Final thoughts on the 2012 trip...

I know it has been awhile since I last posted and promised my final thoughts. I apologize for the delay. Upon arrival home both Kysia and I became ill. Seems we brought a little visitor from Africa home with us. The first week back was a blur for both of us, but Kysia had to go to the ER. All is much better now, but last week was crazy. So.... We are back. The trip was incredible and hard and blessed and tough and amazing and draining and eye opening. We saw God work in the midst of darkness. The enemy tried to distract us, but God always prevails. It is hard for me to describe each trip. I cannot talk about my time in Uganda like it was a vacation. While we do get to do some fun things, our time is to serve with the local hosts. I have become very comfortable there after six trips. I miss my home here in the U.S., but I feel very at home in Uganda. I know that God has called me and my family to go and serve and be available to serve in Uganda. Each trip is always a blur, but I remember I mentioned in a earlier post that each trip, for me, is about faces and names and people I meet. So my final post for 2012 is a reflection on that.... Pastor Edward and his wife Julie and son Isaiah... I cannot tell you how blessed my family and I have been by this divine connection. None of us had any idea where this relationship would take us in 2007. Edward has become my brother and he is an amazing man of faith. I see him serve his people with love and mercy and grace. He inspires me. He is a true inspiration to me. Has a smile that lights up the room and a heart that does the same. Sam Mdune... Works with the bishops office of the East African Methodist conference and is the consummate host. Sam is quick to make sure you are doing ok and to help in anything he can. He is always sharing a laugh and I have grown to love this man. His heart of service is a beautiful thing. Heart of gold. Doctor Moses.... He was our driver in the north in 2007 while he was still in medical school. We anointed him our team doctor then and he has become like family to us all. Quick with a joke. Always looking to serve. He mentors and disciples the local doctors he brings to our clinics. You can see his concern for the people. Even on this trip I am still greeted by him with a hug and our famous quote..."Munu. give me a sweet. You have no choice." Bishop Daniel Wandabula.... He is a big and powerful man who loves the people in his conference and is quick to laugh and joke. How he goes to work each day and faithfully serves the people of Uganda, Rwanda, Burundi, Kenya, and Southern Sudan is truly God driven. Great man. Astra... The 85 year old grandmother I assisted in Gulu from the doctors to the prayer room to the pharmacy. We could not understand each other, but when I called her my grandmother she quickly smiled and laughed and beamed. I held her hand and walked slowly with her around the clinic. I thought of my grandmothers and was warmed in my heart. Calling her grandmother was a way for me to show her respect and dignity and love. She is not a forgotten person. The 88 year old man in the Gulu clinic that had worked as a police officer for the Queen of England... He looked much younger and spoke English and was just an amazing man to spend time with. He was funny in that when I told him he looked good he said "I don't feel good for an old man" and laughed. The policeman that watched over the clinic in the village of Lucero in the south... Kysia told me about having to ride on the bus with him to the village (I was not there on the first day) with his AK-47 hanging next to her. She was scared. He came into the prayer room and somehow asked for and ended up with Kysia's bible. God gave her boldness and she asked him if he read English (he could) and if he had children at home (he did). Kysia told him that if she gave him her bible then they would not have one in the prayer room for the rest of the day. If she gave it to him he had to promise to read it himself and to his children. He said he would. The next day he came to the prayer room and asked to pray for salvation, so Kysia and Arena prayed with him. Kysia was able to encourage Ben (local youth pastor) to pray for the leaders and police in their country. They have so much power and potential for corruption and goodness. It was a wonderful display of God's power overcoming human fear to witness the grace of God to a seeking soul. Powerful story. Innocent... A young man in the village of Koch Chorom in Gulu district. He sings in the choir at the Methodist church. I have seen him most years we have been to Koch Chorom. Last year he asked me where my son was who came with us in 2010. Innocent is smart and quick to smile and trade. He got me to give him my Not A Fan bracelet and gave me a bracelet that he made. It did not fit. I found out later he also got a bracelet off another team member. I like Innocent. He reminds me of me at his age actually. I took a picture of us together and I will be sending to him. Mondi.... I love my friend Mondi. He is very quiet. Mondi lives in Jinja with his wife and children. He has worked with us since 2007 and helps with the house builds. Mondi was a Muslim who came to Christ at Edward's church and is now on the church board. He is always quick to assist and help when we shop to make sure we all get a good deal. Mondi also drives a boda boda for income. We learned that when you are not the boss man (owner of the boda boda) you don't have much power. The daily rental fee is high and is owned no matter how much you earn plus you pay for your own gas and minor repairs. Mondi had a dream last year to be The boss man and own His own boda boda. Well through God and a relationship developed through some of our teammates Mondi is now the boss man! He is the proud owner of his own boda boda and will be able to keep more income daily to care for his family. I have been praying for a year for this and thought I had a plan; it turns out God had a different idea in mind. Mondi makes great jokes and his heart is so good. I love to see him in church praising God. He is a great man. The three small siblings who came to the prayer room in Lucero and asked Kyisa to pray with them as they wanted to begin a personal relationship with Christ.... We are not real sure of their story. Maybe the three of them were all the family they had. We do not know how they heard the gospel. All Kysia knows is these children came to pray for salvation. How amazing and cool is that? To be a part of God's plan of salvation for three small children in a village in southern Uganda? Sometimes there is nothing to do but be faithful and serve. What an amazing experience for my wife! The choir at the church in Kampala made up of Rwandan refugees....we stopped here on our way to the airport to leave as Traci had worked with the ladies in this church. They were simply amazing. The best choir I have ever heard in Africa. Ever. Their voices were beautiful. I truthfully was ready to be to the airport and start the long flight home. I was tired and not feeling well and selfish, but man am I glad we stopped. I only wish I had a CD of them. Powerful! Viola Mutsei..... Our sponsored child from CYORF who loves in the village of Kikubo. She is beautiful and has deep violet blue eyes. Very shy and quiet. Each time I have seen her she is smiling and hanging in the back of the crowd. Kysia and I got to see her at the school and spend some time with her. She talks so soft it is hard to hear her. We also got to see her in her home environment with friends. So much fun to see her in the element as well. Kariel writes letters back and forth with her and cannot wait to visit Viola one day soon. I saw her in 2010 and fell in love. It is also so hard to leave the school in Kikubo and the kids. Kysia told me that as we were leaving the school on Friday (out last visit) she saw Viola from the car and she was crying. Melts my heart even now. I am glad I did not see it then because I was have been wrecked. Sponsorship is amazing. It make a huge impact on the life of the child and the family unit they may stay with. Check it out at www.helpendlocalpoverty.com. Follow the sponsorship links and all the kids from Uganda are cared for by Pastor Edward. I cannot wait to get back and hug little Viola again! Beautiful girl with a beautiful spirit. So much more to share, but my time is done. I encourage you to talk to someone you know from the trip and ask them to share. They have stories and people and God moments that I know nothing about. And they are all amazing. I want to thank you all for following our trip and my random thoughts. Thank goodness my wife is a great editor and collaborator or you would have to read my bad grammar! It is always a blessing to share each trip with family, friends, supporters, and fellow travels on the journey of faith. Than you for your prayers as well. The team could not do it without your prayers. The enemy wants nothing better than to distract us and make us ineffective. Your prayers blessed us to be a blessing. God bless and see you next year! Chris and Kysia

