Uganda Children Update #6 – Tuesday, May 11, 2010 – by Jenni
Since it is my Golden Day, I have the opportunity to write today’s update. Today, we plan to go back to the same village we were at yesterday. We will be sharing the story of Jesus feeding the 5000 and act out the song we used during Night of Nations. Eydie had a discussion with Jeannette about how powerful it would be if we passed out real bread during the song. Eydie told us that she made the comment to Jeannette we were expecting close to 500 children that day. She didn’t know how it would work to buy just a “few loaves of bread” to feed that many! Eydie confessed at breakfast that as soon as that came out of her mouth, the words that followed it were …duh! Hello! That is what the song was about!! That was the point of the whole story! This gave a new perspective to the whole story! Needless to say, we stopped and bought 5 loaves of bread and had faith it would feed the 500!
In our devotion time with the hotel staff, Meredith and Lynell shared about the Israelite’s fears about entering the promised land. They also personalized it and talked about the fears they had about coming to Africa. Both girls have been strong and courageous and have encouraged us to do the same. The staff of the hotel are having fun participating in our “Golden Days!” They know that the one wearing the Hawaiian lei and special badge is the golden girl! They also spend the day encouraging us!
Once again we traveled on dirt roads through green landscapes of mountains & sugar cane fields. We arrived at the village which is exactly how I imagined an African village would look like. The church is a mud hut with a tin roof surrounded by crops of corn. This village is blessed to have a well of clean water.
Some of the surrounding village churches blessed us with songs sung by their choirs in English and Luganda. They also shared in traditional tribal dances. It was cool to think about the unity we all have in Christ. There were about 400 children in attendance. Once again we divided the group by ages. The children decorated a construction paper fish with the words, “Jesus Provides” with added stickers. When we came back together in a big group, Allie told the story of the feeding of the 5000. I explained the meaning of our song. During and after the song, we did pass out pieces of the bread. Just like in the story, each child received a piece…and there were leftovers! God is good! Pastor Moses shared the gospel, and 62 children came forward to make a decision for Christ!
The people of the village honored us with a meal of food sacrificially given and prepared. We ate with the “local fork” … our hands! On our way out we were able to walk the distance to the well where they gather their water. The team had the experience of helping pump the water out of the well. It was a very humbling experience for us all.
We spent the rest of the afternoon at the children’s home. We had a great team time following lunch. We pushed through the tiredness to play volleyball and hang out with the children. After a few hours we went back to the hotel and prepared for tomorrow’s VBS in a new village. At the end of the night, we heard our first big rain which included thunder and lightening. It was a great ending to my wonderful Golden Day…a day that included salvation for many children.
Jenni Fritch
P.S. A note to last year’s ISP team…the kids at the home still remember to be STRONG & COURAGEOUS!!
Friday, May 14, 2010
Monday, May 10, 2010 - by Ashleigh
Uganda Children Update #5
Olyotia! Today was our first day in the villages. After a beautiful & exciting drive through the sugar cane fields and coffee plants we reached the first set of huts. We were greeted by a group of four smiling children yelling, “muzungu, muzungu!” (luganda word for “white person”). They continued to follow our van waving and smiling with every new step. They followed us until we reached the village called “Konko.” The village was quite a ways from when we first saw them. But the distance didn’t seem to bother them because they were so excited! This brought tears to my eyes as well as several other teammates.
Once we got out of the van we began walking towards the village. Women began emerging from the huts, screaming & shouting with excitement! We were ushered into the small church building. It is constructed solely of mud and sticks. A symphony of voices began serenading us as the local choirs sang their tribal songs. As the multitude of children kept increasing it took everything in me to hold my emotions together. It was such a beautiful and breathtaking sight, one that I will always cherish and never forget.
When the praise time came to a close we were introduced to the elders of the church. It is here we realized that this was not just one village, but several that united for this event. It was such an honor to be a part of something so great. As the introductions continued, the team and I were continually thanked for coming all this way just to be with them. The people here are so passionate, caring and kind in everything they do. We had the privilege of sharing the message for the day. Standing in front of over 250 people, I realized that this may be the first time and only time they get to hear about Jesus. It was such a humbling moment. Once the message was presented, 100 children and 4 adults gave their lives to Christ. I know I can speak for the whole team when I say that this was an amazing day. One hundred and four new believers that now know the love of Christ and are a part of God’s family!
With all this excitement, I almost forgot that today was my “Golden Day!” I think it was the best Golden Day in the history of Golden Days! I am having such an incredible time here in Uganda. I am so honored to be serving alongside such incredible women. God is teaching me so much. I am looking forward to the beautiful days that lie ahead!
Kare! Asheigh Friejo
Prayer Requests:
1) For our Vacation Bible School tomorrow (Wednesday) in a new village.
2) For those who have made decisions for Jesus Christ. For the local churches that are doing the follow-up on all who made decisions.
3) Continued good health for the team. They are doing well.
4) For the team as I am having them take turns in leading the staff devotions at the Hotel Paradise. We have been given the whole week as well as part of next week to lead in the sharing of God's Word. They have been doing a great job!
5) Pray as the team is ministering in Living Hope Children's Home each day. They are not only having time to just play with the children, but they are leading in small group studies. I also have the team leading in evening devotions as well. Pray as they continue to stretch themselves!
Olyotia! Today was our first day in the villages. After a beautiful & exciting drive through the sugar cane fields and coffee plants we reached the first set of huts. We were greeted by a group of four smiling children yelling, “muzungu, muzungu!” (luganda word for “white person”). They continued to follow our van waving and smiling with every new step. They followed us until we reached the village called “Konko.” The village was quite a ways from when we first saw them. But the distance didn’t seem to bother them because they were so excited! This brought tears to my eyes as well as several other teammates.
