Today will be the final day of term 1. Uganda has a year-round school system with breaks in May, August and December/January. This final week has included year-end exams and grading, dorm cleaning, general cleaning, special assemblies, friendly football matches, a volleyball bonanza, movie nights and more. It¹s been a fun time of seeing students and staff more relaxed and in more of a family mode.
So, students are packing their trunks and basins; confiscated possessions are piled in heaps at the teacher offices and students are reclaiming them; report cards are being compiled and students who have paid their fees for the term in full will go with their cards. Teachers are closing their desks for a month away from work; some will go to Kampala where they are taking distance learning classes to improve their education and will study for their own exams. Others will travel to family homes to spend the month with their wives and children or parents. Still others stay here; this is home more than anywhere else.
We are breathing a big sigh of relief. I feel almost giddy with it. A few months ago as Kevin and JD left we entered our first term with a total sense of the unknown. So much we had never been taught and would learn as teachers and students broke us in to the new job. Now, three months later, we are so grateful for the way God has sheltered us during this time. We are grateful for peace and stability at the school, for continually developing relationships with students and staff, for the way God has seen us through in every regard.
Now we head off for a few days of R and R at Murchison Park, then a few days watching the Christ Scool football team compete at Nationals in Arua, then a few more days in Kampala for medical procedures and restocking of all our supplies. I¹ve promised Naomi Chinese and pizza at the mall there, trips to the bookstore and a real haircut and a local salon!! Yes, after almost three months, we¹re soon going to the big city ­ and it feels good!

The last week has been a blur of UNEB pre-preparations. UNEB (Uganda National Examinations Boards) is the exam period that our fourth and sixth year CSB students must pass to continue on to the final goal of a University degree. Similar in some ways to the SAT exam, UNEBs are far more intimidating. Imagine your four years of high school culminating in a single series of subject exams that test all you have learned in specific detail. (for example, biology may involve labeling any one of an array of animal diagrams, you must know all the detail on all of them to have hopes of a good grade.)

Due to the difficulty of this exam and the barrier that failure is to going on, corruption is an ongoing problem in the Ugandan UNEB system. So, unlike with our SATs, UNEB’s require applications months ahead (we are applying now for our students who will test just before the end of the year.) Every student’s UNEB application must feature a passport size picture, their official name, etc. A very common practice in Uganda is paying someone to sit your UNEB exam for you. Use of pictures and official applications helps with this but it still commonly happens because of yet more corruption at the testing centers. Christ School is now an official UNEB testing center so students from other schools join us for UNEB to be tested. In fact several years ago our Deputy HM (headmaster), a fine Ugandan man, became the area UNEB examiner. That’s a sign of the reputation that Christ School has developed for fair practices; the ministry of education is trusting us among others to prevent corruption in the system.

The process began a few months ago when students first arrived for the year and were identified as fourth or sixth year students. We took the proper photos of each one and printed them small. Our head admin guy has spent an enormous amount of time filling out all the forms for students and David came home this week with the file of applications and related paperwork, every one of the 100+ applications needing his signature and his official Christ School Headmaster stamp (stamping documents is one of the interesting practices common and necessary here.) We had a signing/stamping party - David signing while I helped the kids take turns officially stamping all the documents in just the right places.

Then on to the bank to look for a bank draft to be carried, instead of money, to submit with the applications. One of our staff members is submitting them for us. David spent four hours at the Bundibugyo bank trying to get the bank draft without success. He tried but was unable to fix their broken printers so yesterday he drove over the mountains - a six hour drive for 30 minutes getting a draft printed at the bank. UNEBs are a big expense for us, because unlike most schools in Uganda, we don’t charge our students separately for their applications and exams. Since we are already spending several thousand dollars and the late fees for applications are 50% we are being as certain as possible that we don’t have late applications.

And among the other complexities of the system, many of our student’s names change in their UNEB year (some of you orphan sponsors will notice your student’s name change soon). This is because names are so fluid and flexible here in the village, but with UNEB they require the names on the birth certificate and students may discover that the name they have been using wasn’t the one their parents signed up for!

