I Am the Light of the World

Left for LAX at 6:00pm Friday July 1, 2011 on our way to share Gods word with the people of East Africa.

Met with the group at Magnolia Avenue Baptist Church parking lot at 5:30 pm.
Naomi & Gary Lawrence came with their truck to help carry all the luggage, and wow was there ever a lot of luggage!

we weighed luggage in the parking lot to be sure we were all under the weight limit!

Gary and Noami bring their truck for luggage, wow did we need it!

Christy says goodbye to her daughter

It was a mere 103 degrees outside. Way too hot! We were all dripping wet before we ever left for the airport!
Everyone said their goodbyes to family and friends. A bitter-sweet moment. We all held hands, and prayed for Gods blessing on the trip. Twenty people in all. God, we are the light of world, we ask that you're light shine brightly and brilliantly through this mission and ministry!

Traffic for Friday night going to LA was the best anyone could have imagined. Not one time did we have to stop. Got to the airport in an hour. Brilliant! Had some struggles with the check-in process. Due to our "group" ticketing, no one was able to check in,  a  desk worker sent us all to the end of the counter to check-in as a group. We by-passed a very long line. What a blessing to us!

Happy,  together and checking in, Sommer looks over at me and says,'"mom, you know we're missing someone, right?". As I searched the faces, I noticed it was Julie.
Looking frantically around I saw her standing in a long line of people by herself. I waved her over to us and asked, "what happened?" She was told by an attendant to wait in the line. What a disaster that could have been!
This would be our only set back for checking in. With as many of us as there was.. it was all good!

The group were all getting hungry,  and began looking around for the last American meal. I believe it was McDonald's that was chosen. Ugh.. of all things LOL.

Around 10pm our time I got a call from Scott telling me Keegan was having an allergic reaction to his malaria medication. He was feeling sick, had a rash and feeling lethargic. Scott and Keegan had traveled from Odessa, Texas and were now in D.C. waiting for the rest of the team to arrive the next morning. After our conversation, and looking online for malaria medication reactions,  I told Scott to have him quit taking the medication. Then I spoke to Keegan, and from his demeanor thought he was ready to go home. He was concerned about his parents wishes, and at this point he said that they felt it was best if he came home. I wanted to know what he wanted to do. Although he wouldn't come out and say it, It seemed that he wanted to abide by their wishes.
It was apparent to me at this point, that he was probably going to turn around and go home.

I called Jan waking her up in the middle of the night to see what she could do, since she was in the same hotel. She said she'd go down and see what was going on. A phone call shortly after confirmed that he was having a reaction, he was sick, but that he was going to stick it out and wait until morning to see how he felt.
Praying for Keegan!

The following scripture immediately came to mind... Keegan wasn't fighting against medication, it was something much stronger! We would see more evidence of this kind of attack throughout the team members as the days (even hours) moved forward!

"For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms." Eph. 6:12

Boarded the flight for DC around midnight, and slept most of the way there.

We landed at Dulles (DC) airport, which strangely is actually in Virginia. Got on the train to gate B. No one was around in the terminals to see where to check-in. In fact it was pretty deserted...so we got back on the train to go to the main terminal to check-in. The information clerk stopped us and told me not to go through check-in, to go straight to the gate and they'll issue our tickets there. So, back on the train we went, to our original destination. This was just a tour of the airport! After all, how many of us had been in this airport before?
The desk attendants arrived about 3 hours early and we began our check-in process. The clerk said he only needed one person with all the passports at the desk. That person was me. Sylvia stayed by to make sure she got her assigned seats. We had all called days prior to get re-assigned seating. Doing this actually added to the problem. There was some confusion over our group itinerary. The clerk began raising his voice on the phone and pointing to the screen in front of him, speaking in a foreign language, suddenly he looked up and quietly apologized. He told me he would upgrade two of the seats to business class. Sommer and I were upgraded. I felt like I had just stolen something and gotten away with it, yet it was given freely.

The rest of the group showed up about twenty minutes later, and were checked-in. We all met our new team members by having our lanyards given to the wrong person. We would have to look for whom ever might have ours and introduce ourselves. Then we all sat and waited to board. Keegan was still not feeling well, but he was there. He really didn't look well, but I'm glad he chose to work it through.

