Island Ministry

I had the opportunity to minister with a group of pastors and church leaders on Namitale Island on Thursday.  It was a cool experience.  There is no electricity or running water on this small island of maybe 3,000 people.  The only vehicles I saw were a boda (Motorbike) and massive new earth mover.  They told me that the bulldozer was brought over on a ferry in order to make roads on the island.  There was indeed a good dirt road, but no evidence of vehicles to travel on it.  I guess they are preparing for the future!

Mukene laid out to dry by the lakeshore.

The day started by picking up a few men near GSF.  These had been trained in Bible overview and inductive Bible study for several months at GSF in 2013.  Upon completing that study, God opened a door for us to "go and make disciples" (our study theme) in Kiyindi, a fishing village an hour's drive from GSF.  We just finished up our 6-month study with a group from several churches in this village.  Along the way, I've learned that Kiyindi is the gateway to the islands (there are 52 islands in the chain nearest to this area).  It is also the harvest point for mukene (silverfish), which is a favorite food of many Ugandans.  The road to Kiyindi is rough and the atmosphere of this thriving fishing town is dark, but there is Light shining in the darkness.

We launched out to Namitale from Kiyindi at about 10:30 AM, singing as we went.  Several men and women from the Kiyindi discipleship group joined us as our hosts for the day.  We were 15 people in all.

Pastor Stephen Tenywa has been reaching these islands for several years, but he has come alive with passion as he began to learn how to accurately handle the Word of Truth through our studies.  He started another discipleship group at a church on Namitale 5 weeks ago.  This is the dynamic of making disciples!

About 30 people gathered for training on the island.

I was taught 12 years ago by my friend, Tim Miller (Disciple The Nations).  Tim has since written a book (30x60x100) which is the guide for our study groups here.  I've trained two groups of church leaders so far.  Now one of them has started another group elsewhere.  Other men are also planning to go and share the gospel in this way.  This is the instruction of 2 Timothy 2:2, "The things which you have heard from me among many witnesses, entrust these to faithful men who will be able to teach others also."

Our training for the day was held in a small, mud structure (pictured left).  We were joined by about 15-20 people from Namitale and neighboring islands.  Some of the other pastors taught brief sessions from our studies and gave testimonies of how it was transforming their ability to teach the Word of God.  I shared a message about making disciples.  Then we had a short break before I led the next session, an overview of Old Testament history from Ruth through the kings and up to Ezra/Nehemiah.

Moses (left) grew up at GSF and translated for me.

I finished with a favorite teaching from Malachi 4:6 (the last words of the OT), connecting to Luke 1:17 (purpose of John, opening the NT).  These passages both talk about God's desire to "turn the hearts of father's to their children."  This is a much needed message here in Uganda!  It also helps to demonstrate the connections within the entire Bible, which is one of the main points of our study.  The Bible is intricately interwoven, not a mere compilation of nice stories.

Launching the boat back into the water for the return journey.

Pastor Stephen and his wife (left) are our hosts in Kiyindi.  Pastor Moses (next to me) has a church near GSF.

The people graciously served us a lunch of fish, rice and posho when we concluded at 4:00 p.m.  Of course we had fish – we're on an island!  They asked me whether I preferred the head or the tail.  Not enjoying it when my food is looking at me, I chose the tail.


A rain storm blew in during lunch and we could see white caps all over the lake, so our return journey was delayed a bit.  Once the storm passed, we launched out again.  The praise and worship singing carried us the entire journey back to Kiyindi.  We said farewell to our brothers there and returned home.  What an amazing day!

Our Thanksgiving Weekend

We have plenty of busy weeks or weekends and most are unexpected or unplanned.  Rarely do we have a SCHEDULED busy weekend.  Thanksgiving week/weekend was one of those rare times.  I have been meaning to send all the happenings (both planned and unplanned) of that weekend as a newsletter but time as usual has gotten away.  So I will post the events, both happy and sad here. 

Give Thanks

 

Thanksgiving Thursday was great fun as we had over 40 missionaries (including kids) at the GSF guesthouse for a feast.  Everyone else on the compound continued work as usual and were very respectful of us and our holiday.  This was our nurse Katie’s first Thanksgiving as she is from England.

Introduction

 

Some of the "Groom's Family" all decked out in our traditional garb

The next day, Friday, was the wedding introduction for one of our staff members who grew up at GSF.  The introduction is the time when the groom gives the dowry for the bride.  It is a HUGE deal and each side hires a “speaker” to represent them—a drama of sorts.  The neatest thing about the introduction in my opinion is that the groom had worked very hard at the dowry but still did not have as much as usual.  The speaker spoke for him saying he was still young so he was not able to have as much for the dowry.  They asked the bride if she would still accept him and she said “Yes!”  Beautiful.  At the end, the groom’s guests/family bring the dowry gifts in.  Amy helped carry in the leg of a cow. Ha!

