Uncategorized « HughHarris

We are heading home! Hard to leave.

Sunday was a great day of worship and teaching at Mountain of the Lord Church with Pastor Benjamin. We were in service from 10:30 am to 2:00 pm. They are serious about having church. Dave Deloach did a great job preaching and our version of their Ugandan worship songs wasn’t too bad.

We finally had to leave even though the service was still going. We had an appointment with a beautiful beach resort at Lake Nebuganu, We had a picnic on the ground in a lakeside setting and relaxed after a long week of work and play at Jireh Children’s Center. We finished the day with a desert at the Cafe Felkerren a Danish Cafe that many Omuzzungus (white folks) go and where we had the barbecue on Friday night. Several of the team have been fighting some dehydration and the “Ugandan Hustle” as we call it here but everyone is doing better. It’s been great to have Dr. Mullett on the team to help with health issues.

The extension for the teachers quarters is going well. We finished all of the brick to the exterior and interior walls and now the roof framing is still needed to be completed with the tin roof coming on last. A team from Texas (yeah) has just arrived and will be helping complete the teachers quarters.

Monday was a teaching time with both the older boys and girls on sexual purity. Setting the vision for abstinence is critical in this culture due to the high rate of HIV/Aids and other sexually transmitted disease. We also presented the 6 drums that Stuart and Dr. Boyd gave to the Center and the 2 guitars that Dave Deloach brought and donated to the Center. The students were overjoyed! They wrote letters to our team and gave us a going away “program” of songs and skits. We struggled with the many tearful goodbyes.

It’s Tuesday morning now and we are about to load up for the 4+ hour bus ride to the Entebie Airport with a quick stop at the Equator gift shops for some last minute buying of African articles and memories. This has been a life changing trip in many ways and this has been an incredible team! I am very proud of how they have served and learned throughout this week.

June 12, 2012 Posted by hughharrisfca | Uncategorized | 1 Comment

A Guest Post on the Jireh Uganda Trip From Andrew Ellis & Others

Andrew Ellis:

This has been an excellent trip in many ways. Before leaving I was under the impression that it would be a simple trip to come help with a few construction projects and then go home. It has been much more than that. I did not think that what I am doing now would make as much of an impact as it has. Even though we are not finished I can already tell that even just our team simply showing up means more than I could ever imagine.

I have been challenged on this trip physically and emotionally. We are working on repairing and building teachers quarters requiring about six hour days of construction “Uganda style”. I also got sick yesterday which took out a lot of my energy. It is going to be hard to leave.

I have become attached to a few of the kids here. They are all very smart and very motivated. It is very encouraging to see people who have nothing monetarily so rich spiritually. I made a friend called Kakooza Robot who is a very good artist. He looks up to me and likes to follow me around whenever possible. I look forward to seeing him every day. I do not think his real second name is Robot, but I really badly want to believe that it is.

andrewpierceellis.wordpress.com

Lynn Vander Elst:

We’re having such an amazing and challenging time in Uganda. The first day at Jireh Children’s Center we received a warm and gracious welcome from the children; a blessed time of singing and dancing. God is graciously showing us our spiritual poverty as we spend our days ministering at the orphanage. What a blessing and a privilege to be here!

Stuart Boyd and Emmy Deloach:

We are having an amazing time and the children are little angels:))))) We are learning so much from them. Its not too hot surprisingly. we miss our moms. the bus rides are interesting. and the tea is fantastic. we are learning Lugandan and singing a lot of songs with the children. the building project is going well and for the most part we are all healthy. olyotya bukwano!!? i am engaged to linda – stuart

Gemma Rocha:

I’m at a loss for words when it comes to describing how amazing this missions trip to Uganda has been. The love and the joy the children in Jireh display to each other and to us is unbelievable. Every day we wake up early but are so excited to get the day started with the kids. We have learned a variety of Ugandan phrases and songs (we’re not that great) but we have fun singing along with the kids. As a team we have worked together and have accomplished so much. We have learned so much from these kids. I will always remember this trip above others.

June 8, 2012 Posted by hughharrisfca | Education, Uncategorized | 1 Comment

Update from Jireh.

We have access to the Internet now with the acquisition of some air time. Sorry for the delay in posting. Things are going well. Dr. Ames has seen over 166 dental patients and extracted over 30+ teeth. Dr. Boyd has seen 60+ students and treated many for various dermatological issues. The re-roofing of the teachers quarters is going well. We have completely pulled off a roof and are building new rafters and and a new sheet metal roof. We are also extending the building by 2 rooms. We are laying brick and mixing mortar with the Ugandan work crew.

