I'm Unaproachable...

Just the night before, Brandon B. from Ft. Wayne, Indiana, had told one of the group leaders that he thought he was unapproachable. Brandon is 6'4 so he easily stands out in a crowd...how would that work in the dump of Guatemala City?

Brandon couldn't even talk about the experience that night as tears streamed down his face. But, when group members were asked to share a snapshot of their day, many pointed to Brandon. They had watched Brandon enter the Tabitha House that morning to find several children gathering around him. Can you imagine what Mr. Unapproachable thought....can you imagine what these little children thought of him?

As they walked through the dump that day, Brandon was carrying a little girl. He held her most of the time they were there...over 2 hours... Many people described their snapshot as the little girl asleep on Brandon's shoulder. What a contrast...what irony that the person who thought he was most unapproachable would be carrying a little girl...what a God story!

There's a great line in a song by Mandi Mapes that says, "I already know Who's gonna save you, I already wrote the end of the story." While Brandon was thinking he was unapproachable, God was writing a different story. Praise Him for changes in our lives that reflect His glory!

The group is finished two houses in the dump today as well as taking care of children at The Tabitha House. They are all exhausted and emotionally drained. Pray that they will be renewed by His strength in the morning! He is able to do far more than we can ever ask or imagine!

Where do I fit in????

On Monday night the team met and discussed the day (which is a usual part of our day). J'Nelle shared something that struck me...it is a thought that usually invades the mind of every mission trip participant. Where do I fit in? What is my niche in this group?

On Sunday night, we told the group the options for the next day...VBS at New Jerusalen Church with 150+ kids, construction in the dump, or working in the Tabitha House. Each person prays about where God is leading, and he/she is assigned to that team. J'Nelle shared that she didn't really feel comfortable working with children, so she figured construction was her team.

The next morning each team gathered necessary supplies and headed out to their sites. J'Nelle's team found out that the contractor didn't have the necessary supplies yet, so they were going to make home visits in the dump. That morning they stopped on the way to pick up food....each food bag has corn meal, sugar, milk (non-refrigerated), oil, rice and beans...so, they made 10 food bags in reusable bags (for all of you guys who bought these bags, you were a part of what is about to happen...).

At the third house, Carol (our liaison in Guatemala) asked a group member to share their testimony. As Andrew and Michael recounted, all of the group except J'Nelle took a step back, leaving J'Nelle to share. J'Nelle has never been one to "cold call" people by just sharing her faith...she prefers to build a relationship and then share. But, God had other plans this day. The pain in her past was about to be revealed in such a way that God alone would get the glory. He had prepared her for such a time as this...

J'Nelle shared her life's story, and the eyes in the room were glued fast to her. They heard the Gospel, and people came to know Jesus. How awesome is our God!!! When J'Nelle didn't understand the pain in her life, God did. When J'Nelle didn't see the purpose of the pain, God did. When J'Nelle didn't see how things would bring Him glory, God did. When J'Nelle didn't see her niche on the team, God did. When J'Nelle didn't see how her testimony could be impactful, God did. And now, there are new believers in Christ...because God did it!!!

Do you ever wonder how you will fit into a mission trip? No need to figure it out..God already has the plan, and it will bring glory to Him alone!

Seeing the true bride...

As we all stand in New Jerusalen church this morning in Guatemala City, we are struck by the concept of the "whole world." When we think of heaven, do we truly picture "the church" as the bride of Christ? Do we only see white people who speak English? That is an unbiblical picture of the bride of Christ.

We saw the bride today in church. While the songs are being sung in Spanish, we get a glimpse of heaven. There will be many people there from all tribes, tongues and nations. What a beautiful picture of His kingdom!

Today, the group is preparing for many ministry opportunities tomorrow. We will have 3 teams. One will lead VBS in New Jerusalen Church for over 100 kids! Another team will work with Fernando and Michelle as they teach a trade to the women in the Tabitha House. The third team will be building a house for a family who lives in the dump. Please pray that we will each seek God's plan for us tomorrow.

Everyone is feeling well, and our accommodations are great. Julia and Paula are taking great care of us and feeding us lots of fruit and veggies (which we love). We will try and post pictures later today!!!

We are here!!!!

