heading home...

we were able to sleep in a bit, until 8:00. we took hot showers with a full streaming shower head. we had grown accustomed to cold showers that barely trickled. this was a treat. we stepped out of the shower and still felt clean as we dressed. again, unusual. in kamapala, we felt dirty before we were able to get our clean clothes on. we went to the airport around 9:45. our flight was at 11:45. we had to go through the rigorous british security. this took a while. they are not very sweet but at least they are thorough. had a good flight to chicago then onto nashville! we landed around 6:30 and were met at the airport by mason, julianne and caroline. caitlin was working. we were joined for dinner by caitlin and my mother. it was good to be back. the story continues as the trip is over but the journey has not ended. we will continue to raise money and awareness for this cause. won't you join us?

back to londontown...

we woke up at 5am to get everything on the bus and to get to the airport in time. we were heading home. it was bittersweet. i am ready to get home but also, a part of me is melancholy about what we are leaving behind. emily and abigail share this sentiment. it will be hard to try to really share our story and have people understand our experiences from the last 10 days.

we landed in london and checked into our hotel. we have an overnight lay over. the hotel was by heathrow airport so we had to take the tube into the city if we wanted to go. a dear friend of mine, crystal, just happened to be in london as well. we met her at picadilly circus, walked through the streets and had dinner at wagamama's...and we had ice in our drinks! it felt weird. we were so used to luke warm drinks (or bottled sodas at the house). it was so nice to see her and tell her some stories from our trip. we took the train back out to hatten cross station then walked to our hotel from there. it was after midnight. we were sleeping in clean, crisp sheets and had air conditioning. we felt like royalty.

the source of the nile...

up before the rooster to load the bus and head to jinja. it was about a two hour drive. ugh. part of our group was going to raft down the nile river (how cool!) and part were going to "toodle" down the nile to the source. abigail chose to raft. she was a little nervous (they were class 5 rapids!) but how often would you get that chance? i was told i should be proud of abigail...she was a trooper and hung in there when the going (or rowing) got tough. they had a good time and enjoyed their day. they were served lunch (bread, cheese, vegetables, fruit) and dinner (kabobs)as part of the rafting trip cost. they didn't get back until late that night.

the rest of us...well, after dropping off the rafters, we made it to the starting point of our tour. it was just about to storm. you could just feel it. i, of course, began to worry a bit about abigail being in the river already and it was lightning and thundering. we ran to our bus to wait for the rain to stop. elijah appeared...no, not that elijah but a tour guide. he stepped into our bus and began to say he was our guide and that we would wait for the storm to pass before going out. oh, really? he was a little misinformed about moses and Jesus and nile river facts according to the Bible. a few questioned him only to be rebuked by him and he proclaimed we were not christians. finally we just indulged him. we figured it best not to question someone who was about to take us out on a boat in the nile river. elijah was entertaining, however. maybe chemically, so. we saw many species of birds and took pictures that seemed like they could be in national geographic. i thought... was i really in africa? am i half way around the world? i rarely allowed my mind to go there but on occasion it surely did. we saw the source of the nile, where it all begins. the water flows from underneath the ground. you can see the current run backwards from under the rocks. think at the beach. as the wave comes in and then recedes, the water goes back as well. well, here the water comes in and as it recedes more water comes up underneath the rocks and goes back out. it is so odd how this river flows south to north. there is some connection here but i can't explain. (oh, coming in this morning we couldn't take pictures as we crossed the river. a big man with a big gun was there to make sure we didn't. this bridge is the only bridge that connnects uganda to kenya and tanzania. if someone were to destroy it, it could cause some civil unrest. well, yeah.) after getting off the boat, we headed out. we stopped at the security gate. another man with a big gun began to clap. out from nowhere came these little monkeys. not sure of the species. the security men had bananas and told us we could go feed them. they were so, so cute. they would take the banana, sit, peel the banana and eat it. we got some great close up shots of them. after, we went into the town of jinja for lunch at "the source", where we met a girl from maryville, tn. (also, one of ab's guides on the nile was from memphis! small world.) we walked around to a few vendors. i got some coffee that is grown in that region. it was so good. i ended up buying some to bring home. around 2:00, we started to make our way back to kampala. as said before, goats and cows just roam the streets. while we stopped for gas we saw a little baby goat that had just been runover on the street. his little friend was standing there "baaa-ing" as if to say "someone, help. my friend needs help." maybe our hearts were just so tender by this time in the trip, but we were saddened by this. as we moved on down the road to the house, i asked patrick (our trusty driver) if he would mind stopping at a sugar cane vendor. i wanted the team to taste it. we got one long stalk for 500 shillings (50 cents. one of the adonai house staff cut it up for us and had it on the dinner table that night. it was so good but so sweet.

