Am I Safe?

So, yesterday the guard at my compound informed Vickie and I about the tightening of security.

Apparently a few weeks ago two very suspicious women came by our compound "looking for their friend". They then began asking where the Mzungu's stay. Our guard made them leave of course.

Also, a few days ago three men came by. Two stayed outside and watched while the other one came in and was asking very silly questions to our guard and clearly lying about everything. Our guard told me people have been spying. So now our compound will be locked at all times with only our guard having a key. He and our landlord our worried for our safety and their own. He told my they are trying to get some "killer" dogs here to help keep us safe. I told him I want to buy a gun. 

We have thick cement walls around our compound with coils of sharp wire on top, a giant metal gate that is all locked up, my own apartment having bars like a jail cell on the doors and windows, comforting I know.. I definitely get the "homey" feel when I am in here. At night I lock my outside door with a padlock, where my kitchen is, made of bars. Then the big metal door, which goes into my house.

I am not sure if I should laugh at this crazy situation or be worried. I choose laugh, but be cautious. I do have a bow and arrow that seems pretty lethal. Hopefully I will never have to use it though.


Do not be afraid for I am with you. -Isaiah 41:10

THEY ARE BACK!

Most of the children are back at school and I couldn't be happier! The past month was boring without them..

Words cannot express how thankful I am to all of my donors and supports for allowing me to come here. I would not be here without you. I have now been here for a little over three months and I have three more to go! Also, thank you from BDI for all you have done with your donations and support.

I am so excited for what is to come! There is so much that needs to be said but I think for now I will just show you some pictures of our beautiful children.

 The empty school over the holiday..

This is Davis, he is new!! By his second day he had already picked up so much sign language. Will you pray for him? 

Bath time for Saul! 

Frank plays to hard and got hurt!

This is Saul. He need your prayers so much.  

We need prayers right now more than anything! Thank you.

God bless.

Rwanda and the Beck family :)

Rwanda was great, absolutely great. It is such a beautiful country! I stayed with a wonderful God loving family. Jenny, Caleb, and their children Adin and Caris, were able to bless me in so many ways in such a short time.

I was amazed at how many of my prayers God has answered. His timing is so perfect. 

The long spiritual talks with Jenny were so great! She is a fantastic person, Christian, role model, and mother. Caleb took me on a little adventurous 2.7 mile run and hike. I have not ran but a handful of times in the past three months so it was awesome! I got to play with Adin and Caris everyday which was an absolute joy! And I "babysit" for a short time one afternoon which is only like the best thing ever! Thank you Adin and Caris for all of you princess dresses, Lego's, and joyful hearts. Getting to be apart of a family was also a huge blessing, just to be with them in their life routine and feel so welcomed. One afternoon I got to play with the Beck kids and the three kids next door who's parents are also missionaries from the States. We played red light green light, mother may I, soccer, and freeze tag. Such a joy!!

One thing that I have been fervently praying for is someone to help fix my shoulders. God answered my prayers through Caleb. He gave me workouts while I was there and we video taped them. It was great. I was amazed by the things I could and couldn't do. With his confidence, my ability to do these workouts, and God, I have faith that I will start to grow stronger and the pain will decrease. 

I pretty much felt like I was in America when I was there, until I left the house of course. They have a wonderful routine of eating dinner early, going to bed at early, and waking up early and running! A very nice routine that I had well developed in the States and then completely lost here. Also it felt like home because of the food. I believe among all of the prayers God answered for me He also threw in the simple things that I missed; home made pizza, burritos, chips and salsa, big waffles, raw milk, lasagna, lettuce, and sandwiches. I am so grateful for the little things. 

Some really great conversations happened between Jenny and I. Because Caleb grew up as a missionary kid in Kenya, Jenny has worked in Uganda, TZ, and they both have now been living and working in Rwanda for 7 years, they have experience and know how to go about things. I am new and learning. Jenny helped my SO much! I feel a lot more confident in doing whatever God calls me to do each day. I have been feeling lost here at BDI and I feel I am not and have not done enough. Not knowing what to do, or how to go about something has been a big struggle for me. With so many needs here it is very hard sometimes to pick one problem to solve or even how to solve it. My lack of confidence in my overall self doesn't help either. Jenny talked to me about everything (to much to write about) and answered many of my questions! She also brought to my attention many things that I have not thought about but need to. I feel "refueled" and ready for school to start on Monday. 

It was great to see the Beck family and four other American families who are living and working in Africa. It just made everything seem more real to me and possible for me to be here long term, God willing. 

