Greetings from Global Mosaic International Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
Thursday, August 22, 2019
Four of us will be departing in twenty-four hours from Kuala Lumpur, heading back to Kigumba, Uganda. We will be flying on Ethiopian Airlines. First stop is Singapore. We stay on the plane. Then to Addis Ababa, a twelve-hour flight. We have just under three-hour layover and then another three-hour flight to Entebbe, Uganda.
Our arrival in Uganda is just before noon on Saturday, August 24. The average age of our group is 64. Three of us are old and one is many years younger. I add this info because Evelyn and I have found from our time in May that a good decision is to take a night of rest in Entebbe before the road journey to Kigumba. This is the challenge. 250KM/150 Miles can become a seven-hour journey depending on the traffic through Kampala, the capital and busiest area in all of Uganda.
Our goal is to be in Kigumba by early Sunday afternoon, August 25.
Now that we have answered the travel questions always asked, time to share our agenda. However, as I have mentioned before, whenever we head out on mission, there is Plan A on paper and in purpose, but flexibility and adaptability are the cornerstones of this work. Always be ready to go to Plan B, C, D, or whatever.
Plan A
Team member Dr. Pei Li will facilitate a youth camp in the community for the first four days. She will then become professor and offer a credit class for the Kigumba Christian Mosaic Counseling School (KCMCS) at the BA level on Groups Counseling. (She is the younger person referred to above.) This is Dr. Pei Li’s second volunteer time with GMI in Uganda.
Team member and GMI director, Dr. Evelyn Biles, as always, will be wearing many hats. She will continue to mentor the administration and staff of KCMCS as they prepare for visits by the accreditation committee from the Department of Education. Another task is helping to conceptualize and develop a realistic and sustainable plan for the curriculum, teaching accountability, and student expectations for the school. She really thrives in this role as she can use her talents and deep experience in guiding and encouraging those in Kigumba. This is an ongoing process, with multiple interactions throughout the year through e-contact. Evelyn will also facilitate 2 courses for the Diploma level students on Counseling Techniques, and Liability and Ethics.
Team member Brother Lau is joining GMI for the first time. But this is far from his first time of global immersion, having served communities here in Malaysia and multiple countries in Asia. This will be his first time to Africa. Brother Lau brings multiple strengths and a wide range of expertise. He was specifically recruited for his administrative and financial skills. His Plan A is to mentor and assist the administration of KCMCS toward the goal of proper and ethical accounting of moneys, property, inventory. This will include establishing proper accounting and documentation of income, expenses, and financial sustainability. An additional need and probable task will be to begin and possibly complete an inventory, categorizing, and labeling of the many books now in the KCMCS library, which have been donated and brought there by our volunteers over the past year.
Team member Steve will be filling in the gaps. His plan is to supplement Plan A. He has no official assignment but to be the main undergirding supporter. Presence and response to needs that arise is the underlying goal.
We will depart from Kigumba on Thursday, September 5 and arrive in Kuala Lumpur on Friday, September 6. We covet your prayers for safe travel, preparation of the students, strength, and stamina for the GMI team along with sensitivity to all whom we encounter and interact. Prayer that we will be humble and always come from a heart of service and love.
Thank you from the August Kigumba Four