IY Buisness Dinner

“Investment Year is an institution of its own” said one of the IY members during the public speaking practice. This greatly struck and I agree with it. Many people have joined different institutions, but if you critically follow what is behind all this is, it is to get training about the life coming or what is going on.
This business dinner was prepared long before we got to know about it by our teachers. We had to pick from a list of 15 careers they had chosen (e.g. Doctor, lawyer, film producer, agriculturist etc.) and we were to act as that person through the dinner.
The day which seemed too far away came closer and closer up to when it happened. It was amazing seeing how beautifully all the business people showed up at the ‘Palm Restaurant’. Men putting on full suits and ladies as well not forgetting the risky high heels which made them taller for a moment!
‘Palm Restaurant’ was opened at 7pm as the senior chef welcomed us in and we had to interact with each other getting to know about where different ones of us were coming from and what job we did. The restaurant had good customer care services as the staff seemed to know what they were doing (The IY staff served).
This time has been really a training of its own because however much we credit schools as being training centres, no teacher will ever come to class with a knife and fork and teach you how to use it! We need these skills if we are to interact publically.
As we were taking our last course which was coffee and chocolate cake, we heard from our guest speaker, Aunty Judith Goddard. Her speech was so strong but easy for some one with little faith and slow to responding to God’s call. For many of us fear failure but we were encouraged to hear about Aunty Judith has dealt with them in her life and kept going. There were many lessons to learn from her words and one of them is knowing and clearly following what the Lord requires of you, persistence being the key. Remember he who started a good work in you will fulfill it.
Zam-zam. IY student 2011.

Kampala Day

I remember the first time I visited my capital city (many years ago!) I think I wandered around wide eyed and stunned at the amount of people, all seemingly going somewhere very important and in a rush. Part of Investment Year is helping our children to develop life skills and to be able to live and operate in different settings. As we live in the village it is important to be able to move around the city safely and confidently, so this week as a group we travelled to Kampala (Capital City).
We split them into 4 groups and gave them a map, a phone with a camera and a list of useful buildings, sites and monuments (eg. Taxi park, post office, parliament, independence monument etc) that they had to find with the final place being the leaders with lunch! As each team drifted off into the chaos of a busy city, there was nervous excitement from each of our children as they headed, for most of them into the unknown! We went to the final meeting place, hoping that no one would get too lost…80 minutes later the team who headed off last reached their destination after successfully finding all their places. The other teams were not far behind. It was a fun day and I believe our children learnt a lot about themselves, working as a team, asking for help, reading maps and being in Kampala. A few of them also learnt how to deal with being stuck in a lift (elevator) for 15 minutes!!We left Kasana with 15 of our children and happily returned with 15!

- Steve Brown, Early Adulthood Coordinator, Staff since 2006

Uganda 2011 Elections

Ugandans have voted in a presidential election on Friday which saw a low turnout despite what diplomats described as big state spending to woo voters.
Some European Union observers put the turnout as low as 30 per cent at many polling stations in a ballot pitching Yoweri Museveni, in power since 1986, against his arch rival Kizza Besigye for the third straight election.
Polls closed at 1400 GMT. The country's electoral commission says it will announce the results within 48 hours of the closing.
The election was held after a bitter campaign in east Africa's third largest economy. There have been widespread allegations that Museveni's party has been paying voters to back him for a fourth term.
While the election is expected to extend Yoweri Museveni's term in office to three decades, opposition parties in the country have threatened that they will take to the streets if the polls are deemed to have been rigged.
Museveni has given warning that large-scale protests such as those being threatened will not be tolerated, and anyone taking part will be arrested.
Kizza Besigye, the opposition front-runner, has already lost two previous elections to Museveni, a former ally.
Many Ugandans complain of rampant corruption and a lack of investment in basic public services and infrastructure under Museveni, but others respect him for bringing stability to the country.
Rigging suspicions
One of the major issues on the agenda for whoever wins the election will be managing the country's newly discovered oil reserves, which are estimated to be in the billions of barrels.
The country's last two elections, in 2001 and 2006, ended in dispute, after Besigye unsuccessfully appealed to the supreme court both times to overturn the results.
The time, he says that he is producing his own results tally, and if it does not match the official outcome, he has threatened mass protests.
"If the electoral commission releases results that we know to be fraudulent, at that stage we shall recommend the Ugandan people deal with the matter directly," Besigye said earlier this week.
Museveni appeared confident in the lead-up to the polls, however. "It will be a big win," he said on Wednesday.
His government has deployed thousands of security-forces personnel to oversee the holding of elections, and he has cautioned bodies other than the electoral commission against declaring results.
Suspicions of rigging were already rife on Friday, particularly in the Rubaga area, an opposition stronghold. Voters there said that ballot papers had not been delivered to polling stations by the time that voting was due to start.
Polling stations across the capital, Kampala, also reported delays.
'Bribes offered'
European Union observers said voting had so far been peaceful, but were concerned some voters were being turned away from polling stations despite being registered and that they had seen a number of improperly sealed ballot boxes.
The EU's chief observer, Edward Scitluna, said that in three out of five polling stations visited by midday ballot boxes had not been sealed correctly and their lids could be lifted.
"My impression is that's a lack of training, not systemic rigging," said Scitluna, adding some voters were being told they had not registered despite thinking otherwise.
Voters in the village of Wii-Aworanga said candidates from all parties had offered bribes of up to 100,000 shillings ($40) per village ahead of the election to secure votes.
"Bribes came from everybody ... but of course the NRM (ruling National Resistance Movement) are the government and they offered more," one voter who did not want to be named told Reuters news agency.
Deadly clashes
Al Jazeera's Mohammed Adow reporting from Kampala said the voting has gone well in most places but in eastern Uganda there were clashes between two opposing candidates in one of the parliamentary constituencies.
"Supporters of the minister of defence and supporters of her opponent clashed in and around the town of Mbale," he said.
"Two people are confirmed dead and up to 30 injured, including a journalist. The military has been deployed to quell the situation."
Analysts have said that a public uprising is unlikely to succeed in Uganda, where the population is less educated and has less access to the internet than in Egypt, which Besigye cited as being the kind of uprising Uganda would witness.

