Moving Pictures with Sounds! (i.e. Videos!)

There's just a way a video can convey so much more than words and photos even combined.

My friend and fellow missionary, Melody Warford of Stone Soup Media, visited the island earlier this year, spending several days at Shepherd's Heart and filming the various missionaries and projects. What she did with the information and footage is truly amazing!

The mission field requires many people of diverse skills and I feel blessed that Melody shared her gifts to help proclaim the incredible things God is doing on the islands.

The first video focuses more on what I am involved in on the island, and the second is more about the overall ministry of Shepherd's Heart, the ministry I am privileged to serve in.

Light Chasing the Darkness

A view of Katonga village on the eastern end of Lingira Island.

 Katonga village had a reputation.

The second largest of the three main villages on the island, Katonga had been known for its stronghold of alcoholism and witchcraft. If you wanted to "party" on the island, go to Katonga. One of the primary witch doctors lived there (until about four years ago when he was eaten by a crocodile).

The oppression and darkness could literally be felt as you entered the village with its random scattering of mud homes, shops and bars. Few of the village's many children attended school.

Churches had started there and later "collapsed" because of sin in the congregation, a lack of a good foundation, and other damaging factors. The remaining Christians were few and despised by their neighbors.

As a ministry of SHIM we often prayed for Katonga for God to bring light and change there.

And He is doing it.

Around two years ago, Philip, an elder in the local church, began teaching discipleship classes for the handful of Katonga believers. Faithfully, he would open his home each week for prayer and Bible study - shining the small light with which he had been entrusted.

Then over days and months other people of the village embraced salvation and those who had been backslid returned to their faith. And the small fellowship began to grow, slowly by slowly.

Members of the Katonga fellowship with other island friends. Elder Philip who started the weekly gathering is pictured fourth from the right. We said goodbye to Philip that day as he moved to the mainland to be with his family.

 Oliver, a mother of many, came to salvation after her home was burned by fire and the local Christians reached out to her as she spent most of her days under a tree with her young family.

On a recent Sunday, Andrew of Katonga stood before the church and told of being away from Christ for about eight years and having recently returned. Viewed as a "pastor" on the island, there is no doubt that his wayward ways had also caused others to stumble. And yet, the "prodigal" had come back. (I put pastor in quotes because of the many island pastors have had no formal training - some cannot read or write - and yet are put in leadership positions in the church.)

In those eight years as a prodigal, Andrew spoke of being "caned" by God as his Heavenly Father attempted to get his attention. "God has been wanting me to serve, but I have always refused," he said on that recent Sunday.

In those years, he lost several thousand dollars and suffered the death of three children, including his only son. It was at the burial of this dear and long-awaited son, that Andrew turned again to the truth of God's Word and realized how far he had fallen.

Now, Andrew says, "I have come back to serve."

He and his wife knelt before the church to be prayed for as a couple and a family. It will take some time for Andrew to recover the ground he lost and to again be fed with the "milk" of the Word, so he can someday teach and lead others, including his own family.

One of the women of Katonga being baptized in 2011. She and her husband were among the local leaders, before leaving the island later in 2011.

 It's a good thing that God is patient. With all of us.

Even as Katonga appeared to be so "dark" for so long, God's light was there. He never gave up on Katonga. By His grace and faithfulness that light has grown and is expanding.

Now Katonga is an example to the other island communities and its believers are challenging others by their growing faith and godly examples. Presently, the majority of the village's children attend school and families go to church together.

Since the Fall God has been working to restore mankind to Himself. Some areas and some people seem harder to "reach," yet God does - not - give - up. He loves His children so much that He will continue to pursue them, even the prodigal with the hardest of hearts.

I praise God for His love and faithfulness toward Katonga and its people. And I look forward to the work He will continue and accomplish there.

"And I am certain that God, who began the good work within you, will continue his work until it is finally finished on the day when Christ Jesus returns." - Philippians 1:6

A Plea to the Maker of Young Hearts

Some of Uganda's young people

I scan their faces and wonder what they are thinking. Are they hearing? I study their eyes. Do I see a gleam of understanding, of receptivity? Are they just taking in words, or are they grasping what is being communicated in heartfelt tones?

When I find myself facing a group of students in church or in a school assembly here, I often have such thoughts.

