Update

On Christmas Eve, Chris and Lindsey were able to distribute gifts with Roxanne (our host missionary) at the children’s ward of a local hospital. Afterward, the whole family—along with a Ugandan Santa-- went through the local community distributing gifts and meeting the families of the children who come to Rox’s house every day. Christmas morning was different for the Pearce kids as they had a modest stocking to open, rather than the typical slew of packages they receive at home. We ate Christmas lunch at a very nice restaurant on Lake Victoria and then went to the “Loving Hearts Babies Home”. At the home, they welcomed us to play with the 13+ babies (under 3 yrs old) in their care. These orphans are awaiting placement with permanent families. We heard several heart wrenching stories behind how the children ended up there (AIDS, abandonment, etc.).

The following day our original plan had to be nixed, so we ventured “off the beaten path” to a shooting range at the top of a remote mountain (we’re still not sure how anyone could ever find the place). Wade got to drive the car part of the way, but eventually the potholes won and he turned the wheel back over to Roxanne. We finished the outing with a trip to the Babies Home where we got to play with the babies again.

When we aren’t “off” somewhere, we stay at Roxanne’s house and play with the children. Between 20- 30 kids wait at the gate each morning to come in and play. When the gate is open, they all come in and begin playing soccer and all sorts of other games. Our kids have joined right in and made good friends. Roxanne says that this is the first time the girls from the community have come, and attributes it to Jamie and Lindsey being here. We brought “UNO” cards, and now everyone knows how to play!

The prior two days we spent in the “motor car”, going first to Watoto Village (the “Eagle Ranch” of Uganda) and then the Equator. We also visited the village that Roxanne’s adopted son, Wasswa, was from. That visit was quite a contrast from what we had experienced so far as the people there have virtually nothing and—because they are not used to “mzungu” (white people--) they were more guarded than the people we have met so far.

Today (the 29th), we visited a church and orphan school in the slum of Kampala. Wow. They call it the slum because it is actually IN the swamp. It stays wet and when it rains, it comes in all the buildings. The visit was sobering, but Samaritan's Purse and Pastor Christopher are faithfully ministering to the community.