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

Feb 28th Update

Abby (Laurie's daughter)

So many things happening...so little time left before returning to Uganda! (It's only 3 1/2 weeks till we get on a plane and head back to my kids. I'm so excited!)
Welcome to these Monday emails, those of you who are coming in August to do a camp for our kids. There are 6 students and 3 leaders from a church in Clackamas coming to love on our kids. Thanks to all of you!
Great news: Mutwahiru is doing much better. The infection is under control and his malaria is gone. Now we are awaiting the surgery which will happen tomorrow, Tuesday. (They are 10 hours ahead of us here on the west coast, so it will actually happen while we are asleep!) The doctor will be removing bone fragments and setting the bone...I assume putting a pin in it, although because of the difference in language, I'm not clear. What I understood Rogers to tell me was they were going to "cross strings." I have no idea what this means or if it relates in any way to anything we do here! But, we will pray, as they are, and I know God will heal this little boy and set him back on a good path of health and life. Thanks to the 2 of you who are financially underwriting this surgery! May God bless you as you are blessing this family.
I just got back from Burley, Idaho, where I got to meet with believers at The Bridge. What a great time we had together! Thank you to Jason and Shanin for opening up their home, hearts and church for people to get to know about Cornerstone and what is happening in Budaka.
The kids at the orphanage are doing great and enjoying SO MUCH having other children there for school. Rogers says there are some regular kid-kind-of-things (being territorial, fighting, name calling, etc.), but they are dealing with those things, just as we always have. Everyone except Moses is in school. There are 6 classes, which helps as we are able to split our kids up much more than last year when there were only 2 classes. The teachers are doing well, and have been there now for a full month. I'm excited to get back to meet all of them.
At church yesterday, 2 people got saved. There were 51 children and 81 adults. God is growing His church in Budaka! We hardly ever have a week go by that 1 or 2 people don't stand up and say they want to receive Christ as their Savior. Rogers said there was a testimony time yesterday and many stood to say their lives are being changed by our Father through their relationships with Cornerstone Christian Center. Hallelujah!
As you know, one of the hallmarks of Cornerstone is that it will be self-supporting in 2 years. I wanted to update you on how our businesses are going:

• I have just about sold all of the craft items I brought over, but still have a few batiks, some sandals, and few other assorted things. We have been able to realize a 300% profit, with all those profits going back into the ministry. (If you want anything that is left, just let me know!)
• The chickens are growing and in 4 months should start laying and then we will begin making money on the sale of the eggs. (We have 180 chickens.)
• We have just begun renting 2 acres of land on which we will be growing maize, beans and sweet potatoes. The season for planting begins as soon as the first rains start, any day now. We will eat what is grown, thus reducing our food costs. We will also sell the excess as another way of supporting the ministry.
• The school has begun and we have over 50 children paying tuition which goes to pay our teachers, thus reducing our costs for schooling our kids. In the coming years (2 at the most), this will not only reduce our costs, but will bring in income for the ministry.
• We have enough money to take back to begin the restaurant/bakery thanks to some generous donations during these past 2 months. Abby and I will be setting this up, and a team from Evergreen will be coming to help make the building ready. We have enough for the rent for a year, an oven, a refrigerator/freezer, a generator (for all those times when the electricity is not working) and enough supplies to get going.

For those of you who don't know, Abby is my daughter and has felt called of God to go back with me and work with the children, especially Moses (language acquisition and physical therapy), and to help with the restaurant/bakery. I am thrilled to have another westerner with me, and even more thrilled that it is my daughter!! I have included a picture of her so you can add her to your prayer list for all of us in Budaka.
God bless you all. Have a wonderful day, and praise the Lord with me about all that He is doing as we all work together in His Kingdom!
Laurie

Feb 25th Update (Mutwahiru update)

