We just finished up a great meal @ Sam’s and have a bit of time at the airport hotel before we head to the airport. Thank you for your prayers for journey mercies thus far. Please remember our 8 brothers from Malawi, DRC and South Africa, along with the rest of us as we head back to Midland praying for an “as scheduled” arrival in Midland on Friday evening.

Vince, Laynce, Mike and James

Both equipping teams concluded their training today. The Men’s Mentoring concluded @ lunch time following a morning of testimonies and a final closing where the team ascended a nearby hill (a mountain in Midland’s terms) and they read through the Sermon on the Mount.

After three days of immersion in the principles of Kingdom Life from the Sermon on the Mount, the participants were asking various questions regarding problems in their respective churches. Vince gave the following invitation: “Tomorrow morning, we will discuss any problems in your church that is not addressed by the principles we have learned the last few days.” The next morning, there were no problems to discuss. That’s when Vince and Laynce knew, by God’s grace, they’ve got it!

The Omega team put in a full day wrapping up Happiness Unboxed and having a brief overview of Hope for Relationships, which will be the course we cover in November. In our recap session, the students were all consistent in their testimonies of many, many boxes that had been smashed this week. Mike Loftis command of the native language and “the moves” improves every day. It was a week, in which we experienced the three objectives that Steve Brown identified last week for the Alpha Team: Dig Deeper, Specific Personal Applications and Closer Relationships. Thank you for your prayers for the facilitators and everyone’s health.

Joshua, the 10-month old son of Pastor Fred and Rose is progressing well. He has been home a couple of days from the hospital and is starting to get his spirits back. There are times of pain and your prayers for complete healing and pain relief would be much appreciated. John, their 3-year old son, is fully recovered from his bout with malaria last week. I am now Jaja Bobo (Grandfather Bobo).

Tomorrow morning, the 8 members of the Omega team that live outside of Uganda/Kenya and the Four Musketeers, (Vince, Laynce, Mike and James) will start their journey to Entebbe. We will be leaving earlier in the day and are praying for a boring, uneventful trip. We hope to introduce Laynce to the sampler plate @ Sam’s in Entebbe. It’s not quite the same meat as Sam’s BBQ in Midland, but over the years, it has become a special treat for our teams. Lord willing, our brothers will be back in their respective countries and homes throughout the day on Friday and we will be back in Midland on Friday evening.

Please remember: “a boring, uneventful trip” is our preference.

In His Love,

The Men’s Mentoring and Omega Facilitation teams

Dear friends,

I am happy to report that our Uganda missionaries arrived home safely tonight. As the Lord would have it, the two flights, which were originally scheduled to arrive 2 hours apart, landed within 4 minutes of each other shortly after 10:30pm. A huge welcoming party was waiting, complete with balloons, posters, & flowers. Our missionaries were greeted with loud clapping & LOTS of hugs!! They are tired, but rejoicing in what the Lord has done over the past 10 days. Oh, they will so enjoy being in their own beds tonight!

Praise the Lord for their safe arrival home!

And I must say it one more time…THANK YOU FOR YOUR PRAYERS!!

Blessings,

Angie Snell

Dear friends,

I just heard from Marcie that Continental #5810 has been delayed. That flight is now showing a 9:06pm departure with a 10:26pm arrival.

At this point, the Continental website has not caught up to reality as it still shows an on-time departure at 7:25pm. That is wrong.

I will keep you posted if I hear of any more changes. Please pray that there are no further delays for either flight.

Thanks,

Angie Snell

Dear friends,

The 2011 Uganda Church Plant Team is back on US soil! The group landed 12 minutes early in Houston at 1:48pm. They made it through Customs with all team members and all luggage. By now, most have eaten their first American meal & maybe even had a Starbuck’s. They are definitely ready to be home and are enduring the long layover in Houston by getting horizontal on airport chairs after the long flights.

