Update Nov 09 (Ballooning, Signs and Wonders)

So after years of knocking, on God's part mainly, we have flights booked for Arua,Uganda on September 9th.

I recently followed a balloon flight as an onlooker , from weather check through unpack, cold inflate, hot inflate, erection, embarkation, launch, climb, float, gaze, float.., countgarden trampolines, float.. , spot deer, descend, abort landing, scend, decend, land, permission to retrieve, pack up and.. .. a glass of champagne!

There was fascination, excitement and fear, concentration, and through it all, TEAMWORK - from start to finish. It struck me tonight that our vision also has many of the attributes of that balloon flight.

Your partnership has got us this far and will be the fuel that brings our vision nearer!

We shortly get into the basket now that most of the the preparation is in place.

So please come and join us for


and on Sun. 6th September,
10a.m., also at
The Christian Centre
when we will be comissioned during the morning celebration.


Not only do we want to celebrate God's goodness and faithfulness to us by hosting an evening of fellowship and fun, with a strong African flavour, we want an opportunity to say thankyou and farewell to friends and family in style.

Deaf Sports Leaders Course for 15- 18 yr olds


I was employed by the National Deaf Childrens Association to run this at Mary Hare Deaf School, Nr Oxford.What a great week we had with such enthusiastic young sports men and women.

We covered a broad range of sports and personal fitness strategies. these then led onto competitive self-created team events. Everyone was so creative in their thinking.

The younger participants on the camp enjoyed participating in the short afternoon sports events that these young leaders either led or helped to organise. This included the NDCS Mini Deaf Olympics.
Everyone was so keen to work together and learn together.

Communication wasn’t always easy because some students were oral communicators (lip-speakers/readers) whilst others were signers. Those who could lip read and sign had the advantage.

A big thank you to all those who helped me improve my communication skills. I had such a rewarding time as a tutor. Indeed it was another valued part of my lifelong learning experience. I have encouraged the participants get out into the community and show off their sports leadership skills and sporting abilities. Thanks everyone. H

SUPPORT LOG -We want to say "thankyou" for:

· A buyer for our car
· More partners in Midlands, including Coventry Deaf church and Coventry Deaf Club.
· Financial provision for:
-visas, medical insurance.
-Laptops(2)for home-schooling,
-Resources to develop and duplicate a text-free Ugandan Sign Language manual and other teaching aids
-Transport to and refreshments for sign workshops in remote villages
-Sports equipment and transport for deaf boarding school children

Asega, the chair of Arua Deaf Association

is grateful for the voice-recorder we have just sent him to help them record the lyrics of the traditional stories and songs of a remote village with numerous isolated deaf people.

He added:
Dear Fielder,
I am sorry to delay this reply as I was feverish at home. Yes, I tested the Voice Recorder and it works perfectly. I have read those instructions on the manual and it is easier to use. We are now prepared to visit Offaka on the 28th of July, 09 and you will receive all the details thereafter.

Fielder, I thank you greatly for the "horse" work you are doing to eliminate stigmatization/discrimination of the Deaf in Arua District in particular and West Nile as a whole. The work which I am highly praising/appreciating will be the first of its kind in the whole of West Nile Region to releave the Deaf from being primitive to civilized, darkness to light, hatred to love, isolation to sociality, embarrasment to joy, burden to relief and then self reliance.

I read through the latest Deaf Connections News update of July, 09 and I am really feeling happy with the kind of work your doing...
Thank you very much for your support.
..GOD BLESS YOU.
ASEGA BADRU OSMAN

Thanks too, to two of our partners, for scanning the USL manual so I can compile text-free illustrated equivalents more quickly.

Please keep sharing our journey - there will be several ways...your experiences, financial support, praying for us, even joining a group to pay us a visit.

A & H

Get along among yourselves, each of you doing your part. Our counsel is that you warn the freeloaders to get a move on. Gently encourage the stragglers, and reach out for the exhausted, pulling them to their feet. Be patient with each person, attentive to individual needs.
1 Thessalonians 5:13 TM

Update July 09 - Branching out

I recently gave the tree in our front garden a No. 1 haircut guided by our experienced and grateful tree-fella neighbour, Phil. That tree has given me much food for thought over the years. And it did so again recently because we are, in another way also branching out.

Our neighbour, "T'reesa" (honest - but not "T'reesa Green", she insisted) opposite volunteered her son to collect fallen branches and within 10 minutes there were 10 kids enthusiastically echoing my shouts of "timber" from up the tree and filling empty green waste wheelie bins that our other neighbour, Mick, had requisitioned! The amount of insect life astounded me, and itched me, - for days after!

