Coming to Life!

Here is our Tree of Life coming to life! What a wonderful experience to share with the small group that worked alongside me, and what a gift to give to the school! It blessed me when I saw the excited reactions of the teachers and children as they watched the tree grow.. And especially when they found their individual names. Our way of showing just how important EACH one of them is.. they are more than a face in the crowd, but a name.. a person.. a child of God.

Yay!!!!!!




Primed beginnings..


The first group on day 1 of painting (L-R: Gary, me, Charley & Camber)


Hannah namein' up the apples


Rachel paintin' the town and apples red!


Me leafing the bare branches..


Stephanie paintin' the Bible verse...


John 15:5


The gang at work at an uphill slant


Loving One by One logo


Gary being "The Stabilizer." He held the chair stable for us to stand on, and kept us girls safe and in line!


The signature



My amazing painting gang -all smiles!
(L-R: Hannah, Gary, me, Rachel & Stephanie)


The finished product.

Farewell to thee..

...Oh Uganda.

What an adventure this whole experience has been! We have helped over 2,000 people medically, de-wormed over 5,000 children, and have played with and prayed over numerous lives.

Our last day (today) we tied up lose ends and said our final goodbyes to those here in Uganda.. Children at the orphanage, children from the school, individuals who have helped with our many medical clinics, and those who have been here and there these last few weeks. Farewells to one another (in our close-knit group) will happen tomorrow before we part ways in London, but until then, we will “family it up” and spend the final hours together until we regroup next time!

The mural is complete (better pictures to come...)

(Woohoo! Looks rad, and a lot of work was poured into it. Sherry has great plans for my return to paint the town red!..Well, not really, but she has her list of ideas for me to create! Something to look forward to :)

Tomorrow we will be up at 5am for our early departure!.. London is on the horizon, and just a few hours away.

I will update ya'll over the next few days and share pictures of the wonderful people mom and I have been practically living with the last few weeks.

Until then, all I ask is for prayer for a safe trip home.. I can't wait!

Wednesday...

AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAWESOME!

So Sherry (“Mama Sherry”- our group leader) has wanted a 'Tree of Life' mural at her school (New Creation Center) for some tome now... Well, since Gary found out I can draw a little, he put two and two together, offered to fund the whole deal, and before I knew it, I became the artist of the day!

I sketched up a little something, picked up the needed supplies with Gary and our trusted bus driver Henry, and got my little crew together and painted! While everyone else played with the children and passed out new clothing at the school, I left my mural mark on their gate. A big, fat 'ol tree full of life!.. well, a tree of apples actually. (I got about half way done in the little time we were there, but am going back in the a.m. with a few others to finish up.) What a way to bless the school!

Here' s the sneak peek!

*Once finished, all of the apples will have the students and teachers names on them.. 80+*

After school time, the “fam” bussed over to our last medical clinic in a Sudanese village.. wow. Aids patients, malaria patients, teens with congestive heart failure, children with broken limbs, ringworm and colds galore, and the list goes on!!! Needless to say, prayer (and medicine) was prevalent today.

Ok, you know when you're driving, and you get that urge to do a little off-roading (ha! I doubt it, but just play along :).. but then you realize that you just shouldn't?! The dirt roads are uneven, lumpy and full of who-knows-what, people are swarming the streets, animals are darting past just in time NOT to get hit, the vehicle you're driving is NOT built for rough terrain, and.. well.. you get the point. Well, we took our big bus and MADE it drive in such conditions. Old bus + 25 people + such conditions.. we should have broken down AT LEAST 32 1/2 times! No doubt God has had His bubble around us every time we drive somewhere. Roads here are NOTHING like we know back home.

Anywho, we set up camp at a church, worked with just under 200 people, played with sooooooooooo many children, managed to get dirtier that the red clay dirt itself, and made a difference. It was such a day to remember.. And truly, I am sad that we are leaving :/

BUT I AM COMING BACK.

Definitely on my heart to do just that.

A balloon.. Yes, A BALLOON brought more joy and laughter to these children than you can imagine! You'd almost think the circus was in town!

Can't get enough of the laughter!

Me doin' the vitals post-play time :)

Mama passin' the drugs. yeeeeah... :)

Field Trip!!!

