Last night, I got a phone call from the Police, they were standing in front of the Amecet gate, but no one opened the gate for them. I called Amecet and they went to open the gate, the Police brought, together with a nurse from Soroti Hospital, a small 5 day old baby for safe keeping. The baby was born on the first on January in Soroti Hospital by a Cesarean operation. Someone had stolen the baby from the bed. The mother was discharged and went home, while the Police tried to trace for the baby. And they succeeded!!! So last night they got the baby and arrested the woman who had taken the child. They brought the baby to Amecet for care and safety. This morning a big group of people (16) came into Amecet, it was the Police and the father and mother of the baby, together with grandfathers, clan leaders of both sides (fathers and mothers side). It was such a joy to lay the little boy into the arms of the mother!! She was so happy, she had still a lot of pain from the operation, but she was smiling and shining all over when she saw her little son. After some talking the group left, with the little baby and they were very happy and thankful!!

James was born on Friday, December 28 at home, in a tiny hut, deep in the village. Someone helped his mother, but after he was born, things went terrible wrong... ..his mother started to bleed, the family looked for a way to get her (and James) to the nearby Health centre, but his mother passed away on the way to the centre..... The family turned back home and the next morning the family decided to bring James to Amecet, they had heard that they looked after baby's. They organized a motorbike and an uncle and an auntie started the 2,5 hour journey on the motorbike, with the tiny baby. (this was Saturday). It was my free day, so I got a phone call, that a new baby had arrived. I told them to take the baby in Amecet and just take all the details. One hour later, Dominique called, the baby was very small and very cold. The doctor of the neighbour's clinic had been called to see him, but we had to first try to warm him up, the temperature was even lower than the thermometer could read. The weight of the baby was 1.140 kg., this baby was very premature, even the family had told us that he was maybe 1 month early... 

WE WISH YOU ALL A WONDERFUL CHRISTMAS, ENJOYING BEING WITH FAMILY AND FRIENDS AND REMEMBERING THE GIFT OF LIFE, THE SON OF GOD, BORN TO GIVE US LIFE!!! WE PRAY FOR A GOOD LIFE IN 2019!!!

Friday was the official ending of the Amun week. In the morning we had a teaching about the good of education, with Elias and Andrew. Then the groups went to practice a drama about one of the lessons they have had. And after one hour they presented the drama's in the big group. It was fun to see the creativity of the different age groups about HIV/AIDS, honesty and family life. Of course we made our group picture and we had a nice meal with a soda. We also had the official ending in a big circle and giving our struggles to God, in believe that He will help us with the,m, because: everything is possible when I believe!!!!

....and more.........

Yesterday we talked a lot about HIV/AIDS. We did the first session in a quiz form, so that they were teaching each other. They really know a lot about HIV/AIDS. And  it was good to see them explaining to one another. We talked about the ARV medicines, all the children are on ARV's, they know where they talk about... Then we had a lesson about acceptance, that was a tough one. It is hard to accept your status, it is a process and we talked about the phases of that process: denial, anger, bargaining, depression and then the last one acceptance. The last item was: disclosure of your status to others, that was difficult, the children are afraid to be rejected. Many of them have been rejected so much in their life.. We gave some steps they could take. In the afternoon we had our four peer groups and they all talked a lot about the teaching from that morning. They were very open and shared their own experiences. Some were very painful.

Today we started with singing clapping and dancing, we only had half of the tent, because the other half had collapsed. Yesterday a big rainfall came down, just after our games and the tent fell. They came with new poles and while we were singing the tent was set up again. Julius is leading the singing, together with Sharon and Samuel.

Every year we invite all the older HIV+ children, who have been with us before in Amecet, for the Amun week. A week full of teaching, singing, sharing and having fun together. This year the theme is: "all things are possible, when I believe" and we gave them all a T shirt with the theme at the back. The children arrived on Saturday, they are all staying in Amun home, with some in Amecet home. We have a tent in the compound of Amun home, in the tent are all the meetings. We have 50 children staying with us, so we got extra staff to help with this event from the YWAM base. It is such a joy to see them back, some are now teenagers and they are going to secondary school. To thin k that some were baby's when they were in Amecet, or toddlers.  To see them all back gives me such an encouragement, all the children are HIV+ and they all are taking their ARV's, but they are a testimony that it is possible, that they can live normal lives. Of course it is not always easy, there are problems and specially when they are getting older. We try to listen to them and also to give advice and encouragement,. There are also children from 10, 11 and 12 years old, they have still to learn a lot, but it is so good to see the older children, take care of the young one's.

In August we got this little mini girl

As people, all over the world, remember their loved ones who passed away due to HIV/AIDS, we  at Amecet do it also on our own humble way. We lost this year 7 children, not all on HIV/AIDS, some were too small to check.....We remember every child, several staff members tell their story, we say their name and we light a candle. We remember where they came from, how their situation was and how they passed away. It is painful and some tears are flowing again, one staff member narrated how one little girl came in Amecet, due to malnutrition and sickness, the mother had died after the delivery. The baby went home after some months, very healthy, then  one morning  in July of this year, the father came at the gate, the baby got sick and was admitted in the hospital, where she died. He was on his way home, with the body of his little girl in a sack, which he left outside our gate, because he didn't know if we would allow him in with a dead body..... (read the blog of 4/7/2018) Some of us cried again, hearing this story, the suffering is so great... The little pre-mature baby, whose mother had down syndrome and was raped.  The baby lived only 5 days.... Another girl of 13 years old, she died of HIV/AIDS, she suffered so much (blog 11/6/2018). We know those little one's are with Jesus, their suffering is over, no more injections, no more ARV's and no more pain!! But sometimes you get overwhelmed by the pain and suffering of the children, there are so many more who are sick and rejected. We always have a big vase with flowers on the table, next to the candles, these flowers represent the children who went  back home well and who are shining and blossom!! We end our small ceremony with singing songs of thanksgiving to God for all that we could do in His name through Amecet.... For some we are a doorway to Heaven, for many a way to shine again!!

Every year it is a big happening, the graduation of our Harmony Pre-school!! It is every time such a joy to see those little one's in a gown and wit a cap! They are so proud of themselves, they are still so young and innocent... There were 40 graduates, this year. It was a nice party, we started a bit late, the electricity went off, so they had to go for a generator. There were two tents, but there was so much wind (as it is the beginning of the hot season) one of the tents went almost into the air, so all the parents took their chair and moved in the shade of a big tree.

Lately, we have been receiving children with such  sad and sometimes horrible stories. It almost breaks your heart, when you realize what is going on.... The baby that was rescued from the pit latrine, after 5 hours being inside the pit, thrown in by the mother. She is struggling at the moment.... Then there was a baby brought in Amecet from the maternity ward in the Hospital. The mother  killed at night the grandmother, who was taking care of them in the hospital. She was stabbed  to death. The mother was taken to the Police, the family was outraged (it was the mother of the father who died) and the baby left in the hospital. The baby was brought to Amecet, because the family was too upset to care for the baby. The last news we got from them is that also the father is now admitted in the psychiatric ward... Last week a child of 2 years was brought, his mother died and the father has been lynched some months ago, when he tried to rob a motorcycle and killed the driver in the process...  Two days ago a baby of 6 months was brought, the mother has a mental illness and the child was not safe at home......When you look into their eyes, you can just see the suffering, as young as they are. We try very hard to get a smile on their face, but it is very hard at times.... I am sometimes worried, where will the children go back to?? Who will care for them?? Who will dry their tears?? Who will protect them?? We need the hand of the Lord, we need the wisdom of the Lord. I know that He cares for them and I am honored to be His Hand and Voice where I can........