Christmas Day Thinking

Today is Christmas Day….Crazy!  Sometimes I am surprised that I have made it this far.  I am sitting at the picnic table in our compound watching the comings and goings of the day.  Most of the boys are home, some of them are watching a football game, some are listening/dancing to music, and some are in the kitchen putting the final touches on our Christmas meal.  While the boys get worried when I sit alone…it is good for me to take a step back to see where we came from, and where we are today.

As many of you probably saw on facebook, this past week has been full of Christmas happenings.  From decorating our house, to baking Christmas cookies, to watching Christmas movies, to playing Christmas games last night and opening Christmas presents.  While it doesn’t really feel like how Christmas should feel in my mind (no snow or cold weather, although lots of rain!), it has been fun to be able to be here with the boys to celebrate Jesus birth.  I am so proud of all of them and love when I can look back from year to year and see how much they have grown and matured (don’t get me wrong, they still have far to go – like we all do, but they are definitely growing up). 

Sitting here is helping me to gain perspective over the last couple of months.  I won’t pretend that they have been easy, because they have definitely been some of the most challenging months I’ve ever gone through, but God has been faithful and I know that He will continue to see us through.

I realize that it has been forever since I have blogged, so for those of you who haven’t stayed up to date on what is going on, let me try to fill you in.  For starters we have had some staff changes, and Alex is no longer working for us.  We are so proud of Ronnie for stepping up and taking over much of his responsibilities.  George is also here on the weekends and holidays and is a huge help to the smooth running of The Sanctuary, not only with the boys, but being the handy man around the house.  All of these changes mean that I have taken over a much bigger role than I had originally anticipated when coming to Uganda.  During this time of transition I am happy to step up and do the best that I can do.  I have been stretched beyond anything I ever  thought I was capable of handling, but I continue to tell myself that God is the one who placed me here, and even if I have no idea what I’m doing, He does.

Another one of the changes we are in the process of going through is that the original capital which we used to buy the home that the boys are currently living in now needs to be repaid, and we are unable to commit to covering the requested payments. This is due to the fact that there is over $40 000 owing for the purchase of the house. We decided that the best method to address this matter is to sell the house and to obtain an alternate home for the boys.   This whole situation has been difficult on the boys, as to them the house we are in is their first ‘real home,’ it is the place that they find their security.  BUT, we have put much effort into helping them understand that it is GOD, and WE the people who are The Sanctuary, not the actual house itself.  Our security needs to come from God, and not from people or places. At first it was difficult for them to accept/understand, but slowly they are coming to terms with it.

So, as you can see, The Sanctuary has been going through many transitions.  The things that I have ended up doing while I am here are nothing like I thought I would be doing, BUT everything that God knew I would be doing.

Thank you to everyone who has continued to pray for me and support me and all the boys with encouraging phone calls, messages and even packages.  God has used you to be the thing that has helped to keep me going.

Love you all and check our my blog more often, the blogs are coming back!  I'm off to enjoy some Christmas dinner and soda, and than off for an afternoon filled with fun with the boys! (swimming!!! :))

MERRY CHRISTMAS TO ALL!!! 

One of’ those’ moments…..

Let me just start by saying thank you to everyone who has stuck with me, even through the last couple of months of low communication. 

Things here in Uganda have been quite eventful over the last few months.  While at times I was not sure that God had chosen the right person for the job, I am so thankful to Him for seeing all of us through the last couple of months.

Just to quickly update you, The Sanctuary is going through a time of transition, and we are now looking for an older Ugandan couple to partner with us, and help to raise our boys.  We have realized that while we are so thankful for the young Ugandan men and all that they have done for The Sanctuary, the boys need consistent people in their lives (something that can never happen if we continue to hire young men to take such a large active role in running The Sanctuary).  So please pray with us and for us over the next couple of months as we search out a couple that will fit in with the boys at The Sanctuary.

Celebrating Marvin's birthday with Sarah and Marshall!!!

Right now all of the boys have just started writing their end of term 2 exams – then Holidays!  We’ve been blessed over the last month with a study flow of volunteers coming to The Sanctuary, investing their time and money into the boys! 

