From The Heart Of Uganda

Back to School for Timothy Girls

2012-01-29T22:10:00.002+02:00

This weekend we welcomed the students of Timothy Girls’ High School back for the 2012 school year. They came from far and near, returning from their long Christmas holiday to complete their final year of high school. This class (Senior 6) is the group of pioneer girls who started last year with us in Senior 5. Within the next two weeks we expect to receive the new Senior 5 students who will be registering at TGHS. We have had many inquiries, as we have distributed many brochures and have advertised widely to attract prospective students.

Until the Senior 4 government exam results are released at the end of January, students do not know if they qualify for Advance Level high school, so there is always a big rush to find schools in early February.

One of our students arriving on the back of a boda boda (motorbike taxi)

We worked hard to get the dorms, classrooms and dining hall ready after the departure of the 41 teachers who had just spent ten days here as part of our teacher training program. A quick turn around!

On Friday and Saturday the girls settled into their dorms and excitedly renewed acquaintances.

This evening we had a small “welcome back” time in the dining hall with singing and snacks…and the girls then went to study and prepare for their BOTs (beginning of term exams) – yes, teachers are SERIOUS here!

Please pray with us that this will be a great year at Timothy Girls’ High School !

Teacher Training Module One Completed!

2012-01-26T19:59:00.003+02:00

On January 25 we said good-bye to the 41 teachers who attended our first face-to-face session of our in-service teacher training course at the Timothy Centre. This first module focused on biblical worldview and it was an intense and very engaging 10 days of training. We shared many helpful ideas in our discussions, presentations and group work. The teachers were really keen to participate, and worked very hard in class as we all were stretched to think more deeply about what we believe as Christian teachers and how it affects all we do with our students.

Teachers did much of their study in cooperative group work using resources that we have collected over the past couple of years and presented their research findings to the rest of the class. This is not a commonly used method in the schools here, but we encouraged them to use methods like these in their classrooms to provide richer learning experiences for their students.

Eight of our teachers from Kibaale Community Schools are enrolled in this course and some hope to be able to help us as instructors once they have completed it in 2013.
The teachers completed several assignments during the course of the 10 days and have further assignments to work on during the course of the next two months. These are designed to be as practical as possible and stimulate critical thinking about their lives and their teaching practice.

Many of the teachers expressed their thanks to donors in Canada who have contributed to the development of this training course through financial donations for books and other resources. They said that a new passion for teaching was ignited and that they see the great importance of teaching from a Christian perspective. We can hardly wait to gather again in the April school holiday to continue with our next module (Philosophy of Christian Education). Our field director, Ken Drisner, will take the lead in teaching this module. We look forward to having other Canadian teachers join us to help with some of the teaching of other modules next year.

Small Things...Big Blessings

2012-01-24T20:36:00.002+02:00

As we have been holding our teacher training course this past 10 days, we have seen so many things that have encouraged us and I will give more of an update soon once all the dust settles after the conclusion of module 1 tomorrow. One thing that has been a big blessing to one of the teachers who is studying with us is that we were able to help provide him with a pair of reading glasses after he realized he had traveled without them. Azaria is an older gentleman who found it impossible to do the readings and assignments without glasses...and it was not possible to travel all the way home to get them. "Coincidentally" we had been given a bag of glasses from the lost and found at Pacific Academy while we were home in Canada over Christmas. I fished through the bag and pulled out a pair that looked like reading glasses. When Azaria tried them they worked great! This was just a reminder to all of us how God cares (sometimes in strange ways) for the small details that are important to people.

Celebrating our P7 Students!!

2012-01-21T18:15:00.001+02:00

Our Kibaale primary teachers were thrilled yesterday when we received the results of our Primary 7 class’ government examination results. This was the best performance we have ever had! We have 53 students who passed their exams in the top two divisions (the government grades examination results into four “pass” divisions and one division that does not pass). This means we will have a very large group of students that will be joining the secondary school in February. Look out Kibaale Community Secondary School – here they come! Well done to all of our teachers and P7 students!! We are proud of you and give thanks to God.

The Birth of our Teacher Training Course

2012-01-17T20:21:00.001+02:00

This is an exciting week at Timothy Centre, as we are launching our new in-service Christian teacher training course (Certificate in Christian Education)! After years of planning, we have developed a program for teachers who have been trained in the government colleges, but now want training in teaching from a Christian perspective. This 2 year course will be held at the Timothy Centre for 10 days each school holiday period (3 times per year).

On Monday we began teaching our first module on Biblical Worldview and have 40 teachers (39 from many different schools in Uganda and one from Tanzania). They are all participating with much enthusiasm and are a pleasure to teach. We have had two full days of instruction so far and will continue until January 25. At that point, the teachers will return to their schools to start the first term of the school year and will work on assignments and projects that will help them to process what they have learned in the face-to-face sessions. We will continue to keep you posted on the developments in this program.

Merry Christmas from Canada

2011-12-25T08:55:00.002+02:00

We are very happy to be able to spend a few weeks this Christmas holiday with our family and friends in Canada. We have come home to the driest, sunniest December on record at the coast…so it has been great to have sunny skies rather than dark rain :) It hardly looks like winter here!

We have enjoyed relaxing and taking in some Christmas activities this past couple of weeks…

…and we wish you all a very Merry Christmas and blessed new year!

Kindergarten Graduation in Kibaale

2011-12-02T21:39:00.001+02:00

What a day for celebration! On Thursday we held a graduation ceremony for our Kindergarten classes in Kibaale Community Nursery School. It was part of the annual year end “Speech Day”.

This is the first year we held an actual graduation…with gowns, caps and certificates! The parents and guardians were so proud of their little ones and there was a wonderful spirit of celebration as teachers, students and parents danced together.

God has been good to Kibaale. The piece of land where Kibaale Community Centre is located was a desecrated site where atrocities took place during the time of Idi Amin (president in the 1970s). It was an army camp that was a curse to the community. Over the years God has redeemed this land, restored hope to the families who suffered so many losses to HIV/AIDS, and made the centre a place of blessing. To see these kindergarten children so happy and proud of their achievements was very encouraging. They are the future of this community and will follow in the footsteps of many of the hundreds of children who have graduated from our secondary school and have gone on to university and other colleges.

Some of our graduates who have gone on to complete university

Timothy Girls at Work and Play

2011-11-26T21:58:00.001+02:00

The first year of Timothy Girls’ High School is drawing to a close and the students are busy finishing their exams. A walk around campus today found girls doing physics practicals and written exams, studying outside on the beautifully landscaped compound, and keeping in shape playing volleyball and soccer.

These girls do everything with great gusto…and sometimes the ball even ends up in the mango tree!

End of Year Excitement

2011-11-22T20:04:00.001+02:00

The students in Kibaale are busy with end of year activities…cleaning classrooms, packing up books…

preparing dramas and songs for the annual year end “Speech Day”…

and just hanging out and enjoying friends while teachers prepare report cards.

There was some extra excitement on Friday when the “Kabaka” (king of the Buganda, the main tribe in the Masaka and Rakai Districts) was supposed to make a visit to Rakai. He was planning to visit several towns, Kibaale included….so after school the students hurried down to the community play field to see if he had arrived.

There was a large crowd waiting, enjoying a football game in the meantime, but it seems that the king was delayed somewhere along the way. Driving back to Masaka I passed school children who had been waiting there since the morning…still waiting! They have much more patience than Canadian children! At almost every village along the way, there was a “archway” constructed on the road to welcome him, a crowd of both old and young, and local musicians and dancers entertaining everyone while they waited.

Week of Official Visitors

2011-11-20T17:55:00.001+02:00

This has been a very busy week in Timothy Centre and Kibaale with official visitors who had promised to come for some time now. It happened they all showed up the same week!

We had a team of eight people from the Directorate for Ethics and Integrity visiting in Kibaale for 3 days. They had asked us for help in planning workshops to train CCTs (Coordinating Centre Tutors) in the integration of values in the primary school curriculum. The CCTs are government teacher trainers who work in the field, providing support and instruction for in-service teachers.

Values integration has been a part of the government curriculum (on paper) but teachers have generally been ineffective in this area, partly due to lack of instruction in the teacher colleges.

Peter, our director in Kibaale, has done volunteer work with the directorate for over a year now helping to train tutors in the primary teachers’ colleges and they have been very pleased with his insights and contributions. What God has helped us to develop in terms of biblical values integration in Kibaale is what other schools, the government and teachers’ colleges are now asking for. We are happy to share! It is amazing the way God has opened doors for our Kibaale schools to influence many other schools through avenues like this.

Touring the school compound

We have also been in discussions with Uganda Christian University regarding our teacher training course at the Timothy Centre. On Thursday the Dean of Education made a visit to the Timothy Centre and Kibaale—also to see how we have approached biblical values integration. The university wants to take a more intentional approach in integrating the biblical worldview in all of its courses, and is interested in what we have done. He talked with several of the Kibaale teachers and administrators, and gleaned practical ideas from them. We were also able to share some of the workshop materials that we have used with our teachers over the past few years. He was very receptive and appreciative, and encouraged us very much in what we are doing. This is the beginning of a partnership and sharing of ideas with UCU Faculty of Education.

