Update on work, life, and mission

In the last several months, we have spent time considering how to go about our periodic newsletters/updates. Our desire is to not only provide a small glimpse into what is going on for us at work in EMI, at home with the kids and in general; but also to highlight what our vision and goals are for being where we are and accountability of how we are walking in those. Many of you faithfully give to our support account, others of you faithfully pray for us, and others check in on us. We are so grateful for the many ways you support and encourage us. We desire to be transparent in how we are fulfilling (or struggling at times to fulfill) the goals and vision we have set out before us as we serve with EMI Uganda.

Our goal with this newsletter every 3-4 months is to give an update of how we are walking towards EMI's mission and our own family mission as stated below. (Future newsletters should be shorter. It has been a while since we sent an update.) Ashley will be posting more regular family and “life in Uganda” updates on her personal Instagram page (@lammers.ashley). Feel free to follow her there for those. Prayer updates will also be going out likely once a month. Send us an email if you would like to be included in these and aren't yet (lammersmatt@hotmail.com or ashleylaurenlammers@gmail.com )

Home Assignment

We had a wonderful 2 month Home Assignment in North America during July and August. While in Canada we had several opportunities to go canoeing as a family and with family. It soon became a favorite activity of ours, so much so that we invested in an inflatable kayak large enough to fit all 4 of us to bring back to Uganda.

July and August were wonderful months spent in North America. Though we couldn’t to see everyone we wished to, we are so so so thankful for the incredible time we did get with family, and the friends we were able to see and connect with. So many special memories were made especially between our kids and their grandparents. They (the kids) are still talking about several of the experiences they were able to have including seeing orcas at SeaWorld, canoeing regularly in Canada, snorkeling in Hawaii, and visiting an ostrich farm!

Visiting Ashley's parents in Hawaii was a huge highlight for all of us. Restful, fun, restoring. What a gift. (Also coincided nicely with the kids' keen interests in fish and turtles).

In July, Abigail celebrated her 3^rd birthday! It was also our first day out of quarantine in Canada. We celebrated with a chocolate sprinkle cake and ice cream (at her request), and a day full of family and playgrounds.

EMI Update

EMI's mission statement: “To develop people, design structures, and construct facilities which serve communities and the Church.” As Deputy Director, Matt gets to think about this mission statement often (though currently things are very busy for him pulling most of his time to reacting to situations that have come up and less time thinking big picture which he enjoys more), and how the Uganda office is fulfilling this vision.

Last month, Matt had the opportunity to join team serving Mt Olives Community Church to help plan their site and design a community centre. Matt joined the team for the first couple of day to support and encourage a new project leader. He enjoyed the chance to coach and ask question. It is exciting to see people growing into new roles. EMI is more that a design firm or construction company, but we desire to walk with these partner ministries toward fulfilling their mission. Sometimes that requires us to ask tough questions which on this trip helped the ministry get aligned on the same page as one another. Finally, it was a joy to see a diverse group of people coming together with their various skills to produce something greater than we could do alone.

Matt had the opportunity to preach on Sunday morning during the project trip.

Family Update

A while back, we were challenged to come up with a family mission or vision. What came to mind for us was this: Walking with Jesus as faithful disciples and inviting others to join. Our desire is to fulfill this as we play our role in God's greater story of redemption, restoration, and reconciliation through our smaller stories of life.

We had to say farewell to some good friends who relocated back to the States. It was hard to say goodbye to such good friends, but unfortunately comes with the territory of living overseas and connecting with others that are from overseas. Community can be transient at times as everyone has a different term of commitment, and Home Assignments have even more long-term people coming and going. To say goodbye well, our families snuck away from Kampala by boat to camp on the other side of Lake Victoria. It was a great time of connection, memories, and adventure; and helped us all find closure for this season.

