COP Sponsors and North Carolina Medical Team Visit Children in Uganda

 

On site – by Dr. Paul Maxfield, Executive Director, Children of Promise

 

August 13, 2008 (Kampala, Uganda) - A hearty group of five men have been in Uganda, visiting, interviewing, and working with the sponsored children in Uganda. Adam Finn (Indiana), Bob Weeks (Wisconsin), Mark Groth (Wisconsin), Benjamin Titter (Wisconsin), and COP Executive Director, Dr. Paul Maxfield spent 13 days in various communities where children are sponsored.

 

The group was joined by a medical team from the Morganton, North Carolina, area. Dr. Bill and Linda Johanson, Jennifer Hitt, Vicky Lovelace, and Lisa Queen performed medical checkups on all the sponsored children, as well as treated family and church members as time allowed.

 

The two groups did not know one another before the trip, but they worked together beautifully, with many group members commenting on how outstanding the cooperative effort was. Tim and Colleen Stevenson (missionaries with Global Missions of the Church of God) were fantastic hosts.

 

The groups traveled to Lira, Uganda, on Monday, August 4. There they interviewed 46 children, performed medical checks to over 100 people, and conducted games and Bible learning sessions at the Hoffman Nursery and Primary School.

 

One interesting part of the time in Lira was the visit to the IDP (Internally Displaced People's) Camp on the outskirts of Lira. Two years ago, 850 Church of God families were living in the camp, having been chased out of their villages by the Lord's Resistance Army (a rebel group active in the north of Uganda). In the last 20 years, over a million people have been displaced by this group, as well as over 500,000 killed. 30,000 children have been reported to have been kidnapped by the rebels. We are happy to say that on the visit to the camp this week, we found the camp empty. The situation has improved to the point that the families have been able to return to their villages. While their homes were burned and property destroyed, they at least now have the opportunity to rebuild in their home communities. Many of the children are remaining behind in Lira as boarders at the school in order to continue their education. The camp property will now be used to open a secondary school so that primary students may continue their education when they finish at Hoffman Primary.

 

Bob Weeks, Adam Finn, and Benjamin Titter were all able to meet their sponsored children in Lira. The three children's homes were visited and time was spent with the families. Bob even received a gift of a live chicken from Ronald, his sponsored boy.

 

The group had their first taste of local food while staying with Pastor Martin in Lira. Irish potatoes, greens, local peas and beans, rice, cabbage, and fried ants were all enjoyed. (Yes, every group member tried the ants!)

 

After traveling back to Kampala on August 6, the group began a three-day gathering/camp at Kasubi Primary and Secondary School. Sponsored children came from all over Uganda for this event. A basketball camp was conducted by Adam Finn, with a very successful final basketball game on the brand new basketball court constructed during the visit. Jennifer Hitt and Lisa Queen worked with the young children using Bible stories, games, and activities. Benjamin Titter conducted a drama workshop with the older students, culminating in a drama presentation for the entire group on Saturday afternoon. All the activities were highly successful. During this time, all the sponsored children in attendance were also interviewed by Paul Maxfield, Mark Groth, Adam Finn, Lisa Queen, and Jennifer Hitt.

 

Bob Weeks, Mark Groth, and Ben Titter met with the sponsored children from Wisconsin, presenting gifts and conducting special interviews with them. Bob was the chief technician for the drama production, as well as photographing and filming each event held. He also coordinated the disbursement of donated clothing brought by the group.

 

On Sunday, August 10, the groups visited Kasubi Church of God (where Dr. Bill Johanson spoke and others gave testimonies) and Matungu Church of God (where Paul Maxfield spoke and Benjamin Titter presented a dramatic presentation on Zaccheus which was extremely well received by the congregation).

 

The medical team was able to treat one especially disheartening case. A boy named Reagan was found along the road one day, emaciated, bruised, unable to walk, malnourished, and barely conscious. The group was able to treat him, get him to Matungu church on Sunday, and a group member volunteered to sponsor Reagan. We visited his home on Monday, outfitting him with clothes and meeting with his mother to explain the process of sponsorship. So, this boy, who was literally dying along the road, now has a church family to care for him, and a sponsor to support him as he recovers and grows. Sponsorship really does save lives.

 

The medical team left Uganda on Sunday evening to return to North Carolina. The five COP team members remained and continued visiting communities and interviewing children.

 

The group visited Matungo and Murchinson Bay on Monday. Matungo church children sang, danced, and shared skits as a means of saying thank you to sponsors for their help. This program is one of the newest in Uganda, being wonderfully encouraged and supported by many sponsors from Central Community Church in Wichita, Kansas.

 

Monday afternoon found us in the community Murchinson Bay, where the sponsored children again sang, danced, and performed recitations which they had written themselves. One highlight of this visit was visiting the home of Peace, a girl sponsored by Adam Finn’s mother (Deborah Slentz) of Georgetown, Indiana. 

 

One of the most emotional moments of the trip was the meeting with the children in Busujja. After interviewing the children and enjoying their performances and recitations, each child proceeded up the center aisle of the church carrying a personal gift from their homes – papayas, squash, avocadoes, eggs, sugar cane stalks, bananas, ground nuts, pineapples, etc. It was such a joy to receive these gifts on behalf of their sponsors. The smiles on the children’s faces made it obvious that giving to their sponsors was a pleasure. Of course, customs does not allow us to bring these gifts back to the U. S., so they were left with Colleen Stevenson to be used where needed in Uganda.

 

Many memorable moments have been experienced as team members have seen first hand the conditions the children live in as well as the impact that their sponsorships have on the lives of the children. Lives will never be the same – for the children because of their sponsorships – for the sponsors because of what they have seen and experienced in this beautiful land.

 

There is really nothing like seeing firsthand how and where your child lives.