Mountains to Climb (June 2011)

The dry season is here (although the rain hasn’t quite given up yet!) but it doesn’t seem to be a reason to celebrate. Jenny tells us that it is also nicknamed “the die season” for a higher than normal percentage of people die during this season, many from pneumonia. There is also an outbreak of typhoid in the area at the moment, and fears of the dreaded Ebola illness spreading from Sudan. As “mzungus” with a good clean water supply available and inoculations before we arrived we do not have many fears of these illnesses but for local people, especially those with babies and young children, they are a great worry.

Our work here is continuing to grow. The Diocese has arranged a series of missions at each of the five Arch Deaconries with the theme of “Walking as Jesus walked,” 1 John 2 v 6 and we have been invited to take part. Compared to Britain Christianity is still in its infancy here and many people who come forward to accept Christ are unclear what that actually involves and can end up living as non- Christians 6 days out of 7. Others feel it’s perfectly alright to add Christianity to their other beliefs, paganism, witch doctors etc., just to make sure they have every angle covered!

The aim of the missions is to make it clear what it means to be a Christian; following Christ’s life and living in obedience to Him, every day, not just on Sundays. The Mission takes place at every Village church within the Arch Deaconry and involves over 70 visiting ‘assistant missioners’ (of which we are just 2) joining a team from the church, and usually taking centre stage. This involves visiting people in their homes (which is far better accepted, if not welcomed here than in England) to speak and to pray, speaking at open air meetings and church services, and visiting schools.

In England this would have followed weeks of planning. Here, you arrive in the morning (as Irene did) to find you are asked to arrange and lead a 2 hour meeting at a school with 1,400 pupils aged 4 to 18 years, to make an altar call, and it starts in 1 hour’s time! At least it’s an opportunity to learn to rely on the grace of God! We were blessed in our home visits to meet and pray for many wonderful people, but who have difficulties. These included:

- a young couple, married 1 year and with a small baby, but bed ridden since December because of an illness that has weakened their legs

- having climbed up a steep, slippery and dangerous mountain goat track to meet in their remote homes old ladies who can barely walk, and therefore have no chance of ever getting down the hill to the church and shops, or visit friends

- a family living with a husband said to be demon possessed. You begin to believe he is, rather than mentally disabled, as he scamper up a steep hill, impossibly fast and in panic when he sees you coming

- the heart breaking stories of the families of peasant workers where the husband is a drunkard, spending whatever little money the family has on cheap booze at the expense of his children’s school fees. We hear that about half the men in the village are drunkards.

The new term at the Vocational Training Centre (VTC) began on the 23rd May and has brought some problems as well as an opportunity. The problems have arisen because three of the staff had to be dismissed due to lack of finance; this means the other staff are having to try to teach a combination of year groups in each lesson to cover the deficit. However in conjunction with a Peace Corp worker (US equivalent of VSO) Irene is encouraging the tailoring department to put together some samples of their work to send to an American organisation who support the sales of bead work from a group in Kampala and who want to expand and sell skirts, bags and purses etc. The V.T.C. will have to produce some good quality samples by June 24th which is a very tight deadline for them, especially considering their lack of working sewing machines; but if they can successfully produce the required goods it may lead to a small business being set up which could provide some income for both the students and the VTC.

Having seen treasurers and financial records kept by all the parish churches Malcolm is trying to write a basic training manual – the ‘Noddy’ book of church accounting. This has been quite a challenge as the treasurers are from many different backgrounds and education levels and the English needs to be clear and simple, not an easy task when discussing the finer, less interesting points of finance. The draft is now almost finished for approval by the Diocese and he is looking at the best way to produce it so each treasurer can have a copy.

At the end of this month Jenny returns to England for three weeks to fund raise for the work of Potters Village. She has asked us to move into her house to help look after her children Hannah and Jo Jo.

Please thank God for:

- the people we have met on the Missions, and the response many have made to what God has said to them to accept him for the first time or to repent

- the safe and enjoyable visit to Kisiizi Hospital where Malcolm has been asked to return in July to help prepare their annual financial statements.