The dean meeting with some Kibaale staff members

It was a real encouragement to our Kibaale teachers to see their efforts acknowledged and appreciated by both the Directorate for Ethics and Integrity and the Dean of Education. Many have worked with us for several years, knowing the call of God on their lives, working sacrificially in a remote area when they could have been working in more central, prestigious government schools.

We are pleased that the dean is also planning to spend some time in January with us at the Timothy Centre to observe the first module of our Certificate in Christian Education course.

Christmas comes early in Kibaale

2011-11-19T19:48:00.001+02:00

Each year as the school year winds up and Christmas approaches, the students in Kibaale Community Schools are excited to receive special gifts donated by their Canadian sponsors. These Christmas gifts are a big blessings to the families of the students. Some receive gift baskets (plastic wash basins, actually!) of household goodies like soap, sugar, rice, cooking oil, etc. and others receive goats or other items that help families that are struggling to meet their needs. Next week is the big “distribution week” in Kibaale, but the sponsorship office had already started sending some gifts home this past week. It’s a long trek home from school with a heavy load, but students are happy to help each other.

One family’s “Christmas goat”

Glimpses of the Glory of God

2011-11-14T09:35:00.001+02:00

This weekend we were reminded of the magnificence of the glory of God in many ways. In a world where there is so much division and tension between individuals and groups, it is so refreshing to see the way God takes very diverse people and molds them together into the body of Christ to reflect His glory.

Karl was asked to share a message from the Word of God in the Sunday morning chapel service here at Timothy Girls’ High School and it was great to be part of their worship celebration. One thing that struck me was the way these services have become so much more than a student event. Not only do the matrons and headmistress participate fully in the music and sharing of their lives with students, the cooks and other workers feel free to participate and learn together as well. In a society that is often very stratified according to age, educational status, and sexual distinctions, this is a real testimony to the work of the Spirit of God in lives to break down traditional barriers.

Some of the men from the community who work on the landscaping and farming crew have come to believe in Christ. This older man, Paul, is full of joy and thankfulness after God revealed his love to him in healing him after a severe sickness. He comes faithfully the services each Sunday to learn more about the glory of the God he has come to know. The girls and school staff welcome him warmly.

One of the school cooks was also extremely sick recently…and his family and friends had expected to lose him. He also shared with the girls how God answered prayers for his healing.

Even the security guard and one of the young men who helps with landscaping choose to come and learn together.

Karl shared on “beholding the glory of the Lord” from 2 Corinthians 3: 18 and the transforming power this has in lives. We have seen this at the Timothy Centre!

Breaking Free

2011-11-02T17:14:00.003+02:00

This past Sunday one of our Timothy Girls’ High School students, Mariam, preached a powerful sermon at the church in Masaka that we attend. The students from TGHS were asked to minister in the Sunday morning service and did a magnificent job of singing, leading in worship and sharing the Word.

What was striking about Mariam’s sermon was the bold and confident way she shared openly about her own life and how the Word of God had set her free from following in the tragic footsteps of her mother and aunt. Mariam grew up in Kibaale village and was sponsored to attend Kibaale Community Schools. Her mother died of HIV/AIDS when she was two years old. She was then cared for by her aunt who also passed away with HIV/AIDS when Mariam was 5 years old. At that point her maternal grandmother became her guardian. She also lost her grandmother when she was in Primary 6 class. There were difficult years after this until she was taken in and cared for in secondary school by one of our teachers in Kibaale.

Through all of this, she saw the love of God and his provision for her life through her sponsor and the Christians in Kibaale Community Centre. In her sermon on Sunday she shared about the strength and determination God had given her not to follow in the footsteps of those in her family who had given in to sexual promiscuity and lost their lives as a result. The reality and power of her relationship with God and the conviction that God had a higher purpose for her life came through.

Mariam is the academic prefect at Timothy Girls’ High School this year, an emerging leader, and has a bright future as a woman who can make a difference in Uganda. She is living proof that, with God’s grace, children can break free of the cycle of disease and despair that entraps so many.

Birthday at Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary

2011-10-27T20:56:00.002+02:00

One of the best birthday presents here is a getaway for some rest and relaxation in one of the beautiful parks of Uganda. On Tuesday Karl and I drove up to Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary (about 2 hours north of Kampala … 4 hours in all from Timothy Centre) and spent a couple of nights there enjoying a great site, animal viewings, and superb food!

Ziwa was established by the Rhino Fund (Uganda) and presently has 10 white rhinos—the only wild rhinos in Uganda. Rhinos used to be very plentiful in Uganda, but were poached to extinction during the period of civil unrest inthe 1970s. The last rhino was seen in Uganda in 1983. RFU began reintroducing white rhinos into Uganda in 2001 (to the Uganda Wildlife Education Centre in Entebbe). Ziwa sanctuary was completed in 2004 and in 2005 the first 4 while rhinos were brought in from Kenya. Four baby rhinos have been born at Ziwa and there is one mother ready to give birth any time now. She was due on my (Arleen) birthday, actually, but had not delivered by the time we left this morning. They want to film the birth, if they can find the mother hiding in the bush, and this would be the first time a white rhino birth has been witnessed.
We were able to go rhino tracking on foot with rangers and see the expectant mother in the distance, as well as three of the other rhinos very close up.

We stayed at a newly opened lodge called Amuka Lodge and enjoyed the rustic feel. There was only one unit fully completed so we were the only guests….the other units will be completed later next year.

The food at the lodge was absolutely amazing—gourmet cooking like we have never tasted in Uganda. And the really interesting thing is that the chef is a Kenyan fellow named Joel who grew up in a little village very close to where I lived when I taught school in rural Kenya back in the late 1980s! He told us that he would have been about 10 years old at that time.

One of Joel’s fabulous desserts

Joel (centre) and two other staff members

Early Wednesday morning we went on an excursion to a wetland on the border of the 72 square kilometre park property to look for the rare and elusive shoebill, a giant stork-like bird with a massive fat hooked bill. The shoebill is about 4 feet tall and hunts for prey in secluded permanent swamps. We we really fortunate to see one after some slogging through the swamp in gum boots, but even though we got a good view with our binoculars, it was too difficult to get a photo. You will just have to believe us!

At the park headquarters, we also saw some bushbuck feasting on the grass near the guesthouses. Bushbuck are normally very shy and skittish, hiding in the forest. These ones had obviously become accustomed to people, and perhaps were tamer in general as a result of living in a park without natural predators (other than the odd leopard).

Deaf Awareness Week

2011-10-22T19:32:00.001+02:00

Our students and teachers in the Kibaale Community Schools Special Unit (classes for hearing impaired students) had an exciting field trip to Ibanda District recently to attend the Deaf Awareness Week activities. Rosebell, the teacher in charge of the Special Unit, has wanted to take the children to this annual event in the past, but budget did not allow this. This year, a generous donation from the Grade 5 classes at Pacific Academy, Canada made the trip possible.

The class was thrilled to be able to go, and enjoyed meeting other hearing impaired students and adults from all over Uganda. Most of our students were not able to communicate with others at all until they began studying in Kibaale, learning sign language and English literacy. It is amazing to see the transformation of these children who were previously shunned by the community.

Our students with their teachers at the march for Deaf Awareness

Our Special Unit students in class

Welcome (and unwelcome) Visitors

2011-10-19T19:52:00.001+02:00

We were very happy to have Ken and Nicky, friends from the U.K., visit us again at Timothy Centre for a few days this past week. Ken and Nicky (and the church they pastor) have been great supporters of the clinic work in Kibaale for many years. They are now also involved in pastors’ training courses in Uganda, so make yearly trips here. After spending some time relaxing in our guest house and preparing for their courses, they traveled up to Soroti in eastern Uganda for 2 weeks of teaching. They are an inspiration and encouragement to us “younger folk”…we hope to have the energy and passion for the work of God that they have in 20 years!

Ken will celebrate his birthday next week, so we made an “early birthday” cake and celebrated together. (Not too much chance of a birthday cake in Soroti!)

Ken helped to kill a cobra that was hanging around in the rock garden near our guest house guard house one night while they were here, so he has a good story to tell once he gets back home!

Then, today, I had an unwelcome visitor at the administration building where I have my office – another snake! Actually this one was very small (pencil size) and looked like it was an eastern green mamba. It was a very pretty green colour and almost looked like it was plastic until it started moving and disappeared quickly into a hole as I approached.

You can see how small it was in comparison to our dog’s nose!

One of the landscaping workers coaxed it out of the hole with a machete and finished it off (just to be safe) and cemented in the hole in case there are some others around.

Thanksgiving

2011-10-11T13:04:00.001+02:00

Even though we are far away from Canada, we still remember the Canadian traditions and holidays…and this past weekend we had a Thanksgiving celebration with all the Canadians on site at the Timothy Centre. Turkeys are available here (the live and running kind!) but they tend to be extremely tough so we opted for some “jumbo chickens” that we bought in a grocery store in Kampala. Carina, Sue, Kristen, Alisha and I spent much of Saturday evening and Sunday cooking up a storm and we all enjoyed the result!

