Amazing Kids!

There are no other words to describe the kids we worked for and then played with yesterday!

They are AMAZING KIDS!   The basketball court is now in the hands of local contractors and we paid the final amount for the court today.  It will be a blacktop court with regulation 10' rims.  Next year we will teach a clinic... they've never played before so it should be awesome!  They found my dribbling skills off the hook.... (Doesn't take much!)

We worked around API's 22 acres - beautifying - weeding, slashing paths, and simply making it a bit easier and safer for the kids!

Sherry is obviously proud of her work!

The ladies did a bit of cooking and preparation African style! 

 The team bought dinner complete with fresh.... I mean really fresh chickens.

Barbara could not be happier than being in an African kitchen.

Emma thinks holding a chicken like this is fun..... I think it's strange
but God is clearly preparing her for living in Africa!

International Voice of the Orphan and A Perfect Injustice held a 

strategic meeting in their conference area!
{haha}

Then the kids arrived from school and were thrilled as they received new spikes --- from many of you!

Jessica is thrilled that Emma (Emmanuel) would wear her shoes!
  (She was a volleyball superstar in college!)

Then we took a long, I mean long walk through the jungle till we wound

up at the football (soccer) field. 

We played what some would call football - but we are not much competition! 

So when we couldn't win... 

we decided to take this into our own hands - 

and the wrestling match began!

Only problem is Craig is getting double teamed and crushed!

Dw to the rescue

I used the tickling technique!  

Works every time!

Praying for local children and sharing Christ - 12 received Jesus as their savior! 

 Can you hear the beginning of the angelic party?

Elizabeth is our designated prayer warrior!

Back to the home and threw a birthday party complete with gifts.... of backpacks.  

 We will tell more of this at a later time.

Amazing.... absolutely amazing. 

No doubt, the pictures say more than words could ever say! 

A Basketball Court - In the Middle of the Jungle???

 

Basketball is my sport!  When I was young the idea of playing in the NBA was my dream.  Day after day we would play on the school blacktop, at my home and at every neighborhood friend's home we could find.   We would wear those orange balls down to the black rubber interior.

Ok, admittedly so the talent wasn't quite there to make the NBA,
but that young kid sure liked to dream!

 So when API asked if we could build them a court the answer was a GIANT YES!! 
 Who cares where, let's build it and they will come to play!

A basketball court in the middle of the jungle - sounds crazy right???  It is!

 "Crazy Love" for former street boys, now Jesus loving kids from our
partner ministry "A Perfect Injustice". 

I will be honest my thinking wasn't quite clear.  My planning from the US in my mind looked like this...., dig down in the earth maybe 5" inches.... mix concrete and make a basketball court  say 30' x 50'.   A great undertaking, it would be hard, but we could do it in two days.

Did I mention.... the court is to be 50 x 92?

Then the team arrived.  Rainy season is just finishing and things are growing everywhere and on top of everything.   First step... cut out the jungle floor to see if we could find the dirt!! 
Ok, not quite that drastic, but you get the idea.

 So with slashers, machetees, axes, and a dozen large hoe looking things we attacked the jungle!!!

Did I mention... David had a bit bigger idea.... 50 x 92.   Apparently he had been to the local college and measured the court... besides he wanted them to be able to skate on it as well....
I'm assuming it isn't ice hockey!

Thank you to all who gave that this court might be a reality!  

You are just as much a part of this team!

As the day came to an end we were disappointed we couldn't do a better job clearing the land close to the house... the grass had grown up and the slashers wouldn't cut it, no matter how hard we tried!

 So someone had a crazy idea.... do they have lawnmowers here?  

Answer - yes... better response --- someone volunteered to buy them one.  

Robin has a ministry {highlighted a few posts ago} she started to simply do what she could for orphans.  She bakes and sells the most delicious bread and the sale proceeds... all for the orphans!  And it has taken off --- like a lawn mower.... she's mowing down the competition!
{Throwing in a little Saunders humor!}

Robin, with her ministry money from Bread for Life, bought the new lawn mower for API.  They are so thrilled but nearly as thrilled as Robin.... check out that smile!

Tomorrow we are back at it again!   Let's just say the work will continue long after we are gone.   We will hire locals who so badly need work and will be able to impact the local economy!  Others will eat because you gave for the court!  These are the gifts that keep on giving!

  But by January... I'm thinking a coaching clinic.... oh yea!

Think these boys might enjoy a Basketball Court?

Uganda Go Team Diary :Day 1 - Let The Breaking Begin

We have landed in the land we love!

Day 1 in Uganda involved a number of necessary activities.  We landed at close to 8 am, got most of our baggage, then headed out to meet my son!

Oops - no son!  Welcome to Africa.   Things happen here on after a delay of close to an hour, George arrived with that huge smile on his face with 4 vans.  Two and 1/2 for the luggage --- wow did this team bring luggage... about 57 bags or so!  (We spent the evening sorting - 3 huge suitcases went off to the babies home filled with wipes, cereal, and diapers.... lots of diapers!!!!

