Family tracing, Dan’s family home, catching up with some of our older boys

Dear friends,

Work has been full on this week. Monday we were in the office sorting out finances and preparing for a trip to Mbale for home tracing for Moses and Robert.

Tuesday morning Jessie and I collected the boys from Tresor in Kajjansi and proceeded to collect Peace. At arriving in Kayunga about 11am we went to look at the building project for Dan’s family – Augustine has done really well.

(Tresor stayed in Kayunga on Wednesday/Thursday to buy more materials and to visit Kasita at school in Mukono.)

We stopped for lunch – chicken and chips for the boys – a real treat, they couldn’t stop smiling. When we arrived in Iganga we looked for Derek who had been working in the garage there but the mechanics advised that he had visited to pay the rent on the room where he stays but for the last six weeks had been working at a garage near the college he attended as they had asked him to work for them. I’m sure he is fine.

We arrived in Mbale and stayed overnight at the usual hotel – Jessie sharing a room with two excited boys! Next morning we called on Ivan near Sironko to see his new room which is brick built and not so damp. He had been harvesting beans he had grown and gave them to us for the boys at George’s Place. He’s been doing well with his sewing work and made hats for me to bring back to get orders!

“Though the mountains be shaken and the hills be removed, yet my unfailing love for you will not be shaken nor my covenant of peace be removed,’ says the Lord, who has compassion on you.”
‭‭Isaiah‬ ‭54‬:‭10‬ ‭

We had an appointment with the Probation Officer, Sarah (who we have met before) at 10.30am whom we advised we were home tracing for Moses. Unfortunately she was not able to come with us. The boy’s home was nearby and we met the mother, sister and a member of another British charity that has been supporting the family. The mother insisted that the boy remain with her, so we went back to the PO with the family. I cannot go into all the circumstances but later that afternoon the Country Director of the other charity placed the boy in our care. Again we went back to the PO to inform her. On Friday, however, when we were nearly back in Kampala we were asked to return Moses to his family, sadly he is reluctant to go back and may well run back to the streets. He is still with us until we can sort things out next week. Prayers please for Moses and this very difficult, stressful situation.

On Thursday we travelled up into the mountains and found Robert’s family. His mother and his twin had died and the father has remarried. His uncle had been looking after Robert with his six grandchildren and was very relieved to know that Robert was safely in our care. The uncle is an LC and was able to sign our papers. We met the father but it is election campaign time in the area which caused a problem in travelling to his home, there were about 300 people blocking the road, in the middle of nowhere! Coming back down the mountain the cover under the car lost a bolt and Jessie used a shoelace to tie it back up. I’ll get it fixed on Monday. We left Mbale area.

After checking on older Robert in Malaba we went to see Omoding at college in Tororo before calling to see Shaffick and his mother in Bugiri. We returned to Kampala on Friday via Kayunga and another visit to Dan’s family.

On getting back to George’s Place, young Brian had just returned from boarding school – I was unhappy about this as we had paid his school fees on 20th May at the beginning of term, had sent two bank slips of the transaction and the school were querying if we had paid! Moses, Robert and Brian joined the boys at Little Angels who were in a school football league – all our boys played in either the under or over 12’s teams.

Saturday morning I had a visit from Joshua and his friend to inform me they had a Visiting Day next Sunday and asking me to attend. He is such a good lad and doing well at school. The boys at GP went to football and I had a day off, shopping and relaxing after dropping Joshua and friend back to school.

Thank you for all your love and support – there are many blessings but please do be praying for a positive, safe outcome for the situation with Moses.

Love Jane x