Back in Uganda!

I am finally here. I have been talking about it for months and months and now that it is here it doesn't seem that I ever left. Reuniting with friends has been so sweet in just 3 short days. I flew here with Trey, my 24 year old son. I'll be working for Heal Ministries and Trey will be working here in Jinja with friends and volunteering at orphanages.

Uganda is a very special place in my heart. The people are, of course, what makes it so special. I find people so very special everywhere I go. I left alot of very special people in the states: friends, family and the Heal Ministries board. They gave us a send off and prayer and we left so encouraged and lifted up!

We flew in Thursday night, Jan 12th, after a long layover in London. We arrived in Entebbe around 11:00 pm. Our driver picked us up Friday morning in Entebbe after spending the night near the airport. The drive to Jinja is normally between 2 and 4 hours (i know if you have never driven it, you are asking why a 2 hour span!). When we made it to our apartment, we were greeted by the family that we are renting from. We have grown to be friends with them. Danyne runs one of the orphanages that I'll be working with, Amani Baby Cottage. She is married to Surj, the owner of the Guesthouse (Surjios Guesthouse) where our teams stay while here in Jinja. Danyne and Surj have 4 children. I'll be working with their niece Helen at Amani. After work, I get to sit on my balcony that overlooks the beautiful Lake Victoria.

The last 3 days I have been setting up the apartment and resting. We visited the Amani Baby Cottage and will be visiting and volunteering in several other orphanages such as the Canaan Children's Home and Ekisa. I was so surprised when I saw how much the babies had changed in just six months! One of my many favorite sites as I drive up to Amani (besides the obvious - the babies and the mommas) is always the clotheslines with 100's of clothes and diapers! I'll be working with the preschoolers (and helping with the laundry and the cooking hopefully) and cannot wait to get started!

Church Service this morning was a sweet reminder of God's forgiveness and I left remembering that I am loved, I am forgiven and I am in His care. Friends from home are trying to adopt a baby here that I was fortunate enough to see at church. What a great provision by God to see how well taken care of this child is while the parents are in the horrible waiting stages.

The Amani Baby Cottage is having to relocate and I hope to be of assistance in the move, setting up and transition. We visited the site today as the workers were laying the concrete so that the second floor could begin. I was amazed as I watched the workers. Some were as young as 12 years old. They were working so hard and were chanting as they ran with the wheel barrows. I was actually amazed at how joyfully they worked and then found out that if they finish in a certain amount of time, they will receive a bonus.

We ate at the new Skewers Restaurant where Trey will be working tonight and the food was so delicious! After we finished eating, there was a teenager that wanted our left over bread and as Trey handed it to him, I watched how thankful he was to receive it. I hope that I'll always be in tune to when God is tugging at my heart to listen to His people in need. There are alot of needs in Uganda. As I visit the different villages and areas, I'll be praying that God will continue to direct me and guide me in His plan. And I'll continue to pray that I'll be able to look at Uganda through the eyes of Jesus. Looking through His eyes is Love and I love Uganda! I have quoted Saint Augustine before and I place it here as a reminder to me of what Love looks like as I work in Uganda over the next several months.

blessings from Uganda,

Tina

"What does love look like? It has the hands to help others. It has the feet to hasten to the poor and needy. It has eyes to see misery and want. It has the ears to hear the sighs and sorrows of men. That is what love looks like."
Saint Augustine