Wednesday, February 22, 2012
Tuesday, February 14, 2012
video post with Vic Reimer
it’s been a great experience for all - with many surprises along the way
...
and God is good
...
we have an extended layover in London - and are expected to be back in Regina at 12:30am on Thursday (pretty much Wednesday night)
Monday, February 13, 2012
update and video post from Donalda
our time in Uganda is wrapping up very quickly, as we fly out late Tuesday night Uganda time
last night, we took in a cultural show - definitely a highlight for many team members
today, we took part in a church conference in Kampala with a few members presenting (with interpreter and all) - Randy Schmor from the NAB even popped over from Cameroon to join us
it has been quite the experience and we have many stories to tell
I hope this blog has been a little helpful for you to keep track of where we’ve been and what we’ve been doing
there is so much more to write and share
but we’ll see y’all in a few more days
last night, we took in a cultural show - definitely a highlight for many team members
today, we took part in a church conference in Kampala with a few members presenting (with interpreter and all) - Randy Schmor from the NAB even popped over from Cameroon to join us
it has been quite the experience and we have many stories to tell
I hope this blog has been a little helpful for you to keep track of where we’ve been and what we’ve been doing
there is so much more to write and share
but we’ll see y’all in a few more days
Saturday, February 11, 2012
update and video post from Tim Reimer
so, we made it back to Kampala after a very long drive
the differences between Kampala and Gulu are striking
we did some market shopping yesterday and did some village touring today
enjoyed a lunch in homes in this aft and were able to visit the classrooms we had built 2 years ago - still standing!
the differences between Kampala and Gulu are striking
we did some market shopping yesterday and did some village touring today
enjoyed a lunch in homes in this aft and were able to visit the classrooms we had built 2 years ago - still standing!
Wednesday, February 8, 2012
safari day
we have been so blessed and so pampered
went for our early morning game drive - we were met by numerous elephants - video to come
chanced to see a lioness creepying after her prey and a couple young cubs of hers
giraffes, more hippos, and lots of others
we took our japanese mini-van - it's roof opens up and you can sit on top as well as one of the Lodge's Land Cruisers
...
spent our afternoon by the pool and then back out for an evening drive seeing more nature - what a beautiful place this country is
went for our early morning game drive - we were met by numerous elephants - video to come
chanced to see a lioness creepying after her prey and a couple young cubs of hers
giraffes, more hippos, and lots of others
we took our japanese mini-van - it's roof opens up and you can sit on top as well as one of the Lodge's Land Cruisers
...
spent our afternoon by the pool and then back out for an evening drive seeing more nature - what a beautiful place this country is
Tuesday, February 7, 2012
a full day
so we left Gulu and said our goodbyes (some tearful) to our new friends
we began to make our way to Paraa Safari Lodge
let me list a few things that happened on our way:
- came across an elephant that poachers had shot 3 days prior and many people were still hacking off meat and bone - delicious?
- our bus broke down and we crammed in to our luggage van while some sat on the side of the hot, Ugandan road
- we saw elephants meandering through the country-side
...
when we finally arrived at our destination - we sat down for a quick lunch before heading out on a 3 hour Nile Cruise - seeing many elephants, hippos, crocodiles and many other creatures
tomorrow, we are up early for our 6am game drive in the park - hoping to see many more nocturnal animals
...
here is our extravagant accomodations:
http://www.paraalodge.com/
we began to make our way to Paraa Safari Lodge
let me list a few things that happened on our way:
- came across an elephant that poachers had shot 3 days prior and many people were still hacking off meat and bone - delicious?
- our bus broke down and we crammed in to our luggage van while some sat on the side of the hot, Ugandan road
- we saw elephants meandering through the country-side
...
when we finally arrived at our destination - we sat down for a quick lunch before heading out on a 3 hour Nile Cruise - seeing many elephants, hippos, crocodiles and many other creatures
tomorrow, we are up early for our 6am game drive in the park - hoping to see many more nocturnal animals
...
here is our extravagant accomodations:
http://www.paraalodge.com/
Monday, February 6, 2012
tensions
more and more in life I am confronted by the tension all around us
our time in Uganda has been no different
...
far more than physically, our time has has been emotionally and spiritually exhausting
there is this tension of being present to help and yet utterly overwhelmed with the immensity of the need
there is another tension of being blessed to help and yet the weight of guilt (having been blessed to be born where I was)
I know these are not new - yet we are confronted by them daily
...