Then off to check in at the Guest House.

Oops--- the Guest House wasn't ready for us!  Welcome to Africa!!  So we placed our bags in a side room and went off to exchange money.

After a mocha and some food for lunch we checked in to the Guest House.... Oops ---- they didn't give us the right assignment of rooms... welcome to missions!  So we changed things up a bit!

As soon as we could possibly get there we headed to Sanyu Babies Home, and the breaking began!   We scooped them up from their naps, changed diapers, played with them and began to fall in love.  It only takes a moment to fall in love and a lifetime that you will never forget!

How can you possibly not fall in love with these children?

As one of the ladies shared last evening through many tears... "I looked into the babies eyes andsaw Jesus."    Jesus...  yes the love of Christ was given to the child and the child shared that love right back to her.   The bible says as we love one of these children we are loving Christ... she got to experience that last evening first hand.  Tears flowed and the breaking began!

There is so much to write and I will keep trying to update daily so you can follow along on this trip.

And yes... I hope it will influence you to someday come along and be wrecked for the rest of your life for the Orphan!

Loving and being loved by the children,  Dwight

The Team

What makes up a great team?   What does it take to be a part of something bigger than yourself?

WILLINGNESS!

OBEDIENCE!

SURRENDER!

We've got it...  the team is ready, willing, obedient, and surrendered.

We are 20 strong!


The team came from at least 10 different locations... young and .... uh... older.... experienced and newbies... but we are already becoming the team God had planned to go impact the world for Christ!

So stay tuned and pray for us!  Thank you for all who have given so much and so unselfishly.  You have been the supply lines, we will work in the trenches, and you all please pray that we would be protected by the Mighty Hand of God!

Blessings,  Dwight

Ordinary Heroes:If We are Willing, He is Able

We all love a great story...and this one is no exception....the stories of ordinary people doing extraordinary things...things that would seem impossible...but love for the orphan mixed with God's favor is a sure recipe for powerful blessings. 

Meet Robin, a young mom living on the West Coast with her husband and three children: 

Hannah {7}, Christopher {5} and Phoebe {2}. 

 Some time ago God began to break Robin's heart for the orphan.  She knew she could no longer sit back and do nothing. Then the Lord gave her an idea to make bread and sell it and give the proceeds to orphanages to care for little ones. 

 She began her "Bread for Life" ministry on Sunday December 11th. 

 She sold 20 loaves of pumpkin bread and raised $648.00. 

 Can you believe it? 

 But wait! 

 There's more! 

 Listen to what God did: A friend who rents a commercial bakery gave Robin the key so on Monday nights from 8:30 - 5:00am she now is able to bake between 20-400 loaves of bread in a walk-in oven!

But that's not all either..... in His the midst of His powerful favor, the Lord provided people willing to donate most of the ingredients! How crazy and miraculous is that? 

 Robin bakes pumpkin bread and lemon bread. As Robin's ministry took off, God began to move on other hearts...women in the church now volunteer to bake banana bread and yeast rolls. They put a table out approx every 3 weeks and every time we sell out.   Their biggest sale day {to date} they made $1340. 

There is no limits to what God will do.  

When Robin was sharing her story with me, I asked: How big is your church? {Thinking it was probably a mega-church.} But it's not! It has about 200 regular attenders....no doubt, those 200 attenders are having their world rocked for the orphan... 

In just over 5 months Bread for Life has raised over $7,000!!!   

Can you believe it?    

An ordinary mom doing extraordinary things for the orphan...

which has ignited a fire in the hearts of those near {and far}....

all because Robin's heart was willing to do anything. 

Anything. 

 Anything! 

Robin's tag on her blog is this:

If We are Willing, He is Able

Powerful words being lived on:

Willing Robin {and friends}, Able God.

 Oh, and Robin {and two friends from her church} are part of the June 2012 GO Team leaving in less than 2 weeks for Uganda with Dw and Emma...and Robin will get to love on the babies that she has worked through the nights preparing bread so they would eat...

Your Gift: "Happy Birthday Boys"

Happy Birthday

Happy Birthday!  We all love it when it's our day.  I'm certainly guilty as charged!

For many of us we take this day for granted, we've had our birthdays, some good, some not so good. But there is always next year... or is there??

What if in the first few years of your life you struggled to survive on the streets?

What if you were neglected?

Abandoned?

Abused?

Thrown out of the home and left for dead?

How much sweeter would be the words "Happy Birthday" and that celebration if you now knew you were safe and a bunch of people came and threw you a party?

(stay tuned I have an idea for you at the end)

It's not all work and no fun when you go on a "Go Team" to the children of Africa!  

We love to play & party with the kids!!

There are many times of laughter, celebration and fun with the children!  

We love to laugh!  

