Greetings from Uganda 2013!

Greetings from Uganda! Last night the last of our team members arrived at the airport in Entebbe. Our fearless driver, Jawale, steered our van through the dark, smoky streets of Kampala, dodging trucks, taxi vans, motorcycle taxis called boda-bodas, bicycles, potholes, and swarms of people. After five hours of jolting travel, relieved by a nice dinner at a restaurant along the way, we arrived at the compound of Pastor Robert and Sarah for a very merry, if bleary eyed, late night reunion.

Since several members of our team were jet lagged, we all slept in this morning. After a late breakfast, we ventured out to the dusty shops and alleyways of Jinja, where were a bit of a curiousity as we bought huge bags of rice, beans, and sugar, along with boxes of toothpaste, toothbrushes, and other items to share with people we expect to meet in the coming days.

After lunch, we headed to Bukeeka for a visit to Fountain of Hope Junior and High Schools. The children and staff all greeted us warmly and we were given a tour of the facilities. It was my first time to visit, but Becca, who had visited Fountain of Hope four years ago, was astounded by the growth in children and facilities. Pastor Robert showed us the new concrete kitchen built to replace the old, wooden, open air kitchen a few years ago, but noted that by the time the new facility was built the enrollment had grown so that they needed both kitchens, and they are now again waiting for money to finish expanding the new kitchen. Similarly, a dormitory built for resident students with two sides, for boys and girls, now houses only girls because it had grown overcrowded, with bunks stacked four high. So now a classroom building has been converted to boys dorms and the high school students are back to using an old, wooden building at the junior school for classes. The schools now have over a thousand students and its enrollment continues to grow with its reputation.

After touring Fountain of Hope, we stopped at the new and improved pole church, True Worship Center in Bukeeka. I was delighted to meet Elisha, son of a local witch doctor, who is now a bold believer in Jesus Christ. Not long ago True Worship hosted over a thousand people at an evangelistic rally, which is particularly striking as the church looks out at a mountain where human sacrifices have been offered to the demons that still hold many people captive here.

It's now after dinner, and we are preparing for our first visit to one of the bush congregations nearby for an all believers rally in the morning and some outreach in the afternoon. Thanks for checking in, and please keep us in your prayers in the coming days!

Kirk