Please pray for:

- the young bed-ridden couple, Eric and Jacklin, that God will bring peace to their marriage and healing to their bodies

- the design of tailoring samples, that they would be attractive to the USA and will generate income for the Training Centre and students

- Jenny as she travels to England for a strenuous round of visits to churches to raise funds for the Potter’s Village Home for Vulnerable Babies

- us to be given extra energy as not only will we have a pre-adolescent 10 year old girl and a lively 5 year old boy under our wings, Jenny’s house is at the top of a steep slope and we are not getting any younger

- for our eldest son and his wife, David and Sarah, as they come to work at Potters Village for 3 months from 23rd June, that all their preparations go smoothly and for safe travel

- Malcolm, that he writes and has printed an understandable book keeping manual for Treasurers who have limited education

Sacrificial Power (May 2011)

“ a human sacrifice would take place when a small group of people needed to obtain supernatural powers to be successful in areas such as business or politics” (BBC News website 28 Jan 2002).

This was what the Metropolitan Police were advised by an expert during the investigation into the torso of a young, African boy, named Adam, found in the Thames 10 years ago, and which has been in the news recently.

The idea of human sacrifice is unthinkable in modern Britain. In Uganda, where paganism was the main religion less than 100 years ago, it is still, unfortunately, more common. One of the Priests working at the Diocese here is sheltering a young girl who had been selected for sacrifice, and had fled to his home for safety. Maybe, if she had been taken to the shrine, rather than being killed the witch doctor would just have taken her to add to his 20 or so existing wives. Apparently, other children are not so lucky. Last year it is thought that in Uganda about 29 children were sacrificed for black magic and to use their body parts for healing. Worried parents resort to circumcising their children, or having their ears pierced so that their physical imperfections make them unacceptable for sacrifice.

For us as Christians human sacrifice is just an evil counterfeit of the only sacrifice that ever made a difference to anyone and brings God’s supernatural power. – that of Jesus Christ 2,000 years ago.
During this Easter season we are reminded of the death of Jesus. A perfect human sacrifice was required but for once only . As Peter wrote ‘For you know that it was not with perishable things such as silver or gold that you were redeemed from the empty way of life handed down to you from your ancestors, but with the precious blood of Christ, a lamb without blemish or defect.’ (1 Peter 1;18-19). And by His ‘one sacrifice He has made perfect for ever those who are being made holy’. (Hebrews 10:14).

Let us be thank God that we have access to His power through Jesus Christ.
We are both well, and looking forward to the end of the rainy season, which seemed to have started the day we arrived last August. The term has ended at the Vocational Training Centre and Irene has been busy introducing a basic computer skills course and ‘examining’ her 3 students. Malcolm has been touring the Diocese visiting all 37 Parishes to check what financial records they keep. On May 2nd to 4th he is visiting Kisiizi hospital run by a neighbouring Diocese to find out what help\they need.

Its been a sad time at Potter’s Village as a baby died. Moses was 9 months old and had been weak and blind since birth. On the day he was diagnosed with a hole in heart he died. When he was taken to his village to be buried with his mother there was a difficult time as his grandparents wanted the Christian Burial to include pagan rites. Many people who claim to be Christians also hold onto the traditional customs, which sometimes makes the witness of the church confusing to non-believers.

In your prayers please:

- give thanks that Malcolm had enjoyable, and safe journeys to visit the various parishes in March and April, and ask for wisdom for preparing a manual and training course for Treasurers later this year
- pray for guidance as we visit Kisiizi Hospital to find out how we can help them, whilst continuing to work in Kisoro
- seek God’s will for a specialist computer teacher and syllabus to continue the basic computer skills course
- pray for the babies at Potters Village, that they will be protected from illness, and that a full-time nurse will be appointed to help care for them
- pray for the church here, that it will be able to proclaim clearly the good news of Easter, and many will accept Christ and give up their old ways

To read our weekly blog search for ‘Malcolm and Irene Crawford’ or go to:
http://malcolmandirenecrawford.blogspot.com/

If only........(April 2011)

Before we went out to Kisoro we had been warned that our accommodation would be very “basic” and had no plumbing at all! When we arrived we were thankful to see that a shower and western style toilet had been provided for us; what a relief. Now if only we had some electric sockets in the kitchen it would be perfect. A few weeks further on and Malcolm put in electric sockets in the lounge and kitchen; excellent. Now if only we had some hot water it would be perfect. Two months later we obtained a water heater; wonderful, hot showers. Now if only we had some water plumbed into the kitchen it would be perfect.

