the borch porch

Stella Kate our sweet Ugandan daughter!!!

2011-12-03T02:11:00.000-08:00

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....

Our quick trip home this summer!!

2011-09-12T11:50:00.000-07:00

Family pic done by the one and only Cierra Lorenzen!!!!!!!!!!!! You got talent girlfriend!! We love you!!!

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!!!!

Grammie with the kiddos!

Fatu and O LOVE their Auntie Mekay!!!

They also LOVE their cousin Mackenna!!!

Golfing at Grandma B and Grandpa B's house!!

Ball game with Grandpa B and Grandma B...loads of fun!!

Bowling with cousin Kyle!! Lots of fun with Aunt Linda, Uncle Brian and cuz!

The GANG at DISNEY!!

Yup....Time with my sweet soul sista L!! hugs kisses friend!!!

Fatu digging her visit to the Cockpit on one of our many flights

BACK TOGETHER AGAIN!! F and O's Liberian buddies!!! Wow,...they have all grown so much!!

Hang time with Henry is always crazy fun!!

Corn on the cob, Tillamook cheese, great friends, porch time, Colorado summer...memorable!!!

Loving being on Grandpa's sailboat with Auntie Nikki, Grandpa and Tom

Sailing with Grandpa

Star Wars in action at Grammies house

Auntie Nikki and Tom with their hands full of loving!!!

NEW LIFTED Uganda BLOG!!!

2011-03-18T23:53:00.000-07:00

THANK YOU EVERYONE for BUYING the LIFTED UGANDA BIBS!!!

We only have 5 bibs left!!

To see what bibs are available and to purchase a

LIFTED UGANDA BIB...

Go to- http://www.lifteduganda.blogspot.com/

We have started a NEW BLOG just for LIFTED UGANDA.

For all LIFTED UGANDA bib sales, information on what's happening at LIFTED, and to check out our 2 new designs coming soon....

GO ON OVER TO THE NEW BLOG:

http://www.lifteduganda.blogspot.com/

THANK YOU!!!!!

The Latest LIFTED Uganda bibs!

2011-02-28T11:13:00.000-08:00

We are excited to release the newest batch of
LIFTED Uganda bibs!!

We have only 24 .... 5 to sell so get yours quick!!

Give a beautiful, hand-made African gift with a purpose!

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.

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! 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?

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.

To Purchase a Hand Made African Bib:

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.

LIFTED UGANDA WOMEN MADE FAIR TRADE

2 1 Blue/Green/Yellow fabric with One Star

1 Blue/ Green/Yellow fabric with Two Stars

~~3 Yellow/Blue Star fabric with Bird~~
SOLD OUT

~~only 1 left!! Navy/ Green fabric with Tree~~
SOLD OUT!!

~~1 Yellow/Blue star fabric with Giraffe~~
SOLD OUT!!

~~3 Blue/Green/Yellow fabric with Giraffe~~
SOLD OUT!!

~~4 Navy/ Green fabric with Bird~~
SOLD OUT!!

4 2 Yellow/Blue star fabric with Flower

4 1 Green/ Yellow fabric with Tree

Giving Thanks!

2011-02-02T23:30:00.000-08:00

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!

I Chronicles 16~David's Psalm of Thanks!! (from The Message)

Thank God! Call out his Name!
Tell the whole world who he is and what he's done!
Sing to him! Play songs for him!
Broadcast all his wonders!
Revel in his holy Name,
God-seekers, be jubilant!
Study God and his strength,
seek his presence day and night;
Remember all the wonders he performed,
the miracles and judgments that came out of his mouth.
Sing to God, everyone and everything!
Get out his salvation news every day!
Publish his glory among the godless nations,
his wonders to all races and religions.
And why? Because God is great—well worth praising! No god or goddess comes close in honor.
All the popular gods are stuff and nonsense,
but God made the cosmos! Splendor and majesty flow out of him,
strength and joy fill his place. Shout Bravo! to God, families of the peoples,
in awe of the Glory, in awe of the Strength: Bravo!
Shout Bravo! to his famous Name,
lift high an offering and enter his presence!
Stand resplendent in his robes of holiness!

God is serious business, take him seriously;
he's put the earth in place and it's not moving. So let Heaven rejoice, let Earth be jubilant,
and pass the word among the nations, "God reigns!"

Let Ocean, all teeming with life, bellow,
let Field and all its creatures shake the rafters;
Then the trees in the forest will add their applause
to all who are pleased and present before God
—he's on his way to set things right!

Give thanks to God—he is good
and his love never quits!!

BACK IN AFRICA!!!!!

2011-01-16T11:00:00.000-08:00

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 fact we're in the heart of the capital city, KAMPALA!!!!!!!!
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..Hello. 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!".

I think from here I'll be short and too the point! Just the highlights!

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!!!

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!

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.

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!

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.

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!

Love for LIFTED Uganda!!

2010-11-28T09:13:00.000-08:00

LIFTED Uganda aims to lift lives, families, and villages out of poverty through development of small income generating businesses.

Hearts and lives lifted…
Out of poverty,
Out of hopelessness,
Out of suffering,
Out of despair,
Into Life, Into Hope, Into Joy, Into a Future!

Our first small business is making and selling Ugandan crafts that are handmade by Ugandan mothers.

The first batch of 30 bibs have ALL been SOLD!!!!!!!!!!!!

THANK YOU

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.

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!
Thank you J!

THANK YOU EVERYONE for supporting LIFTED!

Check back in a few weeks for the next batch of 30 bibs!!

LIFTED BIBS- ONLY 3 LEFT!!!!

2010-11-20T10:22:00.000-08:00

We are so excited to finally announce the beginning of
LIFTED Uganda!

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!!

1 purple flower pattern with flower design (newborn size)
1 Yellow/Blue dot pattern with Flower design

1 Multicolored Stripes pattern with star design

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!
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.

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.
We only have 3 left to sell from our first batch so get them quick!!

To Purchase a Hand Made African Bib:

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

Announcing... LIFTED Uganda!!!

2010-11-11T21:10:00.000-08:00

We are so excited to finally announce the beginning of

LIFTED Uganda!

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!
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.

MEET THE ARTIST!

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 LIFTED. She is proud of her crafts and thankful for the chance to use her sewing skills to provide for her family!

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.

We only have 3 left to sell from our first batch so get them quick!!

To Purchase a Hand Made African Bib:

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.

SOLD OUT!! Blue/Yellow pattern with GiraffeSOLD OUT!! Multicolored pattern with Tree

SOLD OUT!!!Purple Flower pattern with Tree

SOLD OUT!! Aqua Clouds pattern with Tree

SOLD OUT!! Blue/Yellow Dots pattern with Tree

GOOD NEWS FOR KIDS IN UGANDA!

2010-09-06T21:09:00.001-07:00

This is about 1 month overdue!! I meant to update sooner but our life has been too busy!! ugh..
BUT... I WANT TO SHARE THIS COOL STORY,...SO PLEASE READ ON!

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. Dear Katie,

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.

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.

All in all we received 6.000 Euro, can you believe it? This equals about 7,900 Dollars.!!!

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.

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.

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.

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.

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! Altogether the money we were donated in other ways was even more than what we would have won for the breakfast.

I can only say again that God is great!

Lots of Love and all the best from Germany,
Susanne

WE NEED YOU...to help feed kids in Uganda!!

2010-07-15T09:27:00.000-07:00

Okay friends!!! We need your help to bless these children! This is an easy one, well kind of...

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!!

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!!!

If you go to this link: German website called latta

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.

For multiple clicks you need to use this link: German website

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.

Heartbreak in Uganda

2010-07-12T20:45:00.001-07:00

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 here for more info on the BBC Africa page.

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.
Go here to read more about Nate and his service with IC in Uganda.

Please keep Uganda in your prayers!

Home from Uganda!!

2010-05-18T22:37:00.000-07:00

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!!

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)

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.

Hanging with Jeff's co-workers for a International Conference on Rodent Biology and Management...in South Africa!!

Fatu and O looking for seashells on the shores of Lake Victoria in Entebbe, Uganda.

One of the few Muslim mosques in the city we live in, Arua.

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.

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.

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!

A man taking his load of coal to sell at the market or bringing it home for his own use.

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.
Our friend carrying timber very gracefully on her head. The women are incredibly strong, it amazes me!!

A cutey pie on Palm Sunday playing with her palms.

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.

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!!

Soccer in the capital of Uganda, Kampala

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!!

Fatu and friends at Ombachi church.

Another day at the water well in Ombachi village.

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.

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

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.

Main roads of ARUA

Crusade posters are a common site in Arua.

Friends!!

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.

From tree to bean!

2010-03-24T12:10:00.000-07:00

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. 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.

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.

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.

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.

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!!

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!"

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 handful of shells and coffee beans after being crushed in the wooden bowl.
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 !

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.

Walking home from Alice's house enjoying the green lush African landscape...and praying the makeshift bridge made of timber holds together for us!!

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!

The power of love!

2010-03-16T04:10:00.000-07:00

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

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. James and Jeff's coworker Linda

WE ARE HAPPY TO SAY

ALL THE MONEY HAS BEEN RAISED

BY OUR HOME CHURCH ~BRIDESTONE!!!

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.

Thank you Linda for your heart!

THANK YOU BRIDESTONE!!!!

We love sharing life with you guys and being an extension of your hearts and your love for the people of Uganda!

An Overflow of giving!

2010-03-04T05:28:00.000-08:00

WE ARE CURRENTLY AT

BIRTHING KITS!

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 here!

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.

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.

Alice and Fatu

The Gift of Birthing Kits!

2010-02-23T02:48:00.000-08:00

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.

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?

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. 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 Future for Orphans.

Jeff and I, as Bridestone missionaries are in partnership with CompassioNet Impact, an amazing non-profit started by our good friends Ric & Joy Lehman in Puerto Vallarta. Online donations will be accepted through Compassionate Impact International. 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!

God's Love Playground***

2010-02-08T04:32:00.000-08:00

***this is the name Osobie wants to call the playgrounds.

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!

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!

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!

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 already 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!

Thank you to everyone who has supported Osobie and his dream!

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!

The Loss of a Friend

2009-12-28T11:24:00.000-08:00

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.

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 Bethesda Int'l. 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!!
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. (http://www.bulungi.de/index.php?id=55 ) 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 http://www.bethesdainternational.org/.

November, 2009

Uganda-through the lens

2009-12-16T20:52:00.000-08:00

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.

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!!
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!!. Crafting at Thanksgiving! Thanks Aunt Lois for the sand art pilgrim people. We had a fun time making them on Thanksgiving!
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!!
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.

O and F playing with Alice's kids and neighbors

The ladies preparing our food at Alice's. This stove of Alice's was built efficiently to minimize the use of charcoal.

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. 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.

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.

Beautiful ceramic pots on the roadside in Kampala

Carrying a load across town in Kampala.

WORLD AIDS WEEK- Last day!!

2009-12-06T01:22:00.000-08:00

It's the final day of our 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 .

You can make Hope today for orphans living with HIV in Ukraine! Go to www.fromhivtohome.org to learn more about the project and where to give to make a difference in the lives of children!!

World AIDS Week--- pray, act, give, share hope!

2009-12-04T11:02:00.000-08:00

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!

Make Hope today for HIV+ orphans in South Africa! Go to www.fromhivtohome.org to find out how

World AIDS Week- pray & act

2009-12-02T09:22:00.000-08:00

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!

Make Hope today for orphans living with HIV at

"AHOPE for Children" Ethiopia!

Go to www.fromhivtohome.org to find out how!!

WORLD AIDS DAY- a chance to make a difference!

2009-12-01T08:45:00.000-08:00

World AIDS Day!

Make Hope for orphans living with HIV in Thailand!

Visit www.fromhivtohome.org to find out how!

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 www.fromhivtohome.org for another chance to give and make a difference in a child's life!!

To donate $5 to today's project now, visit www.fromhivtohome.org or go directly to https://www.networkforgood.org/donation/ExpressDonation.aspx?ORGID2=26-2319340

UGANDA...the first of many hopefully!!

2009-11-24T09:11:00.000-08:00

At the airport...filling up on hugs and laughs with cousin M!!

Saying our last goodbyes to the L's!!

Osobie used his playground project money to purchase many swing set seats!! Our brief night and am in South Africa...hmm...what a shot eh?? It seems like we never left. We land, see familiar faces at the hotel, sip African tea with delight, and pick up right where we left off. Thank you Jesus for getting us here safely!! The most beautiful sounds that welcome you here are the songs of birds. The first morning we woke from our jet lagged haze we heard the chirps and calls of the birds. I wish I could say I knew the birds that were singing all around us, but there are too many to count. Jeff is the birder in the family although that hobby has been put on hold since we became parents. The kids and I just returned to Entebbe from our visit to Jinja. Jeff also flew back from Arua for some meetings in Entebbe, so we are reunited once again. So, here we are in Entebbe, enjoying a bit of the comforts before we head to Arua.

A friendly peacock strolling at the hotel grounds in Entebbe, UG.

When there's no toys,..you play cook with grass! Fatu insisted that this was a salad with chocolate shavings on it. Her mama is teaching her well!!

What a gorgeous view! Lake Victoria behind O and Jeff's coworker- Kevin. We enjoyed a pizza at one of the best pizza places in Uganda (other than NYKitchen in Kampala).

