Peter Painter

Olyotya Friends!
(Hello how are you, Friends!)

This is the story I heard yesterday. His name is Peter Painter. He is an artist... hence the name, Peter Painter. He is shown above with one of his murals. I asked Peter how old he was, and he said that he would turn eighteen next month. "Wow," I said, "my mom's birthday is October 3rd, what day were you born on?" He answered, "I don't know." He went on to tell his story.

When he was born, his father left and married another woman. His mother and he eeked out an existence, but by the time Peter was six, his mother had contracted AIDS. He spoke of his memories, and being by his mom's side as she died. He told me how she spoke words of assurance and blessing to him.

After she passed, his father also died. He was a fatality of war. Then he was picked up by his aunt, his father's sister. She treated him poorly, as Peter says, "she abused me terribly, she beat me and several times left me outside the home as punishment." "So you had to sleep outside?" I asked. He said "yes she would throw out my few things, clothes and such, then lock the door. I had no where to go, so I would sleep next to the house. Then in the morning she would say, I was good for nothing, and could not be possibly related to her. She said she couldn't handle me anymore".

"So what happened," I asked. "She took me to my other aunt, my father's other sister," he said. "She was far worse, she was a drunkard. She beat me also. She died soon after. But I had a grandfather, my dad's father, but he was too old to care for me, so I was brought to a boarding school out in the bush. This was the most frightening time of my life. I remember it clearly. The village was more primitive then I'd ever known. The children had never seen shoes before... I took mine off. They worship idols and spirits in the village... they sacrifice children. I remember seeing all the children running deep into the bush because when certain men approached them in the street slowly, they were looking for a sacrifice. I remember hiding in the deep bush, trembling as the men approached. I remember praying to God for safety. I also remember once, I was laying down hiding right next to a snake, a deadly one, a cobra, and I wondered if I would live or die, but if I yelled out the men would find me, I could only pray."

"Peter" I asked, "how did you come to Hope Children's Home?" "My drunkard aunt passed away as well, and the aunt that couldn't handle me came again and took me to the home. Here is where it was safe. All of you people here, are now my family. These are those who love me and I love them."

Both Peter and I were in tears. I assured him that I loved him. I also told him that he was no longer a boy, but he is now a man. I don't know what the future holds for Peter as he will soon be 18 and I don't know how much longer he can live at the home.

Jerry

Kampala Kenny

Good Friends:

I would like to introduce you to Kenny. Kenny and his girlfriend Roy (I told Kenny that Roy is a man's name in the States, he just laughed!) have dropped by our apartment a few times to visit. Roy interestly enough, comes from a family of 26! Her father had 5 wifes, and has over fifty grandkids!

We met Kenny at the Hotel Equatoria, where we stayed upon our arrival in Uganda. He is a guard, who works from 6:00 A.M. to 6:00 P.M. When I started a conversation with Kenny, he told me that he was very nervous about his future, because he had an appointment with his supervisor to discuss the possibility of changing his hours in order to pursuit college.

On the next day I spoke with Kenny to learn that his boss, put him off a few days, so his anxiety level was rising.

We had found an apartment to rent, so seeing Kenny now, would be more challenging because we will no longer be at the hotel.

One evening, around nine thirty, I heard a knock on our door. Kenny and Roy came over for a visit! I still don't know how exactly they found us, but we were very excited to see them. That night, Kenny told us that his supervisor had allowed him to cut his hours, and attend college. He was so happy.

Kenny's parents are both living. In fact, Kenny still lives at home with them. But this wasn't always the case. When Kenny finished Senior 6, he moved out and lived with a friend. The situation didn't work out, so Kenny was out on the street. His living arrangement at home was very difficult as well. His father was abusive and as Kenny stated..."liked the drink". What I surmised was that Kenny was being physically and emotionally abused at home. All to say that going back home was a very difficult decision.

Kenny told me he was "born again", and that his last resort was to pray that God would change his father, so that is what he did. As my eyes met Kenny's I could see tears welling up, and then he said, "It was a miracle, my father completely changed!"

Kenny is taking courses in communications and has a dream of entering the
broadcasting field. He is very bright and has a great future in front of him. We regularly see Kenny (and Roy), they have come over to hang out, share a meal, and keep us updated on the latest Kampala culture. Kenny... you are a good friend!

Jerry

There’s my friend, Brooke!