In 2018, Matt felt an invitation from God to pursue a Masters' degree in Non-Profit Management. After discussion with Ashley, we agreed this was the right course of action to be faithful disciples even though we knew it would be a challenge and strain not just on Matt's time and energies, but also on the family as a whole. Courses are quite intensive...and even more intensive when also working full-time. We agreed there would be no perfect time to begin this course so let's just take the first step and start enrolling. Fall of 2019 Matt enrolled in his first courses at Biola University and has since faithfully been able to take one course each trimester (apart from this past summer while we travelled).

God immediately confirmed that that first step was the correct one, as shortly after decided on joining the program, Matt was invited by EMI Uganda to join the Leadership team. One year later, he was asked to step into a Deputy Director role where he has been able to quickly apply many ideas and concepts he is studying about. Enrolling in this program has also meant he has had to say no to some opportunities including an opportunity at EMI to join their own internal leadership training program. This has been hard for Matt despite the confirmations we have received that the Master's is the proper direction currently. He is approximately halfway through the program remaining with about 2 more years of coursework.

 

As mentioned before, we were able to bring back an inflatable kayak that fits all 4 of us. We have enjoyed using this for mini-adventures and family time right in Kampala (thanks to bordering Lake Victoria). With so much going on, it is hard to break away and just get time as a family. We are trying to prioritize doing a better job of this on the weekends in between study schedules and other commitments that come up.

It was around the middle of our first COVID lockdown in Kampala, 2019, that Ashley started opening herself up to the idea and opportunity to homeschool the children. Prior to the lockdown, Joshua was in school part-time, Abby had a baby sitter a couple of mornings a week, and Ashley was looking for work or volunteer opportunities outside of the home. Lockdown brought all of that to a halt as the whole family (Matt and our oldest who was at boarding school included) was restricted to just being at home. Ashley is so thankful for this, though trying, time to stop and reflect on the projection of the family and see that the opportunity she had been so earnestly seeking prior to the lockdown for purpose and use of her skills and talents lay just inside of her compound walls instead of outside as she had thought. She has now come to really love homeschooling and the freedom it brings to creatively teach to the children's interests and abilities, develop new family hobbies such as birding, while also being able to engage in relationships with neighbors and the nearby trading center without running around to school functions and work daily (also a means of inviting others in to God's kingdom).

Joshua has begun a loose Kindergarten program with a new curriculum we are slowly falling in love with, and Abby is just along for the ride right now joyfully toting a baby doll under her arm. Three or so afternoons a week 12-20 children from our neighborhood come over for a couple of hours to play in our extensively grassy compound (by comparison), climb in our trees, and just be kids. A few of the girls have used some of the gardening space to start their own vegetable garden, and two of the families now join Ashley and the kids on their biweekly trips to the Library to check out their own books while schools remain closed. (Currently that schools are scheduled to reopen in January). We hope and pray these actions Ashley is taking to be a faithful disciple herself will invite more and more people not just into our lives, but into God's Kingdom as well.

Choosing to homeschool has come as a surprise to all of us, but has turned out to be such a fun (though trying at times) adventure. We love the freedom it brings to our schedule, the opportunities to be more present in our neighborhood, and the ability to cater the topics to the kids' (and at times Ashley's) interests. Being outside fairly constantly while living at the Equator is another perk...

Every Friday Ashley and the kids head out for Nature Club. Ashley has enjoyed organizing and planning these weekly gatherings with several other young and/or homeschooling families. Outings range from trips to the Botanical Gardens in Entebbe, birding boat tours, hikes nearby through campgrounds or tea fields, and so much more. Ashley has enjoyed the opportunity to think outside the box for nature outings in the greater Kampala area, and to get focused time exploring with the kids and friends.

Our oldest has now been home from school for 20 months. Apart from 4 weeks of 1.5 hr a day Zoom classes, formal learning for him has been minimal. We have been able to have quite a few good conversations with him about his future and where he sees his life going, and his personal goals. At 19, he doesn't see a college degree in his future as he still has 2-4 more years of high school left before graduation (there are two levels of high school education in Uganda). He is a naturally gifted musician, and navigator. After prayer and conversations, he has decided to begin pursuing a path towards earning a future livelihood through driving (navigation skills) and potentially even teaching or some other involvement in music. Recently he was able to start taking steps towards those goals and obtain his driving license. Ashley now enjoys him driving her and the kids around on the few outings they take each week with the car. In general, he is a safe and cautious driver, but definitely still learning and gaining confidence with all the bodas and taxis that fill Kampala's bumpy streets.

