West Heights UMC Watoto Mission Trip 2007

Coming home…

2007-06-19T21:33:00.000-04:00

I apologize for not posting an entry last night. Our days are very busy from early morning until bedtime. Yesterday was no exception – there just was not a good opportunity to write and post.

It was early to rise Monday morning to begin our journey home. Our last ride on the bus with our driver Joel and hosts Andrew and Melvin began at 6am, arriving at the Entebbe airport just before 7am. Everyone made it through the check-in process without incident. Much to our surprise, we were able to check our luggage all the way to Wichita even though we were staying overnight in London (our travel agent said we had to claim our luggage for security reasons – who knows?). Will it get there or not is the only remaining question. After purchasing a few more souvenirs at the airport (it’s hard to resist!), we made our way to the gate. There we noticed to the far right end of the airport a red carpet, viewing stand, military band, and soldiers marching in the morning sun. It turns out that the President of Uganda was returning from an East African conference. His private jet arrived just as we started to board but he did not deplane until we were on the plane so we were not able to see the ceremony. However, we knew it was underway because it delayed our flight approximately 1 hour (I guess he did not want our engines drowning out his speech).

Our flight was smooth and uneventful. I used the time to sort through approximately 1,000 photos; only 1,000 to go! We arrived at Heathrow Airport around 4:45pm and proceeded to the Comfort Hotel Heathrow via two minivans (they call them MVP’s) and two cars (it was a bit complicated but it worked). Four from our group, however, decided to visit downtown London and took the Tube instead. We did not see them until the next morning. After checking-in 23 people into 11 rooms (which took about 40 minutes), we ate dinner at the hotel. The food was modest but expensive – like everything in London these days. After a full tummy, most of us retired to get some sleep before awaking again by 6am.

The hotel room was pleasant but a bit warm for my taste (19° C with no ability to make it cooler. The beds had a bottom sheet and a rather thick comforter but no top sheet (much like it is in Germany). But, compared to our bed in Uganda, it was heaven. It was also nice to have a properly working bathroom with a shower head and water where the volume and temperature could be controlled. One unique thing about the bathroom was there is no concept of a washcloth. We each had a small hand towel and a large towel. Oh well, it was workable.

Some of us ate a buffet breakfast at the hotel, which was quite good, although very expensive. We then arranged for a special bus to take us directly to Terminal 4 for £4 per person. It was a straight shot and worked well. Check-in is always a hassle but we all ended up at the right gate and the right time and boarded our last international flight for this trip. Now, as long as the concept of an airfoil holds true, we should be back in the good ‘ol USA by Tuesday 2pm CDT. Then, we begin the process of assimilating ourselves back into our busy lives and its various distractions and pleasures. We will think often of our friends back in Uganda and the children who changed our lives once again.

Written by: Dave Glover

Our final day in Uganda…

2007-06-17T13:51:00.000-04:00

We began our last full day in Uganda with another outstanding breakfast buffet. Most of us ate more than we should have (typical American over abundance). We took the ferry back across the Victoria Nile and drove to the top of Murchinson Falls, about one hour away. What a majestic place! I have never seen a waterfall with so much power and beauty as this (see picture). Sorry, Colorado!

After taking many photos we had a short church service in a small woody area. Andi led the group in several praise songs which was followed by a few scripture verses from Brenda Heard. Brenda also conducted communion with elements that had been blessed at East Heights UMC before the trip. Each person in turn served the person next to them. We concluded with a moving prayer by Andrew, our host. It was the perfect way and place to conclude our mission.

We then began the torturous 5 hour bus ride back to Kampala. The roads were either under construction (there is no way to describe it) or full of huge potholes. It was very rough and slow going. In addition, a handful of people were not feeling well either (sore backs or upset tummies). So, it was a long 5 hours, but we made it back safe and sound to the “luxury” Kampala Regency Hotel. Of course, there was no power and some rooms had no water. All pretty standard fare.

Tomorrow morning we leave the hotel at 6am to catch our 9am flight to London where we will stay overnight and return on Tuesday (scheduled for 6:35pm on American flight 4428 from Chicago). We are anxious to get home to our friends and loved ones and to reacquaint ourselves with some of the comforts we are accustomed to.

In summary, our mission has been an outstanding success in all respects, all due to God’s good graces. We completed two Watoto homes, met new friends there (workers, house moms, children, and staff), were reunited with friends from two years ago, developed a bond of fellowship between the team members, are returning healthy and with many fond memories, and saw the majesty, beauty, and diversity of God’s creation. As always, the children touched us deeply and reminded us of why God called us to this place: to bring back the hope and justice that had been stripped from their lives. Their smiles and the gleam in their eyes tell me all I need to know.

