Homeward Bound

Responding to people in need is a very natural way of showing Christian love. 

  

Volunteers with many talents and abilities provide valuable assistance to a community affected by disaster.

The work of Volunteers - putting their faith & love into action - helps turn the chaos of disaster into an image of hope.

This is the mind set that we have used to build our Domestic Program.  We feel that we need to help where ever we are called, even in our own backyard.

Our domestic trips are all a little different depending on the project, the team members, location and the people we serve.

Our latest trip was the weekend of Sept. 12, 2010. This was an important date because it was the second year anniversary of Hurricane Ike. Our project was in LaMarque, Texas just outside of Galveston. We had a team of 16. We all met up at 6:30 Friday morning loaded our vans and hit the road.

 

We were advised by our partner UMCOR that we needed to lay a portion of sub flooring, lay Pergo laminated flooring in the kitchen, dinning room, living room and hallway, repair the sheet rock in the living room and cover it with paneling, remove two walls of vinyl siding and replaced it with new 4 x 8 sheets of siding - getting tired yet?  Install vinyl flooring in the bathroom (which meant pulling the toilet and re-installing), replace a small cabinet in the kitchen, install all the base boards, caulk and paint them, and also tar the roof above the sunroom if we had time…WOW! Oh, and by the way the client is living in the house, so we have to move all the furniture around and try to stay out of their way. 

After taking a breath, the team dived in and it didn’t take long before we all where working in different parts of the house and getting to know each other and our new friends The Tagles, who live in the house. We worked late Friday just to make a dent in the project.  We left very dirty and very tired, but thankful for a full day of work and we headed back to the church we were staying at and picked up some BBQ for dinner. We enjoyed our showers with the mosquitoes in the shower trailers, a short devotional, some fun late night conversation and then off to bed.

The next morning we had breakfast casserole that was prepared by the team members, we made a sack lunch and headed back to work. The second day was much smoother, everyone knew exactly what to do and just jumped right in. We had lunch while sharing a devotional.  Afterwards, we procured the new bolt for the toilet to replace the one we lost earlier down the drain pipe, cleaned up the house and actually ended our day early.  It was amazing what had been completed.   After two years,  The Tagles - parents of 7 children & 13 grandchildren - had their home restored and refreshed and looking forward to hosting their family for Thanksgiving in their new home after 2 long years of living in disarray & chaos.

After many hugs and joyful tears we left our new friends and headed home.  When we returned home other members of drops of grace where very busy too. When I said we work even in our own backyards, I mean literally in our own backyards.  Thursday before we left for LaMarque Tropical storm Hermine hit Williamson County.  According to the Williamson County Emergency Management there were 660 Homes damaged by flood waters. Two hundred of those homes had major damage or had been completely destroyed.  Additionally, 30 businesses had been damaged, 5 of which were completely destroyed causing approximately 40 people to loose their jobs. Most of the homesowners did not have insurance, or they had a limited amount.

Many volunteers have already answered the call and helped family, friends and neighbors over the last few weeks.  There has been a lot of work done. But, like the damage from Hurricane Ike there is a lot of work yet be done.

drops of grace will be partnering with local agencies like The Red Cross, Round Rock Serving Center, VOAD, Williamson County Emergency Management and the Austin Disaster Relief Network to directly help with the long term recovery.  

Please consider gathering a volunteer work team to help families rebuild & restore their homes, or do other disaster recovery work. 


drop us a note, we will love to hear from you. 

If nothing else you now understand why our Domestic program is not just about brick and mortar or hammers and nails.  Much of what we do is about teaching others and learning from others. You don’t need to know anything about lying flooring.  Just come with an open mind and a willing heart.  You may never pick up a tool at all, you may just sit on the couch and listen to a sweet lady tell you about raising 7 kids in the only house they have ever known, or hold someone’s hand as they sort through water soaked irreplaceable belongings trying to decide to throw them away or keep them just because.  You may find yourself standing in the middle of an empty home with no carpet, no pictures on the wall, no furniture without even sheet rock just hugging a woman that you just met and letting her cry on your shoulder.

This is what we do … This is what missionaries do….. Come join us!

God Bless, Dan Rybaski



Mrs. Tagle & dogs in newly restored living room.



What happens when God calls upon common people?

What happens when God calls upon common people?

Great things happen!

The Lodja water system project at the Diengenga Mission Station in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) is moving forward and significant progress is being made!

Nothing should surprise us since “it’s the Congo” but as the excavation has progressed, more remnants of the original dam are being uncovered.

Some very large logs were found under the core of the dam that were apparently left there in the original construction. They are well below the level of the washout of 1973, so seem to be from the original work back in the 1950's.

Paul Law, (Appointment Congo) and the workers are making progress with the hauling of clay dirt and digging out the core of the dam.

