First Ride on a Boda...

 Remember our pre-field boda training?

Last week, Eric took Timothy and Matthew for their first ever boda ride.  They went down to the market to walk around and then back again.  Timothy and Matthew thought is was great!  Mr. Paul went with them so Timothy didn't have to ride alone.  :)

This is the road we live on.

Brian, one of the little ones living on the compound (and Jimmy's new best bud), was peeking out of our gate to watch the goings on.  

Where did our muddy feet take us today?

To Sipi Falls!

The drive up to Sipi was perfectly beautiful!



The trail to the main falls was too muddy today, because it rained a lot yesterday.  So we hired a guide to take us up to the top two falls. 

On our way up, some boys (about age 13) started to hawk over us, trying to earn a few shillings.  Trying to act as our guides, they started showing me all sorts of things along the path and then grabbing my hand to help me up the steep parts.  I was trying to make it perfectly clear that we weren't going to hire them and after a while I glanced behind and realized they were gone.  Whew! 

Just a minute later, they came running up with this chameleon on a stick!  Okay, they finally got my attention and I couldn't let this one go by without showing the kids.  After looking at it and snapping a picture, we commended them for their ingenuity and persistence by sharing some cookies with them and then said a sweet (and firm) goodbye. :)

This area is where Kiprotich, the Ugandan that won the Olympic gold medal for the men's marathon, is from. 

At the top of the middle waterfall...

Don't worry...this picture looks more scary than it is.  It was actually a gently sloping hill. :)

Hiking in Uganda isn't for the faint at heart though... this bridge was mildly terrifying. 

Inside a cave behind the middle falls.

 This is a picture from the top of the main falls.  So pretty!

Our guide was a great guy!  He was so good and patient with the kids and was never annoyed with them.  For a lot of the hike he even offered to carry Talitha.  My first thought was...should I hand her to a perfect stranger?  My second thought was...this guy can climb and hike this area better than us...we were slipping and sliding in all the mud and when we finished he hardly had a speck on him!  She is probably safer in his arms than any of ours!  By the end of the hike, she curled up and fell right asleep with him.  He loved it!  We told him he will make a great daddy some day...He replied, "I hope so! I want many children!"  So sweet! :)  If anyone is ever looking for a great guide through this area, let us know and we'll pass on his info! :)

On our way back, storm clouds were starting to roll in turning the sky into a canvas displaying God's glory.

If you want to see more pictures, scroll on down to the next post.

More Pictures...

Here are some more pictures, if you're interested. :)

Benaiah being carried by our friend, Mr. Paul.
 He is a member of the other family that lives on the compound with us.

Shadow pictures:

My little cutie, Talitha.

Katelyn thought this little flower looked like a butterfly. :)

Bullet post update...

In random order...

:: We spent today in the village.  The presbytery has arranged a schedule for Eric to visit all of the churches in the presbytery.  Thanks to Tessa, our wonderful missionary associate, I've been able to join Eric on a couple of these visits.  It is a blessing to meet our brothers and sisters in Christ in these villages.  We have listened to their stories and heard them praise the Lord.  It has been encouraging.  It is also giving Eric a good view of the lay of the land, so to speak.  And we discovered today that it's also a good time for learning more about the culture...like the idea that no body greets each other until you are seated.  No wonder they looked at us strangely when we walked up and said hi!  And even after we greeted them "American style" they still came back and greeted us "Ugandan style" after we had our seats. 

::Our power is off again.  After 24 hours with no power coming into the house, we finally got our generator back up and running.  The word on the streets is that it is another transformer.  The last one took 2 weeks to fix (we arrived at the beginning of the second week).  We'll see how long it takes this time!  Our family's new slogan? No power, no water, no problem! :) We'll survive! :)

::Talitha is starting to go mobile.  We have tile floors and she doesn't like being on her hands and knees, so she's doing this cute little butt-scooch across the floor.  The kids love helping her learn to walk and she loves the entertainment.  When she goes with us into the village, I think she's the whitest, fatest baby the people there have ever seen.  And no one quite knows what to think of her pacifier.  "Is it glued to her face?" Well, after a fashion... :)

::We've made a noble attempt to start school this week, but between visits to the villages and dusty child brains (and a dusty mommy brain, for that matter) and a few minor fever bugs we didn't get that much done, but that's okay...slow starts are good. :)

::My kids have taken being dirty to a whole new level here.  Outside is a lovely place to be and the rains are still here.  Today, I found Benaiah outside, in the rain, with a bucket over his head...and wearing nothing but his diaper.  Not quite sure what the security guard was thinking as he was watching the whole scenario play out.  The bath water is murky and brown after every bath.

