A few years ago a trip like this was a dream.  We had a group of kids, many still living in the village with their grandparents or parents if they still have them alive.  We had a uniform for each child, a set of drums and literally nothing else.  Only a prayer that the Lord would provide a way………a way to touch the hearts of people here in America from some of the most humble that walk this earth.  We faced many obstacles and some naysayers said we were doing the wrong thing. Yet in the end, God would be glorified.

Over the past two weeks, we made many travels outside Tyler showing these children the great state of Texas. We got the opportunity to visit Austin. After meeting these deputies, Jude said he wasn’t going to shake hands with anyone else. Of course Pastor Emmy snuck up on him and shook his hand just a few feet later.

Here we would have a home concert in the backyard of a home some called “the garden of Eden.”

So grateful for the families of the Westlake area who came together and opened their beautiful homes.

I remember Laban staying with a host family and sitting down next to their fireplace.  There he would utter these famous words,  ”what is the purpose of this?”

To be honest it wasn’t providing heat and we weren’t cooking on it, so we are still trying to find an answer for Laban.  I love these kids and the perspective they bring. Really, it’s refreshing and a reminder to us all that there are so many things in our culture that serve little purpose but making something look good.This kinda reminds me of 2 Sam 16:7 that God does not look at the external, rather he sees our hearts for who we truly are. If the we could see inside the hearts of these 13 PCM children…….oh my gosh Lord would that be some real beauty.  We are grateful for so many of you that have this past month.

During this excursion to Austin we even had some time in Austin to have funs at Zilker park……Epa loves playing ball with the boys and girls 30 years younger than him,

and sometimes although very rare, the old man can still bring it up from his heels and bring back some glory from days past. Don’t ask him how he felt the next day.

So grateful for Mary Jacobs and Kelsey Carr for organizing this whole event in Austin. No two college students have done more for PCM than you two.   We shall return in 2014 !!!

Soon it was off to Rockdale, Texas and home to Pastor Jack Chelf and his congregation.

We are so appreciative of First Baptist Rockdale.  No gift was greater to our ministry than being able to use their mini bus for the whole month of April.

I wish there was some way to share the joy we had in this bus and all the songs that were sung in it during the month. FBC Rockdale you have a special place in our heart.

The bus made its way through the streets of Rockdale and eventually made it to our next destination: Orange, Texas. Wow, wow……..we have quite the following there now, the former home of PCM Director of Ministries “Deuce” Hayes.

There the kids took an air boat ride in the swamps and spent time with Bob and Judy Hayes along with the rest of the North Orange crew.

Rusty Dollar and Karen Holmes helped set up a program at Community Christian School, a school that has already done so much to love on our PCM kids. They have found unique ways to raise money for the children the school is sponsoring including this recycling bin.

The Uganda choir loved spending the morning with the students at Community Christian School and learning about what school in like in the USA.

Rusty’s wife Michele (Deuce’s sister) and their daughter Morgan as well as Bob and Judy Hayes will be traveling with a PCM team in just a few weeks to experience Uganda for the first time !!

From Orange, the choir took the short hop to Port Neches, DC’s old stomping grounds and home of her parents, Debbie and Jerry White. Emanual loved seeing Jerry’s tools and dreaming of what his father Pastor Charles could do with all these wonderful toys. Quite a lot I promise you.

We had a very warm welcome from First Baptist Port Neches and both at the church and in the host homes.  We wished we could spend more time in Southeast Texas for sure.

The bus rolled north next to 1st Baptist Lufkin for our first ever trip there.  The house was packed on a Wednesday night and we were thrilled to worship with them.

Afterwards the pastor looked up at the ceiling and said,  ”we have never seen this much dancing here at this church and the ROOF IS STILL STANDING.”  Wahoooooo, I love our children.  They are bringing down walls of what separates the American church and teaching all of these churches that though their worship may be a bit different, it’s okay to sing and jump and dance for the Lord. He sees the heart of these kids and oh let me tell you, it is a beautiful sight.

The children made their way back to Tyler where all 17 stayed at the home of Epa and Kiconco that night. We watched home movies from 5 years ago and the children laughed at each other for how much they had grown and how badly they were mispronouncing some of the worship songs when they were so much younger.  Funny how we never noticed that back then. These kids like to get their worship right.  ;o)

Together they brought out our neighborhood for a block party and sang and sang for those that live closest to us. We will never forget that night.

The next day the bus made it to some key supporters and friends to thank them. First stop was Impressive Image Works.

The kids got to see where all their shirts and printed material comes from .  Thank you Epplers for all you have done for us the past few years.

We visited Dory’s Garden, home to one of our very first sponsors ever from 2008, Dorothy Hersey.

I can’t begin to tell you how grateful we are for all of our new sponsors.  We started very humbly in the summer of 2008. I remember the first few families signing up to sponsor children when we were so desperate for help.  I don’t know what they were thinking back then, but I am grateful for you and the faith you put in us to love on your children.

One of the biggest joys on this tour has been the overwhelming response to sponsor children.  We brought many with us to sponsor.  We had nothing left to sponsor at the end of our trip.  We even have a waiting list with dozens waiting to hear back from us. Thank you thank you thank you…………

Today, with much joy, I am glad to announce that we have grown to 811 sponsored families.  That is exactly 1/2 of our PCM children.  We are blown away at your generosity!! Mukama Asiimwe. Thank you if you are sponsoring with us.  Nothing is making a bigger impact for our children in Uganda.

