Today’s student perspective comes from Jake:

Time slows down in Africa. Emmy D comes to pick us up at least 45 minutes later than the agreed upon time every day, if we are lucky. Some of the Type A’s around here are annoyed at least somewhat by this, however, when you take a step back, it is quite refreshing.

Rwemikoma came and went in a flash. It seems almost paradoxical, considering my previous statements. And yet, here in the moment, you cannot help but feel that simplicity that runs through the veins of Ugandans is the reason that both speed and sloth can coexist. As someone once said, “K.I.S.S.”

Simplicity is lost on us, for the most part, because of all we have. The more I observe, the more I realize: the greater possessions you have, the harder it is to appreciate that which you possess. Rwemikoma exemplified the opposite. Every child there, with a toothy smile and a joyful laugh, were content for us to simply sit and listen to them.

They sang, they danced, they recited verses, but the simple, overarching theme was joy. In an instant, we saw that although Americans had everything on this earth,  they missed the mark- material goods “don’t last eternally,” sure, but they hardly last during our time on Earth. Children in Rwemikoma were infinitely more joyful than children in America.

I slept on the bus back to Katyazo. Well, I tried. My eyes were closed, but my mind raced. My body was idle, yet my brain wandered far away.

Coach Reed was the only one who did not nap. He related a quick story that exemplified servitude in the KISS lifestyle. We drove past a construction crew, toiling in the equatorial sun, and without thinking twice, SuperMom tossed them a bottle of water and we went on our way. I’m sure the workers were grateful, but we didn’t have the chance to ask. She passed more than just a sip of water to them: she passed a small taste of the joy she had.

No one could be content living in the squalor we see; at least we are lead to believe that. They KISS and abide in God, and they have no need for MacBooks, iPads, or even running water. They find true joy in their King.

For the most part, I show just an inkling more emotion than a wooden plank. As in very little. I definitely show more emotion than McCray, as a wooden plank would show more emotion than him. Which is weird, since it’s inanimate. However, it was hard not to feel something when we made it back to Katyazo for the very last time. Even McCray claimed to have felt emotion, although I didn’t witness it. I’m sure it was beautiful.

The kids at Katyazo bid us goodbye to America, where we will return to reality TV, microwaveable popcorn, and Snuggies, all while they drank some porridge out of the one cup they owned. And yet it was weird; in a way, I was envious of them. Their smiles were glowing, a rarity in our nation. I keep repeating that notion, almost superfluously, but that was what I noticed the most. A KISS lifestyle, bringing them so much joy. They were satisfied with the porridge, thankful for us, and grateful to God.

The pain that came from saying goodbye wasn’t because we were leaving. Partly, yes, but not entirely. It came from my fear that by returning, I’d be faced with the material excess in America, and I would be reclaimed by it, forgetting what true joy looked like. When I return, it will be hard, but I will hope to:

Keep It Simple, Stupid.

A note from the leaders:

Jake has really captured one of the common themes that most teams come home to contemplate. What are we to do/be when we return home. My wife has put it well in several mission trip meetings that she has worked. You leave your home as a square person, and you travel to a place of round people. After spending some significant time around those round people, you will inevitably return home a little more round, and a little less square than before. So how do we now live in a square world with slightly rounded edges?

We are returning home from a place with beautifully simple lifestyles. Their shining faces are a reflection of the joy of obedience and blessing. God is in the little things, sometimes, and we have to learn to be content by recognizing the grand value “little things” have.

Rwemikoma was a lively group today! They were so excited to see us and to just have us listen. They wanted to perform for us more than any other school on this trip. There was lively dancing, wonderful singing, and exhibitions of scripture memory. It was wonderful!

The two things that stick in my mind were how close the children wanted to be to us, and the singing by Amon.

We learned later that possibly up to 50% of the kids there have never seen a white person outside of PCM teams. That explains why they would stare and stroke our arms as they held our hands. I guess I seemed like a white, slightly fuzzy stuffed animal. It was pretty funny! One kid liked to come up to me and just squeeze my forearms as hard as his little hands could. Not sure if he was trying to extract something or pop me like a balloon, but it was amusing.

The singing of Amon was one of the things that Beth and I were looking forward to most. We saw him sing last time we were here, and it was so great. Amon sings with just about every ounce of his young body, tilting his head back and shaking it like a bobble-head. It is adorable and entertaining. A little known fact, that we learned from Pastor Emmy: Amon sings like that because one of the previous U.S. teams came with a puppet who would sing and dance. Amon enjoyed it, and began to emulate it in his own singing. So precious!

Early this morning we were met by our beloved driver.

He was looking “so smart” as he says with his new PCM hat and jacket from Impressive Image Works. We so appreciate the Epplers and all of their staff who make us look so good in Uganda and the USA.

The road there is a long one……..full of lonely bicycle drivers.

Transportation is so precious.  If you have a ride anywhere, you are blessed.

For those of you who have given a gift of transportation, you have made an incredible difference.

Whenever I approach a group of young boys, my heart always hurts a bit.  First, they are not in school.  Really the privilege of going to school is a big one. Not every one has it.  Second, they are working at such a young age. I think the only thing I was thinking about at age 8 was when  my next soccer match would be and can I get a Slurpee after the game.

After about 2.5 hours, we arrived to this sign, PCM Rwemikoma School, our second ever PCM School.  We bought it in 2008 for $6000. One of the best investments we have ever made for the Kingdom.

No matter when you visit……..the greeting is the same.

We call it the power of presence; the only gift these children have for us is to greet us and I can’t think of what would be better.

On my arrival, I have developed a special relationship with John #2. All of these children have a special place in my heart but a few just make me stop and stare and thank the Lord for calling me to a job such as this. John is one of those children, kind of a poster child for PCM Rwemikoma. He knows now after 12 or so trips to wait right by the door and I would faithfully greet him first. We have one of those relationships where you don’t have to say anything………we just look for each other.

It took no time for PCM 27 to start their own tradition of hugging on arrival. Sometimes a single,

sometimes a double,

other times a triple.

Usually after arrival we go to the tree in the backyard, the only source of shade. Today Supermom stood and had a commanding presence in front of the group.

