Pentecost in Uganda

Last week on Pentecost Sunday so many things that Reverend Kathryn said in her sermon reminded me of things that we saw happening in Uganda: 

* Ask the Holy Spirit to use us to change the world.  Be courageous to accept that call!

* "Be on fire" with the power of the Holy Spirit because that fire spreads to others. 

* We ourselves have received salvation, and now it's our turn to offer the gift of salvation to the world by depending on the power of the Holy Spirit. 

The challenges listed above are being met by the Christians in Uganda without a doubt!  Although Each church at every shoebox distribution we participated in had something special about it, the church at our Thursday morning distribution particularly touched my heart.  Gospel Hope Ministry in the village of Gayaza is not only making a huge impact in the village, but they are reaching out to other people across Uganda and spreading the Gospel across their nation.  

Pastors Samuel, Gabriel and "Sunday" (he was given that name when he converted from Islam to Christianity) have several thriving ministries within their church. There are lessons we can all learn from what they are doing:

- The most simple thing they started with when they first started the church - go to and be with the people in the market, in the streets of the neighborhoods. Be with the people - don't wait for the people to come to you.

The village has historically had practicing witch doctors and sorcerers. It is believed that the last known witch doctor died last year. Pastor Gabriel explained that the villagers were afraid to even shake hands with the witch doctors, but Samuel and Gabriel came into the area and were not afraid to shake their hands - no curses, they didn't die.  This helped the people gain the trust of these Christian pastors.  

Pastors Samuel and Gabriel with our OCC Team leader Chris

- Seek out and meet the community's needs - The church has a health clinic right on the property

- A strong Sunday School program that reaches the children of the village, who in turn go back to their families and friends and share the gospel. The reason the church is growing is because the parents can trust the church because the church is loving their kids. 

They also host an Annual Conference for Children where they invite other churches in the area to brainstorm about how to strengthen outreach to other children in the area.

- Work with other area churches to build a strong Christian network in the community - Gospel Hope holds joint crusades with other village churches. Collectively these churches have a strategy to reach the community for Christ. 

- All Christians around the world are so much more alike than we are different. Take a look at the Vision, Mission and Core Values of Gospel Hope Ministry. Sound familiar?

Mission: "To bring people to Jesus Christ, get them into the family of believers, disciple them into appropriate ministry, in the church, and empower them to live a life that glorifies God."

Core Values - Grace, Hope, Faith, Love, Service

Maybe we should all do what Gospel Hope has done - Write our church's vision, mission and core values on the walls of our church so we will always remember what we are about!

- Gospel Hope is a church founded in prayer. They are growing because of the power of prayer.

 In a recent e-mail we received from Pastor Gabriel, we read: 

"Something tremendous has happened, we have been trusting God for a very long time for a piece of land for Gospel Hope Church and God has answered our prayers. One of the land owners  came to us and has offered us land that we shall be paying for progressively over a period of 10 years. We are so excited at the development and thank your team for praying together with us, may God bless you."

 - Gospel Hope Ministry is a church that receives missions outreach (Operation Christmas Child and The Greatest Journey discipleship program in particular), BUT Gospel Hope Ministry is also in missions to others.

While we are helping empower Gospel Hope to reach the children in their village, they are reaching out to others who are in need. In particular, the church is reaching out to people in the Gulu region of northern Uganda that has been ravaged by civil war in the past 20 years.  Now that the war is over, there are many, many refugees who have nothing.  Gospel Hope has started two churches in that area, and the women's ministry is busy making crafts that they sell in order to raise funds to take much needed food and other resources to the people of the Gulu. They also collect materials/supplies locally to send to the northern area. In addition, they are trying to teach the people of the Gulu region how to grow corn in order to be more self-sufficient.

Now THAT is what Pentecost is all about!

We ourselves have received salvation, and now it's our turn to offer the gift of salvation to the world by depending on the power of the Holy Spirit. 

Dear Holy Spirit, help us to be "Pentecost People" - as bold for you as our brother and sister Christians in Uganda!

Amen, Amen, Jesus, Wow!

Jennifer Roberts

The Power of a Simple Gift!

The Power of a Simple Gift!
That phrase has been one used by Operation Christmas Child for several years now.  It will forever hold true.  Let me show you the "power of a simple gift" at Gospel Hope Ministry.