They have invited me to spend Thanksgiving with them so I hope to be back then. I know I will greatly need and appreciate being with a family at that time. The 12 hour ride is definitely worth it! :) 

They have the most beautiful view from their back yard! 

Caris!

Adin!

Oliviay(sp?), next to me, took me to the Genocide Memorial. We then met up with Caleb and Adin after school and went home. :)

You have to wear a helmet here in Rwanda! 

Paidha

Wow..where do I even begin..

It is now the holiday so the school will be closed for one month and all of the children get to go home!! Four of which Joel and I accompanied back home to Paidha.

Thursday. 

So Thursday morning at 5:30, oh I'm sorry that's Luganda time..and yes that is a real thing. It was 11:30am and I met Joel and four children at the Kobil gas station to wait for the bus to come. We are standing out there waiting, it starts to rain, and the fun beginsssssss!

We missed our bus, or it missed us..so we thought. We get in Joel's car to start "chasing" it as he and Ivan, a teacher, are calling the driver of the bus trying to find out where it was. We are driving and its pouring rain. We had been told wrong I think and we really hadn't missed our bus. So the right bus finally comes to where we are and we get on. 

I'm so ready for this eight hour bus ride. I seriously loved it. Everything was so beautiful. The vast green land, rolling hills, and tall trees everywhere. It was awesome. I can't even describe it. I finally saw baboons, monkeys, and the wonderful Nile River! 

It was getting late, it had been raining a lot, and we were driving on a muddy road. Then up a hill we tried to go...yeah, that didn't work out. Our bus started sliding sideways and we couldn't make it any further. Long story short and for the sake of my worrying people back home I will leave out a certain detail. After a while we got off the bus and finally found three boda men to take us the rest of the way to Paidha. It was dark, cold, and pouring rain. Naturally, I somehow enjoyed the scary and slippery ride to Paidha.

Opio and Peace.

We finally came to a Guest House and there were only two rooms available. In my American way of thinking and never being in a Hotel here I thought "okay perfect, boys in one room girls in the other." Well, not so much. These rooms were very small with one one very small bed. So Joel ended up taking three of the children to Opio's home where they all stayed. While Peace and I shared one room and Joel stayed in the other. It was nice. Poor Peace was so cold! After I got hot water for her to bathe with I wrapped her up in a blanket as we waited for the Manager to bring us food.


I was happy to be able to care for and spend time alone with dear Peace, she is precious, and so very smart. We laughed and had a good time.









Friday.

I got up that morning and got hot water for Peace again to bathe while I went for a walk around Paidha. I came back to Alex and three of his deaf friends who live in Paidha! He came to return my jacket that I gave to Opio the night before. We had breakfast with all these deaf boys, checked out of our Guest House, and took Peace home. Her father gave me a gift for drinking alcohol out of! I have yet to use it..

It's hard to explain Paidha and the way people live. For me it's crazy and completely different. It was "cool" for me to see these huts but then I have to understand that this is the way people live here. It's a very hard life, their homes are dark (which is worse if you are deaf) and with only a grass roof protecting you from the harsh rain. It is very hot during the day but at night in Piadha it actually gets really cold. All of the children are wearing ripped, old, dirty clothes, most of which don't even fit them. You can tell some people are in very poor condition. The beautiful thing for me was to see all of these children and people with a Rosary around their neck.






















My mother always says that a picture is worth a thousand words so I don't have to try to explain.

We found another Guest House to stay in and then we went to the Chapel of Our Lady of Assumption! It was so beautiful and big. Jesus and I had a good talk. I just love Him so much! After that we walked around Paidha and went to the market. Which was crazy.

I FOUND PEANUT BUTTER. I watched them make it, they added nothing to it, and then I bought some.

For lunch we went to Opio's house. They had insisted we come which was so nice! We had rice, beans, and goat meat. It was SO good. The beans they cooked with some oil from a tree and it was seriously delicious. The meat was made perfectly and spiced very nicely. Like all Ugandans do with visitors, they made sure we ate plenty, and when we left we were fuller than full.

We visited the rest of the children's homes as well and met there families. It is so sad thinking that these kids have no communication with their parents or siblings. No "I love you", "goodnight", "how are you today", nothing. But when we take them home they are so happy to be around family!

Saturday.

I couldn't think of a better way to spend my Saturday morning than at church talking with my Beloved. Honestly, Church is the only place I can feel at home. The only place I can go to get comfort. When all I can see are my sins, failures, and how I constantly feel I am never doing enough, He is there to hold me and bring me peace. His love is mesmerizing.

