Deaf pastor Lydia reaches out to the deaf in Koboko

Lydia explains her outreach work in Koboko, Uganda. Helping the school support the deaf children, teaching sign language to both the deaf and hearing, changing attitudes in the wider community and spreading God's word to the deaf.

Living with blindness: Ron and Maria's testimony

1. Personal and interpersonal reconciliation, to blindness, to deafness and to a new culture Ron and Maria, grandparents of our son Jerome’s Fiancé, Fiona, also let me video interview them (link below), about their fascinating. Ron shares my love of flight and was a pilot until an accident grounded him. Maria, from Romania settled in England when she and Ron fell in love. Her original plan was to stay for a year to learn English! They have reconciled themselves and been reconcilers for each other in such complementary ways. A beautiful story. Do watch it.

Thanks again to Ron and Maria.  Their video interview shows that:                                                                                                                                                         

1. the absence, reduction or loss of our mobility or a sense, can happen suddenly. It compelled Ron to forgive and move on.

2. Maria was able to adapt to her loss of a shared language because Ron was willing to make essential adjustments.                     

3. Ron was able to adapt to his increasing blindness because Maria was willing, through prayer, to support Ron more.                 

4. Accepting some loss of independence and employing greater use of imagination, memory, audio books etc can help, .

Thankyou Ed Dixon, (Deaf Pilot)

Thankyou Ed Dixon (Deaf Pilot) for organising our tour of Birmingham Aiport Control Tower. It was very interesting

Personal and interpersonal reconciliation to deafness.

 

Marjorie shares her testimony on speaking up for the hard of hearing

and one way of breaking down barriers

 

 

 Marjorie shares her testimony about the benefits of loop systems for the hard of hearing people

 

 

 

Personal and interpersonal reconciliation to deafness.

Marjorie, Helen’s mum, above, recently let me record her video testimony of her experience and adaptation to her own hearing loss. Her courageous approach is well-worth watching.  

Marjorie’s story shows that the absence/ reduction or loss of mobility or a sense:                                                                                                                                                                  

a) affects us all,  even if  not personally                                                                                                                                       

b) is personally recognised, accepted and adapted to quicker with personal courage and when those we share our live, work and socialise with are willing to make essential adjustments.                                                                                                                                                 

c) is being adapted to much more easily and quickly by viewers of these testimonies.                                

May we allow God to help us continually and constructively adapt  to our own and each other’s fast changing abilities and limitations, and to divine appointments and to threats.! See diagram above.  

Thanks again to Marjorie, Gary.

We are all called to reconcile. Reconciliation has so many faces and beckons me daily…

Many more testimonies to come!                 

Rainwater harvesting improvement complete - Arua

With the rainwater harvesting improvement complete, a survey of bore hole queueing times and water related sickness medical costs will be made at the end of term 1, that is mid May. We hope these show savings in Time and money compared to the surveys carried out before the rainwater harvesting system was built by deaf and hearing builders, pupils and staff. Ad

Deaf hearing business partnerships

Deaf hearing business partnerships aren't easy but I recently helped set up one or two that looked promising. 



Afayo Wilfred , deaf and Gift, hearing partnered for the first time on a building/plumbing project for the first time.




Gatrude, deaf and her hearing friend are partnering to market the latest batch of 20 jumpers that Gatrude has recently knitted herself. My prayer is that mutual respect will he high.

Jonathan, hearing and Ayub, deaf are exploring partnership in the area of computer graphics.

Youth Camp Graduation

Youth Camp Graduation cake. Mmmm. Thanks Hellen and Rose for making it. Ad

Come Discover Serve

Come Discover Serve Youth Camp Group Photo. Well done everyone, inc those members who had other commitments when the photo was taken. A great team effort. Thank you Lord! Ad

Robina's testimony

Robina, one of our deaf camp youth gives her lively testimony during camp graduation. Various obstacles prevented her joining the camp for the past two years, but this year there was no stopping her!!