She said this was a special day…….the first time ever for our PCM Mbarara School to visit PCM Rwemikoma.  “rhem a ko ma”

What you need to know about our PCM Rwemikoma School is this place is the furthest in the village of any of our schools

but we have known this place as our performing arts academy. We don’t have a stage and rarely need to buy any costumes. These children take what they have and prove each trip they are some kinda talented.

If you have been here, you know that.  I love just watching these kids watch their peers. They are some really beautiful people.

This week I have been so impressed with PCM 27.  I think Andy may be leading in the hug competition but it’s tight and not over.

Here is Steve making up ground with a triple.

Dave has made a new friend

and so has Frank; he likes the coordinated look.

These people can make wearing a bathmat look beautiful.

Soon it was time for the show.

Front and center were Amon and Anna, regular members of the PCM Rwemikoma worship team.

Today’s performance was unique in many ways. There are two boys who run the shows at Rwemikoma: Charles and Joshua.

Charles is seen in the front of the “car” which is a stick and Joshua is in the back.

What was so fun to watch is the unbelievable creativity a group of 5 students can use to honor our King. Charles took a stick with he and Joshua on it and started driving about making car noises. As he picked up more passengers  “Jesus” kept getting pushed to the back. Eventually, with the 5^th passenger, Charles, on board he pushed Jesus “off the bus.” Then he started driving the car, and soon noticed he faced “much challenge” without Jesus.  Soon, the car would crash.

The Beautiful Exchange continued as our PCM Choir took over the drums. I think Jude, Daniel and Laban would concede 2^nd in performing arts, but there ain’t no way the Rwemikoma boys are taking the Mbarara drummers.

There are some beautiful voices in both places, but I haven’t found anyone with lead vocals like Jude and Abias.

Dianah and Milly can hang with just about anyone too!!  Aren’t you glad all four of them will be leading our choir vocals this April?  You can pick your favorite.

Today was so special because we had our PCM Rwemikoma children lay hands on and pray for the PCM Children’s Choir.  This choir will be ambassadors for our entire ministry. I am so grateful for this opportunity to have such an exchange today.  The weather was perfect. Praise God.

Today was special also for a meeting of a child and sponsor. Amon, one of our leaders here, needed no introduction to meet his sponsor Randy. He positioned himself directly across from Randy every single song he performed.

Finally they got to formally meet.

I’m not sure who is more happy here, Randy or Amon.

Randy was amazed he knew who he was. Amon said, “Of course, you had sent me a picture.”

Here is one of our Rwemikoma stadium suites.

The floors are cleaned daily.

We pray one day we can concrete the floors and finish the walls.

The second half of the performance was about to begin.  We agreed as a team not to show any face of the mzungu performers.

You’ll have to make the call on the identity of these mzungu “white people” performers.

I’m just imagining this conversation:

Andy: “Did you see that?”

Rich: “Unfortunately, yes I did.”

Let me introduce you to one of my favorite people in the entire world, Daniel, the headmaster at Rwemikoma. If you visit here, you wouldn’t notice him much. If you watched him closely, you would notice he is Rwemikoma’s greatest servant leader.

Always serving, Daniel is in our smile club as well. I think he is a top 5 all time smiler. No matter how tired you are from the journey, seeing this smile makes my day every time.

I am so grateful for PCM 27 and their servant hearts as they washed the feet of these amazing teachers and staff members.

Soon it was time to go.

The choir began to practice waving goodbye to people. They have no trouble making new friends………get ready America you shall see.

Right before I boarded the bus I felt a little tug on my pants. “Big John” had worked himself through the 300 children to directly in front of me.

He wanted another hug.

Lord, thank you so much for taking “the least of these” off a beaten down, orange, dirt road in a village nobody knows about to teach us how to love and give others what we have inside us.

June can’t come soon enough for me.

I know John will be waiting.

Serving Him,

Epa

The road to Rwemikoma is long.  Not every team makes the journey. One thing is for sure…….you always receive so much more than you can ever bring or share.

Usually we stop right before exiting the paved road at a local hotel and load up on drinks.

Some people have difficulty sitting in the Miracle Bus and have to wander around outside where the commerce is.  I won’t name any names but it is not the guy in the orange.

Just so happens that my dad was fascinated with the man holding and trying to sell a chicken.  He wanted a picture.

Wouldn’t you know………..Driver Emmy knew this man from growing up in his village with him.

Small world eh? Not sure I have met a man that doesn’t know our beloved driver.

Back to the road we went……….seems like much of the primary concern for so many is water.  You either are looking for it

or you are looking for the water not to ruin your journey.

This was the status of the road before the rain could come.  We got off to a a bit of late start and were constantly looking up at the clouds.  Once the rains come………the roads are nearly impassible. We would race to Rwemikoma today, knowing full well the time clock was already ticking.  This is rainy season in Uganda.

Finally we would arrive and be greeted by our new sign.

Much of the purpose today was to get video clips of Rwemikoma by our awesome filmmaker, Cody Maher.  His unique look at PCM will bring a fresh understanding at exactly what we are doing.

The goal is to make around 3 videos that will be timeless for the ministry.  I can’t wait to show them to you.

Stepping foot inside the gate our welcome here at Rwemikoma was top notch as usual.

We have over 230 children here deep in the village.  Some walk over 5 miles to come to school getting up at 5am, walking a few hours and then doing the same in the evening.

On each arrival, for some reason I am gravited toward this one particular child. His name is John……..I call him “Big John.”

I have no trouble traveling all day to meet him because when I see him………I always get a “Big John hug.” This one hug lasts for just a few months and then I must return for another.  I think I am good till 2013!!

If you have never been here……….I wish I could take ya.  No one ever remains the same.

If our school had a fine arts focus, this school would be where those kids attend.

Since we don’t……..let me just tell you that I am so incredibly proud of these children, how they worship their Jesus

with all they have. Lord, help me to love you like Coleb and Charles.

Help me not only read the word, but to put an understanding to Your words.

This place is a humble place………but everytime I come, I see more growth in the children, in the grounds

, and in the love these children are receiving from the staff and headmaster Daniel.