The sawmill team has returned from the forest with a load of Ukulungu planks for the core wall. They will begin driving the center planks very soon. As they do that, they we will need to contain the stream that will divert the water from above the dam to below it so that we can work on the dam without having to deal with the stream water all the time.

It won’t be too much longer before we can really see what the dam will look like!

There is still a lot of work, but we are seeing some progress and a team of men employed full-time on the water project. There is consistent progress that we can see all the way from this side of the world.

Yep. “it’s the Congo”, but with the generous support of the drops of grace friends and the hard work of Paul and Marty Law and Appointment Congo, and the commitment and employment of the people in Lodja, fresh water flowing from the tower rather than being hauled by women and children in the mission station is becoming a reality and will transform lives for generations to come.

This is so cool! I can’t wait to see it in person!

Please keep them all in your prayers.

Look at Them Go!

The Dam is going up!

After challenges we in the good ole' "US of A" can only imagine, including building a new road just to get there, the dam at the Diengenga Mission Station near Lodja in the Democratic Republic of the Congo is on it's way up!


Want to hear and see more about this water project? About Malawi and Somebody Cares? About drops of grace work in the USA?

Tease, Tease, Tease......

See you at the Ripple Effect on Friday, October 8. Tickets are still available from your favorite drop or online

The Story of Recovery - 2 Years After the Storm...

On September 12th 2008 Hurricane Ike began crashing ashore on Galveston Island with a vengeance. The massive storm began affecting the coastline more than 24 hours before landfall.


Two years later, the City of Galveston and the Texas gulf coast appear to be back in business and recovered. The beaches are open and full, businesses along the seawall are thriving, it’s busy along the Strand, and ships are moving in and out through the channel.

But when you get off the beaten path and look a little closer, you find thousands of families on the island and all along the East Texas Coast in need and looking for help. There are millions of dollars tied up in the bureaucracy and many of these families are still waiting for federal disaster recovery grant funds.

On the second anniversary of this devastating storm, the people of Galveston and the surrounding counties are not forgotten. drops of grace is putting hands and hearts to work and partnering with UMCOR (United Methodist Committee on Relief). UMCOR has been working in the area from the very first week after the storm and they continue to help those who may have fallen through the cracks.

On September 10, 2010 drops of grace will take a team to help some of the families in need. That team is full but if you would like to be part of future trips like this one, please contact us at info@dropsofgrace.org

Dates and locations for future trips will be posted soon.

A changed heart...

• Nearly half of the estimated 2 million orphans are orphaned due to AIDS, with the total expected to rise to 3.5 million by 2010.

"He picks up the poor from out of the dirt,

rescues the wretched who've been thrown out with the trash,

Seats them among the honored guests,

a place of honor among the brightest and best.

He gives childless couples a family,

gives them joy as the parents of children. Hallelujah!" psalm 113:4

Michelle in her final weeks at Baby Watoto, Uganda

It is bitter sweet, the ending of a beautiful journey.  Michelle will be coming home soon to continue her studies at the University of Texas in the fall.  She has learned, she has grown, and she has been changed.  It gets in your soul and you forever know the abundance of love.  Please read some of her final thoughts as she closes this chapter in her life's novel.  We are so proud of Michelle and her selfless desire to just show love to those who need hope.

Peace & Blessings, Diane.

I think that before, because it felt like I still had so much time here, I was kinda anxious and wanted to go home. But now, I only have one week left, and it’ll go by so fast. I’m currently sitting in the rocking chair on our porch, looking at three Ugandans working in a patch of tall grass, looking out over the hills and clean, beautiful sky, and its times like these where I don’t want to go home, back to drama and busy life where people make tiny problems huge and get mad at lines and traffic. How can I go back after being here and seeing how these people live? They work so hard and still have almost nothing, but are the most giving people I’ve met. They can’t even drink their own water without getting sick. They live a simple life. We live such complex lives, and I wish we didn’t. You think you know the world, or at least have a grasp on it, until you actually go out into it.
Yes, the city is much different from the country, it smells and the roads are full of pot holes, but I love these people. God loves these people. He loves these kids, and He loved them when no one else did. When they were found in a box or a toilet or with a bag over their head, He still loved them and saw them as His beautiful children. And there are kids all over the world like this. I wonder if God’s heart isn’t breaking every second, because mine is for these kids. I’ve been trying to figure out how to handle leaving, and I can’t imagine feeling anything but sadness, because I really love these children, these babies, these nannies, these volunteers. I’m probably never going to see them again, and that breaks my heart. I love waking up to the sweet innocence of the babies, even if they cry and smell. Sometimes, you just need to cuddle a baby in the morning to make the rest of the day good.
Two and a half years ago at world mandate, God laid Uganda on my heart. I even got one of those bracelets to remind me to pray every day for this place. And now I’m here. I tried other organizations and options, but the doors all closed. Except for this one. So when I miss home, I just remind myself that this is where I am supposed to be. And maybe I won’t learn some huge profound lesson, but being here is changing my heart, I think. Just the way I look at people and the world and my own life. And sometimes we need that, a reality check. If anyone ever needs a reality check, go to a place worse off. It makes you take a good look at what is really important in your life.
Why am I here? Because it’s where God put me, where I needed to be so that my heart would change. To do something truly not for myself. To see God in other places and people, outside of my box I keep putting Him in. To love the widows and orphans. To become who He wants me to be. Because He called, and I followed. And I couldn’t have asked for a better way to do all this.
All Glory to Him,  Michelle