Well of concern

I came across a rare example of a well with a windlass, in the compound of teacher of the deaf I know. From the video you can see that the water table was at least 15m down. Many wells are not fenced. Inevitably, someone usually a child or animal drowns, usually not seeing them when walking at night. Ad.

Rain water harvesting - Arua

Video showing further rain water harvesting plumbing improvements to be made Wilfred deaf and Gift, hearing, local tradesmen exploring partnering each other in business because if their complementary skills.. Ad

Special School

This teacher of the deaf I know has invested considerably personally to start a truly inclusive primary school for children living with a diverse range of abilities and limitations. She wants to have about 25 pupils per class. Govt schools often have 100 or more pupils per class.

I pray she can successfully raise the funds she needs to bild bathing shelters and more latrines so she open the school this academic year. Ad.

Dorcas and David

Here two of our trainee interpreters, Dorcas and David serving again as a bridge uniting deaf and hearing at St Phillip's signed fellowship last Sunday. Dorcas shared how at one Koboko service where she was interpreting for our deaf youth, the service leader insisted she sign at the front next to him so the whole packed church could enjoy her translation. 

She felt initially intimidated at being stared army but slowly her courage grew and she found the stamina to sign for the whole two hour service.

Koboko youth sings

On our second and final Sunday in Koboko our youth were welcomed to dramatise, sing, teach and preach as needed in four different denominations services or your meetings, including Evangelical. Full gospel, Baptist and Catholic. Here the Catholic youth of Koboko created their own tune for our new song lyrics because it happened to be their service reading for the following Sunday. This recording extract was made after only 20mins practice!

Draft and final lyrics

Draft and final lyrics of our new signed song of commitment to invest to enjoy Jesus' promises. Ad

Jesus' call

Here David on keyboard and Aaron on drums accompanied me as we created a tune for Jesus' Happy are the....' teachings, which we eventually put into our own words as our commitment song. 

For me the song unpacks Jesus' call to his followed to be the salt of the earth and light of the world. A recording of this new signed song will feature in a forthcoming post. Ad

What is rubbish?

Go Camp team gets stuck into litterpicking. We also chatted what rubbish is and if or where the idea of rubbish is mentioned in the bible...

'We are the salt and light of the world'

When we were asked to litter pick kobokos local park and main hospital we had very mixed feelings. However since our camp theme was 'We are the salt and light of the world' our initial reluctancy became a strong group resolve to make a difference and meet the public and relatives of patients. 

West Nike climb

There was great teamwork when we climbed West Nike regions 2nd highest peak. Lydia Obideru liking towards camera preached in sign language with voice over at one Koboko churches.

She said the congregation watched her communicate in surprise and with intense concentration.

Never had someone preached to them in sign language before. They were very appreciative as she finished.

Eve or Adam?

I have had a drink named after me before, but this is the first building named after me.....Ad

Glorious sunrises

Glorious sunrises and view if mountain we climbed on our last day in Koboko. Ad

Hammock tonight!

Hi Helen. Am sleeping in Aidans cocoon hammock tonight behind the Abukus old house. On outreach in Koboko and the Harpers son Stephen slung them 20 foot up a tree and slept in them most nights. Midges forced back in the house at 4am!

Jesus' sermon on the mount

One verse from Jesus' sermon on the mount was the discussed each day in our small group discussions . 

We all learnt alot and found ourselves having to use what we learnt later in the day. Ad

Go camp Sign language workshop

Camp assistant youth leader Wilfred. Helped a local deaf lad and his hearing aunt learn sign language daily. This was day 1. Aunt is learning as quickly! 

Rev Allan severely deaf blind and his wife Asha serving community members with special needs even more as a duo. 

Rev Allan cannot reach his vast parish, Madi and West Nile, an area about the size of Wales without Asha to chauffeur him. 

His increasing blindness means Asha needs to retrain to complement the changes Rev Allan is going through. 

