Jet lag is a funny thing

It feels like a hippo sat on me but I'm too tired to care. That's jet lag.
Last night we crawled into bed and my alarm clock from Uganda went off. It's time to get up but we are just going down.
I'm hungry but I've already eaten.
We spent the day at the Boston Harbor. The kids loved the children's museum and the giant aquarium. Dunkin
Donuts and MacDonalds wasn't too bad either. You can tell we have been away for some time when we crave this kind of "food." There are so many Super Sized people.
Sleep...has never felt sooooo good! Oh ya. I can brush my teeth with the water from the tap and enjoy the pressure in the shower.
I don't have to worry about using up the water by flushing the toilet.
There are three tvs here. It is nice to hear something good about America for a change!
It seems like everything is for sale on the television. and the number one tool for sales is sex.
Everyone is so friendly. People are so nice to the kids.
Now I have to watch the kids closer than in Uganda. There are some real weirdos out there.
The power is on...how nice that is!
The internet works. Everything is so clean!
America! It's nice to be back!

Funny floors

Isaac commented "These floors are funny!"
"It's called carpet" I told him.

This is what Isaac noticed first.

We have arrived in Boston.
The customs lady said "welcome back".
I am not sure if everyone in the long line felt the same way towards us because we were the last off the plane but they rushed us past the group. Traveling in America with kids is so nice.
We rented our minivan and drove around looking for the hotel.
We missed our exit after the tunnel so we had to go a different direction.
As we cruised around looking for the hotel we had come with in a block four times. It is interesting to switch sides of the car and road to drive. Could we at least standardize our driving. When you cross the border between Uganda and Rwanda you have a quarter mile to switch sides of the road.
Anyway, we went to bed at 3:00 Am and were up by 7:00.
It is so cold!!!!!
Our summer has lasted for the last two years. They say that spring has just started in boston. It sure doesn't feel like it!

We went to the mall. I thought it was funny that the kids wanted to eat at the RainForest Cafe!
Alex got scared when the elephant sounded over the pa system. American food is soooooo good!
I had Nile shrimp. (There are no shrimp in the nile!) ribs and chicken combo.
Did I mention how great everything tastes?

I went to the restroom and as I walked into the stall the toilet flushed. It flushed again as I tried to put one of the sanitary covers on the seat. It made me laugh to use a sanicover after all of the toilets I've been using. I was nervous that the toilet would flush and suck the cover down.
Does it really take that much energy to flush the toilet? Why all this technology?
You might tell me that it is a sanitary thing. Does that make any sense?
Anyway when I needed it to flush it wouldn't. I waved my hands in front of the red light... nothing.
Again...nothing. Again...nothing.
I guess I'll have to push the little button.
That worked.
Then it flushed again by its self. Ah technology! It has invaded every part of our lives.
In America we even have high tech toilets!
The sink wasn't going to be outdone by it high tech cousin so on it came.
That would be too much work for me to lift a handle or too unsanitary to turn on and off the sink!
The paper towel dispenser must have been bought at Sams because it was an old fashioned manual type.
So let me get this straight...
I pull open the handle on the bathroom door. Walk in open the stall. shut and lock the stall.
The toilet is automatic but I had to use the back up botton. Then I turn around and grag a hold of the same latch to unlock to the stall and open the door. The sink is automatic but not the paper towel dispenser. Then I grab the handle on the door on my way back out.
Sometimes I think a hole in the ground might be cleaner.

UP up and away!

We are leaving in a few minutes for the airstrip.
The Cessna 210 can't hold our bags so we have to send them in a vehicle. The Caravan that was supposed to take us is down for repair. Maf discovered a cracked propeller. I'm glad they found it now and not while we were cruising at 11,500 feet above sea level.
It is amazing that we are really leaving for the states!
Please keep us in your prayers as we travel with all of the little ones.
Blessings!

Jeff

Did you see me blink?

Today was a special day. Kinley turned eight.
Cheryl and I got up and took kinley to a local restaraunt for salty eggs and toast. It is a tradition that we take each of our kids out for a special breakfast on their birthday. It was just Kinley, Mom and Dad.
Cheryl and Kinley did the hand motions to Say Say oh playmate while we waited for our British tea. My little girl is growing up.
We talked about the day that Kinley was born. She asked questions about her great grandparents.
She wanted to know more about my Grandad Small.
I can still smell the smoke from his pipe, the garden and his wood working shop. I can see him fixing the water to an irigation ditch. I can see him smile as he took the blades off his two riding lawnmowers. He let us race all around on those things.
I remeber him laughing as we prettended to baptise each other in the flooded ditch. My memories are full of warmth and love.
Kinley said, "When we go to heaven I can see your grandad!"
Yes you will.

