“I carried you on eagles wings and brought you to myself.”

Exodus 19:4

Email

  in

  Winnipeg,

  Canada:

pmbates@shaw.ca

or

f_humby@hotmail.com

If

you

have

any

questions

regarding

methods

of

payment

available

such

as

using

VISA,

PAYPAL,

MASTERCARD,

etc.

***Information

required

by

anyone

from

UK,

or

Europe,

etc.

wishing

to

make

donations

or

sponsorship

of

children,

please

email

us

at:

bapeckham@gmail.com

“I

carried

you

on

eagles

wings

and

brought

you

to

myself.”

Exodus

19:4

   U.S.A

   Mailing

  Address

  for

  checks

  to

  be

  sent

  in

   USA

  :

Real

Partners

Uganda,

Inc.

523

Lafayette

Blvd.

Brigantine,

New

Jersey,

08203

USA

Please

earmark

all

checks

for

EWCV

and

be

sure

to

provide

directions

to

go

to

“Eagles

Wings”

for

sponsorships

and

donations.

Email

  Addresses

  at

  Real

  Partners,

   USA:

eeiko@comcast.net

or

jggris@comca st.net

We are indeed changing our email password frequently now for protection.   We haven’t tracked down the hacker yet, but we know that it is a person from within Uganda which is the second country listed with the highest hacking record next to Nigeria.   We have to as wise as serpents!

PayPal is soon to be available in the Winnipeg office for Canadians or anyone in the World, I’m told.

We arrived in Uganda last Wednesday after six weeks in Greece and back to Masaka to our home on Saturday when we received a wonderful welcome from the children.   Our thanks to everyone in Greece for the warm hospitality we received during our extensive travels.    The money for our return airline tickets and other expenses didn’t come from EWCV, but from ourselves as it was our treat to ourselves for five anniversaries.

Our daughter, Linda Vandenakker, of Winnipeg is running the half marathon on Father’s Day, June 19th as well as Jaimee Schmidt of Brandon who is also running in the same event in Brandon.    They are both running for our charity of EWCV and specifically to raise money for Family #3 housing so that those children can move into new housing at the property before Christmas Day, 2011.   The dining hut has been nearly completed, but there are 7 more buildings to be constructed.   Donations towards this cause is being sent to our Winnipeg office through Pat Bates:    email:   pmbates@shaw.ca     If it is your wish to contribute towards one of these two marathon runs, please give instructions as to your wish for designation of the donation towards “Family #3 Housing”.

Mailing Address:
Eagles Wings Children’s Village
#300-404 Desalaberry St.
Winnipeg, MB
R2L 2G3   Canada

We have just received the second shipment of 60 boxes of wonderful books from Walter & Marilyn Dyck’s home church in Rosetown, Manitoba which is “Blumenort Mennonite Church”.   They also provided money for bookcases to be built.   We now have one of the finest collection of books of any primary school in Uganda, I believe.   Our sincere thanks to the congregation in Rosetown.   There will also be books left over to provide for Eagles Wings Senior Secondary School to be opened February 2012, good Lord willing.

Many thanks from the children and staff for your continued prayers and support.   May God Bless you in abundance.   To God be the Glory!

Ja Ja’s Bill & Ann & little Elisha

Recent Visitors from United States and Canada

What a wonderful experience we had hosting a team of ten engineers along with a videographer for nine days.   Yes, it was a hectic time, but we enjoyed every minute they were with us.   They were a professional team put together through eMi (Engineering Ministries International) including Civil, Structural, Electrical, Landscape and Architectural, and Surveying Engineers.  

L to R. Philip (California), Daniel (Florida), Erica and Henry (Colorado), Jaimee (Brandon,MB), Pat (Kamloops,B.C.), Wes (Kansas), Kevin (California), Patrick (Kelowna,B.C.), Joyce (Vancouver, B.C.), Tyler (Videographer,California)

The first major job for some of the team was to survey the property.   We now have a proper topographic map of the property on which others from the team were able to locate exactly where future buildings will go including all ten family units.   The Landscape and Architectural Engineer, Erica, was able to give us a final sketch of what our 72 acres will look like with every building in place.  She also showed where the roads and the water lines can go.   Some nice designs for buildings were shown on a power point presentation at the final meeting with most of our department head representatives of EWCV present.  Here is a clip for you to watch.  It was put together by Wes who comes from Kansas:  

http://www.southvolutsia.com/uganda/uganda/Entries/2011/2/19_Trip_Video..html

The second clip was produced by Tyler who is a Videographer from California. 

http://vimeo.com/19824880

Our thanks go out to the team leader, Philip Greene, who put the team together and organized their time here with us.  One member of the team, Jaimee Schmidt (Civil Engineer), came to us from Brandon, MB.  She was able to spend a few days with us before the rest of the team arrived.  We have known Jaimee and her family from Dauphin as they belong to our home church, Parkside Gospel Church.  Jaimee is sponsoring two of our children and got to meet them in their homes in the village and again later when they returned from their holiday to rejoin their family units.  This was a unique experience for a visitor.  Engineer Kevin Nelson also got to visit the young boy he has taken on to sponsor and went to his home in the village to meet the boy’s family and then got to see him in school in another setting.   Kevin indeed thought this was a unique experience. Our thanks go out to all the team for coming to help us at EWCV.  We were responsible to provide for the teams’ transportation, accommodations, and feeding during their stay with us.   They each paid for their own airline travel.  

Christmas Feeding Program

Our thanks go out to those of you who made it possible through your donations to pay for the entire feeding program during the Christmas season.  1)   We were able to have the Christmas meal after church the Sunday before Christmas for the people from the community.   2) Then three days before Christmas, 190 school students from Lubumba community came and picked up gift bags of food items including dolls from Westwood Presbyterian Church in Winnipeg for each child.   This food enabled the community families to have several meals around Christmas Day.   3)  On Christmas Day we had a big meal for the 72 children of the three families 1, 2, and 3 along with the staff and their children.  4)  On December 28^th, the former guardians of the children of the three families came to pick up the children to take them home for five weeks for a holiday.  We provided a big meal for these people along with the children before they left.   We also had our Annual General Meeting for EWCV with these people and the staff.  

After everyone left us, the staff started their month’s holiday.  The children came back to the property on February 5^th and started back to school for the new school year on February 7^th.   We praise God for your generosity to make all this possible for the children.  We will try to get some pictures into the website of these events as soon as possible. 

Full Primary School-New High School Needed

Our school is now running a full nursery and primary school program with eight teachers and one Head Master at the new school at the property.  There are also two teachers in Masaka Town to teach Family #3 children (Nursery to P.4).   We have had to hire three teachers before school began as one former teacher is continuing studies at University, one is staying home due to pregnancy, and one is needed for the new class of Primary Seven students.  These P.7 students will be the first students from Beth Pipe Nursery and Primary School to write their National Primary Leaving Exams in November of this year.  We are now in need of preparing for these 27 students as to where they will attend school next year at Senior Secondary level.  It will be very expensive to send them away to a Boarding School. 

