Uganda to Scotland (and back!)

It has been a year of changes and covid drama, lockdowns, and curfews.  It has also been encouraging that Uganda has not had anywhere near the deaths the UK has had over the last year though our heart aches for those who have been grieving through the covid pandemic worldwide.  We have still been able to meet at our church (it's outside) and blessed to have warm weather so socialising outside is the norm here.  In some ways living in Uganda through the pandemic has not prevented the children from swimming, from travelling to a beauty spot and the like so we are thankful.  On the other hand,  the shoes are not fitting the kids,  the underwear has more holes than they ever should have and the dish drying towels have more holes than fabric left -  it must be time to get back to Scotland ;0) 

So many of you have been asking what is the next plan is for the Swanson's. I thank you for your patience as we have been finalising plans, flights and getting a minute in the midst of packing to write an awfully long overdue blog post!  It's time for myself and the children to return to Scotland for the next chapter. When Abigail was age 4 when we started with MAF and we knew that when she was ready to sit her National 5's (GCSE equivalent) we would come back to Scotland so she could finish her last three years of high school in Scotland.  Due to various delays over the years with work permits and the like, Andy's finish date is not quite on the same schedule as the school system, so he is going to be finishing with MAF Uganda in December and return to Scotland then.   Andy is flying with us to Scotland at the end of May for a long overdue furlough and to help us get the house ready before he returns to Uganda from August to December.   Thanks to the recent changes in international travel, we are now able to fly directly into Glasgow and quarantine at home in Lenzie for 10 days all being well.  We hope to get the children into their new schools a few weeks before the summer holiday's so they can get to know some other kids their own age, as well as the school and teachers and reduce the anxiety for starting the August school term. It is a big step for all three of the children as they settle into Scotland again.  All three are excited to get back to Scotland,  the freedom of cycling, wild camping and roaming the hills is a big draw for Matthew. Abi cannot wait to be able to get to the sales in the shops and just enjoy some independence meeting up with friends.  Eilidh is looking forward to meeting other kids her age who 'look the same as her' (her words!) 

I am looking forward to sitting on the couch relaxing with no ants crawling on me,  being able to go for a walk alone, reconnecting with family and friends and making new friends.  All this being said,  we will sorely miss our friends both Ugandan and International,  we will miss our pets and the beautiful sunshine almost every day.  Andy is in a difficult season as he watches us all say goodbye to Uganda - for him this will come later.  He is unsure what the next steps will be career wise and is beginning to look at his options - we would value your prayers as he navigates the next steps towards the end of this year.  I plan to re-register with the general teaching council and find employment in the schools in East Dunbartonshire at the right time when the children (and myself) have had time to settle.  

Last August I felt God speaking to me about being available, so I quit my teaching job in Uganda to home school Eilidh and support Abi learning at home. Abi was able to have zoom lessons with Scottish teachers in English,  Maths,  Physics, and French all year. She worked independently on Biology and Chemistry and music with myself. She has done amazingly well and is so focused on her learning that I have not had to motivate her to work at all.  The contact with her four Scottish teachers has given her a great balance and she feels more than ready for her National 5 year starting in August.  Matthew has been at his old school for the last year which he has loved. He has a great friendship group there that he is really going to miss.  I have been able to have lots of fun teaching Eilidh and navigate the packing up of our belongings from over 10 years on the road - very thankful to have been able to do this gradually.  

We are coming to the end of the packing.  We are sitting in borrowed plastic garden chairs and furniture, living out of boxes instead of bookcases, and now the suitcases are out.  - It's not till it's been taking down do you realise just how important that clock on the wall has been!  Some of our belongings such as my piano and Andy's toolbox will be shipped back to Scotland sometime in the future (could be a while!). These leave the house on the 28th of May but we have no idea when we might get to see them as the shipment won't go until the container is full with several families who are moving to the UK.  We can wait for these items though so will get by - we are seasoned travellers and this is the norm!  We have many people coming to pick up items over the next week as we clear out our house.  Andy will return in August to a guest house where he will be renting a room there so he also needs to move his stuff there this week as well as dismantle beds and the like. It will be a busy week and after moving internationally several times in our journey, ten days of quarantine sound wonderful. Time to rest and de-compress from the emotion and exhaustion of  moving is a necessity that is not always achieved. It's always traumatic saying goodbye to dear friends and pets that we love.  We had hoped to bring our cat back but just found out that the UK is not receiving pets just now so it is not going to be an option.  Thankfully we have found a good home for her and the dog but we will still be very sad to part with them both.  If you know of a kitten in Scotland that needs a good home in the next few months or so then please get in touch.  We have managed to secure full time jobs for both Emmanuel and Joyce when we leave with wonderful families where they will be such a blessing.  We enjoyed a meal together with their families at KFC.

 

We are not sure what this furlough will look like with covid and restrictions and how much we will be able to travel and visit supporters, but we will do our best.  Thanks for your patience for the update and please know that we have truly valued and appreciate your prayers,  cards, and support over our time in Uganda. It is good to remember that Andy is still very much part of the MAF Uganda team till December and we will have four months apart starting August, so your ongoing support and encouragement would be still appreciated especially during our time apart.  If you would like to write to us in Scotland then you can send to 22 Dungoil Road Lenzie,  G66 5PG.  We would love to hear from you especially during quarantine and through the summer.  This time I will be able to reply, and you might get it before next Christmas!

