The packing has begun! Our six member team will carry twelve fifty pound suitcases, one roller bag carryon each and one violin. Janis Van Hala, Jeri Smith, Sue Waechter and Karen Viele spent all day on Saturday, April 27th packing the generous gifts sent by our orphan sponsors. We sorted all the packages by the ages of the children who will be meeting in groups in the village. Each group of gifts for fifteen children were packed together in one suitcase- so six suitcases of gifts. In some cases we had to lighten the load. We had to take out the gifts of soap because they were just too heavy. We are planning to buy the children some soap in Kabale to make up for this. Thanks to all of our wonderful sponsors for the beautiful packages for the children. See the pictures! More later!

Dear Friend of ACT Uganda!

We are embarking on another adventure. A team is traveling from Michigan to Muko on May 11th. They will be on the ground for a bit over 2 weeks very, very busy with meetings and activities. Please follow their adventure and pray daily for their activities. They will post what is happening every day as long as they power and an Internet connection available (usually not the case every single day). 

Here is the team!
Back row: John Waechter, Dave Viele, Michelle Busch
Front row: Elizabeth Neithamer, Kelsey Neithamer, Karen Viele

NEW TRAVEL TEAM - May 2013

Beginning of their blog - read upwards... 

End of July 2012 Travel Team Blog

Saturday, July 21, 2012

Reflections from Uganda…

This is our second to last day in Uganda. We leave tomorrow (Sunday) evening at 11:30pm! Tomorrow morning will be spent with some of us going to church with Richard and Generous again, some going with Curt to preach to the street children ministry and some of us just hanging out for some much, much needed R&R. We will finish packing all 22, 50-lb suitcases full of baskets that we are allowed. This was told to us by 3, yes, 3 different Delta agents. There was a bit of variation of what they said but we are praying we don’t have to spend an hour arguing like we did in Detroit coming here. Oh my, can’t the airlines get their messages straight???

Today, the team, without Dale and Sue, went to Jinja to see the Nile headwaters which has become a bit of a disappointment in that the Bujagali Falls (rapids on the Nile) are now gone due to the building of a dam for hydro-electricity. They planned a stop on the way to Jinja to connect with a young woman and her new baby who has been sponsored through another program by a friend of Karen Viele’s.

Sue and Dale got up this morning and looked at six huge, empty suitcases, even after shopping at the Kampala market yesterday and in the village over the last two weeks for baskets and jewelry and could not bear to not fill them to bring back the maximum number of baskets. Generous walked here from her home and after she and Sue made a walking trip to Barclay’s Bank to discuss the variance in exchange rates with our wires, the three of us called the woman who we buy the most baskets from to see if she could hire a boda boda (motorbike with her riding on the back) to come into Kampala from her village to sell us more baskets! She did and we met her at the empty market compound (the market is only held on Fridays) and went through the storage locker and managed to purchase another 100 baskets! Dale and Sue came back to the hotel to finish packing and weighing all the suitcases. Phew! Now, everyone please pray fervently for KLM/Delta to honor all the information they have shared with us for checking in!

We had Charles Tuhaise, Lydia Komugisha (our new Board Chair), Generous and Richard, Martin – the villager who is going to complete our building renovation and travelled all the way to Kampala to meet with Dave about details, our team and a young German husband and wife who are staying here that we have adopted, for dinner here at the Adonai House – our hotel. We had a wonderful, wonderful meal and great fellowship. After dinner, Karen led us ALL in a rousing bunch of songs playing the handbells while she accompanied us on her violin. It was great fun! What joy her music has brought us on this journey and what a delight Dave has been with all of us, teasing us and entertaining us. Curt brought out his light-up thumbs and we all played catch with them. (I’ll have to explain later!)

Last night, Sydney and Karen were very sick to their stomachs, likely food-poisoning, and Katie and Dave stayed with them while the rest of us met Honorable Minister Henry Banyansaki at the Ndere Cultural Arts Center. He treated us to a buffet dinner which was so generous, although out of the 12 or so chafing dishes, about 3 had food left in them! Then we sat at tables on a tiered outdoor theatre to watch a wonderful program of dance and music performed by local instruments. The troupe danced different dances from each region of the country. It was marvelous. The final dance was these young women who danced while they balanced 9 clay pots stacked one on top of the other on their heads. Their whole bodies were moving except their heads – amazing!

