Progress

Foundation dug

What is missing?

Not bad for guessing

The school of Jjogo is progressing! They dug the footer by hand in one day thanks to 15 hard workers. Today they are building the foundation. The contractor wants to be done in two months, which is wonderful, if it can happen.  We are trusting God to have it done in his time and provide the funds to finish in his frame.
I made brownies to take to the Sozi's for dinner in our oven yesterday. I had to guess the temperature because the oven only shows a flame on a knob.  They came out great and we did not return from dinner with any!

The First Supper

Spaghetti 

We need a can opener, or Joel could keep using a hammer and knife

Dinner is served

Clean ice and very cold Coke

First movie as a family

I cooked dinner tonight for the first time in over month at the farm. We had spaghetti and it tasted just like I had made it at home! Jacob ate three big plates. I found a few items in the kitchen that I need to purchase, like a can opener. Joel, the young man who is helping us right now, got a knife and a hammer and got the can opened enough to get out the tomatoes though. Ben had bottled water ice from our freezer in his Coke and said it was the coldest Coke he had had in a month. Looked so good I had to join him! After dinner, while waiting for a generator to arrive so we could fire up the water heater for showers because the one we have is not properly working, we put in a movie. Please pray that we are able to solve the generator issue quickly. For now we are trying to repair the one, but may have to buy a new which runs about $1500.

We Shifted!

We have now shifted or you could say moved to the Farm. Hooray! I still have a lot organizing to do, but will have to take it in stages, as we have also started homeschooling. Abigail and Elizabeth have really been wanting to begin and so today was the day. It was a half day so we could ease into this new adventure. It went very well. So very thankful for great curriculum that lays everything out for me. I am going to have to work on scheduling all four children so I am able to work individually with them on their grade level, but I know that will get easier. The children were so cute, they waited at the school room door for me to enter, just like at a school. I am blessed to be able to have this special time with them.  God has made each one so unique and gifted. I am praying their minds and hearts grow in His wisdom and knowledge. May he use each one for his glory!

Our school room

First Day 

Ready to Learn

One Happy Momma!

Out building

First Successful Load of Laundry

A few of my Favorite Things

Organizing Our School 

We were able to wash and dry by machine our first load of laundry today and I am thrilled. Thanks to my very talented husband who dedicated himself to figuring out the inverter, batteries, and generator.  I have said if I was going to live in Africa I would be so blessed to have Ben by my side and today I am. So we now have electricity to run the refrigerator, water heater, lights, washer and dryer, all the things this spoiled Muzungu thinks she needs. We spent the afternoon unpacking our school supplies and organizing. I also unpacked some photos of our family and friends so they are always with us. Makes me smile to see all their faces! Our PCA family began their school year today and that is very bitter sweet, but we pray God's continuing blessing upon them all. Abigail and Elizabeth are ready to start school too, so we will begin next Monday for sure. They are all ready for some sort of routine. We will go back tomorrow for more unpacking:)

For Mr. Mike

Before

 Well it has been 4 weeks since we landed in Uganda and the boys were beginning to look very shaggy. Ben found some clippers at Game, our Target here, and thought we should try them. Let us know what you think. I don't think we did that bad.  Ben said no one here knows how it is suppose to look anyway. HAHAHAH! Mr. Mike we will definitely be back to Nexgen in December!

Daddy started and Mommy finished up

So handsome

Daddy's Turn

Laughing at my skills

My Honey

Swimming

Summer Fun!

Learning to swim

Saturday afternoon the children went swimming at a pool right down the lane from the Sozi's. It belongs to an engineer who charges a fee for swimming. It was about $3 for our four children. The water was clear, so I am praying all the right chemicals were being used. Fun was had by all, although it was a bit cool. The temperatures here have been in the 70's. The best part for Ben and I was watching two ladies learning how to swim from their friends.  We imagined it was probably the first time they had every been in so much water. They were very entertaining! They laughed and had a great time. Swimming is something we will definitely do again!

Through the Bush

On Wednesday this week we set out on our own for the first time to run some errands. We had lunch at Cafe Java's one of our new favorites spots and then went to one of the big stores to pick up a washer and dryer. Now if only they were hooked up! We did great driving around town. Ben is a wonderful driver in all the madness of traffic. 

Our dirt path

On Thursday we traveled to Rakai to visit Divine Grace. Ben's real reason for going was to check on the progress of the clinic extension.  We have only been to DG once this trip and we followed a bus that time. Ben was very excited to have his cell phone with internet working that has GPS that does goggle maps in Uganda. Praise God for technology! Ben typed in the town and we had direction. The children and I were not going to miss this opportunity to see all our friends at DG, so we were up at 4 and on the road by 5. Now at 5 it was still dark, so it makes it hard to see if any thing looks familiar, and the sides of the roads here all look the same anyway! Well after awhile we realized we had gone the wrong way, we were not where the GPS said we needed to be, so Ben reroutes us and we find ourselves traveling down a small dirt path going turn by turn through the bush of Uganda. Thank God the GPS showed us the entire way on these paths, there were times it was a just walking path. After a half hour or so we made it to the main road we thought we had been traveling on, and were at last on the way to DG.

Progress of Clinic

Teaching Spiders and Flies to the P3 class

Abigail and Rachel teaching a song to Baby Class

Up and Down

Rachel teaching Baby Class

Break Time

Sweet prayers going up to the Father

 

Jacob joining in a game of football

Once again we had a great day at the school! On the way home we stopped by the equator and had a coke.  Then back to the Sozi's, this time without the detour of the bush!

On both sides of the world

Jjogo Ground Breaking

Breaking Ground

New preschool pad

Jjogo Community Church on the hill

Half of our First Cobra

Ben spent yesterday clearing the the land for the preschool he will be building while we are here. It will be just down the hill from where Pastor Peter Sozi's church is located. This preschool already meets in a very old house just on the other side of the church. When we visited the school I told Ben, he needed to hurry up and get the new building finished.  These young students need a nice place to learn and grow their minds. Thank you to all who are giving so that this new building is even possible. To God be the Glory!

Ben also had our first run in with a snake while in Uganda. The backhoe was taking out a termite mound and the snake was not happy that his home was being destroyed. Someone came running and told Ben to come and by the time Ben saw it the snake was dead. I am praying this is our last run in with any snakes!

Divine Grace

Dining Hall all painted

Inside Dining Hall during worship 

Beginning of an extension of the clinic

Ben sitting under a tree with the important leaders of the community

Jacob pumping the borehole (well)

Rachel and new friend Winnie

Elizabeth and Rachel playing on playground

Abigail and our friends daughter Sharon

Thank you Reddell family for new shoes

Newman family visiting with children 

High Fives all around!

Students on parade waiting for gifts  

William giving gifts

Jacob giving gifts

Here are few more pictures of our days at Divine Grace. The children have jumped in and helped in all sorts of ways. They are always ready to meet a new friend, and the students at DG gave them a warm welcome. Abigail enjoyed experiencing class at DG and loves worshipping with the children. Since Rachel is so small, she is a bit of a celebrity. Pastor Peter always refers to her as princess. One day at the school we could not find her and someone said she is right over there. Looking over that way all we could see was a group of students , she was surrounded. She said they just kept asking me my name over and over. I really thought it would be easier to find my little muzungu's, but that has not been the case. Elizabeth is just shining here, she is totally in her element! We have also had an experience in the village with Jacob and a little guy that was priceless. When Jacob greeted him his face lit up and he grinned so wide. He jumped up and down and examined and felt Jacob's skin. Jacob was being an ambassador of Christ and it made this momma's heart overflow. Enjoying seeing how God is using each one of us.