Boarding started at 11:00 am.. Sommer and I got in the " cloud nine" line and walked into the first class section. We stepped on board and were whisked behind the curtain to the left, while the rest of the team was escorted to the right. We couldn't stop laughing and felt a bit guilty for having such royal treatment. The flight attendant said, "mad'am Sommer this is your seat, and mad'am Denise this is yours". Wow, that was weird! God has definitely shown great favor on the trip so far. We thanked him for that.
The flight is 13 hours, and even in our comfortable seats it's a hard flight. Sommer kept asking if we should go and check on the others. I was worried that if we went outside the curtain, they might not let us back in! I hope the others are ok.

When we landed in Addis Ababa the struggle against sickness spread throughout the team. Cassandra was very ill. We weren't sure if she was having a reaction to the malaria medication as well, or if it was motion sickness. All we knew was that she was miserable! Just not the way to start a mission ministry.

As we boarded in Addis Ababa, Keegan was feeling better and Cassandra was much worse. She couldn't get any relief. The only good thing was that the flight to Entebbe was under 2 hours. Most likely the longest 2 hours of her life!

After 15 hours of flight time..we reach Entebbe!

Did it end there? Nope. Christy comes off the airplane and says, "look at my feet". From her toes to her mid-calf she had a serious rash. Not only was there a rash, but it was swelling as well. There was nothing we could do at that point but get through customs and then figure out a plan.
We start finding our luggage. All 63+ suitcases! Surprisingly we only had one missing case!

we needed a separate vehicle just to carry our luggage!

Cassandra is sick, Christy is dealing with her rash and swelling that's now getting worse, and we're looking for Aaron's one lost case. We spent a good hour or more at the airport running back and forth trying to get the information  the clerk needed to find Aarons suitcase. By this time, I'm a wreck, the team is tired and we're ready to get some much needed rest!

waiting to go to the Hotel and rest!

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
We finally get all things sorted, and situated and head to Lubowa Gardens. We can all agree that God has something spectacular he's going to show us, and do through us. Why else would we have so much distraction? We'd been hit head-on from the moment we left for the airport. We would find out that the Iowa team had trouble too! Actually, it started for most of us, the day we said, "As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world." John 9:5 Lord use us!  This would be the first day of our lights shining..and they would burn brighter and more passionate as the days would unfold before us!
Thank you, Jesus for allowing us to hold a light, your light! Though it may seem but a twinkling at times in a world of darkness, it's still our responsibility to let it shine even through some dark times. Light dispels darkness..may our light during this trip attract people in darkness to it! 
We would start the trip with shining a light and end the trip reflecting on it... Praise God!

The King Entered Before Us

Luzira Women's Prison - Part II

As we entered the prison I noticed that a group of women guards were in formation next to the gates. They were maneuvering their rifles and stances as we entered. I stopped to watch and was told, "keep moving". I wondered what was going on, but not being allowed to stop, and with the thought of ministering to the women on my mind, the thought quickly vanished.

Once we finished ministry inside the main hall of the prison, we all had to exit the facility. I'm not exactly sure why, but they escorted us out only to re-enter into our specific groups. The group of women guards at the gate was no longer in site.

We went upstairs and waited as they gathered specific women into groups. It was hot, and it was muggy. The team gathered and talked about the groups they would minister to. Some asked to change groups as they were in the same groups last year and wanted to experience something different.
We had 4 groups of women to minister to:

• Mothers with children
• Students
• HIV/AIDS
• Special needs

Each team entered the designated area for the groups. Some were brought upstairs into the rooms and others were still behind the gates and barbed wire.
Even though we all went in separate groups, the initial orientation was basically the same. We introduced ourselves and then began ministering to the women. Part of the ministry was to ask for special needs, or prayer requests and share scripture that would encourage, uplift and draw them to Jesus.

Once we gathered together we found that most of the requests were the same within each group. They asked for more food, bedding, and personal hygiene products.
Many of the women in each group expressed an emotional plea to find their family and specifically their children. Many were taken in the middle of the night, or at the scene of the crime. They have no way of communicating to children or family left behind, or to tell those family members that had no idea they were arrested where they were.

We took names and addresses down and told them that we would do what we could to track down their family and children. The women would come to us and kneel down before us pleading for information and help. Some have been behind bars for years with no idea what's happened to their children. They asked for specific prayer, and we would lay hands on them and pray. We were able to pass out baby clothes to women present with infants. As always God knew just what we would need!
It was also interesting to know that as we shared scripture with them and prayed with them, that the prison guards also asked us for specific prayer for their families.