Now, on to one of ‘these’ moments…as many of you know, in 2008 I came to Uganda with Ann Martin (now Goerz).  During our time here we met many boys living on the streets, which led to the beginnings of The Sanctuary.  Around that time 2 other organizations for street kids also arose – 1morechild and ASCO.  Right now Ann (and Mike her husband) are both here in Uganda visiting us!  This Saturday we (the Sanctuary boys) were all invited to play a game of football with the children of all of these other projects.  Standing back with Ann, watching many of the boys we had met 4 years ago – all now in homes, going to school, having a chance at a future was one of ‘those’ moments.  The moments where you can’t explain what exactly you’re feeling, but you are just blown away by how big our God is, and how thankful you are that He gives you small glimpses into His plans, and His greatness.  Moments when you know that He didn’t have to show you the picture that He has been painting throughout the years – but in his awesomeness, He does.

Now, while I am somehow biased, the best team DID win J (The Sanctuary of course;) But for me, winning the game was not as important as getting the chance to see these boys all being taken care of.  I wanted to share this moment with you, because this is not just a victory for God, or a victory for me, but for you as well.  The role that each of you has played, no matter how big or small has added up to this moment being possible.  If it were not for your letters, emails, prayers, financial support, and more, this moment would not have been possible.  Thank YOU for allowing God to use you to build into and invest in these boys lives!

Moses and I visiting in Masese

Watching the boys play football

Swimming :D

Thanks Sarah and Marshall!

Samuel and Jacob hanging out at the pool.

Some fresh (and much needed) perspective

Sometimes there are moments when I miss the comforts of home – quick/easy food, Tim Horten’s coffee, power that is predictable, no rats, my family and friends.  But then I have moments like this – sitting at Red Chilli, taking some time to myself to reflect on everything that has happened since I got here, and appreciating all that I have here!  Even when things are challenging, or I don’t understand why things go like they do, God is always faithful.  He is always there to remind me that this (coming to Uganda, or The Sanctuary) isn’t about me, but it’s about Him.  Sometimes it is so easy to get caught up in the day to day happenings that you lose focus on what is really going on, and why you are where you are.

To be honest with you, the last month has been a challenge.   I think after a month of being here – I got comfortable.  I thought “God, don’t worry – I got this”, and lost sight of what was really important.   It was like I trusted God to get me here, and then I took charge.  The problem is, there isn’t a single thing I can do here without His help.  That has been the exciting and cool thing to watch as The Sanctuary grows.  None of us – board, staff, etc, especially me has any idea of what we’re doing.  We must trust God in the daily decisions that we make – because we are human, we make mistakes, but God doesn’t.  I completely believe that He called who he has to help with The Sanctuary because he knew that without a doubt, people would see us (the humans involved) and know that there is no way we could be doing what we’re doing without God being involved.  All the glory and the honor of anything involving The Sanctuary can only be given to God!  So, while I know this, coming back Uganda, I somehow forgot.  Not that I wasn’t praying, reading my bible, etc, but I wasn’t giving everything to God like I should have been.

So, I guess this goes to show that I am human.  And as many times as I can learn this lesson, apparently I need to keep learning it!  I pray that you will continue on with me through my journey, and hold me accountable to what God has called me to do (and not to do).  The cool thing about going through a difficult time is that you  draw closer to God.  When everything is going along fine, it’s easy to forget to bring things to the Lord, but when things are a challenge – we are forced to turn to Him to get us through it. 

So the next couple of posts will be trying to catch you up on some of the happenings during the last month.  Thanks to everyone for all your love and prayers and messages!  They continue to encourage me AND everyone at The Sanctuary!  Please continue to pray for us, that God will give us the wisdom and strength to continue to press forward, and for The Sanctuary to be a light in the darkness for all who come into contact with us.

Love, Mel

Johnson and his friend Noah!

Getting my hair done by my friend and neighbour Yvonne :)

Lemukol, Marvin and I going for a walk!

 

Moments like these....

April 19, 2012

The thought of trying to catch up on blogs over the last 2 weeks has got me feeling a bit overwhelmed…so instead I’m just going to tell you about today, and another time I will catch you up (promise!)

Today Alex was gone for the whole day so I was on my own. (Well, as much on your own as you can be in a house full of kids….the primary kids – Robert, David, Mansen, Johnson, Lemukol and even Jacob from senior, were all home today.)

My days start almost the same every day now – the boys start making their way in one by one, someone starts some music, the move around, preparing for school (around 615am). I usually get a knock on my door around 650am from someone needing something – whether pills, lotion, pens, etc. I drag myself out of bed (the rats have me getting less sleep that I’d prefer lol) and then I am up.

