friday and saturday

on friday morning, craig preached his last sermon at the pastors' conference.  he focused on Philippians 3:7-11, in which paul shares his desire to KNOW Christ.  he talked to the pastors about the different names of Jesus given in scripture.  

afterwards, the team gave out ties and scarves to the pastors and their wives.  then, in typical ugandan fashion, the people said goodbye to the team for about an hour and a half.  each member of the team received special individual gifts and had a chance to say a few words to the pastors.  

in the afternoon the team went back to the "crusade" or "revival" in lira town.  craig was preaching on the prodigal son when a big storm developed.  pastor johnson led them while they sang through the storm.  pat remembers singing "blessed assurance."  

after they ate dinner, they were surprised by a visit from the governor of lira (i think that's what her title is...).  she came to say goodbye and thank you.  she said the people of uganda are intent on pursuing recovery and development after the war, and she is excited about the unity of the church.  she is a Christian and said that she knows that God is the only One who can truly bring recovery and development to her people.

saturday

after breakfast, the team left lira and began the 6 hour drive back to kampala.  on this drive they crossed the nile river.  we haven't had very good experiences at this crossing.  you might recall that in 2006 we got arrested for stopping and going down to the water.  the same thing happened to the team this year on the way north to lira.  well, this time, they called their new friend, the governor of lira,  and got a military escort to a special, beautiful scenic overlook and were able to walk down to the river and stay as long as they wanted.  it pays to know people!  

the team is utterly exhausted and ready to come home.  i'm sure they are overwhelmed and it will take a while to process all that they've seen and experienced on this trip.  i hope they took good pictures!

thursday

ok, so the update from yesterday first - i asked pat about the reaction of the people in the village when they received the Bibles, footballs, and clothes.  pat gave me an extremely detailed response.  he said, "it was awesome..."  oh well, i'm doing well to get the reports i'm getting!  

when they stopped at the school by the village, artistic leven presented the gospel using a story board, and JOHN ECKLEY led the altar call.  i tell you what, these presbyterians are stepping outside their comfort zones this week!

there were about 300 people present at the pastors' conference today, so the attendance has been steadily increasing each day.  2 women have prayed to receive Christ during the conference - that's the beauty of it being open to the public.  and this is so great - one of the women who attended the first couple of days was pregnant.  she had her baby (today, i think) and guess what she named her little girl???  CHARLESTON!  i love it. 

pat, jessica, john and barb hildreth, and the aleles traveled to jimmy's village today.  this is a very remote area.  we went there two years ago and we were the first white people who had ever been there!!  they visited with jimmy's dad and received an incredible welcome from the church there.  since we were there they have been able to put a roof on the church, thanks, in part, to some help from RPC.  the team members took wine and bread to give pastor aaron so that the congregation could partake in the Lord's supper.  oh, the things we take for granted! 

the rest of the team went to one school today - the school pastor johnson attended when he was young.  lori gave her testimony and over 100 kids came forward to pray to receive Christ.  praise the Lord!  

this evening the team participated in a "revival" of sorts in the open market in lira town.  i'm sure this was quite an experience.  i didn't get details here.  

one last thing - today was pastor johnson's birthday.  this will highlight what an amazing job todd christian has done planning this trip -  not only did they have gifts for johnson (a journal, a devotional book, and a signed picture of the team), they also had a cake AND candles!  unbelievable.  apparently they don't have a tradition of celebrating birthdays in uganda.  johnson said it was the first birthday present he had ever gotten.  wow!

the team said goodbye to joseph today.  he is getting married in two weeks!  they hope to see him sunday in kampala. 

that's all i've got for you.  does anyone else have any more details?  if so, please share! 

wednesday

i got a VERY brief update from pat and craig this afternoon: 

pat said they took the Bibles and footballs and some clothes to the village they visited Sunday.  i didn't hear what the reaction was.  they passed a school on the way to the village and stopped and spoke to the kids there on the way back.  they visited THREE schools today.  pat said they're like a traveling carnival.  haha.  pat had to leave the phone with craig so that's all i got from that part of the team.  

