Worship, Giraffes, the Nile, and Heading Home

Wow!  So it's been a few days since we've last been able to post.  Below is a synopsis of the team's endeavors the last couple of days written by the Westmont coach.

After church on Koro Farm in Gulu.

Uganda is a beautiful land full of beautiful people who are in the middle of restoring communities. We have been able to see this taking place in Kampala (in Nairobi as well) and especially in Gulu. 3 years ago when we worked on the farm the Chapel was still a pile of bricks knee high. Yesterday (Sunday) we sat in the completed Chapel of the New Foundations Church on the farm with a packed house and a lot of singing and dancing. Roxanne and Jenny led worship and had the entire congregation yelling/singing. Jeremiah followed with a sermon on Nehemiah, the rebuilding of the wall and the community and how the story of Gulu parallels that story in many ways. Christine Adams and Alison Glasco shared parts of their story with the congregation and I couldn’t have been more proud of their willingness to encourage the church body in this way.

Following church we went to a local village SOI is strongly connected to: Lajwatek. We worked in this village on our last trip in 2010. At that time the people responsible for the work being done in the village were women. There were no men, at least none that were sober. Three years later the village is thriving with a day care, men who serve in leadership and strong women still leading the way. It was both a wonderful experience for us and necessary for them to see us back, to grow the relationship, to see the progress.

Women welcoming us at the village Lajwatek.

We finished the day with our last “match” and a lot of laughter. We met the SOI staff out at the farm to play with them, to fellowship and to encourage their work. Some of the staff joined us for dinner as we celebrated Dan’s birthday in true Westmont Women’s Soccer fashion: with song and dance. Each class made up a song and dance for Dan with incredible pun’s like: “You don’t wear the Ribbens construction shirt, it wears you,” or, “Gifts don’t come in packages, they come in Ribbens.” This produced the kind of laughter that comes deep from the gut and causes your face to cramp. I don’t know if the SOI staff watching thought we were crazy but they got a laugh as well!

Last match against SOI staff on the farm.

This morning we began the trek back down to Kampala with a layover at the Parra Lodge for a Safari. We spent the first afternoon on a game drive where we were able to see water buffalo, warthogs, antelope, MANY giraffe’s and A LION!

Tuesday morning we began with a 2 hour boat ride on the Nile seeing many crocodile, hippo’s and even an Elephant. We finished with a hike up to beautiful Murchison Falls and the longest bus ride ever! (you can ask the girl’s about this, the sauna bus and the tic-flies).

As I finish writing this blog post (which I began on Sunday ? ) it is now Wednesday and we wait in the Entebbe airport in Uganda. The girls are journaling, laughing, buying chocolate they haven’t had in a few weeks and hopefully beginning the process of reflection. Cat Adams, our group leader, led us through a wonderful debriefing this morning suggesting we begin formulating our response to the question we know many of you will ask, “how was your trip?” She encouraged us to have a 1 minute response, a 5 minute response and a 30 minute response. As I question the girls on some of their highlights here is a preview of the different responses:

Top 10 (mind you, this is an initial stab at it)
1. The Prison Game
2. The many clinics we ran (specifically with the women)
3. Home visits in the villages
4. Practicing with the Good News Team
5. Nairobi clinic (200 kids, 20 balls, playing on a marshland) as well as the school
6. Hearing Testimonies (both within the team and outside of it)
7. Koro Farm in Gulu (especially the villages they are connected with and their welcome of song and dance)
8. The different AND powerful worship in all of the cities
9. Eating a Rolex (and grasshopper)
10. The “Bash” (ask a team member about that)

Nailing down a top 10 is difficult and the list will change as people enter different levels of reflection. At the very least, in case you never get a chance to chat with a team member, know this was an incredible trip. We are very proud of the girls- their energy, their joy, their willingness to jump in and share, their success in all of the games we played, their love for each other and everyone we came into contact with. They represent Westmont and Westmont Women’s Soccer well.

Praise God for the ways in which we learned, we grew and we engaged with each other and those around us. We are incredibly grateful for Robert Katende, Sam Lutalo and Wilfred the bus driver from Sports Outreach who took care of us and shared their lives with us during our time in Uganda.

Until next time (hopefully 2016)…thanks for coming along this journey with us.

Blessings,
Kristi Kiely

Goals, Prisoners, and the Gospel

Well, the team safely arrived in Gulu yesterday.  Pretty much in record time too--7ish hours, which included two bathroom stops and a walk across the roaring Nile River.  Not bad for a group of 30.  Robert, Sam, and Wilfred had to serve as shepherds to get us across and to the bus.  We quickly checked into the Churchill, ate a pineapple and banana snack, and headed to Koro.  We were greeted by singing and dancing by the Victory Girls.  Their dancing was followed by and SOM orientation and a tour of the Koro Community Center.  It was a great day to reenergize and think about where we have been already.  Many an early night.

 It’s good to be back in Gulu! It’s good to be on the farm, good to be with the Acholi people and good to get our hands dirty. Sports Outreach in Gulu has developed 40 acres of land into a wonderful farm (Koro Farm) modeling sustainability for the rest of the people in Gulu. The vision for the farm is incredible and we are thankful to get to be a very, very small part of it. We split up into four groups today: one group did farming, one did construction, another worked at the school with the children and one group made home visits to families in the “bush,” greeting them with encouragement and prayer. It was a full morning followed by an extraordinary afternoon. The afternoon experience is best told by Jenny Martinez as she was one of our speakers today. She writes below…

We pulled up in the van and looked through the door to the Gulu prison. Steel doors, thick bars, and a dirt courtyard were our first glance at our next few hours. To some of us it was exciting, a new world we knew nothing about. To others of us, it was terrifying. Either way, I don’t think we could’ve anticipated the experience of the next few hours.