Thank you Mary for dancing for Him

Joshua, everyone that ever hears you pray knows that you are full of the Spirit.

Today you blessed us with your words and your tribal dancing.

I kept looking up at the sky to see how much longer we would be able to stay.  The rain was coming………no doubt.

We dared not move, the dancing continued.

We had the world’s greatest driver with us.  How could we ever be concerned.

We had a show of our own to give as well.

The animals lined up

two by two and made their way to the ark.

Smiles were on the faces of everyone in the crowd.

Sometimes words can’t express what the feeling is like to come back to this place for the second time.

Sometimes, a picture is worth a thousand words.

One thing is for sure, “the Murungi” water is working so well in a place we have been unable to drill a well.  Thank you Murungi (otherwise known as Brad Blacketer)……….your water filters are changing lives. Love you brother.

How could these few hours have passed so quickly.  We were having to go quickly.  Daniel stopped the exit and said each class had raised funds and had purchased a bunch of gifts.  Oh my goodness, I think Jesus keeps pushing to tell me that no matter how much we give, we can never out give Him. Sometimes we think we are giving a lot, and then He brings you to Rwemikoma and shows you these kids. They barely scrape together $8 for a term of school.  They wouldn’t be eating lunch if He was providing for them and they manage to weigh our bus down with gifts.

Thank you children of Rwemikoma.  Help me to love like you love, to give like you give, and to have a hope in Jesus like you do.

Amen.

Until tomorrow

Epa

Hello All!

Hannah McIntosh

Today has been another great day in Uganda! Today we visited Rwemikoma. This was my second time here because when I came in June I was able to meet my sponsor child Grace! This time was even better because my mother was with me so I had the opportunity to introduce them.

It is such a wonderful opportunity that PCM gives people to be able to connect with and have a real relationship with a child here in Uganda. It is very easy to see the love between my family and Grace. She can be blessed through knowing that she has family in the US that loves her and prays for her constantly; and my family and I are blessed and humbled knowing that Grace loves us and is praying for us while here in Uganda.

Rwemikoma is the farthest we have traveled so far to go to a school and has the most “dancing roads” as pastor Emmy would call them. This school holds a special place in my heart, not only because that is where my sister Grace is, but because of the love and joy of these children! They have very little but they are still able and willing to praise God for all he has done for them and to give us the best welcome we have received so far. The children had prepared many songs, scriptures, poems, and dances for us to show their love and appreciation. One of my favorite parts of the program they had put together, and something I had never seen nor heard of from other teams, was a traditional Ugandan Dance. Some of the girls put on Ugandan dresses over their uniforms and some of the boys put on fake grey beards.

The other children all sang while those that were dressed up danced together, or in groups of boys and girls. There were even some Mzungu’s that got to learn how to do the dance! As the children wrapped up their performance, the lead teacher shared that “Now that we have danced the Ugandan dance with the children, we are no longer just friends but fellow Ugandans”.

We also did our “Friends from Texas” VBS with the children there and they had much fun learning about bandanas, their new friends from Texas, friends in the bible, and the friendship we can have with God through Christ Jesus. The children also taught us some songs that we can now teach our friends about God.

It was very hard to say goodbye to these children. They give the best hugs! Boys and girls would come up to me all day long and wrap their arms around me and hold on tight for a long time. It was wonderful to see and feel the love from these children, and the love they have for their sponsors that they received packets from today and the same sponsors that we represent.

The love from the children and the adults we received today was even more special to my mother and I because of some news we received concerning my father and his heart, which has not been working quite like it should. To see how these people loved us, supported us, and prayed for us and my father brought joy and peace to my heart. We do not always know why God works the way he does, but he always gives his children the love and support that they need. It is heartwarming to know that the Ugandan church will continue to pray for my father even though they have not met him.

I am thankful to God for blessing me with the opportunity to get to know my sponsor child, and I am also grateful to all those who sponsor or support these precious children in any way.

God bless you all,

Hannah

D’Lisa McIntosh

Howdy!  This is a word we taught the children at Rwemikoma today when we spoke about Texas.  We had the opportunity to play games including teaching the children to ride a stick horse.  It was amazing how much fun they had with a simple outdoor activity.

The best part of the day was meeting my sponsor child, Grace!  What a joy to see her smiling face and love on her as we, Hannah and I, presented her with her packet and dresses.  Her face really lit up when the dresses were presented and she immediately tried each one on over her uniform.

One special honor was hearing Grace read the note from my husband, Scott.  She read so well.  The training and education Grace is receiving is excellent.  The teachers are to be commended for their dedication and hard work serving the Lord in this capacity to so many children!

One of the last things we got to do today was meet Driver Emmy’s, (or Emmy D, as he is sometimes called) wife.  Her name is Mary.  Driver Emmy is the one that drives the team all over Uganda from the airport to Mbarara to each school we visit.  In doing this, he is away from his family much of the time we are here.  Not only did we get to meet his wife, we got to see his home.

They are following Pastor Emmy’s example of helping children by having several extras in their home besides their own two precious girls.  The love, warmth, and caring of Driver Emmy and Mary are very evident as they serve the Lord by looking after others.

It has been a very special day with God giving us many blessings as we visited the children and teachers at Rwemikoma.  Praise the Lord!

D’Lisa

Hello, this is Lori!  We had such a wonderful time at Rwemikoma today!  With all of the hugs and sweet conversations, we were again beyond blessed.  I love how each school has a beauty all of its own.  The Ugandan landscape is very beautiful, but the beauty I love to see the most is that which overflows from the children’s hearts as they praise Jesus.  It is simply incredible.

I too received the joy of seeing my sponsor child, Yohana, again today!  What a big boy he has gotten to be!   Yohana is very shy, but still so sweet and thankful for the items that I brought him.

Yohana held prominent positions in the drama the children performed for our team, as they welcomed us to their school – their home. It was touching to watch him sing and dance for the Lord with such boldness and joy on his face. I know God is protecting him and molding him into a sweet young man and it makes my heart smile.

His mother lives close to the school and came over to see me again.  She and I met last year as well.  She also was very gracious and thankful.  Such a kind woman!

