Back home - what now?

We are back home now and it’s been 2 weeks since our  time in Kachungwa.  But the memories of the kind, generous, thoughtful people of the village are still bringing joy to my heart.  I am convinced that God orchestrated they events that led to our partnership with Kachungwa and that it was and continues to be the Lord who is calling us to sponsor more children in this village.  And it is the Lord who is calling us to have an ongoing relationship with Kachungwa Community Church and the wonderful people in the village.  The 3 days we spent visiting them and getting to know them was just the beginning.  Our ongoing relationship with the children and the church and the village  will be mutually beneficial.  There are many way we will be able to work with them in the future to help them become self-sustaining, to help fund a medical clinic so they can be treated for the diseases that now take the lives of so many in the area.  To help them build a secondary school so their children won’t have to go away from home just to complete their education.  They desire more pastoral and leadership training. The list goes on and on.  But we also will be blessed beyond measure by getting to know these people. We have so much to learn from them about their deep, abiding faith in the Lord.  Our friendship will continue and grow deeper.  

Rose

There is something we can do right now to make a difference- and that is to sponsor more children.  Please pray with me that God will put it on the hearts of many to make the commitment to give $35 a month to change the future of a child, a village and a nation.  Ugandans have to pay to send their children to school - there is no free public education.  So many of the children from poor families are unable to attend school without being sponsored.  The children who are blessed to have a sponsor attend school and also receive a daily meal and a uniform and shoes.  We have seen the difference in those children who are sponsored and those who are not.  We were also very impressed with the follow-up and continued care the sponsored children are given. In Kachungwa, Rose is the Social Worker and Solomon is the Project Director.  They know and love each of the sponsored children, they visit their homes and keep detailed records of their visits, health records, school records etc.  We saw first hand the desire of ARM and Kachungwa is to develop Christian leaders.  This is evident in how they value and love and train their children.

Solomon and Neal

Perhaps God is calling you to sponsor a child in Kachungwa, or if you already sponsor a child perhaps He is calling you to bless another child as well.  Let’s encourage our friends and family to sponsor children as well.   Let’s share the joy of child sponsorship and make a huge difference in the lives of the children of Kachungwa.  We have more pictures of children who need to be sponsored in the church office.  Please feel free to call me or ask questions of any of us who were on the trip.  We would love to share more with you!  

Thank you so much for sending us and thank you for your faithful prayer support.  

Please mark your calendars for Sunday, October 24th.  During both morning services we will be sharing pictures, video and stories of our time in Uganda.

~Renee

The final push: Soroti, Uganda

Hello from Uganda! As I write this, it is currently 5:30pm Ugandan time on Saturday. We have been trekking across Uganda experiencing a lot of amazing things. Right now I sit next to John Beckham in a Safari Van on our way back to Kampala from the deep bush. God has been very good to us and has shown us His broken heart, his blessings, and his power. So let's backtrack a few days and discuss where we have been and what we have been doing.

Thursday - We had a lot of traveling to do Thursday, but we also had a few important places to see. Our first stop was a town called Mayuge (May-you-gay). This ARM project site was an awesome place where kids were hearing about Jesus and his love. Although Christianity is widely seen as the most widespread religion, Mayuge is an 80% Muslim community. The Pastor of the church we visited shared powerful stories about how the child sponsorship program has impacted the area in a dramatic way, and that God was doing a great work in the area.

From Mayuge we traveled a few hours to a city called Soroti. Soroti had a very interesting story as it was a key area during 2003 when the LRA (Lords Resistance Army) pushed over 30,000 refugees to the city as they killed, brutalized and abducted whoever they pleased. Although we arrived 7 years after the event, the city was still experiencing lasting effects of the extreme amount of people, fear, and death it experienced during that time. The ARM project in Soroti had struggled to maintain growth and consistency with all that was happening around them. Families would send their children to run at night to escape the LRA's capture. At present, the LRA has moved far from Soroti, but the effects are still there. Although about 180 children are sponsored, the leaders of the project must go searching for children who have been taken to remote villages by their parents who left in fear and have not returned.