::Thanks for praying for us!  We are so blessed to be here and be sustained by your many prayers and letters of encouragement! 

Visiting Cure

1.8f/35mm fixed lens...$200

photo processing...$2.60

watching the faces of these mothers see a picture of themselves and their babies for the first time... priceless

Today, the girls, Tessa, and I went to CURE hospital to visit with the mommas and babies there.  We encouraged and prayed with all of the ladies we visited with.  I also took my camera and took pictures of them, got them developed and brought the photographs back.  I really should have taken my camera the second time!  They squealed with joy.(I don't think they had a clue as to what I was doing when I took the picture to begin with :)  Most of them had never seen a picture of themselves, let alone have pictures of their babies!  What a joy to bless them like this! 

This lady is from Gulu, Northern Uganda.  The adjectives that came to mind as I sat with her and held her baby and took her pictures are strong and wounded.  A difficult combination to use in the same sentence...the same person.  Her baby has hydrocephalus.  Many blame the spirits, many think she is crazy for not killing her baby.  This morning, she learned of the Holy Spirit...the God of life...the God who wants glory from her and through her child...the God who is strong and was wounded for her transgression...the God who praises her for giving her child life.

I know she looks hard in this picture, but imagine her laughing and gasping with joy...that's when I should have had my camera...that's what I witnessed when I went back with these pictures. ;)

Here is her baby...

This woman knew English pretty well.  This is her fourth child.

Imagine having a child with Spina Bifida...in a culture who views you and your child as cursed and worthy of death.  Imagine making a long journey to a place where you hope to get help.  Imagine once you get there, no one on the staff knows your language...no one can explain to you what is happening day to day, no one can give you the comfort you crave...you need.

That is the case with this young mother.  Pray for her.  Pray that God will raise someone who will be able to come communicate with her.  Pray that she will learn of Jesus and learn to hope in Him.  She is so sad right now...one doesn't need words to communicate that.

Her baby was precious and happy, though!  Completely oblivious to the chaos in his/her little life. :)

Another precious mother

 and her baby...

 This little one has a difficult brain tumor.  I happen to catch this picture when she wasn't crying, but most of the time we were there, she was in a lot of pain.  It was so hard to watch. 

At one point, I questioned if I should be letting my girls see such raw pain...such heart ache...

Yes...

They must know how broken the world is...

They must see that this world needs a Saviour...

That there has to be more to life than this...

That there is hope to be found in Christ...

I want their hearts broken...

And healed by Christ's work...

I want their hands to feel what it is like to love...

To be the hands of Christ...

Even when there are no words...

I do not regret bringing them to Uganda...or to hold the hands of these little ones...to God be the glory!

Presbytery Meeting

Yesterday, the local Orthodox Presbyterian Church of Uganda had a meeting of the presbytery to formally welcome Eric and our family and to, among other things, arrange a schedule for Eric to visit all of the local churches. 

After the meeting the kids and I joined them for lunch.  It was great to meet everyone.

Pictured below are all the men that were present.

By each man (except Eric :) is their name, office and church that they belong to.  You will probably have to click on the picture to enlarge it, if you want to read the names.

Today, Eric preached in the Mbale church for the first time.  The Lord blessed the sermon and also blessed us with many visitors today, including a large group of children whose mother just passed away from malaria.   

Thank you for continuing to pray for us.  I think almost all the kids have hit a low at some point since being here, including one of them today.  For all of them, after a good cry and a good snuggle, they have bounced right back and we praise the Lord for this.  They are precious in their strength, their excitement for being here, and their desire to forge right ahead into our new life.  

Plant life in our yard...

Today I went around the yard and took pictures of everything that is in bloom right now.  Yes, our yard is this beautiful.  I am no botanist so feel free to identify any of these in the comment section. (infact, I'll even number them for you!) :)  I'm also on the search for a good website to use to identify plants with if you have any recommendations.  I'm having the kids do nature drawings this year as part of their school (they love it!) and would love to be able to look up some the the stuff they are drawing.

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These trees are everywhere here.  They are beautiful, but apparently if the nectar gets in your eyes it can cause serious injury and some say blindness.  



Here is a detail of the flower.

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Here are some pictures of the trellis outback that we danced under...

Here is a detail of the flowers that grow on it...

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And this is Jack Fruit...the tree is laden with these watermelon size fruits.  They aren't quite ripe yet.

Isn't the pattern on them amazing?

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And this plant intrigues me...it grows everywhere... It is so unique!

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