One of the sponsor meetings I most looked forward to seeing was Dianah and her sponsors.  Many of you have gotten to know Dianah over the month and her story.

Her dad abandoned her and she has grown up in the loving arms of her mom, Pastor Joy.  She has been asking politely all month about meeting her sponsor. That meeting eventually occurred and it was a beautiful sight.

Thank you Lord for letting me see that. Few other pictures capture what this “Beautiful Exchange” has been to all of us.

Many of you remember Dianah showing us her first cookie at the age of 17.  One of PCM supporters was so moved that she actually brought Dianah 4 dozen cookies.

Thank you Julie Ross for your love for these PCM kids.

My parents hold the record for the oldest PCM USA visitors and the children affectionately call them “JaJa” and “Muzee” for grandparents.

Of course Jaja introduced them to their first ever gingerbread man

and a ride on Muzee’s golf cart.

Esther and Supermom had a birthday during this trip so we decided to celebrate all the children with a party for them.

First up was teaching them about piñatas and giving them a go.  Deuce provided the theatrics with a piñata that seemed to raise and lower with no predictability.  Thank you Susan Gunter for paying for this party. The kids will never forget that day.

Thank you Rich and Page Wolowski for flying in from Michigan to be with us for a weekend.  Get ready, choir tour #2 is headed your way to Michigan in 2014.

One of the biggest joys of the month was partnering with Dance and Drill and Lynn Ramey and her team.

Our kids sat in amazement at Caldwell Auditorium. Never had they seen so many people and dancers.

Lynn and her amazing dance groups had been practicing since August. After just watching 3 of the recitals, the children looked at me and said,  ”we are going to be the losers.”   Finally our children got their chance and oh did they take advantage of it.  I think they practiced this dance 3 times.  When they were done after their first performance, the crowd gave them a standing ovation!!!  The joy on their faces from receiving such love from the nearly 2000 people propelled them to heights still unknown. If you were a part of one of those audiences that weekend, I just want to say thank you.  You have encouraged, inspired and loved our children like I never thought would be possible.  Dance and Drill, you have given us a dump truck, shoes, clothes , food and medicine.  But what you gave that day was the greatest gift that you could have ever given.

One of the students had generously given the group a trophy after hearing from Pastor Emmy that they had never even seen a trophy before.  They now have.  Thank you Dance and Drill for the love you have shown PCM.

We had time this month to worship in a lot of places………

One of the best mornings though was coming back to Grace Community.  Three years ago, we made our first big church appearance during a service there. The end result of that day was about 50 sponsored children and many cows donated.  Today, the children would return and dazzle the church with their worship.  We will never forget Milly, Laban and Jude dancing down the aisles for their Jesus.

Thank you Pastor Doug for being the first USA pastor to visit PCM in Uganda and for your church’s love for PCM. We love Grace Community.

The choir made their way to Dallas where they would first meet my Uncle Walt and Aunt Carol.  Walt was a pediatrician in Dallas for 43 years and my mentor for my early career.

They were coming to see us we perform at our first school in Dallas,  Covenant Christian Academy. There we would find a welcome group of students worshipping with us for chapel.  They were so impressed with our PCM kids that the senior class is considering making Uganda the destination of their senior trip next year. Wahooooooooo…….let’s see what God does with this possibility.

We did have a church in Dallas cancel on us and as a result, found a way to fill that with a trip to the Rangers game for the boys.  The girls decided on a shopping trip.  Thank you Alan Pigg and Jason Mazingo for hosting that event.

Really…….a lot of fun was had inside the ballpark and at the Sheraton hotel.

Here was my roommate Amon reading me stories from the Bible. Oh how  I love that kid.

The next day we traveled down the road for our first trip to Houston, to the home of Jennifer Weston, mother of Mary Jacobs.

I’m not sure this photo gives this backyard justice, but I have been in very few more beautiful places.  Jennifer had rented chairs and lights and had a ton of family and friends ready to greet the children.

Few performances of the month were more beautiful than that one that night. Thank you Dianah and Teacher Emmy for leading us. We look forward to hosting you Jennifer and Mary next month in Uganda.

We are so grateful for my cousin Becky and her daughter Sarah who served as hosts during our Houston funs. Yall really treated us well.  We would love to come back next year !!

Probably the single most person our children were looking forward to seeing in the US was Nelli, law partner to Jennifer, who single handedly pushed through the visa paperwork allowing our children to come to the US.

Nelli, these children are grateful beyond any way I can communicate for your efforts. You have allowed thousands and thousands of people in the US the opportunity to see the Father’s Love in Action. We are so grateful for your love for PCM.

Upon our return to Tyler, Teacher Emmy would have the distinct privilege of escorting my oldest daughter to the prom.

He was the perfect date for the evening and of course won the unofficial dance contest hands down. Emmy, you have performed so admirably this month. We love you and have big plans for you with PCM.

Emmy, we were disappointed though that you didn’t touch the ceiling at Rockhill Baptist Church in your worship time in Brownsboro.  We did however meet many new friends there.

The next day would be our last full day in Tyler and we used it well.  The morning started with an invitation to visit Lane’s Chapel Methodist Church, our first ever Methodist church to perform at.  Thank you Melodie and Pastor Jeff for welcoming us with such love.  We can’t wait to return to your church in 2014.