After our time at the Soroti project, our team headed the the main hospital in Soroti, in hopes of praying with children and families, and handing out about 40 quilts that we brought with us. The quilts were made by a group of woman from Minnesota. These quilts each had a bible verse of encouragement and joy. For the weeks prior to the trip, the church in Minnesota had laid all the quilts on the seats in their Auditorium and would ask people to hold them and pray for the family at the hospital who would receive them. So from the get go we were looking to God for direction as to who would receive each quilt.

To explain what we experienced at the hospital, I would like you to take your thoughts about what a hospital looks like and throw it away. This hospital was one floor, and had many wings with courtyards in the middle. The buildings were not well maintained and it was common to see ants, cockroaches, and other crawly things in the buildings. What surprised me immediately was the amount of people who were "camping" out in the dirt and grass of the hospital. What we learned was that many of these people came from long distances and going home each day was not an option. The other sad fact was that the hospital provided no food, lodging, or basic supplies to the families OR the patients. So basically if you brought your sick child to the hospital, it was still your responsibility to feed them, bath them, and take care of them. The reality was that the hospital was over extended beyond imagine. We estimated that the hospital had 3 times the amount of patients that it could handle. This meant sick children were outside, on the concrete floor, laying in feces and many dying before our eyes. Let me tell you about a couple instances.

Our first stop at the hospital was in the area where malnourished children were. Of the 40 mothers who held their sick babies, roughly 15 were found outside, sitting in the heat. As we met with them and explained why we were there, my eyes could not budge from a mother who held in her arms a baby, skin and bones on the verge of death. The mom's face told me everything. The child had a bilateral cleft lip, which made it impossible for the baby latch and nurse. The reality was that this baby needed sever and immediate medical attention, most likely a feeding tube and then surgery. But none of these things were offered or available. I pray that God would take care of that child, but I fear that in time it will die. This is life in Uganda, and it is a hard reality.

After visiting the malnourished children, we moved to a section of the building where children were sick or suffering from a variety of problems. Malaria, sickle cell, impoverishment, worms, and other serious problems. As we walk toward the 30ftx30ft room which has about 25 beds in it, I am overwhelmed by the mass of parents and sick children who poured into the room from the outside courtyard. We waited a few minutes to allow them to make it into the room before our team would head in. We go in without medicine, medical knowledge, food or answers. What we did have in materials was small. About 20 quilts and willing hearts. The room was between 90-100 degrees and the humidity was unbelievably heavy. Although there were only 25 beds, there were easily 75 children along with their parents piled in. On the floor. Along the wall. Wherever there was room. We shared the gospel message of hope and salvation, and then proceeded to go and pray with each family member. I realized quickly that I was going to need a deep faith to meet with these people because I had no food or medicine or solutions, but what I did have was the power of Christ in me. But believe me, although I KNEW this I still felt terrible coming with empty hands. So I prayed for healing, for salvation, and for hope when all things look so hopeless. If someone was going to help, it was going to have to be God. What a humbling experience. While we were there, one child died even as we prayed. Our time at the hospital shook us all pretty deeply. The ride home was a very quiet one.

Friday- After a night of rest and contemplation at a local hotel, we loaded up and were on our way to experience the beauty of Uganda. Our leader Johnny had purposefully planned a 2 day Safari Excursion for our team. We took a 4 hour drive into the bush of Uganda. On our way into the national wildlife preserve where we would stay we came head to head with a LARGE African male Elephant. He was in the road and wasn't interested in letting our caravan pass. Finally he moved to the side, but not before he made a loud signal of anger and made an advance at one of our vans. Luckily he only took 2 strides and stopped, because our Safari van would have been no match for him. (Secretly I was really excited about idea of getting in to a squabble with the Elephant, but then again I can run faster than most people in my van).

Once we made it to the section of river known as the Victoria Nile River, we boarded a double deck scenic boat which took us on a tour of the Nile River. We followed the shore line and saw some amazing things. Over 40 Elephants in one group. Crocodiles, hippos, water buffalo, exotic birds, antelope, warthogs, giraffes, and many other fascinating things. Our boat headed south/upstream toward Murchison Falls, a section of the Nile which drops 200-300 feet. The amazing thing about it though is that above the waterfall the river width goes from roughly 150 yards across to a section measuring 18 feet across. The sheer volume being force fed into such a small area was an amazing site.

