Visit to the local market

After lunch, our fearless leader, Torrey, took us shopping at the market across the street from the Koro Bobi office. Can't say we purchased much but it was quite an experience!

French fries in Gulu

We were feeling right at home when we joined the World Vision staff at Koro Bobi office for lunch where we had good ole french fries with our chicken.

Ride, anyone?

How about traveling in this ambulance???

Precious Israel

When we weren't teaching, we were each taking turns loving up on Israel. He was the cutest, 2 month old little boy of a Sunday School teacher that was participating in the conference.

Sunday School Teacher Training

The Sunday School Teaching went great! We had 23 teachers the first day and 30 teachers the second day. Most of the teacher's were men. I taught the first session on "God's heart for children", and then a national children's worker taught on creative Bible lessons. Elizabeth taught the afternoon session, and did a great job.

It was so encouraging to see the eagerness of each teacher to learn everything that they could. Tami

This is Elizabeth now...Golf claps, temptation, and praising the Lord!

It was an immense privilege to be a part of the teachers' training, and a lot of fun! We were really hoping to give practical tools with a Biblical foundation in an engaging manner. I loved getting to know the participants and learning from the Ugandan trainers as well.

Golf claps~ I had individuals come up front and lead the group through all of the hand motions we were learning to tell the story of the Bible. The applause for the presenters was very loud and included a shrill, traditional yell that some of the women make when they are very excited. Since we were in the same, open building as the pastors, we got in trouble. : ) I then taught them two ways Americans show appreciation quietly - the golf clap and the silent cheer. It was hilarious! It caught on VERY well and for the rest of the sessions, 30 Ugandans were pumping their arms ad giving moderate claps next to their heads.

Temptation~ The class was divided into groups and given the assignment of finding a creative way to share a Bible story with children. The temptation of Jesus was retold with a menacing Satan and angels ever ready to protect our Lord. The retelling of Ruth included a guy with a head covering and shawl who played the part of Ruth.

Praising the Lord~ We spent some time outside singing before lunch each day. The Ugandans taught us some new songs in English, we shared a few in English, and we are participated in traditional worship. It was wonderful to praise the Lord with our brothers and sisters!

Pastors Teaching

Arriving on boda bodas (local bicycle taxis) came thirty pastors from Gulu and nearby Paicho Bungatira and Koro Bobi. The topic they wished to learn more about was spiritual leadership. At the two day training, we taught four sessions beginning with spiritual leadership of self, followed by spiritual leadership of family, church and community. The pastors, some with no theological training, were hungry for knowledge and receptive to this new information. Following the training, pastors received a certificate. This training is the first in a series of four the pastor's hope to receive. Scott

The Best Team in the World!

Some of you reading this will know that I'm not the best short term mission team leader in the world. Details don't excite me. I'm more unconcerned about schedules and keeping to them, than many folks. The best thing I have going for me is that I love and care for people and that seems to cover many of my other faults.

Now, I say all of this because God knows my shortcomings and He gave me the best team in the world to travel with to Uganda. For all of you friends and family members of the team, please know that your prayers for the team have been, and are being answered. The team is representing Christ and Cherry Hills so well. We came, in part, to prove ourselves as worthy partners for Would Vision and the Church here in North Uganda and I think the Lord has empowered us to do that. We have encouraged one another and the people we are working with, be have held one another up, have prayed together and laughed together. I've been blessed by the wonderful group of people and can't wait to see how the Lord will use this team in the months ahead! Gene

Meeting Mercy

I waited all day to meet Mercy, Tabi and I's sponsored child. I felt anxious...what would the meeting be like.
At the end of the day, we walked from the World Vision Koro-bobi office to the largest remaining Internally Displaced Camp in Gulu. There, was Mercy's little hut. Her grandmother was inside and waved us into the hut. There were 5 chairs waiting for us, and there was Mercy hiding in the dark behind the door. There were 4 children there, and at first I couldn't see Mercy because it was so dark. But out she came with BIG eyes watching this white person enter her world.
She was so warm and sweet---and very little. Mercy lives with her grandmother, mother, big brother, and two little sisters, and mom is expecting soon. I gave Mercy the gifts Tabi had picked out for her and showed her on the globe I brought where we lived, and where she lived.

From her letters, I knew she liked to sing. I asked if she would sing me a song. She stood proudly and sang.
One gift we gave her was a jump rope. The children in the camp tie together long pieces of grass and use as a jump rope.
We went out side, and she showed me how she could jumprope.

