Today we headed back to Kampala for the long ride home. Along the way, we visited six pastors. One main purpose for our visits was to follow up on the “Cows for the Kingdom” program. The pastors we visited have all received cows from the generosity of PCM donors.

The idea, for those of you who may not know, is to provide pastors with a cow, the milk from which they can give their children. They can also sell the remainder for a profit, and earn an income to support their families further.

Emmy wanted to leave the hotel in Mbarara early in order to meet the pastors and get to Kampala in time for dinner. He said he’d be at the hotel to pick us up at 7:30 am. You have to understand that 7:30 am Africa time usually means 8:00 am, maybe, if they’re early. So, you can imagine my surprise when we’re eating breakfast and Emmy comes into our dining room at 7:10 am, like he was a grandparent showing up for Grandparents’ Day at my school or something.  We hustled our bags out of the hotel, and away we went.

Visiting the pastors is always a humbling experience for me. These are men who love the Lord and truly serve Him, even to their hurt. One of the pastors who we saw was Pastor Amos. Amos is a coffee and banana farmer who lives literally out in the middle of nowhere. The “road” (using that term in its most charitable sense) is really a cow path. But, sure enough, Emmy the driver negotiated it successfully in the Miracle Van. Amos’ church is located 10 miles away. He covers that distance on a bicycle, unless his chain breaks or he flats, at which point he walks. He’s been serving that church in that way for 15 years. It’s an honor to provide a cow for that man. He is so grateful for his cow (although I’m not- ask Rumpf- that sucker put down his head and almost charged me- never seen a white guy before, I guess).

The cow was impregnated when he got it, so he will sell the calf for more income and use and sell the milk. He is so humbled by the fact that you would care to provide for him in this way, this man who has to think at times that the world has forgotten about him. His was the last house we visited. We were running late, and Emmy called him to ask if we should come (we really didn’t need to, at that point). Amos practically insisted that we come, and of course we agreed. When we showed up at his house, he led us into his very tiny parlor and asked Rumpf and me to sign his guest book. As we did so, we noticed that his last visitor was in 2007. Three years without anyone visiting him! We were very humbled by that, and thankful that God would use us to bless this man just by our presence.

Amos is just an example of what we saw everywhere we went. Pastor Reuben, Emmy’s chief assistant, is raising seven children in a mud house that is falling apart. We saw instance after instance of men living in humble circumstances, serving God well. They were all so thankful to you. Providing these men a cow would be analogous to someone giving you a really nice car, or even a small house—something of tremendous value that is to them a living example of God’s superabundant provision and grace. And, it’s not just a handout for these pastors. These men are some of the hardest workers I’ve met in my life. These cows are an opportunity for them to work hard and provide income. But, hard work it is, and it’s all on them. Those of you who have given cows to this program can feel good about what you’ve done. If you feel led to do so, please talk to Mark about going on one of these trips some day. You’ll have an opportunity to see how hard these men work, yet how well they live in the joy of the Lord. It is a true blessing.

We arrived in Kampala tired, dusty from the trail, and rejoicing again in what God is doing through PCM in Uganda. We’re heading home now, but we’ll be back. Being here is an experience in the “pure and undefiled religion” that James talks about. It was a great time seeing my dear friends and hugging my kids. Thanks again to all of you who support PCM. Please pray for Steve and me to have a safe trip home, and we’ll see you in Tyler, Lord willing.

It is amazing what a big difference two years makes, when the Lord is in control. Today, we went to the PCM orphanage and school again. When we went on Saturday, I was so busy knocking out the to-do list of video, photos, and testimony we needed to stop, look around, and appreciate what God has done. I had the opportunity to do that today. In just two short years, God has used the faithfulness of all of you to: i) provide clean water for the kids, rather than pulling it out of the river, as before; ii) completing the dorms (what will soon be only the girls’ dorm) with plaster and a portico on the outside, protecting the kids from the rain; iii) nearing completion on another set of dorms, which will house the boys; iv) two new classroom buildings, one a dedicated classroom, and one that serves as a classroom during the week and the church facility on the weekend; v) bathhouses and bathroom facilities that provide much cleaner, safer, and more modest facilities for both the boys and the girls; vi) a major gate entrance and fencing surrounding the entire property; viii) a culvert that diverts water and prevents erosion that was eventually going to destroy the school kitchen, and ix) landscaping throughout the facilities that, again, prevents erosion during the rainy season.

That’s not to mention uniforms, blankets, better food, mattresses, teacher training, and dozens of other things that Bub could remember, but I can’t. The point is that I was completely overwhelmed by God’s goodness and provision, working through the hearts of so many of you. I know I’ve said it several times during these blogs, but thank you again for your generosity and faithfulness. God has used you to perform a dramatic work in the lives of these kids.

We traveled to one of the churches in Kakagate, pastured by Januario (which sounds kind of Latin, don’t you think: “Don Januario”). Anyway, the purpose of our trip there was to preach to his church and several others, as well as several of the pastors in Emmy’s network. The funny event of the day came during the preaching portion of the service. Emmy led off with about a 10 minute introduction of Rumpf. Rumpf did a very good sermon about being available to God and not prejudging others, preparing to share the gospel at any time, in any place, to any one. It was your standard fare, 35-minute American sermon. Emmy asked if I planned to teach, and I said “no”, thinking with my American brain that the service had gone on long enough. Little did I know that Emmy was going to do a 30 to 45-minute “summary” of Rumpf’s sermon, adding his own points for good measure. When he finished, Pastor Januario stood and told us that these pastors had done such a good job presenting God’s Word that he was not releasing us, requesting instead that we continue preaching. And, the people agreed! I had a couple of barely illegible notes on spiritual gifts, based upon extensive preparation from the 25- minute van ride to Kakagate over bumpy roads, but it was all we had. So, I presented it. Emmy followed with another summary, this time a “brief” 15 minutes. We were afraid that it would keep going, and that we’d have to remember our commencement addresses from high school and give those. Fortunately, however, I think my message beat them into submission.

