Daily life at Kasoi Village, and a wet Easter

Easter is over, a while ago – but I would like to tell you about it. It was a nice weekend, but it rained a lot. The children were asking what was on the menu several times a day for days before Easter. Many of the children were at the home last year, and remember what we had then. And I guess like most children, they told the others about it. We wanted the children to have some good food and started to plan it about 1 week before the weekend. They got milk tea for breakfast with a bun. For lunch they had matoke (banana mash), meat, potatoes, rice and a soda. And there was enough food for them to get the same for supper. In the afternoon they also got some candy, which made their day. Easter service was good, but very different from what I’m used to in Norway. But most things here are very different from Norway……lol

A while back, one of the children came to me after a day of prayer and fasting, and told me that he felt the Lord saying that I should teach Bible in the School. I laughed at it, and felt it quite ironic. Cuz a friend of mine has been telling me for years not to run away from teaching the Bible. I love the Word and I guess it has taken a while to realize that it’s part of what the Lord wants me to do. So I’m teaching the Bible in the school, from grade 1-7. It’s quite challenging at times, but they do learn and wants more of the Lord. Part of the vision for the home is, is that we want the children to grow spiritually.

The other day when teaching grade 6, the lesson went on for 2 hours instead of 40 minutes, because of their interest in the Holy Spirit, and how to get baptized in the Holy Spirit. Encouraging, yes it surely is…. Keep praying for them and that their hunger for the Lord will increase.

The school has been going on for almost 8 weeks, and there is only 3 weeks to go before the first term of school is over. The children like being in school, but looking forward to the holidays when they are going back to their villages to visit relatives. I have the privilege to go to Gulu which is in the Northern part of Uganda, with some of the children.

School start! New kids!

School has started and the kids look so smart in their uniforms and their new shoes. They were so excited and literally jumped out of bed the first day of school. But when reality hits, it’s not so easy to get them out of bed in the morning. I do remember those days, when my mother came to wake me to get ready for school. How do you get 100 some kids ready for school ?!?
Well, you have to get them out of bed early enough for them to get ready. School starts at 8 am, so we wake them at 05.45. It’s early and they still have difficulties to get ready. They have chores to do before school, like sweeping and mopping the room, cleaning the toilet facilities, sweep the compound etc… which takes time. But slowly we get into a routine, and things looks good.

We are still waiting for the electricity to come, but they have now brought the poles. Until then we still need to go into town to get our phones, laptop and MP3 charged….

This morning going into town, the taxi decided to pull off the road, and pull up alongside a building and load some corn. Just like that. And nobody says anything, cuz it’s so normal to do something of that sort.

The other day I sat along up front, which is quite the treat… but when I leaned back the seat didn’t hold me…. which made my fellow passengers have a good laugh.

The home has gotten more children over the last few weeks, so now the total nr is 141. The last 4 are siblings - so it's a bit easier for them to adjust. Their parents died, and they were left with realives that didn't take good care of them. So one of the kids ran to the street and started living there, cuz he felt that kind of life was better.... Uganda Orphans Fund got a call, and the children are now with us. They are having a good life now.

A brief update!

During the holidays we go for walks, go to one of the playgrounds - taking them over to the football field all the fun things that will be less when school starts.

Daniel (Dan-dan) is a fun kid to be around, he is one of the workers son. He loves being around the white people, and is a bit spoiled - He has quite the character, but doesn't all 3 year olds??

The children are now getting ready for the school to start, which will be around the 1 week of February. We are still in need of teachers, but we all believe that they will be there when needed.

The pillows have been sent from Norway, and the paper work is being worked on - and then we'll be abel to picked them up.

The other day we were able to hand out all the suitcases to the children, they were all happy and went to their rooms so that they could put their few things inside it.

Life goes on, the children are amazing. They are hungry for the Lord and many of them are fasting on regular basic. Those that fast, come for prayer and it's so encouraging. The reasons why they are fasting are different, but many of them want more of God and are praying for their future. God is so at work at this place and it’s awesome to see the changes in the children that are seeking God.

