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Glenavy Parish send team to Uganda

Dolway and Eileen Johnston (left in front and second row) pictured with the team from Glenavy Parish Churches who will travel to Uganda in July to carry out medical, construction and schools� work for Fields of Life.

Dolway and Eileen Johnston (left in front and second row) pictured with the team from Glenavy Parish Churches who will travel to Uganda in July to carry out medical, construction and schools� work for Fields of Life.

In a follow-up to a 2004 trip, 32 members of Glenavy Parish Churches will visit Uganda for two weeks in July. Led by Dolway and Eileen Johnston, they will divide into three sub-teams to carry out medical, construction and schools� work for Fields of Life.

The medical team will be working at Rapha Medical Centre near Kampala and during the first week they will conduct outreach clinics and HIV awareness programmes deep in the bush area surrounding Rapha.  Moira Taylor and Beth Brown, who were members of the 2004 team, seen almost 1000 patients in the space of 2 weeks and faced a wide range of illnesses they never see at home as well as some very familiar ones.  They are looking forward to their return visit and are both aware of the difficulties they will face.

A view of Kampala CityDuring the first week, the construction team will also be based at Rapha Medical Centre.  Under the watchful eye of Stephen Campbell they will lay paths, install a covered walkway and hopefully bring running water to the hospital that at present relies on a man carrying 5 gallon, jerry-cans from the nearest bore-hole about 1 kilometre away. During the second week they will work at Vision Global Academy near the Kenyan border town of Tororo. The school, which is in a bush area, was badly affected by the terrorist campaign conducted by the Lord�s Resistance Army. Thankfully peace and security has returned to the area but it still bears many of the scars of a long and brutal terrorist campaign, which has left countless widows and orphans in its wake.

The 13-strong school team, led by Eileen Johnston and June Andrews, will conduct a summer-school programme at Drummaul-Tabiro Primary School.  The school was financed by the parish of Drummaul (near Randlestown) and built by Fields of Life in 2003.  It now has almost 400 pupils and the Headmistress is delighted by the prospect of the Glenavy visit.

On Saturday 22nd July, the three teams will re-unite in the capital city of Kampala and plan to visit the source of the River Nile where it leaves Lake Victoria on Sunday afternoon before leaving Entebbe on Monday 24th July for the long flight home.

The whole team wish to express their thanks for the generous support they have received from the whole community, which has made the trip possible.  Sixteen-year old Sarah Johnston from Tunny Church says, �As the time for departure gets closer so we are getting more excited.  We know this will be a life-changing event both for ourselves and for the people we will have contact with. It is not without its dangers and the whole team would appreciate the prayerful support of churches around the province.