Uganda: Update #8

A team of our brothers and sisters in Christ - men, women and children from West Texas - are in the east Africa nation of Uganda for Christian mission. Here is a report from Midland's 2008 Uganda Mission Team.
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Uganda Update 8

Today started out wonderful as we got to sleep in a bit later. Our plans were to visit the Lulwanda Children’s Home, so we didn’t have to get as early a start. We were able to leisurely have breakfast and then on to devotional at 10. Joey Willis led the devotional today and it was an outstanding talk. It is so obvious that Joey has a special calling to the ministry---it is thrilling to see the gifted teacher he has become.

Visiting the Lulwanda Children’s Home was such a pleasure for all of us. The people who have been here in past years got to renew acquaintances with special little friends. It’s remarkable to see the progress of the Home since the first year we came to visit. That year there was only a concrete slab with some steel girders for the beginnings of the main building. Now they house and lovingly care for 90 children as well as educate them there on the property. It is a beautiful facility and Edward, the director of the home, has the softest heart for the children. It is a prime objective of the home to have the children raised in a loving, Christian environment. They will stay at the home until they are 18 and then hopefully, they will return to their own communities to be productive and effective Christian leaders. We also had the privilege of seeing the new water well. What fun it was watching the children pump fresh, clean water. Thank you to the generous donor who made this possible, it has been life-changing at the orphanage. We were served a delicious lunch and then enjoyed a delightful program by the children in several different age groups. It was precious! At the conclusion, Pastor Morris got up to thank us for coming and for our financial support. He also thanked us for coming to plant the church and working side by side with them this week in establishing a new congregation. Pastor Morris ended with a wonderful statement, “This week has been the best investment you will ever make—an investment in people’s souls. When you get to heaven you will see the people you have shared Christ with this week. “ It truly has been the best investment we’ve ever made.

After leaving the Children’s Home we visited Sisiyi Falls with Doctor Patrick and his wife Helen. They own a piece of property there that is what I would think the Garden of Eden looks like. There was time for relaxing for some and fabulous hiking for others. We were so grateful for their generous hospitality. All too soon we had to load up and head back to our “home”---Mt. Elgon Hotel. As we go to bed tonight we excitedly anticipate tomorrow morning---the first service in the new church in Nelubembe. We praise God for what he has done thus far and know there will be much rejoicing tomorrow!

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Please, keep them all in your hearts and on your minds, in your thoughts and in your prayers.

Want to know more about Uganda? You can visit the Uganda entry in 'The World Factbook' maintained by the U.S. Central Intelligence Agency. You can also visit the official Uganda tourism website maintained by the Uganda Tourist Board. And Memorial Drive Presbyterian Church of Houston, Texas, has a webpage devoted to Mbale Presbyterian Church of Uganda.