May 2015 Update

Dear Friends & Partners, 

We trust this update covering March and Aprilcontinues to encourage you. Shalom. Ad/Helen

Feb./March 2012 Mission Update

Arise; Let your light shine. Isaiah 60:1

Photo: YWAM Arua Deaf-Hearing Go Camp team ran a healthy drink workshop in Labone town market-place, S. Sudan. Here, camp outreach leader, Rita, shows the local community how to make a fresh lemon juice cordial. The team explained its greater health, social & economic benefits when compared to home brewing

Dear friends and partners. 
Are you in the UK looking forward to Spring as much as we
are to the rainy season? In January we were both heavily
involved in the planning/leading of YWAM Arua’s Go-camp,
for deaf/hearing16-25year olds. On outreach in South Sudan
God really helped us live, love, learn and laugh as a mixed
hearing-deaf team and to understand, adapt to & serve
Labone’s community there - through daily bible readings,
each other & the community. More news inside.
Helen thoroughly trained staff and planned much of this
programme and another, King’s Kids, for 8-16 year olds
with some deaf on staff. Both programmes left many
involved with a much clearer understanding that disability is
not inability. Interested? -Then please apply to join YWAM
Arua’s next deaf-hearing DTS here in Arua in June! Adam









In This Update..
YWAM Arua mixed deaf-hearing Go-Camp
Kings kids 2012 - “the life of Noah” deaf-hearing programme
St Phillips deaf youth join Arua Youth Camp for first time.
Signs & Wonders: Boniface & Clodine.
In the Refiner’s fire: The “For tomorrow” Tribe
News from the family. March-April Focus: See last page

Dec.2011/Jan.2012 Mission Update

As you learn more about Christ,  your nature will become more like him. 

 When people are part of Christ, there is no difference between … …Greek people and Jews… …people who are circumcised or not.      

 … people from various societies. ...between slaves and free people. 

Christ is the most important person. 

And Christ is in all Christians.’

Colossians 3:10b-12 , Easy English Bible

    Helen: Happy New Year to you. We've done a lot of ministry this Christmas but it has been lovely for the most part. We are blessed to be a blessing and I hope we are being. Time now for reconnecting with our wonderful friends back home.

    We received 10 Christmas Cards.  Thank you for these, they were a huge encouragement. Your prayers, texts and emails also encourage us enormously. Please forgive us failing to reply promptly if at all. We’ll do our best. Lots of love and blessings to you all too.

    Adam: Visiting Maria and Jerome briefly was really special  and reassuring. Each hosted me for a night and we enjoyed a couple of  meals out together as well as sorting out some planning issues, such as flights for them to visit us in April. It was lovely to briefly catch up with many family and friends. Thanks to all of you who helped in us all your unique ways. 

In This Update

Eruba Primary/All Saints Infants cultural exchange.

Encouraging Arua’s Deaf/Hearing Leaders to plan jointly

Equipping ourselves with more Ugandan sign vocabulary

Equipping bi-lingual teachers of deaf/hearing with IT skills.

Families celebrate their deaf son/daughters’ achievements

Adam in the Refiner’s fire:  The plumb line

Helen’s Signs and Wonders: Surprises.

News from the family 

Draft Mission Outline Sept. 2011-2014:

Mission update Feb 2011

Milestones in December and January

Taste and see that the Lord is good’ Ps 34:8  

• Key findings from Educational tour of deaf units in South Uganda
• Arua deaf use their acting/IT skills to produce a new USL resource.
• Former Deaf DTS student Sam gains employment as a carpenter.
• Deaf driver training course pilot
• Innovative 2011 deaf church programme co-planned
• Mixed hearing-deaf holiday club builds scriptural understanding; friendship & leads to deaf education partnership.
• Village Outreach: Paranga, Maracha

Mission update Dec 2010 - Jan 2011

THANK YOU…
from many Arua deaf and from us, for your financial support, ideas & prayers.

OUR PARTNERSHIP IS BRINGING HOPE…
…and changing lives.

WE ASK YOU TO PARTNER US FINANCIALLY
…towards our mission/goals for 2011-14, so that together we can consolidate & develop this vital work

SO IF YOU, OR SOMEONE YOU KNOW…
will consider partnering with us through regular giving, please get in touch.

Faith is the confidence that what we hope for will actually happen;
it gives us assurance about things we cannot see. Hebrews 11:1

November 2010 Mission Update

We appreciate, and are still inspired by our hearing UK pastor, Glenn Barker(far left) & our
senior deaf Ugandan pastor, David Bulime, left, who were both called back Home this month.
Glenn and David have pioneered much & blessed many of us.

