Newly wed

Wedding

Other than sending you the link for our wedding photos, this is the first time I’ve written to you since our wedding. Long time! How are you all doing? We had the loveliest wedding, as you may have noticed. The weather was warm, the wedding party was happy and handsome, our guests were so helpful with the preparations, and Uncle David gave us a wonderful Christian marriage talk. It was simple and beautiful, beyond what I’d hoped for. We are so very happy! Thank you kindly for your prayers, messages, gifts and warm wishes. We love you so much.

And to give you a little taste of the day, straight from our Order of Ceremony, our first Bible reading:

Revelation 19:6-8 – reading by David Mohr (audience remains standing)

Then I heard what sounded like a great multitude, like the roar of rushing waters and like loud peals of thunder, shouting:

“Hallelujah! For our Lord God Almighty reigns. Let us rejoice and be glad and give Him glory! For the wedding of the Lamb has come, and his bride has made herself ready. Fine linen, bright and clean, was given her to wear.” (Fine linen stands for the righteous acts of the saints.)

Then the angel said to me, “Write: ‘Blessed are those who are invited to the wedding supper of the Lamb!’ And he added, “These are the true words of God.”

We were further blessed with a 9 day stay in Zanzibar.  I like the Western tradition of holidays. But Uganda is definitely home, and it’s good to be back.

Work

The general idea.

Water Mission International (WMI) has two goals. Their mission is to provide safe water and the message of Jesus Christ to everybody. WMU’s mission is to do the same, but for everybody in Uganda. We have office staff; an engineering team; and a community development team, which includes two part-time pastors.

Top picture: Palms, sea and blue sky in Zanzibar

Below: Star fish as we were walking (all day!) between our accommodations

The basic method to date is:

1.       Community development teams goes and makes an initial assessment by looking at the community lay-out and water sources, and talks to local leaders to gauge their interest and general cooperation in community affairs

2.       Engineers come and see how the Living Water Treatment System (LWTS) can be installed. The LWTS is the filtration and treatment system that pumps water from the Lake and then out to the taps in the community

3.       Community development holds a community meeting to explain the project to the community, potential positioning of the LWTS, and to mobilize community efforts to contribute materials and form a Safe Water Committee (SWC)

4.       The SWC is worked with to mobilize the community in their commitment of materials and labour. This group will be in charge of running the project so that the community has sustained access to safe water

5.       A Memorandum of Understanding is signed by WMU, SWC and local leadership

6.       Once materials are contributed, the engineering team gets to work

7.       Community development holds trainings on health and hygiene, evangelism, and record keeping

8.       Once the project is completed, a celebration is held. This further promotes the project, with messages on safe water and Jesus, and ultimately marks the point where the project is given to the community (though if they don’t look after it the MoU states that WMU can come and take the LWTS)

There are about to be some significant changes made, as WMI is sending WMU some LifeLink systems. These are going to be attached to the LWTS in the place of taps. To start, there will be one at each project site. They operate with (what I shall call here, to simplify) ‘water credit cards’, so that there is less handling of cash and every transaction is recorded. It will be a lot more expensive to start up, but a lot more accountable. Another issue with the current model is that the team doesn’t have time to have a long-term presence in the community. We will employ someone, with the income made from selling water, to run the system, continue health and hygiene trainings with a volunteer team, and do consistent ministry for discipleship.   It is a, again my wording, charity business model. As in, the capital will come from donations, but once implemented all costs need to be covered by the income. 

Great ideas aren’t accepted overnight.

Much as in the Western world, we can ‘know’ something is a better way (in efficiency, morals or priorities) than what we’re doing now is far from ‘doing’ it, so it is in the developing world. Many villagers know that bad water is bad for their health; in fact they face the consequences daily, but they do little about it. I guess it’s a similar idea to our saying, ‘what doesn’t kill you can only make you stronger’.  People are strangely used to living in poor conditions; especially if they’ve been brought up believing that poverty is their fate, and without any encouragement that they have value.  That’s why, as water development workers, we try to make our systems and trainings very accessible and couple the practical aspects with some truths about God.   We are an active testimony that God wants their lives to be more.

Cool rock formations as we emerge onto north-east beaches

Bryan and I as WMU workers.

We’re busy working on the new project idea, writing out lots of manuals and project ideas. However, we are yet to get clarification on our roles. This is not a problem, so long as it happens. The Africa director is currently here being the Uganda director. He might make us Country Program Directors in less than 3 months? However, we would be leading in unison with the development and engineer heads, and our major role would be to raise up a Ugandan director within the next 12-18 months.  Our future with WMU is uncertain, but we are committed for a time.

House hunting

We’re currently staying in my room. The landlord is staying in the guest room in the main house until we move out at the end of next month. We have where we are going to now!

There is a lady called Jude in town, she’s an Aussie. Those of you who have come to Jinja will have met her in her little restaurant, ‘Ozzie’s’. She has a small two-roomed house attached to her house and offered it to Bryan and I for a very good price. Recently, someone who knew her robbed her, so she would like the security of having us around. I would want someone to stay with me too! I have known Jude since 2004 when I worked at St Moses Children’s Home. She has seen me grow up in my role as a missionary since I first came.

Beautiful woodwork on the doors of Stone Town, Zanzibar

Praise reports:

-          That so many friends and family were able to come to our wedding, it was a wonderful occasion and we are so blessed.

-          For all the messages, prayers and gifts that the rest of you sent us.

-          Good weather and safety for our time in Zanzibar, and the fact that we were able to go!

-          My brother requested I pray for his friend, who was having an operation. They were very worried, but he is now fine. Thank God He really cares and is so quick to act when we ask!

Prayer requests:

-          WMU is currently providing safe water to about 25,000 people. Please pray for us as we work out how to best run the new model, so that peoples’ lives can be truly changed.

-          For the making of our home as we move into Jude’s.

-          Our role in WMU.

-          Peace and commitment as we move into our combined calling. We know from the stories of the prophets and disciples in the Bible that what was important was doing as God directed, and being a constant testimony. May we do that with our eyes in the right place.

Right: Aussies!

 

I wish my family (including the ladies!) could be here still.

Love to you all, Emily Mohr