Lacking only some internal painting…the boys will be moving in very shortly. (The outside painting is finished but not shown in these photos). The rooms for six boys each has louvered glass windows, bug screens, and ceilings. This will be Heaven on earth for the boys who may have been on the streets and have been staying in a rented warehouse until this time. Praise God.
The 20 boys of Stream of Hope Home currently sleep in two rented rooms in the trading center along the road a little over a mile from the SOH property. A 10 room structure with capacity for 30 boys, a caretaker family, an office, and a library is being pushed along so the boys can live with the rest of the children in safety and cut about 3 miles of walking per day from their schedule. We plan for completion and move in by the end of November. You can imagine how excited the boys are to have a permanent home. The building was underway during our trip in August. Current photos are below.
View from the back of the compound showing the Boys Dorm on the left with Girls House and other buildings to the right.
Cement covering inside and out as well as installation of windows and doors is next.
The inside is finished well and has a nice ceiling.
A new latrine/bath house is being finished as well.
The 2 doors on the left of the center building is where the boys sleep at night. We want them at SOH ASAP!
Comforts of a Home bring a sense of value to a child. We can’t imagine sitting in the dirt to eat, play, and study. I saw something come over the children’s eyes when I watched them have their first meal at the new tables…I think it was a contented “I’m Home!” look that I get when I have been away from my home for a while on business or something stressful and have just returned.
So far I’ve shown the Electric Light project and the Water Well project that we complete on our August trip but providing tables and shelves for the home touched my heart the most.
This is the first time eating at a table in the home. We made 5 of them.
The boys loved helping us and did much of the sawing and drilling.
Shelves that we made helped declutter the small home.
…and get the food up off the floor.
Waterborne diseases, common diarrhea, contaminated water supply and containers, missed school, missed work, wood too precious to boil drinking water, hours spent each day to obtain water, skipping tooth brushing, body cleaning, dish washing, and clothes washing due to scarce water. The Stream of Hope Home and neighbors live this way every day…..that is until…
We had the pleasure of implementing a giant blessing to these precious people. When we left to return to the US, chlorinated water under pressure was flowing to the orphanage and to the distribution site at the gate for the community. The sun provides the power to automatically pump water to an elevated tank when needed. It is a reliable system only requiring some sunny days which is not a big problem on the equator.
This is how it happened…All praise and Glory to God for His Provisions and Grace.
Drill rig on site in early July
Hit a good water source at 150′. Praising God!
Installed an AC/DC pump, 700W of solar panels and an automatic control system. The wellhead is below the panels.
The instant that water was flowing (just out a hose) the community members filled containers for hours each day.
We designed and had a tank stand fabricated locally to hold a 5000 liter tank about 16′ off the ground. This was an event of Egyptian proportions.
Eager plumbers helping Greg.
System working…God is good!
Chlorinator system. Tank drain valve in upper right, provided the 1st shower after 2 weeks in Uganda.
View from the tank toward the home. Boys dorm under construction on the left.
Fresh pure water piped to the home.
View toward the community distribution site.
Community getting water. Site to be improved but providing clean pure drinking water. The Community was excited and supportive.
Water is Life. Clean for drinking and cooking, available for cleaning, on demand to allow life to proceed.
Scott Agnew, Gene Coleman, Jon Zavodny, Greg Perkins, and I completed the last of a 3 part mission to the SOH Home, Uganda.
One of the Directors of the Stream of Hope Home described our work as “Pushing back the darkness”. He was referring to the 700w of Solar Panels, 400 amp-hrs. of batteries, and LED lights in all the rooms, kitchen, and church. However, I see that statement as much more metaphorical and general. I know that God is working through us to improve health, give hope, and show the light of Christ Jesus and it is making a huge difference, brightening the futures for these kids and community.
We returned last Thursday from nearly 2 weeks at the SOH orphanage and we completed several important projects. We did not have internet available and I could not send updates so I will do so, one key project at a time over the next few weeks. Praise God with us!
Lights in the Kitchen shelter = happy cook
Lights in the church shelter. Greg giving goodies from our church Sunday School Class and messages of Christ’s light in the world.
700 watts of solar panels….
….that the boys helped install.
Batteries and power distribution center. Tool, phone, and computer charging.
Yeah…they were that excited!
Mission Servants Ministry 
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