Sunday 4th June, 2023
Dear friends,
Last Sunday afternoon I went to George’s Place to say goodbye to the boys, they were going back to school or vocational training early Monday morning. The boys were busy helping Johnson, Kodet and young Brian packing for boarding school. The young ones were also receiving their school requirements – although Tresor delivered all the reams of paper and toilet rolls! The boys going back to Vocational training, Ivan, Ronald, New Brian, Robert, Griffin and Joseph also received their requirements. We spent a while sitting and talking together and I shared that we were planning a weekend camp when I returned at the end of August, that Ian is organising. The boys prayed for me and we had a special time saying farewell.
‘When I consider your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars, which you have set in place, what is mankind that you are mindful of them, human beings that you care for them?’ Psalm 8 v3/4
Monday morning, I arrived back there at 8.30am and collected Johnson, Kodet and Tresor. We first took Johnson back to Trinity High School and then I drove to the office. As the traffic was bad in Kampala with schools returning Tresor took Kodet on a boda to Faith High School. Brian is in Little Angels, P7 boarding so the younger boys had helped him carry his box and requirements to the school. The boys going to Hope International and Don Bosco went by themselves and arrived safely.
Later Monday morning I met up with Ken for a coffee. He had been impressed with the staff at our meeting the previous week as they had all been willing to be taking on responsibilities whilst I’m away. Tuesday morning, I again returned to GP to say goodbye to the staff before Tresor and Sam escorted me to the airport. I arrived back in the U.K. early Wednesday morning.
This week was the funeral service for Sue Harper who has been the Homes of Promise Secretary since we started up the organisation. I was so pleased to be able to attend the service and meet up with her family and members of Jesus Church. Sue’s son Stuart visited us in Uganda in 2019. Sue will be remembered warmly by the Trustees for all her kindness, commitment and support.
Tresor has had a busy week, he went to Kayunga on Wednesday to check on Dan’s family and pay school fees for him and his brother George. He was concerned to find that Dan had not been seen anywhere since Monday! (Dan arrived at GP on Thursday, no shoes and looking like he had walked the 54 miles.) Benard and Tresor haven’t yet had a conversation with him to find out why he left home. All very worrying.
Dan, George and Sheirah (their sister) all had good school reports from last term, with George coming top of the class.
Peace also met up with Omoding and his father and delivered his college hairdressing requirements last weekend as she was speaking to the Mothers’ Union at the Cathedral in Mbale.
On Thursday, Tresor went to see Paul, who is working, weighing plastic that has been collected by boys living on the streets. Paul stayed with us for many years and trained in tailoring, which he is very good at. Sadly, he had found it difficult to become drug free since he left us but has done well this year in stopping drugs and changing his life around. He recently stayed with us as he was un-well and we are now helping him in sharing his accommodation costs. Haruna who was with us for a long time is also staying with him. It’s not always easy for our older boys living in the community and looking for work to cope with peer pressure.
Shaffick has come to stay for a week at George’s Place. When I saw him a couple of weeks ago he looked like he needed some TLC so he was invited to visit.
The boys are all going swimming this afternoon.
Prayers please for the boys as they settle back in college or school, also the staff.
I do hope to be able to meet up with many of you whilst I’m here in the U.K. Thank you for all your support and love.
Love Jane x