We were able to take Osobie in to see a doctor yesterday about a rash that has spread on his face and limbs. The doctor diagnosed it as a viral rash that he picked up at some point in the last 2 weeks. There is no cure or treatment, but luckily it is supposed to clear up spontaneously in about 6 weeks. Osobie seems to be managing it fine but we sure could use prayer that it doesn’t get any worse and that it indeed clears up on its own. Fatu is healthy and happy which we are thankful for, aside from a few spider and mosquito bites The kids are adjusting well to our life in Uganda again and even seem to be more comfortable here. They remember many of the places and people from last year and are doing better at picking up the Ugandan English accent. Jeff and I are constantly in awe over God’s faithfulness in putting our family together. And as you can imagine, we frequently get the chance to share with others how God put our family together. For the most part the stares and inquiring is friendly curiosity, which we welcome. But I would be lying if I didn’t share that there are also many times when comments and questions are harsh and uncomfortable. Like for example on our plane to South Africa, a young man sitting next to Osobie asked him where his parents were. After pointing to Jeff and me and explaining, the man asked him again in an irritated louder voice, “No, where is your mother young boy?” I happened to be looking across the aisle just as he was asking and he just stared at me with a look of disapproval and turned away, not a word more from him the rest of the flight. I guess silence is better than words that are spoken that not only are hurtful to us but confusing for Fatu and Osobie. Each time I feel the burning sensation of stares I pray that God would give me a loving spirit, understanding and the right words to help others get a picture of adoption and God’s heart for us all. I love our family and how God has woven us together, we wouldn’t want it any other way!!

This one's for you Stacie!!!! Muhammad asked where you were? Where are you? It's much more fun drinking iced lattes and munching on banana bread with you!! Oh Chapati...how I love thee...let me count the ways!! Matoake! Oh yes! My other African fav' food! Underneath those banana leaves lies soft mushed plantains which you smother with groundnut sauce and then simply...enjoy!! Thank you Arthur for your hospitality!! We sure love ya!! Our time in Jinja was short but so full! We stayed with our dear friend Arthur from Bethesda International and visited with the staff and kids at Rapha community school. Each time I come to Jinja I remember Jeff and I’s first trip to Uganda in 2003. It is on this trip that the Lord really cracked open wide our already broken hearts for Uganda. We met Ruth Mirembe-Muga on our trip and her friendship fueled our hearts and call to Uganda. So each time when I come to Jinja I feel so fortunate to have such a history with the folks of Bethesda Int’l. One of the nights in Jinja I couldn’t fall asleep, partly due to the fact that I had a double latte at The Source Café late in the afternoon and because my mind was filled with thoughts about Rapha Community. It was 2003 when Ruth first drove us down the bushy path towards Rapha Community School. Ruth was passionate about the work of Bethesda and the foster home system she had implemented, but I could tell by the way she talked that Rapha held a special place in her heart. Even back then in 2003, Ruth shared her vision for what Rapha now is and continues to become. I remember many times she would look off in the distance describing what she hoped to build and create, and I didn’t quite see how it would all come to be. But, God knew and that’s why He gave her the heart, calling and vision for Rapha Community and that’s why it is becoming all that she had dreamed, even though she is no longer here with us. Rapha kiddo's!!

It started with a piece of land, that’s it. So many people have joined with Bethesda to make Rapha what it is today by volunteering their time, energy, muscle, money, prayers, encouragement and support. Each time I come back to Rapha I’m amazed at what they have accomplished with the help of so many friends, partners, and volunteers. I was thrilled to see a photo pasted on the office wall of a young girl I met last year from our home town. She chose to celebrate her 12th birthday by asking her friends to bring school supplies for Rapha children instead of birthday presents for herself. We packed the school supplies and brought them to Rapha last year bringing such joy to the kids and relief to the teachers knowing their students would have school supplies for the term. Just last year, Children’s Hope Chest (a U.S. NGO) also came alongside Bethesda Int’l. to help with child sponsorship for many of the Rapha foster children and helped to build a updated kitchen. Juliette, the head mistress, also showed me their new plantation of banana, papaya, apple, and mango trees that were given to them from some U.S. marines who purchased the plants and volunteered to plant them. It is stories like these, multiplied over the years that have allowed Rapha to become what it is today, a community where children are cared for and loved by foster families, teachers and elders from the surrounding community, and of course by many of you who have donated to Rapha over the years. The children have clean water to drink and decent food to eat. They are clothed, they sleep under mosquito nets, and they have the opportunity to attend school. They are learning about God’s love and truth and they are being taught the cultural songs and dances of their country. This is more than many children ever receive in Uganda and in other parts of Africa. I believe our friend and founder of Bethesda International, Ruth, would be proud of what Rapha has become, but I’m sure she would also be continuing to dream and plan for what more could be done for the children of Uganda.

Music and bikes. What else does one need??

Victory!!!

2009-10-29T11:24:00.000-07:00

Osobie's on the mend!! Thank you for all the prayers from around the globe!! We are thanking Jesus for his healing, strength and faithfulness to Osobie and our family. We spent 5 days at the hospital (PVH-to the Dr's and nurses,...you guys are amazing, THANK YOU!!!) We think he caught swine flu that turned into a very serious pneumonia that infiltrated his bloodstream. It was a hard and scary week but we were carried by God and by the prayers of our family & friends!! During his time in the hospital he received more letters of support for his playground project in Uganda and it was such an encouragement to his little spirit!! He is more determined than ever to build a playground for the kids of Ombachi village. We and our church family have committed to supporting and working with the people of Ombachi village. Once we return we look forward to researching the development of water projects, starting small businesses for women and men, continuing with discipleship, and of course building a playground near the local church or local primary school in Ombachi.

The boys, vegging out on cable! I can see why people get sucked into TV, we must have sat for hours watching cartoons and of course the Food Network (Jeff's fav').

Osobie has received over $300 for the playground project!! People have asked us how much he needs to build a playground and since we've never done it before we do not have an exact amount. We estimated he would need at least $200. That would include purchasing wood, cement, seats, chains, hardware, renting or buying tools, transportation to the from the village, and paying two or three men salaries to help build it. We have discussed two possible locations for the playground. We will meet with the Ombachi village church elders and ask if they would want the playground built on their land adjacent to the church building. We will also meet with the Ombachi primary school principal and discuss the possibility of building a teeter-tater on the school grounds. Once we've decided on the location we will proceed with purchasing the materials and building the playground!

We've also been having some good conversations with Osobie since his time in the hospital. We have talked about the money he's raised with his playground fund and what else has been on his heart for the kids in Africa. We've been talking about how blessed we are that we have hospitals and doctors to care for us when we're really sick. Osobie knows what life is like in Africa, mainly due to the fact that he was born and raised there for 5 years, but also because we lived there recently and will return to Uganda very soon. He has seen the malnourished kids with big belly's and remembers looking like that when he first came home. Just a few weeks ago Osobie made a random comment about how he would be if he was home in Liberia. He said, "Mama, I'd be sick". So, as we've talked he has shared that he would like to spend any extra money he raises on mosquito nets and food for those in need. He knows that Malaria can kill kids his age and younger and he wants to do something about that with any left over playground money. We told him we thought that was a great idea and that we would keep praying and talking in the weeks to come. We'll be sure to keep you posted once the building commences!!

Even though Osobie was extremely sick, he sure was a great kid while in the hospital.

I'm one happy, grateful and proud mama!!

Home at last!! Osobie and Fatu enjoying a visit from their cousin Mackenna and Auntie Mekay. Here they are trying to keep from getting anyone else sick!

Oh,...and YES, we are leaving for Uganda still! Due to Osobie's health, we've pushed back our date by a week. We are aiming for November 9th but our tickets have not been changed yet. We'll be sure to post before we say "farewell" from this side of the world and then I'll do my best to update once our feet are settled on African soil. Thanks again for the prayers and love!!

Our son is dreaming big for Uganda!

2009-09-19T15:11:00.000-07:00

So, I've debated putting this up on our blog for various reasons. The biggest is simply because of the fact that people might not agree with allowing a child to ask for money (you know...tugging at peeps heart strings). But, in this instance this is the real deal for our son, a real dream that he is pursuing and I hope and pray that he is able to discover that dreams can become reality if and when you try and you walk with Jesus in them.

This past May was our son's 7th birthday. My sis and I made him a "playground" birthday cake as inspiration for him to continue dreaming big!!Ever since O has been home from Liberia he has talked about wanting to be a pilot and a builder. More and more his dreams of becoming a builder have grown and have evolved into building something very specific. He has told us over and over that he would like to build a playground in Africa. At first I wasn't quite sure if it was a passing phase or something he really wanted to do. It's been almost 2 yrs now and after our last trip to Uganda for 7 months, his interest to bring fun to the kids of Uganda has become a daily conversation.

O and I have talked about what it would take to be able to build a swing set and/or teeter-tater and raising money was the first step. We brain stormed about the different fundraisers he could do and he liked the idea of a lemonade stand for his first attempt! When we moved into our new house this summer, our small church group called Bridestone and family came to lend us their time and muscles. O and his friends set up his stand in our front yard and sold all his lemonade!! He made $23.00. We also visited their Grammie in Michigan this summer and she gave each grand kid $5.00 to spend on some toys for the beach. O couldn't find anything he wanted so he decided to put his money towards the playground, bringing him up to $28.00. My good friend, Laura gave O and his sister, F each $5 to buy something fun and both O and F wanted to put their money in the "playground fund". So the final total as of today, Sept. 19, is $38.00!!

O is on his way to building a playground in Uganda with the help of friends along the way. Our good friends, Kami and Jeremy (http://kaminablue.xanga.com/) just returned from Liberia after building of a school/home for the kids of Addy's Hope. They also built a playground for the children with the help of some loving friends who donated the money. You can check it out by clicking here http://kaminablue.xanga.com/710282537/remembering-matthew---part-2/

Jeremy has offered to help O pick out the hardware for a swing set and share his knowledge on how to build one in Africa. So O's next step after raising money is to purchase the gear, like seats, chains, eye hooks, etc... We will only take over what we need and what we may not be able to find in Uganda. There have been many learning opportunities with this project including expressing/writing his feelings, practicing handwriting, counting money, planning and organizing, and learning what motivation and perseverance looks like. Below is O's final draft of his "playground project". It's a bit hard to read because it was written in pencil but worth reading!

So, here it is. O is asking for your help to bring joy, laughter, and fun to kids in Uganda. As many of you know, Jeff and I, together with our church community in Fort Collins, are working in a village in North West Uganda called Ombachi. We hope to continue our community development projects once we return and O would like to join us by building the first playground in Ombachi. A few bucks goes a long way, especially when we join with one another. So, if you would like to donate to O's playground project you can email me at xtkatie@gmail.com and I can send you our address. I know O will be so excited to actually see his dreams become reality!! Thank you!!

Bad blogger....Bad!!

2009-08-13T21:27:00.000-07:00

I'm really surprised that I have ANY followers at all to this blog! I have never been great at keeping up with our blog, but lately I've just been plain horrible!!! Sorry everyone, and thanks for sticking around even though it's been a bit lame-o this summer. It's not like a ton of life, fun, challenges, and celebrations haven't been happening. In fact we have been swirling in a whirlwind of activity all summer. We've enjoyed family vacations with Jeff's family and mine, had dinners with friends, laughed till we cried while celebrating birthdays, and moved into a new house!! We have been home from Uganda since April but it feels like the days and weeks have flown by too quickly. Our kids are growing up so fast and we're already beginning to think about our journey back to Uganda in October (we think). God has been SO good to us!! He has lavished us with His love!! We get to share life with the most amazing, loving people. We were able to go on vacation with our families, and God blessed us with a new house!!

Here's some pictures from the highlights of our summer!!

Our new house!! We had a kid sleepover on our first night in the new house!! It's such a blessing to have more room and have friends over!! Our trip to Michigan...including a trip to my dad's cabin in Canada. O fishin' with Uncle Phil! Grandpa hiking with Fatu and Osobie

Visiting with friends!!

Grandma took us blueberry picking while we were in South Haven at a beach house!South Haven, MI. sun, sand, and diving into the waves!! We had a blast!

Grammie and Fatu!!

Auntie Meeks and the girls put on a Barbie's fashion show! They had a red ribbon for the Barbie's to walk down and played Yanni on the CD player!

Lunch with Great Grandpa Weber (92 yrs. old!!) and Grandma Eleanor!!

Thanks for a great time together!

Mekay and I cleaned out my mom's garage for a surprise.. took us all day!

The big reveal--Garage Makeover!!!
Great Grandma Thieme at 97 yrs. old!!! The kids love her and copy her sayings like, "Oh my stars and oh, me, oh my"! It was too cute!

Dinner at our good friends the Rowlands! RIBS = LOVE and happy kids!!

Vacation in Steamboat Springs with Jeff's family!!

Lunch at the Alpine slide with Grandma and Grandpa B!Alpine slide with Aunt Linda, Uncle Brian, and cousin Kyle!!

Fishin' on the lake!! Celebrating as a family!!

PHOTO DE NOVO!!

2009-07-09T15:26:00.000-07:00

OK.... Aren't these fabulous??? I can't take any of the credit because these were taken by our friend and super-amazing-talented-creative photographer,....Sarah Boyd Neubert !!!

Please go check out her site!! http://www.photodenovo.com/

Sarah set up a "photo booth" as it were...right in front of 'Sweet Pea' our VW van on the fourth. She took some hilarious shots and the photo booth was the hit of the party!! Thanks Sarah!

And here's some more of our photos from our July 4th celebration!

Friends!!

Fatu doing a little of the hula hoop!!!

Sweetness

2009-06-19T08:34:00.000-07:00

I know I said I would post about Uganda and how a life CAN be transformed by our choices to serve, love, give, and pray....BUT, I can't help but share this nugget of goodness with you all.

So, the other day I had a heart to heart with our son, O. I have to be honest and say that our transition home to America after spending 7 months in Uganda has been hard. We've been spinnning around like tops for the last month and a half since we've been back. It's been SO fun, life giving, refreshing, and full of LOVE, but I think we all have felt a bit overwhelmed with the instant busy-ness of life in America.

Most people have asked us how the kids are doing adjusting to the transition home and our general answer has been "good". Yeah,...they seemed to be doing just fine for the most part. Although I had noticed a bit of a change in O since we've been back. There's been an increase in his disobedience and his attitude has been pretty "poopy". Being a new mom I'm still learning how to read my own kids and I didn't think that it had anything to do with being home. So, finally after weeks of attitude and disobedience we sat down and had a serious heart to heart. We talked about what had been going on for the last month and he agreed that he had a hard month.

