Both Pittsburgh AND Tomball teams are home!

(Written and posted Thursday around 2pm)

Thank you all so very much for all the prayer coverings over the last two weeks of our mission travel!  BOTH teams have arrived to their respective homes and families!!!  The Pittsburgh team (Bill, David, Larry and Dee) was picked up at the airport by Nancy and Elizabeth (Bill's wife and daughter) and delivered to our homes.  We arrived in Pittsburgh luggage-less (I can think of worse things to happen!) AND we are VERY happy to be home!  

(NOTE: It is now several hours later than my original writing... and our luggage has arrived... time to start washing!! ;-) )

I received a text from Ann about 2 hours after we landed in Pittsburgh Wednesday afternoon, saying the Tomball team (Don, Reggie, Drew, Jennifer and Juliana) had landed in Houston, and all were good there.  Praise the Lord!!

Again, thank you FAITHFUL PRAY-ERS, for all of your prayers regarding our Uganda trip - before, during, and returning.  I would ask you to continue keeping the entire team in "mission trip" prayer for another week or so as we all ponder AND process the trip in our hearts AND our minds.  Pray also, that as we adjust back to our lives here, living our daily lives and loving our family and friends in the States... that we live in, and extend all the more, the grace that's been extended to us as we went, in obedience to Him, to share encouragement AND the life saving message of Jesus Christ to those we shared with in Uganda.  (sorry for that major run-on sentence... I couldn't figure out how to break it up! lol)    May we never be the same as we were 2 weeks ago!    

I will be posting more pics (or links to pics) here (on the blog) in the next few days (hopefully!).  For those on FB, I will post the pics or links there as well!    Stay tuned!!

With much love in Christ Jesus and on behalf of the whole team,
dee

We are in Dubai!

We've made it to Dubai and we will be boarding the plane for Boston in about an hour.  We will have a connecting flight to Pittsburgh from there.  Please pray we make our connections in Boston... we have a short layover and have to collect our luggage, go thru Customs and Immigration... and recheck our luggage for the Pittsburgh flight.  

I will post Monday's post from Pittsburgh later!  Thank you for prayers!!!

Sunday, July 31, 2016 - Field Report

Sunday Service at Musese Village church:

The whole team except Juliana (she was feeling a little puny) headed out to Musese Village today for church service. Drew led the men's Sunday school and taught on the responsibility of men to lead their family and to teach their children.  Drew did a great job of tying it in to Deuteronomy 6: 4-9 and a great question and answer session followed where some of the other men taught out of experience, quoted scripture and gave advice. The message was welcomed by our friends in Musese.

 

Dee taught the women's Sunday school and spoke about what God’s Word says about Sin, Confession, Forgiveness, and Restoration in relationships, specifically with a family member.  Dee shared her own testimony of restoration in her life, and referenced Joel 2:12-13, and Joel 2:25.

Jennifer led the children's Sunday school with the help of our artistic David teaching on three different subjects (Esther - courage, David and Jonathan - friendship, and Eljah - sharing) and led them in multiple worship songs. The children over here are very polite and eager to learn.

Following Sunday school we went back in the church and listened to more worship music and then Larry preached a sermon on Marriage and the effects of sin in marriage, the need to put Christ first in our marriages, and then each other secondly for our marriages to be as God intended it.  The message was as important here as it is in the states as many struggle here too.  The sermon was very good and we finished our church service a little after 1:00 PM. After eating lunch and going back to Mbale, most of the team headed to Sipi Falls where we got to climb up the hill to go behind the falls and then up the hill further to go to another falls, and then up even further to go above the falls and to see the beginning of the series of falls which started at the top of the mountain. Bill climbed up to the first set of falls, but it was too steep for him to go any further. Our guide climbed the mountain like a goat and seemed to be in a hurry.  We stopped him a few times to take some pictures, but we weren't sure where the trail headed and before we knew it, we were almost back down the hill without getting a chance to take pictures of the upper falls. The ride over to and Sipi Falls was a bit bumpy at times, but the scenery as we went up the mountain was spectacular and coming back, God was demonstrating some of His beauty with the sun setting behind the clouds.  Artists only dream of painting something like that.

The week has flown by.  It was such a pleasure to serve alongside this whole team. Everybody was very busy every day and we all were stretched, but over 100 people came to Christ and many more were shared with.  Our constant prayer was that we would be a reflection of Christ as we visited each and every person, that we would in a graceful manner correct bad theology, and that we would only see people as people either being lost and needing to hear the truth, or being our brother or sister in Christ (in which case we could encourage and pray for them).  We all know that we didn't deserve to be here representing and sharing God's Word, but we were thankful and blessed to be allowed to do it. 

