October 2014 Update

Dear Friends & Partners,

Yes,  Deaf Hearing United is the new name for our  Deaf Connections partnership.Our vision, values and goals remain unchanged. We want the name of our partnership to focus on our vision rather than our starting point. Please welcome Deaf Hearing United! More explanation in our next update.

   Yesterday’s events here at the Toburo family, above left, and at Eruba Primary School deaf Unit (above right) are so typical of our work. Sam, in the foreground is partially deaf/blind, with his father and uncle behind. Wth the uncle’s help and yours we were able to persuade Sam’s father to bring him back to Eruba deaf unit. Sam’s father is also happy for Sam to help lead a sign work-shop for his family back home at the end of term. Hs fellow boarders were really happy to seem him back too. More news below of our transition from GB(!) back to Uganda. 

Helen staffs on adventure Abergavenny Wales with 29 deaf children

It was such a fun week climbing, canoeing, high ropes, bush craft and much more. The children had a fabulous time; from strangers at the start of the week to best friendships by the end of it. Sadly, child protection rules prevents us showing a group photo.

    Welsh signing was a learning experience but a few of the children were keen to have a go at learning Ugandan and American signs which they noticed me mistakenly using. Interestingly, as the week progressed many oral deaf children were adding British Sign Language and shifting towards total communication. The National Deaf Children’s Society(NDCS)continue to do a great job of improving lives for countless numbers of families with deaf children in the UK. Helen

We also reunited with good friends too…

such as John, our best man and his partner Jess. John has video-interviewed us annually. We also met up with some fellow YWAM graduates from 2001. Thanks Moira for hosting.   We hope some will visit us next year. Adam 

Conference, Car breakdown, Bees & Termites

Adam:  First, in Nairobi, our missions overseers updated us on recent developments. There we also met colleagues involved in other E African projects such as a large adoption programme that matches couples with abandoned babies who are HIV +ve.  We visited trainee deaf pastor Lydia from Arua in Kampala. She has been made prefect.

   

Our car broke down en route to Arua, but two days later after much sweat and anguish we returned to a warm welcome and cake(above) from our team. 

Termites had destroyed one door frame (AR) & a bees  nest  had short-circuited our security lights. Our watchman Richard ate the honey in seconds! Now all is sorted.

Family News

Jerome: Quite a  busy summer! -  a family holiday in Spain - . I think when you live away from your parents the majority of the time its often hard to get used to them again! We did a bit of walking, ate lots of peaches.  Me and Laurence went to a theme park which terrified me!!                                                                                                                                           After that I joined a Wildfire team up in Scotland with my girlfriend, for the start of the Commonwealth Games! I was leading the sports side of the outreach and it was really encouraging to see lots of our younger team-members talking to fellow footballers about God!  A packed and encouraging week .

For all of August I was in Bolivia. It was a tough mountaineering trip where we summited 4 mountains! 3 of which were over 6000m! We were a 10 strong team of Officer Cadets from a mix of universities and courses ! Lots of challenges and definite friction at times, but everyone pulled together on the mountain! A great experience I learnt a lot from. Now I’m home to chill with the family, Fiona before Uni starts and my parents return to Uganda!

Maria: I have now graduated with my 2:1 in Politics and International Relations. Am glad to be finished! I spent a few weeks in Scotland on the YWAM Commonwealth Mission, seeing my boyfriend. I was very proud to actually see my cousin Lizzie win Gold in the Women's Cycling Road Race!  I’ve just returned from Kericho, Kenya (nicknamed 'God's bathroom' for its tea growing weather) on a 6 week programme providing business consultancy to local entrepreneurs with the aim of providing business skills and the option to pitch for a loan at the end. I've really enjoyed the programme and  the opportunity of seeing Kenya, meeting local people and seeing the wildlife. Since my return I’ve been continuing with graduate job applications, travel and work plans to help decide what employment area I want to go into. So if you have have a suitable opportunity with your business/organ-isation please do let me know! I am open to a wide range of industries and roles.

Laurence: Hi! I am staying with two friends of our family on a monthly alternate basis. I’m  now taking the bus into college. I’m playing for a local football team called Higham. We enjoyed our first win 3-1 at home last Sunday, with a full team at last. I’m studying hard, taken up English and changed to  Ancient history, from history, B tech Business from Economics. 

I enjoyed a weekend with Jerome recently, inc. paintballing and am going out more with friends from college. I enjoyed my grandparents 59th wedding anniversary marked by a 16mile bike ride. I hope to visit friends / my parents in Uganda in 2015.

Finally…

      You can also follow more frequent brief updates on our Facebook page. See header, page1. We had hoped to promote inclusion in Glasgow and the Isle of Man and visit a sheltered housing and deaf awareness project but overseas team member visa issues, house maintenance and family commitments prevented us. Recently it has seemed very difficult to continue our work in Arua, but we are trusting our maker, healer and provider to enable us to do so. We are encouraged by two additional partners who have joined us. Thanks to those who prayed/who renewed their commitment too. Future plans/prayer requests are below. Shalom. Ad & Helen

Future Plans

Deaf Hearing United(DHU) is a ministry of Arua Youth With A Mission base,  PO Box 442,  Arua, Uganda, coordinated by A & H Fielder. DHU is partnering local people who share our vision. These Interdependency Advocates (IAs) include: Arua Town Library, Eruba Primary Sch.(EPS), Diocesan Special Needs Coordinator, Nat./Arua District  Assocn. of Deaf (UNAD/ADAD),

 St. Phillips Church(SPC), West Nile Ecumenical Vocational Trg. Inst. (WNEVTC). DHU’s activities are listed  below by month and under a DHU key objective. (Italicised activities to be confirmed)

July 2014 Update

Dear Friends & Partners, here is a brief update on recent developments here in the UK