A Birthday Party For Jesus

There are many things that can never be forgotten.  The most important one is God's love for His children, in fact, He will never forget or stop loving us.  His promise to care for His people was more certain than a mother's love for her own child.  God generously gave us the most unselfish gift: His only Son, who was born in a manger "because there was no place for them in the inn."

Edwin, Precious, and the children recently celebrated His birth with their annual Christmas party.  Normally, they would having waited until Christmas day and invited approximately two hundred neighbourhood kids to celebrate with them, but with COVID-19 and election violence, it was impossible this year.  COVID-19 is getting worse in our area and the election situation could change at a moment's notice as it did four years ago.  Many have already evacuated to their village of birth and until election day on January 14th, everything is uncertain.  We have been blessed with a bus and are prepared, but in the meantime, we want to focus on happier thoughts and that's sharing the following pictures with you.

Our special Ivan who has been with us for nine years was elected as the most helpful, kind, and thoughtful brother at Home of Angels.  A child that everyone would come to in a time of crisis.  To honor him, Edwin and Precious bought him a desk clock and presented it at their Christmas party.  Ivan has also excelled in his studies and will attend an advanced school in 2021.

Precious awarding Ivan his present at the party.

Don't you just love their Christmas tree?  This is a very special tree and because these branches are so difficult to find, they take great pride in putting anything on it to make it look beautiful.  I see they were able to make some popcorn but to get anything else right now was nearly impossible.  

I've never seen such beautiful cakes there.

Maybe Precious made them 💕 

 

Merry Christmas 

Merry Xmas

This is the most exciting part of any party....who gets to cut the cake?

.

No.... I'm wrong, it's the sodas!  For these kids, to have a soda is the same as us getting a new computer.

Our new bus is safely home 

The children prepared a Merry Christmas sign for all of you expressing their thanks for caring for them.  Honestly, you have no idea how happy they are to go to school six days a week, to learn to speak English and to have food on the table every day.  But, I think all this happiness comes from having a real family that truly loves each other.  Something none of them had ever experienced in the past.

On behalf of all of us at Home of Angels, we wish you peace, happiness, and the love that the true meaning of Christmas brings.  Thank you for praying for us and never giving up making a difference in these children's lives.

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to you all.

 

Dreams Do Come True

Have you ever noticed the hundreds of people who pay money to run a race, climb a mountain or just push their limit of endurance in some way?  Then there are the people that reach out to strangers to help them finish their race?  Not just to finish first but to pursue teamwork as a model of living out their faith in Jesus.  That's exactly how Edwin and I feel with what's happening with the race we're experiencing at our Home of Angels.  Many of you are those people who are reaching out to help complete strangers and there is not enough words to express our "Thanks".  Those of you who sponsor the children; donations to help us provide a home and schools for them.  To build a medical clinic that is also helping the sick in our community, and our biggest dream, a church.  This dream will soon be fulfilled.

We've started a self-sustainability program where each child will leave HOA with a trade.  Our children phasing out next year at 18-years-old have been offered a theology course at YWAM in order that they can come back to HOA and work in our new church.  Not only that, each child when they leave will carry a photo album filled with pictures of the time spent with us.  Thanks Hannah so much.

Times are very uneasy right now in Uganda.  The COVID-19 that's gripping the country; the elections once again causing turmoil on the streets and the poverty creating a lack of food. There's another thank you.  All of you that donated money to feed the 6,000 people.

We honestly couldn't have done it without the help of God putting you on our amazing team. All of you wonderful people helped us with these projects and we want you to know how grateful we are.

Since I left Uganda before the COVID-19, the following are some of the projects that have been completed.  

                                                        Ptarmigan Primary School 

Now that schools are open in Uganda, Ptarmigan Primary school was completed in the nick of time.

Presently our children at Home of Angels are attending but when the time is right, we have a full list of applicants that will also attend from communities surrounding us.

Meet the teachers and principal of both schools.  Two of the teachers are presently teaching at Morning Star and the others are all working with the children at Ptarmigan Primary school.  With COVID-19 and the uneasyness on the streets, we will not be bringing in new students until it's safe.  We have been approved for the pandemic situation.

We've recently been donated a 36-seater school bus that will enable all students to get back and forth from school. Thanks to Ptarmigan Foundation for purchasing a bus for their Primary school.  What an amazing gift!

Again, with everything currently happening in Uganda, only our kids are attending but in time, registration will start for our Morning Star nursery school.  

The children have learned to wash their hands and practice it even before entering the school room.