Our oldest has his driving permit! While this is a right of passage for teens and young adults in North America, it is much more exclusive in Uganda. Very few obtain driving licenses or have the need to. For him, it is a step towards his future goals to be able to provide for himself and find employment after completing highschool. Having a driving license gives him a unique skillset and an in to job opportunities not everyone has access to. Currently, he practices using his license by driving Ashley and the kids around for their few weekly outings.

Inviting Others In

Though we have only been back in Uganda from our wonderful Home Assignment in North America just two months, we have been given several opportunities to invite others into our home and space. We've hosted several EMI volunteers and staff visiting from other offices for a meal, been able to welcome and help settle a new EMI family joining the Uganda office, had friends from other seasons of our lives come and visit us here and stay a night or two, and also reconnect with several of our Ugandan friends and friends-like-family over a meal. We are taking a little break from hosting people as regularly (up 3-4 times a week) in our home for meals while Matt is studying, but love sitting around the table sharing with others. We also had to say gooodbye to an EMI family relocating to the States that are good friends and are mourning that loss while still seeking other friendships.

 

We love having people over for dinner and can frequently be found adding chairs to our outdoor picnic table we eat at every night. The kids also enjoy the process of hosting and helping prepare in the kitchen. Inviting others for a meal has been lifegiving for the whole family, and has opened so many doors to friendship and community.

Our weekday afternoon playgroup that Ashley hosts at our home has also been a unique opportunity to invite several of our neighbors into our lives. It’s a unique season that we get to do this as typically the children would be at school, but with schools closed the children are home and quite tired of being at home. The afternoon playgroup is a highlight for several of them, and a huge highlight for Abby and Joshua who ask for it almost every day. (Also a great opportunity for Ashley, Joshua and Abby to practice and improve our Luganda).

 

Three weekdays a week, our compound can be found full of children from our neighborhood. They come over for a couple of hours in the afternoon for a playgroup we host. This has come to be a time that Joshua and Abby both look forward to and ask for each week. This unique season of lockdown and schools being closed has opened the door for us to get to know other children in our neighborhood, and their families.

Playgroup usually ends when Matt returns home from work on his motorcycle and gives each child a ride around our compound.

On her birthday, Ashley was gifted (unknowingly to the gifter) the opportunity to be invited into a friend's life and culture. During a typical errand run to a semi-nearby trading center where Ashley has shopped at for almost 6 years, she and the kids were just planning to pick up a fresh loaf of bread, see what fruits and vegetables were available at the stand, and greet the newborn son of another vendor where she typically purchased popcorn and supplies for cooking Ethiopian. She and the kids were quickly invited into her Eritrean friend's home connected to the backside of the shop to share a cup of coffee and see the baby. In Eritrean culture, a cup of coffee actually means 3 small cups of strong coffee mixed with spices and plenty of snacks and food to go with. Three hours later, Ashley and the kids walked out of the shop amazed at the act of friendship and invitation and opportunity to share life with this friend and her family. It was quite the gift from God.

Most weeks we have the opportunity to connect with other families at our church through our small group/Life Group. On Ashley's birthday, she was surprised to find a birthday sign hung, and ice cream bought on her behalf. Weekly connecting with other families has helped us to feel all the more at home at the church we love and have attended for the past 8 years.

Praises:

·         Wonderful Home Assignment and also reentry back to Uganda.

·         Reuniting with our oldest in time for his 19^th birthday, and friends that he was able to stay with safely while we were away

·         Growing friendships and relationships within our neighborhood

·         Our oldest completing driving school and getting his license

·         the several opportunities we have had to host people for a meal, a night, or an afternoon.

