On Saturday Irene celebrated her birthday. She has made a habit of being abroad on her birthday, and Uganda is added to Turkey, India, China, Kenya and Tanzania. We’d like to say how romantic it is partying abroad, but opening presents under a mosquito net isn’t as good as dining under the light of the moon, even though receiving presents and messages from children was exciting.
And you can’t have a birthday without a birthday cake and candles. Fortunately Jenny made an excellent sponge cake with icing which was big enough to last several days and many portions (Note – it did not have to be so big just to hold the correct number of candles but there were several children and visitors that needed feeding).
One, not so welcome, visitor that popped in was a bright green cricket which was allowed to sip water but not to taste the cake.
Two other visitors were Jodie (from the UK) and Carrie (from Texas) who had been invited to run four, 2 day Leadership training courses at the Arch Deaconries across the Diocese. They are both Associates with J.John (an evangelist based in Chorleywood) and had spent a few weeks on a Mission in Zimbabwe before arriving in Uganda. Carrie is the only evangelist employed by any Episcopal Diocese in the USA (which makes her unique in many ways). Amongst other talents Jodie manages a charity called ‘Beyond Ourselves’ which has a two pronged mission – to run a sponsorship and feeding programme for children in Zambia and to provide resources for disaffected youth in Enfield, London. Details can be found on http://www.beyondourselves.co.uk/
Malcolm has created some excitement (Oh No - not again!!!!). Keen (?) to test out the medical facilities, on Tuesday he got some dirt in his eye, which was causing a problem. As the two options were to seek treatment or risk continuing pain he went to a local eye 'clinic' to get some treatment. The following day he revisited the doctor at the local Hospital to report the problem had cleared up. For those of you unfamiliar with the type of equipment available in developing countries, although the doctor was competent he relied on what would have probably been available in the UK before the second world war. The doctor was a bit alarmed when Malcolm was unable to read the bottom half of a sight test chart with his glasses on.This, however, was not a surprise as he normally wears contact lenses and his spare glasses are at least 2 prescriptions out of date. It was just as well Irene accompanied him or he might not have found his way home again!!
And you can’t have a birthday without a birthday cake and candles. Fortunately Jenny made an excellent sponge cake with icing which was big enough to last several days and many portions (Note – it did not have to be so big just to hold the correct number of candles but there were several children and visitors that needed feeding).
One, not so welcome, visitor that popped in was a bright green cricket which was allowed to sip water but not to taste the cake.
Two other visitors were Jodie (from the UK) and Carrie (from Texas) who had been invited to run four, 2 day Leadership training courses at the Arch Deaconries across the Diocese. They are both Associates with J.John (an evangelist based in Chorleywood) and had spent a few weeks on a Mission in Zimbabwe before arriving in Uganda. Carrie is the only evangelist employed by any Episcopal Diocese in the USA (which makes her unique in many ways). Amongst other talents Jodie manages a charity called ‘Beyond Ourselves’ which has a two pronged mission – to run a sponsorship and feeding programme for children in Zambia and to provide resources for disaffected youth in Enfield, London. Details can be found on http://www.beyondourselves.co.uk/
Malcolm has created some excitement (Oh No - not again!!!!). Keen (?) to test out the medical facilities, on Tuesday he got some dirt in his eye, which was causing a problem. As the two options were to seek treatment or risk continuing pain he went to a local eye 'clinic' to get some treatment. The following day he revisited the doctor at the local Hospital to report the problem had cleared up. For those of you unfamiliar with the type of equipment available in developing countries, although the doctor was competent he relied on what would have probably been available in the UK before the second world war. The doctor was a bit alarmed when Malcolm was unable to read the bottom half of a sight test chart with his glasses on.This, however, was not a surprise as he normally wears contact lenses and his spare glasses are at least 2 prescriptions out of date. It was just as well Irene accompanied him or he might not have found his way home again!!
We have been slowly getting into our work. Irene has met with several students from the Vocational Training College to find out what help is needed to find them work. There main request, however, seems to be for money to pay their fees, with not all being motivated to complete the course in order to find employment. She has also been asked to judge some work of students in the tailoring class.
Malcolm has started to find out how the finances of the Diocese work by looking into the quota payments received from the Parishes each month
We are not sure what is happening next week – maybe it will be just a ‘normal’ week – whatever that means!
Malcolm has started to find out how the finances of the Diocese work by looking into the quota payments received from the Parishes each month
We are not sure what is happening next week – maybe it will be just a ‘normal’ week – whatever that means!
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