We have spent the last month slowly getting more into our work here and beginning to understand a little of how the Diocese works and our function within it. Irene has been trying to help the students at the Vocational Training Centre to look forward to the end of their training and begin to make plans to find work, set up businesses or go on to further education. She has been seeing students individually almost like a careers officer and has started a short Business Studies course for those wishing to start up on their own after completing the tailoring, carpentry or bricklaying courses they are taking at the Centre. The biggest difficulty facing most of the students is lack of finance for tuition fees, most try desperately to find work during term holidays but companies don’t want to employ them until they are qualified, especially as the Centre makes a practice of assisting those who have struggled academically and therefore have little in the way of formal education to offer. Irene is trying to find sources of funding to be able to buy tools and a sewing machine for the students to use during their holidays so they can make and sell things to earn enough to continue their education.
Malcolm has been looking at the Dioceses income from Parish, and as in English parishes there is tension between the needs of the Diocese for funding and the ability of Parishes to pay their ‘quota’. He has also started helping for one day a week the manager of the Potter’s Village babies home and orphanage to maintain their financial records
Taken for Granted
We walk around the town stunned by the beauty of the volcanic mountains, the variety of attractive birds, lizards and flowers, but the locals seldom give them a second glance. Conversely in Britain, we take for granted having a cooker, fridge and kitchen sink with hot water, whereas local people here rarely even have a kitchen. “You don’t know what you’ve got till it’s gone” was the title of a popular song some years ago, and how true it is. Last weekend we received a fridge and gas cooker, and a water heater arrived today. They were a cause for great excitement and thanks to God, but in England we would just expect to have them as our due.One of the tasks Irene has been carrying out has been to teach Amos, the acting head of the Vocational Training Centre, how to use a computer. He had one on his desk but had no idea how to even turn it on. Irene’s skills aren’t extensive but she has a fair understanding of Word packages so they looked at writing letters, forms, tables etc. Amos was so thrilled by the way you could correct faults, manoeuvre paragraphs, change letters to capitals and use different type faces, he just kept praising God for such a marvellous instrument and typed with childlike wonder and awe. We had forgotten what an incredible labour saving device a computer is, and how fortunate we are to own one.
How easy it is to do that with God too. When things are going well and life is comfortable it’s so easy to forget who enables us to enjoy all things. Sometimes it’s only when we suddenly face trouble and fear that our life style will change for the worse, that we remember God and all He has given us. Don’t take Him for granted He gives so much to us all we should be full of praise and wonder every day.
Prayer Items
Please thank God:
- for an international team who arrived under a scheme called “Rooted in Jesus“ and who taught church leaders how to go deeper into discipleship training
- that despite mild attacks of ‘flu’, probably caught from babies at Potters Village, we are now both well
Please pray for:
- Jenny Green at Potters Village as she has been increasingly tired looking after sick children both at the orphanage and her own home with disturbed sleep and little rest time
- that our work permits will arrive in time to avoid us having to travel to the Uganda/Rwanda boarder to renew our visitors visas
- for guidance about where we should focus our time and that we should find our ‘slots’ (i.e. God’s will for us) here
You know you live in Africa when….
.. you realise none of the wiring in your house is earthed which explains why you are getting electric shocks from the case of your laptop
…you take as ‘normal’ when a dozen or so flying ants, with wingspan of about 2 inches, fly around your lounge in the evenings.
…you don’t have to bother turning the clock back – dawn is about 7a.m.and dusk 7 p.m. all year round
