Heading Home

Today marks our last day in Uganda. We will spend some time at the baby's home and then in the evening head out towards the airport. Our flight leaves at midnight, Uganda time, 4:00pm central time. We will arrive in Omaha at about 5:00pm on Friday. Please pray for safe travel, smooth transitions through security check points and rest while on the plane.

For many of us, the full impact of this trip has yet to be discovered. The poverty, joy and radical faith that has been encountered will leave an indelible mark on us all. The relationships that we have built with Ken and Kathy and their beautiful children will be difficult to part from. Knowing that the orphans that those at Tender Hearts Baby's Home care for are but just a small representation of the many abandoned children in Uganda due to poverty, war, disease and brokenness will overwhelm us.

As we come home, each of us will become advocates and ambassadors for the work that is being done through Ken's ministry. The Latin root of the word advocate essentially means to add your voice. There is a story that is going on here in Uganda. We did not start this story, nor will we finish the story. It is God's story. We have all been given an opportunity to participate and in some way to add our own voice to this story that God is working out in the abandoned places of this world. It is our prayer that you who are reading will find some way to add your voice as well. When Ken is asked what he needs more, money and resources donated or people coming over, his answer is yes.

Consider going to Uganda in order to experience hospitality; to listen and see the story that God is authoring. When Ken comes to the United States in October, give. I have heard a Ugandan bishop once say that it is not really giving until it hurts. Up until that point you are simply getting rid of your excess. Pray. But do not pray in a disconnected manner, pray as though you are with the abandoned orphans and widows of Uganda (Hebrews 13:3).

Hospitality

When you give a luncheon or a dinner, do not invite your friends or your brothers or your relatives or rich neighbors, in case they may invite you in return, and you would be repaid. But when you give a banquet, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, and the blind. And you will be blessed, because they cannot repay you, for you will be repaid at the resurrection of the righteous. -- Luke 14:12-14

When Ken purchased the land where the new baby's home is located, there were two widows already living on the land. According to Ugandan law, the widows are to be either be given a small plot in which they can continue living or Ken is to help find and finance a new home for them. Their own families are buried on this land, so it was unthinkable for Ken to have them move off of the land. One of the widows is even caring for several grandchildren that have been orphaned due to HIV/AIDS. When the law required to go one mile, Ken made the choice to go two (Matthew 5:41). He is giving each of the widows on his property one full acre plus permission to farm and work the land. There is an additional widow that is a neighbor to Ken's property that also cares for her orphaned children due to HIV/AIDS. This same widow cared for and tended the grave site of Vivian Perdew, before there was even plans to build a new baby's home.

We had the opportunity to participate in this hospitality that Ken and Kathy are showing to these strong and resilient women by bringing gifts of kerosene and cooking ingredients. The previous post has several pictures of this encounter. One of the houses is made of mud and is caving in. It is unsafe to sleep in. Another has a metal roof with many holes. In one corner the metal has been broken away and replaced with an old cloth. When it rains, she does not stay dry. Ken will be looking for donations to help these families and build them a new house. To build a decent livable house for these families would cost around $15,000.

In the end, hospitality is not about the food prepared or the gifts given. Hospitality is about honoring your neighbor. Luke reminds us to honor those that are cast off to the margins of society: "the poor, the crippled, the lame, and the blind." I think we could also add the widows and orphans to this list. Ken and Kathy have given us a beautiful picture of what hospitality to the widows and orphans looks like. We have been brought into this story and have now been able to become participants, in a small but meaningful way, in the practicing of pure religion (James 1:27) here in Uganda.

What was most surprising about our visits to these widows homes was that we became the recipients of hospitality. "Tusenyuse Okulaba, I am happy you are here; You are welcome." Each of the widows greeted us in kind and invited us to come in and sit in their houses. One even quickly ran inside to tidy up the place when she saw us coming. They have shown us honor and have given us all a gift. This is a gift that cannot be expressed in mere words; it must be experienced and felt first-hand.

 

Photos

 

Our huts we stay in!!

 This is the side of the road. Going a little fast for my auto-focus.

 This is Ken so thankful for his new ipad!! THANK YOU GRACIOUS DONOR!!!

  This picture above, of the little girl was so touching to me. We stopped along the road in Mokonu to buy some sugar cane and I saw her all alone on a store front. She is cutting Jack Fruit. She is so young and has a huge corn knife in her hand. I walked up to her and gave her some fruit snacks. By her smile, it made her day :)

 This is our team getting the tour of the new faciliity!!!!

A construction worker making mortar for the bricks.
 

 This is were Vivian lies. Her story has impacted so many.

