Wednesday, December 8, 2010

Post-fundraiser update

The fundraiser for Serving His Children went so much better than we could have imagined, of course... THANK YOU LORD! It was good to be in Tennessee that weekend. We had so much help from friends and family, we hardly knew what to do with it. The night started off quickly with lots of bidding on the silent auction items and purchasing of merchandise that benefitted SHC. We had so many donors and willing servants!

Thank you all who participated in any form: giving of time, donating, praying or just being there. We feel so blessed to have been able to host such a fruitful event!

**SHC is still in great need of monthly sponsorship. Even if the amount is small, this will take such a burden off of them because they will know exactly how much money they can depend of every month. If you or anyone you know is interested in sponsoring SHC monthly or donating, please email us and we can help get you set up... OR visit their site at www.ServingHisChildren.org

Here are some photos from the night of the fundraiser for those of you who weren't able to see for yourself :

Checking in...


Ugandan paper beads to make bracelets...




Bidding on the silent auction items...


SHC table with jewelry, headwraps, bracelets, and purses from Uganda...





Renee and her daughter, Selah...




Serving His Children volunteers and sisters <3...



We can't wait to share with you in the coming weeks about our latest plan to serve in Uganda (Lord willing)! Great things are to come in Jesus' name!!

Candace, Megan, and McClain
LOVE

Friday, September 17, 2010

Fundraiser for SHC this November!

Here are a few photos from the great fundraiser we were able to help SHC with in June:
Candace, Renee, McClain, and Megan





**FUNDRAISER IN CHATTANOOGA, TN NOVEMBER 20TH**

Ethos of Chattanooga (This is actually City Church of Chattanooga in the East Auditorium)
7122 Lee Highway
Chattanooga, TN 37421
5-8pm

We are SO EXCITED to tell you all about the fundraiser we will be hosting in Chattanooga, TN! This is for anyone and everyone who wants to come and see and hear more about what we do and what goes on at Serving His Children in Uganda every day! Join us on Saturday November 20th, 2010 from 5-8pm for a night dedicated to caring for the children of Uganda! We are asking for a $5 donation at the door.

Renee Bach is director and founder of Serving His Children, who we served with while we were in Uganda. Renee is coming all the way from her home in the village of Masese to share with us the immediate needs of the children and the community where she lives, and how YOU can help.

THINGS YOU CAN LOOK FORWARD TO THAT NIGHT:
-Your $5 entry fee ALONE will have served about 33 meals to the children of Masese.
-Handmade Uganda bead necklaces and head wraps (made specially for this event) will be for sale.
-You will have the opportunity to make your own bracelets from the handmade Ugandan beads.
-We will be holding a silent auction with items to bid on from all over the country AND straight from Uganda!
-Snacks, desserts, and drinks will be provided
-Renee will tell you about what goes on at SHC in Masese, and a little about her story.
-We will be showing videos of the programs and the children cared for by SHC.
-Those interested can give one-time donations, or begin monthly sponsorship to SHC.

Let us know any questions you have! Those of you who are interested in donating, but are too far to attend, we would love to get you involved: EMAIL US at livinghislove@gmail.com We hope that you will commit to being there to see some of the Lord's work... and spread the word... invite others!!

-McClain, Candace, Megan

Thursday, August 12, 2010

Progress

Hi friends,

In the last post you read about a 7 month old baby boy named Katoyia who was in very BAD condition. Renee had done all she could to save this severely malnourished child but he was (and is) completely in the Lord's hands. We were updated the other day that he is doing much better and his twin brother is fine as well! Please go to Renee's Blog HERE and read more details. You will also see some of the other sick children that are currently living with her to receive care. Please be in fervent prayer for these kids and Renee. She doesn't usually have much help in the day time and never has help at night... alone with 7 babies!

Renee is coming to America sometime in November and we want YOU to take advantage of the opportunity to meet her, hear her story, and help in whatever ways you want to! We will be holding a fundraiser in Chattanooga, TN on Saturday November 20th. The details are in the works, but please go ahead and mark your calendar for that evening and SPREAD THE WORD that Renee will be there to share what's going on in Uganda and how you can get involved! As soon as more details are worked out, you will be the first ones to know! We desperately hope that you will commit to being there to hear what Father has been doing and what He is continuing to do for His children in Uganda!

