December has been a month of extremes for us. The first 2-3 weeks were extremely busy: wrapping up the year meant a lot of celebrations, goodbyes, and work to get all of our various projects to a good stopping point before we took a break for Christmas.
We first had to said goodbye to our T3 interns. They’ve been a great group of people to work with since they arrived in August. Both Hannah and I had the opportunity to mentor an intern/trainee this past term. This meant that we spent time each week with an assigned intern throughout the term to help speak into their life and spend time growing together spiritually. We’re so excited that 3 of the interns from this past term are sticking around next term, but definitely be praying for the other 3 that are headed back home to the US/Canada. All 3 are recent college grads, so they’ll be having to figure out this new stage of life that they’re heading into. Please be praying for them that they adjust well and that they’ll be able to take the lessons that they learned at EMI Uganda to their new places of work.
We also said goodbye/see you later to two of our fellow staff members here. Dr David Wituszynski arrived in Uganda just a month before we did. He’s an ecological engineer and has been working with me in the R&D department. He’s part of EMI’s Fellowship program, which aims to develop young professionals both professionally and spiritually through mentorship, classes, and work experience. Part of the program involves spending time in a different office, so he’s heading off to EMI Cambodia. Following that assignment, he’ll be making a decision about whether he’s going to stay on with EMI (and hopefully return to the Uganda office!). We’ve had the amazing blessing of getting to know David over the past year and are already missing him. Please be praying for him as he makes the transition to Cambodia and that God would direct him in the next steps after his time there.
We also said goodbye to Benjamin (Benji) Rukundo, one of our Ugandan staff. An architect by training, Benji has been a core part of our workshop, including serving as Interim Manager for most of the past year. I’ve also had the privilege to be Benji’s prayer partner since we arrived – we’ll definitely miss him. Benji is getting married next year and is going to be working in the architecture/construction industry. Please be praying for him as he takes these nest steps and that God would use him as a light in the industry.
Working for EMI involves a lot of hellos and goodbyes. It can feel like we’re constantly in transition. In January, we have a ton of new people coming: new full time staff from the US, 4 new interns, 3 Fellows (from 3 different countries) that are coming to Uganda for their second office assignment, and at least 2 new Ugandan staff members. After a month like this past one where we had to say goodbye to so many colleagues who have become such good friends, all of the transition can feel truly exhausting. It’s hard to say goodbye and feel like we’re constantly having to start new relationships. But as hard as it can be sometimes, I’m reminded that this is a core part of why we’re here. One of EMI’s core values is discipleship: we exist to disciple others and raise up strong Christian professionals. EMI Uganda’s long term 2040 goal is to see:
The Ugandan Design and Construction Industry transformed and raised to a place of regional influence, infused with individuals committed to honoring God, developing others, serving their communities, and working collaboratively and across cultures to provide transformational design and construction solutions for East Africa.
A large part of that goal is achieved in the daily work that we do as design professionals every day. But it’s only going to be truly achievable if we pour into individuals and then send them out to influence the industry wherever they end up. It can be hard at the start of new year or term to feel like taking the time and energy to invest in this new group of interns or fellows, especially when we have a long list of (important) things that need to get done. But this effort is arguably the most important aspect of the work that we do here. And it really is such a blessing to work in a place where it’s such a core part of who we are.
Arensen Update
We’ve had the blessing of the office being closed for Christmas and getting the past 2 weeks off. It’s been a wonderful time of rest and productivity around our house (we’re still working on getting settled in here even though it’s been more than a year!).
Baby Girl Arensen is going to be arriving in February, so our preparation is in full swing. We are so excited to have family visiting to meet baby girl after she arrives – it’s going to be an extremely fun (and exhausting) few months!
From a work perspective, this coming year is also going to bring a lot of changes. Hannah will start working part time in January, which will be a huge transition. She has some major projects to wrap up before maternity leave starts, so please pray for some effective and productive weeks to start the year for her. On Bruce’s side of things (besides all of adjustments that will come with the baby), the new R&D facility construction is finally going to start in January. Praise God that we have all of the necessary funding to finally get this started. We are just waiting on the final permits to come through and construction will get going. We are so excited about all of the new possibilities that this facility is going to enable the R&D team to pursue.
As an added bonus, here are some photos of Ugandan wildlife that I’ve taken over the past year. If you want to see more, follow me on Instagram! I haven’t posted much yet, but I plan to be a lot more consistent this year.
Pray With Us
We are so grateful for your prayers and support! Please join us in prayer and praise for the following:
Prayer requests:
- Hannah’s health: she’s been fighting off a number of infections for the past 2 weeks. Please pray that the antibiotics fully work and that she can get off of them soon.
- Baby Girl: Prayers for continued health and for a smooth last 2 months of pregnancy.
- Hannah’s Work Transition: Please be praying as Hannah transitions to part time work
Praises:
- We are so thankful that we’ll have a lot of family visiting in the next few months! Praise God for making it possible for them to visit.
- Praise God for a relaxing end to the year and for renewed energy as we enter the new year
- We were able to attend the wedding of one of Ugandan coworkers earlier this month! Praise God for their marriage and be praying for them as they figure out married life.
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?