Hi friends, Thanks for support our efforts to help our Ugandan friends.  It’s so touching that you have shown such kindness and generosity to these people so so far away.

Joe and I are getting more and more excited for the trip.  I have been talking a lot about our last trip  and while there is so much suffering, most of my memories are joy filled.  It could be that I am a little desensitized to war torn surrounding but in most situations the worst things are what I remember.  When I think of Afghanistan I think of brokenness.  But when I think of Uganda, I keep wondering why I remember everything so sweetly.

Walking through a neighbor IDP camp to Puda, I remember all the funny things happening like our friend having a race with about 15 kids chasing her.

I remember the kids who were “scared” of my white skin and after seeing what I felt like would bust into laughter and run off, only to return again for another round.

I remember Joe throwing kids into the air and their laughter that they had to lay on the ground to recover from.

I don’t think initially of the suffering, of the open wound, diesase, hunger, loss and in general injustice.

I have a lot of facts I can share like when they last visited Puda, the top emergency Problems in Puda were identified to be:

·Some people still have bullets or bomb particles in their bodies (4 and 5 years old!)

·Some elders have no one to build them a hut or cook for them

·Many children have open wounds on their legs

·They have only one borehole, inadequate for 315 people

·Majority eat only once a day due to inability to dig or cook

These things break my heart but the interesting thing is that when we were there, we were greeted with such joy, the joy is what dominates my memory.  I can’t help but wonder why the sad things from the trip did not dominate my memory.

All I can figure is that we were surrounded by thankful people with prayerfully thankful hearts.  We got to see the hope and thankfulness for what we consider so little, and how that led easily to joy.  I am fighting off worry that the need does not result in hopelessness because I know all things can be redeemed.

With such a desperate situation hope is required.  Jesus is the perfect example of bringing hope to us.  He did not need to feed the hungry,heal the sick…. to be their redeemer but he did because of his love. And we can show love in similar ways.

I know there is more need in Puda than we are able to bring, I know the problems that have made these people the victims in this war may not be resolved soon.  I can only hope and pray that reaching out to them goes beyond healing their bodies.  I pray it encourages them and gives them hope for their future.

I’m going with such thankfulness that we have compassionate friends and families who can understand how far kindness and generosity can go.  I’m thankful for the donations, the medical supplies you have shared and your encouragement.

We have raised about $2,025!   Anything further raised can provide extra medicine, could be used to build them a pit latrine (bathroom), farming tools (100% have the land but either no equipment or are too sick to work it) . . .

Our goal is to raise $3,000.  We think it can happen.  If you haven’t had a chance yet to DONATE, please do so!

You can still ORDER A PHOTO – Orders places after Friday June 25th will be processed when we return. All the donation and photo sales will close on July 7th.

Love the Jo(e)s

Ajok Aida and Kerobina Labolo live in the Puda Camp, this is how they got there.

AJOK AIDA.

Aida is 28, a widow with five children with the 5th having been killed by a bomb blast that shattered their house located at Pajule main camp on 9/10/2003. During this LRA raid on Pajule Camp about 600 people were believed to have been abducted. Ocira Terensio, husband of Aida was killed by the LRA during the raid. They had moved up from Atanga, about 50KM West of Pajule not too much earlier. Aida with three of her children has serious scaring on their bodies some bomb shrapnel still lodged underneath the tissue which continues to cause great pain.

Aida due to this pain is unable to dig, carry load or walk a long distance. She has pain on her head, arm, legs and arm-pit. In her household, she lacks food, clothing, medical provision, and no kid goes to school. Her first born who is 10 is getting mad due to the effects of the bomb blast into their hut in 2003. The same child has a large piece of shrapnel embedded next to his left heel. The location of the shrapnel is manifested by an open wound at the entry point which to this day has not yet fully healed. They all get frequent malarial infection.

Kerobina Labolo.

Kerobina is 45 a widow of Nasaneri Ongom who was killed by UPDF government soldiers in 1991 who had came to force the village to relocate to Pajule Camp. Nasaneri and one other villager were picked from their garden and butchered with their own hoes by the soldiers because they refused to leave their homes and relocate to Pajule IDP Camp. Kerobina was left with 7 children. In 1993 they returned to Puda only to be forced to relocate back to Pajule again in 1995. It was only in December 2007 that the government allowed the people of Puda to return close to their original homes to set-up the current Puda Satellite Camp.

Kerobina says she is unable to feed her kids, one kid is epileptic and has seizures a few times each month. The only medicine available for treatment is traditional herbal medicines.

You can help us bring medicine, mosquito nets, farming equipment to these families.  Donate through paypal or through our photo sale: http://snaptography.net/events/article/uganda-photo-sale/