Our final performance would be the home church of PCM sponsors and supporters Bubba and Jenni Squiers. Flint Baptist Church.

No one welcomed us with more love than your church did this whole month. You people are incredible from jumping up and down in the parking lot to all staying afterwards in the gym letting us thank the children for their service.  Pastor Sam, you have something special with this church and we are grateful to know some of your people.

That night we were able to thank the children one by one for what they had done.  It would be their last public performance as a group. There were many laughs, many tears, but in the end God was glorified. This group had accomplished its goal. Thank you Emmy and Supermom for preparing them so well.

Thank you Kiconco for your vision and belief that God could do something really special with a group of children off a dirt road with no uniforms, no desks, little food and brown water.

Who would have ever dreamed 5 years later  a small group of them were paving the way for dozens and dozens of teams to follow. You are a treasure for your ability to dream, to believe and to love your Jesus.

This trip would have never happened without this family.  Deuce and DC, you have stood with us first and believed as well. You must have made a million emails/calls/spreadsheets/texts to make this choir tour a reality.  We are grateful for your sacrifice and love for the PCM family.

Lori, there never has been a excel spreadsheet that you have not loved, and there is no way we could have made this trip succeed without all the time, effort and organization you bring to the table.  Tim, thank you for sharing your spouse with PCM.  Really she has done so much.

Two of the biggest unsung heroes of this trip were Luke

and Kathyrn Bilberry.

Many of you never saw what they did because they were always behind the scenes. Every one of our children knows both of you by name for the endless love that poured forth out of your hearts.  We are so thankful you are on our team.

We saw some staff like Lauren say goodbye…….

and we even welcomed a new member to the PCM family.  Nick Smith, our new CFO.  Wahoooo.

We are thankful for all of our supporters that opened their homes to these children.

Thank you PCM Board members for believing, for encouraging and for loving our children this past month.

On the way to the airport we got word that a DFW supporter wanted to feed us lunch. He had moved to north Dallas to a ranch and wanted the children to come visit. There we would find something really incredible. All month we had been protective of the children from pets, horses and ATVs. In just a few short minutes, all of the children would experience all of them.

Probably the most amazing change was watching sweet Esther, who showed up at my home afraid of my 8 pound tiny schnauzer, to being the first to jump on board the horse and give it a ride around the home.  Incredible !!!  Esther was even one of the only kids to ride more than once. Thank you Arch and Sheri for hosting us. That was the perfect ending to a successful tour #1.

There were many tears at the airport but for sure they were tears of joy.

The children made it home to Entebbe and were greeted like heroes at the airport. We at one time were worried about re entry.  Instead, they each exited that plane into the loving arms of proud family members.

Gaudy’s grandmother had an accident and hurt her leg in route, but she was there.

Amon’s mom had a bad case of malaria but managed to find the strength to show up and greet her son.

Amon asked nearly every group to pray for his dad that has backslid from Christianity and abandoned his family.   We would learn from Pastor Emmy that he has now contacted Emmy and wants to meet.  Thank you for all that prayed for this……..God is already answering that prayer.

In another joyful ending, Dianah’s father has now begun to communicate with the family again and wants to meet with his daughter.

Thank you for praying for these children………they are changing the world here in the US and even in Uganda.

If you are still reading this you deserve a medal, a banana or maybe just a hug for endurance reading.

Thanks to all of you who came out to see, love one hug and listen to our children. This has been a Beautiful Exchange.

With much love,

Epa and Kiconco

Psalm 34:15 says “The Lord’s eyes are on the righteous, He ears hears their cry for help.”  There is no doubt He is hearing these children and their prayers. What a joy it has been for our PCM to travel around Texas with them.

Here are some highlights from the middle portion of our tour. For those of you that have been with us to Uganda, you know their are many animals around.  What might surprise you is all of our children including Emmy and Supermom  have never seen many of the animals that we have in our zoos.

Thank you Caldwell Zoo for bringing some smiles to all of our children and Supermom for letting us celebrate your birthday here. We were blessed to have a story done by Rebecca Hoeffner at the Tyler Paper.  Check it out here if you missed it.

Pastor Emmy thought the rhino was kinda ugly.  But he didn’t tell Mr Rhino that.

Abias and Esther found this sign…..about 8000 miles away from their home.

Water is indeed seasonally scarce.  We have been blessed by many of you praying for our 5 schools that don’t have access to clean water. We have 4 water surveys pending that show water and hope to partner with Living Water in Houston to start drilling soon.  Thank you for those of you who have shown an interest to making pictures like our high school students drawing water something in the distant past.  Keep praying that we have the funding and expertise and provision for water at each of these 4  sites.

We are grateful to have many new friends in East Texas……including many at All Saints Episcopal School who welcomed our team.

We told her where they come from and she was so grateful to learn.  On the way to dinner she saw a local lake by my house and said, “Epa, can we stop and look for sea shells there?”

Just in case you missed seeing us this week……here is long back at week one:

After a significant delay due to engine trouble and the world’s longest customs que at DFW, the PCM Ugandan Children’s Choir emerged from the international arrival gate.

There was Deuce and Luke ready to greet them after their second trip to DFW in 2 days.   Oh we are so thankful for them and all they will do this month for this team.

