This week at Kawuku

Yesterday (Wednesday) the group at Kawuku wanted to pose for a group picture.




Jana reviewed the Disciple's Cross with the ladies. Teach and reteach. Because next comes the expectation that these women can teach it themselves. We then reviewed it all together, and I led them in practicing the verses in effort to put His word in our hearts. It had been a while since some of these ladies had the feeling of being in 'school'! We talked a lot about how our life looks--how we behave--how others around us see us. Because if we don't walk the talk, there is no point in talking the talk.
And these 3 little girls were running around giggling as they chased the smallest one into the safety of Jake.
Over and over this little one would run around giggling into this safety net.
As I talked about nurturing each others as believers, it was easy to point out the ways we nurture children (as Jana was also holding another sleeping little one snuggled up). Nurturing is for the children, but it is also as we encourage each other in this walk. We are encouraged not to beat each other down with criticism, gossip, judgment. We are to build each other up in love, to correct and rebuke when needed--in love.

More birthday celebrations

This year Karis did not have a huge birthday event. Rather, she had several events celebrating her life over a week.
The first was the night of our Texas Independence Day celebration (pictured in a blog below). And this is of the REAL birthday day as she called it. We took cupcakes to school for her to share with her friends. Homemade cupcakes and with Duncan Hines frosting out of a tub that we found while in Nairobi. Can't get much better than that!!


Her class was sitting patiently for Karis to blow out her candles! I wish you could hear them singing in the 2nd language of Uga-lish. (Ugandan English).














Misti's brother and sister-in-law sent these ice cream sandwich molds. Never mind they didn't make it for Christmas. They were wonderful to add to any day, and it happened to be the week of Karis's birthday. So we added that to the list of her celebrations! =)
I honestly would likely pass this kit by if I lived in the States. But it was so much fun, and SOOO good! Here are our cookies that we cut out and then pushed the molds into to make the faces while the cookies were still warm.


Sophia wanted to also show you the picture she was working on (in between bites of warm cookie off the cookie sheet!)
















Uncle Troy & Aunt Jen: Great find! These were a huge hit and the girls can't wait to make them again!

















And. last but not least:
Here is the Jungle Cake Karis had requested. Because we have no ACC (artificial climate control: ie air conditioning) the Duncan Hines prized frosting on this triple layer butter cake ran down the sides, along with lots of the decorations.
But, no one seemed to mind.
This day was also Jana's REAL birthday day. We were excited to share in celebration of her life and her being here in Uganda.

Explorers...African style

Well, here are our two little Adventurers. Explorers. Times like these I sometimes sing, "Karis, Karis, Karis the Explorer!" and for fun, we also try "Sophia, Sophia, Sophia the Explorer!" and get tongue tied and end up laughing. (for those of you who don't know the significance of the song, you just need two toddler girls around your house for a while and then you'd know it immediately.)


Right before Karis turned 6, we took the girls to the Rain Forest Lodge. You see, kids are free under 6 years.
Our wake up call consisted of a tray of coffee, a warm pot of milk, and a glass of juice delivered to our porch.

What could be a better idea for a wake up call?? Right when you know your kids wake up...you're away from home and the comforts of your own fridge...you need time to get ready for breakfast... and voila: delivered just they way you like it.

And, it provided occupation while we waited on the Red Tail monkeys to make it through the trees to OUR cabin's view.

Then, it was all hushed excitement as we each tried to spot the rustling through the leaves, the monkey calls, the flying primates from branch to branch and tree to tree.

Too bad they were so camouflaged in the dense leaves...but, maybe there are some picts from the other camera I need to download...






So, here are the Explorers, in nightgowns, bare feet, and socks, running through the paths as the monkeys swung by overhead!

Kawuku, revised

Well, the pictures in a post below of the tiny papyrus mat structure are no longer current. That place is now the site of a new small home being built.
Interesting side-note: the new home being built is right on top of the path through the area. So, this new small plot that was bought to build a small home will now cut off the road/path through the area. Genius planning, I tell you.

But, this past Wednesday we met in an area between strips of one-room homes. It's interesting as you can see brick homes, and this round grass roof home (of the oldest woman in the gathering...the round style is typical in a village and would be more what she is probably used to.)

Can you feel the beat of the drums and the praise as we clapped and sang? Can you feel the joy as these women praise together?

I introduced the Disciple's Cross, from the MasterLife book one. It is important concepts for these people to understand. You can also see pictured on the left: Jake, one of our Hands On guys, and on the right: Stephen who is here for 2 years with his wife.
On this day, the pastor Dickens asked Stephen to teach the men with about 1 minute's notice. Typical here. So he led the small group of about 4-5 men while the women and children stayed in this area.

New 'Cluster'

Within our organization, our REGION been known as CESA: Central, Eastern, Southern Africa.
Within a sub-division of CESA, Uganda has been part of the "C" SECTION in the Central area of Africa.
Our Great Lakes CLUSTER has included the three countries of Uganda, Rwanda and Burundi.

Confused yet?

Our organization will soon make the official change to the new demarcation of Equatorial Africa.
Here is a map of our new CLUSTER's countries.
So, our "cluster" is going from 3 countries, to 13 countries.

We highly respect our cluster's leader and are fortunate to be moving forward with him in leadership. He has gone from supervising Ug, Rwanda, Burundi, Kenya and TZ and will be supervising all the countries shown here on the map. It is a big undertaking! Please remember him as he seeks to know new places, new national people groups, and new people working among this vast Cluster.

Here in Uganda, we will also be getting an Associate that will be our immediate supervisor of a smaller grouping of countries and areas. That position is yet to be announced... but please do remember all the people seeking direction as they look to move into these new roles. Changing from having a people group of national African people, to ministering to a people group of missionaries is quite a change in focus. But is is very needed as our organization seeks to structure itself so that we have proper, good and necessary accountability.

Texas Party, and Karis turns 6

So, you'd think we have done this before... but for our first time, we had a Texas Independence Day Celebration!! (Sometimes you just need a reason to plan and have a big party!)
Our Hands On crew headed this party up, and treated us to home made chicken fried steak, gravy, mashed potatoes, home made salsa and home made tortilla chips... home made apple pie from SCRATCH (these guys are amazing!)
And, we Sheltons were able to contribute the 2nd TX flag for the party!! =)


The occasion also was to celebrate Karis turning a bix SIX YEARS OLD. Those of you who saw her in the States in 2006, can you believe your eyes?

She's sitting here in her favorite place: 'Grandad's Chair" named because he gave it to us.

Notice how she's counted out six. Here, the thumb counts number one.














We also made a random connection with a group of 4 girls who live in a village not far from Kampala. Three British gals out of high school on their GAP YEAR (very interesting, do you know what a Brit's gap year is?) and one American girl just out of college have been here working with children through a British program. It was also one of these girl's birthday. So she and Karis blew out their candles in the apple pie together.





Our Texas party was great fun!
Good food
Good friends
Good fellowship

And even fun looking tortilla chips. Where else in the world could you find home made chips in the formation of our beloved State? None other than UGANDA.

Church

Kawuku in a neighborhood about 10 minutes from my house where small groups have been meeting for about 2 years.
This small structure was where they finally were able to get out of the sun for one week. A few days after this picture was taken, the land purchase was final for another individual and they have begun building their own house there.
Pray for the fellowship of believers in this area to find a place for them to meet to worship corporately.