“Homework”

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!

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

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!

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!

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

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

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.