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Sunday, January 7, 2007

Over 5 weeks in Uganda Update—Finally


Dear Family and Friends,

Sorry it has been so long since you have heard from me. I have very little chance to get on the internet, it costs money, and hotmail always has issues with me over here. So I don't really know where to begin.

Well, we got back to the Jinja base from the Lake Victoria Islands. The island (Dec. 10-13) was really a nice place, considering we were expecting very primitive conditions. So there was no running water or electricity, but it was very clean where we stayed. We visited very small churches in villages, encouraged them, evangelized door to door, and did a kids’ service. Even a witch doctor's wife came to know the Lord! Praise God! And I saw a monkey, my first African animal siting, other than large birds!

Back at Jinja we ministered in a village Dec. 14-15, with a church, and evangelized door to door. It was so exciting to see a very old lady come to know Jesus when Jeanenne and I spoke with her, and afterward her face just beamed! She was so happy. I also taught a seminar for the church on how your foundation should be built on the wisdom of God. I think they liked it. I got a lot of "Amena's!”

Next we left to do ministry in the capital of Kampala in slum areas. We worked with local churches, doing kids’ ministry, door to door, and an open air program. That week we ate excellent food at a pastor's house, but we lived in a girl's boarding school quarters (they are on "holiday" break). We called it the prison because of the gate, bars, and barbed wire (and cement). I sprayed my bed with insect repellant part way through to ward of any bed bugs I thought I might have been sharing my bed with.

On Dec. 22 we arrived at World Outreach Ministries and Seguku Worship Center between Entebbe and Kampala, where we will be staying the rest of our time. We had a wonderful Christmas there (but missed family and friends), had a gift exchange, and were surprised by our outreach leaders who had brought gifts from our families for us! Yep, we all cried and were so thankful for the thoughts from our parents. We ate Chinese and watched movies and ate chocolate chip cookies (they don't eat chocolate chips here).

The first week here we went to minister to 2 prisons around the area each day. We did programs to share the Gospel, and many came to know Christ! It is so encouraging to see the ministries of Seguku Worship Center, which visit prisons all the time to minister and disciple!

The second week at Seguku we did door to door and open airs each day. These are areas the church is targeting, and they follow up with. This coming week we will be doing some mercy ministry in those same areas and helping the people we have met in more physical ways.

I would love to write more, but my time is up! Here are some definitions is case these words don't make sense.

Door to Door Evangelism is sharing who Jesus Christ is and how you can be saved.

Open Air Programs are outdoor programs we invite people to, and people stop by and watch. Usually the Ugandans from churches do the introduction for the programs with some words and singing and present a message and the Gospel at the end. We do 1-2 songs, a testimony or 2, maybe a dance, the Savior Drama, and a message/gospel presentation. People are asked to receive Christ at the end.

Hope all is well. I have only 3 more weeks left. Time is surely flying by, and I will soon be back in the U.S. And by the way, I did receive my bag back after it was missing for 2 weeks! And I am in great health! Please continue to pray for me, the work here, and for my direction when I get back. I have some ideas. :)

Love you all, and God bless you! You are in my thoughts and prayers.

Shannon

http://teamuganda.wordpress.com/

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