Summer in Uganda

Summer in Uganda can be a funny thing…actually, summer isn’t really a thing here. Summer, Fall, Winter, and Spring are replaced with Dry Seasons and Rainy Seasons. Ugandan schools also don’t have their longer breaks and end of the academic years at what we call “summer time”. Instead, they are in the middle of Term 2 (of 3) right now and have the end of the academic year in November/December with the longer school break from then until mid-February. Summer months also tend to correlate with rainy season (and winter months with dry season…thank you Equator). Though there is no “summer” here, the summer months tend to be when a lot of the international community in Uganda travels to passport countries for visits and home assignments/leaves. We are thankful for this season of “summer”/”rainy season” in Uganda as we prepare for our own Home Assignment coming up in August through October.

Joanna turned 1 in June! We celebrated our Sanyu (joy) with a camping trip to one of our favorite spots. She loved being outside almost constantly, and of course, couldn’t wait to get her hands on some cake!

Spring was a bit of a busier season for us. Matt had lots of visitors at EMI and celebrated EMI Uganda’s 20^th Anniversary in May. Ashley and the kids continued with homeschool, reaching out to neighbors, and leading Nature Club. Our foster son had a school break for 2.5 weeks,but has since geared up again double time as he awaits national exams coming in October. See more below…

EMI Update

EMI's mission statement: “To develop people, design structures, and construct facilities which serve communities and the Church. EMI Uganda celebrates its 20 year anniversary in 2023. We spent some time in May celebrating God's faithfulness over the past 2 decades. May felt like a busy month as we also had some visitors from EMI Cambodia exploring our construction management and workshop and from EMI Global providing training to our team. It was a great reminder of all that God is doing around the world through EMI.

One of the great things about EMI is our focus on discipleship, both spiritual and professional. Matt is engaging in spiritual discipleship by mentoring an intern this term. It is a privilege to pour into the lives of young professionals. 

Our office leadership team celebrating our diversity on cultural dress day

EMI Uganda team photo at our 20 year celebration

What is a celebration without a cake?

Family Update

Unfortunately, Joanna got a bacterial infection in early July that earned us 2 nights in the hospital. She is now back home with a healthy report. We are thankful for accessible healthcare. 

Our family mission statement is walking with Jesus as faithful disciples and inviting others to join. Though schools are back in session throughout Uganda, we have been able to continue hosting a neighborhood playgroup most weekends, a time our kids really look forward to and enjoy. Through the group, we’ve gotten closer to one family and have had very interesting conversations about faith and God. We are thankful for these opportunities and conversations.

Homeschooling continues to surprise us with how well it fits into our family for this season. The kids are learning lots, Joanna is still able to get naps without rushing around, and we get to be present and available in our neighborhood. Joshua finished Kindergarten the last week of June and Abby is continuing in her pre-K curriculum up until we leave in August and will pick it back up when we return. Joanna is just happy to be involved.

Homeschooling has been such a good fit for our family. It allows us to be home more and more present in our neighborhood. We are “frequent flyers” at our nearby trading center which Ashley and the kids walk to 2-3 times a week to pick up groceries or chapattis for lunch. Homeschooling also means we get to go on a Home Assignment at anytime, and don’t need to plan around school breaks. We are looking forward to reconnecting with friends and family in Canada and US from mid-August through mid-October. We will be in Belleville, the greater Toronto area, Dallas, and Southern California. Please reach out if you are around and available to meet up!

Ashley has had the joy of continuing to lead a weekly kids’ Nature Club that meets every Friday. It’s been a life-giving space for other families to come and spend time with other families of homeschoolers or littles. The moms get to have meaningful conversations and bounce ideas off one another about parenting, homeschooling, cross-cultural living, and more…while the kids get to run around and burn off energy, hopefully learn something new about nature, and enjoy the process of being outside and exploring. Here Ashley and Abby (and JoJo who Ashley is wearing on her front) are doing a birding activity at the Entebbe Botanical Gardens in May, while the other picture shows Joshua (blue hat) and some buddies starting a 2 mile hike at nearby tea fields and farms in June. 

