Home!

I'm home! After being back in the U.S. of A. for just over a week, I'm beginning to settle back into West Michigan life. It's been a blessing and a pleasure to be surrounded by family and friends over these last few days, getting a chance to relax and regroup.

The last few months have been an incredible adventure! I've learned so much about myself, teamwork, and God's huge heart for His people all over the world. There's no way to tell you everything I'm feeling and every detail of the journey, so I thought I'd share just a few pictures of some of the people I'll miss the most.

This is Josh and Joshua. They are the oldest boys (11 and 9 years old) living at Amecet, the baby home in Soroti. They have been taken from their families due to health reasons for a few months. They are the sweetest little boys!

These are two of my beautiful neighbors, Lydia and Walter. They are siblings, living with two other siblings, two cousins, their mother, father, and an uncle in a small cement home across the street. They spend a couple of hours most afternoons in our yard, playing games and sharing their lives. They are sweet, always willing to join any activity and help out in any way they can.

This is my fabulous roommate, Brittany, and two of my teammates, Moses and Avalien. We had so much fun spending everyday life together. From shopping in the market to baking chapati (our favorite bread) to lesson planning to reading afterschool Bible stories with the neighbors to water balloon fights, we were almost always together. The three of them, and each person on the team, have been incredible blessings in my life over these last two months.

Saying goodbye to my team, to the beautiful children I met, and to the wonderful Ugandans that I was blessed to meet was the hardest part of my summer. I hope I could have been at least a sliver of what they were to me!

And thank YOU for reading and praying. The encouragement and support I felt was overwhelming! Please continue to pray for my transition home, for the start to student teaching, and my future in missions (whatever that may be!). Please keep this special team and the wonderful people of Soroti in your prayers, too. Pray that they continue to shine God's light and share Christ's love in such a special city.

Love and thanks in Him,

Steph

Party Time!

Party #1: The Indian Party

About 100 Indians living in Soroti celebrated a successful time with their businesses by throwing a big dinner party one Friday night. Our team felt very honored to be invited, and it turned out we were the only non-Indian guests! Most of the Indians in Soroti have settled here to open or help out their families with shops in town. In fact, most "successful" shops in town, from fabric stores to grocery stores to stores that sell only batteries and sugar (yes, in that combo), are owned by Indians. The party was a bit surreal, with glamorously-dressed women and men seated on opposite sides of the large outdoor gazebo. Against the norm, the MEN were spoiling us with wonderful homecooked Indian food (a VERY nice contrast to the quite flavorless Ugandan traditional dishes). A rainstorm ended the evening early, but as we walked out past their mosque, we knew we were helping the team share a bit of Jesus with their Indian friends!

Party #2: Independence Day

The day started out as a typical Ugandan Sunday. We attended a church service that flew through, and past, the 3 hour allotted time slot. The pastor talked about how we are human-beings but we are often fooled into acting like human-doings; this really hit me. How often do I concentration so hard on what I'm DOing instead of just BEing? I'm still thinking about that one!

Later that evening, my roommate Brittany and I joined about 15 other Americans for a 4th of July celebration! We had a highly-anticipated game of volleyball (it took about 2 months worth of planning to get the net put in the yard), and as we gathered ourselves and began to dish the amazingly scrumptious food onto our plates, we began to feel raindrops.

It rained for the next hour or so, but we were happily cozy in the house and even played patriotic charades (my favorites were "Plymouth Rock" and "Lewis and Clark"). Soon it was dark (meaning it was about 7 pm) and we were ready for our s’mores…made out of graham crackers, nutella, and marshmallows. Also included were fireworks—called candles here. They were a good combination of the two and looked like a giant candle with some sparkler capabilities. The only thing missing, really, was a big lake and a long dock. :)

Party #3: World Cup Championship

Walking into Amecet (the children's home) today, I was greeted with a pleasant surprise! The entire living room was decked out in orange and blue. Balloons, streamers, banners, and a giant Dutch flag covered the ceiling and walls. I've got Dutch blood in me, and many of my Grand Rapids friends do as well, but this was the first party I've attended that was hosted by true Holland-ers! The lady that runs the children's home is from Holland, as well as two of the other volunteers here. They are extremely proud of their country and their country's place in the World Cup... so, naturally, they wanted to host the championship game with flair. My overnight shift welcomed this distraction wholeheartedly, and I had a blast watching the game while attempting to be a good hostess, feed babies, make popcorn, and keep the cheering volume down so the kiddos didn't wake up.

