January 31, 2014

Jan. ’14 Trip to SOH, Uganda – Update #2

Pastor Moses described the group of 7 that traveled to visit as “a strong team” and he was amazed at what they have accomplished in a short time.

Greg, Ed, Pastor Moses, and Dr. Ben visited the SOH Home and returned to the LSH Home safely last night. The rest of the team stayed at the LSH Home. Here are a few highlights of the 3 days at the Stream of Hope Home in Uganda.

46 children loved on, given clothing and treats, balls and needed items for the home.

Greg reported that the kids were in great shape, happy and healthy. The best that he has seen them.

Dr. Ben from Kitale (center back row, next to Ed) evaluated all the children, left recommendations as needed, and left medicine and instructions with the caretaker. Several have conditions that require care and one little girl is seriously ill.

Greg, Ed, Pastor Moses, and Pastor Paul are discussing the purchase of a tract of land with the owner and a lawyer. We hope to complete the purchase and begin building a permanent compound for the children like we have at LSH in Kenya.

Posted in Updates from Uganda
Tagged 2014, 2014 Trip, mission trip, Stream of Hope Home

January 29, 2014

Jan. ’14 Trip to Kenya/Uganda – Update #1

This past weekend our team of Greg Perkins. Ed Wiertel, Bobby Babson, and Tony, Terri, Eldon, Phyllis Yoder traveled to the LSH Home in Kitale Kenya. All are well and hard at work loving the children, sharing with local churches, and working on projects to improve the housekeeping facilities and LSA School.

Eldon Yoder working with Pastor Ken

Some of the 4 gallons of honey harvested from the 4 bee hives at LSH

Yesterday Greg and Ed with Pastor Moses and Dr. Ben from Kitale, traveled to the SOH Home in Uganda. They are working on immediate needs at the home, assessing the children’s health, and planning for future improvements. One primary goal is to review several possible sites to purchase for a permanent home site. Greg reports that they are negotiating with an owner about a piece of property.

We will report more soon. Please pray for their safety and for God to work mightily through them.

Posted in Updates From Kenya, Updates from Uganda
Tagged 2014 Trip, Lord's Servants Home, mission trip, Stream of Hope Home

December 23, 2013

Christmas in Africa….

The kids at The Lord’s Servants Home and at The Stream of Hope Home had a Christmas celebration because of Sponsors and generous people sharing with them.

We have provided clothing, a book, a trip to the Nature Park, and a special meal to the kids at LSH in Kenya for years. They enjoyed it just as much this year….

The LSH gang getting ready for the Kitale Nature Conservancy (Park)

This is the first year that we have stood with the kids at SOH in Uganda in support and maybe the first Christmas celebration for many of them. They got some new clothes, a fun day, and a really special meal with a soda.

New clothes..they love that.

Special meal and a soda!

Merry Christmas All!!!

Posted in Updates From Kenya, Updates from Uganda
Tagged 2013, Lord's Servants Home, Stream of Hope Home

September 6, 2013

August 1-19. Trip Report 1st Post

Our trip to the orphanages in Kitale, Kenya and Nawantale, Uganda was fantastic. We met our goals and delivered blessings. First timers, Randall and Cheryl had a great time and were a blessing to many people. I will make several posts over the next week to present photos, video, and stories.

To start I want to give God the Glory and point out how we were under His protection and grace…

The Nairobi international airport terminal burned into a nearly complete loss while we were in Kenya throwing travel to and from East Africa in turmoil. If our trip started a week earlier, our departure would have been messed up. If our trip started a week later, it would have been delayed or worse. Amazingly our plans were unaffected.

My Father went to be with Jesus somewhat unexpectedly a week before our departure. I was able to see Dad a lot before that, celebrate his life with family after, then continue with the plans on our trip. A timing change could have easily caused me to cancel my trip. Serving orphans was the perfect way for me to process my Dad going on ahead of us. The Holy Spirit used this in messages that I shared with churches on the Sundays we were there.

