Though it is just the beginning
of December, we are already in the mindset of wrapping up the year. EMI’s third
term is coming to a close on 20th December. Doors is closing for the
year on the 12th December. We are traveling to North America
beginning on 26th December to spend 3 ½ weeks reconnecting with
friends and family, introducing people to Joshua, and finding some rest for
ourselves after a busy year of transitions. We anticipate many more changes in
the year to come with one of our older boys switching schools and educational
tracks at the beginning of the year, Doors undergoing some organizational
shifts, new potential staff being added to EMI (including another structural
engineer!), Joshua learning to talk more and more…and who knows what else. We
are thankful for the year behind us and the ways we have grown individually,
together, and in ministry. We look forward to what is ahead.
As the year comes to a close, if you are considering year end giving would you consider giving to EMI or Doors. You can give to support our ministry through EMI here. You can give to the ministry of EMI here. You can give to Doors here.
As the year comes to a close, if you are considering year end giving would you consider giving to EMI or Doors. You can give to support our ministry through EMI here. You can give to the ministry of EMI here. You can give to Doors here.
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| Overhead shot of the compound we live on. Our house is the far right with the reddish metal roof. |
FAMILY
It’s hard to believe a whole year has passed since Joshua has joined the family. He has brought so much joy to not only our family, but to Doors Staff, our compound mates, and many more. He is a very happy baby (except when those teeth are poking through or he gets a cold). We celebrated his 1st birthday by inviting just a couple of people over for dinner who have a special relationship with him and our family. Ashley has been giving Joshua a deadline of his birthday to begin walking, apparently he has been listening because he took his first steps on his birthday.
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| Joshua enjoying his birthday dinner. |
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| Joshua enjoying his cake. |
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| Enjoying the rabbits together. |
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| Mango season has brought us 1000s of mangos from the 5 trees on the compound enjoyed by many at Doors and in our community. |
The end of the school term is
here for the older two boys! The one attending DOORS Mission School finished
the year with a Christmas party and program. He really enjoyed not only
participating in the program, but also helping to cook. He loves to cook. His
rabbit business continues to have its ups and downs. Some rabbits got sick recently
and died. We pray this further motivates him to continue to learn how to best
take care of his animals, and how to make money at doing something he enjoys.
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| Acting in the school play at the Christmas program. |
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| Cutting the cake! |
The oldest boy is just finished
his end of term exams at DOORS Primary School. We are so proud of how hard he
has worked to catch back up on the Ugandan National curriculum after a couple
of years on a different program. He has steadily improved and continues to work
hard in school each day. He enjoyed having a friend from school stay with us
for about a month and half during the school term.
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| Working on
some project outside with his friend. He is very creative and loves making
things with his hands, drawing pictures, and writing his own songs for the
guitar. |
EMI
It has been a busy term at EMI.
Matt has had 9 different project going on, through different stages of design
and construction. It has been a bit stressful balancing the different demands
on Matt’s time, but as we are nearing the end of the year, it looks like
everything that needs to get done will get done. The next couple of weeks will
be filled with wrapping up projects and year end reviews.
We are almost all set for next
year. We have 6 of our current 8 interns returning next year and one new intern
joining us. Both of Matt’s interns will be coming back. He is looking forward
to continue to work with them and teach them about structural engineering. The
busyness for Matt will continue in the new year, though there is relief ahead.
A new structural engineering staff for the UK and his family are looking to
move to Uganda fall 2018 and one or two structural engineers are set to return
to the office.
DOORS
Ashley and Doors welcomed 6
volunteers from New Zealand in October who are here for two months. It’s been
enjoyable seeing each plug into an area of ministry that best suits their
talents and passions. And it’s always enjoyable seeing people engage in and
fall in love with the culture of Uganda that we do love so much.
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| One of the volunteers is filming new support raising videos for Doors. Here he is shooting footage and interviews of the 13 Doors Primary School graduates that have been granted secondary school scholarships by the ministry. |
As Doors reaches the end of the
year, things are quite busy making preparations for all the changes to take
place next year. One ministry arm is closing, another two are expanding;
offices are moving and staff are being shuffled around to different positions;
some older children are being sent for vocational programs leaving the comfort
of Doors for the first time, while children in our boarding programs are set to
join homes within Doors bringing them in closer to Doors. All exciting changes
and all changes we feel confidently led by God in…but changes nonetheless and
even when change is good it is hard especially with so many people and agendas
involved. Doors will look very different in 2018 compared to now, and we are
excited about the impending changes.
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| Doors Primary School from above (one of the ministry arms that will be growing next year) that serves children and families living in the Namuwongo slum of Kampala. |
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| School clinic at Doors Primary School. It is now managed by one of the nursery level teachers who has always had a desire to become a nurse. Ashley spent a lot of time in this clinic her first year in Uganda and is so thankful to now see it completely in this Ugandan’s hands and care. |
PRAISES
- Joshua continues to thrive and reach his milestones. We are thankfully for all the friends in Uganda that have supported and helped us along the way of raising him and the older boys.
- We remain confident that Uganda is the place God would have our family, at least for this season. We are thankful for this confidence.
- We survived this year. (kidding… sort of)
PRAYER REQUESTS
- For all the upcoming changes with Doors, that there would be unity among the staff as we take these steps forward, and that God would be glorified in these changes and decisions made.
- For us and Joshua as we come to North America for 3 ½ weeks at the end of December through mid-January. We desire our trip to be a time to connect with some friends and family, allow people opportunity to meet Joshua, and to find some rest for ourselves after a very busy year full of transitions. We are thankful that though the two older boys are not able to travel with us, they have programs set up in Uganda that they are both looking forward to. The oldest will stay with a friend for about a week then attend a month long Christian youth camp catered for teenagers with rough backgrounds to better know and trust the Father’s heart of God. The other will have an opportunity to stay with friends of ours who have a farm in a village about 3 hours away and learn more about how farming and business go together…as well as hang out with our friends who are some of his favorite people.
