Button, Dan & Rosie, Uganda
Prayer Update April 2007
Dear Everyone,
I am writing from a very HOT Uganda! We are roasting. Soon it should start raining and that will help…
Thanks…
Dan organized a day retreat for the General Studies department at a swimming pool “resort” called Kingfisher, in Jinja, just near the shore of Lake Victoria. It is about an hour’s drive from Mukono. They had a well-known Ugandan evangelist as their speaker, and some time sharing testimonies, and doing some business, and then spent the afternoon swimming, or going on a boat ride to the source of the Nile, playing games, or just enjoying chatting in a relaxed atmosphere. Almost the entire department came – over forty tutorial assistants and lecturers. Several of them had never been in a boat before, and several swam for the first time, holding onto inflated inner tubes, and just loved it! Peace Kwikiriza was there and she said she felt the “luggage” she carries around was lifted for a while. Another of the tutors, a young woman called Sylivia, said she never knew you could have a day like that, and that she slept like a baby afterwards! We thank God that it was a refreshing, relaxing day for everyone.
We had a lovely Sunday visiting one of our students’ churches, in a village called Kiboyo, near Iganga, a long drive into the rural areas (about 2 ½ hrs from home). (The same one where Dan attended a six hour service a year ago.) This time we went with the children, and fortunately the service was only about two hours – some of which I (Rosie) spent walking around the village with the children… It was great to see our student Martin Mukwaya “in action” as a pastor, and also to be in a really rural church – it reminded me very much of the small mud-brick church I used to attend in Zambia.
Abigail and Alex are on holiday for Easter. They both loved school this term and are both now swimming, which they enjoy so much.
Prayer Requests…
One very sad thing happened this month, which is that Abigail’s assistant teacher, Susan Namudde, died very suddenly one night, of an asthma attack. It was unfortunately because the local clinic she went to didn’t have the injection she needed. She was only 24, a lovely smiley friendly person. She was a Christian and the speaker at the funeral made it clear that this was not the end of Susan’s life. It was a great shock but the school dealt with it all very well, bringing in a Christian counsellor to talk to each class, and all the teachers attended the funeral. It has given rise to a lot of conversations with the teachers, many of whom are not Christians. Please pray for Susan’s family and for the children in the class, and for the co-teacher Jessica. In a much more general way, we pray for the improvement of health services in this country, as so many people die apparently needlessly because of lack of resources or planning. UCU now has a degree programme to train nurses, as well as a MA course in Public Health Leadership, so people are being trained in this area…
Our university students have their end of term exams in the next two weeks, and then there is a short break before the May term begins. Pray for them (especially our Theology students!) as they write their exams, and as they travel home for the break and see their families.
There are changes ahead in the Theology department, as the university has made new scholarship arrangements – so that we now have almost 100 students coming into the first year in May! This is a big leap from thirty in a year which we have had until now. It will be a strain on the department, but on the other hand the Church of Uganda definitely needs this – this is still only three ordinands/clergy per diocese. Please pray for the planning and for the changes that will need to take place to deal with these numbers. So this is a mixed praise and prayer request - hallelujah…help!!!!
We wish you a happy Easter celebrating Jesus’ resurrection – and thank you once again for your prayers and financial support, which we value very much.
With our love and prayers,
Rosie Dan Abigail and Alex.
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