Happy August. School time is now here and all the chaos that comes with that. Our kids are all settling in to school with the boys going into 4th, 6th, and 9th and the girls are going into 10th, 11th, and sophomore year of college. School is a wonderful thing, as it prepares a student for a future work. In the United States it is free and available to everyone, a fact many kids overlook. Yet, as much as some kids dread school, learning is a big part of life and an essential part of growth. This is the same in our spiritual life. Theology, learning about God, is an essential part of life and our spiritual growth. Scripture is truth and truth glorifies God. E.D. Burns writes, “TRUTH matters for eternity.”[1] We often focus on the right now and culture tells us to live for the moment, yet we are told throughout Scripture that we are preparing for eternity.

“6 If you put these things before the brothers, you will be a good servant of Christ Jesus, being trained in the words of the faith and of the good doctrine that you have followed. 7 Have nothing to do with irreverent, silly myths. Rather train yourself for godliness; 8 for while bodily training is of some value, godliness is of value in every way, as it holds promise for the present life and also for the life to come. 9 The saying is trustworthy and deserving of full acceptance. 10 For to this end we toil and strive, because we have our hope set on the living God, who is the Savior of all people, especially of those who believe.”

1 Timothy 4:6-10

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We are to train or exercise ourselves in godliness in this life and the one to come. This is something we have to remind our selves of and teach others about. This is the big reason we are going to Uganda and partnering with RAU(www.reachingafricasunreached.org). The need for theological training of pastors and lay leaders is essential to the health of churches and the believers of those churches. 85% of pastors around the world have no theological training. Please pray for these rural pastors and church leaders. Pray for those, like us, who wish to go and work among them and with them, and consider supporting us financially and with prayer in this matter.

[1] Burns, E. D. “Introduction.” Essay. In Missionary-Theologian: Sent into the World, Sanctified by the Word, 21. Fearn, England: Christian Focus Publications, 2020.

Praise the Lord for those that have given to our ministry. We are currently at 4% monthly and 1% of our outfit and passage. We also have had our first church partnership start. A church plant at that! Be sure to thank God for their faithfulness. If you are interested in supporting us, you can visit our giving page at http://www.abwe.org/prycesofafrica. Giving can be hard as there are many good and godly ministries to give to and there are many bad ones to invest in as well. When we give we must think one eternally, knowing that what we are giving to will have a eternal impact with people, and two, that it is God honoring and God proclaiming. If a ministry is not honoring the Lord in how it works and not proclaiming his name amongst the nations then we need to find a better place to give to. We would love to talk with you about what we are going to be doing in Uganda, so if your church, small group, or your family would like to sit down with us please reach out to us.

REACHING AFRICA’S UNREACHED

Reaching Africa’s Unreached has a busy year of training and fruitfulness, make sure to take a couple minutes to watch the video above. Jacob and Carol Lee, RAU leaders, are currently back in the US visiting family and church supporters. Be in prayer for them as they travel and try and spend time with everyone.

A NEW HOSPITAL?

WHAT ARE WE READING AND STUDYING

I just finished a class on Islam, called Encountering the World of Islam. It was wonderful and very opening. It has definitely given me some insight into Islam and I believe will be very beneficial in Uganda. I have also finished Hitlter’s Cross by Erwin Lutzer and I am now reading The Missionary Theologian by E.D. Burns.

Sara is currently taking a class on hermenutics, that ABWE offers called Methods of Bible study. She is reading Grasping God’s Word by J. Scott Duvall and J. Daniel Hays. She is finishing up, Everyone’s A Theologian by R.C. Sproul.

Kaleena sings, sings, sings and finds “venomous” spiders.

Rory and Izyiah have been consuming everything Star Wars lately.

Liam has now learned the flags of every country in the world and is studying Russian.

Nora and Aniyah have been preparing for basketball and soccer.

Emma has been pet sitting all summer to earn some extra cash.

PRAYER REQUEST

• New supporters for our ministry.
• For our spiritual growth.
• For a great school year.
• That we balance school, work, church, support raising well.
• For our teammates: The Langworthys, The Lees, and The Mitchells.

Happy Independence Day to all our US brethren! Did you know that Uganda celebrates independence from England in October?

As we celebrate our nations independence I have been thinking about how much work it takes to get to the field and live on the field. In the vehicle above (side note: this is the type of vehicle that we hope to purchase. It is durable and heavy duty. It can get to places in the mountains that other vehicles cannot get to. Half of our outbound passage(one time amount) that we need to raise is for this vehicle) you will see a lot of people. These are just the Uganda folks: Team leaders, region leaders, executive directors, team mates. It takes all of these people to coordinate, train, support, encourage, teach, live with, joke with, and love for us to be able to do the work God is leading us to. Beyond the Uganda folks we have the ABWE team of people: member care, the finance people, IT people, and many more. Then you have churches and individuals! Without all of these people no work would get done. This is the church body! This is what we as a body have been called to do.

¹² For just as the body is one and has many members, and all the members of the body, though many, are one body, so it is with Christ. ¹³ For in one Spirit we were all baptized into one body—Jews or Greeks, slaves or free—and all were made to drink of one Spirit.

¹⁴ For the body does not consist of one member but of many. ¹⁵ If the foot should say, “Because I am not a hand, I do not belong to the body,” that would not make it any less a part of the body. ¹⁶ And if the ear should say, “Because I am not an eye, I do not belong to the body,” that would not make it any less a part of the body. ¹⁷ If the whole body were an eye, where would be the sense of hearing? If the whole body were an ear, where would be the sense of smell? ¹⁸ But as it is, God arranged the members in the body, each one of them, as he chose. ¹⁹ If all were a single member, where would the body be? ²⁰ As it is, there are many parts, yet one body.

²¹ The eye cannot say to the hand, “I have no need of you,” nor again the head to the feet, “I have no need of you.” ²² On the contrary, the parts of the body that seem to be weaker are indispensable, ²³ and on those parts of the body that we think less honorable we bestow the greater honor, and our unpresentable parts are treated with greater modesty, ²⁴ which our more presentable parts do not require. But God has so composed the body, giving greater honor to the part that lacked it, ²⁵ that there may be no division in the body, but that the members may have the same care for one another. ²⁶ If one member suffers, all suffer together; if one member is honored, all rejoice together.

