The Hiding Place

Cathi and Micah, standing in the Hiding Place



Micah, at the entrance to the Hiding Place


Dear Family and Friends,

After 30 hours of travel, with every flight delayed and one case of motion sickness (thank goodness for barf bags!), we are home safely.

The highlights of our time in Amsterdam were many. The Anne Frank House was so sad, yet inspiring. We repeated our bike trip to the cheese factory/shoe factory. The day was beautiful and the group was fun.

The most meaningful experience was our visit to the Corrie ten Boom Museum in Haarlem. We took the train to this charming little town. The guide told Corrie ten Boom’s story so beautifully in English and Dutch. The ten Booms were a Christian family living in the Netherlands during WWII. They offered refuge for those escaping from the Nazis. They were leaders of an underground organization that provided "safe houses" for Jews and others on their way to locations outside of Haarlem. A small secret room (the Hiding Place) had been added to Corrie's bedroom to hide people in case their house was raided.


We sat in Tante (Aunt) Jan’s room (this is a sitting room directly above the family watch shop) along with about 25 others from all over the world, including an elderly Jewish couple from Israel. We all went upstairs to see the actual hiding place. The guide asked 6 of us to step inside. Micah and I quickly volunteered along with 3 women. We climbed through a hole in the brick wall. The 6th person to join us was the Jewish man. The space was claustrophobic even with the hole in the wall. The people who actually hid in the Hiding Place entered through a 3’ x 2’ opening in the bottom of the linen closet. (Micah is sitting in front of the opening in the photo above.) It had a weighted door that slid down to cover the opening. At the time of the arrest of the ten Booms, there were 6 people who quickly dashed to the Hiding Place. They were in the Hiding Place for 2½ days. I shudder just to think of it. They had no water and just a few biscuits. All six survived their time in hiding. The ten Booms were taken to prison and then to a concentration camp.

“There is no pit so deep that he is not deeper still.” This was Corrie’s message to the world. I just finished reading “The Hiding Place.” Such suffering, but so inspiring. Many times, Corrie described her love for Jesus, and His power to do things that she just could not. As an international speaker, who talked about forgiveness, she met up with one of her former SS guards who asked for her forgiveness. She just could not bring herself to forgive, however she prayed, “Jesus I cannot forgive him. Give me your forgiveness.” As she prayed these words, she felt Jesus’ love for this man that almost overwhelmed her. She wrote, “And so I discovered that it is not on our forgiveness any more than on our goodness that the world’s healing hinges, but on His. When he tells us to love our enemies, He gives, along with the command, the love itself."

There are many "Corrie ten Booms" at Hope Children's Home. They have experienced pits so deep that we cannot even comprehend and yet they know the presence of God in such real ways. Their love and joy come from knowing Jesus and his love.

Thank you for joining us on this journey. Your comments and emails have meant so much.

Grace and Peace,
Cathi

Friends, Finances and Fly fishing

Richard


Kenny



Douglas


Dear Friends,

I have been a fly fisherman for over sixteen years. Both of my sons are fly fishermen, too. I’d like to say that the roots run deep, with fathers and grandfathers and great grand fathers, but that isn’t true. In fact, my dad is a bait fisherman. So much for pure bloodlines.

Fly fishing is an elegant, aesthetic and solitary sport. It can become one’s passion very quickly… or one’s obsession. There is an instant camaraderie between fly fisherman, a commonality, and brotherhood.

Interestingly enough, I have not found fly fishing to be popular in Uganda. In fact, most of the indigenous people fish by netting, no rod, reel or fly. My friends in Kampala, had no idea why we would fish for sport, and could not grasp the “catch and release” concept. I explained to them, poorly at best, that this was a conservation effort as well as an eco-friendly endeavor. They could not understand why one would release a fish that was caught! I tried to speak metaphorically, using clever analogies, but in the end they thought that I was crazy! I remember reading once that we in the West treat our relationships similar to a catch and release fly fisherman. Catching when in need and releasing when difficulties arise.