God Bless

Heather 

 

Land-locked in Uganda

It has been a long time since we last blogged but so much of this year has been anything like normal that blogging has taken a back seat.  Now that the dust has settled (not that it ever does in East Africa) I just wanted to take some time to update you all.  We managed to get a break away as a family at the end of February to visit Tanzania for a week and within a week of returning home, things began to shut down in Uganda as per the president’s directives.  Schools were closed after a mad weekend allowing all the children in Kampala who come to go to boarding schools  to travel back to villages in their masses and then lockdown began. For two months there were no cars, taxis, or buses allowed on the roads at all. Only bodas (motorbikes) were allowed to transport goods and this at least gave the many drivers an income as they were in high demand from shops to deliver supplies and this now became our only means to get food supplies, cooker gas tanks refilled, cash at the bank etc. 

The roads were eerily but wonderfully quiet with only pedestrians allowed to walk to nearby shops. Market sellers could only operate if they camped out with their produce and did not go home,  often using tarpaulin to shelter from rain.  Exercise was still allowed however, with many people at home out of work or not at educational establishments,  the streets soon became open air gyms and large  "marathons" were being run along the main tarmacked roads such as the expressway! This was then stopped by the president and exercise was to happen at home.  We could still walk to a few local shops nearby which was good and allowed us to get out of our walled compound for a time.  Andy has a motorbike that he uses to drive to and fro from work so we were fortunate that he could spent a few mornings visiting several different shops for us while I worked at planning and preparing music lessons for the primary department while trying to keep the three Amigos on track with their online learning. 

Dynamics lesson

Teaching music online only was of the steep learning curve and working from home and looking after the education and wellbeing of the kids was at times completely overwhelming as I am sure other working parents will understand.  I would work late into the night to record teaching videos to upload and complete planning as it was my only uninterrupted time. I was fast tracking my way to burn-out and was a little worried about my mental ability to cope. Add to this the disappointment of cancelled flights and knowing that we will not get to Scotland this summer and quite possibly not until summer 2021 - it has been a tough time.  My coping mechanism is to withdraw from the world and only focus on what was essential for me to do such as keeping the kids spirits high,  keeping them in routine and keeping up with the demands of my job, helping those around us where we can - that was all I could do.  We were asked by many in the UK for updates, devotionals and other tasks ( I think we had 4 requests in one week) and it was heart-breaking but necessary to say No. I hope I did not offend anyone in the process and if I had to decline your request at that time then I hope you can understand.  Thank you for being patient with us. 

Abi and Squizzy

The children have had their own ways of dealing with the changes the pandemic has caused, Abigail has really enjoyed learning at home although has had her fare share of tears and despair along the way - she really hates it when plans change and knowing that she will not be going to Scotland for the summer has been particularly tough - a good but tough learning experience in coping with disappointments.  Matthew - well I'm not sure where to begin.  Let's just say the climb to the end of term has been a so rocky at times that there were moments that I thought I might not make it.  We got there in the end and we are still talking to each other - phew!  Eilidh has done her best with her school work but has surprisingly struggled to enjoy live sessions and it was all I could do to keep her from switching her camera and mic off and wandering away for a drink of water - involving a large bottle,  many ice cubes resulting in a devious ten minute operation!  Overall she enjoyed the tasks. Andy has done his best at keeping us all as sane as he could.  MAF planes were grounded and pilots were home.

Eilidh fishing on the submerged runway!

Working on the flooded runway

 Andy had been painting a plane in the hanger before lockdown, so was requested in work for most of the lock down period as he had a motorbike and others who could walk to the hanger could get in to work. MAF had permission for five people in the hanger at a time. Thankfully, he was only in for three days a week so he was able to help us with volcano experiments, other school projects and shopping as well as give me a little break to focus on my work without interruptions at times. Now that the school term has ended, MAF is still grounded however, he is now having to work full time so is in the hanger all week. It's a new normal again for all of us.

Andy enjoying a visitor on lockdown

Just give Andy a spray paint can and....voila! 

MAF  has had various challenges in particular, the rising levels of Lake Victoria has caused widespread flooding and the MAF runway strip has been so waterlogged that even if planes could operate,  they would still have been grounded.  A lot of work has been done to raise the runway levels up and I believe the water is subsiding however we are now going into rainy season. MAF moved a few planes to the main airport in Entebbe during this time and were able to secure permission to fly two or three times in the lockdown to bring supplies and medicine to those who need it urgently mostly due to flooding.

Summer music camp - hee hee! 

It's a different summer but at least cars are allowed out now, albeit with only four people at a time. The shops are open but there is only so many shops you can drag your kids around in Kampala before they realise this is more of a stress fest than a fun day out! The zoo is closed, no hairdressers yet (thought I had a home visit today for the first time in four months!!) and the borders around Uganda are still tightly shut except for cargo trucks. The airport - well, there really is no point getting the suitcases out for their annual “dustathon” in preparation for travel.  repatriation flights for Ugandans stuck abroad are still operating till end of September so that does not bode well for the airports opening before then. 