The day was filled with presents, friends cake and icecream.
I had some men building a carport to cover the Landcruiser.
When I told Cheryl what they were doing I mentioned how we should put some white latiss up the sides with climbing vines or flowering plants.

Kinley heard me discribe this and asked, "Daddy are you building a pergula?"
"Uh uh I don't know. Whats a Pergola?" (asked the clueless father)
"Its a wooden structure that you can grow vines on." she replied
"Really?" I asked.
I went to the dictionary because I had never herd pergola or pergula.
This is what I found.

pergola (Lat. pergula) An arbor or passageway with a roof of trelliswork on which climbing plants are grown.


It seems like just yesterday that I could hold her entire body with one hand. She couldn't say a word.
I think I must have blinked...
Now Kinley is teaching me what a "pergula" is.

She is a precious wonderful gift from God...and helpful with my vocabulary!

Happy Birthday Kinley! I am so proud of you!

We love you sweetheart!

Getting ready for furlough

On March 23rd our friends Doug and Destiny will drive us out to the church of Christ airstrip. Mission Aviation Fellowship will pick us up from there and fly our family to Entebbe. We'll spend the night there and then leave the next day for the states. Maf is giving us the price of flying in Cessna 210 and bringing a Caravan which is twice as big. That is a $400 savings. Thanks MAF! Our flights to the states are on BA so we will have to spend several hours in transit in London. We touch down in Boston where we will spend a couple of days resting and seeing the sights. Getting over jetlag can be tough for the kids.
We found tickets from Boston to Portland for $104 each so we are happy about that.
We are so excited to see everyone! We arrive in Portland on March 28th. We will be at Metro church of Christ April 2, 2006.
We will spend some time with my family as well as visiting some who support this ministry.
It will be fun to get do somethings with our new teammates Andrew and Aimee Jo Martin while we are in Portland. We are looking forward to seeing our friends who have come here and helped with Faith Quest.
I am making some arrangements to do some flight training in Portland as well as up north at Mission Aviation Training Academy. Then we will fly to Odessa.
We'll spend some time with Cheryl's family. We'll buy supplies to bring back. Eat some great Mexican food and stay as far away a scale as possible.
Then we will go to Tyler! I can't wait to be at Glenwood! They are such a great church!
We really feel a close bond with everyone there. It will be fun to be with our "team" and the elders and staff and everyone! I wish I was there right now.
That is going to be fun as well. This is going to be a good furlough!
These are our plans, Lord willing.
We will return to Uganda the first week of August.
If you have supported this ministry with prayers, encouragement or finincially we want to thank you. If you can keep supporting us while we are on furlough that will help us to stock up and buy the needed supplies.
1.We will need to pay for the tickets to Oregon
2.Replace our laptop computer
3.Buy a second laptop for Cheryl
4.Cheryl and I would like to go to Sonscape. It is a retreat for the spiritual renewal of ministers.
5.Flight training.
6.There are many other supplies that we need (Bible study books, printer plus cartridges, etc)
We are hoping to be able to raise funds to cover the supplies.
Develop Camp Saaka
Repair the plane
purcase a circus tent for the town church $10,000
expand our property. ($8000) plus build and amphitheater.

We hope to increase our monthly support as we plan to expand our ministries.
We look forward to sharing with you what the Lord is doing in this part of Africa.
Please join us in pray that the Lord will give the increase and the resources needed. We are based on faith not money. Money is just a tool. We are servants of Christ and His kingdom.
See you soon!
Jeff

Baptisms in Fort Portal

I taugh, discipled and mentored David Kabiito....David taught and is discipling Switiza...Switiza has been teaching these young men and now they have come to put on Christ in Baptism.
Some plant. Some water but the Lord gives the increase. Praise the Lord for His goodness, mercy and love.


How many of you have come prepared to be baptised in the river today?
We talked about God's love in sending Jesus.
I told them the story of the first African who was baptized by Philip.
We talked about the baptism of Jesus. We talked of the baptism of Saul/Paul.
We talked about puting on Christ and what that means for them.
Ephesians 6 was discussed. The idea of the burial...Being United with Christ.
Each person who came today for baptism said that they have repented of their sin.
They are sorry and they want Christ to turn their lives around and lead them on His path.

While we were still sinners Christ died for us. This kind of baptism/immersion is a wonderful picture of the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus.


After each baptism we prayed for our new brother in Christ.


"I believe that Jesus is the Son of God!" Each young man shared with everyone about his belief in Jesus.


Because you believe that Jesus is the son of God, I am going to baptize you in the name of the Father, the Son and Holy spirit for the forgiveness of sins. You will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. Are you ready?


"I believe that Jesus is the Son of God and He is my savior. He is going to wash away my sins!"
Did everyone, even the guys on the bridge hear that he believes that Jesus is the Son of God?
Jesus is the way the truth and the life no come to the Father except by Him.