Both Continental flights are currently showing to be on time…

#5810 departs Houston at 7:25pm & arrives at 8:47pm

#5835 departs at 9:15pm & arrives at 10:37pm (Dean, Brooks, & Micah will be on this flight…I accidentally left them off the list yesterday!)

Please come on out to the airport to welcome them home! I know the missionaries would love to see your smiling faces when they arrive!

Let us finish well and pray for safe, uneventful travel for this final leg and pray that their bodies will quickly readjust to TX time.

Once again, thanks to all who’ve made this trip possible – family, friends, co-workers – you’ve all been a special part of this team. The Lord has really blessed these missionaries and I know that He’ll bless you for your faithfulness!

God bless,

Angie Snell

Dear friends,

I heard from Dean this morning, about 4pm Uganda time. At that point, the team was nearing Jinja, more than halfway to Kampala.

They started church early this morning so that our team could be there for at least half of the first Sunday morning. Steve taught men’s Sunday School, Tamarah & Sandy taught women’s Sunday School, & our youth team members taught lots of children. Tyler preached briefly which was followed by the church dedication & commissioning of the pastor by Pastor Morris Ogenga. This commissioning is an important event done purposely in front of the church body so that the church members know the pastor is to teach from God’s Word only, be faithful to his wife, and serve the church faithfully. Although the team had to leave early, the church service continued until 1:00pm. More & more people came as the service went on, including 5 local government officials. The top man in the district even gave a great little sermon himself & promised to send the grader out to the Tubur entrance road! Over 200 people attended this morning…Tubur Presbyterian Church was very full! Praise the Lord!

At 11:00am, Morris & the Church Plant Team grabbed their box lunches, loaded the vans, left Tubur, and sped toward Kampala and on to Entebbe. One stop was made in Mbale to drop off Julie Brown who will be staying for a Kenya church plant with a team from Wimberly, TX. It took the team 10 hours to make it to the airport through the worst traffic Dean’s ever been in driving into Kampala (& he’s been to Uganda MANY times!). Kampala traffic can be a hair-raising experience, giving the missionaries ample opportunity to rely on faith one more time before leaving Uganda.

Dean reported that everyone is feeling good. He asked me to pass along a great big “THANK YOU!” to you, the Home Team, for all your prayers this week. You have played a vital role in this mission—your prayers have affected eternity!

Now we have one final leg to go (and it’s a long one for our missionaries!)…

Their journey home began at 11:54pm (3:54pm TX time) when their flight departed Uganda (KLM 535). They are due to arrive Amsterdam 20 min. late at 7:08am (12:08am TX time). In Amsterdam, they will have a 4 hour layover before departing for Houston on KLM 661 at 10:45am. After arriving in Houston at 2:00pm tomorrow, the team will take 2 different flights home to Midland. Here are the final flights:

Continental 5810 arrives Midland at 8:47pm
Steve, Tamarah, Alison, Jocelyn, & Elliot Brown
Sandy, Glen, & Anna Minor
Paul Moore

Continental 5835 arrives Midland at 10:37pm
Chris Andrews
Tyler & Kennedy Beard
David & Julie Brown
Brian & Brent Crass
Marcie Erwin
Lexi Haest
Bob Henson
Oliver Woupio

Once they depart Amsterdam, you can track their flights at: http://routesinternational.com/tracker.htm

Let me leave you with a final thought. Dean wrote this as our email update scribe several years ago & I think it will give you a sense of what our Team experienced Sunday morning…

A Ugandan Church dedication ceremony is a bittersweet event. Seeing a new church fill with old and new believers is very exciting and enjoyable. Watching Morris commission a new pastor and challenge the church body to support one another and the work of the Lord gives our short term missionaries a sense of accomplishment and almost parental pride. The singing is joyful and beautiful. All too soon the service is over and the team loads into the van and drives away from the new church. They leave behind a week’s worth of walking the surrounding trails, visiting with believers and nonbelievers alike and months worth of preparation and anticipation. Some of the team will not see their new friends again this side of eternity. Some, team members and translators, will go ahead of the others to the mansion prepared for them. Some will return in the years to come to renew friendships, share the gospel with new faces and plant another church. And through it all, the One who loves us, the One we imperfectly love in return, we trust is pleased, not in the results alone, but also in our obedience.