We have managed to conduct two birthdays in lockdown. Matthew turned 12 in April and Eilidh turned 8 two weeks ago.  I am thankful that although we tried to get on a flight back to Scotland at the start of it all,  God did not open the doors for this and it has been important for us all to be in our familiar surroundings, with our beloved pets and enjoy the warm climate.  Uganda has really done an amazing job keeping Covid at bay and as I write this, we are sitting at around 1000 positive cases in country since March and no deaths.  There are many more dying of malaria and other diseases here.  The lock down, in its own way, is bringing more trouble than Covid here, as families are struggling to make enough money to survive.  I really feel for the boda drivers who do not have such a demand for deliveries now as cars are moving,  yet they are still not allowed to take passengers.  They are also very unhappy which is leading to more protests on the streets.  Movement around the city is difficult as taxi's and buses can operate only at half capacity thus are charging higher fares. Curfew times of 5pm for all bodas and 7pm -  6.30am for other vehicles are still in place  and you would not want to risk being stuck in a traffic jam at 6.30pm!! The police yards are full of impounded bodas and cars taken from those flouting the law.   There have recently been more thefts including violent house robberies as people are getting more desperate, so we are all still being extra vigilant.  We have been keeping up with the news on BBC News app from around the world (especially Scotland of course) and despite the tick infestation around our house and garden at the moment (shiver!),  we are pretty glad to be in Uganda.  We have been privileged to be invited to be part of Kirkintilloch Baptist Church service via zoom and join the prayer meeting in Pitlochry - wow that was tough seeing dear friends again and having a good cry afterwards is actually okay, and part of my new normal. 

Sending the love from us to you

We are just going with the flow and forever trusting in the one and only faithful God who has brought us this far and will lead us home.  Thanks for continuing to journey with us and keeping us in your prayers. We miss you all.

Yours in Christ,

Heatherx

Scotland Furlough 2019

Another year in Uganda has flown past and we are excited to be back in Scotland - albeit a little chilly for this time of year! We hope to catch up with as many of our amazing supporters as possible while we are back and perhaps meet some new ones.   There has been lots happening in Uganda and would love to share with you what God has been doing through us and around us as we serve with MAF.   We will be at the following places throughout July/August and if you are able to join us at any of the services or events then we would love to get to know you and/or catch up with you.  

July 7th @ Pitlochry Baptist Church

July 12th - 7pm @ New Beginnings Church Centre in Moodiesburn,  Glenmanor Avenue. 

This is an informal get together where we will give a brief presentation of the work MAF do and give an update on the last year. The whole family will be there and we would love for you to join us - kids are very welcome.

July 14th - 11am @ Dunoon Baptist Church.  We will be taking the whole service at Dunoon,  leading worship and sharing and it would be awesome to see you if you are nearby. 

July 15th - 17th we will be about the Edinburgh area visiting supporters, family and health checks.

July 20th - 24th @ Soul Survivor, Lendrick Muir, Kinross.  We will be helping with the MAF stall - please stop by and say hello :0)

July 27th - 3rd of August is family time so we will not be contactable during this week. 

August 4th 6.30pm @ Kirkintilloch Baptist Church.  We will be taking the evening service. 

On August 6 - 8th, we will be heading to Folkstone to spend some time with the MAF staff in the office. 

August 11 - 17th.   Some more time with Family and then we will pack up and return to Uganda. 

If you want to get in touch with us then you can use the address 2 Harwood Gardens, G69 0HJ.  If you want to contact us with phone our numbers are 

Heather: 07572436938

Andy: 07495578366

Our WhatsApp are Heather +256772777806

                                Andy   +256772777809

2019 - Year 5 in Uganda!

After several weeks of intense heat, a refreshing storm brought some much needed rain to Kampala today.  At last the fans are off, and we can enjoy a cooler breeze.  The first few months of the year are always the hottest.  It’s been a while since our last update and we thank you for your patience. 

We spent the Christmas holidays at home this year – this was easy with three children and the addition of a new kitten! We welcomed “McSquizzie” to the family and she has been so much fun in our eyes – our guard dog on the other hand does not like her. I am still not sure if it is worth taking the risk trying to get them to bond.  For now McSquizzie will handle the inside night life and Skye will keep things at bay outside.  The cat met her first cockroach recently and proceeded to eat it – I love her more already! January meant back to school for four of us.  I am organising a primary musical production this term the students are buzzing with excitement as things are coming together.  We have just started our half term break today so looking forward to a week of rest (housework!!)  The school day has been extended Tues-Thurs with every student encouraged to participate in enrichment clubs. 

Matthew is enjoying Swimming, Science club and trying his hand at fencing! Matthew is also beginning to play his bass guitar at church and it’s great to see him confidently using his talent.   He is settling into Rainbow and one of his poems was selected for an international school’s poetry competition (COBIS registered schools).  Homework is still his least favourite thing in the world.   

Abigail is involved in the secondary production called “Willow Blue”.  The school has hired the national theatre in Kampala for this one and it will take place at the end of March.  Abi’s after school clubs revolve around rehearsals and art club, while finding the time to prepare for her Grade 4 piano. On a more serious note,  a lump above her knee was investigated in December and found to be a benign tumour called an osteochondroma.  It was a nerve wracking few days of waiting to find out the results. It is an extra growth that is spiking off her femur bone and is giving her pain,  especially in PE.   She is scheduled to get it removed next Tuesday 19^th and we would appreciate your prayers.  We are blessed to have a good hospital in Kampala that specialised in bone problems. It is about an hours drive and she will stay overnight on the 18^th.  It is still very Ugandan in that there is no information to prepare any of us,  no details of what to take into hospital here – it is not uncommon to have to take bed sheets and blankets. So we will find out and I am sure the experience will shape us both.

Eilidh participates in two after school clubs – brownies and craft club.  She enjoys socialising very much and had her first sleep over at a friend’s house in the new year.  She lost a front tooth the other week so is still getting used to that cute gap.  Swimming is still her favourite activity and she loves to tell us how much she loves home work (all the while enjoying a little dig at her brother!) Eilidh adores the kitten and is never far from it – not sure the kitten is always so enthusiastic with the cuddles.  She hasn’t tried to dress it up and put in in her pram yet but I think that day will come.

