Amsterdam - Arrival

This has been our home away from home, we practically lived in this bus on the entire trip. There was not a day that went by that we were not on this.

New Year's Day Church Service, this little one was sitting in front of me, I could not resist snapping this pic.

Moses, our bus driver, taking a break, eating Jack Fruit.

Africian Lady, can you do this????

Cute Girl

Girl carring "Jack Fruit" very very sticky

Nile Boat

We are final back in Amsterdam after an eight hour flight from Niarobi. I know the team is EXTREMLEY ready to see our families. Continue to pray for us as we make our way back to you.

Everybody is a little tired and a few are taking showers to clean all the Africa dust off. I am going to post a few pics a a few videos if possible. We leave here at 10:20am AMT time(3:20am GA time). We arrive in Atlanta around 2:20pm Sunday afternoon. See you then. Enjoy the pics and video.

Saturday- Going Home

Nile Tiliapa

Source of the Nile

Good Morning,

I am writing this morning to say that the time has come when we must say good bye to this beautiful country. I believe I speak for all the team, we are sad to leave and wish we could help more, but we all are ready to come home and our families!!!!! We leave out tonight at 7:50pm UG time(add eight hours for GA time) for Nairobi, Kenya, then on to Amsterdam, and finally to Atlanta. We arrive in Atlanta at 2:00pm EST on Sunday.

Friday we went and saw the Source of the Nile River. The river is incredibly huge. The Dam in Jinja provides power for all of Uganda, Rwanda, & Kenya. WOW!! I little problem and bad news. I will post more pics in Amsterdam when I am not so limited on Internet use.

Please continue to pray for the team and safe travels as we journey back home.

Kyle

Here is lunch yesterday and the Source of the Nile. Thankfully no one got sick!!

Nile Baboon

Music Academy Choir/ Humble Students

Music Academy & Humble Students receiving dresses

Hope for Africa Music Academy Girls & Boys (some)

Lyiba Mud Hut

Lyiba Medial Clinic

Lyiba Eye Clinic

Nile Spider Monkeys

Team Pic Gulu, Uganda Today

Thursday, January 08, 2009 I am going to first post comments by some of our members:

Amanda- Hey Mom & Dad, & Laura Love ya'll Lonnie & Norma- Appreciates the prayers from home

Jim T.- See you in two years when I move back home

Gulu was quite an experience, to say the least!!!!!! First off- Electricity, water, & good food is a premium. Secondly, the Acholi tribe are the kindest people you will ever meet. They have been extremely hospitable to our team and we have been well taken care of. It is a different world out in the "Bush " of Africa. The people are in desperate need of basic needs, like clean drinking water, medical care, & clothing, One thing is for sure, they love our Jesus Christ, they love to sing and praise GOD!!!! we have learned a lot from them, I am ready to share their love with you. The stories and people we will share will blow you away.

It is hard to explain the despair that the people experience on a daily basis. As I stated above, they REALLLY love the LORD!!!! What you see on TV is really the scenes that are lived out here. Please keep these people in your prayers!!!! I am trying to give you a snap shot if what has happened, it is really difficult to put into words what we have seen, pics and the stories that the team members will tell, will hopefully give you a glimpse of what we have experienced.
The children love to have there pics taken and have them shown to them, they get a kick out of seeing them selves.They love any type of candy that you can give them. When you handout once piece they seem to magically multiply from no where,be prepared to be ambushed when you start. My favorite saying of the local children is "Muzunga, Muzunga" means "white",they shout it out and point at us. Very cute!!!

The medical clinics went very well, it took time to establish a protocol to help these people,Once we did, everything went AMAZINGLY well. The Doctors saw over one thousand patients over three days, as well as filled over twelve hundred prescriptions. The people were truly touched by our help!!!! The team was great in meeting the needs of the local people. Very exhausting and long hours. WOW!!! (Steve, Debbie, Kyle, Mary Grace,Jim, Gina, Rozell, Phoebe, Joy)

The eye glass clinic was very successful. The team handed out many reading glasses and prescription glasses.The smile that would come about there face once they realized they could see for the first time is indescribable, Praise GOD for that ministry!!! (Lonnie, Norma, Amanda, Lee, Steve R, Jim S.)

As for the Pastoral training, they trained and graduated 19 local people. I was not on the team so details will be brief. They laid the ground work for training people with new and innovative ways of serving others. They baptized one member today. (Jimmy, Becky, Cindy, Elna)

I cannot thank Jimmy and Debbie enough for the outstanding job they have done for the team.

Thanks!!!!!I would also like to thank all of our sponsors who helped meet a great need in Uganda.
On a lighter note, I think I can speak for the team when I say this, we are ready for good American food!!!!!!Tiliapa, rice, cole slaw, Matooke, & goat are getting really old!!!!! The Baboons are very neat to see and love peanuts.The locals love to have a good time. Finally, I would like to thank our awesome drivers Moses & George for there expert driving skills. Again, this does not even begin to describe our trip. This is a brief desc. of the past few days.

I am writing this on the Veranda outside Thursday evening looking at a very bright moon on the Equator. The weather has been great. 86/66 is normal. No humidity,not too hot, not too cool, perfect. Weather is here, wish you were beautiful!!!!!

