A day in the life of a missionary in Uganda....

March 5, 2013

Newsletter #4......I think :)

A day in the life of a missionary in Uganda....You spend all day getting the brakes fixed on your vehicle after they start acting up somewhere between Gulu (your home) and South Sudan....You get in the vehicle the next morning to head off to Kitgum, a 2-3 hour drive depending on the depth & number of pot holes, actually they were more like craters....You turn the vehicle around to head out, stop for a word of prayer, and it is still rolling with the brake pedal to the floor....Thank you Lord for letting us know we had no brakes BEFORE we started the long drive to Kitgum....Everyone gets out & hops into the truck (which is little AC & is a slightly more "bouncy" ride) & you call someone to take the vehicle back to the shop....About an hour of so into the drive the Kitgum the horn on the truck starts blowing randomly all by itself LOL....This causes some curious looks for people along the road or on bicycles who can not figure out why "we" were blowing the horn at them....It did not, however, choose to blow at any of the cattle or other livestock that meandered into our path....We made our way to Kitgum had a visit at Faith Academy then it was off to town for a time of fellowship & visiting with Clayton & Alex, 2 very dear Ugandan friends that I have known & worked with for over 7 years....Back in the truck we bounce, dodge, & honk our way back to Gulu....Drop Keith & Jeff off at the brake shop, they were "finishing up" on the vehicle, still unsure why the brakes were not working well....As Steven drives Lisa & I back to SOG we start to hear a loud grinding sound coming from the back wheel area anytime the truck is in gear, which by the way is necessary for forward movement....Lisa call Keith (who just sighs at this point) & it is agreed that we would cautiously make out way back to SOG....Several hours later Keith & Jeff make it back to SOG with the vehicle, which now has brakes, they hop into the truck to see what the problem is & there is no noise....No it was not the imagination of 2 very hot & tired ladies (Steven heard it too), but the noise was not there....Are you tired yet?????

We are met at SOG by the Rieger family of 8, who came out to stay the night for a time of fun & fellowship. Alyssa & Mary, whom Jeff & I known since 2000 when they were young girls at GSF, cooked a wonderful dinner for everyone. Tuesday (today) was a day of rest - the past week has been very busy & we have lodged a lot of miles, but it has also been very productive - God is good! Tomorrow we head to Jinja, which is in the south along Lake Victoria. It is supposedly a little cooler, which will be nice. This will be our last "big" drive, about 6-8 hours....depending on the roads & traffic.


Please be in prayer for Jeff's mother & my father, who are both having some health issues right now. It has been very difficult to be half way around the world from them knowing they are not feeling well but we trust in God's provision & grace.

"Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your request to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus."  Philippians 4:6-7

Its about time for the generator to go off - it runs for several hours a night to charge things, other than that there is a little solar power - I am going to sign off will post some pic tomorrow night if possible. Power in Jinja can sometimes be sporadic (TIA - this is Africa).

Good night & God Bless!!!!
Cindy