How Many Pairs of Shoes Do You Have?
Many days have passed since we have sent an update out. Just to recap, here are a few of the things we have been doing….
- Sunday, we went to 4 different village churches to share The Gospel. The Santiam students all shared and for some this was their first opportunity to preach. We prayed for the sick and people were healed and delivered. It was awesome!
- Monday, we drove to Jinja and spent the night (about 2 hours away from
Kampala). We went to visit the source of the Nile River (by the way, it takes 3 months for the water from Uganda to reach the Mediterranean Sea) and several of the teams members were baptized in the river. - Tuesday, we prayed for the sick at a hospital and close to 25 people gave their lives to Jesus. Many people were healed!
- Wednesday, the team went out to visit The Field of Dreams. Things are moving along with this new project. We will be meeting with some engineers next week and begin excavation hopefully very soon! The team went door to door and handed out wind up torches (flashlights) which included radios. The heart of the people in this village is very open to help at this time! We are excited to begin working and helping this community. (Thanks to the donor of the flashlights! A little more “light” was left in Kaliti Village because of you)
One little story I would like to share with you is about a girl named Alice. She currently goes to our primary school. She is about 12 years old and lives with her grandmother. When I first saw her, I noticed that her tennis shoes were worn past belief! I could see her toes and it seemed that the soles were hanging on by a bare thread. I knew that our second team that is arriving on June 19th would be bringing suitcases full of shoes, but I knew I had to get Alice shoes before then. Since there isn’t a measuring device to measure feet, I just put my foot next to her foot and went from there. Yesterday while driving to the home, I saw a lady on the side of the road with many pairs of shoes, so I yelled for bus driver to stop. I got out and inspected the many different shoes. I tried many pairs on and finally decided on 2 pairs. When we finally arrived to the home, I found Alice playing in the dirt barefoot. I called her aside and showed her the shoes. She tried them both on and was so excited. She then looked at me and said, “Which pair is for me?” I told her she could have both pairs and she just sat staring at me. She couldn’t believe it. Two pairs of new shoes in one day! The expression on her face was priceless. She walked away with her head held high! I could see in her face that she truly felt special and loved. Thanks for touching Alice! Your help has touched all of the children and people we are working with!
We are showing God’s love everyday and in many ways. More updates coming soon.
Lori
Our time at Hope has been wonderful. Almost all of the children are smiles and laughs. The transformation of the little girl Lynette that we took into Hope last September is amazing. She is talking, smiling, running, jumping and everyything else that a child should do. She also now has learned how to receive hugs! She is precious to say the least. The thought of getting to see this little one grow up is exciting. I can only imagine what she will do when she is older! 
that she knew we needed to take these little ones in. So, we did.
because she has a job. Marvin might be 4, Susan 3 and the baby is probably 1! When I first met Susan and Marvin, I could see the sorrow and pain in their eyes. Susan’s face and body were previously burned. She had fallen into a fire. These little ones would not even keep eye contact with us. As the days have gone one, however, Susan is beginning to trust a little. One of the Santiam team members, Brooke, has been holding Susan almost everyday. Yesterday, Susan actually began throwing a ball back and forth with Mike. I know that God is going to touch her heart and help her and Marvin to know that they are safe and loved at Hope. 
Here is another short update from Steve Bittner:
spent time in dirt-floored classrooms teaching eager learners, and some worked very hard at distributing, labeling, and packing new clothing for all of the ninety-eight children living at Hope.
There were several notable things about today; the first was Lauren and Nicole’s detailed organization of the clothing distribution process! With funds raised by Santiam Christian students, metal storage trunks were purchased for each of the Hope children. This afternoon, each child entered the main room of the home, were given a number; and a trunk was personalized with their name and number. They then went "shopping" and chose a new outfit for themselves. Finally, they packed their clothing in their new trunk and placed it under their bed. It sounds simple, but it was quite a process to personalize ninety-eight trunks and make sure all of those ninety-eight children received an outfit that they liked and that fit them properly! The smiles that were shining after the receipt
of the new clothes was a sight to behold!
this…You are sitting in a bus traveling through a crowded African city with a Ugandan child next to you or on your lap. The parents of that child are dead or have abandoned the child. You are thinking about the injustice of it all, when the children begin to sing in sweet, clear voices…”He gives and takes away, He gives and takes away. My heart will choose to say, Lord, blessed be Your Name…” 