A Change in Call

2008-07-07T20:55:00.004-05:00

Thank you for your continual prayers. I pray that you are having a wonderful summer and God is using you.

God has brought an exciting change in my life. It has been something that I have been praying about for many years and something that my parents have been praying for even before I was born.

In February while on Home Ministry Assignment in Ohio I was able to reconnect with one of my best friends. He and I dated while we were in college and God has brought us back together full circle. We knew that God had brought us back together for life but were unsure how all of that was going to work. Each time I spoke at a church service or home meeting my heart was torn because I knew that I was called to Uganda and that would mean being very, very far away from Tim. I gave it to the Lord, but honestly I was hoping that God would call Tim to go with me. I was wrong, I was trying to fit Tim into my plans, the plans that I thought the Lord had for me.

As Tim and I talked, we discussed how we wanted God to be first in our relationship, each other second and family to be third. The problem was I was equating Uganda as God, therefore putting Uganda before Tim. God showed me that it didn't matter where I was or what I was doing, it was just important that God was first and that I was obeying Him. God has changed my call. I have resigned from World Gospel Mission and will not be returning to Uganda to serve. Right now, I am to be where Tim is and later God will show us together where He will use us. I was happy and sad, I didn't want to go back to Uganda alone, but I was also very sad because I love Uganda and know first hand how much they need my help right now. I was frustrated because I didn't know how God could change my calling so quickly, so during that process I really prayed for God to show me and confirm to me that this was what He wanted. And He did, and I know I am exactly where He wants me to be.

God used His calling me to Uganda as part of the confirmation process. As I was serving last year in Uganda, I knew God was calling me to return. I obeyed, but in my heart I also felt I was giving up on marriage. Not that God couldn't work a miracle, but it would be more difficult since I was a world away. God used this experience to confirm to me that, "You obeyed my calling, now here is your gift." Secondly if I would not have been on HMA (deputation) Tim and I would not have been in the same place long enough for us to realize that we still loved each other. And lastly God confirmed through my support raising. I had hardly raised any new support, the little money I had coming in wasn't even covering my travel expenses to raise the needed funds to return. God knew all along. His timing is perfect and I praise Him for knowing just what we need even before we do.

As Christians we are commanded to "Go into all the world". The call is the same, but the location has just changed a little bit.

Prayer Requests:
1. Please pray for Tim and me as we seek God's perfect timing for all things in our life.
2. Please pray for me as I seek to find a job in the Columbus/Circleville area.
3. Please pray for Uganda, that others would be called up to fill in the gap.

Thank you for being a part for my prayer and financial team! You are precious to me and I thank God for you!

MK's LOVE Soccer Too

2007-11-23T10:58:00.000-06:00

Soccer is a big deal in Uganda. Our MK’s (Missionary Kids) love it just as much as they do and most of them are on the HIS (Heritage International School) teams. And of course Aunt LeeAnn had to be there to cheer them on.

Here are some pictures of them playing. I miss you guys already!!!

I'm Home

2007-11-20T11:17:00.000-06:00

It is hard for me to say I'm home because Uganda was home too. Home for me can be many places, so for right now it will be the USA. But it will not always be, because God has called me to return to Uganda.

I hit US soil in Chicago with one missing piece of luggage and the other damaged, but praise the Lord nothing was lost. Even though we arrived later than planned into Kansas City, Missouri Thursday night, I still wanted to go out to eat at Jose Peppers (Mexican food).

I'm sorry it has taken me so long to update you on my blog and the details of my arrival. As always I hit the ground running and we have been taking advantage of the nice weather. Dad had me helping build fence, as well as cut up the three deer that he shot.

Saying goodbye in Uganda was not easy. I was anxious to see family here in the US. But in all reality, I am at complete peace in Uganda because that is where God has called me to be. Jesus is the one who gives me that peace.

The first weekend of December I will head to Indiana to WGM Headquarters. I will meet with WGM's review committee to finalize my application to become a career missionary with World Gospel Mission. Then in January I will return again for training seminars. Immediatley I will begin the process of traveling around the US to visit all of you who have helped me both with prayer and financial support this past year. I want to "Thank You" personally face to face for the blessing that you have been to me throughout this last year. I want to share with you the great things that God is doing in Uganda and how God wants to continue to use me when I return. So I ask you to pray for me as I begin these travels to come and see each and everyone of you.

I would also ask you to pray about the possibility of me coming to share at your church, camp meeting, or even a small group gathered in your home. Any assistance in this way will help me to return to Uganda even faster. Uganda is so short handed right now that I hated to leave, but I knew that it was necessary so that when I returned I could stay and serve for a longer period of time.

I would love to hear from you! Here is my contact information to set up a meeting:

LeeAnn Owen

6500 SE Grindstone Rd

Cameron, MO 64429

816-390-4236 cell

leeannafrica@yahoo.com

Just another normal day...

2007-10-26T15:42:00.000-05:00

Living in Africa, or any foreign country for that matter, requires the ability to be flexible and go with the flow. This week has been one of those weeks. Both the washer and dryer quit, the light in the pantry had a short, the back-up battery stopped, and we had two plumbing problems! But yesterday's happening had to be the funniest of them all.

As I was walking around downtown, taking care of a few items for the office and showing Michael Kelley (he is taking over the office when I leave) the ropes, my shoe fell apart! Yep, I'm walking along in the hot sun and the strap broke on my sandal! What else was I to do other than pick up both my shoes and start walking bare foot? Oh my! Was the cement ever hot! I think I burnt the bottom of my feet before I actually got into the shade of some of the buildings. I'm sure that everyone who passed me got a "kick" out of watching this Mzungu (white person) walking down the street without any shoes on her feet.

I stepped into a little convenience store and purchased the last tube of super glue they had. I kept on walking to the cell phone store, where I was heading to pick up the phone that was be worked on. The two girls working at the counter had huge eyes as I walked into the store. They said, "What happened?" All I had to do was hold up my shoe. I told them, "It's ok! I purchased some super glue and will glue it back together." Oh no, they would have none of that. One girl took off her shoes and gave them to me to wear and the other took me by the arm and said, "No, I am going to take you to someone who can fix your shoes right." So off we went. It was just across the street. The picture below is of the gentelmen who fixed my shoe. I was impressed with the process. But I really wondered if it would even hold. My shoes were just a pair of rubber sandals, but he sewed them, glued them, and they look great. His fee was only 1,000/= ($0.45) which I gladly paid. The girl who took me over to him was bartering for a lower price but I told her it was ok. This poor man was only trying to make a living for his family. You see this wooden box in front of him? Well, this is his business. He carries this box to and from work everyday. I would guess that you can find him in this exact spot every day as well.
This lady has her stand just beside this shoe repair man. I convinced her to let me take her picture by showing her the picture after I took it. The Ugandans love to see pictures of themselves.

