Geoff in Uganda - a fond farewell

So this is my last monthly newsletter as I am wending my way home next Saturday...I know I know I can hear your gasps and thoughts of ‘hasn’t four months gone quickly’. And you would be right, it has gone quickly, very quickly, however I do feel that it has been enough time for me to get to really know River of Life, it’s ministries, it’s heart, and it’s people. So although I am more than a little sad to think I will not be here much longer, I am more than happy knowing that I have become part of this wonderful church/charity, and look forward to supporting it and visiting it in the future!

Any way the month of January was another busy month with much going on right throughout the ministry. We had the White Eagle holiday program, a football tournament ran by Synergy Sports Strategy, hospital and prison ministries still running, roots ministry, assisting at a youth conference, and a trip to the local lake - have a look at my other posts for all the updates.

The last few days of January we took as a bit of holiday. Beth (another volunteer out here) and I went off to Murchisson Falls in the north of Uganda. It was a truly amazing experience and the landscape around there is breath taking enough. We saw hippos, giraffes, elephants, rhinos, crocodiles, along with many other exciting animals. We also, after a boat trip up the Nile, got to take a walk up to the amazing waterfall that is Murchisson Falls. In all it was an awesome experience and if you ever go on safari, Uganda should be in your thoughts. One very special experience was that on the first night I woke up to some strange sounds outside my tent. After lifting the window flap I could just about make out the shape of a hippo! It managed to come closer and closer and eventually I was pretty much nose to nose with it through the tent. I endeavoured to keep quiet and the hippo moved on but that memory will certainly endure.

That's a Rhino! A RHINO!

I would like to take this opportunity to thank everyone who has supported me out here in every way. Whether that be through the money donated to the charity, the prayers, the emails, the skype chats, the people who helped to fund the pigs, those who have blessed me with gifts for personal use, thank you all so much. I knew I was blessed to have such an amazing network of friends and family in the UK but I am not sure I realised how blessed I am, so thank you. Also the people out here in Uganda, all have welcomed me with open arms and it has been a real treat to learn from you and serve alongside you. I will miss the people and all that the ROL for but I am looking forward to serving you in different ways back in the UK and I will be back!

But the big thank you (here comes the cheesy bit) has to go to God. He has provided and sustained in so many ways for me out here and has allowed me to grow at all times. Without Him all is not possible, as it says in Matthew 19:26 ‘With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.’

Geoff has been volunteering with River of Life for 4 months - to read all his blog posts, just click here

Geoff in Uganda - out to the village on Roots Ministry

Geoff's been with us since October, and recently took part in 'Roots Ministry' - here he tells us all about it!

The month of January also saw some people come back to Uganda. Firstly it was Rob and Katherine who had a good couple of months at home in the UK. It is good to have them and their beautiful 22 month old daughter Elena back as they live/run the visitors house where I stay and always make it a lovely place to be.

Secondly January saw Mary come back to Uganda after being away for around 14 months. The reason for her absence is that her husband and pastor of the River of Life Duncan was and is ill due to cancer. He has had some positive strides forward though and Mary felt called to come back to Uganda for 8 weeks or so. It has been good to get to know Mary a bit more as it gives a more holistic picture of the charity and it’s history. One of the reasons Mary has come back is to run something called Roots Ministry. This is where a number of people head out from the Church to a village outside of the area and run a couple of days of ministry. The main focus of it is abuse, and Mary runs those sessions, giving teaching and allowing the Spirit to heal where possible.

She asked me however to run the children’s ministry. Now the plural there is important because there were around 150 of them! We discussed what the talks could be on and we focused on 'achieving your potential' and 'knowing your calling'. It was a good success with the children and as well as the teaching we had songs, games, prayer, and face pulling sessions. Thankfully it wasn’t just me but Beth also along with some of our youth, and as a team we did rather well. Hopefully it was positive for the children, the prayer was that they may experience something positive from the weekend, whether that be through enjoying the games, learning from the teaching, or importantly that their parents would receive some sort of healing and that would improve their home, or perhaps they would stop being abused. In all it was a good few days and people seemed to take a lot from it which is really positive, and River of Life will be going there again in the near future to back up what took place.

Leading Children's Games

Doing the Sprinkler!

Teaching about how people learn

Geoff is volunteering with River of Life for 4 months - to read all his blog posts, just click here

Geoff in Uganda - Silky Synergy Football (most of the time!)

Geoff's been key in River of Life's Annual Community Football Tournament, this year re-launched as the Synergy Cup...