Once we completed our ministry in our groups we gathered back outside the gates. Each group began to emerge one by one. As the group with the HIV/AIDS women came out, they were extremely distressed. A couple of the team members were visibly upset. Emily, who is in school and wanting to start a career in the medical field was so moved by the women. She felt like she should have been able to help them now. She was overwhelmed with emotion.
The group that was with the special needs women were excited and overwhelmed at once. There were 3 women in their group that accepted Christ as LORD during their visit.
We can only know that God allowed each person in each group to experience Him in amazing ways.
It's still amazing to me that we could meet with a group of women in the hall and experience Gods presence as if we were not in a prison at all, and then move to individual groups and feel His presence even more.

God has his perfect time for all good things! As we waited outside, the mattresses arrived for the women. Twenty-five mattresses were purchased for the extremely ill and mothers with infants/newborns. These women don't get to sleep on mattresses, they sleep on the ground. This was an answer to prayer for those that truly needed something more.
Chalkboards were made for the students in the prison. Unfortunately, they would not arrive this day.

Mattresses and box of Thermos's outside the Prison

Mattresses going inside the prison

It's extremely emotional to minister to those in prison. There is a burden to find true justice for those that have been falsely accused, who are taken from families in the middle of the night and never knowing the fate of their families. We are strengthened and encouraged by God each step of the way.

In the evening as we gathered around the dinner table and shared our experiences within the groups we had another unexpected detail of our ministry work in the prison.

As I stated in the beginning, there was a group of women guards in formation at the entrance of the gates as we entered. This formation is known as a "guard mount". It's only done for 3 people.

• The President of Uganda
• The Minister of Internal Affairs
• The Prison General

There were no officials on site while we were ministering in the prison that day. No fancy government cars, no attention drawn to any special officials present.
So, why then did they perform a military procedure as we entered? We will never really know for sure, we can only assume that it was because the King of Kings entered the prison that day before us!

"I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.' Matthew 25:36

"The LORD extended kindness and favor..." Gen. 39:21

Day two - Luzira Women's Prison Ministry (part one)

It didn't take long before our team hit the ground running.
Our day would always begin with a group devotion by a team member, breakfast, our daily number and prayer. Today would be no exception.
Our daily number was based on 1-10. One being the lowest you could feel, and ten being the best you could feel. This allowed our team to get a feel for how each person was handling the day, and would also allow for us to encourage and edify those that were on the low scale.
We had a few that were on the scale of five today. Some entered the country not feeling well, others were already dealing with culture shock/stress.

For some, this ministry was a bit frightful. Luzira women's prison is the largest women's prison facility in Uganda. Most of the women brought here are convicted of higher crimes, such as murder. While that sounds horrifying, the sad fact is that many are only accused and most (not all) were in self`defense.

The schedule for the day included breaking into groups and ministering to specific women inside Luzira prison. The groups included women with babies, the elderly and sick, the students, and special needs group.
What wasn't expected was the large group session where the entire team would meet with the women of the prison as a whole,  and the leader would give them a message of encouragement. This was definitely not something I had planned for. Oh, but don't you just know that God did!
Jan, our President of Heart of God International and resident women's ministry leader, was asked if she was prepared to give a message to the women. Although she hadn't expected this either, she was ready with a word from God; or so I thought.
As the time grew nearer to depart to the prison, Jan approached me and said, "the Bible says to be ready in season and out of season. I'm not feeling well enough to go, so you my dear need to be ready to give a message".
My heart sank and fear swept over me. "I'm not ready"!

Scott, Saphan and I began to joke around that I had better be ready. Oh good Lord, can it be? What about Sharlyn, surely she would be ready. She's a teacher after all. The simple fact became very clear. I was the director and leader of this group, and it was my position and place to give this message. I was a nervous wreck! I was pacing and convincing myself and anyone who would listen, that I was just not ready.
The crazy part is that in reality, I was ready. God had already prepared me for this in advance. I had had in mind a few scriptures from before our trip. My small bible study group had been studying the patriarchs and Joseph immediately came to mind.
Many of these women, like Joseph, were in prison falsely accused. Even though Joseph was imprisoned God was still with him and extended favor and kindness to him. What could be more encouraging than those words from Genesis 39:21!

When we arrived at the prison we were all escorted upstairs to the OC's office. Her name is Stella. Stella went over the official protocol of our visit, and welcomed us to the prison.
It was my hope that she would allow me to go inside the prison walls and see where the women slept. The team had provided mattresses for some of the inmates. The women don't typically get a mattress, they sleep on the hard ground. Many don't have blankets either.
I spoke with Stella privately and asked her what could be done so that I could see their living conditions. Unfortunately, there was nothing that could be done. She did however agree that I could take photos outside the prison gates to share with those that God had used to provide the mattresses.