we were up late packing and organizing. long day ahead...

last day at blessed hope...

friday was an emotional day. i kept telling the girls to "get it together. don't let the kids see your cry." i was realizing, however, that it was going to be difficult. i was trying to prepare them as well as protect them. these children had marked our hearts and their environment was etched in our memory. who can forget such poverty and loneliness? one thing that does help is that these kids are loved. after talking with teachers in depth, i got a good sense of how much these kids are loved. the children at blessed hope are so fortunate to have love, food, shelter and beds. i feel they are more blessed than some of the kids we see on the streets each day. when i put it that way, this seemed to help the girls be comforted. yes, their morning meal is purplish millet, they have corn mush and beans everyday...no fruits or vegetables...but they are loved and taken care of. pastor michael called me over and gave me gifts for my family. his wife had made a purse for me and little tea place mats for all 5 of the girls. we had had such a good talk a few days before. he also gave me a photo of his family. they rarely have photos of them taken so for him to give it to me was an honor. i think they think if we can see them we can pray for them...or remember to pray for them. i was puzzled whether or not to keep it. jen took a picture of the picture for me so i could give it back to michael but he insisted i keep it. it's almost an insult to try to return a gift. he gave me his contact info and asked for mine. he told me he would pray for my family back in the states. i am so humbled by these kind people and their true desire for someone to "stand in the gap" for them. michael was the one who thanked us for doing so. as we were wrapping up the day's events, we were assembled at the shelter. the kids were lined up in their rows. auntie irene told us that the kids were going to pray for us. i expected them to just bow their heads as someone led the prayer. ummm, no. each child extended their arm toward us and they all began to pray in unison, saying what they wanted to say. tears were rolling down my face. it was beautiful! their eyes were closed and they were speaking effortlessly, even the little children. we couldn't understand, or rather hear, specifically, of course, because it was like a song...all words colliding in harmony. one of the male teachers was next to me. i did hear him say at one point to "protect our friends. give them safe travels. thank you for sending them to us. may they mount up like eagles. give them strength." i have never experienced anything like that...ever.

after we left the orphanage, it did us some good to go to the market. on the way there, moses returned but on the opposite side of the bus as me. amanda was the lucky girl today. patrick, our driver, proceeded to tell us that moses was on drugs. ya think? as we drove through the middle of the city we actually saw street lights and road signs. in the more rural areas, this is not seen. we had not been to the business section of kampala until today. we spent about an hour going from vendor to vendor. got some purse type bags, beautiful sand stone nativity sets, found caroline an ugandan football (soccer) jersey, football (soccer ball) made from banana leaves (they actually play with these) and some ugandan jewelry. very inexpensive gifts but a blessing to the people who make and sale these crafts.

after the market we met josephine and her family for dinner at an italian restaurant. this was really the first time we had had food similar to what we were used to in the states. however, the cheesy, saucy food made us a little queasy. the ugandan food is more bland and we had gotten used to that.

arrived back at the house around 10:30. it had been a very long and emotional day. we had to get up early the next morning for our trip to jinja.

I thank my God every time I remember you :)

