After two “almost” arrivals, we are welcoming the 2012 Ugandan Orphans Choir!!! They finally made it. Thank God! Please help me welcome Ugandan tour leaders Agnes and Petwa, and our choir(!) – Charles, Junior, Isaac, Vincent, Caleb, Maureen, Susan, Grace, Josephine, and Dorah!  Along with fellow tour leader “Uncle Nat” and myself, “Auntie Shay”, that makes 14.  Our family is finally together!  And we are coming to a city near you.  Check out when we will be in your neighborhood!

Today marks the beginning of an 11 month tour starting in Bellingham – and traveling through Washington, Utah, Idaho, Colorado, Oklahoma, and finally finishing in Texas.  No matter whether it is the US tour leaders coming from the Pacific Northwest or our Ugandan friends coming from East Africa – we are all going to have to mentally and physically prepare for the heat wave that will hit us when we arrive in late April/early May!

At this rate, we are still trying to adjust everyone to American time, and also the American ways.  Since we are not as good at utilizing the early mornings (especially if the sun does not allow it), we are struggling to have the kids stay up past 8pm, so they will sleep past 6am! If only it were that easy to get American kids to go to bed

Either way, jet lag or not, we are all just happy to be together.  And today was our best day yet! Great food provided by some amazing hosts, and the kids got to play football (soccer) on the turf at Civic field in Bellingham finally spending some of that energy they stored through their long journey!

At this rate we are all excited to see what the Lord makes of our journey.  “In his heart a man plans his course, but the Lord determines his steps.” Proverbs 16:9.  Bring it on, God.

- Auntie Shay

The 2011 tour has come to a close and while we were sad to see it end, I speak for everyone when I say that we are all excited about the next phase of life!  This tour would not have been the success that it was without the love and support from many people.  In particular, we would like to thank:

- Host families!    Thank you for taking us into your homes for a few days, for making us part of your families and for pouring your time and love into us and our kids.  The memories that we have made together will be remembered for years to come!

- Pastors and liaisons – Thank you for so often going out of your way to make sure that we were taken care of.  We so appreciate the thought and effort you put into making our stay with you a success!

We were continually blown away by the generosity and hospitality of people we met along the way.  To those who cooked meals, fixed our bus, and consistently met our needs as they arose we offer our sincerest gratitude.  What a privilege it was to meet so many new friends along the way.  Thank you for loving our kids and thank you for caring for our family.

The 2011 Ugandan Orphans Choir
Chelsea, Tino, Alice and Betty
Julius, Derrick, Henry, Peter, Adrian, Rose, Daphine, Juliet, Josephine and Harriet

Its time for child #10!  Last but certainly not least, introducing Nakasi Juliet!  Juliet turned12 years old on March 1 and was the first of the kids’ birthdays celebrated in America.  Juliet has a beautiful smile and a great laugh.  Juliet was one of our quieter girls in the beginning but has really come alive in the past few months, due in part to our discovery of High School Musical!  Juliet loves to sing and dance with Gabriella and Troy.

Juliet plays the shakers during our dances and is a pro at keeping the beat for the dancers.  Juliet stands in the back of our group during performances but her bright smile is consistent throughout the entire performance.

Juliet’s favorite foods are fried chicken, french fries with ketchup, bread, and tilapia.  In Uganda Juliet likes to eat matooke and sweet potatoes.  One of Juliet’s favorite things to do in America is to cook!  She loves to make breakfast with host families and is often the first kid in the kitchen.  Juliet also loves to read books and swim.  When I asked Juliet where her favorite place in America is, she replied ‘Appleton’ (Wisconsin)!  We had our third break week in the Appleton area and Juliet loved the family she stayed with because she learned how to ice skate!

Juliet is ready to go back to Uganda because she misses her friends.  In particular she misses her best friend Maureen.  Juliet is in Primary 5 and is anxious to continue her schooling in Uganda.  Halfway through the tour Juliet decided that she would like to be a lawyer when she grows up!  What an ambitious girl she is and we have high hopes for her future.

Juliet has been a joy to be with these past 9 months and again, we thank God for her place in our lives.  As we prepare the kids to go home, I thank God also that Juliet has a sponsor in America that will continue to support her as she grows and matures.  There are children worldwide who are lost, and without programs like Childcare Worldwide, would never be found.  We are nearing the Christmas season and while you are preparing your homes and hearts, stop for a moment and remember our ten kids.  Think of the thousands they represent and ask yourself if you would be willing to make their future a little brighter.

