Happy Thanksgiving

We give thanks to God for so many blessings that he has given to us!  This year, I was particularly struck with how God brought so many new friends to our table...people we didn't even know last year...new teammates, Christi, our MA, new friends for the kids, new friends for us.  God is ever giving to us so many undeserved blessings.  

This year we had 28 sitting around our table.  We ate way too much (even enjoying some yummy imported traditional holiday food!), had a lovely time of singing and a lovely time of games.  Here is a picture of the "kid" end of the table.  :)

Family Portrait

We were recently the recipients of this hilarious work of art, from our good friends as they moved to Kampala.  It makes me smile every time I see it. 

Brian And Melyn

twins...seven years old...best friends to my kids...actually more like cousins...cutest smiles...especially when they loose their two front teeth...together...after school usually found patiently waiting at our door to be let in to play...Melyn, having diligently taken off her uniform...Brian, not so much...full of sweet Ugandan accents...but their mom insists that they sound more American now that they have 8 new playmates...funny thing is...my kids sound more Ugandan around them...a new generation...growing up with parents who care deeply about the state of their soul...

...we love these kids...

...and their family...

...so much!

Baby Gift

Today, Christine, Katelyn and I went to visit the newest little soul of the OPCU.  Baby Gift was born into the family of the pastor at Kama OPCU...Pastor Eric.  She was so sweet!  We praise the Lord for this little life.

Mama and big sister...

Christine enjoying the precious little bundle...

A Gifted Chicken...

What do you do when you have many small sick children and have just been given a chicken as a sweet gift?

Nampologoma OPCU

One year ago, we were worshiped with Nampologoma OPCU under the mango trees. Some time before this picture was taken, their church building had been blown down in a wind storm.  Shortly after this picture was taken, the Orthodox Presbyterian Church of Uganda presbytery came together to collect funds to start to build them a structure.  Eric had the privileged to be a part of the meeting where one by one, individuals and churches stood up and pledged anywhere from $4 to $20...giving sacrificially to their brothers and sisters who had had suffered the loss of their building.  Even our own church here in Mbale, which also doesn't have a building sends 5% of it's weekly tithe to this fellowship.

Thanks to their generosity, Nampologoma OPCU is now worshiping in this structure made of mud and sticks, with a tin roof.

Currently, their pastor, a recent graduate of Knox Theological College, is not ordained...Lord willing that will change very soon.  But they had 12 children and 1 adult that needed to be baptized, so Eric was happy to have have that honor.  What a blessing!!

Some of the children were mildly traumatized by the whole incident...at times it's hard enough to be anywhere near a mzungu....let alone having one put water on your head!  haha!

It's something of a picture, though, of how sometimes God draws us to himself kicking and screaming...

Eric also had the privileged of baptizing Eric Wilberforce Tuininga...son of Robert Segula, Eric's former student and pastor of the church at Nampologoma.  What a cutie he is!

Don't you agree?

The apparently fascinating mzungu pastor drew large collection of little onlookers...children who don't usually attend church, but stopped to see what was going on.

Lord willing, the mustard seeds of the gospel they heard will draw them to the most fascinating, loving and powerful being in the universe...God himself...

After church, Pastor Segula invited the whole church to his house for lunch.  Katelyn quickly made friends with their little girl.

And I (with my camera) made lots of friends too!  :)

We praise the Lord for the work he is doing in Nampologoma. What a blessing to be able to worship with the saints here and fellowship with them for a Sunday.

Another blessed Sunday...

Today we were blessed to hear 5 believers in Christ make public their faith.  On the left is Daniel, our good friend.  He spends a lot of time at our house getting help with homework and participating in our family life.  On the far left is his mom, Jennifer.  During her interview she talked about how blessed she was to be a part of a church where she actually learns.  Next to Daniel, (second on the left) is Wycliff.  He is the nephew of Herbert and Beatrice and is an orphan.  For a while he was living with Herbert and Beatrice, but now that they have returned to the village, he has remained in town by himself so that he can finish high school.  And the two girls in the middle, Maureen and Doreen, are our neighbors.

Eric also gave Bibles to the people who had not received them yet...a special treasure, considering that there are many elders and deacons in village churches that don't own Bibles yet.

In addition to membership, Daniel and Ivan...sons of Jennifer...were baptized.  Daniel, as a profession of faith and Ivan as a covenant child.

We have spent so many hours around our dinner table with Daniel, reading God's word and discussing the Christian life. He is like a ninth child to us.  It is such a huge blessing, one that brings tears of joy, to see him desire God for himself.

And yes, Eric believes that sacraments are meant to be seen in a big way...LOTS of water!! :)

Rejoice with your brothers and sisters here in Mbale, Uganda!!  God is doing great things!  You will be worshiping in heaven with these dear saints!  And pray for them!  Pray that their faith will remain strong, that God will protect them from Satan who desires to have their souls.  Pray that God will bless them with all that they need.  Saturday morning, as I was running, I saw Jennifer and Ivan digging in their garden.  When I stopped to talk to her, she told me that she hadn't eaten supper or breakfast and was hoping that their garden would yield well as we head into dry season soon.  She has also been quite sick lately and has a large growth on her arm that we don't have a diagnosis for yet.  So please pray that God will strengthen these brothers and sisters, both spiritually and physically.  Pray also for the families that labor here.  Pray that God will bless us with strength and wisdom.  Pray for more laborers to be sent.  And may God be glorified to answer these prayers.

Today...

...has been one of those days...

one of those days, where at some point between spelling lessons and ladies Bible study lessons...

 the 2 year old climbs on the table to play with stamps...

 and the only move I care to make is to exchange the permanent ink pad for the washable one...

...and then go pour another cup of coffee...

...because a moment of calm is just.so.worth.it.