I never would have expected to hear the next few words that came out of his mouth. (A little background on O: He is all about movies, fun activities, electronic things that make noise and flash, he's into the BIG, LOUD, MOVING, FLASHING, FAST anything!! So, picture us in Uganda with minimal electricity, no movies really, very few toys, and well...that's it.)

Anyway, he told me he was having a hard time being home in America. I asked him why and he said, "I MISS HELPING PEOPLE". Oh my,...my heart broke and rejoiced at the same time and the tears started to flow. He continued to say, "I miss walking together as a family everywhere, I don't like that we have to drive in a car all the time". He continued saying, "I miss hunting and killing cockroaches with you mama!". Oh my... I NEVER would have expected to hear this from O. In fact many times I have prayed that God would prepare our kids hearts if He calls us to go back to Uganda. I honestly thought O and F would be upset to go back because they would miss all the comforts of America. And here sat my son telling me he missed our simple bug filled but Kingdom filled, life in Uganda. This was the best gift a mama could ever get. Our son GOT IT! He gets it!! He gets that life in God's way is SO much better than any flashing, beeping toy or any 3-D movie in the theatre. He can sense in his little spirit that listening to Jesus, loving and serving others, and obeying God when he calls is WAY MORE FUN than the best amusement park around.

Eversince O has been home from Liberia he has wanted to be a pilot and a builder. He has always told us that his dream is to build playgrounds for kids in Africa! After living in Uganda for 7 months and spending time with our Ugandan friends in thier villages, he is determined to make his dream come true. We are going to start something and we've been playing around with a name, fundraisers, (lemonade stands, bake sales, etc..), and all the "how to's" of making it happen. I want O to see that he CAN make a difference in someone's life. He can love and serve others in the way God's called him.

So, we celebrated O's bday the other week and in honor of his "dream" we made him a "playground cake"! Jeff and I put it together with skewers and duct tape and Auntie Mekay and I decorated. Here's to dreaming big and loving others!

We surprised O with an Ethiopian birthday dinner, his favorite!!!

FEEDING THE FORGOTTEN!

2009-06-01T07:01:00.000-07:00

I know I just posted from my friend Brandi's blog but obviously Uganda is deep in our hearts as well as in hers. This is her blog post that I copied and pasted. I so believe we can make a difference. I have seen my friends here in Colorado make a difference in the lives of friends in Arua, Uganda. They sacrificed grande lattes, desserts, and going out to dinner in order to bless, serve, and love a family in need in Uganda. Their dollars made a difference, and so can yours! I wouldn't post a link to an organization I didn't trust or believe in. Children's HopeChest (CHC) is doing great work in Uganda, Ethiopia and elsewhere in the world, and I had the privilege to meet them and work with them while we were in Uganda this past fall/winter. In fact, CHC has become a partner with Bethesda Int'l. and Rapha school to facilitate a sponsorship program through churches. So,...please...read on and see just what your dollar can do to change a life!

FEED THE FORGOTTEN

Too often we hear heartbreaking stories like this (that I posted on Saturday) and do nothing. We feel helpless. . . and so we move on. Not this time. There are people DYING in Uganda right now. There are children who's bellies are hungry and aching. There are mamas who are too weak to stand and babies begging to be held. There are people trapping termites hoping for food and eating dung in helplessness. DO NOT CAVE TO DESPAIR. YOU CAN DO SOMETHING.

Join us and Children's HopeChest to FEED THE FORGOTTEN!!!

For $0.14, we can (and WILL) feed someone a meal of posho and beans. (posho is cornmeal, which is filling and beans are protein). Take that in for a moment. . .
$0.14 a meal
$2.86 for 20 days
$1 per FAMILY
$20 feed a family for 20 days.
How much was my Chick Fil A yesterday? How much is your Starbucks? The bigger question is how much am I willing to give up SO THAT OTHERS MIGHT EAT?
Remember Jesus story of the Good Samaritan? Remember how his very neighbors walked right by him? They probably looked at him with pity. . .probably thought "oh poor guy, that breaks my heart" but the fact is THEY DID NOTHING.
What will you do? These children are starving. . .

these actual children. . .

will you help? The money raised will feed those precious children. There are 3 - 4 villages that we are targeting (I'm hoping for more after we see how much we can raise!) to bring food relief to asap. These people are literally starving. . and waiting for you to act. Will you help? Even with paypal fees (2-3%) even $1 will feed 6 people! You CAN make a difference.
Spread the word, blog about it, facebook it, twitter it, ask your church or school or business to give, post the blog badge anything. Truly, we are begging you. . .on behalf of these children not to forget this post and move on to the next in your google reader list.

Stop, pray, act.GIVE TO FEED THE FORGOTTEN CHILDREN!!!!!
(note: please write FEED THE FORGOTTEN in the notes section when you give)

UGANDA LOVIN'

2009-05-06T11:25:00.000-07:00

Please go check out my good friends blog....

http://www.brandisthoughts.com/

Brandie is a fellow Liberian adoptive mom that we connected with 2 years ago while adopting Fatu and Osobie. Brandie and I met officially in Jinja, Uganda last October when her and her husband along with Children's Hope Chest brought over a U.S. team for a Uganda ministry tour. They visited Bethesda International on their trip and I was able to be a part of the team for a few days! She's amazing....really. If I had as much energy as this mama of 3 I would be stoked!

Brandie's church is now sponsoring almost all of the Bethesda International children at Rapha School. Brandie is returning today from her second trip to Uganda leading another team of pastors and folks interested in sponsoring, supporting and doing ministry in Uganda. I am so thankful for her and her heart for the children of Uganda!

If you go to her blog, you should scroll down and read the handful of posts she put up from her recent trip to Uganda! I promise you will be inspired and informed about all that is happening in Uganda. And who knows...maybe even led to be a part of the change and transformation that is happening in children because someone took the time to love and care!! There is huge need in Uganda and I know first hand how one person's love, support, prayers, time and money can not only change one life, but the lives of many!!

*My next 2 posts will be about this very thing... so stay tuned!!

Thank You Africa!

2009-04-23T21:15:00.000-07:00

Fatu on her birthday eating her dinner of choice...Ethiopian!!!

Well, as most of you already know, WE ARE HOME FROM AFRICA!! We came home April 1st and I'm just now finding some time to post! Ahhhh!! It's been quite an adjustment to come home to the fast pace life of America. I definitely slipped into the simple and slow way of life in Africa because now that I'm back, I find myself spinning in circles. Just today I found myself staring at the walls wondering how I was going to tackle my way too long "to do" list. How is it possible? I thought I told myself that we wouldn't "do" full schedules again. I thought we'd keep the simple life and just say NO to busy-ness. It is hard to do, especially when you have such amazing friends and family that you want to see!!

I thought I would post some photos since we have thousands (yikes) as well as post blogs that I wrote while we were in Uganda but couldn't post due to lack of electricity and various other interesting things.

THANK YOU AFRICA...

For opening my eyes to a glorious world that has been buried in distraction.
For teaching me PATIENCE.
For teaching me how to have a grateful heart.
For accepting me despite my ignorance, pride, and selfish-ness.

For helping me experience the PEACE that surpasses understanding.
For showing me what it really means to give.
For teaching me about reducing, reusing, and recycling.

For living in JOY.
For sharing your land, your lives, and your hearts with us.
For sleepless nights.

For stirring my heart and challenging my mind.
For helping me to see God’s beautiful creation with new eyes and appreciation.
For giving God the greatest praise.
For hands that hold HOPE.
For not keeping silent.

For teaching me about an eternal truth…LOVE,
loving God and loving one another!

Boda boda style...papa and Fatu

Sunday school Football!! The boys from down the street came over as often as they could to play with F and O and a real soccer ball!! We played games, sucked down mangoes, and laughed a lot!! Jeff coined these times as "Katie's kid's club" Fatu peeking out of the bus window at the yummy ground nuts for sale

God's Will Ladies Choice store!! oh, yeah!!

You will be encouraged today!!

2009-03-26T09:33:00.000-07:00

YOU WILL BE ENCOURAGED TODAY!!!

I know a pretty bold statement to make...but I promise you that by the time you read this post, you WILL BE ENCOURAGED. Many of you may be feeling hopeless today, feeling all alone in this world with no one listening. Or you may be having a day where you are questioning God’s faithfulness and goodness. You might be in a seemingly impossible situation and feeling ready to give up. You may be feeling despair, pain, and suffering. You may be wondering, “Why on earth would God lead me down this path?” You may be wondering if your prayers will ever be answered. Your heart may be heavy with grief. Your faith may be weak. Your trust in your Heavenly Father waning. I have been in all of these places at some point in my walk with Jesus. I have wrestled with fear, I have cried too many tears, and I have doubted my Father. I have questioned His goodness. I have. To say I haven’t would be a lie.

BUT, despite myself, despite all of my feelings or all of my outlooks on situations and life, GOD HAS NEVER LET ME DOWN. HE HAS ALWAYS BEEN FAITHFUL!! Maybe not in the way I imagined, dreamed or hoped but in HIS way, which is always the best way. Now I have to say that I am writing this while in one of those places where tears flood my eyes minute by minute and day by day!! I am not speaking of tears of pain, but tears of JOY! Tears from beholding the beautiful mystery of our God, while crying out “HOW GOD?” “HOW ARE YOU SO FAITHFUL? “YOU BLOW ME AWAY GOD!!” “YOU ASTOUND ME!” ...YOU BRING ME TO TEARS, TO HUMILITY, TO YOUR THRONE ROOM LOST FOR WORDS FOR YOUR BOUNDLESS GOODNESS!!

"For I know the plans I have for you, plans for hope and a future."
"Do not fear"
"I do not leave you as orphans"
These aren’t just words. These are promises. This is truth. This is the way, heart, will and mind of our God. This is the reality we can live in.

Okay, please keep reading… I promise you it won’t disappoint!!
Do you remember our African Christmas? READ HERE if not. I will give you synapses of our Christmas. We decided to go to Mulago Hospital on Christmas Day and love on the children and families in the children’s ward. We did just that and while we were roaming the halls we were directed to a little boy in a crib. There he sat, lost, scared, confused, malnourished, sad and abandoned.

We later found out that the hospital staff called him Uwalu (oo wa lu), I don't think this was his real name. Well, our hearts broke. We cried out to God that day as a family. Fatu and Osobie held his hand and peered at him in the crib. We spent time with him praying silently for God’s mercy and love to shower him. We left knowing we’d be back to see him the next day. Our hearts were heavy. We walked home from Mulago hospital talking with Fatu and Osobie about the boy. We talked and prayed for a mama and papa for him. We even talked to Jesus about whether or not he was to be in our family. Osobie cried that day as we left him. They knew ‘that’ pain. They had lived in it before. I am sure they were reminded of their time in the orphanage. The next day we went back to see Uwalu and dressed him in one of Osobie’s shirts. We gave him car toys and candy, hoping he would feel loved. We left Kampala and left Uwala in Mulago. We prayed and prayed to know if he was to be in our family, and we felt somehow, that that was not the plan for his life. Our hearts remained heavy but also at peace and our thoughts and prayers continued for Uwalu for weeks and months.

Now I have to admit to you all that after spending some time in Africa and visiting many orphanages my heart has ached much too much. There are days that I am completely overwhelmed at the needs of Africa. The numbers of lost, abandoned, poor, forgotten, and orphaned children is countless. Their faces run through my mind all day long and even invade my dreams. There are days where I cry out to God asking Him where he is? Has he forgotten them? Who will care for them? Why God? Why must they suffer? There are times when I am hopeless. There are times that my tears just run dry. BUT the truth is GOD HAS NOT FORGOTTEN. HE HAS NOT LEFT THEM AS ORPHANS. He aches more than we do for the orphans of Africa. His heart longs for them to be LOVED! He loves them! And asks us to join Him in loving them! Even when we fail, and we are unfaithful, He hasn’t and isn’t.

Back to the story….Across the thousands of miles and vast seas was a family praying. There was a family waiting for a son from Uganda. On Christmas day there was a mother aching for her Ugandan son who was somewhere out there waiting to be matched with their family. On Christmas day there was a family wondering where their little brother and son was living and how he was spending his Christmas. There was a mom praying hard for her “son” to be LOVED that Christmas!! She prayed that LOVE would find him and care for him wherever he may be!!

I got an email a few weeks ago from a woman named Sheila. She had googled “Mulago Hospital” and found our blog post from Christmas. Maybe 5 weeks after Christmas, the McDaniel’s accepted a little boy for fostering/adoption. They knew his name was going to be Elijah and low and behold, there in the baby home lie their son, with the name given to him by the staff, Elijah!! He was abandoned mid December at Mulago Hospital and taken to a baby home! After several emails and photos later, it was confirmed…UWALU…the boy…..WAS TO BE THEIR SON!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I have had tears streaming down my face for the last few weeks!!
I AM OVERWHELMED BY GOD’S GOODNESS AND FAITHFULNESS!! I CANNOT EVEN WRAP MY HEART AND MIND AROUND IT!! HE IS TOO WONDERFUL FOR COMPREHENSION, WHO CAN GRASP HIS INFINITE WISDOM….

God brought her son the LOVE she had prayed for her son through a family of strangers that Christmas!! GOD KNEW. God knew the plans he had for Uwalu /Elijah. He knew the family that he would be adopted into. He cared for his son. Sheila’s and her families’ prayers and our prayers have been answered in the most miraculous way!! Look at him now!!

Never in a million years would I have ever thought we’d know what happened to Uwalu. We had no way of ever knowing what his life would turn out like. Would he be adopted God? Is he going to know the love of a mama and papa? Or is he going to spend his days in a baby home and then an orphanage, alone, and unloved?

BUT GOD KNEW!! GOD HAD A PLAN!!! GOD HAD A MAMA AND PAPA PICKED OUT JUST FOR HIM!!! HE WILL NOT LEAVE US OR FORSAKE US!

Check out their blog and pray for them as they are still waiting to bring him home....HERE

Share the love!!!

