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.

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Sanctuary Children Have Moved

They’ve Moved! I couldn’t stand the idea that all these little kiddo’s were now sheltered and loved somewhere I didn’t know. So, I made the trip to find them happy and healthy in their new home just up the road from the old home. So thankful for “Uncle” who loves these kids so purely. The number of children living here continues to grow…how can you say “sorry I already have six children with no parents, I just can’t take one more”? And so, money is tight but the Lord is good and continues to use you and others to provide for them. Thank you!

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Smart as a Whip!

Spending Thanksgiving Day with the children at The Sanctuary Babies Home – now called Sanctuary Children’s Home – was a joy. I love the warm welcome these kids offer and I love getting to know the little ones who are now becoming big.

The children were never so quiet as when I arrived this day. Why? They were eating. My goodness, you could have heard a pin drop. The children were sprawled around the room, mostly sitting on the floor, as they enjoyed their rice and bean lunchtime. But once they were finished they knew what was in store.

After a three-sentence lesson about giving thanks – with emphasis on giving thanks BEFORE we receive what we ask for – the kids dug into shading their picture. I watched as the various children exhibited differing levels of skill but each making progress as they learn. Most pointedly, LoHire was coloring perfectly inside the lines. All the adults remarked at the shift in this tiny tot from barely making a scribble to full out shading inside the lines.

But where was this masterpiece when we finished? I wanted to show you before and after proof. Instead LoHire decided she wanted to keep her art and hid it away somewhere that even Michael couldn’t find. Ooo…that girl is smart as a whip!

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Routine Can Be Good

Michael always has some question about how to grow and develop this small home full of children and the school he’s using to educate them and their neighbors. I love being a source of wisdom for him to whatever small degree is possible. But mostly I love arriving in the compound and having more than a dozen children run at me with open arms.

They’ve come to know our routine – Bible story, shading, games, and sometimes a song or two. Having spent a few years watching these kids grow, I’m so encourage to see the changes in their lives. They are loving, generous, sharing, beautiful children with “parents” who love Jesus and love them well.

The Sanctuary Babies Home has many friends all around the United States and as someone who is on the ground visiting this group every month, I want you all to know that what you are doing to love and encourage this family is important. Check out their new website too: www.sanctuarybabieshome.org

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Father's Day at The Sanctuary

The theme of the Prodigal Son ran throughout our various Father’s Day activities in the Jinja area. The story is so easily adaptable for people of all ages and stages of life. These tiny tots were no exception. Each having a coloring page, they’ve become quite practiced about what to do with those pages now, I talked to these tiny orphans about the love of their heavenly Father and that even if they make mistakes they can go to him and say sorry and he’ll love them just the same.

As children are children, though, they were a smidge more interested in the new Candy Land game I brought for them. As usual, the eldest boy, Chris, took charge of setting up and teaching the others about colors and how to play. I even got to practice my Luganda colors a bit. Oh how I love these kids and their caretakers. Such a lovely and very large family.

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Teaching Children About Missions

“Muzungu,” some tiny voices shouted from inside the small bedroom where those tiny voices were supposed to be sleeping. The adult caretakers and teachers came running to the door to greet me too. I love the family that is The Sanctuary Babies Home in part because of that freedom of expression and also because the children don’t fear but instead warmly love those who are caring for them.

That Box from My Grandbabies certainly had some goodies inside. I had the privilege of bringing those goodies to these kids and they almost devoured the package. Toothbrushes, toothpastes, crayons, and coloring books. All the things we love to do together – well…we don’t brush our teeth together.

LoHire is still such a tiny thing.
She lacks the proper nutrition to become strong.

The idea, though, is that American children (who just happen to be my grandchildren) learn about and understand what it means to live with less and have need of the simple things…and to reach out and share what little they can. Yet, also understand that we love the same Jesus way across the planet in an entirely different world. I’m so thankful to be the conduit for all of these kids who are so precious to me.