Trouble in Uganda

Dear Friends,
You may have learned that last evening during the World Cup Finals twin deadly bombs went off in the capital city of Kampala, Uganda.  74 people were killed.  This is a very sad day for Uganda.  Michelle, our college intern, was there but if you've been following the blog you know that she was moved to the Watoto location at Suubi, which is 45 minutes from Kampala - Praise God. We are so thankful that Michelle is okay, but unfortunately there are still many in the rubble. 

We are praying for our friends in Uganda at Watoto Childens Center & Humble School and for our brothers and sisters in mission who are lending their time and talents to the people of Uganda but most especially, we pray for peace in Uganda and for everyone who is today sad and scared and lonely that they come to know the mercy in God.

Below is Michelle's latest blog.  She is still pressing on with an amazing spirit for Christ.  We are very proud of her and all the work she continues to do with those precious babies.  God Bless.
Peace,  Diane

Meet Baby Blake.  Super Cute right?!  =D

So it’s been a little while since I last wrote…

Last night was the World Cup final, which we watched downstairs with the night shift nannies. It was quite fun, but sad to see the Netherlands lose. Then apparently after the game, two bombs in Kampala went off, killing 64 people and counting. One bomb was not far from where I was staying before I came here to Suubi. I’m so thankful that I’m currently 45 minutes away in from the city, because I’m sure it’s crazy down there. Pray for the victims, and Mulago Hospital where most of the people are being taken. It’s not a very good hospital, and is where Watoto gets some of its babies. It’s a sad day for Uganda and many people are still missing from the explosions. I just can’t believe I was so close to it all, and am so thankful to be safe.

Things at Suubi have been pretty slow. Just work and hanging out in the evenings. We’re now trying to do some developmental activities with the children during the times they aren’t feeding, like sensory exercises and practice crawling and strengthening muscles. We also have Freedom Fridays, where the kids get to do something extra fun like play in the water or with goop or play dough. I’ll also be working more with the special needs kids, called the lions, this week and going with a few of them to physical therapy on Thursday. They are all such sweet kids who really love to drool.

Anyways, that’s about it from around here. I am so blessed to be able to love on each of these kids every day, and that they have a God filled environment and safe place to live. So cool what is going on here in Suubi.
All glory to Him,  Michelle

Freedom Friday!  Yeah!!

The spectrum of both worlds....

If your in the mood to get chills, smile, maybe shed a tear...read this from Michelle our college intern in Uganda...Peace, diane

What a crazy week:

Friday night a baby died. Her name was Mercy, and she was two and a half years old. There's not much I can say about it all besides the fact that it just hurt. Mercy was so sweet tempered, but she had been having seizures and had surgery on her lymph nodes and was just getting worse, and eventually just stopped breathing. The memorial was Saturday afternoon and I got to go because I had the weekend off and was in Kampala. At the service Pastor Doug spoke and we had worship, and he read this poem (sorry its kind of long):


A Child Loaned
written by Edgar Guest

"I'll lend you for a little time
A child of Mine," He said.
"For you to love the while she lives,
And mourn for when she's dead.
It may be six or seven years
Or twenty-two or three,
But will you, till I call her back
Take care of her for Me?
She'll bring her charms to gladden you,
And should her stay be brief,
You'll have her lovely memories
As solace for your grief.
I cannot promise she will stay,
Since all from Earth return,
But there are lessons taught down there
I want this child to learn.
I've looked this wide world over
In My search for teachers true,
And from the throngs that crowd life's lanes, I have selected you; Now will you give her all your love, Nor think the labour vain, Nor hate Me when I come to call And take her back again?
I fancied that I heard them say,
"Dear Lord, Thy will be done,
For all the joy Thy child shall bring,
For the risk of grief we?ll run.
We'll shelter her with tenderness,
We'll love her while we may,
And for the happiness we?ve known,
Forever grateful stay.
But should the angels call for her
Much sooner then we planned,
We'll brave the bitter grief that comes
And try to understand.

