Update on Oscar

On Sunday, we were getting ready to go to church at the Soroti Town Baptist Church. The area churches were having a assembly with all the local churches. As we were getting ready to leave, Oscar showed up at our gate with his siblings and they were all ready to go to church. They were all smiles. Since the door to our church was locked they didn't know where to go, so that is how they ended up at our gate.
We had a van load, but we decided we would love the kids to come to church with us so they all piled in the boot(back) of the van and we were off. We had driven a little way down our dirt road and I hear Oscar saying "Toto", which in Teso mean Mom. I looked out the back window and there was their mom. I invited her to come to church with us also, and she accepted. I was so thrilled!
We spent the whole day together. We left our home at 9:30 and arrived home at 5:30. It was so wonderful to be able to share that time with her and her children.
Please continue to pray for this young family! Pray that God will reveal himself to this young mother and her children! Pray also for my friend Catherine and I that God will give us the right words to say to her.

Oscar's Family

Oscar is a handsome little boy at our church. He doesn't always come, but when he does he just melts my heart. He usually comes with his younger siblings and he is in charge of them. He is quite fascinated with my watch and loves to listen to the little beeps it makes. My friends at church were wondering who this little boy was and thought maybe he was mine. I also was asking them who he was and were his parents were.  One Sunday the mother also showed up for church and I was so excited to see the love she has for them. She also is so incredibly young. I finally found where they lived and I have felt God calling me to minister to this young mom and her children. 

I have stopped to greet them before with my friend Catherine and today we went for a short visit. We brought them a small gift and prayed with them. When I asked her if I could pray for her, she asked if I was asking her to pray to be "born again". She said she wasn't ready for that. I told her that I was praying for God to heal her family and praying that God would reveal himself to her. I was so glad for our visit and I plan to visit her more often. I pray that someday she will know the peace of God and also his salvation! 

Mom with Charles

Oscar!!

Justine

Kate trying to hug Justine

Me with my handsome little men, Collins and Oscar!

Collins

Meet Rose

Meet my friend Rose, she goes to our church and has ten children. I think she is beautiful and I find her children delightful. One of her older daughters is Miriam and she has somehow captured my attention. She seems genuine and sweet, just like her mother. Miriam would love to be a midwife someday and I ask you to join me in praying for her dreams to be fulfilled. 

On Thursday, we were invited to visit with Miriam and her family. We took the afternoon off school and we took boda boda's over to her village. The prepared us a meal of Achok(sweet potatoes) and G-nut paste soup, which is one of my favorite meals. They also prepared meat, cabbage, rice and potatoes. It was a wonderful meal, but the best part was being with this wonderful family. 

This is Rose, always smiling and laughing! or yelling at one of her children! LOL 

This is Rose's son Paul, he is Drew's age.

Becca(left) is also Rose's daughter and this is her friend Teddy, they were in the kitchen cooking, if you notice the smoke.

These are typical Ugandan chairs. When you arrive in the village you are given a chair in the shade and then you sit and wait.

Aaron is Troy's age and is also one of Rose's children.

This is Miriam, she is a beautiful girl and I thank her for welcoming me to her village and allowing me to be at home there. She has taught me how to dig potatoes. She has brought me to the well to pump water and she is always laughing at me as I try to do her hard work! 

She amazes me!!

Playing games in the dirt!

Digging Potatoes!

Even my boys ( Joshua 1, Joshua 2, Emma Drew and Troy) got in on the fun!

In this picture the boys are watching Amy (teacher) learn how to dig! They all thought they could do it better than her, but I think she proved them wrong!

Amy learning to dig!

We were all quite impressed with her large potato!

The boys decided to go swimming in the crop! 

If you look closely, you will see the many bugs that they kicked up! 

On a walk

On Saturday, we decided to talk a walk to our neighbors.  He is raising pigs and we were excited to see the little babies! He has many children and he is teaching this skill to help pay for their education. He also has turkey's. Two that are now in our yard fattening up for Thanksgiving day! 

On our way back to our house, we walked upon this wonderfully huge snake skin! I saw it, but didn't really want them to pick it up. Steve and the boys had other ideas! Of course, Kate had to get in on it too!

Safari with Grandpa and Grandma Zylstra and Amy Hoogeveen!

You can tell how old a giraffe is by the darkness of his spots! This one is quite old!

Even Kate enjoyed riding on top of the van for the Safari! 

In front of the hippo lake with our guide, Sam!

We saw a lot of elephants this safari! An African Elephant has ears that are shaped like Africa.

The Crested Crane is the official bird of Uganda! Drew captured some great shots of them flying away.

Our guide was a little nervous about this water buffalo. He was a loner and they call them "losers". They are kicked out of the herd because they are too mean and old!

Walking to see the herd of giraffes!

Loving her daddy!

Jackson's Heartabeast

Grandpa and Grandma at Sipi Falls

At the top of Crow's Nest

Sipi Falls

We hiked up a mountain after my parents had just flown for two days! I think they look great, but really tired!!

Troy enjoyed the front of the boat and Grandpa's hat!

My beautiful girl, so happy to have Grandpa and Grandma here!