Bud Day

Family traditions are fun and meaningful to many people. We all have them and some or strange and very confusing to an outsider. Like when I went to my in-laws first family reunion and they auctioned off old family recipes and other items to each other to pay for next years family reunion. Now, I have grown to love it.

Well for me today was a great day of continuing my Dad's tradition with me "Bud Day" a day of nothing but father son fun. Some of my most memorable moments with my Dad are because of 'Bud Day".

Me and my Dad, love and miss you. 

Today I tagged up with a dad that is here adopting one of Jethro's friends from Sanyu and we went to the zoo. We loaded up in our new car that we have been so blessed with and took off. Not but 10 minutes out of Kampala we got pulled over. I was going 16 kl over the speed limit. After you convert it it was not that fast. After we got our ticket and headed down the road all Marty could say is it is not like you just lost 100,000 shillings, then laughing followed. This harassment actual worked after I hit him.

Eating lunch at the chimp tent.

We arrived at the zoo, it was all better we had a blast. Jethro could not stop talking about the leopard that jumped on the fence at us that was about two feet from us. Lawrence on the other hand could not stop running literally. After the leopard jumped he ran a good 150 yard back towards the car. After the drama we had a good day.

Dads, what are you doing to connect with your sons. What roll in his life are you playing? I want to encourage you to take my Dad's family tradition and adopt it into your family. It changed my life and it will change your sons life as well. Moms encourage your husbands stand behind them, let them go do guy thing we like to be dirty and do things that might hurt us. Have them read this and see how one day a week just for father and son can change lives. What day will be you bud day? I am not perfect but I sure thought my Dad was. 

We found him like this at 7:30pm

The water bottle

A water bottle.
It is plastic and has one purpose.
To store your water for convenient use.
Yes that is what I have used it for.........till now.

Ten practical ways to use a water bottle.
1. Perfect dog toy.
2. A toy car for Jethro.
3. With just a string attached it become a piece of trash you drag.
4. Sand box toy.
5. What you buy wood stain in.
6. Reserve gas can for motorcycle.
7. Tupperware dish.
8. Hand soap dispenser.
9. Fire starter (once it is hot enough the flaming dripping plastic burns for a long time).
10. Store water for convenient use.

Is there water today?

We have moved into our new house and it is so good. We are the first people to live here and that is such a blessing. Back home that would mean it was clean and you are the first to live there. Here that is true but the most exciting thing is that there has not been any witch craft in the house. Uganda is full of fetish worship. It is not hidden and is very real. We deal with this on a regular basis, so keep this in your prayers.

The other part of moving into a new house is all of the problems of new construction. For the past 6 days we have been without or just a trickle of water. We have called the landlord to fix it and they have been. Things here are so on Ugandan time. It took the city 3 days to come and see why the neighborhood was out of water. They arrived at our gate, two men on a motorcycle with a pipe wrench and a shovel. Not what I would expect for a city employee checking why a neighborhood was without water. They explained to me that the pressure is low and that is why it is not working. I have decided that I am now skilled enough to be a Kampala city employee.

We now have 4 plastic reserve tanks that will supply the house with water if the pressure gets low like it has for the past few days. During the night the pressure is high and fills the tanks. During the day we use the elevated tanks to supply the house.

Special moments

Back in January there was a GO team here with IVO. I spent most of my days with them as they went and did different projects. The night before the team arrived God gave me dream about an adopting family that was in love with a child but for some technical reasons they would not be able to adopt.

Little did I know that I would be meeting this couple the next morning. A day or two into there stay I learned more about there situation. As I learned of this I shared the dream to them and this was just what they needed to hear. Some things I shared with them really helped them push further to another child.

A few days later they where placed with a beautiful girl "Grace". I was blessed with the privilege of going with them to Jinja to meet her for the first time. The moment they brought out little (malnourished) Grace there hearts melted as well did mine. I was able to film this for them and take pictures too. I will never forget that day, it was so special a Mom and Dad meeting there child for the first time.

I wish the rest of this story was as beautiful, but day before yesterday little Grace passed away from breathing difficulties due to TB. She is now in the arms of our Heavenly Father. For one day this little treasure was held in the arms of her forever family. That day was the best day of her life, she had a mom and dad who loved her and they will forever love her. Please keep this family in your prayers.

Rained out

We woke up today in our new house with little food, no stove to cook on(have not bought one yet) and no electricity. It was the perfect opportunity to go to our favorite restaurant and get breakfast. The day started off good because of bad conditions. Just how Uganda loves to treat us. After breakfast we stopped in at the babies home to see all the kids. Then Em and I ran back to the house to get our passports and left Sarah and Jethro at the babies home. We are needing to open a bank account to receive money for some feeding programs. Then started the rain/hale. We ended up stuck back at our house. It was a long heavy storm that did not want to stop. We headed to the coaster stage (bus stop) to wait for a coaster to take us to town. After a very long wait and still no coaster we started walking. The rain started to let up as we walked and we where able to get a boda boda. We picked up Sarah and headed to the bank, well we thought. We ended up in a hour long traffic jam. We arrived at the bank with a few minutes to open an account. That is not enough time especially in Uganda. So tomorrow we will open an account.

So was the day a loss, yes I felt it was. Then God turned a day of bad timing in my opinion, into a very productive day. After the bank fail I headed to the boys home of 42 teenage and younger boys to see how much food is left. I arrived just as they where getting home from school. They slowly trickle in. I start visiting with them and notice how bad there hair is looking. I rounded up 5 of the worst heads and we headed off to the barber. We all sat around while laughing and talking while each kid got there hair cut. These boys where so appreciative of a hair cut. It was a good bonding time. I was able to get 6 hair cuts for $2. So little but so much. I plan on getting the rest of the 37 boys hair cut over the next week. This is something for $10 a month some one could sponsor that would really help out some kids. The boys have enough food for a few mor days and through IVO they will be fed.

House hunters international

We have finished the house hunt. 

It was long and not the easiest thing to do.

HGTV really polishes and glams up house hunting. 
Our first day was 8 people riding in a Toyota 5 seat 4runner.
We looked at many different houses in many different areas.

At one time I asked myself why is this so difficult to find a good safe house in a third world country. Then I realized we are in a third world country.
Nothing is easy.
Little is truly safe.
Then I realized we have a God that can accomplish anything. We lifted the house hunt up to Him and the very next house we looked at was perfect.
Location.
Size.
Price.
Style.
All perfect.

Thank you God for coming to house hunt and providing for us in a time of need. We had a wonderful family donate to us which made it possible to afford this house. 

Now having this house we will be able to hopefully and prayerfully be able to grow our family. More to come on this as doors open.