A Few Words From Sandy

As I sit here typing I think about the many things I should be doing in preparation of flying out on Monday morning. MONDAY MORNING!!!! I can’t understand where the time has gone. I could use another couple of weeks to prepare…or could I.  Danny reminded us yesterday to remember it isn’t about us. No matter what we plan, no matter what goals we set we should never forget Our Lord who is in charge of everything. It is by His grace and for His glory that we can do anything let alone travel to the other side of the world in His name. So now with a lighter heart and better posture I face the day. Working with God at His invitation and not trying to do the work for Him. It’s so simple to get lost and so good to be found again.

Now with that said, I am looking forward to our first attempt at a "structured" children's ministry that is going to take the kids from creation to the cross. Kim has set up some simple lessons including poster boards, crafts and Bible stories. Since we will be in 2 new villages on each mission trip what we learn here can be critiqued and adjusted for new groups. This is going to combine with games, sports (teaching these kids frisbee is a hoot!!!) and lots of loving. The first year I went I realized that these children had never seen there own reflection and were fascinated by our digital cameras (that had the LCD screen). I shared that with Kim and we traveled last time with an instant camera and took and gave the kids their own pictures to keep, that was the absolute highlight for me. This year we will repeat that in a new place and also introduce them to moving pictures. Using our laptops we are going to show them the movie "Jesus" which we were able to purchase in their native language. 

We also have the opportunity to visit a couple of local clinics to get a first hand view of health care availability. I would like you all to pray that God gives me the questions to ask, the ideas and the people to work with so that we may set up a medical component to this ministry. Of course this like everything else must be in God's will. 

I am so excited to be going back to Uganda where I can visit the heart I left there that first mission trip. So time to get busy.....

Sandy

A Few Words From Pastor Mike Coleman

In February of 2010 Danny, Sandy, Andy and I were at Akacucu, Uganda to teach, to preach and as the saying goes to listen, listen, love, love. Five days of teaching Local Pastors and Lay Persons. Five evenings of Revivals in the town square or the local cattle pasture that doubled as the community football (soccer) field. In between lots of fellowship, feeding hundreds of people, making new friends and seeing old ones again. Hundreds of people came to the teaching sessions. They came by all manner of means. Some by buses, others by bicycles, still others by the Bota-Bota motorcycles that carry everything from passengers to unbelievable amounts of goods. Many walked, in some cases for days. All had a dignity about them. One man in particular sticks in my mind. He appeared towards the middle of the week, dressed in a white suit. He was an older gentleman in a place where achieving any age past 40 is to be counted a major accomplishment and perhaps a miracle. He sat quietly and listened to the teachers and to the praise and worship leaders. On our last day there he came forward and respectfully asked to have his photograph taken with our team leader, Danny. As I was taking the photographs, I couldn't help but notice that our new friend was wearing a silver medal  commemorating "Uganda Independence -- 9th October 1962". At what price was this freedom purchased? How much had it cost this man, his family, his friends, his neighbors? What had he endured? 48 years after the fact, freedom still carried such impact on the man that he proudly wore the tattered ribbon and the medal it held. Certainly it still meant allot to him after nearly a half a century. The Apostle Paul tells us in the Letter to the Colossians that in Jesus Christ we are free! Jesus purchased our freedom with his blood and forgave our sins (1:14). We are freed from empty philosophies and our sinful nature. In our baptism we have died with Christ and have been raised in Him to be free from the bonds of legalism, man-made rules and the spiritual powers of this world (2:12, 20-23). We are free! At what price? How much the cost? What was endured? Whether we experienced the salvation of the Lord last week, last month, last year or half a century ago -- does the freedom that we enjoy because of Jesus's suffering, death and resurrection still have impact in our lives and through our lives upon the world? Do we live out our costly freedom, proudly, yet with quiet dignity? Do we proclaim it to the world?

God Bless

Mike Coleman

Busy, Busy, Busy

The count down to Uganda Fall 2011 is WELL underway. Our flights depart from Charleston, WV and Tampa, FL on October 17. For now all the preparation is in full swing. The pastors are finalizing lesson plans, the behind the scenes team is busy on the paper work covering items from the pastor invitations to mission budgets, the teachers are preparing the creation message, Christian tracts are being written and translated, shopping for food and supplies and on and on and on. It seems that the getting ready can go on forever!! The mission team travelers: Pastor Danny Cunningham, Pastor Mike Coleman, Kim Thompson and Sandy Fleming are all getting excited.

But never, never forget the one true, living God who is so wonderful, so fantastic that He has asked us to join with Him in what he is doing in Uganda. What a privilege! As I get lost in the work…which I love… I am reminded that He doesn’t need me, He could do this all by Himself. No reason to get overwhelmed and every reason to stop and pray. Thank you Lord for choosing this role for me, for us, for our team. Thank you for each and every person involved in preparing, supporting and praying for this mission.

I am convinced that we are following God’s will and can't imagine more worthy cause to devote our time, effort and resources to.

Be patient, check back here again and we will try to be more current on the blog posts. We want to share this experience with you; better yet we want you to join us next time. 

How can I ....help....serve?

