God is In Control
An update on the past 2 weeks
The world is full of uncertainty in the midst of this pandemic. Here in Jinja, Uganda, the situation has been changing daily, as it must be everywhere right now. On the evening of March 18th, before there were any reported cases of COVID-19 in Uganda, President Museveni announced his first measures to prevent the spread of the virus to Uganda. Schools, religious gatherings, weddings, funerals, and any gatherings of more than 10 people were stopped for the next 32 days. Borders were also closed to prevent anyone from bringing the virus to Uganda. At the James Place, we have about 220 people on property each day. Because of that, and also because we have a preschool, we had to close the ministry for 32 days to abide by President Museveni's orders.
We had one last day of work after the announcement to close everything up for (at least) one month. With an organization as big as ours, that is not an easy task. Thankfully, the management team is full of amazing talented staff members that stepped up to be sure everything got done. Caroline (our Preschool Director) wrote letters to send home to parents, and Prossy (social worker) contacted the labor office to be sure we did everything according to the law. Christine (manager over inventory and supplies) took inventory of all the food we had remaining. Paul (head of security) agreed to work as our security guard during the time off. Aisha, Rebecca, and Barbara (our preschool managers) assured all of our preschoolers not to fear but to enjoy time at home with their families. Sylvia (manager over childcare) prepared the childcare department and made sure each child went home with a letter. And Juliana and Sylvia (managers over artisans) prepared their departments.
Running the James Place is always a team effort, but on March 19th, I saw the very best teamwork happening. I was so overwhelmed that day making sure that we didn't forget anything. I was also worried about how our staff would manage being at home for at least one month, and how they would stay healthy if an outbreak came to Uganda. Our amazing intern, Delaney, noticed how anxious everyone was and suggested that we spend some time in praise and worship after our staff meeting. So, after informing the staff of our closure and advice on how to stay healthy during this time, we gathered together and sang songs of praise to our God of comfort. I teared up listening to our staff of resilient and strong women singing their hearts out to God.
I am so thankful that we had the money to buy food to send home with all 73 staff members. We purchased them rice, beans, pocio, tea, and sugar to send home with each staff to help lift their burden of feeding their whole family during this time. When the James Place is open, our staff receives a snack and lunch every day at work, and their children who are in school receive lunch. Therefore, with everything closed, parents have a more significant burden of trying to provide all 3 meals a day for their families. Several of our staff members spent a couple of hours bagging up all the food to send home with staff at the end of the day. With that extra food plus their usual salary that they will still be receiving while we are closed, hopefully, each family will be able to stay safe and have enough to eat.
Since President Museveni's first protective measures, we have since gone into total lockdown for at least 14 days. The only places still open are banks, supermarkets, hospitals, and a few government offices. The only vehicles allowed on the road are cargo trucks, government vehicles, ambulances, and motorcycles that are permitted to deliver food but not carry any passengers. Our borders are closed. There are currently 44 reported cases of the virus in Uganda, all of whom are people who came from abroad right before the borders closed. The Ugandan government is working extremely hard to prevent an outbreak of COVID-19. I am thankful for how serious they are taking this and how they are doing everything they can to prevent the spread of the virus. Please join us in praying for all the families of HEAL Ministries as well as the whole country of Uganda. Pray that this lockdown contains the virus. Pray that Ugandans will not starve during this time of not being able to run their usual businesses. Pray for those that live deep in the villages and aren't able to reach hospitals because of this lockdown. This is a hard time for the country of Uganda, but we know that God is the one in control. We must trust in Him.