In an American church, or certainly one in my hometown, the congregation would have responded to two hours of preaching by calling out a mob to lynch the pastor. But these folks were staying with us, following along in God’s Word and taking notes. Amazing.

On our way back to the school to say our goodbyes, Rumpf drew some interesting comparison to Uganda, which has more of a western, Christian worldview, and other nations he had visited that were predominantly Islamic or Hindu. Rumpf was impressed by the relative lack of poverty, the depth of the people’s joy, and the cleanness of the area as compared to the surroundings of those other nations (trash everywhere, a heavy feeling of oppression, lack of education and personal freedom, and the like). It caused us both to reflect and give thanks for the redemption we enjoy in Christ, not only through salvation from death but also from the common grace that comes from a nation operating from a basic Christian worldview. The Church brought not only the gospel to Uganda (and to America, for that matter), but Christian values that resulted in hospitals, strong liberal education, (in the original sense, meaning an education focusing on reading and writing, with literacy with the goal, so that people could read and understand God’s Word on their own), the rule of law, private ownership of property, and many other things that come with a nation that originates from a Christian worldview. I was grateful to have come from a nation built on the gospel, encouraged that these things are being taught in my own school back home, and that they are being taught in the PCM school. As Rumpf observed, these are the potential future leaders of Uganda, and they are being taught everyday from a Christian worldview. To a great degree, the kids have a remarkable faith. As we left the school, all 200 of the kids laid hands on us, praying for us and sending us off. The depth of those little prayers was incredible, and it’s an awesome thing to have 200 little hearts who innocently love Jesus praying for you.

Rumpf summed the day up well when he said:

I’m impressed by the lack of extreme poverty resulting in starvation, the depth of joy, and the humility of Pastor Emmy. “He’s the real deal. I’m excited about the future value of a partnership with PCM. We’re really seeing future potential leaders of Africa here, coming out of this church and school.”

There is a popular song in Uganda, referring to this nation as “the Pearl of Africa”. Though by no means perfect, an underdeveloped country by most any standards, Uganda certainly has the potential to be a shining jewel of hope for Africa. And, PCM is a big part of spreading that hope throughout Uganda and, maybe some day (Lord willing) Africa.

Heading to Kampala tomorrow, by way of a world-wide church tour (just kidding—about four churches). I’ll talk about the Cows for the Kingdom program with the pastors tomorrow, assuming I can get the Internet in Kampala.

From Jay in Uganda:

Have you ever had one of those really great worship times, when you were gathered with a community of believers, and you felt such intimacy, such joy, such closeness to the heart of God that you were overwhelmed? Did you know you can experience that kind of worship, even when you only understand about 50 percent of what’s being said?

That’s what happened today. It was such a joy to watch all of God’s people at the Mbarara church this morning worship, and to join in that worship. There was wonderful singing and dancing (even the two rhythmically-challenged white guys in the room joined in!).

As Pastor Emmy addressed his congregation, he did so with great humility, but coupled with the authority that is given to him by God. Those of you who are supporting PCM might at times be wondering what kind of a man Pastor Emmy is. We all know and love the Barrets, and trust Mark and Monica, but what about Emmy? Rumpf captured what we were both thinking when he said that Emmy is the “real thing”—a humble, godly servant leader. We saw this for certain as he rebuked his congregation for some political lobbying that had taken place at church on several Sundays leading up to a local election. He told them that politics was in a separate realm of authority given by God than the church, and that they were not to bring their politics with them to worship. He rebuked them gently, with patience and love, and they received it well. It was obvious that it wasn’t done for our benefit (I mean, who in their right mind would rebuke their congregation for messing up in order to impress visitors! Put another way, if you had a board member present, as well as a pastor of an American church with whom you wanted to build a relationship, wouldn’t most pastors wait until NEXT week, when we weren’t around, to counsel their people?) It was a very authentic moment that revealed a lot to me about this man and how he leads his people. This ministry is in very good hands from the Ugandan end.

Rumpf did a great job of bringing the blessings of Christ from America and Texas. The people loved him, like we do. I had a Holy Spirit moment, as well. Rumpf and I just assumed Emmy would be preaching. Toward the end of the worship singing, right before he got up to introduce the offering and prepare for the sermon, Emmy leaned over to us and asked, “Which one of you will be preaching?” We were both thoroughly unprepared for that. I hopefully looked over at Rumpf, who boldly swelled up his chest and uttered, “Not me.” I looked down at my papers, and I had two Bible verses written down-that’s it. I prayed that the Holy Spirit would speak through me. I got up and preached those two verses. God got me through it. It was not the best sermon ever preached, but Rumpf said it went okay. Nobody to praise but God on that one!

In the afternoon, we met with 15 of the PCM pastors to discuss our continuing pastoral training plans.

We had some ideas about what to share with them over the next several years, but really wanted their input to see whether our ideas were relevant to where they were with their congregations. Turns out that the issues pastors face in Uganda are pretty much the same ones they face in America. It just goes to show you—human nature and the community of Christ are all universal- same issues, same struggles, same solution, same redemption.

The depth of the pastors’ insight was very encouraging. We’re going to be able to share a lot with these folks, but we’ll learn much from them, too. I think the general idea will be to come once or twice a year over the next three years. Please pray that God would be glorified through our time with the pastors over the next few years, and that their congregations would be transformed through our sessions together.

We must be heading in the right direction, because Rumpf and I have both faced some unwanted attention. We have faced some heavy spiritual attack over the past few nights as we slept (or attempted to sleep). But, God has given us victory and rest in His Son’s name. What a blessing to have a great Provider and Protector.

I’m going to try to give this sleep thing another try now. Good night.