It was a great meeting although I left overwhelmed by such poverty, and concerned for Mercy's future. I prayed for Mercy before I left and asked God that Mercy would grow up to know Jesus as savior, because Jesus is the only hope she has. Tami

Elvis is alive and living in Northern Uganda

Last summer when the church hosted the World Vision AIDS Experience, Lorna and I committed to sponsor two World Vision children, one in Mozambique and one in North Uganda. Elvis is 8 years old and lives in a very rural area outside of the city of Gulu on a small piece of land owned by her family. Oh, and Elvis is a girl! We have found out that Elvis is not a common name here in Uganda, for a boy or a girl (for that matter, where in the world, outside of La Vegas, is Elvis a common name?! I have to tell you though, our Elvis is the most gentle and sweet 8 year old you'll ever meet.

She and her family spent many years in an internal displacement camp in North Uganda due to the horrible rebel movement that has terrorized this part of the world for 20 years. The family has just recently moved back to the family farm and they are trying to rebuild their lives. The good news is that their little plot of land is like a garden of Eden, with lush vegetation that provides fruits and vegetables for the whole family.

Meeting Elvis was a bit "awkward". I'm not sure they have a lot of white folks come to their home and Elvis was, not unexpectedly, a bit shy. We exchanged greetings, heard from her uncle who's the head of the family, meet her mother and siblings and came to understand that her father had died sometime in the last year. I brought Elvis a few gifts from Lorna and me and she seemed to particularly like the lavender flip flops. As we parted, I promised to write her more frequently and I plan on keeping that promise. In the mean time, because Elvis is a sponsored child, she will have access to school, health care and other services which World Vision and Cherry Hills will be providing in this area in future years. May the Lord bless Elvis and her family! Gene

A Visit to Meron

I had the privilege of representing my family in meeting Meron, a beautiful 10 year old girl, and her family. The visit followed much of the same form as the visits to the other sponsored children, with introductions and short speeches by both me and the family. Meron was pretty reserved, but could not hide her smile as she jump roped, looked through a kaleidoscope, and played catch. She brought out her report card to show me that she is doing well in school and even gave me three pictures from her photo album. These very well could have been the only copies she had. I was also given a large bag of peanuts.

My parents are actually the sponsors of Meron, but it was a blessing to meet her and to pass on my family's prayers and concern. I hope to be more involved in relationship with her in the future

Lord, please continue to bless and protect Meron and her family. May she grow to know and love you!! Elizabeth

Visit to the Water Project

As you entered the blog, you saw a photo of a little boy getting a drink of water. That photo was taken by the CHCC team that visited Uganda last September when they visited a community water hole. Our team went to that same water hole today. What a difference! World Vision has tapped into the artesian spring and piped fresh flowing water into a concrete conduit. People collect water at the constantly flowing water pipes, the run-off flows down the conduit and provides water for a rice field. The site was just completed and has only been open one month, and World Vision staff tell us that already, skin diseases among the children have measurably decreased. To reach the site, we walked along a narrow path through the bush, meeting people carrying water containers all along the way. About 150 families, or approximately 1,000 people depend upon this water source with some walking three to five miles to get their water. Sheryl

Serve or to be served...

After torrential rainfall last evening, we awoke to another beautiful day in Africa. We began the morning with a breakfast that included mangos that were given to Sara from Rocky's family. Absolutely delicious!!! After a call to action devotion presented by Elizabeth, we loaded up in the van, our home away from home, and headed to Gulu Cluster office.

Health clinics in Paicho-Bungatira

According to Uganda Ministry of Health standards, every parish should have a health center, but Paicho and Bungatira have 14 parishes and only 10 health centers, of which six are closed and in bad shape because of the war. Only two health centers have staff accommodations. Most staff reside miles away and arrive late for work. Two health centers have inadequate maternity wards, and pregnant mothers give birth with the help of untrained midwives, which increases the risk of HIV infection. There is a high prevalence of preventable diseases such as malaria, diarrhea and respiratory infections and the immunization coverage is very low, 55% for Paicho and 37% for Bungatira. The health problems are exacerbated by low incomes and the inability of primary caregivers to address basic health care needs in the households.