1 Corinthians 12:12-26

Notice that we all have gifts and we all have a job to do. We suffer together and we rejoice together. We need you. We are willing to go, others are willing to send, others are willing to coordinate, and we need those who are willing to give and support the work. The monthly amount we need is $10,200. The outbound and passage amount that gets us there and setup is $89,900. If you would please prayerfully consider giving to our ministry. You can visit our giving page at: https://www.abwe.org/prycesofafrica.

On a side note, we should have prayer cards and letters soon, so if you are interested in getting one please let us know. If you think your church, small group, or anyone else would be interested in hearing about our ministry in Uganda, please reach out to us at ben.pryce@abwe.cc.

We love you all very much! Peace and grace!

Welcome back to all our old followers and hello to the new ones. We are going back to Uganda. God has graciously opened a door for us to go and serve as missionaries with ABWE (Association of Baptist for World Evangelism) in Moyo, Uganda. We are looking to leave in 2023/2024.

We will be partnering with Reaching Africa’s Unreached to teach and disciple local church leaders, pastors, and others in order to prepare those who love the Lord, but lack theological training. This is a massive need in Africa. It is estimated that 85% of pastors and church leaders around the world have no theological training. I once heard Conrad Mbewe, a pastor from Zambia, say, “Africa’s problem is not evangelism, it is training. Christianity in Africa is a mile wide, but an inch deep.” It is not that Africans or Ugandans cant reach their own people, it is they lack the training that helps one properly disciple another in the faith. This type of training also is what enables believers and shepherds of believers to fend of the wolves of the prosperity gospel and the word of faith movement that is ravaging Africa. Training and teaching is what RAU(Reaching Africa’s Unreached) currently does. It is not all they do, but it is the main part of their work. They also work with refugees, as Uganda has the largest refugee population in Africa, they have dialogs with many of the different Muslim groups in the area (including the Aringa, the last unreached people group in Africa), they also teach farming as a business, assist in putting in boreholes in remote villages, and have planted multiple churches with pastors. Needless to say they are hard at work currently.

It is our hope that we will be able to head to Uganda and learn from the Lees and then to partner with them in these many task. God has graciously given us teammates that will be coming to Uganda as well. Aaron and Amanda Langworthy and their children will be heading to Uganda to work with us.

We are very blessed with the path that God has opened before us. There is a lot to do in order for us to go. We need to raise funds, complete ABWE training, and other small things. Yet we know that God is faithful and will provide both the funds and anything else we need in the right time. It is our hope that you will consider partnering with us both in prayer and financially. We would love to speak with or come to your church and share our ministry with you.

How can you help?

1. Prayer: This is the number one thing. We need you to pray for us, for our teammates, the people we will work with, and the many small things that need to be worked out or completed.
2. Financial support: We have a monthly amount we need to raise to keep us on the field and we have a one time amount that will get us to the field and setup (vehicle, housing, etc).
3. Stay in touch with us: call, email, video chat. One of the biggest encouragements on the field is to chat and hear from people back home.
4. Come and visit. RAU is uniquely setup to host teams. Come and see, come and teach.

How to give?

The best way to give is through our giving pages at abwe. www.abwe.org/prycesofafrica

How to contact us?

The best way is to email us at ben.pryce@abwe.org.

Hello everyone and happy May!  We are two weeks into May and we are approaching our last month in Uganda.  We are scheduled to leave Kotido on June 27^th, spend a few days in Kampala and then fly home on July 1^st, arriving July 2^nd.  Can you believe it?  It is both exciting and extremely sad.  We will begin a new chapter but will also be finishing one out.  We will be meeting new friends but leaving some behind.  We have been trying to prepare ourselves and the kids so the culture shock that comes won’t be as bad.  Beyond the beauty of this place we are going to miss the people the most.  There are so many who have become close friends to us and to the kids.  It will be hard knowing we might not see them again.  We will trust God that we have been faithful in being a light for people so that they will in turn shine for others.

What’s the plan when we come home?

When we come home we are going to spend the month of July visiting family and friends.  We also will be scouting out a new place to live.  I have been offered a position of Youth Pastor at Matlock Baptist Church in Jackson, SC. In case you are wondering, I was able to video interview with this church and teach a class to their youth via the Internet.  Is that not amazing!  Jackson is about 20 minutes from the Augusta/Aiken area.  It is roughly 2 hours from Rock Hill.  We are all very excited about this church and this new chapter that God has opened before us.  We have new experiences and skills that we will be able to apply in our work there that hopefully will translate to more people serving God.  Matlock is a very mission oriented church and gave about 40% of its budget last year to missions!  Please be praying for us, for Matlock, and for our families as we transition to this new phase of life.  Pray God would be glorified.

What’s been happening in Kotido?

The rains have come early and it rained and rained and rained.  Think Forrest Gump.  Then one day it stopped. Then it waited a couple weeks and started again.  If you came to this area in January then came again now you would not recognize it.  Life has exploded and everything is green.  The temperature is still high in between rains, but at night I have started using a blanket as it gets quite chilly.  Though I wonder how much of it is me getting used to the weather versus it being cooler.

Schools have been out on break so there has been an abundance of kids running around town and through our compound.  Christ Church has been an ant hill of activity.  Capt. Florence and I spent time reorganizing Sunday services and other church programs in order to make them more orderly and effective.  This was something the Bishop had requested of us.  I believe it has turned out well and service seems more orderly and I think the teaching and preaching has been much more cohesive.  Now each week is more expository and goes chapter by chapter, book by book.  We did this for a couple reasons.  First, random people would come and preach on random topics and it was usually topical, now we have set a very strict list of who is allowed to preach and what they are to preach on.  Secondly, since each week builds on the previous everyone is hearing whole books of the Bible that they may or may not have heard before.  It also allows the following week to build on the week before.  We really wanted to push growth in the church members.   We have changed the mid-week service to a mid-week teaching on doctrinal topics.  We spend a month on one topic each week.  In April it was fall and redemption.  This month it is on being a Christian. Next month it is on the trinity.  The Sunday night fellowship has been revamped by Dr. Paul and has had a big increase in people attending.