I broke a molar tooth 2 days before departure and my Dentist was on vacation. The back-up Dentist used a procedure to numb my lower jaw. I learned the procedure on YouTube while in Kenya and was able to use it and help 3 people in Uganda by removing painful teeth. Basically, I would not have been able to attempt that if my tooth had not broken. Of course, timing changing a few days and a broken tooth on my trip would have been very unpleasant for me.

Our timing in becoming involved with the Stream of Hope Orphanage in Uganda is amazing. There are 2 little girls there that are alive now because we were called to become involved. The other 38 children now have hope for a life, and a church has a roof due to God bringing timely provisions to us. Much of this in memory of my Dad.

Greg’s son Nicholas had surgery on his nose and upper palate a week before we left. Early in our trip while we were in Kenya, he developed serious bleeding complications which were life threatening and further surgery was required. Greg had the opportunity to trust God with his family from the other side of the world and involve hundreds of people in Kenya in praying for Nicholas. A small timing change and that would have altered our trip. God is faithful.

We had car trouble on our trip to Uganda. While I was annoyed over a 3 hour period searching for parts and a new tire, Greg and Randall walked the streets in a neighborhood and found a little girl with a life long eye infection. Dr. Randall was able to make arrangements for treatment to relieve the pain this girl had her whole life.

On a personal note, my sweet 14-year-old Basset Hound Sarah waited for me to return from our trip before saying goodbye. I am so thankful!

I’ll be sharing more with stories, photos, and video about how God worked through us but I wanted to share how God faithfully cared for us first. Thank you Father!

Us with the staff and younger kids at the Stream of Hope Home

Posted in Updates From Kenya, Updates from Uganda
Tagged 2013, 2013 Trip, mission trip, Stream of Hope Home

August 13, 2013

We’re Back from Uganda…Great Trip!

Thank you very much for your prayers. Greg, Randall, Moses, and I got back to The Lord’s Servants Home in Kitale, Kenya last night just before dark and we had the nice non-rain weather and safety all during our trip that we were praying for. We were out of touch with Cheryl as we left her alone back at the Lord’s Servants Home with 60 kids. Us 3 guys laughed about what kind of condition we would be found in under that circumstance but Cheryl is awesome with the kids and would have had it no other way.

The Stream of Hope Home in Nawantale, Uganda is so much better now than it was in February that I can hardly describe it. Greg and I remember these pitiful kids huddling together looking scared, hungry, and lost yet now they are a happy family with a home, valued kids that are fed, clothed, and sent to school, and beautiful children of God that worship Him with all their hearts. I wish everyone could have seen the transition that Greg and I have. An outpouring of love, kitchen with food, latrine, clothes, shoes, school, and beds seem to have made the difference. All praise to God.

We worked on the new church building and when we left, the roof trusses were all up and the roof sheets purchased. This week they merely need to paint the trusses and install the roof sheets and they will be worshiping under roof and out of the sun and rain for the first time in 4 months. This is a big deal since services last 4 hours. I got my head sunburned giving a message Sunday.

Greg bought lanterns, pots, water containers and supplies to immediately improve their lives. Dr. Randall served a lot of people and changed a few lives with glasses and help. A couple of ladies were reading the Bible in Church with their glasses that otherwise would not have been able to. I helped 6 people in severe pain by removing some teeth. We gave them clothes, underwear, books, medicine, book bags, tooth brushes/paste, candy, and other things. We installed a tetherball, volleyball net, and soccer balls and played with them. They did not know how, sadly, but caught on. Moses was a great encourager and mentor to them. There was lots of singing, drumming, and dancing and we left them very happy and loved and able to look forward with hope.

It is a long trip to get there, over 10 hours each way, and it was a struggle with some mechanical difficulties, border crossing, and delays, but we were blessed…and we have stories…lots.