Wednesday, June 27, 2007

Yikes


OK, I just came from Namatala School where I held classes with over 100 students at a time. When they go to get books, it is like a swarm of locust taking over the land. Thank goodness I have some time here, because their system needs a serious overhaul! The good thing, I did a surprise visit and hundreds of books had been checked out by the students, as well as many, many by teachers. The kids on the schoolgrounds are sitting around reading. It is working, but needs some fine tuning. Oh my, does it ever! Less bodies and more space. :)

Fast backtrack: I forgot to mention that Tom did go pick up my brown sandles (that he and Paul thought looked like the bus driver's) from the police station. However, today I have them on with a long black skirt and when I walked past a group of high school boys, they all stared at my feet. Perhaps I will send them to the bus driver!

In Mokono, we stopped and visited with Wilberforce and Sarah's two children, Mitch (girl) and Billy Paul. Billy Paul reminds me of Mercy - just the sweetest spirit. Mitch is wonderful too, but more outgoing and funny. It was great to visit with them. It shocks me to see them as teenagers, as they were seven and eight on my first visit.

It was nice to get 'home' to Mbale Town. I checked through the boxes to see what the thieves made off with. Of all things, they took the label maker we use to mark shelves - like they know what to do with that! Also, they took most of our presents such as pencils, etc. Anything that looked Christian, they left. As I went through it I was saying they deserve this and that, but Wilber told me they deserved forgivness. :) So much for my attitude!

My first night I wasn't sleeping well. In the middle of the night I decided to take a sleeping pill. I had forgetten to take water to my room. I then got up to flip on the light switch. No electricity!

Wilber and I went into town yesterday to eat. The story: The thieves are using my razor at present, so I was looking for another. I went into several groceries and pharmacies, but no luck. I even tried to pretend I was shaving my legs in case they didn't get what I was saying. Finally, a lady from Wilber's church was working at a pharmacy. She sold me two surgical razors (without handles). I told her I would be at the front of the church Sunday having Wilber pray for me since I would probably chop my legs off. She just laughed. Later, Sarah told me that African women don't need to shave their legs. Only men use razors for their faces. Duh!

As Mercy and I were walking to school this morning, we passed lots of large groups of Namatala students. As we passed, I would break out in "Making Melodies in My Heart" - which produced massive amounts of laughter and then kids singing the song as they walked on up the paths.

Later, we picked up Mercy from school. Wilber asked her what she did today. She replied, "I learned many good things and I shared them." She is the most polite, well mannered child. I could talk forever about Mercy-Mercy, as I call her. I wish I could take her home for a visit with my granddaughters.

In the mornings, while it is still dark, the sounds of Wilber singing and playing his guitar filter into my room. Sarah and I then join him for morning devotions. If I write too much about it, I will probably be spilling tears all over the keyboard. There are just not words to share the blessings of sitting with the Okumus as they sing and worship. It is like waves of God's presence rolling over your soul. Wilber then shares some scripture and we pray together. It is truly indescribable. I wish I could package it and send it to you through email.

Time to sign off. :) Please keep me in your prayers. I have decided not to go to Nairobi, as they have had many killings in the last few months, including some beheadings (ouch!). I just don't feel safe taking a bus through Kenya. Now, the problem is changing flights. It seems I will need to take a flight out of Entebbe about 8:00 at night to Nairobi. Then I will catch the 11:30 flight out of Nairobi. It doesn't make me nervous, but do not look forward to being in either airport that late at night. So, just keep me in your prayers as we work out the details. I am planning on returning to Texas a week earlier, as I won't be spending time in Maasai land.

Hope you are having a good time enjoying your electricity, toilets to sit on, Chilis, Dairy Queen, diswashers, washers, dryers, etc. I don't envy you actually; I love my time here! Cheers for Africa and America!

Love,

Trudy

Sunday, June 24, 2007

Traveling on ...


Friends and Family,

I have just risked my life to send this email. :) The Archbishop lives a short distance out of the city. I walked to the end of his road and caught a boda (motorcycle taxi) to the Internet Cafe, which is at the far end of Mukono. I think I need to buy a helmet to use here. I keep thinking I will quit riding bodas, but then I need to go somewhere and they are convenient.

I meant to mention one more thing about my day at Namirembe Primary. One of our favorite young administrators, Henry, (Director of Students) has agreed to work with Libraries of Love. He will pay visits to our six libraries to make sure students have access to the books, the organizational system is working, etc. There definitely isn't anyone we could have found that is more qualified. We have talked about having Henry work with us for a couple years now. This year, since there are now six libraries, we decided it was time. Henry, Damallie, and I talked about having all the librarians meet at Namirembe every other month as a support system for each other. With Damallie, our librarian, and Henry heading the meetings we are sure they will be successful. I am quite excited about this addition to our team.

