Special Needs Update:
The special needs program is really growing thanks to what
God is doing here.
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Physiotherapist 2 days a week
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Occupational Therapist has returned after being
very sick for a long time
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We now have 2 full time staff who work with the children
who have special needs.
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Converted building called the Agape Childcare
Center for Medical clinic, offices, therapy, and sensory room.
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Sensory Room filled with ball pit, trampoline,
sensory items, cd player, and tent.
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We are blessed to have experts in special needs
and physiotherapy who we can call, come by to visit, and who love and work with
our kids!
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Met with other groups working with children who
have special needs in the area
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Had a staff meeting for GSF about our children
who have special needs where 8 people attended! There were 2 physiotherapists, an
Occupational Therapist, Childcare director, a Nurse, and 2 special needs
assistants.
*In January we will start a full day
schedule for the children who have special needs from 8 to 5 including social
skills, work, academics, behavior, life skills, self-help, and more!
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| Some of the children with special needs playing in the new sensory room |
Missionary
Kid School Update:
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They have finished their second 9 weeks and are
in their 3rd 9 weeks of school here.
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He just finished his 2nd round of
parent/teacher conferences which is different since all the parents are
coworkers at GSF.
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They will take 2 weeks off for Christmas just
like they do in America.
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Katie is excited to give Cody a honey do list
during his time off J
·
The other teachers are seeing a difference in
the way the students are writing and their grammar since Cody has come which is
really exciting!
·
Cody has been spending time with a missionary
kid who is here for a long break from boarding school.
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| Cody reading with his youngest class of missionary kids |
Prayers:
Kids on holiday in the villages
visiting extended family
Cody is leading Team Building
Activities for the Older/University students from GSF on Monday
Continued prayer for safe travel
daily to and from work
Our hearts as we are away from
family and friends during the holidays
Communication:
The communication from home is
such a blessing to us! We were so excited to receive cards from our home
church, E3, a care package from some dear friends, and to receive Facebook
messages and emails is always a treat! The best messages are life updates! We
just want to know what is going on at home. The little stuff, the big stuff,
and the in-between. J
It is just nice to know what is going on and to feel more connected to our home
and the people we love.
Christmas in Uganda:
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There are Christmas Trees and lights in the
shopping malls.
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Some stores are decorated for Christmas.
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We celebrate Christmas with the kids going on
Holiday before and after Christmas.
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The hardest part is that it is not cold here!
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We play Christmas music a lot to remind
ourselves that it is Christmas time J
·
Our house is now decorated for Christmas.
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The missionaries drew families for Christmas,
and we are working to put together a gift basket for our “family”.
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| Our house ready for Christmas |
Funnies:
The neighborhood ladies were peeking
into our house to see the Christmas lights, and they called them “smart,” which
means fancy or very nice. I have never thought of Christmas lights as “smart.” J
The childcare missionaries are
practicing a dance with all of the housemoms for the Staff Christmas Party. The
dance is new to most of the moms because it is from Eastern Uganda, and most of
them are from the west. I practiced with them for the first time, and they
immediately said that I am from Eastern Uganda. J
When we were setting up our Christmas
lights at our house, we both got seriously shocked by the strands of lights. We
will not be touching them when the power is on again!
One of the Missionary Kids is
working on photography, so she offered to take family pictures, so we took her
up on that. This picture is one of my favorites…Yes…He does have grass in his
mouth.
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| Our relationship summarized... |
