Uganda Missions

One of the Videos shot in Uganda

2011-04-19T13:11:00.000-07:00

CLICK HERE OR ON THE PICTURE TO WATCH A YOUTUBE VIDEO MADE IN UGANDA

In Uganda Africa Shooting a Documentary

2011-04-03T03:07:00.000-07:00

Kurt Klose, President of SAND Foundation is in Uganda shooting a Video documentary of SAND Foundation. While shooting footage, we are finding more and more children like this we want to add to the SAND program.

www.sandsponsor.org

CHECK OUT OUR NEW AND IMPROVED WEB SITE

2011-03-26T12:58:00.000-07:00

Check us out at www.sandsponsor.org for our new look. Also we have new levels of sponsorship and are starting a new orphanage housing program.

SAND Foundation now on Facebook

2011-03-26T12:51:00.000-07:00

Check out the "SAND Foundation non-profit organization" page on Facebook and press "Like". Help share our page with your friends by "liking" us.
Thanks!

Christmas in Uganda

2011-01-06T06:38:00.000-08:00

New School Improvements Started

2010-12-03T13:03:00.000-08:00

WHEOF has committed to a new school improvement project to make Royal School (home of the SAND Foundation program) a top notch school in Uganda. This four-year commitment will help with new and improved facilities, up-to-date curriculum, and a well trained staff.

WHEOF's founder Blaine Pollock and SAND founder Kurt Klose will be visiting the School in Uganda over Christmas. Mr Pollock will be providing a Christmas Eve banquet for the orphans and some of the staff families. Joining them are Michele Rosati and Linda Klose.

Video of S.A.N.D. Foundation Kids

2010-08-23T06:39:00.000-07:00

S.A.N.D. Foundation Official

2010-06-10T15:42:00.000-07:00

S.A.N.D. (Student Adoption Network Development) is now an independent Non-prophet Foundation and has been approved by the state of California. We are now working on becoming approved by the IRS as a national 501(c)3 Foundation. Please view our older posts for more information or visit our web site at www.sandsponsor.org

Orphans Receive Christmas Gifts

2010-01-12T15:32:00.000-08:00

The S.A.N.D. orphans received Christmas gifts donated by their sponsors. The family received food and household staples while the kids each got a new toy. For most of them, this was the first time they every received a new boxed toy for Christmas.
Click on Picture to enlarge. For more information on S.A.N.D. click www.sandsponsor.org

Team Trip - September 2009

2009-10-07T16:06:00.000-07:00

Full Website Now Available

2009-06-26T19:19:00.000-07:00

Check out our full website at:
www.sandsponsor.org

First Five S.A.N.D. Children In Program

2009-05-26T12:11:00.000-07:00

These are the first five orphans successfully enrolled in the S.A.N.D. program. CLICK ON THE VIDEO BELOW FOR AN INTRODUCTION TO THE CHILDREN. Each is now attending school, wearing clean uniforms, and eating every day. When Pastor Kurt and his wife Linda visited them on May 22nd, they had each received a new pair of shoes. (For some of them it was the first time they have ever had shoes). Also in the video is Grace, our new local administrator for the S.A.N.D. program.

S.A.N.D. Comming in 2009

2008-12-03T12:58:00.000-08:00

Student Adoption Network Development
A program to sponsor preschool Uganda kids through school is coming very soon. Please check back soon to find out more.

New Ovens and Clean Water

2008-10-30T11:08:00.000-07:00

More improvements to the orphanage and school. We've gone from cooking in a wood shack with an open flame to new high efficiency, wood burning kettles. The system includes a water purifier that uses the heat from the ovens to purify water.

As The Walls Go Up

2008-08-29T11:41:00.000-07:00

The walls are starting to go up on the new school. The excavation and foundation work is now complete and phase two, the building of the ground floor, has begun.

You can view a brief history video of the project below.

Watch a Chronological Update Video

2008-08-29T11:08:00.000-07:00

Your Gifts Still at Work

2008-08-05T08:49:00.000-07:00

Sewing machines for vocational training and desks donated by the TRPN family and people at Calvary Christian Center are still arriving. We have provided the following from the original list:

-10 Beds for Boarding Students $90.00 each- COMPLETE
-150 Chairs for Students $60.00 each- 60 OUT OF 150
-10 Sewing Machines for Training Students $150.00 each-3 OUT OF 10
-300 Sets Basic School Supplies for One Year $25.00 each- 60 OUT OF 300
-300 Pair of Shoes $5.00 each- 150 OUT OF 300

Moving Forward

2008-07-27T09:11:00.000-07:00

The Foundation is being poured. Soon the building will start to rise. The excavation and foundation were one of the hardest part of the project and are almost complete.