I talked to Livingstone and he insisted I must come for a visit to Mukono. I took a taxi and then spent some time at the orphanage in the afternoon. Most of the children were at school for a sports day. There were fifteen of the younger ones left (12 of those are blind). I played my accordion and sang songs with them. They love to feel of and push keys on the accordion to hear the sounds. They were excited because they had just received a donation of 10 matresses, blankets, and sheets for the newest ten blind children. In my heart, I was hoping that the others also had new things. The children's shoes were in tatters - not just filthy, but truly falling apart. I wish I were wealthy and could make everything perfect for all the wonderful children in which I come in contact.

In the evening, Ruth, Livingstone's wife, came and sat with me for a couple hours in my room. I was honored that she felt comfortable enough to share the story of their son Martin. Martin died last year of lukemia. He was in his ealy 30s and living in Colorado. I don't think Ruth would mind my sharing a few details, as it is such a testament to Martin's faith. As he was dying, Martin waved his hand to his aunt and mother and said, "I will see you in heaven." They each then held one of this hands, and along with his minister, said the Lord's Prayer as Martin died. The story was heartbreaking. Ruth and I were both in tears. If one is to die though, what a great way to spend your last moments - sure of where you are going, with those you love, and hearing a prayer given by God. Martin is buried behind the orphanage. They intend to build a school or church on the grounds to honor him.

Sunday:
The busy Archbishop was scheduled to be in a church in Kampala and Ruth is caring for a friend who just had a baby. I opted to remain in Mokono, go to church, and relax. I went to Livingstone and Ruth's local Anglican church. It is a beautiful, medium size, brick building with some stained glass windows and a peaked ceiling. The music reminded me of Wilber's (minus the dancing) :) vibrating and soaring into your heart. It was the first time I have heard 'What a Friend we have in Jesus,' sang in two parts (echoed). Part of the church sang - What a Friend....then the remainder of the church began with What a Friend ... etc. It was beautiful! One funny note: They sang a song I have heard before: 'Jesus is a soul winner. Satan is a Loser.' However, Ugandans pronounce winner as wiener. So the song says: Jesus is a soul wiener - a wiener - a wiener. One can't keep from smiling as they sing.

I sat by a young college student. When the priest started to read the scripture, it was from the Old Testament. The young man only had a small New Testament. I shared my Bible with him and then gave it to him to keep. He was thrilled, grinning from ear to ear.

At home, we usually have several Bibles and devotional books. Here they are precious, as they are quite expensive and many can't afford them. This year, thanks to the choir at Great Hills Baptist Church, First Baptist Church at Georgetown, plus many individuals, we were able to create a teachers section in each library containing many devotional books and Bibles for those who wish to read them.

I had a text message yesterday from Jackson, a member of Wilber's church. He had picked up three boxes and two sachels from me at Herb and Ellen's home. Included in these were many library supplies, gifts for students (such as pencils, sharpeners, etc), Bibles, etc. Jackson spent the night in Kampala and it seems someone picked the lock on his trunk and went through our things. I understand there are some things left, but am not sure what. I will find out when I go to Mbale.

Staying at Livingstone's is like staying at a luxury hotel. I could get used to this. :) It is a beautiful home with beautiful landscaping, and a staff to cook your meals. How nice is that!

It probably means it is time for me to get back to the real world, but it has been nice to rest.

Thanks for your prayers. All is well in Uganda!

Friday, June 22, 2007

Teaching


Greetings from Uganda. I have been spending long hours teaching and need to be on my way once again.

I wish the team could return to the libraries after taking a few days break. They would be overwhelmed with how beautiful and well organized the libraries are. They truly did an amazing job building the bookshelves, organizing, and decorating.

My first day at Bat Valley school, I met with a continuous stream of classes while the librarians observed. They will be teaching the same lessons about the organization of a library, how to care for books, finding their reading level, and the system of check-out that will be used. The kids were so excited. With the second class I almost had to leave, go outside, and have a 'bawling' spell. You would think they were coming in to receive a million dollars each. When I finally had a break, I turned on my iPOD and there was the song, "I Love Bananas," which the team had danced to for the kids at Wilber's church. Ahhhhhhh.

