May - June 2015

Just a quick note from the Caldwell's. We are nearly finished our 5 years at Ambrosoli International - one week to go. We have some very close relationships there and it is time to move to the next chapter of our lives. Yes we will miss Uganda and its vibrant community, the climate, the ups and downs and the sheer challenge many have of simply surviving. One is thrown at the feet of Jesus to cry out for help and strength - he becomes more real here inside the darkness and despair of many. Please - if you have a moment - pray for our applications for citizenship for the children - they are winging there way right now into Wellington and Internal Affairs for processing! Already I am facing bureaucratic issues in London NZ Immigration - Nicholas application for residency is queued for as they say up to 4 weeks in order to find a person to process it - then 8-12 weeks processing - this is too hard for us and holds us in Africa without income for months. I have emailed them and I am told my special requests for quick processing have been filed!!! God have mercy on this processing! Sharron and I are keen to get back to our house in Tauranga and set up camp - a few things need fixing! The pool pump and pool have been damaged and are out of use, the fence is falling down etc - all part of renting. Our manager Raewyn has done a great job in difficult circumstances managing tenants!! We would love to recover our stolen Kayak - the last tenants must have been responsible probably selling it for drugs. The police cannot get enough evidence and yes I should have locked it into a room but it was too big!! So no insurance!!. The guys name is Bevan Smythe who was living with Rachel Cole. He can be found on Facebook showing off his new car so if you happen to see our big orange kayak let me know!! Shama is applying to start a degree in teaching at Bethlehem Teaching Institute and we find out this week whether she is going to be accepted. She has been volunteering as an assistant teacher at my school and wow she fits the role well. If she is successful she will return early July to attend a headsup course at Bethlehem. Jesus is doing an awesome work in her life! Sharron is a great teacher and she has touched many young lives. She is going to do a refresher course at Waikato later this year in order to regain her provisional registration and be able to apply for jobs. I will make sure she has a huge rest in the coming weeks as we are both exhausted after 5 years non stop teaching. We would not have it any other way because the extra income has enabled our sponsorship of Ugandan individuals into careers of choice and a better future. The hospital ministry will finish as far as our involvement once we leave in September. I need to be here to manage funds so it is too difficult for me to manage from NZ. God has moved into many peoples lives there and brought hope in the middle of pain. The conditions there are no better which is tragic - although there is a glimmer of light as the hospital in general is being renovated - hopefully the renovation will reach the burns ward. Two weeks ago it was flooded from the toilets and washroom overflowing!!! Our boda/taxi driver - Ken’s step brother - was killed 2 weeks ago - a tragic case of speed, possibly drugs and night time antics. The bereaved family are good friends of ours - they were our neighbours for two years. I found it hard standing with the father - I cannot imagine losing one of my children in an accident!! We are looking around for a suitable University course for our precious Ken. I tried hard to get him into NZ but I am afraid that unless you have a professional career and specific field of work wanted by NZ, or are a world renowned sportsperson or have relatives in NZ or have been invited by an accepted organisation to work in a job that NZ requires - it is extremely difficult for a Ugandan unqualified man to enter NZ. So Jesus has another plan and we need to help Ken find that path here in Uganda. Ken has close networks of friends here so he will not be alone. Our boys are doing well and go to a regular basketball camp on Saturdays. They made TV last weekend. I am so looking forward to getting them into the surf and tasting that sea water! Brrrrrrr!!! we will need good wetsuits after living here in a continuous 25 - 30 degrees although at the moment it is cooler with rain. Moses is the top mathematician in the school and will get a prize this week, Dennis is the grand tall sportsman that shows no mercy on the field or court - I think he is line for a prize too if not for fair aggression! Please continue to pray for our protection here. Gods mercy shone all around us last weekend as we were the first witnesses in an unpleasant car accident. I only just - a split second - managed to get our car off the road to avoid a spinning car. Then I walked into the middle of an angry crowd taking the side of the male driver who was obviously in the wrong - they were accusing the other woman driver of being at fault!! I told them in clear terms who was at fault - the guy - carrying 8 people without seatbelts, mostly children and driving on the wrong side of the road!!. I shut him up quickly and the crowd got the message and dispersed. Amazing how a crowd of ignorant abusive people can be so swayed!!! Praise the Lord nobody was killed but the cars were a mess!! Oh God here our prayer! Many thanks for your support and prayer as we plan to return. We have a few challenges to face! Re entry into another world!!