Anyways, it was so neat to hear about the name Mercy and how appropriate it was for this little girl, because God had mercy on her and brought her out of suffering and sickness into a safe place in the Bulrushes.

Sunday was the Fourth of July, which was so fun. Out of about twenty volunteers, seven were American. So we had a big party in the volunteer apartments and ate way too much food, more foor and sugar than I have had in a month. The rule was each person had to bring some kind of American food, so we had Kraft mac 'n cheese, taco meat seasoned with Taco Bell seasoning, Mountain Dew, guacamole, Doritos, four different kinds of brownies, and ice cream sandwiches. It was so fantastic, and I must say, I was pretty proud to be an American.
In conclusion: my week has been a roller coaster. But good thing God is the same through every part of it.
All glory to Him,   Michelle

NEWS FROM LODJA - THE CONGO

The supplies have arrived!

The supplies and material, not to mention Paul's truck have safely arrived in Lodja. Finally.

As I mentioned in my last blog, in the meantime, Paul has been keeping the workers busy with a road project and bridge construction in preparation for the Annual Conference.


Here are before and after pictures of the Loyehi bridge project. This is
a bridge Paul and his workers
rebuilt and is an excellent example of the quality of work we can
expect with the dam construction.


What else have they been doing? In order to get a higher quality of soil for the dam, it was necessary to build a gravel road on the other side of the dam. That road is now complete!

The soil with a heavier clay content is on the other side, Paul has a dump truck on the way to haul it and before too much longer, the dam will be going up. Rock-n-roll!

The project is a little behind the original schedule but still within budget. Paul will send some pictures and another update soon.

God is Great!

Baby Watoto, Uganda - Michelle's Journey

Good Day.  There are many vulnerable babies in Uganda who are abandoned or orphaned due to poverty & HIV/AIDS.  Many of them do not make it to their 5th birthday.  Michelle, drops college intern, heard the call to this ministry and drops decided that we needed to know more.  Michelle is a UT student who has given her summer to help, learn, and play with babies at this amazing center that is rescuing, restoring to health, and rebuilding many children's lives - giving them hope for a bright and healthy future. 

These precious beings come to the Watoto center through many different avenues...some not so inspiring - found in pit latrines, garbage dumps, under trees, buckets of water and on doorsteps.  It is common for them to be premature, abused, and with serious medical conditions. 

Below is another entry from Michelle's Journey.  I hope you are enjoying her stories.  We at drops are so proud of her and all that she is doing and looking forward to the possibility of future partnerships.

Peace, diane

Michelle at Baby Watoto, Uganda

I am now at Suubi!

Suubi is another Watoto village. It's about an hour and a half from Kampala, kind of in the middle of nowhere. On Thursday evening I received a text saying I needed to pack my bags because tomorrow I and three other volunteers from the Bulrushes would move. It was sort of a shock. I figured I?d be in Kampala at least a little longer, but this is Africa, you have to go with the flow.

So here I am with six other girls (plus Trent in his own apartment - lucky) living in a concrete flat in the Suubi babies home, directly above crying toddlers. Although friday night I fell asleep to what sounded like tribal noises outside my window. Drums banging, hollering and shouting; it lasted a few hours, but was quite interesting.

Sleeping past eight in the morning is practically impossible, and we're no longer in a city so there's not much to do when you aren't working - except watch movies and whole seasons of tv shows. I've currently finished season one of Grey's Anatomy, and have started The Big Bang Theory and Flash Forward. Also, Julie, one of the girls here that I share a room with, asked me if I knew I talked in my sleep. I probably should have given them a heads up haha.

Church today was cool, we got to pick a baby and take them with us which was actually kind of stressful, but fun. I took a little girl named Ella (I'll try to get pictures soon but my camera is acting up).
Worship was in Luganda, I think, and so joyful. I love seeing other cultures worship. It's just the coolest thing ever. I've discovered, or maybe I already knew, that my verse for this trip is 2 Corinthians 5:18-20. We are ambassadors to Christ. I've only been to two church services so far, but each one has talked on this verse that Kara prayed over me before I even knew I was coming to Uganda. I think it's God's reminder that He really is in all of this and that I'm here for a reason.

6/30/10

So there are some basic things I realize I haven't really discussed:

My schedule: If you work mornings the shift is from 7am to 3:30pm, afternoons are 11am to 7pm. The nice thing is there's no night shift in Suubi. They feed you lunch and dinner here, which are the same meal, but breakfast is on your own, whatever you bought at the store to eat. I usually have cereal or toast... but you probably don't care about that. (insert smile) The meals here usually consist of watermelon, pineapple, rice, beans, or potatoes. On Fridays we have Rolex, and Mondays are I think fried chicken. We basically eat lots of carbs all the time.

