Camp Saaka

We have been out working on the land getting ready for our Faith Quest Youth camp which will take place in December.
It is our plan to develop the camp so we can use it more easily for a youth camp and leadership training facility.
Jesse Kenyon's church sent a gift of $1000 to build something at Camp Saaka. We added $500 to it and Dick built this dining pavillion.

Thanks Jesse and everyone from his church.
We have plans to build three more just like this.
We would also like build six cabins this size. We can build the cabins for $5,000 each. Each would have doors, windows and a cement floor.
Our plans include a kitchen, toilets, showers, A-frame lodge, recreation area and a boat dock. We want to be able to host 300.
As you can see our plans are pretty rustic.
Recently Besisa asked if he could move to the camp and be the care-taker. Basisa is a refugee from the Congo who has been working for us at the airstrip. He would like to bring three other families along with him.
All of the families are Congolese Christians and are willing to help plant trees and take care of the place. As the leaders talked, we liked the idea but housing is a problem. If we could raise $10,000 then we could build two of the cabin buildings right away and let the families live in them for the time being. The families are struggling. We are praying about this possibility.
This is one of the congolese young women who might move out to camp.

We have grown to love our brothers and sisters from Congo. This is Besisa out at the camp.

We have been given an opportunity to purchase an Isuzu dump truck. This will help us with all the building we hope to do.
Our mechanic told us that we could sell it in Kampala for $10,000 right away and if we were patient we could get up to $16,000 for it.
We are able to keep it for $4,500!!!!

Dick told us that in the local way of building, transportation can take up to 60% of the budget. Of course that depends on how you build and what materials used. But I do know that we have spent quite a bit hauling raw materials and now we can use that money in better ways.
We recently purchased a cement mixer so we are getting set.
In addition to the camp/training center, we also need to do some work on our town church property. We need to build a retaining wall and toilets with a ceptic system. We plan to start off by meeting in a circus tent.
We will be a "church without walls!"
All of these things take money. Maybe we could get some work teams to come over and help us build some of these thing.
If you would like to come and build or help us pay for some of this just let us know. There are many ways that you can help with the ministries.
Thanks and God bless
Jeff

My children brought home some unexpected guests...LICE!!!
The boys were scared to shave their heads so I shaved mine first to show them that it is cool.
We pretended that we were joining the military. We were all pretending to be little soldiers. They thought I looked like their favorite soldier Jessie Kenyon!
So there you go Jessie you have a house full of boys that think you are pretty great!
For those of you who may not know Jessie. He helped us at the last Faith Quest Uganda. He had been a Navy Seal... Now he is a soldier in the Lord's army.

It was a little tramatic but Isaac calmed down and let Dad finish his hair up.

Now I look Cool. Dad I'm a soldier!!


We did not cut Kinley's hair but the medicine and lotion really made her cry. That wasn't much fun.
Hey Silas it's your turn.

He actually seemed to enjoy getting his hair cut.
Now this is one cute little guy!


Alex didn't seem to enjoy the trimmers. Ever since the lady in Gresham cut his ear with the electric trimmers he has hated those things.


Here is Daddy with his funny little soldiers!


This has been quite a day for the Cash family. We have been treating everyone with the medicine and washing all of the blankets, pillows and sheets. I do have to admit that it has been kind of fun to bond with the boys this way.


I'll have to make sure that I wear my hat. Thanks for checking in!
God Bless!
Jeff

NATIONAL MEETING

This years national meeting for Ugandan church leaders was held in Mbale. A group of men travelled by themselves and represented the Fort Portal churches.
Bright was one of the men who made the long journey across the country to attend the meeting.


They road on public transport from Fort Portal to Kampala and then to Mbale. Two of men who were supposed to go did not show up, so the group waited nearly two hours for them. It is a good thing that they were patient and waited because the first bus that they had planned to take was robbed!
Dick led the group. Here he is all dressed up.

(These pictures from the national meeting were taken by Derrick)

They had a great time at the meeting! This was the first one that I did not go to myself. Ronald and David wanted us to give the opportunity to some of the other leaders.

(From left to right ...Roger from the Rwebisengo church of Christ. Sunday and Dick from Fort Portal)

Please pray for the leaders of the churches through out Uganda.
There were a couple of hundred who attended the meeting.


May the Lord raise up men and women who are willing to serve and have the attitudes of Christ Jesus.

Meeting with the US Ambassador.

Jimmy Kolker has been the US ambssador to Uganda for the last few years. He has done an outstanding job. We purchased a plaque of appreciation and presented it to him.

