speaking of poems...

What lies beyond these hills are the smiles of countless young faces;
Lives of those who have fallen in last place long before the start of the races.

Their eyes look old and hardened behind their laughter and cheer,
To this wicked world they meet with too much hunger and fear.

On this earth someone picked who went where so you would go there,
We arrive to find a purpose, find force, a way to see how life’s not fair.

This time is just a test to see what we will come to know,
About planting good seeds and letting them grow.

Bearing ripe fruit for the children that will be born,
Putting Christ in the souls of those whose hearts are so worn.

~This is for all the suffering children that have put their little hands in mine…..and for the millions that I may never come to know…I pray that God comforts them and keeps them.

-Jes

Wakawaka

The last 2 weeks of Uganda were the most eventful for me in terms of God blessing our hands. After we received funds from Chris, we spent one more week at the orphanage hanging with the kids.

Their health was improved, they now had food for the rest of the term, everyone was so happy. We had a big celebration for the P7 kids who had just finished all of their exams; so god willing they will be going on to Senior 1 next year. Their secondary school is a muslin school that is at least 4 km away.

So this year we are trying to raise money so that they kids can have enough bikes to make it there without walking! The kids were so happy about the party, we made a huge sign, balloons, each P7 student got a soda along with Kyesu and Acetch who are already in Senior 1 but didn’t get a party last year! We let all the P7 kids sit in our room to each the beef that Sarah cooked, along with Rice, Matooke, Gnuts, it was a feast….

They ate so much in fact Jamile the biggest boy in the orphanage was so funny he ate so much he could barely talk. In addition we had 13 people in our small room while eating, so it was a little hot.

The night before I left the kids has their drama performance for school so the playing and snag and performed for hours. It was great; we gave the dancers a few coins for tip, and celebrated. The next Carl came for us around 3 and the goodbye was quick. All of the kids were in tears, but I assured them I would be back next year to visit!

I have decided not to volunteer with Peter Mutebi ministries any longer, so I will still be helping out these kids, but I will not be staying at the orphanage. God-willing I may have an internship lined up with The New Forests Company this fall where I will be helping with a fruit tree project. This project will be not only aimed at broadening the NFC, but it will be providing many trees to surrounding areas to diversify the diets of children in schools and orphanages.

Carl, who is working for NFC took us one of the most beautiful places I have ever been in Uganda, on the Victoria Lake in Bugiri district. The Kirinya Plantation is the location, but the small coastal village called Wakawaka just took my breath away. It is a fisherman village and it is where NFC is helping to fund the building of a school for the kids that are orphaned in that community. The kids there had absolutely nothing, barely even clothes, and the had almost 20 kids living in one small hut together.

Carl who has started an NGO called Combine Harvest Ministries has a big heart for God has a particular interest in helping NFC reach these communities in need. I was so impressed by the sustainability of this company and it’s political ecology.

So we will see how God directs my plan, although some really amazing web of connections have been happening. For example the Corporate Responsibility Manager of NFC knows Barrett Ward from African Leadership, she is the woman I met with about the internship, I went to a church dinner with a guy David Kirabira that I met on the plane to Uganda, who has a ministry of reaching out to youth and he is such an interesting wonderful guy. I know that his ministry will help us in building these communities in a Christian way. He gave a very ‘catholic or universal’ speech about the question Jesus asked his apostles, “who do you say that I am?’ and how Jesus could never have been just a good man, he was either who he said he was, or he was one of the biggest blasphemies that ever lived.

So from now on my fundraising will go to helping Carl on the ground and from the states. He is a man that God brought into my life and someone that even in this little amount of time has gained my complete trust. He loves and honors his family in South Africa constantly and is just a great man of God.

At his house Sarah and I stayed for just one night in a beautiful guest room, we cooked a tilapia as big as my leg that cost only $2.50 that was fresh out of the lake, (thought of you Amber) with Lemon Grass straight out of the ground and Carl made this ridiculous garlic lemon butter, it was the most amazing fish I have ever eaten in my life....

Tell you guys about the rest later…still jet-laggin.
Thanks for your prayers and for listening…-god’s peace
jes

Wakawaka

Venice is amazing!

Travis and I read City of Falling Angels and thought we had at least some idea about Venice...but we were not prepared! We took a vaporetto, followed our host's directions and arrived at our B&B......just sumptuous.....with beautiful antique beds, heated towel racks and an in-room mini fridge.....

Our host, Mattias, spent an hour with us giving us ideas of where to go, and his personal suggestions on restaurants.....we took a vaporetto to cross the canal and wound our way through narrow little streets, several literally 1-2 feet wide. We ended up at Zucca (Pumpkin), sitting at a private table overlooking a small canal......and had probably the best meal of our lives for about $16 apiece! There was an unbelievable pumpkin flan......dense savory pumpkin topped by the just-in-season ricotta, drizzled with butter and pepitas. The other dish was a pumpkin and potato torte topped with tangy fresh scamorza cheese and a basil-truffle oil drizzle. There were also cipolline....not sure if they are boiling onions...but baked in the oven with prosseco (the sparkling wine) and a touch of sugar so they were glazed. All of this with the best homemade breads and breadsticks I've ever tasted. We savored every bite.........and ended with a homemade whipped cream mould topped with fresh honey and paper thin toasted almonds with a fine sugar glaze. The meal was so good I broke my rule about drinking coffee after noon, and had an expresso!