She praised God that Yohana had a sponsor and explained how blessed she felt to have someone love him so much.  And indeed, I do!  I love my sweet Yohana and can’t wait to see him again!

Today’s blog will be a game of Do You Know: a way to test your PCM knowledge. 10 questions about what we are doing………..

1. Do You Know the significance of this home behind Pastor Emmy?

If you guessed the house he sold in 2007 to purchase a school for 128 orphan and needy children, you are correct.  PCM Team 21 has heard and read about this story and they wanted to see the home in person.  If you want to read the whole story of the beginning of PCM then go to Amazon.com for an electronic or hardcopy of “So Much More,” by Patrick Butler.

2. Do You Know the name of the man with the white shirt in this picture with Emmy and two Jeffs (one Warr and one Carr).

That’s right, Pastor Joseph.  He is not one of our 50 PCM pastors but serves PCM in a very crucial way.  He is our PCM vet and takes care of all of our cows.  He has been invited to the US by a ministry friend, and we are praying that the Lord will make a way for that to happen.  We see our Cows for the Kingdom program as not only a way to help provide for our pastors, but a way to share Christ with the community here in southwest Uganda, the land of cows.

3. Do you know the significance of this pile of sand and rocks just north of our PCM Mbarara campus that PCM 21er Trevor is looking at?

Of course, that’s correct. This mixer is about to be in full function – round the clock – concreting our PCM multipurpose building/church. We are nearly to our goal of finishing the roof on the first floor.

Here is PCM Team 21 at the site as it appears today.

These three men are making it happen. From left to right…… Robert the Roofer, Pastor Emmy, and builder extraordinaire, Pastor Charles.

They are standing on top of the building which we are about to concrete.  Due to the generosity of one family in Texas, we only lack about $12,000-15000 to pay for the rest of the concrete to make this building functional. Eventually the bottom will be a conference center and the top will be a worship center.

Why do we need such a structure? We will be able to have all 300 children in one room to address them for certain school functions.  Today they all squeeze in a room that should hold 40 “mzungus” or white people. The building’s main purpose on Sunday will be a place of worship for our Mbarara main church.  In addition this main hall will be in use for pastor’s conferences when school is not in session.  We have our biggest conference ever planned this December, when David Dykes of Green Acres Baptist church will be teaching our pastors and hundreds of more.

4. Do You Know Who This Man Is?

That is Lawrence. He is our oldest student at our PCM Mbarara campus. He is close to 80 and homeless, but he comes to eat with our children three times a day.  Driver Emmy is his teacher and is continually trying to get Lawrence to church on Sundays.  Lawrence is sponsored by a family in Tyler, Tx, and we are so grateful for their giving for his daily provision.

5. Do You Know This Lady?

This is a tough one……….. but for those of you who go way back with us at PCM, this is Petua (Pet- twa) , one of our original 8 teachers.  Why is she so special? Well, let me tell you.  Emmy lost everyone from his original group of teachers from 2007, except for this one.  For a whole year they were not paid and most left our ministry. All but one.  When we talk about putting your faith to action…… this is what it looks like.  We are thrilled with the love she is continually showing our children on a daily basis.

6. Do You Know What Having Your Sponsor Family on Site Means to a Child?

This is Pinson.  Quiet. Reserved. Very shy, normally.  This week with the Carr family in town, I have never seen her with a bigger smile in my time with PCM. What a thrill and blessing to bring together children and sponsoring families.

7 Do You Know Why This Child is Named Emmanuel?

It just so happens that Pastor Emmy has a child named after him.  He was attending a pastor’s conference for a fellow PCM pastor.  One of the pastors had a wife that was pregnant and could not be present at the event. One the way home, Pastor Emmy stopped by to check on her.  When he walked in the door, a request was made for his help in the delivery.  The mother was the only one at home.  Pastor Emmy got to cut the umbilical cord, and the rest is history. Now a son named after him.  What a great story.  Thank you, Emmy, for being there for your people always.

8 Do You Know How Much These Banana Bunches Weigh?

More than you would think.  Anywhere from 40-70 pounds each.  Mr Ha made it seem like quite easy work while hoisting it over his head.  Few PCM trippers have had as little difficulty as Mr Ha has doing this task.  We have loved having your muscles on PCM Team 21, but we have loved getting to know your heart even better. You are a treasure from heaven and everybody knows it.

9 Do You Know the Name of Our Smallest School?

That would be of course Parental Care School Ibanda.  We were late in arriving to the school this trip and found several members walking home.  We saw them and told them to return.  This is what we saw next.  A full sprint followed. I won’t describe the joy on their faces.

When we reached the school, we found a new sign up top, making our children look very “smart” as they say in Uganda.

The facts are that we are renting this school for $4 a day.  Pretty amazing, huh? Our rented location is just outside of town.  Someday we hope to own land there to build what we need for these children.

There are a ton of smiles in this humble place

We now have a small kitchen of our own where our children are fed every day,

a place to wash for our 20 boarding students,

and some restrooms for all the 100 children to use.

This place is all about joy.

We are so thankful for Jeff and Michelle Carr for bringing their entire family to Uganda and sharing Christ’s love with these PCM kids.

You have shared, encouraged, hugged and loved with all your heart all week.

Way to go Kaityln

and Kelsey

and Trevor.

Kelsey you and your lovely friend Mary have stayed longer than anyone ever has. Thank you for paving the way for others to serve longer than 1 trip.

We want to thank my own two children Mbabazi

and Kyomu for their service with Trip 21

It is with unspeakable joy that your mother Kiconco and I can see what the Lord is doing in this place.  Thank you for sharing it with us, serving with passion, and just being there with us on this journey.

To all the rest of you who are a part of our PCM

“Webale”

Epa and Kiconco

Hey everyone!  We have had an incredible trip with all sorts of new experiences and opportunities to share the Good news!  Today we want to share about the two last schools that we got to visit, Rwemikoma and Kyasenya.

Hello everyone! This is Hannah.  Yesterday we had the “wonderful” journey to Rwemikoma. We had one hour of paved road, although it was very hilly and had lots of turns. The other two hours to Rwemikoma were on dirt roads. None of these things are very good for someone like me who gets motion sick, so it made for a long hard road.

