July Update

Happy Easter!

A little video update...

Operation Bahamas...

Thank you...
for all your prayers and messages over the last week. After 36 hours of travelling from Uganda, Sam made it safely to Florida and was straight into work last Monday morning.  No time for any jet lag, straight into joining the MAF team that is coordinating getting the relief supplies and people from a base in Florida to the Bahamas.

Sam and his colleagues in Florida are working with Mission Flights International (MFI). The MFI hangar at Fort Pierce is the central collection point and MFI volunteers are coordinating the receiving and packaging of all the donated supplies. Sam and his MAF colleagues are then working out the logistics of getting the supplies to various local church groups, organisations on the ground and the Bahamian government to distribute the aid to the affected people.

Mission Flights International normally run two flights a week to Haiti in their DC3. Sam and his colleagues are now helping MFI to run 2 flights a day in the DC3 and another 2 - 3 flights a day in a borrowed Cessna 208 Caravan. It is a huge logistical task to move tons of relief supplies that are being brought to the MFI hangar and the growing number of teams wanting to travel to the Bahamas to join the recovery efforts.



Please continue to pray for those who lost everything 21 days ago. The level of devastation is beyond belief. 

Please pray these planes continue to fly without any technical difficulties so they can keep up the high pace of flights each day.













Please pray for all the volunteers who are working tirelessly to sort, pack and arrange all the relief supplies so they can be flown accross to the Bahamas.

Please pray for the MAF team and so many other organisations on the ground who are working to distribute all the aid.

Sam will be heading out to the Bahamas this week. Please pray for continued strength, energy, wisdom and grace as he continues to give his all, alongside his fellow team mates.









On the home front, the girls are doing well. Missing Daddy but they have a good understanding of why he is away. In the words of Becca - 'Daddy has gone to save everybody' Oh to be 5 years old! 

Rachel received a 'Fruit of the spirit' award in Chapel at school on Friday for showing love to her friends. One happy girl. 

And Becca is finding comfort in the puppies in the absence of Daddy cuddles. She has actually been struggling with a cold this week so feeling a little weary!

September 2019 Update

Our first week in Uganda

First day of school in their new uniforms

                         

Thank you to all of you who have been praying for our first week in Uganda and for the girls starting school. It has, so far, been a very easy transition for the whole family and yesterday the girls loved their first day at school. (Phew!) They are going to a Christian international school which had such a lovely feel to it as soon we walked in. The girls were so excited they just ran off to their new classes without even saying goodbye! It was a great first day and they were so excited to be going again today, so that was a good sign.

Gabba by lake Victoria

We have really enjoyed exploring our local neighbourhood this week and the girls enjoyed cycling down to the edge of lake Victoria in Gabba which is a short walk away. We also explored the market for local produce which was very tasty. 

Moving in

We now have all of our belongings at our house and are busy trying to work out where everything will go to make it feel more like our home! One of the MAF planes brought a good number of boxes 

let the unpacking commence!

of our things from Chad to Uganda 
in January, so it is lovely to be 
opening each box and remembering 
what we had packed. 
The girls are finding much loved and missed teddies and enjoying unearthing all their toys.

Playing with cousins on
Good Friday

We have had such a warm welcome from so many people. The MAF team, old friends and Sam's family have all been instrumental in making this first week so good, with little gifts, people coming to visit, invites for meals and coffee, and lots of important and helpful information as we re-learn living in Kampala! In some ways it really feels so familiar, but in other ways it has changed a lot!

This week we need to buy a car so please pray for wisdom in this as we look for an affordable but yet reliable vehicle. 

Today is the Day!

As we are sitting here in Heathrow, finally all checked in for our flight tonight, we are all excited to start this new chapter in Uganda with MAF. In some ways it has felt a long time coming with so much happening over the last few months since we left Chad, but it has also been a great opportunity for us to connect with so many friends and supporters in the UK and the US. 

We have been so encouraged by the welcome we have received from all our supporting churches and friends and we have loved sharing all about our time in Chad.  We have appreciated so many, beds, meals, hugs, words of encouragement, gifts, prayers and so much more. 

Over the last three months we have travelled far and wide, made it to England, Wales, Scotland and 3 US states, enjoyed freezing snow and warm spring days and slept in about 25 different beds along the way! Its has been an adventure at times, exhausting at other times, but overall it has been a great time of connection and building deeper relationships with so many people. 

Once we are settled into Uganda we will try and share some further updates. 

We wish you a Happy Easter and joy in the knowledge of our Risen Lord!