The Jackson Family in Uganda

Kid pictures

2012-01-03T09:13:00.000+03:00

Here are some of our favorite pictures of the kids recently. Hope you enjoy them as much as we did! As an explanation, in the picture to the left, Hannah insisted on wearing Mommy's bag. She kept trying to go out the door like she was going on a trip! In the picture of John below, he was "helping" Nathan unload a truck of supplies. The next picture of Hannah was from her birthday, and the last picture of John was from Christmas. Hannah received a baby doll as a present. Hannah's first reaction was to put the baby's pacifier in her mouth. John's first reaction was to lift up his shirt and give the baby some "milk." Our kids provide us with lots of joy and laughter!

Jinja girls

2011-12-20T11:48:00.000+03:00

I (Kendra) had the opportunity this last week to help lead a camp for street girls from Jinja, the second largest city in Uganda. The girls come from a very rough background. Not only have they grown up in the slums of Jinja, but they also are Karamojong, a tribe that is despised by many of the tribes in the area. Their lives have been very difficult thus far and their main hope of improvement has come from the organization that has taken them under its wing, providing food, shelter, and education. Our focus for the camp was to show these girls what faith in God looks like by teaching them about various women of faith in the Bible and by opening our own lives to them as well. At first, they were very reserved and would barely look us in the eyes, but by the end of their time they were attentive and openly interacted with us. I especially enjoyed seeing the way that their worship changed throughout the week, going from looking at the ground as they sang to dancing around singing at the top of their lungs. It was such a blessing to be able to share God’s Word with these girls and to see God at work in their hearts.

Stuck in the Mud

2011-12-17T11:38:00.000+03:00

We have had LOTS of rain the past four months or so. For a while, it was the official rainy season, but for about a month now it was supposed to be the start of dry season and we are still getting a lot of rain. The roads to the camp have become just one muddy hole after another. Nathan has had many opportunities to pull out various trucks and buses as we have driven to town and back. Many times, the drivers of the big trucks that are stuck laugh at the idea that our little pickup could pull them out of the mud, but they are always very grateful and amazed when it actually does!

2011-12-12T13:41:00.006+03:00

Last week we were able to make a trip up to Kasana

in order for Nathan to do some work on several houses there. Since we were there for a full week, we were able to spend some great time with Pacific family and our other friends. We made fish and chips for the family kids one night and had a Christmas dinner with them another night. It was such a joy to be able to interact with them again and catch up on things that have happened. At the end of our time there, we were able to go to several graduations (the Ugandan school year is from January to December), one for five of our Pacific family kids and one for Sijali who has been working construction with Nathan for the past few months. We enjoyed being partof these special times of their lives and looking with them to the future God has for each of them.

Kids

2011-12-01T15:08:00.001+03:00

Our kids continue to grow and change. Hannah will be one year old at the end of this month. The day before Thanksgiving she finally was bold enough to take a few steps on her own. Since then, she has been walking all over the place! She loves being able to chase after John and follow Mommy around the house. She is also trying to say quite a few words. She clearly says “Mama” and “Dada,” but she also tries to say “turkey,” “Nala” (the Sparks’ dog), and “yucky” (when she has a dirty diaper).

Both John and Hannah love playing outside whether it’s on the slide or in the dirt or just on the back porch. We haven’t decided which they like better, playing in the dirt outside or playing in the water when they take a bath afterward. John has begun to really enjoy singing songs. His favorites are “He’s my rock, my sword, my shield,” “This little light of mine,” and “Zacchaeus.” He is also at the point where he wants to do everything by himself—dress himself, go to the bathroom by himself, put his sandals on by himself, etc. It is fun to see his independence and to see how he tries to be a “big man” like Daddy.

Turkey Day 2011

2011-11-27T15:30:00.003+03:00

Over the past six months, we have had quite a saga with turkeys. We have slowly been acquiring them each time we traveled up to Kobwin, where they are very common. In August, we had a pre-Thanksgiving turkey while Jason & Kari were visiting us. The two turkeys we had at the time had escaped and the only way to catch one of them was to kill him! So, we enjoyed our first taste of turkey then since coming to Uganda, and it made us all the more excited to celebrate Thanksgiving. Another one of our turkeys became very familiar with us as we fed it grain and leftover food scraps. It became so used to us that it even came into the house a couple of times when we left one of the doors open! Hannah has loved the turkeys (as she does most animals) and is always wanting to go outside to see them. She even tries to say "turkey" when she hears them gobble. Even so, we were not sad at all to have one of them for Thanksgiving dinner!