craig said the pastors' conference is going well.  he's getting tired - i think they all are - so pray that they would get some rest.  he said there were over 250 people at the conference and that yesterday and today it lasted until 6:00 pm!  (he also told me he heard that at one school 45 kids came forward and at another school over 100 kids came forward - i'll get details tomorrow.)  

here's one story for you:  a lady came up to craig and said that while he was preaching she went into a trance and fell into a sweet sleep - then she saw peanut plants growing up around craig as he preached the Word.  she said that means that the Word he is bringing will bear great fruit.  craig said that's the best excuse he has ever heard for someone just falling asleep during his sermon.  :)  

i hope i have more for you tomorrow.  thanks for all of your prayers!

tuesday...

this morning after craig preached at the pastors' conference, the team was surprised when pastor johnson said "okay, now we will split into small groups..."  so, john hildreth took all the elders in attendance, barb and christine and kathy spoke to the pastors' wives, and matt spoke to the youth leaders.  i think they will do the small groups again tomorrow.  there were about 200 people there today.  one thing craig emphasized in his preaching today was the unity of the church, which is crucial for these pastors to hear because there are so many different denominations in uganda.

after the pastors' conference, the team visited two different schools.  at the first school, leven gave his testimony, todd spoke to the kids about Psalm 23, and then matt shared the gospel.  when joseph gave the altar call, 150 kids came forward.  of course some of these kids may have just wanted to hang out with the americans and get a bracelet, but we cannot judge their motives.  please pray that as they get involved with the scripture union (kind of like FCA) at their school that they will see the gospel for the beautiful Truth that it is.

at the second school, john eckley and amanda white gave their testimonies, todd spoke about Psalm 23 again, and matt shared the gospel.  this time when joseph gave the altar call, not one single soul came forward.  christine then shared with the group her testimony and how the Lord had delivered her from darkness.  after this, ONE boy named dennis came forward to pray to receive Christ.  imagine how nervous he must have been to get up in front of all those people.  Lord, thank you for dennis!  pat said he could tell that many of the kids in attendance were already believers.  but also, the head master there is very strict and some may have been afraid to come forward.  God is good and He is sovereign.  thank goodness we know He has a perfect plan.  

remember the village i told you about that the team visited on Sunday?  when they left there, the leader of the village made a humble request - for footballs (soccer balls to us) and for Bibles.  then he said so many groups of people come to see them once and never go back.  well of course our team took that as a challenge.  they will return tomorrow morning with footballs for the kids and Bibles in their native tongue!  hallelujah!  

when you pray for the team tonight, don't forget to pray for our new brother, dennis.  

praise God from whom ALL BLESSINGS flow...

the pastors' conference went well this morning - and afternoon.  in typical ugandan fashion, it was supposed to be over at 1:00, but lasted until 3:00.  craig preached on who Jesus is - that He is 100% man and 100% God.  an elder in one of the area churches came up to thank craig for his preaching and told him that he did not realize Jesus was God!!  that gives you an idea of why the pastors' conference is sooo needed.  

the team then headed for it's first school visit at lira integrated school.  

john hildreth introduced himself and the team, then pat, jessica, and matt shared their testimonies.  pat said that the Holy Spirit totally took over and gave him all the words to say.  what an incredible experience!  he said the Lord certainly showed up and as a result 113 young people came forward to pray to receive Christ.  WOW!!!  the team split up to pray with them and to give each kid a "salvation bracelet" and explain the colored beads to them.  

there is a tendency in africa (as well as here in the states) for people to preach and to believe the "prosperity gospel," which says that if you become a Christian then the Lord will bless you and you will become rich and have no more worries or problems.  please pray that the team can dispel this false teaching and point these precious people not to themselves, but to CHRIST alone.  