Long Time

2007-10-11T12:37:00.000-05:00

Truth be told, I have no idea where the time has gone. The good thing is my stacks in the office are dwindling but the bad news is I will be leaving soon. It has been an interesting last couple months. Electricity has been off and on, last time I paid workers it was in the dark. Yep, I pay half of them in the morning at 7AM and the others at 7PM, and it is dark at 7PM, luckily there was a flash light nearby.

I am feeling the stress of running out of time to get everything done before I leave. Yes, there will be someone else here to fill in, but I really want EVERYTHING in perfect over before I leave. I don't want the Kelley's to have to figure out my unfinished messes.

My parent's and grandma are coming to visit, that will be a blessing. They arrive here next week. Hopefully they can help me catch up on a few things too!

Can't wait to see you all, I will begin my travels in January to raise prayer and financial support. I would love to come and see you, so let me know when is a good time to stop by!

MK Day

2007-09-02T07:07:00.000-05:00

Every couple of months I like to take ALL the WGM MK's (Missionary Kids) on an outing. Most of the time we just go to the pool, which everyone loves. But we had been waiting for a long time for the movie Ratatouille to arrive in Kampala so that we could ALL go and see it. We all loaded into the Prado and headed to the mall. Everyone with a drink and snack we were ready for the movie. After the kids played in the bouncy machine we headed for Ciao Ciao for ice cream. And arrived home just in enough time to go play football.

Happy Birthday!

2007-09-02T05:57:00.000-05:00

Yes, I had a birthday. Those who knew that were asking WHY I hadn't put any pictures on my blog from it (so here ya go). I turned 31 on the 18th of August and the night before all the missionaries in Kampala suprised me by taking me out to Haandi, my favorite restaurant here in Uganda. Until coming to Uganda I had never eaten Indian food and I absolutely LOVE it!

Emily and Ashley entertained themselves by playing UNO until the dessert was brought out.

Just over a month ago a restaurant opened in the mall called I Love NYK (New York Kitchen). It has become a favorite for all of us because they actually serve cheesecake, milkshakes and bagels. Things that we could never get here until now.

Without Words

2007-08-25T13:10:00.000-05:00

Ok, even I’m beginning to think I don’t do anything productive by looking at my blog, but I have to admit I think MOST (not all) of the things I do are pretty boring for a picture. Who wants to see me: 1) Handing out money for Africa Gospel Church ministries; 2) Counseling overseers on how they should be filling out their expense reports; 3) Waiting in lines at the bank; 4) Paying bills at MTN or UTL; or 5) Sitting at a desk looking at a computer. Ok, I give. Here's a picture of me sitting at my desk. :)

During the week you can find me doing any number of these things, but on the weekends one of our most important jobs as a missionary here in Uganda is to visit our surrounding Africa Gospel Churches. I try and visit a different church each Sunday morning to encourage not only the pastors but their congregations as well.

This past Sunday I visited Bukasa Wakiso. I was very touched when a lady came and thanked me for coming and for bridging the gap between Ugandans and Mzungu (white people). This is a truth I see every week. Just my presence speaks more than any words I could say. My willingness to worship with her, in her church was a love language to her.

That I would be willing to sit on a wobbly school desk, on a dirt floor, with no walls, spoke to her more than any words I could say. I continue to be humbled as to the ways that God uses me. It is nothing that I do or have done, just my willingness to be used by Him, wherever He sends me.

I was so impressed with these youngs boys playing the drum. They are so young but even the little one kept the beat perfectly. At one time there were even three of them playing it all at the same time.

"Let the children come unto me..." Matthew 19:14

Soccer Game - Uganda vs. Nigeria

2007-08-25T02:45:00.000-05:00

The Olympic sized stadium filled with happy fans after Uganda scored their first goal.

As soon as the game was over and Uganda had WON, people started jumping out of their seats down to the field.

And more and more people came down onto the field.

It didn't take too long for the SWAT team to mobilize. They didn't have to use their weapons, but were prepared too if things got to out of hand. Honestly, if this is the type of riot that happened when Uganda won, I would hate to find out what it would look like if Uganda had lost.

Excursions with the Nephews – Part 2

2007-07-30T13:44:00.000-05:00

Lake Mburu National Park is three to four hours southwest of the Kamapala. Just a little bit too far for just day trip. We braved it and made reservations with the Uganda Wildlife Authority to stay in some bandas. I wasn't expecting much and I was right, but at least it was a bed and a roof over our heads. The bathroom was a long ways away and oh, I couldn't get there anyway, there were hundreds of impala everywhere. Lots of memories and what you would expect about the true conditions in Africa. Baby Crocodile on Lake Mburu. It is hard to believe that this baby crocodile is already out on its own. We did see another large crocodile. Lets just say I wasn't at all disappointed that it was far, far away. It was absolutely huge and our boat was very very small in comparision.
Eland - The World's Largest Antelope

Our main reason for going on a walking tour was to see hyena. We walked and walked only seeing animals that we had already seen the day before while driving around. We wondered whether or not it was at all worth while. Almost back to the car, our guide spotted these Eland, they are very skittish and wouldn't let us get very close. Some Cape Buffalo were nearby as well and they made it known that they didn't like us in their pasture. I also saw my first crested crane (the national bird). It was way far away, but you could see it through binoculars.

Zebras - Are they not totally cool or what? This was the closest we could get to them, but I thought ten feet was a good distance. Zebras are very family oriented and stay together, even sometime adopting other families.

This Hippo gave us all a good scare, it popped its head up right next to the boat. A hippo can weigh up to two tons and are very mean animals when angry and could easily topple a boat if it thought you were a threat.

The Fish Eagle - They are everywhere along the Nile River and here on Lake Mburu.

Excursions with the Nephews - Part 1

2007-07-28T07:20:00.000-05:00

Meet 3 of our summer VIA (Volunteers in Action); Blake Hawk, Luke Allshouse and Jared Smallwood. They gave up half their summer to come and serve in Uganda in any way that they could. They are also the nephews of the Mayo family, which made it an even more enjoyable trip for them. I knew Blake from Honduras and had met Luke’s parents since they are also missionaries with World Gospel Mission. I enjoyed helping show them around Uganda and giving them work to do too (hehe).