As if that weren't enough...we walked through the streets to St. Mark's square arrving around sunset and took some amazing photos......and then took more at night as we headed out again. We haven't been to a single museum or church.....but we have had a wonderful time!!!

Poem after a thunderstorm in San Gimigiano

One rainy night in Milan after some terrific Chinese food (T. lost to me playing Pass the Pigs--thanks Anita & George--so he treated me to steamed veggie dumplings and I added lemon shrimp skewers) we tried our hands at writing poetry based upon memorable experiences here in Italy........

Here's mine:

Setting sun breaks

along a storm cloud-studded horizon

where

dignified sentinels of a glorious past

stand black and grey against madonna blue.

One by one, the lights come on

spilling a golden welcome

out

of ancient doors and windows,
drawing shivering, rain-soaked pilgrims
into
a sanctuary of warmth and peace.


Our trip has been very rainy....and when we arrived in Siena late in the day due to missing our train (it arrived too late) and taking a bus there....we then bussed over to San Gimigiano, the hill town of many towers! We arrived just before dusk, got caught in a torrential downpour and then were able to walk around after getting warmed up at a cafe.....it was beautiful and unforgettable and I'll post a photo or two when I can as this is someone else's so you can get an idea!!


This trip has been one of the most memorable experiences of my life, due in no small part to my son and the wonderful traveling companion he is. He has excitedly attended opera and classical music concerts, eaten everything, toted heavy bags up countless flights of stairs, and traipsed through endless museums with a far greater attention span than my own. I will never forget this trip because of him!

Poetry in Italia

World Phone internet Cafe, Florence, Italy

So the other day my mom had this idea. She told me that we should write a poem about something that we had seen over the past two weeks in Italy. The first thing that went through my head was: "Poetry! No way, that sounds lame." But this has been a broadening last couple of months in my life so I decided to keep an open mind. The next thing that went through my head was a flash of everything I had done in the past two weeks and wondering how I could possibly pick one thing.

Should I write about something I saw during our nine days in Rome, where I saw the Forum, Colisseum, Appian Way, Pompei, St. Peter's, The Vatican, and priceless artistic treasures like Raphael's "School of Athens" and Michealangelo's "La Pieta?" Or should I write about our time in Tuscany, nestled into the beautiful hill towns of Lucca and Siena, taking a private driving tour around the country side with a half-Italian half-Brasilian guy named Andre who was my age and had a remarkably similiar life's story as me?

Or what about the frenetic city of fashion and business Milan with it's Duomo and Da Vinci's "Last Supper?" It was a daunting task. But as I reflected on everything I had seen, my thoughts switched to what I felt I could write a poem about. I think the last time I wrote a poem was in elementary school, and it rhymed! so I knew I was out of practice. But something came to mind when I thought of the Cenacolo Vinciano, so let me give you some quick background.

You can see the photo of the painting at the beginning of this post. Leonardo painted on the wall without using frescoe techniques, so it is miraculous that the painting is still around today. In fact, the church where it is found in was bombed in WWII but amazingly the wall on which the Last Supper is and the frescoe across from it were unaffected.

The idea is that Jesus just told the 12 Apostles that one of them would betray him. You see them all reacting to the news in the painting, capturing the reaction to the Jesus' statement. Judas is the only figure in the painting on which the lighting does not fall. He is the third head to jesus' left.

Here's my poem:

The Last Supper

By Travis Lopes

I feel lost in darkness.

I know he is talking to me.

I wonder if the others can feel it?

I clutch my pouch of coins and feel the darkness welling up inside me.

The noise of silver coins clinking is lost in the uproar:

"Tell me who it is!"

"Is it I Lord?"

"It cannot be me!"

"What did he say?"

"IMPOSSIBLE!!"

I look at Him and my stomach turns inside out. The darkness is overwhelming...

I embrace it.

God is working...did i say that already!?

I am in Bugiri, Norman, Sarah and I are about to get supplies for the kids to have a very nutritious and wonderful meal for tomorrow!!!

We started out the day with the forced delivery of a still-born baby goat, it was awful i almost threw up! After coming to town we found an amazing gift from some friends back in the states!

I was on facebook yesterday and said Hi to Chris Mason, one of my friends from Southwestern who
now works for another company...and he asked what he could do to help us...of course I said MONEY! He gathered together with the help of his parents, Aaron Yager, and Daniel Boyce also from southwestern, $700!! Which in Ugandan Shillings is over 1 million shillings!

