Dear PCM Bloggers,

Our PCM team has just finished a week of family camp at Gull Lake in Hickory Corners Michigan.  We were invited to be the ministry focus this week and it was an amazing week to be with fellow PCM Board Member Ambush and his Gull Lake staff, counselors and campers. People from all over the midwest (Michigan, Illinois, Ohio, Indiana and Kentucky came together to here about what PCM is doing in Africa.  The main speaker of the week was Pastor Larry Kiser from Richland Bible Church.  Larry did an awesome job of sharing some stories and parables that Jesus shared by the seashore as well as preach about practical parenting to help us all with our children.

Each day we were blessed to share something about PCM…….how the ministry began, the incredible needs and how God has abundantly provided, details of the school, all about our pastors, and where we are headed in the future. The response was literally overwhelming.  Twenty one new children in Uganda have a new American family to love and pray for them!!!!!   We shared the story about Pastor Charles teaching our children to make beads and we had so many ladies purchase beads.  We sold a ton of them.  Deuce and DC had their hands full all week keeping up with all of our new supporters.Wahoooooo as Pastor Emmy would say. We were also able to share our new tshirt with the new design in various colors.  People continued to come to our ministry table up until the very last day of camp.  Especially the camp counselors!

The encouragement we received as a ministry just blew us away.  We now have a whole new following of loyal fans in the midwest area.  Some of our new fans are ready to get inside the Miracle Van and join us touring Uganda with an upcoming trip.

This is truly an incredible family camp run by some real professionals.

The spiritual growth and connecting that occurs as a family at Gull Lake Ministries is really a very big blessing and comes with a very BIG PCM APPROVAL.  Not to mention, the weather was absolutely perfect.  No 104 degree temps like back at PCM headquarters in Texas. This place was an escape from the  Texas heat. It’s such a fun place for the family!

You can check out this incredible place at  www.gulllake.org It is an incredible value as well.  

Thank you Ambush, Hoedown, Chief, Blue Ranger, Igloo and all the GLM staff. We can’t wait to come back.

Day Three- Visiting the Kids

One of the great things about my trips to Uganda is the realization of all they can teach us about who we are as image-bearers of God. I really believe that all of the nations, or people groups, within the Body of Christ are important, because each reflect certain aspects of the nature of Christ more fully than others. As westerners, we seem to be better suited for the life of the mind. We tend to be focused on our theology, what we believe about the nature and character of God, the full meaning of Christ’s atonement for us on the cross, and the like. But, begin talking to us about spiritual warfare, the power of the Holy Spirit, and the life of the spirit, and most of us American Christians will start looking at you like you have three heads. “Wait a minute.”, we tend to say or think “Don’t go weird on me or anything. I like my faith where I can define it and get my arms around it.”

Conversely, African Christians have no problem with the life of the spirit. The Holy Spirit is very real and a constant companion to them. They tend to have a keener understanding of spiritual attack, the work of demons, how to deal with them through the power of Christ, and of many of those things that, quite frankly, make most Americans uncomfortable.

One is not better than the other. There is some element of truth in the old adage that the African church is “a mile wide and an inch deep”. That’s one of the reasons were here, training pastors to train their people. It is absolutely essential to have both a deep understanding of theology, and a belief in and understanding of spiritual things. That’s why it is so important for us as believers to embrace all of our family, this “new nation” that God has brought together. By better understanding and learning from each other, we can become more fully-orbed followers of Christ.

That overflowing of the Holy Spirit is evident in the lives of these people. Rumpf, who’s been to way more places than I: places like West Africa, other parts of East Africa, India, and South America, says that he’s never seen people more joyful, gracious, grateful, kind, and loving anywhere in the world. That was very poignant for me, and a testimony to the Spirit shining in the lives of these people.