We were able to share our Thanksgiving meal with all of our other staff members at the camp, both American and Ugandan. We had the traditional dishes--turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes & gravy, green bean casserole, cranberry sauce, pumpkin pie, and apple pie. It was especially fun to see what our Ugandan friends thought of the different foods and to share with them the history of the holiday. It was a great time of fellowship and fun.

God has blessed us in so many ways throughout this year. He continues to reveal more of Himself to us through the various situations of life He leads us through. We are thankful for the ways that we see Him working in our lives and the lives of people around us. It is such a blessing to be doing the work of His kingdom here in Uganda. We are also so thankful for all of you who have come alongside us through prayer and support. You have all been an encouragement to us! We love you all and hope you also had a great Thanksgiving remembering the ways that God has blessed you!

Pictures

2011-11-19T16:29:00.024+03:00

It has been a LONG time since we updated our blog! Sorry! If you read our recent newsletter, you know the busy happenings around here in the last few months. Below are more pictures of our family and the people that have visited us in the last few months.

John & Hannah

2011-07-29T12:22:00.006+03:00

I (Kendra) thought I would give an update on the kiddos since they change so quickly and many of you have asked about them. We now have a 2-year-old in the house! We celebrated John's birthday on the 25th with lots of his favorite foods--waffles, hot dogs, french fries, pasta, and of course cake--and his favorite things to do around camp--swinging on the swings, reading books, playing with Legos, and building a campfire. He is talking in complete sentences, so you can really see him thinking about and remembering things. It's especially fun to listen to him as he talks to Hannah because he tries to mimic a lot of the things that we tell her. If she cries, he'll tell her, "Just a minute, Hannah! I'm coming!" If she is trying to touch something she shouldn't, he says, "No, no, Hannah-grill" as he tries to pull her away from the object. John also loves to sing songs...well, he sort of sings songs. Really, he just recites the words without putting them with a particular tune yet. His favorites are "Jesus Loves Me," "Twinkle, Twinkle," and "Who Built the Ark."

Hannah is now seven months old, and she is army-crawling all over the place. She has tried to take several steps on her hands and knees, but she oftentimes just falls on her belly if she is trying to cover a large distance because she is so much faster at army-crawling. She also loves to pull herself up to a standing position next to things. Today, she was even slowly walking behind a chair as she pushed it around the room! John does not always like Hannah's mobility though because she constantly tries to crawl over to him and play with or destroy whatever he is trying to play with! Hannah is probably the happiest little girl I know. She is always smiling, laughing, and talking to us, from the time she wakes up to the time she's ready to go to sleep. Both of our kids are such a blessing to us and we love interacting with them, teaching them, and loving on them!

Our house

2011-07-29T11:36:00.005+03:00

Our house has really begun to take shape in the last few weeks. By the end of June, our cistern was complete and the footings on the house were being poured. After recovering from pneumonia and malaria, Nathan was able to help the workers pour the floor of the house. Now at the end of July, the outside brick walls are almost completely finished, and Nathan will soon be building trusses for the roof. It is a fun stage in the development since you can see the house taking shape every day. Thanks to all of you who have supported us and provided funds for us to build this house!

Sickness

2011-07-15T18:03:00.000+03:00

After just passing the one year mark of being here in Uganda, our family was hit hard with sickness. Nathan had been battling a cough for a few weeks, but at the beginning of last week we found out that it had turned into pneumonia. Two days later, we went back to the doctor since Nathan was having more fevers and found out that he also had malaria! Talk about being "under the weather!"

