Summary Video [4:33]

{{ click above to play. broadband and quicktime 7 required }}

The 10 Acres

Less than two years ago, when I first crested the bramble-strewn hill of the 10 acres and talked with children breaking rocks in the quarry, there was nothing but a few resident cows and a small field. In that short time the site of Peace Portal Community Church has been transformed into a hub of activity & ministry in Mpigi. Here's a few shots of our home away from home.



One of the first projects on the site, a generator-powered pump pulls water from a deep borehole to this storage tank at the top of the hill. From there it provides fresh water to the site and the community. In the background you can see the guest house, office, kitchen, and store[age] for the team.



The church building itself served as our tent-city and dormitory during the week, and transformed into one of the largest gathering places for miles each Sunday morning.



Kukiriza house is the first of three planned children's home, each holding no more than twenty children. Kukiriza house is run by Rose, a loving & caring house-mother for children who would otherwise have no-one to care for them.



Still under construction, a medical clinic is being built to provide education on local medical issues and a doctor's office for ongoing care.



Self explanatory: flushing, no bowl.



All of these things are a result of God inspiring people to action and to service. Michael Masembe, the visionary and servant leader of Peace Portal Community Church; Jon, Scott, Ross, Richard and others who have provided guidance and leadership from Peace Portal Alliance; and Canadians who have given money to allow the site to come into existence: each one has placed their brick in the wall. But above all it is God who has given life amidst so much suffering. It is God's fingerprint on this project and on the lives that have been touched in Mpigi.

Back on home

We're home... those of us not travelling on arrived into Vancouver at 2:07 to warm faces, warm hugs, warm air and the familiar smell of home.

I have a few remaining things that I want to post about before all is said and done. I went to visit several families who were affected by AIDS. It had been my hope to do a photo essay and a writeup with one of them, but it didn't materialize because of the needs for the team. I did manage to get their portraits.





Here's a couple shots by Pia Antturi from Care & Compassion. Pia was my faithful assistant in all things photo & video. She's a sharp young photographer with a lot of potential, and was a huge help to me on the trip. Thanks Pia!




I couldn't possibly post about every experience, but I want to post a few pics from the Preschool and visiting the deaf schools. The Preschool is run by Juliet Masembe. It provides basic education and a lunch for 90 children. Each day a sub-team would play with the kids, sing songs, and teach them bible stories or a lesson. They even got to visit the zoo!





Mari, Doug, Nigel and a few others were able to visit two different schools for the deaf in our area. I went along on one trip... it was a surreal experience to see so many people communicating with hardly a sound - a new experience for me. In Africa people with physical or mental limitations are often set aside as unvaluable. And as with so many others they have a great deal of physical needs. It was powerful to see Mari interact with the kids... she was really in her element. And it was great to be with them, play with them, and love on them - our way of saying they are valuable people in God's eyes.




Our last day I took some shots with the kids at the children's home, which was newly christened Kukiriza House.




Thanks everyone for travelling with us through this website. While we were still in Mpigi, I would download the blog and your comments and share them with the team. I think it was a big encouragement for people to see that their journey was being avidly followed by so many back home.



And that's it! In the last few days I heard many expressed longings for things like a hot shower and a familiar bed. We're home, back to a world of running water, personal vehicles, privacy, family & friends, relative wealth... and changed hearts. Returning from a trip like this comes with a responsibility that will be measured over the course of a lifetime. Pray that the Holy Spirit would complete the good work he has begun on this trip.


To sign off, a pic (one of only a couple) of yours truly.



P.S. I'll post more about getting ahold of pictures & video, likely next week.

Flight info

An update for those coming to the airport... the itineraries (and the team schedule) for several of us is incorrect. The team is flying on Air Canada flight AC 855 arriving into Vancouver at 2:25pm.

Here's the info straight from the horses mouth:



A random observation... Heathrow is unbelievably crazy after the bomb scare of late. They have a very tight carry-on restriction that only allows bags that are quite small. As such I had to check in my carry-on bag... which involved exiting through a customs lineup (that went out the hall and up the stairs), transfering to departures, re-checking in, and then waiting in a security queue the leg of one leg of the Tour de France.... a process that took three hours. Wheee!

Pictures from the Maasai Mara

Our time in the Maasai Mara was cut short somewhat because of our delays out of Entebbe... but we were still able to take in two fantastic game drives. Everyone - including Safari veterans Jon & Scott - came away with something they had never seen before.

