Jeanne Evans reports from Haiti!

Jeanne and Roberta preparing meds for first clinic.

Today I got to have my morning time break on the Guest House patio. There was shade from a mango tree and as I sat there, I got to listen to the local happenings.  A couple of streets down the way, there were a group of worshipers singing praises to God. The tunes sounded familiar but the words, not so much. The street beyond our wall was quite busy. Besides vehicles, people were walking along greeting neighbors, children were having fun with some kind of game and industrious folk were going along hawking their wares. Then, Bam! The breeze knocked another ripe mango off the tree onto the tin roof which covers part of the patio! I laughed out loud and thought to myself, this is all part of being in Haiti.

The couple who are the innkeepers of the Guest House this year is David and Charlene May. They are this delightful, Christian couple who don't happen to believe one should retire from doing God's work just because they've retired! I want to grow up to be just like them! They are busy organizing and creating a welcoming atmosphere here. Roberta is doing well this year, after recovering from surgery last year. She's also very busy! There are 19 children in the Sonlight Children's Home she mothers. For almost 3 months, she has had help with homeschooling her 5-8 year old kiddos by a young lady named Melissa. Melissa says, "it's been wonderful!  I've been blessed and have learned so much!"  I've seen the pictures from some of their activities; I think the blessings have gone both ways!

Last Thursday night, Charlene invited all from Roberta's over for a traditional Hmong dinner. As it turns out, they have been part of the St Paul Urban Ministries where Rob and Heather Starnes are now serving. It was a great  evening closing with a devotional. Roberta has some wonderful singers in her home and Dave continued a study about being ready, a theme he's been discussing with the young ones when they get together. I sat between two tired little boys who found a comfortable spot for their heads on my arms, precious!  I got in a lot of hugging, some snuggle time after dinner with a little fellow and caught up with some of the older children. These children are part of the reason I come a week before the rest of my team.

Another reason I come early, is an opportunity to prepare for the first clinic which occurs the day after the majority of the team arrives. Medicines are sent ahead and they always need unpacking(Roberta helped), sorting and dividing for each day of clinic. This  year I'm happy to report that I wrapped up that preparation today! Since I got that done (with help from several children and handy adults), i just started on the next clinic day's preparation. I'll continue to prep but I have a day scheduled with kindergartens on Monday; it involves paint, should be fun!

Thanks everyone for your prayers; please always keep Haiti in your prayers and all our brothers and sisters here. Hope I'll get to write again; thanks for letting me share!
Blessings,
Jeanne

New photos from NTCC meeting!

Steve Kenney leading us to the NTCC meeting, a little nervous.

Steve teaching from Colossians 2.

Dear Readers, Here is an update: Sunday night September 3, we attended Living stream meeting which is a meeting of young adults. We were super encouraged by the faith they cling to.

On Monday, September, 3, 2012 [we visited] chicken project in Ndejje, a 40 minute drive from Kampala. The goal is to train folks how to care for chickens and to begin a life-care group. Ndejje is a mostly Muslim community. Nearby is a village called Kibiri where a school is being built. Kindergarten will begin in March. There is one teacher so far, but needs two since expectation is 30 students.

Later we visited Chebondo village for lunch at Okello's house where a wonderful meal was served.

On Tuesday we went to Gganda where the church meets in the front yard of Jonathan Katerega who recently converted from practicing witchcraft. Some of us walked to a site where witchcraft was practiced, but due to recent conversions has been turned into a site where young Christians sleep. The holy spirit of God has now replaced the bad spirits. Willington, a Christian from Kampala church, told me that, "Most converts from witchcraft love God more because of the bad place from which they have come."

On Wednesday we spent the day at Wabegalo church. There we sang, the children performed, Steve spoke, and we ate a large meal together. Five people were baptized. They showed much bravery since the idea of submerging one's head under water here is terrifying. We toured the maize project where Jim took soil samples determining that lime was needed for the best corn crop. It is about 2 acres in size. Corn is needed because it stores easily in times of drought.

On Thursday plans to visit the new church-plant in Kasangiti changed when part of the team visited
an injured friend. In the evening we visited a life group at Emmanual's home. Many are from Congo.

Blessings,
Leslie

New photos & videos from Uganda mission team!