I do not pretend to think that we will swoop in here and change everything (nor do I think we should) - only that we have been called by God to come, so we answered
our following looks much more like humbly working alongside those who already are serving so faithfully: national workers, missionaries, etc...and they are so gracious to let us
...
the emotional taxation happens when we (by nature) open up our hearts to those we meet and get to know
it’s as if we are in a constant cycle of hello’s and goodbye’s
we are growing quite adept at the greetings...yet I find myself paining more at the farewells...
...
enough paining for now - suffice it to say that we love it here and that is why it is hard
our time in Uganda has been no different
...
far more than physically, our time has has been emotionally and spiritually exhausting
there is this tension of being present to help and yet utterly overwhelmed with the immensity of the need
there is another tension of being blessed to help and yet the weight of guilt (having been blessed to be born where I was)
I know these are not new - yet we are confronted by them daily
...
I do not pretend to think that we will swoop in here and change everything (nor do I think we should) - only that we have been called by God to come, so we answered
our following looks much more like humbly working alongside those who already are serving so faithfully: national workers, missionaries, etc...and they are so gracious to let us
...
the emotional taxation happens when we (by nature) open up our hearts to those we meet and get to know
it’s as if we are in a constant cycle of hello’s and goodbye’s
we are growing quite adept at the greetings...yet I find myself paining more at the farewells...
...
enough paining for now - suffice it to say that we love it here and that is why it is hard
Sunday, February 5, 2012
Sunday Sunday
wow - what a day, what a day (said in a distinctly Ugandan accent)
first church at Watoto Gulu surrounded by our new friends
we went out to Laminadera (the name of the village where we built the classroom) after church for a traditional lunch in different houses (comprised of a house mom and up to 8 children)
some of us were fortunate enough to visit and eat in the homes of children we sponsor - what a wonderful gift!
we played soccer with the kids and took many many pictures - the kids love being able to use our cameras and then see themselves - we laugh and laugh and laugh
...
tomorrow we are to visit Living Hope (a women’s ministry) and hopefully have a chance to visit Invisible Children’s Gulu headquarters
it has been an amazing trip thus far - we are about half-way through with so much more
we are all trying to soak up as much as possible while we are here
...
not entirely sure - but pretty sure that Gulu was one of (if not the) hottest places on earth today
first church at Watoto Gulu surrounded by our new friends
we went out to Laminadera (the name of the village where we built the classroom) after church for a traditional lunch in different houses (comprised of a house mom and up to 8 children)
some of us were fortunate enough to visit and eat in the homes of children we sponsor - what a wonderful gift!
we played soccer with the kids and took many many pictures - the kids love being able to use our cameras and then see themselves - we laugh and laugh and laugh
...
tomorrow we are to visit Living Hope (a women’s ministry) and hopefully have a chance to visit Invisible Children’s Gulu headquarters
it has been an amazing trip thus far - we are about half-way through with so much more
we are all trying to soak up as much as possible while we are here
...
not entirely sure - but pretty sure that Gulu was one of (if not the) hottest places on earth today
Saturday, February 4, 2012
Baby Watoto and random thoughts
today we visited Baby Watoto Gulu
we cuddled and played for hours and hours - not enough for most of the women it seems
we mopped and washed and swept and cleaned
...
I am consistently impressed with the forethought, vision, and functioning of Watoto - this ministry keeps impressing and surprising me
it is such a honour to work alongside them
their grace and patience with us is never-ending it seems
...
we are so looking forward to church tomorrow with Watoto Gulu (even joined by some of our new friends in the neighbourhood)
thanks for reading and praying and caring
...
question for you: when are you going to Uganda?
we cuddled and played for hours and hours - not enough for most of the women it seems
we mopped and washed and swept and cleaned
...
I am consistently impressed with the forethought, vision, and functioning of Watoto - this ministry keeps impressing and surprising me
it is such a honour to work alongside them
their grace and patience with us is never-ending it seems
...
we are so looking forward to church tomorrow with Watoto Gulu (even joined by some of our new friends in the neighbourhood)
thanks for reading and praying and caring
...
question for you: when are you going to Uganda?
Friday, February 3, 2012
futbol
the teams had assembled and lined up opposing each other
the Canadians led with a rousing version of the Ugandan national anthem
the Ugandans followed with another local song
the Canadians responded a boisterous Canadian national anthem
the game began awkwardly at best with the Ugandans demanding the respect of the Canadians
but the competition was stiff and the Canadians surprised their opponents
at half, the score was still 0-0 (in favour of the Canadians)
the Ugandans began the 2nd half with a quick score off a sloppy Canadian turnover
1-0 Uganda
but the lead would be short-lived as they Canadians answered with some masterful passing and Marianne Engel scoring the tying goal
1-1
the teams would go back and forth with a few more chances each
but the whistle would blow, ending the game in a 1-1 draw
...
which is a win for the Canadians in my book
Thursday, February 2, 2012
the classroom is done!
we’ve had a couple good days working at the site and finished the building a day early
we have been challenged by the Ugandan workers to a match of futbol (soccer) so we will be playing them tomorrow morning
having memorized their national anthem - we intend to strike fear in the heart of our opposition before getting our butts handed to us
they have some extra work for us to do tomorrow - probably painting, etc.
