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.