INTRODUCING AMIGA AND YAKUTI

Strange but true.....we have officially joind the long list of dog owners.We never thought we would go this route but its been amazing the experience we have so far had with Amiga and Yakuti.They are sisters and we got them from a neighbor who together with his wife are growing to be our very dear friends.They are a young couple and have a son called Gabriel....

Joy and I both love and enjoy taking care of dogs,we just discovered this in the last two weeks we have been with Amiga and Yakuti.Amiga we are told is spanish for friend and Yakuti is swahili for Ruby.

We are reading books on training and everything dogs....well who knew we would end up this route?Life is full of surprises!

SP and JOY

OUR NEW HOME

Its been a while since we blogged.....not really sure why we've taken long.Our commitment this time round is to be regular bloggers...it's not that there is a scarcity of stuff to blog about.On the contrary there's a lot to blog about....

Well as they say, a journey of a thousand miles begins with one step..here is our first step.(pictures of our new home,from when we first saw it to what it looks like today)








We moved to this place 2 weeks ago and the reason was primarily one.Our former house is located by a dirt road and when the dry season came in,we could not handle the dust that came thru the house every single minute.We slowly started to look around and one day while we (Joy and myself) we taking a discovery walk around our neighborhood,we saw this house...semi finished but we asked if it would be available for rent and the site engineer connected us with the owners and the conclusion of the story is that we are their first tenants.









Above:Part of our garden that we will be using to grow some crops.the soil is brown so we have to get some manure to get it fertilized before we can plant.
Below:Joy holding a chicken that we got her as her birthday gift.She is going to start a small chicken project.


















The house is a little bigger compared to our former house(both inside and outside).It will allow us to do a few more extra things we have always wanted.I will blog about what these extra things are.....Our favorite thing about the house happens to be the garden and all the interior space.

Its about 80% done..so right now it's both a home and construction site.We will post more pictures especially of the interior decor that Joy is putting together.We are theming the entire house with the African kikoyi....

Well,I think this is it for now....I wonder how many steps these are so far?

SP and JOY

ROAD TRIP TO EASTERN UGANDA

Joy and i finally took a trip we have been meaning to since the beginning of 2010.It was refreshing to get away from the noise and activity of the city and instead enjoy another rhythm of life.We traveled to eastern Uganda,a place where i was born and raised.It had a lot of history.while there we both were constanatly reminded of how far the Lord has brought us.

We are back home and feeling a lot more refreshed.
I hope you enjoy the pictures and that they can tell an understandable story.

Love
SP and JOY




The use of bicycles as a means of transport is a common thing in the eastern part of the country.Bicycles can be used by kids as well as adults to carry just about anything.

In most parts of the country,you dont have to go to the store to buy vegetables,fruit or even meat.The road side is used to sell foodstuffs.Good thing is they are usually fresh, right from the garden.We bought some of the food on our way back.







This building that used to be an army shop,was turned into a church.I attended and served in this church when i was on break from University.It just reminded me of the journey God has allowed us to walk.

And down below...it is common to find cows,goats and other forms of animals right in the middle of the road.So when driving you not only look out for pedestrians but also these road users...





The little hut above is my dad's house.. and these kids were attracted to the camera and enjoyed having their pictures taken.










Two african kids with blue eyes.......never seen anything like this!



Thank you once again....
SP and JOY

THE DREAM THAT IS GABRIEL LUTALO ONABA

I have been thinking about my son.I honestly miss and love him so much.It is funny how the tears have slowly but surely given way to sweet and pleasant memories.I remember before he was born,he would move a certain way whenever i touched his mother's womb or when he heard my voice.It was so cool.

I have never gotten over the fact that he only responded to jazz music.He would move on end whenever he heard jazz music.As i think about it now i really enjoyed having him the 42 weeks God allowed us to be with Him.It was a special something we had going.