For a big part of January I've been involved with the football tournament ran by Synergy Sports, which is the sports ministry of the River of Life. This involved 12 teams from across Masaka and Nyendo, mainly made up of 14-18 year olds. There were 19 matches in all with group stages, quarters, semis and the eventual final. There was some really good football played (not all the time but often) and each team brought something different to the tournament. It was put on to be something positive for youngsters to do during the holidays, to promote the fact that Synergy Sports Strategy has been established, and to be another way in which the River of Life could reach out and be part of the community. It managed to do all of these things, and in many ways was a great success so we are thankful for that.

There was one very interesting point in the semi final though when a goal was disallowed for offside in extra time a fan walked on to the pitch to remonstrate with the referee, which then opened the flood gates for the most of the other fans to enter the pitch and try and have their stay. The crowd became unmanageable, and although thankfully there was no violence, we had to end the match prematurely. I’m not sure how the locals took to a Muzungu standing in front of the referees to protect them but thankfully all were ok and the tournament carried on!

Synergy had 3 teams entered into the tournament, the Sonics, Saints, and Sabres, and all did well and learnt a lot in the process. The Sonics reached the final which was a great occasion with a big crowd there to enjoy. Unfortunately they couldn’t quite manage the win losing out on penalties, however many positives were taken and it was a chance for the whole of Synergy Sports to grow as a group. Some of the Synergy lads have started coming to Youth Group and Church, which is just great as they want to be part of the River of Life community and learn and grow in Jesus, which is why we have a sports ministry.

Geoff is volunteering with River of Life for 4 months - to read all his blog posts, just click here

Geoff in Uganda - The White Eagles head to the Lake!

Geoff's been involved in the White Eagles Holiday Programme - here's what happened in January:

The holiday program was still running for most of the month, and although it was slightly disjointed due to the many other things happening that the White Eagles were involved in, it was good when it happened. We still had different sessions to do with life skills, games and sports, discussion groups and fellowship. As ever we had lots of fun with the White Eagles, as they are great to interact with. We also had a good few chill out sessions where we would do a puzzle or play some table tennis, these were often with the younger White Eagles which was great, as it was nice to give them a bit of concentrated time.

As part of their program most went home for a week or so. Although this left the project very quiet and we missed them, many had a really good time with their families across Masaka region and beyond. This is great as it is a priority for the children to rebuild or maintain positive relations with relatives.

As a treat for the White Eagles and staff, they go to the Lake every year and enjoy a day out there with some food and a chance to swim and play games. This is funded every year by a wonderful lady called Margaret who comes out from the UK for around 3 weeks every year in January. She is close friends with Mary and Duncan, a trustee of the UK charity that supports the work here, and has been supporting the Ministry from the very start, as well as still helping with communication with UK sponsors. It was a great day, and the lake (called Nabugabo) was a pleasant place to swim and the chicken we had was very tasty. It was wonderful to see the whole staff and White Eagles together enjoying fellowship in the sunshine, a worthwhile trip indeed. One negative to the trip was that I was a touch overzealous in throwing the children about the lake and made little Johna sick...woops! he is fine though!

Geoff is volunteering with River of Life for 4 months - to read all his blog posts, just click here

Geoff in Uganda - Socks and Pork, it's Christmas!

Hello again! I’m writing this on the 31st December 2011, I hope that this year has been one filled with love for you and your families. I pray that growth has happened through any hardships, and that you have been able to experience God in new and exciting ways. My 2011 has been filled with many different experiences but I will just focus on those of the last month in this letter!

A slightly different month this month - as stated in the last post the White Eagles are on holiday now so we are mainly with them in the day running the holiday program. Also the ministry has started a new sports ministry which goes by the name of SYNERGY SPORTS STRATAGY...I hope you hear a sound effect of thunder rumbling as you read that just like I do!

Also it has been slightly different as it has been Christmas (as I’m sure you were aware) It was a different Christmas in many ways, the church service lasted for three hours, which is the norm here, and I didn’t even get to show off a teddy to the church. However I did get some socks through the post off my mum aka Ros, and nothing says happy Christmas like a pair of socks! After going to hospital for some hospital ministry, some of us ended up at Tim and Sarah Crow’s where we had a lovely meal with BBQ’d pork, roast veg, gravy, stuffing and even some mince pies to finish us off. Like I said it was different but I truly enjoyed my Masaka Christmas.

We also as a Project had some pigs BBQ’d a few days before Christmas. Along with the pork there were sodas and chapattis, all were extremely tasty and everyone went home satisfied. I know some of the people from Culcheth Methodist Church contributed to the buying of the pigs, and I would just like to thank you deeply for that blessing and generosity, and that thanks also comes from all who enjoyed the meal.

