MISSION MBALE Blog: August 2018

IT IS WELL WITH MY SOUL

When peace, like a river, attendeth my way,
When sorrows like sea billows roll;
Whatever my lot, Thou hast taught me to say,
It is well, it is well with my soul.

Though Satan should buffet, though trials should come,
Let this blest assurance control,
That Christ hath regarded my helpless estate,
And hath shed His own blood for my soul.

My sin—oh, the bliss of this glorious thought!—
My sin, not in part but the whole,
Is nailed to the cross, and I bear it no more,
Praise the Lord, praise the Lord, O my soul!

And Lord, haste the day when the faith shall be sight,
The clouds be rolled back as a scroll;
The trump shall resound, and the Lord shall descend,
Even so, it is well with my soul.

It is well with my soul,
It is well, it is well with my soul.

THE VIEW FROM THE ROOF OF THE NEW SCHOOL OVERLOOKING THE NEW DORMS AND FARMLAND!

"I lift up my eyes to the hills. From where does my help come? My help comes from the Lord, who made heaven and earth. He will not let your foot be moved; He who keeps you will not slumber. Behold, He who keeps Israel will neither slumber nor sleep. The Lord is your keeper; the Lord is your shade on your right hand. The sun shall not strike you by day, nor the moon by night. The Lord will keep you from all evil; He will keep your life. The Lord will keep Your going out and your coming in from this time forth and forevermore." Psalm 121: 1-8

I sit here this morning in the quietness of my "American" home reflecting upon the last two weeks of my life which have been spent with an unbelievable team of eighteen totally-surrendered fellow Kingdom Warriors as we served alongside our Ugandan family in Mbale. Though I am some 9000 miles away from the dust and noise of that slum village this morning, my spirit is immersed in the sounds of children laughing and squealing, pans clanging in the Ebenezer kitchen, and the angelic voices of the young people as they have gathered around the sound system for an impromptu praise and worship session ... SONGS OF JOY THAT HAVE SPRUNG FORTH FROM SEEDS WATERED BY TEARS OF STRUGGLE AND UNCERTAINTY!!!

Oh how I wish that there was some magic button on my computer that would enable me to bring to life for each of you what it is like to physically walk among the precious people that call the Namatala Slum their home! The sounds ... the smells ... the unforgettable landscape ... the people ... the harshness of daily life ... and above all else ... THE SONGS OF JOY!!! From the very first time that we walked among these beautiful people who have no choice but to call one of the poorest areas on the face of the earth "home", Mary Faye and I have tried to put into words what it is like to physically be there but THERE ARE NONE!!!! Those who are not able to physically make the trip to the place so many of us now call our "home away from home" will never know ... at least not on this side of heaven ... "For now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I have been fully known." 1 Corinthians 13:12 ESV

This trip was beyond anything that the human mind could possibly comprehend! The unity of the team, the powerful moving of God in our midst, the breaking down of walls, the unending string of victories as life after life was set free not only from the shackles of sin, but also from the bondages of cultural "prisons"... each and every victory an unquestionable confirmation that God was in control!!!

With all trips of this type there are the preconceived notions about what WE as the created think is supposed to happen as we plan our programs, events, lessons, etc but thank God this team chose to crawl up into our heavenly Father's lap and allow Him to direct our paths!! Time and time again Proverbs 16:9 was played out before us as God redirected our ministry efforts both individually and as a team. Never have I experienced the power of God in the midst of our "agendas" than on this trip as He "established our steps" (Proverbs 16:9) to bring forth the fruit that brought honor and glory unto HIMSELF rather than to the team. Truly we have lived out the promises of God found in Jeremiah 33:3 on this trip!! The following is just a sampling of those "great and mighty things which you knowest not" that God poured out upon this team...ALL FOR HIS GLORY!!! :-) Stay tuned in the days ahead as we share other team members reflections on this site as the journey continues!!

THE HIGHLIGHTS...TO GOD BE ALL THE GLORY!!!!

The team hit the ground running as we made a quick stop at the church on our arrival into Mbale on Friday to an unforgettable thirty minutes as we were welcomed with song and dance by the children and adults at Ebenezer!!! We then made a quick run to the hotel to put our luggage in the rooms and then back to the church to begin one of the most powerful encounters we have ever had since the ministry's birth...going into the private homes of those in the village to teach Bible Studies...a true testimony of how God is opening up this slum village to the Word of God! Many were saved as a result of these home Bible studies during the two days that they were held. Not only were we invited into many more homes than we could visit (much more time will be dedicated to this next year), Eric and I were invited to speak to a group of over fifty Boda-Boda drivers (motorcycle taxis), many of whom were of the Muslim faith. They were extremely attentive as I shared my personal testimony and appreciation for the many Boda-Boda drivers who had ministered to and protected our daughter during the hundreds and hundreds of miles she was traveling on the back of one their motorcycles while she was in Uganda in 2013. I encouraged them to remember that their motorcycle is their "pulpit" and can be used powerfully to the glory of God if they so choose. Eric then preached the Word and gave an invitation to accept Christ to which many hands were raised declaring they had made that decision. The true evidence that lives had been changed came when one of the older men in the group suddenly jumped to his feet and declared before his peers in his native Lugandan language "I came to this meeting today as a Muslim, but because of these men's testimonies and sharing of the Word of God, I am leaving this place as a Christian!!" As he finished sharing many in the group began shouting and clapping their hands in celebration. Shortly afterwards the leader of the group visited the church and shared with Pastor Fred that the group was issuing an open invitation for us to speak to them any time we were in Uganda! HALLELUJAH!!!!! The older gentleman in the light blue shirt and dark pants in the center of the picture below is the one who stood up making a public profession of Christ!!!

Sunday at Ebenezer was as usual an incredibly busy and beautiful day as we gathered for worship with our Ebenezer family. We first gathered for Sunday School and the team members led the classes. The morning worship began with about 30 minutes of unbroken praise and worship led by the various choirs at Ebenezer. Joy and I then led the church in a dedication service of eleven children and their families. Eric, as he did last year, followed the dedication service with a powerful message challenging both the team and the Ebenezer family to a more intimate walk with the Father. After some five hours of unbridled worship, we departed to First Baptist Mbale to celebrate the baptism of about 25 new believers in Christ!!!! And just when you think it can't get any better ... IT DOES!!! We returned to the church on Sunday evening and Joy led us in the service as she shared her testimony and gave a beautifully simple and visually enlightening demonstration of the story of God's love for His people as it unfolds from Genesis to Revelation! WOW!! A full day to say the least ... the first of many which were before us...And ALL the time God is good!!!

AND THEN THE WEEK BEGINS ... THE PASTOR'S CONFERENCE HELD IN THE NEW SCHOOL AT THE FARMLAND, THE LIFE-CHANGING WOMEN'S CONFERENCES, THE SPORTS CAMPS, THE RELATIONSHIP-BUILDING OPPORTUNITIES, THE GROUND-BREAKING FOR THE NEW CHURCH, AND YES...THE MAKING OF MEMORIES!!!