Highlights from the past weeks

Children at FBC 

We have been very busy the past few weeks wrapping up our work at school and planning for the next months. Here are a few highlights:

Ruth Mother Care graduation-

On Saturday 28^th was the Ruth Mother Care graduation for the children who are moving up from the top class of nursery section to P1. In the morning, we got up at 6' o clock to catch bodas to the school in order to help the teachers prepare food for lunch later and supervise the children. We helped Teacher Monica to roll out the chapattis and of course had a taste of them too!

It was so wonderful to see them performing the dances, dramas, songs and poems that we have seen them preparing and rehearsing for over the last few weeks. They performed the ballet we taught them too, which resulted in jokes that we should consider a career in choreography.

Once they had finished all their performances, it was time for the graduation ceremony. My heart bursts with pride for these children, they have worked so hard and really appreciate the education they receive at RMC. They looked so smart in their graduation gowns.

This is the last time we will see the children until term opens in the middle of February and we will miss them and the teachers so much over Christmas! I have come to love them so much in the time we have spent with them over the past few months.

Traditional Ugandan dances

Getting ready to perform the ballet

Joy to the World and nativity play

Top class graduation certificates

Graduation clothes and Alex's speech as the guest of honour

Celebrations after

Family Believer’s Church Christmas party- Friday 4^th December

We are now beginning to wrap up our work on the Smile projects for the Christmas period. 

On Friday, we held a Christmas party for the children we work with at FBC in Nabulagala, which was lots of fun. Kate and I led songs and games with the younger children inside, whilst Lois, Gabit and Innocent did the same with the older children outside. To make it special for them, they used the balloons we took with us to do obstacle courses and other games.

Then, we performed the Christmas nativity to teach the children about the true meaning of Christmas. Lois was Mary, whilst Kate and I were shepherds and wise men.

To finish off, we did face painting for each of the children, cut a celebratory cake and gave out handmade Christmas cards. I was really touched to see that one of the families had put their children’s Christmas cards up on the wall in their home when we visited them a few days later.

Leading games with the younger children

Demonstrating how to play 'traffic lights'

Games with the older children outside- balloon fun!

Kate and I being shepherds in the nativity play

The children with their Christmas cards

The nativity play

Lois giving out cards

Reading Christmas cards to the children

Cutting the cake

Blessed Word Church Christmas party- Friday 11th December


We held another Christmas party at Blessed in partnership with the pastors and congregation there. There were 400 children who turned up at different points! That was amazing to see as we usually have 20 children at our weekly children's clubs at the church. They enjoyed singing and dancing competitions, cake, a meal of rice, small group teaching about the Christmas message and a film. 

Cutting the cake at BW

Gabit teaching the younger children

Enjoying a meal together

Closing up Nabulagala catch up class- Tuesday 12th December

Our catch up education class is now closed for 2015. We held our final session with them this week and have now reached up to the letter T in our teaching of the alphabet. I am so proud of the progress the children have made in learning the letters and how to write them.

Thanks to the generosity of a gift from a UK donor, we were able to buy the children who attend a Christmas present each. They loved their rucksacks, drink cups and exercise books!

Revising letters at catch up

Time at church

We have been continuing to spend a lot of time at KBC in the evenings and at weekends. Kate and I are looking forward to being part of the choir in the Christmas contanta performance. Our long red dresses have been made for us now and we are putting the finishing touches to the songs this week.

I particularly enjoyed going to a worship event at church a few weeks ago with different worship leaders as it was good to have an extended period of worship.

Decoration for the worship evening- so beautiful!

Good times with friends-

As well as our work on the projects, it has been fantastic  to spend time with friends over the past few weeks.

November 28^th was the day I got to have two pizzas! That was probably more exciting than it should have been but when you haven’t had cheese in two months, I think my excitement was justified.

I was lucky enough to have the opportunity to have two friends from my home church, Debbie and Ruth, take me out for the day to a western style shopping centre called Garden City. It was so nice to spend time with them shopping and sharing food together- thank you so much for your generosity and kindness! I really appreciate it. It was also an interesting afternoon because when we were sitting in Café Javas, we saw the Pope’s entourage drive past!

In the evening after the youth service at church, I enjoyed going out to dinner with Innocent, Gabit, Anna, Reagan, Lois and Kate to Dominics pizza restaurant as a send off dinner for Anna. Anna was a gapper with Smile a few years ago and has been back in Uganda and travelling around different development projects across East Africa. She has spent the last two weeks living with us at the Smile house and we have loved having her here! It was lovely to have the opportunity to talk outside of the time we spend as a team on the Smile projects.

Out for pizza

This weekend I went to a sleepover for the youth at church, which was lots of fun and gave me a chance to get to know people better. There were several speakers, a bonfire and bonding sessions. I think it's the longest all nighter I've had!

Please pray for:

- Us gappers as we prepare for Christmas away from our families.

-For the recovery of Divine, one of the wonderful children we work with at FBC. We have been taking him to hospital to be treated for severe burns and he is slowly improving. 

-Safety travelling around the city, particularly coming back in the evenings from church.

-The final practices for the Christmas contanta Kate and I are singing in on Sunday.