October Highlights 2024

 Often I have this feeling that it was a slow month, but then I take a look back at the calendar and pull together our monthly reports for MissionGO and realize that God has had us working on many fun projects this month! He is ever faithful, and we couldn't serve without His strength and the support of His amazing people. 

When our vehicle is working, we love sharing rides with people that we train or the youth from church. Here we squeezed in after a Sunday school training. I also helped one of our church members shift homes this week. The car was fully loaded. 

But lately we have felt stranded a lot. Here is Moses struggling to raise the car after a puncture on our way home from Kitgum. We had no idea that our jack was spoiled. We waited 45 minutes for a good Samaritan to pull over and help us change a tire within a matter of minutes.

Triangles are a must around here!

What I love about Moses is that he is often very patient in roadside troubles.

Training teachers in Kitgum - in 17 Stories curriculum.

We were gifted fresh honey when we arrived in Kitgum.

Dramatizing Bible stories. Here is the sacrificial ram.

An Angel of the Lord has come to deliver good news.

It's important to actually play all games and activities with the teachers so that they understand how to link the theme of the game to the theme of the Bible story.

Preparing Sunday school lessons.

Moses and I often tag-team teach. 

Our Sunday school classroom now days is jam packed again. There are close to 40 kids in class sometimes, but now days there seem to be many young ones. It's almost like running a day care center. We definitely need to split the class. One for learning, the other for playing. We also hope to do a whole service on December 1 - leading the church in a Christmas drama.

Small group discussions at the Shepherd the Flock conference. 

The youth were ready to serve almost 90 pastors at lunch time.

A highlight for church fellowship is tea and a bun after the service. It continues the worship and relationship building long after we have shared the benediction and blessing.

Dramatizing how to get to the root of a real need, to break away from a spirit of dependency or being taken advantage of in giving.

Back at the conference! We are up to our outside shenanigans while the Pastors are gathering inside the venue.

These kinds of events build bonds outside of normal church service gatherings. The youth are a blessing to our hearts and lives.

Training moments

OneHope provides the most amazing curriculum to be used in even the remotest of places.

I've been plugging away at our Christmas card pile.

These two ladies gave their lives to the Lord when we stopped a training to talk about grace and how heaven is a free gift. It can not be earned or deserved. The angels are rejoicing!

Handing out materials.

Entertaining children on the side is always a distracting pleasure.

On the first Saturday of the month, a few of us gathered together to celebrate a baby shower for our friend Faith. She is a deacon at our church. It was a surprise!!

The ladies had a blast spoiling her. For me, the greatest blessing came when just three weeks later she had the baby. Moses and I were called in early to the hospital and it was my first experience walking alongside a mother who was having contractions. After hours of hard labour, Faith ended up having a c-section and I was one of the first to hold sweet Baby Bethel. The Lord is good!

More from the 4th annual Shepherd the Flock conference

Moses gets really intense in the leading of small groups.

Busy working the registration table.

Helping Without Hurting in Africa workshop.

Moses co-lead the training for two days.

A very communicative and active crowd to train.

In our small sessions we worked through Bible passages and scenarios on when to help the needy in our community.

The ladies that work in the kitchen amaze me. Scrubbing over open saucepans - to do all the dishes.

Moses is a good training, but sometimes goes into preacher mode. Hihi.

Moses was invited to go to Sipi Falls with the short-term team of pastors from Eternal City Church in Pittsburgh, PA.

And the mountain top!

Boys will be boys.

Handsome traveller.

Pastor Jimmy and Pastor Mo - a close working relationship!

Taking the men out to "Da Woman" pork joint in Soroti.

Coming home from Kampala now involves a ferry crossing since the one bridge crossing we have in the north, over the Nile River, is closed for repairs for a few months. It has made trips up and down country very long and tiresome.

At home with Tutu and Tiny. Faithful little companions.

September Summarized

The girls went back to school - started Term 3 of S3 and S4 in Kampala.

In Soroti for one week, training at a Secondary school.

This group was transient and energetic. Transient teachers because many wanted to attend, but they had to keep passing the baton as to who would teach during class hour. :)

It's always a joy listening to teachers glean from God's Word.

And we praise God for the mango tree classroom.

Please pray for each of these teachers, as they aim to fulfill a three month action plan.

Our vehicle had once again been broken down a lot, so we hopped on the tuktuk to get our daily assignments accomplished.

Okello was all smiles having me ride with him up front!

It's hard to tell which animal is dead.  HIHI. 

The bushrat lost the battle around 5 am. I know, because I woke up to a lot of commotion outside the window.

Tutu just loves sleeping in the craziest positions, relaxing after her night guard duty.

These lovelies came over for cooking lessons. We had a blast peeling potatoes and telling stories while making shepherd's pie and sharing Jesus.

Moses was humbled to preach a missions conference.

Just saying... family nights out are kind fun!

Fried tilapia beside Lake Victoria

Moses journeyed with two other men, to explore some business ideas and marvel at God's creation.

How beautiful is the coffee bean?!

Tea time after church

Soroti main street.

Yes, I know. We live in Gulu. But Soroti will always be home.

I'm always amazed at the overflowing lorries returning from village market days.