Written by: Dave Glover

(P.S. Happy Father's Day to all of you Dad's out there)

Murchinson Falls and more…

2007-06-16T14:39:00.000-04:00

A quick update from last night… After posting yesterday’s blog, I took my first real shower in over 10 days. While shaving, I heard a rumble (like baboons running across the roof). But, then the floor started to shift back and forth and I knew it was either King Kong or an earthquake, and the latter was much more likely. I would classify it as a moderate earthquake, making it feel like the lodge was built on stilts. Wow - what will we experience next???

After a hefty buffet breakfast, we boarded a double-decker boat and traveled two hours upstream on the Victoria Nile to view Murchinson Falls from the bottom. There, the water of the Victoria Nile is compressed into a gorge only 6 meters wide before cascading 40 meters into the rocks below (see picture). It was spectacular! Along the way, we saw many hippos, cape buffalo and crocodiles. There was one small beach where there must have been 20+ crocs soaking up the sun with their mouths open (to cool themselves). It’s named “The Crocodile Bar”.

Upon returning, we ate lunch and cooled off in the swimming pool. At 4pm, we went on our second game drive. We had seen so many animals the day before we didn’t think it could get any better; but it did. We got within 20’ of a lioness sleeping in the shade of a tree (see picture). What a beautiful animal! We also saw a very large herd of giraffes crossing the road in front us; there must be 30 or more in all. On a smaller scale, many monitor lizards of various sizes were seen scurrying about. It was another outstanding venture into the Africa veldt.

Rachelle Depew did not go on today’s game drive due to a sore back. When we returned for dinner, she had quite a story to tell. Our host, Andrew, had warned us about not leaving our deck sliding doors open when we leave the room because baboons had been known to come in and take things. Well, I guess she had her deck door open and proceeded to the bathroom. She left the bathroom door ajar and noticed a hand (but not a human hand) grab the first aid kit she had left on the dresser. To say the least, that got her attention. I guess she let out a sound of some kind (use your imagination) and closed the bathroom door. When she got the courage to come out, the baboon had dropped the first aid kit and had fled to the deck where it promptly disappeared upon seeing Rachelle. It was a close call because next to the first aid kit was her purse with her passport, etc. Yikes! Anyway, all ended well.

I’ll be back in a few minutes… Okay, I’m back. While I was writing this, I heard music and singing outdoors. It turns out that the safari lodge had an authentic African musical group come and perform around a campfire for us. There were three men playing various string instruments and five ladies who danced and sang. We all got into the action and ended up hot, sweaty, and out of breath – but it was a lot of fun! My knees will tell a different story in the morning.

Well, we leave early tomorrow morning to return to Kampala. The safari excursion was outstanding!

Written by: Dave Glover

What a zoo!

2007-06-15T14:13:00.000-04:00

Today, we began to wind down. We left for safari at 5am and arrived at the Paraa Safari Lodge a bit after noon. It was a rough ride across pot-hole ridden roads that resembled a roller coaster at times. Luckily, we took two large buses, so everyone had plenty of room along with their luggage. As we neared the lodge, we spotted several groups of baboons feasting along the road. To get to the lodge, we had to cross the Victoria Nile via ferry, which was nothing more than a large motorized metal platform capable of hauling two vehicles and their passengers. The river is wide and rapidly flows north and west from Lake Victoria into Lake Albert which then feeds the Albert Nile. We were greeted by four hippos at the ferry landing poking their heads just above the water.

Our rooms are luxurious and overlook the Victoria Nile and swimming pool. It is an incredibly gorgeous view; lush with jungle and high plateaus in the distance. I can hardly wait for the sunset! Our host advised us not to leave our deck doors ajar as baboons like to snatch whatever they can get their hands on and zoom – they’re gone! We ate lunch on a second story outdoor deck and watched multi-colored lizards bob their heads to frighten us (it didn’t work). Afterwards, we took a heavenly dip in the pool and relaxed for an hour or so before we prepared for our first game drive.