The nannies: All really nice. They like to talk to each other in Luganda and sometimes they laugh at you, but they're all sweet and love the kids. We've picked up on the songs they sing to them like "martin is the best baby I've ever seen" and stuff like that. It's cute. They are very good about making the kids eat their food; they're a lot more forceful than I was in the beginning. But I basically have the hang of things now.

The babies- The basic schedule for the babies is wake up, bottle, play, food, play, bottle, nap, and repeat throughout the day. At night before bed and in the morning they get baths, which is hectic. But I discovered I love dressing the kids, it's so fun to make them all cute :]

The facility- Suubi is a big concrete building with two stories. The bottom is for the babies and the top is for us volunteers and the office. The view is beautiful because it overlooks hills and country, but the building itself needs furnishing... its grey and empty mostly. We?re hoping to get a couch soon... and maybe a dresser or something so we won?t have to live out of suitcases anymore.

The Bulrushes is much more colorful with lots of windows and shade to play outside. It feels a little friendlier I guess you would say.


Living in Kampala is just so different because it's a city with bustle and people everywhere all the time and fun places to eat and shop. Out at Suubi things are a lot more relaxed.

We had a birthday party for one of our girls, Lela, today and got to eat cookies and have a juice box. It?s a big deal. But we sang and had balloons and a sash for her which was cute. She is so blessed to even be having a birthday; she was premature and came from the hospital and is now a healthy two year old. So many kids are blessed to be here alive? it?s just cool to think of what a huge plan God has for their lives that they would be here now.

All glory to Him,  Michelle

Baby Watoto, Uganda - Michelle's Journey

Good Day.  There are many vulnerable babies in Uganda who are abandoned or orphaned due to poverty & HIV/AIDS.  Many of them do not make it to their 5th birthday.  Michelle, drops college intern, heard the call to this ministry and drops decided that we needed to know more.  Michelle is a UT student who has given her summer to help, learn, and play with babies at this amazing center that is rescuing, restoring to health, and rebuilding many children's lives - giving them hope for a bright and healthy future. 

These precious beings come to the Watoto center through many different avenues...some not so inspiring - found in pit latrines, garbage dumps, under trees, buckets of water and on doorsteps.  It is common for them to be premature, abused, and with serious medical conditions. 

Below is another entry from Michelle's Journey.  I hope you are enjoying her stories.  We at drops are so proud of her and all that she is doing and looking forward to the possibility of future partnerships.

Peace, diane

Michelle at Baby Watoto, Uganda

I am now at Suubi!

Suubi is another Watoto village. It's about an hour and a half from Kampala, kind of in the middle of nowhere. On Thursday evening I received a text saying I needed to pack my bags because tomorrow I and three other volunteers from the Bulrushes would move. It was sort of a shock. I figured I?d be in Kampala at least a little longer, but this is Africa, you have to go with the flow.

So here I am with six other girls (plus Trent in his own apartment - lucky) living in a concrete flat in the Suubi babies home, directly above crying toddlers. Although friday night I fell asleep to what sounded like tribal noises outside my window. Drums banging, hollering and shouting; it lasted a few hours, but was quite interesting.

Sleeping past eight in the morning is practically impossible, and we're no longer in a city so there's not much to do when you aren't working - except watch movies and whole seasons of tv shows. I've currently finished season one of Grey's Anatomy, and have started The Big Bang Theory and Flash Forward. Also, Julie, one of the girls here that I share a room with, asked me if I knew I talked in my sleep. I probably should have given them a heads up haha.

Church today was cool, we got to pick a baby and take them with us which was actually kind of stressful, but fun. I took a little girl named Ella (I'll try to get pictures soon but my camera is acting up).
Worship was in Luganda, I think, and so joyful. I love seeing other cultures worship. It's just the coolest thing ever. I've discovered, or maybe I already knew, that my verse for this trip is 2 Corinthians 5:18-20. We are ambassadors to Christ. I've only been to two church services so far, but each one has talked on this verse that Kara prayed over me before I even knew I was coming to Uganda. I think it's God's reminder that He really is in all of this and that I'm here for a reason.

6/30/10

So there are some basic things I realize I haven't really discussed:

My schedule: If you work mornings the shift is from 7am to 3:30pm, afternoons are 11am to 7pm. The nice thing is there's no night shift in Suubi. They feed you lunch and dinner here, which are the same meal, but breakfast is on your own, whatever you bought at the store to eat. I usually have cereal or toast... but you probably don't care about that. (insert smile) The meals here usually consist of watermelon, pineapple, rice, beans, or potatoes. On Fridays we have Rolex, and Mondays are I think fried chicken. We basically eat lots of carbs all the time.

The nannies: All really nice. They like to talk to each other in Luganda and sometimes they laugh at you, but they're all sweet and love the kids. We've picked up on the songs they sing to them like "martin is the best baby I've ever seen" and stuff like that. It's cute. They are very good about making the kids eat their food; they're a lot more forceful than I was in the beginning. But I basically have the hang of things now.