Which brings me to the topic at hand, On Belay Ministries Inc., our non-profit corporation that is helping solve the poverty problem in Uganda one person at a time. To date, we have micro-financed a taxi for Richard, financed one year of college education for Kenny (and one more year to go! Yeah Kenny!), and are assisting Douglas in a micro-business/cottage industry by training him to help train others. We have a commitment to these young men- not a catch and release mentality. We are in this for the long-haul, our commitment isn’t just to these young men but also to their families. Another part of our mission to help the poor involves aiding widows and orphans. On Belay Ministries has partnered with Show Mercy International working at Hope Children’s Home, loving, supporting, and caring for the orphan children. Our future goal is to provide financial aid to those who “graduate” from the home and assist in school fees and living expenses. As our Board of Directors meets to finalize our goals, please visit our website (www.onbelayministries.org) to keep updated and to prayerfully consider your commitment to the work of On Belay Ministries.

Jerry

Micah's Blog!

Hello! In the picture above you see my two great friends (left to right) Solomon and Bonny. I am going to write about Bonny. He is 13 years old and speaks English really well for his age. Since birth his right hand and his left foot have had limited movement. He has trouble going up and down stairs and walking long distances. He has never been able to run and jump and play with the other kids. He has been living in the home since approximately 2002 but I am not sure.


One day I was sitting on the steps with him and I asked him his story. He only got as far as telling me his parents had died in a car accident before he started crying. I was not expecting that response and was shocked and saddened. I told him he has a family here and that he has people at the home and in America who love him and care about him. I told him that he is God's special son and that God has a big plans for his life. I said I would pray for him.


In spite of his background, he is a happy boy who loves Jesus with all his heart, and is a great friend to all who meet him.


by, Micah

Blog by Jess

One of the days while I was at the home I was talking to a boy named Hebrew. While I was talking to him the subject of food came up in our conversation. I asked him if he had eaten today. He said "No." So I gave him my Power Bar. Instead of eating the whole thing by himself, he shared it with everyone around him. I thought this was pretty amazing.

Jess

Gerrold

Let me introduce you to Gerrold. He was my special helper when we worked at Hope last fall. He was my "tell me their name" friend. With the many children at Hope, everyone should have a helper like Gerrold. I would quietly point to a child who I knew but could not remember their name. Gerrold would discreetly whisper their name to me, again and again.

He is a quiet and gentle boy. I got to know him better during this trip. He has an older sister, Gladys, who also lives at Hope. There is much pain in their eyes and I don't know their whole story. He would like to be a Religious Studies teacher because he loves Jesus so much. Almost daily, Gerrold would slip a piece of paper in my hand with a carefully written note, telling me of his love and prayers.

On the day we left, Gerrold was helping with the photos of the students. Note on the photo above the little white bracelet on his wrist. These children have very few of their own possessions. I don't know where Gerrold got the bracelet, which is really a hair band. As we finished the final photos, Gerrold called me to him and said that he would like to give me his bracelet. I was so moved and humbled by the love of this little boy. He has next to nothing and gave me what little he had. I am wearing it now and will remember to pray for Gerrold and be inspired by his selfless love.

I want to love others the way that Gerrold loves.

Cathi

Mama Regina

Hello from Amsterdam!

We were not able to add many blogs from Uganda, so I will be adding them while we are here! I want to tell you about a very special person at Hope Children's Home. The wonderful lady in the photo above is Mama Regina. She is the cook at Hope Children's Home. Not only does she cook, but she loves Jesus and all the children. She has a true servant's heart. She cooks three meals a day for the one hundred children who live at Hope as well as lunch for the school children who do not live at Hope. This is well over 200 kids! All prepared over an open wood fire. She is one of my heroes.

The day that we left, I brought a couple of jars of peanut butter to her. The Santiam Team had given us their leftover peanut butter and I consolidated then into two jars. You would have thought I gave her the world! She did a little "Thank you, Jesus! dance" and gave me a big hug. Her joy was contagious! All for two small jars of peanut butter.

Here is Mama Regina serving the children lunch.



We love these children and take care of them for the short time we are with them. Mama Regina and the other mamas love them and care for them everyday throughout the years. They are the hands of Jesus.

