BLOG NO 15 - 24TH APRIL 2015

BLOG NO 15 – 24TH APRIL 2015

Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. Perseverance must finish it's work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.

James 1 : 2-4

The first term of the year ended on Friday, so Saturday saw the students leave for their home villages, many of them making journeys that would last many hours, some even overnight. It can be a sad time, saying goodbye, praying that they will return safely, but this time it was joyful as well as so many of them came and thanked us for the help (they perceive) we had given them this term. Humbling, but we have certainly enjoyed the English and Activate! Lessons, and now the new 'library' lessons, and it seems many of them did as well.

There is now a break for a month for the school, although The Bridge will run a holiday club for the community children and The Rock remains ready to treat the community even though there will be no steady stream of students in attendance.

We are enjoying a few days off, catching up with paperwork and even having chance to read a few books that have been waiting since Christmas. Today we are off to the airport to welcome our next visitor. Rebecca will be with us for a month, on placement from Redcliffe Mission College in Gloucester, and she will be helping us with the work at The Bridge whilst the holiday club is running.

We will also be welcoming back Chella, a primary school teacher from Holland, who is making her fifth trip to the Bridge as a volunteer.

Also, although not really a visitor, more a fixture now, is Mathias the volunteer dentist at

The Rock, who gives his time one morning a week to treat the students and the community.

Other visitors – you will see from the photos – a chameleon we had to rescue from the dogs and a strange and very large black bug that we couldn't find in the bug book. To give you an idea of size, the stones it is sitting on are about 1'' across (no idea what that is in metric!).

Answers to prayer – looking at our requests from the last blog we are happy to report that the rains came (wow did they come!) – the day after we asked for prayer. Hadiga and Keiron are still attending The Rock regularly and are very firmly under Annet's wing.

The students who went home for school fees balances all returned safely – although not all had fees. Charles is a firm believer in 'it will be better next term', so next term there are firmer rules in place for fees payment. This may appear harsh, when so many of them come from families with little or nothing, but the fees are very low compared to other schools not as good as WTA, and they are on a sliding scale to accommodate those with less.

Patrick and Charles are so perceptive in finding those truly in need 'after the mango tree has been shaken a few times' as they put it. And as this is a non profit-making school all the fees go on food, wages and necessities, so getting the fees in is key to the school continuing.

Update on the 'bodaboda ambulance'. We promised photos when it was put together, but at present it remains in kit form here at the house. The reason? The three trustworthy (ie slightly safer – and I use the term safer in its loosest sense) boda drivers have been chosen, we met with them to arrange training and to attach the brackets to their vehicles. They cheerfully informed us that they have never actually passed a test and do not have permits. We thought it was wise that they should be 'legal' before allowing them to tow the ambulance, so we are now in the process of getting them tests and permits. As with many things here - mpola, mpola (slowly, slowly). As soon as the ambulance is up and running we will take photos.

Lows this month – sounds very dramatic, but very real. A boy has been removed from school for practising witchcraft and terrorising some of the students. One in particular was sent by Charles to a pastor in Bombo who has experience in such things. The threat and fear from such people is very real here. Whilst there are many Christians witchcraft is still openly practised. Prior to this being discovered the school administration, Charles in particular, had been having some very low moments. We had also been affected, many things started to go wrong, lots of negatives happening. Fortunately we had prayed with Charles at the time, and more regularly since this incident happened, and we have all agreed the clouds have lifted.

Since this incident we have agreed to a weekly prayer walk around the perimeter, both during the holidays and during the term, when we expect to be joined by some students and staff. It is not surprising (again without sounding too dramatic) that this place would be under spiritual attack, when God clearly has his hand on what is going on here.

The positive that we gained from this is that we have given little thought to other possible threats doing the rounds at the moment – that Christian schools in Uganda may be targeted for terrorist attack similar to what happened in Kenya. Uganda borders Kenya and there have been arrests in Kampala recently. The students say that we will be fine here as we have both Christian and Moslem students living and working together – we pray they are right.

Of course we are vigilant, but we are also know that God put us here for a purpose and we trust in Him for protection – however, more prayer always welcome.

Work on the 'fencing in' of the girl's dorms started on Monday. By coincidence (God-incidence) the work is being carried out by Moses, a pastor from Maranatha church just up the road, who does fencing (and many other jobs) in his spare time. Unlike many pastors in Uganda he does not take money from his congregation. So as well as fencing he has agreed to do some 'cleansing' prayer as he walks around the site.