Luzira Women's Prison Entrance















Soon we were escorted inside the prison gates to a room full of women waiting with anticipation for a word from God.
The women were singing and praising God before we even entered the room. You wouldn't know that you were in a prison save for the fact that you entered through a prison gate. The praise and worship leader, a woman named Susan was so full of the Holy Spirit that you couldn't help but smile and rejoice with her. She had a zeal for God like no one I'd ever seen. Actually, you see that a lot in Uganda. A true spirit of praise and worship unlike anything you'd see in America. At least on my part. But for her, the zeal and spirit she had would soon have me in tears.

The team was introduced and a word was spoken by Stella, Saphan and some of the other prison officials. My hands were beginning to sweat as I waited for my turn to give the women a message. As always, it felt as though I would die having to get up in front of 300+ women, but alas, I survived. God has an uncanny knack of doing that. The message was clear. God sometimes places women (and men) in prison to fulfill his purpose. The same God that allowed Joseph to be placed in prison, was the same God that also placed some of these women in prison as His messengers. God is not a punisher, but a giver of life and freedom. Freedom that isn't always accepted, even outside of prison walls. God was with Joseph in prison and granted him kindness and favor. The God of Joseph is the same God for these women today.

The women of the praise and worship team began singing again. It was at that point that Saphan leaned over to me and informed me that Susan, this woman of high spirit and zeal for God was sentenced to be hanged in November. How could it be? How could this woman who was singing with such enthusiasm and praise to her almighty God be sentenced to die in a few months? It didn't make sense. She should be sad, fearful and terrified, shouldn't she? The answer is No.
She was believing God, her God of kindness and favor to grant her freedom from her sentence. Either way God decided to do it, she was a winner. If it was to be that her sentence was carried out, she would be in the presence of her maker and LORD, and if He was to grant her release from prison then she could spread the good news of God to those around her. A blessing in her life either way.
God was with Susan, and it was evident! We go into these mission ministries with the thought and idea that we will somehow transform the lives of others and ultimately God has a way of changing ours.
Thank you, Jesus for your kindness and favor to all who will seek you, find you and listen!

Stella and Evelyn - Prison Officers

coming next, part two... ministering the groups of women behind bars!

"Slowly By Slowly" Day three in Uganda

Before I begin to dive-in to the events that unfold in day three of our trip, I wanted to describe a very special woman. Her name is Ruth Kahawa. She is the founder of Smile Africa ministries and is a woman after Gods own heart. I am in the beginning of a Bible study in which we are learning about the life of David, a man after Gods own heart. I had intended to do my blog first, but felt compelled to do my study first. Obedience to Gods call on my part, left me with an unmistakable knowledge that my impression of Ruth is indeed noteworthy.
To give you insight of where we are in this study, we have just seen God remove the Holy Spirit from Saul and ask Samuel to go and anoint the chosen one. David.
I pray as I write this, you will understand where my thought process is. I know that those who know Ruth personally will understand completely..here goes!
"You will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you" Acts 1:8, David has just been anointed with oil and the Spirit is upon him. I believe the Spirit is upon Ruth Kahawa. I'm going to quote the book and then give my account.
"Second Chronicles 16:9 says, "For the eyes of the Lord run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to show Himself strong on behalf of those whose heart is loyal to Him." (NKJV)
That day so many years ago, the eyes of the Lord looked throughout the whole earth and fell upon an obscure little village called Bethlehem. There He found a heart-one like unto His own. He found a heart tendered to the little lost sheep, and He showed himself strong on behalf of that heart, just like he promised." -Beth Moore's a Heart Like His Bible study.
There is so much evidence in this scripture that God still seeks the whole earth looking for a heart like His. He found it in Pastor Ruth. She, like David has a heart tendered to the little lost sheep. With her obedient heart, God proves himself strong on her behalf time and time again in the lives of what some would call "the most despised tribe in Africa", the Karamojong children of Smile Africa. These children have Hope because of Jesus Christ, that lives in the heart of Ruth. It brings me to tears even thinking about it. Her unselfish love and determination to tender these little lost sheep makes me honored to know her. Her love for the children is evident every time you turn around. The government also knows her heart, and they appreciate, admire and stand behind her. Anytime a child is hurt, abandoned or abused, it's Ruth that they call to help. She may not be a King, but she is most definitely a Princess in the Kingdom of God and a Daughter of the Most High!
Thank You, Jesus for pastor Ruth!

