We are still working...

Well it seems that time isn't going to slow down for me so I am just going to have to type faster. I hope in addition to the new photo array you have discovered the interactive links on this page. Just by hovering over and then clicking a tab you can be whisked away to YouTube where all of our videos can be enjoyed. Click another tab and you can check out the newsletters, both old and new. Want to look at a brochure or two, maybe download one for printing....there is a tab for that. Please sign up for automatic e-mail updates while you're here too. Look around, want something we don't have let me know and I'll see about adding it. 

Ok, the next trips itinerary is in the planning stage but it looks like departure from the USA on April 9th with part of the group leaving Uganda for home on the 19th and the remainder on the 23rd. If you are interested in traveling with us on this spring 2012 trip there is still time but only barely. Before being added to the list we ask you read the new members packet and you can get one from Pastor Danny or me. You also need to have a valid passport in hand. The cost per traveler is estimated to be $2700 and I can give you a breakdown as to where your money is being spent. Keep in mind this figure may rise as final costs are calculated. It is important to realize that the mission itself, the obvious priority, takes an additional $7300 to fund. We ask that all missionaries actively participate in fund raising. The best and most productive fund raising strategy is simply to share your passion about this ministry. Every donation of $10, $20, $50 counts and adds up.  

I want everyone interested in this ministry to keep up with our "doings", so look for many more of these shorter updates.

Pastor Phillips Update

11 Let us therefore be diligent to enter that rest, lest anyone fall according to the same example of disobedience. 12 For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart. 13 And there is no creature hidden from His sight, but all things are naked and open to the eyes of Him to whom we must give account.

(Hebrews 4:11-13)

Since our last mission trip to Uganda we have been receiving testimonies from the Ugandan pastors and churches about what God is doing in there. It’s clear that God is not only at work in their lives and in their churches but He affects their ministries and communities as well. Kim and I are so excited about this upcoming mission, which is scheduled to leave on the 9^th of April. We are being blessed with another opportunity to spread the truth of God's Word to the people of Uganda. What we would ask of our prayer partners is to pray for us as we prepare for this trip. I ask for prayers for the team (6 are traveling), the mission in general, and specifically for Kim as she is now in the role of Youth Education Coordinator, and me as I have taken on the role of Pastoral Education Coordinator. As we approach our departure date I become increasingly anxious to see my brothers and sisters in Uganda and very excited to work hand and hand with the rest of the mission team. Thank you for all of your Love and support you have given us, and will keep you updated. God Bless 

Over Due Update!!!

So can anyone tell me where the time goes? Seriously it’s January 2012! Before I get you up-to-date on the next trip let me get you to enjoy the photo slideshow of Fall 2011 that can be found on the left side of the screen. Here are just a “few” of the many, many photos that get taken during these missions. Sometimes I think the fellowship and sharing opportunities that are sparked by producing a camera with a video display is as important as any of the other ministries. Most of the people we encounter have never really seen themselves. There are no mirrors, no glass and very few reflective surfaces. Yes they have probably marveled at their reflection in a pool of water … but that 2.5-inch view screen! Imagine what that must feel like, to see yourself for the first time. Then we get to share with them how we really are all the same, each of us made in the image of our Savior and go on to share the Gospel message with them. Memories I will always cherish.

The next mission trip is already deep into the planning stage. I will post updates over the next few weeks. The schedule is: departure from various cities in the USA on April 9th and a return date of April 24th. For the first time we are able to offer an option of a 10-day trip, in other words we are able to split the trip up for those who cannot manage a full 16 days away from home and work. If you are at all interested in what role you can play in this ministry e-mail us at 4himinafrica@gmail.com. We would love to talk to you. Though I am not traveling this year I am excited to see what God has in store for the people of Uganda and the missionaries.



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Words From Pastor Danny on the Recent Uganda Mission

