July 25th - Oops, missed a week!

Okay, to be honest, I didn't actually "miss" a week. I knew it was there...it's just that the internet wasn't there when my self was there. Tried a couple of times, but nothing was coordinating!

The first picture today is of Isaac and Peter at our house on their Friday night/Saturday morning with us (now 2 weeks ago). They were such a hoot! They said they wanted me to take their picture on Saturday morning, and so they posed like this. So funny! We had a great time with both of them...and this was our last Friday night for awhile. It will be great to have a break for awhile, even though it's been fun to have the kids. We're both ready for free Friday nights.

The second picture is our boys playing football (known as soccer in the States) in the playground area across from the orphanage. They so love when one of us will take them over there - when they play in the orphanage courtyard, the windows get broken, other kids get knocked in the head, etc., so we've had to outlaw football there.

As promised a couple of weeks ago, here is a list that Rogers and I came up with in looking back over the past year and a half. There are so many things yet to be done, but it was so great to sit and list the things that have already happened here!

• Orphanage of 30 children
• Employ 17 people full time from the Budaka area, plus many on a temporary basis
• church of 150
• began with 1 church service. Now have 5 services every week (Sunday 9am and 10am, Wed 5:30am and 5:30 pm, Friday 5pm)
• Built a temporary kitchen building on loaned land
• school of 100+
• 5 businesses

1. chickens
2. maize, beans, eggplants, tomatoes, g-nuts
3. restaurant
4. school
5. selling stuff in the States

• Jessica – healing from skin disease. Mother and Jessica saved.
• Saturday School with 150-300 kids once/month – done 11 of them. 25 kids saved at one.
• Rescued 4 kids from homelessness. 1 who rescued from death (Moses).
• Bought property to build on
• Mutwahiru – got surgery (thanks to American donors), mother is saved now. Mutwahiru is able to ambulate, is out of pain and on his way to as complete a recovery as possible.
• We found out about CoRSU Hospital to take children to for surgeries (found out through meeting a doctor who knew about it and sent us there)
• Crusades – 2 – 2nd one 2000 people attend the week. We worked with 10 pastors. Gave away the crusade to 3 villages – Kabuna, Naboa, and Kaderuna. Saw almost 200 people saved..
• World Race team in October – built relationships with our kids, did door to door evangelism, helped at the crusades, cleaned up Budaka with our kids.
• Took the kids to Sipi Falls on an all-day trip on a bus

We were so happy as we thought through all these things. Thank you so much for being a part of this work God is doing here in Budaka! Some of you helped us with set-up costs, others help us on a monthly basis, still others help by sending things over that help us in ministry, and others by keeping in touch weekly to encourage us as we continue in the work. May the Lord bless you as you have blessed us! We all are so thankful for you!

Laurie

July 11th - Update from the Post Office

(sorry, pictures did not make it through)

It's one of those Uganda days...electricity is off in Budaka (4 times yesterday off and on, this morning definitely was off!), on in certain places here in Mbale, but internet is off in the places I could use the electricity. The battery of my computer died about 3 weeks ago and so it has to be plugged in to use it (Abby said it's like carrying around a desktop computer all the time!) and the place I found that the internet is working (the post office) doesn't have any extra plugs for the computer. I am pretty sure the pictures I put on my flash drive (just in case something like this happened) will not load quickly enough,. but we will see. Ah, Uganda!

I am asking you to pray for Rogers as he got quite sick this weekend and was tested - he has typhoid. The recovery period is 1-2 weeks, but with the antibiotics he is already back on his feet and even came to Mbale today. But the fever keeps coming back. As those who partner with us in so many ways, would you also partner in praying for him today and in these next few days? Thank you.

Friday night we had Johnson and Joel. I have attached a picture of them in our front room. Both were such a joy! Joel is new, so doesn't understand so much English, but Johnson was right there to interpret. They were great fun. We have about 4 more Friday nights to get to all the kids...and then we'll take a break for awhile and have Friday nights free again. But, of course, will miss this special time with the children individually.

We finally have our 30th child at the orphanage - this is the size we can grow to at our present facilities. And the 30th is someone many of you have heard about in these emails. His name is Mutwahiru, and he is now one of our Cornerstone kids! He is fitting right in and the boys told me he was dancing for them last night. Amazing since he is on crutches and just had surgery a few weeks ago. Anyway, we're very excited to have him with us. The children have received him well and are helping him get used to all the Cornerstone ways of doing things. I have included (I hope) a picture of Mutwahiru with Uncle Geofrey, the dad of the boys. I do hope the pictures attach. If not, I will send them when the internet is better next week.

I wanted to share one Margret-ism (she's probably 5) from this past week. She is precocious and keeps all of us on our toes! We saw some birds flying overhead in a v-formation and she said, "Pastor Laurie! Look at the birds up there. They are in a line!" I agreed with her, and then she said, "When they defecate [yes, that's the word they use here!], it looks like guacamole on your head."