We have many things to be thankful to God for here this year:

a great team of Canadians and Ugandans working together both in Kibaale and at the Timothy Centre to share God’s love and provision with needy children and families
good health (other than the odd colds that attack) – no malaria!
encouraging fruit in the lives of so many students in Kibaale and at Timothy Girls’ High School, particularly those students who are thriving in university now and showing strong Christian leadership

strong support from friends, family, churches and the Pacific Academy community in Canada (teams, financial provision, prayer)

Beautiful green, lush surroundings and sunny weather (and plenty of rain needed for our water tanks and gardens!)

The fellowship of other believers in the churches we attend in Masaka and the strength and encouragement we receive from God’s Word
The network of Ugandan Christians we have come to know and appreciate, and through them, the many doors God has opened for ministry in education, agricultural training, etc.
God’s amazing love and grace to us all!

Football Fever!

2011-10-10T13:50:00.001+02:00

While we were in the city on Wednesday we noticed the build up to the big football (soccer) game between the Uganda Cranes and the Harambee Stars of Kenya. Football is a BIG deal here! People were beginning to decorate their vehicles with Uganda Cranes paraphernalia handed out at the shopping mall and excitement was building for the Saturday evening game.

When I returned to Kampala on Friday with the other ladies from the Timothy Centre for a shopping and errand trip, excitement was even higher … and by Saturday morning it was at a fever pitch!

The boda boda drivers (motorcyle taxis) are always looking for a good excuse to make a lot of noise and have fun roaring through the streets, so they took full advantage of the event to decorate their motorbikes and escort vuvuzela and whistle blowing passengers through the main parts of town. As long as the mood was happy, things were fine, but we did wonder how the mood might change if the game did not go our way. We tried to finish our business and head back to Masaka well before game time. As it turned out, the game ended in a tie, which unfortunately means that Uganda is now out of the running.

A boda boda driver in the shopping mall parking lot showing the security guards the art of blowing a vuvuzela

You never know what a day might hold….

2011-10-06T20:33:00.002+02:00

We woke up at 5:30 a.m. yesterday to prepare for an early morning trip to Mukono, 13 km on the other side of Kampala. Karl, Ken and I had a long list of meetings and errands for the day and so needed an early start to accomplish everything and get back home before dark. Traffic was light on the way, so it turned out to be less than a 3 hour trip to reach this town where Uganda Christian University is located.

It is a beautiful campus with many outdoor seating areas for students to gather and study together.

Ken and I had two very good meetings at the university with the Vice-chancellor and the Dean of Education about ways that Timothy Centre and UCU could help each other in Christian teacher training while Karl drove back to Kampala to get started on the list if errands to be done there.
When we were done at UCU, Ken and I hopped on boda-bodas (motorcycle taxis) that took us to the taxi park and then traveled by taxi into Kampala, stopping to submit his application for his Ugandan driver’s license along the way (about an hour long procedure of waiting in lines at three different wickets). We rendezvoused with Karl in Kampala and found that he had finally succeeded to collect the custom made mosquito nets for the Timothy Girls High School dorms (after several months of waiting, returning nets sewn incorrectly, more waiting)! So far, so good! We ordered kitchen cabinets for our headmistress’ house, bought a fridge for the bakery in Kibaaale, picked up new signs that had been ordered for the school and the centre, had lunch and did some grocery shopping. With everything done, feeling quite pleased with the day, we headed out of the city with time to make it home before dark….or so we thought! About 5 km out of Kampala the traffic came to a standstill. It was still daylight, but as we sat…and sat…and sat and watched taxis and trucks hem us in on both sides as they tried unsuccessfully to squeeze past, the twilight faded….
…and faded…

…and we began debating whether we should even consider carrying on if the jam ever cleared. It would mean traveling over 100 km in the pitch dark on a road with hundreds of crazy taxi and truck drivers jostling for position on less than ideal roads. (Uganda has the highest per capita road accident rate in the world.) We prayed there wasn’t a terrible accident ahead (as often there is at such times) and called the guest house we regularly stay at in Kampala to see if they had room in case we could find some way to actually turn around.
Darkness fell and we all still sat there, as many truck drivers and taxi drivers wandered around trying to find out what the problem was. The jam was so long that it was impossible to find out the cause of the problem without a handy radio “road report” like we have back in Canada. The roadside vendors who carry baskets of bananas, peanuts and other snacks on their heads looking for hungry customers were doing a great business by this time!
Also, by this time there were five lanes of traffic heading in our direction (on a two lane highway) and a few vehicles somehow managing to sneak back into the city in the opposite direction (actually driving in the ditch mostly). We saw our chance when a taxi in front of us squeezed between two trucks and pulled a U turn … and with a considerable amount of manoeuvring and the kindness of a couple of truck drivers who waved us through, we managed to turn back in the direction of Kampala and arrived at the guest house 5 hours after leaving the city! We stopped at a shop to buy toothbrushes, drinking water and underwear along the way and crawled into bed for a good rest. We found out today that some trucks had got hopelessly stuck in a spot where road construction was underway and as other vehicles tried to skirt around them the mud was worse…and you can imagine the rest. Thankfully this morning as we made another attempt at the trip home, things were clear and we sailed right through. Home, sweet, home!

Snowball Fights Ugandan Style

2011-09-29T21:11:00.001+02:00

It was great entertainment watching the nursery children in Kibaale collecting piles of cut grass on the playing field and throwing them like snowballs at each other today! It doesn’t take much to entertain them and they make the most of opportunities to create their own fun :)

Student Teachers and Open Doors

2011-09-29T20:44:00.001+02:00

Today in Kibaale the new dining hall was put to good use by the upper primary classes as they were practicing their English skills and getting ready for the end of year exams.

Teachers are working together to creatively find ways to engage the students in teaching each other, and it was great to find one student confidently presenting his own lesson to his fellow students.

It was also encouraging to see the secondary school hosting a “geography workshop” for 3 other schools in the area. It is an effective way to collaborate with other schools and help our own students review what they have learned. Teachers and students come together to discuss the topics they have been studying and help each other prepare for the government exams that begin in October. This kind of networking is part of our vision to be a model school and a ministry outside of our own immediate community.

Visit from Kyambogo University Students

2011-09-26T20:26:00.002+02:00

On Sunday we were pleased to have a group of students from Kyambogo University (near Kampala) visit the Timothy Girls’ High School and lead the chapel service for our girls (and some of our workers who also attend). This visit was organised by Julius, one of our Kibaale School alumni who is now in his second year of studies at the university and who has been very involved in student leadership positions there.

Julius calls Karl and I his “parents”, as he has no family of his own because he was orphaned several years ago when he was a student in primary school. He lived with us when we first moved to Masaka to help start the Timothy Centre, helping with security at our house and doing some of the landscaping work with Karl as the TC site was being developed. He worked hard to earn some money for university expenses, and gained the respect of the older men he worked with-- and was instrumental in leading them to Christ. When he went to university he was very excited to have the opportunity to study business education and this past semester he did his student teaching at a high school near our centre. He was so well liked and respected by the students that some of the regular staff members asked him to assist them with their classes when they had difficulty with certain concepts. A few weeks ago he was representing Kyambogo University at an East African student leadership conference in Entebbe and we were surprised to find him at the conference that was hosted in the hotel we stayed in that night!
So when we heard Julius was bringing a team of students to minister to our Timothy girls we made sure we were here to hear them share in chapel….and Karl was asked to meet with the Kyambogo students later in the afternoon to talk about the importance of servant leadership.

It is so encouraging to see students like Julius so passionate about living as a Christian with integrity and focus, and making the most of the opportunities he has to help others wherever God places him.

“Home-coming”!

2011-09-14T14:55:00.001+02:00

Yesterday we were very happy to welcome Ken and Carina back “home” to Uganda with their family! When Ken and Carina last lived in Uganda over ten years ago, they worked with the PAOS team in Kibaale. We have great memories of the early days and God’s faithfulness in helping to get the work established there.

Now Ken has returned to serve as the field director over the PAOS work in Uganda (Kibaale Community Centre and Timothy Centre). Carina will be working with the Timothy Girls’ High School staff, and assisting where possible in the child sponsorship office in Kibaale. This time round, they have their three young girls with them, so homeschooling will be a new adventure as well. It is wonderful to have our good friends back here living as neighbours at the Timothy Centre. Welcome home!!

Stocking up on groceries in the city before the big trip to Masaka

Reconnecting with Evacy, our TGHS headmistress, who was a colleague years ago in Kibaale

We are also glad to have Alicia and Kristin, two Pacific Academy alumni who are completing university degrees back in Canada, join us for 3 months to help with the homeschooling of the Canadian staff children here.

Time for planning the way ahead for the projects here!