All of our teachers received a two day training the week before school started in February with trainers who came from the Christian Schools Association International.  We are a paying member of the Association and the teachers were trained to provide them with skills to be able to incorporate scripture from the Bible into the lesson planning.  When the students complete their primary schooling, then we wish for them to be able to continue in a Christian school atmosphere at the Secondary level.  We need to prepare to have a Senior Secondary School on our property.   We would like to build facilities for them to begin next February 2012 with Senior One level at “Eagles Wings High School”. 

We have the land to build a Secondary School and also know the exact location where the new High School can be built.   We also have architectural plans for this with each classroom costing about $7,500.   To be able to go ahead with these plans, we will need to have a new volunteer Christian Head Master/Mistress to run the new High School and volunteer Christian teachers who are trained to teach at this level.  If you know of anyone who might wish to come to Uganda to commit themselves to at least one school year, we would love to hear from you.   The administrator needs to have certification in administration with teaching experience to qualify. 

The school year consists of three terms each running three months.  Christmas Holidays include two months (December/January) off before the new school year begins in February each year.   We will be needing volunteer Christian teachers to teach science subjects beginning at the Senior One level

(Grade such as Physics, Chemistry, Biology, Math, and Home Economics plus arts subjects including English, History, Geography, CRE (Christian Religious Education), options include: Commerce, Accounts, Entrepreneurship, Technical Drawing, Office Practice, Agriculture, Computer Science, Fine Art, and other Languages.   We will also be needing laboratory equipment for the sciences if anyone wishes to provide.  We are already receiving books for the library.   This all seems like a mountain before us, but we believe that with God, anything is possible.   If we have to use our old temporary school structure built by Canadian Walter Dyck and his two oldest boys three years ago, then we will re-roof the old thatched roof building with iron sheets until the Lord provides for a new structure.  We will also need to put in a wooden floor in each classroom because the old dirt floor attracts too many jiggers when it is dry and dusty. 

Family #3 Housing

The 24 children of family #3 who live with us in Masaka Town in our compound have been living with us for a couple of years now waiting patiently for their housing to be built at the property.   They are anxious to join families 1 & 2 who also began by living here in town with us until their own housing was completed for them to move.   It is 25 miles from our gate here in town to the 72 acres of EWCV property.  When the team of 10 engineers came recently, they showed us where we can build the housing for family #3 and eventually all the remaining families up to family #10.   With each family consisting of 24 children plus any children of the House Parents, then we are looking at 240 lone orphaned children by the time we have constructed all 10 family units of housing. 

Our friends in Germany, Maria and Jenny, worked with the people in their church to run a Christmas Craft Sale two weeks before Christmas.   It was a huge success and everything was sold.  We truly appreciate the efforts these people put out for the benefit of our children.  Well Done!  The money raised by this sale was donated to EWCV with clear instructions that the money was to be put towards starting the construction of Family #3 housing.   We have decided that at least we will be able to begin building one hut for the children from the 5,000 EUR raised.   As the Lord provides, we will build further huts and buildings.   Each hut will cost about $6000 depending on the cost of construction materials, especially cement.  We are aiming at improving the quality of our buildings by using a ratio of one wheel barrow of cement to three wheel barrows of sand for the ground slab, support columns, and the ring beam.  The approximate cost for all eight buildings for Family #3 will be over $70,000.   Our prayer is that this project will be completed by Christmas 2011 and that the children of Family #3 will move in before Christmas Day as the other children of families 1 & 2 did in the past. 

Ugandan Elections  

For those of you interested in politics, the election of the President of Uganda plus MP’s was held last week on Friday, 18^th February, which was declared a National Public Holiday.  Then the election of some of the Local Councilors was held this week.   President Yoweri Museveni was re-elected President of Uganda for his fourth term with a 68% tally.  Our next door neighbor, Joseph Kalungi, was elected as the Local LC 5 Councilor for the Masaka District.  He will represent the President of Uganda in the Masaka District.  There were celebrations going on for the two days following the announcement of Joseph’s being elected.  Tomorrow we are going to attend the Thanksgiving Church Service and celebrations (speeches) being held at his home.  They will be using our front yard for parking space.   We also will be having children’s’ birthday celebrations later in the afternoon so it should prove to be an interesting day.   The government of Uganda pumped up the security throughout the country to the highest level ever.  Armed soldiers and police were to be seen everywhere.   The atmosphere was one of fear during this time because people didn’t want violence to break out as happened in other African countries recently.   People around the world were praying for Uganda to have peace and stability during these elections.   Yes, these prayers were answered. 

Water Crisis

They have been having a continual water crisis at the property during the past month at least because the new cistern developed a leak and the full tank had to be pumped out to make repairs.  Also, the water table had dropped so we weren’t always able to pump water to the upper tank using the solar pump.   The Lukaya Water Department didn’t have their water system working and the town of Lukaya was without water and we weren’t also receiving water from them.   The local pump at the Bore Hole broke down so the local communities around our property were without water.  Our cistern has been repaired and the pump from the well has been working.  However, we had to hire two trucks to haul 10,000 liters of water to our tanks on Thursday.  

The good news is that a family from California has donated money towards drilling a second well on our property near Family #2.   Our engineer friend, George Grinestaff, in Houston, Texas, is overseeing the future development of our water system and has contacted a driller who might come to drill well #2 in April, good Lord willing.  We are hoping that this will provide a more secure water supply during the dry seasons in the future. 

Contact Information for Canada and USA:

Mailing Address for Head Office for EWCV in Canada:  “Eagles Wings Children’s Village, c/o Pat Bates, #300-404 Desalaberry St., Winnipeg, Manitoba, R2L 2G3 Canada”.                                                             Email in Winnipeg, Canada:     pmbates@shaw.ca   or    f_humby@hotmail.com  

Mailing Address for checks to be sent in USA “earmarked” for Eagles Wings Children’s Village:         “Real Partners Uganda, Inc., 523 Lafayette Blvd., Brigantine, New Jersey, 08203  USA.”                         Be sure to provide directions to go to “Eagles Wings” for sponsorships and donations.                                           Email:  eeiko@comcast.net or jggris@comcast.net    if you have any questions regarding methods of payment available such as using VISA, PAYPAL, MASTERCARD, etc. 

***Information required by anyone from UK, or Europe, etc. wishing to make donations or sponsorship of children, please email us at:      bapeckham@gmail.com

Please Pray For:

1)   our Farm Manager, Anatoli Lutaaya, who lost his wife, Christine, aged 42 this past week.  She leaves behind their six children.   Pray for comfort for this family.                                                                           2)   the children and staff who are receiving treatment for malaria.   It has been rampant this past month.  A shipment of 350 mosquito nets are to be provided from Kurt Petersen of Vancouver, B.C. later this year, good Lord willing.                                                                                                                                 3)  Dr. Haris, wife Maria, and children Alexander, Christine, Constantine, and Evanthia as they prepare to come to Uganda to set up a medical clinic at EWCV site under Hellenic Ministries of Greece.  They have many issues to deal with before they can come to join us in Uganda from the USA.                                                                               4)  Ja Ja’s Bill & Ann as they pray for God’s direction as to whether they should travel to Germany and Greece in April to promote EWCV.                                                                                                                     5)  new volunteer high school teachers to come to teach at “Eagles Wings High School” for at least a one year commitment starting February 2012 at their own expense.  Senior Secondary starts at Grade 8.        6)  funding for classrooms for a new senior secondary school.

