As many of you know, I (Bruce) am joining the Research and Development (R&D) team at the EMI Uganda office. But what exactly does the R&D team do? Our team to solve problems that are outside the scope/timeframe of a typical project, or outside the scope of what EMI typically does. What that means practically is that the job of the R&D team is constantly changing, depending on what comes up. Material testing, mechanical design, thermal/fluid analysis, Arduino coding; it all falls under the purview of the R&D team. Take a look at the images below for some examples of the work that the R&D team is involved in (hover/tap the images for captions):
To give you a more in depth example of the work that I’ll be doing, I figured that I’d share about the testing that the team is doing on rain noise. Almost all of EMI Uganda’s project use sheet metal roofing. It’s cheap, readily available, and long lasting. One of the main downsides is the noise from the roof when it rains. If any of you have been in East Africa during rainy season, you’ll know how hard it can rain. The noise from a metal roof can be overwhelming: at the EMI office, the noise level from rain has been measured at over 90dB. That’s roughly the equivalent of standing next to a running lawnmower. Imagine a teacher trying to control a classroom with that kind of noise! So the problem was handed to the R&D team: what can we do to make the roofs as quiet as possible?
One of the trickier things here is devising a test setup so that we can quantify the impact of various noise-deadening systems. We could create a test rig and wait for rain to come, but that brings in a range of issues from getting consistent results to being able to iterate frequently. In order to speed up the process (and get cleaner test results) the team decided to build a rainfall simulator.
The test setup includes a rainwater header, pump, flow meter, controls, and data logging. The project ended up being much more complicated than expected; it’s not easy to get water to fall in a way that simulates raindrops during a heavy rainstorm. Take a look at the images below to see what they came up with:
This project is still on-going; hopefully I’ll be able to fill you in later with the findings. I’m extremely excited to be joining this team and use the talents that God has given me to be a small part of advancing the Gospel in East Africa. I’m reminded of Romans 12:
In his grace, God has given us different gifts for doing certain things well. So if God has given you the ability to prophesy, speak out with as much faith as God has given you. If your gift is serving others, serve them well. If you are a teacher, teach well. If your gift is to encourage others, be encouraging. If it is giving, give generously. If God has given you leadership ability, take the responsibility seriously. And if you have a gift for showing kindness to others, do it gladly.
Romans 12:6-8
R&D team looking at the live data during a rain noise test
I think those gifts include engineering, analytical thinking and creativity. We are called as Christians to use our gifts, and to use them well. I’m excited to be doing something that will have an immediate Kingdom impact. But remember that wherever you are, and whatever you are doing, you’re working for God’s glory. We’re all part of the same body, working for the same God:
Now there are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit; and there are varieties of service, but the same Lord; and there are varieties of activities, but it is the same God who empowers them all in everyone.
1 Corinthians 12:4-6
Arensen Update
We continue to be focused on support raising and getting ready to move to Uganda. We are excited to be at 80% of our monthly goal! Thank you to everyone who has already jumped on our team; we’re excited to share in the work that God is doing in Uganda.
This past month has been spent in meeting with supporters and continuing to build our team. We had the chance to spend a weekend in Schenectady, NY with some of Hannah’s college friends. We also just got back from a weekend in NYC, where we got to catch up with some friends and also enjoy a bit of sight-seeing. Hannah loved the chance to get see some of many parks that she’s studied in school.
We’ll be heading out on our long summer trip at the end of next week! We’ll spend the first week or so in Virginia, and then head to Ohio for some time with Hannah’s extended family. From there, we’re heading to Minnesota (with some potential stops along the way), where we’ll be until mid-July. We’d love to meet up with you in person, so please reach out!
We were able to visit Valkyrie Coffee in Chester, NY. Hannah’s childhood friend opened this coffee shop last year and we were finally able to go! (Hannah might have a slight coffee addiction; I think she looks a little too happy in this picture)
We also got to spend time with some friends in NYC. We stayed with Connie Zhou, one of our friends and supporters.
Pray With Us
We are so grateful for your prayers and support! Please join us in prayer for the following:
- Safe travels as we head out to Virginia, Ohio, and Minnesota in the coming month
- For our brothers and sisters in Uganda as COVID cases are spiking in the country
- One of our EMI coworker’s wife was just diagnosed with COVID. Pray that she recovers quickly and that it doesn’t spread to the rest of their family.
- Pray that all the details will fall into place in order for us to mobilize in August.
Praises!
- We’re thankful for continued health and safety as we’ve made multiple trips throughout New York and Virginia.
- Praise the Lord for all of our amazing prayer and financial partners!
Stay Connected
Each year, EMI’s people complete over 100 development projects which serve the poor and proclaim the Gospel of Jesus Christ. To keep these design services affordable for Christian ministries, professionals like the Arensen’s on EMI’s staff are responsible for raising their own salaries. We are so grateful for God’s provision through the generosity of donors. Would you prayerfully consider partnering with the great things God is doing through the Arensen’s ministry at EMI?