tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22955711320490361002024-03-14T01:50:55.517-07:00the borch porchsharing our story about Liberian adoption, life, and our hearts dream and call to AfricaKatiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16971226768425744265noreply@blogger.comBlogger134125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2295571132049036100.post-3701192466676507852012-12-03T09:51:00.000-08:002012-12-03T09:51:02.787-08:00Our Last post!!...A shout out for our friends serving in Uganda!<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;">It's been a year since we've posted! This is the reason why this will be our last post for a while until we redo our blog and can commit time to blogging again!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: large;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: large;">There's so much I could share about our family, life in Uganda, adoption...but my heart in this post is to share about good friends we've met along the way who are making a huge impact in people's lives that have been affected by the LRA. Jeff and I are not quick to promote organizations or people unless we know who they are and what they are doing on the ground, truthfully. We are relationship people first...taught this way and raised this way by all our spiritual mentors. So, after two years of living in Uganda, and seeing our friends work here, we want to share about it with all of our friends around the world. Why? Because we believe what they are doing is God's heart for His kids. It's something so needed but not addressed in Uganda. It's probably due to the nature of their work. Carl & Julie are counselors/ therapists who are diving into the broken and traumatized hearts of people and helping them to walk them out of their pain, agony, and suffering into life, love and freedom through Jesus! </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: large;"></span><br />
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-p0-lhpyJA9g/ULts88c-X9I/AAAAAAAACG8/X1Bsn43VLtY/s1600/149143_4245809976483_410422174_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-p0-lhpyJA9g/ULts88c-X9I/AAAAAAAACG8/X1Bsn43VLtY/s400/149143_4245809976483_410422174_n.jpg" width="400" /></a><span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: large;">I want you to hear from Julie's heart about who they are, what they do & what they want to do (with the help of others). I will post her letter below:) Please take the minute to read it, it's worth it. I want to share about their work, <a href="http://www.tutapona.com/#" target="_blank">Tutapona</a>, because they are in need of funding to reach those affected by the LRA. Jeff & I have been blessed over the years by so many of you through financial donations for Bethesda International and Osobie's Playground project, and we are still so thankful! I had hoped that this Christmas, if any of you are looking for somewhere to give, that you would consider blessing <a href="http://www.tutapona.com/#" target="_blank">Tutapona</a>. They are dear friends and servants here in Uganda who have a desire to see people healed and set free from the horrible trauma they have endured due to the LRA in Northern Uganda. I believe in them and their work and and proud to call them friends! </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Papyrus; font-size: 14pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: small;">
</span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;"><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<em><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 14pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Dear
Katie-</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></em></div>
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: small;"><em>
</em></span>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 14pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><em>We
felt our specific calling to come to Uganda after two short-term trips, in
which we saw the desperate need of thousands who had lost fathers, or mothers,
or sisters or brothers – or even been abducted themselves into the brutally
horrifying “Lord’s Resistance Army.” We saw missing arms, missing lips, and a
missing and raw perspective regarding the hope that we were created to know.</em></span></div>
</span><span style="font-family: Papyrus; font-size: 14pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;"><em>We were merely trained in clinical social work –we were
employed to walk American people through the hardships and difficulties that
can be experienced within the walls of a culture that offered and stood for
human rights and justice. “What can we offer, Lord?” we pondered, “we
know nothing about how to mend the mind of a person forced to eat the flesh of
a loved one!... but yes, we will go, because You are able, and willing
to use even the limited.”</em></span></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span><br />
<br />
<em><span style="font-family: Papyrus; font-size: 14pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">We arrived in 2008, with our 4 and 8 year old daughters in
tow. We spent 3 years with an organization, developing and implementing a
Trauma Rehabilitation program in Northern Uganda. We trained up local nationals
to implement the program in their own language, and witnessed 19,000
individuals go through the program. We heard incredible testimonies of healing
that were overwhelming, and we stood in awe and amazement of the only One Who
could bring such a transformation. After year two, we needed to create a
follow-up discipleship program, as up to 80% of each group that went through
the program made a decision to follow Christ. Indescribable!</span></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></em><br />
<em>
</em><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Papyrus; font-size: 14pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;"><em>Throughout our time in Northern Uganda, we felt a gnawing
need to bring this program into an area of Southern Sudan, where, for over a
decade, Joseph Kony marched his abducted child soldiers and sex slaves and
camped out – devastating the area surrounding it. The organization we worked
for didn’t share such dreams, but kindly allowed us to decrease work hours and
open our own NGO, called <b><a href="http://www.tutapona.com/#" target="_blank">Tutapona</a></b>, so that we could reach that area. In
August of 2011, we hired a team and began the</em> <em>work. Then in May 2012, after a
gradual transition of decreasing hours with the other organization, we moved
full-time into reaching Southern Sudan and other war-torn areas in need through
Tutapona. The organization we were working with no longer was interested in
outreach to communities/trauma rehabilitation as they wanted to work solely
with their existing programs (orphans and widows). We took a great ‘leap of
faith’ (as the current organization had been providing our salary, housing and
gasoline) </em></span><em><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">and </span><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">followed God full-time into <strong><a href="http://www.tutapona.com/#" target="_blank">Tutapona</a></strong>.</span></em></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;"><em>
</em></span><span style="font-family: Papyrus; font-size: 14pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;"><em>Now, 7 months later, we are wrapping up our work with the
Acholi Tribe of So. Sudan and have been gearing up to reach the unreached and
war-torn area of North-Western Uganda – Amoru Region. However, after a visit
last week to a refugee camp in South Western Uganda, we are praying through next
steps!! This refugee camp has 72,000 war-impacted refugees from 9 countries,
including devastated Congolese, Somali, and South Sudanese. Many are from
Muslim origin and we are excited!! What an amazing opportunity to bring
emotional healing through Jesus Christ and share the message of salvation –
within the confines of a “safe” country and within the structure of a</em> <em>“captive
audience.”</em></span><em> </em></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;"><em>
</em></span><span style="font-family: Papyrus; font-size: 14pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><em><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">We believe God is asking us to move forward with this camp –
at our meeting, the camp’s leader stated “It is a tinder-box here, ready to
catch fire! There is so much tribal and cultural tension on top of what these
individuals have experienced… we</span> <span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">can </span></em><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;"><em>give them shelter and food but unless they
are given emotional heeling and hope, what good will it be? There have been no
other organizations doing the work you are proposing.” So, we are just sorting
through whether or not God desires us to reach North and Southwestern Uganda
simultaneously.</em> </span></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">
</span><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="font-family: Papyrus; font-size: 14pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">We are so thankful for your prayers, Katie! As well, as for
your desire to let others know of the work that God is doing!!</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman;"><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">
<span style="font-family: Papyrus; font-size: 14pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Julie</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman;"><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">
<span style="font-family: Papyrus; font-size: 14pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><strong>p.s. If you are interested in visiting our website & for donations, log on
to </strong><a href="http://www.tutapona.com/" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"><strong>http://www.tutapona.com/</strong></span></a></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">
<span style="font-family: Papyrus; font-size: 14pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Additionally, you can check our our blog, which can be
accessed from the website as well as ‘like’ our Tutapona facebook page.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
</div>
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<br /></div>
Katiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16971226768425744265noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2295571132049036100.post-40976891710072321092011-12-03T02:11:00.000-08:002011-12-03T02:12:00.088-08:00Stella Kate our sweet Ugandan daughter!!!<div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;">So I've attempted to load up some photos of little Miss Stella Kate Kirabo Borchert from the beginnings to the most recent days. I really wanted to compile a blog post about our story of adoption/fostering in Uganda but being a baby mama means that I don't have much time for blogging these days...I"m not at all complaining...I'm loving spending time with Stella!! Slowly I'm compiling the story of our journey to Stella because I think it's worth sharing. It's worth sharing because it's a story of God's faithfulness and goodness! Hopefully it wont take me 6 months to do it! Stella is a super happy baby who smiles and laughs at all our silliness and goofy faces. She's brought so much JOY to our family, we are blessed! She's growing up so fast, almost too fast! I'm ever grateful for all the advice I've gotten from my friends back home that have told me to enjoy every day with her and to hold Stella as often as I can because they grow up so fast! You are all right. I'm amazed at the changes that we see everyday as she learns to roll, grab things, babble and start to sit up. Osobie and Fatu are surprised by how little she cries. I think they expected it to be a bit harder than it is right now which is great for them and for us! She's not a crier, which is awesome! Osobie has really stepped up as big brother and loves to hold her and carry her around while we supervise. Fatu also enjoys Stella but is a little more hesitant when it comes to carrying her because she's afraid she will wiggle loose! Life is very full in the Borchert home and we love every minute of it!! Thank you for all the prayers over the many years of our travels and living in Uganda!! We will write more about Uganda and all that happens over here in another post. Until then....</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-CoUUtCSb56Y/TtCxmssxr7I/AAAAAAAAB-k/cMlQF0wNp2U/s1600/July+4+pics+2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" hda="true" height="240" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-CoUUtCSb56Y/TtCxmssxr7I/AAAAAAAAB-k/cMlQF0wNp2U/s320/July+4+pics+2.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-0ZOmcfVhST8/TtCxt515VNI/AAAAAAAAB-s/9dvRhKQFVrM/s1600/July+4+pics+6JPG.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" hda="true" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-0ZOmcfVhST8/TtCxt515VNI/AAAAAAAAB-s/9dvRhKQFVrM/s320/July+4+pics+6JPG.JPG" width="240" /></a></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-G69AjdmLQX8/TtC1luNi6WI/AAAAAAAAB-0/0RrRwJncZ7Y/s1600/blog+.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" hda="true" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-G69AjdmLQX8/TtC1luNi6WI/AAAAAAAAB-0/0RrRwJncZ7Y/s320/blog+.JPG" width="240" /></a></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-RrAY4W1aZoM/TtC4hAkLGxI/AAAAAAAAB-8/VCJwN5ZEHas/s1600/blog2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" hda="true" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-RrAY4W1aZoM/TtC4hAkLGxI/AAAAAAAAB-8/VCJwN5ZEHas/s320/blog2.JPG" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-3_TvjpzmdEI/TtDhokYvW0I/AAAAAAAAB_E/Tk-jeZ99FLc/s1600/blog1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" hda="true" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-3_TvjpzmdEI/TtDhokYvW0I/AAAAAAAAB_E/Tk-jeZ99FLc/s320/blog1.JPG" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Yh0QjQCHHvM/TtDk8nRUDjI/AAAAAAAAB_M/tqdhQXOqs8A/s1600/blog2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" hda="true" height="240" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Yh0QjQCHHvM/TtDk8nRUDjI/AAAAAAAAB_M/tqdhQXOqs8A/s320/blog2.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-OGMy1zG7A5A/TtM4V58FCNI/AAAAAAAAB_c/JpLlDpFQINQ/s1600/Back+from+States+September+052.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" dda="true" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-OGMy1zG7A5A/TtM4V58FCNI/AAAAAAAAB_c/JpLlDpFQINQ/s320/Back+from+States+September+052.JPG" width="240" /></a><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-IAiByTOyRUs/TtM--Zh6ACI/AAAAAAAAB_k/eeGnpJlsgCA/s1600/blog1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" dda="true" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-IAiByTOyRUs/TtM--Zh6ACI/AAAAAAAAB_k/eeGnpJlsgCA/s320/blog1.JPG" width="240" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-JDZz_-GXl1A/TtM_ViG7IdI/AAAAAAAAB_s/bOThR5SfXeg/s1600/blog2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" dda="true" height="240" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-JDZz_-GXl1A/TtM_ViG7IdI/AAAAAAAAB_s/bOThR5SfXeg/s320/blog2.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-IltBYs6MI9Q/TtM_wmPL1pI/AAAAAAAAB_0/SvU63xPqO6Y/s1600/blog4.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" dda="true" height="240" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-IltBYs6MI9Q/TtM_wmPL1pI/AAAAAAAAB_0/SvU63xPqO6Y/s320/blog4.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-RxIqPUH2ckY/TtNABwhxouI/AAAAAAAAB_8/LLFJMnwZKpk/s1600/blog5.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" dda="true" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-RxIqPUH2ckY/TtNABwhxouI/AAAAAAAAB_8/LLFJMnwZKpk/s320/blog5.JPG" width="240" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-B3kW-x67B8w/TtNAK3kqtBI/AAAAAAAACAE/GELO82C_5Do/s1600/blog6.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" dda="true" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-B3kW-x67B8w/TtNAK3kqtBI/AAAAAAAACAE/GELO82C_5Do/s320/blog6.JPG" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-_Jrhiq27Meg/TtNMrkzN3jI/AAAAAAAACAU/pdBuf8bWbMA/s1600/October+Stella+022.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" dda="true" height="240" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-_Jrhiq27Meg/TtNMrkzN3jI/AAAAAAAACAU/pdBuf8bWbMA/s320/October+Stella+022.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-P1HJVrWnGpM/TtM1eKmzTOI/AAAAAAAAB_U/iDYOqCy-0f0/s1600/US+then+back+to+UG+073.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" dda="true" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-P1HJVrWnGpM/TtM1eKmzTOI/AAAAAAAAB_U/iDYOqCy-0f0/s320/US+then+back+to+UG+073.JPG" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-_EO95hDN8pw/TtNnU-czRuI/AAAAAAAACBM/lrGFd8t4iJU/s1600/stella+sun.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" dda="true" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-_EO95hDN8pw/TtNnU-czRuI/AAAAAAAACBM/lrGFd8t4iJU/s320/stella+sun.JPG" width="240" /></a><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Pb7XVFoCwG8/TtNkX6YuVJI/AAAAAAAACA0/KDe4_R4MbL8/s1600/stella+play.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" dda="true" height="240" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Pb7XVFoCwG8/TtNkX6YuVJI/AAAAAAAACA0/KDe4_R4MbL8/s320/stella+play.JPG" width="320" /></a><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-XrE9GUwLDlY/TtNlX18LP_I/AAAAAAAACA8/EwUjToGC7Is/s1600/stella+bear.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" dda="true" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-XrE9GUwLDlY/TtNlX18LP_I/AAAAAAAACA8/EwUjToGC7Is/s320/stella+bear.JPG" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Fy5UHz20Q-Y/TtNmfVDiSQI/AAAAAAAACBE/DS3GwJUoD-s/s1600/stella+smile+1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" dda="true" height="240" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Fy5UHz20Q-Y/TtNmfVDiSQI/AAAAAAAACBE/DS3GwJUoD-s/s320/stella+smile+1.JPG" width="320" /></a><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-35mjFfdz_oQ/TtNqqGnFCMI/AAAAAAAACBs/Dri3VBwZna0/s1600/November+Borch+Ug+life+061.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" dda="true" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-35mjFfdz_oQ/TtNqqGnFCMI/AAAAAAAACBs/Dri3VBwZna0/s320/November+Borch+Ug+life+061.JPG" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-eq-D9izEaJg/Ttnn2TBKn9I/AAAAAAAACB8/32q53w1vYsw/s1600/Thanksgiving+time+021.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" dda="true" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-eq-D9izEaJg/Ttnn2TBKn9I/AAAAAAAACB8/32q53w1vYsw/s320/Thanksgiving+time+021.JPG" width="240" /></a><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-oeGueJYX5EU/TtY7hdvGGiI/AAAAAAAACB0/HdCUg2io2pw/s1600/Stella+November+19.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" dda="true" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-oeGueJYX5EU/TtY7hdvGGiI/AAAAAAAACB0/HdCUg2io2pw/s320/Stella+November+19.JPG" width="240" /></a> <a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-E9juWQKZDFU/TtnoeePL-VI/AAAAAAAACCE/ybUYjga3bG4/s1600/5+month+photo.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" dda="true" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-E9juWQKZDFU/TtnoeePL-VI/AAAAAAAACCE/ybUYjga3bG4/s320/5+month+photo.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>Katiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16971226768425744265noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2295571132049036100.post-21320656238187641482011-09-12T11:50:00.000-07:002011-09-12T11:50:14.272-07:00Our quick trip home this summer!! <table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-xM8I54CX8ms/TmkHeIWHYpI/AAAAAAAAB8g/aPqucXZ8AHM/s1600/Borchert+fam+2011.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" nba="true" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-xM8I54CX8ms/TmkHeIWHYpI/AAAAAAAAB8g/aPqucXZ8AHM/s320/Borchert+fam+2011.jpg" width="235" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Family pic done by the one and only Cierra Lorenzen!!!!!!!!!!!! You got talent girlfriend!! We love you!!!</td></tr>