...
the guest house in Gulu is in such a beautiful spot - right in the heart of a community
most of the team went for a walk through the village - we had many followers and many good memories
we have been challenged by the Ugandan workers to a match of futbol (soccer) so we will be playing them tomorrow morning
having memorized their national anthem - we intend to strike fear in the heart of our opposition before getting our butts handed to us
they have some extra work for us to do tomorrow - probably painting, etc.
...
the guest house in Gulu is in such a beautiful spot - right in the heart of a community
most of the team went for a walk through the village - we had many followers and many good memories
 |
| our new neighbour - Deborah |
 | |
| hut with solar panel |
Wednesday, February 1, 2012
a video post from Marianne Engel
and if you're interested - here's the link to our splendid guest house here in Gulu: http://www.wajoli.com/Watoto-Gulu-Guest-House
an unpaid advertisement
this blog post is brought to you by Dukoral
- thank you Dukoral
and for those of you reading on mobile devices - I've now optimized it for you too
- thank you Dukoral
and for those of you reading on mobile devices - I've now optimized it for you too
Tuesday, January 31, 2012
Gulu - Day 1
we made the trek from Kampala to Gulu
the road was a vast improvement from what we had experienced last time
the trip did take about 5 hours altogether
and we were once again blown away by how amazing our accommodations were
...
we were up for a 6am breakfast to be ready to be at the work site by 7am
we wanted to get working as soon as possible as it gets quite hot in the afternoons in Gulu
Watoto provides skilled workers to work alongside us as we build - and we all have a blast getting to know each other, butchering each other’s name, and making fun of each other
it was a very productive morning and we wrapped up early, having done all we could do for the day - I must say, I’m very impressed with this team
...
we are back to the build site tomorrow and they have assured us that if we finish early - they will create more work for us
...
ps - I am in the process of finding nicknames for each of the team members (details coming soon)
the road was a vast improvement from what we had experienced last time
the trip did take about 5 hours altogether
and we were once again blown away by how amazing our accommodations were
...
we were up for a 6am breakfast to be ready to be at the work site by 7am
we wanted to get working as soon as possible as it gets quite hot in the afternoons in Gulu
Watoto provides skilled workers to work alongside us as we build - and we all have a blast getting to know each other, butchering each other’s name, and making fun of each other
it was a very productive morning and we wrapped up early, having done all we could do for the day - I must say, I’m very impressed with this team
...
we are back to the build site tomorrow and they have assured us that if we finish early - they will create more work for us
...
ps - I am in the process of finding nicknames for each of the team members (details coming soon)
 |
| down a street in Kampala |
 |
| some friends we met on our way to Gulu |
 |
| our neighbours right beside our guest house in Gulu |
 |
| first day on the work site |
Monday, January 30, 2012
Sunday, January 29, 2012
Travel Tips with Tyson
we are up and heading to Gulu soon - so not much to report over night
however, I thought I’d fill you in on a couple things - good advice as it were:
when traveling internationally (say through Heathrow Airport in London), make sure not to leave the secured area once you’ve entered it - especially if you do not have your passport with you
they do not like this (especially if you are trying to get back in without one)
when traveling internationally and find yourself having mistakenly left said secured area without said passport - do not attempt to reverse your steps by running DOWN 4 flights of escalators who happen to be going UP
they do not like this (especially if you have 4 slow women following you)
that’s all for now -
thanks for listening to Travel Tips with Tyson
...
thanks for the comments so far...if you're reading - drop us a line and let us know
hospitality and other stuff
today, we returned to Watoto Central for a service
the music was bumping, the preaching was passionate - it was good to be back
and after a couple days here - I’ve finally started to feel myself again
...
the people of Uganda are so friendly and Watoto’s hospitality continues to inspire
it is such a challenge to me
they make us feel most welcome at every turn - to the point of embarrassment, treating us as their honoured guests
...
how does hospitality play into my own life? in our lives?
do we accept warmly with open arms? do we treat others as our honoured guests?
with all that we have, are we generously giving it away?