Then, to top it off, I (Kendra) started having fevers the next day. We did a quick blood test and determined that I had malaria as well. We both spent most of the week either sleeping or lying on the couch. Oftentimes we only had enough energy to walk the short distance from the bed to the bathroom before we were tired again! Thankfully, we currently have two single girls staying in the house with us. They were able to watch the kids and keep up with things around the house. We were also blessed by all of the food Andrea Bouffard made for all of us during that time! God definitely provided for us during our time of need and allowed us to rest and recover. We are both feeling much better now. We still get tired more easily than usual, but we are almost back to full strength. Thanks to all of you for your many prayers!

Reunion

2011-07-03T20:22:00.000+03:00

Today we went to Jinja and were able to meet up with a friend of ours from Siloam Springs. He was in country with a team from First Baptist Church working with an orphanage in Jinja. It was great to see him again and other people from our home-town. He also brought us a few things from our families back home, so that was exciting as well. If you know us and are coming to Uganda, please let us know even if you are not coming with our organization. It is always fun to try to reconnect with familiar people when you are so far away from home.

Kobwin

2011-06-24T12:35:00.000+03:00

This last week we made a long-awaited trip up to New Hope’s Kobwin Children’s Center in northern Uganda. We have wanted to go there since we came to Uganda, but as they said, this was the time God had planned for us to be there. It was a joy to be able to meet the children and the staff and witness their heart for the Lord. We could hear joy in the children’s voices for what the Lord has done for them as they prayed and sang songs during devotions, and we felt openness and fellowship with the staff through their hospitality and generosity towards us. It was refreshing to see the hand of the Lord at work there.

While we were there, Nathan was very busy working to complete the roof on their new administration building. He was able to finish welding the trusses in place and attach some of the rest of the iron sheets. Due to a few complications, he wasn’t able to completely finish the roof, so it looks like we will be headed back to Kobwin in the next few months when the rest of the supplies arrive.

Wonder of Nature

2011-06-19T11:44:00.000+03:00

The Bouffard kids brought this animal over to our house yesterday. They told us what it was before they showed it to us, and we were so surprised when we saw what it actually looked like! Kudos to anyone who can guess what it is!

Under Construction

2011-06-18T14:05:00.002+03:00

Construction at our house site has been going in full gear the last few months. Our workshop was completed a few weeks ago, followed by our cistern last week. This week, the builders began pouring the footings for our house. It is amazing to see how fast things are progressing and to think that our house could be completely enclosed in the next few months.

John has really enjoyed “helping Daddy” with various aspects of the construction process, including taking water to the builders with the skid loader and welding the cover for the cistern. One day when Nathan took him up to the workshop to check on things, John saw the two sides of the workshop and said one was “Daddy’s workshop” and one was “John’s workshop.” Needless to say, he is often upset when he cannot go to work with Daddy!

Nathan's birthday

2011-06-03T21:04:00.001+03:00

As Nathan said, his countdown to the big 3-0 is underway. We celebrated his 29^th birthday this Saturday and had a fairly relaxing day despite the fact that there was a group here at camp and a wedding going on in the local community. Thankfully, others on staff were able to handle most of the things going on for the day so that Nathan could have some time to rest, play in the dirt, and eat some good food! His birthday meal included T-bone steaks, mashed potatoes and gravy, sweet corn, homemade rolls, and a peach pie with homemade ice cream. We were all hurting by the end of the day from all of the food! So, even though he is now facing the prospect of turning 30, he at least started his countdown with a satisfied tummy!

Pacific family

2011-05-16T21:02:00.001+03:00

Right after we arrived home from Jinja, we were able to welcome our family group from Kasana to the camp for a weekend retreat. It was so great to see them, hang out with them, and introduce them to the camp. They all had a great time playing games, hiking around, and swimming in the lake. John and Hannah enjoyed having so many people to hold them and play with them, and we had to be careful that they did not end up on the bus with the family group when they headed back! It was a joy to reconnect with all of the kids and have them see what Musana Camps is all about.

R & R

2011-05-12T15:27:00.000+03:00

Greetings from Jinja, the source of the Nile River! We are taking several days this week to rest and relax after a busy month of work at the camp. We also have not been able to take a vacation as a family since January, so it has been good for us to get away and spend quality time together. We are staying at a guesthouse in Jinja with a pool, a small playground, and even a TV in our room (We haven’t seen that since coming to Uganda!). We even have good internet signal here and were able to skype with our families back home. It was so great to be able to see their faces again!