My World Cup Championship viewing party was extremely international this year, made up of:
-15 Ugandans
-2 Holland-ers
-6 Tongans
-1 American!

Thanks for reading and for praying!

Love, thanks, and peace,

Steph

It's Kind of Like Christmas in July

These last few weeks have absolutely flown by! Each day has been filled with fresh glances at God's HUGE creation. Each day is new, exciting, unpredictable, and overflowing with beauty in so many ways! I have seen beauty in babies, the smiles of teenagers, the forgiveness of children, and the selflessness of teamwork. Every single day has really felt like Christmas!

Before saying goodbye to Lisa, our team got to spend a few days hiking and camping at Sipi Falls. This was yet another day where I found myself surrounded and overwhelmed by the care and love of my Father God. To know that His hand is on every tree, every sunflower, every drop of water gushing from the falls, every person on this team... causes me to be so thankful!

Thank YOU for reading and praying for me as I continue my journey and adventures here. Please pray for continued health, strength, and peace of mind as I wind down my ministries here and begin to say goodbyes.

Love, thanks, and peace,

Steph

Life in Pictures

Hello Friends! I wanted to give you a little taste of what I see here in the beautiful city of Soroti.

Most of my days include a combination of these four scenes:

These are two of my housemates, Alibina and Julius. They have been adopted by a wonderful German lady named Stephanie who has lived in Soroti for about 5 years. She is a nurse by trade, and has spent the last few years volunteering at Amecet, the local baby home, from where she adopted Alibina and Julius.

A few times every week, I go to visit Amecet. I work a couple of shifts a week and stop in to visit as often as I am able. This is Rukia. When she first came to Amecet a few months ago, she was completely skin and bones, weighing only a few kilos due to neglet from her family. Now, after a lot of food and a lot of love by the "aunties" who work here, she is chubby and happy! The staff is hoping to send her to home to a loving member of her extended family. Rukia's case is quite typical of the babies who live at the home. The home is meant as temporary housing for children from families in need.

These are my preschoolers! Moses (far left) and Avalien (far right) are the son and daughter of our team leaders, Tim and Angie. Grace and Lydia (inside, left to right) are the daughters of some of our other team members, Josh and Mandy. Lydia has become a bit of a helper, while the others enjoy many fun lessons (many courtesy of Miss Kristi). I've been helping them to explore the different parts of an egg, the laying of eggs, the different animals who lay eggs, nests, and more. They are having a blast!

These are my wonderful students at Harmony Primary School, a school funded by Youth With A Mission. I have about 10 students from ages 10-15 who meet with me for help with reading. I have just started working on some writing with them. Typical Ugandan curriculum includes lots of recitation and repetition, and I want to help my students with some creative writing. We are going to start making a book this week! I'm very excited to see how it goes!

Thanks for reading and thanks for keeping me in your prayers! Lisa is now home safe and sound, only to be whisked off to her job on a summer camp stuff in Northern Michigan. Please continue to pray for her adjustment home and for continued health and energy in my last few weeks here.

Love, Thanks, and Peace,

Steph

It just seems normal now

When I spoke on the phone with Lisa last Saturday, the comment that stuck in my mind is, "it all seems so normal". Last time I wrote, I asked for prayers that she could settle in and be at ease with the lack of schedule. Those prayers have been answered above and beyond what I ever thought. As she says it all feels so normal, they are showing the movie "Up" to 100 ugandans in a single stall garage with the projector being run by generator. They have had an average of 2 hrs of electricity everyday since Sunday. No refrigeration and cold showers. No Internet on the compound since arriving in Uganda, and on the morning I spoke to her no water. But, "it all seems so normal now".

She had plans for the week that she was quite excited about and I hope to have the opportunity to call her again tomorrow before I go to work. She left message on my Facebook that said, "we have a lot to talk about"- I can't wait!