So in your prayers please thank God for them and for all the amazing things we will do with the money...paying off our bills at the local clinic, also buying posho, beef, matooke, ground nuts, a really great local fruit called fene, or jack fruit, along with seeds to plant more of a variety next season.

Our goal is to diversify the kids diet, because they eat the same thing every single day and it is not enough to keep them healthy.

It is going to be an amazing weekend, the last one with the kids...

Rick Volk has done so much to help the kids with his donations and he is also funding a trip to the beach for all of us the day i leave!! We need some fresh fish for all our efforts! Thank you all so much for reading and for praying.

Throughout the trip, I am feeling God more so than ever right now, it seems like everyday he throws me a new loop, new challenges and new gifts from above.

My good friend Nate said that one of the best tips of advice ever given to him about how to stay happy in marriage was LGM...stands for Love God More...I think that is good advice for LIFE!

So thank you God for helping us to see your work and I just pray that you will guide our hands to do your will....
Many blessings...
Jes

the village

Life is never fair, and in this place one is reminded of that constantly, every single day.

Last week at the orphanage there was an outbreak of sickness; mostly malaria and typhoid. We took the kids to the hospital in a very small station wagon, 12 kids plus Sarah and I. It was pretty cramped, when I stood up to get out of the car my whole body was soaked with the sweat of the little girl, Miriam that was sitting on my lap. Her fever must have spiked during the ride.

Since then we have taken many trips back and forth to the hospital on boda boda. 2 of the kids were near death on one visit, it was so heartbreaking. Thanks to many prayers from you and the kids, they are all doing much better with the exception of Lunabi Sharon. Number two in her class I have never seen this girl well for more than a few hours, so please keep her in your prayers! Also if you remember Carl the South African man that took us to Bugiri, he is suffering from Malaria, so please pray for him as well.

Some good news is that Carl is taking us back to Kampala on the 11^th. He has some high power pourage mixture that he wants me to sample. He has truly been a blessing to us.

Last but not least if any of you are following the Amber Volk Foundation on Facebook, a few people from African Leadership have contacted me and there is talk about helping the champions on the horizon! Praise God that he is helping us to raise awareness about this kids here in Uganda! Barrett Ward and Lavonne Stevens are going to be talking with me about possible options for where the money raised can be used, and though it is not a quick process, my hope is that we can bring better community development to this area, which will lead to bigger opportunities and education for the Champions I love so much!!!

Keep praying, god is listening. Thank you so much for reading. Many blessings.

Jes

Roma!

Hello from Rome! Travis and I have been going non-stop for 6 days!!!! T. is very good to travel with....most of the time he finds his way around perfectly and he is always up for something new! I also find some of his insights and opinions very interesting and we have had some good discussions.... We are especially enjoying the Rick Steves' guide to Rome.....we highly recommend it....funny, acccurate and concise!

We have hit all the major places and are now going to some lesser-known sites.

The rain finally stopped so we are enjoying sun and warmth. Today for example we attended church at the Methodist Church in Rome......a very calm and clean church with nothing on the walls but the cross. It was very restful after allthe packed to the gills places we've visited! The music was all old hymns by the Wesleys, and the sermon was great! It was right across from the Castello San Angelo, which we walked past with an angel named Juliet who saved the day for me with an eye problem I was having!

We lunched at a terrific little restaurant with no menu.....Travis had the traditional penne alla matriciana (bacon, tomato sauce, and pecorino cheese) while I had the alla arrebiata (tomato sauce with hot peppers and Italian parsley). Then we each had grilled chicken with lemon, T. with roasted potatoes and me with spinach. It was wonderful as has been nearly everything we have eaten!

We caught the bus to the old Appian Way and walked all the way back down....it was sunny, the birds were singing and the views were beautiful. T. went into the San Callisto catacombs.......

After we got back to Rome we had gelato while we toured 3 churches which were open for Sunday evening mass.......the original Jesuit church filled with gold and unusual ceilings with sculptures that were 3D as well as another church with the Madonna blue ceiling full of stars. The we hiked over to the Campo di Fiori for a porchetta panino for dinner......panini bread with sliced roast pork, sun dried tomatoes, grilled eggplant and zucchini, red onions......grilled until hot!

Then we went to the internet cafe across the street and checked in! After that we still managed to find a little cafe with a tv and watched the end of the Milan-Napoli soccer match.....with T.cheering for Milan due to 3 Brazilian players on the team while the waiters were for Napoli....and I was the only woman in the place!
At the end one of the waiters said MILAN - BAD! But BRAZIL - GOOD! T. keeps wearing his Brazilian jersies or his Kaka from Milan jersey and everyone yells to him!

Today we peeked through the keyhole of the Knights of Malta door and saw St. Peter's framed in green, took photos at an incredible overlook, visited the Bocca di Veritas (Mouth of Truth), strolled through the tackiest wax museum ever, dropped our laundry to be washed and picked it up later after a Bangaldesh-Pakistani meal in a place full of men watching a cricket match, where I was the only woman in the place! Hot red curry shrimp, basmati and naan for me; biryani chicken, samosa and garlic naan for T. We also managed to squeeze in some gelato......