After a nearly week long effort at trying to get here to the US…….the kids collapsed in bed and were up and at em for Carry a Jerry 2.

Eventually, Laban and Jude would cross the finish line first despite a valiant effort from Teacher Emmy.  Wahoooooo boys.  Way to go.

Sunday the children performed for the very first time at the Living for the Brand Cowboy Church in Athens.  We are grateful to call this our opening gig for the Lord and know there are few places on earth more friendly than this place.

The team was introduced to “donuts in a golf cart” and then they got to taste some real donuts inside the church.

Next on Sunday it was off to Emory for a couple of performances organized by our local sponsorship coordinator Michele Potts.

Their we would begin to notice the cultural differences between growing up in Uganda and growing up here in America. For example,

Dianah held up this at dinner and said “Epa what is this?”

Epa “It is a cookie”   ”Is this your first cookie ever?”

Dianah “Yes……I like cookies”

There have been others as well………like last night.  We had just gotten back from traveling and we entered the kitchen to get a drink.  When we were finished, the girls put their cups up.  Later i would walk back by the sink and notice this

The girls had saved their ice in the pot scrubber holder.  Wow……….there is not much ice in Uganda. In fact i have never seen a cube yet.  They know how precious ice is. We so take our world for granted in so many ways.

So after getting a drink I brought the girls, Dianah and Evalyne, that our staying with us to the porch. I told them we were going to have a “gnut” snack or peanuts is what we call them.

Once again Dianah amazed me.  She started cracking the peanuts, putting the shells on the ground  and putting the peanuts in the bag instead of eating them.  I was really confused at why she was doing this.  Soon I would find out that when Supermom ask her to shell peanuts, it is for cooking for the group and not eating.  She did not understand that she could eat them.  Oh my,  how I love these kids……….

Here is one other cultural difference.  We brought the children to my office for check ups, hearing exams and vision tests.

We decided to use the picture chart to test their eyes. When we showed them this chart,

only 1 of the 17 knew that the top picture was a boat. Wow. I don’t think there is a single sail boat in Uganda. I have yet to see one. However, when we showed the “+” sign,  they all said it was a cross.  My staff fell in love with them over that comment and know that what they are learning is what really matters. Nothing matters but “the cross” and these kids know that for sure.

Probably the biggest joy is seeing these kids meet their sponsors for the first time.  They have written them, prayed for them by name every night, but to see them run into the arms of people here in the US that are loving them is quite a thrill for all of us PCM staffers.

Seems like these days, we hardly have time to look back and consider the past,  where we were,  where we have traveled and where we are going. This world we live in is a big big place, but then again……air travel has made transit to the other side of world almost routine for some of us now. As we have been preparing for this month for the past two years, I can’t help but look back at the past with amazement and wonder of how great God really is. Let me share just a few highlights to help bring the miracle He is about to do in perspective:

1. Jan 2007 more than a chance encounter

Who would ever believe this could ever happen?  An unlikely meeting between a mom, to be name later Kiconco, whowas told to go to Africa with an unknown group and an unknown purpose by her 8 year old daughter and a pastor, as humble as any man you could ever meet,  who sold all his family owned ( a bag of beans) to by a plane ticket to Mozambique despite his family and his church telling him not to do so.   Only Jesus could bring two people together like this…..

2.  March 2008 PCM #1

Who in the world would bring their family on spring break to Uganda, get in a beat up rented van with two men named Emmy and be broken down on the side of the road in just 2 hours.  I remember the Lord telling us clearly on the side of the road that night…….Don’t worry about being stranded here with these people,  they are going to love you……. and you are going to love them.  Oh my goodness was He so right.

3. Formation of PCM USA May 2008

Who in the world would believe two months later in May of 2008 we would hear Jesus telling us to form a nonprofit ministry 501c3a much less be approved in record time. Our accountant was baffled.  How did this happen so quickly? We knew all along.  Only Jesus could bring an unpaid Ugandan staff for a full year to  multiple full time USA

employees and over 120 full time Ugandan teachers and workers that hasn’t missed payroll for since May 2008

4. Teams

Who would ever believe that people that have never seen this ministry or stepped foot outside of America would begin to hear God tell them to go and serve?  We have sent 28 teams  people  so far and there seems to be no end in sight.  In fact who would have ever thought we would have the plans for our PCM Ministry Hotel and will be sharing those with everyone this month?

5. Schools

Who would believe that after starting with just 1 school and 20 or so children sponsored in December of 2008, we would now have multiple PCM schools with  over 650 of the 1500 sponsored and sponsorship coordinators for all of our schools?

6.Woship

Who would believe God would use these poor needy children to teach us mzungus how worship time after time after time.  Thank you Jesus for showing me how to worship You !

7. Churches

Who would have believed that a man telling others about Jesus out of his mud hut for five years would have a house, give it back to God to build a school, and now live in a brand new house in a beautiful location……..right next to a prison so he could walk next door and share the Gospel whenever he wants? Only Pastor Emmy would hand pick this location where he will preach and find a way to give away birthday money he receives to buy cows for the lost prisoners to eat meat.

8. Water

Who would believe that we may have found water at four of our schools and we may be close to drilling for it very soon?  Thank you Jesus for making containers like these a soon to be  distant memory.

9. Food

Who would believe that we went from a rented kitchen at a neighbors house next door, to a kitchen at every school, porridge in the morning and beans and posho for lunch and dinner?  We have gone from buying all of food to growing all we can on our PCM farm, two banana plantations, 3 ponds of tilapia, and dozens of cows for milking and eating.

