Youth Retreat in Karamoja

This past week, the youth from our PCU church here in Mbale went up to the OPUM Karamoja station in order to join with the youth from the church plant there (along with the teenaged children of the missionaries) for a youth retreat.  This is the first time our two mission stations have joined together to do something like this for the youth.  It was a very exciting opportunity and was a blessing to see.  Even though our two OPUM stations are only a few hours apart, the cultures of the two areas are dramatically different.  For our youth from Mbale, it really is almost like going to another country...so different than their normal life.

Some of the Ugandan pastors from our area did the teaching.

Prayer time in the evening

Our youth were so impressed by the food that the Karamoja Station provided.

During the afternoon, all of the youth broke into small groups to do service projects.  Some of the youth helped at KEO (the nursery school run by our team), some helped to build some houses for members of the church there, some helped to harvest millet and some went evangelizing in a local village.  This was probably one of the greatest blessings of the retreat.  In fact, a couple of the girls that worked at KEO loved it so much that they even expressed interest in coming back to help...kind of like a short-term missionary.  Wouldn't that be something?  The local church in Mbale, sending out short-term missionaries?  I think youth all over the world love to use their youthful energy for this sort of thing, it's simply a matter of opportunity and resources.  (Photo below is of the evangelizing team praying before they leave)

They also had some time for sports and games and to go for a hike to the waterfalls.

 And a late night movie...

And a bonfire.  Haha...Eric got started telling all the kids American fairy tales... Cinderella, Hansel and Gretel, etc.  He had a captivated audience.  All these stories that most American children grow up hearing are actually quite shocking when you hear them for the first time as a young adult. 

 We are so thankful for all that our teammates in Karamoja did to help make this retreat a reality.  It was a real blessing to us and to the youth.  Praise the Lord for his goodness!

February summed up in one post

Ahhh!!!  I can't believe a whole month passed and I haven't had time to get on here.  Actually, considering everything we've been doing, I'm not surprised!  We were visited by Paige's family, we welcomed Eric's sister and family (our new teammates!) and another visitor, Micah.  It's been a bit crazy, but absolutely wonderful!

February started with an amazing visit from the family of our MA, Paige.  She is one of 10 kids and her entire family came to visit for two weeks.  We had such a blast with them!  Here is a smattering of pictures:

So many little girl giggles to be heard:

We went hiking one day to Chebonet Falls.  Since it was dry season, the falls were barely flowing, but it was fun!

Even Talitha managed to make it down (mostly sliding! ha!) and back up with lots of encouragement, but only a little help!

 On their final day, a few of us went with them to the zoo in Entebbe.  So much fun!

Camel riding:

The adult size people got to go in the pen with the Cheetah and pet him.  So amazing!

Trying to get the Rhinos to stand up.  They didn't.

 In the end, we had a new set of really great friends.  And it was oh so hard to say goodbye.  We were so thankful that God blessed us so much through Paige's family and grateful to God that he made the way for them to come.

Then, after Paige's family left, we had one very busy weekend after which we welcomed our new teammates to the field...who also happen to be Eric's sister and family.  They will be serving at our Karamoja station.  Mark will be doing diaconal work and maintenance.  So, the very next week we were back at the airport picking up "the cousins." (eight cousins plus Uncle, Auntie and their missionary associate)

They were able to spend a week with us in Mbale before driving up to Karamoja.  It was a rough week as some of the kids were sick and they were all trying to recover from jet lag.  Lesson fully learned: sick one-year-olds don't recover from jet lag very easily, but "Gogs" make a lot of things better.

After one week, we said a smaller goodbye and they went on their way to their new home.  We are still enjoying the fact that they are only a couple hours away now...really!  We have family on this side of the world now!  How wonderful is that?  I'm sure they would appreciate your prayers as they re-establish their family in their new home.

And, in the middle of all of that, we also welcomed one other visitor, Micah.  He flew in the same day Paige's family flew out and stayed until the beginning of March.  He was a blast to have around.  He hung in there with all our craziness, let us bunk him in the same room with all the boys and ended up being quite the entertainment for all the kids around. (which was usually about 18 plus friends)  haha!  His "official" task here was to shadow Eric, which he did.  But, he also ministered to our kids and family in an amazing way and I was so thankful to the Lord for that sweet gift.  I snatched the following pictures from my kids.

So do you agree that I was justified in not blogging through the month of February?  Whew... it was busy, but oh so much joy!  So thankful for all we were able to do and all of our visitors!

December Photo Project: Day 15

Yesterday the Jacksons hosted a good ol' fashioned American BBQ for the students of KTC.  Before lunch, they played football (soccer)... married students against single students.  The marrieds won.  The singles insisted that it was because they don't have wives who make them good food to keep them strong.  haha!

Reformation Book Room Opens!

Our teammates, Charles and Connie Jackson, have been working tirelessly (and sometimes tiredly! haha!) to open up a book room in Mbale.  This dream has been years on our hearts and minds.  It opened today!  

We have great books...and more on the way, Lord willing!

Great Ugandan crafts for sale...

And great coffee... (Because apparently, we stand in a line of ancient church history tradition...)

Praying that this will become a gathering place for people eager to expand their knowledge of their world, their creator and their faith so that they may better glorify God and enjoy him forever.