Rainy Season Creatures

2011-09-06T19:25:00.001+02:00

When the rains begin each rainy season, we see a plethora of interesting creatures which seem to come out of hiding somewhere. Each morning there is something greeting us at the door. Entomologists would have a great time here!

We wonder what will show up tomorrow morning!

We also have the “all-season” insects that add to the great beauty of this place.

Back to School for Timothy Girls

2011-09-05T19:39:00.001+02:00

It is good to see the students at Timothy Girls’ High School back on site this week, as they begin their last term for this school year. They were busy studying, writing exams, and doing experiments in the chemistry lab. Nothing like starting off with a bang!

Teachers were busy planning for the term and making sure everything is ready to go…

…and the cooks were back in their stations. One of the comments we often get is how nutritious and tasty the food is our school—not a usual comment for a boarding school!

And Rita, our receptionist had a ready smile for everyone.

Welcome back to school, girls!

Staff Development Week at Timothy Girls’ High School

2011-09-02T14:59:00.001+02:00

School opens again on Monday for Term 3 at Timothy Girls’ High School! The staff are back this week from their holiday break and are taking part in the staff development sessions that take place at the beginning of each term. Our headmistress, Evacy, is doing a great job of leading the staff in learning how to apply the Christian worldview to all areas of the educational endeavour. Much of this she learned through her years of teaching in our ‘sister school’ in Kibaale and in her training at Uganda Christian University. She has also been a very active participant in the many workshops offered through the Christian Schools Association (Uganda). Well done, Evacy!

Bird-watching Paradise (Part 2)

2011-08-29T20:11:00.004+02:00

It seems once you start listening and noticing the birds here, they are everywhere…and in such variety! A few more that we see around here at Timothy Centre are…

Double-toothed Barbet

African Swallow-tailed Kite

Dusky Tit

Little Bee-eater

Helmeted Guineafowl

African Wattled Lapwing

Pied Crow

Bird-watching Paradise

2011-08-26T11:25:00.005+02:00

The Timothy Centre is an ideal site for bird-watching, as the property includes a large protected wetland area and many natural and planted trees that attract a large variety of Uganda’s birds. At any time of day one can hear a multitude of bird calls and enjoy watching birds in flight, in the trees, and hopping through the grass.
These are some of the commonly seen birds at Timothy Centre.
(Not being bird experts, we rely on our bird books to help us identify them and as far as we can tell these are their names!)

Crowned hornbill

Black-lored babbler

African pied wagtail

Ruppell’s long-tailed starling

Vinaceous dove

Brown parrot

Black-headed heron

Gray-backed fiscal

Crested crane (Uganda’s national bird)

Hadada ibis

Ross’s turaco

Encouragement

2011-08-23T08:39:00.001+02:00

It is always great to receive visitors from home who give a boost to the staff here, and over the weekend one of our Canadian board members, Helen, paid us a visit. She was able to see first hand the development of the Timothy Centre project and also see some of the changes that have taken place in Kibaale over the last 5 years or so.

Our community services director, Samalie, was able to share some of the exciting updates about our post secondary students who are now being assisted to attend university and are gaining a strong reputation as students of integrity and faith. Several are taking positions of leadership in the institutions they attend and are looked up to as models for other students. We praise God for these great reports!

While we were visiting Samalie, we also met one of our students who had a dream of studying medicine and who was praying for some time for the opportunity to open up. Just this past week he heard that a doctor in Canada who has been sponsoring his secondary education in Kibaale has agreed to help him through medical school. He was absolutely thrilled and was excitedly making plans to travel to university this week.

Samalie’s daughter, Esther, was very happy to have some attention from “the visitors” as we showed Helen the site.

We were also able to “talk” to Justus, one of our staff children who is studying in our Special Unit for hearing impaired students. He is confident in his use of sign language and is always happy to communicate with someone who has even a little knowledge of sign language. Justus is another student who brings us special pride, as he is learning the regular Ugandan primary school curriculum (through sign language) and his teachers hope he will be able to write the government exams at the end of his studies.

A New Season: Farming God’s Way Plot at TC

2011-08-16T20:56:00.004+02:00

With the rains having arrived earlier than anticipated this year, we began working on our demonstration plot at the Timothy Centre today.

This is what we started with. Notice the excellent mulch cover -– as a result there were very few weeds that grew over the dry season. This plot was only weeded once in the last 4 months.

Two plots of equal size were dug out, one third for beans and two thirds for maize (Longe 5).

Look at these guys go! In about 3 hours five of us prepared the planting stations in both plots. This is the 5th season of planting. The first season it took 2 of us about 3 days to hole out one plot -– that’s how hard the soil was.

The soil is getting easier to work each season. Look at the organic material encompassed in the soil -– not seen five seasons ago.

What great form Mugembe has!!!!

Moving our teren rope down the slope to mark the next row.

After digging the rows and holes, Edward is applying fertilizer, cow manure in this case.

Here is Medad carefully placing soil over some inorganic fertilizer (DAP) already in the rows…

and finally planting, before we cover the seed with soil and apply the mulch again.

Well done guys! The rest is up to you, Lord.

Market Gardening Farming God’s Way at TC

2011-08-11T19:51:00.001+02:00

The Timothy Girls High School received a quick lesson on Farming God’s Way principles before they left for their term break this week.

We began working on a plot 18 meters by 11 meters, that will eventually be a 74 meter by 11 meter market garden, all done Farming God’s Way. We plan on growing everything from French beans to beets, sweet corn to various kinds of lettuce, tomatoes to ginger. Twenty different vegetables and ten different herbs.

We hope to sell a lot of these products within the Masaka area, the proceeds of which will benefit the girls high school and further development of the farm.

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Celebrations!!

2011-08-11T19:03:00.002+02:00

Today was quite the day for celebrating in Kibaale! It is the end of the second term of school so students were receiving their report cards, receiving words of encouragement and “well done”, and looking forward to the term break.

Some primary boys seemed especially happy to be done for the term!

The students also had a very colourful “Music, Dance and Drama” inter-house competitions with much excitement as they performed entertaining dramas and original dances celebrating God’s grace.

The winners of the competition were so excited…especially their teachers who had worked very hard to coach them!
Another wonderful cause for celebration was hearing the news that one of our post secondary boys just received sponsorship to attend university …something he has been hoping and praying for in spite of setbacks and discouragements!
Dissan was a small boy in nursery school when Kibaale Community Schools began, and has been a model student throughout. He has shown himself to be a very hard worker, and a boy of integrity and faith …we celebrate with him that he has a Canadian sponsor who will help him to complete a degree in science/agriculture. We are grateful for everyone who has had a part in providing a quality education for these needy students! So much to celebrate today!

Sunday Afternoon at the Pond

2011-08-07T14:55:00.001+02:00

One of the most beautiful spots at the Timothy Centre is the small pond fed by a natural underground spring. It is a lovely place to sit and relax, and reflect on the goodness of God on a sunny Sunday afternoon.

Good-bye!

2011-08-04T20:20:00.001+02:00

Living in Uganda means many hellos and good-byes as many volunteers come to help in a variety of capacities. This week was the end of two great years with Lizabee (director of studies at Timothy Girls’ School) and Paul and Megan (building supervisor and guesthouse hostess/office helper,etc.). They flew out Monday morning to return to life and work in Canada but their service here will continue to impact the Timothy Centre in years to come.

Well done, or as they say here… “Mwebale nnyo!”

Teacher Training and Biblical Worldview

2011-08-04T14:29:00.001+02:00

In January we plan to begin our first official course for in-service teachers at the Timothy Centre.

Face-to-face sessions will be held for 10 days during each of the school holiday months (January, May and September) and we will be able to use the facilities of Timothy Girls’s (College) High School while students are on break. Teachers will work on course assignments and research during the school terms. The four modules in this certificate course will be: Biblical Worldview, Christian Philosophy of Education, Biblical Based Curriculum and Methodology.

Yesterday we were able to meet with the Vice-Chancellor and Dean of Education at Uganda Christian University (Mukono) just outside of Kampala. They were very open to collaborating with us and our hope is that eventually our program could receive accreditation with them. We were also invited to conduct a workshop on biblical worldview and integration for the faculty next year, as well as to provide input into the Faculty of Education courses to strengthen the teaching of biblical worldview. God is putting the vision for Christian Education on many hearts here and it is exciting to meet people with whom we can work!

Early Childhood Teacher Training at Timothy Centre

2011-07-30T20:06:00.001+02:00

Today we held our first official teacher training workshop at the Timothy Centre with about 20 early childhood teachers from the nearby community. Some of these teachers had made a trip down to Kibaale last month to see the nursery, kindergarten and early primary classes in action there. They were interested in seeing how we use learning centres there, and then requested some formal training to improve their teaching skills. They also wanted to learn how to make learning materials from locally available materials…so I was able to share my growing collection of cardboard that I was saving for this occasion!

It was great to have Eva, the head of our Kibaale Community Nursery School come and assist … it is very rewarding when our own staff are able to now willing and able to share their skills with others.