10. Who would believe that our children have passed through security, are about to board their first airplane, arrive in the UK overnight and make it to America on Thursday? Who could believe that children from mud huts all over southwest Uganda, some missing fathers or mothers in their lives, could see Jesus for who He is and be ready to share that with literally thousands of people this month of April?

Thank you Jesus. We eagerly anticipate what you will do with them and through them while they are here in America.

“No eye has seen, no ear has heard, and no mind has imagined the things that God has prepared for those who love him.” 1 Cor 2:9

Epa

It’s early morning and the bright rays of golden orange and pink streams of sunlight kiss the horizon with the glory of God’s new day.  This day is unique and brighter and there is a thick cloud of intense anticipation of the hope of heaven’s resurrection.

It’s time.  The perfect time for Father to make a way where there was no way.  Jesus came and made a WAY for us to be reconciled to God. He paid a debt we could never pay – never.  The time is now to receive Jesus.  Jesus didn’t let anything stop Him from moving to the cross. He had a very important job to do and He wasn’t going to get sidetracked.  God who holds all time said “It is time”.  Time to redeem mankind and reunite their hearts with Mine. It’s time. Time to put your trust in the Messiah.

God is an ON TIME God! Resurrection morning…the sight of God’s goodness wrapping Jesus in His love and filling Him with His power…breathing the life of God anew and afresh with hope pulsing through every fiber of His being. Brightness and whiteness of light and love.  No more stains or grave clothes because of death – because of trespasses and rebellion.  No chains of hell could hold this mighty Man of God!  He overcame evil with good and conquered the grave with His love.  There is None Like Him!  All glory and praise to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Ghost!  VICTORY IN JESUS!  Hallelujah!!!

JESUS is ALIVE!

Through his death and resurrection Jesus has exchanged the death in our lives for  blossoming fragrant new lives!  Oh the benefits of this beautiful exchange:  Beauty for  ashes, liberty for the captives and praise for healing….and So Much More!  We have chosen “A Beautiful Exchange” based on Isaiah 61 for the theme of this year’s PCM Ugandan Children’s Choir Tour.

What the LORD is doing to exchange His hope and His love between our two nations is stunningly beautiful in many dimensions.  Praise the LORD for His creative redemptive work in all our lives!

Isaiah 61

Today’s student perspective comes from Jake:

Time slows down in Africa. Emmy D comes to pick us up at least 45 minutes later than the agreed upon time every day, if we are lucky. Some of the Type A’s around here are annoyed at least somewhat by this, however, when you take a step back, it is quite refreshing.

Rwemikoma came and went in a flash. It seems almost paradoxical, considering my previous statements. And yet, here in the moment, you cannot help but feel that simplicity that runs through the veins of Ugandans is the reason that both speed and sloth can coexist. As someone once said, “K.I.S.S.”

Simplicity is lost on us, for the most part, because of all we have. The more I observe, the more I realize: the greater possessions you have, the harder it is to appreciate that which you possess. Rwemikoma exemplified the opposite. Every child there, with a toothy smile and a joyful laugh, were content for us to simply sit and listen to them.

They sang, they danced, they recited verses, but the simple, overarching theme was joy. In an instant, we saw that although Americans had everything on this earth,  they missed the mark- material goods “don’t last eternally,” sure, but they hardly last during our time on Earth. Children in Rwemikoma were infinitely more joyful than children in America.

I slept on the bus back to Katyazo. Well, I tried. My eyes were closed, but my mind raced. My body was idle, yet my brain wandered far away.

Coach Reed was the only one who did not nap. He related a quick story that exemplified servitude in the KISS lifestyle. We drove past a construction crew, toiling in the equatorial sun, and without thinking twice, SuperMom tossed them a bottle of water and we went on our way. I’m sure the workers were grateful, but we didn’t have the chance to ask. She passed more than just a sip of water to them: she passed a small taste of the joy she had.

No one could be content living in the squalor we see; at least we are lead to believe that. They KISS and abide in God, and they have no need for MacBooks, iPads, or even running water. They find true joy in their King.

For the most part, I show just an inkling more emotion than a wooden plank. As in very little. I definitely show more emotion than McCray, as a wooden plank would show more emotion than him. Which is weird, since it’s inanimate. However, it was hard not to feel something when we made it back to Katyazo for the very last time. Even McCray claimed to have felt emotion, although I didn’t witness it. I’m sure it was beautiful.

The kids at Katyazo bid us goodbye to America, where we will return to reality TV, microwaveable popcorn, and Snuggies, all while they drank some porridge out of the one cup they owned. And yet it was weird; in a way, I was envious of them. Their smiles were glowing, a rarity in our nation. I keep repeating that notion, almost superfluously, but that was what I noticed the most. A KISS lifestyle, bringing them so much joy. They were satisfied with the porridge, thankful for us, and grateful to God.

The pain that came from saying goodbye wasn’t because we were leaving. Partly, yes, but not entirely. It came from my fear that by returning, I’d be faced with the material excess in America, and I would be reclaimed by it, forgetting what true joy looked like. When I return, it will be hard, but I will hope to:

Keep It Simple, Stupid.