I know it has been a few months now, but we want to say THANK YOU again for your love. We will be forever grateful and humbled by your prayer and support we received while we were at work in Uganda. We felt great comfort knowing that so many of you were thinking about us and talking to the Lord on our behalf while we were gone! God willing, we will be journeying back again from May to June next year. We will be taking a few more "hands and feet" with us this time and looking forward to lots of work in His name! RIght now we are planning, researching, and praying for projects we can take on while we are there and we hope you will join us in praying about these things. In Ephesians chapter 2 verse 10, Paul (inspired by God) tells us exactly what we were created for: "For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for GOOD WORKS, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them." So, currently we are praying and asking God which good works He created for us to do in Uganda in May and June of 2011. We beg that you, as a part of The Body, would take part in praying with us.

Please spread the word about this blog if you feel compelled ; ) Everyone wants to be a part of something, so why not Uganda and it's hungry children?

We love you... yes, you. Grace to you and peace.

Thursday, July 8, 2010

URGENT!

Please pass this on to anyone who will pray for Renee and this boy and his family!

Renee has an urgent prayer request for a little 7 month old twin named Katoyia. Katoyia's mother is from Rowanda and speaks not one word of english. She married a Ugandan man who died while she was pregnant with their twin boys leaving her alone with no means of support. After the boys were born, her milk dried up (probably due to lack of food and water for herself) and she tried to keep them alive by feeding them posho water (the water used to boil cornstarch into a sticky substance with no nutrition) It was at this point that the fathers mother heard that her daughter-in-law was still in the area with her twin grandsons. She found the family and took them to the local government hospital where Renee found them last Friday. It appeared that there was no hope for Katoyia so he was left alone on a table waiting for death. On Saturday Renee persuaded the hospital administrators to discharge the boys into her care and transported them to a small private clinic where he was put on an IV through the night. When Renee arrived on Sunday morning, the clinic was discharging them because their care was more than they could deal with.

Both of the boys along with their mother and grandmother are currently living at Renee's house. Katoyia requires a small feeding every 10 minutes 24 hours a day (his veins are too weak and they are not able to run an IV for hydration) and has been under Renee's constant care since Sunday. Last night (Wed) Katoyia took a turn for the worse and was transported back to the clinic this morning. Although he requires more medical attention than Renee can offer at her home, she feels that he still will not receive the treatment that he needs. His life is totally in God's hands and we are asking for your prayers to intercede for the life of this little boy. Please also pray for Renee as she is dealing with all of this with very little sleep since Saturday night.

For pictures of Katoyia and more information, go to Renee's blog at www.servinghischildreninuganda.blogspot.com

THANK YOU FOR YOUR PRAYERS!!!

Saturday, June 19, 2010

Official promotional video for Serving His Children in Uganda!




Renee (founder and director of SHC) on the news. Part of our video is shown, as well as US a few times!
A local woman starts charity to help children in Uganda | WSLS 10

Saturday, May 29, 2010

SHC Complete Video!

A video of what we were able to do in our two weeks at Serving His Children in Uganda! Full Screen and enjoy! Also, please check out SHC's website and see where you can get involved and share your blessings. www.servinghischildren.org


Serving His Children in Uganda (SHC) from McClain Baggett on Vimeo.

Wednesday, May 26, 2010

PRAISE THE LORD!

Please go to Renee's blog and read Sarah's amazing story of survival! She is one of the precious babies we were able to care for in Uganda whle we were there.

Sarah's Story

Thursday, May 20, 2010

STAO complete video

A video of our two weeks at Save the Aids Orphans Uganda! Full screen and Enjoy!


STAO from McClain Baggett on Vimeo.

Wednesday, May 5, 2010

Coming soon.....

Well, this blog is more of a teaser than anything else. We are in the Amsterdam airport for a 9 hour lay over so we had just a few minutes to fill everyone in on whats been going on.
First off, we enjoyed working with Renee and the staff at Serving His Children. WOW, God has done amazing through Renee and she continues to follow down the path He leads. We already miss her and the precious babies we lived with for two weeks. Please check out her blog if you have not already
Second, we want to let everyone know that we have taken an obscene amount of video and pictures. The reason they are not up yet is because the internet in Uganda is so slow. So, as soon as we get home we will be posting more pictures and video of our adventure. LOTS AND LOTS OF PICTURES AND VIDEO TO COME SOON!
Third, we can not thank you all enough for your continual support and prayers. We can not wait to get home and share our experiences and stories with you all. Join us in prayer for our friends in Uganda and what God's work for us is in the future. We truly feel God has sent us there for a reason and hope to start planning a new trip soon!
Don't forget to keep up with the blog so you can see all the pictures!
LOVE-Megan, Candace, and Clain

