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Before the team headed to safari we had a final day to see the kids in Butangala and do some shopping afterwards.  When we arrived in Butangala, Pastor Jason headed straight to lead a catechism class for the church. The church in Butangala started weekly catechism classes on Saturdays for the community and Immanuel Wentzville is providing the church in Butangala with worship and instructional materials. Since this visit coincided with the catechism class, Pastor Jason took the opportunity to join in the weekly teach responsibilities!!! It was awesome seeing Jason and Bishop Charles work together to lead this class and the students were very appreciative!!! While Pastor Jason & Bishop Charles conducted the class, we met with the women of the village to have fun with a small project. It is always wonderful to see the joy in the eyes of these women, as they are often not given too much special attention in their lives. They all gathered excitedly and were ready for decorating some tote bags - something so simple, yet this activity brought them so much joy. They took pride in every stroke of paint they applied and the bags turned out beautiful!  An extra special experience for Liz was when she was able to meet her newly sponsored child. After experiencing the villages earlier in the week, Liz decided that she wanted to sponsor a child and selected. Her little Praise had the biggest smile, despite having lost her mother several years ago. While she wasn’t too comfortable with Mzungus (or "white people"), she was adorable and happy to meet Liz. Liz has daughters similar in age to Praise, so it will be so great to watch them all grow together over the coming years! The team then went to an away field to play some organized sports. The kids with their new netball and soccer jerseys looked like they were ready to take some Mzungus down! We split into a netball game and soccer game and the whole team had a lot of fun engaging in these kid’s favorite pastimes. Not sure who won either game, but the sweaty, tired look on all the Mzungu’s faces was a sign of how hard they had to play to match the skills of the students. After exhausting a lot of energy and saying our last goodbyes to Butangala the team headed in to Jinja to eat lunch and do some shopping. This is always a great way for the team to decompress from an exciting and exhausting week. The team loaded the bus back up with lots of fun goodies & souvenirs to take home and we were able to get back to Sunset earlier than usual. This gave the Pastors Jason & Paul extra time to set up a wonderful church service that evening, since we would be traveling to safari that Sunday. It is always such a blessing to have pastors join the mission team and Bishop Charles was also happy to assist. It was wonderful to pause on a Saturday night from a hectic, but joyful, week and prayerfully reflect on all that we have experienced during this amazing week. Each morning, before we jump on the bus for our planned itinerary, we take a moment for a brief devotion and then share our experiences from the previous day and prepare for what's to come the next. Each of us had experiences throughout this week that are at one moment joyful, and in the next sad. Uganda has a way of breaking your heart in one moment and then showing you God's love and joy in the next. Capping off a wonderful week in the villages with a church service led by Paul, Jason, and Charles was a perfect ending. ON TO SAFARI... The next morning we were up bright and early as the safari vehicles awaited us. The team was made up of many people who had never gone on safari so excitement level was high. We drove several hours to get to Murchison Falls National Park, which is located in the northwest of Uganda. Upon arrival, the lodge was waiting for us and spoild us with cold towels and cool, refreshing watermelon juice!!! It was wonderful after several hours of traveling!  It was soon time to head for our evening game drive and we were off to see many giraffes, elephants, lions etc. Driving through the safari park is a beautiful way to experience the majesty of God’s creation. Twaha, our safari guide, did a fantastic job of making sure all the 5 vehicles were able to see the animals up close. The 5 lions hanging out in a tree was the favorite that night!  We repeated the game drive early the next morning to see the sunrise and, although many team members couldn’t keep their eyes open, we were still in awe of the amazing animals and the beauty of God's creation!  Many people were excited about the boat ride we took later in the afternoon. Hippos and crocodiles were plentiful and we had a lot of time up close!!! The hippos would pop up out of the water so close to the boat - it was alarming, yet such a cool experience for the team. Tomorrow we drive to the top of the falls to see how beautiful and strong they are from above, then we drive straight to Entebbe. The team is overall ready to come home, yet sad they have to leave this wonderful place. The people and kids here really make this place feel like home to anyone who visits. I think we all leave a little bit of our hearts in Uganda - I know I certainly do! Prayers for a safe journey home are requested. This trip was epic and amazing and we owe it all to your prayers from home answered by our most gracious God.  