The equator is nothing fabulous, and if you blink you WILL miss it, but very cool to be able to say you have been there. We stopped here on our trip to Lake Mburu

A Way of Life

2007-07-25T01:01:00.000-05:00

This is just one of the many types of vendors that walk the streets each day trying to make a living for their families.
A local vendor. In addition to the items you see outside, inside you will find the basics for the house and kitchen such as: oil, soap, cleaning supplies, sugar, flour, margarine etc.

Chicken or Beef

2007-07-21T04:32:00.001-05:00

I think the pictures speak for themselves. I am blessed to be able to purchase my meat and chicken already processed from a meat market. I do know how to butcher both chicken and beef from my experiences growing up on a farm in Missouri and in Honduras, but am very thankful that I do not have to take the time to do it here.

Feel at Heaven

2007-07-21T03:47:00.000-05:00

When we would say, “make yourself at home” or “feel at home” in Uganda it would be “Feel at Heaven”. Why do they say it that way? They don’t say “feel at home” because there are problems at home. Many do not know where the next meal will come from, but “feeling at Heaven” the trust is completely in God.

“Last night when we prayed, we prayed that visitors would come to our church on Sunday and you have come and now we are blessed.” I was in charge of taking 3 of our summer VIA to different churches each Sunday so that they could visit our various congregations. We had planned to visit one of the village churches, but it had rained that morning and the roads would not be passable. It was necessary to change our plans and come to Bukasa Wakiso, just as they had prayed for us to come.

Bukasa Wakiso is a 4 room school. Strings of reeds separate each of the classrooms and are raised for church services. The pews are actually homemade desks, but that doesn't stop the spirit from coming and worshiping here with these wonderful people.

Miria is the pastor she is one of the two women who have completed the Africa Gospel Church (AGC) pastoral training program. She is also the overseer for the AGC churches in the Kampala area. I am enjoying getting to know her better and better as she comes to my office to collect funds for the many projects that she oversees.

My main ministry is in the office and I count it a privilege that I get to interact with each overseer, as I hear from them at least on a monthly basis the needs in their area. They are very busy, they not only have a congregation of their own but they are responsible for visiting ALL of the churches in their area as well. During the week and sometimes on the weekends they travel to these other churches to encourage the pastors and the congregations, to plan camp meetings, leadership conferences, and run pastoral training sessions of their own in order to train up more pastors to continue to reach the un-reached areas. These travels and visits come with many needs and these needs are brought to my office. Many times we do not know where the funds will come from, but many times we have no choice, but to help fill these urgent needs.

Update

2007-07-14T05:10:00.000-05:00

Forgive me for not updating my blog in the last 6 weeks. I am amazed to think about how time flies, but then I think about all that has happened in the last 6 weeks and I'm not surprised. I will try and give you a complete update over the next couple weeks. So stay tuned! I have had lots of guests at my house these last few weeks. I have visited new parts of the country and seen first hand the beauty of God's creation as well as all the things that God is doing through His people here. My heart breaks as I visit the surrounding churches and schools. They are so content with so little and so happy.

My job in the office is both rewarding and heartbreaking as I see every need that comes knocking on our door. Most of those needs have been budgeted and individuals have donated funds to see that they happen, but what am I to do about all these other things that come knocking on our door. Pray for us, pray for all these needs, pray that we will know which needs God wants us to support, pray that the funds dispersed will be used wisely and lastly pray that God will continue to "Enlarge our Territory".

Bananas Anyone?

2007-05-31T14:21:00.000-05:00

These green bananas are Matoke, they are actually a cooking banana and it serves as one of the main staples of a Ugandan's diet. They cook it, mash it and serve it like mashed potatoes. This yellow mash is very bland in my opionion, but serves as a very good filler for them. They eat A LOT of it. Anytime you see a woman carrying something it is ALWAYS on here head, except for a child of course. This yellow variety is slightly different than what you can purchase in the US. My favorite bananas are the little ones. They look like fingers on a stalk and they are known as "sweet bananas".

IWU Team

2007-05-27T12:40:00.000-05:00

This entire month of May we have had a team here from Indiana Wesleyan Univerisity. The five girls on the team stayed with me. They came to serve wherever needed and we put them to work. They were blessing in so many ways. Countless one-day Bible schools were held in our surrounding AGC Churches. They loved on the children, taught them songs that they are still singing and most of all taught and showed them God's love. They also helped out at Heritage International School and did many odd jobs for the missionaries.

Back Row: Jess, Liz, Nissa, Criag

Front Row: Erin, J.E., and Hope

The IWU team girls and Amber Erny (a VIA here for 3 months). Amber has been helping out as a teacher's aid in the 2nd grade classroom at Heritage International School. Tuesday she will be heading to Arua (7 hours north) to help with the ministies there.

Meet my Co-workers

2007-05-27T12:27:00.000-05:00

I am blessed to work with some wonderful people here in Uganda. Pictured below you can meet our team here in Kampala. There have been many volunteers here throughout the year, but it seems that everyone is leaving. Lisa Fish is departing for the US next week as well for HMA so we will be very short handed this summer. And this fall if we do not have any more volunteers come.

Each and everyday we are blessed with more and more opportunites of ways that WGM can minister and help the people here in Uganda, BUT the labors are few. Please pray with us that more individuals would answer the call to come and serve here in Uganda.

The Mayo Family

Jonathan, Lisa, Jordan and Ethan

Jonathan is the director of the Uganda field and my boss.

The Hopson Family

Kenneth, Delight, Caleb, Austin and Emily

They are my neighbors here at the duplex.

The Kampala Uganda Team and visitors

2007-05-17T09:51:00.000-05:00

Pictured below meet the Kampala Uganda team, the Executive Team from our headquarters in Marion, Indiana, our regional director and his wife who live in Nairobi, Kenya and our field pastors from Lubick, TX (soon to be moving to KC, MO - YEAH). The executive team met with us about the future of World Gospel Mission as well as some necessary business meetings. It was a pleasure having them here and a time of fellowship as I had worked with almost all of them in Honduras.

Young Boy Digging in Trash

2007-05-16T13:01:00.000-05:00

This picture is so sad, but so real. This is just one of the many trash piles that I see people digging through each time I pass.

Baby on Mothers Back

2007-05-16T12:53:00.000-05:00

This is the Ugandan way to carry small children. You will never see a baby carrier as is so popular in the US. I actually helped a mother tie the cloth around the baby once. I felt sorry for the childs legs, but as you can see they are quite content.