Right now we have 2 boys on medication – One for Typhoid and a parasites and another is on anti-biotics. I give them their pills, as well as their lunch time ones and head back to my room to check my email…slowly my rooms starts to fill with secondary boys combing their hair using my mirror, asking to use my lotion (yes, they like twilight woods best!) and making sure that they look ‘smart’ before they head off to school. Today they have 3 exams, then 1 more tomorrow, and they are off for 1 month of holidays!

After saying goodbye to the senior boys I take my bible to the outside couch/bed and drink my tea.

Then the excitement begins, I am sure that I heard rats AGAIN in my closet last night, so I ask Robert to look. He calls Mansen and together they begin to search through my things. Just as they’re about to give up and they call me back into the room, they spot 2! They catch one and bring it outside, laughing and screaming and calling another boy who is still sleeping to come and help. Unfortunately that one gets away, so they head back for the next one. This one is not so fortunate, they manage to kill it (I wont mention how) and dispose of it. Victory! Lol. And on that note, I have found a cat named Rue, who will be coming to live here shortly. Does anyone have any advice for me.. I am NOT a cat person, but I prefer them over rats!

Anyways, after this excitement Robert and I head into town to go visit some old friends at welcome home, as well as another friend in town. Can I mention that on Wednesday it rained most of the afternoon (which as far as I know is pretty unusual around here) so the road to town was pretty muddy and bumpy. On top of that I was in a skirt, it was the boda driver, then Robert, and then me sitting sideways. Needless to say I think I will have bruises on my hip in the morning from not quite fitting onto the seat like I should going up and down bumpy roads!

The afternoon was fairly calm, I did some work with the younger kids, and printed off some colouring pages for them to practice drawing and colouring. The 2 girls from across the road have been here almost every day and they coloured some princess pictures for me to hang on my wall J

Robert, 2 of the girls and I went for a walk in the evening and had fun chatting , picking flowers and taking pictures.

Thursday nights (and Tuesday nights) are devotions nights. This week it was Jacob’s turn and he spoke on Malachi 3:6,7. He did a great job reading and sharing what this verse meant to him, and then the rest of the boys took turns sharing their thoughts.

Most of the boys head off to bed/do revising in their own rooms at this time… (we eat around 845, then devos at 915, so its usually around 10). Tonight one of the boys was sitting alone on the couch and I went and sat with him and asked him if he was ok. This is the boy who will notice when I am feeling sad or frustrated and always ask me the same thing, but today it was my turn. At first he said no, he was fine, but surprisingly shortly after a few moments of silence he opened up to say that he was missing his mother and father. We are planning to take him back the village he grew up in soon to see what family is around (he thinks maybe a jaja, sister and auntie). I’m guessing that thoughts of going back to find family are making him think about what he has lost. It was a hard conversation to have, and tears were shed, and unfortunately another boy came in and took over the conversation, but he said we would talk more about it tomorrow..so please pray for me to know the words to say!

Sometimes living at The Sanctuary is hard. I often find myself in the middle of conversations (or arguments) where I have no idea what is going on because of the language barrier. But, when moments like this happen, and I get the chance to be there for the boys, I know why God has called me here. There are moments when I feel so lost and unsure of what I am doing here, but I know that I am where God has called me to be, and I am humbled to be given the opportunity to be in this position. Please continue praying for me as I struggle to know my role here at The Sanctuary, and to know how to be there in a way that each of the boys need.

Love you all, and will soon catch you up on my recent trip to Masese (the local village, and seeing Moses!)

Good Friday

Today was a good day. The boys didn’t have school today, so I actually got to be around with them for breakfast. Then Alex and I went off to see Randy (from Waterloo) who had so generously donated soccer jersey’s for each of the boys with each of their names on it AS WELL AS their favourite number! We are so thankful for his donation, and the boys were so so happy!

Today being a holiday was the big Nile Breweries Rugby Tournament. The boys school (Jinja S.S.) played in the first couple of games, and of course most of the boys were on the team. I was alittle bit worried, because already the boys have complained of so many injuries from playing rugby, but they were eager and invited me to come and watch. In the end it was only Ambrose and Patrick who ended up playing, and it was very fun to watch. Their team was MUCH smaller than most of the other teams, but even the bigger teams played ‘fair/gentle’, so thankfully, no one was hurt!

