Quick Share!

Cornerstone Development, the NGO I am under these days, regularly puts out a beautiful newsletter.  I am not in this newsletter, but many of the people I work with are.  This particular issues shows how much Cornerstone is Growing and the amazing impact our people are having on society!

Enjoy!

Cornerstone Development's Newsletter

Post 200!

This is my 200th post!  Wow!!  This blog has been up and running since June 2009, with a 9 month break in there... because I was working in the states.  Thanks to all my followers and regular readers!  I enjoy sharing my adventures with all of you.  Enjoy this post..

200 hundred posts!  Fantastic ... is this dish really clean, Henry?

The Fun side of Masaka 10 Principles Course!

This particular version of this course was aimed at team building and working together.  Living in the NET house for a whole week, we had a ton of fun!  The course included several times when the participants had to do skits, and every time the whole group was dying of laughter by the end.   Things also got really fun around dish washing and meal times, as well as the heated competition to see if the men or women would all be first to class.   The added joy of 2, six month old babies, was the icing on the cake... they brought all of us joy and delight as we learned how to be agents of our own development!

Leadership Skits (Uganda's first Woman CEO! hehee)

Things got a little competitive...

With loads of laughter...

To see if the boys or girls would all be the first to make it to class... her the boys won, but only by a fraction of a second.

Servant Leadership:  Gerald and I doing dishes

Prepping communication skits... and dying with laughter.... 2nd best photo of the course!

Babies?  Why yes, we had 2 six month old babies on our course!  Check out Denis's face...

Workin' together, and having a real laugh

Taxi?   Communication Skit involving a very funny taxi conductor

Leadership Skits:  "I need to go talk to the CEO"

Leadership Skits:  "I'm the big man here!"

After all this fun, Carol and I were very tired.  Carol is dead asleep here .. with her feet up!

Masaka: Ten Principles of Leadership Course

 Teaching Photos:   Patrick, Carol and I facilitated an 11 talk, 5 day course.  It was fantastic to have a TEAM helping me with this course!  The Ten Principles of Leadership Course was given to the NET Ministries team, and 16 people went through the course.  It was a fantastic time of learning, growing, team building, laughter and hugs!   An amazing week in all... the next several posts will be photo posts showing this training!

Patrick giving the first talk

Teaching about time management with rocks in a bottle

Carol teaching

Carol teaching 2

Using bricks to illustrate how our lives need to have a firm foundation

Carol with her bricks

Patrick talking about the importance of a cornerstone and a firm foundation

Teachin'

Videos!

These are two special videos I took recently.

I took this video after our safari.  A group of Ugandans had gathered under a tree, waiting for the boat.  The man playing this traditional instrument is blind!!  And they told me that he was singing about HIV prevention in their local language.   After I took this video I had a chance to play one of these cool guitar like instruments.

The man singing happy birthday is Denis, we share a desk at Cornerstone.  He's a lot of fun and sang to me on my birthday!

I don't know who is talking, me or E, but check out those ears!

Of life's adventures...

Because I finally have a camera, I can do this post mostly in pictures!  Enjoy!

Life out my window:  Boys swinging on my local mango tree

 Dorothy's Wedding:  Dorothy was one of my students when I did some teaching for a group called CCRYM.  She is a lovely woman, and I was able to attend her wedding.  

Rings

Vows

The wedding was made especially fun because I became an adopted parent during the ceremony!  My friend Jude and I were handed a baby and told to take care of him throughout the mass!  It was great fun.  Here the baby, Victor, is not crying, but talking very loudly.  It was a great adventure.  

A VERY pink cake

I generally attend weddings to see my friends, and to network.  Thankfully Maria was at this wedding and I got to spend some quality time with a good friend.  :)  

Arrival at the reception

Cutting the ribbon into the reception

Dorothy and Francis!

This is Buganda traditional wear

Mixing Fashion:  Buganda dresses, Nigerian head pieces

A great Ugandan tradition... sparklers on the cake!

My birthday was actually probably worse this year than it was last year... and that is saying something for sure.  Last year was pretty bad...

My plans all got destroyed at the last minute, and I had to make a hasty exit to Rwanda.  Thankfully a crew of people from Cornerstone were already heading to Rwanda, so I joined them for a crazy, 36 hour trip.  I am glad I had people to travel with, it made it more fun!

No matter how terrible the day was... 11/11/11 at 11:11 is pretty cool!  I have a few pictures of 11:11:11 too  :)

My manuals got finished on my birthday!  These are the books to run the 10 principles of Leadership course... 65 pages each!

My dear Carol spent more of the working day with me!  :)  Love her...

Rwanda was a blur.  The bus was suppose to leave Kampala at 10:30 pm, getting us to Kigali in time to change and go to Cornerstone Leadership Academy graduation.  But the bus didn't arrive until 2:15 AM!! 

We reached Kigali at 11:30, and didn't get to CLA until 1 pm.  The program was basically over.  We spent the night with Wendy and Phil, that was a lovely time to visit.  The next morning we got up at 4 am, and were on the bus leaving Kigali at 5:45 am!

Tim Krutter, Cornerstone Executive Director, speaking to the new graduates.

CLW Rwanda graduates in traditional wear

Graduates listening to Tim

Non graduates cutting and serving the cake

The Rest of the story...

The safari was great.  We had our adventure out of the park the next day, and onto Kampala.

We spent Wednesday to Saturday in Kampala.   On Wednesday Elizabeth gave a time management presentation to the Cornerstone Youth Corps mentors and office staff.  It went well, I think they enjoyed it.  Councilor, the head of youth corps, then gave an orientation to Elizabeth and Suzanna (who joined us).  They got to see our offices and meet the people I work with. 

Thursday we went to Emmaus Center in Luwero.  It was nice for her to see the place she had heard about, and also get to meet more of my people.  We happened to be able to catch a ride back to Kampala, and my friend Denis from Masaka joined us.  We had a nice chat in the car ride. 

Friday we went shopping for gifts and different things.  Saturday we had a nice morning in and afternoon with Esther.  We went out for Indian, and got our toes done. :) The last few days together were nice and relaxing after a bit of a busy start.  Esther and I dropped Elizabeth off around 11 pm, which was good because her check in was already open. 

She got home safely, and I think we can both agree it was a very nice time together! 

Thanksgiving Email Update

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Safari Photos!!

Elizabeth took me on Safari!!  It was a beautiful day, with our own private guide.  I hope you enjoy the photos!  If you click on a photo, they will all come up in a nice photo viewer for a better look!