Tim and Helen Manson

Theo Altenberg

2011-01-24T01:24:00.000-08:00

Theo Altenberg is good. There is an intriguing drama in his yummy olis-on-cardboard . In these seemingly random splashes and smears of mixed oily color, the viewer finds him- or herself looking for scenery, people, recognizable forms.

Whether this was Altenberg’s intention or not is irrelevant. What matters is that it gives us pause. We look. We see.

The 59-year-old Altenberg was born in Mönchengladbach, Germany, and lives in Berlin

something i like

2011-01-12T00:15:00.000-08:00

New York artist Tom Fruin’s outdoor sculpture Kolonihavehus in the plaza of the Royal Danish Library in Copenhagen.

Fruin’s sculpture is constructed of a thousand reclaimed pieces of plexiglass ranging in size from 2x2 to 24x36 inches. They originate from many sources, including a closed- down plexi distributorship near Copenhagen, a framing shop, the basement of the Danish State Art Workshops, and the dumpsters outside the Danish Architecture Center - nice work Tom!

Kolonihavehuses were originally small garden sheds that were designed to give cramped and often impoverished city-dwellers a small plot and a refuge from city life.

Little Miracles

2010-12-03T00:04:00.000-08:00

just a little story i wrote for the Watoto website :)

Watoto’s youngest students in Nursery, Kindergarten, Prep A and B classes today celebrated the end of the school year with a Graduation and Christmas Party. Coordinated by Teacher Evelyn Namboozo, the standard multipurpose hall was transformed into a wonderland of Christmas trees, ribbons, twinkling lights, balloons, streamers, gifts, sparkling tinsel.

As the mothers, teachers and leadership of Watoto Suubi Village filed into the hall, the atmosphere both inside and out was truly alight with the magical sounds, smells and sights of Christmas. Beginning with an opening prayer by a young kindergarten student “We thank you for our Mummies, we thank you for our party, we thank you for our daddies, In Jesus name I have prayed, Amen” the event was then broken up into three distinct themes. Nursery students were celebrating ‘God is creator’ and kicked their section of the event off with a number of songs, a quick drama and absolutely gorgeous faux paus all over the show. One in particular to note was when 2 year old Abigail got dressed up as baby Jesus and climbed into a crib wearing a onesie, beanie and sucking on a dummy. Only to promptly decide that she didn’t like playing Baby Jesus one bit and so climbed out of the crib by herself and went over to her Mum. Of course there was microphone grabbing, little ones forgetting their lines and enthusiastic waving to Mums going on as well.

Next up was the Kindergarten year level. Keeping in line with their theme of ‘God’s servant’ their colourful costumes and animated dance and drama kept the audience well entertained. Following them was the graduating Prep A and B students who carried on their theme ‘God is love. This year level will now go onto Primary School. After every year level had completed their performance, awards were given to students that had shown exemplarily behaviour and academic results during the school year. Awards were given out for categories like ‘Most Improved, Best Groomed, Academic Excellence, and Best Handwriting. Each student that received an award was applauded, congratulated and handed a special Christmas present.

Of course the morning wouldn’t have been complete without a visit from everyone’s favourite holiday character- SantaClaus! His arrival drew gasps of sheer delight followed by squeals of excitement. Topped off with some Christmas carols and candy for all the kids, it was a wonderful morning for our little miracles indeed.

Colour Conference in Sydney!!!

2010-11-29T23:03:00.003-08:00

Colour Your World 2011 from Hillsong Church on Vimeo.

National Geographic Photography Competition

2010-11-29T01:04:00.000-08:00

These are some of the entries for this years National Geographic Competition - stunning they are!!!

Thanksgiving in Rwanda

2010-11-26T00:49:00.001-08:00

Thanksgiving in Rwanda? from Africa New Life Ministries on Vimeo.

As we get ready to go…

2010-11-26T00:07:00.000-08:00

Helen and I have felt that our time here has been very worthwhile both for us and for some of the people we’ve come into contact with. We’ve been able to use our training and experience much more widely than we could in New Zealand or Dubai. We would both love to come back to Uganda in the future. But I must say, as we prepare to leave I still have some unanswered questions about the value of people from the developed world traveling to developing countries in order to try to help them out of poverty. Here are some of my conflicting thoughts.

In Matthew 22 Jesus classifies the commandment “Love your neighbour as yourself” as being one of the two most important. My favourite artist Bono has challenged the Christian church to understand that in this age our neighbour can no longer be limited to those who live in our neighbourhood. He suggests that by ignoring the plight of those in the developing world we are also disobeying this commandment.

In Isaiah and James the Bible clearly explains that if we are to be religious about anything we should show God’s love to those in need.

James 1:27: “Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.”

Isaiah 58: 6-7 “Is this not the kind of fasting I have chosen: to loose the chains of injustice and untie the cords of the yoke, to set the oppressed free and break every yoke? Is it not to share your food with the hungry and to provide the poor wanderer with shelter- when you see the naked to clothe him and not to turn away from your own flesh and blood?”

However, when you get down to specifics the issue quickly becomes more complicated. How exactly are we to help people in need? Some of the most common methods are these:

• Donate money

• Agitate for political change in developed nations

• Short term work

• Long term work

While these are very broad categories there are some generalizations that can be made about them.

• Donating money is a start. It shows concern and support for less fortunate people. If carefully thought out and if used wisely money can help to alleviate poverty. This step also follows some advice Jesus gave to a rich man. Matthew 19: 21: “If you want to be perfect, go, sell your possessions and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come follow me.” However, billions of dollars of aid have already been thrown at Africa and many African countries are in a worse position now than they were when they first gained independence. Money by itself achieves very little in long term sustainable development. It can lead to dependency on foreign aid and can be a cause of corruption.

• Agitation for political change can have a large scale impact on the development of poorer nations. The removal of trade barriers and the cancellation of national debt are important issues that could positively affect the lives of many. These steps can do something to address the injustice that has happened in the past and could help to break the poverty cycle. However, political agitation is a limited attempt to help. It may take a very long time to create change if any occurs. It does little to alleviate immediate suffering.

• Short term work is an important step that can lead to life change (often for the volunteer). It can lead to a longer term commitment and inform about where donated money is going and what affect it is having. Some of the work done has lasting benefits. For example the building of buildings, medical work and skills taught to locals can be very helpful for developing nations. Many people in developed nations have better education and training than those from developed nations. It is important to share this resource as well as material resources. However, short term workers are sometimes uninformed of the culture and face language barriers. It is difficult for them to build meaningful, lasting relationships. It can promote dependency on foreign expertise. The amount of change that can be achieved in a short term visit is limited. The cost of travel and living expenses of a short term trip are very high and this money could maybe be used more effectively in other ways.

• Long term work allows lasting, meaningful relationships to be developed. Skills and knowledge can be passed on much more effectively than in the case of short term visits. Language and cultural barriers can be overcome. It is more than tokenism. It is a serious attempt to address the massive international imbalances that exist. However, it can also promote dependency. Missionary and NGO organizations are often run according to western values and ideals. They may not address the issues that the locals would like to have addressed. It is also expensive for a westerner to travel to and work in poorer countries.

It is easy to pick apart every attempt to help the poor. However, despite all these real problems with aid work the Bible is very clear on the topic of poverty. It tells us many times that God wants Christians to do something for poor people. Perhaps some of the benefit of this work will be felt by the workers. Isaiah 58:8 continues on from the topic of helping those in need to say:

“Then your light will break forth like the dawn, and your healing will quickly appear; then your righteousness will go before you, and the glory of the Lord will be your rear guard.”

If we make the decision to get involved in the business of helping the poor we may as well put serious thought into what we do to avoid some of the very real problems that aid work can create.

this little darling

2010-11-22T04:01:00.000-08:00

This weekend I did a little photoshoot with my gorgeous two year old friend in Suubi Village. I needed an image for our Christmas party invitation so thought it'd be timely to wrap this little one in a bow! We had so much fun - here are some shots that didnt make it to the invite, but that make me smile.

an installation artist we admire

2010-11-22T01:52:00.000-08:00

Gabriel Dawe's colorful 'Plexus installation is currently showing at the Dallas Contemporary in Texas.

The construction is made out of gütermann thread, wood and nails attached at either end to blocks of wood, the effect is like a real-world version of computer generated imagery. Stunning.

Sports Weekend Windup

2010-11-18T00:25:00.000-08:00

It was a whirlwind few days of sporting activities across both Watoto Bbira and Suubi Villages over the weekend (13 & 14 November). Kicking off with the rugby, basketball and finally cricket we bring you the latest direct from the field.