2009-03-02T04:57:00.000-08:00

As many of you know, Jeff and I have been working with Bethesda International for almost 5 years now! Before I continue, I also want to say THANK YOU for all of you who have supported Ruth, Bethesda, and sponsered kids over the years!! MOST OF YOU who know us, know Bethesda. And MANY of you have already given to Bethesda in times past!! THANK YOU!!!!THIS POST IS QUITE URGENT & SERIOUS this is why we are asking again for

HELP FOR BETHESDA/ RAPHA SCHOOL!!!

We met Ruth, the founder, in 2003 and our hearts were stirred that very day for Africa. We were so impacted by the love and care that Bethesda was giving to the orphaned and vulnerable children of Uganda. They established foster families where the children were cared for by aunties, uncles, papa's and mama's. The children were confident, proud of their families, and full of love!!Never before had we seen such joy in an "orphanage", but that's because Ruth didn't found an orphanage, she established a community. Ruth's desire was for the children to raised in a traditional "African" way which is within a family. This is how Africa has always been but due to poverty, AIDS, and war, families have been broken leaving thousands of children to fend for themselves.

Bethesda has been serving children for over 11 years now, and despite the fact that Ruth Muga, the founder died unexpectantly, they continue in their service to children providing education, medical care, spiritual discipleship, and love. Unfortunately, in the last 2 years Bethesda International has suffered from a loss of support due to constraints on their donors in the States and elsewhere. When Ruth passed away in the fall of 2008, even more of their support had been cutoff leaving them in a financial crisis. They have 357 children in their care from nursery to University level, and all of them are suffering due to lack of money for school fees and basic needs.
They are faced with an immense challenge of paying for hundreds of children's school fees for the next term as well as paying the current debts and feeding all the kids!! They also have over 200 children attending their Rapha community school with 55 of the kids being in foster care at Rapha and in need of food. On top of this, the teachers at Rapha have gone without salary for the last 5 months. SO.....those of us partnered with Bethesda/Rapha School, (HopeChest being one of org. partnered with them) are running an emergency fundraiser! We need to raise about $18,000 to cover all the costs of school fees next term, food, care, medical care and long overdue debts!! These children will not return to school next term unless something is done!

They are in a real crisis !

The Bethesda children need us to...

SHARE THE LOVE!!!!

How many of us have received the LOVE from a friend, family member, NGO, or employer when we really needed it? It may not have been financial love but I am sure we've all been blessed by someone at some point in our lives beyond our expectations. I know I have, many times and all we can do in return is SHARE THE LOVE!! This time with children in Bethesda International/RAPHA SCHOOL that need us to stand with them during this difficult time of transition and financial hardship. Join us this week and send others to my blog or Tom Davis's Blog or my friend Brandies blog as we try to spread the word and share the financial love with our Ugandan friends!!

CLICK HERE TO DONATE TO RESCUE FOR RAPHA

Our first visitor!!!!

2009-02-12T10:36:00.000-08:00

We were so thrilled to have our friend Stacie come for a visit a few weeks ago. It was such a gift to be showered with love from her and all the others who sent us some lovin’ through Stacie! She gave us some good hugs from everyone back home and we needed it!! She’s a very talented woman with a hearts desire to serve Bethesda International by documenting their work here in Uganda. She graduated from University with a focus on filming/editing. She was here for 2 weeks and her camera became a third arm!! There was not a dull moment!! We spent 1 week in Jinja filming Bethesda’s work of orphan care and community development, then we spent about a week in Arua with a trip to Murchison Falls Nat'l Park and a trip to Gulu to visit Invisible Children's headquarters. We had a fabulous time and wanted to kidnap Stacie for a few more weeks! Here's some photos from our time together...enjoy :)
Our night watchman's(George) mother. Wow!! What a beautiful African mama! I asked her how old she was and she didn't know. We went to visit George's village and met many of his family members and villagers. His mom came out of the hut to greet us and an hour later, as we were leaving she appeared out of her hut dressed to the tee!! She was waiting for me to take her photo in her "smart" clothes, as they call it here.

Roasted white ants for sale on the road. They really wanted us to buy them. I opted for some oranges and ended up getting smacked in the face by an orange by the lady that was selling them!! I gave her 500 schillings and grabbed 2 oranges but she didn't have change so she threw 3 more oranges in the car as we were driving away! I got a fat lip...how funny eh??
Stacie shooting some African wild life!!

Yes,...that reads, Grilled Gizzards! Hmmm..sounds tasty!

Our visit to Invisible Children was amazing!! They are truly making a difference in the lives of the children of Gulu. We were able to tour several of the schools they are helping to rebuild as well as their upcoming "bag project". It's sure to be a hit!! We were so blessed to meet Vanessa, the girl in charge of the "bag project", who toured us around for a day to see the sites. We were also surprised to see Loveland Highschool's name (a school in Colorado) etched on a plaque on one of the newly rebuilt science labs. They were one of the top fundraisers of that project!!

Sugar cane!!! Fresh off the side of the road and into our bellies!! A bit messy though. Kids from our friend Fred's village! We had a fun time of chasing each other and dancing together to a little tune called "Africa" by Toto. Thanks Stacie...or should I say thanks Jeff Shoemaker, the songs been stuck in my head since you left!

Stacie's teaching Osobie how to to shoot a mean scene!!

The great White Hunter!! Jeff thinks they were hippo bones??

Supportin' Sudan!!

2009-01-28T10:00:00.000-08:00

Our landlord’s son is an athlete. He had hoped to one day qualify for the Olympics in running. He ran with some of the best Kenyan runners and worked with Right To Play, an NGO here in Uganda. Although his dreams of making it to the Olympics were not fulfilled, he continues to pursue his passion, athletics. When he was working with RTP, he traveled into the refugee camps in Sudan to bring “the right to play” to the refugee kids. Some of those boys caught his eye with their talent for soccer and so Chris took it upon himself to find a way to get these boys to Uganda. He managed to get them a sponsorship to come receive education in Uganda; that was several years ago. The boys are grown now and still schooling here in Uganda while their family remains in Sudan. Last year Chris and a few of the older Sudanese boys formed the first official Sudanese soccer team in Uganda! The team is called Gatong, which means “hero” or "stay and fight". They are registered as an official team here in the Arua, Uganda district and have been playing matches for many months. They will continue to compete in hopes of winning placement in the upper division called the Super League. My hope is that this Sudan team wins every match all the way to the national championship which would qualify them to play in World Cup qualifiers. The vision and plan for this team is that once Sudan becomes a safer place, the Gatong team will in fact go back to Sudan and merge with the other Sudanese guys that are playing soccer in Sudan. Chris feels that the Sudanese should be able to compete in soccer just like the rest of the African countries regardless of instability. They should have a chance! Even if it means playing in Uganda until Sudan is at peace.

Chris has become one of our friends and we have begun to pray for him and his heart for the Sudan boys. He longs for kids to channel their time and extra energy in healthy ways like getting involved in sports. We support him in this as we know and see how quickly teens can get swept away into drinking, drugs, and laziness. We helped pay for some of the fees that were required to register them as an official team here in Uganda. You would be surprised at how expensive things can get especially when none of these boys have a means to support themselves, let alone pay for soccer fees. Soccer teams are required to have 2 sets of uniforms - one color for home games and one for away. They managed to gather enough support to purchase one set of uniforms but have not been able to get the 2nd set. They are the only team that does not currently have a 2nd set. Luckily, the other teams have always been gracious and changed their colors when needed. Now I get to do some bragging about our wonderful small group back home in Fort Collins Colorado, called Bridestone!! I shared with them about the Sudan soccer team we were getting to know and about their need for uniforms. For $100 bucks we could supply the team with a set of brand new uniforms!! Every week Bridestone gathers their extra bucks and collects it for the simple purpose of giving it away as God leads. After sharing about the team they all decided they wanted to buy them their uniforms!! What a fun thing to be a part of eh? Most of the Sudan boys have lived through fighting, have lost their homes and have scars on their legs to prove it. Now, they are receiving an education in Uganda and are an official soccer team doing what they love,… to play soccer!!

THANKS BRIDESTONE FOR YOUR GENEROUS HEARTS
& FOR LISTENING TO JESUS!!

Abandoned but not forgotten

2009-01-04T05:35:00.000-08:00

(Our little foam nativity set, Joseph & Mary !! Tks mom!!)

It's true. George was right. EVERYONE eats meat on Christmas, I witnessed it on Christmas day. Our Christmas was unusual, but not in a negative way. The air wasn't filled with carols on the radio, snow wasn't falling, decorations were lacking, no candy cane fences and if you didn't remind yourself that it was Christmas, one could easily look around and think it was just another day in Africa. People selling their goods on the streets. Boda boda drivers zipping by trying to earn a little extra cash. There wasn't any traffic ,which is definitely a sure sign that it was a holiday. I guess I never realized how much all the 'fluff' of Christmas could almost become Christmas. When you strip it all away, what you have left is Jesus. This year we found our Christmas to be one of fellowship within our little family and our Savior. Simply that. No Honey Baked ham, no blinking lights (I did miss the glow of white lights & Starbucks eggnog lattes) , no gifts (except our handmade ones), and no Christmas tree. And although our hearts ached from missing the ones we love SO MUCH back home...It was still a memorable day!!

After some thought and discussion, we decided we would cruise over to Mulago Hospital and see if we could visit the kids ward. In 2005, Jeff and I were in Uganda and hooked up with an old vineyard pastor who pastored a international church in Kampala. We just happened to visit the church a few days before Christmas and their outreach team was planning a visit to Mulago childrens ward to pass out gifts donated by Samaritan's Purse. We were invited to come along and it was a life changing experience! It was on this trip that Jeff and I met a little baby named Stella who had been abandoned and left to die in the hospital suffering from AIDS. We spent a good hour with this little girl, who was nothing but skin and bones. She reached out and wrapped her hand around my finger and we fell in love. The nurses told us she wouldn't live as she had stopped eating. Our hearts broke and in that moment God watered the seed of adoption that was planted in our hearts. At that time Jeff and I had looked into adoptionn in Uganda and met with a social worker who told us we would have to live in Uganda for 3 years and foster a child before we could officially adopt. Still to this day we talk about Stella and how she impacted our lives. So, we thought what better way to spend this Christmas than with the kiddos in the same ward of the hospital. Osobie and Fatu picked out some toys they brought from Arua to give to the kids and we bought a couple bags of sweets. We didn't have much but with what we had we thought we could brighten someones day. We got to Mulago and had to do a little maneuvering to be able to get in to see the kids but once we got the O.K. we were in! We prayed and asked God to show O and F which child they should give their toys to. Osobie found this little guy curled up in the small crib and handed him one of his matchbox cars. The boy beamed a glorious smile! Soon enough, Osobie and his friend were racing their cars down the ramp into the childrens ward. What a precious moment!!

I could tell Fatu was feeling a little uncomfortable because of all the crying kids, but she was brave and gave her Polly pocket to a little girl that was in pain in hopes she'd stop crying, she didn't as you can see by the photo.

As we shuffled through the ward, we made our way to the exact area where we had found Stella, 4 years ago. There in a crib sat a little boy, skinny, dirty, sitting in his own excrement. I turned to the nurses to ask his condition, and with a solemn face, she answered "he's abandoned". I guess I should have known that we'd once again find a lost and forgotten child and of course the heartbreak that comes with this. There he sat, alone, scared, confused, and sad. We prayed over him and held back tears. Then, more piercing words fell on our ears, "there are more". Sure enough, 2 more kids were abandoned by their moms that month. One was a baby named Joshua who was being cared for by another mom who was getting treatment for her son. All of these abandoned children will have to go through the system of the hospital and then be transferred to any baby home that would take them. Fortunately in Kampala, there is a baby home called Watoto Bilrushes baby home where a precious American woman works and cares for many of these little ones. We met her while we were in Kampala and plan to visit the home next time we are in Kampala. There are 2-3 other baby homes in Kampala where the children can be taken. Some of the homes try to get the kids fostered by Ugandans and foreigners, but many kids grow up never knowing the love of a mama or papa. They are raised by older girls and boys, street kids, or overlooked and ignored at orphanages.

As we held babies, and played with the kids the nurse aids came in with lunch. The little boy, Uwalu (oowalu) dug his little fingers in his food and tasted all the options that were on his plate. He grabbed a brown heap of mushy stuff, tasted it and put it back on his plate. I was shocked that he wouldn't eat everything on his plate even if it was mushy beans, seeing as he was severely malnourished. But, to my surprise, the bit of brown stuff was actually chicken!! It wasn't that he didn't like it, he tasted it, realized it was chicken and saved it on his plate to be eaten last! Sure enough, EVERYONE, the least of these, the poorest, the forgotten, and abandoned eat meat on Christmas. Thank you Jesus that you care for us!! "Though my Father and mother forsake me, the Lord will recieve me" ps 27:10 YOU NEVER FORSAKE US!! "Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you" Heb. 13:5 He does not leave us as orphans. He loves us and watches over us, sometimes through strangers, neighbors, and hospital workers. He's inviting us all to be His love, his care, his touch to the lost and lonely of the world. Every day, He's inviting you and inviting me into this extravagant display of love. Every day we have a choice to make. We have to choose how we'll live our lives, how we'll spend our time, what we'll invest in, what we'll care about, and how we'll act if we act. I don't know about you, but I've already wasted many years worrying about things that are worthless, unimportant and self serving. I don't want to waste another day!!

Be imitators of God, therefore, as dearly loved children and live a life of love, just as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God. Eph 5:1-2

We visited Uwalu the next day. I held him in my arms as he laid as still as a doll and I wondered how long it had been since he felt the warm embrace of mama's arms. We brought him some clothes, toys, and more candy. In the grand scheme it wasn't much and even offering it felt so shallow, so meaningless..., but we had hoped he'd at least feel he was loved that day by His heavenly Father. He desires every child to know His love and be loved, and the truth is, there are too many who have experienced neither. But we can change that...we can...because the One who is inviting us is more than able.

African Christmas

2008-12-22T23:12:00.000-08:00

Baby Jesus in the manger at our Sunday school.

