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!

Have you ever seen children so excited for text books?  Well, here you go!  Thanks go to the ladies behind the CCC Sale,  Laura and Tess for donating English textbooks for the children of all grades. We had some general fund donations (thank you Chuck and Ann) and we were able to purchase enough for the children to have books for all their classes.  They will share one textbook per desk which fits about 3 students.  Look at the true joy on their faces.

“Give thanks to the LORD, call on His name; make known among the nations what HE has done.” 1 Chronicles 16:8

On our last trip we asked the teachers for their #1 request.  It was simply textbooks.  One month later,  the books are in their hands. Praise God.

THREE THINGS TO PRAY ABOUT:

1.  Please pray for Adrine……..here is a portion of a recent email from Pastor Emmy

Her dad died of HIV AIDS recently and her Mother is also very sick,by the time her dad died he had already sold the only land they had looking for money for his treatment and he never recovered but instead he died. Now Adrine’s sick Mother has no home but staying with relatives. We have stood very close to Adrine to make her not feel that big gap in her life. I am glad that she is happy now with our Parental Care love we give her.

Did you know that every 14 seconds another child becomes a victim to AIDS virus by the loss of one or both parents.  Not all of our children at the Mbarara site are orphans, but even the ones who have a mom and/or dad are losing them to this terrible virus at an alarming pace.  We are so thankful for your support to be able to love these children as He has loved us.

“I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you.”  John 14:18

2.  Pray for Emmy and Sarah.   Emmy’s stepmom is in a coma.  Many of you remember the story of Emmy’s stepmom and her mistreatment of Pastor Emmy as a child.  At one point she even tried to poison his food but the Lord allowed Emmy’s sister to tell him not to eat it. A few months ago, Emmy reconciled with her and with the help of another board member they even found a way to help fix up her home. We are still getting info about her illness so please pray for them.

Pastor Emmy just emailed me and told me there has been some improvement in her mental status but she still is not recognizing anyone.

3. Finally please pray for Pastor Reuben and Hallen. Hallen’s father died this weekend of kidney diseases and the funeral is going on this weekend.  I have no other details here but I do know that Reuben and Hallen are precious people and I am sure their parents are too.  Thank you for praying for her.  In addition we would like to thank the  families who have contributed to Reuben’s English scholarship fund (Langfords, Stevensons, and the Eichelbergers) . As Emmy’s #2 in charge, he realizes his English must improve to increase his communication and effectiveness with the ministry.  We are proud to announce he is starting class this August and will attend for 3 terms (1 year).

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

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”

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

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.”

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.