It is finished...

The team arrived back at XNA last night around 11:30pm. Everyone is tired and wore out, but also blessed. The trip was incredible and beautiful. That you again for Ll your prayers and support. My final thoughts will be posted tonight or tomorrow. Praise to God for His grace and mercy! Chris

Recap of Saturday and Sunday

I apologize for the delay in posting updates. The wifi at the hotel in Jinja went out Friday night and never did work again. We have had a great end to our trip. Here is a recap.... Saturday was a recreation day. Mike, Jody, Melissa, Traci, and Samantha went to see the Sipi Falls and the pics are beautiful. Another natural treasure of this wonderful country. Dottie, Richard, and Susan spent the day roaming around Jinja. Keith, Jacqueline, Audrey, Morgan, Gary, Tamara, Charles, Kysia and Chris all went rafting the Nile. I must say we dominated that river! The rapids are different then in 2009 due to new dam, but it was still amazing. Our raft and guide, Tutu, did great on every rapid until... The Bad Place. We tried to do the 50/50 line for flipping, we did not hit it and everyone but Charles, Tutu, and I were swept out of the raft. As Tutu and I were scanning for our crew and i heard Tutu say he saw them in the water we came upon another rapid and it flipped the three of us out! Needless to say it was scary and awesome! We got to swim large stretches of he river and even got to float through some small rapids out of the raft. It was a great time. We even fought off the hippos and crocs! On Sunday we went to church at His Mercy church in Buwenda with Pastor Edward. Love African church. Loud music, dancing, clapping, singing. It is full of passion! Tamara and Keith shared their testimony and Jody preached and it was a great worship time with our brothers and sisters in Uganda! We then traveled to Kampala and stopped at a church TrCi has been working with. The members were refugees from Rwanda and it was amazing. The choir was incredible. Like nothing I have heard before. Beautiful. We all wished we could have stayed longer with them. We then headed to Entebbe and flew to Amsterdam where we are now waiting to bead to Atlanta. The trip has been hard and blessed. We all are still trying to process and it will take some time. Every year I head home I am ready, but i Leave a small piece of my heart in Uganda. I love Pastor Edward and our friends like family. My heart is heavy as I head home. My home is in the U.S., but I love my Ugandan family. Every team member has incredible stories to tell and amazing people to introduce you to. Kysia and I cannot wait to see our kids. We have served together and grown closer to each other and to the Lord. I shed soe tears as I leave, but they are tears if joy and blessing. This is not good bye Uganda. This is see you next time. Thank you all for your prayers and support. We experienced some darkness and could not have made it without your prayer covering. We also go to see God in His various distressing disguises. We love you all, Chris and Kysia

Sorry for the delay in updates

The hotel wifi in Uganda stopped working Sarurday morning, so I have not been able to post. The team is in Amsterdam and about to head to the city. We have a 10 hour layover. I will post an update later of Saturday and Sunday's activities when we get back to the airport. Please pray for the team. Very tired and ready to be home. The trip has been great. A lot of blessings I will recap later. God bless, Chris

