October Mission Log 2013 Gulu, Uganda FYI: the internet connections are very difficult to navigate- so don’t expect much- but I will keep trying. If a connection fails twice- I bounce- lots to do- still getting settled in. 10.11.13 Quick post- Arrived safe and sound. Happy, happy, happy to be here! God is so faithful! His Grace, mercy and abundant provision has allowed me to enter the international mission field long term today. As I approach the Airport TSA screening area, I was blessed to see the smiling face of my Ex-wife- more surprised than happy to see me, I am sure. We had to opportunity to exchange greetings. She then asked where I was going and I was able to express my excitement and joy for what God has done and continues to do, in my life. Imagine being the only person in line for screening- no one in front or behind you… I have never seen that before- ever! God just gave us the time to share, wish each other well and move on without rushing. I find it amazing on so many levels! To me, it was like a page in my life was being turned- from past to present! Please join me in prayer as I continue to pray for Renee, her new family and their- salvation, health and peace! 10.12.13 After 27hrs of air travel, and one very pleasant conversation of Gods faithfulness, I arrive in Entebbe, Uganda. With my tailbone hurting and my feet feeling a little heavy from sitting so long. I made my way to the Customs line just to have some guy cut past me and a few others in line. As I thought that- this guy must really feel special- Customs opened another lane and I couldn’t help but laugh a little, as he watched thirty people pass us. Grabbing my bags and entering the public area I hear a familiar voice call out my name. I was surprised to see that at 11:30pm Pastor Brian of Calvary Chapel Kampala and his bride Jill had made the 45min trip to pick me up so that I could stay the night with them. Please keep this family in prayer. Praising God for safe travel, the peace and joy he has given me 10.13.13 Morning comes as early as you would expect but I praise God that I have never experienced jetlag of any kind or degree. Jill made a typical Ugandan breakfast of coffee toast, bananas and even scrambled us some eggs. Brian called Simon to see where he wanted to meet so Simon could accompany me to his hometown- Gulu. After saying goodbyes- Simon and I took an early lunch, found the bus to Gulu and spent the next two hrs talking on an unconditioned bus as we waited for it to fill to capacity- so that we could leave- that’s just how it’s done. Once filled the bus driver attempts to makeup for lost time and the ride morphs into a rollercoaster ride mixed with twists, bumps and turns that is comparable to a pro bull ride. 8 seconds- that’s it- 8 seconds and the judge blows the horn- and if you haven’t been thrown- you try to time your dismount as to land on your feet. But even though the driver has been blowing the horn for the past hour and you want to dismount- there’s 4 more hrs to go. MY BUTT HURTS- LOL! Pastor Fred and George of Calvary Chapel Gulu met us at the bus stop and took us to the hotel for a good nights sleep. Word of the day: Icoo Maber = Good morning sounds more like “E-cho-ma-bay” 10. 14th - 18th Are a whirlwind of ministry. This culture is pretty laid back but Pastor Fred seems to go nonstop. From the way I understand it- Pastor Fred doesn’t take a dime from the CC Gulu. So- some how he manages to balance generating an income for his family, ministry and being a father and husband. God has blessed me with many skills and talents. He has given me- what has many times been referred to as “an impressive resume’ from carpenter, superintendant, project manager, quality control, safety officer and estimator. As a result, many times I am asked to perform multipule rolls within the company and many times one area suffers as the others receive the attention that they require. Thanks to RMC, and my brothers and sisters in Christ- I am here to relieve some of those needs. Please pray that God gives us wisdom- to manage our time most effectively. We managed to pickup most everything I need for my room on the back of my new motorcycle. Word of the day: A- mata = drinking water Pii a mata = I need drinking water. 10.19.13 Jumped on the bike and visited Pastor Edwin Mutai in Adak was blessed to pray for a sick man that decided to give his life to the LORD! Please pray for his recovery and growth. Then rode to see Pastor James in Opit- great time of fellowship! Simon, the Associate Pastor of Calvary Chapel Palenga was also in Opit and I offered to give him a ride home. We discussed a ministry called Third Hope, a ministry that God had arranged for us to serve while I was still in the USA. Simon knew of the compound, so we rode deep in the bush to find it. When we arrived we made introductions toured the site and headed out to beat sunset. Praise God- Over 100 kilometers in one day and got home just as the sun went down. Word of the day- Lubanga Bay Lu-bong-ga = God Ber pronounced Bay = Good Lubanga + Bay = God is Good! 10.20.13 Sunday services- 8am worship = awesome! 