Mike, Laura, and I all have arrived in New York - and we fly out in about 45 minutes. Unfortunately it appears as if Disa and Eric were caught in a rain storm in Dallas. Hmmm. We will be flying over to Dubai tonight, and then flying out tomorrow to Entebbe Uganda. In Uganda we will meet Karin (Inshallah)and a couple days later Erin will fly in. Kwaheri kutoka New York!

We are just about to head out, two more days left in the States. I'll try to upload pictures and news as we go! Thanks for your prayers everyone.

I've uploaded a quick video edit of my friend Emmanuel's ministry in Rwanda. It's about 8 minutes long, and its in Quicktime 7 format. If you don't have the latest Quicktime version you can download it here at Apple's website. You'll probably need a broadband connection, and I'm not sure if I forgot to compress it right, but all 40 mb need to load before it will play. If you'd like to just download it to your computer, you can right click on the image above and select "Download Linked File". The video has been optimized for the new iPod video, if you have problems playing it, let me know.

Emmanuel is a Rwandan Tutsi, living in Portland, who (along with his mom) are the only survivors of his extended family from the 1994 genocide. We will be visiting his wife and kids in Kigali Rwanda during December. We'll also be visiting the 400 orphans he's connected to (kid survivors of the genocide and from AIDS).

Imago Dei Children's Learning Lab


Yesterday during church the majority of the Africa team went to the two morning services at Imago Dei Community to connect the kids here in Portland with the kids of Amazing Grace Orphanage. It turned out to be a great time - the kids created artwork that we'll be taking with us on our trip, they watched some videos of the orphanage, played some games, and chomped down on some East African donuts called Mandanzis.

The evening before, the team had met together, purchased supplies, ate a meal, and heard Emmanuel Kayinamura's story (my Rwandan friend). Part of that meeting was also creating Mandazis for the kids. We ended up with probably three times the batter that we needed! And the donut things turned out pretty chewy, not exactly scrumptious, but some of the kids asked for seconds, so I guess that's good.

Right now I'm rockin' to the tunes of new Sudanese Rap sensation Emmanuel Jal. If you are interested in world music (particularly arabic and east African tunes), or would like to sample some of the freshest rap sounds I've ever heard, you can head over to Emmanuel's website, or purchase the songs straight from iTunes.

And tonight marks just one week and 6 hours until we fly out. Crazy! Our house is full of trunks right now and we're packing in school supplies, books, Arabic Christian literature, clothes, shoes, hacky sacks, soccer balls, tents, backpacks and whatever else people hand us. We are each taking our full two 70 lbs luggage allotments, so its definitely a massive project at this point. If anyone would like to send anything last minute, you can send it to my parents house at: Dan Holcomb, P.O. Box 442, Trout Lake, WA, 98650.

For those of you who haven't received our itinerary update, here's the scoop:

UGANDA -> Week 1 ::: November 2 - November 8
+ Visit the Amazing Grace Orphanage - teaching, recording stories, listening, playing (www.agorphanage.com)
+ Spend time at the World Vision Children of War Rehabilitation Center in Gulu
+ Meet with Jeff and Michele Theisen and Ryan Cannole (Imago Dei friends)

SUDAN -> Week 2 :::: November 8 - November 15
+ Travel to St. Bartholomew Orphanage and spend time with kids and staff there
+ Meet with local church leaders and politicians

KENYA -> Weeks 3 & 4 :::: November 16 - November 28
+ Visit the Kibera slums of Nairobi
+ Spend about a week and a half with the Ukimwi (AIDS) project (www.ukimwi.net) in Eldoret
+ Visit families and orphans affected by AIDS
+ Hold a Harambe (community event) with local leaders to raise awareness
+ Meet with several former sex workers to create a transitory home for support and healing

TANZANIA -> Week 5 :::: November 28 - December 5
+ Meet with Jo French - a good friend who is working with AIDS support (www.tumbalamwezi.blogspot.com)
+ Travel to several homes meeting HIV patients and assisting Jo in her work

RWANDA -> Week 6 :::: December 6 - December 12
+ Spend a week with the staff of ERM (Evangelical Revival Ministries)
+ Visit the Nyamata Hospital
+ Meet the orphan kids that Emmanuel Kayinamura of ERM is assisting
+ Visit several genocide sights

UGANDA -> Week 7 :::: December 13 - December 19
+ Meet Susan Tabia once more
+ Visit widows that Susan is caring for

And for those of you praying for the team, here are some specifics:

+ Team unity
+ Encouragement and Refreshment for the East African friends we will be visiting
+ Wisdom and Sensitivity as we attempt to enter into different cultures and languages
+ Hearts that are always humble and servant oriented
+ Safety as we travel 3000 kilometers by bus
+ Compassionate ears and hearts that can listen and care

This morning team member Disa Allen made it into Portland for the weekend. We'll be getting together to pack, go over some final details, and have a team dinner tomorrow evening. Joining us will be Emmanuel Kayinamura, a Rwandan Tutsi living in Portland. We'll be visiting his projects in Rwanda during the second week of December.