A day of various ministry

Good evening faily and friends Today was a day filled with a variety of ministry opportunities. The team started out by going to the local prison in Jinja town. We brought gifts for the prisoners of blankets, soap, and razors. This year the gifts stayed with the guards and were not brought out to the general population! (incident last year that was 30 seconds of intensity, but all was good). Jody spoke to the prisoners about second chances and it was great. Many men made a decision to follow Christ and take the second chance God provides. I must say I aws a bit apprehensive going back after last year, but I knew God wanted us there to encourage the men. We did that and now Edward and his team are able to come and disciple the believers. Many of the men came up to talk to the team as we left. It was really a blessed time to minister. Then Tamara, Charles, Kysia and Chris went with Pastor Edward to visit the school at Kikubo again. I love this little school. It is amazing to see the progress of the grounds from our first visit. It was such a humble place. Now it is a light in the village. We got to watch a debate with the students and then they all sang and danced to welcome us. I started shaking my hips along with them and they loved it! This school is really blessing lives. It has enough class rooms for Primary 1 through 7 and a place for up to 20 kids to stay on sight. A kitchen is in the works and a new pit latrine as well. Al the. Lass rooms have new cement floors and stuccoed walls inside and out. Plus there are new wooden desks for the children to use. What a beautiful sight! Kysia and I got to see our sponsored child, Viola, again. She is such a sweetheart. Kysia told me that as we were leaving Viola was crying. I am glad I did not see it because I would have been a wreck. What a beautiful little girl. We also got to see one of my friends from past trips, Florence Baguma. Florence was a hue help to ajonah and I a coupe of years ago and she and I got to hang out last year as well. She is quiet and always has a great smile. It was so good to see these two little angels! We then met up with the other team at Wayange UMC for a service. This is where Traci has been meting with a women's group and teaching and discipline them. The bishop Daniel Wandabula was there again and a smaller Hope 4 Arica Childrens Choir. Jody shared a message (he is a fantastic preacher!) as Dottie and Melissa shared their testimony. It was a great time for the church to say, not goodbye to Traci, but see you soon. You could tell the impact this church and these ladies had on Traci and the impact she on them. It was a wonderful time of celebration. The ladies group was also presented with umbrellas so they could still walk to church when it rained. We in America really have no excuses for not attending church except for sickness. These ladies walk every where. I am so humbled to get to meet and talk with them. The people we meet a gracious and thankful for our coming. Great time to celebrate with Traci. The evening finished with the team eating pizza at Sergio's and sharing awards for each other. It was a great night of fun and laughter and fellowship. I am so thankful for all who came to Uganda to serve. I still cannot believe how far this mission project has Coe and where it is going and will keep going. god has doe some amazing things. I am humbled. What a great night! Tormorrow a group of us will go rafting on the Nile. A group will go to Sipi Falls and a few will just relax a d stroll around Jinja. It is time for us to come home. I love to be here and serve and interact and worship with my brothers and sisters. Africa is an amazing lace of hope and despair and poverty and love. I see God in his most distressing disguise and it is also so beautiful. Be ready to let your family or friend have some time to process when they he back home. It takes some time to really talk about it. But once they are ready oh the stories they will tell and the people they will introduce you to. We have experienced God in an amazing way. Get ready to want to come with us next year! God bless you all. I a off to bed because I need my rest to conquer the river Nile tomorrow! Peace Chris and Kysia

God's mercies are new every morning...

Good morning, The sun is rising in Jinja. The team is waking up. The coffee is strong. And God's mercy is among us. Yesterday was a difficult day. I was afraid after I posted the update that it was too negative. I want to be real. Sometimes these trips are hard. Lite itself is hard. Life at home for everyone on the team and for you is not always easy. But God is there to fill us up and carry us when we are weak. He makes all things new. Today we will spend time with some of the ladies groups Traci has been working with plus visit the local prison and get to visit with the Hope 4 Africa children's choir from the Humble House. This is the choir that visited Central UMC a few years ago. Talk to you tonight. Chris and Kysia

The medical clinics are finished.

