Facts

 

 

Two weeks from tonight we will arrive in Uganda after about 20-1/2 hours of travel. Here are some interesting facts about the country that will be our "home away from home" for four weeks.

Area: 241,038 sq. km / 93,065 sq. mi. (slightly larger than Great Britain)

Population: 35.8 million (approx. the same as Canada)

Capital City: Kampala (approx. pop.  1.2 million)

Language: Official languages are English and Swahili.  There are also many native languages.

Currency: Ugandan shilling ($1.00 Canadian = 2400 Ugandan shillings)

Time: Eastern Africa Time Zone - 7 hours ahead of Atlantic Time.  (It is already 2015 in Uganda.)

Temperature: Average daily high in Kampala is 28C in January.

History: Gained independence from Britain in 1962 but remains a member of the Commonwealth.  Has been troubled by corrupt leadership and has suffered horrific atrocities.  Currently relatively stable politically, though some conflict continues in the north. (We will be in the south.)

Geography: Landlocked. Borders Kenya, South Sudan, Democratic Republic of Congo, Rwanda & Tanzania. Contains part of the northern shore of Lake Victoria, the second largest freshwater lake in the world. (Lake Superior being the largest.) Lake Victoria is considered to be the source of the Nile.  The equator passes through the southern part of Uganda.

Poverty: A sad statistic - one of the poorest countries in the world (in the bottom 25)

The People: Ugandans are recognized as being among the friendliest people in Africa. 

We can't wait to meet them!

Everywhere babies! That will have a whole new context for us in three weeks. But in the meantime it seems like it's true in our lives here at home right now.

 

Cheryl has had the joy of walking alongside friends recently on the road of adoption. A few days ago their precious new baby girl arrived. So loved, so hoped for, so cherished. And Cheryl, too, has been blessed to be part of that journey.

The DeLongs are delighted that there is a precious baby boy expected to arrive to my nephew and his wife in April. Last night his 5-year-old sister excitedly told me on the phone, "Aunt Murl, I heard my brother's heart beat today." Another baby being awaited with such joy and anticipation.

How can it be that there are other babies entering this world who are not wanted? Who are being deliberately harmed? Who are being discarded? We don't ever expect to have an answer for that. But we do know this - they are loved. The God of Christmas loves them. We know it pains Him to see their suffering, to see how humanity can treat His precious little ones. But the God of Christmas also gives them (and us) hope. And it is our desire to express that love and hope as we travel to Uganda in three weeks.

Thanks for joining us and praying for and with us as we prepare to go.

Wishing you a joyous Christmas as you celebrate the most precious Baby to ever enter this world - "The little Lord Jesus, asleep on the hay."

 

 

 

 

 

...And in Kampala, Uganda right now there are 50 orphaned babies (age newborn - 4 years) living at Sanyu Babies Home. http://www.sanyubabies.com/index.html

 

Each one has a story...abandoned in a bar...found in the bushes...pulled from an out-door toilet...left at Sanyu by a parent unable to meet their baby's needs...

 

But each one also has the hope of a different story.  A story where they become part of a loving family.  Until that happens, the wonderful people of Sanyu Babies' Home (which means Home of Joy) have become their "family".

 

The over-worked staff strives each day to fulfill their mission "to provide Christ-like love to babies and children deprived of parental love and reintegrating them into the community through reunititng them with their families, fostering or adoption."

 



We feel very blessed that God has opened the door for us to go and help care for these precious little ones for four weeks. On January 13 we will embark on our journey to Africa.  We look forward with great anticipation, to discovering the exciting pathway God is preparing and pray He will use us to be a blessing and encouragement to those He places on that path.

Through this blog, we invite you to join us on the journey.

 

Cheryl and Muriel