·         Churches reopening shortly after our return and being able to reconnect at church even without children's Sunday School

Prayer Requests:

·         Matt's course through Dec 18. Thankful project can be done on EMI and hopefully also be beneficial to the organization. Strain on him and his sleep and mental energy, and also on family time.

·         Our oldest as he continues to perfect his driving skill and confidence and productively use his time while schools remain closed

·         Ashley and the kids as they continue during the homeschool journey, to prioritize what is truly important and not just what is “trending” for homeschool

·         For Matt's work and difficult situations that have come up that he needs to deal with. Also many people out of the office leaving several gaps under him that he needs to fill.

·         Continued opportunities to engage our neighbors as friends and with the Gospel

Recent Events and Upcoming Travels

Several months have passed since our last update, and with it several ups and downs. We've discovered a wonderful nearby camping spot that makes for an affordable, nature-filled getaway. A 3 hour drive takes us to beautiful views, a lake beach, and several waterfall hikes and adventures. We've been twice and have enjoyed it so much.

We absolutely love this newly discovered camping spot. Exploring together as a family is something we all find restful and refreshing.

Also in the past several months Matt has had several projects at work with some challenging and leadership growing opportunities, Ashley and the kids have been able to join and help organize a small nature club that meets weekly for nature-oriented outings, and our oldest has started a computer training program then returned to school...only to be sent home after just 6 days when the President announced the commencement of another lockdown as Uganda entered the second wave of COVID. We (Matt, Ashley, Joshua and Abby) had the opportunity to be part of the statistics of the second wave of COVID in Uganda as all 4 of us tested positive for COVID recently and spent over two weeks at home on isolation being well taken care of by our neighbors and community. Just 2 weeks ago, Uganda went into full lockdown once again to try and reduce the infection rate. Public transportation has been suspended as well as the use of personal vehicles, schools and churches and several businesses are closed, and people are strongly encouraged to stay at home. Our hearts break for the many Ugandans who's livelihoods and sources of income are highly affected by these measures.

 

Getting COVID made us all the more thankful for God's gift of a beautiful green compound as we isolated for over 2 weeks as the virus made its way through the 4 of us starting with Ashley and ending with Abby.

We are also very thankful for the many friends we have living nearby. Here Abby is purchasing cassava (a fried snack readily available across Uganda) less than 2 minutes walking from our home. Walking around our neighborhood and purchasing from nearby vendors has opened doors to friendships and relationships.

Matt continues to be excited about hte work happening at EMI Uganda. One of the things he is passionate about is helping other people grow and develop. A highlight of the past few months has been coaching a new project manager through his first project. He is doing a great job, and Matt is enjoying working with him. 

At the start of the year, Matt prepared an assessment report on EMI Uganda for one of his master's courses. Our leadership team is beginning to implement some of the recommendations. This project has helped Matt think more about the big picture, which he really enjoys. We pray that God continues to lead our office and align us all in that direction. 

As we prepare to travel to North America in July and August. Matt has been busy planning for our time away. This trip has caused Matt to consider the growth tracks of the people who report to him and facilitate professional growth opportunities as they take on new roles in Matt's absence. 

We are thankful that work can continue despite the current lockdown. Almost all our staff can work full time, though we are spread across the city. We praise God that our remote connection to the office server started working the day after that lockdown started. It hadn't been working for months before that.

  We completed a shipping container retrofit for a child-friendly interview room for International Justice Mission. This small project brought together our many of our departments, design, QS, CM, and workshop. We are grateful for the opportunity to partner with IJM to bring their vision into reality.

Ashley has continued to enjoy her role of mentoring one of the EMI interns this term. She goes to the office once a week to meet together for about an hour. She has also enjoyed continuing homeschooling with Joshua and incorporating Abby more and more. Joshua officially finished our “preschool” hodgepodge and is eagerly recognizing letters and engaging in at home learning activities. Ashley and the kids have also had the opportunity to team up with some friends and create a little nature club that meets for nature-oriented outings one morning a week. This outing has become the most anticipated and enjoyed of the week.

