CHILDREN WENT HOME FOR CHRISTMAS

For the week of 6th-12th December, we took children to their relatives in their villages where they will spend the Christmas time. Children were happy to see their relatives and on the other hand they were going back to the hard life they had left.
As we dropped them to their different homes, some conditions in different homes were not impressing and one would feel like coming back with the child but they were excited to be home.
One example is the family of Batema and Talibita, they have a mud and wattle house that seemed to be falling off soon. It is not only these, their are many more in such conditions.

The children will return on 13th January 2011. We are praying for God's protection upon them.


From left is Batema's brother, their neighbour' s child, Talibita, Alex (Volunteer) and last is Batema in front of their house.

CHILDREN ARE DOING HANDCRAFT

The CMU family has now put emphasis on hand craft and gardening during the holidays. This is done in a way of helping these children get life skills besides what they study from schools. Our children welcomed the idea and they fully partcipated in the activities, from the youngest to the oldest child. Each one finds what he/ she is interested in and we train them how to do it. Some of them have learnt and they can do them very well while others are still learning. The older children were able to do good things like necklaces, bungles, baskets and other artwork. This season we have also been able to get some good harvests from the gardens in which our children participated. Apart from gaining life skills, these activities keep our children busy since we have a big number of teenagers. The activities will occupy their minds and they will not be idol to think about doing evil things. We believe that something good will come out of this.

Camp Fire after the Christmas Party

Dancing

CHILDREN ENJOYED THEIR CHRISTMAS PARTY

On Sunday 5th of December 2010, all our children enjoyed their christmas party, that takes place every year in December. Children enjoyed a delicious meal with different food types, drinks and fruit salads. The mission children's choir presented different songs and dances including the cultural dances. The children were happy and the day was extended to 10:00pm with a camp fire and dances. They also enjoyed the sweets all the day through up to late evening. Thanks to Mama Rosemarie for the gifts and to our sponsors. Because of your support the kids were able to enjoy this special day. May God bless the work of your hands!

Mama Rosemarie distributing sweets

Kids performing a dance

Cultural Dance

Christmas Tree Ugandan Style

Christmas Meal

Hospital and Electricity Bills

Towards the end of each year, CMU gets bills from the hospital that treats our children and team members and electricity bills for the mission. This year the bills are somehow high and we are required to still clear more than two million Uganda Shilling to International Hospital Kampala as soon as possible. The bill increased because we got more serious health problems than before. Apart from challenges of malaria, ulcers and amoebas that were treated easily, Lugolobi got a hernia surgery, Immaculate got a haemorrhoids surgery, Ian had an outgrowth in a wound on his foot, which was also operated. Posian also got a problem of sweating the feet and hands all the time. He is still undergoing different tests to find where the problem is, while Lydia, who is still under different tests and treatment suddenly got anaemic and the cause is not yet comfirmed. For around one and a half months that we have been trying treatment for Lydia, it is only yesterday that she was found with severe bilharzia and amoebas and she got treatment, though the physician said that it is not the cause for anaemia. More tests are being done for that.

For all these cases, we still need more than two million UGX (about 700 Euros) to clear the hospital bill. If anyone gets interested in supporting for the better health of these children, please contact us and make a difference in one or more lives.

Apart from the hospital bills, the mission has another big bill for electricity to clear. Usually we struggle to pay the electricity bills besides all the running cost of the project. And this time we have spent alot of unexpected money due to different challenges that include, price increase on almost everything including food stuffs, transport, fuel and others.
We are kindly requesting for your support in order to cover up these two bills.

God bless you!

16 CHILDREN GOT THEIR VACCATION

16 of our children who were in candidate classes got their long holidays in November. These include Sarah, who finished her high school and she is supposed to join university. If all goes well, Sarah will be our first child to go to university. We are praying that God will enable her to pass A-Level exams and provide for her university tuition. Others include, Martin, Zuremu, Lydia and Agnes, who finished their O-Level and are joining high school next year. Salama, Alice, Daniel, Sharon, Daisy, Godfrey, Moses, Denis, Zephania, David and Posian finished their primary school level and most of them are going to join secondary school next year.
We thank God for the far he has brought our kids. God bless everyone that gives and prays for this mission.

15 of our Children got Confirmed Yesterday

It was a beautiful day yesterday when the day that was longed for came to pass. 15 of our children joined the confirmation class. They were to be confirmed on 1st of August before the death of the bishop's wife. Later it was postponed to 29th August 2010, which was yesterday, when they were confirmed. They were happy and thanked God for that. Two of the children that is Posian and Kasi were coming from an Islamic setting and they were actually Muslims the time they came to CMU. They accepted to be baptized and were confirmed. After the church service they came home for a special lunch and we celebrated together.
We pray that God will help them to know Him more and more.
Thanks to our supporters for helping us to preach the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
God bless you!