Dear Friends,

Before leaving the US, I created a little photo book of Family and Friends. I brought it with today to Hope Children’s Home. I told Victoria, a beautiful 14 year old girl, that I brought this book to show her a photo of little Victoria, my friend Laura’s daughter. She was thrilled to see an American “Victoria.”

As we flipped through the rest of the book, I had completely forgotten that I had photos of the Santiam Christian team that had been here in June. Jess was a part of that team. What a commotion ensued, a crowd joined Victoria and I! Each team member was named with joy: Brooke, Jared, Papa Steve, Emma, James, Mama Barbara, Lauren, Seth, Hannah and on they went. What love these kids have for that team! As we went through the rest of the pages, there was one of team member, Brooke and I with our friends Alita and Emily. We had to show that page around to many. “My friend Brooke!” was repeated again and again. One sweet girl asked if I would please tell Brooke that she loves her and prays for her every day.

As we stepped on the bus, saying goodbye for the weekend, it really hit home with me how hard it will be to say goodbye to these kids, especially our sweet Esther. Both Jerry and I have connected particularly with this 11 year old girl. She sang praise songs for me today as well as recited a list of Luganda word/phrases while I videotaped. I weigh the happiness and love shared with the eventual pain of saying goodbye, especially for the kids. I pray that our love and prayers will strengthen and encourage these children long after we leave.

Love, Cathi (see Hope Children's Home Slideshow on the left.)

Oh, Esther has promised to teach me how to dance on Monday. She has no idea what she will be up against (for those who don't know, I am seriously rhythmically challenged.) Should be interesting and humbling!

If I Perish, I Perish... Esther 4:16

Dear Friends:

Sweet Esther, an eleven year old girl, told me her story yesterday at the children's home.

As I was playing with and entertaining some children, Esther was helping me to improve my Luganda language skills. I could tell the moment I met her she was special. She is quite intelligent, and at first I thought she was much older. I asked her how old she was, and she stated eleven years. I was taken back. Her self confident manner and her articulate speech put her, in my mind, many years older. However, if you were to see Esther, with her slight frame you may place her at eight or maybe nine years old.

After a morning of singing and dancing, we had lunch. We all ate and enjoyed some rice, beans, chapati, and tea. Following lunch, we played some more and sat down to learn about each other. All of the stories I heard that afternoon were sad, touching, and yet had a glimmer of hope. Esther's story struck a chord, one of dissonance, that made me look inside my own heart.

We were sitting on the front steps of Hope Children's Home, when I asked her to tell me her story. She was almost reluctant, yet something inside her also wanted to share, because I sensed that by telling someone... healing can come. Her voice suddenly became quiet. She was no longer speaking English, but fell back into her native tongue. Another young girl, Mariam, translated for me. A precious young boy, Frank, also assisted me as he was closely snuggled up to my side. Her first words were spoken to the side, so maybe we wouldn't hear her. I asked her face me, and she obliged. She now spoke even more quietly, slowly, and introspectively. She was lost for several moments in her thoughts, probably recalling those days of pain and abandonment. Then she spoke. She told me that she doesn't remember her mother. She doesn't know if she is alive or dead. She does remember her father...she was six years old at the time. She remembers a conversation around money, and how he told her that he couldn't afford to keep her, he had no money to pay for school, clothes, or even food for her. So her father took her on a journey... as Esther recalls... "He took me to the pit." I questioned her, "Esther I don't understand, what is the pit?" "You know, it is where they put the rubbish. He left me there to die." Her eyes stared straight ahead, there was no expression on her face, no emotion. Hard and cold. I asked again in disbelief, "How old were you?" "Six years" she said. I continued my probing. "So how did you end up coming to Hope?" She stated that a neighbor came out looking for her when news of this came to her village. "She took me to the home and now that was 3 1/2 years ago." "How long were you in the pit?" I asked. Again her face went to stone. Speaking in her own tongue once again, Miriam said, "She doesn't remember".

I held her, tears in my eyes, yet her eyes were dry. Then I reassured Esther that she is in a safe place now and that she is loved. I tried to communicate that good fathers would care for their children in any circumstance, and that they would never leave them. She shook her head in agreement and met my eyes in a stare, to confirm that I was telling her the truth.

Earlier in the morning, Esther told me how she has dreams of becoming a physician. She told me how she wants to help her people. I said that was just like the Esther in the Bible. She said she would love to study in America. She said when she is older she will visit me in Oregon. I would love that.