This afternoon, we took the two buses out for a 3 hour game drive. Each bus had a park ranger that spotted for animals and provided a lot of information. It was outstanding! We saw lots of baboons, warthogs, giraffe, cape buffalo, kob, elephants, oribi (smallest antelope), water buck, hatabeast (sp?), a monkey, and two lions (one male and one female). The lion encounter was particularly exciting. The male was lying in the shade by a clump of tall grass in the middle of open land. He awoke and moved into the grass. We were at the point where we needed to turn around and when we did, the park ranger suggested we drive closer to the grass in which he was laying. So, both buses essentially encircled the grassy area – we were within 15-20 feet of him! Then, they revved their engines to try to flush him out. Plus, everyone was hanging out the windows taking pictures and video! Frankly, I thought we were being a bit careless – I could just see that lion getting a bit irritated by it all and charging the bus. But, instead, he got up and ran the other direction and then settled down again. We took more pictures and video and then moved on. It was a spectacular sequence of events! Overall, the game drive was excellent.

We returned to the lodge and had a wonderful dinner on the outdoor deck of soup, salad, beef, and chocolate/almond balls for dessert. On a full tummy, I retreated to my room to compose this blog with hopes of getting to bed early.

Written by: Dave Glover

West Heights UMC Watoto House #2 is complete!

2007-06-14T14:53:00.000-04:00

Please excuse the rather straight-forward entry for today – it’s been a busy day, the day is rapidly coming to an end and we need to be up at 4am tomorrow morning…

We awoke this morning to a cloudy but mild day, ready to finish the work on our teacher’s house. Yesterday, the Ugandan workers had completed placing the “beams” across the top of the outside window and door openings. The beams were really wooden boxes enclosing rebar that was filled with mortar to form a solid mass to support the remaining rows of bricks. The mortar cured overnight and we were ready to finish the brick work.

We laid brick until 10:45am and then proceeded to the other side of Bbira village to dedicate the East Heights children’s home that was completed yesterday. The dedication was very moving; consisting of an opening prayer by Robert (the construction supervisor), a song by the workers, followed by two songs from our team (with drums and other musical instruments purchased as souvenirs), dedication prayers by Watoto and Brenda Heard (East Heights UMC), comments to the workers (which Brenda did in Lugandan – a first for Watoto!), and a closing prayer by the village manager. The workers then lined up and everyone shook hands and gave hugs. That is always a special time. After many photographs, we proceeded back to the West Heights teacher’s home for its dedication.

The format was the same with our songs led by Andi Schomaker with a dedication prayer and worker comments given by me. We thanked all of the workers (our new brothers) and concluded with many pictures. The workers especially enjoyed getting Polaroid pictures of themselves with one of our team members. Even the security guard got in the act. You could feel God’s presence throughout.

We proceeded back to KPC to get our valuables to prepare for safari. On the way, we stopped to purchase a few hand brooms as souvenirs. Kids crowded/pushed around the bus to receive candy. We had quite a scare when the bus driver pulled away to leave not knowing how close the kids were to the bus. It turns out that one of the mothers complained to the police that the bus ran over her child’s foot. We stopped just up the road and spent 30 minutes or so while the bus driver and our Watoto hosts worked out the details with the police. The child will be fine and we will never know if the bus really did cause the injury. To say the least, some money exchanged hands.

At KPC, we had a debriefing and saw a newly formed Watoto Children’s Choir being instructed. We had a chance to meet them and we sang them a song in Lugandan, which they found amusing. I also met Douglas Sagali again (sponsored by Family & Faith Sunday school class) and was able to capture a video of him thanking them for the gift they sent. We went back to the hotel to prepare for an appreciation dinner given by Watoto, but once again there were water problems in the hotel: some with no water, some with only hot water, others with only cold water. At 7pm, we began dinner at Fang Fang Restaurant, a wonderful Chinese restaurant. We were greeted by Pastor Franco and his wife Faith. He is the pastor for KPC South and has been with KPC since the beginning. It was a very enjoyable dinner and celebration of our mission. Watoto is a real class act!

Now, it’s off to bed to arise at 4:00am to begin our trip to safari. Our time here is nearing an end. We look forward to coming home and being with all of you, but, like last time, a part of us will forever remain in Uganda. The work that is being done here is truly wonderful and we are blessed to be a part of it. The next entry will be from western Uganda in the African Veldt. Until then...

Written by: Dave Glover

Our house is almost complete!

2007-06-13T13:28:00.000-04:00

I slept like a baby last night after our hard work yesterday. So, when the sun peaked through our windows today – I was alive and ready to go. I am a morning person – the ones some people, like Tamera, love to hate. But this morning we were both singing and ready to face the hard day of work ahead of us. We arrived at the work site around 8AM only to discover that we beat the workers there. Aren’t we a bunch of overachievers? Next time, we will be sleeping an extra 15 minutes.

