Keep Praying and Advocating!

The weekend has come and gone.  Fortunately, God doesn't take the weekends off.  Please keep praying for us.  We are still waiting on the Canadian Government.  The High Commission in Nairobi is CANADIAN and they are the ones that are controlling how long this takes - ie we can GO HOME when they give us our visas!  I am waiting for them to send me the medical forms for the kids so I can get their exams done and send them back the form.  Then that will complete ALL the paperwork and we wait for the HC to make a decision - a no-brainer, really - on our visas.  For some reason they seem to think that this should take between 6-8 months, the same time it takes a business man or some other individual trying to immigrate to Canada.  What they fail to remember is THIS IS A CHILD WITH A CANADIAN FAMILY!!!! Not some guy trying to come to Canada.  Children are being left in Uganda because the Canadian government doesn't have a separate category for adopted children immigrating with Canadian parents.

Please scroll down, and read my post about contacting the government on our behalf or jump over to "A Place Called Simplicity"  she puts it very well!  Time is running out, gotta go, will try to post more later

blessing from Uganda,

Teach

Something a little different...

Today was a National Holiday in Uganda, so not really much I could work on for the adoptions.  Because of this, I decided to contact one of my contacts here in Uganda that runs a feeding program in the slums three days a week.  The program is amazing and it is humbling that God would choose to use me in even just a small way to care for these street boys, even if only for a few hours.  Of course, being an unfamiliar "mazungu"(white person), I had boys all around me for most of the day.

We started by playing some football (soccer for you North Americans).  It was SO fun!  I love playing with kids and it is amazing how quickly you forget where you are, what the backgrounds of these kids are and just get down and have fun with each other!  I think this is one reason the program is SO successful. After about 1 1/2 hours, we went in for a lesson, taught by another friend who used to be a teacher in Uganda.  Then we did some beading crafts - the boys gave me bracelets, rings and necklaces they had made.  It was touching to see the look on their face when they put it on me.  During this time, I also brought out the entertainer in me and did some "tricks" for the boys - disappearing/reappearing coin trick, juggling, etc.  They ate it up!  The coin trick I had to do about 30 times or more and they loved it every time! :)  After the beading, we went to the church and watched a movie (they were still watching when I left).  Normally during this time they do a bible study, but some of the leaders weren't there, so they skipped it today.  During the movie, the food came - posha and beans.  The street boys each got a BIG bowl of posha with a scoop of beans and sauce.  This is most likely the only meal for many of them for that day and maybe even a few days if they weren't able to make any money selling the junk they scavenge for.

The best part of the day wasn't what we did, it wasn't even dishing up and passing out the food.  It was just being with the boys, playing with them, having fun with them and just getting the chance to be "real" with them and show them a little bit of Christ's love.  VERY rewarding for me - I think I benefitted from it more then the boys did.  I definitely want to go back again before I leave!

Anyway, that was my "different" day.  Hope yours is good too!  Blessings and have a great weekend!

Teach

He's ours on Paper!

To steal a dear friend's words - YIPPEE JESUS!!  Went to court this morning, waited for 2 hours, went in to the judge and heard the words we have been waiting for over 2 weeks to hear!  Ezekiel is officially ours, by order of the judge, which is written and signed and sealed!  And to top it off, tomorrow I get the detailed rulings for both Kaysia and Zeke!  


Today was a good day!  Thank you Jesus!  Now we look on to the next step - immigration.  Tomorrow I will send the final documents for Zeke (Kaysia's were sent last week) and wait for the medical forms to come, which is the last step for us.  Then it is a waiting game as to when the visas will be issued.  


Pray for speedy mail and for the med forms to come quickly (next week would be AWESOME!).  Pray for the HC's investigation to be concluded quickly and visas to be granted to all the Canadian families waiting.  


Oh... side note...  have a contact that could help with immigration here in Uganda.  Hope to make connection with him tomorrow.  Pray he can see me quickly, that he can and is willing to help and that his help does help speed things up in Nairobi!


