English classes

One of the things I have spent some of my time doing whilst working with YFC in Ethiopia is giving English lessons to some of the staff. English is my mother tongue, I was trained as a teacher and have done training to Teach English as a Second Language - TESL (in Thailand in 2012). This doesn't mean that I love it. In fact, I find lesson preparation quite stressful and certainly time-consuming, BUT I really enjoy the time with my students. They seem to enjoy it too and I do believe they are learning new things to strengthen their ability in English and so it has been quite rewarding.

In our first lesson we talked about the things we liked and disliked, hence the random items on the desk.

I dislike phones being used in class and so we agreed that phones were to be put aside during class, but here Yeti was using her phone to show that she likes listening to music on her phone.

Desta told us that she likes eating cakes from Enrico 

and so the next lesson was a walk to Enrico cake shop to enjoy cake together chatting, in English, as we walked. SO GOOD.

 My students are very conscientious

and always actively involved

in whatever the lesson is for the day

 

Everyone seems to enjoy themselves and we have some fun times together.

I teach Tazeb in a class of his own and often it's outside because he is the guard and must keep an eye on the comings and goings of the compound.

Sometimes Tazeb needs help with things other than English 

and enjoyed the bonus of a visiting Canadian student teacher.

Tazeb is a regular nice guy and although we can't really have a proper conversation, we have a good time together.
English teaching may not be my favourite activity, but spending regular time with the students is certainly one of my favourite things to do .

Return to Uganda

There were two main reasons for my return to Uganda this year. They were to catch up with the staff I had spent such quality time with last year and to visit the YFC Young Leaders who are sponsored by Australians for tertiary courses.

I stayed with Miriam, the National Director of YFC in Uganda. She's a great host and here she was ready to head off to a wedding of one of the YFC Board members. Beautiful yes?

I caught up with most of the YFC staff, (but didn't get to photograph many of them)

and also with Lynn whom I had spent every Tuesday with last year when she was doing her internship with YFC. She's gone wonderfully crazy with knitting and crochet since I was there. We share a passion for crafting and for Christian fiction and talked about those and many other things. It was good to connect again.

I was able to welcome a new little bundle (hardly recognisable as a baby in this photo (!)

and cuddle and take photos

 before he went home with his mum and grandmother.

It was great to catch up

with the young people

who are sponsored

to do tertiary studies

through the generosity

of Australians.

A huge thank you to each of you from these young people who all recognise that without your assistance they would not be working towards their dreams right now.

There were some lovely invitations to lunch with members of staff and their families

here at Mary's home in a beautiful garden 

and outside in the shade when the house got too hot after lunch at Luke and Nora's home.

At church on Sunday I was the only white person in the congregation and the bishop spotted me from behind as he entered the church. He called me up front to welcome me and ask a few questions - including why Australia has a separate territory for its capital! He then continued to include me a number of times in the 4+ hour service. As the Sunday School children left the church, the leader asked if I would share something with the children. This is Africa and so not unexpected. One must always be prepared to share at a moment's notice. So off I went to speak with them for a little while and pray for them before returning to the church service.

My time in Uganda was special for reconnecting with dear friends and keeping in touch with what's new in their lives and the YFC ministry. It was a time of mutual encouragement and joy.
Ugandans are very frequently saying: "Welcome back". I sure felt that welcome.

Another tailoring graduation day in Uganda

Last year when I was in Uganda I really enjoyed my two visits to the YFC ministry at Idudi in the east of Uganda and asked Miriam if I would be able to visit them again while I was in Uganda last week. 

  

It just so happened that there was another group of four young mums graduating from the YFC tailoring course and I was asked to be the guest speaker again. Such a privilege to share life with these girls as they launch out into life with new possibilities. 

Thanks to the generosity of two more Aussies there were new sewing machines for these girls and Luke, the handyman, was the one to put them together after the trip from Kampala.

The girls were so thankful to God for the opportunity to do this training and to YFC for their love, nurture and provision over the months they were together,

  

and they knelt as they gave thanks.

The parents were very obviously thrilled and thankful for their girls - here proudly showing off their  graduation certificates.

Once again the girls were very generous with gifts showing their appreciation with a chicken,

peanuts and oranges. Yum!