The babies- The basic schedule for the babies is wake up, bottle, play, food, play, bottle, nap, and repeat throughout the day. At night before bed and in the morning they get baths, which is hectic. But I discovered I love dressing the kids, it's so fun to make them all cute :]

The facility- Suubi is a big concrete building with two stories. The bottom is for the babies and the top is for us volunteers and the office. The view is beautiful because it overlooks hills and country, but the building itself needs furnishing... its grey and empty mostly. We?re hoping to get a couch soon... and maybe a dresser or something so we won?t have to live out of suitcases anymore.

The Bulrushes is much more colorful with lots of windows and shade to play outside. It feels a little friendlier I guess you would say.


Living in Kampala is just so different because it's a city with bustle and people everywhere all the time and fun places to eat and shop. Out at Suubi things are a lot more relaxed.

We had a birthday party for one of our girls, Lela, today and got to eat cookies and have a juice box. It?s a big deal. But we sang and had balloons and a sash for her which was cute. She is so blessed to even be having a birthday; she was premature and came from the hospital and is now a healthy two year old. So many kids are blessed to be here alive? it?s just cool to think of what a huge plan God has for their lives that they would be here now.

All glory to Him,  Michelle

The simple significance of washing our feet...

Michelle continues her journey and teaches us about unexpected love and joy. 

Everyone should go on a safari once in their life.
The seven hour drive on a dirt road from Kampala to up north at the Paraa Safari Lodge was a long one, but so worth it. We saw the Murchison Falls which were beautiful and then headed to our super nice lodge. We think we got more than we paid for. Buffets are awesome.

That night, friday, we went on a game drive and saw everything we could, lions, elephants, giraffes... so great. Then in the morning we went on another game drive and saw more of the same. In the afternoon we took a boat to the bottom of the falls, which was really relaxing.

Also, hippos are my new favorite animals. They are so cool, we saw tons of them. All in all, it was such a great time. Fred, our guide, was really cool. Ali and I are basically bffs with him now. Kinda. But the cool thing was that he was one of the first Watoto children :]

I understand the washing of feet now.

After walking an hour everyday to the babies home in the dirt and dust and mud with my old navy flip flops, I get it. I mean, I understood before, but now it has meaning. There is nothing better than having clean feet at the end of the day, because out here it gets pretty bad.

But now I get why washing other people's feet was an honor, you are once again humbling yourself and serving someone else, even though their feet will just get dirty again the next day.

God forgives us, makes us clean, and loves us, even when we just get dirty again the next day.
All glory to Him,
Michelle

Give me Your eyes.... Michelle continues her work in Uganda

Below are some new postings from Michelle about the amazing work she is doing and what God is opening her eyes to see.  Enjoy! 
Blog #2

Today I was thrown into my first day by working with the babies right after my tour of the Bulrushes, the baby home I'll be working at. They are SO CUTE. Today I was with the little ones, 3-6 months, and I got more baby food and spit up (among other things) than I would ever like to again. But I know tomorrow will probably be the same haha. But the babies are so sweet and I love just getting to sit around and "give them cuddles". While the babies nap we clean and do other kinds of work after we eat lunch that they prepare for us. There are 56 babies at the Bulrushes, from 0-12 months, and while I don't know all their names yet, and can't really tell them apart, I am already falling in love with these little ones :]

If this first day is anything like the next two months, I'll be completely exhausted, but having so much fun with the babies and hanging out with the other volunteers, who are all so great. Tomorrow I have orientation, and after work some of the girls and I are driving two hours to take pictures on the equator! Can't wait.  All glory to Him,


Blog #3:

Wow so much has happened in a week!  Fun stuff that's been going on:
The Equator- the actual thing is quite boring, you just take a picture and you're done, but Sarah, Karin, Ali and I came across a school a little ways behind the shops at the equator, and decided to use our driver, Eddy, as our translator and see if we could go say hello to the kids. What a cool experience! These kids were so happy to see us, they sang us a song about the president and showed us their class room and absolutely loved our cameras. It was precious. I love living here rather than being a tourist because we get to see the real heart of Africa. There are so many bare feet walking on dirt roads, it breaks your heart.

Emin Pasha- a really really nice hotel and restaurant that has live music on Friday nights. A group of about seven of us girls walked there after shift and just got to hang out and eat some good food and listen to Ugandans play jazzed up American music.

Watoto Church- awesome. It reminds me a lot of Celebration back home.
What made is so cool was that I finally saw how Jesus is the same yesterday, today, and forever, even across the globe. God's presence was so sweet and it was just awesome to see all the Ugandans worshipping. God doesn't change no matter where you are! I've always known this but it was so much more real on Sunday. What God's been showing me: you have to humble yourself and give with an open heart, and when you do, you'll be sowing generously, which means you'll also reap generously. And that's a promise, which makes serving even more exciting.