BACK IN UGANDA

After having been away from Uganda from July to October, we have now been back at our home in Uganda for a month.   There have been many challenges since returning, but with God in charge everything is possible.  Our arrival was marked by some wonderful celebrations by the staff and children.   It was quite overwhelming.

We need to be so thankful to people who provided for our International airline tickets as well as the flights within the USA.   Not only that, we were provided with a very fine car in Winnipeg to use for the entire time we were in the Prairies.  We put on so many miles driving in Manitoba as well as Saskatchewan.  Everywhere we went. God made provisions for accommodations which even included a fifth wheel camper unit for us to use during our stay at the Gilbert Plains camp grounds.   We send our appreciation to so many people who in one way or another provided for our every need.   Every Sunday we were able to share EWCV at churches and during the week with many contacts.  The local Exponent Newspaper included an update on EWCV for people in the Parkland Region. While in Moose Jaw, SK, we were able to attend the wedding of our nephew’s son plus enjoy the fellowship with family.   Every minute spent with family in Canada was so valuable to us.  Our camera provided many happy memories for us to bring back to Uganda, even fishing on the Red River with our daughter, Linda, and her husband, Ken.

UPDATE ON KIZZA

We had written in our last newsletter in September a write-up regarding our young paraplegic friend, Kizza, who had nine children living in his home in the village.  Kizza had spent some months in hospital here in Masaka before being sent to the hospital in Kampala for the treatment of bedsores.  Then he appealed to the doctors and our Social Worker, Allan, that he be released from hospital to return home to his children in the village.  His bed sores were not healing.   He was released from hospital and taken home.   He spent a week with his children before being transferred to the Kalungi Clinic where he died Wednesday morning, October 27^th.  We made all the arrangements for the funeral which was held the next day and he was buried next to his home.

We have made arrangements for his children to have two of their aunties live with them in their home to look after them.  Three friends have agreed to sponsor eight of the children and we have one girl, Pheona, left for sponsorship at $40 per month.  If you are interested, please let us know.   Kizza’s wife left him three years ago and he had the burden of looking after all these children but it was his eldest two boys, Dennis and Geoffrey who looked after everyone including the father.   Kizza died knowing that his children would be taken care of.   Our American friends, George and Michael, were able to visit him and pray with him a few days before he died.

We are going to have some repairs done to his house and will be providing bunk beds for all the children plus bedding and mosquito nets.   Medical care, clothing, food, and education will all be provided for all nine children.  We praise God for the sponsors who have agreed to take on eight of the children.   What a wonderful Christmas gift for them.  This is all a part of our Extension Program at EWCV to reach out to the community around us.   These children attend our school & children’s’ church services each Sunday.  They will each receive a Christmas Gift bag three days before Christmas along with the other village children who attend our school as day-scholars.

EDUCATION AT EWCV

A big thrill for us upon returning to Uganda was to find a very fine playground structure in place in front of Beth Pipe Nursery & Primary School.  It was a joy to witness the children playing all over the equipment.  Our thanks, once again, to “Kids Around the World” who made the donation and came to assemble the structure.

We have been able to receive around 99 sponsors for the nearly 180 students of the school.   This enables us to feed all the children two meals per day from the money coming in from sponsors, but we still need sponsorship for another 85 children.   Every child is fed in this program whether sponsored or not.   These children were chosen from the neediest of children from Lubumba Village.  We also provide medical testing and treatment for every sponsored child as well as shoes, socks, and uniforms.  Now they will all need new shoes and uniforms for the next school year starting in February 2011.    Please pray for more sponsors for the remainder of the children.

Right now the children are nearly finished writing their final exams for their school year which ends the first week in December.   Then they will have a two month break from school before starting the next school year beginning of February 2011.   The present Grade Six students will be candidates for writing the Ugandan Government’s Primary Seven (Grade 7) National Leaving Exams next November 2011.  Those exams will be written in English.  They will be the first students of Beth Pipe School who will write these important exams.  We are hoping to be able to provide facilities by 2012 to start a Senior One classroom which will require us to hire several senior secondary teachers.   Perhaps some of you would like to come to teach as volunteers in two years time at that level.   It would be equivalent to teaching at the Grade Eight level in Canada or the USA.   We will need to begin building a classroom each year until we can accommodate up to Senior Six or “A” Level schooling.  Our Primary School is licensed right now, but we are going to try to get the school registered by next school year in February 2011.

If you are sponsoring a child with EWCV, you should be receiving a report card as well as a copy of the hand written letter from your child through our secretary, Agnes Mawanda, before Christmas.   The children are now in the process of writing letters to their sponsors.   If you don’t receive these items, please email Agnes:   agnesnakato68@gmail.com

AGRICULTURE AT EWCV

Many of you have been enquiring about the progress of our agriculture department.   Our Farm Manager, Anatoli, and his Assistant, Ronald, have been busy trying to move forward with “Farming God’s Way”.   People who have visited their farm have been amazed by the excellent crops which are coming up using God’s Blanket (mulching) to conserve moisture.  They are also following faithfully the instructions given to them by the training team in Kampala with regards to preparing the land without plowing this small area, planting with specific measurements, and harvesting a bountiful crop (we are anticipating this). They have started their practice with a small area and will increase it each six months when the rainy season begins.   They will use less and less plowing.  This will likely become a model farm for visitors to see wonderful results, good Lord willing.

Ronald has been focusing his efforts in horticulture with the growing of tomatoes, cabbages, egg plants, pumpkins, lettuce, and spinach.  However, due to a lack of rain during this rainy season, many of the plants did not germinate properly.  The workers are developing a cistern on the edge of the hill which will collect rain water which comes across the property and channels towards a certain area.  When we have this cistern dug, we are hoping that we will be able to collect some good amount of water to be used for irrigation of the horticultural crops and also to provide for our cow.   December to March should be a dry season and then three more months of rainy season.

With the area which has been plowed, they planted maize corn and beans.   However, the yield will not be as good as the small area planted using God’s Blanket.  You can find “Farming God’s Way” on the internet, by the way.

We are also looking at the possibility of building a corral for six cows near the school so we can also include a digester tank to collect urine and manure to produce biogas for being piped to a new school kitchen where there will be special stoves for using biogas.   We still await funds to move ahead with this project which includes purchasing five more cows and building the kitchen/storage room.

VOLUNTEERS

We were blessed to have five volunteers from the USA with us recently.   They stayed at our hospitality centre having Rev. Christopher and Harriet as hosts.   Two came from Houston, Texas, two from Alaska, and one from Hawaii.   The three ladies, Rachael, Aspen, and Daneille, ran a Vacation Bible School program with our children in town and also at the property.   The children enjoyed this program immensely.   The two men, George Grinestaff from Houston, and Dr. Michael Kaminski from Alaska, worked at the property each day testing for water.   Michael is a physicist who developed a method of detecting water sources underground.   George is an Engineer with a Norwegian Oil Company in Texas.   He is also a specialist in water wells along with water treatment and collection.   They managed to find another better source of water nearby the Family #2 site on the EWCV property.  Now we just need to wait for funding somehow to drill this second well.   We have had a water crisis so often as the present well dried up during the dry season.  The town’s water line has also been very unreliable with their own problems.