Sunday, April 25, 2010

Our home in Masese

We've been with Renee (Serving His Children) for a few days now, and have been getting a good taste of motherhood! Renee has 5 babies staying here in her house that all have some form of malnutrition. Serving His Children is still in the begining stages of their Malnutrition Rehabilitation program, but has drastically changed lives already. Check out these survivors :) Renee's house/Serving His Children compound, where we are staying, is next to Lake victoria in the "slum" of Masese.

Our tentative schedule involving the babies each day is as follows: between 7 and 8am we feed them their Plumpy Nut, baths (if needed) and play time, more Plumpy Nut, nap time, usually more Plumpy Nut a while after naps, play time, Plumpy Nut, then baths and bed time around 7 or 8. That's not to mention the diaper and outfit changes mixed into all of this AND the fact that they don't always want their Plumpy Nut so it can take a WHILE to get them to eat! We are loving every minute of it.

Currently, the babies living and healing here at Renee's are: Alafat, whose mother is actually staying here with him until he's a little healthier. He has to have a specially made poridge every 3 hours. Kamia, who is 2 years old and cannot walk, but is doing well with standing! Shadia is about 11 days old and is fed every 2-3 hours around the clock. Her mother died giving birth and she was fed only water the first week of her life. little Sarah is a diva. She is about 15 months old and has made unbelievable progress since living here with Renee. Becaham is about 15 months old and weighed 6 pounds when he got here last month. We have already fallen in love with these precious children that the Lord is obviously fighting for. He isn't finished with them yet, and we are more than grateful to be a part of His special healing on them!

The feeding program twice a week here at Renee's, was Serving His Children's first project. We were able to help serve beans and rice on Thursday for our first feeding program experience. The children of Masese start lining up in front of Renee's house a couple of hours before the gate is opened around 1pm. They are led through the gate in small groups to go through the line and get their meal, which is usually rice, beans, and a piece of fruit. 110 lbs of rice, 110 lbs of beans, and about 1,000 children later.... everyone is happy :)

Yesterday we worshipped together at Africa gospel Church here in Masese. It is such a blessing to praise our Lord with so many like-minded people here in Uganda! Renee, Candace, Megan and I all walking to church, each carrying a few babies, was pretty hilarious as well. Today, we went for a check-up at the clinic for Becaham. He is doing VERY well and is now a 10 pound 15-month-old! We just got back from a boat ride across Lake Victoria to visit an island with the village of Kasima. A team is coming in July to work with Renee and SHC on this island to build a water tank for the community. Their previous tank broke and they are currently using the lake or bringing water from ACROSS the lake when necessary. So today we went to talk to the chairperson of the village and get an idea of the materials needed.

Our time here has been so eye-opening and, despite some really tough times, we are loving every minute! THANK YOU for your continued support because as we have been a little sick the last few days, we have felt the comfort of your prayers for us! We love you!!!

Wednesday, April 21, 2010

Last days at STAO and First day of SHC

The last few days at STAO have been full of excitement! Sunday was a great day of worship at church. We have officially learned 2 worship songs in Luganda! The kids always laugh at us though because we don't pronounce the words right. Later that day Pastor Nelson took us to do a little sight seeing. We went to Bujugali Falls. We took a boat out on the Nile and it was beautiful.Monday was a day of cleaning. Clain and Candace worked ALL day mopping and scrubbing the church floor (keep in ming the water is a 5 min. walk from the grounds and they needed a lot to get the job done). I (Megan) worked all day on report cards for the end of the term, and profiles for each of the kids. Tues was our last day at STAO so we mostly hung out with the kids and played on the grounds. That night we promised a dance party in the girls dorms. At 10pm we all met in the "pink house" and turned up Clain's I-pod as loud as it would go. We had fun but the I-pod was drowned out by laughing girls. Soon Sharon brought in speakers and a CD player and the real party started! The girls loved it. They were dancing and laughing and attempting to teach us new moves. We were all so loud that soon the boys were knocking on our door wanting to join. So of course we let them in for a while! After about an hour we were all exhausted so we said goodnight! This morning we said goodbye to all of the staff and kids and they prayed for our safe journey. I found it such a blessing that the very children we came to help out were praying for US!
Renee from Serving His Children picked us up about 11am this morning and we ran some errands before driving to Masese were SHC is located. There are 5 babies here at the moment that are under close watch and care of the staff. These babies are sick and need lots of love and special feeding. (you can read more at SERVINGHISCHILDRENINUGANDA.BLOGSPOT.COM or SERVINGHISCHILDREN.ORG)

