Believe it or not, I have just eight more days until I leave for Uganda!

How in the world has two YEARS passed by so quickly? I think about those tiny preemies and newborns I posted pictures of during my last trip to Uganda and then try to imagine them as running, jumping, and TALKING two year olds. It feels very surreal at this point to know that in just a week or two I will get to visit with them and be back helping to care for a whole new group of infants and toddlers who have found their way to The Bulrushes.

I'm so excited with the direction God is allowing my life to go and I have lots of hope and anticipation about what this year is going to bring. I am amazed at the way things have come together. Last year, my mom and I were discussing the realities of preparing for a journey like this and she asked me how it was going to happen. There were flights to arrange, more vaccinations needed, funds to acquire for living expenses, paperwork to fill out, and medical issues to deal with. The lists of what needed to be "done" would seem impossibly long some days. And in my heart, even though I believed that my desire to return to Uganda and Baby Watoto was the direction I was to be heading, I wrestled with the fact that it would mean being separated from family and friends here. Making this choice also meant giving up full time employment and more importantly leaving two children I love to the moon and back. However, in the end I looked at Mom and said, "Well, we'll just have to see how God works things out".

Now I sit here with just some last minute details and packing to take care of. God has been good enough to guide me through the year and help me check off that long "to-do list".

• I wondered if I could really do this and He gave me renewed strength and confidence to move forward.
• I questioned how to proceed and take care of the logistics and He brought people who had answers.
• I longed to share the great news of what God is doing through Watoto in Uganda and He brought people who listened and celebrated with me.

I am even finding the time to get together with people I care about and spend time together before I go. Ahhh....being given the gift of time with people you love...

I don't really feel like I've written enough here and yet I think I'm finished for now. Check back here whenever you can. I love to know that people are stopping by and reading so please leave a note for me...even if it's just to keep on me about writing more often. I'm looking forward to keeping connected with you through here.

God bless and good night!

Well, here I am again. It's hard to believe that more than a year has passed since I posted on this blog but here we are in November of 2009!

I'd like to bring you up to speed on what's been happening since my last post, but before I get into any of that, I want to thank you. Thanks to those of you who have supported me in this journey in the past and thanks to those of you who have shown an interest in where I'm headed in the future. This is not something that happens independently. God has provided a way, and many people have come alongside in order to help me support the work that is being done through Watoto Child Care Ministries in Uganda. I am truly very thankful for all of you.

So let's get right to it! The fun stuff! An update! I have been so happy to be able to have news from time to time on how things are going at The Bulrushes since I came back to Canada. The Bulrushes is continuing to open their doors to children in need and already close to 150 children have "graduated" and moved into one of the Watoto Children's Villages or have been reunited with family. A second facility has been built on Watoto's Suubi Village property and construction on a third babies home has started in Gulu.

Most of the little ones I cared for on my last trip have now moved onto a Watoto Children's Village or in a few instances have been reunited with family. Tiny little Leila who I introduced to you last year after being able to help pick her up at the Mulago hospital is now a happy and healthy toddler and preparing to soon move into a home! I got this picture which was taken around the time of her first birthday in July from someone who is still working in Uganda. Thanks Megan!

And as you can see, Zeke, Vicky, Esther, and Jordan have all grown a lot in the past year as well.

(see post from August 2008 for pictures of these four when I was volunteering in July)

I think keeping connected has only served to fuel my dreams and desires to return and continue working with Watoto to care for these little ones. So after a time of prayer and careful consideration, I decided to move forward with plans to do just that.

Last summer, I began working through a training program for Mid-Term Missionaries with Matt Janes of STM Network (STM=Short Term Missions). They helped me to connect with the Penecostal Assemblies of Canada (PAOC) and since then I have been approved as a mid-term missionary with the PAOC and welcomed back by Watoto as a volunteer for a period of one year beginning July 2010.

ONE YEAR!!! Can you believe it? I am so excited for this opportunity! Over the next several months as I prepare to go, it is my hope that you will come along for the ride and be a part of this experience with me. I'll let you in on where things are at in the planning process, what has been happening on the front lines at The Bulrushes and let you know how you can get involved.

Please be sure to share with me, as well, how I can "bring you along" on this journey! You can leave me a message on here or feel free to e-mail me at sbriese@paoc.org . Hope to hear from you soon!

Well, let's see if we can let you have a look at Esther and Joe...





Little Man Joe was also snug and warm inside of an incubator when I arrived at the Bulrushes at the beginning of July. In fact, his was the first little angelic face I laid eyes on during my first visit and I still remember how excited I was when I got to hold and feed him.
Like Adrian, Joe grew quite a bit while I was there and was soon out of his incubator and getting to know all the other babies in the newborn room.

Esther is a doll! She would often let anyone who would listen know when she wasn't happy (especially mid-way through nap time), but I think she was just trying to live up to the nickname "My little Queen" that she was given by her Nannies.