That's a typical day here.....we see amazing things......we walk for miles....and we eat great meals!

Tomorrow is Pompeii followed by a performance of opera arias in St. Paul's Inside the Walls Church by the I Musici of Venice! Should be a GREAT day in Italy!

-Gayle Lopes (guest writer)

Matt and Travis have departed...

Back to Bugiri

The boys left yesterday, Travis to Rome and Matt to Detroit then Kentucky! I miss them already. It was just so great to be able to share this experience with them, and the kids were so blessed to have them to spend so much time with.

So last night as I was enjoying a Guiness, brewed in Kampala, and eating vegetable curry rice at this really cool French Bistro; a older Mzungu pulled up in a white truck with a logo that said The New Forests Company. He immediately sat down at a table near mine and started cursing the traffic. He ordered a Bell and Tilapia with almond sauce (I was jealous).

So he seemed pretty easy to talk to and something inside me was urged to talk to him…in fact it was the Lord. He was like, talk to this guy Jes. So I waited a few minutes and then asked him what is The New Forests Co.?

He told me that they are planted Plantain farms at various locations in Uganda to help out the community. He asked me what I was doing here and I told him and he started talking about his company’s involvement with community development and orphanages. He actually has his main base in Bugiri but he is from South Africa.

He is such a strong Christian man. He told me all about his kids who are my age and his plan for the next few years. He is taking us to Bugiri on Wednesday because we aren’t able to use Peter’s car. He said that each month he donated 100,000 shillings a month as a tithe and he followed that with trying to give me the money right away to give to the orphans….I have found that God gave me a gift of fundraising even when I am not trying…I urged him to wait until he actually gets to see the Champions so that it will mean so much more to him….

I am so thankful that God gave me such an intuition to talk to this man, his name is Carl. I am hoping that meeting the Champions will bless his life. This world is just so small, God is always bringing such amazing people into my life.

Anyway I am going to Indian tonight with our Italian friends. I am so excited to get to have Indian in Africa!! It is my favorite.

Right now I am helping Sarah in the office, we are working on the monthly report, I will post it on this site when it is fully completed.

Thanks for reading. My main objective for the next 2.5 weeks that I am here is to connect with different organizations that will be able to help the champions while I am away. There is one called GOAL in Bugiri and many more in the surrounding area that may be able to help either with our potential feeding centers or The Home of Champions.

I am also going to try to visit the Kampala office of Invisible Children. I want to see what they are accomplishing here in town!

Again I miss the boys but I am also excited to get to spend individual time with Sarah and the kids. Keep praying for us, and also for my brother. He just completed a seminar called Landmark where you excavate your past…his ‘graduation’ ceremony is coming up or may have already happened. Please pray that God can transform his life in a new pure way, that he live the fullest life that God has intended for him. He is such an inspiration to my life and I just want God to bless him, and especially for him to regain his relationship with Christ. Thanks again. Many blessings.

~jes

Post Safari

So…we are currently in Kampala hanging out with our new Italian friends that took us on Safari, Davide and Francesco. We went to Murchinson Falls, a national park in North western Uganda, it was amazing, I will let the guys tell most of the details, but in a nutshell we bush camped 10 foot from the nile!

Hippos were one of the most popular guests to our tent site at night…it was breath taking. It’s so amazing, in fact my awe of God increased while in that place. Seeing his creations, and being surrounded by them is unforgettable.

It was such a special blessing to be able to be so close to the Nile, a source of life for so many. Also the place where we camped was also considered a NO-GO area just 3 years ago because of insurgents from the war. We had a really cool guide named Henry that told us so many interesting stories and let us take pics with his Ak-47!

Before the Safari though we toured the Invisible Children office in GULU!! It was such an organized office, they are doing spectacular things there, we actually met a girl there who is working there as the communication director, named Erika, she went to Miami and knows Katie Aiken from high school…small world.

We also went to the this really amazing non-profit café in Gulu that Travis discovered, it was created by the country director of Invisible Children Jolie Oket, the food was amazing and the place was just so cool, going there was definitely a huge highlight to my trip here. We all got special bracelets that are only available at the office in Gulu…Invisible Children rocks…if any one of you reading hasn’t seen the film Invisible Children, please go rent it tonight!

Anyways I gotta go, there is so much more to say but things are too exciting here to stay online…I’ll be in touch.
Peace n love
Jes

Children's Hopechest

If anyone is interested in Children's Hopechest and the work that are doing here in Uganda to raise awareness and to alleviate poverty please check out this awesome blog by a guy named Daniel Clark who we spent some time with here on our trip...he is good with words and has a passion for Christ and Children!

danieljclark.com

peace
jes

Eastern Orphanage- Nabukalu

Headed to GULU and Murchinson Falls

The 2 weeks we spent in Bugiri with the kids was a blast. Yesterday before leaving we brought a group of Lab techs and counselors to the orphanage to test the kids for HIV/AIDS and they were all NEGATIVE!!!!!