The team from Birmingham has arrived in Guatemala! We just met the Lopez family, and we are getting ready to eat lunch. Then, we are heading to a local store to buy clothing and toiletries for the interns. Next, we will get to our house, and they will take showers!!!! We will be ready to meet the Indiana team later tonight. Pray for God's work to be done!!!

Around the world in just two days...

The team left Uganda on Thursday afternoon and has still not arrived home. After many discussions and much prayer, the group split into 2 teams. A group of 4 (Sam, Zippy, Meggie and Ryan) spent the night in Detroit. They will fly into Birmngham this afternoon. JT and the interns took a shuttle to Flint, Michigan. They boarded the only flight that would get them to Atlanta this morning. They have just landed here (8:20 am) and will board the flight to Guatemala City in an hour!

Pray for them as they haven't had showers in 3 days and have no luggage. But God is making a way!!! Praise Him!!!

Faith Alone...

As the pastor's conference came to an end yesterday, all of the pastors gathered at the farm church. They wanted to express their gratitude to the team for all that happened in their lives over the past few days....

Pastor after pastor told about what Peter and Phoebe, the team and the conference meant to them. Here's two of those stories....

One pastor was traveling from northern Uganda where fighting has still been rampant. Refugees have fled to his part of the country from many other war-torn nations. The pastor had 5,000 shillings in his pocket (that's only about $2.50). The cost of the ticket (one way) was 20,000 shillings. The pastor proclaimed that God told him to go to the conference despite the fact that he didn't have money for the bus. So, he packed his bag and went to the bus station.

At the bus station, he met another pastor headed to the conference who offered to pay for the remainder of his bus ticket. He came with NOTHING in his pocket...he had no idea what or if he would eat at the conference and how he would get home. What he didn't know is that some believers in the United States had given money so that he could eat...and so that he could get home. What a step of faith!!!

Another pastor told about his daughter who was very sick. The parents thought that she had malaria, and they needed to buy medicine. The pastor approached the Lord in prayer and laid his burden at His feet. It's either medicine for my child or this conference Lord...which one? The Lord told him to pray for His child and go to the conference. As a parent, I could feel the hairs standing up on my arms at this point...really? Would I do that?

The man prayed for his child and left. He called his family and was told that his daughter was healed. The sickness had left her body. Hallelujah, what a Savior!

We praise the Lord for all things..both good and bad! We praise Him during the difficult days, and we praise Him for the blessings! His name is good!!! He is worthy of all praise!

Our team has boarded their first of 3 flights home. Please pray for rest, strength and endurance. JT as well as the interns have to turn around and be back on another plane on Saturday!

Time to be serious....

After the morning session of the pastor's conference, the team assembled at the farm church for lunch. During the break, Phoebe said that a local primary school was expecting the team (this was a surprise to everyone). So, Ryan, Meggie, Zippy, Lonnie, Brittney, 1st Nation, Elizabeth and Kathleen went to the school.

The group at the conference worked together to share how God speaks to His people. Each person shared how God speaks differently - through His Word, prayer, the church and circumstances. The pastor particularly identified with Sam's story. He told of how he grew up in Venezuela, learned another language, came to the US, lack of work for his father, and the battle to get a green card. Going through those times prepared Sam for such a time as this. It was the moment that God used him most to share God's story of grace and mercy in his life. The pastors identified their own struggles with his. God is good!

Meanwhile, the team at the school shared testimonies with the 100+ students. Then, Ryan, who was very shy when this journey began, boldly proclaimed the Gospel message. When children were asked who wanted Jesus to be Lord of their lives, EVERY single hand in the school was raised. So, Phoebe stepped in and told the kids that it was time to be serious. Perhaps they didn't understand the seriousness and the commitment they were making. She presented the Gospel again. They ALL raised their hands again. So, she started over....again. For a third time, they all raised their hands and exclaimed that they wanted to follow Christ. Hallelujah - what a Savior!

Continue praying for the work of the Holy Spirit to be manifest in Uganda. He is on the move.....

The Sabbath

The team has had a packed week with ministry opportunities everywhere from sun-up to way past sun-down. Sometimes, I would get a text at 6:00 pm our team saying that they were just finishing meeting and heading to bed. That's 2:00 am there, so they must have been exhausted!