Our last full day in the villages, how bitter sweet. The activities of the day definitely made up for the sadness we felt in the trip winding down. Nalwire is a village slightly further out east on the Kenyan border. The landscape is slightly different, as is the language. It is more underdeveloped than the other villages we have visited, so it was great for the team to witness what a village looks like before a partner makes the investments.  Nalwire is in the beginning stages of its partnership with Redeemer Lutheran Church in a Redwood City, CA. We were lucky enough to have a team of 10 from that church on our team, including the pastor Paul and his wife Beth and they were able to meet and connect with Pastor Nicholas, who cares for this growing flock in eastern Uganda. The village had recently finished building a latrine funded by Redeemer and we had planned to dedicate it with Pastor Paul. One might think this sounds like a silly thing to do, but it is such a blessing for this village to have a sanitary restroom. It is something that not only prevents illness, but it keeps the dignity of the people intact. How blessed are we in the USA to not even have to think twice about where we will use the bathroom. For the people of Nalwire, this latrine was a huge blessing. We were blessed in return with the joy they shared with us in their dancing and welcoming. A local dance crew was hired and invited us to learn the dance of that region. This was a great way for the team to blend with the villagers and share in their culture.  After the welcoming speeches and entertainment we started on numerous projects with the kids. Each time we visit Nalwire, it seems the children multiply so we had to be ready for a lot of different crafts to keep large crowds of very energetic kids very busy. Luckily, the group from Redeemer did a wonderful job planning out many “stations” for kids to visit and spread out. We had a Polaroid station, face painting, arts & crafts, parachutes/bubbles, and projects for the women and the men - all at the same time! This is the benefit of such a large group, we can divide into multiple teams and interact with various groups across the community!!! After many faces were painted, pictures taken, and crafts in hand, we were invited back to the tents to begin the latrine dedication. Lunch was catered by the women in Nakabango, which is a small business initially funded by their partner Messiah. It was delicious as always and these women truly know how to cater for a large crowd, even when it's far away from home! It was amazing to see the Nalwire people with the team from Redeemer mingling and enjoying lunch with one another. The speeches that followed were inspiring as Pastor Paul explained to the village that their partnership is a mutually giving relationship and a true partnership. It is not merely donors from the US and recipients in Uganda, but a group of people from across the world - praying for each other and using God’s gifts to bless one another. Such an inspiring message that aligns so well with Hearts & Hope's mission!!!  The team then proceeded to the latrine for a one of a kind ribbon cutting ceremony led by Bishop Charles Bameka. We were once again witnesses to the spiritual richness of the people of this village and the gratitude they had for the new latrine.
Time went by too quickly and it was soon time to load the bus and say our goodbyes. The team from Redeemer left with a lot of love for this village and were fired up to keep going in making this school, congregation, and community more developed and successful. The villagers left with news that a student sponsorship program will soon be implemented and the hope for a quality education of their children will soon become reality. We are so thankful for the opportunity to have shared this experience with the people of Nalwire!!! As Beth put it, “we are together sharing in the kingdom of heaven here on Earth” and it was a wonderful time. We are beyond excited to see how this village progresses - together with Redeemer, Hearts & Hope, and God - anything is possible! The team heads out for safari tomorrow for some relaxation to decompress and process all they have seen this week. There are many first time safari goers on this trip and I can’t wait to see their reaction to all the lions, elephants, giraffes and more! Prayers for a safe drive to the park are appreciated. Thank you for those at home who supported the team with thoughts and prayers - we appreciate every one! |
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