Rugby

The odds were stacked against us to say the least. Playing noted rugby school St. Lawrence Paris with a rookie team that had never even heard of rugby four months ago, tensions were running high as Watoto took to the field for the very first time.

Running 30min halves and ten to a side, the game drew a large crowd that had picked St. Lawrence as the winners before the game had even begun. The St. Lawrence side started the game with an attacking stance, pushing our boys to fight back in defence in order to hold them outside the try line. Shortly into the game, Captain of the Watoto team, Paul, scored a magnificent try due to the careless handling of the ball by the opposing side. Followed shortly by a conversion and later a penalty the Watoto side’s outstanding defence and sheer determination led them to victory with a 10-5 win. And no one was more surprised than the Watoto coach, Teacher Tim Manson (from New Zealand). Training hard with the team for over four months whilst teaching them a sport they had never even seen played before, was a challenge that beckoned this rugby fanatic.

Ecstatic doesn’t do the teams emotions justice. The smiles, excited chatter and pats on the back came thick and fast as our boys reflected on their win. Team player Josiah was overheard reflecting on the game; “First Game. First Win. It’s unbelievable. But true!”

Basketball

Over 100 Watoto students turned up in force to support Watoto play basketball in a game of spills and thrills against St Lawrence Paris on Sunday afternoon. Making the almost 5km trek on foot to the not so nearby school meant that the Watoto supporters arrived in a jolly mood with plenty of vocal power on hand to cheer the team along. Played by a team compromising of students aged 16-20, the games only three pointer was scored by the youngest member of the team, 16 year old Bigira! Point for point the game continued in a nail biting match that culminated in a final score of 54-59 to St. Lawrence. Coach Ken Akena, also fondly called AK; had the dual role of refereeing during the game and was very proud of his teams efforts. Of course with that many Watoto kids in the stands, one has to mention the off court activities that proved especially entertaining. Sports Coordinator and Teacher Albert had the crowd in hysterics after he used a vuvuzela that was stolen from the opposite side and started blowing on the horn. All in all a very entertaining afternoon – on and off the court.

Cricket

A generous donation made by Cricket Australia and the Horrocks family have meant that Watoto kids playing cricket this year are now kitted out with the finest of sporting gear and equipment. Coach Mitch Horrocks was thrilled with the delivery. “With the gear we have received today, we can go on to teach the kids a more professional standard of cricket, increase their passion for the game and attract further players to join the team, he said.” Bats, pads, helmets and balls were among the loot opened by the eager children on Saturday afternoon. Completely overwhelmed by the generosity of their Australian friends, the kids didn’t even know where to start when it came to trying on the new clothes, knocking in the new bats or hitting the field for a game. What a great investment into the sport and one we are supremely grateful for!

fun

2010-11-16T05:47:00.000-08:00

just because...

2010-11-12T04:17:00.001-08:00

One for the Lads

2010-11-12T03:43:00.000-08:00

This is a story I wrote today about our dear friend Andy. Its up on the Watoto website but I wanted to share it with our male viewers... :)

One for the lads

If the only thing in Watoto’s vision statement (“Rescue a child, Raise a leader, Rebuild a nation”) that stands out to you is the word ‘build’ –this is the story for you.

Meet Andy, one of our newest volunteer recruits. True to the nature of his hometown in the deep south of Gore in New Zealand; Andy is a laid back yet hardworking, salt of the earth kind of man. He didn’t come here to hug babies – though they are adorable. He came here to get his hands dirty in a different sort of area, the Fabrications and Production Unit in Watoto’s Suubi Village.

Arriving just six weeks ago Andy has quickly become a mainstay in his new department with his 9 years worth of experience in production and joinery manufacturing the perfect fit. An average day will see him overseeing a team of 15 young Ugandan workers who are learning the art of joinery and carpentry under Andy’s direction.

Commenting on his newfound role Andy says; “The production and fabrication unit at Suubi Village is responsible for ensuring that whatever Watoto requires for the village homes, babies homes and schools – can be designed and built in house. I am involved with making that happen. That usually involves teaching our team how to machine timber, construct joinery fittings, build couches, tables and cabinets and ensure our stringent safety standards are met.”

It is also part of Andy’s role to ensure that the way items and products are made, are being done in the most timely and economically efficient way possible. Often times this means teaching his team a faster way to accomplish a task, or suggesting a new way of structuring an item to make it work better or be sturdier. Whether it’s installing a cabinet in the Physics Labraroatory at Hope High School, delivering a handmade baby’s crib to the babies home or constructing a table and chairs for a new teachers home– Andy uses every second of his 8am -5pm job wisely.

Making friends with the locals he works with comes easily to Andy and their respect and care for him is obvious; “When I first arrived here one would be correct in diagnosing a young 28 year old with a healthy dose of culture shock. Six weeks on, I have well and truly settled and even though I originally came here to look out for them, I’m so grateful they actually look out for me”.

We are so grateful for the volunteers that travel from all corners of the globe to get to us. Their support and skills are invaluable to the ongoing success of what we do here. Andy is an excellent example of someone who wanted to get involved with Watoto and has been able to use his gifts and talents in an area that works both for us and him! If you are interested in volunteering your time and talent with Watoto in 2011 we’d love to hear from you on volunteer@watoto.com .

Just an average Saturday afternoon in Suubi Village :)

2010-11-11T01:20:00.000-08:00

and people wonder why we love it here? :)

just for fun

2010-11-09T00:59:00.001-08:00

Here’s a cool example of how a simple idea works. Last week, Marimekko presented its Spring/Summer 2011 fashion collection at Helsinki’s wholesale flower market, a vast building near the harbor where most imported flowers land first. Pathways created with masses of potted plants, and summer-dreamy music by Matti Pentikäinen, gave a minimalist background for the season’s collection designed by Mika Piirainen and Noora Niinikoski.

Marimekko Spring/Summer 2011 from The Cool Hunter on Vimeo.

lest we forget the joys of swinging

2010-11-04T06:10:00.000-07:00

These shots were taken on Sunday in Suubi Village. I love the freedom that a swing can bring.
Such a simple pleasure.
So often forgotten.

An adder to start the day

2010-11-04T03:13:00.000-07:00

As I walked up the hill from our house to school the other morning I saw a large group of students crowded around a bucket. Curiosity got the best of me so I went to investigate. The contents were a coiled, two foot long, fat, young puff adder. One of the senior boys had seen the snake in the long grass near the school and hit it on the head. It was still alive so I dealt with him. It is now kept in preservative in the biology lab- one of the advantages of a science department located in the African bush. After some research it turns out that Puff Adders are responsible for more deaths than any other African snake. Apparently they move sluggishly until provoked when they can strike with startling speed. Would have been nice to know that little fact before I got close for photos.

Cece Winans - Million Miles

2010-11-01T04:05:00.000-07:00

a quote we love!

2010-11-01T03:01:00.000-07:00

by Bono from U2:
"It's an amazing thing to think that ours is the first generation in history that really can end extreme poverty, the kind that means a child dies for lack of food in its belly. That should be seen as the most incredible, historic opportunity but instead it's become a millstone around our necks. We let our own pathetic excuses about how it's "difficult" justify our own inaction. Be honest. We have the science, the technology, and the wealth. What we don't have is the will, and that's not a reason that history will accept....We can be the generation that no longer accepts that an accident of latitude determines whether a child lives or dies. But will we be that generation? "

Life at the Watoto villages

2010-10-29T02:33:00.000-07:00

Suubi Village

Athletics Training

Bbira Village

xo

2010-10-26T05:49:00.001-07:00

Watoto from Jacob Marlowe on Vimeo.

Restore Tour in the News!! Watch

2010-10-26T04:07:00.001-07:00

Please ignore the first 'ad' that the video starts with. The newspiece follows this.

Hillsong NYC

2010-10-26T03:15:00.001-07:00

HILLSONG NYC LAUNCH from Hillsong Television on Vimeo.

Love

2010-10-25T07:03:00.000-07:00

Matchstick Art of the Day: Pei-San Ng’s “Passion” — 2,500 matches glued to a piece of reclaimed plywood.

Brooke Frasers new album! Listen here :)

2010-10-21T04:59:00.000-07:00

Whilifred

2010-10-21T02:18:00.002-07:00

It’s hard to feel close to someone you have only ever seen in a photograph and who lives far away in a country on the other side of the world, I get it! Sometimes when I would get our sponsor child Whilifred’s letter I would quickly open it, chuckle at his childlike comments and questions like “Do you grow any crops” or “ What is your best dish”, put it on my kitchen bench and stumble upon it a few weeks later buried under a pile of bills, notes and crumbs. When it came time to write back to him I would sometimes begrudgingly sit down for 5 minutes and franticly search my brain for something relatively interesting to say that would fill up the 20 lines on the page in front of me. Pathetic, I know.