From Christie in Orange, Texas:

Justin and I attended North Orange Baptist Church twice yesterday.  I guess Justin did more than attend, because he was the preacher!  He gave a strong, clear message from God that challenged us to ask ourselves, “Which kingdom am I building?  Is it an earthly kingdom or an eternal kingdom?” I wish I had a picture of him preaching, but I thought it might be a little strange to pull out my camera during the sermon. 

Last night at their evening service, we presented PCM.  North Orange is the church Justin grew up in and the church his parents and sister’s family still attend.  The presentation was a great time of sharing what God is doing through PCM as well as in our lives.  It was nice to look out and see many familiar faces who were excited about hearing what Justin is doing now that he’s a “grownup.”  Everyone was so welcoming and supportive.  Thank you, Pastor Scott, for the privilege of being at North Orange this weekend.

After both services many people came to our tables to find out more about our ministry and to buy t-shirts and necklaces to support PCM.

The really neat part of it is that 7 more children were sponsored by the members of North Orange!  What a blessing these sponsors will be to our Ugandan children.

One last thing…during the evening service there was a thunderstorm, and the power even went out for a minute or so.  It was fine because it came right back on and the storm was over when we were finished and heading out to the parking lot.  But as we walked to our cars, we saw an amazing thing.

It was a huge double rainbow stretching across the entire sky above the church!  Justin’s dad said, “I think this is a good sign for your ministry!”  We pray that we will continue to see God’s blessings and provision for these sweet Ugandan people.

Hey everybody.  It’s Deuce! (Justin)  and I hope you’re enjoying your Saturday morning.  Today we are going to focus on three different people in our PCM family.  I hope you enjoy learning more about them and praising God along with them!

First, we want to introduce you to Milly.

Milly is a ten year old girl at our Mbarara school.  She is in grade P3 at school and her favorite subject is Bible.  Here is her story:

“We were abandoned by both parents and we now live with Pastor Emmy who is our uncle.  We are four children.”

Milly’s favorite verse is Hebrews 11:6 which says “And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him.”

When she grows up she wants to be a nurse, and she also loves to sing as you can see.

She is sponsored by Brett and Lisa Patrick. (By the way, Lisa is also a nurse so I’m sure Milly looks up to her!)

We had the opportunity to interview Milly while we were in Uganda in April. Here is part of the interview:

Next, we have a praise for Pastor Johnson. He was greatly in need of a bicycle, so he has now been given a bicycle by the Gentry Sunday School class at Green Acres. Thank you for the help!

Here is a brief email from Pastor Emmy.

Beloved Epa,
Johnson has been always borrowing a bicycle while he needs to use it. It has not been easy for him to get it from the owner. He told me that this is a great blessing for him to receive this bicycle.  He has asked me to thank the sponsor whom God used to give him this bicycle. Thank you very much.
Emmy

Also, here is a picture of his church where he pastors.

Pastor Reuben has also received a tremendous gift, but I will let him tell you in his own words:

Beloved Epa,
I  have asked Bishop Emmy to write to you my own words to you
because I don’t know how to use the Computer and also my English is
not good.(tears out of his eyes as he speaks out your
name and he has been silent for some few seconds), This is really
beyond my own understanding Sir. You have made me to be a big boss in
my own village. Because people have been so amazed when they saw me
having the Cow, then I built for my Cow a pen which all the people in
my village came and wondered. I am the only one in the all subcounty
who is having the pen like that. Then today,my eyes cannot believe
what I am seeing now. Is it really true that poor Reuben is now owning
this motorbike? I have suffered for along time walking long
distances in the village going to Minister in Churches but now I will
be flying there in a short time. I am asking God to bless you all who
have contributed for me to get this Motorbike.
All will here and give thanks to God for me.
Thank you thank you thank you very much.
Yours Reuben

Pastor Reuben will also be able to use this motor bike to drive to English classes which he will be taking over the next year.

We are also excited to show you some pictures on the new land. Pastor Emmy had the opportunity to take some of the teachers, pastors, and Elsam out to see it. I wish I could have been there to see the looks on their faces as they see what God is providing for their school and their ministry. We are excited to say that we now have ten acres spoken for out of the sixty-five that we need thanks to a good friend donating this week. Enjoy the faces of those we support!

Here they are at the front of the land where there is a small wooded area.

Checking out the banana plantation which is on the back part of the land.

And at the top of the hill where a house stands.  Imagine getting 65 acres of land including a house for $130,000 in the US!

I know everyone is wondering about Sunday night’s open house and share time.  Well, it was incredible!  Thank you so much to all of you that were able to come and help us celebrate what God is doing through Parental Care Ministries.  We had over 100 people come throughout the evening, and it was overwhelming to see how much this ministry has changed over these past two years.  For those of you who are really into numbers, here is some exciting news!

We now how 180 children sponsored with only about 70 more kids to sponsor to finish our Mbarara site! These children will be so excited to know that they have all been chosen someday very soon.

At this point we have 18 cows sponsored for pastors! The 15 pastors receiving their cows will go through a 5 day training at our PCM Uganda office on May 29th before receiving their cows later in June we hope.  These pastors feel so blessed to now have a way to earn their own income.  In fact, here is one pastor’s remarks concerning his cow:

We also have some VERY EXCITING NEWS about the future of Parental Care Ministries.

Here are Pastor Emmy and Reuben in our favorite new area.

Can you believe that?  Yes our long range goal is to eventually have a large piece of land to farm and raise cattle on in order to provide the operational funds for the school as well as to eventually move the school to this property.  Well this goal is becoming a reality!!!!  MUCH SOONER THAN WE COULD HAVE EVER IMAGINED.