Thank you to all those who are writing and calling the Canadian government officials.  Keep it up!  For those that haven't yet, would you consider doing it on behalf of the orphans around the world waiting to come home?  God calls us not to be lukewarm Christians, will please take a stand with us on this?  Thank you!  you can find the info you need here


Blessings to you all!  Fighting in Uganda,


Teach

Another Step...

Today I had the hearing I have been waiting for.  I got up early this morning, spoke to Cher, got ready, waited for the the call to come and then got Ezekiel ready to go to court.  The judge was in (albeit late) and she agreed to hear our case right then!  YAY Jesus!  I needed some good news today.  She also said that because of the previous history (ie Kaysia having a completed ruling, this being the second time for this file to be heard...) that she would give the ruling tomorrow at 10AM Uganda time (12 AM MST).  Again, YAY God!

So, please pray that the judge will be there tomorrow, give us our verbal ruling, complete the written order and even finalize and sign the detailed written ruling all tomorrow - that would truly be AMAZING and truly God, although this has been God all along!  If that happens, then I am only 1 week behind on the visa processing and there is a chance that I could get the two (Kaysia and Zeke) caught up.

Also, please be praying for Kaysia's (and Zeke's next week) medical forms to come - this is the last step before visas can be granted.  Continue praying for the High Commission to be satisfied with the process here in Uganada and start issuing visas PRONTO.  There are too many children waiting to go home to Canada, not just my kids.  The families need to be together and they need to be home!!  God is moving, I can almost feel His wind of the Spirit!!

And also, THANK YOU, thank you, thank you for standing with us and praying and fasting and supporting us!  I know I have said it before, but it means SO much to us to have your support and just know we're not alone in this fight!  More tomorrow...

Be blessed,

Teach

Contacts...

I have had a lot of people asking in various forums about how to contact anyone about immigration concerning adoption, so I thought I would post it here

Right Honourable Stephen Harper - Prime Minister of Canada
email: HarpeS@parl.gc.ca and pm@pm.gc.ca
phone: (613) 992-4211

Honourable Jason Kenney - Minister of Citizenship, Immigration & Multiculturalism
email: KenneJ@parl.gc.ca
phone: (613) 992-2235

And of course, if you are Canadian, you can also contact your MP by looking it up here

More Clarification...

I am running out of battery, so this will be short and I may have to write more about it later.

I just wanted to clarify something from my previous post "Concerned".  I had stated that the family heading back to Canada had been denied visas for their kids.  This was a misunderstanding that I had.  I have since found out that they were not denied visas but were told the high commission was clear that they (the HC) were not in position to issue the visas and they did not know when they would be. The HC stated that they still had to meet with Ugandan court and government officials and they didn't know when that would happen.  


So, basically we need to pray that this meeting happen SOON and that the visas be granted quickly.  I do know of one Canadian couple that were actually denied visas from the HC in Nairobi who were adopting from Uganda just last week.  We pray that this be reversed and ALL visas for these kids who are waiting to go home be processed quickly.  


I am deeply sorry if I have misled or misrepresented facts on this, as this was not my intention.  The HC not being in a position to issue visas is still just as concerning to me as denying them because it still prevents people from bringing their children home.  Please be in prayer for this to be resolved quickly! 


Thank you all for your HUGE support this weekend and carried on into the future.  It means SO much to us to have people surrounding us with prayer and love.  I will try and keep you updated when I know more.  


Blessings,


Teach

Clarification

Because I think there might be a little confusion (especially among our church family),

I want to clarify for those who don't understand.  This battle for our children is NOT over.  They are our children and we will NOT back down... we are not walking away from them... God has called us to care for the orphans and we will fight until our children are home.  God sets the lonely in families.  God will reign and we will not stop praying and fighting until they are home.

Concerned...

Well, I had a great blog from today already worked out in my head (actually I had 2 separate ones) but recent news has sort of "trumped" what I was going to post.

We have heard heartbreaking news that another Alberta family that is/was (depending on when you read this - they are leaving tonight) in Uganda are heading home because Immigration in Nairobi has denied their visa and basically has said no visas will be issued for Ugandan children to come to Canada to be adopted until they can investigate further.  Of course, this is devastating for us too because we are right behind these people in the process and are trying to get visas for our kids too.

