Bound for Buliisa and back again!

"Our Vision for every child, life in all its fullness; our prayer for every heart; the will to make it so"

World Vision Uganda

Helen Keller is said to have written, "Although the world is full of suffering, it is also full of the overcoming of it." To our friends and family who are reading this blog, we want you to know that our trip to Buliisa was filled to overflowing with "the overcoming of it."  And it is with thankful hearts that we want to share a final snapshot of our experiences of this first journey to this part of the world.  We look forward to an ongoing and fruitful partnership with the people of Buliisa for we found Uganda to be a country of beauty - in the landscape of dusty red roads framed with green vegitation - and especially in the hearts and minds of the people we were privileged to get to know.  The needs in Uganda are real.  85% of Uganda's population lives in rural areas where child well-being is poor.  Buliisa is one of those areas where problems such as poor health, poor nutrition, wide spread poverty, the lack of clean water and sanitation, and low levels of completion of primary school interact to make life a struggle for many.  The good news is that each of these factors is being addressed, and we were able to see resources directed through the loving stewardship of our new friends on the World Vision team in Buliisa making a real difference in children's lives and in the future of their communities.  

Jennifer meeting her sponsored child Hillary and his parents

Meresi bringing Debbie the gift of a rooster - one she had to respectfully decline explaining we wouldn't be able to take it on the plane - but he agreed to care for it in her absence.

Carolyn getting a helpful hand from new friends as we experienced our own "walk for water"!

Our experiences were rich and varied as we met people of all walks of life eager to make a new friend, share their way of life and learn something about our own.  We were touched by graciousness and generosity everywhere we went and were offered precious gifts as a way of saying thank you for caring and supporting their efforts to create healthy communities. We will be forever blessed by our experiences in Buliisa and are excited about the ongoing opportunities available as the Body of Christ at CUMC and in Bloomington Normal to continue to reach out with support and love.  Here's to a shared future with our brothers and sisters in Buliisa; we are truly united in our desire to love God and to grow in our understanding of what it means to love our neighbor. 

How Many Are Your Works, Lord!

"And God said, 'Let the land produce living creatures according to their kinds...the creatures that move along the ground, and the wild animals, each according to its kind.' And it was so.  Genesis 1:24

And just when you thought you were filled to overflowing, along comes another day - a day filled with the miracles and majesty of nature.

In wisdom you made them all...

The earth is full of your creatures.

The Art of Bearing Fruit

"I chose you and appointed you to go and bear fruit - fruit that will last. Then the Father will give you whatever you ask in my name."  John 15:16

This has been a week of bearing fruit. When I think about the relationship between Jesus and his disciples - how they were united to Christ in friendship, I am reminded of the intimacy available to each of us each day. What we have experienced in Uganda has been an experience of richness and depth because Christ has been at the center of every interaction.

And today we had to say goodbye...but it was a goodbye bookended with worship, sincere sharing and prayer. We truly are brothers and sisters in Christ, and in him there are no goodbyes, only opportunities to do as he commanded - to love one another.

Think of that as you look at these faces of Uganda...

We are all God's children

We can show hospitality no matter where we live, and in the words of Mother Theresa "Love is a fruit in season at all times, and within reach of every hand."

May The Lord Bless You And Keep You...

"We may forget that the poor are not an abstraction but rather a group of human beings who have names, who are made in the image of God, whose hairs are numbered, and for whom Jesus died."  Bryant Myers

We started our day with a devotion led by Jennifer on the concept of blessing. What rich, spirit filled worship we have shared each morning with our Ugandan brothers and sisters in Christ - and this morning was no exception, reminding us to look for the face of God as we went about the business of our day. School visits were on the morning agenda, and we were blessed over and over again by the interactions we had with the students and their teachers.

The children danced, acted and sang their appreciation for the positive changes World Vision in relationship with their local village leaders is bringing to their communities and schools.  Learning about sanitation and hygiene go hand in hand with making use of clean water, and the habits learned in school bring about the same habits back at home. World Vision builds latrines, trains teachers to lead health club and much, much more resulting in marked improvement in the health of children.

This is signage on a new latrine designed to reinforce the message. At each school we were welcomed as special guests and were asked to pray a blessing over the children and their teachers as we said goodbye. In the afternoon we visited a number of homes chosen to act as models of good practice in their villages. Again we were blessed with rich interaction as our hosts showed us the improvements they have made with pride - all done with World Vision training and support. The face of this sweet baby says it all. She will grow up in a healthier environment because of the work being done today!

A Day of Hope part 2

"Lord, when did we see you thirsty?..."

On Wednesday afternoon we had the opportunity to experience just a bit of what walking for water is all about. With World Vision staff, community leaders and an army of interested children we hiked through the forest to the unprotected stream pictured above. You can't get a sense of the slope by just looking at the picture, but imagine a pregnant woman with a baby on her back coming down this path and then returning the same way with a container of water on her head. And then imagine that the water you collected is contaminated. That is the reality of life for many in this part of the world. The good news is that World Vision is working with local communities to provide safe water sources. After visiting the unprotected stream we hiked to a new protected stream where clean water is available .

The miracle of water is so evident in the clean water gushing in the picture above. The pride in the voices of the community leaders talking about this life giving water was so inspiring, and the immediacy of the need is equally convicting. Much good work has been done, and there is more to do!