It is fascinating to see how God times things.  Every two years here there is a PCC council that is elected from church members.  This year was the year for the next election.  The PCC is now comprised of mostly youth (people 35 and under) and 3 older people.  There has been a changing of the guard and the new PCC is keen on mission work.  They are excited and energized and determined to reach the villages around town for Christ.  It has been very encouraging to see.  The PCC makes many of the decisions on what the church does and how it is maintained.  It has been wonderful to see.

There is a village not far from Kotido, called Nateripus, maybe 5 minutes or so driving, that has saved money to build their own church.  They saved over 650,000 Uganda Shillings (about $175 US Dollars)! Now this may not seem like a huge amount, but it is enormous for a rural village.  Most people here believe when you get money you spend it on food or something you need, saving is not a thought for people here.  So the fact that this village saved so much is amazing!  Now Nateripus did this completely alone, without any outside influence.  Christ Church had no part in it.  They started a long time ago, burnt bricks, bought poles, and asked for help finally.  The new PCC jumped on it like a duck on a junebug.  For the past month Christ Church has been taking a second offering to help build this church and for the past two weeks everyone has went out and done the work.  We measured it off, dug the foundations, set the poles, and laid the bricks.  It is really coming together.  The village is so excited and fixes porridge made from maize and dinner each time we are out there.  You can just see it in their faces how excited they are.  God is great.

This is the very first rural Karamojong church Christ Church has planted.  This isn’t even over yet and now they are planning to build one in Kacheri (about 40mins away) during youth camp later in the year.  I believe this entire series of events God has timed just right and now it is starting to take flight.  If you are interested in missions and this sounds like something you want to be a part of, seriously, let me know and I will put you in touch with the right people.  There are so many people here to minister to.  If you have mechanic, teaching, church, building, farming, medical skills you could come and work here for a time.  Before you say that you have not been called to missions, let me encourage you by saying being obedient to Jesus’ command to go to all the nations and make disciples will lead to a call.

What’s next?

In a week or so schools should be letting back in. I plan on getting back in to lead Bible Studies and teach the kids how to study their Bibles.  Sara is continuing to lead a Bible Study that has grown by a few women each week.  She will continue to do that until we leave with hopes that one of the other ladies will be able to take over when she leaves.  The kids are wrapping up school and are just enjoying the time they have left here.  We as a family are selling the items we have in the house, most of which belong to AIM, and then figuring out what we will do with things we brought.  A lot of it will be given away or sold to various people.  We are selling the car and I believe we have someone who is interested, pray that it will come to fruition.  We are also trying to plan for when we return home.  We have to get insurance, new American numbers, find a place to rent in Jackson, etc.  We are also trying to figure out what we are going to do with our dog Odie.  It is very expensive to ship a dog home.  Most airlines have changed policies on allowing them as checked baggage so the only option in most cases is to ship them as cargo.

Prayer Request

• That our remaining time here will be fruitful.
• For us as a family as we begin to look at transitioning back to American culture.
• For our families back home as we come home then leave again.
• For Matlock and the transition they will be going from
• For Newkirk and all my friends there that we are leaving behind.
• Praise for Newkirk for helping send us to Africa!
• For us to know what to do with the Dog, bring him home or leave him behind.
• For the new church in Nateripus to be completed by June and become a light for God in the rural area.
• For Christ Church to maintain the passion to reach the lost.
• For the vehicle to sell before we leave.
• For a boy named Akorio Israel, who has become best friends with our boys. It is going to be extremely hard on him and the boys when we leave.
• For our team as we prepare and they prepare for us leaving.
• For all logistical plans with our leaving.
• For God to be glorified!

 

 

Hey y’all and greetings from Kotido!  We are way overdue on posting an update on what has been going on so we are going to just dive in. 

January:

January was a pretty exciting month as Sara’s mom flew in for a visit!  She stayed around 16 days or so. During her stay we gave her the full experience!  We took her around Kampala and then after about a week we took her up to Kotido, which we got turned around on the drive back and it took an extra couple of hours to get home.  In Kotido we showed her around town and she got to see how we lived day to day.  We then went with Bishop James and his wife up to the Ik Ridge, which is in the north eastern part of Uganda, overlooking the Rift Valley.  The Ik ridge was beautiful and the view was breath taking.  We then left and went to Kidepo Valley National Park.  Kidepo was amazing.  We stayed in Bandas and got to see Lions only a few feet away.  They were tired as they had just finished eating.  The day we left we got to tour a hotel that Idi Amin had built right before he was thrown out of power.  The hotel is built right into the side of a mountain, it was amazing.  It is being refurbished in hopes of opening it up to tourist.  After leaving Kidepo we returned to Kotido for a day then took Sara’s mom back to Kampala.  We celebrated Nora’s birthday and had a couple days to rest.  It was very sad dropping her off at the airport; it reminded me how far away all our family is.  It was also a very sobering moment as it was an unofficial halfway point in our work here.  Towards the end of January Hayley flew in!  Hayley was my youth assistant at Newkirk.  She is spending a year in Gulu, Uganda working with International Justice Mission.  If you like you can follow her work at www.hayleypotter.blog. 

February:

February was a slower month, but it was a build up month.  School started back for kids here in Uganda.  So for most of February you had kids coming by looking for school fees and help with books.  School is not free so it takes usually a good month before school really starts as most of the first month is people registering.  I had a Bible study going with Isaac. The study with Isaac was initially supposed to be all the local kids who had finished S4 (secondary 4), but as most young people do they scattered once they were out of school.  Isaac and I began working through the book of Romans.  Isaac will be leading his Scripture Union this year at Kotido Secondary School, so this was a wonderful opportunity for me to invest in him.  Sara has continued to work with her friend Daniella and continues to build a wonderful friendship with her.  I say friendship as it has moved beyond just being a relationship.  I know she will be one of the things that Sara misses most about Kotido.

