News and prayer requests from Kasese

I realise I haven't written on this blog for about 3 months.  It's been a busy time full of ups and downs.  Highlights have included a fantastic short visit by my brother and sister in October, and seeing the solar project really work better than I'd dared hope for (we've now installed them in 6 churches (see pictures gallery), and they're having a real impact, which I'll write more about next year. 

There have been plenty of challenges too, especially in Congo Quarter where the agricultural project following the severe flooding has run into multiple and overlapping problems including greed (people selling their seeds rather than planting them), laziness (people not watering their crops with the pumps provided), goats (an ever present menace here, especially when their owners don't tether or supervise them), and more misfortune with a section of river flooding again and wiping out some of the best crops.  Its not all bad news there though, as some farmers have worked hard and have some very good crops coming and we continue to have good meetings with the community leaders.

Last week the two BMS interns from Gulu, Dan and Henry, came down with BMS colleague Alex Vickers and two of his Ugandan colleagues Genesis and Amos for a joint development training programme along with Kasese intern Natalie, and myself.  We had a great few days working through some discussion material sent by BMS and visiting the projects here, with Genesis and Alex offering their agricultural expertise and general wisdom to the challenges in Congo Quarter.  At the end of the week we took the interns camping in QENP while Alex, Genesis and Amos headed back to Kampala and then onto Gulu. Despite some pretty heavy rain and muddy roads we had a good trip in the park, driving right past a hyena being scared off by a leopard only feet away from the car in the pitch black about 0.5km from our tents!  However, at the same time Genesis and Amos were on a far less exciting bus journey from Kampala back up to Gulu on a badly maintained road that we used to frequent back in 2008.  Their bus blew a tyre at high speed and rolled 3 times.  A few people were killed and many injured and Genesis and Amos walked out of it with some cuts and bruises but nothing more serious.  This was a stark reminder of why we pray before we travel, and why we've spent 2 years asking you to pray for us and our colleagues as we travel. It was also chilling to think that the future of all the excellent work that Alex has done in northern Uganda lies in the hands of talented and passionate individuals like Genesis and Amos, who regularly dice with death in Uganda's scarily fast buses.

If we needed any more reminders about the vulnerability of our local partners, two days ago Pastor Alfonse was beaten up, kicked in the ribs and had his phone stolen.  This attack was conducted by a group of Muslim men who are annoyed about the Baptisms at KCBC on Sunday where one of the candidates for Baptism is of Muslim origin.   If you've ever met Pr Alfonse you'll know that he's not one of those provocative preachers who likes to stir up trouble with other faith groups. Far from it. He's a man who treats all people with love and respect.  It so happens that his exemplary living and the work he does with street children in particular is drawing people to him, and through him to Christ, who shines through everything he does.  Some of these young people happen to come from polygamous Muslim families where they may have more than thirty siblings and consequently don't necessarily get much love or attention from their fathers.   

I won't say more about this now, but I leave with you a number of prayer requests for the busy week we have ahead of us:

1.  Thank God that Amos and Genesis survived the bus crash and pray for their continued protection as they do such great work up in Gulu, northern Uganda.  Pray also for those killed or more seriously injured and their families.
2.  Pray for Pr Alfonse and for his protection in all the work he does here in Kasese, and for a less aggressive response by some members of the local Muslim community.
3.  Pray for the 6 people being Baptised at KCBC this Sunday, one of whom is Amisi, the electrician who's installed all the solar projects and has really grown in his faith and confidence this year.
4.  Pray that the Baptism (the 1st we've seen in over 2 years), and surrounding week of evangelism  is a positive event for the whole community, which reaches out to others rather than antagonising them.
5.  Pray for the 20 people from Acholi Quarter who are graduating from the final BMS funded skills training course on Tuesday, pray that the important guests we've invited turn up, and for the Development Committee as we continue to work to find some form of sustainability for the work in Acholi Quarter now that the BMS funding is finishing.
6.  Pray for Jonah's "dependents pass" and passport, still stuck in Uganda's immigration department, without which we'll struggle to fly home next week!  Our applications were submitted back in March and the other 3 of us have our permits, but Jonah's file was "lost" by immigration.
7.  Pray for safe travels and good health for us as we embark on our 4,000 mile journey next week from equatorial Uganda to some welcome R&R in a British winter - Jonah's first ever winter!