The Chairman of the Canadian Board of EWCV, Dale Myhre, along with his wife, Sharon, and their ten year old boy, Aaron, arrived at Entebbe Airport to begin a stay of one month in Uganda.   They were picked up and driven to the Namirembe Guest House in Kampala for an overnight stay.  The next morning they were brought  to our home in Masaka.   We were waiting to greet them.  They are staying at the hospitality centre with Rev. Christopher and Harriet.

Dale will be able to have an overview of the progress of EWCV to give feedback to the Canadian Board when they return to Canada along with feedback for some of our many sponsors.  Our two farm managers have been meeting with Dale as his specialty is in agriculture.   This week the two of them attended a workshop in Kampala with Dale on “Farming God’s Way”.   Unfortunately, both Dale and Sharon have had colds which have required that they get some extra rest. Sharon has developed malaria. She went to the doctor’s for testing and treatment so is now on the mend.  Please pray for their health.   On Tuesday they received a warm welcoming by the school children and staff with a special four hour program of singing, dancing, etc.  They were able to spend some time meeting their sponsored child.

In February 2011 we are expecting a team of Engineers (EMI) to come from Canada/USA to help us with planning our way forward with our project of EWCV.   Included in the team will be Jaimee Schmidt of Brandon, MB., who is a Civil Engineer sponsoring two of our children.  Jaimee originally grew up in the Dauphin area of MB and attended our home church, Parkside Gospel Church.  We are hoping that Jaimee will stay for some time after her team departs in February.

DR. HARIS AND MARIA MACRIS AND FAMILY UPDATE

We have also had people asking us how things are progressing for Dr. Haris and Maria Macris and their four children to come to Uganda.   They left Toronto to drive back to Dearborn, Michigan, where they sold their house recently.  They have been making new contacts in Toronto to raise their support to come to Uganda.  Our friend, Sophia Syrros, of Toronto has been instrumental in them meeting new people who are also friends of EWCV.  In Michigan they will meet with friends once again to share their vision.  The Macris family will return to Chicago to prepare for another trip which will take them to Boston, MA and then south to Florida to continue with their deputation.  We continue to pray for their safety as they travel.   Perhaps they will join us in Uganda somewhere around April 2011.  We were able to meet with them in Winnipeg as they were driving back to their home after touring the northern US and southwestern Canada.   They were able to meet with some of the Canadian Board Members at the home of Harry and Francie Humby where they enjoyed some wonderful hospitality.  This was our first time to meet with Maria and their four children.

Christmas Feeding Program

With the weather here in Uganda being the same all year long despite the changing rainy/dry seasons every three months, there is no hint of Christmas being around the corner. There has not been any hint of snow.  Not likely here at the equator, eh?    However, we know that the Christmas programs will catch up to us quickly.   We have already had some nice donations to nearly cover the Christmas Feeding Program for the community children as well as for our own children of Families 1, 2, & 3 and church members.  For those of you who made donations to this program, we extend our hearty thanks for your generosity.  Others have made donations towards a new school kitchen.   These are great Christmas gifts for the children of EWCV.   Most of the children of Families 1, 2, and 3 will likely be going for a visit with their former guardians from the end of December to the beginning of February when the new school year begins.   We will have all these children with us during Christmas.  Community children will receive their Christmas Gift Bags three days before Christmas to take home so their family will have some food for Christmas.  We send our Christmas greetings to you and yours from all the staff and children of EWCV along with our thanks for your continued support and prayers.

***WE WELCOME ANY NEW CALENDARS FOR 2011 WITH PICTURES OF ANIMALS AND SCENERY OF CANADA, ETC.   (SEE UGANDAN MAILING ADDRESS BELOW).

Condolences to the families of:

1)   The Rt. Rev. Patrick Lee, former Bishop of Rupertsland in southern Manitoba, Canada, who

passed away in Perth, Ontario, September 26^th.

2)   Thomas Cosmades who died in Germany September 20^th.

3)   Gladys Stoney who died November 11^th in Stonewall, MB.

4)   Gwen Demerais who died October 29^th in Dauphin, MB.

5)   Nettie Schulz, died November 5^th in Killarney, MB (Peter Schulz’s mom).

6)   Pat Agar. Died November 2010, Brandon, Service Monday, November 22 in Brandon, burial in Gilbert Plains

Tuesday November 23,

Mailing Address for cheques to be sent to EWCV in Canada:

Eagles Wings Children’s Village

c/o Pat Bates

#300-404 Desalaberry St.

Winnipeg, Manitoba

R2L 2G3 Canada

Email in Winnipeg, Canada:  pmbates@shaw.ca Ask about the use of MASTER CARD OR VISA

Mailing Address for cheques to be sent in USA “earmarked” for EWCV:

Real Partners Uganda, Inc.

523 Lafayette Blvd.

Brigantine, New Jersey

08203  USA

Email in USA: realpartnersuganda@gmail.com Ask about the use of VISA, MASTER CARD or PAYPAL

Ugandan Contact Address for EWCV:

Eagles Wings Children’s Village

Box 842  Masaka, Uganda

East Africa

Email: bapeckham@gmail.com Website for EWCV:    www.eagleswingschildrensvillage.com In Europe it is possible to use VISA or MASTER CARD to have automatic withdrawals made through the Winnipeg office in Canada each month or whenever you wish.  Just email that office.  In the UK, donations can be forwarded to us through Love in Action in Essex, England.   Please enquire from Bill & Ann in Uganda or our new accountant, Samuel Kanaye:   kanayesamuel@gmail.com about the UK transfers.

Success Story of Annet Nabatanzi

Our Social Worker, Allan Kisakye, came to us in the EWCV office one day to share with us and to make an appeal for a young lady and her three siblings.   Annet Nabatanzi , he said, was the eldest of four children of a child-headed family.   Their parents had both died leaving these four children living on their own in a small two room house which was falling apart.  Annet was thirteen at the time.   Allan took me to meet them.    This meeting had a great impact on me as it was the second time I had been confronted face to face with people living in poverty.   These young children were living totally on their own and were having to find food by accepting handouts from neighbours and by going to dig in their neighbor’s gardens to earn some little bit of money to feed themselves.

I went back to see them soon after and entered their house.   I had somebody go with me to translate as the children could not speak English.    When I went into their house, I was shocked to find that they were not sleeping on beds, but on mats, they had vertually no food to eat, there was no drinking water available, there were bat droppings everywhere, and there was no furniture.   We went into town to take them to the doctor as they were suffering from a fever which turned out to be malaria.   When we came out of the clinic, I realized that would have no clean drinking water to take their medication with.   They had not had any water to drink that morning.   They had also not had any food to eat.   We went next door to the restaurant where they were told to order a complete meal with a soda.   This was their first time to have ever been in a restaurant.   After this meal we went across the street into one of the small shops in Lukaya Town where we ordered some basic items which they needed for their home for food preparation as well as some food.   Thankfully, a church cell group in Steinbach, Manitoba agreed to assist this family financially and prayerfully.  The two middle children were placed into schools as day students and the youngest, Frank, was included into Beth Pipe Nursery and Primary School as one of our students.    This way we could see that they were being fed properly and also receving proper instructional materials for schooling.