With love, Cathi

Photos of Students

Dear Family and Friends,

We spent the morning at Hope Children's Home. Thank goodness that Douglas had come with us! Our goal was to take photos of the children who attend Alpha Omega School (which is a part of Hope Children's Home and is located on the home's property), but do not live at the home. (see above photo of dear Fatuma) Show Mercy would like to have sponsors for these children as well. The sponsorship would cover a uniform, shoes, school fees and one meal a day. This may be the only meal some of these children will eat. Here is Show Mercy’s website if you are interested in child sponsorship. http://www.showmercy.org/

We had no idea there were so many. We had purchased a white board this morning. The teachers brought first the “Baby Class” which is pre-school. There were over 50 kids, this is in addition to the pre-schoolers who live at Hope! Douglas wrote down their Lugandan name and their “Christian” name as well as their age. (I will crop out the white board out later and just show the child's face.) Douglas was incredible, knowing the spelling and getting all the names right. Jerry realized that things would be more fun if we gave each child a sweetie (piece of candy), so Jess and a 15 year old boy named Vincent zipped off to one of the many little village “stores” to buy candy.

We worked up until the time the students break for lunch, around 1:00. By this time, we had taken over 100 photos, and this is just the Baby Class through P-1 Class. We then stayed for another 45 minutes so that we could visit with the older kids. It was so hard to leave after just a short time with them. However, we had a big job for the afternoon.




Another amazing experience of today was a trip to the Owino Market (see one of the many entrances in the photo above.) Before we got out of the car, Douglas said, “Now Jerry, you leave your wallet here in the car with Richard, and Cathi, you leave your camera/purse.” There are so many people in the market and pick pockets are a real issue. Owino is like a huge flea market with a million people, not a single muzungu to be seen. Each little store had its own area, manned by one or two people. The floors are dirt, or wooden planks. It is really a series of connected shacks with 10-12 foot ceilings of sheet metal, with an occasion flicker of sunlight. There are areas of specialty: jeans, t-shirts, dresses, children's clothing, almost all are used. Douglas did all the negotiating for us. We had quite a list from the home, including 20 bras for the older girls, 10 uniform shirts, 4 pairs of shoes and play clothes for various kids, backpacks...We spent about $70 for all. Douglas did much better when folks did not know we were with him! One time, he had negotiated a price for some boy’s jeans (5,000 Ugandan shillings, which is about $3) and when the sales person saw that we were with Douglas, he doubled the price! Douglas would have nothing to do with that. Everyone was actually very nice, talking to us and of course wanting us to buy stuff. I was even complimented on my braids! Micah was using his Lugandan slang, which greatly amused all the shop keepers. Before our first trip, I would have been so scared, now it was actually quite fun. However, I wouldn’t attempt it without a Ugandan guide!

Richard returned us to the hotel, with all our bags of treasures. Jess wanted to take a boda boda (motorcycle taxi) by himself to Garden City (a shopping center about a half a mile from our hotel), much to my concern. He took the phone and called when he had safely arrived. Whew! We decided to meet him there at 8pm for dinner. It was an adventurous walk, in the dark, with pot holes and lots of traffic. The crazy boda boda drivers were driving up on the sidewalk because of the traffic jam! We ate at Spur, a South African restaurant chain, loudly serenaded by the beat of African drums on the courtyard below. (Did I mention they were LOUD?)

Love, Cathi

Richard da Man

Dear Family and Friends,

The photo above is of Richard, our taxi driver. We met Richard last fall and have been involved in a micro-finance project with him. He is actually standing in front of it! On Belay Ministries, our nonprofit, made him a loan for the car in January. Before this time, he rented his taxi, then made payments monthly. What he paid in rent payments could easily have covered a car loan. However in Uganda, car loans are not available, or the interest is so high that it is not practical. So Richard was basically giving a good bit of his monthly income to make his rent payments. He paid for all maintenance, gas and insurance.

