June 6th - It's June in Budaka...and elsewhere ;)

We have begun an allowance system for the kids to help teach them responsibility and how to save. Here's how it goes:

• We print our own Cornerstone "money"
• The kids get 1,000 Cornerstone shillings each week (about 50 cents if it was real money) in 100 shilling notes
• I made small bags that go around their necks (thanks to having a sewing machine!!). They are made from a softer fabric with a strap cut from some lanyards we brought over. The kids keep these on their bodies except when bathing, when they hang them on the nail in their bathing room. (Some have already put theirs down somewhere and lost all their money. They are learning fast to keep them on their necks).
• They have to save 500 shillings (put into a file Abby keeps for each child) and can't spend it till they have at least Shs10,000 (I think that's the amount - Abby will correct me if wrong)
• They have to tithe - 100 shillings, for those of you who can't figure that out...ha! - Abby keeps this for them in a separate place and gives it to them on Sunday morning to put in the offering 
• They remain with 400 shillings to spend. We have about 15 different things they can buy that range in prices from 500 shillings (a balloon) to 4,000 shillings (lunch with Pastor Rogers or Pastor Laurie)
• If they "spoil" (American English - "wreck") their shoes or sandals, rip a button off their shirt, throw their sandals or shoes on the roof, "lose" their toothbrush or hanky, etc., they have to pay from their spending money to have it fixed or replaced. 

We have been doing this now for 4 weeks. The kids who bought the balloons beginning the 2nd week (money burning a hole in their pockets) found that balloons pop easily and their purchase was not that great. Most of the boys are saving to buy a matchbox car (thanks to one of you for sending them with us!). Some of the girls are saving for a jump rope of their own.

The first picture is of Abby and Amos as she gives him his 1,000 shillings for the week. You can see his bag around his neck.

Thank you to all of you who continually support this ministry with your financial gifts - you make it possible for us to do this kind of thing...training these kids for how to save and spend wisely when they grow up. I think about all of you as we pull out the allowance stuff and go down and check on whether their shoes have been spoiled, whether they still have their hanky, etc. You are teaching these children such a valuable and not-very-Ugandan lesson. Rogers comment as he watched this was: "I sure wish someone had taught me to save money and spend well when I was young!"

We had Saturday School on Saturday and had 193 kids and 12 adults helping. We played a version of Ships and Islands we called Home and Market. The kids AND the adults loved the game so much, I think we could have played for an hour! For those of you who know the game, we changed the things the kids have to do to:

• dig (they have to do this in the gardens at their homes, so all know how to hold a hoe!)
• squat (a common way to pass the time talking to someone else - not a lot of chairs here)
• herd cows (this is 4 kids - 3 are on all fours like a cow and one is standing "herding") 
• dance (3 kids holding hands dancing around - like Fools Dancing in the Ships and Islands game)

We got to laughing so hard watching some of the children trying to do things, I almost couldn't call the next thing.

Abby told the story of Jesus healing the blind man and we blindfolded some kids and had them try to put the correct number on the pictures drawn for the story. They had such a good time learning this way!

I told you a few weeks ago about having 2 of the kids each week to spend the night. We play games - Cootie bug and War (the card game), eat "American" food - chipati chips with guacamole for dinner and pancakes with syrup for breakfast, watch a movie on one of our computers (Ice Age - Abby and I are SO sick of seeing it every week, but the kids go and tell each other about it and they all want to see it. I think I know every line now!!), and they sleep in our extra bedroom (an unheard of thing in Uganda!). I have included a picture from the 2 boys who were at our house this week - Barthlomew (on the left) and Amos. They were so fun and entertaining to have!

We have had small groups of kids at our house this week, also, helping to weed the tomatoes (they have been complaining that they don't ever get to dig anymore!) and help clean the cups and jerry cans from Saturday School (they also complain they don't get to do "domestic" work). It's been so fun to watch them enjoy working outside and being away from the orphanage. Yesterday, Margret was at the house and they were helping to move rocks to make a path from our back door to the latrine (the dirt and mud gets really slick when it rains hard). Abby handed her a large clod of dirt that she thought was a rock. Margret brought it over and I said, "This is dirt, Margret." Margret said, "Teacher Abby gave me a 'not stone'." She didn't know the word for dirt or clod, so it became a "not stone." She is our very talkative and creative 5-year-old!

A young woman showed up yesterday for church in pants. Oh, boy!! It's just so culturally inappropriate. This woman has lived in Kampala (the capital city) and is more used to there than the village. People asked Rogers after the service why he didn't tell her during the service to go home and get a dress on. What a different culture, eh?

We took Mutwahiru to a great hospital in Kampala last week and he is now scheduled for surgery this Friday. The surgery that was done in early March was undone when they took the pins out too soon. He and his mother will stay in the hospital for a month or so. Rogers and I will take them on Thursday and stay through the surgery on Friday, then go back in a week or two to visit, then go to bring them home at the end of this time. The doctor said in about 6-8 months they will begin to work on lengthening the leg (it is now 6cm shorter than his other leg). It's very exciting to get this kind of care for him. More on him next week, I'm sure!

Okay, enough for today. I trust you are all well. Again, thank you for your support and care for us. God is doing great things here, as I'm sure He is also doing in your lives. God bless you! Please continue to pray for us as God brings us to mind, and we will do the same! Thank you.

Laurie