John has loved going swimming every day. He was a little nervous the first time he got in the pool, but he got used to the water soon enough. Today he didn't want to get out even though his lips were turning purple because he was so cold! Hannah has been the favorite of all the ladies working here at the guesthouse. They always want to hold her and take her around to see everyone. She has been very laid back and just smiles at everyone she meets.

Nathan and I (Kendra) have enjoyed just walking around Jinja and seeing what kinds of shops are here. It’s been relaxing to not have to think about work or what food to cook for supper. We went on a boat ride this morning to the head of the White Nile River. We were able to see many different kinds of birds, some monkeys, and a very large lizard. Overall, we have been so thankful for the chance to get away and rest for a while.

The beginning of our house

2011-04-10T10:16:00.001+03:00

We are excited to say that we have officially begun the project of building a house for our family! It has been a long process of planning and discussing to get us to this point, but as of this week we have begun clearing the trees and brush at the site where our house will be located. It’s great to be able to dream and visualize where everything will be and what it will be like to live there. After having moved so many times since coming to Uganda, we are looking forward to having a place that feels a little more like home.

Kasana

2011-04-02T10:11:00.001+03:00

We just arrived back home at the camp after several days at Kasana. Nathan has apparently become the resident electrician for all New Hope sites, or so it seems. He spent three days doing as many electrical projects as possible around Kasana including wiring a house, repairing a solar system, and setting up meters at a fourplex. He was very tired after all of the hard work but was glad to be able to help. It was also a good time for us to reconnect with our friends there. John loved being able to play with all of the other kids his age, and everyone was amazed at how fast Hannah is growing. All in all, it was a good, refreshing break from our normal day-to-day tasks.

Gardening and Caterpillars

2011-03-19T20:56:00.005+03:00

Today we began our first attempt at growing fresh vegetables here in Uganda. We started small with only four different kinds of plants—squash, zucchini, green beans, and sweet corn—but if this garden ends up being anything like our one in the States, it will grow exponentially each growing season! This also makes us feel more Ugandan, at least partially. Most Ugandan families have a garden surrounding their house, but they typically grow things like matooke, kasava, and lumonde (white sweet potatoes) in their gardens. Somehow I don’t think we’ll be planting those things anytime soon.

As we were working outside on the garden, Nathan noticed a clump of over 150 fuzzy caterpillars all huddled close to a tree by a big water tank. Later, we came by again and they had all lined up on the hose from the water tank. One of our security guards told us they were trying to get to the leaves on the tree, and they must have thought the hose would take them up there! We watched the line disintegrate as they realized that the hose was taking them farther from the tree rather than closer. Since these caterpillars can give you a nasty sting if you touch them, Nathan had some fun setting them on fire to prevent them from spreading over all over our compound!

John and Hannah

2011-03-14T18:31:00.002+03:00

While Nathan spends most of his time out working on construction and maintenance around the camp, most of my (Kendra’s) time right now revolves around taking care of our two kids, John and Hannah. I thought some of you might enjoy hearing a little bit about what each of them are doing right now, especially since many of you haven’t met Hannah or seen John for quite a while now.

John is now almost 20 months old, but many days I think he is already two years old. He is a bundle of energy all day long and he loves to talk to you about EVERYTHING! Most of the time he just uses individual words, but he is starting to put more and more words together into phrases. For instance, the other day he picked up his tool box and told me that he was going to go “work” at the “shop,” but first he needed “earcups” (earplugs) and “glasses” (safety glasses) and “shoes.” Then he proceeded to tell me “bye” and “see you…tomorrow.” It was quite humorous. Some of my other favorite words that he says right now are “neckizoo” (next to you), “crewvisher” (screwdriver), and “coomze” (excuse me). He also loves to speak a few phrases in Luganda (the local language) such as “kale sebo” (ok, sir) and “webole” (thank you).

Hannah is becoming more and more alert to the world around her. At 2 ½ months, she is about 12 lbs. and 24 inches long. She smiles all the time and is trying to start laughing (she gets really excited and smiles really big but can’t quite figure out how to let out a laugh!). She rolled over for the first time a few days ago, but I’m not sure she knew exactly what she was doing yet. She loves to watch John and Malachi as they play as long as they don’t try to hit her with a hammer! She may grow up playing with tools more than with dolls! It is fun to watch her grow and change and begin interacting with us more and more.