We began the day leaving Nairobi at quarter-to-six in the morning. THe drive took us over the Rift Valley escarpment - a six-thousand foot drop from the escarpment to the valley floor. The elevation at the top is over nine thousand feet, and it was freezing cold.



From there we headed down the road to Narok, and on to the Mara. I have no pictures, because we were all hanging on for dear life. The road into the Mara is one of the worst I have ever seen a minivan traverse. The road was once paved, but has long since deteriorated to the point that the ditches are often smoother than the pavement. It's a long, seven-hour trek... but in the end the payoff is well worth the strenuous journey.













Not to say we didn't have a few adventures...



... but visiting the Maasai Mara was a memory of a lifetime.

Back from the Mara, on our way to Heathrow

The team has all made it back safely from a fantastic debrief time in the Maasai Mara. Half of the experience is the drive in and out... seven hours of the roughest roads I've ever seen a mini van traverse.

I'm on a public computer so no pics, but some great leopard, cheetah, lion and other big game sightings that I'll share when I can hook up my laptop.

We depart for Heathrow in an hour... I'll see if I can post from there.

-- trevor.

In Nairobi... still.

Hi everyone,

Quick update... our plane out of Entebbe was delayed by almost seven hours due to a mechanical problem. We did eventually make it to Nairobi on another plane but too late to begin the 5-6 hour trek to the Massai Mara. We've been put up in a nice hotel for the night, and will head out to the debrief & safari tomorrow at 5:45am... Looks like posting from my laptop on a cell/GPRS connection bouncing down Kampala streets in the dark in a van taxi at 5am this morning wasn't really necessary :)

-- trevor.

Goodbye's and on our way

It's 4am, and I'm groggilly typing this post on the porch of the church, my laptop perched on two bags as everyone loads the vans & truck to head to Entebbe.  We had a grand farewell last night.  Peace Portal Community Church showed up in force.  Like our welcome, we built a big fire, sang songs, and danced to the firelight.

Then it was time to say goodbye.

It's been an amazing journey, one which I've only scratched the surface.  I have more pics from the past week to post, as well as adventures to come in Kenya - but those will have to wait.  Internet access from here to Heathrow is sketchy.  At this point this may be the last you hear for a few days, though there may be a few surprises.

I've gotta hop in a van or risk getting left behind... I'll post this from the road.

Widows Work Project

One of the many activities that takes place on the 10 acres is a work project for widows.  A plot of land has been set apart for them to cultivate to provide food for their families.  Early in the morning, before they do the many tasks required of them each day, they come to the site and work a small piece of the land.  I went up early one morning and took a few portraits of the women.

These widows are supported by a women's group at Peace Portal Alliance Church.

Highschools

Part of the first week's activities was teaching AIDS education in Highschools around the area.  The schools vary widely in their size and quality.  This particular school is run by the Catholics, and has over 1000 students.  We had planned an outdoor assembly with the whole school, but the rain pushed us inside to a crammed hall of 200.

The team showed pictures of Canada - wildlife, geography, culture, and normal things like roads and supermarkets.

After answering some questions about Canada, the team gave a presentation about AIDS and prevention.  The students were very involved and interested.  They understood well and asked good, sometimes hard questions after the presentation.

After I left, the team was swarmed by the kids.  They asked them questions and took them around the school to show them their dorms.  For some team members it was the first time to present in front of a large audience... I think it was a memorable experience for everyone.

Medical Clinic

On Monday, a team of nurses joined a Ugandan doctor in Kyally (pronounced 'Charlie') for a medical clinic.

This is the same location as the clinic from the medical trip in 2004 (check the archives for pictures).  Since we were first here, a new clinic building has been put up.  It's not completed yet, but when done it will have a ward, an operating room, patient holding rooms, and a reception area.

For this clinic, the team brought donated & purchased medicines and setup a make-shift clinic inside the unfinished building.

   

The Ugandan doctor and the team worked a very long day, treating almost 200 patients before the meds ran out.

 

   

 

While I was there I snapped a few pics of the locals.

Prison Visit

Unfortunately for the team, Jon & Scott's antics finally got them in trouble with the authorities.  Late last night they were picked up by Mpigi police and thrown in the slammer for unruly behaviour.  Today we went with our gaurds and their AK's to bust em out.