Four months on and we are thinking, now if only we had a kitchen cupboard it would be perfect; but would it? It seems that the more we get the more we feel we need to have before things are “perfect”. Irene would like a chest of drawers and a soft rug to cover the concrete floor by the bed. Malcolm would really like a T.V (with English programmes), and how about a fence round the garden to keep people out, or a comfortable suite, or a car?

‘Those who love money never have enough; those who love wealth are never satisfied with their income. This too is meaningless. As goods increase, so do those who consume them. And what benefit are they to their owners except to feast their eyes on them?’ Ecclesiastes 5:10,11

It’s natural to want to strive to improve our surroundings to have a comfortable home where we are pleased to invite others, but do we strive in that same way to improve our relationship with God. Are we unsatisfied with the way things are, do we want more and more of the things He has to offer; a desire to get closer to Him, to give Him a home in our hearts where He would be pleased to stay. Have we the same yearning to improve our relationship with Him that we have to improve our level of comfort and material possessions?

If only we’d let you know what to pray for.

The last month has been busy. Irene has been immersing herself in the Vocational Training Centre. In addition to preparing a Business Studies course she has been asked to be the ‘matron’ keeping a motherly eye on the 14 young women who board with the Diocese. She has also been trying to help organise for a new, basic computer awareness course that has been offered for the first time. At the Cathedral she has recently preached at one of the quarterly Fellowship meetings held on a Saturday.

Malcolm is part way through visiting all 37 parishes to carry out a basic audit of their financial records, and to find out the needs for a training course for church treasurers proposed for later this year. Although some treasurers have a reasonable education, many are simple peasant farmers with limited training in dealing with numbers and money, let alone book-keeping. He has also received a request from Kisiizi Hospital, managed by a neighbouring Diocese, to help them on an occasional basis with auditing their financial systems which would require a difficult journey each time he visits and time away from Kisoro .

Please:
- Thank God for the work we are doing and for the opportunity to serve Him in many diverse ways
- Pray that
o we would have wisdom in recognising the work He wants us to do rather than just keeping ourselves busy
o Irene will be able to be sensitive to the needs of the young women that board here
o a suitable teacher will be appointed for the computer training course
o Malcolm would have wisdom in planning relevant, comprehensive but simple training for church Treasurers
o we are able to discern God’s will for us as we find out more about the needs of Kisiizi Hospital

To find out more about what we are doing then read our weekly blog by searching on the Internet for ‘Malcolm Irene Crawford’.

If only we all had a computer!
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'Vote the old man with the hat' - March 2011

To make it easier for people to vote in Uganda, ballot papers include the photo of each of the candidates. This means even those unable to read can still vote for their choice if they can recognize them. One of the complaints of the opposition parties is that the Electoral Commission allowed the President, Y.K.Museveni, to be the only candidate to use a photograph wearing a hat. This meant that at each of his election rallies he closed with the slogan ‘Vote the old man with a hat’, making it easier for voters to pick him out as distinctive.

The President has made his hat one of the distinctive features of the campaign, with almost all photographs in the newspapers, and all election posters showing him in a hat. One of his political assistants, writing in the national newspaper ‘New Vision’ even used the hat to symbolize Museveni’s commitment to Uganda: ‘The hat of Museveni is not only the literally one he puts on. It can be extended to the heart of Museveni. A heart is a symbol of love. Museveni has love for his country’. Museveni’s hat became distinctive, helping him to stand out from the others seeking election to the highest office in the country.

In 1 Peter 2:9 we as Christians are called to be distinctive, or as the King James version says, ‘peculiar’: ‘But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that you should show forth the praises of him who has called you out of darkness into his marvelous light’. The writer reminds us that the purpose of our salvation is that we should stand out as different in order to show the praises, or glory of God.

In Uganda we know what it is like to stand out as different. Wherever we go children shout out ‘Mzungu, Mzungu’ meaning white person. But our challenge is whether we are distinctive because of what Christ is doing in our lives rather than just because of what we look like?

There are many good people in the world; they give to charities, care about injustice, do voluntary work and help their neighbours, but they do not know Christ. What makes distinctive those of us who call ourselves followers of Jesus; and can this difference be seen in our lives? Lets think about how we can be “peculiar people” in the right sense of the word! and make a difference in our communities.

