We're on our delayed flight out of London so we'll see ya all in about 11 hours!!

Parents please check our flight status online before leaving for the airport. As of now, our flight is delayed by two and a half hours. The flight is American Airlines 137 from London Heathrow.

We're in London for about four hours and I'm certain there will be much napping! I'll update again when we're on our American Airlines flight headed for homE.

We are now sitting safely on our second Flight taking us to London. It's a nine hour flight and I believe we are all planning to sleep for as many of those as possible. The next update will be when we're on our final flight home.

We're on our way home!!! The team is sitting safely on the first of three flights for today. The next update will be when we're on the flight to London. We're scheduled to board at about 10:30pm from Nairobi. It was a perfect final day full of fun, an inspiring service with Pastor Dongo and difficult goodbye's to the children. Ask about our elevator stories, you'll be glad you did.

After another restful evening and late breakfast, we were off to spend our converted shillings. At an exchange rate of 2200 Ugandan Shillings to one US dollar, we left many happy vendors at the African Village! The afternoon took us back to God Cares Primary School for lunch and Awana games. Well, not official games but rather a few rotations of games we created as we ate lunch. It was a fun afternoon with the children and they enjoyed the games. As a special treat, we returned to Cafe Roma for pizza and pasta. The best treat were our guests, Ivan, Rogers and Deamale. They are the three Ugandan missionary guides we adopted as our own while in Bethany.

At this very moment, the living room at Muyenga Guest House is packed with World Cup fans. USA vs. Ghana is bringing out friendly cheers and jeers from the crowd. What a unique experience to watch World Cup soccer in Africa, with Ugandans, while it's played in South Africa, and the US is playing the last remaining African nation. Once in a lifetime!We'll pack up, be up early for Sunday School and then off to Entebbe for our first flight home. This has been an incredible and unforgettable experience. Thank you all for following along and lifting us up in prayer.

PS-the next update will be when we're on our flight to Kenya at 7:55 pm.

This morning's breakfast table was full of well rested faces after a comfortable night back home at Muyenga Guest House. After a nice leisurely breakfast, we walked to the church, where the secondary school meets. They held a special assembly for us to present the plaque from our school to their new school. Christian spoke eloquently on behalf of the team and his heartfelt words were greeted with great applause. Following the special assembly the students returned to class and we were invited to join some of the classes. Our kids loved it and a few of them took a spelling test as well. Quite a unique opportunity to attend a Ugandan classroom. The rest of the day was spent playing with all the young boarders at the primary school. This evening's special dinner guest was a 16 year old boy named Victor.

He was one of the original students at God Cares, but due to family circumstances he had to take a few years off. He has since returned and is now a Senior Two student, our equivalent being a Freshman. Victor is an articulate communicator and a natural leader, wise beyond his years. It was an honor to meet him and hear his story. Tomorrow will be shopping and Awana games at the primary school. We appreciate your thoughts and prayers. Thank you!!

Today we journeyed to Mubende to visit another Acres for Life farm and saw how God was using the people of Uganda to help sustain and support the community. We also distributed more mosquito nets throughout the village.. We visited with Pastor Wilson who experienced a lot of persecution, but his life was spared and he has helped start over 87 churches. It was a blessing to see the power of God ministering through his life.

Note: today's post was created by Miss Nissa Hansen

Our final day in Bethany and I think it's safe to say that we won't miss the farming, but we will most definitely miss the people. Although we will return home with muscles and skill never discovered until now. And the knowledge that our labor will produce fruit, literally and God willing, figuratively made it all worth the effort. One thing is for sure, that lovely tan we thought we acquired, has or will wash off the next time we shower I am sorry but today's blog is short because we have an early morning and I am quite tired tonight. We leave at 6:30 am for our boat ride to Ggaba and then on to visit Acres4Life's new farm in Mubende..Overall, we have loved our time at Bethany and many on our team have been inspired to partner with them after our return to the states.

The community is grateful for our service and we are honored to have been allowed to shared in their lives.

It's difficult to believe it's already Tuesday and tomorrow is our final day here at Bethany Village. We have all made strong connections with the children and families here. I can tell that our goodbye's will be tough. This morning we were back out on the farm digging those trenches and filling the banana holes with manure. Wilbur had mercy upon our tired team so lunch break was extra long. A few took naps, some played card games and others played some soccer with the children. After a short time of digging, we stopped for a tour of the village. We met with Pastor Immanuel and he shared that his church leadership had just prayed for ways to raise the funds to purchase mosquito nets. Malaria is the most expensive, common and sometimes deadly illness here in Bethany Village. The perfect timing of the bed nets was a direct answer to prayer!

We never imagined how something so small as a $7 mosquito net might be an answered prayer and a sweet sleep for a child.