Good evening friends, Well the last medical clinic of our trip wrapped up today, and I want to say it was a tough day. Not physically, but emotionally, mentally, and spiritually. We arrived and the crowd waiting for us had grown to about 450 people. The need is so great, as I have mentioned, and we knew as we pulled into the school we would be disappointing many people. This is a day I have come to dread. Having to close down the clinic and turn people away. We work to see as many people as possible, but the numbers are so great we can never treat them all. There were 4 men who rode a boat across Lake Victoria and then walked 8 miles the to the clinic. This shows how important a doctor is to the remote villages. Incredible. Today we saw 290 medical and 41 dental with 44 teeth removed and 1,092 scripts filed. We also disbursed vitamins and pain reliver to over 200 people who did not get to see the doctor. We treated a home for the blind and crippled. It is not about numbers, but our reach into the community was strong. Than you God for expanding the team like the loaves and fishes. The clinic itself ran very smooth. The process we had in place worked so well. The doctors and dentists and pharmacy and prayer room were a well oiled machine. The team has been just incredible. Everyone worked together and even lifted each other up when someone needed it. This team was the hands and feet of Christ. Be very proud of your family or friend. They displayed God's light, love, and grace. The difficulty came from having to deal with the local politicians. The LC 1 (the mayor of the village Lucero) had a heart to see his community served and was thankful we were there. Unfortunately he wanted us to see everyone sitting under the tree as well as a number of others he brought or had brought to the clinic. This is tough. He have us the ok to set up the clinic in his area, so we wanted to assist him. The process became difficult when he kept bringing 'special cases' to be seen immediately. Mike did a great job is explaining to the mayor that if we saw all the people he wanted us to see then we wold not be able to see as many people who had been waiting for two days. Pastor Edward and Mike did a fabulous job of coming up with solutions to see as many people as possible ad the mayor was agreeable. The people became more determined to try and see the doctor though as the day went on and began to move for the waiting tree to crowding the door by the doctors. It became very active. We tried to have our helpers get people to back up, but it was not working. As the mayor was working with Mike I pulled him aside and spoke to a politician like an never have before! I gained his agreement that we had a plan he agreed with and we were implanting that plan. He thanked me and I thEn told him we needed his help to back people up. I told him we were going to have people hurt by pushing and shoving and neither he or us wanted that. I was a little afraid I had over stepped my bounds, but he agreed and went to work. It still did not work. The people are under a darkness in Lucero. They were aggressive and desparate. They had no hope except the medicine. Even in the prayer room Kysia mentioned that people wanted her to pray for them because she would place a hand on thei back or shoulder and they felt the touch of a white person had special powers. Wow. I do not want to make it sound like today, or this clinic for the 3 days, was all bad. There were many people who smiled and thanked us and were so special. Many people listened to the gospel and made decisions to start following Jesus. We had our local pastors there to feet and follow up. There was light and God was present. The last days of a clinic is always hard when you tell peopLe they will not see the doctor and you will not be back the next day. Hardest thing I have ever done. My heart breaks whe I think of the faces I had to tell I could not get me to see the doctor. Ultimately hope was there. When Mike and I told the crowd that we would not be back we did tell them how many of their family and neighbors we had seen and the crowd said Thank You. The people have nothing. But they have hope. They came I hopes of relief and our presence and interaction did show them hope and love. It was just a hard day, but God was there and with us and the entire team emptied themselves to serve others. Finally, I want to say we have a incredible leader in Jody. He is always positive and u.pbeat and encouraging. Jody makes sure everyone has what they need and keeps tabs on the team through the clinic. He is a fantastic leader and a dear friend. We did have a special event for dinner. Pastor Edwards father hosted us for dinner at his home. We got to meet Paul, Edwards dad, and mother and siblings. They had a huge spread laid out for us in front of his home and we all sat outside and broke bread together. It was a traditional Ugandan meal of cassava, posho, marooned, g nut sauce, cabbage, beans, rice, tomatoes, avocado, chicken, and goat. Everye loved the food and the fellowship with Edwards's family. Our partnership and friendship with Edward is special. He is a good man and his heart for the people he is called to serve is so big. What a great way to end the evening. Well almost e end of the evening. As we were driving back to the hotel we canme upon numerous trucks in the road waiting to enter the sugar factory and they were blocking the road. We could not pass on either side due to the ditch. The team got to experien e a little more Ugandan culture as we exited the bus and let our driver attempt to turn the bus around in the middle of the road without gettig stuck in the ditches or hit by other vehicles trying to pass the trucks. A bunch of Muzungus standing in the dark on the side of the road looked a bit out of place! Thankfully our driver is amazing and got turned around and we began the long road home. T.I.A. (This Is Africa) I apologize for sounding so negative abo clinic today. I am drained emotionally and spiritually. I helped Mike today with crowd control and staging and as I mention yesterday I have no idea how he does it. I have many great memories of today and people I prayed with and talked to. It was a good day. Just a hard day. I am off to bed. Good night my friends! Chris

Kysia praying with an 86 year old grandmother

Clinic at Lucero village

Day 2 of clinics in the village of Lucero

Heading out for the last clinic in the village of Lucero

Our last day of medical clinics in Uganda is today in the village of Lucero where we have been the last 2 days. The team is doing good, it drained physically, emotionally, mentally, and spiritually. Please pray for us today to be filled with the Spirits power, love, and grace. We need to be filled up one last time to empty ourselves in service. God calls us to love and care for the poor and hurting and sick. We have seen some things that are hard to comprehend. God bless you all for your support. Talk to you tonight. Chris ad Kysia