9:30- 11:00 teaching Matt 18:1-8 Humility! Praise God two people gave their lives to Christ! 12- worship also awesome! 1:30- 2:30 teaching Matt 18:1-8 Humility! 3pm-4pm prison ministry. Also- very awesome. Praise God four people gave their lives to Christ! Cooking at home now: 1- electric burner, 1- pan 1-fork 1- plate! What more do you need? Answer- Word of the day: La-tedou = A cook. 10.21.13 Over the past few days I have been and will be meeting with the orphans that RMC’s Run for Revolution supported this year. The caretakers, school leaders, pastors and each child were at the meeting and they expressed their sincere gratitude for our support and every chance I got I reminded the child of how much God loves them/ us and shared the gospel for all to hear. This is a tough life- from sun up to sundown and that is what broke my heart for this region. With generations of civil war many wives have lost there husbands and many children have lost both parents. Needless to say, there is always more to. Over the past three days I have put on 280 kilometers the views are beautiful but the roads are rough. Very, very few are paved from Kampala North and those that have been are turning back into dirt roads. The dirt roads I ride are very dusty at times and when it rains the mud is like ice. Yesterday, I was blessed to be accompanied by George a deacon at CC GULU and on our way back he lost control of his bike and went into the ditch. He managed to ride 20 kilometers back home- we took him to the clinic where they put him out so they could relocate his “severely dislocated” shoulder. Then today Pastor Edwin told of seeing a black adder (sp?) whose body nearly crossed the one lane dirt road. He said that when he rode around it- it stood up and looked right at him- that is what they do when startled- they stand up and prepare to attack. Today while riding from Opit to Omel to meet with Pastor Richard of CC Omel. I stopped to have lunch where a forest preserve borders the road. As I unpacked my five samosas- ground beef wrapped in a thin bread-ish thing and deep fried. As I readied my hot sauce, a boy on a bicycle stopped- so I asked him if he wanted to share lunch and as we did I shared the gospel, gave him a copy of the Book of John and a track for later review. Please keep him in prayer and the above in prayer. Word of the Day: Ophyo = Thank you. 10.22 – 23 Sorry in advance- all of the previous posts and the following are done days later when I have some time. Its 10:20pm now on the 26th and I will be getting up at 5:30 to ride to Omel to teach. As a result, many amazing things that God is doing is being left out of the posts. Lots more riding through the bush regions of the Acholi district to deliver support to children and widows. Caught in the rain- so exciting- seeing the clouds build- watching the wall of rain move over the wide open spaces of grassland- wondering if you’ll beat it or not- once the dirt gets wet- it is really slick. Speeds drop from 40 to 80 kms to 10 to 30 and you have no idea how deep or which pot hole can be trusted. When meeting with the children- sometimes you hear stories that really tug at your heart. The losses that these children have experienced- one or both parents, only to be taken in by a relative that soon dies of Aids. CC Gulu is devoting some of the church service to a group teaching Aids awareness. Please keep this in prayer. 10.24.13 Today gets a slow start and I try to organize my room to make the most of the space I have. Thinking the next few days will be in town, I wash my bike to prevent rust from the mud. Then literally, just as I finish- I get a call to meet Pastor Fred in Pabo some 30km North on the Nimule, South Sudan road. Even though rain clouds are building and its 3pm- pretty late to take this ride. This is great news to me for a few reasons, one being I believe that God will have us plant fellowships up into Nimule and beyond. An other is I have only explored 7km on this road and now a man from Pabo wants to start a fellowship / study there- all so very exciting! Even with the rain, the roads are extremely dusty within just a few hours with the traffic on these roads. As a truck passes, it is a challenge to breathe or even see. Then as the dust clears, you can take a few breaths pick up your speed and move along. 