Coming to a close....

I only spoke to Kim for a couple of minutes today, and those couple of minutes were hindered by a 3 year old needing milk, and two six year olds in desperate life threatening need of some Dill Pickle chips.  I didn't get a lot of info from her, except that she was able to go back to Sonrise for the last full day.  She went by herself, and spent the day there with the babies and the nannies.  The rest of the team went into the villages again. 

I think every mission trip yields fruit, but sometimes it's more visible than others.  According to the team, there have been many people that trusted in Christ for the first time this week, including several Muslims. 
I have to share one story in particular that a friend shared with me today.  Her husband, who is in Uganda, had called her and told her.  They were out ministering in pairs of two with translators again today.  They were told to split up the pairs, and go out by themselves with a translator, so they could reach out to even more people.  Our friend went to the home of a elderly man and woman.  When he came in and started talking, the elderly man told him he had had a dream that God sent a "messenger" that wasn't of his people.  He told our friend that he looked just like the man that God sent in the dream.  Our friend went on to share the Gospel with the man and his wife, and after talking for a while, they both trusted Christ for the first time!  If that doesn't give you chills, nothing will.  God still works miracles.

I mentioned this before, but please be in prayer for the team as they prepare to leave tomorrow.  I promise you, when they return, they WILL NEVER BE THE SAME.  I'm going to go out on limb, and say they are going to be more madly and passionately in love with Jesus than ever before.  They are going to be more passionate about taking Christ to the nations than ever before.  And they are going to be more broken than ever before.  You can't go somewhere like that, or Haiti, or Nicaragua, or Peru, or Sudan, or India, or fill in the blank of any impoverished nation, and not come back broken.  Pray for their safe travel, but more than that pray that their lives as well as ours will take the mission of glorifying Christ throughout the world to a whole new level!

Does the Holy Spirit Still Move........

Throughout the New Testament, we see the Apostles do things that seem absolutely mind boggling, healing the sick, raising the dead, driving out demons, preaching the Gospel and seeing non-believers come to Christ in droves everywhere they went.  So the million dollar question is, does the Holy Spirit still do those same things through God's people?  I mean, let's face it, when we see a "faith healer" nowadays, it's typically someone on tv dressed in a $1000 suit, and right after he "heals" someone, he turns to the camera and asks for your money.  (I'm talking to you Benny Hinn.)  We don't see demons driven out of people on a daily basis, and some churches will go years without seeing anyone come to Christ.  So is God still moving the way He did in the Bible?  Francis Chan talks about this in the book Forgotten God (a must read by the way).  He says we don't see the Holy Spirit move in these ways in our country because we don't allow Him to.  We've got such a fancy production in churches now, that if He did actually move, it would be an annoyance to our pre-planned "show". 

Why do I say all of this?  I won't go into many details, I'll allow the team to do that when they come back.  But I firmly believe they are seeing and experiencing the Holy Spirit moving in ways that we, here in the states, only read about in the Bible, and quite frankly, don't really think God "does" anymore.  The believers in Uganda DESPERATELY NEED God for everything they have.  They rely on the Holy Spirit every single day........not just for 10 minutes on Sunday and Wednesday at "decision time". 

They went to a different village today and shared some more.  They got to go to a school where the children performed for them.  They visited a police station, where (I think) Jeff was able to hand out some of his Homewood P.D. patches.  Sorry I'm not giving many details, but I think some things happened today that will have to be told by those that were there.

When I spoke with Kim this morning, she finally broke down when she was talking about a widow who had two of her own children and cared for six additional orphans in a small one room hut.  The poverty, the need, and the hurting can be overwhelming.  One of my favorite passages from the book, The Hole In The Gospel, by Rich Stearns, is an exhange that goes something like this:
"Sometimes I wonder why God would allow so much suffering, poverty, and need in the world when He could do something about it."
"Why don't you ask Him?"
"Because I'm afraid He would ask me the same thing....."

The idea that "I'm just one person, there's not much I can do, so why bother" is a lie from the pit of hell.  God called everyone of us to care for orphans, widows, the needy, the sick, the least of these.  When are we going to stop turning the other way and acting like this is an optional extra to Christianity? 

Please continue to pray for the the team as they wrap up the last couple of days of their trip.  Pray for the new believers that trusted in Christ today!  Pray for the Ugandan believers.  The Prosperity Gospel is prevelant and they desperately need the truth.  And pray for American believers, that God would put in us a passion for the hurting and the lost worldwide.  Thanks guys!!!!

Into the village.......

I spoke with Kim around lunchtime today.  She was calling from the side of the road......flat tire.  Welcome to global missions!!!  Today, they went into a nearby village.  They initially thought they were going in a large group but that was not the case.  They were sent out in groups of two Americans and a translator, and just basically went and shared with some of the villagers and hung out with them all day.  I believe they began the day as a group at the local church for worship, then split into pairs and their translators.  Kim and Beth Hill went and spent the day with a local widow, and also got to spend time in the home of one of the church members.  The church member's husband was not a believer, so they got the opportunity to share the Gospel with him.  Prayerfully a seed was planted.  They also got the opportunity to pray over a child who had been passing out and was not well at all.  Kim said he just laid in one spot under a tree and never moved. She thought he had cerebal palsy.  They were told it was the first time anyone had ever prayed for him before.  "Whatever you did for the least of these......."

Please continue to pray for Sonrise Community Church.  They are having some issues with the land the church was constructed on.  The enemy clearly doesn't want this church to be built.  Pray for Ivan (the pastor) and the rest of this community.  May this church be a light in a dark world.

