Christmas craft events

Thank you to all who have supported An African Dream at Christmas events recently - £120 was raised in Christchurch, £100 in Hazelmere, Bucks and £150 at Gold Hill Baptist.  There is so much more we would like to do - if you have a fundraising idea please do get in touch.

Thank you for your support

Don't forget you can support An African Dream this Christmas by buying cards and gifts from Just Cards Direct

Just Cards Direct have so many great Christmas GIFT ideas this year - to add to our very popular Christmas cards.
So now you can buy your cards and gifts in the same place - and still benefit your favourite charity An African Dream by donating 10% of the order total to them!

To give you a taste, you could choose from ....

- Handmade beaded Keyrings and Christmas tree decorations from South Africa
- High quality Toys from Traidcraft from around the world
- Beautiful bags from Madagascar
- Boxed mugs and card gift boxes - great for that person who has everything!
- Pens, photo frames, pictures, journals and SO MUCH MORE!

Many thanks for your support.


Many thanks for your support.

SAD NEWS

It is with great sadness that we announce the death on Tuesday 25th September of Mike Wynter.  Mike Wynter was the father of Mark who with his wife Sophie started the work in Uganda.  He served for a number of years as a wise and informed counsellor on our board of Trustees.

 

His son Peter writes "He was an incredible son, brother, husband, father, grandfather, pastor, friend and inspiration. We will all miss him so very much.........

Your prayers would be the very best offering you can make at this time. God is for us, we know that, and even in the grief we hold our hope in him, trusting he has dad in eternity, and our future in his hands."

 

 

RECENT SUMMMER EVENTS


An African Dream Fundraising Event 14/7/12

On Sat July 14th there was An African Dream Stall and Raffle at the Bishop's Cannings Church Fete. This was organised and run by Liz Edmondson-Smith (AAD trustee) and Ann Jarvis (Orphan sponsor). Jocelyn Burgess provided very colourful cotton clothes and other items that she had made especially for AAD fundraising.  The total raised in the two hours was £132. This was a great achievement as the weather was pretty inclement!   

Recent brief visit of Stephen and Pat Brasier to St Mark's School July 2012

Stephen and Pat, who have both lived and taught in Uganda in the past, visited the school with other members of their family and were able to give us feedback on some aspects. They reported back back the following:

• General appearance and orderliness at the school was good
•  Tippy taps in use for hand washing after using the latrines
• Very few children not in uniform
• Only a few children not wearing shoes
• Sports Pitches in use for volley ball, netball, badminton and football
   
• Apparatus Playground in use and very popular
• Staff very grateful to recieve materials that they had previously requested (Dictionaries, pencils, biros, posters, P7 art work etc)
• Lumika pleased to recieve the camera set so that he can send pictures to us by email of onging projects.

They enjoyed the visit and were given a very warm welcome. They were impressed by the school and what they saw of the teaching. Pat's two young grandsons played football with pupils and donated a football to the school. They donated some teaching materials such as pencils and posters. Before they left they said prayers with Lumika, Rebecca, the staff and the pupils.

If anyone reading this would like to visit the school or other aspects of our work in Western Uganda we would be delighted to discuss possibilities with you.

Trustees Meeting

We have our next Trustees meeting on Saturday 22nd September. Please pray for safe travel to the meeting and pray especially for our deliberations.
Pray that we make wise decisions that are in line with God's puposes for AAD.

News From Pastor Lumika

The new school term has started on 3rd September.  The first semester of the new college intake has just finished at St Marks and Lumika has said it has gone well.
The costs of food for the orphans is proving very expensive this term.  The maize and beans are very expensive to buy due to poor harvests.  The banana crop has also suffered badly this summer.  Lumika tells us that the banana plantations are dry because they have been hit by disease.

Please pray for our brothers and sisters in these difficult times, and please look at our giving links to see how you can offer financial support.

Trustees Meeting

We have our next Trustees meeting on Saturday 23rd June.  Please pray for safe travel to the meeting and pray especially for our deliberations.
Pray that we make wise decisions that are in line with God's puposes for AAD.

