Dodiveco saying goodbuy to JT
JT giving testimony at church service his last Sunday
Hanging out with Pacific family during game/movie night
We showed the movie Swiss Family Robinson.
Nico's 1st birthday a few months late.
Dear Family and Friends,
Greetings from Uganda! We cannot believe that it has been over a month since we arrived (in early March). God has been good to us as our transition has gone smoothly. We are very thankful for the temporary house that has been provide and are anticipating the next move to our more “permanent” home in May.
Much has happened during the past few weeks and many things have moved quickly for us. We received our foster care order for Nicolas, so he is now able to stay with us full time. Praise the Lord! The process went rather speedily. Many of you may not know that things in Uganda usually take much longer than expected. We filled out many forms, created a portfolio of ourselves, met several times with the probation officer (social worker) and twice with the magistrate (judge) from Luwero. It was truly a blessing to get things processed and all of the paper work through.
Nico is doing very well…walking and talking (well, mimicking extremely efficiently… he doesn’t miss a syllable). We just had fun celebrating his “un-birthday” on March 17th as we missed his 1st birthday (January 17th). Needless to say the cake was a hit! He is very attached to mama (the name “mama” is a rare occurrence though, as he calls both Caleb and I “daddy”). Clingy is healthy however, in adoptive situations (it means he is bonding well and we haven’t had to “force” bonding- which would entail me wearing this 25 lb. boy on my back all day). But, clingy also means a tired mama who sounds like a parrot every time she sets him down-“no fuss Nico.” One of his favorite times during the day is wrestling with Caleb on the bed while I finish making lunch. I can hear laughter and squeals in the outdoor kitchen!
I am fully aware of God’s healing hand during this time as each remembrance of my mom that is often accompanied by tears of sadness has ended with tears of joy as I rejoice in the truth that she is residing in the presence of the Lord! Pray for both my dad and sister as they continue to adjust to this new reality.
Since we returned much has changed including Caleb’s role. He has been given the role of Special Projects/Fundraising. He has been working on several different aspects of fundraising and a wide range of projects to generate income, all that require research and a lot of footwork. The first week we arrived Uncle Jay asked if Caleb could research staring a mini biodiesel processing center. Shortly after starting the research for that, he was given the task of writing and submitting grants to the different embassies here in Uganda. There is money available it is just a matter of finding the right avenue to pursue. Caleb has already submitted two proposals for ten new bore holes (wells) to be dug. If we receive the money for this project, one bore hole will be on New Hope property and the other nine in surrounding communities. One grant was submitted to the US embassy and the other to the Italian embassy.
We are excited about another project that both Caleb and I are working on together. We just recently opened the official New Hope Gift shop. Many students, the New Hope’s Vocational Institute, staff members and local artists/craftsmen have sold their woven baskets, paintings, cards, jewelry etc. to short term teams that come to visit New Hope throughout the year. We have seasons of time that teams come virtually every week out of the year. With this new gift shop we hope to market local crafts, and promote craftsmanship. The gift shop was much needed as it will help organize small businesses on site, generate income for the ministry, and ensure quality and “fair trade” prices for both the individuals buying and selling. Caleb has already traveled to Kampala to negotiate and do business with some local wood carvers. We are excited to expand the merchandise we will have to offer and are extremely happy about the countless benefits a venture like the gift shop will create.
Another blessing has been reconnecting with our family group, reestablishing trusts and continuing to build relationships. It has been difficult, but a blessing to talk through the healing process God has faithfully begun in hearts that have been wounded. But we have also seen the joy brought by the addition of a family member, three year old Kiasu, whose smile can melt any heart in an instance. Kiasu’s lighthearted, playful spirit and contagious giggle has added warmth to the family.
Another much loved addition to Pacific and the greater Kasana family was J.T. King, (Caleb’s 21 year old cousin from Indiana) who has worked for three months with teams and New Hope staff welding water towers, swing sets, repairing almost anything that has been broken, and who has put much sweat equity into this place. The highlight of J.T.’s time here was a trip with young adults to work at Masana Camps (New Hope’s youth camp and some day retreat center). There God brought him to a place of full surrender and we are rejoicing with him because of God’s great mercy, grace, and relentless love ever drawing us to Himself.
We are thrilled to have another one of Caleb’s cousins Lydia Smith join us toward the end of May for three months. Pray for journey mercies as she travels with a short term team from Anderson University and for a strong sense of God’s presence as they serve in Kampala and throughout Lydia’s continued service here at New Hope.
We are also excited to see Steve and Nancy Longbrake from our Blackhawk family who will be visiting New Hope next week! We are thankful for the friendships we are building with staff members here at New Hope, and we are equally thankful for the encouragement that dear familiar faces bring!
Praising God for each of you as well,
Caleb, Alair & Nicolas