Day 2 of clinics in the village of Lucero

Greetings family, friends, and supporters, Our second day of clinics is done here in Mayuge district. After word spread yesterday about the clinic it was packed this morning. We saw 287 patients in medical, 61 in dental with 44 teeth removed, and filled 1,075 prescriptions. The team just keeps pouring themselves out in service to others and God keeps filling them up. I am truly blessed to be a part of is team and their heart to serve. Today was a rough day. Not only did we have the large numbers of people who showed up to see the doctors, but the local district chairman and headmaster of the school where we were all kept trying to get their family in first. Mike Adelman is my hero. I do know how he does it. He does triage and assigns tickets to who can go see the doctors and he gets everyone asking him to let them see the doctor. The man is grace and mercy and love under pressure. I tried to assist him, but I feel I get in his way. He handles the politicians so well. He asks questions and reads what is happening and stops things if it gets out of hand and keeps it moving when it is time. Mike's heart for Uganda is so big and full of love. I am honored to call him my brother! The prayer room was also a place of power today! The local policeman we had to provide protection (he walked around keeping order holding his AK-47) came to accept Christ in his life today in the prayer room! Kysia told me that he was visibly moved by his decision. What a glorious thing! They also prayed for a little girl with sickle cell anemia and her belly was severely swollen. There was nothing the doctors could do for her and they believe she only has a short time left to live. This is some of the difficult things of the clinics. Breaks my heart. She did have the sweetest smile ever. What a beautiful little girl. Kysia told me that the children (there are always tons of children) would come into the prayer room and, even though they could not understand English, would come in and point to what hurt on them and she would pray. They knew what was going on and asked for prayer. God is so good! This village is one we have never been to before. It is hard to see the poverty and the desperation. It is as if the frontier days of America never progressed here. The people have nothg and a simple beanie baby or wooden cross necklace are like gold. I can be overwhelmed sometimes and begin to think of all we cannot do, but that is not what God called us to do. We are not here to solve all of Uganda or Africa or the village of Lucero's problems. We are to come and love. We are to come and share our faith. We are to come and simply let the community know they are not forgotten. They matter to God and they matter to us. This is what keeps us going. We cannot solve all issues, but we can love them. At times I do all I can to hold back tears. My strength is found in Christ alone. Great things are being done. Mother Thearsa one said, "if you cannot help 100 then help just one". This is our mission in Uganda. Dottie and Morgan went to the orphanage today and Richard went back to the house build. One great thing that happened is Kysia and I went with Pastor Edward to the village of Kikubo to see the school project that Central UMC is working on. (Kysia's first boda boda ride! All three of us on one motorcycle for 12 miles on dirt roads. Awesome!) the team will get to see the school tomorrow, but it was one of the most beautiful things I have ever seen. The classrooms are almost complete and the playground swing is in place and the new desks are perfect! I will post some pictures tomorrow. This school has come a long way from our first visit in 2008. The children just screamed and yelled when they saw us pull in. We still have much to complete, but the progress is all God and He gets the glory! We continue to see Muslims and we continue to treat them, love them, and pray for them. We make no bones about why we are there and who we are praying to. We welcome all to the clinic. I want to brag on some people... Dr Thorn is amazing. Always positive. Always kind. He is truly a blessing. Samantha is quiet, but she is so strong. Se is always smiling and working. I am amazed to see her. Great young lady. Audrey is cool. Flat out cool. She is quick to watch her dad help a patient or pull a tooth (she did that today) or fill scripts or run and play with kids. Morgan is a riot. Always keeping us laughing. She has a great spirit and loves to be with the children. What a great young lady! (today she got to ride a boda boda and also killed her first chicken by cutting its head off at the orphanage. She was pumped!) Traci and Melissa keep the pharmacy moving along smooth. Great ladies! Jacqueline and Keith make a great team in the dental area. I love to see my friend and his future wife serving together like this. Susan is the team mom. She is quick to help some one and is always looking or ways to serve and love on people. Charles and Tamara just amaze me by how they jump right in on their duties and do it with grace and love. I love Richard and Dottie. Their hearts are so full of love it is inspiring. you can see Dottie's heart for special needs kids ad it is beautiful. Richard is a riot to be around. He is always ready to ate in and work and he is flat out funny. He is always making the kids laugh. Kysia... This is personal for me but I am typing the blog so it is a perk! My wife is amazing. She has poured herself out for others (team and patients) each day and it is moving to see. I have seen her step outside of her comfort zone and just be a blessing. The language barrier is tough in the prayer room because sometimes you just pray and you are not sure of the ailment. Kysia has worked to be filled by God's power, strength, and love and pours that back out to the people. I am a blessed man to share is life with her! I will also state that every husband and wife should go on a trip and serve together. No excuses. Good night. The team is tired and we have an early morning. Pray for us and thank you for your support. God bless Chris

House build for Wamida in Buwemda village

Hippo

Nile Croc

Bottom of Murchison Falls

More Murchison Falls

Murchison Falls

Day 1 of service in Jinja district

Today the team split up and went to 3 different areas to serve.... Richard and I went to help build a house for Wamida in the village of Buwenda. We mixed cement using sand, water and dry cement on the ground with a spade and shovel. Talk about going back in time. Nothing like working with your hands and no automation! We worked with Mondi who is a member of Pastor Edwards church. Mondi is a great man that I love to work with. He is quiet but always keeping things straight. There were three masons bricking the house. Wamida and her daughters and their kids were there with us all day. They fed us cooked corn and the best cup of hot tea as a mid morning break. Richard scared a poor little girl every time he came anywhere close to her. It was a riot to all! I am constantly amazed at the resourcefulness of the communities we work with. They have nothing compared to the worlds standards, but they waste nothing. They make sure to use all available to them and their ingenuity at adapting to the materials they have just humbles me. Patrick, the lead mason, laughed at us all day long. He also spoke English to me when asking if we liked soccer. When I said yes the universal soccer question came next "what club do you support?" Patrick supports Liverpool and I support Manchester United! Richard and I also got to fetch water from the borehole about 200 yards. The jerry can holds 20 liters. We had to stop a few times since it was uphill! These Muzungus are not as strong as our Ugandan brothers! Overall it was a good day for us. Being thanked by Wamida and her family for building this house is humbling. Dottie and Audrey went to the Ekkisa orphanage for special needs kids. They had a great time just loving on this kids who have been abandoned due to their special needs. I know that their time there today was a blessing to the kids. The rest of the team went to the Mayuge district and set up the clinic in the village Rookio. They saw 201 patients in medical, dental, and wound care. Things seemed to flow a little off kilter, but that is to be expected since we have never been to this village in the past. Tomorrow will be much busier as word spreads tonight about the clinics, but flow smoother, as well after today. The Mayuge district has a large Muslim population and we treat them in the clinics without restrictions. Many of them wanted to be prayed for and so Kysia prayed with and for them. We do not tell people they have to be a Follower of Jesus to be treated. We simply tell them the reason we a here and offer to share our faith. So far in three clinics we have treated almost 1,000 patients. God has been very good on this trip. People are being treated and we are loving on them and letting them know they matter. The local hosts follow up with people and we love that. This is God's mission and we are here to simply serve and assist the local church. We do not come with all answers or tell our hosts how things should happen. We know that the local church is the one to disciple and care for the their community when we go home. This is what a faith community should be! We are off to bed. Another day of service and mercy and love awaits up tomorrow. Keep those prayers coming! Oh yeah... By the way... Morgan taught the kids to call the Hogs today! Good night, Chris and Kysia

Recap of Monday's travel day..

