AG all dressed up for the "Rain" Festival at Heritage International School. Since there is no Fall here, and it is the Rainy Season, the school has a "Rain Festival." The theme for costumes was "At the Movies." Thanks to our friends Tim and Trish, who let us rummage through their dress-up clothes, our girls both had outfits to wear!! AG was very pleased and proud of herself to be Jasmine -- even though she hasn't even seen the movie yet!! How kids learn who all these characters are is still a big mystery to us!

She was so happy with the outfit that she wanted to sleep in it...it took a great deal of convincing to get her to change!

KJ was much less impressed with her outfit as a ladybug. The struggle was not in getting her to take off the outfit, but to keep it on!!

Again, thanks to a good friend (Misty), we finally managed to get a picture of her in the outfit!!

One thing we have enjoyed about living in Kampala is our huge yard, which allows for an experimental garden! We have had fun trying out growing different things and one of the most successful endeavors has been with our zucchini. HUGE zucchini. We have probably eaten zucchini at least once every single day for a month now!

Hussein, who works for us, showing off the garden

Look closely and you can see a very cool looking praying (or is it preying??) mantis on this flower

up close

KJ in her favorite attire (as little clothing as possible), in her favorite place (outside--and either wet or dirty) having fun

The Team

We were happy to have Dr. Scott and Susan Christie and Dr. Doug and Sherri Dickens join us for a week in Uganda to teach about issues related to people who have been traumatized by war and conflict. Issues such as forgiveness, grief, depression, PTSD, etc. This is the group at the mall in Kampala with Peter, Jennifer and Harriet

Trip to Rwanda

We traveled with the team out west to Rwanda, where they led a conference with leaders working among people affected by war and conflict. On the way to Rwanda, we crossed the equator.

Jennifer (Southern Hemisphere), Shelah (trying to be in both) and Harriet (Northern Hemisphere)

Rather than pay the man $5.00 to demonstrate the direction that water swirls in at the equator, Harriet decided to give us an explanation...

Did you know that it goes clockwise or counter clockwise depending on which side of the equator you are on??

At the Uganda/Rwanda border and also Gorilla territory

Dr. Doug Dickens teaching a group of leaders at the conference

Dr. Scott Christie

Beautiful mountains and volcanoes surround this area

Beautiful sunsets too

Conference participants singing

Rain forest

Trip to Goma, DRC (Congo)

*we had the permission of the students, women, and children shown below to take their photos

In 2002 there was a volcano which erupted and destroyed a large portion of Goma. As a result nearly everything there is covered in black volcanic rock. The roads, the houses, everything is built out out of, or on top of, volcanic rock. Also, there has been a terrible fighting in Congo over the years, resulting in millions of deaths, thousands of children forced into conflict and high incidents of rape and violence.

Millions of innocent people have been traumatized and displaced from their homes as a result.

Shelah in Goma, DRC with some of the students we are sponsoring, in partnership with Pastor Stephen Bamoleke and Shalom Transformation Ministries. Most of the kids are former child soldiers, or have been displaced due to the terrible war.

It was so special to meet them face-to-face. We can't wait to go back and get to know them better!

The Shalom Church, who is taking the responsibility of caring for many of these traumatized kids

These five guys are now OUT of the army and back IN school!

Unfortunately, due to the war and violence in Eastern Congo, there has been terrible and widespread occurrences of rape.

This group of women at Shalom are involved in providing a support group and assistance to victims of rape. There is a stigma associated with rape, so the women go out and try to find women who need help and then get them to treatment centers and reach out to them in friendship and love

Another place we visited offers rehabilitation and sewing classes for victims of rape and violence so that the women can have a livelihood

Around Goma

Kids from Shalom church

local houses

a road in Goma town

market

Rollar blades!!

He only had one but he could get around on it very quickly!

Local bicycle used for transporting all kinds of things

* For more see our Refuge and Hope blog at www.refugeandhope.blogspot.com

Heritage Guys Night Out

We hosted some Heritage Secondary boys at our house on October 30th for a guys night. They had a good time playing twister and watching movies and NOT sleeping. Besides not having enough to feed them, and feeling rather old and out of it (particularly in the area of technology), we enjoyed it!

Lino (he does have a slight advantage with his long arms and legs)

After a long long long long night....the group poses!