Gospel Hope Ministry is already a thriving church without the help of our shoebox gifts (more about that in the next installment "Pentecost in Uganda", so please check back to the blog periodically).

Today I want to share specifically how we witnessed the distribution, and not even a month after we came back home, the gospel is beginning to be spread as a result of our shoebox gifts!

When we arrived at Gospel Hope Ministry, we already heard the children singing and praising God.  There were over 120 children ages 2 or 3 to 15 or so, all clapping, singing dancing.....having a blast.

As we got off the bus and joined them in the church - an open air pavilion -  they continued to sign, and then Jennifer Davis, a member of our OCC team, shared her testimony and the Gospel message in a clear and simple way that even the smallest of the children might be able to hear and understand. After that, Jennifer asked the children who wanted to receive Jesus into their heart to say a prayer with her. What a fantastic moment to watch so many children saying yes to a life with Jesus as their guide!

Instead of leaving it there, Jennifer then encouraged those children to speak with one of the pastors, to let them know of the decision they made.

After the boxes were distributed, we spent some great time playing with, talking with and even praying with these special kids.

But is didn't end there. We left knowing that several of the children would soon begin a 12 week discipleship program that OCC provides called The Greatest Journey. We also left knowing that the families of these shoebox recipients would be impacted by the fact that Gospel Hope and OCC had given their children a gift with no strings attached.  And a gift filled with love and hope for the future.

In a recent e-mail I received from Pastor Gabriel, he wrote.....

"The children are going through The Greatest Journey course and are very excited. The church attendance has significantly increased. This is greatly attributed to the OCC Mission. We are very grateful for the work you are doing. May The Lord God bless you."

The picture above was taken AFTER we got back home to the states.  The simple gifts continued to make a big impact.  After The Greatest Journey 12 week program is competed, all of these children will be equipped to go out into the community to share their faith and reach people with the Gospel of Christ.

I pray that all of us will reach out to others in our own sphere of influence to boldly share Jesus with others.  

Bonus Uganda musings:

- from some of my fellow team members as we talked about our week thus far - 

" Never underestimate the 'weight' of our two hours that we spend with these churches. We hope that it may spur them on to growth, more ministry."

and 

"It is a privilege to serve alongside these churches that we can support them in their ministries."

Amen, Amen, Jesus, Wow!

What is God's Calling For Us?

I would like to use this entry to highlight one of the daily devotionals that has stuck with me.

One morning Chaplain Dave chose to focus on three key words in various scripture - "Us", "Calling" and "Hope"

From II Corinthians 2:14 - "He uses US to spread the aroma of the knowledge of Christ everywhere".

Each of us has a different CALLING, but if we all of our callings lead us to the point where we are "smelling good for God - spreading the Good News of Christ to others.

The definition that Dave gave for "God's Calling"? God's plan on a person's life for a particular purpose.

All that is required of us is that we say "YES" to the call. We are a recipient of the movement of God's Spirit within us. (Kind of sounds like what we are required to do with grace, does it not? All we have to do is accept the free gift.)

Chaplain Dave encouraged us to accept our calling with GRATITUDE - gratitude to God that we get to be the vessels that he uses. Let's celebrate how he uses us!

Romans 12:12 - "Rejoice in  our confident hope. Be patient in trouble and keep on praying. When God's people are in need, be ready to help them.  Always be eager to practice hospitality."

Romans 15:13 - "I pray that God, the source of hope, will fill you completely with joy and peace because you trust in Him.  Then you will over flow with confident hope through the power of the Holy Spirit."

So let me ask you - What do you feel God calling you to do to help His people?  It doesn't have to be a mission trip, or any grand gestures. It can be something right here at home that can make a huge difference in the life of another. It can be something very simple. What do you hear God telling you to consider?  Where is He nudging you to act?

Will you say "YES!" to his calling with gratitude? With a confident hope?

In Chaplain Dave's word - "No matter what we choose - Jesus always wins. We won't know until we get to heaven the impact that God has allowed us to make."

Let's say "Yes" to His calling for us and go out and impact our little corner of the world.

A Little Glimpse Of What Heaven Might Be Like

No streets of gold - just dirt roads and paths. But as we walked up the muddy dirt path, we passed happy children along the way - greeting us with waves and smiles.

When we got to the campus of Open Door Revival Church, we found ourselves at the top of a hill with a beautiful campus of a sanctuary, parsonage, classrooms and offices with a square in the center.   