We also met Uncle Willy's wife Milly, she is the resident nurse. She shared with us the many medical needs here and the surrounding bush. When asked what her first wish/prayer might be, she quickly responded with needing more nurses. She works tirelessly to treat the illness and injury here in Bethany Village. She is truly an amazing woman with a heart and skills to serve the Lord! At one of the homes this evening during devotions, the children were once again so thankful for the mosquito nets. The house mom said they slept so well last night knowing that they were protected from the mosquitos and spiders. We never imagined how something so small as a $7 mosquito net might be an answered prayer and a sweet sleep for a child.

As I send this update, the team is in bed and most likely sound asleep. After only two days of working on the farm, our blistered hands, sore muscles and skilled handling of a shovel and hoe make us all feel like real farmers. Well, maybe not, but we all sleep well feeling a sense of accomplishment and a day lived with purpose. Even another offer of World Cup soccer at the church didn't sound as appealing as our own beds! As I stood in between the sleeping dorms, Pastor Robert stopped by to share that although they host many teams that serve here, this one is different. Our love the children and people here is obvious and he plans to spend his entire day with us tomorrow because our departure will be sad for him. That speaks volumes to the great impact these students are making in the lives here in Uganda. Thank you for your continued prayers and support.

The first morning on the farm, we will all sleep extremely well tonight! We dug trenches between the banana trees last year's team planted, and fertilized many of the growing trees. The heat was blazing but the team worked hard. We were able to work alongside Ugandan farmers today and that added a special element to the morning. Feeling like you've earned a meal makes it taste so much more fulfilling. A warm Coke never tasted so good as it did this afternoon. The Nothing But Nets Club on campus raised enough funds to purchase mosquito nets for the community. Our afternoon task was to deliver and install while the children were in school so they would arrive home to a special gift. Sounds simple, right?Not exactly, the nets are difficult to install properly and after opening the package we thought we had to treat them with insecticide. Well, it turns out they are already treated so now many have extra

repellent! :) Just another opportunity to roll with the unknown with a smile and joy, both on the faces of our team members. The children and house mothers were grateful and that made it well worth the extra unnecessary effort. The 11 orphan homes at Bethany have evening devotions that we were invited to attend. We left two-by-two and entered homes full of God's joy, sincere praise and absolute devotion to Him. We were far more blessed and encouraged by their honest love of Christ, than they were by our presence. Of course, you wouldn't know that by their constant thanks for 'our vistors' we all heard. Despite the tired bodies, today was a fulfilling day!

Today was PERFECT!! We began by teaching all of the Sunday school classes. The team was extraordinary, considering the minimal prep time, and by minimal I mean the night before!We performed a mini skit telling the creation story and then we were off to our individual classrooms. The age range was 2 years old all the way to an adult class lead by Tim and Katie. All of the reports from each classroom were positive. Pastor Robert and Pastor Immanuel were impressed. Two of our own, Rachel and Summer, shared their testimonies at the main service. Both girls shared from their hearts and as a result, God spoke clearly through their messages. It was inspiring to our team and to the members of the church. The team is extremely impressed and proud of them! After a wonderful lunch, the children from the community came down to play games with us.

The next three hours were filled with laughter, conversation, connecting, and building of friendships between our team and the community children. The consensus is, today was perfect! It's truly a beautiful and indescribable sight to see our students love and play with the children of Uganda! The names and stories are endless! Thank you for following along with us and please continue to lift us up in prayer. Tomorrow will be our first day of farming so pray for solid and restful sleep. Thank You!
P.S. The team was invited to watch the World Cup game at the church this evening with others in the community. Definitely a once-in-a-lifetime scenario. Although most of us didn't make to the end, it was still a memorable event, to watch World Cup soccer in Africa with locals.

The experiences were varied and I am still processing it all myself. It definitely puts it all into proper perspective, people matter first and foremost! Tomorrow we will teach Sunday School and play games with the children. Thank you for your continued prayers! The team is healthy and engaging in this new experience. I feel comfortable saying that none of our lives will be quite the same after today. PS- all the students send their love to you parents!

This morning's boat ride on Lake Victoria ended at the beautiful dock of Bethany Village. Many were pleasantly surprised at the lush green land all around. We arrived just in time because 30 minutes later the rain came down as we met with Francis & Wilbur.After a filling lunch, we measured flour, beans and soap to deliver to people in the surrounding areas. We had no idea what awaited us as we filled those bags.The team was split into four groups with a member of the Bethany Church as our guides as we ventured out, arms full of food. Instead of us simply delivering food packs to families, we were amazed at their hospitality, blessed by their prayers, overwhelmed at their living conditions, honored guest at their homes, and so much more that I will allow them to share personally with you. Today has provided numerous stories, life altering encounters and soul searching overload, we are still processing it

All the chaperones agree, this is an amazing group of students! They work hard, don't complain, take initiative, and have been complimented several times by our host in Uganda.We are proud of them and all you parents should be as well. We have been blessed!

