We have not posted for a couple of weeks but we have been busy. Last week we were involved in a Helping Hands project which was the clean up of a Medical Clinic near Njeru. Helping Hands is a Church program for helping the community with a needed project or helping after a disaster such as the ones a few years back in Texas and Louisiana. The Church has the ability of mobilizing a work force faster than most organizations and our members are asked to give service to others as often as needed. This project was a small one as the clinic was small... a delivery room and 3 exam rooms. These clinics have one doctor and a couple of nurses but see many patients. We cleaned and mopped floors, washed windows and generally cleaned the grounds. As a side note, Uganda has no trash pick-up. There are no visible trash cans so there is lots of litter everywhere. They have people who literally sweep the streets with brooms everyday and the street is just as dirty the next day. The biggest problem is plastic bags and plastic bottles.. Rwanda, the country to the sSouth of Uganda is one of the cleanest countries in the world. Their government has put programs into place that stops littering. They allow no plastic bottles or bags in that country.
Susan helping clean the clinic windows. Most towns do not have running water and you will see the water tower in the background for the clinic. This water is by no means filtered or clean. We drink only filtered water or bottled water. Most water is carried in jerry cans and comes from a bore hole or stream. We use water from storage tanks for showers and washing dishes and clothes, but we do have filtered water for drinking and rinsing dishes.
This is a latrine at the clinic. Most people use latrines as there are very few indoor facilities.
Susan wanted a picture of a furniture store. We see these in every town we go through. They are surprisingly well made.
The delivery trucks are too costly so you see this quite often. Bed frames on the back of a boda boda (motorcycle) or bicycle are common. They are very good at balancing and tying them on.
The couples had a July 4th back yard barbeque that was as close to American as possible and the food was great. Elder Wallace had purchased a charcoal cooker and we grilled hamburgers. In addition we had potato salad, macaroni salad, chips, vegetable tray, and fruit plate....with homemade chocolate cookies for dessert.
Elder Wallace, a Canadian, honored the group with an American Flag salad, and yes, you see Lay's potato chips and my favorite, black olives.
On the way to Jinja this weekend, we stopped in Lugazi to help with an Open House at the Church. This is one of the little store fronts across the street. They sold just about anything you might need.
At the lot next to the church, they had decided to pave the taxi stand. This is a big process that starts by boiling the tar.
Another group water down the dirt using 20 gallon jerry cans of water. They use what they have and a hose is just too expensive. This is a big lot so it was a very big job. They then take a gallon can with many holes punched in the bottom, fill it with tar from the barrel and drizzle it over the damp soil. Finally they spread a coat of light gravel over the wet tar and roll over it with a small roller to drive it into the tar.
This is a boda driver delivering a barrel to the workers.
This is a site you see everywhere in Uganda. Men especially are not deterred by urinating anywhere the urge hits them and it is very common to see someone relieving themselves at the side of the road. This happened to be at the Jinja Hospital.
Renee Casperson is the sister of Elder Ed Casperson. He and his wife Kim are the MLS (Member Leadership Support) couple in Jinja. Renee and her sister came for a visit to Africa and brought 100 wooden cars that were an Eagle Scout Project from a 14 year old boy that Renee knew. Renee's 2nd grade class in SLC had sanded the cars and the scout varnished them and attached the wheels.. Her goal was to give these little cars to orphans in Uganda.. Susan was able to find two orphanages and the malnutrition ward at the children's hospital that would let us come in and distribute the toys.
The first orphanage was for 27 children from 2-11 years old. The young lady who ran the orphanage was an orphan herself and was delighted to have us come. Renee was delighted to share with these kids who loved the cars and held them tight.
Eight of the children were in a disabled ward.
The buildings and surrounding trees were painted bright primary colors and were clean. There were several full time therapists and social workers, as well as about 10 volunteers from other countries who love and care for the children. 
We stopped by the Jinja Hospital to visit the Malnutrition Ward and to leave cars. These children are sometimes hospitalized for months trying to restore their health.
Some of the children were doing quite well. I did not take pictures of the sickest ones.
This little child was sick but so cute
The Answering for the Children Home was a large house with 31 children. This couple, Joseph and Deedra, have been running this place for 18 years. They have taken a different approach with the kids they have taken in. They are convinced that children need to belong to a family so they are in the process of adopting all the 31 children. It takes a long time to adopt here in Uganda, but so far,8 are legally theirs. This is a Christian couple who teach their children the right way to live in that they require them to live good moral lives and they control the things they see on TV, internet, movies etc. The kids are home schooled except for the older kids who are in high school.
Each child told us their name and what grade in school they were. They had perfect English and when Renee passed out the cars she was thanked. When dismissed they immediately went into the large kitchen area and took the benches and created a race track for the cars. Deedra is the daughter of a Pastor of the Rock Church in Cerritos, California. Joseph is a native Ugandan. This is a wonderful family. One side note...all of these children came to this home as babies. The first little girl to introduce herself to us had been found by the police in the swampland near the Nile River. She had been abandoned at birth as she still had the umbilical cord and placenta attached. She had a neck wound but was still alive when found. I am sure there are lots more stories that could be told but that one says it all.
This picture is a bit blurry but that in itself tells the story of the cars. These kids were moving so fast I couldn't keep up to take a picture.
Renee, Deedra and Joseph. Sorry for the picture being out of focus again.
By the way...you can read the stories we write on mormonnewsroom.ug
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