 The church of Uganda also sent national missionaries to the Karamoja region, so we had to help plan for their arrival.  The missionaries, which totaled over 200, where divided up amongst Kotido, Abim, Kacheri, and Kaabong.  We were responsible for the Kotido group and made sure they were fed, had housing, water, and transportation.  Sara drove one group to a couple different villages and I drove another group in a car we borrowed.  The car ended up getting two different flat tires on the same trip!  Sara ended up coming to get the missionaries and I waited with the car for the mechanic to bring another tire.  It was quite the weekend; sadly, a group of the missionaries, who were in Kaabong, got into a car accident on the way home and were all hospitalized with two of them dying.  It was a very sobering reminder of how dangerous driving is here. 

 

March:

So far March has been a whirlwind of activity.  I got to preach at Christ Church at the beginning of the month on Mark 8:34-38.  It seemed as if it was well received and was a blessing for me.   I have met with the Bishop and was asked to work on a team to help improve the services at Christ church.  The goal we were given was to improve the organization, the preaching schedules, and ensure that the preaching was consistent and growth inducing.  It is a big challenge but one that will have a big future impact down the road.  I am also working on going back to the schools to pick on the Bible Studies we started back in October and November.   Sara started a bible study with Daniella that looks to be very promising.  We also made a trip to Gulu to visit Hayley this past Saturday.  We stayed overnight partly because it is a long trip there (4.5 hrs) and we would not be able to get home before dark.  Unfortunately our car was broken into that very night.  They stole the spare tire, the gas bomb (propane tank for the stove), a cooler full of food we bought to take back to Kotido, and the computer (tells the car to send gas to the engine; also the most expensive part).  What started as a cheap trip ended up being a very expensive trip.  We did manage to find another computer for the car and managed to get home, though we did get stuck in the mud on the way.  The back left tire was stuck in knee deep mud!   I used a panga(machete) to cut sticks to put under the tire, then I pushed and Sara drove the car out.  It was a crazy trip! 

Future:

So we are 7 months into our work here in Uganda.  We are scheduled only for one year.  What we have come to find out is that a year is a very short amount of time in the field.  Though I have been told by other veteran missionaries that any time you are here is not enough time.  We are forced to look ahead to when we return to the US to what we will be doing, where we will live, and what our future plans are.  First, we know that God is in absolute control and his will is what we will follow.  Will we come back to Africa?  Truthfully I don’t know.  I do know I have student loans that have to be paid off before we could seriously consider coming back as full term missionaries.  Our current plan is once we are home to find a position working at a church full time.  In anticipation of that we have sent out our resume to several places back home earlier in the year.  If you have ever been in ministry then you know the hiring process takes a long time.  A couple of points; this will not interfere with our work here; we will finish the task that was laid out before us.  Should God open a different door or show us that He desires us to do something else we will be obedient to that.  We are planning with what we know and what we anticipate.  We are confident in God’s plan and our part in it even if we are uncertain on parts of it.  If this mission work has taught us anything it has taught us that God always has a plan, always ask you to be obedient, doesn’t always show you the next step, but is always faithful to walk you through it.

Needs:

We have been blessed to have some many people who faithfully given and provided for our work here.  It has been humbling to experience and a blessing to see the body at work.  We still have several months left and our funds are low due in part to the break in of our vehicle, vehicle maintenance and several sicknesses we have had to work through.  We are asking that you prayer fully consider sending an extra gift to help us build our funds back up.  If you decide you are able to help, you can go to the support us link at the top to give through AIM or you can let me know I can send you our home address and you can mail a check there to be deposited directly into our bank account.  If you have any questions please let us know. 

Prayer Request:

·         Pray for our continued work here, specifically: my work in the schools with the Scripture Union, my work with the church and that the church would respond well to it, Sara’s Bible study, and our overall work in Kotido.

·         Pray that God would provide financially (cover the cost of the break in, repairs, etc).

·         Pray that God will give us direction when we go home, both in our adjustment back and in our search for a job.

·         Pray for the future church that we will serve at.

·         Pray for endurance and focus for us in the final months.

·         Pray for our team (Shepherds, Turners, Mahood).

·         Pray for the Karamojong.

 

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

We are a little behind in updating everyone on our comings and goings.  First Praise God that we have made it through December.  December has been the hardest month that we have had in Uganda.  It feels as if we spent the entire month sick.  Each person in the house has been sick and a few have been sick multiple times.  Yet even with all the hardship God has pulled us close and held us and was glorified.

 

“For the Christian, there can be joy in the midst of suffering, joy that transcends the painof the moment. But we don’t really understand the grounds for this joy in the house of mirth. We discover it in the house of mourning. It is in weeping that we learn to contemplate the goodness of God. It is in weeping that we learn to contemplate the goodness of God.  It is in mourning that we discover the peace of God that passes understanding.”

-R.C. Sproul

 

Nora got sick with mono around Thanksgiving.  She did not get better until December. Everyone else was sick to varying degrees as well. Most of it was sinus infections or tummy bugs.  A lymph node on Nora’s neck was swollen and she was in loads of pain. The lymph node was so big her face and neck looked like one part instead of two.  Any time she moved she was in pain and she cried a lot.  It was miserable for everyone.  What do you do when your child has been sick for weeks and is not getting better?  That is one of the most miserable feelings you can have as a parent. This one was hard on us.  She was pale and lost a good bit of weight, which if you have seen Nora then you know there is not much to lose.  There was even one point where I was standing on the back porch and I told God I wanted to go home.