I learned a lot from a bunch of kids today. Today we spent time at the PCM school and orphanage. We passed out the letters and notes of encouragement that many of you sent to the children you sponsor. They are so grateful; one thing that hit me so hard is that they really do consider you their family. They refer to you as “their family”. They ask me about you: how you are doing, are you healthy, how they can pray for you. I gave one of my kids, Frank, a necklace with tigers on it and a book that my wife and children prepared with pictures and notes from our family. He acted shy when he received it. Later I caught him asking Emmy’s daughter. Grace, to read it to him (he’s a little guy). Grace had the book with her later, and I asked her why. She said that Frank had asked her to hold onto it so he wouldn’t lose it. I later saw him wearing that necklace. It meant so much to him that someone cared enough for him to invest a little time, a little encouragement: a few minutes’ investment that makes a lifetime of difference.

Every one of those kids felt the same way about your notes and letters of encouragement. I heard the excitement in their voices, and saw it in their eyes. I hope each of you can come to Uganda someday and hug your child. In the meantime, just know that God is using your sacrifice to reap a harvest that is beyond measure. I’m praying that you feel the full weight of that blessing, and that it brings you to tears of gratefulness for the God who loves you and allows you to be mightily used by Him to “care for the widows and orphans in their distress.”

Speaking of gratefulness, Rumpf and I experienced another helping of it when we went to see the new property. As you may know, PCM has made the down payment on a large piece of property just outside Mbarara. The plan is to expand the school and ease the crowded conditions at the Mbarara campus by moving out to this land. Thanks to the generosity of a large donor and several others, the property has been purchased. There’s still money to raise, but we’re on the way. I’ve got to tell you: it is absolutely gorgeous land. It has a million-dollar view of the surrounding hills, banana trees, and water. It has all the room PCM needs for its future. I had the privilege of seeing the faces of these kids as they walked onto the property for the first time (they had never been there before). They were screaming, running around, running up the hill faster than I could catch them with my video camera. You’ll see the photos and video soon.

But, what really amazed me was the spontaneous eruption of gratefulness that came from the mouths of these kids. As they ran around the land, playing with each other and climbing trees, I heard outcries of “praise Jesus!” “Thank you, Lord.” Three girls began gathering grass as mementos, all the while saying “God is good”; “We are grateful for you, Lord”; “Thank you, God, for your provision for us.” I really believe my own kids are pretty grateful for what they have, but I’ve never heard or seen anything like this from the mouths of little ones. It is such a testimony of the work that the PCM faculty and staff are doing, tying their provision to the Hand of God. I think it’s also the lives these kids have lived. They had nothing; many of them were abused and mistreated. They have a home, people who love them, both in Uganda and America. They realize that everything they have, every good gift is from their Father who loves them and provides for them. It is really overwhelming and challenging to me as a parent to see how rich they are in joy, and how God delights in providing for their grateful hearts.

In that spirit of gratefulness, I want to thank you with every fiber of my being for your provision for this ministry. You are the hands and feet of Christ in the lives of these kids, and reveal to them the loving Fatherheart of God. Today was a very good day.

Day Two- Arrival in Mbarara

Today we arrived in Mbarara. We landed in Entebbe this morning, tired and punchy, and began the “long ride” to Mbarara. We bypassed Kampala, where the African Union is holding their annual meeting. All along the road from Entebbe, there were posters of Mohamar Khadafi, the dictator of Libya. Emmy was sharing with us that Muslim groups in Uganda have funded the posters as a way to promote Khadafi and, by extension, Islam. He shared that Muslims were paying other Muslims to convert spouses and friends to Islam. Now, don’t get me wrong: if there was anyone on earth who was in need of a good PR campaign, it’s Khadafi. But this news, in addition to last week’s bombing in Kampala was extremely challenging to me. It is frightening the lengths that folks will go to in order to see Islam furthered in Uganda. It made us so thankful for the work that Emmy, Sarah, the teachers, and everyone with PCM Uganda is doing to educate, nurture, and equip the next generation to love and serve Christ. (By the way, if you have to pay people and blow things up to get folks to follow your god, is he really worth following?)