I am asking all of you (and if you could spread the news to your friends too) to PRAY.  Flood heaven with your prayers for these orphans who are being left behind because the Canadian High Commission in Nairobi is refusing to let parents take their children home, even after meeting ALL the requirements - paperwork, supporting documents, fees, everything.  In fact, I will take it a step further and ask you to join me in fasting for this.  The bible calls us to prayer and fasting and I don't have time to go into details right now, but if you are willing, please join me in fasting.  It doesn't have to be a specific day but I think I will be doing it this weekend on Saturday (that will give any readers time to read and decide if they want to join me.  Please anyone who wants, post this on your blog or link to this one - we need ALL the prayer and fasting support we can get.  These kids need to get home!  God is bigger than any government official or High Commission.  Let our prayers go up to Him and watch Him move!

Teach

A few more little steps and some mountains starting to move...

Just a quick post today.  The Judge was in!  We waited from 8 til after 11, but she heard my lawyer and agreed that the case should be heard by the first judge!  YAY Jesus!!  Now it is a matter of dotting the i's and crossing the t's to make that happen.  The judge cannot reassign a case - that must be done by the registrar - and he seems to...

DISCLAIMER: for lack of a better expression, I apologize in advance to my more sensitive readers, but sometimes you just have to call it like it is.




... he seems to have a pickle up his butt.  He wants a "signed note" from the judge stating she will not hear the case and suggesting where it should be sent.  The lawyer is going back tomorrow to talk with the judge about it, so we need prayers again that she will be in and will write the note.  If this happens, we are hoping things move along quickly with the first judge (which the first judge's clerk seems to think it will).  That's it for tonight, I'm tired and need to relax.

Teach

P.S.  I also got the documents I was waiting for today and should get the detailed ruling tomorrow for Kaysia - little steps, but steps all the same!

Slowly, Slowly...

Well, I woke up this morning and thought it would be my "off" day because the judge for Kaysia's detailed ruling is out of the country so I can't do anything with that until Thursday and the Judge for Zeke is very unpredictable, so I decided I would take the day off from sitting and waiting around in offices and court rooms, unless I was called in by my lawyer.

I decided to get a few little things done today for immigration and for myself.  I took Kaysia and Zeke to get visa photos done (different from passport photos).  It was nice because I took them right after breakfast, got them dressed, took them to my room and changed them into their clothes and shoes and then just played with and spent some time with them before going to get pics taken.  Another Canadian who is here offered to help me (he is also adopting from Sanyu and is just a bit further ahead in the process) take them down to the local shop to get the photos taken.  It was fascinating to watch them as we walked on the side of the street and just see how they looked at EVERYTHING!  Pics were taken (not the best, but they will work) and we were to come back later to get them.  We got back to Sanyu and I took the kids to "school" after getting them changed out of their clothes and back into Sanyu clothes.

Then I decided to call and see if some other "side" jobs the law office needed to do for us were being done.  I won't go into details, but I ended up down at the office and respectfully, but sternly, told them that these things need to get done.  It looks like I will have another small piece of the puzzle tomorrow and be one step close to sending away the immigration package - my goal is on Friday - for Kaysia.

Since I went in, I decided to try and see what we could do on the court date front with Zeke.  My lawyer found out that the new judge was supposed to be "in" in the afternoon.  To make a long story shorter, we did not see the judge, but we did get the original application for Zeke put in the new application and this should cause the new judge to send it back to the original judge - this is what we tried to do all week last week.  There are no guarantees, but my lawyer is supposed to speak with the new judge tomorrow and hopes that she will send the file back to the first judge.  So, what this means is that we managed to do today what we couldn't do all week last week and are optimistic that our file will be sent back to the first judge, which is one hurdle we are trying to pass, and then the first judge hopefully will assign a date and hear our case and rule quickly as she is trying to clear her desk before the next session of court.