More children - more smiles from both the kids and the adults.  

When we entered the sanctuary, there was singing and dancing and praising God. All ages - all together.  What a site - a peak at what heaven will be like! 

Pastor Solomon, Pastor Godfrey and several other church leaders strive to minister to poor children and many single-parent homes in the community - both Christian and Muslim. One of Solomon's daughters is the secretary, youth leader and also helps in other roles around the church! Every Saturday, the children from the community are invited to the church for programs and each Sunday a separate children's worship is held for them.  Solomon and his church have a dream (and a blueprint) to build a school - They have 10 acres, now they need the means to build the building.

One of the things that Pastor Solomon asked was that we let you know of their thanks for the shoebox gifts that come from the United States.  So....THANK YOU!

                                  Even the older boys (ages 13 and 14) were thrilled with their gifts

A beautiful story of how God works happened right after all the shoeboxes were handed out and opened.  We had purposely brought some extra shoeboxes on our bus in case we had an overflow of kids.  The other boxes that you see in the picture above had already been delivered to the church before we arrived.  

The church leaders got word that there were 19 more children who were coming a few minutes late.  So we went to the bus to see how many we had. We had only 15 boxes.  Guess what!  When the children arrived, there were 15 kids - not 19.  Should we be amazed at how God works?  I think not!

One thing that keeps coming back to me as I process all that we did and all that I saw in Uganda is that Operation Christmas Child is the tool that empowers these local churches to reach not only the children with the Gospel message, but to also reach the community. Churches grow because their children are nurtured. Communities become stronger because of the simple gifts we send.  One of the phrases that has caught on in OCC circles is that we are called to do immeasurably more........more shoeboxes to empower these churches to reach more people for Christ!

"I walked the dirt roads of Uganda, I see the scars that war has left behind. Hope like the sun, is fading and they're waiting for a cure no one can find. And I hear children's voices singing of a God who heals and rescues and restores. And I'm reminded that every child in Africa is yours." Steven Curtis Chapman "Yours"

Tuesday Morning in Uganda - Amen, Amen, Jesus, Wow!

What we heard when we arrived at God's Glory Church as the adult leader was calling for the children's attention:
Teacher: "Praise The Lord!"
Children: "Amen, Amen, Jesus, Wow!"

Random Fact of the Day - Did you know that many, many shoeboxes are shipped by Mediterranean Shipping Company right here from Charleston's Wando terminal? I had the opportunity a year and a half ago to go to the terminal to see the process.

Back to Uganda:
A few months ago 17 containers (think about the type of containers that move in and out of Charleston Harbor on ships each day) filled with shoeboxes that were designated for Uganda traveled from the US (perhaps even from the port of Charleston), got held up in Kenya due to political unrest during an election. In the meantime, one container did reach Uganda from The United Kingdom.

During our week of distributions, we had 8 teams each going to six distribution sites. Because our shoebox supply was limited, each church had to limit the number of children they could invite to receive a box.  The good news is that the 17 containers held up in Kenya most likely arrived the week after we left Africa, and children who were not able to receive a box, did get to come back and get one.

Shoebox Distribution Time!
On Tuesday we headed to a slum area in Kampala where Pastor Stephen and his family started God's Glory Church in 2008, which is one of 3 churches if God's Glory Ministries around the Kampala area.

They have an amazing ministry - On Sundays, worship consists of around 40 adults and 70 children, and every weekday the church gathers for 1 hour around noon for worship and prayer. They have their priorities in order! The church is well-respected in the community where the church is known for ministering to their neighbors.

The day we were there, many children from the community were buzzing around the church campus, awaiting our arrival.  The were so excited when our bus pulled in.

Before a church holds a distribution event, they work with the Operation Christmas Child National Leadership Team (volunteers just like our Area Team here in Charleston).  The church leaders attend a training event where they are given the tools to implement a successful distribution. They have a plan for the day, and they have already invited specific children.

The children were ready and waiting. The previous night's rain had knocked down the tent that would provide for extra space, but the leaders were determined to get it back up.

While some of the leaders worked on the tent, the rest of us squeezed into the other tent where they hold their church services each day.

And so the service began....with the children singing praise songs and even the national anthem of Uganda.  Our team leader Chris was handed the microphone and asked to lead us in the US National Anthem!  Not expecting that at all - Chris thought on his feet and decided we would sing God Bless America instead - a much more musically simple song that we could all handle - those of us who can carry a tune, as well as some who could not. :) As far as anyone knows, that is the first time any American delegation has been asked to sing the National Anthem at a distribution.