Alex and I and some of the boys stayed to watch a bunch of games, and then Alex and I went to get a Rollex (FIRST ONE since arriving! Delicious! J For those of you who don’t know/remember – a rollex is a chapatti with an ommlette inside of it, and then made into a wrap). Then we stopped to use the internet, and I headed off to meet with a lady I had met in Uganda on my last trip who had been here for a week and was leaving on Saturday. She was staying at a guest house in town, so I spent a couple of hours with her, and then walked back to the games. At this point there was a very large crowd, and loud music playing. The environment was exciting, and I watched the final couple of games with Alex, and a couple of mzungu girls that I knew from another project. The boys found us at some point and sat with us as well.

Probably the biggest moment of the day…that I still can’t get from my mind is that I saw Moses today. Moses is a boy who lived at The Sanctuary for over 2 years. He was one of the first boys that we helped. About a year ago he started acting out, not following the rules, curfew, doing chores, attending class, etc. so after many warnings and consequences, we had to ask him to leave. He has contacted me over the last couple of months, always telling me that he misses me, but asking for money. Today at first I could tell he was uncertain as to what to do, but when he finally saw that I was looking for him (he played on the boys teams – so I had already seen him), he came running to give me a hug. It was so difficult. He looks so different – more wild, carefree and yet hardened. We talked for a bit, and then I promised to meet him in Masese on Monday and got his number so that I could call him.

Walking away from him then, and even now when I think about it is very difficult. I know that he made his choices, and that maybe I cannot do something to help him, but I will always feel like he is one of my boys. Even though it has been so long, I continue to pray for him, and ask you to do the same. God and put Moses in a special place in my heart..I don’t know why, but I won’t stop praying.

Anyways, after the games, I went back home to find some of the younger boys who had been around the house all day. I went for a quick walk with them before it got dark and then came home.

George showed up tonite and so he and I and a bunch of boys sat around and talked for the rest of the night. It was a lovely evening relaxing on the front porch and enjoying learning from each other!

Sula Bulungi (good night)

The first week….

I think that I am spoiled…Everyone here at The Sanctuary is taking such good care of me. Alex has been great, taking me on the bike where I need to go, buying extra food for me so that I get the nutrients my mzungu body needs lol (like extra fruit, lettuce, cucumbers, etc.) The boys have been saving eggs over the last while for me, so that when I prefer eggs for a meal, they are there. The young boys never let me enter the compound after coming from town carrying anything, they always run to carry it….my meals always contain more of the veggies/meat/etc. and less of the posho. Like I said..i am spoiled. Mind you, who knows how long this will last, but for now I will enjoy it.

It has been really fun to be around the boys over the last week, and to see how they have changed, and boy have they changed! Things that I had to remind them to do over and over before I left, are now done without a thought. Small things like wiping the table after a meal, going to bed on time, actually finishing the kitchen cleaning (not leaving floors with crumbs, or counters with food still on them) they are now doing. Of course there are still things that they need reminders on, but they have really stepped up taking on their responsibilities.

Not only have they changed in how they do their chores, but they are also more mature, right down to David and Robert. What once would have for sure caused an argument will now just be a joke. The older boys have really taken on the challenge of setting a good example to the younger boys, and if the young ones are having issues, they will try to work them out with them first before bringing it all to the staff’s attention.

Don’t get me wrong, things are not perfect, but it is really exciting to see how much the boys have changed and matured over 1 year. I am very proud of them!

My days have been divided into thrids. All of the boys are gone to school from when they wake up, until about 1pm, then the younger boys come home, and around 530 the rest of the boys come home. The first part of my day is catching up on emails, working on budgets, paperwork, sorting through paperwork, etc. The second part is working with the boys get prepare lunch, and then spending time with them. Sometimes that is playing games, going for a walk, and lately it has been washing and cleaning their things in their rooms. The last part of my day is with the older boys (and younger). When they first come home it is relaxing time. Some go to play football, others do their chores, or just hang out. I usually sit on the front couch with whoever is around and chat about their days, etc. Sometimes I will go in to Bukaya with some of them to buy bread or oil or whatever we might need for the meal and next day. At 8pm everyone is expected to be home, and this is when the boys revise. I will either help them with their work, or make questions for the younger boys to keep them busy while the other boys are studying. If we’re lucky, we get supper around 9pm, and after that they either continue to revise, or do laundry (uniform cleaning for the next day..etc). And that is my day. Pretty great eh?

