Decker’s Diary on the Mission Field

Dear Friends and Family,

WOW, I got here way back in March and, through the course of things, somehow six

months have already passed. We had a “changing of the guard,” so to speak, as I arrived

just days before the Spencer family went home. God willing, they will return to Uganda

in 2015. Please pray for the sale of their home and for mercies as they prepare for life in

Uganda. Before they left, we were able to do a birthday party for those kids celebrating in

the first three months of the year. For their birthday meal, they wanted American cuisine,

so we gave them PB&J sandwiches and hotdogs and fries—a big hit!

I have continued with PB&J sandwiches for those high school students who have Satur-

day classes—we have as many as 6 who go to school on Saturday, but because the kitchen

is not staffed on the weekends, they have gone without food all day. I pack for them a

sandwich, carrot sticks, and apple and a snack. It would be cheaper for me just to give

them lunch money, but this way I know they are getting a balanced meal: protein, starch,

fruit, vegetable, and a little sweet.

Bed Bug Free... The Spencer’s did a very fine job of eradicating the HUGE population of bed bugs that

we had here. My first week here, I had a small scare as I watched something small and

dark run up the wall. It was just a baby cockroach and I don’t think I have ever been so

glad to see a cockroach in all my life. It was an enormous undertaking for the Spencers

last December as they burned old stashes of notebooks, boiled clothes, and cleaned shoes,

and took out all the old mattresses and beds and put in new ones. Even now, there is no

sign of them; we are BEDBUG FREE at Abba House!

Irrigation Comes to the Garden... I have dealt with many frustrations in these six months and have used them as one of

my excuses for not writing a newsletter sooner. For instance, the “African garden” is to

plant everything everywhere. So there may be corn, eggplants, tomatoes, and collards all

planted in the same section with pumpkin and beans as cover crops to discourage weeds.

When a garden is “full,” it means there is absolutely no more room to plant anything else

and we have to watch where we step when getting through to pick something. Though it

was difficult for me to see through their methods, we did have a bumper crop of eggplants

and greens, and we fed the children for several mornings with roasted corn, instead of the

normal porridge. Thanks to Sarah Spencer for teaching

some girls how to bake, we have enjoyed pumpkin

cake about every week, since June.

With the help of Wayne Stoll and Rick Aspegren

(from Missouri) who came in August, we are getting

things set up with an irrigation system so that we can

continue to water the garden in the dry season, there-

fore increasing the growing seasons. I am very ex-

cited, not only for the irrigation concept to be intro-

duced, but that the Abba House kids will learn first-

hand a method of producing more food from the

ground we have. Our original purpose at Abba House

was to be self-sufficient. It is becoming quite possible now with teaching row planting

and spacing, which makes it easier to weed and tend, and the use of drip-tape irrigation.

New Stove for Kitchen... In 2013 we exchanged the

“cook shed” outside for a new,

spacious, brick kitchen. From

that spacious, smoke-filled

kitchen, we put in an efficiency

stove, with stove pipes! With

this stove, the pile of firewood

purchased in June, that would

have (continued on back)

September 2014

Missionary Quarters...

If “time flies when you are having fun,”

well, it seems to jet away when times get busy.

In these last six months, we have taken the

Missionary

Quarters from

rustic brick

walls and a bare

concrete floor

to be tiled,

painted, and

furnished.

Though there is

not yet water in

the faucets and

the toilet tank

has to be re-

filled every

time it’s

flushed, I’m

safe and com-

fortable and have my own bathroom.

I think all the volunteers that came this

summer went back home never again to take

the self-filling toilet tank for granted. I have

wanted to get connected with the city’s water,

but there is a problem with the water line. So,

until that gets solved, the MQ is waterless,

except for jerry cans and buckets. The last

team that was here, however, built a tank stand

and we purchased a tank so at least there will

be water by gravity flow. The system is not

connected yet, nor do I have gutters to harvest

the rain and fill the tank, but we have a tank

and a stand. (continued on back)

Barb Decker

Garden tilled and planting in rows.

Wayne & Rick pause after installing the water tank.

FROM TO

Stove (continued from front)… lasted three weeks, has lasted until

the end of July! I thank everyone who was praying for Abba

House, especially in the areas of kitchen and dining room. The

firewood lasts more than three

weeks and the cooks are not

breathing so much smoke.

It’s good.