June visit to St Marks

Our good friend and supporter Candy from Pipers School will be visiting St Marks on June 11th, 12th & 13th  She will be teaching some RE and dance lessons while there.  During her visit her husband, will be working with Robbie Keene in delivering a teaching conference to 200 or so Pastors and church youth leaders.  Typically in Ugandan fashion it has escalated from being a small conference for the 22 pastors in training to this.
Please pray for these visitors that they will remain safe and be inspired in their areas of teaching.

Some pictures of the Youth Work and AAD's recent support

Wilson the leader of the teen groups

While in Uganda members of AAD were able to purchase a

bike to allow Wilson to visit his many and far flung youth groups

We also donated some footballs

Bibles were also given to encourage bible study for the youth

Wilson wrote in thanks:

"I am registering my sincere thanks to you for the gift to help me do the work more efficiently. Movement is now easy .in fact I got the dream bike. made in Japan at 250000= including the lock (that was after I had called you ) I only added some little money for service and I happily cycled back home even now I cycled to Kasese to send this massage because it wasn't possible in the village café’

Every one on seeing the gifts was really happy . That pastor in the middle (pr. Obed - bottom photo) with bike said this was what they long cried for.  

Dear Liz, Rob and the whole AAD team thanks a lot for the charity you have showed to us and it is my prayer that God will open all the necessary ways to enable you do the work of loving Africa in particular our zone"

  



Here are some more picture's from the trip that Dennis, Liz and Rob made in February. 

First meeting with the Ugandan church Executive, and head teacher.

                                  Neckson & Wilson.  Youth leaders in their small office - A room in Wilson's house

                                                                         Maurice & Lois's wedding

                                                                           Meeting the Chayna village chairman

                                                                              Taking the short way home

                                     Nurses Agnes and Carolyne registering the parents and pupils for the health day.

This lady is Jojina, one of the widows.  She has two children and was able to sell some pigs to buy blankets and iron sheets for her roof. She said the pig project had changed her life.

                       Dennis is given a live chicken a s gift for the work of AAD in providing a new church roof.

We have a Trustees meeting on Saturday 21st April.  Please pray that we are efficient with our discussions and that we make decisions in line with God's will for us.

More pictures from our February Trip

Pastor Lumika, the School Director by the new Signs

Rebecca and Liz meeting the Taylor to order new uniforms

Liz teaching class P7

Parents, (the women!) clearing the field for the new sports pitch

Sports lesson with new equipment

Pupil using  the new 'tippy tap'

Liz giving feedback to the teachers

Follow this link to read more about the health day at at St Mark's school on 1st March

http://blog.suubitrust.org.uk/2012/03/10/health-day-2-at-st-marks-kyanya-near-kasese/

Some more images from our Uganda visit in Feb/March

Cooking the school dinner

Pastor Lumika finally has electricity courtesy of a single solar panel

A widow making some income from brickmaking

Liz trying out the new school 'Tippy tap'

Wedding party hair 1

Wedding party hair 2

Loice the bride hiding from the groom

Loice's hand make up

Back now from Uganda to the snow of the UK.  Rob & Liz are still there for a few more days.

Some highlights of the first week: The new play equipment at St Mark's school.

The Health Day:

New churches at Kyinombe and Kirabaho

Widows benefitting from the pig programe.  The widow below had bought a matress. She has 10 children.

and of course Loice's Pre-wedding party

Colourful, entertaining and moving

Trustee Trip to Kasese District: 

Feb 24th – March 13th 2012 - Proposed Schedule

Friday – Feb 24th

Flight to Entebbe, Rob and Liz meet up with Dennis and stay at Adonai Guesthouse in Kampala

Sat Feb 25th

Driver pick up at 9am – Get shillings and Reading books and drive to Ibanda Rwenzori Basecamp Guesthouse.

Meet with Lumika and Rebecca at the guesthouse to greet them and give brief outline of our mission.

Sunday Feb 26th

Go to Maliba Church for service with Lumika and Rebecca – to include meeting Neckson, Joshua and Wilson.

Later in the day meet with the full executive team, including Neckson and Joshua to discuss our Mission and moving forward concept.