After the security guards were convinced our medical kit full of tape and pre-wrap was non-threatening, we walked through the gates into the courtyard. A dirt “field” stood, mostly lined-- if not by chalk then by the lines of inmates who sat five people deep at certain points along the pitch. The “field” was complete with three trees, and a few metal poles sticking fifteen or so feet out of the ground.

The plan was three 9 v. 9 games, each with 2 fifteen minute halves. Our first group took the field, and after pre-game prayer and handshakes, the first game began. The drums on the other side, shouts of the inmates, and occasional blast on the resident vuvuzela left high standards for future Westmont crowds. Hundreds of inmates were in attendance, a sea of yellow prison uniforms against the dark wall of the building on the shady side of the field.

The first game went by fast. Cheers broke out as the Westmont/SOI side was awarded, and scored, a penalty kick in the first ten minutes. Later in the match another round of whoops and cheering broke out as a cross from Angela off a short-corner play led to a header goal from Richie—epic. We had originally laughed when the SOI staff member had apologized for “shorting us” on time and only “leaving us” two hours to play. But by the end of those two hours, I don’t think there were many on our side who were ready to leave.

 

After all the games were finished, more handshakes were exchanged, and one of the main prison guards gave the word for the inmates to come gather in. Immediately the hundreds of inmates surged towards our sideline and took a seat on the dirt. Mal and I had decided to be the post-game “sharers.” Somehow the 500 Gulu prisoners gathered before us weren’t quite the side-room of about 15 prisoner players that- I will admit- I at least had been picturing. The team prayed over both of us, and after a team introduction, Mal and I were each allowed to speak. A translator communicated for us with the prisoners, which conveniently doubled to provide us a few extra moments to think. I will never forget sharing the gospel today. Speaking to 500 Gulu inmates about a God who loves them, wants to be near to them, and who has made that possible through the death and resurrection of His son who is offering them a place in His kingdom in exchange for the place in their hearts was incredible. Mal went next and shared about the journey of coming to Christ in her life. She shared her personal experience and spoke with confidence about how God has met her in places of difficulty and consistently shown his love to her. The inmates were all-ears. They listened with more respect than we had been warned to expect and we left the prison with silly grins on our faces—blown away at how God had met us, how God had been faithful, and how today he showed up on a dirt field in a prison courtyard in Gulu. We are thankful.

-           Jenny Martinez (senior, forward)

We are thankful today for many things- here are a few:

-          The staff at the Farm

-          Jenny and Mallory’s testimonies to the inmates (and all of us really)

-          Food

-          The entire prison experience

-          Our protection on this trip

-          The model of Sports Outreach Ministry- that it’s rebuilding all of Gulu

-          Time with the team to process

We wish you well back at home. Amen.

Blessings,

Kristi Kiely (special guest: Jenny Martinez).

Soccer makes the world go round...

We've had a harder time with the internet here in Kampala than in Nairobi plus we've run short on our days. I think they are shorter in Uganda.  Westmont Coach Kristi Kiely made a post late last night over the last couple of days and another one a few minutes ago.  I have included both accounts below.  Sorry for the delay.  Inaccessibility happens.  Thanks for reading!


Tuesday, May 14

Kibuli slum after the clinic.

Today was our last work day in Kampala before heading up to Gulu tomorrow morning. We opened with morning devotions with the SOI staff. Angela Brown spoke on John 10:10, Missy Robertson spoke on our identity in Christ and Dan Ribbens spoke on the very nature of God being good. As excited as we are to head up to Gulu we will miss the staff in Kampala as they have encouraged us in Christ, in our playing ability and in the way we love others.

We left the office headed to the field for another training session with the good news team. We tried to show them more of what we do, which included Roxanne Love taking the entire group of 40 people through some weight training (planks, squats and burpees)- see below.

Some of the girls running a clinic.

After lunch (always pineapple and Chapati-it’s like nothing other) the girls split up again into 4 groups to work in the slums. The purpose of today’s work was to see the feeding program and to run clinics with the children. The feeding program is a big part of what SOI does here: they provide 1 meal a day to the kids they’ve identified as the ones in most need. Here is a brief overview of each of the slums:

Bwaise: 3 players, 4 balls and 70 kids. It was interesting to say the least.

Kibuli: they got to see the feeding program in full and despite being low on energy pulled it together for a great clinic.

Katwe: For those of you who are familiar with Phiona and the chess program (Queen of Katwe) this is the slum she grew up in. Alison Hensley took some lessons from Phiona’s brother as he shared with us about how chess has taught him how to problem solve.

Nateete: Denae Crump out-ran a bull that was chasing her but they were able to make the clinic work anyway, bulls on the field and all. Most satisfying was the moment they got to the field and one of the SOI staff members had 40 kids lined up in a plank, a movement he had only learned that morning.

Training session with the Good News team.

It was another wonderful day and we will miss our time in Kampala…but we are very excited to be heading up to Gulu in the morning and more importantly for a rest day. The girls hit a bit of a wall today but as the great teacher, Rodney Suddith says, we will do our best to end on empty.

As you continue to join us in prayer we do have some specific ways you can be praying:

-Energy!!! The girls have been going hard for 7 days. They have 8 more to go but they need to refuel and we hope tomorrow’s long drive to Gulu will provide some of the rest they need.
-The staff in Gulu as they prepare for us.
-The hearts of us on the trip as we head up to Gulu: both a beautiful and very hard place.

We hope you are all well at home.

Signing off…

Kristi Kiely

*love you mom.

A nutshell view of three days in Kampala

Hello everyone!


Sat-Monday, May 11-May 13

Greetings from Kampala!