Everybody is doing fine, I will post more later.

The pics posted are Nile Monkeys, Clinics, group photo in Gulu, & people of Uganda.

Kyle

"Without a testimony, we have no power"

Jimmy Towson

Kampala

We have arrived back to Kampala. It is as if we have arrived in style. Everything is realative!!!!! After a 6 hour bus ride, eating more goat, we just witnessed the most beautiful sunset in the WORLD!!!! We have our final "debriefing" and devotion now. More later, i have some awesome pics, will post shortly.


Kyle

Arrival to Kampala

Hey everyone~
Kyle called me this morning to let me know they were back in Kampala. They now have access to internet again so I am sure they will be posting an update soon.
God Bless!
Leslie

Gulu Update

Hey Guys~
I briefly talked to Kyle this afternoon. He said everyone is doing well and they had their first day doing a clinic today. He said they saw about 700 people and you cannot even begin to describe some of the things they saw! He said the poverty level is like nothing he has ever seen. I'm sure this is an experience that each of them will never forget and give them a completely new outlook on their own lives when they return home. Have a great week and continue to keep the team in your prayers!
Leslie

Arrival in Gulu

Hey Everyone~
I wanted to let you guys know that I just talked to Becky. They arrived safely in Gulu, but will be without power or internet while they are there. The team does have the conference cell phone in case of emergencies, but they will not be able to post anything on the blog while they are in Gulu. I do not have the phone number to the cell phone but if I talk to Kyle or Becky again I will see if there is a number that we can call in case there is some kind of emergency on our end back home. Continue to keep the team in your thoughts and prayers. Monday thru Thursday they will be running their clinics. Hope everyone back here at home is doing well...I know you all are probably missing everyone as much as I am! I will keep you all posted if I hear anything else.
God Bless!
Leslie Boyd

Day 2-Humble Place & African Children's Choir

Today we went to Humble Way and to the African Children's Choir Music Academy. Truly a blessing to see so many similing faces!! We left the dresses that were made by the FUMC Woman. The pic here show us with the children after they received there dresses and shirts. Our team and the children want to thank all of you again for what you have done.

Words cannot express the joy I saw in there faces today. God is truly amazing!! Some of the children came directly from Sudan, Congo, & IDP camps from the North(Gulu).

The pic of the big dirt mound is not actually a dirt mound, it is a 10 foot tall ant hill. Would not want to make them mad!!!

I am limited to 30 minute increments on the net, this is why posts are short and to the point and not a lot of pics(i have over 300 now). We will be traveling to Gulu tomorrow, so access might be limited.

Continue to pary for the team and the people here. We are all doing well!!!

Kyle

Day 1 in Uganda

I'm writing this between 7:00PM and 8:00PM January 1, 2009.

After a wonderful night's sleep for most of us, we had breakfast here at the Ridar followed by Jim challenging us with our morning devotion. Our driver, Moses, picked us up in the Humble Place bus to transport us to a New Year's Day Worship service at Brother John's (not official name) United Methodist Church. It wasn't far from here, which was nice, but seeing everything in the daylight for the first time was quite an experience! Worship only lasted a little over 3 hours...yes, that's in real time...but it seemed like only a few minutes. Two visitng choirs, one from a local UM church started for, and by,Congoneese refugees and the other a local established UM congregation. We were then blessed by the Hope for Africa Children's Choir - second year recruits. Elna gave her personal testimony which was passionately translated by John and then Bishop Wambadula spoke to us. One of his most memorable remarks was "Humble Place School would not still be open if not for the South Georgia Conference of the United Methodist Church." After the Bishop's brief message, Jimmy delivered a slam-dunk sermon, also brief, but powerful! John closed the service with an altar call...the response was precious...Jimmy, John, and some of our college students praying together over those who responded, while the Congoneese Church Choir sang and praised in the background. I really cannot adequately describe the level of worship we expereicned so I won't even try.

Because it is a holiday we stayed "close to home". We've watched the festivities throughout the afternoon here at the Ridar - as I write I look out at a traditional African dance band performing for the scores of people who have gathered to celebrate New Year's Day. I DO wish you could all hear those drums! Some of us have napped, read, enjoyed the cool breezes, and other's have solved the problems of the world while getting to know each other better. Steve has maxed out his camera memory card...on Day 1... and after some very frustrating attempts to communicate with local children, Kyle got an extensive lesson in speaking Lugandan from Richard of our hotel staff. We've had such fun watching the children discover their reflections in our sunglasses - something they are not accustomed to seeing. It been a restful and wonderful day. We'll have supper soon and then our team time together. Tomorrow morning we will meet with Bishop Wambadula and then travel to Humble Place School.

Parents of Amanda and Gina, and Randy...you know this already...you have so much of which to be proud!

We love seeing who has looked at the blog and your comments are definitely appreciated. We'll continue to attempt to keep a message posted each day...am not sure where our luck will end.

This evening as I witnessed one of the most beautiful sunsets I've ever seen, and reflected on this morning's worship experience, I was reminded of just exactly how big our God is. Good night.