</tbody></table> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Well, after 9 months of being in Uganda....I finally post on our blog! Geez.. I had such great intentions of redoing our blog once we landed here and blogging every week at least, but wow... I just can't get the time to sit down and write about all that's happening here in good ole' Kampala Uganda!!! I think it's because I would much rather just live life here 100% and spend every minute absorbing the culture, people, good God appointments, family time, adventure, and the list goes on!! But, there's so much cool stuff to share, it's really a shame that I don't write it down and journal about African life! So, here's my 2nd blog since living in Uganda I think and well, this blog's all about our trip home to the U.S. in July! Just a picture blog really...I mean we went to Disney, so had to share some of the crazy fun the kids had this summer along with visits with friends and family! Hope to get a new blog up one day!! Until then,...enjoy!!!!</div><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-AyxCp9f1Isc/TmkIG0Z3VZI/AAAAAAAAB8k/R4Q7adoXq6w/s1600/Disneyland+2011+004.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" nba="true" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-AyxCp9f1Isc/TmkIG0Z3VZI/AAAAAAAAB8k/R4Q7adoXq6w/s320/Disneyland+2011+004.JPG" width="240" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Grammie with the kiddos! </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-WvKtwLwL2Rs/TmkIhJfRq7I/AAAAAAAAB8o/hTHfcCuMaMQ/s1600/Disneyland+2011+013.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" nba="true" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-WvKtwLwL2Rs/TmkIhJfRq7I/AAAAAAAAB8o/hTHfcCuMaMQ/s320/Disneyland+2011+013.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Fatu and O LOVE their Auntie Mekay!!!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-KJut8lnhbtg/TmkIsNqsKcI/AAAAAAAAB8s/rXpBDnZreKE/s1600/Disneyland+2011+032.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" nba="true" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-KJut8lnhbtg/TmkIsNqsKcI/AAAAAAAAB8s/rXpBDnZreKE/s320/Disneyland+2011+032.JPG" width="240" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">They also LOVE their cousin Mackenna!!!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-fpDX4LRTcSY/TmkI2t-_oVI/AAAAAAAAB8w/LBpsfxuKAPI/s1600/Disneyland+2011+086.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" nba="true" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-fpDX4LRTcSY/TmkI2t-_oVI/AAAAAAAAB8w/LBpsfxuKAPI/s320/Disneyland+2011+086.JPG" width="240" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-q_qY5YiajRg/TmkI-kPdpXI/AAAAAAAAB80/Vx31TuH_CZY/s1600/july+house+tour+010.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" nba="true" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-q_qY5YiajRg/TmkI-kPdpXI/AAAAAAAAB80/Vx31TuH_CZY/s320/july+house+tour+010.JPG" width="240" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Golfing at Grandma B and Grandpa B's house!!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-lwXO8wtcXcY/TmkJFn66PFI/AAAAAAAAB84/0Z1F0SkaLl0/s1600/july+house+tour+014.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" nba="true" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-lwXO8wtcXcY/TmkJFn66PFI/AAAAAAAAB84/0Z1F0SkaLl0/s320/july+house+tour+014.JPG" width="240" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-1_f0m9Q9vi0/TmkJPazqW-I/AAAAAAAAB88/jsNaMdwIchs/s1600/july+house+tour+018.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" nba="true" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-1_f0m9Q9vi0/TmkJPazqW-I/AAAAAAAAB88/jsNaMdwIchs/s320/july+house+tour+018.JPG" width="240" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Ball game with Grandpa B and Grandma B...loads of fun!!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Za9Vf7P1x1c/TmkJWmEcrEI/AAAAAAAAB9A/zg_e4Pbgsgk/s1600/july+house+tour+037.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" nba="true" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Za9Vf7P1x1c/TmkJWmEcrEI/AAAAAAAAB9A/zg_e4Pbgsgk/s320/july+house+tour+037.JPG" width="240" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Bowling with cousin Kyle!! Lots of fun with Aunt Linda, Uncle Brian and cuz!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-9K3VtZLVpEY/TmkJdsQxD2I/AAAAAAAAB9E/bcutGptcbiY/s1600/july+house+tour+042.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" nba="true" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-9K3VtZLVpEY/TmkJdsQxD2I/AAAAAAAAB9E/bcutGptcbiY/s320/july+house+tour+042.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">The GANG at DISNEY!!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-IECvI4XmTwY/TmkJmOW7A-I/AAAAAAAAB9I/3EzEz0gLMXU/s1600/july+house+tour+045.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" nba="true" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-IECvI4XmTwY/TmkJmOW7A-I/AAAAAAAAB9I/3EzEz0gLMXU/s320/july+house+tour+045.JPG" width="240" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-1F9TNYoKZg8/TmkJsRvgoRI/AAAAAAAAB9M/kK6oVNRVZlo/s1600/july+house+tour+057.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" nba="true" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-1F9TNYoKZg8/TmkJsRvgoRI/AAAAAAAAB9M/kK6oVNRVZlo/s320/july+house+tour+057.JPG" width="240" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-kT8tn6v_HRo/TmkLv64TmrI/AAAAAAAAB9g/w78fK1PPElo/s1600/july+house+tour+150.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" nba="true" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-kT8tn6v_HRo/TmkLv64TmrI/AAAAAAAAB9g/w78fK1PPElo/s320/july+house+tour+150.JPG" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-jf9jvxo6Ox4/TmkN261vM0I/AAAAAAAAB98/vAnjP9_uCYQ/s1600/me+and+laur.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" nba="true" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-jf9jvxo6Ox4/TmkN261vM0I/AAAAAAAAB98/vAnjP9_uCYQ/s320/me+and+laur.jpg" width="213" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Yup....Time with my sweet soul sista L!! hugs kisses friend!!!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-4Hkgs_ZFYLY/TmkNx0RknMI/AAAAAAAAB94/iFn-AF9pre4/s1600/july+house+tour+228.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" nba="true" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-4Hkgs_ZFYLY/TmkNx0RknMI/AAAAAAAAB94/iFn-AF9pre4/s320/july+house+tour+228.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Fatu digging her visit to the Cockpit on one of our many flights</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-hqDz01cFfxI/TmkM73cr4LI/AAAAAAAAB9w/-nEvrnwYp5Y/s1600/july+house+tour+219.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" nba="true" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-hqDz01cFfxI/TmkM73cr4LI/AAAAAAAAB9w/-nEvrnwYp5Y/s320/july+house+tour+219.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">BACK TOGETHER AGAIN!! F and O's Liberian buddies!!! Wow,...they have all grown so much!!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-C-I7MBp-ooA/TmkNMbqCE7I/AAAAAAAAB90/sjvdpHO5JyA/s1600/july+house+tour+227.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" nba="true" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-C-I7MBp-ooA/TmkNMbqCE7I/AAAAAAAAB90/sjvdpHO5JyA/s320/july+house+tour+227.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-NfbAawHu_9U/TmkMgQZTxVI/AAAAAAAAB9o/Bar1-5UKm-c/s1600/july+house+tour+215.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" nba="true" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-NfbAawHu_9U/TmkMgQZTxVI/AAAAAAAAB9o/Bar1-5UKm-c/s320/july+house+tour+215.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Hang time with Henry is always crazy fun!!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-BYnWFiEIsE8/TmkMNclwXqI/AAAAAAAAB9k/WJe83QELgSg/s1600/july+house+tour+211.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" nba="true" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-BYnWFiEIsE8/TmkMNclwXqI/AAAAAAAAB9k/WJe83QELgSg/s320/july+house+tour+211.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Corn on the cob, Tillamook cheese, great friends, porch time, Colorado summer...memorable!!!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-CleQiUSCgV0/TmkLXUrR38I/AAAAAAAAB9Y/wV70JJI-wOU/s1600/july+house+tour+106.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" nba="true" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-CleQiUSCgV0/TmkLXUrR38I/AAAAAAAAB9Y/wV70JJI-wOU/s320/july+house+tour+106.JPG" width="240" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-cVdDqZLXFvU/TmkLNUUYmZI/AAAAAAAAB9U/t8kOtqXDwWQ/s1600/july+house+tour+084.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" nba="true" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-cVdDqZLXFvU/TmkLNUUYmZI/AAAAAAAAB9U/t8kOtqXDwWQ/s320/july+house+tour+084.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-BCu1dkvhLQA/Tm5Q7TadyuI/AAAAAAAAB-A/Q9OKTV_O8fo/s1600/IMG_0305.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" nba="true" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-BCu1dkvhLQA/Tm5Q7TadyuI/AAAAAAAAB-A/Q9OKTV_O8fo/s320/IMG_0305.JPG" width="240" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"> Loving being on Grandpa's sailboat with Auntie Nikki, Grandpa and Tom </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-gJSvoVDfS50/Tm5Rfvqw_bI/AAAAAAAAB-E/NC1oNjbElNI/s1600/IMG_0307.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" nba="true" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-gJSvoVDfS50/Tm5Rfvqw_bI/AAAAAAAAB-E/NC1oNjbElNI/s320/IMG_0307.JPG" width="240" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"> Sailing with Grandpa</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-mnUQ5BukFm8/Tm5RoTjgOPI/AAAAAAAAB-I/QKy0VwCqs5A/s1600/IMG_0369.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" nba="true" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-mnUQ5BukFm8/Tm5RoTjgOPI/AAAAAAAAB-I/QKy0VwCqs5A/s320/IMG_0369.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Star Wars in action at Grammies house</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ALVNBIZyHB4/Tm5Tl5zwuSI/AAAAAAAAB-M/ykXSXHoJCWI/s1600/nik+with+kids.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="208" nba="true" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ALVNBIZyHB4/Tm5Tl5zwuSI/AAAAAAAAB-M/ykXSXHoJCWI/s320/nik+with+kids.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Auntie Nikki and Tom with their hands full of loving!!! </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-8wovQW6xdbU/TmkJxKmhUBI/AAAAAAAAB9Q/Bs9g8JVnTVA/s1600/july+house+tour+070.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" nba="true" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-8wovQW6xdbU/TmkJxKmhUBI/AAAAAAAAB9Q/Bs9g8JVnTVA/s320/july+house+tour+070.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>Katiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16971226768425744265noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2295571132049036100.post-7232246563088577182011-03-18T23:53:00.000-07:002011-03-18T23:53:06.381-07:00NEW LIFTED Uganda BLOG!!!<div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">THANK YOU EVERYONE for BUYING the LIFTED UGANDA BIBS!!! </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-TrwdsM54ets/TYRSXofNqpI/AAAAAAAAB68/ApuPesRuJUE/s1600/73573_1618249066941_1557813963_2286520_3119066_n%255B1%255D.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" r6="true" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-TrwdsM54ets/TYRSXofNqpI/AAAAAAAAB68/ApuPesRuJUE/s320/73573_1618249066941_1557813963_2286520_3119066_n%255B1%255D.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">We only have 5 bibs left!!</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: large;">To see what bibs are available and to </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">purchase a </span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">LIFTED UGANDA BIB...</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: large;">Go to- <a href="http://www.lifteduganda.blogspot.com/">http://www.lifteduganda.blogspot.com/</a></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: large;">We have started a NEW BLOG just for LIFTED UGANDA. </span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: large;">For all LIFTED UGANDA bib sales, information on what's happening at LIFTED, and to check out our 2 new designs coming soon....</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: large;">GO ON OVER TO THE NEW BLOG:</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: large;"><a href="http://www.lifteduganda.blogspot.com/">http://www.lifteduganda.blogspot.com/</a></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: large;">THANK YOU!!!!!</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-Her4rRjpu5w/TYRStsmOCLI/AAAAAAAAB7A/iGGk10W-Jkk/s1600/75690_461767226597_505726597_5409788_6311109_n%255B1%255D.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" r6="true" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-Her4rRjpu5w/TYRStsmOCLI/AAAAAAAAB7A/iGGk10W-Jkk/s320/75690_461767226597_505726597_5409788_6311109_n%255B1%255D.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div>Katiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16971226768425744265noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2295571132049036100.post-72256647360511071562011-02-28T11:13:00.000-08:002011-03-18T23:40:51.846-07:00The Latest LIFTED Uganda bibs!<div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"> <span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">We are excited to release the newest batch of </span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">LIFTED Uganda bibs!! </span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">We have only <strike> 24 </strike>....<strong> 5</strong> to sell so get yours quick!! </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: large;">Give a beautiful, hand-made African gift with a purpose! </span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">LIFTED engages Uganda women in money generating employment to supplement their income and help them care for their families. Our friend Mama Alice is doing a great job sewing the bibs and receiving profits to provide for her large family. I just recently visited Alice and was able to pay her for the last batch of bibs she made! She is putting the money towards the building of a small mud house with a tin roof, which will eventually become their home. She is currently living in a mud home that is being destroyed by ants and the thatched roof is old, leaking and in need of replacement. Alice is also training her cousin in hand stitching. As soon as she is able to stitch properly, she will join the LIFTED team. </span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">We are excited to share that we are in the process of extending LIFTED to an area close to Kampala, where we are currently living. We hope to train and employ several additional women in the coming year. To do this, we need to continue selling LIFTED bibs and getting the word out about these one-of-a-kind baby gifts! We need your help! </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Do you have a blog? Can you help spread the word about LIFTED Uganda bibs to your friends and family? How about sharing a link on your FaceBook page? </span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><strong>LIFTED Uganda Bibs--All profits go back to the artists. Hand made using the beautiful, colorful Ugandan wax cloth. Each bib is decorated with a LIFTED tag which includes a biography and photo of the artist. </strong></span><br />
<br />
<strong><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">To Purchase a Hand Made African Bib: </span></strong><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Email Katie at xtkatie@gmail.com with fabric and design, number of bibs and shipping address. Once I receive your email order I will send a confirmation email to ensure we have the bib/s you want to purchase. After you receive my email confirmation, you may use the PayPal button on the blog or send your check in the mail. Please do not send checks or use PayPal until you receive a confirmation email from me. Thank you!! Once payment is received your African bib/s will be shipped immediately. </span><br />
<br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> LIFTED UGANDA WOMEN MADE FAIR TRADE </span></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-NSd4xMQWWwo/TVwjNKQTN4I/AAAAAAAAB5A/G2G0Xzg-JEs/s1600/000_1029.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" j6="true" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-NSd4xMQWWwo/TVwjNKQTN4I/AAAAAAAAB5A/G2G0Xzg-JEs/s320/000_1029.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><strike> 2 </strike> 1 Blue/Green/Yellow fabric with One Star </span></td></tr>
</tbody></table> <br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-l9Wdxq0b1hk/TVwlD3M3tdI/AAAAAAAAB5E/Bf1uWNIU5Ow/s1600/000_1030.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" j6="true" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-l9Wdxq0b1hk/TVwlD3M3tdI/AAAAAAAAB5E/Bf1uWNIU5Ow/s320/000_1030.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;">1 Blue/ Green/Yellow fabric with Two Stars </span></td></tr>
</tbody></table> <br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-p1JAtLduih8/TVwpHnhl_NI/AAAAAAAAB5I/BU4hxWRmQ0w/s1600/000_1031.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" j6="true" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-p1JAtLduih8/TVwpHnhl_NI/AAAAAAAAB5I/BU4hxWRmQ0w/s320/000_1031.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><strike> 3 Yellow/Blue Star fabric with Bird </strike></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: large;"><strong>SOLD OUT</strong></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table> <br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-87Aw9IakyBU/TVwrwqh1VnI/AAAAAAAAB5M/o29zdyvOJ9o/s1600/000_1032.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" j6="true" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-87Aw9IakyBU/TVwrwqh1VnI/AAAAAAAAB5M/o29zdyvOJ9o/s320/000_1032.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"> <strike>only 1 left!! Navy/ Green fabric with Tree </strike></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: large;"><strong>SOLD OUT!!</strong></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table> <br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-10P-hd-IiYE/TVwsJvys1WI/AAAAAAAAB5Q/wPTSdJEP2-E/s1600/000_1033.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" j6="true" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-10P-hd-IiYE/TVwsJvys1WI/AAAAAAAAB5Q/wPTSdJEP2-E/s320/000_1033.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><strike>1 Yellow/Blue star fabric with Giraffe </strike></span><br />
