Hag sameach from Uganda
Seder Pesah african Style.
Thanks to “Beit chabad” Uganda for the maza and Grape juice.
Category: Mission Uganda\ Japan
Updates about Miriams activities in Uganda.
Updates about Elyakim activities in Japan.
Coronavirus in Uganda
The Coronavirus (Covid-19) has come to Uganda. As of today, there is nearly a complete lockdown, no public transportation, general transportation is prohibited, and all businesses are closed except for selling food. The borders have been shut a while ago.
Two weeks ago, a day before they closed the borders, two airplanes from Dubai landed carrying 400 passengers. Since Dubai was not listed among the Corona “infected” countries, they weren’t checked, and they continued home. The very next, they discovered that 8 of the passengers on those flights had contracted Corona. The 400 passengers from the flights where scattered throughout Uganda and refuse to be checked. Within two weeks, the number of sick people grew from 1 to 33… In order to prevent the continued spreading of the virus, the government has prohibited all transportation, including that of personal vehicles.
People here are worried about the impending hunger/starvation. The minute they shut down all transportation and shops, that automatically sentenced hunger upon hundreds of thousands of families.
I just wanted to remind and highlight what you have: an abundance of food, running water and soap that are readily available, the personal toilet room you enjoy within the privacy of your own home, your ability to lock your doors at night and feel safe, the ability to receive medical treatment if (God forbid) you need it. There are millions of people who live without these things, and if things continue this way it will only get worse.
I’m writing this out of a sense of deep appreciation that I am safe and full, and out of a huge concern for my many friends here and for the rest of the local congregation (church). Simply appreciate what you have, and pray for those who have not.
I am well, and am in a safe place with friends of mine in Mokono. I thank God for the opportunity to spend this difficult time with the Ugandan people, praying, supporting, and encouraging them.
Update from Miriam
Hello friends
Praying for you all!
Uganda has no corona, but neighboring countries like Kenya and Congo do have it. That’s why yesterday in Uganda all schools, universities and churches closed for a month.
Highlights, Lowlights, and Changes
Highlights, Lowlights, and Changes:
☀The people I am with are amazing. Alfred and his family are helping and supporting me in my transitioning and adapting to the field. It is like a long hike: campfire cooking ?, bucket showers, and headlamps every night have become the daily routine.
☀The nature is wonderful, waking up with the rooster’s crow and going to sleep at sunset.
But there are also difficulties which the locals deal with each day and night. For instance, unwanted houseguests: small ones (malaria-carrying mosquitoes) and larger ones (mice and rats) which run on the rooftops and through the rooms during the entire night… ?
I tried to deal with this for a month, trying to sleep at night, but with no success. We placed poison and brought a cat, but the problem is deeper. For this reason we decided that for now I will go live in Kampala at Alfred’s, and will teach in the local kindergarten until after they can do some serious extermination and kill the rats. This process will take time, perhaps several months…
In addition, I faced difficulties in the kindergarten on the mountaintop. There ought to be 3 teachers with 3 age groups, but they found only 2 teachers, and therefore combined two of the classes. In other words, one class had 40 children, and many times I was left alone with the class and tried to teach them or run an activity, but with communication difficulties. They don’t understand me, and I don’t under them. Hence, until they can find an additional teacher or a translator I can’t be effective.
The conditions at the kindergarten are challenging: there’s no equipment and the building itself is not entirely built: there is only a roof and posts. Hopefully, they will finish building the walls before the rainy season begins. Otherwise, it will be cold for the children because of the rain pouring in.
In light of these circumstances and conditions, we earnestly desire and pray to complete building the school below and to open it next year, so that the children will have better conditions.
Regarding my visa: I have a 3-month visa, and am still in the process of gaining a volunteer visa. If need be, it’s possible to extend the visa for an additional 3 months.
Thank you for your prayers and support.