I also found out that our detailed ruling for Kaysia is done and just needs the judge's signature and seal, which should be done on Thursday - I will be sitting there on Thursday until it is complete!

Anyways, no date yet but small steps were gained today in getting closer to what we want.  Slowly, slowly we are getting there.  Thank you Jesus for some progress on this "off" day, I really needed that!  Your continued prayers are appreciated, especially for the new judge to be there tomorrow and to send our case back to the old judge.  Blessings from Uganda,

Teach

Making Chapati...

Yesterday, I had the chance to go back out to Ssenge Village and help out a little and play with the boys of Africa Hearts.  I had bought a soccer ball, and gave it to the boys.  "Football" as the rest of the world calls it, is VERY popular and the boys LOVE it.  They don't have a huge space, so they tweaked a few rules and made a smaller net with no keeper (goalie) so that it works for the space they have.  I played with them too and had a lot of fun.  Of course, it rained on the way out there, so the dirt was muddy and slippery, but it made for some interesting and humorous moments.

Before football, I helped with a little cooking.  Moreen, the lady who is in charge of the house and takes care of the boys needs - she is called Auntie Moreen, is a MASTER cook!  I totally think she has the BEST food in all of Uganda!  Last time I was out with Cher, I asked if she could teach me how to make Chapati, a Uganda food that is kind of like a flat bread but looks like a pita or thin pancake.  It is DELICIOUS!!

Anyway, Moreen decided it would be a good day for Chapati and so she taught me how to make it.  Like all of her food, her Chapati is the BEST in Uganda and she makes it with a lot of love!  It is quite simple to make, but is time consuming.  It is not easy cooking and caring for 11 boys, but she does it with such a cheerful and loving heart.  She truly is an AMAZING woman!  Here a couple pics of the cooking of the Chapatis over the coal stove and cast iron pan.

The Master cook at work, showing me how it is done.

Then there's me, the rookie, giving it a try.

I didn't even burn them!  It did take a couple tries to get the flipping down, but I think I am ready to give it a go when I get back to Canada.  Chapati anyone? :)

Today was also a good day.  I got to go to the Calvary Chapel Kampala, a church we visited when I was here in June.  It has AMAZING services.  I SO appreciated the heartfelt worship and the fact that everyone is SO sincere and unhindered in praising God.  I think we, in North America, could learn a few things about worshipping in the spirit (at least I can).  I was truly blessed by the services!

I also got to play with Zeke and Kaysia today and do a bit of the usual routine - although weekends there is no school, so it always makes it a bit more challenging.  My favorite time is still tucking the kids in bed, especially when I can find a quiet place to pray and sing with them before tucking them into their beds.  I usually try to tuck in a few little ones first - praying with them is SUCH a blessing - and then I take Zeke and Kaysia to a spot away from the rest of the action to pray and sing.  I feel blessed to be able to do it, but really desire the day when I can do it at home, in their clean beds, without all the chaos going on around.  I know it will be soon and am looking forward to it!

That's it for today.  Please keep us in your prayers this week as we try to get more accomplished. Thanks!  Blessings,

Teach

Still working... Keep Praying!

This has been a week of sitting and waiting, waiting and praying.  Our case for Zeke has been assigned to a different judge because technically it was a "new" application, and therefore could be assigned to any judge, even though the previous judge had already read everything in our file and the only difference now is the order we are asking for.

So, the lawyers are not happy about this because they believe the first judge would complete the process faster and is known for giving the ruling in a more timely manner.  This week we have tried to get the file transfered back to the first judge and up to this point all our attempts have not been successful.  Today the plan is for the lawyers to speak to the new judge and explain that another judge has heard the case already, and, because we are processing 2 orders and have received one already from the first judge, the hope is that the other judge will pass the case back to the first judge - this is what usually happens when one judge has read/heard a case already because the judges do not like to take cases from other judges.  Pray that the new judge shows up today so the lawyers can talk to her! (This is also common in Uganda for judges to just not show up for work/court)

Of course, the story is MUCH longer and MUCH more complicated then that, but those are the Cole's notes.  If the judge chooses not to pass the file back, we hope that she will assign a quick court date and then provide a fast ruling as well.  This judge is not known well by our lawyers and it is said she can be unpredictable because she is VERY thorough and can take her time to make a ruling.