Finance Talk to KIU Women

2007-05-15T13:44:00.000-05:00

Kampala International University (KIU) is in there final week of exams before they disperse for summer break. Last Monday evening I spoke to the women on finances and our responsibility of tithing, giving and saving. Even though most had grown up in the church and had been taught about tithing, there were many questions during the evening meeting. The idea of saving was a very new concept to be heard. Uganda is a culture that lives day to day. If a special meal is served the people will almost gorge themselves eating as much as possible because they don’t know where the next meal may come from. So this idea of saving is a foreign concept to them, yet needs to be taught considering these students will be the future leaders of Uganda.

They continue to accept me whole heartedly and I enjoy their open spirits. Pray that they would be a witness to their families and everyone they come into contact with. Also, pray for their discernment. Television evangelists and radio broadcasts are numerous, but do not always preach what the Bible says, causing much confusion in the hearts of these girls.

The students will return in July to begin classes again. I look forward to what God has in store through this ministry.

Rush Hour

2007-04-28T09:50:00.000-05:00

Believe it or not there is a rush hour in Kampala, but unlike the US, traffic laws are not obeyed. This road is actually two lanes, but you wouldn't know it. Sometimes there are 4 cars wide and then the boda bodas (motorcycles) weaving in and out. It is expected that no one is polite and you must push yourself through traffic. You complain about tailgating in the US, sorry, you have never seen tailgating. If you want to get anywhere in this city you can not leave more than a couple inches between yourself and the car in front of you when stuck in traffic.

Do you have this much balance?

2007-04-28T09:26:00.000-05:00

I am completely amazed at how much they can stack on a bicycle or motorcycle. These chairs were made in Arua. They are somewhat rough, but are comfortable. No lathe or anything similar like that was used that we would expect to go into the construction of a chair. These pieces of wood are strictly sturdy branches that these people have scraped the bark off and put together. Pretty well I might add.

Arua is a village type area and these people live on so little. They only wanted 2500/= shillings for each one. Do you know how much that is? You will not believe it but it is only $1.46. We know that we just got the biggest bargain of our life, but they are super excited as well and think they have took us in selling them to us at that price.

I purchased 7 of these chairs and we are going to put them out on the balconies. They have just been sanded and are waiting on a clear coat of varnish and they will be ready to use. The chairs wouldn't fit in the van, so we strapped them to the top. Yep Beverly Hillbilly style, which is very common here. I should have taken a picture to show you.

Road Trip (Part 3)

2007-04-28T07:36:00.000-05:00

When I first saw this elephant I thought it was going to knock down this tree,

but it just wanted to scratch its trunk. Just off to the right of this elephant was about 15 more and a few little babies. They were too far away to get a good picture, but an amazing site to see. Later down the path we saw an additional herd of about the same size with new babies and one to two year old elephants.

This is a Cape Buffalo Bull

Another Cape Buffalo but with its horns. I wanted to call them water buffalo since they look so much like the water buffalo we had on the farm school in Honduras. The only difference that I noticed was the color of their hide.

Waterbuck

This was the only Hippo that I got to see up close.

If you look close enough you can even see the hair on its nose. :)

We saw others out in the Nile river clumped together trying to stay cool.

Dr. Pepper

2007-04-22T14:30:00.000-05:00

Just an interesting fact for you. Dr. Pepper is very rare in Uganda, Africa and if it can be found it will cost you $1.63 per can. Needless to say it is not something I often purchase.

Road Trip (Part 2)

2007-04-14T00:58:00.000-05:00

Seeing the giraffe was probably my favorite part.

These were the closest, but as we drove around the park we saw many more at a distance.
Murchison Park has 3 different varieties of giraffe, but I was only able to see this type up close.

Warthog with Uganda Kob standing behind.We saw many warthog (Pumba from Lion King as Jordan and Ethan would say) throughout the day. April turned out to be a perfect time to go and see the animals, because of the new babies. Each time we saw baby warthogs there were always 2 of them.
Hardabeast

Road Trip (Part 1)

2007-04-13T11:30:00.000-05:00

I had the privilege of tagging along with the directors family as they traveled to Arua this week. Arua is a department and town in the northwest corner of Uganda. World Gospel Mission has been planning for the last four years to place missionaries in that area to further the work here in Uganda as well as into Sudan and Congo. WGM's main focus in Uganda is to train pastors, in order to establish more churches therefore reaching more people for Christ. Just three months ago this dream came true as the first missionary couple moved to Arua. With recent additions, 3 more missionaries have relocated to Arua to assist in this ministry.

It was exciting for me to be able to go on this trip to see where they are living and see first hand the ministry opportunities available to them. It helps me to know how to pray for them better and also be an encouragement to them as they face many new challenges. Arua is far from developed and many of the conveniences found in the capital city can not be found in Arua. For example: Ground beef is not available for purchase. Instead, raw meat must be purchased in the market and then ground into minced meat. They need our prayers as they make many first time adjustments.

The exciting news for them is the hearts of the people. This ministry of friendship evangelism is already proving effective as they seek to help the Ungandans, Congolize, and Sudanese in the Arua area. Already men are seeking them out so that they can be trained as pastors in order to be better equipped to take the Word of God back to their own villages.

Along the 8 hour drive to Arua we pass through some of the reserve portion of Murchison National Game Park. And I got to see my first Africa animals since arriving in December. I was so excited.

Shortly after crossing over the Nile River we saw these Verbet Monkeys. Next we saw lots of baboons and lastly this red haired old looking monkey that we still do not know the name of.

Just before leaving the reserve portion of the game park I saw my first elephant. Even at a distance they looked huge. It is so amazing that they animals roam freely in this territory, just as God created them to be. My total count of animals seen for the day was: 20-30 Verbet Monkeys, 20-30 Baboons, 7 Elephants; and 3 Hippos sleeping in the river. I was so excited and couldn’t wait until the way home when we could drive through the game park and see so much more!

"The Journey of a Woman"

2007-04-09T23:46:00.000-05:00

Thank you so much for your prayers! The women’s conference was a success. Forty five girls came to hear what God’s word has to say about “The Journey of a Woman”. Transportation in Uganda is quiet unique and the girls arrived in stages in this “matate”. It returned the 8 miles through traffic two additional times to pick up more girls. This little bus/taxi is only supposed to haul 14 people, but they crammed in 17-18 each time.

There are 4 of us leading and teaching in this ministry. I spoke about singleness and what God would have us to do as single women, while others spoke on marriage, submission, and the role of a woman. The Lord led me to share about what He has been teaching me in I Corinthians 7:34 “…an unmarried woman or virgin is concerned about the Lord’s affairs: her aim is to be devoted to the Lord in both body and spirit.” I shared with them this verse and a little bit of my testimony and how God’s timing is perfect.

