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 ;).

 

I'm a little teapot...

Today was yet another beautiful day in Uganda, but before I get too far, I want to give a quick newsflash that we failed to update you all on from yesterday: Scott’s airplane girl accepted his friend request on Facebook. The Lord is good.

So breakfast this morning began in renewed spirits, as we headed off to Lagutu for church. Upon arrival, much of the community was already present and in full swing (literally) amidst worship songs. We all introduced ourselves up front, each sharing bits and pieces of encouragement with them before Pastor Jeff gave a fantastic sermon from 1^st Samuel 17, called “Little Guy, Big God.” Based on the story of David and Goliath, his sermon not only encompassed so much of what our team has been experiencing here (even in the just the past 24 hours), but it embodied the story and hope for what God is doing in Lagutu.

Afterwards, Josh, Aaron, and George spoke with and prayed over young men in the community who were either dealing with personal struggles or beginning a relationship with Christ for the first time. Laurie, Joan, and C.C. prayed over a few women and children, while Lindsey and myself wrote a quick note/prayer of encouragement in the cover of the bibles we gave to two of the young men.

Our group hit up the hotel for a delicious lunch consisting of fried rice, the standard fried fish, and three servings of pineapple (DUH). Then began “Chase the Ace,” a card game that requires intense concentration and decision making skills (and by that I mean pretty much none). The hardest decision you make is whether or not you’re keeping or trading your card with the person to your left. If you have a king, you can refuse the trade from the person to your right. For future reference, 1.) Aaron is dealt kings a peculiarly large number of times, and 2.) don’t sit to his right unless you can tolerate sound effects (AND hand motions) every time he refuses your pass. But guess who lost for the first time ever? And got to do the worm across the hotel courtyard (his own idea), all after taking down almost the entire bag of starburst? Aaron. Sorry we’re not sorry bout it. Chase lost the second game, resulting in his best effort to walk across the courtyard while balancing a water jug on his head (after the hotel employee wove him his own head cloth) and singing “I’m A Little Teapot” at (almost) full volume.

We then returned to the Koro farm to organize medical supplies in preparation for tomorrow. Laurie, George, and Jeff took to competing over bottles of ibuprofen, (naturally), while Lindsey and Scott tag-teamed ibuprofen and Chase and Joan took over the vitamin department. A “friendly” pick-up game of soccer was then played between the SOI staff and our sore team, which we tied 1-1!! George also took a solid hit to the abdomen during the game, which later led to his self-proclamation of MVP.

The way home from the farm included a pit-stop at a nearby community. Pastor Jeff spoke (newsflash to him as well as us), and George followed up with his testimony. Four young men from the community came up at the end to receive Christ, and George, Aaron, Jeff, and members of the community encircled them and prayed. HALLELUJIAH!

For dinner, we refueled ourselves with mashed potatoes (holla!), another three rounds of pineapple, more rice, and you guessed it… fried fish. The discussion topics tonight included essentially a free infomercial from Pastor Jeff on the benefits of CrossFit, complete with his before and after photos, which got quite the reaction out of both Laurie and Aaron.

The night was again wrapped up with final thoughts, prayers, and even a couple worship songs (thank the Lord that Jesus doesn’t care what our voices sound like). As always, your prayers and encouragement from home are so greatly appreciated while we continue to fight the good fight of the faith here in Uganda. As Aaron said tonight, we’re pushing back the boundaries of the darkness and the enemy, and crossed a bit of a line today as a sense of peace fell upon us in Lagutu. God can do immeasurably more than we can ever ask or imagine, and He is doing that here.

 

In Christ, (and Rock Chalk Jayhawk),
Shannon

The thief has come...

