Today we attended Iganga Banch maybe for the last time.
 The building is completed now and has the church's sign on it at last.
This was the building that was under construction 16 months ago
when we first visited here.  The Branch has grown so much and
one of the youth asked if Iganga would soon be a stake?
The teacher laughed and said we would have a Jinja Stake first
and Iganga would be part of that stake.
Could Iganga become its own stake?
The way it is growing maybe in 10-15 years.

This is the view of the chapel now.  Last year this was the construction zone
and the area to the back was used as the chapel.
Today that part is the Relief Society and YW rooms separate from each other.
By the time church started this whole room was filled.

These two beautiful birds came to visit us each morning.
They flirted with the glass in the window that is mirror like.
They were so happy to dance around from our window to the neighbor's.

I took this picture to send to Anna's son who is serving a mission in Zambia.
 The granddaughter, Angel was born just as Sam was leaving.  How she has grown.

This has been a wonderful week of realizing just how Self Reliant our members are becoming.

This has been a big overgrown field that this past week we found people digging in preparation for planting.

John Apule, Elders Quorum Pres. from Mpumudee branch waved us down and came to say "Hi".  He and his wife have a plot that they are farming.  He was so happy to be working hard to grow a garden to provide for his family.  Vegetables grow so easily here if you have a place to plant them.

Ivan passed us on his way to school.  He is a PEF student studying to be a chef.  He is so proud of his  new skills and certainly looked sharp in his school uniform.  Ivan is the father of three and his wife is preparing to become a PEF student this next year.

It's the rainy season and driving anywhere turns your truck into a deep red as you bump along on the rutted roads.

Terra is our weekly Truck cleaner.  He is preparing to leave on a mission after the first of they year when he will have been a member for one year.  After joining the church he took an interest in playing the keyboard and pretty much taught himself.  I have been able to help him a little between our trips to outlying Branches.  Unbelievably two weeks ago he played the music for Sacrament meeting and did a good job.  I was able to obtain a keyboard for him from the Harmon Music Grant.  He has been very committed and happy is an understatement.

Last Sunday after the block we were asked to drive the counselor from Mpumudde to meet with a congregation 20 kilometers from the Mpumudde branch.  They had requested that Godfrey come be their pastor.  We took the missionaries with us and we explained to them a little of who we were and what we believe.  They asked the missionaries to come back and teach them.  There are members that live that far away from an established branch but somewhat rare.  If they catch the vision and develop a testimony they could possibly become a "Group".  Haven't heard yet how the teaching went yesterday when the missionaries went back to meet with them.  Our Priesthood certainly looked like dignified men of God.

The building these 30  fine people have been meeting in was about 10X10.  Half of them had to set outside as they conducted our introductory meeting.  

Sister Ida and her husband Ibengo asked us to meet with them.  They told us that their goal is to become more self reliant and wanted our advise.  Because they are both over 30, PEF is not an option but we counseled with them and believe that next year when the Self Reliance Center comes to Uganda Ibengo can borrow enough money to take a driving course and get a driving permit.  With five children to provide for they have had quite a struggle because Ibengo  does not have a skill.  He has been a "hooker" which is a salesmen that carries a board with his items to sell on it.  Having a shop in which to sell his items  has a rental fee  too costly for them.  I saw a hooker and tried to get a picture but we were driving one direction as he walked the other and the picture isn't very good.  See below

We so admire this couple and their hard work.  One day they will become self reliant because that is their goal and Heavenly Father can't help but bless them.