The team arrived from their long journey yesterday evening. I know that God brought each one of them here to do a special work and be glorified in it! It is going to be an exciting next couple of weeks. This morning the team is walking the dirt road between Opeta and Otwal. It really influences the Ugandans when we get on their level and just work or walk alongside them. Many of them actually think that the munos aren’t capable of walking more than half a mile or riding a bike. J I’m sure they will be seeing many beautiful smiles as the people laugh out loud at the peculiar sight of the girls walking.
Today MariAnne, Becky, and I are going out to recognize Alibi which is the first of three PRICELESS classes graduating this week. Alibi has always been so difficult to work with and I am proud of our teachers, Anna Betty and Hilda Mercy, for stepping up and sticking to this class and making it a success. Today, Becky is getting to witness her first graduation and is the guest speaker in the ceremony which is serious business here.
Tomorrow we will partner with the teams and have a rally in Opeta to follow up with PRICELESS girls who have gone through the program, disciple mothers, and raise excitement and awareness for the Biblical concepts we are teaching. The teams are preparing to go talk to them about truth, honesty, their tremendous value and identity in Christ, forgiveness, and honoring their temple. Also this week, our nurses will be going to schools and teaching on HIV/AIDS education. Pastor Walter has planned a program for Matt, Kevin, and himself to be carrying out this week. Please pray this week for hearts to be softened and open to the life changing message they will receive.
-Bethany
Wednesday, May 30, 2007
Friday, May 18, 2007
Can you imagine?
Do people still get stoned? Yes. Do mobs with sticks, guns, rocks, and spears still exist? Yes. Are there places where such punishment is accepted and considered normal? Yes. Are there places where desperate parents think more medicine is better and go from one place to another seeking help and ignorantly give a deathly amount of medicine? Yes. Do children still die of simple, preventable diarrhea? Yes. Are there people who happily and joyful dance to the Lord then take their loved ones to the witch doctor for poison and believe in superstitions? Yes. Are there places where sex between family members is considered normal? Yes. Are there places where a child is raised thinking that lying is an acceptable normal part of life and it becomes so second nature they never think of consequences? Yes. Can someone truly believe HIV can be caused by shaking someone's hands, sharing sleeping quarters, or is a curse from an evil spirit or witch doctor? Yes. Are people truly still shunned because they have a sickness that happens to be called HIV? Yes. Are there young children who call sex, innocent "playsex" and suffer the consequences from this accepted past time the rest of their lives? Yes. Do girls drop out of school at age 12 because they don't know what to do about puberty changes? Yes.
20 years of war can result in a lot of unimaginable norms. These are just a few we see here. Many people are moving back to their villages since there has not been an attack from the LRA recently. They have moved back before. We pray this will be the last time and that they are not forced to flee back. There still is no peace treaty signed and talks continue. When Pastor Walter shows a Jesus film they all come back ready. I believe up to 700 came just to Opeta and many came to know the LORD! The constantly changing dynamics and the extreme rawness, (like the sound of a gun shot followed by vision of a mob, or watching a baby take its last breath), can make it difficult to work. We are rewarded, however, by so much thankfulness and love. The people are grateful and the harvest is ripe.
