FROM SUSAN

What a wonderful day!  It was so nice to see our brothers and sisters at the Cornerstone Church in Kakira.  I was called up front in their church, and with two of the women’s ministry leaders, we cut a cake that had been baked in our honor. This is their way of getting you to commit to come back.  Then they cut up the double stacked cake and served it to everyone.  I am so impressed with these ladies.  They have learned different skills such as cake decorating in order to earn money to support their women’s ministry.  I am also coming home with a small stash of handmade paper bead necklaces that I told them I would try to sell for them—again for their ministry and to help those in need to which they minister.  These are hard working gals at home and in every area of their life.  They don’t know what idle means.  I am always humbled by them.

Scott was invited to preach in the second service this morning and did a wonderful job delivering God’s Word.  He taught on what it means to be a missionary church and people.  It was the right message for this group at this time.

Thank you for praying!  Some of team members that were not feeling well are doing much better today.  Please continue to pray that we will all be healthy for travel this Tuesday.

Our plans tomorrow include shopping in the little downtown of Jinja and also at the booths of vendors located in the park near the Source of the Nile; then maybe going to see some beautiful waterfalls near here; and then eating dinner at the Sunset Hotel—a short walk from our hotel.  It’s a beautiful place to see the sunset over the Nile River.  Then we will all need to get our belongings packed and ready to go for Tuesday morning.  Our plans are to leave about 10:00am Tuesday for the 2 - 4 hour drive through Kampala to the Entebbe Airport.  If the traffic is as bad as it was coming, it may take the full four hours to get there.

Please pray for an easy journey home… starting with the Entebbe Airport.  Last year it lost electricity and everything slowed to a snail’s pace which caused our plane to leave hours behind schedule, which caused us to miss the connecting flight… etc, etc.  It ended up being a marathon trip that was even harder than it should have been.  Please pray that each leg of the journey be on time and that our check-ins and our going through customs goes smoothly, and that all our luggage make it safely home with us.

God has been so faithful in every way—supplying every need be it physical, spiritual or financial.  All glory and praise to His name!!  We look forward to coming home and settling back to a normal schedule once again.  But with each trip our hearts are etched with memories and experiences that leave lasting impressions which continue to shape us and change us with each passing year.  You cannot come here and experience all we do and be the same.

With much love, Susan

Thus Far

As Ryan stated in the previous post, the Kasese conferences came to an end on Friday, and it seemed to be just what the pastors and church leaders needed. Isn't it amazing how God works?

Just to recap the highlights of the week:

The worship and praise blew all of us first-timers away. These people praised God with genuine hearts and in an un-ashamed manner. This was so refreshing for all of us. As Susan told the women one day, "I love how you worship. We in America were taught from a very young age to be quiet and still in church." A lot of the women either gave looks of confusion or simply laughed.

Jessica and Susan did an amazing job going through the Lord's Prayer, breaking it down bit by bit. On Friday in our small groups, we asked the ladies this question, "What did you learn this week?" I am not sure how the other groups went, but almost all of the ladies in my small group spoke about forgiveness. So many gave testimonies about how people in the past had hurt them and how they forgave those persons after hearing Susan's "as we forgive those who sinned against us" lesson. One Of the interpreters, also named Susan, told the women how her aunt tried to strangle her after she wet the bed, and how the same aunt tried to make her blind by burning her eyes.... But she forgave her. Wow. Even more heart-stirring, she told us all that her step-mother killed killed her real mother... But she has forgiven her. Double wow. That's just one example of how God used this conference to show these women His love and draw them closer to Him. Simply amazing.

I got the chance to hear all four of the men speak at the men's conference. They all did great job as they allowed God to teach these people, not only preach to them. From what I heard from Ryan, the men were so attentive soaking up all that was being presented to them. The one lesson that I was able to hear from John was on marriage. After John went through Ephesians 5:22-28, the pastors of Kasese and the surronding areas were asked to introduce themselves at the end. As they walked up to the microphone, they brought their wives with them. This was so cool to see since affection between spouses is almost non-existent in Uganda.

We have experienced the natural beauty of this country... The mountains, colorful flowers, thunderstorms and cooling rain. And we have seen the need here as well, physically, financially, and spiritually. As we wrap things up, would you continue to pray for these people and this country over the next few weeks, months, year? God is working in this place, and these people are so willing to take the good news to other people and places. May He be glorified by all. Amina (amen).

We made it to Jinja!

