Surprised by Hope Blog: June 2014

Saturday, June 28, 2014

Rachel & Chrystina's Jinja Adventure

I just loved the warp on this taxi.

Crossing the Owen Falls Dam

Sole Hope

Sole Hope is a group of passionate, committed people who are putting closed toed shoes on African children, one pair at a time. Jiggers are a very serious problem in Africa and in a place where so many children don’t have shoes, even more serious. Check out their website to learn more about this organization.

We had the blessing of sleeping in their guest house and learning a bit more about what they do.

I received a box of dollies and was acquainting them
to Uganda while lounging in a wheelbarrow.

Looks like she's wearing a pillow case dress.
Anyone have the desire to make such dresses for some of my kiddos?

Apparently we are "The Rest of the World"

A kiss for Gandhi

A view of the actual source, where Lake Victoria enters the Nile River

Prison Ministry

As always I love joining Carpenter John for his Bugembe prison ministry services on Thursday or Sunday afternoon. He’s been serving as chaplain for more than 10 years and I’ve been joining him about once monthly for almost 4 of those 10 years. Initially we were allowed to sneak a few photos but as the prison system tightened up, photos were no longer permissible. These photos are from early visits but nothing much has changed since then.

Chrystina did a wonderful job relating the story of Queen Esther to the male prisoners and we even had an opportunity to talk about how to treat their wives (i.e., not as the king did Queen Vashti). Sorry no pix of the girls (sniffle).

Sleeping quarters

My very first visit and gifting Bibles

Bugembe Prison

Film ministry about forgiveness

An apple treat

Skill training - cobbler

Skill training - tailoring

The lunch line

Muhamed became a cobbler after being released
because of the training he received in prison.

The first ever boy dolly and it was given in Bugembe Prison

Skill training- weaving

Dad's School

A quick peek into Dad’s School on the way to the Sanctuary Children’s Home was all we intended Trapped by the rain, however, Rachel and Chrystina had fun with the kids as we completely disrupted their post lunch class focus.

The girls can always be found making silly faces when there are children around but it was fun to watch the children overwhelm them this time as they ran their dirty fingers through the smooth hairs of the bazungu.

Abba Father

Full taxis whizzed past us for quite a long time before we finally found one to take us the short distance to Mpumudde. I was eager to avoid boda bodas on the highway, but should have probably been less eager to avoid the taxi park. Anticipative, smiling faces awaited our arrival and they showed off their new gathering hall. Six women gather together twice weekly to worship, pray, and work on developing their handcraft skills as a way to gradually cease working on the streets of Jinja.

The group has yet to acquire a name for themselves and so, Abba Father, is the one I tend to use when referring to them. Many thanks go out to a loving lady in the UK who makes it possible for them to fellowship with one another in this safe place, and to Andrew for sharing this ministry on the ground with us.

Chrystina and Rachel taught about Queen Esther and that God crated her for a purpose just like he created these ladies for a purpose. Most of our time, though, was spent in prayer for healing over their various ailments. We invited them to join us and while none led prayer, they were most certainly active with us.

Praising God for the gradual growth and development of this group and for the love and care of so many as we continue praying over them.