Jerry

Meeting Douglas

Hello Friends:

I first met Douglas the day we were searching for an apartment here in Kampala. We drove up and asked to view a two bedroom place. The receptionist (Harriet) directed us to Douglas who graciously showed us this dwelling. His English was very clear, and he mentioned that his mother lives in the States, she resides in California. He was quick to point out all of the amenities, and showed us our balcony view of the pool, and also mentioned that each room has air conditioning. However, at this time, we continued our apartment search, because this place was (we thought, and is!) too expensive.

After searching and comparing prices and location, we ended up back at the "Prestige Apartments", where once again we were greeted by Douglas.

We quickly got settled into our apartment, though it did smell a bit funny. We needed to take a grocery store run to buy food and room freshener, and a few other odds and ends.

Douglas and Mr. Hassan (we are not too sure of Hassan's job, but he's a nice man) made us feel welcome and secure. Both men were quick to be at our beck and call, locating us taxis, walking us to the local Indian market, taking us to the bank, and making sure we were satisfied with our apartment.

One evening after work, Douglas came over for a visit. (This, we are finding is not unusual for Ugandan culture, and we feel honored to have had many come by). He talked to us for a while, telling us his story. His mother left he and his brother at an early age, so he was raised by his father. At the age of fifteen, his father died, and then he was supported by a family friend. This friend paid for his education (through "Senior 6" equivalent to our high school graduate), and then sent him into the world with his older brother to fend for themselves. Though his life has not been easy, he has such an appreciation for what he does have, and hope for a good future.

Douglas told a story of how it is so easy to envy other peoples things... like shoes for example. He said it would be so cool to have a nice new pair of shoes...Nikes or maybe a pair of Pumas...in his eyes, I see him lost for a moment in his own dream. Then he says resolutely, "but when I feel sorry for myself and think why can't I have those shoes, I see a man without feet. It brings me back, to be thankful for what I do have." This is Douglas. He is a young man wise beyond his years. He has told us numerous stories, most are funny, some are of how humble he feels, and some stories are very "proverb-esk".

For this 20 year old young man, I pray for a safe and prosperous future. I am a better man because of knowing you, Douglas.


Jerry

Mind in the Gutter?

Hello Friends!

The real work began this morning. My mind has really been IN the gutter ever since this project of a rain water storage tank was introduced. We determined the placement of the tank, then we hung the gutters, and chipped out a concrete slab in order to lay pipe in a trench, safely out of the way of the children. The work was slow at first, but once the boys got the "hang" of it, everything moved along well. The children at the home were in school, so at first it was just Brian and I and our two 15 year old boys, Ben and Jess. Then, the kids had a mid morning break and once again we were surrounded by masses of little ones. Some of the older boys eagerly lined up to help, so for the short break, we obliged and off to work they went! We still have quite a bit of work in front of us, but what a great start! In the upcoming days and weeks this project will be completed. Then the children's home will have a faucet for laundry, one for the latrines, and one for the kitchen. BTW... my mind was in the rain gutters of course!

Jerry

ATV Safari!

Dear Friends,

Well, I am going to let Jerry blog about the heavy, heart wrenching things while I keep you updated on the fun things that we are doing! Today, we rented a van with our friends, the Stubbs and went on an ATV Safari! We drove about 2 hours to Jinja, where the Nile River begins. The countryside was lush, with green vegetation everywhere. We passed through enormous tea plantations and sugar cane fields. Everything is so healthy and beautiful.

After donning what looked like WWII flyer coveralls, we safaried on 4 wheel ATVs. It felt really scary at first (OK, I speak for myself...), but we quickly got the hang of it. Everyone had their own vehicle except for 7 year old Adam who rode with his dad, Brian. We followed our guide, Godfrey, and were tailed by another guide, Mawazi. Our trail ranged from a paved road to dirt to an single track trail. As we rode by villages, the children would all run out, yelling “Muzungu,” (White people) holding out their little hands for money. The area that we toured actually is doing well in part due to the tourism in the area. The community is compensated by the Tour Company for letting them use their land. Although it did feel a little bit like "Uganda Twilight Zone" as we passed several places more than a couple of times and waved at the same people, I don't know how many times. I think that the tour guides thought that we wouldn't notice!

We rode down to the beautiful Nile River and imagined Moses being placed in a basket so many miles to the North. Micah got his first long awaited taste of fresh sugar cane. He would chose it over chocolate any day!