Saturday - We stayed the night Friday night at as campground in small yurts. For us it was the greatest deal of "roughing it" that we had experienced. At night, our campground was visited by wild boars and hippos. We also had fire flies in our room. In the morning we left early to experience a Safari drive and see the animals up close and personal. The Safari vans we were in had pop up roofs which allowed us to stand up on the seats and see the animals. We saw a lot of giraffes, hippos, baboons, water buffalo, water bucks, Boars, antelope, vultures, leopards, and the favorite of all... a pride of lions. We gently were able to approach most of the animals and were within 20-30 feet of the lion cubs and their mothers.

After a couple hours of seeing the animals, we grabbed some lunch and hit the road on a 6 hour journey back to Kampala. As I finish it is getting dark and we are very ready to be back to the comfortable home in Gaba.

Please continue to pray with us for God's work her in Uganda and the work he has done in our hearts. After experiencing what we have, going home unchanged would be to deny what God has put on pour hearts. However the reality of slipping back to old routines and forgetting the faces we have seen is possible and realistically an all to easy situation.

Thanks for being on our journey with us by reading this blog and may God impact and call upon you in the same way he has us.



Humbly,

Neal T.

Looking Back: Renee's Thoughts on Kachungwa

We were blessed as we spent time in Kachungwa last Saturday, Sunday and Monday. This is the remote village where over 100 children have been sponsored by members of our church family. And where we have entered into a "Church to Church" Partnership.
Nothing could have prepared us for our time in Kachungwa. We've all talked about it and have come to the conclusion that we won't be able to completely express to you how meaningful our time there was - but we are going to try to give you a glimpse.

After a 3-4 hour drive from Kampala we arrived in Kachungwa. Pastor Sylver and his team were there to warmly welcome each of us as we stepped off the bus. They were so joyful and appreciative that we had come such a long way to see them. Throughout our time there they demonstrated love and hospitality like nothing we had ever experienced before. They are a very gracious, soft spoken, God honoring people. They live in poverty that is hard to even imagine for us, but yet they are rich beyond measure because of their faith and trust in God. Perhaps because of their suffering they are especially filled with the joy of the Lord.

Our time with the children was especially enjoyable. We were all very impressed with how well behaved all the children are, how quiet they are, and how much they love the Lord. They had prepared a number of special programs for us and when they sing the joy of the Lord is evident in their worship of Him.

Meeting our sponsored children proved to be one of the special blessings of our visit. I was able to spend time each day with my sponsored child, 8 year old Amelia. At first she was very shy and although she rarely spoke to me, by the first day she was holding my hand and walking with me every opportunity she had. Each of us who sponsor children in Kachungwa had very special times with our children. It's hard for us to comprehend just how important we are to them. They love us and greatly appreciate us. We also had time to visit the homes of our sponsored children. It is heartbreaking to see their living conditions because they have so little. But we heard no complaints, only gratitude that we had come to see them.

We have seen first hand them importance of child sponsorship. It makes a huge difference in the lives of each child, their families and their communities. The goal of the Pastors, church and school is to raise up Christian leaders. And they are doing a fine job. I can't overstate how impressed we were with the children.

While in Kachungwa Pastor Sylver had arranged for us to meet with church leaders, village leaders, women and men, and to teach the children. Ken spent 3 hours one afternoon meeting with local pastors under a tree as they asked him every question under the sun. Throughout out time there we were treated like honored guests. They continually expressed their appreciation that we had come so far to meet them. Our hearts are united with them and we are looking forward to an ongoing friendship and partnership with them. ARM's goal is to work toward self-sufficiency in each project.

We feel blessed and privileged to have had this opportunity to come to Uganda. Our time getting to know our precious brothers and sisters in Kachungwa has been especially meaningful. We look forward to sharing more with you when we return.

~Renee

 

Hello from Jinja, Uganda

Hello everyone!  We have once again found a spot to connect to the internet, praise God!