A Day of Hope

"And then the righteous will answer him, Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink..." Matthew 25:37

Yesterday was a day of mixed emotions. We moved from the emotional highs of meeting sponsored children to the sobering reality of the enormity of the need. Today, however was a day of hope as we were privileged to experience the reality of the work World Vision is doing to help children live life in all its fullness. This is done at the grass roots level by involving community leaders every step of the way to develop ownership and pride in the changes being made. We spent our morning at a child nutrition program working with mothers learning how to help their children grow and thrive. We gave vitamins, helped weigh babies, prepare food, and were welcomed with the Ugandan hospitality we have grown to love.

The beautiful child below is wearing one of the little dresses sewed by our own Calvary ladies. This girl and her sister were not coming to the program because they literally had nothing to wear. Problem solved due to the love of a group of women in Normal,Illinois!

God is with us...

"Defend the weak and the fatherless; uphold the cause of the poor and the oppressed."  Psalm 82:3

Today we had the opportunity to meet all of the sponsored children of our group members who live in Buliisa -14 in all. Time will only allow a brief comment, but know that for each of us - we have been touched beyond words with the awesome power of God working through World Vision, these precious children and their families, and the power of our risen Lord who gave us the example we are  attempting to follow. Never think that the $35 a month it takes to sponsor a child doesn't make a difference. It literally saves lives and now we have been privileged to meet and touch and laugh with these families.

Calvary family, the life giving clean water you are helping to support is right here, providing that basic necessity of life that is needed at the foundation of it all.

Today we were blessed with the most gracious hospitality! I apologize that I only have pictures of me to share today, but each of us were gifted with thank you gifts made with love that made me think about what Jesus said about the widow's mite. Greg got a hand made truck, we got gifts of food, and this little one in the orange dress gave me her special doll she had been cradling all day - it brings tears to my eyes just remembering the moment.

Thank you for your ongoing prayers. How awesome to know we are all praying all around the world!

We made it!

"In Christ we who are many form one body, and each member belongs to all the others" Romans 12:5

As always, scripture speaks truth- for we have certainly have experienced our connectedness and various gifts traveling 24ish hours to finally land at the airport in Entebbe, Uganda.

We carefully weighed all our checked baggage (donations and gifts for sponsored children and their communities), packed minimally for ourselves and were prayed off by family and friends before heading off to to O'Hare.  We are safe in Uganda and will meet our sponsored children tomorrow. There is much more to share but sleep calls. We thank you all for your prayers. We feel them!

Support Us In Prayer

Friends,
We invite you to follow our spiritual journey as you follow our physical journey,  and so here is a prayer calendar you can use to pray specifically for us and our brothers and sisters in Uganda each day:

Saturday, July 6: Proverbs 31: 8-9
Depart for O'Hare - fly to Amsterdam
Pray for safe travel and smooth connections...

Sunday, July 7:  Romans 12: 3-8
Travel from Amsterdam to Entebbe, Uganda
Pray for Millie and the World Vision staff in the ground in Uganda who will join us and be our guides...

Monday, July 8:  John 8: 1-11
Travel to World Vision National offices in Kampala and then to the Buliisa region
Pray for the region of Buliisa and for the relationships that will develop each day.

Tuesday, July 9:  Luke 10: 21-24
Visiting sponsored children of group members and meeting some families.
Pray for these children and their families and for all our sponsored kids in the region and around the world.

Wednesday, July 10:  John 10:10
Visiting water projects and nutrition programs.
Pray for our efforts to bring clean water to Buliisa.

Thursday, July 11:  Numbers 6: 22-27
Visiting schools in the area.
Pray for the prospects for education in this region.

Friday, July 12:  John 15: 15-17
Visiting other sites in the Buliisa region.
Pray for all other needs in Buliisa and that Christ can be made known as we serve there.

Saturday, July 13:  Colossians 1: 15-16, 19-20
Traveling to Murchison Falls National Park
Pray for the country of Uganda, that stability and peace might prevail.

Sunday, July 14:  Psalm 36: 5
At Murchison Falls marveling at God's handiwork!
Pray roe all that God will reveal as we process our journey.

Monday, July 15 - 16
Leave Murchison Falls and begin the journey home
Pray for the country and people we leave behind and for safe travel as we head home.

*scriptures listed are ones we will be using for our devotions

Preparing to go...

An African Proverb...

"If you want to run fast, run alone.  If you want to run far, run together."

This sounds like good advice for our group of excited travelers ready to undertake a journey to the Buliisa region of Uganda in a few days.  This picture was taken in the winter when we had the opportunity to meet Millie Vanderpool, our World Vision group leader who will be traveling with us and who has answered the many questions posed to her in these months of preparation.  Our group includes (left to right): Ralph Smith, Carolyn Brown, Millie Vanderpool, Linda Adams, Debbie Brown, Jennifer Bauersfeld, and Greg Carter.  

On Sunday morning (6/30/13) our church family offered us their prayers, and we consider ourselves representatives of the many folks at Calvary who are sponsoring children in the Buliisa area (205 sponsored so far!) and have contributed over $50,000 to support the development of clean water/sanitation in the region.  We are going to be meeting sponsored children, viewing the progress of the water projects, visiting health facilities, schools and other initiatives World Vision is involved in and most importantly building bridges of friendship with our brothers and sisters across the world.  

We covet your prayers and my next post will include a prayer calendar to focus prayers specifically while we are gone.  

Until next time...and as always - In His service...

Debbie (the official trip blogger - be patient with me, I am learning how to do this :) )