December 17, 2004

Dear Family and Friends,
I am awakened by the persistent knocking at the door, it is a pygmy named Hope laboring with her first child. We had recently visited Hope at her new home (see photo). Previously she had been landless but through the generous donation of fellow missionaries from the US a piece of land had been purchased. Hope’s family and several other pygmy families had been in dire straits, losing many children to malnutrition, but now relocated on their own land and living in their own homes they were headed toward self-sufficiency and a bright future. Tonight Hope was attempting to increase their depleted numbers.
We walked down to the hospital and found that Hope was in active labor and pushing hard. I cautioned her against bearing down until the head had descended further, but as soon as I turned my back there she was, feet entwined in the bars of the window and straining with all her might. Labor did progress smoothly and eventually I instructed her to push down and then there began a chorus of encouragement from her mother, relatives and other friends in attendance. Although some of this encouragement consisted of helpful advice, it was also punctuated with yelps, cries and rip-roarious laughter. It seemed as if everyone was having a merry time excepting Hope. A medical student from Tulane, Nate, was assisting and suddenly with a mighty push from Hope he was cradling a newborn baby girl. Upon hearing the infant’s cry the pygmies began singing songs of joy and Hope broke into a great smile.
Nate and I walked back up the hill to our house under a canopy of stars. The Southern Cross was visible in the south. Although the heavens appear different here, the joy of new life is the same the world over.
It is obvious that land issues are still of prime importance in the pygmies’ survival. Hope’s family and the other families who own land are doing well now; however many other pygmies still remain in desperate circumstances. We are currently involved in negotiations for a 100+ acre densely forested land adjacent to the Bwindi Impenetrable Forest. As the pygmies have been denied access to the Bwindi since their eviction in 1992, this piece of land would be available to the pygmies to collect honey, harvest their medicinal plants and to familiarize their children regarding life in the forest. Additionally since this piece of land is also habitat for the endangered mountain gorilla, by preserving it from deforestation the gorillas would be allowed to continue their foraging there.
From our last three years here we have learned that “Nothing is impossible with God”. We thank you for your support and prayers for all the projects; maternity and child care units, 8 nurses and a doctor, public health outreach, scholarship programs, 6 teachers, scholastic materials, feeding programs for school children, agricultural support, famine relief, vocational skills, land acquisition, home building, sanitation, indigenous rights and spiritual outreach. Our operational expenses are around $5000 per month and to us seem to be bare bones and do not include building and land acquisition. Donations can be made through “The Kellermann Foundation” C/O Don Fultz, PO Box 477, Nevada City, Calif. 95959 or Trinity Church 201 High Street, Nevada City, Calif. 95959. Mark Trinity checks "Uganda pygmy fund".These programs are expensive but are assuring the survival and self-sufficiency of these extraordinary people. Your contributions will save many lives.
While we certainly appreciate the approximately 100 short term volunteers who assist us every year, however we would like to focus workers willing to serve 6 months or more. Areas of need include medical, agricultural, teaching, public health, clean water, administration, grant writing and spiritual discipleship. If God is moving you into considering the mission field with the pygmies, please let us know.
“For the King will say: ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father, for when I was hungry you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, I was naked and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you visited me”. The righteous will answer “Lord when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you drink, or a stranger and welcome you, or naked and clothe you, or sick and minister to you, or visit you in prison?” The King will reply “I tell you that whatever you did to the least of these little ones, you did unto Me.” Matthew 25: 34-40. May God richly bless you at this joyous time of year,
Kwika Nohira (Merry Christmas),
Scott and Carol