Kibaale “Old Boys” and “Old Girls”

2011-07-28T17:36:00.001+02:00

Here in Uganda the alumni of a school are referred to as “old boys” and “old girls” and we are proud to have several of our Kibaale Community Schools alumni working at the centre. Today we took notice of how many staff members were former students, and realized that many of them are our “Star Employees”. Being members of this community, and having been sponsored to complete their schooling when they were unable to help themselves, has made them grateful and committed workers. Meet a few of them…

Rose (nursery teacher)

Mugabi (child sponsorship office worker)

Jessica (early primary teacher)

Peninah (kindergarten teacher)

Bernard (security guard)

Godfrey (upper primary teacher)

Florence and David (secondary teachers)

Moses (child sponsorship office worker and accounting assistant)

Farming God’s Way at the National Agricultural Fair in Jinja

2011-07-26T20:46:00.003+02:00

The focus of the Jinja fair is agriculture.
It attracts visitors from all over Uganda and parts of East Africa.

The fair offers farmers an opportunity to learn about new developments in agriculture,

new technologies…

new crop varieties…

and opportunities to make contact with other farmers across Uganda, sharing ideas to improve their skills.

For the second year in a row Farming God’s Way has been represented at the show. This has given us an opportunity to demonstrate and explain a simple way of farming that equips farmers to be more productive (on average 5 times as much), and helps them find abundant life in Christ.

Chris Sperling, our national FGW coordinator (and fellow Canadian), did an incredible job in organizing the display, getting materials ready for the show, and mobilizing volunteers.

We were one of the few organizations at the show that demonstrated farming techniques. Here’s Chris demonstrating various planting stations.

Apart from the displays, Chris also planted a garden 6 weeks prior to the show which helped give a visual portrayal of FGW. People were amazed at how quickly the maize and beans had come up.

Some great contacts were made with farmers from various parts of Uganda wanting to know how to farm more productively. We hope to follow up on a lot of these contacts in months to come.

On one of the two days I was at the Fair, I was surprised to see familiar faces from Kibaale Community Secondary School in Rakai District drop by. This is our sister project in Uganda under PAOS.

Plans are presently being made to introduce FGW to Kibaale and the surrounding area.

Technorati Tags: Farming God's Way,Jinja,Agricultural Fair

Uncle Jim’s Happy Place Bakery

2011-07-15T19:38:00.001+02:00

The bakery at Kibaale Community Centre is a really popular place these days.

Some of our Canadian team members found it a great place to buy fresh “doughnuts” and other baked goods that our vocational students and secondary school home management students have produced.

Preparing a batch of “Queen Cakes”

Making hot dog buns for the team’s Canada Day meal

The catering and home management teacher told me yesterday that she was very pleased with the students who have completed their courses with her. The three vocational students who completed their two year course last year passed their government exams well and received their government certificates. Two of them are now working in hotels in the district. The secondary students who study home management as one of their courses also all passed well and are very excited about what they have learned.

This program was made possible by “Uncle Jim” and his family, friends of ours in Canada who visited Kibaale several years ago and generously donated funds to build the bakery and provide furnishings. As the bakery’s name indicates, it really is a pretty “happy place”, both for students and customers!

Timothy Girls’ College: A great place to learn

2011-07-13T19:54:00.002+02:00

We have enjoyed seeing the Timothy Girls’ College in action since we have been back in Uganda. We were sorry to have missed the beginning of first term in February and the official opening in March, as we were in Canada at the time. But we are beginning to get to know the students now as they live and study at the centre, and we were able to fellowship with them on Sunday at their chapel service. They show great enthusiasm for God and for learning.

These girls have finished their “Ordinary Level” secondary school studies (some of them in our school in Kibaale) and are now starting their first year of “Advanced Level” studies, a two-year program before entering college or university.

They have hopes of making a difference in Uganda as Christian leaders with integrity, compassion and competence in their chosen careers.

It is also great to see some of our Kibaale graduates who are now on a break from university come and volunteer in various capacities at TGC. Joseph is working towards his education degree and is doing some volunteer teaching and tutoring here for a few months.

The Canadian teachers on our Pacific Academy team visiting here this summer have been able to spend time in the classrooms as well, assisting both teachers and students.

Lizabee and Evacy (our Ugandan headmistress) have done a great job in laying the foundations for a school with much potential!

As Fresh as it Gets!

2011-07-11T17:44:00.001+02:00

Yesterday we took advantage of a quieter Sunday afternoon to go to Lake Nabugabo, about 40 minutes from the Timothy Centre.

We enjoyed the lakeside scenery and ordered lunch on the veranda of one of the local ‘hotels’. Karl and I decided to order orange juice with our lunch and the waiter waved vaguely off in the distance and said he could get some ‘over there’. Once our friends got their soft drinks, he wandered off across the parking lot to some large trees and proceeded to climb one of them—an orange tree!

Way up to the top!!

Down he came with some freshly picked oranges and within a few minutes we had our freshly squeezed drink!

Good Advice!

2011-07-08T11:41:00.001+02:00

For some time now the Ministry of Education has encouraged schools to develop “talking compounds” to remind students of wise words of advice about the importance of education, HIV/AIDS prevention, etc.

In Kibaale we have had small signs with messages posted in various spots for the past couple of years. Recently, however, the sign campaign really exploded… and a visitor walking through the school compound these days will find all sorts of interesting pieces of advice.

The wording on some of them is rather amusing, as the Ugandan English expressions are different from they way we might phrase them...

One is reminded of the reality of the AIDS situation here and the challenges students face daily. We are thankful that our school can be a support and advocate for many vulnerable children here.

Inspiring Ugandan Farmers – Part 1

2011-07-07T21:40:00.002+02:00

It’s been great to have the team from Pacific Academy in Surrey BC help out in various capacities both at the Timothy Centre and in Kibaale.
One of the team members, Gary Jones (horticulturalist), has been helping out in planning for the future of the farm projects at the Timothy Centre and in Kibaale. One of our first goals was to visit several farms over a three day period to get an idea of what’s being done locally.
On the first day Gary, his son Sam, and I visited a farm owned by Edward Buwembo, who works with United For Development Initiatives Organization in the Masaka area. He grows several crops that we were interested in seeing and is involved in providing clean drinking water for schools.

Edward grows amazing oranges called Washington Navy,

as well as Robusta coffee. Robusta Coffee is indigenous to Uganda, the second largest Robusta grower in Africa. Coffee accounts for about 95% of the country’s export.

Apart from coffee and oranges Edward also grows avocados. Although avocados originated from Mexico, they are grown widely in south central Uganda mainly for home consumption and local markets.

He grows his own coffee and orange seedlings to help support farmers in his community.

Edward then introduced us to a friend of his, Bonny Johnson, who as it turns out has Scottish and Ugandan heritage. He also lives in the Masaka area and is growing acres and acres of Australian pine. A few years ago I was surprised to see pine growing in Uganda, but certain varieties have adapted well to the climate and growing conditions in this country. Seeing these pine forests reminds us of our home in Canada.

He also grows coffee, bananas and groundnuts.

In a land where there is so much poverty, it was good to meet two Ugandans who are successful at what they do, who have a heart for helping others, and have a strong entrepreneurial spirit. We hope to apply some of what we learned as we develop our own farm projects at the Timothy Centre and in Kibaale.

Helping Hands

2011-07-06T10:33:00.001+02:00

The Canadian team with us (some in Kibaale and some at Timothy Centre) are keeping busy with various tasks….and enjoying getting to know the Ugandan staff and students we work with.

While Karl and I were down in Kibaale last week, some of them were able to help me conduct a workshop and assist teachers in making some really useful math teaching aids.

The children on the team have connected very well with the Kibaale students and have enjoyed playing soccer, engaging in conversations about life in Canada and Uganda, and joining the school outreach activities.

Two of our team members are nurses, and have been able to give assistance during this very busy time in the clinic, the height of ‘malaria season’.

Team members were also happy to share encouraging words with our staff at the weekly “Staff Fellowship” time.

Here at Timothy Centre, the teachers on this team have been working with our Timothy Girls’ College staff, helping with lessons and giving professional development training. Our visiting horticultural specialist is busy touring local agriculture initiatives with Karl, as the two of them plan to expand the farming programs and introduce new crops and methods here at TC. Stay tuned for further updates on the teams’ activities!

Ali’s Garden

2011-07-03T19:15:00.001+02:00

A good friend of ours, Ali, has been busy developing a beautiful flowering garden on a piece of family land very near the Timothy Centre. Ali was born in Masaka, but had to flee when the East Indian community was expelled by Idi Amin in the 1970s. He and his family settled in Canada but in 1992 he returned to Uganda to reclaim family land and businesses. We really enjoy touring his place when we have a chance…and took our Canadian team there this afternoon for a lovely outing.

A Day in the Life…

2011-07-02T15:06:00.002+02:00

Yesterday we were down in Kibaale helping to host a team from Pacific Academy (staff and alumni). It has been great to have them joining in on a lot of the activities at Kibaale Community Centre. I also was able to conduct a workshop for our math teachers in the primary school while we were there, and Karl needed to take care of paying staff salaries while our accountant is in Canada for the summer. Here is a sampling of what goes on in the many departments of KCC on a typical day….

