Auntie Carter's Adventures in Africa and beyond

Candidates United on Darfur

2008-06-05T16:51:00.001-04:00

'tis about time they agreed on something...

Daughtry and African Children's Choir on Ellen

2008-04-17T07:38:00.001-04:00

I worked with these children in Uganda! Enjoy!

African Choir

2008-03-28T09:46:00.001-04:00

These are the beautiful children I worked with in Uganda. My eyes well up watching the joy on their faces.

Also, there is good, brief background on the choir in this video.

Life has been amazingly wonderful recently, but Africa has been put on hold because I am getting married! My presence will not be in Uganda this summer...it was a difficult decision to make, but I felt that God was calling me to return to Uganda-but not without Micah. :)

Though, for our wedding we will be asking people to make charitable donations to Music for Life, the parent organization for the African Children's Choir. These donations will go to directly serve the children in Africa.

Update

2008-01-31T10:04:00.000-05:00

Hey everyone!

There have been some pretty big events in my life happen as of late which have shifted this summer a bit for me, but I am still planning on going back to Uganda! I am just trying to figure out what that will look like...right now I would like to go to Amani Baby Cottage for 2 weeks then go to Kampala to see my friends and help in the schools for 2 weeks. I just e mailed the volunteer coordinator with this idea and will let you know what happens as things solidify!

peace.

Kenya

2008-01-31T10:02:00.000-05:00

My friends Rachel and Pamela are here right now...Rachel and her family (husband + 2 boys) are displaced. Pamela was denied a travel visa.

AFRICAN CHILDREN’S CHOIR VETERANS AMONG VICTIMS OF KENYAN VIOLENCE

New York, NY (January 8, 2008) Stories of attacks and displacement of former members of the African Children’s Choir™ are coming through following the violence in Kenya in the wake of Presidential elections.

A former African Children’s Choir™ member Anthony Were and current journalist in Kenya recently wrote a chilling first hand account of the tragedy that is taking place there now and reports that some veterans living in Kenya have been affected. In the Rift Valley, Eldoret has been the worst hit in the recent violence. Lucy and Grace from choir 10 live there. Their homes were looted and they have been displaced from their houses. Another former choir ten members, the ever bubbly and happy, Peter Kagwe was shot with an arrow which had to be surgically removed from his body at a health centre. Two other girls, Katherine and Carol also had their homes looted. Food in those parts is scarce. In the Kibera slum, Florence of choir 15 is safe but after having to flee from her home.

Following this report the African Children’s Choir founder Ray Barnett set on a mission to do all he can to get not only his Choir children help, but also any others that may have been left without a home. After witnessing years of suffering through Idi Amin in Uganda and other violence that has taken place in Africa Barnett states, “While parts of Nairobi, the capital of Kenya, seem to be peaceful at the moment, our Choir Children who come from different parts the country - from the slums of Kibera, Kisumu, Eldoret and Mombasa, are affected by the violence. Kibera and Eldoret are among the worst affected areas.

Those of our Choir children who have lost their homes are scattered, sheltering in different churches and our staff on the ground can't easily get to them. We are doing our best at this time to locate them as we would like to help them rebuild homes that have been burnt, replace school uniforms and other basic items that have been destroyed. We anticipate that substantial help will be needed to assist us to do this and urge you to help us, help them both financially and through prayer.”

To make a donation to the Choir to support necessary relief and development work, click here.

The African Children’s Choir is a world renowned Choir that has been working with the most vulnerable children in Africa for 23 years, raising awareness of the plight of the orphaned and abandoned, but also showing the beauty, dignity, and potential of the African child. With a focus on education the Choir is currently caring for several thousand underprivileged children throughout Africa. These are children who could have lost all hope, but have overcome their circumstances and now are making a positive impact on society by being a voice for millions of children suffering in Africa.

Anthony Were was born to a deaf mother and alcoholic father. He joined Choir 6 in 1990 in the first Kenyan choir. After touring and then going to school he graduated with a journalism major in 2004 and began working shortly after for the Nation Media Group where he reports on this current Kenyan violence today.