Our teacher’s home is progressing nicely. We completed the outside wall; which is 21 rows high. In order to reach that high, we had to be on scaffolding that I didn’t completely trust. This was the first day I climbed up on the scaffolds. To be honest, they scared me a little. I am not scared of heights but I am totally afraid that one would crash beneath my feet only to leave me flying through the air. (A mental picture for all you visual learners.) But I am still alive and well, so I guess that means that scaffolding is possibly in my future.

Time for lunch! As we headed to the shelter for yummy lunch of PB&J – Joseph, the foreman of our team, sat down next to me and felt like talking. So, I sat and learned all about his family and some of the practices in Uganda. My favorite was the marriage process. Once a woman is found that a man desires to marry and the feelings are reciprocated then the dowry is discussed. Usually the payment is in cows or goats and a multitude of household items such as salt and sugar. For example, Joseph paid one goat, a bag of sugar, bag of salt and a few other items I couldn’t understand to his wife’s family. He also mentioned that the church service is for her family and their friends but his family may not attend. Joseph has been married for six years and has two beautiful boys ages 3 and 5.

Of course, only to make things more interesting, God decided that we needed a bit of rain while working today. It started right after our lunch break and sprinkled lightly for about an hour. It made us slow down a little and be more cautious but the temperature was great. Cool with no humidity. We also completed the archways in the house while a couple of Ugandan workers put up the support beams on the front and back outside walls. These are a necessary step since our teacher’s home will be a 2-story building.

As we finished our work day, we were informed that a group of international dignitaries will be touring our house tomorrow so a quick clean up of the work site was required. Out of all the houses to tour – they chose ours. Just another opportunity for us to help Watoto shine and attract outside resources.

Once everything on the site was completed – the fun began. First, we started with Jeffrey; dancing his heart out to our clapping and cheering. Of course, Andi and I took it upon ourselves to keep his pants from falling down. They were way too big and he didn’t have a belt – so every once in a while Andi and I would each pull up on one of his belt loops. Seems a bit motherly for me – but we didn’t want him to get embarrassed and quit dancing. Next was a musical lesson from Issacks. He is the foreman from the other team next to us but has taken quite a liking to some of us. We learned (or at least attempted) two Ugandan songs. Both upbeat and fun with enthusiastic clapping throughout. We are going to try and sing one of them tomorrow at the house dedication service.

The drive home to the hotel is always a treat as there is usually something new to see or smell. Today takes the cake. How many completely different things can you fit in the back of a truck? How about cows inside, people on top, bananas all around and tires hanging from the sides. What a sight!

We arrive at the hotel safe and sound (God Bless Joel – our driver!) only to discover that they are refilling the water tanks and we are unable to take showers. So, here I sit stinking and dirty writing to you. No offense – but I would have preferred a shower first.

That’s it for today from me. I am having the time of my life, learning all about a new culture and meeting some wonderful people. Hope all is well at home.

Written by: Libbi Hamilton

A Dark Tuesday Morning

2007-06-12T13:51:00.000-04:00

We awoke this morning to darkness; the power was out and had been all night. By breakfast time, they had it back on. Thank goodness, we did not have to eat by flashlight. We got to the ice stop and waited for thirty minutes while Joel, our driver, bought and chipped our ice. We were entertained by the children standing around waiting to receive candy and gum. A second bus pulled in and they immediately said bye and ran for sweets from them.

The first thing we did at the work site was to form another brick line, of course. Even Kelci was catching and throwing the bricks at times. We moved to the interiors walls today and work was slow. It seemed that we spent a lot of time waiting for corners to be built or workers to check to make sure things were level. I think everyone was a little tired today. We were provided with entertainment by the team building next to us. They sang hymns while passing bricks. Libby had several of us playing a game of “I Spy” with her. “I spy something yellow, Libby.” A bobcat at the building site ended up in the jungle trying to get unstuck from the mud after dumping a load of bricks. It ended up going down the hill into the jungle and having to come back up by another road. We weren’t sure it would ever make it out of there!

After lunch, Michael from the other site came over to visit. Michael worked with us in 2005 in Subbi. He brought a picture that he had of the 2005 team to show us. He was very proud of it – like a keepsake. Dave had brought along copies of a group picture of the team and all the workers. Michael pointed out a few workers who still work for Watoto. He was excited when we gave the picture to him. Leta, a Canadian team stopped at our site with some information for Dave. Fred Kabubi had sent his cell phone number and his housemother’s for you.