(photos courtesy of US embassy Kampala,Uganda)

I have been a volunteer for the embassy for eight or nine years and now serve as the chief warden. We also gave him a letter of thanks.


There was also a letter that I wrote for the state department.






Jimmy was very appreciative. He seemed to be touched by the gesture. He said, "Something like this has never happened before."

Jimmy Kolker has done an outstanding job as the US ambassador. He will be missed. He is going to be working with the state department in a program to help fight AIDS. The US has pledged a huge amount of money for this. He will be working with this program.
Thanks Jimmy for a job well done.

The day after we presented the plaque he invited us to have lunch with him and the two new embassy concillors. We had a wonderful time at the ambassador's residence. It was fun to be able to share with the new guys.
They asked some great questions.
I am so proud to be an American! We have some people in our government like Jimmy who really care.

(Photo by Derrick)
Please pray for Andrew and Aimee Jo Martin. They are making preparations to join the work here in Fort Portal. We really love these guys and get along with them well.
They are in the process of looking for support. If you or your church would like to help them just let us know.
They also kept a blog while they were here on their survey trip. If you would like to see their blog go to www.ugandasurvey.blogspot.com
Please keep them in your prayers during this time.

Baba
I spent several hours talking with one of my friends who has been our local mechanic. Many of the guys call him Baba which means "father".
When I heard his nickname I asked him what he would like me to call him. He asked me to call him "Ali". So of course I couldn't pass of the oportunity to call him Ali Baba. When I told him the story of Ali Baba and the forty theives he thought it was funny.
His son was very interested in talking as well. We discussed the Koran and the Bible and what we have in common. We talked about Issa the name for Jesus in the Koran. And how their scriptures veiw him.I asked him to teach me about Islam because most of the teaching I have had has been from Christian.
He told me one of his favorite scriptures from the Koran has the idea that before you begin to cook your meal look at your neighbors homes to see if there is smoke. (Are they cooking their food?) Make sure your neighbor has food before you eat.
It was fun to stand around for about three hours and share.
The son, who is about thirty said, "I have been wanting to talk to you ever since I watched you an entire day."
"What day was that?"I asked.
"I watched you searching the river all day for the body of a man who died. It was so touching to see the kind of relationship that you have with the family that you were helping. You could have paid someone to swim the river but I think God had a plan for us to talk about this today, so you swam!
I was concerned for you as there are many snakes but God did not even let you see a single snake! I was afraid that you might get sick because the water is so dirty being below the hospital But God protected you.
I also thought that you would work so hard but not find the body but God led you to him! It was God's plan. That is why I am so happy to talk with you today. Thank you for talking with me."
I was touched by his words. The Lord is the one who makes the plans. We just need to be faithful to what he asks us to do.
Very soon the call for prayer will ring out from the mosque as it does each day. May we remember those who belong to the faith of Islam as we pray through Jesus, the Son of God.

Hurricane Katrina:
Our hearts go out to all of the families and businesses that were hit hard by the hurricane. While traveling in a country band from Harding, years ago, we were able to spend some time in NewOrleans. We ate crawfish until we were ready to burst. We enjoyed the diverse culture and night life that they had to offer. As Christians we chose not to participate in some of the festivities. We enjoyed the music,though. I remember walking into one shop and sensing that I needed to pray. The shop turned out to be a voodoo witchcraft store. There were many of these stores in New Orleans.
It is strange to think that it is all under water. We need to continue to pray.
As we watched the news we felt for those who were suffering. The news we were watching was outraged that it took a couple of days to get everything under control.
In my mind I thought of all of the suffering here in Africa. The big relief organizations had a policy that once a family came and registered for help they were given nothing for six weeks. When they were given food it was corn meal and dried beans.
The problem in Sudan has gone on with no help for twenty years.

This week one of my friends came to Fort Portal after being in the Congo for the last two years. He shared the most horrible stories of rape, neglect, attacks and abuse. He and his family were nearly killed four different times. I am trying to figure out a tactful way to share the stories
What I heard was so graphic and disgusting that I am not even sure how to share it.
Please pray for the Congo and our brothers and sisters in Christ who are trying to survive in unimaginable conditions. We can also all pray for those in need who are suffering because of the hurricane.
May this be an opportunity for those of us of faith whether we are in Africa or the America, to show the love of Jesus. There are opportunities all around us to bless people. I pray that I don't leave it up to the government or an organization to do good. May the world experience Christ's love through His "body".