Then we moved to Uganda. Seeing as though Whilifred lives here too we decide to contact the Tear Fund New Zealand office and see if it might be possible to make the 7 hour journey to his village. After hearing back from them we set a date and last Monday October 18th we met the little boy in the photograph.

We arrived at the Project Office in the rural Kashongi Village and met with the warm, helpful and competent staff who explained to us in detail what they are doing in the village. When I first laid eyes on him I burst into tears. Here, standing in front of me, was this beautiful, precious little 12 year old boy who was not just a picture. He had a beating heart, dreams and desires, he has things he wants to do and be, he feels sad and happy, he was so...human. It suddenly struck me, he was real long before I came here, I just didn’t care enough to think about that. He is not just a picture, he’s real.

Being the touchy feely person I am I was all over him like a rash  Hugging him, kissing him, holding his hand, inspecting him from head to toe, pinching him to check he was real. Although he didn’t speak much English, our translator enabled us to talk freely with him about everything from his favourite subjects in school to what sports he enjoys, to how he was born with just one eye.

When we went to his school to visit his classroom and see his desk, he was a celebrity, through and through. All eyes were on him. Photo proof attached. He was bouncing around with joy, so happy to have white people in his school, holding his hand, loving him, and him only.

The most heart warming moment for me was when we visited his home. Whilifred showed me his family’s photo album. It contained pictures of his brothers, sisters, mother, father and their life’s most precious memories. There were not many pictures (cameras are hard to come by) but you can imagine how I felt when I saw my picture in there. There was Tim and I, sitting on a fence at our friends house and yet also sitting in his family’s treasured album. How many times had I wondered if he even got my letters, let alone photos and gifts. Not only had my letters and photos made it, but they took pride of place. Humbled is an understatement.

We brought some gifts for Whilifred, a Mancheseter and Aresenal Soccer Jersey, soccer ball, coloring in markers, a Superman shirt and a Soccer book for him to write and draw in. Can you tell he loves soccer?  We gave his family some rice, soap and candy. You can picture the look on our faces when his mother then turned around and gave us a gift that had taken her two weeks to make. It was a beautiful handmade bowl and will take pride of place in our home once Customs inspects and de-fumigates it.

The thing that made me the most sad during our visit was not the fact that he was living in a relatively poor area, or that he was born with just one eye. Rather it was the fact that, as our Compassion Leader told us, only one or two sponsors visit each year. Sure, we send our money in and barely even notice its gone, but asking to connect with this child on the other side of the world - that’s a bit too much to ask. It never occurred to me that when our child writes to us 4 times a year and we seldom reply – he wonders why.

If you sponsor a child, my prayer is that you would engage. Engage with them, think about them, make their photo big in your house – give it pride of place, write to them with joy when you get their letter. They are WAITING for your reply! A letter from you, even a sticker from you, is a treasured item – worth far more than you realise. Each thing you send is beloved by them. It takes pride of place in their mud hut house, it adorns the walls, it captivates them. You are SO much more important to them than you realise. You are the reason they are in school. Your support is invaluable and is giving them a chance to make something of their lives. Perhaps even take it one step further and consider making your next holiday destination his or her hometown!

One reason people are sometimes hesitant to sponsor a child is because of the reasonable fear they have that corruption and unaccountability occurs in 3rd world countries. Well, after visiting the actual project, standing on the soil, meeting the children that are only at school because they are sponsored and looking through the well ordered and organised office files of our sponsor child...I can recommend and proudly stand behind the excellent, professional and honest work Compassion and Tear Fund are partnering together to do in Uganda. These are two organisations we trust.

http://www.tearfund.org.nz/
http://www.compassion.com/

Meeting the boy or girl you sponsor is a moment that you’ll treasure forever as you realise the actual impact your contribution has made in this child’s life. It was for me.

Love,

Helen

Disparity

2010-10-21T02:18:00.000-07:00

Moses went from this...

One of the things I have been struck by is the enormous disparity between the daily life experiences of people here compared to people in the West. This is something that I find really difficult to express but I think it is important to try. I’m writing this blog to record the challenge to my perception of what a normal life is like, that has taken place during my time here.

There’s a boy in my rugby team here at Hope High School called Moses who has genuine talent. I think he would easily get selected on most high school 1st XVs in New Zealand despite only having played the game for a couple of months. The other day he told me his fascinating story. It highlighted for me the rich world - poor world gap.

Moses was born in a rural area of Uganda. His father had more than one wife. He was raised by a woman who he thought was his mother along with 7 other kids. He found out later that his mother had moved to Kampala shortly after he was born. Moses’ family was too poor to send him or any of his siblings to school so he worked digging in the fields and herding cattle. When he was 7 years old his mother came back to see him. She unsuccessfully tried to persuade Moses’ father to let her take him to Kampala where he could go to school.

A couple of years later she returned and took Moses away from his village (without the father’s knowledge). Shortly after this they heard that his father had died and Moses was accepted into a Watoto village. Almost immediately he had an audition to join a choir that was to travel the world promoting the work done by Watoto. He said:

“They told me to sing, so I sang a song I knew from my village. They told me I was going to America.” Evidently he had a good voice. Before the age of 10 he had never been out of his rural village community. He said he had seen planes flying overhead but thought they were small (like a duck). They rarely saw cars and he had only seen a few White people.

So he was taken to Entebbe Airport to fly out on their tour. He told me he was amazed by the size of the planes and couldn’t wait to get on one. Once the gates opened he was first across the tarmac to board the plane. All of the kids had been given a sleeping pill to help them sleep through the night but his had no effect. He sat with his eyes wide open for the entire leg to London.

..to this

They continued on from London to the States. Within a month of leaving his home village he was in the metropolis that is NYC. I cannot imagine how this must have been for him. Even telling me about it seven years on, he was almost shaking with excitement as he described JFK airport, the sky-scrapers, the traffic and the people. From a world of mud huts, no electricity, no running water and one meal per day this must have seemed unreal. American cheese and ranch dressing made him want to throw up but he was more partial to burgers. As he only started school at the age of 11 he is now in his first year of high school as a 17 year old. (Jo don’t read this part) He raises rabbits and has promised to give me one- and not as a pet.
Not surprisingly his goal is to become a pilot.

Helen and I have struggled to adjust from our usually comfortable lifestyle. We often miss having hot running water or a washing machine or an oven. Yet when we compare ourselves to the locals we still live in abundance - even here. I wonder whether we will quickly forget to be grateful for our lifestyle back home. Most likely. Still I think our time here has been an excellent challenge for my perception of what we need to live or what a normal standard of living is.

Restore Tour Trailer

2010-10-15T07:28:00.001-07:00

Restore Tour Trailer from restoretour on Vimeo.

Making Chapati Ugandan Style

2010-10-15T07:26:00.000-07:00

Ask any Ugandan what their favourite thing to eat is and you’ll usually hear the word Chapati at some point on their list! Chapatis are a delicious African flatbread that is prepared most weeks in many Ugandan homes. Cheap and relatively easy to make, the ingredients and process appear simple, but getting them to come out perfectly takes some practice.

Ingredients:

1 large packet of Flour

½ Litre Oil (approximately)

2 finely grated carrots

2 finely grated red onions

2 cups of hot water

1 or 2 pinches of salt

Optional: One stalk of finely chopped spring onion

This recipe will make 34 Chapatis

Instructions:

In a large bowl, add flour together with carrots, red onions and 3 tablespoons of oil. Adding a little bit of water at a time, mix the ingredients together to form dough. Knead the dough for 10 minutes or until it does not stick to your hands. The secret to really soft Chapatis lies in the kneading. The dough must be smooth and just the right softeness - medium.

Divide the dough into equal portions, roughly the size of a golf ball. Roll between your palms, applying a gentle pressure, till the balls are smooth and without cracks. Once completed, lightly brush each piece of dough with oil and then sprinkle a pinch of flour on top.

Sprinkle flour over the bench where you will be rolling the chapattis out. Use your rolling pin to push the dough into round flat circles about 5 inches wide. Flip the dough as you roll and make sure you add flour if it is sticking to the bench or the rolling pin.

Heat a pan on a medium flame and put one tablespoon of oil in the pan. Put the rolled out Chapati on it to cook. Use your hands to stretch the chapatti to the width of the pan so that the chapatti is as thin as possible. Take either a spatula or an empty flour bag and fold it down from the top to the bottom making a shape like the one in the picture. Slowly press down on the chapati as you turn it.

The Chapati is ready for its first flip when you begin to see raised bumps on its surface. Use a spatula to turn it on to its other side. Remove from the pan when both sides appear golden in colour.

