From Archbishop Janani Luwum Theological College and the Diocese of Northern Uganda. July 2024
Greetings from Archbishop Janani Luwum Theological College and the Diocese of Northern Uganda.
NORTH SEVERNSIDE – UGANDA LINK
Greetings from Archbishop Janani Luwum Theological College and the Diocese of Northern Uganda.
A thought from Psalm 119:25. ‘My soul cleaves to the dust. O give me life according to your word.’
I am struck by how easy it is for us to cleave to the dust, to see the frustrations, the work not done, and miss the signs of the life giving God at work through his word. This month the students have gone out with tutors to pray, people have been healed and delivered from demons, others have come to salvation. Students on placement in schools have brought their students to Sunday evening service and they have shared songs and testimony with us. Children have gone to school because their parents have been employed in the fields. Surely God is at work, and you will be able to say the same where you are. I so easily become anxious and miss these constant miracles.
We are half way through July, and have delayed to write because in some sense, nothing is happening. The inspection is not progressing. Although the money has been sent to pay for the visit it has not yet been released to the inspectors!! We are still unable to have our first year students admitted to the University, and therefore to register them for the exams which start on August 5th. In that sense life is utterly frustrating. The second and third year students are going to have to go to Arua for their exams, which is expensive and inconvenient, but cannot be avoided.
However in another sense so much is happening. In the last month another six laptops have been added to the college supply thanks to visitors, and our trip to UK. These are now being used by students. We now have a secure cupboard in the computer lab where these are kept, and they can be signed out by students for research purposes. Thank you to those who provided the laptops, cupboard and funds. Also in the last month we have installed an early dream, a water harvesting system from the classroom roof. The students now use this supply for laundry and bathing, and the college water bill has gone down. In addition our pigs are now mature, and two of the sows are living with a boar each, so we hope for piglets in September.
Simon has planted and weeded 27 acres, and the harvest is imminent. We thank God who as given sufficient rain, and the coffee and cacoa are establishing nicely. Like farmers the world over we are now praying for a switch to some sunshine to ripen and dry the crops. We are presently preparing the tools and storage necessary for the harvest so that we can maximise the crop when it is ready.
We have another family of kittens at home, and a hatch of five healthy chicks from our one hen who survived Newcastle Disease and the gift of a cockerel from a student.
In June we were very grateful for a visit from our youngest, Philippa, who gave us a good excuse to tour the country, and enjoy seeing gorilla, zebra and some beautiful countryside. We were also privileged to fly to UK in order to be present at the priesting of our son, and during that week to see most family members.
The students have helped themselves to raise money for their exam journey by painting the college buildings, which are looking bright and cared for now. We have also tried to solve a drainage problem by installing flower beds and drains in front of the dormitories. I hope that removing the standing water will reduce the malaria as well as making the place more attractive and easier to inhabit. We are so very grateful for the generous donations which make it possible to buy cement, paint and labour.
Because of your generosity the college is going to be ambitious and aim to build a new classroom block which will include a computer lab. This will cost upwards of £10,000. Having new classrooms will mean that once registered we can offer a diversity of courses, and develop weekend and ‘recess’ programmes which will bring in more income. I am commissioning plans this week from the engineer, who has design qualifications and good building experience. I will share them with you next month, God willing.
Please continue to pray for Simon’s developmental work in the diocese. The work he is doing in planting coffee is being echoed around the diocese. This is a useful cash crop which complements the food crops of maize, beans and greens. He has also received encouragement regarding a substantial grant for a poultry project to start in 2026 which gives good time to prepare and bring the rest of the diocesan land under management for ongoing cash crops, and the expansion of the coffee plantation.
The Rooted in Jesus discipleship course is now well used across the diocese, and some groups have now finished the first book. They are receiving the second, and we have brought together the translation team to start work on Book 3 which is very encouraging.
We are excited to be receiving visitors from St John’s South Carolina this week, and look forward to sharing fellowship with them, and the conferences which they are offering in St John’s chapel at College. We are ever grateful for their support, and appreciate their fellowship. We look forward to visits from the UK in September, October and November. It is lovely to share this beautiful place.
We look forward to hearing news from you and sharing in prayer with you. Thank you for your emails which give us news of friends. As I began, so we conclude with a reiteration of God’s faithful provision for our needs, everyday and extraordinary, and we give thanks in all circumstances.