 

the Lord's day in lira

had a brief update Sunday afternoon -

the team worshipped with pastor johnson's church in the morning.  craig preached a really good sermon on obedience.  the team enjoyed the worship style (i'm talking full out aerobics here...) and the passion of the ugandan believers.  

after lunch they went by a refugee-camp-turned-village - from the way it was described to me, i believe it is the one called barlonyo.  i think all of the true IDP (internally displaced person) camps are gone now, thank goodness, but i may be wrong.  it is hard to take in what you see at a place like this - these people have been through so much suffering!  the team was overwhelmed, i'm sure.  kathy spoke to the people, then johnson preached and joseph wrapped things up and offered an altar call.  at least two women came forward and said "i want to know your God."  praise the Lord!!!  

if you are interested in what the people of northern uganda have lived through you can read this.  but be encouraged - the region where the team is has been safe for several years.  

today (monday), the pastors' conference kicked off and the rest of the team visited a local high school to share the gospel and the testimony of God's grace and faithfulness in their lives.  keep praying that He will be glorified in all they say and do. 

if you have talked to a member of the team or if you have anything to add, please leave a comment for us!   

north to lira

the team had a long day of traveling today, but they were greeted in lira with shouts of joy and thanksgiving.  they were overwhelmed at how warmly and enthusiastically they were welcomed by the church there.  then pastor johnson told craig and the team he would like them to be in charge of both church services tomorrow in their entirety!  

please pray for them to sleep well tonight and that the Lord would provide everything they need in the morning.  pray that the team would love each other through fatigue and unfamiliar circumstances and surroundings.  pray that they would not be self-conscious, but Christ-conscious, not self-confident, but Christ-confident.  

your prayers are being heard and answered!

   

friday in kampala

enjoy the following update from the team via an email from pat: 

i will insert some pictures (mostly from the trip in 2006) along the way to help you put faces with names...

"hello again from Kampala, our last night here before we head north early in the morning for Lira.  Today was a very busy day for the team.  We started with breakfast, then we gathered together to share what we have learned so far.  Our prayer was to focus on our goal here in Uganda.  The goal of encouraging God's people here and spreading His gospel.  We sang songs and had a time of prayer at the hotel.  

To the market this morning.  Jimmy's brother Cornelius helped us bargain for gifts. 

 

After lunch we visited KPC (Kampala Pentecostal Church) - where we listened in to the Watoto childrens' choir practice.  We met joseph who will be accompanying us to Lira.  He left after our meeting to visit a new church plant in Gulu.  

joseph with craig

Then we met with pastor Chris and his wife Heather.  

Heather gave us incredible news about the Watoto choir (they have been asked to perform at the opening of the Olympics in Beijing), and the orphanage in general (www.watoto.com.)  

Pastor Chris spoke to us for about 15 minutes.  A few excerpts:  our mission in Uganda will be fruitful because God has called us not to do everything but something.  We should not be overwhelmed by the barrage of needs but to focus on what God has called us to do.  He reminded us that this is not our work but God's work.  

Frank will go with us in the morning.  He was unable to make the meeting this afternoon.   

gibson with frank

We traveled in eastern Kampala to the Banda slums, the largest of Kampala and "home" to refugees from the north, to meet with the widow Jeninah. 

 kathy and christine, with jeninah

Jeninah is one of the widows the church decided to support as a result of the last trip.  She and her deceased husband Ben were called to move to and minister to those in the slum. Today we were able to see God's faithfulness to Jeninah in providing for and enabling her to continue to serve.   She hosts over 80 widowed women from war torn northern Uganda.  With the church's support Jeninah is able to devote her time to this ministry.  The women make jewelry together, pray, and read the bible.  It is a great support group for these women who have left their homeland.   Today we saw the fruits of Redeemer Charleston's support of Jeninah.  What a blessing it was.  

Just when the day could not get any better, we finished the evening at the home of Jimmy's brother Cornelius where we were welcomed in traditional Ugandan style and grace.  

cornelius with jimmy and christine

We feasted on the sweetest pineapple, mangoes with the peelings on, and sugar cane.  Then, we were greeted with Ugandan tea and an address from Cornelius, the elder of his clan.  We met Jimmy's sisters, nieces, and nephews.  

Tomorrow we head to Lira.  We head 'off the grid' as there will most likely be no way to e-mail.  we will have our phone with us for emergencies.  the group is excited about what awaits and eager to see God's work in Lira.  thank you so much for your continued prayers.  

