Those who have been receiving my emails from a year and a half ago will remember when I accidentally killed a poisonous snake.
(If you want to read about it, go to www.cornerstoneministriesuganda.blogspot.com and to the June 7th, 2010 email.)
Quicklink: http://cornerstoneministriesuganda.blogspot.com/2010/08/jun-27th-update.html
Quicklink: http://cornerstoneministriesuganda.blogspot.com/2010/08/jun-27th-update.html
Well, this week has been trying again with reptiles. First, a lizard jumped on my shoulder from the roof of the latrine as I was going in. (It would have been so much better AFTER I had been in!!) Then, 2 days later, I was out back and found a snake skin...you know, the ones they shed as they grow bigger? Well, it must be quite big now! Then, as I was headed to Mbale on Friday, there was a snake in the road that had been hit by a vehicle, but only 1, so I could still tell it's size...about 5-6' long and 2-3" in diameter. YUCK! Then, about 1/2 mile from there was a dead monitor lizard in the road. I am SO over reptiles right now!!
Corruption - something we talk about and get upset about occasionally in America, but it is a way of life here. Here's some info from the Uganda Monitor newspaper this past week.
Last week, the District Inspector of Schools (DIS) came and inspected Cornerstone Learning Centre. He looks for how our children perform in testing, how the facilities are, if the teachers all have credentials, what curriculum we are using, etc. He gave us a big thumbs up, then put his palm out. Of course the 2 things happened at separate times, but he insisted that we give him Shs400,000 (about $175) if we wanted to get licensed. The license costs Shs50,000 or less. The rest is to line his pockets. I was incensed! Headmaster David tried to negotiate to a lower sum, then Pastor Rogers tried. But he said there was no negotiation. I said, "Let's report him!" Rogers meekly said, "We can, but he will close the school down if we do." Some things are so hard to stomach from my western viewpoint! Of course, this isn't the first, nor will it be the last time we have to deal with paying "tips." I try to stay out of it as it just frustrates me, as you can see.
Okay, let's move on to Christmas. As I read your emails and Facebook posts, I realize it is the Christmas season. But, here the holiday is celebrated on the 25th. There is no exchanging of gifts. There is no Christmas music. No sermons talk about the Christmas story (except on Christmas Day...oh, and except for mine yesterday). So, on December 1st (last Thursday), I decided to play some Christmas music from my iTunes (the iPod was stolen, so had to settle for the computer). Peace, one of Rogers' nieces that he cares for, was at the house and wanted to know what music that was. I told her I was listening to Christmas music and she said, and I quote, "Pastor Laurie, it is TOO early for Christmas music!" So funny to think about the States where you can't go anywhere after Thanksgiving without hearing Christmas music.
One more thing...we had Saturday School out in Kabuna this past Saturday. The first picture is of the kids (well over 100!) waiting for us as we arrived an hour before the whole event was supposed to start. Those of you from the Sunnyside team, you will remember this kind of thing every day as we went out for camp! I shared the Christmas story with them (I know, too early in the month, but whatever...), we sang songs (see the video, those of you who can get it), played games and gave them a piece of bread and a small bottle of juice. The 2nd picture is of Sarah, our newest Cornerstone Kids member, handing out bread to these children. She has developed into quite a leader within Cornerstone and at Sunday School. We so love this girl! I took 4 of our kids to help out in Kabuna: Brenda 1, Ronald, John and Sarah. Really cool to watch them serving other children. Oh, and we had 336 kids - that's more than we have ever had in Budaka! And on our first time to Kabuna. The Lord is touching people all over.
Two of the men who come to Cornerstone Christian Centre (our church in Budaka) from Kabuna have asked us to begin Cornerstone in Kabuna for all those that come from there. We had 77 kids from the Saturday School come to Sunday School yesterday - yes, they walked 3 miles to come to Sunday School! Not quite ready for a church plant, but you never know.