Next came a short sermon given by 10 or 11 year old Elijah - Pastor Stephen's son - boy can he preach it!

Next came our team member Aubrey, who shared her own testimony with the children. At every distribution a testimony is give before the distribution - It ties it all together for the kids - Gods loves us and sent His son to die for us - no strings attached.  Someone in another country loves God, and because of that, loves the children and wants to give them a gift - no strings attached.

Then came the shoeboxes - After each child had been handed a box, the countdown began - 3...2...1....open your box!

We got to spend quite some time with the children - seeing what they got in their boxes, loving them, laughing with them, even praying with them.

Some of you helped me pack a shoebox that I could take on my trip. We packed it with a boy, age 10 - 14 in mind.  I took my box that day, but left in on the bus.  If I saw a young man that tugged on my heart, I had planned to go get it off the bus.  God had other plans! I didn't see a specific boy that I wanted to give my box to.  I was too busy moving through the kids talking, laughing and playing.

When we were leaving the church, we got back on the bus. I noticed that my box was no longer under my seat, so I asked if anyone knew what had happened to it.  It was explained that while we were mingling with the kids, a few more children (Boys!  Most of whom were between 10 and 14) showed up.

So a few of our team members went to the bus to see how many boxes we had that we had brought with us on the bus.  There were 11 boxes, so eleven boys were given those boxes.  Before any of that had occurred, I took the picture you see above - of a boy who was outside the property of the church - looking in to see what was going on. At that time, I was saddened, knowing that he might not have the chance to receive a box. Who knows.....maybe he was one of the 11 who were given boxes when they walked in late.

How God has used Operation Christmas Child and The Greatest Journey at God's Glory Church

Here is just one example:  

In 2012, one of the other campuses of God's Glory Church hosted a shoebox distribution.  The church then taught The Greatest Journey lessons to the children - who later went out and won 3 more children to Christ! AND one of the children who received a shoebox brought her father to church - the father soon became a Christian and not only joined the church, but serves as the church's IT Department - yep, he is the entire department. AND, we got the chance to meet Joseph, that father, while we were there.

And that isn't all!

I have received a couple of e-mails from Pastor Stephen since I have been back.  He wants to have Children at Hibben write to the children at his church (Elizabeth and I are working on that). Here is an excerpt from one of his e-mails:

"On behalf of the entire church family, we would like to thank you so much for loving  and caring about us. Thank you so much for the gift boxes you distributed to our sunday school children. They were really so happy and enjoyed them. Your visit at our church really impacted the faith of the church members. The community really enjoyed the occasion and we just glorify God for this mercies and love that he poured in your hearts. 

We really have to be connected to together both physically and spiritually. We have to pray for each other all the time and its our prayer that God binds us strongly together. Our passion as God`s glory Evangelistic ministries is to the love God extend to the utmost parts of the world. And through our partnership with you, we will achieve that goal by the power of God. Greetings from my family , my daughter Betty and my son Elisha.Please God bless you and hope to hear from you soon. God bless you so much"

"Amen, Amen, Jesus, Wow!"

View From The Back Of The Bus

(Subtitle) Thank Goodness We Had Our Bus Driver Beyonsi!

This morning I thought you might like to see some shots from our travels in Kampala and in the villages surrounding Kampala.  The entire time we were there we had a fantastic driver named Beyonsi. We never really did figure out the traffic pattern/laws/courtesies.  Seemed like a free-for-all from where I was sitting (next to last seat in the back left side). You know how we all tend to sit n the same pew when we go to church?  Same thing on a bus in Uganda.

One thing we noticed was that even though it seemed chaotic, people were patient - not much horn honking or dirty looks from other drivers/riders. Oh to have that at home.  I was behind someone the other day on Rifle Range who would honk at the person in front of him if that person made a right hand turn to slowly.  Be patient people!

I have borrowed a few pictures from my friend Sue Reim (another OCC Area Coordinator in the Carolinas Region). She sat two seats up from me and got the best shots of everything all week.

So sit back and enjoy the tour through Kampala and a few village shots. The one we all wish we could have caught on camera was the motorcycle taxi hauling a casket on the back - pretty impressive.

Beyonsi's vantage point

Motorcycle taxis - aka Bota Bota - were everywhere. 

