Christmas Newsletter #2, 2005

We have been receiving requests for another update on our progress, events taking place, as well as including some digital pictures. This past week has been hectic with construction beginning on the site of “Eagles Wings Children’s Village” plus with the hiring and start of our new Social Worker, Allan Kisajje on December 1st. Three volunteer workers are now at the site and needed accommodations plus basic living necessities. Ten local workers have continued working on the fencing of the entire 70 acres which now has been totally fenced.

Yesterday we had a meeting with 30 members of the Lukaya Town Council and the meeting was organized by our Social Worker, Board Member, and the Chief Development Officer for the town of Lukaya. The purpose of the three hour meeting was to sensitize the local leaders of the area to who Eagles Wings Children’s Village is, our goals and objectives, and how we are progressing. The people had time to ask questions and receive answers. Now our Social Worker, Allan, will be able to move throughout the various villages in the more remote areas to visit with the people to find out who the lone orphaned children are. Allan has been using his bicycle to move into these areas for several days and has made eight contacts already. He designed a profile form for Eagles Wings which he will use to write down the information for the children he believes might qualify to come into our care. Allan, along with the Board members will read over these profiles to make the selection of the first 24 or 25 children we will take in. We are looking for the most needy cases of the lone orphaned children.

Last Friday morning we held a Eagles Wings Board meeting out at the site where those present sat on mats on the ground located in a shady spot in the bush. There was no fancy Board table with cushy chairs to sit on. We were quite happy to have some shade from the hot sun. We will include several pictures taken at our Board Meeting as well as some pictures taken of the ground preparations at the site of the first family unit. During our Board Meeting we were able to come to an agreement of the tight category of children we will take in so that Allan will have a clear idea of how to meet with people in the villages to answer their questions. This information was also shared at the Lukaya Town Council meeting yesterday. There are so many children in need, we realize we cannot possibly take care of the many thousands, but will try to make a difference in the lives of a small number.

Allan has a digital camera in his care to be able to take pictures of the children for whom he will write the profiles. When the selection has been made of 24 children, Allan will be responsible for sending the profiles plus the pictures of the children to our Canadian friend, Celesta Thiessen, of Steinbach, MB. who will open up a separate link on our website for Eagles Wings Children’s Village child sponsorship. We are so thankful for Celesta’s willingness to keep up our website and we need soon to be updating it, but are waiting until we have the internet connected in our home as we need to spend time reviewing it. We have been very appreciative of the emails received this past month enquiring about child sponsorship as well as for sponsorship for the hired Ugandan workers on a monthly basis. (www.eagleswingschildrensvillage.com)

The five Canadian Board members from Dauphin and Winnipeg held their final board meeting Nov. 29th through teleconferencing with all five on the line. They reported a successful meeting and minutes were provided for everyone. A copy of both the Ugandan and the Canadian Board minutes will be included in the website when the Ugandan minutes are typed for those people interested to read. We are so thankful for both boards for their efforts on behalf of the children of EWCV. We are hoping to have the Canadian board member, Dale Myhre, meet with the Ugandan board at the site next month during the time that Dale is with us. He will be our ambassador to everyone back home.

Great News received today!!! For those of you who have been following our progress with this project, the Government of Canada issued our Registered Charitable Organization number starting November 1st/05. We originally applied August 2004, but had many revisions to make before this was accepted. We thank our Canadian lawyer, Scott Johnson, for taking charge and completing the necessary paperwork for this to be issued. This means that our Winnipeg office for Eagles Wings Children’s Village will be in a position to issue income tax receipts in the new year starting in 2006. We thank Dean Durston at Parkside Gospel Church so much for work he has done faithfully to process many donations and will be issuing income tax receipts early in the new year for Eagles Wings Children’s Village. We ask Dean to do the work with donations until the end of December. In the meantime, please mail donations made out to Parkside Gospel Church earmarked for Eagles Wings Children’s Village until Dec. 31st, 2005. To the donors, your donations, prayers, and encouraging emails/letters have been truly appreciated. Thanks so much.

At the end of this week before Christmas, we will be moving into a house which was rented by our South Korean friends who have been posted to Kampala. We will have so much space that when company comes if you want to bring a team with you Dale, we can accommodate them. We lack furniture right now, but have purchased a nice bed, mattress and pillows so that you will sleep well, Dale, in your own private room. We should be settled in by the time you arrive next month, good Lord willing.

Last Saturday I took a couple of handicapped friends to the Rakai District south of Masaka to attend Uganda’s celebration of the International Day for the Disabled. I borrowed our friend David’s pickup truck. The President of Uganda was the guest of honor. The program was delayed by heavy rains. I returned late in the evening with the pickup truck full of disabled people and their wheelchairs. Ann was worried because I was so late. It is probably the tightest security I have ever experienced. The whole compound was surrounded by soldiers with guns watching your every move.

On Sunday Ann and I attended another special function at Kako where we used to live. It is the first time I’ve ever experienced having to go through a security check before any church service. The service was held in Kako Cathedral. Once again the President of Uganda was the guest of honor. This time we were introduced to him and shook his hand. Soldiers carrying guns had the total compound area surrounded.

Yesturday morning Thursday, Dec.15th, Ann took me to our Doctor’s clinic, where I had blood tests and found out I have malaria once again. I had malaria twice when I lived in Uganda before and this is the first time since we returned. With proper medication I shall soon be on the mend. This has occurred even though we sleep under a Mosquito net and take anti-malaria pills. Today Dec. 19th I have gone back to the doctors and found out the malaria is still there in my system, so am taking another does of malaria. pills. Keep me in your prayers for speedy recovery.

Wishing everyone many blessings during this Christmas and New Years season.

Love,
Bill and Ann

Contact Information:

Our mailing address in Uganda is: Bill & Ann Peckham, P.O. Box 842, Masaka, Uganda

Mobile Phone number: 256-078-759-743

Email Address: bapeckham@ieazy.com

Donor’s Information:

Starting January we will use our Registered Charitable Organization Number through our head office in Winnipeg seen below.

Eagles Wings Children’s Village Inc., 61 St. Vital Road, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada, R2M 1Z4

Make your cheque payable “Eagles Wings Children’s Village”.