A Well Saves on Expensive Water

2008-07-08T12:29:00.000-07:00

A well was dug behind the construction site and is supplying all the water needed for the construction.

Foundation Work Progressing

2008-06-19T11:17:00.000-07:00

The foundation is moving forward and should be completed by the end of June.

The Children Receiving Beds, Shoes, and Supplies

2008-06-12T13:34:00.000-07:00

Click on picture to enlarge

15 Chair/Desk combinations and 2 sewing machines will follow
in a few weeks. The children are so excited!!

Your Giving Multiplied

2008-06-04T19:55:00.000-07:00

The employee family at Three Rivers Provider Network together with the family at Calvary Christian Center gave generously to the kids at the School in Uganda.
Pastor Kurt is in Uganda now checking on the construction progress and went out to buy supplies for the kids.
The money given has already been multiplied. The amount of money that was supposed to buy 10 beds for orphans at the school, actually bought 30 beds. The money for 43 pairs of shoes bought over a 100. School supplies meant for 25 kids will actually supply a whole class of 30+ kids.
Pictures to follow soon.
THANK YOU TO ALL THAT GAVE! THE SMILES ON THE KIDS SAY IT ALL!

School Kids Overwhelmed with New Bathrooms, Showers, and a new Kitchen

2008-05-29T14:57:00.000-07:00

Click on Picture to Enlarge

Property Excavation Started

2008-05-20T15:31:00.000-07:00

The property is cleared and the excavation for the foundation has finally started. The children now have toilets, showers, sinks and a proper place to wash clothes. All things the school has never had before.
People from Calvary Christian Center and Employees from Three River Provider Network have started to raise money from the list of needed items for the school. (see list on left and scroll down) Many of the items will be purchased in the next few weeks. Thank you to all those that generously gave!

If you would like to be a part of this project, scroll down and check out the "HOW YOU CAN HELP" section on the left

Weather Hampering Progress

2008-05-02T15:29:00.000-07:00

For the third day running yesterday, heavy rains battered Kampala residents. Business in the city came to a halt as the early morning downpour flooded markets, submerged shops and blocked roads in the city center and suburbs.
Accompanied by strong winds and hail stones, the rains pounded the city, sweeping away houses, billboards and trees. The whole day, Kampala and the areas around the Lake Victoria basin were covered in a thick nimbus cloud, thunder and lightning.

Such has been the news for most of March. Fortunately there are signs of the rains easing. An area behind the school has been concreted and a new kitchen has been built clearing the way for the excavation for the foundation to begin.

If you would like to be a part of this project, scroll down and check out the "HOW YOU CAN HELP" section on the left.

A Trip to the Nile a Must

2008-03-18T20:36:00.000-07:00

You can't come to Uganda and not at least see the Nile river. It starts right here in Uganda out of Lake Victoria, flows through the Sudan, Egypt, and ends north in the Mediterranean over 4000 miles later. It's tributaries go through six other African countries. Where Blaine is standing is just over a mile from the start of the Nile. Were he to fall in, it would take him 4 months to reach the Mediterranean. (double click any blog picture for larger view)

Ground Breaking Ceremony

2008-03-17T08:35:00.000-07:00

Church on Sunday

2008-03-16T19:41:00.000-07:00

Blaine Visits School and Kids

2008-03-15T04:14:00.000-07:00

Blaine and Kurt went out to the school to get a tour of the property and to meet some of the staff and kids. Being Saturday, there were only a few of the kids present to do some extra studies. During the week there can be up to 50 to 60 kids in this shed like structure.

Updates Slow but Steady

2008-03-13T22:38:00.000-07:00

Due to very slow internet rates mainly due to the hotel power being mainly from generators, updating this blog is proving to be a little more difficult then expected. At this point I have not been able to download any pictures. Please keep checking regulary and I will update as much as possible.
Today is Friday and Blaine is expected this evening. We have been still working on preparing for the ground breaking ceremony on Monday. Thunderstorms and rain expected today. Still very warm. Rain is welcome and it cleans the air (and other things), but let's hope for no rain an Monday.

Pastor Kurt Arrives In Kampala

2008-03-12T10:45:00.000-07:00

I arrived this morning to start preparing for Blaine's arrival in Friday. Uganda seems the same as when I left it a little over 3 months ago except for commodity prices have doubled in those short months. For people who were barely getting by three months ago are now struggling even harder. Just imagine getting up tomorrow and finding everything from gas to groceries have doubled in prices. Many people are having to give up some basics such as electricity, and even running water, to be able to live. The blame for this 100% inflation is being put on the unrest in Kenya but many merchants are just using it as an excuse to raise prices. There does not seem to be a shortage of food and merchandise, it just all costs more. Several market places have seen unrest and protests in the last few weeks which is the way political unrest can start in these countries.