We have arrived at our last week of the tour.  We’ve been talking about Texas since March and its hard to believe that we have actually arrived.  We’re all feeling mixed emotions as we enter into this ending season of tour life.  Bittersweet to be sure.

In this last week I would like to introduce the last boy of our choir, Kikoyogo Peter!  Peter turned 11 years old this past April and is the second youngest boy in our choir.  Peter has big, gorgeous eyes and a smile that lights up his whole face.  Peter is a quieter boy in the group as a whole but comes alive in smaller settings.  Peter’s curiosity of the world and his hilarious giggle has endeared him to host families all over the country.

Peter plays the drums in a couple of our dances and also does a great job introducing some of our songs.  Peter also loves to stand at the sponsorship table after performances.  He is very enthusiastic about the children who are sponsored and always asks how many children were sponsored at the end of the night.

Peter loves to eat ice cream sandwiches!  He would eat a whole box if we let him without any trouble.  Peter also loves to eat fried rice and Tilapia.  He also likes to help host families make eggs in the morning, his specialty is scrambled eggs with tomatoes, onions and of course, lots of oil.

Peter is in Primary 4 and works very hard on his schooling.  He loves to ride bikes as well; in fact, Peter learned to ride a bike in a tiny town in Washington state!  Peter likes to fish, swim, play Mario Kart and has become a great Uno player.  Peter has a serious, quiet spirit about him but he also likes to have a good time.

Peter is one of our lucky kids who has been able to meet their sponsor!  We recently spent a couple days in Waurika, Oklahoma at the First United Methodist church where Peter’s sponsor, Karen Slater is the pastor!  What fun it was to watch Peter meet Aunty Karen who he has been talking about since the beginning and to watch Karen fall in love with our boy.

Four years ago Pastor Karen was at a performance of one of our previous choirs and while looking at the passports of children waiting to be sponsored, fell in love with a little boy with big, beautiful eyes.  She saw something in his eyes that intrigued her and she made the commitment to sponsor Peter, never dreaming that she would be able to meet him one day!  The bond between Karen and Peter was evident; they knew and loved each other even though they had never met face to face.

Most of us will never have the opportunity to meet a child that we sponsor but we still can change their lives for the better!  Your sponsor child will never forget the gift that you give them.  To view the list of children waiting to be sponsored, please visit the Childcare Worldwide website.

I’d like to introduce the 8^th child in our Meet the Choir series!  Nalumuga Josephine turned 12 years old on September 12 of this year.  Josephine is our smallest girl but has the most spunk!  We love Josephine and like our other kids, thank God for placing her in the choir this year.  Life is never dull with our sweet, silly girl!  Josephine loves to laugh, and is always full of smiles, in fact, during performances, she is all teeth because her big smile never fades!

Josephine is an amazing dancer on stage and off.  She also has a great voice and she always sings her heart out.  Whenever or wherever music is playing, Josephine will be there getting her groove on.  She is so fun to watch because she never runs out of energy and is always ready to try some new crazy move out for whoever is watching.

Everything Josephine does she does with her whole being.  She loves to ride bikes, swim and watch movies.  Most of these activities end in a fit of giggles.  Towards the beginning of the tour Josephine injured her leg on a trampoline but even that didn’t stop her.  After 4 weeks in a brace, she was back to her normal self.  Josephine has fallen into more lakes/rivers/ponds and fallen off of more tables/chairs/beds than any other child because of her giggle fits.  The girl falls apart when she laughs.

 

Josephine loves to eat fried chicken, sausage and hot dogs.  I’ve watched this tiny girl put away a dozen sausage links in one sitting (plus the rest of her breakfast).  This past summer she fell in love with popsicles and grapes.  Josephine is in Primary 5 and loves school and her teacher, Alice.

Josephine sparkles with life!  She brightens my life daily with her hugs and brings joy to everyone around her through her contagious giggle and bright personality.  When Josephine came to us in March, she was a quiet, withdrawn little girl and watching her come alive over the past eight months has brought indescribable joy to my heart.  We love our sweet girl so much and cannot imagine life without her these past months.

Sponsoring a little girl like Josephine will change her world.  There are beautiful girls all over the world who know of no other life than the one that they are trapped in, girls who spend their days just trying to survive.  Imagine as a parent the incredible helplessness that you would feel knowing that you are unable to provide the one thing that would give your little girl life… an education.

