Day 21 and 22

Day 21
We started off our day at a little more leisure which was lovely! We split our team to visit two projects. Five of us went to Joe’s project at the Namuwongo slum area. The project is called ‘Hands of Hope’ and is run by Joe Cummisky. We had a lively morning in their nurseries. We enjoyed playing with the little ones who were very affectionate and full of beans! We had fun doing the Noah presentations and seeing the little ones singing and participating. The teachers are doing a good job with all the wee ones from the slums. We were impressed at some of the older nursery kid’s levels of English. We had a great chat with Joe who was kind to give of his time to fill us in on all that is going on with his very diverse project.

The rest of the team visited the Hospice in Kampala. We heard the history of the work and about the home visits made daily to many who were dying with cancer or complications from HIV/AIDS. As a result of the project morphine had been made available for pain relief and very significant progress had been made with training health staff across Uganda in effective palliative care measures. There was opportunity to interact with some of the children who were receiving Day Care at the Hospice and we were pleased to be able to give the children small gifts.

Patients waiting to be seen at the Hospice

Children receiving gifts at Hospice

Day 22
The team headed off this morning with great excitement to visit an abandoned babies home. Sanyo baby home has 40 little ones ranging from 3 months to 3 years. We had such fun playing with the babies, learning their names and experiencing some little personalities! It was shocking to meet the youngest baby who was abandoned and just arrived in the home yesterday. Deborah was very frail and had very prominent bones. Many of the kids are left in latrines, dustbins or abandoned on streets, hospitals. These wee ones are the lucky ones who have managed to survive and are now thriving on the love and care they get in Sanyo. Many of the children are adopted in Uganda and also outside of the country. It was a privilege to visit the home today and also to learn from the Social Worker about the processes of Ugandan local and international adoption.

Wenford relaxing at sanyu while the others fed all the babies

David had left a Greek New Testament with us to deliver to Father Aloysius on the Entebbe Road. We took the opportunity after Sanyu to see him. He was delighted to receive the New Testament and offered to come with us to deliver some relief items to needy local communities. We called at a school in the slum area and left clothes and footballs for distribution and then he brought us to see Airfield View Primary School which was being run by Volunteer director, Mary Smith from USA. Mary told us the story of how God had given her a vision for orphans and those sexually abused and she had bought land to build an orphanage for those who had been traumatised and bereaved through the terror of the LRA. Already Mary had opened an orphanage in India and had come to Uganda 3 years ago investing all her resources in the school and in land for an orphanage. On her own she had established the project and it was amazing to hear how she had established the school and was working towards her vision with no outside help. She had met Father Aloysius 2 weeks earkier and asked him to bring any visitors he met to her school. We had asked Father Aloysius to bring us to places of need and he had immediately thought of Mary. She told us she had been praying for folk to visit and had just that day prayed for a football (we brought her 4) and we were her first foreign visitors. Wow – to be an answer to prayer and to be able in just a little way to bless her by providing a few simple resources for use in the school – which was so impressive. What a mighty privilege for us to meet Mary and see the work. We will definitely follow up this amazing networking opportunity. Only God knows where this connection will go.

Day 20

Hidden Treasure Christian School in Wakiso District

Today we visited Hidden Treasure Christian School in Wakiso District. The school, which was about 40 minutes from central Kampala, is one that has been approved by Fields of Life for a school build and is awaiting sponsorship to allow progression of the project.

After arriving in the town we were met by the Pastor/Head Teacher who jumped on a boda boda and we followed him up firstly a short mud road and eventually up a narrow grass path in the most beautiful surroundings to where we stopped outside the simple, tiny wood building that housed the little school and the 75 pupils.

The school had originated 7 years ago from a Sunday School with the vision of giving a Christian education in this little community where both alcohol and marijuana related problems abound. The Pastor and his wife and 3 other teachers welcomed us and showed us round the little campus and it was immediately evident the excellent care and attention that the children received.

The children were a little timid at first as they were not used to school visitors, let alone white ones, but they soon warmed up as Hannah and the team told the Noah story as the HeadMaster translated. The children sang heartily and were excited as they listened and sang. The visit was rounded off with the presentstion of simple gifts to all the pupils and teachers in what was a very needy school.

As we looked around the tiny classrooms which contained the most simple of homemade furniture and little if any resources, we were glad to have visited and everyone counted it a privelege to have spent just a little bit of time with some very special teachers and children.