Praise God, last year when I was here, I arranged for the kids to be tested at a local clinic, and the results were that 9 tested positive. I found out this year that the clinic was scamming us and just made up the results, which is just so typical here. Haha

Anyway when I arrived to Nabukalu it was one of the coolest moments of my life, to see the familiar faces of the kids I spent a month with last year, learning from and laughing with. They crowded around me for at least an hour testing out my memory on their songs and holding my hands. My face hurt from smiling and I think I held the happy tears in, but you know how when you are almost about to cry, how the world outside is glazed over, how you are looking out by seeing through your wall of emotion…that’s how it was.

I must have woken up at 6 the next morning, being back in the village was so familiar. It still remains with its fair share of drama and problems, but spending time with Sarah, Travis, Matt and the kids was a wonderful blessing.

Travis wrote earlier about a group that came to Nabukalu in a really cool bus that was headed by Children’s Hopechest. That was also a really exciting day, because we woke up so so early and started preparing, Sarah is an awesome cook, so we woke up at 4:30 and starting cutting and slicing and dicing. We fed at least 300 people that day thanks to Sarah and the help of Christine (one of the women from the Hopechest group, she donated money for the rice and beef), and Dan Hopechest’s representative.

This really cool girl Brandi and her husband Greg brought these funny ballon pumps for making balloon animals, haha it was awesome, I don’t think our kids had ever seen anything like that before.

I got mosquito nets for the kids that are treated so hopefully this season the malaria cases can decrease. Also me and the guys got towels for every single kid in both orphanages along with a pair of underwear for each kid.

I have this cool idea for next year to build small libraries for the kids from southwestern books, so if you are a book kid reading this and you would donate a set or two to that cause after next summer let me know…that way I can get some feedback before I present it to Henry and Dan the man…

Thanks for reading, and coming along on our journey, next year you should come in person…peace n joy

~jes

The Dancing and Singing Kids of Bugiri

Hey all,

We just arrived back in Kampala from our adventure to the Bugiri orphanage and it was amazing. The difference between the two orphanages is fairly drastic. This orphanage was not so remote and the kids were much more outgoing and their English was much better even the young kids. Not to pick favorites it was just a lot easier to connect with multiple kids instead of just a couple at the other orphanage in Keynjojo. Although the funny thing is that apparently it is impossible to grasp the name simple name of Matt for the kids at Bugiri and no matter how many times I tried to correct them they called me Martin but since that’s my middle name I eventually gave up on correcting them and just let myself be known as Martin. One of my favorite parts in Bugiri was being able to join the kids for worship at night time Church. Travis took to the drum circle while I took to the dancing circle (which the kids absolutely love to do when singing praise songs). I really enjoyed spending time with the kids and it was easy to do different activities with all of them. I found I could communicate and connect with the older kids a lot easier of course because of the lack in language barrier but I really had a heart and enjoyed spending my time with the younger kids and giving them just as much attention as the older children by simply spending time with them and playing simple games. In Keynjojo when I was sick I had a long time to think about what little interaction or affection these kids have from older adults and it really struck me. So, although I know I couldn't talk with the younger kids I know that spending time with them and appreciating them as an adult is really important and just as meaningful as having heart to heart conversations. I realized that I had a big effect when the younger kids began to cling to me and sit on me when I read stories to them I could see their desire for affection. Although by the end of our time I felt like I could have spent even more time with the kids and done more with them, so I decided to opt out of taking the night trips into town to get supplies and spend more time with the kids. I was really glad it gave me a chance to read more Bible stories to the kids (which most didn’t understand haha) but they still ate it up and said “one more uncle Martin one more” and wouldn’t let me stop reading until I saw the uneasiness in Sam’s face (head of the boys dorm) and could tell I was pushing the boys bedtime. I was really blessed during my time at the orphanage and I hope that God used me as a blessing to the kids. Oh I almost forgot the biggest blessing at the Bugiri orphanage was that the last day we had all the kids tested for AIDS and HIV, Jes had taken them last year when she was there to get tested and they found 9 kids that had the virus. So, this year we had all of them tested again but with God’s grace every single test came up negative!!! They also found out that the person who had taken the tests last year was a fraud and the 9 who we thought had the virus were virus free praise God! It was a real blessing and we were all very relieved. Well that is it for the orphanages next we move to our safari adventure which should prove to be amazing and one of my personal life long dreams.

~Matt

It's Been A While

Western Orphanage, Nabukalu town, Bugiri district

Sorry that I haven't posted in a while, it has been a busy week! We arrived at the Western orphanage about a week ago, and it has been a whirlwind of activity. This orphanage is not nearly as remote as the last one. Instead of being an hour from the nearest big town we are 15-20 minutes away. So we have been able to more easily and quickly purchase supplies for the kids and also we can run into town in the evenings when the kids are studying instead of sitting around the orphanage being bored!