Unfortunately, our foster son will not be able to join us on our Home Assignment in North America. He does not have a visa, and will be in school most of the time we are away. He is having very long school days and extra tutoring as he prepares for his upcoming National Exams which will also signal his graduation from high school. We plan to be back around the time his exams begin. He had a short 2.5 week break from school and was able to enjoy some down time, practice driving, and just be present at home. He looks forward to exams (and being done with them) as he is also starting to think about what life after graduation may look like for him and what to pursue next as he works toward full adulthood. 

Praises

• Joanna turned 1 and we had a great time celebrating her and her life so far while camping with family friends.
• Our foster son has a safe nurturing place to stay while we travel for home assignment that he is excited about! We are thankful for friends who have opened their home (and hearts) to him. He will be able to study well here as well as have a safe stress-free environment to return to each evening after school to rest.
• EMI had a great celebration week in May as they reflected on God’s faithfulness over the past 20 years! Though there were many visitors and was stressful at times for Matt, we are thankful for how God moved and provided through it all.
• Joshua finished Kindergarten! We are so thankful for the opportunity to homeschool and God’s provision of patience and endurance in it thus far.
• Joanna’s infection cleared and she got to come home from the hospital. We are thankful for her full recovery and the support of friends nearby while we balanced her at the hospital and the older kids at home.

Prayer Requests

• Logistics for our upcoming Home Assignments. We are in the beginning stages of making plans and putting together our calendar for our time in North America August through October, as well as sorting out logistics for our house, dogs and vehicles in Uganda.
• Matt began his second-to-last Master’s course on Monday July 3^rd. It is a Theology of Work class. While he looks forward the content, it will make our last weeks in Uganda slightly more tight as he spends extra time studying.
• We have neighbors who profess a Muslim faith, but more recently some members of the family have confessed Christ. We are thankful for our relationship with this family and the opportunities we get to walk with them as they explore faiths. 

7 Projects happening at EMI UG right now

Part of the work of EMI is to help other organizations move from a vision to reality. These 7 projects we are working on right now give a snapshot of the different ways we partner with others to further God’s kingdom. 

1. Rift Valley Academy (RVA) infrastructure assessment

RVA is a Christian boarding school in Kenya started by Africa Inland Mission over 100 years ago. They primarily educate children from missionaries working in remote Africa locations. 

An EMI team visited RVA’s campus in January to assess their infrastructure and provide recommendation on how to improve and maintain their various systems. 

 

An aerial view for RVA's campus

2.  Maranatha Health master plan and conceptual design

Maranatha Health provides community health programs and medical care in western Uganda.They have outgrown their rented space and want to construct a larger facility on a new plot of land.

EMI is providing a master plan update and conceptual building design now and hopefully going to detailed design and construction later this year. A team of EMI staff and volunteers travelled to Fort Portal in early March to hear from the ministry staff and leadership to understand their heart and vision and help them take the next step

 

A 3D rendering of the propose master plan

3.  Fields of Life template buildings

Fields of Life seeks to bring transformation to communities through education, clean water, health, and other community based programs. They partner with local churches and organisations to strengthen their ability to change their own communities. 

EMI is helping Fields of Life review and improve their template school buildings that are constructed all around Uganda. 

 

A recently construction early childhood development building. EMI helped over see the contractor during construction. This is one of the buildings EMI is redesigning.

4. Amazima Ministries International construction

Amazima Ministries International seeks to make disciples of Jesus through education and community outreach. They have a primary and secondary school offering high quality education and intentional mentorship.

EMI is constructing Amazima's administrative hub which we designed last year. These construction projects also provide opportunities to mentor and train construction workers. 

On-going construction of the administrative hub

 5. The Gem Foundation playground

The Gem Foundation provides a family home and a safe place for abandoned, neglected and/or abused children with special needs.

Last year, EMI design a playground suitable for children with special needs. We will begin construction later this year. EMI's workshop will be fabricating some of the playground equipment. 

