Uganda Children Update #14 – May 22nd – May 25th
Note from Eydie: We have been home now for a little over a week. We still wanted to post this last update to let you know about those last few days in Uganda. Thanks to everyone for your prayers & your support. We appreciate you taking the journey with us. Continue to pray for the team as they have all gone home for the summer. Pray as they continue to process all that God has revealed to them.
Our team is still doing amazing and ready to “Finish Well.” On our last day with the kids at the home, we had a covenant to be joyful and to point the kids to Christ. We were all sad to be leaving them, but we knew we had to be strong and courageous. We played games, handed out candy, and everyone got a soda (which is really a special treat). We also gave everyone a brightly-colored Hawaiian hat and they looked precious. Worship was energetic and fun as always. There was some sadness mixed in as this was our last devotion. We have each learned many lessons here. The Lord is speaking and we are praying that the life-changes we are making are permanent. God has changed our lives in Uganda. When it came time to say goodbye, we had 10 minutes to hug and say our last goodbyes. Then the kids and houseparents prayed for our team. After prayer, all the kids went outside and formed two lines all the way to our van. As we RAN through them, we gave high fives and they chanted, “Strong & Courageous!” This goodbye plan made it easier on all of us to leave with the joy of the Lord. Once in the van, some of us cried a little. But to keep our spirits up, we sang worship songs & some Disney tunes! Directly from the home, we had one last stop to make. The owners of the hotel we stayed at invited us to their home. We were welcomed with the usual Ugandan hospitality. We had cake and juice and encouraging conversation. We ended in a time of prayer together. It was a perfect way to end our last day of ministry.
As we start our journey home, we are debriefing everything that we learned. It is really important that we are ready for the reverse culture shock. It is also encouraging to hear what everyone has been learning and hopes to do about it at home. Sunday morning at 10:00 am we started our officially journey back to the states.
We were originally scheduled on British Airways. Because of a pending pilot strike, our flight from Entebbe had been cancelled. We were rescheduled on a Kenya Air flight to Nairobi which would connect in London to the British Air flight. Our first flight was only 45 minutes long and went smooth. We then had 7 hours to wait in Nairobi until our next flight to London. We did more debriefing, ate dinner, journaled & rested. We boarded the plane to leave at 11:45 pm. After 3 hours of sitting on the ground due to technical difficulties, we had to exit the plane. Our next flight was pushed back to 11:00 am the next day! After a long night and many “trusting God” moments, we finally got on a plane at 3:00 pm!
Because of the 23 unexpected hours in the Kenya Airport, we missed our connecting flight in London. God had already gone before us. After one night in London, we all got on an American Airlines plane at 11:00 am on Tuesday. Only a day late we finally arrived in Los Angeles! We have had countless unexpected turns the past few days, but God has been so good through it all. We are learning to trust Him. ISP’s theme of “Finishing Well” is perfectly appropriate. God has allowed us to “Finish Well” in His timing.
Thank you for your prayer and support the past 3 weeks (and 4 months of training). Things went even better than planned. God provided many experiences we will never forget.
Mukama Yebazibwe! (Praise the Lord!)
Written by Kristina Osborne
Friday, June 4, 2010
Update #13 - May 19 & 20 2010
Greetings from Uganda - Update #13
Today we had devotions with the hotel staff. It is always a blessing to have them share from God's Word. I think it is beautiful when we worship together and all of our voices blend together to worship our King! It was very moving!
We went into a village not far from the Children's Home to do our final VBS. The area reminded me of the "Lion King" with rolling green hills, large trees and Lake Victoria in the far off background. The church was unlike any we have seen. It had a tin roof, one end was open and the walls were bamboo. There were 38 smiling faces to greet us. The team did a skit on creation. We let the children make paper worlds with animal stickers on them. We also taught them two songs, "Hippopotamus" and "He's Got the Whole World in His Hands."
The pastor of the church gave the gospel message and 18 children came forward to receive Christ! We are all in awe of what the Lord is doing here!
We then went to the home to prayer walk and lift the needs of the home to the Lord. We played with the kids and they did some paintings.
We also had a Golden Day for Eydie. She is a true blessing to the entire team!