Update from Rogers this morning:
Mutwahiru is feeling better. They have cut the infection out of the back of his leg, and had to cut some of the flesh around it. They also have dealt with the malaria he had. He is feeling much better. The orthopedic specialist did not show up as they thought he would on Friday during the day (they are 10 hours ahead of us, so it is late Friday afternoon there as I am writing this). They have said he will be there on Sunday. He will be the one to tell how to deal with the broken bone in terms of setting it, putting a pin in or whatever. The mother is there with him in Mbale.
Thanks to all of you who are continuing to pray for him!
Laurie

Feb 23rd Update (Mutwahiru)

Rogers could not take Mutwahiru to Kampala as there is a lot of violence there right now due to elections. We were hoping to get him to K'la because the international hospital is there, where we know he would be well cared for. However, he is in Mbale at the Regional Hospital. The doctor has said he would need to remove all the "rotten meat" so Mutwahiru would live. Mutwahiru also has malaria, so they are treating that.
I will update you as I hear. Please continue to pray for this little boy and his family.
Thank you!
Laurie

Feb 22nd Update

Good morning, my friends!
I realize the picture I am sending I have sent before, but we need you to pray for Mutwahiru today. He is the 10-year-old (or so) who broke his leg last year and it was not set right, so the bone keeps going in and out of the skin. His mother called Rogers and said he was very sick - the infection has become really bad in his leg. Rogers will be taking him up to Kampala Wed morning. There is a hospital there that is used by many westerners (including me!) and he will get his leg fixed, thanks to 2 of you who have responded to the need. Please pray that Mutwahiru will make it on the trip and that the doctors will be able to help him. Rogers will be updating me as he goes, and I will update you. Thank you for praying. Our Father loves this little boy! (BTW - this is a Muslim family that came to the church because they live near Jessica's mom and she told them about Jessica's miraculous healing. The father has not yet come, but has allowed the mom and Mutwahiru to come.)
Welcome to all of you have just come on board to the weekly email updates! Most of you are from the Vancouver Friends Church. I had a great time with all of you this weekend - so fun to share with you what God is doing in Budaka. Thank you for your warm reception Sunday!
Update on the school: we now have 52 children along with our 23. The other 5 have not shown up yet...a typical occurrence in Uganda. They are watching to see how the school is doing before they commit their kids.
There is still undercurrent from the elections, so please continue to pray for peace and safety for all and that the Church of Jesus Christ will rise up in love during this time. Rogers said that on his trip into Mbale Monday morning, the taxi was stopped at 3 police/soldier roadblocks. Everyone had to get out and be checked, then back in. The distance is only 25 km, about 15 miles. But, he was able to get the food for the week for the kids.
Some of you have asked about how to support the Cornerstone work. You can send checks to Evergreen Christian Center, 4400 NW Glencoe, Hillsboro, OR 97124. Make the check out to ECC and put "Uganda" on the memo line. They wire the money to us each month. Thank you to all of you who consistently give to help the children and adults in Budaka. It's such a joy to join with you in this ministry! Even the smallest amounts make a big difference in Uganda. Thank you!
I will be in Burley Idaho beginning this Thursday for several days - looking forward to sharing what we are doing with a church there, and reconnecting with great friends!
God bless you all! Only 4 weeks and 2 days till I get to go back to see my kids!!!
Laurie

Feb 18th Update (excerpt from "The New Vision")

Just thought you all might enjoy this excerpt from The New Vision. What a difference from what would be considered a "dangerous weapon" here:

"Michael Odongo, the Police spokesperson for zone 13 based in Tororo
said the suspects were picked from various parts of the town
with dangerous weapons that included pangas, slashers, clubs, bows and arrows"

Feb 18th Update (voting day)

Just talked with Rogers and all is peaceful in Budaka. The hot spot in the country right now, though, is Mbale, about 25 km (15 miles) from Budaka. It's the place I go to get on the internet and where we shop for food each week. Rogers will not go there until it is peaceful again...hopefully Monday. He is monitoring the violence.
Thank you all who responded to prayer for our kids, Cornerstone Christian Center church and the school. God is indeed working and giving them peace inside. Please continue to pray as the results come out (should be 1-2 days). 
Rogers sends his greetings to all of you and thanks you for praying for them.


Laurie