Two weeks since landing back, so time for some reflection.
Hilary and Janet were quickly out of the starting gate in proposing a return visit to the Nairobi sewing project and Richard's Children's Home. They have in mind a couple of weeks in December that squeeze in from the end of Janet's term and before the New Year. Huw's happy. I must remind them to take some clothes pegs for their stay at Sundowner. If the extra fund-raising goes well enough they'll take a couple of other younger women with them.
Meanwhile, sadly, Phibian's had to suspend the project for a couple of weeks because Four Square's hall was needed for something else. But it's a good outcome, because they're finding replacement premises, and they've tapped into some micro-finance to keep going. Hilary's fund-raising Gala Dinner is Thursday 12 November, and we have some planning to nail down, including video stuff, etc.
Janet stole the show at the national celibates and singles event, relating how on the Sunday in Kampala, Pastor Philip was unsure whether to introduce her as Pastor, Bishop or Apostle.
My enduring memories of Uganda proved to be the amazing bird-life, the abundance of pineapples, and the second-hand European clothes that change hands in preference to new Chinese stuff on quality grounds. I also failed to mention the rice and tea fields that line the main trunk roads. Len commented that the place is so fertile that if you stand still for too long, you'll grow roots. I also recalled a couple of pastors asserting that the country was the site of the Garden of Eden, with the third (unidentified) river being the Nile. Hmmm.
Cornelius continued his extensive correspondence to Trevor. I remembered a comment in his garden, after the two-hour evening round of exchanges. "Milton Obote once took eight hours over a broadcast presidential speech. His sign off was: 'And with these few words...'."
I went to thank Ali for lending us Len while the Brighton saints endured an arson attack at home. She confided that she'd been given an unexpected gift, and told to, "Go and have a good holiday yourself." So a return visit to the literacy project in Zambia is in her sights - apparently with or without Len! To add to the to-ings and fro-ings, it appears that 42 of the RAW-ites have signed up to go to India next November. And Andy and Eva have posted photos of Kathmandu on their Facebook.
Because having the use of the minibus was so helpful, I've re-written the draft budget for our trip to Rwanda next March, allowing for hiring one for the duration out there. On the journey across Kenya I forgot to mention the green and yellow agave cactus that grows by the roadside. They have just one specimen in the glasshouses at Sheffield Botanical Gardens, and it looks creepy.
Fatigue hit me about three days after we came home, and I must have been a poor advertisement at the Bank Holiday Festival. Back at the gym, my body felt like rubber, but I managed a five-mile run round the Memorial Park while staying in Coventry last weekend. At the last count, Viv had 47 outstanding IT service tickets.
Most worrying, I can't find the Jesus Centre credit card that I put 'somewhere safe' at home rather than risking taking it on the trip. A confession to the Accounts bods is impending if Mary's 'finding angel' doesn't come up with the goods. I may have said 'apostolic irritation' if Nathan hadn't deflated me with an aside in India, "Don't you think these things happen to anyone?"
Hilary and Janet were quickly out of the starting gate in proposing a return visit to the Nairobi sewing project and Richard's Children's Home. They have in mind a couple of weeks in December that squeeze in from the end of Janet's term and before the New Year. Huw's happy. I must remind them to take some clothes pegs for their stay at Sundowner. If the extra fund-raising goes well enough they'll take a couple of other younger women with them.
Meanwhile, sadly, Phibian's had to suspend the project for a couple of weeks because Four Square's hall was needed for something else. But it's a good outcome, because they're finding replacement premises, and they've tapped into some micro-finance to keep going. Hilary's fund-raising Gala Dinner is Thursday 12 November, and we have some planning to nail down, including video stuff, etc.
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| A green shoot - cheesy, but I don't care |
Janet stole the show at the national celibates and singles event, relating how on the Sunday in Kampala, Pastor Philip was unsure whether to introduce her as Pastor, Bishop or Apostle.
My enduring memories of Uganda proved to be the amazing bird-life, the abundance of pineapples, and the second-hand European clothes that change hands in preference to new Chinese stuff on quality grounds. I also failed to mention the rice and tea fields that line the main trunk roads. Len commented that the place is so fertile that if you stand still for too long, you'll grow roots. I also recalled a couple of pastors asserting that the country was the site of the Garden of Eden, with the third (unidentified) river being the Nile. Hmmm.
Cornelius continued his extensive correspondence to Trevor. I remembered a comment in his garden, after the two-hour evening round of exchanges. "Milton Obote once took eight hours over a broadcast presidential speech. His sign off was: 'And with these few words...'."
I went to thank Ali for lending us Len while the Brighton saints endured an arson attack at home. She confided that she'd been given an unexpected gift, and told to, "Go and have a good holiday yourself." So a return visit to the literacy project in Zambia is in her sights - apparently with or without Len! To add to the to-ings and fro-ings, it appears that 42 of the RAW-ites have signed up to go to India next November. And Andy and Eva have posted photos of Kathmandu on their Facebook.
Because having the use of the minibus was so helpful, I've re-written the draft budget for our trip to Rwanda next March, allowing for hiring one for the duration out there. On the journey across Kenya I forgot to mention the green and yellow agave cactus that grows by the roadside. They have just one specimen in the glasshouses at Sheffield Botanical Gardens, and it looks creepy.
Fatigue hit me about three days after we came home, and I must have been a poor advertisement at the Bank Holiday Festival. Back at the gym, my body felt like rubber, but I managed a five-mile run round the Memorial Park while staying in Coventry last weekend. At the last count, Viv had 47 outstanding IT service tickets.
Most worrying, I can't find the Jesus Centre credit card that I put 'somewhere safe' at home rather than risking taking it on the trip. A confession to the Accounts bods is impending if Mary's 'finding angel' doesn't come up with the goods. I may have said 'apostolic irritation' if Nathan hadn't deflated me with an aside in India, "Don't you think these things happen to anyone?"
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