9th January 2022

Dear friends,

Peace and Petra returned to work on Monday and we celebrated Peace’s birthday with a cake, sodas and prayers.

We have 22 boys staying in the home at the moment as we are getting ready to send some of them back to vocational training, some to boarding school/day school beginning on Monday. It hasn’t been easy getting all the school requirements, uniforms (some of which are now too small) in place but hopefully we are getting there! Joshua has been diagnosed as having Covid, he isn’t sick and is walking around looking fine – he just felt ill when he returned from the village. Dennis had to have a Covid vaccination for school and he had a bad reaction and has been unwell. Saviour has malaria but also doesn’t seem sick now he has been having injections. Augustine has been diagnosed with ulcers and been in the clinic most of the week. Victor arrived back from the village Friday and Saturday evening I took him to the clinic – he also has malaria. Patrick, Emma and Tim have also called in this week.

“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.” Matthew 11 v28

On Wednesday Peace, John (Musumba) and I travelled to Mbale with Jesse driving. On our way we took a food parcel to Dan’s family as he had stayed with us for Christmas, his mum was really excited to see us and appreciated the food. We also took John to see his mum, grandmother and half siblings, he hasn’t seen the family for a couple of years.

When we arrived in Mbale we visited the Diocesan Office and I met up with the new Mothers’ Union Diocesan President, Juliet, and the MU Worker, Sarah. I photographed their project plans for 2022 – as we are hoping to strengthen the MU diocesan link.

Ivan arrived to spend the night with us at a hotel and the next day we took some of the ‘fish and chip’ baby clothes and crocheted blankets to a medical centre near Tororo. We gave these to a midwife and as we signed the visitors book she recognised Peace’s name and mentioned she had sung at her wedding about 20 years ago. We later collected Omoding who has been staying with his mother for the last few months. On the way back I took some photos of the new bridge over the Nile at Jinja but as we crossed an army officer stopped the car, told us to turn around at the next roundabout and return to register Jesse’s details with them as it is illegal to take photos without registering – I was thinking I might be arrested!

On Friday, Maria the art teacher came and the boys spent some time drawing – they have really improved in their drawing and shading. Saturday it was a very hot day so in the afternoon we took the boys swimming. They loved diving for coins that Tresor was throwing in, even Dan can swim a few strokes now but mainly underwater and he managed to pick up a coin.

It’s not been easy having so many boys around, with their different family issues and personalities – I have been unable to get on with work when I’ve been in the office as my door is always open to listen to their concerns, hopes, disagreements, lost property issues etc. etc.

Thank you for continuing to support our work, we really need your prayers as we are looking to find a more suitable property to rent, with more space further out of Kampala which hopefully will be more reasonably priced.

With love

Jane