June 2nd, 2010
Uncommon dedication… the baby was due at anytime!
Day 1… A full day of shopping in the very crowded, dusty and hot market place in the city center; there are 35 children to get to school and all of them need supplies. Rhona is very pregnant, due at anytime with a few (false?) labor pains already rumbling around. A full day of making selections, bargaining (arguing?) the lowest prices, packing the taxi and then the long 3+ hour ride to the village over deeply rutted, rough, dusty, bumpy roads (can you feel it?). Upon arrival the supplies are distributed among all the children, piece by piece, bottle by bottle, and then… the long ride home - same roads! End of day one. Read the rest of this entry »
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May 25th, 2010
It’s 5 AM… Do you know where your kids are?
It was one of those nights when sleep came in restless segments; those nights when you probably get more sleep that it feels like, but the night seems endless. At one point I began to be aware that I had been listening to a sound that seemed far in the distance; the muffled sound as of a huge swarm of bees. As I listened, I realized it was the children praying – it was pitch black dark! When the children pray, they pray all at the same time in fairly low tones, creating a wonderfully sustained hum. I checked the time – it was 5 AM! The prayers, that I could not help but lay there and listen to, lasted for about 30 minutes. Read the rest of this entry »
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May 17th, 2010
By the time you read this, I’ll be somewhere between Denver and Uganda. The plane is scheduled to lift off at 11:10 AM on Monday the 17th (today!). Let me give you a quick overview of this trip and then look for my updates as the journey continues. The agenda for this trip is packed! I land in Uganda Tuesday evening (about 1:00 PM MST), and then early the next day I will travel to the village. Lots of business and ministry things to do once I am there, so I’ll hit the ground running. We continue to have legal issues with the land title of the property God has given us. Please pray that we can resolve those while I am there because many elements of our dream and vision are on hold until all that gets cleared up. The kids go back to boarding school on Sunday so my time hanging out and loving on them will be a bit shorter than usual. Read the rest of this entry »
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May 3rd, 2010
Can $100 really change a life?
A single mother of nine children had died of AIDS leaving the children completely abandoned and orphaned. Nine siblings left orphaned and living in abject poverty in a one room mud house in rural Uganda. The father had abandoned them years ago and now they were left to fend for themselves. Sickness and starvation were two distinct possibilities. Pastor Joseph’s heart would let him do nothing less than go and see if there was anything he could do. Read the rest of this entry »
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January 27th, 2010
A Lawyer, A Liar, and A Tooth Extraction
First the tooth extraction - it wasn’t mine! Last fall when I was here in Uganda, I met a dentist at a local hospital. I asked him if he would be willing to come to the village and examine the teeth of all the children when I returned in January. It took a bit to track him down, but he was still very willing. Read the rest of this entry »
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January 20th, 2010
A Hot Afternoon… and a Broken Tooth
Dozing in and dozing out of sleep– the latent effects of jet lag, very early start to a very busy morning, an increasing heat of the afternoon that, was approaching uncomfortable - all converged to create the “Perfect Nap.” I was in that wonderful zone somewhere between asleep and awake when I began to sense that someone was at my door. I greeted the yet unseen person and welcomed him/her to come in. Read the rest of this entry »
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January 11th, 2010
A New Year…
I don’t know about you but I love new beginnings – and for me it doesn’t get any bigger or better than a new year! The calendar starts over with day 1, a fresh new set of 365 is rolled out, you get a brand new number for the year (one that has never been used before), and… you are off to see what God has in store for you on this fresh new leg of the journey! Read the rest of this entry »
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November 24th, 2009
“…and right over there is where my dad was killed!”
The privilege and ability to enter deep into the lives of the children we serve is one of the most significant and unique dynamics of the work of Olive Branch Ministries. Their stories of courage and survival are amazing and inspiring. Read the rest of this entry »
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October 2nd, 2009
Riots, Fires, and the National Anthem… The last 24 hours of my trip!
There I was, sitting in an internet café in center city Kampala the day before I was to fly home. I had just sent all of you my “Leaving on a Jet Plane” email stating how my trip had ended as quietly as it had begun and that I would be home soon. Little did I know! I had no sooner hit the send button then my friend Rhona came running into the building, “Papa! Papa! We must hurry and leave the city; there are riots breaking out!” Read the rest of this entry »
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September 9th, 2009
Greetings everyone! Just a note to say that all is well here! The trip ended as well as it began with lots of great stuff happening! I can’t wait to visit with you along the way and bring you totally up to date. Read the rest of this entry »
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