Gentle Witness

For the past two weeks I struggled to find the words for this blog.  I want to express why Edwin and I have committed ourselves in making a difference in the lives of orphans, widows and the poor.  It is very obvious that God is leading this journey.  Edwin, a young man who had little and an old lady (according to my Pastor) that just knew she was being called to Uganda but didn't know how to make it all happen.  We soon learned that by relying on Him for everything, miracles started happening.

God blessed me with this "Gentle Witness" named Edwin.  We had the same dream….helping the poor.  We struggled but never felt defeated and have never looked back.  I couldn't raise enough money to pay both construction and wages so Edwin, just one year ago received his first shillings.

Little did I know until my most recent trip, that his wages were being used to bring people out of poverty, not for himself.  He spent months looking for young kids to send to school.  He paid their school fees and bought their books, but the rule was…they had to repay him.  Most of these kids live with their grandmothers and finding food was always a struggle.  Edwin set the kids up in small businesses and today they are all going to school, have food and they are able to save for necessities.  The same happened to the woman who came to us at Christmas begging for food.  We had enough food for 100 kids but wouldn't you know….it seems we had enough to feed over 180.  One month later he found this same woman and her family, helped the older children go to school and set her up in a business to sell cassava chips on the street.  All money was repaid.  Another case… a grandmother that has many of her grandchildren living with her.  He set her up to sell porridge in the mornings on the street and she now can feed everyone daily.  Who knows how many others he helped, but the moral to my story is….Edwin does this for God only…he doesn't speak about it, he just does it quietly.  A very "Gentle Witness" and I can proudly say that he is my grandson in Africa.  Aren't we all just different shades of brown?

We are all so proud of you Edwin for your dedication and honesty.  You are setting an example.

This lady came to us at Christmas and asked if we had any food left to feed her.  She was so weak.  This is the lady that Edwin later helped.

I taught the girls to make banana bread and Mariam with the huge proud smile had taken some
to an elderly lady who is almost blind and alone.  The kids watch over her to make sure she is OK.

Thanks to Northview church, we have started to complete our 2nd children's home.  

Edwin has become a role model for raising chickens in our community.  I think he studied every book
written in Uganda and also had very good instruction from Canada.  Thanks Dan

Junior, Saika and Joseph sort the eggs daily when they are not in school.  The small and cracked ones go to our neighbours, while the better ones are being taken to places like the children's hospital as a donation. We are also helping the old people in our community and of course our children get eggs regularly.  Our main goal is to help the suffering and this kind of protein over there is a dream come true to those who can't afford it.

This is the beginning of our of passion fruit.  The poles are up and the plants are thriving but to utilize all the land, kale has been planted below as it's another source of protein for the kids.

Sula and James hard at work putting in all the top poles

Each passion fruit vine will hold approximately 100 fruit.  The juice from this plant is so healing for a sick child.  You can also see the kale has been picked below and probably inhaled with their normal diet of rice, pocho and beans.  Greens are a real treat for them.

The fence is up for the goats.  Edwin's father and the villagers completed 7 acres of fencing to raise these goats.  The pay was in the form of food instead of wages.  Everyone is happy and proud of a job well done.  We owe this goat project to our wonderful friends in Hong Kong. 

OH my goodness, I miss these two.  They have become such best buddies.

Alan in the red with our newest child, Ivan

This was a very tearful event but you would never know it.  I left 30 minutes after the kids sang my farewell songs.  I don't know who cried harder.


Thank you everyone for helping us to make this Home of Angels a place where the "Angels" find so much hope and love.  Some of these kids were so sick when they came to us, but now you can see how healthy they have become with such happiness on their faces.  You all helped to make it happen and we are grateful.  Currently, the 2nd home is being completed and this will allow approximately 35+ more children.  The kids won't come all at once but according to the level of trauma and sickness.  We must also find sponsors for them.  If any of you would like to sponsor a child in the future and help him/her to become one of our "Angels", please email me and I will send you the information.