DUBAI

The first word that came to mind when entering Dubai is

EXTRAVAGANT... meaning;

  

• Lacking restraint in spending money or using resources
• Exceeding what is reasonable or appropriate; absurd
• Excessively elaborate in style
• Lavish and excessive

All of these words perfectly describe Dubai.

The Dubai flag

The United Arab Emirates flag consists of four colors: red, green, white, and black. The Emirati flag is rectangular in shape, its length double its width, and it is divided into four rectangular bands. On the hoist side of the flag there is a vertical red band. The top stripe is green, the middle one is white and the bottom dash is black. It looks similar to the letter E.

The Red means:  Security

The Black means: Natural Resources

The Green means: Prosperity

The white means:  Peace

The Date Palm Tree

The Date Palm tree is the National tree for Dubai.  They are everywhere, and the date fruit is offered at almost every meal.  The custom in Dubai’s history is to use the date palm leaves for many different things such as houses, boats, ropes and bags.  However, Dubai has come a long way since then!...

The Islamic architecture is the most photographed in the world….

The Atlantis

The Burj al Arab

Dubai boasts the tallest building in the world; The Burj Khalifa is known as the new urban masterpiece.  It has 160 floors with a viewing platform on level 124.  The elevator goes up 10 metres per second which is very fast.

There is also The Atlantis 7 star hotel which has the famous Lost Chambers within.  The only way to get to this hotel is to go through an under ground  600 metre tunnel under the Arabian sea.  And of course we cant forget the Palm resort that is shaped as a date palm in the Arabian Sea.  It has 17 branches that can be seen from space.  Also, the world residential islands.  Many famous people have bought one of these with a starting price from 10 million to 100 million on the water!  No joke!! These iconic buildings have up to 2000 visitors a day!

Another well known building is The Burj al Arab.  It is built 300 metres out on the Arabian ocean and 321 metres high.  It is shaped as a breaking wave or a giant sail.  It has a reef aquarium for the guests that can only be visited by a submarine.  Seriously… everything here is totally extravagant!

SHOPPING!

Ok. So we visited the biggest shopping centre in the world.  You name it, they have it.  Including an ice rink, large water fountain that puts on a spectacular show to music every night, an indoor aquarium.  That is only naming a few things.  We got to visit only for a short time, well five hours actually.  But it apparently takes 3 days to walk around it!  So we didn’t get to see that much!  We had an amazing steak and chips (that is all I had been craving since leaving home) and a pedicure.  The red African soil on our feet was very obvious. 

One thing that was amazing about the Dubai Mall is that each level has the same type of products.  For example, if you wanted to buy children’s clothing or toys it would be all together on the same level, side by side.  If you wanted to buy electrical equipment it would all be together.  It just seemed so practical to me and something I wish Australia would adopt. It means that even though it is the biggest shopping centre in the world, it can still seem small to the locals who come and visit regularly, instead of walking back and forth for hours like we do!

There are also many many moscs in Dubai.  The opinion in the Jumerah moscs is that “Open doors = Open minds”

So when visiting Dubai they open up the doors of the moscs to all non muslims and visitors to come and have a taste of what they believe. Islam means submission to spiritual and temporal behaviour, which is why there is a prayer call five times a day throughout the nation.  Friday is their holy day.

The Old Souke Markets

I was in shoe heaven!

We were only in Dubai for 3 days, but we definitely made the most of  every minute.  We went on a tour bus that dropped as at a museum and then the Old Souk Markets.  It was an incredible experience.  The sights, smells and sounds captivated us upon entering.  What I loved is that you can negotiate every price!  I truly wish I had an empty suitcase to fill!