He is raised to walk a new life in Jesus.


He faced the crowd of people from different religions and said in Rutooro.
"I believe Jesus is the Son of God!"





"But because of His great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions-it is by grace you have been saved." Eph. 2:4-5 NIV









One of my friends saw this picture and said, "look at that garbage!"
I honestly didn't see the garbage I had only seen the beautiful ones I love.
I think that is the way Christ sees us. He focusses on what he loves not the garbage.





































After the baptisms I shared the story of the prodical son with everyone who was listening. One Muslim man listeded closely as I acted out wanting to eat the pig slop. "this young man had taken his inheritance before his father had died and sold it for money which he wasted on women, drinking and wild living. Once the money ran out so did his friends. He got so desperate that he hired himself out to a pig farmer. (Which was against his culture, customs and religion.) They loved how the father treated the son when he went home. The father in the story is God and we are the ones who ran away.






We have several friends who are Muslim. This man in the back appears to be a devout follower of Islam from the Tabliq group.




This morning I had loaded up the trailer and the baptistry but the power was off so there was no city water to fill it. We changed our plans and went down to the river. This kind of public river baptism is really great as many people stop to watch what we were doing. What a great day! We were able to share the Good news of Jesus with some who would never step inside a church building. And all of these young men have put on Christ.
Praise the Lord for what He continues to do in the lives of people.

Today is a day to Praise the Lord!

slideshow of baptisms from the Fort Portal church

(http://www.flickr.com/photos/43177302@N00/sets/72057594076161045/show/ http://www.flickr.com/photos/43177302@N00/sets/72057594076161045/show/)


This link will take you to a slide show of the set of pictures from this last Sunday. It may take some time as there are quite a number of pictures. See if you can count how many baptisms there were.
Jeff

Life without power

(Cheryl reading by lamp light /the computer needs power.)
It took six months of constant asking to get the camping propane bottle and light in Fort Portal.
It is nice to have bacause reading by candle light for very long makes my eyes tired.
The power has been off every day for at least twelve hours. There is no regular schedule so you never know when the power will be on. Somedays it is off all day and comes on at 1:00AM. It can go off and on ten times in an hour.
The other night we were all asleep. I wasn't sleeping well because the fan that we use to keep the mosquitoes off of us, of course didn't work. The buzzing in my ears drives me crazy.
All of a sudden all of the lights in the house came on at one time. We had gone to bed and forgot to turn off the lights (in the dark). Cheryl didn't move. I got up and checked on the kids they didn't notice either. I turned all of the lights off. I was trying to decide if I should go ahead and work on the computer or do some ironing. I worked a little on the computer and then did some reading forget ironing! I worked for about two hours before the power went off again.

When the electicity goes off our internet connection and home based cell phone soon go off. The water goes off as well because the city water pumps are not on. Our laptop battery is shot so that doesn't work very long either.
The hot water heaters are small and electric so that means one bath takes all the warm water for our bathroom.
There is no ironing or washing clothes, TV or computer, grinding coffee or using the microwave.
We have to make sure that we don't open the deepfreeze very much.

I asked Cheryl what bothers her when the electricity goes off. She said, "The baths are cold, it gets really really dark and you can't see anything in our own home, there is no schedule so you can't plan in advance for it."

What bugs me is when I am watching a movie and it gets to that critical climax and...click no power. Or when I am printing a paper and...click.
When it comes back on the printer indicates that the cartridge is dry.
I'll just jump on jet and get one at Walmart! AHHHHHHH

Try a mission experience and go flip all of your power off for twenty four hours and do not leave. It still wouldn't quite be the same because you would have power over it. It would come on when you decide to turn it back on.

The verse "Do all things without grumbling or complaining." is a hard one some days.
Count it all joy...

Human Rights?

The Christians of Kacwamba meet under trees next to their mud huts down the road from the gate to the Semuliki game reserve. Those of us leading the service were sitting in chairs facing the people and dirt road was out behind them.
A white Landcruiser from a human rights group stopped on the road and they began to take pictures of us. Apparently they had not noticed the white man sitting in the front.. I watched them for some time as they took pictures of us. I waved to the woman in the back seat as she zoomed in with her telephoto lens. A look of shock and embarrasment came across her face.
I could read her lips as she said, "There is a white man there! Oh no! Go! Go! Go!"
The driver speeds away in a clud of dust.
Why would they worry more about what one white man thinks then an entire group of Congolese? I personally didn't care that they took our picture. I found the whole situation quite funny and full of irony especially since they were from a human rights group.

I wonder how they would feel if a group of foriegners pulled up to their home or office and took a bunch of pictures and sped away? They would be calling the police or homeland security.
I've heard people say, that kind of thing is ok their African! (I hate that kind of talk!)

