Uganda Mission August 2019: #4 Cheryl's Account

Welcome to our fourth blog!

Today Cheryl shares our experiences from yesterday.

Tuesday

My bible verse for the day was “This is my God, and I will praise Him; the God of my father, & I will exalt him”. - Exodus 15:2. As we arrived at the first of our destinations, Nile Vocational Institute (NVI), it was as if this verse had been prophetic because as we walked towards the Chapel we were greeted with a cacophony of praise. Over 1600 pupils and staff were worshipping at the top of their voices so even before we’d entered the chapel we were being blessed. As we took our seats we were able to join in with the dance, even when we couldn’t join in with all the words. The worship was being led entirely by the students whose love for Jesus shone from their faces. Words are inadequate to express what a privilege it was to be a part of this service. After welcomes, Neal preached a powerful message, part of which was an illustration of the breakdown between God and Humankind, following the disobedience of Adam & Eve. It’s a fact of our faith we are all so familiar with but perhaps not a passage we dwell on because of it’s familiarity - it brought home the reality of the God who loves us SO much, even though we rejected him, he rescued us so that we can be in relationship with Him again. We live by Grace because of His rescue plan. This was emphasised too by Anne, who gave her testimony; a testimony of faith, of healing and of the faithfulness and provisions of God. Our morning ended with an invitation to share brunch with the senior leadership team and a Director. Anna and Neal also had the opportunity to meet up, briefly, with the children they sponsor at the institute and this too was a blessing a blessing for them

As we prepared to leave, we split into two teams. The first incorporating Rob, Aidan, James, Anna and Anne who went to Futures After Childhood Trauma (FACT) where they painted the toilet block sponsored by KMC and Zac's House. Along with their DIY skills, the team took along mattresses for beds, bedding and mosquito nets - basic but essential items they were lacking. We were told last night that when the children saw the mattresses they would not initially get into bed as they did not believe they were for them. When they were persuaded that they were to keep they even cried. We were also so blessed to hear that Favour, the child with Malaria, was now fully recovered and back at school. Hopefully now that they all have the vital protection of the mosquito nets, incidents of Malaria will reduce dramatically. The children’s response to such simple gifts says it all, so a huge thank you to all who have donated, supported and prayed over this trip and those we are visiting. All of your efforts are more appreciated than you realise.

The second group headed out to ‘Kathy's Centre’, named after Kathy Smedley, of Altrincham Baptist Church, who along with her husband Martin came out to Uganda in 2002 and saw the plight of the children. On their return to the UK they created Act4Africa which continues to support children affected by poverty and HIV, to provide education, HIV testing, healthcare, teachers and a safe and appropriate environment in which they can learn. We took with us bibles, clothes, story books and play equipment. The centre caters for children aged 2.5 - 6 years old. It is difficult to say who had more fun, the adults or the children, as we introduced them to parachute games and bubble wands before joining them in their ‘learning through play’ (sandpit, water station, play dough, etc) story time and shared songs. They even seemed to enjoy our acting skills as we acted out the story of the paralysed man lowered through the roof, (Luke 5:17-39) - not sure we’ll be on the short list for the next Oscars but we gave it a good go! We were SO impressed with the provision in terms of education and welfare for these children. The carefully laid out learning ‘spaces’ so they can learn through play mirrors quite closely what you would see in a UK nursery. The dedicated staff also provide nutritious food and teach the children about good hygiene habits. The staff clearly love and nurture the children. The children’s command of English, even down to the very youngest, puts my pitiful attempt to say thank you in the local dialect to shame. Our time there was far too short and it was sad to say adieu as we boarded the bus and headed back to Jinja for dinner.