SPC Uganda Mission Team Field Reports will be posted below as frequently as the team has electricity and time!  These reports are also archived in “Uganda Mission Reports.”  Many thanks to all people who have supported us with prayer and donations.  Please keep praying and stay tuned!!!

The Point: Missions ~ June / July 2009

Greetings from Canaan!  I have fallen in love with Uganda and its people.  I was overwhelmed with our welcome the first day.   Despite not having all of our personal items and the supplies for our teaching, God has provided all we have needed and we have had a very productive week.  Clay and Anita finished the Peacemaker Course today and Frank and Clay ended the pastor teaching.  As I am writing we are waiting for John to return from Entebbe with ALL BUT ONE of our trunks!!!

The teaching team went to Liahona Secondary School where many of the Canaan children attend.  We continued speaking on cultural and adolescent issues with the students.  They presented us with songs and a warm welcome.  In the afternoon the medical folks met in the clinic with about 20 ladies from the village and had a lively teaching time.  They face many of the same issues we have in the U.S., but have few resources to help them.  Amanda received an ovation from them (more on that, mom and dad, when she gets home).  I hope we have been an encouragement to them.  They have asked to meet with us again before we leave.

The pictures and video of Bible clubs that we have seen in reports cannot do justice to the real thing!  We finished the week with a full  chapel and an invitation to receive Christ.  The children here are so well mannered and responsive.  Anita once again put together a wonderful week of skits, puppets and teaching for the kids.  As in previous years, the numbers go up each day.  It is delightful to hear them sing!!!

The team is united and healthy.  We are looking forward to a visit to Jinja after student graduation tomorrow.

Anne and Danny/Bill and Kathy - both of your girls send greetings and hugs.  Please pray for continued health and that we would serve well in our week ahead as our schedule will be changing tomorrow.  Our girls cooked dinner tonight - spaghetti with garlic bread - so Mama Rebecca could have a break. Mama has been feeding us well and taking good care of us all.

George, Jess and Ryan-I love and miss you. Hope CWR was fun. You have been on my mind and in my prayers. Thank you for allowing me to experience this wonderful trip-just wish you were here to share it with me.

Love,
Jeanette (for the whole team)

John Keltonic and John Anthony are picking up the trunks in Entebbe now.  They think most of them are there.  “All of the trunks will have to be opened and inspected since they have not been in our possession for the last week.”

Also, a new picture album for Uganda ‘09 is in the Photo Gallery.  We’ve already received a few pictures — check them out!

Greetings from Uganda! What a day we’ve had here! It’s been a long and tiring one, but we’ve seen God do some amazing things with it. Before I tell you about today, I just need to say that even though I’ve been hearing about this place for almost 10 years now, nothing could prepare me for the emotion and joy of meeting and falling in love with the kids here at Canaan. Seeing them and being near them, even for a few days, makes all the preparations and all the stresses of getting here more than worth it. Words can’t describe (and you know if you’ve been here) what this place is like. But take my word for it- if you can ever get here, do it, don’t hesitate.

So on to today- Meg, Mike, Lindsey (she’s feeling MUCH better), Jeanette and I went to a school about 30 minutes from Canaan. After introducing ourselves to the school we performed a skit on the importance of using malaria nets. The kids seemed to understand our message and Meg really drove home the importance of saving your money so that you can buy a net to help save your life. Mike makes one pretty terrific mosquito; ask him to show you his acting skills when we get home. Meg, Mike and Linds took the older boys to talk about both American culture and the importance of critiquing your culture so as to follow Jesus in a world that’s telling you not to. I’ve been in the talk the last 2 days, and it’s been really eye-opening to hear the questions they ask about America and their misconceptions of our culture.  Jeanette and I took the older girls to talk about cross-cultural adolescent issues and applying the Gospel to these situations.  They were shy at first, but the teachers began asking questions and the girls soon began opening up to us as well. One of the girls opened up about losing her dad, and about her mom trying to care for her and her 3 siblings. It was a heartbreaking story but what a joy to be able to tell her that her heavenly Father loves her and has not forgotten her! We’re going to a secondary school tomorrow and are looking forward to getting to talk to the older kids. From what I hear, the pastor conferences and youth conferences are both going well. Tomorrow is the last day for each, so pray for Frank, John, Clay and Anita as they close out the week and send the pastors back home.

One neat thing that happened today was that we had a number of women (about 20) from the area around Canaan come to the clinic for a class with Jeanette and Gayle. We gave out peppermints so they were immediately receptive to our being there. They were enthusiastic to hear about how to care for themselves during pregnancy and are coming back tomorrow for another class. They asked for teaching on how they can talk to their daughters about these kinds of things. We’re excited to build on this relationship and open up the doorway to more discussions.

Bible clubs went really well. The number about doubled from yesterday, and we’re expecting the same for tomorrow. It’s so much fun to see all these little nuggets (as we’ve come to call them) gathered in one room, listening to the Gospel, singing and laughing at our silly skits. I know I’ve already said it, but there is really no way to explain the sweetness of these kids and the joy that their eagerness to just sit on our laps or be near us brings to our hearts.