<span style="color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: large;"><strong>SOLD OUT!!</strong></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table> <br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-h3ShFoBIVNE/TVwshIBBmII/AAAAAAAAB5U/BFXu80YJyr0/s1600/000_1034.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" j6="true" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-h3ShFoBIVNE/TVwshIBBmII/AAAAAAAAB5U/BFXu80YJyr0/s320/000_1034.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><strike> 3 Blue/Green/Yellow fabric with Giraffe </strike></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: large;"><strong>SOLD OUT!!</strong></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table> <br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-XO6vw1w5kZg/TVwtAi-2oQI/AAAAAAAAB5c/guDFdk4oNkQ/s1600/000_1035.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" j6="true" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-XO6vw1w5kZg/TVwtAi-2oQI/AAAAAAAAB5c/guDFdk4oNkQ/s320/000_1035.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><strike> 4 Navy/ Green fabric with Bird</strike></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: large;">SOLD OUT!!</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table> <br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-1kEyXKF3VCI/TVwhwr-2X1I/AAAAAAAAB48/ZAMF3G8dtbQ/s1600/000_1026.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" j6="true" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-1kEyXKF3VCI/TVwhwr-2X1I/AAAAAAAAB48/ZAMF3G8dtbQ/s320/000_1026.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><strike> 4 </strike> 2 Yellow/Blue star fabric with Flower</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table> <br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-vnkn33Lq-_4/TVwtKMFWRVI/AAAAAAAAB5g/7XfrIc87uq0/s1600/000_1036.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" j6="true" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-vnkn33Lq-_4/TVwtKMFWRVI/AAAAAAAAB5g/7XfrIc87uq0/s320/000_1036.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><div align="left"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"> <strike> 4 </strike> 1 Green/ Yellow fabric with Tree</span></div></td></tr>
</tbody></table>Katiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16971226768425744265noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2295571132049036100.post-72405986943752380492011-02-02T23:30:00.000-08:002011-02-03T01:00:25.560-08:00Giving Thanks!I have been impacted by David's Psalm of Thanks to God in the book of Chronicles. Four times in the last month I've been drawn to this passage and it's powerful message of thankfulness! As I live life in Uganda and move about this amazing place, I see so much beauty and life and I am reminded to give thanks to the Creator of it all! <br /><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_n3HVdE5Hcr4/TUpr6W8na3I/AAAAAAAAB4w/fbPgo1UYorE/s1600/Mama%2Bkits%2B088.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 240px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 320px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5569382539533446002" border="0" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_n3HVdE5Hcr4/TUpr6W8na3I/AAAAAAAAB4w/fbPgo1UYorE/s320/Mama%2Bkits%2B088.JPG" /></a> <div><div></div><div><div><div></div><div><br /><div align="center"> I Chronicles 16~David's Psalm of Thanks!! (from The Message)<br /><div><div><div align="center"><div><div><div><div><div><div align="center"></div><br /><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 240px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 320px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5569375409275518850" border="0" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_n3HVdE5Hcr4/TUplbUqpv4I/AAAAAAAAB4g/rFXxDYgr8WU/s320/Uganda%2BKampala%2B2010-2011%2B355.JPG" /> <img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5569374687068120322" border="0" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_n3HVdE5Hcr4/TUpkxSO_ZQI/AAAAAAAAB3Q/mHzlDZZ_40k/s320/Jan%2B2009%2B033.JPG" />Thank God! Call out his Name!<br />Tell the whole world who he is and what he's done! <img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 240px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 320px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5569374692741060146" border="0" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_n3HVdE5Hcr4/TUpkxnXhljI/AAAAAAAAB3Y/XpgECOJUb_E/s320/Jan%2Bplayground%2B088.JPG" /><br />Sing to him! Play songs for him!<br />Broadcast all his wonders! <img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 240px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 320px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5569375399594518258" border="0" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_n3HVdE5Hcr4/TUplawmhZvI/AAAAAAAAB4I/88C6EP2I6Xs/s320/Uganda%2BKampala%2B2010-2011%2B362.JPG" /><br />Revel in his holy Name,<br />God-seekers, be jubilant! <img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 240px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 320px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5569375070938137826" border="0" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_n3HVdE5Hcr4/TUplHoQvBOI/AAAAAAAAB34/st4pIiWkKmk/s320/Stacies%2BTrip%2BJan%2B2009%2B369.jpg" /><br />Study God and his strength,<br />seek his presence day and night;<br /><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5569375081243428242" border="0" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_n3HVdE5Hcr4/TUplIOptRZI/AAAAAAAAB4A/saLCSwzthXE/s320/Uganda%2BApril%2BS.%2BAfrica%2B259.JPG" />Remember all the wonders he performed,<br />the miracles and judgments that came out of his mouth.<br /><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5569375405681839970" border="0" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_n3HVdE5Hcr4/TUplbHR2j2I/AAAAAAAAB4Q/K0eqYP6rRCg/s320/Uganda%2BKampala%2B2010-2011%2B366.JPG" /> Sing to God, everyone and everything!<br />Get out his salvation news every day!<br /><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 240px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 320px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5569375068232514626" border="0" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_n3HVdE5Hcr4/TUplHeLqfEI/AAAAAAAAB3w/6yL0Mqm58rk/s320/Stacies%2BTrip%2BJan%2B2009%2B247.jpg" />Publish his glory among the godless nations,<br />his wonders to all races and religions.<br />And why? Because God is great—well worth praising!<img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 240px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 320px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5569374293185307298" border="0" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_n3HVdE5Hcr4/TUpkaW6AoqI/AAAAAAAAB3A/Vpn-qvaivC8/s320/End%2Bof%2BFeb%2B263.JPG" /> No god or goddess comes close in honor.<br />All the popular gods are stuff and nonsense,<br />but God made the cosmos! Splendor and majesty flow out of him,<br />strength and joy fill his place. <img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 240px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 320px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5569375410778367602" border="0" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_n3HVdE5Hcr4/TUplbaQ9ZnI/AAAAAAAAB4Y/ceTy-2MROPY/s320/Uganda%2BKampala%2B2010-2011%2B369.JPG" /> Shout Bravo! to God, families of the peoples,<br />in awe of the Glory, in awe of the Strength: Bravo!<br />Shout Bravo! to his famous Name, <img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 240px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 320px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5569374683880811986" border="0" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_n3HVdE5Hcr4/TUpkxGXE7dI/AAAAAAAAB3I/FnRzpRn2HPE/s320/Feb%2BKampala%2B107.JPG" /><br />lift high an offering and enter his presence!<br />Stand resplendent in his robes of holiness!<br /><div align="center">God is serious business, take him seriously;<br />he's put the earth in place and it's not moving. <img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 240px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 320px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5569374289327325810" border="0" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_n3HVdE5Hcr4/TUpkaIiMgnI/AAAAAAAAB24/RttWyQTTQhE/s320/End%2Bof%2BFeb%2B175.JPG" /> So let Heaven rejoice, let Earth be jubilant,<br />and pass the word among the nations, "God reigns!" </div><br /><div align="center"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5569380727932716594" border="0" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_n3HVdE5Hcr4/TUpqQ6NWBjI/AAAAAAAAB4o/F-OzpI5zQYw/s320/Uganda%2BApril%2BS.%2BAfrica%2B225.JPG" /><br />Let Ocean, all teeming with life, bellow,<br />let Field and all its creatures shake the rafters;<br /><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5569374279992571634" border="0" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_n3HVdE5Hcr4/TUpkZlwndvI/AAAAAAAAB2o/hHdxYdulRtU/s320/Stacies%2BTrip%2BJan%2B2009%2B164.jpg" />Then the trees in the forest will add their applause<br />to all who are pleased and present before God<br />—he's on his way to set things right! </div> <img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 241px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 381px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5569374286635657938" border="0" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_n3HVdE5Hcr4/TUpkZ-gc6tI/AAAAAAAAB2w/JBVXOR32rSw/s320/Arua%2BTrip%2B1-2011%2B113.JPG" /> <div align="center"><strong>Give thanks to God—he is good<br />and his love never quits!!</strong></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div>Katiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16971226768425744265noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2295571132049036100.post-20448258213551945232011-01-16T11:00:00.000-08:002011-01-27T10:30:20.017-08:00BACK IN AFRICA!!!!!<img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 240px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 320px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5566830785494934786" border="0" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_n3HVdE5Hcr4/TUFbGuYiZQI/AAAAAAAAB2Q/cGb9AaQgzd8/s320/Uganda%2BKampala%2B2010-2011%2B410.JPG" /><br /><div>Well...it's only taken me 4 weeks to get on here and post something since we landed! YIKES!! You'd think we moved to the bush of Africa or something! he, he. Nope, not at all. In f<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_n3HVdE5Hcr4/TUCH4_wdXII/AAAAAAAAB1g/fv1uKR7TrfA/s1600/Arua%2BTrip%2B1-2011%2B088.JPG"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 240px; FLOAT: right; HEIGHT: 320px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5566598552687041666" border="0" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_n3HVdE5Hcr4/TUCH4_wdXII/AAAAAAAAB1g/fv1uKR7TrfA/s320/Arua%2BTrip%2B1-2011%2B088.JPG" /></a>act we're in the heart of the capital city, KAMPALA!!!!!!!!<br />We landed safely, without any flight cancellations or problems! Yay! We got all our luggage and our dog Kenya, who suffered minor anxiety from flying. The minute we landed and walked outside, it was as if AFRICA greeted us with a warm, loud and sweet..<em>Hello.</em> The smell in the air, the noise in the distance, and the blanket of heat that wraps your body is the best greeting one can receive. Fatu and I looked at each other, smiling as I told her, "we're back!".<br /><br />I think from here I'll be short and too the point! Just the highlights! </div><div><br /></div><p>We LOVE our house! Totally not what we would have ever imagined in all these years of dreaming and praying and living in Africa! Jeff and I have had numerous conversations over the last 8 years about where we would end up and this isn’t at all what we imagined! But, God is a way bigger and better dreamer than we are obviously!! So we're looking forward to opening our house to family, old friends, and new friends....and filling it with loud, fun, LOVE!!!</p><ul><br /><br /></ul><p>Gardens and Grass...we’ve got lots of it on our homestead and we’re looking forward to neighborhood soccer fun, veggie gardening, composting, and lots of little feet running around outside enjoying Uganda’s beautiful weather!<img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 240px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 320px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5566822821417304642" border="0" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_n3HVdE5Hcr4/TUFT3J4dwkI/AAAAAAAAB14/fNH7k8sHxew/s320/Uganda%2BKampala%2B2010-2011%2B350.JPG" /></p><p>Driving on the Left! We borrowed a car for our first 3 weeks here and during that time…Jeff and I learned to drive! I was terrified to be quite honest but once I got behind the wheel it seemed to be easier than I thought. Now we’re on the search to buy our own car. </p><p><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5566830991423554258" border="0" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_n3HVdE5Hcr4/TUFbSthvwtI/AAAAAAAAB2Y/ByLzcKRbNfU/s320/Uganda%2BKampala%2B2010-2011%2B309.JPG" /><br />Christmas and New Years is so different in Uganda. There are no carols on the radio or being pumped into the streets. No hot chocolate, flashing lights, bells ringing, or count downs to Christmas Day. No “10 days of shopping left” signs to stress you out. It’s really a peaceful time of reflection on the true meaning of Christmas. We sang carols at church, our family read the story of Jesus birth, and enjoyed a meal with our friends. Simple. Sweet. Celebrating Love himself! <a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_n3HVdE5Hcr4/TUFVBq4ZRxI/AAAAAAAAB2A/jF22qcwd60U/s1600/Uganda%2BKampala%2B2010-2011%2B382.JPG"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 240px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 320px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5566824101585700626" border="0" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_n3HVdE5Hcr4/TUFVBq4ZRxI/AAAAAAAAB2A/jF22qcwd60U/s320/Uganda%2BKampala%2B2010-2011%2B382.JPG" /></a></p><ul><img style="MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 240px; FLOAT: right; HEIGHT: 320px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5566824547274440962" border="0" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_n3HVdE5Hcr4/TUFVbnM3wQI/AAAAAAAAB2I/micm3p1UXQY/s320/Uganda%2BKampala%2B2010-2011%2B383.JPG" /> </ul><ul></ul><ul></ul><ul></ul><ul></ul><ul></ul><ul></ul><ul></ul><ul></ul><ul></ul><ul></ul><ul>Tuning our ears to Lugandan, shifting our money minds to schillings, taste buds being awakened once again to the sweetness of mango’s and the yummy-ness of chapati’s (basically fried flatbread), saying our good nights under mosquito nets, scrubbing our dirty red feet every night, hearing the familiar call of “Muzungu”, being careful not to drink water from the tap, wonderful, long greetings no matter where you are or where you’re going,…YES…we’re Back in Africa! <ul><ul><ul><ul><ul><ul><br /></ul></ul></ul></ul></ul></ul></ul><p>And although this list encompasses the quirky and fun things of Africa, there is also a side of Africa that makes your heart ache and your soul cry out! Poverty is all around us. Kids are hurting and hungry. People are sick and lack money for medicine. Teens are longing for a brighter future but are left at home to work so their families can survive or pressured to slip into bad social scenes. Many are without jobs and without a way to express their hearts, dreams and desires. Every day we are reminded of this. There’s a constant ache in our hearts that never goes away. We're glad for it because it's in that heart ache that we can hear the whispers of Jesus calling us beyond ourselves to those around us. </p><p><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5566831726053128434" border="0" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_n3HVdE5Hcr4/TUFb9ePFePI/AAAAAAAAB2g/CAL0uMYzvEs/s320/Arua%2BTrip%2B1-2011%2B038.JPG" /><br />BUT…even in the midst of the struggle, the suffering, the hardships…there is no doubt still JOY and STRENGTH within the Ugandan people. There is creativity, ingenuity, laughter, love, peace, friendship, confidence, talent, and gifting that astounds us!! There is HOPE and there is a FUTURE for Uganda! We are inspired by those we meet to love bigger, give more, and pursue the dreams that God has put in us. Dreams of spreading HOPE and LOVING extravagantly and seeing lives changed! </p>Katiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16971226768425744265noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2295571132049036100.post-8896765746295026332010-11-28T09:13:00.000-08:002010-12-01T20:43:17.218-08:00Love for LIFTED Uganda!!<span style="font-size:130%;"><strong><span style="color:#000066;">LIFTED</span></strong> Uganda<span style="font-size:100%;"> aims to lift lives, families, and villages out of poverty through development of small income generating businesses. </span></span><br /><div><div><div><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="font-size:100%;"></span></span></div><div align="center"><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="font-size:100%;">Hearts and lives lifted…<br />Out of poverty,<br />Out of hopelessness,<br />Out of suffering,<br />Out of despair,<br />Into Life, Into Hope, Into Joy, Into a Future! </span></span></div><div align="center"></div><div></div><div align="left"><span style="font-size:180%;"><span style="font-size:78%;">Our first small business is making and selling Ugandan crafts that are handmade by Ugandan mothers.</span> <a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_n3HVdE5Hcr4/TPcJXUCfaaI/AAAAAAAAB1M/Qi6GFM03KYo/s1600/75690_461767226597_505726597_5409788_6311109_n%255B1%255D.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 240px; FLOAT: right; HEIGHT: 320px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5545911762250852770" border="0" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_n3HVdE5Hcr4/TPcJXUCfaaI/AAAAAAAAB1M/Qi6GFM03KYo/s320/75690_461767226597_505726597_5409788_6311109_n%255B1%255D.jpg" /></a><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 240px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 320px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5545910570128656562" border="0" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_n3HVdE5Hcr4/TPcIR7CaSLI/AAAAAAAAB08/Dlc4AS2uZhU/s320/garret%2B.jpg" /></span></div><div align="center"><span style="font-size:180%;"></span></div><div align="center"><span style="font-size:180%;">The first batch of 30 bibs have ALL been SOLD!!!!!!!!!!!!