Ugandan Graffiti (June 2014)



Trying to keep fit, Irene goes out walking most mornings before the sun gets too hot. One day she came across this picture painted on the outside of a rough house wall. Her first thought was that it was a cross and a foetus. She wondered if the person painting it had wanted to show that Christ was there for us at the beginning of our lives. Or maybe that the cross means we can have a new life. Then as she looked at the photo she had taken she wondered if maybe its meant to be a cross and an ear. Maybe the unknown artist was trying to show we should be listening to God. Sitting next to the cross and finding out what He wants for our lives. Either way, it’s certain here that the artist, child or adult, knows the importance of the cross, bringing God into their lives. (Being an accountant Malcolm thinks it’s God + ? = ?)

As we start to realise that our time here is drawing to an end we can only look back and reflect on the great things God has done for us through our time in Africa. We certainly feel we have been given far more than we have ever given out and that God has taken us to new levels spiritually as well as giving us a much deeper understanding of the difficulties and the joys of living in a developing country.

Sometimes things have been hard, others times have been great fun. Sometimes we have felt we belong here, other times we have felt complete outsiders. We have a whole new understanding of the word “patience” and of “spiritual warfare”. Here Christians expect to see God working in mighty ways to help them overcome their difficulties, and He obliges!

An example of their deep simple faith came with the withdrawal of International funding for the H.I.V. department to treat and test over 2,000 patients. We muzungus are tearing our hair out wondering how we are going to be able to keep the clinics running, but the local staff  just replied “God will provide”. It’s hard not to be cynical and think “yes God will provide because we are dashing around like mad things trying to get things organised” but some money has already come in, unasked for and totally unexpected; and although the future of the HIV project is far from secure we have enough to keep going at the moment. Maybe we should stop trying to do things in our own strength like Martha and take a bit more time to be Marys sitting at the feet of Jesus and listening to Him.

Prayer points.

We thank God:

·        for the birth of our sixth grandchild (Eve) and the expected birth in June of our seventh

·        for our work in Tanzania and Uganda, over the past 6 years – the friends we’ve made and the things we have learned about God’s kingdom

Please pray that:

·        we can get outstanding work finished and have time to hand over day to day tasks to other workers

·        a western Programmes / Business manager is identified to replace Malcolm at the hospital

·        we find the right church in St. Neots, and understand God’s will for our future

·        we adjust to another peculiar and strange culture – in England!

Past the Half Way Point (February 2014)

This comes with belated wishes for a Happy New Year.

Greetings from a hot and dry Kiwoko. The dry season has been here for over 2 months now. The land is looking parched, the roads are extremely dusty, the maize has dried out and (worst of all) our enormous underground rainwater tank, on which we rely for water for our shower and flush toilet, is almost empty. Fortunately, the signs are that the rainy season will soon begin which means that the farmers will be grateful for God’s continuing blessings and we can continue in our relative comfort with access to water to our bathroom.

We are now more than half way through our time in Kiwoko and soon we will need to begin thinking about arrangements for returning to England. As we write this Irene is in England visiting our expanding family and making arrangements for us to relet our bungalow in Boston. She, in particular, has found it difficult to be so far away from our 5 grand-children and being there to support our children as they expect 2 more grandchildren in the next 4 months.

The next few months will be challenging. We are delighted that the Hospital recruited a new Finance Manager, Alex, to replace Joseph who left in November. He has just taken up the post but it will take some-time for him to understand how we work and be able to assume some of Malcolm’s responsibilities when we leave. So far, so good!

Ideally the Hospital needs a Christian Mission worker to take over Malcolm’s responsibilities. In addition to being responsible for Financial Management and managing other support Services, Malcolm and his predecessors have been invaluable in supporting the Hospital’s Medical Director. However, although there are a steady stream of young and older doctors willing to offer  their services to the hospital, it is more difficult to find someone with management skills, willing to offer their time and expertise. It is hard to know why.

A looming challenge is coming. In March the Medical Director, Rory and his family return to Ireland for a well earned 3 month leave. This means that Malcolm will take up the responsibility for he management of the Hospital, though fortunately there is an experienced Deputy Medical Director to look after and Medical management issues.

