May 24, 2019
Kigumba, Uganda
Greetings to our friends, supporters, and encouragers;
This time in Uganda is ending. Tomorrow at 8:00 AM we will be heading to the airport at Entebbe. Evelyn, Robert, and Becky will fly through Dubai on their way to Kuala Lumpur. Irene will be
spending two more nights in Kampala before returning to Malaysia, to see some of the sites and life, both human and animal. Steve will head to Brussels and then to Washington, D.C. He will then drive to our home in Yorktown. In July he will rejoin Evelyn in Kuala Lumpur.
We never could have imagined a few years ago how our lives would be so intertwined with the lives of the people here in Kigumba. Our life paths have almost nothing in common. We have shared daily life these three weeks but for us it is a temporary experience. The inconveniences are only for a
moment. In a few hours we will return to our comfortable environments. Will we have greater appreciation for our circumstances? Of course, we will. Will we experience twinges of guilt? Of course, we will. Will we have turmoil within our thinking? Of course, we will. Will we want to shake up people
back home to have more gratitude for their advantages?
Of course, we will.
I apologize for sharing our angst. The flip side is that we also see so much that is positive within the lives of the students. What we do share is a common goal. All our eyes are on the prize. We are coming together to build up a group of committed counselors – people helpers. Circumstances and
history may not change. How we each respond to these life challenges is the key. How we help others to respond is the cherry on top. Perhaps not the best analogy but a sweet picture.
This is a distance run. Slower but steady. We want all the students to reach the finish line. We have come to the agreement that two-week sessions are probably the outer limits for both students and
instructors. Because we are still relying on volunteer teachers from outside Uganda we need to keep to this concentrated format. A better option in the future will be less compacted and offered over a longer
term. Evelyn and I will be returning at the end of August along with at least one friend from Malaysia.
We look forward (yes, really) to once again sharing life here. We are encouraged by your responses to these updates and are comforted by your prayers.
Thank you so much. In a few days I hope to upload some pictures of our time here.
With appreciation, Steve, Evelyn, Irene, Becky, and Robert