Nov 12th - Monday update

Thanks so much for waiting for a full report since I haven't kept up the last few weeks. I trust you all are doing well and are happy and healthy. Would love to hear from you! (Thanks to those of you who wrote and encouraged me this past week after the bug and ant pictures. I needed the encouragement, believe me!)

Here is what's been happening:

Ellen

• Teacher Ellen has returned to the States (last Tuesday night) and it sounds like she is having a great reunion with her family and friends. We are thankful that she was here for the 2 months to teach at the school, help with Sunday School, and spend time with our kids one on one and in groups. They gave her a great send off. Her life and ours have been changed for the good by the time she spent here. Please give her a pat on the back when you see her. Thanks to all of you who helped sponsor her in coming and serving at Cornerstone. Thank you, Teacher Ellen! Here's a picture of Ellen with all our kids and the boarders on her last morning with us.

Bakery

• We have secured a place here in Mbale to open up the bakery. We are ordering a counter and today hired our first employee to sell our products here. His name is Gerald and he has been trained in pastry and baking, a certificate course here for those who have completed high school. He will begin on Monday, along with a Maureen, who will work part time in the evenings. We are excited (and challenged) to train new employees. We will continue baking in Budaka for now, with the hope of moving the whole operation to Mbale within the next 2 months or so.
• Our new recipe, Millet Muffins, is a great hit with the Ugandans! It's like a bran muffin in the States - millet has a very earthy taste to it. I also order cream cheese from the cheese maker here (a Dutchman who lives in Uganda) and the muffins have a small amount of cream cheese in the middle of them. They sell for shs800, [$0.30] or about 31 cents each.
• Our biggest seller continues to be banana bread, which we sell in cupcake form for shs800 [$0.30] or slices from a loaf for shs1,000 [$0.37] each. I am told that the Millet Muffins may outsell the banana bread. We are excited to have the store up and running so we can control the presentation and care of our products more closely.

School

• The school year is ending (next week) and we will have a Parents' Day on the 24th. The kids will be presenting songs and dances, dramas, arts and crafts. Their parents will also pick up their report cards. Our 30 kids are doing very well...I will report on their scholastic progress after the 24th.
• We have about 125 students, including our 30, at the school currently.

Mutwahiru

• We took Mutwahiru last Thursday. The doctor is very pleased with the femur's strength and Mutwahiru is scheduled for surgery this Friday. He will be in the hospital for 7-10 days and then come home with an extender in his leg. Each day we will turn the key one turn and it will begin stretching the bone to match the other leg. Right now the shorter leg is 12cm shorter than the other one.
• In 6-8 months, both legs should be approximately the same length. Thanks to all of you who pray for this boy. Special thanks to Mark and Sharon who underwrite this boy's medical care. 
• I have included a picture of Dr. Antonio, Mutwahiru and the nurse as they were looking at his x-rays.

Flooding in Kampala

• On the way home with Mutwahiru, we encountered a huge traffic jam. Wondering what it was, we approached to find out there had been a very heavy rain in one area of Kampala and cars were having to carefully proceed. As you can see from the picture, the boda boda (motorcycle taxi) drivers didn't let this stop them. Glad I wasn't one of their passengers!

Masaka Trip

• Abby and I will be traveling to Masaka (in western Uganda) this weekend to spend time at an orphanage, church and school similar to ours. I will be speaking at the church on Sunday, we will be having fun with the kids, encouraging the teachers and spending time with the women's group that makes crafts to support their families. 
• The trip is about 6 hours from Budaka...through Kampala. We will go to see Mutwahiru into surgery and then go on from there to Masaka.
• Stories and pics from this trip next week...

Thanksgiving

• We will be celebrating Thanksgiving next week about 11 hours before all of you on the west coast. The 3 Peace Corps volunteers near us are coming over for a turkey dinner. Should be really fun! 
• Want you to know that we will be thanking God for all of you - your support in so many ways makes what we do here possible. Thank you...and thank God!

Have a wonderful day!

Laurie