The encouraging thing is that God’s Kingdom is expanding in Uganda. As we passed Kampala, Emmy told me that a house church in Kampala is now part of the PCM network. Pastor Justin (imagine that ;o)  leads the Kampala church: a man whom Emmy led to the Lord, and who has received an admirable degree of Bible training. The church is meeting in two homes, and has a growing total of 50 members. They are praying that God would provide a permanent facility for them, either through buying and building or renting space. One of my favorite authors, Tim Keller, notes that when Christianity spreads through the large cities, it spreads through the world. Please pray that this exciting new ministry will continue to grow and thrive in this city of four million people.

Our trip to Mbarara was fairly uneventful, except for a little car trouble with the Miracle Van. It threw a fan belt. We pulled over on the side of the road and took a look at the engine (which is the definition of futility for me: I was a decent lawyer, but when it comes to engines, pretty much my only gig is to look pensively at the engine with my chin in my hand and give a thoughtful “hmm”-that’s all I’ve got). By God’s grace, however, Driver Emmy is a master mechanic who makes McGyver look like, well, me. He pulled off that fan belt and we kept on going. Who knew that a fan belt was optional equipment on an engine? What’s even funnier is that this was the second belt they’ve lost-I wondered why there was no A/C. As I thought we were going to be broken down in the middle of nowhere, two mzungus (white guys) in a completely foreign country, I wasn’t the slightest bit apprehensive. Bub and I always talk about “riding the current” of the Holy Spirit when we’re over here, letting Him guide and protect us every step of the way. I pray that I can live that way in familiar, “safe” Tyler, Texas.

Our trip to Mbarara culminated with a visit to the famous “chicken church”.

Here, on my third visit, I learned that it actually has a name: Sanga Pentecostal Church. Steve Rumpf spoke to the congregation, encouraging them that the gospel is moving worldwide, and that we are all a small part of a big work that God was doing. I was once again struck by how much we have in common with these folks. As we closed our eyes to worship, God knitted our hearts together in a way that is so sweet and wonderful that it simply must be observed to do it justice. In I Peter 3:9, Peter tells us that we in Christ are a new nation, a holy priesthood. That means that my people are not primarily American, or Texan (as much as it pains me to say it). These are our people: made in the image of God, redeemed by His blood, and called to His purpose. What a blessing to be in the presence of my people. Our God is an awesome and mighty God.

Oh, and you guessed it: they gave us another chicken. (I can see it now: “Do you have anything to declare, Mr. Ferguson?”).

Hope this makes sense. If it doesn’t, please blame it on jet lag. I’ll be more fresh after some sleep.

My name is Jay Ferguson. The first thing you need to know about me is that I am not Mark Barret. Quite simply, PCM is Mark’s life, his mission, his God-given purpose. I love it dearly, but I can never love it as much as he does. I say all of this because it’s my prayer that God will use me to convey to you the power of what He is doing primarily through the passionate ministries of two men who live on opposite sides of a big pond.

We arrived in London this morning. To say “arrived in London” is a bit misleading. We’re spending 12 hours in Heathrow airport, 30 minutes west of London. not even sniffing the city. With me is Steve Rumpf. Steve is the international missions pastor at Grace Community Church, and he’s a hero of mine. He’s like, 93 years old or something, and he’s still kickin’ it for Jesus. He’s not sitting around in a boat somewhere fishing his life away (not that fishing isn’t fun, or that those who work hard shouldn’t do it every once in awhile, or more than once in awhile- it’s just that I admire those men and women who define “retirement” as “serving Jesus in some other, or more defined, manner than I did before.”) Anyway, when I grow up I want to be Steve Rumpf.

We’re Americans, so of course we have to go over here to “do” something. (We can’t just “be” with our brothers and sisters over here, can we? I say this with a smile on my face, because if there’s one thing I’ve learned from my three times in Mbarara, it’s that the ministry of presence, of communicating that “I came halfway around the world just to show you that Jesus loves you, and I do, too”, says so much more than my weak words or tasks ever could.

