The months following our return to Uganda have been packed full of activity. After being away from our desks for 4 months you can imagine the work load that was waiting for us upon our return!
The biggest undertaking through all that work was the ongoing construction for the Gem Playground. This unique playspace is something that EMI Uganda was asked to do after performing a masterplan update for the Gem Foundation. The Gem Foundation is a ministry that cares for orphaned and abandoned children with special needs (www.thegemfoundation.org) and I have loved every minute of working with them!
When I was tasked with designing a playground for special needs children my immediate thought was “I am going to need some help!”. Though playground design is a part of the profession of landscape architecture and something I’ve done many times in the past, designing for this user group (and doing it well) would require a specialist. Lo and behold, the Lord blessed me with TWO! Chad Kennedy and Justin Wilson are both landscape architects who specialize in designing playspaces for children with special needs.
Chad took a lead with the concept design, inviting other LA’s from his firm in California to volunteer their time to work on the project. Meanwhile on the east coast, Justin helped ensure that our drainage would work properly and that safety standards would be met. While we were on home assignment with you all, these two were approving shop drawings from the EMI workshop and answering questions from our team. Working with them has been such a blessing!
Upon our return to Uganda in January, Chad flew out and spent a week with me working on the construction site. We placed boulders, worked on the sensory wall, shopped for switches and buttons in town and helped our site team think through install of various items. It was a whirlwind of a week and we had a blast working with the site team.
For the months of January thru to April, I was out on that site between 1-3 days a week working with our team and administering construction. I learned so much… and also blew through a whole lot of sunscreen! Our site team was managed by project manager Paul Semayengo and our assistant foreman was George Kigozi. Brett Nicholson, head of construction management, made it possible for us to get the materials we needed, researched different installation options and provided so much guidance and wisdom throughout this project. Nothing like this has ever been built in Uganda, but this team was so open and ready for the challenge. And let me tell you constructing this playground was a challenge!
There are so many testimonies wrapped up into this one project, so for the next few weeks I’ll be flooding you with stories surrounding it’s construction. God has been faithful to us in so many ways and I can’t wait to share with you!
Arensen Update
We moved! As we touched base with many of you last year, we shared that the smoke coming into our house had become a serious health concern and that we would be looking for a new place to live upon our return. The smoke was coming predominantly from people burning their trash. The way our house was situated on the hill meant that it would blow in from the whole hillside and get trapped inside. We are excited to say that the Lord provided the perfect house for us to move to! Now there is not a smoke issue, we have a bigger yard and we are even closer to our friends. Thank you for praying!
We’re pregnant! Little girl #2 is on the way and will be arriving mid-November. She is already such a blessing and we can’t wait to meet her. In the meantime we are soaking up one-on-one time with Jamie, who is so adventurous and fun!
Pray With Us
We are so grateful for your prayers and support! Please join us in prayer and praise for the following:
Prayer requests:
- Please pray for a healthy, smooth pregnancy.
- Jamie has some in-toeing when she walks. It’s been difficult to find appropriate care for this here in Uganda. We recently were able to get some some special orthopedic shoes from the US that hopefully will solve the issue. Please pray that the shoes make a difference and that we won’t have to seek further treatment.
- Pray for the EMI Uganda office. There has been a lot of transition in the last few months with several long-term staff leaving, combined with a few home assignments this summer.
Praises:
- Please join us in thanking God for this new house! We are so grateful to be away from the smoke and to have a bit more room as our family grows.
- The Gem Playground is completed and in use! Not only does this mean the the kids are able to play and learn in an exciting new way, it also means that Hannah’s schedule is back to normal.
- We continue to thank God for our community here, particularly that of our church.