Prayer points

• Praise God that at the second attempt to find a suitable candidate, Alex was appointed as the Hospital’s new Finance Manager.
• Thank God that the auditors have signed off the Hospital accounts for the past too years. These show that although the Hospital faces some financial challenges, it has survived through a few years when the economic difficulties in the developed world has affected the financial support that donors have been able to offer
• Thank God that the HIV Building is almost complete and arrangements to move back in are going well
• Pray that Irene will manage to complete all she hopes to do in England and returns refreshed to Kiwoko.
• For those Hospital staff who are going on a week’s mission to Karamoja, one of the poorest  and neediest regions in Uganda.
• That God will call an experienced Mission Worker to take up the Financial and other management responsibilities at the Hospital when we leave.
• For Malcolm (and Irene), that he has the wisdom necessary to cover for the Medical Director during his leave to Ireland
• For refreshment and Fellowship as we prepare for a week’s CMS (Africa) conference in Nairobi in February, where we shall meet amongst others Simon and Laura Walton and family, who we worked with when we first went to Tanzania.

What are you used to? (December 2013)

 

The rainy season has stopped and its suddenly started to get very hot. A couple of days ago I was walking through the hospital, sweat trickling down my back in the 34 degree heat, when a local man passed me wearing a big thick quilted coat! I couldn’t believe he could possibly be comfortable but I was told it’s all a matter of what you get used to.

 

In Britain shops are full of Christmas goods, children are writing present lists and parents are rushing around to get in enough supplies for the descending relatives. Here nothing has changed. For Christmas, if they are fortunate, children will get a new top or trousers, and parents have strived hard for weeks to try and provide a scrawny chicken for Christmas day. There is no commercialism, no Father Christmases, no Christmas lights just a low key celebration of Jesus birth, it’s what they are used to.

 

When you get used to something you take it for granted and don’t really think about it at all. How easy it is, particularly for those of us who are long past our childhood, to tune out of Christmas. To do things automatically because that’s what we always do and forget what the real meaning is all about, we are too used to Christmas days.

 

This Christmas think of those whose experiences will be very different from yours. The homeless, those who would be persecuted for celebrating their faith, refugees, victims of natural disasters and even us celebrating in the heat!  Looking at Christmas from a different perspective may make us think again about what it really means and how amazing it is to be able to celebrate the Son of God coming to earth for us.

 

Work wise Malcolm is just coming to the end of a very busy and stressful time. The hospitals Strategic Review coincided with an external audit and his Finance Manager’s resignation!  All of them difficult situations on their own but when coming all together. triply so. We thank God that despite a tricky start the Review went well and many people felt that they got something useful from the time. The auditing reports are being finalized and interviews have been held for the Financial Manager’s post. Unfortunately no one was found suitable for the role so further interviews will need to take  place.

 

Irene has been working closely with the H.I.V. manager and together they have been making changes to job descriptions and moving personal around to positions which best suit their skills. They are still waiting to return to the refurbished H.I.V. department building. Unfortunately just as it was almost ready to move back into the  building, the funders came to see the work and were not happy with the standard, so many of the work surfaces have had to be  pulled down and made anew. For the first time the office and the clinic will be in one building which should make it easier to keep track of files which often got lost before. Hopefully it will be ready to move into in the New Year when new job changes will come into operation.

 

Prayer points

 

• Thank God for the safe return to Kiwoko of Dr Corrie and Dr Natasha, after their sudden visits home for family reasons
• Thank God for the visit here of Sarah Shelley (a worker from our church) and Stephen Burgess (our CMS Manager) – for the fellowship and fun-ship
• Pray that a suitable candidate will be appointed for the Finance Manager’s post to be able to take on more responsibility when Malcolm leaves.
• That the move from the temporary building to the refurbished HIV building will take place smoothly, and a reliable internet connection established for sending vital statistical data to Kampala
• For all Mission workers as the celebrate Christmas apart from their families

On a Journey (October 2013)

Transport and roads in Uganda have to be seen to be believed. The local taxis are small mini buses , known as matatus. In England they would seat 14 comfortably; here they seat 25 (uncomfortably!) with 8 or so standing and always room to squash a few more in if they’re waiting along the roadside. Recently Malcolm travelled from Kisiizi to Kampala, a 10 hour journey in a small local bus. Aisle seats were pulled out so more people could sit so the only way to exit the bus was through the back window!