One of my Henna Tattoos

We then on an Arabian Safari.  Nothing like the one in Africa!  We went out into the dessert in 4 wheel drives and watched the sun go down.  The driver drove very very fast over the sand dunes, it was so scary, I felt like I was at dreamworld!  I also think the louder we screamed the faster he would go!  I was so sure we were going to roll.  We asked him if this was his first time driving…he said yes!   He was joking!  The Arabs actually have a great sense of humour, we were just not expecting it on the first occasion when we arrived at 2 am off the plane and the concierge apologized that our booking was cancelled.  We were so not impressed, but he said that the look on our faces was worth it!  We then arrived at a beautiful place where we rode on camels, watched belly dancing, got henna tattoos and ate an authentic Arabian meal.  We met some great people.  Everyone has a different story to tell… I love it!

Christmas Traditions

Christmas arrived with gusto for me this year. I came back from Africa only five days before.  It didn't even feel like Christmas in Uganda. They are not as extravagant as we are with decorations, music and advertising everywhere like we are here in Australia.   I thought I was organised before leaving but it became very apparent that I wasn't!  I didn't realise how many presents I had to wrap. Why did I have 5 kids again? Oh my goodness...

Christmas Cooking!

A Favourite Tradtion!

You see my husband Martin is Danish. So they celebrate Christmas on Christmas eve only. It is always a great time together with family. It works out great for us...Christmas Eve with Martin's family and Christmas Day with my family.
The Danes have so many unique traditions. One of them is walking around the Christmas tree holding hands and singing Christmas carols before opening the presents.  Really puts things into perspective!
It is lots of fun for the children and can be very moving too when singing some of the more traditional carols like "Oh Holy Night".  Another tradition is the "Almond game". A whole blanched almond is hidden in a rice pudding, also with chopped up almonds in (they only eat this pudding on Christmas Eve, no other time of the year). The idea of the game is to find the almond while eating the pudding without biting it..AND without telling anyone. You have to discreetly get it out of your mouth without anyone seeing!  If you are lucky enough to do all that, you then receive an awesome present. There is usually one for the adults and one for the kids. Martin always wins because he eats 5 times more than anyone else!

So it got me thinking....what are some of the traditions that we have as Australians or in the Hansen family?
I never thought we had any, just like I thought I didn't have an accent either, well until going to Africa!  So apart from the obvious.... beach, prawns on the BBQ, I couldn't think of anything.  So I thought I  would share our Hansen family tradition that we do every year.

1.  After having our children, Christmas suddenly took on a whole new level. They rip open the presents, fling the paper over the shoulder only to want more! So many years ago after the carnage of one Christmas morning, I was grieved feeling like we had lost the true meaning of Christmas. So I decided that every Christmas morning we would have a party for Jesus!  With balloons, streamers and a chocolate cake for breakfast. We light the candles and sing happy birthday. The week leading up to Jesus birthday we talk lots about it in preparing for "the party" just like we would for any other member of our family. I have found this really works and creates a good atmosphere for my kids as we start opening presents.

Happy Birthday Jesus!

2.  When we do open the presents, I set a new set of rules all those years ago too.... One person only chooses a present for someone and gives it to them. We all watch them open it and comment. Then that person chooses a gift for someone else and we then watch them open it. It goes on like that until all presents are opened.

  

Yes... It does take a long while!  

But I was determined to find a way for the children to take the focus off themselves and onto others. 

It's so ok to have fun on Christmas Day and indulge in food and gifts, but we just need to remember the real reason for this season!

ARRIVING HOME...AT LAST!

Home at last!....

                                                   We flew from Dubai to Singapore, then Singapore to Melbourne. 

Our husband's looking very anxious that our
plane lands safely

It was actually good, because that allowed us to go through customs then freshen up in the bathrooms after our 15 hour flights.. Trust me, we needed it! 


We then arrived home (Cooloongatta)  on a domestic flight from Melbourne. Everyone was probably wondering what on earth all the fuss was for, just from Melbourne! You see my family and friends were there to greet us. They made signs that we could see from a long way off before we even came through the doors! my son Joshua made the most amazing card I have ever received! It has me on the front holding one of the African babies from Uganda and on the inside he spent hours drawing a map of the world with all the countries and a flight path of where I had been! One that I will cherish for ever!