 

The Happy Couple

Wedding

 

Saturday was the wedding for Isaiah, GSF farm worker, and Norah, his bride.  The wedding was beautiful and took place in our chapel.  All the GSF kids also got to go which was fun.  Amy helped them find clothes to wear to dress up.  Our girls helped all the GSF girls get their nails painted on Friday.  Over 350 people attended, which is more than double the number expected, yet there was still enough food for everyone.

 

‘He gives and takes away’

 

The morning of the wedding, as we were all getting ready, Big David, our tailor, called Mark and told him that his 2 year old needed to be rushed to the hospital.  Mark could tell it was an emergency and one of our drivers was heading toward the hospital at that moment.  We got word about 45 minutes later that 2-year-old Simeon didn’t make it.  Simeon was developmentally delayed and medical exams had not yet turned up the reason.  He may have had a heart defect.  It was so sad, but David (who had been very instrumental in planning the wedding) said the celebration must go on and they would have the burial the next day.  Big David said, ‘The Lord gives, and He takes away; blessed be the name of the Lord.’ 

Little Simeon in May; Big David is in the background

Sunday was a tough day.  We had a shortened prayer service at the church.  David and his family live on the GSF compound so all the kids knew Simeon.  Some of the older girls were very close to him and cared for him often.  We loaded our bus a two other vehicles with 45 people to attend the burial.  We went about an hour away to David’s home village of Kakira for the burial.  It was somber ending to an exciting and packed 4-day weekend.

He holds your future, Sweet girl!

I picked up Mercy this morning when I walked into the church and held her as we sang. We began to sing, Because He lives.

"Because He lives, I can face tomorrow. . ."

I looked at Mercy and began to think about her tomorrows and that surely they will be much better than her yesterdays. When she arrived at the hospital and then at GSF, she was balled up and could barely move. But at church I was holding her with her back, arms and legs straight. She is just beginning to hold her neck up on her own.

"Because He lives, all fear is gone."
"Because I know He holds the future."

At this point I began to cry because, even though I don't know if Mercy will ever walk, I know who does and who can cause her to walk. Even though I don't know if Mercy will ever see, I know who does and who can give her sight. HE HOLDS HER FUTURE! I imagine her running around someday possibly with glasses to help correct her eyesight. But even if not. . .

And life is worth the living
Just because He lives!

MIRACLES NEVER CEASE THEY SOMETIMES JUST TAKE TIME

Matthew has CP. We have been told that he will walk someday. Here he is in 2008 when he was barely even crawling. Many people have worked with him, sent and/or paid for therapy items but more than anything we have all prayed for him and with him that someday he would walk. He is a miracle before all of our eyes and a reminder that God loves and cares for His children.


Here he is strutting his stuff in his new walker designed just for him. Thank you to Spring Garden Church in Greensboro for raising the funds for his walker. He is not there yet, but someday very soon he will walk to school with his walker. And he is thrilled and leaping for joy!

Gifts

Walked down to the little cemetery at GSF today. . .

I've been there before but it had been a while.

And in a while . . .

Beautiful Norah with hope in her heart that she would someday see her Savior saw that someday in September.

Charming Emmanuel learned that Jesus could give him a body that would work so perfectly that he would dance before the King and he did just that in early January.

Incredible Gloria who taught me so many things learned in March that God would heal all her wounds and infirmities and make her new.

But I stand here in this little cemetery and cry and thank God for the gifts He gave me in these three precious lives! I also stand here and thank Him for the 80 other precious lives He has given me on the other side of the hill from the cemetery.

To sing again

Two weeks ago, Norah stood up in church and said, “I thank God because I thought I would never stand again to sing in church and today I did!” Praise God!

Norah is 16 year old and has AIDS. She gave her heart to Jesus last year and now has hope! Several months later, she began to have numbness on her right side and was eventually diagnosed with Toxoplasmosis and was told she would never walk again. Many have prayed for and with her and God has allowed Norah to walk with a cane and sometimes even just with a limp. God has been faithful and has allowed her to do something she loves to do and that is to sing. She also loves to do crafts and we have been working with her hoping to help her begin a livelihood doing crafts and fashion design.

This week, Norah is not standing and singing but instead is laying in a hospital bed very ill listening to music. Norah was diagnosed with TB and Pneumonia and has a stomach problem that is making her very weak and close to death.

Please pray with us that she will be able to stand in church again and sing!