As we consider "Charlenes Project", which will involve Charlene raising money to build a school in Uganda Hidden Treasure Christian School will be one that we will consider a worthy option to assist if God so leads.

Charlene has had to drop out of school this year due to failing health from cystic fibrosis. Charlene was originally scheduled for Uganda with the team this summer but sent us on the look out for a school for her project when she had to remain in Belfast City Hospital being unable to travel. She is currently undergoing assessment for lung transplant, travelling to Newcastle next week for a weeks intensive assessment. It is her desire that if she is unable to continue presently in school - she will do all she can to help others receive an education in Uganda.

Day 17 and 18

Ok......so somehow I (Becs) have escaped writing this blog so far....as my way with words is most definitely not one of my strongest points. As always Uganda has been such a challenge and a humbling experience. I have felt overwhelmed at times....and I have to admit at times have been very heavy hearted at what I have seen. But again God has been teaching me, that it is not up to me to solve all of Uganda’s problems.....it is our responsibility to examine our own lives under Gods word and see what He requires of us.....to bring these people before God and leave it to Him.

Yesterday, we visited the school for the blind at Salaama and the visually impaired unit at the associated secondary school. Programmes were delivered to the children at both schools and it was encouraging to see all the excellent work being done with these disadvantaged children.

Many of the cases of blindness that we saw, in the west would simply not have occurred. Some became blind after getting measles because of lack of immunisations and others from living in unhygienic conditions, with conditions being carried on household flies, and through dietary deficiency of Vitamin A. It seems so unfair that things we take for granted like immunisations, diet and hygiene, so deeply affect people here. However, it was encouraging to be at this school and see children in education as the blind in society here are not sent to school as it is seen as pointless to educate the blind. They were such joyful children, despite not being able to experience the amazing beauty within their own school grounds.

Close to this school we stopped the bus to watch a troop of monkeys do their stuff above the trees at the side of the road and got some pictures of workers harvesting tea in a field at the road side.

Today another six of our team left on an early flight this morning, leaving twelve of us still remaining. We went to a primary school within a prison compound, that had been scheduled for earlier in the week but was cancelled due to the death of a teacher from HIV related causes. The primary school was massive, with a total of about 1700 pupils. It was very difficult to begin with.....as all of us were extremely tired. The pupils were divided into two groups, primary 1 – primary 3 and primary 4 – primary 7. Wenford and Andrew worked extremely hard on concreting in the swings at the school, in extremely hot weather.

However, nothing could have prepared us for the mass number of pupils we met. We tried first of all to do the kids club with all 700 primary one – primary 3 (each year group has at least 3 classes of 80 pupils-with one teacher to each class) but it was just not possible as the children were too excited. We tried again delivering the programme three times to each individual year group. This worked and the programme was well received. The Love for Life programme was delivered by Ruth and David with the dramas being acted out by Bethany and Sarah in the packed prison church to over 1000 senior primary pupils – what a challenge. After the pupil programme input we addressed the teachers and left the pupil resources with them. What a difference teaching is in Uganda to what is the N Ireland experience.

Tonight Daniel, the headmaster of Shammah joined us for dinner. He told us of the ongoing impact in the little community near his school that we had visited two days earlier. We were able to provide him with more basic resources for his very needy community. Dad also got an opportunity to talk to Ian Clarke from International Hospital and Rory Wilson from Kiwoko Hospital (Denise and Rory had just arrived back in Kampala this afternoon). Both meetings occurred within 1 hour of each other in two separate places (total God incidence). He had the opportunity to chat around some of the medical situations we had encountered over the last two weeks. As I write this we have just receiveda text from the other six team members to say they have arrived safely in Belfast.

Well I better go here and get some much needed beauty sleep. Thanx for continuing to follow. God Bless...xo

Day 15

On the bus on the way to school - another early rise and sleepyheads on the bus.

The welcome at school today included an incredible display of Ugandan dance. Some of the team attempted to emulate the Ugandan children - Basil in particular displayed a hidden talent. We have a copy of this on video - this can be seen on request - despite Basils protestations of confidentiality within the team!

Both Kids Club and I'm Special, You're Special were presented to the 350 children in Kiwoko Primary School this morning. The parents received programme input. As in other schools teachers were very pleased with all the programmes delivered and with the resources, gifts and books left with the school.

As always the little team of workers put both swing and goal posts in place for the Primary children . It is not an easy task in the 40 degree sunshine. Afterwards they got into conversation with a teacher around the war in the area and the situation about so many orphans. He also pointed out a witch doctor in the vicinity of school and the guys got to meet the Bishop of Luweero.