The amazing card Josh made for me!

 Then if that wasn't enough, my mother had many balloons connected by string with welcome back written all over them. She then proceeded to wrap them around me! It was an incredible scene, one that I will never forget. It was so good to be home, I almost wanted to kiss the ground! When we were going through customs, I truly never thought I would miss the greeting "g'day mate, how's it going".  When I heard those words I nearly cried! I might be more patriotic then I thought!

It was so good to see all my children again, I'm sure they have all grown in 3 weeks! When we finally arrived back to house, the kids were so proud to say they had cleaned up the house.  The house was totally spotless! What a relief that was!! 

Kylie and Jaccii made huge signs!

My beautiful Angela

Brodie and Corey

My big boy Lachlan who is now taller than me!

Since coming back I have missed a lot of things in Ugands, but since being home I have found more things to be greateful for that I used to take for granted...

A few things I am now more grateful for:

• Drinking water from a tap and
• Brushing my teeth with tap water
• Home cooked meal (Aussie style!)
• Not squatting for a toilet
• Hot, looong showers
• Clean air
• My iPhone 4 and great telstra coverage!
• Australian currency that I understand!
• Driving my own car
• Traffic lights and road rules
• Not living out of a suitcase
• My amazing pillow top kingsize bed! (without mosquito nets)
• Being a mother to my 5 amazing children
• And of course my husband... It turns out that absence does make the heart grow fonder!

Mixed Emotions...Sad to Leave Uganda

 Murchison Falls

We got up early and left in time to catch a ferry across the Nile. I am sad to leave the Paraa Safari Lodge. For me it felt like were living at sizzler... With an amazing buffet at every meal!

We drove through Wadongo forest where they do chimp tracking (we only saw Baboons though!), then stopped at Murchison Falls.. That was spectacular! There is such a sad history with these falls.  In the 1960s Idi amin was the army chief of staff he stormed the royal palace and through the kings out and anyone else who was against him into the River Nile.  Yoweri Museveni and his brother started tactics to take over from the government in the 80s and only came into power in the 90s when they put a stop to all the killings. Praise god!

Our return to Kampala was 6 long bumpy hours. Oh my gosh I wish Watoto added sports bra to the packing list!  We then stopped at the church office to pick up our passports, (they keep them in a safe for us during our stay).   And of course we got to stop at the markets one last time since we have been begging Colin (our host)to every day.   He just doesn't understand why women love babies and shopping so much! So we have been training him up for his future wife!  He was telling us that in Uganda you have to save up and buy cows, chooks and goats to give to the wife's family in order for them to allow her to marry him. And the quality and amount of animals that you give determines how well the husband will provide for their daughter! Talk about pressure!

For lunch we went out to a "western" restaurant it was great since breakfast was 9 hours earlier. For dinner we were shouted by Watoto to an Italian restaurant for an APPRECIATION dinner which they do to all volunteers who come to serve. We felt very privileged and honored to spend time with annie the director of the bulrushes baby home. We heard many amazing stories of some the babies that have come through the Bulrushes. She had our full attention all night. We asked many questions!
We are now back home (At Kampala) and trying to figure out how I am going to pack my suitcase and get all my African artifacts through customs!! Arrgh!


As our time in Africa draws to a close I am reflecting on James 1:27
Religion that God our father accepts as pure and faultless is this; to look after the orphans and widows and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.

I  would love for God to see me as pure and faultless or at least see that my heart wants to be. But not being polluted by the world is very hard when it is all around us.  This journey to Africa has helped me to see life with a different perspective. Sharing a life experience with 7 different people from around the world - the good time, the bad times, the ugly times, the sad times. But this has only made me stronger in Who I am in God. I endeavour to go home with my heart and mind enlarged and live life unselfishly by the grace of God. 
I think what it means is to enlarge our mind as well not just our capacity to serve in church or our workplace or even in our families.   Sometimes we can even put borders on our thinking.  My perspective of God after my journey to Africa has broken all mindsets and only enlarged the territory of my thoughts now. God is so much bigger than we can ask think or imagine just like the scripture reminds us. Ephesians 3:20

Sad to say goodbye to our amazing team...