We have just completed day 3 here in Uganda.   Today started out with our team excited about what God had planned for us today.  We left the hotel early to visit the village of Pugwini to check on the progress of this village to see how it has grown since the last team was there.  Pugwini is about 10 minutes past Lagutu.  The road from our hotel to Lagutu is a dirt road and although it is only about 10 miles from our hotel, it can take at least 30 minutes to get there.  Shortly after passing Lagutu, we encountered a problem with the road.  The water had washed out a portion of the road and it appeared that it was impassable.  But after surveying the situation, Robert, one of the SOI leaders and Wilfred, our bus driver decided we could make it across, but we needed to make one final adjustment before we attempted to cross the water.   Scott, our video guy, decided he wanted to film this adventure and mounted a small camera on the front of the bus.  With camera in place, Wilfred took off and after spinning wheels, we made it across and on to Pugwini.  Upon arriving at Pugwini, we were greeted by many people who love to see the white people.  We had a tour of the village as well as the piggery and one of the huts.  As we headed back to Lagutu, we were met by even more people along the narrow path from the main road.  Pugwini is growing and now has their own well and their piggery has many pigs and piglets.  Once we arrived back at Lagutu, we started working on the project of making cement for the floor.  Yesterday we completed one section of the building and today we were working on another section.   The process of making cement is very interesting as you have to mix 4 wheel barrels of sifted clay, 8 wheel barrels of sand, 20 wheel barrels of crushed stone (that is the really hard part of the job) and 4 wheel barrels of cement.  You mix it all together several times then add water and mix.  Now the real fun begins as you shovel the mixed wet cement into wheel barrels and deliver them to the area of the church being cemented.  You need to do this quickly as the cement starts to harden.  With a system in place, we built teams to move the cement and the whole process start to finish was under two hours.  After that job was done, we broke up into smaller groups and did home visits in the village.  Pastor Jeff, Aaron and I went together with Robert, an SOI staff member and had the opportunity to meet people and pray for them.  This was an awesome time as we met an older man and his wife who had given the land for the Lagutu project.  They had spent 20 years in concentration camp and lost all of their sons.  The visits were moving as we got to see how they lived and survive on so little.  This is a life changing experience when you realize how little they have but how much to rely on God.  After the home visits, we were entertained by some of the youth of the village with powerful skits, music and dance.  We also were entertained by the ladies of the village doing their customary singing and dance.  Aloysius, an SOI staff member and leader in this area then had a chance to ask people if they wanted to accept the Lord and two ladies came forward.  Did I mention that there were over 200 people and many of them walked miles to be there.  Next came the soccer game between the LifePoint/SOI team and the local young men’s team.   Under the superb leadership of coach Aaron, the LifePoint/SOI team had the game tied at 1-1 with 10 seconds left, only to lose on a great shot as the game ended.  We felt proud that we held it that close.  After all, they were wearing the new uniforms that we gave them the day before.  You would have thought that they would let us win.  The game was a great distraction from what these people deal with every day and we were glad we could be a part of ministering to them though sports.  We returned to our hotel and shared a great steak dinner. (Aaron had thirds even) After dinner we experienced a small piece of what it means to have the thief try to come in and steal our joy… details on that to come later. We claimed John 10:10, “The thief has only come to steal, kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full”.  The thief was trying to steal the joy that we had and all that we saw as good today and wanted us to focus on what happened to us rather than the good that we were able to do.  Our night finished with a time of praising God for all that He has done on this trip.  Tomorrow will be an awesome Sunday as Pastor Jeff will be preaching the word at Lagutu.  Our service time will be 9:00 Uganda time which is 1:00 AM your time.    Thank you for your continued prayers.   You may not be here but knowing that you read this blog each day is an encouragement to us.  Please take time to post comments as words of encouragement from you helps lift us up each day.

George

A Sniper got her...

We have successfully completed Day 2 in Uganda and what an adventure it has been! Today we had the joy of pouring into our sister community of Lagutu, the village Lifepoint adopted as their own close to three years ago. Back in 2010, Pastor Jeff, Aaron, and a few others joined SOI on a trip to Uganda, during which they began to plan the foundation for a church to be built in Lagutu. Today Pastor Jeff, Aaron, and the rest of our crew finally got to pour the foundation of the new church there! This was a truly beautiful project to be a part of for multiple reasons, the first being it is incredible to be a part of a church that not only has a dream for a community across the world but is able to speak it, pray it, and build it into reality.  Lagutu is a village with a horrific past but powerful future, with the newly built church serving as a symbol of hope and peace for the entire village.

 *Quick side note: Many pastors are willing to send missionaries without setting foot outside of their hometown. Pastor Jeff is not like many. Rather than sending, he is the first one in line going and doing; serving the ones the Lord has called him to serve and taking whoever wants to come alongside.

We all took part in one way or another in the construction process. Joan, Lindsey, Shannon, and myself (sometimes the guys but not really…) had the task of sifting sand. The process was simple: two people break down the sand pile and shovel it onto a wire sifter (looks like a mesh-wire door), while the other two people use pieces of wood to scrape the sand around and separate it from the rocks. Although this may sound easy, don’t be fooled. My blood was shed multiple times (what do you expect when people are using wooden swords to fight over sand to get jagged rocks out?).

The guys made concrete. Literally the hardest task in the world, another reason I’m glad I am a girl. Although I don’t fully understand the process, I know there was a lot of shoveling sand, boulders, water and dust into a huge pile, scraping it around for awhile, shoveling it in a wheelbarrow, running the wheelbarrow around the corner of the building on a 2x4, emptying the concrete into a room, then racing back to the pile just to run around the church with another wheelbarrow-full. The process lasted all day.

*Quick side note: do not be alarmed by the title. Nobody was shot by a sniper, Joan just had a moment. Anyone who knows her knows she is not the most graceful. While walking to the bus, Joan suddenly decides to trip over a tree branch, both feet flying in the air, and lands on the ground. Her fall is so sudden Pastor Jeff claimed “it looked as if a sniper got her.”

