Friends,
We're only a few days away from getting on the plane for a July 28th flight that will take us to Kampala, the capital of Uganda, where we will spend a few days before leaving for Nzara in Southwestern Sudan, our home for at least the next year. While there we will be meeting Bishop Samuel's children who are in school in Kampala, opening two bank accounts (one to handle the development funds and one for our living expenses), registering at the United States embassy and buying a variety of things we will need.
In the last few weeks we have traveled to MI to leave our pets off with our two girls who live in the Detroit area. We have purchased teaching supplies for Karen, had all our numerous shots, gathered together necessary medical supplies, learned some new tricks on our computers and solicited much needed funds for various development projects. Those projects include purchasing bikes for the clergy to help them in their ministries, improving an existing house that will become Bishop Samuel and Santina's home, buying a used truck for the diocese to use in its various building projects, and building a training center/office. Our preparations began in earnest when we attended a national church sponsored two week long orientation and training seminar in Toronto in mid=June. See the picture above of the 15 youth and 5 elderly persons attending the seminar.
In the last few weeks we have traveled to MI to leave our pets off with our two girls who live in the Detroit area. We have purchased teaching supplies for Karen, had all our numerous shots, gathered together necessary medical supplies, learned some new tricks on our computers and solicited much needed funds for various development projects. Those projects include purchasing bikes for the clergy to help them in their ministries, improving an existing house that will become Bishop Samuel and Santina's home, buying a used truck for the diocese to use in its various building projects, and building a training center/office. Our preparations began in earnest when we attended a national church sponsored two week long orientation and training seminar in Toronto in mid=June. See the picture above of the 15 youth and 5 elderly persons attending the seminar.
We are both, of course, going through some major greiving. As you know I have resigned my position as Rector or priest of Grace Church in Galena. It will be very very hard to place the bread of the Eucharist or Holy Communion into the hands of all those wonderful folk who are the Grace family on my last Sunday. What a joy it has been to stand at that altar and in that pulpit these last nine plus years. At such times I sometimes wish that the tears did not flow quite so freely. If we did not feel so truly called by God to this particular kind of service in this particular place at this particular time we would have been quite content to stay at Grace Church.
I'll try to update this blog each week in additon to sending out very short emails to those who we think might be interested.
I'll try to update this blog each week in additon to sending out very short emails to those who we think might be interested.
Fr. Bob+