Annet had stopped attending school as she had to stay home to look after her father who was dying of AIDS.   Her English skills prevented her from continuing at primary school.   It was decided that Annet would be given the opportunity to take some training for a year in Lukaya to become a seamstress.    Her support group provided funds for a sewing machine to be purchased.    She completed her course and then set up her sewing machine in a small shop in Lukaya where she walked four miles one way each day to try and make a living to support herself and to help her siblings.   However, she received no business and became very discouraged after a year.   We brought her into our EWCV office in Masaka where she learned to make uniforms for the children along with another young teenaged girl, Harriet Tusabe, who trained in sewing through our Extension Program at EWCV.   These two young ladies did a fine job of sewing the uniforms under the direction of a professional tailor.

It was decided that we would offer Annet and Harriet a full time job with EWCV so they could mend clothing and continue making uniforms when needed.   Then they both learned how to make African dolls from a pattern provided for them as well as from some sample dolls.   Now the dolls are being sold for $35 each to be able to purchase more materials for making more dolls and towards salaries.   Life has improved tremendously for Annet and her siblings.   She assists whenever needed to help with the children of EWCV.    We have been blessed at how God has provided for all Annet’s needs.    She has a renewed hope in her life at the age of seventeen years.  Annet Nabatanzi is very thankful to the support group which has stood behind her during these few years.

Ja Ja Bill & Ann’s Travels

In an effort to continue to raise awareness and support for EWCV, we have been traveling extensively since July when we left Uganda for North America.    Our stops included Boston, Houston, and Chicago in the USA, and Winnipeg in Canada where it was wonderful to be reunited with our family.    Our hosts at each stop provided us with the finest of hospitality.    We are truly appreciative of everyone’s efforts to make us feel welcome in their homes.   We are now in the Parkland Region of rural Manitoba, Canada, where we continue to meet with friends and to speak in churches where invited.    Our Sundays have been fully booked until we return to Uganda October 7th from Winnipeg.  However, we are always available if asked to speak anywhere about the work at EWCV and the children.   We carry a cell phone with us everywhere:    1-907-903-6666 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting              1-907-903-6666      end_of_the_skype_highlighting.    Since our departure from Houston, Texas, our friends George and Monica Grinestaff have added number ten child, Rosie, to their family.   Monica gave birth in their home this past Sunday.   Congratulations to the Grinestaff family.    Now we are praying for a safe delivery for our friends, Simon and Katie Swithenbank of Stonewall, Manitoba any minute now.   This will be number three child for their family.   We look forward to being in Gilbert Plains this coming Tuesday where we will be staying in the camp grounds in the valley until September 20th when we move on to Moose Jaw, SK.

New Playground Equipment for EWCV

We are so thankful to the team and directors of “Kids Around the World” who provided some wonderful playground equipment for the new school at our property of EWCV.    We had nothing in the line of this type of facility for our children and never dreamt that God would provide us with such an incredible setup.     A team of about eighteen volunteers came from the USA and worked for several days after the equipment had arrived in a container from the USA.    Once it was set up according to very high safety standards the team joined the staff and children from EWCV at the new school for a time to dedicate the playground to Beth Pipe Nursery and Primary School and EWCV.   They also had a time of prayer as they all joined hands around the structures to give thanks to God for His provisions.    Our thanks go out to Jim and his team from the USA as well as to some of our friends from Hope School in Masaka who were instrumental in helping this project along to completion.   You might wish to check out the website of EWCV:    www.eagleswingschildrensvillage.com where you can see in the photo gallery some pictures showing the playground.

Farming God’s Way

Recently, our Farm Manager, Anatoli, and Ronald, Assistant F.M., attended a workshop in Kampala where they were introduced to some wonderful insights into farming.  We have been struggling with the issue of trying to avoid using anything on our soils which would damage them for the years to come.   We were also wishing to gain some ideas on how to improve the fertility of the soils on the eleven or so acres which we have been working.   There have been constant battles with monkeys destroying our crops as well as with a lack of rains.    Our well has been nearly dry during this last dry season of June to August, so there was not enough water to use for agriculture other than to provide for our cow.   Our agricultural workers are trying to improve the provisions of vegetables and fruit to provide for the children to eat and are indeed needing a more secure water source for branching out into drip irrigation techniques.    Now that we are into September, the rains should begin and the crops should be seeded by now to get ready for this growing season of three months before the next dry season.   Anatoli and Ronald came back from their workshop in Kamapal fired up and challenged to move ahead with many improvements in the Agricultural Department of EWCV.    If you wish to check out the website of “Farming God’s Way”, you might be interested in what they have to say.    They began their organization in Zimbabwe back in 1984 and are now running training programs in many countries around the world to try to make a difference with the poverty and lack of food found in many third world countries.

Education

Students of Beth Pipe Nursery and Primary School are now on their semester break for a month until September 13th when classes resume for the third and final semester of the year.   Then they will have holidays for two months during December and January until February 2011 when the new school year begins.    The facilities in the new school have been used during the second semester.   However, the old kitchen which was built by the ladies of the community is still being used for preparing the two meals every day for the students and staff.   Our main project right now is to raise the money to build the new kitchen for the new school with two energy efficient stoves.   The aim is to also build a corral for cows nearby the site so that the urine and manure from the cows can be fed into a digestor tank to produce bio-gas which will be directed by pipes to the kitchen for cooking.    The milk from the cows will be used to feed the children.   The students will also learn some agricultural skills of looking after the cows and doing the milking.   We need approximately $25,000 to build the corral, purchase five cows, digestor, kitchen, stoves, and storage room for food.   We will proceed construction when God provides enough funds for these items.   We are also needing $3,000 to purchase text books for the students who will enter Primary Seven next year.

If you are sponsoring a child from Family 1,2, or 3, or one or more of  the students of the school children from Lubumba Community, you should have received a report card and a personal letter from your child sent by email through our secretary, Agnes, at the EWCV office in Ugana.   If you didn’t receive one please contact Agnes:      agnesnakato68@gmail.com

Christmas Feeding Program

Last year during the Christmas season we were able to provide special meals for children from the community as well as for our own children in the three families.    This was made possible by the generosity of many people who dug into pockets to provide the funds needed to cover everything.    We praised God for what He provided.    During that season last year, the people of the village were suffering due to lack of rain for the crops.   It looked like they would lack food for Christmas.  Yes, God provided.    We planned and coordinated a special Christmas meal for nearly 400 people from Lubumba Community of mostly children after church one day.   The children of the three families were also provided with a fine Christmas meal.    Three days before Christmas, the community students came to school where they were provided with a shopping bag full of food items and a gift item which was a ball.   This food was to provide several Christmas meals for each family.   Once again, contributions were given whereby we were able to provide many items like 2 kg. maize flour, 2 kg. sugar, 2 kg. rice, salt, matches, cooking oil, margerine, bread, and a bar of bathing soap and one bar of soap for washing clothes.  This year we are asking for $20 per child due to the increased food costs.   If a classroom of students wish to make this a fall project or a certain group from an office staff wish to take on so many students, that would be great.   Whatever a person feels led to give for this Christmas appeal is appreciated.

