red dirt, toothy smiles, puppies, paint thinner, mud, babies, color, bottled water.............................

Today didn’t go the way I planned it. There are few days that go the way we plan, living here in a 3^rd world country. Today, there was time for reflection over the past couple weeks as I lay in a clinic bed with an IV, looking at stark white walls, no fancy equipment, and a door leading to the outside where children were laughing, crying, trucks and boda’s rumbling by. This wasn’t my plan today. Today was our relax day after two weeks of hard work. A day we hoped to spend at the nearby pool after church. Yesterday didn’t go the way I planned and neither did the day before. A car repair that delayed dinner by 3 hours, a sick friend who had no one to bring her food, bedding, and purchase the syringes, IV bags, etc. at a pharmacy because the hospital somehow ran out of these necessary things. It’s times like these I realize I still can be immature. I argue with God because my plans didn’t come to be. I become irritated that my day is interrupted or changed as is so often the case here in Uganda. But today as I lay in that bed with my husband by my side holding my hand, I realized I still have some control issues I need to let go of.  The crazy traffic jams, restaurants that take two hours to get your food, nights without electricity …these things and others don’t faze me so much anymore, but there are many things that still do. I know…this is sounding like a downer blog post, but keep reading!

The welding garage- playground parts are started

Playground Construction this past week was one of them. It began over a month ago with Chris researching playground manufacturers. When the doors seemed to be closing, a divine appointment with a playground company happened. They agreed to give us the plans and supply list to build our desired playground, but could not help as they were too busy. Now I know in America, building a playground sounds like an easy thing. Go to Lowes, buy the building supplies, get some man power and waa laa you have a play ground. As with most things, it is not quite so easy here in Africa. Things seemed to be falling into place until the week we needed to be buying the supplies for the welder we hired. We were unable to get ahold of the playground company owner who was the only one with the supply list for our playground. He was unreachable for a week and a half, was sick with Malaria, and a day away from Kidney failure. We now get ahold of him, get the supply list, give George a tour of the future playground site and a visit to the playground company so he has a handle on what the plans are. Purchasing the equipment begins. Big Problem. The main company here in Jinja for purchasing materials is out of stock. Not only that, but their main branch in Kampala is also out of stock. This meant literally running all over town buying piece by piece the material we needed. The stack of receipts from different places appears to be six inches tall. 

Chris with the welder- George

What a blessing it was to have our friends from our home church Hillcrest come to visit for a second time during our time here in Uganda! God is so good. The children at our church in the US raised money to help us build a playground at the village school in the community we serve in. We can not explain the JOY it is having people visit from the other side of the world. Our first couple days of playground building was absolutely amazing! The Lord brought together the gifts of each person present to accomplish something amazing. The Afayo team, the Hillcrest team, and the community of Naigobia worked together to build and paint 7 tires structures in the first two days! We were surrounded by giddy children who loved rolling and climbing on the tires. The third day was a disappointment as the metal structures were not delivered when we hoped. But when they were, the playground looked complete! All the drilling, welding, etc. was done with generators as there is no power in the village. Darwin Dykstra had his work cut out for him! We were so thankful he was able to use his gifts building playground; we don't know how we would have done it without him. We dealt with scorching heat and pouring rain. We drove each day out to the playground on roads that should have been closed down. We played with children; some of who were dressed in material you’d hardly call a piece of clothing. At the end of each day we were beat, exhausted, and yet it was worth it. It’s worth it when you see the smiles, when you see the children jumping up and down with joy, knowing they will soon get to play. And it is Beautiful. Amazing. Colorful. A Miracle, really; How a playground was built in the middle of a small village in Uganda, by a small team of people, with the funds of small children and a few others.

So  for the second time…I ‘m reading One Thousand Gifts. I’m reminded that despite delays, sickness, setbacks, disappointments,……I am still always, without a doubt, surrounded by God’s blessings. To name a few from these last couple of weeks.........sunshine, pouring down rain, Sally, Sandy, Darwin, Bri, Michael, Arry, Kendall, tires, laughter, dress a girl dresses, babies, mud, paint thinner, working vans, no flat tires, the story of Jonah, Lily, Jesse, ZiTuna, Fred, Ruth, Chris, The Afayo Team, sweet sleep, Moses, cool mornings, boiled eggs, and peanut butter sandwiches, puppies, finger piano band, a real toilet in the village, TP, bottled water, beautiful flowered trees, red dirt, mud puddles, children singing, Janet, Oliver, Jared, Ezekiel, baby Penny, health, Providence guest house, campfire, homemade hot dog buns, Endiros, Prayer, Betty and Peace, electricity, warm showers, the Nile River, working generators, dirty little toes, blowdryers, trail walks, toothy smiles, bore holes, color, teamwork, and God's Grace and Love that He continues to pour out on us each day. 

Building the tire structures

Arry carrying water from the bore hole to wash the tires

The completed caterpiller and almost complete elephant

Kendall, Chloe, TJ, and Arry playing Duck Duck Goose with the children 

Trying out the teeter totters! Still needs to be painted! 

Team Work- putting in the swing set

Sandy with the children in Nairika

Home Visit 

Darwin, Chris, and Simon...making it level

Baby Mark loved the wheel barrows

fun with wheel barrows

The metal structures finally arrived!!

Sally with baby Penny

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painting the swing set

Darwin cutting tires

Chloe and oil based paint...not so easy to get off! 

Kendall, Chloe, and Kidist painting the snowflake

Sally and Sandy painting the caterpillar

Thank you to everyone who had a part in making this playground a reality! The completed playground pictures will be posted within the next couple of weeks!