Signs and Wonders in Labone, S. Sudan -with the mixed hearing / deaf DTS team
• Living in Labone’s community .
• Learning from/working with Labone’s deaf/youth
• At the Refinery: Learning about ourselves.

Next steps
• Outline Programme up until April 2011.
• Kidz News: Universities, Guitar lessons, & Rabbits.
• Sudan and Congo DTS teams completing their outreaches in Gulu, N. Uganda and Eastern Congo.

This Month’s Focus:
• Enjoying a break in Kenya
• DTS student/staff debrief, graduation ceremony
• Co-planning an educational tour for two local Teachers of the Deaf

Sept./Oct. 2010 Mission Update

Learning lessons. Looking forward

• Students continue to team-build and visit local people in need,right up to beginning of their 3 month field placement,
• Mixed hearing/deaf teams on YWAM ARUA’s Discipleship Training School have just left for needy areas of S. Sudan, Uganda, & Congo.
• Ugandan Sign Language teaching videos completed for Bible book names and for several new signed worship songs.
• Several base supporters have helped replace most of the stolen funds for extending sister base YWAM Yei’sschool buildings. Do continue to pray the thief/thieves come(s) forward.
• Signs and Wonders. At the Refinery
• Our youngest son Laurence returns

These Months’ Focus:
• Co-leading a DTS team to Laboni, S. Sudan (A)
• Jerome recovering from a fresh bout of Malaria
• Recommencing home-schooling (H & A)
• Finalising Outline Programme up until April 2011.

August 2010 Mission Update

In full swing again!
• Settling back into Arua life ourselves.
• Staffing YWAM ARUA’s Discipleship Training School; 4 of 16 students are local deaf. (photos)

• Our base team experienced a major break-in and learnt some painful lessons from it.
• Job offer for Agnes, a skilled deaf lady.

• Review/draft preview of our programmes.
• Signs and Wonders
• Jerome returns with his friend, Mitch.

This Month’s Focus:
• Helping our base implement the lessons learnt from the major break-in. Please pray the money stolen (for extending sister base YWAM Yei’sschool buildings) & thief/thieves is/are found.
• Co-documenting and developing more biblical vocabulary in Ugandan Sign Language with Pastor Fred from Kampala Deaf Bible school
- Learning from each other’s deaf training programmes to further improve them.
• Clarifying our programme up until April 2011 when we return for the children’s next exams .

June/July 2010 Mission Update

An Eventful Couple of Months:
• Aliocesign-language workshops celebration.
• Review/draft preview of our programmes.
• Vuvuzelas: RNID calls for FIFA to provide free earplugs and monitor World Cup sound levels
• YWAM’s 50thBirthday celebrations.
• Briefly seeing UK friends and family. Others are visiting us.
• Recovering from a broken arm for Laurence and an amoeba for Adam .
• Partners support enabling us to book our 2010/11 return flights to Uganda
• Pastor Fred from Kampala Deaf Bible school has asked for my support to document biblical vocabulary in Ugandan Sign Language.

This Month’s Focus:
• Settling back in to base and Arualife ourselves
• Staffing YWAM ARUA’s DTS, our base’s Discipleship Training School. Four of the 16 students are local deaf.
• Clarifying our programme up until April 2011 when we return for the children’s next exams .

May 2010 mission update

Good news...
• Alioce sign-language workshop attendance averages 50+. YWAM Aruasupports workshops providing base truck. Fellow staff also join.
• Passion of the Christ film watched by over 20 local deaf. We discussed their many questions the following day.
• AruaTown Library staff comment on how Ugandan Sign-language books are in daily use.
• ErubaFootball and volleyball squads are looking forward to matches against other local schools
• UK Friends and family letting us stay with them.

This Month’s Focus...
• Evaluation of Alioce Sign-language Workshops
• Helping to make our base’s next discipleship training school accessible and affordable for local deaf.
• Helping Maria, Jerome and Laurence prepare for their exams and settle in with their hosts
• Meeting family , friends and partners in the UK to exchange news and recharge ourselves.
• Organising our 2010/11 flights to Uganda

Mission update: April 2010

Good news:
•First Aliocesign-language workshop well-attended . Nearly all local deaf come with at least one friend/relative
•Ugandan Sign-language Resources and Display for AruaTown Library handed over.
•Mobile Sign-language displays for Classrooms at Erubain immediate use by both staff & students
•Great support Helen received during her brief but v. fruitful Ukvisit to finalise children’s exams.
•Clearer understanding current developments in Sudan’s elections to be held in next fortnight

This Month’s Focus:
•Aliocesign-language workshop preparation and delivery
•Helping to make our base’s next discipleship training school accessible and affordable for local deaf.
•Meet AruaDistrict officials re needs of deaf.
•Maintaining family health as exams approach
•Organising our 2010/11 flights to Uganda