The Board of Directors and Administration of Restore Academy


Inside the classroom...

Restore Academy held a conference with the board of directors to concerning the establishment of core values, and to discuss the development plan for the school. The board consists of teachers, pastors, and community elders. The sessions centered around living out the gospel in love, and creating a safe, enriching learning environment for the students.

A meeting with the Ugandan Head Trainer (Soccer Coach)

Laker (law-kay), one of my two close colleagues with Restore, has been organizing a youth soccer gathering from kids in Gulu. The kids gather every late-afternoon to play soccer. This provides a wonderful opportunity for Laker and other mentors to encourage the kids to avoid the dangers of the streets, to have respect for their brothers, and to work as a team. Laker is extremely well connected, and invited Stone, the head soccer trainer in Uganda, to come and speak to the kids. This would be the equivalent of Vince Lombardi in the 60's visiting a youth football program in rural Wisconsin. Stone encouraged the kids to continue to take care of their bodies, to practice physical and mental discipline, and lit a fire of hope within them when he shared with them the national soccer community's desire to tap into the talent of the youth in Gulu. "Your legs can take you far...can pay for your education...can even lead you to fields around the world."

Most of the kids can't afford shoes, so they play barefoot

Stone, Laker, and another Ugandan National League Player

Things are going well here... two groups comprising 6 Americans in all have arrived this week, and are settling in, developing relationships, and helping out wherever they can. I'll send an update soon... Hope everyone is well...bye for now!

The Dusty Road to Gulu

The highway to Gulu

Holy Cow they're different here!

Baboons along Gulu road

Uganda has been amazing . It's literally been a whirlwind of dusty potholed roads, huts, jerry cans, bucket showers, fine houses with servants, elder meetings, and tons of wonderful, welcoming new friends. I'll go days without seeing another white person, which is definitely a new experience for me. Kids often smile and wave, saying Munu hi! We're known as Munus and Muzungus (in luo-Acholi and Luganda languages). The really little ones are often scared, which is pretty funny, but hey, if you'd never seen white skin before, that'd be pretty alarming! There's always the rare exception though, as today the cutest little girl I've ever seen (she's 1 1/2, walked up to me with bright eyes and seemed fascinated. She stuck out here hand and looked stunned as I smiled and took her's in mine.

Africa is hot. The rumor's true. But as I looked up during a tribal land meeting under a mango tree today, there was a palm-tree set against the beautiful expansive sky and I thought, "this is paradise."

Outside my window right now I'm hearing chants and instruments from the IDP camps behind the house where I'm staying. It's difficult for me to describe the sound, but picture a national geographic documentary soundtrack. It's kind of crazy to be typing this on an almost state of the art cumputer and sending it half way around the world in a second, while meanwhile there is tribal chanting and dancing going on a hundred yards away. This is Africa...cell phones and huts.

It's absolutely pouring outside right now... Todo was right... The good news is, the landcruiser's now clean...

Come fly the friendly skies...

Flew out on Horizon to Seattle, then on to Amsterdam....and finally....24 hours later, I arrived in Entebbe, Uganda. Flights went great, and the luggage all made it, so no complaints! Plus you know I love to fly :)

The Alps from 30,000





My new friend Allen, a guard at the Lorenzen's in Kampala