..And the Lord restoreth my soul..” AND health!! Let me just say that it feels good to be back to being, feeling and acting 100% again :)

Tuesday was like a field trip day!

After gettin' up and doing the “getting ready, eating breakfast, singing and devotion thang,” our little group (which I feel is more like a family) loaded up and got rollin' with our day. We began by doing a little shopping at the markets in town (something I missed out on the first time).

*Note: If you don't know how to haggle, this ain't the place for you!*

Heather, I could see you swingin' deals all over the place over here! You would probably buy a cow for the price of a goat! :)

The gang and I spent a good hour + in town, then fought the crowds back to our bus and headed out to the Kasubi Tombs to learn a little history: Aaaaaall about the kings of Uganda. Fun.

Mon n' I in front of one of the royal huts

If you didn't think learning about dead people was enough, why not find some more and learn about them! Haha! Ok, on a more sincere level.. Beyond learning the history of all of the kings who ruled over Uganda over the last few centuries (and who also averaged 80 wives!!!!) we got to visit the burial site of all the missionaries who have come here to serve, and never made it home. Some died of illnesses while others were put to death in Jesus' name.. It actually sent chills down my spine hearing the stories of strength and sacrifice.

In the late afternoon the group set up a small clinic to de-worm the children of the Acholi tribe at another school “One by One” sponsors (UJV- Uganda Jesus Village). They did a little performance for us, and in turn, we did a little song and dance for them! (really it was all Sonya.. she IS our group mascot for ALL dance routines. Hilarious!!!) When we wrapped things up there, we bussed home, ate dinner, reviewed the day's events, and called it a day.

And it was a GOOD day.

What's on the menu?

Pretty much the same thing we had yesterday: Rice, potatoes, and a side of heartbreak.

What I wouldn't give for home made tacos!.. a hot fudge sundae, tomato soup n' grilled cheese sandwiches, Pete's famous non-salad, a BLT, lasagna with French bread, grandma's home made pie, grilled veggies, a hot dog! .. and the list just keeps on goin'. I promise I'm not achin' for some good home cookin! :)

It's funny how fast one can get that longing for the comforts of home.. all things big and small.

What if you didn't have such a longing though? A desire for something that is better (in your eyes) than what is right in front of you?

Sadly, once again, the missions group and I have gotten to experience the broken hearts of many of the people here.. Parents asking, no begging us to take their children, and children clinging to our legs, pleading for us to not make them go home.

“Home,” where the comforts of life should be.

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Saturday was another day of physical healing, yes, but I felt a needed healing in my heart as well. It continues to break when I see how little so many people here have, but I'm finding that when you really take the time to observe, more often than not, they are happy.. the children are happy. Happy with what they have, where they are, and who they are with.

Double Anna-banana!

Me and Simon-Peter

I spent most of my Saturday relaxing on the back porch, but was pleasantly interrupted when a few of the neighbor kids spotted a "mazoongoo" (me) and came over to play. Simon-Peter and Anna are two absolutely adorable children from one of our "One by One" sponsored schools. It was a great distraction for me, and again, a moment to observe and realize that there is so much joy despite other things.

Sunday was another “God day.” We all went to church (which seriously, it's pretty rad here!) then out to lunch at the same place (with the same amazing milkshakes) as last Sunday, then off to our “One by One” orphanage!

THE milkshake. Gotta taste it to believe it!

-De ja vu .. I felt like I was picking up from where I left off when I got sick last week- This time tho, it was all fun and no sick! I played with the children, mom made them cry.. you know, the usual :) Actually, we both got in and became "one of the kids" by playing games, gettin' our 'nails did,' cheering as the boys played futbol.. It was a mad popcorn mess by the end of the evening, but energy well spent.

Mom and Jan (the 2 mamas of the group)

Me and Carol (she's a wild one!.. my kinda girl :)

Mom and baby Michelle

Monday was the pits.. well, more like the slums.

We held another medical clinic in the armpit of the slums, and witnessed some of the worst yet. Just prior to tho, our group took a ride up to the top of “Prayer Mountain” where people from all over travel, just to have “that moment” alone with God. It was actually quite beautiful.. the view that is. From the top you could see Lake Victoria, rolling hills, and green.. The lush Africa that you see in books and magazines. After spending a little bit of quiet time alone with God (and multiple attempts to feed bananas to the monkeys we could never find), we loaded up and bussed back down the hill to the “bad side of the tracks” for our clinic. (Literally, the slums are along the tracks. This is because it is the lowest part of the country, so when flooding occurs, it'll wipe out the dirt poor first.)