Amen! This is the work you have partnered in through your prayers and financial support. What an awesome thing! Please continue to pray them home on their journey 10,000 miles back to Midland. Pray for safe travel, good sleep on the planes, & especially that their flights would be on time with no delays or cancellations.

God bless,

Angie Snell

Dear friends and family,

As I write this morning, I am sitting on the balcony of our hotel room, looking north. The large trees and short grass are punctuated by very rare street lights and a large cell phone tower. I hear the sound of an occasional rooster along with the crickets since, although this is a town, people raise chickens, goats, cows, and crops as a necessary part of their sustenance, despite yards similar in size to our own. A young man rides his bicycle along a dirt road, as a woman and her son, who can be no more than 11, drive a couple of cows down the road as well. The air is still cool, and smells of the morning dew.

Later this morning, 18 of us will go to Sipi Falls, a local waterfall. Five of us are going to visit the Lulwanda Children’s Home. The remainder will rest at the hotel. Tomorrow will find us at the inaugural service of Tubur Presbyterian Church. We will be leading Sunday School for men, women, and children. Tyler will then give a first, brief sermon to the entire church. We are to leave promptly at 11am. The service will continue long after we are gone, as Morris Ogenga charges the new pastor. Because of your investments, and aided by our labor, the church itself will also continue long after we are gone, transforming lives in this village.

Yesterday was a fine conclusion to our week in Tubur. Sandy Minor met a man on the trail who was a Believer. He suggested that she go to a particular house. The children at the house told her that they had heard some of us in their school earlier in the week. She asked if they had believed, they said, “No. But we’d like to believe today.” When we visit one of the mud huts where people live, they bring out what is typically their only chair, place it in the shade, and invite us to sit on it, while they congregate around us on the ground. They will have it no other way, since we are their guests. In this particular home, a grandmother was so ill that she had to crawl on her hands and knees to sit in front of Sandy. After Sandy went through the Gospel, the children believed. The grandmother seemed to already be a Believer.

Although he had not said anything, Brent Crass had felt a little discouraged at the beginning of the day because so many of the people he had met were either already Believers or were not interested. The last person he met on the trail was a woman who was a Believer. Seven years ago, her son, who was a month old at the time, suffered a head injury. This has left him with both headaches and brain damage. He has difficulty understanding what she tells him, and it typically takes him time to respond. She has been very angry at God about this, and even said, “No God would do that to a child.” This gave Brent the opportunity to share the story of his mother’s progressive dementia, disability, and death. He shared how this helped him and his family truly understand the meaning of Romans 8:28. While this made her think, she remained resistant. Brent then shared the story of his classmate, Hobbs, who had a stroke at age 8. Because of frequent falls, he had many visits to the emergency room. Ultimately, he died while in high school. Brent shared how Hobbs, despite his problems, accepted them as God’s will for him. Brent felt that with this, she softened, and became more open to understanding the importance of our faith in tribulations. This encounter encouraged Brent by confirming that God is using him here on this trip.

Julie Brown began talking with a woman at her home. The woman told her that she was Catholic, and then became quite animated and appeared angry. Apparently she was indeed, for when Julie asked her translator what the woman was saying, the translator replied, “I can’t tell you!” She went into her hut, but then the woman’s son appeared. He was pleasant and spoke good English. He told her that he was Catholic, but was quite happy to hear what she had to say. He believed the Gospel. Unbeknownst to Julie, the woman had been listening carefully from her hut. She told Julie that she believed the Bible, and that her church did as well. She told Julie that she was going to take the Bible verses that she shared to her church, because they needed to hear them.

Natalie Brown, as she was going from hut to hut, noticed a young boy following them on crutches. He would not let them talk with him, but he would maneuver himself close enough to hear what they were saying. Someone told her that he had not been up for a month due to a problem with his leg. However, yesterday, he followed them around so he could hear the Gospel multiple times.