He has been paying back our loan, depositing payments in a bank in Kampala. He will pay off the loan in about 10 months. At that point, he will pick a fellow taxi driver and make him a loan to buy his own car; this loan will be repaid to Richard with a small amount of interest. When it is paid off, Richard will find another driver and repeat the process. His life has been changed by this project! His monthly income has increased and he can now afford to send his girls to a better school (and afford to feed his family!)

The highlight of today was going to Richard’s home and having the privilege of meeting his darling daughters and lovely wife. They live in a village just outside of Kampala. The roads were incredibly bad! We bounced along, until we came to a truck blocking the way. We were close, so Richard parked the car and we walked the rest of the way, over bricks and rough stairs. The walk in itself was an experience; we were "muzungu’d" all along the way, of course! Jerry had brought outfits and books for the girls and a new Bible for Justine, Richard’s wife as well as a new Harmonica/book for Richard. They were so thankful and excited.

Their house has 5 rooms including a kitchen, two bedrooms, living room, and an as yet unfinished bathroom. The floor is concrete. They do not have electricity or running water. There is a spigot and outhouse outside. Lights are run on a battery and kerosene. Richard built the house himself. No permits are required. Basically in Uganda, you build what you want.

We had such a nice visit. The girls are absolutely darling and warmed right up to us. Daisy is the oldest at 6, Oprah is 4 and Divine Mercy is 18 months. They are all bilingual. Daisy was reading to me in English. Divine Mercy was somewhat subdued as she is recovering from malaria, which kills so many children as well as adults here.

Justine had sent their friend Livia to a local shop to get cold drinks for us. Livia is a friend (relative) who did not have a place to live, so she moved in with Richard’s family and helps with the girls and housework. We walked around Richard’s property. He has about 1/3 of an acre. Then the girls and Justine walked with us back to the car. Justine told me how her parents had both died when she was 9 years old, just one month apart. She was raised for part of the time by her older siblings, and then at a children’s home. There were 5 children in her immediate family, but her father had 14 total with various step mothers. Justine also told about how she would like to return to university and become a dermatologist. She also wants to have 3 more children, all boys! Below is a photo of this beautiful family.







After leaving Justine and the girls, we made a quick stop to see Douglas’ home. He lives in a one room apartment without running water, a kitchen or bathroom. The outhouse/bathing area are outside as well as a spigot for water. He does not understand why we would want to have hot water. His place was so neat and tidy. He has a bed and a dresser, a TV and DVD player. His apartment is in the yard of his landlord and all are surrounded by a tall solid locked fence. He feels very safe there. Here we are below, as Douglas opens the door to his home.




We had dinner at the hotel, which was expensive, but no one got sick! A long night followed as it is hard to sleep on these braids! I would love to take them out, but don’t want to hurt Gorett's or Miriam’s feelings (my hairdressers)!


Much love to you all,
Cathi

New Hairdo!

Dear Friends and Family,

Here is my journal entry for Saturday.

Saturday, 14 June
I keep using the word, "privileged." We are so privileged to be able to work with Hope Children's Home, and I am humbled. I keep coming back to how we are so blessed to know these children, these Mamas and teachers. I want to love them and pour into them. They love us back in such amazing and humbling ways. Today, I sat with Esther, Victoria and Fatima. Victoria and Esther read to me from the Bible that we gave them last fall. Victoria read about Adam and Eve and Esther read the story about the Dry Bones coming back to life. (an interesting and thought-provoking choice.)

Even before the day began, I had a wonderful time with Victoria. She came to the hotel with us last night, spending the night in our room. ("A chance of a lifetime." according to Pastor Pross, the person who runs the home.) I was up around 7am and was reading my Bible online. Victoria got up around 7:30. I wondered, what am I going to do with her until 9:30, when the team meeting starts. Conversation making can be challenging. I prayed about it and just let it happen. First Victoria offered to read the Bible for me. She read Psalm 31, which talks about God’s presence in difficult times. Then we read some of the Bible in Lugandan, thanks to the Uganda Bible website. It is such a pretty, happy language.