Blaine Pollock & Pastor Kurt Klose Headed to Uganda

2008-03-04T20:42:00.000-08:00

Founder and President of Three Rivers Provider Network, Blaine Pollock (left), and Pastor Kurt Klose from Calvary Christian Center (right) are headed for Uganda to get the school construction started. On Monday, March 17th, Blaine, Pastor Godfrey and Pastor Kurt will officially break ground on the construction. Besides the teachers and kids at the school, the kids' families will be invited and special invitations will go out to city officials and community leaders to participate in witnessing the ceremony. Check back to this blog for updates on the trip starting March 10th.

Looking Forward to 2008

2007-12-31T10:31:00.001-08:00

We are all looking forward to 2008, as the planning flourishes to become a new school. Below are some preliminary plans for the new school.

As the children return to school in the second week of January, they return to new bathrooms that are being built as part of the food, medicine, and sanitary program that Three Rivers Provider Network sponsors on a monthly basis.

Here Comes the Building Engineer

2007-12-02T06:10:00.000-08:00

Just when things are moving along nicely, along comes the building engineer to point out all the problems with your plans. Sometimes I think they actually enjoy it. But I think in this case God used him to head off some potentially serious drawbacks. It is causing us to do some rethinking of our plans which will actually work much better in the long run.

This will be the last blog update until I return home. Don't forget to join us this coming up Friday and Sunday when I will tell you all about the progress here in Uganda. Thanks for your prayers and support and I will see you soon.

Pastor Kurt

Bathrooms Getting There

2007-11-30T22:18:00.000-08:00

The Bathrooms are just a few weeks from being finished. All the plumbing is completed and the septic tank is ready for use. The water storage tank still needs to be put up and the roof needs to be put on. Several more sinks will be added. When finished, this eight stall bathroom will be a huge boost to the health and well being of the students.

The planning process for the school is continuing. Sometimes planning can be the most difficult part of a project. Please keep the project in your prayers. There are some obstacles we need to overcome but NOTHING IS IMPOSSIBLE FOR GOD!

Working Hard

2007-11-29T03:26:00.000-08:00

I arrived in Uganda Wednesday morning where Charles and Pastor Godfrey were waiting for me at the airport. We drove to my hotel in Kampala were we went to work right away. It was actually the first time that all of us involved in the building project were together. A visual presentation of the project's scope, assignment of responsibilities, and general layout, helped us all to understand things much better.

This morning the three of us (Pastor Godfrey, Charles, and Pastor Kurt) met together to share with each other what these projects mean to us spiritually and personally. We shared what the Lord was doing in each of our lives and how we have personally been impacted by all the Lord has been doing. It was very special time of fellowship, and a great opportunity for us to get to know each other better. It is amazing the impact these projects have had on our lives. Tomorrow we head to the school to work on construction plans and review what has already been done.
Pastor Kurt

Hello From London

2007-11-27T10:54:00.000-08:00

Hello from London
I have a one day lay-over here. I must say - London is expensive ($6.00 for a cup of coffee, $12 for a hamburger), very cold and gloomy, and it is totally dark by 4:00 pm. Other then that - its a nice place. I CAN'T WAIT TO GET TO AFRICA!
Pastor Kurt

Pastor Kurt Returning to Uganda

2007-11-15T16:49:00.001-08:00

Pastor Kurt is getting ready to return to Uganda on November 26th. He will be getting the school building project off the ground. We are exited to see the project getting started. Please keep Pastor Kurt in your prayers as he travels. This will be a fairly short trip, returning on December 4th, but it will have a great deal of work packed into it.

While there, Pastor Kurt will be hiring Charles Lusinga (left) our "Project Manager". We have known Charles for many years now and he has been a good friend, guide, and driver every time we have been in Uganda. We are excited to welcome Charles aboard our team.

Back Home Again!

2007-10-03T10:17:00.000-07:00

The team arrived home Saturday 9/29. We spent over 19 hours in the air with a 5 hour stopover in Amsterdam and 4 hours airport time. After 28 hours travel, it was good to get home. If you missed the presentation on Sunday, it will be repeated at the Friday service (10/5) .
THANK YOU FOR ALL YOUR PRAYERS DURING OUR TRIP. THEY WERE HEARTFULLY FELT.
The Team: Pastor Kurt, Robert, Bobbie, Sandi, Erica, and Shea

A Day At the School

2007-09-27T08:02:00.000-07:00

Today we loaded the car with our toys and gifts and went for a day at the school. They put together an "assembly". Several of the classes performed cultural dances and sang songs. This was the first time they did this in front of people from outside the school. Then, we brought in the gifts in and they were presented to teacher or students representing the different classes.

