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! ☺

Team on Buvuma Island

Below are some photos of the Ohio Christian University team here now (May 11th-May 25th). They went last week to our school and orphans ministry on Buvuma Island, a 2 hour boat ride into Lake Victoria. The goal for the 3 days there was to work on the floor of a new building, to eventually house our teachers and probably to be used for storage or other ministries. They hauled rock from the lake nearly all day, and while accomplishing a lot, they only got to pour 1/4 of the total floor (meaning they put cement over top of the rock base in the foundation). This was a huge step, and of course we have further steps in construction to take, too.





During the time on the island, the team also got to meet a lot of children and islanders who enjoyed playing, talking and laughing together.



Did you know that ANYONE (including YOU) can minister to people in Uganda, even at a long distance? This is done easily through joining our prayer teams, or giving financially to the numerous ministries here. Contact www.wgm.org and get involved now.
What I personally love to see when people come to visit or stay for a while, are the relationships they build (even brief ones). It is amazing how the children, teens and adults watch and learn from us. Watching a child smile back at a team member, seeing how parents are pleased that we've taken time for their child. Relationship building and simple acts of kindness really do open doors for ministry. The OCU team sure reached out to so many of the people on the island, and what a blessing they were. So what kind of simple act of kindness am I intentionally doing today? What about you? That's all I'm saying. And my question for you (and me) is- what MORE simple acts of kindness can I do, and can they enhance the Kingdom? Being thankful, being kind, being available to the Lord so that even He is blessed with my kindness towards Him... these are things on my mind these days.

World Book Day At Heritage

Our first ever World Book Day was last week. Everyone was invited to dress in a favorite literary character, and we celebrated literacy with games, skits, even songs and an afternoon viewing of the very fun film, "Princess Bride". Students and Faculty enjoyed the activities and I definitely heard people quoting Princess Bride lines the next time we were in class.

Jean's photos on safari

I've borrowed the above pictures from Jean Komline, who travelled to Kenya over Easter. We do have zebra and giraffe in Uganda, but my giraffe photos were limited from the trip Mom & I took, and Ugandan zebra are not in Murchison, and I thought you might like to see some on this blog. Thank you, Jean, for letting me use your pictures!

Our Retreat hotel at Mountains of the Moon

Above: Our April 2009 Women Volunteers; Lacey, Christina and Jean, posing with the Mountains of the Moon in the background.

The following photos are from the retreat hotel flowers. Some of the lovely flowers which bloom here in Africa.





Below: Austin & I hanging out during Field Retreat.

Above is the April 2009 WGM Uganda Field Staff. Each year we try to get a photo which includes ALL of our people, but with transient people (like Volunteers or our regional directors or such), we sometimes miss a few people here and there.

Included in this photo (listed in no particular order) are:
Jonathan and Lisa Mayo (Field Director, Field hostess, HIS teacher), with sons Jordan and Ethan;
John & Beth Muehleisen, our regional strategists;
Michael & Angela Kelley (Field Business manager and treasurer plus HIS yearbook teacher) and their girls, Abby & Ashley;
Keith & Donna Bourne (Island and construction ministries, HIS Reception) with Haley and Rachel;
Dr. Rick & Teresa Morse with baby Michael. They are in the midst of obtaining guardianship for this orphan baby. The Morse's have been ministering in Africa for several years off and on, with medical ministries. When not in Uganda, they base themselves in the GA/AL area.
Kenneth & Delight Hopson (Field printer, HIS Administrative Secretary) and their kids are Kaleb, Austin and Emilee;
Billy & Joanna Coppedge (Arua-based Pastor's training and women's ministries) with Elsie Jayne);
our VIA - Volunteers in Action-
Jean Komline (1st grade teacher @ HIS),
Christina Maddalone (grade 6 @ HIS), Lacey Mackey (HIS librarian)
plus Nick Strong (Arua based- sports ministries and pastor's training).
We also have our field pastor and his whole family. They are Rev. Rick & Janie Burkhalter, with adult children Tori, Jacob & Courtney, who visited and ministered to the field for their bi-annual trip and led the annual retreat sessions for adults and children. It was the first time that Rick & Janie's whole family could come visit us and what a blessing they were/are!
Lastly, of course, I'm in the photo, too. Ohh- ahh. :)

Above are our WGM Uganda Missionary Kids (MK's) together at retreat.

On the road to Fort Portal

In Western Uganda, you can find many Colobus monkeys. Along the roadways they are swinging from branches and hanging on vines. It is a fun site to behold, and a total difference from the vervet monkeys common in Kampala.

Tootsies

Hey, if you come to see me in Uganda, I can take you to get a pedicure (or manicure) like my Mom & I did. :)

The Rescue!!!

I nearly forgot to explain how we got out of Murchison without my car! While Jonathan Mayo (field director) made car-towing arrangements for my Prado, Billy Coppedge drove the field van 2 hours from Arua with his ministry motorcylce in the back. Had he not come to the park, we'd have been stuck there without a vehicle and no way to go on safari OR leave Murchison park. So, thanks to these kind men and all those who worked behind the scenes helping 2 stranded tourists out, we got to still run around the park one day and enjoy the time there. (the photo is of Billy and some men unloading his motorcycle from our field van so he could drive back home).

We considered driving into the animal-viewing area the next day, but because of heavy rains for about 6 hours, and having experienced the BAD clay and slipping and sliding of the van on those roads, we decided we were gun-shy. No more cars breaking down (or possibly in ditches) for at least this trip, please. So, we saw a lot of animals, but not all the ones possible. But we felt more confident in the long run after all the other vehicle experiences.



I missed also saying that in order to see the animals, you have to cross the Nile on a ferry. This photo shows some folks crossing. When we tried, after the heavy rains and with the way the ferry docks on the shore, the van wheels got stuck kind of in mid-air between the ferry and the dock (it is how the docking works, but the mud kept us from going fast enough to push over this gap and we needed 7 people to help push the van onto the ferry!). See? We had PLENTY of adventures while on safari.