Is there anything that is impossible? No, the word of God says "What is impossible with man is possible with God" Luke 18:27
Let me tell you a story. The story begins with a 5-year old girl named Winnie. Winnie's mother went to our medical clinic for help last Thursday. Dr. Tom knew she needed immediate help and asked that she be transferred into town. Winnie looked so tired, so sick, so miserable and was so easy to love. Your heart goes out to her instantly. She, her baby brother, little sister, and Mom went to the best hospital in Lira. We arrived on a cool, rainy dark late night. I sang praises as we waited in the dark until someone came to help us. We were able to continue to visit with her and her family through this past week, provide for their needs while she received care, and love on them. Our wonderful Jackson always takes such good care, checking on anyone that is brought to the hospital and helps provide for their needs. Wednesday, when I went to check on little Winnie, she continued with no improvement and struggled even with the effort of breathing. There was not much else we could do but pray for her. I talked with her mother, Ester, through a staff member at the hospital who translated. I was able to share the gospel to them. Ester with her beautiful grace-filled eyes, told me she decided last night she wanted to be saved. She told me how some people came and prayed with her the night before. During that morning visit she prayed a prayer to repent, accept Christ and give her life to Christ. We also prayed healing for Winnie. We got word the next morning that little Winnie had passed away. Her suffering had ended. Sometimes God does not bring healing, but He is still sovereign. Sometimes understanding for the reasoning of a child dying is not there. Sometimes what we ask for does not happen. We still praise God, we still give Him glory and honor. He gives and takes away but blessed is the Name of the Lord. Jackson helped arrange the details of obtaining a casket, food, and other basic necessities for the family during this hard time. When we arrived the next morning Ester started crying. I tried to sing a song of comfort to the mother and stayed by her side. Our tender-hearted driver and mechanic, Okelli, helped place little Winnie into a casket and take the family on the long ride back home. On the drive the mother verbalized how love was made evident. Pastor Walter, with his quiet, strong, compassionate, caring heart, escorted the family home and prayed for them. On the drive home that day, it was obvious we were rocked; life is so fragile here. We were not able to save Winnie, but we were able to love on her family at least a little. We were able to share the gospel and through God's ordination, Winnie's mother came to know the Lord Jesus Christ as her savoir. becky
20 years of war can result in a lot of unimaginable norms. These are just a few we see here. Many people are moving back to their villages since there has not been an attack from the LRA recently. They have moved back before. We pray this will be the last time and that they are not forced to flee back. There still is no peace treaty signed and talks continue. When Pastor Walter shows a Jesus film they all come back ready. I believe up to 700 came just to Opeta and many came to know the LORD! The constantly changing dynamics and the extreme rawness, (like the sound of a gun shot followed by vision of a mob, or watching a baby take its last breath), can make it difficult to work. We are rewarded, however, by so much thankfulness and love. The people are grateful and the harvest is ripe.
Is there anything that is impossible? No, the word of God says "What is impossible with man is possible with God" Luke 18:27
Let me tell you a story. The story begins with a 5-year old girl named Winnie. Winnie's mother went to our medical clinic for help last Thursday. Dr. Tom knew she needed immediate help and asked that she be transferred into town. Winnie looked so tired, so sick, so miserable and was so easy to love. Your heart goes out to her instantly. She, her baby brother, little sister, and Mom went to the best hospital in Lira. We arrived on a cool, rainy dark late night. I sang praises as we waited in the dark until someone came to help us. We were able to continue to visit with her and her family through this past week, provide for their needs while she received care, and love on them. Our wonderful Jackson always takes such good care, checking on anyone that is brought to the hospital and helps provide for their needs. Wednesday, when I went to check on little Winnie, she continued with no improvement and struggled even with the effort of breathing. There was not much else we could do but pray for her. I talked with her mother, Ester, through a staff member at the hospital who translated. I was able to share the gospel to them. Ester with her beautiful grace-filled eyes, told me she decided last night she wanted to be saved. She told me how some people came and prayed with her the night before. During that morning visit she prayed a prayer to repent, accept Christ and give her life to Christ. We also prayed healing for Winnie. We got word the next morning that little Winnie had passed away. Her suffering had ended. Sometimes God does not bring healing, but He is still sovereign. Sometimes understanding for the reasoning of a child dying is not there. Sometimes what we ask for does not happen. We still praise God, we still give Him glory and honor. He gives and takes away but blessed is the Name of the Lord. Jackson helped arrange the details of obtaining a casket, food, and other basic necessities for the family during this hard time. When we arrived the next morning Ester started crying. I tried to sing a song of comfort to the mother and stayed by her side. Our tender-hearted driver and mechanic, Okelli, helped place little Winnie into a casket and take the family on the long ride back home. On the drive the mother verbalized how love was made evident. Pastor Walter, with his quiet, strong, compassionate, caring heart, escorted the family home and prayed for them. On the drive home that day, it was obvious we were rocked; life is so fragile here. We were not able to save Winnie, but we were able to love on her family at least a little. We were able to share the gospel and through God's ordination, Winnie's mother came to know the Lord Jesus Christ as her savoir. becky
Growing
We have internet-yay!