Tuesday - We started out our day by visiting the newly purchased GBI (Gaba Bible Institute) campus, which is an awesome new facility that will give the bible school the opportunity to expand it's current operations and increase the amount of students that can study the word of God. After lunch at a food court in a mall in Kampala (which was very western), we took off to visit a section of slums in Kampala.  This areas is known as a very dark place riddled with witchcraft, witch doctors, and a lot of death.  The area is known for participating in child sacrifice and recently there have been child abductions for this purpose.  Unfortunately I cannot remember the Ugandan name for this area, but I cannot forget what it means.  "Here another has come to death".  Needless to say, these slums are a place where the power of Jesus is very much needed.

The great news is there is a church and school project in the heart of this slum, and it is making a dramatic impact in the lives of the people, and the witch doctors.  There used to be almost 200 hostile witch doctors in the area, most of which casting spells on the pastor of this church.  He shared with us how this frightened him initially, but in his small faith he claimed the power of Jesus, and amazing things began to happen.  As of now, there are 22 witch doctors in this area, most of which have a reverant/submissive attitude toward "The Mighty God".  They are no longer hostile toward the church and are actually in relationship with the Pastor.  It was amazing to hear and see how the power of Christ has beaten down the devil's foothold in this area.

Our purpose in being in this area was not only to see the church and hear its story, but also to go out in teams and pass out food and medicine, which was provided by a ministry called the Mercy Network.  We went in teams of 4 with 2 local Christian leaders (to translate and keep us safe).  The things we saw and experienced on this outing were devastating and heartbreaking.  I personally struggled to cope with the intense emotional and spiritual impact this place was making on me.  I had been poured out fully already in Kachungwa and other places, and this was so much my cup poured over.  These slums were tightly arranged, most of the buildings being made of concrete and bricks.  The homes were very small, and had no electricity, plumbing, sewer system, or services.  There are a lot of stories to tell, but I will tell you about one specific story, of Ben and Sara.

I was on a team with Ken Harvey, Pat Smith and Melody (from ARM).  We entered a house that was overflowing with children, 19 in all.  We sat together inside the small room and began to talk with our translator regarding this family.  At each house prior we had prayed with the mother of the home, but she wasn't home at this house.  He explained that both the mother and father had died most likely from AIDS or Malaria, and that in this house were 3 children.  James was the eldest at 15, then Ben at 9 years old and Sara at 8.  James was the one watching out for Ben and Sara and 3 other small abandoned children in this home, but he worked and went to school which left Ben and Sara to prepare dinner, take care of the little ones, and keep things in order.  These children were babies living adult lives, not to mention the heartache of losing both mother and Father.  We prayed over the children that God would protect them and keep his powerful watch over them.  I felt helpless.  Who would watch over them?  Everywhere I look there is disease and hunger and poverty.  I wanted to fix it all, but I knew I couldn't.  I spent the rest of our walk back pleading with God to show mercy and grace on this area and bring healing that only he can do.  I realized that day how in this situation, my faith would be the only thing I could rely on.  Is my faith big enough I wondered? God is big enough regardless of my inadequacy, and so I prayed bigger than I ever had.


Wednesday - We spent a restful night at the home in Gaba which provided us with warm showers and a good night's sleep. We packed a short bag for a 3 day stint heading North-east toward Kampala. Wednesday (today) was intentionally a lighter day.  With what have already seen and experienced some of us were pretty overwhelmed and were having a hard time processing each new place (OK, so mostly me).  We headed back to Gaba Community Church and the headquarters of ARM which is located right on the shore of Lake Victoria.  From there we got in 2 fishing boats and took a 30 minute boat ride to an ARM project called Bethany Village.  This would turn out to be a really encouraging place to see. 

Boat ride to Bethany Village

Bethany Village is in many ways the golden model of ARM projects.  It has a very excellent school, wonderful facilities (for Uganda), and the children are succeeding at a rapid rate.  In this place they have 172 children that are complete orphans.  They have no family to care for them or take them in, and so they were taken to Bethany Village to find love, encouragement and family.  These children live in homes with roughly 12-15 children in each home.  The homes all have their own "Mother" that serves as a mother to the family of children in her home. We met one of these mothers and it was very apparent they have a deep passion for these children. These "homes" weren't just building with kids staying, but functioning family units where the children consider themselves brother and sister.  I felt blessed to see what a good work ARM is doing. The best thing is they have many plans to expand and impact even more children.  How awesome.