Communion at Kacwamba

The group waited until after we walked back from baptising in the river to enjoy communion.
They asked Ronald to lead it. The older men plus Ronald and I sat in rickety wooden chairs facing the rest of the group. Between us was a small wooden table covered with a white net material.
Ronald removed the covering and under it were two (coke) bottles of Fruity Marinda, two packets of cookies, some plates and some small plastic disposable cups and a cloth.
There were only ten plastic cups. The kind they use at the medical clinic to give pills to the refugees. The cups were cracked and dirty.
Ronald wispered to me,"Do you think they found these cups?"
The entire group watched as they opened the bottles and Ronald began pouring a small amount of red soda in each cup.
He took the cups on a plate and gave them out one by one to the first ten. Then he was told to take the cloth and wipe out the cups and refill them again.
He wiped out a few but because of the look on his face they brought a small bucket of water to dip the cups into.
It was not a calm reflective kind of communion as the visiting church became impatient and began to talk and then beat on the drums as some sang.
They were all wanting lunch and the women began serving the food before Ronald was even finished. They gave the old men their food first.
Ronald sat down and commented on how the men were eating in front of the children.
We were stuck. We would now have to stay and eat.
I thought of the Agape feast of the early church as communion was part of a meal.

Ronald told them that he was sick. He has mono. He got out of eating because his throat was sore.
"How do feel about eat food cooked in the refugee camp?" He warned me to be careful.
The first thing they set before us was two big plates of eggs.
"I was told those were cooked this morning. Ten hours ago.
They brought out rice, boiled meat, kasava posho, beans soaked in palm oil,and pineapple.
I ate three bowls of rice with meat and pinapple. The other things cooked in palm oil tend to make us sick. I am probably more likely to eat in a place like this then Ronald is.
The Sun went behind the Rwenzori mountains so we had to "force them to release us".
We had come to help with the baptisms at the Sunday morning service. They had only kept us five extra hours.
It was an interesting Communion service. It did remind me of the simplicity and commonality of the "emblems".
We in the West tend to imagine the death of Jesus very clean and sterile. Our Golden polished communion sets are much fancier then what Christ would have used. Because of our cultural value of hygien we won't even share communion from the same cups.
We would probably be distracted by wondering what disease we might get from the others who drank before us. The meaning from the "blood of the covenant" could be lost.
I love worshiping cross culturally and cross economically the Lord continues to show me new things and gives a new perspective to old traditions.
To Christ I am the one who is dirty. I come with dirty hand and dirty lips to drink from his cup.
He smiles at me and says, "Welcome!"

Seven Baptisms in Kacwamba

On Sunday morning I did not go to church with the family. Cheryl took the kids to the town church and Ronald and I drove to Bundibugyo district.
We met under a tree as they do not have a church building of any kind. There were members of the little "church of Christ" group as well as some from the Eternal church of God.
They asked me to preach after one of the men got up and said, "We in the church of Christ do not believe that we are the only Christians. There are many people meeting in many different places this morning to worship the Lord. We are a part of God's kingdom. Those of you from other churches welcome! We all worship the same Lord! Let's worship him together!
I preached in English while Ronald translated in Rutooro and another man translated into Swahili. There were people who understood each language so that is how we did it.
After a thorough teaching session we sang. These guys can really get into their singing.
There was even a childrens singing group from the Eternal church of God. They were really good singers. They don't have a baptistry so we walked a few miles down to a stream. They had blocked the water with banana plants to make a deeper pool.

Here Ronald and I taught about Jesus, sin, baptisms and being buried in Christ.



There were seven people Baptised.


At this point in each baptism the women would let out a shrill and everyone would clap and sing.






Most of the ones baptised today are Congolese who have fled the war and found refuge in Uganda. I pray now that their true refuge is in the Lord.


This process took from morning until five in the evening. They wanted us to spend the night but we had planned to just attend the morning service.
The morning service turned into the noon/afternoon/evening service. That's life in the village.
We stopped after Ronald lost his voice. They would have liked for us to keep going all night long.

(If you would like to see some more of these pictures double click on one of the pictures and you will be taken to my flickr account.)

Boys will be boys.

We are "Good Soldiers" in our tank headed to our Congo house.


It is amazing to me and fun to watch how God made boys. A plastic stick in the hands of Kinley is magical wand.. give that same stick to my boys and it is a Bazooka, RPG or better yet the cannon on an American military tank.

A chair for kinley is used for a princess throne or a ballet bar. If my boys get ahold of it they dump it on its side and whalla ...it's the bullet proof reinforced front of a Bradley fighting vehicle.
These boys are just hard wired differently.




We'll protect you!