In two weeks Josephine will go back to Uganda and I know that she will be taken care of because she has a sponsor in the states who has committed to her education.  Will you take this burden from a parent and sponsor their child?  Will you give them peace this Christmas season in knowing that their child will have a life greater than they can imagine because of your gift?  As you look through the children awaiting sponsorship on the Childcare Worldwide website, remember the families of these little ones and let them speak to your heart.

Hello from the South!  We have reached Oklahoma, the second to last state on this amazing adventure!  Contrary to what we thought, it is not warm and our winter gear is still coming in handy.  We are looking forward to celebrating Thanksgiving next week and can hardly believe that December 10 is right around the corner.  Time flies when you’re having fun!

I’d like to introduce another member of our choir this week.  Meet Kato Adrian!  Adrian is 9 years old and is the youngest member of our choir.

Adrian is an all around all-star during our performances.  He is the only boy to dance every dance, sings his heart out on every song and plays a very convincing embogo (buffalo) in our hunting folk song, Fumita Embogo.  Never to be outdone by the big boys, Adrian spends a lot of his free time learning the drum and xylophone parts.  We often get comments after performances about that ‘cute, little boy in the front,” with his sweet, impish smile, Adrian definitely shines on stage.

We often refer to Adrian as our ‘American boy,’ because of how quickly he adapted to things in America.  He is one of our best English speakers and is one of the more adventurous kids when it comes to trying new things.   Adrian loves to play with his friends, ride bikes, swim and play video games.  Adrian’s favorite movies are the Chronicles of Narnia.  He especially loves Aslan the lion because ‘he represents Jesus.’  Adrian also loves school.  He is our only child in Primary 3 but he excels in every subject.

Adrian’s favorite foods are pancakes, hot dogs and ice cream.  In Uganda he loves to eat sweet potatoes.  Adrian loves to be in America and enjoys performing in the choir but he does miss his friends in Uganda.  Adrian has especially enjoyed the state of Montana and Seattle, Washington.

We love Adrian so much and thank God for his place in our choir.  Adrian is one of the sweetest little boys you will ever meet.  His curiosity of the world, his sweet spirit and his innocence endear him to hearts everywhere we go.  In this country where we are constantly pressuring our kids to grow up fast, Adrian’s childlike and playful spirit remind us of what is important in life.  This is the time of year that we focus on the baby who was sent to save us, may we also remember the other innocent children of the world.  Please visit the Childcare Worldwide website for ways that you can help this holiday season.

Remember to Like us on Facebook for updated pictures and other choir happenings!

Happy November from our 9^th state of Michigan!  We’ve been slowly adjusting to the cold weather but still managed to get out last night for a fun night of Trick or Treating!  The kids had a great time and were somewhat dismayed to learn that Halloween is only for one day of the entire year!  We can hardly believe that eight months of our tour have passed, the past few months have really flown by and we are making every effort to spend this last 6 weeks ‘soaking in’ our time together.

I would like to introduce another member of our choir as a part of our Meet the Choir series.  Meet Nakigge Harriet!  Harriet turned 11 on June 6 this past summer.  Harriet has a beautiful voice and solos on many of our songs.  She is also a wonderful dancer and dances the difficult Kiganda dance with fluidity and grace.  Harriet is always ready for a good time, has an easy laugh and a big personality!

It’s hard to describe a girl like Harriet in writing; at times we refer to her as the drama queen of the group.  She loves to be the center of attention and loves to talk and laugh.  She has the best facial expressions and is consistently making us laugh with her exaggerated faces.  Harriet also has a sweet spirit and loves to give hugs.  Host families who have Harriet often look at us and say, “I thought you said they would be quieter?”  We love watching Harriet come alive!

Harriet is our youngest girl and loves to play with dolls, color, read books and watch movies.  Some of her favorites are Tangled and High School Musical.  When we listen to the High School Musical soundtrack on the bus, she knows all the words and sings along to every song.

Like all of our kids, Harriet loves school.  She is in Primary 4 and works very hard on her schoolwork.  Her favorite subject is math.  Harriet loves to eat ice cream and cookies, strawberries and chicken. We love Harriet for her silliness and her joy!  It has been so fun to watch her come alive this past eight months, we thank God for placing this beautiful girl in our choir this year.