 We are taking groceries to the widows who live on the acreage.

A widow's grandson whom she raises. She is such a strong woman.

 

 The first widow we met. She is amazing!!!

 Goodbye hugs.

 The pictures below and above are a family living on the baby home site. There are three widows and their families living on the land so Ken, by law, is obligated to allow them to continue living on the land. But if you met these women, you would not want to kick them off of your land...laws or no laws. They are so special and we got to meet them and give them groceries. It was so beautiful.

 The second widow with 12 or more children living with her.

 

The third widow, her name is the easiest- Marjoree. May God bless her and the other widows with the supplies and funds for Ken to have new homes built for these amazing women!!!!

THE LORD IS AT WORK HERE IN UGANDA!!! To God be the glory!!!

The internet here is quite difficult to get on so these are the only photos I was able to upload. Sorry!! 

-Audra J :)  

Vivian's Hope

Today we had the opportunity to travel out to the new site of the baby's home that is in the process of being built. On the side of a hill was the monument to Vivian Perdew, the beautiful girl that has connected so many hearts to Uganda. Ken Nganda told us Vivian is like Jesus in that it is in her death that hope is being spread to many more abandoned babies in Uganda and also giving hope to those of us in the United States who are able to now encounter and build relationships and be the Church with those that hold a special place in the heart of God, the widows and orphans.

It was in the shadow of Vivian's grave today that we tilled and worked and planted and got the red African soil in our finger nails. Let this be a metaphor and a prayer for what we are doing here. As the seed is buried and crushed, so life springs forth. We are not the first here, neither will be the last.

Thank you for your prayers and blessings be upon you.

We will be posting some photos soon. . .

September 11th Update

God is good! We successfully check in 11 trunks of supplies and
Our luggage and we are now in Newark NJ! We flew by New York city it was a beautiful skyline view of very tall buildings (Empire State Bld) also saw the Met
life stadium  (New York Giants)! Thank you all for seeing us off this morning we r very humbled by all your texts, calls , and emails the prayers are definitely felt❤!
We will keep you updated! MaybGod be glorified .
Blessings
Dan a d Becky and the Team

Prayer Partners

Please consider praying with us and be a vital part of the team serving in Uganda September 11 to September 20. Thank you so much for committing to petition our Lord on our behalf. Here are some specifics that may help to guide your prayers:

September 11

Please pray that there will be no anxiety about it being 9-11. Please pray for safety for the entire way. Please pray that the long flights will be a time that we can spend Glorifying God through prayer, attitude and witness. Above all that God would be Glorified through us at all times!

September 12

Please pray that as we arrive in Kampala, that all connections with transportation and lodging would go as planned. Also that sleep would refresh and prepare us for the day ahead after lots of flight and airport time. Above all that God would be Glorified through us at all times!

September 13

Please pray that we would be willing and capable of any task requested of us at the new baby's home site. Pray for protection from mosquitoes and contaminated water as we work and sleep. Above all that God would be Glorified through us at all times!

September 14

Please pray that we would be able to encourage each other in all we are called to do. Also that anyone we encounter would hear the Gospel and experience the love of Christ through us. Above all that God would be Glorified through us at all times!

September 15

Please pray that our time at the Home would be productive as possible with vision of how we might help them to move things along with the resources available. Also that we would have opportunity and time to encourage Ken in his calling and continue to develop a deep relationship with him. Above all that God would be Glorified through us at all times!

September 16

Please pray for excitement, energy and strength to carry out our assigned tasks for the day. Pray that we would be willing to go beyond our comfort zones in witness to all that we encounter with great anticipation of the fruit that God will bring forth for years after we are gone. Above all that God would be Glorified through us at all times!

September 17

As we begin to look toward the end of our time in Uganda, please pray that God would prepare us to return as changed people to our homes and families. Pray that what we have experienced would not overwhelm and discourage us but rather that we would have a greater zeal and compassion for every person we encounter to hear the Gospel and to know the love of Christ. Above all that God would be Glorified through us at all times!

September 18

Please pray that we would "finish well" the calling that He has set before us. Please pray that we would see the beauty of Uganda just a God sees it, and that it would be imprinted on our hearts and minds forever. Above all that God would be Glorified through us at all times.

September 19

Please pray for a smooth and safe exit form Uganda as well as safe flights. Pray for God to sustain us as we likely will be tired and face a very long trip home. Above all that God would be Glorified through us at all times!

September 20

As we arrive home, pray that we would have thankful hearts for all that He supplied and allowed us to experience. Pray for healing, physically, emotionally or spiritually for each team member. Above all that God would be Glorified through us at all times!