Many passers-by watched and commented at me perched at the top of the tree, offering either encouragement, concern for my safety, shock at my apparent cruelty and thanks for reminding them to do theirs too! Best of all was an offer of paid work of a similar nature nearby.. Most crucial of all was remembering I can no longer rely on its foliage to give me privacy when I change in our bedroom... The kids criterion was checking they could still clamber up into it!

To me that tree has seemed to symbolise my life quite closely in that me, like the tree, needs more maintenance than I first realised and that I have to keep this up, for mine and everyone else's sake. Pruning my own life has not always been my top proirity, nor easy for others who have tried to help. I am grateful for their persistence..

We are also having to heavily prune our involvement in our neighbourhood, and thats not been easy to let go of.

Blessings Adam & helen

I am the Real vine and my Father is the Farmer. He cuts off every branch of me that doesn't bear grapes. And every branch that is grape-bearing He prunes back so that it will bear even more. You are already pruned back by the message I have spoken.

John 15 v.1

Good News -We want to say "thankyou" for:
· The loan of a motorbike (125cc), from now till September. - thanks to Dave& Joyce(R.I.P.) featured in our June newsletter ·

· Financial provision for:
-flights; a voice-recorder;
-sports equipment for use at Arua deaf School
·
· Several new deaf connections partners offering prayer support or financial support, or both;

two further invitations to make deafconnections presentations;
·
· Gaining the commitment of a very experienced and wise accountant to support our financial accountability and tax affairs.



THANKS TO YOUR SUPPORT ..
We have just sent the voice-recorder to Arua Association for the Deaf to help them record the lyrics of the traditional stories and songs of a remote village with numerous isolated deaf people.

Thanks too, to one of our partners for delivering this on his travels and helping progress our accomodation needs.

More thanks to Peggy, my deafblind friend, who has taught me more about hands-on signing.

Good News – June 2009

Our met needs
· Suitable accomodation for us on YWAM Arua base ..moved a step nearer with a neighbour offering to rent us her half-complete house, and an offer to pay for its completion!
· Interest from other potential partners in the Midlands and beyond
· A good friend has offered to help format and collate and duplicate the text-free USL booklet
· Passing our motorbike CBT

Our Needs
· Unity of mind and spirit in our family and on the YWAM base.
· God’s protection for health/travel.
· Wisdom regarding our planning for going and childrens’ 2011next steps.
· More partners in Midlands + beyond
· Financial provision for:
-Flights, coaches, visas, medical ins.
-Laptops(2), Internet access
-Two motorbikes plus one to borrow (125cc), from now till September.
-Resources to develop and duplicate a text-free Ugandan Sign Language manual and other teaching aids
-Transport to and refreshments for sign workshops in remote villages
-Sports equipment and transport for deaf boarding school children
-Resources for leadership/vocational training for unemployed deaf youth -Transport/accommodation to enable Uganda’s deaf to convene yearly and to enable a small group to visit the UK 2011

Deaf/Uganda Culture Evenings/Presentations

…have sprouted elsewhere thanks to family and friends in Otley, W. Yorkshire, Grace Academy Coventry, Nottingham and East Grinstead, West Sussex. More are planned in Wokingham, Berkshire and Farnborough, Hampshire (the town where Helen and I met). Thank you Marjorie and Ray(above), Janine, Andy and Tim (below), Joanne, Julia and Dave, Jenny, Jayne and Geff, and Paulette, who hosted /co-organised these.

We are experiencing a real desire amongst those we have met at these events to partner us in our vision and mission. This has been through one-off donations, promises of regular prayer and financial support, and further links to follow up.
Meeting and hearing about old class-mates has been a lovely surprise. A.

Endorsements by YWAM, Lifechurch and former colleague of Adam and Helen Fielder:

I AM SO EXCITED WITH THIS VISION! It matches together with our base vision to be a bridge of God’s healing to the people of West Nile, Sudan and Congo by re-building broken lives and restoring hope. Having lived with the Fielder family I have seen how they practically live with the challenge of deafness with character and skill. They are a strong model and testimony to the deaf community, quickly understood by them. Their work will help restore hope to the hopeless in our community. Sam Abuku, Co-founder, YWAM Arua

The ‘Fielders’ are a highly gifted family who have a proven record of commitment and reliability. They demonstrate a passion to follow God’s leading in their lives and are to be encouraged for their boldness in responding to God’s calling. They’ve chosen to touch and influence those who are less fortunate, partnering with isolated deaf people in Uganda. As a church we stand with them as they take on this new challenge and trust you will prayerfully consider partnering with them. Kev. Westfield, Mission Director,
lifechurch international

Adam’s plans will have an enormous impact on the lives of those less fortunate than ourselves. He is embarking on a journey that will demand strength, passion and determination. Adam has all of these.
Dave Alger, former colleague

Work on a text-free, illustrated Ugandan Sign-Language (U.S.L.) booklet for everyday use..