David Brown sat down under a structure in the middle of town to talk with a couple of men. As he shared, other men appeared, who joined the conversation. He went through the Gospel multiple times. In between presentations, there were excellent, sincere questions that he answered and discussed with the men. He was there throughout the 1 ½ hours we had there. By the end, he had shared with 15 or 20 men, and all but 2 believed.

At the Crusade meeting, problems with the sound system delayed the beginning, and interfered a little with the program when it finally started. The children were released right at the end of the program, while the invitation was still in progress. Many of the children came forward to believe.

Vince Loftis and Laynce Nix have started their men’s mentoring program. Vince introduced Apollo, who became a believer when Vince shared with him here in 2003. He grew, went to seminary, and has a church, several members of which are in the men’s mentoring program. He has a 3 year old daughter named “Ongie,” which is the Ugandan equivalent of Angie. The name was inspired by our own Angie Snell.

Please remember us in your prayers as we travel back, and continue to pray for Vince and Laynce with the men’s mentoring program, and for James Bobo and Mike Loftis as they continue with the BEE World group. We look forward to our homecoming on Monday!

Steve Brown for the team

Soroti Training Team

The Soroti Training Team has completed their first week of training for the Alpha Team. For those of you who may not know, we have 2 groups who are going through the BEE World training in Soroti. This training requires that each person begin training their own group of leaders, taking a group through the same material that the trainees first learned & facilitated in the classes we hold in Soroti. The Alpha Team (pictured below) is in their second year of a 10-year training commitment. They have each begun 2nd generation groups whom they are now training. Take a moment to look through the picture & see whom MBC is investing in. There are several who attended our summer intern program in year’s past. We are reaching many countries in Africa!

The Alpha Team has returned home & now the Omega Team, who are in their first year of BEE World training, is in Soroti studying Happiness Unboxed. On Friday, Mike Loftis did a great job facilitating a spirited conversation on Belonging 1 & 2 and the group engagement continued with Winning Part 1 & 2. It was a full day for the Omega Team. They came prepared with their questions and are diligent in the study of Scripture on these principles.

Here is the Omega Team schedule for the remainder of their training. Please pray for these men (the Lord knows who they are!) as they facilitate these topics for this is how they really learn it. Sunday is a day off as everyone attends church & fellowships with the members of their hosts, Soroti Church.

Saturday
9:00-11:00 Prosperity–Part One: Harrison Phiri
11:00-1:00 Prosperity–Part Two: Julius Mukhwana
4:00-5:30 Vertical Relationships–Part One: Mwewa Esaya
5:30-7:00 Vertical Relationships–Part Two: Michael Betto

Monday
9:00-11:00 Horizontal Relationships–Part One: Numbi Ilunga
11:00-1:00 Horizontal Relationships–Part Two: Hassan Wabutwa
4:00-5:30 Spiritual Welfare–Part One: Godfrey Siginyi
5:30-7:00 Spiritual Welfare–Part Two: Johnson Mbazi

Tuesday
9:00-11:00 Margin–Questions to this point: James
11:00-1:00 The New Earth–Part One: Andrew Ochwo
4:00-5:45 The New Earth–Part Two: Harvey Chabinga
5:45-7:00 Putting It All Together/God’s Purpose Fulfilled: Charles Mukhwana

Wednesday
9:00-10:30 Family: Gama Kachaso
10:30-12:00 Work and Everyday Stuff: Denis Omondi
12:00-1:30 Church and Religious Stuff: Anton Banda
2:30-4:00 Wrapping Up (Stay onsite): James Bobo
4:00 Wednesday Night Fellowship: Mike Loftis

The members of the Alpha Team who participated in the July session on Romans/Galatians