We pray that whatever happens, whatever judge we get, that the case be heard quickly and a ruling is also given quickly so we can continue on with immigration.  We are trusting God in all this - even though at times it can be FRUSTRATING! Your continued prayers are appreciated!

With all that, I have managed to get a few things done this week (besides sitting and waiting, waiting and praying).  I now have both birth certificates AND passports for the kids.  I also have the court order for Kaysia and the detailed written ruling is supposed to be done today (although my experience is to not count on it).  These documents are all necessary for the immigration process, so we are getting closer.

In it all, I am trying to stay focussed on God and I see Him and His power throughout the days.  Kaysia and Zeke are really warming up and bonding with me!  They RUN to greet me with a BIG hug (Zeke even knocked me off my feet this morning! :) ) every time I come to see them.  Kaysia even gave me a kiss on the cheek this morning (I kiss her every time I see her, Zeke too)!!  Praise God for the affection they are showing to me!  They are also ALWAYS very excited to hear about mommy and the kids and want to see the picture I carry in my pocket every 5 minutes it seems.  Last night, they asked to talk to mommy on the phone again (we did it the other day) and so today we will arrange a call.  I just need to look into their faces and it takes all the frustration away and reminds me once again that this is all WORTH it!  That's it for now.  Thanks again for all your support and prayers!  Blessings

Teach

More Prayers Needed!!

Well, today was a day of ups and downs, highs and lows.  The judge did give me both rulings today at the same time, which was a blessing.  She granted Kaysia's guardianship order and we are one step closer now to bringing her home!  Thank you Jesus!!  The written order should be ready and waiting tomorrow morning for pick up and then the detailed ruling by tomorrow evening.

However, the judge did not rule in our favour for the adoption order for Ezekiel.  She dismissed the case on the grounds that we do not/did not meet the residency requirement in order to have an adoption order granted.  She stated that she did not agree with the previous judges rulings that the residency requirement was unconstitutional.

After court, we (the lawyer and I) went back to her office and quickly got a new application together.  This time for guardianship (which is what we did with Kaysia - its a long and complicated story that I will not get into here).  This meant that I had to wake up Cher in the middle of the night and get her to print, sign, scan and email a new statutory declaration so we could submit our application right away (thanks honey!  You did SO well for the middle of the night!!).  We got everything ready in about an hour and then the application was sent to the registrar's office to register it for a hearing before the judge.

I found out tonight that the judge will see one of the lawyers tomorrow morning @ 8AM Ugandan time (10PM MST) so he can plead our case to have her see it quickly because she has already reviewed all the documents - the only thing different is the declarations from Cher and I.  He told me he would phone me @ 9AM to let me know what she said and to be ready for court.  Please pray that the judge sees our case TOMORROW and that the ruling comes ASAP (like tomorrow also) so that we are not held up by this little (big) bump in the road.  We really need things to move quickly because our family is separated and I miss them and they miss and need me and Kaysia and Zeke need to be home!!  Thank you for your prayers to this point, they really do mean SO much!!

I know God has this all under control and there is a reason we did not get two different types of rulings.  I have a feeling that it would have complicated immigration or something else along the way and God was just protecting us from that.  He knows best, whatever the reason, and we are trusting Him to continue to take care of ALL the details!  He wants these kids home too and will make sure it happens the way He has planned.  I will keep you posted on any new developments when I can.
Prayerfully,
Teach

Please Pray!

I'm not sure how many will read this before the actual time, but i wanted to post it anyway.  Please pray for mountains to move today.  In a couple of hours I go before the judge to receive my first of 2 rulings and then later in the day I go again for the second ruling.  My ultimate prayer is that I will get both rulings at the same time, that they will both be positive (one ruling especially will be a precedent setting case here in Uganda).  I am praying that I will get EVERYTHING today - verbal ruling, written ruling, detailed ruling and all seals so that I can continue on with immigration.