Evenings are also when Alex and I will meet with any of the boys how are having issues or complaints. Last night we spent an hour talking individually to 2 boys who are having a difficult time getting along. Sometimes it is a challenge to be in that role, but it is necessary, and in the end I am thankful that I get to be here…for the good times, and the not so fun times. It is all part of raising these boys to be men of Christ, and mature and responsible human beings.

Sunday Sunday – April 1

Today started off with a trip to visit the LC1 (Local Council). Whenever you have someone new staying at your house, you are required to inform him so that he is aware of who is living in his town. Alex and I had tried to go visit him 2 times the day before, but he was never around.

The LC is a funny man. He likes to make jokes, and watches how you respond. We called first this time (to make sure that he WAS around) and even though we were told he was, he wasn’t. (TIA-This is Africa). We were told to sit and wait, so we did. He soon showed up, followed by 2 other people who wanted to speak to him, but we were helped first. It turned out that he wanted me to tell him (again) the names of everyone living at The Sanctuary, and their ages. Once we did that, we had to pay money just so that we could get a stamp saying that he now knew this information. What is comical and frustrating all at the same time, is that even as the line up to talk to him grew, he took his good old time, carefully writing out each boys names, as well as our names…it was a long process. Finally though we were finished and we walked away happy. The LC has a lot of power, and can essentially deny you what you need if he is so inclined, so we were happy.

This meeting with the LC happened just before church, which of course meant that I would be late for my first church service (not that this bothered me – although it would be been nice to be early atleast for the FIRST time!). We got back and went with most of the boys to church. Church is in Jinja, so we have to pay bodas to take everyone to church.

Church with the boys put a smile on my face. I don’t know what it is about worshipping and learning together, but I love it J

Leaving my church back home was hard. I love all of my youth kids, and friends at that church, and on my last Sunday there, I felt really sad to be leaving. Being at church in Uganda though was better then I thought it would/could be! The worship was great! And the speaking was so good too (and relevant – for myself AND the boys). I am so thankful to have a church like that to attend!

On Sunday afternoon I went with the younger boys, plus our neighbors daughter TiTi (Daniella, who I think I will be seeing a lot of) and a few of the older boys for a walk down to the Lake again. It was fun to walk and laugh and play with them. We came up by a place that has a slide and some swings so we spent some time there watching the little ones play. I had the chance to talk more to one of the older boys who filled me in more on his story. To told me more about his life growing up, and the time that he spent in prison because he was in Kampala begging on the streets. He told me about moving around with his mother, who “took too much alcohol” and was not able to provide for him, and how she died on her way back to their village. It was hard to hear his story, but I was so glad that he was willing to be open with me. ALSO, this was one of the boys who I had a very hard time talking to last year because he lacked in his English skills, BUT now I could understand him with no problems.

That night we had a fantastic meal of meat and posho. Although they don’t have a lot of variety, these boys really do know how to cook! The bad news is that the rice is over, so now we eat Posho, posho and posho until the posho is over. As much as I like posho…I am missing the rice.

My evenings are spent hanging out with the boys, whatever that looks like. Often times that is revising with them, or reading their books. Sometimes I go out on the porch with a couple of them and we practice their reading by reading a child’s bible together. I am also trying to work on my LUganda skills, so sometimes I am there beside them revising as well. Other times they want to look up something on the computer or find a better picture of a map that they are studying for a test. Steven was working on memorizing the first 20 elements of the periodic table, so together we can up with a rhyme to help him remember. These are the moments that I love. Getting the chance to invest into each boys life. It doesn’t always have to be some deep meaningful conversation, but just loving on them, and making sure that they know how important they are.

THE RATS!

Most of the boys still have school on Saturdays. For the boys in High School they had school ALL day! The younger boys though had no school, so I spent the morning around with them. I walked in my room at one point and for a moment thought I saw something out of the corner of my eye. I assumed I was imagining things, so I went on. About an hour later I had to go back and get something else, and this time I was sure that I saw something small and black run into the corner of my room. Let me set the room up for you quickly. There is a single bed with a misquito net over it, a big moveable closet with some clothes I had left here from last year, as well as donated items like medical supplies, school supplies, clothing, etc. I am in the process of getting a desk and hopefully a shelf, but until than, that is all. My clothes are all still in my suitcases which are in the far corner of my room.

