10th April, 2022

Dear friends,

A great deal has been happening this week in Homes of Promise but I haven’t been involved as I have typhoid and been unable to work. Christine and Ian have been amazing at making sure I have been well looked after. Ian took me to the ‘Surgery’ on Tuesday and I spent a night there. I seem to be improving slowly on the medication but have little energy.

Last Sunday Tresor and I took Paul to the indoor market in Kampala with his sewing machine as he has started working with other tailors making clothes – he seems to be doing fine.

‘The Lord watches over you – the Lord is your shade at your right hand; the sun will not harm you by day, nor the moon by night.’ Psalm 121 v6

Tresor and Jesse the driver, travelled to Jinja, Tororo and Mbale with Derek, Ivan, Robert and Emma dropping them nearby to their families on Monday and then as they returned visited Shaffick in Bugiri with the items we had bought him to help start up a small hairdressing business. He took a couple of our old office chairs and his father has also helped. We will keep checking regularly on Shaffick to make sure he is fine. ‘New’ Brian also returned to his home for the holidays, he comes from Nebbi in the very north, he speaks little English or Luganda but Patrick our security at the new GP comes from Arua and can communicate with him.

Anton has come to stay for a couple of weeks. There has been little rain in Ibanda and although he has started clearing the land for the foundations of a small house he was finding it challenging, there is a large termite mound that needs removing, which would be easier if the ground was damp. He arrived early on Monday morning – he is a very special young man – good sense of humour and a good influence on the younger boys.

Augustine replaced a broken window pane on Monday before he went up north for a few days work on a building site.

The younger boys have been off school all week and collected their school reports on Friday – Musumba, Kasita and Joshua have all done really well but most of the other boys have found this first term difficult and their results have not been as good as we expected. Asaph returned from college on Friday, he is fine. Yusuf has been busy crocheting bathing clothes which he sells to staff members!

I believe Tresor and Benard have taken the boys swimming this afternoon. We are planning to start moving some things into the new George’s Place next week. Seven of the younger boys are going back to their families for Easter and this will probably happen next Tuesday as I’ve not been around to make arrangements – it was also a bank holiday again last Friday!

Thank you for all your love and support.

With love and prayers for Holy Week.

Jane