I have been in Uganda for almost two months now! In some ways it seems like much longer than
that, and in other ways, it feels like I just got here! That also means that I will be heading home
for Christmas in just over two months, which I’m sure will go by very quickly,
as there’s lots happening here in the next couple of months.
At the end of term break, I was able to attend the Awana
training with local Compassion Uganda churches.
It’s really great that I still have ties to Awana here in Uganda! In Kibaale, the school runs Awana 5 days a
week, each day for a different grade.
The kids and staff absolutely love it.
Ellen, who is in charge of the Awana program here at KCC, has been
instrumental in organizing training for these Compassion churches, as she has
arranged the dates, accommodation, food, etc.
I went along to observe, as well as take some pictures and get some
stories for Awana Canada to share with all the kids and churches that donated
towards funding this training.
At the sponsorship office, we have already started the
intake process of the new nursery students for the new school year in
February. It’s quite a long process, as
it starts with the sponsorship office staff gathering recommendations from
local leaders, pastors, etc. about which families are most in need of the
sponsorship program at KCC. Once that
list has been compiled, the families are asked to come to the office where an
application is filled out. Then, a
number of staff conduct a home visit, to verify the information on the
application and get a better understanding of their home life. I'm excited to be able to go on some of these visits, as it's a great opportunity to learn the process and get to know the families in our community better. It then takes a group of staff and leadership
to go through the list of applicants to decide which will be accepted for the
new school year. It is not an easy
process, as there are so many in need of help with their children’s education
and support for their family. Once a
final class list has been produced, we work on getting these kids ready for
sponsorship! They receive their school
uniform, their picture is taken and their information is added to the
website. The family is also briefed on
the resources available to them, such as free medical care at the clinic, food
assistance when needed, etc. In February, we welcome them to the Nursery class, where these kids are so excited to be attending school for the first time!
There is lots of construction going on at the centre, which
is exciting as well as noisy and dirty!
Right behind my house they have built an outdoor eating area, which
should hopefully be ready by the time the next team comes in mid-October. They have also broken ground on the new set
of guesthouses. These guesthouses will
be able to house 6 guests each and will replace the current bedrooms in the
Jeremy James guesthouse. Once this is
built, the Jeremy James guesthouse (basically the main guesthouse) will be
converted as more of a common area with a large kitchen, indoor eating area and
large living room. It will be great to
have a place for everyone to congregate, eat together and talk about the day's adventures! Hopefully all of this construction will be
completed by February 2019, as that is when teams start arriving and come in a
steady stream until June!
A few prayer requests:
- I have been feeling a little off as far as my health goes
lately, so please pray that things will return to normal and I will go back to
feeling healthy and energetic!
- Sleep is also an issue
for me here, as there are a lot of noises at all hours of the night; Ugandans
seem to be used to this as I often ask what the commotion was during the night
and nobody else heard it! I’m praying
over time I will be able to sleep through these things as well!
- I’m almost fully funded, but am still in need
of some financial partners to bring me to 100% funded; would you prayerfully
consider partnering with me to support my work here in Uganda? (https://www.canadahelps.org/en/dn/34626)
