Frustrations and Jubilations!

Totally surrounded!!

We’ve now been in the UK for over a month, but we Just wanted to update you about the Sango Bay Refugee camp that Sarah has been working at...  we are delighted to report that *finally* their water source has been sorted out.  Just as well, really, considering the men were refusing to use the water purification tablets for fear that they might affect their “potency”.  I would argue that bloody diarrhoea might have a negative impact on your potency too, but who am I to say?

It’s quite full-on work when, since, most of the time, you feel like you’re in the centre of the World’s Largest Rugby Scrum, and sometimes you can’t even get out of your chair to select drugs for a patient, since you risk squashing several waiting patients in the process.  No problem, you might say, why not have a number system, a la Mr Bean, but when each patient comes with 4 children, even that system is not fool-proof (if you eventually want to get home in the evening!).  Suggestions on a postcard (airmail!) please….

Sometimes you just need Argos….

…know what I mean?  Well, if you don’t, you will.  We wanted to buy a washing machine that could handle all the stinky nappies that our little man produces, so off we went to Kampala.  Simple task, right?  Yep, it was simple.  Popped in, picked one, packed it into the car, bit of a pain to get it plumbed in, but sorted that out soon enough.  One good load of laundry done. 

And then it started clunking.  A bit like when you have tiny pixies in your pipes with large hammers, working away as if they were coal miners.  No problem, we had to return to Kampala to pick up visitors two weeks later, so off we trotted, to be told that the problem had been our fault – we’d forgotten to undo a bolt.  But never mind, as it’s now fixed.  Great!  Except once we got it safely home (3 hour drive, remember) it wasn’t.  Luckily our visitors needed to be dropped off again 10 days later, so our friend Mukiibi returned the machine again, with a polite but firm note demanding either a new machine or money back.  Sarah thought it wise not to ask about the bolt at the time of exchange, lest they refuse the exchange.  When we finally got through on the phone to them 4 days later, it turns out there IS no bolt.  Sarah was dumbfounded.  Tim wasn’t in the least bit surprised!

Baby Babirye!  

Another week, another heart-warming baby story.  This little poppet is our tiniest ever survivor, born at 820g (1.8 pounds), and 28 weeks gestation.  When she was born, there was another small baby born that same day, so it was rationing time on the Unit (you think you’ve got it bad in the NHS?).  So Sarah deduced that this tiny little creature couldn’t possibly survive, so the one infusion pump was used on another baby.  WELL, Baby Babirye was having none of it – she stuck her tiny nose in the air, clenched her fists, and fought a good fight.  She spent nearly 50 days with us on the Unit, but turned out very well indeed, thriving at home with her devoted maama, as well as returning to the Unit to encourage us periodically. 

 And finally, you know you’re in Uganda when...

You notice your small son is playing with a worm... oh no, on closer look, it’s a baby snake.  Best not eat that, then, boyo!

For Everything there is a Season...

So much of our lives are about seasons. As I sit here in the UK reflecting on this past season for Synergy, it is certainly one of expectations having been exceeded in many ways, yet also it highlights a need to refocus our vision and strategy in order to see our talented young players achieve in every area of their lives.

On the field we have thrived, securing a fourth championship and third straight promotion, to take the one spot available in our region to Uganda’s Big League, one division under the Super League, Uganda’s top tier. This success has in fact left us with the option of registering as a professional football club, complete with professional contracts for all our players.

However, this is where the trappings of success could so easily take us down the wrong road. And I have seen it before, where projects whose beginnings were built upon a strong Christian foundation with a clear gospel message end up being watered down to become success driven ventures that end up doing no more than paying lip-service to their Christian roots.

The Team before our Regional League Play-off Final Victory

That is why at Synergy and River of Life Church, we deliberated and prayed long and hard about what to do next, and whether to even take our senior team forward into Big League.

What we continued to come back to was our vision: To see young people fulfill their potential in sport, and their wider lives, through all the activities that we provide.

To sell the team on to another owner, or simply forego our place in Big League would not fulfill this vision. If anything it would undermine much of the hard work we have done to build relationships with, and invest in, our players. This is work which has seen them change in attitude and character, and has seen a good number take positive steps towards becoming Christians. Equally, we are wary of a professional status which could easily see our focus shift away from our grass-roots ethos and heavily draw upon finances that we don’t even have!

So what to do for the season ahead...

Thankfully Big League does not necessitate professional contracts, enabling us to remain an amateur outfit, but still take the place our lads have worked so hard to win. That means we will continue the journey with our players, hoping that success will not only be seen on the field of play, but also in our players wider lives as we continue to invest in their mentoring, discipleship and educational opportunities.

 

Football-wise, we may not be able to take them much further than where we now stand, but our hope is to see doors of opportunity open for our players to be scouted by bigger clubs as we move through the year.

I have always hoped that some of our players will become professional footballers, but my bigger hope remains to see them changed as individuals by the love of Jesus. As we look to the season ahead, I pray that both of these things may be achieved for at least some of our players. If it is, then we will have accomplished what we set out to do and yet another new season will begin!

In August we will be undertaking a football marathon to raise funds for Synergy. If you would like to take part, please contact me on tim@riveroflifeuganda.org. If you would like to sponsor us please go to this page:
https://www.justgiving.com/synergy-football-marathon-2014
or text SNRG77 £5 (or another value either £2, £3 or £10) to 70070. 

THANK YOU!