The people here were so excited to see our rumbling little bus roll up! "Mazoongoos! Mazoongoos!" The children would practically sing and dance at the site of our white skin. (we are the walking ATMs with medicine) We set up the clinic with the sign-in area, vitals (which is what I did), the doctors room and the “drug room.” Rondy knows the drill for that all too well, so she passed meds all day. Half the children who came through had fevers and maleria, and the adults had anything from achy bodies to colds, worms, rashes, and maleria. (I pray to God, that with all of the contact we have with all of these people, that He guards our bodies) It truly was heartbreaking though, especially when the children would cling to you as if you were their savior.

By the end of the day we had helped roughly 150 people. One of our smaller clinics, but for a Monday afternoon in the area we were, more came than expected.

These 4 Walls...

...have been my home for 5 days, and now on the sixth, I am FINALLY able to get up and step beyond the door to those four walls.

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I would first like to once again THANK YOU for all of the prayers, positive thoughts and encouraging words that have come this way. It has been uplifting to be on the receiving end of your emails, comments and texts.. I know my mom and I are both very appreciative and blessed!
"Thank you."
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Thursday I began my climb upwards, but quickly hit a plateau and slowly staggered backwards. What a tease! However, my body has finally decided to cooperate and get with the program, so complete healing is my light at the end of the tunnel!

Yesterday (Friday)
The group went by the orphanage to pick up the children, and bussed over to the Nile river. (Yeah, totally bummed I missed out on that day..) It was a very tight fit and a long ride from the sound of things, but worth it. The group walked away with stories and memories, and the children topped it off by being there to join in.
Four of the group members even made the decision to get baptized in the Nile.. what an experience! Because I was not there for any of it tho, I have no pictures to show :/ BUT, as soon as I can get my hands on some good'ns, Ill post em up for y'all to take a gander at!

Today (Saturday)
I stayed behind with the other two girls who have been fighting fevers. I am finally feeling like myself (the last 2 days were teasers.. thought I was on the up and up, but not so much) Regardless, I am happy to be better today so that I can help take care of these two who have stayed behind. They are doing much better, but still dragging their feet a little. (Prayers for their healing would be much appreciated!) The rest of the group headed off to the slums for another medical clinic.. I believe this one is the biggest clinic of them all (???) I will know more upon the return of our group. I can always count on my mamacita to fill me in on the days events :)

So until I know more, the one thing I would ask of you all out there is prayer, prayer, prayer!
Not just for the team members who are sick (and of course those who are healthy), but for the people here in Uganda. It's just not the same unless you physically come here and experience it..

Thank you again for everything!
We have 5 more full days of adventure here, and by God's good grace I WILL be healthy enough to experience and share! So once again my faithful readers, there will be more to come... :)

Sick Days =(

Monday - today.. Thursday afternoon:

Well let's see, two quotes come to mind when I reflect on these past couple of days:
I've had a serious "case of the Mondays," and "what a perfect day for a slice of humble pie."

As Sunday evening began winding down, ill symptoms began winding up. Achy muscles, clammy hands, throbbing headache, sore throat, weakness, prickly feeling all over.. A fever blister decided to make itself at home on my lip on the plane ride over, so I should have taken that as a warning that something worse was in store for me. Luckily I survived the bus ride home, but it was all downhill after that.. thus my "case of the Mondays."

Slimy little mutant alien germies for "StreptoGooeyVille" arrived on Sunday afternoon, made a ruccous Sunday night, aaaaall day Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, and yes, they are still here today. The last few days they have built at least five huge bonfires in my body. It seemed that each time I fought off one fever, another made itself at home hours later. I Think these little boogers are stubborn like me too! Every time I swallow, they resist my attempts at their departure by stabbing their little pitchforks in my throat, hanging on for dear life. Ouch.. :/ I hurts! So my slice of humble pie is focusing on NOT complaining about getting sick, and being patient that this too shall pass..

