A few things God allowed us to participate in while in Uganda:
- Wash clothes, beds, and repair a house for a widow
- Build a kitchen for an elderly lady
- Build another kitchen for a widow and her 2 daughters
- Love on the ladies of the village painting nails and doing hair (Matt went with Tyler to the piggery and other errand that day)
- Build a house for a couple whose house washed away in the rainy season 3 years ago. Their one daughter died from HIV and left her elderly parents to care for her two young children- 6- Henry and 4- Jollia
- Have a glow stick party with the kids at Okoa
- Church at Okoa which is my favorite memory from this year and last
- Learn so many more words in Luganda than I did last year
- Bond as a team with the other Muzungu (white people) in a deep and meaningful way
- Have bible study with Tyler and Liv each morning which was incredible. One of the highlights from the trip this year
- Spend some time with our sponsor "son" Stuart. He is so amazing. A great dancer, singer, good at English, sweet big brother, kind-hearted to the younger children and so much more.
Unfortunately, I don't have any pictures right now because I left my phone in Amsterdam. When it arrives I hope to have the time to upload the pictures. Life has been busy, but busy in a good way. My sister and her girls have been spending a lot of time with us lately and I am so thankful to have them here more often. Also, our dear friends, the Williams, are home visiting from China. I am so thankful that we have 4 bedrooms in our home. We have had enough space to house the Williams while in Gainesville, my sis and her girls, college girls that have needed a place short term, of course our Iowa family when they come to visit (which has been entirely too long-ahem), friends who needed a place to stay while family was at Shands...that might be it. I am so glad that we can offer the blessing of our home to those who need the space when they need it. We are expecting visitors from Canada next week.
While the dream of visiting Uganda came true, the dream to adopt from Uganda is still a dream. We are waiting on a match and there seems to be no end in sight. We trust that the Lord has his perfect timing and we also know God is/has been refining us for the hard stuff that comes with adoption.
As the quote above says, "he can't if you don't ask." I am not sure how scripturally accurate this is...I am not sure there are limits to God...he can do anything...but in this situation I have not been praying for specific timelines, for him to open doors that have been shut, or to move those "mountains" that are standing in the way. Lord, forgive me for not spending that time with you asking you to place kids in our family. Forgive me, for not having the belief that you will give good gifts to me, my family. Thank you for having grace with me when I fail. Brothers and sister, if you would like to pray with us we would be so thankful for your prayers. We want the kids God is preparing for our home to come home quickly, yet not cutting corners or compromising integrity. Pray that the match would come soon. That we would be able to bring our kids home by July of next year. |
| Our 17 bags awaiting check in. We prayed before we went to the counter for our baggage fees and we were only charged for one extra bag. Delta is awesome and God is miraculous! |
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| Matt and I getting our picture on the Equator...North meets South haha! |
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| Unpacking all of the donations. We are so thankful to each and every person who helped us deliver such a big load to Okoa. Look at all those brownie mixes :) |
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| Craft supplies |
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| Tuna and beef jerky...You can't beat that! |
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| Mountain 'o Cloth Diapers |
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| Books and gifts for the kids |
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| 195 cans of formula!!! |
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| A few pairs of shoes |
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| Matt joked that Dennis had a tracking device on him because every time we showed up to Okoa, Dennis found Matt within seconds! |
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| Matt and Gilbert taking a break in the shade after working to build the first kitchen |
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| Our team after the kitchen was finished |
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| Covered in mud! |
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| Every night we would write letters to the kids at Okoa. These are some of the cards I made to give to the kids. |
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| This is the second kitchen we built. We arrived and tied bamboo. Then we went to work making mud and filling the structure. |
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| Tying Bamboo |
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| Stomping mud |
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Judah hoped in Matt's lap for the ride home and promptly fell asleep. She had done some hard work on that mud!
David ready for bible study with Mama Li
Bernard and David before bible study
We made it to the house to start tying bamboo and making mud. It was one of the biggest houses of its kind I have ever seen!
Stomping mud...what a leg workout! One of the best parts was the heel exfoliation ;)
I was using a "Ponga" (Machete) to cut the twine for everyone tying.
One of my most favorite pictures from the whole trip. Yana with Kato, Queen and Gideon.
Derrick with his birthday gifts
This pineapple was being grown by the family whom we were building the house for.
Our second day at the house site, the older kids from Okoa joined us. It was the highlight of our time there working alongside the kids.
Kato and Isaac
Stuart working hard
Bernard, what a smile!
Kevin and Tony
Flavia, Irene, Patrick
Patrick and John Roberts
Isaac standing on an empty Jerry can to fill mud over his head!
Matt before he left, up on Ugandan scafolding
Stuart and I at the house site.
The boys filling mud
The next morning, Derrick was still wearing his binoculars
The kids all wanted to play with chalk and "painted" our faces with it. From the left: Naka, Babirye (yellow dress), Divina (closest to me, on my right), Peace (with blue chalk face), and Annet
Silly faces! From the back left: Yiga, me, Naka, Derrick (with the green straps), Peace (in the forground)
Fausta posing pretty!
Shami with the camera
John Roberts at his piggery
Britt, Megah and I when we walked Megah to the hard road and said our goodbyes.
One of the YUMMY meals we ate!
Britt singing "Making melodies in my heart"
Group hug
This is cassava, cabbage, avocado and chapati...Our last meal before we headed out the next morning.
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