Even though it has just been a little over a week since we left Uganda the memories are starting to fade more each day. The experience of a mission trip to Uganda is much more than the mental picture it leaves, it includes sounds, smells and the reminder of the physical demand that our body endures over the two week period. Uganda's cities are among the dirtiest I ever seen including Port-A- Prince, Haiti. Yet, even in the cities, there is a unique attraction to the sights and sounds that are so much different than what we know here in West Virginia. Maybe it is that appearance of total chaos among the thousands of Ugandans moving all at once, slowly transforming before your eyes to appear as an almost symphonic movement that without any direction simply works. In fact the art of travel through the city of Kampala could very well be added to the list of wonders in our world. As I mentioned the smell that accompanies the people of Uganda and also my senses are a large part of my memory. When I leave Uganda my mind holds on to the smell of the charcoal fires, along with the natural smell of people, and to state it mildly, everything they leave behind. But as disgusting as that may sound, it is perfectly natural to them and after a while I believe you learn to love it as part of the people in the same manner as you would a child with a birth defect. The memory I try to hold on to the most is the bright white smiles surrounded by the shiny black faces of the many Ugandan friends I have made while traveling to that wonderful country.
    Along with the memories of the crowded city I have been blessed to witness what many people may dream about their entire life. That is the remote country of Africa that holds what at first seems the simplest of all the lifestyles on our planet. I am talking about the mountains of Uganda where villages are separated by deep long beautiful valleys which are covered with banana plantations, scattered Acacia trees and dotted with little mud huts, creating the most peaceful picture imaginable.  One glance at this area gives you the picture of what you always thought Africa should have looked like.  This makes the experience more enjoyable as you find yourself riding over miles of dirt roads where everyone you pass is either carrying their load on their head or the back of a bicycle. You will find that at every hilltop is another breathtaking sight that quickly becomes a Kodak moment.

        It is in the small villages and trade centers that you learn to appreciate the fact that what looks like the simplest of life styles is actually very complex and requires more than a basic understanding just to recognize the severity of living in the remote areas of Uganda. It is hard to remember that among all that beauty there is also a very hard way of life. For the missionary each encounter is different whether it is the excitement of the children who gather to see the Mazungu (white), or the local church making way to welcome the American teachers, or those who live in spiritual darkness that tell their story through the way they look at you with long gazing stares. Altogether I have found that in many ways it is not much different than any other city in the world other than the fact that each encounter leaves an impact on someone. Many times that one who is impacted turns out to be me.  My best memories are the ones that are made when we are leaving and I know that the gospel has been taught and the Holy Spirit is united with the people.
      I might not be able to remember all the details of the trip, but I do remember that God has a mission. And the four of us went to Uganda, not to accomplish God's mission, but rather to be obedient to His call, and to once again love the people of Uganda.  

Coffee in Entebbe

As I sit here on the porch of our room looking at the sunrise while drinking a cup of coffee (yes, we found a way to make coffee), I am filled with mixed emotions. I keep thinking of the weeks preceding this trip and how I became more and more anxious about leaving my husband and children behind. I am thinking about how hard it was to say goodbye and yet at the same time I was excited about being in Uganda again. We had a long trip over, but the moment we stepped off of the plane and saw familiar faces that had become dear to us, I felt as if I had come home which is a hard feeling to explain.

This trip was very different from the last. For one, Phillip wasn’t by my side, and second, I pretty much knew what to expect. Or so I thought.  After our arrival at the airport we promptly went to the Backpacker’s in Entebbe for the night & then were up early to head to Ntungamo. The plan was to be there in the early afternoon for the crusade. That did not happen. Through a series of mishaps (one being that my window fell out of our vehicle), we did not arrive until about 10:00 that evening. A third day of traveling. Upon our arrival at our “motel”, we found that we did not have a few of the basics that we had on our first trip – running water, toilet, shower. All we could do was laugh about it for the next few days. Sandy and I spent the next several days getting to know the people and children in the town of Ntungamo while Danny and Mike spoke at the New Believer’s Conference. It was there that I was able to sit with the children and talk about “Creation to the Cross”. Again, my “ideas” were not quite what God had planned and we compensated for that. We had over 100 children that day and their attention span was quite short. I had the bright idea to try & make necklaces with them all. Not the brightest. The word I have for that craft is: stampede. It was a tremendous amount of fun, though, and I was reminded that I need to listen to God’s plan and not my own. We spent our evenings there at the crusade. Danny and Mike were incredible and we had an opportunity to hear a pastor from Kenya who touched each of us in a special way. Our last day in Ntungamo, Danny and I headed up to the top of a mountain to attend church services with a school while Mike and Sandy stayed in Ntungamo for services there. What a blessed day we had! The children touched our hearts and we were able to pray with them and for them after Danny spoke. Of course, our plans were not God’s plans. On the way back down the mountain, our vehicle got stuck in the mud. By the time we got out (about a mile and a half down the road – and an hour or two later), we had about twenty or thirty men, women, and children pushing us!! Meanwhile, Mike & Sandy were extremely blessed by the church services and baptisms in the river. It is always hard to say goodbye, but we did and headed for Ibanda. Oh, and by the way, thanks to Mike we found a “stinger”, pot, and cups and were able to begin having coffee in the mornings. All we could say was “Amen & thank you, Lord!!!”