Geoff is volunteering with River of Life for 4 months - to read all his blog posts, just click here

Geoff in Uganda - busier December!

December sees the beginning of the big school break and it's all systems go across the River of Life Ministries - so Geoff was even busier this month:

Hospital ministry – this ministry has been continuing throughout the holidays and I have had the chance to go a few times. As ever there were people there in desperate situations, but through my translator we were able to bless patients with bread and bananas, and also talk to them about Jesus and what he means for the world. A few people even took the opportunity to give their lives to God which was amazing. I pray that this relationship is a close and sustained one. We also went on Christmas day to the hospital to give out fruit juice and biscuits. This was a surprisingly joyful occasion as many seemed to really appreciate the gesture and be lifted by an act of love on such a day.

The White Eagle Holiday Program – games and sports, fellowship, life skills, aerobics, music dance and drama, group discussions, revision, dvd watching, these are all part and parcel of the holiday program which is intended to give the White Eagles oppourtunity to relax, have fun, and also learn. All has been just that, and the atmosphere has been good around the home. On occasion, I have thought, ‘is this really doing work that is needed or serving in the best way’ as to be honest, it is mostly relaxing and fun, but recently I thought about what the White Eagles would be doing if there were no project or holiday program. Most of them were street children before they came to the project. So just to be able to have fun in a constructive and positive manner is really worthwhile and we hope that it contributes to them becoming good citizens when they leave, faithful husbands and wives, loving parents, and willing servants of God.

Synergy Sports Strategy – the new sports ministry of River of Life has started very well indeed. Within a couple of football training sessions the numbers were up to around 35/40 which was incredible as we didn’t even advertise much. As it is the holidays we have had four training sessions a week, focusing on technique, fitness, game awareness and a lot of other things which I don’t have when it comes to playing football! Along with this though we also focus on fostering a good team environment, and promoting good values both on and off the pitch. At the end of every session we also have a short talk which focuses on an aspect of football ie team work, which then links into life ie community, which then links into church and the gospel ie fellowship and the body of Christ. The boys/young men that have been coming to the sessions have started to respond to this a bit more which is encouraging and hopefully this input will have a positive impact upon their lives in some way. On Saturdays we also run youth club straight after training and have invited the boys to come along to that as well, a number have responded to this and enjoyed the experience, even coming to the Sunday service the next day, which is very encouraging as the main vision of Synergy - to see young people in Masaka/Neyendo come to Jesus.

Youth club – this has been going well and we have continued on the theme of salt and light. This has been a really good focus for the Youth as it has a lot of application opportunities. We also have had a couple of sessions where we have either played games or relaxed with a dvd; this has been good in introducing some of the boys from Synergy Sports to the group. A few weeks ago I did a session on light and how it casts out darkness. I tried to make the point that darkness is a deprivation of light as where there is light there can be no darkness, and to encourage the youth that if we are all lights for Christ in his world then even the corners that attempt to block the light will be illuminated from many angles, thus casting out darkness... Amen!

The Nyendo Nativity that I wrote and the White Eagles performed seemingly went down well on Christmas day. Instead of shepherds we had grasshopper sellers, instead of Magi we had Pastors, and instead of a donkey (even though there isn’t one in the Christmas story) we had a boda boda motor cycle. The performers rose to the challenge well and all enjoyed watching and performing. Hopefully also it provoked some thought with lines such as... ‘As both the grasshopper sellers and pastors left, they all wondered about the infant king, wondered what his kingdom would look like, and what would happen throughout his lifetime.’

Geoff is volunteering with River of Life for 4 months - to read all his blog posts, just click here

Geoff in Uganda - Busy November!

Geoff's been busy in November! Check out his updates below:


Schools ministry – I have been developing many sessions for the different schools that I have been visiting each week.  Some have been short sermons that have been given in the high schools, I have never preached really before so that was an interesting experience.  They went well, I preached on the Sheep and the Goats, The Withered Fig Tree, and finally on the disciple Peter and what we can learn from him. However I wouldn’t worry Rev. Hare, I won’t be looking to take over your post any time soon! This ministry however has now come to an end until February as the schools are now on the long holidays.

Hospital ministry has been continuing; it is still not what I call a ‘good’ experience, but it is certainly worthwhile.  Having to have full faith in God’s healing power is good to do, and to see the situations of some of the people there is very humbling, and also fills you with praise for the numerous blessings you have in your own life.  This week there was a child a prayed for who had cancer. To see a child there in bed overcome with cancer rather than running around playing football was hard to see. I hope and pray that God’s healing hand works over him over this next week as I am sure he could lead a happy and healthy life if cured.