We still have no trunks, so our clothes are getting dirtier, but we’re doing just fine. Pray that, if nothing else, we get the Bible Club and Medical trunks by tomorrow so that we can distribute what we’ve brought. We are all in good health and missing you back home.

Mom and Dad- don’t worry, I’m healthy and I’m loving it here! I ate one of your sandwiches on the way to the airport, Dad- thanks…

Joy- Frank says he loves you.

With Love,
Amanda (for the team)

Hi MB,

Would you post a quick update just letting people know that we had a very good day despite not having but two trunks?  BA says that their initials actually stand for baggage assassins. Entebbe says we probably won’t have them by Friday either. Please pray that at least the medical items come through soon.

Mike, Megan, Gayle, Amanda, & Jeanette went to a primary school today and were well received there despite a downpour which interrupted their outside session!

Anita and I continued our second day of teaching Peacemaking to about 15 Ugandan Youth Pastors. That went alright, but Anita and I are having a hard time getting along - a lot of personal conflict - just kidding. It’s going very well.

Frank, John A, & Bruce Sinclair delivered more pastor teaching today which was very well received too.

John K. is preparing medical list with Jeannette and Gayle and clinic staff. He expects to go to Jinja tomorrow to buy drugs —- for the clinic and Jinja Children’s Hospital.

Lastly, Lindsey is feeling better after a two day bout with a stomach bug. Poor girl can’t stand to lose any more weight! Please pray for a speedy recovery. She’s looking better this evening - so we’re optimistic she’ll be up and about tomorrow.

I’m going to bed!! Thank you! Love you brother!

Clay

(Sent Wednesday PM, 7/1/09)

Dear Stony Pointers,

I’m writing to ask you to be in prayer for our mission team in Uganda.  Due to a problem at Heathrow Airport their trunks are stuck in London and they have been (and probably will be) without luggage all week.  It would be a tremendous encouragement to the team if their trunks could be located and could arrive in Uganda on the next flight on Friday morning.

Please ask our kind and faithful Lord to sustain our team (currently without supplies or personal belongings) and to bring those things to them.

Thank you so much.  It will make all the difference.

By grace,
Steve Constable

It is almost 9 p.m. (Tuesday, 6/30) and most have headed for the bunks. There is still some lingering jet lag we are hoping to overcome by tomorrow.

I am very pleased to report that everyone here is in good health.

As is typical on these trips, we find our plans to be nice suggestions for the day.  Rarely does it unfold as planned. The team that Meg Bryant led to the schools found their audience younger than anticipated but had a good time sharing with the children and teachers.

Bible Clubs went well with the aid of a generator to power the computer and projector. This provided visuals to replace the absent posters, puppets, and other items still making their way to Canaan from London. A text sent to Pastor Isaac today reports that our trunks will arrive tomorrow.  We are praying that the use of the plural means 33 items will arrive tomorrow and not 2.  Please pray that we do get the trunks.

The pastor training got off to a good start, with Bruce Sinclair (of Westminister Bible College), Frank, and I getting a good start on our materials.

DeeDee - Happy Anniversary! I hope the flowers got there. I tried to call yesterday and today, but there was a problem with the phone system here.  I’ll try again later. I trust all is going well. Hi Nate, Becca and Tim.  I love you and miss you all.

Mr. B, all your Uganda friends say hello!

John Morgan, Keith Boswell, and Larry Julian - many pastors send their greetings, including Pastor Moses and Pastor James.

To all, thanks for praying. Please continue to pray that we will be used and found useful in whatever situation God may choose to take us.

Good night and God Bless!

Happy to report that we are enjoying the late afternoon with the kids an staff of Canaan Home. Our trip was long, but uneventful with the exception of the wayward trunks. We hope to see them arrive on Wednesday when the next flight from London arrives. We had a great 11 hours or so in London - we even happened upon a spot near Whitehall where the buzz on the street was a scene for a Harry Potter movie was being filmed.

Frank remains clearly first among equals as his personal trunk and his sermon materials trunk were the ONLY trunks to get here. Please do pray that these trunks will arrive soon as they contain many important items for Canaan, the clinic, Jinja Children’s Hospital, and our lesson plans and clothes. The kids just arrived home from secondary school so we’re off to greet them!

Love and miss you all!

Just a quick update from Heathrow. We had a great flight and landed a few minutes ago - no complications. British Air even allowed us to take all trunks, including the extra, plus both wheelchairs for no extra charge….a total savings of about $500. God is good.

The SPC Uganda Mission Team has survived the most treacherous leg of their journey - the hundred miles of I95 between Richmond and Dulles.  Many thanks to Hal Johnson, Paul Sherfey, George Deebo, and Danny Wilmoth for getting them and all their trunks to the airport.  Please pray for continued safe travel, good health, and opportunities for Gospel witness as the team flies to London tonight and Kampala tomorrow evening.

Return:
BA 062 M   10 JUL  Departure from Uganda Entebbe ~ 9:05A   / Arrival at London Heathrow ~ 4:00P
BA 293 N   10 JUL  Departure from London Heathrow ~ 5:05P  / Arrival at Washington, D.C. Dulles ~ 8:05P

Exodus 33: 1 - 3, 12 - 23 ~ Series: A Way Through the Wilderness ~ June 24, 2009

 

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