The following Monday evenings bible study was set aside to answer any questions they had about Saturday’s topic. They had many questions, and I was so thankful for the knowledge and experience of the other 3 ladies that are helping to lead in this ministry. I felt very inadequate towards the task and realized how much I need to learn. Please pray for me in this area that God will show me and teach me as I teach them. I am scheduled to speak again towards the end of April on finances.

Please Pray

2007-03-30T14:29:00.000-05:00

Hi everyone! I’m sorry I haven’t updated my blog in a while. Great things are happening here I just haven’t had time to sit down and write them. And don’t know that I will have time until late next week. We have lots of visitors here right now, which are a huge blessing. It is also year end for me in the office and lots of numbers and entries to be made. I have been going non stop for 3 days and still have a few hours to go tonight, so hopefully I’ll get to bed by 1AM.

Please pray the women’s conference tomorrow. I and three other women will be speaking to the KIU College students. The topic is, “A Walk through a Woman’s Life”. We will focus on single hood, relationships and marriage. Pray that we can be a blessing to them, an encouragement to them in their walk with the Lord, as well as help them to understand and pursue God’s plan for there lives.

Thank you all so much for you prayers and support! I hope to give you full updates on ALL the happenings next weekend when things should be slowing down a little bit.

MK Day at the Pool

2007-03-20T13:37:00.000-05:00

MK's (Missonary Kids) are very dear to my heart, especially since I am one. My roommate and I took a Saturday and spoiled them with a trip to the pool. It was a treat, not only for the kids, but for their parents as well, so they could have some alone time.

From left to right: Austin Hopson, Jordan Mayo;

Caleb Hopson and Ethan Mayo;

Emily Hopson and Jeannie Banter.

I was too busy driving or taking pictures to make it in any of them.

Austin and Jordan

Caleb and Ethan

Austin, with a mischeivous grin.

Poor Emily she is the only girl, but she is good at keeping these boys in line!

Three Months - God's Call

2007-03-18T07:57:00.000-05:00

It is hard to believe I have been here for over 3 months now. God is good, He knew exactly what he was doing when he directed three missionaries to give me a call to come and help in Uganda. Everything that I have been asked to do or noticed that needed to be done is something that I already had training or experience in doing. I am humbled daily at His goodness and how he prepares us for such a time as this. The culture is very different from Latin America, which has been a challenge to learn. I think this will take a complete life study to fully understand, but that just may be what God is calling me to do. Pray with me as I start the beginning stages of applying in the Missionary Disciple program with World Gospel Mission to return to Uganda.

I am working with headquarters in Indiana to get that process started from here. That way when I return in December, I will already be in the process of becoming a career missionary. Yes, you heard right I will be staying longer than July. There has been a delay with the family that was supposed to come and take over in the office. They will not be able to arrive until June and then can not begin language study until the fall when their kids are in school. God had already prepared my heart that I would most likely stay longer. So when the need arose I volunteered to stay longer without any hesitation. God will provide the funds for me to stay longer, there is no question in my mind. I could not be here if it was not for all of you lifting me daily before the father and for your financial help as well. May God bless you!

The Uganda field (located in East Africa) is one of the newest fields within World Gospel Mission and was established fifteen years ago when missionaries came over from Kenya to begin starting churches under Africa Gospel Church. There are now over 200 churches in Uganda under Africa Gospel Church and many more pastors in training as we speak. Training pastors is the primary ministry here in Uganda, as well as training youth ministers, translation of tracks, and various curriculums to help the churches grow more in their faith. It has been very exciting to learn the many ways that God is working here in Uganda. My duties are primarily in the office and running around town paying bills and working with directly with businesses. I was worried that I would not have a personal witness being in the office so much but God has continued to encourage me that I am right where he wants me. It is exciting that after 3 months I am now able to start up conversations with people at the bank, cashiers at the grocery store, and at MTN, Uganda Telecom, Total, etc. The list goes on, but since they see me so often and they know that I am with World Gospel Mission, it opens up doors in starting conversations about their faith. I am amazed at how many radio stations here play Christian music, and what a blessing it has been for a conversation starter when I can complement the music that they are playing in their business.

I have also began helping out in one of our ministries at Kampala International University (KIU). I am assisting in one of the women's meetings for female students at KIU. I am looking forward to what God has in store through this ministry. KIU is one of the most well known and sought after universities in East Africa and many of the students come from surrounding countries. The church has 500 students attending on a weekly basis and hundreds of them seeking the Lord during Sunday services at the university. The possibilities are endless with this ministry. Hundreds of students are seeking God and wanting to be fed spiritually more than just on a weekly basis. Bible studies are held at all hours of the day in order to reach as many people as possible. So many that there is not enough space for all them to meet. Pray with us as we pursue leads in order to purchase a building near the school.

Anything can be hauled on a Boda Boda

2007-03-18T04:58:00.000-05:00

Boda Boda's are the main souce of transportation here in Uganda. If you can tell, they are only little mopeds or small motercycles. I haven't been able to take as many pictures of them as I would like to since most of the time I am driving. As you can tell, almost anything can be hauled on them. Beware when you are drving because they swerve in and out of traffic like they own the place and if they are carrying something wide, your vehicle just may get scratched if you're not careful. Last week, as I was going around a round about, a boda boda cut in front of me then stopped. Ohhh, I slammed on my breaks, but praise the Lord I got stopped. It was very close, but he just turned around and looked at me.

Only in Africa

2007-03-18T04:55:00.000-05:00

Friday night as I was lying on the couch watching a movie. I started getting buzzeD, and it wasn't your normal mosquito. These were bigger and they were making flapping noises all over the room. I got up and turned on the light and they were everywhere. They were coming in under the front door and close to a 100 were flying around the room.

I had no idea what they were. I’ve only lived in Africa for 3 months and I had never seen anything like them before. I live in a duplex, so I walked next door to find out what I was up against. They had been experiencing the same thing, and I learned that they were flying ants. I have seen big ants but with the wings they were about an inch long. Austin (8 years old) offered to help me kill them all. Yep, we tromped all over my living room with a fly swatter in hand and killed all of them. I had ant wings all over the place.

After it was all over, they asked me if I ate any of them. “Of course not” I said. In Africa they are a common source of food. Ugandans will catch them and eat them raw, but others say they are better fried in butter. Well there you have it, only in Africa!

