Uganda reports!!

Team 2 arrived on Wednesday and the transition from team 1 could not have been smoother. The children and teachers of Source of Light School have taken to them quickly and have all ready won the teams heart. Yesterday was one of the hardest days work I have ever done in my life!! We had to lay the foundations for the kitchen, which involved carrying massive rocks and then pouring the slab to bring it up to ground level. Everyone is in bits today!! We took part in their church service again today and it was such a privilege to share something with them. We are presently relaxing by the side of the pool (well Grant and John are actuallly chucking all the girls into the pool!!)as we physce ourselves up for a full weeks work. I can't believe we have only one week left now. Will be nice to be home but have a fair idea we will back again. These people have given us far more than we have to them and in pastor Richard them have a wonderful and humble leader. He started this school with 12 kids in 1989 and now they have around 300 kids many of whom are born again. Once a week on a friday for an hour the children have what they call 'chapel' where they worship God (like you have never seen) and give testimoney to the things God is doing in their lives. It is a powerful time and so touching to see teachers who dearly love the children in their care and seek to not just educate them but also introduce them to the love of Jesus. Blessed are the poor...

The Church - Centre or periphery?

Been reading the Message a lot while I've been away and I really enjoy Peterson's take on things. In Ephesians chapter 1 he translates...
"the church is not peripheral to the world, the world is peripheral to the church.'
So many emotions go through my head as I read this. I feel sad that in general, in the west anyway, the church is peripheral to the world. I feel angry that it has allowed itself to become like this. I feel hyprocritical because I know at times, in the lyrics of Coldplay, I am part of the disease and not the cure. But as I find part of me wants to criticise, I find another part of me that gets really defensive. I find part of me that wants to defend the church, more, wants to fight for it, because deep within me there is a conviction that it really is the hope of the world. Not the buildings of course but the people, fulfillig their call in the freedom of the Spirit, moving rythmically together in their giftings and seeking to follow the ways of the their Head - Jesus. I want to belong to the community of faith that seeks to place itself at the centre of society, so that Christ can be seen, and the influence of His kingdom experienced through all avenues of life.

Uganda thoughts

Team 1 has gone and today we are just chilling by a pool. Can't believe that two weeks have gone already and we are now in the middle of our month out here. The last two weeks have been amazing - too much for me to gather it all here now but suffice to say that the whole trip was fused with much faith, hope and love. I miss the guys today. I have often found it amazing how close you can get to people in two weeks of team environment and the overwhelming emotion that we find in community. It is a deep thing and I love being part of it.

The small village we are working in is called Jandira. We have almost completed the teachers accomodation for the school we are working with. It is called 'Source of Light.' There are almost 300 kids that go to the primary school and they have become dear to our hearts..little Jane, Denis, Fort and Sam, their faces flash before me. Some more fortunate than others. The girls ran a clinic last week and the need was frightening. They bust their guts to treat as many as they could and prayed for them while they did it. Others on the team lead a Bible club in the school with over 150 kids - singing, dancing, doing drama and telling stories. While this was all going on the guys (and some girls!!) slogged away at trying to build as much of the accomodation as they could, always with a smile on their face and forming friendships with the Ugandan builders. All in all it was an astonishing effort and Team 1 I salute you.

On Saturday we went White Water Rafting on the River Nile. It was as exciting as the first time i did it and as scary!! At times we got into the River and just floated along down the Nile. At times like this it is simply amazing to get the chance to be part of God's amazing world.

Greetings from kampala

Finally we found some internet access!! Having an amazing time here. week 1 has been a blast - great memories made already. The team have been so good in every way which makes it so class to be a part of. As a team I feel we have connected with the community of Jandira and this morning in church their was a palpable mutual love and respect. We have been wrestling with the verse "what does it profit a man if he gains the whole world but loses his soul.' I think I have misintrepeted this verse for years, seeing it in a purely heaven and hell context because I have always heard it preached in this way....but maybe this is more about loosing the reason we have been made, our purpose, our heart, our soul - to love God and to show Him to the world. Africa teaches me all about this - it exposes my falseness and pretence and brings me back to my heart...and that is where we find our treasure.

On a different note it has also been a laugh with my two mates John and Grant who are keeping me sane for a month. If this is a good blog John wrote it, if it is a bad one then Grant wrote it!! John also has a blog...access it to your right.

One more day to go and then I am off to Uganda for a month!! Can't believe it has come round so quick but starting to get real excited. Spent last week on a retreat with the amazing Equip interns. Stayed up in Ballintoy in McShane Cottages. Was a class way to end the year. Managed to play rounders on White Rocks Beach, visit Rathlin Island, sit around a fire together on White Park bay beach, water sports on the River Bann, listen to some amazing sessions from Mark Dowds and have some great food and laughs. Good times...