During the day, if I get the rulings, I also have A LOT to do - like get passports, Ezekiel's birth certificate and other appointments to make.  Please just pray - whatever God puts on your heart - for our family today!  Thank you SO much!

Teach

Music Time and More!

Today was a good day again.  I got to spend a bit more time with the kids in school today.  I have been trying to make a point of taking Kaysia and Ezekiel to school after getting them dressed in the morning.  Then I stick around a bit to help the teachers get the shoes on all the kids and play with them for a bit.  I am facinated by how well 1 1/2 to 3 + yr. old kids can remember which pair of shoes are theirs.  Not only that, but the majority can also tell you who the rest of the shoes belong to!  AMAZING!

Every Thursday a volunteer group comes in and does music with the kids.  It was a TON of fun!  Most of the kids have VERY good rhythm, unlike this rhythmless Canadian :).  They clap, step and sing to the beat quite well!  Here are some pics of the whole thing:

This afternoon I was also able to get a couple steps closer to having the documents need for immigration.  The passports are ready and waiting for our ruling (Monday!) and now that I have given them the correct birth date for Ezekiel, I will get his birth certificate tomorrow.  I have Kaysia's already.  So Passports - check, birth certificates - check 1, other check for tomorrow.  Getting closer!  Thank you Jesus!  A blessed day to you all!

Teach

More Pics From Uganda...

I figured with Cheremi on her way back to Canada to be with our other kids and to prepare for Kaysia and Ezekiel, I should post some more pics.  And since a picture says a thousand words, I'm doing pretty good tonight because I have 9 for you today.  Enjoy!!

I bought some food ("Chaps and chips") for Cher the other day when I was out with a Ugandan friend and the kids were visiting when I brought it back (we do "medicine" vitamins each afternoon).  Well, needless to say, they LOVED it.  We barely had the take-out box open and they were grabbing and devouring!  I was a mean dad and made them wait for me to get a plate for them. Every time Ezekiel thought I wasn't looking he would try to grab from Cher's plate also!! :) Chaps is like a ground beef meat patty with spices and some other ingredients in it, then it has a thin batter crust on the outside.  It was pretty good.  Oh and tomato sauce was a hit with the kids too!

Meet Camilla.  She is a TINY little doll at the orphanage who is FAR too advanced for her size.  I don't know much about her except that she is SUCH a sweetie!  In this pic, I had just given her a mint Tic Tac.  It was hilarious watching her face as she sucked on it!!

An older lady from Norway had brought "new" shoes for the big kids class at the Sanyu.  It was SO cool to be a part of helping the kids find new shoes that fit them - and some even wanted shoes that didn't even come CLOSE to fitting, but boy were they HAPPY!!  The lady in the pic is teacher Lydia, she really truly cares for ALL the kids and is an AMAZING lady!!

Here are Ezekiel and Kaysia finding their "new" shoes.  Zeke INSISTED on pink shoes (not shown), but they were the only ones that fit his BIG feet.  Kaysia got some pink sandals that looked quite cute.

Kaysia was FASCINATED with the camera yesterday, so I helped her take a few pics.  Here's a nice one of Cher and I under the hut at Sanyu...

And the two of us together...

Ezekiel was not quite as thrilled with the camera yesterday, as you can see from the expression on his face, but afterward he wanted to take more.

Well that's it for now.  Another look at what's going on on this side of the globe.  Thanks for checking in on us.  Please keep praying for next Monday (Nov 9th) and our rulings and following that, for immigration!  Pray also for Cheremi and I who are now apart - she, caring for and looking after our kids at home and I, caring for our kids in Uganda and looking after the adoption details.  Thank you SO much!  It means A LOT to us!!

Teach

Continue praying...

Well, things are moving at a typical Ugandan speed here, and for anyone who hasn't been here, that seems to be SLOW.  We have, however, seen God speed things up for a few friends along the way this past week.  We are praying that He do the same for us.

