Team 20 Day 5&6

After a much needed sleep in, a bowl of cornflakes and two cups of coffee we dressed up in our Sunday best and walked on over to church. The two and a half hour service started with a couple of songs (and by a couple, I mean a couple of hundred) that went a long with clapping and dancing. It was great to see people worship with such enthusiasm and without a care in the world. Before the pastor said a few words, we all stood up to introduce ourselves, and it’s easy to say that they very much love visitors. The pastor gave some stories on encouragement and appreciation, which is something we are all learning whilst on this trip.

Back at Suubi house, lunch consisted of more fresh bread with peanut butter, Nutella and honey (snickers sandwich anyone?) After our tummys were full we headed into town on a bus for some free time! Some went to cafes to fill their tummys even more and others went shopping, arguing about prices, 25000 shillings for some pants? No thanks!

Later on, dinner was had at sunset hotel that over looked the Nile, we weren’t complaining! I guess you could say a full day of food, everyone was ready for a nap.

Monday morning, up at 7:30 ready for another brekky of chapatti and pineapple. Shoes on, hat on, water bottle filled and two layers of sunscreen, we walked down to the VOH. Back to work! One group finished off house 14 and another group dug out a long trench. It doesn’t sound like much but when you’re working under the boiling sun it feels like a lot!

The foundations of the new kitchen for our farmer was dug and cemented, the trench for the water tap was dug by some ‘enthusiastic’ young ladies, making quite creative use of tools. 

House 11 & 12 began to get some fresh white paint on the eaves with ‘most’ of the paint actually making onto the timber!!

House 13 was finished ready for a roof. The mortar for bricking ran out with one brick left to lay!!  So we channeled Robert Kafeero from some years back by scraping up some of the dry mortar that had dropped and re-wet it to be used again!!

A hot, burnt and weary team of people came back to Suubi to collapse in chairs and enjoy a small ice cream…  a day well done!!

- Georgia (assisted by Hannah and Meg!)

The last level!!

These look nice.... some worked too!! :)

Dale the builder.. oversight 101

Our trusty water jerry can carrier!

A new kitchen & bathroom begins

Great looking foundations..

The awesome trench to lay water pipes!

House 13 officially done... 'cept for a roof of course!

Team 20 Day 4

Saturday the 3^rd of January 2016.

We arose early for a fantastic breakfast of pancakes, Mandazi (rectangular doughnut things) with various spreads and the usual doxycycline (anti-malaria) tablets. We shared our meal on the upper deck and were bathed in another beautiful God given day.

Tom shared his devotion sourced from the books of Matthew and Romans for us to contemplate. We have been blessed with the coherence of the team.

After a short walk, we entered the gates of the Village of hope. We were greeted by children who were intrigued with our work gear, the hats, sunnies, work gloves, etc.

After a short team meeting, we were allocated various tasks that we set to with great gusto. Many hands made light work of shifting the mud bricks nearer to the unfinished carcass of House 14. Most of the team took to the scaffolding to start laying the bricks. They were applying machunga (a mortar mix of local dirt, some sand, lime powder, molasses and water) like pros in no time.

Our aim was to lay 3 courses to the external and internal walls so the Builders to follow could construct the roof structure over. After a four our stint, we returned to Suubi House on foot dusty, dirty and a little sore. But the feeling of exhilaration seemed a common factor as we shared our thoughts.

We shared our lunch in the in the dining room, another great meal. Seasoned vegetables wrapped in a chapatti, then deep fried. Delicious !

After a short relax, we headed back to complete our task. Following another short walk to the VOH  an enthusiastic crew launched into the project again. The synchronicity  of the team was more apparent as they layed the final courses efficiently.

While being sore and covered in the red dust that permeates our pores, the feeling of connection within the team far outweighed any other discomfort experienced.  

The walk back seemed shorter this time, knowing that our small contribution helps to make life better some of Gods children.

Andrew provided us a small treat on our return. After a much-needed shower to remove the days grime, we sit on the porch admiring the African sunset scooping our ice cream tubs waiting for the dinner call.

We are truly blessed to be able to serve here, we pray for the continuing success of the mission.

Peter..