Once we got out of the van we began walking towards the village. Women began emerging from the huts, screaming & shouting with excitement! We were ushered into the small church building. It is constructed solely of mud and sticks. A symphony of voices began serenading us as the local choirs sang their tribal songs. As the multitude of children kept increasing it took everything in me to hold my emotions together. It was such a beautiful and breathtaking sight, one that I will always cherish and never forget.
When the praise time came to a close we were introduced to the elders of the church. It is here we realized that this was not just one village, but several that united for this event. It was such an honor to be a part of something so great. As the introductions continued, the team and I were continually thanked for coming all this way just to be with them. The people here are so passionate, caring and kind in everything they do. We had the privilege of sharing the message for the day. Standing in front of over 250 people, I realized that this may be the first time and only time they get to hear about Jesus. It was such a humbling moment. Once the message was presented, 100 children and 4 adults gave their lives to Christ. I know I can speak for the whole team when I say that this was an amazing day. One hundred and four new believers that now know the love of Christ and are a part of God’s family!
With all this excitement, I almost forgot that today was my “Golden Day!” I think it was the best Golden Day in the history of Golden Days! I am having such an incredible time here in Uganda. I am so honored to be serving alongside such incredible women. God is teaching me so much. I am looking forward to the beautiful days that lie ahead!
Kare! Asheigh Friejo
Prayer Requests:
1) For our Vacation Bible School tomorrow (Wednesday) in a new village.
2) For those who have made decisions for Jesus Christ. For the local churches that are doing the follow-up on all who made decisions.
3) Continued good health for the team. They are doing well.
4) For the team as I am having them take turns in leading the staff devotions at the Hotel Paradise. We have been given the whole week as well as part of next week to lead in the sharing of God's Word. They have been doing a great job!
5) Pray as the team is ministering in Living Hope Children's Home each day. They are not only having time to just play with the children, but they are leading in small group studies. I also have the team leading in evening devotions as well. Pray as they continue to stretch themselves!
Monday, May 10, 2010
Uganda Children – Update #3
(I am having various team members write the updates for the ISP website. I wanted to share their perspective of what they are experiencing! These two are written by Bradyn & Jeannette!)
Hey everybody! I’m loving it here in Uganda! Our hotel is great and the staff here is awesome. One of the coolest things for me has been going to devotions with the hotel staff. The devotions have brought me to tears more than once. On the first day of devotions we sang the song, “Here I Am to Worship.” During the song, God completely blew my mind. I realized that God has brought me here to Uganda to worship with my African brothers & sisters & to declare that He is my God. It was such an incredible moment.
After devotions on our first full day, the team did some prep work for the VBS we will be doing next week. We also went to lunch in town and did some shopping. It was cool to see what main street in town is like.
In the afternoon we finally went to the children’s home for the first time! The love & joy that fills that place is indescribable. It took a few minutes for the kids to warm up to us. But once they did we all had a ton of fun. There was lots of dancing, singing, laughter & squealing involved. The kids of the home are so beautiful & joyful. Playing with them has blessed me immensely.
Our second full day was another great day. We got to start the day off again at staff devotions. Again, it was absolutely incredible. The way that they simply speak the truth, straight from the Word of God, touches your heart like nothing else can. In the afternoon we got to go back to the home. It’s such an awesome feeling to just love on those kids. They took us out to the front lawn and taught us some of their games. I’m sure it was hilarious watching us try to figure out what we were suppose to be doing. It was so much fun.
Another highlight to our second day at the home was being able to watch the kids receive new clothes. Our team brought several pieces of luggage stuffed with clothes for these kids. Being able to watch as they received their new clothes was such a blessing for the team.
Our first two full days were packed full of activities & emotions. They were amazing days. Being here in Uganda is even better than anything I could have imagined. I have been so blessed and have learned so much already.
I love Uganda.
Bradyn Brown
Uganda Children Update #4
I think I can speak for the whole team when I say it has been an honor & joy to serve here in Uganda!
We started the day by visiting “The Source of the Nile!” They had many small shops set up and we had so much fun buying gifts as we walked down to the Nile River. We stood by the Source of the Nile and Eydie read an article to us about our Lord being the Source of eternal life. Being at the spot where the underground springs break through the earth and the Nile was awesome!
After taking many photos, we went to lunch. We ate at a quaint café in Jinja called “Ozzie’s.” We met a family while eating there that had moved from Washington State to a remote village two hours outside of town. They told us the people speak no English there. They absolutely love ministering here and we can all see why!
After lunch we went to the home to spend time with the children. We all had so much fun. I think the kid’s favorite thing today was learning the “Macarena!” We all took turns dancing but we all laughed the hardest when Henry (a young boy from the home) was teaching me some of his moves!
Today was Mother’s Day and my “Golden Day!” Each team member will have a day where they are showered with love, encouragement, cards from the team, and a few yummy treats from home. So even though I was away from my three children, I want to thank you for letting me borrow your precious daughters. They brought tears to my eyes on more than one occasion today. Each of you parents has so much to be proud of! They have each been a blessing to Eydie & me!
This morning we attended Calvary Chapel Jinja. We sang worship songs that we all knew. The sound of all our voices blended together to worship our King was truly beautiful. The pastor spoke from Romans 13:1-7. He is from Uganda but he preached in English. His accent was so thick, at times I thought he may have switched back to Luganda (local language).
