After a full and productive life of service to God and people, you could expect a quiet retirement and a cottage by the sea.

But Andrew and Margie Newman are currently packing their bags in preparation for a new life at an emerging Bible college in Uganda.

Andrew will be working with the college staff to develop their national accreditation to diploma level and build an accessible education hub to train Bible teachers and learners over south-west Uganda.

Thirteen year ago, a partnership was set up between the Anglican churches of New England and the Church of Uganda in the Rukungiri area.

Over that time, a regular interaction of visitors and resources has produced a double-ended blessing. 

Every January, a team of locals runs a “Next Gen” training conference for African youth. Other Aussies regularly visit to lead training on Sunday School teaching, healthy marriage and women’s ministry. Others just go across to help.

But all come back aglow from the experience of being part of the vibrant, effusive Christian faith of the beautiful African people.

Andrew and Margie Newman first visited Uganda with the Next Gen team in 2015.

Andrew writes: “Everyone’s life is like a jigsaw puzzle and God pulls the pieces together to make His picture for our lives. When the idea was first put to us, there seemed to be a shortage of pieces. But we prayed.

“Since then, we have watched in amazement as the Lord has placed so many jigsaw pieces into the puzzle, leaving us asking the question, ‘How can we not go?’.”

The Newmans will leave in January for five months’ training in cross-cultural mission in Melbourne, then in early 2020, they leave for Uganda and their long-tem mission.