The gates are up, the fence is almost ready – still one thing missing – electricity….LOL it’s Africa and things take time…

The wildest Christmas!!

Christmas trees look different!

It’s time again to update you on what is going on in Kasozi village. It probably has been the most interesting Christmas I’ve ever experienced. Let me tell you a bit of what happened on the 24^th of December. The children wanted to stay up until midnight, so that they could see Jesus being born!!!!! Mainly seeing the start that showed up like 2000 years ago….. Then early in the morning of the 25^th they were up early so that they could see the angel was the moon…. Well, there were a couple of things that I needed to tell them about all that – but we got a good laugh out of it.

Then New Years evening, which was another different event. We had a time of worship ending 2007, and started 2008 worshiping the Lord. That was awesome. They stayed up until midnight of course – and then they took the Christmas tree and set it on fire alongside with the Christmas decorations that they had put up in their rooms…. I guess we all have our different traditions….

Life goes on pretty much as normal at the home. We are still waiting for the pillows to come, but I’ve now got the confirmation that they will arrive in Entebbe on the 21^st of January. The pillow cases have been ordered, so they will be picked up Monday. Things take time in Africa, so the suitcases that they children were supposed to have for Christmas some of them arrived yesterday. The children were ecstatic, they were shouting and screaming. Not so happy when I told them that they had to wait until we get all of them….. but they know that they will get one.

Electricity. All the paper work has been done, the money has been paid, but ….we don’t have it yet…. Hopefully it will be there soon. Africa is Africa, patience is something one needs to learn here, if you don’t have any b4 coming – then I can promise you that you will be streeeeeeeeeetched….lol

I’m having a good time with the children, they are making my day. There is a group of us that is fasting and praying on regular basis, and it’s so encouraging to see the children coming asking for prayer when they fast. There are usually several that are fasting every week. God is a work at the home, and the children are getting more hungry for the Lord.

A friend of mine is visiting these days, and she has seen several angels on the property. She has seen them during time of worship, while sitting talking in the rooms….. it’s awesome and very encouraging. But this is not what things are about; it’s getting closer to the Lord and having a deeper fellowship with Him that matters. Without a relationship with Him, there is nothing. My prayer for this year – is that we all get a new hunger for the Lord and that we want a deeper relationship with Him.

Christmas preparations.

Christmas was right around the corner. Will post this cuz it was supposed to be. How it went, will be in a few days......

It’s kind of hard to imagine cuz it’s fairly hot outside. But hopefully we’ll be able to make things different when the Christmas is here, they play “Jingel Bell in Luganda on the radio – kind of strange. Specially when one usually think of that song when it’s snowing outside…..

The children are doing ok, the boys are playing soccer and the girls are doing some other games. They are all enjoying the holidays, but are looking forward to Christmas. Mainly because they know that they will get different food, from what they get every day…. They will have milk tea, with egg and chapaty in the morning. For lunch they will have meat with rice, and potatoes with green and a soda. And for supper they will eat meat again. They usually get meat once a week, so they are very happy about the meal.

There has been people that has sent money for gifts to the children, so I’ve done some shopping for that. 133 gifts, which they all have to be the same which has made my job quite easy…. It has been fun, but has taken a lot of time. We hope to give them one suitcase, a towel, body cream, candy and some other small stuff. I would like it to be a Christmas they will always remember.

Some people in Norway have been given 250 pillows, 400 duvet covers and some blankets for the children. It will be sent by plane to Entebbe, someone people has sponsored the shipping. It’s a true miracle that all of this has happened so fast. They will be sent around the 27^th of December – the children are all praying that it will all reach here….

We are also praying for the electricity to be connected, but things take time here in Africa… something that is not new. The fence around the center has been put up, so what remains to be put up are the gates. The place looks very different from the first time I got here. It’s bigger for one, but also neater and cleaner. The children are helping in cleaning the compound, weeding, planting the fruit trees, that also was given to them…. God so has His hand on this place.

The children are happy, the place has a peace that one can feel… I praise God for all that He has done here, what He is doing and what He will do,

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to you all.

