Home Sweet Home

We arrived home at 10pm on January 1st. We had been up for 43 hours! We are so thankful to be home. We all slept soundly in our own beds.

The first order of business for us (after washing our clothes) will be to sponsor a Ugandan child through World Vision. The second priority is to begin raising $1,100 to put a roof on the school in the slum.

After that, who knows? But there is no doubt that the Pearce's will be profoundly impacted by what we saw and experienced over the last 10 days. I'm fairly certain that I will not be complaining about what I don't have for a long, long time.

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.

Christmas Eve

It is Christmas Eve here. We made it and have adjusted to the time change, etc.

Last evening we went to a Christmas "Cantata" at Watoto Church. We would probably call it a Christmas play, but it was amazing. It was called "Three Kings" and presented the Christmas story from the perspective of the three wise men - if they had traveled through Africa when they decided not to report back to King Herod. Anyway, it was worth the 3 hour wait and security check to see the God-honoring performance complete with a 200 member choir. We weren't the only people to think that --they perform 2 shows each day the entire week of Christmas and 3 performances on Chrismas Eve and Christmas Day-- to packed out audiences each time.

Today, Roxanne and I went to one of the children's hospitals so that she could arrange for us to come back and deliver cards and gifts this evening (Christmas Eve) She is having a friend dress as Santa.

We are so happy to be here and the kids are enjoying endless playtime with friends in Rox's front yard. Rox is uniquely equipped for the ministry she has and it is so cool to see her using her gifts and talents to serve here.

Merry Christmas!

What Does a Blizzard in Europe Have to Do with Us? EVERYTHING

Saturday morning we sat down as a family to discuss the need for flexibility while traveling internationally. We told the kids that it was inevitable that we would have experience some sort of unexpected circumstance or delay during the trip. Little did we know we would face just such a circumstance before even leaving Atlanta.

With our bags packed and loaded in the car and the family just hanging out before heading to the airport, a seemingly innocuous email arrived in my in-box at 11am stating simply that our flight had been cancelled. Little did we know that a winter storm –the likes of which had not been seen in 20 years—was pummeling Heathrow and other European gateways.

The phone lines were so slammed that our travel agent couldn’t even get through, so we headed to the airport to try and get more information. Dozens of travelers were lined up at the ticket counter and the three ticket agents were trying to re-route passengers as fast as they could all the while they were receiving notices of airport after airport closing.



We spent the night at an airport hotel and checked again this morning to see if there was any way we could get out, but the next available flight (with five available seats) is three days from now. We’re praying that the weather clears by then.

Having a Ball

So many of our friends and church family are pitching in to help us collect items to take with us. We are so grateful.One of the key things we have been asked to bring is soccer balls. The kids there love soccer and usually play with a ball made of banana leaves like the one in the picture.

Recently, the kids in Roxanne's neighborhood have been asking her for a "REAL" soccer ball. I'm so excited to see their faces when we deliver them!!!

Lindsey and Wade spent hours deflating the balls so they would be easier to transport. I wonder who will get the job of re-inflating them????

The Official Count Down Begins

There are four weeks left before we board the plane. Just a couple things to do before then (in addition to finalizing our home refinance and regular work/school stuff):

-twelve teacher gifts;
-eleven guests for dinner (Thanksgiving);
-ten prescriptions filled;
-nine (zillion) things to buy ;-)
-eight documents to locate;
-seven folks to contact;
-six books to purchase;
-FIVE BAGS TO PACK;
-four kid events (two plays, one recital and one parade);
-three letters to type;
-two pets to arrange care for;
=one stressed out MOM!!

The challenge is to keep my eyes and heart on Jesus while getting all this stuff done!

Jamie's Card Ministry

Hi! I am Jamie and I am going to tell you about my card ministry. In a couple of days I am going to be making cards to take with me when my family and I go to Uganda. I am going to make them as fun as possible. We will give them to the kids in the hospital and the staff. They will probably just say things like "Merry Christmas" and "Get Well Soon", but I just want them to look fun and pretty!!

Please let me know if you want to help!

Thank you Mrs. Warnock and Mrs. O'Neil!!

Changing Course

Proverbs 16:9 says "In his heart a man plans his course, but the LORD determines his steps."