12km down the road, I see equipment working on widening the road. The next 20km are in various stages of repair / widening. With rain chasing me most of the way- about 5km from Pabo I had to stop and take a picture of a rainbow on the planes. As I met Pastor Fred in Pabo the rain catches up with us- we put on rain gear and ride to a near by village to find a hut filled with men. This hut seems to be for gatherings and I was surprised and encouraged to see 9 men for the interest meeting. After introductions each person was able to share whatever he felt lead to share. One man- sorry- I didn’t write down names, said that most of the men were not believers. But, if we could give them bibles in the Acholi language- then they could read them. They were encouraged when I told them of a women that had just sent $100.00 to purchase bibles as gifts to the people. I shared my testimony- mixed with the gospel and told them that any man, woman or child committed to studying the bible would receive one. As the meeting ended and the sun began to set- a light rain fell and we started the very slow ride home. Please pray for this fellowship- God is doing something special- when most of the group is nonbelievers and not to mention- men. 10.25.13 Blessed to spend the day with Betty, a beautiful young lady that has a heart for orphans and widows. She has served other originations and now attends and serves at CC Gulu. We spent the day meeting with and dispersing funds to the children in Gulu. As we travel together on my bike- I am now responsible for an others life as well. Giving and sharing rides is just a part of the culture and I am happy to help- but, please pray for their protection. Today we meet with just three children and will try to finish the remaining contacts on Monday. Again, all the schoolmasters, teachers, students and caregivers or attendants are always to grateful. 10.26.13 Today we had planned for me to serve Pastor Edwin in Adak, spend the night there and teach Sunday in Omel. However, Edwin’s wife Anglia became ill and we would appreciate your prayers for them. With the change of plans, I was given the day off- well kind of- Pastor Fred and I distributed to one of the children here in Gulu. Her name is Susan, she is 17 and sings in the CC Gulu choir. She sends here greetings to RMC and says thank you for sponsoring her education. From noon on I spend the day organizing my room, reading the bible, and just when I think I will have some time to catch up on paperwork- I end up taking a nap under the fan. LOL! I awake to the sounds of the typical laughter of the ladies who are in the courtyard doing laundry. As I step out to interact with them a cool breeze blows through- it will rain tonight. God is so gracious to have allowed me to come here and experience the Christian life with these sweet, sweet people. Thank you for prayers and support! 10.27.13 Soo today- awesome! Everyday with God is an adventure but today was awesome. This morning I woke up at 5:30 to a nice cool breeze, made some coffee, spent time in the Word, cooked up some diced bell peppers, onions, garlic, chili peppers and whipped it into an omelet, ate and cleaned up- just in time to leave for Omel. Now this might not sound like a big deal- but, the power has been out for two days, so when I had power- it was an another reason to praise God! These posts may seem brutally honest at times but this is not a journal- I want those who are interested to know what it’s like for some guy to get called into the mission field. I want you to share in the experience of knowing that God heard my prayer and answered it!!!! When I prayed that I would not poop my pants-- because the bus driver can’t concern himself with every foreigner with diarrhea that gets on the bus. Really- think about this- before we even leave the bus stop- I am praying! We have 5hrs of the bumpiest roads I know of and your body wants to forcefully expel what you just ate a few hours ago. If that doesn’t make you a praying man nothing will.. LOL! On the way to Omel the roads were still muddy from the typical evening showers and it was nice and cool. When the roads are like this my average, speed is around 40km ph and that is about half the speed that I usually travel. It’s always tempting to try to make up time on the road but, with the roads still wet, there plenty of reminders of where someone had got caught in a slick and that rut in the road can take you for a ride. Another consideration is that now matter how far from a village that you might be- there is always someone walking along the side of the road. These travelers are hyper aware that they are at your mercy. Boda-boda drivers are paid by the number of rides and how far they can travel in a day and as a result, these guys fly. So when they hear you riding up on them most step off and