We had a chance to play with the children of Lagutu (by playing I mean running up and down the field and taking pictures. Duh. What do you do for fun?), which truly was a blessing. The children are full of incredible amounts of joy which only the Lord can provide. Josh was a fantastic doctor to one of the little girls today, who had a scraped up toe. It is neat to see how God uses everyone’s skills here to reach his beloved children in Lagutu.

The last event in Lagutu was distributing new jerseys to the local soccer team that SOM staff minister to. The jerseys were given by the Passback program from Eurosport Magazine that Chase has a connection with. There were some VERY excited faces as they tried on their new gear!

After the long day in the village, we headed to our hotel for dinner and some ridiculous conversation. The topics discussed at dinner ranged from the game of “Should Scott friend cute airplane girl on facebook or just let their relationship remain in the grips of the magic which happened 35,000 feet in the air??” (Feel free to vote in comments) to discussing the lifestyle of a co-wife. Yes, that’s right; another wife so the primary wife can have a buddy and the husband doesn’t have to decide on a wife! It was decided that for convenience sake, co-wives are assigned numbers and primary wives get names. To this, I sarcastically responded I would not mind being a number, and now I am known as number 12. I don’t take it offensively; after all, a Laurie by any other name would still be just as fantastic. J

Today has truly been a gift from God. Continue to pray for energy and joy for the team as well as continued growth and restoration for the community of Lagutu.

Sincerely,

Laurie…I mean #12, and ungraceful sniper girl.

(pictures to come later if we can get them to upload)

Here, hold my baby...

As you all probably know by now, we made it! A 7 hour flight to Amsterdam followed by an 8 hour one to Uganda. I know what you all are thinking…. “Wow, that’s a long time on a plane”. And you’re right, it is. But it is also a lot of movie watching, combined with a little sleeping, eating, and reading on the side. We had a mix of everything on our screens; from Bridesmaids to The Perks of Being a Wallflower to one of the men watching the Katy Perry movie. In case he reads this, I should probably add, for his sake, that Katy Perry’s father used to be a preacher, so her movie is more of a documentary about that and the ways she was raised rather than “her kissing a girl and liking it” (Hope you all get the joke, and if not then please know those are popular song lyrics of hers).

 The first night mainly consisted of riding to our hotel and going straight to sleep.  The next morning we all got up and ate some of the best pineapple on the planet, and then took a 6 hour bus ride to Gulu. Not long after leaving the hotel, we had our first experience as “white people”. One of the African guys we passed got really excited about seeing us and pulled out his phone to take a picture. Of course we let him because we’re celebrities and are used to having the paparazzi take our pictures, right?! (Props to CC for that joke).

 On the bus we decided to make our own music by singing random song lyrics, ranging from old country to 90s hip hop music. About halfway through the bus ride, we stopped for a restroom and snack break. While some of our girls were waiting in line to use the restroom, an African woman went up to the one named Joan, randomly handed her baby over to her and said, “Nice to meet you. I’ll be right back.” Thank goodness she really came back (CC’s humor again!) We all got a good laugh out of it.

Several hours later, we received permission to take a group picture on the bridge with the Nile in the background; a “postcard” photo indeed. While walking from the bridge to the van, we saw several Baboons.  Yes, they have pink butts just like the ones in the zoo do. However, the ones here are the size of a “mini Gorilla”. They are very calm around people, though, and we were able to get some awesome close-ups of them.

Once we arrived in Gulu, we were welcomed by the children and SOI staff with encouraging words, inspiring stories about what God has done and continues to do there, and a beautiful dance performed by the children, all who are between the ages 13 and 19. After introducing ourselves, we took a quick tour around the farm, headed back to the hotel, and called it a night after eating pizza (typical American food, I know).

The first two days included a lot of travel, but have truly been amazing. We have had a lot of fun and cannot wait to have some more tomorrow. In all serious, though, we are very thankful that the only problems we have encountered so far are just a couple of lost bags. God is keeping us all safe and healthy and we know that His hand of protection is upon us everywhere we go. Our group has hearts full of love for God and His children and we are excited to see how he chooses to reveal himself to us over the next few days. Please continue to pray for our safety and for good health and that we will fully open our eyes, ears, and hearts so that we may see, hear, and do everything that God wants us to while we are here. Thank you for your continued support and please know that we are praying for you all and our families and friends who are back home as well. Looking forward to writing again… talk to you all soon! 

In the air again... just can't wait to get in the air again!

travels with SOI over to Lagutu Uganda tomorrow, January 8th. We will be updating the blog as much as we can so please check back and keep us in your prayers.

Team members are:

Lindsey Bradley

Shannon Faucett

George Kapusta

Jeff Kapusta—Pastor at Life Point Church

Joan Knowles

Chase Shumate

Laurie Humphrey

Josh Watson

Aaron Talley

CC Reynolds