101 Cherry Ave, Winona Lake, IN 46590-1607
Fall Trip Report - November 13, 2019
We thank everyone for your continued prayers and financial support. I believe this has been our best year ever. We have been able to financially assist over 100 children with school fees or vocational training this year. This includes three College students, Celina, Primary School teacher degree; Caroline, Secondary school teacher degree as Arts hand crafts instructor and Enorine, just finished her third year, first semester to become a CPA. Rita, one of our previous students who completed her dental hygienist program five years ago will begin a five year Medical school degree program in August of 2020 to become a periodontal surgeon.
As to our special projects, we continue to assist Irene and Julias with their 5-year old son, Brian with medical treatment for his club feet at CoRSU hospital in Kampala. Meanwhile Irene and Brian are staying with our Catholic family, so they can walk to the hospital for Brian’s weekly appointments. Brian had 2 surgeries the third week of February 2019 to correct his left foot. He is now walking on his own without any assistance. He still will need one more surgery on his left foot In March of 2020. He was fitted with special shoes and will come back for adjustments at CoRSU.
I continue to support Servants of the King and Kemper Crabb, PhD and ordained Anglican Priest with his Christian church building/remodeling projects in Uganda. Together we dedicated 10 new buildings in NE Uganda. At each of these locations, I read from the Bible and reenacted the parable of the Good Samaritan to demonstrate how we are called and make decisions to help other people. As I tell this story, various children and/or adults participate in the skit.
Some of you remember my friend, Mark Ndinyo and his family. He graduated from Seminary with a Masters in Divinity at the end of May. In June, Mark and his family returned to their home in Kenya. In the past 24 months we assisted Mark with funds, so he was able to complete his new home on his grandparent’s 25 acre farm in Kimillili. We also contributed $2,000 to assist with the purchase and installation of 10 steel trusses for a new sanctuary (60’ X 90’) for Mark’s Baptist church in Komquia, Kenya.
As for our forestry program we planted 50 more eucalyptus trees. We purchased two adjacent pieces of land on the opposite side of the road. Some trees are doing better than others. The orange trees all seem to be doing well. Trees in their second year of growth are now producing fruit. Only half of the Masuzi trees made it to the second year, as some had too much sun. This is the second year for 30+ new coffee trees. They are now anywhere from 1 to 3 feet tall.
We’ve made significant progress on both buildings. On building #1, we painted all of the walls and ceilings of every interior room, installed glass in all of the metal frame windows and doors. We installed three interior doors and finished the floors to three of the five rooms. On building #2, we built and installed 3 trusses and iron roofing to the classroom on the right side of the building. We installed 2 - 48” X 80” metal doors to the center storage room (20’ X 14’) and made wooden shutters for the 4 – 48” X 48” window openings. The tool room (5’ X 14’) has a 5’ X 14’ steel metal door and 2 metal windows with glass for light.
The two vocational schools that we support by paying instructors, building rental (Kabale), or providing the buildings (Kanyata village, 15 km east of Ibanda) are doing very well. The Sewing classes in Kabale currently have 19 girls. Our new instructor’s name for Hope Reception Center is Pheonah. The Carpentry class has shifted to our new building #2, where they have their own space for classroom and work space. Additionally, they have a separate tool room where they can lock up and secure their tools. They have a second room where the lumber and building projects, such as twin bed frames and dining room chairs are stored. In 2018 we began with 10 boys and added 8 additional boys to the class in 2019. Johnathan, our master carpenter, is the main instructor. He’s assisted by Godfrey and Alex. He now has a wife and a 5 month old baby girl that live on site.
The banana and Matoke trees still are all doing well and provide Alex enough food for his family. He also has been successful in growing beans, cassava and potatoes, Irish sweet and yams. Last year he planted peanuts that they roast in a pan on an open fire.
We provided funds for a small church – 20’ X 30’ in a remote village in NE Uganda that has about 35 members. We have photos of that church and its members. We also worked on St Noah CC. We replaced 2/3rds of the wood trusses for that church in 2019. In March we will be at the same location for about two weeks to complete the remaining roof trusses install new steel main entrance and new door frames for both side entrance, as well as paint the interior walls and patch the floor. Photos of this renovation will be included in next year’s annual report.
We are partnering with Bishop George Turyasingura of Ruwenzori Diocese on several projects, building a church in Kamwenge and paying for Fortunate’s S-5 school fees in 2020.
Respectfully submitted for John Skeel Missionary Foundation,
John Skeel
