Hot/dry season

Hot season is now in full swing in Uganda - dry heat with blowing dusty winds from the Sahara desert.  Only at dawn is there some relief from the heat.  And yet, in the midst of such a hot season, mango tree produce their fruit!

Dry season

January-April are generally dry/hot season in Uganda - although Kampala gets a bit more rain than the north (Gulu), it still gets dusty, windy, and HOT.  Sand/dust blows in from the Sahara Desert, mango trees blossom excessively, and everything (except the mango trees) turns brown.  Dry season is an important time of the year for drying thatch for roofing and making bricks.

Thatch roofing

Dry season arrives in January and sticks around until March or April.  This is the time to make and burn bricks and dry grass for thatch roofs.  These huts are awaiting a new thatch roof.  If your roof leaks before dry season you just have to wait until the grass is ready in dry season!

This is the inside of a hut roof - beautiful isn't it? 

(This design is actually available as a notecard for sale with proceeds benefitting ACTION Gulu)

Pastoral training

Pastoral Leadership Development is a key ministry of ACTION in Uganda - conferences for poor pastors, one-on-one discipleship, and resources to equip each pastor to care for their own congregation.

National leadership

One of ACTION's goal is to turn ministries over to local churches and local leadership.  We're exploring what that means as we seek to equip our Ugandan leaders.  We have established a leadership council over the Gulu ministries as a next step in the process - two missionaries with two Ugandans who have been on staff with ACTION Gulu for several years.

Orphan Care

We're spending a lot of time as a team thinking through orphan care... There are very few true orphans and even true orphans usually have extended family... How do we equip extended family to care for their own orphans? When is it better for a child to be in a children's home rather than with relatives? When is it best for a child to be adopted into a family? It's all shades of gray since every situation involves humans. But God has commanded us to care for widows and orphans (James 1:27), so let's do it well!

Skills training

Four of our older children at Home of Love took sewing lessons from a tailor on-site this school holiday - they made some beautiful aprons as their first project and are so proud of their accomplishment!

Doctor Battery

Need your battery charged? Go to "Doctor Battery!"

HOL Christmas Camp #3

Camp continues with:

Camp games and songs...

Playing together, especially with the older children, to intentionally disciple them...

And even medical care, while all the children are on-site at Home of Love....

HOL Christmas Camp #2

Pastor Peter is one of our leaders in Gulu.  Although he feels under-qualified to teach children, he took the plunge and is helping to teach some of the twice-a-day Bible lessons during our Christmas Camp.  He did great! We're using the book "the Gospel Story Bible" to connect the dots from Adam to Christ.

Home of Love Christmas Camp

The older girls take turns leading out praise and worship songs in strong, clear voices - praising our God for His sovereign work in our lives!

Uphill both ways

Want this job? Young men are hired to bring charcoal from the villages to trading centers to sell - it's a hard job! Sometimes, to save a trip, they'll strap two of these sacks of charcoal on a bike and walk the bike to town.

A mzungu baby

Our son, Micah Otim, was born in our home in Gulu in September.  He is quite the celebrity as a newborn "munu" or "mzungu" baby is a rare sight indeed!

The Big Event

Jesus is the Truth nursery school K3 graduation came with all the pomp, circumstance, and fanfare that all proper K3 graduations should have.  Our country directors, Mike and Rebecca, were able to attend from Kampala and that was certainly meaningful for the proud parents.  The graduates will start primary school in the new school year which starts beginning of February.

K3 graduation

This friday is kindergarten graduation - the biggest event in many children's lives!

Home of Love

Home of Love is our key ministry in the North - the children are primarily war-affected children.  Here we are having a celebration - there is much to celebrate in the new life that Jesus gives us!

Gulu shops

Typical shops in many towns in Uganda - brightly painted, multi-purpose, and tiny! Motorbikes and bicycles parked outside show the typical means of transportation.

Jerry cans

Jerry cans are an essential part of life for hauling water from the local borehole to the home.  A jerry can will be carried on the head, by hand, or on a bicycle.

Village stroll

Missionary kids taking a stroll with friends through a local village in Northern Uganda.