Truth be told, I’ve been over here three times, and this is the lightest agenda I’ve had. Our main purposes are to: i) Introduce a systemic pastoral leadership development program to Pastor Emmy, gaining his wisdom as to what and how much of it should be taught to the 40-something pastors under his care. Once we get his feedback and input, we will begin coming once or twice a year for the next three to five years to help equip his pastors on a continual basis; ii) expose Rumpf (for some reason, everyone calls him by his last name) to the fullness of PCM’s ministry, so that Grace, along with other churches, can be more involved in what God is doing here); iii) get video and photos to help promote the upcoming Hoops of Hope initiative to raise support and awareness for PCM (a task which is really laughable given the fact that I’m sure Stevie Wonder is a better photographer than I—you’ll recognize my photos—they’ll be the ones in which half a kid’s face is cut off—if they’re good, they’ll be Rumpfs). Mostly, though, I’m here to see my dear friends.

I’m writing this in our home away from home in Heathrow, the Yotel. To the uninitiated, the Yotel is like a motel in the airport, but with rooms that are the same size and design as George Jetson’s outhouse. They are part lunar landing module, part hotel room, part closet, modeled on those Japanese business capsule hotels—if Imelda Marcos had let Neal Armstrong design her shoe closet, it would look a lot like that. It’s actually quite pleasant, though: significantly better than sitting in the airport lobby all day long.

I’ll have to leave soon to catch our flight to Entebbe. I’m excited to be among my friends in Uganda, because of what they teach me. You see, I am a man of the mind. Like so many other American Christians, I have a natural tendency to live more in my mind and strength than in the power of the Holy Spirit. Francis Chan said it well: “even in our daily living we can look more like the prophets of Baal as we live our lives, running around in a frenzy, trying to fix our problems, not stopping long enough to call on the power of God Almighty. Yet as children of God, we are not called to trust in our idols or ourselves. We are made to be like Elijah, who did not question whether God would show His face…He prayed and asked for help, and God sent down fire from Heaven in response.”

We’ll help PCM and our brothers and sisters in Uganda, but their great gift to me, one of the big reasons I keep coming back, is that I get to see fire from Heaven. The Holy Spirit’s doing some heavy lifting in Uganda, and being here reminds me that I am to live, not as finite, fallible man, but as one who is indwelled with the power of the Almighty, living God. Like Emmy, like Rumpf, like Bub. What a trip!

Hey PCM Bloggers,

Trip #6 has begun and we will have a team on site soon.  Keep checking for the latest updates from PCM board member/5 year planner extraordinaire)  Jay (Mr Ja) Ferguson and Pastor Steve Rumpf from Grace Community Church.  Their mission will be primarily one focused on pastoral training and planning for the next 3 years on how we can better equip 43 rural Ugandan pastors with some sound Biblical teachings .  They will be at school and also in the village attending church and checking on all of our new cows. Pray for them as they travel to Uganda, make their way through the city of Kampala and hit the tiny dirt village roads.

One of their missions will be to do some preliminary work for our big fall event, Hoops of Hope. Austin Gutwein, the founder, will be coming back to Tyler to do an event for PCM. He is 15 years of age and has raised over 2 million dollars for African orphans in just a few years.  He will be in Tyler 9/26-9/27 and be speaking at Brookhill, All Saints, Grace and Whitehouse schools.  The actual  event will be held all day Saturday 10/23 at UT Tyler with many teams of 6 participants with each  person shooting 1000 free throws. Funds raised before the event will go entirely to Parental Care Ministries.  The website for this combined project involving so many in Tyler will be  www.iluvhoops.org.   Keep an eye out for it inAugust. Wahooooo as Pastor Emmy would say. We will be sharing much more about this event as time get closer. Much thanks goes out to Grace pastor Stephen Wickliffe for his tireless efforts and abilities to coordinate the event so far.