Other than that, I think everyone is getting along well.  They are going back into the village for the next couple of days to continue to hang out and love on this community.  Kim is going to get to go back to Sonrise on Saturday before they leave.  Please pray for the group emotionally as they prepare to return home on Monday.  Most of them have seen things that they never have before, and returning back to the prosperity of America is many times very difficult.  You tend to view things a little differently when you've seen how the majority of the rest of the world lives...........God, break our hearts for what breaks yours.

Sonrise Day two

Hey guys.  Sorry for the late update.  It's been a busy day (this is still Josh).  Kim said they spent another day at Sonrise (she's in heaven!).  The ladies got to minister to the staff and nannies.  They did a devotion with them, painted the nannies' fingernails and toenails, and basically helped them perform their daily jobs in order to give them a little break. 

The guys continued to work on the church shelter.  They got a good bit of work done, but as we said before, spiritual warfare is in full swing and the church is now under spiritual attack.  Satan does not want this church built, because God's going to do gigantic things with it!!!  Please pray for the church and Pastor Ivan.  God is going to be glorified through it!

Also, be in prayer for our team tomorrow.  Thursday, Friday, and Saturday will be spent with the missionaries in the villages.  They will be sent out in twos (weird, I've heard that from somewhere! :) )
They will go and minister and share with many different families.  This will stretch their comfort zones to a whole new level!!!  Pray they will have an opportunity to share with many of the lost!!! 

They are about halfway through their time there, and as far as I can tell everyone is still doing great. Please continue to be in prayer for the remainder of the trip that God will bring the lost directly into their path, people will be saved!  Thanks everybody.

Updates........

Hey everybody.  So, it looks like those reading the blog this week are going to be stuck with secondhand info from yours truly (Josh).  Kim said she can't get her IPad to get any kind of WIFI or 3G coverage.  The only ones getting any kind of reception are Beth and Tammy and it's spotty.  Anyway, today the team went over to Sonrise Baby Home.  As most of you know, Kim has been counting down the days to return to the home since last time she got back!  She said as always their time there was incredible.  They delivered the supplies (formula, diapers, etc.) to the home and the nannies were ecstatic.  While they were there, the ladies got to help give all the babies their baths, and spend some time with the nannies.  The guys got started on the church shelter they are building.  Kim said while they were working some people came up and started asking around about what they were doing.  This gave Jeff, Grant, and Jason the opportunity to not only tell them about Sonrise Community Church, but also share the Gospel with them!!!!!  Pray that seeds were planted from this encounter! 

They are returning to Sonrise again tomorrow.  Hopefully the guys can continue to get the church built.  The ladies are going to serve the nannies.  They're going to try to do some devotions with them, and just give them a much needed break from their daily routines.  Thursday, Friday, and Saturday will be spent in the villages with the missionaries they are with.  They have said the missionaries (sorry I can't remember names) have been absolutely amazing.  Our team has been blessed by being with them.  Please continue to pray for construction of the church, and for opportunities to share the Gospel, much like what happened today.  Pray for the ladies as they minister to the women of Sonrise, and show them the love of Christ.  Pray for the missionaries and their family, that God will continue to use them in mighty ways.  I'll try to post more when I hear from her again. 

In Jinja.........

Hey guys.  This is Josh.  Kim took her IPad with her and is hoping to be able to post on the blog some, but the WIFI and 3G, is a little sketchy. I've been able to talk to her a couple of times, and she sounded good.  She said they got into Entebbe late on Sunday night (it was about 2:00 yesterday afternoon our time).  Everybody was tired, but other than that they were good.  I think a couple of bags did get lost though.  If I heard her right, they had a hotel room in Kampala and stayed there.  Monday morning they got up, had breakfast and headed to Jinja, a few hours away. 

When I spoke with her this morning, they had made it to Jinja and gotten checked into the hotel.  The missionaries they are working with were cooking for them today.  They were also going to try to rest up a little more, and maybe go to a couple of markets.  Tomorrow, they are going to Sonrise.  But after that, I'm not real sure what the rest of the week looks like.  Hopefully Kim will be able to get on and post some (it's always hard getting accurate info, when it doesn't come directly from the source).  But other than a minor issue with Kim's ATM card not working, (thank you Jeff Harris!) everything is good.  Everybody feels good and is excited to get going.  God's going to do big things. 

Is it time again?

This is a picture of our team that will be leaving for Uganda on Saturday.  We are all getting really excited as it sets in we will be leaving soon.  Whether you are family or friends, given supplies or praying us through I just want to say thank you for all you've done.  We all are a part of the work that God is doing around us and in Uganda.  There is nothing more that we can do to prepare for this trip but have faith in God and allow him to lead the way.  I would ask you to pray for for safety and health for each one of us while we are gone, but above all else that we bring glory and honor to his name. 

While we are there we are going to be visiting Sonrise Baby Home helping the ladies there with some of the daily chores with the children.  Also, we will be going to help start  build Sonrise Community Church shelter. (pray for the men on that job)  We know that God will do this work.  We will be working with missionaries in Jinja that have been there for quite sometime.  We'll get to go out into the villages visiting different homes meeting the people. We should have plenty of work to do while we're there.

Below are the names of the people going on the trip
Jeff
Grant
Jason
Scott
Stacey
Kim
Joy
Tammy
Beth

Worthy is the Lamb, who was slain, to receive power and wealth and wisdom and strength and honor and glory and praise!  -Revelation 5:12