I think the highlight for all of us today was giving each child at the home their very own Bible! They were so excited! We broke the children into groups according to age and began to teach them how to study God’s Word! Many of them went to get newspaper to cover their new gift. We are going to continue to do Bible studies with them over the new two weeks.
Our day concluded with dinner at the Sunset Hotel. This was a special treat. The food was very good. I had my first diet coke in a week! It was a perfect end to my “Golden Day!”
Thank you for all of your prayers! We are all healthy & full of joy!
Jeannette Russell
(I am having various team members write the updates for the ISP website. I wanted to share their perspective of what they are experiencing! These two are written by Bradyn & Jeannette!)
Hey everybody! I’m loving it here in Uganda! Our hotel is great and the staff here is awesome. One of the coolest things for me has been going to devotions with the hotel staff. The devotions have brought me to tears more than once. On the first day of devotions we sang the song, “Here I Am to Worship.” During the song, God completely blew my mind. I realized that God has brought me here to Uganda to worship with my African brothers & sisters & to declare that He is my God. It was such an incredible moment.
After devotions on our first full day, the team did some prep work for the VBS we will be doing next week. We also went to lunch in town and did some shopping. It was cool to see what main street in town is like.
In the afternoon we finally went to the children’s home for the first time! The love & joy that fills that place is indescribable. It took a few minutes for the kids to warm up to us. But once they did we all had a ton of fun. There was lots of dancing, singing, laughter & squealing involved. The kids of the home are so beautiful & joyful. Playing with them has blessed me immensely.
Our second full day was another great day. We got to start the day off again at staff devotions. Again, it was absolutely incredible. The way that they simply speak the truth, straight from the Word of God, touches your heart like nothing else can. In the afternoon we got to go back to the home. It’s such an awesome feeling to just love on those kids. They took us out to the front lawn and taught us some of their games. I’m sure it was hilarious watching us try to figure out what we were suppose to be doing. It was so much fun.
Another highlight to our second day at the home was being able to watch the kids receive new clothes. Our team brought several pieces of luggage stuffed with clothes for these kids. Being able to watch as they received their new clothes was such a blessing for the team.
Our first two full days were packed full of activities & emotions. They were amazing days. Being here in Uganda is even better than anything I could have imagined. I have been so blessed and have learned so much already.
I love Uganda.
Bradyn Brown
Uganda Children Update #4
I think I can speak for the whole team when I say it has been an honor & joy to serve here in Uganda!
We started the day by visiting “The Source of the Nile!” They had many small shops set up and we had so much fun buying gifts as we walked down to the Nile River. We stood by the Source of the Nile and Eydie read an article to us about our Lord being the Source of eternal life. Being at the spot where the underground springs break through the earth and the Nile was awesome!
After taking many photos, we went to lunch. We ate at a quaint café in Jinja called “Ozzie’s.” We met a family while eating there that had moved from Washington State to a remote village two hours outside of town. They told us the people speak no English there. They absolutely love ministering here and we can all see why!
After lunch we went to the home to spend time with the children. We all had so much fun. I think the kid’s favorite thing today was learning the “Macarena!” We all took turns dancing but we all laughed the hardest when Henry (a young boy from the home) was teaching me some of his moves!
Today was Mother’s Day and my “Golden Day!” Each team member will have a day where they are showered with love, encouragement, cards from the team, and a few yummy treats from home. So even though I was away from my three children, I want to thank you for letting me borrow your precious daughters. They brought tears to my eyes on more than one occasion today. Each of you parents has so much to be proud of! They have each been a blessing to Eydie & me!
This morning we attended Calvary Chapel Jinja. We sang worship songs that we all knew. The sound of all our voices blended together to worship our King was truly beautiful. The pastor spoke from Romans 13:1-7. He is from Uganda but he preached in English. His accent was so thick, at times I thought he may have switched back to Luganda (local language).
I think the highlight for all of us today was giving each child at the home their very own Bible! They were so excited! We broke the children into groups according to age and began to teach them how to study God’s Word! Many of them went to get newspaper to cover their new gift. We are going to continue to do Bible studies with them over the new two weeks.
Our day concluded with dinner at the Sunset Hotel. This was a special treat. The food was very good. I had my first diet coke in a week! It was a perfect end to my “Golden Day!”
Thank you for all of your prayers! We are all healthy & full of joy!
Jeannette Russell
Uganda Children’s Team Update #2 – May 8, 2010
We have had a great first few days here in Uganda. We have been adjusting to the time and preparing for the upcoming weeks of ministry.
We start each morning with breakfast together and morning devotions with the staff of the hotel we are staying at. We have had an amazing time of worship, prayer & teaching from God’s Word. The team has commented how much they love the worship and the simplicity of the gospel message. In a 30 minute time frame, the Scripture is shared in a simple but powerful way. We all leave challenged to be committed followers of Christ as we begin our day together!
The first morning the team had time to organize and work on the materials for the Vacation Bible School projects. Most of our meals are going to be at Living Hope Children’s Home. Today, our manager of the home had to go purchase the food for our meals. So we ventured into town to eat lunch. While we waited for him to return we had some time to stop in the local shops that I normally frequent. They were able to get a taste of local life in town.
The highlight of the day came when we made our first visit to the children’s home. The team was so excited to finally arrive at the place we have been preparing to be in for the past 4 months. The children were ready and waiting with arms of love, huge smiles and warm greetings to the visitors. For me the words, “welcome home,” always melts my heart! The children have embraced the new team overwhelming them with the love of Christ. They have spent the last two days getting to know the children, playing games, singing songs & dancing too! Each night we have devotion time with them. We worship the Lord and then enter into a time of prayer. It is always so powerful for me to witness the fervent prayer of the children. They have already affected our team in the example they have set in what it means to have a personal relationship with Christ. Each team member was able to share on the first night a short testimony of God calling them to Uganda. Last night we shared our Team Covenant as we enter into a partnership with these children the next few weeks.