2-20-10
Today after devotions we had some quiet time here at the hotel. We all spent time in prayer and caught up on journaling. We then went to the home and started the first of two days of VBS with our kids. It was fun to watch them get so excited about making the crafts. They were very proud of their work, and I noticed they went and hung the crafts in their rooms.
We also worked on more paintings the kids are doing. This has been a fun project the children are each creating.
We celebrated Brandi & Kurt's Golden Day today. They have been helping Eydie at the home for the past 5 months and have done a tremendous job there. We have all grown to love them.
We are all doing great and can't wait to tell you all about our trip when we get home.
Jeannette & Uganda Children Team
From Eydie...
We are having a great couple of days having our team debriefing of what God has been doing on this trip. We are on our way to the Children's Home for our final day of ministry. Please be in prayer for us today that we would finish well!
I will try and send one more update out before leaving. But if I am not able to have computer time tonight or tomorrow morning...know that we are on our way home to our family and friends! We have had an INCREDIBLE time of ministry!
Please keep us in your prayers as we travel home!
Kare,
Today we had devotions with the hotel staff. It is always a blessing to have them share from God's Word. I think it is beautiful when we worship together and all of our voices blend together to worship our King! It was very moving!
We went into a village not far from the Children's Home to do our final VBS. The area reminded me of the "Lion King" with rolling green hills, large trees and Lake Victoria in the far off background. The church was unlike any we have seen. It had a tin roof, one end was open and the walls were bamboo. There were 38 smiling faces to greet us. The team did a skit on creation. We let the children make paper worlds with animal stickers on them. We also taught them two songs, "Hippopotamus" and "He's Got the Whole World in His Hands."
The pastor of the church gave the gospel message and 18 children came forward to receive Christ! We are all in awe of what the Lord is doing here!
We then went to the home to prayer walk and lift the needs of the home to the Lord. We played with the kids and they did some paintings.
We also had a Golden Day for Eydie. She is a true blessing to the entire team!
2-20-10
Today after devotions we had some quiet time here at the hotel. We all spent time in prayer and caught up on journaling. We then went to the home and started the first of two days of VBS with our kids. It was fun to watch them get so excited about making the crafts. They were very proud of their work, and I noticed they went and hung the crafts in their rooms.
We also worked on more paintings the kids are doing. This has been a fun project the children are each creating.
We celebrated Brandi & Kurt's Golden Day today. They have been helping Eydie at the home for the past 5 months and have done a tremendous job there. We have all grown to love them.
We are all doing great and can't wait to tell you all about our trip when we get home.
Jeannette & Uganda Children Team
From Eydie...
We are having a great couple of days having our team debriefing of what God has been doing on this trip. We are on our way to the Children's Home for our final day of ministry. Please be in prayer for us today that we would finish well!
I will try and send one more update out before leaving. But if I am not able to have computer time tonight or tomorrow morning...know that we are on our way home to our family and friends! We have had an INCREDIBLE time of ministry!
Please keep us in your prayers as we travel home!
Kare,
Update #12 - May 17, 2010
Uganda Children Update #12 – 5/17/10 – written by April Dominguez
This morning was a special treat! Not only was it my Golden Day, but we had the opportunity to take a boat ride down the Nile to its source. We then ventured into Lake Victoria . Now when I say “boat ride,” think of the Jungle Cruise at Disneyland , same thing! The whole team was very excited. Not only did we see beautiful green landscape, but we saw birds, birds, fishermen and birds! Ok, at one point we did see a huge lizard. OOOHH & AAAHH’S filled the boat! Along the ride we did pass by the beautiful Triangle Hotel and the Jinja Sailing Club. After that, we pulled into a small port, where Eydie read a devotion about Jesus telling the disciples to drop everything to come follow Him. She said that most people here would be willing to give up everything to follow Jesus & spread His Word.
As we continued through Lake Victoria , we passed a fish packing factory & a prison. We then stopped at Samuka Island . The grass there was filled with millions of dragon flies and the fruit trees were filled with trillions of gnats..literally! As we ran, we had to close our mouths and wave our hands around our faces. Stop for a minute and picture it… J
The ride back was very relaxing. It was wonderful to sit back and enjoy God’s creation. After that we went to lunch in town, and finished some shopping. The end of the night was spent at the home. We did small groups, painting and a ton of playing. Ashleigh and Allie shared during devotions on James 3. Our night ended with team time & prayer. It was a good day of rest after a full week of ministry! May God give all of us strength & focus going into our last week here.