Serving Suggestion: Chapati is best eaten warm and can be used to accompany any lunch or dinner menu. Alternatively, add an omelette with your chapatti, roll up and eat.

Panoramic Shots from our camera over the last year

2010-10-06T05:38:00.000-07:00

OUR HOME, BEACHLANDS, EAST AUCKLAND

PIHA, WEST AUCKLAND

Masai Mara, Kenya, Central Africa

Empire State Building View, New York City

My new favourite short video....

2010-10-05T03:53:00.001-07:00

Alone in New York from Giuseppe Vetrano on Vimeo.

A million miles away

2010-10-04T05:43:00.000-07:00

Dear Friends and Family,

We’ve reached the halfway point and I don’t like it.

I am so enjoying my time here that I find myself wishing we could stay longer.

It’s really weird to think that I (of all people) would want to stay in a land of powercuts, unpurified water, deathly driving skills, mosquitoes, and worst of all no Kit-Kats...but yet somehow I do! It’s hard to explain what I love about Africa so much. There are just no words for it. If you’ve been here you know what I mean. It moves you.

I was actually talking to my old boss the other day and she was asking me what I miss most about NZ? I said wearing heels. It would just look ridiculous if I was to pop some on here. The dirt and the mud for starters, followed closely by the fact that I don’t already stand out enough by being the only white person wherever I go!

My job has been a mixture of all things PR. Some days I am a journalist heading out to a location to write a story about something happening in the life of Watoto. Other days I’m a photographer getting the shots for that story, other days I’m doing media training with a children’s choir that’s about to head out on a worldwide tour. You can check out the stories I’ve been writing on www.watoto.com/news . I’ve also been keeping close tabs on the Restore Tour and all the amazing reactions that is getting as it travels the States and Canada. You can check out the new and improved website on www.restoretour.com . This week I’ve been working on the Christmas Publicity Plan and the Global PR Plan for Watoto. Next week Tim and I are doing PR and Media Training for the 20+ strong media department. I feel very honoured to be trusted with such jobs and am trying to use all the previous knowledge I have obtained to give Watoto the best I can offer.

Speaking of the best on offer...The Discovery Channel came to life when we went to Kenya a few weeks back with our belated flatmates Colleen and Henrik. It was SO much fun! Everything about Kenya is just so green and beautiful. Zebras, Deer and Giraffe are not just inside the game park but roaming the countryside as well! Our journey into the Masai Marra from Kampala took 17 hours due largely to the unmistakably large pot holes that lengthened our journey considerably. Seeing 16 lions devour a wilderbeast was the highlight of the trip for me. We must have sat there watching them for about 2 or 3 hours. It was fascinating to be within a metre or two of something I have only ever seen on the Discovery Channel! We just missed out on seeing a cheetah with her 6 cubs, but the 55+ other species we saw made up for that!

I don’t know if you’re like me, but being here I have noticed that I am rarely just content with doing nothing, and it bugs me! I seem to always be looking for what we are doing next. For example, today is a Saturday, I am writing this blog. I have nothing to do after this. This is what most Saturday’s are like for us. Back home, I would have about fifty billion things on my to-do list, almost half of which would remain undone until the following Saturday. Yet here I have all the time in the world and I almost resent it. How bad is that! I can remember days in NZ where I would have done ANYTHING to have an hour of quiet time to read a book or feel no pressure to do something or go somewhere! My weeks were so full and busy, weekends jam packed. Now, I have no plans, ever! Weekdays are free, Weekends even freer.

Usually I would have cleaned the house on a Saturday. Here – I don’t own a vacuum cleaner and if I want to clean I get a bucket and throw the water on the concrete floor. Takes 5 minutes. Usually, I would have gone shopping on a weekend, here – the only ‘shopping’ available is a 45 minute drive away and consists of knockoff Nike and Adidas clothing and second hand bras. Why do I find it frustrating to have nothing to do on the weekend? Why cant I just relax and enjoy the fact that one day I will be so busy my head will spin and that just for now I should enjoy having no plans any night of the week and nothing to do on the weekend. Tim and I have both been convicted lately that we should not waste a second, not wish this free time away.

So for me it’s wishing away empty time slots, for you it might be wishing for when you do get empty time slots! Or wishing for the next best thing like a better job, car or cute pair of shoes – then you will be happy. You get the idea and so do I. Furthermore, I’d like you to know that I’m making a commitment to enjoy the second half of our time here far more than the first. To appreciate this special and unique phase of my life because I know it’s something to treasure, not waste away.

With that thought in mind and the fact that we only have 9 weeks left here, the words of a Brooke Fraser song have been rolling around in my head “Child what will you live to do, what have I left for you? What will we leave behind?” One of the things that has touched my heart most whilst I have been here is the meeting of four precious little girls. Let me tell you about them.

Keep in mind that Tim and I live in a Watoto Village that is filled with about 1000+ Africans. We and eight other white people live and work here full time. Needless to say, wherever we go we usually have a small crowd following us, just to see what we’re up to.

Anyways, one of these girls is a little 3 year old who loves to ‘spot’ my whiteness from afar and run towards me at full speed from at least 300metres away. I gave her some fairy wings that my goddaughter Mya helped me pick out before we left for Africa. She wears them every day and everywhere. They were white and sparkly, they are now brown and dusty but she does not even notice. She is now a full time fairy and that’s all there is too it. Esther and I hang out together most days now. She is also my companion on weekends and Tim and I take her to church on Sunday. Esther also likes to do things that I do, for example, if I am sitting with crossed legs, she trys to cross hers. If I am showing someone how to do gymnastics, she tells me she would like to exercise with me and do some too. If I need to go the bathroom, guess who also does!

And then of course, there’s Hope. She is featured a lot on this blog. This little bundle of joy is due to move to the Watoto Village soon. She will meet her new Mum and brothers and sisters and start her journey to becoming a future leader of Uganda. I am looking forward to seeing who she becomes.

Enter the third girl. A few weeks into our stay here I was hand delivered a letter by a petite teenage girl, she wrote to me about her life story and asked me to be her friend. I was really overwhelmed by her openness and honesty and instantly accepted and we continued to write letters back and forth over the weeks that came. Not too far into our friendship she wrote me a particularly poignant letter in which she asked to call me Mother. Cue Tears. I was so blessed by her request. Last week she was dedicated in a formal service at Bbira Village. There was a point in the ceremony where the kids were asked to pick a rose from the back and give it to their Mums. After giving one to her Watoto mother, Ritah then came over to me and handed me a rose.

Finally, Stellah. We crossed paths as she is the only girl on Tim’s rugby team. I liked her immediately. She turned 18 this week and it was so cool to celebrate that milestone with her at our house. She also asked to call me Mother a couple months back. I think the reason behind the request from both the girls is that their biological mothers have died and even though they have wonderful Watoto mums, they are still hungry for someone to talk to every day, someone to love them and have an interest in their lives and their future. I see myself as more of an ‘older sister’ than a Mum. After all, I would have been like what, 8, when they were born!

I feel like all these girls are a ‘Nudge from above’. They are heaven sent and have blessed my life in the most unexpected ways.

Ending on a lighter note I just wanted to list of a few of the rather unusual names we see for businesses here. It’s almost like one of those ‘forwards’ you get in your email. Yet this time, it’s fresh out of Africa and they’re all real names of businesses we spot on our way into Kampala. They make Tim and I chuckle.

God’s Will Medical Clinic
Lazarus Funeral Home

4Pals Hotel - Passion Awaits

Taxi Van called “God’s Choice”

Taxi Van called “Gods Decision”

Yak Supermarket

Give and Take Hardware
Obama Car Wash – Jet we can!
Love,

Helen & Timtam

Forever Home

2010-10-01T01:42:00.000-07:00

I wrote this story yesterday for the Watoto Website - its up there now on http://www.watoto.com/ but I honestly was so moved by this experience that I wanted to re-post it on my own blog.

Last night when I got home all I could think about was these beautiful children who have had their lives completely changed in a day. The awe and amazement mixed with uncertainity and aprehensivness was so visible as I looked into each childs eye. It is so hard to grasp the reality of the situation when you are amongst the noise and the flurry.

But when you step back and realise what is really going on here...a life completley changed, a new forever home, a Mum and brothers and sisters they are going to grow up with. Noone in the world apart from Watoto that knows where they are....its really...I dont know...i cant think of the right word.
Forever Home

Here's the story...

Arriving at Suubi Village this afternoon, 20 children, originally from a government run center, have finally found their forever home here at Watoto.