A note from the leaders:

Jake has really captured one of the common themes that most teams come home to contemplate. What are we to do/be when we return home. My wife has put it well in several mission trip meetings that she has worked. You leave your home as a square person, and you travel to a place of round people. After spending some significant time around those round people, you will inevitably return home a little more round, and a little less square than before. So how do we now live in a square world with slightly rounded edges?

We are returning home from a place with beautifully simple lifestyles. Their shining faces are a reflection of the joy of obedience and blessing. God is in the little things, sometimes, and we have to learn to be content by recognizing the grand value “little things” have.

Rwemikoma was a lively group today! They were so excited to see us and to just have us listen. They wanted to perform for us more than any other school on this trip. There was lively dancing, wonderful singing, and exhibitions of scripture memory. It was wonderful!

The two things that stick in my mind were how close the children wanted to be to us, and the singing by Amon.

We learned later that possibly up to 50% of the kids there have never seen a white person outside of PCM teams. That explains why they would stare and stroke our arms as they held our hands. I guess I seemed like a white, slightly fuzzy stuffed animal. It was pretty funny! One kid liked to come up to me and just squeeze my forearms as hard as his little hands could. Not sure if he was trying to extract something or pop me like a balloon, but it was amusing.

The singing of Amon was one of the things that Beth and I were looking forward to most. We saw him sing last time we were here, and it was so great. Amon sings with just about every ounce of his young body, tilting his head back and shaking it like a bobble-head. It is adorable and entertaining. A little known fact, that we learned from Pastor Emmy: Amon sings like that because one of the previous U.S. teams came with a puppet who would sing and dance. Amon enjoyed it, and began to emulate it in his own singing. So precious!

Today’s student perspective comes from Hayden…

Wow. Today was long! But it was so good. We spent the night at Katyazo last night, which went surprisingly well!  But before going to sleep we played soccer in the dark, it was so fun! We had glow sticks everywhere; lining the goal, lining the field, and on the wrists of the kids to differentiate the teams. After that we went back to the dorms and talked about 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 with the kids, which says, “Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.”. The guys wrote the verses on little basketballs and the girls wrote it on colored paper and got to use stickers and colored pens…you know, girly things.

After that we went to bed then they got to sleep in the next morning. We all woke up at about 7 instead of the normal 5 o’clock that the students usually get up. We then came back the the hotel, ate breakfast and got ready to go back to Mbarara. Emmy P (Pastor Emmy) got back today and he came to the hotel with Supermom before we left and we all talked for a little while and got stuff ready for the choir kids. We then headed to Mbarara and it was so sweet when we gave the choir kids their stuff! They were so excited to get even the little they got, so were the leaders!

We then went to the pitch (the soccer field) and played games with all the kids and teachers. I got to get in at the end of the soccer game and got to score a GOAALLLL! But it was a penalty kick so it wasn’t that impressive.

After that we came back to the hotel again and ate lunch and got to take about an hour nap.   We then went back to Katyazo and we were all gearing up for the first annual Muzungu vs. Ugandan basketball show down! It was a close game but the Muzungu’s pulled though and brought home the trophy! However, the Ugandans had only been playing for about a day and a half. So I am not anticipating a repeat next year.

After that we all gathered in the class and watched the video we put together for them and they loved it! Finally we came back to the hotel and ate dinner and I am now blogging about today. Today was a solid day! Definitely the best so far!

Here is the leaders’ perspective concerning today:

First some of our own highlights.

Waking up with kids who would give up their own bed for us, and go share a bed with another student was just so nice. Even when we thanked them for sharing their beds, one of the girls responded by saying that it was such a blessing to them for us to sleep in their bed. WOW!!! REALLY?! They loved on us so dearly. Though they have little, they give so much! Seeing the early morning and the sun rise over the hills of the countryside in Uganda was majestic and humbling.

And when we met with the choir at both Mbarara and Katyazo, it was so sweet to look into the eyes of these teenagers and talk to them about what will be a perspective altering experience in their own regard when they come to us next month. Some were scared of the plane ride, but the best question we got came from Laban at Katyazo: “If I am on the plane and I hear music, and if I begin to feel the music, can I get up and dance?” You know what Laban, if the Spirit moves, who am I to say no?

While the students played basketball, Beth got to go with Supermom down to the sweet potato fields to watch some of the students harvest. It was a beautiful thing to behold. All the girls wore traditional African wraps around their waists while working the crops diligently with their hoes.

Then they put the potatoes in containers and carried them back up the hill on their heads.

The boys also harvested some bananas and a few girls picked some type of lettuce called “doe doe.” We wish that our students in America had the chance to learn agriculture in high school. It was so wonderful to see these students work together to feed their whole school.

I think that Hayden was right. Today was probably the best day that we have had! To be honest, I was not sure what impact was being made on our students. I knew that they were appreciating what we were doing, and that they liked the trip so far.  But was the trip just a cultural experience, something that any world traveller could take in, make some mental notes, and throw out the information they learned at their next social gathering, hoping to impress those around them? That was my prayer last night before we went for the night at Katyazo. It was reaching that point in the trip where you begin to realize how long it has been since you were in the comfort of your own hometown. Were we going to choose to be homesick, or were we going to embrace what we were really doing on this trip: meeting God through the service of his people. Seeing the value of another who lives in a different day to day reality, and knowing that Christ died for them as much as me.