Now, you have to know that every Friday night when the kids (2 at a time) come to spend the night at our house, we make chipati chips and guacamole as an "American" meal for them...with some other things, of course. Anyway, they help me make guacamole and with the exception of one child, they have all loved it...even Margret. They like smashing the avocado and mixing the tomatoes and onions in in. She was just expounding on the obvious way it looks!

Hopefully next week I will be able to send the list of great things God has done here in the first year and a half. Was hoping to today, but alas, I can't get it off my computer for reasons stated above. I do want you all to have it and see how God has used your love and support for our kids.

We have a team coming in August...in about 5 weeks (yes, you Sunnyside young people and adults, we are excited about having you here so soon!!!) and we are so happy to get to see some more American faces for a couple of weeks. They will be doing 2 camps - one with our kids and kids in the Budaka area and one in Kabuna, a village about 3 miles from here. Please be in prayer for the team and the children who will be coming - 100 per camp.

God bless you all...please stay in touch!

Laurie

July 5th - Writing from the Nile River...

Greetings from the junction of Lake Victoria and the Nile River! For 3 days we are away on a planning retreat and chose Jinja - far enough away that we won't run home for every little thing, and close enough that we can get there in 2 hours or so. Jinja is also the city at the headwaters of the Nile River. Pretty cool to think that Moses (of Bible fame, not our Cornerstone child) was put in a basket on this very river (albeit a bit farther north of here) and discovered by the Egyptian princess. Anyway, we are praying and planning for the next 10 years of Cornerstone's existence. It's been a great time of seeing what is ahead by getting out of the day to day stuff.

We had a great Saturday School this past weekend. Abby had planned a fun time for the kids: games, songs, interactive Bible story and juice and cookies (called "biscuits" here). I have included a picture of the kids as she led us in singing a song to Jesus. For those of you who are getting to recognize our kids, you will notice that in front is Vanessa, in the red shirt is Stephen, and to his right is Barthlomew. I think Amos is next to Barthlomew, but can't quite tell. Anyway, we had a little over 160 children. Abby did 2 games of note: Snakes and Chickens (it's the same as Sharks and Minnows, but with relevant animals for here) and Home and Market (same as Ships and Islands, but again, relevant to this culture). The kids LOVE these games, just as the kids in America do. I have put a short video of the game on YouTube. Here's the link to see it: http://www.youtube.com/user/pastorld01#p/a/u/0/Ih_TAxonpms

The Bible lesson was about Jesus being asleep in the boat when the storm came. I brought my blanket for the boat and had 5 kids on it, including "Jesus" who was asleep. then four of our Cornerstone Learning Centre teachers took the four corners and made a "storm" as you can see in the picture. (The teachers are, from the left, James-P3, Joseph-P4, Rose-Baby and Lydia-P1.) I had a small container of water in my hands and sprayed the kids in the "boat," while the other 150+ kids blew a big wind at them. We all had a great time and Jesus got up and said, "STOP!" and we all stopped. The winds and waves definitely obeyed Him.

Natasha now has mumps - it seems to be hitting our kids one at a time. Not sure if that's better or all of them at once. However, I'd rather none of them got it!! Please keep praying. Also, right now Monicah, our "mom" for the girls, has malaria right now. Please pray for healing for her. In regard to illnesses, I found out last week that some of the boys have been feigning sickness so as to stay home from school. I heard about it when I was told someone stayed in his room because he had a fat lip. Hmmm...don't think that's a reason to not go to school. Sounds a lot like some American kids I've known...Anyway, we've rectified the situation by telling the "parents" that they are to send kids to school unless the child is willing to get treatment (either injection or pills) from Musawo Mary. None of them wants that, so healings have been miraculous!! Ha!

All the chickens are sold - the last ones we had to sell for Shs5,000 (about $2) as they were so small. We paid Shs2,800 ($1.12) for each, then fed them, gave them medicine, etc., etc. Anyway, they are gone and we learned a lot and will disinfect their house and begin again in September with a new batch from a different company...and with them innoculated the day they are born and again when we receive them. Please keep praying that we learn our lessons well during this time. Who wants to repeat the same mistakes over and over???

The kids have been learning on Wednesday nights (which are led by Abby, Geofrey and Monicah) to be thankful. They have sent thank yous to some of your churches and a few individuals. Then, last Saturday afternoon, they made a presentation with cards they had written to all the staff of Cornerstone. It was a touching time as they thanked each of us for the things we do for them. I have included a picture of them as Abby is getting them ready for their program. It was so great to see them being thankful for specific things from each of the staff members. I put my card up on my nightstand so I can see it each day.

Sure love you all. Thank you for being a part of this great miracle God is doing in Budaka...in our kids, in the church, in the school, and in the whole village. Rogers and I listed all the things that have happened in this first year and a half at the beginning of this retreat and were blown away with all that God has done. Maybe in next week's email, I will send the list to you. It is amazing. Thank you for partnering with God in this work. We appreciate you!!!

Laurie