... oh wait, this is the public blog... shoot.  I mean, uh... we went to the prison for a ministry visit... yes... ahem.

The prison in Mpigi is co-ed, about 20 inmates, five of them female.  One of the women has her baby with her in the prison.  Nothing is provided for them.  They typically serve an average 3-year sentence in the clothes they were arrested in.  Some of the inmates are allowed into the community to work to get money for food... so they are very much in need of material things.

The warden of Mpigi is a Christian and treats his inmates with care and respect.  The team sang songs with them, talked about Canada (and what it's like in our prisons!), and gave them some maize flour and blankets.  The men & women split up and had a chance to talk more and pray for the needs of the inmates.

 

 

 

Second Children's Home

The first children's home on the 10-acre site of Peace Portal Community Church opened only a few weeks ago, but already ground has been broken for the second home.  Late last week a large loader came from Kampala to level the site.

Yesterday, after the days activities, the team gathered with Pastor Michael and some members of the church to have a ground-breaking ceremony.  Pastors Jon & Scott prayed for the new home and the children it will hold.  Nigel Scott, by now an honorary Ugandan, had the privilege of cracking the ground with a hoe to mark the start of the second home. (Groundbreaking pics by Pia Anturri and Sandy & Brita Colero)

 

Care & Compassion

One of the most impactful activities for the team has been Care & Compassion. Five or six team members load up a van taxi with food, mattresses and clothing. They spend the day visiting with the poorest families in the area, praying with them, helping with chores and bringing gifts. It's the closest most of us will get to how many of the people of Mpigi really live.

Today I'm posting a photo essay from one of the first days out on Care & Compassion. Team member Pia Anturri contributed some of the photos.

Sunday

Today we enjoyed another day together with Peace Portal Community Church.












The Masembe's had the team over for an authentic meal of Matoke, KoKo, rice, peanut sauce, yams, and fruit.




Some of the team took the chance to learn Ugandan dancing.




As I write, the team is having their end-of-day meeting down in Tent City.



One of our team members stepped on a stick today and had to go into Kampala to get stitches. Pray that the wound will heal quickly and stay free of infection. Pray also for the team as they head into their second big week. More to come tomorrow!

Halfway through.

Our first ministry week is over. It's been an exciting, challenging, adventurous, God-filled time of new experiences and gut-wrenching paradigm shifts.



In my journeys to Africa I have wrestled with the inconsistencies of a world where health, wealth and comfort are largely governed by where a person is born. I can see the same struggles playing out on the faces of the team: sitting in a mud hut, present but expressionless, attempting without success to process the conflicting realities sitting in front of them - realities signified in faces belonging to people, imprisoned under a mostly hopeless pall of toil and physical hardship... and the next moment seeing boundless joy in children who own nothing, have little to eat, and have no-one to care for them.



The paradoxes run through stories from the week: a 23-year old girl who had her first child at 12 and is now bearing her 7th. Hospitality suited for a king brought by tenants of a mud hut. A family, stricken by AIDS, the father and five children cared for by the grandmother. Friendship freely offered. Days of labour for the simplest of material things. Smiles, waves, friendliness, and trust. A society contaminated with AIDS and corruption breeding massive, systemic, socio-economic problems. An infinitely powerful & loving God. Pitiless suffering.



These are realities that we must wrestle with and come to terms with. And as we do, learning to trust God for his grace, that he is strong and will accomplish his will... that he cares for the widow and the orphan - these new friends of ours - and that he hears their plea.



We are only halfway through. Already it would already take a book to catalogue the experiences and the change that has taken place in people's lives. And the change in us is only the beginning. Many have received the good news of Jesus. It's been in the form of 50kg bags of maize, new mattresses, blankets, clothes, beans, salt, sugar, friendly faces, helping hands, prayer for the sick & needy, and words of truth... And to look at the 10-acre site of Peace Portal Community Church and see how much has changed in only 18 months since I was last here. This place is a beacon of grace in real and practical ways. Fresh clean water, a medical clinic, a children's home and a gathering place for the church that can meet people spiritually.

