We are almost coming the end of our second quarter of our first year. All students are doing fine. Brother Tulenake, who went to Congo for the funeral of his child who died, has not come back due to lack of money for a new visa a temporary passport. This quarter ends on the 12th of December 2014. The students from Congo, Kenya and Tanzania would like to go home during this holidays. Short-courses will be January 5th 2015. They wanted us to help them with transport for going and coming back. The cost will be as following:
8 students from Congo: round trip will cost $300 for each. One student from Tanzania: round trip will be $200. Five students from Kenya: round trip will cost $140 dollars. If these funds can be available now, that means by the end of the year, that is in the month of June 2015 we will just give them one week and they will just stay at school.
The Nandwa Church of Christ has started using our students for evangelism every Sunday afternoon. We finish our worship at noon and come back at the church building and later go in a group of four people. We go in groups of four because most students do not speak the local language “Lusamia,” so we make sure in every group there is a translator.
The Nandwa church also has a house to house program, which is conducted on every Friday from 2:00 - 5:00 p.m. Every member invites the church into his or her home. While there, we sing, pray, and hear the word of God from one of the members. In each house we visit, we eat “Amaengere.” This is maize and beans cooked together. We accompany this food with tea. Our students, also being members of Nandwa congregation, invite members of the church at the school where they live for the Friday house to house fellowship that meets in their house.
On Friday our students wake up at six and have their chapel at 6:30 a.m., and after chapel they go for agriculture activities. We distribute them in different departments of agriculture. Group A goes in the garden to plant or weed vegetables, pineapples, tomatoes, onions, and other greens, while some clean our trees. Group B goes to piggery and poultry. Group C goes to clean the fish ponds and the trenches. The group that goes to the fish ponds takes care of the cows on that day. This work is done up to 11:00 and then they go for breakfast.
On Saturday our students wake up and do general cleaning around the school and also clean their clothes. After lunch they go for recreation. In this intake we have many young men and they usually play soccer (African football). They usually do practice behind our classes. They desire to make the U.S.o.E football team. Due to that need, we request for some funds from any interested individual to support this team. We need things like shoes, uniforms, and balls.
The Uganda church of Christ, being the name of the church in Uganda, since it was registered, has not received approved premises and approved men to conduct marriage ceremonies according to the laws of the Land. Most marriages of members of the church of Christ are considered to be fake by the government of Uganda. If there is anyone in the church legally married, they must have received that certificate outside of Uganda or in one of the denominational churches around.
The Nandwa church of Christ has seen this as a problem and has started looking for the way our place of worship can be licensed as a place where marriages can be conducted and also to submit names of some men who have qualifications to be licensed.
To get an approval from the Government of Uganda, one has to start applying to the district’s local government and then the Minister of Justice constitution affairs of Uganda. After applying through the Busia District, the resident commissioner came and inspected our place of worship and asked us to make it look decent. It forced us to plaster and paint our building.
I took the photo of the building and they recommended us for the registration. I will be working on this. I think it might be ready by next year.
One of the requirements was to have a nice latrine. We also tried to work on the latrine. Members of the Uganda Church of Christ will now have a place where they can conduct their marriages.
The Uganda School of Evangelism’s Annual Lectureship is due. Everything is ready for the lectureship to begin and most teachers have submitted their lessons. We will be studying the sixteen chapters of the book of Romans. Each teacher is assigned one chapter. Accommodations and food arrangements are ready. The only problem might be with transport for those coming from far. Members of the churches where our graduates came from desire to attend. Those from far places like Western Uganda and central Kenya are requesting that we help them with bus fare back to their homes. Churches in the Busia area will be transported with a lorry at a small fee of a dollar and a quarter to put fuel in the lorry. We put a better engine in the lorry and it is running well for now, and it helps us a lot in carrying firewood and other school needs.
We wish you well during the holiday season and a prosperous and happy new year.
Yours In Christian love,
Francis and Margaret Wechesa