make eye contact. I have cut back on racing the boda drivers to keep from splashing travelers on muddy days and dusting them on dry days. Instead, I opt to slow down way in advance as a type of ministry- greeting them as I move along. Along the road to Omel is a hill with a rock quarry. Today I was determined to stop and take pictures. As I hiked to the top I saw logs burning- they burn wood to turn it to charcoal but there are no trees up there so I thought they were probably using the heat to fracture the stone. At the top I spoke briefly with two workers, Byron and Patrick. I then took a few pics and video and rushed off. To be honest, I felt horrible, I wanted to share the gospel and instead I was concerned that the mud had slowed me down to much and did not want to be late for Sunday service. Please pray that I will have an opportunity to meet up with them again and that I never fail to share the Gospel! Omel has two services and Pastor Charles taught the first service in Acholi or Lwo as it is also known. Pastor taught from 2 Chronicles 20: 1-29 and as he read in Acholi an interpreter translated for me. Pastor spoke of the fact that because the people went before the LORD the LORD was going to go before them in battle- the battle belongs to the LORD! There was a lot of encouraging words about God crushing our enemies and I was beginning to wonder if he was going to mention anything about hardships or being defeated by the enemy every now and then. So, I was relieved when he reminded us that in this life we would have trouble-but God is with us. Second service started right away and it seemed that no one left- instead more came and the church was packed. After a second worship and introduction, I taught from Eph 1:1-19. Through an interpreter, I spoke of how Paul was once a terrorist- sent to persecute Christians. Nevertheless, because of the will of God he became an apostle of Christ- writing many of the books in the New Testament. How Paul’s authority to be a leader in the early church came from God himself. Vs2 how because of Gods grace and mercy towards us- we are at peace with God- by the blood of Christ- his payment for our sins. Vs3 how God deserves all praise and glory for what he has done in our lives. That like Paul, we have been given a new life. God has given us every spiritual blessing- he has held nothing back from us- we are not walking through this life- waiting for that one blessing that will make us complete, successful, holy or more spiritual. He chose us to be graphed in- adopted as children of God himself. He has given us his Holy Spirit to empower and equip us- the bible to guide us and reveal Gods nature to us. He sees us as holy and righteous because of Christ’s sacrifice and we are now at peace with him- no longer storing up wrath but blessings that go on and on and on! He has held nothing back! After working our way through the rest of these verses, I shared my testimony. Spoke of how we can attend church and not actually be a Christian. How we and be a Christian and not be living the victorious life that God intends for us. How all men have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. That scripture says that if we claim to be without sin we are a liar and we deceive ourselves. That the wages of sin is death- eternal separation from God- but, that God loves us and has provided a way for us to be at peace with him. If we would just believe, that God came to earth and lived the perfect life to redeem us from our sin by his death on the cross. Arose, from the grave- then we will be saved. In Acholi, there was an alter call for anyone that wanted to give there life to Christ or rededicate there lives to Christ and many came forward. Please keep these people and this church in prayer. As with all these village churches there is great need- these people work so hard- all day- just to survive and build a better life for the next generation. Please join me in praising God for allowing me to come to Uganda and share the Gospel. To be honest, I still don’t know why he chose me- or why Africa- or Gulu. But, he has and despite, the mosquitoes, cockroaches, diarrhea, floor toilets, pan showers, mud, dust, potholes and alike…. I am honored to be here! I am having the best time of my life- because there is nothing better than serving Gods people! I wish that everyone could experience these things and pray that you will join me when you can. Again, I praise God for you- interest, concern, your prayers and support. Without you and your intercessory prayer- this would turn out quite different! Please keep my family in prayer! I love and miss you Candice! I wish you were here!
Posted on: Mon, 28 Oct 2013 19:25:35 +0000
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