Good morning from Jinja! Yesterday was a long day for he team. We left Gulu at 6am and traveled to Murchison Falls National Park. This was an awesome side trip for us. As we drove through the park to the falls we saw giraffes, cape buffalo, antelope, a couple of elephants in the distance, and warthogs. It is amazing to see these animals in their natural habitat, and the numbers were huge! We the took a boat tour up the Nile River to the falls. On the way we got to see hippos and crocs in the wild. And we got to see them up close. We almost lost Morgan, Audrey, and Samantha to a hippo, but luckily all is well! (just kidding). We did see them up close and persona. It was amazing. The falls were awe inspiring. The pics do not do it justice. We also got to drive to the top of the falls; the sound and sights were awesome. Huge amounts of water flowing at such speed. Standing at the top of the falls listening to the sound and being sprayed with water was wonderful. The experience truly makes the scriptures come alive.... Truly the rocks and the water cry out in praise of the Creator! This was a great day for the team to take a break and see some of the country's beauty. Winston Churchhill called Uganda the pearl of Africa and after seeing the creation today I agree. Today we head out to a clinic and a house build with Pastor Edward. He and his wife, Julie, and son, Isaiah, met us at the hotel last night. It was a blessing to see my brother! Like seeing family after a long delay. Pray for the team to be rested and strengthened to go out and serve and love today! Going to be a great day in the Lord! Peace, Chris and Kysia

Dedication of first permanent Methodist church structure in northern Uganda... Village of Koch Corom

Day 2 of the clinic...

Waiting out the rain storm in the prayer room...

Pharmacy rocking on Day 1...

First day of clinics... Waiting

We have arrived in Jinja

Well this post will be short.... We left Gulu at 6am and have arrived in Jinja at 10pm... I will post about Murchison Falls tomorrow because we are exhausted... Long bus ride today.... The team is good and ready for some sleep... Tomorrow is a medical clinic and a house build.. Richard and myself will work on the house build while the others work the clinic.... Not sure were the clinic will be yet... More info tomorrow... Good night all! Thank you for your prayers! We need and feel them! Peace, Chris

Church in Gulu at Koch Corom

This post is to all American Christians who believe that a church service should last an hour at the longest.... Today we went to Koch Corom located in Gulu district in Northern Uganda for worship at the United Methodist Church. This building was built through resources God raised through Central UMC in Fayetteville. It is the first permanent Methodist church in Northern Uganda. Bishop Daniel Wandabula joined us to dedicate the new building. What a great honor to join this community of faith in a structure that they could not even imagine as a possibility just a few years ago. This church started under a mango tree when Koch Corom was a displacement camp. (During the heat of the war with the LRA the government forced people in the rural villages to move to camps so they could be protected. This move did not help quite as they planned as the LRA was still able to attack the camps and the people). As the war moved out of Northern Uganda people began to move back home, but many camps became permanent villages like Koch Corom. The service started with singing and dancing as African church does. Let me say I love church in Uganda because it is active and exciting and full of passion! The choirs are jumping, singing and dancing;it is incredible! This service was a bit different than normal since we were dedicating the building. We had an order of worship to follow and we sang some classic hymns. How amazing to be singing old hymns in a new church building in the middle of Uganda, Africa! Keith opened the service in prayer, as well as, praying for the church. Jody delivered the sermon and the benediction. Melisa, Kysia, Mike, and Tamara read parts of the service and prayers. Keith, Jody, and I assisted with communion. The service lasted for 4 hours... 4 hours.... Talk about being tired and spent but uplifted....And in the US we think an hour is to long! It was an amazing time. We also dedicated the new bore hole for free and clean water to the community. After the service the village cooked for us and we had a truly Ugandan meal... No utensils. So we all ate with our hands. What a great day to worship the Lord and celebrate with our brothers and sisters. Tomorrow we drive back to Jinja with a stop and boat tour of Murchison Falls. One of the natural wonders of Uganda. Our time in Gulu has been blessed. Our friends are amazing people who are resourceful,resilient and full of faith and passion to set the Lord. The team is doing so good. Today was a down day from clinics and I think we need it. Clinics are so rewarding and impactful for all of us, but they are tough due to the heat and the number of people in poverty and desperation. Of course, you also get smiles, prayer, hope and love. God bless you all. Chris and Kysia

Additional thoughts from the last two days of clinic...