</span></div><div align="center"><span style="font-size:180%;"></span></div><div><br /></div><div align="center"><em><strong><span style="font-size:180%;">THANK YOU </span></strong></em></div><div><br /></div><div align="left">to everyone who purchased a bib and brought HOPE to a Ugandan mama. This income generating business is helping lift Ugandan families out of poverty into provision. With the money made from selling these one-of-kind African bibs, children are able to go to school, malaria medicine can be bought, and families can enjoy a nutrional meal. Your purchase has directly helped Alice, our first LIFTED participant. As of today, Alice is training 2 other Ugandan mothers to sew. The next batch of bibs will bring much needed income for 3 Ugandan mothers. We'll have more available in a few weeks! We'll be posting on FaceBook and here on the blog once we have the next shipment. </div><div><br /><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_n3HVdE5Hcr4/TPcIwsMXB4I/AAAAAAAAB1E/GyzxwcBG0bI/s1600/Jace_Fall_2010_010.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 240px; FLOAT: right; HEIGHT: 320px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5545911098719799170" border="0" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_n3HVdE5Hcr4/TPcIwsMXB4I/AAAAAAAAB1E/GyzxwcBG0bI/s320/Jace_Fall_2010_010.jpg" /></a><br /><br /></div><div align="left"></div><div>I wanted to share a COOL STORY from the one of the moms that purchased a LIFTED bib. Erin emailed me to place her order for a bib for their newest addition to their family, a baby boy only a few weeks old. His older brother J, who is about 9 years old (I think), heard about the purpose of LIFTED and wanted to do something to help kids in Uganda. J had $3.00 of his own and he wanted to give all of his $3.00 to Alice so she can use it to take care of her children. His parents told him they would match his generous donation and send an extra $6.00 along with the price of the bib. What an amazing heart J has to give all of his money to those in need across the globe! $3.00 is alot of money for a young boy and it will go a long way in Uganda. It's inspiring to see kids at such a young age embrace loving others!<br /><strong>Thank you J!<br /></strong></div><div><strong>THANK YOU EVERYONE for supporting LIFTED! </strong></div><div><strong></strong></div><div><strong>Check back in a few weeks for the next batch of 30 bibs!!<br /></div></strong></div></div>Katiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16971226768425744265noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2295571132049036100.post-33000665123051836732010-11-20T10:22:00.000-08:002010-11-20T10:31:46.993-08:00LIFTED BIBS- ONLY 3 LEFT!!!!<strong></strong><div align="center"><strong>We are so excited to finally announce the beginning of<br />LIFTED Uganda! </strong></div><div align="center"><strong></strong> </div><div align="center"><strong>Read below for the full bio on LIFTED and how to purchase the bibs. These are the first hand made crafts from the LIfTED program. We started with 30 to sell and we have these 3 Handmade African bibs left!! </strong></div><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_n3HVdE5Hcr4/TOgTDmxj49I/AAAAAAAAB0s/cxeuhlZcDYc/s1600/Joe%2BLois%2Bvisit%2B202.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5541700294148350930" border="0" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_n3HVdE5Hcr4/TOgTDmxj49I/AAAAAAAAB0s/cxeuhlZcDYc/s400/Joe%2BLois%2Bvisit%2B202.JPG" /></a> 1 purple flower pattern with flower design (newborn size)<br /><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_n3HVdE5Hcr4/TOgTC8ark6I/AAAAAAAAB0k/Em0L5z8BB0I/s1600/Joe%2BLois%2Bvisit%2B204.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5541700282778096546" border="0" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_n3HVdE5Hcr4/TOgTC8ark6I/AAAAAAAAB0k/Em0L5z8BB0I/s400/Joe%2BLois%2Bvisit%2B204.JPG" /></a> 1 Yellow/Blue dot pattern with Flower design<br /><br /><div><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_n3HVdE5Hcr4/TOgTBxrbFsI/AAAAAAAAB0c/l8RFze2R7ec/s1600/Joe%2BLois%2Bvisit%2B199.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5541700262715659970" border="0" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_n3HVdE5Hcr4/TOgTBxrbFsI/AAAAAAAAB0c/l8RFze2R7ec/s400/Joe%2BLois%2Bvisit%2B199.JPG" /></a> 1 Multicolored Stripes pattern with star design<br /><div align="center"><strong></strong></div><div align="center"><strong></strong></div><div align="center"><strong></strong></div><br /><strong><div align="left"><br /></strong>This has been in the works for many years - from inspiration to the real thing! LIFTED Uganda was a hope and a dream that I envisioned many years ago and evolved as myself, Jeff, my sis and good friends put our hearts and minds together making it what it is today. LIFTED Uganda is working to see lives, families and villages lifted out of poverty through small income generating businesses. Through LIFTED, women are given the opportunity to use their creative sewing skills to make one-of-a-kind handmade crafts. In Arua, Uganda, there are many women tailors with great skills and creativity but who do not have work. Most families are struggling to provide for their children in the areas of food, medical care, clothing, or education. It is common for Ugandan families to care for their own children along with nieces, nephews, and orphans in their villages, making provision difficult for all. LIFTED was created to provide an opportunity for women to share their creavity with others as well as receive income from the sales of their crafts. The first handiworks we're selling are 20 African baby bibs!<br />Our hopes are to become a non-profit (once we can get paperwork finished....not my cup of tea) in the near future and expand to include additional aritists, tailors and craftsmen from Uganda. For now, purchases will not be tax deductible. All of the profits from the sale of the bibs will go directly to Alice, the first women participating in LIFTED Uganda.<br /><br />The African Bibs are made of a waxcloth material and a form of terry cloth which are both found in Uganda. After 8 years of traveling to Uganda and living there part time for the last 2 years, there is one thing that stands out in Uganda: waxcloth! Waxcloth is found all over Africa and it is by far the most beautiful material I have ever seen! The bibs are machine washable and will shrink slighty. Each bib was made using a foot treadle sewing machine and detailed hand stitching. Each bib is a one-of-a-kind! The Hand Made African bibs are $12.00/each and includes standard shipping within the U.S.<br /><strong>We only have 3 left to sell from our first batch so get them quick!!<br /><br /></strong><br />To Purchase a Hand Made African Bib:<br /><br />Email Katie at xtkatie@gmail.com with pattern and design, size (if newborn), number of bibs and shipping address. Once I recieve your email order I will send a confirmation email to ensure we have the bib/s you want to purchase. After you recieve my email with confirmation, then you may use the PayPal button or send your check in the mail. Please do not send checks or use PayPal until you recieve a confirmation email from me. Thank you!! Once payment is received your African bib/s will be shipped </div></div>Katiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16971226768425744265noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2295571132049036100.post-6250152607838395482010-11-11T21:10:00.000-08:002010-11-20T10:22:46.607-08:00Announcing... LIFTED Uganda!!!<div align="center"><strong><span style="font-size:180%;">We are so excited to finally announce the beginning of </span></strong></div><div align="center"><strong><span style="font-size:180%;"><span style="color:#000066;">LIFTED </span><span style="color:#000000;">Uganda!</span><br /></span></strong></div><strong><div align="left"><br /></strong>This has been in the works for many years - from inspiration to the real thing! <span style="color:#000066;"><strong>LIFTED</strong> </span><span style="color:#000000;">Uganda</span> was a hope and a dream that I envisioned many years ago and evolved as myself, Jeff, my sis and good friends put our hearts and minds together making it what it is today. <span style="color:#000066;"><strong>LIFTED</strong> </span><span style="color:#000000;">Uganda</span> is working to see lives, families and villages lifted out of poverty through small income generating businesses. Through <strong><span style="color:#000066;">LIFTED</span></strong>, women are given the opportunity to use their creative sewing skills to make one-of-a-kind handmade crafts<em>.</em> In Arua, Uganda, there are many women tailors with great skills and creativity but who do not have work. Most families are struggling to provide for their children in the areas of food, medical care, clothing, or education. It is common for Ugandan families to care for their own children along with nieces, nephews, and orphans in their villages, making provision difficult for all. <strong><span style="color:#000066;">LIFTED</span></strong> was created to provide an opportunity for women to share their creavity with others as well as receive income from the sales of their crafts. The first handiworks we're selling are 20 African baby bibs!<br />Our hopes are to become a non-profit (once we can get paperwork finished....not my cup of tea) in the near future and expand to include additional aritists, tailors and craftsmen from Uganda. For now, purchases will not be tax deductible. All of the profits from the sale of the bibs will go directly to Alice, the first women participating in<strong><span style="color:#000066;"> LIFTED</span></strong> Uganda. </div><div align="center"></div><div align="left"></div><div align="left"></div><div align="left"></div><div align="left"></div><div align="left"></div><div align="left"></div><div align="left"></div><div align="left"></div><div align="left"><strong>MEET THE ARTIST!</strong> <a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_n3HVdE5Hcr4/TM2W9R0gbSI/AAAAAAAABz0/SPNhXxLs4mM/s1600/ALICE+TAG.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 186px; FLOAT: right; HEIGHT: 200px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5534245496608025890" border="0" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_n3HVdE5Hcr4/TM2W9R0gbSI/AAAAAAAABz0/SPNhXxLs4mM/s200/ALICE+TAG.jpg" /></a> </div><br /><div align="center">Alice is a dedicated wife and mother to 4 children as well as a caretaker to needy children and orphans. She is energetic, loving, hard working, and eager to learn new things. She is the first woman to participate in <strong><span style="color:#000066;">LIFTED</span></strong>. She is proud of her crafts and thankful for the chance to use her sewing skills to provide for her family!<br /></div><br /><div align="center"></div><div align="left">The African Bibs are made of a waxcloth material and a form of terry cloth which are both found in Uganda. After 8 years of traveling to Uganda and living there part time for the last 2 years, there is one thing that stands out in Uganda: waxcloth! Waxcloth is found all over Africa and it is by far the most beautiful material I have ever seen! The bibs are machine washable and will shrink slighty. Each bib was made using a foot treadle sewing machine and detailed hand stitching. Each bib is a one-of-a-kind! The Hand Made African bibs are $12.00/each and includes standard shipping within the U.S. </div><div align="left"></div><div align="left"><strong><span style="color:#000066;">We only have <span style="font-size:180%;">3 </span>left to sell from our first batch so get them quick!! </span></strong></div><br /><div align="left"></div><div align="left"></div><div align="left"><strong><span style="font-size:130%;">To Purchase a Hand Made African Bib</span></strong>: </div><div align="left"> </div><div align="left">Email Katie at <a href="mailto:xtkatie@gmail.com">xtkatie@gmail.com</a> with pattern and design, size (if newborn), number of bibs and shipping address. Once I recieve your email order I will send a confirmation email to ensure we have the bib/s you want to purchase. After you recieve my email with confirmation, then you may use the PayPal button or send your check in the mail. <strong>Please do not send checks or use PayPal until you recieve a confirmation email from me</strong>. <strong>Thank you!!</strong> Once payment is received your African bib/s will be shipped.<br /></div><div align="left"></div><div align="left"><form method="post" action="https://www.paypal.com/cgi-bin/webscr"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5534256504779935442" border="0" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_n3HVdE5Hcr4/TM2g-CdNjtI/AAAAAAAABz8/nl9V8lTQi54/s400/IMG_8026.JPG" /><br /><br /><p align="center"><strong><span style="font-size:130%;">SOLD OUT!! Blue/Yellow Dots pattern with Bird</span></strong></p><p align="center"><strong><br /></p></strong><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5533671637999553714" border="0" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_n3HVdE5Hcr4/TMuNCT6eDLI/AAAAAAAABzc/Rp10SUYz_-Q/s400/Joe+Lois+visit+209.JPG" /><br /><br /><p align="center"><strong><span style="font-size:130%;">SOLD OUT!! Purple Flower pattern with Bird<br /></span><br /></strong></p><p align="center"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5533671633255063330" border="0" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_n3HVdE5Hcr4/TMuNCCPS3yI/AAAAAAAABzU/TzW9OE2ZaI4/s400/Joe+Lois+visit+208.JPG" /> <strong><strong><span style="font-size:130%;">SOLD OUT!!!!! Aqua/ Brown with bird</span></strong></strong></p><strong><strong><span style="font-size:130%;"><p><br /></p></span></strong><strong><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5533668892032768098" border="0" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_n3HVdE5Hcr4/TMuKieY-GGI/AAAAAAAABy8/1ui7s0PNvwE/s400/Joe+Lois+visit+205.JPG" /></strong><span style="font-size:130%;"> </span></strong><br /><p align="center"><strong><span style="font-size:130%;">SOLD OUT!! Multicolor pattern with Bird (newborn)</span></strong></p><p align="center"><br /></p><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5533668751735359490" border="0" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_n3HVdE5Hcr4/TMuKaTvdiAI/AAAAAAAABy0/2Hkc1t5jAo0/s400/Joe+Lois+visit+204.JPG" /> <p align="center">1 Blue/Yellow Dots pattern with Flower<br /><br /></p><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_n3HVdE5Hcr4/TMuJ9j3ly3I/AAAAAAAABys/hUUbcqu2abo/s1600/Joe+Lois+visit+203.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5533668257848216434" border="0" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_n3HVdE5Hcr4/TMuJ9j3ly3I/AAAAAAAABys/hUUbcqu2abo/s400/Joe+Lois+visit+203.JPG" /><br /><p align="center"></a><strong><span style="font-size:130%;">SOLD OUT!! Multicolored pattern with Flower<br /><br /></span></strong><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5533667769628313858" border="0" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_n3HVdE5Hcr4/TMuJhJG5SQI/AAAAAAAAByk/CU9XRpHzbsk/s400/Joe+Lois+visit+202.JPG" /> </p><p align="center">1 Purple Flower pattern with Flower (newborn size)<br /></p><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_n3HVdE5Hcr4/TMuI572HpnI/AAAAAAAAByU/9xS0qkhUjiM/s1600/Joe+Lois+visit+200.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5533667096053393010" border="0" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_n3HVdE5Hcr4/TMuI572HpnI/AAAAAAAAByU/9xS0qkhUjiM/s400/Joe+Lois+visit+200.JPG" /> <p align="center"></a><strong><span style="font-size:130%;">SOLD OUT!!! Aqua/Brown Clouds pattern with Star<br /></span></strong><br /></p><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_n3HVdE5Hcr4/TMuIMNQYlSI/AAAAAAAAByM/16c-6WuPMRM/s1600/Joe+Lois+visit+199.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5533666310452974882" border="0" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_n3HVdE5Hcr4/TMuIMNQYlSI/AAAAAAAAByM/16c-6WuPMRM/s400/Joe+Lois+visit+199.JPG" /> <p align="center"></a>1 Multicolored Stripes pattern with 2 Stars<br /></p><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_n3HVdE5Hcr4/TMuIL7SLTkI/AAAAAAAAByE/ib7bgJkFcdg/s1600/Joe+Lois+visit+198.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5533666305628655170" border="0" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_n3HVdE5Hcr4/TMuIL7SLTkI/AAAAAAAAByE/ib7bgJkFcdg/s400/Joe+Lois+visit+198.JPG" /><br /><p align="center"></a><strong><span style="font-size:130%;">SOLD OUT!!! Blue/Yellow Dots pattern with Star<br /><br /></span></strong><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_n3HVdE5Hcr4/TMuILk19TOI/AAAAAAAABx8/Pif1NZ6vEhE/s1600/Joe+Lois+visit+197.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5533666299604716770" border="0" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_n3HVdE5Hcr4/TMuILk19TOI/AAAAAAAABx8/Pif1NZ6vEhE/s400/Joe+Lois+visit+197.JPG" /> </a><strong><span style="font-size:130%;">SOLD OUT!!! Aqua/Brown Clouds pattern with Bubbles<br /></span></strong></p><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_n3HVdE5Hcr4/TMuILFKxvpI/AAAAAAAABx0/oi-OhcAk-A4/s1600/Joe+Lois+visit+196.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5533666291102105234" border="0" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_n3HVdE5Hcr4/TMuILFKxvpI/AAAAAAAABx0/oi-OhcAk-A4/s400/Joe+Lois+visit+196.JPG" /><br /><p align="center"></a><strong><span style="font-size:130%;">SOLD OUT!! Multicolored w/ Bubbles (newborn size)</span></strong><br /><br /></p><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_n3HVdE5Hcr4/TMuGOrPuxJI/AAAAAAAABxs/U1mVWmY_7Ls/s1600/Joe+Lois+visit+195.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5533664153839781010" border="0" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_n3HVdE5Hcr4/TMuGOrPuxJI/AAAAAAAABxs/U1mVWmY_7Ls/s400/Joe+Lois+visit+195.JPG" /><br /><p align="center"></a><strong><span style="font-size:130%;">SOLD OUT!! Purple pattern giraffe</span></strong></p><p align="center"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_n3HVdE5Hcr4/TMuGOWbQIzI/AAAAAAAABxk/De7Z7zid8PA/s1600/Joe+Lois+visit+194.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5533664148250960690" border="0" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_n3HVdE5Hcr4/TMuGOWbQIzI/AAAAAAAABxk/De7Z7zid8PA/s400/Joe+Lois+visit+194.JPG" /></a> <strong><span style="font-size:130%;">SOLD OUT!! Multicolored pattern with Giraffe<br /></span></strong></p></form></div><br /><div align="center"><br /><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5533663612191669490" border="0" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_n3HVdE5Hcr4/TMuFvJcwfPI/AAAAAAAABxM/1193290Xsq8/s400/Joe+Lois+visit+192.JPG" /> <strong><span style="font-size:130%;">SOLD OUT!! Blue/Yellow pattern with Giraffe<img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5533664141352861954" border="0" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_n3HVdE5Hcr4/TMuGN8ungQI/AAAAAAAABxc/dsk6JPq__Ec/s400/Joe+Lois+visit+193.JPG" /></span></strong><strong><span style="font-size:130%;">SOLD OUT!! Multicolored pattern with Tree<br /></span></strong><br /><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_n3HVdE5Hcr4/TMuGNDwo1II/AAAAAAAABxU/kss5a_87cz4/s1600/Joe+Lois+visit+191.