It is exciting to see how God is orchestrating our program (schedule) for the upcoming days. We have come open and willing to go where He tells us to go. We have had some shifting of the program as new opportunities have come up. It has been exciting for me to work with our local church leaders to confirm these final details. Here is the current list (subject to change as the Holy Spirit directs!) and our current prayer requests:
1) Saturday, May 8 – Visit the Source of the Nile. The Source Café is a local Christian owned and operated internet café. They are in the midst of producing a tour of local sites in Jinja, adding the spiritual aspects of the various sites. The Nile river begins here and twists and turns around 4,000 miles before it empties into the Mediterranean Sea. In part of the devotion of this tour they state “God has given us so much more, and what we are seeking is to encourage you, wherever you are to open your eyes to the wonder of God.” Pray as our team experiences being at the Source of the Nile that they “seek the source of Life in all that they do, whether in America or Uganda, city or village.
2) Saturday, May 8 – Devotion time at 12 noon with the staff of the hotel.
3) Ministry at Living Hope Children’s Home will be daily, mainly each afternoon into early evening.
4) Sunday, May 9th – Will attend church services at the local Calvary Chapel. They have asked for assistance in an upcoming Youth Conference May 13-15. Two of our leaders in our home have been attending this fellowship. The organizers of this youth event are thankful and excited about our participation! They were in need of small group facilitators…especially women! Having a team of 10 women was an answer to their prayers! Also be in prayer for the team as we are away on Mother’s Day.
5) Monday May 10th – Wednesday, May 12th – Konko Revival Center Church. We will be going into the villages to conduct Vacation Bible School. Expected amount of children could be 80-100. Approximate time of the VBS will be from 10 am-12 noon.
6) Thursday, May 13th – Friday, May 14th – Revival Center Church – Vacation Bible School. This church is in the town of Jinja. Approximate time of VBS is also 10 am – 12 noon.
7) Youth Conference with Calvary Chapel –
Thursday, May 13th & Friday May 14th – 1 pm – 5 pm
Saturday, May 15th – 8 am – 5 pm
8) Sunday, May 16th – Church services at Revival Center Church.
9) Pray we have opportunities to share the gospel.
10) Continue to pray for our team that we remain unified. Pray we grow closer as a team as we continue to move forward.
11) Pray for each individual to grow in their relationship with Him.
12) Pray we keep our eyes on “Finishing Well”- Acts 20:24 “However, I consider my life worth nothing to me, if only I may finish the race and complete the task the Lord Jesus has give me – the task of testifying to the gospel of God’s grace.”
Thank you for your prayers and your continue support. Various members of our team will be participating in posting the updates for our Uganda Children’s Team. You will then be able to hear from others what their experiences are of being in Uganda.
For all of the mothers of our team members…your children miss you very much! They sent their Mother’s Day greetings to you. Thank you, mothers for investing in the lives of your children with your lives, your time & your love. Thank you for all you have given us and for all you mean to us. We love you! “May the Lord make your love increase and overflow.” 1 Thessalonians 3:12
Kare,
Eydie
We have had a great first few days here in Uganda. We have been adjusting to the time and preparing for the upcoming weeks of ministry.
We start each morning with breakfast together and morning devotions with the staff of the hotel we are staying at. We have had an amazing time of worship, prayer & teaching from God’s Word. The team has commented how much they love the worship and the simplicity of the gospel message. In a 30 minute time frame, the Scripture is shared in a simple but powerful way. We all leave challenged to be committed followers of Christ as we begin our day together!
The first morning the team had time to organize and work on the materials for the Vacation Bible School projects. Most of our meals are going to be at Living Hope Children’s Home. Today, our manager of the home had to go purchase the food for our meals. So we ventured into town to eat lunch. While we waited for him to return we had some time to stop in the local shops that I normally frequent. They were able to get a taste of local life in town.
The highlight of the day came when we made our first visit to the children’s home. The team was so excited to finally arrive at the place we have been preparing to be in for the past 4 months. The children were ready and waiting with arms of love, huge smiles and warm greetings to the visitors. For me the words, “welcome home,” always melts my heart! The children have embraced the new team overwhelming them with the love of Christ. They have spent the last two days getting to know the children, playing games, singing songs & dancing too! Each night we have devotion time with them. We worship the Lord and then enter into a time of prayer. It is always so powerful for me to witness the fervent prayer of the children. They have already affected our team in the example they have set in what it means to have a personal relationship with Christ. Each team member was able to share on the first night a short testimony of God calling them to Uganda. Last night we shared our Team Covenant as we enter into a partnership with these children the next few weeks.
It is exciting to see how God is orchestrating our program (schedule) for the upcoming days. We have come open and willing to go where He tells us to go. We have had some shifting of the program as new opportunities have come up. It has been exciting for me to work with our local church leaders to confirm these final details. Here is the current list (subject to change as the Holy Spirit directs!) and our current prayer requests:
1) Saturday, May 8 – Visit the Source of the Nile. The Source Café is a local Christian owned and operated internet café. They are in the midst of producing a tour of local sites in Jinja, adding the spiritual aspects of the various sites. The Nile river begins here and twists and turns around 4,000 miles before it empties into the Mediterranean Sea. In part of the devotion of this tour they state “God has given us so much more, and what we are seeking is to encourage you, wherever you are to open your eyes to the wonder of God.” Pray as our team experiences being at the Source of the Nile that they “seek the source of Life in all that they do, whether in America or Uganda, city or village.