The Ugandans are so talented…so warm…so gracious. I am always so sad to say goodbye to our friends. Our goal this year is to try, once again, to bring Generous and hopefully Lydia too to the U.S. We drove by the U.S. Embassy today and I prayed a small prayer for them to finally allow Generous a visa to enter our country. Dale and I sat with Generous and Lydia today for several hours to discuss a long list of things about our programs and hopes and dreams. It was fun but overwhelming how big this effort has become. We come home with lots of new ideas, lots of confirmation about how well things are progressing here and anticipation for what God has in store for all of us down the road.

We are all weary, ready to be home, yet not ready to say good-bye – full of mixed emotions. We thank you each for your prayers and thoughts and support by reading this blog. Any of you who are not yet involved in ACT, please consider becoming involved. We have so much yet to accomplish!

We will see you soon. We love you all.

His,

Sue

Wednesday and Thursday, July 18 and 19

Dear friends,

I am typing this addition to the blog as we drive from Kabale back to Kampala – an eight-hour journey. We have just passed Mbarara for those of you who have been here. Mbarara is about 1/3 third of the way. We are on some paved highway now so I can type.

I was simply too exhausted to write the blog last evening – please forgive me. We had a wonderful last day in the village spending time with the staff. We packed up all the baskets that we got from the women – many, many baskets. Alexander’s office now looks empty. We filled six suitcases so far. We labeled each basket with duct tape and wrote the name of the woman who made it on the bottom. I also spent time with Alexander learning more information about each of our women in MEP and their families. We will be putting this on the website and on tags for those who purchase the baskets. The women are so very happy about MEP and proud to be associated with the program. Their weaving skills have greatly improved.

I had the opportunity to just sit and talk with Josiah and Alexander about the programs. I usually don’t have the time to do this on a trip. It was wonderful! We talked about Muko HOPE. We have found sponsors for the last three kids on this trip! Now all 70 orphans are officially sponsored. The Roeders are taking one, Sydney’s aunt is taking another and Karen Viele’s relative is taking the third. We are so happy to finally have a relationship to celebrate for these kids. As some of you know, the three are older than the other orphans – 17 – 20 years old and still in high school. They have been enrolled in the program since 2008 but never got selected and grew up waiting. They are all so appreciative and working very diligently at school to improve their lives.  I asked the staff how many more orphans they could manage than the 70 before we added staff to help. They said 200! That is, if we can get all the Muko HOPE kids in two schools instead of nine different schools. We are working on that trying to identify the right schools to partner with. By the beginning of the next school year (January or early February 2013), we hope to bring another group of 10 or 20 orphans into the program. Please be praying as to whether you would like to become a sponsor. It is a very important role and I know from experience and from other sponsors, we feel very blessed while taking care of these vulnerable and unfortunate children. They always know their sponsors’ names when we come and say that love them and pray for them. This is about relationship not a one-way hand-out. Through Muko HOPE, we are truly transforming the lives of Muko Sub County.

While we worked at the office, Dale accompanied Tito to some garden sites to do soil testing.  At one place, they climbed a hugh hill and when arriving at the top, Tito said, “the garden is just over the next mountain and then down into the valley.” Dale laughted and said, “no way!” These young men as our staff are so spry.

We said our sad farewell to Muko and the villagers and drove back to Kabale town. I got the chance to go over to Hornby School with Karen and Dave and we both said good-bye to our orphans: Grace and Miracle. It was a wonderful moment. I had gotten the opportunity to see Dishan, Miracle’s brother and John’s and my other orphan, a couple of times at his school. We arrived back at the hotel to meet Wilson Mbabazi, the attorney on the ACT Muko board. He is such an asset to us in our NGO. He had suggested that we all go to the Overland Resort on the shore of Lake Bunyonyi for dinner and a boat ride on the lake! I had never done anything like this on a team before. I invited the staff, Josiah, Alexander and Tito and Generous, Charles and Lydia as well. We ordered our dinner and then rode in two very long and narrow boats over to an island called Bushara. The Ugandans from the village typically don't know how to swim so they all wore life jackets and we assured them we were all really strong swimmers and would save them if we went over! 

On the way, we could see Muko from the distance on the lake. Also, we learned of a tiny island called, Punishment Island. It was about 5 acres of very flat land not far out of the water with one tree standing in the middle. This was a place where girls who got pregnant out of wedlock, whether by choice or by rape, where taken and left to die. Fortunately for these young women, the Batwa Tribe, a pygmy tribe, would come to save many of them. This practice was stopped in the 1800’s. It was sobering for us.

