Upwards Basket Ball, Cheerleading and a Break

One of the fun things that Rebecca, Jimmy and William got to do on furlough was to participate in Upwards Basketball and Cheerleading.  Upwards is a lovely not-very-intense program that encourages the kids spiritually and helps them to better their skills in basketball and cheerleading.  We ended up traveling more than we planned so they missed some of the practices and games, but they enjoyed it so so much!  And they picked up some new skills while they were at it.

We had to laugh a few times at some Ugandan holdovers that crept their way into even this.  The first was when the kids were asked to find a nickname for themselves for all the games.  Rebecca just decided to use what all her friends...in Uganda...call her: Rebecca Kadaga.  The real Rebecca Kadaga is the speaker of Parliment in Uganda...she's well respected and well liked by the majority of our friends in Mbale and our Rebecca ended up being named that by all her friends.  But of course, 99.999% of Americans wouldn't know this.  And so I asked Rebecca..."did you tell them where your name comes from?" She said, "Yes, I told them that's what my friends call me!" (Leaving out the small detail about how her friends are in Uganda because that's where we live...)  So every game, we not only got a chuckle out of how our last name was slaughtered in its pronunciation during the announcements, but also how her unknown nickname was also slaughtered.  Poor MC...we didn't make it easy on him!  haha!

We also had a small incident with a snake in the gym when we arrived for practice one night.  I totally thought, in my Ugandan mindset, that by the looks on everyone's faces we were going walk in to find a 4 or 5 foot good ol' southern rattler...because that's how we look when we see our cobras.  It turned out to be a garden snake (I think) about 10 inches long and the thickness of my pinkie.  We took care of it for them.  ;-)  

Rebecca and her coaches.  Super sweet ladies... so thankful for how well they loved on all the kiddos.

Every game begins in prayer.

William and Jimmy playing. (Jimmy was No 34 and William was No 3)

Every practice and game the boys got stars ironed on their shirts

Then, 24 hours after basketball season finished, William jumped off this pile of mulch and fractured his arm.

He gets his cast off right before we leave and will be in a splint for a while.  And the $20 I spent to get a waterproof cast?  Worth every penny.... especially when he started digging in the sand, when he fell off the canoe into the water and when he went running in the rain.  So much energy, this one...

Outerbanks Day

This past week we enjoyed a visit from some good friends.  We spent one day at the Outerbanks.  This is a total photo dump from a really fun day in no particular order.  We were thankful for some last days of fellowship with friends and (at the beginning of the week) with my parents.  Now we are turning our attention to full time packing.  We are down to one week before take off now...so there's a lot to do! 

A Poem by Katelyn

Katelyn wrote this poem today for school.  It is a reflection on the testimony of Augustine.  I found it to be beautiful and she graciously gave me permission to put it on here.

Let me be Salt, Let me be Light, 

Let me be Someone that Satan Would Dread

Oh Lord!  How often I have gone astray

Searching for a remedy, 

I loved worldly pleasures, lust, and play,

And sat down with the enemy.

Then, searching for the direction,

To lead my self-filled soul,

I led myself into imperfection,

And cowered in death's dark hole.

I directed myself down many-a route,

Tried many beliefs, tried every sin

But they did not please, it left me in doubt,

Knowing that I by myself could not win.

But I could not find truth

I could not find light

It seemed sin were a sleuth

And day turned to night.

'Twas simple guilt, 'twas sinful charms,

'Twas my wicked heart trying to harden,

But I put it aside and ran into thine arms,

Begged your forgiveness, and pleaded for pardon.

Now the life of a Christian has already begun,

The race to the finish and the hard sprint ahead,

The Fruit to grow, and the sin to shun,

So, let me be salt, let me be light, let me be someone Satan would dread.