Back row:
Mike Loftis, MBC Facilitator
Simon Peter Eguyu, 2nd generation group, Eastern PCU, serving Soroti/ Tubur area churches
Rehan Ali, 3rd generation group serving Durban focusing on Muslim-background believers, Tony Reddy’s son-in-law, Charlene’s husband (Charlene was a MBC summer intern)
Stephen Amecu, 2nd generation group, Eastern PCU, serving Teso A zone churches
Tony Reddy, three 2nd generation groups in Mozambique, four 2nd generation groups in Zambia, & one 2nd generation group in Durban (Tony was also a MBC summer intern)
Tom Ocen, 2nd generation group, Eastern PCU, serving Lira area churches
Kitty Lalbahadur, 2nd generation group serving Johannesburg, wife of Ravi
Ravi Lalbahadur, 2nd generation group serving Botswana which includes Mukwembe, an MBC summer intern
Peterson Bwayo, 2nd generation group, Eastern PCU, serving Bududa zone churches
Gladys Ojanjo, 2nd generation group, Eastern PCU, serving Pallisa A zone churches, wife of Pastor Vincent

Front row:
James Bobo, Papa Again, MBC Facilitator, married to Cindy and grandfather to Rebekah, Luke, Isaac, & Samantha
Beatrice Kayegi, 2nd generation group, Eastern PCU, serving Sironko zone churches
Richard Liviza, 2nd generation group in Chingola, Zambia with CMML assemblies which includes the ministry of Ian and Marilyn Campbell who were MBC summer interns
Benard Okoth, 2nd generation group, Eastern PCU, serving Tanzania and Nairobi area churches
Michael Mwale, 2nd generation group in Lilongwe, Malawi serving the Assemblies of God including the past ministry of Bishop Stephen who was a MBC summer intern Steve Brown, MBC Facilitator
Philip Mundemba, 2nd generation group in Kitwe, Zambia serving the Assemblies of God including the ministry of Barry Ilunga, who was a MBC summer intern
Mary Abbo, 2nd generation group, Eastern PCU, serving Tororo zone churches

Greetings from rainy Soroti, Uganda!

This area, like Midland, has been in a drought. This afternoon, much-needed rain began to fall. Unfortunately, it cut short the crusade. Those who had come were able to hear music and our testimonies before the meeting was brought to an end, and the team returned a little early. The rain dropped the temperature considerably, and the evening has been most pleasantly cool.

On the illness front, everyone was well enough to go on the trail today, but Natalie Brown stayed in one place and spoke to people who came by. Brooks and Micah Jarrett are still feeling ill, and went to bed after returning from the crusade. David Crass has now been afflicted, but so far has been able to continue laboring.

I was on the team that went to the schools today. For those who don’t know about the school team, I thought I would let you know a little about this ministry. Scripture Union is an international organization that has clubs in schools, with faculty sponsors who meet with students to teach them the Bible. They are a recognized organization in Uganda, and are able to do school assemblies with the permission of local school officials. Depending on the schools for the day, they pick up the team of 5 or so from our group at the hotel between 7 and 8 am. On arrival at the school, we all meet with the Headmaster. This is a traditional interaction that involves their welcoming us, and our thanking them for their hospitality. The Scripture Union team then sets up sound equipment, and the excited students assemble. Most of the schools are private, and many of them have Christian foundations and support. Some, it seems, do receive government support. The Scripture Union team introduces everyone and has a song or two (in previous years, the singing time was longer). Next, the presentation begins. If the school has more than 150 students or so, they will divide the students into groups. Typically, one group stays outside at the assembly point, and the others go to any large classrooms the school has available. Between 1 and 3 of us share our testimonies, and then one of us does a Gospel presentation. The students are asked to raise their hands if they have believed, with the faculty sponsor noting those students for follow-up. In previous years, this would be followed by more music and the conclusion of the program. Now, instead, at the conclusion of the Gospel program, the Scripture Union team presents a program about sexual abstinence until marriage. Because of AIDS, this aspect of the program is important and well-received by school administrations in this country. They present the material in a provocative and humorous way. The program is predominantly practical in a secular way, but does include a Christian perspective. The program for up to 5th graders is not very explicit, but above this level is quite straightforward. If the school was divided into groups, the groups reunite at the end for a song or two. We then all pack up and head to the next school. Typically, we go to three schools in a day. The schools usually have at least 100 students, and up to 500 or so. Typically, many students will raise their hands to indicate they have believed.