We are also grateful for Nigel and his family and small team from Wales.  You see Nigel is one of our global friends who has visited our school site and rural churches several times. His church, the Emmanuel Church, of Wales with just 30 people have raised nearly $40,000 USD to cover for the entire cost of the new boy’s dormitory.  It is an awesome structure that dominates our southern boundary of our current property.  They just spent over a week in Uganda plastering the old girls dorm and even painting it. Check it out…….doesn’t it look great.   THANK YOU NIGEL.  Mr Ja and I have met Nigel and his wife.  He is such a humble man and an example for us all of what we can do with what the Lord gives us.  Nigel is a handy man and works from job to job……..not always knowing where his next paycheck will come from.  I do know for sure the Lord is smiling at the work his team has done this past week.

Finally another piece of exciting news. PCM has joined forces with Bill Kirby, a local marine biologist.   Check out his blog here .  Along with the help of our own PCM board member Les Jeske, we are going to start some tilapia ponds on our new land.  These tilapia fish are very tough, can survive and grow in almost any condition and are even native to AFRICA. We will be digging ponds soon, growing the fish,  and watching our children’s diet grow in protein.  Praise the Lord.  We are so thankful for our banana plantations but varying the diet is so helpful and more healthy for our children. We will feed them all the fish they can eat and we will sell the rest to help buy other foods. Stay tuned as this project starts to grow this fall……

Finally, pray for me……blog boy……..PCM Director Epa.  This is our 6th trip and the first i will be sharing the blogs with you from Tyler.  I have so much confidence, respect and admiration for these 2 men that will be riding in the Miracle Van this next week. However,  it will be hard on me to concentrate on my other job, thinking of the pure joy they will experiencing with these children, the worship they shall be able to hear and the love from the Ugandan people they shall receive.  It is very hard to describe as i have tried, but when you go……….you just never forget it. Helping meet the needs of so many others, it is what HE has called us to do.

We can’t wait for the first report…….until then

Blessings to you all,

Epa

1 John 4:18 “there is no fear in love,  but perfect love casts out fear”

Some of you have asked how to help for this trip.  You can still provide a special snack or help for our special meal after church for this Sunday. We are thankful for the generosity of those who have already sent something extra or a letter for the children. THEY ARE GOING TO LOVE IT.

One of the highlights of this past trip was hearing the story of Emmy’s first pair of shoes.  He showed us where he grew up as a child.  Today the house is torn down but the road is still there.  Emmy says he would have to go back and forth down this road fetching water and other foods to carry back to his family.   This road was much different than many others in Uganda.   The grass grows very high right up to the road and Emmy told us he was afraid of wild animals attacking him as he would travel down this road.  He would run very fast.  The only problem was he had no shoes even at the age of 15 !!!  He was really wanting a pair for a special school athletic race.  All the children had them but him.  His father finally agreed and got him a pair of plastic ones that barely laced up.  Emmy said he was so proud to wear them.  He ran that race and felt just like the other kids with a pair of shoes. They would last him only 6 weeks because of their poor quality.  It would be another 12 months before he would get his next pair,  a pair he bought himself after having to leave the home. We had him get out of the Miracle Van last month, take one shoe off and run down this road again like old times.  He said he is so blessed to still have shoes on his feet today,  some 27 years later.

Luke 22:35 Then Jesus said, “when I sent you without purse, bag or sandals, did you lack anything?”  ”Nothing,” they answered Him.

Romans 10:15 “How beautiful are the feet of those who bring the Good News”

Here is a 2 minute video that was made by Deuce and shown to the children during Trip #5:

So we were at Januario’s home resting for a few minutes after arriving from a trip on the narrow dirt roads of Uganda. We sat there in his house built of stone as he introduced his family to Deuce.  What we would soon learn is the miracle of Cyrus, his 4 month old son. Back in January,  Cyrus was resting comfortably in bed, and his parents were outside of the home.  Elsam, our chief cook, and “one by one” our driver of the dump truck had just shown up to the house to collect the bull that they were going to slaugter to feed the youth conference attendees.  When they arrived,  they found his house in flames, with intense dark smoke filling the home.  How it started no one is quite sure but what they soon discovered was that everyone made it out of the home except little Cyrus.  Somehow, some way Elsam and “One by One”  ran in to the burning home,  found the baby by feeling for him, gathered him in their arms and made it safely outside the house.  Badly burned to his right side of his face and right arm, these scars may be with him forever. However, we are so thankful that his life has been spared and the testimony that will come of it some day from his own mouth.  Jer 29:11  ”For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord. Plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you a hope and a future.”

