Many Mansions of Christ International Year end report

              MANY MANSIONS OF CHRIST INTERNATIONAL

                                End of year report

Hi everyone! Greetings from Mityana Uganda East Africa! Right now the weather is sunny and around 82F as I write this near the end of November 2013. It’s nearing the end of the rainy season in which pretty much every day since the end of September it has rained. When it rains in Uganda it really comes down hard. You can hardly believe so much rain could fall out of the sky so fast and so much. With the rain has come cooler days and nights and really, I haven’t minded. When I first arrived in September it was pretty hot. I hear come January I will know the real meaning of hot (living near the equator).

Since getting here, Stephen and I have had some challenges to over come regarding the NGO registration. Time wise it’s been a very slow process. But despite that and my being sick 4 straight weeks with various aliments ending with Malaria, we did manage to complete the final paperwork process. Just today the paperwork was successfully filed and we are to check back around January 20^th for the final approval! Praise God! Please stand in praise with us for success in registering MMOCI! God has begun a good work in us! I can’t wait to officially start taking in kids.

In the meantime we have been helping those less fortunate in small ways like with some school fees, small monetary gifts and feeding those who come hungry. However it’s not nearly enough compared to the numbers of people still needing our help. If you think a $20 donation won’t go far, let me tell you, it goes VERY far here. It can feed a family of four for 2 weeks. A huge 50 kg bag of corn flour would cost about $52 and would make posho every day for a family here for a month. We would like to work on buying staple foods and giving it out to those who come to the door saying they’re hungry.

 To be able to give a bag of rice or beans or a kilo of corn flour or a dozen eggs or a loaf of bread to them would help so much. We also would like to stock up on baby formula and other baby/child items. Anything from clothes to lotions and diapers. Many kids here own one pair of clothes and they are pretty torn and tattered. Just to give a kid a new clean shirt, a pair of shoes, even flip flops cuz some have nothing, and a nice pair of shorts or trousers would make them feel so good.

Just showing a child here love, concern and care is a big thing. Some of these kids have never been hugged. Some work before school in the morning doing chores and fetching water, only to sit in school til late in the day, walk home, eat, do homework by kerosene light and start over the next day. Life is hard in Africa. Survival is the order of the day. The rains make it all the more hard because the red dirt of Africa becomes orange mud everywhere. Yet life has to go on. The work of the day must continue.

 Clothes are washed by hand and water is hard to find. Food is prepared over charcoal stoves which trust me takes time and it’s messy. There’s no fridges so food must be bought daily (or every few days at the least) from the markets in town or the roadside stands. Fresh milk needs boiled. Most meals contain tomatoes, peppers and onions but pumpkin, carrots, eggplant, bananas and greens are common foods. Beans and posho, (corn flour made into a thick paste-like substance) are a staple. Meat is consumed less but its available in plenty. Especially pork. It all takes time to prepare. ( 3 times a day if you’re  a blessed family).

So now it’s nearing the end of the year and with Christmas right around the corner we felt to write a letter to inform our friends and family where we are, what we’re doing and our future (near) plans. Many Mansions of Christ Intl. has a house rented and now equipped with 2 baby cribs which each hold two babies and two 3-tier bunk beds for older kids. The house has running water and a flush toilet and indoor kitchen. It is in a gated compound. Our intentions are not to have an orphanage where kids come and live forever, but an interim housing solution for when the local authorities are left with a homeless or abandoned child. Mothers die giving birth here and often the hospitals look to police and welfare agencies to take these innocent newborn babies.

We would like to provide a safe home, with clean beds and plenty of food, water, formula, love and care for these vulnerable kids. Then we will do everything in our power to find a better housing situation for these kids. Be it searching for some family member willing to take in the child, or to transfer the child to a better long term living arrangement. There are some good orphanages in Uganda, not the ones being closed down for exploiting kids, not feeding them or schooling them, but caring, committed, loving homes where kids grow up in as close to a family atmosphere as possible. It’s just not ideal to place a child in an orphanage. It’s not a real life experience like having someone to call family, whether a grandmother or aunt. Mom or dad. And at least if no family can be found or no orphanages available, we would then aim for adoption or foster care. We hope by January our final paperwork is approved and we can take in our first child. We have day and night volunteer caregivers hired and they are willing and waiting to begin this work!

 As far as what we still need for MMOCI and are hoping that by the end of the year, is a decent stock of non-perishable food saved up so we can deliver some meals to needy families before Christmas, possibly purchase clothes, food or shoes for some kids, or just help a struggling single mom provide for her kids. We are also trying to seek monetary donations in general to assist the poor and needy in hospitals with medicine, provide school fees for some kids (school starts the new term after the new year and it’s stressful on families to carry the burden of coming up with several children).  Government schools here are free but the education is substandard at best and conditions deplorable.