Andy has had an busy few months painting one of the aeroplanes in the hanger.  I believe the project should be finishing in the next month.  He is really enjoying the painting however trying to paint in such a hot dusty environment has it’s challenges. The heat he has to endure in a paint suit all day and helmet, not to mention the frustration when things, including insects upset the smooth wet paint that just needs to dry.  He is taking a few days off holiday next week so we will enjoy some family time while Abi is recovering from surgery.

The MAF International and UK HR team were here in Uganda over the last few weeks and it was great to see some of them.  Thanks so much to those who sent Christmas cards – we received them at the end of January but it’s never too late as every year we put up any cards we have and read them all again year after year (they remind us of you all and home)  so we will be putting them up next Christmas.   We have also enjoyed a meal with a few Scottish visitors this term who are based in the Kilmarnock area.  

I started this blog on Saturday and here we are on Tuesday the 19^th and I am getting around to finishing it.  Abi has just gone in to surgery so now I will keep myself busy and finish this blog before my laptop battery dies!  We were unsure of who the surgeon would be and I am so thankful that the original Italian doctor who saw her in December is the one operating today.  They will remove the mass and send it to Cincinnati for biopsy in the USA to check that everything is all benign.  I am so thankful that we can receive this level of care here in Uganda.

Medical diagnosis can be very unreliable in Kampala for people who do not have much money. Emmanuel, who works for us (He is like a member of our family) approached us with a concern for his 4 year old son.  He had a swelling and after two different medical clinics and an ultra sound,  everything was still unclear for them.  Doctors were saying it was a hernia,  however this did not add up with the ultra sound report.  I took them to the expat clinic that we go to yesterday morning and we got a clear diagnosis of a hydrocele.  This is not nearly as serious as a hernia and can be operated on when he is a bit bigger.  Thanking God they now have a clear diagnosis and can move forward from there but it is sad there are so many rouge clinics just looking to make money.  Then in the afternoon I drove Abi here to Corsu Hospital so it was a busy day!

I will keep you all posted on the outcome when we receive it.

Thanks for keeping us in your thoughts and prayers,  especially for Abi and Emmanuel's son Micheal. 

Love in Christ

Heather

(p.s. Abi's surgery went well and she is home recovering.  We will go back in a few weeks for biopsy results) 

Michael and Eilidhii

Update from Uganda

When we were returning to Uganda after Furlough 2018,  I wondered if we would have any visitors this year.  There was no one planning on coming out to visit and and so we decided to move Eilidh out of her bed which was "the guest bedroom" and let Abi have the room.    I just happened to get talking to another leader at Soul Survivor, Lendrick Muir in July.   His son Lewis, was volunteering in Uganda and would be coming soon to Kampala.  Within a few weeks of arriving back in Uganda we had our first surprise guest. Lewis stayed a week and we  had a great time what it was like to study medicine.  Abi was particularly interested - who knows where that might lead!   Lewis volunteered in Mulago hospital and we also managed to squeeze him on a MAF flight.

Saying goodbye to
Lewis

  Soon after Lewis left, I received an email from a Scottish family who were volunteering in Uganda for a year with the Kitega centre  a few hours on the bus from our house.  They had been in the country a few months and have three children similar ages to ours.  Someone had passed on our email and so we hosted the Ramsay family for a weekend.  The children had been eating local food for a few months and were even attending a local Ugandan school for a few days a week. and homeschooled the rest.  They were delighted to meet other Scottish children and get their fix of "British style" food and plenty of raspberry jam :0).  Having never met the Ramsay family before it was great to build new friendships with them and they have already been back again for another weekend since.  We hope to go on holiday for a few days outside Kampala in the October holiday's together.  We hosted two other families with three children and I am blown away when I think about how I wondered if we would have any visitors this year! It has been so nice to meet so many new people in the last few months and provide a meal or accommodation.  I have always wanted our house here in Uganda to be a place people can rest up,  get refreshed and continue the amazing work so many of them are doing all over Africa. In these last months God has provided a friend or at least a new pen pal for each of our children as well as us.

Fun with the Ramsay family from Stonehouse

Work at Rainbow School started again for me late August.  I am settling back in well and am so pleased to now be four days a week. All is well after the surgery in March however I notice I am more easily tired at the moment.  After two days of work I can barely keep awake so a Wednesday at home is a welcome gap in the week.  This is the first time in 11 years I actually have a regular day off at home with no children (till 3pm!).  I also turned 39 in September - hanging onto my thirties by a thread now.  Andy turned 41 yesterday and unfortunately was a little under the weather. He is on the mend now. 

Abigail just had a school outdoor learning trip for three days to a tribal cultural centre with the rest of her year group.  She managed to put our tent up and take it down by herself and had a super time learning how they make pottery, beer with bananas and other traditional practices.  This year school seems to be going much better and she has developed a good friendship with an Indian girl whose little brother is also in Matthew's class.  Abi is excelling at school in the top groups (as usual!) and is excited to be part of an international school club called "Tournament of the minds".   Teams from other schools around Kampala will compete in December.  I believe they have to create a 20 minute musical incorporating a given criteria with the theme being "Freedom".  She is also part of the school production which will take place in February.  Abi will be 12 years old next week and so we are gearing up for a girls sleepover party this weekend and I am going to try my hand at an oreo ice-cream cake - lets hope the weather is a bit cooler on Saturday!

