Canada to Uganda with Love

I arrived back into Uganda almost a month ago with a team to find everyone in our Home of Angels well and happy.  Lots of hugs and chatter about school, their "Angel" family and what they've been doing to help the less fortunate.  It's been devastation for many in our community putting up with the rains for the past 5 months and losing their homes.  Not only losing homes but electrical storms that killed many.  It will now be mandatory to have lightening rods on each building to protect the people inside.  When we are faced with difficult circumstances, whether it be sickness, poverty or loss, we place our faith and trust in God.  He is with us in everything that confronts us and He is our strength.

 Edwin and Precious are living on the compound until they can get their home built and maybe, since the school is also being constructed, it's a good thing for them being that close right now.  The children call Precious "Mama" and that's especially good for the older girls to have someone to talk to about girly things.  It's all working out the way it should be.

We have also devised a plan to train the kids for a trade in the future.  We have a few years before they leave but it's on our agenda now.  We want to be one step ahead.

Meet the team that recently came to Uganda with me.  The "Radiant Rachels" and Janet who are being given a tour by our lovely Precious.  We arrived into Entebbe airport at 2 am with all our 8 suitcases missing.  By the time we filled out the forms to recover them, it was around 4 am and off to the hotel we went.  Thank goodness they all came in on the 10 am flight that next morning so we were able to get to Jinja by afternoon for our welcome performance.

With the help of both Rachels, Hope and Desire made 4 home-made birthday cakes for their annual family birthday celebration.  It was good to see how happy they were home with everyone.  These two girls have been with us for 10 years and we've watched them grow into lovely young ladies.

There was a time when each child could hold a knife to frost the cakes but as you can see, its now quite a challenge.  When these kids are older, the birthday party will be the one memory they will never forget.

Eddie, David and Sammy showing off their cake and sodas

"Good Seeds Will Prosper" is what will happen in this school.  If we have teachers as good as the nursery school, these children will thrive.  The little ones in Morning Star have gone from no English to carrying on a conversation in one year.   Why?  Teacher Aidha and her assistants are very experienced and they personally care about each child's education..  

Ptarmigan primary school will be completed for the first day of school with a second floor currently being built.  There are 20 workers doing their best to make this happen by working 12 hours days, 7 days a week.  We have been blessed to have the best contractor in the area and many of the same crew who built the homes in our other compound.

The Ministry of Education has advised us to have an office for the principal and teachers.  We were able to convert and extend the existing building on the property that we used when we had chickens.

The clinic, better know as the "Aide House" is almost completed.  The septic is in and the water tank is ready to be installed.  The only thing left to do are the floors in two rooms.

The clinic will only be for malaria testing and for burns. This past week I was there to witness a woman coming to Edwin for help.  When the floors are approved by the health department, we will be open with a good doctor to help our neighbours.

 One of the planned activities with the Rachels were to make paper plate purses with pipe cleaner ties. This event took most of the morning and it was the little boys that carried everything from toques to chapati in them for the rest of the day.

Thanks to Graham, our new cartoonist friend, the children were able to write letters to their sponsors.
Each sponsor received not only a letter but a copy of their report card and an updated picture.

And a big thanks to Doreen for making all the little people blue shirts.  They didn't take them off until they were forced to wash them.  It was hot and it was the only cool shirt they had. They love them.



As you can see, we have been very blessed with what has been happening in Uganda.  It's because many of you care and all of us at Home of Angels are very grateful.  We've almost made it, but the one big thing yet to do is our church.  Our dream will come true in time but it will be in God's timing, not ours.  By just looking at these faces above, you can see the effect our home has had on these children and they truly call themselves a family.

By the way, The "Radiant Rachels" have a website with the most amazing food.  We sampled it every night as they cooked and Janet and I did the dishes.  They made everything from cinnamon rolls, braided bread, pineapple upside down cake, caramel corn and much more.  Can you imagine the tears when these girls leave?

https://www.radiantrachels.com