At times tears come to my eyes as I wish with all my heart they knew the depth of their Creator's love for them. I pray they someday grasp how great a plan their Heavenly Father has for each of their lives. I long that they know Jesus as a Savior, Friend, Refuge, Confidant and Guide.

Sometimes the Ugandan youth remind me of teenagers elsewhere. They live for today, but many often don't consider how today's choices will alter their tomorrows. Messages of purity, abstinence, standing strong, staying in school, etc. are repeated over and over again. I wonder if they become weary of these familiar themes and tune them out?

We exhort them to get good grades, respect their authorities, don't bully others, consider your neighbors, etc. Yes, these are among the messages we tell the island youth. Sound familiar, huh, to what might be shared with an American adolescent or teenager?

I believe young people around the world have dreams, passions, fears, and insecurities that follow the same veins. They want to be valued, listened to, appreciated, respected. Yet, their culture, backgrounds, family relations, poverty level, status, etc. are as diverse as their appearances, surroundings and locations on planet Earth.

I find myself sometimes stumped by how to reach these kids. Am I just spouting off streams of words that vaporize before they enter their heads and hearts? Or spinning my wheels as I teach, mentor, disciple, befriend?

Only God knows. And only He knows what will actually penetrate these young and impressionable lives to bring true transformation according to His  purposes. After all, He designed them, formed them and wrote out their days before they were born (Psalm 139). 

Heavenly Father, please give me grace, wisdom, discernment, patience and divine understanding as I work with the youth of Uganda. Grant me vision to see them as You do. Help me to be a vessel to show them Who You are and who they are because of Your love, grace and forgiveness. Amen.

(I very much covet your prayers as I pray, plan and prepare for the coming second term and the months ahead. I have run dry of creative ideas and energy and really need God's leading and inspiration. Thanks so much!)

Island Life, Part 3 - "Dos and Don'ts"

(This is the third in an occasional series about life on Lingira Island. For part 1, click here. For part 2, click here.)

Life on an island can be an interesting experience. But maybe you have already figured that out if you read the first two posts in this series. This post is about the "dos and don'ts" of life on Lingira.

• We do not have vehicles on the island, perhaps because there aren't roads, only paths. There is one motorcycle, which was given to the police, but they wondered what to do with it without roads to run it on. So someone is using it to ferry people and loads, for a profit, on one of the more level paths that runs between two villages. SHIM has its trusty "car," an orange wheelbarrow, which comes in very handy for transporting things around our property, or down to the school or boat. On Wednesdays, I would frequently load up the wheelbarrow with several computers, the generator, extension cord, power cord, and my teaching materials and wheel it all down to the school for classes.

 David and Andrew enjoying some time in SHIM's island "car."

• You do not pass someone without offering at least a simply greeting. You do say something like "Oli otya," a combination of "Good afternoon and how are you," or "wee bali" ("thank you"), or "jee bali," which means "well done." You say the latter no matter what the person you pass is doing, even if they are just sitting there. : )

• As noted in other posts, we do not have running water here. We do have three water tanks, however, which hold rain water caught off the roofs. Whether you are washing dishes, bathing, washing clothes, mopping, etc., you must first get your rainwater, putting it in a bucket or basin. No indoor plumbing also equals no flushing toilets. We have some nice pit latrines (outhouses) though. ; )

Workers last year building our 7,000-gallon tank for catching rainwater off the roof of the admin. building.

• Though we don't have running water, we do have Internet. There are priorities, you know. : )

• There are no electrical instruments or equipment used in our island church, but honestly I don't think we need them. In a recent conversation with one of the island teachers, he commented that those things were missing, therefore I might also miss them. No, I said, if I had to choose where to worship in Uganda, I would choose our simple, but exuberant island church. I love the combination of the traditional drums, the rythmic clapping, the deafening shouting, the joyous dancing and the overall enthusiasm of the people to be in God's house. A keyboard or mics maybe would add something, but in my opinion they would only detract from the island people's wholehearted gift of worship and praise to their God.

This video is actually of another island church, but the exuberant praise and worship is much the same as my own church.

• We do not have supermarkets on the island, but we do have simple island shops where you can buy the basic items - flour, soap, sugar, soda, biscuits (cookies), etc. By the way, soda and biscuits are necessary items, especially if visitors land on your doorstep. It is customary to give them something to eat or drink.