Ndizeka, of Myhre fame , wed J, one of our teachers, last Saturday. J and N have had a long courtship with many twists and turns. We’re so thankful to finally see them joined in their hearts desire before God. The wedding was quite an event. Large, beautiful and quite western though with some unique aspects. I baked the wedding cake and Christ School girls helped us decorate the car for transporting teachers to the wedding. Quinn and his friend Gaby enjoyed a unique vantage point as they endured three plus hours in the church for the wedding itself before heading to hours more of reception. Naomi joined the wedding party as a flower girl alongside her team friends; Liana, Julia and Acacia and staff friends; Benjamin and Bethany. I cried watching Naomi walk down the aisle, not for any of the usual sentimental wedding reasons but because I am so proud of her courage to step into the culture. As they exited their arrival vehicle in Bundibugyo town, site of the wedding, African “street children” mobbed the car. As they entered the church all eyes were on the “buzungu” (white) children. Yet through all the attention, the hours and hours and hours of speeches and events, the staring, the touching, the laughing . . . . Naomi managed to delight in the day and the chance to share the beauty of J’s wedding. What an answer to many prayers for our children.

Naomi had a destination birthday this year!! Upon her request, we coordinated her birthday with our mandatory leave-the-district,maintain-sanity two days away. It’d been 2 plus months since we’d left our little area and I, at least, badly needed the time away. So badly in fact, that when David asked me to consider not going because of the state of the roads (Scott’s car got stuck that very morning), I wasn’t even willing to hear him out. My thought was that God knew how badly I needed a few days away and He would get us through - and He did. We headed out over the mountains and through Fort Portal, picking up two birthday packages (yay!) on the way. We headed two hours farther on past Kasese and through Queen Elizabeth National Park to Kingfisher Kichwamba, a small and modest lodge with good food, a pool and views of the animal park. Best of all, Naomi and Quinn’s sibling buddies, Gaby and Liana came with us! It was one big slumber party for the two days of travel and the two days there!
Naomi loved her gifts, loved her day, and calmly yet beautiful turned a sparkling eight. We’re crazy about her!!

Birgungi is a close companion of your heart by now if you follow Jennifer’s blog (paradoxuganda). Brought in with a severe case of malnutrition by a mother who hadn’t seen him in a while and found him near death (family separation), everyone was sure he’d succumb. I visited him Easter week and could hardly stand to watch him suffering. At four and a half, he’s as small as an infant, only his eyes and teeth giving away his age. Two weeks ago he was almost totally unresponsive and tubed up. Today, when he saw me he exclaimed “my friend” (in lubwisi) and high-fived me! He’s truly a living proof of God’s answers to prayers. I sat and watched him and marveled.
Here he is beaming shyly at the camera and giving away his “sweetie” because that’s the kind of kid he is.

Christ School finally has it’s official ” school badge” this year! Students have asked for them, it’s a school pride thing and we always encourage school spirit. It seems like such a small thing to do for students, but it’s an expense and every expense is a decision for us. Because we don’t charge students for their uniforms as most schools do, we eat the cost of each badge on every one of 350 uniforms, among all the other expenses. However, in a culture where parents are typically nickel-and-dimed for every item their child needs at school (mattress, uniform, Bible, mosquito net, the list goes on for a full page) we thank God for the opportunity to provide the “requirements” for our students as part of their tuition cost. It’s the practical solution when parents here rarely even have the funds for tuition itself, let alone all the things their children need for nine months of the year at boarding school. That’s why we always so badly need your financial help.
The most beautiful part of Christ School Bundibugyo are the faces of students. Each with so much story to tell; some great things and some shameful but they are all amazing. I love watching them feel “smart” (good looking) in their new uniforms and proudly walking by with shirts tucked in and buttoned up, big belt buckles shining, shoes laced neatly. It’s a good kind of pride.

