Deckers Diary

On the Mission Field

in Africa
January 2016

Dear Friends and Family,

As you know, House of Friends closed its door as of December 31st. I
have sought out another mission covering, Global Impact Relief (GIR), and
am, at this time, waiting for word from them. I hope to hear from them by
mid-January.
I have a few other prospects but am waiting for word from GIR, who has
been and is involved with the ministry of Abba House Childrens Home and
New Life Primary School in Entebbe, Uganda. I am still hopeful of working
with the kids there. I would like to help this home become more selfsustainable, especially since sponsorships have dwindled.
The Spencer family, who is still in the Entebbe area, has opened their own
mission called Fields of Grace Ministries. I can do something like that as
well but wonder why, when there are many non-profit organizations out there
already. I just need to find the right one.

Ethiopia Mission Field

I would still like to return to Uganda but have also broadened my scope to
another eastern Africa country. I went to Ethiopia for one week, in December,
to take some books to the Lakomenza International Academy in Dessie, north
of the capital, Addis Ababa. The road to
Dessie was long, and winding up and
down some mountain ranges. On the
flatland areas I saw many beasts of burden, like camels and donkeys. I was told
that for the most part, Ethiopia has a
middle-class economy. Although I saw
many buildings constructed in concrete,
the natural resources I saw were eucalyptus poles and stones. Some of the hillsides were scattered with so many
stones that they reminded me of areas in Israel. Many people harvest rocks
by chipping them away from the mountain and breaking them into various
workable sizes, using hammers. From what I saw in the week that I was
there, I could say that almost 100% of the structures outside of the cities were
constructed with the eucalyptus poles. Commonly a house is made with the
poles. Then from the inside, mud is
applied to fill in the spaces between
the poles. Also, a mixture of mud
and manure covers the poles, or a
layer of mortar, on the outside.
Then the house is painted and completed by
steel window shutMud and manure sealed
ters and
door.
The eucalyptus has great worth within the cities as
well. The scaffolding of even the tallest structures
were of eucalyptus poles. It looked precarious to me.
I fell in love with the camels and I wanted to have
one, as a pet, until I found one that was slobbering
Pole
foamy mouthand that did it for me; no longer do I
scaffolding.
want a camel. I was, however, intrigued by their

Barb Decker
PastPresentFuture
I do thank you for your continual faith
in giving to House of Friends these past
years. Thank you for involving yourselves
in Gods work through me in Uganda, for
supporting the children at Abba House, and
for praying me through some difficult times.
I will keep you posted in what is happening in my life and when I get reconnected with a mission covering, I will send
out a reconnection opportunity for you to
support Gods work through me again.
Until then, please continue to pray for
Abba House membersAlice, who is trying to stabilize her epilepsy with medicine
and Elizabeth, who may need more chemotherapy in January. Please pray for the
Spencer family and the Fields of Grace
Ministries who have started a boarding
school for vulnerable children near Entebbe, Uganda. And please pray that I will
get situated sooner rather than later. I
would still like to return to Uganda and/or
Ethiopia in March or April and again with
a TEAM of TEACHERS to Ethiopia in
June.
I am also still planning to make the trip
of communication to churches and individuals
eastward. It will not be postponed again.
Until then and coming into a new year:
May The Lord bless you and keep you:
The Lord make His face shine upon you
and be gracious unto you: The Lord lift up
His countenance upon you and give you
Peace. (Numbers 6:24-26)
Shalom, shalom...

Barbara Decker

transportation methods. They range from

big trucks for hauling,
to regular cars and
taxis, to horse drawn
carts and camels,
Modes of transportation.
donkeys, and the
Camel and bajaj below
bajaj, a threewheeled motorcycle
taxi.
The school, a basic
block and concrete
structure, provides
education for about
750 students from
K-12. The campus where I delivered the books was a Cycle
One school, or Kindergarten through Fifth Grade serving 230
students. The
main objective
of the trip was
Kindergarten students
to assist in any
way we could
to help these
teachers to be
able to teach
English to their
students. The
outcome of this

trip is to schedule
future trips to
Ethiopia and provide training
sessions for both
teachers and
students. I have
tentatively set up

Some of the teachers

Barb teaching children how to say How are you? I am fine, thank you.

a possible trip in June to Ethiopia, hopefully for a team of

teachers to do this training. Meeting with the Ethiopian contacts, the trip will be around June 14th to 30th. If anyone has
interest in going, please let me know.

If interested in going to Ethiopia in June please contact me:

Barbara Decker
P O Box 176
Alma, MO 64001
Or call: 660-674-2513