• We don't have apples or grapes, but we do have pineapple, mangos, papaya, oranges, lemons, as well as tomatoes, eggplant, lettuce, maize (corn), pumpkins, watermelon, passion fruit, sweet potatoes, millet, sesame seed, cassava (a root, like a potato) - all grown on this island! Much of these things I mentioned are grown in the SHIM gardens. It is like living in a fruit basket!

A glimpse of SHIM's flourishing gardens. They are under the oversight of the visionary and talented Julius Twali - our "agriculture man." He is shown in the top and lower middle photos. Justus, a helper, is shown on the left in the lower photo.

There are other island "dos and don'ts," but they will have to wait for a future post. I do have other work to get done, so I don't get behind. :)

Hope Grows

Our God is amazing!

So let me explain the background for my opening. :) I love the spiritual illustrations that can be had from a simple seed. Honestly, I am amazed at how a seed, even those that are about the size of a pin-head, can be planted and grow into something so much bigger - many times the size of the original. This just baffles my mind and makes me reverently thank my Creator for His "amazingness."

And so many times He also "plants" an idea or a thought or an action that grows, and grows and grows.

When by God's prompting I started The Suubi Project in May while home on furlough in the states, I really had no idea where it would go or how it would grow. ("Suubi" means "hope" in Luganda.)

I wanted to help the island secondary school - Lingira Living Hope, and find something to do in my downtime. I have made cards for a number of years and a few years ago began using my photos for the cards.

So The Suubi Project was launched - to raise money for school building projects, to raise awareness of the school and the ministry on the island, to give me "something" to do, and to share my Ugandan photos with folks at home.

By the time I returned in mid-August to Uganda, the "project" had generated $1100 for the school projects! Family, friends, fellow missionaries, supporters, and friends and co-workers of family, bought the cards. I even had a recent request from here in Uganda! :)

What God did with The Suubi Project "seed" amazed me!

Even as I write there is a team of workers at the school. They are building the new girls' "pit latrine," (outhouse).

The boys' dorm, which was not finished when I left the island in April, now has windows, doors and started being used by the boys last term. Now the new pit latrine is underway and there are plans for a new girls' dorm.

 The boys' dorm at Lingira Living Hope

So, what is the future of The Suubi Project, now that I am back in Uganda? Well, my mom graciously agreed to continue making the cards. I will continue to receive orders by e-mail and thanks to technology, can easily pass them on to my mom. : )

Since the school's building projects seem to be going along well, I am thinking of changing the project's focus a bit.

 The girls' pit latrine being "built." Unfortunately, two monitor lizards already found the bottom of this deep pit.

Earlier this year, Shepherd's Heart International Ministry (SHIM), which I work with, and specifically our Child Development Program, of which I am the "coordinator," teamed up with the school (LLHSS) to begin a new program, with the aim of benefiting more island students. The "cost-sharing" program pays 40% of students' fees, if they or their parents/guardians can pay the other 60% within the first month of the term.

In the past, the school has struggled to "collect" all of the fees in a timely manner and students are sent home again and again, to bring back more tuition. But they also miss valuable class time and their grades can suffer.

The cost-sharing program has been a huge success,  with about 90% of the students benefiting from it. However, it was a program begun in faith. When we started it, we did not have a designated funding source, and still do not. We rely on the generosity of sponsors and other givers to SHIM.

So in the future, until God says differently, money raised by The Suubi Project will go to support the cost-sharing program, which is benefiting a number of island and mainland students.

As I have said before, education here in Uganda is a privilege, not a right. Young men and women literally cry and beg to be able to go to school as they know that is a key to a better future. (BTW, check out the article I wrote for my hometown newspaper, The Clatskanie Chief - "Publishing Hope".)

If you haven't seen it already, check out "The Suubi Project" page on this blog (see top, below banner). There you will find photos of the school, students, and the Ugandan photo cards, that are available for purchase. :) Also, The Suubi "Hope" Project is on Facebook, so be sure to stop by, "like" it and say hi, too. And if you would like to promote the "project" on your blog or site, grab the button at the top right of the page. I would be so grateful. :)

Like I said at the beginning of this post, our God is amazing! He can take small, seemingly insignificant things, like a seed, and grow them beyond what we could have ever imagined. Thank you to all who have given to The Suubi Project.

If you would be interested in giving to SHIM, the school or the cost-sharing project specifically, financial gifts can be sent to Global Outreach International, P.O. Box 1, Tupelo, MS, 38802. Please note what the money is designated for. Any contribution, no matter the size, does make a difference. :) Just remember the seed...