Basil and Ruth Kahawa

Our day begins with the sound of the "cockcrow", or rooster as we in America call them. It also was to begin with a nice cup of coffee. One out of two isn't bad! In this case it was. The electrical outlets in our rooms are to be used only with a converter, which I brought. For some reason this year, they didn't work the same as last year. I plugged in the coffee maker, placed my cup on the hotplate and within minutes, started to smell burnt plastic! "Well, I can fix that" I thought. I held the cup up off the hotplate and waited...and waited. It dribbled, and it spouted and made all kinds of strange noises. No real coffee, only lightly tinted water. I had Sylvia look at it, yep, only lightly tinted water. It never worked again. In fact it wouldn't even turn off. My coffee mornings had come to an abrupt end. Two weeks of caffeine fasting had begun, or so I thought.

watching my coffee come to an end

We headed down to breakfast around 8:00am. We were able to sit outside under the large tents. This was such a blessing. It allowed us time to fellowship together and have some privacy to discuss our daily events that unfolded. We discussed the days agenda and how we would proceed. The women and nurses would head to Smile Africa. We would bring medical supplies for the nurses. Our women and teens on the team would bring candy, baby items which included blankets and infants clothing, gymboree bubbles and some craft materials for the kids. The best gift we could bring them didn't come in a suitcase or container. It was free and in complete abundance. It was love, compassion and Jesus Christ. The men would head over to the conference Hall at 9:00 am to begin the men's conference. We had our daily devotion by our team member, and closed in prayer for the day. Each day of our trip one of the team members would have the opportunity to share a short devotional, and start our day in prayer. Pastor Ruth had arrived at the hotel about 9:00 am and let us know that the men had not yet started to arrive at the hall and that they would wait a few minutes before going over. The men loaded up and headed to the conference around 10:00am. This would be a common denominator for the trip. Plan on arriving at one time, due to unforeseen circumstances, arrive at another. Keep in mind, "Gods timing is always perfect!"

Karamojong children of Smile Africa

There are 450+ Karamojong orphans at Smile Africa and only a handful of staff and teachers. The children make their way on foot for miles each day to reach the compound. Only a few actually live on the premises.
Children carry babies on their backs each day in order get a daily portion of porridge and rice. For the older kids, they also get a very basic education.

They take care of each others needs
at such a Young age.

Our team gets out of the van and head over the group of children under the veranda. They sing us a welcome song, which always puts a lump in my throat. After listening to the children, our team sings them a song before we head over to the classrooms. Children giggle and follow us, calling out "Mazungu" as we had to the clinic/school rooms. One little guy was sick as we entered in, stepping over the vomit. The classroom are overcrowded. The children are happy to see us, and amidst all the excitement still eager to learn. We tour the clinic with our nurses Jane and Cheryl. They are introduced to Elizabeth the on-site nurse. Elizabeth is a nurse sent to Smile Africa through a government program. She is part-time. They become familiar with what's available and begin to treat the children immediately. The rest of our team head out to help serve porridge to the toddlers and younger kids, play, help bath and play games with the children. You cannot know how much they long for just  the smallest bit of attention! They circle you in large groups jumping, doing cartwheels to get a photo, giggle, ask for your name, and yes, cry. Most of the crying is done initially because the little ones are scared. After a while it's because they want attention and aren't getting it, there are just too many even with the size of the team we had.

P2 Classroom at Smile Africa

Pastor Ruth introduces Jane and Cheryl to Elizabeth

Michelle feeding porridge to the babies

I had wandered into the clinic and watched Cheryl and Jane as the tended to the physical and emotional needs of the children. For every child that came in, they were treating the wounds and then giving out a sticker. Many of the children were far more brave than I would have been. Serious foot wounds were common as most of the children did not wear shoes. There were scalp issues, and other cuts and abrasions. Jane had mentioned that many of them needed antibiotics, but they had run out so they were doing what they could given the resources they had. There was a long line of kids at the door that didn't seem to dwindle at all. They would shuffle around and push and poke each other, waiting to be seen and receive the "gift" of a sticker. After a while the nurses had become aware that many children were coming in after picking an old scab so that they could get a sticker. Kids will be kids no matter where they live! Although it seemed funny at the moment, they decided to not hand out stickers in the future to keep the kids from injuring themselves.