Matthew had gone through the biggest change of all of us.  He has now left Heritage and joined the rest of us at Rainbow.  We have had a rough few weeks of "exploding emotions" as he has dealt with all the changes  - he finds change very challenging.   Friendships are progressing slowly however most of the boys in his class play football at break and lunch where as Matthew does not.  He has enjoyed playing chess with a few students and is reading avidly at the moment which is always a bonus.  His class are studying fascinating forces at present which he is really enjoying and  he has an assignment on the Wright brothers to complete - right up his street with its links to aviation!  He is settling well all things considered and I am enjoying having him around the primary department to with myself and Eilidh.

Eilidh is continuing to be the happiest child ever! She just gets on with life.  She enjoys school and has made many friends.  She is a great swimmer and has also joined an after school swim club.  We are trying to keep her blonde hair from turning green with the chlorine and the sun - She is the only blonde haired child in Key Stage 1 (about 90 students).  She continues to love music and is desperate for me to teach her piano.  I'm doing my best to teach her violin at the moment  - as long as I can stay ahead of her we should be fine!

Things are busy, as usual, in the hangar. Andy's work is a good mix of routine maintenance and bigger project work. Shortly after getting back he had the job of repainting the red paint on 5X-SCO (Scotty). The strong African sun beating down on the planes is particularly hard on red paint, and so he worked hard to get the red paint cleaned, scuffed, and masked off, then went in one Saturday morning to spray some paint! The plane was looking great, and has now left Uganda to be based for a while in the MAF Liberia programme. The plane that has been there since MAF Liberia began will soon be joining us in Uganda. He is due to go to USA at the end of october for a training course, and when he returns he will be getting straight into his biggest paint job yet - a Cessna Caravan! 5X-BIL is our oldest Caravan, and is looking quite tired. It will come into the hangar at the start of November and stay there for 3 months while we strip all the paint off, do a mini version of the avionics upgrade we have done on our other planes, and repaint her in the MAF colours! Lots of hard work, but very satisfying!

Joyce and Emmanuel are doing well.  They took great care of the house and garden when we were gone.  I came home to bags and bags of frozen raspberries.  We have been busy making lots of jam and continue to sell it around Kampala.

Please continue to pray for Matthew,  that he would make some good friends at his new school.  Please pray for our church also as we do not have a full time pastor at the moment.  It has been great to lead worship there twice since we have been back. Abi often helps me and I'm sure Matthew will be joining on bass guitar sometime in the near future!

Well the children are due home from school in ten minutes so I had better go and get ready for them.  Thanks for your continued prayers and support.
Lots of love
Andy, Heather,  Abi,  Matthew and Eilidh

Summer Furlough 2018

Since the plane touched down last Sunday morning we have been getting organised.  Staying in our own house for our first furlough in seven years is a dream come true! Since arriving back we have been trying to catch up on sleep with three very early risers in the house  as well as get on top of the huge "to do" list. So far the school shoes/trainers/sandals, trousers and skirts for the next year are bought along with other essentials for the kids as they grow! The first of many appointments (eyes, dentist, orthodontist... the list goes on!) have started and are set to continue throughout July. Andy and his two able helpers (;0) are giving the first MAF presentation of our furlough right now at Holyrood Evangelical church in Edinburgh. 

The last few days have been dry and sunny and we were able to enjoy a lovely family day out at the Royal Highland Show thanks to a dear friend.  The kids were able to get reacquainted with the hedgehog and badger as well as  highland cows, Clydesdale horses,  birds of prey and all sorts of other wonderful wildlife around the country that they rarely see.  The food tasters were also a huge highlight of course, and after a year of barely tasting/seeing strawberries the children just couldn't get enough!

Our dates are set now for the different locations we hope to be.  Please look at the list below and come to whatever one is nearest.   We would love to catch up.  Our supporters mean the world to us and we can not tell you enough how much we value your prayers and financial support to allow MAF to continue their work through us in Uganda.   The presentations this year are aimed at new people who may not have heard much about the work of MAF so it is a great opportunity to invite a friend or neighbour with any interest in aviation or mission,  or even finding out about Uganda.  Children are very welcome and we have lots of MAF resources to keep kids busy.

God Bless
Andy, Heather, Abi, Matthew and Eilidh.

Sunday 24th June
Dunoon Baptist Church, Morning service, 11am Alexandra Parade, Dunoon,  (Heather and Abi will also be leading worship)

Tuesday 26th June
Pitlochry Baptist Church 7:00pm Atholl Road, Pitlochry, PH16 5BX  (Andy will be leading this without the family - please come and support him)

Sunday 8th July
Kirkintilloch Baptist Church, Morning service, 10:30am Townhead, Kirkintilloch, G66 1NL

Thursday 12th July  (not wednesday)
New Beginnings Church, 7:30pm Glenmanor Ave, Moodiesburn, G69 0LB 

Sunday 15th July
Pitlochry Baptist Church, Morning service, 11am Atholl Road, Pitlochry, PH16 5BX

Wednesday 18th July
Crown Terrace Baptist Church, 7:30pm Crown Terrace, Aberdeen, AB11 6HE


If you would like to get in touch with us then please call or email us.  These are our new numbers while in the UK

Andyswansonmaf@gmail.com
07587297845         

heatherswansonmaf@gmail.com
07305050590


Please note - these are not our what's app numbers  - we use our Ugandan phone numbers for whats app.

Summer Plans!!

In previous years, our summer visits back home have usually involved lots of catching up with family, friends and supporters one-to-one, as well as giving short updates in the 3 churches who we have close relationships with.

This summer marks 8 years since we packed up our home in Tummel Bridge, and made the first steps towards starting our training in Ohio, then on to work in Uganda. We felt this was as good a time as any to take a little bit longer to share about the organisation we work with, the sort of work we are doing here in Uganda, and how MAF are involved in a huge variety of work, impacting so many people in this part of the world.

