The drive from Bugoye to Mbarara intersects the Queen Elizabeth Country Park which
is home to many of Uganda’s most famous animals including lions, elephants and
baboons. The team were blessed to see elephants, buffalo, vervet monkeys, baboons,
and African Cob.
The team headed straight to Nyamyaga SLC (although they had to stop for directions
near the end; it’s been a few years since they visited and Nyamyaga is very rural!) and
met with the students on the course.
The team headed straight to Nyamiyaga SLC (although they had to stop for directions
near the end; it’s been a few years since they visited and Nyamiyaga is very rural!) and
met with the students on the course. Around two hours were spent with the students
answering questions and hearing about the current cohort and their lives. Mbarara is
one of only a couple of places where the team spent more than one night so they had
plenty of time to meet with those in the area.
Photo: The students at Nyamiyaga SLC.
The second day in Mbarara (6th August) the team spent the morning sharing
encouragement and teaching with the students. Chris spoke on 1 Corinthians 12-14
and the team as a whole spent more time answering questions and sharing fellowship
with the students. That afternoon Richard had arranged for the pastors who are
sponsored in the area to come to the SLC to meet with the team and give their thanks
for the programme. The team spent time with each pastor and also took pictures with
them.
The team also visited Ruti church which is collecting bricks to rebuild the wooden
building in concrete blocks. They almost have enough bricks for the new church and
plan to build soon, once the land on which the church is built is officially registered.
The team spent time with the children of the church, who showed them games, sang
songs and wanted lots of photos! There was a plan to meet with Richard’s wife Faith,
however the team were only able to meet her briefly following church the next day as
her mother was terminally ill and Faith was caring for her. However, the team have
recently received a message from Richard that Faith’s mum had been miraculously
healed!
Photo: Some of the children from Ruti church; they were quite the posers!
(above) and Richard and his family: Richard, Timothy (Timo) (cream t shirt),
Treasure (white vest top), Philemon (red t shirt) and Philip (striped t shirt) (below).
On the 7th August the team split with Chris and Rachel heading to Nyamiyaga to share
preaching, and Jon preaching at Ruti. Both churches are doing well; Nyamiyaga now
has a PA system and this is bringing in more church members, despite its very rural
location and Ruti is a thriving church that is beautifully decorated and very vibrant. The
building at Nyamiyaga is starting to show its age and is need of maintenance which is
currently outside of the Trust’s financial abilities. This is an area that is being worked
on in order to support the training course and the local church that runs from the
building.
Photo: Sunday worship at Ruti church.
Richard is now General Secretary of the
denomination, and is in the process of learning
from Martin Sebuggo and seems to be well
received by most in the denomination. This is a
big demand on his already stretched time
however and he is seeking wisdom in how to deal
with this.