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We are officially getting settled into our house located by Jinja, Uganda. Eleven college-age students sharing 3 rooms and 1 bathroom - probably a thoroughly exhausted recipe for a reality show, but with our mix of people I’m really feeling excited about this trip. After crossing the Nile River this morning, we ventured over to the STAO (Save the Aids Orphans) orphanage in Mafubira today, immediately being surrounded by screaming kids. Even with 11 of us, our plates were full of playing small games, singing songs, giving hugs, and taking pictures (taking pictures is easy; displaying the results to dozens of onlookers is the tough part).
Albeit with obvious contextual differences, this reminds me much of the AHOPE orphanage I volunteered at in Ethiopia. The kids are around the same ages, oozing with energy and fascinated by our foreigner status. One of the kids goes by the alias, “George W. Bush” – and another prefers a more patriotic title, “President Museveni.” As I learn about the current needs and projects of STAO, I am encouraged that there is push toward self-sustainability. Pastor Nelson voiced his distaste at having to send letters asking for money, though the stakes are high – so many parent-less kids (some of whom are infected with HIV) are benefiting from his work.
The team is now pretty exhausted and covered in Uganda’s characteristic red dirt. And it’s only been one full day! Prayer would definitely be appreciated to sustain our physical strength (we can’t even move around sometimes without the added weight of two or three kids) and good spirits. Having been in Africa for over two months now, I personally find myself with a unique attitude – I am constantly amazed at the manifestations of God’s work and human compassion, yet I wrestle with feeling numb to the problems myself, and feeling hopeless to change lives in the long run. I am no George W. Bush or President Museveni…
Thanks to all who came out last night—seriously an amazing, powerful way for us to leave! We really appreciate the support.
here is our flight itinerary, parents! expect to hear from us sometime around thursday evening US time. If not, it’s probably due to no electricity in Jinja when we get there. Some internet cafes have generators, but they get backed up. We’ll send the team cell number out once we get it in Uganda (only for emergencies to reach us though–best bet would be to email one of us asking us to call you—much, much cheaper).
FYI–Dale made it safely to Uganda, is staying near the airport for a couple days, and will meet up with us and the STAO staff at the airport when we arrive.
with peace and excitement,
kate
BRITISH AIRWAYS 21AUG
SEATTLE WA TO LONDON HEATHROW
Depart 640PM Arrive 1145AM
Flight # BA 48
L ECONOMY/TERMINAL 4/MEAL/NON STOP/RESERVATION CONFIRMED
9:05 DURATION
AIRCRAFT: BOEING 747-400
BRITISH AIRWAYS 22AUG
LONDON HEATHROW TO ENTEBBE
Depart 915PM Arrive 745AM
Flight # BA 63
L ECONOMY/TERMINAL 4/MEAL/NON STOP/RESERVATION CONFIRMED
8:30 DURATION
AIRCRAFT: BOEING 767-200/300
BRITISH AIRWAYS 17SEP
ENTEBBE TO LONDON HEATHROW
Depart 900AM Arrive 345PM
Flight # BA 62
L ECONOMY/TERMINAL 4/MEAL/NON STOP/RESERVATION CONFIRMED
8:45 DURATION
AIRCRAFT: BOEING 767-200/300
BRITISH AIRWAYS 17SEP
LONDON HEATHROW TO SEATTLE WA
Depart 535PM Arrive 710PM
Flight # BA 53
L ECONOMY/TERMINAL 4/MEAL/NON STOP/RESERVATION CONFIRMED
9:35 DURATION
AIRCRAFT: BOEING 777-200/300
In less than 24 hours, I’ll be leaving for Uganda. I’m not too sure where to begin.. what to think, what not to think. I’m still trying to barely comprehend the fact that I’m actually going! Plus, just the mere thought of the impact this trip is going to have on my life has been absolutely mind boggling. However, I guess I’ll never know what this trip will have in store for me until I actually get there.
Just around ten months ago, four of my friends and I had been given the opportunity to start a non profit organization named Tusubira (We Have Hope) to help support an orphanage (STAO) in a small village called Mafubira located just outside of Jinja in Southeastern Uganda. Three of them had just gotten back from Mafubira at the time, where they spent three months of their summer volunteering at STAO. Though two of us haven’t seen the situation first hand yet, we all felt convicted and called to respond to the absolutely tragic and incomprehensible circumstances in Uganda we’ve been exposed to and informed of.
Frankly, as much as it has been an exciting journey, it has also been one of the greatest challenges I’ve had to face. The challenge wasn’t the grueling 501c3 documentation process, endless hours of fund/program development and budgeting, or logistical complexities we had to manage as five college age students with no experience in managing a start up non profit organization.
The real challenge was in trying to grasp what it means as followers of Christ to respond to the ways in which God has broken our hearts accordingly to hurt for those suffering beyond our imagination. The real challenge was countless nights of losing sleep over contemplating about what it means to be an NGO, what the definition of “sustainable development” is-and our role in walking alongside them and working with them, and trying to comprehend the utter reality of our status to live in an absolutely opposite world this very moment. And most of all, “why us?”
I’m simply hoping to grow and learn more about God’s heart through this trip. My main prayer request is that our team will stay as faithful servants and learners, and that He’ll continue to grow our hearts for love, compassion, and justice – and keep our minds and hearts open to see it, regardless of whichever form it may present itself to us in.
I can’t wait to finally meet the children and the STAO staff in Mafubira – Uganda!
Looking forward to updating you guys on our adventures in Uganda!
Just wanted to let you know about my other blog: http://djterasaki.wordpress.com
I am still figuring out which one to post on.
-Dale (currently in Ethiopia)
After weeks of number crunching and sorting out trip finance issues, we’ve arrived at a rough figure of money we’ll have to work with while in Uganda. While I’m not going to share the rough figure publicly at this point, let me just say that both Sam and my’s jaws dropped. People have been so incredibly generous in giving towards the trip, and I’m not quite sure there are words to explain how excited I am to be able to bless the community of Mafubira with the generosity of our friends, family, and communities.
As a team, we’re committed to using the money carefully and wisely. As of now, we’ve committed $1,000 to go towards the work that the healthcare team will be doing with testing the children living at STAO, as well as neighboring villages, for HIV. Additionally, we’ve committed $2,000 to help finish the children’s housing building that Tusubira has been raising money for throughout the past year. It’s getting extremely close to being finished, and soon about 60 more children orphaned by AIDS in Mafubira will have a new home to live in. So exciting! I should mention that both of the aforementioned projects have been requests of the STAO staff, and we’ll continue to work closely with the staff in Uganda to discern where the remaining project budget will be most effective. We’ll keep you updated.
Most of all, THANK YOU, for being so incredibly supportive of the trip. We are so grateful.
with peace,
kate
My mom rented “The Last King of Scotland”, and we’re gonna watch it tonight and get all freaked out by Idi Amin and his dictatorship and execution of thousands of people in Uganda. “Oh geez, and you’re going there?!” is what you’re probably saying right now. Yeah, as if. Get me a time machine first, and don’t forget the crystals. Though with these guns (*flexes biceps*) I’d be just fine anyways. …ummm… or not.
Okay, I want to quiz you - in your opinion, how dangerous is Uganda right now? On a scale from 1 to 10 where:
1 - Fairies frolic amongst fields of flowers. Pillows are everywhere.
10 - Step one foot in Uganda and it’ll be chopped off by some rebel.
If you’re actually curious, google search with words such as “Uganda”, “peace”, “LRA”, or “Juba”. Make sure the articles you read are from 2007. Find out for yourself, and help others to get out of public hysteria and fear.