My mom emailed me the other day and asked, “Are there any African traditions for Christmas?” I wondered that too…are there any? Really, Christmas came with the missionaries along with Christianity, and was reinforced probably through colonialism. There are no “tribal African Christmas traditions” per say, well none that I have seen. They put a “tree” in their house and decorate it just like us. Sometimes it’s more like a branch. I think the type of tree they use is a fir tree. They decorate with paper, balloons, tinsel, plastic trinkets and anything they have. The “tree” is definitely not “African”. I have to admit to being pretty disappointed after I asked many Ugandans about African Christmas traditions, and found that they really didn’t have any. Somewhere in my daydreaming of Africa I imagined that there were special dances, drumming, secret games, and ceremonies for the Christmas season. There very well may be some deep in the bush somewhere, or in certain households, but I haven’t found any. But, what I did find out about African Christmas traditions is even better than anything I imagined.

As I sat under the light of the moon the other night I started to chat with our night watchman, George. George worked at the hotel where Jeff and I stayed in 2005. Upon arriving in September this year, Jeff was taking a boda boda (motorcycle taxi) to town quite often. On one of his trips, the boda driver looked up at Jeff and said, “I know you sir, from long ago”. Sure enough they pieced it together that this man was in fact George, the night watchman from the hotel. We had really enjoyed conversations with George and his company at the hotel. He and Jeff talked at length about hunting, life, African culture and other guy stuff. Jeff trapped huge rats around town called the Gambian Pouch rat for George so he could eat them. George insisted that they tasted just like chicken! I could never get myself to try. Once Jeff reconnected with George, we decided to hire him as our night watch man for our 6 months here.

As George and I talked, I asked him about Christmas. He pondered the question about African traditions. What he said fell on my heart like a warm blanket. Well, at Christmas, what I remember is everyone being together. Aunties, uncles, cousins, kids home from boarding school and the house being full. We all went to church and for prayers. Late into the night there was singing and prayers. It was also a time where everyone got something new. I remember getting new clothe-es, a new shirt maybe or a new pair of pants. The girls would get a new dress for Christmas. Everyone got something “new”.” All year the parents saved their shillings for a piece of new clothing. But of course many times the ‘new’ clothing is actually used clothing that you find in the markets here in town. The ‘new’ used clothes could very well have been yours! Places like Goodwill ship palates of used clothing to Africa after they have tried their shot at selling them. I’m sure everyone has made a trip to Goodwill or Savers sometime in their life if not every year as we restock our closets with the latest fashions. Well, all of our discards, all of our trash become treasures here in Africa. And to think most kids nowadays are totally bummed when they get new clothes, unless of course they are teenagers. I was one of those kids when I was young. Getting clothes was about the same as getting a piece of coal in your stocking!!

God has given us the best gift of all...Jesus

George continued, "Then, everyone eats meat at Christmas! It’s the biggest celebration and everyone gets to eat meat on Christmas. Goat, chicken, or beef, some kind of meat” Everyone? I questioned. Everyone? No, not everyone George. How could everyone afford meat George? What about the poorest of the poor George? George exclaimed, “EVERYONE MAMA KT, EVERYONE. Those that cannot afford to buy meat are invited to eat with their neighbors. Everyone will eat meat mama KT. The village will divide all their meat so that not one will go without." A flood of tears welled up in my eyes. I sat in silence as the thought and picture of this buried itself deep in my spirit. How’s that for an African Christmas tradition.

The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel which means, God with us. Matt 1:23

I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. In the town of David a savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord. Luke 2:11

MERRY CHRISTMAS!!

Distraction

2008-12-15T03:42:00.000-08:00

You don’t realize how much of your life is swallowed by the death of distraction, until you are in a place without any! I lay awake at night pondering the way I live my life, the things I feel like God is teaching me, the junk in my heart that needs to be reckoned with and the ways of Africa. You can’t help but lay awake thinking when you are transported to another land, culture, people, food, climate, language, and lifestyle.

In all my journeys to Africa, I am usually always in awe at how much I feel like I am much more in touch with the Lord here. I mean it’s not like the Lord isn’t at work all around me in Fort Collins, at the grocery store, at the park, you name it. He is! He is at work all around us, 24/7 but are we aware? Am I aware? Are we listening? Am I listening? Are we conversing with our great God, our amazing creator, friend, and kind Father? I feel the Lord more intensely here because there is nothing to distract me. I don’t think God is anymore alive here in Africa than He is in the states, I just think our need of Him and our acknowledgement of Him is minimal. I call my girlfriends, I blog, I race around town doing errands, I make play dates, I hang out on the Internet and dive into hours of photo viewing, chatting, and joining worthy causes. And yes, many of these activities are life giving and in some of these Internet places there are journal entries, confessions, and ponderings that have taken my breath away and have dropped me right into the lap of God. But…I found that my days and weeks disappeared right before my eyes.

It saddens my heart to think of how much I cheat my Savior. It’s as if He takes last place on my list of things “to do”, when all He really wants, is to do these things with me. I don’t know how or when I started to live this way. When did I start condensing God into a time slot? As if the only time I can hear Him or see Him or understand His heart is in “quiet time”. I do admit that I personally, am in need of a time set aside just for God, and I believe it is where we can be at one with Him, but if that time is erased or overlooked, then what? I have heard it all before, probably a gazillion times, that we should always be “open” to the Lord each and every day for His direction, leading and surprises. We should arise and greet the day with the words, “What are you doing today Lord?” But have I? Did I? At times, yes, I would be on a roll and wake up feeling good, ask the Lord to keep me open to Him and pray for a divine moment with someone. Then life takes over, the kids drive me nuts, too much to do and too little time, and then BAM!! Back to boxing God into my “quiet time” if I even find time for this. Now it’s not like Arua, Uganda is so different from the States. It’s also a little honeycomb, with worker bees coming and going, buzzing with activity and movement; but, somehow, there is little to distract one with. I am not sure what it is, but I love it! I love that each day moves slowly enough for me to communicate with my creator as we walk the dirt roads together. Even when our day is “full” or “busy” which could mean one trip to town, there is still a quietness in my soul that leaves room for His whispers, and it’s lovely. Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength. These commandments that I give you today are to be upon your hearts. Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. Duet. 6:4-7

Our days in Uganda...

2008-12-03T10:22:00.000-08:00

*****Before you read this tidbit of our lives...please drop by my friends blog at http://www.brandisthoughts.com/ for a chance to send real Christmas love in a practical way to the people of China who are in serious need!! *****

Well, here's a few photos from our daily lives. We are all doing good for the most part here in Arua, Uganda, aside from missing our family and friends. Out of our family, I definetely had the hardest time with the transition! The kids did great and Jeff has been busy with work so he kept his 9 to 5 schedule which was similar to the states. Me,..well, it's been almost 3 months now and I am finally feeling settled and feeling more at "home". I had some pretty intense quiet times with God and shed many tears but I can sense the Lord speaking, molding, healing and tending to my heart. And He's answering my prayers for friends to be with, life life with, and pray with during our time here. I am looking forward to building friendships with these ladies.

Homeschooling has been good, but definetely challenging. I think it's a bit overwhelming for them since they have haven't had any schooling, and for me, since I've never taught Kindergarten and 1st grade! I sure do respect Jeff's mom Myrna, who taught kids all her life and Linda, my sis-in-law who is teaching Kindergarten currently. We are making progress!! Osobie read his first Bob books last week. He just grabbed the first one, sounded out the words and was reading! He read the first 4 books that evening. We are stoked!! Fatu's doing better than I had anticipated but isn't up to reading just yet. Jeff's work has picked up in the last month as there are many plague cases in the areas he is working. He is doing a excellent job and enjoying it too!! We're getting to know our neighbors, the ladies at the "duka" (small store, like really small), our boda drivers (motorcyclists), and the other missionary and NGO folks around town. I taught my first "sunday school" at a church we have been going to and it was pretty fun! Tks Mekay for the tips! They don't have a consistent Sunday school for the kids so I'm going to volunteer for awhile. I watched the little ones heads jerk down every few minutes as they fought sleep in service and was reminded of my early years in the church, falling asleep or getting into trouble passing notes to my sis. So, we started today with a Christmas story. O and F performed their first skit of Mary and the angel Gabriel. They did great, completely confident. I was proud.

I shared this photo with my friend Barb because she's such an inspiration to me in eating healthy and gave me my first "recipe book"!! I had to share it with you all because this is the bounty from a BIG trip to the market for our "groceries"!! Isn't it gorgeous?? Organic, inexpensive and pretty much what we eat on a weekly basis. I put the bag of sugar in the picture too because it's the raw sugar straight from the sugarcane fields nearby. I pay big bucks for the "sugar in the raw" in the states!! Don't get me wrong, we still splurge and buy cookies, sweets and of course Mayo!! Yes, the supermarkets have Mayo! We're all happy about this.

F and O's first birthday party in Africa. Isn't this a beautiful picture! Look at the children...a rainbow of colors!!

A little butterfly fun...much better than finding gargantuan speckled spiders. We sure are having a grand time in the home schooling area of science. The thing is, Africa is loaded with bugs. I remember when I was in Jinja I had a little trouble with cockroaches in my room and my friend who lived there said, "this is how we live, we live together with the animals". It's true. They are wise enough to know which insects are harmful and the rest they live with in harmony. I don't know...I just don't think I'll ever be able to live in "harmony" with bugs. Thank goodness for Jeff! He is teaching the kids that God made the insects too!

F and O playing submarine tag (this is why they are all holding their shorts in a "i gotta pee" stance) with some of the neighborhood kids in our yard. They are all out for holiday now so we are finally getting in some good "kid play time"!! Thank you Jesus for answering our prayers for more friends for Osobie and Fatu.

Jeff grilling up the scrumptious meat!!!! We splurged and bought a big pack of sausages and then of course, the power went out for 2 days so we had meat for every meal!!

O, F, and neighbor Bella putting on a church service in the living room for us!

Fun with pita/tortilla...hmm... what can I compare them to?? A light crackerish snack. This one was of course shaped in a "princess dress" according to Jeff & Fatu.

A late Thanksgiving snack a la candlelight

Conversations with Peter-part 1

2008-11-23T03:38:00.001-08:00

*I think I need to give fair warning to those of you who read our blog. In the past I have refrained from bringing up topics of controversy or sharing thoughts on deeper issues, not necessarily on purpose, but because this blog was started as a "family fun" blog. I wanted it to be a family blog filled with our fun life stories. But the reality is…we are in Africa now and what we see on a daily basis is not exactly “fun”. And although we will continue to share family news and stories, which I hope will remain amusing and interesting; we will also be sharing more transparently about issues that we are wrestling with in our own hearts.

Okay, so since it’s been two months since we left Fort Collins Colorado I feel like I need to backtrack a bit and share a little more of what’s happened in the last 8 weeks. We landed on the red earth of Africa on Sept. 19th. It was a good flight. The kids slept through most of the flights in between eating, and watching some flicks. We managed to acquire 6 of our 7 bags in Entebbe…not bad!! On our last flight from Amsterdam to Uganda, Jeff took charge of the kids and allowed me a break to sit on my own. I had the greatest privilege of sitting next to a gentleman named Peter. Peter was the first Ugandan to greet us as we all sat waiting in Amsterdam for our flight. I have to admit it was difficult to walk around the airport where there is a great number of Africans meandering around catching flights and such. This was our first “experience” as a mixed family in a very African dominated area and I have to admit I was quite nervous about how we would be received. In fact, the main question people asked us before we left was “How will you be received in the African community as Mazungo’s (white folks/foreigner) with African children?” We had no answer. We are used to the stares back in the States and almost oblivious to them now, unless a rude or wonderful comment is made that awakens me to the fact that we are “different” looking. It’s true, you really do forget this. You really forget that your children are African because they are your children period. It’s beautiful really when you think about it. God supernaturally deposits a love that sees your child not as an adopted child, not as brown, but as your child, given to us as Gods gift. Not that we are blind to our color differences or ignore our children’s heritage but none of this comes first, first comes love and family.

Anyway, back to my story of Peter. We had stood around the waiting area for several hours swallowed in stoic faces and blank stares. Peter, a Ugandan man, was the first person who approached us with a gentle greeting. He told us our children were beautiful as he greeted them. We chatted briefly and my anxious heart was soon comforted by Peter’s kindness and acceptance of our family. He had left Uganda 2 years ago on a scholarship to study in New York City and now he was returning home to his family. He was probably in his forties, married with 4 children, working in his village in Lira. This was his reunion trip back to his mother land, friends, and family after being away for 2 years. Can you imagine, of all the places to land for your first visit to America, New York City??? Wow!! Talk about a culture shock.
As we took our seats on the airplane Peter sat down next to me. My dreaded 9 hour flight took a turn for the better as it was filled with rich conversations with Peter. Peter was a man in love with Jesus, with words of wisdom flowing from his mouth. I do believe that this seat, 28F, was divinely chosen. We shared the stories of our lives; we talked about parenting, culture, music and the Word. I have come to realize something about myself which I don’t think I’ve thought much about. I am a very open and bold person. Now I’m not saying this to brag. I am just seeing myself in a new light. When I say bold, I use it very loosely and lightly because it’s only when I am in certain circumstances in which I can be bold. As a sociology major I am very intrigued and interested in people, culture, societies, the why’s of life. So, as we got to know one another, I began to ask those bold questions. We spoke at length about one another’s cultures and why we as Americans behave and live the way we do. I also asked about Africans, about their cultural dos and don’ts. I asked questions that could have offended any other African but Peter was a kind hearted man, open, honest, and longing to answer my questions just as I answered his. What I learned is that sometimes we need to step out in boldness and ask the hard uncomfortable questions. We need to open our lives and hearts to another. We need to extend grace in the midst of searching for answers and in our desires to learn about one another. If I had not taken a risk of openness and honesty, I never would have received the gems of understanding and wisdom from Peter’s heart. I learned so much from those hours of talking. There was a beautiful exchange of our struggles, our victories, and our defeats. He shared some profound insight and observations with me that struck my heart.
One of his topics of discussion was how Americans spend their money. Now, just as a word of warning, I do not write any of this as a judgment on anyone, nor did Peter speak of these issues in judgment or bitterness towards people. He spoke in love and out of his longing to understand. I also do not write this in anyway to guilt anyone, not even myself. I am sharing this because it has challenged my heart and caused me to think.
While Peter was in NYC he was befriended by many American families that are now his life long friends. But what he wondered about…What he sat up at night pondering about….was……How does an American spend $10,000 (could be way more or much less) on a weekend vacation? Or a family vacation? He had heard story after story of families’ vacations to the Caribbean, S. America, Europe, or where ever and he picked up on the cost of such trips. He sat through power point slides shows in people’s dining rooms while sipping tea, and flipped through photo album after photo album of beautiful landscapes and sun drenched smiling faces. And he wondered……Did they not know? Were they not aware of the suffering in other countries? Did they not know about all the AIDS orphans unable to afford ARV’s? Were they not aware of the famines? Had they not heard about the starvation and the displaced people groups living in refugee camps? Did they miss the news of thousands of children dying from malaria? Were they not informed about the lack of clean drinking water for so many of their brothers and sisters? Did they not know? Were they not told? Because surely if they knew, they would do something about it,…. right? Surely they would not turn their backs on them? Could not mere ten American dollars save the life of a child who does not have a mosquito net? Couldn’t a few hundred dollars help change the lives of many? Peter truly believed that these people must really not know. His heart is comforted in believing this. Because surely Americans, surely we wouldn’t choose to let people suffer and starve while we para-sail in the Caribbean, feast on buffets, and sip margaritas on exotic beaches.