After leaving Kasese at 6:30 this morning and traveling 9 long hours on the road, we have finally arrived at Jinja. We finished up the conferences yesterday evening with giving out Bibles to those that did not have one. Tomorrow, we look forward to worshiping with Pastor Paul at Cornerstone Baptist Church here in Jinja. The hotel we are staying at is located right on the source of the Nile. Needless to say, the scenery is great! After worshiping tomorrow, we will have a free day to relax a little. Monday, is going to be a day where we can do a little sight seeing or shopping. Scott will be getting things settled for the conference at Jinja in the fall. We are all pretty exhausted and looking forward to this relaxing time before the long flights home on Tuesday and Wednesday. Continue praying for us!

Ryan

Update From Susan

I always imagine all this time to spend before the computer to update and share the day’s events with my family and friends when I come here, when in reality the days are full and I am ready to fall in bed when they finally come to an end.  Throw in the customary unpredictability of African electricity and internet service and you kind of get the picture.  But nonetheless, I still apologize that a week has passed with no personal notes from me as I promised.

The Women’s conference has gone well.  The numbers are MUCH smaller than we were told which has been nice.  (The large group last year crammed into the small space in which we met with all the loud music and activity was a challenge.)  I think we are averaging about 60-70 a day, but no one has actually made a head count this time, so I’m not sure.  They tend to sit so much closer to each other than we do that sometimes we are fooled at how many more are there than it appears.

THANK YOU!!!! …to all of you that have been praying for my health.  I have been doing great!  I have never had this much energy and strength in our past visits to Africa.  I know it is because of your prayers.  The temperatures have been unbelievably cool! I am usually constantly perspiring and losing lots of fluids but this time it has been so comfortable every day.  What a difference!!  Thank you for praying!!!!  I had one night of a bit of vertigo… but that was it.

I am so proud of my women’s team.  They have all done so well.  Jessica did a wonderful job with her lessons she taught on Monday and Tuesday.  The women responded positively and were greatly encouraged.  She even earned the title “Mama”--- which is a name of respect here.  She has been teaching them worship songs also, which has been a lot of fun.

Jaclyn and Ashley have both shared their testimonies and I was proud of how well they did in this.  They were open and honest and I know their “stories” spoke to the Kasese women.  They have been loving and personable to the women, which speaks volumes to them.

All of us have been leading small groups once the messages are over at the end of our morning sessions.  We have been having some interesting things happen during these times.  There have been a few difficult questions, some heart-wrenching prayer requests but mostly sweet times of sharing and prayer with the women.  You would never know that our team gals had not been coming to Africa all these years with us.  They all have done a wonderful job.

We have had a good response almost every day from the Kasese ladies to the messages, many coming down front in the church in which we our meeting, to pray and make commitments to Christ.  One lady on the very first day accepted Christ as her Savior.  What a blessing!

We have not suffered one little bit with the food here.  It has been extra good every meal.  Tonight the manager of our hotel is providing a buffet just for us of all the local food for us to try.  If it is anything we have already been eating, we are in for a treat.  I’m afraid instead of losing weight on this trip, some of us will be coming home with a few extra pounds!

I have only heard great reports from the Pastor’s conference.  Scott, John, Ryan and Zac have all been doing a wonderful job of “equipping the Saints” from what I hear.  There has even been extra opportunities of speaking on the local radio—(Scott and Ryan), and getting to preach every day at an outside lunch time gathering in the center of town—(John and Zac).

We have all been so blessed by God for all He has allowed us to participate in.  We have witnessed Him at work in us and all around us.  Not only has He been speaking through us as His instruments, but He has been speaking loudly to our own hearts—teaching us truths that have already changed us and will continue to shape us for the future.  God is so good to us.

We will leave for Jinja on Saturday with our beloved driver, Chris, that we have known for years.  We are anxious to see him.  And after a few days there we will be on our way home.  Please continue to pray for us every time we come to mind.  God has heard those prayers and He IS answering!!!

Much love,  Susan

Continue Praying for Us.

Greetings from Kasese on Wednesday evening! As I am writing this it is around 9:00 pm and we have just finished eating supper. The days are long, but they are good. The men's conference is going very well. Jon and Zac are each teaching their sections during the morning portion of the conference and Scott and I are teaching in the afternoon. We are amazed daily how the Lord has put on our hearts what these people needed to hear. Even though two of the men live in California and the other two live in Mississippi and Alabama, it seems like we have prepared our sections together. We are constantly seeing how what one may be talking about, the other will pick up on it in their own section. It is exciting teaching these people because they have a desire to do what they learn. They are very receptive to what they have heard so far. Thank you for your prayers and keep 'em coming!

The women's portion of the conference has been going well. They may have more in attendance than the men do! The men walk over to where the women's conference is being held to have lunch together. Usually, when we get there, the women are still meeting in their small groups. They are having very meaningful discussions and the women are growing. Keep praying for them!