Prayer topics
Thank God that the national and presidential lessons have taken place relatively peacefully

Give thanks for 2 new short term volunteers working in Potters village and pray that they may help to ease the heavy work load that falls on the CMS Mission Partner, Jenny Green.

For safety for Malcolm as he travels around the Diocese in March, frequently on unmade roads, to audit the parish churches

For Irene as she plans Business training courses at the Vocational Training Centre

For the appointment of a matron to care for the female boarders at the Vocational Training Centre

To read our weekly blog search for ‘Malcolm and Irene Crawford’ or go to:
http://malcolmandirenecrawford.blogspot.com

A World of Contrasts

Firstly, greetings to our friends in England and many thanks for the welcome and kind wishes we received during our short visit for our son’s wedding. We are sorry we could not have met more of you this time.

We arrived back safely in Kisoro on Tuesday evening.

Wednesday dawned warm and sunny, and having rung Jenny, the CMS Mission Partner here, to see how things were going she informed us she had three frail babies at her home. We offered our support and went to see her. What a contrast from the cold grey days in England. Brightly coloured birds were singing, the grass was lush and green and trees were in full leaf. People smiled and said hello as we walked past and the volcanic mountains loomed magnificently in the distance.

We first met little Joshua, a tiny one month old baby who’s mentally ill mother had refused to feed him, and who’s grandmother, who was supposed to be caring for him, had been found sleeping drunk in the streets, leaving Joshua totally alone all night. Thankfully someone had heard of Jenny’s work at the Potters Village home for vulnerable babies and now Joshua is fed regularly and well looked after. What a contrast to Britain where social workers and doctors would have been involved with his mother’s state of health and the grandmother’s ability to take care of the child would have been carefully checked.

Then we met Esther, so small at 1.4 kg that she made Joshua look gigantic! She had been born prematurely to a young mother who, for no obvious reason, died after the birth in the hospital. She had been ill all throughout her pregnancy and she left a young bewildered husband with a baby no one expected to live. Again the baby was taken to Jenny and despite her size is feeding well and looking around alertly. By contrast, in Britain, her mother would have had free medical care throughout her pregnancy, scans and check-ups to monitor hers and the baby’s health, and a team of experienced people around at the birth.

The final baby we met was Emmanuel. He was born with AIDs and had contracted pneumonia; the hospital felt they could do nothing for him and was understaffed so Jenny brought him to her home to give him love, care and attention. His breathing was laboured, his chest rattling and medical staff at the hospital had been unable to fit a cannula to enable antibiotics to be taken easily because his veins had started shutting down. A care worker from Potters Village stayed with him constantly and he had survived the night and seemed a little better when we met him. However, at lunch time his breathing changed alarmingly. Despite every effort to resuscitate him, he died in Irene’s arms. He was buried the same afternoon in the graveyard containing his mother.

What would have been his chances of survival if he had happened to have been born and treated in Britain, we will never know. But we do know that by contrast, the medical staff would have had the most up to date pieces of equipment and the drugs required to give him the best chance of survival.
Contrast your lives with those who are struggling in countries less developed, with fewer opportunities for advancement and poorer health care. Please remember to give thanks to God for your position and use it to do whatever He asks to support those who do not have such advantages.

For more details of the work of ‘Potters Village’ go to: http://www.pottersvillage.org.uk/


Prayer requests:

Please thank God:

- for our safe return to Kisoro
- for Potter’s Village and its work which is saving the lives of many babies

Please pray:
- that we will quickly settle back into the work here
- for the work at Potter’s Village, that it will continue help babies to develop healthily
- that the Ugandan national elections later this month will proceed peacefully

This Christmas was one containing many “firsts” for us.

The first time we have been out of Britain for Christmas day, the first Christmas we have been away from immediate family, the first time we have eaten Christmas dinner in the warm sunshine, the first time we have had no turkey or Christmas pudding, the first Christmas we have experienced no pressure of commercialism, the first time we have shared Christmas with Jenny Green and her family, the first Christmas we have really been able to see the simplicity and poverty surrounding Jesus at his birth.

There was no glitter or glamour then either, the stable was mucky just as the cow sheds are here, the cows probably lean and underfed, ribs showing through, just as they are here, no water on tap, no sterile cleanliness, no midwife or doctor, the straw on the floor trod in with dung and dirt; not a neat pretty manger scene but a working
animal habitat, smelly, dark and uncomfortable. Not the sort of place one would expect to see the King of Kings!