I don't think they knew this picture was taken because they look like they are really learning.  Ugandan kids really feel it is a privilege to go to school and when I hear them in our meetings together, they are really starting to improve their English.  Now, if we could just get over the shyness of looking into a computer.

We recently had to dig another hole for the waste in the latrine that was built 10 years ago.  Can you imagine one man doing this by hand? 

We're almost to our dream....the church.  This picture is only an example, not reality.  The land is purchased and who knows...by next year it's a possibility.  We just keeping praying.  One good thing is we have a very dedicated Pastor who is coming on board with us as an employee soon.  We are currently able to purchase Bibles and slowly everything will come together.

I might be in trouble with this picture but it's my very favourite throughout our journey of Home of Angels

Uganda is not exempt from COVID-19 but the statistics are so much better than North America.  There have been 18,165 cases with 181 deaths.  The borders are all open, including the airport but wouldn't you know, another situation is currently happening.  The elections will be on January 14, 2021.  Of course, as in any election there is violence so please pray for the people there.  Thank you.

Challenges in a Broken World

 Before I start this blog, Edwin and I want to thank many of you who have given your hearts to help Home of Angels and the people in our community throughout the COVID-19 period.  This journey really describes life in our broken world.  On the way we encounter highs and lows,  joys and sorrows, but as a follower of Christ we will never face this journey alone.  The challenges and opportunities we face on our journey can be met confidently, for God has promised us His never-failing presence.

Uganda's COVID-19  currently is at 9,801 testing positive and 93 deaths.  Mainly because of containers coming in from Mombasa, Kenya, they are finding that many drivers are carrying the virus into Uganda.  They are being tested now through the border crossing in Busia.  With the trucks also supplying Rwanda and south plus the airport on lockdown, certain items have increased drastically.  The worst that I've heard of is a box of rubber gloves for USD $125.00/box. Can you imagine??

An update on Jessica, the lady that was burned in her grass hut and lost her two children in the fire.  Jessica had been in the hospital for a month and currently is back home in her village.  The doctor who helped her was kind enough to continue assisting her with therapy until her limbs were completely healed.

Regarding the goats, we currently have 565 consisting of 385 mature and 180 kids.  Again, because of the pandemic we're not able to sell them until the country is more relaxed and borders open up.

We had planted 200,000 conifer trees as seedlings on our school property for the government.  They were transferred to a piece of land north of us owned by a family member, but again, the rains prevented Edwin from driving that far north.  Recently, he was able to get there and discovered we now have 190,000 doing well.

We will keep you updated as best we can with pictures and information, but throughout these times with the children not allowed out to do their normal activities, we have less information to share with you.  I hope you understand and will be patient until our world heals.

Because we live outside Jinja town, the only place that Precious and Edwin can get clothing for the children is in the downtown market.  They both do the shopping for clothing and somehow always seem to get the sizes correct, especially with the girls dresses.  When Edwin purchases shoes he just calls a friend and they all arrive at the grass hut that day.

 

The older children are working currently inside the compound helping the aunties with cooking and the wash.  The little boys are happier....they get to go and weed the maize and beans fields.   It works out well right now with no school and even though they take turns, it seems like our 13 little guys are loving this job away from home.

This is why we're able to help a few neighbours with food.  As long as the rains don't destroy all of it, we can also help some of the hungry people in our community.

As we mentioned in the last blog, our "School of Skills" is now up and running.  So far we have

three sewing machines and with Desire phasing out from Home of Angels next year.  Thanks to Precious she has learned to make some clothes for herself.  These kids are smart and learn very quickly.

When I think of how little Hope and Desire were when they came to us, I almost want to shed a tear to think that they are phasing out soon.  These sisters had a little brother Sammie who was kidnapped, disappeared and never found.  Since Edwin and I have taken over 10,000 pictures between us, we want to put a photo album together of each child of their life at Home of Angels.  Our dear friend Hannah asked if she could have this as a project to do for her class.  Technology is not my world so this was really a blessing for me.  Thanks Hannah. 😇

Edwin found Hope and Desire on the streets selling charcoal with two blind grandmothers and a little  brother.  This was prior to building our home for children.  Both these girls were caretakers at five-years old. They picked weeds every day to feed the family but when Edwin found out, that was definitely going to stop.  Here he had brought them real food and from that day on, we helped the family survive.  Both Jaaja's died and Sammie was taken.  In 2013, both girls came to live at Home of Angels and since then, I would say they were in a way "Mamas" to the little ones.  

