Until Next Time

We said our annual farewells to the children and staff at Sanyu last evening (Wednesday) - always one of the most difficult parts of our trip. It’s been another amazing experience. We feel so blessed to have the privilege of being welcomed into the Sanyu family.
God bless you all as you continue to serve the children He places in your care.

“Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.” (Galatians 6:9)

Oh What Fun it is to Ride...

Well, the new van was put to good use on Monday. It was a rather impromptu adventure but late in the morning several of the older children along with some adults (we won’t say how many people were in the 15-passenger van 🙂) piled in and Michael took us on an outing, a rare treat for the children. 

As we made our way through some streets in the neighbourhood the children were screaming with excitement as they took in all the sights and sounds. They also initiated songs of praise and thanksgiving to God - what a joyful noise. 

We ended up at the cathedral just up the hill from Sanyu where there are some large open lawns. The children were thrilled to be able to run freely while  throwing, kicking and chasing balls and generally having fun being kids...and the adults enjoyed being kids too. 

Soon it was time to get back in the van for the drive down the hill. What a delight to see everyone enjoying such a simple outing...and the getting there and driving home was half the fun. 

“Children are a gift from the Lord” (Psalm 127:3). 

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You've Got The Sweetest Little Baby Face

You've got the cutest little baby face
There's not another who could take your place...

 
 You are marvelously made, body and soul!

You made all the delicate, inner parts of my body and knit me together in my mother’s womb.
Psalms 139:13 NLT
https://bible.com/bible/116/psa.139.13.NLT

Every Day Is Laundry Day

One of the many chores at Sanyu is doing laundry. And it’s a huge chore. Imagine all that is involved in keeping the clothes and bedding of 53 children clean. That keeps the laundry staff and several volunteers busy each and every day. 

Generous donors made a huge difference when they provided these industrial washing machines a couple of years ago. They wash several loads daily. 

                                                           

Many items need extra attention and must be scrubbed by hand. 

Then there’s the drying...

...the sorting...

...and finally the wearing. 

Thank you Sanyu Babies’ Home for all you do in caring for the precious little gems God has placed in your care. 

A New Gate for Sanyu

We have another project update to share today. Prior to arriving at Sanyu we were made aware of the need for a new security gate. The old one had fallen down several times recently during some bad storms and it put the lives of the guards at risk.

We met with Barbara and a welder.  After the design and color for the new gate was determined, the welder and his team began the work at their shop.

Last Wed the gate arrived to be installed. One of the guards when he saw the gate arrive ran to tell the director with a huge smile on his face. He was so excited that he looked like a boy with a new toy. A team of 8 men removed the old gate and then, after some prep work, the new gate was lifted into place and some adjustments were made.

As others came to see what was happening, the office secretary said, “Our year has started great with a new gate. Now we are praying for a car.” Little did she know what was to happen the following day.

This past Saturday the finish coat was applied to the gate and side door.

Many thanks from the Sanyu family go out to the Canadian donors who made this project possible.

Fun With Colours

As we’ve mentioned before, a popular activity which we often do with the children is blowing bubbles. As a result, when we go over to the home we are usually greeted with a chorus of children asking, “Bubbles?”

On Thursday we did a different activity using food colouring, baking soda and vinegar in muffin tins to create small, colourful “volcanos”.  Now we also hear an occasional “Colours?”  

Enjoy some pictures of our fun morning. 

Have Van - Will Travel (around the block)

Over the past several months most of you have been hearing about our (Global Endeavours’) goal to raise funds to make a substantial deposit on the purchase of a van for Sanyu Babies’ Home. Soon after our arrival, Barbara invited us to accompany her when she delivered the deposit to the sales agent using those funds, which many of you contributed to. Sanyu has done further fundraising and received donations for the remainder.

After delays in getting the paperwork processed, this morning Barbara informed us that the van was ready for pickup. The long awaited day had arrived.

She made a plan to go with Michael, the Sanyu driver, to pick up the van but she didn't tell him where they were going until they were on their way. She loves to surprise people.

Michael arrived back at Sanyu with the van and was greeted with whoops, hollers and songs of praise to God from some of  the surprised staff.

Barbara gathered up a few of the children who had just awoken from their nap. They were helped into the van. Some staff and the Canadians jumped in too. Since the additional seats which will be added are not yet installed, most of us were sitting on the floor of the cargo area. Barbara then prayed a prayer of dedication to the Lord, first in Luganda (the local language), then in English, thanking God for His goodness and faithfulness. She prayed for protection over the vehicle and those who would travel in it and for the presence of God’s angels and the Holy Spirit to fill the van each time it is used.

Then driver Michael took us all around the block for a drive. We sang songs with the children but they mostly looked around wide eyed not sure what was really happening.

When we got back to Sanyu some of the children didn't need any coaxing to get out but one girl named Abigail cried because she wanted to go more. Joshua asked if they could go again tomorrow and the next day.

We feel very humbled and blessed to be here to experience this day. Once again we pass on the immense gratitude of the Sanyu family to all who have made it possible. And we thank God for His abundant provision.

“Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen.” (Ephesians 3:20-21)

                                     

Fan-tastic!

  You've perhaps read that it is hotter here this year and we're finding ourselves overheated many days. So we called our special hire driver to take us to Shop Rite to purchase a fan for our room. Our Missionary friends who taught us so much about life in Kampala will remember our zeal for fans.

Muriel put it together (with a little help from her room mate) and reaped the first benefits.

On Easter Sunday after church we walked up the hill to Sanyu. We were dripping hot. In our overheated state we came up with a new way to cool off. Spray water on your face with a spray bottle and then sit in front of the fan.

You could say that we've  become a couple of fan-atics.