today was by far the hardest day at the orphanage. We started the day off on our usually routine but instead of leaving at 830, we left at 9 so we were just a little behind. we set out to the orphanage but planned to make a short stop to get a splint for a little boy who most likely broke his arm. instead of just a short journey, we were wondering around for about an hour until we found a place that had them! by this point I was really anxious because it felt like we would never make it to the orphanage. I was thinking to myself that this would make leaving easier because we would have less time, but this was not true. We arrive at the orphanage around 1115 (like an hour later than usual) and we are all prepared to say our goodbyes and we were all expecting to shed a few tears. once I got off of the bus, my little buddy Jackie immediately grabbed my hand and starting pulling me (she is 5 by the way). she wanted me to see her bed, but the room ended up being locked so we just decided to sit on the steps and talk ( or more like listen because she did not speak much English) but I enjoyed every minute of listening to here because she laughed for most of the time. I then showed her a bracelet I made her and her eyes lit up and her smile grew even larger. as I was tying it on her wrist, she was talking and smiling. even though I could not understand what she was saying, I could tell that the little bracelet made her very happy. I also had in my hand a picture that Caitlin had drawn for me to give to one of the children. it was nemo and as I gave it to her she looked at me and said “a fish” and it was absolutely precious the way she said it. as we were talking, my mom and sweet esther (who is also 5) walked up. I got one of the older girls to ask her if she wanted a bracelet and she looks at me with her sweet smile and just shook her head yes. after I had tied it on, she was turning her wrist looking at it and admiring it. by this time, it was time to head to the prayer garden to have a worship service. jackie, shamirah (13), marion (3) and I headed to the garden. I was holding marion and jackie and shamirah each had one of my hands. once we sat down we began to sing. my favorite song to sing with them is “Love the Lord Your God” because they get really in to the hand motions and love it when we “grrr” when we say strength. when we finished singing, mike got up to read a passage while simon peter translated for him. by the end, I had given away all six of my animal bracelets I was wearing. the kids absolutely loved them. we started our way to the shelter where we had set up a birthday party for the children. we explained to them that in America we sing at our parties and give presents and that is exactly what we were going to do here. we sung happy birthday to them and lined them up to give each a goody bag we had put together for them and man were they excited about those bags. each bag contained a beanie baby, hard candy, toothbrush and tooth paste, animal band, pillow and a mirror. each kid grabbed their bag with a big smile and were smiling while they went through them. jackie was eating her sucker (which was blue) and it had turned her tongue blue. I pulled out the mirror to show her and she just held it with her tongue sticking out looking at it for a few minutes. she was mesmerized. the team was then called up to receive a gift that the teachers wanted to give us. they were home made change purse. then someone came up to speak and I went to sit down to listen and I was immediately joined by jackie and ester (my other little buddy). while he was talking, esther and jackie kept talking to me. Jackie was playing with her dog animal band and was showing me how they barked (which was absolutely adorable). Esther was looking at me and singing with me. She never stopped singing/talking and smiling. by the time he had finished, they called us to stand around while the children sang to us and pray for us. this is when I lost it. I was holding esther (who was patting my back because she saw I was crying) and listening to them. it was a beautiful, emotional experience. When then headed to lunch where we were presented with another gift, homemade mats. Afterwards, we took a picture and it was time to go. I walked with jackie around and looked at her and said “I love you” and she repeated it back to me which was amazing because she didn’t speak much English. I did the same to esther and she repeated it back as well. I then walked away with jackie holding my hand. Shamirah came up to me and said “please remember us” and she was crying. I told her they would never be forgotten. I then gave jackie one last hug, got on the bus and blew everyone kisses and just prayed I could make it without crying (but I did). This experience was truly life changing and these kids will always have a place in my heart.

entry by: emily rodgers

Happy Birthday!

Happy Birthday to you! Today we celebrated all of the children’s birthdays! The day started off by having breakfast and leaving the house around 8:45 and planning on going to get a splint for a boy, Ishmael, who probably broke his arm. after an hour of just driving around, we finally found the clinic that had splints! So planning on leaving the house at 8:30 and arriving at Blessed Hope around 10 turned into leaving around 9:45 and arriving at the orphanage around 11:00. As we arrived there around 11, the children were waiting for us, and a few hopped out of the bus and played with the children while the other part of the team went to set up for the birthday party! About 30 minutes later, we headed down to the prayer garden where we sang songs, and danced! What Mike was saying was totally true and it brought me to tears when Simon Peter translated! After singing, we told the children to go to the “eating room.” Once all the children were seated and ready to listen, they looked around and were amazed by all the beautiful decorations that we had set up. We had told them what birthdays and celebrating were all about! The team sang Happy Birthday to them then passed out the bags full of some candy, a beanie baby, toothpaste, a tooth brush, and a mirror! They each got a pillow as well, which were made by churches back in America. The “champions” loved their candy, beanie babies, and especially their mirrors! Whenever I took one of the mirrors out for one of the kids to look at, they looked up at me and just smiled and laughed! And of course that made me smile! Then the school choir sang a few songs, and that’s when it got to me, and yes “happy” tears were involved. I cried as they were singing. I cried when they brought me pictures and letters. It just then hit me that we were leaving. But it wasn’t that I was only sad, I was very happy to see the joy and compassion in each one of the kids eyes! As the party came to an end, I had been given gifts, letters, and drawings from them. It was really sweet. We then headed down to the tent and had our last lunch there. The lunches there that they had prepared for us was fantastic, especially the pineapple and potatoes! As it was coming closer to say our goodbyes, we all(the kids, team, and teachers) all took a picture together! I then, actually keeping my tears in said goodbye to the ones that I was the closest to: Vivian, Norah, Robert, Barbara, and Emmanuel. The kids that I didn’t know as well came up to me, hugged me and said bye! It was hard, but I knew that I had to do it quick, and not cry! And was that successful?? Pretty much, yes! We blew our kisses and said: mwah and off we went down the dirt road. I was just thinking of what a true impact they all had made on my life! Helping Blessed Hope Champions Academy by providing them with beds, mattresses, sheets, and mosquito nets changed my life forever and all of them will be in my life forever! It was a good week!

~entry by Abigail Rodgers

the story of esther...