Written by April Dominguez
Note from Eydie…
For those of you who heard about the British Airways pilot strike last week…it actually did affect us. We were made aware that our flight may have to be changed. We had been praying & trusting that God would get us home when He wanted us home.
We just got word late last night that our arrival time in Los Angeles on May 24th is the exact same flight that was originally booked. So for those picking up their daughters, we arrive on May 24th at 12:55 pm. What changed was our departure time. Here is the new schedule:
Kenya Airways – Flight 413
Depart Sunday, May 23 from Entebbe – 3:00 pm
Arrive Sunday May 23 to Nairobi – 4:10 pm
Kenya Airways – Flight 102
Depart Sunday May 23 from Nairobi to London – 11:45 pm
Arrive Monday, May 24 in London at 6:45 am
British Airways – Flight 279
Depart Monday, May 24 from London – 9:55 am
Arrive Monday, May 24 in Los Angeles – 12:55 pm
We are praising God because not only did he re-instate our flight on the same departure date, but he gave us a better flight schedule! We now do not have to overnight in London ! Yeah! We only have a 3 hour wait in Heathrow Airport . Praise the Lord!
Lynell’s swelling is going down and she is feeling better. We are having good times at the home in the afternoon. The next two days we will spend in team time preparing to make the journey home.
We appreciate your prayers and you support!
Kare!
Eydie
This morning was a special treat! Not only was it my Golden Day, but we had the opportunity to take a boat ride down the Nile to its source. We then ventured into Lake Victoria . Now when I say “boat ride,” think of the Jungle Cruise at Disneyland , same thing! The whole team was very excited. Not only did we see beautiful green landscape, but we saw birds, birds, fishermen and birds! Ok, at one point we did see a huge lizard. OOOHH & AAAHH’S filled the boat! Along the ride we did pass by the beautiful Triangle Hotel and the Jinja Sailing Club. After that, we pulled into a small port, where Eydie read a devotion about Jesus telling the disciples to drop everything to come follow Him. She said that most people here would be willing to give up everything to follow Jesus & spread His Word.
As we continued through Lake Victoria , we passed a fish packing factory & a prison. We then stopped at Samuka Island . The grass there was filled with millions of dragon flies and the fruit trees were filled with trillions of gnats..literally! As we ran, we had to close our mouths and wave our hands around our faces. Stop for a minute and picture it… J
The ride back was very relaxing. It was wonderful to sit back and enjoy God’s creation. After that we went to lunch in town, and finished some shopping. The end of the night was spent at the home. We did small groups, painting and a ton of playing. Ashleigh and Allie shared during devotions on James 3. Our night ended with team time & prayer. It was a good day of rest after a full week of ministry! May God give all of us strength & focus going into our last week here.
Written by April Dominguez
Note from Eydie…
For those of you who heard about the British Airways pilot strike last week…it actually did affect us. We were made aware that our flight may have to be changed. We had been praying & trusting that God would get us home when He wanted us home.
We just got word late last night that our arrival time in Los Angeles on May 24th is the exact same flight that was originally booked. So for those picking up their daughters, we arrive on May 24th at 12:55 pm. What changed was our departure time. Here is the new schedule:
Kenya Airways – Flight 413
Depart Sunday, May 23 from Entebbe – 3:00 pm
Arrive Sunday May 23 to Nairobi – 4:10 pm
Kenya Airways – Flight 102
Depart Sunday May 23 from Nairobi to London – 11:45 pm
Arrive Monday, May 24 in London at 6:45 am
British Airways – Flight 279
Depart Monday, May 24 from London – 9:55 am
Arrive Monday, May 24 in Los Angeles – 12:55 pm
We are praising God because not only did he re-instate our flight on the same departure date, but he gave us a better flight schedule! We now do not have to overnight in London ! Yeah! We only have a 3 hour wait in Heathrow Airport . Praise the Lord!
