big and she started walking away saying she was scared. We were disappointed that she did not allow us to help her. The following picture is of the lady we tried to help and we would ask you to uphold her in prayer and maybe we might get another chance to minister to her.

Our interior decorators

We call Jodi mugaga (which means boss lady)

Next, we went to Fountain of Hope and began putting primer on the walls of what will be the new classrooms and dormitories. They had used motor oil on the rafters to keep the termites out of the building, but it was very hard to paint over. We managed to get more paint on the walls than on ourselves. We had a lot of little observers through the day peeking through the windows. When we first drove up, we heard cheering from the classrooms. We are struggling to keep our humility at bay. Brenda and Sheri had an adventure going to the bathroom, but that's another story.

Is this a boy or a girl standing with Justin? We didn't know until he lifted his dress. For some unknown reason, he would only attach to Justin.

Paul commented that the staff at the school were amazed at how well we all worked together, managed to have fun at the same time.

Each evening we have had guests for supper and they would tell us their "story". Tonight we had Pastor David and Sarah shared their testimonies with us and they sang and amazed us with some traditional Ugandan dance. They were so appreciative that we would come and love them. We ended our evening gathering around them in prayer.

"It's Not UnGodly To Be From Another Culture"~Jude

This AM was the second cold shower we have taken and have to say it is somewhat refreshing. This morning we traveled to Bukeeka to the True Worship Center which is Robert and Sarah Sityo's church. It was an amazing experience and they were so welcoming there. The guest speaker was preacher Derek Mombera from Kampala and he spoke to us about "The Access to Success" and that God was our answer even through all the communication and technology now.

Three children accepted Christ as their savior during the service. Below is a picture of Brenda with Topesku. Throughout the whole service she was looking at Brenda and after the service she came up to Brenda and gave her a hug and held her hand the rest of the time she was there. Robert, the preacher there, gave us a tour of the school grounds and the children followed us everywhere.

When we came back from Bukeeka we gathered on the porch and talked with Paul and Peter, our driver about how real demons are here and people are so afraid of the demons that they refuse to follow Christ.

Below is a picture of me and Jude. She was a true blessing to me and is such a courageous and fearless woman. She was called by God to Africa to help in the children's home and then was called to help with the deceased plagued by AIDS. She ended up fostering some of the children of these victims and led them out of harms way during a rebel attack through the Idi Amin era. She currently owns a restaurant in town and is trying to decide where God will lead her next. God taught her to be a fearless woman and her famous words of wisdom are, "It's not ungodly to be from another culture". She loves the people here and has shown a great amount of forgiveness for people that are plagued by their culture.

God is doing amazing things in this country and with our team and we've only been here two days. Looking forward to tomorrow!!!

Posted by Amanda (AKA Charcoal in Lugandan Lol)

First Day at Sera's Caring House

Wow! God did have some lessons for all of us today. We went to Sera's Caring House and interacted with all eighteen boys including Daniel who did get out of the hospital today, but didn't feel very well. Here are some examples of our first day adventures:

Sara and Amanda - woke up to the sound of the Muslim call to worship and if you didn't hear that - there were the roosters. (Remember we went to bed at 3:00 a.m.)
Don - went to the medical clinic to check on Daniel and reconnected with Sera. Seeing how protective she was of one of her boys really touched him.
Justin is bent out of shape because Trent doesn't believe a word he says . . . imagine that!
Byron is sitting here wishing we all would go to bed so he could go to sleep.



Jodi - enjoyed watching the reactions of the first timers and is excited about seeing how it is already touching their lives.
Brenda - is humbled after seeing what Sera has done here and hearing Abdu and Betty's testimonies. She is also suffering a little from the heat!!!!
Sheri - was also humbled after seeing the Caring House and how the boys were so happy with so little. I knew I was very spoiled.
Dawn - had her first boda boda ride as she went to the medical clinic to check on Daniel first thing this morning - she was immersed into the Ugandan culture quickly.
Trent thought the market was hectic - the smells - well they were both good and bad. And he ate a rolex and it wasn't a watch.

All in all it has been a good and interesting day. Can it be beat? Stay tuned!

The house Sera and boys moved into 3 months ago.

The boys sang and danced for us and then quoted scripture verses.

The boys were fascinated with the newspaper we brought.