Again PLEASE don't forget to include us in your prayers. We especially ask for prayers of guidance, wisdom, and that the Holy Spirit would move us. It's the half way point and we thank you all for your continued support and love!

Friday, April 16, 2010

Full Days!

Started building a mud hut yesterday and finished today!
Ingredients for a mud hut: Wood, Nails, Mud... Tin sheets for the roof.
The process begins with a frame for the house made out of thin wood poles cut down from the surrounding area. They nail more wooden poles across the frame to support the mud. They add rocks in between the poles to hold the mud in the correct place, then you start adding mud. You throw it at the house then you scrape it off with your fngers and throw it some more, this is so it goes in all the cracks. First you have to make mud, did I mention this? We took the jerry cans down to the stream and collected as much water as we could carry, thank goodness we had some strong guys with us. The guys tilled the earth till there was loose soil in a large area and we poured the water in while they smush it around with their hoes and feet till it turns a sticky consistency. We helped in all of these processes. It was two long days of mud throwing, water carrying and waiting in the sun! We are loving it!
Tomorrow the kids are out of school and are planning a soccer day. They finished their exams this week and have a few days off of school. We hope to get to spend as much time with them as possible since we have been out and around the community these past few days.
We led a Bible study wednesday night for a home cell group. They meet every week in an apartment and worship and study the Bible together. It was so neat to read the Word with other brothers and sisters in Christ. I (Candace) was most blessed by this experience as I'm sure Megan and McClain were too. It is a struggle to communicate sometimes because cultures are so different and everyone is trying to speak english but one thing we dont have a problem communicating on is God's word and His truth in our lives! AMEN!
*Please pray for this generation of orphans that is being raised up. The adults and young adults we are meeting have such a heart for these kids. They know they didn't ask for this situtaion they are in and they did nothing to deserve it but are beleiving God has a purpose and plan for each life. Our prayer is that the seed of God's word would be planted in their lives while they are young and that they will be able to cultivate that relationship and be encouraged to let that seed grow.

Wednesday, April 14, 2010

A few pictures....

Pictures of us with some of the kids at STAO and some pictures from handing out soap and salt to families in the community!








Tuesday, April 13, 2010

The last couple of days...

It's been one week now and we are almost completely in the swing of things around here! We have been challenged and pushed constantly the last couple of days. God's beauty is so incredibly evident here, it takes our breath away. He is daily humbling us! We get to see His physical beauty in the landscape of Uganda, and in this same landscape He is abruptly revealed through the faces and the red African dirt. We have been able to serve and show SO MUCH love to these precious children :)

Sundays here are a wonderful celebration! We woke up to booming gospel music that could be heard all over Mafubira community. STAO has a church that invites the whole community to join in on for Sundays. We sang and danced and rejoiced in the Lord for about 3 hours! Monday morning we walked down to a house in the village where some women were making the STAO kids' school uniforms. We were welcomed with hugs and smiles. For most of the morning we sewed buttons and button holes on the uniforms and danced to the radio with the women and some of their kids. When American songs would come on we would sing... they thought that was funny. We had a great time :)Later that afternoon we went around to about 12 foster homes around the village and delivered bars of soap and bags of salt. STAO fosters out some of the kids to families in the community, then gives the family some resources to care for them. Many of them would yell and dance and all of them would give us a big hug! It was beautiful! We were followed at all times by a pack of children calling our name out over and over ("MUSUNGU, MUZUNGU"!)