The Bible teaches us that laughter is medicine to the soul.  And no place is this more evident than to these children!  Noone seems to laugh like children who have come from the most difficult lives!!

The medicine of laughter replaces some of these children's horrific mental pictures

with healthy pictures of life.  

There is always something to celebrate!  Right!   

 Linny accuses me of making up things to celebrate, and she is probably right... 

and when it comes to children laughing and playing we pour it on.

One of the ways we celebrate it to throw a party for the orphanages we visit.  And their is nothing quite so exciting as being part of a Birthday party for children that haven't had many to celebrate.

This last trip we threw the monthly birthday party for the boys of "A Perfect Injustice".

We bought many chickens, the boys "prepared the chickens" for the mommas.  (I'm glad that's not part of my job.)   The ladies worked hard all day getting ready.

Then, we placed a couple hundred or so balloons on the floor while the boys waited outside.  

Then they came rushing in.... 

stepping

popping

giggling 

&

shouting for joy into the party.

Then we danced little bit... dancing might be stretching it for us!! :)

All too quickly, it was time to say goodbye....

We will never forget --- They will never forget!

 Many ask, "what can I do?" 

 Enjoy your birthday - but what if one gift you requested this year was to help the children of Africa.

Then you could give a present like food, or water, or training to the children.

The June team will be throwing a few parties as well... if you'd like to give a gift to these same children.. they desperately want a basketball court!

Total cost - $2500... 


The June 2012 GO Team we will dig it, pour it and erect the goals!


We are even bringing some basketballs.  

Would you be willing to designate  a Birthday Gift to the boys of API this year so these 30 plus once-orphaned-street-boys will have a great way to expend some of that youthful energy?  They would love it if you did!! 

By the way,

Happy Birthday!  dw

Hunger Games - Front Lines Wins!

"Hunger Games" is the movie everyone is talking about! 


Before it ever hit the big screen it was being promoted everywhere as a block buster movie. The media was going crazy highlighting the actors and actresses on Good Morning America and other news/talk shows. 


Quite commonly you hear, "Have you seen Hunger Games?"    The marketing was superb and the results are pushing attendance records.  While I have not yet attended the movie, the name itself intrigues me,  "Hunger Games".... hmmmm.


Hunger Games?   Really?  Hunger and games connected together just doesn't work for me...  the two words simply don't seem to fit together.  

If hunger is a game than it is a game of life and death for the children involved. 

I ate well today... very well.  And probably so did you - we are blessed. 


But our prosperity in America and at our dinner tables tends to obscure the fact of a much larger crisis knocking at our backdoor.  


For instance - are you aware that:

• 1 in 7 people will go to bed hungry tonight.   The total number of hungry people in the world is greater than the combined populations of the US, Canada and the European Union.

• 925 million people do not have enough to eat  and 98 percent of them live in developing countries.
  

• 10.9 million children under five die in developing countries each year. Malnutrition and hunger-related diseases cause 60 percent of the deaths;

•  Iodine deficiency is the greatest single cause of mental retardation and brain damage, affecting 1.9 billion people worldwide. It can easily be prevented by adding iodine to salt.

The statistics become are so large they numb us to what can be done.  

The vastness of the need paralyzes and sometimes causes us to feel we can't make a difference.

But I beg to differ.   

We must keep it about the one! 

We can make a difference in the life of one child,


 one orphan, 


one hungry little boy or girl and...

YOU DID!!!

IVO with your support fed 5 children our first month
{January}.

IVO with your suppport fed 15 children our second month
{February}.

Presenting David and Abby of API with their check after they came and had dinner in our home when they were in the states for a short visit. 

IVO with your support fed 25 children our third month
{March}.

IVO with your support fed 40 children our fourth month ....
{April}. 

AND

Next month {May} International Voice of the Orphan {IVO}, with your support, will be feeding, clothing, providing medical care and teaching the love of Jesus to the entire program of street boys of A Perfect Injustice - 60 strong.


We may not be able to provide for all the chidren... YET...  but for 5 children, then 15 boys, then 25 street children, then 40 kids,  then 60 boys.... YOU made the difference!


THOSE BOYS WON THE HUNGER GAMES  --- BECAUSE OF YOU!  

And the ripple affect continues....

• Because of you - 16 more boys are going home to their new family at A Perfect Injustice.

• 16 more children will be disciples... loved.... fed every day.... go to school.... 

• Together; You + IVO + A Perfect Injustice = A GOLD MEDAL at the Hunger Games for these boys.  

Today we celebrate...


Tomorrow back to work to feed more children!


With tears in my eyes  I write these last few sentences....


Thank you for not turning your backs... thank you for caring.... thank you for loving with your resources & thank you for trusting us to steward these resources for the boys and vulnerable street children.    We can,  we did and we are making a difference --- Together!


 These boys would hug your necks if they could and say... thank you for saving my life! 


I will give them that hug for you in June.... promise!  Dw