FPC Uganda Mission: Update #8

After a long journey, a team of our brothers and sisters in Christ - men, women and children from West Texas - have arrived in the east Africa nation of Uganda for Christian mission. The 2009 Uganda Mission Team from First Presbyterian Church of Midland will be sending back regular reports from Uganda, along with photos.

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Today we got to sleep in and didn’t have our devotional until 10:30. Jeff Darr gave the devotional on Chapter 14 which was on Obedience. We loaded in the vans and headed off to the Lulwanda Children’s Home, which is the orphanage that First Presbyterian has been supporting for several years. We visit here each time we are in Uganda. This year instead of just visiting, we decided to have a one-day vacation Bible school program for the children. It was great fun for us, as well as, the children. We have watched some of these children grow the past 6 years and it is so heartwarming to see the loving and nurturing environment where they live. Each year we are astounded by how well adjusted and happy these children are. Except for the fact that they are orphans, they are so much better off than the children we see in the villages. They have warm, safe beds to sleep in, healthy meals, and loving Christian role models to take care of them.

We divided them up into 5 groups and had activities of flannel board stories, coloring scripture cards, song and dance, skits and sculpturing modeling clay. All the children loved the activities—especially the modeling clay where they made the animals from Noah’s Ark. Also thank you to all the people who helped us cut out the flannel characters. Even the teachers were enthralled with all the stories that could be told with what we brought. They were so excited when we told them that we were leaving it all for them to use.

Before we left we were treated to a sweet program of songs, dance and scripture memorization from the children. After long farewells with all the children we loaded in the vans and headed back to our hotel, where we were surprised to see that a Muslim wedding was taking place in the garden. Unfortunately it goes on till late in the night and the music is shaking the walls!! We’re praying to be able to sleep through the festivities so that we will awake refreshed for the joyous day of the dedication of our new church.