International Dinner

2007-03-09T14:32:00.000-06:00

Last Friday night I participated in an International Dinner at Heritage International School (HIS) where WGM has multiple ministries. The dinner was unlike anything I had ever experienced before and a very neat experience.

Tables were set up all around the room. Each table represented a country and the students of that country that attended this school. Their parents graciously brought in food to share with everyone from their country.
1) Uganda had the biggest spread of everything typical and all of it was cooked inside banana leaves to keep it moist. Chicken, pea soup, matoke (cooked bananas), chapatis (similar to a tortilla) and much more.
2) Canada brought shepherds pie and a red cake.
3) England brought pastries with meat and veggies inside.
4) Philippines brought this roasted pig.
5) Holland brought dirty rice with veggies
6) Italy brought pasta, more pasta and Italian ice cream
7) South Korea brought California rolls and a chow mein dish.
8) Singapore brought a very hot and spicy chicken over rice (um good).
9) Kenya, Rwanda, Malawi, Ethiopia and Burundi were also represented.
10) United States brought homemade rolls, pizza, mashed potatoes, macaroni and cheese, pasta salad, brownies and much much more.
After we enjoyed trying the different foods from each table, time was given to each country to come and share the national anthem and/or things that are special in that country. These are the things that most impressed me:
1) A large part of Holland would be under water if it were not for the dikes.
2) The Philippines is made up of 3 main islands and over a 100 little ones. They are known for the largest eagle in the world and its name is translated, “the monkey eating eagle”.
3) No one in Singapore can have chewing gum. If you are caught chewing, chewing gum you will be fined. Also, for many years it was frowned upon to have more than one child. Now the country is struggling with a deteriorating population and the government is now rewarding families with very large financial gifts for having 2, 3 or more children.
4) All the national anthems and stories were special. Each one was proud to speak of their beloved country.
5) Those from the United States stood and sang the Star Spangled Banner, as well as, Take Me Out to the Ballgame.

It was a very fun evening meeting so many people from so many different countries. It made me realize the importance of Christian education and the impact that it can have, not only on children, but on the entire family as well.

Source of the Nile

2007-02-26T10:25:00.000-06:00

Uganda borders Lake Victoria and I can even see the lake from where I live. While visiting one of the surrounding churches a couple weeks ago we did a little bit of site seeing and saw the originating point of the Nile River.

Yes, the Nile River. At first glance it looks like any other river but when you think about the significance and the history behind it, it overcomes you: 1) Moses floated on this river in papyrus basket as a baby, and 2) The Nile River was turned to blood as a plague to the Egyptians.

Uganda Entertainment

2007-02-26T09:26:00.000-06:00

This group of men were working for money. The one guy was doing all kinds of tricks with this bamboo pole, while the rest of the group played instruments to his acting and others walked around the crowd with baskets for you to deposit your tips.

This pole is free standing it is NOT cemented into the ground. He climbed all the way up it while balancing himself, as well as many other tricks.

Lake Victoria Fishing

2007-02-16T13:03:00.000-06:00

You would not believe how bad this fish port stunk. They had thousands of fish laying out on the ground drying them so sell later. We held our breath while trying to get away from the bad smell, but the smell got in the car and we could still smell it miles down the road.
These men were fishing right where Lake Victoria meets the Nile River.

Walking for Water

2007-02-16T12:51:00.000-06:00

Can you imagine having to walk miles just to have water in your house? This is a common responsibility for children of the family to be responsible for carrying water to the house.

Typical Baganda Dress

2007-02-16T12:23:00.000-06:00

Uganda is made up of close to 60 tribes and one of the biggest are the Baganda people. These ladies were actually attending a wedding, but you do see women walking down the streets every day dressed in these typical outfits. Most often though the sashes do not match.

Jinga - Mesese

2007-02-04T06:19:00.000-06:00

Last weekend was my first time outside of the city. Once again I was reminded of how similar the landscapes here are to Honduras. I was accompanying missionary Lisa Fish to Jinga to visit one of our Africa Gospel Churches (AFC) to determine if her youth group from Heritage International School would be able to assist in the construction project at the AGC Mesese as their mission’s trip.
We first visited David Dikusooka in his home which was along the coast of Lake Victoria. He is the pastor of the Mesese congregation as well as the overseer for the 20 churches on the Buvuma islands. He has come to my office on many occasions to pick up money for the various ministries and projects that he oversees, but I had never met his family. His wife Judy understands English but is only learning to speak it. His 6 children are precious and they gave us a very warm welcome. As it is custom we were the honored guests and David sent one of his children to purchase cold sodas and pastries for the guests. He did not have her purchase enough for all of them, only us. The pastries were huge and it was very embarrassing to eat in front of them, but in Uganda it is rude not to eat what you are served. So we asked if we could share them with the children. They were very excited and loved it.

The church is still under construction as you can tell, but that does not stop the congregation from using it. Most of the work that still needs to be done must be completed by a skilled worker. Masonry and tile laying are not jobs fit for teenagers so that part of the trip was unsuccessful but it was still very exciting to see first hand one of the many church building projects going on around the country. Part of my responsibilities in the office is to distribute funds that have been donated to help assist in projects just like this one.

Lizard! Lizard!

2007-01-24T10:10:00.000-06:00

Check out my new friend. I had seen a few of these types of lizards while driving around the city, but never had a chance to take a picture of one. Then today I saw this one on the cement fence around the edge of the mission property where I live. No one has been able to tell me if this lizard has a special name or not, just lizard. At least it is better than the answer we got while shopping with another missionary for plants last week. She asked the man what kind of plant that was and he said...well...we call it WEED. It is very common for the Ugandans to give you an answer no matter whether it is right or not, even when asking for directions. They may have no idea but they won't say that, it is their culture to give you some type of answer even though it may not be correct. Word to the wise, keep stopping along the way to ask for directions from multiple people and hope that all of them aren't wrong.

Busy Busy

2007-01-18T12:28:00.000-06:00

These birds live in the trees here in the city. You can almost always see them in trees in every round about and in the trees between the streets. They are very ugly but so common for here in Kampala.

It has been a very busy last two weeks. I have been going in so many directions I don't know that I could even tell you what all I have done, but great things are happening here on the Uganda field. So much is in need of being done here in the office, so much had been put on hold for so long that it will take me months to get caught but I am so glad that I can help and love all that I have been doing.