Housemates

2011-03-09T17:03:00.005+03:00

Since moving to the camp in January, we have been staying in the same house with another family working here--Syd & Andrea Sparks and their 1 1/2 year old son Malachi. They have been so gracious to us in opening up their home to us. We are so thankful to have a place to stay, not to mention one with hot water and a great view of the lake! Syd and Andrea were the first couple to live out here at the camp, and they spent most of their time here the last two years by themselves. It has been a joy to get to know them and to hear more of their perspective on things here at the camp.

In the last few months that we've been with the Sparks, Nathan and Syd have been doing a lot of finish work around the house like building shelves, drawers, and cabinets. Most of this was done with help from the Dakota team and our family members that came to visit us in February. This last week, Nathan and Syd were putting up the last of the ceiling boards in the living room area. Syd was standing up on the ladder talking to Andrea for a minute when all of a sudden he realized that he had shot a finish nail through the end of his finger! After getting over the shock of what just happened, he had Nathan pull out the nail and he drove to Jinja to get a tetanus shot and some antibiotics. What an eventful way to end their time working together!

Syd, Andrea, and Malachi will be leaving on the 14th to go on furlough back to the States until January 2012. They are looking forward to spending a lot of time with family and friends and resting after the last three years of hard work at the camp. We will definitely miss them while they are gone, but we know that God will bring us all back together again soon. Please pray for safety and rest for them while they are away.

Graduation

2010-11-22T10:52:00.003+03:00

We are finished!! Friday we celebrated our completion of New Hope's Institute of Childcare and Family, the training program that we have been in for the last five months of being in Uganda. While it was hard for us to be in class every day and to not be at the camp, we enjoyed the teaching we received and can definitely see God's plan of growth for us during the time we have been here. We were challenged in our relationship with God as we discussed the glory of God, the Fatherhood of God, and our adoption into God's family. We were also challenged in our relationships with others as we formed visions for Biblical manhood, womanhood, marriage, family, and singleness.

As we went through the course, we were also able to form some good friendships with other couples on staff at New Hope. It was encouraging to hear their hearts and passions for the work that God is doing here in Uganda and to see the growth that occurred in them as well during the course. We will definitely miss spending so much time with them, but we are so thankful for these foundational truths and relationships God has brought to us as we begin serving Him here in Uganda.

Houses

2010-11-15T09:55:00.005+03:00

As of Sunday this week, we moved into our fourth house since we've been in Uganda. When we first arrived, we lived with one family for a few days until the house we were going to be staying in became unoccupied. For the next four months, we lived in a very nice house that had only been built in the last year while the family that normally lives there was on furlough in the States. We actually felt somewhat swallowed up in the house because it was big for our small family. However, it was nice to have conveniences like hot water, solar power, good internet service, and several ladies helping with our laundry and cleaning.

At the beginning of November, we left this house because the other family was returning from furlough, and we moved into a two-room "banda" (round, brick house) at the Institute. While it was nice to be in a smaller place, our daily routine changed drastically since we had no running water, we cooked on a single burner camp stove, and we did our own laundry (we never realized how many clothes we go through each week!). We also had almost no internet service there, so we apologize for our lapse in communication!

After two weeks in our cozy little banda, we moved into another house at Kasana. The lady that lives there is on furlough for the next few months, so hopefully we will not have to move again until we move to the camp! It has been great to have running water and an oven again. I (Kendra) think the first day we were in the house, I went through almost a whole 5 lb. bag of flour because I did so much baking!

In the whole process, we have definitely learned to be flexible and just embrace whatever situation God has placed us in at the time. He graciously gives us the strength to handle every circumstance and to continually adjust to our changing surroundings! We look forward to moving to camp after our little one is born even though that may mean that we move around to several other places in the process!

Musana camp

2010-10-11T15:32:00.004+03:00

At the end of September, we were able to spend about a week at Musana. It was a wonderful and refreshing time for all of us. Nathan was able to work on some projects around camp, such as building a cabinet for the Sparks' kitchen. This was a great break for him from his normal schedule of being in class most of the day. While he enjoyed being busy with his hands, he was definitely reminded of how much he misses a lot of the tools that were available in the US!

