Farewell to St. Denis

Sorry it has taken so long to update the blog.  We have been very busy.  We are sitting at the St. John the Baptist parish dining room with Charles, Fr. John Bosco, Fr. Paschal, Fr. Kikabi, Daniel, Philipp, Gabby, Luke, Lorene, Al, Michele, and Jill.  We have just finished a wonderful dinner as a farewell for Jill, Michele, Lorene, and Gabby.  What a busy week!  Al,  Luke, Lorene, and Gabby arrived well on Sunday evening then we travelled to Makondo on Monday after visiting the verbet monkeys at the botanical gardens in Entebbe.

Tuesday we had an amazing celebration of music, dance, drama, and Bible reading.  It was an inter house competition.  The four houses competing were:  Bazira House, Frommel House, Bbuye House, and Maria Camp House.  The adjudicator or judge was the music director from the Diocese of Masaka.  The students presented a variety of performances ranging from Bible reading, Sight singing, choir performance, traditional dance and drumming, and original composition.  Each performance was judged and graded and given points.  The house with the highest points overall won the competition.  The four houses were grouped into two teams:  Bazira and Frommel against Maria Camp and Bbuye.  The theme of the competition was:  HIV/AIDS and education in Buganda.  Guess which house won!!!!!  Maria CAmp/Bbuye won by two points!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  Since the competition was very stiff, both groups won a goat.  The goat was not very happy.  The winning team was overjoyed and they jumped and screamed for joy.  The event was very well organized and well attended by the school community and parents.

We also dedicated the boys' dormitory and broke ground on the Rotary water project for St. DEnis and St. AGatha.  Busy day!

Wednesday Gabby and Luke were students for the day.  They did not get into trouble and did not have to go to the headmasters office.  But they did get lots of red marks in their notebooks.  They made many friends and had much fun.  After school, Al and Luke and the two german volunteers gave a baseball clinic to the students who were interested.  Over sixty students showed up to learn how to throw, bat, and run the bases.  It was much fun!

Michele and Jill gave their human sexuality workshops.  This was a huge hit.  They had great visuals and materials to pass out to the Senior 3 and Senior 4 students.  The students asked many interesting questions and very important information was shared.

Lorene worked with thirty students on jewelry making.  They did a great job.

Today we went with Sr. Josephine to visit different families:  the Yigas, Xenobia, Francis, and Clementia.  All have disabilities of various degrees.  It is amazing to see the joy in some of the children despite their disabilities.  IN the afternoon we visited the Send a Piglet Home students.  One pig had eight piglets that were two weeks old!  The students who have sold piglets have been able to purchase mattresses, soap, scholastic materials, books, pens, school bags, etc.

We had a quick farewell with the students and are now finishing our day at the rectory.

Charles says:  So far so good, keep praying for success!

Fr. John Bosco says: Thanks for the good work done, and we pray that the good Lord will grant you your hearts desire.

Fr. Paschal says:  Thanks, God be blessed for the spirit endowed on you.  May it keep burning.  Be blessed.