The biggest challenge lately has been the traffic. Now that rainy season is mostly over the city has decided it is time to fix all the pot holes in the roads, but they have decided to do all the roads at the same time, so over half of the main traffic ways are closed or at least partially blocked off, which has caused everyone to take the same alternate routes and a simple commute of 15 to get home from the bank now takes 1 hour and 45 minutes. Not only does it take for ever but it can also be dangerous as well. I am white so I am a major target for theft and if I am stuck in traffic I have no where to run. Please pray for me, many days I am carrying very large amounts of cash and I need the Lord's protection. Yesterday a two way street became 4 lanes of traffic, cars were driving on the curbs trying to get through and the car I was driving kept dying on me and the clutch was acting up too. Needless to say it is going back to the shop again tomorrow.

I appreciate you all very much and am so thankful for your prayers and God's grace and love that encourages me on a daily basis. Thank you for your e-mails and your support. May God Bless you today and always.

Monkeys

2007-01-12T10:18:00.000-06:00

Sunday night after church as we were getting ready to leave, someone noticed these monkeys playing out on the soccer field. Since I haven't traveled outside of the city the extent of the animals that I have seen are these monkeys and a few birds.

Business Overseas

2007-01-06T15:31:00.000-06:00

Nothing happens fast when you are out of the US in my experience. I am going to try and explain to you what happened on our trip to MTN (local phone, cell, and internet company). They have many offices all over the city just like Cingular does in the states. We went to purchase a box for wireless internet. In order to do this you had to bring in your computer so that they could program your PC for you. MTN would not sell you the box unless you did this because they did not want you to go out on the street and resell the internet box for twice the price. Which is frequently done because of the rarity of such items and people will pay a higher price to get one.

Four Mzungo (what they call us because we are white) walk into a local MTN store and ask to purchase these boxes. Three of us were using sim cards we already had therefore an official letter was required. The letter explained that we wanted these three numbers activated for data connection and with the mission stamp (that is a normal cultural thing outside the US, very similar to a notary seal).

While we were waiting for Eve (our MTN helper) to contact MTN headquarters to make the changes to our sim cards she began helping the other missionary with us. He purchased his box and sim card. Then she began unhooking all her cords from her computer to hook into his CPU to load the software and setup the device. And all the sudden there was a huge BOOM. There went his computer. She had plugged a 220 power cord into his CPU that was only set up for 110. Yeah, major oops. After much complaining they kept the CPU and were going to send it to tech to see if they could fix it. We aren’t too hopeful but you have to at least let them try.

Now that the damage was done it was time to move on to the other 3 people. After that episode no one really wanted her to touch their computers. It didn’t matter though we were sent to another office with our letter in hopes of getting our data connection numbers hooked up. At the next location more time was spent and we were told they should be working in 2 days. After 2 days it still required another phone call before they were completely working. Welcome to Uganda, you must have patience.

Happy New Year!

2007-01-04T02:02:00.000-06:00

It’s hard to believe that it is already the year 2007. I pray that you all had a wonderful Christmas and Happy New Year with your family and friends. The week between Christmas and New Year’s is usually the quietest. Traffic wasn’t as bad either. YEAH and was the best for traffic. Many families go out of town for vacation and or to visit family members in other parts of the country.

New Year Eve I celebrated with some other missionaries with supper and games. At 12:00 we went outside and could see stateside worthy fireworks being shot off. As we drove towards home after the fireworks there were people everywhere and a two lane road of traffic was four cars wide as we crept along trying to get through traffic to get home.

On New Years Day almost everything is closed so we splurged by visiting a very fancy resort nearby and paid the daily fee of 10,000 shillings ($5.80) and 3 of us enjoyed the sun for the day. We got sun alright and a little burnt too, but it was fun. We ordered lunch pool side and I had the fried tilapia. As you can see it is cooked whole, this is very normal here in Uganda as it was in Honduras. But I have to say the tilapia I had in Honduras at Lake Yajoa was much better.

Mail

2006-12-30T12:25:00.000-06:00

Yeah, I got my first piece of mail today. Just a Christmas card, but such a blessing. E-mail’s are fabulous too. Thanks to all of you for writing. I love getting them and try to reply as soon as possible. My e-mail is leeannafrica@yahoo.com I also use this address on yahoo messenger if any one wants to chat I am usually on for a little bit in the evenings my time, which is 9 hours ahead of central time.

Christmas Blessings

2006-12-30T03:34:00.000-06:00

This was the first Christmas ever that I wasn’t able to be with my immediate family for Christmas. But little did I know when I volunteered to come and serve in Uganda that an old friend of mine was already here serving in Uganga. God is so good! She and her husband opened their home just as all the other missionaries have and spoiled me with a stocking on Christmas day. The stocking was stuffed with all kinds of goodies to make the celebration of Jesus Christ’s birth an even more memorable day.

Christmas Eve

2006-12-30T03:14:00.000-06:00

I celebrated Christmas Eve with all the other missionaries at the directors house. Each of us brought food items that reminded us of home. I made a squash casserole, homemade noodles and stuffing. We all splurged and purchased a honey baked ham. And when I say splurge I mean splurge, but it was very good. The cost of a honey baked ham here in Uganda is $6.72 a pound. Ugg!

Kampala Traffic

2006-12-22T09:49:00.000-06:00

Not even I could imagine how bad the roads would be here in Kampala and my expectations were not very high having lived in Honduras for so many years. It is at least 5x worse than driving in Honduras. Some holes cover the entire width of the road and could have a drop of at least a 6-18 inches. So beware, and make sure you do not own a car in this country because you will bottom out.

Kampala consists of hundreds of round-a-bouts that direct you to different parts of the 2.5 million population of Kampala. The picture you see is the back up of traffic trying to get through the main round-a-bout. Two lanes of traffic are often 3 sometimes four and traffic officials just make the congestion worse than it already is.

We joke about the fact you can do all your Christmas shopping while stuck in traffic, but the fact is, it is true. Yesterday alone you could have purchased: a Christmas tree, Christmas decorations, new shoes, a cowboy hat, scrub brushes, car charge or toys such as a beach ball. No need to get out of the car they walk in between traffic and come right to your window.

All in a Days Work

2006-12-21T04:48:00.000-06:00

We as Americans are so blessed! This man works hard manual labor and will only earn $3-4 for the entire day. His job is to break large stones into smaller rock. This quarry is located about half a mile from where I am staying. They blast out sections of the mountain two times a week so on Wednesday and Friday in the afternoon you will hear a load alarm sounding to warn the workers to stay back.