Our experience (the entire Steve Brown family and Oliver Woupio) today reflected the usual pattern. Many students at the first two schools, where we worked with 4th through 7th graders, indicated that they had believed. The third school was a Baptist funded secondary school. There were about 150 students at the meeting. The students knew a lot of Gospel songs, and some were enthusiastic, but, looking at the crowd, there were some harder faces. Despite the fact that they have been saturated with the Bible, about 4 or 5 students indicated that they believed. During the program on sexual abstinence, the Scripture Union leader took the unusual step of asking students to raise their hands if they had remained abstinent. Less than half of the students raised their hands, and comments from one of the teachers indicated that, in general, the students do not understand Biblical principles of sexuality. After the program, several students came up to us and thanked us with genuine warmth and affection.

At this school, as I implied above, there were some who were clearly quite committed, and others who were visibly resistant. This observation has held true for others this week. Vince Loftis remarked that, compared to previous trips to Uganda, there has been a larger percentage of Believers, and a larger percentage of people who are just not interested. He spoke with a group of 6 men today who were in the latter category. Dean Jarrett also reported that he had two experiences today when people did not want to even listen to the Gospel. This had never happened to him before on his multiple previous trips here. Please remember the Tubur area of Uganda in your prayers, as this spiritual warfare is most evident.

Marcie Erwin, in contrast, shared with many today who were most responsive, including mothers, children, and men she met on the trail.

Anna Minor reported that most everyone she encountered today expressed gratitude for her sharing with them. They were surprised to see an American out walking to their homes instead of riding in a car. Believers also thanked her for coming to support their efforts to reach Tubur.

David Crass had a conversation with someone yesterday about the importance of stopping to talk with children. He did so today, and a 9 year old boy believed. Lexi Haest also spoke with a young boy. She had thought he might be distracted, but he was most attentive, and believed.

Friday is our last day on the trail. The roads may be difficult due to the rains, and the mosquitoes may be out in force. We appreciate your prayers, for “we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this present age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places.” Pray that we will all take up the whole armor of God here, and may you all do the same there!

Steve Brown for the team

Much love to our friends, family, and supporters in the States!

Today finds us with a lot more illness. Natalie Brown felt badly enough that she stayed at the hotel rather than going on the trail today. Brooks Jarrett, Micah Jarrett, Kennedy Beard, and Julie Brown all felt badly enough that they returned to the hotel early. Julie, Natalie, and Kennedy had improved enough to go to dinner, but Brooks and Micah opted to sleep instead. Please pray for rapid healing, and strength and health for the other members of the team.

Today’s most touching story for me came from Tamarah Brown. She spoke with a woman walking on the road, on her way to the market. The woman was carrying a large jug on her head (these jugs are everywhere, and they are HUGE). The woman left the jug on her head throughout the conversation. After she believed and Tamarah had shared some of the follow-up information, the woman thought a minute and said, “If I hadn’t gone to the market today, I would not have received this free gift.”

Bob Henson said that his translator, who has been involved in the evangelistic outreach in Tubur for some time, told him that they are most grateful for the fact that we are here continuing and extending their outreach.

Damian Barrett reported that he spoke with a Muslim family, and all of them became Believers.

Several team members, in private conversations, have described widows and orphans in difficult situations. We are far enough north that there are many refugees from the previous conflicts in this area. Our Lord is the Father to the fatherless. Please pray that we, and this new church, will be a special blessing to these people.

The BEE World training group finished today. Steve Brown will be joining the church plant team. Mike Loftis has been helping with this group for the past few days. He and James Bobo will begin with the next group of BEE World trainees starting Thursday evening. Laynce Nix and Vince Loftis will be starting their men’s mentoring.

