Work Tour

Today, come along with some of the Team and Dan and take a tour of the work that has been done at Royal School International.

The solid bunk beds for each room in the Guest House.  We can now sleep 13 people.

 

Thursday Lunch

Click here to view the video of Mike explain the work done on this wall

Listen to a video of Caleb explaining all the work the Team did.

Melody, Dan's daughter, says that these desks and benches are such a blessing.  She says that the children have had to hold their work on their laps. 

Here is a pile of wood that is remaining.  Listen to Glen explain more about this wood pile and how all the wood has been used.

Caleb and Glenn were able to organize a video projector and with Dan's little amplifier, they were able to show a movie on Genesis 1 through 22.  Here are images of them using the auditorium.  To view a video of the work done on the auditorium, click here.

Children watching the first movie ever in the new auditorium.

Kids excited about the new auditorium

Here are a couple of videos showing the classrooms and meeting several of the teachers in the Baby Classes.

Scary White Men

Meet Four of the Ladies

Hands Hands Hands

Dan's daughter, Melody, says about the auditorium, "That auditorium is the only one of its kind for miles!  It will be used by the community for gatherings.  What an opportunity for the school to share Jesus with the surrounding villagers!  Also, the children will finally have a place to perform their dances and dramas.  Let the creativity begin!"

Alliance Missionary Church family, I want to thank you for being a part of this trip by giving financial, for giving school supplies and for lifting up many prayers on behalf of the Team and those they are ministering alongside.  Thank you!                             - Janell

Here is a song that Melody has shared in the Team's communications.  I thought it would be good to share it with you as well - "Look at What the Lord Has Done"

Celebrating at Royal School

Dan started his posts this morning by thanking God for the rain.  He said that it was a hard, long soak.  Hopefully this rain helped to fill their empty reservoirs.

We need to remember to -

Tuesday morning the Team got to meet the children of Royal School.  Each morning the children stand in line with their class.  After singing and praying on Tuesday the Mountain Lake Men took over.

Click here to view the outside of the school building.

Annet introducing the Mountain Lake Team

Dan introducing the Mountain Lake Team individually.  (Dan's phone battery must have run out of battery before introducing Caleb and Curt)

The Team shaking hands with the Baby Class

Mike handing out Pencils

Handing out School Bags (Thank you Alliance Missionary Church Family)

Waiting for their School Bags

Hip-hip-hooray

In One of the Classrooms (with new benches and tables)

The men have eaten so many pineapples and they keep requesting more. 
Today's crop from the Royal School Farms produced 19 of them.

Pineapples and more Pineapples


Today they Team made tables for every teacher's residence and two stools, 24 tables and 60 stools.  The teachers are so excited.  Up to now, they only have a bed in their rooms.  My wife Renae, six months ago paid for glass in their windows and curtains, so now they're really starting to feel settled and appreciated.  (side note:  The wood the men are working with is hardwood.  However, this wood has just been milled and not dried.  So, it begins to mold immediately if stacked.  Mike had to drive to town today to buy more bleach for the wood.)

Please pray we can build sleeping rooms on the school grounds for seven more teachers. Four of our current teachers are living in huts nearby that we rent for $15 a month. They have no security, no toilet facilities and they are jealous of their fellow teachers. Our average teacher makes about $100 a month. They also get to eat the same food as the children for lunch but are responsible for all their other meals

Some of the teachers have their children at the school. One child goes free, additional children are given a reduced rate

Because our pay is so low, we mainly have entry-level teachers.  The teachers move on when they find a better paying position. But, Uganda produces many teachers every year, so there is a bit of a glut.

Instead of starting a Senior High School, which requires many additional teachers, we have decided to start a vocational/technical school. Many of our seventh grade graduates will not be able to afford to go to high school and this way they can at least learn to do something. The classes we offer will include carpentry, hair dressing, auto mechanics, tailoring and computer.

Village of Hope

Village of Hope (VOH) is a ministry in Gulu, Uganda that takes in former child soldiers and abandoned children.  About 700 kids are in the program.  They provided lunch for us and a tour of their 100 acre facility.

Mudhut Mike, who is the caretaker, farmer and mechanic, gave us the tour of VOH.

VOH aerial view

The Team spent some time shopping for souvenirs, which were made by young mothers/rape victims.

Mudhut Mike provided Mayor Mike with a license plate for his collection.  Mudhut Mike told Mayor Mike that this license plate came off of a truck that crashed into the Nile River.  While putting the truck out, they were attacked by crocodiles.

A Few More Safari Images

The Team did not have internet yesterday.  This morning we received a few more images of their safari.

Here are a few video clips:

     On Safari

     Lions

     Vultures

Having lunch at Bwana Tembo Safari Camp before heading to Village of Hope -

For a little bit of humor and view pleasure, here is a video clip from "The God's Must be Crazy" - this could have been Mike being chased by an angry elephant.   Gotta love the laugh that comes in at about 18 seconds in to the clip.  😁

More of Rhino Refugee Camp and Heading back to Royal International School

Daily we have been getting pictures and updates from Dan.  I am not always sure of the order of events, but want to make sure you all see the images and hear the videos.  These will at least give you an idea of what the Team is experiencing, no matter what order they appear.  To start off, here are a few more images from Rhino Camp.

Click here to view a video from a few members from the Jerusalem Church.

A Worship Team Dance and Song

The Rhino Camp Quiz Show, featuring Caleb, Darby and Josiah

The Team Singing in Church

Outside Jerusalem Church, Saying Goodbye

Yesterday's Blog talked about Alex competing this structure.  Today, Monday, January 30, Alex was hoping to purchase the roofing sheets and begin installing them tomorrow.  He hopes to start nursery school soon.  He expects to have 45 kids in each of the three classes (3's, 4's and 5's)  The parents are begging him to also open classes for 1st, 2nd, and 3rd grades.  Alex said that if we could raise $1,500 per classroom ($4,500 total), it could be opened in two weeks.

 Where do you get your water.  Here are a couple of videos that tell more of how the people at Rhino Camp get and transport their water.

          Where does the water come from?

          How does the water get to their huts?  Each person uses at least one 5 gallon jerry can of water per day.

 An Instant Village

 (Note:  100% of all gifts to Royal School International go 100% to Africa.  Renae & Dan Peters guarantee this.  All gifts are tax-deductible in the USA.  The Peters' offices are in Surprise, AZ.)

After leaving Rhino Camp (whose total population may be approaching 1 million), the Team "rushed" to Bwana Tembo Safari Camp.  "Rushed" is in quotes because using Google maps, the Team took a "short cut" on some of the worst roads any of them had ever seen.  It included weaving thru poles in someone's backyard on a track so narrow it could only have been a walking path!  (I have no pictures - I was too busy laughing at "Mayor Mike" while he tried to drive the obstacle course.  - Dan Peters)

Bwana Tembo means "Mr. Elephant" - because often the elephants come into the compound.  This time a family of baboons greeted us.  There was just enough time before sundown for a game drive in Murchison Falls National Park.  Here are a few images of this drive.

The funniest thing!  We saw an elephant sleeping STANDING UP!  His tusks on both sides of the tree while his trunk wrapped around the tree.

Davide & Francesco, the two Italian brothers who own Bwana Tembo, served us a great steak and vegetable dinner while Rose Aber, Country Director of Village of Hope (VOH) shared how her ministry of rescuing child soldiers had begun.  Now  over 700 children, including young girls who were raped and became moms, VOH is a vital ministry in Gulu and Acholi area of Northern Uganda.