Home School Joys

We are in our last month of school and have had a great semester of homeschool.
I was so thankful to hear the kids say (some days) that they love homeschooling.
They also miss things about HCS and talk about it often, but they have great attitudes and are doing well.
For one of our history lessons we were encouraged to come up with a name for our school.
We thought of Togo Chr. Homeschool (Ateso for "home", Okalis Chr. Homeschool (our area of Obulle village), but we decided on Africa Adventure Christian Academy (AACA).
It was so fun making school T-shirts.  Our moto is "Walking in the Son".
Our school verse is 3 John 1:4, "I have no greater joy than to hear my children are walking in the truth."   

Even our AACA preschooler made a school shirt.

Luka's solar system

The armor of God the girls made

Luka liked the girls so much he went ahead and made one on his own - and did a great job!

End of 7th grade for Lydia.
We are both thankful for her principal and substitute teacher - aka Dad - who can help her with pre-algebra.
Next year is her last year before High School!!! 

Grace is finishing up 5th grade and will be my second Middle Schooler next year!

Luka is wrapping up 1st grade and doing great!

Learning about the nervous system in science

Learning about animals in science

Preparing a Buggy Meal

By: Lydia Shaarda

Have you ever wondered how to cook some kind of exoctic, werid and unusual meal or snack?  Well, it’s not hard and it’s fun!  A bug might not be people’s first choice, but in some countries around the world, bugs are a downright delicious meal!  This article will tell you how to cook white ants, a harmless little bug that makes a scrumptious snack!  It all starts when rain knocks on your door……….

Pitter, patter.  Pitter, patter.  The steady raindrops and dark clouds are your cue that it’s almost time to begin the collecting.  For now, get together the things you’ll need.  Hurry into the kitchen and get out a cup and a pot or pan.  Set the pan on top of the stove and take the cup with you to go find a simple digging utensil.  Anything from a shovel to a stick will work.  Now you’re ready to start!

The sun peeks out from behind the clouds.  The last of the raindrops silently falls onto the muddy ground.  A brilliant rainbow lights up the sky.  You need to get out and start the collecting!  You go outside with your cup and digging utensil.  Find a soft dirt surface, preferably and dirt road or garden(If it’s a garden, take care not to dig up anybody's crops).  When you get your dirt surface, look for holes in the ground.  When you find some, carefully dig up the hole.  If a long black ant like bugs crawl out, you’ve hit the jackpot!  Continue doing this until you have a desired amount of ants.  Then, go into the kitchen and pour clean water into the cup to wash the ants.  After letting the ants soak in the water form a minute, drain the water and repeat the soaking process once more.  Next, dump the ants into your pot and start the fire.  Stir the bugs for about five minutes, then pick one up, eat it and see if it’s crunchy.  If not, repeat the process until the ants are crunchy.  If the ant you ate was crunchy, sprinkle salt on your snack and enjoy!

Now you know how to cook a meal your friends most likely don’t know how.  Not only have you expanded your cookbook, but you’ve also made a cool memory!  This activity is especially fun with friends!  It’ll bring many good laughs!  ANd while you’re collecting, take a minute to admire that beautiful rainbow God has made.  Besides, He’s the one enabling you to do this!

Baby Faith

Pastor Martin Egangu has taken all of Josh's courses and has been our friend for years.  He and his wife, Immaculate, live down the road from us in Obulle.  When we arrived back in February we learned they had their 11th child, Faith.  When Josh went to visit them they showed him their new born daughter's feet which were misshaped.  Josh was able to take them to one of the local hospitals to see if anything could be done for Faith.  That day when I saw Faith I knew it wasn't just her feet that had a problem.  Faith was very small, a little lifeless, and her eyes looked to me like she may have other disabilities.

The doctor had the same concerns and right away ordered an ultra sound to look at the heart.  Faith was diagnosed with Edwards Syndrome.  She has two holes in her heart and only a small percentage live beyond one year old.  The news was shocking to the parents and very sad for all of us.  Martin and his wife are older and with no birth control used here high risk pregnancies are the result.