To give your child a good education they must attend private owned schools. Per term fees for the finest primary school in this area can cost 400,000 uganda shillings (boarding), about $150 or 150,000 ugx-about $60 for non boarding. For a basic primary private school education runs about 50,000 ugx per term (non boarding)- about $20. There are 3 terms per year here. Each school has  a different uniform dress code and color. Sort of like our parochial school uniforms. Sweaters, collared shirts, skirts, dresses or trousers (boys). This is an added expense for the parents per child separate from  school fees. We hope one day to open a Christian school. There are many schools here but there are so many school age kids that classrooms are full and teachers few.

Ugandans are educated very well. They are challenged to learn and spend long hours sitting in classes. They start early (7 am) and go late. I see high school kids walking home from school as late as 6pm or 7pm at night when it’s nearly dark. I think then to myself will they spend the evening at home doing homework by candle light or are they blessed to have electricity? Life is hard for Africans at any age. Yet they take it all in stride and don’t complain. Hard work or not, life goes on and it’s just the way it is. Maybe when it’s all you’ve ever known and have nothing to compare it to it doesn’t seem hard. But to this spoiled American who never had to get up and do chores or walk miles for water before school, I have high respect for these kids. I see where adult Ugandan’s resilience and hard work ethics come from. Right from birth. God bless them.

Anyway, back to my end of the year request…… (and thanks for reading this far). We would like to humble appeal to you our family friends and supporters. This time of year in the U.S. is about giving, sharing and thanksgiving. I for one am grateful for being born in a privileged country with free solid education, dependable electricity, prepared food (God I miss it! Lol) and so many more conveniences that make life easy. Now that I wash every item of clothing I own by hand using water I collected from the rain in barrel, I think why did I ever complain about carrying a load of laundry to the washing machine, dumping it all in and pressing the on button?  Why did I complain I had to light the 4 burner stove or whine that the oven is taking to long to reach 350 degrees? And when I thought I was poor? Naw, I was blessed beyond belief.

So I humbly ask you,  for the price of what you would spend on a present that may be quickly forgotten (or re-gifted God-forbid! Lol) would you consider giving a gift of a small amount to make the difference for one child, one family, one person. Because your gift in their honor can transform a life and create the beginning of a solution. When you believe in someone enough to give them a hand up, (not a hand out!) then it’s one step closer to alleviating poverty in this world. Our hearts chose Uganda to be the starting point. Would you consider helping us this season? If so, we will make sure every donation will go to where it’s most needed (and we know many right now who need help!) We will bypass any administrative costs and pass it directly on. We have a friend who took in a homeless baby (her mother left her) and he needs help for her. She is 2 but wears like 12 month old baby clothes. We have 10 kids we are looking for sponsors for, 7 children and 3 young adults. The younger kids need school fees and a few need medicine. (Two HIV + and one with Psoriasis). Some are listed with photos and details at http://manymansions11.wix.com/many-mansions-11#!mmoci-kids/clci

We currently can only accept Money Gram or Western Union. (there is no Paypal here in Africa or I promise you I would make it as easy as possible cuz I have one) CVS pharmacies (red phone) and Walmart (fill the paper to ‘send money’) have Money Gram and  Western Union is at Rite Aid and Kmart. We would need the money gram sent in the name of Many Mansions of Christ Co-founder/Director- “Stephen Okumu, Mityana Uganda” (not the title too, just his name) and if Western Union the same name/city/country, though if you use a test question and answer on the application we will need the exact question/answer as written as well as the MTCN number. It’s nearly impossible to cash a U.S. check here. It takes months. Sigh. So again, we humbly appeal for donations. In Jesus name and for His glory ONLY  do we want to make this holiday season special for hopefully many!! God bless you all and have a very happy and blessed Thanksgiving and a Merry Christmas!!

(How Ugandans decorate their Christmas trees) Please don’t let Christmas be just another day of surviving but one of joy, happiness and celebration! Praise God!

Sincerely, Cheryl and Stephen

10/22/13 Late post for September 28, 2013

David Jr. (HIV positive child)

 On Saturday September 28th Stephen and I visited a friend named David who is blind and has HIV/AIDS. He is not disabled though, by any means. This man is raising 4 children, one with HIV/AIDS, and has a sustainable income raising pigs and chickens. He does most of the work caring for the animals and working around his compound. One year ago when he was first becoming blind, he took his kids to a local orphanage to see if they could be taken care of there due to his circumstance. But he kept his kids and to see the whole family thriving and happy touches my heart greatly. I see a family unit that survived adversity and then on top of that is succeeding. He is a loving father and the kids are happy. THAT is how I wish every Ugandan story ended. Not that the children were displaced from the parent into an orphanage but the parent supported through charitable efforts to keep the family unit together! There is a charity that provided the animals and pens and two out of four of his children are sponsored for school fees."Thank You God for a happy ending! Bless this family!" (The children attend our weekly Bible study in our home every Saturday) If anyone is interested in helping this man and his kids (sponsoring the other two for school fees or any other donations), please contact us through our Facebook page or website. https://www.facebook.com/manymansionsofchristinternational or http://manymansions11.wix.com/many-mansions-11 and tell us you want to help David and his kids. We will make sure your donation goes directly to him!