I asked Victoria if she wanted to watch some TV, which is a great treat. So we sat on the bed together and watched TV and talked. She told me about her abusive aunt and the nice lady who stepped in to defend her. She told me that her aunt used to take her into the woods and tie up her hands and beat her. When she was 8, Victoria became a Christian through a crusade at the church. She also said that through Susan Stubb’s sermon, she learned to forgive her aunt. Again, what a privilege to be a part of these children’s lives.

Later, at the home, as I finished up mending Margaret’s sadly torn dress (2 side seams, both shoulder seams and one sleeve almost gone…), I settled in for a chat with Victoria on the back steps. She asked if she could “twist” my hair. I said sure! Little did I know what I was in for! Gorret, one of the wonderful house mama’s who I have had a chance to get to know a little bit, came up and wanted to know what Victoria was doing…it was all over them. Gorret took over, along with another mama, Miriam. They lovingly braided my hair for over 3 hours! As they braided, Esther (the girl we sponsor) stood and helped by holding my hair back out of my face and smoothing my bangs so gently. They did half of it before lunch, then took a break for lunch. Everyone, especially the Mamas and other staff got a huge kick out of it!

After lunch, most of the team and lots of the kids went to the field to play soccer, so the house was strangely quiet. As the women braided, an accapella group came and practiced in the next room. They sang in Lugandan as well as English. I just sat there silently praising God with the choir and was loved on by these gentle women. Without being asked and without expecting to be paid, they gave up their day to serve me. We came to bless and serve; we are the ones getting the blessing and being served!

Much love to all,
Cathi

Together again!

Dear Family and Friends,

Jerry arrived safely yesterday. We picked him up at the airport with our taxi driver and dear friend, Richard. Our friend Douglas also came with, so Jerry was given a grand welcome!

We said goodbye to the Santiam Team late afternoon. A number of the kids were struggling with stomach issues. Many were very jealous that Jess gets to stay another few days. We will miss them all.



The photo above includes a sweet girl named Fatuma. She is on the right side of the photo. When we met her last fall, she was so shy and sad. She was a student at the school, but did not live at the home. Her home situation was not good, in fact it was very abusive. We were so concerned about her and whether or not she would still be at the school. We were so happy and thankful to find her well and happy. She is now living with her grandmother and has hope for the future.


I will write more soon. We are heading out to 1,000 Cups, our favorite coffee place here. Well, it is the only one we know about!

Much love,
Cathi

There is Hope

Dear Loved Ones,

We spent our first day out at the children's home yesterday. It was a day of very special reunions and joy. Impossible to even begin to describe holding our precious children again. Our Ugandan "daughter," Esther, is healthy and beautiful. (We sponsor Esther, and therefore have a strong connection with her. Wish we could take her home!) Fatima, who is a student at the school, but does not live at the home, is happy and not nearly as shy as she was last fall. OK, so we want to take sweet Fatima home as well.

I can see the evidence of hope in their lives. They do have a future and that makes all the difference. These children are so open about their love for Jesus and their love for us. I was amazed and humbled by their outpouring of affection. Little brown hands holding, hugging, stroking. At any time, we all have at least a half a dozen children attached to us. I occasionally thought, there is just not enough of me. Then I remembered, I am just a vessel. They need the love of Jesus and I am just trying to be his servant here. I prayed for his filling and his spirit. (and his memory! trying to remember all the names of each special one.) We cannot save all the children in Africa or even in the little village of Gganda, however God has graciously given us these precious ones and that is all that he asks of us now.

We also had wonderful reunions with the Santiam Team! What an amazing group and a privilege to join them. Jess was full of stories and enthusiasm. What a joy to see him with the children.

Thank you so much for your prayers and for joining us on this journey.

Love, Cathi

Uganda!

Dear Family and Friends,

After 5 delightful days in London, we left last night for Uganda. A slight hiccup at the airport...I had gotten the departure time wrong! It was written in 24 hour clock and read 20:00. Mentally, I thought we were leaving at 10pm, and it was really 8pm. We got to the airport at 7:15pm! Good thing we didn't have bags to check! I had visions of OJ Simpson running through the airport, leaping over suitcases. We really did sprint to our gate. It was Kenya Airways; security was not too difficult. Micah was awesome, no panic, just saw it as another adventure! Just the day before, I had been pridefully commenting to Micah on how good we have been at getting to the airport/train station with plenty of time...