It doesn’t take much to strike off violence in an African boarding school. Unfortunately civilized debate and discourse haven’t gotten these people far over their history, and they haven’t learned to trust discussion as a means of conflict resolution yet. Good old burning down the school, stoning the staff houses, or attacking teachers is a more predictable way to solve problems. It’s a big issue here. Last year even Christ School faced the threat of school riots, though they calmed after a strike and school closing. It’s part of the ongoing working of discipleship and integrating what the Bible says into our lives. We need to find ever-improving ways to listen to students (through student council, student comment box, and open ears to students at any time) and better and better ways to respond helpfully to their concerns. Yet not everything they want is possible; or good for them.
One ongoing issue in Ugandan schools is food. You can imagine that with 350 teenagers being fed three times a day, our food bill is through the roof (try half of our annual budget). We feed better food than is normally given at Ugandan boarding schools; more variety and some access to rice and beef instead of only beans and cornmeal, because we know that good nutrition is essential to healthy growing minds and bodies. Yet we do have a budget, so we worry over portions, and we try to maximize inexpensive yet healthy food and add in the “nicer” foods for treats. A simple thing like not enough sugar in the morning breakfast porridge can lead to notes like the ones I’ve pictured (drawn from over 100 in the comment box on David’s second week as headmaster!). And lead us to start our day with prayer that God will help students to talk, staff to listen and good resolutions to come out of all the normal, healthy anger that comes with being an adolescent.

Our new home is fully protected: Jessy, the dog we got last year, moved in with us, though she’s confined by fences to the back end of the house. Casey, the Christ School security system, sleeps on the front porch and patrols the entire grounds regularly. Though he has bitten unexpectedly at times (never a good thing) overall he is extremely well behaved and easy to manage. He never tries to leave (as would Jessy) because he sees the school and us as his work. He is the main deterrent to rabbit thieves and others who might try to climb in and steal from us and the school.
Jessy, in the back, does her fair share of protecting. Within our first few days here, as all of us were at a meeting, Jessy barked long and loud at a huge bird-eating spider (as big as an adult hand), until the person providing child care came out and killed the spider (at which point hundreds of baby spiders came running out of the grown up spider, always pleasant.)
A few nights ago, Jessy fought an epic battle. I was sleeping in bed around 11 pm when I was woken by Jessy’s fierce barking just outside my window. We built a house/bed for her right between our bedroom window and the kids, since both face the back. As I quickly woke up (Jessy rarely barks) I could hear a lot of noise under the window, noise of movement and then strange hissing cries. I called for David who couldn’t find our best flashlight so went out armed with one of the hand-cranked varieties. I was convinced that Jessy had cornered a snake. The sound was somewhere between a hiss and a cry, the thrashing sounded very much like a snake might, and after a minute or two I could smell a strong and unusual smell being given off by the animal. Oh great, I thought, as I moved away from the window. The best guess I had for a smell like that was a snake that spits venom. I sat away from the window and prayed for David not to die behind the house. (drama!)
After a few minutes of intense battle between Jessy and this animal, we could tell that it had gotten hold of Jessy. She started crying and running and struggling across the backyard. I was afraid. Visually I saw a three foot long snake, it’s venom injecting into her, it’s body wrestling hers. But within a few minutes all was quiet. David made his way back and when I heard Jessy’s low protective growl, I knew all was alright. She refused for David to come close, but in the morning we discovered the animal. A small squirrel-like animal but in color much like a skunk. Jessy had given it a good chewing up but it was generally still whole.
We brought over Master F, who teaches biology and was very excited to get a new specimen to work with. One of our tupperware was sacrificed to be used for it’s time in formeldahyde. RMS students (our mission kids) came over to see the specimen before it was carted off to the CSB lab. Myhre kids went home and read their mammal books where we finally discovered what this critter was: the white-naped weasel, which cries when attacked and gives off a strong odor.
Never a dull moment!

One of the difficult things about the life we’ve been called to, is expectations. I think I alluded to this in the post about luggage. As I’ve continued to ask God to show me truth and meet me in the needy places, I’ve seen more and more that the only expectations that matter are HIS.

Locals have expectations. My friends and family have expectations. You supporters have expectations. The mission has expectations. The team has expectations. The staff at school has expectations. I have many, many expectations for myself. In reality though, the expectations of only one, matter at all. What are HIS expectations??