John had a great time camping for a week. Most of his time was spent playing with the other staff kids, playing in the dirt, or going on hikes with Nathan and I. He also enjoyed all of the pets that were around. He now says "doggy" and "puppy" and often tells them "no" if they come too close or start to lick him! John was even able to touch a monkey for the first time. The monkey had been adopted as a pet by a Ugandan named Medie who is on staff. It wouldn't surprise me at all if John begins asking for some kind of pet in the near future!

When we returned from the camp, Nathan and I were surprised to find that we had brought several unwanted friends home with us--jiggers! A jigger is a flea that burrows into your skin (typically on your feet) and lays an egg sac under your skin. They are fairly small but that doesn't mean that they don't hurt when you have to cut them out! Nathan had to dig out four from his feet, and I had two. Thankfully, John has not had any even though he spent more time in the dirt than both of us combined!

Overall, we had a great time being at the camp and are looking forward to moving there in a few months!

Fun pictures of John

2010-09-21T17:08:00.012+03:00

Nathan's little helper:

Playing with friends:

Getting dirty:

On the playground:

Care Package

2010-09-07T15:58:00.000+03:00

Saturday morning, we were sitting down to a breakfast of biscuits and chocolate gravy (a Jackson tradition) when some of our friends that work here at New Hope with us (Gabe & Andrea Williams) drove up to our house. They said that they had a few things for us and proceeded to bring in several boxes full of food! Not only that, but as we began to look at what was in the boxes, we realized that it was all American-type foods that we had not really gotten to eat since coming to Uganda. Apparently, some of our family and friends had gotten together and sent money to Gabe & Andrea along with a list of things that we had talked about missing or being too expensive to buy. Gabe & Andrea had then gone to one of the modern supermarkets in Kampala and bought as many of the things on the list as they could find. It was such a surprise to us! I think we spent almost the whole rest of the day in shock just looking at all the different things that were there. Needless to say, we've been savoring everything that they brought, things like cheddar cheese, chocolate, chips, Honey-Nut Cheerios, barbecue sauce, tuna, almonds, and much more! It's been such a huge blessing! Thank you!!!!!!

August news

2010-08-31T15:30:00.008+03:00

Here are some fun and noteworthy things that have happened during the last month:

Nathan butchered his first chicken. We bought the chicken from the father of one of the family groups here at Kasana, and Nathan butchered it in our backyard! John was very interested in the whole process, but I (Kendra) think his favorite part was just trying to catch the chicken to bring it home. He and Nathan and a few others had to chase it around for quite a while before they finally caught it. John was laughing the entire time!

We have upgraded our means of transportation. Nathan was able to find a decently priced used motorcycle in Kampala with the help of a Ugandan friend that works here at Kasana. It has been great for Nathan to be able to quickly go down to the local village or the larger town beyond that for parts and supplies. Of course, John gets very upset if Nathan ever rides off without taking him along!

John has become fascinated by any animal that he sees. He loves to chase chickens, watch ants at work, and try to touch the moths that come inside the house. He even wanted to pet the pig that one of the kids was leading on the path by our house. Most of the time he isn't afraid of the animals unless they fly at him suddenly. Then he comes running to Mommy or Daddy for help! It has been a lot of fun to watch him explore and study the world around him.

The Father's Heart

2010-08-06T20:31:00.008+03:00

For the past month, we have been in New Hope's Institute for Childcare and Family. We have class for 4 hours each day, Monday through Friday. Even though it is sometimes difficult to focus in class as we think about what is going on down at the camp, we are learning a lot in class. This past week, we were discussing the heart of orphans, and the heart of God. As we studied the Word of God in class, we were amazed to see how much God talks about the fatherless (mostly in the OT). It was very exciting to see a bit more of the heart of God in the way He loves and watches over those who have been left alone in this world.