Secondary students running to class

Students collecting books for research in the library

Patients being served in the clinic

Tailoring class at work

Carpentry students busy making all sorts of things

Building and Construction class practicing making walls

Students in bakery making buns

Staff members collecting salaries

Cooks hard at work preparing lunch

“Tea lady” washing up in staffroom

Child sponsorship office sorting donations

Primary teachers planning and conducting lessons

Nursery students working at centres

Site maintenance worker keeping the grass cut

Students and teachers returning from an outreach trip to a neighbouring school

The staff day care centre buzzing with children

Teachers preparing learning aids in a workshop

Staff and students at lunch time

Students at play

Time to go home!

Kako Prayer Mountain

2011-06-24T15:47:00.001+02:00

One year ago, a group of us who are on the national committee for Christian Schools Association (Uganda) felt we should set aside a day to pray for the Christian schooling movement here. We had begun the association after the Africa Roundtable on Christian Education in Johannesburg in 2007, where delegates from 32 countries committed ourselves before God to the cause of quality Christian education in our respective countries. In Uganda we had seen some progress in training Christian teachers and organising a network of schools for mutual support, but were also experiencing some discouragements and set-backs. So we set ourselves to prayer, asking God to show the way forward. Our meeting place was a peaceful retreat centre on the top of a hill just outside of Masaka town, known as “Kako Prayer Mountain”.

It is interesting that this week, on the same site, we hosted an Association of Christian Schools International teacher training conference. It was attended by teachers throughout Uganda (and some representatives from South Sudan and Tanzania) who are passionate about helping children find their full potential in Christ and living with integrity through Christian education. We have not seen this level of commitment at any of our previous workshops, and were excited to hear their stories as to how God has stirred their hearts and prepared them to receive this training. We feel this has been part of the answer to our prayers and look forward to seeing what God will do this coming year in Christian schools here.

One of the main presenters was Dr. Samson Makhado, the ACSI Director for Africa, an amazing educator who reflects the love and wisdom of God and challenges teachers to do the same.

Samson has been through some of worst apartheid experiences in South Africa and was close to death after being shot in a home invasion, but has come through these with a forgiving heart and a Christ-like spirit. He carries an authority displayed only by those who have survived deep suffering through the grace of God.

One of the teachers who attended this conference was a lady who left the government school system after 10 years teaching secondary school History.

She had a growing sense that she needed to be involved in changing students lives and that she was not doing that in her teaching. She was asked to head a Christian primary school and took up this challenge, but needed training to lead her teachers in teaching from a Christian perspective. This past month she began searching for resource people to help, and came across our PAOS website and information on the Association of Christian Schools International. Last week she emailed me, surprised to find that others shared her heart for Christian schooling:

“I cannot believe that you have been in Uganda for this long. It is shocking for me. I am a great great advocate of Christian Education and particularly with the Ugandan Curriculum. I am Head Teacher who runs a school that meets the very needs of your Kibaale Project and Timothy Project Schools. I was wondering whether there is anyone in Uganda who I can directly coordinate with. I would like to visit the projects and also find a way that you could help me train my teachers as well. Thank you for all the work you are doing in Uganda. “

When we arrived at Kako Prayer Mountain, we met each other (neither knowing the other would be there). God is definitely at work in all of this!

We also had several teachers at this conference express interest in taking the Diploma in Christian Education course we hope to offer at Timothy Centre next year, so we have our work cut out for us as we prepare these programs for January.

Model School

2011-06-20T20:07:00.001+02:00

It is exciting to see our school in Kibaale becoming more and more involved in hosting teachers from other schools and fulfilling its goal of being a model school. Last week we had a group from Come Let Us Dance (Wakiso District), and today I took a group of six teachers from various nursery schools near Masaka to tour Kibaale Community Nursery School.

Judith (on left) taught on our Kibaale staff for many years and is now running her own nursery/primary school. She is on the board of an association of private schools in her sub-county and has been sharing with these schools many ideas and teaching methods she learned in Kibaale. The schools represented in this association have been asking for more teacher training help, so Judith approached me to conduct workshops for them. We began by taking this group of teachers to observe how we use learning centres in the nursery and kindergarten classes in Kibaale.

Our nursery headteacher, Eva, did an excellent job in organising this visit, and I was very proud of all of our teachers who opened their classrooms and shared their expertise so willingly.

The visiting teachers went back to their schools with many helpful ideas that they observed and recorded as they interacted with the students and teachers in Kibaale. They were also very interested in the creative learning materials our teachers had developed.

We will now provide these teachers with some follow-up workshops held at the Timothy Centre… to help them plan ways to implement these ideas in their own schools and to teach them how to make many of the learning aids they will need.

Lake Mburo

2011-06-19T21:10:00.001+02:00

We took the weekend to rest and relax at Lake Mburo National Park, about an hour and a half from our place at the Timothy Centre.

It is a small, peaceful game park that we have often visited and know well…but each time there seems to be a new surprise of some sort. This time, we were barely inside the park when we came across a large gathering of vultures and Maribou storks finishing off the remains of an animal kill.

These are sure efficient ‘rubbish removers’ but still not the most pleasant of animals to view. Thankfully, we saw many other beautiful animals, including the shy and quite rare bushbuck…

…large herds of impala…

…and many zebra.

The warthogs are everywhere, including the area around the lakeside restaurant, and they can get pretty ornery if they think you are encroaching on their grazing patch.

Somehow they seemed not to mind Karl too much, though.

All in all, a great getaway to recharge our batteries, enjoy creation, and celebrate Father’s Day!

Come Let us Dance!

2011-06-17T20:39:00.001+02:00

Yesterday and today Karl and I, together with our co-worker Mark, enjoyed time down in Kibaale helping to host a team of staff members from another NGO working here in Uganda. Their organisation, called “Come Let us Dance”, is based in a small town in Colorado, USA. Here in Uganda, their project includes a new Christian school, Wakiso Christian International Academy, that opened its doors this February. Their vision is very similar to ours:

“We believe that by empowering at-risk African youth and their communities, we enable a generation of leaders who will rise-up and take the hand of their Africa and dance into a stable, hopeful future.”

The seven teachers and the school nurse from this school in Wakiso District (south west of Kampala city and about 3 hours from Kibaale) were very eager to learn from our experiences over the last 18 years as Kibaale Community Schools have developed—everything from classroom management and preparing low-cost, effective learning aids with local materials… to biblical integration and teacher development programs. Our KCC director, Peter, along with other administrators and teachers shared a lot of valuable ideas with them and encouraged them in their vision.

They were able to share in the primary school morning assembly and visit classrooms to observe our teachers and students in action.

Accompanying these Ugandan teachers were two American teachers with the Association of Christian Schools International and Come Let us Dance. They are on a short trip to Uganda to help with teacher training workshops as well.

One of the original goals of Kibaale Community Schools was to serve as a model school for others in Uganda, in terms of meeting the needs of underprivileged children through quality Christian education. We are very happy to share what we have learned through the successes and challenges of the last several years, and to open our doors to teachers and administrators from other schools. Through networking we are all much stronger, and God blesses unity and cooperation.

Timothy Centre Mascot?

2011-06-15T12:53:00.011+02:00

The national bird of Uganda is the beautiful crested crane. We have had a pair of them frequenting the Timothy Centre for several months and often we see them flying over the fields and wetland or foraging for food. This one is becoming quite accustomed to all the activity here and is not easily spooked. I am wondering if we should adopt him as our mascot?

Kingdom Education

2011-06-12T15:05:00.001+02:00

Within a week of arriving back in Uganda, I received a call from Annie Crowe who has worked here in the field of Christian education for the past 25 years. She came to Uganda from the U.K. and worked as a teacher and Christian teacher trainer all over the country.

We had met a couple of years ago and she had told me that she felt a few years ago that the Lord had impressed on her that it was time to compile all she had learned through these years of experience in a teacher training manual so others could “carry the torch”. After a long struggle with the printing and publishing process, her manual entitled “Kingdom Education” was finally ready for distribution this month. I have been eagerly anticipating this very helpful resource book, as we are busy gathering materials and developing the curriculum for the Diploma in Christian Education we hope to offer at the Timothy Centre next year.

God’s timing in making this book available for us to use is impeccable!

Contrasts

2011-06-04T14:56:00.001+02:00

We’re back home in Uganda now… reconnecting with friends and workers, unpacking, planning for workshops, trying to get rid of unwanted rodents who have been making themselves at home in our stove during our absence,

and enjoying the sunshine and all the lush vegetation that has grown with the abundant rains in the few months we have been away.

When we were in Canada, spring weather was very slow in coming at the coast, and we looked forward to warmer temperatures and bright sunshine. As you can see from these photos of our camping trip in late April, we had very different weather from what we are experiencing now!