Today Josh went with the parents to a near by town to an Orthopedic Hospital where Faith was fitted with casts.  She will go back to the hospital each week for five weeks to recast in hopes to fixed the club feet.  At the end she will have a minor surgery and then be fitted with shoes to help her.

After they finish working on her feet, Faith will go to the only hospital in Uganda what can maybe work on her heart.  The hospital is over 6 hours away and is known for being over crowded and not very nice.  It is so hard to know what to do!   Will it help?  Will Faith make it through a surgery?  Is it the best option?  Should Faith just be loved and cared for here until the Lord takes her home?  I am not saying she isn't worth it but you have to try to understand how awful the medical option is here. Faith and her parents will spend a huge amount of time and money at a hospital that is not a nice place.  They will have to be away from the rest of their family and from precious time of farming which feeds the family the rest of the year.  There is no easy answer here.

Please pray with us for Pastor Martin Igangu, Immaculate, baby Faith and their family.  They are trusting in their Lord the Healer and loving Faith while they have her.

Newborn baby Faith

Pastor Martin, Immaculate and Faith today

Faith was not happy about her new, heavy, cold, uncomfortable casts!
Pray she God comforts her as she gets use to the casts.

God loves you little one!
He is your Healer.

God's Artwork!

"The Heavens declare the glory of God!"
I have never seen anything like it but it just causes me to praise the Lord.
He is Creator God, creative and beautiful!

God's artwork is my very favorite!

Glory to God in the highest!

Thankful for Mom!

I just want to express how thankful I am for mothers.  What an important role they have played in my life.  My mother was always there for me and still is.  I loved that she at home to greet us after school each day.  She gave me security, comfort, taught me, and took care of us.  I loved that she made even little things special.  My mom shared the Lord with me and showed it by loving people.  She loved all people no matter how different or challenging they were.  I am thankful I know my mom as a friend.  She has always given me her support, love and many prayers.  

My Grandmothers played an important role too.  They loved me, spent time with me, and made me feel special.  I treasure all the games we played, books we read, sleepovers, and just being together.  

I am thankful to also have a great, godly mother-in-law.  She has welcomed me, received me, loved me, helped me and supports and prays me.

Life is going fast and many of our dear grandparents have passed away over the last few years.  It has made me really value people dear to me.  I am so grateful for them.  Their love changed my life.  I want to honor and love those so very dear to me today and as long as the Lord blesses my life with them.

I am so thankful I am Lydia, Grace, Luka and Emalai's mother!  I know it is a gift from God and a very important role.  I am taking care of God's children!  I love that I get to be with my kids every day seeing change and walking through all of life with them.  I am grateful I get to teach them and see them grow.  I love knowing we are training them in the Lord through our words and actions.  I love being mom!

I also realize Mother's Day can be very painful for some people -- long to be a mom, hurt by your mother, had an abortion, don't know your mother, lost your mother... I have been praying for you.  God will meet you in your pain, hurt, anger, questions, desire, healing.  

New Hut for Tata Rhoda

Thank you to many of you who shared our concern for Tata Rhoda (Grandma Rhoda).  Rhoda is our neighbor and fellow church member.  A month or so ago her cooking hut became engulfed in flames after a young grandchild was cooking sweet potatoes.  Because it was still dry season within minutes the roof of the hut was gone.  We were all so thankful God stopped the dry season winds and the fire did not spread to her other hut.  A week after the fire several church members came to help rebuild Tata's cooking hut.  We were mostly moral support since we don't know how to re-roof a hut, but we were thankful we could be apart of the community or believers.  Tata Rhoda now has a new, dry place to cook just in time for rainy season.  We love Rhoda and pray she felt loved as her family and friends came together to help her.

Tata's new hut!

Tata Rhoda and her daughter-in-law Kevin