Tuesday, the 19th, I left early for Mengo Secondary. I enjoyed working closely with an English teacher named Glorious. :) This will be the most difficult library to make a 'happening'. There are always students in the library studying. It makes it difficult to get to the books. We have agreed on a schedule for classes to come at the end of the day. The librarians are busy checking out class books to students, so it will be a challenge for them to have time to run a regular library. At the end of the day, I felt as if it was still totally disorganized, so I returned yesterday afternoon to teach more classes. The first day, I met with several classes. Yesterday, I met with three more (close to 90 students in each class). After that, I had lessons with the English teachers, library staff (again), and the library club. This club was Gene Richardson's brainchild. Cheers for Gene! About 40 students signed up, so I went over things they would be doing in the library. Hopefully, they will break them into small groups and assign certain days for them to be available.

Yesterday morning, I left in a taxi to Namungoona Primary. Unfortunately, I prononced it wrong and ended up close to Mokono, the total opposite direction. However, we eventually made it. I must give this school credit. They already had thought through all facets of the library and had everything arranged before I even arrived. They knew when classes would come and arranged for three children to be library helpers. At the other schools, everything was arranged after I arrived to help. I had the pleasure of meeting with all 350 students and enjoyed every minute of it. I love this school, as did my team. We have decided to donate our generator to the school as they have no electricity. We had donated a computer to the office, but they have not been able to use it. When I told the Assistant Principal, she started jumping up and down in circles cheering. The principal's reaction was almost the same. What a thrill to be able to add to their lives.

My evenings have been full. Tuesday evening found me at my friends home where I stayed on my first trip. They actually have a nice home. However, this is the home where I was in a small room outside the house. It is also the home where the room next to mine was turned into a chicken coop and we shared a wire ceiling. :) I owe Mary and her family a huge debt of gratitude. They were my 'family' as I adjusted to the Ugandan culture and traveling by myself.

Last night after work, my friend Margaret 'picked me' and off we went to be part of the real Uganda life. We walked along the side of a busy road joining the streams of people that do so (I was hoping I wouldn't get 'knocked' :). Then off down the dirt paths between homes to visit more friends. This family is the one that had children I went to school with resulting in our first library at Namirembe. Actually, the family has 13 children and many extended family members that are often with them. Some of the children are now grown and have left home, including Richard - my friend in America.

We then caught a matatu (public transport) to the heart of Kampala. We wove in and out through shopping places and markets located through small 'alleys' and local streets. It is like jumping into a huge traffic jam (pronouced j-ah-m) of people instead of cars. You have to shove your way through the masses. I love it!
We stayed out late walking through the streets and markets. Later, we went to a small restaurant at which our team had eaten - Steers. I had a small helping of 'chips' (fries) and ice cream with chocolate on it. Hey, I am on vacation - though it is a working one!

Today, I am off to Mary Kevin's School to clean out the rotted books from the storage and meet with teachers and students ... all the while praying I don't have to go to the 'moving' toilet. In the afternoon, I will be at Namirembe Primary talking to the librarian to see what has worked well or needs adjusted. Since they have had a library for two years, Damaille is my resource for the needs of the libraries. I have been invited to the prinicpal's home for the evening, so I am looking forward to time with Jane and her family. Our team spent time visiting with them last year, so it will be nice to return.

Tomorrow is Saturday and I will be leaving for the Archbishop's or Wilber's. I will figure it out this morning. :)

So, all is well here. My nine and ten hours of teaching each day is exhausting, but as always, well worth the time when I see the students' excitement. As I drove out of Namungoona yesterday, there were four students sitting in a circle with their books open sharing with each other. What a beautiful sight!

My best wishes and love to all of you. Keep me in your prayers!

Trudy

Monday, June 18, 2007

Libraries of Love - June 18th


Dear Family and Friends,
I have quite a lot to write so you might want to print it off and make it your bedtime reading for two or three days. :)

Ethiopian Airlines is looking better! We took the team to the airport this morning using three vans, as there was so much luggage along with the 18 people. One van had a flat on the way, but another van came to the rescue, and they moved quickly to the airport. When they were checking in, they learned that none of the seats had been booked for the Texas team, plus Karen's ticket had even been canceled. After much, much time they finally arranged seating for them. Every single flight - whether with American Airlines or British Airways - has been a mess! It is really frustrating, but the important thing is they are fine and on their way back to you.

