Giving and receiving

It is a while since we wrote and so much has happened, lots to share with you and not quite sure where to start! So – let’s make like Julie Andrews…..

In our last Bulletin we told you something of the trauma and sadness that had happened to the people of Nakawa. The area is now cleared and everyone who had a home there has moved away. Some have travelled back to their family villages, even ‘tho they may have never lived there. Others have found somewhere closer to settle. However, even those who found a home still had no belongings. BMS World Mission gave a financial donation from its relief fund to be distributed through the BUU and the local church to give practical help to members of the community. It was our privilege to be part of the distribution team.

One hundred people were registered and each received bags of beans and posho (maize flour), two cooking pans, a cup & plate, a jerry can to carry water, a blanket and a mosquito net. Pastor Peter from Nakawa Baptist church had organised a registration system to try and ensure that the most needy would receive the help. However, although a number of people praised the BUU for the orderly way in which everything was done, the system was not foolproof. It was frustrating to see that people tried (and sometimes managed) to beat the system. One man who came round for the second time was very shocked when Deb recognised him, denying completely that he’d already collected a share of food and equipment. She reminded him that he should get a better belt – it’s not difficult to remember someone who started to lose his trousers when lifting the bags..twice!

We were touched to hear from Chris that he had spoken to a woman who greeted him with a blessing, thanking him for what the BUU were doing. He stated his concern that she didn’t have anything. Her response was “I don’t deserve anything, I haven’t lost my home – I have very little but I have somewhere to sleep tonight.”

Another woman, aptly named Faith, asked Deb to hold her baby whilst she gathered her things. We spoke with her for a while. Her baby, James, was just under a week old and she also has two year old twins – Elijah and Elisha. Her husband left her when she refused to have an abortion having become pregnant with baby James. She and her babies had been able to shelter at a nearby Pentecostal church but now had been told they would have to move on. Rose, who works in the BUU Women’s Department was particularly moved by her meeting with Faith and has stayed in touch offering friendship as well as immediate relief. Little Elisha needs a heart operation, he had a fever last week when he should have had his op and is now rebooked for November. Faith has found somewhere to live and is slowly replacing the roof to give proper shelter to her children.

We then took annual leave and had a fortnight’s holiday as Josh & Rosie came to visit. We cannot express the joy we had sharing something of our life here with our family. It was such a special time. We also did some tourist stuff – we all went on a safari to Murchison. We saw the Falls – a spectacular sight – as well as many animals. We’re not sure if watching Josh & Rosie thrill at seeing an elephant family so close for the first time wasn’t even better than seeing the elephants for ourselves! We also had a relaxing break together in Jinja, the source of the Nile. However, Josh & Rosie declared meeting the fellowship at Lugogo Baptist as the best part of the holiday (besides seeing us..of course). Our friends at church and our colleagues at the BUU made them both so welcome and shared our happiness at having family visitors. We lost count of the number of people who knowingly looked at Josh and stated profoundly “He resembles the father!” – which was good to know.

Finally – for this Bulletin – we, with Chris, were able to be involved in a conference for Sunday School teachers organised by a Kenyan Pentecostal Bishop, now living in Uganda & a Baptist children’s worker from the UK using material developed in the UK particularly for the African churches (already used a lot in Anglican churches) which started out in Tanzania! What a great opportunity to work cross culturally & cross denominationally. We enjoyed working as part of such an eclectic team delivering training to people of different denominations; we gained knowledge and experience as well as making some great new friends.