We have found an amazing 65 acre piece of land that is the perfect fit for our ministry.  On top of that, we have an anonymous donor who has helped us SECURE THIS LAND  AND is willing to match every dollar donated  up to $65,000 to pay it off in full.   “WAHOOO” is what Pastor Emmy is saying.  “Acres for Orphans” is now officially a new project. Many of us have dreamed of one day owning our own land.  Well, for $1,000 you can own an entire Ugandan acre! You can even purchase a smaller plot if you like less upkeep and fewer bananas on your property (a half acre is $500 and a 1/4 acre is just $250). No gift is too small with this new project.   Everything will be matched by our donor.  We will even let you walk this precious land of milk and bananas and you will soon see why we have chosen this place as the site for our future work in Uganda. The view from this land is literally amazing.  It is in a very rich agricultural hotspot with banana plantations in every direction as far as you can see.    The front of the land is flat where we will be able to have a real playground and soccer field.  Tons of space to run and be a PCM kid.

On the hill we will construct our main campus and even have room for the firstborn of all the firstborn calves of the pastor’s cows. At the top of the hill there is a banana plantation. In the back of the land is many many acres for our PCM farm.This place truly has EVERYTHING WE COULD EVER NEED to start a farm and eventually build a school on.

We presented this vision on Sunday at the open house and already have 9 acres spoken for. Mukama Asiimwe!!  Please pray that God will bring  other sponsors who would be willing to invest in our future at Parental Care Ministries.

“Though you have not seen Him, you love Him, and even though you do not see Him now, you believe in Him and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy” 1 Pet 1:8

Thank you so much for what you are doing to invest in the lives of these people in Uganda.  All the pastors, teachers, and children are filled with so much gratitude for what we are doing.  I think it is a reminder to us how blessed we are, but we are blessed for a reason.  We can choose to use our blessings just to make our own lives a little more comfortable or we can forever change the life of someone else or many others!  Thank you for your eternal investment.  Here is a video showing a little bit of what we experienced on trip 5 as well as some others along with a big thank you from Pastor Emmy:

Blessings to all of you,

Deuce

Greetings to the PCM Family,

It has been a few weeks since we have blogged but now that we are back at home base……. and the rest of our luggage was located near the Holy Land in Jordan somehow not making connection 3 of 5 on the return……….and actually was delivered in Tyler with all our contents…………we have decided it is time for a post.

Here is what is going on in Uganda:

At the school the children are enjoying their first holiday of the year. They have 3 terms.  The children that have a home and that have pastor fathers actually go home and the orphan children stay on site.  It’s a time of rest for everyone but a special time of fun and games.  I am sure the children will be playing the new games we brought as well as with their own games until everyone makes it back.

Pastor Charles is busy finalizing the new dorm so it will be ready for occupancy on their arrival later this month. Many of you know Charles as our construction pastor and leader for all we do with building at our site. He is battling every day of his life with HIV.   He was SO ENCOURAGED by the visit to Kampala with us where he and his wife spent their first night ever in a hotel, had a hot shower, and rode their first elevator. He sent me a  note of thanks saying basically thank you from his wife Grace. She had been really discouraged and wondered what he was working for with PCM, and now I think she might be our biggest fan. Praise God that we could give them this time together. It is only fitting to treat them like the king and queen they so deserve. I just wish I could more accurately display the joy on their faces as they sat at breakfast buffet each of the two mornings. Praise God for letting the Deuce and I share those moments.  It makes me want to pile all of those pastors and their wives in the Miracle Van at once……….and shower them with the love the Lord has prepared for them for their amazing sacrifices they have made for HIM.

Supermom’s hallways tend to expand with children during the break time as well.  She brings home her 18 or so adopted kids (most orphaned in some way) and they hang out at the Nnyanzi house for a few weeks.  Here is a picture of them having a meal on the floor of the passage way at their home. Supermom…….you are an inspiration to all of us parents !!!!  

Pastor Emmy is never still.  Always moving, always doing something.  He of course can’t stay off his cell phone…..always planning and talking to his 43 pastors.  He had an amazing time in Tanzania right after our trip.  Look at this email and how our sound  equipment with the help of our Happy Little Dump Truck is doing to serve God

Here is a portion of Emmy’s email:

We really give the glory to God for his amazing grace he gave me and the entire team while ministering in Bukoba Tanzania. My friend Pastor John Balole had invited me to preach in the Conference and Crusade he had organized. They had invited another guest Speaker from Canada. The conference and crusade started on 22nd to 25th April. Unfortunately the Canada Pastor didn’t made it because of Volcanic mountains who erupted and disorganized all flights. The Pastor in Bukoba called me and requested me to go with a team of preachers and singers,He also asked me to help them with our PA System for the crusade. So we went with a team of 18 People, and 3 of them were my children. I want them also to love how to serve the Lord. When we reached there,the Lord indeed gave us much grace in both meetings the conferences and crusades. So many people attended the Conference and also in the Crusades. The Holy spirit moved so much and we prayed for the sick people, some with demons and they were delivered. At the Crusade many mature people came to Christ. By the end of the crusade at least 84 mature people gave their life to Jesus Christ. And also so many Children which was about 90 gave their life to Jesus. People came in front of the parupit to be prayed but some of them were crying tears of repentance. The Pastor’s chairman and pastors of Bukoba Town also came to us and told that we have blessed them so much with the messages you have been preaching and we wished that it would be very good to organize another Conference where we shall bring all our churches together and we get one big conference hall. They all thanked Pastor John for organizing this one alone with his only church but they said let the coming conference not be organized by only one church but all other Churches will come together.They asked us also to help them in organizing this one. They said their church members have missed alot they are asking us kindly to come again.  Praise God.

Finally,  we want to share what has happened here in Tyler. Our team has been blessed to share at Grace Community Church (Old Jacksonville) and Green Acres Baptist Church (south campus).  We are so blessed for the awesome support of Pastor Doug Clark and Pastor Russ Jackson.  Together their churches have sponsored nearly 60 kids and given nearly 20 cows to our ministry. WOW WOW WOW WOW………….WAHOOOOOOOOOO as Pastor Emmy says. Pastor Doug  (here pictured in a moment of incredible strength from July 2009)……..that is a lot of bananas that you have moved your congregation to give.  PRAISE GOD!!!!!

