We've Moved!

Our move is complete and we are blessed to have been helped by so many!!!! All the big/heavy furniture was in the new house by noon on Saturday August 1st. The rest was finished by mid-afternoon. The last of the tid bits that always seem to hang around forever filling this box and that box finally got moved Monday a.m. In this picture, Kevin is seen playing in the sand pile left over from the construction. As you can tell, landscaping is needed! Lots of dirt right now!!!

On Sunday night the 2nd we had more than 30 people come to pray with us as we dedicated this house to the Lord. We are blessed to have been given the funding by many of you for the construction and we are privileged to be living here as we serve God’s children at New Hope Uganda. This land was once the site of much witchcraft activity and the horrible war atrocities of the 80s. Praise God that it is now the site of a place of peace and life-giving ministry!

Geoff and I spent Thursday in Kampala buying shelving, plants, plumbing, baskets, household hardware, etc., for the new house. It was a long day and traffic was horrible as we were trying to leave Kampala. We’ll have to make a few more trips like that, but we’re slowly getting things in the places where they need to be.

We are now in the complete it/repair it mode. Geoff worked most of Saturday on the house—hooking up the hot water for the solar; repairing door locks, toilet seats and bathroom faucets that had all broken before we moved in; hanging pictures, clocks, towel racks and mirrors that needed permanent homes on the walls, and installing door stops for wild doors. Good thing he started before sunrise on the solar as the rain came just as he was finishing and he had to slide down the roof carefully on slippery sheet metal. Only a small scrape—no major falls.

I love the new kitchen. It is brighter and more open than the former one. I feel a part of what is going on in the rest of the house instead of stuck in a hole! I also love our

new bedroom as we have more windows so the air flow is better, and we are surrounded by trees. The kids are enjoying their new rooms—Acacia’s is pink and purple

and the boys’ has a blue wall in honor of the Chelsea football (soccer) team.

The living room is huge and we are excited for our first movie night with David Family! It will be the first movie night in which everyone will fit comfortably in the living room!!! (sorry, no picture yet.)

We hosted our first overnight guest last night. Joyce, who lived with us last year had a birthday yesterday so we invited her for special dinner and a sleepover. We had a great time talking and the kids climbed all over her as usual. After supper we watched Benji, a great Walmart$5 movie. She then came home with us after church and we had birthday cake and presents. In the late afternoon we walked together to visit a few people and give her a "push" home as we say around here. It was a great day, but has been a busy week with moving and trying to get settled. Many people have been stopping by to tell us congratulations which is very enjoyable, but has taken extra time out of our already activity-filled days.

We’ve just received the itinerary from Geoff’s parents for their visit here in December!!!! They will bring their granddaughter Sarah and will spend almost the entire month with us! The kids are already counting the days!!!!!

And speaking of the kids. . . we had a little mishap Saturday as they were playing in the sand pile with hoes and shovels. Seems when Acacia swung her hoe, Toby bent down to move the sand and Toby’s head met Acacia’s hoe! I have to say it was the smoothest ER visit of all that we’ve had. Only 1.5 hours total from leaving our house to returning. Three stitches later he’s doing fine.
And, though we are in the new house, there is not a new school banda, yet. For now, Uncle Josh, our current missionary teacher is using our old banda to teach. This is a picture of reading time with all the first grade and one older independent study child. In the background on the banda porch you can see our makeshift carpentry workshop from where our carpenter is still building our kitchen.

Guess this has turned into a novel. That’s what happens when I take more than a week off from the blog. More news another time . . .