... began recently with the production of a text-free, illustrated menu,(above), for our friend Amber's Deaf Culture/Uganda Culture Evening. The food was similar to that we had in Arua! Many shared their experiences of crossing language barriers.

Could you host a similar event in your area to help us raise financial support?

This pilot text-free Ugandan Sign Language (USL) booklet sample
is being produced in response to requests by the parents and teachers of numerous isolated Ugandan deaf people for a text free USL booklet for everyday use.



This initiative has the Ugandan National Deaf Association’s support and the scanned USL images are used with their permission and retain their copyright.


It is our shared hope that the finished booklet will provide Uganda's isolated deaf and their communities with a powerful, affordable, accessible communication tool to enable them to strengthen relationships, learn, earn and participate

Our vision is to bring isolated deaf people

to see themselves as Jesus does:
God’s workmanship, beloved children and co-workers.

We believe this is possible through the Deaf Connections partnerships we are developing in Uganda, the U.K. and elsewhere.

I was pleasantly surprised how readily available the images I needed were. My aim is to have a text-free, illustrated Ugandan Sign-Language (U.S.L.) booklet for everyday conversations ready for use from this September.

We are just under halfway to our monthly target of £2500 support per month from this September.

If you plan to financially support our vision on a monthly basis or through a one-off donation do please get in touch now, so we can help you set up with a standing order.

Thanks. Adam.

Aboard NDCS' Listening Bus Roadshow

One of National Deaf Children's Society (NDCS') objectives is to offer up-to-date information for deaf children and their family/ carer/friends. The NDCS Listening Bus tours Britain on anual basis, providing an opportunity for them to see demonstrations of communication equipment and other resources.

Deaf children and their families/carers can try out alternatives and so make more informed choices. The Listerning Bus Roadshow been making a a year long tour of Britain for about a decade.

I helped Roadshow Coordinator, Damian set up the bus recently in a highly multi-ethnic area of East London , answer the questions of deaf children, their families/carers and friends who visited.

NDCS was pleased to be able to offer far more comprehensive information in Punjabi, Urdu amongst othe languages on this visit. With such varied needs, questions and cultural backgrounds amongst the visitors I was impressed with the help the Listening Bus offers. I was intersted to learn of damian's previous work with the Deaf in South America too.

THANK YOU! Uganda Visit Summary Nov/Dec 2008: . Priorities for our future work with the isolated deaf in Arua District, N. Uganda .

This trip, and the meetings and community sign workshops it enabled, have only been possible thanks to a large number of people's support of time, hospitality, finance, encouragement, time and talent and prayer. Particular thanks to our UK supporters, YWAM Arua staff, Ugandan friends working on behalf of the deaf there.

All of the workshops and meetings involved travel and refreshment expenses which although low compared to the UK were far beyond the reach of the benificiaries here. I am grateful for God's protection during our travels here. Road travel is high risk whether you cycle or take a motor-bike or lorry taxi. Walking is not the safest option!

Following Adam’s recent stay back in N. Uganda, the workshops and discussions held there highlighted several priorities for our future work:

• Sourcing /developing a text-free Ugandan Sign-Language(USL) booklet with photographs of objects to accompany their equivalent sign.
  
• Provision of extra-curricular opportunities for deaf students at Eruba, e.g. training for and transport to sports fixtures/cultural exchanges with neighbouring schools.
  
• Acquisition of teaching aids, AV equipment and generator to deliver community based sign-language courses based on an existing curriculum.
  
• Identification of able and available USL interpreters/instructors to co-deliver these community based sign-language courses
• Provision of community based sign-language courses for isolated deaf, first on the outskirts of Arua town, then in more rural areas such as Offaka or Okallo. Opportunities for wider adoption of USL and social/cultural exchange within their communities through traditional dance, story-telling or sport would then be explored


• Exploration of possibilities for vocational training/income generation and social/cultural exchange for Arua town’s deaf youth for whom secondary education is unreachable/unaffordable.

Uganda - Profile*

The People
Population Size / Density:
2000 21.8million 90 per sq.km
2010 29.8million 124 per sq.km
2025 44.4million 184 per sq.km

N.B. No-one knows the numbers who perished during Amin’s dictatorship and the subsequent civil wars, famines and tribal killings, but estimates vary from 800 000 to 2million. The impact of AIDS has been devastating and slowed population growth.