After the match today

I return with good news…we won our match today! Before I fill you in on the game I want to take a minute to fill you in on all of our time here in Kampala.

Lets go back to Saturday which was our first full day in Kampala. Saturday is typically a slum work day for the SOI staff and this past Saturday was no different. We began the day in 4 different groups at 4 different slums for some good-for-the-soul manual labor. Most of us worked in the trenches to help with the irrigation. Following our work we ate lunch and prepared for our afternoon “match” with the Good News Team (the team of SOI). Thankfully our match turned into a training session/mixed game because they are very good. For most of the girls it’s what they noted as the high of the day for them: being connected through the game of soccer with people from a different part of the world who love God.

Sunday was church and as anyone who has been to Africa knows, church can last the better part of a day. The best part is that we were able to return to the same church in the slum we worked in on Saturday. We were able to serve and work alongside the people in that community and then worship with them…and worship we did. The girls described church in Africa as: free, joyful and lots of dancing. Most of the groups had to at least introduce themselves, some had to sing and some chose to dance on stage (Kaci Mexico and Kelsey Steck) with the worship team. It was a beautiful thing to get to worship in and with a different culture. After church and lunch and a brief rest we spent the afternoon training in preparation for our game on Monday.

Team with the SOI staff after morning devotions.

Monday (today) was a very full and wonderful day. We began the day with morning devotions at the SOI office with the SOI staff. From there we split up into groups again to go to the different slums and run clinics with the children; some of them saved some of them not, some of them with parents some of them not, some of them in school most of them not but ALL of them understanding the language of football…the world’s language. It’s funny how a small white ball can connect you in deep and meaningful ways that promote change and growth and community. We were able to see, in part, the work the SOI staff does on a weekly and sometimes daily basis. It’s hard work but it’s important work.

This afternoon we played Makarere University here in Kampala. They finished 2nd this past year for the league of East Africa and there was a lot of pressure for us to win. We did- thanks to 4 of our freshmen! Angela Brown had 2, Kaitlin Swift had 1, Katie Moyer had 1 and Kelsey Steck had 1. We won the match by a score of 5-2 and while the girls enjoyed the game (winning is fun) they enjoyed the time they spent with the other team after the game more. The girls split into small groups and shared the gospel with the girls on the opposing team. They also learned that being a young adult is universal and they shared similar struggles and questions as they try to figure out who they are going to be in this world.

It was a great day.

We ended the day in true Dan Ribbens fashion- doing something cultural. More than half of the team ate cooked grasshoppers. Salty but not too bad.

Thank you for your prayers, we covet them. All of the girls are processing what we are doing and what’s being done in us differently but ALL of them are loving the people of Uganda very well.

As always, thanks for following.

Until next time…most likely in Gulu…

Kristi Kiely

*love you mom.
**love you Brooke. Especially mom and dad.

Experiencing Mukuru

Greetings from Nairobi!

We made it. After 36 hours of traveling, we made it. We arrived in Nairobi late last night (Wednesday) and since we are only here in Kenya for a couple of days there is no time to waste. We were up and out the door by 7 am and headed for the slums. Sports Outreach has a school in the slums and they gather each morning to begin with devotions and worship before working with the school children. We were privileged enough to join them.

After devotions we split up into three groups: a group who stayed at the school to work with the children, a group that went out into the slums to make home visits and a group that went out into the slums to meet with HIV positive women. I got to go with this group. We met 5 different women all with similar stories and the same toughness: strong women, infected with HIV most likely by their husbands, all of whom had left or died. Our job: simply to encourage. In moments like those when you struggle for words to speak to encourage a seemingly hopeless situation the words of David and Paul in the Psalms, Ephesians and Philippians become extremely important.

This morning Cat, one of our group leaders, gave the devotion on her love for Peter and his story being one of great redemption after he denied Christ 3 times and then becomes one of the disciples that is the most bold. Therefore, we should go forward in boldness. I am very proud of the way our players stepped up in boldness today; jumping right in to everything they were asked to do…both the fun and the uncomfortable alike.

Tomorrow is our last day in Kenya and is extremely full. We begin again at 7 am with devotions and worship at the school. That is followed by running a clinic for hundreds of slum kids, a match against a women’s team, the sharing of testimonies, food and then jumping on a plane to head to Uganda. I will share more when we get there.

For now, if you would like to join us in prayer here are some things we could use prayer for:

- “You need to be ready in every season to share a good word.” (Rodney Suddith) Pray that we would continue to be aware of what God is doing in our lives so that we can share it with those we come into contact with.

- That we would bring Peace and encouragement to all those we come into contact with.

- For the Sports Outreach Staff in Africa as they host us (it’s ALOT of work!).

Thanks for joining us!

Until next time,

Kristi Kiely

* love you mom.
** Jody and Lisa- great to see Jenny and Tine. They made it with us!

Westmont Women's Soccer Team Heads to Africa

We are leaving! After 3 years of planning, fundraising and praying we are headed back to Uganda and adding Kenya to our travel itinerary. For those of you that don’t know- 3 years ago we spent 2 weeks in Uganda working alongside Sports Outreach in service to the Kampala and Gulu communities. We are thrilled to be returning.

We spent a few hours on Sunday morning at a team retreat in preparation for our trip trying to quiet ourselves after a busy semester and finals last week. It was a wonderful time of worship, thoughtful reflection and lots of packing. We are so grateful to the many people who donated cleats, soccer balls, clothes, bags…etc. We are happy to be able to bring over as much as we are.

We hope you will follow us along the way. We hope you will enjoy our stories, feel connected to the group and most importantly, that you will pray for us and with us. We begin by asking for prayer in these specific areas:

- That we would be able to bring the “Peace of God” wherever we go. Not just in word but truly able to bring and share the Peace of God to the people we come into contact with.

