December 3, 2011
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Ugandan Work Permit in hand!
I never thought that that would be a milestone for our ministry here in Uganda. Regardless, after 8 months of being here and over 5 months of filing we have finally got our hands on the coveted Work Permit. It is even a greater success knowing that we did not bribe anyone or do any immoral tactics to get it. (tipping aside... if you remember months ago, that was for an extension of visitor pass not work permit!) The greatest part of the success is that we finally just laid it in God's hands. And He did it when He was ready.
So now, bring on the work groups! Just kidding, we have been ready for work groups the whole time. Just in case you didn't know... We have over 20 projects on the Ugandan Worldwide Christian School docket. Without work groups, there are limited means to raise support for these projects. Work groups not only come and help actually build the structures, they are also a means of fundraising for the construction costs. So our ministry is heavily dependent on these teams. Unless there is someone out there that wants to just build a school or clinic without ever visiting, then just send some money. We would be happy to build it for you!
Seriously, we continue to visit schools. We continue to pray for each and every school. Just like with our work permit, we have to lay it on the lap of the Lord. If He wants people to come here and work, He will send them. In the meantime, we will continue glorifying God by serving the communities and schools the ways we are able. We encourage, we pray for, we offer design services, construction consulting, and by giving hope. We will also continue to minister on a personal level to the people we come in contact with everyday. The Lord put us in this place for a purpose. Though sometimes it seems irrelevant, we cannot see the greater plan.
Returning to the work permit topic... now we are just finalizing the "dependents" of the family. You know, everyone else, the people who really matter, Lizzy and the kids! Thankfully, it was not nearly as difficult to get the paperwork submitted. There was a tiny bit of grief, but we overcame that and got the files submitted successfully. So now, from what I understand, we have about a week worth of waiting until that is all processed. But thankfully, their visas are covered under the umbrella of my work permit. So there should not be any random trips to neighboring countries. Woo hoo!
I want to ask for prayers again, for our vehicle. It is a great blessing... when it works. So we are asking for prayers for it to be more reliable. It is deeply frustrating sometimes, a real foothold that Satan has on our ministry. But it is just a hurdle, so please pray that we can pass it and give glory to God for our success in overcoming!
By the way, this is not a one way street. We can offer you prayer from across the world. Just let us know and we will pray for you. But for now, we just pray generally for all of you. We love you!
Chad Neeley
Volunteer Construction Coordinator - WWCS Uganda/USA