2) Saturday, May 8 – Devotion time at 12 noon with the staff of the hotel.
3) Ministry at Living Hope Children’s Home will be daily, mainly each afternoon into early evening.
4) Sunday, May 9th – Will attend church services at the local Calvary Chapel. They have asked for assistance in an upcoming Youth Conference May 13-15. Two of our leaders in our home have been attending this fellowship. The organizers of this youth event are thankful and excited about our participation! They were in need of small group facilitators…especially women! Having a team of 10 women was an answer to their prayers! Also be in prayer for the team as we are away on Mother’s Day.
5) Monday May 10th – Wednesday, May 12th – Konko Revival Center Church. We will be going into the villages to conduct Vacation Bible School. Expected amount of children could be 80-100. Approximate time of the VBS will be from 10 am-12 noon.
6) Thursday, May 13th – Friday, May 14th – Revival Center Church – Vacation Bible School. This church is in the town of Jinja. Approximate time of VBS is also 10 am – 12 noon.
7) Youth Conference with Calvary Chapel –
Thursday, May 13th & Friday May 14th – 1 pm – 5 pm
Saturday, May 15th – 8 am – 5 pm
8) Sunday, May 16th – Church services at Revival Center Church.
9) Pray we have opportunities to share the gospel.
10) Continue to pray for our team that we remain unified. Pray we grow closer as a team as we continue to move forward.
11) Pray for each individual to grow in their relationship with Him.
12) Pray we keep our eyes on “Finishing Well”- Acts 20:24 “However, I consider my life worth nothing to me, if only I may finish the race and complete the task the Lord Jesus has give me – the task of testifying to the gospel of God’s grace.”
Thank you for your prayers and your continue support. Various members of our team will be participating in posting the updates for our Uganda Children’s Team. You will then be able to hear from others what their experiences are of being in Uganda.
For all of the mothers of our team members…your children miss you very much! They sent their Mother’s Day greetings to you. Thank you, mothers for investing in the lives of your children with your lives, your time & your love. Thank you for all you have given us and for all you mean to us. We love you! “May the Lord make your love increase and overflow.” 1 Thessalonians 3:12
Kare,
Eydie
Wednesday, May 5, 2010
We Have Arrived in Uganda - Update #1
We have arrived in Uganda! - Update #1
Our team has arrived safely in Uganda! I am glad to be back in my second home! The past few days have been very exciting. Last week we had many people help our team by donating necessary items for our children’s ministry. Jeannette was able to secure the extra suitcases that we needed to bring the excess supplies. On Friday, I went to get the suitcases from Jeannette and two of her co-workers prayed with us. They had already donated many materials but asked if there were any other needs. I shared with them how our children in the home do not all have Bibles. In just two days they were able to secure 65 Bibles for our home! Praise the Lord!
On Friday, the trustee’s spouses also blessed us in a precious way. They have adopted various teams to pray over this summer. They surprised our team with journals for each team member. They included their photo with notes of encouragement in the journals. What a blessing!! Team members were journaling off and on throughout the two day journey to get here!
Special thanks to everyone who came to the globe to send us off on Monday afternoon! Our team and one more that is also going to Uganda are the first two teams out this summer! It has been exciting to travel together with the other Uganda team. We parted ways at the airport in Entebbe!
Imagine this…leaving the globe in Riverside around 4:15 pm…traveling on the 91 Freeway towards Los Angeles International Airport. That always signals traffic! But God answered prayer and opened up the carpool lane! We literally had no traffic! We made it to LAX with no problems. Our huge bus even had the video/tv screen. We got to watch Alvin & the Chipmunks #2 on the way!
God continued to part the way as there was literally no line to check in! No line! We also traveled with extra pieces of luggage to bring supplies to the home. We each are allotted by ISP one piece of luggage. The airline allows 2 pieces per person (or so I thought!) I had permission from ISP to use the secondary piece of luggage. I was so excited! This was the most supplies I have ever been able to bring to the home. Suddenly in the midst of the packing on Sunday, I thought to check one more time the baggage allowance. Turns out that they had changed it from 2 bags to only 1 free bag! As I was on the phone with the airline, I was praying that the answer for how many bags we could take would multiply to 2. As I prayed, God not only said 2…but the agent said we were actually allowed 3 free bags each under the category we were traveling! Wow! There again is the story in Matthew about Jesus feeding the 5000…not only did God provide, but He provides leftovers! Praise the Lord! We ended up with 23 bags of supplies (with the addition of the 65 Bibles at the last minute) the luggage all made it!
Our flights were GREAT! We had smooth sailing on both flights. We had a good time in London on the 6 hour layover. Of course we found the Starbucks!
The team is doing great! They are all so excited to finally have arrived! After the semester long training they are just happy to be here! We had a 28 passenger van waiting for us…as well as our family from Living Hope Children’s Home! It is always so good to walk out at the airport and see familiar faces! We first saw Brandi & Kurt (or as the January team will remember … Kort!) then Godfrey & Shadrack. We were also welcomed with a little bit of rain!
We had a special treat on our way home to Jinja. Pastor Scott & his team from Unchanging Truth Ministries were leaving today to head back home. As they were on their way to Entebbe, we were able to meet up in Mukono to give one another hugs and encouragement! It was fun to be able to see them and have them meet our team. They have good reports to share as they return home.
We stopped in Mukono to meet up with Godfrey’s wife, Irene and one of their daughters. We will be ministering at their church sometime in the course of the next few weeks.
