After spending two months in Uganda, Edgewater Christian Fellowship sent us a team of five. Ryan and Natalie Evans – Trevor Hanks – Jason and Riki Fletcher. As I reflect on their time here- I see it as a gift. Thank you ECF!
Pastor Jeffery – new DB sticker on his old boda
The moment they arrived there was no time for rest. The gals had a women’s bible conference to attend. The conference was held in Mukono, Uganda at Pastor Jeffery’s church. Michelle, Natalie, Bruk and Riki all taught through the bible at the conference. Sign of the Dove Church also brought along their choir to provide worship and praise during the conference. The women in this area are hungry for The Word.
Uganda is not all the same. Different communities carry different qualities. The Mukono area has been known for their witch doctors. Historically this is where someone would go to seek out treatment through spirits. Because of the way in which this area was founded, I felt a spirit of strife in some of the people I spoke with. Pastor Jeffery (to the left) is fighting a very real battle.
The conference lasted six days. Monday through Thursday was held in Mukono. Friday and Saturday were held in Zzana (where we live).
During the women’s conference, the men and I conducted bible studies for pastors and men. The studies were very effective.
Conferences are very common here in Uganda. The frequency of the conferences are new to me and my family. Please pray that the Spirit moves during these events.
The team was able to attend two church services at Sign of the Dove while visiting. As you can see from the picture to your right, they have a large church. Though the church is unfinished, this does not stop them from worshiping. Unfinished projects are very common in East Africa due to the lack of finances. Their church consists of approximately 250 members. Pastor Daniel Kaggwa leads the church in many different ministries. Teaching through scripture is our number one ministry here in Uganda. So, when Jason Fletcher agreed to teach through James 2 on Sunday it was a huge blessing.
A half mile from our home there are twelve children living in an orphanage. Ida is the gal who oversees the facility. So we call it Ida’s Orphanage. We’ve been spending more time with the kids as time has past. We become extremely close with several of them. Most of these kids have remarkable stories.
The team was able to make a few visits during their stay. They immediately became aware of the conditions inside the orphanage. The following day they had all agreed that they would like to replace the mattresses on each bed. The old mattresses were an old polyethylene foam that was simply deteriorating. We have since been back to the orphanage and the children we very thankful for their new sleeping conditions.
Several of the children at the orphanage have been infected with HIV. They each receive a daily dose of medication. The ultimate goal for each one on these children is to get them adopted into a loving home. As we are here, and only a half mile from their orphanage our plan is to spend as much time with these kids as possible.
We were able to make our way east while the team was here to visit the Nile River. It was a wonderful day with extraordinary people.
Folkestads In Uganda 