We still have one project left to finish and that's to build a small church.  We have the land but COVID-19 hit and we didn't get a chance.  Our Pastor Richard has been going back into the villages due to requests from the village leaders to have him explain who this "Jesus" was that gave them the food.  In the meantime until we can build a structure, we've decided to purchase solar, audible, Luganda bibles. Thanks to you, we were able to order 35 of them.  The children also received one and listen to it every night.

I can't resist this....No, this isn't Joseph with a gun to Walter's head.  Walter is our new school guard and has come to speak to Edwin at home.  Everyone must wash their hands and have their temperature taken before they can go any further.  We do it on the forehead, they do it at the side of the head.

Thank you all once again for following our story at Home of Angels.  The people in our community have  been truly blessed with your love in making a difference in their lives through COVID-19.  Many a tear was shed.  The children know that they have never been abandoned by Jesus or by you and because of that, they are all growing up knowing how to share love and hope with others.  

When The Poor Became Our Family

What happens when a pandemic such as we're currently experiencing pushes millions into extreme poverty?  What happens to the people who had nothing before COVID-19 started?

As a Christian, I've learned that we are not saved by works alone but by faith.  We live out our faith by loving others less fortunate and caring for their needs also.  I honestly believe that everything we've done at Home of Angels is not only caring for our own children but also for the poor, widows and orphans in our community.  Because of this, our kids at HOA have witnessed what a heart full of love and hope can do for them in their future.  They will carry on doing this exact same thing, helping the less fortunate.  I do want to make it clear though, any donations coming to Home of Angels is for HOA unless otherwise specified.

Thanks once again to everyone for helping the people in our community to have something to ease the starvation .  We were able to feed 6,000 families because of you.  Even for Edwin's wife Precious, who now lives in our community instead in the city of Kampala is seeing how devastating it is where there is literally no food in the areas they went to deliver.  It's a traumatic thing to witness.  The country is on a very strict lockdown and until this week, there had been zero deaths of COVID-19.  As of today,  there are 9 fatalities.

I found this on a mud hut and never forgot it.  This tells it all.

We have always believed in helping the poor and I want to share this picture with you.  Whether it's food or whether it's water, there is lack of both in our community.  These children are now grown and still our neighbors but they never forgot how we shared our well water with them.  Anytime we need them, they are there for us now.

Precious bringing food to an elderly woman in a village north of us.

Many children are also smashing rocks in the quarries so they can sell them for a little money to buy food for their family.

This is Jessica.  I remember her walking past our gate selling avocados in a basket on her head.
She had 3 small children and a husband.  Because the husband couldn't feed them and out of shame, he decided to set their grass hut on fire and run.  The children all died but Jessica got out and survived severely burned and had lost one eye.  Because Edwin had the medicine in our clinic that our dear friend Thomas donated, he was able to help her.  A donor then came forth and Edwin was able to get her into a hospital in Entebbe for surgery.  Both arms and legs were locked but the surgery was sucessful.  She will have nothing when she returns home to her village, but here again, someone gave her a tent to live in and Edwin and Precious have given her sheets.  As poor as they are, many people will help her through this trauma.

It's now mandatory that all children housed in an orphanage must leave at 18-years-old.  We've started a "School of Skills" to train them in different ways for survival.  The first idea was to make soap.  This soap will be used to clean everything except the body.  Edwin's friend has come in to train them and they've mastered it already.  With the new school restrictions recently put out, they have produced fifteen 20-litre jerry cans so far at a much less cost.  This is not to be sold but for our compound use and a business for them one day.

When the time comes, this will be something the kids can use for advertising their business.

The older kids are learning to make doughnuts.  Precious is teaching them how to make different kinds and has purchased a pot and oil to cook them in outside.  All these things will not be shared outside Home of Angels.  It's only to teach them, perfect it and when they are off on their own, they will have some skills under their belt.

Learning to prepare dough for Ugandan treats  

Sam and the older boys love soccer, but because I can't get there at this time with the balls, they are making their own out of banana fibres and old clothing that was going to be trashed.  Where there's a will, there's a way.  

The next thing planned will be sewing.  We have purchased the machines and the classes will start depending on the school schedule.  We have some other ideas coming also and we will guarantee that when each child departs, they will have a skill.  Nobody will go back to the streets to live.

Thanks for being patient for this blog.  Many of you have wondered what has happened as our followers have watched one per month for 9 years and haven't seen one lately.  The reason is because of these unsettled times and it's been difficult to get pictures and information as we used to be able to.  

In the past, the sponsors would get letters from their kids and report cards, but that is going to be difficult until this pandemic ends  I'm in the process of sending you all updated photos in the mail. 

Your kids love you all and worry you will forget them. 