Fortunately for me God is sovereign and merciful. Nora’s illness was never out of control. We were never at the point of not being able to make it.  Why?  It is not because we are able but because God is able. It is in suffering that God draws you close.  It is when you watch your child sob and beg you to do something that God bring you close, and I thank God for the suffering.  I am so imperfect and flawed.  I am grateful that God will break me down and pull me back up to Him.  Not for me, but for Him.  I have seen many people proclaiming that is God is doing something for them for their benefit.  It makes me sad as they have put themselves above God.  God does what he does for His own glory.  Don’t believe me?  Go read any part in the Bible and look at what God says.  Do we benefit from it?  Yes, but in addition to not because of.  Take comfort in knowing that God is in control of all aspects of the universe and not one thing happens that ever takes Him by surprise.  God is very good.

On top of the sicknesses ministry for me was at a crawl, which took a toll on me. When you come to do missionary work you want to feel as if you are accomplishing things and when you feel like you don’t then you tend to become stressed out.  The worse part about all of this is when I realized I kept thinking about me.  It’s not about me it’s about Christ.  He does things at his own pace and timing.  We had a wonderful Christmas party at our house and had many people from town and church come by and eat with us.  Relationships.  Sara has developed a deep friendship with a Karamojong lady in town named Daniella.  Daniella is in her twenties and is a Christian.  We are hoping that Sara can work with this young lady and help build up her faith and knowledge of God.  Be praying for this.

On the 3^rd Paul and I traveled to Lotuke Seed Secondary School for the youth camp.  The camp was from 3^rd to the 6^th.  There were at least 500 registered youth and many more that just should up.  There were also many other older people and children who came.  It was a very exciting time.  There were many speakers from Kenya and from the Church in Uganda.

I worked with the children for the week.  The kids ranged from toddler age to 12 or 13 years old.  It was quite challenging as some spoke little English.  I did have help with a couple of people who translated for me.  I spent the week teaching on our need for Christ, how Christ cleans us, and how we love Christ.  We played games, did skits, and I even washed about 40 sets of feet on one of the days.  It is my prayer that God was glorified and some of these children will remember their need for Jesus.  The camp for the most part went very well.  A few times some prosperity gospel would seep in when some of the Kenyan pastors were praying.  They would start proclaiming things that would happen in the new year.  This is a big problem in Uganda and Africa as a whole.  Africa as a whole is booming with new converts for Christ, but discipleship is lacking in many areas so you will see shallow Christians who are very easily misleads with the lies that come from the prosperity gospel.  Rory got sick the first night I was gone and messed up his net, mattress and everything else.  Sara spent most of the week tending sick kids.

December has been hard.  It is also a kind of surreal moment as the year has ended.  We have been here four months (feels like 10) and have 7.5 to go.  It also has made us start to look ahead. What will it be like to go home?  What about our friends here?  How much of home in America will not be the same?  Where will we live and work?  Will we come back in a few years?  Most of the answers are, I don’t know.  It will be tough and I know we will struggle coming home.  December has also been a blessing for us.  When we look back on our first month or two I am blown away with the changes we have seen in our lives.  God has stripped away parts of us that relayed on our abilities and our comforts.  He has stretched us and challenged us step by step.  He has given us a new look on ourselves, on Him, on our country, on Christianity.  We have also had several people who have just blown us away with generosity in sending packages or giving towards our needs. I can only say thank you, thank you, thank you.  They mean more than I can express.  Sara’s mom is coming to visit us; she will arrive on the 11^th.  We will drive to Kampala on the 11^th and pick her up. We plan to spend a week there for a break, then we will head back to Kotido.

If you would like to support us in our work here, please feel free to click the support us link at the top.  If for some reason it does not work or you have questions email or message Sara or I.  The money we raise goes towards our medical needs as they arise or mechanical things with the car.  If you have question please let me know.

 

Prayer Request

• Our general health to be better in February.
• Our work in Kotido, specifically with the Karamojong.
• For Sara’s mom as she travels and spends time with us. Also for when she leaves and we all miss her.
• For safe travels to Kampala and that the week there would be refreshing
• For us to abide in Christ every day, regardless of the circumstance.
• For the state of the African Church and the Church of Uganda
• For our families back home.
• Praise for those that give selflessly and encouragement for those that want to.

 

Greetings from Uganda and Happy Holidays!

We are now three months in and starting to realize how little time a year is.  In Africa everything is built on relationships. That combined with the slow pace of things has shown us that mission work is full time work.  We are considered short termers and from our US perspective a year is a long time, but seeing things on the ground has shown me that a year is limiting on what we are able to do.  They tell you to come with no expectations so that you are not let down.  When we first started I think we had big dreams that we would reach the world.  Realistically we know we wouldn’t.  We often think of mission work being God’s work on others and that is true, but a lot of it is God’s work on us.

“As you come to him, a living stone rejected by men but in sight of God chosen and precious, you yourselves like living stones are being built up as a spiritual house, to be a holy priesthood, to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.”

Coming from America we tend to see things through our ‘murica’ glasses.  We are a proud people and believe that we are right on most things and our ways are best.  Missions has shown me that may not always be the case.  I used to think you could just give money and that would fix something.  In many cases that does not fix the problem and in some it makes it worse.  The lost and the hopeless don’t need your money they need you.  Christians can’t just sit and give money to a charity and assume that it will give hope.  It doesn’t.  Handouts may relieve something, but they do not fix it.  Want to help the poor?  Then get in their lives and find out what the real issue is.

I have also seen that there are no super Christians, only broken ones that know they can’t do it without Jesus.  It is humbling to see people who you feel have it together admit they feel on the verge of breaking.  Then they cry out to God to help them.  The Christian walk isn’t meant to be alone, nor is it meant to be perfect and without problem.  The Christian walk is meant to be with the body.  If you are a believer and you don’t take your brokenness and show it to your fellow believers then you are missing out something special.  Find a small group or a few mature believer friends and open up to each other.  Don’t keep that sin or flaw secret out of embarrassment, let them know you struggle and you need Jesus.  Then pray and watch him show up.  This is for guys and girls.  I have come to see that I need strong Christian guys in my life.  We need each other.  Ladies you need a mature Christian lady in your life or at least a Christian that is trying to grow.  We were not made to go at it alone.