Saturday, July 30, 2016 - Field Report

Team Report for Saturday... (sorry for the delay for Saturday, Sunday and Monday... we've been a bit busy and internet was not stellar... wasn't available for Monday as we left Mt. Elgon Hotel for a stay in Jinja ... a little closer to the airport.)

The whole team went to the orphanage today.

Upon arrival, Dee and Bill rounded up the older kids that had been brought back to the orphanage from their secondary schools and continued taking photos.  While the kids were waiting to have their pictures taken, they broke out in praise and worship songs, both in their language and in English using their hands to keep the beat on the table in front of them. Those of us that were there all said we could have listened to that all day. It was a very sweet sound to our ears. Music is such a part of their culture and those who are Christians use it to worship God all the time.  Everywhere you walked there, you heard a group of kids singing worship songs.

Others latched on to one or more kids and just hung out, talking and sharing. When Dee and Bill were close to finished, we were called to lunch.

After lunch Dee and Bill finished taking the photos (around 110 total kids for the week) and then the Crocs that Beverly Heights Presbyterian Church purchased were presented to the kids. The Crocs were very much welcomed and needed as the ones they received last year were falling apart. Next on the agenda was a performance the kids put on for us - singing, dancing, sharing their favorite Bible verses followed by a word of encouragement from the administrator, Simon, and Larry to the kids and thanks to the team for the visit, Crocs, etc.

 

Time to get crazy.  The water balloons came out and started flying everywhere. The kids and the team had a blast. After that everyone grabbed one or more kids again and started doing various things.  Drawing on the basketball court with chalk, asking the kids about what they are doing in school and what their plans are for the future, discussing God's gifting of them and encouraging them to use those gifts to glorify God, looking at pictures they have drawn, walking with them seeing all that is going on at the orphanage, taking pictures, playing soccer and just loving on the kids. It is amazing to see how well they are all doing educationally, physically, and spiritually. It is easy to say that the kids were a huge blessing to us.

At the end of the day, we said our goodbyes and drove off watching the kids at the front of the building dancing to worship music. It was pondered, what would America be like if we gathered every day after work with our neighbors and sang worship songs and danced for joy in the Lord instead of going home, going inside and turning on the TV. We will all be singing to our Lord someday, but we do not know when. Perhaps that is why we were so joyous today, seeing a glimpse of things to come. 

More pictures

What children in Uganda do when there is no TV or internet

The crocs and the children passing the time

115 children had their pictures taken on Thursday

Reggie and Juliana entertaining while waiting for pictures

Luwanda children say thank you!

Sipi Falls and Bill's boot

Friday, July 29, 2016 -- Field Report

Friday, July 29, 2016

video of preparing to go share the gospel.

Reggie and Juliana went to the schools, Larry went to town to take care of a few things and then on to Lulwanda to take care of orphanage business.  Drew went to the village and then went to a prison after lunch. Everybody made it out to village before the crusade started.

Juliana - went to three schools. Many kids stood up to accept Christ.  Juliana said she hopes that they stood up because of a heart change.

Reggie and Juliana - Schools - the first school they went to was a big group - over 200. About 20 something trusted in the Lord.  They felt those kids were sincere.  They were the oldest kids they spoke to. The other schools were younger and almost everybody stood up.  It is always hard to tell how many kids really put their faith in Christ in the younger schools, but they all hard the gospel (500 + kids).  The team stopped for lunch in a 5' x 10' room and ate a weird looking millet food (the school team ate, not Reggie and Juliana). Two girls came in and Reggie and Juliana asked them their names. Reggie and Juliana shared the gospel with them and they accepted. Four more girls came in and they shared the gospel with them and they accepted also. Reggie and Juliana didn't eat but were filled up. 

Rosemary - had her first two people trust Christ today. She asked them if they knew how to get to heaven and they didn't, so Rosemary told them and they accepted.

Jennifer - highlight was when some kids came up to her today and with sign language told her they loved her.  She then shared at seven houses where she had a combined 12 people accept Christ.

Bill - Six people accepted the Lord, two did not and two others said they would come to the crusade. Of the first six, two were at a different hut and heard Bill sharing the gospel and ran over to hear it and gladly accepted.  When bill was waiting for the van to pick him up, a young boy came over and asked Bill to come and pray for his mom. His mom was a Christian, but married a Muslim man and had been going to a Mosque to worship.  She wanted to come back to worship Jesus. The husband was a nominal Muslim and considered himself a backslider. Bill prayed with her and helped her work through her issue.

