Adventures With Mark... Joy & Sadness!

This is one of those catch up newsletters that brings both joyful and disappointing news. As many of you know the school is still under construction almost three years after it was started in January of 2008. We had local inspectors out last week looking around as we are working on registering the school and they were very impressed. They consider the new facility a first class school and one of the best in Uganda. This is exciting news as we are becoming well known in our new community for many other reasons as well. Just last month we had an organization called “Libraries of Love” that is based out of the US came and give us 500 books to add to our library collection. Not only did they add these to our collection of about 9000 books but they provided the money to build built-in book shelves along one complete wall and added some paint. Thank you Trudy for adding us to your list of the ever - increasing amount of libraries you have set up in Uganda.
Later in the week we had some secondary school graduates come and with awe stated that our library is better than their high school library. We know that many of you have helped along the way with adding books to this amazing collection and we want to thank you so much. God has multiplied what was a library of about 100 books seven years ago to now one of the best if not the best elementary libraries for all of Uganda. The greatest thing is that our students love their new library and are excited every week to come and read. There are tables in the library for a complete class to come and enjoy themselves for a full hour.
Unfortunately we are feeling the effects of the financial difficulties in the west more than ever and beginning September 15 the building project will come to a halt and the school will be used as it is until more money is raised. We have made excellent progress but still lack funds for painting of the exterior and interior of most buildings, plastering of the school block, completing the access road, landscaping, completing the playground area and other things. We will slowly try to add a few things out of our school operational budget hopefully like flagpoles and other odds and ends. I wish God’s plans were a little different but such is life, but we are very grateful for what has been done so far.
I want to close with a special thanks to a good buddy of mine who made his way to Uganda for a few days with us before he flew to South Africa on some school business. “Buster” it was great to have you and your support in all areas has been awesome. It was a highlight of the year to have you come and see a little bit of our life here. Like my good buddy, many of you support us in so many ways and we are truly grateful for that. I wish we could do more to repay the favor but at the moment the best we can do is pay it forward and pass all the love and generosity onto the students we interact with who are not so blessed. Thanks for loving us and please keep us in your prayers. God bless…