Today was a little more relaxed. I think we have all settled in and have come to terms with what we are dealing with everyday. The bus ride even seemed less annoying. We were greeted by some of the older kids because classes were still going on. They led us to the class rooms. It’s funny that we all really do learn the same things. I watched a very enthusiastic math teacher teach line graphing. He was so passionate and enthusiastic. The history lesson was about the Stone Age. When we got there we watched the kids run relay races. They are funny. Yesterday they ran with spoons in their mouths and eggs in the spoons. They also ran with a soda bottle balanced on their head. Classic. We then “had church”. The kids led is in a worships service in the prayer garden. This included singing, dancing, drumming and a skit about Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego. The boys did this and they used two sheets as their stage curtain. A young man (about 16 years old named Richard) then read scripture. He is from Gulu in northern Uganda. These people have servant hearts. Even when we are standing watching events or games or just standing around, the boys get benches for us saying “the bench is here” and we, of course, sit down. They are obedient children (hint, hint) and are very sweet natured. Even the adults are just kind, sweet people. Yesterday, Irene and I were talking about what grew on the land of the school. She mentioned some kind of root, yams (which are purple), pumpkins (which are green) and maize. I had told her how much I like corn and everytime we pass a vendor on the street it smells so good. I also mentioned that I just had to try a jack fruit. They are really ugly but are supposedly really good. This morning Irene called for me to come to her. She had an ear of maize beside her that she had roasted this morning. It was so good. It was charred just a bit and chewy. It was almost like a corn flavored razzle. If you can get the picture. For those of you who like the barely popped kernels of popcorn at the bottom of the bag, you will like this maize. I hope I can roast corn like that when I get home. As well at lunch, they had gone to the village to get a ripe jack fruit. Theirs were not ripe enough yet. The little pieces looked like a sea animal but tasted like a smooth canteloupe but sweeter with maybe a touch of passion fruit or mango. It was yummy. They just go out of their way to make us feel welcome. At the lunch table I sat with Irene, Deborah and “Mama” (wife of Pastor Joel and mother to Deborah and Olivia). These women are amazing. “Mama” is so cool. I call her African Queen. She laughs. Just picture Eddie Murphy’s mom in Coming to America. That’s her…complete with the attire. She and Olivia prepare lunch for us each day. Today we had the ground nut paste and smashed bananas I had heard about from the Glisson’s. Didn’t try the bananas but tasted the paste. It was good. They serve it like our chow chow or relish. These three began to tell me about Esther. I have grown very attached to this little girl. I wanted to know her story. Her mom died during childbirth. The people who took care of her “did not care for her”. I asked more questions and found out that she had been beaten and not loved. Hearing this just broke my heart and tears ran down my face. I really didn’t want them to see me cry but I could not help it. Deborah saw and told them (in their language) what I believe to be “we are upsetting her”. They changed the subject. I could not stop thinking of this…this precious little girl who is about 4 or 5 who constantly sings or talks (in Lugandan) and is so loving…how could she be from such a bad past? She does not speak English except for counting and her abcs. She looks at me as if I understand her and I just smile and nod. Our relationship is totally built on touch…hugging, cuddling, rocking and hand holding. She loves being held and hugged. I love this child! Her face and smile is so sweet. Pictures will come later. Later in the day as the older kids did a craft project, I was holding Esther. “Mom” came over and said to her “In your heart, this is your mom” patting me on the leg. Esther just flashed one of her priceless smiles and looked up to me. I do worry about these kids. What will they become? Will they be able to follow their dreams? Will they live past 20 years old? Several had symptoms of malaria this week. They were hot and just laid around or on us. They give them preventative meds and treat the effected ones. One of our other little “lovies” is Love. She was burning up today. I think about when my kids were little and they were sick, I loved just snuggling with them and giving them fluids, etc. For instance, Caroline is at home sick and has been since I left on Sunday. That is hard for me. These kids are cared for but I sure wish they could get more individual attention. Alexis held Love most of the afternoon and just loved her. This little “diva” is usually doing her thing and going everywhere but today she was just not right. The teachers were pretty sure it was malaria but assured us she would be ok. Deborah approached me later saying “I see you from a distance and you look lonely and you are thinking a lot” and I knew what she meant…she meant preoccupied. And I was. She told me that they love these kids, they get fed the Bible, they teach them to love and they give them wisdom. She didn’t want me to worry. I know they are doing the best they can and I do know they love them, it’s just hard. I think of that song that says “Now that I have seen, I am responsible”. Just so much to take in. Oh, and on a much lighter note, I was also treated to my hair being braided (plated). I mentioned to one of the teachers (also Esther) that I needed to get my hair done while I was here (joking) and here she comes (through the fruits and vegetables) with two girls Laura and Fatumah. They braided my hair! The kids loved this and thought it was quite comical as they watched Auntie Kelli get her hair done. Ugh. I dread tomorrow and saying bye to these people especially, Esther. Wish I could taker her home with me. Can I?