We also have 6 classes currently in session, with the teachers that trained under us now having their own classes. I love going to the camps to observe the teacher's interactions with the students and their enthusiasm at what they're teaching, and being showered with mangos every day because "the students love you". Because we have invested so much into these women, they have the ability to make us really happy and pleased with what they're doing, or make us so disappointed and sick to our stomachs- and they do both... We have 9 totally different teachers with different pasts and backgrounds and teaching styles, all coming together for the main purpose of spreading the gospel of Jesus, and when they finally catch on to that goal that goes beyond just teaching abstinence, there's an obvious change in them, and in the way they care for their students.
We also have 6 classes currently in session, with the teachers that trained under us now having their own classes. I love going to the camps to observe the teacher's interactions with the students and their enthusiasm at what they're teaching, and being showered with mangos every day because "the students love you". Because we have invested so much into these women, they have the ability to make us really happy and pleased with what they're doing, or make us so disappointed and sick to our stomachs- and they do both... We have 9 totally different teachers with different pasts and backgrounds and teaching styles, all coming together for the main purpose of spreading the gospel of Jesus, and when they finally catch on to that goal that goes beyond just teaching abstinence, there's an obvious change in them, and in the way they care for their students.
One of our best teachers, Semmy, had only 5 students show up to the first day of class because it was on a Friday. Fridays are market days here, so most parents make their children help with the selling of goods. When only 5 students came to Semmy's class, she was so upset that she nearly cried, and had knots in her stomach that made her nauseous. So that evening, she rode her bike around to all her student's huts and spoke with their parents, and the next day, she had almost 30 students come and was so excited and proud that they were all there. Another of our teachers had to be suspended from teaching because of a lie she had told during the initial interview, and when we told her of her suspension, she actually cried because she didn't want to disappoint her students.
It's so encouraging to see when our teachers invest in their students like we invest in them. Managing 6 classes, 9 teachers, 120 students, and 16 student teachers who are also training to work with us in the future, are keeping Bethany and I busy and challenged and pulling on God for discernment every day, and we appreciate your prayers and ask that you especially keep our teachers in your prayers. Some realize this and some don't, but they are now in positions where they are changing people's lives, and with that comes attacks and struggles that we have been sorting through together, but they need a lot of prayer to make right decisions in their own lives.
We thank you and we are always praying for you, our support, as well.
-MariAnne
It's so encouraging to see when our teachers invest in their students like we invest in them. Managing 6 classes, 9 teachers, 120 students, and 16 student teachers who are also training to work with us in the future, are keeping Bethany and I busy and challenged and pulling on God for discernment every day, and we appreciate your prayers and ask that you especially keep our teachers in your prayers. Some realize this and some don't, but they are now in positions where they are changing people's lives, and with that comes attacks and struggles that we have been sorting through together, but they need a lot of prayer to make right decisions in their own lives.
We thank you and we are always praying for you, our support, as well.
-MariAnne
Saturday, May 12, 2007
Uganda Bound
Hi everyone,
I am currently in London waiting for my flight to Uganda. I have served previously with GRI twice in Thailand and now twice in Uganda. Anyway, I am excited to get on the ground and get to work, there is so much to do. As many of you know we have 3 teams coming this summer back to back in May, June and July. I will be coordinating all of the projects and logistics for all three teams. I would appreciate your prayers for myself and the teams as we seek to show the love of Christ to those living in the camps. I will be in touch...
Thanks,
Seth
--This is me last summer in Uganda.
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