After a layover in Nairobi, we were met at the Entebbe airport by our dear friend and taxi driver, Richard. He safely transported us to our hotel and will be picking up Jerry on Sunday. That afternoon we are planning a get together with Richard, his wife and 3 little girls.

Jess and the team are still out for the day, working with two different childrens' homes. We can't wait to see them all.

Thanks for your prayers!

Much love, Cathi

Friends

Dear Family and Friends,

Due to the wonders of Facebook, which I joined a couple of months ago, we were able to connect with Crystal, our Chinese "daughter" in London. Crystal stayed with us as an exchange student two summers ago. She is studying in the UK at a university an hour from the city. On Sunday, she and her lovely friend, Vicki, took the train in for the day. We walked around Buckingham Palace and had lunch at Hard Rock Cafe. Crystal is such a beautiful and gentle person. Micah and I cherished the time spent with her.

Before meeting up with Crystal and Vicki, Micah and I went to the Hillsong Church, which meets in a large theater in London. It was great fun to worship with such a dynamic group. The worship band had 16 members!

On Monday, we met up with our friend Rich, whom Jerry and I know from a summer missionary program that we all were a part of, in Quito, Ecuador in 1982! Yikes, we are getting really old! Rich met us at the Tate Modern, which was fabulous! Here are Rich and Micah at the Tate. Rich is a film critic in London, so Micah could ask all his film/movie star questions!



We are doing well, loving the quiet evenings with my aunt and uncle, but missing Jerry and Jess!

Grace and Peace,
Cathi

Lunch in the garden

Dear Family and Friends,

We are so enjoying our time with my Aunt and Uncle. Our first meal in London was a delightful lunch in their lovely garden. (I believe they are Master Gardeners!) It has felt like we have come to our second home, always a haven and respite.

Yesterday, Micah and I took the train to Ely to visit with our friend, Steven. He took us on a tour of the beautiful cathedral there. Breathtaking. Then we were served a delicious and traditional English lunch of Shepherd's Pie at Steven's home. We were so warmly welcomed by his parents and brother. So fun to hear about how this family of believers is serving God. Here is a photo of us.






We have been getting regular updates on Jess! It doesn't feel like we are so far away. If you would like to read about Jess' team, here is Show Mercy's blog and Steve Bittner's (Team leader) updates:

Show Mercy


Steve Bittner

Much love to you all!
Cathi

Mind the Gap!

Dear Family and Friends,

Micah and I are safely in London. We have been reveling in the familiar: the Tube and "Mind the Gap", our favorite bookstore, the lovely and cozy apartment at my Aunt Tiz and Uncle Jack's home, being with Tiz and Jack. What fun to be here! However, we are missing Jerry and Jess. It is so strange to have our family spread out on three different continents. Tomorrow, we head out on the train to Ely to meet up with Steven, whom we met in South Africa while working with YWAM. Can't wait to catch up on his life and to hear about other dear YWAM friends.

We have heard from Steve, the leader of Jess' mission team in Uganda. All is well there. The team is loving our kids and we are so looking forward to joyful reunions very soon.

We miss you all!

Love, Cathi

Africa Again!

First let me thank you for reading our blog. We are overwhelmed and humbled to have you join with us in our adventures. Well, here is the latest. Jess left on the June 2nd for Uganda, Africa. Cathi and Micah will join him after a 5 day layover in London, and leave tomorrow June 4th. Then I will join them, leaving on the June 13th.

We are going back to the same orphanage we worked at last fall. We are madly viewing photos of all the kids at the home to remember their names. What a task! 104 in total! Our job this time is to love on all the kids. We also plan to meet up with a few of those we blogged about... Richard, Kenny and Douglas. We can't wait to see them!

Thank you for all the thoughts and prayers for my mom, she is doing VERY well! In fact the physician stated that the cancer is in remission!

I look forward to keeping you updated. Peace. Jerry