Please message me, Adam, if you'd like to help fund her retraining as a sign language interpreter that is unaffordable for them. Course starts this June. Thx

Whilst DHU FC Go Camp team won 2-1 thanks in part to deaf goal keeper Isaacs stunning saves, Koboko Baptists mango stone slingers outclassed our Go Camp team. Ad

Go Camp FC

Ywam Arua Deaf n Hearing Go Camp FC just before their Ugandan Premiership match against Koboko Baptist allcomers above

Church construction

Carrying 10m logs to help a local church construct a permanent building was not my idea of fun but it was a good workout. The whole team transported about 15 logs over a km. 
Us whites on the team were told we were the first whites locals had ever seen carrying logs. ....... Ad

Hungry deaf and hearing

38 hungry deaf and hearing team- members take turns to cook and serve each other . Ad

Outreach in Koboko

On our first full day on outreach in Koboko, a town 45mins drive North of Arua. One of the congregation brought a deaf relative in the hope of him gaining some sign language. The Go Camp deaf and some hearing youth responded happily. The deaf boy's hearing aunt happily learnt as much sign as she did. We were able to tell her about deaf education opportunities in Arua. They came again for sign lessons several times.

Final Drama preparation

Final Drama preparation illustrating Jesus forgiving/healing a paralysed man. The characters were questioned unexpectedly but thoroughly by the congregation afterwards. We learned and laughed a lot. Ad

Our host pastors in Koboko received sign names

This evening, our host pastors in Koboko received sign names for the first time. 
Our youth camp is the first deaf hearing one they've been involved with

Great to see more youth using sign by the day

Clara, one of the deaf youth on our camp was asked by several hearing youth to teach them sign language. Not only had this happened spontaneously but Clara had a sign dictionary ready to teach from! Her deaf school friend, Aleziyo, helped her and the group shared together for over two hours today. Great to see more youth using sign by the day. Adam

Trainee sign language interpreter Dorcas

Trainee sign language interpreter Dorcas whose served with us in Arua for several years has become so fluent and confident. Her presence and that of two other trainee youth interpreters, Afayo David Toburo and Aidan Wright is vital with deaf and hearing in the camp together

Trainee pastor, Lydia, deaf, taught in sign with voice over

Trainee pastor, Lydia, deaf, taught in sign with voice over support. The camp youth really enjoyed her topic, 'Being the salt of the earth, and the Light of the world. Adam

Relationships teaching

As part the Relationships teaching, taught by my colleague, Natalie, the camp youth were challenged to put as many small many wooden blocks on a chair. The youth initially perceived the challenge as a competitive one, so their responses were unsuccessful. Once the youth cooperated with each other to respond to the challenge they were successful. 

Our first camp participant, Mercy, deaf, arrived from Kenya

Our first camp participant, Mercy, deaf, arrived from Kenya tonight, with her mother, . A 36 hr trip! 

They use their own version of sign language...We're expecting about 25 youth including five deaf and two hearing friends/relatives.

Deaf ywam Arua 2010 Dts graduate Aguta Godfrey, Business and Afministration Degree

Deaf YWAM Arua 2010 DTS graduate, Aguta Godfrey, called in to show me the Business and Administration Degree DHU practically encouraged him to persevere with and complete. 
Well done Godfrey.

Deaf and hearing Ywam Arua Dts graduates, Ariane, Protais

In Kampala, I caught up with deaf and hearing Ywam Arua Dts graduates, Ariane, Protais and their son Jethro. They've been to share sign language with a deaf slum dweller, Frank and his family/friends. They hope that Frank, aged about 16, and his mother will accept their invitation to join them at Immanuel church of the Deaf. There they can enjoy time learning more about God and meeting more fluent signers now he's a good grasp of everyday sign language. PP. Adam

As I neared Uganda's capital

As I neared Uganda's capital to meet our partners there, meribou storks became a common sight. They're a metre tall, pretty fearless, disliked because they scavenge and have dastardly dung but soar beautifully and effortlessly.