Gabriel was a sign from God of His (God's) preesnce with us...immanuel.....The thought of Gabriel is a constant reminder that God is with us.This and other things have been a great source of comfort to Joy and myself.

Gabriel also represented (and still does) a dream of a new generation.A generation that is raised different from the way we were raised....(largely as orphans,absent fathers and mothers,broken,abused,poverty,polygamy sorcery,godless etc etc) We are committed to raisng a generation where parents are present,where one husband marries one wife for life,where children are taught the ways of their Maker,a generation that is not orphaned,abandoned and abused.

A generation that loves God and live their life fully devoted to Him and Him alone.This is a legacy we desire to pass on to Gabriel's siblings and others...

We have also been thinking about a healthy way to rememebr him.We have no specific ideas at this point.We know we have heard about people who start a fund,a school, a some thing...i dont know.What i do know is we want to do something that captures the dream and spirit he represented.

Ideas and thoughts are welcome.

SP

A DATE IN THE VILLAGE

Two things happened yesterday....

First,i took Joy out for our weekly date to Bombo,a little village about 20 minutes from Kampala city where we are setting up the goat/pig project.We both had fun.We just found out (not too long ago) that we both somehow enjoy going on trips,just being on the road.I think this discovery and desire was stirred up after our trip to see the Grand Canyon with the Fullers last year.

Joy took some pictures......We both laughed about how romantic it was to have a date in some remote village garden/bush.

This is the site for the pig/goat project which being cleared.


These are snake eggs we discovered.


Joy loved these stray butterflies


This is me working with the guyz



Second,after we came back, i had a little accident.While opening the car door,i hit my right eye brow so hard that i split it into two.There was a little bleeding but not for long.We had to rush to the hospital and have the tear stitched.It was not too bad. I ma actually fine save for some minimal pain.The doctor used removable stitches that will be taken off on Friday.So right now my eyebrow has whiskers......(Joy took a picture of this too,hope you can see it)


Anyhow that was our Monday.

Love
SP and JOY Onaba

DAY OUT AT LAKE VICTORIA

Joy and I were able to get out of the city and spend some really quality time together.We traveled to Entebbe by the shores of Lake Victoria.We both have been wanting to enjoy the lake,ocean or whatever huge what body we could access.

Cant really capture everything but we did take some pictures....hope you enjoy them and this is also our way to say..

We are back to blogging.






Blessings
SP and JOY Onaba

A QUICK UPDATE

DECEMBER 2nd
We are in the final days of Joy’s pregnancy. As a matter of fact, her expected due date is December 2nd.We thus are on standby mode just in case anything happens. We will send you a more detailed update on what’s going on this side of the world after the baby is born.

The baby’s room is ready (you can see some pictures on our blog) and the expectation of seeing him has grown and become stronger. Joy and I are amazed at the mystery of loving someone so deeply even though you have never seen or touched them. One of the by products of this pregnancy on our marriage is a maturity that we sense our love has experienced.

GABRIEL ONABA
For a while we had been praying that God would speak to us regarding a name for our son. We looked thru several names before settling for Gabriel Onaba. Naming for us here in Africa is a big deal because your name carries with it a prophetic declaration of your destiny.

Susan Fuller (our host while in Vegas) suggested the name on facebook and that’s where I picked it up. Gabriel means devoted to God and our prayer for him is that he will be fully devoted to God all the days of life. Its pretty cool because it is in Susan’s house that Gabriel was conceived.

PRAYER
We continue to covet your prayers more so during this time that all will be well with the delivery of the baby.
We both have our times of anxiety, so pray that we will be rested and given wisdom to be the parents that God intends us to be to Gabriel.

GABRIEL'S ROOM

We finished setting up Gabriel's room.Two good friends of ours who are artists spent Friday night doing the painting and drawing. Joy and i could not believe our eyes when we woke up in the morning.It has become my favorite place in the house.

Check out the pictures...we wanted to capture a jungle theme.I hope we did.


















Love and Blessings
SP,JOY and Gabriel