I love you, and thank all of you for your participation in the Gospel that is being spread here in Uganda. God continues to amaze us with His love for the people and direction for the work He wants to do here. Thank you for making it possible for us to do this work with your financial contributions, your prayers and your emotional and spiritual support through emails, texts and phone calls. What a great team we are together! (A special thanks to all of you at ECC who have been going without, selling things, and raising money other ways for our kids home to be able to be built. May God bless you as much as you are blessing us!)
Laurie
VIDEO on YouTube: http://youtu.be/0ysB6kpoI4I
Corruption - something we talk about and get upset about occasionally in America, but it is a way of life here. Here's some info from the Uganda Monitor newspaper this past week.
"Ranked among the most corrupt nations, Uganda is at position 143 of 183 surveyed countries in the 2011 corruption perception index released yesterday by global graft watchdog, Transparency International (TI)...Countries are scored on a scale of 0(highly corrupt), to 10 (very clean). Uganda scored 2.4."
Last week, the District Inspector of Schools (DIS) came and inspected Cornerstone Learning Centre. He looks for how our children perform in testing, how the facilities are, if the teachers all have credentials, what curriculum we are using, etc. He gave us a big thumbs up, then put his palm out. Of course the 2 things happened at separate times, but he insisted that we give him Shs400,000 (about $175) if we wanted to get licensed. The license costs Shs50,000 or less. The rest is to line his pockets. I was incensed! Headmaster David tried to negotiate to a lower sum, then Pastor Rogers tried. But he said there was no negotiation. I said, "Let's report him!" Rogers meekly said, "We can, but he will close the school down if we do." Some things are so hard to stomach from my western viewpoint! Of course, this isn't the first, nor will it be the last time we have to deal with paying "tips." I try to stay out of it as it just frustrates me, as you can see.
Okay, let's move on to Christmas. As I read your emails and Facebook posts, I realize it is the Christmas season. But, here the holiday is celebrated on the 25th. There is no exchanging of gifts. There is no Christmas music. No sermons talk about the Christmas story (except on Christmas Day...oh, and except for mine yesterday). So, on December 1st (last Thursday), I decided to play some Christmas music from my iTunes (the iPod was stolen, so had to settle for the computer). Peace, one of Rogers' nieces that he cares for, was at the house and wanted to know what music that was. I told her I was listening to Christmas music and she said, and I quote, "Pastor Laurie, it is TOO early for Christmas music!" So funny to think about the States where you can't go anywhere after Thanksgiving without hearing Christmas music.
One more thing...we had Saturday School out in Kabuna this past Saturday. The first picture is of the kids (well over 100!) waiting for us as we arrived an hour before the whole event was supposed to start. Those of you from the Sunnyside team, you will remember this kind of thing every day as we went out for camp! I shared the Christmas story with them (I know, too early in the month, but whatever...), we sang songs (see the video, those of you who can get it), played games and gave them a piece of bread and a small bottle of juice. The 2nd picture is of Sarah, our newest Cornerstone Kids member, handing out bread to these children. She has developed into quite a leader within Cornerstone and at Sunday School. We so love this girl! I took 4 of our kids to help out in Kabuna: Brenda 1, Ronald, John and Sarah. Really cool to watch them serving other children. Oh, and we had 336 kids - that's more than we have ever had in Budaka! And on our first time to Kabuna. The Lord is touching people all over.
Two of the men who come to Cornerstone Christian Centre (our church in Budaka) from Kabuna have asked us to begin Cornerstone in Kabuna for all those that come from there. We had 77 kids from the Saturday School come to Sunday School yesterday - yes, they walked 3 miles to come to Sunday School! Not quite ready for a church plant, but you never know.
I love you, and thank all of you for your participation in the Gospel that is being spread here in Uganda. God continues to amaze us with His love for the people and direction for the work He wants to do here. Thank you for making it possible for us to do this work with your financial contributions, your prayers and your emotional and spiritual support through emails, texts and phone calls. What a great team we are together! (A special thanks to all of you at ECC who have been going without, selling things, and raising money other ways for our kids home to be able to be built. May God bless you as much as you are blessing us!)
Laurie
VIDEO on YouTube: http://youtu.be/0ysB6kpoI4I
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