Click the link below to see photo and video galleries of the mission team in Uganda!
Uganda Mission team photo & video galleries

First week in Uganda

Dear Readers, this is Leslie. Much has happened since we arrived in Uganda. From Tuesday to Friday, the North Central team of Jim Risk, Nancy Harbron, Steve Kenney, and me, along with Isaac Sanyu and Francis from Kampala church, visited Queen Elizabeth Wildlife Park. Highlights include being charged by a wild elephant and later, our van being surrounded by 50 plus lively baboons (we have videos). Friday we drove to Kampala and met new church friends. To exchange currency we did so at a Michelin Tyre [sic] store (aren't all Michelin Tire Stores so hospitable?). On Saturday we ate breakfast in the hotel lobby. They bring hot milk and you use a teaspoon of Sanka per cup. Sanka's very popular.

Speaking to the Women of Grace about the hospitality of God.

Later I spoke to the Women of Grace group about the hospitality of God; how God, since Abraham and Sara, has worked through the foreigner, the stranger and through the marginalized. And as a counter cultural movement in the heritage of Abraham, our history as Christians also carry the designation as foreigner and stranger. And so it was especially poignant for me as a foreigner to speak about the experiences of foreigners and sojourners of God. But our little team from NCCOC are not strangers for it is clear that we have true fellowship with the Kampala church. It also was ironic to speak to such hospitable people about hospitality. But my aim was to give their works a framework within the story of God; that small acts of hospitality are really loving acts to Jesus; that a glass of water in His name has spiritual impact; that because he first loved, we too love. I presented the women with a poster, 'Welcome to the Table of the Lord,' a reproduction of a painting my friend Brenda Brown made for me. Nancy presented many gifts and enjoyed many reunions.
Our team had lunch at Seth's house and spent several hours in great conversation with Seth, Terzol and Blaza Blaza, young men from the congregation. Jim had his picture taken with a 200 year old tortoise and happily interacted with 7-year-old John, a little boy from the congregation whom we brought along with us. All enjoyed our time together. 

Steve Kenney teaching in Ganda about the four legs of a table.

In the family life class, Steve spoke and conversation was stimulating as our two cultures discussed challenges families face. We are looking forward to a new week and many home and new church-plant visits.

Mission team off to Kampala, Uganda!

Kampala mission team of Leslie Kenney, Jim Risk, Nancy Harbron and Steve Kenney.

Jim Risk, part of the Kampala mission team, is learning about the chicken project.

Leslie Kenney is teaching women about the hospitality of God.

New Friends in Honduras

We are home now and glad to have had safe and uneventful trips to Indiana. We left many old and new friends back in Honduras whom we look forward to seeing again someday. Here's just a few of the people we met: 

-- volunteering at Solidaridad


Millie and Nancy volunteer with Solidaridad, but Millie works for UNO / Group Terra, a gas station chain in Honduras that has donated old vinyl advertising banners that are repurposed into children's back packs.

Sherry Moyner and her family moved from Lewisburg, PA. Sherry helps empower women with knitting and crocheting skills so the women of Izopo can sell their wares.

Edmundo is a Boy Scout leader who has been volunteering with Solidaridad for 2 1/2 years bringing his older scouts to teach crafts to children. This year the scouts taught origami. They also work with Walmart in Tegucigalpa with food matching. For every item donated Walmart donates a like item, which is distributed to families in Izopo.

Claudia and Osman have been working with Solidaridad 3 years and 2 years respectively. They teach bible lessons and songs to children while their mothers participate in adult lessons (knitting, gardening, parenting, etc.)

Irena and her sister Larissa are new to Solidaridad. Irena is an executive in a group that works with ''international cooperation.'' Like our North Central team, they came to watch Solidaridad in action.

Hanging out at Baxter Institute:

Carol Bailey, a missionary from Ft Worth, Texas comes to Honduras once a year and along with an interpreter visits with people in mountain villages and shares Jesus love for them. Carol also spends a significant amount of time taking Jesus to Russia and Ukraine.

  Jay Abel's, former missionary in Argentina, spends at least two weeks a year in Honduran mountains preaching Jesus. Together at times and separately at times, Carol and Jay work in eight individual churches northwest of Tegucigalpa.

Students at Baxter Institute:

Fior from Dominican Republic.
Yader Sanchez from Nicaragua
Ruben Diaz, from Honduras. This semester all are studying Theology, Hebrew, English and Pastoral Letters. We met several times with Baxter students to play games, to sing and to practice English.

These are just a few of the people we met. With some we will continue friendships through Facebook, but for others, especially those without access to a computer or to Internet, we'll see them next year. In fact that's why we took so many photos and why we recorded names; so we can remember the relationships not as a ministry or admission effort, but as special friendships created- and through His power- united in Christ.

Blessings,
Leslie Kenney