Redeemer in Uganda"

johnson, alice, and delight

here are a couple of pictures of the precious family who hosted the team for dinner last night.  what a blessing!

day 3 update

got an email from pat this afternoon.  just so you know, pastor johnson is one of the pastors who attended the conference craig led in 2006.  he and his wife, alice, and their daughter, delight, live in kampala now where johnson attends african bible college.  he has helped plan this trip and will travel with the team to lira this weekend.  here you go:

 

"How do I put to words what we've already experienced.  We did not make the market today due to problems with changing money in town.  Praise the Lord the bank finally took our 'scratched' bills (apparently any marks including a fold makes our currency useless). The top of the day was tonight at Johnson and Alice's home.  They hosted all 17 of us for dinner.  We toured African Bible University meeting several students and one instructor.  This instructor happened to a PCA mininster from the States - Christopher Copeland and his family (www.missionarycopelandfamily.org).  He spoke to us about all the good work going on at ABU, and had high regard for Johnson and another student who met with us named Gregory.  After the meal Johnson spoke incredible words to us.   I will try to sum it up right here:

 

"You coming from so far away to be with us, reminds us of Jesus' love to us when He came so far.  Even if you don't say a word in the North (Lira), you have shown us the gospel by coming".  It was a great moment.  Craig prayed ...  It was a special evening.  Alice led us in song when we arrived...  There's so much more to tell, so much more. 

Thank you for the blog updates.  We all gather around the computer here reading your entries and the comments.  John E. is getting some pretty funny comments..."  

 

great update, pat!  thanks for keeping us informed on what's going on over there with y'all.

for those of you reading this at home in the states, i think the team will be in kampala one more day and night.  they can check this blog on the computer at the hotel, so send your comments before they head north to lira!  

first morning in uganda

lori wrote to her family this morning and has agreed to share this description with us:

"How I wish YOU were here to experience the grace and beauty here.  I awoke refreshed to the smell of fried plantains, to cool dry air of a Ugandan morning, to a blazing sun that highlighted the various trees - banana and palm - on the mountainside, and a hug and beautiful smile from Irena and Thomas some of the workers at the Adonai guest house where we are staying in Kampala... red brick tile floors, wooden panelled ceilings, couches and coffee tables and long dining tables set and surrounded by zebra-print rattan chairs!  Porches upstairs and down wrap around the white stuccoed, red-tile roofed houses where we are staying!  We have just finished an incredible breakfast of fried plantains, samosas, corn muffins, and fresh-squeezed mango juice...  it is the coffeehouse we always envisioned and wanted!  Also, the gas stations are called "Mo-gas!"

Today, we will go to the market in Kampala, shop and experience more of Ugandan life; then we will have dinner at Pastor Johnson's house this evening!  Everyone feels good and rested.  Continue to pray for God's manifold blessings!"

wow, thank you, lori!  if that doesn't make us all wish we were there, nothing would!

the team has an international cell phone with them.  if you need to get in touch with them, the number is 011 256 775 785 787.  the cheapest way to call is with a prepaid calling card.  i (gibson rayner) have one that you are welcome to use!  

everyone have a fabulous day.  don't forget to pray for team redeemer!

after 34 hours of traveling

4:45 pm our time, 11:45 pm uganda time - all 17 exhausted members of the team have made it to the hotel.  praise the Lord!  

safe and sound

just got a text message from the team around 1:30 pm.  they have landed safely at the entebbe airport.  pray that they will get a good night's sleep in kampala.  they are staying at the adonai guest house.  the number there is 0414-266858, and you can check out the website here.

progress

at about 1:30 am (EST) the team landed in amsterdam

around 5:30 am, they were boarding the plane to head to uganda.  very tired.

and... they're off!!

the team left for uganda this morning, via atlanta and amsterdam.  please pray for their safety and that the Lord will use them in a mighty way.  keep checking in for updates!  

preparations

on saturday the team got together at the church to do some packing and planning

so many people donated clothes for the team to take to the people of uganda.  THANK YOU!  

the Lord certainly provided - He always does!

some ties to give to the pastors who come to the pastors' conference

the guys making bracelets, making each other laugh, and making us proud.

taking a break

do you win the point if you BOTH stick out your tongue?

the team

jessica, amanda, leven, brooke, isabelle, joan, john, pat, matt, christine, kathy, john, todd, lori, barb, and craig.  the only one missing is anna ruth.