Maria, a young Ugandan woman that has worked for Herb and Ellen for several years, and I left the airport and headed for Mary Kevin's school to pick up our tools and generator. It is 'off the beaten path,' - or in this case one could say 'down the beaten path.' The dirt road to the school is horrible, but even worse because of recent rains. Once there, I went into the library and was amazed once more at how beautiful it looks. Maria and I then headed toward Kampala only to have to stop because someone's chicken, with half a brick tied to its leg, had managed to drag itself to the middle of the road! They had several others tied the same way in front of their home.

(I must go back and mention the toilets at Mary Kevins! I have traveled for years, and it is one of the 'best.' Thank goodness it is a 'long drop' squat pot because the ground down the hole was moving, moving, moving, with vermin and ???? - just sliding around all over. I should mention that first I had to open the door and stand there trying to wave swarms of flies and (?) out the door before I could even enter. Then I glanced down. ... I'll leave it at that! Ugh - and I have to spend a long day there Friday! Say a prayer!)

I have so much news I want to share ...

By Wednesday, we had not only finished the libraries and enjoyed opening ceremonies, but we had interacted with approximately 9,300 children. It was truly go, go, go from morning to night, but what a wonderful way to spend your days! The children are delightful. I know I have said before that their eyes dance - but they do just that. Those smiles and beautiful eyes will melt your heart every time. We are truly the ones who have received!

Break Time: (Wednesday) The team loaded into a large van to travel to Murchison Falls Park for a much deserved break.

After arriving, we took at boat ride down the Nile River. All but four fit on one boat, with the others traveling on a smaller boat. The scenery along the river is breathtaking! We saw many animals along the river banks, including birds, rhinos, crocs, African cape buffalo, etc. The other boat was excited because as they passed several elephants, one of them 'trumpeted' them. However, we outdid them, because just as we got close to some elephants, they decided to become intimate. :) It was quite a sight!

Murchison Falls is a huge, beautiful, cascading falls. Our plan was to climb all the way to the top of the falls through the 'forest.' However, as we were unloading our boat, the rest of our team yelled to say that our van was broken down and couldn't pick us up at the top of the falls. Back on the boat we went for the return trip to the boat dock.

After returning to the dock, we heard some sad, shocking news. Our van driver, Eddie, a young man, had been working on the bus in a small area near some of the Murchison Falls employees homes, which consisted of about five tiny, mud, circular homes. As he was leaving, he didn't notice a two-year-old boy crawling behind the bus. Eddie ran over the boy, killing him. A person in one of the homes grabbed a gun and shot at Eddie. Eddie ran for his life knowing that the practice in Uganda is mob justice. The guards at the gate saw him running and stopped him. They called the police, and Eddie was off to jail with the bus and all our luggage.

We learned of these happenings as we got off the boat at the landing. We were walking with our boat driver back to our camp, the Red Chili Pepper. As we were discussing it, our boat driver told us it was his son that was killed. We were just shocked and so sad. At the camp, we met for a time of prayer and reflection. We decided we should donate money to the family to pay for their gas to Gulu, where the burial would be, hopefully leaving some extra funding, also. We all pitched in and then walked to the family's home, meeting with the mother and father.

As spokesperson for the group, I had been trying to think of what to say, and just couldn't seem to think of the right words. As I shared with my team, as soon as I opened my mouth the words came easily as I talked about how the young boy was now in Heaven feeling fine - playing, singing and laughing in the presence of Jesus. I also shared that many of us are parents and know how much love is felt between children and parents. I truly thank God for giving me the words that were needed. We sadly left the family and returned to the camp. Paul and Tom, a young American guy that works with Herb and Ellen, went to the police station to retrieve our luggage. They did leave my brown sandals because they said they looked like something our driver would wear! What kind of deal is that?!

The travel company sent two small vans for our use. Thursday evening found us on a wonderful safari (game drive). One of the highlights was being close to and seeing a group of about 25-30 giraffes doing their 'rolling' walk, as they moved in a line through the bush. One of group commented that she felt like she was in a National Geographic magazine.

The two smaller vans were nice because we could drive off the main path and get 'up close and personal' with the animals. We spotted a lioness in a patch of high weeds, so each van went to a different side. She looked at us and yawned. Dave finished looking out the window through the viewfinder on his camera. He lowered the camera and there he was eye to eye with the lioness! He threw the window shut fast! The lioness then headed for our van's windows - so we too quickly shut them! We loved it!

Before we left Austin, Paul had mentioned that he didn't have peace about us going to Gulu. That evening at the camp, I had five different people come to me to say they didn't feel good about the trip, including Tom. Therefore, we cancelled that part of the trip.

Friday morning, we caught the 7:00 am ferry to go on another game drive. This time we spotted two lions and drove right up to them. They looked at us awhile and then stood and leisurely strolled away.