Pete - nobody made a decision to accept Christ, but had good conversations with many people and is trusting that God will use it.

David - first house was a young mother and she accepted. Second there was a little boy playing with a tire.  One little boy ran over the hill and came back with a woman. The interpreters said she was a boozer, but she listened and accepted. The third house was a Catholic and two of the three left while he was talking and they continued to share with the father. He said he wasn't ready to accept, so they prayed with him.  The fourth house was a Christian lady whose husband was ill and they asked David to pray for him. They then shared at a pay as you go cell booth. Two people accepted.

Drew - had a man run from across the street and asked Drew to come share with them. Drew shared his family picture with them and then shared the gospel. Six people accepted Christ. Then he went to a man's house that had a thorn embedded in his toe for over two years and it is badly infected.  The wife was a believer, but she couldn't go to church because she had to care for him. Drew went by a school and shared with some kids. After lunch, he went to a prison near Tororo where there were about 40 prisoners and 15 of them accepted Christ. The spiritual leader of the prisoners had just been released that day and the guard told one that had just accepted that he was the new spiritual leader. In the Ugandan prisons, the prisoners are encouraged to organize to encourage one another in Christ. At the big prisons they actually have an organized church consisting of a pastor, elders, a worship leader, a secretary and a few other positions. All of those positions are held by prisoners. 

Don - had two ladies accept in the first two houses with a third lady already being a believer. He then shared with an older woman and she said she understood, but would not accept without her husband’s approval. She said she would tell her husband everything that was told her when he got home and would ask him to go to the crusade. Went to the business center after that and shared with six men, two of which were playing cards.  While sharing the two that were playing cards got up and moved their table to another place.  Continued sharing with the rest and the one that seemed the least interested jumped up at the end and accepted. The other three said they would come by the crusade.  Hopefully God will nudge them in that direction. Shared at a beer brewing and drinking place with around 10 guys.  Shared and discussed with them for around 45 minutes.  None accepted, but all were prayed for and encouraged to think about what they were taught.

Testimonies were given by Rosemary and Bill. The focus on both were the struggles associated with marriage because of our selfish sin nature and only by the power of Jesus being able to work through that and the resulting refining of each of us as we go through that process. They don't really know each other and they didn't know what each other was going to testify about, but God orchestrated back to back messages that were very much the same probably to emphasize how important marriage is to Him. Both testimonies were very powerful and were as applicable here as it would be back at home. The crowd very much embraced the messages.

David preached a sermon that his dad wrote 65 years ago about Joshua telling his people that they need to choose that day who they would worship, the God of Israel, or the false gods of the Canaanite land God had given them.  He talked about the false gods in all of our houses.  Pleasure gods, or money gods, or other things that detract us from worshipping the one true God and stated that we all needed to make up our mind, who we were going to worship. He ended it with song and had the whole crowd worshipping with him. – Don

Picture of nightly debrief.

Thank you for praying everyone!!!   God is good and He is faithful!  We are praising Him for the opportunities to share His life saving message of salvation this week in the village of Musese.  We will gather back together with Pastor Peter and his wife Eve on Sunday for church.  Tomorrow we will spend most of the day at Lulwanda Children’s Home.  We will give the kids their Crocs and spend time playing and visiting with ALL of the kids... even the older kiddos will be home from Secondary Schools to visit with us!  I can’t wait!  Thank you again for your prayers for our week... we are feeling each and every one of them!  -- dee

Thursday, July 28, 2016 -- Field Report

Thursday, July 28, 2016

David went to school, Dee and Bill went to Lulwanda to take pictures of the children. They all made it to Musese Village in time for the crusade to hear the testimonies of Julianna, Reggie and the preaching of Drew. The rest of the team went to the village.

David went to two schools. The first school he went to was good. Six kids came to Christ. The kids were older - high school kids.  He then went to a Catholic school and sang some songs with the kids, but a bishop was there and wouldn't allow David to share with the school for fear of losing his job. The staff asked David and the school team to pray for them. They went to a third school, but it was closed because they hadn't paid their fees.

Julianna - met with a man that seemed like he wanted to confess Christ, but the church he goes to had three different categories, ordinary Christians, saved Christians and sanctified Christians and he was at level one and couldn't accept. They talked to him some more and told him it was his personal decision not the churches. He accepted. The rest of the people she visited were already saved.