However, Sunday is the Sabbath! The team went to the Jjogo church yesterday which is a very poor community outside of Kampala. They were supposed to lead a youth rally, but due to security concerns and the Sozi's desire to really see the Sabbath be the Sabbath, the team rested! They went back to the home of Peter and Phoebe Sozi and cooked the goat that Sam T. had purchased at the auction.

Everyone is now well...although riding long distances on the bumpy road makes most of them sick! But, praise God, they are all doing well now!

The pastor's conference began today at 10:00 am. Conference will last through Thursday morning. Mainly JT and Tyler will help with this, and the remaining team members will be leading VBS for all of the kids (about 100-150 of them). On Wednesday, the team will be going to Jinga in the afternoon to visit the source of the Nile...

Keep praying for the team, as all of the interns and JT will arrive in Birmingham on Friday afternoon (early). We all have to be at the Atlanta airport the next day at 9:30 am for a flight to Guatemala. Pray for wisdom, discernment, strength, and endurance!

Animal Kingdom in the van....

This is the first text I get from JT this morning..."In case you are awake, we are at the school auction and just bought a goat for the pastor's conference next week. It's a big event and we're going to try and buy a cow too!" What a wake-up message!

Divine Grace School was holding a fundraiser today to raise money for a new kitchen and dining hall. Many of the students and teachers had arts and crafts to sell, there was food available as well as an auction of animals! The community showed up as well as government officials. The next text informed me that the local governor, council chairwoman and parliament representative had arrived as well!

The team bid on goats as well as a cow! They won the cow and everyone was very excited about how many people they could feed next week! They purchased 2 coats, a cow and two bundles of matoke (a dish in Uganda that consists of green plantains).

Thus, they were traveling back to Jgogo with the two goats, all of the plantains and now, three chickens!!! They will swap a bull at the farm church for the cow. They gave the cow to the school so she could reproduce there! I wish I had a photo of all of the team in a van with the animals! I'm sure they took plenty of pictures!

During the pastor's conference, many of our team members will be able to lead the children in a VBS type event (this was not planned but is exciting to know)! The cow and goats will be a TRUE FEAST for the pastors from the Upland, so this is all reason to rejoice!

Praise be to the Father. And thank you all for your prayers for the sick ones. They are all doing much better today! Continue to pray for them as they lead next week!

Last Day at Divine Grace...

Today was the team's last day at the Divine Grace School. Each day, the community has been invited to join the team, and their numbers have been growing with the dawn of each morning. Today, over 750 people came from the community...that means there were over 1500 people at the school to hear the Gospel!!! Praise God for His grace and mercy!

Several of the team members were sick today, but they were able to rest while the remaining team members carried on! A soccer game was held this afternoon with some of our team (JT, Tyler, Indy, and 1st Nation) as well as a few community members. They played against the school's soccer team on a regulation sized field. They ended the game in a tie of 0-0. It was fierce! JT said that he started running toward the goal at one point, and many kids were sitting on the very edge of the field. They thought a big white man was going to run over them...so they started screaming and running away. Needless to say, no one was injured!

This afternoon the team took a one lane dirt road to the community secondary school (high school). JT had sent me a text earlier in the day indicating that there were 250 students there...JT's estimation skills were off. The school staff said that 500 students were there listening as Tyler presented the Gospel in a clear and concise way. Over 25 students made first-time decisions today. Pastor Peter then called for disciplers to come forward and take each person....one on one. Now, each new believer has a disciple-maker teamed up with him/her. It is a great way for the students to begin growing in their faith!

Tomorrow morning, the team will head back to Divine Grace for a "market day" where students and community members display their arts and crafts. It is a fundraiser for the school and a time for the team to say goodbye to everyone. Then, they will head to Jgogo for the remainder of the day (which is 45 minutes out of Kampala).

On Sunday, they will go to the church at Jgogo and then spend the afternoon at a youth rally. Monday will be the beginning of a pastor's conference in the same area. Please continue to pray specifically for sick team members, for rest and rejuvenation, and most importantly, for God's glory to be revealed and made known to the nations!

The Bride of Christ...

As JT is quickly relaying details of the last two days to me, I am frantically writing...but in my mind, I see the bride of Christ. I see her getting ready...preparing and planning for their wedding. Oh, how I long for that day. The church in Africa is longing too....