Aljazeera News

Pastoral Training Institute

Though there are hundreds of churches in the villages around New Hope, very few are having a significant impact on their communities. Most pastors and lay leaders have had little to no Biblical education, churches are mired in syncretism, and the Gospel is not understood in its fullness. New Hope Uganda’s Pastoral Training Institute (PTI) is geared to bring community transformation by impacting pastors and their families who, in turn, will impact their churches and communities.
PTI will help provide local pastors with a solid Biblical foundation. In addition, it will provide agricultural and animal husbandry training. This training is designed not only to equip pastors to sustain their families, but also as a way for churches to provide self-sustainable orphan care through the local church.
PTI brings local pastors and lay leaders to Kasana for one week (five weekdays) each month over a period of three years. This enables them to receive thorough training while continuing to lead their home congregations. Each participant demonstrates his commitment to the program by contributing a small amount towards the costs but otherwise all costs are covered through scholarships.
The initial PTI class of 12 began in March, 2010. As of May 14, these pastors and lay leaders have now completed three full weeks of training.

Mamma enjoying her boys

First day of School

Monday Jan. 31 was the first day of the 2011 school year here in Uganda. December and January are summer vacation for our kids.
I had an opportunity to see at least a bit of several of our school’s first day. I did not make it out to our vocational institute but was able to briefly visit New Hope Academy (see brief video NHA First Day taken by my sons who are attending for some classes) and spend a bit more time at Essuubi Epya Vocational Primary School and our new special needs classroom that is associated with it.
At EEVPS, Headmaster Simon Katabazi was very welcoming. After having all the teachers lead the student assembly in praise songs, the Ugandan national anthem, the Ugandan pledge of allegiance, and the pledge to the Bible, Uncle Simon introduced all the new teachers and prayed for them. Next he called forward new students and we all prayed for them. Then we had a prayer of dedication for the school year. It was very clear we are looking to God as our source of learning.
I was also able to stop by our new special needs classroom headed up by Kate Tolhurst – for now, their classroom is one of the rooms in our new Clinic. For most, if not all of the students there, this was there first day ever in a school. It was so clear that they were pleased to be there and are very comfortable around Kate and the other staff.
We would love your prayers for all of these students and their teachers.
- Tal Anderson