I tell you all about the not so pleasant journey because meeting the child that I sponsor and all the other children there made the journey worth every minute, no matter how grueling it might have been on me. The children were waiting at the gate for us and then ran after the miracle van to be able to meet all of us. My sponsored child, Grace, ran up to me and hugged me and wouldn’t let go. It’s amazing how much love you can have for a person that you’ve never met face to face before.

The children then took us up to the open land at their school to show us all the songs and things that they had prepared for us as a welcome. This was by far the best and warmest welcome that we received on this trip, and that’s really saying something. The children praised God, and sang and sang about how thankful they were to God and to us for their food, and their school.

It broke my heart to hear them say how thankful they are and then look around and see school buildings, some of which look like they are built from sticks and mud, but they praise God for what they have.

One of the things we noticed at the school was that Carter had some friends with some really good taste in shirts.

We are so thankful for donated clothes for our kids.  They definitely get a lot of use out of them!

While the children were having times with the rest of the team members Justin got to spend a little time with some behind the scenes people.  You have heard a lot about the water boy for Rwemikoma because he must take five trips a day to the well to supply the 20 jerry cans of water needed.  Alex is his name and he is very strong!  Well, since Rwemikoma has gotten to do a food program this year for breakfast and lunch we got to meet the cook.  His name is Bennett and he cooks during the day and is the night watchman as well.  He also has a helper named Faith.  They are pictured here with Daniel, our headmaster.

These remarkable people may not seem like they have as much talent as others we would look up to, but they are so critical to the health and well being of these children.  We are so thankful for all the ways that God gifts his people to serve Him.  So ways are more public than others, but all are so appreciated.

One of the coolest parts about this day was that we got to hand out packets to the kids. They’re faces all lit up when they would get their packet. They would then all sit down and look at what everyone else got. Even the teachers seemed to be excited to see what the kids had received.

Austin and Beth also had a sponsored child at Rwemikoma, so they had the pleasure of giving her a packet from them.

Apophia was very shy, but she got a lot of help communicating from her big brother.  We have really noticed how well the older children take care of their younger brothers and sisters as well as other children in the school.

Those who didn’t get a packet from their sponsors still got a packet from one of our wonderful helpers who helped us make unsponsored packets.

Then each of our team members personally handed each child their packet and gave them a hug.  It was a wonderful time!

Since I was here in person to give Grace her packet I was able to bring a few other things that wouldn’t necessarily fit in a packet. The thing that I was most excited to give, and she was most excited to receive was a bible. It has a bright pink cover so it was easy to spot as Grace went around and showed everyone, including the teachers, her bible. It can be very easy for people not living in a 3^rd world country to forget how wonderful, precious, and living the Word of God really is. Many of us, including myself, can find our bibles becoming common place things when they should be treasured; not because it is a nice book, but because it is the Word of God and one of the ways that he speaks to us, daily, hourly, if we just take the time to read and study it.

Hey everyone, it’s Justin.  One our way to the airport on our last day we had the opportunity to stop at Kyasenya for a couple of hours.  Every school greeted us differently, some lining the streets and some singing wonderful songs, but the children are always so excited.  For Kyasenya, the miracle van snuck up on them and we got to see them swinging and playing.  However, as soon as they saw us they jumped for joy and begin running to meet us.  There was nothing programmed about that wonderful greeting.  You could truly see the pure joy on the children’s faces!

One of the big things that we noticed about Kyasenya is how nice it is looking.  We are in the process of Kyasenya becoming our first officially recognized school and from all appearances they are ready!

The rooms were concreted and clean, the landscaping was beautiful, and they even have nice separate restrooms for the teachers!

All they are lacking now are windows for the buildings.

The highlight for me at Kyasenya was getting to make a special announcement.  We have told you about the medical clinic we are hoping to build there.  Well, the children at Green Acres Baptist Church decided that they were going to raise money to so that clinic can become a reality.  Their goal was $5,000 to help start the building process, but thanks to 2 anonymous donors their money was almost tripled to $14,000!

When we made the announcement the room erupted with cheers from the children.  They were so thankful that children thousands of miles away cared enough about them to give.

As we were driving away from the school we stopped for a minute at the location where the clinic will be.  Originally we had planned to build from the ground up, but an opportunity came up to buy some unfinished buildings.

So, our clinic will be well on it’s way to starting this year!  The children and all of the people of Kyasenya are so thankful for this long-term blessing that will improve and literally save many lives.

Hey, it’s Jennifer.  We’ve had an amazing journey so far on our trip to Uganda.  I am honored to be a part of such a special ministry that is clearly God ordained.  We are constantly amazed at how wonderfully pure the children of PCM are.  They clearly love God with their whole being, and seeing them worship is one of the most beautiful experiences I have ever had.

Last night we hosted movie night at Mbarara as a special treat for the children there.  The two children traveling with us from Green Acres, Anna and Cam, played a big part planning this night, and it turned out to be a great success.  The children of Mbarara greeted us with a welcome song, and then immediately shared a time of praise and worship with us.  After that we popped popcorn, passed out candy (or “sweeties” as the locals call it) and gave the kids sodas to have while watching Winnie the Pooh on a big screen outside under the stars.  I know it was a treat for the kids of Mbarara, but it was a wonderful treat for us to see these precious kids have a night of fun.

Today we traveled to Rwemikoma which was something Cam (my son who’s traveling with me) and I have been looking forward to for a long time.  We were able to meet our child Patrick that our family sponsors.  I was a little apprehensive about meeting him as communication doesn’t always come easy, but once we saw him it came so naturally to all of us.  He is a precious child that I am honored to sponsor.  We spent time praying with him, playing with him, and loving on him.  We were only there for part of the day, but I already miss him!

The Wilts (Kirk, Amy and Anna) were also able to meet their sponsored child, and again it was a huge blessing to see this family share gifts and love with their precious child.  (I call her “theirs” because you truly feel like family to one another once you write for so long and develop these special relationships).

Michele also met her second sponsored child, Muzaphra.  He was precious and stayed by her side all day!