Pastor Emmy is already excited for that day……hopefully in May where we will assemble those pastors to begin their cow training. Never in our wildest dreams did we think we could have nearly 1/2 of our pastors with a cow by early this summer.  Amazing.  Please be patient with us as we plan and prepare for these special gifts you have so generously given so quickly.  We are in the process also of trying to hire our vet friend Joseph to be our full time vet consultant knowing full well the value of preventive medicine and protecting your precious gifts to these pastors.  We hope to announce something here soon. He also is a pastor.  Yippee !!

This has created quite a bit of work for our PCM team (well ok…….mainly our most excellent child sponsor coordinator and email communicator extraordinaire Christie, or “DC”(  for Double Check as we call her) to handle such a load but she is more than able.  She is busy assembling a team of volunteers to help with our surge of new sponsors and supporters.  These volunteers are going to be so helpful as we are ready to announce our open house for Sunday afternoon ,  May 16th from 5:30pm to 7:30pm.  It will be at our new office (come see where our team hangs out)  with a come and go event.  We will have a short program from about 6:15-7:00 pm where the Deuce will share his musical talents to open the program,  we will see some brief but oh so awesome videos (made by the Deuce as well……you will recognize the step up in talent in the video department right away from Bubba Productions), and see 1 or 2 slide shows of some of the pictures I have taken put to music.  There will be some new news to report, some  ways you can purchase some Ugandan special gifts to support us or even pick up a PCM tshirt if you need one.  We will have opportunities for you to pray at a few designated areas as well as our giving our first ever PCM quiz. See if you can get all the answers correct. There will be handwritten notes from the sponsored children to pick up along with your new sponsor sheet………..new and improved.

It will be a fun night so keep your calendar open that Sunday night May 16th………

Come worship WITH US that night at the Green Acres Outreach Center (where Good Sam is located) just about 1/2 mile north from Mother Frances Hospital on Beckham……5:30pm to 7:30pm.

Blessings to you all……….we are so grateful for your support.

Epa, Kiconco, Deuce and DC

Hey everybody, it’s Deuce.  Today would be our last day of ministry.  We had just spent the night in Masaka town with Pastor Emmy and Supermom, Driver Emmy, and Pastor Charles and his wife Grace.  I am so glad that Epa invited Pastor Charles and Grace to go with us on this trip.  In their eighteen years of being married they had never been to a hotel.  So, they looked like they were on their honeymoon.  He had brought a camera with him and they took pictures while they were eating and just had a great time.  This morning we asked how they enjoyed the room and also asked them about any other firsts.  It was also their first time to eat in a restaurant other than the one at the hotel in Mbarara where we try to invite people during the trips.  And it was Grace’s first hot shower which she said was great.  I almost don’t even know how to feel about such a different life that these two lead.  All I know is that they are happy, so it brings me that much more joy to see them enjoy new experiences.

This morning we traveled to Pastor Amos’ church.

It was close to Masaka (although it took about an hour to get there because of the roads), and Pastor Emmy’s birthplace was actually on the way.  We stopped near the house where he was born and he reminisced about all that he did growing up.  He also showed us a dirt road that he used to travel with tall grass on both sides.  This was actually the same road we were driving on to get to the church, and Pastor Emmy told us that he used to run as fast as he could down the road because he was scared that a large animal was going to jump out of the grass and get him.  He laughed so much telling that story!  He also told us about the first pair of shoes that he owned.  He was fifteen years old and begged his father for them because he was involved in athletics in school and all the other boys had them.  Well, after many tears he was able to buy the cheapest pair available which were made out of plastic.  He jokingly said that they weren’t too bad unless it was hot because then they would really stink, and he didn’t want to get close to any fire because they would melt!  He said they lasted about six weeks and fell apart.  His next pair would be two years later.

Here’s a quick side note: I asked Supermom about whether most women here have their children at home or in hospitals.  She said most of them just have their children at home, but there is a high mortality rate.  She tried to get one of the pastors’ wives to go to a hospital to have her child one time, but she said she would rather give birth at home.  Unfortunately, when she gave birth there was too much bleeding and she did not make it.

When we were nearing Pastor Amos’ church we saw people running to the church and shouting, “They’re coming!  They’re coming!”

It was possibly the biggest day of the year for their congregation.  We felt like celebrities!

As usual they were singing when we arrived and we were offered comfortable seats at the very front of the church.

This was Epa’s first chance to be at this church so we were on level ground with the people we knew.  In fact I shared with the people that although it took Epa five times to come to their church I made it a point to come the first time.  That brought roars of laughter and Epa threatened to fire me.  I hope he doesn’t though because he’s my ride home!

Pastor Amos’ wife could not be there because she was taking care of some of their 10 children, but Pastor Amos just kept on thanking us for coming and telling us how excited he was.  He was also the pastor who had given us a letter of appreciation the Sunday before when he was at Pastor Emmy’s church with us, so we felt very encouraged.

This was also the first church that gave us gifts.  Someone had hand made gifts for both Epa and me that said may God bless us and our families.  And they had our names on them as well.  I was thinking how much more valuable this gift was to me than anything we could have bought in town.

Well, we did our best to encourage them and then took some pictures with them outside the church.

 Epa also gave the pastor some money to treat the congregation to bottled drinks.  They were so excited!  I often wonder how many more dirt roads with pot holes I can take, but then I see the impact of our visits and remember that God has given us a huge blessing to be able to encourage these churches that never get noticed outside their little villages.

After leaving the church it was on to Kampala.