The past week has been busy with meetings with the Sudanese church and Imago Dei's Global Outreach and Partnership prayer meeting. You can see the pictures on the right here.

We have just over one week left before we leave. Mike and Disa are running around this morning doing some purchases, and memorizing some Swahili words in the meantime!

I received an email this morning from one of the former sex workers in Kenya. She has had a rough couple of weeks - her mother just died of breast cancer, the doctors won't release the body until she pays an exorbitant fee, and she's been extremely depressed. She would appreciate your prayers today. I hope to see her in a couple of weeks.

16 Days Left!
I spent most of today doing little errands around town. I made sure the first aid kit was up to date.
Yesterday 4 of the team members got together and watched a documentary on the Lost Boys of Sudan "A Great Wonder: Lost Children of Sudan". The film was shown at a local community college, and provided a clear picture of all the humor, loneliness, and difficulties of leaving the grasslands of East Africa and integrating into the chilly Northwest city of Seattle. There was a great discussion after the film, although I was lost in thought during most of the questions and answers. It was interesting that many of the Sudanese boys (and girls) that came to America initially thought their dreams were coming true, and after a year or so actually wanted to return to Sudan because of the stark deficiencies in the U.S. One really interesting comment from one of the young men was that he imagined the 9/11 attacks to be a continuation of the war in Sudan, and his security and worldview was upset once more.

There are a couple of events coming up here for Oregon or Washington locals:

* October 17th *
First, Monday night there will be a presentation at Jonathan and Taryn's house on Uganda and Sudan. Erik Wecks, Brian Stiger, myself, and Karin Rosain will be speaking about the region and the trips. I'll also give an overview of Lahash - everyone is welcome to come. The address is: 1535 SE 21st Ave, Portland, OR 97214. The meeting will be at 7:00 PM on Monday the 17th of October. After the talks, there will be a prayer time for the region.

* October 23rd *
Second, there will be a presentation in the Imago Dei Service on the 23rd of October - during each of the 3 services. During that time, the majority of the East Africa Trip team will be assisting in the children's ministry downstairs. We are hoping to partner the kids in Portland with the kids in Uganda and Sudan.

* October 31st *
The team leaves for Entebbe, Uganda - flying first through Dallas, then New York, then Dubai!

New Photos!
Nick just sent some new photos of the work that the HIV/AIDS team has been involved in over in Sudan and Uganda, as well as one photo of life back in the Silas slums of Eldoret.

New Photos

Buses!
We will be traveling a lot of kilometers by bus. In fact at this point the rough estimate is about 3000 km or about 1800 miles. At times the rides will be on the major bus lines that cross East Africa, at other times we will be taking smaller taxi vans called Matatus in much of the region.The bus rides are always adventuresome. It's important to arrive early and make sure you choose the right section of the bus. If you sit too close to the front, often the commotion will keep you up during the whole trip (1 tape of 1980's music on repeat for 9 hours!). The back of the bus though is definitely the worst spot. The back seat - behind the back tires - enhances all the bumps and it ends up being more of an amusement park ride.

On the last trip we took a bus from Jinja, Uganda to Nairobi, Kenya. About 1 hour into the trip the bus stopped suddenly. We found out that we had run out of diesel! The passengers quickly disembarked and we hung around for a couple hours before someone got a ride into town to pick up some more juice to get moving. Already late in our trip, our driver tried to make up for the lost time, and he decided to take a shortcut near Nakuru.
The passengers, at 3 AM began to rouse and a small mutiny ensued as they all claimed he was lost. The road got smaller and smaller until we finally had to turn around.

The great thing about that last trip was that we were able to meet Timothy Bata, a cool young Ugandan friend who is now helping the Amazing Grace Orphanage record their music this week.

The main reason to choose the bus method for travel is the cost. A short plane flight from Entebbe to Adjumani is $200 round trip. That same trip costs about $9 by bus. So really if there is time and patience to enjoy some diversion adventures, the bus option is great!

"It's an amazing thing to think that ours is the first generation in history that really can end extreme poverty, the kind that means a child dies for lack of food in its belly. This should be seen as the most incredible, historic opportunity but instead it's become a millstone around our necks. We let our own pathetic excuses about how it's 'difficult' justify our own inaction. Be honest. We have the science, the technology, and the wealth. What we don’t have is the will, and that’s not a reason that history will accept." - Bono

I've been thinking some about why I am motivated to travel on this trip. There are a ton of reasons that pop up, and some of the top ones are listed below.