The sporting equipment went over especially well. They have never had new sports equipment before. Sandi had also bought 4 dictionaries which we found out the school had none of.

We had also bought a sack of shoes for children that had none. Pastor Godfrey stumbled on a shoe market but had found that kids shoes were mixed in with adult shoes and they were somewhat expensive. However, a person at the market offered that if Pastor Godfrey came first thing in the morning (6am) they would let him dig out the kid's shoes and give them to him at a great price.

This is about it for us. Tomorrow we will have a good-bye meeting with some of the students and friends here and then head to the airport for our flight home.

Thank you for keeping up with us on this blog. Your prayer support has been invaluable through this time. We will seen you soon.

Pastor Kurt, Robert, Sandi, and Erica.

Down Day

2007-09-26T23:29:00.000-07:00

After eight straight days of visiting and ministering, we took a down day yesterday, went to the Nile to play and then took Pastor Godfrey, Evelyn, and Charles (our driver) to a nice dinner out on the town. We will be back at it today spending the day at the school.

Thank You! You Changed Our Lives So Much

2007-09-25T22:07:00.000-07:00

The children came pouring out of their classes as we arrived at the school yesterday. They were so excited to see us. Pastor Kurt noticed a visible difference in the children since the food and medicine program started. Pastor Godfrey proudly showed us the medicine storage room with malaria medicine, cough syrup, anti- diahrrea (one of the biggest life savers) medicine, and special juices for dehydration. The school has a sick room which used to have anywhere from 20 to 30 children a day and is now running 3 to 4 a day and the time spent there has gone from days to hours. We echo what the children shouted together - "THANK YOU MR. BLAINE !!!"

We then went into town and bought things for the school such as jump ropes, play balls, hula hoops, writing pads, chalk, pencils, coloring books, and much more. Thursday we are going back to give them to the children. We also bought 2 bags of shoes (about a hundred pair) we will be giving out. Thank you Love Fellowship for those shoes! We are looking forward to it.

Thank you for your prayers for Bobbie. She is in Iowa with Pastor Mike now. We miss her here! The team is doing well. Pastor Kurt's throat is almost back to normal. It is hard to believe that our time here is wrapping up quickly, but we are also looking forward to coming home to our families and all of you. We love you!!!

Bobbie Has To Fly Home

2007-09-24T07:00:00.000-07:00

Monday, Bobbie had to take the first flight out to go to Iowa. Her mother had a massive stroke and is in coma. Please pray for Bobbie's mom, Pat, the family, and the long trip home.

Fortunately, Bobbie was able to participate in the all dayWomen't conference on Saturday, the church service on Sunday and take in a Ugandan Cultrual Dance on Sunday evening. We got the news early morning on Monday and she is able to fly out this evening.

No Electrical Power - But the Power of God!

2007-09-24T06:36:00.001-07:00

Sunday morning we arrived at church to find there was no electrical power, the generator not working, and Pastor Kurt with a very sore throat. But God's word will not be silenced! We continued right on with the choir doing a fantastic job of singing without instruments or microphones. The team gave words of greeting and then Pastor Kurt preached a powerful message on Romans 1:8 "encouraging each other in the faith". He had to sip on a great deal of water and even suck on some candy while preaching but made it through 45 minutes of preaching and was heard all the way to the back just fine.

Women's Conference

2007-09-24T06:05:00.001-07:00

Saturday's Women's Conference was a HUGE success. Almost 250 women came from all over Kampala to hear Bobbie, Shea, Sandi, and Erica share from their lives and hearts. It started at 9:00 am and went non-stop until 6:00 pm. We even fed all the women with a hot meal which they said nobody has ever done before. We had drawings and gave out gifts such as cook-ware and practical household items. The whole town of Kisugu made their way to the church just to see what was going on.
Robert spent his time entertaining the children with strings and tricks (top left). Pastor Kurt spent the morning taking pictures and videos and then went to the hotel to work on his message for Sunday. He rejoined them later in the afternoon to find them praising God, shouting to the Lord, and singing just as they had done in the morning. Needless to say the ladies went back to the Hotel exhausted by glowing from what God had done!

(I wish I could put more photos on but they are taking up to a half hour to download. More when we return)

Day 3

2007-09-21T22:40:00.001-07:00

From Left to Right (back) Grace, Bobbie, Sandi, Eve, ?, Zipora, Shea (front) Betty, Dorcas, & Erica.

