After breakfast and coffee, we were on the bus and ready for our last day on the work site at Suubi Children’s Village. Soon our bus merged along side of taxies, bikes, motorcycles, pedestrians, and the occasional long horned bull or two; what was once a frightening experience to some of us has now become the norm and actually an enjoyable and entertaining ride. Soon the bustling streets of Kampala were replaced with a less traveled clay road as we drew nearer to the Watoto Village. Riding up front this morning with our driver Stephen, I was overwhelmed with the beauty of the people of Uganda and the creativeness of our Lord. How amazing that God chose to create different races, for us to have different cultures, to do things differently, and to all be created by the one True God!
As we arrived at Suubi, it soon became quite clear that today was definitely one of the hottest days yet. With the classroom so close to being finished, we were not all able to work at the same time, so we would switch off laying brick while others enjoyed the beauty of the campus and visited with students and children.
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| Getting ready to take some gifts to the k |
During our morning break we broke up into small groups and went to meet more children and to pass out the small gifts that some of us had brought with us (Silly Bands, Gum, Stickers, and Crayons). Afterwards, we returned to the classroom walls that were now over 8 feet tall to put the last few rows on top.
Over lunch a few of us shared our testimonies with our team leader Melvin. It is a beautiful thing to be sitting under a makeshift shelter eating PB&J with your Mercy sisters and to hear all that the Lord has done in all of our lives. None of us would have been able to imagine even a short few years ago that we would love life and be able to share with others the redemptive healing that we have received.
Around 4:00 PM, we finished with the classroom and loaded back into the bus tired but thankful for a full day of work and even more so for another day to love and live and share our lives with those around us.
- By Suzanne
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| Me (Suzanne) with some of the kids at Watoto... |
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| Melvin (Host), Nandi, Giovy, Peter (Worker), Katelyn, and Moses (Foreman) - These guys are awesome!! |
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| Working Hard... |
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| Hanging out with the kids... |
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| End of Building Day 3!!! |
My heart is smiling :) I am so glad y'all got to relax a little today and spend time with the children and with each other. One of my favorite things to talk about is how God is working in peoples' lives -- that must have been such a sweet time together! Praying like crazy that your trip continues to bless you all in addition to the people in Uganda like it has been!
ReplyDeleteAnd this message is from Eve who is having a little trouble posting :)
ReplyDeleteFrom Eve:
This has blessed my day! Thanks for sharing. Love these updates so we can all take this incredible journey with your amazing team!!
Praying daily....
Wow! I love hearing the stories about your week. I know that our God is awesome and He had a plan to use each of you on this mission trip even before your time at Mercy!!!! Thank you for all your hard work!! Love to all!
ReplyDeleteActually this is Rachel. Nandi, are you teaching them any soccer, or are they teaching you anything? Someday I want to go on a mission trip to Africa!
ReplyDeleteI love hearing that you had an opportunity to share your testimonies. Also that some would build, some would love on the people and then switch up. Reminds me of Nehemiah of everyone positioned on their posts doing their part! Again, those smiles...love it! Bless the remainder of your time there and I pray you all experience the presence of the Holy Spirit through every part of this journey! Peace!
ReplyDeleteLoving the updates & continuing to pray for ALL of you as you beautifully serve the people of Uganda!!! It is the highlight of my day to see the newest update and pictures posted of how the Lord is using each of you each day :) Love, Joy :)
ReplyDeleteWOW!!! How good God is! I love seeing how God really does have amazing grace on Mercy Sisters because He knows that we have been given all the tools to be able to do all that He wills! I'm so proud to be a part of such an amazing Sisterhood! The MERCY Sisterhood! I pray that every divine appointment is met, every single heart involved is forever changed, and for safe travels home!! xoxo
ReplyDeleteWow!! You did it. What a beautiful way to serve these precious people. May God bless and strengthen each of you!!!
ReplyDeleteI love it! Sow, sow, sow into The Kingdom! Praying for you ladies!!!
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ReplyDeleteI love this! So proud of you all! Special shout out to Natalie, Kristen, and Giovy!! Keep rockin' it ladies!
ReplyDeleteGod is already getting so much glory out of this exeprience! I get goosebumps when I think of all the incredible ways He is ministering to both you guys and the people of Uganda. He is AMAZING! May His purpose be fulfilled!!!
ReplyDeleteOk, I promise I will not complain about N'ville heat again. I can't imagine!
ReplyDeleteThese pics are priceless - such joy in their smiles and hearts! Your updates bless my day!!
I'm with Rachel, Nandi, I wonder if those precious kiddos have taught you any new soccer moves :)
Continuing to lift all of you up in prayer!!
I am SO proud of our Mercy Team!!!! Ladies, you've done an EXCELLENT job!! I'vve enjoyed watching the building process unfold:) I'm blessed to hear of all the precious lessons and revelations that each of you are gaining from this experience!! Way to go, God:) I pray sweet sleep, healthy and HYDRATED bodies, and fun!! Can't wait to read more....
ReplyDeleteWhat a beautiful testimony of how just as you girls laid the foundation and established this building brick by brick...that your testimonies of God's redeeming love was laid brick by brick and has now established a firm foundation in you life that can never be shaken! I am so proud and am moved by God's glory!!!
ReplyDeleteHey Katelyn, Nandi, and TEAM! Words cannot express how proud I am of each and every one of you. As I read these blogs each day and look at all these pictures, I get overwhelmed at God's goodness to all of us. It really does a number on me to see the faces of all of these beautiful young women who walked through the doors of Mercy Ministries so broken, and now here they are so happy and filled with God's love as they serve to help these kids in Uganda. What Gary and Marilyn Skinner have done with Watoto is amazing, and it is such an honor for us to be connected to them. I just wanted each and every one of you to know how I feel that God allowed my path to cross with yours, and to see your heart to go on this trip and pour out the love of Christ in such tangible ways. Believing with you for God to greatly bless each and every one of you, and I know He will!!! Love to all - Nancy
ReplyDeleteMan! I love reading these posts. Sorry I am just now responding, have had a bit of trouble posting on here. I love seeing all the things yall are doing, all the hard physical labor and also all the love you are pouring in and on those sweet babies!!!! You ladies are truly being God's hand and heart extended to those who need it!!! Keep up the hard work and we are praying for yall here in Monroe and give a shout out to Giovy!! ;) Sorry if I missed anyone else from the monroe home, I could not quite see all your faces well in the pictures.
ReplyDeleteAll of you have done such an amazing job. I was thinking about this trip and looking at the pictures, and I was thinking:
ReplyDeleteMercy planted seeds into each one of you...
You grew and blossomed into such beautiful young women.
Now, you're not just planting more seeds, you're literally building love and mercy into the foundations of a ministry that will be reaching so many for years to come. Founations are so important - physical AND spiritual, and it's such a blessing to see God do it through each of you.
It's so exciting to see how crazy, wonderful God's love is and how he works his kindgom... beyond what we could even imagine!!!
Love you ladies and your hearts!
<3