Bushara Island is owned by the Anglican Diocese of Kigezi and is a retreat and meeting center. It was lovely. The staff all got the chance to ride on a swingset for the first time ever. It was great fun watching Sydney and Katie showing them how to pump their legs to make the swings go higher and higher. We climbed back down the island and rode the boats back for dinner. After dinner was a huge highlight of our trip here. We all shared what we most thanked God for on this journey and our work together. I will be typing this list up and adding it to the website but for short, there were lots of tears and joy expressed for our friendships and work we do “bega hibega” (shoulder-to-shoulder). It was very, very special. We talked of transforming each others’ lives. Karen suggested after an hour of sharing that we all dance! We all stood and danced and it was a perfect ending to a perfect day.

We said good-byes to Josiah, Alexander and Tito who had to go back to the village and sent them on their way with a Katie’s donated digital camera and the new modem for Internet access in a few weeks when the tower is completed in Muko. This will greatly change their work lives – that they don’t have to drive all the way to Kabale to connect with Generous or us. Praise God!

Wilson came this morning with his daughter, Grace to send us off. We left Kabale at about 10am after getting more fuel in both vehicles and exchanging more US dollars for Shillings. So far, the trip is uneventful which is a very good thing in Uganda on the roads.

We arrived safely in Kampala and just had dinner. There is real brewed coffee, wireless, etc. Back to civilization! But we all miss the village. Tomorrow we shop at the Kampala market starting at 6:45am for baskets and jewelry and other handcrafts. From there we will go to downtown Kampala to an un-navigable street to buy the fabrics to bring home. Good night for now and God bless!

Tuesday, July 17, 2012

“Sheka” like you mean it! Sheka means laugh/smile for a photo. Lazara and the rest of us got a bit silly (not a first, believe you me) while visiting with Alexander and Generous at the ACT temporary offices. It was near the end of the day and we had finished our activities and were waiting for Karen and Dave to return from Grace Kihembo’s home and Dale and Tito to return from visiting one of the gardens.  Alexander, our 25-year-old Muko Empowerment Manager, is a doll. The girls were trying to get him to smile really big for a picture. At the same time, they were all eating fresh sugar cane which Lazara, with her Cuban background, wielded a machete to peel and cut up.

I am typing this as we take the winding 45-minute ride back to Kabale for the evening. It is 6:05pm and the sun is setting over the mountains. We are all a little quiet with sadness that our last day in the village is tomorrow. For now, we are meeting Rev. James Karibwije, the Registrar for Kabale University, for dinner tonight. We will talk with him again about prioritizing our Muko HOPE orphans into the work-study program at the University. In one year’s time, we will have two of them ready to move on to University, assuming they pass the entrance exams. One is Boaz, Kapina and Mike Williamen’s orphan and the other is Francis, Janice Smith’s orphan. Please keep them in prayer for their studies this next year.

We arrived in the village about 10am and there waiting for us was Ben Tumuheirwe, the founder of Juna Amagara Ministries. They, very much like ACT, started with a partnership between Ben who is from Bifundi SubCounty (next to Muko SubCounty) and the Glen Ellyn Presbyterian Church in Illinois. We have gotten to know them and I am convinced that at some point we will be in partnership with them for at least a project or program. It was good to see Ben and we will visit him again in Kampala on Saturday with his wife Lillian at their home.

It’s Karen! I offered to relieve Sue of the responsibility of finishing the blog tonight. Let me tell you about a couple of orphans with whom I have had the honor of working…..

There is… Andrew who has the biggest smile you ever saw. Every time I have arrived at Kigezi for their recorder class Andrew has met me at the gate. The orphans always offer to carry the violin, the music bag, or the suitcase full of their recorders.

There is… Frances, a refugee from the Rwanda genocide who doesn’t remember his survival when both parents were murdered. Frances speaks very good English and, at age 19, is very happy to have a Mom again.  Frances has helped us to understand how our kids feel because he is very talkative! Most of our kids are extremely shy and polite. They respond to most questions with a one word answer or a quiet “Yes”. For all our wonderful sponsors, you must know how much you mean to these darling kids. Katie and I made a little video of Frances that you may see in August when we present our trip events.

There are… Rachel, Onez, and Charity who just learned today that they have American parents. I wish you could have all seen their happy faces. These three were the last of our seventy orphans, now all sponsored.  Rachel, Onez, and Charity have been receiving the benefits of Muko Hope orphans with the knowledge that no one has yet chosen them so we are meeting our goal of coming home with all orphans supported with American families. Thank you to everyone who sends their support. The children especially love receiving pictures of you, your families and pets.

            Our music students are doing well. They have NO problem with rhythm! Most of our kids know how to play B, A, and G on their recorders. Josiah has been an eager learner and assistant – interpreting and playing along. He will help the orphans to continue their music studies when we return to the USA.

