Spring 2011 Newsletter

First a quick update on news since the last time I wrote. We had a wonderful time over Christmas Outreach, and I've posted a couple of articles on that below. The Food Safety Management System for the ECCP has been coming together well - thank-you for your prayers! We are just working through some last details, but have put together an in-house training course for staff and volunteers, record-keeping and safe method folders, good practice guidelines etc. Last month a surprise inspection of the Women's Drop-In by Environmental Health gave me a bit of an adrenalin rush (!), but they were very happy with us and awarded four out of five stars. We are also going through a leadership change within the Women's Drop-In and again I have posted an article about this further down.

At the start of 2011, God gave me a sense that this is a year of more space and choices. In keeping with that an opportunity has already come up to join a two-week mission trip to Uganda in April. It has been 8 years since I did an overseas outreach so I'm really excited! This newsletter will be a special focus about the trip...

We will be involved with two different ministries. Firstly four days with a couple who are mission partners of ChristChurch Fulham (my church here in London). They have set up a charity called '1moreChild' working with street boys in the Jinja District of Bugembe in the Eastern Region of Uganda. 1moreChild has the vision to see vulnerable children empowered and encouraged to reach their full potential. Check out http://www.1morechild.org/ for more details. It provides kids with school fees, 3 meals a day, school uniforms, supplies, shoes, clothes, medical care, tutoring, mentoring and a football club. They currently rent a house in Jinja which serves as a home for 13 of their boys that don't have families, and as a 'youth centre' for all the boys. Our work with them will involve discipleship and mentoring, staff training, sports and games, prayer and intercession.

For the second part of our outreach we will be travelling to the village of Bulange in the Inganga District of Uganda, staying for 10 days to serve the staff and children of the Bushfire Children's Home (see pic). The ministry was founded by Sam and Eva Kitalya (Ugandan nationals), with a vision to bring skills training to the youth, and family and shelter to the orphans. There are many orphans of war and AIDS in this area, most of whom have little or no education and live a meagre hand to mouth existence. Initially a vocational training school (VTS) was established to give the teenagers and young adults marketable skills such as sewing, building, agriculture and animal raising ( basic skills necessary for survival in remote rural areas). The VTS training also included a clear Gospel presentation and healthy living education (sexual health etc).

In 2003, fifty acres of land was purchased and the first buildings included a community centre which has grown into the 900 member Bulange Community Church. Likewise the initial three family units for orphans have expanded to six family units with over 90 orphans and children at risk. The children range in age from 3 to 18 years and are placed in stable family groups with 'parents' in a home unit. In addition to attending school they help work the land and participate in normal Ugandan family life: water carrying, cow milking, planting and harvesting their own food, etc. Over the past 7 years Bushfire has built a medical clinic, vocational training centre, primary and secondary school, and numerous farm buildings. You can see more of their ministry at www.bushfireproject.org

As a team we will be involved in all aspects of Bushfire life, helping out in day to day activities, including planting, harvesting, building, water gathering, school work, family devotions etc. We will also provide some healthcare and family-appropriate skills training for the staff, and social education for the children. There will be opportunities to visit local villages, to share in the Bulange Community Church, and take school assemblies. Praying for patients in a local hospital and a prison visit have been part of past team activities.

Our group is currently eleven people ranging in age from 12 to 50-something! Please pray for us in the coming weeks... As we get to know our team-mates, spend time together praying and preparing, fundraise etc. We want to go with hearts open to what the Lord has to teach us, being led by Him in serving alongside the local people.

I'm looking forward to the next update and being able to share some testimonies from the trip. Your prayers, support and encouragement bless me so much - thank you!

Love

Rebecca

Prayer Items

• Thanks for what happened through the Christmas Outreach, and for everyone who was involved or gave in some way towards it.


• Thanks for the new opportunities to pray for people and the way God is breaking down barriers to Him in their lives.


• Thanks for God's hand over the Food Hygiene administration and inspection!


• Please pray for the Uganda trip - for safety, team unity and openness to everything God has planned for the time.


• For provision of the funds we need (approx. £1000 each) to cover the costs of the trip including flights, team fees, visa, vaccinations, insurance, anti-malaria meds etc. (I have already received a couple of gifts, which has been amazing!)