The biggest thing I have seen is there can be no compromise with the Gospel.  A big problem in Africa is syncretism, which is the mixing together of two different belief systems.  Here it is Christianity and animism.  You will see many here call to Jesus yet they still hold to spirit offerings and superstitions.  Or you will see people tell you that Jesus will meet your needs and then they will proclaim that you will be well or you will have money.  Then it doesn’t happen.  We have this back home too.  Go through your facebook feed and see all the Christians that talk about horoscopes or healing crystals.  Those that ask for prayers and then two days later are threatening to beat on someone.  Jesus said to follow him.  He said foxes have holes but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay his head.  That you have to hate your father and mother, that you have to give away your possessions.  There is no compromise in the Gospel.  Are you a Christian? Then you have to leave the old things behind.  You can’t keep being who you were.  Health problems? Go to Jesus only.  Kid problems, relationship problems? Go to Jesus only.  You can’t split with your spouse over an issue and say that is what God wants.  God wants you to fix it.  Go to Jesus.  The Gospel doesn’t change because Jesus is the cornerstone and he does not change.  His standard does not change.  We need him.

So what’s new?

Things have slowed down some as schools are now out on break (think summer vacation).  They will be out until February.  Many of the kids will go home to their various towns and many kids that have gone to school out of town are coming back home.  I have started a bible study at church with S4s (high school seniors).  We are looking to start one with the S6s who will be going to University in September but have not been able to get together with them.

Our house has battled viral fevers and stomach bugs.  For at least the last three weeks at least one person has been sick with something.  Usually things are gone in a day or so.  Tylenol, ibuprofen, and other meds are available in the pharmacies in town which is handy.

We also had our first major injury.  Rory was climbing over the porch railing and fell off and hit his head on a rock on the ground.  He had a good size cut in his forehead.  We rushed him over to Dr Paul and Dr Helen who stitched him up on the front porch.  Did I mention our team members are awesome?  That same night we had, what I believe, was a tarantula in the house.

We have missed our family a great deal over Thanksgiving.  Seeing the pictures made us homesick and long for home.  I can imagine Christmas will be the same.  It also showed me that America may celebrate everything as the holiday that there was any kind of celebration was Independence Day and it was minor celebrating.

Giving Tuesday

We were blessed before we came to have the one time and monthly support to cover living while we are in here. The one thing it does not cover is extra expenses that you can’t predict.  If you are looking for somewhere to give money please prayerfully consider giving towards or work here.  It covers budget shortfalls, car issues, medicines, and other expenses.  You are a big part of the work here.  The support link is at the top or you can contact me by email if you have questions.

 

Prayer Request

• For good health in our household. Im tired of people being sick.
• For Rory’s head to heal up well and with no infection.
• For us to abide in Christ at all times.
• For our ministry work.
• For the upcoming youth camp.
• For Sara as she looks for ministry opportunities.
• For the Karamojong and Kotido as a whole to seek and find Jesus.
• For the Church of Uganda.
• For our families back home who are missing us and for us missing them.

Hey Yall.

We are now two months into our work in Kotido, Uganda.  I wanted to give you an update on what’s going on with everyone.  Over the last month myself and Rev. Captain Florence visited all the secondary schools (think high school), Kotido Technical Institute, and the teachers college.  We visited with their Scripture Unions and made plans to help with weekly Bible studies at each.  The long term goal is to teach the students how to read their Bibles, study them and teach them.

The main problems you see is lack of Bibles, people not taking anything in context and people read their Bible without realizing it is all about Jesus.  We want each of the Scripture Unions to get to a point they can read, understand, apply, and teach themselves from the Bible.  Then they can teach incoming students and then pass it along to the next.  We were able to have one Bible study at the technical institute.  It was on a Saturday from 10 to 1.  It ended up being from 10 to 3.  The guys wanted to sing and praise God.  It was beautiful.  We spent the time in study on the Great Commission, who God is, what Scripture is, and why we are important to God.  The guys all eagerly were taking notes and seemed very intent on learning all they could.  I am prayerful that it made an impact in how they read God’s word going forward.  We also made a trip to Kampala for supplies, to get the car worked on, and for a break.  Originally they told us the middle of October would be a good time for us to come to Kampala and I remember thinking, that soon?  Well, it was the perfect time for a break.  We found that the week before we were all a little tired and things were bothering us more than they had been.  We were also running out of things that were not available in Kotido.

We traveled to Kampala which is about an 8 or 9 hour drive.  The first 4.5 hours is through dirt and rock, potholes and mud.  Going down the roads were dry except for one part which of course had a big truck stuck in.  Think sideways.  We then watched an army truck drive by and get stuck as well.  Outside of that it was a good drive.

Kampala is something else.  Let me explain.  When we first arrived in Kampala we stayed there for ten days.  We tucked in mosquito nets, we were sure someone was going to get malaria or bit by a spider and die.  Then we lived in Kotido and Kotido laughs at Kampala’s mosquitoes.  This time we didn’t tuck nets it, we didn’t even give spiders or mosquitoes a second thought.  It was really something to see how we have changed since we first got here.  Even the crazy traffic didn’t seem so bad.  I am so thankful to God for how he changed us.  Discomfort is miracle-gro for growth.  If you really want to see God work and really want to change, then let yourself be uncomfortable.  Kampala also has electricity, hamburgers, milkshakes, and ice cream.

We got the kids pupil passes, which lets them stay in the country the whole time, our permanent driver’s licenses and pick up supplies.  We got the car looked at and the radio had a wire that was draining the battery, so we got it fixed and the car ran like a champ, at least for six days.  After we got back to Kotido the car wouldn’t start again.  I could have lit it on fire.  I called the mechanic in Kampala and he assures me it is not the same thing or it wouldn’t have worked for six days.  I am not sure, but I am not a mechanic.  So now we are back to disconnecting the negative terminal so the battery does not drain over night.  Each morning we reconnect it and are able to drive.  Reliably broken.  At some point we will need to take it back to Kampala or somewhere else to an electrician and have it checked again.   Please be praying that when we do, the issue will be found.  The trip as a whole was great and truthfully we were glad to get back to Kotido.  Kampala is fast paced with lots of people and traffic.  Kotido is much slower and peaceful.

