interacting with the island kids

More Island Photos

The team really connected with the Kikongo community on Buvuma Island. There is so much need there, yet you can see that bit by bit, needs are being met. The school children and orphans in the school are being reached with education, nourishment, the Word of God, and with love. Pray the seeds being planted now will grow and mature in Christ's care.

OCU team ministers in Katale and Bukasa Wakiso

When the team came, one of their jobs was to do Vacation Bible School lessons for a few churches. They learned how to teach kids (only 1 OCU member is studying education as their major), how to sing "Only a Boy Named David" and then of course how to pause between ideas so the translator could tell the story (David and Goliath) again in Luganda. At both Katale and Bukasa Wakiso there were about 100 kids (or more) and the team did a wonderful job leading lessons, singing songs, playing with the children, giving them coloring sheets, and just generally showing the love of Christ to them.

A church of Delight Hopson's (a WGM missionary on our field) had donated funds to buy items for both churches/schools. Both of the Africa Gospel Churches also run schools for their communities and do amazing outreach through that open door of educating kids. With the funds the Illinois church gave, the schools were greatly blessed with many gifts (chalk boards, pencils, paper, posters, soccer and other balls, etc.).

Children are so entertaining to watch. I loved the photo of the little girls holding hands as they headed home.



And this boy's smile could sure melt your heart!



The children were very interested when one of the OCU girls (Kari) showed them their photo right after taking it.

Pastor Wilson demonstrates the boda

Yes, all around Uganda you can find refrigerators, wind shields, goats, pigs, chickens, and very large Nile perch fish, other bodas, sofas, etc. all being carried on these small motorcycles. A boda is actually called a "boda boda" and the word originally came from "border to border" (for where they'd take you) but with the English accent kind of on a curve here, it became boda boda, and shortened to boda.

All of that to say that many people take them to work, home, shopping, or just around. I'm trying to make a collection of interesting things I've seen riding on them. In this photo it is pretty tame- Pastor Wilson and some of the kids from his church in Katale.

Welcome to Junior High!

It has become a tradition during the last week of school to welcome the grade 6 into junior high. Many of the kids from the 7, 8 and 9th grades come to the party (I serve ice cream) and they participate in the party activities, games, eating, etc.
I’ve heard stories of the kids in grade 6 each year getting so excited waiting to enter junior high that they can’t even sleep the night before the big welcome!



Jean was my wonderful photographer during both the Youth Bash (see below) and the Welcome to Junior High activities. Here she is having fun with the water balloon launcher. Yes- I don't know how to work her camera or the lighting would have been better.



Rachel and Ruth WERE in 8th grade, but will enter 9th in August. I just thought this was a cute photo of them.

A creative use of wheeled trolley-carts

A few years ago I saw a camp (Delanco in NJ) use little “trolley carts” for teen games. I asked around here if we could have any made and “poof” we got 4!





So we had a number of games using the carts, including many moments of hilarity. I’m sure they will play key roles in future youth events as well, but their inaugural events were the Youth Bash and the Welcome to Junior High parties.

Sumo with Junior high

Further down my posts you can see the first games we had with the "sumo" idea. The junior high was really excited that we could play it, too, as they'd heard a lot of funny things about it.

When Christina and Jean (WGM VIA- Volunteers In Action) "suited up", they had some pretty entertaining poses...

Slip-N-Slide with Junior High kiddos!

I think what is most scary to me about slip-n-slide is that I remember when the actual company came out with the yellow plastic when I was in junior high! That is more years ago than I wish to count! I’m glad the kids love it so well and that we’ve had some pretty funny memories created with water, soap and plastic.

Did you know you can slide further if you add dish soap TO YOUR TORSO, not so much to the plastic itself? Some kids got carried away and even had it in their hair ('cause that helps you slide if you land on your head?!), which then dripped into their eyes. That only needs to happen once for the teen to realize soaping the torso is all anyone needs...

End of School Year YOUTH BASH!!!

For the last youth group of the school year, we held a “Youth Bash”; 7 hours of youth games and activities at the school. Starting with about 15 or so games, some played indoors and most outdoors, we had a wonderful time with about 42 people in attendance. I have to say right up that if the OCU team hadn’t been there, the other youth helpers and I would have been struggling to work it all out. With about 10 adults leading, we had a really successful and fun time. Below are some highlights of the afternoon/evening…

Blind Volleyball and "Ultimate... What?"