Divine Grace School currently has over 700 students, but this week, they have invited the community to the school. So, the population swells to over 1000 each day as the team arrives. Today was a day given to the team, full of opportunities to share the love of Christ, and they took full advantage of it!

Just yesterday, Deanna stepped up to share with the crowd. She described how she too is from a tribal people. She spoke of a time when white man came to her tribal ancestors and gave them part of the Gospel. The people believed, but they didn't have the FULL Gospel...only parts. Thus, they were led astray and did not know the truth. But, what was about to be shared was the TRUE GOSPEL in its entirety from the Word of God. The people were able to relate to her and she spoke truth into their lives.

Today, Tyler and Megan A. led the Bible study time. They shared about Jesus as the Resurrection and the Life! Pastor Peter shared that today was the day of salvation for many of them. The harvest field is ripe in Uganda. Over 120 MORE people came to know Christ today!!! Every day, new people have been invited and have accepted the invitation to be a part of God's Kingdom. Unlike in the US, people are called to repentance and confession. They pour out their lives before the community and church. They are carefully walked through the Gospel to make sure they understand the life-long commitment they are making. Lives are being transformed. The pastors there quickly combine new believers with people in the church to start discipleship!

All of the community is gathering each day, and with the generosity of several of you, we have been able to feed them lunch! What a blessing this has been as many of them walk for hours to arrive on the school grounds. Today, they had indicated that they needed to leave after lunch in order to get home. But, still they lingered for over 2 hours because of the impact of Biblical community.

Here's a rundown on all the team members:

Sam is an incredible team member who is having a blast playing with the kids each day. His eyes are being opened to the continent of Africa. He is already picking up on the language!

Tyler has been placed in a position of leadership to preach to the adults each day. He has been leading non-stop and is a rock-solid leader for the team.

Megan A. is loving life in Africa! She has all of the community ready to come tomorrow because they have NEVER seen a girl who can truly play soccer! She will be in the huge soccer game to be held tomorrow at the school!

Lonnie is doing an outstanding job! She is the administrator/coordinator of all the crafts. Without her, the team says they wouldn't stay on task!

Meghan H. is taking hundreds of photos (probably more like thousands)! JT said he can lean on her for anything because she knows him best. She will always do whatever is needed!!

Deanna is sharing with the community each day. JT said he has been like a proud Daddy watching her boldly proclaim her faith!

Brittney is having a following of children each day wherever she goes. All of the kids and adults want her to stay at Divine Grace forever! She is always ready to jump in and do what is needed, and she is the most consistent presence on the team!

Kathleen has grown tremendously this summer! She is seeing the great need to learn from others on the mission field (don't we all wish we realized our need to be teachable at the age of 18). She celebrated her 18th birthday yesterday with a motorcycle ride (keep in mind there are no other vehicles on the roads there!).

Michael fulfills the servant-leadership role constantly. He is the first one to volunteer to do anything and does it with a smile! He has taken a great deal of video footage that will help to promote sponsorships there!

Zippy spent a good deal of yesterday crying...that point that every participant comes to of knowing that you just can't help everyone and the need is overwhelming. But, today she has spent most of the day laughing. It is truly a joy to watch her with children!

Elizabeth has connected with children well. She is always willing to jump in and play with kids or dance with them!

Ryan has come out of his shell completely. The first day, he was paired with Michael, and he was encouraged to step up and share boldly. Well...he has! Ryan is taking every opportunity to share the Gospel message with anyone who will listen!

Meggie loves Africa and knows that God is calling her there! She has a way of loving on kids that meets them right where they are. What a blessing to watch her connect with kids who need it most!

Please pray for the team as they head to the outskirts of Kampala on Saturday. They will be leading a pastor's conference next week. Specifically, JT asked that you pray for the pastors for the "Upland" (referring to the ones from the northern part of Uganda). These pastors come from a volatile part of the land and rarely get any encouragement or support. However, the team has been able to host them at the farm church all week! What a HUGE blessing this is to the pastors as well as the team. There will be a great deal of time for supporting the bride of Christ and walking alongside of them during difficult days.

There have been lots of pictures and video taken, but we cannot upload any of them from Africa! But, we'll keep you posted!!!

Great Day at Divine Grace...

Today was a great day for the team. I have just gotten off the phone with JT, and here's what is going on....

