So very much to share and I promise it will come soon, but for now I am spending my time loving on my kids and catching up on my sleep. For now here is my last email and pics of the girls.

Korah. Last week I felt sorry for children living at the dump, today I love these children. Last week I walked through houses of strangers and was horrified that people had to live this way, today I walked into the homes of the girls who have braided my hair, taught me to count in their language, made me laugh, taught me games, and stolen my heart. Today it was personal. I sat on the bench next to meseret and cried, "Malia, no cry" her and aster said together. they also said this to me multiple times at church this morning. I was trying to hold it together, believe me. but how do you? when you have spent the last 10 days getting to know someone and somehow not computed that they too live in these unimaginable circumstances. I cried off and on through the homes of aster, senet, fruit, askala, habtume, betty, and more. As the girls were trying to comfort me and telling me not to cry, Aster looked at me and said, "Malia, no cry" she then put her hand on her chest and said "Jesus, love". can you imagine? but Aster is right. I then tried to explain "I'm crying because i love you" "I love you too." they said. today my heart is beyond broken and beyond full, I'm so glad a volcano erupted in Iceland and let be be in this moment...for such a time as this.


Me and Aster

Meseret, my girl and sweet Shwaye

Bakuset, who stole my heart the first day at the dump

Entebbe

We are here at the guest house. It's like a scene from a movie....dark and humid, we are all sitting at a long table with candles and a lantern as our only light. Our rooms are simple and clean and I will sleep my first night under a mosquito net, can't wait! We are enjoying this night of beauty before we leave these walls and go to our first orphanage tomorrow and see the little faces that have called us here.

Thank you Mrs. Bittner's 2nd grade class for your notes, we loved them! And girls I have not cheated and am only reading my notes on the days you told me to...i love them and you, thanks. Hopefully we will have wifi tomorrow and show you pictures of Alice's orphanage and Katie.

I miss you and love you.

Here is some links to where we are staying and going:

1st night http://www.tripadvisor.com/Hotel_Review-g298044-d816261-Reviews-Airport_Guesthouse_Entebbe-Entebbe.html

http://www.traveluganda.co.ug/entebbeairportguesthouse/index.html


2nd, 3rd night http://www.hostels.com/hostels/kichwamba/kingfisher-lodge-kichwamba/18840

4th night http://www.canaanchildrenshome.org/ youtube at canaans http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SNU-W9dyfaw&NR=1

rest of time http://www.ethiopiaguesthome.com/home.html

Korah city dump we will be here for 1 day http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-

Journey to Africa

I have so much to say and have waited too long to say it...so here is my condensed version. As you can read by my last posts I my heart has been drawn to Uganda ever since I saw Invisible Children's Rough Cut a few years ago. The phrase, “Someday I’m going to go to Uganda”, has been heard coming out of my mouth many times over the past few years. In early January I felt the Lord tell me that I can go now, that someday is here. I was so excited I couldn't’t wait to tell Shane, and to my wonderful surprise he said ok let’s look into it. There were two things that I wanted to do, either meet the young boy we support through World Vision or visit Katie Davis of Amazima Ministries. On the morning of January 12th I spoke to World Vision about the process of going to meet Akileo and then as you know the night of January 12th we were glued to the tv and Internet watching the destruction in Haiti. It seemed maybe I was mistaken in going to Uganda. Haiti needed us - our prayers, our attention and our money. I put Uganda on the back burner and we focused on raising money for Haiti, which God in His goodness moved His people to give more than $3,000 at Worship for Haiti!!!

Then my friend, Jennifer, sent me an email saying, Malia I think you need to go on this trip. I clicked on the link and who do you think we are going to serve with in Uganda? Yep, Katie and Amazima Ministries!! I told Shane and he said I had to go, and I agreed. And now I am leaving tomorrow!!

My friend Cherrie is traveling with me from Portland and we are meeting up with our friend Toni in Amsterdam...along with 8 other people from across America that we have never met:) Sounds a little like our trip to Haiti.

My children are set with my wonderful friends taking turns picking them up from school and watching them until Shane is off work. I just spent the last hour writing them little notes for every night I'm gone...and I bought them each a disposable camera to take pictures while I'm gone so I don't miss a thing. $20 bucks says Hope's is done in a day:) I will miss them so very much but I know Shane will do a great job and they will have so much fun with their many play dates.

So last Friday Shane, Rick, Cherrie, and my parents and I filled up the "totes" we are bringing to the orphanages, dump, Amazima, and other ministries that we will be visiting. Thanks to Cherrie, aka the shoe lady, and my wonderful friends and family we loaded up 250 lbs of shoes, medicine, underwear, food, and more shoes. It is a good thing Shane was there, as he is "spacial", he loaded the tubs to perfect weight to be let aboard the airplane.








Thank you my wonderful friends for taking care of my kids while I'm gone, I love you.




and to the two that created this monster:) I love you,



I love you Shane,

and Maris,



and Kruse,


and Hope.


Here is out itinerary:


Day 1 Arrive in Entebbe, and check into the Entebbe Airport Guest Home
for one night.

Day 2 Breakfast at the guest home and pick up by Canaan’s Children
Home bus by 9 AM and proceed to My Father’s House orphanage to
drop off donations. Head to Jinja. Check into the King Fisher and
eat lunch. Work at a small orphanage of 25 kids run by Alice. until 4
PM. Enjoy a boat ride to the source of the Nile. In the evening, a
few team members should help Katie Davis with setting up the food
and anything else she needs for the feeding program on Saturday.
Day 3 Join Katie by 9:30 AM for the feeding program all day. Pick up at 4
PM. Dinner at King Fisher Lodge.
Day 4 Check out of the King Fisher Lodge. Church with Pastor Isaac and
day with the children. Stay at Canaan’s Children Home.
Day 5 Spend the day with the Canaan Children’s Home children.
Day 6 Breakfast and good-byes at Canaan’s. Head to Kampala. Lunch at
the mall (exchange money at the bank) and shopping at the market.
Arrive at the airport by 3:30 PM or 4 and head to Ethiopia.
Day 7 Arrive around noon in Addis. Check into the Ethiopia Guest Home
and eat a late lunch. Proceed to the impoverished Bole Bulbula area
of Addis to work with the children. Dinner out at a restaurant of
choice.
Day 8 Mother Theresa HIV orphanage and AHope HIV Orphanage. Dinner
at the EGH.
Day 9 The new AWA Transitional Home to paint mural and Kids Kare
orphanage. Dinner out at the Traditional Ethiopian Resturant
Day 10 Korah city dump to work with kids. Dinner at the EGH.
Day 11 Shop in the morning. Work with the Dahley Community Project
ministry. Head back to EGH for clean up, packing and dinner. Leave
for airport for check in by 7:00 PM. Flight at 10:50 PM

Will post pictures when we have internet...