A "good" Friday

On Passover/Good Friday, we had a fun task to do which we were excited about.  

A good friend of mine works for a radio station here in Arua, and every year she decorates eggs to hand out to all her employees.  This year the number was 300 eggs!

They are always so impressed.  Some of the people think she raises "special chickens" that produce these eggs ;)

The task seemed daunting...and then my three kids arrived.

They were knocking them out left and right.

Part of the beginning

It was quite a set-up

Taken from each end of the table...and there were still more elsewhere.

We finished in record time...no surprise.

Then we had a good lunch and decided to go down to look at some of the crafts that were on display at the radio station.

Two men at the station go into the villages to collect crafts kids have made.  It helps show the kids they can do anything they put their mind to, and then it gives them the privilege of being "on display" somewhere.


Here is a SMALL sampling of what we saw.

LOVE the satellite dish :)

Talk about "using what you got..."

Well, the truth is...we didn't make it to the crafts so speedily.

We took a detour so I could show the kids and the two Fusion girls who were with us, the sound booths where all the "action" takes place at the radio.

While we were looking in the window of the studio a man came up and introduced himself and said he needed a child to read something on the radio for him.

Kylie really didn't want to do it, but I knew she could.

We walked in the room, and when he gave her the three pages of announcements to read, she gained some confidence.

She was reading nine different announcements about special service times for children to listen to the Easter message.

The grammar was off a bit in about three of them including the one below (like saying "As the church symbols" vs "As the church symbolizes") , so I helped correct the wording, and she did a great job reading.  She read them over and over until she got them, and I think she had fun.

The best part was listening during the kids' program on Saturday afternoon while we did chores around the house.  I heard her SEVEN different times.  One time, I was out hanging laundry on the line, and I heard her on the radio next door, which was on a different frequency.

Everyone listens to the radio here for their news.  Alice even came in Monday, and said, "I was trying to figure out how someone that sounded like Kylie was on the radio."

Another fun experience.

Did you know?

Four members of Istrouma Baptist Church came to Arua last month.

They had a couple of nights here coming and going to and from their journey to a town north of here.

Doug and Kylie drove them north and stayed with them while they were there.  Kylie informed me that they had a bunch of "boring meetings," but that was just her take on things ;)



Istrouma has a sports ministry and lots of connections with teams, and they graciously brought a LOT of baseball equipment for Doug's ministry here with the students.

Caleb immediately put on the catcher's outfit until he saw the batting helmets, and then, not only did he want one, but the girls wanted one, too.

Our children have actually been to an Astros game, but they don't really remember it, and I think this was the first time they had really seen these.

So...they decided to put them on (backward) and watch "Star Wars" and pretend they were either Darth Vader or a storm trooper.

Did you know that batting helmets resemble Darth Vadar's helmet...apparently.

Go figure.

 

 Well, it didn't stop there.  They wore them as they got ready for bed.  

I had to take a picture of this because I was cracking up as they brushed their teeth.  

They couldn't even bend over to spit because their helmets kept banging the little shelf that's attached to the wall in our bathroom.

 And it didn't stop there.

All three of them came tot he breakfast table the next day wearing them.

Caleb - always with the faces...

And, of course, you know the rest of the story...

They continued like this the rest of the day during home school.

Someone, PLEASE, tell me what the fascination is with a batting helmet because I have yet to figure it out.

Pedicure appointment of sorts...

After studying with Kylie in their tent all morning, Caleb informed me he had a splinter deep in his foot.

It was pretty impossible to get out, so I suggested soaking it in warm, salt water.

Well, it didn't take long for the girls to gather their chairs.


Girls are like moths to a flame when it comes to getting her feet soaked in warm water.

Well, you can see it didn't stop there. 

When it was lunch time, they requested their meals be brought to them while they had their "pedicure appointment."

I think kids need a little pampering every now and then, and if this is all they request...

I'm good with that.

More Praises and Prayer requests at the Prison

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On March 22, at the prison, we talked about all the sins of the world, past, present, and future, being put upon Jesus on the cross.  And when I asked them why God had turned His back on Jesus on the cross, the women did not know why.

It was another great week of discussion.  Some of these women are really thinking about the truths they are hearing and the seriousness of sin.

Even though a few women had been released the last week, there were two new women.  "A1" was very quiet, but the other one, "A2," shared that not only is she in prison, but one of her sons was on the men’s side.  Her second son was dead, and her last born is in P7 (6^th grade) and living at home alone.

There are so many stories like that.  I hope things like this don’t happen in America, but I’m sure they do.

*  "P" delivered the week I was gone to Kampala.  Florence and I didn’t even know she was pregnant.

*  Another one is pregnant, and we are taking her a Maama Kit when we return next week.

*  The new, quiet one, "A1," and "F," whom we prayed for because of her bad dreams two weeks ago, say that whenever they hear the Word of God, it makes them want to cry.  I think God is working on their hearts, and I told them so.  Pray for them to hear exactly what HE wants them to hear.

*  One of the ladies who is always angry and wearing a chip on her shoulder, said she wanted to give thanks to God for protection while she has been in prison.  Her sentence is over next month. 

*  "M" who has a vibrant personality,  said she was so scared when she was given her three year conviction, but with four months left, she also gave God thanks for His protection.

We listened to many prayer requests for children, mothers, brothers, etc, and Florence said, "Aren't any of you going to ask for prayers for your husbands?"  There was much laughter.

"S" said her dead child's spirit visits her, and she asked for prayers.

Many of the women talked about the Wizards that walk around at night and turn into animals.  They say they hear them, and they would like us to pray against them.  

As you can see, there is still a spiritual battle going on here, but I really do see things changing for the better, little by little.

If nothing else, the Truth is brought to them on an almost weekly basis.