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5533664126060516482" border="0" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_n3HVdE5Hcr4/TMuGNDwo1II/AAAAAAAABxU/kss5a_87cz4/s400/Joe+Lois+visit+191.JPG" /></a> <strong><span style="font-size:130%;">SOLD OUT!!!Purple Flower pattern with Tree<br /><br /></span></strong><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5533663606940750786" border="0" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_n3HVdE5Hcr4/TMuFu14108I/AAAAAAAABxE/SnUnabcOEwE/s400/Joe+Lois+visit+189.JPG" /> <strong><span style="font-size:130%;">SOLD OUT!! Aqua Clouds pattern with Tree<br /></span></strong><br /><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5533663599145115538" border="0" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_n3HVdE5Hcr4/TMuFuY2N35I/AAAAAAAABw8/2mUmf15hNEQ/s400/Joe+Lois+visit+188.JPG" /> <strong><span style="font-size:130%;">SOLD OUT!! Blue/Yellow Dots pattern with Tree </span></strong></div>Katiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16971226768425744265noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2295571132049036100.post-17818935308305326032010-09-06T21:09:00.001-07:002010-09-06T21:39:28.596-07:00GOOD NEWS FOR KIDS IN UGANDA!<img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 300px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 400px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5514024680172212482" border="0" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_n3HVdE5Hcr4/TIXAO2hm0QI/AAAAAAAABwk/6lzhIGEQpUM/s400/Co+Nov+Uganda+09+087.JPG" /> <div><div>This is about 1 month overdue!! I meant to update sooner but our life has been too busy!! ugh..<br />BUT... I WANT TO SHARE THIS COOL STORY,...SO PLEASE READ ON!<br /><br />THANK YOU for voting for our friends entry in a competition to win a huge breakfast for the kids at Rapha School in Jinja, Uganda,through Bethesda International. They ended up in the top 10 finalists which is amazing. They didn't "win" the competition, but God did something even better! Below are emails sent to me from Susanne, the lady in Germany that supports Bethesda International in Jinja, Uganda. I have never met her but we know one another because of our shared love for Uganda and Bethesda International kiddos!! She started an NGO in Germany that supports Bethesda International through child sponsorship and various other projects. <img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5514024523489100370" border="0" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_n3HVdE5Hcr4/TIXAFu1cQlI/AAAAAAAABwc/Zd3m2OQROnU/s400/Co+Nov+Uganda+09+097.JPG" /><span style="font-family:georgia;"><em>Dear Katie,<br /><br />here come the good news about the "breakfast of your life"-competition. We came in as one of the 10 finalists in the competition. We did not win one of the three breakfasts worth 5.000 Euru. Instead, they decided to donate 3.000 Euro to our NGO Bulungi e. V. , completely independently from the competition.<br /><br />On the day when the competition ended we had already received a 3.000 Euro donation from a donor that was completely unknown to us so far.<br /><br />All in all we received 6.000 Euro, can you believe it? This equals about 7,900 Dollars.!!!<br /><br />Before I enrolled us to participate in the competition I asked Jesus whether he would be with us and help us. He didn't say anything, but after I had asked the question I knew 100% that he would be with us and that we would one way or another get the money we needed for the children. If not by winning, then in other ways, as God' s ways are sometimes different from what we think or imagine.<br /><br />It was a miracle that we finally ranked among the top ten. We had made it only in the very last hour of the competition, at a time when most other participants obviously thought the competition was already over, because it was past midnight already and the competition was to end at midnight. However, because of the time difference of European summer and winter time, the competition ended one our after midnight, of which many participants were not aware. This one hour helped us to get from rank 13 to rank 7.<br /><br />Anyway, on Wednesday the company announced their three winners and we were not among them. I was disappointed but I didn't doubt for a second that Jesus would not let us down but keep his "promise". So I wrote an e-mail to the company telling them about our project and the children in Uganda and also about the disappointment not to have been chosen as winners of the competition.<br /><br />Yesterday (Thursday) I received the e-mail in which they were telling me they had decided to donate 3.000 Euro. We will use part of it for a really big feast at Rapha this very August and part of it will be used to begin with realizing the Bethesda vision of a children's village at Rapha Farm.<br /><br />I know that it was our heavenly friend who helped us convince the company that they should donate us money. Praise and Thanks and Glory to Jesus! </em></span><em><span style="font-family:georgia;">Altogether the money we were donated in other ways was even more than what we would have won for the breakfast.<br /><br />I can only say again that God is great!<br /><br />Lots of Love and all the best from Germany,<br />Susanne <img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 300px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 400px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5514025291620814242" border="0" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_n3HVdE5Hcr4/TIXAycWUDaI/AAAAAAAABws/LMYL6etfpS8/s400/Co+Nov+Uganda+09+079.JPG" /></span></em></div></div>Katiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16971226768425744265noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2295571132049036100.post-54028078797950599852010-07-15T09:27:00.000-07:002010-07-15T09:56:36.817-07:00WE NEED YOU...to help feed kids in Uganda!!<img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5494172637592818642" border="0" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_n3HVdE5Hcr4/TD84545kE9I/AAAAAAAABwM/vznLrZ-y_hE/s400/Co+Nov+Uganda+09+080.JPG" /><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5494172629262700498" border="0" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_n3HVdE5Hcr4/TD845Z3gj9I/AAAAAAAABwE/jdh_yV5sObo/s400/katie_011.jpg" /> <div><div><div>Okay friends!!! We need your help to bless these children! This is an easy one, well kind of...</div><div><br />Bethesda International / Rapha School in Jinja, Uganda has the opportunity to win a "breakfast of your life", worth 5000 Euro, which is $626 dollars. Of course "the breakfast of my life" will take place in Uganda, at Rapha School to be exact, with about 300 children from the school and surrounding homes and ...guess what... it will be better than the usual thin porridge!!</div><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5494172639973054082" border="0" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_n3HVdE5Hcr4/TD846BxDloI/AAAAAAAABwU/eUZ2yUiz_zw/s400/Co+Nov+Uganda+09+093.JPG" /> <div></div><div>The only issue is that the contest is in Germany, and the website is in German. Friends of ours in Germany that are partnered with Bethesda International and Rapha School, have entered the contest to win this for the kids. So,...all we have to do is go to the German website and click to vote for them to win! It's a bit complicated because the whole site is in German so I had Susanne, the woman who entered the contest, write me instructions on how us English speaking Americans can vote. Below is her explanation and so please take the time to vote!!!</div><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 286px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5494172621227604498" border="0" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_n3HVdE5Hcr4/TD84477yuhI/AAAAAAAABv8/oVotZAVHaH0/s400/Uganda046%5B1%5D.jpg" /><br />If you go to this link: <a href="http://www.laetta.com/de/laetta_aktuell/fruehstueck_deines_lebens.asp?cid=6Dsr48vu4FDB302Eir4803173B">German website called latta </a></div><div><br /><div>You will see (in the blue area on the right side) the line: "Diesen Beitrag bewerten und zusätzlich gewinnen" and below you see 5 blue stars. You have to click on the fifth blue star (the one on the very right side), which means it is a five-star-rating. The more 5-star-clicks we get, the higher the voting.</div></div></div><br />For multiple clicks you need to use this link: <a href="http://www.laetta.com/de/laetta_aktuell/fruehstueck_deines_lebens.asp">German website</a><br /><br />You will see our entry, Susanne Bulungi, if you scroll down. It's about the 5th page of entries, it has a picture of Rapha kids eating in their orange uniforms. Then you have to click on that entry and the rest works like before (clicking on the 5th star). After giving your vote, you can close the window again by clicking the X in the top right corner. After that you can vote again.Katiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16971226768425744265noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2295571132049036100.post-10842714495920396422010-07-12T20:45:00.001-07:002010-07-12T21:16:02.117-07:00Heartbreak in Uganda<span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;font-size:180%;">Jeff and I have been saddened to hear of the bombings in Uganda. It hits very deep in our hearts since Uganda has become our second home filled with many friends and people we consider family. We are praying for all the family members and friends that are grieving the loss of their loved ones. Click </span><a href="http://http//news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/default.stm"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;font-size:180%;">here</span></a><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><span style="font-size:180%;"> for more info on the BBC Africa page.<br /><br />We also learned that one of the people who died was a man who worked for Invisible Children. Jeff, myself and our friend Stacie were able to visit IC and see some of the schools they have rebuilt in Gulu. They have an incredible group of folks working and volunteering in Uganda. </span><br /><span style="font-size:180%;">Go </span></span><a href="http://http//www.invisiblechildren.com/home.php"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;font-size:180%;">here</span></a><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><span style="font-size:180%;"> to read more about Nate and his service with IC in Uganda. </span><br /><span style="font-size:180%;"></span><br /><span style="font-size:180%;">Please keep Uganda in your prayers! </span></span>Katiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16971226768425744265noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2295571132049036100.post-1166524087390719192010-05-18T22:37:00.000-07:002010-05-18T21:38:35.118-07:00Home from Uganda!!<div align="center">We are home! Well, we've been home for 4 weeks now, but it took us a good 2 weeks to catch up on sleep and switch back into the "American lifestyle" of go, go, go!! I honestly think this is the hardest part of our reverse culture shock. The pace of life here is so incredibly fast and so full all the time, every day and every week that it definitely takes some adjusting to get used to it. On the other hand, the "fullness" of friendship and family mixed with life is so what we love, cherish and missed!!<br /></div><div align="center">I had grandiose plans to finish up a few stories from our last 2 months in Uganda for this blog post but unfortunately I haven't put them together. So,..instead I thought I'd take the easy way out and just post some fun photos from our last trip to Arua, Uganda. I do have so many stories to share and will get to them as soon as I can. For now, enjoy some pics from the pearl of Africa!! (Uganda)</div><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 300px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 400px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5472812435355230594" border="0" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_n3HVdE5Hcr4/S_NV6euwYYI/AAAAAAAABvo/vqu1XYfcDJk/s400/Uganda+end+of+Dec+2009+143.JPG" /><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_n3HVdE5Hcr4/S_NV65YI1jI/AAAAAAAABvw/RpF04TUIEb0/s1600/Uganda+end+of+Dec+2009+144.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 300px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 400px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5472812442508121650" border="0" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_n3HVdE5Hcr4/S_NV65YI1jI/AAAAAAAABvw/RpF04TUIEb0/s400/Uganda+end+of+Dec+2009+144.JPG" /></a> This is a common practice in Uganda called "smearing". They use a mixture of mud and cow dung and they plaster their homes. It gives the huts a really beautiful look.<br /><br /><br /><div align="center"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_n3HVdE5Hcr4/S_NV5_4VhlI/AAAAAAAABvg/FoCTbfeWqUo/s1600/Uganda+April+S.+Africa+310.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5472812427073914450" border="0" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_n3HVdE5Hcr4/S_NV5_4VhlI/AAAAAAAABvg/FoCTbfeWqUo/s400/Uganda+April+S.+Africa+310.JPG" /></a> Hanging with Jeff's co-workers for a International Conference on Rodent Biology and Management...in South Africa!!<br /><br /><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_n3HVdE5Hcr4/S_NV5dDoHDI/AAAAAAAABvY/y5GurrqJjTo/s1600/Uganda+April+S.+Africa+225.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5472812417726028850" border="0" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_n3HVdE5Hcr4/S_NV5dDoHDI/AAAAAAAABvY/y5GurrqJjTo/s400/Uganda+April+S.+Africa+225.JPG" /></a> Fatu and O looking for seashells on the shores of Lake Victoria in Entebbe, Uganda.<br /><br /><div align="center"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_n3HVdE5Hcr4/S_NV5Cm8w0I/AAAAAAAABvQ/HRRtCtB3cf0/s1600/Uganda+April+S.+Africa+198.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5472812410626425666" border="0" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_n3HVdE5Hcr4/S_NV5Cm8w0I/AAAAAAAABvQ/HRRtCtB3cf0/s400/Uganda+April+S.+Africa+198.JPG" /></a> One of the few Muslim mosques in the city we live in, Arua.<br /><br /><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_n3HVdE5Hcr4/S_NVjS3HofI/AAAAAAAABvI/KJ0uQ1iqGNU/s1600/Uganda+April+S.+Africa+196.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5472812037032092146" border="0" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_n3HVdE5Hcr4/S_NVjS3HofI/AAAAAAAABvI/KJ0uQ1iqGNU/s400/Uganda+April+S.+Africa+196.JPG" /></a> Our favorite Indian restaurant in Arua. They make a mean chicken masala and chicken tikka masala!! Our "usual" table was the one on the far left on the outside patio.<br /><br /><div><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_n3HVdE5Hcr4/S_NVi09GbPI/AAAAAAAABvA/KjC5ZXqoKqw/s1600/Uganda+April+S.+Africa+189.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 300px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 400px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5472812029004115186" border="0" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_n3HVdE5Hcr4/S_NVi09GbPI/AAAAAAAABvA/KjC5ZXqoKqw/s400/Uganda+April+S.+Africa+189.JPG" /></a> Our really tall friend Robert and the kids. Robert works at the plague lab and he's an amazing guy. We've known him for 5 years now since we met him on our first trip to Arua in 2005.<br /><br /><div><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_n3HVdE5Hcr4/S_NVipbknDI/AAAAAAAABu4/ugWkVcSkqzg/s1600/March+172.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5472812025910697010" border="0" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_n3HVdE5Hcr4/S_NVipbknDI/AAAAAAAABu4/ugWkVcSkqzg/s400/March+172.JPG" /></a>This was a gift from Jame's mom, Grace. He is the boy that had severe double club feet and is currently walking around on his new feet!! Our church community, Bridestone and our fam' helped to pay for his surgery and needs. His mom arrived at our house in Arua with a bag full of food to say thank you!<br /><div><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_n3HVdE5Hcr4/S_NViJVCU_I/AAAAAAAABuw/TufniCj_4xQ/s1600/March+033.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 300px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 400px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5472812017293349874" border="0" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_n3HVdE5Hcr4/S_NViJVCU_I/AAAAAAAABuw/TufniCj_4xQ/s400/March+033.JPG" /></a> A man taking his load of coal to sell at the market or bringing it home for his own use.<br /><br /><div><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_n3HVdE5Hcr4/S_NVM7DvaBI/AAAAAAAABuo/kE_EvB9rkSg/s1600/March+025.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5472811652685457426" border="0" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_n3HVdE5Hcr4/S_NVM7DvaBI/AAAAAAAABuo/kE_EvB9rkSg/s400/March+025.JPG" /></a> Had to take this shot because it's so common to see random signage in Africa or lots of misspelled signs! This is actually our friends funny mistake and the sign was taken down in a day.<br /><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_n3HVdE5Hcr4/S_NVMWjMN-I/AAAAAAAABug/DXepWGKEZBA/s1600/March+023.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 300px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 400px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5472811642885257186" border="0" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_n3HVdE5Hcr4/S_NVMWjMN-I/AAAAAAAABug/DXepWGKEZBA/s400/March+023.JPG" /></a>Our friend carrying timber very gracefully on her head. The women are incredibly strong, it amazes me!!<br /></div><div><div><div><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_n3HVdE5Hcr4/S_NVLiInAHI/AAAAAAAABuY/jOr0fRFevIA/s1600/March+019.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 300px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 400px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5472811628815122546" border="0" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_n3HVdE5Hcr4/S_NVLiInAHI/AAAAAAAABuY/jOr0fRFevIA/s400/March+019.JPG" /></a> <div><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_n3HVdE5Hcr4/S_NVLIKotGI/AAAAAAAABuQ/vf779wGumzI/s1600/Mama+kits+092.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 300px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 400px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5472811621844300898" border="0" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_n3HVdE5Hcr4/S_NVLIKotGI/AAAAAAAABuQ/vf779wGumzI/s400/Mama+kits+092.JPG" /></a> A cutey pie on Palm Sunday playing with her palms.<br /><br /><div><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_n3HVdE5Hcr4/S_NUuRriO9I/AAAAAAAABuI/iiSw8goVQwc/s1600/Mama+kits+047.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5472811126182001618" border="0" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_n3HVdE5Hcr4/S_NUuRriO9I/AAAAAAAABuI/iiSw8goVQwc/s400/Mama+kits+047.JPG" /></a> Palm Sunday. This was one of my favorite days. The dirt roads were packed with people waving their palm leaves and singing worship songs. The roads were dotted with palms everywhere you walked, it was beautiful.<br /><br /><div><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_n3HVdE5Hcr4/S_NUtsajKPI/AAAAAAAABuA/EUIkmpqM1a8/s1600/Mama+kits+027.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 300px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 400px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5472811116178647282" border="0" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_n3HVdE5Hcr4/S_NUtsajKPI/AAAAAAAABuA/EUIkmpqM1a8/s400/Mama+kits+027.JPG" /></a> My girlfriends found the very first coffee shop in Arua! This was like finding a pot of gold at the end of a rainbow! There was a real espresso machine and yes, a steamer!! Still can't believe I had latte in Arua...wow!!