Also, when we had been here for two days, a group of 11 Mzungu came with Children's HopeChest Tom Davis' organization from Colorado Springs. Asbury people might remember Tom speaking last December at our World AIDS Day Chapel on December 1st.... or not... Anyway, this guy Dan the leader was really cool, we got on a bus with them and traveled around to a few potential feeding centers that Peter Mutebi is trying to get set up, HopeChest was giving representatives from 4 churches the chance to sponsor these feeding centers.

It was weird travelling with people who had just gotten off the plane a couple of days before, because to them, we seemed like experts in UG even though we had only been there a couple of weeks. I can already speak the language fairly well, I can order things like food or drinks and I know my numbers all in Luganda, so it was cool to be a sort of guide for these guys. They ended up coming on Sunday to a goat feast that we had at the orphanage for the kids and the community church members. It was crazy. I got up at 5:15 AM to watch the goat slaughter. They built a teepee with these poles and then a muslim kid at the orphanage covered his head and then sliced open the goats jugular. Then they tied the hind feet to the tepee, hung the goat upside down and peeled the skin off and well, maybe this is too much information, but it was crazy.

Back from the dead

Hey!

Sorry I have not posted yet but I was very ill for almost a full week! luckily after a battery of tests the doctors could find nothing seriously wrong with me. Unfortunately I have absolutely no time to type anything right now but I will next week. Please keep the orphanage in your prayers there is a group of Church representatives who are looking to sponsore some of the children in the area so be praying for their decisions! God bless and again I'm sorry I have not written sooner I will as soon as I can.

~Matt

Reflections

Kampala town, Marble Arch Hotel & Devine Internet Cafe

Looking back at my time in Kyenjojo (sp?), the thing that stood out to me about my time there the most was the final morning we were there just before we left. I received two handwritten notes , one from Godfrey and the other from Solomon, self proclaimed captain of sports at the Home of Champions and also the best soccer player there. Both letters expressed gratitude but more importantly, consideration of me as a father figure in their life.

I would have never imagined that taking time to learn someone's name, giving them personalized attention and love, playing soccer with them, and teaching them to dance the Soul-jah Boy would constitute fatherly duties but I guess so. I gave Solomon my Brasil jersey and Godfrey my bible. I also wrote them each a letter back in which I promised that I would never forget them and also that I would do everything I could to help them complete their education.

It's a promise that I intend to keep.

-Travis

Pictures Thus Far

This is Kiiza Moses, my good friend and pool arch-nemesis (so far we are tied at 2-2)

This is the little remote control replica car I won at the Amsterdam Airport!

Heading To Bugiri...

Kampala town, JavaNet Internet Cafe

Wow, so it has been quite an exciting time so far, we spent a week in Kyenjojo which ended with a goat feast! It was kinda gross they cook everything intestines, lungs, gizzards, liver, everything! I was reminded of my college bio lab while looking in the stew pot!

The last day we were in Kyenjojo the kids said that there would never be a day like this again! But I disagree, I know that they are going to have many more days like it in their lifetime! It was a blast. I think some of the kids couldn’t believe that I was back.

Since last year the orphanage has improved triple fold, there is solar panels now so the kids don’t have to study by kerosene lantern. There are real latrines and even a toilet for guests, the shower stalls have been built, and the kids looked a lot healthier.

I think that the talk I gave them last year about hygiene and health may have made a difference. The goats are multiplying, while we were there a baby goat was born! It made the cutest little sounds!

I am really impressed with what is happening in the West and recently Peter Mutebi, the founder of Home of Champions has received funding from a Korean Ministry to help build new classrooms and possibly even a library with desks and bookshelves for the kids! God is working in Kyenjojo…

Meanwhile there is a food and firewood shortage in the Eastern Region where we are headed in a few days, so we will be bringing food for the month at least and I’m going to buy some drums and instruments for them as well.

Matt hasn’t been feeling well, so if everyone can keep him in their prayers that would be good, it’s nothing serious he has been to two different clinics and been tested for Malaria and for bacterial infections and he is clean!

We are staying at a Hotel in Kampala, Travis and I went out on the town last night and after leaving the internet café it was downpouring, so we decided to run across the street to this little bar/restarant for a place of shelter. Haha it was a blast, so we got some chips, (fries) and talked and ate and listened to early nineties groove on the radio! It was a good time, the walk back to the Hotel was also pretty crazy. It’s the short rainy season here until November….so we get rain almost everyday….

Thanks for reading everyone! Please keep us in your prayers and ask God to guide us down roads with safety and purpose, may he place his mighty hand upon our work and create a lasting impression on these innocent beautiful children, his children!