Mama Inger, Mama Inger come. There is this huge commotion going on down by the roadside. I’m going toward the children and they bring this huge thing to me… They are going to rap it in banana leaves and eat it…. My first words were…. WHAT!!! Would you eat something like this?? I chickened out, and they enjoyed it.

Life at Kasozy Village is good. The children are busy doing their exams at school, so many of them come for prayer. They are fasting, so that they can get better results. It is so encouraging to watch them coming for prayer when the other children are enjoying their breakfast, lunch and supper. It encourages me to fast as well – which is something I’m not to found of doing… =). The children are more comfortable having me around now, which is quite fun. Cuz they come wanting to converse and hang…. It’s awesome.

Discipline is still something that is part of our daily life here. Sometimes it’s not fun, but needed. They have also realized that they can sort some of the things themselves, which is good.

The workers are working on getting the fence up around the property where the housing is, and when that is done – it will be easier to control the coming of unwanted guests…. They come to shout – some with not so good intentions. So please pray for protection on the children and all the activities that is going on here at the center. We are in need of good guards. It is by God’s grace and mercy that nothing has been stolen from our property – His protection has been here and it is very visible and tangible.

The rain is still a problem in areas, we have had some heavy rain here as well. The crop are being washed away and people are loosing their livelihood. Last week 4 people died in Kampala, due to the rain. Haven’t heard much of the North these days – but the roads are still bad. They have to go on huge detours to get where they need to go – cuz the bridges are not fixed – and the roads are not there. That is challenging when you want to travel…. =)

Update from Uganda, various things!

The rain has ceased, and people are able to harvest some of what they planted before the heavy rain started. The roads up north are still not fixed, but they can cross other places so that they can get to their destinations. Uganda has been very affected, and people are still trying to get their lives back together.

The children at Kasosy village are doing well. The bales of clothes has almost all been given out to them. But it has taken a long time. Some of you know that shopping for clothes isn’t what I like to do so often – and when I do go shopping it’s done quickly. Well try to give out clothes to 140 children, when they all have to try the t-shirts, the shorts, the jeans …. Yup you can laugh, I didn’t by the end of 4 hours – and that was only giving it out to the girls…. Then the boys were the next day. It was worth all the hard work though, cuz the smiles on the children’s faces showed their gratitude.

Earlier this week when one of the caregivers, 3 sick children and I were on our way to the hospital in Jinja – someone called me. They asked me to go back to Kasosy Village, cuz there were people coming from the district to visit. The kids needed to be called back from school – so that the visitors could see them and greet them. So I got out of the bus, and went back. The kids helped clean up the place, it was very clean and well done. Then they took a bath and put on their new clothes. I heard that the visitors were coming from Gulu, we have 28 children from that region. My heart jumped, cuz last time there was a team from Gulu they didn’t have much good to say. The children were asked to go start worship and they all did. The visitors came, they were very impressed – and said that the reports they had heard about our place were wrong. The children were asked if they wanted to return to Gulu, if they didn’t that they should stand. ALL of them stood, non of them wants to return. That made a huge impression on the visitors and on us the staff. The officials from Gulu said we have good reports to give back to their relatives and caregivers in Gulu. Thank you for your work and what you are doing for our people. Can you come up to Gulu and do the same work there???

Wow God was so in all of that, it was amazing. The children were impeccable – I was so proud of them.

It does not end there. Some of you know that I’m in the process of trying to get a work permit. The most difficult paper would be a police rapport from Norway. Cuz you have to apply yourself and present it to the police. Well that is difficult when I’m on a different continent. =) I asked my parents to go to the police and ask on my behalf, and then ask the police to fax it to the Norwegian embassy here in Uganda. They went and got things done. But the police usually don’t send official documents on fax – yet it was done for me…. Praise the Lord. Then I went to the immigration. My folder was taken and processed….was talked to different offices that day – the process that was done in one day usually takes 1-2 weeks depending on how many files needs to be registered. FAVOR that is what all of this has been. My gratitude goes to My Lord and Savior.