For more information on the African Children’s Choir visit www.africanchildrenschoir.com and/or to interview Anthony Were or Ray Barnett for more information on the children affected in Kenya

contact:

Leslie Taylor
Big Machine Media®
212-572-0760
leslie@bigmachinemedia.com

The Church

2007-12-30T17:02:00.001-05:00

The church should be standing up for the oppressed in the same manner as the buffalo.

We can learn a lot from Africa.

peace.

December has come and gone...

2007-12-25T23:18:00.000-05:00

Hello everyone!

As I write this I realize that I am only a week away from the year 2008 when I will spend 2 months of my life in Uganda. CRAZY!

The African Children's Choir Base Choir has come and gone. It was an amazing time of getting to share in their joy and love, catch up with a friend, and make a few new ones. I got to meet children and leave them with the sentiment, "See you in Uganda!" I was affirmed that staying in Indy for second semester was the right decision. And I was encouraged and excited to continue my relationship with the people of Uganda.

I love the African Children's Choir for the organization's focus on empowering people to create change in Africa. Helping Africa's most vulnerable children today, so they can help Africa tomorrow.

I will post pictures from the month the next time I have a chance.

As for now, my plan is to leave in early to mid June and go to Amani Baby Cottage in Jinja, Uganda for up to a month. I may or may not join up with some people related to ServLife while I am there in that time. I then plan on spending a week with some friends I met last year and this month. Then the hope is that the schedule for the Music for Life Camps will work with my teaching schedule and I will be able to return to Indiana somewhere in the time where July meets August.

I get excited about this opportunity. Especially in the time where Jesus' agenda in coming to earth is so prevalent.

And I get excited to read things like this:

Again I looked and saw all the oppression that was taking place under the sun:

I saw the tears of the oppressed-and they have no comforter; power was on the side of their oppressors-
and they have no comforter.

I get excited because I know that this is not a static statement. That there is a sense that I can be a comforter...but not of my own accord.

And I can be a comforter wherever I am...Auburn, Indy, or Uganda.

peace.

Prayer Request

2007-12-06T08:47:00.000-05:00

Hey everyone!

If you have a chance, please just say a prayer for this next week and month.

The African Children's Choir (Base Choir) is in Indy to sing with the symphony's Yuletide celebration. My church is hosting them next week and I have been working for months to find housing and accomodations for them. Last minute changes seem to be happening on a minute to minute basis, and the Lord has been good in keeping me calm in these moments, but I just am asking for a little support as the times come close

As for everything else, I have submitted my application to Amani Baby Cottage in Jinja, Uganda for June 2008-July 2008 and am still planning on going on to Kampala for 2 1/2 weeks after working at the orphanage. It is an exciting journey!

Most of all, since I have most of my support raise, I only need to raise about $2000 and then all extra money goes straight to the people of Uganda. It is exciting to have the opportunity to raise support for others and not just for myself.

peace.

the decision

2007-11-20T21:28:00.001-05:00

I just wanted to let everyone know that, while I may travel with the choir in years to come, I will not be traveling with them this spring. Instead I will be returning to Uganda for the summer of 2008, so anyway, I am excited!

Details to come...

peace.

The waiting...

2007-11-11T08:58:00.000-05:00

I was trying to wait to let everyone know what is going on...because I don't have a clue.

But I can tell you what I do know.

Seattle is a good place. It felt like home to me.

Seeing Choir 29 (the choir I met in California) was good. It felt like things had gone full circle. Uncle Josh and Uncle Ray really spurred me in the 12 hours I knew them to seriously follow God's calling in my heart to go to Africa. So it was fun to see them again after going.

I may have the opportunity to fill in for a leave with the Base Choir. They are a group of children most from Uganda (though I think there is one from Rwanda) who have pinpointed North Carolina as home base while they put on a travelling theater production.

I am looking into my options in Indianapolis.

I don't have a clue what will happen next.

I know, that for now, I feel called to be Indy. I like my hoodie home and school. Not because it is easy, but for the exact opposite reason.

I have moments where I am tired of being refined, but then realize that more than anything I am probably just being lazy.

This week I am seeking God in creative ways while living in solidarity with a friend whose body won't absorb food.