He moved mountains when Justin and Shauna got their verbal ruling, written ruling and seal done in one day.  He moved mountains when Lovelyn got her verbal ruling, written ruling, & detailed ruling in one day.

November 9th is coming and we are praying that He move mountains for us to receive our verbal ruling, written ruling, detailed ruling and seals all in one day.  We are praying that He move mountains to get ALL our documents sent to Nairobi by Wednesday, the 11th.  We are praying that He move mountains that we get our letter from the AB government in 1 day and that they send it to Nairobi immediately.  We are praying that He move mountains for us to get our VISA in less then 2 weeks!  We are praying that He move mountains for Cher to catch a connection in 55 mins in London tomorrow so she doesn't have a 24 hr layover.  We know He CAN do ANYTHING and are asking for mountains to MOVE in the next week and beyond on our behalf.  Please join us in praying!

Thank you for ALL your AMAZING support so far and in the future!  Blessings,

Teach

For Sale...

I mentioned in the last post that yesterday we were able to get some jewelry and other things from women in Uganda that they sell as a means of income.  We have bought some stuff and are offering it for sale to you - our friends and family.  Like I said earlier, it is a way to support these women, help us in a small way raise funds for our adoption and also share in a piece of Uganda.  Below are pictures of the various items we have for sale.  These are all hand made and will be available when Cheremi gets home later this week.  If you want us to hold something for you, let us know and if there are more requests then items we have, I (James) can get more from the ladies.  Prices are listed:

Medium hand bag (doll to show size) - $10

Christmas stars (hand made by a mamma at the orphanage, she has 5 children and 2 grandchildren she is caring for and trying to pay for school fees) - $2 each (color variety shown)

Small paper bead necklace, standard length - $8

Close-up of small beads

Large paper bead necklace, standard length - $10

Close-up of large beads

Small paper bead necklace, long length - $12

Close-up

Multi paper bead necklace (small & large), standard length - $10

Close-up

Large hand bag - $15

Update in pics

Here's a bit of what we've been up to the last few days.

Our first Boda-boda ride out to Ssenge village African Hearts home where James worked in June.

The trees that the Uganda Go team (James' trip in June) planted have grown from under 4 inches.  Junior  is standing behind the tallest one.  He said that they grew well for the dry season and expects them to grow a lot more now during the rainy season. (Dwight - this pic is for you)

A dead termite mound on the edge of the African Hearts growing land.  They get pretty tall!

The kitchen/dining/Uncle's room that James helped build in June.  They have added the pillars and top 6 layers of bricks since James was here and now are ready for the roof to go on!

Cher playing the drum we gave to the boys' home with Ronnie and Safic (two of the African Hearts boys).

Yesterday we went to Redeemer House (Justin's Mother's orphanage) and the village women had brought necklaces, other jewelry and bags for us to bring home and sell.  This is their only form of income.  The jewelry was beautiful and it was difficult choosing what to bring.  The next post will be the goods we have for sale - it will be a small fundraiser for us and a way to support the village women by Redeemer House and also a way for you, our friends and family, to share in our African experience.  Cher will bring them home this week when she comes.

James playing a game with the kids of Redeemer House while it was pouring rain outside.  We had to leave in the rain and got SOAKED.  There were literally rivers of water flowing down the roads.  It is so amazing how fast the water comes and how quickly it all disappears!

This morning we took Kaysia and Ezekiel over to our guest house to "give them medicine".  We give them vitamins and then, since we have them there, we spend a little time playing with them without all the other kids and distractions from the orphanage.  This was our first day doing this and I think we will be doing it every day from now on!  It was SO nice to have them "out" for a while and is ALWAYS difficult to bring them back - soon, we pray, we won't have to bring them back.  Please keep praying for things to fall into place - our ruling is November 9th and we are praying for a verbal, written and sealed ruling all on the same day.  Nothing is impossible for God!! :)  Also pray for immigration, as we are still waiting to hear from the Canadian Government back home and will have to do all the paperwork for Nairobi here.  Thank you SO SO much for remembering us in your prayers!  We can see them working!

James and Cheremi