Sorry for the late post and the fact it will be choppy. The network isn't allowing large texts. This will also be short because of the limited network. The morning was spent at the new high school site again and lunch at Dongo's. After another incredible lunch, the visit we've all been waiting for.......spending time with the children at the primary school!It was such a blessing to stand on the third floor of the school, look down and watch our team play, hug, chat, and just love on those children.The affection, I assure you, was mutual. It was a beautiful scene to watch our kids being led by the hand by a little Ugandan child. The special dinner guest was our very own Pastor Dongo! It was nice for our students to meet him and hear his heart for the children of Uganda. God's call on his life is evident! Tomorrow we leave for Bethany.

this is a fantastic team! We have been blessed. Thank you all for your continued prayers and support!

Hello! I am sorry for the late post today, we had a special guest for dinner and time escaped me. The day began with group breakfast on our beautiful porch just after sunrise. Our vans arrived and we were off for our first day of work at the new God Cares High School site. We were greeted by Steven, he attends Pastor Dongo's church. The team stacked logs used for scaffolding and picked up scrap lumber for them. After working several hours in the heat we were treated to a lunch feast at Pastor Dongo's house, prepared by Florence (Pastor's wife) and girls living at their house. It was amazing food, including the best pineapple, ever!! Time was spent relaxing and playing games before another great dinner at Muyenga Guest House.Our special guest was Francis, the chaplain of God Cares, he shared his testimony & stories of God's protection over his life. Incredible! It was a great first day.

I wanted to make a correction to my time calculations, at 7pm our time, it will be 9am in California. Sorry for the incorrect information. After settling in at the Guest House, we walked to Cafe Roma for pizza, pasta and ice cream. The rest of the afternoon was spent relaxing, playing cards, showering, & getting to know each other better. Dinner was more pasta and soda from glass bottles, such a fun novelty. Good Night and I will post again tomorrow night.

The first day at Muyenga Guest House has come to an end and the team is in bed getting much needed sleep for a day of working tomorrow.

WE ARE HERE!!!!!!!! The team and all of our luggage has arrived safely in Uganda. Everyone is now absorbing the initial sights, sounds and smells of Uganda. Cameras are out, initial reactions are full of excitement, surprise and wonder. Fantastic start to this amazing journey. Thank you all for the safe travel prayers! I will now post each evening before dinner so around 7pm here, that will be 5am for Californians.

Greetings from Nairobi! It's a quick transition here so I'll post just this once from Kenya. We're getting ready to board our third and final flight for Uganda!!! I will send a short post when we're in the bus on our way to the Muyenga Guest. The flight to Entebbe is short but processing visas, customs, luggage, etc will take some time. People slept a bit on our last flight, we are definitely a tired bunch but still excited to arrive in Uganda and greet the children at God Cares School today.

Fun times in London Heathrow have come to an end and we are now safely sitting on flight number two for about 8 hours! The team is healthy, taking their anti-malaria meds, starting to meet new friends, and maintaining positive attitudes. This is a great group and I'm excited for the days to come! The next quick update will be in the Nairobi airport.

We're here!! Well, at London Heathrow anyway. The team has some time to explore a bit, eat a snack and take a nap. Not too many slept on our last flight but attitudes are great despite the lack of sleep. I'll post again when we're on our flight to Nairobi.

Greetings from flight one of three for today. The team is sitting comfortably on our American Airlines flight to London. And by comfortably, I mean, figuring out how to switch seats around to sit near friends, without causing a huge ordeal. The next post will be in the London airport, over 11 hours from now. Thank you for following our progress!

Uganda Team 2010!

Greetings!

The third Oaks team is almost ready to leave home and travel to serve with the beautiful people of Uganda.  Thank you for checking in on us and remembering our team in your prayers while we are away.  The team leaves Los Angeles on June 14, we'll return changed people on June 28.

I will text updates daily (possibly twice a day) each evening before dinner.  Uganda is 10 hours ahead of California so, if I text an update at 6pm in Uganda, it will be 4am in California.  Please keep in mind the updates will be brief but I will do my best to capture each day's adventures.  If I have access to an actual computer, I will try to post a picture of the team but the internet connection can be temperamental so no guarantees. :-)

The first official blog update will be on Monday, June 14 after we are safely on our first of three flights to Uganda.  Three flights? Yes, we fly from LA to London Heathrow, enjoy a nice 6 hour layover, hop on another flight to Nairobi, Kenya, then our final flight to Entebbe, Uganda.  We will arrive at 9am on June 16 in Uganda, I think it's safe to say we'll have plenty of time to 'bond' during the first days of travel.

This is a list of Team Uganda 2010:  Annalise Bachman; Katie Brooks; Rachel Brown; Christian Campat; Alexis Eichhorn; Gracie Heitman; Missy Hauser; Summer Knapp; Nicoletta LaForgia; Megan Matzke; Brittany Neiman; Megan Rankin; Madagan Riley; Danica Rozanski; Kyle Sisson; Nate Zeile; and chaperones Tim Fenderson, Nissa Hansen, Aaron Matzke, Kat Ruff, and Susi Thompson.

Thank you all for your prayers and support!