Well, these are the little ones I got to know the best while I was in Uganda. The last day that I was volunteering I held up well until after their 2pm feed. As I sat rocking Esther, Susie began changing the babies one by one, swaddling them and putting them down for their next nap. It was then that I realized that it would be a very long time before I had the chance to hold them in my arms again and that's when the tears came. Poor Esther probably wondered why it was raining on her head and why she was shaking so much, but instead of complaining, she just snuggled in closer to me and fell asleep.
A friend left me a message yesterday asking how I didn't come home without any of them and the only answer I can give to her is that they are really all right here in my heart. Sappy I know, but very, very true!

Hi there strangers!

Thanks to all of you who continue to drop by to see if I've had anything new to say since getting home at the end of July. I'm afraid it has taken three weeks just to get my head around being back in Canada and starting to think about all that I saw and experienced.

Tonight I thought I would take some time before heading to bed to introduce you to some of the newborns at The Bulrushes.

This is Vicky. Isn't she adorable? She loves to get your attention and then break out in this huge grin! (especially during nap time!)







Here's Adrian. Check out that chin! Yes, the little pointy one! How cute! Now...have a look at the second one that's coming in nicely as well.
When I arrived at the beginning of July, Adrian was still in an incubator and was one of the tiniest babies at the Bulrushes. A month of good eats did him wonders and about halfway through my time there, he moved into the nursery with the "big kids".



Meet my buddy Jordan. At the beginning of my stay, Jordan had a bad cold and I took to snuggling him as much as I could to help him feel better. Nina would pop out of the office and shake her head at me, telling me with a smile that she worried for Jordan...that he was going to cry when I left at the end of the month because no one would have the time to snuggle him all day like I was doing. No worries. Jordan recovered well and trust me, this boy gets his fair share of cuddling each and every day!




Here is Miss Miriam, or "Mimi" as she is more likely to be called. This little smiley sweetheart was causing her Nannies some grief this summer when she decided that she wasn't going to drink enough on her own. All of the children are closely monitored each day to ensure that they are taking in enough food and growing. Eventually a feeding tube was inserted into Mimi until she was ready to resume eating on her own. (Hooray! I've seen pictures of her since I left and the tube is now out!)


Here is my precious little friend, Zeke. Zeke and I loved to hang out together but for a while, he was doing too much hanging out and not enough eating and ended up with a feeding tube as well. We spent quite a bit of time smiling and cooing at each other. At one point I was pretty sure he was trying to woo me into bringing him home and I have to tell you, it almost worked. More than once we sat on the sofa just inside the front doors playing "If I could be your Mama, I would...". (It's a dangerous game, people!)


I also want to introduce you to Esther and Joe, but they are both camera shy (the pics actually won't upload onto the site tonight), so you'll have to wait until another day to meet them.

Stay tuned!

a heart multiplied by two

Today we got to stop by The Bulrushes for one last visit. We were lucky enough to get to see the babies just after nap and they were waiting with smiles and open arms for one last hug and play. I stopped by the clinic to check on my little one and guess what?? She has started drinking from a bottle! Up until yesterday, she was only fed through a tube inserted into her stomach but now she is a big girl drinking from a bottle. When we brought her home from the hospital a few weeks ago, she was 1.22kg. Now she is 1.78kg. She has come off of oxygen and is doing sooooo well. It was such gift to be able to feed her this afternoon and have one last snuggle and photo shoot :-)
I tried to talk our host and driver into rolling her incubator out to the van, bringing it on the plane tomorrow as my carry on, but they wouldn't go for it....so I left her there to grow into a great little girl, a loving young woman and a future leader of Uganda.
For the past few days I have felt like my heart is breaking in two at the thought of having to leave this wonderful little corner of the world. I know that there is no need to worry about the children because I have seen first-hand how well they are being cared for. God has provided a loving home and a bright future for these children and hope for their country as well.
I just have more hugs, kisses and smiles left. I'm not quite ready to leave but would it be any easier in a month...or six? I don't think so.
So what is a girl to do? Head home and pray...pray that others will always be there to care for the children who need them...pray that even more people every day will be given opportunities for a bright and hopeful future...pray that maybe the opportunity will come for me to come back some day...pray that instead of it being that my heart is breaking in two, what I'm feeling is my heart multiplying to twice its normal capacity.
I can hardly believe that the last day of this journey has come and almost gone. This past month has been full of learning, excitement, adventure and love. There are so many who I have come to care about here in Uganda. The faces and stories are constantly rolling around in my head and heart and I think in the months to come, this blog will be a great place to write about them.
Thank you all so much for your prayers, for your support, for your well wishes, for your love. All of it has helped to make this trip one of the most memorable times in my life.
Love,
me

Bats, hippos and lions...oh my!

Well, this ride I'm on is going well and has been a whole lot of fun so far. I'm sorry that I haven't been able to share more with you on an ongoing basis, but here's a bit of news for you.