The dining room is still

waiting for construction. The

children don’t use the eating

tables at noon, in full sun, or

when it rains. The dining

room cost from the foundation

to the roof is about $8000.

The kitchen is doing well except for some inside cosmetic

things. The doors have helped tremendously in controlling the

entrance way. With no dining room structure and the cool morn-

ings and evenings that we are experiencing now, sometimes into

the 60’s, the kitchen is the warmest place and sitting on the ceramic

part of the stove is a popular place.

Mission Teams at Work...

We’ve had three teams this summer

that came to be a blessing as well as to

get a blessing. The Kansas City Chris-

tian Fellowship Church sent a group of

six who blessed the children with blan-

kets, dance, and smiles as they visited

places, took provisions, gave their tes-

timonies and helped in many ways.

They even painted the inside of the

Missionary Quarters.

John Gross and Chad Spencer came for

just a week to research the true possibilities

of getting the Kuwl Farm Project going and

to install solar panels, at least at Abba

House, so we have an extra source of

power when the electricity goes out. They

also brought a “family uniform” t-shirt so

we can declare that we are all members of

Abba House. House of Friends partners

with Grace Global Impact Ministries as

joint “parents” of the 40 children here.

Kuwl Farm Project... Part of the original plan for Abba House was to use a tract of land

north of Kampala (the capital city of Uganda) owned by Pastor

Richard Kaaya, to grow crops and raise animals in order to make

the children’s home self-sufficient. It would also serve as a learn-

ing experience in farming and food production for the boys from

the children’s home. “The Kuwl Farm Project” is that vision com-

ing into being. This has been mentioned in other newsletters, re-

questing funding for a tractor for the

farm and some sort of vehicle for

hauling the food, firewood, and other

goods to Abba House. We are still in

need of a vehicle and we would still

like a tractor; but right now, we are

getting the project started from the

ground up. The project is getting

under way with goats. We now have

42 females and a buck and we are

hoping to raise that number, ulti-

mately to 1000 goats. This is exciting to me because the vision of

getting Abba House kids into the direct production of food through

farming is actually getting under way. We are trying to find a du-

rable clover seed to plant that will be beneficial for the goats to eat.

Through the blessings of Wayne and Rick we were able to pur-

chase a chainsaw to start clearing land. This will make way to plant

the grass and clover seed so the goats can graze and grow.

Missionary Quarters (continued from front)... The whole

project of tiling the missionary quarters was because my bedroom’s

concrete floor still emits moisture. Now the MQ is almost done

and I still need tiles in my room. I have a nighttime, chronic, con-

gestive cough that could be connected to the floor’s moisture. The

MQ also needs a couple of doors and some paint. Once that is fin-

ished, I think it will be done. Total cost for finishing; about $700.

Education... On a discouraging note and a matter for prayer--the 2nd term

report cards were very disappointing. Out of 16 high school stu-

dents, some having as few as 5 classes and some having as many as

14 classes, they brought a conglomerate total of 91 failing marks.

We are in the process of hiring a tutor to help them this third (and

last) term, which is from September to December. Please pray not

only for funds to pay a tutor but also that these students would get

serious about their studies. We have three students graduating this

year, two with the basic high school diploma (11th grade) and one

with a college prep diploma (13th grade).

Wrapping Up... One last note, God willing I am going to Israel in November. I

will meet up with members of the church in Waverly, MO where I

have attended, for a ten-day tour. Elaine Wittmeyer will come and

stay at Abba House in my absence. Please pray for travelling mer-

cies for her.

This is a time of uncertainties. It is always important to rely on

God’s word for our peace and tranquility. Psalm 91 has great

promises of peace and protection; please read it, receive its prom-

ises, and declare it.

Thank you all for your continued support and prayers, even in

my lack of communication. I thank those churches that sent forth

and those individuals that came to bless Abba House this year.

May God bless your efforts with the abundance of His word.

Shalom, Barb Decker

I will support Barbara Decker’s work on the mission field with

House of Friends in the following way.

___ Barbara Decker Mission Support

(Monthly) $_________(One Time Gift) $________

___ Abba House Project (circle) $_________

Dining room / Gutter System Parts / Missionary Quarters

___ Mission Trip Expenses to Uganda $_________

___ Please send more information about House of Friends.

All donations are tax deductible. Please write checks payable to:

House of Friends and send to P O Box 228, Alma, MO 64001

Thank you for caring!

Kitchen & Dining Hall