Our afternoon at the worksite ended early today. Several team members needed to go to KPC to get money to exchange. While waiting at KPC for everyone to return to the bus, Kelci and I saw Joshua with baby Philip in the parking lot. We had another good visit with him. I informed Andrew, that he had big shoes to fill on Safari. And then we went to do some more shopping. We arrived back at the hotel with barely enough time to clean up for dinner at 7:00. Tomorrow will be our last full day on the work site – and will be a busy one to get everything done. Pray the rain stays away for one more day.

Written by Terry Glover

Just your typical Monday!

2007-06-11T14:25:00.000-04:00

Today was like any other Monday – didn’t want to get out of bed and go to work. We got started this morning with breakfast at 6:30AM. Then off to the work site we go. Since it rained a lot yesterday, we were not looking forward to the muddy mess we would find at the site. There were lots of puddles around but really it didn’t create many problems – the building must go on. God did bless us with wonderful weather. We were lucky to have cloud cover for most of the morning and even when the sun popped out it was not unbearable. Although the sun was cooperating, a few of us got a little bit red even with the use of sunscreen.

On Friday, we had completed most of the lower level rows of bricks – so today, we were in for a new treat. Scaffolding. We were thrilled to see that we had sturdy, metal braces instead of the wooden stick scaffolding we saw as we drove through town. Most of the brave team members got on the scaffolding and proceeded to build the higher rows of brick. I, on the other hand, did a lot of the hauling of bricks and mortar from the ground. I was blessed with two new nicknames today – Mortar Girl and Omusenyu (Lugandan for mortar) Mama. It was really fun to see the workers get in on the fun. I would take them supplies and they would say “Thanks, Mama!” Hard work today but we always have a great time and spend time with new and interesting people.

Some of the team did make a small journey tonight. Right close to the hotel is two small supermarkets. We went in the first one and realized that they didn’t have any electricity. There were candles throughout the store – interesting and dangerous all at the same time. The second market had generator power and a much bigger selection. Dave purchased a few of the treats that were produced in Kampala and allowed us all to try some at supper. Although they were not bad, nothing can beat an Oreo.

Although some, or most of the team, may be tired and a bit sore, today went very well, lots of good progress was made on the house, as well as on the spiritual journey that we are all embracing by participating in this adventure in Uganda. We are being blessed each day, weather we see it or not; God’s hand is guiding, holding, and protecting us. AMEN!

Written by Libbi Hamilton and Tamera Worman

Worshipping in Kampala

2007-06-10T13:14:00.000-04:00

We began our morning with a blessed two extra hours of sleep followed by our traditional breakfast of fresh pineapple and watermelon, nearly-clear orange juice, eggs (poached today) with white yolks, toast, and coffee. We all dressed “smart” for church – no shorts allowed. Good thing I went shopping yesterday and bought a skirt. I thought it was a traditional African skirt, but I was informed that it is a traditional white-woman-visiting-Africa skirt. Oh well, I like it.

The KPC, Kampala Pentecostal Church (which runs Watoto), is one church with 5 campuses: central, north, south, east, and west. Think of it like the university set-ups: main campus and several smaller locations. Each church follows the same format for each service with the same sermons, music, etc.

KPC Central is in downtown Kampala, not far from our hotel. I would estimate that the sanctuary is about twice as big as West Heights’ and it was packed! They began the service with praise singers, musicians and the choir leading the congregation in praise songs projected on a large screen. These Ugandans love their praise music – they jump and dance and sing their hearts out! It was definitely an aerobic event – “Sweating for Jesus.”

Unfortunately, the sermon was not preached by Pastor Gary, the founder of KPC; he is currently on leave for a month. We were blessed to have Pastor Franco Onaga for the KPC South campus there with us. They are currently in a series on Practical Living; today was “What to Do When You Sin.” The service was really not any different than you might see in the U.S.; I found it to be very similar to the services at Westlink Christian – other than the songs in Swahili.

After the 2 hour service (his sermon was longer than Pastor Cindy’s has ever been), we drove to Bbira Village in the rain. Has it been mentioned that these roads are clay? Do you know what clay roads do in the rain? It was a scary drive but we made it! We had lunch in eight of the children’s homes, 3 or 4 of us in each. We had traditional foods (I could identify rice and beans) and I believe everyone enjoyed it. I learned that they eat one variety of bananas the way we eat potatoes, rice, and pasta – they are steamed, smashed and used like mashed potatoes. The taste was similar.

The children were shy at first but then were singing and dancing for us. It was exciting to see what a children’s home looks like when it is completed and lived in by 8 kids and a mom. I don’t know how they do it: 9 people in 900 square feet and one bathroom!

After Bbira we drove to the original Watoto village of Buloba. We interacted with the children and mothers there and had a chance to talk in depth with the village supervisor.