We love Harriet because she can dream beyond the harsh reality of everyday life.  One day while Harriet and I were reading the story of Snow White she turned to me and said, “Someday I will be princess or teacher… I think princess.”  In America we chuckle at that, there are many little girls who say things like this, who dream of being a princess someday.  Not in Uganda.  Little girls in Uganda hope that they get to finish high school and maybe go on to university.  Little girls that come from absolutely nothing hope that someday they won’t have to wonder where their next meal will come from or if someday they will again, be left completely alone in the world.

Will you give a little girl like Harriet the chance to dream beyond her current situation?  Harriet knows that she has a sponsor who loves her and is committed to seeing to her education.  Will you commit a little girl in Uganda or Haiti or India?  We’re entering a season of gratitude and giving, and as you reflect upon the blessings in your life, will you remember the little girls of the world?  The gift of sponsorship is a gift that will never be forgotten in the life of the child you choose.

Olyiotia from our 8^th state, Illinois!  We arrived in Chicagoland this past Friday and have already had a new ‘big-city’ experience: toll roads!  “We must pay to drive on this road?”  We’re looking forward to our next several weeks in this area and have already been wonderfully taken care of by the churches we have visited so far.  We were even able to have some dentist work done on a few of the children who desperately needed care.  We are continually amazed at the generosity of the people that we meet along the way.

This week I would like to introduce another member of our choir, Nsubuga Derrick!  Derrick is 11 years old and will turn 12 next March.  Derrick is a quieter, easy-going boy with a ready smile and an easy laugh!  We can always count on Derrick to have a good attitude in whatever the situation.  He never complains and exudes a sweet, gentle spirit wherever he is.  Ask any of the other four boys in our choir and they will tell you that Derrick is their best friend.

Derrick is one of our main drummers and does an amazing job on the long drum!  He also dances the Lunege entogoro and always performs with great enthusiasm and a huge smile on his face.   Derrick is our tallest boy and therefore stands at the back of the stage so people don’t often notice him singing and dancing but he always sings his heart out and puts on a real show if you catch his eye!

Derrick loves to pose for pictures and is quick to ham it up for the camera.  Sometimes we refer to Derrick as our ‘model boy.’  Derrick loves to ride bikes!  On his second day in America, he hopped on a bike and took off down the driveway like it was nothing.  Derrick also loves to swim and is a fantastic soccer player.  Derrick is one of our most adventurous eaters and like most growing boys, will eat almost anything put in front of him but he especially loves chicken and pizza.

It has been such an honor for us to get to know this quiet, thoughtful boy.  What a joy he is to be around, from his giggle and his silly poses to his amazing talent on the drums, Derrick is a great member of our choir.  We don’t know what Derrick will be when he grows up but this glimpse of him as a boy gives me great hope that he will grow to be a man of integrity and quiet strength.

What a privilege it can be to sponsor a boy like Derrick, to have such a great impact in a child’s formative years by providing an education.  We in America have been blessed beyond our needs and it is our calling and responsibility to provide for those who are not.  God is doing incredible in the lives of children all over the world and you have the privilege of joining in.

As always, don’t forget to check out the children waiting for sponsorship on the Childcare Worldwide website.  Also, for current updates and pictures of the choir, check out our Facebook page!

Greetings from Wisconsin!  We’ve been in our seventh state for a couple weeks now and have so far enjoyed our time immensely.  Over the Labor Day weekend we were able to spend a few days at Lake Waubesa Bible Camp in McFarland, WI.  We had an incredible three days playing in the water, tackling the obstacle course and zip line and still managed to get in some relaxation time.  We thank the camp hosts for providing us with everything we needed for our stay and for coming to visit us a day later at our performance (shout out to Katie!).

We are on the downhill slope of our tour with only 3 months remaining!  …And three months to write about seven more awesome kids.  I’d like to introduce the fourth child in our Meet the Choir series (check out Henry, Daphine and Julius!) Nambogo Rose!

Rose is our oldest child on tour; she turned 12 on February 20, 12 days before the choir came to America!  Rose has been a leader for the girls in the choir and we look to her to set a positive example for the others to follow.

Rose is an incredible dancer and loves to perform!  She shines dancing Kiganda, a dance in which the girls shake their hips faster than I’ve ever seen.   Rose can often be found dancing off the stage as well, with or without music.  Rose also has several solos in the performance and she leads the group in the song, Asante, a ‘thank you’ song sung in Swahili, Luganda and English.