Ball-line football Academy – as in October this month I have been going down to the local football pitch to watch games and train with the boys.  There were some very good results this month and the boys seem to be developing as footballers.  However the link between the River of Life Church and Ball-Line football academy has had to officially end this month. Due to certain circumstances, the two organisations have had to part ways. River of Life is hoping to start a new ministry based around sport, so my allocated time will therefore be dedicated to that.  It has been a hard month in that respect for all involved with the organisations, but hopefully the Lord will use this as an opportunity for new growth for both Ball-Line Academy and the sports ministry of River of Life.

White Eagle Project – as stated before the boys and girls are now beginning their long holidays, which are much deserved after a long and hard working term at their various schools.  They and I have enjoyed spending evenings together, and taking part in different sessions such as fellowship, life skills and music, dance and drama. I have often been employed in the role of music dance and drama leader, and have a chance to use my experience form Spotlight performing arts to good effect.  All seem to enjoy just having a fun session and expressing themselves in different ways. I am currently writing a script for the Christmas day service which will have the Nativity story taking place in the modern day in Neyendo, Massaka, so hopefully all of the White Eagles will enjoy bringing that play together.  Also this month we have started to clear a small playing pitch which is just below the church.  All of the White Eagles, big and small got pitched in and moved rocks, sand, and mud, and with a little more work we will have a lovely area to run sports and games sessions during the holidays.

Some of the older White Eagle Lads

Geoff is volunteering with River of Life for 4 months - to read all his blog posts, just click here

Geoff in Uganda - Breaking up a Bird-fight...

Hi again! Wow this month seems to have gone very quickly which is a good and a bad thing. November has been busy as we have continued to work in schools and in hospital, and the White Eagle evening programme has been in full flow.

Firstly though; some fun parts of the month. Last week was the beginning of grasshopper season. That was really fun, although it seems to be mostly over now. The way which the locals catch the grasshoppers is interesting; there are lots of very bright lights scattered around Masaka town, and below the lights are big barrels with metal sheets coming out of them. The grasshoppers seem to be blinded or something by either smoke that is produced or the light, and they fall onto the sheet and then into the barrel. Then they are sold the next morning. One night in particular there seemed to be so many that i couldn’t see the night sky behind the swarm of grasshoppers. As well as this they seem to make good toys for the children who enjoy catching them, and pulling off their hind legs so that they cannot push themselves into the air and begin to fly. But most importantly they are rather tasty. They are cooked slowly with some onions and whatever you like, and make a lovely snack.

We also went to on a day safari this month. We set off at 6am in the morning in a 4x4 and set off for Lake Mburo. The roads were a mix of good and bad, but we didn’t much care as we were all excited to see what animals we would find there (plus we had chapattis to occupy us). We had not even reached the official gates of the park when we saw a few dozen zebras. They were truly amazing, so striking with their different stripes. As well as seeing the zebras we also wart-hogs, cranes, buffalo, monkeys, and spring-box (or something similar). They were all seen from the lake but we also took a boat ride around parts of Lake Mburo. On the lake we saw plenty of hippos, which I really enjoyed as they are one of my favourite animals. The size of just their heads fills you with awe. We also saw some baby crocodiles, as lake Mburo is connected to the river Nile, I think they were Nile crocodiles. Finally we also witnessed a 20 minute long fight between some African Fin-Foot birds...it was pretty interesting, but what was more interesting was watching the other boat of obviously dedicated bird watchers, be filled with both amazement but also dread as they feared that a rarely sighted bird might be killed by the other....thankfully we managed to break the birds up, told them to keep their beaks closed, shake wings, and paddle off in opposite directs. It was a truly amazing day, which I didn’t expect to happen when I arrived in Uganda so I feel very privileged to have been able to do that.

Also this month was my birthday; I had a good day at work and got to share some sodas and chocolate with the White Eagles. Then a few of us went for a meal in a local restaurant, in all it was very special to celebrate my birthday here in Masaka.

Geoff is volunteering with River of Life for 4 months - to read all his blog posts, just click here

Geoff in Uganda - my timetable as a volunteer!

After my first week's induction, this is the plan...

Schools Ministry – I am scheduled to visit four different schools during the week as part of this ministry. Two of these are primary and the other two are secondary. I won’t be teaching there as such but I will be leading sessions based on Christianity. In the primary schools, the children worship, pray, learn about passages from the Bible, and recite parts of scripture. I am looking forward to developing sessions for these schools. In the secondary schools they also worship but then there is more of a sermon given, after one of the first sessions I attended four people gave their lives to Christ, which was amazing. Last week I gave my first talk at a secondary school, which was on the parable of the sheep and the goats, I challenged the pupils to be sheep this week! So hopefully they will have some good examples of that when i go next week.