Welcomed by their mothers and new brothers and sisters their two week long orientation at Watoto’s Buloba Village came to an end today when their Mums came to pick them up and take them to their new home! During the children’s stay at Buloba, their orientation with our staff included an in-depth look into what their new lives would look like, what would be provided for them and what would be expected of them. To help ease the upcoming transitional period of moving from Buloba the children’s mothers were sure to make regular visits and spend quality time with each child.

The 30 minute drive taken today from Buloba to Suubi was a mixture of anticipation and nerves as the children anxiously awaited the sight of their new village. Arriving at Suubi Village the children’s faces were practically glued to the glass windows as they drove past children happily playing, mothers cooking dinner, boys playing soccer and girls chatting under a tree.

Once the bus finally pulled to a stop the children piled out, took their bags and followed their mother to Cluster 3. Each child was given a new backpack, fresh clothes and shoes and a special blanket. Each mother then took her new children to their particular home and showed them to their room, gave them a place to put their things and helped them to prepare their bed.

Walking around Cluster 3, one little boy was absolutely thrilled with a soft toy airplane that was given to him and was showing it to anyone and everyone that would look! Others were eager to set up their bedrooms with their special blanket and new mattress, whilst some were trying to just take in the fact that the new shoes and clothes they were putting on were theirs for the keeping!

Today was a very special day for these 20 children, and one they will no doubt remember for the rest of their lives. It’s important to remember that the children that are part of this intake have come from a background of extreme poverty, abuse or abandonment. Even though this is an exciting time of change and progress it is also a delicate time where the children are learning to trust and feel comfortable in their new surroundings. Please do keep these precious children in your prayers as they continue to make this big adjustment.

Masai Mara Photos

2010-09-24T06:06:00.000-07:00

Masai Mara Adventure

2010-09-23T02:11:00.000-07:00

Last weekend we travelled to the Masai Mara wildlife reserve in Kenya with our flat mates Henrik and Colleen who were leaving.

We worked out that the distance to the park was roughly 600km so thought it should take us about 8 hours. We drove 2 hours on Thursday night then got up at 5 on Friday morning to try to finish the trip before midday. As it turned out our time estimation was wildly optimistic. We ended up arriving at our camp site at 8pm. All up it took us 17 hours! Kenyan roads turned out to be significantly worse than Ugandan ones. Anyway we then spent two days in the Masai Mara which markets itself as the best game park in Africa. It was an absolutely breathtaking experience and we both feel very lucky. The scenery was spectacular- vast plains dotted with Acacia trees. Each afternoon black clouds rolled in and we got half an hour of torrential rain. We saw a huge quantity and range of animals. The tail end of the great Wildebeast migration was passing through the park and we frequently had to stop the car and wait for them as they ran across the road. A highlight was seeing a group of 16 Lions feeding on one unlucky Wildebeast. My favourite deer were the huge and elusive Eland. They looked delicious. Lunch was also exciting- we ate in the middle of a plain with a sentry sitting on the roof of our car to keep an eye out for predators. Helen took some stunning photos which you can have a look at on Facebook if you’re interested and some of which are uploaded here.

Henrik and Colleen carried on from the park to Nairobi and we made the return trip to Kampala. We’ll miss them- it was great having them stay with us over the past month. Anyway if any of you get the opportunity to visit Kenya- make sure you visit the Mara. It won’t disappoint.

Our trip to Kenya and the Masai Mara Wildlife Reserve

2010-09-22T04:50:00.000-07:00

The Restore Tour

2010-09-21T04:54:00.000-07:00

Lovely friends,

If you know me well - you will know that I am in Uganda at the moment with my hubby Timtam and we are working in the Media and High School departments respectivley.

One of the projects I have been working on is the Restore Tour - I love it!

Here is a quick excerpt from the very first showing that started last week....

The first Restore Tour: Child Soldier No More event kicked off at Wave Church in Virginia Beach, US on Friday, 17th September. The children were excited and delivered the heart-rendering tale of northern Uganda and her people with passion and zeal.

There wasn’t a dry eye in the house as those attending were impacted by the story of restoration and forgiveness shared through drama, music, dance and personal testimony. The delivery of the song Our God was so moving that it can only be described as a ‘heaven-breathed’. All those attending leaped to their feet, giving glory to God as the children lead them in this beautiful song. It was such incredibly powerful and impactful evening.

Pastor Greg at Wave church commented, “Restore Tour allows people to connect with the real stories of these children. I have seen many Watoto Choir concerts and they are always life-changing. On another level, Restore Tour allowed me to feel like I was transported to northern Uganda and connect at the deepest level with the stories of these courageous people.”

Check out the FULL Tour Schedule on http://www.restoretour.com/

just photos, no words required

2010-09-09T01:21:00.000-07:00

A fist fight, car wash, movie night and a bit of history

2010-09-07T03:45:00.000-07:00

As of today we have been here in Uganda for two months. We have both settled into a routine and life feels quite normal. Both our jobs are going well. I had a short holiday 2 weeks back that I didn’t really need but so far this term I’ve a bit busier which is what I want. My typical week involves teaching a mixture of Geography and History classes, running morning devotions with the students and coaching rugby. I have also been asked to help some of the staff with their computer skills, which amuses me as I don’t have any computer skills to pass on.

A while back we were informed we’d have a couple moving in with us who are “a bit older”, Australian and would be staying for three months. As it turns out our new flat-mates (Colleen and Henrik) are 25 year old Canadians who are here for one month. We are learning to expect the unexpected. We get along with them really well and are disappointed they are not here longer.

We have the rugby boys over every Thursday night to watch a video. At last count there were 19 of them. Last week we turned all the lights off and it looked like there were only two people in the room until the boys found something funny. 19 sets of teeth appeared in the darkness. Some of the boys are taking to rugby really well. One in particular is called Einstein, wears glasses and has wild hair but that is where the similarities with the scientist stop. I teach him Geography and so far he has really struggled to grasp the fairly straight forward unit we’re doing on map reading. Rugby though, he understands. He is sound on defense and likes to go on sniping runs in close around the ruck.

Helen goes into Kampala most days for work. She often takes the local bush taxi vans which cost about a dollar for the one hour journey. The trips are always eventful. The other day she was traveling in a 14-seater van that, as usual had been loaded with 20 people. Halfway in the van pulled off the road for a “car wash”. A group of men armed with buckets and brushes descended on the van and gave it a damned good scrubbing for half an hour. The passengers including Helen and her laptop were caught by the spray coming through the rust holes and cracked windows. By the time they arrived in town the van had a fresh coat of red dust.

It was also her birthday last week. To celebrate we went into central Kampala for dinner. As travel is difficult and can be a bit unsafe after dark we went in early. We arrived at the restaurant at 5.45 and had to wait outside the gates until it opened. True class. On the way home I nearly got in a fist fight with the driver who succeeded in pushing all my buttons at the same time. If nothing else it was an eventful day! Thanks very much to everyone who sent her messages. She felt very loved.

For the rest of this entry I want to write down a brief summary of what I’ve learned about the recent History of Uganda. If you are not interested in History please feel free to stop reading here!

Uganda has been described as the ‘Pearl of Africa’. The climate is moderated by its altitude and the temperature sits between 20 and 30 degrees year round. About a quarter of the country is submerged in fresh water. This includes the White Nile and a big chunk of Lake Victoria. East African grasslands cover much of the East and North while the heavily forested upper reaches of the Congo River basin stretch into Western Uganda. Due to its beauty and the abundance of natural resources it was a highly sought after piece of land when Africa was being divided up between the European Empires in the late 1800s. The British eventually gained control of it in 1894.

Since then Uganda has had a very turbulent History. Between the turn of the century and 1962 it remained a colony. The British rule here was not particularly brutal compared to the treatment of some other African peoples. However, colonialism has definitely left some serious challenges for Uganda. It was during this time that the modern boundaries of the country were defined. Uganda derives its name from her largest tribe: the Baganda. These people speak Luganda and live in the region called Buganda. It took me some time to get my head around that! As well as the Baganda there are 5 other major tribal groups with over 30 different sub tribes. Like many other African countries this tribal diversity has made Uganda very difficult to govern. The smaller groups have justifiably felt marginalized with no political voice.

After gaining independence in 1962 leadership was competed over between various tribal kings and political party leaders. In 1971 the infamous Idi Amin took power by a military coup. He remained in power until he was driven out by a combination of Tanzanian and exiled Ugandan soldiers in 1979. Under Amin’s leadership Uganda suffered a lot. It is thought that approximately 300,000 people were killed- most of them suspected political opponents. My History teacher colleague’s father disappeared during this time and she has never found out what happened to him. Foreigners were expelled including a large number of Asians who had run many of Uganda’s businesses. This had a disastrous impact on Uganda’s economy. Unemployment and inflation sky rocketed. Uganda’s wildlife was also devastated and is still recovering today.

