2007
Its now approaching three years since my first visit to Uganda in March 2003. I still remember very vividly my first experience of visiting Africa and the many questions that challenged me following that visit. It was about the same time that I made a commitment to Bishop John Kaggwa of the Masaka Diocese that we would begin a three year program with the training of young people as our major focus.
Those early days were characterized by an overwhelming sense of the difficulties involved as we started out on what was essentially a walk of faith. Even to make a simple response (which was exactly what I had in mind) would take an outlay of many thousands of dollars – but I believed this to be God’s call – so we made a start. My first and second visits to Uganda were sponsored by a friend of mine living in another country. When I shared the vision of serving the people of Uganda, he caught a vision and was motivated to share in what we were doing. His support has been invaluable over these years. But he was not the only one. Each time we took the simple steps that were before us, someone else would catch the vision and it was a bit like a bushfire that had a wind behind it. Parishes, individuals and organizations began to make a response. Over the three years, we have invested more than $200,000 in the people of Uganda. We did not have this money but it came as a result of those who caught a vision.
Its only in looking back that you actually catch a glimpse of what has been achieved. Thousands of young Ugandans impacted by the ministry, hundreds of young leaders formed and equipped to work amongst their own people. We have established a number of projects and continued to work with the Holy Trinity Community an amazing group of lay people who are passionate about the work of evangelisation.
BUT WE HAVE ONLY JUST BEGUN …
The overwhelming difficulties still exist. The difference is that we know there are people out there who will help us support the people of Uganda. This year, we hope to send another team who will work with the local team, assisting them mainly in the area of ongoing formation. Some of the challenges include a van that is beginning to fall apart and a youth/formation centre that we’re hoping to finish as well as the day to day support of the ministry. Supporting a local team costs approx $40,000 for the year. The challenges are many but together we have made a difference and continue to make that difference.
By Shayne Bennett - Director, NET Uganda
2007 saw the commissioning of the first local Ugandan NET team. This team was trained in November 2006 and will serve together for 14 months to the end of 2007. Read more about the focus and makeup of the 2007 NET Uganda Team…
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NET is continuing to invest heavily in resourcing local people with the infrastructure and tools needed to increase the scale of their local impact. Consistent with the long term goal of self-sustainability NET is launching further infrastructure and development projects…
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Three years into NET's involvement in Uganda we revisit the Vision, Mission, Goals and Objectives initially established
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