In Lira which is the halfway point, I noticed a small crack in the side of one of the tires.  I had a guy check it and was told it would be fine to get us home.  About a week after being back we traveled up to Kaabong for a fall festival with some of our IMB friends.

The tire blew out about half way there. We were safe and were able to pull over and get it changed.  Dr. Paul did most of the work, while I stood around… supervised and the boys watched for lions.  Interestingly we did not have a single car pass the entire time we worked on it. The trip to Kaabong went well and everyone had a good time.  We have since gotten two new tires, as the blown tire needed replacing and another of the tires was being to crack as well.  The vehicle came from Japan so I am not sure how long these tires had been on there.  It was been frustrating to have to keep dumping money into it.  The roads are tough here and the wear and tear is great.  Since we are short term our budget is very tight and the extra expenses do add up.  Please be praying that we will not need any more major work done.

The kids are doing well.  We have a large group of kids that come over almost every day to play.  Our chicken has hatched 11 eggs.  Language is going well.  It is slow learning for me.  The words are in my head but I have trouble putting them together when someone is speaking to me.  I think I panic some and go blank.  Emma does well.  She is better than me but not as good as Sara.  She knows the words and can bring them out for the most part.  Sara is awesome at language.  She can follow our language teacher when he speaks, and he speaks quite fast, and she can form sentences pretty well.  If we had longer than a year, I think Sara would be fluent very quickly.  The people here do get excited when you try and speak to them in Karamojong.  I believe they do appreciate our learning the language.

Schools here go for their long break in November and will not be back in until February.  Over the break we are going to try and get a Bible study setup with the senior 6 and senior 4 kids that have come back home.  Senior 6 kids will be leaving in September for University so this will be a good discipleship opportunity to prepare them.

Some other random tidbits.

They do not celebrate Christmas here, at least not in the gift sense.  They do not give gifts they simply buy meat and eat it together.  There is no Santa here and I think I was told they do not do much at church either.  We did celebrate Ugandan Independence Day.  You buy meat and eat it together.  There was a big soccer match between the police and a group from other another town.

Relationships here are what are important.  People value you.   They will often want you to come to their home so they can introduce you to their family.

Life is tough here, but the people are tougher.  The Karamojong have been very reluctant to change anything.  They didn’t for the British, they didn’t for Idi Amin, and they have tried not to for the current Gov’t.  They do not raid anymore and are becoming farmers.  They still do not see the value in education and because of that the area has trouble growing businesses.  Once electricity finally gets here and when the roads finally get paved I believe business will come.  This area is wonderful, the people are friendly, and it is safe here.  The Karamojong will eventually change, our prayers need to be that we bring Christ to them so they can have Jesus as the foundation for that change.

 

Prayer Request

–Pray for no more major work to do be done on the car as it taxing emotionally and financially.

-Pray that we get the electrical issues worked out.

-Pray that the Bible Studies are effective and the impact is life long

-Pray for health as we have had a viral thing go through the house with almost everyone sick for a couple days.

-Pray for our language learning

-Pray for the Karamojong

-Pray for us to endure and grow

-Pray that we also abide in Jesus every day, all day

-Pray for Sara as she looks to find and expand her ministry outside of the home

-Praise God for all He has done and continues to do

Good evening yall!  We have now been in Uganda for over a month.  At times it feels like it has been a year and other times it feels like we have only been a week.  This post will be a little longer as there is much to tell and update everyone.  Things are beginning to slow down and we are able to start doing more than just surviving.  For the last month just being here was the hardest part.  We have had numerous challenges that seem to have taken all our energy and time.  Time here is special because there is never enough and that is probably the quickest lesson you learn. Repeat after me, “I will not finish the to-do list.” Now say it again and again to yourself.  Back in America we like to cram our day so full and we usually finish all 10 things, well Uganda laughs at you.  You may have a list of 10 things, but you will only finish 2 of them.  Why?  Everything takes a long time here.   I get two questions a lot: what kind of ministry are you doing and why are you not doing more?

What kind of ministry are you doing?

We are the language.  Language learning is ministry.  One of the biggest keys to living amongst a people is learning their language.  You want to fit in and really be able to impact someone, learn the language.  You want to show a people you care about them, learn the language.  You want to really learn the culture, learn the language.  In a year we will not become fluent, but we will be able to speak it well enough to have conversations.  We are using a method called GPA.  Think of how a baby learns to speak English.  It is the same thing.  We hear lots of words and are able to recognize many of them but as of right now can only speak a few.  You know the words in your head and are even able to follow some conversations but saying the words is still a way off.   When the Karamojong hear you try to speak, they get so excited.  Then it usually progresses to them trying to talk and you getting lost, but it is encouraging to see how happy they are about it.

This has been the first three weeks and will continue until we leave.  That has been the major part of our ministry to this point.  The second part is meeting people at church and around town.  We stand out here.  There are a handful of muzungus in town and we know most of them.  Muzungu means white person.  You will often hear groups of kids yell at you, “muzungu, how are you?”  Many times that is the only English they know.  Everyone looks at you and talks about you.  You are different and that is okay.  Some of the braver ones will come up and speak to us and shake hands, respect is a BIG thing here.  Being a muzungu is intimidating to many of the people here so many will walk away or some of the kids will run away from you.  Race is not an issue here.  Muzungu is simply a descriptive term. Once they know your name they will remember it.  Tomorrow I will go with a man from church to a teacher’s school to meet some of the admin and see how things work.  The teacher’s school is where young adults (youth) go to train to become teachers.  I believe it is two years long. I will then begin visiting secondary (middle/high) and primary (elementary) schools.  I will be looking to see where we can make the biggest impact in terms of discipleship.  The schools have religious education classes and scripture unions that make big impacts with a lot of the kids.  I want to see the ones that need a little help.   Not so I can take over, but so I can help the leaders be more effective in the long term.  There is also a youth camp in January that kids from all over the northern district attend and I may say if I can get in that as well.

Why are you not doing more?