- Safety and health.

- That we would be open to being uncomfortable in many ways as we are stretched and challenged in the days to come.

21 players, 2 coaches, 6 additional leaders (Cliff and Diane Lundberg, Trisha Beaudin, Roxanne Love, Cat Adams and my personal favorite, Jeremiah Kiely), lots of soccer balls and lots of joy. Join us in this adventure!

We will see you in a few weeks!

Signing off…

Kristi Kiely

***To see the preparation for our trip in a blog made by the team you can go to:

http://westmontwomenssoccer.blogspot.com/

Safari, Water and Dust

Safari, Water, and Dust

Thursday, January 24, 2013

We started the day waking at the Paraa Lodge, Murchison Falls, Uganda. We had traveled here on Wednesday and had a safari in the evening. The park occupies more than 5000 square miles and is beautiful. Views range from grasslands to palm tree forests, and from shrubs with 2-inch long thorns to the River Nile. The park is on the western border of Uganda and the Nile separates it from the Republic of Congo.

The safari was awesome. We loaded into four vehicles and over a 4 hour, 80 kilometer trip saw hundreds of antelopes, many giraffes, hippos, numerous species of birds, mongoose, monkeys, baboons, Cape buffalo, and wart hogs (on the way into the park we also saw wild elephants). As we were about to conclude the safari we were fortunate that one of the vehicles got stuck in sand. I say fortunate because it took some time to free it and that was when our guide, Amon, received a call saying a lion had been spotted. We moved at safari light-speed and caught some air on the bumps to get to the spot…and there she was, a beautiful young lioness. It must have been a special moment because our guide was taking photos too! I thought I saw Pastor Milroy wipe a tear away as this moment must have conjured up feelings for his very special cat, Carlotta Mayfair. J

Today (Thursday) started with sun, a nice breakfast, checking out of the Lodge and a short trip to the boat dock to board the African Queen for our Nile River boat tour. Robert was our guide and he did a nice job of teaching us about the river and positioning us for photos of the many, many, hippos, birds, crocodiles, and few lizards that we saw. The Nile (Victoria Branch) is beautiful and supports abundant life. The ride was cool and soothing and proved to be quite a contrast to the rest of the day. When we reached Murchison Falls we docked and started our hike to the top of the falls. It was much like a good workout on a summer day but only with better scenery. We navigated the jungle terrain and climbed what seemed to be an endless set of stairs to reach the top of the falls. It was very impressive in its power and beautiful in its color and sound. Maybe due to the mist from the falls, but more likely due to the hour-long hike and 90 degree temperature, we were all soaked to the bone…and then it was time to load the van, sit in very close proximity, and travel 7 hours back to Kampala!

Everyone made the best of the trip: some slept, some read, but all laughed. We knew we were getting close to Kampala when the traffic became more congested and the dust kicked up. Kampala has a very different look and smell than Murchison Falls, but in all we can see God’s wonderful creation and beauty. Uganda is a special place for both its scenery and its people.

As this is the last blog we all want to thank you for your thoughts, prayers, and comments back to us. Almost every morning we started the day reading the comments that came in while we were sleeping. Everyone was hoping there was news for them and we all enjoyed hearing comments from home. There were many laughs, and a few tears, and we all know much more about the daily goings-on at the Ralston household! We have loved our time in Uganda and we feel that we have made a difference. Also, Uganda and its people have made a difference in our lives that I don’t think will ever go away.

A special thank you to the staff of Sports Outreach and to the wonderful people from Ohio, West Virginia, North Carolina, and Colorado that have made this an awesome trip. We look forward to getting home and seeing our families soon!

 

Andy Gurd, New Albany Presbyterian Church

Opening Doors

 

Our final day in Gulu was demonstrated in a troika of events.

We began the morning with a small medical clinic in the village of Achoyo. The term “small” is relative to the fact we saw over 100 people, with medical issues ranging from a cough to a two-week-old snakebite. While the “daktas” were busy seeing entire families, part of the team branched off to visit several homes, including the hut of Barbara, a born-again Christian living with her extended family. Barbara’s uncle, Benjamin told the team he had been undecided about accepting Jesus for a long time, and afterward, Whitey, Pastor Dave, Andy, and Ryan felt called to talk to him. Whitey shared a passage in Acts, suggesting Benjamin’s new name be Phillip, after the disciple in the Bible. Pastor Dave had been working on a sermon concerning the same passage beforehand, and told Benjamin/Phillip he would soon be famous in the vast metropolis of New Albany, Ohio.

After a delicious lunch where I (Hannah) accidentally ate goat and felt really sad afterward, the team took a much-appreciated rest to journal and nap. Soon after, we were on the road again, this time for an unscheduled visit to the U.G. Prison in Gulu. Many of us had not been inside a prison before, and were surprised our first time was as innocent volunteers in Uganda. Joni, Char, Ariel, and Lauren, volunteered to run the clinic in the women’s wing of the prison, where approximately sixty patients were seen. Along with treating the women, they also learned their stories, some of which were truly tragic. One woman had been incarcerated for fighting back and ultimately killing her husband while he was abusing her, and another had been in jail five years without a trial. In both wings, the prisoners were calm and polite, helping us set up chairs for the medical clinic we came to conduct. While hundreds in the men’s section waited in line to be seen, the praise team from the church at Koro entertained them with Christian songs and dance. The clinic was hectic, but the cooperation and understanding of all the patients, translators, and doctors helped it run smoothly, enabling us to see approximately one hundred people. All the patients were grateful for the medical help and prayers, and some who spoke English helped translate for the American team members. Ugandan compassion was evident even inside the prison as one man helped another who could not walk to the clinic, asking nothing for himself in return.