 

3D rendering of the playground between the children's homes

6. Wentz Medical Center hospital expansion

Wentz Medical Center is a small hospital in Kampala that is connected to our church. They are a Christ-centered healthcare facility that serves an under resourced community.

EMI starting working with Wentz on a hospital expansion in 2014 and they now have the funds to begin construction. EMI could not do the design but we are taking the role of Owner Representative to help them navigate the process of selecting architects and engineers, reviewing the design, and monitoring construction. 

Wentz Medical Center's existing building. The proposed expansion includes a new 4 or 5 storey block.

7. EMI Uganda R&D facilities

EMI Uganda's R&D programme began in 2016 with a vision to enable excellence design and construction within our team. One of EMI's core values is design where we seek to work within the local context to design and construct culturally-appropriate facilities that are sustainable, affordable, and transformational. We are often missing important design information about local material and R&D helps us gather data and revisit assumption so we can better serve our ministry partners. 

The construction phase is on hold as we wait for a building permit and the resolution of some other challenges. 

A rendering of the propose R&D facility which will include space for prototyping, material testing, laboratories, and office.

Welcome Joanna Sanyu!

 

We are thrilled to introduce Joanna Sanyu Lammers. She was born 12 June at International Hospital Kampala. She was small (5lbs5ounces) but overall has been a peaceful and joyful baby that is highly adored by her older siblings.

These past few months have brought several changes for our family. Matt has been able to receive more support at EMI with new additions to the leadership team and staff returning from home assignments and other travels. Our foster son was able to finally complete a full term of school (first time in 2 years!) and is getting ready for the end of the school year next week. During his first school holiday in April, we all decided that the best way forward for him would be to change schools again and move him to a day school (opposed to a boarding school where he has been for high school thus far), allowing him to live at home full time. And of course, we had a baby! Joanna Sanyu was born on the 12^th of June at the same hospital where both Joshua and Abby were born. We have experienced God’s grace in amazing ways over the past few months. Read more below:

The birth of Joanna (we find ourselves calling her JoJo) brought visits from Grandparents. We had a great trip with Matt’s parents to our favorite family camping spot outside of Kampala hiking to waterfalls and enjoying Lake Victoria, and an amazing safari with Ashley’s Mom at Lake Mburo National Park boating among hippos and driving past giraffes.

 

EMI UPDATE

EMI's mission statement is“to develop people, design structures, and construct facilities which serve communities and the Church."  There has been lots going on at EMI Uganda the past few months. While lots of design and construction is on going, we wanted to highlight some what is happening on the people side of things. 

The discipleship program at our construction site have been fruitful and we have seen some of the workers getting baptized and giving their lives to Jesus.

12 men and women from the construction crew at The Gem Foundation were baptized.

4 men from the construction crew at Fields of Life site in Onialeku gave their live to Jesus. Each was given a Bible to commemorate the event.

There have been a lot over people movements over the past few months. We have had 19 visitors from 7 different offices. It has been an encouragement to hear all that God is doing at EMI around the world. We have had several staff movements as well with 4 people joining our team, including our first electrical engineer (we have been praying for an electrical engineer for several years. A Uganda graduate engineer joined our team in August and we have a retiring America engineer coming in January) and 6 people leaving. It is a challenge welcome and say good bye to so many people. We expanded our office leadership team and welcomed two new members. They have added some new energy and insights.

Our expanded leadership team had a team building day out by the lake. Matt is encouraged and hopeful about where the office is heading right now.

The kids loved visiting Daddy at work when we came to say our final goodbye over lunch to the two interns Ashley and Matt had been mentoring for the first term of the year. They left in May to return to the States.

In this season at work we are focusing on creating and reinforcing the organizational culture we desire. Here is a photo of a team building activity at EMI's recent Culture Care Day highlighting the challenges of working cross-culturally

 

FAMILY UPDATE

Our family mission statement is walking with Jesus as faithful disciples and inviting others to join. Ashley has restarted Luganda lessons to equip her to develop closer relationships with our neighbors.

