Revd John and Joyce visit, 3 boys back from college, getting ready for Christmas

Dear friends,

I’m sitting on a balcony in the shade, overlooking the swimming pool – the boys are really enjoying themselves as it’s 33 degrees today – there are a few young girls here and our older boys are showing off their diving skills trying to impress! Dan is in the shallow end with his armbands on, he keeps checking that I’m watching as he lifts his feet and splashes around – it won’t be long before he’s swimming. He looks so small even compared to our younger boys.

‘Make sure that nobody pays back wrong for wrong, but always strive to do what is good for each other and for everyone else.’ 1 Thessalonians 5v15

There has seemed to be lots going on this week. On Tuesday Revd. John and his wife Joyce came to talk with the older boys about relationships and marriage. There was lots of lively discussion and questions – the boys have asked if they can come back again early next year to continue the talks.

This week:

• The Christmas decorations and tree have gone up and a door opened each day on the Advent Calendar during prayer times.
• Emma has been finding it difficult to get welding work – so we have helped him set up a chapati making business, he had bought himself a charcoal stove and table. I suggested he stay a night at George’s Place and make all the chapatis for breakfast on Tuesday morning, so that we could sample his cooking and offer advice……..they were fine!
• Tim called in with some of his homemade biscuits which were very good – he definitely has a gift at baking.
• Anton returned to Ibanda at the beginning of the week and sent me photos of the maize and matoke growing on his land.
• Paul has been sewing and made a shirt, hat (for Dan) and bag during the week.
• Augustine painted the outside of the small house and another of the bedrooms, John (Musumba) and Joseph (Yusuf) have been helping him and earning some pocket money, which they are saving in envelopes in my filing cabinet.
• Sula got a black eye! Kasita was cooking for us all (21) on Monday as Gorette had a day off – Sula was messing about (as usual), touching the clean plates whilst Kasita was dishing up the food, I don’t know how or what happened but the situation prompted a ‘pep’ talk from me – Sula is fine but it was a nasty swollen eye and he has been fairly quiet all week with visits to the clinic. But he was back to normal Saturday doing handstands in the swimming pool.
• Mary the art teacher sent some photos of the ‘fish and chip’ jumpers and blankets she had given out when she visited the village last weekend.
• Peace attended a meeting one morning, set up by the Ministry of Gender giving advice on how to fill in on line all the information they need from us.

We also had the continuation of our Management Meeting on Friday morning followed by lunch that Gorette had prepared. The boys were busy with their art class and stencilled animals/birds/butterflies on tshirts or pieces of material which look effective – they were pleased to show off their work to our visitors.

On Saturday afternoon Shaffick, Ronald and Brian arrived back with us as their college has closed for the Christmas holidays. Ronald (motor mechanics course) came to show me one of the large exercise books he has been working in with neat drawings of engines/pistons and asked if he and Brian could use a laptop on Monday as they need to learn all the parts of the engine. Ronald has been with us for about 5 years now and I can’t ever remember him being in any sort of trouble at the home or school, he is really easy going, gets on with everyone and it sounds like he is enjoying college and the course. We do give thanks to The Lord for all He is doing in these boys lives, it is a privilege to see them growing and developing into responsible young men. Thank you for all your prayers and support.

With love.

Jane