We had the privilege of worshipping in Nakabango on Sunday. It was a thrill to see so many familiar faces. Messiah has been going to this village since 2005; we have watched many of these children grow up - some of them are even teaching in the school there! The music ministry is important to Nakabango (sound familiar, Messiah friends?) and all ages use their gifts to serve. The addition of a portable sound system filled the church with beautiful music yesterday. Three different choirs lifted their voices during the service! After the service, we passed out soccer uniforms, given to us by the Lou Fusz Automotive soccer club, and shoes, purchased in Uganda with funds donated at the Celebrate Uganda event last year. Wow - it's difficult to convey how happy these boys were! The image of them playing barefoot in a tournament with no uniforms a few years ago stuck with me so this was a personal thrill for me as well. Thank you to Tim Hennessy for making the connection between Lou Fusz and Hearts & Hope! We took team and individual pictures of the boys and watching them put on their game faces was awesome! Truly a highlight of the day. Next we had the chance to do a quick project with the women. Many times they are the forgotten ones; they work so hard to care for their families but show up on Sundays looking radiant. Their hands are calloused but their smiles can light up a room. In the afternoon, we did a special project with the community that we will continue to work on today. I won't share too much but suffice it to say, it involved music, dancing, video and lots of laughing and smiles. Stay tuned! We visited with the women in the sewing center and saw some of the secondary students they are training to sew. I LOVE the attitude of these women. They have been making beads for a long time and we have sold them in the United States but we also discussed with them that we have a limited market and our sales could not be relied upon. The very next report I received from them showed that they were going to now start a catering service to support themselves. They have used proceeds from the sale of jewelry through Messiah to purchased two large chafing dishes and 4 small pots to begin their business. They still need two large pots to complete the necessary list of start-up items - and I mean BIG pots. Three feet across and over 3 feet high - can you imagine? The cost is high; the larger pot will be $250 and the smaller, $200. The women sent us home with beads and a few other crafts; their skills in making these items have improved drastically over the years! We also visited the piggery started by the youth in the congregation and the passion fruit project that the disabled ministry has begun. They have also started work on a chicken coop to house poultry in the near future. Again, we LOVE the work being done by many members of this congregation to become self-sustaining. We headed back to the Sunset Hotel after that, hot, dirty, and honored that we got to spend this day in this way. Andy, Todd, Crystal, and I appreciate your support and your prayers. We know there is much work to be done and thank our families for the opportunity to be here! Today, we head back to Nakabango to deliver 140 sponsorship packets. I expect nothing but organized chaos and lots of smiles! The soccer team looking sharp - thank you, Lou Fusz and Messiah! Patricia has a new baby brother! The piggery in Nakabango.
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Lynette Sherer
9/29/2014 10:14:43 am
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About USHearts & Hope is a nonprofit organization focused on unlocking the potential of people in Uganda through relationships with people in the US. Archives
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