We recently found out that the Melton family will be unable to travel to Uganda this Christmas as planned. Harold has been diagnosed with cancer and will require chemotherapy, beginning immediately. Although everyone anticipates that he will do great with the treatment, his doctors won't allow him to take the risk of international travel during the course of his treatments. We are praying that God will equip their family for this battle and that He will continuously pour out His grace and sustain them during the journey ahead.

Nerves

As the departure date draws nearer, everyone seems to be getting nervous all at the same time. Dad is having to assure all of us that everything will be "OK". We are fielding questions from the kids about the flight, where we'll stay, what we'll eat, how you get malaria, etc., etc. It does not help that, since we booked our flight, there has been a terrorist attack in Kampala; their friend's parents were in a commercial airplane crash (they both LIVED!); and, a local missionary to Uganda died suddenly from malaria.

There are definitely risks in traveling to Africa but, as Tracy Roth reminds me, there are risks in driving to the mall. Fear displaces courage and is not of the Lord. We are in the Lord's hands whether we are in Braselton, Georgia or Kampala, Uganda.

Good Reads

In preparation for our trip, we've been checking out library books on Uganda. We've found plenty of children's books on the "Pearl of Africa", but not as many adult books (other than travel books). "Last King of Scotland" --which is about Idi Amin-- was recommended to us, but I (Chris) like happy books and that particular book does not qualify!

We were able to find a great book in our library, "The Price of Stones" by Twesigye Jackson Kaguri. Wade and I are now both reading the book and really enjoying it (the book, not sharing the book). It is about a Ugandan Christian, educated in America, who started a school for orphans in his hometown.

It's a wonderful read. In addition to being inspired, I learned that Uganda is approximately equal in size to Oregon and has between two and three million AIDS orphans. The entire population of the whole state of Oregon is just slightly larger at 3.8 million. Imagining that many abandoned children left alone, without parents, is certainly a sobering thought.

A Disney Cruise to Uganda?

While riding in the car about a year ago, one of my three kids asked me "Momma, are we poor?" I said, "Well, no...why do you ask?" They went on to explain that they were the only children they knew that had never been to Disney World and so they had concluded that we were poorer than anyone they knew.

I was a bit startled and uncertain how to respond -- we certainly weren't opposed to a trip to Disney World, but it had never been a priority. Now, in the midst of this discussion, I was feeling a bit guilty for not having taken them before. And, since we were considering a trip to Uganda, I knew the likelihood of going to Disney anytime soon was pretty low.

As the discussion progressed, I posed this question to the three kids and asked them to vote... "Of these three choices for our next family trip, which would you rather do:
1) Go to Disney
2) Take a Disney Cruise
3) Go to Uganda."

Two of the three kids cast their votes immediately for #3. The third child wanted a little clarification and asked whether a Disney Cruise to Uganda was an option. When I explained that the demand for cruises to Uganda was probably pretty low and so Disney didn't offer that destination on their itinerary, that kiddo cast their vote for #3 as well.

I was surprised that the vote was unanimous and even more surprised that it was for Uganda and not Disney. Yet, when I relayed the results to Wade, we both felt it was confirmation of the timing for us to go.

Just Shoot Me

Man, I thought I was on top of everything planning wise, but I totally underestimated both the number of shots we would need and the cost of those shots. The kids were not exactly thrilled to learn that they would each need 5 or 6 shots. The only consolation was that mom and dad would need nearly twice that number!

So far, we've gotten some of the more routine ones from our primary care physicians. And, contrary to the mantra I've preached to the kids for the past 12 years ("it's ok; shots don't hurt, sweetie"), they DO hurt! Our group appointment with the Hall County travel clinic is scheduled for October 26th. If you hear screams coming from the Health Department that afternoon, just plug your ears!!

Easy Money...Not!

Ever since "Aunt" Roxanne landed in Uganda, we've wanted to go for a visit. Since round trip airplane tickets are expensive, we've been entering contests since 2008 to try and win the trip. One contest we entered in May 2008 had the following criteria "Submit a photo showing you and your family in a way that symbolizes your families’ dream vacation. Include a caption of 50 words or less, highlighting your vacation request". Here is the photo and caption we submitted:

"Aunt Roxanne lives in Uganda.
She works in the cancer ward.
We’d like to spend Christmas there,
helping her serve the Lord."

