Back in the USA

Our Team is Safely Home

Our team arrived safely at Dulles Airport this morning.  The two weeks we invested in Uganda was amazing! 

Saying farewell to the children at HUMBLE is hard every time we visit, and this time was no exception. On Friday afternoon -- our last day at the school -- we were treated to a celebration program presented by the children. We will always remember their songs, dances, smiles and tears. 

As they say at HUMBLE, "God is good.  It is His nature… Wow!"

E-readers in Use at HUMBLE

One of the great things we've been able to see on this trip is that the e-readers that were delivered in February are being put to good use by the students at HUMBLE School.  

The e-readers rotate among the classes each month.  During their class' month, each student is issued an e-reader that they have full use of during that time.

We have seen the e-readers in use in classes and at student assemblies, and many of the students have shared with us how much they enjoy using the devices for reading, learning new words in the dictionary and, yes, playing games.

One student remarked, "I did not really like to read until we received the e-readers.  Now I love to read!"

Notes from HUMBLE - Tuesday, July 3

Our team spent the day at HUMBLE hanging out with the children at their breaks and after class, tying rebar for the construction of the boy's dormitory, mending uniforms, playing basketball on the newly-mounted goal, and learning more about each other as we shared in conversation.

This afternoon our team attended the weekly Fellowship time that is led in large part by the older students.  The energy of their singing and dancing is inspiring and contagious! Members of our team were invited to share in leading songs and prayers as well.

We're looking forward to being back at HUMBLE tomorrow morning!

Monday Notes from HUMBLE

On Sunday our team visited the Jinja District and worshipped with the congregation at Wanyange Central UMC. After worship we spent some time in Jinja town and visited the Source of the Nile before returning to Mukono.

Today (Monday) was invested at HUMBLE School.  Our team worked on various projects including preparing rebar to be used in the construction of the new boys dormitory, mending school uniforms, and repairing bicycles used by the students.

Construction continues at HUMBLE with the new girls dormitory now under roof.

Concrete was being poured today for the foundation for the new boys dormitory.

Of course, more important than the buildings that are being constructed are the relationships that continue to be built with the children of HUMBLE School during our time here.

Saturday at HUMBLE

This morning we were at HUMBLE School working alongside the children on various projects  including sewing and mending uniforms, repairing the swing set, getting a basketball goal ready to mount, and performing maintenance and repairs on bicycles.

Although our activities with the children on the grounds were shortened due to rain, it was another great day at HUMBLE. 

Our team will travel to Jinja tomorrow and will be back at HUMBLE on Monday.

Pen Pals and More HUMBLE Alumni

This morning at HUMBLE we distributed the Soul 2 Sole letters from pen pals to the students. The smiles on their faces as their names were called and they received their letters were extraordinary. The children were invited to write a letter that we will deliver to their American pen pals when we return. A huge thanks to everyone who writes to these children...it means so very much to them.

This afternoon members of the team visited Mt. St. Henry's High School, located next to HUMBLE.  A number of former HUMBLE students are now furthering their education there, and we had the opportunity to share time with them today.  Just as with our visit with the HUMBLE alumni at Namogongo yesterday, it was a real blessing to see how hard these young men and women at MSHHS are working to further their educations. When you listen to them speak and hear their stories it is clear that they will be leaders for positive change in their communities in the years ahead.

Catching Up With Some HUMBLE Alumni

On Thursday the team travelled to Naayla to visit three former HUMBLE students who are now enrolled in a secondary school there.

We then drove to Namugongo to the secondary vocational school where 29 former HUMBLE students are now enrolled.  The students led us on a tour of the campus and then we gathered in one of the classrooms for an awesome time of sharing with one another.  It is great to see how God is working in and through the lives of these young men and women.

That's it for now.... we'll be back at HUMBLE School tomorrow!

Wednesday at HUMBLE

Our team spent the morning on Wednesday visiting with the children and helping with the early stages of the construction process for the new boys dormitory.  Our work task today was "tossing bricks"... moving bricks from a big pile to other locations around the perimeter of the building site to stage them for use in construction. We form a line from the pile to the destination and toss the bricks from person to person to  transfer them. The local workers who are continuing to dig the footings seem entertained by our efforts!

The children completed their mid-term examinations yesterday and were given time to relax some today. That meant we had more time to share with them than we would on a normal school day. The children are so amazing. We want to learn about them, but they are equally interested to learn about us, our families and lives in America.

The weather was beautiful today, and we were blessed to be able to share another day with our friends at HUMBLE!

Day 2 at HUMBLE School

The team just concluded our second full day in Uganda.  We started the day by working on the site of the new boys dormitory for HUMBLE School.  The construction of this new building is just beginning and we helped dig the footings this morning.  Our time at HUMBLE in the afternoon was invested with the children--learning about one another, sharing stories, playing football and volleyball, and having a great time just being together. Just before leaving to return to the hotel, we were privileged to be present for the evening prayers, which are led by the children themselves… an amazing experience.

Safely Here!

Our team arrived safely in Mukono earlier this evening! We will grab some sleep tonight and then head over to HUMBLE School tomorrow morning.  Updates and pics to follow over the next few days...

On Our Way...

Our team is checked in at Dulles and preparing to board our flight to Uganda.  Keep an eye on this blog for updates throughout the trip.  We're scheduled to return to Virginia on Sunday, July 8.

Team Departs in One Week

Our Summer 2012 trip to Uganda is just one week away! A team of 13 will depart on June 23 and return on July 8. We look forward to sharing time with all our friends in Uganda, especially the children at HUMBLE School.

We will post regular updates to this blog during the trip, so stay tuned!