We would love to see as many of you as possible while we are back, and so we have been busy preparing for evening ‘get-togethers’ in the four corners of the land! If you can make it to any of these dates, it would be great to see you, and if you need a bit of inspiration to come along, here is a little taster video I have put together to give you an idea of what you can expect!!

Watch this space for more details as we get closer to our migration north!

Springing into shape!

Four weeks ago I had the required surgery and, after my post op consultation this morning everything is healing well and and I will return to Uganda on Monday 2nd of April to be with my family again after almost 7 weeks of being apart.  I can't tell you how thankful I am to the many many people who have prayed for us and supported us in MANY ways through this time.  We have watched God's provision, faithfulness, blessing and encouragement in action in ways only he could orchestrate and I am so humbled that he would move those mountains for our family in such a short time.  Special thanks to my mum who has looked after me after surgery :0) I just can't wait to hang out with my kids for the last week of the Easter holidays and get to be there for Matthew's birthday in a few weeks.  I will continue recovery in Uganda and then the whole family will travel back to Scotland middle of June through July for furlough and some holiday time.  

I hope you are all having a blessed weekend as we celebrate the Risen Saviour and ALL that He has done for us.  Psalm 8 v 1-4

"Lord, our Lord,
    how majestic is your name in all the earth!

You have set your glory
    in the heavens.
 Through the praise of children and infants
    you have established a stronghold against your enemies,
    to silence the foe and the avenger.
 When I consider your heavens,
    the work of your fingers,
the moon and the stars,
    which you have set in place,
 what is mankind that you are mindful of them, human beings that you care for them?" (NIV)

God Bless

Heatherx

Update from Scotland

Hi there, 
The last week or so has been a bit of a whirlwind with doctors appointments and the like.   It was great to get a clear diagnosis and now we have been looking at the way forward as a family.  Due to the nature of waiting lists with the NHS it could be closer to July/August for needed surgery and while we can appreciate that if we all lived in Scotland the waiting for consultation,  pre-op and surgery and post op appointments could be manageable - Uganda is our home at present.   Taking this into account as well as the emotional strain on being separated for long periods of time we have decided to go private and I am booked to have the operation tomorrow (Tuesday) afternoon at Ross Hall.  All being well I will be out on Thursday or Friday and the recovery process can begin.   Again, all being well I will be able to fly back to Uganda at some point before the summer and be with my family again before we return for furlough in June.  I am so thankful to God for the support network he has put around us both in the UK and Uganda that have made all of this possible in such a short time!  Thanks to all of you for your cards and messages/texts/visits as well as practical support.  Andy and the kids are doing well though I am sure Andy is tired! Eilidh (age 5) has no concept of when I am coming back and asked me tonight via face-time if I could bring her back some honey for her cough and cold. Sweet and tough at the same time.    Well I'm off to get some sleep so I can be up early to eat breakfast before my "8.30am no food or drink" cut off time.  Not sure when the next blog post will be from me but so far  - two posts in two weeks- must be a record for the Swanson's!
God bless what ever country you are reading this in.
Much love
Hx

When life throws you a lemon........

Dear friends and family,

I hope you all had a lovely Christmas and New Year.  We enjoyed a trip to Scotland over the Christmas break and the kids got to experience lots of snow in the two weeks we were there.  We returned to Kampala beginning of January and were soon getting into the swing of life again.  Andy was preparing for a trip to Mongolia for over two weeks,  the children were back in school, and I continued to plough through the busiest academic year of teaching so far.  Last August I started a new job in Kampala teaching primary music at a much larger International school.  The students are predominantly African and a huge mix of other countries. The school is being inspected in May by a UK organisation so the paper work has been intense.  In my first two terms of arriving I have had to write a brand new curriculum for seven year groups documenting weekly lesson plans for the entire academic year.  Add to this writing the 3 year development plan and music policy and assessment strategies and department reviews and you can begin to see that my evenings after teaching all day have been pretty busy meeting the paperwork deadlines as well as trying to learn the names of 260 students and many many staff! 
Towards the end of January, Andy left Uganda's hot dry season of 30 degrees C and made is way to Mongolia (more like -30 degrees) to work on an avionics upgrade that needed to happen to the MAF plane there.  When Andy is away I usually just pray that the car doesn't get a flat tyre etc as things like that tend to happen when one of us is at the other side of the world.   In the second week Andy was gone I was stopped by a random Kampala police  lady - apparently my car insurance had expired May 2017!  How had we let that happen?! Miraculously she forgave me and let me go (Insurance is now up to date).  That was the Sunday,  On the Monday Eilidh lost her first tooth....awesome! And then the lemon was thrown!   Monday night things didn't feel right in my body and I began to bide my time till I could call the doctors on Tuesday morning.  Needless to say I did not sleep well and I got up at 6.30am to get the kids ready for school.  While she was getting dressed Abi found a snake in her room - yes it was a harmless blind snake....but a snake! I managed to get it into a tub with a broom while courageously screaming the whole time.  Thankfully (sorry to snake lovers) I caused it some damage with the broom and it no longer moved and the threat was gone. Meanwhile the five year old was a little upset that the tooth fairy had forgotten to leave money for her very first tooth - I was a little pre-occupied! At last off to school and then I could concentrate on the doctor phone call and appointment.
The doctor was fabulous,  however my situation was not and it was going to involve urgent return to the UK to see a specialist and start the process for surgery.  I was signed off work for pretty much the rest of the academic year and the days began to take on a different format.  There were so many logistics to discuss with Andy (from Mongolia) over patchy internet signals, there was planning to finish for my job, discussions with MAF, Insurance companies, not to mention the emotional upheaval - am I really having to leave my family for possibly three months???