What took place while I was making a long lasting "impression" on my bed:

Monday
The missions group gathered for breakfast, fellowship and a daily devotion, then organized all the meds for another medical clinic. That day they spent the afternoon at the slums here in Kampala. Slums house the poorest of the poor, so I can only imagine.. From word of mouth though, I heard that all went exceedingly well, and roughly 350 people were helped. (Mom stayed behind and played nurse for me.. thank goodness for her! It's bad enough being sick, but being this sick without mom to take care of you... yeah..)

Tuesday
After the same morning routine, the group (mom included this time) went to visit our "One By One" sponsored school for the disabled in Kampala, and gave out de-worming tablets to the 120 children that attend. Apparently they put on a nice little show for us "ma-zoon-goos"- foreign visitors- and then there was play time that followed. Mid-afternoon the group then left and did a little shopping at one of the local markets, then bussed over to the area of the Acholi tribe (who also live in the slums) and gave out over 1,000 de-worming tablets, plus a little treat to those who came.

Wednesday
I was feeling on the "ok enough to sit up" side, so I joined the group for breakfast, fellowship, worship and devotion. My plan was to stay behind and rest up, but I was talked in to going with the group to "One by One's" sponsored school (the one we visited briefly the first day). Tho the decision to go was bad for my current health condition, it was an experience of a lifetime! The children preformed for us by dancing and singing. They even did some native dances which were so neat! (I got some great video footage- to be posted in Youtube at a later date) I was fading fast though, and ready more and more to go home. Without me knowing, they decided that at the end of their performance, they would surround me in prayer.
WOW is about all I can say.




They called me forward and had me sit as they all laid hands on me. Imagine, over 80 children, plus the teachers and our whole missions group surrounding little ol me.. I couldn't help but cry. And I know God heard them!

I've been prayed over by so many people the last few days.. So much love, it's amazing!

The bus dropped me off after we left the school, and the bed became my home once again for the remainder of the day and night. Another fever, but this time not even fluids would stay down :/ I struggled all night to sleep but nothing. All I could do was pray..
What was difficult tho is that tears kept coming, and when tears come, so does dehydration and a hotter head! (I don't think I've ever had to give myself a pep talk to keep from crying before... hindsight, it's kind of funny!)
Anyway, by about 4am I finally managed to sleep.. if I weren't better by 6 tho, mom would have taken me to a clinic. Honestly, that's where I thought I'd be right now, but God listened to the many prayers out there (THANK YOU ALL!!!) and did His work in those 2 hours.

While I was sick Wednesday afternoon, the rest of the group visited a hospital here in town. There they have multiple units, one in particular that hurts the heart to visit.. The burn unit.
I have had a lot of experience with the burn unit at Fresno Community hospital in CA, but from what I'm told, it is nothing like that here. And the stories behind the burns.. goodness! People here will throw battery acid on someone else simply because they "don't like them" or are jealous of them! And if you have such a disfigurement, people shun you.. You become an outcast. Again, I can't imagine..
Anyway, the group was able to visit with people of all ages who were recovering from surgeries and illnesses, and love on the mamas who had their newborns.
(Jan, one of our fantastic team members even had a newborn named after her! She's a grandma! :)
When the team left the hospital, they bussed over to a convent where a lot of older folks are housed, and spent some time visiting with them.

Today
Mom and I stayed behind (with 2 other girls from our team- Hannah and Amy- both are running fevers) and the rest of the "One by One" group set off for another medical clinic.

More to come...

God is...

Definitely prevalent in this area.
And as we learned in church on Sunday, God is a God of TODAY, not yesterday.

Sunrise on Sunday morning...

Sunday was an amazing day. Our group ate breakfast together, enjoyed fellowship, worship, and a morning devotion, then headed off to church. While some of us walked, a handful of us took a "boda boda" ride. (Yes, guilty as charged. If it looks, sounds, and acts like a motorcycle, count me in!) Bodas are like motorcycles with more of the ride and speed of a scooter.. Still potentially risky in a place like this tho, where the smaller you are, the lower you are on the totem pole.
In other words, pedestrians do not have the right-a-way and you WILL get run over. But hey, you gotta take a risk every now and then!