Yet isn’t that just like God. He goes where we wouldn’t expect. To the down and outs, the unloved, the unwanted, the misunderstood, the lonely, those on social benefits, the chap who’s “not quite all there”, the prostitutes, druggies and anti social misfits. Not for Him the comfort of a nice house, relaxing friends, good social standing and money in the bank. Not that there’s anything wrong with those things and there’s many people who need to hear about Gods love in that environment, but as we come to the start of a new year maybe we should start asking God what “firsts” He might have for us in 2011.

Perhaps it will be the first time you start to take a serious look at God’s love for you and do something about it. Maybe it will be the first time you ask Him to show you His plan for your life, maybe you need to have a fresh look at your work and make sure God is “first” in your heart. Or will it be the first time you open up to the work of the Holy Spirit and ask for His power to move you forward onto new aspects of work for God.

Coming to a new country with such a different culture and perspective on life has shown us many new things, especially many new aspects of God and His love. We can honestly say we are gaining so much more than we are giving. We hope for many more “firsts” in our lives over the coming New Year, knowing we are protected and loved by Him who is the Alpha and Omega, the First and the Last.

Prayer requests

For Irene to make contact with the new Head of Education and be able to have a good discussion over the difficulties surrounding the Vocational Training Centre

For Malcolm to have the opportunity to work closer with the new Treasurer of the Diocese

For travel back to England for our son’s wedding in January
We wish you all a very happy New Year, and pray that God will be first for you

Is Christmas Coming? Is the turkey getting fat?

The birds are singing, the trees are lush leaved and cranes are building nests high in their branches. Strolling in the sunshine, in short sleeved summer clothes, through clouds of grass hoppers and with bright green fields around us, we can’t say it feels like December.

Yet the weather isn’t the only thing that has made us forget about the season. There is absolutely no commercialization of Christmas here at all. Presents are not exchanged, most people couldn’t afford them, but also wouldn’t understand the reason why it’s done elsewhere. The shops are unchanged, there are no decorations in the streets and certainly no toys or luxury gifts advertised anywhere. No one is feeling pressurised to make sure they have remembered to get “Aunty Jane’s” handkerchiefs, or buy the right size turkey, or get in enough beers, crackers and mince pies. Nor are they worried about the in laws or “odd Uncle Jack” turning up. All the hassle and worry of “getting Christmas right,” and not offending anyone is total absent.

Of course we will miss the fun of decorations, the sight of snow on Christmas eve, the over-indulgence of turkey and Christmas pudding, presents, and most of all, being with our family; but there is something so marvellously simple and “real” about having the opportunity to remember what God did for us without all the modern day European trappings which, to many, have replaced the real meaning of Christ’s birth.

Christmas is a wonderful time, and we would love to be able to share it with you all in the traditional way, but how easy it is to forget our priorities at this time. What are you most focused on at the moment? Is it the Christmas cake, the children’s presents, how you are going to sit 18 round your dining room table? Even maybe the cute nativity plays with a little blonde baby in a neat tidy stable?

Or are we remembering the greatest gift we could ever receive. An awesome God, giving His only Son to us in love. We who so often turn our backs on Him, who continue to go our own ways, who are so tied up in our material world that Jesus is sometimes the last person we think of at Christmas. Let’s put time aside this year to think about what we are doing and make sure that Jesus is in the centre of all our thoughts and preparation.

It will be easier for us to do that here with none of the external trappings we have been used to around us; we will be able to concentrate on the wonder of such a gift to us. We hope you will be enabled to do this too.

Prayer requests

Give thanks for the joyful arrival of our daughter’s second son, Mark, born 10 days early on Nov. 27th, his granddads birthday!

Also we want to give thanks for continued good health and safety (despite Malcolm’s nearly close encounter with a motorbike)

Please continue to pray that our work visas come through soon as we have both had to renew visitors visas which means travelling to the Rwanda border and paying to return !


You know you live in Africa when…

… having a full English Breakfast is a special treat

… you talk about ‘Cricket’ and ‘the ashes’; its about something to eat that has got burnt in the fire

... its December , and still no signs of Christmas in the shops