Of course we were able to stop and have the traditional “chicken on a stick” and “roasted bananas!” Yummmm! They all seem to like it! They are all officially here now!
We had lunch at the hotel and now they are resting! We will have a short time to meet together at 5 pm before heading to sleep!
We will have our schedule soon of the places we will be ministering in. Until then,
1) Please pray that tonight the team gets a good night sleep.
2) Everyone is in good health and doing great! Pray for continued good health.
3) Pray as we develop the schedule for the places we will be ministering in.
4) Pray for our team to continue to remain unified. Pray we grow closer together as a team as the weeks go forward.
5) Pray for each individual to grow in the relationship with Him.
Thank you for your prayers and your support. We just wanted you to know that we have made it safely and all is well…extremely awesome!
We love you all and miss you all very much!
Kare (goodbye)
Eydie
Our team has arrived safely in Uganda! I am glad to be back in my second home! The past few days have been very exciting. Last week we had many people help our team by donating necessary items for our children’s ministry. Jeannette was able to secure the extra suitcases that we needed to bring the excess supplies. On Friday, I went to get the suitcases from Jeannette and two of her co-workers prayed with us. They had already donated many materials but asked if there were any other needs. I shared with them how our children in the home do not all have Bibles. In just two days they were able to secure 65 Bibles for our home! Praise the Lord!
On Friday, the trustee’s spouses also blessed us in a precious way. They have adopted various teams to pray over this summer. They surprised our team with journals for each team member. They included their photo with notes of encouragement in the journals. What a blessing!! Team members were journaling off and on throughout the two day journey to get here!
Special thanks to everyone who came to the globe to send us off on Monday afternoon! Our team and one more that is also going to Uganda are the first two teams out this summer! It has been exciting to travel together with the other Uganda team. We parted ways at the airport in Entebbe!
Imagine this…leaving the globe in Riverside around 4:15 pm…traveling on the 91 Freeway towards Los Angeles International Airport. That always signals traffic! But God answered prayer and opened up the carpool lane! We literally had no traffic! We made it to LAX with no problems. Our huge bus even had the video/tv screen. We got to watch Alvin & the Chipmunks #2 on the way!
God continued to part the way as there was literally no line to check in! No line! We also traveled with extra pieces of luggage to bring supplies to the home. We each are allotted by ISP one piece of luggage. The airline allows 2 pieces per person (or so I thought!) I had permission from ISP to use the secondary piece of luggage. I was so excited! This was the most supplies I have ever been able to bring to the home. Suddenly in the midst of the packing on Sunday, I thought to check one more time the baggage allowance. Turns out that they had changed it from 2 bags to only 1 free bag! As I was on the phone with the airline, I was praying that the answer for how many bags we could take would multiply to 2. As I prayed, God not only said 2…but the agent said we were actually allowed 3 free bags each under the category we were traveling! Wow! There again is the story in Matthew about Jesus feeding the 5000…not only did God provide, but He provides leftovers! Praise the Lord! We ended up with 23 bags of supplies (with the addition of the 65 Bibles at the last minute) the luggage all made it!
Our flights were GREAT! We had smooth sailing on both flights. We had a good time in London on the 6 hour layover. Of course we found the Starbucks!
The team is doing great! They are all so excited to finally have arrived! After the semester long training they are just happy to be here! We had a 28 passenger van waiting for us…as well as our family from Living Hope Children’s Home! It is always so good to walk out at the airport and see familiar faces! We first saw Brandi & Kurt (or as the January team will remember … Kort!) then Godfrey & Shadrack. We were also welcomed with a little bit of rain!
We had a special treat on our way home to Jinja. Pastor Scott & his team from Unchanging Truth Ministries were leaving today to head back home. As they were on their way to Entebbe, we were able to meet up in Mukono to give one another hugs and encouragement! It was fun to be able to see them and have them meet our team. They have good reports to share as they return home.
We stopped in Mukono to meet up with Godfrey’s wife, Irene and one of their daughters. We will be ministering at their church sometime in the course of the next few weeks.
Of course we were able to stop and have the traditional “chicken on a stick” and “roasted bananas!” Yummmm! They all seem to like it! They are all officially here now!
We had lunch at the hotel and now they are resting! We will have a short time to meet together at 5 pm before heading to sleep!
We will have our schedule soon of the places we will be ministering in. Until then,
1) Please pray that tonight the team gets a good night sleep.
2) Everyone is in good health and doing great! Pray for continued good health.
3) Pray as we develop the schedule for the places we will be ministering in.
4) Pray for our team to continue to remain unified. Pray we grow closer together as a team as the weeks go forward.
5) Pray for each individual to grow in the relationship with Him.
Thank you for your prayers and your support. We just wanted you to know that we have made it safely and all is well…extremely awesome!
We love you all and miss you all very much!
Kare (goodbye)
Eydie
Sunday, March 28, 2010
Haiti update #4 - I am home!
I have been home from Haiti for a few weeks, but realized that I did not send a final update out. First…just wanted to clarify that I only sent 3 updates out…this makes number 4! I numbered the updates wrong. So if you thought you missed one…you did not!
The last day was very significant…worth still sending this to you. The last day we saw the worst devastation of the whole week. We walked up on a hill inbetween buildings and arrived to a very disheartening site. Just about every home was damaged or destroyed. We stood next to a “grave” where 6 people are still buried. There was another family still digging for 7 of their family members. At the church, the pastor lost 2 of his daughters. I spent time ministering to the sister who came back to help the family. Our other team also had opportunity to pray in 3 different houses where church members had died and were still in the rubble. They ministered to a very elderly man dying in the back of a van. Yet in the midst of such loss there was such a sense of hope in Christ. They grieve but with hope.
