Trip Recap part 3 - Amecet

Since the last team visit to Soroti, we've been hearing a lot about Amecet, the home that offers short-term care for children infected and affected by HIV. The last time the team went there, Adrian was ruined (see previous post).

Going there I was mentally prepared for a solemn afternoon. When we sat down with Els, the lady who started and continues to run the home, she tells of horrific stories of how she found these children, some of them abandoned in a garbage dumps, some of them rescued from the altars of witchcraft, their small bodies full of cuts and burns. She remembers all the children that have come and gone. Her eyes still tear up when she talks about them.

Adrian asked her about the little girl that broke his heart last year. Sadly, she didn't make it. She died shortly after the last visit.

We got a tour of the house. Even though they care for very sick children, the place felt more of a home than a hospital.  They have three shifts of staff providing 24/7 care to the children.  It seemed like the children were really loved and nurtured here. They are taught stories about Jesus, how to pray, and how to take their anti-retroviral drugs (ARVs), among other things.

Then we got to play with the children. Adrian brought out the box of toys we brought from Canada--singing Elmos, hot wheels, dinosaurs, dolls...

Adrian unpacking the box of toys for Amecet

Here we are having fun with the children.

Ryan, Theresa and baby

Japheth with Helen

Robert and Buzz Lightyear

It occurred to us that Japheth and Robert themselves probably have never had a chance to play with nice, battery-powered toys like this. It was a pleasure to watch Robert so captivated with a talking Buzz Lightyear.

David holding baby Moses

Denise and baby

Sherene playing with a young girl

The whole scene

We're so glad to have had this chance to spend a light-hearted, fun-filled afternoon with these children who have already endured so much in their young lives. Adrian said that the experience this day brought a lot of healing to him. We all had a good day!

More information on Amecet can be found here: http://amecet-soroti.blogspot.com/

Trip Recap Part 2 - Tororo

Welcome to DC Tororo

We arrived into town around noon. Our first stop -- Deliverance Church Tororo -- the mother church located in town, where we were greeted by Pastor Philemon, his wife Florence, and several other church members.

It was going to be an action-packed day. We start off with a visit to DC Rubongi. Afterwards, the ladies split off to minister to the Mar women group while the men stay behind. Then we rendezvous back in Rubongi, and together head back to town to hold an evening service at the main church.  Our schedule was so tight that lunch was reduced to munching on dry chapatis in the van.

Rubongi

When we got to DC Rubongi, they welcomed us with these wonderfully prepared fruit platters. The fruit was sweet, succulent, and hits the spot!

Enjoying fruit in Rubongi

After our stomachs were satisfied, we went for a tour of the "Organics for Orphans" garden located on the church grounds. This was a project initiated by Herman, another team member who visited last year. Produce grown from this garden is nurtured using natural methods, using organic pesticides, practising crop rotation to maintain soil health, and doing strategic planting of crops which complement one another. A portion of the harvest is distributed to widows and orphans in the community.

We visited during the start of the dry season when they have just finished harvesting, so the garden was sparse, with only a few crops left behind for collecting seeds.

Tour of the Organics for Orphans garden

Following the tour, we enjoyed the second course of the "snack" that they prepared for us.  Snack was a delicious plate of BBQ chicken, Irish potatoes, fried bread (similar to banock), and more chapati!  We ate until we couldn't eat anymore.

Enjoying "snack" in Rubongi

Mar women group

Following that, the ladies left to go to DC Kidara where Pastor Amos and the Mar women group were waiting to receive us. The Mar women are a group of business-minded village women who are champions for HIV/AIDS victims in their community. They grow crops, make clothes to sell, even run a small-scale microfinance operation, with the proceeds going to help feed, clothe, and provide for the vulnerable.

We also met one of the honorary members of the group--a man, a professional accountant who is also a church member. He's there to teach the women the basics of accounting and bookkeeping. He was quite proud of the women group boasting that the women are very quick learners. In such a short time, they have  managed to accomplish a lot. One of their biggest accomplishments last year was being able to partake in buying a cow together to celebrate the Christmas holidays with meat!

Mar women group

We were so moved by what they were already doing. Our desire was just to build them up and encourage them. Theresa shared some practical tips on how to combat caregiver burnout. Sherene encouraged them with the word of God. We prayed together, ate some cake together, and after a short time of fellowship, we had to head back.

DC Rubongi service

Meanwhile, back in DC Rubongi, the boys were holding a service where Rodney spoke, and during ministry they prayed for people who were sick. Many came up afterwards to testify of the healing that they had received.

Service in DC Rubongi

Sometime in the afternoon, Ryan and David also went out with Rubongi's HIV/AIDS home-based care team to visit and pray for the sick.

HIV/AIDS home-based care visitation

DC Tororo service

Finally, we headed back to town to hold evening service in DC Tororo where Adrian preached and we did prayer ministry for people.

Service in DC Tororo

Farewell Tororo

The next morning, the pastors came by to send us off. We took this group picture prior to hitting the road to our next destination, Soroti.

Tororo group picture
[Left to right]: Pastor Amos, Florence, Pastor Philemon, Michael, Pastor Joseph,
Noah, Denise, Rodney, Sherene, Ryan, Theresa, David