I am pathetic!  I realized that today.  I just saw that my last blog entry was over a month ago.  I can’t believe I let myself fall behind like that!  Bad Chad, no biscuit! (I LOVE writing in third person!)

It has been so CRAZY busy since I last wrote.  Kids have started school.  The building project in Kayango started.  We had visitors/donors come to kick off the construction.  (ok, it doesn’t sound like a lot, but it seems like it to us!)

The transporting of kids to school seems like it consumes most of the day, every day (except Saturday and Sunday).  I really can’t wait to get moved to a house that is closer to the school.  Which reminds me, please pray for that.  We can spend as much as 45 minutes one way getting the kids to school.  Not to mention that this rainy season has been treacherous!  Just this week we have been stuck in the mud twice!  I don’t see why the mud baths are so inviting?  I have had two this week and didn’t appreciate them one bit!  Of course it doesn’t help when people are watching you and laughing, rather than helping.  That is the insult to the injury!

I have to admit, I have been having a bit of fun too.  Recently, Liz and I have started volunteering with the youth at Kampala International Church.  I can’t necessarily speak for Liz, though I know she enjoys it, but I am having a ton of fun!  Our ministry in most other facets requires my ‘serious face’.  But this opportunity lets me put my ‘fun face’ back on and enjoy the spirit of youthfulness.  So thanks Ian and KIC for letting us damage your kids in a good way!

Serious face again… The building project in Kayango had a rocky start.  We first started with purchasing additional land for the campus.  That wasn’t horribly painful, but nevertheless not easy.  Then we started with fencing the perimeter so that there is security for our building materials and tools, and the obvious security.  That included digging holes two feet deep in volcanic stone… not much fun!  Oh yeah, there were 240 holes!  Then the trekking of 160 lb cement posts to each of the holes, setting them with hand mixed concrete, and making sure they are plumb and straight.  Is that every easy?  Couple that with the pain of material purchase and the week was barely manageable.  But in the big picture, survivable and a lesson learned!

The big concern or issue that came up was the realization that this community seems a little more lost than what I expected.  Having had Christian aid for some years now I had expected the influence of that relationship to be more Christ centered.  But saw that without proper education and full time Christian support, the lost will remain lost.  I now see that my big project is more big than expected.  Not only are building a mini-village including education buildings from elementary to graduation, but now we need to really focus on the adults too!  I am not saying that the project needs more construction, I am saying the people need more construction.  I feel the need to help construct the foundation of Christ in their hearts.  Now it seems cheesy to say that, maybe even self righteous.  But I don’t plan on doing this alone!  By the grace of God, I have been networked into a group of pastors in that area who have some of the finest pastoral training to come to Uganda.  I plan to facilitate with them to work on these people.  I don’t know how, yet.  But I am praying that the Lord will provide a way.

My heart was a little broken during that week of fence construction.  I was deceived, taken advantage of, and provoked to be sinful myself.  So this will prove to be a tough project.  Thank God I am not doing it alone!

Fun face again… I love playing Rugby!  I know all of my American friends are going to mock me at home.  But if you could try it, you would like it.  If you are reading this and not in America, but Uganda, get your butt out to the Lugogo Rugby grounds on Mondays at 6.  This fat mzungu will be sweating and gasping for air right alongside you!

So… until next time.  (hopefully sooner than a month!)

Chad Neeley

Volunteer Construction Coordinator – Worldwide Christian Schools USA/Uganda