As we left, we stopped at a little road side stand for "Chapati," a delicious tortilla-like snack. Jerry even bravely took a bite! The rest of us gobbled them up! It was great to have a day of recreation and we felt so privileged and blessed to be able to have this time Brian, Susan, Ben, Luke, Bryce and Adam.

See the "ATV Safari" slideshow to the left.

Love, Cathi

Well, Well, Well

water tank.JPG
Originally uploaded by jcvonrtw

The children's home is now a breeding ground for learning! My first adventure was to fix a broken well. Not having much luck with wells in the past...(see Mozambique), I was a little apprehensive to jump into this project. Two of the older boys from the home(and many little ones) came out to assist me in this endeavor. In this process, I would teach and learn as we started in. My first learning was a few Luganda words like, stick, move a little, well, and love. I told the boys to carefully watch and help as we tore apart the well, then put it back together. As in all my days in Africa, the process took longer, and was an exercise in trial and error. But in shortly over an hour, (I thought it would take five minutes! What was I thinking!), we successfully had an operational well, that pumped good fresh water! I deemed both older boys the "keepers of the well", giving them the responsibility to fix and maintain the well for the future.

In the photo, you may say, "Jerry, that is not a well!" I know, Cathi was busy with the children and only clicked a photo of me working with the boys to install a new water storage tank. This will bring much needed water to the laundry area, latrines, and to the kitchen. The boys and 10 shovels successfully dug two hundred feet of trench in just under an hour! I stood dumb-founded at their ability to work! I wish I had a work crew like this at home! We are teaching the boys different construction skills as well as integrating school subjects (i.e. math, science, and health) in the process.

As the projects get accomplished I am reminded of why I am here... I am here to serve, but first and foremost, I am here to love. There are many opportunities here in the children's home to love.

Remember the children,

Jerry

Solutions?

Hi Friends!

Yesterday, I had a wonderful talk with a young man. He started the conversation by telling me he is "born again", that is how they distinguish between a true believer and a "cultural Christian". I asked about his life and he told me his mother had left him and his brother, when they were young. He was raised by his father...very unusual in this culture. His father passed away in 1999, when Ben had one year left of high school. Friends took him and his brother in, paid for Ben's tuition, and he graduated. For the last 4 years, he has been on his own, living alone, and trying to make it. It is so sad...he is only 21 years old! He is a such a nice kid. I asked how much he earns here at the market, he told me...$55 a month! (And I can't even afford to stay in Kampala!) He works 12 hour days/7 days a week and has NO days off! He lives in fear of losing his job, because employment is so scare. My heart is broken! He is only 6 years older than my son... just a kid. There is so much need in Africa, very overwhelming, and hard to discern who to give to...

Is there hope? Is there a solution? I thought maybe On Belay Ministries could start up "micro-franchises." Utilizing local labor, local resources, we provide the capital to start small businesses around Africa. Have a repayment plan in place, then after the debt has been paid, the "franchisee" takes over the full business and profits. Is this even feasible?

Food for thought...

Jerry

Finding Hope...

The day started out with thunder and lighting, followed by a torrential rain storm. I rose to shower, to find out there was no hot water! Later in the morning I also learned our "hot water" is run by solar power... Hmmm... does the water get warm when there is no sun? I don't think so!

We headed out to the Hope Children's Home today. When the Land Cruiser finally made the potholed, rain rutted trip, we were greeted by dozens of small children. Each of them grasping for my hand and telling me their name.

The land is lush with vegetation, water was abounding more than usual because of the rains, and the property was a red clay lake. However, this didn't distract the kids. They wanted to hold hands and play.

I was a little overwhelmed by the attention of so many little ones that I decided to quickly go to work. I surveyed the building, the elevations, the flows, and most of all, took careful inventory of all the eyes watching me.

As I spoke to one of the older boys, he informed me that the well was not operational. So, he and I and a dozen other children dashed to the well. I inspected the problem and determined that it was an easy fix... the only caveat is "we are in Africa", which means a simple 10 minute job will take you all day. One of the missionary boys (Ben) made a phone call to his dad and located tools, but the project will have to wait until Thursday. Then I set out on the task of measuring the home for rain gutters and pipe for a water storage tank. This took a little creativity in a sense, because I had several of the young men and boys congregating around me and the tape measure. They all helped in this "measuring and materials estimating" process! We measured the building, I wrote down the measurements in the dirt with a stick, and I had the boys adding, subtracting, multiplying, and dividing. They were terriffic! One young man (Frank) was an ace at mental math, calculating the answer as I was writing it down! And another young man Fahad, did the measuring and calculations with me, showing a real aptitude for construction. Of course in the middle of all this estimating and measuring, we did have to stop for lunch. We ate a delicious lunch of rice and beans, followed by a cup of hot tea. Then we went back to work. We evaluated the rest of the property for drainage, assessed the possibilities for a water storage tank, located an appropriate place to install a hand-washing station for the latrines, and surveyed an area for a french drain. On Thursday... let the work begin!