The weather here has been great. It has been relatively cool our entire time here. It is the rainy season here in Uganda and the showers have cooled the temperatures. For this, we have been grateful. It's different not preaching or teaching in an air conditioned room! Also, we have not had a big problem with any bugs or mosquitoes. But I hear Jaclyn had a run-in with a giant grasshopper.

We have had a difficult time getting on the Internet here. I realize I told Causeyville I would be blogging often and I have not. It's not our fault! We have been having Internet issues which have not allowed us to get on as often as we would like. I am told that we will have a better opportunity to get on when we travel to Jinja (sp?) this weekend. Continue praying for us.

I will try and post again soon!

Ryan

Let the Conferences Begin!

It was a very powerful day. We all felt the Lord's presence in both conferences. In just this short amount of time here in Kasese, we have been blown away by the freedom in worship and the love these people have for the Lord. There were two services were able to attend yesterday. Pastor's Stephen's church had regular morning worship at 10am (more like 10:40am Uganda time...go with the flow), then we were invited to have lunch with at his house with his sweet family. His sweet daughter joined us in the dining room for dinner and offered much entertainment. Her every response to any question or comment was a loud giggle and shrugging of the shoulders. The food was amazing! Please be in prayer for Pastor Stephen's son Isaac; he was running a fever and not feeling well. The second service started around 3pm with worship and preaching. We were able to hear messages from Pastor Scott, John and Ryan. The women met with Susan, Jaclyn, Ashley and myself during the second service for a meet and greet. We were very excited after meeting with these women Sunday afternoon about what the Lord was going to do this week.

The conferences began around 10am this morning. We were expecting many men and women, but there were not quite as many due to market day and children going back to school. Although we were expecting huge numbers, we are anticipating God to allow us to build relationships and work through the small numbers. We are expecting to have a few more attend the conference as the week progresses.

For those of you praying for cool weather, your prayers have been answered! The weather and temperature here are very moderate. It has been overcast, and there has been a breeze everyday. The team has been blessed with good health. Please continue to remember us as our desire is for God to speak through us and to us. Thank you all for your prayers. We are excited to see what the Lord has for the rest of the week.

Destination: Arrived

We are here, safe and sound. We flew out of Dubai around 9am and arrived at Entebbe a little after 3pm. Pastor Stephen, wife Grace, and daughter Faith were at the airport to take us on the long bus ride to Kasese. After 8 hours in the bus, we were estatic to pull Rwenzori International Hotel shortly after 11pm local time. Chicken and "chips" (fries) were served, then it was time to crash.

We are definitely in Africa. Poor John and Zac had to battle spiders right from the get-go. They and the Harrells had a surprise guest (gecko). The Moores found out that their shower was not functioning properly. And Ashley and I were oblivious to anything creepy crawly in our room. I will admit, I was having serious doubts about the whole thing when I went to bed last night. But that all went away when I woke up to the sound of multiple birds... Straight out of the Jungle Book. God has so pumped this place full of beautiful sights and sounds and taste. The fresh pineapple here is amazing!

We will be headed out to go on a safari after Pastor Stephen arrives. Please continue to pray for us... For safety and rest and that God will use us for His glory, not ours.

MEET OUR MAY 2011 TEAM

Please keep this new team of eight in your prayers for the next two weeks-- May 18th - June 1st.  I thought it was only fitting that the first post to our Prayer Support of family and friends be to introduce you to those who are going.  You will be hearing from different ones from this group in the following days.

Scott and Susan Harrell:  This is our 6th trip to Uganda with no two alike.  That's part of what I love about these trips.  We have learned to expect the unexpected.  Our motto: Go with the flow.  Scott is the pastor of Calvary Baptist Church in Butler, Alabama.  We have been there now for seven months and love this body of believers.  We are blessed.

John Harrell:  Our son, John is also a regular on these trips. He is married to an amazing gal, Cristin.  They have blessed us with two wonderful little boys, Caleb and Jackson.  John is the Worship Leader at the First Baptist Church in Ojai, California.

Zac Cannon will be making his first trip with us.  He is married and the Youth Pastor at the same church as John.  We look forward to meeting him and getting to know him personally. 

Ryan and Jessica Moore will also be making their maiden journey to Uganda with us.   Ryan is the Pastor of Causeyville Baptist Church in Meridian, Mississippi.  Jessica works as a head Pharmacy Technician in a hospital pharmacy in Meridian.  They just happen to be our nephew and niece.  We are excited to share this journey with them.