On a less serious note- Africa knows how to do pizza. Which I didn't expect for some reason...        All glory to Him,

Blog #4

Yesterday we went to the slums.

Helen and I visited another NGO called Hands for Hope that assesses families in the slums and decides who is most vulnerable, then provides resources for the mothers and school for the kids by getting the child sponsored. It's a really cool idea about keeping the children with their families and in the same environment, but empowering the supporting families to try and get them out of the cycle of poverty. So we spent the whole day there just hanging out with the older kids in the after school program, where we got to see them teach the kids traditional African dances. I also got to talk to the social worker, who was really cool, and see how things are run.
Then we went into the slums and talked to actual families that are a part of Hands. It was so humbling. Who do I think I am, having clean water and a bathroom, but still feeling like I don't have enough?
These families' fit six people in a house no bigger than a closet, a house that reeks of urine and floods when it rains and is infested with mice. Even then, the people are so nice and have hope for going on. The whole experience was eye opening. I'm pretty sure nothing I ever experience at home will even compare to what those people have to go through every day.

All glory to Him,

Give me Your eyes.... Michelle continues her work in Uganda

Below are some new postings from Michelle about the amazing work she is doing and what God is opening her eyes to see.  Enjoy! 
Blog #2

Today I was thrown into my first day by working with the babies right after my tour of the Bulrushes, the baby home I'll be working at. They are SO CUTE. Today I was with the little ones, 3-6 months, and I got more baby food and spit up (among other things) than I would ever like to again. But I know tomorrow will probably be the same haha. But the babies are so sweet and I love just getting to sit around and "give them cuddles". While the babies nap we clean and do other kinds of work after we eat lunch that they prepare for us. There are 56 babies at the Bulrushes, from 0-12 months, and while I don't know all their names yet, and can't really tell them apart, I am already falling in love with these little ones :]

If this first day is anything like the next two months, I'll be completely exhausted, but having so much fun with the babies and hanging out with the other volunteers, who are all so great. Tomorrow I have orientation, and after work some of the girls and I are driving two hours to take pictures on the equator! Can't wait.  All glory to Him,


Blog #3:

Wow so much has happened in a week!  Fun stuff that's been going on:
The Equator- the actual thing is quite boring, you just take a picture and you're done, but Sarah, Karin, Ali and I came across a school a little ways behind the shops at the equator, and decided to use our driver, Eddy, as our translator and see if we could go say hello to the kids. What a cool experience! These kids were so happy to see us, they sang us a song about the president and showed us their class room and absolutely loved our cameras. It was precious. I love living here rather than being a tourist because we get to see the real heart of Africa. There are so many bare feet walking on dirt roads, it breaks your heart.

Emin Pasha- a really really nice hotel and restaurant that has live music on Friday nights. A group of about seven of us girls walked there after shift and just got to hang out and eat some good food and listen to Ugandans play jazzed up American music.

Watoto Church- awesome. It reminds me a lot of Celebration back home.
What made is so cool was that I finally saw how Jesus is the same yesterday, today, and forever, even across the globe. God's presence was so sweet and it was just awesome to see all the Ugandans worshipping. God doesn't change no matter where you are! I've always known this but it was so much more real on Sunday. What God's been showing me: you have to humble yourself and give with an open heart, and when you do, you'll be sowing generously, which means you'll also reap generously. And that's a promise, which makes serving even more exciting.


On a less serious note- Africa knows how to do pizza. Which I didn't expect for some reason...        All glory to Him,

Blog #4

Yesterday we went to the slums.

Helen and I visited another NGO called Hands for Hope that assesses families in the slums and decides who is most vulnerable, then provides resources for the mothers and school for the kids by getting the child sponsored. It's a really cool idea about keeping the children with their families and in the same environment, but empowering the supporting families to try and get them out of the cycle of poverty. So we spent the whole day there just hanging out with the older kids in the after school program, where we got to see them teach the kids traditional African dances. I also got to talk to the social worker, who was really cool, and see how things are run.
Then we went into the slums and talked to actual families that are a part of Hands. It was so humbling. Who do I think I am, having clean water and a bathroom, but still feeling like I don't have enough?
These families' fit six people in a house no bigger than a closet, a house that reeks of urine and floods when it rains and is infested with mice. Even then, the people are so nice and have hope for going on. The whole experience was eye opening. I'm pretty sure nothing I ever experience at home will even compare to what those people have to go through every day.