I am excited about this opportunity to be with her while getting rid of the excess. I truly believe that God is going to provide many answers to many different questions I have-all the while supporting my friends who are abroad.

In the end, I know that my heart is elsewhere.

It is a struggle to figure out what that means.

I feel like I can only educate, encourage, and spur so many people before I need to leave.

peace.

Seattle

2007-10-31T22:17:00.000-04:00

Sorry it has been so long... lots has been happening. I'll write about it someday. :)

Just wanted to let you all know that I fly out to Seattle in 9 hours (or so) to have my second interview with the African Children's Choir. I am still unsure as to what is going to transpire or what I even hope happens. Which is a pretty cool place to be, nothing but possibilities. And I know that whatever happens will be GOOD. Abundantly.

If you have a second, please send a shout out to the Big Guy for a little clarity.

peace.

We've got a right, to fight...for those who are oppressed!

2007-10-03T12:13:00.000-04:00

I just sent a message to my members of Congress asking them to support the U.S. Commitment to Global Child Survival Act, which would help to save the lives of the 10 million children a year who die before their fifth birthday from preventable causes.

You can help this important bill move forward by taking action here: http://www.one.org/childsurvival/

May God bless you with a restless discomfort about easy answers, half-truths and superficial relationships, so that you may seek truth boldly and love deep within your heart.

May God bless you with holy anger at injustice, oppression, and exploitation of people, so that you may tirelessly work for justice, freedom, and peace among all people.

May God bless you with the gift of tears to shed with those who suffer from pain, rejection, starvation, or the loss of all that they cherish, so that you may reach out your hand to comfort them and transform their pain into joy.

May God bless you with enough foolishness to believe you really can make a difference in this world, so that you are able, with God's grace, to do what others claim cannot be done."
~ St. Francis of Assisi

Choir 30

2007-09-20T22:24:00.000-04:00

Here is African Children's Choir 30! We became friends while I was in Uganda.

http://qconline.com/multimedia/display.php?id=140

Enjoy!

peace.

Isaiah 1:17

2007-09-17T21:24:00.000-04:00

learn to do right!
Seek justice,
encourage the oppressed.
Defend the cause of the fatherless,
plead the case of the widow.

More News about Uganda

2007-09-12T22:09:00.001-04:00

Tonight I went to DREAM, sponsored by ServLife (see link in Facing Outward section). It was incredibly moving and inspiring to be recognized that we have a voice and God has enabled us to be sent.

My greatest prayer for myself as I go about this life is that I am continually in a place where I am sent.

Send me, Lord.

That place may be my 'hood in Indy or it may be Uganda. Or it may be some place I have never even heard of.

But I desire to be sent.

In a very convicting moment at tonight's gathering, Larry Mitchell pointed out the sins of Sodom (you can find the story in Genesis 13). And while most people continually point to homosexuality, he pointed out that we can find God's reasons for Sodom's demise in Ezekiel 16:49.

Says the Lord:

Now this was the sin of your sister Sodom: She and her daughters were arrogant, overfed and unconcerned; they did not help the poor and needy. They were haughty and did detestable things before me. Therefore I did away with them as you have seen.

Be voice, allow yourself to be sent-next door, down the street, to the next town, to the least of these, to east Asia. Just go.

Jesus said, "But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth."

Where is your Jerusalem? Judea? Samaria?

Love and peace,
Carter
James 1:27

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/6988511.stm
A new story about peace in Northern Uganda

More excerpts from the Africa journal

2007-09-08T20:24:00.000-04:00

e e cummings wrote all in lower case to show how insignifcant he truly was in comparison to the Almighty. i try to do this sometimes, but struggle to reconcile my insignificance as compared to my first grade teacher's efforts to teach me correct writing procedure.

i promise i realize i am truly insignificant in comparison to the LORD.

But for now, I will make Mrs. Weaver proud!

------------------------------------------------------------------

7/13 7:25 AM

Every third night we run off of a generator and can't use the fan. Last night was a generator night. But it wasn't bad. We sleep with mosquito nets around us. It is fun to crawl in and out of them.

Also, we have the best stairs ever. They are twist and completely uneven. I had to go to the bathroom last night and they were so scary to walk down!