Jennifer. Shared with a Catholic and spent quite a bit of time using scripture to show him he was praying in the wrong direction and putting his hope in that same wrong direction. She only went to a couple more houses and no body responded. She then went to the prison with Pete.  Pete shared his testimony and Jennifer shared the gospel.  The prison director said he thought about 15 people came to Christ and that she gave a very clear presentation of the gospel.

Bill and Dee took sponsor photos of 51 out of 53 Primary School aged children.  (Two of the children were ill and their photos will be taken on Saturday.)  The Secondary School aged children's sponsor photos will be taken early Saturday morning.  On Wednesday afternoon, Larry set up some new lighting in the school library specifically for the photos.  The lighting made all the difference in the world!  Dee was very picky and took an extended amount of time to get the new backdrop just right.  Bill liked it when it was done.  They took a few shots to get the lighting right and it went like clockwork after that.  Having Bill, Dee and Betty working together, it cut the time down from what has taken a day, to a day-and-a-half in years past, down to about a 2-3 hour job!  Dee took charge of making sure the kids were in good condition to take the pictures (wiped runny noses, etc.).  Again, Dee is VERY GRATEFUL for Bill's and Betty's skills and time to help cut the job time down tremendously!

Drew - hut to hut was least exciting of the week. Drew went to a house where grandmother was a believer, mother was maybe a believer, but said she was so Drew asked if he could speak to the kids and shared with them. Then went to an older woman's house with a daughter in law or something who had two people across the street die recently. Shared with them and they said they would come by the crusade - he didn't see them, but they may have been there.

Reggie - house to house. It was great. The Lord did mighty things through Reggie today. Probably 10 people accepted Christ today. One lady in particular was hesitant because she thought it was about works and Jesus. She knew about Jesus so Reggie went straight to Ephesians 2:8-9 and showed her it was by Grace. She realized immediately and was very joyous, because she was trying to be good enough but was constantly failing. She finally felt the freedom in Christ. The last house he went to, God was putting on Reggie's heart that they needed to visit one more house. The lady was saved, but the man wasn't . He said he wasn't sure how to be saved. Reggie shared the gospel and showed him how and he accepted. His wife was overjoyed because now they were equally yoked.

Larry - had a man and wife outside the trading center and he almost begged Larry to come in and share with he and his wife. The couple listened intently and both were very eager to accept Christ.

At the end of the night a young lady came and gave the following note to Larry:

“Dir sir/madam:

I am called Nashira.  I am an orphan girl.  My father died last year in the accident. But for me, I am a Muslim, but I would like to change and I start serving God, but I don't know how I can start so I need your help please sir.”

Larry talked with her for a while and then sat down and talked with her more and shared the gospel.  She accepted Christ. Larry is going to introduce her to the Pastor and get him to look after her. 

Don visited several houses or people in the business center. Most of the time was spent telling people the true way of salvation - by Grace, not by works. He also visited a medical center where the doctor came out and asked if he was teaching the bible and when the response was affirmative, he said that was good, that he (the doctor) would heal them physically and Don could heal them spiritually. Three ladies accepted Christ there. The last house he went to was a Catholic who wouldn't agree to confess Christ, but she asked him to pray for her husband who had been sick and bedridden since April.  Don and his interpreter went in the house and talked with the frail man and prayed for him. He shard with a couple others that said they would come to the crusade, but they hadn't made an appearance by the time the team left. The crusade still goes on for hours after we leave showing the Jesus film in their language after dark, so hopefully all those that promised to come, came and put their faith in Christ.

At the crusade, Julianna gave her testimony of coming to Christ at an early age, but as she grew, she started pinning her hopes on things of the world until eventually realizing her true joy is in Christ.  Reggie shared his testimony about being disrespectful of his parents, and making poor choices, but God still protected him even in the middle of that.  God eventually humbled him and he surrendered his life to Jesus. It was a very powerful message and he spoke directly to the younger audience telling them to not make the mistakes he did and for them to listen to and respect their parents. All of the audience eyes were fixed on Reggie, but the kids in particular listened intently. Drew preached on Mark 10:46-52 talking about abandoning everything and following Jesus followed by more of the gospel and a personal plea for those thinking about making a decision to make it today as we are never guaranteed a tomorrow. He ended the sermon sharing a personal experience of his to demonstrate that point. It was very powerful message.