Lynell’s swelling is going down and she is feeling better. We are having good times at the home in the afternoon. The next two days we will spend in team time preparing to make the journey home.
We appreciate your prayers and you support!
Kare!
Eydie
Wednesday, May 19, 2010
May 14, 15, 16 - by Meredith, Brayden & Lynell & word from Eydie
Uganda Children Update #9 – May 14, 2010 (Written by Meredith Moore)
Today was my Golden Day! It was a day filled with adventures and excitement. The day started off great with Brayden & Kristina sharing about the name of Jesus. After that, we got into the van to go to VBS at a church. We were waiting to leave when Kristina screamed & leaped out of the van! There was a cockroach in Lynell’s hair. The rest of us quickly climbed out scared that a cockroach would crawl on us. Not wanting to get back in the van, the hotel was kind enough to take us to the church. VBS at the church was great! There were about 70 kids in attendance. Ten kids came forward to accept Christ as their Savior!
Our driver had sprayed the van while we were in VBS. We decided to be strong and courageous and ride back to the hotel in the van. There were still cockroaches dying at our feet. Someone started singing, “Amazing Grace!” It was the shakiest “Amazing Grace,” I’ve ever heard. Our short 5 minute drive seemed to take longer than normal, but we safely arrived back at the hotel.
We had to head back to Calvary Chapel and help with the youth conference. No one wanted to ride in the cockroach infested van. Seeing how nervous we were, the hotel was gracious enough to take us.
The youth conference went really well. It was nice to hang out with older kids and listen to great messages. When the conference was over for the day, we got to ride pichi pichi’s (private motor bikes) back to the hotel. It was a time of fun, but wish my driver would have driven faster! Brayden, April, Eydie and I decided to ride like a local and sit sidesaddle.
We still had the cockroach issue that night, making it impossible to go to the home. Instead, we had dinner at the hotel next door. The view of the sun at night was amazing. The food was great and the conversation even better. It was a great and fantastic week of ministry and a wonderful Golden Day!
Written by Meredith Moore
Uganda Children Update #10 – May 15, 2010 (written by Bradyn Brown)
Since today was my Golden Day, I got to write the update! The team started the day off at Calvary Chapel, Jinja. We’ve been helping with a youth conference there and today was the last day of the conference. We got there in time for worship, which is always encouraging. We then had the first teaching session of the day. The session was about how love equals obedience. It was a great reminder for everyone on the team. After the session, the team broke up into pairs and helped lead small group discussions for the youth. Getting to pour into the youth in that way was such an awesome experience.
The coolest part of the youth conference for me was going able to watch some of the youth be baptized. The church set up a pool and gave all of the kids who had accepted Jesus the opportunity to be baptized. There were about 30 kids that were baptized that afternoon. It was such a blessing to watch.
After the youth conference & a little shopping, we went to the home. Today we started painting with the children. The kids are making paintings that Eydie will be able to take home and use as tools for the ministry. So far, their turning out really cute and fun!
Another highlight of the day was that Annette (one of the house parents at the home) came into our team time and gave us a little lesson in one of their traditional dances. Annette is amazing. Many of the team members are determined to continue practicing until they get it right!
My Golden Day concluded with a lovely ride back to the hotel. It included a beautiful medley of Disney songs and much laughter! It was exactly what we all needed and the end to a very good day!
Written by Brayden Brown
Uganda Children Update #11 – May 16, 2010 – Written by Kristina on behalf of Lynell Berg
Things are still amazing here! We got to sleep in today a little bit! (Today is Lynell’s Golden Day. We love and appreciate her!)
At breakfast, a man named Pastor Tony (from England) came to our tableand spoke great truth into our lives. Eydie had met him and his group last May. Some of the ISP team from last year may remember their team. God uses so many people here to encourage us. Some of us are wearing our new African dresses to church today. We attended service at Revival Center Church & experienced a traditional African service. Worship is so fun and alive (dancing & cheering included!) Introductions are valued in Uganda and we had the opportunity to introduce ourselves to the congregation. And, as if we haven’t already experienced SO many amazing things… we walked out of church to see an Operation Christmas Child gift distribution!! Some of us were moved to tears because we have made up boxes in the past. Smiles were on all faces as they opened their gifts. God has given us so many once-in-a-lifetime memories. Seeing Christmas in May is one of those moments! We spent the rest of the day at the Children’s Home playing and doing small groups.