Despite our cute scrubs (thanks Tracy and Gary) and efforts to tie the photo to our caption (map, gifts, scrubs), we didn't make the cut.

During the next two years, we entered at least three recipe contests to try and win the money to go. We must have sampled "Forgotten Au Gratin" at least five times while Chris was trying to perfect the recipe. And we felt sure her Colossal Ice Cream Cake had a chance of winning the Pillsbury Bake-Off.

Eventually, doors opened so that Chris could earn money the old-fashioned way: a job!!!

Woohoo!

We just purchased 5 round-trip, non-refundable tickets to Entebbe, Uganda. Wow! I think I may pass out. The Melton family is going to confirm their tickets in the next day or so. When they do, I'll feel that all the talk and planning has turned into action and we're "really" going.

Due to space availability, the Melton's will depart two days earlier than us and will spend some time in London. We'll meet up with them in London and travel together from there.

I guess Jamie said it best when she commented to J. Wade "I can't belive we're actually going. First, it was an idea...then, it was a plan, and now it's really real!!"

God's Provision

We feel that God has led us to take this trip, so we are trusting that He will provide financially. I'm very much an "inside the box" thinker when it comes to finances, so God has had to work on me a bit in that area. He has shown me that His provision is probably NOT going to be in the form of a check in the mail for the exact amount of the trip. But, with His grace and guidance combined with some old fashioned belt-tightening, we're slowly making progress toward covering the cost of the trip. My idea is to document this provision as both a step of faith and as an encouragement to others.


$1,550 - Unexpected scholarships for two of our children
Within days of finding out the prices of airline tickets had hit a 12 month low, we found out about an opportunity to obtain partial scholarships for two of our children who are enrolled in private school. A relative took advantage of this opportunity on our behalf and voila, fifteen hundred dollars was freed up from tuition expenses. This money can now be used toward the Uganda trip.
$ 650 - Unsolicited sales call that actually paid off
I really hate unsolicited sales calls, especially when they come on my cell phone. I almost hung up on the Allstate agent, but am really glad I didn't! By switching our home insurance to Allstate (who we already had our car insurance with), we reduced our total insurance cost by $650/year.
$ 96 - Netflix
We were on the 3 movies at one time plan with Netflix. Switching to the one-at-a-time plan will motivate us to stay on top of our "queue" and save us almost one hundred dollars over a year.
$2,000 - Unexpected Gift
Shhh...we can't say who it's from, but you know who you are and so does the Lord!

Scholarships

In 2008 the Georgia legislature earmarked $50 million of tax money to be used for qualifying private institutions for school scholarships. It was their compromise to a voucher system. Last year, only about $3 million of that was used. The state oversees about 50 privately run Student Scholarship Organizations, or SSOs which process the actual funds. The SSO Bill (HB1133) enables tax payers to put a portion of their Georgia taxes towards particular schools which can set up a scholarship pool to draw from, for students in need.

The tax payer can receive a dollar for dollar tax credit (Married up to $2500, individuals up to $1000) on their Georgia taxes and a federal deduction for the same amount, as a charitable gift. Corporations can also give, 75% for a “C Corp.”, less for S or LLC Corporations. The process is pretty simple. Giving can be done all at once, or several times throughout the year. We utilized the Pay It Forward Scholarships through Corporate Giving for Education which is one of the Georgia Department of Education's approved SSO's.

1) Fill out a one page form, Georgia IY-QEE-TP1 which goes to the state to verify the funds (of the $50 mill.) are available.

2) The Dept. of Revenue approves the amount and notifies the taxpayer.

3)Within 30 days, payment from the taxpayer must be sent to the SSO, with the amount stated in #1, specifying a qualifying school ("Heritage Academy", Braselton).

4)The SSO sends the funds to the school, to be used as they see fit, for scholarships. (The SSO has to obligate 90% of funds and keeps 10% for expenses.)

If you'd like more information for your student or would like to help us offset some of our trip expenses using this method --which will benefit us, but will not ultimately entail any out of pocket costs for you-- please let me know.