God has totally exceeded all my expectations above and beyond anything I imagined before I came here....and this is only the beginning! 

We were so sad on the plane after saying good-bye at the airport

 

SAFARI

We left Gulu early to head for Safari at the Paraa Lodge. 

It was a four hour road trip that seemed to go fast because we were so excited.  Except for the toilet stop which was a hole in the ground... not a nice experience, but relief all the same!

Upon arriving it was so nice to see electricity and water was all working after being in Gulu!  Its a 5 star lodge and very warm and welcoming.  We were told that the wildlife is very close by and not to leave our doors open because baboons come in and steal things!  So funny..

Last night when we were getting ready for bed we heard noises, and right outside our door we saw hippos with a baby eating, then not long after we saw 3 large elephants and a baby.  They were knocking down trees in the process.  The guards nearby didn't waste anytime in making noise to encourage them to move on.  Apparently the hippos like to eat the short grass because it doesn't poke up their noses!

I have found out lots of interesting information while staying here on Safari.

Here are some of the things I have learnt:

• The animal like Pumba in the Lion King (Wart Hog) walks backwards into his home
• The Crane birds stay faithful all their life to their partner bird, (they are also on the Ugandan Flag and Money)
• Antelope are also faithful partners remaining with the same one for life!
• Antelope are also very forgetful, they forget where and why they are running then stop, and usually get eaten by a lion! (Hence the term "like a deer in headlights!") Thats why they are better in groups.
• The Safari we went on cover over 8500 square metres
• The Lodge is located right on the River Nile
• This lodge is 12 km from the Congo (Where the LRA are), but takes much longer by car
• When male buffalos get old, they kicked out of their herds and live the rest of their life alone
• The giraffes that are darker in colour are very old and male only
• If the lioness takes too long to bring back dinner, the male lion eats the babies!
• They sleep for 20 ours a day and divorce after mating
• People only fear elephants and not lions.  They look the lions in the eyes and they run off, but elephants charge
• Birds are always on elephants backs because they pick ticks off them to eat
• The elephants gestation period is 22 months
• They live to be 80 years old
• An adult elephant weighs 6000 kgs
• A baby elephant weighs 250 kgs
• Elephants have a 40 year memory, (If a poacher comes and tries to kill them, they will remember them years later!)
• Crocs fear hippos 
• I have also learnt to get out of the car and push next time when bogged in mud, and not to think of any unsuspecting animals lurking! 
• Hippos stay in groups of only one dominate male and the rest female
• The male hippo weighs 5000 kgs
• The female hippo weighs 3500 kgs
• Hippos like coming to graze on short grass during the night because they hate the long grass going up their noses!

LIVING HOPE, GULU

Living Hope...

Some of the Living Hope Women

Today we had the privilege of visiting Living Hope in Gulu. I have been so looking forward to this visit. 

Initially we all have dignity, but some have been stripped of that through bad circumstances. 
Living hope is here to restore dignity back to the women of Uganda who are vulnerable to or have aids. Also women who have been affected by the war. Some of these women have been physically mutilated and have lived to tell thier story. They come here to learn to be self sufficient. 

Living Hope is giving these women a hand UP not a hand OUT...

They have the opportunity to:

• Learn adult literacy and maths
• Have trauma counseling
• Have medical treatment for free
• To have Child care for free so they can go and work 
• Discipleship classes
• Receive food distribution for their family
• Make peanut butter and sell it
• Sew bags, and dolls and place mats to sell

Another incentive that they are about to launch is sanitary pads made by hand from recycled paper and papyrus paper. This is huge for living hope and will give freedom to all women as it will allow them to go out and continue working during their menstrual week when usually women are confined to their homes during this time.   