I found myself praying a lot of the way because driving in Uganda just isn’t quite the same as in the States.  There’s a whole other standard of safety.  Luckily we have the King of Kings to protect us while we do his work so I choose not to fear!

Getting to Kampala we realized it was rush hour or something.  Traffic was backed up really bad.  For a city of 3 million they only have 3 traffic lights, so unless you are on a boda boda you’re going nowhere most of the time.  It was worth the wait to get to the hotel though and get to ride the elevator with Pastor Charles and Grace.  You guessed it!  That was their first time in an elevator, too.  I wondered what Grace was thinking about stepping into a little metal box, being surrounded by six other people and luggage and then a door closing.  She did not say much, so she must be pretty trusting.

Speaking of surprises.  There are many things on a trip like this that always shocks us about the differences in our cultures.  So, we thought we would give you a fun little quiz to see how well you know our friends in Uganda.

True or false:

1. Driver Emmy has no idea what a microwave is.

2. Grace can speak four languages.

3. After three days of labor with their first child Pastor Emmy put Supermom on a borrowed bike and pushed her to the hospital.

4. None of our friends know what McDonald’s is even though the golden arches are the second most recognizable emblem in the world second only to the cross.

5.  People drive on the left side of the road here.

6.  The most people we have fit in our van this week at one time was 19.

7.  Pastor Reuben and Hallen’s house is smaller than my hotel room and they have 10 kids!  5 biological and 5 adopted.

8.  The fair market price for a bunch of bananas ranges from 10 to 20,000 shillings which equals 5 to 10 dollars.  Young men will load three bunches on a bike and push it miles to town to retrieve their cut of this money.

The answer to all of these questions is TRUE except for the one about Grace.  She does not speak four languages.  She speaks five!  Sometimes we tend to think that people here are all uneducated, but remember that almost all the people here speak at least two languages including the children.  I have trouble just speaking English!  Oh, and number 5 is debatable.  We have definitely been driving on all sides of the road as well as off the road.  I hope you enjoyed our little quiz!

____

Well, since we’ve written this post we have had the pleasure of taking five flights across 3 continents and five countries.  I must say it is great to be home, but we both felt a real feeling that we were going to miss our friends.  Pastor Emmy put it really well though when he shared with one of the churches.  He said, “Even though we would love to have Epa and Deuce stay, it is for our good that they leave.  Because unless they leave they can not help us.  Their ministry is helping the people in America learn about our need.”  That is very true.  It is exciting to be part of a ministry where we know that God has very gifted people doing his work in Uganda.  He has definitely equipped the right people for the right positions over there, and I’m excited that he is equipping people over here to love and support them.  We have a long way to go, but I have been able to see this week just how far we have been. 

We will be posting a few other things and also letting you know when we will be having a get together soon for all our PCM family where we’ll have the opportunity to share pictures, video, and things from the kids.  You won’t want to miss it!  We are so fortunate to be serving with a great family both here and in Uganda.  Thank you for your faithfulness!

Today was church Sunday……….a day for church.  We got checked out from the hotel, said bye to our bell boys Milton and Angelo, loaded the Miracle Van,  and we were off again down the main road toward Masaka Town.

It would take us 2 hours.  Just a few minutes outside of town Emmy Driver found some friends on the side of the road.  They came much closer than last trip through this area.

We took the main road another hour or so and then turned off to the village road. ;o)  I just love going through the village dirt roads. The people are so friendly.  They will often run out of their homes to see who is driving down the road.  When the children see us………..you can hear them almost in unison “MUZUUUUGUU”  (white man).   All of them are waving and smiling.  We made the trek past where we had the crusade and so many were saved in December.  Kind of a special feeling that place.  The Lord was definitely there back this December. 

Once we got to Reuben’s church, everyone was waiting. The church was in full worship mode.  Our arrival was met with much cheer as usual.  All the kids greeted us at the door.

We made it to our seats and service began all over.  Reuben was there and wasted no time leading his congregation in worship.

Can’t you just feel God’s presence in this building with this picture?  Many of you know his wife Hallen from our previous blogs.

She is my favorite singer in all of Uganda.  She had a repertoire of songs that were inspiring and thoroughly enjoyed by all.  Then we got up to speak and had a chance to share a few things.  I spoke on the advantages of being poor. I told them that they are a very rich people and they could teach my friends in America much.  I went on to share that being poor made them more reliant on God and each other.  They interact with each other much more than we do in our country.  Sometimes we live next to people in the US and we don’t even know them, who they are, or if they are hurting.  In Uganda, you know all your relatives and the church functions really well using the gifts and talents of all the members. People in Uganda know the difference between a necessity and a luxury.  I told them it is hard for a rich man to enter heaven.  The Bible says it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle.  For them, the GOOD NEWS really is GOOD NEWS.  I told them that Satan has blinded the eyes of so many in our country.  People have so much that they don’t feel a need for God.  The need for God in Uganda is so big. It is everywhere. 

Then the Deuce got to share after I spoke and did his usual terrific job.

His words were inspiring and enough so for the children to climb the trees just for them to see outside the church. 

Pastor Charles then interpreted for Pastor Emmy in the message he spoke tagging on to both of our messages, one of his great skills as a pastor.

To take what he has learned and immediately apply it to another area of the Bible.  Truly amazing.

After the service, we were greeted by nearly the entire church one by one.  We made our way over to Reuben’s home and met his cow. 

His cow does not have a sponsor yet.  I had Reuben and Hallen give Deuce a tour of their home.

It’s the most humble place of all the pastors’ homes I have seen. You wouldn’t know it by their smiles from their front window.

He showed me how they were adding on a second room behind but needed the funds to buy a roof of iron sheets for it. It would cost just $125.  About 4 months salary for Reuben.  Many of you remember me showing you this home on the blog.  It is truly amazing that these 2 people can be so incredibly sold out to the Lord.  Their church is lacking nothing…………….their home is lacking everything. Lord help me to be like Reuben and Hallen.  Thank you for showing me what it takes to be a sold out disciple of yours.  They have given all they have …….and then some.  I forgot to mention that during the service their youngest child, Ezra, made it all the way down the church aisle, up on to the elevated speaking area and right on to my lap.

