Global Aid Network Mission Reports

As reported by Rick & Kathy R:

“Water, Water, everywhere but not a drop to drink”…  Can you imagine drinking surface water found on the side of a dirt road?  Or what about a getting a drink from a river or creek that also collects run off from farm animals?  These are only a few examples of how many of the people of Uganda get their drinking water.  Is it any wonder that the life expectancy in Uganda is one of the lowest in the world.  A major contributor to poor health is bad water.  On this trip our team had the opportunity to literally “get our feet wet” in helping to educate the local village people around Noah’s Ark the importance of drinking good water. 

First we started by testing their available water sources.  As you can see in a couple of the attached pictures the water test definitely showed that the water sources were very inadequate for human consumption.  But we didn’t stop there.  We also brought them water filters and taught them how to use and maintain them.

Oh! By the way, did I tell you that while we were working with the water filters, Pita received a call that another baby approximately one year old was abandoned and was picked up by the police and was in need of a home?  Several hours later we were introduce to baby number 107.  They named her Bernice.

Being here and seeing how God uses this Godly couple is a very humbling experience.  I guess the slogan for Noah’s Ark says it all…” From a nobody to a somebody”.

As reported by Rick & Kathy R:

 Tuesday and Wednesday the team spent both days teaching hygiene and sanitation to the teachers and children at New Horizons Primary School.  This was another first for our team.  Prior to leaving the USA our team had received the GAiN Hygiene and Sanitation Notebook for review and on Monday evening our team went through the selected modules that we were to present.  During the training on Tuesday and Wednesday we had the opportunity to use pictures, games and songs to illustrate proper hygiene habits.  In addition, we demonstrated the water filters systems we will be installing I homes.   Both the teachers and the children participated and even the next day they were singing the songs they had learned about the importance of proper hygiene.  In each classroom after the hygiene training the gospel message was presented and several made decisions to follow Christ.  What a blessing it is to be here in Uganda and experience the heartfelt thankfulness that these people demonstrate toward us.  We came to Uganda to be a blessing to them but we will leave Uganda having been blessed.

As reported by Rick & Kathy R: 

Greetings from Uganda!

The remaining part of the team arrived at Entebbe on Sunday afternoon.  After another 2 ½ hour drive back to Noah’s Ark met up with the advance team.  That evening the team shared a meal with Piet and Pita and heard a short overview of how Noah’s Ark began.  On Monday the team had a special treat.  The previous week the children at the primary school (ages 5-12) had been learning of their Ugandan heritage.  The students along with their parents had decorated their classrooms and the parents had contributed cultural items so the students could learn about their heritage and culture.  As our team rotated from classroom to classroom they learned about Ugandan dress, music, herbal remedies,  weaving to make baskets, ropes and mats, a model of a typical family compound and even a sampling of traditional food and dance performed by the parents.  It was quite amazing the amount of work they had put forth.  That evening it was another birthday! Ester had turned three.  So it was cake and with a little help from the GAiN team ICE CREAM!  A real treat here.

More to come!

Rick and Kathy

Reported by Rick & Kathy R.: 

Greetings from Uganda!

The advance team left JFK airport on Tuesday April 28^th at 11:00 PM bound for Entebbe, Uganda with an overnight stopover in Dubai.  The team had the opportunity to fly the first leg of the trip on the Airbus 380 the largest commercial aircraft today.  This was a first for all of us.  From the starlit ceiling when the cabin lights dimmed to the sound of chirping birds when the cabin lights simulated sunrise this aircraft was truly state of the art.  After the overnight in Dubai we arrived in Entebbe at 2:45 PM on Thursday April 30^th.  We were greeted at the airport by Pieter B. the founder of Noah’s Ark and Brad S.  Brad was a volunteer that came with us last year and felt called to relocate and work at Noah’s Ark.

 After a two hour trip by car from the airport in Entebbe passing through the capital city of Kampala we arrived at Noah’s Ark Children’s Home.  We were greeted by the children calling out “Auntie…Uncle..!”  Within seconds everyone had a child in their lap giving and receiving hugs.

Friday we spent most of the day making preparation for our ministry days.  Saturday was another day filled with the experience of shopping for the grocery items for the team as well as traveling though out the area trying to find a simple rubber hose to attach to a propane tank.  Just the simple task of grocery shopping and purchasing a six foot piece of rubber hose reminded us how difficult life is in a third world country. 

Saturday evening our team had dinner with the children.  It was a special time… a birthday celebration.  At Noah’s Ark every birthday is a BIG DEAL!  This evening was no different.  The honoree was Reny a Dutch woman who had been at Noah’s Ark for the past seven months helping care for the children.  When I asked Reny how long she planned to stay …she replied, “ I don’t know”.

It was close to the end of the birthday celebration when in walked Pita with a new member of the Noah’s Ark family.  Earlier in the day the Kampala police had called Noah’s Ark to ask if they could come and pickup a four month old baby boy whose mother had died from AIDS and father was also on his death bed.  Pita returned several hours later with the baby boy.  This brought the number of children to 106.  Pita introduced the new baby to everyone at the end of the birthday party.  Pita said that is name would be Isaiah meaning “God is My Salvation”.

All of this and we had only been here for a couple of days…More to come.