After Church we went on bodas to the Congo! I didn't think we would be able to cross the border but we did and although we didn't go that far I still thought it was cool to be there! It was the same, absolutely beautiful! We then just ventured around to different villages and places.

Congo

We stopped at a very small town that I don't know the name of. It had a big beautiful Church and with the parish there is also two primary schools, one secondary school, a convent, a clinic, and the Holy Family Hospital. We walked around the hospital inside and ended up stopping in a room that only had one man in it.

He was an old man sitting up in his bed with his Bible opened, his hands on both sides of it, his head hung low with his eyes closed because he had fallen asleep. A man came in and told us his situation. He has cancer and one of his legs has been amputated above the knee, which he then showed us. The man woke up and we prayed together and then Joel and I left. We went to the Church, met with the Priest, and I got the chance for some silence with my Beloved again.

We journeyed to the market again to experience the craziness, met up with Opio's family and talked with them for a little. Then we left and later ate at a restaurant. I just ate eggs..I wasn't feeling too adventurous with eating anything else.

Sunday.

I woke up at seven and I had no idea what time church started, how many Masses there were going to be, or even if there would be an English Mass. I asked the manager of the Guest House and she just said people can start going at seven...I don't think she understood the question I was trying to ask. No matter, I got ready quickly and started my walk.

As I was arriving so many people were leaving the Church and yet I saw people standing outside the Church and trying to go in. It was packed. A man who was leaving saw the confusion on my face and walked me in all the way to the front to some pews beside the alter. Thankfully I sat next to an English speaking woman who also had a Daily Missal and she made sure I was able to follow along.

*A Daily Missal is a book that can be used everyday, every year, to follow along with Mass and have the Daily readings. Because every Catholic Church around the world has the same readings and prayers everyday no matter what language it is in. So I am able to attend Mass and fully understand and know ever word that is being said, except the Priest's homily, through the entire mass whether it is in Luganda, Alur, or whatever. It is absolutely wonderful!*

It was such a beautiful service! The Church was completely full. Every pew was full, every person was sitting so close together, and even where we kneel had children sitting there. All around the alter and in walking isle were people sitting down. Even right outside the church there were people standing and a speaker so they could hear everything. It was wonderful to see such a poor community so rich with Jesus. The singing was amazing. Every part of it was. I took a video during Mass and I now realize that it might not have been appropriate to do but I just wanted to share a small part of the beauty. 

Receiving the Eucharist with all of these people was also so powerful for me. To share in Christ's love for us with all of these people of a different language and culture was awesome. We are all One in Christ. 

After Church we went to a few of the kid's homes and gave the families some gifts and said goodbye. I took some time to teach Opio's twin sister some simple signs so she could communicate a little with Opio. She really enjoyed it and I know Opio did too.

Alex (in blue) and his deaf friend outside of Alex's house.

We then got bodas and drove to Nebbi and took a taxi to Pakwach which is a town on the Nile. After we checked into our Guest House we went for a walk across the bridge over the Nile and continued down the highway to look for elephants, which we found by the way. Along with Pumbaa and his family of warthogs, gazelle, antelope, lots of giant birds that I don't know the name of, and the sound of hippos. It was amazing, breathe taking, and beautiful. It was like our own free safari.

We had walked quit a long way from Pakwach and it started to rain! I loved it. Joel didn't so when a boda man drove by he hopped on and well, I refused. It was to beautiful and warm to just leave. So I made my journey back in the rain looking at the vast green land, enormous clouds, and the elephants! I love Jesus so much. I said some prayers and just talked to God and thanked Him for His amazing creations and allowing me to see them!

Before I made it back to the bridge Joel came for me and had something great planned. He asked our boda man to take us down to the bank of the Nile where he then asked some local fishermen if they could take us out on their boat! The sun was coming down and it was awesome being on the Nile.

We went home had some dinner and I skyped with my family finally!! I miss them so much. It is starting to get really hard and every time we skype I just have to sit there and cry. 

Monday. 

Well for starters I didn't sleep that night very much at all. I was pretty out of it but I kept waking up with a lot of pain in my stomach and sweating. It is really hot in Pakwach anyways so I don't even know if my sweating was from sickness or just being there. 