Church (Victory City Church of Ntinda) was so full of life, and God is no doubt very present and very alive in these people. Worship didn't stop with singing, oh no, no, no.. You get your hands in the air while every word that escapes your mouth is nearly shouted. And don't you dare hesitate to let your body sway to the beat! If you feel compelled to dance, dance like no one is watching!
Beyond church, the group bussed on over to a great eatery in town, The African Coffee House. There we ate lunch, sipped down THE BEST milkshakes ever, talked, laughed, and enjoyed each others company, then loaded up once again and headed over to play with our precious children at the orphanage.


Lunch time!! Pita time!.. The milkshake really was THAT good, I didn't even take a picture.

Ok, for those who know me, you are aware that I have always related better with adults than children.. which is probably why the thought of ever having children of my own scares the beans outta me! But goodness, put me in a place with 17 little ones running wild (in a very well-behaved way, if that makes sense :) I went from solo wall flower to jungle gym! And yes, so did mom. I think she even showed up a few of the girls in jump rope! Too bad there was no hulahoop tho.. good ol' Ronda would have owned that competition! All in all, our afternoon/evening spent with the children was a memorable time. I think they blessed me more than I blessed them...


Jump! Jump! Jump! Jump! Look at Rondy go!


This little one belongs to Grace, one of the mamas at the orphanage.


Nail painting party with the kids! This is Carol painting the manly hands of Gary..
hahah! Not so manly anymore :)


Gary is my hero!.. And one of my "mama hens" during this trip.

***ALL of the team members here rock! As soon as I get more pictures of and with them, I WILL be posting them! You'll want the faces for all the personalities I will be talking about :)

5 Simple Words:

I WILL NEVER COMPLAIN AGAIN.

...Well, at least about all the silly small things that we take for granted more often than not!

Tap water.. gross!
But do YOU have to travel at your own risk just to fill a jug of water, that if you're lucky, isn't brown and full of who knows what?
Road construction.. frustrating and inconvenient.
Hey! At least we have it. Otherwise it'd be bumpy dirt roads all the way!
Getting sick.. never a fan.
WE have medicine at our fingertips, and therefor have a great chance to heal and get better!
A small bedroom..
an imperfect car..
scuffed shoes..
a lumpy bed..
having to spend a few cents more for food or even gasoline!..
Honestly, the superficial list could go on and on.

To say the least, this trip has been a real eye-opener, and I encourage EVERYONE to take a little trip ( it doesn't have to be far).. do a little digging.. spend a
little time humbling yourself by helping those who truly need it.

It truly is better (and feels better) to give than to receive.

Stepping off my soap box now.. :)

Saturday we spent most of the day running a medical clinic for a small village (Jjokelara) about an hour from our "hub." (Our bed and breakfast -"Maria's House"- is an amazing diamond in the rough! Maria owns it, and her daughter Anne and three other young men -Steven, Steven and Julius- help run it. All amazing Christian Ugandans!)
Anywho, we took vitals, filled and passed out meds, played with and loved on all who came (Roughly 200?) Needless to say, it made for a long and busy (and HOT) day, but well worth it. These people have very little, and just by providing a clinic twice a year, we are helping them improve their quality of life in leaps and bounds.

Fact: An African's lifespan is about half of that of a US citizen! No need for a retirement home, huh?

We concluded our evening with a home-cooked meal and a run-through of the day's events and how we were blessed.


Good morning Uganda!


The small village church where we ran the clinic


Jjokeraran villagers


Just a FEW of the medications we handed out

We're Here!

Well, we arrived safe and sound in Africa! But what a loooong trip..

After 20+ hours of flying, wild bus rides around town, yummy pizza, visits to our One by One orphanage and school, a TON of observing, and a home-cooked dinner, we are finally settling in. Exhausted? YES. But cant resist the community time with all of the AWESOME mission team members! Seriously, this group is a kick!
If you know me, you know I like to write.. I mean WRITE. Not sure how well that'll fly over with this trip due to time and internet. My goal will be sharing pictures if anything..



One of many cute faces in Uganda..


The Children from our One by One school performing for us

A glimpse of Africa


ps. Apparently there IS cell coverage!.. It's only costs an arm, a leg and a llama! However any incoming texts are free. We would love any encouragement from home! *Hint hint* :)