Today was the answer to my worries! God is faithful to work in his people as we are faithful to him in our obedience. We shared beds with teenagers trying to figure out who they are going to choose to be once they get out on their own, just like us. We had fun. We had fellowship. We spent quality time with many students. We shared interests. We played soccer on the “pitch” while others held little children, talked, or sat and took in the beautiful landscape.

We shared our lives. We shared basketball. We shared agricultural lessons. We were one community today. Mazungus and Ugandans, doing life together. It was that experience we are all praying and hoping for, no matter where we are in the world. As we sat in the classroom at Katyazo, the kids ate dinner, we played David Crowder Band songs, and we watched a slide show of pictures from the week that helped us all reflect on our time here, as we knew the end of it loomed ever closer. Hearts were full, but heavy…aching for some middle ground, where we did not have to go back to different day to day realities. And after dinner tonight, I asked the students to fully take in these last days of ministry here. Observe the details, and let our contemplations move towards processing what God wants us to hear and take home from this trip.

All of this, and we still have more for God to do tomorrow in Rwemikoma.

Today, as our team went on the safari we were reminded of God’s glorious creation.  There is a song by David Crowder band that was just playing over and over in my head as we saw God’s beautiful creatures.  So, we thought we would share the lyrics in between the some of the pictures we took.  Enjoy!

The day is brighter here with You
The night is lighter than it’s hue
Would lead me to believe
Which leads me to believe

You make everything glorious
You make everything glorious
You make everything glorious
And I am Yours
What does that make me?

My eyes are small but they have seen
The beauty of enormous things
Which leads me to believe
There’s light enough to see that

You make everything glorious
You make everything glorious
You make everything glorious
And I am Yours

From glory to glory
You are glorious You are glorious

From glory to glory
You are glorious. You are glorious

Which leads me to believe
Why I can believe that

You make everything glorious
You make everything glorious
You make everything glorious
And I am Yours

You make everything glorious
You make everything glorious
You make everything glorious
And I am Yours

From glory to glory From glory to glory
You are glorious. You are glorious.
You are glorious. You are glorious.

You make everything glorious
You make everything glorious
You make everything glorious
And I am Yours

Today’s student perspective comes from Avery…

Today we went to Sanga and played games for two hours. Hayden and I were on a very steep hill trying to teach the little kids games who didn’t understand English very well. It was very difficult and long, but even though we could not communicate clearly we just sang and danced for the Lord. Hayden and I met Kellen, our sponsor child, who is so adorable!!!

We also met her sister Ruth and her little brother. We gave her a letter and play dough but they did not know what that was so we had to teach her.  We gave all the children at the school dum dum suckers, and they were so happy. One of my favorite parts of the day was just seeing the joy on all of their beautiful faces!

After that we went to Mbarara and climbed the hill (more of a mountain to Americans). It was a steep and long climb but I loved it! I was holding hands with the kids all the way up and down the mountain. When we got to the top, which was one of the prettiest things I have seen, we sang songs and just praised God for his beautiful creation. I also got to talk to two of the choir girls and I can’t wait to be able to see them in America!

I am loving Uganda so much and the Lord is doing amazing things in my heart. He is showing me what it is like to rely on his strength and I am also having to rely on him to give me the right words to say. I love all of the hugs from the children and even though they may not know that many words in English, all they want to say is said through a hug.

They give me a little glimpse of God’s love for me and that is amazing!!! These children are so loving and joyful and yet they have nothing. I am so blessed to be able to be on this trip and learn from God’s little children!

Additional thoughts from the leaders:

I feel like today was very tiring, but it has been a good kind of tired. We got a late start due to some unforeseen issues with our van. But I believe that God’s providence was in all of it. Instead of going to Rwemikoma, today, we went to Sanga. I think that this was our team’s best ministry for the children yet. We spent some quality time with the children from this blossoming school.

In just 2 years, they have grown from about 100 students to over 300 students. It is a very rural school. There were cows surrounding our van as we played. Many of the students are very poor, but they were all joyful. God is doing mighty things there. What a blessed place!

Naboth is one of the sponsorship coordinators here. He is a wonderful young man who works very hard for PCM while also finishing his school on the weekends. He grew up in the Sanga village, so that is the main school that he works with, although he helps with all the schools. Today, we had the opportunity to meet Naboth’s mother, father, sister, and little niece. They help serve the children of Sanga through the church that meets on the property. Naboth told us a lot about his family today. Naboth’s father is the pastor at the church next to the Sanga school. He has 6 brothers and sisters. His parents have supported him through school, and he started working with PCM because Pastor Emmy saw that he was such a good student and a good man. Naboth is a very big blessing to PCM!

A fun miracle happened today at Sanga. We brought candy to give out, but quickly realized that we did not have enough for all the students. We counted the candy, then started pulling any random candy out of our bags that we could find. Then we prayed for fishes and loaves! Miraculously, we had enough for each child, plus enough for all the teachers and staff! This might not seem like a big deal, but to these children, candy is a very rare treat, and we really enjoyed seeing their eyes light up when we gave it to them.

Some of you may be wondering how Sanga is doing after the two children there died of Typhoid. On the way to Sanga, I asked Supermom how the school as a whole was dealing with the loss. She said, “They are ok.” It is hard to understand how these children live, especially in the rural areas. They are always working very hard in school and in their homes. They still mourn the loss, but they must keep going in order to survive.