Tomorrow we build again, so we are resting up tonight. It should be very interesting to build in the mud – there should be some good pictures out of it!

We are thinking of you all and are blessed by your prayers. As Dave says, God is good, all the time.

Written by Rachelle Depew

Babies, babies and more babies!

2007-06-09T13:46:00.000-04:00

Leta this blog is for you. Twenty-seven babies! We held, rocked, played with and loved on every one of them. I thought of you the entire 3 hours. Most of them had stories that would curl your hair. Hope’s parents tried to sacrifice her to the gods. They said she had not been eating and wasn’t putting on any weight, and just now had started eating a little. Moses was the first baby to come to the Bulrushes. We got to play with him and meet his two name sakes, Moses Jr. (they were dressed alike) and Dr. Moses. He got his name because he had been in the hospital. His mom tried to kill him and he came in with many broken ribs and a broken arm. Jerome was abandoned at a local hospital and has cerebral palsy. Kevin was blind but otherwise healthy. Those are just a few of the stories. I know what a downer this sounds like, but you had to be there. There were so many smiles and happy faces and full tummies – the only downer was thinking about where they would have been if they hadn’t been brought to the Bulrushes.

After the best baby fix I have ever had, we proceeded on to Subbi Village where we built our first house. Wow, were we ever mobbed by kids, many of whom we remembered. We met 5 of the girls who are living in our house and the house mom. The other 3 girls are on tour in the Midwest. We visited and brought gifts to several sponsored children and moms and got great pictures for all you wonderful sponsors. Leta, Fred asked us to wait until he went in and changed before we took his picture for you. You can dry your eyes later.

A local craft village was our next stop and by the number of packages I saw being carried back on the bus, any of you who are expecting gifts will not be disappointed.

Written by Andi Schomaker

Hot, tired, and sweaty!

2007-06-08T14:15:00.000-04:00

We spent our first night in the Kampala Regency Hotel on a bed that feels like it is made out of concrete. I have no idea what they stuff the mattress with – and I probably don’t want to know. The beds were also equipped with a mosquito net, unlike two years ago but there is little sign yet of mosquitoes being a problem. It is still the rainy season here so perhaps that’s why. Anyway, it felt good to get a real night’s sleep in a bed.

We awoke this morning at 6am (10pm Thursday Wichita time), ate a breakfast of fruit, juice, eggs, cereal, sausage, and bread and departed for the work site at 7am. We arrived at Bbira Children’s Village by 8am and dropped off most of the non-West Heights UMC team at the children’s home build site. Much to my surprise, there was Michael – one of the worker’s we worked with two years ago in Suubi Village. We both recognized each other and had a few minutes to get reacquainted before proceeding to the West Heights teacher’s home work site. It is a fair distance from the Bbira school/homes, and from any restrooms which was problematic for the ladies. We were greeted by a concrete slab and one row of bricks outlining all of the walls. The structure is a two story 4-plex, with 2 homes on each floor. West Heights is building one of the ground floor homes to house a teacher’s family. Another team will build the other ground-level home. It has two bedrooms, a bathroom, kitchen, and living area. I would estimate square footage at approximately 900sf. Just like last time, we spent the first hour moving bricks from a big pile into organized stacks around the site by forming a human brick line. They are smaller bricks than they use in a children’s home and are made almost entirely out of clay, which is a stronger brick for the two story design. A demonstration was given as to how to lay the bricks and then we proceeded to get down and dirty! By the way, the bricks are laid differently: the ends are facing outward and inward, not side-to-side. This makes for a wider and stronger wall. The work site is situated in a bit of a valley, providing very little wind. The sun was out in full force and it got hot! But, everyone was a real trooper and kept after it. We ate lunch consisting of sandwiches that we made and containers of fresh fruit provided by the hotel – no “from the market” pineapple this time. We worked until 4:30pm and finished the day with 5 out of a total 18 rows complete. That’s approximately 1,000 bricks. Believe it or not, we are probably ahead of schedule! Tomorrow is a rest day consisting of seeing the Watoto Babies Home, visiting Suubi Village, and then shopping for souvenirs (i.e. helping the local economy). We should be rejuvenated and ready to go for Monday! Hope all is going well back home!
Written by Dave Glover

Now we are going to give you the female perspective! When Dave said we got “down and dirty” – what he meant was – we literally got down on the ground and literally got dirty; red clay dirt just like Oklahoma – and we mean dirt everywhere – Terry even got some in her ears! And although the dirt being a reddish tint could at times pass as a bad tan - we did get lots of sun and have some crazy tan lines. Lots of hard work and when we were done for the day – a shower has never felt so good.