After returning to the hotel, the team had several more hours of relaxation before a farewell dinner with the Gulu SOI staff. We had devotions with them, thanked them, and said our teary goodbyes, promising to keep in touch. While leaving the people at Koro farm was saddening, tomorrow we will pack up and head off to a true African safari, seeing the beautiful countryside and animals of Uganda. As our trip approaches its end the true impact of what we’ve seen during our few days in Africa is helping us appreciate more fully what Jesus has done with this great country. As perceptions change and our big problems become small in light of harsh Ugandan struggles, God remains as he always has, good.

- Hannah & Rossi

P.S. Jonathan is the only one who knows what "troika" means.

And to love mercy and to walk humbly

What can 7 SOI volunteers and 30 local Ugandans from the village Gulu do with some rope and steel beams?

I was awe struck as I watched in wonder while a 3 ton steel water tower was lifted, rotated, and raised into the air only to land perfectly amongst 4 holes in the ground formed for the legs of the tower.  How is this possible with only 2 utensils and a few shovels? With the formation of our own Ugandan set of OSHA rules, Patrick’s experience with hoisting telephone poles, YTs fish knots, and some barefoot Ugandans, the tower was raised in a genus book of world record time – only 2 hours.

While towers and fish knots were being put together the other 9 SOI volunteers that joined us on the Gulu farm were whistling while they worked and weeded a plot of land equivalent to two football fields!

Transferrable skills from the states were also utilized while LP helped to council 20 local teen moms with, Ester, a woman from a neighboring village, whom is best described as a modern day Lazarus. Lives were changed, towers were raised, and people came together… all before lunch.

After some fish tacos and mouth watering pineapple back at the hotel we were on the road again heading to LaGutu village.

There we were greeted with a tour of the ministry center and local school that had recently been built with the help of SOI. The school has 256 children and 4 teachers with 85 kids to a classroom. One classroom is the size of 2 small tee boxes or a quarter of a tennis court.

The tour continued down a path to a home where we engaged with 6 children whose father had passed away and their mother left them behind to marry again. The home was owned by the “Moza” of the family, or grandfather. The 3 huts were homes made of dried grass for a roof and measuring only ten feet in diameter. As I peered into one of the huts I found myself in awe once again and trying to comprehend how 6 children and 2 grandparents could sleep in such small quarters yet be so thankful for what God has given them?

The tour continued down a small dirt path with blades of grass as high as cornfields. This narrow trail directed us to one small and simple, yet eloquent hut where we met by one strong, courageous, yet humble 26 year-old man named Dennis.

As he ran up to greet us in soccer cleats, no shirt (and yes, quite easy on the eyes according to the females in our group) and basketball shorts I imagined this young man fitting right in with local 20 something’s back in the states. While he may have looked as though he fit in America the story he proceeded to tell us made me realize just how unfitting his life in Northern Uganda has been.

Dennis shared with us his experiences of living in his village during the war that took place not far from where we were only 5 years ago. Dennis explained to us how his father had been beaten to death with 2x4s by the LRA and how he and his family had been forced to watch. He explained to us that months later these same men kidnapped him. Once taken to the camps by these men he was shot 3 different times and taught to kill others. As Dennis’s story unraveled he began to tell us how God used him during times of trials and tribulations and how grateful he is to know the grace of God and his Son, Jesus Christ.

As I sat and listened to a man younger than myself speak of God’s magnificence during unfathomable pain and loss I realized how small and minute my problems are back home… and I wondered how God could do this to a man of such faith?

Later that afternoon we traveled to the village of Puqwini for a pick up soccer game. As the game began more and more Ugandans began to gather around the field. With a village of only 400 people over 100 showed up for the game. To say soccer is important in this country is like saying Ohio State is a better football team that Auburn… and we all know how farfetched that is! Needless to say, soccer is the sport of Africa!

Our game score today improved against the locals tying 2-2. Kudos goes to Pastor John for his score on a penalty kick and MVP was given to Joanie for incorporating karate kicks into the game – they both have quite the moves! Once the game finished up each SOI volunteer spoke to the village about why they came to Africa and what they hoped for their small village of Pugwini. With over 60% of the population being kids prayers were raised to uplift the children and keep them safe, blessed, and knowing God’s love.

As we finished up our discussions and taught all the children of Pigwini the infamous game of Signs the sun began to set (what a site that was to see in Africa) and we slowly made our way back to the vans.

As the day came to a close I noticed Dennis collecting his things on the soccer field. I walked over to him and asked him one simple question, “Why do you still have faith in God when all these horrendous things have happened to you and to others you know? ” With a look of almost sheer confusion Dennis stared right back at me and said… “No, no – how do you not see? God has been merciful to me.  I was shot 3 times and not once did it hit my bone. I have much to be grateful for and much to praise God about.”

Wow. How convicted I feel to be surrounded by these Ugandans that are able to give so much, yet have so little. How thankful I am to share such an amazing God with them. How humbled I am by Dennis and what he has taught me… what he has taught us all.

-Kelly Bennett

New Albany

Once again the New Albany team served alongside Gulu Community Church today.  We traveled to Agung village (a remote area where the Gulu team had planted a church) to conduct another medical clinic.  On the way to the clinic, we visited the district “hospital” (a small thatched-roof structure with no equipment) and learned that a doctor works there once a week and prescribes medicines that neither the hospital nor the patients can afford.  When we understood this, it made sense that people had walked for upwards of three miles to be treated by American doctors with free antibiotics and ibuprofen.  As I looked out on the endless line of people baking under the mean equator sun my eyes filled with tears.  So many impoverished children and families, so little access to the medical care (and water, and electricity, and on and on).   The only difference between us and them: the geography of birth.  Yet there was also much reason to rejoice.  God is moving in Agung and villages like it because of GCC and their sacrificial work on behalf of the poorest of the poor.  People are coming to know Christ and lives are improving.  At the end of a very hard day, we had helped many families and demonstrated the tangible love of God on behalf of a church that will have a tremendous impact on the community.