Now, it is time for me to tell you about those in our van's highlight. We were cruising down the 'washboard' road when we passed some elephants, including four young ones. As we passed, one of the elephants threw up his trunk, trumpeted us, and then charged toward the van. There was a mixture of screams and laughter. We were yelling at the driver to hit the gas pedal. Off we went over a hill in the road and down. As we looked behind us, we watched the elephant come lumbering over the crest of the hill, ears flapping, as he headed right down the middle of the road trying to catch our van! What a sight! I have been on safaris in Kenya, Tanzania, and in Uganda - but I must admit, this was a monumental memory! Wow!

In the park we saw giraffes, elephants, cape buffalo, Ugandan Kob, Jackson hartebeest, oridis, bush buck, water buck (the last three Donita renamed as deer-o-lopes), wart hogs, baboons, fish eagles, lions ... .

After a morning safari, we ate and then headed home to Kampala. Our drivers took the scenic tour - which was beautiful - but ended up being about a nine hour drive. The roads in Murchison were comparable to driving over endless cattle guards. The roads (or not roads) to Kampala consist of huge potholes with some tarmac in places. Donita said it was like taking a matchbox car and trying to run it over a piece of swiss cheese without hitting the potholes - not possible, of course. By the time we got home, our bottoms were rearranged! We were exhausted, but what great memories!

We had an exciting ending to the day. In the house we heard a rumble and the floor started rolling! Yes, an earthquake. OK, it only lasted a few seconds :) but how exciting is that! The earthquake registered 5.8 on the Richter scale. The center was in the Congo. Lake Albert runs beside Murchison Falls and partly separates Uganda and the Congo. If we had been in our cabins and tents, we would have been rockin' and rollin'. I know - I have a sick sense of what is fun. :)

Saturday we had a nice relaxing day and went shopping. Later in the evening, the team enjoyed (?) eating grasshoppers!

A few Uganda phrases:
speed humps
hoot instead of honk
give you a push - see you to the door
rest your soul - go to the bathroom
get knocked - hit by a car
Our team's new word - Oh, matuke!!! Uganda's national dish is matoke, made from bananas. Some on our team didn't like matoke - so changed it a bit to make it our 'bad' word!

Comments from our last team meeting about the trip:

  • It was great how students were included in the opening celebrations through skits, dance, poetry, song, etc.

  • It is impossible to realize the significance of the libraries to the Ugandans and how much they feel it will add to the students' knowledge, until you have been here and listened to the various speakers, as well as the students and staff.

  • A quote given at the grand opening by the headmaster at Mengo by Winston Churchill: "All people can do great things. Great people just do things differently."

  • It is so wonderful to bring people to create the libraries so that the Ugandans can see us face to face, and it not just a donation sent from the States.

  • The impact on the teachers is huge as they realize the amount of resources now available to them.

  • Creating the libraries is like the roads. You can't really grasp it until you have lived it.

  • Their celebrations are huge because the library donation is a huge happening for them.

  • Jan was visiting with several girls. They wanted to feel her hair. They also wanted to know if the freckles on her arm was a disease. The girls wanted to know if children in America have to do chores like carry water to their homes.

  • We love the kids waving to us along the road. It is fun to share the students' excitement as they watch us through the windows and doors.

  • Many don't understand the concept of a library, as they have never been in one.
    The significance mentioned of the trees planted at Mengo was that what we have started must continue to grow.

  • Roger, the assistant principal at Namirembe, said that we had given them a baby, which had elevated their status. Now all aspects of their school must also be elevated to meet the standard that was set.

  • Wilber, Sarah, Herb and Ellen are wonderful people.

  • The worship at Wilber's church was exhilarating. The atmosphere was awesome. It is amazing to think people from around the world worship God - but in different ways (such as quietly or through dance). That must be what Heaven will be like.

  • The church was humble, but they know how to raise the roof!

  • The young girl who lived in the slum area with her mother and 9 siblings had read a book, "The Good and Bad Luck." When asked what her good luck was, she said learning. When asked about her bad luck, she said she didn't have any.

  • Clint begged me not to tell, but we caught him putting deet in his hair. I guess he didn't want mosquitoes landing!

  • Thank God we weren't on the bus when it ran over the child.
  • To make a point that we are alike, though with different skin color, an assistant headmaster had Melissa come up and write her name and then had a young girl do the same. They were both left handed!