When I got up in the morning I felt a little better and immediately got dressed and went down to the Nile again! The men took Joel and I to cross the river this time. The sun had just rose and it was amazing! The water was like glass and you could see the clouds reflecting perfectly in it. We were out there for a while just going around. We went to another place to switch boats with some men and got to see the interesting fish they caught that shocked you. Then they took us to find the hippos!!

We found two hippos and although the only thing we saw was their heads when they came up it was still pretty cool. Their heads are so big! There was a fishermen closer to one that was slapping his paddle on the water for it to come up. That hippo seemed pretty mad when he came up. 

After that we sat for what we were told was going to be 30 minuets but turned into almost three hours of waiting for the bus. TIA. It wasn't helping me at all. I was beginning to feel worse and worse. I hadn't been able to eat or drink anything since I woke up.

The best part of the seven hour bus ride home was right when we left there were a bunch of elephants pretty close to the road that we got to look at. Other than that I had a rather terrible time. I was in so much pain I didn't know what to do. All I wanted was my "mommy." The whole time I fought crying and at some points lost. I believe what I had was food poisoning...at least I hope it was only that. 

When I finally got home to my apartment I just cried like a baby and Vickie came in and took care of me. Great way to end a trip rather than begin it that way!

--

I'm thankful that I was able to accompany those four kids home and to meet there families. Thank you to everyone who supported me and continues to support the children at BDI. Because of your support I was able to buy the bus tickets for the children, Joel, and myself so that they may see their families. Something which is SO very important for them.

Even though it is a poor community in Paidha and life is very hard I am thankful that the people there and myself are able to practice our Christian Faith freely without persecution. Please join in praying for peace in Iraq, the Middle East, and for all those being persecuted because of their faith. May Our Lord give them the strength to hold strong in their faith and walk through this darkness.



God bless.

Meet Elvis, Daphine, and Leocadia

I am so excited to be able to introduce to you three more of these beautiful children! Although some of these kids have been attending BDI for years, they are all new to me. The more I get to know each one, the more I fall in love with them.

I know everyone, everywhere, can find Christ in these children as I have. You only have to look. Be with me on this journey of love and learn how to open yourself up more and more to give and receive Christs love. I came here to give love but I feel I am receiving much more than I ever thought. The more I learn, the more hands I hold, faces I kiss, and foreheads I bless, the closer I come to Jesus. 

It is amazing what happens when we start to give. Its not a matter of what we are giving, how much, or to who. Its only a matter of "giving". It's the spirit of giving and the self-less love. The same self-less love that Christ gave to us when He died on the Cross. 

There is a difference between the kids who are sponsored and the ones that aren't. Many of these kids are used to abandonment and are used to being unloved. When a child gets sponsored they feel so wanted! "Someone chose me!"  

I am humbly asking you to chose one. Let them send you letters and emails about their thoughts, drawings, struggles, and joy. Share with them your love.

Meet Elivs and his older sister Daphine, who is hearing. Their life is not easy, their parents are separated and they live their Aunt. Their mother lives with her mother and the father sometimes stays with the children but most of the time he is not there. He doesn't care about his children.

At home Daphine is the oldest and takes care of her three younger siblings. Sometimes the Aunt will disappear and they will stay alone, leaving Daphine in charge and having to find food for her siblings. Many times they have came to the school at night or on weekends looking for food because they have none.

Elvis is nine years old, he is very social, and likes to play any and every game! He and his sister came to BDI two years ago when their parents were still together. When the problems at home starting happening that's when his grades started to drop. He would come to school and be very distracted. Because of such poor academics the first year he is now having to repeat P1. 

Daphine is 12 years old and she is in P5. Her favorite subjects in school are Science and English. "Science is very easy. English is nice to speak." Her exact words. Her favorite thing to do outside of school is play net ball!  Although I knew the answer to this question I asked her anyways about her personality, shy or outgoing? She laughs as she buries her head in her arms and says "I'm shy."

Daphine attends school here because Elvis, being very attached to her, refused to attend school without her. She loves sign language! And she is the only one at home that is able to communicate with her brother. Isn't that great!? I love seeing them together. 

Meet Leocadia. She is 17 years old and came to BDI one year ago but only stayed for two weeks because she had to leave to take care of her sick aunt. So officially on June 6th of this year was her fist day. How did she get here? Her mom would see some of the deaf children walking to church and signing to each other and then grabbed the opportunity for her daughter to have an education. Her mother is the only one who cares for sweet Leocadia. 