The evening finished with a fabulous dinner at Pastor George and Irene’s home along with the leadership of GCC.  Hospitality in Uganda is beyond description – they were unbelievably generous with their food, their words and their gifts (we received some warrior figures and a zoo’s worth of animal wood carvings as a token of their appreciation).  We also were able to provide two laptops, a projector (for showing the Jesus Film in the villages) and an iPad for Pastor George.  The love and partnership expressed in the room tonight will not soon be forgotten, and I am amazed at the grace of God that allows a small church in New Albany Ohio to play a part in the powerful Kingdom work of a church serving the outcasts of the world 8,000 miles away.  What an awesome privilege.  What an amazing God.

Pastor David

Dividing and Conquering for Jesus

Dividing and Conquering for Jesus

Today the team of 27 divided into two – the Charlotte/WVA group teamed up and went to Koro, while the New Albany team worshipped and served at Gulu Community Church.  Here are two summaries of one incredible day . . .

Charlotte/WVA

As this much anticipated day awaited everyone on the trip, we all were so excited to experience our first church service during our Uganda adventure.

The service started at the farm with a brief introduction from all of us and it ended with an extremely powerful testimony from one of our own—Joni.  Being that it was a hard performance to beat, the worship team from the church blew everyone out of the water with an uplifting and tear filled performance, most of the crying was done by Patrick. As Dustin lead with a Sunday school message from Matthew 5:1-12, the people from all over kept filing into the chapel one by one…some walking three hours just to attend a church service. There was a few more songs and dances from the worship team and more crying from Patrick. Pastor John had to deliver an impromptu sermon (12 hours to prepare) and had the SOI team deliver an impromptu rendition of “Amazing Grace”. The service concluded with two more amazing testimonies which brought several cheers, claps, amens, and tears from Patrick…again.

We quickly shuffled to the closest village, traveling on a very, very bumpy road. We arrived and received a celebrity’s welcome with the villagers singing and doing some sort of praise god call that only Miranda has mastered.

We left there quickly and made our way back to the farm to start a medical clinic. We had Char from Huntington and 3 other local doctors leading the way. They were able to diagnose and see approximately 180 people in three hours. We were able to serve everyone that walked through the “door”, pray for the sick and weak, and watch John chase chickens and blow bubbles with the kids.

For the grand finale of our day we finished with a soccer match. As the other team suited up in their matching jerseys, we waited on the sidelines for the game to begin. Our team was undefeated and had a team with half seasoned vets and half rookies. The first score of the game was made by Kelly with her first touch of the soccer ball and, unofficially, the first white girl to ever score against a Ugandan team on Uganda soil. The game ended with a score of 2-1 and a victory for the SOI team, just kidding. We’re all winners. The day ended with everyone gathering in the middle of the field with two more testimonies and a prayer almost circle. God is so good.

New Albany

Pastor David here for the New Albany update.  For our crew the day began early – most of us went to bed after midnight, and breakfast started promptly at 7 followed by a significantly less prompt bus ride to Gulu Community Church (we are working towards a clear understanding of Africa time.  “The service starts at 8am, we’ll be there to pick you up at 7:30” can be translated as: “the service really gets rolling at 8:20ish, we’ll pick you up at 5 ‘til”).  We had the incredible experience of worshiping at Gulu Community Church, and I had the privilege of preaching God’s Word.  I told the congregation that since I’m accustomed to such a wildly exuberant group at NAPC, I hoped they would at least throw out a couple Amens or praise the Lords to make me feel at home (is it wrong to lie from the pulpit?).  Pastor George was as welcoming, hilarious and passionate as ever.  Among many highlights of the service, my personal favorite was when he told his church that he didn’t want it to feel like he was officiating a funeral service and that we need to, like King David when the Spirit moved upon him a couple millennia ago, dance as we worship.  The best part of this was that Andy Gurd looked like he was about to go for it.  But he had already been clapping for awhile to the beat (which was daunting enough) and pulled back at the last moment.

Following the second service we ran back to our hotel for a quick bite to eat and change of clothes and then returned to conduct a medical clinic in the church with the help of GCC leaders and the local health authority, Gulu Public Health Services.  It was an inspiring performance by our doctors, nurses, pharmacists and pray-ers.  They labored for five straight hours without a break and worked as hard as they could to compassionately serve the people who came, around 400 in all.  One huge blessing for me was that while they worked, I was able to spend two solid hours with Pastor George.  He gave me a detailed description of GCC’s ministry, and we caught up in most areas of life.  What an encouragement to spend time with him and to continue to build our partnership.

I’ll close with a huge shout-out to our Columbus teammates who we’ve met as a result of this mission trip, the “Mt. Carmel +1 posse.”  Meredith, Ariel, Courtney, Promod and Scott have been a blast to serve with.  They’ve been incredibly hard-working and we are so glad they joined us.   And the “+1” in that equation is Chris, Jacki Fitzgerald’s son who lives in Denver and will soon be moving to Columbus (not really – we had hoped to talk him into it until he said that he’d “sooner move to Gulu”).

PS – Attorney/Preacher Ken, I’m 8,000 miles away and still heard that you rocked the pulpit at NAPC – impressive.

PPS – Jim Haley, I still can’t believe you own a Shih Tzu.

Farrah Fawcett, John Bon Jovi and Jason Bourne

The day began with breakfast, having the blog and comments read aloud (always a great way to start our day), and a quick devotion time with Pastor Dave. We packed up, loaded the bus and two vans, and began our long, long, long, long, long journey to Gulu. Did we mention it was long…?