Please continue to keep Lisa and Steph and the rest of the team in your prayers. Please pray for the hearts of the people they come into contact with each and everyday.

Jane

Life Is Good

Hello All! Life in Soroti is grand! However, in the last five days, we've had about 15 hours of electricity... :)

We are finally finding ourselves in the swing of things. We've both got our own bikes now, which are helping us gain more confidence in getting around town. We can make it around market on our own, get to work on time, find choir practice, make it to soccer practice with the street boys, and find our own way into town to teach 15-year-olds their alphabet!

Lisa's been spending each afternoon with some street boys playing soccer. There are about 40 street boys in Soroti. Lisa and Bobby (another short termer) are teaching the boys American football! She's also been visiting some families that have children with disabilities. Children with disabilities (both physical and mental) are often ignored or mistreated here. There are a few organizations that offer support to these families, and Lisa and Jennifer (a long termer) are sowrking with some of these organizations.

Steph's been doing a lot of work being with the babies and teaching. She works at the baby home twice a week. One shift during the day, and one overnight shift. A few mornings a week, she teaches a small group of about 10 students who struggle with reading. She's working on preschool with two of the missionary kids, and working with Lisa on a Bible study for a group of girls who live across the street.

Both of us also got an interesting opportunity this week to lead a choir rehearsal at a local church! We'll probably be helping out a couple of times a week there.

Life is good. Thanks for your continued prayer and support! We would love to fill you in more stories when we get home!

Love,
Steph and Lisa

Doing well

How do go about updating your daughter's blog after you talked to her for 45 mins and discussed everything from peanut butter sandwiches to why people who have sickle cell disease don't have malaria? I know that during the time I was talking to her I was on cloud nine - she just sounded so good.
She said she was having an awesome experience. She said she was being stretched, she said she is not doing what she thought she would be doing. She told stories of street soccer, bible studies, game night, and movie night. She asked me to set up a TB test sometime during her 36 hour period home because she has been spending some time in the hospital (thankfully NOT as a patient). She has observed and participated in the work of living, the hassles of Ugandan Internet, the ins and outs of VISAs, and been exposed to the needs of the disabled. She purchased a bike to get around town with and is coming to the reality that she will not be able to take it home
Her biggest personal struggle? For those you who know Lisa, she likes to have a schedule for the week. When we were in Uganda last time, Tim had most of our 2 week visit planned. We knew what we were planning to do the next day. Lisa goes to bed at night and rarely has a real distinct plan for the next day. She knew that things would be a bit on the fly, but this is a real stretch for her.
Thanks for your interest.
Thanks for your prayers.
Please continue to pray. Pray for health, for safety, for opportunities, and for God's will to be done in Uganda.
Jane

A Typical Day in the Life...

From what you've gathered of the irregularity of our posts, we've been really really busy and internet has been scarce! Our key phrase around here has been, "a typical day in the life..." Angie always laughs when people ask her what a typical day on the mission field looks like. Lisa and I can definitely understand the humor in this! Every single day is different, with different people coming to the door, different opportunities knocking, and different adventures.

We've spent a day cleaning up a gravesite, played four hours of Uno with 135 sweet boys who have escaped the brainwashing of the LRA, attended an Indian party in the heart of Uganda, rescued a baby kitten with its umbilical cord still attached, bought bicycles, cleaned poop out of hair, prayed over broken vans, caught an "imposter" in the yard.... and so much more... all in the typical day!

Our teammates Tim, Beckie, and Lawrence are currently in Kampala (the capital) presenting at a HUGE conference. This opportunity popped up last minute, and Tim was given a very prestigious spot in the lineup (of course, he was told the afternoon before with a 6 hour drive seperating us from Kampala). He brought our friend Francis with him to talk about his time spent with the LRA.

On a regular note, I've been starting work at Amecet (a baby home around the corner from our house), beginning two normal shifts every week. I've also started teaching preschool to some of the missionary kids, which has been a blast thanks to Miss Kristi's curriculum. :) Lisa has been given a few opportunities to work with our teammate Bobby this week. Bobby works with street kids in Soroti. He spends a lot of time getting to know them and their stories. Tonight, Lisa and Bobby are heading into town to play some soccer with a group of street kids. Tuesday nights also bring "game night" with Bobby and his wife Rachel, so Lisa and I will be checking that out tonight!