First of all, I feel a responsiblity not to abandon my friends in East Africa. I grew up there, ran around with friends, and we lived and dreamed together. Somehow I always had the option of flying out of much of the pain and poverty, and they did not have this same option. And now we are all grown up, and they are still my bro's and my sisters. I still love them very much. And I feel responsible that any learning, any opportunity, any insight, and any of my love should be a community commodity and should be shared for the benefit of all.

Secondly, I really feel redundant in the United States. I have a university degree - so does everyone else. I have a car - everyone else has 3 or 4. I build webpages and edit video - so does every other junior high kid. In East Africa, every part of who I am is stretched to the limits. Every dollar I earn can be a huge factor in so many lives. All my workshops, conferences, degrees, certificates, and experiences can be so helpful for so many.

Third, I feel connected specifically to the Amazing Grace Orphanage because in some weird way I've rediscovered my faith being with the kids and staff. Their faith, hope, hospitality, compassion and trust in God were so bright and infectious when I made my previous trips there.

Fourth, I agree with Bono (lead singer U2) that much of the problems in Africa become an issue of injustice. "It's not about charity, it is about justice," he said at a conference early this year, "this would never be allowed to happen anywhere else." To some degree unfair economic practices, discrimination, racism, greed, and indifference contribute to a system of oppression for the region. We have the ability to alleviate much of the disease and poverty - but for a variety of reasons we don't. Instead of looking at these issues as charitable options - it's important to understand the bleak emergency in its severity and polarization. We are privileged with resources, wealth, and education. In some parts of the world there are starving orphans, HIV patients with no medicine, and blind widows without shelter. These members of humanity should automatically be loved and cared for by all of us. It becomes injustice when our society ignores their voices and images. The Hebrew Abraham was told by God that he would be blessed in order to become a blessing to others. I think we have a tremendous opportunity to spread the blessings on down the line.

Finally, I have huge respect for these ministries and organizations we will be supporting. The staff are members of oppressed communities in peril, and have risen to the challenge and they've sacrificed comforts to bring hope and life to others. To me this is an opportunity to learn from the beautiful hearts of our time.

I spent the evening at Erik Wecks house tonight - he just got back from Adjumani, and from a couple visits to the Amazing Grace Orphanage. The kids there have been hard at work on some songs and music videos. Well... you can see some of their work at this point - this isn't the finished product - but there are a couple of music videos and mp3s to check out at the Amazing Grace Orphanage Website!

Thank You God For Your Mercies (quicktime movie)
War and HIV (quicktime movie)
Thank You God For Your Mercies (mp3)
War and HIV (mp3)

How does one prepare to go to Africa? This is my first trip, and the continent exists as a hazy construction of ideas in my mind. My sources have been the stories of missionaries, pictures, newspaper articles, films and world history classes. It has been filtered through layers of editing and intent. Africa has been prepackaged for my Western mind, and everything contains a degree of distance and the unfamiliar.

I've been doing a bit of reeducation in preparation for this trip. I just finished reading a book called King Leopold’s Ghost about the colonization of the Congo by the Belgian monarch. Most people have never heard that an estimated 10 million Congolese died of abuse or outright murder during the first twenty years of Belgian rule. That number was half of then entire population. Forced slave labor, mutilation and rape were standard pieces of the “civilizing” forces. Unfortunately, it is just one of the many stories of colonial atrocities that have been brought to light in the shifting of powers during the last fifty years. Humans have an incredible capacity for the destruction of others.

Racism was the backdrop for the West’s picture of Africa. It was an unspoken prerequisite to nearly every policy that was made concerning the “vast lands yet to be claimed.” It allowed natural resources to be plundered while local birthrates fell and entire populations disappeared. The picture that we, the still-distant West, now see as Africa was painted on that canvas.

I am frustrated to see that my own worldview has been unavoidably affected by these harmful assumptions. I am angry that injustice continues today because of the West’s economic priorities. I hate knowing that I still carry a Western lens into Africa. I struggle to know how to even begin changing.

I know what I don’t want- I do not want to be the Great White Rescuer. That role been attempted by many, and it has caused neglect and pain. My humanity is too raw to pretend that I will “enlighten” any society with my Western ways.

And I know what I do want- I want to learn more about what it means to be human by seeing, feeling, and hearing more of the world. I want to love new people. I want to share my life with children and learn how I can contribute to their well being. My hope is that Africa will sink deeper into my heart through this trip. It will cease to be distant. Instead it will become the faces of new friends, the memories of life shared, and the hope that is found in a new point of view.