We are excited to have one more week and we will FINISH STRONG . Thank you for your prayers!
Written by Kristina for Lynell
Uganda Children Special Update – May 19, 2010 (by Eydie)
This one is out of order…but wanted to take a moment to update you on current situation. One of the reasons that Kristina has written Lynell’s update is because Lynell has been dealing with a toothache the past few days. We ended up taking her to the dentist. First we tried a local dentist in the town of Jinja. The anti-biotics and pain meds were not doing the job. After consulting back and forth with the MOB squad (you guys are AWESOME!) the plan was to take her to Kampala. The owner of our hotel told us of an American dentist in Kampala.
One of the staff at the hotel took the morning to drive us there. He is very used to Kampala so he took us right to the Mengo Hospital where there was a dental clinic. Last night I was able to talk to the dentist...at 9 pm! Unheard of in America to make a personal call to your dentist! He said today was all booked, but if I came and told them it was an emergency he would squeeze us in.
When we arrive, the dentist of our hotel owner where we stay said, "oh, you are the one!" Our hotel owner, Mr. Otile had already called them. They took us right in. Instead of waiting hours...we only waited about 15 minutes. We entered the waiting area, and there was a huge wall hanging that said, “You can receive Christ right now…the following is a suggested prayer…” Wow! Then on the next wall where we were sitting there was a plaque. It was dedicated to the founder and director of the Worldwide Dental Health Service sponsoring and inspiring Missionary dentists! The real topper was that it included the verse from 2 Timothy 4:7-8, “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race. I have kept the faith” REALLY! We were speechless!
The dentist was an American dentist but had been in Kampala since 1979 (had signed up to serve for 2 years!). He is originally from Texas. He was so kind and helpful. Lynell was extremely at peace and more comfortable than the day before.
He asked a lot of questions...took an x-ray (that amounted to 10,000 shillings - about $5) and gave his assessment which is she needs a root canal. After discussing options, he said she could continue to take anti-biotics and pain medicine. If the swelling decreases she will be fine to wait until she arrives home to get the root canal. This was a huge praise to the Lord! She is doing fine tonight…taking meds and eating her meals. Continue to pray for her that the anti-biotics will do their job and swelling & pain will decrease.
I hope you are enjoying the updates from the students. We are having an amazing time here in Uganda. The team is definitely finishing well! More to come in the next few days!
Kare!
Eydie
Today was my Golden Day! It was a day filled with adventures and excitement. The day started off great with Brayden & Kristina sharing about the name of Jesus. After that, we got into the van to go to VBS at a church. We were waiting to leave when Kristina screamed & leaped out of the van! There was a cockroach in Lynell’s hair. The rest of us quickly climbed out scared that a cockroach would crawl on us. Not wanting to get back in the van, the hotel was kind enough to take us to the church. VBS at the church was great! There were about 70 kids in attendance. Ten kids came forward to accept Christ as their Savior!
Our driver had sprayed the van while we were in VBS. We decided to be strong and courageous and ride back to the hotel in the van. There were still cockroaches dying at our feet. Someone started singing, “Amazing Grace!” It was the shakiest “Amazing Grace,” I’ve ever heard. Our short 5 minute drive seemed to take longer than normal, but we safely arrived back at the hotel.
We had to head back to Calvary Chapel and help with the youth conference. No one wanted to ride in the cockroach infested van. Seeing how nervous we were, the hotel was gracious enough to take us.
The youth conference went really well. It was nice to hang out with older kids and listen to great messages. When the conference was over for the day, we got to ride pichi pichi’s (private motor bikes) back to the hotel. It was a time of fun, but wish my driver would have driven faster! Brayden, April, Eydie and I decided to ride like a local and sit sidesaddle.
We still had the cockroach issue that night, making it impossible to go to the home. Instead, we had dinner at the hotel next door. The view of the sun at night was amazing. The food was great and the conversation even better. It was a great and fantastic week of ministry and a wonderful Golden Day!
