Team visits, new tailoring girls and time with my sister.

Sorry it has been a long time since I wrote my last blog.
I have been super busy with many things, including starting a new tailoring cooperation for the old tailoring girls, a new tailoring class, organizing my visa, organizing Agnes' visa and having the team (as well as my sister) come and visit.

At the moment the old girls are in the process of writing up business plans and budgets for their joint tailoring business. We have been very impressed with the new girls as they have been very active in the whole process. For the most part we have them doing all the work, while we coach and mentor them through the process.

We have also started our new tailoring class which has been interesting. We have had some problems with girls being late and not coming on time. On our first class they came about 2 hours late, but this was understandable because a few of them got lost trying to find our place, and the others were not really confident that we were telling the truth Apparently they have been promised by organizations before that they would be enrolled into a course, without it ever coming true. So they were a bit weary of us at first, but once they realized we were serious, they were very excited and thankful for this opportunity.

It has been difficult for Agnes in teaching, as these girls are much less educated then the previous group, and need lots of extra work. In the previous class, many girls could not speak English, but Agnes could write in their local language on the white board, and they would be able to learn.
Many girls in this new class cannot even read or write at all, not even in their own language. They have not learnt the process of reading and writing, and so Agnes is going right back to basics in her teaching.
Many of the girls have not even finished their primary education. Most of them have more then one child and a few of them are ex child brides who were married off at the age of 14.

What is interesting about this new class is that most of the young women are Muslims. So we are actually reaching out to the Muslim community now which is exciting. The girls all feel very comfortable with us, and we always make it a point to let them know that we do not discriminate here, we welcome people from all faiths. But we do let them know that we are a Christian organization, and that the message of Christ is behind everything we do.
We like to see it as sewing little Gospel threads, and using both our life actions and our words to give testimony to the power and love of Christ.

We have also been spending lots of time with the team that came from Australia. My sister Ashlee was on this team, and it was so great to spend time with her and catch up.
We also spent lots of time with the team, who were all great people, and it was a privilege to get to know them.
They have left now for their safari, but it was such a blessing for Agnes and I to spend time with my sister Ashlee. We both really love her and are very proud of her to have the courage to come on the hopebuilders trip. We really pray it will be a life changing experience for her.
We know she certainly enjoyed her times with Agnes, myself and little mesach (Farouk and Beatrice's son) in our front garden.

We also had the privilege of inviting the team to come and visit the tailoring girls from the old class. I was very impressed with the girls, because I had asked them if they could do something small like a song, and give a few words.
But when the team arrived, all the girls came outside and gave the team members big hugs and welcomed them in.
Once seated the tailoring girls performed a little skit they had prepared, as well as a cultural dance, all things I was not aware they were going to do (I thought they would be too shy).
They also managed to pull a few unsuspecting team members up for some booty and hip shaking. The screams of laughter were especially loud when Andrew Boonstra got pulled up by one of the girls for a dance!
After wards the YSU team and myself shared a bit about ourselves and what we do.
Farouk and Agnes also shared their powerful testimonies which was a blessing.
Farouk shared about his tough upbringing as a young person, being a complete orphan and being abandoned with his brothers to fend for themselves. He shared how he grew up in a tough gang as the only way to survive, and also shared about how he was very violent, often physically hurting people he robbed, and abusing young women.
He shared how God powerfully changed him, and how he is amazed that he used to be a destructive force in the community, especially to young women he abused, but now he is a positive force, helping the very type of women he used to hurt.
Young women in the community are really now starting to see Farouk as a big brother, who is helping empower them.

I really love redemption stories like this.
In secular culture, often the emphasis can very much be on hatred towards any perpetrator.
But it is so the way of God to turn a perpetrator into a rescuer and a protector, like in the case with Farouk.
Agnes also shared about her journey as an orphan, and being moved from home to home. She also shared about the hatred she had in her heart towards those people who used to abuse her, and how she carried a lot of anger inside of her. When coming to Christ her heart was softened, and she was able to let go of the anger and hatred, and forgive those who had hurt her.
The Gospel really has incredible power to change lives, I am always astounded by the stories of redemption I hear.

After this the girls also shared what they do and what they have learnt. They really showed dedication and the team were greatly impressed.
Afterwards the team introduced themselves and Andrew then shared an encouraging message to the girls.
Then it was time for mingling, where the girls got to show off their clothes they had made, and the team got to have a try at the old manual tailoring machines.

After this we all hopped into the van and went down to the new YSU block of land, where I got to share a bit about the future vision.
We spent some time walking around the block of land, praying and asking for messages of encouragement to Agnes, Farouk and I.
Many people prayed and felt that this place was going to be a safe haven in the middle of a community with a lot of tension. That young people will feel safe and loved in this place.
The team wrote down their messages for Agnes and I to keep, and for us to read later in the years to come.