Burial Day of Mama Margaret

On Friday was the sad day of Mama Margaret Luzinda's burial at the Sts. Philip and Andrew's Cathedrale in Mukono. We know that she is in a better place now, because she was a believer. We loved her very much, but the Lord loved her more.
Many people attended the burial service from morning 10 am till 3:30 pm.

Students from UCU Donate

On Sunday we received some students from UCU (Uganda Christian University) Mukono, who donated some food and clothes to the children. We are very grateful for that. May many follow their example, to give out of the little they have. God's blessings to all of them!


They also entertained the children with some songs, testimonies, talks, answering questions, football, etc.

Homegoing of Mama Luzinda

Yesterday, 27th July 2010 the wife of our Chairman Board of Directors, Mama Margaret Luzinda Kizito, passed away due to low blood pressure. Condolences to Bishop Elia Paul Luzinda and the entire family! The Lord may comfort you!

Baptism

Some kids got baptized on Sunday 18th and enjoyed a meal together afterwards.

Livingstone Finally Found his Mother!

When we got Livingstone from the village, his mother had disappeared for 2 months, leaving the 6 or 7 year old boy alone in the house. He had to cook his own food. He narrated that he used to live on food cooked of leaves from the forest and jackfruit and whatever wellwishers would give him. Through the Local Chairman he found his way to CMU Children's Home.

This was Livingstone "home alone".



After some months, we went back to the village and tried to ask, the neighbours whether the mother of Livingstone has ever returned. Surprisingly, she had come back and said, that she was arrested for trading immature fish, which is illegal in Uganda. She had planned to sell these fish in a certain area and then return with the money home to where she left Livingstone. She was heartbroken when she heard that Livingstone was taken away. The local authorities wanted "something small" to take her to Livingstone (CMU) which she didn't have. While in prison she had no access to ARVs and her health deteroriated. She was taken to a pastor to be prayed for, where we finally found her. It was all joy and tears when Livingstone was reunited with his mother. At least, we could trace some relatives now, just in case his mother would pass away in the near future. HIV / AIDS plus a swollen abdomen which would need operation has left her at the mercies of God. She has no money for the necessary operation.


Livingstone will continue staying with CMU in order to get education and a future for his life. We are grateful for his sponsor and other supporters who help this helpless children to be here and to have hope for a better future.

We are sad about 74 people dying in bomb blasts in Kampala during the World Cup final match. For more information go to:
http://www.newvision.co.ug/

Samueli's hand is not doing well. He has been in hospital again for 1 week. It had started swelling again and the fingers are not moving. It seems he needed to do more exercise. Lets hope for the best!

Farewell to Sophie

On 20th May 2010, the CMU children's home community had to say goodbye to Sophie, who had spent with us four months and Sebastian, who had spent also 2 weeks with us. It was hard to say goodbye but their time to go back had reached. It was time of appreciating all that they did for CMU mainly to needy children. Both children and the team members had time to credit our volunteers strength. It was interesting. The dance, praising and worship, eating together, songs and the poem were encouraging. I believe it was good for Sophie to know her strength and what others appreciate about her. Thanks for all your contributions to CMU.

Samueli

Before treatment!

After treatment!

Samueli's hand looks much better after 2 operations and some physiotherapie. Though he cannot yet use his fingers well and it needs much more physiotherapie.

CMU FARM WORK

As the rains begun to fall we planted different food crops including beans, sweet potatoes and maize. When our children got their holiday, we decided to weed all the crops together. It was so enjoyable to work in the gardens with our children. In our African setting, this used to be great time for parents with their children, because it is when the children would learn how to work and those who already knew would work hard to please their family members for favours. In working together with the children, we teach them how to work in the gardens, how to be social and we save the money that would be put into weeding the gardens. We are looking forward for a good harvest.
Thanks to all CMU staff and our children!

EASTER SEASON

Today is Good Friday! We are grateful to Christ our Lord for accepting to die for the sake of us getting eternal life. Luke chapter 22 & 23 tell us more about GOOD FRIDAY.

I got a chance today to share with some of the children about the meaning of GOOD FRIDAY. They had this to say:

It is the day when Jesus was being beaten all over the body.
It is also a day when Jesus poured his own blood.
It is a day when Jesus bridged the gap and reconciled us to God through his death on the cross.
By Nakigozi Efrance Class 4

I understand GOOD FRIDAY as when the son of God was crucified.
As the day when our sins were forgiven.
As when Jesus said that it was finished, meaning that his mission on earth was finished.
By Nakijoba Milly Form 2

I understand GOOD FRIDAY as the day when Jesus died on the cross to rescue our sins.
Is the day when the darkness came into the earth.
Is the day when the curtain of the temple separated into two parts.
And it is the day when Jesus poured his own blood.

