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

"Who do you say I am?" Jesus asks

March 3, 2013

Newsletter #3

To South Sudan & back!

Friday we spend the morning about 30km outside of Gulu visiting the Four Corners Ministry site. Their project is similar to the Restoration Gateway ministry, although it is in its infancy stage. Presently they are developing a sustainable infrastructure so the work there will be self-sustainable and be a ministry to the surrounding community. Their master plan included having an orphanage, agriculture, discipleship & more. It was great to see the work that has been accomplished & will be to come.

Then it was time to head to South Sudan where we will be helping with a Youth Conference at Far Reaching Ministries (FRM) on Saturday. South Sudan has only been a country for 2 years. Although the 55 year old civil war is “over” there are still areas with ongoing war, not to mention the devastation that follows such a conflict. Side Note….dry season + dusty roads + BIG overloaded semi tractor trailers = ZERO visibility….one minute you are behind a truck, the next all you see is a cloud of dust & you can’t even see the truck any more, or anything else for that matter. FRM has been working in Nimuli for the past 14 years and has an extensive discipleship ministry and Chaplaincy Corp (training) program. Vickie was a humble gracious host & it has been wonderful to spend time with her & Elizabeth, another missionary here.

The Youth Conf was to start about 9am…TIA (this is Africa)…I think we started about 11am. There were over 50 youth plus some of the Chaplaincy Corps students in attendance. The theme of the conference was based on Matthew 16: 15b-18 which is when Jesus asks the disciples “Who do you say I am?” There were different sessions taught by Elizabeth with me reading her scripture references, Keith, Lisa, & Vickie. Jeff was asked to give his testimony. He also felt lead to do the FAITH presentation, a way of sharing your faith & assurance in Christ. The youth soaked everything up & had some very deep questions for the Q&A portion of the conference. It was interesting to note their point of reference, based on their life experiences of having been raised in a war torn country, and how it has shaped their world view.  “Ask and it will be given to you, seek and you will find, knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, the one who seeks finds and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened.” Matt 7: 7-8 (NIV). Their desire to know the one true God & to learn how to fully rely on Him was so sweet & heartfelt.  

We decided to leave South Sudan after the conference to head back to Gulu. After all it is just a little cooler in Gulu. Friday night we noted temps of 90 degrees in our room when we went to bed & 86 degrees when we woke up. Saturday it was 125 degrees in the sun & 100 degrees in the shade. So as much as we were enjoying our time at FAR the thought of sleeping somewhere under 85 degrees was just too incising.

Vickie came to Gulu with us in preparation for flying home for a conference. Sunday morning Jeff & Keith headed to town to have some work done on the AC in Vickie’s car & then on the brakes (which started to act up on the trip back from South Sudan) of Keith & Lisa’s car. After a wonderful morning of worship we headed to town to meet them… As to be expected it turned into an all day affair. Not to worry we walked to the Riegers, a wonderful missionary family serving here, visited & ordered in Ethiopian food for lunch. J

Finally back home, Lisa went into baking mode & made a wonderful Birthday cake for Alyssa. Today is her 25^th birthday. Maddie Rieger added her talents by bringing a cake as well, so we  all feasted on cake for supper & enjoyed fellowshipping together. We also celebrated Lisa, Micah, & Mary's birthday...after all there was plenty of cake :)

Tomorrow, Monday, we are headed to Kitgum to meet with Clayton at Faith Alive Ministries, whom we have worked with over the years, to discuss his vision for his ministry & how we can help to support it with the work God is calling our teams to do in the future.

Time for bed – I pray everyone is doing well, as we are here!

Cindy

Never underestimate the impact you can make in the life of another.

March 1, 2013                                       Newsletter #2

Never underestimate the impact you can make in the life of another.

I awoke this morning to the sound of the SOG school bell clanging to call the children in the village to start preparing to come to school and village life all around. The early morning newness & cool breeze is so refreshing –what a wonderful way to start the day. 

In 2000 Jeff & I first came to Uganda. Since that time the teams that have done MANY things: Vacation Bible School, construction, medical clinics, seminars, etc. But those are “programs” which require many “tasks” that we can identify with & check off our list of accomplishments. What we miss so many times is that it is not about the program but about people.

Yesterday I spent some time talking Alyssa. She & Mary, 2 wonderful Godly young women, were young girls when we first came 13 years ago. They are now starting an orphan’s ministry here in Gulu. Alyssa & I talked about what our teams have done over the years & our future work. The thing that struck me the most was her memories of those who came on the first trip in 2000. She shared how the time invested in her by others, if even for a short time, made such an impact on her life and that of the other children. She shared that the programs were great, but it was those small spontaneous interactions that left the greatest mark on her life. People who gave of themselves & spent time with her are treasured memories. She may have only met once or twice, but she continues to pray for them & thank God for the blessing of them on her life.

So….just in case you ever wonder if those spontaneous interactions are worth the interruption in the “program” of your daily life – they are! God’s appointments are always at the right time!

Today we will visit a new ministry here in Gulu then head to Southern Sudan after lunch for a Youth Conference with Far Reaching Ministries. 

As we get ready to load the land rover & hit the road let me share with you an interesting tid bit of trivia….. You can get a pair of broken leather strapped flip flops fixed for 0.13 cents :)

Cindy