Yusuf returned to the farm on Monday and took some T-shirts for his team of workers.
We are planning for Zimba to go with Yusuf to the farm as a deterrent to the monkeys. Ian thinks it’s a good idea as Zimba sometimes spends a lot of time in the kennel when the boys are around. He’s a good dog, obviously excitable, he’s had his Rabies inoculation for this year and having the freedom to run around all day could be good for him. I’ll miss him and so will the boys and Peanut!
This week Peace and I have been travelling to the east of Uganda. We left on Tuesday (Jessie driving) and first went to Iganga, where we met Sula, who is working in a salon as a manicurist. He took us to where he is staying with his mother (1 room). We have given him rent for a room for himself nearby for 3 months and left money for a bed and mattress for him and a few other necessities. It was good to see him doing well.
We travelled on to Mbale where we stayed the night and early next morning Ivan came to meet us. He had collected another sewing machine from us in May that came from St. Peter’s & St.Martin’s Church in Edmonton; we went and helped him buy a table so that it can be turned into a treadle machine. He wants to teach others in his village how to sew. We also helped him with a bicycle as he lives a good way from a trading centre. He was very happy! From here we went to the college where Kodet is studying electrical installation and doing really well. His head teacher is recommending him to further his studies after he finishes his course next year. At present, he is working on solar panels.
“But even if you should suffer for what is right, you are blessed.”
1 Peter 3:14
We then travelled to Malaba and met up with Robert and his grandmother, he is working in a salon doing hairdressing and looked very smart. We treated them to lunch at a local cafe (5 of us, the bill came to £10, we all had cooked food and drinks).
After saying goodbye, we travelled to see Omoding and his family (the stepmother, father, half-brother, and half-sister were at home). Unfortunately, Omoding didn’t do well in his exams. We took him to the college he had attended, and the principal has offered to help him look for work in Tororo in a salon. We also met his older half-brother, who will help him look for a room. Your prayers, please, for Omoding.
From here we went to Bulgiri where we spent the night. The next morning we called on Shaffick at 9am, he had only just woken up. He informed us he had been working in Pallisa in a salon doing hairdressing for a couple of months and recently returned to check on his family. Following this, we started making our way back to Kampala, stopping at Iganga to meet up with Derrick, who now has a ‘wife’ and baby daughter. He is still working in the garage as a mechanic, he seems settled and fine. We called back to Sula to collect receipts from the purchases he had made. On our journey home, we stopped at Seeta, and Augustine came and met us at the side of the road; he was working on a building site nearby. So many blessings! Seeing our boys working and managing. The weather has been hot with some rain whilst we’ve been travelling, and the car was absolutely filthy from going on difficult marram roads with potholes and ditches. We only skidded once, and thankfully Jessie managed skilfully to control the car.
Today, Friday is my day off, but I need to go out for some food shopping!
Saturday, I went to Saidi’s school at 9:30 am for a Eucharist service and prayers, as the P7 candidates’ exams start next week. There had been a lot of rain overnight and early in the morning, we met under marquees decorated with balloons and flower arrangements, all the parents/guardians had to stand over their kneeling child and place a hand on their head to pray for them, very moving.
Jessie then took me up to see the boys at George’s Place – I had taken some patterns for them to colour. The boys have spent the last 24 hrs. saying farewell to Zimba – Ryan, Raymond and Moses went with Tresor to meet Yusuf at the office to hand him over – there have even been tears!
Thank you for all your support, love and kindness. Travelling makes you very aware of the difficulties and hardships many people here are facing, seeing the poverty and need is heartbreaking. Your prayers please for our boys and their families.
Love Jane x