Canadian Beauty

2011-05-27T02:22:00.001+02:00

Coming back to Canada and traveling the route between Vancouver and Edmonton (Arleen’s family home) has given us a chance to drink in the beauty of our home country. On a recent trip to Edmonton to say good-bye to family, we were able to see many wild animals through the mountains, including four black bears that had come out of a long winter’s hibernation and were sniffing the air hungrily.

We also came across a large female elk and lots of mountain sheep, so it really was like a Canadian safari in the beautiful Rocky Mountains.

A great end to our break here…and in just a few days we’ll be at the airport on our way back to Uganda.

Teamwork

2011-05-04T20:35:00.002+02:00

Since we have been home in Canada on our break, we have a fresh appreciation for all the hard work and dedication of the PAOS staff and the Pacific Academy community as a whole. So many people give of themselves in supporting the work of Kibaale Community Centre and Timothy Centre.
Jenny Nel (left) and Anne Chow (right) take care of so many administrative duties in the PAOS office, and work hard to get the word out about the students in Kibaale Community Schools that need sponsorship. (For more information on sponsoring a child see www.kibaale.net)

They also ensure that sponsors receive regular communication from their sponsored children. This is a huge task, and one that we were able to help with in the last couple of months. It was very interesting to be on this end…proof-reading and mailing out letters from our students in Kibaale!

Every Step Counts

2011-04-28T03:46:00.003+02:00

The Pacific Academy annual 5 km Kibaale Walk took place this afternoon, in a window of dry weather in the middle of a very rainy week. Many were praying for a break in the weather and we were thankful for dry conditions that allowed the walk to go ahead as planned. As the last of the runners and walkers finished, the first drops of rain started to fall!

The entire student body (over 1400) and staff participated in this annual fund raising event that supports the programs of Kibaale Community Centre in Uganda. For the past two weeks students have been approaching friends, family and neighbours – telling them about the project in Kibaale and soliciting donations. At the post walk assembly in the primary school, it was announced that the primary students alone had raised over $37,000! It will be exciting to see what the intermediate, middle and high schools have also been able to raise.

Thanks to the organising team at PA, headed by Jenny Nel and Anne Chow, things went off very smoothly. All of the funds raised will be channelled directly to Kibaale to provide the educational and medical care needed by the over 800 students in Kibaale Community Schools. Thank you to all who participated!!

Kibaale Walk

2011-04-19T05:57:00.000+02:00

It's been really good to touch base with the Pacific Academy community since being home on our break. In the last two weeks we have made close to 30 classroom presentations on the work that PA does in Uganda, both at Kibaale Community Centre and at the Timothy Centre. The support from students and teachers has been overwhelming.

Each year the school hosts a 5 km walk to help raise awareness and financial support for the work in Uganda. To get more information on the walk or learn how you can contribute to the work in Uganda, please follow this link: Kibaale Walk

http://www.paoutreach.net/kibaale-walk

The Rest of the Team

2011-04-07T20:57:00.004+02:00

As we work in the various ministries at the Timothy Centre and in Kibaale Community Centre, we depend on the prayers and support of the “rest of the ministry team” – the student, teacher and parent community of Pacific Academy. This week we began doing some classroom presentations in the primary school, sharing about the great things we see God doing in our work. We really enjoy reconnecting with the students and seeing their enthusiasm for learning about the children’s lives in Uganda. They are some of our most faithful prayer partners!

We were also able to encourage students in their participation in the annual Kibaale Walk, the fund-raising event that Pacific Academy holds each spring. The funds that students and staff members raise at this 5 km walk around the community are used to support the programs in Kibaale Community Centre. This year it is being held on Wednesday, April 27th. (For more information contact the PAOS office: jnel@pacificacademy.net)

Next week we will be spending lots of time in the intermediate and middle schools at PA.

“Homework”

2011-03-15T04:26:00.001+02:00

Time has been passing very quickly since we returned to Canada in February on our break. Our main concern in coming home was Karl’s father’s health and we are thankful that he has stabilized and is doing quite well now. It has been good to have time with him and and rest of the family, as well as to help out with some of the care.

We have also been able to do some research and gather resources for our work at the Timothy Centre. Karl has made good progress on developing a beekeeping training manual for the Timothy Bee Centre and we will be purchasing some equipment to bring back as well. Arleen continues to work on developing teacher training curriculum materials for the Timothy Centre teacher training programs.

It has been good to have some time to also work on some home repairs and small renovations. Karl has been kept busy inside and out!

We have also enjoyed the chance to spend some time in the great outdoors exploring the local parks and taking in some of the cultural events in the community.

We even have some interesting wildlife in our backyard…not quite like a Ugandan safari, but wildlife nonetheless….

We have followed the blogs of our coworkers in Uganda with great interest as the Timothy Girls’ College opened its doors for the first time on Feb. 21 and the official opening took place with much celebration this last weekend. We look forward to seeing everything in action when we return in May.

Home!

2011-02-19T01:59:00.001+02:00

Two weeks ago we made an unexpected trip home to Canada when we got word that Karl’s father was having some serious health issues. We decided to come home to Canada for our break earlier than we had planned in order to help out with care. Thus the change in scenery you will see on this blog in the next little while!

These are the beautiful mountains in Golden Ears Park just across the river from our home in Langley. It has been overcast and rainy for the past two weeks but today we woke up to sun and fresh snow on the mountains…beautiful!

The day we arrived back in Canada was Karl’s father’s 87th birthday, so even though he was weak we were able to visit for a couple of hours and share some birthday cake.

We are not sure what the next few weeks will hold, but we will enjoy the family time while we have the chance, and keep ourselves busy helping with medical appointments, spending time with our daughter who is soon having her 20th birthday, gathering resources and doing research for our work in Uganda, and continuing to plan teacher training courses. Arleen has already begun doing some substitute teaching at Pacific Academy as well, as this is the midst of the cold and flu season and substitutes are in short supply.

African Beekeeping Workshop – January 2011

2011-02-18T06:08:00.001+02:00

In January we conducted our first beekeeping workshop of the new year at the Timothy Centre.

Eight participants with various levels of beekeeping experience came to hone their skills in the six day workshop.

Lesster Leow begins the session by taking everyone into the on site apiary and explains how to approach the African bee …

…apis mellifera scrutellata.

In order to gain confidence in approaching the African bee during the daytime, one of the youngest colonies is selected. Participants observe how to approach and handle the hive.

Participants are taught how to identify the worker bees, drones,

and the queen.

Observations from the field visits are discussed back at the training centre.

Participants receive further instructions before going back into the apiary.

As students gain confidence, they are given opportunities to approach a hive on their own.

Mugisha feels confident enough to handle the hive without gloves – a first for him!

Soon others follow. Verna initially uses gloves but by the end of the workshop she too gains enough confidence to handle the hives without gloves.

One of the participants mentioned that, “I have never seen bees handled so gently”. Lesster has such a respect for the African bee, that participants soon learn the secret of approaching them.

Registration for our next training in March is already full. We are now taking registrations for June. If interested, please contact Karl at: ka.timothycentre@gmail.com

Teacher Training…off and running!

2011-02-02T15:28:00.001+02:00

The theme of this week is definitely “teacher training”. We were asked to provide some training in biblical integration for another primary school about 45 minutes from the Timothy Centre. Beth Pipe Primary School is part of the ministry of Eagle’s Wings Children’s Village started by a retired couple from Manitoba, Canada about eight years ago. This amazing couple decided to use their retirement funds to start a home for orphaned children and provide Christian-based education for them. It was a privilege to be able to help them with some teacher training on Monday and Tuesday before their students reported for the new school year today. Teachers were eager to learn and participated with keen interest.

Then yesterday and today, our administrators of the Timothy Girls’ College facilitated the first in-service training for the new staff members who will begin teaching this month. It is especially exciting to see two teachers from our Kibaale Community Schools conduct some of these sessions. Peter (director in Kibaale) and Stephen (head of our Education Commitee in Kibaale) have developed excellent skills over the years and presented inspiring workshops! Timothy Girls’ College teachers are off to a great start!

Back to School!

2011-01-30T17:35:00.001+02:00

Tomorrow is the first day of school for the 2011 school year in Uganda, so all of our Kibaale students will be coming back ready to start again after their long break. It is always exciting to see the students return full of energy and eager to learn. Our prayer is that they will grow in the wisdom of God and find Him as their help and refuge as they face many challenges in their lives. Please pray with us for all the teachers and students as they start this new year!

Hot Chocolate and Bibles

2011-01-26T17:45:00.002+02:00

Each year, the grade 5 students in our sponsoring school in Canada (Pacific Academy) work to raise money for special needs that we have in our school. Every day, volunteer students and parents, together with the teachers, prepare many cups of hot chocolate that are sold in the morning before classes begin. Last year’s classes raised a substantial amount of money that we have been able to use here to purchase Bibles and textbooks for our students.

As our youngest primary students learn to read in Luganda (their ‘mother tongue’), they enjoy reading books on their own. Most of them have no books at all in their homes, however. By the time they finish their second year of primary school many of them are able to read passages in a Luganda Bible. So…as they begin their third year of school next week, they will be receive their own Bible. Once students learn to read English and begin Primary 5, they are ready to receive a simply written English Bible.
Thanks so much to all the Pacific Academy grade 5 students, teachers and parents!!