Swahili Church

2006-12-20T15:21:00.000-06:00

Thomas a member of an Africa Gospel Church here in Kampala and was asked by his pastor to start a church in the part of the city where he lived. Thomas has yet to receive any formal training to be a pastor, but was willing to follow the Lord’s leading to reach others for Christ. A pastor can be trained for as little as $600, which pays for 2 years of training. Thomas is in the application process to receive training to become a certified pastor with the Africa Gospel Church.

This service was conducted in Swahili so I understood very little, but the presence of the Lord was in that place and we worshiped Him. We sang How Great Thou Art, Blessed Assurance (Mwenendo Wa Waamini), Bringing in the Sheave and Standing on the Promises among other beautiful choruses. The kids sat on fiber mats on the dirt floor and the adults sat on make shift narrow desks, but we all praised the Lord in that 18x20 room made from adobe blocks and no windows.

Drummers at Kitali Church

2006-12-12T03:24:00.000-06:00

Katili Church

2006-12-12T03:11:00.000-06:00

Sunday morning we attended this church in Kitali. Wilson is the pastor and he is in one of the photos in the purple shirt and tie. There was no electricity Sunday so the generator was connected and you can see how the keyboard is plugged into a very large battery too. The service was mostly in Swahili and then different individuals took turns translating to English. The Ugandans speak a very broken English and often do not complete sentences so you must listen closely wherever you are.

Wilson also works for the mission and handles a lot of our business errands. In Uganda bills do not come in the mail, nor can you send a payment by mail. Everything has to be paid in house by check or most often cash. So Wilson helps me do that so that I don’t have to be out of the office as often. I look forward to getting to knowing him and his family better as time goes on.

I'm Here

2006-12-07T13:29:00.000-06:00

I'm here! I arrived safely and without any problems. I arrived at 9am yesterday 12-6-06 Ugandan time and with all my luggage. Praise the Lord. The flights were very long, but not unbearable since they were at night and I was very short on sleep. I passed the time by sleeping, watching the in flight movies or writing "thank you's".

The lay of the land is mountainous and very tropical, very similar to Honduras. It is rainy season right now so rains a little bit each day. As of yet I haven't noticed a pattern where it rains at the same time everyday. Because of the rain it isn't very hot so the temperature is comfortable, but there is some humidity and my hair is telling me all about it.

Yesterday I unpacked and began learning my duties in the office and of course went to bed very early. I was asleep within minutes and slept straight for 11 hours and probably could have slept more. Thank you for yours prayers concerning "jet lag". They have been answered and I am adjusting to the time change without any problems.

Today consisted of more office training and meeting most of the employees. The person I am filling in for is leaving on Monday so I must learn fast. Part of my duties includes driving so I got my first experience of driving in Africa today. Don't forget that they drive on the WRONG side of the road (laughing) and the steering wheel is on the WRONG side of the car and the gear changer is still in the middle which means my left hand had better get strong and used to it fast. So far I am driving an automatic but that may change soon and I may have to learn how to shift with my left hand. Ugggg! Welcome to Africa!

Although the most common language is English they speak a very broken English and pieces of a few different tribal languages mixed in. Therefore I am going to need to learn some Swahili and Luganda to be able to understand and fully communicate.

I haven't had a chance to take very many pictures yet, but this is the view from my balcony and you can see Lake Victoria in the upper right hand corner.

Layover in London

2006-12-07T13:08:00.000-06:00

As I told you before the whole trip to get to Africa would take me 36 hours. That 36 hours consisted of a 15 hour lay over in London, England. And I was not about to sit in an airport for that long and for sure not a famous city that I have never been to before. Sooooooo…I was adventurous and took the subway downtown to catch the tour bus. It was one of the red double decker buses and although it was cold I still road on top where I could take better pictures. I took lots of great pictures but only one with me in it.

2006-12-04T01:02:00.000-06:00

Last weekend I spoke at two churches about "God's Timing" and how He has orchastrated everything in my life. From my call to missions, to the preparations of going and provinding in order to go. Saturday night I spoke at my home church and church plant here in Cameron, MO and then Sunday morning at a wonderful little country church in Iowa.

It's Time

2006-12-04T00:49:00.000-06:00

The time has come for me to leave. The final good byes will be spoken in just a few hours. I'm sure I have forgotten something, but I will just have to live with out it. I am excited and look forward to all that God has in store. This is short, but you'll understand when you look at what time I am writing this and I still have plently to do before I can rest my head for a couple hours.

Thank You for your prayers!

Happy Thanksgiving

2006-11-24T15:33:00.000-06:00

I trust you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving. We had a wonderful time at grandma's house will all the normal fixings that left us miserably stuffed. It was a great day to spend with family and watch football. And yes the Chiefs won!!!

Only a week and two days before I leave and I feel like I have a list a mile long of things that I would like to do or get done before I leave.

My plane departs at 11:15AM out of Kansas City, MO 12-4-06. I change planes in Chicago and fly straight to London where I have a 15 hour lay over and arrive into Kampala, Uganda 12-6-06 at 8:30AM their time. Yes I will be in route for 36 hours with the time change. Hopefully I will get to do some sight seeing in London during my lay over.

My biggest challenge will be packing. I am only allowed 2 pieces of luggage and they can not weigh over 50lbs each. Ugg! I am a very good packer but only 100lbs for 8 months. That will be a challenge.

Almost Ready

2006-11-15T21:19:00.000-06:00

I rejoice in the Lord for He is good! It is the 15th of November and God has provided through the faithfulness of His people. Fifty percent of the funds needed to be raised by today in order to begin the process of purchasing my ticket. I am in awe, 75% of the funds have been raised and I can't help but rejoice in the goodness of our Lord.

I will know in the next few days the exact date and time of my departure for Kampala, Uganda. I have two days left working at SST in St. Joseph as an Internal Auditor. Then the next two weeks will be filled with as much family time as possible and many little and big things that need to be completed before my departure. Including six more shots. Yes, I have already received four, but I can not complain. The required shots for entrance into Uganda, Africa were Yellow Fever, Tetnus and Typhoid. Some others were recommended and since my current insurance covered the cost of these immunizations I decided, "better safe than sorry". So I am also receiving Measles, Polio, Hepatitis A, Hepatitis B and Rabies. Oh, I also have to take Malaria pills. Yuck! I haven't had to take those things since I first went to Honduras in 1986 and I can still remember that nasty taste. Lets just hope that they have created a better coating for these pills in the last 20 years.

2006-10-28T21:51:00.000-05:00

I am excited about this new "blog" idea so that I can post pictures and updates on my preparations and ministry opportunity in Uganda, Africa. Stay tuned for more...