            Let me describe two African homes we have visited in Muko. One had lovely landscaping around a wooden rain trough, shaped like a canoe. Inside they hang decorations from the ceiling. They have newspapers on the walls at eye level, usually including one of Museveni. They have multiple rooms with dirt floors- separate bedrooms, living room, storage room and “kitchen” which holds pans and bowls for cooking. Sometimes we see things here that remind us of America in the 1700’s and1800’s like two men working a saw pit, and a young boy rolling a bicycle tire with a stick.  All sewing machines are the old treadle type operate with your feet, as there is insufficient or no electricity available.

            Sue, Dale, Dave, and Generous went up to the Ikamiro Clinic today to assess the need for housing for nurses and to gather information about moving the clinic up to a higher level of care. To get to the clinic, there is a challenging drive with extremely bumpy roads, deep ruts, and steep cliffs. Our driver, Christopher, feels his way through and everyone arrives in complete safety- a challenge of trust and faith!

            We hope everyone at home is well and staying cool in spite of the hot weather we hear you are still enduring. We are enjoying beautiful misty mornings, warm sunny days, and cool evenings. We send our love to you all!

Monday, July 16, 2012

The photos are of the boys at Kigezi School and the Ugandan Cranes - the official bird on the flag:

Oops - not enuff connection for photos.

 

We are coming to the end of the Agricultural Day (5:00pm). It has been very informational and we have the agreement of these experts in this area to help us with the establishment of our agricultural program for ACT. As I am typing, we are creating a strategic plan for agriculture for Muko including short-term, mid-term and long-term goals and activities. It’s exciting. It still needs a great deal of work to finish the plan but there experts were very helpful. Our overall goal is to improve agriculture in Muko and promote sustainable programming for agriculture for the residents of Muko Sub County. Dale, Sue, Curt and Dave attended the Ag meeting.

Later Dave and Curt left for town to purchase a modem and buy gigabytes of time for MTN network which will now allow us to get a signal in the village! MTN has two more weeks to complete a new tower which will cover Muko. This will be incredibly helpful to our staff – they won’t have to travel all the way to Kabale town to use the Internet and contact us. The initial modem is 130,000 Ugandan shillings (about $50 USD) and 50,000 UGX (about $20 USD) for 1 GB of time which may last about two months at a time. This is great, great progress in our programming between the U.S. and Uganda not to mention between Generous and her staff, eight hours away.

Karen, Sydney, Katie and Lazara went to the schools in Kabale today to provide more music lessons to the Muko HOPE kids. They went to five schools and taught the recorders. They did a video interview of one of the orphans. They picked up letters from some of the orphans to bring back home to the sponsors. They found most of the orphans that had had their instruments and the lessons book, had been practicing. 

It is early morning Tuesday (no service last night) and we are off for our second to last day in the village. Up to the clinic to discuss several things and then to the ACT Empowerment Center for update on building and way forward. Blessings to you!

Monday, July 16, 2012

The photos are of the boys at Kigezi School and the Ugandan Cranes - the official bird on the flag:

Oops - not enuff connection for photos.

 

We are coming to the end of the Agricultural Day (5:00pm). It has been very informational and we have the agreement of these experts in this area to help us with the establishment of our agricultural program for ACT. As I am typing, we are creating a strategic plan for agriculture for Muko including short-term, mid-term and long-term goals and activities. It’s exciting. It still needs a great deal of work to finish the plan but there experts were very helpful. Our overall goal is to improve agriculture in Muko and promote sustainable programming for agriculture for the residents of Muko Sub County. Dale, Sue, Curt and Dave attended the Ag meeting.

Later Dave and Curt left for town to purchase a modem and buy gigabytes of time for MTN network which will now allow us to get a signal in the village! MTN has two more weeks to complete a new tower which will cover Muko. This will be incredibly helpful to our staff – they won’t have to travel all the way to Kabale town to use the Internet and contact us. The initial modem is 130,000 Ugandan shillings (about $50 USD) and 50,000 UGX (about $20 USD) for 1 GB of time which may last about two months at a time. This is great, great progress in our programming between the U.S. and Uganda not to mention between Generous and her staff, eight hours away.

Karen, Sydney, Katie and Lazara went to the schools in Kabale today to provide more music lessons to the Muko HOPE kids. They went to five schools and taught the recorders. They did a video interview of one of the orphans. They picked up letters from some of the orphans to bring back home to the sponsors. They found most of the orphans that had had their instruments and the lessons book, had been practicing. 

It is early morning Tuesday (no service last night) and we are off for our second to last day in the village. Up to the clinic to discuss several things and then to the ACT Empowerment Center for update on building and way forward. Blessings to you!