Adjusting to life here has been hard for most of us.  You wouldn’t think it would take much to adjust, but it really has been hard.  Back home, we could take a break from something.  If you are eating outside and the flies are bothering you, well you can go inside.  You cant here, they are inside and outside.  Hot, well go in the AC.  You cant here.  Mosquitoes are everywhere at night, along with every crawling thing imaginable.  You don’t get that break.  That has been hard.  I like comfort and you don’t get it here.  After a while that gets to you and all you can think about is just getting by.  For Sara it has been how long everything takes.  Everything you cook has to be made from scratch for the most part.  It has to be made from ingredients that you got that day or late the day before from the market, if they have it.  If you keep the veggies more than a day or so they go bad.  Then you have to wash everything by hand, one bowl with soapy water and one bowl with water with a dab of bleach.  When they get to dirty you have to dump them in the toilets, to conserve water, and refill them from a bucket or jerry can, which you got from the rain bag or water tank if it has water in it.  Not to mention you have to do school clean a house that gets dirt in it from sun up to sun down, wash clothes, and at some point learn language and meet people.  Remember that time thing?  It takes a lot of work to live here and get use to how things are done.

Random things

The kids are doing well.  They all have things they love and things that they are not so crazy about.  Liam misses his cousin Reed a lot.  Nora misses her Nanas and mammy as well as her friends.  Rory loves it here, he has probably adapted better than anyone.  Emma misses her friends, but she has done really well here too.  14 here is an adult.  People treat her like it and expect it of her.  She has blossomed.

Our diet is carbs.  Our meals consist of just a few meals.  Cabbage in gnut sauce(peanut) with posho (stiff grits maybe? Think the grits that are congealed at the bottom of the pot without the taste) or rice. Beans of some kind (black, white, red, mixed color) with posho or rice. Occasionally goat or beef (harder to get) with posho or rice.  We try to eat meat at least twice a week but with no way to store it you have to get it that day and you have to make sure you get fresh meat, some of the meat will have been sitting out all day.  You can get bananas, passion fruit, guavas, avocados, apples sometimes, pineapples, and watermelons. Veggies you can get onions, tomatoes, green peppers, carrots (sometimes), okra (the lady who sells it knows us by name because we buy so much), and cabbage.  Many of the people in the market know us by name and are super nice.

Before we left I often told people about how God had broken us so we would rely on Him.  He continues to break us down and until all we have is to hold on to Him.  That is a beautiful thing.  A loving father who continues to show us overwhelming grace and love, he continues to show us things about him through our lives.  It is a beautiful thing that I am humbled to be a part of.  Knowing God, knowing Jesus is freedom.  Being his and following that call is a truly freeing thing.  It doesn’t matter how much we give up, he is constant and unwavering.  I pray that everyone who reads this may experience that at some point.  I can tell you this; you will not experience that if you are not seeking his will.  If you are only living to further yourself, you will miss out completely.

 

Prayer Request

• Our car has something that is draining the battery. When we are in Kampala next we need to get it hooked to a computer to find the issue.  Pray it is noting major to fix.
• We have issues getting water to our tank, which is a big deal. The church has done a lot of work trying to get it fixed. Pray it will be fixed soon and praise the church has a new solar system that is providing water to much of the town.
• We have been battling a stomach bug. Pray we will recover soon.
• For our language learning.
• For me as I go to meet with the teacher’s school and begin seeing the need in the area.
• For our continued adjustment to life here and for many relationships to be formed
• For our family back home who misses us greatly and for us as we miss them

Good evening from Kampala, Uganda. 

Things have moved very quickly and we have been very busy.  We left the US on the 23rd at 1pm and got to Uganda on the 24th at 1030pm.  We got to bed that night after eating something and bathing around 2am.  We lost two pieces of luggage, one of which ended up in Saudi Arabia.  The plan rides were ok.  Rory started getting sick on the 2nd plane, Liam on the 3rd, and all of us by the last.  I would say it took until yesterday to really start to feel better from jet lag.

Uganda is beautiful.  Kampala is lush with plant and bird life.  The people are all very friendly.  Friday after we got here we went to get our work permits.  I got mine but Sara did not.  The man who was doing hers had made some errors so we were not going to be able to get hers till later.  We have made shopping list of things we will need to take with us to Kotido. We are applying for a TIN (tax identification number).  It was rejected because of an error.  We will be reapplying tomorrow.  We did find a vehicle.  We are getting a 94 Toyota Prado SX.  This vehicle will be what gets us to Kotido, is there in case of emergency and for everyday errands.

The traffic is something to behold.  Imagine where ever you live the busiest traffic.  Now removed all stop signs, stop lights, and rules.  That is Kampala traffic.

Oh and add in little motorcycles called Boda Bodas.  The Bodas drive around traffic, between cars, pretty much wherever they want.  Yet with all that chaos the traffic flows like water.  Everyone uses horns to show they are coming or signaling someone.  No one gets mad at someone cutting them off as long as traffic flows.

Tomorrow, we start shopping for supplies.  Our plan is to leave either Sunday or by Tuesday.  It really all depends on how fast we get all the docs we have not gotten yet, the rest of the supplies, and our vehicle.  Friday is a holiday here so many of the businesses will be closed which will delay several things.  The kids have all done very well.  Emma had a small bug last night but seemed to be over it today.  Nora has floated around with the boys and loved on the dogs and cat that live here.  Liam has made friends with all the gate guards and spends much of the day with them.  Rory is with Liam or running around with the other children that show up here.  We have also met many other missionaries that are going back out to the field.  We even met one couple who are from North Carolina!

Thank you so much for all the support you have sent our way.  We are here because of you.  Please continue to pray for us and for what God is doing here.

Prayer Request

• For our continued adjustment to life here.
• For our family back home.
• For our TIN to get approved tomorrow
• For Sara’s work permit and the kids pupil passes to be approved
• For Ruth as she travels home for medical care
• For Christine healing
• For the rest of our Kotido team
• For John and Krys
• For our upcoming journey to Kotido
• For the Karamojong
• For continued development of the Karamoja district