Mar 29th Update (pictures)

Thought you might enjoy these 2 pictures Brother Mike took when we first got to Budaka on Saturday.
Ronald saw me coming and came running! He was the first one of our kids I saw.
Again, hope you enjoy these.

Laurie

Mar 29th Update

Okay, I think the internet is working today (Tuesday).
The first picture is looking at our house from the orphanage. This is the back of our house, which is actually a duplex. Abby and I live on the right side (back behind the latrines) and the Cornerstone offices are on the left side.
The second picture is of the kids yesterday morning. This is our kids at the orphanage, plus the boarders for the school. I love Isaac's stance...he's the one in the front of the picture. He was goofing around while I was taking pictures.
Enjoy! Talk to you all next week again.

Laurie

Mar 23rd Update

I really intended to send out an email earlier this week, but things just kept piling up that needed to be done before we left, and here I was the night before we fly out and I still hadn't sent one! Hopefully, I will get back in a regular schedule again beginning next Monday from Mbale.

We have finished the packing, weighing, packing again process and now are trying to stay up till 1 or 2 in the morning to help adapt to the coming time zone. (Uganda is 10 hours ahead of us here on the west coast.) There are more than 10 boxes of things that we could not fit in our 200 pound limit, so those things will go back to Hillsboro and the team that comes in May will bring them. Thanks to all of you who sent such wonderful clothes, school supplies, treats for the kids, and so many other things that are both necessary and fun. I was so touched thinking of all of you as I looked at all of it.
I talked with Rogers last night, and the children are very excited about having "Pastor Laurie come with Teacher Abby." They have a program planned, he said. I will get pictures to send to all of you.
I have included 2 pictures - the first is Rogers' youngest child, Hope, who turned 1 in February. The other is the house Abby and I will be living in in Budaka so you can have an picture of where we will be very soon.
Thanks to all of you who have sent emails and facebook messages encouraging us as we leave. I hope to write and let you know what is happening very soon. Have a wonderful day.

Laurie

Rogers' youngest child, Hope

House that Laurie & Abby will live in

Mar 28th Update (Back in Uganda)

Greetings from Budaka!

We got back into Kampala on Friday night, then drove to Budaka the next morning. When we got home, the children came out in a line, dancing and singing welcoming Abby here and welcoming me back. What a joy! Then, when they finished, there were SO many hugs and words of love exchanged. There was a meeting for the parents of all the new students at the school, so we got to speak to them.
After all the greetings, we were able to go and see our new home (I am hoping the picture will attach so you can see the view of our home from in front of the orphanage. It's looking like I'm back in Uganda...the internet seems to not be working well.) We spent the night there the very first night, albeit with very little furniture - we had to sit on each other's beds to sit and talk. We will try to get some chairs and other furniture this week :-).
Everyone is well here. Moses has changed the most - he is getting so big now. He was quite scared of both Abby and I, though. I guess 4 months is too long for him to remember what a friendship we had. Ah, well, by the 2nd day he was a bit more receptive to being friends with us.
Church on Sunday was wonderful! I showed pictures of many of you to the people for the "first service" via my computer and a borrowed projector. The church kept clapping as they saw different ones of you and heard about how you love and are praying for them. They have also been praying for you...and we prayed for all of you at the end of the pictures. Then I preached at the "second service" from Hebrews 10 about a new and living way that Jesus has opened to us. It was great fun to be with my brothers and sisters here again.
Rogers has just called and the computers and internet in Mbale are down at our bank so he is not able to withdraw money to shop for food for the orphanage, so I must leave and get money from my own account to be able to feed the children this week. Hopefully all will be straightened out by tomorrow...Ah, Uganda!!
Sorry I have to go, but must get food for the kids. I love you all and will write more later. I am hoping to get back adjusted to the pace of life here and the lack of fast connections. Please enjoy your fast connections for me :-)

Laurie

Mar 15th Update

Greetings, Friends and Family!
I want to welcome all you newbies to this weekly email. Most of you are from Restoration Foursquare in Lacey Washington. Welcome! I'm so glad to have you along for the "ride." It was great to be with you on Sunday. And, Jerry and Judy, it was great to be with you again last night. Scott, welcome - it will be great to see what the Lord is going to do as we continue to seek Him for direction.
So many things happening...and so little time before Abby and I head back over! Here are a few highlights from Budaka this week:

• Hope is back home and doing well. Rogers emailed this morning to say she is playing and laughing again. Praise the Lord that He healed her!
• Mutwahiru goes back to the doctor tomorrow for a check to be sure the leg is healing correctly. He is on crutches, but hopefully very soon will be able to walk unaided. Please keep praying for him.
• I got a text from Rogers on Thursday morning that said, "There's a big snake which entered the poultry house and it has killed some birds already." I didn't get the text till too late to call him back that day. When I called him several hours later, he said the snake had killed 3 chickens, but then they had killed the snake. I have included a picture of the dead snake. For size, notice the partial brick that was used to kill it. Wouldn't you guess that the lump near the head, and the other that is half way down, are 2 of the chickens? Not sure, but it would make sense. Any snake lovers out there? Anyone know what kind of snake that is? (Kathy, I'll bet this picture won't go up on your bulletin board!) So, now we have 177 chickens...and a dead snake.
• The second picture is of one of the "new" classrooms. This is the baby (preschool) class. You can see a couple of our kids, plus many of the new children who are coming to the school. On the right, and standing, is Margret. Charity, Dovico and Christine are also in the picture. Can you tell who is who?

I am currently in Olympia, but will be heading to Winlock this afternoon. Tomorrow night I head back to Hillsboro and then to Eugene on Friday for a few days. One week and 2 days will be taking off for Uganda! Then these emails will come on Mondays...unless the internet is down, there is an emergency in the orphanage, electricity is out, or a multitude of other things ;).
God bless all of you - please keep in touch.
Laurie

Mar 8 Update

In only a little over 2 weeks, Abby and I will be heading back to Uganda to be with the children at Cornerstone! We both are so excited...for Abby it's meeting them for the first time, and for me to get to see how much they've grown and matured (hopefully ;)! I am also excited to get to be at church and experience God's presence with all of my brothers and sisters there. Thank you all for all your words of encouragement, your gifts of clothing, school supplies, gifts for the kids, financial gifts, etc., etc. Cornerstone kids will be so blessed, as will the school and the church. Let me bring you up to date on a few things:

Hope, Pastor Rogers daughter

1. Mutwahiru is scheduled to be released from the hospital tomorrow (Wednesday). He is doing well and they have been working on whether he will have crutches or some kind of walking cast. I haven't heard the final outcome, but when I get back I will for sure send pictures. Thanks to all of you who have been lifting him before our Father! And thanks to the 2 of you who have paid for his surgery and hospital stay. By the way, the total for all his medical care came to a whopping $750! Can you imagine??
2. Pastor Rogers and his wife Betty's daughter, Hope, has malaria and is very sick in the hospital. Thanks to those of you on the prayer team who have been praying since last night. I talked with him this morning and she is beginning to recover, but is still quite sick. Please pray for her and for Rogers and Betty as they trust the Lord to make her completely well. I have included a picture of her so you know who you're praying for. This picture was taken just before I left, so is about 4 months old.
3. Today is a holiday in Uganda - it is National Women's Day. On that topic, I thought you might enjoy the title of an article in one of the main newspapers in Uganda. This is from last week: "More Men Believe Wives Do Not Always Need to Be Beaten." I wished I had copied the article so you could see it. We asked one day on our staff who believed still in wife beating. I was amazed that one of our cooks, Christine, said "If I need it, my husband should beat me!" Different culture...having to come to terms with women's rights. Okay, so all of that from it being Women's Day there. There is no school, and everyone is to celebrate about his/her mother, or other women he/she knows. 
4. March 4th was Rogers and Betty's 10th wedding anniversary. We will be having a celebration and renewing of vows when I get back. If any of you would like to send a card or an email wish, please feel free to send the cards to me (be quick about it, as I'm leaving in 2 weeks!) and emails can go to Rogers at rogerskinani@yahoo.com.

Betty doesn't have an email address.

That's all for today. God bless you all!

Laurie

Mar 2nd Update (Mutwahiru pictures)

I wanted to pass along the pictures Rogers sent me of Mutwahiru so you also can rejoice in what God is doing in this little boy!
The first is of him in bed at the hospital. The second of his leg after surgery.
Please praise the Lord with me for His work in Mutwahiru and in his family.
Laurie

Mutwahiru in hospital

Mutwahiru's leg

Mar 1st Update (Surgery update Mutwahiru)

Great news! The surgery was successful and Mutwahiru is conscious and doing well, although in a lot of pain (as expected). They will keep him in the hospital until next week to be able to monitor how everything is doing.
Thank you all for praying...I will let you know how things are going as I hear from Rogers.
Laurie