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Fine Pearl Uganda 2024
  • Fine Pearl Ministries

Fine Pearl Uganda 2024

A team of 5 from the US are going to the Kamuli district in eastern Uganda. We will be providing a Vacation Bible School program for 300 children during the week of September 23. Our team is Randy, Zach, Nikki, Mary and Victor. Read more
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  • Trip start
    September 20, 2024
    Fine Pearl MinistriesFine Pearl Uganda 2024Traveler
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    Day 1 - Village Church and VBS prep day

    September 22, 2024 in Uganda ⋅ ☁️ 68 °F

    All 5 of us have arrived to the Kamuli area of Uganda. We spent the day attending church with our friends at Salvation Tower and then prepping for a big week of Vacation Bible School for 250 kids. The village is so grateful that we are here and welcomed us with lots of hugs!Read more

  • Fine Pearl MinistriesFine Pearl Uganda 2024Traveler
    2Laundry!Debriefing with the teachers and helpers at the end of VBS day 111The school and orphanage

    Widows and Kiddos

    September 23, 2024 in Uganda ⋅ ⛅ 79 °F

    Today was a big day - the kickoff for VBS! The village has a ministry called Foundation of Life which cares for around 50 orphans and 25 widows. We spent the morning just spending time with the widows and hearing their stories and then we spent the afternoon doing VBS with around 200 kiddos attending. We are helping the teachers and church members to learn how to put on a VBS program with the goal being that they will implement their own program going forward. It was a wonderful day! We are continually amazed at how joyful, thoughtful and grateful everyone here is.Read more

  • Fine Pearl MinistriesFine Pearl Uganda 2024Traveler
    1Woven banana leaves that Nikki made with lots of help from a new friend 😊111112

    Salt and Light

    September 24, 2024 in Uganda ⋅ ⛅ 77 °F

    Day 2 of VBS. Today’s theme was from Matthew 5:13-16 where Jesus talks about His believers being like salt and light for the world to make a difference in it. We spent the morning with widows from the village again and this time they brought items for “skilling”. This is what they call it when they make handmade items such as mats, woven bowls, and tablecloths. They are incredibly resourceful in how they use materials that are easy to obtain and make something beautiful out of it. For example, the mats are made from banana leaves and once woven together, they are strong and have many uses.

    In the afternoon, children from the surrounding villages and the orphans rotated thru the 6 stations of VBS. We know of at least 5 children that accepted Jesus as their Savior today! At the end of the day we gathered for a time of dancing and wow- they LOVE to dance!!!! We all had a blast.    Read more

  • Fine Pearl MinistriesFine Pearl Uganda 2024Traveler
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    2Sharing testimonies at the church22192 year old window who still loves to dance!11Jennifer and Randy1Final product from the banana leaf mat

    🫶🏻 Love and Friendship

    September 25, 2024 in Uganda ⋅ ☀️ 77 °F

    This morning we drove to a different church in a nearby area and visited the homes of some widows in the village. They were soooo excited for us to come and visit them and invite us into their homes. Many of them have said that it is the first time they have ever spoken with a mzungu (white person) before. We are so grateful that there are quite a few from the church that speak good English and can translate both ways for us.

    The afternoon VBS went great. The kids made friendship bracelets, played games, had snacks, story time and memorized a Bible verse.
    Yesterday evening one of Pastor’s pigs died so they roasted the pig and stayed up until 2am eating the pig before it would spoil. They do not have any way to preserve food here.

    It is fascinating how much dancing and singing is a part of the daily life of the locals. They sing and dance many times throughout the day for no reason other than it is fun to do and that is a huge part of how they worship God. It is so fun to join in!    Read more

  • Fine Pearl MinistriesFine Pearl Uganda 2024Traveler
    11111111111The school

    Certificates and Goodbyes

    September 27, 2024 in Uganda ⋅ ⛅ 79 °F

    Today was our last day of VBS and all the children got certificates and you cannot imagine what a big deal that was for them. Every child had their name read out loud and they came up to get their certificate. There were about 30 teachers and helpers that showed up every day to help with the VBS program. They love the children so much and were so happy that we showed them how to run a program to teach the kids about God in a fun way. We have no doubt that they will be ready to run a program by themselves going forward.

    I’m reminded that LOVE ❤️ is the universal language and when you look into the eyes of the beautiful people here, their eyes light up and we smile, hug and show love to each other even if we don’t speak the same language. Many of our teachers translated for us to teach each other and make the program the best it could be.

