Friday, April 3, 2020

Coping Under Lockdown

This blog is written in very unsettled times but Edwin and I think it's necessary to always update the good and the bad.  Many of you have followed our journey for years and supported us to help the Home of Angels children experience what a family atmosphere really feels like with hope and love.  You have not only enabled us to grow, but to help these children develop into beautiful little human beings.  Thank you so much for that.

Currently, we are experiencing the COVID-19 in Uganda.  We are in an area outside the town of Jinja where they don't have much chance with the poverty and the new regulations put upon the people by President Museveni.  For us in the modern world, we understand that this has to be done, but for people that really don't understand the global situation, it will be devastating.  Please pray for them.

HOA has had to make some drastic changes to protect everyone.  We had a meeting with the children explaining the pandemic.  Aunty Joy decided to stay for however many months it took for it to end and every child is assigned jobs to help her.  Both compounds have large signs outside the gates saying "Out of Bounds".  We still have our two guards; each one showering on the school compound before work and putting on a new uniform before entering our home compound.  Uniforms will be left with us when their shift is completed.

Until today, Edwin was planning on driving to Jinja for anything he may have missed when he was informed that there will be no cars, bicycles or any form of transportation allowed on the roads.  Everyone now must walk.

On a brighter note, here are some pictures that will make you smile.





In 2018 Andy Steiger and Power to Change came to our Home of Angels to do a documentary on the Human Project.  They did such a good job that it went worldwide and they were granted 5 International Awards.  We'd like to share these with you.

Winner Best Short:  Canadian International Faith & Family Film Festival 2018
People's Choice:  Compassion Film Festival 2018
Bronze Award:  Inspiration Short Film:  Christian Family Festival 2018
Official Selection:  Human Rights Film Festival Barcelona Spain 2018
Official Selection:  North Dakota Human Rights Film & Arts Festival 2018





And what would we ever do without our Aunty Joy?  She is a woman who considers each child as one of her own and feels every pain they go through.  She will be with us throughout this difficult time and continue to keep everything in order.  The children will help her at all times.



The children spend a lot of their time making bracelets.  Barbra is teaching Elijah and Yahigha how to make them.  Over the years they've raised their own money to purchase the one thing they love the most and that's anything to do with music and singing.





We couldn't have had a better picture of Mariam sorting beans.  




Joweli, our new compound teacher explaining to David and Sam how to count.  They may be under lockdown but they are still making sure that their studies are getting done.  School is the highlight of all their lives and without it, they continue their studies on their own.





This little one was always doing crazy things.  I went to the avocado tree when I was there and we noticed nails hammered up the tree.  David, our most fragile child thought he could get an avacado if he climbed high enough.  A hard lessoned learned not to do things that can hurt him.  He has decided to stick to learning schoolwork instead.






Eddie and Elijah helping Yahigha carry his bath water.  Yahigha was severely malnourished as a child and has difficulty lifting heavy objects.  Thank goodness for his brothers who are always by his side helping him.





Thanks to our friends Graham and Annie, the children are now able to tell their sponsors things about their life at Home of Angels.  They love to write to their sponsors and believe me, it's well received over here.






When I first met Edwin in 2009, he used to walk to Jinja Town every day to the internet cafe so we could discuss business.  He did that for almost a year until he got a bicycle.  Those were simple days but now, he will be walking again as the President has forbidden any other way to move around.  Thanks to our dear friend Thomas in Hong Kong, he has received masks that will keep him safe and if they obey the rule of staying 4 meters away from anyone outside the compound, they might have a good chance of getting through this pandemic.


As Easter will be upon us very soon, we must always remember that because of love, Jesus came to earth and was born a baby.  Because of love, He received the abuse of the teachers of the law, the crowds, and the soldiers.  Because of love, He suffered and died to be the perfect sacrifice, standing in our place before the Father.  We all live because of love and we can never forget that.

Thank you for all your love for our Home of Angels.

















No comments:

Post a Comment