  • A common happening on such things as the length of the time home:
    "I'll bet you a deet wipe."
    I'll see your germ x and raise you 3 fruit snacks.
    I'll raise you a roll of toilet paper!
    (pop tarts were usually the winning word:)

I forgot to mention that Sunday Paul drove one of the vans to church with a group. He made it. We attended Herb and Ellen's church. Maria sang in the choir. It was a good service.

I must wrap up as I must owe quite a bit of money by now.

The team: Awesome. Inspiring. Funny. Thoughtful. Gracious. Loving to each other and our Ugandan friends, and hard working. There just aren't words to describe this group. It has been the best of experiences to share their company for two weeks. They have my highest respect, friendship, and love. They have touched volumes of lives, as well as having their lives touched and changed.

Our deepest thanks to our supporters who have made these libraries possible . I have repeated over and over the past few years the words of a young boy at our first library ceremony, though I am changing the ending, as it fits so well:
"May He bless you as you have blessed the children of Uganda (and the Libraries of Love team)." Thank you!

I have a busy schedule the next many days. I will be training the librarians, staff and some students at our four schools, as well as returning to our first school to enjoy time discussing the library with Damallie, our librarian, and Jane, the headmistress.

In summary: The two weeks have been an incredible experience. We have accomplished so much, yet enjoyed our time. Please keep the group in your prayers as they travel home. Also, keep me in your prayers as I work and travel in Uganda. I will return home July 16th.

My love and best to each of you.

Trudy

Tuesday, June 12, 2007

A wonderful but exhausting day


Greetings! It is the end of the day. We had a wonderful, but exhausting day. We went to Mary Kevin's school where our guys built eight 14 ft benches for the kids to sit on. The ladies visited classrooms and then tackled a huge storage area full of old textbooks, a few good books, and many rotted books. What a mess!

We then went to Namirembe Primary, the site of our first library. It was so good to see everyone for the third year. I checked all the shelves in the library and almost every book I picked up had been checked out many times. It was amazing. The kids could tell you all about their favorite books. Jane, the headmistress, had put together a welcoming program, which was great fun. Our team then took on some guys in basketball, using the basketball goals we provided last year. After a truly funny game, with the whole school including teachers cheering, we moved on to play a contest of netball. They also provided a huge meal. It was a great day. I am just so excited about the success of the library since it was our first!

Backtracking: After completeing the libraries, each one had a grand opening ceremony. Namungoona, which is the one that has children who don't have meals during the day, had a big tent donated, had baked a big cake, and had several speakers, with music by the students. We appreciated the ceremoney (though we would be quite happy without one), because we knew it must have been hard for them to find the funds to put it together. Their gratitude is overwhelming.

Mengo Secondary had a very dignified ceremony. The headmaster is very eloquent, but funny. We had a two-tiered caked. He asked me to say a few words before I cut the cake. I could hardly believe my brain kicked in and I said that the cake was like those in the room - two separate groups, yet now one. Hard to believe I could think that fast, isn't it. :) We then planted trees - one for the USA, Uganda, and Herb - the combination of Uganda and the States.

Bat Valley: I forgot to mention that when we played them in soccer, our goofy team did all these crazy warm-ups, such as jumping jacks, toe touches, jogging in place, and side shuffles. The other team watched awhile as they died laughing and then imitated us. What a hoot! The 1,500 students had a great time watching the 'sideshow'!

At the Bat Valley library opening, a small boy went on stage and read his Mother Goose Rhyme book. Some girls did a skit about the importance of the libraries and then they had students in traditional African costumes singing and dancing to the music of the bongo drums. This school presented gifts to the whole team, as well as cards to take home to those who were supporters of the 2007 project.

That evening, five of our six principals were present at a huge banquet at the Equatorial Hotel, one of the nicest in Kampala. The other principal had a death in her family. Archbishop Livingstone Nkoyoyo was the guest speaker. We felt so humbled as we heard over and over words describing the books that they knew would expand their children's knowledge and benefit them now and in the future. They were so kind and we were honored to have our friend, the Archbishop, with us as a special guest.

The next day, we left early for the Archbishop's orphanage at Mukono. He has about 80 children, with 15 of those being blind. The blind children were all really young and so precious. They all sang for us and we returned the favor. They enjoyed a few tunes on my accordion as we sang. Paul had a young boy name Junior following him everywhere and holding tight to his hand. We started calling Paul daddy. :) He was the cutest little boy!

We had tea and cake at the Archbishop and Ruth's home. They also surprised us with a large dinner at the orphanage.

