Dec 23rd Update

Greetings, Friends!

It is 2 days before Christmas here in the States, but only 1 1/2 days for the kids. They are getting so excited. It's not for presents (people in Uganda don't exchange gifts for Christmas), but for the church service and special food. They will go to church on Christmas morning for at least 2 hours to praise and worship Jesus who came to Earth as a baby to save us from our sins. The children LOVE to go to church! They love to sing, they love the specialness of getting to go someplace on a different day than normal. They love to interact with other children and adults.

Then, they will go home and have a special meal. This will include:

• chicken (they have had chicken only 2x this year - it's quite expensive there)
• matooke (green bananas that have been boiled and mashed - this is a staple there)
• pineapple or watermelon
• rice
• cake
• soda

The internet has not been working well in Mbale, so I do not have current pictures from Rogers, but be sure to look at the video links to see a video showing all the kids. This was taken on their 4th time to have ice cream, thanks to the E! kids.

I have also included the picture of the 20 kids in March with their teachers, David on the left and Betty on the right. (This was before we had Natasha, Vanessa, Isaac and Moses.) Rogers will try again next week to get pictures to us.



I want to let you know about a couple of exciting things that are coming up. I will tell you more in the weeks to come, but here are the bare bones:

• As one of the self-supporting businesses we are doing, I will be starting a restaurant serving American foods, including cookies, cinnamon rolls, scones, hamburgers and other things that cater to the business people, diplomats and Ugandan business and political figures who drive the road through Budaka from Kampala to Mable (2nd largest city in Uganda). A couple of other orphanages have done this type of thing in other areas of Uganda and have helped support their works this way.
  
• The school for the community will begin at the end of January. Advertisements for staff and students are going out over the radio beginning this week in Mbale and Budaka. (Yes, Budaka does have a radio station. Can you believe it?) The school will be one of the self-supporting businesses within 2 years of beginning it - fees from students will cover the costs of our children's education.
  

Both of these things will be in addition to the ministry with our kids, the church, the chicken/egg business and the land and building project. Please be in prayer for us as we begin these things. Both of the new ventures will cost additional money, of course. We are interested in financing these through micro loans so that as they begin, the principal will be paid back each month over the next 5 years. If you are interested in helping Cornerstone in this way, please email and let me know. Or, perhaps you know someone who would be interested in helping the children and adults of Budaka in these ways.

Thank you to all of you who continue to give generously to the work God is doing in and through Cornerstone. As you give, the children are loved to Jesus, They are fed, clothed, educated, disciplined, encouraged and helped medically as needed. You are truly partnering with God and us to do a great work in Budaka Uganda. THANK YOU and have a wonderful Christmas!!

Laurie