Please note that these donations need to be sent to our Winnipeg Head Office for EWCV by October 20th so that cheques can be processed and deposited for clearing on November 1st.   Then we will receive the money needed to do our bulk shopping in December before Christmas.   So, October 20th is the deadline that we are asking to be met by donors.   The children from the community don’t receive shoe boxes of gifts from abroad, so this gift of food given by you will be so appreciated and shared by their entire family.

Please continue to pray for:

1)  Bishop Patrick Lee, his wife Mary Lee, and daughter Sharon who are all struggling with cancer right now in Perth, Ontario.

2)  Lloyd Bassett struggling with cancer in Moose Jaw, SK.

3)  Dr. Haris and Maria Macris and four children preparing to come to Uganda as medical missionaries to EWCV;  pray for the sale of their home in Michigan, USA.

4)  George Grinestaff’s team coming to EWCV Uganda next month October 17th from Texas and Alaska on a water project plus a Vacation Bible School program.

Condolences – Word has been received from Hugh Wilson that his wife, Adeline Wilson, died at their home in Florida on August 25th.   Adeline Graham grew up in Gilbert

Plains and attended Brickburn School.

Mailing Address for cheques to be sent to EWCV in Canada:

Eagles Wings Children’s Village

c/o Pat Bates

#300-404 Desalaberry St.

Winnipeg, Manitoba

R2L 2G3 Canada

Email in Winnipeg, Canada:  pbates@mts.net

Mailing Address for cheques to be sent in USA “earmarked” for EWCV:

Real Partners Uganda, Inc.

523 Lafayette Blvd.

Brigantine, New Jersey

08203  USA

Email in USA:   realpartnersuganda@gmail.com

JUNE 2010 NEWSLETTER FOR EAGLES WINGS CHILDREN’S VILLAGE UGANDA

Elisha’s Success Story

Elisha Kayanja came into our lives in the middle of January 2010.   He was brought to our church at the property by Mary, a lady who the father had entrusted the boy into her care with the promise that he would provide money for feeding.   However, the father, Jimmy, was unable to find work digging in the gardens for some little money.   When Mary brought Elisha up for prayers during the church service, we had no idea of the condition of the child wrapped up looking like a little baby.  After the service, we were introduced to Mary and little Elisha.   We thought by his appearance that he was a baby of about nine months.   When we learned about his condition, we were immediately concerned and knew that the only thing to save the baby was to take him immediately to the clinic in Lukaya.  

Elisha was admitted by the doctor into Mukwano Clinic for one week with Mary as the care giver.   We were told that the boy had been suffering from Kwashiorkor and Marasmus which are diseases of malnutrition.   The hair was sparse and had turned a bronze color.   He had developed an open wound on his foot which was open flesh down to the bone.   He could hardly sit up and could not stand.   His eyes had a glazed look.   His little body was skin and bone just like the pictures we had seen in past years of starving children in Africa.   The doctors asked that we provide high protein food for the baby’s feeding when he was admitted.   He was also suffering from Malaria and Typhoid.    After one week of proper medication, feeding, and rest for Elisha, we went back to visit him at the clinic after church the following Sunday.   We were told by the doctor that he would be discharged that day.   Wow, what to do?  Mary had to leave to go back to her own children in a distant village and there was no place to take Elisha.   Ann and I looked at each other.  There was no choice.   He had to come home with us to Masaka. 

We had no bed or facilities for bringing him into our home.   However, we had him sleep between us for some few weeks on our own bed so we could monitor him properly.   Then we purchased a play pen where he could sleep at the other end of our large bedroom.   His feeding continued with high protein soy flour mixed with silver fish flour and milk each morning.  He was given three regular meals per day along with snacks of fresh fruit and lots of sleep.   The staff showered Elisha with many hugs and love.  Within weeks, his appearance began changing as he gained weight and height.   He was able to sit up himself and eventually stand and then walk more recently May 11th.   We found out that he had a full set of baby teeth and was indeed a year and a half old when he came to us, not nine months old.   He just turned two years old in May.   He is now developing many of his skills like a normal two year old child and still talks baby talk.  He knows some words in English and also in the Luganda language.   We see growth with his skills each day.   He now likes to get into cupboards to mess everything up.   He is now feeding himself with a spoon.   He has become a huge blessing to our home at EWCV and perhaps will become the first child of Family #4 in the future.  

The father, Jimmy, has come to church several times to show his appreciation for what has been done for his son.   He knows that there is no way he could provide for his son at home.   The mother had left him and is nowhere to be found.  Through God’s intervention and miracle, this little boy now has hope for his life ahead.    People who have known him since he first came to us remain amazed by Elisha’s improvement.   We give God the praise and the glory for all improvements.  Perhaps Elisha will be chosen to be a future president of Uganda.    God holds his future.   Each morning Elisha is joined by Baby Grace (9 months) whose mother Stella brings her each morning to spend the full day in our home while Stella takes her schooling.  Our home is now truly a baby house!   A visitor has to tread carefully not to trip over small toys scattered throughout the house.  I’m sure that Abraham and Sarah must have had their fun during the first years of raising their son Isaac in their old age. 

Trip to Greece and Egypt

This past April Ann and I flew to Greece for three weeks where we attended the annual Family Conference held by Hellenic Ministries at their seaside property of Skorponaria.   It was a wonderful for us to be able to reunite with friends with whom we had worked at the HM office during our two years in Athens.   It also gave us an opportunity to share our work and news about EWCV here in Uganda.  

During our stay, we were able to meet with the President Johnathan Macris of HM and his brother, Dr. Haris Macris who had flown from the US to join us for meetings and to attend the conference as well.  During the conference Johnathan announced that HM would undertake to commit themselves to building a medical clinic to provide service for the children and staff of EWCV and the nearby community people of Lubumba.   This direction of this project will be overseen by Dr. Haris Macris who will work under HM as a medical missionary as they construct the clinic, provide equipment and staff, and run the clinic.   This will be a Hellenic Ministries Clinic.  Ann and I are still considered to be members of HM from the time we spent two years as volunteers.   I will offer assistance in any area of advise I might be able to give as we work together as partners.

There has been increasing need for a medical clinic during these past couple of years as our responsibilities to the children and staff of EWCV has grown and continue to grow to ten families of 24 children each in the future.   Malaria, typhoid, flue, and coughs continue to be a problem for so many.   Most often it has been difficult to find transportation to take children to the clinics which are each about four miles away.   It is often not possible at night and also is so dangerous. 

Dr. Haris Macris and his wife, Maria, and their four children will be coming to join us at EWCV in the future and will live in Soweto, Masaka, for the start near our head office of EWCV.   We pray for them as they prepare for all the things that need to be taken care of before they come this way long term.

Our friend, Joan Vautour, drove us to central Greece to Larissa where Pastor George and his wife, Despina, hosted us at their church where we were able to share EWCV with members of their congregation at a mid-week Bible Study.   We will be having a team from that church arrive here to volunteer with EWCV on July 3^rd.    This will be the third trip here for some of that team.   Towards the end of October of this year we are expecting a second team to come from Greece to volunteer with EWCV.  In Athens we were able to offer two EWCV presentations at St. Andrew’s International Church. 