The hotel – much nicer than we expected considering the economic situation in Uganda. We do have air conditioning and it works – Yeah! The shower on the other hand, varies from room to room, all having problems just of a different sort. Ours has no shower curtain and only a hand held showerhead and others, we heard, have very low water pressure or worse all three problems combined. Tile floors with lots of storage complete the hotel room – if you can see them – the lighting is awful! Mom would definitely not approve of me reading my book in this dim of light. Ever tried to look at yourself in the mirror – well, then we hope you brought a flashlight so you can see more than a shadow of your face.

Traffic is unbelievable! 15 million people live in Kampala and they have only four stoplights! We have only seen one so far that works. But somehow, life goes on. There is no road rage and speeding through the city. You can’t go anywhere without the cooperation of the vehicles around you. Trying to make a right hand turn (remember they drive on the other side of the road – so a left hand turn for us) other buses, motorcycles, and bikes must stop and let you in. Our driver has done a wonderful job of getting us to places on time and safe.

Now what have we learned so far? #1 How lucky we are to live in the United States and that most of us have a standard of living that far surpasses what we see here. I knew that we would see shocking scenes but I just didn’t know how much harder it would be it see it in person. Yesterday, we were driving home from the KPC (Kampala Pentecostal Church) and we were followed down the street by beggars. Not adults! Small children would follow our bus for blocks. We were advised not to give them anything because drugs are rampant in Uganda. It was heartbreaking.
Written by Libbi Hamilton and Tamera Worman

Uganda, here we come!

2007-06-07T11:58:00.000-04:00

We rendezvoused with Libbi and Tamera at the London airport gate to complete the team. Our flight departed London on schedule and without incident (unlike 2 years ago). Most of us slept very well (although not long enough) after long hikes in London and a full tummy. We arrived at the Entebbe airport on schedule along with all of our luggage! One of many miracles yet to come, I’m sure. We were greeted by Watoto: Andrew – our host for the trip, Melvin – an up-and-coming host (today was his first day on the job), and Joel – our driver. All three of them are super nice people and we hit it off right away. Last but not least, we got our wish from the last trip – a BIGGER BUS (see picture)!! It seats all of us fine and even has a working air conditioner. After a prayer by Andrew, we left to exchange money and get a bite to eat. Along the way, Andrew memorized everyone’s names and was able to recite them at will. We were duly impressed! As tired as we were, he kept us awake with very interesting information about Uganda, Watoto, himself, etc. We are looking forward to spending more time with these fine gentlemen. We arrived at the Kampala Regency Hotel (don’t get any ritzy pictures in your mind) where we stayed in 2005 and it had not changed much. After off-loading the supplies we brought, we proceeded to the Garden Shopping Center to exchange currency into Ugandan shillings (1,700 shilling to the dollar). We partook of ice cream and light food and then went to KPC for orientation. There, we were reacquainted with staff members (Brenda – coordinator of teams and Robert - construction) and met some new faces as well. It was fun to see them again. The orientation covered the history of KPC, Watoto, and future plans, which includes building many more homes and schools in the existing villages. It is good to see continued expansion because the need is so great. After orientation, we watched a future Watoto choir practice and were able to meet some of the children – always a hit! Finally, we returned to the hotel to relax and take our first shower since Tuesday. Tomorrow we begin construction, so stayed tuned for more adventures to come!
Written by Dave Glover

Where’s Kelci?

2007-06-07T11:55:00.000-04:00

Okay, before you freak out, it’s not as bad as it might sound. Now, on with the story… After going through customs in London, we purchased a group day ticket on the Tube (the name of their train/subway) to see the sights in downtown London. Just by chance, our group ended up in three different cars of one train. Terry, Dave, Andi, and Rachelle were in a car and Kelci was in one of the other cars with other team members. The groups could see each other but could not communicate. Our plan before we left the train station was to get off at the Picadilly Circus stop and go from there. For reasons unimportant now, the other two groups unexpectedly got off two stops early – with Kelci! Terry, Dave, Andi, and Rachelle did not realize it in time and remained on the train! Oops. So there they were waving at us while we were staring out at them. There was a brief freak out period by an individual not to be named. We also realized that Terry had Kelci’s ticket to get out of the turnstile at the train stop. Double oops. There were several ways we could have hooked up but it just wasn’t in the cards. So, both groups went about their sightseeing always watchful for the other group. We never hooked up again until we all got back to the airport; reunited once again. So, the headcount remains 23 as we prepare for the last leg of our trip – Uganda.

