Well once again I am having some issues with the internet. So I am typing this off line and then when I have a connection, I’ll send it.
Please everyone could you be praying for the Gladstone family. They are with Global and here in Jinja. Yesterday David went on to be with the Lord. My understanding he had a heart attack. He had been having some health issues, but seemed to be getting better. I don’t believe I have ever met them, but I know all the other missionaries have. So please pray for his wife as she is here in Uganda.
Yesterday we had a good Sunday service. We had Sunday school at 9:30 and then church at 11. Bob and Carolyn usually teach the older kids in Sunday school but they went to Kampala over the weekend. So the pastor taught the class. One of the kids asked an interesting question. “If a Christian commits suicide, is it a sin?” The pastor said no, but I don’t think I agree with him. In the Bible it doesn’t say that suicide is the unforgivable sin. So what do you think? Do Christian’s ever doubt God? Absolutely, that is probably when Satan comes in and tries to get a strong hold on us. Anyway, the other question was “Will the mentally handicap kids goes to Heaven?” For example there is a girl here her name is LeLe. Will she go to Heaven? She knows the difference between right and wrong, but her mind isn’t all there. So is she saved by God’s grace alone? I thought they were some interesting questions. It makes you think.
The church service was nice. We had about 20 kids from another orphanage that came and ministered to us in song. They did a great job. They sang about 4 or 5 songs for us. Most of the songs were in Luguanda, so obviously I couldn’t understand what they were saying. But I must admit there is something really neat about listening to kids sing in a different language. We got out of church right around 1. Then we had this lady, she is from West Virginia, and she came and was speaking to the older kids about Pro-Life. She gave the kids tons of Bible verses to back up the idea that abortion is wrong. The kids all listened attentively, she was pleased at how well behaved they were. This lady works here in a Children’s hospital. She is going back to West Virginia in July and then she is moving back in December permanently.
Some of the older boys were having a soccer game against the village kids. So Lucretia and I went and watched the game for awhile. Some of the other girls and younger kids who weren’t playing came and hung out with us, and talked to us during the game. It was a beautiful day; too bad I couldn’t wear shorts. :) It was in the high 80’s yesterday and I was stuck wearing a skirt. I guess if that is the sacrifice that I have to make to be here, I guess I will. :)
There are three other short term missionaries here at the moment. I know I have mentioned them before, but let me give you a little more information on them. Thomas and Stina are married and they are from Sweden. Thomas was a paramedic and so he is here working in the clinic. Stina worked actually in an old folk’s home, and has a nursing background. So they are running the clinic right now. Thomas actually was a missionary kid, so he lived in Uganda for a period of time while he was growing up. They have been in Uganda since September. They spent a couple of months in a village and then they have been here at the orphanage since December. They leave here in late May and head back to Sweden. Then there is Lucretia, and she is from New Zealand. She came in February, I think and she is here until August. She is a school teacher and so at first she was just doing some observing and helping a little. But now she is going to do seminars to help the teachers be better teachers. The schooling here is horrible. They have two teachers in the class room. One teacher just sits in the back of the class and doesn’t do anything and the other teacher just always says, repeat after me. The kids will repeat something three times. Anyway, so she is trying to teach the teachers how effective group work is, making lesson plans, and actually being prepared for your class. She certainly has her work cut out for her, but hopefully some change will be made. I know that there are people who don’t like change, but let me tell you the people here really don’t want change. :) So hopefully she will be able to help make a difference here at the primary school on the compound. The headmaster of the school is on board with all her ideas, but he will have to be the one to make sure the teachers are doing it when she leaves.
It has been fun getting to know other missionaries and not being the only Mazungu here. The interesting part is everybody’s different accents. Carolyn is from Ireland, then Lucretia, team Sweden, Bob is from New York; Claudia is originally from Columbia and then me. So conversations can be quite interesting sometimes. Different words in America mean different things in other parts of the world. So it has been fun. We have certainly had some good laughs.
Well I only have today and tomorrow left and then I leave here on Wednesday evening out of Entebbe, so I am going to get ready for the day and go hang out with the kids.
Debbie
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