Hard at it....straight away!

Dad....... I dug a hole!!

Ok ladies, left me show you how it's done!

Who you gonna call?  Dust busters!

Look who I found hanging out!

Team 20 Day 3..

To welcome in the first day of the New Year, the team was able to choose what they would like to do in the morning, for Uganda’s public holiday. Some of the team made the decision to attend a Church service, while others decided to use their time to explore the main town of Jinja.

After being reunited for a lunch prepared by Juliet, the team was able to have a small timeout to get ready for the much-anticipated visit to the house of hope. The House of hope is a home for Ugandan children who have a disability. On arrival very excited children, and an ever-welcoming Mumma Edith greeted the team. 

Edith, took the team on a tour of the House of Hope, and took the time to grace us all with the story of how she became both the founder and director. The team was then able to spend some time with the children and provided them with both love and attention. A highlight of the day was seeing the relationship, between the women who work there and their children, as they celebrated their guests with a dance and sing along.

Post supper the team was forded the opportunity to have some time to reflect on what they had seen today, and how both individually and as a team they were impacted by the experience. There was an overwhelming sense of both a trust in God and admiration for the strength and love that Edith demonstrates towards her children and purpose. 

We were very fortunate to have had the opportunity to spend some time with the children, and women at the House of hope and look forward to working closely with them in the future.

Check out our pics below..

Time for a walk

Mzungus dance too!!

Just holding the kids..

Just holding the kids..

Just holding the kids..

Just holding the kids..

Music.......

..and dancing..

Team 20 Arrives in Uganda

It all began in Brisbane International airport, where the Brisbanites relaxed over fried rice and chocolate milkshakes. After a sleepless 14-hour flight to Dubai, the team was united with some friendly faces from Melbourne followed by sorely needed re-caffeinating.

The missing piece of the Uganda Team 20 jigsaw puzzle was put in place as the final four members from Ireland met the team in Entebbe International. After an hour-long wait to pass through customs and a minor case of luggage lost in transit, it was official. WE ARE IN UGANDA!

We were warmly greeted by Robert Kafeero outside the airport; aside from the 4 hour transit time, our bus trip to Suubi house was rather fruitful with plentiful purchases of bananas to keep us afloat during the trip from local farmers.

Thursday morning, our first full day in Uganda, began with classic rolexes, pineapple and passion fruit for breakfast prepared by the ever-amazing Juliet and her team of freedom fryers. Andrew lead us in devotion on the Suubi house rooftop, encouraging us to make every encounter with team members, children and mothers of the village a valuable opportunity for us to leave an “aroma” of Christlikeness behind.

As the year is coming to a close, construction work is planned to reconvene on Saturday in Jinja, therefore the team have been blessed with a few days off and used the first day to visit the Village of Hope and spend time with the children. For those in the team who had been to the Village before, it was a time of renewing old friendships and forging new bonds with the children that had since come to the Village, while first comers were inundated with excited, smiling children waiting to greet and hold hands, play with hair and read books with the team members.

After lunch, the team spent the afternoon in Jinja town browsing local art and craft stores, searching out the best milkshakes and exhausting ATMs of Ugandan Shillings. While in Jinja, new fridges and freezers were purchased for Suubi house to replace the current fridge which occasionally welcomes guests with zaps of love.

To celebrate New Year’s Eve, the team went out to dinner to a common favourite, 2 Friends/All Friends; fortunately we beat the midnight rush!

Relaxing back at Suubi house this evening, most of the team are finding it increasingly difficult to stay up for the midnight stroke. As we look toward tomorrow and the new year, we’re reminded of how the efforts of HopeBuilders have been blessed over the past year and are thankful for those back in Australia, those in the ground in Uganda and the international friends and partners of HopeBuilders. It’s exciting to see the opportunities that lay before the Village of Hope and you just can’t help but wonder where God will take this project in the next year.

Be blessed,

Team 20.

Check out a few pics below.... we promise to 'rev up' our pic takers for more in the future blog posts!!

We're here.... well almost...

See, we are excited!!

The view from our breakfast 'deck'

Traffic Uganda.. and this is quiet!

A fantastic New years eve meal!!