A family home at Bethany Village

Now - Right now I am sitting in a hotel room in Jinja, Uganda. Pastor Rob sits to my left playing with his phone.  We had a good evening tonight, visiting the headwaters of the Nile River.  This is where the Nile begins at Lake Victoria and runs until it hits Egypt. 

In summary, God has been very good to us and his people here are doing some very impacting work for the gospel.  Our Canby team is already talking about our "next team to come" and the ways we can help.  Is God calling you here?  Before you say no, pray.  Don't just read my words, but actually pray.  We are excited to bring back a flavor of what ARM is doing here, and how the Canby Christian Church community of believers can get on the God train here in Uganda.

Blessings,

Neal T.

  





Nice house in Gaba







From Uganda

Before I share about what God has done in group while here in Uganda, I would first like to praise God for those who have faithfully covered us in prayers while we have been away. God's Spirit has truly been watching over our team.
I must come straight out and say that the words in this blog will not adequately be able to communicate the way God has moved in my heart and the hearts of our team, all due to the way God is moving in Uganda. Our hearts are so heavy and filled by what we have seen and experienced. Below I will do my best to recap what has happened each day we have been on the ground in Uganda.
Friday- In the morning we arrived at Entebbe Airport. We traveled on a small bus to the headquarters of ARM (African Renewal Ministries) in Gaba. There we were met with great hospitality by the ARM team and Pastor Peter who is the Pastor of Gaba Community Church, which shares a campus with ARM and has many ties to the ministry. It was very good to understand how ARM functions, and to begin to see the impact it is making. It is much bigger than I expected and is run very well. Also on this day we visited the Baby Clinic which houses babies who have abandoned roadside, at hospitals, at police stations, or by deceased families. The experience with these babies was very powerful. We stayed overnight at a bed and breakfast in Gaba.
Saturday - Very early Saturday morning we left Gaba to head to the city of Mubende. Very near to Mubende is the village of Kachungwa, which is heavily connected to through our over 100 child sponsorships, praise God! For the next 3 days we would be spending time here. We were welcomed as our bus pulled up to the remote village by a load of small children who were very anxious and excited to meet us. They were having a large festival of sorts for the children that day and so we were asked to teach the children, and were given a special presentation by the children and their choir. It was a huge treat. It was obvious that the hundreds of children would steal a large portion of our hearts. We stayed the night at a hotel in Mubende, about 30 minutes away.
Sunday - Church on Sunday was dynamic. I saw God in ways that I cannot describe. They worship in spirit and in truth to say the least. Pastor Ken brought a word to the almost 500 of us in the small church, and his words were very much led by the Spirit.

We were amazed at how with 500 attendees from miles around, there was not a single car or motorized vehicle. That evening, we traveled in pairs (with a local pastor to translate) to area homes to pray with them and see the lives they live. I was brought to tears through this. I stepped in homes the size of my garden shed at home. I held a young boy infected with malaria and stomach full of worms, causing it to ascend like a balloon. My heart was broken. I went hut to hut to pray for families who had no other hope but God's intervention. They told me the realities of their dying children which I held in my arms. Of abandonment and loss. But also a deep trust and faith in God by many. With so much against them, they claimed the power of God to overcome. Many gave us gifts of pineapple, bananas, avocados, live chickens, and eggs. Remember that these are people who struggle to feed their children, giving us their best. I was broken. Humbled. Overwhelmed. Thankful but shameful as well. Their faith runs so deep, and mine runs short so easily. My partner and I walk roughly 2 miles and visited 15 homes. I struggled with my emotions and heavy heart the entire way home.