Anyways, like I do…being a silly mzungu girl…I give a little scream and go out of the room. The boys (3 young ones) come running to find out whats going on. They go into my room..move everything around, and declare me crazy. But I am certain that I saw something, so I decide it is time to go through the things in the closet. As we begin to pull things out, it seems like it is true, I have imagined it..until Robert pulls away some of the clothes…and finds…a hug rest of baby rats! Yep. I immediately exit the room, (which the boys laugh at) and they dispose of the babies. But now I know that the parents have to be somewhere. We take out all of the drawers and find more clothes spoiled by the rats, and rat poop everywhere! Thankfully in a moment when I am no longer in the rooms they find the 2 rats, and chase after them. Unfortunately though, this time the rats a smart…and the escape out the door and out of the house.

The boys (although they find It quite funny that I am so scared) are good to me though, and clean up all of the mess. They take out all of the clothes to be washed, and sweep up and remains. When it is all put away, they declare the room rat free.

So that is that. Until it comes to having to sleep in the house all alone…and in the VERY room rats were living. That night I couldn’t decide whether I should sleep with the light on or off. On meant they were more likely to stay away, but if they DID come back..i would see them. Off meant that if they did come, there was a chance that I could be oblivious...but they feel safer in the dark, so they are more bold. Anyways, I decided for lights off, and God blessed my with a heavy rainfall so I couldn’t hear anything…and eventually fell asleep.

It has been 3 nights now, and still no rats (atleast not to my knowledge). I am becoming more comfortable with coming in and out of my room – especially with the boys around..but the nights are still difficult!

We bought rat poison to catch them if they did return, but so far it has not been put into use. Maybe tonite!

For anyone who knows me, they know that there is nothing that I am more scared of than a rat (or even a mouse – and yes I realize that this is ridiculous). I have always felt that someday my fear of rats would somehow be used to hinder me in my work in Uganda…(that’s how much I hate them)..but I will continue to trust God..AND to recognize that its only a rat..lol.

The beginnings....

Day 3

The last two days in Uganda have been pretty fantastic (minus one event which I will talk about later). On Friday morning I woke up at 5am to someone coming into the house to start preparing breakfast for all of the boys…I was able to fall back in and out of sleep for 3 more hours though…although laying there I could hear people coming and going and singing, doing their chores, and it was greatJ I finally got out of bed around 8am and showered and got ready for the day. I must say that the shower was as unenjoyable as I remembered. Lol. My options are burning or freezing…and I am not sure which one I prefer. Although I should not complain, I am happy to have the option of hot..even if it is scalding.

Breakfast was comprised of bread..and bread..lol. I fortunately brought tea with me, and later in the day I bought some yogurt to go with itJ

The younger boys only have school until 1pm, so in the morning Alex took me to down to by the necessities (like internet and airtime for my phone). When we got back, the young boys were around and we had lunch. I decided that I needed an hour nap, which was a bad idea, because by the time I woke up I could probably have just stayed in bed for the next couple of hours (yay jetlag!).

That afternoon we went for a walk around Bukaya (which is right on Lake Victoria). We toured around, went down by the water, and the boys tried to teach me some luganda. One I remember is Embwa – dog. J

When we got back the rest of the boys were home, and I got huge hugs from the rest of the boys that I hadn’t seen the day before! I was like being back with family. I am so happy that somehow over the last year I have been able to maintain enough of a relationship with the boys that I don’t have to start over again. For the most part it seems that we can pick up right where we left off, which means our conversations are deeper and more meaningful (not all the time of course, but as they happen. I got to jump right back in to helping the boys revise (right now they are all in the middle of tests and exams). My favourite is helping them with French. It is funny for us BOTH to be practicing a language together that is not so familiar.

Another nice change is that the boys now go to bed at 11pm, which means I can actually go to bed then too!

Anyways, more to come soon! Stay tuned for the rat story! :)

The moment has arrived....!

Day 1 in Uganda -2am (7pm home time)

I have arrived! And strangely everything has gone as planned. Although I tried not to have a lot of expectations, so things really couldn’t go OUT of plan…I am surprised with how easily everything has gone.

Lets back up a day to leaving the airport. Ann and my dad drove me, and it was a surprisingly calm and pleasant drive (not me freaking out, or being grumpy, etc…surprising I know;)

Everything with check in went well. I was alittle worried because I had received such a ‘sweet deal’ on my ticket, I wasn’t sure how that would go, but it was great! After goodbyes I was on my way.