Written by Meredith Moore
Uganda Children Update #10 – May 15, 2010 (written by Bradyn Brown)
Since today was my Golden Day, I got to write the update! The team started the day off at Calvary Chapel, Jinja. We’ve been helping with a youth conference there and today was the last day of the conference. We got there in time for worship, which is always encouraging. We then had the first teaching session of the day. The session was about how love equals obedience. It was a great reminder for everyone on the team. After the session, the team broke up into pairs and helped lead small group discussions for the youth. Getting to pour into the youth in that way was such an awesome experience.
The coolest part of the youth conference for me was going able to watch some of the youth be baptized. The church set up a pool and gave all of the kids who had accepted Jesus the opportunity to be baptized. There were about 30 kids that were baptized that afternoon. It was such a blessing to watch.
After the youth conference & a little shopping, we went to the home. Today we started painting with the children. The kids are making paintings that Eydie will be able to take home and use as tools for the ministry. So far, their turning out really cute and fun!
Another highlight of the day was that Annette (one of the house parents at the home) came into our team time and gave us a little lesson in one of their traditional dances. Annette is amazing. Many of the team members are determined to continue practicing until they get it right!
My Golden Day concluded with a lovely ride back to the hotel. It included a beautiful medley of Disney songs and much laughter! It was exactly what we all needed and the end to a very good day!
Written by Brayden Brown
Uganda Children Update #11 – May 16, 2010 – Written by Kristina on behalf of Lynell Berg
Things are still amazing here! We got to sleep in today a little bit! (Today is Lynell’s Golden Day. We love and appreciate her!)
At breakfast, a man named Pastor Tony (from England) came to our tableand spoke great truth into our lives. Eydie had met him and his group last May. Some of the ISP team from last year may remember their team. God uses so many people here to encourage us. Some of us are wearing our new African dresses to church today. We attended service at Revival Center Church & experienced a traditional African service. Worship is so fun and alive (dancing & cheering included!) Introductions are valued in Uganda and we had the opportunity to introduce ourselves to the congregation. And, as if we haven’t already experienced SO many amazing things… we walked out of church to see an Operation Christmas Child gift distribution!! Some of us were moved to tears because we have made up boxes in the past. Smiles were on all faces as they opened their gifts. God has given us so many once-in-a-lifetime memories. Seeing Christmas in May is one of those moments! We spent the rest of the day at the Children’s Home playing and doing small groups.
We are excited to have one more week and we will FINISH STRONG . Thank you for your prayers!
Written by Kristina for Lynell
Uganda Children Special Update – May 19, 2010 (by Eydie)
This one is out of order…but wanted to take a moment to update you on current situation. One of the reasons that Kristina has written Lynell’s update is because Lynell has been dealing with a toothache the past few days. We ended up taking her to the dentist. First we tried a local dentist in the town of Jinja. The anti-biotics and pain meds were not doing the job. After consulting back and forth with the MOB squad (you guys are AWESOME!) the plan was to take her to Kampala. The owner of our hotel told us of an American dentist in Kampala.
One of the staff at the hotel took the morning to drive us there. He is very used to Kampala so he took us right to the Mengo Hospital where there was a dental clinic. Last night I was able to talk to the dentist...at 9 pm! Unheard of in America to make a personal call to your dentist! He said today was all booked, but if I came and told them it was an emergency he would squeeze us in.
When we arrive, the dentist of our hotel owner where we stay said, "oh, you are the one!" Our hotel owner, Mr. Otile had already called them. They took us right in. Instead of waiting hours...we only waited about 15 minutes. We entered the waiting area, and there was a huge wall hanging that said, “You can receive Christ right now…the following is a suggested prayer…” Wow! Then on the next wall where we were sitting there was a plaque. It was dedicated to the founder and director of the Worldwide Dental Health Service sponsoring and inspiring Missionary dentists! The real topper was that it included the verse from 2 Timothy 4:7-8, “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race. I have kept the faith” REALLY! We were speechless!
The dentist was an American dentist but had been in Kampala since 1979 (had signed up to serve for 2 years!). He is originally from Texas. He was so kind and helpful. Lynell was extremely at peace and more comfortable than the day before.