<br /><div><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_n3HVdE5Hcr4/S_NUs5Ys3kI/AAAAAAAABt4/NqNn0-VLbgU/s1600/Feb+Kampala+050.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5472811102480686658" border="0" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_n3HVdE5Hcr4/S_NUs5Ys3kI/AAAAAAAABt4/NqNn0-VLbgU/s400/Feb+Kampala+050.JPG" /></a> Soccer in the capital of Uganda, Kampala<br /><div><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_n3HVdE5Hcr4/S_NUsSs1x_I/AAAAAAAABtw/GlHZ_fJ1ld0/s1600/End+of+Feb+276.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5472811092096174066" border="0" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_n3HVdE5Hcr4/S_NUsSs1x_I/AAAAAAAABtw/GlHZ_fJ1ld0/s400/End+of+Feb+276.JPG" /></a> THIS IS OSUUBI! Yup, this is the dried beans of the Osuubi plant. Jeff made a killer good Osuubi soup for the whole family! We decided as a family to try all of the local foods, although we didn't succeed. We missed the grasshoppers and well, we passed up the opportunity to try the fried ants, but maybe next time!!<br /><div><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_n3HVdE5Hcr4/S_NUG4Y2ecI/AAAAAAAABto/1J8enc5I1sE/s1600/End+of+Feb+258.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5472810449377851842" border="0" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_n3HVdE5Hcr4/S_NUG4Y2ecI/AAAAAAAABto/1J8enc5I1sE/s400/End+of+Feb+258.JPG" /></a> Fatu and friends at Ombachi church.<br /><div><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_n3HVdE5Hcr4/S_NUGAavsSI/AAAAAAAABtg/muWI6ZqcE30/s1600/End+of+Feb+176.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5472810434353410338" border="0" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_n3HVdE5Hcr4/S_NUGAavsSI/AAAAAAAABtg/muWI6ZqcE30/s400/End+of+Feb+176.JPG" /></a> Another day at the water well in Ombachi village.<br /><br /><div><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_n3HVdE5Hcr4/S_NUFn3mCfI/AAAAAAAABtY/xXy9ok7y6HA/s1600/End+of+Feb+164.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5472810427763526130" border="0" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_n3HVdE5Hcr4/S_NUFn3mCfI/AAAAAAAABtY/xXy9ok7y6HA/s400/End+of+Feb+164.JPG" /></a> This is Katrin, our friend in Arua, and Osobie during some of the filming for the 2 minute documentary film that was submitted to a BBC competition. Katrin did an amazing job and Osobie was real trooper while we filmed for many days.<br /><div><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_n3HVdE5Hcr4/S_NUFGMMrwI/AAAAAAAABtQ/ABMwiFzJwW0/s1600/Co+Nov+Uganda+09+085.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5472810418723139330" border="0" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_n3HVdE5Hcr4/S_NUFGMMrwI/AAAAAAAABtQ/ABMwiFzJwW0/s400/Co+Nov+Uganda+09+085.JPG" /></a><br /><div><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_n3HVdE5Hcr4/S_NT3pJwdqI/AAAAAAAABtI/bJs-2NVupUo/s1600/BS+goodies+011.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 300px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 400px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5472810187589973666" border="0" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_n3HVdE5Hcr4/S_NT3pJwdqI/AAAAAAAABtI/bJs-2NVupUo/s400/BS+goodies+011.JPG" /></a> I had to take this photo so I could show our families and friends what some of the latrines will be like when they all come to visit us in Uganda!! :) hint, hint<br /><div><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_n3HVdE5Hcr4/S_NT2xX2J6I/AAAAAAAABtA/UOZJfoZYxYw/s1600/BS+goodies+009.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5472810172616681378" border="0" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_n3HVdE5Hcr4/S_NT2xX2J6I/AAAAAAAABtA/UOZJfoZYxYw/s400/BS+goodies+009.JPG" /></a> The beloved fabric market!! I LOVE this place and the beautiful designs on the wax material and kantenge's! I could spend hours here if it wasn't for running out of spending money and the intense heat of the market.<br /><div><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_n3HVdE5Hcr4/S_NT2abl89I/AAAAAAAABs4/7-oDGoG6gEA/s1600/BS+goodies+006.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 300px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 400px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5472810166458381266" border="0" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_n3HVdE5Hcr4/S_NT2abl89I/AAAAAAAABs4/7-oDGoG6gEA/s400/BS+goodies+006.JPG" /></a> Main roads of ARUA<br /><div><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_n3HVdE5Hcr4/S_NT1z_C96I/AAAAAAAABsw/IBVhDKvNRos/s1600/BS+goodies+001.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 300px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 400px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5472810156138100642" border="0" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_n3HVdE5Hcr4/S_NT1z_C96I/AAAAAAAABsw/IBVhDKvNRos/s400/BS+goodies+001.JPG" /></a> Crusade posters are a common site in Arua.<br /><div><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_n3HVdE5Hcr4/S_NToZpGqeI/AAAAAAAABso/iqGOQw3PRfE/s1600/Baby+sarah+079.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 300px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 400px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5472809925728446946" border="0" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_n3HVdE5Hcr4/S_NToZpGqeI/AAAAAAAABso/iqGOQw3PRfE/s400/Baby+sarah+079.JPG" /></a> Friends!!<br /><div><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_n3HVdE5Hcr4/S_NTnmsAuwI/AAAAAAAABsg/V69PSNf2BEw/s1600/Baby+sarah+073.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5472809912050432770" border="0" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_n3HVdE5Hcr4/S_NTnmsAuwI/AAAAAAAABsg/V69PSNf2BEw/s400/Baby+sarah+073.JPG" /></a><br /><div><div><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_n3HVdE5Hcr4/S_NTmi2kbnI/AAAAAAAABsQ/H6g7PAXoJtI/s1600/Baby+sarah+023.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5472809893841104498" border="0" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_n3HVdE5Hcr4/S_NTmi2kbnI/AAAAAAAABsQ/H6g7PAXoJtI/s400/Baby+sarah+023.JPG" /></a> Traffic jam of Ankoli cows on a road near where we lived. Their horns are used to make bracelets, earrings, coasters and a ton of other things. </div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div><br /></div></div>Katiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16971226768425744265noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2295571132049036100.post-35451375289446851582010-03-24T12:10:00.000-07:002010-03-24T13:48:56.235-07:00From tree to bean!<img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5451918705332317762" border="0" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_n3HVdE5Hcr4/S6kbLU-j7kI/AAAAAAAABpg/THJx4NrfmMg/s400/Jan+playground+033.JPG" />Just wanted to share with you our favorite home school extra curricular activity here in Arua! I remember praying quite a bit about coming back to Arua for our second time around. Since our time line doesn't correspond with the Ugandan school system, it's almost a requirement that I home school the kids. Now, don't get me wrong, it's not that I don't like to teach from home, I do, most days! It's just sometimes I get that worried mom thing in me that questions whether or not Osobie and Fatu are getting to experience enough or will be able to be involved in fun kid things like sports, music, art, karate,..etc.. You get what I mean. So, as we were making the decision to come back again for 6 months I started asking God what I should do about home school this time around. What I felt like He told me was not to compare what kids in the states have versus what we will have in Arua. I also felt like he told me to teach them what they can learn from Africa. So... I have been doing just that. We have been learning about the animals, birds and insects of Uganda. We have been experimenting with cooking some local foods that we haven't tried before, as well as picking up on a little bit of Lugbarra. <img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5451918725430063890" border="0" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_n3HVdE5Hcr4/S6kbMf2PMxI/AAAAAAAABpw/qXGEFOn_0Yc/s400/Jan+playground+051.JPG" />The one activity that's been the most fun has been....COFFEE!!!!!!!!!!! Yeah, anyone who knows me will know that obviously there is some "mama bias" in learning this one! Heck, even O and F are clued into my pretty serious coffee drinking habit! But, sincerely this has been so stinking fun!! I wish I had photos from our first excursion but I forgot the ole' camera.<br /><div><div><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5451918714223595730" border="0" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_n3HVdE5Hcr4/S6kbL2GaENI/AAAAAAAABpo/69olMKdddfs/s400/Jan+playground+050.JPG" /></div><div>We picked the ripe coffee beans from the trees at our friend Alice's house. Alice's grandma (De-de) Shalom is the lady in charge! She's probably 65 or 70? Anyway, she has coffee trees planted and she does all the work of harvesting, crushing, and roasting before she sells them in the market. So, for one afternoon we picked and picked and picked! It's no easy task I tell you! There are ants that hide in the bunches and they bite and crawl all over your arms and fingers as you pick. I'm sure most Ugandans don't think harvesting is that bad or hard to do, but for novices like us, it was an exciting and tiring afternoon! We picked loads of coffee beans until the tops of the trees were bare.<br /><div><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5451919629095894802" border="0" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_n3HVdE5Hcr4/S6kcBGQ9fxI/AAAAAAAABp4/6guRLFiUVWg/s400/Jan+playground+057.JPG" /> Next we put the beans out to dry at our house. De de Shalom gave us our very own batch to work on so we carried it home and laid them on the cement near the house. We dried them for many weeks. </div></div><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 300px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 400px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5451921555366932002" border="0" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_n3HVdE5Hcr4/S6kdxOLw7iI/AAAAAAAABqI/jKKEZCXz06g/s400/March+049.JPG" /><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 300px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 400px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5451921541542078754" border="0" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_n3HVdE5Hcr4/S6kdwarqaSI/AAAAAAAABqA/G-Z2GHshxyw/s400/March+046.JPG" />Then came time to crush the shell and discover the precious coffee bean inside! This was the part I was most excited about...holding the mighty coffee bean! The kids were stoked too! So, we made another date with Alice and de-de Shalom and we all headed out to her house. We had so much fun! Alice and Shalom showed us the two different traditional ways of shucking the shell of the bean as well as the sifting. <img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 300px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 400px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5451921568073113922" border="0" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_n3HVdE5Hcr4/S6kdx9hJ4UI/AAAAAAAABqY/MZczI9uW9hM/s400/March+055.JPG" /><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 300px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 400px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5451921561537956674" border="0" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_n3HVdE5Hcr4/S6kdxlLDS0I/AAAAAAAABqQ/98BKkOrJ4hw/s400/March+056.JPG" /></div><div>As you can see, this is the first method. The wooden cylinder and heavy wooden smasher. Of course I forgot to get the Lugbarra name for both of these tools. They use these grinders for millet and various other grains, seeds, pods and such that all need crushing. The wooden pole is heavy! No wonder most African woman have intensely strong arms. Oh, and talking about strong...this photo and these coffee activities all took place at Alice's house on Saturday. The very next day, Sunday, around 3:30 pm Alice gave birth to a healthy baby girl! Talk about strong women, Alice wasn't only grinding and sifting coffee with us that day, she was also re- thatching her grass roof with her husband and a hired worker. Wow!!</div><div><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5452264969346034930" border="0" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_n3HVdE5Hcr4/S6pWGi8tLPI/AAAAAAAABqg/EzBp749Gm5I/s400/March+061.JPG" />Next came the second method of shucking the shell of the coffee bean, rock on rock. You use a large flat stone and place the dried coffee in a pile in the center. Then you position a sifter at the end of the rock. The rock should be slightly pointing downward so the beans and shells will slide down into the sifter. You then use another small hand held rock with a flat bottom and you pull back over the coffee shells and push down then rock forward again. It's got a little rhythm to it if you watch the professionals at work (Alice and grandma)! I started to get the hang of it and even Alice said, "Katie, she knows how to grind coffee!"</div><div><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5452264979590717170" border="0" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_n3HVdE5Hcr4/S6pWHJHOnvI/AAAAAAAABqo/egEoA6ZBWL0/s400/March+065.JPG" /><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 300px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 400px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5452264999937202498" border="0" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_n3HVdE5Hcr4/S6pWIU6NWUI/AAAAAAAABq4/tgU2rXaBtuk/s400/March+071.JPG" /><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5452264986816026130" border="0" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_n3HVdE5Hcr4/S6pWHkB4FhI/AAAAAAAABqw/ln4OclVZeMs/s400/March+067.JPG" /><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 300px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 400px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5452287933570295426" border="0" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_n3HVdE5Hcr4/S6pq_PWbJoI/AAAAAAAABrA/qcSmEKJSGdU/s400/March+078.JPG" /> <div>I have a new appreciation for coffee farmers and for coffee! It is a LOAD of work for such a small little nugget of love and caffeine! Jeff, myself and the kids all took turns with the grinding techniques and tried out our sifting skills! <a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_n3HVdE5Hcr4/S6pq_ugHDYI/AAAAAAAABrI/wrOKXLRxnNg/s1600/March+076.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5452287941932420482" border="0" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_n3HVdE5Hcr4/S6pq_ugHDYI/AAAAAAAABrI/wrOKXLRxnNg/s400/March+076.JPG" /></a> A handful of shells and coffee beans after being crushed in the wooden bowl.<br /><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_n3HVdE5Hcr4/S6prBCDpBbI/AAAAAAAABrg/sScxn9PXOF0/s1600/March+100.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 300px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 400px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5452287964361590194" border="0" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_n3HVdE5Hcr4/S6prBCDpBbI/AAAAAAAABrg/sScxn9PXOF0/s400/March+100.JPG" /></a> Then the last part was the sifting. Here you can see Grandma Shalom working it! She sifted that whole bunch of coffee beans faster than the 4 of us did on our one batch. I practically threw half of the beans on the ground from my poor sifting and slow reflexes to pull back in time. I spent most of my time digging in the dirt picking up the tiny green coffee beans that I spilled !<br /><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_n3HVdE5Hcr4/S6pxgh8NGHI/AAAAAAAABro/SL-9trf_MOo/s1600/March+085.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 300px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 400px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5452295102566045810" border="0" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_n3HVdE5Hcr4/S6pxgh8NGHI/AAAAAAAABro/SL-9trf_MOo/s400/March+085.JPG" /></a><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5452297618316424306" border="0" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_n3HVdE5Hcr4/S6pzy911dHI/AAAAAAAABr4/NokdyPVS2-4/s400/March+090.JPG" /><br /><div><div><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_n3HVdE5Hcr4/S6p0yET1bTI/AAAAAAAABsA/HoikzFfoPJY/s1600/March+088.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 300px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 400px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5452298702384622898" border="0" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_n3HVdE5Hcr4/S6p0yET1bTI/AAAAAAAABsA/HoikzFfoPJY/s400/March+088.JPG" /></a><br /><div><div><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_n3HVdE5Hcr4/S6pzyeLQgWI/AAAAAAAABrw/m6S0AlXXHPg/s1600/March+098.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 300px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 400px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5452297609816342882" border="0" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_n3HVdE5Hcr4/S6pzyeLQgWI/AAAAAAAABrw/m6S0AlXXHPg/s400/March+098.JPG" /></a> Seriously though, once grandma or de-de Shalom took over she put us all to shame! That woman is strong and you can see the years of experience she has had grinding, shucking, and sifting! I was so impressed and so grateful for the opportunity for us to learn about coffee.<br /><br /><div><div><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_n3HVdE5Hcr4/S6prAWAZbBI/AAAAAAAABrY/5X7gIzcu9io/s1600/March+109.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 300px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 400px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5452287952536824850" border="0" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_n3HVdE5Hcr4/S6prAWAZbBI/AAAAAAAABrY/5X7gIzcu9io/s400/March+109.JPG" /></a> Walking home from Alice's house enjoying the green lush African landscape...and praying the makeshift bridge made of timber holds together for us!!<br /><div><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_n3HVdE5Hcr4/S6pq_ysoRkI/AAAAAAAABrQ/zyIcCXMuV4Y/s1600/March+111.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 300px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 400px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5452287943058671170" border="0" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_n3HVdE5Hcr4/S6pq_ysoRkI/AAAAAAAABrQ/zyIcCXMuV4Y/s400/March+111.JPG" /></a> We have one last part of this whole coffee process, the roasting. We have some Dutch friends who drink Ugandan coffee that is roasted by their friend and house helper, Grace. So, our next and last field trip will be to their house next week to learn how to roast the bean! We'll let you know how it goes once we sip our very own Ugandan home brew!</div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div>Katiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16971226768425744265noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2295571132049036100.post-58228007621325389472010-03-16T04:10:00.000-07:002010-03-16T05:11:02.646-07:00The power of love!