In the afternoon some of the team headed to Kiwoko Secondary where they presented to over 800 young people. Afterwards they had many individual conversations with young people and questions ranged from ones around sexual infections to situations about friends who were being offered money for sex to allow them to pay for school fees.

Some of the team headed to Shammah to see Daniel the Head Teacher, planning to deliver some gifts in the little church community near the school. As is typical of Daniel, he immediately welcomed us, even though our visit was unannouncd, immediately saying he knew of an even more needy community, not far from school. Arriving at the little scattered community, need was everywhere as the team members were surrounded by nearly 100 small children and women with babies in arms. We were shown the little church and the community wanted to have an impromtu church service to celebrate the arrival of their visitors. It was so noticeable that virtually all the community were women and children with very few men to be seen anywhere. As gifts were distributed house to house some comments were so humbling; "We never thought white people would visit our little commuinty and bring gifts to us all". As we got inot the bus and got ready to leave we watched as the women got the little children in line to give them a little piece of the bread and sweets that we had brought. It was obvious as the children eagerly devoured the meagre offering, that they were very hungry. One of the men who said he did not believe in God said - "Today I am going to church to thank God for your visit to our community". Daniel encouraged us by saying that our visit would support the owrk he and the pastors were trying to do in this very needy community. He pointed out to us that the village folk were already heading to their little one room church to give thanks to God for what they had received. Again as has been so often the case over the last two weeks we all acknowledged that we had so much to learn from our Ugandan neighbours.

Day 9 in Uganda

After our daily wake up call – kindly provided by Wenford, we stocked up on breakfast for the day, gathered all our resources and embarked on our next adventure with Antony (our typically Ugandan driver!!)

Our first port-of-call, the first of three schools scheduled for the day, was Nasbwe Primary School in Mukono. We were led to the school through a guard of honour – a very humbling experience; we were treated like kings and queens to rapturous rounds of applause! This was a school that took a lot of pride in their pupils and buildings and their motto was ‘Education is the key to success!’ We all gathered in the local church, pupils and all, for the customary welcome and introductions. As we have come to expect this is a real show of the pupil’s talents for singing, dancing and drumming. We were even treated this morning to a rather energetic, vibrant, spontaneous dance performed by their teacher. This was the beginning of what turned out to be an excellent day of ministering to not just the pupils and teachers, but also members of the local community. As a one-off experience, Janice and a small team had the opportunity to visit local humble homes and pray with local residents alongside the pastor. They even met a sprightly man of 102, who was delighted to receive a pair of zebra print glasses to help his failing sight. We spent lunch at this school which was kindly provided for us – water melon, banana, pineapple and egg. As part of the mercy ministry we were able to distribute 27 loaves of bread to feed the children who were unable to pay for the rice lunch provided by school – one of the loaves was received by an elderly lady, who upon receiving the loaf danced and sang outside the bus. Yet another sobering and powerful experience.
The afternoon saw another two schools visited with Hannah and the “Kids Clubbers” heading to Neezinnkrie Primary and the Love for Lifers presenting in Central View Secondary school. Both teams had challenging yet fulfilling afternoons with many children receiving the messages and small gifts. The primary headmistress looks after her school but also has over 80 orphans living at her home that she takes care of. There was a great emphasis in the school of being born again. They were very excited to learn new games and songs and promised to use them again in school the next day. The secondary school started off a little dubiously with the staff members being unaware of our visit. However, after a short prayer and a quick set up, the team went on to deliver the programme with an excellent response. Although the students were typical teenagers – lively and chatty, the headmistress was delighted at their attentiveness to the programme and certainly the vast number of questions put to the team at the end confirmed that the pupils had been listening and indeed needed to listen!!
So here we are, sitting in our room, drinking tea, writing this blog at the end of another exhausting yet fulfilling day. Tomorrow is Friday, and although we are looking forward to having a rest at the weekend, no one would swop the experiences and blessings we’ve encountered throughout this week.