...
tomorrow morning we are heading up to Gulu - we are expecting a 5 hour trip
looking forward to seeing another side of this beautiful country
they say the people in the north are more friendly
they say the temperature is hotter
I’ll fill you in on both
...
thanks for journeying along with us - not sure if anyone’s reading (if not - it’s good for me to slow down and remember the day)
the music was bumping, the preaching was passionate - it was good to be back
and after a couple days here - I’ve finally started to feel myself again
...
the people of Uganda are so friendly and Watoto’s hospitality continues to inspire
it is such a challenge to me
they make us feel most welcome at every turn - to the point of embarrassment, treating us as their honoured guests
...
how does hospitality play into my own life? in our lives?
do we accept warmly with open arms? do we treat others as our honoured guests?
with all that we have, are we generously giving it away?
...
tomorrow morning we are heading up to Gulu - we are expecting a 5 hour trip
looking forward to seeing another side of this beautiful country
they say the people in the north are more friendly
they say the temperature is hotter
I’ll fill you in on both
...
thanks for journeying along with us - not sure if anyone’s reading (if not - it’s good for me to slow down and remember the day)
Saturday, January 28, 2012
it's good to be back
to catch you up:
we arrived at Entebbe airport around 10:30pm Uganda time and were very pleased to meet our host - Apollo (pronounced like apple-o) who was one of our hosts on our last visit to Uganda
he led us out of the airport to where our transportation was waiting with our driver, Anthony (pronounced Anthony) who was also one of our previous hosts
arriving in the dark is always a little disorienting for people, especially if they’ve never been to a place before
we arrived at our guest house (also where we had stayed before) around 1am and were all very ready for bed
by 5:30am the rooster in the alley behind us was already doing his best to get us up and going...followed quickly by the call to prayer at the local mosque and a stray dog
but the morning would come and it’s great to be back
7 of us have been here previously - but for Vic, Tim, Marianne and Kelsey - this is all new
we enjoyed a delicious breakfast from our great guest house and then off to Watoto Central for our orientation and welcome
after an impromtu high school musical invite we headed for lunch (see previous post)
we returned to the guest house and everyone is ready for bed by 6pm - but are trying to push to a late 8 to turn in
we’re heading back to Watoto Central for churchy-church and then more good times before our journey to Gulu to start building
we arrived at Entebbe airport around 10:30pm Uganda time and were very pleased to meet our host - Apollo (pronounced like apple-o) who was one of our hosts on our last visit to Uganda
he led us out of the airport to where our transportation was waiting with our driver, Anthony (pronounced Anthony) who was also one of our previous hosts
arriving in the dark is always a little disorienting for people, especially if they’ve never been to a place before
we arrived at our guest house (also where we had stayed before) around 1am and were all very ready for bed
by 5:30am the rooster in the alley behind us was already doing his best to get us up and going...followed quickly by the call to prayer at the local mosque and a stray dog
but the morning would come and it’s great to be back
7 of us have been here previously - but for Vic, Tim, Marianne and Kelsey - this is all new
we enjoyed a delicious breakfast from our great guest house and then off to Watoto Central for our orientation and welcome
after an impromtu high school musical invite we headed for lunch (see previous post)
we returned to the guest house and everyone is ready for bed by 6pm - but are trying to push to a late 8 to turn in
we’re heading back to Watoto Central for churchy-church and then more good times before our journey to Gulu to start building
Friday, January 27, 2012
arrived in Uganda!
so - we finally made it
I'll update with more info soon - but wanted to make sure you know that we're alive
I'll update with more info soon - but wanted to make sure you know that we're alive
Thursday, January 26, 2012
day 1 cont'd
made it to Toronto safe and sound.
we have a few hours here and then off to London.
more to follow...
FYI - Uganda is 9 hours ahead
we have a few hours here and then off to London.
more to follow...
FYI - Uganda is 9 hours ahead
day 1
having successfully passed through check-in and security (with only 2 members having been thoroughly 'fondled' - Greg and Marianne) we are ready to begin our journey
personally, I am so excited to go with this team - we are blessed to have such a great group of people
please pray for each as often as you remember:
- Clay, Tim, Vic, Marianne, Kelsey, Wendy, Greg, Lorenda, Donalda, Christine and Tyson
we'll keep you as updated as possible (as internet access is available)
- heading to Toronto this afternoon and then on to London by 6:30am local - should make it to Uganda tomorrow at 10pm local
personally, I am so excited to go with this team - we are blessed to have such a great group of people
please pray for each as often as you remember:
- Clay, Tim, Vic, Marianne, Kelsey, Wendy, Greg, Lorenda, Donalda, Christine and Tyson
we'll keep you as updated as possible (as internet access is available)
- heading to Toronto this afternoon and then on to London by 6:30am local - should make it to Uganda tomorrow at 10pm local
Thursday, January 5, 2012
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