Seriously though, our zeal is not about fans. Our passion is following Christ as a disciple.

Are you a fan or a follower of Jesus?
Here's a link to an interview with Kyle Idleman, author of Not A Fan.
https://www1.cbn.com/are-you-fan-or-follower-jesus

One Year Later

Most of you probably remember, and may have donated to, the major project from last year - refurbishment of, and new equipment for the play area. Last year was also the first year we came as representatives of Global Endeavours, an international missions board formed by Bloomfield Baptist Church. It was also the first year we were accompanied by other team members. It has been exciting to see others develop a passion for Sanyu and catch a vision for its future.

Andrew and Jodi Giberson have been faithful supporters and prayer partners since Cheryl and I began coming to Sanyu. When they joined us in 2018, none of us knew the extent of work that would be involved in completing the playground project. Andrew especially, put in many long, hot days to ensure the job was done right.

It has been a delight to come back this year and see everything remaining in good condition and being well used.

On behalf of the children, staff and ourselves, we thank God for the many people who have made this, and many other projects, possible since we began coming to Sanyu Babies’ Home in January of 2015.

A Home for David

Sanyu Babies’ Home is committed to seeing each child under their care placed in a loving and caring home. That may mean locating a suitable biological family member or placing the child with a foster family, which ultimately leads to adoption.

This week we had the opportunity to see the fulfillment of that commitment.

On August 23, 2017 David was found abandoned at a church in Kampala at an estimated age of 17 months.  Since then the Sanyu staff has lovingly cared for him and met his needs. He has also made many friends and watched as several of them have left, having been reunited with family or fostered. On Monday it was David’s turn to join a family of his own.

Last Friday Elizabeth (not her real name) arrived at our guesthouse. During chats at the supper table over the weekend, we learned that she is a nurse at a military hospital who is married to a retired doctor and lives a short distance from Kampala. Elizabeth has suffered much loss in her life. She has had six biological children, five of whom died as toddlers. Her surviving daughter is 17 years old and was a triplet. Elizabeth and her husband also have a 12-year-old son who they adopted from Sanyu at age 14 months.

Elizabeth has visited David at Sanyu several times but last weekend they had the opportunity to spend extended time together, getting to know each other better.

When many would become despondent and bitter, Elizabeth thanks God for carrying her through the tragedy in her life and for providing for her needs day by day. She continues to trust Him as she has opened her heart and her home to pour love into the life of a special little boy.

On Monday, David was welcomed into a new family. That meant he left behind friends who are still waiting for theirs. We pray each child will soon become part of a loving and caring family. In the meantime we thank God for the love and care provided by this special place called  Sanyu Babies’ Home.

 “Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.” (James 1:27)

Fun with friends

Time with Mummy

                                         

Then and Now

Reflecting on God's goodness is something we have been instructed to do. Today I want to take you back one year to reflect on the blessing of a new life... the life of Blessing Waswa. Last year this time I was helping to care for this beautiful little boy.

The first year of life brings so many changes. The Mamas and volunteers have lovingly cared for Blessing and helped him reach his first birthday in March.

This recent picture shows just how much Blessing has grown. He now stands holding onto something, smiles and laughs easily, pretends a chair seat is a drum and bangs on it in class along with the teacher who is drumming and singing. He also copies someone pretending to hold a phone up to their ear.  When they say "allo" he smiles.

It was hard sometimes last year to get Blessing to feed but he has no trouble now. 

He loves his food. 

So thank God for His marvelous love, for His miracle mercy to the children He loves; Offer thanksgiving sacrifices, tell the world what He’s done—sing it out! 

Psalm 107:8 MSG

Palm Sunday

This morning, we joined Barbara and her four children (her husband had another commitment) to attend a very moving Palm Sunday service at St. Paul’s Cathedral which is close to Sanyu. It is the oldest and largest cathedral in Uganda with a capacity to seat 4000 people. It belongs to the Church of Uganda (Anglican) denomination.
Before we made the short drive up the hill, Barbara’s oldest son presented each of us with a fresh palm branch.  As we arrived for the 8:45 service, the first service was just finishing and the people were pouring out.
Then we were among those who began pouring in, each carrying a palm branch, and the church was soon filled to capacity. We took our seats and the service began. The hymns were familiar and are traditionally sung in Canada on Palm Sunday. What was not familiar was that as the hymns were sung, we all raised our palm branches and shook them. What an amazing sound those 4000 or so branches made.
I had never thought about the sound of the branches waved by the crowds as Jesus made His triumphal entry into Jerusalem on the back of a donkey just days before He went to the cross. But this morning as we heard the rustling branches...and upon seeing the sea of faces as we returned to our seats following communion, it made more real the words from John 12:12-13 - “The next day the great crowd that had come for the Feast heard that Jesus was on his way to Jerusalem. They took palm branches and went out to meet him, shouting, ‘Hosanna! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord! Blessed is the King of Israel!’ ”

Taste and See

        On arrival at Sanyu we were blessed with a beautiful fruit basket from a dear friend.

This afternoon I decided to make something with an avocado. Now here in Uganda the avocados are giants, nothing like what we have in Canada. Muriel and I weighed the largest one and it came in at 2.2lbs!

 

Using another variety of avocado, with purple skin like eggplant, I got started to make some guacamole.

   
                   The pit itself was the size of an avocado we would buy at home.

The finished product after adding a package of spice mix looks delicious. It is chilling in the fridge for our afternoon snack. 

We have now tasted and it's delicious, especially with a Novida, which is a pineapple soda.

In Psalm 34:8 David reminds us to:

Taste and see that the Lord is good...

We are tasting and seeing the goodness of the Lord in the produce of this land.