Although it is SO hard for Leocadia to learn sign language, because she is so old, she still tries very hard. She likes to be smart. She also likes to be clean and very well maintained, her hair is always done so beautifully! Leocadia is in Top Class and despite being very old for her class she is very comfortable with it. 

If you have the capacity to give and feel called to do so please go to http://www.boanergesdeafinitiative.org/apps/donations/. Or visit the BDI page for any further information. You can also contact me via email with any questions or concerns at rannah_banana@yahoo.com. 

Thank you!

Meet Kooga and Alex!

The most beautiful thing in the world is to love one another as God loves each one of us. And it is for this purpose that we are in this world. -Mother Teresa




Hi my name is Kooga and I am 13 years old. In 2010 Joel found me, I was 9, and had never had a language or any form of education. Coming from a very poor family where my parents were not able to provide basic needs for me, education has always been out of the picture. Joel offered to take me in and provide boarding and an education for free. Although coming from a very poor family has always been a struggle, I am very lucky to have parents who love and care for me. I have never been rejected or abused by them and they have always accepted my deafness. Academically I am average but for coming to school so late I am doing very well and work hard in my studies. One thing I love is fashion. I am always helping the other kids get dressed, changing their outfits, and helping to make them look nice.





















Hello! My name is Alex and I am 14 years old. My home is in Paidha located in Northern Uganda. I come from a Catholic family who live in grass and mud huts. I am lucky to have parents who love me but as I got older I was becoming more stubborn and having no language or communication with my parents make things hard. Out of the 250 deaf in Northern Uganda I was one of the lucky five that Joel was able to take back to BDI in 2011 to give us an education and grow spiritually.

Since I have been at BDI I have changed a lot for the better. I now have a language and I am getting an education. I dream of being a teacher for the deaf. Although academically I need to improve, I have a desire to learn and I do try in school. I am always more shy and reserved, not as outgoing as some of the other kids. I usually just sit back and watch when games are being played. Its hard to get a picture of me sometimes, but when I open up I am very funny and joyful. I seem to always have a smile on my face.


Kooga and Alex along with all of Boanerges Deaf Initiative need your support. If you feel called to sponsor one of these children please go to  http://www.boanergesdeafinitiative.org/apps/donations/. You will also be able to be in contact with the child you sponsor through letters, emails, and more. If you have any questions please contact me through email at rannah_banana@yahoo.com.

Come and help change the lives of these children and watch how they will change yours!

Thank you and God bless!

Sponsorship.

I'm so great full for all of my sponsors, all of the donations that I have received, and all the people who are continuously praying for BDI! We have been able to buy food, charcoal, medical supplies, and different things for the children when necessary. But I know the money I have been given wont last forever. These children need continual support. Why? Because deaf children in Uganda are vulnerable and excluded. The school of BDI is struggling to survive and needs people like you to be willing to step up and get involved. As you may know from my previous posts we are in need of everything - basic needs like food, water and medicine being the most urgent at this moment.

There are currently 53 kids enrolled at BDI and eight teachers. There are 26 children that have sponsors which leaves 27 who need sponsors. As for the teachers, there are currently four being sponsored. 

As a sponsor of course you have the freedom to decide any amount to give and believe me, anything helps!! You would be surprised how far money can go here! Thirty dollars a month (1$ a day) is ideal for a child's sponsorship but continuity is more important than the amount. When you sponsor a child you will implicitly support all children as the money from sponsorship will be spent on food and medical care. A sponsorship provides more than food and medical care. It also demonstrates to the child that they are loved. The Ugandan deaf children are not used to this.

For these awesome teachers, a sponsorship will help ensure that they have a home, food, and will even make it possible for them to use transportation. It is common for them to walk for several hours each day to and from the school. This is difficult under any circumstances, especially on an empty stomach. An ideal amount for a teacher sponsorship is 100$. Of course, a sponsorship for teachers is more expensive. This is a great opportunity for a company, school group or group of friends. If ten people commit to sponsoring a teacher, that is only 10$ a month per person.

For those who wish, there will be opportunity to have contact with the child or teacher you sponsor through letters, emails and more. Another option for helping out is a simple donation to the organization as a whole. Donations can be made at http://www.boanergesdeafinitiative.org/apps/donations/. 

During the next weeks I will blog about and introduce to you the kids and teachers that need sponsorship. I hope this will make you consider to help and support these lovely children and teachers. 

If you have any questions at all please feel free to contact me through Facebook or by email at rannah_banana@yahoo.com . Also, for further information visit the BDI website: http://www.boanergesdeafinitiative.org/.  

God Bless.