Somehow folks could manage 3 adults and 1 child on one of these things.

We were the Light Blue Team and we have the Light Blue bus all week.

The children loved to wave at us.

Fruit Market

Furniture Store

Normal traffic day in Kampala

Largest mosque in Kampala at the top of the hill

Driving on the left side of the road with the driver sitting 

on the right side of the car vehicle took some getting used to.

Gas Station - looks like back home

People Everywhere 

Get your money and your mobile phone at one stop.

Roadside Plant Nursery

Shanty Town on the edge of Kampala

Stan and Dara making PB&J for us in the back of the bus

Can you figure out the traffic flow? Me neither!

The Greatest Journey - Day One in Kampala Uganda

I forgot to mention yesterday that our home base each evening was the Sheraton in Kampala, the capital city of Uganda. While at our hotel, it was as if we were in any major city in the world.  It was when we drove outside the gates of the hotel that the scenery changed.

Monday, April 29 - Of course no trip would be complete without souvenir shopping!  So all 100 of us divided into our team buses (8 teams altogether) and went shopping at a couple of markets. The vendors were local people who sold primarily hand crafted items. My personal favorite items were the paper bead bracelets and necklaces, and the carved sandstone figurines. 

Interestingly, $1 US = 2500 Uganda Shillings - Thank goodness our team leader gave us an easy exchange rate chart so we didn't have to think as hard when negotiating prices with the vendors.

After a scrumptious lunch of PB&J (or Nutella if you wanted to get fancy :) on the bus, we headed to our first stop of the week - a chance to watch The Greatest Journey Discipleship Program being taught to previous shoebox recipients!

You see, the receiving of the shoebox is just the beginning. Over that past several years, Operation Christmas Child has been able to provide a fantastic 12 week discipleship program which the shoebox distributing churches are able to offer to the children who receive shoeboxes.  As I will talk about more tomorrow, the shoebox is a tangible example of the "no-strings-attached" gift we receive when we accept the grace and forgiveness of the gospel of Jesus.

"The Greatest Journey" discipleship program takes the children through what it means to be a disciple of Christ now that they have decided to follow him.

We arrived Lighthouse Bible School, to see The Greatest Journey being taught.  The school is supported Streams of Life Church.  The school enrolls children from around the community, including several Sudanese boys who were rescued from the Sudanese civil war.  

Since 2008, Ritah Nihundo, the children's director of the church, has seen the children's ministry grow from 50 children to 300 children! The church and school are in a slum area. Ritah describes her ministry as a "ministry of love" to children from very poor and many single parent homes - where children can often feel abandoned and unloved

The church actively reaches out to the community - to build trust among the parents in order to minister to the children. Every Thursday night, children in the church are trained in evangelism and sent out into the community to reach the unchurched.

Sooo.... back to "The Greatest Journey" lesson -

In a very small classroom, our team of 12 got to sit among the kids as "Teacher Ritah" taught the lesson. I got to sit by Jolene and Esther - who you see here.

Before the lesson, worship and praise was led by Victoria, a young student - around 13 or 14 years old. Bernard, the school principal played the guitar as we sang.  The worship was genuine, and the children were truly talking with God as they sang.  You could tell - you could see it in their faces.

As you can see below, my friend and fellow OCC Area Coordinator from NC participated in the role-playing of Adam and Eve, and the Serpent an the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil.  Can you see 

the serpent looking over Janie's shoulder?

We had a great time with the kids during and after the lesson. As we de-briefed on the bus ride back to home base, the following observations were made by different members of our team:

1. The kids were so engaged in the story - soaking it in - really grasping the lesson - perhaps in a way that we don't always see in our churches in America? 

2. The children just wanted hugs, love and attention - perhaps in the area and the homes they love in (single working parents, often with many children  - they don't often receive that.

3. The kids are bright - thriving in spite of lack of supplies in the classrooms. They are learning with what they have. Could we in American learn something from that? 

4. This church and school may possible be the only place some of these kids get any positive reinforcement - and also one of few places they hear about the love of Jesus.

When you boil it all down, are we all that very different, American and Ugandans? We are all yearning for love and affirmation.  We are all God's children.

What can we do in Uganda and at home?

"Let your light shine in front of others. Then they will see the good things you do and they will praise your Father who is in Heaven." Matthew 5:16

Are you "Smelling Good For God" today? :)