Jane and Cheryl checking babies

Heading back outside, I watched as the team were playing games with the children. It was so sweet!
I was introduced to Joshua. Pastor Ruth had emailed me prior to arrival about him. His father had tried to kill him and failed. The authorities were called and they in turn called Ruth. Joshua is about a year old and looks like he's about three months. The only way to be certain of his age is that he has teeth. He is suffering from the abuse of this father. He has had several trip to the hospital, as his stomach is not able to process food. He was very frightened to see me, so I carefully approached him. I also was able to see Difasi, the boy who was born with part of his bladder exposed. His mother brought him to pastor Ruth and God was able to do a miracle in his life. I saw Luke. Luke was tossed out of the home at two years old by his Aunt. His sister is one of the adolescent girls that Heart of God sponsors. His Aunt was upset that she no longer was finding food for her, so she pushed Luke out the door on his own. He was found a few days later by Ruth wandering a lonely road. So many needless child abuse cases are bought to Ruth. Her heart for these children is evident. When I sat with her and asked her how can all this be changed, when there are so many needs? It gets overwhelming and your heart aches so much. She put her arm on mine and said, "sister Denise, slowly by slowly it comes. We answer Gods call to look after them, and He takes care of the rest."

Sylvia holding on to the babies. Her heart for these
babies and the kids is evident.

Joshua is very scared

Difasi and Joyce. Difasi needs another surgery,
but is doing so much better!

Luke with Joyce. He is so happy now.

It was a warm day and I had not been feeling well since the day began. I was hoping it was nothing, and tried not to let it get to me, but as the day wore on I could feel myself getting worse. I had at least three mosquito bites on my foot and my symptoms were similar to malaria. I'd been taking my medication, and I think it had either been a slight case of it, or the onset of the flu. I would go in and out of the hut and drink water trying to feel better. I went out to get pictures of Sylvia playing ring around the rosie's and other games with the kids. It was soon bathing time and lunch time. The playground was full of kids running around. I headed back over to the medical clinic to sit down and received a text from Scott that really made my day in regards to the men's conference. This trip was so different for me. I was not able to be in all places at all times. It's difficult to manage everyone, but God is in the lead! I got another phone call from pastor Ruth telling me that Sarah and Michael from Kings Primary School would be at the Prime Hotel tomorrow for our meeting at 11:00am.

Scott's text from the men's conference, Praise God!
Brought me to tears.

Getting to know new friends

Hand games were a big hit!

Oh what love can bring from both our
team and the children..it's unexplainable..no it is..it's GOD!

There are just so many photos I can post, and I can still never fully explain what it's like to be with these precious gifts from God. To fully understand just how despised they are within their own country cannot fully be put into words. Children from birth to age 18, that have no way of supporting themselves, considered outcasts because of the tribe they come from, left abandoned. LORD, help me understand!
Pastor Ruth and her staff go into the city streets and the communities looking for these children to rescue. A woman after Gods own heart!
Each of our team members had prayed about what God would have them bring on this trip. Sylvia had packed two cases full of baby clothes and blankets. We had many articles of clothing brought, and tried to spread them out over our time there. Today, we passed out baby clothes. Many of the teachers at Smile Africa either just had babies, or were expecting. It was a blessing to watch them be able to pick special outfits for their children as well. The needs are great not only for the children, but the adults as well. It really is overwhelming to witness first hand.
Babies and toddlers were brought in with hopes of finding something that would fit. It's remarkable just how "flexible" they are when it comes to fitting into clothes. Onsies that were labeled for 6-8 months were put on children the age of two. probably even three depending on their size. The snaps were left undone and the children were so happy. It's very exhausting, both emotionally and physically to try and fit as many children as possible in something new, when there just isn't enough. Emotions run high and our thoughts and feelings sometimes get in the way.
My energy level was low to begin with as I was not feeling well from the beginning. Just praying for Gods strength, compassion and heart for everyone involved. God is good and He is faithful. He alone is worthy for praise and glory through all of this. Not anyone on our team is worthy of praise or glory, only Him. We come into this country to be the hands and feet of Jesus. It is our responsibility to enter into their lives, not to demand that they enter into ours. God has not sent us to judge their lives and values. The secret is out! It's not easy to live in another culture or to understand another culture, to enjoy or communicate Christ in that culture. But it can still be fun, with an adventure in dependency on God and seeing Him work in new ways!Amen!

Babies coming in for new clothes

A new outfit is always a blessing

At the end of our day were exhausted to say the least. It's common to experience culture fatigue, and it's not a sign that we shouldn't be there or that we're not spiritual enough to handle it. It's a very normal experience by falling into the gaps of our "home" culture and our new one.
We arrived at the hotel and I had to go take a shower and go to bed. I had no energy for dinner or anything else at that point. The team all headed down to the restaurant to order dinner. I could hear them from my room laughing and enjoying their time together..something they had plenty of since dinner took around two hours for some of them. Again, culture shock. Dinner does not arrive in our "timely" twenty to thirty minutes after ordering in America. God was about to deliver this message hard and heavy to our team over the next couple of weeks. Thank you, God for your never ending teaching styles, "slowly by slowly!

