Today the team was greeted by dark clouds and rain early in the morning. The look of worry on the team’s faces as they wondered how many more shoes they had packed which could withstand another whole day of mud was ever present. Nevertheless, we loaded up the buses and headed to Butangala. This village is partnered with Immanuel Wentzville and we were lucky enough to have Pastor Jason and some members of the church on our team to connect with their partnered village. God blessed us in that as we drove the bumpy roads to Butangala, the skies opened up and it was sunny and beautiful for the rest of the day. We were greeted warmly by the children and the team was highly anticipating the dance performances as previous team goers had really talked up the skills of these kids. They certainly did not disappoint!!! The dancers were wearing the new dance costumes which were one of many initiatives funded by Immanuel Wentzville and presented on this trip. These new dance costumes were greatly needed as they are participating in upcoming competitions against rival schools and they need to look as good as they dance. We proceeded with packet time as usual and the other part of the team was able to have a lot of free time with the large group of kids who gathered on the school grounds. To say the place was bustling would be an understatement. I had never seen such a crowd of people at Butangala and the energy was contagious. There was even a store set up with crafts made by local women and the team was able to shop for souvenirs while directly supporting the community - so great! We were also able to see the new netball goals and soccer goal posts. A quality sports program was a need at this school and now the school children can play proper games of their favorite sports!!!. Pastor Jason, along with his children Jacob and Megan, also handed out new soccer/netball jerseys to the school teams so they can look and feel official when playing other teams. The clapping and smiles when we showed the teams their new jerseys were priceless. Goats were next on the agenda and there were 10 to give away. Walking around the school grounds you hardly saw a tree without a goat or two attached to it, the unknowing team members might have thought Butangala bred goats, but it was simply another generous gift from the village’s partner! Part of the team was also able to tour the land and see the beginnings of a live fence. This is a type of fence built around the grounds for security and consists of barbed wire with seedlings planted which will eventually become bushes to reinforce the fence - hence the “live” name. Being able to witness all the fruits of this partnership was very special. A favorite experience from Betty was when she was helping Becky and Vicki sew some ripped uniforms and one student she was working on heard the call for sweeties (lollipops). When the team paused their sewing so he could go get the candy, the little boy insisted that he would skip the sweeties and asked them to finish sewing!!! It was touching to see the importance the children place on their appearance at school, even giving up the opportunity for a sweet treat - something they very rarely get. While we were there, Pastor Jason and Sara, our Hearts & Hope Program Leader, were able to meet with the members of the Village Advisory Committee, a new team which brings together stakeholders from various parts of the community to identify & prioritize needs and build a long-term development plan for the village. They met for the first time in March of this year and much of the activities and projects going on in this village were a direct result of their report. And while meetings aren't exactly a fun thing to do when visiting a village, it was great for Pastor Jason to connect with the team that will help define the future of the partnership!!! Pastor Jason & Sara thanked the team for their efforts and congratulated them on all of the progress that they've made. The team said their goodbyes and it wasn’t as bittersweet for everyone as we had the knowledge that we are returning to this village on Saturday for a few more activities!!! We headed to the Nile river as we had planned a ride to the Source of the Nile, where Lake Victoria and the Nile meet. The crew waited patiently on the shores as one double-decker boat pulled up and we ALL loaded on - all 48 of us! This was a pleasant and unexpected change of the norm as we were all able to experience the boat ride together. It’s a very relaxing way to witness God’s beautiful creation with friends, new and old. It was a wonderful experience all around and dinner was full of funny stories and fond memories of the day. The week is half way over and it has been such an unforgettable experience for everyone so far. Tomorrow is a double whammy as we venture out to both Mbulamuti AND Kamuli in one day. Looking forward to another busy day full of people loving people! Thank you for your continued prayers for a safe & successful trip!!!
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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
February 2020
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