Blind volleyball was a lot of fun with a giant beach ball that the OCU team brought. And playing Ultimate Frisbee was tricky. We first STARTED with the Frisbee, then turned it into “ultimate what” and replaced the Frisbee with eggs, a bunch of bananas, a bag of flour, and a few other surprises. In the bottom photo you can see Mischa intercepting the giant papaya we had. What a riot!

FYI I learned this game in Bolivia several years ago, where they ended the game with a dead fish as the "Frisbee". Talk about smelly! But the scales also sliced some fingers, so I decided to NOT throw a fish around.

the kids love slip-n-slide!

This was a first; double slip-n-slides. It was quite a hit!

Sick and Wrong...

Alright, I admit that it is a gross skit, and there is no point really except to get people’s attention. But this was a funny thing. Lino was the machine, I was the sales person. Mischa was the “momma” in a head scarf and dress. I was trying to sell Mischa my machine. So we did a demonstration of how great it makes food. So “machine” Lino first chewed up some g-nuts (ground nuts– like peanuts but smaller) and he spit them up onto 3 pieces of bread to make "peanut butter" sandwiches. Next there was chocolate milk (I added milk then chocolate syrup) and he gargled, then spit that out into 3 classes. Next, Rachel, Fred and Kaleb came in, as Mischa’s kids, and chowed down on the “free lunch!”! Enjoy the photos of shock and disgust by those in the audience.
Ummm, no. I don’t think I’ll do this again– for a long time, or maybe never. But the kids sure do remember that night!

The many faces of Evgeni!!!

With so many poses of Evgeni (yes, from Russia) during the youth bash, I had to include them together. He is a neat and funny guy! (hey Evgeni! I bet that you LOVE having these on my blog!)
P.S. we pronounce his name “Eugene”.

Kids behave "so well" whenever there is a camera around!

These photos are of Manouk and Star at the Youth Bash, followed by Marc and Lino (you can only see Lino’s hands), and then Christina and Lino (and now you can see Lino hamming it up for the camera!). The kids had a lot of fun that night, and I’m glad we can begin this annual tradition to bring laughter and memories to the end of the school year…

"Sumo" and launching water balloons

Christina had the idea to get some thin mattresses and bungee cords and do a pseudo-sumo wrestling game. Talk about hilarious! The kids LOVED it!

Also posted here is Logan aiming the water balloon launcher. The guy has SKILL. He hit a telephone pole about 150+ yards away! Great aim!

another game...

If you have these type of “centipede” shoes made in Uganda, work out the bugs (did you catch the bad pun?!)better than we did. I’d had a guy make them for me, but he couldn’t deliver them till the day of the youth bash. The game lasted only as long as the boards did… But it was fun while it lasted!

...and another

I was watching an old movie (I think it was Home Alone 2 - well, maybe) and saw them using stilts… and taa daa– had some made for the youth bash! Most kids here had never used them, so it was funny to watch them TRY to do a relay with them.

One last game from the Youth Bash

If you have a game for youth where you offer to “get the teacher wet”, you WILL have kids participate. Pictured dripping wet along with me are Keeley (our new Principal at HIS) and Matthew (who was teaching in HIS this past year but has recently moved back to the USA).

Thanks for the Encyclopedias!

A few months back I sent out a request for people to give toward getting a new set of encyclopedias for Heritage. Some gifts are still coming in to finish paying for them, but with a team willing to bring them in May (and we could avoid shipping costs to Africa!), we went ahead and purchased them already. The best part is that in the budget we had, we actually were able to get a junior set for grades 1-6, and a secondary set for grades 6-12. And since we got 2 sets, they threw in a CD with more information, plus a dictionary and a thesaurus! That, I must say, was pretty exciting! ☺
FYI, the other incomplete sets of encyclopedias in our library prior to this year’s purchase, are from 1979 and earlier. Those are some outdated books! With annual research projects in all our classes and grades, these two sets will be invaluable! The photos I included are of the grades 4 and 8 with the books, all of whom are excited to have better research materials!
Thank you to all who contributed! And if you still want to give toward this project, please let me know through www.wgm.org! ☺