Update: late for September 25, 2013

My first full week living in Mityana Uganda was about getting used to my new life and the way things are here. Not having a car is different for me but I soon got used to walking. On the way to town there are so many kids. You see them playing and hear them calling out "bye Muzungu!" which means "white person". Even kids so small you wouldn't think they could talk will call it out. They are truly excited to see this Muzungu. When you can stop and give them sweets they are especially happy. On this day we had gum balls and these kids were more than happy to be the recipients.

Uganda-late post for September 18-23, 2013

It's been a long time since I have written about what's been happening with Many Mansions of Christ International. I (Cheryl) arrived in Uganda on September 18th, 2013 late in the evening. I was glad to have my feet back on earth after sitting in a cramp airplane seat for most of 17 straight hours. I had a layover and plane change in Amsterdam after flying 7 hours from Detroit, Michigan. I was glad it was night when I flew over the ocean. The thought of it all kind of scared me. I had never flown outside of the U.S. before and I am glad I couldn't see where I was. I landed in Amsterdam and about an hour later was back on a plane to Kigali, Rwanda for the next 10 hours and then after a short stop was on my way to Entebbe, Uganda. Stephen was there to receive me after I got my Visa and luggage. It was after 11 pm and I was so tired but happy to see him waiting for me. I had lost all phone service upon leaving the U.S. and had prayed that he would be there as we had previously planned.

We stayed in Entebbe until Sunday. We visited the Entebbe Wildlife Center and really enjoyed seeing all the animals, especially the chimpanzees. On Sunday we planned to leave Entebbe for Mityana. I had brought two full, big suitcases (one 48 lbs and the other 45 lbs), a carry-on bag (35 lbs) and a backpack with me to Uganda. We had to get them loaded onto a taxi van in Entebbe to get to the taxi park in Kampala. Once near the taxi park, the driver let us off down the road quite a ways and we had to hire boda boda's (motorcycle taxi's) to get the bags and us closer to where we would get a taxi van going to Mityana. Remember, these bags were NOT light! But each person who helped us, from the taxi van in Entebbe to the boda boda drivers in Kampala who took the challenges of loading and transporting these heavy bags, had a positive, get-r-done attitude. I am continually impressed so much by how Ugandans can find practical, useful ways of transporting just about anything. They can load the heaviest, bulkiest items on even a small bicycle and get it to it's destination. Bravo Ugandans!

We loaded our bags onto the taxi van at the Kampala taxi park and headed for Mityana. I was captivated by the scenery when driving up out of the park. It is settled in one of the lower valleys of the city and as you drive up and out of there you begin to see the vastness of the city and all its hills. Kampala is known as the city of seven hills. There are no flat areas anywhere so walking can give you a workout. There are so many people you can't imagine. There is an ebb and flow to the movement of cars, taxi vans, buses, boda bodas and people. It's like the city has a pulse and you feel very alive being a part of it. You would think looking at what seems to be mass chaos of everyone moving together in every which direction that someone would get run over or hit or at the very least bump into someone else. But somehow it all just works.

There are street vendors with their makeshift tables set up selling everything from pots and pans to jewelry to shoes to bed sheets. Some vendors just spread their wares out on the side of the sidewalk on the ground. There are rented street-front shops as well, still selling everything you can think of. There are people walking around selling food or drinks, often calling the name of their item loudly. They will come up to the door of the taxi van when you're waiting for the driver to go and try to sell you something. It's busy and loud and chaotic and you cannot help but to feel very alive when you're in the midst of it all. I do not own this video on you tube but this person captured the very essence of the city. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YcXVdWYydT8

After arriving in Mityana at about 3 pm, I unpacked some of the bags then we went to visit friends in town. It was good to finally be "home" and not have to live out of a suitcase. God carried me through a long flight,  through jet-lag during the days in Entebbe,  through getting all the luggage safely to Mityana and He gently set me down in my new home giving me grace and strength and mercy to finally start my new life in Uganda. My dreams came true! Thank You God!

Welcome friends to the Many Mansions of Christ International blog!

Welcome!  This is the very first blog for MMOCI. Please check back often for entries.