We visited two health clinics, one in Paicho called Atoo Health Center II and the other in Bungatira, Punena Health Center II. Though they were both "level II" health centers, there were stark differences!! Atoo has only been open for about 6 months and a government hired nurse treats approximately 10 patients per day. The main disease seen here is malaria. In addition, approximately 2 babies per week are delivered but this health center does not have facilities to administer care overnight. Consequently, the mothers go home shortly after giving birth. We did not see any basic care items nor did they have lab capabilities. Their access to pharmaceuticals is inadequate, sometimes due to some staff taking them to sell to private clinics. If the clinic is unable to treat a patients condition, he/she has to walk several miles into town for treatment.

Punena has been open for 2 years and has a staff of 10. They treat approximately 250 patients per week and have a "good" supply of medical care items including a microscope for diagnostics. The "Maternity Ward" had a delivery room and a recovery room with 3 beds. Again, this facility is only open during daylight hours resulting in mothers/babies go home shortly after giving birth. This lack of postnatal care gives rise to a high mortality rate for the mothers. In the near future, World Vision will be building a staff house that will allow the clinic to be open 24 hours/day. Sara

Sara visits Rocky

It is hard to imagine ever meeting your sponsored child but actually getting the opportunity to visit with him twice...in one year...behind comprehension!! The excitement that I felt as we drove up to the path to Rocky's home was indescribable!! There stood Rocky, waiting for me to arrive! What a greeting we had! Last time, he was so shy and didn't say a word. This time, he gave me a BIG hug and we chatted all the way to his home. He is attending school where he is in P-2..that is 2nd grade and is doing well with his studies. His grandmother, Sulina, whom races him and his brother along with many other orphans greeted all of us as we arrived at their home. Rocky was able to tell me the names of our family as I showed him current pictures. It brought tears to my eyes!! He practiced with the jump rope that we had brought for him. I couldn't pass up a chance to play a little soccer with the ball that we had brought, skirt and all!! Rocky made me the most amazing car made of light wood and colored with Uganda colors. Truly a masterpiece!! He also gave me a picture that he drew of himself and his home. A budding artist to be sure!! It was AWESOME!!! May the Lord bless you mightily, Rocky! Sara

Primary school

We visited another primary school in Koro. There were many more pupils attending in classrooms as well as under thatched coverings outside. Tami and Elizabeth were in their glory taking pictures of the children and showing them on the camera. Most of these children have never seen what they look like so you can imagine the joy that this brought them.

Labworomor Primary School-Part 2

For all of you that followed the Uganda trip in September, this was the school where construction of two additional buildings was in progress. The buildings are now complete and will be commissioned. What a blessing this is for these teachers and pupils.

What in the World???

What in the world is this? Can you guess?

Labworomor Primary School

Bullet holes from the past mark the outer walls of the Labworomor Primary School and neighboring church in Koro. The name of this school translates into "lion's roar" in English. Standing outside the school and looking at the beautiful surroundings, it is beyond imagination the terror that existed in the hearts of children many years ago as rebels attacked, seeking to claim them for their child army. As soldiers defended the children, there was blood shed on this very ground.

450 children are inside both the school and church buildings as learning begins on this first day of school after four weeks of holiday. The children have greeted us in song - as is the custom. We gave each child a small top and played with them for a few moments before they returned to their studies.

Please pray for the peace that began two years ago would be a lasting peace. Scott

Adventures in Gulu...Chapter One

This is Elizabeth, signing on from the World Vision Uganda Gulu Cluster office.

After our adventurous ride from Kampala, we arrived in Gulu town just in time for lunch. Before heading over to Boma Hotel to enjoy some authentic African cuisine, we dropped at our bags at the hotel we are staying at, Hotel Roma. Our rooms here are complete with closets, hot water, and mosquito nets (don't worry mom, even though some of the others are "too cool" for the mosquito nets, I am fighting the peer pressure). Our lunch consisted of rice, boiled potatoes, boiled sweet potatoes, a green spinachy-looking dish, vegetable curry, chicken, and (I think) beef. We were also required to eat boar intestines. I could barely choke them down, but wanting to be culturally sensitive...just teasing! The food is served buffet style and a variety of sodas are offered as beverages.

At lunch we were able to meet many of the World Vision staff members that work at the three Area Development Projects (ADPs) that we are visiting. The introductions here are very formal and individuals are often encouraged to share a short word.

Between lunch and dinner, we were given time to catch up on rest, journaling, and lesson prep. Weary from jet lag, most of us crashed.

