Chapter 13 Update #6

January 10, 2012

Raining Hope Uganda Trip
December 28, 2011-January 11, 2012
Chapter 13 – Update #6

It is hard to believe that it is time for me to come home. My bags are just about packed and I will be on my home soon.
After breakfast and morning devotions, we will be on our way to Entebbe. Here are my flight times for you to keep in prayer:
Emirates Flight 724 Entebbe to Dubai 4:15 pm
Arrive Dubai (Jan 11) 12:35 am
Emirates Flight 217 Dubai (Jan 11) 3:15 am
Arrive Los Angeles (Jan 11) 7:45 am  

Since my last update, the days have moved very fast. I also was not able to be on the internet because of using that time to meet with people. There is so much to tell of what has happened in the past 4 days.

The conference on Saturday was AMAZING! As we finished up our theme of being “chosen” I believe we left with a group of believers knowing who they are as sons and daughters of the King! One person came to me and said, “I am a princess! I am not going to let anyone else tell me any different any more!” Our children were running around with huge smiles on their faces saying, “I am the daughter of the King! I am the son of a King!” What a blessing!

The conference was more of an equipping time as everyone had professed that they were believers. But when the invitation was given, one woman quietly came desiring to accept Jesus as her Savior! What a moment to pray with her to give her life to Christ. The conference ended with a time of prayer of deliverance, healing and blessing. Oh, what a sight to see so many people come to the altar to surrender all to Jesus. We spent close to an hour just in prayer.

Sunday, I rearrange my schedule so we could attend services at Amazing Grace. Pastor Richard desired we be there to celebrate the full week of the conference. So we went to Revival Christian Center to just send greetings. They are also one of my families here in Uganda. A few moments with them in their worship service filled my heart!

It was a good thing we did attend the services at Amazing Grace. I thought Pastor Richard just wanted to recognize the completion of the conference. But as I sat and listened to pastor speak he said, “In just a few moments, our preacher of the week, sister eydie will come and share with us.” Wow! I didn’t realize that I was going to be teaching again that morning. But God is good and the He that spoke as He did all week. I summarized the teachings of the week and we left all knowing that we are sons and daughters of the King. We all desire to seek the heart of the King as we begin this new year.

I have been meeting with various people throughout the weekend as well. An unexpected blessing was one of our pastors who used to be in California, Jim Poorboy, arrived here in Uganda on Friday. He is leading a team of 4 other pastors in a Pastor’s Conference all week. The other 4 pastors are from California.

Since Jim is currently serving as an intentional interim in Kentucky, I have not seen him for quite some time. This is Jim’s third trip to Uganda. I have had great conversations with Jim and his team.

On Saturday, I invited his team to be our guests at the home for a Uganda supper. The children were SO EXCITED to have them as our guests! They prepared a visitors song just for them. They sang, they danced, they signed a song for them which Pastor Paul joined in! We also had a time of worship and prayer. We concluded with a banquet fit for a king prepared for them!!

As I have shared more with the pastors they have asked how they can help. They already blessed us with some school supplies and sweets for the children. Yesterday at breakfast they asked how else they could help. I had just found out from one of our workers that they wanted to purchase 3 goats for the home. The pastors quickly offered to take care of that for us.

God has overwhelmed me the past few days with his provisions. He has provided for the children in ways that we know can only be God.

Yesterday, I spent a long with visiting with Pastor Gerald. What was going to be 15 minutes turned out to be 2 hours! He is filled with such Godly wisdom and insight. He is currently working on a devotion booklet that we will help him put together. Be watching this year for an announcement of that launch. You will want to get a copy of this!

We also spent my last full day for this trip running in town to buy the last minute items I needed. Before returning to the home, I had another new opportunity. We went to visit the home of Godfrey’s aunt & uncle. It was deeper in one of the villages. Godfrey is raising pigs to help his family become more self sustainable. His relatives have given him an area on their land to raise the pigs. They also have given him land to do some farming. He wanted me to see the land as he will use it to help provide food for our children at Raining Hope.

The surprise was as we were leaving, his uncle approached me with a chicken! They presented me with a beautiful chicken for coming to visit them. As I held it in my hands, I was overwhelmed with their generosity. Then the thought came in my head, “Don’t get attached to this chicken as it will probably become the children’s dinner!” Much to my delight, Godfrey said, “No, this chicken lays eggs. They will not kill it!” I was so excited, that I thought, “Wow, my first chicken! Now I can give it a name!”

As we drove home, I said, “I think I want to call my chicken Queen Esther!” They all got a good laugh out of it! But I said, “This chicken has been saved because it has a purpose! Because it will lay eggs, it will live! So let’s call it Queen Esther!” When we arrived at the home, the children were so excited! Turns out, as a chicken that lays eggs, it gets it’s own separate quarters from the other chickens! As they put Queen Esther in the store room, I thought of the teachings of Esther in the Bible. As the chosen candidate to win the King’s approval, she was put in choice area! So Raining Hope now has our own reminder of being chosen...Queen Esther! I have a royal chicken! Who would have ever thought?!

My time at the home was sweet last night with the children. I am on my way to breakfast to meet with the pastors one more time before they leave for the day.

Please keep me in your prayers as I travel. I will update you when I arrive home with more thoughts as I continue to process all that God has done. He truly has done amazing things.

Our daughter, Kiana is celebrating her 18th birthday on Thursday, January 12th! That is why I am leaving today to arrive home in time to celebrate. Pray as we are going to Disneyland on Thursday! We then will have a party for her with her friends and family on Friday. On Saturday I will be leading a session at Disaster Relief Training at CBU. So as you can see, my first few days back will be full. But it will be a blessing to be back home with my family and friends!!!

At the moment, the first International Service Project Team meeting is happening at CBU. Camille Jansen is my co-leader for this year. She is taking the responsibility of the training tonight. Please keep my new team in your prayers.

1 Peter 2:9,  “But you are not like that, for you are a chosen people.  you are royal priests, a holy nation, God’s very own possession.  As a result, you can show others the goodness of God, for he called you out of the darkness into his wonderful light.” 

1 Samuel 12:16 , “Now stand here and see the great thing the Lord is about to do.”    

He has done amazing things!

Kale, 
Eydie