Although the team is in good spirits, the schedule is a demanding one. The weather (just in case you didn’t know) is hot. We have two more full days of ministry to go. Please pray for our strength and health, and that we will share the Gospel boldly. Pray that we will find receptive hearts, and that God will start this new church on a firm foundation.

In His service,

Steve Brown for the team

Greetings from Uganda!

There was much rejoicing in Soroti tonight. To give you a sense of the magnitude of the problem, the team started with 64 bags, and 26 had been missing. Now, they are all here. They arrived in the morning after everyone had left to go to Tubur, but were waiting when everyone returned to the hotel.

Steve Brown is much improved. Natalie Brown tripped and scraped her leg while on the trail today. David Brown cleaned it quickly, using supplies from our first aid kit, but pray for healing and God’s protection from infection. Brent Crass was feeling bad enough that he missed dinner tonight.

For those of you who don’t know, let me give you a brief overview of a typical day for the church planting team. The group assigned to the schools leaves at 7 am, after an earlier breakfast. The remainder of the team has breakfast a little later, and, at about 8:15, the team meets for songs and a brief devotional. At 8:30, it’s into the vans for Tubur. At 9 am, there is a devotional at the church plant site, which includes our translators. From then until 2pm, we are out on the trails sharing the Gospel. At 2pm, we have lunch at the church site. At 3pm, those who have responded to the Gospel are invited to come for additional information. By that time, children have begun arriving, and those who wish, play with the kids. At 4pm, the sound system is fired up, and the Ugandan worship team begins singing songs. This helps draw people to the meeting. Typically, 3 of us will share testimonies, and then one of us delivers a message, whose purpose is to share the Gospel. We head back to the hotel a little after 6, but the Ugandans continue to sing and preach until well into the evening. Dinner at the hotel, usually around 7:30 or 8, is followed by announcements and sharing time.

At sharing time this evening, Paul Moore shared about encountering a family whose home had burned down in the past couple of days. Like most Ugandans, they had almost nothing to begin with. Their neighbors, also with nothing, had done what they could to help. Two of the young sons had cut up a single pair of jeans, and each was wearing part of the jeans as a not-so-adequate covering. The man of the house denied that they needed any help, but the woman confided the seriousness of their situation. The townspeople at the church also confirmed their situation. It is very important to us & the Eastern Presbytery whom we work with that material goods do not come to the people from us as outsiders. Therefore, we arranged for the new church to feed them this week. After we are gone, the church will provide them with more material goods to help get their life restarted. We took up a collection to help the new church start a benevolence fund to meet these needs.

Oliver Woupio shared with a woman with 6 children. She was very sad as he shared. She then told them that her husband had recently died. The church they attended had told them that although he had believed the gospel, he needed to do something at the church in order to go to heaven (baptism). When Oliver explained that this was not necessary for salvation, she became quite joyful. Vince Loftis happened to be with Oliver at the time, and remarked that he was “not sure I’ve ever heard the Gospel presented so well.”

Jocelyn Brown spoke with an older man who said that he was a Believer. When she asked him what he believed was necessary to go to heaven, he started talking about doing good things. Jocelyn then went through our usual Gospel presentation. She then asked him if he believed this. He said that he did. Then she asked him how he believed he could get to heaven, and he simply repeated that it was by doing good things. She asked, “Do you believe the Bible?” He said that he did. Then she asked, “If I can show you from the Bible that salvation is a free gift from God, will you believe it?” He said that he would. She then took him back to Ephesians 2:8-9. Then she handed him something, and said, “Suppose I give you this, and tell you it is a gift. But then, I tell you that you must work for me in order to keep it, is it still a gift?” After this, a smile spread across his face, and he said, “Now I have come to my senses!”

On a humorous note, Kennedy Beard (one of our youth) was holding a baby in the back of the church during the children’s program. The baby started crying, and she took the child out the back of the church so as not to distract the children. When she walked out, there were several Ugandan adults there. They looked at her in surprise, and asked, “Do you breast feed?”