<span style="font-size:130%;">And if anyone gives even a cup of cold water to one of these little ones because he is my disciple, I tell you the truth, he will certainly not lose his reward. Matthew 10:42<br /></span><br /><div align="center"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 300px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 400px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5447289926837264834" border="0" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_n3HVdE5Hcr4/S5ipU9Wy4cI/AAAAAAAABpQ/o47YpXOJ-iI/s400/DSC00218.JPG" /><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5447289922083053346" border="0" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_n3HVdE5Hcr4/S5ipUrpTXyI/AAAAAAAABpI/w2IWULuTXDg/s400/DSC00216.JPG" /> <span style="font-size:130%;">James Rwothmiro is a 13 year old boy from Olygarda village in Northwest Uganda. He lives in one of the villages where Jeff and his field staff performed plague research for the past few years. James was born with severe club feet that continue to cause him much hardship. He struggles quite a bit with walking. A colleague of Jeff’s from the plague lab has been moved to help this boy. She has been investigating a way to get his feet fixed. Linda found a hospital in Entebbe that specializes in orthopedic surgery, including severe club feet. A few weeks ago she took him for an exam and the hospital (CORSU, Comprehensive Rehabilitation Services Uganda, www.cbm.org) has offered to do the surgery for free! We all have been touched by James' story and we wanted to help raise money for the rest of his medical care and travel so the surgery could happen. He will be in the hospital for at least a month so his mom will be accompanying him on his trip to Entebbe. We had hoped to raise enough funds for the hospital stay, food, and travel, which would be around $250.</span> <img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5447289934441193666" border="0" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_n3HVdE5Hcr4/S5ipVZrtoMI/AAAAAAAABpY/1W08_bdTeu0/s400/IMG_4267.jpg" /> James and Jeff's coworker Linda<img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5447289916720370418" border="0" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_n3HVdE5Hcr4/S5ipUXqvUvI/AAAAAAAABpA/qxAS5Ys8WKQ/s400/DSC00215.JPG" /></div><br /><p align="center"><span style="font-size:180%;">WE ARE HAPPY TO SAY </span></p><p align="center"><span style="font-size:180%;">ALL THE MONEY HAS BEEN RAISED</span></p><p align="center"><span style="font-size:180%;">BY OUR HOME CHURCH ~BRIDESTONE!!!</span></p><p align="left"><span style="font-size:130%;">We sent Jame's story to our church community in Colorado and within one week everyone gave enough so James could receive the surgery! Thank you for your sacrifice that is giving James hope for a brighter future. He is arriving today from the village then tomorrow he will take the bus with his mom and Linda to Entebbe. His surgery is scheduled for Friday. We are asking for your prayers for this little boy. We are praying that the Dr's will have success in resetting his feet properly. We are praying that this will be life changing for James! Also, that this would forever impact his heart by knowing without a doubt that he is loved, cherished and cared for by his Heavenly Father! We are praying that James will remember this moment and know that the love poured out in the form of medical and financial help is truly Jesus' love for him. We pray that he will know that even the very hairs of his head are all counted by God because He cares for James. </span></p><p align="center"><span style="font-size:180%;">Thank you Linda for your heart!</span></p><p align="center"><span style="font-size:180%;">THANK YOU BRIDESTONE!!!! </span></p><p align="center"><span style="font-size:130%;">We love sharing life with you guys and being an extension of your hearts and your love for the people of Uganda!</span></p>Katiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16971226768425744265noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2295571132049036100.post-67115543740816136722010-03-04T05:28:00.000-08:002010-03-04T11:06:06.355-08:00An Overflow of giving!<strong><span style="font-size:180%;"></span></strong><span style="font-size:130%;"></span><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_n3HVdE5Hcr4/S4_9Dn9V8eI/AAAAAAAABo4/j5Hq_gdcbrM/s1600-h/baby+003.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 300px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 400px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5444848713221927394" border="0" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_n3HVdE5Hcr4/S4_9Dn9V8eI/AAAAAAAABo4/j5Hq_gdcbrM/s400/baby+003.jpg" /></a> <div align="center"><span style="font-family:georgia;font-size:180%;">WE ARE CURRENTLY AT</span></div><div><br /></div><div align="center"><span style="font-family:georgia;font-size:180%;"><strong>75</strong></span></div><div><br /></div><div align="center"></div><div><br /></div><div align="center"><span style="font-family:georgia;font-size:180%;">BIRTHING KITS!</span><br /></div><div><br /></div><div align="left"><span style="font-size:130%;">Wow...This is wonderful and you all are so amazing!! If you want to see some pictures of the baby shower of our friends Kami and Jeremy Johnson, go <a href="http://http//www.futurefororphans.com/">here</a>!</span></div><div><br /></div><div align="left"><span style="font-size:130%;">THANKS everyone! We're super stoked to be able to bless so many Ugandan mama's with kits that will help them in the delivery of their precious babies. We will be ordering the kits once the final numbers are in and then off to the clinics to distribute! We will have pictures in some weeks ahead, so check back.</span></div><div align="left"><span style="font-size:130%;"></span></div><div><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /></span></div><div align="left"><span style="font-size:130%;">Please be praying for our dear friend Alice. She is a Ugandan mama of 3 and is due to have her 4th baby any day now! We are praying daily for her. Alice has given my sister the honor of naming her baby, so we're all excited for his or her arrival! Luckily for Alice, she will be having the baby in the hospital which is still a shocking site if you've not been to an African hospital. But there are doctors and nurses available to help during complications, so it is a better option for women who live near a town and have the money to cover the fees. <img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 292px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5444845570358874994" border="0" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_n3HVdE5Hcr4/S4_6Mr4Zk3I/AAAAAAAABog/VmWub7_pBD0/s400/alice+fatu.jpg" /></span></div><div align="center">Alice and Fatu</div>Katiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16971226768425744265noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2295571132049036100.post-11869027267893257072010-02-23T02:48:00.000-08:002010-02-22T22:37:44.230-08:00The Gift of Birthing Kits!<img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 300px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 400px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5439905580321490770" border="0" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_n3HVdE5Hcr4/S35tTa66R1I/AAAAAAAABoI/AVf_gddvgCY/s400/random+003.JPG" /> We have been given the great opportunity to partner with a handful of amazing people and give the gift of birthing kits to women in Uganda! Our dear friends, Kami and Jeremy Johnson, are having a baby in May! They had the great idea of showering women in Uganda with love instead of being showered themselves! Here's a bit about them and the project we've all joined together to accomplish.<br /><br /><span style="font-family:arial;"><em><span style="font-size:130%;">Jeremy and Kamina are expecting their first child in mid-May. After traveling to Africa 4 times in the last 2 years Kamina had met, seen, and prayed for the women of the countries she visited. Ever since finding out she was pregnant Kamina has thought even more about the women in Africa and how they have little to no access to the basic resources they need to safely grow, deliver, and raise a child. Often times they are hungry and have no food. Thirsty and have no water. In labor and have no sterile supplies or a safe place to deliver their baby. This calling on her heart translated into a vision. Instead of the usual American style "baby shower" with a mile long registry and pile of gifts, why not shower the women in Africa with the basics to safely deliver their child? Kamina and Jeremy are having a party on February 28th at their new house in Fort Collins and inviting friends and family to celebrate the coming of their child. They are asking guests to bring diapers or wipes, and in lieu of other gifts asking for donations to purchase birthing kits for women in Uganda. Why shower one mother with a pile of goodies when we can shower many women in Africa with the blessing of a safe birth of their child? Will you join us in changing the lives of others?</span> </em></span><div><em><span style="font-family:Arial;"></span></em></div><br /><div><span style="font-family:arial;"><span style="font-size:130%;">Because Every Mother Matters is sponsoring this event and project. Steffany is providing pictures, information, advice, and pamphlets to help spread the word about how simple birthing kits can save the lives of both mothers and babies in Uganda, Africa.</span><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 300px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 400px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5439908311964540914" border="0" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_n3HVdE5Hcr4/S35vybFXX_I/AAAAAAAABoQ/ylWf08okcIU/s400/Feb+Kampala+093.JPG" /> </span>Jeff and I will be ordering the "Basic Mama Kit", as soon as we get the final numbers from Jeremy and Kami, after the baby shower. The kits will be compiled and put on Eagle Air to be delivered to Arua, Northern Uganda. The Birthing Kits cost around $10 each (depending on market values) and contain gauze, cotton, razor blades, tetracycline eye ointment, gloves, umbilical cord tie, soap, pamphlets, polythene sheeting, and a polythene bag for records. We will then distribute them to under-resourced clinics in the "bush" that help deliver babies. Since 2005, Jeff has been working with the health workers of these village clinics. We will do our best at getting photos on our blog and you can also check Kami and Jeremy's website at <a href="http://http//www.futurefororphans.com/">Future for Orphans</a>. </div><div><br />Jeff and I, as Bridestone missionaries are in partnership with <a href="http://http//www.4compassion.org/index.php">CompassioNet Impact</a>, an amazing non-profit started by our good friends Ric & Joy Lehman in Puerto Vallarta. Online donations will be accepted through <a href="http://https//www.justgive.org/nonprofits/donate.jsp?ein=20-0256249">Compassionate Impact International</a>. Please enter "Birthing Kits" into the text box that reads "Enter a description below of how you would like your donation used." Donations will be accepted through March 1, 2010. All donations are tax deductible. For only $10 you can buy a birthing kit for a Ugandan mama! <img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 300px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 400px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5441322810163096802" border="0" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_n3HVdE5Hcr4/S4N2RDgAbOI/AAAAAAAABoY/crC5NyY1x40/s400/End+of+Feb+243.JPG" /></div>Katiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16971226768425744265noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2295571132049036100.post-88727800562102408652010-02-08T04:32:00.000-08:002010-02-08T11:16:17.240-08:00God's Love Playground***<strong><span style="font-size:130%;"></span></strong><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_n3HVdE5Hcr4/S28g4H-oYPI/AAAAAAAABoA/7e47Me4_ZdY/s1600-h/Jan+playground+089.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 300px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 400px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5435599423845982450" border="0" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_n3HVdE5Hcr4/S28g4H-oYPI/AAAAAAAABoA/7e47Me4_ZdY/s400/Jan+playground+089.JPG" /></a>***this is the name Osobie wants to call the playgrounds.<br /><br /><div><div><div>Wow... is it really already February? It seems as if we've been swept up in the New Year and just now finding some time to catch up on things like blogs!! We enjoyed our New Year in Kampala, the capital city, then returned home soon after that. Once home, Jeff, Osobie and I all got sick. We had a bit of a scare with Osobie when he woke up one morning telling us he couldn't breathe and his chest was hurting him. Within 15 minutes we had to make the decision whether or not he and Jeff would get on the morning plane to Kampala. After our bout in the hospital in October we didn't want to take a chance, so they got on the airplane that morning and were in to see the doctor by 1pm. They ran blood tests and listened to his lungs and all seemed to be okay other than he had a virus. They loaded him up on medicines and antibiotics and felt he was fine to travel back to Arua. Looking back we probably were a bit overcautious and overprotective but, after our scare in the States we didn't want to risk it. He kept his cough up until a few days ago but we think it's due to the fact that it's dry season here and dust is flying everywhere! There are many other friends in Arua that can't shake the bad cough either. Thanks to all who prayed for our little man! <img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5431401003911453010" border="0" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_n3HVdE5Hcr4/S2A2b67XmVI/AAAAAAAABmo/ZxM4TnStyw8/s400/Jan+2009+034.JPG" /><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5431401010150657538" border="0" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_n3HVdE5Hcr4/S2A2cSK6TgI/AAAAAAAABmw/fKGOhP8w3iw/s400/Jan+2009+075.JPG" /><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 300px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 400px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5432148303911626754" border="0" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_n3HVdE5Hcr4/S2LeGgXkqAI/AAAAAAAABnA/1S--TqHbFk0/s400/Jan+2009+094.JPG" /> <div><div>Now for the reason I'm writing! We are close to completing the first swingset!!! We met with the elders and youth leaders of Ombachi village church several weekends ago to discuss the idea of a swingset for the church. We gathered in the hut, prayed and started the meeting with Osobie standing before the elders and sharing his heart. Wow! I could have let the tears roll then and there, but I stayed strong and sat still, listening to our son's desire for kids to know that God cares about them. We chatted about the details of the project, and thought through issues of security and supervision of the set during church. We inquired about their choice of color for the paint and they chose Osobie's favorite color, green! Our friend and house worker Jane is the Sunday School teacher at this church and she too is happy that her students will have a place to play! <img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 300px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 400px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5431401018115364226" border="0" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_n3HVdE5Hcr4/S2A2cv12FYI/AAAAAAAABm4/EDdDERNIkzM/s400/Jan+2009+080.JPG" /><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 300px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 400px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5432157250652078450" border="0" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_n3HVdE5Hcr4/S2LmPRkuAXI/AAAAAAAABnI/96ygPP5_S9A/s400/Jan+2009+101.JPG" /></div><div><br /></div><div>We decided to use timbers for the poles and Osobie brought seats from the U.S. to complete the swing set. For now we are using rope to attach the swings but we are looking into another option that will last longer. We hired 4 men from Ombachi to level the ground and dig the holes for the poles. A whole Saturday was spent drilling the holes in the timbers which was much more difficult than we anticipated. I think Jeff made at least 5 trips on the boda to town to get a hand drill that actually worked! Where's a Dewalt when you need it?? Meanwhile, Osobie and Fatu played with the kids and waited patiently, praying that we would be able to get the hand drill to work. Finally, it did! Osobie was ecstatic, grinning ear to ear all day! He helped with every part of the work, as best he could. He especially loved using the measuring tape and level! The workers, "Fundi's" as their called in Uganda, poured the cement and we put the swings up! <img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 300px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 400px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5435591043609957330" border="0" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_n3HVdE5Hcr4/S28ZQVKqk9I/AAAAAAAABnY/FBuKJKQJhyw/s400/Jan+playground+080.JPG" /><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 300px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 400px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5435591048832306082" border="0" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_n3HVdE5Hcr4/S28ZQonxS6I/AAAAAAAABng/IpE68qeZfiY/s400/Jan+playground+085.JPG" /></div><div>Osobie took the first swing along with Fatu! There were many children watching and helping with the construction of the swing set. After it was finished the kids were a bit shy and fearful to get on the swing. I asked the elder why the kids didn’t want to jump on, and he said, “They don’t know how to play”. Yeah, unfortunately, we know this too well. When Fatu and Osobie first came home they didn’t know how to play either. It took quite a bit of time as they learned how to play with us, friends, and toys. Many children in Africa and elsewhere don’t have the opportunities to be children and play because their help is needed for the family to survive each day. They have responsibilities, chores, and for some, work to attend to. Osobie remembers this about life in Liberia. He remembers how hard simply surviving was and can be for many families. He is reminded of it almost every day in Uganda. He also now knows the joy of playing and wants to see that joy in the lives of other African children. I mentioned earlier that I held back my tears while Osobie shared with the elders. Honestly, there is nothing I can compare this experience to. Jeff and I’s hearts rejoiced as we sat in awe over God’s goodness to us and Osobie. We have prayed that our kids would know Jesus and walk with him all the days of their lives. I'm blown away that not only does our son love Jesus, but that he is<em> already</em> following after God’s heart at his young age. Two years ago he was living in the orphanage in Liberia, malnourished, sick, abandoned, without much of a hope or a future, and without knowing the One who made him. And to see him today; after all he has been through, sharing his heart of compassion for the children of Uganda, it's a gift that only God could give us. He stood tall and confident that day as he spoke that he wanted to build the swing set to show the kids that God loves them!