    After we had yet another fun time of dancing and singing and celebrating our week together, many of the kids and adults surprised us with gifts - handmade baskets, jewelry, mats, mud sculptures, papayas and lots of avocados. We were blown away because giving these items is a huge sacrifice for them given how little they have to begin with. They were so filled with joy when we received their gifts.

    At Salvation Tower the Pastor and his wife are caring for around 50 children and they all have a structure to sleep in, food to sustain them and an opportunity to attend school. They also provide for many local widows to make sure they are cared for. We are all amazed and inspired by how they live their lives! Every day they rely on God to provide and He has been so faithful.

    It was heartbreaking to say goodbye to our new friends after spending the week with them. I am so incredibly grateful for the opportunity we had to come and build relationships with everyone in the village.

    Tomorrow we are heading to a different part of Uganda 🇺🇬 to go on a Safari for a few days. We are all a little tired but ready for an adventure.    Read more

  • Fine Pearl MinistriesFine Pearl Uganda 2024Traveler
    Making Poshu
    Eating together!A typical bedA small indoor kitchenThe bathroomMud constructed houseA local church constructed of mudPoshu and beansDoing dishesLaundry and bathingOutdoor kitchenWaiting in line for a mealMaking ropesFinished matBabies learn to just hang on mamas back

    African Life

    October 1, 2024 in the United States ⋅ ☀️ 72 °F

    While spending two weeks in Uganda, I was constantly curious to learn all that I could about the way of life here. Across the globe, all our lives revolve around the same components of eating, sleeping, relationships, working and enjoyment. In Uganda, the emphasis is definitely on relationships over the other components!

    EATING: In the village, there is generally a morning porridge that is served and then a main mid-day meal consisting of poshu (corn flour and water) and beans. It is not common for vegetables, fruits or meat to be offered. The food is enough to sustain but ulcers are a common problem due to going long periods without food and stomach acids create the ulcers. Cooking is done outdoors over an open flame in very large pots (enough to feed 60-70). They eat on plastic plates and use their fingers as utensils. Eating together is a social time.

    SLEEPING: Everyone had a roof over their head to sleep at night. Mattresses are rare, everyone sleeps on the dirt floor of the house or has a woven mat to sleep on. There is no electricity so the houses are very dark at night.

    RELATIONSHIPS: Spending time together is the most important part of every day. I don't imagine many have long to-do lists like I do.

    WORKING: Agriculture/Farming is the main source of income in Uganda. Learning practical skills can be life changing to provide opportunities, especially for women. Skills such as tailoring (sewing), hairdressing, teaching, and nursing are something to aspire to. Children are taught English in school from a very young age to help them pursue success.

    ENJOYMENT: The main form of enjoyment in life in Uganda is being together along with singing and dancing. Crafting is popular among the ladies too. Children love to run and play outside. Life is very simple. Since there is no electricity, there is no television, computers, radios etc. I don't recall ever seeing anyone even reading a book. Mostly I saw small groups of people just being together.

    Ugandans are relationship-oriented so they value community and relationships over tasks. The US in general is a more task-oriented culture. Every person I met was incredibly kind, respectful and thoughtful. Their hospitality was beyond generous and authentic. And I was always amazed at how everyone seemed so happy and joyful despite the challenges they face each and every day. I really admire their ability to be so content with what they have and always ready to offer a smile, a hug and a song!    Read more

  • Fine Pearl MinistriesFine Pearl Uganda 2024Traveler

    Missing our new friends

    October 7, 2024 in the United States ⋅ ☀️ 82 °F

    We have all arrived back home in the US and we are missing our new friends in Uganda already. Shortly after we got home, they made a video for us which I posted here. What a wonderful surprise that was!

    While we accomplished a lot during our time in Uganda, the most important thing that was accomplished was building relationships with these beautiful human beings! We strengthened each other's faith, learned from each other and helped each other.

    One of the main goals of Fine Pearl Ministries (finepearlministries.org) is to serve and provide for this community of more than 300 children, 82 widows, and the local church. I invite you to consider giving to the ministry. It's not often we get to give towards something where we get to see with our own eyes the exact impact it is making. The website has a break down of some of the one-time and ongoing needs for our friends in Uganda. It will be amazing to see how God continues to provide for their needs.

    Thanks for following along on our journey. It has certainly been a life changing experience!    Read more

    Trip end
    October 4, 2024
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