This trip has had a different feel from the last trip. I don’t know if its because I am able to trust God more, or because I feel like Uganda is my home away from home, or if its because I haven’t actually allowed myself to feel everything that I have been feeling…but lets just say that there have been a lot less tears. Whether good or bad, those are just the facts J

Anyways, ok flight number one was Toronto to Brussels, which would have been fantastic if not for the drunk older man beside me trying to hold my hand and rub my leg the whole trip. Don’t worry, I continued to put him in his place…but definitely made for an interesting 7.5hrs.

When we arrived at the airport in Brussels I had to take a bus over to the correct terminal. On this bus ride I met another man named Joseph. We talked for the extent of the ride (about 2 min) and then parted ways (or so I thought). I took my place in the crowded waiting area, settling in for a good 3 hrs wait when Joseph appears. Apparently he is in the business class and got permission for me to enter as well J God has a funny way of sending me guardian angels when I am in the airport, and I would say this was another one of them. Inside the lounge all the outside walls were made of glass, the sun was shining in, there were comfortable couches and chairs, it was perfect. To make it even more perfect I had access to free coffee, pastry, wi-fi and more! When he found out that my name was Melissa (the same name as his daughter) it was as if we were meant to be friendsJ lol

Anyway, the next flight was uneventful, I made friends with the girl in the seat beside me who was born in Uganda, but had grown up in Sweden. The rest of the flight went smoothly, I got my visa with no problems at all, found my luggage AND Alex all in the matter of 35 min. (This must be some sort of record!) I feel the need to add that I cannot believe how many white people where travelling with me! I can still remember on my first trip how each flight put us (the mzungu’s) into the smaller and smaller ratio. This time it felt like almost half of the people I travelled with (even up into Entebbe) were white. I guess that goes to show how much the world is changing, and how freely people travel now, even compared to a couple of years ago.

Anyways, Alex had a surprise for me at the airport, Kanyike and Manson came to meet me! These are the only 2 boys I had yet to meet, so I was so happy to get to spend some time with them.

We left the airport at about 11pm, and were back to The Sanctuary by 1amish. Kanyike immediately took my hand and walked me to the car (making sure I didn’t get hit by oncoming traffic), and while Manson was a bit shy at the start, on the ride home we talked about everything from his favourite subject, to the fact that we both like Chris Brown’s music, to how he met Bailey (the girl who brought him to us, and is helping to support him).

Let me just share a couple of things with you that I had somehow pushed out of my mind since I had left. Driving on the wrong side of the road! (this is especially stressful at night..and when your tired, and when your brain keeps forgetting that you’re in a different country!) The smell of burning garbage…which was somehow a surprisingly comforting smell. The traffic - people coming and going on cars, bodas (motorcycles), bicycles, on foot…going every which way, and not appearing to have any sort of order or rules they are following. How hot it is, even at night. Speaking of which, as I type I am on my bed, under my misquito net…feeling quite warm!...can’t figure out how to turn the fan on..or if it even works.lol). Anyways, on to the highlight of my day – seeing all of the boys.

When we pulled up to the house it looked as if everyone might have been sleeping (as they should have been given it is a school night, and 1am) but, then David comes bursting through the gate and gives me the biggest hug I have received in a long time! The hug lasted for so long, until I pulled away to see how tall he has gotten (I swear he is a head taller!) and then pulled him in for another hug! For all the challenges that David can (and will) bring, I love him so much! And am so happy that he has stayed with us here at The Sanctuary for so long now. Next came Aaron. I could tell he had just woken up, but he immediately came to take my luggage, and when I finally caught him, I got another long hug. I knew Aaron very well, but he never lived at The Sanctuary while I was there. I am excited to have the chance to get to know him better. On the phone a couple of months earlier we had made a deal that I would teach him how to swim, and he would teach me Luganda, so here’s hoping!

Steven, Jacob and Ronnie came into the house looking like they had woken up from the middle of their sleep (which they had) and gave me a quick welcome and hug and I sent them off back to bed! When I came back to the living room Saidon was just sitting there, smiling. I gave him a hug and sat down beside him and chatted with all of the boys who were up. They had saved supper for me (although I was not very hungry, but you know how it goes, you MUST eat your food. The good thing is it was rice, beans, cabbage AND beef!! I was spoiled! And while I couldn’t eat it all (even though they insisted I should), it was great.