Blessed are the flexible for they shall not be broken…
Updates from Miriam
Hi friends, few updates:
1. It has been a month since I arrived to Uganda, how time flies.
2. I’ve started teaching in a local kindergarten on tge mountain and it’s going well. I’m learning thr teaching system here and also bringing things from my own experience.
3. I came down from the mountain to the big city (Mbale) several times. It’s an hour drive from the mountain to the main road (by motorcycle) and another hour from their by taxi.
4. I thank God for His grace, as I’ve found a group of about 80 white people in the city. Most of them have been in a mission for several years. Last weekend I’ve met with few of the families and it was blessed and building!
5. In the end of the month an Israeli guy named Mantzor is coming with few friends. They want to make a short video about the school that we are building to raise money for building.
I love and miss you all ❤
Building relationships ??
The past week I’ve been staying with my friend Liz in the town of Mokono. They’ve opened a kindergarten and a school. The teacher are getting ready for the beginning of the school year. It was a good and blessed time of learning from them the education system in Uganda, as well as share with then from my knowledge (I brought with me mind games from Israel).
In the weekend I went to a town called Ginga to meet a family that has been living there for 15 years. It was great to learn from their knowledge and experience in the field.
God is good and faithful. He is opening up doors for me to meet new people and make connections ?
What’s ahead:
This week I’m going to visit a YWAM base in Ginga (the same organisation I’ve got my training in Armenia and Russia).
From their I’ll continue with Alfred to the construction site of the school. We are continuing to build the school with the new materials thanks to the donations we’ve collected from Beit Asaph congregation and from the mission evening. Thank you to everyone who had donated ❤
Miriam in Uganda
Hello friends
I’m doing well. Finally I have internet connection ☺
Now I’m in Alfred and Betty’s house near Kampala until the end of January. Now the children have their big break from school. They will go back to study on the 3rd of February.
Until than I’m helping with the kids at home and waiting for a visa.
We’ve submitted many papers to receive visa for a year as a volunteer of the Bird ministry, so I won’t have to go to Kenya every 3 months…
A prayer request: that all the visa process will be successful.
Uganda/Miriam’s testimony
It’s time for Africa!
In 2010 I went to Africa for the first time. During this trip, God placed a seed of love in my heart for Uganda. Since then I have been back to Uganda a total of four times. Now, after nearly 10 years of preparation (BA in Education, YWAM, IRIS), God is sending me back for a longer period.
In January 2020 I will move to the area of Bulambuli on the slopes of Mount Elgon in Eastern Uganda (close to the Kenyan border). I will live with one of the families in the village that has no running water or electricity. I will learn the local language, culture, and participate in everyday village life. Additionally, I will teach in a kindergarten.
Uganda/Pastor Evan Thomas about Miriam
Miriam Chernaosov – A Call to Mission:
Miriam, now 30 years old came with her parents and brother from the Ukraine to settle in Israel when she was a small child. She has grown up in the Beit Asaph community and devoted herself to serving Yeshua from a very young age. Participating in a broad spectrum of programs for children and youth and mission trips for young adults has been a way of life for Miriam. As such she has matured as a leader in many of these programs and provides a valuable role-model for her peers and for those younger. Miriam has carefully selected Israeli discipleship programs and augmented these with international mission programs such as YWAM and IRIS ministries to help develop her skills-set for mission abroad.
Once Miriam completed her schooling and subsequent military service in Israel she then pursued several years of training as a kindergarten teacher. Once she qualified she has gained much experience in her profession in a cross-cultural context (Arab-Jewish) in Jaffo-Tel Aviv. This training and experience will be invaluable as she settles into community life in the eastern highlands of Uganda. Miriam will travel to Mbale on Mt Elgon, Uganda in January 2020 to begin her first year. Her pastors, Evan and Maala will travel to the region during July 2019, taking equipment for Miriam and further preparing the way for her. Miriam has the full backing of her Israeli congregation for this cutting-edge initiative.