Praises:
- a working van to head to Kampala this past weekend
- an energetic team
- an afterschool Bible club that's been going well

Prayer requests:
- open eyes, ears, and hearts of the people that Tim, Beckie, and Lawrence interact with in Kampala this week
- continued health and energy for the team
- continued conversation about positive marriages and relationships with the Ugandans we interact with (this has come up a lot this week)

Thanks again for all of your prayers and love! We are overwhelmed!!

Love,
Steph and Lisa

LRA Video

I found this brief Youtube video that decribes one boy's story with the LRA. It reminds me of when Francis spoke with our group. This boy was "fortunate" in that he only spent 4 mos with the LRA and he had a family to which he could return.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-ip08pjKngI

A long awaited update

I received and email from Lisa! It was so good to hear from her!

This was her request: "Please edit this email and make it into a nice story and put it up on the blog".

I hope this blog makes some sense. Basically I took her email and my comments are in the blue font and links for more information are in the green.

OK mom, here is my email (yes, I will add here that I have been threatening her to send me some piece of information that lets me know she is alive). We have been incredibly busy. The ICC (International Criminal Court- this is like the heads of state and many other very important people) is in Uganda trying to decide how to bring justice to the whole LRA (Lords Resistance Army)/Kony situation (Joesph Kony is the leader of the LRA - still at large and responsible for horrible atrosities against the Ugandan people). We have been busy preparing for them to come to Obalanga for the past two days (when we were in Uganda last year with the group from Plymouth Heights CRC, we spent some time at the site of the mass graves. Tim and Angies newsletter did a beautiful job explaining why this was such important work. A link for this newsletter is listed below). That means we had to clean the mass graves (friday all day lots of work) and then go out on Saturday to spend time with the CAAF children (Children Affected by Armed Forces) and help Fida (a nongovernmental organization (NGO) that provides assistance in Uganda) and IT (International Teams is the organization that Lisa and Steph went through to go to Uganda) put on a presentation for the 12 delegates that came to the village. We were out from 7AM until 10PM both days. About 3 hours ago, Lawrence (a local Fida worker) and Beckie (another long term missionary) left for Kampala to work at a display for the whole ICC group (we got to spend a lot of time putting the display together). Just a couple of minutes ago, Tim got a call out of the blue that he got a spot to speak in front of the whole ICC group. He and Francis (Francis is a child soldier who we met while in Soroti. He spent a couple of hours one morning in a very hushed voice telling us his story and showing us the scars of his capture, service, and eventual escape from the LRA. His story was hard to listen to because our daughter Kari and Francis were the same age, yet their lives were so different) will be leaving for Kampala at 4AM -granted we can find Francis. It has basically been crazy.

Overall we just needed a day to relax - which is today. I am using someone elses internet because Tim and Angie's has been down since we got here. I had a nice blog all prepared, but it is on my computer and I cannot get internet on my computer. The blog will not open with the limited speed I am able to get from this Ugandan Satalite Internet.

She then went on and gave me some information about how we might be able to talk on the phone.

I hope this makes some sense - we ache for you to understand the struggles of the people in Uganda and our passion for their well-being.

For those of you who wondered what Lisa and Steph would be doing this summer in Uganda, this gives you a brief idea of how things can change. They went there with the attitude that they were going to serve God and the people of Uganda in whatever way God would lead. This week it was by assisting with the ICC visit.

Thanks for your continued prayers and support. Hopefully the internet will be up and running and you can hear it from Lisa and Steph themselves.

Jane Brouwer

For a link to the Sliedrechts newsletter click on the link provided below. Once you get to that site, click on the August 2009 newsletter listed on the left hand column, you will then need to double click on the icon for the newsletter. Tim and Angies newsletter.

Mzungu... Bye-eee!

Dear friends,

Thank you SO much for your prayers, encouragement, and support. Lisa and I have been overwhelmed by the love!