Last but not least (atleast for tonite) was Robert. As many of you know, Robert has and always will have a special place in my heart. He too had just woken up, so he gave me a hug and hurried off. He has been struggling with Malaria over the last couple of days and it is getting worse. He now has a rash on the outside of his mouth and on his neck. Tomorrow we are going to find out more information on what is going on. Please keep him in your prayers!

Anyways, its about 245 am, and I know that I should be trying to sleep…but want to try to put into words for your sake, and for my sake what I am feeling. In the last 30 min before arriving I started to get nervous. I really want to be part of these boys lives, and I want to be able to help them grow and mature emotionally, spiritually, etc. I continue to pray for God to lead me in how I act and what I say. Its funny, because even as I lay here and am writing this, it almost feels as if I have never left. I mean, my room is looking pretty sad, and I need some furniture for sure, but when it comes to being involved in the boys lives, I feel like March 5, 2011 was yesterday, and I am here almost like I always have. Being here with the boys feels like being home. Its hard, and complicated (especially when they have conversations in different languages or look at me like they might be expecting something) but it feels right.

My prayer is that God will use me however he needs to, so that I can provide these boys with consistency, love, value and more.

Anyways, my sleeping pill (which I figured I deserved with Jet lag and all) is starting to kick in, and although its only 8pm at home, its about 3am here. So I should be sleeping. Tomorrow I will get to see the rest of the boys, as well as figure out how to get internet back to The Sanctuary!

Welcome to the start of my adventures in Uganda….stay tuned for more!

I'm going back!!

Dear Friends,

As you know, I have been struggling with the idea of returning to Uganda ever since coming home from my 5 month stay there from Oct 2010 to March 2011. Going back to The Sanctuary and working with the boys has been on my heart since my return.

When I first came back to Waterloo, I wanted to make sure that it was really God’s call on my heart for me to go back and not just my emotions getting in the way of making this huge decision. I only wanted to go back to Uganda if that was where God wanted me to be. I needed to make sure that my motives were clear. I miss the boys and feel called to go back. Whether they are talking about their days, about a problem they had at school, about worries for their displaced families, or a question about what they learned at church, I want to be there to listen and advise them. To teach them that they were created for a purpose, and were made by a God who loves them so much more then I can ever love them. As I get to know them more, and better understand what they are going through, I can better understand how we, The Sanctuary, can help them prepare for the future. I also want to help better equip our staff in ways to support the boys, both emotionally and spiritually.

After much thought, prayer, and discussion with the mentors in my life, I have come to the conclusion that God has given me this desire to return to Uganda, and that He is calling me to go back.

Just being able to share this with you is more exciting for me than you can imagine. I have been dreaming about making this decision since the day that I stepped onto the plane in Entebbe after a tearful goodbye to all of the boys.

God has worked in so many powerful ways throughout my trips to Uganda, and I am excited to see what He has in store for The Sanctuary. This is His project, and these are His boys! I am humbled to be part of the plan He has for their lives, and for the possibility that the lives of other youth might be reached.

If you are receiving this letter it means that you have a played a huge role in all of the things that have been happening in my life, and in the lives of all the boys at The Sanctuary, and I want to say thank you! It is only through God’s grace that any of this has come to be.

My plan is to stay in Uganda for 1 year, leaving at the end of March 2012. My goal is to be able to live off of $700/month. In addition to my monthly expenses, I will need to raise extra support to cover health insurance, furniture, medical costs, visas, etc. Due to these expenses, the total amount I need to raise is approximately $12,000.

Thank you for all that you have done already for The Sanctuary, and for supporting me as well. Please recognize that I would not be here today if it were not for your support. God is using YOU to accomplish His work in Uganda, and I am so honored that you have trusted me with carrying that out. If you have any questions or concerns, please feel free to contact me with the information that you will find at the bottom of this page.

So what does this mean for you?

What I am looking for are sponsors who will commit to supporting me on a monthly basis, (ie $25, $50, $100/month) as well as one time sponsors who can help me to cover initial costs. If this is an area that you feel called to support me in, please see next page for information you will need to help.

One child at a time…

Melissa Maertens

Contact Information

Email: melmaer@gmail.com

Phone Number: 519-291-8115

Website: www.ugandastreetkids.com