Patterson, John - Uganda
Patterson main pagePrayer Letter September 2007 (click here for pdf version)
Dear Friends,
Hello again. It was lovely to see some of you when I was in the UK during June and early July. I thoroughly enjoyed the trip and was able to make good preparations for returning to Uganda. I am grateful that, because of regular financial support from many of you through Crosslinks, I have not needed to divert time and energy into further fundraising. Thank you so much for this, and other, support.
It has been an exciting few weeks for TEE. Two of the students have recently been informed by Uganda Christian University that they have earned their Certificates in Theology, and six others have been told that they have earned their Diplomas. After more than four years on the course, this is very welcome news to all concerned as these are the first students to get to the end. I look forward, God willing, to being at Bishop Barham University College in Kabale on 2 October when some of the Diploma folk receive their Diplomas in person. Retired Archbishop of Canterbury George Carey, who is also the Patron of UCU, is due to be present.
On the wider TEE front another eleven students are coming along behind and could complete their courses within twelve months, and we have some, though not yet enough, who would like to join new courses. As time goes on, however, I feel less and less certain about the wisdom of recruiting for new courses. I think that the lack of resources, both locally and nationally, and problems over the administration needed for running the courses, mean that those who would join new courses would only have a low chance of completing them. I have made a report to this effect to the Education Secretary of the Diocese, in whose department I work. In the end the Bishop will decide, and I hope to have the chance to discuss this with him when he returns from a trip abroad. I pray that God will show us the right way forward.
On the domestic front, John Baptist left on 1 September. He waited throughout August to see if he would be offered a University place. When he thought that this was unlikely he took the chance to join a church group going to Kenya for a short period. He was an asset for the seven months that he was here. Within fifteen minutes of dropping him off near the taxi-park I was meeting Vincent at the Bishop’s house and he arrived on 8 September. He is twenty-four and a graduate of Uganda Christian University in Business Administration. He has made a good start and I am grateful to have found someone else so quickly. Thank you for praying. He has a part-time job selling mobile-phone SIM cards, and this works well as there is not enough to do here to keep him occupied full time. As his selling is rewarded on a commission-only basis (and sometimes he can work all day and earn nothing), it is also a help to him to have some regular income from working here.
When I wrote to you last time the first Alpha Course had just begun at All Saints Town Church. I returned from the UK just in time for the Alpha Celebration at the end of the course. On this occasion the speaker did fail to turn up, but people were in such good spirits at the prospect of receiving their certificates that somehow we got through. More than one hundred people had attended for at least seven out of the ten sessions. All Saints started another smaller, but well-supported, course in early September.
When we first approached All Saints about hosting the first Alpha Course, I did not know that the Vicar, Rev. Capt. Eric Twine (Church Army), is also Mission Coordinator in the diocese and Chair of the Mission Board. After discussion with him and Rev. Paddy we all felt that the best way forward was to put Alpha within the remit of the Mission Board, and the diocese has approved this. This means that Alpha will have much more weight behind it than Paddy and I could muster on our own. Later this month Eric and the Course Administrator at All Saints, Asaba Joyce, plan to attend an Alpha Conference in Kenya, and Eric has already organised a local Training Conference for 18-19 October. Eight parishes from different parts of the diocese will be asked to send three lay people each. The hope is that these folk will then return to their parishes ready to train people from other churches in their areas. Maxwell Kamanyire, the Alpha Coordinator for Uganda, has agreed to come and do some of the training at the conference. Work to translate the Alpha materials into Runyoro also continues encouragingly. Mukuru Isaiah is a young man with good English who has just finished a theology degree and been ordained in the diocese. Up to now, however, he has not been assigned to a specific post. With time on his hands he has taken up some of the translation work, and this is helping us forward. I thank God for these solid encouragements.
I remain well and have turned to reading novels, especially on long bus journeys. I have enjoyed ‘Far From The Madding Crowd’ and also a couple of Susan Howatch books – ‘Glittering Images’ and ‘Glamorous Powers’. I have been introduced to Brother Cadfael, where the who-dunnits are set in Shrewsbury where I used to go to school (though not in 1142!). Currently I am reading ‘The Hobbit’, which I remember hearing read when I was about nine. I also use the Internet a lot, especially for news and sport. Lots of people here know about Liverpool Football Club, so I am doing my best to tell them about another excellent Liverpool team that wear blue shirts.
Well it is almost time to sign off and I hope that the next letter will reach you in the early part of 2008. I welcome hearing your news, and thank you for being interested in mine.
God bless,
John
For Thanks
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Excellent leave in UK
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Encouragements with Alpha
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TEE folk completing courses
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Continuing safety and good health
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John Baptist’s help
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For all who support me here
For Prayer
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Vincent to settle in well
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Alpha – promoting, translating, funding, training.
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Guidance re. future of TEE programme
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To be fruitful in every area of ministry
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Uganda hosts CHOGM in November
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For my neighbours and local contacts