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Sanctuary School

Michael and Silvia have about 20 resident orphans living in their two-room home – The Sanctuary Babies Home – and twice as many attending the small school they started. Most of the children are in what we call “baby class” which means they are preschoolers but as time progresses so do the children. They recognized that so many children in the neighborhood could not attend school because fees were too high and they knew for certain they could not pay for their 20 children to attend. Starting a school seemed like the only answer.

Temporary wooden structures rest just outside the compound gate and are almost ready to be filled with children. Michael also reports that he’s gardening on a few acres of land outside town as well. He’s using what he learned in the Entrepreneurship workshop to give back to his community, though the start is definitely not easy. Michael did report that the children went without food for a few days – and I believe him. I know this man and he is not one to ask unless there is an emergency. He believes in hard work and the blessings of the Lord.

While he is doing all he can to put to good use the assets he has around him, that doesn’t mean the way is easy. Please pray that Michael and Silvia would supernaturally have the resources they need to care for this future generation – that bags of rice would remain full, that cartons of whole milk would never run dry, that those sending their children to this school would have the resources in abundance to enable them to pay their school fees. In Jesus name, amen!

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Holey Nets

Thanks to YOU, we replaced then holey mosquito nets for the children and we even provided one for Michael and Silvia. The children were so very excited to get their new nets. Now we just need to pray that these adorable but rambunctious kids aren’t the future cause of those most holey nets.

Thank you to those who gave to meet this simple but life-saving need.

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Shading Jesus

“Shading” is something the children have come to expect when they see my face appear in their compound. I bring simple Bible lessons and corresponding coloring pages for these kids each time I’m in Bugembe. Their caretakers – Michael and Silvia – have done a fantastic job expanding that small home to include some small education for the children even though they aren’t an official school. The children are happy and respond to their loving caretakers without fear.

This visit we shaded pictures of Jesus standing outside the tomb. I love that a tomb can be bright purple or neon blue. Children are so boundary-less! We talked about Easter and Jesus’ resurrection. We talked about how if we believe in Jesus then when we die we can be with him in heaven. The kids’ ages range from 1.5 to 6 years so we keep it short and simple. Seeds. Seeds.

After shading we ran outside to blow bubbles. 20 plus children running, jumping, slapping at bubbles…the joy of chaos.

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Sanctuary Family

Children’s faces peeked through the iron bars that secured their home. Their voices shouted with joy as they anxiously awaited my approach. Tiny bodies piled on mine as soon as I sat on the bench to greet them all. Why did there seem to be so many? Who could ever leave such beautiful children alone in this world? Two additional young ones sat on the floor watching the chaos with veiled interest.

Valentine’s Day offers a great opportunity to talk about the love of Jesus to anyone at any age or stage of life. Even the young ones need to hear the simple story of Jesus’ sacrificial love. Using coloring as a way to help the children engage with the message, we talked about Jesus’ love for children. Specifically we talked about how loving him makes us sons and daughters of God and that we are part of a family in this way.

The children were seated at school desks which gave Michael the opportunity to explain that the landlord wants to sell the house they are renting and so they had to move the school structure outside the compound. So many of the children are old enough for school now and school fees are impossible in this situation. So, Silvia and another woman teach these children from a room about 12x20 just outside the gate. Michael and Silvia are doing the best they can with their growing brood – growing because local officials are recommending their home to the homeless babies in Bugembe.

Michael rarely asks for help of any kind but today he pointed out the condition of the mosquito nets on the 10 tiny beds shared by more than 10 growing children in that one-bedroom house. Not only would replacing those nets keep the children from getting malaria, but they would also keep healthcare costs low for Michael and Silvia as well as keep the children in school. If you would like to replace one or more of these holey nets, please contact me.

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A Sanctuary Christmas

 

A peek in the window of the small home for children netted while screams of welcome and hands reaching through the bars trying to hug me. Silvia unlocked the door and I stepped inside to the gushing hugs of Chris, Huntington, Faith, Chakira, and all the rest. I was so happy to find that all the children we healthy and happy.



I brought a simple Christmas coloring page with me and delivered an age-appropriate lesson while the children colored. I’ve never heard them to quiet and intent as when they’re coloring. Each proudly presented his or her finished page for my praises and approval.