We then climbed back on our bus for the trip to Mbale. We were packed in this bus with about 20 boxes we needed to deliver. The seats were thin; the bus was filthy; and the roads were horrendous! We laughed and said we looked like we needed to add a few goats and chickens to the bus. I must admit, with this group, we have just laughed at everything - including this bus. When I get to Mbale, I feel like I have arrived home. It was so good to see Wilberforce and Sarah Okumu, and their daughter Mercy. The group had a nice guest house in which to stay. They didn't have hot water - but you have to make sacrifices. :)

Sunday we went to the Okumu's church. Their services are inspiring, lively, and simply wonderful! Their people love to dance in church. By the end of the song service there went Sarah with a group of our ladies singing and dancing across the front of the church, with Paul singing and dancing with the choir. Wilber is a fantastic preacher and we all enjoyed the sermon. At 2:00, the team held a children's service using puppets and action songs. There were probably close to 250 in attendance. At 4:00, Melissa Busby and Debbie Rhodes, who are both pastors' wives, attended a pastors' wives fellowship, headed by Sarah. Dave Moore (Kansas) spoke at the evening youth service.

That evening we returned to the guest house. Our cooks were three members of Wilber's choir, who had sacrificed church to feed us. We had them join us for the meal and then they agreed to sing for us. Wilber and Sarah came in and joined them in music. The walls vibrated and the music could be felt all the way down to your soul. It was truly an awesome way to end the evening.

Yesterday morning, we visited last year's school and Namatala Laurel Library. It also seemed to be going well. It looked beautiful. They had added some large paper mache animals to the tops of the bookshelves and put up more posters. I took the group back to a slum area behind the school where many of the children live. We went in a few homes. One home was a rectangular, mud building with three doors, each a different tiny home. The one we went in was so small and dark. It is home to a mother and ten children. As we walked through this area, the poverty was so stark. Yet, the kids and adults were so friendly - once again speaking about how the students bring the books home and share them with their families. We are so honored to add a bit of joy and hope to their lives.

Our team is getting fairly famous for being able to sing the Ugandan national anthem and the national school song. We bust out in it at every occasion just to surprise everyone. It has been fun to watch their reactions.

I better wrap this up. Every day has been wonderful! Today, I was figuring up children with which we have interacted. The total is around 6,000! What more could one ask for?!

I can't say enough about this team. Each one has been a trooper - even though we have been on the go from morning to night! It has been an amazing adventure. What a privilege to serve this wonderful people in Uganda who have become our dear friends.

I hope all is well on your side of the world. Keep us in your prayers. We are off to Northern Uganda tomorrow.

Love and best wishes,

Trudy

Thursday, June 07, 2007

Africa Once Again


Dear Friends and Family,

It is hard to believe, but I am not sure what to write, Normally, as you know, I send long journals with funny stories and lots of detail. As I mentioned earlier, the airline flights were a mess. It seems every flight was cancelled, late, or overbooked. Five of our bags didn't make it to Kampala with us. As of today, we are still short three.

One neat happening on the plane. As we stopped, the flight attendant came over the intercom and said: "To the Librarians of Love - we hope you have a fruitful and blessed trip. You are truly a miracle."

We have worked from early morning until late at night - starting the day we arrived, stopping only at times to go into classrooms to share, laugh, sing, and visit with the students.

As usual, the computer at Herb and Ellen's is really, really, really slow. I brought a group to the Internet Cafe tonight. I am on the second computer - the first didn't work. The generator is working, so hopefully I can type.

Monday, as soon as we arrived we went to Bat Valley School - 1,500 students. The kids were all outside waiting for us doing African dances, singing, playing bongo drums, shouting, jumping, waving, totally excited. After a greeting, we immediately went to work. We had great lumber - but it was so thick the guys had to turn it over to finish sawing through it.

Our group met the first night and shared these thoughts:

It was amazing how we as a team worked to complete the libraries, and had fun doing it ...
The politeness of the staff and students was amazing.
Students are curious and can't wait to read.
The teachers used all of our empty boxes to make signs. They used the pencil boxes too for math lessons.

At Namungoona school the kids lined up outside when we arrived (450 students). There were so many kids without shoes and huge holes in their clothes, we were all a bit sad. They were playing soccer with a little rubber ball and mud bricks for goals. Dave sat under a tree and read "Sam I Am" circled by a huge crowd of children. Donita started playing Chinese jump rope with some girls, and the other ladies and students joined in. Several of the Kansas group are outstanding soccer players - not as good as the students - but good. :)

At the end of the day, about 25 kids were in the library sitting on the floor reading books with our team. I spent the day in tears. In one classroom a teacher ask me how he can make students work when they haven't had any food. He said it is a huge problem at the school. When I asked how much lunch was, he said about the equivalent of $5.00. I was surprised - but then he said it was $5.00 for lunches for the three-month term and that most of the kids can't afford it.