It's a lot to take in... fortunately the team has bonded extremely well, and there are a lot of lighter moments to balance out the days. Jon paid me 500 USh to write that he caught a snake today. He's even got pictures to prove it:




In other news, the team is generally healthy. A couple people were frequenters of the 'flashing' toilets through week, but everyone is now on the mend. Today we are enjoying a day in Kampala as a team. Almost everyone is crammed into this internet cafe right now, waiting for a chance to send a word home. We are still missing two bags - Jessica's; and mine, which contains a lot of expensive equipment :(

Through this weekend and next week, I'll be posting some specifics about some of the activities & experiences. For today's post, I've got a few images of life & environs for the team, then a series of photos from the Children's Home on the 10 acres. Enjoy!

-- trevor.

And we're back!

Cell networks have covered the African continent faster than Coca-Cola. They're ubiquitous. Today I was a half-hour boda boda ride off the beaten path visiting a family in a mud hut when 'Hello Moto' began singing from someone's hip...

All that to say... we're back online! The issues preventing a connection the last few days are now resolved. The connection is slow, so pictures and more updates will happen as soon as they can. We are heading in to Kampala as a team tomorrow. I'll take advantage of the faster connection to do a big update (which will be evening your time) and then keep you posted as the week progresses.

Our first big day

I'm sitting on the porch of the church, waiting for a van to take us to Kampala. There's some colourful birds chirping in the trees off the front porch. Some members of the team are on the porch playing with the kids from the children's home. They're colouring with crayons on paper (a luxury) and getting loved on.

The rest of the teams are off doing their respective tasks for the day. I've updated the schedule to show what tasks each sub-team is doing (click the 'Team Schedule' link to the right). I've also added a page that lists who's on what team so you can follow along with friends or family.

The rain has let up. There's a high overcast and a nice breeze... probably low 20's. It's a nice change from the torrential downpours of the first few days.

Yesterday was a fabulous day. We tore down our tent city to prepare for church, ate our breakfast, then began church with 35 Canadians and 4 Ugandans. Apparently when it rains people wait to come to church... but church waits for no-one.



We had a 3.5 hour church service experience. Experience is probably the only word for it... It began with Sunday school, the team breaking up to join the adult, youth and children's classes.






Afterwards everyone re-joined in the church. We had many welcomes from different members of the church, performances by the kids and youth group, and the chance to sing our own Ugandan songs that we had prepared over the last few months. The team really enjoyed themselves... so much so that a conga line spontaneously erupted.




After we sang, each member of the team went up, one by one, to introduce themselves to the now-full church. Scott Dickie gave a solid preach (after being informed the day before he was up to give a word.)



The service brought together many unique experiences for the team that has left God's signature on our memory.





And what better way to wrap up a day like that than to win at soccer? Against all odds and a ferocious offense by no less than two full Peace Portal Mpigi soccer teams, Canada won by a slim 4-3 margin. There was much fear and trembling as our opponents walked onto the field. They had cleats and jerseys. Nobody in Africa has cleats & jersey's unless they're pro.



After singing our respective national anthems, the game began with full force. It was a ferocious battle on both sides, but in the end the Canadians came out victorious.



As the champions, the Canadians were given a victory ride back to the church in the back of a truck.





In other news, we are still missing four of our bags. One is in Heathrow, one in Nairobi, and two are unaccounted for (including for yours truly). Generally the team is doing well, in good health and enjoying the experience.

You can pray for the teams as they start their big week and get their first experiences truly immersed in Ugandan culture. Pray for our bags. Pray for continued health. Pastor Michael has asked for prayer for two families that are 'sick' - generally meaning AIDS. A prayer was answered with a problem being fixed with the editing gear we're using for processing photos and video we're shooting of the trip.

Internet is still a no-go... I'm now in an internet cafe at Garden City (the Mzungu Mall in Kampala). Hopefully we will get that sorted soon.

I showed the team some of the comments that have been left and what I've been posting... it was good for them to see that their journey is joined by so many. Thanks for following along with us.

-- trevor.


(a note: the pictures today aren't quite of the normal image quality... had to make some compromises because of the internet situation).

Safely in our new home

Hello to everybody who's following along on our trip.

We are safe & sound in Mpigi.  We arrived yesterday tired but in good spirits.  Uganda TV was at the Entebbe airport to film a short piece as we arrived, and we soon drove from the airport in three specially hired Matatus (and a truck for our luggage.)  After a long drive through Kampala to reach Mpigi, we received an amazing welcome as we drove up to the church.  Many of the schoolchildren and members of the church lined the driveway, singing songs and dancing as we approached.  Some women performed a traditional dance, and the children sang, all the while drums pounding out a solid African beat.