Kysia and I were exhausted last night, so the blog post was a short summary. As I am sitting this morning having a cup of coffee I think back to some of the stories that we wanted to share. There was Abraham an 88 year old man who had the largest and brightest smile I have ever seen. He used to be a policeman for the Queen of England and was a delight to walk with and talk to. There was Astra. An elderly woman who could barely walk that I was honored to usher from the doctors to the prayer room and to the pharmacy. I let her hold my arm to steady herself and while we could not understand each other it was beautiful to see her smile. I called her grandmother to everyone and she just laughed! Kysia prayed with three siblings who all accepted Christ together. She also prayed with and for, many with HIV. Kysia was able to pray blessing over many children and she prayed for God to bless their futures. I also want to brag on Samantha. She has worked the pharmacy and is always smiling and always working. She is just a sweet spirit and it has been great for Kysia and I to get to know her. Being a med student she got to sit in with the doctors for some time. What a great experience! Such a lovely lady. Morgan and Audrey are rock stars with the kids. They run and laugh and just get right in the middle of things and the kids love it. These ladies just rock it. Keith has now graduated From Ugandan dental school. He is assisting Jacqueline and learning to pull some teeth! Richard has been in wound care the last two days and he is amazing. Richard sings and tells stories while treating wounds and the kids just soak it all in and laugh! Richard is fantastic with the kids and he is so talented to treat wounds and tell stories and sing songs and just engage them. I love to see Richard serving these children! We love to see the smiles and thankfulness from the elderly when we talk to them and hold their hand. It touches my heart to see how blessed they are. We simply are engaging them as people and equals and letting them know they mater to us and to God. Touching. And a little of bit of culture that I still find wild to experience. When a man wants to visit with you in private he will grab your hand and walk with you. This is a sign to others that the two of you are in a private conversation. It is still a little shocking the first time it happens to me each trip. One of my friends will grab my hand (fingers interlocked) and walk with me to visit on whatever. It is not as strange by the end of the trip, it always catches me off guard! Just wanted to share some culture with you. We are headed to Koch Chorom this morning to worship in the UMC church. Bishop Wandabula will be there as we dedicate the first permanent UMC church building in Northern Uganda. I love African church. It is long and active and just filled with passion. The team is getting ready to dance! God bless you all. Talk to you tonight. Chris and Kysia

Second day of clinics...

Greetings from Gulu district in Northern Uganda. Wow what a day. The clinic was full again as word spread from yesterday and people showed up. Things were busy but ran smoothly. God has been very gracious to us these last two days. As I mentioned yesterday the village has been under resourced for awhile. The people have a desperation, but they also always smile and say thank you. The simplest of items like a toothbrush or a beanie baby are treated like the greatest treasure. Everyone wants one and almost beg to get one. It breaks my heart that I cannot just give them out as there would be a mob and we do not want to cause any harm. Only the doctors and dentists can hand out these items to patients. The team was incredible again. Pharmacy and the children's team rocked again. Our people were placed in the same positions as yesterday. We had a bit more excitement today, though. It began with a broken down truck blocking our path on the way to the village. We had to unload everyone to avoid tumping while we prayed for our driver as he skillfully drove the bus to the side and through a ditch. Thanks to our talented driver we were able to arrive safely and serve 680 people today. Another exciting thing that happened today was the weather. The sky dropped out for a portion of the afternoon. We were able to experience the rainy season in its fullest measure. This backed up the teams do to the clinic having to shut down temporarily so people could take cover. Except for the dentist. Jacqueline put on her head lamp and plugged on through. The pharmacy also kept steadily working. On the upside God used us to lead many people to Christ, as well as treat them for medical ailments. We also recieved a visit from Daniel Wandabula, the Bishop of the East African Methodist Conference, who leads Uganda, Sudan, Rwanda, Kenya, and Burundi. He is a great man with a big plate and a bigger smile. Our team is exhausted. Each day is a struggle to try and help as many people as possible with the highest quality we can. God is good and we are blessed. Goodnight, Chris and Kysia

Good morning Uganda

Hello all! Good morning from Uganda! The team is awake and sitting together for breakfast. We are enjoying the coolness of the morning and a strong cup of coffee. The mornings are always cool and still. It is a great time to pray and relax before we head out to clinic. The mornings are beautiful! Thank you all for your prayers. The team seems in good spirits and are all smiling! We feel your prayers and they sustain us to go on. I love seeing the team bond and lifting each other. Talk to you all tonight with an update on Saturday's clinic. God bless, Chris and Kysia

First day of medical clinics

Well the first day of clinics is done. We got off to a slow start getting out to the village, but once we got there it flowed smoothly. We saw a total of 198 people in the medical and dental clinics. Many people were treated and received some relief. I always say this about each clinic on how difficult it is when we cannot fully treat some people. These mobile clinics just are not equipped to treat severe cases. The local doctors prescribes a first dose and refer the patient for further treatment. Hard, but we are providing some relief and a warm smile, handshake, conversation, prayer, and love. Morgan helped Tamara today with the kids;she was amazing. I saw her smiling all day long. The kids loved to have her chase them in duck duck goose. She's exhausted now from so much chasing. Samantha and Audrey worked in the pharmacy with Traci, Melissa,and Dottie ;they rocked by always being willing to step in and help, never slowing down. Kysia was in the prayer room and prayed for many people. Translation is hard to overcome sometimes, but it is a great feeling to see someone being prayed for in 2 languages! Keith was a dental assist to Jacqueline and Susan assisted Dr Thorn in the medical clinic. Mike was Mike. Totally in control of the crowd and keeping things organized. He could run for a political position and win! He's definitely the man. Jody and I were ushers. Charles helped us,as well as worked in the dental clinic. Overall the team was grace and love. I saw Americans and Ugandans interacting and it was a beautiful sight to behold. Sort of what I imagine heaven like. We did not go to Opit as planed. The local district Chairman asked us to go to another village that is severely under resourced. The people lacked confidence in themselves, we were told, due to being ignored. What a wonderful thing God did by changing our plan to His plan. We were able to stand with the village as community. Overall a great day. The team is tired and ready for bed. We will go back to the same village (I apologize I do not rememeber the name right now) and continue to love and share. Thank you for your prayers and support. Today was a blessed day! God bless, Chris and Kysia