That same day we were able to gift pregnant teenagers with 'hospital kits', donated by a team from the US, in preparation for when their babies arrive.

 And I spoke with the new group of young mums who have just started their tailoring course.

Once again, it was a great day sharing in the wonderful work that YFC in Uganda is doing to bring the love of God to needy young people in very practical ways.

Whilst the girls are doing their course, breakfast and lunch is provided each day of the week and they learn many other skills, e.g. financial management and business studies and three times each week they study the Bible with the staff.

As I presented each girl with a new sewing machine, and spoke to them about life choices, particularly from Psalm 119, I thought about how good it would be if they could each receive their own Bible in their own language when they received a sewing machine. Over the months of the course they have been taught from God's word alongside their vocational training. Surely they need their own Bible to take out into life with them. Each Luganda Bible will cost about $12 Australian.

If you would like to contribute to the purchase of Bibles for tailoring students at YFC Uganda both at Idudi and Kampala I would love to hear from you via my personal email justjanie2010@gmail.com

A Rwandaful wedding

I am so thankful to God for making it so simple for me to attend Jean Baptiste and Marie Jeanne's wedding on Monday in Kigali, Rwanda.

JB is the National Director of Rwanda YFC. Mal and I became good friends with JB and his late wife Marina when we spent three months in Rwanda working alongside the YFC team in 2007. Since then I have spent another three months with JB and his team as well as a week last year. God has given me many friends in that place and I valued the opportunity to reconnect with so many, while celebrating the wedding with my good friend JB.

The plans for my trip this year already included one week in Uganda to reconnect with sponsored students and spend time with the YFC team. I only had to adjust the date to enable me to include the wedding. So thankful it worked out so well.

The YFC Uganda team was happy to add me to their group to travel the long bus journey from Kampala to Kigali and it was wonderful to go with them.

The couple was married in the Anglican church across the road from YFC where I have always attended when I've been in Rwanda. It used to be a tiny little mud building but in recent years they have rebuilt. I sat up in the balcony to get good photos. 

 After the vows the priest blessed the couple in prayer

before they signed the wedding register and happily showed their marriage certificate to the congregation.

JB and Marie Jeanne each have four children and these young people made up the bridal party, along with a slightly older couple who were best man and matron of honour.

After the ceremony in the church it was time to head over to the YFC premises across the road for the wedding reception for over 1200 people!

Now it began to look like a truly Rwandan wedding

with a beautifully decorated bridal tent (SOOOO many fresh roses!!)

and lots

 

and lots

and lots

of great dancers

and entertainment.

People  presented their gifts to the bride and groom (here on behalf of YFC Ethiopia)

and JB and Marie Jeanne

.

did their equivalent of 'the bridal waltz!

As the older muzungu (white person) present I was pulled onto the dance floor too! No photo of this one.

 

Guests were catered for at four 'serving stations' - at both ends of each of the two huge marquees that housed all the guests.

The wedding date marked the beginning of the rainy season so they had to be well prepared.

After the bride and groom cut the cake they departed for their home not far away and some of us - people from out of the country and some family members -

gathered there with them

 

to continue the festivities

and I was able to have a lovely chat with JB and Marie Jeanne as we enjoyed another meal together.

It was a long and joyful day. I was able to catch up with just about all of my Rwandan friends. It helped that I was one of only three white adults present who could be easily spotted in the large crowd and mostly they found me :)

During the day there were times of strong emotion for me e.g. when the couple walked down the aisle and I thought of loss and grief and the joy of new starts, not only theirs, but Mal's and mine, and the fact that he wasn't present to share in this special blessing for our dear friend JB; after the church service when a couple came to greet me and I recognised them as the couple Mal and I had known at church in 2007 and who had testified at the front of the church about the husband's release from prison after the wife's constant faith, prayer and care for him there; saying good-bye to my dear friend Safari and his wife Claire, the parents of my god-daughter, not knowing if I will see them again; spending time with Edouard, a young man sponsored by Australian friends, who has blossomed in so many ways since we met in 2011 and being able to converse with him in English now.

What a day! What a truly Rwandaful day, as JB likes to say.