Jaclyn Tisdale is a sister to Jessica and also our niece.  She is a meteorologist and works in the Stennis Space Center near Picayune, Mississippi.  Jaclyn is a fellow adventure-seeker and I am fairly certain this first overseas trip to Uganda will be her biggest adventure yet.

And last but not least Ashley Davis too will be visiting Africa for the first time.  Ashley was a college-buddy with Jaclyn.  She just graduated from University of South Alabama with a degree in Meteorology.  With her bubbly, outgoing personality she will be a great asset to the team.

Well that's it.  There is eight of us--- all chosen and called out by God for this journey and this work.  Please remember each of us in your prayers as we seek to be holy, yielded vessels for God's use.  It has never failed to amaze me how such a huge, great God chooses to work through the simple and the ordinary, but what an honor to be invited to join Him.  May only He receive the glory and praise for all the great things He will do.   This is going to be a great adventure!!  

God Continues To Pave the Way...

As I am writing this on the final Sunday afternoon before we embark for Uganda on Wednesday, God continues to pave the way for us.  As many of you know, this has been a REAL walk of faith for me this year.  I praise God that He continues to reveal His faithfulness in all things to us. 

A text message from our son in California informed me that First Baptist of Ojai, where he serves as Worship Leader, had raised $2800 through their fundraiser today, and the special church offering was still being counted.  God is amazing in the way He provides for us!  He is always right on time. 

Our plans are to spend the night in a hotel in Dubai, rather than tough it out in the airport all night long.  Then, once we arrive in Entebbe, we  will meet our host pastor and go directly to Kasese.  We should get in there around 9 pm local time on Friday evening. 

Thank you for all who have given, and who are praying for us on this journey of faith.  We really believe that God has something great planned for us and the wonderful people of Uganda.

Praise be to the Name that is above every name, Jesus!
Love to all,
Scott

"... and He will bring it to pass"

After writing that first post just a few hours ago, $1,200 total has been given from two different individuals as gifts.  Wow!  All praise to You, Jesus!

NEW TOTAL:  $4,900

STILL NEEDED:  $1,800
Remember this is just an estimate of the bare minimum needed without any unexpecteded surprises.  (That would be a first!!)

Only 2+ Weeks to Go!

Thank you to Cristin Harrell (my daughter-in-law) for setting up this blog site just for this trip.  Now any of our team will be able post updates all throughout our journey so friends and family can keep up with our day to day activities and prayer needs.

TO OUR TEAM:  Our tickets have been ordered and paid for.... now for the remaining time before we leave, we must focus and work on raising the remainder of our money!  We are still a ways off from the amount we need to just get by.

TOTAL AMOUNT NEEDED:  $6,700 --(MINIMUM-- This is not allowing for emergencies or any unplanned expenses)

$3500  Conference Expenses in Kasese
  1500  Rooms & Food for Team (7 days in Kasese)
    800  Van/ Driver/ Petrol
    900  Rooms & Food for Team in Jinja (Remaining 3 days)

At this time we have:  $3,700  We still need to raise a minimum of $3,000.

Be creative!  Ask your pastor if you can speak to your church and tell them about the trip, why we are going and what we will be doing.  Share the amount we still need to do the work of the ministry while in Uganda.  Ask for help from those who would like to get involved to help support this trip and this work.  Don't just send letters, TALK to the people.  Send them to our website:  utmi.org if they would like more information on this ministry.

Barbeque fundraisiers are always a good way to raise money. Check out your local grocery stores and see if some would be willing to donate or discount the food and paper items needed.  Many are very willing, they just need to be asked.  Ask for volunteers to help you.  Put out flyers in visible places in public areas.  Talk about it to your friends and ask them to spread the word.  Set up at a visible site with a large banner that would draw people passing by.  Charge a certain amount per plate and put out a donation jar for those who feel led to give more. People are usually willing to pay more per plate if they know their money is going to a worthy cause. Call and talk to friends and relatives about getting their churches and Christian organizations involved.

Most important--- PRAY, PRAY and then PRAY some more.  I know God has called us to go to Kasese at this time. This is a need and desire of these leaders and people to grow in the knowledge of God's Word and be better equipped to serve Him and His people in their ministries.  400 are expected to attend.   God would not call us and send us unless He will supply us with the needed funds to do His work.  But He may be waiting on us.  His plan may be to bless something we are suppose to be doing!  Now is not the time to sit and wait, but to pray and get busy!

What an honor to serve Him and to bring love and encouragement along with the needed teaching and training to our brothers and sisters in Uganda!  Praise You, Father, for allowing us to join You in this great work You are doing!!

"Commit your way to the Lord, trust in Him, and He will bring it to pass."  Psalm 37:5

Now.  LET'S DO IT!