Back in Class

I have found over the years that one thing I absolutely love doing is teaching.  It's such a joy to be in the classroom, but I don't want to be a full-time teacher in one classroom.  I love various groups, ages, and settings.  I love change.  :)  

On Saturday I had the privilege of going back to Vineyard Christian School to do a one day workshop with my friend Teddy.  We had a time of evaluation on the 17 Stories curriculum and did a recap on the Stories of Hope materials.  This year I will be joining the school every Wednesday to help teach 75 Bible stories there during Religious Education class.

After those materials were handed out, we went into a half-day workshop on Discipline.  It is important for teachers / staff to understand God's view on discipline, and to know that it must be done with patience, love and respect.

I've heard testimonies of some schools where at the beginning of the term, a lorry drives in filled with sticks and dumps them in the corner of the school compound.  Those particular sticks are not for firewood.  They are the caning tools for the teachers.  It breaks my heart.  There are so many other ways to discipline besides using the rod, so we discussed that together as a group and tried to think of new ways to discipline.  And guess what - even forgiveness is a form of discipline.  Who knew!!?

 Group discussion time - searching God's Word together!

 I was excited to see some "17 Stories" as wall decor in the P3 classroom.

 Teacher Teddy

 Who comes up with this stuff?!

 The class was very involved... asking questions and giving great insight.  It's always a pleasure to work with an energetic group of teachers... on their day off.

 Tag-teaching with my super cool friend Tereza!

 In action

 Going over the curriculum

 I hope these teachers put the materials to good use and that children will truly be able to hear and understand the Word of God!

Growing together

GPS Through Another's Lens

The Global Prayer Safari Team prayed in over one hundred prayer points in ten days.... here are a few more places that we prayed.

 The Zika Research Centre - a forest where the first Zika mosquitoes were trapped and destroyed.

 The Buganda kingdom offices

 Source of the Nile

 We prayed for peace at Gandi's statue

 At the Pentecostal Theological College in Mbale

 In the Mayor and Town Clerk's office

 At the police station

 Regrouping at the courts

 We prayed through the market places

 We listened to the requests of the staff at Etop Radio

 And then we prayed over them

 I was blessed by the team praying over me in my own compound

 A team prayed over the young men who spend their lives on the streets

 And we brought the Freedom Boys to the feet of Jesus

 We prayed in the prison.  One lady came running up to me and gave me a big hug.  She said "Oh Karen, it is so good seeing you.  I'm glad you have come.  I haven't seen you since 2012." I'm feeling convicted to go back and just visit the ladies there more often.

 We prayed at Bethany Girls boarding school.

 We prayed from on top of Soroti Rock.

 We paraded through town

 The Soroti team in Entebbe

 Prayer brings you close to others... my new brother Steve

I'm so glad that I was a part of GPS 2017, even though it was tiring, stretching, emotional, and loads of work.  God is worthy to be praised!

GPS!

Global Prayer Safari!  This year I was chairperson of the Soroti planning committee and I have never worked so hard or long on a ministry event before this.  Close to 45 people from around the world joined in this 10 day prayer event - from Burundi, Canada, Kenya, USA, South Korea, Uganda, Guatemala, and Ethiopia.  It was amazing!  Lots of prayers all over the nation, but I also noticed the evil one was working hard too.  Some of us were distracted with personal issues, fears, and church leaders or government authorities who changed their minds about having us come to pray. But I also know that we prayed in places that where it seemed humanly impossible to seek permission

 The opening ceremony took place in Entebbe... in the Mayor's Gardens.

 We had a bus to travel with us for the full journey.

 I never knew if I should represent Canada or Uganda, but I'm blessed to be from both nations.

 Last Sunday I prayed in Biyinzika church - Entebbe.  The Lord used me to give a one hour sermon on prayer!!

 We prayed at the harbour where the first missionaries landed.

.

 Here I am with some of the Soroti planning team... at SOS Children's Village.

I am so proud of the people that I worked with to plan this huge event!

 In Zika Research Forest, we had a prayer service of cleansing and healing over the land.

 God opened the doors to pray for the king of the Buganda kingdom.

 In the First Lady's office!

 The group blessed the Source of the Nile!

 We had an early morning hike and prayed over the land in and around Soroti town.

 We broke bread together...

 And we climbed back down Soroti Rock.

 Closing processional through town... with flags, police, and lots of on-lookers.

 So rewarding to have spent quality time, praying with these amazing people.  To God be the glory!