On our way home to Uganda we made a three day stopover in Cairo, Egypt, where we were able to spend time with a fellow member of Hellenic Ministries, John Daniel.   We hadn’t seen John for some few years and we now have greater appreciation and understanding of the work he is doing in Cairo as well as in some surrounding cities.  One afternoon we joined the many other tourists at the famous Giza Pyramids where I was able to have a ride on a camel nearby the pyramids.   Cairo is an amazing city of over 22 million people in this one city alone.   When we flew into the airport, we could see below how abrupt the Sahara Desert ends and the city begins.    All life is dependent upon the Nile River. The city never sleeps.   Traffic flows all night long.

New Primary School at EWCV Property

The day after Ann and I returned from our trip, we joined the children at the property and proceeded with the move from the old school to the new school with everyone carrying desks, books, cabinets and chairs to their new classrooms.   What a joy!   We just wish that everyone who has shared and provided funds for the school to be built could have been with us that day especially when we gave thanks to God in our first assembly in the new school.   It was only through the generosity of many, young and old, who gave so we could provide this very fine “Beth Pipe Nursery and Primary School”  for the primary students from Nursery level to Primary Six.   Next year there will be the full range to Primary Seven.   I do hope that those of you who dug into your pockets to help build our school realize the wonderful gift you have provided for many children of EWCV now and into the future.   You have walked with us to see us through this construction phase and can now take pride in this achievement.    We praise God for your love shown to EWCV.  The children pray each day for their sponsors and donors.  

Now that we have come this far, some of you might wish to check our “Current Needs” link on our website:  www.eagleswingschildrensvillage.com   to see how you can help provide items like more textbooks for the children.  

Right now we are completing the wiring for the Solar System of the school and hope to have it done by the end of this week.   Then we are praying that GTZ German Organization will install the batteries, solar panels, and inverter.   This will enable us to run computers in the offices as well as have a computer lab for the students when the good Lord provides.

We now have a very fine library, one of the finest in the Masaka District, I believe. 

We have two young ladies, Harriet and Annet, who were provided vocational training by EWCV for tailoring are now employed to make students’ uniforms, casual wear, and do repairs for children’s’ clothing.    They are working presently in the school library room.   These two ladies are also success stories for our staff as they now have hope in their lives through the training they have received and the jobs they now maintain.  They are now busy making African Dolls which are a challenge to make.  

Volunteers

Two young ladies from Germany joined us at EWCV at the beginning of May.   Jenny Vogt and Maria Dillmann have just completed their senior schooling in Germany and have decided to use their four months break to volunteer at their own expense with EWCV children.   What a blessing they are to the staff and children with the variety of things they do.   They have come to us with a servant’s heart willing to take on anything asked of them.   The children love them dearly and we are thankful that they will be here until the end of August.   They often look after our two babies in our home, Elisha and little Grace.  Both Maria and Jenny are now recovering from a mild case of malaria

On July 3^rd we will be having three ladies arriving from Larissa, Greece to spend a short time with us.    We look forward to having them work with the children.   In October we are expecting a team from the USA from various states to be with us for at least a week and then another team arrive later in October from Greece, good Lord willing.  Ladies are informed about our dress code of wearing skirts and/or dresses only during their visits to show respect to the Uganda ladies who mostly do not wear pants/slacks. 

Prayers Needed

1)      Bishop Patrick Lee of Perth, Ontario, in hospital in Perth after having radiation treatment in an Ottawa hospital.   Also, for their daughter, Sharon, who has been troubled with cancer.   Please pray for Patrick’s wife, Mary Lee and their whole family during this time.

2)      For sister, Vicki McTaggart, who is on the mend after falling and breaking her collar bone, elbow, and two ribs.   Please pray for speedy healing.  

3)      For Sophia Syrros in Toronto having many stresses to deal with moving and building problems.  

4)      For Peter Kizza, a Ugandan Board member of EWCV who has just found out that he has diabetes and is recovering also from Malaria.

5)      For Kizza, 32 year old patient of ours from Lubumba community nearby EWCV property, who was badly beaten four years ago and left as a paraplegic.   His wife then left him with seven biological children and three other children to look after.  He has no income.  He is now in hospital in Kampala under our care of EWCV Extension program.   We need to pray that from the recent x-rays that he will be able to have some of the nerves reconnected somehow in his spine and his spinal column repaired.  We are supporting all of his children in our school program.   Please pray for sponsorship for his seven children.

6)      Please pray for Monica Grinestaff of Houston, Texas, as she is expecting their tenth child August 26^th.   Pray for strength for Monica especially after they recently moved their whole family from Alaska to Texas.    However, God is taking care of them through the wonderful friends in their new church, their new neighbors, and their Real Estate Agent.    Pray also for strength and good health for Katie Swithenbank who is also due for their third child in August.  

7)      Please pray for Ann and I as we prepare to leave next month to travel to the USA as well as to Canada from July 20^th to October 5^th when we will return to Uganda.  We will send our itinerary out to everyone as soon as we have it completed for anyone who wishes to contact us for when we will be in their area. 

Needs

1)     If anyone has a spare vehicle which we could use during our travels in Manitoba and Saskatchewan from August 10^th to October 6^th, would you please let us know ASAP as we are trying to complete our plans for our visits to churches, friends, and relatives?   We will begin our visit to the Prairies in Winnipeg. 

2)     We will also be needing accommodations when we visit the Parkland area of Dauphin/Gilbert Plains from around the end of August 31^st to the 20^th September.   If anyone has an empty house/apartment/trailer which they wouldn’t mind us using, that would be great.   Then we wouldn’t be a burden on anyone.  

Congratulations

1)     To our daughter, Linda Vandenakker, who just completed her 13 mile marathon run in Winnipeg, MB, on Sunday, June 20^th arriving at the finishing line at the University of Manitoba in 2 hours and 30 minutes.   To granddaughter, Jennifer for her performance at her recent dance concert with proceeds being sent to EWCV.

2)     To Harley Dyck who has graduated from Grade 12 in Manitoba, for his awards at the music festival and exams, and for his recent Baptism at church. 

3)     To Mrs. Lorna Best, of Oak Bay Lodge in Victoria, B.C. who will celebrate her 107^th birthday on July 4^th, 2010.   She has the distinction of being our eldest donor of EWCV.

      We enjoyed our visit with her last summer so much.

Triumph is just “umph” added to try.

“And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not.”   Galations 6:9

“Springtime is God’s way of smiling.”

From the reports which we receive from back home in Manitoba, Canada, we understand that in many areas the snow has melted, and the Red River is flowing quickly and bulging with ice coming from North Dacota in the USA.   People are thinking about planting seeds for flowers and vegetables.   It is an exciting time of the year when we can reflect that “The whole earth is full of His glory.”  (Isaiah 6:3).

Here in Uganda we do not think about the seasonal changes like those of you back in Canada, but we are now into the wet season of March, April, and May when people have been busy planting their seeds.  By now most of the seeding has been done.   Then the weeds come quickly due to our ideal growing conditions.   It most often rains in the morning hours and then is sunny during the afternoons.   You can almost see the plants grow in front of you!   We have been blessed to have our plowing of six acres done in time when people from Lubumba Village as well as many of the older students from our school came to assist with the planting.   Two acres were planted with only beans, then the other four acres were intercropped with maize and beans.  If we later have an abundant harvest, it will help cutting down the higher food costs with feeding all the children.   Villagers will volunteer to help us again later when weeding needs to be done.

