It’s Already May!

Happy May everyone! Time is flying by and looking today I realized I had not done an update in over a month! April was pretty busy at home and did not leave a lot of time to do much else.

STATESIDE

At the end of March we headed to Pennsylvania for Departure Readiness Training. This typically is a class ABWE missionaries take when they are getting ready to leave. We took it, with permission, with the hopes we would be leaving in the fall. DRT was all about facing an upcoming change in culture and team settings. We lived a year in Kotido, Uganda and because of that the teaching on changing cultures was less new and more of a refresher. It was fun though and having lived elsewhere I think we understood it better. There was a session on personality assessments, which was a lot of fun for us. It pointed out some differences between us and explained why we do and react to things the way we do. The assessment was done through DISC. We also, my personal favorite, had a session on spiritual warfare. It helped frame things in regard to what was and what was not spiritual warfare and the limits on Satan. We also meet a lot of new missionaries that were going all over the world, many to restricted access countries.

While in Pennsylvania we got an airbnb originally thinking the kids would be with us; however our Mammie graciously kept them for us instead. The fun or not so fun part about our airbnb was that it dipped in the middle. So as you walked up the stairs you would lean to the left or to the right. It made for many amusing jokes.

Of course the best part of April was celebrating Easter. This time of year here in the southeast US, everything is blooming and it is hard not sot see new life and remember what Christ has accomplished. Not just that He died and paid for sin, but that he was raised from the dead and lives! What a reassuring thing to know that not only has our sin be paid for but we also have been given His righteousness.

Our next adventure was to Fort Meyers, Florida to attend the Sunshine Baptist Fellowship annual conference. We were invited as ABWE representatives. We got to setup a table and were able to present our ministry in Uganda to the churches in attendance. We would appreciate your prayers that some of these churches would invite us back to present to their whole bodies or choose to support us.

On the way back from Fort Meyers we got caught in a hail storm. It was the worst I have ever seen. It was enough hail and rain that the entire interstate stopped. There was pieces of ice as big as rocks. It was quite scary, but we prayed for safety and the Lord was kind enough to grant it.

UGANDA

Now all of that news is stateside, but what is happening in Uganda? Well if we have been busy, they have been incredibly busy. RAU, our future ministry, hosted a team from ABWE to help it scout out medical opportunities that would open the door for the Gospel.

“We did a ministry survey of our area with the plan of discussing together how RAU can keep ministering to the people of our area with the Gospel and all that goes with it—loving people who are on their way to an eternity without Jesus unless they repent and believe the Gospel and who are suffering in many ways because of their lack of access to services that we take for granted. We came away with the short term plan of trying to provide some much needed dental care and also, potentially, some eye care (ophthalmology/optometry).”

https://reachingafricasunreached.org/ Jacob and Carol Lee

This is a pretty big deal to an area that struggles with proper medical care. Many times dental work is pulling teeth, so having someone who can come and offer dental care is a massive need met. Though these acts don’t save, they do in many cases open to the door to relationships that can lead to the gospel being shared to a family or even sometimes to a whole village. I encourage you to go to RAU’s page and read the whole post on what is going on. If you are like me you will wonder how two people do all the things they are doing (this is the reason we are going and need your support). You can read it here: https://reachingafricasunreached.org/2023/04/28/the-kind-hand-of-providence/.

SUPPORT

We are currently at 19% monthly and 45% outbound. We need to be at 100% to be cleared to go to Uganda. Support us here: https://www.abwe.org/prycesofafrica.

Originally we stated wanted to be at 100% by the end of June so that we could leave in the fall. The main reason for this was my job at church would be ending June 30th. We are not close to our goal, which is hard to say, and yet we hope that many of you will decide to support us. God can provide even this close to those dates. If you are interested in supporting the Gospel work being done in Uganda then please consider supporting us. We would be happy to chat with you about what that looks like or come and visit with you to share about where your support will go to.

What happens if we don’t raise all the support by June? Nothing, we just keep seeking support until we have raised all we need. We are going to Uganda. We have been raising funds for one year now, most of the people we spoke to at DRT have been raising funds for closer to two years. We would like, and I know Jacob and Carol at RAU would like us, to come sooner rather than later, but we are at the mercy of the Lord and the generosity of others.

Here is how you can support us financially. 1. You can give monthly (annually or quarterly as well) (biggest need). 2. You can give online or send a check by mail. 3. You can give a one time amount.

PRAYER REQUEST

• For our support. That we would reach the 100% mark in God’s timing.
• For our family and our children as we juggle and possibly adjust timelines. It is hard for them when they dont know when they are having to move.
• For RAU and all the great work they have going on. Pray for more workers and for energy and wisdom. http://www.reachingafricasunreached.org
• For our teammates the Langworthys who are all raising funds to go. https://www.abwe.org/lifeinuganda
• For Sara and I as we figure our job situation come July. My job ends in June and if we dont leave I will need to find a job. My hope is that I could stay on at our church, Lord willing, longer. Pray for wisdom and patience on our end. Pray we will trust in the Lord. Pray for direction.
• For Northern Sudan. There is fighting going on between opposing military factions. This is bordering on civil war, which could cause a massive refugee crisis. https://www.aljazeera.com/news/liveblog/2023/5/1/sudan-conflict-live-un-warns-of-humanitarian-breaking-po