Monday - Monday was packed with a lot to see and experience. We traveled to see a few other ARM sites where children were receiving education, meals, love of God and hope. And each place we went there were over 100 sponsored children... and so many who still need sponsored. It was such an honor to see how God is using the money given by sponsors to make a profound impact. They make $35 go a long way for sure. On this day Pastor Ken and John Beckham spent a few hours under a shade tree teaching and fielding tough questions by the pastors and leaders of the area churches. The women of our group spent time with the women of Kachungwa village encouraging them, praying with them and sharing thoughts on motherhood, leading a family, and being a faithful woman of God. Pastor Rob and I traveled to one of the High Schools to speak to a group of kids and to bring the Gospel and a word of encouragement. In each place we were, there were amazing stories of God working, us attempting to bless them, but being more blessed ourselves. In the evening we spent our last time with the people of Kachungwa. Many of our team members shared precious time with their sponsored children. We ate a meal with the village and enjoyed each other. The children were sad to see us go, and we were very sad to be leaving them. God had grabbed a hold my heart, and invested it here in the village of Kachungwa. Truly my words can't express how my heart feels as I write this.
And so in closing, God has kept us all very safe. He has kept us all well and free of sickness. The only tough circumstance we have faced is understanding and digesting what we have seen and experienced. I mean, right now I am in Africa. It is surreal for sure. I walked hand in hand with 30 children along a village path as the African rain fell upon my face. Their faces beaming and their hearts so pure and innocent, even as their bare feet become muddy and clothes become soaked. Everywhere we drive the children run to wave in excitement for the white visitors, because to them we mean hope of sponsorship. I saw sponsored children pray to God with passion and dedication. These sponsored children were well fed, beaming with hope, an education, and a joy in the Lord. I saw unsponsored children with no shoes, clothes, or hope for a future. However they too beamed with joy. In all, over 75% of the children we encountered were not sponsored. Even as a write this I fight off tears because my heart is so heavy for these children.
Unfortunately I have only skimmed the surface of what we have experienced here. I know that the rest of our team have all had very similar experiences, and hope that by sharing my heart with you I have represented our group as well. We apologize for not writing to you sooner, but internet is very hard to come by, and the electricity is off most of the time, unless they turn on the generator at the hotel. The electricity goes off each night at midnight and is off until evening.
We Praise God for our families at home and miss you very much. We hope that you will continue to be in prayer for us, but most of all would make a dedication to the Lord to pray for the people of Uganda. Pray for the children who are not yet sponsored. Pray that this next generation of Ugandan children will live and lead in faith. The movement of Christ is growing rapidly here, even amidst such hardship and poverty. The journey has but only begun, but God has showed us glory. Praise God!
I apologize for the lack of pictures, but the internet is very slow, and were lucky to upload text. We should have more dependable internet in days to come.

Humbly,

Neal T. 



Ken teaching Kachungwa Pastors

  

Church at Kachungwa

 

Canby Pastors and Kachungwa Pastors



While You Were Sleeping

We made it safely to London and had an all day lay over, we went sight-seeing!  We rode the "tube" (subway system) and saw Buckingham Palace, Westminster Abbey, Big Ben and more.  We walked a lot, dodged traffic and ate fish and chips.  Neal and John led us on the tour and did a great job even though none of us had ever been to London before. 

We are all very tired and hoping to get sleep tonight on the flight to Uganda.  We will meet Johnny Karls and the rest of the team shortly and will fly out as a team at 9:15 tonight. We should be arriving at Entebbe airport in Uganda tomorrow morning!

We appreciate your prayers, and graciously ask that you keep praying. : )

Group huddled around a Phone "box" in London.



In front of Buckingham Palace during the changing of the guard.



Please pray for us

Please pray for us as we are traveling to Uganda. We are flying to Dallas Wednesday, Sept. 15th and then on to London where we will have a long lay over. Sept. 16th we fly overnight from London to Uganda arriving at the Entebbe airport the morning of the 17th. We are very excited about what God has planned for us in Uganda!

This picture is children of Uganda with Johnny Karls, US Director of ARM who will be leading our trip.

Friday, the day we arrive we will meet the ARM welcoming team and spend the day in Gaba touring some of ARM's local projects (medical facility, headquarters, Gaba Church, ARM childcare center, etc.). We will spend the night in a guest house and then Saturday morning we will be traveling to Kachungwa!

In Kachungwa we will have the joy of meeting the children who are being sponsored by members of our church family. And we will meet Pastor Sylver and the rest of the ARM team serving there. Ken will be preaching Sunday morning at Kachungwa Community Church - and he would appreciated your prayers.

Pray that God will guide our steps, teach us and use us for His glory.

Thank you for being a part of our team! Your encouragement and prayer support at this time is more valuable than we can express!