Of course, during our trip to Rwemikoma we held our normal VBS for the kids that we have been doing at each of the schools.  There are over 290 kids at Rwemikoma, and even with this large number VBS went great.  One of my favorite parts of the day was during play time when we taught the kids the chicken dance.  I’ve discovered that language isn’t a barrier when it comes to motions and dancing.  We had a blast interacting with the kids this way, and I think you’ll see by the smiles on their faces that they enjoyed it too.

Another wonderful blessing that happened today was when Kirk Wilt was playing with the kids.  He noticed that whenever he asked the kids a question they would respond by saying “good.”  After asking them several times if they wanted to play kick ball or soccer, he didn’t know what else to ask so he said to them “God is good” and to his amazement the kids responded “all the time.”  Astonished he responded back “all the time”, and the kids responded with “God is good.”  Isn’t it wonderful to know that this is a universal saying, and understood by even these sweet children who are just beginning to learn English!

As most of you know PCM and its sponsors often treat the kids with letters and packages from the states, but on this trip we also “gifted” the teachers and staff at each school location.  Today I got to be a part of giving the staff of Rwemikoma teacher packets that included notebooks, note cards, and pens.  It’s amazing how thankful and blessed they were by such a small offering that we often take for granted.  Thank you to Stacie Tandy for putting together these teacher gifts for ALL of the PCM Uganda staff!

When leaving today one of the things that really surprised me was two new classrooms that are at this location.  I wasn’t surprised by the buildings themselves as much as I was surprised to learn that these buildings were built by the parents of the children who attend this school.  I love that PCM and their partners are helping communities that truly want to grow their children both in education and spiritually.

As I close this post, I want to share something that has made a huge impression on me and Cam.  We are truly in awe of how well behaved, thankful, and spiritually deep the children of PCM are.  Last night I asked Cam what was the best part of our trip so far.  He replied with “seeing these kids worship with such meaning.”  I had been in awe of this since we arrived at our first school, but for my eleven year old to see it only confirmed how pure and precious their love of Jesus is.  I think this is in large part to the wonderful leadership that God has provided through Pastor Emmy and his wife, Sarah, or Supermom as most of you know her.  God has given them a heart for these children to know and love Christ and it is evident in everything these kids do.  I am honored to be a small, small part of such a wonderful ministry.  As the kids of PCM say, God is good!  He is so good!

We started our journey out early for Rwemikoma, our second PCM school located “off the grid” as we say in the western world.  Very remote. Let me repeat again very remote.

First we had to get past the black booger maker

and make sure we didn’t hit the ladies carrying firewood

or this guy or girl, not sure here

or get blinded by the dust of all the road construction.

About an hour and 1/2 into our journey Supermom needed to pull over to check out the local bushes. It was a short stop but necessary.  As we got back in the car just 1/4 mile down the road there had been an accident.  A local taxi had flipped over just minutes before.

The driver was badly hurt with a huge laceration above his right eye to the bone.  Praise the Lord I was bringing medical supplies to Rwemikoma and all the clinics this trip.  We got all the blood off his face, and closed the wound.  Soon another group of men walked up. It would be the Minister of Transportation, here just for a grand announcement that electricity was coming to the area.  In Uganda, their are about a dozen Ministers, kinda like our cabinet.  The Minister of Transportation is as you can imagine a very powerful man in all of Uganda.  He thanked us and  said he would take this man to the clinic in Kazo for suturing. My prayer is soon, we shall have a PCM medical clinic here to serve him and the community.  Our first will be in Kyasenya and the second most likely Sanga area, but Rwemikoma is on the list.

As we started down the road again,  Driver Emmy said  ”You know, we need to thank the Lord. He protected us by having us stop for Supermom.  Jesus is with us.”   There is  such a joy to do ministry with those that have Spiritual eyes for what is happening in this world. Thank you Jesus for putting us together with our brothers and sisters here in Uganda.

Finally we made it to school and were greeted warmly as usual.

We have been coming here since November 2008. No school has seen more change than this place.  We have been unable to drill a well here, but our water filtration systems are working great.  These children are getting stronger and stronger for sure as we are feeding them daily.  The lunch line here was as long as I have ever seen it.  I think today there were well over 250 children.

Usually when I come with a group we serve all the meals at the sites we visit.  If possible, I always like to wander off and sit with the children in the classrooms as they eat and just look and listen to them. Each dip of a few fingers into a bowl of beans and posho (kinda of corn meal mix) is a blessing for them and me as well.  It’s the same meal every day, day after day,  but you would never know it with these kids.

Today I met these two boys and sat with them for lunch. Daniel walks 2 hours each way to our school in Rwemikoma and Agreey walks 1 and 1/2 hours back and forth every day.

You would think they were carpooled like all our children by the joy on their faces. Wow…..thank you Lord for letting me meet them.

If you have ever come to Uganda with us, you know it’s not a trip about what we eat…….it’s a trip about what He is providing for them to eat.  Such joy is obtained watching these children smile when they eat

and finish their plates.

I am so thankful for our sponsors here at Rwemikoma.  Communication is difficult at times and turn around to see what you are doing is not always the fastest.  But truly, I want you to know you are a huge blessing to the poor here in Uganda.

They love you.  Thanks for enabling us to serve here.

Epa

We knew that today would be a special day for our team because there were many team members who had personally invested in the children at Rwemikoma.  So, enjoy hearing from the hearts of many of our team members as they experience the blessing of finally seeing these children face to face.

Holly Gunter

We rose early to travel the long, bumpy road to Rwemikoma. After three hours we were greeted by the chants of the children. I have to admit, I was excited to see all the kids, but I was scanning every nametag looking for the names of Provia, Allen and Keneth! These are the names of the kids that my three kids sponsor.

I was able to sit and visit with Provia and Keneth while they opened their packets. Provia cherished her picture of Marlee and Keneth kept looking through his bible my son had sent him.

It was a special time when I got to share my favorite verse with him.

Allen was at home sick with malaria and came up to the school just to see me. I felt bad he came, but was so happy God gave him the strength.

It was a special time with my kids. Saying goodbye was harder than I thought it would be. It was love at first sight. I am already planning a trip to bring the family so my whole family will be together.