Would we?

Would I?

...it's something to think about. Its interesting how other cultures perceive our choices and our lifestyles (the other thing he spoke about was how people love their pets better than they love other people). Part of the reason I share this is not because I think family vacations are wrong, but because I think it helps us see into our own culture. One thing Jeff and I learned in some of our mission's training is that before you can be a student of other cultures, you need to be a student of your own. These are wise words and it's helped me to see and consider how others see our culture - and view me for that matter. Check out the following website http://www.globalrichlist.com/. Though we were not surprised, Jeff and I fell out of our chairs, when we saw where we fit in the worlds economy.

Safari ants & cockroaches

2008-11-17T13:02:00.001-08:00

We moved into our house!! Praise God!! We have a beautiful home, way nicer than I would have expected. We have beds and more furniture will be on the way this weekend. When we leave in April, the landlord will have a furnished house to rent, which will be the first one in Arua! He has already had NGO’s and missionary families ask about renting the house when we leave. We have orange, lemon, mango, guava, and avocado trees in our yard!! You can bet we’re going to be harvesting as much fruit as we can eat and drink in the next 6 months. Our yard is pretty big which Osobie and Fatu are happy about. The kids are sharing a room and we are turning the spare bedroom into our “school room”. We are definitely blessed!! And on top of it all, we get to have some roomies! There is another building next to our house called the “boys quarters” with 4 small rooms. Susan, a waitress from the hotel and 2 of Jeff’s coworkers will be living there until April. It will be nice to have some new friends around. We are planning to have a house warming party once we get more organized. Jeff’s hoping to grill some pork and I am going to “attempt” to make matoke, rice and beans for all the Ugandans! I’ve already had the comment made from Jeff’s driver Jackson that if I’m cooking matoke, he’ll be having a Nile Special (Ugandan beer)!! Can you believe that? Well Jackson, you just wait and see…this muzungu might just surprise you with some mean matoke. (Okay..so this was written almost a week ago… and we already had a small little house party but we kept it simple so no matoke was made, maybe next time). So, we are thankful, we are well, we are healthy, and we are cooking our own meals!! Now that is something to celebrate!! Especially when you can eat mondo sized avocado’s everyday!!
Side note*One thing that we didn’t expect was a dilemma with power. We have just gone our longest stretch without power, 4 days. There have been some serious problems in Arua with the power situation. So far we’ve lost power every weekend from Friday night until Monday morning. We might need to invest in a generator so we can have light! Please pray the power problem gets sorted out! But anyway… did I mention that the bugs here are scary huge?? Let me share some bug tales..:)

It all started at 9 am as we loaded the truck with our luggage and household goodies some missionary friends sold to us at a great price. At 9 am, the power is supposed to come on. The schedule is power from 9 am to 11 pm, which is actually amazing, that is when things go as scheduled. Well, the Sat. morn of our big move into our house began without power and didn’t come back until Monday afternoon. So, our first 2 days in the house went something like this. Moved in our luggage, put sheets on our beds, hung mosquito nets, cleaned like mad, then the much dreaded “darkness of night” blanketed us. Now I am not afraid of the dark or anything, although the kids aren’t fond of it, but what I am dreadfully fearful of are cockroaches!! I know they don’t bite, I know they cannot harm anyone, but they are stinkin’ creep-ville! I don’t care what anybody says! Now I am not talking about the itty bitty sized roaches found in shady restaurants and crawling across sidewalks in big cities. No, I’m talking about AFRICAN sized cockroaches!! These things are as big as a half dollar if not bigger and they move so fast I swear they are running at the speed of light!

So, after going out to eat (we still didn’t have groceries or cooking gear just yet), we came home to a pitch black house and began our long first night of cockroach hunting and Katie freaking! Can you believe it? I mean I am not the type to care much about spiders. I am not the shrieking type, but boy did I ever reveal the “wimpy” side of Katie. I wasn’t a good example for Osobie and Fatu and soon they feared the roaches. After many hours of surveying the house with flashlights and killing roaches we attempted to get some sleep. Right as I was slipping into sleep, I peeped open my eyes one last time and there again was the monster size cockroach crawling on the wall under the curtain. Poor Jeff thought his wife had finally given up on her paranoia and was certain I was asleep until I yelled for him to come and kill the beast. Once again we settled in under our net (which I forgot to mention was too small and so ineffective) and lay there hoping that we were so tired we would just pass out. WRONG!! Within minutes our ears were pierced with a loud hissing sound coming from the hall. Jeff armed himself with DOOM (bug killer) and searched for the animal. It came from a hall closet or the ceiling. We called our night watchman, George to see if he knew what African animal was living in our attic. George first announced it was a cat. Then he decided it was a rat! At that point I was ready to head back to the hotel! Then the final verdict came back that it was a large insect. Jeff sprayed a whole can of DOOM in the attic but the insect refused to die! We fell asleep to an awful sound of hissing, and that concluded the first night in our house in Africa!

The second day went similar to the first. Our first activity of the day and last activity of the night was chasing after cockroaches! Osobie and Jeff had a wonderful papa-son talk and soon Osobie was my brave hero telling me, “Mama, I can kill them for you!” He knew the routine. He slipped his beefiest shoe on his hand, I carried the flashlight, and together we went around the house lifting up bags, sliding curtains back and killing cockroaches. Fatu was sweet enough to come along but never with any intention of killing. She’s definitely a lot like her mama when it comes to these things.

Then came the next adventure, safari ants. Sunday night we were walking through the yard checking out our bounty of fruit trees and stumbled upon some ants. It was just a small line of ants marching towards their destination, no big deal right? WRONG! We followed the trail and discovered millions of them in piles and marching in lines all across the yard weaving through the grasses. I am talking biblical proportions here!!! We couldn’t believe our eyes and then looked further to see they were taking over a whole building! They covered the walls of the “boy’s quarters”. The building is white and it was now painted ant-black. O and I ran inside to get the bug spray and started spraying them until the can ran out. Thousands upon thousands of safari ants, the kind that spread up your legs and bite you like mad! Maybe some of you have read Poisonwood Bible by Barbara Kingsolver?? They crawl between your toes and start biting and man does it hurt!! Jeff’s coworker said that safari ants would “undress you”! Meaning you will have to rip off your clothes if they attack you just to get them off of you. Jeff chuckled and Nicholas said with a stern face, “No really, they will!” So I hopped up and down spraying insecticide everywhere hoping to end this ant attack. I am sure I was a laughing stock to all the passerby’s on the street!! That was day 1 of safari ants. It took 3 more days of spraying, burning the lawn, setting fire to them and their homes (which you have to find first), pouring gasoline and boiling hot water on them to finally put an end to the ant ambush. Our neighbors taught us all the techniques for killing safari ants and I sure had at it!!

Okay… so now I’ll have to tack on another week of fighting safari ants since I wrote this post last week. Our latest invasion happened Saturday evening when our neighbor yelled at our window “they’re coming”!! We all knew what he was talking about! We grabbed our paraffin (kerosene) and newspapers and starting burning the ants, hundreds of them taking over their yard and marching towards ours. There was a team of us outside fighting the little buggers until finally we felt we had burned them all. We came back in to sit down to dinner. Fatu said prayers for us and we began to enjoy our meal finally. We were pleasantly surprised because our beans were still warm, when all of a sudden I heard a crackling sound. “Did you guys hear that?” I asked. Jeff saw an orange glow from our bathroom window and yelled “Fire”!! We grabbed cooking pots and our pitcher filled with water and ran out to see our papyrus fence on fire!! Luckily our water tank was nearby so we all heaved water onto the fire and soon it was out. Oh yeah…
After 2 days of no power and not much to do we had our first bit of excitement and thrill killing ants and putting out a fire! Never short of adventure around here!!

*I had to include this pic..we are making Christmas cards and this was Fatu's first nativity scene..check out baby Jesus,...isn't that cute or what??

REMEMBERING MATT TODAY

2008-11-13T03:28:00.000-08:00

Two years ago today, my sister lost her best friend, and we lost a big part of our family. My sister’s husband, Matt, passed away unexpectedly on this day. Our hearts are grieving today. Our hearts are aching today because of the loss of a husband, father, son, brother, and friend. Matt was a kind hearted and loving husband, and a loving and wonderful father. Matt was a man of integrity and drive. He accepted everyone he met just as they were. He was real, confident, strong, and solid in his faith. He had a heart of compassion and was a friend to all. Matt you were loved by us all and we miss you so much!!

We praise you God for the beautiful child that you gave Matt and Mekay and we thank you God for keeping my sister and their daughter in your loving arms during this time.

ONE YEAR!!!!!!!!!!!!

2008-11-06T10:06:00.000-08:00

What a marvelous day it is!!

(This post is a bit late because we just got our power back after being out for 3 days)
God, this day we celebrate first and foremost, YOU!

Not to us, oh Lord, not to us
But to your name be the glory,
Because of your love and faithfulness Ps. 115

I will praise you Lord, among the nations;
I will sing of you among the people
For great is your love, higher than the heavens;
Your faithfulness reaches to the skies!! Ps. 108

Today, November 8th 2008, is our 1 year anniversary of being a family! One year ago, I was flying on a plane from Monrovia, Liberia to Denver Colorado with my sister and with 2 of the littlest most precious children I have ever known. On Nov 8th we finally came HOME together! And even though Papa was still working in Africa, O and F were ours and they were home!! Tears streamed my face today as I sat in awe of God’s goodness and faithfulness in what was an impossible feat. But NOTHING IS IMPOSSIBLE with HIM! When all hope was lost, His hope remained. When everything pointed to NO, He said YES! When our dreams crumbled, He picked up the pieces and created a beautiful masterpiece. When our groans and aches overwhelmed us, His peace and comfort sustained us. He whispered to Jeff and I “fight for your kids”, and we did and the victory is HIS! They came home!! We are a family!!

From the day we received their referral, we just KNEW they were ours. We fell in love with them that very day almost 2 years ago this month. We dreamed about them, we prayed for them daily, and we walked through the journey of adoption. We eagerly, and maybe a little too eagerly (sorry Donna/ Melodie) awaited photos and information about these 2 lovely Liberians. Every photo we cherished and stared at for hours as if we looked long and hard enough we would hear their voices! Our journey turned into a heavy battle to bring them home, but the Lord led us through it all holding our hands and promising His love and faithfulness until the end. Jeff met them in Oct of 2007 in our fight to bring them home and it was love at first sight! My day would come too and it did on Nov. 1, 2007. I was shaking like a leaf is what I remember as I went to the orphanage to pick up our kids!! I thought I was going to throw up I was so nervous. The kids were napping and so I got settled on a chair while the nannies got them ready to bring out. My heart raced and I tried to fight back the waterfall of tears so I wouldn’t scare them. Then, the moment came I will never ever forget, O and F, groggy eyed and sleepy, wobbled out the door and walked over to me. I lost it! The tears unloaded and my heart skipped a beat. They were more beautiful and precious than any of the photos I had seen!! They came right up to me and sweet little Fatu just melted on my legs as she leaned against me. I hugged them both gently and just sat staring at them. God’s gifts to us! How was it possible? The best gifts a mama could ever dream of!! Osobie sat on my lap and started singing Jesus Loves Me as the nanny prompted him. I wept and sobbed and hugged one of the nannies, thanking her for caring for our kids. All my butterflies flew away and a deep peace rested on me. They didn’t smile much but they were not afraid either. They held my hands, touched my skin, rested their bodies against mine and even sat on my lap. It was too wonderful to even comprehend. That day is etched in my heart.There are so many stories to share from the last year of living life together as a family! We have experienced so much joy, fun, laughter, love and adventure along with challenges and tears of course, but the JOY far outweighs the hard times!! God couldn’t have picked two more perfect kids for our family. When I look at all of our personalities, we fit so well together. Fatu is our spicy, sassy, but sweet daughter and Osobie is our thoughtful, silly, sensitive, and a little strong willed son. Fatu reminds me of myself when I was little and Osobie as of now, has a personality a lot like Jeff. That all could change in the next couple of years as we continue to grow as a family and the kids continue to adjust to us, but for now we are enjoying our family as God designed it.