As Dr. Bonnie Henry says:

BE KIND, BE CALM AND BE SAFE

The Invisible Enemy - The Visible God

Uganda reported their first known case of Coronavirus on March 22, 2020.  President Museveni was quick to close borders, many markets, churches, all gathering places and no transportation on the roads without a permit.  As of today there are still no deaths, 507 are infected with 82 having recovered.  The only country in East Africa with zero death.

Villages north of us are deep in the bush and difficult to access.  They have no idea what's currently happening in our world.  All they know is they can't access food and they're going days without eating anything but weeds. One father we know of killed his children to spare them from starvation.

Edwin was able to find a friend that had a car with a speaker on top.  With  Pastor Richard from YWAM, they together devised an audio tape to play as they drove the dirt paths describing this worldwide pandemic, the potential impact and why the markets were closed.  

Our immediate community consists of 285,000 people.  They are currently more scared of starvation than they are of COVID-19.  Edwin was contacted by the Resident District Commisioner, a representative of the President of Uganda, to lead a task force in our area distributing food to the starving.  He knows the people that are most suffering in our community and he would be given security to pass the food out, if he should accept. After talking it over with Precious and listening daily to the many outside our gate crying for help, they felt he must do this.  It says in Matthew 25:35 "For I was hungry, and you fed me."

This past month, we have been blessed to have donors to help feed many of these people.
I also received a call today from an 11-year-old boy named Isaiah who wanted to send us $15.00 of his very own money to be able to help too.  I have to tell you, Isaiah melted my heart today.

Thank you everyone for your generous hearts to provide meals for the suffering in our community.

Meet our 2020 baby class.  All schools have been closed in Uganda but they wanted to meet you by getting their uniforms on and having a picture taken with their teacher.  We have grown by seven children from the poorest of the poor in our neighbourhood.  I see little Joweli in the red dress in the front and cannot believe how tall she has gotten. It seems like yesterday that our LITTLE Joweli was only 3-years-old.

This is the vehicle that will spend 7 days at 8 hours a day going through areas where they are really suffering and don't understand why the world suddenly stopped.  Pastor Richard will also be prepared in case a death and the family needs prayer.

Edwin found a room to store the food and with donations coming in, he's calculated they may be able to feed around 2,600 families.  What you see in these pictures is about 1/4 of the amount they will be handing out with the military.  In the meantime Precious, with an escort will be giving to the really needy within walking distance.  The thing is, they can't wait to get all the bags together as these people need it quickly so they try and pass out 100 bags a day.

Filling up slowly

This lovely woman was sitting outside our gate and Precious gave her a bag of pocho.  She explained that this food was from Jesus and the woman wept hard.  Later that night, Edwin went to her home and explained who Jesus is and gave her a Bible.  If you're wondering what has happened to her skin, she has a disease called Vitiligo where the black skin peels off.

This family are our immediate neighbours and mama is alone with 8 children.  As you can see, one of the girls has picked weeds to cook for dinner, but now they will have a wonderful meal of pocho and weeds.  This treat was a surprise and very appreciated.

Edwin delivered maize flour to a group of hungry people he knew in a village close to us.  I've witnessed this myself and I can just visualize the tears of joy right now.  Thank you donors from all these people.  They can only express their gratefulness though Edwin and I and I want you to know they are very very thankful.

And then we have the elderly that have absolutely nothing. Precious again knows exactly who to give out food too.  The old, the alone and the ones incapable of caring for themselves. What you see here is probably all she owns besides a cooking pot.

Pastor Richard helps a group of people that have been cleaning leaves to prepare for dinner.  To their surprise they were given a large bag of beans and another of pocho to mix with them. We have been blessed with this man coming into our lives right now.  He is a very caring man who loves his people and will do anything with Edwin to help them.  He also will be taking our three older kids to YWAM when they age out of Home of Angels.

We had to let our staff go until everything gets back to normal with the pandemic, but Sula, who has been with us since 2009 is still helping the elderly.  He's helping my old friend here who has cataracts so badly, I'm not sure she can see anymore.  This is the Jaaja that our "God's Little Angels Ministry" (the children) helps often.

Precious is really a good person to do this job because her heart is so big and she loves the Lord so much. We may not have been able to get the church in time before the pandemic hit but we have a church on foot ministering to many people.

Helping Hands will love this picture with their hand-made toques.  Thanks ladies for helping these boys with their favourite head gear.  I sure do miss these beautiful faces and afraid one day, when I can go back, I won't recognize them because they are growing so quickly.


Thanks again to all of you who have followed our story over the years.  We have come so far but couldn't have done it without you.  Whether it's been a donation or a simple comment to encourage me here in Canada, thank you.