Dinner consisted of rice, spaghetti noodles, meat, a peanut sauce, a potato chip-like potato, and a brown bread called millet. Needless to say, the low-carb diet craze has not hit Africa and any illusions of losing weight while we are here have been dispelled. Pastor Arthur joined us for dinner and explained to us a little about the spiritual conditions in Uganda. He told us that there is still a lot of fear-based ancestral worship and even child sacrifice. Christianity is often nominal or pragmatic, but rarely is there deep conviction. Arthur also told us that many of the young people who go to college in the city don't want to return to rural areas to live and serve. As people leave the Internally Displaced People (IDP) camps, they are returning to villages without any spiritual guidance.

I have to run. Blessings from beautiful Uganda!

p.s. Love and miss you mom and dad!!

TO GO ...OR NOT TO GO

Hello from the actual CHCC UGANDA team...writing from Gulu on May 27th, 2009! We finally have internet access and can connect with you.

This is Tami. The trip so far is amazing! Kampala-a crowded city, lots of traffic, and a city where everything is burned. Trash, open fire for burning. A very strong smell.

The ride from Kampala to Gulu was about 6 hours. Nine of us plus 21 bags crammed into a van together. The van ride for me was fascinating! It was my very first time in Africa..so much to see, so much to experience. The many trees, tall grass, baboons on the side of the rode, and monkeys at the Nile River crossing! Oh--and the Nile...wow...what a powerful river...I am glad baby Moses was safe.

Anyone who knows me, knows that I will stop ANYWHERE to use the bathroom. I don't need a toilet, solid ground will work. From Kyrgyzstan, to Russia, and now the African bush. I had to go, the nearest bathroom on the road was hours away.......the bush was calling.

So we stopped, I popped out of the car...did my business, and then out of the bush..popped 4 little African children, curious about who these Muzungus (white people) were.

It was a precious moment! On to Gulu! Tami

They arrived safely!

The team arrived in Uganda safely and got to their hotel. Tomorrow they will be heading to Gulu and will start posting themselves after they arrive in Gulu.

Kelsey Montag

Heading to Amsterdam

We arrived in Minneapolis and had a quick transfer to our flight to Amsterdam. Tami was already on board. We will take our team picture once we arrive in Amsterdam.

Leaving Denver

We are off to Minneapolis to pick up Tami and head to Amsterdam. We appreciate all your prayers.

Meet the team

This trip is a vision and exploration trip to discover ways in which Cherry Hills Community Church might come alongside the community development and AIDS ministry in the communities of Koro Bobi and Paicho Bungatira, Uganda. We will be coming alongside African partners, who are already at work in the community, building relationships and earning trust. This year's focus will be on pastor to pastor training along with Sunday school teacher training leading up to the Global Day of Prayer on Sunday, May 31. It will also include a medical component. We will be visiting medical clinics as well as various medically focused organizations to explore ways in which CHCC can possibly provide medical assistance to the communities. The team will also visit children who are being sponsored by members of our congregation.

God has put together an awesome team of people to head to Uganda on Saturday, May 23, for a 2 week trip returning on June 6. Let me introduce our team:

Gene, CHCC Pastor for Missions and Outreach and going along for comic relief.

Sheryl, Director of Short Term Missions at CHCC. She will have her hands full with all the "lions" on the team!

Torrey, our intrepid World Vision leader and all around global trotter.

Tami, Pioneers missionary developing and representing Pioneer's work with Children at Risk. She has lived in Kyrgzstan and has become a recognized leader in her field of expertise.

James, currently in his senior year at Denver Seminary. He has led several short term teams to China for CHCC.

Scott, was on staff at CHCC for years, teaching in our elementary school then Scott developed and led the Early Childhood Learning Center at CHCC. For the past two years, Scott worked in rural Kenya with an organization that assisted with orphans and village development. Scott has spent a good bit of time in Kenya and has led many short term teams there for CHCC.

Elizabeth, she has attended CHCC for the past 14 years and graduated last May from Northwestern College with a bachelor's degree in Children and Family Ministry.

Sara, a nurse for 25 years and did accompany the CHCC team to Uganda last fall. She will be the webmaster responsible for this blog, her first...so please feel free to contact her personally with any complaints.

We request your prayers as we finalize preparations this week and for continued good health as we approach our departure date.

Thank you, in advance, for your prayers and words of encouragement. We pray that God will be glorified in all that we do and say while we are in Uganda. Enjoy the blog...

Sara