I spent some time in work with my assistant last Monday morning taking him through my teaching plans as he would be covering for me in the meantime. I was getting a little stressed as we still had not finished the handover and a year 1 class was about to arrive for their music lesson.  We gave them some colouring which they did very quietly as we continued to discuss the handover.  Then one little African girl starts singing at the top of her voice while she colours, Sinach's song:
We are a chosen generation
We've been called forth to show His excellence
All I require for life, God has given me
And I know who I am

"I know who God says I am

What He says I am
Where He says I'm at
I know who I am..I'm walking in power...etc."

My heart was smiling  - here in a secular school, God is reminding me that he is in control,  my identity is with him  - through the voice of a little 5 year old.  It was a "golden nugget" moment.

So the next chapter begins!  Andy returned from Mongolia,  we spent some time together (a day!) and then I left for the Scotland.  Since then I have had a GP appointment,  and I met with a specialist privately to give me an idea of what time frame, surgery etc we are looking at.  I need a hysterectomy and pelvic floor repair surgery.   As it is not a life threatening condition there is no hurry through the NHS.  It is up to 12 weeks waiting list to see the consultant and then a further 10 - 12 weeks waiting list for the surgery.  I can't begin to process the logistics or implications for our family situation at present but this is where we are here and now.  Please pray for wisdom between MAF and our family as we plan the next steps.   I guess I need to look on it as a surprise sabbatical.  I just need a piano from somewhere  - please let me know if anyone has a full size weighted keyboard that would like to come and reside in Moodiesburn or Lenzie for a while? - that might just keep me sane!lol. Please continue to pray especially for the kids and Andy in Uganda and for healing and speedy surgery this side of the world too.  Life is full of surprises along the way - some good some bad. As a friend posted on face book recently - "when life throws you a lemon.............make lemonade!"  Trying to keep a positive attitude - prayers appreciated!

If any of our supporters would like to get in touch, my address in Moodiesburn is 2 Harwood Gardens, G69 0HJ, and my new mobile number is 07305050590 (whats app is still the same) 

Thanks for your support 

Farewell meal

love in Christ

Heather x

Christmas Greetings!

After another busy year (it seems like those are the only kind we have now!!), we are glad to be slowing down a bit for the Christmas holidays.

We welcomed in 2017 whilst in America; we made the trip over to visit some supporters and spend Christmas and New Year with our very good friends over there. It was a long journey, but worth it to enjoy the festivities with good friends, and to spend a bit of time with MMS in Ohio and MAG in NC! (Not to mention enjoying a bit of time in the snow!)

We came back to Kampala refreshed, and while I was busy painting our Cessna 206, Heather was busy wrapping up the school year, and her time as music teacher, at Heritage school. 

We had a great trip back to the UK in the summer, catching up with family and friends as well as our church friends, and other supporters. Then it was back to Uganda again to get on with work in the hangar and for Heather to start her new role as primary music teacher at Rainbow school. Rainbow work with a British curriculum so it will be more beneficial for our kids as they move through the school system. Abi and Eilidh joined Heather, while Matthew stayed at Heritage for one more year with his friends there.

October saw my parents visit during the school holidays, and so we were able to enjoy a bit of holiday time in Murchison Falls National park, taking advantage of some of the safari trips that are so close to where we live!

We are looking forward to spending a bit of time relaxing as a family this Christmas, before the busy-ness starts again; in late January, I am travelling to Mongolia for a few weeks of work on another avionics upgrade  to the caravan we have operating over there.

We hope that you will feel the joy and peace of Christmas this year in the midst of whatever plans you have; it is good to relax, and it's good to spend time with family, but it is even better to rest in the knowledge that Christ came, as the Old Testament prophesied, and He will come again!

I have attached a couple of recent videos below, and hope you enjoy a Christmas greeting, and some of the footage from the repaint I did at the start of the year... 

A Christmas Greeting from Uganda!

Thank you for sharing in our journey, and for remembering us in prayer and practical support>
Wishing you every blessing for this Christmas, and as we start off into 2018!!

Tha Swanson Family

It's been a while...

When we first started with MAF, I made every effort to get at least a couple of blog posts out every month. That actually takes quite a bit of work, and it seems that in the last couple of years especially I have lost a bit of steam with the blog. That said, I know there are many people who follow this page (or at least used to!) to keep up with our news.



Last week I put together a wee video to update some friends back home on what we are doing out here in Uganda, so I thought I would share it on here as well...



Thanks for reading and watching!

