YOUR PRAYERS WILL HELP

(By Jack):

It's a day of happiness again. This was the day we picked Sharon and Morris from their village call Anyomolec in Otwal, Oyam district, Northern Uganda. Both are orphans living with no hope for the future. Their parents pass away since four years ago. Morris was One year old by then. No education for them, Sharon tried schooling for one year but she couldn't continue due to sickness and domestic problem. She takes care of her younger brohter Morris. Cooks for their own, walk Morris about 6km to Otwal health centre where we have our doctor whenever he is sick. They are so lovely kids that one can't stay without the other. They don't have parental love, Can you and I love them and bring back hopes in to their livies?
They need our prayers, Sharon has cronic cough which has not responded to drugs for long.
Thanks to all the GRI staffs for the help they are giving to these kids.

PRICELESS update

(by Jolene):

The follow up for the PRICELESS program is in full swing. It has been extremely challenging figuring out how to incorporate a follow up program that will work for such large numbers of students at a time. The goal has been something sustainable and continuous that the graduates can use as a source of encouragement and reminding.

For the first couple/few months, the students are working in smaller groups on dramas for a competition that we will host at each school as the students are ready. The students were challenged to remember as much of the curriculum as possible and create a relatively short drama to represent everything they learned. The competition will be judged based on how much content they were able to capture, how many in the group participate, and how good the drama is overall.

The hope is that, through the weekly meetings, the kids will build stronger relationships with each other to form accountability relationships and since the topic of abstinence will continually be brought up, it will cement their commitment. The teachers go from group to group to help them as they are working on their dramas as well as to share some encouragement from the Bible and pray with each group. Hopefully the continuing contact with the teachers will help the students feel safe and comfortable enough with the teachers to go to them if they are ever in a tough situation. Also, the more exposure to The Word the better.

Since the weekly meetings are essentially chaotic by design, it has been difficult to gauge how successful the meetings really are. I have been around to observe the follow up at 4 of the 6 schools. One of the teachers is really struggling and I am having a hard time figuring out what to do about that. The rest of the teachers are having a great time with it and say the kids love it. After doing the observing, I believe it. The dramas are coming along quite well. The kids are remembering even some of the obscure facts that they learned and are finding really fun ways to incorporate them. I am SOO impressed!!

Another unintentional outcome is that a lot more students are hearing the PRICELESS message than the ones who have completed the program. As the students are practicing their dramas, groups of other kids from the school are forming around them completely absorbed in the dramas ... and we haven't even started the competitions which the community will be invited to watch.

I am excited about how things are going. Thanks so much to Marianne and Bethany for working so hard on a solid curriculum that the kids found interesting enough to remember!!! Many prayers of thanks for the wonderful teachers that I have to work with. And many prayers still to be offered for continuing to find programs that keep the students active without causing too much activity on the part of teachers/muni.

A New Day: update on Sharon & Morris

Hope deferred makes the heart sick, but a longing fulfilled is a tree of life. Proverbs 13:12 Praise God that the hearts of Sharon and Morris are now filled with hope! The children are staying with the mother of one of our field staff, Bonny, and are quite joyful! After hearing of their situation, Bonny's mother offered to keep the children with her, even for an entire year, to prevent the children from returning to their grandmother. Praise the Lord for He hears our cries...never will I leave you; never will I forsake you. Hebrews 13:5b Wes and Jackson continue to work on gathering the necessary paperwork for the children's application to Otino-Waa orphanage. It appears that the next section of housing at the orphanage will be completed in a couple of months allowing space for more children. Sharon is currently on new medication for the tuberculosis and cannot be accepted into Otino-Waa until she is "in the clear" regarding the TB...we assume that would be in a couple of months. So, it looks like the timing is perfect, however there are many children being assessed for acceptance into the orphanage. We need to continue to pray for God's hand in the situation.
Again, thank you for your prayers! Sharon and Morris are like two new children now...smiles never-ending. (The pictures were taken at their new home).
Love to you all, Keira

MacGyver

Okelli is our mechanic/driver, and a good one at that. In order to keep our operations going smoothly, he is out working on the vehicles nearly every day to ensure we won’t break down out in the bush. And he always does it with a great attitude, despite potentially frustrating situations. As many of you already know, we must travel about an hour and a half each way to get to the villages where we work. As a result our GRI vehicles take a beating on these roads, which are more like battle zones. He works tirelessly into the evenings maintaining and repairing everything from tires to engines, often with minimal tools. I liken him to MacGyver who can fix almost anything with chewing gum and duct tape. The other day, Okelli was able to repair a leaking radiator with chunks of soap and water, which enabled us to get home from the field. Thanks to Okelli, our ministry to the people of Apac and Oyam districts can continue each day. Hats off to you, Okelli!