Completion of New School and ECOSAN Toilet

The new Beth Pipe Nursery and Primary School has now been completed with plastering inside and out and the ECOSAN  toilet was also completed this week.   What a joy to know that we have reached this far!   We can praise God for every blessing He has provided for this project.   Preparations of the school compound are now underway and we will prepare for the move of the students, teachers, and their furniture into the new school towards the end of this month.  They will have one week in the new school before semester break for two weeks.   Then they will return to the new school for the second semester.

We still need to have the wiring of the school completed for Solar Power, painting to be done inside and out, and a kitchen built with energy efficient stoves, but that will all be done as the Lord provides.   We are even considering having a coral built near the school having three cows to provide bio-gas for the kitchen instead of continuing to burn wood in the cooking stoves.

Three cabinets have been built by Paul Sekonjako, one of our students, for the library books which were sent by Blumenort Mennonite Church in Rosetown, Manitoba whom we thank once again.  Then we will have some of our volunteers who are coming later this month sort out the books to go into the three cabinets if they are willing.   Paul is going to give the final varnish tomorrow for the last cabinet.  The teachers should be able to use these wonderful books when they return from their two week break.

It is at this time we thank all of you who have contributed towards the building of the new school.  We also thank the International Rotary Club in conjunction with the Cowichan Rotary of B.C., Canada and the Masaka Rotary Club here in Uganda.  We received the good news earlier this week that the Ministry of Water and Environment of Uganda will be providing for us to have another ECOSAN toilet built for the school for the girls at the opposite end of the school.   The present toilet will be shared, one side for the boys and the other side for the girls until next month when the new toilet will be built.

Water Project

Some of you will be interested to know that our solar pump provided from George Grinestaff and his church in Soldotno, Alaska, has been providing some good service along with the solar panel which we installed beside the well.   The water is being pumped uphill to the ten thousand liter tank near the new school.   Now that the plastering of the school and toilet has been completed, we will be able to fill the tank for use whenever needed.   During construction, so much water was being sucked out by the workers that the tank was most often nearly dry.  Our maintenance man, Michael, is now digging two trenches from the main water pipe to be able to divert water when needed to Families 1 and 2 tanks.  They have been having so many times when the town water pumps weren’t working and water wasn’t coming to our property at Lubumba.   Soon we shall be independent of the town water system with our own system.   We are so thankful for your guidance, George, in working all these things out.  The water purification kits have been a blessing also for our children and staff.

Peckham House

We are thrilled to see pictures of the inside of our old house in Gilbert Plains which has been renovated by Richard and Tammy Kowalski.   Our daughter and her family had a one night stay recently and send us some pictures.   Wow!   Great job, Richard and Tammy!    This newly renovated guest house now owned by Richard and Tammy is now being used by people making bookings.  You can contact Richard and Tammy to make bookings by emailing them at:   Kowalski@nwconx.net and/or phoning them at 204-548-4353.   The rates for three bedrooms are:  Queensize Bed at $60, Double $55. and Single $50.  A fourth bedroom is available if you bring your own air mattress.   You are able to make your own coffee and tea.   No pets, no smoking.  You can make inquiries regarding extended stays for special rates.  Central Air is available during summer months along with cable T.V.  A beautiful 18 hole Golf Course is available nearby and is noted as one of the finest designed courses in Manitoba.   There are a variety of fresh water lakes for picnicking, swimming, or fishing nearby.   Gilbert Plains is located in the Parkland Region of Manitoba between the Riding Mountain National Park and the Duck Mountain Provincial Park.  The house has much history attached to it having been built in 1904.   The Peckham family owned and occupied it from June 1946 to 2009.   I understand that many bookings are already being made for this coming summer for families to stay in it when attending weddings, etc.  It is also close to Assessippi Park for downhill skiing during the winter months and there are also many cross country ski trails and skidoo trails nearby for winter recreation.

Trip to Greece and Egypt

Ann and I will be leaving Masaka tomorrow afternoon to drive to Entebbe to fly to Athens, Greece, Sunday morning at 4:30 am.   We can’t praise God enough for providing us with the tickets through our friend, Sophia, in Toronto.   We were invited to attend the Family Conference of Hellenic Ministries of Athens, Greece this coming week out at their seaside property at Porto Astro along with all their staff, many of whom we worked with for two years during our volunteering with their mission before coming to Uganda in 2002.   We will be staying with our friends, Joe and Joan Vautour, in Athens before and after the conference.  On our way back to Uganda on April 17^th, we will be stopping in Cairo, Egypt for three days to visit with our friend, John Daniel, to see how he is doing with his ministry in Cairo.   We will arrive back in Uganda on April 21^st and back to Masaka on the 22^nd.

Future Projects for EWCV

For those of you who have asked us about our needs at this time, please feel free to contact us if you wish further information.   Our website shows some of the 90 students who we are still looking for sponsorship at $40 per month on the student sponsorship link.   We praise God for the nearly 90 students already sponsored from the day students from the surrounding villages who attend our primary school each day.  We are half way with this sponsorship program.   Our Student Sponsor Relations Supervisor, Edith Namara, is in charge of assisting these 180 students.   It has been most challenging for her.   With our staff nearing 40, we now have 24 staff salaries sponsored each month.  Others are still up on the website waiting for sponsorship.

Some of the students who are not sponsored become very sick and need medical attention.  We told Edith to take them to our family doctor, Dr. Jjun Ju, because they need special treatment which they cannot afford.  Their illnesses became serious without immediate treatment.  A couple of the students suffer from sickle cell disease and others from HIV/AIDS, malaria, and often from a lack of food in the home.  I tell Edith to arrange transport and medical testing/treatment for them trusting that God will provide for the expenses even though they aren’t sponsored.  This is one of the reasons that having a medical clinic on our site will be a blessing when God provides.  One of our boys, Ibrahim, in Family #3 needs medical testing in Kampala which will cost us over $500 CAD just for the testing.   Then there are the added costs of providing transport along with the care giver who has to travel with him plus accommodations and meals plus treatment.

Our Thanks

Our thanks go out to those of you who have continued support the children of EWCV with your prayers, financial sponsorship or donations, and letters/cards.   What a blessing you have been to us.   Like we have said so many times before, without your walking beside us with this project, we couldn’t do it alone.   This is God’s project and He keeps providing in miraculous ways we couldn’t even imagine.  Thanks to the volunteers who have come with gifts and energy to do various types of programs with the children.  Just your being here has shown great love to the children.   As I type this newsletter, I can hear the children of Family #3 singing and practicing for Easter Sunday’s program when they join the other children of families 1 and 2 at the property for the service led by Rev. Christopher followed by a meal afterwards.   The plays/acting by the children will be the sermon.   When I hear their singing or spend time with them pushing some of them on the new swings hanging from the tree outside, or just sit with them hearing them read a new book, then I know why we are here serving God with His children in Uganda.  The hope that these children have is the same hope that we have been given by the message of the Resurrection of Jesus Christ after His death for our sins.  The promise of Salvation is the free gift of God’s grace to each of us who accepts it willingly or denies it.  What a gift!

Happy Easter!

“Have a happy Easter,

Fill your heart with song, Delight in springtime’s beauty,

And God bless you all day long!”

From the children and staff at EWCV Uganda