The trek began with a major traffic jam in the middle of Kampala. We were at a stand-still for 30 minutes or more. Next, we took an Urban African Safari (another name for this could be Urban African Detour) - those of us riding in the bus were at the mercy of our driver, Wilfred. He ascended up a mountain of sorts (one you would mountain bike up, not drive up!), which was apparently a shortcut to get to the road to Gulu. We thought we shaved off about 45 minutes from the trip, and had made up for the traffic jam. In reality, the two vans chose not to go on the shortcut, and we somehow ended up behind them on the main road…

After a quick “short call bathroom break” (a #1) we were finally off! We drove, and drove, and drove, and drove. We knew that it was going to be a long ride – it normally takes about 5 hours. However, we did not know all of the obstacles that were waiting for us on the road to Gulu. The first was a truck that had turned over and was blocking the road (we made a hard right and drove parallel to the road in the grass bumpiest terrain ever). The second was stopping for road construction which caused the radiator fluid in one of the vans to go a little crazy. The third obstacle we encountered was the onslaught of speed bumps, which by the way are NOT painted so are, let’s just say easy to miss. This means that our bus got “major air” according to Pastor John in the van behind us. Thankfully we only incurred two small injuries, a bump to the head and a bloody nose. But everyone is ok! Our drive actually flew by as our gamer and DJ Dustin made sure we were entertained all the way to Gulu. We now know who each others’ celebrity crushes are and our celebrity look-a-likes. This is the stuff mission trips are made of, people!

We finally reached the Nile River (which meant we were only 1 hr from Gulu)! The Nile is magnificent…fast water with many rapids, along with police armed with guns. We were informed they are very protective of the bridge as if it was destroyed it would cut off transportation between the north and south Uganda.  Oh, and we found our vehicles guarded by a very large baboon who sat only feet from the door of the bus. 

We finally reached the farm in Gulu! We were shocked at how amazing this place is! We were warmly greeted by all the SOI staff who gave us a very thorough description of each of their ministry focuses. Then they broke us into groups and gave us a tour of the farm. We saw banana trees, papaya trees, coffee bean plants, corn...they can grow some crops. They also had an assortment of animals…pigs, cows, goats, and chickens. Several of the pigs have just had piglets and supposedly all the pigs on the farm came from ONE pig! While looking at the chickens, one of them got out of the coup and I (Lauren) caught the chicken!                                                                   

After the incredible tour of the farm and hearing from the Gulu SOM staff we made it to the Church Hill where we will be spending the next 4 nights. We were all thankful to find comfortable rooms and yummy food waiting for us.

We are looking forward to our first worship service in Gulu tomorrow!  Until then…

The Charlotte girls

2 by 2

Day two in Uganda!  Hard to believe but only 1 week to go, as at this time next week we will be flying home to hot  showers, cold ice cubes, and the warm embraces from our families and friends.  It is very appropriate that is Day two, as two was a recurrent theme of the day.  After staying up to two in the morning listening to the swinging karaoke from the hotel, we had the opportunity  to serve on two missions both in the slums of Katwe.   First , the medical team consisting of five physicians, two nurses, and many key support individuals, served the poorest of the poor.  There, they diagnosed, distributed free medicine, and prayed for healing for over 175 families.  The “construction” team cleaned a sewer ditch (yes, you read that correctly, and yes, it was worst than you can imagine).  The effort and work was so important, that the commissioner of the district came to assist.   In the afternoon, the entire team then traveled to the outskirts of Kampala to support the Sport Outreach’s soccer team during their match.  The team graciously allowed some of the members of the team to “play on the pitch” (although Ryan had initial issues with the concept of offsides, he atoned for it by earning a corner kick later in the match).  After a round of Fanta orange for dinner, one can feel the three intial teams blending into one united team.

     Finally, to finish this theme of two, this is my second trip to Uganda.  The first time, I came with a sense of calling and also, a sense of adventure – probably the best reason and answer, and why many are here serving with such loving hearts and willing spirits (cleaning a sewer ditch – that is love for another!).  When I told my wife that I was coming this time, she asked “Why again?”  I honestly did not have a strong answer for her.  I mumbled an incomplete, and ultimately an incoherent answer.  When I left on the flight, my wife cried (although to be honest, and with full disclosure, they may have been tears of joy as I will not be around to get in her way for two weeks!).  I think that I might have found the answer today in the two beautiful eyes of Maria, a shy 7 year old girl from the slums of Kampala.  She wasn’t asking me to cure malaria, or fix poverty in Uganda.  She just wanted me to hold her hand.  So I did.  And when she smiled, I knew that is why I came back to Uganda       

Dr David

27 teammates, 27 hours...

The journey started in three different cities with three different groups but with one single objective: To join together to go and serve the people of Uganda for our King.  So we left, two of the three groups met in Detroit, and the rest met in Amsterdam.    The journey touched down in 3 continents, 4 countries and covered 27 hours.  If you haven’t made a trip like this, it entails a lot of sitting, airplane meals, sitting, watching movies, sitting, reading, trying to sleep, sitting, bathroom breaks, sitting, trying to sleep and finally arriving.   But when you arrive, and see the people you have come to serve and are greeted by the SOI staff, it all suddenly seems worth it.  Especially when that staff person is none other than CC Reynolds who has already been in Uganda for a week and gave us all a “You are all most welcome” when saw her.

Then off to the hotel, half asleep on the drive, where we checked into the luxurious Pope Paul guest house.  If you haven’t slept under a mosquito net, it is somewhere between a magical disneyesque experience and walking into a spider web that you can’t seem to get off your face.  But hey, it keeps you safe so it seems like a good idea. 