Ezra fell asleep there.  So friendly……….he is already learning so much from his mom and dad.            

We soon made it to Simon’s home. We had stayed so long at Reuben’s church that Simon’s church stayed for an hour and a half after their service but eventually decided to leave as we were still interviewing Emmy, Reuben and Hallen outside the home.  We did make it to Simon’s home where we found him out back with his new cow. The cow has been adopted by Jerry and Debbie White, Christie’s parents, and we have named the cow Jeri.

She has already taken up the personality of her owner Simon and lets him feed her from his hand.  So friendly and likeable. The Deuce decided to join the fun and play along.

Jeri wasn’t too much interested in his grass.  We sat in his home and visited.  I love his home.  So peaceful.  So full of the Lord’s presence.  Finally it was time to go.

We made it to Masaka. There Pastor Charles and his wife would spend their first night in 18 years in a hotel. It would be their first restaurant to sit down and order from a menu as well. I just sat there at the table watching them smile and laugh.

They had borrowed a camera and were taking pictures left and right.  So thankful for our supporters to give this great pastor and master builder a chance to rest and be treated like a king and queen. It costs us just $50 USD for this night for him. He has looked so good all trip.  The HIV is present, but the Lord’s presence is much stronger.  So thankful for every moment of every day that the Lord is giving us Charles.  He is one of our biggest blessings in this whole ministry.

Sula Bulungi (Good night) from Uganda.

We were up early ready and dressed for church.  We had our suit and coats on not to be underdressed as in services before, especially our first trip 2 years ago when Emmy looked at me and said basically, “go back and change.”  I needed to hear that then but not now.
We arrived at school and proceeded to the new P6/P7 classroom.  It takes up the former play area which is frustrating, but it is big enough in itself just to add a divider and we won’t have to build a P7 classroom next year. Yeah !!!! Thank you Grace Elementary School Hearts for Change program this February. The building is beautiful. Our biggest on campus. By collecting pennies, nickels, dimes and quarters over a 2 week period, there now stands a worship building/classroom that is being used everyday.  It will hold the children for school or the adults for church but not both.  That is still the problem. The P3 children and below are in one of the other classrooms.  Our plan this November is to build a new structure to hold all the school children without squeezing them like sardines and on Sundays for this building to be able to hold the entire church.  We have several committed to already going on this trip.  One of our other main purposes will be to install some play equipment for the children as their Christmas present this year.  Oh my will they love that!

So on our arrival the church was in full worship mode.

We were seated and noticed right away the older children’s choir, many of which had on some of the Grace School Orchestra blue shirts that blend in nicely to our PE uniform attire.  Here is a picture of Gaudy, one of our leaders and sponsored children.

Many of our village pastors made the trip to the home church today.  The farthest pastor traveled 130 miles. That is quite a distance on these roads. Many familiar faces were there including one of my favorites, Pastor Simon.  His smile is contagious as you can see.

Then Milly, one of our other newly sponsored kids, got up and led another group. You could hardly see her, but you sure could hear her sing!!

Someone in the church walked forward and gave her a small blessing (500 shilling coin worth a quarter) which is a tradition here in Uganda to bless the singers if you desire. And the children in the crowd also certainly responded.  Here is Alex, another newly sponsored kid, in full worship.

Some of you may remember him from the water video smiling, drinking the dirty water.  He is so thankful to be drinking clean water now. Wow……….such love for his Savior. Lord, help me to love you like Alex does.  We were then blessed by beloved Jude, our 13 year old sponsored son.

Everyone loves this kid when they see him. Many of you know him from leading worship songs on our video.  And I couldn’t also leave out worship leader extraordinaire and Ferguson adopted daughter Abias.

Pure and simply, the kind of girl you would want your daughter to be.  So thankful, so loving of her Lord.
Pastor Emmy then got up and spoke of Kiconco (pronounced “KEE CON SHOW” ) which is his name for my wife Monica.  It means “gift from God.”  You see, none of us would have ever been here today if it were not for her. Her obedience to go to Mozambique with an unknown purpose 3 years ago started all of this.  There she met Pastor Emmy who had also been called to this trip not knowing anyone either. When they met, they both knew immediately why the Lord brought them together. Anyway, the church got up and prayed for her with such love and appreciation like I have never seen. They love her and so do I!!!  Then Pastor Emmy said we have a special blessing from Kiconco. She has recorded 2 songs with the help of a group of others.

“None Like You” and “Wounded Soldier”.  The children rushed to the front and sang along. All were so blessed by this music.  They are waiting for your return Kiconco.  Especially your 2 adopted sons, Ivan and Patrick here seen looking through the church door.

It was then time for offering and one by one the pastors and church members came to the plate. Then I was truly moved by what I saw next.  Milly, one of our true orphans, who is so thankful for her Supermom and Superdad………promptly walked up to the offering basket and gave that 500 shilling piece (25 cents) in the offering plate. It’s all she has……..she gave it all to HIM. Thank you for letting me see that Lord. Help me to go and do likewise.
I introduced Deuce to the church and let him share some words with them, then I went to talk to the small children and read Bible stories to them.

So thankful for that experience. They listened so well and were perfectly quiet as i read to them stories about Zaccheus and Jesus and the disciples in the boat.  I was amazed that they were like a sponge to God’s word. They ate it up. The teacher Jonathan asked them what they learned. One after another they said things like,  “Jesus knows our names”  “Do not fear…..Jesus is with us” “With God all things are possible.”  Oh my Lord, help me to HEAR your Word like these precious children. Help me apply it to my life like these orphan children.  Wow……..