We were fortunate to have a day off at Chobe recently, on the bank of the Nile. We were walking along the river when a herd of 12 elephants went in to the water to bathe, and play. Truly awesome in the real sense of the word. We took our first 'selfie' but you will see that the first one was not terribly successful, although there is a great view of the elephants!

Other photos – lots of youngsters for no other reason that they are just charming. They are from visitors to The Bridge, children who came with their teacher parents to the literacy training day, Maranatha Sunday School and just children we have met in the community.

We also took some photos of the students washing and ironing in preparation for leaving – note the iron which is filled with hot coals from the fire. Stan had a go, not very successfully. (Not that he's not much better with an electric one – lack of practice!).

Some photos of hats and vests being handed over to Annet at The Rock. They were knitted by a lovely group of people from a church in the UK that came to us via Sam, one of the dentists from Dentaid, who were with us last year treating the students and the community (and from where we found our volunteer, Mathias).

They are to be given to new mums, and fortunately we were able to give a set out straight away – to Hajara who was attending The Rock for her ante-natal appointment.

The rest of the hats and vests we will deliver to Sanyu Babies Home in Kampala.

Why have we taken a photo of the white UN car?

We see so many of the big, well known NGO's with such vehicles driving around Kampala – always new, top of the range with satellite phones. It makes us wonder how necessary they are, how much of donors money goes on flashy cars rather than to the work on their projects.

And yes, we know that the UN is not an NGO, but we couldn't get a photo of any of the others as they are always driving too fast with their hazards on to show how important they are – true! This UN vehicle we managed to get as it was in the car park whilst he did his shopping!

It is not something that we thought about until we came here, but we have seen so many of them it makes us realise how special ServeDirect is – no flashy offices (in fact, no offices), no white cars (the (only) ServeDirect vehicle we are using here is 22 years old – and not white!), no satellite phones (the mobile phones we use cost about £10 each).

So, if you are questioning where the money you are donating goes when you give to............(fill it in yourself) then think about giving to ServeDirect instead, where ALL of the money donated goes to the work of the projects –check out www.servedirect.org …........#just saying.

Plus, some photos we have taken just because they amused us!

Finally – language misunderstanding of the week -

Stan (making coffee) – Moses, how many sugars do you have?

Pastor Moses – Five.

Stan – Five, that's a lot.

Pastor Moses – Not for Uganda Stan. Three boys and two girls.

Prayer requests –

For the new volunteer, that she settles in to the Ugandan way of living and working – very different from the UK!

For the students and teachers at home and for us, the school, The Bridge and The Rock – for protection.

For the askari as they look after us all.

For those bent on evil – whether it be witchcraft or terrorism, that they will truly see the error of their ways.

For those families torn apart by the evil of others – that they can find peace and forgiveness.

With our love, thanks and prayers for you all

Sue and Stan

a genuine bean counter.....

waiting for the list to see who has to go home for fees

chameleon - safe on a stick

before that - chameleon cornered by the dogs!

charming children at The Bridge

children at Maranatha church Sunday school

Chobe - hippo and crocs too close for comfort!

Chobe - elephants in the Nile

first attempt at a 'selfie' - need more practice!

better!

storm over the Nile

sunset over the Nile

comes under the heading of 'you couldn't make it up'......

Daphne in S5 wants to be a brain nurse - she's looking forward to Amanda's visit (brain nurse!)

end of term preparation - ironing!

end of term preparation - boys doing washing!

end of term exam revision

saying goodbye

first (and only) time Sue will be a multi-millionaire! 18 million UGX,  not as much as you might think, but takes ages to count!

guard dogs on high security alert.....

handing over baby hats and tops to The Rock - thank you Sam!

and giving out a set to a new mum-to-be

has Michael Gove emigrated?

just because we liked it

young helpers at the literacy training for teachers

Maranatha church Sunday school waiting for breakfast

porridge preparation - note the mixing action

Mathias our volunteer dentist

actually not counting the beans but removing the bits that shouldn't be there before it's cooked - long job...

new classroom desks arriving - restricted use!

no comment needed - just made Stan laugh....

waiter in Good Africa in Kampala - taken purely because it reminded us of a character in Breaking Bad  - you have to have seen it......

seen on a bus that has a very poor safety record - great display of faith but maybe they should be using their eyes as well....

Stan teaching Precious how to spit out of the window - yes really......

large and very strange bug

trophy cabinet and achievements board ready for use - thanks  New Life Church

the top of the range white car complete with satellite phone - as used by many NGOs'

rare photo of Charles NOT wearing a suit! 

charming children at the borehole

charming children at The Bridge