Peace and Love
Jes

Adventure By Bike

Western Orphanage: Day 3 (Written 10/1/08)

We played soccer two days ago, and I was less than exemplary, although I played good enough to live up to my brasilian heritage. Also this was right after we watched the kids perform 5 or 6 welcome songs for us along with one about wanting to see the River Nile, the longest river in Africa. Then they did a couple of tribal dances, which were very cool. The setting was a church with mud floors and walls and there was a girl beating out the tribal drum beats on a plastic jerry can.

After the soccer, the kids and I were washing out feet in the outdoor shower barracks, and Godfrey took my sandals off and washed them, then he and Dennis helped me scrub the bottom of my feet. I couldn’t help but think of the parallels with Jesus’ ultimate act of service to his disciples, and wonder if I was so quick to show recent acquaintances and friends that kind of service.

Yesterday, Jes and I (mainly Jes) helped treat some of the kids’ sores and injuries. As we were about to get started doing this, we realized that we were missing some essentials: hydrogen peroxide… so Godfrey and I went on a mission for it.

We walked about 2-3 miles to a little ‘village’ if you can call it 5-10 mud huts along a mud path that, and found the clinic. There we found a half bottle of peroxide, and then another half bottle at another clinic a couple of huts down.

Not finding the cell minutes Kiiza needed, we decided to keep walking to the next village. On our way out of town, I saw a couple of bicycles parked on a tree by a hut store. I asked Godfrey to translate for me and ask if we could rent the bike to take us to the next village and back. For 500 shillings 30 cents the old (and a little drunk) man demanded we enter the hut-store and greet the chairman of the village.

We entered and sat and greeted, after being informed there were no cell minutes in the store we were granted the bike. I hopped on and Godfrey sat on the metal grate atop the rear wheel. We were at the top of the hill and a few seconds into the ride I realized that I had only half brake pressure. So we went down the hill, and then Godfrey hopped on and rode/pushed the bike up a hill…I got on and we proceeded to almost die down the steepest hill EVER!!!

I was using my sandals as brakes along with a white knuckled grip on the faulty brakes, plus Godfrey kept saying “don’t be frightened” along with a constant stream of prayers in LuChiga. We arrived exhilarated at the second ‘village’ and coasted to a stop in the middle of the row of huts.

We got the cell minutes but no more peroxide. The way back Godfrey steered and I rode on the back of the bike holding onto him for dear life. We made it back in one piece and Godfrey and I talked all along the way. It was an awesome adventure.

-Travis (typed by Jes)

Thoughts From Kyenjojo

Western Orphanage: Day 1 (Written 9/29/08)

I slept in till 10 today! I guess I am still jet lagging a little. The “road” (if you can call it that) to the orphanage is INSANE! Picture a mid-size path through the bush you might walk on to cut behind your house or through a dense backyard towards a park. Now put a Toyota Land Cruiser on that path and make it uneven and muddy as possible. The boys clapped for Matt and I as we walked into their dormitory last night. I guess they were clapping as a welcome or to show appreciation. All I could think was “why were they clapping?” I don’t deserve applause at all. All I did was ride in a car for a few hours to come and visit. I guess that there are not many Muzungu that do that.

There’s a boy named Peter I met today. Sarah (the orphanage manager) told me his story. When both of his parents died he went to live with his aunt, who mistreated him, she would beat him and work him to the bone. She made him tend to the cows and goats and when it was rainy she wouldn’t let him come inside saying he was too dirty. When Peter heard about the orphanage opening and looking for disadvantaged kids, he came there by myself, applied and got accepted. But then during the Holiday he did not want to go back to his aunts, so this Pastor that lives right next to the Orphanage agreed to let him stay with him and his family. He then proceeded to work Peter like a slave, and his wife did the same. After the break, Peter told the staff what had happened and now when all the kids go home to their guardians for break, Sarah leaves him with food and he stays alone at the orphanage.

Peter deserves applause not me.

It’s hard to communicate with the kids here in Kyenjojo. For many, their English knowledge ends at how are you, and what’s your name?

As for the people I have befriended so far, they are very cool. My favorite is a man named Kiiza (pronounced Chiza) Moses. Everyone calls him Kiiza. He is 26, married with 2 kids (people do not talk that much about relationships in Uganda). He is our driver, and him and I have been talking since I got here. He drove us from the airport to the hotel. He is the official driver for Peter Mutebi Ministries, and a mechanic when he’s not driving. I think he is a Christian because he pointed out on the back of a taxi “Yesu Afayo” and told me it means Jesus cares. A couple of days later he asked if I remembered what it meant and I told him and he said “ That’s the most important to remember”.

He opened up a little to me about his past and growing up as an orphan. I think he and I will be good friends by the end of my time here.

Sarah is the orphanage manager and one of Jes’s best friends. Jes and her hung out the entire time the last time she was in Uganda. Sarah cooks for us, guides us, and teaches us phrases in Luganda. She is also the backbone of the Ministry and I think without her none of this would be here.

