Renewed Spirit!

In his kindness God called you to share in his eternal glory by means of Christ Jesus. So after you have suffered a little while, he will restore, support, and strengthen you, and he will place you on a firm foundation. 1 Peter 5:10

What a busy month we have had with Family, Visitors, Project Completions and a renewed spirit!

On the fourth of July Janine’s sister, husband and son traveled and endured that 24 hour journey here to visit us and our project in Uganda.  Having family make the sacrifice to visit and see first hand what we do here on the ground was an indescribable gift to our hearts.  Describing the people, the roads, the culture and the life here cannot be fully understood or captured until it is seen with ones own eyes and you experience it yourself.   They were able to see the wild life by going on a safari.  They visited homes (huts) in the village and went with us on family visits to welcome a new baby into the village and to pray for an elderly lady that was extremely ill.  

The men worked putting in new fencing 

for the Farming Gods Way garden at the school.

They also helped bring sight to some with new reading glasses being given out.  It was a wonderful visit!

What a spiritual blessing having visitors.  As a missionary we always seem to be in work mode.   And our work ethic seems to push us to the verge of overworking.  We were able to communicate,  think and act like an American with our visitors. It was a pleasure to have someone get Bruce’s jokes.  It was nice to receive a laugh instead of a blank look of bewilderment.  Instead of ministering to someone we were ministered too and we were able to talk about spiritual matters on a common level. 

We also had the privilege meeting Mariam, a young woman from Egypt, who came and worked with us in the village, teaching the teachers some strategies and concepts to help them be better teachers.  We had a great time learning about her culture and her heart for the needy and those without Jesus.  She spoke such good English we forgot and introduced her as an American.  Oops!  She was loads of fun and we all learned much from her visit.

All 10 Classrooms are FINALLY FINISHED!  We have one more small building project that we will be finishing before we head home to the States for a visit.   With All the building projects completed for the Afayo Project, over the next 10 months we will continue our focus on preparing the community spiritually to stand on their own and placing a Ugandan as an overseer of the Project as we consider what and where God is leading us next. 

We are excited to return to the States for a short visit and ready to welcome our new grandbaby.  We hope to see many of you at the Open house.  Getting reacquainted with American life, driving on the right side of the road, and catching up on everyone’s lives….we cant wait!

We’d love to see EVERYONE!

Please come out and see us!

OPEN HOUSE

Saturday, September 17

2:00pm – 5:00pm 

Presentation at 3:00

Light snacks served

Come do some Christmas Shopping!  We will have hand made items the ladies have made.  Aprons, book bags, jewelry etc. Your purchase will support our African community and give HOPE!

Olivet EFC

6790 Harvey Rd. 

Spring Lake, MI

A Promise of the Lord’s Presence

 “See, I am sending an angel before you to protect you on your journey and lead you safely to the place I have prepared for you.  Exodus 23:20 (NLT)

May has been a month of rains, blessings, learning and teaching, and keeping our eyes on the road laid out for us.  The school is on a term break for the month and resumes in June.  So, it has been a little quieter than usual while in the village, but we can’t say it hasn’t been uneventful!

It has been a Busy, Crazy, Rainy, Dangerous driving month! 

One Monday we didn't think we were going to make it home from the village.  A sugar cane truck had gotten stuck on a hill we need to climb.  It is the last hill of our journey home.  If we can clear this one, we always know we will make it home.  The rains had stopped by the time we came to this point, but it was a slick, clay, muddy, mess (worse than driving on ice)!   The sugar cane truck couldn't make the climb and slid sideways enough that only bodas (motorcycles) could pass.  If we could back down the hill and go an alternate route, it would take over an hour out of our way. And who’s to know if the other way was not having troubles as well…...so we waited.  Finally the truck moved a little.  We were able to get up and around it without sideswiping.  Only God knows how we made it!  It was like a band of angels were keeping us clear of the truck on the left (I don't think a hair could have fit between us and the truck) and another band of angels were keeping us from slipping into a huge ditch on the right!  ‘Angels to the left of me, angels to the right, Here I am, stuck in the middle with you.’  (Sounds like a song J)  We made it to the top! 

On another day, as we approached this same hill taxies were stuck, bodas were slipping off the road, and we were stuck in the middle of a mess of people, bodas and stuck taxies.  We had no choice but to try to climb the hill and get around other stuck vehicles.  After many attempts, and Kate and myself in the back seat praying hard, we heard Bruce say, “Is Someone Pushing Us?!”  We replied, “No, but we are praying!”  He couldn’t understand how we could be moving.  It was surely God pushing us!   When we got to the top, all you could hear was the hooting and hollering from the crowd of Amazed Ugandans, and Us Cheering and Praising God!! Thank you for all your prayers on our behalf for travel!  We are positive God is hearing each one!! 

We wish we could say that was the last of the difficult driving, but each day this month was challenging and very similar. But No need to Worry, God had our backs through it all!

We also have areas where the roads are washed away.  We now carry our own boards for a bridge.  Always and ADVENTURE!

Thursdays are Bible studies in the village.  After so many days of bad travel, we considered staying home and canceling Bible studies.  But, the day started out sunny and beautiful so we went.  But just as Bible studies were to begin, the winds and rains came. And came Fierce!  We had to yell to be heard. The ladies and I could not do our Bible study because the rain was so loud on the tin roof of our classroom.  So we sat and waited out the storm.  After a long time of listening to the storm and me thinking only about what the ride home might be like, I yelled, “ Since we can't talk, we can try and sing."  After a couple minutes, one lady began to sing as loud as she could to be heard. Then another voice was heard, and then another. Finally, all the rest chimed in.  It was like the heavens opened up and angels were singing!  Brought tears to my eyes!  Women with eyes closed, attentions all given to God.  To hear them worshipping and praising our God was worth all the slipping and sliding on those bad roads! It is through some of our most difficult journeys we can see God the clearest!  

Pastoral Training classes resumed with another two weeks of intense learning from God’s Word; New Testament Survey and Theology.  We feel so blessed to be a part of their spiritual growth in this community.  What joy it is watching their faces as the lights are starting to turn on and they begin to really understand the Gospel and how much God loves them!  They were truly amazed at the word Trinity.  The word is not in the Bible, yet it is truly evident.    

Last month we mentioned some exciting news was coming.  Well, we are so happy to announce that the last Two Classrooms are GOING UP!  Classrooms for Africa, an organization out of Canada, is funding the finishing of these last two rooms!  We are so grateful and in Awe of God’s Great Provisions for this community! Thank you Classrooms for Africa!

The community also received a Solar Powered Media Player System that Bruce and Simon put up near the borehole on the church and school’s land.  Thank you HCJB Global Technology for this gift for Naigobya!

We took a drive to Mbale for a two day rest to enjoy God’s beautiful creation and spend some time enjoying just us.  Even though it was rainy most of the time, we refueled and came back ready for God’s next tasks for us.

Prayer Needs & Praises

·      We still need our Work permits/Visas –they have expired and we were given a temporary special pass, which will expire soon also.  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

·       Stay healthy

Because He Lives!

Bruce & Janine