This morning I woke to roosters and a bright red ball of a sun.

Today we have orientation and I hear we get to meet the young Africans, which is a groups of college-aged African people who help us and translate for us. They have all been a part of the choir at one time.

6:45 PM

We did meet everyone today! It was great. We have 6 young Africans (young=21-25ish) working with us. They are all former choir kids.

We also got to visit the two orphanages today. Bugolobi and Eden are the two orphanages.

When we rolled into Bugolobi, the kids started to cheer loudly. They swarmed the taxis and couldn't wait for us to get out! Once in the building they sang songs for us-including the Ugandan national anthem.

Eden-where I'll be-is much larger and MUCH more subdued. The kids hugge, but seemed much more chill. They say my name very distinctly.

"Auntie Cah-tah"

Probably the highlight of the day was worshiping during orientation. We sang "Lord, I life Your name on high" and it was powerful. We split into 6 part harmony that was breathtaking.

I'm all about worshiping the Lord as beautiful-regardless of the outcome. But, there was something amazing about earnest worship that sounded so beautiful.

I love the spirit here. The love and gentleness of the people in Uganda.

7/14 8:05 AM

Galatians 4:19

Who is fighting for me?
Who am I fighting for?

10:15 PM

Jessica told a story today about saving fancy pencils. One of her primary teachers would give students fancy pencils as a reward. The same teacher had been a missionary to Africa prior to being Jessica's teacher. Jessica has saved the pencils since primary school with the sole purpose of bringing them to Africa to give to African children! And she has enough for each child at Bugolobi!

We met Choir 30 today. They sang for us and then we played games with them.

Mark and Sarah visited us today. They are missionaries with Ambassadors for Hope/Music for Life/African Children's Choir.

Mark is the headmaster at Music for Life Primary School (MfLPS). He came to share about his job and the children that he works with-Also about living in Kampala.

A few things he said really struck me. He talked about how all of his kids are former choir kids. That they have seen the world, but not Uganda.

He has 100 students and 15 are from Rwanda. None of these children have family because they were either murdered in the genocide or are currently in hiding because they are the murderers. A lot of his children are very angry. The kids who have been on tour have the benefit of experiencing family structure. They experience it with their host families. But the Rwandan children do not know love in a family structure.

7/15 8:30 PM

When it is all said and done, what do I hope to go home with? What will have made this time successful?

To leave with a more full and understanding relationship with God. To have my heart chipped away and softened. To leave with a fuller vision of God's desires for me. To maybe get a few more places to stay when travelling. :) To forever have an African imprint on my heart in such a way that I cannot help but to seek to pray and love Uganda. To have a plant to come back.

Personal Prayer Request

2007-09-08T16:43:00.001-04:00

Most people know that I am pursuing taking a year off teaching to tour with the African's Children Choir or volunteer with them in some capacity for the year I have off. I have desired to do more focused, longer-term missions, particularly in relation to Africa, for quite a while. After visiting Uganda, this seemed like a very God-driven, natural thing to pursue.

I have had my first interview and have accepted an invitation to fly out to Seattle in November for a second interview. I am very excited about this!

But there is a part of me who needs to be calmed down a bit. You see, I bought a house a few blocks from where I teach to be more involved in my community and have a bridge in ministry. I truly feel like my job is my ministry and am so blessed to have the opportunity to teach where I do and have some really great relationships with the people around me.

So, there is a struggle as to where God desires me to do ministry in the next year or so. I will definitely have a job when I return, but it may not be at my current school.

I am asking for guidance and discernment (both directly from God and from you if you feel a pushing from God to guide me) as to where to serve. I trust in the Lord to provide in either place, which is pretty easy since both are great places!

Thanks!

peace.

Some Basics About Darfur

2007-09-05T21:40:00.001-04:00

Question and Answer About Darfur

The United Nations Security Council has approved a 26,000-strong peacekeeping force to expand the 7,000 African Union (AU) force struggling to protect civilians in Sudan's western province of Darfur.
More than 2m people are living in camps after fleeing more than four years of fighting in the region and they are vulnerable without peacekeepers.

Sudan's government and the pro-government Arab militias are accused of war crimes against the region's black African population, although the UN has stopped short of calling it genocide.