"I tell you the truth, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, 'Move from here to there' and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you." - Matthew 17:20

Image credit: Microsoft Office clipart

Kulikayo!

The view toward the lake from the front veranda of my "home" on Lingira Island.

It has been like music to my ears to hear "Kulikayo!" and "Welcome back!" in the last few days since I arrived on Lingira Island - my second home. "Kulikayo" (pronounced kuh-lee-keye-o) is Luganda for "welcome back."

After not riding in a boat since I left Uganda, I headed to the port Friday afternoon. Within a minute of arriving at Masesee, the rain came and I ducked under a tin-roofed building to wait out the storm. I was pleasantly surprised to meet one of our sponsored students there who was also headed to Lingira, so I chatted with her as we waited.

After the rain stopped, I decided to board the board, which was not a wise decision. It has been only a handful of times that rain has caught me while on a boat, so I thought it was humorous that on my first trip to the island since my furlough, the rain found me. Thank the Lord for black tarps to hide under and kind people who made sure my bags stayed mostly dry. : )

The cost for the trip to Lingira has gone up about 20 cents since I left, so I am thinking the increase went toward the free shower I received. : )  "Wet Season Special - Fare to Lingira Island - Includes Free Shower."

Thankfully, the rain did not follow us the entire 15-mile trek to the island and partway we were able to come out from under tarps to enjoy the warm air and the pleasant views.

Upon setting foot on Lingira, I was graciously welcomed by some of the secondary teachers (who I was surprised to see since the school is on holiday), a couple of students, members of my SHIM family and other friends.

At left, the new student garden at the secondary school. 

Below, sweet potato mounds in the student garden.

Friday evening was topped off when a "film" was shown at SHIM, with the teachers, some of their family members, and other friends as our guests. Buttery popcorn was served and the lights were extinguished in anticipation of a movie featuring incredible animals created by our awesome God. It was a joy to hear and see the Ugandans' reactions to the creatures projected on the wall, and the amazing features and abilities God has given them. I am sure they had never laid eyes on some of the critters, like salmon, penguins, polar bears, an Australian lizard and others.

I am happy to see how the SHIM base on the island is thriving - especially the gardens! I grabbed my camera this afternoon and thought I would share with you what is growing around here (aside from David and Johnathan - who are incredibly cute!)

 Oranges! We have five orange trees on our island property.

Passion fruit - it makes a delicious juice.

It was pure delight to be back in the island church Sunday morning. The lively and joyful worship was refreshing and the messages seemed so fitting. The people also graciously extended me a hand of welcome.

The Smith family enjoying the Sunday worship service.

Sunday afternoon found Grace and Agnes busy roasting "sim-sim," sesame seeds, above, while Mama O, below, "pounded" millet to prepare it for grinding.

On Monday, a friend, Emma, with a little help from David, helped prepare a nursery bed to plant some of the seeds I brought from the U.S. I have never been a "green thumb," but I am excited to try again. : )

Ready for seeds!

It is good to be back on Lingira Island - my second home. : )

A Videos Page

Hi All!

I have taken a lot of videos during my time in Uganda and I wanted a place for them on the blog, so I just created a "Videos" page. Many of them were "filmed" on Lingira Island in southern Uganda, where I am serving as a missionary.

Click the "Videos" tab above, grab some popcorn (just kidding!), enjoy and stay tuned for more! :)

New Videos!

It has been a long time since I posted videos on here. I tried multiple times to upload videos to YouTube while in Uganda and nearly always failed. So, I am thrilled to be back to hi-speed wireless so I can better share with you what God is doing on Lingira Island!

These videos (see below) are ones I took of the school - Lingira Living Hope Secondary School (LLHSS) - the day before I left the island (April 24, 2011). Since its founding in February 2006, God has raised up Lingira Living Hope and made it a light to the islands and beyond. Permanent buildings are going up, enrollment has increased and there is a spiritual fervor and an insatiable hunger for God and His Word among the students.

Lingira Living Hope in February 2007 - one year after its founding. The structure was wood and boards were almost constantly having to be replaced because of termite damage.

Only God could raise up such a school in a place where education is hardly valued and parents struggle so much to pay for their children's education. It is one of only two secondary schools on the 52 islands that make up the Buvuma chain on Lake Victoria.

Me in November 2006 speaking to the students inside their wood-walled classroom.