After Amin was deposed Ugandans were hopeful of a new start. However the next six years saw little improvement. A string of leaders failed to change the rampant corruption and violence. The current President, Museveni took over the country by force in 1986. He has brought stability and attempted to promote reconciliation between tribal groups. He has slowed the practice of political intimidation and violence and the Ugandan economy has grown a bit. These changes are quite impressive considering Uganda’s position when he took over.

However, he has now been in charge for 24 years and it is doubtful whether the election results during this time have been genuine. The Ugandan constitution stated that a President could serve a maximum of two five year terms. This clause was discarded as Museveni approached the end of his second term. The next election is coming up soon (Feb 2011). Already people here are apprehensive about what might happen. Some feel that Museveni should stay on in order to ensure continuing peace and stability. Others think he should have stepped down a long time ago. Either way there is fear that it may not be a peaceful election.

Today there are around 30 million people here. Uganda ranks in the top five countries in the world for corruption (not far behind Nigeria). According to UNAIDS figures around 7% of the population are HIV positive. This figure has come down a lot since the late 1990s but is thought to be on the rise again. The average life expectancy is somewhere in the 40s. More than half the population is under 15 years of age. We often see kids looking after babies (sometimes their own) and babies are frequently abandoned at the hospital, outside orphanages or on rubbish dumps. The list of problems here are typical of many countries in sub-Saharan Africa.

Despite all this people carry on with their lives. They are very proud of their country and many don’t want to live anywhere else. They see relationships as being more important than achievements (which can be infuriating). Whenever we ask malnourished kids how they are, we hear “I’m fine” accompanied with a grin. Jesus’ promise “Blessed are those who mourn for they will be comforted” seems to be a bit easier to understand here.

I heart the RESTORE TOUR

2010-08-31T06:54:00.001-07:00

Now, those of you that know me, KNOW that I never promote work related things on my personal social networks - HOWEVER, the RESTORE TOUR that is coming soon to a city near you is something that goes outside normal boundaries.

Intrigued? Check out the website - look at the 'I am David' story and 'Restore Tour Trailer 1'

Or, go visit the production if your in the UK, USA, Canada or Australasia areas.... :)

the song thats following me around...

2010-08-31T06:51:00.000-07:00

The radio stations here in Uganda are somewhat 'behind the times' but nevertheless they are still playing good music! Case in Point : Kirk Franklins " My life is in your hands"
The song is just ALWAYS on the radio...its following me around! Even though it was probably written back in 1994 and is 'new and fresh' here in my hometown - the lyrics are still good....
You don't have to worry
And don't you be afraid
Joy comes in the morning
Troubles they don't last always
For there's a friend in Jesus
Who will wipe your tears away
And if your heart is broken
Just lift your hands and say...

OhI know that I can make it I know that I can stand No matter what may come my way My life is in your hands With Jesus I can take it With Him I know I can stand No matter what may come my way My life is in your hands.

Love this

2010-08-19T06:22:00.000-07:00

"Speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves; ensure justice for those being crushed. Yes, speak up for the poor and helpless, and see that they get justice". Proverbs 31:8-9

I feel a blog coming on...

2010-08-12T05:51:00.000-07:00

Well hello again dear family and friends,

I hope this blog finds you all well!

So - you know how each of us have things that we need to work on inside ourselves? Well, to be honest – one of mine is patience. The last couple of years have well and truly shown me that it would appear I’m not the most patient person in the world and this is an area I need to improve on! It’s often said that if you want to learn patience you’ll be given things that will make you impatient. You’ll be put in situations that require you to exercise that skill. So, in the wake of this realisation I reckon God moved me to Dubai to lovingly teach me a thing or two about what it really means. Etisalat (the local phone and internet provider) comes to mind as the first run-in I had on this issue, followed closely by everything from grocery store visits to car purchases. I can honestly say I left Dubai feeling like I had done well with the challenges set out before me and had learnt that lesson good. Next please.

Anyways, it just so turns out that apparently the lesson isn’t over yet. Queue, Uganda. It would seem that this game has multiple levels on which I am now trying to pass Level 2! It would also appear that where the first level focused on mentally waiting for things to happen and fall into place, the next level involves actually physically waiting for everything from a bus ride to a phone call to an email to waiting for a service or production to begin. Wherein I thought patience was a 15minute job and putting up with a slight inconvenience - it turns out God thinks its a good idea to test me in this by watching me sit in a carpark for 3 hours and wait for a lift home a couple times a week!

During my first few weeks here this really drove me insane, but each day I’m here I find myself gaining ground. Im nowhere near out of the woodwork yet and Im sure tomorrow will be a 4 hour wait just because I’ve written this but I wanted to share this with you in the hope that you would be encouraged in your walk with patience. While I’m over here waiting for a ride home you might be waiting for an answer on a job interview, or waiting on finding the perfect house, waiting on meeting Mr or Mrs Right. Each of us have different things we are waiting on and I just think the lesson to learn is not about the end result but rather how we handle ourselves and what we do with our time in the in-between.

And with all this time I’ve had to think - Tim and I have been dwelling on what we believe our role is when it comes to Africa. I strongly believe it doesn’t matter who you are, religious or not – there is no denying that there are orphans to rescue, children to feed, families to encourage and people to come alongside in Africa. This continent is heaving with small and large issues, many of which are simple to solve and many of which are complex. My belief is that each of just need to play our part.

So whether that means you are an amazing builder, knitter, teacher, pilot, secretary, nurse, marketing professional or university student -I believe we have an obligation to do something. I don’t think you need to come and live in Africa and give your whole life over to the cause but I do believe we should do something.

It might mean coming here to build a house with Habitat for Humanity, it might mean sponsoring a child and visiting her or him one day, it might mean coming to teach for free, it might mean sending over computers for a small school in the middle of the Congo or it might mean knitting jumpers that you and your girlfriends lovingly made to keep babies warm this winter. Whatever it is – its significant and its needed. What you have in your hands, the talent you hold is worthwhile and its vital that we each do what we can.

I guess the purpose of what Im writing is that I just want to encourage you to consider what you might be able to do with whats in your hand to help another. There are hundreds of countries that need financial, medical and governmental aid but Uganda is the one that touches my heart. What third world country touches yours? Did it ever cross your mind that they might need you?
Lots of people have told me that I need to write down all the things I am thinking about Africa as I see them unfold and before the novelty and fascination of it has drifted away.

So, in response to this I have spent the last month thinking about what Africa is to me.

Africa is potholes and beautiful black babies, its walking wherever you need to go, its clay colored red dirt that stains my white “Mizongu’ skin, its hugs and kisses with complete strangers and receiving genuine smiles amidst heartbreaking poverty.

Africa is mosquito nets and malaria pills, its buying Coca Cola for 40cence and then sharing it with the village children sitting beside us, it’s having lots of time on your hands and learning to be ok with that.

Africa is our shower with no ‘hot’ or ‘cold’ water tap, just water, its learning to live with power cuts every day, its spending your entire Saturday just doing your grocery shopping, its riding a boda boda motorcycle in rush hour traffic and tucking your knees into the man steering so you don’t knock off any side vision mirrors.

Africa is patience, its learning to be content and just wait, its rejoicing in the small things, its the sound of drums late into the night and the precious sound of a hundred voices greeting the day early in the morning.

Africa is freakishly large insects, monkeys and brightly colored lizards, its seeing your husband re-live his cherished childhood memories, its feeling scared and knowing that God’s got us covered, its inspirational, its a place where you have time to dream again, really dream.

Africa just is what it is.
But to me, it’s the epitome of love at first sight.

Love,Helen

We went to Gulu ...this is what we saw

2010-08-12T05:38:00.001-07:00

More photos on Facebook of course : )

Suubi

2010-07-30T11:29:00.000-07:00

This is love - you falling asleep on me was the first time I realised I'd fallen in love with you baby! You are so beautiful to me and we are so proud to be your sponsor Mummy and Daddy!

A musing...

2010-07-30T11:17:00.000-07:00

One of my all time favourite things to do is take photos - and even more so when Im so inspired by the surroundings that encapsualte me. The photos I'm sharing with you today were taken last weekend when we went to give out hand knitted jumpers that the ladies from Eastview Church had lovingly crafted. It was such a joy to be Gods hands and feet and bring a simple thing like warmth for winter to these children. All we did was bring the jumpers, the real work was the hours of labour the ladies spent knitting! Never before have I been so convicted of the role of the Church to play their part in the world. Play their part against the injustice of starvation and poverty and hopelessness. It makes me so happy to know that these ladies cared enough to do what they could with what was in their hand and knit! Thats all we have to do you know, God isnt asking you or me to save the world or to do something hugely extravagant (although thats amazing!) but he does NEED us to use whats in our hand. Do what we can. And if that means that you are a super duper fabulous knitter - then thats what this world needs. You, to knit, for those that cant do it for themselves - like these beautiful babies in Africa. Will you do it?