Sudan also rejects moves by the International Criminal Court (ICC) to name and then try war crimes suspects and hopes of peace remain elusive so far.

How did the conflict start?

The conflict began in the arid and impoverished region early in 2003 after a rebel group began attacking government targets, saying the region was being neglected by Khartoum.

The rebels say the government is oppressing black Africans in favour of Arabs.

Darfur, which means land of the Fur, has faced many years of tension over land and grazing rights between the mostly nomadic Arabs, and farmers from the Fur, Massaleet and Zagawa communities.

There are two main rebel groups, the Sudan Liberation Army (SLA) and the Justice and Equality Movement (Jem), although peace talks have been complicated by splits in both groups, some along ethnic lines.

The groups opposed to a May 2006 peace deal with the government have now merged into the National Redemption Front led by former Darfur governor Ahmed Diraige.

What is the government doing?

It admits mobilising "self-defence militias" following rebel attacks but denies any links to the Janjaweed, accused of trying to "cleanse" black Africans from large swathes of territory.

Refugees from Darfur say that following air raids by government aircraft, the Janjaweed ride into villages on horses and camels, slaughtering men, raping women and stealing whatever they can find.

Many women report being abducted by the Janjaweed and held as sex slaves for more than a week before being released.
The US and some human rights groups say that genocide is taking place - though a UN investigation team sent to Sudan said that while war crimes had been committed, there had been no intent to commit genocide.

Sudan's government denies being in control of the Janjaweed and President Omar al-Bashir has called them "thieves and gangsters".

After strong international pressure and the threat of sanctions, the government promised to disarm the Janjaweed. But so far there is little evidence this has happened.

Trials have been announced in Khartoum of some members of the security forces suspected of abuses - but this is viewed as part of a campaign against UN-backed attempts to get some 50 key suspects tried at the ICC in The Hague.

What has happened to Darfur's civilians?

Millions have fled their destroyed villages, with many heading for camps near Darfur's main towns. But there is not enough food, water or medicine.

The Janjaweed patrol outside the camps and Darfurians say the men are killed and the women raped if they venture too far in search of firewood or water.

Some 200,000 have also sought safety in neighbouring Chad, but many of these are camped along a 600km stretch of the border and remain vulnerable to attacks from Sudan.
The refugees are also threatened by the diplomatic fallout between Chad and Sudan as the neighbours accuse one another of supporting each other's rebel groups.

Chad's eastern areas have a similar ethnic make-up to Darfur.

Many aid agencies are working in Darfur but they are unable to get access to vast areas because of the fighting.

How many have died?

With much of Darfur inaccessible to aid workers and researchers, calculating how many deaths there have been in the past three years is impossible.

What researchers have done is to estimate the deaths based on surveys in areas they can reach.

The latest research published in September 2006 in the journal Science puts the numbers of deaths above and beyond those that would normally die in this inhospitable area at "no fewer than 200,000".

The US researchers say that their figures are the most compelling and persuasive estimate to date. They have made no distinction between those dying as a result of violence and those dying as a result of starvation or disease in refugee camps.

Accurate figures are crucial in determining whether the deaths in Darfur are genocide or - as the Sudanese government says - the situation is being exaggerated.

What happened to the peace deal?

SLA leader Minni Minawi, who signed the deal, was given a large budget, but his fighters have already been accused by Amnesty International of abuses against people in areas opposed to the peace deal.

The smaller SLA faction and Jem did not sign the deal.

There has been a dramatic increase in violence and displacement since the deal was signed.

With the peace deal looking unworkable and amid fears of renewed "all-out war", there appears little prospect of people returning to their villages for some time yet.

Is anyone trying to stop the fighting?

About 7,000 African Union troops are deployed in Darfur on a very limited mandate.

Experts say the soldiers are too few to cover an area the size of France, and the African Union says it does not have the money to fund the operation for much longer.

Until recently, Sudan resisted strong Western diplomatic pressure for the UN to take control of the peacekeeping mission.

The new, larger joint UN-AU force should be in place by next year.

It should also be better equipped and has a stronger mandate to protect civilians and aid workers.