Bees & the Ambassador

2011-01-22T20:53:00.002+02:00

Almost a year ago we applied for a self help grant from the U.S. embassy in Kampala to assist in building a beekeeping training centre and to develop a beekeeping training program tailored for Ugandans. In May of last year our grant application was approved and we received the funds to begin building the training centre. Construction was completed in the summer of last year and we held our first beekeeping workshop in the new facility in July.

Yesterday, the U.S. Ambassador to Uganda, Jerry Lanier, his wife and several embassy staff members paid us a visit to see the training centre and beekeeping workshop firsthand.

Lesster Leow, who has been in Uganda for the last 10 years training others in beekeeping, has been an integral part of the beekeeping training program here at the Timothy Centre. We conduct a 6 day hands-on beekeeping workshop approximately every six weeks, and Lesster is our facilitator.

During the Ambassador’s visit, several workshop participants shared how the workshop had impacted them.

Stan explained how he had been keeping bees for many years but had never been able to handle the aggressive African bee in such a gentle way.

Geoffrey, who has been working with bees since he was a young boy, shared that after taking the workshop the way he handles bees will be dramatically different. He now understands that bees do not need to be destroyed when harvesting honey.

Verna shared that she can’t wait to get back to her apiary and teach her apiary workers what she has learned from the workshop.

We then gave our visitors a tour of the apiary. Lesster has an amazing gift of understanding and respecting the African bee – a rare gift. He creates a safe environment for people to approach the bees without fear. As part of the apiary tour Lesster encouraged several of our visitors to hold a frame of wild African bees.

Our apiary assistant, Vincent, enjoyed watching others learn about the training program.

Participants from this month’s workshop

We are very grateful for the grant and the success of the program so far. In the short time it has been running, it has already enabled over 40 people to greatly improve their beekeeping skills. These skills will undoubtedly benefit families and communities, particularly those struggling in poverty.

Rewards

2011-01-19T10:34:00.001+02:00

When we describe our work here in Uganda to friends at home in Canada, they often say, “That must be very rewarding work.” Yes, it is. And I was reminded of that fact yesterday when I stopped in to visit Judith and her two children at her home not far from the Timothy Centre.

I first met Judith about 15 years ago when she came to work as the “matron” at Kibaale Children’s Centre. She was an orphan herself, 18 years old. Her job was to care for the dozen or so children who were still living full time at the centre and she worked with amazing dedication and a motherly heart. She soon became one of our nursery school teachers as well, working both in the classroom and supervising, counselling, bathing, feeding and nurturing the children in her care. She had no teacher training, so was one of the many teachers that benefited from our teacher development program in Kibaale.

Her two children are bright, healthy children with potential for a full, vibrant life.

At a recent workshop in Kibaale for our nursery teachers we brought in two of our former students who are now in university and teachers’ college because we wanted them to give testimony to the difference that a nursery teacher can make in a child’s life. Both of them told our teachers that the one teacher who stood out in their minds as making a significant difference in their lives and learning was Judith. Judith also served as our Special Unit teacher for two years, working with children who are hearing impaired and have other learning difficulties. Again, she tackled this job with great determination and gentle patience, even though she had to learn sign language ‘from scratch’ on the job and had no training in special needs education. It was challenging to help her learn skills to work in this classroom, but the rewards were great.

When she married about 5 years ago, we were sorry to see her leave Kibaale, but she has now started her own nursery/primary school in a small village near the Timothy Centre and serves on an education committee for the sub-county. Many teachers are now coming to her for mentoring and training, and she has arranged for us to provide training to neighbouring schools as well. She has also assisted us in conducting community surveys to help us in planning for early childhood teacher training programs.

Working with people like Judith is indeed very rewarding!

Man With A Hoe

2011-01-06T20:06:00.001+02:00

Since Karl has been training others in Farming God’s Way, he’s been dubbed with the name Najanakumbi – “He came with a hoe”.

This last week he was asked to present a two day workshop at Eagle’s Wings Children’s Village near Lukaya – a town about 30 minutes north of Masaka.

Classroom instruction was combined with practical field training in Farming God’s Way principles.

Participants were shown how to make terran ropes (measuring lines).

A skit was presented contrasting Farming God’s Way with conventional methods of farming.

The workshop concluded with a field implementation.

The field was laid out and squared off.

Holes were dug for planting maize and beans.

Both organic and inorganic fertilizers were applied.

Seeds were then planted.

Once the holes were covered…

…the garden was watered…

…and God’s blanket was applied.

After the garden was complete, this man danced around rejoicing!

The man on the right approached me and said, “Uncle Karl, you have not given us fish, but taught us how to fish. Thank you very much”.

The Spice(s) of Life

2011-01-03T21:24:00.002+02:00

Zanzibar is famous for the growing and exporting of all kinds of spices. While we were there over the Christmas holiday we went on a tour of one of the local spice farms—very interesting!

Our guide and his assistant (whose name is James Bond – really!) were a lot of fun and very knowledgeable, explaining how the various spices are grown and harvested.

James Bond was also very talented at making all sorts of things out of palm leaves…like frog necklaces, ties and hats!

Lemongrass

Cinnamon bark

Black pepper

Vanilla pods

Cocoa bean pods…and the beans that are purple!

Nutmeg

Mace (the red casing of the nutmeg seed)

Cloves

The clove buds are used for spices and the clove stems are used for making clove oil (for tooth ache remedies and bath oils).

Cardamom (the pods grow on strange extensions from the stems right above the ground)

Turmeric

We also saw a kapok tree, the fruit pods of which produce a thick, fluffy fibre that is used for filling pillows and mattresses.

Kapok

And then there were some of the fruit trees that we don’t see here in Uganda, such as…

Lychee

Durian

Breadfruit

One of the workers then scampered up one of the coconut trees …

…and we enjoyed a refreshing drink of coconut milk to end the tour.

We came back with a few plant cuttings to try to grow here at the Timothy Centre, so we`ll see how they do. If they take, we should soon have our own supply of lemongrass, turmeric, cardamom and black pepper!

Redemption

2010-12-31T13:59:00.002+02:00

While in Zanzibar over the Christmas holiday, we paid a visit to the Anglican Cathedral Church Of Christ, Stone Town. It is a very moving historical site to see, built on the very site where the largest slave market in Zanzibar stood for over seven centuries.

The church was built in 1873 (ten years in the process) immediately after the abolition of the slave trade, and on one of the walls hangs a wooden cross carved from the tree under which David Livingstone’s heart was buried in Zambia.

Livingstone was appalled by the evils of the slave trade and worked tirelessly in campaigning for its abolition. Zanzibar was the centre to which the millions of slaves captured in east Africa were taken to be sold in the Middle East and India.
Once the slave trade was ended, the slave market area was chosen as the site for the first church on the island, signifying the redemption that mankind has received in Christ. Powerful thought!

Underneath the church site are two of the slave chambers that have been kept as part of the memorial to those who suffered there. All the others were sealed off when the church was built. We were able to see the dark, dank airless chambers where men, women and children were crammed in waiting to be auctioned…it was crushing to think of the suffering that humans have caused each other.

(men’s chamber)

(women and children’s chamber)

The most significant part of the church is the altar that was built on the exact spot where the whipping post was located. The slaves were taken from the underground chambers and whipped in the auction area to determine their cost. Those who did not cry out were considered stronger and fetched a higher price. Circle on the floor in front of the altar was the base of the post.

Motivated by the unbounded love of God, Livingstone and others like him stood against this evil and thousands of slaves were freed. The hotel we stayed in for our last two nights in Stone Town is called 236 Hurumzi . The name “Hurumzi” comes from the Swahili words “urhuru” (freedom) and “mze” (men) and this was the building where slave owners came to receive compensation for the price of the slaves they were setting free.

Thank God for His Son whom we celebrate each Christmas “in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.” (Colossians 1:14).

White Christmas in the Tropics

2010-12-30T15:29:00.001+02:00

This was a very different Christmas for us, celebrating on the beautiful island of Zanzibar with dazzling white sand beaches. One of the many great things about working in Uganda is the proximity to places like this for holiday breaks.

Our Christmases in Uganda are very green (or sometimes brown), but this year we had a unique “White Christmas” when we traveled to Zanzibar. With our Canadian prairie roots, a white Christmas is not a foreign concept to us at all…but we normally associate it with snow rather than white sand!

No snow boots needed here!

No snow shovels, either…just rakes for the sand!

No toboggans, but lots of boats!

Boys playing with their soccer ball on the beach looked like kids in Canada playing street hockey (sort of!).

At low tide the sand stretched out far into the horizon, almost like a prairie field covered in snow waiting for cross country skiers!

Boys with their “Christmas starfish” collection on the beach.

A brief glimpse of Santa on the beach – it’s a bit too hot for the whole suit!

The joy of Christmas can be celebrated anywhere!

“Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to men on whom his favor rests.”