Oct-Nov 2009

I have to begin by apologizing for the long gap in blogs! I don't really have one good excuse but a bunch of little ones. I will try to do better! But instead of telling you what we've been up to, I thought it best to just show you! Enjoy!
(Also, we're heading home to the U.S. for a visit in just over two weeks, so hopefully we'll be able to see many of you in person while we're back. We can't wait!!)

Graysen at his first soccer game. As a 5-year old on the U7 team, he's a full head shorter than most of the other kids on the field. But he's fiesty! Before the first game he walked out onto the field and asked the other team, "Are you afraid of us?" The other kids just looked down at him and laughed!

Alisha doing what she loves best - public speaking! Ha! She dreaded this assembly for 2 weeks leading up to it! But she and the kindergarten class did well in their chapel presentation at school.

Brodie practicing his piano - he's sticking with it, but it's definitely lost a bit of its luster for him.

For Halloween, Jonah was a secret agent, Brodie was Cap'n Jack Sparrow, and Graysen was a Masai warrior (the cattle driving tribe from Southern Kenya)
Brodie at the school 'Harvest Fest'

The warrior and his gypsy!

Many of you were praying for this event, and it turned out very well! This was Brodie's first ever taste of popcorn! He seemed to handle it fine, and we were so excited to give it to him. (Until now, his stomach and behavior have been destroyed for weeks when he eats corn. But Alisha has been praying over his stomach for months now each night and felt that we should try it. Thank you God!
Brodie having his first ear of corn. These two events (popcorn and corn on the cob) brought tears to our eyes! You have no idea how big of a deal this was to us - this really opens up a lot of food doors for Brodie since corn is in so many things.

Lest anyone worry that Brodie doesn't eat well, we snapped this picture of a typical Brodie dinner. It's way healthier than most kids his age, and he is a very good eater who rarely complains about his limitations.

It's been the rainy season the last couple of months, so Graysen and I dressed up and went out to play in the rain one afternoon since everyone else was gone.

I turned 37 on Oct. 17th, so Alisha made me a carrot cake and the boys made me cards and little gifts. It was a great day - capped off by watching a Man U game with the boys after dinner!

We had a plumbing problem in the kitchen sink, so when we called our plumber Godfrey to come fix it one evening, Graysen immediately threw on his tool belt and hard hat and went to work assisting Godfrey. (Nice melvin toot!)

Graysen and Godfrey, enjoying a much deserved meal after a job well done!

I snapped a picture of this 6-story building in Kampala. Those columns are pretty slender for such a tall building! Earthquakes are just not designed for here!

Jonah after picking a bowl of mulberries from a tree in our yard.

We're helping our househelp Monica start up a small business of selling g-nut butter (same as peanut butter in the U.S.). I wrote up a financial plan for her to follow that would keep it sustainable, and help her invest back into the business to help it grow. She could easily pay back her small business loan in a month, while having enough profit to sustain her and her daughter. Eventually, if things go well hopefully she could stop cleaning houses altogether and focus just on her business!

The eMi director's conference was held in the UK this year to encourage the new office we have there. It was a fun week in Colchester, UK where I got to meet and get to know the other eMi directors. We talked through a lot of good things and really got a good feel for what's going on in the other offices, which will ultimately help us serve the ministries we work with more effectively. I feel honored to be a part of this group of guys!

While in London (on our way into the country, me and couple other directors had the chance to do a lightning quick tour of London - self-guided of course!) When I saw this I had to take a picture: a police officer, talking on his cell phone while mounted on a horse, and waiting in the middle of the lane at a stoplight! See, funny cultural things don't just happen in Uganda!

Something I have really missed while in Africa is the Fall - my favorite season! I haven't seen Fall since October of 2007. So this walk through St. James park in London was a huge treat for me!

Another treat for me was that a friend of mine from the UK who lives here in Uganda connected me with a friend of a friend who got me a ticket to see the Chelsea vs. Manchester United match on Sunday at Stamford Bridge in London (Chelsea's stadium)! It was the fulfillment of one of my dreams in life - to see a Man U game! It was a great experience - though as a ManU fan I didn't say a word the whole game sitting amongst the Chelsea faithful! I'd been advised that it was in my best interest to stay quiet!