He asked a lot of questions...took an x-ray (that amounted to 10,000 shillings - about $5) and gave his assessment which is she needs a root canal. After discussing options, he said she could continue to take anti-biotics and pain medicine. If the swelling decreases she will be fine to wait until she arrives home to get the root canal. This was a huge praise to the Lord! She is doing fine tonight…taking meds and eating her meals. Continue to pray for her that the anti-biotics will do their job and swelling & pain will decrease.
I hope you are enjoying the updates from the students. We are having an amazing time here in Uganda. The team is definitely finishing well! More to come in the next few days!
Kare!
Eydie
May 12 & 13 - Written by Allie & Kristina
Uganda Children Update #7
Greetings from Uganda! Today (5/12/10) was yet another great day. I was especially excited because it was my Golden Day! It is so nice to be encouraged by all of my teammates. They are truly a blessing to me.
This morning, Ashleigh and I led in devotions with the hotel staff. We taught from
James 3 about “taming the tongue.” We taught how we as Christians should be positive and lift each other up by what we say.
After devotions, we left the hotel and went to a school in a local village called “Salt & Light School.” We taught a group of about 30 children from a local church. They sang songs for us and performed a skit about sharing the Gospel. This was a much smaller group than we were used to having. But it was still a blessing for us to share God’s love with them.
We taught all of the children the Bridge illustration so they would be able to share the Gospel with their unsaved friends. Then we made cross necklaces with them out of popsicle sticks. We all had a fun time.
Next stop was for lunch in town. After our meal we went to the local market to buy fish for dinner. The marketplace was definitely an interesting experience. There were many smells, not all of which were good. There were tons of vendors lined up in tiny booths. The dirt on the ground had turned to mud and large puddles were everywhere full of trash. There were people selling everything from fruits and vegetables to household goods. Everywhere we walked, people stared and we could hear them say, “muzungu” (white person) to their fellow workers. When we got to the fish market, my teammates and I were overwhelmed. We watched as the fish were scaled and chopped up. I don’t think I will ever be able to think of tilapia the same way! But we ate it at dinner and it was good! The whole market experience was very humbling because we learned that the people here live on less than $1 a day.
We ended our day back at the children’s home. We spent that time teaching them from God’s Word. We split the children into 3 groups based on age. Our subject matter today was on gossip. I had the middle group, ages 7-12. I was impressed by how much they paid attention and were willing to learn. Lynell, Jeannette and I acted out how bad gossip is and the children seemed to have really learned from what the Bible taught.
Overall, it was an amazing day! Going to the market was an interesting, cultural experience. I am continually being blessed by my wonderful teammates and the people of Uganda. I am learning so much about myself and am growing in the Lord daily. I am truly blessed!
(Written by Allie Beard)
Uganda Children Update – May 13, 2010 (Written by Kristina Osbourne)
I could not have imagined all the wonderful things God had prepared for us in advance to do in Uganda. He continues to bless us everyday. Today was my Golden Day (which came at a perfect time because I was feeling a little crazy from my malaria medicine yesterday).
We went to Revival Center Church today for VBS. It was a special place because many of the hotel staff attend there. Our theme was “Rescued from Darkness.” There were about 100 children there. We taught the creation story and that got quite a few laughs from the kids. Moses did another moving presentation of the Gospel. Just as Jesus treasured the children and their faith, we do not take our task lightly. We rejoice with the angels because twenty-six children made decisions to follow Christ! We also had a new ministry opportunity today. We were able to help lead small groups at the Calvary Chapel Jinja Youth Conference. The theme of the conference is “Take Action,” from James 1:22. It emphasized that we are to be doers of the Word. It was a great time of worship and fellowship with our African brothers and sisters.
We finished the day by going back to the Children’s Home and playing with the kids. Devotion time was amazing as always. I am constantly inspired by their free, open praise to God. The worship songs they sing are always stuck in our heads. At any point you can hear someone humming a song.
The night ended on an “exciting” note. We discovered some cockroaches in our van! We rode the whole way back with our feet in the air and our hearts racing. God was gracious enough to distract us with the most beautiful (and lengthy) lightening storm I’d ever seen. We are learning so much here and I am truly enjoying this journey (cockroaches & all).