Today we spend most of the day visiting with Grace and some of the PEARL students. The ladies were fitted and ordered some dresses from Grace who is now working out of her home. The ladies spent several hours ministering to each other. This was such a God Moment as they began to just share testimony with the Women. The Women began to open up to them and shared deep hurts from their pasts...and in turn how Jesus has delivered them...WOW what a time...

Today we are doing the Women's Conference.

NOTE: There will be no blog update until Sunday evening your time - check Sunday evening or Monday morning for the latest new and pictures from the Women's Conference and Sunday Morning Service

Day 2

2007-09-20T22:01:00.000-07:00

We were joined by Pastor Godfrey and his wife Evelyn (left) as we went and picked up Shea from the airport. It was actually a five hour endeavor due to traffic and an hour flight delay. However we had a wonderful time of visiting together with them and did some vision casting for the future of their school. After we came back to Kampala, we took Evelyn shopping at a department store for kitchen items. It was the first time in her life that Evelyn was able to go to a shop and pick out anything she wanted for her house. She was like a child in a candy store. She bought things like pans and knives sets and even some dishes - simple things she has never had in her life. (this was purchased with money donated by Women's Ministries and she sends her love to all the ladies at Calvary Christian Center for their love. As she said over and over again "THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR LOVING US - YOU HAVE CHANGED OUR LIVES SO GREATLY."

On the right is the team (Pastor Kurt taking the picture) and Charles, our guide and driver at the edge of lake Victoria

Today we are visiting with the P.E.A.R.L students.

Please continue to keep us in prayer as the Ladies continue to prepare for the Women's conference on Saturday. They will be ministering to 200 to 300 women from all over Kampala at Kisugu Christian Center

Day One

2007-09-19T22:39:00.000-07:00

After a somewhat restless night, with getting used to new surroundings and a strange bed, we headed out to do some exploring. About 10 feet from our hotel we got stuck in our fist traffic jam but finally made it through town. I was able to introduce the team to several people I have gotten to know here and we drove to Lake Victoria and took some pictures. We then did a little shopping for essentials and came back to the hotel to have lunch with Pastor Godfrey and his wife Evelyn. We had a great visit and planned out the rest of our visit. At about 3pm we were exhausted and all slept until after 6pm. We were supposed to go back to town but our driver was not able to make his way back to the hotel due to traffic. (this happens here and you have to be flexible) We wound up having a wonderful evening together as a team, having dinner, planning, and having a time of prayer together. Tomorrow we are picking up Shea from the airport and then we will get supplies for the women's conference on Saturday. Please keep our families at home in prayer. Sometimes the enemy attacks on the home front while the battle is going on far away - this is especially true in spiritual battles.
(unfortunately I'm still not able to download pictures at this time)

Arrived Safely

2007-09-18T22:59:00.000-07:00

The team arrived safely after almost 30 hours of flying (or waiting at airports). We were greeted by almost 30 people from Pastor Godfrey's church. It was quite a welcoming committee! After many hugs and greetings, Pastor Kurt realized that he had left his waist pack with his cell phone, glasses, and other essentials including money, on the airplane which was already loading and getting ready to leave. Everyone at the airport told me that it was a lost cause and that the cleaning crew never turned in valuables. God had other ideas! I did not give up and after about an hour I was able to talk to the cleaning crew and a young christian man on the plane cleaning crew had found it and was happy to return it to me with ALL its contents in tacked. We all celebrated together before heading to the hotel. People at the airport and in customs said they had never seen anyone get valuables left on an airplane back. PRAISE GOD!!
We are now taking a rest and planning day and will pick up Shea tomorrow and get started ministering. Thanks for your continued prayers!!!

Prayer Requests

2007-09-13T13:50:00.002-07:00

Physical Protection for Team

Women’s Conference (Sat. 9/22)

Long term Vision Casting

P.E.A.R.L. Students

Pastor Kurt’s Sunday Message

The Children at P.Godfrey’s School

Miraculous Signs and Wonders

The People of Kisugu,

Uganda

Leaving Monday Morning

2007-09-12T08:37:00.000-07:00

The team will be leaving Monday morning from San Francisco. We will be traveling to Minneapolis Minnesota and then to Amsterdam. From Amsterdam we fly directly to Entebbe Uganda arriving on Tuesday evening about 8:30 p.m. We should be picked up by our driver and then it is about an hours drive to our hotel to the capital, Kampala, where some sleep will be very welcome. You should be able to view our first update on Wednesday (9/19) Please pray for all our flight connections and that our luggage arrives with us in Uganda.

Uganda2007 Missions Team

2007-09-11T16:22:00.002-07:00