Next we pulled out the B-I-N-G-O and the kids caught on in a jiffy. Here is a photo of Emily, a Tyler Tx anonymous sponsor along with newly sponsored Dickson, sponsored by the Dixons from Tyler Tx.   Thank you to both of these families………Dickson almost won the first game!!

We then met with the Pastors after service and went over the progress we are making with PCM USA. They were so encouraged.  We spoke at length about the Cows for the Kingdom program where we are providing a milking cow for each of the pastors . They can take the milk and earn $2-3 daily and provide some milk for their families. We will visit the 3 pastors later this week who have been given cows to see up close and personal the program.  I would like to thank the Warr family as they have purchased our 4th cow and we are praying right now for who that pastor will be.  We hope to announce, complete the training needed, and deliver another 2-3 cows very soon if the Lord allows this program to grow.  One of the pastors’ obligations will be to give the first born of each cow to the school to build up cows for the kids and our desire to give them milk and let them eat more meat.  Yahoo………..thanks again Warr family.
Finally we made it back to the hotel and changed, ate at the Chinese restaurant which is on the hotel grounds (it has gotten even better Mr Ja and Mr Cha).  I might eat cashew chicken for 10 meals in a row.
Our last stop of the day was the crusade.

Here is one of my favorite children from the night.

Once again we climbed atop the stage, watched it rock back and forth with the worship team and then each of us got a chance to share.  I spoke on the beatitudes and being happy and humble. The Deuce did an excellent job. He asked if anyone would be willing to trade something that was in his pocket.

He wouldn’t show them but asked if anyone was willing.  One of the local pastors walked up and produced a white iphone and gave it to Deuce. Then he pulled out the prize in his pocket for the trade……..a single smartie. Wow, what a trade. A “smartie bomb” (as we call them as we throw them out of the van) for an iphone.  The Deuce went on to explain the unfairness of this trade and for the trade Jesus made for us.  Our sin for His blood.  I am so blessed to be working alongside such a talented pastor and teacher to these Ugandan people.  Before we left we got to pray over another 6 or so new Believers.
God is so good………all the time.
Siba bulungi “Good morning for us”
Epa and the Deuce.

Hey everybody, it’s Justin, “the Deuce.”  I know a lot of you have been enjoying being a part of Parental Care Ministries but have never had the opportunity to see the children in person.  Well, today was my opportunity and nothing could have prepared me for what I experienced.  As we pulled up the children were lined up along the road cheering while all wearing their PCM shirts.

 Then when we stopped they surrounded the van.

 As we got out some of the older children and teachers hoisted us up on their shoulders and carried us all the way to the main classroom while cheering the whole time.

It was a surreal moment.  The kids had so much love that they just poured out on us every second we were there.

Besides feeling like a celebrity I was overwhelmed with humility and the fact that these orphans that we have come to encourage are displaying the love of Christ like I never have.

They had a program prepared for us which was very good and even included our names in a poem.

Then we went outside to see some games that they play.  With so much joy they played a version of dodgeball with a homemade ball made out of rolled up grocery bags tied together.

Continued resourcefulness is so evident in everything that they do. After lunch it was time for some of our games.  We broke out three games of Jenga and the kids competed against each other by grades.  P6 vs P5, P4 vs P3,  Nursery vs P1.

They kids absolutely LOVE it.  This was our first snack of many to come………. I got to help pass them out as the kids stood in line patiently waiting their delicious treat. The fact that we were taking up a collection of the seeds should let you know that they ate every bite.

The first is Pastor Charles. He has been present.  Many of you know him as our head construction pastor. He is HIV+ and has been quite weak since Christmas. He has been unable to work with the guys on finishing the boy’s dorm but he has been strong enough to be present on site.  He does look weaker but he smiles, and absolutely loved the Jenga game (I would not want to play him 1 vs 1 in this game for sure.)  We brought him boxes of protein bars and he gathered them up smiling and thanking me for all of you.  We were also able to give him several extra apples. As  you can see in this picture, he likes them as much as the kids.

I have no idea how much time the Lord has for him on this earth.  His pants barely are staying on him. However, you could not tell with his attitude……….The Lord told me today we will honor him in two ways……

1. the first of which this week he and his wife will travel to Kampala to stay with us before we fly back.  There he will take a hot shower, eat at a resturant where he can order anything he would like, as well as sleep in a comfortable clean bed.  We will cherish the time we have with him and be grateful for it.  Only the Lord knows what is left.
2. The second way we will honor him is to name the new multipurpose building after him.  It would be fitting to do that. His hand has been on every single brick at our site.   I will be working hard this week to plan the November trip to build this multipurpose church building where all of our children can meet under one roof during the week and it can be used for Emmy’s church on the weekends .

Saturday is wash day and we were present to watch that process from start to finish.  First off, the children line up to receive the basins.  Supermom rarely asks for anything but she made a request today…….one of the only times I have ever heard her ask for something.  She said they currently have only 20 basins for the 250 kids.  Half of those are broken as you can see our new head girl, Gloria, holding her basin.

The children have to wait for a basin to use and the process really slows down.  I asked Supermom how much would one cost and she said 3000 shillings.  $1.50 each.  Wow……….hardly anything to provide one for each child. I decided to watch this process from start to finish.  First you must have a basin as described. After you get out of that line  then you proceed down to Elsam for your soap. He carefully takes his “pang” (machete) and cuts off a piece which every time lands in the child’s basin. Then you make a short stop to the well fountain to fill  your basin,  and proceed outside our gate to the grassy area where the children “with smiles” begin to scrub their clothes over and over with this soap and well water.

I will end it hear as it is 12:30am………..but I will share part two about the crusade when I get some rest. The only thing I will share is that we know at least 6 people were saved tonight, the first was named none other but “Monica.”   Love you honey and want you to know all the kids are asking for you.

Mukama Asiimwe,