Wes

I wanted to bring a “lighter note” to the table in hopes of making people smile a little. On Sunday Jolene, Wes and I headed over to one of the schools here in town to play some basketball. We waited until 6:00pm in attempts to avoid the heat…yeah right…can you see our red, sweaty faces?! We ended up in a game of 4 on 4 with some Ugandan guys (one of them we adopted onto our team). Initially, these guys laughed when we challenged them to a game and no one wanted to be on our team: 3 munos (2 of them girls). But, about ¾ of the way through, the other team substituted out 3 of their guys due to fatigue! We three had our “A” game on for sure…passing, defending, making shots from outside and inside with guys up in our face! It was awesome. They gave me the nickname "killer." They underestimated our mad skills! At the end, we beat them 15 to 5. It felt SO incredibly good to be physically active again…and then we went and pigged out at Lillian’s :) The picture was taken after our game - you're scared, aren't you?
Just to give you a heads up – I tend to create random ways to self-entertain…therefore I have scheduled a “cow-riding” at Bonny’s tomorrow afternoon. Bonny keeps laughing at the idea telling me that his cow will take off into the bush with me. My defense – I don’t think I’ll die, ha! So, tomorrow it is! We’ll see how it goes (his cow is named “notorious B1G”…you read it right…that’s a one not an ‘I’). Ha Ha!
Greetings to you all! ~Keira :O)

Jesus Loves the Little Children

I couldn't help but sing this song as we were driving back to Lira from Anyomolyec with Sharon and Moses (sharon's little brother). Sharon wasn't feeling very well and was riding with her head in my lap. When we picked them up on Monday they were both very quiet and subdued. Not the case anymore! Sharon's little body is still sick and weak, but the two of them have completely lit up! It is so great to see her smile and to hear Moses laugh...it is so contagious :) However, we must continue to pray. Sharon's grandmother had continued to make Sharon do the cooking, fetching water, caring for Moses, etc despite her illness and failing body. We have plans to talk with some friends here in Lira who have an orphanage, but we do not know if there are openings or if the children meet the criteria. Even if they are accepted, they will have to return home with their grandmother for a period of time. We need the process of finding a new home to be speedy so that Sharon and Moses have a future filled with hope, not suffering and heartache.
~Keira

In need of miracles..

Would you all please join with us in prayer?
The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective. James 5:16b

I know we have shared many times with you all about some of our favorite children in northern Uganda, Morris and Sharon. The ARV's that Morris lives on and so desperately needs are out of stock at the hospital in Lira. He has already been 2 weeks without them. Please pray again with us that the stock will come in very soon! Hundreds of people desperately count on these meds everday to survive.

Also Sharon is now in the hospital in Lira. Her little 9-yr old body is very weak due to Tuberculosis. Also her grandmother, who is her care-taker, is neglecting her and we are seeking a new home for Sharon and her little brother.
Obanga TEK! Our God is great and He answers prayer! Thanks for praying. We will keep you posted!

Shaunessy

Is the Doctor In?

Through an agreement with the Ministry of Health in Oyam District, our staff doctor, Dr. Tom, is now working in the Otwal Health Center. This is a government run facility that is centrally located to the villages where we work. Since it has re-opened in November, people have been walking or biking up to 10-15 km to receive the free doctor consultation and medicines offered. The center has been averaging 30-40 patients per day, and we expect that many more people will make the journey as word gets around. We praise God for the opportunity to serve so many sick and hurting people in the community, and to provide them the quality health care they need and deserve. Please pray that this partnership with the District of Oyam continues to grow and be a positive relationship for everyone involved.

Jolene here

Greetings :-) I've been here for almost 4 weeks now and haven't posted yet. Well actually, I have a confession. I've been posting to my personal blog rather regularly ... just not here.

It's taken me a while to post here because I don't feel like I have much to say. On my personal blog, I write about the day as it happened and either I'm saying something TOO opinionated, or else I'm not saying more than the events of the day as I try to describe for people who have never been what my life here is now like.

I'm not posting because I've thought of anything more appropriate to write, either, so we'll see where this blog takes us.

We took a team trip to Gulu yesterday. Let me start by saying that I've spent most of my time here wrestling with what missions SHOULD look like in a place like this. I worry about how we can be culturally sensitive enough. I worry about not giving the impression that munos are better than black people in ANY way, which is actually difficult when we have so much more money than the people who live here. That's definitely a barrier and not something that can be hidden ... especially since all munos are associated with money already.

This is related, I promise. While we were in Gulu, we went to a popular muno hang out (where we got to have smoothies!!! that was so exciting and wonderful!!!). These 2 muno girls came in wearing rather skimpy tops and shorts and capris that did NOT cover their knees. Between the way they dressed and this "American attitude" air about them (their accents were not American, by the way), I instantly judged them.

One of the girls proceeded to go outside for a smoke and then came back in with a Ugandan man. Soon, they were cuddling on the couch at their table. You just don't do that here!! Married couples wouldn't dare act like that. Did I mention that this was even in broad daylight?

It was very frustrating to me because I love the culture here and I do NOT want it Americanized or Westernized or changed in any way that isn't necessarily an improvement. Considering the AIDS epidemic here, normalizing behavior that would be seen as promiscuious as this would be is the opposite of what we would want to do around here.

There is a lightening storm starting, so I actually have to go now so we don't get a surge that wipes out our internet permanently. Sorry that I might not have finished the thoughts.