Monday Feb 27th

Liz and Rob School review and /Seminars, Dennis Accounts/Health issues

Tuesday Feb 28th

Liz at St Mark’s School for seminars etc

Rob and Dennis to Kasese – Slates if nec. etc including meeting with manager of ‘Five Talents’ in Kasese.

In the evening, supper with Rebecca, Lumika and Yeghe the school Bursar- to continue discussion of Mission and Moving Forward etc

Wednesday Feb 29th

Rob and Liz – ‘A Day in the Life’ Video and clothes distribution to orphans with photographs at Lumika’s House.

Thursday March 1st

Kevin Duffy Health Visit at St Mark’s School and Chapel at School. Later Kevin and Dennis to visit Khanya Village to meet with the village Chairman. Liz and Rob working at School and doing video.

Friday March 2nd

Lois Pre-Wedding Ceremony and later team to continue with charity business.

Saturday March 3rd

Dennis leaving with Kevin. Rob and Liz to Lois Wedding Ceremony.

Sunday March 4th

Rob and Liz Church at Maliba and Visit widows/new pig photo (Video). Update list of widows with Rebecca. Get news of pigs and piglets etc

Monday March 5th

Liz and Rob - Orphan letters to sponsors and letters to pupils in the UK.

Liz P7 Leavers Questionnaire

Tuesday March 6th

Liz to hold seminars with teachers at St Mark’s School, to review school policies for discipline and special needs. Rob reviewing structural developments and on going concerns. Later Rob and Liz visit King Jesus College for news of orphans.

Wednesday March 7th

Liz and Rob go to Dave and Dani Renno

March 13th – Liz and Rob back to UK


Please pray with us as we prepare for our trip and during our time in Uganda. Claire Newby has written the prayer below.


Dear Heavenly Father,


We pray for our brothers and sister, Dennis, Rob and Lizzie, carrying out your work in East Kasese, Uganda with An African Dream.

We ask that your give them safe journeys, just as you walked alongside the disciples on the road to Emmaus - accompany them on their journey too.
Lord be their wisdom, grant them the gift of knowledge, allow them to have spiritual eyes to see the truth, and where needed, give them insight to know what to do if problems arise.


Help them to be your ambassadors; allow them to shine bright as we are called to be 'salt and light to the world'.

May they be bringers of love, joy, grace and mercy to all those that they meet.


Bless all those which they will encounter; the children, young people, parents, teachers, widows, church members, and the church leaders.


May Dennis, Rob and Liz know that they are your servants; your hands, feet and voice to all those who they meet, and may they radiate your love to all.


In the name of our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ we pray.


Amen



Trustees Update

We are pleased to announce that Trish Harding has taken on the role of Treasurer.  This has allowed Dennis Preston to move to the post of Chairman taking over from Rob Turner, to whom our thanks go for his erudite leadership and incisive wisdom during his time in the chair and as a Trustee prior to that. We wish him well with his growing church and family responsibilities.

Please pray for the new leadership in the coming months.  (In Picture: Rebecca; Rob; Dennis; Lumika)

Our next visit to St Mark's - Feb 2012

Liz, Rob and Dennis are very much looking forwarded to their trip to St Mark's & the community this month.

News for the New Year!

So much has happened its hard to know where to begin.

We were able to bless 121 widows in the East Kasese community with a gift of meat and rice at Christmas time.

There have been a number of conferences taking place in Uganda including one for married couples
27th.-31st Dec 2011.

25 new believers were baptised last weekend following teaching at the seminars and crusades which took place over Christmas and New Year.

Pastors have just begun another month of Bible training and 22 pastors will graduate in July this year.  10 pastors are already waiting to begin training later this year.

3 Teen conferences will take place between 16th and 21st January

St Mark's School will begin a new school year in February with new orphans joining the school - please get in touch if you could sponsor one.  We will also soon hear the results of exams taken in November.

A team will be going out to Uganda in February to see the ongoing work including a new tank and guttering installed at St Mark's and also other building developments which has taken place.

We are continuing to support congregations who have begun to build new churches but are unable to complete the roofs.


We have recently been reminded of the fragility of life when we heard news that the bursar of St Mark's school (who is also a pastor and evangelist) lost his wife, he now cares for his 7 children alone.

Thank you for your continued prayers and support.