Upon our arrival in Ibanda, we were again amazed when we entered our rooms. We had real toilets that flushed & hot showers! It’s funny when you realized that it takes so little to make you happy. Toilets, showers, and a cup of coffee and we felt as if we were in a five-star hotel. At the same time, though, it’s a little sobering when you stop and think that these people that we’re surrounded by in these villages go without running toilets and hot showers every day. We are a very spoiled nation.

Our time spent in Ibanda was amazing. We would wake up early and drive up into the mountains to the village of Miizi (meaning ‘roots run deep’).  Once again, we were able to interact with the pastors as we registered them. It was good to see faces that we recognized. After a day and a half of registration, Sandy and I were able to spend our afternoons with the unschooled children in town and our mornings with children from a school not too far away. Our time spent sharing God’s Creation through His Sacrifice with them was one of the best parts of the trip. Toward the end of the week, Sandy had an idea to just sit with them and have a “question and answer” session with each group. The questions they asked were sometimes funny & and sometimes very deep. Each time, though, we found we were able to bring out God’s Word in a way that made it real to them.  Again, it was difficult to say goodbye.

I am now on my second cup of coffee and it is time to finish up my packing before we head to the school for the day. The sun is now up and as I look out, I can say that there was not one time on this trip that I looked at our surroundings that I didn’t see just how miraculous God’s Creation is.

I now find that I am very anxious to get home. I have missed Phillip terribly. And my children.  Despite the mixed feelings I had just before leaving, I now have mixed feelings about leaving Uganda behind. The country and it’s people now have a permanent piece of my heart.

A Quick Note From Entebbe, Uganda

Ok, lets see how writing and driving works… today is our last full day here in Uganda. We are driving from the village of Ibanda in the southwestern part of the country, where our motel was located, across the equator to the city of Entebbe. The actual distance is about equal to crossing the state of Oregon, but because of the road quality, animal traffic and our shopping stops today it will take most of the day.

As we prayed this morning before our drive began I believe we each gave praise to God. Theses 2 weeks have been some of the most exciting weeks of my life. Over the next few days I will ask the team to share their own experiences on our blog. For me, the excitement began during the preparation as God put things together as only He can. Each time an obstacle looked as if we would stumble over it God made a way. When money was the problem enough seemed to appear to accomplish what we had set out to do. When plane flights looked as though they would be difficult to find with a reasonable itinerary they were purchased easily.

Gathering the needed supplies and food was not only relatively easy but turned out to be a good bonding day with Kim. The packing went quickly and though we would maybe pack a little differently next time we were not without anything we needed for the mission or even personal comfort At the airport we were confronted with an unexpected fee but God even resolved that without fuss. We traveled safely, timely and with all our luggage arriving with us in Kampala and on time….Praise The Lord!!!

I had felt led to make Christian tracts and have them translated before traveling in hope of using them for evangelism this trip and I need again Praise God for the souls saved through their use. Praise and worship at the crusade each evening of the first week and sharing the word amongst the villagers and children during the day was exhausting and exhilarating all at the same time. I even had my first opportunity to read scripture during a Sunday service. That may seem a small item to remember but to me it will always be a special moment worth remembering. That first week was also Kim’s first chance at presenting the “Creation to the Cross message” that she has been working so hard on. I have to say it was very well received by the children.

The second week was spent assisting with the logistics of the pastor’s conference, registering, checking them in, handing supplies and having a few moments with each pastor to say a personal welcome. This small gesture seemed well received by the pastors, and enjoyed by Kim and I. Once those items were done for the day we traveled a few miles away to a brand new primary school where we spent the morning until early afternoon in teaching, playing and crafts. All these activities were focused around the Gospel message. Again Kim presented the “Creation to the Cross message”. Our afternoons were spent with the unschooled village children in a field a mile or so from the conference. That was where I felt the most comfortable. We did not bring an official message but spent our time in play and then we would just sit with them and share our faith through conversation or the Evangecube or Christian tracts or question and answer time. God even allowed me the awesome privilege of leading a young man in the sinner’s prayer as he accepted his Saviors gift of grace.

Each evening, which came very late in the day, we all spent together in fellowship in our room at the motel (thankfully it was mine and Kim’s room so we could get comfy under the covers while we talked. Meals were very, very simple but made better by our home brought sweets and their soda pop!!! Seriously, the fellowship and conversation each evening was a very special time. I learned much on this trip. My heart will forever live here with the wonderful people of Uganda!!!   

Much more and plenty of pictures to follow when I am home in my chair!

We are here!

We are FINALLY here!! We had a long, but good flight over. Lots of laughter & excitement going on between the four of us. Had a terrific night, the weather is beautiful......Looking forward to heading to Ntungamo today to experience more of God's blessings!