"My God is so Great! so Strong and so Mighty! There's Nothing my God cannot Do!"

God has been doing some amazing work in the village of Naigobya and we are blessed to be a part of His accomplishments.  We have been busy leading Bible Studies, Pastoral training, vocational training, and managing the school at St. Paul. 

Enjoying their porridge under the classroom veranda out of the rain

Bye Bye old classrooms

We have completed three more classrooms which brings the total now to eight classes.  What a joy it was to move P1-P3 students from the wooden shacks with dirt floors to the new classrooms as the rain season arrived.  Needless to say the children will not be learning while their feet are in the mud.  We only have two more classrooms to build.  When the last two classes are finished the Baby class and Top class will move from the church building to the school compound.  Exciting news may be coming soon!

All the ministries bring about a sense of excitement in the two of us! We have now shifted some of our focus to children’s ministries.  Each Thursday the teaching staff held chapel for all the students combined at the church.  We are now able to hold chapel in the school’s P1 and P2 classrooms.  These two classes are open in the middle to be used as one big class when needed, and soon we will have a curtain to separate into two classes as well.

Each week a different teacher would rotate and teach a scripture message with no rhyme or reason. Thank you Mary Sutherland for allowing St. Paul Learning Centre to use some materials previously used by Olivet’s children’s church.  The “ABC’s of God” We are training three teachers how to use the materials and they are so excited to have the subject matter provided.  WE are excited how each lesson builds on the previous lessons!

Simon reading along in Chapel

For fun we have incorporated the music that was used by Olivet for Vacation Bible School last year.  “Sing & Play Base Camp Music” We have been teaching four songs from the CD including the dance moves.  Yes, Simon and Bruce stand up front and show the children all the moves.  Well, at least the ones they can remember.  If they can’t remember the moves they just make them up.  

The children love to watch Simon and I make fools of ourselves.  The reactions from the children differ from giggles and laughter to outright screams of enjoyment.  Yes, we are a class act or legends in our own minds.  LOL!  We also rotate the participants we invite up to join us.  We invite both teachers and students up front to make it more exciting.

singing "My God is so Great, so Strong and so Mighty!  There's nothing my God cannot Do!"

We have gone against the norm for chapel at the school. Usually the message is presented to all students, Baby class-P7.  We now break them into two groups after the music.  Baby Class-P2 now separate and meet in a separate building or outside with Janine.  Janine is spending about an hour reading books and Bible stories to the children from a variety of books.  And she is adding some crafts, just what she loves! 

"What does the Sheep say?"

I slip out of the older class to watch Janine and find myself caught up in the story like the children.  She is so animated when reading and does a great job of bringing the stories to life.  I love to watch the children as their faces and attention are glued to Janine as she narrates.

So Proud of their pictures!

Ephesians 6:4 says “Fathers, do not exasperate your children; instead, bring them up in the training and instruction of the Lord.”  We understand the children we are ministering to are not our biological children.  Some of these children are orphans and many live with extended family.  We are not able to meet with their family or caretakers. We therefore realize the responsibility we have to share the love of Christ with them and the responsibility we have to train them and instruct them in the ways of our Lord.

Janine and I both feel such a joy when ministering to the children!  This is something we have been longing to do ever since we moved to Uganda.

Joyfully Serving with you!

Bruce & Janine

                                                         Prayer Needs & Praises

·      We need our Work permits –they have expired and we were given a temporary special pass, which will expire soon also.  Immigration is holding our paperwork.  We need it soon to stay in the country.

·       Praise God for all those who accepted Him this month – pray they learn and grow in their new found faith

·       Protection – while traveling on Ugandan roads it is now rainy season and roads are even more dangerous

·       Stay healthy

·       Vision in ministry – Pray our plans align with God’s and that we listen to His voice as we minister to this community

That's my job!

                               

Many of you know our 5-year-old granddaughter Maddie.  Recently we received a text from our daughter-in-law, Amy, asking us to give Maddie a call, she wanted to talk to us.  So we called.  The phone rang and with great excitement and words coming out as fast as she could say them, we heard, “I am going to be a BIG sister!”

Oh, what an exciting call that was for all of us!  We said, “Maddie, you will be a Wonderful Big Sister!”  Her response was so priceless.  “I know!!  I will help her learn everything!!  (we don’t know if it is a boy or girl yet).  The baby won’t know anything, so I will teach her how to do things.  I will show her…. that’s my job!”

Oh, to keep that excitement, like Maddie, as we work in ministry should always be our goal. This past month we have been very busy: showing, teaching, and sharing all we know….that’s our job!  How will they know if we do not show them?  We sometimes forget we are still working with Babe’s in Christ and many who don’t know Christ at all.  But, we must continue to teach them and show them with excitement, so they will keep moving forward toward Christ….that’s our job!  We should be caring for them like a Big Brother or Sister.

We carried Maddie’s excitement with us all month!  We had a wonderful month of work in the village!  The school is in full swing with students filling the classrooms and children working hard.  Paying school fees has, and is always, a big problem at the school. So, for a little incentive, we gave out many book bags (that the sewing ladies made), to students that paid their school fees.   Hopefully more students will go home and tell their parents that they could receive one too if their fees are paid.  Of the 300 students at St. Paul’s, part of what we do is assist 75 of those students (which are orphans or needy children) with their school fees each term.  They have to contribute about $2.00 and we pay the balance of about $20.  Thank you for helping us with this!  Without it many would not have the opportunity of an education.

Women are busy learning new beading patterns.  Sewing ladies are busy with learning how to make school uniforms.  And, Women’s Bible study was led by one of the ladies who is learning how to lead.  

Bruce completed 2 more weeks of Pastoral/Leadership classes.  They worked on the art of Story Telling and Preaching methods.

Good Friday happened to fall on the last day of those classes.  So, we decided to show the Jesus Film out in the school courtyard that evening.  What started out as about 200 people gathered and seated on the ground, grew and grew.  As the night went on, a crowd of over 400 villagers glued their attention and eyes on Jesus.  At the close of the movie, the invitation was given.  Bruce and Simon followed by leading them in prayer.  Out under the stars, with only a dim light from the projector cooling, hundreds followed along in prayer. The hum and whispers of the many men, woman and children, repenting and giving their hearts to Jesus was like music to listening ears!   

Thank you Jesus for Loving Us! 

Because He Lives!

Bruce & Janine