But some say even that is not enough to cover such a large, remote area.

Others point out that peacekeepers cannot do much unless there is a peace to keep.

They say the fighting can only end through a deal agreed by all sides, which has yet to materialise.

Story from BBC NEWS:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/2/hi/africa/3496731.stm

2007-09-05T18:11:00.001-04:00

Please mark October 14th on your calendar. Dream for Darfur, STAND, and Save Darfur are working together to bring attention to China's role in the Sudanese genocide. There is a torch relay that has already begun just outside Darfur on August 8th. The torch relay will begin in the US on September 9th in New York City and end in Washington DC in December. Our torch event is Sunday, October 14th. We are still working on getting a location.
Don't be dismayed and think "there is nothing we can do". China is hosting the Olympics next year and they want to be be good hosts that are promoting peace around the world. This relay is meant to put the spotlight on China and get them to influence Sudan. They can and I believe they will.
The UN and the US have authorized peacekeepers to help protect the people in Darfur. However, the Sudanese gov't only wants other African peacekeepers in their country and that number is very limited. They need protection now! And, the rebels/gov't groups are destorying lives in Chad and the Central African Republic because there is no protection at the borders.
Please visit Mia Farrow's website to read her travel journal and see pictures.
www.miafarrow.org

A few excerpts from my Africa journal

2007-09-01T21:38:00.000-04:00

So...I need to start getting some of my experiences in Uganda in this blog. I don't know how often they will come, but I am going to try to get some down in good time. This is my first attempt. I apologize if the pictures don't work so well. I don't know how to strategically place them just yet...

7/10/2007

Right now it is 4:15 PM in Chicago and I am sitting at Gate M12 in O'Hare.

I have no idea what I am getting myself into.

Around 8 hours from now, I will be the first from the team to arrive in London. After I get off the plane, I will find the Starbucks by baggage claim and wait for Jessica. We'll have about an hour together before the next person comes.

A lot of people have been asking me about what I am most excited to experience.

I don't really have any kind of good answer.

But I was reading 1 Peter the other day and all of the talk about suffering really struck me. More than anything, I became excited to have the opportunity to suffer. Or at least possible experience it, even if it is just for a little while.

Sometimes all of my stuff and aquirements cut me off from experiencing God and Jesus. Well, I allow them to cloud the Light.

What does it really mean to suffer?

--------------------------------

9:20 PM Indiana Time

I look at my watch every 20-30 minutes. I am always relieved to see that much time has passed.

We borded the plane and hour late, then circled the runway for two hours.

We finally took off. And the group was wet and hazy and ugly.

Then, all of the sudden, there was all this light. And when I looked out the window all I saw was a floor of clouds, blue sky, and the sun.

------------------------------

7/11 10:30 PM

I am on my flight to Entebbe. Seven hours and five minutes from now I will be landing at an airport that I have heard is very different from the American and Western thought. We unload into fresh air and walk outside to pick up our luggage. The whole concept bring a sense of joy and excitement. We'll see how I feel again tomorrow morning. I am drinking some wine. So hopefully that will help me sleep tonight.

Psalm 96 has been close to my heart as of late. It just has a vibe of attribution to our joy and protection to the Lord.

It also says:

Let the heavens rejoice, let the earth be glad;
let the sea resound, and all that is in it;
let the fields be jubilant, and everything in them.
Then all the trees of the forest will sing for joy...

I love this passage because:

1) Sufjan Stevens has a song called "And all the trees will clap their hands."

2) In thinking about all the events our earth has experienced-the death of war, blood stained ground, years of drought that led to starvation, and years of plent, buildings crumbling, the tearing down of trees for cement parking lots, and teh eating of the apple, among other things-the earth gives credit to the hope of the Lord.

All of the events of the earth in Psalm 96 happen because the Lord is present and He judges us in righteousness.

And I get to step onto the dirt of the earth in Entebbe. My feet will land on ground that cries out for so much more, yet experiences the joy of the Lord.

It makes me excited.

Visit a Neighborhood in Kampala

2007-08-30T22:40:00.001-04:00

I know I haven't added any of my personal African Adventures just yet...but I just wanted to share with you a typical street in Kampala.

peace.