 

Another mode of public transport is the boda boda. A motorbike which will easily carry 2 or 3 passengers who seem to calmly ignore the driver’s death defying weaving through traffic and pot holes. The women usually sit side saddle often with a baby in their arms or on their backs, or both! No helmets or goggles are worn.

 

Then there are the roads themselves. Only main roads and those in Kampala are tarmaced, all others are dirt tracks. At the moment a large amount of re surfacing is going on along the main road from Kiwoko to Kampala. There are no diversions as there are no other roads to use! Traffic squeezes by on one lane after waiting at a stop sign until a man waves a green flag instead of a red one. Last time I was in a car we waited over 15 minutes in the queue on our side whilst oncoming traffic passed by. When it came to our turn only 4 vehicles were allowed through. The conclusion was that the driver at the head of the queue the other end had bribed the traffic controller to let the traffic through that side again.

Waiting in the traffic queue is an experience in itself. Initially a single line of traffic heads the queue but then the matatu drivers want to get ahead to catch the fares, so they drive along the outside lane to the front. Lorry drivers know they are going to be over taken so they drive along the inside to the front, and local drivers get annoyed so push in too. The result is a bottle neck 3 or 4 vehicles deep with no one being willing to let anyone out in front of them. In amongst all this the boda boda push through impossibly narrow gaps and women and children knock at your windows trying to sell you water, fruit or peanuts.

When eventually you get to move along through the road works there are deep pot holes, road sides falling away and large “traffic calming” speed humps. However very few people take any notice of this and speed along throwing up so much dust that its practically impossible to see more than a few yards ahead. As passengers, you have the option to either wind down the windows and suffocate in the dust clouds or wind up the windows and suffocate in the heat! Not many worry about loose chippings cracking the windscreen as most are already cracked.

Drivers of any vehicle, bus, car, boda boda or bicycle feel that they own the roads and pedestrians are expected to get out of their way even if they are coming up unheard from behind. There are no pavements outside Kampalaso if you are on foot you need to be constantly vigilant. Even if a road is empty it seems that boda boda drivers and cyclists just love to use the sides of the road instead of the middle and they often need a lot of room as they sometimes carry enormous loads like single beds or three piece suites! (yes we have seen both on the back of bicycles!) Both of us have had near misses in our time here.

In Genesis Ch. 47 v 9 Jacob describes his life as a pilgrimage or journey. He does not see this world as his permanent residence but just somewhere to pass through until he reaches eternity with God, Heaven is his true home. Some journeys in life can be easy and smooth like travelling an empty motorway through beautiful countryside. Others can be hectic and pressured and fraught with danger. As Christians we need to remember that we are just passing through this life to our final destination, whether it is easy or hard God promises to be with us and bring us though to the end. A very comforting thought when traveling!

Prayer points

Thank God for:

· the successful Kiwoko Chase and the money raised to support young people with HIV, about £600

· the enjoyable and successful Children’s Holiday Club run by Hospital staff in Kiwoko andthe desolate region of Karamoja. Sheets donated by friends in the UKwere used at the clubs and surplus sheets left with the Children’s home in Karamoja

Please pray for: · The appointments of new hospital staff, particularly that people would see this as their vocational calling as many leave for higher paid jobs in government facilities. · Malcolm and the Finance Office as they prepare for the external audit at the end of October · Doctors Corrie and Natasha, who have had to return home because of very ill mothers, that God will give them peace at a difficult time

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Grace and Blessings – (August 2013)

We have settled back into our life at Kiwoko after our short break to attend a wedding and visit friends and family in the UK at the end of July.

 

 One of the heavy suitcases we brought back from England was full of sheets which Emmanuel Church, Chesham and Age Concern Charity Shop in Boston had collected for us. These were for the Children’s club organised by the Hospital Mission Team in the middle of August.

 

Over 200 children attended the 3 day holiday club, called ‘Ekisa’ (means Grace). The children were from families of staff at the hospital and from the local church and village. In a place where children have less entertainment than in Europe, and fewer opportunities for holidays, there was great excitement. The memory verse was ‘I was lost but Jesus found me’. The programme was a mixture of games, crafts, songs and lessons. The sheets were put to good use in making posters and other craft activities.

 
There were so many sheets that the remainder will be taken in September for a similar holiday club in Karamoja – probably the most impoverished and insecure part of Uganda. Some months ago a team of medical staff had visited a children’s home there to offer a health clinic. When there they realised that there is a desperate need for a similar holiday club. They will therefore return in mid September, with the spare sheets, to repeat the club and any surplus sheets will be left for some of the destitute people to use.
 

