Three hours. Pastor Patrick rode his bicycle up to three
hours away inviting people to attend the financial management workshop. In the
village, many compounds are spread far and wide due to the abundance of land
and sometimes you must travel far to make a reasonable number of invitations.
Using eight liaisons in various trading centers to help with mobilization,
Pastor Patrick reported a lot of energy and interest in learning about
financial management.
Meeting in one of the newly constructed school classrooms,
because of our need for a blackboard, 25 very serious students sat at the desk
forms ready for each day to begin. Dust from the chalkboard covered us all and
the heat penetrated the metal roof by midday making the room sweltering. But
the students were so dedicated, they pressed on with eagerness as the hours
passed by.
Pr George, a Surprise by Hope teammate, joined us both to
assist me and to learn the workshop content. Jasper, a man I remember clearly
from the Entrepreneurship Series, translated for me. I think he really wanted
to teach, sometimes getting ahead of me.
The participants reported learning content that was easy to
understand, used relevant examples, and was applicable to their needs. One
student said, "I never understood why it was important to keep track of my
money. Now I wonder how much I've been wasting all these years." Praise
God for revealing what the people need and bringing it to them in a way that is
meaningful.
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| Lots of sunflower fields in northern Uganda. |
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| Pr George assists me. |
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| Their reserved nature tends to make me look silly as the only one shouting Hallelujah! |