As you can see in the pictures, O and F have changed SO much over the last year! They came home as babies, speaking Liberian English, laughing at running water and coffee makers, scared of roaring stuffed elephants, hugging everyone and anyone, and eating more food than Jeff and I combined. They have grown so much and grown up so fast! They have doubled in weight and probably in height too!! They are doing well in school, learning new things each day. They love to play games as a family and still love helping out around the house. I thought for sure their love for “chores” would fade away but they still like to help mama cook, sweep, mop and fold clothes. Fatu especially enjoys cooking and has recently told us she would like to be a chef, like Auntie Bootsie, when she gets older. Just the other day night we were eating out at a restaurant where they served us a cucumber type salad. Fatu dug into her salad and starting spouting off what she tasted, “I taste vinegar…hmmm…and lemon!” She LOVES food and loves to eat! She and her papa share a common interest in cooking and food. Osobie is all about creating. We call him Macguever, you know the old eighties TV show Macguever??? The man could create anything out of a rubber band, toothpick, and a battery or something like that. Well, Osobie is the master of invention. Give the boy some string, a bottle cap and a leave and he has made a boat. He wants to be a pilot and a builder when he grows up and he has now added fireman to the list!! You go boy!! We are blessed!! We celebrated our anniversary this weekend thanking God for making our family through adoption, thanking many of you for all your prayers for O and F, and praying for our friends who are still waiting for their kids to come home. And of course eating a ton of chocolate that my sweet sister Mekay sent us!! Thanks Meeks for the lovin’!! The package couldn't’t have come on a better day!!

All is well other wise; I’ll post again with some more updates on the house!! Love ya all!!

Pics!

2008-10-30T02:40:00.000-07:00

okay, so some more pics! just random ones again. I forgot to put my blog post on my jump drive so i thought i'd just add some more photos while i am at the cafe. thanks for all the comments, i just love hearing from all of you!! i'll try to stop by your blogs as soon as we get internet at the house (pretty amazing eh?)

brandi & the kids, not sure why my photos are looking so dark on the screen?? anyway,

the kids and i in a beautiful church in the villages where jeff works.

the next photo is for our friends Dono &Laurie just for a chuckle!! shouldn't all our toilet paper be named JOY!!!!!!!!!
jeff --the rat trapper, in his element! last Saturday the kids and i went with him for a day of checking rat traps in several villages
the kids in their make shift bed in the hotel, gotta love the mosquito nets!!
the last pics are taken on the 15 seater airplane to Arua

love ya

Random first photos!

2008-10-11T23:08:00.001-07:00

This is a sign that we are staying in a fancy place!! INTERNET that is somewhat fast!! After being apart for 2 weeks, Jeff , myself and the kids decided to treat ourselves and stay in a fancy hotel in Kampala for the weekend! To save on some time (we're getting ready to head to church)

I'll just give you a rundown on all the photos. Hopefully tonight I can attempt another blog post. We really need to get Internet once we get to Arua. We will be flying there on Monday!

Okay,...so below you will find Rapha School! The kids in new uniforms thanks to KidsLake, YOU, Brandie and a second grade class in the states that raised money for tuition and uniforms. Also, THE WELL at RAPHA!!! YEAH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! You will see 2 girls carrying water jugs on their heads....well, in 2 to 3 weeks that will be NO MORE! The well is in progress and we all got to see it for ourselves. Thanks to Brandie, Greg, John and many of you!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

THANK YOU GUYS for making this happen!!! I can't tell you the JOY it brings the Rapha school and community!!

Photos of Brandie and the kiddos!! Me and Brandie met for the first time in person on Uganda soil! Can you imagine?? We hugged and had an amazing time!! WE ARE BLESSED!! It was so refreshing for me to see and hang with such an awesome, Jesus Loving group of folks from the States! THANKS TEAM for letting me tag along with you all!! I enjoyed meeting all of you and pray for safe travels as you guys continue to explore Uganda.

Photos of me and Marium, the cook at Arthurs house. She has taught me how to cook Matoke, which is a type of banana which you cook and eat with sauce. One of my favorite Ugandan dishes!!

Photos of the Solar Oven Bethesda was awarded by the Rotary Club. Ruth applied for the oven in 2000 and they just received it when we got to Bethesda 2 weeks ago. We baked breads, cakes, fish, potatoes!!! Jack and Lisa (from Great Harvest), you would have been proud of my bread skills!!! WOW! It was so exciting!! Bethesda hopes to bake bread and start a business where they use the profits for Rapha School and other projects.

Lastly photos of the kids at the Entebbe zoo when we first got here! Oh, one more photo of laundry and meat hanging on the line! Crazy eh? They were drying meat outside along with their laundry. I tasted the meat, it was similar to beef jerky!!

Okay, would love to write a million more stories!! I will do that once we get settled! LOVE YOU ALL LOADS!!!!

Peace,

Katie and the fam'

AFRICA....SWEET AFRICA!!!!!!!!!!!

2008-10-07T01:20:00.000-07:00

We made it!!!!!!!!

Praise Jesus!!!

I know this is a bit late but I've found it much harder to connect to Internet now that I am tote-ing around 2 kids!! We are all well and enjoying the sights, sounds and smells of sweet AFRICA!

After many trips here, we really do feel quite at home in a wierd way. Jeff is in Arua while the kids and I are staying in Jinja until Friday. We will reunite on Friday in Kampala (capital of uganda) and then travel via bus or airplane to Arua on Sunday. Jeff has found us a home nearby his office and on the same road that we had lived on back in 2005? It formerly housed the NGO "Right To Play" which ministered to kids in refugee camps in Sudan. Our house is being furnished with the basics as we speak so we won't be moving in for another 2 weeks. Until then we will stay in a hotel in Arua where Jeff has been staying.

Okay, gotta run!! Much to do to prepare for the visitors from the States!! I will be meeting my friend Brandi on Thursday and we'll get to visit Rapha school (bethesda International) and see the work on the well that she helped fund!!!

Sending Jesus sweet love to all of you!!!!!!!!!!!
thanks for all the prayers for our family!! we are wrapped in them daily!!

Katie

Leaving, leaves me pondering...

2008-09-07T20:18:00.000-07:00

Joy and pain

Like sunshine and rain

Joy and pain

Like sunshine and rain

-Rob Base & DJ Easy Rock-

I know....many of you may have NO idea what song I am referring to but this is just what popped into my mind as I was thinking about leaving for Uganda. I feel like I am walking in 2 worlds and maybe that's because we are starting to. We haved lived a full and blessed life here in Colorado and now for the other half of our year we are moving to Uganda. Really, when I consider it, it's better than anything I could have ever dreamed. I LOVE my life in Colorado and I LOVE my life when I am in Africa. What I am understanding more and more is that no matter where I am at, there is a subtle ache. While we live life in Colorado we are surrounded by incredible followers of Jesus who inspire us, challenge us and love us. I depend on these people for just about everything!! We laugh until it hurts and cry until the tears run dry. We pray together, play together, cook together, and struggle together. I have come to really LOVE this life God has given us, but admist all that is beautiful and well in Colorado, the ache remains. This ache is AFRICA.

In 1997, the seed was stirred. I was at a missions conference in Denver with guest speaker, George Verwer, president of Operation Mobilization (OM) on stage. My parents were missionaries with OM when it first began. My dad and George packed a van full of bibles and headed to Mexico for their first "mission" trip. Now OM is a mission group serving all over the world with thousands of missionaries. Anyway, it was that night that the Lord told me he had called me to missions. Of course I had NO idea really what it all meant other than I had committed to where ever and whatever God had planned for me. About a year later the seeds started to stir. AFRICA. It all started with a simple prayer. I was attending a church called "Tool Room", a vineyard church plant aimed at reaching the street kids, homeless, and Gen X ers like myself. We were simply praying. I was a new believer and new to prayer. I sat silently and started praying for this and that. What I remember is saying a prayer for one of my family members, when all of a sudden BOOM...I saw vivid colorful movie-like pictures flash in my mind. It was like a slideshow. The first picture was myself walking down a dirt road holding hands with little African children. The next picture was me laying down on a mat on the dirt floor of a mud hut with a little African child. The last frame was me with an African child wearing a red tattered and torn shirt. WOA!!! I was freaked! I didn't know what the heck that was! Needless to say, I was a little confused and scared. Other than my mom supporting a World Vision child named Rapheal from Ethiopia, never in my life had Africa entered my world or mind. Eleven years, 4 mission trips to Africa and a gazillion more words, promises, pictures and prayers later, here we are. This ache is Africa. At times I had asked the Lord to take it away because it kept me up all night in tears, crying out for orphans I had never met. At that time the doors to Africa were closed. A year later I went, but I didn't go alone. I had gotten married to my best friend and we had the opportunity to go to Africa within our first year of marriage. (I can see now why the Lord didn't let me go earlier) It was that first trip that solidified everything I had felt, dreamt, prayed for , cried about and felt called to. My heart had the ache of Africa beating in it and it still beats today. So while I adore the people God has woven into our lives here in CO., my heart still aches for Africa and I am exstatic to go back!

But, what I also know is that while I am in Africa, in the very place of my dreams and all that I have prayed for for 11 years, my heart will ache again. This time the ache will be a different ache, one for those who are a part of us. The friends and family that make us who we are. The people who have cried with us, fought with us, celebrated with us and loved us everyday on this journey of life. They have spoken the truth of God's love into us. They have crawled to the cross with us, recieving life in exchange for brokenness and sin. They have been the hands and feet of God. We'll be in the place of our deepest longings, in the country we have felt called to for many years and surrounded by our beautiful Ugandan friends whom we love, but there will still be an ache in my heart for our family back home. (my secret prayer is that they will all come to Africa one day)

I hope the ache never leaves because what it means is I AM ALIVE!!

It means my heart is ALIVE and FULL!!

P.S. We leave in 2 days! Thursday 18th at 11 am!!

Saying Goodbye to a LOVED ONE

2008-09-04T20:03:00.000-07:00

It's been a hard week at our house. On Friday Aug 29th my Aunt Carolyn lost her battle with cancer and went home to Jesus. She fought the battle long and hard with her family by her side and her faith sustaining her day by day. She was a mother, sister, daughter, aunt, cousin, mentor, and friend to so many. She lived her life to the fullest and was always a source of wisdom, love and laughter where ever she went. We will miss her dearly and will remember her always!! These are just a few of the words that I had written months ago that describe our Aunt Carolyn who will be forever in our hearts.

(Carolyn is sitting right next to me and Osobie )

Carolyn

Driven

Full of LIFE

GENEROUS

Optimistic

Strong

LOVING

Wise

Humorous

Compassionate

Kind

HONEST

Encourager

Humble

PATIENCE

2008-08-29T08:39:00.000-07:00

Trust, patience, faith...these are the words we are living in,...hmmm...or should I say, trying to live in!! We are still waiting on Jeff's contract, which was supposed to be finalized in time for us to leave on Sept. 1st. Well, seeing as the 1st is Monday, we don't have tickets yet and our bags are only half packed...looks like we wait. We are fervently praying that Jeff gets his contract so we can possibly leave by the 8th or 15th of Sept. We are also praying for a miracle in ticket prices too!! Life has been a whirlwind this last month and we've all been feeling the stress and strain of preparing to leave. At the dinner table the other day F was falling asleep while she was eating pizza! It was only 6:30 and she asked to go to bed!! I feel incredibly weak and have found myself laid out before God, so in need of His grace, His reassuring love, His perspective, and His strength to get through each new day and each hurdle.

But he said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ's power may rest on me. 2 Corinthians 12:9

Did I mention that we would LOVE some more visitors!!!!!!!!!! We'll be in Uganda until March and it sounds like we may have 2 visitors so far!! I can't tell you how happy that makes me!! So... that's the scoop on this end!

Moving and moving forward

2008-08-14T20:42:00.000-07:00

Did I mention that we are moving to Uganda for 6 months? I meant to share our news quite awhile ago but with summer flying bye and now Ruth's sudden death, I've managed to leave out our most exciting news! We are going to UGANDA for 6-7 months!!! We are still waiting on my husbands contract to be finalized for the exact departure date, but the plan is to leave the first of Sept. I've never spent so much time on the phone with insurance agencies, pharmacies, Colorado vital records, health dept's, passport agencies, dentists, and doctors. It's taken me 3 and 1/2 weeks just to get malaria meds for our family! How does one prepare for 6 months? I felt like I was doing pretty good at the beginning of August. I started packing up our house and was feeling on top of things. Then all of a sudden, we are 2 weeks from leaving and I have zero bags packed. I think I'll be bumping up my caffeine intake that's for sure!

We have been in contact with Arthur, Ruth's husband, and others involved with Bethesda Int'l and it looks like they are going to move forward with their ministry to orphans in Uganda. There is much to sort out within the organization so please continue to be praying for wisdom, discernment and patience for everyone at Bethesda Int'l. Please continue to pray for all the children who lost a mother, a care taker, a mentor, and a friend with Ruth's passing.

Some fun pics from our road trip to Michigan to visit family..

Great grand kids with Great Grandma Thieme!!

Great Grandpa Weber & Grandma Eleanor with the kiddos!!!

ALL THE COUSINS together- (technically 2nd cousins?)

HANGING WITH GRANDPA & being silly!!

SISTERS!!
LOVED PLAYING AT THE BEACH WITH GRAMMIE

NEW FRIENDS!

OUR HEARTS GRIEVE

2008-07-27T12:56:00.000-07:00

It is with deep sorrow and heartache that we share the news that our dear friend Ruth Muga went home to Jesus last Saturday. Many of you who know us and have followed this blog know that Ruth was one of the most amazing African woman we have ever met and the founder of Bethesda International in Jinja, Uganda(1995) and cared for hundreds of Uganda's orphans.

The day we met her in 2003, she was permanently woven into our lives and hearts by God. She is one of the main reasons for our love and passion for Uganda. We have been working with her for many years and had planned to expand our partnership with her in the coming years. We were so looking forward to next month, when we leave for our 6 month stint to Uganda, and be reunited with Ruth and the kids. She has given her life to the children of Uganda and has transformed so many lives by her love, support, encouragement, devotion, and care. We are absolutely heart broken and still in shock due to the fact that it happened so suddenly. We spoke to Arthur, her husband, and he said he was holding up and was blessed by the people supporting him during this time. Ruth and Arthur were currently a family of 15 before Ruth passed. Most of these children have never known a mother or father other than Ruth, so please lift these children in prayer. I know there is a deep loss in the Bethesda families and the city of Jinja as Ruth was a mother and friend to all. Please be praying for all the Bethesda foster families, children, Arthur, and the Bethesda community as they navigate through this painful time. Please also be praying for the Bethesda Int'l. ministry, that the Lord will speak and reveal His plan for Bethesda Int'l's future. Once we find out more info we will update you with prayer requests and even ways to get involved by supporting Bethesda Int'l so that their ministry to Uganda's orphans can continue.

