Handing Over

Dearest friends and family,

"Seek the Lord and His strength: seek His face evermore."

Psalm 105:4

Our last weeks at WMU have gone so well. Thank you immensely for your prayers. It sure makes a difference.  The time has been broken up with some enjoyable moments too. Last Monday we celebrated our one year anniversary. The Saturday before, I joined the CARE4Kids children, staff, Clarice and her father at the swimming pool. Clarice didn’t tell them I was coming, so it was a lovely surprise with a warming welcome for me. Bryan and I are enjoying the church, Victory Family Centre, which we started attending a few months back. The pastor and his wife are lovely, and most importantly it meets are priorities of Biblical teaching and good worship. I still attend our Saturday Bible study and love it (though we miss Rob and Sandy so much!), and am glad to have a complimentary place of corporate worship for my enjoyment and spiritual health.

My Trainee

For my last week and a half in the office, my time and focus is on my trainee, Felix Masasa. He is already familiar with WMU work, as he was an employee a couple of years ago. He remembers a fair amount of his computer skills, so it is quite easy to refresh his memory, renew his habits, and hopefully he’ll remember the new things added to his knowledge and skills.

A New CPD and a Handover Party

On Monday, Will announced that the current Community Development Coordinator, Michael Bazira (photo above, far right), is the upcoming Country Program Director. Bryan will hold the position until next Tuesday, Michael will take over from Wednesday 22nd August. We and the staff are delighted with the choice; it will maintain some positive stability for the staff and Michael has really stepped up in his leadership over the past year. He has integrity and skill. In the evening we had our handover/farewell party. We went to a nearby hotel, Hotel Paradise, which is the same place Bryan and I held our wedding reception. After fun playing volleyball and soccer, we gathered in the banda (as you can see in the photos above). We sang a couple of hymns, the staff shared words and gave us gifts. The most amusing gift, delivered to us with much laughter by Henrik, was a figurine of Ugandan Bryan riding a bicycle with Ugandan Emily on the back – heavily pregnant. They wish!  We were given a chance to speak in return. Instead of a speech I gave each staff a Certificate of Achievement, to commend or tease them for noteworthy habits or moments. That went down well. Bryan is a great public speaker, so giving a speech on the spot comes easily for him. Then they laid hands on us to pray, and we shared in a buffet meal.

Coming Up

From October we will have three (3) months helping out with our friends’, Bob and Carolyn’s, ministries while they are on furlough. They are our dear friends and we are happy to be able to help them, as well as get a better taste of the good work they do. Bob provides career guidance and counselling for youths who have graduated from the children’s home he and Carolyn managed for 5-6 years, Good Shepherd’s Fold (GSF). He’s the same one I have been meeting with for my parents’ sponsor child, Opio. Carolyn has a pregnancy crisis centre, where she and two (2) Ugandan ladies aid the neediest of women with prayer and counselling, Bible studies, health training, career advice, food provision, and child minding while they are at the centre.
But before that worthy assistance, my sister-in-law Rebecca is visiting us! Just two (2) weeks and a day and we’ll be on the way to the airport to pick her.  We are very much looking forward to sharing this quality time with her. We’re going to have fun!

Praise Reports and Prayer Requests

•  Thank God for helping us host so many visitors over the past months. Danish volunteer Dan went back on August 9th and seemed to have had a good time. Josue and Andrew said they arrived safely and I’ve had a little contact with them for work.
•  Thank God for the WMI Engineer, Tyler, who is here for six (6) months. He’s half way through. Bryan and I get along very well with him; it’s a blessing to have a smart, positive, godly young man working alongside the staff and for us to befriend. Pray the rest of his time goes well.
•  Will leaves Uganda again next week. Thank God for a productive stay, in Uganda and the many other countries he visited this trip, and pray for a safe journey back on Tuesday. 
•  Thank God for providing good replacements for Bryan and myself. Especially for the time we’ve had to smoothly and positively phase ourselves out – this is no small achievement so we are grateful.  Please pray for Michael and Felix as they take up our roles and make them their own.
•  Thank God for the time we’ve had at WMU and that we are now moving onto new things. Stand with us in prayer as God guides our steps. 
•  Thank God for our friends from other ministries around and for the work they are doing to uplift peoples’ lives. 
•  Please keep Steve, Kelly and Amulet in prayer. Their court case is on Tuesday next week, at which point they should get approval for the adoption from the judge. After that they can apply for Amulet’s passport and visa, and plan their trip back to life in the US. They plan to leave by mid-November (sad for us!). 

It is a blessing to be able to share with you. Thanks for staying connected to our lives, and I hope we can return the favour for whenever you want share, be prayed for, or just keep in touch. 

I wish you a wonderful remainder of the week.

Love your friend, Emily