All of these things have dramatically changed the lives of the these vulnerable women who can now feel like they are part of something bigger than themselves and contribute to the community with honor and respect. If women do not have these things at a young age, they have no choice but to leave school early and get married so they are not a burden on their family. Or get a job which they cannot do if they have no education. Many of these women have had facial reconstruction after parts of their faces have been cut off by the LRA.


Some of the experiences these women have been through are unthinkable and indescribable which is why they are vulnerable and feel hopeless. So living hope does just that... It restores hope alive in these women who have lost everything. Some of these women were raped by the LRA and fell pregnant. Some of these babies have been found in the bushes during the war, because they couldn't be taken care of or the mother was abducted.  These babies are now 18 months old and at Baby Watoto Gulu. 


If you would like to sponsor these women of find out more about their stories go to: www.watoto.com.org.

COURAGE IN GULU....

COURAGE IN GULU...


We visited Gulu today, finally arrived after a four hour journey! We went to our guest house which was amazing.  We drove through a little village with mud huts to be welcomed by big steel gates and a large brick fence surrounding two beautiful houses.  The fence had razor wire along the top of it.  It looks alarming, but it is only for our safety.  There is a guard that stands watch 24hours a day which is comforting to know while we are sleeping.






We visited Gulu Watoto village, the children came running up to us.  We joined them in a game of skipping which was lots of fun, I haven't done that for years!

Children living in the village just outside our guesthouse

This village sits on 100 acres.  It is still fairly new so no as much established yet as Bbirra or Subbi.  There are 8 clusters of houses.  Each cluster is made up of 8 houses too.  This village also has a school which includes all the building for wood works, mechanics, home ec and steel works.  This village is approximately 120 km away from the Sudan border, where the LRA, (Lords Resistance Army) used to have full reign.  The children in these homes have been the most effected by the war.  As each child comes into the village to live with a family they 




often need ongoing counselling for the transition because they have been so traumatised by there past.  Praise God the LRA do not have control in Uganda anymore.  Gulu is the location of The Invisible Children DVD in 2006, that some of you may of heard about. (http://www.invisiblechildren.com).

   The invisible children left this area everyday around 2pm and walked to the nearest village till about 7pm where they would sleep the night in large deserted buildings.  The war got so bad that everyone fled their villages and moved on.  When Watoto found this land for the village it was totally deserted and people did not want to come near it.  But the vision of Watoto was to not only help the children but to also portray a message of peace and encourage the people to come back to the village.  It is only now that people are starting to move back because Joseph Coney (The leader of the LRA) is not around anymore.  There is a man named Sam Childers who is an American now living in Sudan.  He is known as The Machine Gun Preacher.  I have just finished reading his book about his life and how he came to Africa.  I would recommend this book to anyone who is interested in whats going on over here.  It is the story of Sam Childers, a former drug-dealing biker tough guy who found God and became a crusader for hundreds of Sudanese children who've been forced to become soldiers.  He has an incredible testimony of sacrifice, hardship and hope.  Taking back the abducted child soldiers and creating safe house for the children and families.   He is well known to the different Presidents here who have even given him a number of full time military to carry out his work because they all believe in him.  He is taking out the LRA one at a time and he makes no apology for carrying a gun as a christian!  He has vowed to continue his work until Joseph Coney himself is dead!  His story has become so well known now that they are not only making a reality tv program on him, they are also making a movie about his life starting next year....and...starring Gerard Butler, yes... the one from P.S I Love You!

The book written by Sam Childers

So its amazing that where we are has had such sadness and history of violence and killings, but now is working towards a productive and more safer future.  Tomorrow we are visiting the Living Hope Women.  These women have been vulnerable to or have HIV and have been ostracised from there communities.   Watoto, has helped them in becoming self sustainable making their own jewellery, bags, peanut butter, goats milk and much more.  We will have an opportunity to purchase some of their things tomorrow.  The buliding they are in is the one that the Invisble Children were sleeping in during the night time.