Julie Smith

Like Holly, today was the day I had waited for. We also got to meet our sponsored children. I knew I’d cry. I knew it would be special, but I couldn’t have been prepared for the intense connection I would feel to these two precious ones. God knew the moment their smiles grabbed my heart on the PCM website that these were the two. They were very shy and soft spoken, but they understood how much they meant to us even though they didn’t understand everything we said. Our PCM child William, only six, spoke very little English. But each time I searched the crowd for him, he appeared out of nowhere right by my side. Though the two children aren’t biological siblings, I watched our older PCM child, Daphine (11) make sure that William’s packet from us had his name on it as he turned it in to receive it back at the end of the day. I hope the bond that we feel also ties these two together as well.

Like I said, the connection to them was amazing. We are some of the blessed ones who get to hug their sponsored children face to face. Though traveling to Uganda makes these children no more real than before, there is no denying the personal touch that makes them more real to me, more personal.

These are not just children who live on the other side of the world; they are part of our family. If you haven’t already – make a REAL difference in the life of a REAL child in Uganda. Sponsor.

Kristi Peer

While everyone was busy interacting with the children they sponsor, I got a little tour of the grounds. The school was very different from the other schools we have been to so far. It is a very remote three-hour drive from Mbarara and two hours of the trip is on a bumpy dirt road, which is under construction. After such a long trip, we were so excited to see the beautiful smiles and joyful eyes of the children!

The children are happy and cared for. They are getting filtered water,

two meals a day and a wonderful Christian education. There are improvements seen every time this school is visited. However, there are still great needs at Rwemikoma.  At this time, the school goes from nursery through P5.  They have begun construction on a building for classrooms to contain P6 children so that they will have a classroom when the new term begins in January. The money was raised entirely by the families of the children.  Their term school fees of about $5 each for this last term were all pooled together by Daniel the PCM Headmaster at Rwemikoma and made way for this great blessing to occur at Rwemikoma.

This effected me personally because the child that I sponsor, Jackson, and the child my friend Holly sponsors had to move to Mbarara to continue their PCM education. Don’t get me wrong, they are happy in Mbarara but they were moved from their older brother, mother, and younger brother who live in Rwemikoma. How exciting that they now have a plan for the future as these children grow to add new classrooms! The P6 building is nearly finished, but more funding and materials are needed to complete it.

There are other needs for this school as well, such as a bicycle for going to get water ($125),

a larger tank to collect water ($200), and 30 more desks ($35 each). God really moved in my heart today.  I hope to be able to do more to help this school and the children in it.  These few things will really help Rwemikoma in such a big way.

Nicole Babineau

Our time there was very difficult for me.  It opened my eyes to the lack of medical care that is available to the children at the school due to the remote location. As soon as we pulled up to the school we were greeted by the glorious sounds of the children singing to us… As they were singing, I saw a child holding her arm up with a large scrape bleeding. I immediately went to find the first aid kit to help bandage her up.

As the day progressed we learned that one of the children had a large wound on his shin that has been there for a while. As an RN, I was asked to take a look at the wound.  As I took the bandage off, you could tell that the wound had not been cleaned in a while!  I quickly realized that the wound was infected and in need of debridement.  I was overcome with emotion and fighting back tears as this sweet boy tried to be stoic and face the pain as I cleaned the wound.  I found it incredibly hard not to be able to do more.  As we left on the Miracle Van I was feeling really helpless! As Americans, we take for granted that we can get antibiotics and medical care whenever needed.  We are blessed to have the medical system we have in the USA. My prayer would be that as the ministry grows we would be able to provide even more medical resources at the remote locations like a school nurse as the PCM Mbarara campus currently has.

Kristie Morris

Coming into this trip, my family and I had yet to sponsor a child.  As the trip carried on, I soon became the only person without a sponsored child.  I was okay with that because it is a decision I wanted to make together with my family.  I began this day at Rwemikoma not thinking about sponsoring a child, but simply to love on these precious and isolated kids.  Little did I realize that God had a different plan for the day.  I was struck with aches and sadness as I looked around at the poor villages and children.

My placement in our activities for the day was changed.  I went into the craft room and there she was, Doreck.  She looked me in the eyes, smiled real big and got up to give me a hug.  The relationship began!!!  I was giddy the rest of the time we worked on the craft.  I could hardly wait till we started to pass out the sponsor packets so I could make sure she wasn’t sponsored yet.  As soon as it was verified that she was open to be sponsored, I realized God had orchestrated the whole situation, so of course she was open and ready to be sponsored.

We walked around, laughed, ate lunch together and I even taught her a hand game.  WOW, how quickly I became attached.  The time came to say goodbye and the broken heart of having to leave crept in!!!  I was left with her telling me thank you and I love you!!!  We loaded up and started to drive off.  All the kids were waving goodbye, and I just wanted one more glance of her.  I prayed quickly for God to show me her precious face one more time……….hidden in the crowd of Ugandan children’s faces, there she was waving to me!!!!  Thank you Jesus for yet another blessing of a day!!!

Lori Alexander

Wow!  What an amazing experience this trip has been!  Today, like many others, I was able to meet my family’s sponsor child, John, at the Rwemikoma School.  It was emotional getting to see our precious boy for the first time.  He was sweet and shy; as I got to know him I learned he lived right next to the school.  Supermom walked me to his home and I was able to meet his mom, grandmother and sisters, a rare blessing for a sponsor parent.

I saw his home and his room.  It was nothing like the homes we are accustomed to, as you know.  However, to see the conditions with my own eyes was certainly a humbling experience.  Supermom explained that sometimes John’s mom will call her and say that they have no food.  As she and his mom walked me through the home, she also explained that he didn’t have a place to sleep because he did not have a mattress for his bed.  That was all I needed to hear; we jumped in the Land Cruiser with Driver Emmy and went on a hunt for a new mattress for John.  What an amazing blessing to see God fill a huge need through me!  I was so overwhelmed at the opportunity to be used.   We came back with three; one for him, one for two of his sisters to share, and one for his baby sister.