After coloring, Chris (the eldest and most inquisitive of the bunch) demanded we play Chutes and Ladders – a game gifted to the children several months back. They’d never quite captured the rules of the chutes and the ladders so playing a full round with me to guide them seemed to help. Now Chris knows how to teach the others to play.

 I am always surprised at how much the two littlest children have grown. Raymond and LoHear are getting so big. Check out some pix of LoHear when she first came to the Sanctuary. What a difference. While she’s usually so quiet and observant, and sometimes even afraid of me, she was quite happy to find her way to my lap and watch the game. Just before I was headed out the door she began chatting, the first time I’d heard her make a peep. Thank you, Jesus for healthy, happy children and their loving caretakers.

 

LoHear

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The Sanctuary Singers

Six children have turned into twelve.

The children walked hand-in-hand with Michael and Silvia until they reached the gate. Upon spying me, they ran with lots of welcome hugs. These kids have always been affectionate toward me but they’ve never done the run-to-me thing. Yep, a little bit of heaven. Some films depict heaven as a place based on your own desires. While I am not sure I agree that heaven is made in this way, I sure wouldn’t mind if it were filled with hugging children. Poor little Raymon is sick with malaria and wasn’t much for hugs and snuggles like he usually is. Lohire didn’t scream bloody murder this time. We’re making progress.

Today the children were so excited about singing for me. Amazing Grace in their sweet kiddie voices…beautiful. I recorded their singing but the film won’t properly upload to Blogger. Just imagine it. The little one in white belting out the words while the others follow along and do a rather lovely job of it. I love the music and dance that is so integral to the African culture.

Each time I come to the Sanctuary, there are more and more children. With only one bedroom and a makeshift room in the garage, they will soon outgrow their digs if they haven’t already. I’m so thankful for the ongoing welcome at this lovely home.

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Fun and Games at The Sanctuary

I knew all the juggling practice would pay off!

I promised the children of the Sanctuary Babies Home, the ones who memorized the numbers on the back of the Memory game cards rather than the pictures on the front, a new game the next time I came. I was surprised to find the number of children at the home had nearly doubled. It’s a good thing that this time I brought two new games.

Bean bag tossing.

For sewing practice, the ladies of Konoweka finished filling and sewing up some beanbags my mother made. With a handful of these heavy things, I wowed the children with my juggling skills (it doesn’t take much). From there, though, we played beanbag toss as well as a simple form of catch. The children came up with all kinds of creative ways to play with the beanbags.

Dennis, the leader of Shelemiah Orphan’s Home, gave me a bag of giant pictures with detailed Bible lessons printed on the back. I brought these lessons to Michael at the Sanctuary and started the children off with a lesson about the Bible as God’s word and as one way we can know who God is. The lessons are geared for children who are a bit older but with little effort they can easily be adapted for these younger children. I love when people share their resources for the benefit of others.

Time for the real new game…Chutes and Ladders. Only four players at a time can master this game so it was great to have a few new toys and games to keep the others busy. It took a while for the children to learn what to do at the top and bottom of chutes and ladders but the oldest finally caught on. He was tasked with ensuring he helped the other children understand too.

Just before we said good-bye, Heidi read the children a story and sang a song. They loved her fun activities and were quite happy to snuggle up and listen.  Bye-bye kids, see you next time, we love you.

Chutes and Ladders. Only the oldest boy here really understood the game.
I charged him with teaching the younger ones.

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Memorizing the Memory Game

The Memory game was a gift to the children of the Sanctuary Babies Home during my last visit. I looked forward to playing with the children again this time so we hauled out the game, which was surprisingly still complete. The card titles were marked numerically to ensure all the pieces were there. Good idea? Elijah and Huntington, rather than remembering where the pictures are on the board, memorized which number matched which number. Right, why bother turning the card over when there’s a number on the card to indicate which go together. Seems like cheating to me but these boys were sharp, impressive, and they still had to memorize something. Silly boys.

Elijah and Huntington are the best, the children chant each time they make a match.

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How's Your Memory?