The rest of the day consisted of unloading our gear, taking a tour around the site, and generally getting settled.  We got our first look at the new Children's home and the facilities that have been built over the last few months in preparation for our arrival.  We cooked our first meal as a team (mmm... beef stew) and set up our tent city inside the church.  In the late afternoon a fantastic, powerful storm blew in.  It was a solid wall of water that quickly draped the surrounding hills in a solid, impenetrable grey wall.  The pounding rain went on for several hours and baked the ground in sticky red clay.

A lot of our time is spent doing the normal things of life, much more than at home.  The rain makes keeping the place clean a particular challenge.  Cooking and moving dishes & meals between the guest house and the church (a solid jaunt up the hill apart) and staying hydrated are all new experiences.  Everything requires planning and preparation... there's nothing 'pre-packaged' in this environment.

As you can probably gather, getting internet access has been a bit of a challenge.  At the moment I'm sitting in a truck in Kampala waiting for Pastor Michael.  I'm hoping to find an internet cafe soon to post this, after exchanging some team money and picking up bags from the airport...

...On arrival into Entebbe we found 10 of our bags didn't make the last hop from Nairobi to Entebbe.  Two came in late last night, and the remaining eight will hopefully come in on the 2:30 flight.  The people missing bags all came prepared with a few extra clothes and the essentials, so no-one is too put out.

Otherwise, the team is well.  We had a good sleep last night, falling asleep to crickets and the sound of the generator (pumping water 24/7 from 200 feet beneath us to a cistern up the hill).  You can pray for health & strength as the team adjusts to a new clock and a new environment.  Also pray for  continued bonding of the team as we adjust to new quarters and a much more intensive way of life.  And pray for the week coming up, that our experiences will be impacting both for us and for those we come into contact with.

I've been taking lots of pictures.  Since this time around I've got a high-speed connection, I'll upload a bunch so you can get a feel for what we've experienced so far.  Thanks for following along.

-- trevor

In Nairobi

Note: I wasn't able to connect in Nairobi, so I'm back-posting this from Kampala

Jambo!  We've arrived safely in Nairobi, all 33 of us... or is it 34?  Or was it 34?  Oh right... we had to leave Scott Martens behind as an offering to the killer pigeons at Trafalgar Square (just kidding).

As I write this we're actually descending into Nairobi's Jomo Kenyatta on a lovely Boeing 777 operated by Kenya Airways.  The consensus is this airline well surpasses Air Canada on most measures... we'll see how that holds up once we know how many bags make it to Entebbe :)

We have a one-hour layover (6-7am our time) before the last leg.  Then the next phase of our journey begins in a Matatu, driving from the airport, through the capital of Kampala and down the Masaka Road towards Mpigi.  It should be an interesting, eye-opening journey for many of us  Not only will it be a first glimpse of Africa, we will be travelling as most African's do when they need to get around.  I'll be sure to post pictures.

The team is holding up well... bleary-eyed and bushy-bearded (well, Scott & Jon at least).  I don't have pics from London with me, so here's a few from the plane to tide you over:






The internet situation in Mpigi is still uncertain, so I will post again when I can.  If I have internet in Mpigi I hope to update at least daily, though we may not be that fortunate.  If the connection is sketchy (or non-existent), I'll be hitching a Matatu into Kampala every 3 days or so to grab an internet cafe.

Thanks for your prayers and for following along.  Pray for health & energy as we touch down and make the 10-hour timechange adjustment.  Pray also that God will open our eyes and hearts to what he wants us to see as we make our first contact.

-- trevor.

On our way...

Hi folks,

Taking advantage of the rare bit of high-speed internet access while we're still here at YVR. The team got together around 4:30 to organize team bags and pray.





This young guy decided it'd be fun to hang out with our group...


From there we headed to the long line to check-in. I heartily maintain Air Canada is the most third world first world airline... no major issues this time however, and all was smooth sailing.

Pretty much everyone is through security and we're killing time waiting to board.



You can all pray for Lindsay Drewlo. She was in a car accident this afternoon. She's doing fine and she's here with the team, but she'll probably be pretty sore for the next few days.

Commissioning Service

The Uganda team was commissioned and prayed for this past Sunday at Peace Portal. Here's a few pics:




P.S. Comments are now working... you can leave comments on this blog (instead of at the image gallery).