Written by Dave Glover

We’re off! So, are the Glover’s going or not?

2007-06-07T11:48:00.000-04:00

The team met promptly at the Wichita airport at 2pm; all 21 of us, 42 checked bags, and 21 carry on pieces. Pastor Mehl dropped by to wish us Godspeed and it was much appreciated. After a team picture, we checked in without incident until the Glover’s arrived at the counter. Somehow, this first leg of our journey was “deleted” from the computer system; it had something to do with Libbi and Tamera leaving early. It will one of those unsolved mysteries. Anyway, after approximately 14,458 steps to fix it, all was well. The flight to Chicago left on-time at 4:40pm and was otherwise uneventful – which is a good thing these days.

We arrived in Chicago on schedule and proceeded to appropriate terminal. Of course, we had to leave the secured area and re-enter after receiving our boarding passes for our next two British Airways legs of the trip. All went well until Brenda Schewe tried to get through security with a boarding pass having Andi Schomaker’s name. Hmmm… But Andi went through security before her just fine! As it turns out, the British Airways counter agent issued two boarding passes for Andi Schomaker! Who wrote this software anyway? We left Chicago on-time at 8:30pm and arrived in London at 10am Wednesday June 6, dog tired but ready to see the sites.

Written by Dave Glover

2007-06-04T17:44:00.001-04:00

An amazing thing happened this past week… We learned that the Watoto Children’s Choir was performing in Tulsa (3 hours away from Wichita) Friday evening June 1. In addition, the adult who we hosted in January 2004 when they were in Wichita (Auntie Daisy) was with this choir. We developed a friendship with Daisy and visited her when we were in Uganda in June 2005. Having her this close to us was a great opportunity to see her again. So, Kelci and I decided to travel to Tulsa to see the choir perform and visit Daisy. When we arrived, God had an even bigger surprise waiting for us! Talking to the children, we learned most of them were from Suubi Village, where we built house #77 in June 2005. On a lark, I asked if any of them happened to live in house #77. To our complete amazement, 3 of the girls call that house home!! We had never heard nor seen pictures of who moved into that house and now, two years later and less than one week before our return trip, 3 of those children stood before us!! How wonderful!! Their names are Lydia, Elizabeth, and Lovinsa and are pictured above. We hugged, greeted one another with excitement and took pictures. It was an emotional moment. Their beautiful smiles, gleaming eyes and happy voices are ones of true joy and hope for the future – the very essence of what Watoto and our mission are all about. We could not have asked for a more fitting way to start our trip. One of our goals for the trip was to meet the entire family living in Suubi house #77 and it looks like that will become a reality when we meet the other 5 girls and housemother while in Uganda. If this event is any indication of things to come, it’s going to be one heck of a trip. Stay tuned!!

Written by Dave Glover

2007-04-15T21:52:00.000-04:00

Greetings from the West Heights UMC Watoto Mission Team! The purpose of this journal is to keep our friends and family up-to-date with our June 2007 Uganda mission trip. We plan to post daily entries once we reach Uganda and hope you will enjoy following our travels. Keep us in your thoughts and prayers as we response to God’s calling to bring true hope and justice to the orphaned children of Uganda.

West Heights was first graced by the Watoto Children’s Choir in January 2004 and responded to that amazing encounter by funding and constructing a Watoto Children’s Home in July 2005. It was a life-changing experience for all involved. Since returning, we have been fundraising and preparing for our 2007 return trip to build a teacher’s home. We await our departure on Tuesday June 5 with great anticipation!

Our traveling team is 23 strong (vs. 10 in 2005) with Watoto friends from four local churches: West Heights UMC, East Heights UMC, Maize UMC, and College Hill UMC. These churches hosted the Watoto Children’s Choir in June 2006 and were touched, like us, by their music and message of love and hope. In response to that calling, East Heights UMC has funded and will be building their first Watoto Children’s Home! Congratulations, East Heights! Their experience will be recorded on their website (see link to the right).

Behind all us is a vast support group of friends, family, co-workers, and church members. We are deeply grateful for all they have done to make this trip possible. THANK YOU!!

To date, the West Heights UMC Watoto Team has raised $20,600. Those gifts will be used as follows:
Teacher’s house $15,000 Watoto room & board in Uganda $2,400Team travel assistance $990Watoto home furnishings $900Missionary travel insurance $290Uganda entry visa $210Ugandan driver/worker tips $200Construction supplies $160House dedication plaque $50

Written by Dave Glover