We normally try to fit our bimonthly newsletter on one page, but January was so full that we have decided to bring you the special expanded edition of our update. First, thank you for so many of your prayers during this challenging time in our lives. For those of you who escaped the prayer chains we’ll catch you up to speed…. Caleb fell very sick the beginning of January (identically to what he went through last Feb.) with fevers (up to 105.4), night sweats, a rash, and complete exhaustion. This went undiagnosed for almost three weeks in which time Nathaniel was found to have Guardia AND an amoeba and had boil like wounds on body, meanwhile Alair was bit by an insect that caused her foot/ ankle to swell almost three times its normal size leaving her unable to walk on it for a few days. By the end of the month Caleb was finally diagnosed with Katayama Syndrome which stemmed from a parasite called Bilharzia (contracted from contaminated water- like Lake Victoria). We decided if Caleb had been exposed to this parasite, the whole family had, and should be boys tested. At that point, it wasn’t surprising when we found out that both boys had it as well. We believe it was caught and they were put on treatment early enough that they should be fine shortly.
It seems that when it rains it pours... We are pushing forward and although Caleb could think of a million other places he would have rather spent four nights than the hospital, we are thankful for the medical care we have received here in Uganda. Even as we looked outside the hospital window in Kampala, we were reminded that there are so many people that do not have access to good medical care.
We know we serve a good God who not only loves us and sees all that we are going through but who walks with us and has prepared the path for us to walk in. We continue to learn to trust Him more, and as the Lord revealed to Paul in 2Cor. 12 "My [HIS] grace is sufficient for you, for my [HIS] power is made perfect in weakness.” It is only by His grace that we live and move and have our being! Alair is doing much better after a strong antibiotic and the insect bite has healed quite well. Caleb is still weak, but recovering slowly. The fevers are gone, but it will be at least a two month regimen of treatment and testing. The boys are settling back into a daily routine and Nicolas, who in the midst of it all, turned three on Jan. 17th, and is learning to ride his new bike with training wheels.
The body of Christ both here in Uganda and in the States have proved to be a blessing beyond measure. From prayers on our behalf, to watching our children and bringing us meals, from a timely surprise visit from our dear friend Laurie just as Caleb was being discharged from the hospital, to the care package she brought, put together by family, friends and our Blackhawk family, we have been reminded again and again of the importance of the body of Christ and how much we need each other as we move through life. Laurie was a huge encouragement to us- we were so blessed to have her with us, even if for just a few short days. It was just what we needed as we fought back wanting to “throw in the towel.” Some days we long for home and the comfort it brings. We cannot tell you how overwhelmed we were to hear that so many people at home and at Blackhawk were praying for us... it brought us to tears. Three years ago, as we were raising support and getting ready to leave for Uganda, we were told how important it was to have people praying for us back home. God has shown us the amazing truth of that reality. Without your prayers we are not sure where we would be right now (emotionally AND physically)!
It is true that during every season of our lives, it is God’s desire to see us gaining the resemblance of His Son in whose image we were created. During this difficult season we have gained a deeper understanding of how suffering brings us into maturity. We have come to count ourselves blessed to have had these challenges even though we would not have ever welcomed them. God has faithfully used this time to revealed sin in our lives that desperately needed to be repented of and turned from. It reminds us of the nation of Israel and how God tested them so that "He would know what was in their hearts." God already knew what was in their hearts, but they didn't. Jeremiah talks about how the heart is deceitfully wicked… who can understand it? We have learned that through difficulty and trials God clears away many of the distractions in our lives in order for us to see the true state of our hearts and give opportunity for repentance. Some areas of sin were places in our hearts where idols of self reliance needed to be removed from their “high places” in order for the LORD to have His rightful place- Amen!
We have also recognized that we have not merely been involved in a physical battle but a spiritual one as well. We have sensed the enemy at work against our family, and have had several other New Hope staff and friends say the same thing. We are depending on the blood of Christ who covers all and has authority over all. And we have clearly seen the body of Christ at work! It is for that reason we are eliciting your prayers on the “sleep front.” Many of you have been praying for “sweet sleep” (Proverbs 3:24) for us and specifically for Nate- our youngest. As we are more and more aware that this is not an area we can “train” him through (and believe me we have tried everything shy of flying Super nanny to Uganda), but rather that this is a battle God must win for us, we are more than ready to request your prayers… that the God who “grants sleep to those He loves” (Psalm 127:2), would not allow the enemy to rob Nathaniel or the rest of us of that precious gift!
Caleb’s Aunt Donna reminded us that prayer is also an act of worship for the person saying the prayer. Prayer connects us with our God and to each other! We praise God that He is using our struggles to produce a lot of prayer, praise and connecting! Glory be to God! We are excited to see Him work in a mighty way in our lives and the lives of those who are praying!
Thanks again for your love for us! We have been so encouraged by you all! We look forward seeing you face to face when we are on home assignment (tentatively end of July through the beginning of Jan.) and telling you of His wonderful grace in our lives. Thank you again for your love toward us and your continued prayers!
In His service for his name and renown,
The Mitchells