People Groups:
160+ indigenous ethnic groups Bantu groups: 92.4%

Refugees:
Mainly Burundi, Ruwundi Hutu.
Also Somalis, Congolese

Capital: Kampala (1.2million) Other major cities: Entebbe (50,000)
Urbanites: 13%

Languages
Literacy: 62% Official language: English Other languages: 46

The Economy
Mainly agricultural, subsistence farming.
Three annual growing seasons.
Main export crop is coffee.

The healthy economy of the 1960’s was damaged by the expulsion of the Asian business community in 1972, then
virtually destroyed by tyranny and wars.

There has been a slow, but steady improvement since 1992, but continued warfare in the North and West and the ravages of AIDS and disease keep the majority of the population in deep poverty.

Health Development Index (H.D.I.)
0.404 - a ranking of 158th out of 174

Public debt: 48% of GNP

Average Annual Income: $330 per person – 1% of USA figure

* Source: Operation World

Great news - work for Adam next term

We're delighted that Adam has landed some maths teaching work next term. This will provide some much-needed income in the run-up to Uganda.

It's at a school in Coventry whose ethos has lots in common with our approach to thngs. There's also a good chance of getting the pupils involved in some signing too.

MissionsTraining: Purpose – Principles – People groups – Crossing cultures – Testimonies-

Our School of Missions course at Mattersey Hall was designed to help prepare ourselves for an overseas mission. We met many missionaries who have spent years overseas e.g. as well as some back home to rest/meet partners.

How many of the the last 800years has Estonia been occupied by a foreign power?

We visited Estonia to earn from some very successful hearing-deaf partnerships there.

We learnt much from the deaf couples, projects and supporters (pictured) we met in Talinn, Estonia. We had no common spoken language at all. All we had was our native sign-languages, i.e. British, Estonian and Russian! Yet communication was quite easy, and so much fun too.

The Estonian sign for England is not one many Brits. would have chosen!Estonia’s 20th Century history is unbelievable.. We’ve invited them over next year.

(Ans. to Q1: about 700 years)

Interest grows at our kids' school and at the Arua Deaf School

We met the deputy head where all our children go currently, to discuss their schooling and seek their support with some distance-learning resources for when our children are in Arua. They were very positive and even talked about a possible exchange visit!


This week we've applied for visas for our Uganda strategy trip, which takes place in November. That's when I (Adam) will be going out to prepare for our trip, and get more of an idea about how we're going to take the work forward in Arua. We need to pinpoint exactly how we're going to link in to the work there - hopefully via the Deaf School. They already have Ugandan sign language and we're very much hoping they'll share their expertise with us. I managed to get through to the school for a brief chat so they know I'm coming in November at least.

“Can you help me teach these deaf children? – We have no way of communicating”

This plea by humble but passionate bush-village teacher, Margaret (above left), desperate to release the potential of the two deaf children in her class of 80 plus (right) was a key moment for us back in Aug.07 on our first and next trip to Arua district, North Uganda…












We invited Margaret, to join us on a visit we ‘happened’ to be making later that week to Arua one of North Uganda’s few schools for the Deaf (pictured below), where we all learnt much more about the needs of deaf youth and adults too..







“Ugandan deaf people lack tools to communicate, learn, earn, and participate!”-

Was the repeated message we got as we have travelled across Arua.

We discovered that:
· The above-average no. of deaf people in West Nile is partly due to preventable causes, such as lack of childhood vaccines, poor ear hygiene awareness and the mal-administration of drugs.

· Ugandan Sign Language (U.S.L.) is in print, but it is unknown, unaffordable and un-usable by communities with deaf people, who mostly live in bush villages and can’t read.

· There are few carers for the deaf in communities and they have sparse resources.

· Most deaf youth/ adults are without employment or respect in their community.

Uganda deaf people are often misunderstood, frustrated and lonely. - Isolated!
Was the repeated impression we had as we listened to numerous deaf and their carers. We discovered that deaf people’s personal, social, emotional, intellectual and spiritual development needs are unmet! Their vulnerability to neglect or abuse or environmental hazards also increases. This situation, we have learnt, is common in other developing/war-torn countries too!


“Would you come and teach this language to my deaf villagers?”

- Exclaimed the Arua Town shopkeeper, Helen, amazed, as she handed us our Ugandan Sign Language Manuals. She’d had to order them from Entebbe, 300+ miles away! This comment emphasised the widespread need again.



Our visit reflected some Global deaf statistics I'd read before:

Approximately 250 million people have severe or profound hearing loss.
. . . and more than two-thirds of them live in the Third World.

70 million people are profoundly deaf . . .
. . . and over 80 % of these have no access to education.

90% of the deaf have hearing parents . . .
. . . and only 1 in 10 of these parents can communicate with their child in sign language.