Mengo Secondary already had bookshelves, so we just had to sort the books. That may sound easy, but try sorting approximately 16,000 books in three days at four libraries and putting them in correct Dewey Decimal order. It is a major happening. The 2300 students at Mengo have never checked out books. They do have some terribly old books in the back of the library. The teacher assigns a book; the librarian retrieves it and then writes the students name down so he/she can take the book for one day. The Headmaster asked, "How can you let go of something that is so precious?" So, any books they have are collecting dust, as they are so valuable. They have promised to work with us, and I will set up a check-out system after the group returns to the U.S., as well as meet with several classes.

We arrived at Mary Kevin's Orphan School late in the evening. The library is in a boxcar with no electricity. We used the generator to light the room. However, the mosquitoes were everywhere. This is a smaller school with 350 students. In forty-five minutes, we put together a library of about 1,600 books. The group was like a giant, well-oiled machine, as this was our fourth library in three days. We did take time to visit the dormitories. We thought they couldn't be any poorer than those at Namungoona, but there aren't words to express the "sights" at this school. Beautiful children without parents in the poorest of conditions.

Today at Bat Valley with all 1,500 students watching, our team took on the schools two soccer teams. It was hilarious. Our group gave all they were worth, but there wasn't much hope. I wish I could send you a playback. You would have loved it! The kids alternated between cheering for the USA and then Uganda! At the end, I looked out and Gene Richards was leading this huge group of children as they ran around the field holding their arms in the air and doing crazy steps and chants. Then there was Dave doing a flip in the air!

Last night as we finished up the fourth library, we talked and were all totally in tears. It has been the most amazing, awesome, fantastic experience. The libraries are absolutely beautiful. We have provided curtains and plastic flooring, and decorated the walls, adding final touches. I can't even put into words how grateful the teachers and students are. One teacher told me she thought she was just going to have to cry because of the wonderful library we had provided for them. Many of the students couldn't tell us what a library actually is. They have never been in one.

We had our first grand opening today at Mengo Secondary. It was impressive. They even planted a tree to honor the USA because of their donation to Uganda.

I forgot to mention that at Bat Valley, they went to the website and found the donors names for last year. They then labeled each of their classroom doors with a donor's name, whether it was an individual, company, civic organization, or church. It is quite a sight.

To sum up, this has truly been a 'God' trip. We came to Uganda with people from three states, who have worked together as if we had done this type of work as a unit many times before. Everyone has constantly cheerfully pitched in to help, whether it has been when working, sharing with the students, or having fun on the playground. The love they have shared with these wonderful children is priceless. I would say they will come back changed - but the change has already happened and the 'new' compassion is shining through bright and clear.

I am down to six minutes and I need to collect the other group at a nearby Internet Cafe.

Tomorrow we have two grand openings. Saturday we are off to the Archbishop's orphanage and then on to Mbale to visit Wilber and Sarah, plus spend time at the library we created last year.

Three minutes ... My love and best to each of you. I'm sorry I don't have more time.

Trudy

Saturday, June 02, 2007

We'll Fly Away - Oh, Glory!



It is finally happening and we will be leaving for Africa tomorrow. Unfortunately, one of our volunteers will not be able to travel with us at this time, so the group is now nineteen. It is impossible to share with you our excitement as the time nears.

Today we had a letter from Sarah, the administrator of one of our schools, Bat Valley. They have made many wonderful plans for us while we are there - beginning with a big welcome luncheon on Monday, our first day. Our mission statement reads: our goal is to 'partner' with Africans as we create libraries. Our Ugandan friends take that committment quite seriously. Their dedication and help always amazes us.

Sarah said they have the 'timber' cut into planks, stained, and ready for us to cut into bookshelves. She also said she is traveling today to Livingstone's home (Ret. Archbishop Livingstone Nkyoyo) to see if he will be the guest speaker for our opening (one of four:) - or handing over - ceremony, as they refer to it. I will be thrilled if that happens. For those that don't know, Livingstone was a guest in my home last May. He visited my school and spoke to all the children. He is highly respected in Uganda, as the Anglican church is the National Church of Uganda. He was the speaker at the opening of our library last year in Mbale. He is truly an impressive man.

Thank you for 'listening' and keeping us in your prayers. I'll check in as often as possible.
Trudy