All glory to Him,

Introducing: Michelle McCall - drops college intern

Michelle gets her drops shirt from MaryJane Reuter

Good Day:
We are so excited to introduce you to Michelle McCall.  She is our first college intern on her first trip to Uganda.  drops of grace is so excited and looking forward to following her jouney. Since she explains it way better than we can... read below:

My name is Michelle McCall and I am in Uganda, Africa. Thanks again to drops of grace for sponsoring me on this adventure! So I guess I should tell a little about myself. I'm 19 and a student at the University of Texas at Austin. It is the greatest school ever. I'm a social work major but my desire to go to Africa started when I was a freshman in high school geography. We watched a video about AIDS and the fighting going on across the sea and my heart broke. All I have wanted to do since then is serve those people, specifically the children there. It has been a dream of mine for almost five years to go to Africa, and now that dream is coming true, and it's so hard to believe. Being on the plane, it will finally hit me that this is happening. I am serving in Kampala, Uganda for two months at a baby orphanage run by a Christian organization called Watoto. I am so blessed to be able to serve here and it has been awesome how God has worked everything out for me to go. I'm excited and nervous at the same time and can't wait to see everything that God will do not only in those kid's lives but in my life as well. So I will share what God shows me and what happens during my time overseas here on this blog, with all of you. I am so ready to love on those babies and for my world to be changed! Thanks for the prayers and for following me on this journey.
All glory to Him,


Michelle

Launching domestically...

With the help of our partner organization UMCOR (United Methodist – Committee on Relief), in November 2009 we were privileged to lend a hand to restore the home of our new friend, who survived the devastation of Hurricane Ike in 2008.

Where are we now?
We have been busy getting the domestic program in high gear and finalizing details to put together a program that will be ready to respond to the needs of those who, through no fault of their own, experienced loss as a result of a natural disaster here in the United States and need some drops of grace.

What does a drops of grace trip look like?
You have a heart for helping others; and we want to give you the opportunity to expand your service to those in need of help and hope. Whether this is your first mission trip or you are a veteran, the project will be planned around your team’s skill set.

We will be working alongside partner organizations that are established in the community as well as working with local home owners and community members. The work can consist of clean-up activities with basic home repairs, to complex and complete house rebuilding.
 
Short Term Experiences:
We are currently offering 2 to 4 day mission trips: drops of grace will handle the details of your trip from the time you arrive to the time you leave for home. You will not need to worry about construction materials or your next meal, drops of grace will provide the leadership allowing you to spend time with your team and the family you are serving.

Custom Experiences:
We can customize a domestic trip for you to any location we are working in. A drops of grace custom mission trip can be designed specifically for your group within the parameters of our philosophy towards our commitment to the communities we serve.

• Groups of many sizes are welcome 


• Length of trip depends on the location & the project.


• drops of grace domestic coordinator to assist planning your trip.

What is included?

• Pre-trip training


• Meals & Housing


• T-shirts


• Materials & Tools


• Evening Devotions (if requested)

Pricing: Costs vary, but most 2-3 day trips will be under $100 per person. This cost covers housing and meal and may vary depending on the project, the length of the trip, location and the size of the team.

What’s next?
Dates for our 2010 & 2011 trips are coming soon. Keep checking back here for more information. We are working hard on having everything in place so that these trips will be a great experience for you.

How you can help:

Current Needs:

• Dual axle 6’x 12’ covered trailer.


• Various construction tools to equip our trailer.


• Monetary donations for materials and supplies.

If you have a trailer or tools to donate or fund you can contact: Dan Rybaski at danr@dropsofgrace.org.

 

 

Here we go again!

Just because I have not updated the blog in a while, a long while......OK way too long.....it does not mean that things have not been happening in the Congo. Since Kip and I have been to Lodja, significant progress is being made.

Here in the good ole US of A, our work has continued as well. The banquet was awesome, we have done numerous presentations to various groups, fundraising has done well, strategic planning for drops of grace is firming up the future of the organization. All good stuff.

But this is the Congo Blog.

Since we've been gone, Paul and the gang have been working hard on excavation for the dam. As of today, almost all of the digging has been done for the footing and they are ready for the supplies to arrive from Kinshasa. They have also been busily working on another project rebuilding bridges and roads (can't understand why ;).

In January, Paul traveled to Kinshasa and purchased all the supplies. He has purchased a truck that he will use for all the great projects on his list, including the dam and water system at Diengenga (Lodja).

After a time in Kinshasa, dealing with some damage to his truck, everything is finally on the barge. The truck, pipe, supplies and material, are now on the barge to Bena Dibele, the primary river port for Lodja.

It's the Congo remember? It took 18 months to between the order and arrival of that kerosene freezer. But the good news is that all that stuff is on the boat and on the way to Lodja. Upon expected arrival in late April or May, the dam starts going up instead of down.

We realize news is slow but now that supplies are on the way, the pace will pick up.

Stay tuned.

Phil