February
came and went very quickly and March is already in full swing! Rainy season has returned, which helps keep
the dust down and fills up our water tanks which we are thankful for. This is also the time where people plant
their crops so we pray for frequent and regular rain so that they can have a
good harvest with enough food to feed their families.
February
also brought the first team of the year and it started off big! Between the visiting team and those of us
living here, there were 40 of us in Kibaale.
It was a big group, including 21 kids, so things always felt a bit crazy
but it was also a lot of fun. There were
a ton of home visits, crafts and devotions in the classroom, a sports day with
the nursery and kindergarten students and a big goat giveaway! I also had the opportunity to go along with a
family who purchased 20 bags of maize flour and we delivered them to 10 needy
families in the community. It was
awesome to be part of that experience and to see the joy on people’s faces as
we delivered enough food to help feed their family for up to a month!
Shortly
after the large team left, we had a family visit from the US who brought a ton
of crafts to do with our primary students.
They managed to do a craft with each grade, as well as some activities
and devotions in the classrooms! Our students
love to do crafts, especially when they can use them to decorate their
classroom or bring them home to put up.
I also got to do a number of home visits with them, which I always love
to do! Our visitors are always so
generous and bring gifts and purchase items for their sponsor kids that they
are really in need of. Being part of
delivering them is an incredible experience, as I get to see firsthand how a
mattress or a bag of flour can make such a difference in someone’s life.
Next up we
have a team of students from Pacific Academy arriving tomorrow! Each team brings a different dynamic and a
unique set of skills, so we are excited to have these students come and get
involved with our students and the community.
Later this week another family will be joining us as well, and it doesn’t
stop there! April brings two more teams
and a team of nursing students will join us for the month of May. Though it’s a very busy time when teams
visit, it’s such a great way for them to fully understand the full scope of
Kibaale Community Center and gives them great firsthand experience of the
impact the sponsorship program has on students, their families and the entire
community!
My parents
will also be coming out in May, which I’m really looking forward to! We will travel to Cape Town together for a
holiday, and then they will return to Uganda with me to visit Kibaale. I know a lot of people in Kibaale are looking
forward to seeing them and my parents will be surprised to see all the changes
that have happened at the Center! It’s
going to be a busy few months!