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