I also talked to Naboth about the children’s family. He said that they have fallen on hard times. The father had some money to buy some land. He thought that he had bought good land, but then soon found out that it was government owned, so he was kicked off the land. The pastor at Sanga gave him one forth of his own personal banana plantation just to help him get back on his feet. He also borrowed some land from another family. This family seemed to be willing to help him, so much so, that when it was it time to bury his children,they let him bury them on their land. However, now the family is kicking them off that land also. He and his wife have two other children and they need to find a home quickly. Please continue to pray for this family.

As we spent time with the kids it was wonderful to look over and see the progress on the new classrooms for Sanga.  Thank you so much to all of you who have helped to make these classrooms a reality.

When they are complete our 300+ children at Sanga will be even more proud of their school where they have the chance to receive a great education and learn about Jesus!

We got a special treat on our way to the mountain! Driver Emmy took Supermom home, and she invited us in to take a brief tour of their home. The last time we were here, in June of 2012, we got to tour the home as well, but it was simply the structure, with concrete walls and bricks. Today, we got to walk from room to room. Pastor Emmy and Supermom’s vision of what this house can be is fully realized. It has the space to take in the kids that need a place to stay when they are not able to board at the school. Supermom wanted to say “a big thank you to all of you in the U.S. who have helped to provide for this home”. So to all of you from Supermom, through us, THANK YOU!

Walking up the mountain was a great experience! We talked with students on the way up and down. The wind blew hard. We saw lightning, heard thunder, and feared rain. But we tarried on. We sang songs of praise with them. We prayed with them. We danced with them. We heard God’s voice in the wind and in the children’s voices. We shared how God’s blessing was seen in each other, which is the kind of encouragement that Paul so consistently communicated with his fellow believers in churches throughout his missionary journeys. Then we ran down the hill and said our goodbyes. Not a drop of rain came until we got into the bus. Praise God for a blessed time!

Today’s student perspective comes from Samantha:

Today was our favorite day so far! We ended up spending the whole day at the Katyazo school with the students and it was absolutely amazing! Today our main goal was to sit in on some of the classes at the school, build and set up the two basketball goals, and basically create some relationships with the kids.

Sitting in on the classes was really cool, especially for me, since I am also a student at the same age and grade level as most of the Katyazo students. I sat in on a morning business class, and after lunch I sat in on a literature class with one of the girls I met yesterday- (her name is Gloria).

After sitting in on classes and hanging out with the kids during lunch, we went up to an empty field above the dorms where we began to set up the basketball goals while the students finished up their day of learning. Right as we were about to begin the construction of the second board, it began pouring down rain like crazy! So after an hour of sitting in the bus watching the rain, it finally let up just before we were about to give up.

While the boys finished pouring the cement, Avery, Hayden, Beth and I went to hang out in the girls’ dorms with all of the girls. We ended up playing card games and just getting to know the girls for the next couple hours while the boys finished working. We all were teaching each other card games and talking/comparing our lives by the time we had to leave at seven.

The boys did an amazing job constructing the backboards…with maybe a little help from a local carpenter, brother Robert. Basketballs are now pumped, the goals are up, the cement is setting, and there is a pick-up game of basketball scheduled on Wednesday- Katyazo Students vs. The Brook Hill pick-up team. Go Guard!!

Additional thoughts from the leaders, Beth and Austin:

It was really fun today seeing our students interact even more with the Katyazo students. They really started bonding with them, getting to know their names and backgrounds more. We were also proud of them, as they observed classes. We gave them an assignment of writing down five observations about the differences they saw in the Katyazo classes from their own classes in America. They sure had a lot to talk about after class time. The main thing we all saw was that most of the teachers were not teaching out of a traditional textbook. Instead they were teaching from a handwritten, most likely self-prepared, notebook. These teachers work so hard every day. They do not typically have the luxury of pre-made textbooks, and neither do the students. All the students were basically writing their own textbooks as well. We were also, therefore, very impressed by everyone’s penmanship. Since they handwrite everything, their penmanship becomes very beautiful. As I was observing one class and taking notes, I became very embarrassed when the teacher passed by and saw my illegible handwriting. I am pretty sure he laughed at it!

As Samantha said, we also set up the basketball goals for the students today. Most of them have seen basketball but have never played, so they were very excited to learn. Setting up the goals were a little more complicated than expected, but that is just how some things go in Uganda, and we all adjusted and made it work. One of the Katyazo students worked very hard to dig holes for the goals.

Because of the complications, Austin was able to spend more quality time with Brother Robert, who constructed the goals. They worked really well together and became quick friends. Brother Robert is a very selfless and kind man. He wants to eventually have a furniture making workshop, so he is obviously very good with his hands.

While waiting for the goals, we pumped up the 20 basketballs that we were able to bring with us that were donated by Brook Hill. The Katyazo students were so excited. They immediately started bouncing them and doing tricks. Daniel, one of Pastor Emmy and Supermom’s sons, has played basketball at his former school, so he was able to show his friends how to play.

Daniel is a boy of many talents. He brought out his guitar that Andy Warren gave him on PCM trip 27 and was playing very well for us! He was very proud of that guitar.

As I watched all the students together today, I felt as if they all went to the same school.

Sometimes when they were talking, laughing, and playing, it seemed as if they had been friends for years.

It is a blessing to students on both sides, and surely a blessing to us as leaders.