Day 1 opened with a very friendly or angry pack of dogs barking into megaphones just after 5 am.  Breakfast at the hotel, then off to the SOI office for worship and devotions with the staff.  Why can’t every day start with a devotion time like this, worshipping, praying, encouraging time from the Word before you start your work day.  It just positions your heart in an incredible way. 

Then we were off to slums for three projects:  medical clinic, construction and Soccer outreach.  The medical clinic and the soccer outreach were both held in Bwaise slum, and the construction team went to Natette slum.

The medical team consisted of 6 doctors, 2 nurses and 6 support team members.  They were able to care for over 200 families providing medical attention, pharmacy medicines and prayer for their needs.  The team humbled themselves and God showed up in a huge way. 

The soccer team had a 70 kids, most street kids from the slum that are a part of youth soccer teams, for a 2 hour morning skills clinic, and afternoon soccer tournament we dubbed the Uganda Cup.  Our team of 7 coaches were able to share the gospel with the group while giving them a great place to come and learn and play.  There was a coaches versus kids game, which proved to be more than the coaches could handle as we lost in a high competitive game of 7 versus a lot of Ugandas.

The construction team had the honor to tear down and rebuild a home for a very special family in the Natette slum.  4 years ago the families 8 year old daughter was raped and contracted HIV.  The mother could not afford to pay for medical care and started to engage in prostitution to pay the bills.  When she was unable to make enough money she put her on the streets.  SOI was able to step in and start to care for the daughter and the family.  Today was the day that we were able to build their family a new home to live in.  What a blessing to share in God’s amazing provision for a family that was in such desperate need.  It is a blessing to be the hands and feet.

The night ended with the finest of Uganda’s chipati, fish and Fanta, truly a meal of champions.

So there are the last two days.  We are all safe, and ready for what is next.  Thanks for praying for us.

 

A few comically highlights of the first 48 hours:

1.        At worship today the worship leader switched songs from English to Swahili and our whole team started flipping through their song books looking for the song to no avail

2.       David and Laurie Fox getting locked inside their hotel room for a while

3.       Lauren Petters sat next to YT for 20 straight hours on the plane rides and said, “I have never spent 20 straight hours with any person in my life cause I’m not married yet”

4.       During our sharing time tonight, a full on dance party band kicked in outside in the courtyard.  After the group went to bed CC and Laurie may or may not have had their own dance party.

Lastly, if you are new to the blog and most of you probably will be, we encourage you to post comments for your loved ones, or liked ones.  We read them at breakfast in the morning, and it brings a lot of love and life when people get shout outs.

The SOI blog team

The Great Physician (from Monday)

Well today was our final day in Lagutu. Sad I know, however, in my opinion probably the most exciting. We woke up this morning prepared to serve the village of Lagutu in a different way than we did during the previous days. We brought medications to have a medical clinic.

                When we arrived in Lagutu, we set up 3-4 stations for the doctors/nurses. We had 1 doctor from the US (myself), 1 Ugandian doctor, 1 nurse, and 4 medical students. Yes, we had 4 th year medical students who took their time to come and help the village of Lagutu as well. In fact, one of them graduates in one month from medical school. Each station had medical equipment like thermometers, stethoscopes, gloves, ect… Each doctor would see a patient, write down their assessment and plan (medication), and then send the patient with their card to the “pharmacy”.

                Well maybe it was not quite the “pharmacy” you are thinking of, but it was close. We arranged each of the medications along a table and also into a shoe rack that was hanging for convenience. When the patient would go to the “prayer” table, their card would be taken to the “pharmacy” and the medication would be filled. After they received prayer for their illness, they would be given the medication that was prescribed by the doctor.

                    The “prayer” table was an area where we placed team members who were not seeing patients to pray for each of the village members who were suffering from a medical issue. They would have their medical card with them so that the prayer warriors would know what things to pray for.

                We saw roughly 215 village members in about 5 hours among all of the medical team members. We saw patients with arthritis, chest pain from carrying heavy objects upon their heads, urinary tract infections, children with ear infections, all ages with worms, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease from tobacco abuse, asthma in children, upper respiratory infections, tinea (fungal) infections of the scalp/torso and many more illnesses. We were able to provide antibiotics for bacterial infections, anti-fungal medications, multivitamins, Ibuprofen/Tylenol for pain, de-worming medications, and many more.

                The best part of all of this is that when the patients were finished, they went outside and the gospel was shared to them. Forty village members received Christ into their lives today!!!

                After the medical clinic, the wonderful, selfless people of Lagutu brought lunch to us. We had chicken, rice, cabbage, and of course pineapple. After lunch, we headed back to the city of Gulu for some shopping. We went to the local market, where we found lots of “yummy” food. No, I am just kidding, but we did have some team members who bought some flip flops made out of tires. Yes, that’s right, flip flops made out of old rubber tires. We even got to watch them make a couple of pairs.

                Finally, the day ended with an amazing dinner with the staff of SOI at our hotel. We were able to have fellowship, tell stories, express encouraging words, and then had to say our goodbyes.

But our journey does not end there; we will be traveling to the safari tomorrow. Please keep us in your prayers as we continue to travel.

In Him, Josh

** since this post was written we have driven down to Paraa Safari Lodge, gone on a game drive, seen lots of animals, and this morning (wednesday) are headed out to take a boat ride up the Nile river and then hike Murchison Falls waterfall. Only 15 more hours in this beuatiful country for the Life Point crew! Pray for safety as we travel down to Entebbe today and then all the way back across the pond.
We have been so blessed to have you on the journey with us. Thanks for praying and leaving comments. Can't wait to see you when we get home.... We land in Wilmington at 5:35 on Thursday... feel free to throw a welcome home party for us ;).