This morning went out into Jinja to the children's hospital to visit and pray with some of the kids, but it was VERY busy and crowded so we had to leave. We have learned that African time is very different from American time. There is no such thing as a schedule or appointment or being on time! It's a nice change of pace, actually. After leaving the hospital, we drove out sort of far to a crowded village where some of the STAO orphans came from. They are a tribe that moved down here from the war-torn Northern part of Uganda... the Karamajong tribe. I can't quite explain how my stomache felt about these people. I thought we had seen the poorest of the poor, but I was wrong. We arrived and another STAO volunteer that came with us brought out his camera to take some pictures and Sharon (STAO employee) told him to put it away because we had to talk to their "Chairperson" before doing anything. So we were led to one of the mud huts to wait for him. These people's only source of income, besides small odd jobs, is making a sort of malt corn liquor. The whole area reaked of it. The chairperson (leader of they Karamajongs), John, finally came and had us sign a tattered visitors book, then had some men lead us around.

We went back to the hospital this evening during visiting hours. We didn't get much time there, but we were able to go through several wards and pray over the patients and their families. The hospitals have hundreds waiting outdoors and standing around waiting for treatment that they may never get. It is extremely disfunctional. The inside is hot, damp, and very poorly lit.

We love you all deeply, and honestly cannot express how much we appreciate your comforting prayers. We are able to pray for THESE people confidently bacause we know that we are also being supported from across the world! The internet is bad here, but we are going to try to post a few pictures within a few days. Please spread the word and know that your prayers are felt DAILY!

Saturday, April 10, 2010

Jambo Muzungus!

Hello from Uganda! We arrived safe and sound a few days ago. We were promptly picked up at the airport by Pastor Nelson and his friend Wyclef. The drive to the children's home was about 3 hours and the driving was CRAZY! It is very different to say the least. We arrived at STAO's Agape children's home at about 11pm their time and were greeted by some of the older kids who stayed up to wait for us. Our room is very basic. We stay in the same building as Pastor Nelson and his wife Grace who cooks A LOT for us every day! The food she makes is amazing and we are definitely not deprived! In case you were wondering about the title of this post, it means "Hello White people". Everywhere we go, children and some adults scream at us and call us "MUZUNGU MUZUNGU!!" It's not offensive at all,they are just excited and that's what they call white people. The next morning we did devotions and got a tour of the STAO grounds. Since then, we have participated in home visits to do "Needs Assessments" which evaluate the need of the home and what STAO can do to help. We have helped bathe the younger kids (outside with buckets of water and soap). Saturday morning we did laundry... Uganda Style!

A DAY IN THE LIFE.....
We wake up to breakfast and tea, the kids clean and have prayer, older kids leave for school, and young ones have school on the STAO grounds. The older kids come home for lunch and everyone eats Posho (corn meal and water) and beans together. After school is recreation and study time, then baths and dinner. Before bed we have devotions and prayer all together. Candace and McClain led the first night's devotion and sang with them!

Life here is very simple, but we are enjoying every minute. We are slowly learning some of the kid's names, and they are having fun (trying to) teaching us their languge. They love to touch our skin and play with our hair, and fight over who gets to hold our hand!

We are becoming more comfortable here daily, but there are still great challenges. We truly appreciate your prayers for us, and they are heard and felt in our hearts all the way across the world! We haven't had any serious problems, but would love continued prayers for our health. We also ask that you will pray for our hearts to be strong when we face new challenges because they are DAILY. Thank you for the support! We hope to tell you more soon! LOVE.

Monday, April 5, 2010

McClain, Megan, and Candace say farewell

**BEFORE YOU PUSH PLAY**
Please scroll to the bottom of the page and pause the music player.
Thanks!



Thank you all for all of the prayers and love you've shown us.
We will be Living His Love in Uganda for the next month, so please stay connected right here at www.livinghislove.blogspot.com

Love,
McClain, Megan, and Candace

Saturday, January 2, 2010

Plane tickets... CHECK!

It's Official: Me (McClain), Megan, and Candace will be boarding a plane in Oklahoma City on April 6th to arrive in Entebbe, Uganda the next day. We will leave Uganda on May 5th and be back in Oklahoma City on May 6th! A whole month! If anyone would like flight details let us know, and we will be happy to give you the info.

We will be working two weeks with STAO, and two weeks with Renee at Serving His Children (servinghischildren.org) WIth plane tickets out of the way, we are now working to raise money for food and lodging while we're there. The money we pay to stay (at STAO and with Renee) goes directly towards humanitarian aid at the orphanage, and food for Renee's feeding program.

Please continue to pray for guidance and provision on our journey! We need help spreading the word and raising whatever we can! Again, let us know ANY questions: livinghislove@gmail.com


STAO-uganda.org
servinghischildren.org