2nd October, 2022
Dear friends,
I’ve just arrived home after an exhausting day visiting Asaph in Bombo. The traffic was heavy this morning and it took over two hours to get there. I was pleased I had asked Jesse to drive. When we arrived at Don Bosco Vocational College I joined a tour showing parents the different workshops and was impressed to see that students were learning how to wire solar panels on the electrical course. Those on tailoring/design courses had designed many good outfits that were modelled for us later. We spent over 4 hours where the students entertained us, a video was shown, the teachers introduced themselves, the new Principal, Father Joseph Cat from Thailand spoke, the parents/teachers association elected, plus many questions answered – all before I got to speak to Asaph. He is well, seems to have grown, and is finishing his Carpentry Course shortly, he and I had a time of prayer and he prayed for me. Christine and Kelly had invited me out for supper but I thought I needed a quiet evening home.
‘Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.’ 1 Peter 5v7
This week Peace and I travelled with Jesse to visit the six boys at Hope International College in Lugazi. The boys were all fine except for young Brian who was in hospital with malaria, he looked really ill; after praying with him and promising to return the next day to take him back to George’s Place we travelled on to Bugiri and saw Shaffick, his mum and his hairdressing salon. He is doing well and saving for a TV for the salon to entice customers! His mother gave me a chicken! We then travelled on to Mbale as we had planned to visit Emma and Derrick the following day. Early Wednesday morning we called on Emma who is staying with his grandparents and took him to a workshop in Mbale where he will start work as an apprentice, doing welding. Later we met Derrick for coffee, he lives in a very remote area in the hills and now has a ‘wife’, Angel, who he met in Ggaba and a baby daughter, Catherine. He seems to have settled down and told us he was working hard for his family. We had baby clothes with us and were able to give him some. We then travelled back to Lugazi, collected Brian from the hospital and again called at the college to see the other boys – before returning to Entebbe. A busy couple of days.
Dan has gone back to his family, his father collected him on Friday afternoon. He was becoming quite unsettled at school and we felt he would benefit from being at home with his siblings and being educated locally. Peace and I will visit in a couple of weeks to check on the family and find a school. Patrick our security guard (and so much more!) seemed really upset to see the young lad go. I gave them a lift to Kajjansi where they boarded a taxi to the centre of Kampala and then home to Kayunga.
At 8am Friday morning I met Dennis at Maranatha Senior School for prayers for the students taking their examinations shortly. Dennis will be staying with me whilst he is sitting his exams rather than travelling back to Garuga each day.
The younger boys are all fine, they received new underclothes this week which they were very happy about. Tresor also purchased all the things we need for taking in new boys – mattresses, sheets, towels, clothes etc. Charles was collected by someone from the American Embassy and went to Georgia last Sunday after receiving a Homes of Promise t-shirt.
We have had plenty of rain this week, sometimes torrential, also lots of sunshine. There have been many blessings, especially seeing some of our older boys settled and young Brian is improving daily. We give thanks to the Lord for the way the boys are growing, maturing, and I really appreciated the way they are all looking after themselves keeping clean, neat and tidy! God is Good.
With love and prayers.
Jane