<br /></div><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 300px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 400px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5435591060268237554" border="0" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_n3HVdE5Hcr4/S28ZRTOTwvI/AAAAAAAABnw/QteteRFgEPQ/s400/Jan+playground+093.JPG" /><strong><span style="font-size:130%;">Thank you to everyone who has supported Osobie and his dream! </span></strong></div><div><strong><span style="font-size:130%;">Thank you for your donations to make this project happen! Without your generous giving, we wouldn't be able to build playgrounds for the children of Uganda. YOU have brought FUN and JOY to these children and our hope is to continue spreading joy to any more kids of Uganda! We'll keep you updated on the next one!</span></strong> <img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 300px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 400px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5435591064410393042" border="0" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_n3HVdE5Hcr4/S28ZRip4CdI/AAAAAAAABn4/ry5zBrkMIxM/s400/Jan+playground+098.JPG" /> <div><div><div><div> </div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div>Katiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16971226768425744265noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2295571132049036100.post-80694516691023038182009-12-28T11:24:00.000-08:002009-12-28T12:11:52.099-08:00The Loss of a Friend<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_n3HVdE5Hcr4/SzkLZV6REZI/AAAAAAAABmg/AXAzmLQI3Ow/s1600-h/rebecca2.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 200px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 235px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5420376156523270546" border="0" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_n3HVdE5Hcr4/SzkLZV6REZI/AAAAAAAABmg/AXAzmLQI3Ow/s400/rebecca2.jpg" /></a> It's with much sadness of our hearts that we share the loss of another friend from Bethesda International, in Jinja Uganda. On Christmas Day 2009 Rebecca Kimbugwe, home foster mother of 30 children and young people at Guardian Home, passed away in a Kampala Hospital. It was quite painful to hear the news since we just saw her in early November on our last visit to Jinja and we spoke about seeing her again on our next visit. It has been a tremendous shock and heart ache to everyone since her death happened so suddenly and unexpectedly.<br /><br />We met Rebecca in 2003 when we first met Ruth Mirembe who founded Bethesda International. Ruth and Rebecca were both foster mothers to the first children of Bethesda when it first began. Rebecca has spent most of the years of her adult life caring for the orphans and vulnerable children of Uganda by working with Bethesda International. She was an amazing woman full of energy and passion for life! The kids and I just visited <span style="color:#ffff00;"><span style="color:#333333;">Bethesda Int'l</span>. </span>in early November and were able to see Rebecca for a short visit where she shared her excitement of their home church where her and her husband were pastoring. She was a woman who was full of faith and wanted to share her love for God with everyone she met! I will so miss our conversations about life and family, and about our dreams and ideas for new projects. I will miss hearing her call my name, "Kate". She was one of my only Ugandan friends who called me Kate, not Katie and it always brought joy to my heart to hear her friendly greeting. We will miss her dearly!!<br />Please be praying for her husband and her family and especially the many children that have now lost their mother! Although many of her children are sponsored by a German NGO, Bulungi e.V. (<a href="http://www.bulungi.de/index.php?id=55">http://www.bulungi.de/index.php?id=55</a> ) there are kids that are in Guardian Home that are not sponsored. If you would like to help this family financially during this hard time please contact me, the above address, or <a href="http://www.bethesdainternational.org/">http://www.bethesdainternational.org/</a>.<br /><div align="center"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_n3HVdE5Hcr4/SzkGd38JDzI/AAAAAAAABmY/YKt-ugBwY_c/s1600-h/Co+Nov+Uganda+09+052.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 300px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 400px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5420370736819277618" border="0" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_n3HVdE5Hcr4/SzkGd38JDzI/AAAAAAAABmY/YKt-ugBwY_c/s400/Co+Nov+Uganda+09+052.JPG" /></a> November, 2009</div>Katiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16971226768425744265noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2295571132049036100.post-79536537340497309272009-12-16T20:52:00.000-08:002009-12-16T09:58:44.512-08:00Uganda-through the lens<div align="center"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_n3HVdE5Hcr4/SykUUFu4CgI/AAAAAAAABmI/_QfmCxaHaGk/s1600-h/kids+at+church.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5415882362258459138" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 300px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 400px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_n3HVdE5Hcr4/SykUUFu4CgI/AAAAAAAABmI/_QfmCxaHaGk/s400/kids+at+church.JPG" border="0" /></a> Peeking through the church windows. We were warmly greeted by some kids at our friends church one weekend. The Lugbarra word for "foreigner or white person" is Mundu (pronounced moon dew), as opposed to the typical Swahili word Mzungu, which is heard in other parts of Uganda, Kenya, Rwanda, and DRC.<br /><div align="center"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_n3HVdE5Hcr4/SykKT1_wIkI/AAAAAAAABlw/vuL4oqjlDCc/s1600-h/Osuubi.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5415871362917999170" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_n3HVdE5Hcr4/SykKT1_wIkI/AAAAAAAABlw/vuL4oqjlDCc/s400/Osuubi.JPG" border="0" /></a> This is the famous "Osuubi" a popular Ugandan greens dish. This of course, is the reason why our son is one of the most greeted little boys around town, we're guessing. Everywhere we walk people call his name and send him a smile, a wave and a friendly handshake! He sure feels loved!! "Osuubi"....."Osobie"... cute!!<br /><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_n3HVdE5Hcr4/SykKTZ1VNhI/AAAAAAAABlo/Mx_G-J7e0y0/s1600-h/mexican+lasagna.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5415871355358098962" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 300px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 400px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_n3HVdE5Hcr4/SykKTZ1VNhI/AAAAAAAABlo/Mx_G-J7e0y0/s400/mexican+lasagna.JPG" border="0" /></a> Even though Jeff is the culinary whiz in our family, on this night I rocked it! This is our new favorite dish and we've decided to make it our Friday night family meal. Mexican Lasagna with layers of chapati, rice, beans, salsa, corn, guacamole, grn peppers, tomatoes and topped with cheese!! (No, that is not cheddar cheese....but at least we can get Gouda at least). We love having an oven this year. It's opening up all kinds of culinary possibilities. Thank you Billy and Joanna for such a lovely home!!. <img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5415813123723128370" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 300px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 400px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_n3HVdE5Hcr4/SyjVV4FqbjI/AAAAAAAABkw/ThFtjdRlgPk/s400/Nov+Uganda+2009+046.JPG" border="0" />Crafting at Thanksgiving! Thanks Aunt Lois for the sand art pilgrim people. We had a fun time making them on Thanksgiving!<br /><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_n3HVdE5Hcr4/SykKTOfbw2I/AAAAAAAABlg/xtTdV2VWzyQ/s1600-h/me+gramma+feet.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5415871352313463650" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_n3HVdE5Hcr4/SykKTOfbw2I/AAAAAAAABlg/xtTdV2VWzyQ/s400/me+gramma+feet.JPG" border="0" /></a> Me and a grandma's feet. It's moments like this afternoon that I wished I spoke more Lugbarra. There's a love deep in my heart for the elderly. I know this is because my grandmother helped raise my siblings and I while my mom worked full time. I miss my grandma, who will be 98 yrs this coming January!!<br /><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_n3HVdE5Hcr4/SyjXKUY7A-I/AAAAAAAABlY/jOV2Ps9KABk/s1600-h/gramma.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5415815124184925154" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 300px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 400px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_n3HVdE5Hcr4/SyjXKUY7A-I/AAAAAAAABlY/jOV2Ps9KABk/s400/gramma.JPG" border="0" /></a> <img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5415815098591508754" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_n3HVdE5Hcr4/SyjXI1C-eRI/AAAAAAAABk4/VL2GwKXDk-o/s400/Alice+kids.JPG" border="0" />This is our wonderful friend Alice! Last year she helped our family live our life in Arua by working at our house. She has taught me how to shop in the market, cook, understand Lugbarra culture, and a million other things. We are so grateful for Alice in our lives! As soon as we arrived in Arua, Alice was eager to have us over to her place for lunch one Sunday afternoon. We had a wonderful meal with her and her family and toured around her community.<br /><br /><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_n3HVdE5Hcr4/SyjXKGgaMSI/AAAAAAAABlQ/NN4_7dWexIY/s1600-h/f+o+all+kids.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5415815120458232098" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_n3HVdE5Hcr4/SyjXKGgaMSI/AAAAAAAABlQ/NN4_7dWexIY/s400/f+o+all+kids.JPG" border="0" /></a> O and F playing with Alice's kids and neighbors<br /><br /><div><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_n3HVdE5Hcr4/SyjXJpGWBJI/AAAAAAAABlI/GIDiVAOAg2w/s1600-h/Cooking+traditional.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5415815112564278418" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 300px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 400px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_n3HVdE5Hcr4/SyjXJpGWBJI/AAAAAAAABlI/GIDiVAOAg2w/s400/Cooking+traditional.JPG" border="0" /></a>The ladies preparing our food at Alice's. This stove of Alice's was built efficiently to minimize the use of charcoal.<br /><br /><div align="center"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_n3HVdE5Hcr4/SyjXJUgpBEI/AAAAAAAABlA/oaEMz-8Am2k/s1600-h/cassava.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5415815107037430850" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_n3HVdE5Hcr4/SyjXJUgpBEI/AAAAAAAABlA/oaEMz-8Am2k/s400/cassava.JPG" border="0" /></a> Alice's cassava crops. This is the one crop that survived during the drought season for many people including Alice and our friends Sam and Anna. <img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5415886332584273122" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 300px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 400px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_n3HVdE5Hcr4/SykX7MWUJOI/AAAAAAAABmQ/IAQczTnEwIw/s400/anna+and+kt.JPG" border="0" />Katie and our friend Anna that we've been working with and praying for as a family and a church. She has had to deal with some hard circumstances in her life but she is strong and continues to trust God with her life and her children's lives. </div><div align="center"><div><br /><div><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5415882356318839426" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 300px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 400px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_n3HVdE5Hcr4/SykUTvmwooI/AAAAAAAABmA/4uj6MwxAJvk/s400/J+and+baby+katie.JPG" border="0" />This is our friend Jocelyn, Sam's wife, and the sweet and adorable baby Katie!! She has grown so much since we left in April of last year. After just one visit she had already warmed up to me and let her Auntie Katie hold her!! Even Uncle Jeff got the chance to play a bit with baby Katie before she fussed for her mama. <br /><br /><div><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_n3HVdE5Hcr4/SyjVVeVGdiI/AAAAAAAABko/ZeCnn1y9vDo/s1600-h/Pots.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5415813116808558114" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_n3HVdE5Hcr4/SyjVVeVGdiI/AAAAAAAABko/ZeCnn1y9vDo/s400/Pots.jpg" border="0" /></a> Beautiful ceramic pots on the roadside in Kampala<br /><br /><div><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_n3HVdE5Hcr4/SyjVVGyuNII/AAAAAAAABkg/yU1dBGkhk7w/s1600-h/man+bike+load.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5415813110490346626" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_n3HVdE5Hcr4/SyjVVGyuNII/AAAAAAAABkg/yU1dBGkhk7w/s400/man+bike+load.jpg" border="0" /></a> Carrying a load across town in Kampala. </div></div></div></div></div></div><br /></div></div>Katiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16971226768425744265noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2295571132049036100.post-72653427451270140632009-12-06T01:22:00.000-08:002009-12-06T01:25:57.450-08:00WORLD AIDS WEEK- Last day!!<div align="center"><span style="font-size:130%;">It's the final day of our Five for Five campaign for World AIDS Day - </span></div><div align="center"><span style="font-size:130%;"></span> </div><div align="center"><span style="font-size:130%;">a chance to give $5 a day for 5 days - each day funding a different project serving orphans living with HIV</span> .</div><div align="center"> </div><div align="center"><span style="font-size:130%;">You can make Hope today for orphans living with HIV in Ukraine! Go to </span><a href="http://www.fromhivtohome.org/"><span style="font-size:130%;">www.fromhivtohome.org</span></a><span style="font-size:130%;"> to learn more about the project and where to give to make a difference in the lives of children!!</span></div><div align="center"><span style="font-size:130%;"></span> </div><div align="center"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_n3HVdE5Hcr4/Sxt30p0wwaI/AAAAAAAABiE/ssw6SbacuD4/s1600-h/5_for_5.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5412051123679838626" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_n3HVdE5Hcr4/Sxt30p0wwaI/AAAAAAAABiE/ssw6SbacuD4/s400/5_for_5.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br /></div>Katiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16971226768425744265noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2295571132049036100.post-61889570362565433912009-12-04T11:02:00.000-08:002009-12-04T11:06:46.615-08:00World AIDS Week--- pray, act, give, share hope!<div align="center"><span style="font-size:180%;">It's day 4 of the Five for Five campaign for World AIDS Day - a chance to give $5 a day for 5 days - each day funding a different project serving orphans living with HIV! </span></div><div align="center"> </div><div align="center"><span style="font-size:180%;">Make Hope today for HIV+ orphans in South Africa! Go to </span><a href="http://www.fromhivtohome.org/"><span style="font-size:180%;">www.fromhivtohome.org</span></a><span style="font-size:180%;"> to find out how</span></div><div align="center"><span style="font-size:180%;"></span> </div><div align="center"><span style="font-size:180%;"></span><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_n3HVdE5Hcr4/SxldFu37ayI/AAAAAAAABh8/IE3c3iXmRro/s1600-h/5_for_5.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5411458780325702434" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_n3HVdE5Hcr4/SxldFu37ayI/AAAAAAAABh8/IE3c3iXmRro/s400/5_for_5.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br /></div>Katiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16971226768425744265noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2295571132049036100.post-26659201012016685652009-12-02T09:22:00.000-08:002009-12-02T09:28:02.374-08:00World AIDS Week- pray & act<div align="center"> <span style="font-size:180%;"> It is Day 2 of the Five for Five campaign for World AIDS Day - a chance to give $5 a day for 5 days - each day funding a different project serving orphans living with HIV! </span></div><div align="center"><span style="font-size:180%;"></span> </div><div align="center"><span style="font-size:180%;">Make Hope today for orphans living with HIV at </span></div><div align="center"><span style="font-size:180%;">"AHOPE for Children" Ethiopia! </span></div><div align="center"> </div><div align="center"><span style="font-size:180%;">Go to </span><a href="http://www.fromhivtohome.org/"><span style="font-size:180%;">www.fromhivtohome.org</span></a><span style="font-size:180%;"> to find out how!! </span></div><br /><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_n3HVdE5Hcr4/SxaicQTq5wI/AAAAAAAABh0/fiSfbYyTBAk/s1600-h/5_for_5.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5410690608629737218" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_n3HVdE5Hcr4/SxaicQTq5wI/AAAAAAAABh0/fiSfbYyTBAk/s400/5_for_5.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div></div>Katiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16971226768425744265noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2295571132049036100.post-51975551353165317362009-12-01T08:45:00.000-08:002009-12-01T09:00:27.058-08:00WORLD AIDS DAY- a chance to make a difference!<div align="center"> </div><div align="center"><span style="font-size:180%;">World AIDS Day! </span></div><div align="center"><span style="font-size:180%;">Make Hope for orphans living with HIV in Thailand! </span></div><div align="center"><span style="font-size:180%;">Visit </span><a href="http://www.fromhivtohome.org/"><span style="font-size:180%;">www.fromhivtohome.org</span></a><span style="font-size:180%;"> to find out how! </span></div><div align="center"><span style="font-size:180%;"></span> </div><div align="center"><span style="font-size:180%;"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5410310135538806530" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_n3HVdE5Hcr4/SxVIZzl8bwI/AAAAAAAABhs/ZSLY--DbB58/s400/5_for_5.jpg" border="0" /></span></div><div align="center">It's the start of the Five for Five campaign - a chance to give $5 a day for 5 days - each day funding a different project serving orphans living with HIV! Tomorrow will be a new project so make sure to check back at <a href="http://www.fromhivtohome.org/">www.fromhivtohome.org</a> for another chance to give and make a difference in a child's life!!</div><span style="font-size:130%;"></span><br /><span style="font-size:130%;">To donate $5 to today's project now, visit <a href="http://www.fromhivtohome.org/">www.fromhivtohome.org</a> or go directly to <a href="https://www.networkforgood.org/donation/ExpressDonation.aspx?ORGID2=26-2319340">https://www.networkforgood.org/donation/ExpressDonation.aspx?ORGID2=26-2319340</a> </span><br /><br /><br /><div align="center"> </div>Katiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16971226768425744265noreply@blogger.com0