The team arrived at Divine Grace School this morning and spent half of the day with the 5th-7th graders. This afternoon was focused on 3rd and 4th graders. Tomorrow will be for preschoolers-2nd graders!

The team is teaching the "I Am" sayings of Jesus in the book of John. Tyler wrote a song to teach all the sayings which does a great job of helping the children to remember the words of Christ! The children LOVE the song and want to sing it over and over again.

Today's lesson focused on "I am the Light of the world," so the children heard a clear presentation of the Gospel. Each child was given a candle (with the memory verse on the drip holder), and they were all surprised that they could keep the candles. The children had never been given candles before...useful for their homes and a good reminder of the lesson.

Phoebe told JT that she felt led to have an altar call today (this is unusual in this type of setting), but they did it anyway. God's presence was clearly there, and over 30 kids made decisions for Jesus today. Praise be to the Father! He is good indeed.

One side note of the day is that when JT introduced all of the interns, he gave a bit of insight on each one of them. When Brittney stepped up, all of the kids remembered her from last year. They beginning clapping for her. They were cheering her name and were so thrilled that she was there. What a way God has to connect the body!

Please pray for the team as they continue to work with the school in Rakai this week. God has some amazing opportunities for the team...pray that they obey whole-heartedly! Continue to pray for Peter as he will join the team tomorrow (after the burial of his niece today). The country has been rocked by this violence and needs time to heal. Only God Almighty can heal them all now.

Monday Morning...

Overnight, we received an official message from the US State Department. Here's the details:

The bombings on July 11 at the World cup viewing events at the Ethiopian Village Restaurant and the Rugby Club, which resulted in 64 dead and scores injured highlighted the vulnerabilities associated with visiting large public gatherings in Uganda.

At this time, the Department encourages U.S. citizens in Uganda to strongly consider the risk of attending large public gatherings because these events can provide vulnerable targets for extremist or terrorist groups.

U.S citizens in Uganda not directly affected by today's events are strongly encouraged to contact friends and family outside of Uganda to notify them of their well-being.
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The missionary we are partnered with in Uganda, Peter Sozi, lost his niece in the bombings. Their family is grieving, so please pray that our team will minister to them in ways that bring glory to God alone.

We are receiving regular updates from the US State Department and will pass those along. Please continue to pray that what man intended for evil, God will use for His glory!!!

Bombs in Kampala

Last night around 10:00 pm, there were 2 bombings in the capital city of Kampala. The team was already back at the place where they are staying. So, the team is safe and sound. In fact, they didn't even know about the details of the bombings until I called. JT had indicated that they took a different route home and their morning schedule would be different but they didn't know the reason.

Apparently, the two venues that were hit were restaurants where people (especially foreigners) were watching the World Cup soccer final. A mission team from the US was at one of the locations and they are among the injured.

Continue to pray for our team. Updates will come as they are available. We will only post actual information that comes from our team in Uganda.

First Full Day....

The team had a late breakfast this morning after everyone had some much needed rest! They were able to go to the "farm church" today. This was the first church plant of Divine Grace, and it meets under a tree on the dairy farm. Phoebe Sozi shared her life story with the team, and they were able to understand the beginnings of Divine Grace Ministries.

Pastor Silva, the pastor of the farm church as well as the leader of the staff, took the team to visit in homes of church members. He spoke of the growth of the farm church. Now, there are over 100 kids who come each Sunday! In addition, over 25 youth showed up to walk the property while the team was there. When asked what they were doing, the team was told that the students come to prayer walk the property and then practice for leading worship on Sundays. What an honor to watch teenagers serve the Lord so faithfully.

One of the women from the farm church who went with the team to visit in homes has 2 children that attend the Divine Grace School nearby. However, she has four other children at home that she cares for along with 7 orphans. Because we are adopting from Uganda, this led to many questions from JT!

During the evening, the group met with Pastor Henry's church. Deanna shared her story and encouraged the body of believers. Tyler preached and challenged the teenagers to live lives that would bring glory to God alone.

Tomorrow the team will worship with the farm church and then eat a late lunch (it's always late on African time). In the evening, they will attend Pastor Ben's church on the other side of Kampala (one of the poorest sections). Monday will be their first day at Divine Grace School which now cares for over 1000 children. Please pray for the team as they follow the Holy Spirit in however He leads them!

