Peter Leaves : (

So the oldest boy in the house left today. Peter as well as the Aunties and Uncles decided it was for the best. Peter is 16 and he has outgrown the home.  Peter was the main one wanting to leave, he wants to go out and finish school. His hopes are to become a Doctor one day and I truly feel in my heart he will make it.  It was really sad to say Goodbye to Peter. He is turning into a strong christian man and I hope he will continue on that path.  Other than that today has been pretty normal.  Gina comes tonight so me and Abby have spent most of the day after church cleaning out Gina's room and getting it ready for her arrival.  The boys have been such a big help they helped us mop the room and wash her sheets.  They are all such big helpers.  I love them so much and  its starting to hit me that I'm leaving in less than 2 weeks : ( Emma cries everyday.  He comes to me and is like please don't leave Auntie Carla and starts crying. It's going to break my heart to say goodbye to these boys.  They have truly stolen my heart and will always have a place in it.  

Hard Week

So this week, to say the least, has been a very humbling, emotional, exhausting week.  We took one of the most adorable street kids, named Cato, to the hospital. He was beaten with a stone on his foot and could barely walk and so we decided it was best he go to the hospital and get checked out. The wound was infected, he had a blood clot, and his foot was so swollen.  The doctor was able to get most of the blood clot out, stitched, and bandaged the wound.  Poor Cato cried his little eyes out, here medical attention is a little harsher than in the US. In the states you receive anesthesia for the littlest of things but not here. Its almost like the suck it up and stick it out motto. We took him back to the hospital today to get re-bandaged and let the Doctor take another look at it but he seems to be just fine and will make a full recovery.  On top of that just yesterday one of the street kids told us he wanted us to try and resettle him with his family.  Moses has been living on the streets for about 6 months now and hasn't seen or spoken to his family. So as they reached his village and his house it was abandoned and closed down.  His parents and 2 of his sisters had died of HIV about 2 months after he ran to the streets. Talk about breaking your heart. He had NO IDEA. Can you imagine being a 10 year old and deciding to take your life off the streets and go back home to be with your family. Getting there and realizing they had died without you knowing. Its been really sad around here this week, between hospital visits and seeing little boys cry over the loss of parents this week has really opened my eyes. Its taught me to be so thankful for what the Lord has given to me and the simple things he provides. Please keep these 2 precious boys in your prayers.  They truly are wonderful boys and need lots of prayers and love.

<3 Carla

Street Kids Ministry

Yesterday was AWESOME! Me, Stephany, and Amanda went to David's Street Kid Ministry. The kids there are so adorable and are so lovable. Stephany brought a new soccer ball for the boys. These are boys that come to the Church every wednesday, they have no where to live, no food, no clothes, nothing. So every wednesday they come and David and Robert and some of the other guys teach them english and mathematics. Yesterday we went and took a soccer ball for the boys to play with. They had so much fun, after soccer they had a lesson and then ate some Posha and Beans. While they were eating I just hung around them and talked and all of them offered me their food. Little boys that have no food EVER were offereing me there food. I was like no you eat and they insisted. That's a loving child if I don't know what is. After it was over one of the boys named Joseph asked me if I wanted to go to Church with him and a couple of the other boys. I was like SURE!!!!!!!! So me, Amanda, Stephany, Joseph, Matheus, Moses, and Gabriel went to Church. They were so cute Joseph even took notes during church. I was really scared the Church wasn't going to let them in because they were dirty and had no shoes on, especially seeing as one Sunday we saw Joseph begging for money outside of the Church and asked him to come with us and the Church refused.  : ( After church we decided to take the boys to get dinner. We took them to get there favorite "Chips and Chicken". And of course as we walked into the restaurant EVERYONE turned around and stared at us, it really frustrated me but what can you do. We sat down and the boys were so good. They even used the forks and napkins. After 2 weeks with these boys I love them. The kids here are so easy to fall in love with and you just want to help them all and take them all home with you. 

Thanks for everything! 

Hope House Jewelry

Jewelry Samples

Hope House Staff

 

 

 

Jewelry Samples

Add caption

 

 

Emma's Birthday!

Emma's Birthday!

 Me and Dissan <3 

 Me and the Boys : ) 

Emma's birthday was Monday night and it was so much fun. We played games and had birthday cake. They played Limbo and bobbing for apples and they loved it. The winning teams got fried grasshoppers as a prize, which is a huge treat here. People here in Africa love Grasshoppers.After the games we sang happy birthday and had cake with the boys.  It was an awesome birthday party and I think Emma really liked it.  

Then last night Stephanie, our new volunteer, brought all new soccer gear for the boys. Her church donated brand new cleats, soccer balls, shin guards, shirts, and shorts for the boys. It was awesome how much they sent for the boys. They were so excited like it was Christmas, these boys love soccer soooooo much.  They were screaming and shouting as we were laying all the new stuff out.  The smallest things excite these children and they are so happy just to have new cleats, shirts, and shorts. After we gave out all the new stuff we had devotion and the boys brought out the African drums and we all did traditional African dance. Well I tried anyways haha. White girl trying to do traditional African dance is pretty funny but atleast I tried haha. 

Today we went to Oweno Market to get 200 shirts, shorts, and shoes for a new house that's just been started for a group of 50 street kids. They have nothing and not alot of financial support so we wanted to do something nice for them. We had an amazing woman give a donation so we used that money to get all the stuff. Were going to give it to the new house on Thursday night before our handi-cap street ministry.  Oweno market is like walking in a very dark narrow hall way with thousands of people grabbing your arms saying come here come here see what I have. Its exciting and a little stressful at the same time but we bought everything we needed in about 2 hours which is amazing. We hope God will continue to bless this new house and they will continue to get the financial back they need to survive. 

Thank you all for your prayers and support. <3 Carla

Emma and Meha

The Bandages are Off

Today we took Emma back to the Hospital to get the bandages and stitches removed. Needless to say he was not a happy camper.  His face is healing fine and will make a full recovery yay! This week has been busy, I cannot believe its already Wednesday. 

Yesterday was bible study at Calvary, I love it so much! After bible study we took Amanda (our newest addition to the house) around town to get more acclimated with Kampala. Shes a really great girl and I think will be an awesome new part of the family here.  She was a teacher in the States and that is going to be a great help here with the boys. They need alot of help in reading and writing in English. We have decided to implement 1 hour a day from 7pm-8pm for quiet/homework time.  Even if they boys don't have homework they have to use that time for reading or doing some school related. They are also going to have an hour reading time on Saturdays where they must take turns reading with the Aunties and Uncles in English.  Do to living on the streets these boys are really behind in school and we're trying our hardest to help them in that area.  

I love these boys so much and have become so attached. Last night as all 20 of us were crowded around the dinner table Uncle Stephen began telling me a joke, as I was listening the boys began sneaking under the table and crowding all around me and out of no where began fiercely tickling me. I laughed so hard; they really know how to brighten my heart and my day.  One glance from these boys and I smile, and I fall even more in love with them everyday.  They truly are a blessing sent from God to me and I'm so thankful Iv been given the time to get to know them. 

Tomorrow is my day to lead bible study at the girls program. I always love doing that. I feel like I grow closer to the girls through bible study.  They have really began opening up and sharing with us and that is amazing.  Please keep all of these ministries in your prayers and I thank you all so much for your support. 

<3 Carla