So I have named this post COURAGE because I think that the people here who have been through unthinkble circumstances, heart ache and loss have so much courage to keep facing each and every day.
What does COURAGE mean?

Mud Hut..they look cozy!

Strength of purpose, to do ones best and not to swerve from one's path.  Integrity _ to do battle with the forces of darkness fired up by truth and principle, and dependability to do the right thing.  It might mean having the imagination and vision to know what might happen if you do battle, and yet being driven by personal conviction to fight on.  It means putting oneself on the line and standing up for what is right and true.

SO... I will leave you with this quote to ponder...


"People will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel"
- Maya Angelou

The Bulrushes

So I thought that I should dedicate one whole blog to the Bulrushes ... Since that was our intended purpose on coming to africa originally. 

There is up to 60-70 babies at the bulrushes. The nursery is where the preme babies are that need one on one care and medical attention. They have better facilities than the hospital at Kampala. Babies have come to bulrushes because they don't have the correct equipment. A simple example of this is once a baby died because he had jaundice and the hospital did not have the photo therapy light to help him. This is such a fundamental necessity and is hard to understand why these things are not available. Another example of the care at the hospitals is that one of the workers at bulrushes went into labour on new years eve. Just as the baby was about to be born, it was midnight and everyone went out to see the fireworks and celebrate  and left her... The baby died because the chord was wrapped around her neck.  Yet another example of such an unnecessary death.  Apparently this sort of thing happens all the time.

We have heard many more stories similar to these and it is hard fathom. Such injustice. Another story...(we are allowed to share stories as long as we do not attach the name of the child it is for confidentiality reasons).  One of the little baby girl that was there came in 2 hours after birth. Her mother died during child birth, (like many here).  The baby was the product of an affair a man had with another women. The wife found out and put a curse on the pregnant mum that she would die giving birth. Now they do not want to give the baby back to the father for safety reasons but are looking for other relatives. 

I truly do believe in curses. If there is a heavenly father who is great and powerful, then there is definitely a power opposing that too or we would be living in a perfect world. The bible says we do not fight against flesh and blood but that it is a spiritual battle that we need to fight here on earth. So when stories like this become a reality they take it very seriously. However, in saying that they always assess every situation as a case by case decision and where at all possible will reunite with relatives so there is room for more needy children who have none at all. That would be very hard to do for staff, having to put a lot of faith in the relatives that they will do the right thing by the child. 

The bulrushes is made up of 4 different age groups..

Special care nursery for very sick and prememature babies

Monkeys 2-4

Girrages 4-6

Hippos6-8 

Elephants 8- 2yrs

Then they go into a home in a village. They need to be walking to go into a home, otherwise it's too much for the house mum with 7 other children. They encourage the little ones who have siblings in villages to walk sooner than 2 so they can be reunited. 

Today we took 4 babies to the hospital. It was very sad. They take children to the hospital nearly every day. Even though the facilities at bulrushes are actually better, they don't have a doctor. Any time a child needs prescription medicine they need to go to the hospital.


SPONSORSHIP

With a population of 26 million people and half of them under the age of 15, Uganda is a young developing country left parentless by the AIDS epidemic. Your sponsorship will help Watoto rescue some of these children, place them in families, and give them a future and a hope.

This year Watoto have celebrated the opening of their first Watoto Gulu Babies home on 10th June 2010.  With babies being cared for and providing homes in Gulu, the Suubi Village and Kampala at Bullrushes to make up 3 babies home facilities so the children there can begin their new life with a future and a hope. You can help continue to support and sponsor any of these Baby Watoto children online direct from the Watoto website www.watoto.com where you can view a Baby Watoto photo and profile.