We also picked up some food items, sheets and a blanket.  As he walked through the door, his bed was made and he began to smile from ear to ear!  He was so grateful as well as his whole family.  Tonight John will sleep on his new mattress with a full tummy!  Thank you, Jesus!

Julie Smith

Today was also a much anticipated day for a special Sunday Morning Bible Study Class at Green Acres Baptist Church. We got to see the fruit of a challenge we had prayerfully considered many months ago.

After trying to dig a well at Rwemikoma and coming up dry, our class pledged to cover the cost of food for a year for these kids. Watching them eat a special meal was very fulfilling.

Hopefully next year all the children will be sponsored, and their food will be covered once again!

It was a blessed day at Rwemikoma filled with an array of emotions. We know God is moving there and that so much progress has been made! We are looking forward to another full day at Ibanda tomorrow!

We woke up early as a group and had our bags packed for a journey deep into the heart of Africa.

John said “this was more like what I imagined from seeing it in National Geographic.” Others like Rich said, “there is absolutely nothing out here.”

We made our way past a huge road construction project that will one day change the way we get to this school we are growing to love so much.  The further deep you get into the village areas, the more basic all commerce and human effort becomes. Food and water are really prominent and every effort seems to be related in one form or fashion to those two basic requirements.

PCM has only been working here since 2008 and it is just a tougher place to work and hold school.  Many of our children are walking long distances (some up to 6 miles each way) to attend school at Rwemikoma.  If you show up with a team here what you find is children that have fewer shoes, clothes with more holes in them, and less English is spoken by many of the younger children.  The journey today lasted three hours. The team was good. We had brought with us pineapples, oranges, and sodas for all the children.

When we arrived we were greeted by the line of worshipping singers all praising the Lord for our arrival.  At the steps of the gate I met up with headmaster Daniel,  a jewel of a man who is leading our effort here.  He has a small office where he is directing a staff of 7.   What you don’t know about Daniel is that he lives on a salary of about $4 a day.  Currently we are not able to give a housing allowance to any of our teachers at our schools so they must pay for this out of their salary.  I asked the teachers today how much rent was now and they said 20,000 which would be $8.  The teachers have been patient but would love to see us be able to help them with this need soon.  Daniel is already making a difference for 2 such boys. You see here at Rwemikoma, we have no boarder students. However, that doesn’t mean help is not being given to some in desperate need. The two boys in this picture are living with Daniel in a small room.

He has taken it upon himself to love these two children and care for them because they have basically been abandoned.  Now that is what I call servant leadership. May God bless you Daniel for all you are doing.

The teachers as a whole had a few more requests like windows for their classrooms so that the rain doesn’t spoil the charts they work so hard to create.  They desired more textbooks as currently one book is shared with 4 students on a desk. As a teaching staff they asked for something really heart breaking to me.  They asked if it would be possible to have something else to eat besides their beans and flour they get day after day after day.  A request was made for some rice twice a week for these seven teachers, costing a mere $12 more a month for us at PCM.  This one hit me kinda hard because I think of my own life and how we in the western world hardly ever eat the same thing for two meals in a row.  A second request of having a case of drinks (cokes) a week for the teachers which would cost us about $50 a month. I said yes to both and you would have thought I had just raised their salary by 20%.  They screamed in the tiny little office and seemed so excited for this tiny change in their everyday life.

What some of you also don’t know is we haven’t been serving food here very long. In fact,  this program just started this spring and it is now flourishing.

One sunday school class from Tyler, Texas committed and raised funds to purchase a meal for these children for an entire year.  What is most striking to me about this visit to Rwemikoma is how incredibly healthy these children look compared to where they were just months ago. There were more smiles here today than I think I have seen in all the trips combined throughout all the times I have visited over the last three years.  The heaviness of this place is shrinking back because the light of these children and their love for Jesus is becoming so strong.  Who would have thought that this spring, after raising funds to try and dig a well here, that there would be so much joy even without clean water flowing from under the ground.  We tried unsuccessfully to drill here and all we got was dust.  The entire community was on hand to watch the events that were made possible by a donation from 1 family who wanted to provide clean water to this school.  We had to shift from an expensive water filtration system to a gravity fed device designed by one of our board members.  The water here in East Africa is so dirty that you have to constantly clean the filter to remove the impurities. This simple gravity system is not as pure as we would like it to the nearest micron, but it is light years ahead of where we were.

Every single child today filled his or her glass of water with as much as they needed and they all drank it up.  There is much joy here now for food and water.

Of course you can imagine how well they appreciated their special pineapple and orange fruits and a coke to drink.  Suffice it to say there were lots of smiles.  Thank you sponsors. You are making a world of difference in the lives of hundreds of village children. Some have been abandoned, many have parents who struggle as peasant farmers, but there is hope today at Rwemikoma because of God working through you.  Thank you or “webale” as they say.

This place has some real organization and community help.  We have recently added another 50 or so children here at Rwemikoma as paying students.  They are paying $6 a term which there are three terms. The money raised by this tuition has already started a building construction project in the corner of our property. Four men were laying a foundation for this classroom as we were running about the land playing.

Mark Turner from PCM Team 14 said  it is amazing to see how healthy these children seem to be with the ability to run around and play.  He saw so many children running all over the property that it made him think about our Mbarara campus and how these 300 are crammed onto a tiny patch of land with no chance to run.   Mark started to think ahead and said, “What is going to happen when we move those Mbarara senior students to Katyazo where they can run and play all they want?”   I didn’t answer him on the spot but shifted to the image we had the day we first brought many of them there the very first time.

Mark,  it will look like this for these Mbarara students.  Sometimes as a Mbarara sponsor we think we have everything we need.  It is refreshing for me to see others pick up on the need for children to run and play. Praise God that it is coming and oh so very soon.

We prayed twice about the rain to stay away and amazingly the Lord heard these prayers lifted up to Him today. Our team brought a Luau to Rwemikoma and you can imagine the joy they had here.

Unbelievable. Unfiltered.  Unimaginable.  This day is always the toughest of any trip.  I have brought many teams here now with Supermom and her daughter Grace, our sponsorship coordinator.  I have never ever seen these children and this staff so happy.

Thank you Jesus,

Epa