Joshua (and Ashley) has thrived with homeschooling preschool/preK. He seems to enjoy learning eagerly and especially gets excited about recognizing his letters and numbers as well as any science related activities and lessons. We are currently going through a pond-oriented unit.

 

Nature Club morning has been a high in the week for Ashley and the kids. Outings have included a birding boat ride at Lutembe Bay exploring migratory versus non-migratory birds tramping through a swamp looking for bugs, and the botanical gardens.

We have continued to find our compound filled most weekday afternoons with several children from our neighborhood, families that Ashley has continued to enjoy engaging and developing friendships with while stretching her Luganda. Some of the children have also been able to join on Nature Club outings when their classes aren't meeting at school.

Our oldest has endured his 16 months at home and out of school with as much patience as he's been able to muster. He spent much of the last months enrolled in a computer course learning various tech skills that will put him at an advantage post-graduation, chasing down his national ID card and personal documents, and continuing to review his school books. When his school's opening date was announced, it was a day of celebration. The night before he left was also lots of celebrating and excitement...and even a special meal of pizza per request. Unfortunately, just 6 days after he was dropped off at school, the President announced a new lockdown that closed all schools again, all churches and places of worship, limiting number of people allowed in vehicles and restricting most movement across district lines trying to keep people where they are and not spreading the virus all over the country. He was sent home, however during his 6 days away Ashley tested positive for COVID followed closely by Matt, then Joshua, then Abby. A good friend picked our oldest up and hosted him while the rest of us recovered and finished our isolation period. All are in good health now, and we are all now reunited for the next couple of weeks. Though, as mentioned earlier, a week after his return from school the President instituted even stricter lockdown measures.

We’ve enjoyed extended time with our oldest at home. Both kids will miss him terribly when lockdown ends and he is able to actually return to school. He has maintained a good attitude through the school closures and has used his time to pursue other interests and catch up on his weaker academic subjects.

Though these past few months have been ups and downs and lots of opportunities to be stretched as plans change, lockdowns are announced, and health affected, we have summer plans that we are very much looking forward to. Early July we are planning to fly to Canada to spend most of the month with family there and reconnected with friends as restrictions and time allows, then spending the bulk of August doing the same in the States.

 

July 3^rd we leave our home in Uganda on a “big airplane” to Canada, then the US in August. We have bitter sweet feelings about leaving during a lockdown in Uganda. While we are excited at seeing family and reconnecting and being able to make new memories with the kids and move around more freely...we are sad to leave so many Ugandan friends behind and not walk with them through another lockdown season. Please pray for many struggling in Uganda and for God to be an ever present help as He has promised.

Praises:

• A newfound camping spot that is budget friendly and is already a family favorite to return to time and time again.
• Nature Club for Ashley and the kids giving them weekly opportunity to engage with other international moms and kids while exploring the beautiful outdoors of Uganda nearby their front door. SO many hidden treasures.
• Matt is having a nice break from studying and enjoying more time to engage in other interests and rest in the evenings.
• Our oldest being able to participate in a computer training program. He will complete it during his next longer school holiday post-lockdown.
• Our oldest being able to finally submit all of the proper paperwork for his national ID. Now we wait 2-3 months to see if it is approved.
• Recovering from COVID and the blessings of positive tests for upcoming travels that will save us from several additional tests upon landing in Canada and before travelling to the US.

 Prayer Requests:

• For those at EMI Uganda who are taking on some of Matt's roles that it would be season for them to grow and develop.
  
• For our family as we prepare for 8 weeks away from Uganda. We are still sorting out what will happen with our home and dogs while we are gone as well as how to best set up our oldest now that he is home from school with the new lockdown measures.
• For our oldest to safely reach our friend's home where he will stay while we are gone. Logistics of him getting there have been made a little more difficult with the ban on vehicles moving.
• For our upcoming travels, that we would be able to connect well with family and friends and create new experiences and memories with the kids that will help tie them a bit to their passport countries.
• For Uganda and the recent wave of COVID infections and lockdown response. Everyday we hear of more infections and deaths within our communities and connections.