Saturday, June 28, 2014
Hope Family
Hope Family has been a big part of what Catriona and I do here. We have been also taking a lot of pictures recently because the managers are in England and we've been sending them photos. In the past few weeks, one little girl celebrated her first birthday, and we said good-bye to a boy who has been here for a few years. He went to live with his biological family. Although it's great that he is able to go back to his family, it is difficult for the children and staff who have lived together for a long time to say good-bye.
Friday, June 6, 2014
Birthdays
On May 21, we celebrated John's 10th birthday in Jinja. We also celebrated Uncle Nathan's too because we found out it was his birthday as well. Everyone enjoyed the cake and we were glad it lasted the long car trip.
Yesterday, we celebrated this little guy's 1st birthday. He is part of Hope Family and has the cutest smile. He didn't quite know what to think of the candles.
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| Cinnamon Biscuit Fans for Breakfast |
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| John's Very Canadian Presents |
Yesterday, we celebrated this little guy's 1st birthday. He is part of Hope Family and has the cutest smile. He didn't quite know what to think of the candles.
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| Cutting the cake |
2019
This post is not my thoughts on what my goals for the next 5 years are. This number basically sums up the 3 days that we spent in Jinja for a Foreign Staff Retreat in May.
I helped babysit about 2019 kids for 2019 hours while the 2019 foreign staff discussed the 2019 issues they have. Okay, maybe I'm exaggerating a little. It just seems like a lot of people when you spend three days together and sessions definitely seem like a long time when you're trying to keep 20 kids who all want their parents occupied.
You may wonder why I chose this particular number. On the way back, Catriona, John, and I rode back in Auntie Kate's car along with 3 kids between ages 3 and 6. I was sitting in the back with one of them. He was really into the number 2019 that day, (actually he still is) so he asked me to count to 2019. And so for more than an hour I counted to 2019. You may not think that it is so difficult but when you are going on back roads being jostled continuously and nearly hitting the roof every 2 minutes with dust filling your mouth, it is. Try it some time and you'll see. Anyway, this normally very talkative boy was basically silent the whole time except for the occasional, "Are you almost there yet?" So that's my newest babysitting activity.
Anyway, the Foreign Staff Retreat, though maybe not restful was lots of fun. We got to swim, play games, go to restaurants, and just hang out. It was great to see the staff from Musana Camps too because we don't see them often.
I helped babysit about 2019 kids for 2019 hours while the 2019 foreign staff discussed the 2019 issues they have. Okay, maybe I'm exaggerating a little. It just seems like a lot of people when you spend three days together and sessions definitely seem like a long time when you're trying to keep 20 kids who all want their parents occupied.
You may wonder why I chose this particular number. On the way back, Catriona, John, and I rode back in Auntie Kate's car along with 3 kids between ages 3 and 6. I was sitting in the back with one of them. He was really into the number 2019 that day, (actually he still is) so he asked me to count to 2019. And so for more than an hour I counted to 2019. You may not think that it is so difficult but when you are going on back roads being jostled continuously and nearly hitting the roof every 2 minutes with dust filling your mouth, it is. Try it some time and you'll see. Anyway, this normally very talkative boy was basically silent the whole time except for the occasional, "Are you almost there yet?" So that's my newest babysitting activity.
Anyway, the Foreign Staff Retreat, though maybe not restful was lots of fun. We got to swim, play games, go to restaurants, and just hang out. It was great to see the staff from Musana Camps too because we don't see them often.
Saturday, May 10, 2014
Murchison Falls
I wrote this back is February of 2013 after we went to Murchison Falls, but I didn't have pictures from the top of the falls to go with it. Last month John went with his friends and got some pictures so I thought I'd post it.