We made it to London.   Justin or “the Deuce” as he will be known here at PCM has set foot in the UK.

It was a relatively smooth flight.  Neither of us got much sleep as we were up of course next to kiddie land.

I was seated next to the only 2 babies on the flight, one directly next to me was quiet for about 20% of the flight. For some reason I always get positioned here.  It is no surprise to me but a part of my life.  I sat on the plane and had lots of time to think as we traveled high in the sky towards England. As I sat in my BA chair I kinda thought about that I am at the crossroads of my life per se, with my old world to the left of me filled with screaming kids, and the new world to the right of me,  a young disciplined trained pastor called by God to jump in head first with our work in Uganda.  Have you ever been at that point……….kinda like being on the edge of something really exciting and knowing your life is about to be different. People are giving up their jobs now to come and work with us and for the orphans, widows, and pastors of Uganda.

It’s not always easy, but you have to take that step of faith though, and trust that God will provide, and when you do, some people are going to think you are crazy.  You have to hold everything you have with an open hand,  be ready, and just let it go.   We all know when you step out to serve, preach, or just share the Word, you will not always be welcomed. However, being faithful to Jesus does provide the peace that surpasses all understanding. Knowing that you are doing exactly what He is calling you to do.  It is the safest place in the world to be. Right in the middle of God’s will for your life.  I never quite felt prepared to lead a ministry like this and I am not totally sure being drooled on or spit up on all day has prepared me for this work, but I do know Pastor Emmy’s prophecy to me is coming true:  The Lord will bring alongside of you those people you will need for the ministry. He was so right. Monica and I are thrilled to be walking with so many of you now in this work.

I am excited for this PCM Trip #5 and what it means to our ministry and our future growth.  The purpose is several fold:

1.  local crusade in the town of Mbarara for 3 nights.   Both Justin and I will get the opportunity to share to the local people in the community near our school the love of Jesus Christ.  There will be lots of singing and dancing too I bet but in the end, the Lord will be glorified Ugandan style.

2. visiting our orphans and children in Mbarara and at Rwemikoma.  There will be lots to do but this is always a highlight of mine.  I could go here everyday and be happy for the rest of my life.  We will have time to play and time to pray with them.  This will be awesome.

3. visiting local churches/pastors:  since this is a longer trip, we will have the opportunity to visit many of our 43 PCM pastors and their churches

4.  follow up with the start of the Cows for the Kingdom program.  We will visit our first 3 cows and see how the pastors are doing. 

5.  Search for our new homeland.  We are on a tiny piece of land at our school that has almost no buildable space left.  We need to acquire our eventual permanent homeland so we can starting “digging” as Emmy says and start the Crops for Kids program where we hope to transition the school one grade at a time to our new site and have the older children help us farm the land and make us self sufficient.  We want to grow our own food and sell the rest to meet our expenses.  

Mainly though, this is a chance for me to travel these dirt roads of Uganda, to show Justin these precious pastors taking a vow of poverty in their service to the Lord by serving him and their congregations.  It’s a chance to introduce him to hundreds of some of the most beautiful, appreciative, and respectful children at our 2 schools you could ever imagine meeting.  It’s a chance to evangelize the Word of God to those that are lost.  It’s a chance to show him everything we are doing as a ministry.  Thanks Deuce for taking that leap of faith.

You are about to be flying soon.  :o)

What will we experience?  What will touch our hearts?  What will the Deuce think about it all?  How will they receive his amazing musical abilities?  

Stay tuned………it’s going to be an eventful  2 weeks.  

I am going to be signing the blogs from now on with the name that Emmy, the pastors and the children call me.  You’ll have to ask him about it sometime. Next post will be from Banana Land.  Until then, thanks for coming with us these 2 weeks.

Love 

Epa and Deuce