2nd April, 2016
Dear friends,
Bob went off to Mbale and is organising the building of a house and latrine for Marie a grandmother looking after 2 orphaned grandchildren. The house is near to Isaac’s home which we built last year so the latrine will be shared, having two separate doors, Marie and her family were just using an open hole before and I am not sure what Isaac has been using!
Brian and Tim finished the second classroom at Mission of Hope school, which has really brightened up the place. When I visited Sarah asked if I would take a young boy from the school, Sam 4 yrs to hospital, as he kept crying and was in pain. I went Thursday morning took his dad with me as well, we waited 4 hours, Sam needs a hernia operation. He also needed medication for a cough so we have to take him back next Thursday to make sure he is over the cough and get a date for the operation. The family couldn’t even afford to pay for the cough medicine.
Tresor and I went looking for somewhere to feed the street boys, Destin from church took us to a social centre in Kisenyi but we felt there was too much temptation around, you have to walk through a lorry park and gym, also water would need connected. An NGO is working there feeding 10 street boys three times a week and doing some schooling with them, I agreed to return and meet some of the boys. 10 is very different from 80+ which we were feeding before!
(I called in on Wednesday and knew some of the boys, played Ludo for an hour with Sandy, a boy from Kenya, I am sure we have had a photo of his leg in the past which is very scarred; cleaned up a few wounds on legs and feet and had lunch – posho, beans with small fish from the market, said a big prayer for protection as I ate, and have been fine! It was good to spend time with them, I really miss being involved but perhaps the Lord is leading us to set up George’s Place before we go back to feeding 100s of boys.)
‘Unless the Lord builds the house, the builders labour in vain. Unless the Lord watches over the city the guards stand watch in vain.’ Psalm 127 v 1
We then visited Retrak to catch up with Anton and were informed that whilst I was home they had sent him back to an aunt in the village under the care of the local probation officer and the LC1 (local councillor). He is now an orphan as his father died in December. I telephoned Antony in the evening and said I would visit him shortly, I had promised he could come into George’s Place when we were registered. Retrak staff said he cried for a week as they couldn’t get in contact with us – this has really upset me – after all he has gone through with the operation to remove the tumour. In the village they refer to him as the boy with the big fat cheek! I am planning to go and visit but it is about an 8 hr drive with the last part to the village being really rough roads, Abdu is willing to come with me which I am thankful for as I know he doesn’t like spending a night away from home hopefully we will go Sunday and come back Monday.
At the beginning of the week the weather was still really hot, you dripped with perspiration, even at night, it was very dry and thin layers of dust covered everything even indoors. The last couple of days it’s rained and everyone is thankful for these torrential downpours, in Gulu they have been desperate for water, 300,000 people suffering through lack of water.
I have spent some time with Pat, sitting on her verandah (got bitten though) she has been helping me write up ‘Job Descriptions’ for the staff at George’s Place, there seems so much to sort out but I’m sure it will all come together.
Thank you for all your love and support, it’s good hearing from you and keeping up with news in the UK.
Love and blessings
Jane