"I have found hope in the eyes of small children, while wiping away my own tears."

Jerry

the artists.JPG
Originally uploaded by jcvonrtw

And from Cathi: I was blessed to do some of my favorite things today. We got out some crayons and paper and had a whole slew of artists madly drawing away, each one carrying his or her finished masterpiece for my approval. Then out came the books and I got to read to a very loving and appreciative crowd with promises of more books and art on Thursday. I can't wait!

Jess and Micah were off the minute we climbed out of the car. Jess was greeted by all his friends who had met him in June. They were so happy to see him and so amazed that he remembered their names! Of course they all wanted to meet his little brother.

Uganda!

Arriving in Kampala reminded me of Mozambique, crowded streets, bad traffic congestion, and the poor everywhere my eyes turned. It was overcast, damp, and humid. Prices here in Kampala are outrageous! Rent is three times what we pay in the States! Food prices are very high and selection is limited. The city has a diesel cloud hovering about it, due to the cities utilities are run by diesel generators. The Department of Transportation would have job security here, for decades, as the streets are so badly potholed. The traffic rules here are very unique. Cars and motorcycles (boda-boda) speed by on either side of the road, and as a pedestrian, run for your life, has a new meaning!

With all that said, the people are warm and friendly… but not at first glance! They look at you sternly or give you this blank stare, you know like your speaking a different language, but once you break the ice with them they are very warm.

The work ahead is daunting, not in scope, but just because this is Africa. The African’s here have a different pace. I’m not saying lazy or slow, just different. Locating items, standing in line, waiting on people, are all part of everyday life. Plus, it is so expensive! You can never be sure if you have gotten a good deal or if you have just been ripped off!

So, tomorrow it is off to work at Hope Children’s Home, setting up a rain water collection tank, building a fence, grading for drainage, fixing the bathrooms with a hand washing station, and of course… LOVING ON KIDS!

Thanks for keeping up on our blog!

Jerry

Lots of goodbyes!

Sadly, we have said goodbye to our Muizenberg YWAM family and the family of believers from the church in Mfuleni township. We miss them very much already. We felt so welcomed and encouraged. Cape Town was truly a breath of fresh air.



One evening, our friend Gabriel hosted us at his house for an authentic African meal. Yum! He is a great cook; we had chicken, beans, vegetables, tomato sauce and our favorite, Paup (I’m sure I spelled that wrong, we pronounce it “pop.” It is an African staple, made of maize meal and cooked so that it is the consistency of thick mashed potatoes. Very filling. You wad it up and dip it in the sauce.) At Gabriel’s house, our countries of origin included Zambia, Nigeria, Camaroon, Burundi, Togo and the US. It was great to sit around after dinner and swap stories.

How to sum up our time in South Africa? Refreshing! We learned a lot about YWAM and the history of South Africa. We spent time with some amazing pastors and believers in the townships. Mostly, we were welcomed into an incredible family of believers.

We are so blessed.

Cathi

Cape to Cairo

Hello Friends!

This morning I had the privilege of meeting with two leaders of South Africa. They have a passion for training the youth here in Cape Town. Their vision is to “plant the seed” here in Cape Town, and duplicate the training model to all of Africa.

The dream is to start a training center in all of the surrounding communities, raising up African leaders, who then would go out the communities to train those in the townships. Also, part of the dream is to start a sports academy to reach out to the younger generation to model, coach, and mentor the youth, (similar to the States Boys and Girls Clubs). The third dream is to start an orphanage for those youth who have lost their parents or have been abandoned by them, so there would be a clean, dry place to live where they could receive the necessities of living as well as education.

This model is what they would like to duplicate here in all of South Africa, with anticipation to reach all of Africa. The paperwork to set up a NGO is in place and will be completed shortly. Our African brothers and sisters only need our help to train them in ways that they can teach training to their communities.

Food for Thought,
Jerry