"Always At Home in Christ" Day 2 of our arrival in Uganda

As the sun rose in Entebbe, our team was beginning to move around. Some found it hard to sleep and walked around the premises, while others had no problem dreaming of the days ahead and were awaking to a new day. The cottages were beautiful and the modern conveniences were there, aside from a door to the bathroom. In our cottage (Sylvia and I) at least the toilet was hidden around a corner, but the idea of no door is a little unsettling when your bodies have not yet acclimated to the food. A well written point, don't you think!
We headed "down" to breakfast by 9:00am. To get to our eating area you had to leave the sleeping compound and walk about a quarter mile down a dirt path and then up the stairs to the area designated for our team. It really was beautiful.

Sylvia and Scott head down for breakfast

stairway to our eating area

Our beautiful breakfast setting

Before heading down to breakfast I read a chapter in Joshua to give a devotional on it for the team. I had been really looking at the book of Joshua over the past several months and was going to read something from the 1st chapter, by my hand kept heading through the pages to Joshua 24:15 "But if you refuse to serve the LORD, then choose today whom you will serve. Would you prefer the gods your ancestors served beyond the Euphrates? Or will it be the gods of the Amorites in whose land you now live? But as for me and my family, we will serve the LORD."
It was strange how I felt an urgency to read this when my plan was a different topic. God always has His way when he's driving home a point! My heartfelt message was that where ever we are in Christ we are home. We were in Uganda, and Uganda is my home. I can choose whom I will serve, and for me and my family (our team) we will serve the LORD. Home is where you make it, it truly is where your heart is. You can have many homes when your heart is to serve the LORD. Amen!
Of course, my devotionals are never complete without a boat load of tears, and today was no exception. I was glad to know that we had several people with tender hearts and tears to go with them that day.
Our morning ended with more fellowship and getting to know one another a little more. Because we had no immediate speaking engagements or time tables we decided to go at African Standard time....slow!
We went back to the cottages and loaded up our bus, this time in the daylight, which helped somewhat, but not really! We had so much luggage and so little space and our drive to Tororo would take about 4-6 hours. Depending on the speed and timing of our planned events..to stop in Kampala and exchange money and visit with Sarah, a friend of some of our Iowa team that is now working in Kampala.
Load'em up!

Our team as we headed out from Entebbe to Tororo

Headed into Kampala

The team meets with Sarah while some members exchange
money at the exchange store behind them

After spending several minutes, and it was SEVERAL minutes getting money exchanged and visiting with Sarah the team headed off again to Tororo. It would be another 4 hours on the road. With anticipation and excitement and tired bodies we drove on...

a neighborhood along the road to Tororo

new sports coliseum built near Kampala

No trip from Kampala to Tororo is complete without a stop at
"Chicken on the stick". You cannot tell anyone what this experience is like, it's something you have to do yourself in order to get it. Kind of like childbirth. Everyone can tell you what it was like for them, but it will never be the same for everyone. It is by far the weirdest, funniest and daring thing to do along the roadside.
Last years trip we were all very reserved in our attempts and "trying" the chicken. Because we had been told by others that it was safe, the team dove in head first! LOL

vendors reaching inside the bus with their goods!

Norma can't believe it, Scott and Aaron get ready to eat

After our chicken attack, we head back on the road to the Prime Hotel in Tororo. The scenery is beautiful, laced with poverty stricken villages and run-down shacks. People are walking everywhere along this long road. Children as young as three wandering for miles, alone. This is the way it is in Uganda. No one is appalled by it, nor worried. They do this, day in and day out.
We passed over the Nile river. After reaching the other side we saw women fetching water in jerrycans. Most women and men carry these plastic cans on their heads. Some have bicycles, if they're middle class families and those that are well to do will have some sort of vehicle. This is not the norm.