Sorting meds for First day of clinic

Rosa - yeah she's roomy

Rosa - our transport in Uganda

Karuma Falls on the way to Gulu

Gulu

The team has arrived in Gulu. It was a long trip, but the weather was very good. We had a fairly uneventful trip except for when we crossed the bridge over Karuma Falls. The team was slowing down to take a few pics and apparently we did not ask for permission. The soldiers stopped us and confiscated a camera. Luckily Sam and our driver Chris visited with them and the camera was returned. It appears one of our college students was suspected as a terrorist since they have had some recent activity in this area and the bridge is the only connection from south to north. We prayed in the bus and all was returned to normal. Talk about what you can add to your list of "what I did this summer"... Add suspected international terrorist! We are eating dinner and will prepare the medicines for tomorrow's clinic in the village Opit. Again we need prayers for sleep as everyone is tired from traveling. It is exciting to be here and ready to serve again. The village is very remote and the scouting team visited it in 2007, but we have not been back since. It is going to be exciting to set up and serve. Please also be in prayer for tomorrow's clinic. For the team to be rested and strong and for things to flow smoothly and people be blessed. Peace and blessings Chris and Kysia

Uganda is as beautiful as I remember it...

Good morning! The team is up and has had breakfast and we are about to meet before embarking to Kampala and then to Gulu. I pave to see the wonder and excitement on the faces of those who are here for the first time. I remember those feelings. I also look out of the hotel and see a country I love. The natural beauty of southern Uganda with the greenery and Lake Victoria is just incredible. I also see the poverty and that breaks my heart, but I have seen and experienced Hope and Grace that comes from God. I love this place and my friends and family here. Pray for the team as we travel by bus to Gulu in the North. It is long and rough, but talk about seeing the country! Peace to you all, Chris

The Muzungu's have landed!

Greeting to our family, friends, and fellow Followers of Jesus! The team has safely landed in Uganda. We have all cleared customs, with all bags, and with no issues. Praise God! Thank you for your prayers of protection! Traci McQuiston and Sam Mdune met us at the airport and many laughs and hugs and greetings were shared! It was good to see our friends again! Everyone is tired and stiff and ready for some sleep. Tomorrow we will load up the bus and head to Gulu. We will stop in Kampala to exchange money and grab snacks... Then... The 7 to 8 hour bus ride to Gulu... We will stop at a road side market and grab some chappatti and stick meat... Stop at the Karuma Falls... And generally enjoy the Ugandan country side. Please pray for your family or friend. We all need sleep tonight. Everyone is safe and in the hotel and tomorrow the journey continues. And for the moms out there.... Morgan, Audrey, and Samantha are doing great. Like old pros so far! God bless you for your prayers for us. Peace to you all, Chris and Kysia

Walking in Amsterdam....

Well not in the city! We have arrived safely in Amsterdam. The team is tired and stiff, but overall feeling good. We are planning to drink some coffee and get ready for another flight. We have met a couple of other mission groups headed to Uganda. Our Not A Fan shirts are sparking lots of conversations and it has been fun and interesting. Please keep praying for our travels. We are getting close to Uganda! Peace Chris and Kysia

And the Team Is Off...

The journey has begun....

Well the time has arrived. The team is headed to Uganda today to join our brothers and sisters in service to widows and orphans. All team members are checked in and have cleared security! The Delta agent showed us mercy on our bags and all are through. God is good. Please be in prayer for us as we go in the name of the Lord. Thank you for your support of the team and your friend or family that is here. They will literally be the hands and feet of Christ. The 2012 Uganda Mission team members are: Chris and Kysia Thornton, Richard and Dottie Newberry, Mike Adelman, Jody Farrell, Keith Hoggard, Jacquline Scott, Gary Thorn, Audry Thorn, Morgan Rhoades, Melissa Thomas, Susan Flournoy, and Charles and Tamara Brickey, and Samantha Wages. Please be in prayer for us. Check in daily to this site for our days updates. Here we go. Next stop is Atlanta then Amsterdam and then Uganda! Peace Chris and Kysia

The Uganda Mission Project - 2012

Time is quickly approaching for Central to launch a new team into Uganda. The upcoming team of seventeen will be leaving Tuesday, June 5, 2012 and will arrive back in the United States June 18, 2012. We would love to have you follow along on this journey with us through this blog which will begin it’s update soon after departure. We would also appreciate your prayers along the journey. Our goal this year is to provide medical clinics, at least two house builds, work in an orphanage, share the Gospel of Jesus Christ and encourage every chance we can. If you wish to contribute to the Uganda Mission Project, feel free to do so through Central United Methodist Church 6 West Dickson, Fayetteville, AR 72701. www.centraltolife.com. Items we are currently collecting for the medical part of the trip include wet wipes, antibacterial hand gel, Tums and Pepto-Bismol tablets, Visine, Pepcid or Zantac, 4oz Robitussin or Robitussin DM, triple antibiotic ointment, Hydrocortisone 1% and .5%, Ziplocks both gallon and quart size. We look forward to sharing the adventures with you throughout the trip!