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Murchison Falls is probably one of the most powerful things I have ever seen. All the water in the Nile rushes through that thin chasm. The water roars louder than any lion; it moves quicker than the fastest cheetah. This year we got to hike/walk to the top of the Falls. We had taken the boat in 2010 when we went and had seen it but this was amazing. We got soaked from the spray. We could look down right into the waterfall. We could hear the powerful roar. We could smell the humidity. We could taste the water droplets. It was a truly amazing experience. But the incredible thing was that however powerful the waterfall was, it still gave life. Close to the falls, beside the path, the plants were very green. Little flowers sprung up. Compared to the dry fields we had seen a few minutes before while we were driving, this place was a plant paradise. These plants weren't destroyed by the great power of the falls. This reminds me of God. He is all-powerful; so much greater than the power of Murchison Falls. He created it. It was hard to imagine anything more powerful than those falls, but God is. Yet, although He is all-powerful He gives life to us. We are so small and weak and fragile compared to Him but we can live because of Him.
"The voice of the LORD is over the waters; the God of glory thunders, the LORD, over many waters. The voice of the LORD is powerful; the voice of the LORD is full of majesty."
Psalm 29:3-4
"O God, you are my God; earnestly I seek you; my soul thirsts for you; my flesh faints for you, as in a dry and weary land where there is no water. So I have looked upon you in the sanctuary, beholding your power and glory. Because your steadfast love is better than life, my lips will praise you. So I will bless you as long as I live; in your name I will lift up my hands."
Psalm 63:1-4
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Murchison Falls is probably one of the most powerful things I have ever seen. All the water in the Nile rushes through that thin chasm. The water roars louder than any lion; it moves quicker than the fastest cheetah. This year we got to hike/walk to the top of the Falls. We had taken the boat in 2010 when we went and had seen it but this was amazing. We got soaked from the spray. We could look down right into the waterfall. We could hear the powerful roar. We could smell the humidity. We could taste the water droplets. It was a truly amazing experience. But the incredible thing was that however powerful the waterfall was, it still gave life. Close to the falls, beside the path, the plants were very green. Little flowers sprung up. Compared to the dry fields we had seen a few minutes before while we were driving, this place was a plant paradise. These plants weren't destroyed by the great power of the falls. This reminds me of God. He is all-powerful; so much greater than the power of Murchison Falls. He created it. It was hard to imagine anything more powerful than those falls, but God is. Yet, although He is all-powerful He gives life to us. We are so small and weak and fragile compared to Him but we can live because of Him.
"The voice of the LORD is over the waters; the God of glory thunders, the LORD, over many waters. The voice of the LORD is powerful; the voice of the LORD is full of majesty."
Psalm 29:3-4
"O God, you are my God; earnestly I seek you; my soul thirsts for you; my flesh faints for you, as in a dry and weary land where there is no water. So I have looked upon you in the sanctuary, beholding your power and glory. Because your steadfast love is better than life, my lips will praise you. So I will bless you as long as I live; in your name I will lift up my hands."
Psalm 63:1-4
Chameleons
Here is a chameleon and a little boy in Hope Family doing his chameleon walk. I wish I had a video because he really was moving like a chameleon. Take a step, sway forward and backward, stop, take another step. See the resemblance?
5 Weeks...
So I must apologize for the 5 week absence from writing. Time seems to be just slipping away here. I've been hard at work with school stuff trying to finish up before the foreign staff retreat that's coming up in a week and a half. I have to finish Health (sigh), Meal Planning, and exams for Social, Science, and English. I hope to do my English exam and Social/Science this coming week and Science or Social the next week. Health, I'm working through it slowly but surely. You can pray that my exams go well.
Friday, April 4, 2014
Kobwin
We travelled to Kobwin (click on the word to learn more) which is many hours away from Kasana. My dad had to work on their accounts and the rest of us were just along for the ride. I enjoyed eating atapa and ebo, learning Ateso, watching the quad-copter take videos, playing games with the girls in Daniel Family, reading books to some of the little guys, watching the boys (including John) hunt for lizards, clapping and singing in church, and climbing the huge rocks. We were given such a warm welcome and were repeatedly introduced as "our family from Kasana". Kobwin is beautiful and I hope to visit again soon.
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| A. Constance's house, where we stayed |
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| Daniel Family |
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| Watching the quad-copter |
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| One of the extraordinary lizards |
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| Washing dishes |
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| Church |
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| The rocks and a cross |
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