 

We had a few branches fall down from a large tree on the property where we rent due to some massive rain and wind (and believe it or not, even hail!) storms during our rainy season August and September. Matt and the kids decided it was a perfect branch to make a playground. They added a broken soccer goal net and some hammock straps which has inspired hours and hours of fun! (Since this picture was taken, a lot more branches have been added for climbing and adventures).

As mentioned above, we’ve had two major changes take place in our family rhythms since our last update. Both good, both requiring adjustments, both going smoothly so far.

 

Joshua loves holding Joanna Sanyu, and Abby is very possessive of her real life “baby doll” whenever friends are visiting or we are out visiting with others. Overall they are adjusting well and have been incredibly patient with new daily rhythms. Thankfully they generally play very well together. Joanna means “full of grace/favor” and Sanyu is the Luganda word/name for joy

A baby definitely changes dynamics. Matt enjoyed a 2 week paternity leave (maybe Ashley enjoyed it more…). We felt incredibly supported by friends nearby who watched the older kids while we were at the hospital, have invited them for playdates since, and many who have dropped off meals in our days and weeks postpartum. We had wonderful trips with Grandparents in July and August introducing them to their newest granddaughter, and doing a few nearby adventures together.

In September, Ashley resumed homeschool with Joshua and Abby. Its gone surprisingly (to Ashley) smooth and has been less stressful doing it alongside caring for a baby than Ashley anticipated. Joshua is in Kindergarten learning the basics of reading and finds it so rewarding when he reads a simple book or story, or is able to spot words he knows around the house. Abby is at a pre-K level and starting to learn her letters and her sounds…though her favorite part of homeschool is honestly playing with JoJo while Ashley works with Joshua.

Our second big family dynamic change is having our oldest foster son home full time and enrolled in a day school for high school opposed to a boarding school where he has been thus far for high school. Covid school closures affected so many students in Uganda, our student included. So many are far behind the learning curve of where they should be and many are struggling to keep pace with the teachers’ teaching as they teach as if every student hasn’t missed months and terms of schooling. Due to these factors, and a few others, we prayerfully made the decision with our son and a few close friends and mentor figures in his life to change his school and enroll him in a nearby day school in May. 

 

Our oldest came home from his first full term of school in nearly two years from his boarding school. Ashley and the kids had the joy of picking him up in April and surprised him by bringing two of his friends along.

Though he leaves for school at 6:30 am and doesn’t come home until 6/6:30pm Monday through Saturday, we are enjoying the extra time we get with him, and especially having him home for dinner most nights where he is quick to share about his day and experiences. Having him in day school is also allowing us to hire tutors to work one on one with him to help him catch up to the material being taught in class as he prepares for a huge national exam that he will take at the end of next year (November 2023) to graduate high school. Though it adds a little more juggling of schedules and a lot more cooking of food, we are thankful for this change and the timing of it. He has shared that this is his favorite schooling situation thus far of the 3 high schools he has bounced between these past couple of years. He is getting ready to sat for his end of year exams a little earlier than the originally published school schedule. Unfortunately, the presence of ebola in Uganda is closing schools early yet again. He will have a 3 month school holiday starting next week. 

 

Ashley has continued enjoying organizing and leading activities for a kids’ Nature Club that meets every Friday morning. It has been a great opportunity for moms and kids to connect once a week to build community and walk alongside each other in this cross-cultural life we live in Uganda. Here she is about 7 months pregnant explaining a “bug hunt” activity to the crew, and more recently the kids doing soil experiments

PRAISES

• Safe delivery and healthy baby
• More support for Matt at work
• Able to find a day school for our oldest quickly and seems to be a good fit so far
• Feeling supported and loved by our community here after baby’s arrival
• Grandparent visits
• Healthy weekly rhythms for Ashley and the kids that allow for homeschooling, neighborhood engagement, and time with friends

 

PRAYER REQUESTS

• Continued adjusting for all of us to an ever changing baby in the house
• EMI is working to adjust the organizational culture and we have a few vacant positions we are hoping to fill by the beginning of next year
  
• End of year exams for old oldest and how to spend his holiday
• Ashley to improve her Luganda proficiency