As we head out this weekend for the little East African town that stole our hearts, we ask for prayers that our hearts and minds be opened to God's wisdom, our health remain, and our smiles be encouragement to everyone we meet.

Sometimes it's easy to be overwhelmed by the sadness, but the smiles found in the people of Soroti makes it just as easy to forget. Pray that Lisa and I can experience both ranges of emotions, experiencing the pain and joy of the beautiful Ugandan people we call our friends.

We'll keep you updated as much as possible! Lisa leaves tomorrow (Saturday) and I leave Monday, so pray that our anxieties are under control over a very long few days of travel. We can't believe the time has come so soon!!!!

Much love,

Steph

Commissioning Service

On Sunday morning there was a small commissioning prayer at church before Steph and I left.
Here is the prayer courtesy of Pastor Steve

Father in heaven,

This is a really happy moment for all of us, but it’s a really hard moment too. And it’s happy and hard for exactly the same reasons. Father we have here before us some of the best gifts you’ve given us – a couple of our kids. They’re kids who belong not just to these parents, but to this whole church. And we’re really happy today because they know Jesus, and because they want to follow him, all the way to Uganda if that’s where he’s leading. And so we’re sending some of the best that you’ve given us to a place that’s experienced some of the worst that this broken world has to offer. And that’s where the happy and the hard parts get mixed up. We couldn’t be happier that they’re going, but it’s really hard to see them go. With their parents we pray for your constant care over them. Use them to do your will, and care for and protect them in all that they do. May their travels be safe, may their health remain good, may their work be productive. Father, we send them off with the words and promises of the Psalmist…

I lift up my eyes to the hills--where does my help come from? 2 My help comes from the LORD, the Maker of heaven and earth. 3 He will not let your foot slip--he who watches over you will not slumber; 4 indeed, he who watches over Israel will neither slumber nor sleep. 5 The LORD watches over you--the LORD is your shade at your right hand; 6 the sun will not harm you by day, nor the moon by night. 7 The LORD will keep you from all harm--he will watch over your life; 8 the LORD will watch over your coming and going both now and for evermore.

As always, Father, we’re counting on your faithfulness. We pray these things in the name of your faithfulness personified, in the name of Jesus, Amen.

Lisa

Brief Introductions

On May 22, 2010 I will be leaving for Soroti, Uganda to spend a month serving along side Tim and Angie Sliedrect. Stephanie will be joining me on Monday May 24, 2010. First of all we would like to thank all of you for your prayer, emotional, and financial support. Without the support of our family, friends, and church community, this opportunity would not be possible.
Both Steph and I were in Soroti last year. We went with 7 others from Plymouth Heights CRC. I went home after two weeks with the rest of the group and Steph stayed on for another 6 weeks to work at Amecet (the baby shelter), assist with the mass grave project in Obalanga, teach preschool and anything else that came along. This year I plan to stay 5 weeks and Steph is planning to stay into August.

We both left a part of our hearts in Africa, and heading back is such a privilege and an honor. We are not sure what the Lord has in store for us, but are both willing to serve however He sees fit. At this time, my thoughts include working with a nurse who started her long term mission in March. my understanding is that we hope to travel to the villages to see what resources are available and what resources are needed. It will be good for the two of us to be traveling together, since traveling solo is a bit hazardous. Steph has plans to teach preschool and spend time with the girls in the boarding school nearby.

We plan to stay in the guest house in the same compund with Tim and Angie and their children Moses and Avalien. Our understanding is that there will be 2 other girls staying in the guesthouse with us. The guesthouse has a large living room, dining room and a kitchen. There are 4 bedrooms and 1 bathroom.

We hope to keep you updated as much as possible. Unfortunately neither electricity nor internet are reliable items. If you have google reader and subscribe to our blog, you will be notified through the reader when we update. My mom has the list of email addressses from those who asked to be alerted. She will let you know after it has been updated. Feel free to pass along the blog address to anyone you think might be interested.

The title, "Mzungu...Mzungu" refers to the affectionate term that Ugandans use for a white person. It is not uncommon as we are out and around to hear kids call out "Mzungu... Mzungu".

Lisa