Lastly, Agnes and I have been very busy trying to prepare for our visas. There is so much to do in this process. We are trying to apply for a tourist visa for Agnes to come visit Australia for 2 months in December.
This requires us to provide a lot of certified documents. Without going into detail, this is a very painful process as it involves relying on government officials to certify Agnes' documents. Again this usually means a bribe is expected, and if not, they try to make life difficult for you.
We waited 7 hours at the ministry of internal affairs one day in Kampala, just for them to put a stamp and a signature on our photocopy of Agnes' passport, to certify it. Not to mention all the fees they make you pay just for something very simple.
We really hope that Agnes will be accepted to visit Australia, please pray with us as we apply. We have had to put a lot of documentation in her application that will persuade them that Agnes is not going to try and stay in Australia. We may also have to pay a bond of up to $15,000 as well. It really is a lot of work to get an African to visit Australia, even if they are legally married to an Australian citizen.
I have also had a big headache trying to organize a longer term visa to stay here in Uganda. It looks like my only option is a dependent visa being married to Agnes. This visa refuses you to work in Uganda, and this includes volunteering. Many times immigration officials have threatened me that I can be arrested if I even counsel young people or run bible studies, because it is considered work.
Most of the time these are just empty threats, and it won't really be policed here in Wairaka.
Luckily the immigration man in Jinja is very friendly to Agnes and I, so tomorrow we will try and go for this visa. Please pray for me as the worst thing would be getting denied a visa in Uganda, when it takes a good 3 years, or more apparently, just to apply for a permanent residence visa for Agnes in Australia.

Otherwise we are well, and we look forward to participating in the 'empower' trauma healing program that will be running next week.

Again please keep us in your prayers during this time as we try to acquire a long term visa for me and a visiting visa for Agnes.

God bless

Flu, YSU projects and ramadan wake up calls

Just a short post to let you know what has been going on.

The team here at YSU have been busy preparing the new tailoring class, as well as the old class as they come up with their own joint business.
We have been really impressed with the drive that the old tailoring girls are showing. The first meeting started with me running it, and talking about what we need to get done. But now only 3 meetings in, the girls themselves are running everything, while we at YSU sit back and add our suggestions and help where needed.

We want the girls to take ownership of this cooperation, and so we encourage them to be a part of the whole process. This includes researching, budgeting, coming up with a name, giving roles to different girls, writing a loan proposal and a business plan.
YSU are coaching the girls through the whole process, as we don't want to leave them on their own to sink. They still need help in a lot of areas, but their motivation has been a big encouragement to us.
Some of the girls who were at the top of the class will also help out a few days in a month, to be mentors to the new tailoring girls.
This is great and exactly what I wanted to see for YSU. To train up young people in different areas of life, but then to see them now mentoring other youth who are starting the learning process in what every program it may be.

We also have a young man who has been learning in the agriculture class and has shown great motivation and skill, who will be helping out to teach the next intake of students.
I think this way of doing things works really well, young people get a lot of empowerment out of learning a new skill and then being able to pass that on to help their fellow youth.

Please pray for the new tailoring class as they start next week. This class is full of a lot of young women who are not confident in themselves, a few of them ex child brides, and most of them with no education and understanding of English. It will take a lot of work, especially from the teachers, but we will be training them for one year.

This last week I have been suffering from the flu! Everyone seems to have it here at the moment. People say you get it from all the dust around, but that seems strange to me.
It has really knocked me around, and I am on these flu tablets that really mess with your head. The other day I was walking around town with Agnes and I needed to tell her to keep an eye on me when I cross the road. The mixture of the flu and the tablets had me feeling as if I had been drinking too much booze!
I am almost recovered but it still messes me around a little bit (even typing this is an effort)
I have been enjoying lots of ginger lemon tea though! Certainly is a winner when it comes to flu treatment.

The other night I was awoken to an interesting sound!
At around 3.30 am I heard in the distance, many men chanting and yelling. They were also banging on drums and cowbells as well as blowing trumpets (or what I suspect where vuvazelas, the infamous trumpets from the south African world cup)
They got louder and louder, until they were literally walking through our front yard. While looking out the window I asked Agnes if they were "cannibals come to eat us". I was joking, but I have to admit I did think it was some strange animistic spiritual ritual at first.
Agnes then informed me that it was just local Muslims because the Islamic festival of Ramadan had started. During Ramadan, Muslims will fast all day and then eat just after sunset, and just before sunrise. These men were from the local mosque and going around waking up their brothers and sisters in the Islamic faith, to wake up and begin their eating.
They carried on past our house into the distance, and I started to fall back asleep, but not until they must of turned around and walked back on past our house to the mosque (talk about our house being in a bad position)
Agnes said that Ramadan goes for 30 days, and that we can expect this every night.
Well its been four nights since then, and yup, sure enough, every single time at around 3.30 am we are awoken to a very noisy mob of Muslim men.
I think I now understand why the Muslim community here are very tolerant of the loud Christian overnight prayer meetings that take place every Friday night. I think that perhaps it is because they know they will get their revenge during Ramadan.
I do find it curious that they seem to stop and spend a bit of extra time next to the local Anglican church here (the one that makes the loudest noise on Friday nights) .. payback? hehe perhaps.

You do learn something new here all the time. But I guess it is going to be a sleepless 30 nights.

Have a listen to my recording I captured on my phone. You would find it strange too if you woke up to this in your front yard.

Otherwise Agnes and I are well. We are busy running around and getting all the documents we need for Agnes to get a visa to visit for 2 months at the end of the year.
Please pray for her as we apply for the visa, it is really a very bureaucratically process to get an African into Australia .. even just to visit.

I'm looking forward to seeing the new HopeBuilders team come here on Saturday, especially cause my little sister will be joining them!

Otherwise all is well. Thanks for all the prayer and support to those people who continue to stand by me.