By Namatta Olivia Grace Form 1

GOOD FRIDAY
My name is Babirye Catherine , what I know about Good Friday is that it is a day when Jesus Christ was crucified on the cross. On that day many things happened such as: darkness appeared, the curtain of the temple was torn into two parts and we must believe that Jesus Christ died for our sins in order for us to live and we must believe in him so that we can be saved.

HAPPY EASTER TO YOU ALL!

Our new Secondary School Students

Constanze, Eliezer, Olivia and Mercy have successfully completetd Primary School and are now in Secondary One. They got new uniforms, though not yet complete. Fairland High School is where they are going to every day.

Samuel still in Corsu Hospital

This swollen hand has resulted into this:

....and Samueli is not very happy about it. He likes moving around and playing with friends. Ever since it has slightly improved; the metals are also out and skin is healing slowly.

Gardening has Begun!

The rainy season has come and people are preparing the land for planting. Among others that are rushing to plant, CMU is also preparing the land for planting. Some of the crops that we intend to plant are sweet potatoes, cassava, maize then vegetables. We plant all these food crops to supplement the menu of the children's home. We pray that God will bless the land that they shall yield alot.

It is a Season for Games and Sports in Schools

During this term every year, all schools get involved in the practice for competition in games and sports for schools. For this matter, sports uniforms have been introduced. Our children are looking so beautiful in these uniforms. We are intending to have all our children get these sports wear uniforms for their schools. The biggest number of our children have at least one activity that they do in the games and sports. We believe the uniforms are one of the motivating factors for them to use their talents. We become happy when our children get what they want and become happy. May God give you that happiness when you see his little ones smile.

Samuel's News

Samuel is quiet happy and undergoing physiotherapy at the moment. Skin was grafted and his hand operated on. The grafting doesn't do so well, due to the physiotherapy - streching of his arm, but we hope that it will be fine.

Samueli!

On Thursday Samueli was operated at Corsu, a mission hospital on Entebbe Road. We hope that after all the operations he will be able to use his hand again. As a small kid he was burnt severly.

Children have Reported back to School

Last week was a very busy week when we were preparing our children to go to school.

Ready for use!

The boys are very happy that their showers and WCs are now ready for use!

Boys WCs and Showers

At the moment boys WCs and showers are being worked on and will look beautiful, once they are ready. We are grateful for one extra donation which has made this possible.

New Look

The building site has been a busy place in the past few weeks and looks better every day.

CMU OPENED WITH GENERAL CLEANING OF THE WHOLE STATION.

All the staff reported back to work on 4^th January 2010 and it was a happy day to see each other in the New Year. We got a short welcome meeting where we resolved that all of us should get involved in cleaning the station. All of us, beginning from the director up to the farm worker have declared it a week of cleaning, and we have indeed cleaned. The compound was slashed and swept, the kitchen was scrubbed with its equipments washed and the dining hall and others like the children’s dormitories were also cleaned. With this, the New Year begun well for us because it was an exercise that helped us to work as a team, made the place clean and made us more free to one another.

This act of working together as a team is one of the ways that CMU will be successful. We are looking forward to having more of the work being done together in this New Year.

Thanks to everyone for your support, we love you and wish all the best and a happy new year.

God bless you so much.

WELCOME BACK FROM CHRISTMAS HOLIDAY

On 17^th December 2009, all the staff members apart from the farm worker and the watchman got their Christmas holiday. Some of them left the station the next day to their home villages while others stayed at the station.

Everything was expensive to the extent that the transport charges for most of the places from the city were tripled. Though people had to meet those expenses in order to have the holiday with their families. Most of the staff members are saying the holiday was very good especially those that went to their home villages. However, to some of the staff it was a difficult moment that they went through. On 23rd December 2009, the farm worker robbed many things from the station and broke into one of the staff member’s house where he stole his house hold property and disappeared that same evening.

Some of the property he stole from the mission includes all the children’s bicycles with their pressure pumps, money from the chicken project and a few children’s beddings.

This made us fail to enjoy our holiday fully because we had to follow up the case, report to the police and looking for him from the place where he came from. The police has not yet found him but we pray that he will be found and maybe we may recover some of our property. Please pray with us as we go through this time. Otherwise God has given us a gift of life and we pray that we will live according to his will.