Our last day was also very encouraging as we finished out our week of service. We had a lot of time to just be with friends we had made that week. Just before dinner, I was walking past the kitchen and one of the young girls, Esther, stopped me. She said, “Can you teach me some sign language?” It was such a precious half an hour that we spent together. She had been standing by when I was teaching one of our interpreters…quietly observing. She was just beaming while we shared together!
We also had a special treat. The ladies in the kitchen came and sang a song to us in Haitian! It was beautiful! One of the DR workers from New York, Dan has had a ministry here in Haiti for the past 10 years. He is fluent in Creole. He has been ministering to the kitchen workers…and has earned their respect. He encouraged them to sing for us tonight. They also spent about 15 minutes praising God in the kitchen after singing to us in the dining room. It was a moving, powerful moment.
The past few weeks since I have returned home have been days of reflection. I have been processing through all that God has shown me through this opportunity. I have had the opportunity to speak in 5 churches since returning home about this experience. The message was simple but powerful…God sent us to Haiti to tell the people He loves them. We had 30 people accept Jesus as their Lord & Savior in the 9 days while were there. May we be as bold & simple for Jesus now that we have returned home.
One of the churches I spoke in last week was Dove Christian Ministries in Oxnard. After services that day we ended up in a Starbucks. After talking about being bold for Christ, I shouldn’t have been too surprised at how God confirmed that message! There it was, a sign that said, “Try something BOLD”… now for Starbucks, it was advertising their BOLD coffees. Last week it was for their African coffee! Yet we all smiled as we are being challenged with the Word He has given us! So I put that question out to you… “Will you try something BOLD…for Jesus?!”
Prayer Requests:
1. Pray for the continued follow-up on those who received Christ since the earthquake.
2. For the people of Haiti that need continued prayer. Many are experiencing symptoms of post traumatic stress. Many are asking for prayers that they do not “loose their minds.” They are having many physical symptoms such as headaches and racing hearts.
3. The current and future Disaster Relief teams that continue to serve in Haiti.
4. Pray for a sense of peace.
5. Pray for Brian, one of my team members that will be leaving for Chile on April 4th. Pray for his friend, Andrew who will be joining him as they will help in the building of shelters.
Thank you for your prayers. I am sending out a separate email regarding Raining Hope and our Uganda ministry
Tuesday, March 2, 2010
Haiti Update - Tuesday
We had a great start to a new week yesterday (Monday). I had an extreme amount of fun teaching some of our interpreters sign language! One in particular has taken a huge interest in it. He asks everyday for more signs. He is putting the vocabulary words together and signing his own sentences!
We jumped in the “tap tap” (our transportation trucks) & started off on the day…not knowing what was in store. We were surprised to arrive at a church … and all our other assessment teams were there! It was actually great to be in the same place with our other team. It was a meeting with associational leaders and individual pastors regarding the distribution of the Buckets of Hope! There were approximately 120 pastors in attendance. We began with a great time of worship. Then a 4.8 aftershock had about 1/3 of the people running out of the building! (Yesterday fire…today earthquake…the California team seems to be making a name for itself!) There was a lot of confusion & yelling in the moments afterwards. Some refused to come back in the building. The SBC Disaster Relief workers all stayed inside the building. Then Mike, John, Gail and myself began to go to different walls in the building (I on the floor) and began praying. The pastor began to sing praise songs…slowly the people began to return to the building. Discussion went on and people were able to sign up for Buckets of Hope. The confusion and fear were to the point of jeopardizing the continuing of the meeting. We are convinced the prayers that we offered up brought peace to the very chaotic situation. There was a huge emphasis from the pastors & leadership at the meeting that NOW is the time for Haiti to know Christ. From March 7-14, the pastors are going to focus on evangelism and church planting with rebuilding. They hope to add 300 churches to the association of 900 in the area over the few months to be followed up with Buckets of Hope arriving. We are seeing a glimpse of the magnitude of what Christ is doing in Haiti with the earthquake. We are seeing the opposition and spiritual warfare against what is being done in the area. There was an incredible amount of UN and foreign military presence on the street today. Our security detail has been excellent…never leaving our side.
Our teams then split back up. We assessed churches and homes of church members. I prayed with 4 children and led them to the Lord . Praise the Lord!
When we got back to the house…Brian discovered that the AC unit had broken and water had flooded the part of the room where his clothes were. Hmmmm….earthquakes, fires…flood??? Everyday seems to be an adventure with our California team!!
Today was another great day of ministry! Our interpreter who is learning sign language also is a singer. He brought one of his cd’s that he is working on and had me listen to it It was in French…and was beautiful Christian music. It brought tears to my eyes!!
As we went out today we had many moments that were precious. There were a couple of people that really stood out. The first place that we stopped at …had a group of children come to me. While the men assessed the building…I began talking to the children. They were all from that church. One of the little girls, Valentina…continued to grab my hand and follow me around. Another woman I prayed with was a Christian. Her son was rescued from the rubble when the church’s 2nd story collapsed. He made it out alive with a broken leg. I prayed for her…and when we were done we just had a quiet moment together. Her eyes were filled with tears…just also filled with hope. Another man lost one of his borders from his house. That person had been helping support the family financially. His little daughter was ill. He bought some bread for her as we were standing there ready to pray. It was a touching moment for me…as God led me to pray for her and the bread. Pray that God will multiply their provisions like he did of old with the fish and the bread.
One more older woman I prayed for at another church also had tears as we prayed. Yet the tears they have are not from devastation. It is more the comfort that God is bringing to them…as they really are filled with hope in Christ.