Coaching Rugby

2010-07-26T01:32:00.000-07:00

TIMS first Post

2010-07-26T01:28:00.000-07:00

Hey everyone,

We have been in Uganda for nearly 3 weeks now and I thought I’d put some of my initial thoughts together. Firstly, we are thoroughly enjoying ourselves. The adjustment to life here has been really quick. We’re staying in a very adequate apartment, have been able to find food we recognise and everyone is very welcoming and friendly.

My teaching has been going well. My students are aged anywhere from 15 to 21. There are about 40 kids to a room, no computers and most rooms have black boards and chalk (only a few have white boards). Thankfully I’ve been given topics that I know well. The kids are exceptionally well behaved. When the bell goes to end a lesson they sit silently waiting for me to dismiss them when I’m ready. I have never worked with students as respectful as that before! Before my first lesson I wrote some notes on the board to prepare myself. There were some kids already in class. By the time the lesson started half the class had already copied out what was up, without any instruction from me. Unfortunately, the learning they do is mostly based around memorization as they need to learn a huge amount of content to stand a chance of getting into uni. There is very little thinking required of them. The teachers here are trying to change this but are forced to teach to the curriculum.

Shortly after arriving here I learned that there are a bunch of boys who have been keen to play rugby for some time but have had no one to coach them. In fact they were praying for a coach! So I’ve taken up the challenge. I started last Saturday with 4 boys. There are now about 15. It’s great fun but a bit like trying to herd cats. Most of them phenomenal athletes and they love contact but have no idea at all what a game of rugby is supposed to look like. They often struggle to understand my accent and are not familiar with rugby jargon such as ‘off-side’, ‘fifty percent intensity’ or ‘head-high tackle’.

The Watoto organisation is fantastic. On our campus there is a babies home (where Helen spends every spare minute), a village with about 200 houses, a kindergarten, primary and secondary school. The Babies Home looks after young, mainly orphaned babies until they are old enough to get placed into a home in the village (usually around 2 years old). Each of these homes is made up of 8 kids and a Mum. They stay in these homes until they go to university or get a job. The more we learn about the programme, the more impressed we are.

Many of you have probably heard about the awful terrorist attacks that happened here last weekend. A few of the people who work at my school lost relatives. Fortunately we are quite a long way out of Kampala and we feel quite safe. Also we have a softly spoken guard named Thomas who sits outside our apartments all day. He is 19 years old, built like a twig and carries an antiquated .303 rifle with 5 cartridges in it. He informed me the other day that he could usually hit targets up to 70 metres away. He is a great comfort to us. Still if you could pray for safety for us and for Uganda in general that would be much appreciated.

A verse which has come up for me time and again since we arrived is from Psalm 127: 1
“Unless the Lord builds the house, its builders labour in vain.
Unless God watches over the city, the watchmen stand guard in vain.”
One of my biggest concerns about this project was that we would not be here long enough to make a significant contribution to this organisation and to these kid’s lives. However, I feel that God has been pushing the idea that he can use our efforts and multiply them. It is not what we are capable of doing but what God can accomplish through us. If God is central to the work then it is not in vain.

There is quite a lot of local wildlife. Insects seem to be genetically superior over here. They are massive- I saw a wasp the other day that was nearly 3 inches long. Uganda has something like 2000 species of butterfly, compared to Britain’s 20 odd. Every time I have been for a run I have seen a new animal which is a great motivation for me. I’ve seen monkeys, guinea fowl, squirrels, a horn-billed toucan and many other interesting birds. I even heard a rumour that there is a small, shy variety of deer that lives close to our property. I’m investigating.

I’ve attached a couple of photos to this blog. If you want to see some more have a look on my facebook page. Thanks very much for your emails and prayer. We really appreciate the support. We’ll try to keep you updated.

Love Tim and Helen

Photos from Watoto, Suubi Village

2010-07-11T10:52:00.001-07:00

Tim has graciously let me do the first blog update and upload some photos.
He will do the next post :) xo

Photos from Watoto, Suubi Village

2010-07-11T10:52:00.000-07:00

Tim has graciously let me do the first blog update and upload some photos.
He will do the next post :) xo

UGANDA

2010-07-11T10:44:00.002-07:00

Well hello friends and family,

We have been in Uganda since Tuesday July 5th and are really enjoying it here! First impressions numero uno – blink, and you’ll miss the airport! I did. We landed and I saw something out of the corner of my eye that appeared to the naked eye to be a shed where they might repair a helicopter. Instead – much to my surprise, said shed was Kampala International Airport – no bigger than the size of an average high school gym! Our luggage arrived perfectly safe and sound after a 24 hour flight with 3 stopovers, which is always a relief for a fashionista like myself and we were warmly greeted by Sandra from Watoto. Our 90minute journey towards our new home – Suubi Village, was a bumpy one (the roads are either sandy or pothole (ish) and I was FASCINATED to see Africa up close and personal.

Uganda is beautiful and green and the dirt is red and stains/dyes your feet and legs. I kinda like it as I look browner than ever and it’s a super cheap way to fake tan. The poverty is imminent from the moment you step out of the airport, but I was not intimidated by this nor did I feel uncomfortable. For the most part it appears that people are happy going about their business, they look well fed and clothed and although to a Western standard things are under par – here everything just seems to have its place. I felt instantly safe, comfortable and happy to be here. I feel so warm and loving towards these people. Perhaps it’s because they are that way towards me.

Our house is amazing, much better than the mud hut with the drop hole I was half expecting. It has four walls and is white and has a concrete red floor. We have a bathroom and a kitchen (not like home) but they are here nonetheless. Our 2bedroom apartment even has a microwave – would you believe we have not had one in 3 years of marriage, and now we do, of all places here! We also have a fridge which makes me very happy. Oh – and I found Pringles at the supermarket. Kitkats however, are nowhere to be found – believe me, I’ve done a thorough check. Coke is plentiful though – good, good. We are eating fairly plain and basic meals. Breakfast I just have cereal and milk which is pretty standard and then for Lunch we usually are fed by the cooks who serve up rice, potatoes, beans, meat and pineapple or watermelon. Its all rather healthy and filling – just not particularly flavourful, but that’s ok! Dinner has been a challenge, Pringles is a popular choice for me hahahah. But Tim usually cooks mince and rice with a few veggies – just have to be careful to find good looking veges – they can look, shall we say, hot and bothered.

These last few days we have been mainly hanging out at the Babies Home – my all time favourite place. Come on – 30+ black babies is heaven on earth to a girl like me, so its no wonder I will make the 20minute straight uphill journey twice if not thrice to see their angelic faces. I just usually help the ‘Mum’s’ of the kids feed, play and change their nappies. We also take them for walks, play with water and sing to them. Its so amazing to see first hand how accepting and loving all the kids are. Whenever you go there, even though they barely know you, its like your their long lost pal. You are smothered with hugs and kisses and it would be rare not to have two or three children climbing on me at any one stage.
I have found myself particularly drawn to a few babies and toddlers and so today Tim and I took one little girl called Hope to church. It was so fun to have her all to myself and just to love her, and only her, for three hours. She fell asleep on my lap in the middle of church and I could have sat there all day just holding her she was so sweet.

I am awestruck by how well behaved and appreciative and grateful the children are. They are honestly some of the best kids I have ever met in my life. It is making both Tim and I reconsider how we feel about raising our own kids. It takes a village to raise a child in Africa and I quite like the motto. Things like spinach and pumpkin are gulped down and the ability for these children to be warm and friendly to anyone is something to be encouraged and treasured.

Yesterday we took a trip into town to do some grocery shopping. We found a mall – yes, thats right a mall. Albeit – not ‘my kind of mall’, it was still a place to shop – and for that I was grateful. No clothing stores though, just knickity knacks and a supermarket. Ps: There is no McDonalds in Uganda – I was genuinely surprised by this. I really did not expect that.
Our way into town involved a 15min walk to the road, a one hour ride in a van packed with 21people – no exaggeration, a 10min motorcycle ride and the same on the way back. It is a mission. We saw goats and cows (on the road) on the way. Everyone finds us white people hilarious, they say ‘Mzoungu’ which means white person as you drive or walk by, and they say it with Gusto!

Im in love with Uganda already.