Bats: We are currently staying a couple of days at Paara Lodge in Murchason Falls National Park (NW of Kampala). The landscape is gorgeous and hills and trees stretch in every direction for miles. The resort itself is a bit like stepping back in time to one of the grand hotels in Muskoka. It is open and airy, the rooms are clean and tastefully decorated with mosquito netting that wraps around both beds. There is a spacious closet in each room and each room has a balcony facing the Nile River (not bad, eh?) Anyhow, the dining room is upstairs. It too is open and airy and overlooks the Nile; a breathtaking sight when you get to watch the full moon rise over the water during dinner. Also taking my breath away are the bats....yes, bats. For any of you who know me well...it's forcing me to stretch myself to great lengths just to make it through a meal, through the main lobby or down to my room without screetching in terror!!! The only thing that makes me thankful for them is that there has been a bit of a reprive from the mosquitoes. It seems that they like my sweet Canadian blood and have feasted time and again. I'm looking a little more like I have boils all over my arms and legs than mosquito bites. A small price to pay for the chance to be here!

Hippos: We will be leaving after lunch today to travel up and down the Nile to Murchason Falls. We should be able to see lots of crocs and hippos along the way. Meghan, my roomie, got an up close and personal visit from a hippo last night on the way to her room. She was walking along the path and heard something behind her. When she turned around, there was a hippo following her. She quickly ran to the room (with hippo in hot pursuit) and went in through the glass doors to our balcony. Luckily the hippo didn't make it in with her and a guard was soon there, poking the hippo back down into the bushes. When they say don't wander too far around here, they say it for a reason!

Lions: This morning we spent four hours driving around the park looking at lots of animals. We saw lots of Kobe and small deer that I have nicknamed "obambi", giraffes and Uganda's official bird, the Crested Crane. Towards the end of our trip, we came upon two vehicles that had stopped next to a thicket and tree. There, under the tree, was the king of the beasts...Aslan.....Simba....a daddy lion. We pulled up and hopped out of the top of the van to take some pictures. Apparently, our friend was sick of the paparazzi because after standing up, he came within a couple metres of the van, roaring!!! I missed a great shot of the lion because I was busy praying and hoping he wasn't about to lunge through the sunroof, but as quickly as he came, he turned and walked off. As we started to leave, Nancy noticed that there was a female lion in the thicket as well. No wonder Papa didn't want us hanging around, he was trying to hang out with Mamma! Eventually, the two of them walked off down the road together, and as we were heading back to the lodge, I was laughing to think of how thankful I was for everyone's prayers of protection for me during this trip! They're coming in handy!

Well, it's lunch time....6am where you are....I send you my love. More to come....

Holding onto Hope.....

Doctor Moses at Bbira...

Thanks to everyone for being so patient and waiting so long for me to post here on my blog. It is a rather long, tedious process as we are on dial-up here at the guest house.

Anyhow, the past two weeks have been just great. The Ugandan people who I have met have been warm and welcoming to us Muzungu's (white folk).

As it's pretty much impossible to recap the past two weeks, I will fill you in on a bit of what happened yesterday. After breakfast we went out to Bbira. The Clarks sponsor several children and this was Nancy's first chance to meet her "kids". As we rounded a corner in the village, a group of young children came running for us, smiling and asking to be picked up and held. One little guy, Dennis, took quite a liking to me and kept hugging and kissing me over and over.

Around lunch time we went to the house of Dorothy (one of the Clarks sponsored children). Dorothy's mom, Mama Gertrude (her biological mom) invited us inside to have lunch with them. She is 33 and has Dorothy and a son, Jacob. Now that she is a Watoto mom, she has six other children as well. Years ago, Gertrude's husband left her and their two small children. When she went to her family, they turned her away and told her to make her own way. She didn't know what to do and told us that she had considered killing herself and her children. Of course she knew that this really wasn't a solution and believed that God would save her from her situation. Someone from her church knew about Watoto and ever since then, they have been a part of the Watoto family. Gertrude, in addition to being a Mama of 8, has also taken on many administrative responsibilities within the village. Recently she had to hand over these additional responsibilities to others as she developed a "brest sickness", which I would suppose could be cancer. Please keep this great woman in your prayers...

After lunch, I was ready to go on a search for the Bulrushes babies who had "graduated"to Bbira. I found that some of them were resting, but I got to meet Doctor Moses, Rachel, Sarah, Sharifa, John, Timothy, Innocent and my dear little Hope. Hope was glued to her Mama Ruth's side when we arrived and wasn't interested in having her picture taken. I decided to sit on the steps and chat with some of the kids and Doctor Moses, and when Mama Ruth put Hope down, she made a beeline for the stairs and crawled up into my lap. What a moment for me!!! She just snuggled right in and gave me a big hug. It was wonderful and I could hardly believe that this little face I had only seen in pictures was gazing up at me. After a few minutes she fell fast asleep and at that point, I broke. There have been so many things that I have seen and so many stories that I have heard since arriving in Kampala. It was only at this moment though that the tears came. The tears were short-lived though. Hope and all the other beautiful children I met yesterday have a great home and a wonderful village to live in. It is truly a place of beauty, promise and love.