9th December, 2018

Dear friends,

It’s difficult to believe it’s the 9th December as there are very few signs of Christmas here!

Martin was kept busy at the beginning of the week looking at and cleaning up the laptops and he is hoping to link them all together in some way! Peace submitted our papers to the Ministry of Gender – lots of photocopying – as we also gave a copy to our Probation Officer and kept one for ourselves. I believe it takes a month for the Ministry to approve or decline our application and possibly over the Christmas period this might take longer. Prayers, please.

“Still other seed fell on good soil, where it produced a crop—a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown. Whoever has ears let them hear.” Matthew 13:8/9

Bob, Martin, Anton and I have been away for a few days and we now have land, nearly an acre, near Ibanda (Anton’s hometown) for Anton to cultivate. Homes of Promise purchased tools for him to clear the land and dig it over with the help of local people. He is hoping to grow matoke (bananas), maize and tomatoes etc. He has found himself a room in a nearby trading centre and we are helping with rent and expenses for six months. It felt a slow process in finding a surveyor, lawyer, local councillor and getting everyone to sign the papers but in comparison to the UK, it was probably very speedy. We also dropped Patrick in Mbarara for him to catch a matatu (minibus – seats 15 legally!) to Rukungiri as he is going to stay with an aunt and look for work – he will come back for the Graduation ceremony at Meeting Point next year.

The boys at Maranatha and Kennedy now have their school reports and some of them have done really well – Musumba continues to be first in the class and Brian second. Saviour who graduated last week also came second in his class. I still emphasise that behaviour is important and also ‘trying ones best’ (some of the boys who only started school this term did not do so well but it takes time for them to settle). This week the boys have been swimming, to KK Beach one afternoon playing football and have been for evening walks, they all seem fine and healthy. Saturday afternoon we had another visit to KK – lots of loud background music.

This afternoon we are taking the boys and Martin (he leaves on Monday evening) to the Ndere Cultural Centre – some of our boys are going to their families on the 17th. for Christmas so this will be an early celebration.

Love and prayers,

Jane