FCA Students and alumni are teaching classes and playing with the children and some have been helping in the medical and dental clinics. Our accommodations at the Garden Courts Hotel are very nice and the food is outstanding especially if you like chicken, rice, potatoes, and pineapple.

We have been working on the Ugandan praise songs that Pastor Benjamin wants us to sing this Sunday at his church in addition to the ones we are bringing from the US. Dave Deloach and Lisa Harris are preaching this Sunday at Mountain of the Lord.

Stay tuned!

June 7, 2012 Posted by hughharrisfca | Uncategorized | 1 Comment

Work is moving along @ Jireh! Dental & Medical Clinic going well & construction on teachers quarters.

Yesterday was a great time with students and we all went back to the hotel very tired. Today there has been good progress on the teachers quarters. We are re-building the roof and extending walls to provide privacy for 4 living quarters. Sawing African style is quite the experience. We purchased building materials yesterday and had them delivered up the hill to Jireh. Mixing mortar & completing the framing for the new rafter system will be completed today.

Dr. Ames has seen over 152 children now making a much-needed assessment of the oral health and hygiene of the students. At current count he is going to need to make over 15 extractions. Dr. Boyd has been working on multiple skin cases and have helping with their overall medical care.

Many of the ladies on the trip have been helping with games, artwork, and lunch preparation as well as helping on construction and in the medical clinics.

Everyone is doing well and falling in love with the Jireh students, teachers, and staff. Leaving is already going to be hard to do.

June 5, 2012 Posted by hughharrisfca | Uncategorized | 1 Comment

We are at Jireh Children Center! What a trip and what a wonderful place.

We made the final leg from Nairobi to Kampala and then the “3 hour” bus ride to the Garden Courts Hotel and the accommodations are very nice. The food was delicious and the rooms were very comfortable. Last night even though we were blurry eyed we practiced our songs and got a good nights rest even with the Prayer Calls going out and some discos with the music going loud. Some of us had our first experience with mosquito nets and cold showers but we are on an adventure right?

This morning we took the short bus ride out to Jireh and the children are so excited to see us. Some of our friends from our last trip are still here including Joseph who helped me build rabbit cages last time as well as Herbert the artist. We had a quick spot of tea and now the group is touring the facility and meeting all the children.

More to come later!

June 4, 2012 Posted by hughharrisfca | Uncategorized | 2 Comments

Do you want to be a great leader? Dr. Bill Mott & the folks at Trevecca Univ have the answer!

Dr. Bill Mott and Trevecca Nazarene Univ. are starting a new graduate program geared specifically for independent school leaders. The program offers a Master of Organizational Leadership. If you are in private education this degree is for you. Taught by leaders in the independent school world with hands-on practical applications. The program is a combination of on-site and on-line courses utilizing the relational cohort system.

Go to this link for more information:

http://www.tnustarthere.org/mol

Cover Photo

May 24, 2012 Posted by hughharrisfca | Uncategorized | Leave a comment

FCA. Boys of summer.

May 19, 2012 Posted by hughharrisfca | Uncategorized | Leave a comment

FCA Backpacking Trip – Smokies Here We Come!

It’s that time of year again and the FCA guys are headed to the mountains. This time we are going to the far East side of Great Smokey National Park and hiking a new trail. We will spend the night tonight at Fox Fire Campground near Hartford, TN off I-40 & then Sat. morning head up Big Creek Trail and connect with Low Gap Trail and on up to the Appalachian Trail and the Cosby Knob shelter for the 1st night stay. On Sunday we will hike the AT to the Mt. Cammerer Fire Tower and then on to the Davenport Gap shelter for Sunday night. Monday we hike back down via Chestnut Trail and back to the Big Creek Campground. About 19 miles total.

The men going this time are:

Chad Webb

Andy Webb

Ghislain Vander Elst

David Deloach

Sam Deloach

Adrian Young

Michael Brooks

KC Jorgenson

Paden Ritchie

Hugh Harris

March 2, 2012 Posted by hughharrisfca | Uncategorized | Leave a comment

Lets “Blue” Out the gym tomorrow and support the FCA Basketball teams! Wear your Navy Blue colors and let’s make it loud and proud for the Falcons. See the times for the games tomorrow at our home gym at BUMC. All 4 teams will be playing so wear your colors.