We appreciate your prayers as we finish the last third of our trip. We want to finish strong! God has already done so much. Today, out of the mouths of twenty six children of Uganda has come the praises of our Lord. For this alone we came and we rejoice in it!
Written by Kristina Osbourne
P.S. Since the writing of this update…the cockroaches are now gone!
Greetings from Uganda! Today (5/12/10) was yet another great day. I was especially excited because it was my Golden Day! It is so nice to be encouraged by all of my teammates. They are truly a blessing to me.
This morning, Ashleigh and I led in devotions with the hotel staff. We taught from
James 3 about “taming the tongue.” We taught how we as Christians should be positive and lift each other up by what we say.
After devotions, we left the hotel and went to a school in a local village called “Salt & Light School.” We taught a group of about 30 children from a local church. They sang songs for us and performed a skit about sharing the Gospel. This was a much smaller group than we were used to having. But it was still a blessing for us to share God’s love with them.
We taught all of the children the Bridge illustration so they would be able to share the Gospel with their unsaved friends. Then we made cross necklaces with them out of popsicle sticks. We all had a fun time.
Next stop was for lunch in town. After our meal we went to the local market to buy fish for dinner. The marketplace was definitely an interesting experience. There were many smells, not all of which were good. There were tons of vendors lined up in tiny booths. The dirt on the ground had turned to mud and large puddles were everywhere full of trash. There were people selling everything from fruits and vegetables to household goods. Everywhere we walked, people stared and we could hear them say, “muzungu” (white person) to their fellow workers. When we got to the fish market, my teammates and I were overwhelmed. We watched as the fish were scaled and chopped up. I don’t think I will ever be able to think of tilapia the same way! But we ate it at dinner and it was good! The whole market experience was very humbling because we learned that the people here live on less than $1 a day.
We ended our day back at the children’s home. We spent that time teaching them from God’s Word. We split the children into 3 groups based on age. Our subject matter today was on gossip. I had the middle group, ages 7-12. I was impressed by how much they paid attention and were willing to learn. Lynell, Jeannette and I acted out how bad gossip is and the children seemed to have really learned from what the Bible taught.
Overall, it was an amazing day! Going to the market was an interesting, cultural experience. I am continually being blessed by my wonderful teammates and the people of Uganda. I am learning so much about myself and am growing in the Lord daily. I am truly blessed!
(Written by Allie Beard)
Uganda Children Update – May 13, 2010 (Written by Kristina Osbourne)
I could not have imagined all the wonderful things God had prepared for us in advance to do in Uganda. He continues to bless us everyday. Today was my Golden Day (which came at a perfect time because I was feeling a little crazy from my malaria medicine yesterday).
We went to Revival Center Church today for VBS. It was a special place because many of the hotel staff attend there. Our theme was “Rescued from Darkness.” There were about 100 children there. We taught the creation story and that got quite a few laughs from the kids. Moses did another moving presentation of the Gospel. Just as Jesus treasured the children and their faith, we do not take our task lightly. We rejoice with the angels because twenty-six children made decisions to follow Christ! We also had a new ministry opportunity today. We were able to help lead small groups at the Calvary Chapel Jinja Youth Conference. The theme of the conference is “Take Action,” from James 1:22. It emphasized that we are to be doers of the Word. It was a great time of worship and fellowship with our African brothers and sisters.
We finished the day by going back to the Children’s Home and playing with the kids. Devotion time was amazing as always. I am constantly inspired by their free, open praise to God. The worship songs they sing are always stuck in our heads. At any point you can hear someone humming a song.
The night ended on an “exciting” note. We discovered some cockroaches in our van! We rode the whole way back with our feet in the air and our hearts racing. God was gracious enough to distract us with the most beautiful (and lengthy) lightening storm I’d ever seen. We are learning so much here and I am truly enjoying this journey (cockroaches & all).
We appreciate your prayers as we finish the last third of our trip. We want to finish strong! God has already done so much. Today, out of the mouths of twenty six children of Uganda has come the praises of our Lord. For this alone we came and we rejoice in it!
Written by Kristina Osbourne
P.S. Since the writing of this update…the cockroaches are now gone!
Friday, May 14, 2010
Tuesday, May 11, 2010 - By Jenni
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!!
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!!
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!
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