Before LLHSS, students had few options after they completed the primary (elementary) level. Because mainland schools are expensive and not easily accessible, young island men and women often quit studying and began working. The boys turned to fishing and it was not unusual for the girls to be married off at 13 or 14.

"But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong." - 1 Corinthians 1:27

When the school began, many in the nearby camps prophesied its demise. And up until this school year (which began in February), the challenges (financial, issues with staff, working with the government, etc.) seemed insurmountable. But, this year, after many heartfelt and persistent prayers, we began to see God meeting these challenges in a big way.

The school was recently chosen to receive some government funding and is very close to being approved as a testing center for our top class. (In the past, our Senior 4s had to spend about six weeks at another unfamiliar but "registered" school, away from their own teachers and peers, before they took their final exam at this level. Our kids often got sick and were not treated or cared for properly, thus affecting their results.)

Lingira Living Hope - April 2011 - sustained by God's grace and thriving after five years.

The office and classroom building is no longer wood, but is of permanent brick and concrete and boasts glass windows and solar power. Other permanent buildings are going up, too! Even more students are expected to come for the second term, which begins May 23.

One of the students being baptized in March. More than half of the 13 new believers baptized in Lake Victoria were LLHSS students.

I am excited for what God will continue to do in and through Lingira Living Hope as it fulfills its vision - "Hope for Transformation."

Enjoy the videos! (Sorry in advance for the quality. :( )

Please keep praying for LLHSS - its teachers, students, financial needs, and most of all that God would be glorified in this island school!

P.S. For more about LLHSS, visit the SHIM website, http://www.shimuganda.com/ and the "Educational and Child Development Programs" page under the "Branches of Ministry" tab.

Lovin' Lingira Living Hope

This afternoon as I walked through the grounds of our island secondary school, I felt as if in a ghost town. The classrooms and dorms were virtually empty, the noise of chattering voices had ceased, and the familiar sight of students dressed in blue and white uniforms had vanished.

Just a short time before I had waved goodbye to the last boatload of students, who were headed home for the holiday - to an island about four hours further into the lake.

Lingira Living Hope's recently-completed classroom block

Friday marked the end of the first term of 2011 for Lingira Living Hope Secondary School. And, I miss the students already. I said and heard "I will miss you" many times during the last few days. And, it is with bittersweet sadness that I think about leaving the island in little more than a week.

The two and half months of this term have been some of the busiest and most challenging during my 15 months in Uganda, but those weeks have also been among the most fulfilling for me. God has grown and deepened my love for the school and the students during this time. I have so enjoyed these young people as I have taught computer classes, led Bible studies with the girls, smiled proudly as I watched them perform in the choir and lead in praise and worship, chatted after classes and had meaningful one-on-one conversations with different ones.

A few of the Lingira Living Hope girls, from left, Christine, Marion, Rose, Anna and Esther

God has given me a passion for young people and I feel so blessed and privileged to be working with the school and the students here.

The school is improving as new buildings are going up and the enrollment increases. But, it is the students who really bring life to Lingira Living Hope. They contribute so much to the school, to Shepherd's Heart, to the church, to the community and to this island. And, that is so obvious when they go on holiday (breaks between terms) and the campus is quiet and empty.

I wholeheartedly believe that these young men and women are the future of this island and the communities throughout Uganda from which they come. I also believe God will use them in a mighty way to fulfill the school's mission of "Hope for Transformation," through Christ, our "Living Hope."

I will miss the students very much, but I look forward to when we meet again.

Morning Star ladies after our last gathering of the term

"Where There is No Doctor"

Imagine traveling hours by boat to visit a medical clinic for a persisting condition.

Imagine traveling over the water when you are terribly sick, with the flu, malaria or worse.

Imagine hiking over rocks and on dusty, narrow paths under the intense tropical sun to reach a place where you can purchase medicine for your sick child, if you happen to have the money, if the personnel are on duty, and if they have the right medicine in stock.

Imagine you are in incredible labor, but the only person available to help you, has received no formal medical training. And, the nearest qualified personnel can only be reached by crossing a large, sometimes unforgiving lake.

The incredible healthcare needs of the islands really hit home yesterday.

As Mama O and I waited in the boat to make the trip to Lingira from Jinja, the woman behind us seriously cut her finger. As usual, there were several other boats anchored at the port, and the choppy water kept knocking the vessels together. Not being a customary traveler of the water, the woman had inadvertantly held on to the side of our boat, just before a neighboring one hit ours, deeply cutting her finger.