AIDS Facts and Faces

One of the reasons we will be visiting East Africa will be to confront the tragedy of HIV/AIDS. Our first destination is the large city of Eldoret Kenya. We will be partnering with an organization named the Silas Christian Foundation. It was founded by my childhood friend Nicholas Kemboi. He lives in the slums of Silas (on the outskirts of Eldoret) and a couple years ago realized how this silent killer was uprooting and crushing the families around him. "Ukimwi" is the word for AIDS in Swahili.
Nick and 9 friends then went on to found the SCF almost two years ago. Since that time they've been responding to the overwhelming needs of the city in the following ways:


* Speaking to members of the community, school kids and prostitutes on the dangers of HIV/AIDS, and how to prevent the spread.
* Delivering food, clothing, toys, and school supplies to families and orphans that been overwhelmed by the disease and death.
* Connecting local leaders, doctors, and church leaders and urging them to stand up and address the crisis.
* Counseling HIV/AIDS sufferers
* And recently they've made two trips to Uganda and Sudan to test children and adults for the presence of AIDS - and to treat kids for the common illnesses of the area.

Kenya itself has been crippled by AIDS.
Estimates from the United Nations from 2003 reveal the following statistics:
* Adult infection rate: 6.7%
* Deaths due to AIDS in 2003: 150,000
* Those infected with AIDS: 1.2 million
* Children orphaned by AIDS: 650,000

Sometimes these figures are too hard to grasp. But working with Nick over the past year has put some faces and perspective on the pandemic.

Just last week a lady named Pamela Moraa died of AIDS. Her three children were orphaned. Her body was stuck in the mortuary because there were no funds to pay for medical bills. The kids found some help from the community with a fundraising project, and Nick was able to assist as well.

While we are in Eldoret, our team hopes to partner with Nick and the team. We will be visiting patients, recording stories, taking pictures, and helping with the counseling. We will also be networking local leaders to lend more support to the project. Another big component will be to meet with some of the prostitutes who've left the sex trade and are hoping to make a living by some other means. It's a huge challenge.

I've been working on an pictorial view of what our team goals are for the trip. You can click on the image to the left to read the details.

This morning I met with Eric Wecks and Kevin Rogers from Imago Dei. It looks like there will be several awesome opportunities to partner with the church. Erick Wecks just returned from a trip to Uganda, where he visited the Amazing Grace Orphanage. We'll have pictures and hopefully video soon of some of his trip. Thanks already for the incredible response to the request for monetary assistance for the ministries we will be encountering!

Hello and a huge welcome to everyone to the Lahash blog. For the next several months this blog will be centered on the upcoming trip to East Africa. I'm so excited about this trip - but man is there a lot to accomplish in the next month!

First I'll give you a little background on the trip and the friends traveling on it:



There are seven of us that will be visiting Uganda and Sudan for the first two weeks of November (pictured above are the 5 who live in Portland). We'll be flying out from various destinations across the U.S. - meeting in New York - and eventually making our way to Adjumani. In this rural town in Northern Uganda, we will spend about a week with the incredible kids at the Amazing Grace Orphanage. From there we will cruise up across the border into Sudan for a week at the newly constructed St. Bartholomew Orphanage of Kajo Keji. At both of these orphanages we will be sharing lessons, hanging out the kids, and listening to and recording their stories.

From there we will lose two members of the team (Karin and Eric) - they will head back to jobs in the U.S. - and the rest of us will travel to Nairobi for several days, visiting the Kibera slums. Then Erin will head back to the States, and the four of us that remain will travel to Eldoret Kenya to help with a grassroots AIDS awareness and assistance program that my friend Nick Kemboi organized in the slums there. You can visit that website over at www.ukimwi.net, and see what Nick and the team have been experiencing recently. We will be visiting local families and orphans devastated by AIDS, speaking with local politicians and church leaders, and encouraging AIDS awareness among the sex workers, school kids, and other members of the community.



After about two weeks in Kenya, we are planning on visiting Jo French at the MCC AIDS project in Dodoma Tanzania. Jo is a friend who is spearheading a local AIDS care program in central Tanzania. We will stay with her for just over a week, learning from her and encouraging and listening to those affected by the virus.

Then... a mammoth bus ride over to Rwanda. Here in Portland I've become friends with a Rwandese named Emmanuel who has started a ministry called Evangelical Revival Ministries (ERM). ERM cares for kids orphaned by the genocide, AIDS, and other events. ERM also supports a local hospital and a pastor training program. We will also visit several key Genocide sites in Rwanda to absorb and contemplate the atrocities that occurred there in 1994.

From there we will head back to Uganda for another week before we fly back to the United States.

So... a lot of travels, a lot of dear people to meet, and a lot of planning over the next month. Thanks so much for your support and for your interest. I plan to regularly update this blog, and there will be updates along the way in East Africa, so make sure you bookmark it!