The Nile river

women and men gather water near the river

children eating and playing near the road

animals share the road and roadside almost everywhere
in Uganda. You will always see a goat, cow or bull tied up
near some one's yard, and cockcrows (roosters) and chickens
running around...always

another animal that shares the road near Tororo..Baboons

We finally reach our destination..The Prime Hotel in Tororo! This will be our "home" for the next week. Tomorrow we start our ministry hard and heavy..the teachers conference, men's conference, medical clinic and visit to the children of Smile Africa!! We can choose who we will serve this week, as for me and my "family" we will serve the LORD. <3

Tororo Rock, outside our balcony at The Prime Hotel

You are Most Welcome

Our recent trip to Uganda this past June was phenomenal. One of the unique and endearing joys after such a long flight is the reception to our visit from those we visit and even from complete strangers.
As soon as we set foot on the ground in Entebbe airport, we are always greeted by a number of friends, some of whom have been waiting there for hours in anticipation of our arrival.
This trip was no different. Saphan, Alex, Simone, along with pastor Ruth and a number of drivers were anxiously awaiting at the gates. As I approached them I couldn't help but get a lump in my throat and tears welling up in my eyes. The official hello or greeting in Uganda is always "you are most welcome".
The Ugandan people are very hospitable and always welcome us with sincere joy in our coming. We had eighteen team members this year and each one was greeted and welcomed as if they had known them forever. For myself, it was an overwhelming sight to see.
As we headed out the gates to our bus, everyone was excited and the buzz of voices filled the air. After a brief stop at the exchange window, Jan and I headed out to the bus. What a sight! Heads were scratched as we tried to figure out just how we were going to get eighteen team members, our hosts, and probably near fifty pieces of luggage on this vehicle. There many laughs as we piled in, and somewhat on each other. Quite surprisingly, and through Gods grace..it was done and we were off!

The entry way to our first nights dinner on arrival was spectacular

Saphan had arranged for our stay at what he called "the cottages" in Entebbe, and assured me before our arrival that we would be very pleased. He would not show me photos or link me to websites, as he wanted our arrival to be somewhat of a surprise. It was our original intentions as a team to get to the cottages, turn in and rest before our long road trip to Tororo in the morning. Saphan was insistent that we not do that, he urged that we must have an official "welcome" to the team for dinner, it just could not be any other way. We unloaded our bags, checked into the room and headed 'down" for dinner.The team members and I were astounded at the beauty of our dinner setting. It was a spectacular setting under the moonlight sky. The huge white tent was lit up, beautiful flowers on table. It had the atmosphere of a wonderful reception.
We were served a wonderful buffet meal and were introduced to Nancy, the owner of the cottages. She too, greeted the team and welcomed us to Uganda. We shared our gratitude and prayers with Saphan and Alex for providing such a wonderful setting. We ate, laughed, and had a wonderful time of fellowship. It truly could not have been a better start to what would be a heartfelt journey with God to Africa.
It was official. We were now in Uganda and indeed felt "most welcome".

Evil lurks among the people of Uganda

Recently, there have been a rash of child sacrifice victims throughout Uganda. What on earth could cause someone to bring a childs blood or body part, especially their own, for sacrifice? The answer is simple. Money.

Witchdoctors are not new to Uganda, or Africa as a whole for that matter. What is new is the barbaric crimes against the innocent of Uganda, the children. There is a rising belief that witchcraft can bring wealth quickly. Uganda is on the rise in development and prosperity in the larger cities, like Kampala. However, there are still many villages and millions of people living in absolute poverty.

Many people steal other children and bring their hearts inside of tins to a shrine or tree in which spirits are said to live and speak to them directly. Some come as often as three times a week. The witchdoctors themselves deny any of the actual killing, but yet one admits that he killed his own son.

The witchdoctors are paid an initial consultation fee of about 500,000 ugandan schilling, which is about 250.00 USD. Many are part of a larger network and are forced to give up most of the initial fee to keep themselves safe and free of harm from the elders in the satanic group.

We have the privilege of working with many of the Karamojong orphans in Uganda. Before they end up at Smile Africa ministries they are typically running the streets. These kids are feared and despised among the population. They live for today on mere survival instincts. In an effort to control them, the government rounds them up in the back of trucks and then drops them off at remand homes throughout Uganda.

Their ages range from 2 yrs - 18 yrs. Many carry siblings on their backs while they beg on the streets for anything to survive on. Some are forced there by guardians, while others escape abusive homes. One teenager was heard saying that his parents were going to sacrifice him the next morning, so he ran.

I can't even imagine living in such circumstances. There are many dangers of living on the streets as a child, and now those dangers are intensified by the very real risk of human sacrifice. These are throw away kids. The thought is that noone will miss them. Many have already gone missing without a trace. I can only imagine their fate.

This is exactly why we need help to build our safe house for the street children. I believe that God will bring the funding needed to protect his most valuable gifts, the children.

Please pray with me that the needs will be met, not for my sake, but for those without a voice. Those that only want what every child deserves; love, acceptance, food, clothing and safety. What a testimony to Christ and his goodness!