I remembered I had bandaids in my backpack (which I had only recently put there) and also "happened" to find an eyeglass cleaning cloth, which had alcohol on it and I thought might help to clean the wound. With the help of Mama O, the woman tried cleaning her bleeding finger, initially washing it in the dirty lake water in the bottom of the boat, before we gasped and pursuaded her otherwise. The bandaids were too small, but they helped to slow the bleeding and protect her finger for the hour and a half boat ride ahead.

As we crossed the choppy lake to Lingira, I commented to Mama O that I hoped the woman lived near the island clinic, so she could get her finger properly treated. I was concerned that it could be easily infected.

As we landed sometime later, we learned the woman was only briefly stopping in Lingira, before continuing on to another island to visit her sister. Before catching the next boat, Mama O invited the woman to come to Shepherd's Heart where we had adequate medical supplies to better dress her finger. (On a side note, we learned the woman was a believer and may be from the same tribe as Papa O.)

Yesterday evening, I also heard of a woman in one of the local island camps who recently delivered twins. However, because the person attending her was not properly trained, both babies died shortly after birth. And, in the days following, the mother continues to be in intense pain.

Bearing children on the islands can be a definite challenge. Many women do give birth here. But if they encounter complications they are subject to the once-a-day-to-mainland schedules of the public boats. As you know, babies usually don't arrive on a schedule. A couple of years ago, one local island mother did give birth to her son in the SHIM boat on the lake at night. She named him Moses since he was born on the water. : )

Pastor Waboka and his wife Susan welcomed a healthy baby girl, Esther, last September. She was delivered safely and without complications on the island. 

YWAM (Youth With a Mission) has operated a clinic in Lingira camp (about a 20-minute walk from SHIM's base) for a number of years. But, it has struggled with retaining staff, getting adequate funding and supplies from the government, and having those who receive services actually pay for them.

We at SHIM are fairly well stocked and I am so grateful for Karina and Mama O, who are trained nurses and have seen and treated many patients over the years. I feel much safer knowing they are around.

On Lingira healthcare is a challenge, but nothing in comparison to those who live even further into the lake.

Earlier this year, YWAM Uganda requested SHIM to take over operations of the clinic and base on Namiti Island, located about two hours beyond Lingira and a total of almost four hours from the mainland. This clinic was established in 1998, but around 2006 it closed due to staffing and funding issues. For nearly five years, the people of Namiti and the surrounding islands have had no healthcare, except for limited services and consultation by a few community health workers, who are trained in a limited capacity.

The Namiti base and clinic, before renovations began this month.

Because of God's gracious provision so SHIM, renovations are underway at the base and clinic. We are now earnestly praying for qualified and faithful health workers who would live and work at the clinic. It takes special people to be willing to stay in a remote and rustic location. Our desire is also for people who have a heart for the islands, and who love God. We are continuing to trust God as we know He is not only the Great Physician, but the Great Provider as well.

As far as we know, there only a handful of medical clinics, if not less, serving the 52 Buvuma islands, and the thousands of people living on them.
Encountering health needs and hearing heartbreaking stories like those of yesterday, make the great urgency for medical services on the islands a very stark reality. It is difficult to adequately describe this reality.

Attending to the people's physical needs was one way Jesus also touched their spiritual needs. As people have been treated at SHIM, Karina and Mama O have also had opportunity to share the love and salvation of Jesus, as they serve in this very practical way.

Day by day, the island people are suffering, and even dying.

Will you join me in prayer for this great need on the islands?

On top of Lingira Island - looking beyond

Note: The post's title, "Where There is No Doctor," is the same title of a book that Karina has, which contains valuable medical advice for those living in places like the islands.

Uganda Videos

I was going through my Ugandan pictures today and ran across some videos that I took on my camera while I was there. They're not the best quality, but hopefully will give you a taste of life there. Enjoy!

The first two are of a little tour I did of the YWAM (Youth With a Mission) base on Lingira Island, Uganda. This is where I lived from Oct. 2006-March 2007.





The following is a little video interview of Habbakuk, who also lived on the base for awhile. This was taken shortly before Habakkuk returned to school, after 11 years of being out of class. He had to quit school to support himself, but was excited to be returning. A very neat man - a "gentle giant." : )