Snap, snap, snap. The children had so much fun punching the Memory cards from their original holders and then playing with the remaining frame that I almost didn’t tell them about the rest of the game. Yet, once we set that game up, they found some fun. I LOVED watching them learn to play as the game progressed. Once they got the hang of the goal to match cards, the girls really excelled. The boys preferred the “look at the same card with every turn” approach. With a bit more practice, they’ll be calling “pizza, pizza; flower, flower; sun, sun” and whizzing past my memory abilities.



Not sure I could remember anything if the board isn't set up in perfect lines.



Hannah was so proud of her first find. Way to go sweetie!

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She's Living on a Farm Now

The sleepy little things who occupy one bedroom are barely distinguishable under their mosquito nets. Each carved a small hole and emerged from their hideaway like butterflies from their cocoons. The two littlest, Lohir being one of them, feared the mzungu and in her stupor found the wall to be a comfortable pillow. I asked where her baby doll was and was informed that she went to live on a farm (code for “got torn to shreds”…don’t tell her maker). An example was huddled in the corner, it really is better not to look.

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A Dolly for Lohir (LowHear) from Christian

Lohir is a new baby to The Sanctuary and was content to look on as the other children smothered me to hear the story and then colored their pictures. Treat time, though, resulted in her enjoying this yummy purple sucker. Several of the children chose bubble gum from the candy pouch and, as usual, behaved as though bubble gum was a novelty. The gum spent more time outside their mouths than inside. As a result, somehow…Lohir ended up with strings of bubble gum stuck all over her. I have no idea how given that she was not the eater of bubble gum (see the string on her forehead).

As the older children were displaying their musical talents, Lohir snuck up and planted herself near me. A dolly was in store for this girl who promptly began snuggling that dolly and then me. Lohir received the last dolly to wear a dress made from Ricky's shirts. She was quiet but Mike said she really improved a lot since she’d been dropped off at the home. How can you not snuggle and love something this warm and tiny?

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The Sanctuary Babies Home

As always Carpenter John is finding ways to keep me busy. We visited The Sanctuary again to talk more about how Surprised by Hope might be able to help this ministry grow. It’s always risky making such visits because people tend to assume you are bringing money (or at least have some financial capacity far greater than reality). What I’ve learned, though, is that although Surprised by Hope is not in the business of giving money, God is in the business of expanding his family. He can and will use people to help other people as he wishes and as we are obedient. I never know how he’ll do that, but every project in this ministry is a testimony to that fact…a surprise.

Mike hopes to learn more about web development so that he can keep the website up to date. A teacher lives in the home and teaches from the home as well. Mike hopes to finish this school building so that the children can have a change of scenery for at least part of the day. Mike believes a website will help raise awareness. I’m hoping Alex will help arrange a whole web development class for many people in Jinja during the next visit. Web development workshops are always a challenge given the lack of access to consistent power and internet…but we manage.

Of course no visit to this beautiful home would be complete without spending time with the children. They were enjoying their one cup of porridge for breakfast when I arrived but quickly surrounded me when we read the Berenstain Bears story about courage. We thanked God for the courage he gives these children every day and they drew some beautiful pictures to show God they’re thankful.

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A Dolly for Shakira from Pat

At The Sanctuary Babies Home I wanted to leave behind some small gift so I gave the children flashcards – numbers, letters, words – to help with their home school studies. We examined the English words and their Luganda matches together. Watching how each child managed their small disarray of cards was interesting. Some kept then neat and organized and others spread then out all over the compound. But I only had five decks of cards so I added to that just one dolly. I thought the children would fight over the doll and asked whether this would be a problem. “No, they’ll share” was the reply.

Instead what I found was that all the children, except one, were more interested in the cards. Shakira, in her tattered shirt that hung half off her shoulder, made her way past the card-inspecting children and waited expectantly for the dolly to be delivered into her hands. Shakira’s big half-toothed grin was so infectious. She needed little help knowing what to do with her new doll and the others left her to her work.

God knew just the right amount of cards and dolls. Yea! I love that this is one situation where I’ll be able to see Shakira again and check on that doll.

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