Safe in the Arms of God

I honestly don't know where to begin.  Serving God wherever you are in world is not easy. God never promised it would be.  We have dealt with no power, no electricity, bumps in the car,  loved and lost dear friends to new horizons, we have even come through melanoma cancer. Time is a wonderful healer and as I look back even these things (bar the cancer) seem relatively feeble three years on.  When I wrote the last blog I mentioned I was leaving my present job at Heritage.  I had also been interviewed and offered a new job at nearby international school where some of the other MAF children attend.  The job offer was dependant on references of course.  Never did I think that one of my references could have caused my offer to be rescinded but there is a first time for everything. In two years in my job I have poured my heart and soul (and finances) into being the best teacher I could be. It was crushing when the job offer was rescinded and I had to edit the blog I had just posted to you all now leaving an uncertain void as to my plans for the next year.  Meeting after meeting to find out where I could be going wrong as a teacher and what was I doing that could have cost me a job in the small international community left no answers,  no evidence,  and a line of poor management.  Still,  I could pick myself up from this - God had a plan.  Deep within I had been sure God was calling me to this decision and pursued the applications of Abigail and Eilidh to the new school.  During the application process of our girls I was called into a meeting with the management at the new school.  I have never been in the position where there was a job opening for an elementary music teacher and I was a qualified unemployed music teacher, yet a soon to be parent at the said school.  Wondering what role I could take (volunteer?) or if I could ever apply for another job there led to several conversations and an invitation for a second interview. The interview panel was different and I repeated the interview again and was able to explain the happenings of the last few months with documented evidence of areas that I could only speculate were issues as I was refused any glance at the reference that cost me the job.  Relief and thankfulness when I was offered the position (again!) this time - no strings attached.  What a rollercoaster! Telling your four year old you are going to be her music teacher next year and see the joy in her face,  and then having to tell her that mummy isn't going to be working at the school anymore was heartbreaking.  The ripple effects of possibly having no second income was felt around our house staff in particular. All of their families would be affected and those who we support.  It was such a relief to tell  my girls again that I would be at their school.   All I want to do as a teacher is ensure I can give my kids the best music education I can and BE there for them.

In the midst of all the above "soap opera drama" (as Andy called it!),  It has been the busiest time of my career. Conducting 270 kids a the international music festival was exciting.  Meanwhile rehearsals were underway for Beauty and the Beast production that would take place at the end of April.  Due to the many weekly rehearsals (it's all done after school) I would miss seeing Joyce and Darius as when Andy would get home from work,  they would leave.  On Wednesday Joyce sells her doughnut balls and bread at the school market.  Darius had been sick with a cold and I took them home from the market one Wednesday afternoon around 5pm.  He was sleeping. I never saw them on the Thursday as I was late home.  I decided to leave at 3pm on the Friday and that was when I noticed Darius had been sleeping for four or five hours.  I noticed he was agitated while sleeping as though struggling for oxygen and packed Joyce and Darius into the car to go to the surgery (ex-pat clinic).  It was rush hour, 5pm, and it took us over an hour to get there.  He was getting more agitated in the car as he struggled to breath.  He was rushed straight into the resuscitation room. Breathing treatments helped however when they finished he would crash.  I don't really want to go into all the details.  It was traumatic for us all and very "African".  If ever I have felt like a foreigner - it was at this moment helping Joyce go through what no parent should ever have to experience.  Thankfully her brother arrived to also give her some support.  Meanwhile I tried to deal with the nurses (who were wonderful) and the oxygen tank which failed at one point.  I tried to keep joyce from falling apart when her baby needed her most and encouraged her to hold him so she could say her goodbye. I switched the machine off as she took off the oxygen mask so she could cuddle him.  His levels were so low that the machine was not having any more effect on him. I watched the sweet fifteen month old that had stolen our hearts gasp his last breath here on earth.  If anyone could have told me three years ago that that's where I would be on that Friday evening would I have ever come to Africa?  YES I would. As useless as I felt in that hospital room I know God planted us here not just to serve with MAF but for that lady - Joyce.  God chose my family to hold her hand through her worst nightmare and in the midst of the grief for that I am so humbled.  Andy left early Saturday morning to help with the arrangements and basically be a chauffeur for the weekend as they drove the 7 hour drive to the congo border.  Culturally the baby must be buried in the Father's village.  The Father was in Congo and could not attend the funeral. Joyce stayed there for three days till the burial was complete and then returned to her mother's village.  Joyce has since been very sick with typhoid from drinking untreated water in the village.  She is slowly on the mend and is returning gradually to work this week.  I remember at our cross cultural training, someone mentioned that missionaries often see  more people die in a few years than others do in a life time - we, and other MAF families can testify to this.

The week after Darius died, I had 800 people coming to see the production I had organised.  It was the final week of dress rehearsals,  night rehearsals in the dark - no time to sit or even cry with others about what I had just witnessed.   Then after the production,  it was the end of year concerts.  Now that that is done, it is exam time, marking and entering grades,  packing up my resources,  and clearing out my classroom. Meanwhile I have to clear out my home from the cot,  the high chair,  the toys, the nappies.   This furlough will definitely be different. I honestly don't even think I can get up to speak and share about how life has been these past months so please accept this blog as our family update.    It will hopefully be a time of rest and healing and refreshing in our faith as we gear up for another year here in Kampala.  

There have been many spiritual battles within  the MAF team over these last months as many families have gone through major life altering events.  Some are recovering from post traumatic stress,  some are grieving the loss of a loved one,  some are unable to be spoken about publicly.  It has been a rough season for many.  Please continue to pray for the many MAF families here.

Thank you to all of you who have supported Darius. Your love and prayers have touched and encouraged all of us, but especially Joyce.  Before Darius was born she only attended our church as the children's worker for the under five's.  Now she also attends her own  church later on a Sunday and they have been a wonderful support to her through this time. Joyce also has the hope that she will see her son again in Heaven one day.

Andy and Eilidh will fly to the UK this coming Sunday. Myself and Abi and Matthew will follow in the 5th of June. We are looking forward to seeing you all and catching up with YOUR news.  Andy will be in Dunoon Baptist Church on the 5th of June and then we will be at Kirkintilloch Baptist church on the 11th. We plan to be at Pitlochry on the 18th of June and then will be having some family holiday/rest time.

Our supporters really mean the world to us and I can't begin to tell you all how we appreciate your continual giving and prayers which allow us to serve God and the people of Uganda.

Lots of love

Heather (Andy, Abigail, Matthew and Eilidh)