Our internet here at Eagle’s Wing Children’s Village isn’t very fast, so we don’t want to slow it down even more by posting pictures (and even at Kibaale we’re not sure if we can do that.. we’re hoping!!), but I still want to give you all an update on what’s happening with us here in beautiful Uganda.
We arrived here in Uganda early Wednesday morning, and got a couple hours of sleep before driving down to the equator for lunch, and then on to EWCV, where we are now. Eagle’s Wing was founded and is run by a retired couple from Canada called Jaajaas (grandfather/mother) Bill and Anne; at the moment they have three families of 24 children and 2 house parents, and their goal is to make it up to 10 families, each with the same amount of children. They have property here, and a much larger property (over 70 acres!) somewhere else, which is where families 1 and 2 live. Family three is staying here with them, until housing is built for them at their other property, so we’re spend
ing most of our time with the third family. When we arrived and drove in through the front gate, they were all lined up along the path, singing for us. It was so cool, such a sweet welcome J
We’re staying at the hospitality centre, which is down the road from the Eagle’s Wing centre, and is run by a lovely couple called Christopher and Harriet. They live here with Nicolas, who was one of the first boys to be brought into Eagle’s Wing (now around 16), and Stella, who is the mother of their absolutely adorable little granddaughter, Deborah Grace. She’s 6 weeks old and seriously the cutest little thing ever!! Carissa, Megan, my mom and I are always fighting over who gets to hold her J
When we’re not cuddling with Deborah Grace, or journaling (when we got here, Carissa and I spent about 3 hours just catching up in our journals from Egypt haha), or walking around the village, we’re up at the house, spending time with the kids. They’re so eager for love and attention, and we are all more than happy to give it to them; they’re all such little cutie pies!! They’re much littler than I expected too. The oldest is 12, and the youngest is about 3 (excluding Teacher Florence’s baby, Trust J), and the rest average about 5-9 years, but they’re all really small.
One little boy, Peter (5 years old), is the funniest thing I’ve ever seen. He’s got the best laugh ever! He copies everything we say, in a high squeaky voice, and giggles about everything. He’s super cuddly too, so we have lots of fun with him. And he’s only one of them! All the rest of the children are so friendly and ready for cuddles and holding hands and playing too. And they love our cameras. We have to hide them else we’ll never get them back haha :P
We’ve spent a good part of both days with them, from the minute they finish school, right up until around their bedtime. Carissa, Megan, and I got to take the smallest ones on a walk yesterday, and they were so excited to walk with us and hold our hands. They all love Ayana and Moses too.. I don’t think they really understand why we Mzungus have a couple of African children in our family (we’ve tried to explain it, but I don’t know how much of it made it across the translation) but they’ve completely accepted them, and Ayana and Moses are both having a blast here. Moses is very excited (he’s made a very good friend in a little boy called Fred, but he thinks his name is Frog :P) and keeps saying “they’re all brown children, just like me!" J
After dinner on Thursday evening we went and joined them in their worship time, and just sang and danced with them for ages. When they started their slower worship songs and prayers though, it was amazing to see and be a part of. These kids, most of them with heart-breaking pasts, put their whole hearts into worshiping God. One little boy even had tears streaming down his face, with his eyes closed and hands in the air. I saw the same type of thing during worship time in India and Kibaale, but I will never get tired of seeing something like that. If I could take all the people who don’t understand, or agree with us coming here and doing what we’re doing, and put them in the room with those kids, and let them see how they’re all so little and used to be so broken, but are now full of joy and life, then they would understand.
Anyway, sufficient to say, I’m loving being back here in Uganda again! And although we’re only about a 45 minute drive away from Kibaale (ahhh can’t wait!!!) I’m so so glad that we came here to EWCV as well, and get to spend time with Bill and Anne, Christoper and Harriet, Stella and Deborah Grace, and all of the beautiful children at the centre J
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