With a heavy heart but holding onto God's faithfulness and goodness!

Katie

****In 2003, on our first trip to Africa, we drove away from Bethesda and waved goodbye to Ruth and the children. Tears streamed down my face as I thought of all the orphans in Africa and the hard work ahead for Ruth. The Lord spoke to me and gave me this verse, "I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you" John 14: 18. It is underlined in my bible with the date 6-05-03 & Bethesda written beside it. God has them in His hands, period. He will not and has never left them. Even though Ruth has gone to Heaven, He is right there by their side watching over every child, tending to each of their sad hearts right now. What comfort that brings me.

Our first family road trip!

2008-07-01T22:09:00.000-07:00

Boy, summer is just flying by! I am so behind in blogging. I feel like we are running top speed everyday. We have been home for a week from our trip to AZ and now we're leaving tomorrow for Michigan on another road trip. Squeezed in there was the 4th of July festivities which I'll have to post about later or just send you to the Lorenzens blog for an update. We packed our car and headed to Tucson, AZ for a little mini family vacation! Jeff was speaking and attending a conference for work so we all tagged along and turned it into a little family get-away. We stayed at the Westin Hotel; 5 pools, water slide, heavenly beds, room service, swim up bar, a gorgeous place! We got to pretend we were living the high life for almost 2 weeks!! The kids sported the infamous "wings" and they started swimming from the get go!! They are little tadpoles, especially Fatu. No fear of water at all. We had a blast and at the end of our trip, we were able to visit Jeff's family in Phoenix!! A good time was had by all!!

Great view at the hotel!!!
Jeff and the kiddos!! O and F finally got to meet their cousin Kyle. As you can see, they loved each other from the get go!!
ROAD TRIPPIN'

F and Auntie Linda!!
the cousins hangin' out
the family :)

love this pic!
Uncle Brian and O enjoying the pool and mama's sunglasses
Grandpa B and O chowing on some wings!! We have to always remind O and F that we "don't eat the bones"...seriously!
Grandma B and F playing at the science museum!

The cousins first meeting

This picture says it all

7 months of being a family!

2008-06-16T20:33:00.000-07:00

and STILL no family photo!!!! We've got to get working on that

It's hard to believe it's been 7 months, June 8th, since the kids have been home. It's hard to believe I've only known my kids for 7 months and at the same time I know the Lord planted them in our hearts long ago. For the most part, it definitely feels like we've been together forever and then there are the challenging times when I remember that we are still "adjusting" to each other. Overall F and O are doing super! They bring life and joy to our family. They are gifts from God. They are excited about each new day and ask a million questions about the new place they live. When people ask us about their adjustment and bonding I typically share that they are probably adjusting better than Jeff and I are as new parents!! We prepared ourselves for all the problems and issues discussed in the adoption books we read, but honestly we have yet to face any serious problems. O and F are 80% of the time happy and easy going kids. Fatu is miss adventure, a ready for anything and fearless little girl. (except when it comes to animals) It took many days in the garden before she would hold an earth worm. Osobie is a thinker. He evaluates everything and is constantly trying to figure out the workings of all things mechanical. He LOVES to build. He really only needs 2 toys in his room, Tinker Toys and Legos. They bring him hours of fun. Osobie is a quick learner. He's starting to read the Bob books and in the fall we'll start Kindergarten. Fatu has her colors, shapes, and letters down. She's a hands on and visual learner, just like her mama. She has a ton of spunk and a little attitude now and then. She's very creative, confident, and outgoing. She loves to cook and play dress up.

They are losing their Liberian accents and have replaced the word "market" for "super market", that was a sad day. They love playing with the Lorenzen gang & their cousin Mackenna. My sis lives only 20 minutes away so we get to play together every week!! F and Nyenna play dress up, while O and Koj play golf in the backyard. F and O have always played really well together but we've been starting to see some more bickering. I was told by a few fellow adoptive parents that when you get to 6 months you start to see their true personalities. I do think that as they become more comfortable and realize that we will be a family forever, they let down their guards and be themselves. So, at 7 months we are learning more about each other and ourselves. We are blessed! God has woven our family together and I couldn't have ever dreamed it would be this good. With summer here... it's been hard to sit down and blog! Here's a few quick photos of our last month!!

Hangin' at church

F and O's first bike ride with training wheels! We only had 2 spills!

Jeremy came over on his lunch break to show the kids the massive grating machine!

Uncle Steve grilling us some mean burgers, brats, and veggie burgers!!

THE semi-quarterly BORCHERT PINOCHLE PARTY--Osobie & Fatu have almost met their whole family.

Hangin' out on Uncle Steve and Aunt Kelly's deck!!

Aunt Mekay and Mackenna

Papa's Day at the Leibherr ranch!!!

UGANDA BAGS ARE HERE!

2008-06-07T22:03:00.000-07:00

Hey all...a quick update on Ruth & Bethesda Int'l.

We have the final numbers in and I am in awe of God's goodness!! We have raised all the money for the well (close to $5000), we raised all the money we needed to cover the tuition & uniforms for 120 Rapha school children ($2000), and raised $2100 for Ruth's housing situation.

THANK YOU JESUS!!!

Thanks everybody for stepping up and making a huge difference in the lives of hundreds of Uganda's orphans. Ruth is overwhelmed by the love and support she has received from you all. She is extremely grateful!!

On a sadder note...Ruth lost their house this week. She said that times are getting tough in Uganda and landlords are asking for 6 months rent upfront in order to get into a house. The money for her house will go towards the rent and security deposit of their next house, when they find one. So, we continue to pray for Bethesda Int'l and praise God because of His faithfulness!!

we keep raising awareness about org's like Bethesda Int'l & supporting them, SO....

Grab a bag and support UGANDA!!

These bags are awesome!! I have 8 already! Stock up so you can stop using those darn plastic bags!

By purchasing one of these bags for $12 you will:

Help Ruth & Bethesda International and hundreds of Uganda's orphans

Improve the livelihood of the villagers in Malawi (the very people who make the bags)

Decrease the use of plastic bags - the earth will thank you!!

I have only 18 bags left!! Get yours while you can! Just email me your order & address, and I will ship them out to you for free!!

Bethesda International- helping orphans in Uganda
Don't you love this?? Ruth is so excited about her new logo! I also have t-shirts for sale...they will be up next!!
The other side of the bag- Africa Bags: empowering Malawi...check em' out!

Just drop me an email if you would like to buy a bag for $12! xtkatie@gmail.com

FREE SHIPPING!!!!

Happy Birthday & more...

2008-05-29T21:12:00.000-07:00

We celebrated O's birthday on Thursday, May 22! He turned 6 years old. We celebrated with Auntie M cousin M on Wednesday. ...then had the Lorenzen tribe come on Thursday for another celebration party!! O has been asking about his birthday party for 4 months. F's bday party was in January so O was itching for his turn!! We had such a great time celebrating our son. He requested rice and fish for lunch and pizza for his special dinner. His papa couldn't be happier about his son's love for pizza! Thursday was a crazy day here in Colorado. As I was cleaning the house, getting lunch ready and thinking about when I was going to make O's cake, my sister who lives in Windsor Colorado called on the phone.

"There's a tornado coming!" sis

"A WHAT?" kt

"A tornado...M and I are going to our neighbor's basement" sis

"okay"kt

I looked outside and all looked okay other than a few clouds and a possible storm. I turned on the TV. I thought about where we would go if in fact we needed to take cover. I called Jeff and he suggested we go in the center closet in our house. Mind you our "closet" is more like a cubby. Possibly one of the kids would fit in there, but definitely not all 3 of us. So, I called the Lorenzen's since they have a basement. Laurie hadn't heard a thing about a tornado either. We ended up hunkering down in our friends basement for about an hour just to be safe. Unfortunately, Windsor, the city where my sis lives, was hit hard. Fort Collins was untouched. We got word after 2 hours that my sister and niece were safe and the tornado path missed their house by a mile!! What a day! There are hundreds of people that lost everything. The park where we just celebrated our niece's birthday had most of it's oak trees uprooted! It's hard to fathom the kind of loss these people are experiencing. O and F asked for days if a "Tomato" was coming. So, this was O's birthday.

We still took the rest of the day to celebrate O!

THANK YOU!!!

2008-05-24T08:58:00.001-07:00

THANK YOU

to everyone who came to the benefit concert for Bethesda Int'l and those of you who helped make it happen!!

What a great night of music...

Thank you Greg Sanders (from Good Shepherd)

Donovan Lorenzen & band

& Thank you to Jason McBride

for keeping all the kids happy

with your fabulous balloon animals!!

& a final THANK YOU to all of you who donated so generously to help Ruth keep her ministry to Uganda's orphans running!!

We raised $1600!!

Benefit Concert for UGANDA!!

2008-05-22T00:12:00.000-07:00

JOIN US THIS FRIDAY!!

bring your family...

bring your friends...

for a night of great music and a chance to support Africa!!

A load of photos!!

2008-05-17T22:02:00.000-07:00

Diggin' the earth!! It's garden time & we're so excited to see all the wonderful veggies grow! We've had garden problems the last 3 years. We finally figured out the problem last year after we tilled the soil last spring. Our backyard is filled with Elm trees, which makes for great shade. One of our elms was looking pretty weak when we first bought our house until we started our garden which happens to be beside it. Last year the elm flourished due to the fact that it sent its roots right into our rich garden soil! As we tilled, we found a dense network of fine red roots that filled the garden. The tree had taken over our garden and strangled all our vegetables last year!!

So, we have now moved on to container gardening...which I am not super excited about but it was either that or cut down our tree.

The Liberians are itching to sleep in the VW camper bus in our back yard!! We popped the top and the kids found themselves their own personal fort with a radio, 2 beds, sink and windows!!
The girls (Fatu and Nyenna Lorenzen) in their matching outfits, ballerina skits and all!! The littlest of the bunch! Fatu and Titus Lorenzen kicking it in the camper.
Osobie's ready to drive! The steering wheel is almost as big as him.
Mackenna's (O and F's cousin) B-day party at the park. They had a pinata, kites, cake and some squirt guns!! What a blast!!

Aksel & Osobie
Osobie's new hair style "Bob Marley"! It took me six hours to twist his hair & he was such a trooper. He's totally mesmerized by video's so we loaded up on some DVDs from the library and we were set. We'll see how they will work out. The good thing is we can always just run the shaver on his head if they get to be too much work.
Osobie, Birthday girl Mackenna, and Fatu
Don't ya just love this shot! Our friends son Aksel and Fatu...just laying in the grass.
Fatu in her Strawberry Shortcake dress-my sister Mekay made for her!
OH BOY...the big wheels are here!! Grandpa B & Grandma B (Jeff's parents) came for a visit from AZ. and brought with them a ton of gifts!! The kids learned how to peddle on the first day and were cruising the neighborhood on their big wheels! Oh to be 4 again!! Actually, they have big wheels for adults now...we looked for them almost a year ago on the net and sure enough..there they were! They were just a bit too pricey!!

Grandpa B. and the kids getting the big wheels assembled.
Went to the Denver Aquarium with the grandparents and saw many beautiful fish, some tigers, and Fatu's favorite "pink fish"!

Grandpa B and O
Grandma B. and F
O, F, and mama

Oh my octopus!!
How cool is this? The divers were cleaning the sand while we were there and the kids just flipped over the man in the water
Finally a family shot! I seriously think this is only number 4. That's pretty sad. We are WAY over due for a family portrait by a professional..(hhmmm...Cierra Lorenzen???)

Osobie!!
mama having a blast...being a kid!!
Mother's Day! Jeff & the kids let me sleep in, bought me a nice latte and then made me my favorite...strawberry crepes! What a wonderful first Mother's day! I sat on the front porch while the kids napped that day and just thanked God for all the ways He has filled my life to overflowing. I remember about 7 years ago God continued to bring the scriptures to mind regarding abundant LIFE. "I have come that they might have life, and have it to the full". He would tell me, Katie, in me you will have abundant life. Trust me, believe me, walk with me, follow me. Do I ever? He has given me an abundant life! I have the most amazing, loving, kind, caring, supportive, and fun husband. I also have sweet, lovable, smart, adventurous, affectionate, joy-filled, and awesome kids! And that's just the beginning of a long list of blessings in my life.

We had a great visit with their second cousins, Josh and Harmon.
We all headed to the skate park and Josh & Harmon showed us their awesome skateboarding skills!! Osobie and Fatu had such a great time, they didn't want to leave.
Our first Craig's List purchase of the summer...an old school bike trailer for the kids! We used it for the first time today for Bike to Worship and they loved the ride!

Okay, so this is the best. Halloween in MAY!! I was doing some spring cleaning and found a whole crate of dress up costumes. Osobie and Fatu insisted on trying on as many as we would let them. It was 70 degrees out!!

Benefit Concert for Uganda!

2008-05-07T19:36:00.000-07:00

Colorado Peeps!

Mark your calendars...we're having a benefit concert for

Ruth Muga & Bethesda International

May 23rd 7pm Everyday Joes Ft. Collins

Most of you already know Ruth story, but if you missed it, please check out my post or Laurie L's post!

It will be an awesome night of music (Greg Sanders & Donovan Lorenzen will be playing), coffee, conversations, and an opportunity to help hundreds of orphans in Uganda!! We would love to see you there!!

Please pass this on to all your friends & family if they are in Ft. Collins! We hope to bless Ruth with an amazing financial gift & help keep her ministry afloat!! Even if you are unable to attend, donations can still be made via the pay pal on our blog or checks, just contact me!!