During August Malcolm spent a week re-visiting Kisiizi Hospital and south west Uganda. He had been asked to help audit the accounts of the Hospital’s hydro-electric company. This reportedly provides the hospital and neighbouring village with the most reliable electricity in Uganda. However, the recent dry season had reduced water levels so much that the Hospital had had to start rationing. However, Malcolm managed to take the rains (or ‘Blessings’ as they are sometimes called) with him so hopefully water levels are now being restored.

   Kisiizi Hospital Hydro-electric Generator

There have been some accommodation changes in August. The refurbished male ward was opened and patients moved back in from their temporary ward and the TB ward. Builders, funded by the Inter-Religious Council of Uganda (a national body representing all faith hospitals) arrived to refurbish the HIV clinic so Irene helped to move all the equipment and files to the now vacated TB ward which will be temporary home to the clinic during the building work.

Prayer pointers

Thank God:

·        that the Hospital has, because of the generosity of its donors, set a balanced budget for 2013/14.

·        that we returned safely to Kiwoko following our short break in England

 

Please pray:

·        for safety for the Mission team as they return to Karamoja to run the children’s holiday club, and that many children will make a commitment and increase their knowledge of God

·        for the work of the Hospital, that the ongoing building work will not disrupt the medical services

·        for Irene and the staff in the HIV department as the seek to care and counsel those suffering the effects of AIDS from temporary accommodation.

·        for Malcolm and staff in the Finance and Administration department as they prepare the draft Statements of Account ready for the Auditors’ visit in October

·        for peace for Sarah who cleans and cooks for us as she enters the Hospital for a hysterectomy

Time for a Stock-Take – (June 2013)

It’s the end of the financial year at the hospital and one thing that Malcolm has to do is to make sure that there is a stock take. This covers medical items such as drugs and syringes as well as more unusual things such as cows and bags of cement.

We have been in Kiwoko for about 3 months now and looking forward to a 3 week break at the end of July to the UK for a wedding and to visit family and friends.  Now is a good time to take a personal ‘stock-take’ and remember what we have achieved here.

-               We have settled in to our very comfortable new home and have learnt not to complain (much) about showering in cold water.

-               Irene has finished interviewing all the staff at the clinic for those suffering from HIV / AIDS and has submitted her report and recommendations for improving the administration procedures.

-               Malcolm has managed, with the finance staff, to get the Hospital Board’s approval to budgets for the next financial year. He has also increased most prices (and reduced some) that patients pay for treatment and drugs. (Although most of the treatment costs are covered by donations and grants it is essential that patients make a small contribution to the Hospital costs)

-               We have made new friends with both other ‘mzungus’ and local staff, and enjoy a weekly bible study with local medical staff

-               We have avoided accidents, illnesses and bites from snakes or the many unusual bugs we find here (except from the mosquitos)

The bible talks about God’s blessings in our lives. Job 5:24 says “You will know that your tent is secure; you will take stock of your property and find nothing missing”. At the time Job was experiencing a heap of disasters in his life, and had lost his home and his family. But he was still under God’s ‘tent’ or protection. Whatever difficulties we may face we can be reassured that God will never let us down.

 

Prayer pointers

Thank God:

·        that we have so far settled in well to our new life at Kiwoko Hospital, are making friends and getting fellowship.

·        For the work we have been able to do and the contributions we are making to the care of poor people in the region

·        For the many people around the world who help fund the Hospital and ensure that the people here get good medical care at a price they can afford

Please pray:

·        for wisdom and insight as we find out the needs of Kiwoko Hospital, and how we can help in the spiritual, work and community life here

·        for Irene and the staff in the HIV department as they seek to care and counsel those suffering the effects of AIDS.

·        for Malcolm and staff in the Finance and Administration department as they seek to manage the finances of the Hospital and keep management informed of the financial position

·        for the work of the chaplain and mission team as they bring spiritual comfort to the patients, as well as their families and Hospital staff, in their time of medical and spiritual need.

·        For safe journeys and a relaxing time as we see family and friends in the UK, and prepare to return to Kiwoko until July 2014

 

To find out more about our life in Uganda see our weekly blog. Just search for ‘Malcolm and Irene Crawford’.