While we are at the Institute, we have been assigned to spend time with one of the family groups here at the Kasana Children's Center. The family group that we are now part of has about 20 children in it, and we have greatly enjoyed becoming part of the family. Our time with them consists of working in the gardens, playing games together, helping with homework, having family devotions, and sharing meals together. Many of the children also regularly stop by our house to visit. In addition to just getting to know one another, Nathan has had fun helping some of the kids fix their bikes, and Kendra has had the opportunity to share some of her cooking experience with some of the family daughters.

As we have gotten to know the children at the same time that we have been learning about the Father's heart for orphans, we have developed a deep love and passion ourselves for the children here at New Hope. As some of the children in our family group have shared their stories with us, we have been overwhelmed by the stories of what they have been through, and the Lord has confirmed to us more and more each day that we are serving Him where He wants us.

Despite the heartache, loneliness, and feeling of rejection that the kids here have experienced, there is also a joy that comes from knowing that they have a heavenly Father who has chosen to adopt those who turn to Him. Realizing that we too have been adopted into the same family as

well is also very exciting.

Here are some pictures of some of the kids that we have fallen in love with:

First trip to Musana

2010-07-05T14:27:00.007+03:00

We had the opportunity to travel down to Musana Camps this past weekend before we start the New Hope Institute for Childcare and Family this week. We had a great time meeting the rest of the staff that we'll be serving with, exploring some of the camp property, and experiencing travel in Uganda. Our trip to Musana was made interesting by flat tires, replacing a water pump on one of the vehicles, and a lot of interaction with some of the local children.

Musana Camps is at a beautiful location, and we

are excited about being there permanently in

about 6 months. We were slightly overwhelmed by the amount of work that needs to be done, but are excited by the many ministry opportunities that exist there.

Although we were just visiting for the weekend, we had fun getting to do some work while we were at Musana. Kendra helped fix some meals for a work crew and our group, and Nathan and John did some dirt work.

We enjoyed getting to know the other families

that we will be serving with at Musana Camps. It is a tremendous blessing to be able to serve with other staff who have a similar interest, passion, and commitment to the camping ministry.

First Experiences

2010-06-29T15:53:00.004+03:00

Since this has been my (Kendra) first trip to Africa, I thought I would share with all of you about some of the "first-timer" experiences I've had in the last five days.

I went shopping at a supermarket in Kampala for the first time. I spent 67,000 shillings on only 15 small items!! Before you go into shock, that is only the equivalent of about 30 US dollars. It was still a little hard to spend that much money though!
I attended my first church service in Uganda on Sunday. We were asked to come up to the front so that they could introduce us to everyone. After being introduced, we were told to stay up front so that they could pray for us...well, about 15 minutes later after several other prayers and announcements, we were finally prayed for and allowed to sit down!
I was told that John had "bad manners" by a Ugandan girl. When she picked him up to greet him, he wanted down instead of smiling and greeting her back. To Ugandans, this is very bad manners even for children!
I had matoke with peanut sauce (traditional Ugandan food) for the first time. I actually thought it wasn't that bad!
I've eaten the best pineapple and bananas almost every meal since we've arrived! I always liked both of these fruits in the states, but there is definitely no comparison to how good they taste here!

Well, those are just a few of the things that I've been experiencing lately. At times, being in a completely different culture has been overwhelming, but God continually provides people to encourage us as we go through this process of learning. We really appreciate all of your prayers--we have definitely been feeling them all along the way!

A Full Container

2010-06-20T22:30:00.002+03:00

On Friday, we finished loading our tools, supplies, and home goods into a container that will soon be on its way to Uganda. Many thanks to our friends and family who helped us get what we needed, pack it all up, and load it in the container. Also, thanks to our friends at Tech Serve International for helping us with shipping.

Please pray for this container as it makes its journey to Uganda. The goods within it will be incredibly helpful in our ministry at Musana Camps. Please pray that it arrives in good condition in Kampala, and that the Lord grants us favor with the customs officials that we deal with.

On the road again...

2010-06-16T00:47:00.001+03:00

The past couple weeks we have been traveling around the country visiting friends and family before we leave the country. We've had a great time catching up with old friends, meeting new friends, and spending quality time with our families. We have also spent time transporting tools and home goods to a container near Little Rock that will soon be shipped out for Uganda. It's been a great time, but we are also quite tired of all of the travel. In one 36 hour period of our trip, we visited 8 states!