Ball-Line Football Academy – ran by Walu and Tim Crow, Ball-Line is a thriving academy that meets in the Nyendo district of Masaka. The ages range from 8-18 and there are some very promising players there. Last season one of the older teams entered in Division 2 of a National League and gained promotion into Division 1. As well as honing football skills the academy has a passion for seeing young men develop into responsible members of society, by training them in team work and taking part in social action weeks in May. My first session was a eye opener, I will definitely have to work on my touch on the uneven pitches, and my fitness will need improving as the heat can be quite draining. The older boys had a cup match last week, and were 2-0 down at one point, but with some inspired play and great team spirit, they managed to end up winning 3-2!

Hospital Ministry – this takes place on a Monday afternoon from 3pm to 5pm. A group from the church go to Masaka hospital armed with bananas, bread, and the power of prayer. We split up and enter different wards where we give out the bananas and bread to the patients, then talk to them about their illness or disease, and finally with their permission pray for them. This is a really humbling experience as there are people there who seem to have little hope or chance of making a recovery, and are really grateful to receive a simple banana or slice of bread. It leaves you feeling pretty helpless, and all that you can do is turn to the Lord in prayer and ask Him to hold them in His hand. One week six people gave their lives to God which was amazing. As a culture people seem to generally be more open to God here than back in the UK, and through its ministries the River of Life helps a good number start their walk with Christ. Last week we met a man who was handcuffed to the bed as he was a prisoner, he admitted to us that he was a thief and a murderer, but he also said that he wanted to give his life to God, so we prayed with him as he died. Please pray that he accepts the Lord’s grace and that it can work in his life and he can make a positive impact within society.

White Eagle Project – this is certainly one of the most amazing parts of the River of Life Church, for many years now the church has been housing and caring for boys and girls from Masaka, most of whom were mostly street children before they came to the project. The charity puts the White Eagles through school, gives them a home, and encourages them to become active members of the church. I have really enjoyed getting to know all the boys and girls, they all wonderful, and have got involved with the sessions I have led with great enthusiasm. I have tea with I’m down at the project in the evenings, and it is always real Ugandan food cooked by the amazing Moma Kat who helps look after all the boys and girls down there. I am well used to tasting matooke (a savoury banana plant) and beans now, as well as cow peas and also posho (flour and water mixed into a lump)

Digging – the grounds at the visitors house are fertile and can grow many different foods. There is Matooke, beans, cabbages, maize, jack fruit, and there is a section for produce found more in the UK such as carrots and onions. I have a slot now in my timetable to dig, and work the land; getting to use the local tools has been fun, even though my hands are rather blistered now!

Geoff is volunteering with River of Life for 4 months - to read all his blog posts, just click here

Geoff in Uganda - Arrival!

Hello from Masaka! The flight out to Entebbe Airport went very smoothly, so smoothly that we even arrived 30 minutes early which was a great. The 3 hour journey then down to Masaka was not quite as smooth, as even though the country has done really well with many of the main roads, when we got into town there were a few canyons to navigate around.

It has been great to begin to settle into the Visitors House, it is a lovely place to be, and I am living with lots of wonderful people. There is Rob and Katherine and their daughter Elena. Rob is one of the leaders of the charity, and he and his family have moved out here long term earlier this year (although they are now on a two month visit to the UK). Then there is Beth, a gap year student who has been working with the church for over a month now. Marije also lives at the guest house; she is a Dutch student who is carrying out research into malnutrition in rural Uganda. Gerald, who along with studying social work at university is the grounds keeper of the Visitors House, he grows lots of lovely fruit and vegetables which we are able to enjoy, as well as lots going down to the White Eagles Project that the church runs. Finally there is Julius, he is from Masaka and has had a big part to play in the River of Life Church over the years, however by the time you read this he will most likely be in Bristol, England, as he has received his Visa and is starting studies at a Bible college there. Please pray for him as he enters a new culture and a new climate (especially a English winter) .

The first week, was in a way a taster week where I got to sample many different aspects of the Church’s life including, playgroup, schools ministry, Ball Line Football Academy, Hospital Ministry, as well as attending my first Sunday service at the River of Life Church. I now have an itinerary that will remain on the whole constant. Most of my time is now split between the Schools Ministry, Ball-Line Football Academy, Hospital Ministry, Church Youth Group, White Eagle evening sessions, Sunday school training/leading, and digging! I'll tell you a little more about each of these in future posts...

Julius' last dinner before flying to the UK

Geoff is volunteering with River of Life for 4 months - to read all his blog posts, just click here