Arrival!!!

The team has officially arrived in Uganda! They just touched down a few minutes ago, and all is well. The team has a huge opportunity in front of them, and they all want to be obedient to what God is telling them to do. Pray for them as they settle in to the 8 hour time difference and head to church on Sunday morning! On Monday, they will travel to Rakai (pronouced Rock-eye). For 6 days they will minister to over 1000 kids from the Divine Grace School as well as the community. Your prayers are coveted and appreciated!

Air Travel Antics...

The group (all 14 of them) made it to the Birmingham airport with no problems today. Everyone was on time, had their passports and yellow fever cards and got through security with few issues (note to travelers: peanut butter can go in your checked bag but not in your carry-on!). Their flight to Detroit was 45 minutes late which made their connection evens shorter (30 minutes).

When they arrived in Detroit, their 2nd flight had been moved UP by 20 minutes, which now left them 10 minutes to deplane, get to the 2nd gate, and board. JT called me while running through the airport (I would like to remind the team that God prepared them for this run a few weeks ago in Atlanta....). I called Delta and they were being rebooked on a flight to Amsterdam 2 hours later. However, as I finished talking to Delta, they made it to the gate. The gate agent was calling for the final boarding, and the group was thankful! God's timing is always perfect!
The kids (Christy, Kaitlyn, Madison, Jett) and I cried many times as we are going to miss them terribly. We took the opportunity to go to Treat Your Self in Hoover to eat some yogurt. I inserted the picture above of Christy and Jett pretending to be intertwined and feeding each other.

Please pray for this time as they have a HUGE ministry opportunity in front of them. Pastor Henry posted today that they were having an all night prayer meeting in preparation of the team's arrival. This is ministry that only God can accomplish. May He work in such a way that He alone gets all the glory. We praise Him in advance for what He is about to do!

It's a New Week...

Tomorrow will be the last day of our "official" resting break between coming home from Arizona and leaving for Uganda. Here's what we've been doing for the past few days...trying to catch up on much-needed sleep (so far, we're all still very tired), going to doctor's appointments, cooking/cleaning/eating together, talking through and praying about Uganda, planning, and most importantly spending time in God's Word.

On Tuesday all of the interns will be back together at our home. Currently, we are housing Indy, DiGi and 1st Nation all the time. Duckett has been in Louisiana with her fiance making plans for their wedding next summer. Lonnie, Brittney, Tyler and Kathleen have each been spending time with their families who live in the Birmingham area. We have seen Stick (Lonnie) and Navi (Brittney) several times though during this break! All of the interns enjoy spending time together and have become quite close. We prayed that they would develop life-long friendships, and they have definitely done that! It blesses our hearts to hear them sharing their lives with one another!

When the group comes back together we will be planning the rest of the details of the Uganda trip. There will be a lot to do there, and as the details are determined, I'll share them here in order that you may all know how to pray specifically for the team! The team will be 14 people including JT, all of the interns, Sam, Meggie, Ryan, Elizabeth and Zippy. They will be ministering at Divine Grace School, leading a pastor's conference and ministering to those in need everywhere they go. The schedule is FULL....they will definitely need prayers for strength and sustenance. Pray for their health while they are there in order to continue to minister with all that they have each day.

As far as the personal goings-on (that's a Southern term for all of you Northerners) here, DiGi had 3 hours of dental work done this week. Thank you Dr. James Sanderson for your generosity. You blessed him and us immensely! Indy is praying through her future and what God wants for her. We have developed an American dream of graduating high school, going to college, getting a well-paying job, etc, etc. That is not always God's way...we must each listen to what God wants us to do and not the world! 1st Nation has taken every opportunity to go to Starbucks that Lonnie offers....seriously, those two crack me up.

Crispy is leaving for Australia this month. Just when Indy brought it up today, I cried on the way home.....it makes me sad to think of her leaving but I know that it is God's plan for her life. I will miss her terribly, and a part of my heart will be in Australia for a while.....

Lonnie comes over quite a bit, and we definitely miss her when she's not here. She is loved by everyone and makes friends easily. She makes us all smile throughout the day, so we really miss her when she's not around.

As we begin to come back together as a family, pray that our hearts will be unified for the cause of Christ alone!