Here we are again. Just realised that I got numbers 1 and 2 the wrong way round in my previous post. 1 was on Thursday and 2 on Wednesday. To continue:


3. Thursday night was party night. It was the birthday of Carolyn, one of the American short-termers on the Mbarara team, so we all met at Seb's for pizzas and silly games. The pizzas were home-made by a Ugandan lady who hopes to start up a pizza business. She should do well - they were excellent. Stephen, another American, here for two years had baked a wonderful chocolate birthday cake and Seb had bought candles that were more like fireworks - we had to take it out on the verandah to light them!


4. Friday morning Stephen picked me up and we spent the morning visiting various small farms/gardens where he is teaching people the principles of Farming God's Way. The first of these was at the Abide house in Mbarara, where Connor is living. This biblically based approach to farming is making a huge difference and all the guys on the Abide programme will take what they have learnt back to their home villages. The second farm is being run by a Ugandan lady and a third one by a Ugandan man. Both are seeing significantly improved crop yields. The final farm is just opposite Seb's house on a very steep slope and rocky soil. The locals laughed when missionaries first bought the land and said they planned to farm it, but they are not laughing now that it is producing good crops.


Stephen took me for lunch at the team's favourite restaurant in town - City Top - where we had some great Indian food. Unfortunately this was to prove my last proper meal for a few days. By the time we got back to the house, I had a stomach upset (nothing to do with the Indian meal) which has proved quite persistent and has now been diagnosed as an ecoli infection.


5. Despite the stomach upset I was able to join Seb for a day's workshop for Chaplains and Patrons of the SU groups in various schools around Mbarara. Around 40 people eventually turned up, including 16 of the pupils who lead their SU groups. We were there before 8.00 a.m. for a 9.00 a.m. start, but it was nearer 10.00 a.m. before we got going and people continued to arrive for most of the morning.


6. Still not feeling great today (Sunday), but managed to go to Eden International School with Seb as planned and preach on the subject of Sexual Purity - a big issue here. I got a spontaneous burst of applause towards the end of my sermon, so something must have struck a chord. Later I visited the Mbarara Hospital again - this time as a patient! I'm now on medication for the ecoli and taking plenty of rehydration drinks.


My health problems have resulted in a slight change to the schedule. I'm staying on here for another day to allow the medication to take effect and travelling to Kampala on Tuesday instead. As Seb, Zillah and I agreed, I'm certainly getting the full African experience in a short time span.


I think that just about brings you up-to-date. Thanks for your prayers. Despite the setbacks, I have felt really supported and cared for. I'm not sure when I will next be able to blog, but I will do so asap.


God bless