We have been asked many times, “What exactly do you do in Uganda?” and  “What would I do if I went with you?” So recently Pastor Danny and I put together a couple of brochures titled; “How can I help?” and “How can I serve”. With these 2 flyers we hope to answer your questions. Please take a minute and click on the links, I think the broad scope of God’s ministry will become much clearer to you.

"How can I serve?" 4 HIM in Africa Ministries

"How can I help?" 4 HIM in Africa Ministries

If you haven't yet joined our blog please consider doing that, visit 4 HIM in Africa Ministries.

Uganda Fall 2011..... 31 days and counting

We're Growing!

We are glad to announce that 4 HIM in Africa Ministries has entered into a working partnership with Cross Lanes Baptist Church, located in Cross Lanes, West Virginia. It is clear that the people and their Pastor, Seth Polk, have a heart for missions. In addition to any role they may choose to play in Uganda they are already active in missions around the world: Moldova, Jamaica, and most importantly right here at home. I suggest you check out Pastor Seth Polk’s blog where you can learn about him, Cross Lanes Baptist Church and in particular the section covering missions. http://www.sethpolkblog.com/

“Cross Lanes Baptist Church is excited to be expanding its Acts 1:8 mission strategy into Africa, in partnership with 4 HIM In Africa Ministries, and Pastor Danny Cunningham. There is a great opportunity in the nation of Uganda to make disciples, and be a part of what God is doing to expand His Kingdom there. Needs are being met, the gospel is being taken to the lost, churches are being planted, indigenous leaders are being trained, and the mission of God is being multiplied! We are praying for this new partnership and look forward to being a part of what God is doing through this ministry.” (Seth Polk)

Acts 1:8 as pointed out by Pastor Seth: Jesus said. . . you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.

I am excited to see what God has in store for our ministry. It is a blessing to be joined by the people of Cross Lanes. Just where do we go from here…. where ever God leads!!!!

Welcome to the team CLBC!

2012 Mission Dates

Yes, I realize we are just now finalizing the plans for the October 2011 mission but it is never too early to begin planning for the next. As you are aware 4 HIM in Africa Ministries is involved in an ongoing project  focused on providing bush pastors with a working foundation of knowledge. This is done over the course of 6 1-week educational training conferences. Therefore, 6 mission trips are needed to complete a single training cycle. In addition to the pastors conference there are opportunities to take part in crusades, a new believers class (called an All Saints conference), street side/group/door-to-door evangelism, children/youth ministry, community projects, encouragement visits to churches and schools, prison ministry, medical clinics and much more is in the works....

The upcoming October 2011 mission is the second of the six planned missions. The proposed dates for the next two mission trips are April 9-24, 2012 and October 15-30, 2012. There has been some interest in splitting these missions into 7 or 8 day portions for those who are unable to commit to such a lengthy mid-year mission. At this point the split looks to be do-able but the additional costs associated with extra travel to and from the mission site is still being worked out. I will let you know as that information becomes available. For now, please put the dates on the calendar and be in prayer about them. The hardest part of any mission is saying "yes" when the Lord calls.

Tickets and Plans

I think it never gets more exciting or more real then when the working itinerary is completed and tickets are purchased. Well this is the time! Our small band of travelers is fully ticketed to Uganda. But that doesn’t mean there isn’t time for you to join us. While there are days yet to pass and seats left on the plane (our flight or another) there is still time to become part of our team. Pray, trust your heart; say “yes” when the Lord calls. There are many blessings to be gained by joining God in what he is doing in Uganda. We are in need of those with a desire to teach, preach, witness, and reach out to the people of Uganda. Remember God equips the called.

I must stress once more that in the realm of missionary work no schedule is ever truly final! Keeping that in mind here is our “final” working itinerary for the Fall 2011 mission:

October 17

Depart USA

October 18

 Late PM arrival Entebbe, Uganda

October 19

AM Travel to mission site (Ntungamo)

PM Rest

October 20

 AM Encouragement Visits to bush churches

 PM Crusade, group and street side evangelism

October 21 and 22

            AM All Saints conference, evangelism/child/youth/community ministries

            PM Crusade, group and street side evangelism

October 23

            AM Worship services

            PM Baptism of new believers

            PM Encouragement visit to churches

            PM Relocate team to secondary site (Ibanda)

October 24

            AM Medical clinic visits (attempt to establish medical component to mission)

            AM School visits

            PM Start of Pastors conference, logistical support and registration of pastors

October 25

            AM Pastors conference, complete registration process

            PM Pastors conference, evangelism/child/youth/community ministries

October 26-28

            AM Pastors conference, evangelism/child/youth/community ministries

            PM Pastors conference, evangelism/child/youth/community ministries

October 29

            AM Prison ministries

            AM Church/School Visits

            PM Open time for additional ministries

October 30

            AM early departure to national park

            PM travel to Entebbe

October 31

            AM Rest

            AM & PM Visit and Minister to Divine Secondary School and Orphanage

            Late PM Depart Uganda

November 1

            Late PM return home

Everyday and in everyway we give praises to the Lord for allowing us the privilege to witness what he is doing in, through, and around the wonderful people of Uganda!!!