Orphan Names and First Impressions:

Godfrey- Natural Leader, alpha male

Vincent- Shy, tall

Ramadan-Dancer, smooth

Boni- soccer addict, Man United fan

Eric-Big and tall

Businge- Handicapped, loyal

Solomon- Athletic

Peter- Brave, stoic

Abraham- Class clown, smart

Dennis- Cool

-Travis (typed by Jes)

Muzungu

Western Orphanage: Day 0 (Written 9/28/08)
Kyenjojo town, Mysenyi District

Muzungu- This is the most common word I have heard since being here in Uganda. It means foreign white person. Outsider. People yell it at you all day as you are driving by. One yells: Muzungu! How is You-Gahn-Dah?? I yell back good! (and give a Borat thumbs up) People in YOU-Gahn-dah expect things from muzungu water, soda, money, food, etc. I have been approached by 5 year olds, (mu-toh) all the way up to 70 yr olds (mozaee) with the same expectations. It takes some time getting used to, but I just smile shake my head and say Sirinah ( I have none).

Uganda is the poorest country I have spent a prolonged amount of time in. In Brazil I was in the city, in Jamaica a resort. Here I am in the middle of nowhere at an orphanage. I can’t resist the kids though… I give them food if I have it. I held a million shillings for the first time the other day (1,500 US dollars). A milli!! It was crazy but since USD=1600 Ugandan shillings it’s really not that much. Still, I was a millionaire for a day.

There is a rule on the roads here in Uganda. I say a rule, because as far as I can tell there are no rules other than this one! Right of way goes to the bigger vehicle or object. Order of ranking: person, boda-boda (motorcycle taxis) care, range rover, Taxi-van, bus, truck.

-Travis (typed by Jes)

We Made It...

Written 9/24/08
Kampala town, Marble Arch Hotel

Like all first time mission trips, mine started off on the right foot with lots of problems, and God providing a way through. I was leaving for Louisville from Asbury and realized I had forgotten my carry-on backpack which contained my passport. So Holland Hames and I raced over the opposite way from the airport to Nicholasville where my storage unit is, then backtracked towards the airport in Louisville. We got there at 2:40 for what I believed to be a 3:30 flight which I was informed had left at 2:30… my bad…

After 15-30 minutes of freaking out and being on the phone with Northwest (not helpful), Student Universe (somewhat helpful) and Jes (very helpful) I realized the only way I could get to Detroit in time to make my flight to Amsterdam was to take a plane that left at 4:55 from Lexington airport. So Holland raced me back to Lex 90 mph and I rushed through Bluegrass airport and barely made the flight.

I raced through the Detroit airport, and caught up with Jes at the final boarding call for my Amsterdam flight looking forward to snuggling with my girlfriend for 7 hours… WRONG! Instead I ended up “snuggling” with two overweight men (one of which who was so large he requested we keep the armrest up on that side because it wouldn’t fit if it were down) and got a grand total of 0 hours of sleep on my overnight flight. For those of you who know me well, I realize I always say I can sleep anywhere if I’m tired… well, I stand corrected. Needless to say I arrived in Amsterdam grateful, but at the same time completely exhausted and more than a little frustrated at the fact I had had to double the amount I paid for my ticket to Uganda.

But, as I was walking over with Jes to the gate where we were supposed to meet Matt, there was this Formula-1 racing car to take pictures with and next to it was a “test your reflexes” game. Those reading this would probably find it an understatement for me to say that I am ridiculously competitive over the most insignificant things so of course I stepped up to the challenge and after doing well enough in the reflex game to advance to the next level, I rapidly put together a touch screen puzzle (with the help of my lovely ING assistant) and scored the grand prize in the prize roulette: A 1:27th scale hand held racing model of the Formula-1 car I had just taken a picture with! Great success!

So that changed my mood a little and I watched like three movies on my 8 hour flight to Entebbe (this time I was snuggling with my lovely girlfriend) so I arrived in Uganda a cheerful, if somewhat exhausted young man. I think I’m still recovering some sleep, but otherwise I’m here and yes, mom, I did remember to take my malaria pill. I’ll talk to you guys soon. Post comments if you want, I would love to hear from the people who are actually reading this stuff.

P.S. If you actually read all the way down to here, you rock.

-Travis

When God speaks....

Just 2 short weeks ago my friends and I were delivering books in upstate New York.  Yesterday we attended the funeral service of one of those friends who was the victim of a tragic car accident.  Amber Lynn Volk, a 23 yr old super star.  She brought joy into the lives of so many countless people.  Her funeral was packed with so many sad faces.  

Amber was going to come to Uganda with us.  

I am dedicating this trip to Amber.  I am dedicating it to the memory of her smile, the sound of her footsteps down the stairs to my room in the morning, and the feel of her hug when I was sad.

When God speaks people can't help but listen...sometimes it's not the words that we hear, but  the distant sound of sobbing or the way that the rain beats upon our umbrellas. 

I do not mourn for Amber, because she is right where she deserves to be.  I mourn my future without her here on earth.  I mourn for the orphans at home of champions that will have to wait until Heaven to see her smile..... so here's to you Amber.   ~Jes