Rose loves waffles, ice cream, chicken and rice.  Like most of our kids, she loves to swim and loves to go to school!  Rose is in Primary 5 and works very hard to keep up on her studies often doing extra homework without any prompting from Alice (our teacher).

Rose has had the special opportunity to not only meet her sponsor, but to truly get to know her.  Laura Wheeler, Rose’s sponsor, works for Childcare Worldwide in the Bellingham, Washington office.  Rose has been able to spend the night with Laura and her husband Eric in their home and they were able to come and spend a few days with the choir in Spokane, Washington as well.  Rose and Laura have made a habit of communicating via phone or Skype at least once a month.  To this day, Bellingham is Rose’s favorite place in the US because it is where her sponsor lives.  Laura says of Rose, “She has the biggest most joyful smile I’ve ever seen. We feel so blessed that we could meet our sponsor child—she has certainly changed our lives.”

The bond between Rose and Laura has been so fun to watch develop.  The children in our choir love their sponsors whole heartedly and unconditionally.  The majority of them have never met their sponsor in person and probably never will but it doesn’t matter.  Rose knows that without Laura’s assistance she would be unable to attend school and therefore dream of a future.

Would you consider creating that bond with a child?  Your sponsor child will love you simply because you took the time to love them first.  Please check out Childcare Worldwide’s list of children waiting to be sponsored here and start making an impact today!

Also, to see videos of Rose and the choir check out our YouTube channel!

Welcome to Minnesota!  After 6 weeks spent in and around the Twin Cities we almost feel like natives.  We’ve experienced the record heat wave; the state shut down, swam in approximately 15 of the 10,000 lakes and been mistaken twice for the ‘Oprah’ bus!  We have also passed the halfway point of our tour and we still love each other and living on the road.  What an honor it still is for us to speak on behalf of children around the world and this remains our focus even in the busyness of everyday tour life.

This will be the third in our meet the choir series.  Check out our first two children as well, Ssenono Henry and Nakyanzi Daphine.  This week I would like to introduce Kayiira Julius!

Julius is our oldest boy and will turn 12 on September 2 of this year.  We have depended on Julius as one of our oldest to be a leader from the beginning of the tour and he has risen to the challenge!  We know that we can always depend on Julius to follow direction, make good choices and keep the rest of the choir in line.  Julius is always willing to help out by loading and unloading the bus and caring for the instruments.  He has an easy laugh and a ready smile, loves to sing worship songs and is an especially wonderful big brother figure to our younger boys.

Julius’ mother died when he was very young and when his father remarried, his new stepmother did not treat him well.  Julius was not allowed to attend school but was forced to stay home and do housework.  He was not properly fed or clothed.  When Childcare found Julius, they would bring him clothing and food when they could but eventually this was not enough and one morning Julius was found at the gates of Childcare’s children home asking to come in and live.   Julius now has a home, food, clothing, people to care about him and is receiving an education!

Julius is our main drummer and he does a wonderful job at every performance leading the dances.  He also plays the xylophone in the instrumental songs.  Julius has an ear for music and is currently learning to play the piano.  We often find him picking out songs by ear on any pianos we come across.  He was even given the opportunity to play the distinctive Blüthner piano at the Washington State Capitol.

Julius loves to ride bikes and play soccer!  In America he loves to play video games.  Julius is a great swimmer and loves to be in the water.  His favorite foods in America are spaghetti, rice, and yogurt.  In Uganda, Julius likes to eat posho and beans.  When I asked Julius what his favorite thing to do was, his first response was ‘school’!  Julius is a great student and is one of three kids at the Primary 6 level.  Alice, our teacher, says that Julius has blossomed into one of her best students and always works hard.

Julius would like to be a doctor when he grows up and his sweet spirit and determination will take him far.  In his short life, Julius has already known so much hardship and through sheer determination he has pulled himself out of the misery he was in and into a better life.  Through sponsorship, Julius is going to school and working hard to be the best student he can be.  We believe in Julius and are so proud of the young man he is becoming, what an honor it is to watch him become a true leader.

Julius is a bright, beautiful child who has been saved by sponsorship!  We who know him know that Julius will go far because he is determined that his education will not go to waste.  All over the world there are boys who will grow into men and make a difference in their country whether it be for good or bad.  By educating boys, we have the ability to influence the men they will become.  Men who will rise above war to keep peace, men who will treat women with dignity and empower their children.  We in America are blessed often beyond our means, what will you do for boys like Julius?