So nothing too extraordinary in today's events... I went to work at the music facult for 11:30am today only to discover, silly me, today was a special day and I wasn't supposed to start until 12:20... Ah well, it all worked out in the end; I managed to use the extra time to finish answering 98% of all the e-mails. I got some time to share with two of the staff members about the little victory won with the BoG regarding a recital hall. That was exciting. They're very happy and somewhat relieved that there's still some interest in the music faculty up the hill.
I worked at the variety/clothing store for the next few hours. Again, nothing too extraordinary there. Earned a bit of money, decreased my debt.
My most fun reading of the day was reading the latest update for Andrew's ("Congo Andrew" as some of you know him... aka Joia's brother) current missions trip, to be completed on Saturday I think. He's on a team, largely comprimised of a gaggle of young teen girls, with Teen Missions to Uganda to wash orphan's feet, provide many of them with their first shoes ever, & share Jesus' love in the process. Here's the latest update written on Sunday by another one of the team's leaders, Camille. To God be the glory, great things He hath done!
Greetings from Uganda (as the team travels to Debrief). At exactly 3:00 a.m. the announcement came over the loudspeaker in the terminal at Entebbe International Airport that those who were traveling on Kenya Airways flight 417 to Nairobi should proceed to the check-in counters. The Uganda team had begun their journey to the airport the afternoon before, around 4 p.m. from Jinja. A trip that normally might take 3 ½ hours took 5 hours. As we sat in traffic which was jammed up all around Kampala, we were grateful that we were not rushing to make a flight that evening. God had been directing us all along with this team, and He didn’t fail us once. Because our flight was at 5:00 a.m. we knew that check-in would be at 3:00 a.m. so going early and sleeping a little at the airport was the best thing to do. As the busy airport gradually calmed down when flights left, our team ate supper and settled down for evening devotions. It was my turn to share (Camille) as each of the other team members and leaders had shared. I was eager to share how the Lord has been faithful throughout my life, but I had come down with malaria that afternoon, and felt weak and feverish. However, the Lord strengthened me and we had a good time sharing. After that we got comfortable on our blankets and sleeping bags surrounding our luggage on the floor and most slept. The last week of ministry with the Forest Newland Rescue Unit went well. We were unable to fit a few orphans with shoes, but gave them other gifts. The facilitator, Prossy, understood our disappointment at not being able to give each one the best shoes for them, and encouraged the team by saying that the fact that we were washing the orphans’ feet was a great thing. She said it would be a challenge for anyone to wash the dirty feet of others, especially orphan children. Even if we had no shoes to give, the act of washing the orphans’ feet showed the love of God to them. The team enjoyed playing games and doing presentations with the orphans even though they were rained-out one afternoon and had to stay inside the church. The facilitator, David, (Prossy’s husband) had to leave after the team had been there two days in order to travel to Kampala for chemotherapy treatment. The doctors are hoping to kill all the cancer in his liver. It is a very difficult time for this family. Their second child will be born on Aug. 9th by C. section. They are optimistic and give God the glory for keeping David alive up to now. Altogether we washed more than 500 orphans’ feet at the five rescue units, and put shoes on most of those. To some we gave flip-flops, and we purchased 40 pairs of shoes to supplement what we had brought from the states. We also gave handkerchiefs, skin jelly, toothpaste, pens and sweets. Money was given by a church in Minnesota to help the orphans, and that is how we were able to purchase the 40 pairs of shoes. We planned to purchase clothing for them but were unable to locate where to purchase wholesale clothing, so some money remains and the clothing will be purchased as soon as possible to distribute to the children. Close to 100 orphans prayed to receive Christ while we were with them, and we praise God! Please pray for these new Christians to grow and sink their roots down deep in Christ. The team was very grateful for good health the last three days of their time here in Uganda! We had been baffled since the first team members came down with stomach flu, which eventually touched every team member and leader except one, after which came head and chest colds. We had carried new tents with us to Uganda, and they were small so we gave each person their own tent, one reason being to prevent germs being spread so easily. But it made absolutely no difference. After about two weeks we began to see it as spiritual warfare and began praying for the Lord to deliver us from the evil one and to surround us with His chariots of fire to keep us from attack. From that point on we saw healing and health restored. Trouble with luggage and tickets began in Orlando when we were leaving Boot Camp to begin our journey to Uganda. The Lord had everything under control even though we had a few times of uncertainty and had to trust Him when we could not see the answer. Each time of uncertainty brought the team to prayer, and the Lord answered. One answer took four weeks of trusting. Two bags were missing and had been reportedly seen in London, England, and Lusaka (Zambia). I sent a FAX to London, and as the days were approaching for the team to leave for Debrief, I received a call from the baggage people at Entebbe Airport saying that Lusaka Airport had called them because they had two bags that should have been sent to Uganda. They were the bags we had been waiting for. I asked them to please request that they rush the bags to Uganda so I could get them when I took the team to fly to Debrief. (Remember how long it took us to get to the airport . . .) They said they would try. A flight came in from Lusaka at 7:30 p.m. the evening the team was arriving at the airport, and the bags were on the flight. I praised God for being so kind and showing His grace to us. As I hugged each team member and leader when they were leaving for Debrief, I was really touched by how much the Lord has done in each of their lives since the time they arrived at Boot Camp six weeks ago. I believe that the prayer partners at home who have been faithfully praying for each one have played a tremendous part in the positive changes in lives. Spiritual growth and maturity does not come by “working” for the Lord, but by yielding everything to Him and choosing to draw close to Him in strengthening the relationship. Stubbornness and rebellion do not go away on their own, but are defeated by a changed heart. Hurt and bitterness could not be comforted or healed by the team and leaders alone. God, who is love, gently revealed that love for each hurting person, and hardness gradually dissolved into softness and trust in God again. The team that started out at Boot Camp and traveled to Uganda was not unified. They were a group of individuals and a few cliques. Now, as they go to Debrief I can honestly say they are humbled and unified as only God could accomplish it. Andrew and Rebecca were fantastic leaders and gave 100% to the team 24/7. I am very proud of them and praise God for their ministry on the team. To God be the glory – Great things He has done! Camille for the Uganda Team
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