Year in Review – 2016

What a fantastic year of learning our new culture, building relationships and joining in the ministry God has been doing here in Uganda.

Here are a few highlights and photos:

discipleship-cohort-2-10-30* The mission team here has been discipling a total of 15 pastors from around the Mbale area to help them grow spiritually. One of these groups will be concluding in March 2017 and we will begin 2 more groups. We are praying that God leads us to 8-9 guys for each group.

leland-preaching* We have significantly partnered with 10 churches in their work of development and visited over 50 churches all over the country to encourage them and equip them with Bible study tools. Continue reading

Discipleship and Bwikhonge

We want you to know what it is that we do here in Uganda. My #1 priority is the discipleship of Ugandan pastors and leaders. This means small group meetings, life-on-life discipleship, and a lot of prayer. This video introduces you to one of the pastors from Discipleship Cohort 1, which has been meeting for about 2 years. Hear from John Kahuka what discipleship means for him, his church (Bwikhonge Church of Christ), and his community…(click image) Continue reading

And Somehow the Same…

While there are several differences between our old lifestyle in the U.S. and our new home in Uganda, there are also so many things that are similar and we are very blessed to be able to embrace both the differences and similarities. Continue reading

Different isn’t wrong…

There are so many things that are different here. Some things are more difficult, take more time or are frustrating because they are different from what we’re use to, but there are also so many things that are beautiful, sweet, interesting and amusing, which makes for a wonderful dynamic. I feel blessed to be able to live amongst this dynamic… Continue reading

Happy Birthday Adalyn

img_5519Adalyn is 4 years old today and we are celebrating her first birthday in Uganda.  We celebrated by going to the Entebbe Zoo, being part of a Halloween party for the expat community, and of course, having cake. We thought it would be fun to ask her some questions, so you could see where she’s at in this point of her life… Continue reading

Crossing Borders

img_0078Last week I, along with 4 other members of our Church Planting & Discipleship team, traveled to Nimule, South Sudan to encourage and teach the leaders from the churches of Christ. There were 22 leaders and pastors from South Sudan and northern Uganda that traveled to the border town for basic theological training and discipleship. To reach Nimule, these pastors traveled from safety into a war zone, from refugee camps to where they had fled, or across rebel controlled areas. Continue reading

Nkya iga Oluganda

Nkya iga Oluganda (sounds like Encha yeega Oluganda) means “I am still learning Luganda.” Luckily, we are not learning how to read or write Luganda at this point, so we only write how it sounds to us, which is different for Leland and me.

99c519ad-3420-44e5-814d-b37fd053225a Immaculate, our language helper, is a primary school teacher who is not currently working, so she is able to help teach us every Wednesday and Friday afternoon for 1 hour. An hour doesn’t seem like much time but by the end of each lesson, our brain is fried and we are drained from trying to process and learn.  She is patient with us, she challenges us, she speaks slowly and repeats herself so we can understand. Continue reading

Cultural or Christian?

img_6818I recently came out of a meeting and saw a large group of men parading down the street. They had completely taken over the road and were blowing whistles, horns and singing all kinds of songs. It was a traditional Bagisu circumcision parade. For the past two months it has been the season of these celebrations, and they mark when a young boy becomes a man in the cultural society. Continue reading

Castaways on Bugaya Island

img_6789No we weren’t castaways, but we were in a world completely new to all of us. Bugaya Island is in the middle of Lake Victoria, a 2-hour boat ride from Kiyendi, very nearly on the equator. Lake Victoria is the 2nd largest fresh water lake in the world (behind Lake Superior). When we set off, we could not see our island, but the captain knew the way and set us on course. I couldn’t help but sing in my head the song from Gilligan’s Island the entire trip. Continue reading

Same Power

This song has been a powerful reminder for me during our journey in Uganda. I can’t help but stop and sing when it comes on my worship playlist. We have been incredibly blessed by so much prayer, encouragement and support along the way, and we have felt God with us throughout everything. Continue reading