It is evening on the CSB campus, students sit in groups on the football pitch, enjoying the quiet of coming dusk before heading to the drudgery and tomfoolery of evening preps. Red and black fabrics hang in clumps from the clotheslines and fences – girls casual wears out to dry. Even the colors on-campus are uniform. I have just walked in the campus after a few minutes in the town and the difference in the atmosphere is striking. Here at school there is no litter, no skin fungus, clean clothing, English and laughter. No babies screaming, no men yelling rude epithets, every body clean and fed. Thank you God. This is a measure of success, a foretaste of heaven in the midst of the suffering of Bundibugyo.

Before you think things are perfect . . . . David, still suffering from a respiratory flu and battling headaches, fever and sore throat/cough has just headed to the computer lab where students and staff have reported smoke and sparks coming from the battery terminal that provides the power for half of the school. The only thing worse than a breakdown in power for half the school might be if it was accompanied by a dangerous and destructive fire. Pray for our power, a nightly struggle still as more equipment fails and overuse continues to be difficult to regulate. It feels like a place of Satanic attack which means it can be beaten down through your efforts in prayer.

But the major demoralization of the week is the staff’s response to the news of finally having to pay income tax. The school somehow evaded notice by income tax officials for over ten years, but we were approached this year. Thankfully arrears were not required from our employees (or the school!) but we did have to start payments immediately. Since David was recently given a criminal court summons for late payments of another government plan (due to no money in the bank!), we are very aware of the importance of immediate responses. Two weeks ago we broke the news of the tax to our staff. Sadly their response has been less positive than we hoped. As is human nature, they look for someone to blame for their misfortune ( it is a sizable tax and will likely never benefit them). The tone in the staff rooms are tense. David is being accused of failing to protect the staff (through lying??) We even had a mini-mutiny last week when staff briefly refused to teach for an afternoon. The staff are angry. They feel hurt, unprotected and clearly we have somehow failed to empathize well, communicate well, or SOMETHING.

Pray for us to face opposition with the heart of Jesus. I have always thanked God for giving me a man of integrity to be my husband. I know that David is a faithful, true and just human being. And I trust that in the end, his love, care and faithfulness to the staff will show them the gospel. He is Always Enough.