The children's ministry led by Jennifer and Julianna featured Larry and Dee acting as Adam and Eve complete with Matoke' leave coverings and the lesson topic for the day was responsibility. It was a huge hit and the kids again responded very well. -- Team Report by Don

Pastor Morris and Momma Aida stopped by Mt. Elgon Hotel tonight, and had dinner with us.  It was so good to see Aida for the first time since January.  We offered our sympathies to Aida for the loss of her mother on Tuesday. She thanks you for the prayers on their behalf. -- Dee

Wednesday, July 27, 2016 - Field Report

Wednesday, July 27, 2016

Dee went to schools today.    Went to two primary schools first today. Much great singing. Dee gave her testimony and the preaching was good. Then they went to a college with about 250 to 300 kids. Dee gave her testimony and the preacher preached on revelation 5. About 25 kids accepted Christ.

The rest of the team went to the village.

Reggie and Julianna went to the prisons after they went hut to hut. Reggie and his translator made a good connection on the way to the prison. The prison was on the border and they weren't expecting visitors today.  They were expecting them to come Friday, but they made it happen anyway. Julianna gave her testimony boldly and Reggie preached.  14 guys stood up and accepted Christ. Reggie said the prisoners seemed very sincere and happy about receiving Christ. Julianna shared a testimony about clinging on to things instead of God.

Reggie's Hut to hut saw one previous believer and two that didn't accept.

Julianna Went to three houses. First one turned out to be a believer. Next was a Christian. She Prayed for her. Last woman was a business woman who said she was saved because she only had one husband, goes to church and doesn't drink very much. Tried to explain God desires her heart.  So Julianna gave her a tract and her snack and invited her to come to the crusade.

Jennifer saw three people that never heard of Jesus. All three accepted and Jennifer said she could see a countenance change right then. The rest of the people were already believers or they wouldn't accept. She also did the children's ministry where she shared the story of Jonah. It was a story of obedience. The kids caught on well and the joy of knowing Jesus shined through Jennifer.

Drew had one choose to accept, one lady promised to come to the church and met another man who built a very nice house for his brother expecting to live in it and take care of it for a period of time, but his older brother turned his other brother against him and wouldn't let him move in so he had to build another house next to it to live in. His name is Martin and was hurt by did not seem to be bitter.  He was a believer and Drew encouraged him to go to church and be with believers.  Drew also gave his testimony about how God protected his heart and kept him from making bad mistakes when he was young. He also stated that he even resisted kissing his wife until they were married and now they have 10 children. This was a great message as the culture here is somewhat promiscuous.

David had two translators today.  One man and a woman. The first house was saved. David sang a praise song for every hut that was saved and prayed for those that were not. The second house the people were saved as well. Hut seven was a Catholic man. David spoke with him and invited him to the crusade in the afternoon.

Bill got to go with the big people in the van all the way to the end and walk back even with his broken foot. Got to share with more men today. Several had already accepted Christ. They stopped by a school to talk to some men and many kids gathered around. The men didn't accept, but promised to come to the crusade. Next hut shared with a husband and wife. Husband requested prayer for four things. Find a job, to finish building his house, money to send his kids to school and he forgot the last one.   Bill also preached on truth this afternoon. He said he liked having a translator because it gave him time to think.  Bill said he enjoyed preaching and those that saw him said he did a great job. Bill also had a new translator today and he enjoyed talking to him about theology.

Rosemary has had an interesting week as she has visited only believers where she has used the opportunity to teach them how to share the gospel. She visited a cult today. Kind of like the Jehovah's Witness but a little stranger. She invited a lady to come visit tonight to discuss.  The lady showed up, but right as we were leaving.

Pete did many today to enhance the various ministries here.

Larry went to several houses today.  A Catholic, and atheist and an agnostic.  Larry shared several examples of how God has worked things out in his life and the atheist said it was all coincidence.  Had good conversations and hopefully planted a few seeds for God to water and make grow.

Don met with believers at the first three huts he visited and took time to encourage and pray for them. At the third one, the lady said the guy next door was a Catholic priest. So he visited the man next door and asked him if he would go to heaven and the man said yes. When asked why he would go to heaven, he said he believed in Jesus and then said he had to live a righteous life.  Don explained that it was faith alone in Christ alone and that if it were about our works, God wouldn't have sacrificed His Son on the cross for us and that Jesus blood shed on the cross was sufficient.  After explaining it to him, he seemed to understand. This kind of fits with several of the Catholics we have shared with that almost have it right, but still have a works component. We are praying that God opened the eyes of this priest today and will now teach grace. He also met with one lady who didn't know if she would go to heaven and he shared with her and she accepted. She brought her son out who was suffering probably from Cerebral malaria and Don prayed for both of them.

Great day overall.  Looking forward to see what God will do tomorrow.

-- Don

We are very happy to have Pete and Rosemary Palermo joining our team for the week.  Our team of 9 has grown by 2!  We are thankful for them! --dee