Katunda Aquakee Omiskisa (God Bless)

Sula Bilungi (Good Night)

… on behalf of ‘Love for Life Uganda 2009’ … Family ‘VIP!’(Hannah, Jessica and Rebecca)

Day 5, 6, + 7

Day 5

We traveled to the "Let There be Healing" church were we led parts of the Sunday service, the whole group sang two songs, and a smaller group of girls sang a song (Natalie, Rebecca, Hannah and Tracey)
Paster Paul gave us a warm welcome and it was very evident that the complete congregation were very joyful for us to be part of the worship .
Keith and Jessica both gave their testaimonies, and Basil did the talk, a group also led the Sunday school class by presenting the kids club.
The congregation of the church kindly prepared a lovely meal for us.
The whole service went very well and the members were super!
The service did last all in all from 10 until 4 o'clock - that is including lunch.,but the Church members were so happy to spend the time in worship and prayer.

Day 6


The team was strenghtened and encouraged by the safe arrival of Rebecca Barr and John Haw.

Nambongo Memorial Primary School is another very special place. It has around 400 pupils who are taught by a team of seven very dedicated teachers . They were extremely grateful to be given the Love for Life teaching materials as they operate with very limited resources for all their work . Their Schools wee strap line is " God is good " -- " All the time" -- "All the Time God is good "-- " and that is His nature ". Head Master Patrick was in tears as he expressed his heart felt thanks for the play ground equipment that we installed.
In the afternoon we had five programmes going at one time as part of the team moved onto " Victor Hill Secondary School " It was very encouraging to learn that this secondary school has decided to open a Love for Life club..
Every day has many special moments and when two teachers in a primary school were given reading glasses there were more tears of joy . Meeting Arnold the little boy with a heart illness along with his mother Joy was a very emotional moment , their humble gratefulness for all the prayers and financial support were extremely evident . Arnold still needs your prayers as he has breathing problems .

Day 7

St Daniel’s Primary School and St Levis Secondary School were opened ten years ago, in a place that was very badly effected by the last war in Uganda. As a result of the war many of the pupils at the school are orphans and either stay at the school or are looked after by their grandmothers . Six different programmes were held in the school . Many mothers also found the medical consultations with Dr Dickie very helpful, again these revealled health issues that require much prayer.
Once again the the local paster and Head Master were very grateful for the playground equipment that was installed .

Day 2 and 3 - Luweero

Written by Andrew Mc Dowell

I'll try to be brief but trying to cover 2 very hectic days in one post is some task. Especially when you're this tired.

On Friday, after a very long bus ride through rural Uganda. Along dirt tracks which i dont think i can describe using the limitations of the English language. We eventually arrived at Kiwoko Primary School to the warmest possible welcome. The children poured from the classes and within minutes we were set upon by around 500 children. The children rushed to greet us by shaking and holding our hands (a sign of friendship). The children sang songs to welcome us to their school and danced. The school was a Fields of Life school and showed huge improvements over the non FOL school, but still i was shocked by just how little the teachers had to work with and the yet the good level of teaching the children received.

Alongside the Love for Life programmes, we performed an open air puppet show for the kids. We visited a family that lived beside the school and gave them sweets, teddies and clothing. They had so little and to see the parents putting the knitted outfits on the children and the children holding the teddies knitted by friends before we left would have melted the hardest heart.

We left the school to visit Kiwoko Hospital and got a tour along which we met a man who had a badly broken leg after a road accident and had no friends or family and no means of payment. The money was donated by ourselves to his treatment. The hospital though basic by our standards was very good by Ugandan standards.

We stayed overnight at Luweero with various members of the animal kingdom. Which Natalie did not enjoy. Enough said - the screams from some of the team were heard all the way back to Kampala.

Next day we went to Shammah Secondary School and got a tour which brought us through the schoos labs. Mainly provided by Irish schools. The library is also provided mainly by Irish schools as well. The Prinicpal, Daniel has done a tremendous job and the school is an example of what can be achieved in difficult circumstances.

We then went to the service at the associated church where we preformed both programmes with adults and children. It was a privelege to be able to pray for the folk in the little community and to have them pray for us.

We then went to Ruth's parents house where they run the Jesus Cares Project which looks after children with HIV/AIDS. As soon as i stepped off the bus a small girl stepped over to me and hugged me and said something in Lugandan. Even though I couldn't understand what she said it really affected me. We played with kids and then performed the program to the kids. Dickie and Keith noticed a wee girl with a tumour on her face. Both Tracy and I helped to feed the younger members of the Jesus Cares Project. They where some of the cutest most adorable children in the world. We then handed out bracelets and lollies. One of older children stole a bracelet from a younger one. The child started to cry and we gave out another bracelet to the child.

Sorry about any bad spelling.

Until next time! Andrew.