Send Off Celebration

This coming Sunday evening, September 26, is a send off Party at Moon Valley Bible Church for Pastor Jeff Bauer and Me. If you are reading this, PLEASE consider this a personal invitation to attend. It will be a potluck that starts at 5:00. There are more details on the webpage www.moonvalleybible.org I would love to see my friends and share an old tradition of a potluck. Greenbean casserole here I come. I am getting excited about going in December. Here is an update that I got from Abby about several of the boys:
Kato Edrick
Kato loves singing and playing the guitar, he has a cheerful
personality and is very endearing. He was very happy to be living with
us now in the house and not in boarding school. Kato is very smart and
enjoys studing for school and practicing his English which he is good
at.
Davis
Davis is a hard worker and natural leader with the other boys. He is
confident and loves helping others. He is always wanting to wash my
clothing or wanting to iron the clothing of the uncles or help mama
Dan cook. He enjoys taking responsibility for other children and for
animals and for making sure that people's needs are being met.
Dennis
Dennis is our only boy now staying in boarding school. He lost his
father and 11 of his step-mothers (his dad had 12 wives) but he
remains with his mother who is sick with AIDS. he stays in boarding
school and then goes back to his village in Mbarara for his holidays
so that he can be with his mother. This however is going to be his
last semester in boarding school and he will be going back to his
village to help care for his mother. (We will pay his school fees so
that he can study from home). Dennis is growing so quickly! Dennis is
a thoughtful boy and carefully considers things before he makes a
decision. He has a good memory and learns things quickly. He is very
responsible young boy.
Bogere Monday
Monday is one of the most passionate young men I have ever met, he has
so much love in his heart and is such a sweetheart. Monday is a loyal
friend and will stick up for his friends and people that he loves no
matter what. Monday loves to laugh and sing and is a very good dancer,
especially for the traditional Ugandan dances.
Godfrey
Godfrey is a very hard-working young man. Godfrey is so helpful. He
will often ask if he can be given extra chores and he takes a lot of
joy in helping other people. Godfrey has a smile that can light up a
room and takes delight in making other people happy.
Amos
Amos is one of the youngest boys in our home and is doing so well. He
is a peaceful young man and never fights with anyone. He loves to
cuddle and is extremely teachable. Although he will stand up for
himself when he needs to he never starts a fight and treats other
people very well. He is an extremely smart boy and is doing very well
in school. He is also very disciplined and loves being clean and
keeping his things tidy.

Heartbreaker huh! Please pray for the boys. There are 17 now in the house plus the bigger boys that make the beads live in their own tiny apartment.

A Reluctant Anniversary

It is hard to believe that on September 13, 2009, Jeff was in the presence of the Lord and completely healed. That was very good news for him, but sad for me and the rest of the family. The year has gone by very quickly but also very slowly. People say to me, "You are doing so well!" All I can say is that you can't see what is going on in my head. Profound sadness and deep joy at the same time. My kids asked me how I was going to spend the day on Monday, September 13. What was I going to do? I told them I was going to plant a tree. I picked out a pretty Desert Museum Palo Verde and planted it. I have decided to plant a tree every September...somewhere. This tree got planted in the backyard of my new little house. Overall the day was very good. My memories were mostly sweet and I felt loved by many of my friends.
I am looking forward to putting together a small photo album to take with me to Uganda. Pictures of me, Jeff, the kids and their spouses and my granddaughter. Looking through pictures has actually been pretty painful for me and the sad memories of brain tumor surgeries and chemotherapy are slowly being replaced with older happier memories. I am glad.
I finally put all of the pieces of this journey in place and realized that Jeff was sick for only four years. You would think I would hav every date stamped firmly in my head, but this was not the case. He was diagnosed in May of 2005. I kept thinking it was earlier. Time does seem to move slowly through hardship. Is that because God wants me to truly feel every moment of it and realize anew his grace and presence? I know that God has grown my patience and my ability to keep my mouth shut. Yes, my friends, I actually can be quiet-ha! That has been a gift. But the other thing I have gained is a new understanding of how I can't know other people's motives for what they do. It is hard to explain, but I find myself way less judgemental. Not that I am such a great person, but that finally God got through my hard head to teach me a lesson. I did things and thought things that I never thought I could or would do while Jeff was sick and during this first year without him. AND many of those things were really negative and hurtful. I had to learn to let go of my own need for control. Controlling people are judgemental people. For me, God had to use blunt force to get my attention, and to make me even consider letting go of the reins of my life. I think I still have a few strands wrapped around my fingers but giving up the reins, even VERY reluctantly, has given me peace and new insight into God's amazing character and the generosity and love of His people. If you are stubborn and controlling (Me to a tee) you miss out on letting people love on you and getting the chance to love other people as well. So God, keep hitting me over the head until I learn the lessons You want me to know. I am Okay with that! So I made it through a year, I know I have great friends and family to come alongside of me. Thanks for being there for me, I sincerely hope that I can be there for you as well. Love always, Gina

This is the letter I received from Abby in Uganda

As some of you know, God has opened a new chapter in my life and I am so excited. I will be going to Uganda to teach former street boys how to read and write and speak English. I also hope to help with a new ministry to prostituted girls. Here is the latest letter I recieved from the missionary already there on the field. My Thoughts will be in parenthesese:

Hey Gina,

So much has changed, we are really looking forward to you coming!

During devotions the other night we asked the boys, "Do you remember jajja Gina?" and they ALL cheered, when we told them you were coming back they were SOOOO excited and cheered louder. I just thought you would want to know! =-)

That would be great if you were to come in early December, I will be leaving December 26th and will get back the 1st of March or so as I am fundraising in America. Moreen of course will still be in Uganda working with as you as well as all of the other boys and staff and perhaps other volunteers, who knows. It would actually be wonderful if you were there for that time, especially for the boys, while I was gone but I didnt know if you were aware that I would be gone then or if that was okay with you. (Yep Abby, I knew you would be gone!)

The landlord doubled our rent last week out of the middle of nowhere and so we found a new place and moved the boys out of Kivulu. We are now staying in a beautiful new house in town in an area called Wakalega in a good area. We found a place that has guestrooms seperate from the house where Moreen, me, and the other female visitors will stay. We were hoping you would want to stay there with us? (Of course silly- I CAN'T WAIT) If not we can still find you an apartment but Moreen and Carla will be staying in the other house I beliee. We can still give you your own room. (YAY-I snore, no-one wants to sleep with me) Then hopefully not far off we will have our own place and land. Please let me know what works best for you!

That would be great if you brought laptops for teaching, the boys will be so excited! Even the aunties and uncles will be wanting to learn! IT really sounds like you are putting everything in place to come and help Gina, if you want we can also inexpensively find you a Luganda tutor while you are here. There are many people that would love to help teach you (or you can exchange for lessons on the computer, etc-) I would suggest you ask my dad helpful books to read before you come here that can help prepare you. I would suggest, "Cultures of Poverty" by Payne, "When Invisible Children Sing", and "African Friends and Money Matters" (already had and read one of the books and the others are on order)

I guess that is about it, if you have any other questions please let me know

God bless

Abby