As we were driving through the streets…Mike & I were towards the front praying for the city. As we talked about God’s covering over the city…we saw a building that said, “Grace of God Barber shop!” God’s grace is overwhelming. He is the one that will restore. We are thankful to be a part of the efforts here.
Thank you for your prayers. Our team appreciates your partnership in our journey!
Merci!
Eydie!
Prayer Requests:
1.. For all those that are receiving Jesus as Savior. Pray for the pastors as they follow up with those individuals.
2. For the people of Haiti that need continued prayer. Many are experiencing symptoms of post traumatic stress. Many are asking for prayers that they do not “loose their minds.” They are having many physical symptoms such as headaches and racing hearts.
3. Our team as we have one more day of ministry tomorrow. Pray that our last day will be fruitful. For me it is always an emotional time of leaving. In this very short time we have come to love the Haitian people.
4. Those coordinating efforts here in Haiti and back home with various Disaster Relief teams. There are so many teams from all over the United States that are flowing in and out.
5. Pray for a sense of peace.
6. Pray for the people of Chile with the earthquake they have experienced as well.
7. Pray for my team leader, Mike, our Lead Assessor, John and myself as Lead Chaplain. Our other team members…Brian, Joe & Gail as well. We have had an absolutely AMAZING team! I have been blessed beyond measure.
We jumped in the “tap tap” (our transportation trucks) & started off on the day…not knowing what was in store. We were surprised to arrive at a church … and all our other assessment teams were there! It was actually great to be in the same place with our other team. It was a meeting with associational leaders and individual pastors regarding the distribution of the Buckets of Hope! There were approximately 120 pastors in attendance. We began with a great time of worship. Then a 4.8 aftershock had about 1/3 of the people running out of the building! (Yesterday fire…today earthquake…the California team seems to be making a name for itself!) There was a lot of confusion & yelling in the moments afterwards. Some refused to come back in the building. The SBC Disaster Relief workers all stayed inside the building. Then Mike, John, Gail and myself began to go to different walls in the building (I on the floor) and began praying. The pastor began to sing praise songs…slowly the people began to return to the building. Discussion went on and people were able to sign up for Buckets of Hope. The confusion and fear were to the point of jeopardizing the continuing of the meeting. We are convinced the prayers that we offered up brought peace to the very chaotic situation. There was a huge emphasis from the pastors & leadership at the meeting that NOW is the time for Haiti to know Christ. From March 7-14, the pastors are going to focus on evangelism and church planting with rebuilding. They hope to add 300 churches to the association of 900 in the area over the few months to be followed up with Buckets of Hope arriving. We are seeing a glimpse of the magnitude of what Christ is doing in Haiti with the earthquake. We are seeing the opposition and spiritual warfare against what is being done in the area. There was an incredible amount of UN and foreign military presence on the street today. Our security detail has been excellent…never leaving our side.
Our teams then split back up. We assessed churches and homes of church members. I prayed with 4 children and led them to the Lord . Praise the Lord!
When we got back to the house…Brian discovered that the AC unit had broken and water had flooded the part of the room where his clothes were. Hmmmm….earthquakes, fires…flood??? Everyday seems to be an adventure with our California team!!
Today was another great day of ministry! Our interpreter who is learning sign language also is a singer. He brought one of his cd’s that he is working on and had me listen to it It was in French…and was beautiful Christian music. It brought tears to my eyes!!
As we went out today we had many moments that were precious. There were a couple of people that really stood out. The first place that we stopped at …had a group of children come to me. While the men assessed the building…I began talking to the children. They were all from that church. One of the little girls, Valentina…continued to grab my hand and follow me around. Another woman I prayed with was a Christian. Her son was rescued from the rubble when the church’s 2nd story collapsed. He made it out alive with a broken leg. I prayed for her…and when we were done we just had a quiet moment together. Her eyes were filled with tears…just also filled with hope. Another man lost one of his borders from his house. That person had been helping support the family financially. His little daughter was ill. He bought some bread for her as we were standing there ready to pray. It was a touching moment for me…as God led me to pray for her and the bread. Pray that God will multiply their provisions like he did of old with the fish and the bread.
One more older woman I prayed for at another church also had tears as we prayed. Yet the tears they have are not from devastation. It is more the comfort that God is bringing to them…as they really are filled with hope in Christ.
As we were driving through the streets…Mike & I were towards the front praying for the city. As we talked about God’s covering over the city…we saw a building that said, “Grace of God Barber shop!” God’s grace is overwhelming. He is the one that will restore. We are thankful to be a part of the efforts here.
Thank you for your prayers. Our team appreciates your partnership in our journey!
Merci!
Eydie!
Prayer Requests:
1.. For all those that are receiving Jesus as Savior. Pray for the pastors as they follow up with those individuals.
2. For the people of Haiti that need continued prayer. Many are experiencing symptoms of post traumatic stress. Many are asking for prayers that they do not “loose their minds.” They are having many physical symptoms such as headaches and racing hearts.
3. Our team as we have one more day of ministry tomorrow. Pray that our last day will be fruitful. For me it is always an emotional time of leaving. In this very short time we have come to love the Haitian people.
4. Those coordinating efforts here in Haiti and back home with various Disaster Relief teams. There are so many teams from all over the United States that are flowing in and out.
5. Pray for a sense of peace.
6. Pray for the people of Chile with the earthquake they have experienced as well.
7. Pray for my team leader, Mike, our Lead Assessor, John and myself as Lead Chaplain. Our other team members…Brian, Joe & Gail as well. We have had an absolutely AMAZING team! I have been blessed beyond measure.
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