Most importantly to remember, and to clearly state here, God can not be disappointed by me. He knows me in my weakness, in my inability to do what He calls me to do, what He wants me to do. Yet He can empower me (if I am willing) to do all that He calls me to do. It might involve a lot of saying no. It might involve disappointing many people. It might mean working behind the scenes sometimes and on the front lines at others. His work is the work I am called to, whatever it is.
Can you see the answers to prayer here? Last year I was burnt out, stressed out, over-busy, over-tired and ill. Last year I was loving what I did but barely able to keep up. My children and husband and I were experiencing the normal crisies of transition as a family. We have cried out to God. And you have cried out to God for us. And here I am. Crying because I don’t always get to do what I like best, but in so much of a healthier place. I am following His call even when it’s hard to see and hear. My family is FIRST in my ministry now. My relationships with my husband and kids are growing, strong, healthy.
I hope my transparency is of some use to you. I write this clearly, this closely to my heart, because I want to open my heart to the fear of expectations. Perhaps I will change, perhaps this is a season, perhaps God will soon give me work I like better or change my heart to like this work better. All of that is up to Him. And in the process I’m okay with disappointing the expectations of many, hardest of all of myself. Because the one who really matters is NOT disappointed.

One of the joys of running a large boarding school is discipling the staff. In fact, if you ask David, that’s the greatest joy, or at least the biggest job, we have. At this stage in the school’s development, thanks to Kevin and JD, we have a pretty secure foundation, a stable and large school population, a significant staff, some of whom have shown amazing potential for leadership of students and other staff. And that of course is the future of the school. Without strong local teachers, heads of departments, discipline masters and madames, cell group leaders, football coaches, developers of clubs and career guidance; we are bound to move forward slowly, painfully and not quite helpfully with our students. Local Ugandan staff (especially the Babwisi and Bukonjo representatives of our local tribes) provide the cultural perspective and the having-lived-it that we can never give. Many have walked the road of escaping early marriage or having experienced polygamy personally. Others are making decisions daily about how many children they can really support (vs bearing children as a status symbol to show off their virility), or how much of their salary will be invested in the education of their progeny. Women are struggling with what it means to be educated and working yet a biblical woman. All are figuring out what to value in traditional cultures and what can be discarded due to its’ dangerous, superstitious, or ridiculous nature. All this to say, the point of view of our staff is invaluable. We are more disposable. We’re here to keep encouraging everyone, to provide a point of reference for academic and behavioral standards, to obtain and manage necessary funding, to learn and grow as we watch Africa develop in the people before us, to see and be willing to report on what God does and how He does it.
So how do we react to staff relationships? How much do we interfere with casual relationships that may be little more than physical intimacy? As 350 students watch the adults in their lives, the staff, how do we shepherd those adults into healthy, positive, growing relationships that are respectful and biblical. What is a marriage? What is a wedding? How tightly can we control environments to keep men out of the girls compound and boys away from the male staff wives. How many chances do we give when the men we work with have often never been told what is inappropriate in the workplace (physically suggestive touch, for example). How do we handle the different styles of dress; a female staffer might believe pants are a sign of modernity and education while a male staffer might find them promiscuous on a woman. These are the same questions that students are asking mostly through their behavior. One returned from a trip through the fence (against the rules) buck naked; apparently the father of the girl he visited decided taking his clothes was just punishment for the crime and would allow him the shame of explaining to others where his clothes went. (for the record, his claim: ” I gave them to some people who needed them”)
We need wisdom, discretion, clear conversations and listening ears. We need to be willing to be wrong in what we believe is “appropriate” yet we need to be willing to say hard things when the occasion calls for it. I don’t care what your culture is; some things are still sexual harassment. I don’t care what your cultural view of marriage is; intimacy without commitment isn’t in line with the respect that God asks us to give our own bodies. And allowing students to watch or model these behaviors is a certain way to show them destruction. And yet, we know, we believe, that forcing behavior isn’t the way to change hearts.
And in the midst of these questions, the daily scenarios, the suspensions and letters of warning, the encouragement and forgiveness and love: we are just two humans also working out our lives and our love in God’s presence. Two humans, also struggling to show each other respect, love, intimacy and trust. And we too are watched; by thirty staff and their families, by three hundred and fifty students. We can hope that as they see our many mistakes, as they make their own, what flows through is the grace of God, his strength in our weakness, his forgiveness a constant, his mercy never-ending.