An interdenominational group that works with Christian Churches of all denominations to see children won for Christ and nurtured in continuing weekly clubs. These clubs are run in the local churches by the church people themselves.
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An interdenominational group that works with Christian Churches of all denominations to see children won for Christ and nurtured in continuing weekly clubs. These clubs are run in the local churches by the church people themselves. |
Arranged by Rhonda Marshall of the U.K. who manages Chrstian Relief Uganda. This organisation supports totally Maria's Care, an orphanage and school started by Maria who started this mission 12 years ago at the age of 67, and now gives total care to 60 orphans and runs a school for 300 children.
"This was probably the most exciting four weeks that I have ever spent in 20 years of Children for Christ (the only exception was reaching 3,500 scouts with the Gospel in 8 days at the World Scout Jamboree 12 years ago). In Uganda we reached 14 villages in 18 days, 2,432 individual children and 338 adults. All these children and adults listended intently to the exact stories (slightly shortened because of the need of an interpreter) we would give in Australia.
Every one of these children were just so open to the preaching of the cross and to the Gospel and well over 2,000 committed their lives to Jesus and asked Him into their hearts.
I had three different interpreters and all were excellent at interpreting the English sories into Ugandan, you could tell by the way the children listened. The interpreters came from Maria's Care and a group called Alpha who concentrate on educating adults and school children on how to avoid AIDS.
Everywhere we went, at one day's notice, the children were waiting. The welcome we got was unbelievable, some had been waiting two hours, and the numbers kept growing.
After the first two weeks, we had to limit the number of children to 100 per village as we only had Rhonda and myself to look after 50 children each for craft with one African interpreter.
It was embarassing to see the heads of poor African children looking in through the windows that we could not accommodate.
Next time we want to take three experienced hardened bronzed Aussies with us, so we can handle larger numbers of children.
We would train you to take 40 children for craft, one model / pair of children. As we are doing two villages per day, that would mean we could reach an additional 80 children per day, for every additional helper. Anne Burcher has packed lightweight craft for 14,000 children in packs for 20, using cardboard and polystyrene instead of partical board and wood, so that craft for 280 children weighs only 5 kg, and we are allowed to take 40 kg per passenger to Uganda on a charity basis.
Why don't you come with us on one of our next trips?
If you wish and feel able, we would set you up in villages on your own with an interpreter.
I distinctly remember an old stooped widow, swinging her baby grand daughter on her back and limping away with her stick with a huge smile on her face with her bag of rice and sugar supported on her stick.
We always got a huge send off, with much shaking of hands, and little girls curtseying right to the ground, and children lining up on either side of the car waving, and seeing children carrying their craft as they walked sometimes many kilometres to come each day. Every child would be back next day, with sadly many having to be turned away. Who would not want to go back to Uganda?"David says that he reached more children in three weeks in Uganda then 12 months in Australia.
At the start of the day, we are packing 4kg rice, 2kg sugar, and 2 cakes of primitive soap in black plastic bags to give give to each family group.
We set out and hopefully reach a village by 10am.
They are all there waiting, usually over 100, sometimes 300, sitting outside on forms, or in a school, or in a church. We get an overwhelming enthusiastic welcome. They rarely see white people.
First we give a peep in the treasure box for the best listeners on each side. Then we get the children to hold up our chorus boards and we sing 4 choruses. By the end of the 3 days the children are really starting to sing in English and sometimes in their own language. They want to learn English. Then the first story. Translation is no problem as often these children can speak 3 different African dialects and they listen intently. The visuals hold their attention.
Then outside for the games. Organised games are unusual in Africa and particularly having adults join in with them. The great successes were Poison Ball and can you believe British Bulldog (ALL OVER!). Cops and Robbers failed because the girls ran off and we could not find them.
Then the second story, unambiguously evangelical with an appeal. These children just want so much to be Christians. The children would repeat the sinner's prayer in their own language. Just like children everywhere, they love Jesus and respond deeply to Jesus dying on the cross for them.
Then the craft. They loved the models and took them home proudly. Can you imagine, they loved the English Tudor Villages.
They showed great patience and had probably never used glue or scissors before. If we had the time we made dozens of flying eagles, a folded printed both sides A4 sheet that flies 20 metres, and little ornamental bookmarks. Then a drink and tiny pancake each day, and a handout on one day of the bags of rice, sugar and soap.
The biggest slug is the air fair. Remember, this is one of the poorest countries in the world. 45% of the country's total income is donations from the U.K. Only one airline serves Uganda from Sydney. (Air Emirates)
Sydnet - Dubai - Nairobi - Entebbe (Uganda)
Early last century Uganda was part of the British Empire and was relatively propserous. It is a small country in central Africa adjoining Lake Victoria, the source of the Nile. It has a population of 20 million. It has a good rainfall and fertile soil.
But after independence, Uganda became a basket case under a dictator Obote, who was ousted by his army commander Idi Amin who was responsible under his dictatorship for 1 million deaths. The present President is a Christian and his wife a renowned preacher and for the last 10 years there has been a democracy, a real stability, but like the rest of Africa, endemic corruption.
A lovely welcoming people, a very noble people and for our children's missions they dress up for the occasion. As we travel the country roads, there is much waving, we hear 'Muzungus, muzungus' meaning 'white people'. There is no resentment at all. Every child wants to go to school. They have to provide their own school uniform, a cotton smock that they keep imaculately clean, an exercise book and a pencil, then they can go to school. Half the children can't afford even that and there is definitely a class divide, those children in rags who can't afford to go to school and they are the ones in the villages that we want to reach on our next trip.
Ugandan villagers are subsistance farmers, a goat or two, chooks and chickens, sweet potatoes, bananas, a long trek to the nearest bore where the women and children carry a 20kg water container on their heads back to their house. They are great builders. They make their own bricks out of local clay, stack them carefully with air passages and light a fire within with charcoal and fire their own bricks. The big expense is corrugated iron for the roof. Doors and window shutters will be added later. The kitchen is a separate adobe circular building with a conical thatched roof with a central fire and a cooking pot. Toilets are a 8 metre deep hole with a wall around.
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3 / 8 Coombes Drive PENRITH NSW 2750 Phone/Fax (02) 4722 5433 |