Am impressed by Watoto – Gary and Marilyn, you guys are true trailblazers.

Start my job on Tuesday in the Publicity and Public Relations Department – cant wait.

Photos are on Facebook!
Xoxoox Helen
www.watoto.com

Leaving Dubai...

2010-06-24T19:52:00.000-07:00

Welcome everybody to our very first blog post on our brand new blog!

This blog will be used by Tim and myself as we head off on our next journey away from the sandpit of Dubai and straight into the unknown land of Uganda! We are really excited to see whats going to happen in this new season and chapter of our lives and this blog will contain those happenings!

Before we start writing about Uganda though...I think its important for me to reflect a little bit on the year that was. Its a popular saying you know, before we go forward, we need to go back....

I’m glad I moved to Dubai.

It has been an incredible experience and one I’m very glad I got to enjoy.

To be honest, I found the first 5 months incredibly difficult, but after my initial attitude and perceptions started to fade I found myself really enjoying life in Dubai.

I would recommend Dubai as a good place to live for a period of time. It will never be home, but it provides SO much to see and do that you really start to love the lifestyle after a while!!!

May I just say, that as as a young 24 year old who had only lived in California, Sydney and Auckland before, I was very apprehensive about moving to the Middle East!!!

We arrived here in August of 2009, it was sweltering hot and I was overwhelmed by how dusty and sandy and humid it was. Upon arriving, we were put in the old part of Dubai to live, in a suburb called Hor Al Anz – It was dirty and yucky and I was horrified that I had moved from my lovely beachfront rental to what looked like the most boring and dirty place on the planet. Let's just say, the brochures and pictures I had seen were nothing like my first impressions. Our suburb was a bustling area of sheisha clubs, sharwma shops and budget supermarkets. There was trash in the street and the place smelt like it. Our apartment was within a few metres of the local mosque and no-one told me that mosques make noise five times a day!

As if I wasn’t ‘on edge’ already, the sun set at 7pm that night and a noise that sounded like a call to war came bursting into my apartment. I was so freaked out and could barely even hear my husband next to me. The sound was so loud that I was certain there was a speaker in my home. Later, we found out that our third story apartment was indeed directly level with the mosque and as our windows weren’t soundproofed, I was up every day between 4-5 to the sounds of Muslim Men yelling. We also had no internet for two months and no TV for a few weeks. I know this might sound weird, but I grew up in a house full of happy sounds and lots of them – so to move to the Middle East where there was no family or at least fake noise via technology in my apartment was quite frustrating.

Anyways, the next two weeks were a whirlwind of me going to orientation at my husband’s work and making sure that I was looking for jobs on the internet there. I was privileged to be offered a number of jobs and ended up with a great one quite quickly after I arrived. As the months went on I VERY Slowly but surely started to settle in more and more. By February I can honestly say I was a very happy woman. I had got stuck into my awesome job, moved house and got some incredible bargains during the winter sales. I was back to ‘normal’ and feeling good about the city I lived in and the opportunities before me. I have stayed that way ever since and too this day am grateful for the incredible things I have been able to do whilst living in Dubai.

Dubai, is an interesting place of contradictions – remember it’s only really 30 years old! Nothing was here 30 years ago and growth has skyrocketed under the leadership of the late Sheikh Mohammad Bin Zayed.

On one hand, Dubai is incredibly forward thinking. They are at the top of their game and they are impressive. They have built the world’s tallest tower, an entire Palm Island made from re-claimed land and ‘a World of islands’. They have every shop a girl could want and the finest foods from around the world.

On the other hand, they have grown so fast that they struggle to keep up with international standards. Take for example the fact that you might live in a brand new building that looks stunning and is smack bang in the middle of the marina. It might look perfect on the outside, but the water is not turned on, and a 2 day promise turns into a 5 week wait! Take for example Etisalat the local phone and internet service provider. Getting internet in Dubai is an absolute debacle, followed closely by getting a car, getting a refund, getting a Visa, going to the doctor you name it... there is a general feeling here that things just don’t make sense. A simple question like ‘I am moving house, can someone please move my internet there’ becomes a tremendous issue involving fines, cancelling of the internet, two weeks of waiting. Take for example the fact that there is more construction going on here than almost anywhere else in the world – yet its built on the back of hundreds of thousands of Pakistani and Indian men that mainly work in slave labour type conditions and live in what looks like an overcrowded prison ground.

It seems backwards...something that is ironically mirrored by the way Arabic is written - from right to left, rather than how we do it - left to right.

They have a strong police force that will put someone in jail for kissing someone on the cheek (man to woman), yet they let people go 140kms an hour without a fine and children are not required to wear seatbelts!

Anyways, the wealth here is staggering, and this is proven every weekend by the lines some will face as they head to the malls for a carpark. A regular Friday night at Mirdif City Center will see over 40 cars queued up on the off ramps for the mall, waiting to be let in for a carpark. One thing I LOVE about Dubai is the shopping, its really amazing here. Every shop I have ever wanted from overseas is here and the malls are world class. I LOVE IT! The shopping is amazing here!!!

In my opinon, the best malls are Dubai Mall and Mirdif City Center.
Karama is a really fun place to go and bargain for cheap designer goods and you can get the best sharwas (kebab type things) from there.
Satwa is THE place to go for making clothes. Suits for men, dresses for women –just take a picture from a magazine and they make it perfect for you.
The best Water Park to go to is Aquaventure at the Atlantis - its amazing!
The best view in town is at NEO's at the Address Dubai Mall. Directly opposite the fountain and worlds tallest Building, its a must go to get a good view of the layout of Dubai.
The main road in Dubai is Sheikh Zayed - its huge and runs basically the entire length of Dubai through to Abu Dhabi.

Dubai Mall is a MUST see - head to the Fountain Show outside (every 30min) every night of the week. And the Aquarium inside, and Candylicious - opposite the aquarium.
On the weekends we spend most of our time at our apartment pool.

We do lots of barbeques with our friends and eat out more than we ever have. There is a real dining out culture here in Dubai and the multicultural food is world class. Most people hang out with their work friends during the weekends as they are the people we see the most! No one really has family here so your friends become very close to you. We are privileged to live in a villa that has 6 apartments in it. 4 of them contain our closest friends, so needless to say we see them on a daily basis and I LOVE the community aspect of living in Dubai. Each week we have mid week dinners and quite often my girlfriends will come down in their pyjamas or bathing suit and just chat on our couch for hours or eat a snack, borrow an egg, or invite me to do grocery shopping. I really love that about Dubai.

The beaches are also very nice – my favourite is Jumierah Beach Park../rent a white sun lounger and an umbrella and your set for a delightful afternoon.
My favourite restaurant is Bussola at the Westin on the beach. Just roll on up in your car for free valet parking and enjoy the best Italian food in the city. My cheap eat favourite is Ravi’s. Its in Satwa and run by Pakistani and Indian men and serves delicious food.

The driving ....is atrocious. I have only lived in Western countries, so, granted, this is what I am comparing to – but seriously, I have never felt so angry on the roads as I have here. The law in Dubai stands that if a Local Emirati has an accident with anyone, the ‘anyone’ is at fault, regardless. The reasoning is that, if we were not there, the accident would not have happened in the first place.
Bullying is commonplace on the roads, and in quite a serious manner. I have personally been almost rammed of the road, and it would be an unusual day to not have someone flash their lights or drive up behind my car to try make me pull over. People beep when you are sitting at lights and they think its about to go green. People pull in and cut in after others have been waiting in line for hours. The majority of people drive large 4x4’s and think they rule the road. Lamborghinis and Porches and Bentleys are seen on a daily basis and not at all uncommon.

I’m not sure if you’ve had a Christian upbringing but the BEST place to go to church here in Dubai is Fellowship of the Emirates held at the Rotana Hotel in Media City. Run by Pastor Jim Burgess, you will not find a better place...the music, the preaching, the people, the food – its all top class and that church has been a lifesaver for me. I LOVE IT! Even if you don’t have a Christian upbringing I would recommend heading along to meet some new people and have a lovely Friday morning with people that look and sound like you.

There is not that much interaction with the local population here (apart from on the roads). The main people I speak and deal with on a daily basis are Expats from my work, Phillipinos and English speaking Middle Eastern People, from Lebanon, Jordan etc.

On the whole, I would have to say that I really like Dubai! Yes, its taken me a while, and yes I’ve had my moments but Dubai has so much to offer that little frustrations and annoying things just have to be laughed at and worked through. After all, patience is a virtue!

I am looking forward to the next chapter of my life in Uganda and I’m sure that too will come with many challenges. Feel the fear and do it anyway right, I feel thats becoming a bit of a life saying fo me....

Love HElen xo