Brian Crass was talking with a family. After he presented the Gospel, he asked if there were questions. A young lady in the group asked a question, and her family began trying to convince her of the truth of what Brian had shared. He shared a verse with her, and she asked more questions. The family continued to argue with her. Brian explained to them that no one can be argued into believing. Please pray that her family will understand this, and that she will respond to their love for her.

Dean Jarrett spoke with a Sunday school teacher who was a Believer. He told Dean that a question had come up in his class that he didn’t know how to answer: “Is God a man or a woman.” Dean explained that God does not have sexual characteristics in a physical sense. He then explained that God does display the characteristics that men should have, such as strength and leadership, and also the characteristics that women should have, such as nurturing and caring.

The teaching team, James Bobo and Steve Brown, have been joined by Mike Loftis, who is learning how we facilitate the program. He will be facilitating a new group starting on Friday, continuing to work with James. Steve will be joining the church plant team on Thursday. This group will be finishing the study of Romans and Galatians today, and heading back to their homes.

Thank you so much for your prayers and support. We are most grateful for this opportunity. Please pray that God will reach many in Tubur, and make this new church a beacon in its community and beyond.

Steve Brown for the team

On deck for Thursday:
Crusade testimonies: Sandy, Glen, Anna, & Chris
Crusade speaker: Steve
School team: Damian’s small group

Dear friends and family,

Happy Independence Day! At dinner tonight, the youth treated us to a spontaneous rendition of the Star Spangled Banner. This performance was our only direct celebration, but there is much for which we are thankful.

First, David Crass and Natalie Brown are doing better. Steve Brown has a little turista, but has still been able to maintain his schedule. Continue to pray that we will receive the luggage. The latest promise from KLM is that it will be here 7/5 AM.

For me at least, the most moving story of the day came from Lexi Haest. At the first hut she approached, only an older woman was there. She was blind, and her family were all at a funeral. The woman was most thankful to talk to Lexi, and asked her to hold her hand the entire time they talked. The woman had not heard the gospel before, and when she heard, she believed. Lexi invited her to the crusade, and the woman told her that she would go if someone could take her. That evening at the crusade, Lexi saw her being led by a young girl, who used a stick to pull her along. Lexi held her hand throughout the crusade as well.

David, Natalie, and Julie Brown, as well as Oliver Woupio and Marcie Erwin, were the team that went to schools today. We do this in partnership with Scripture Union, an organization that not only brings evangelistic presentations to schools, but also has a program of Scripture learning throughout the year, which is done with faculty sponsors. At one of the schools, there were so many students of different ages that they divided the students, and divided our group to talk with them. Marcie remarked on what a fine job Oliver did in sharing his testimony. David Brown was talking to the older group, and actually got heckled by a group of Muslim students. Happily, this did not interfere with their presentations. At another school, the team was told that they have 68 students in their Scripture Union program, but no Bibles. The team was able to give them two Bibles, but this is a prayer request that they had for us.

Tamarah Brown and her translator were approached by a woman who wanted to hear the gospel. Her son had become a Believer a year ago. He had been an alcoholic, but is now sober. She wanted to believe what he had believed, but did not know how. Later, Tamarah was trying to talk with a group of youngsters, who initially were shy about talking. However, when she began talking with an adult, they came over to listen, and then they believed. They followed her and her translator, and listened to the next 3 presentations as well. Tamarah also reported that she went to a hut which her translator told her contained only Believers. As it turned out, that was not the case, and one of the occupants believed.

Please pray for Beatrice, a Ugandan school teacher participating in the BEE program. She suddenly became quite ill today and was taken to the hospital. She has been diagnosed with malaria, and is now feeling better.

Please also pray for the teaching team. We are in the heart of Romans today. Pray that God will give us all a deeper understanding of how to trust God’s power to live the Christian life.

As we reflect on our nation’s liberty, we are reminded of the liberty we have in Christ. He has bought our freedom from the law of sin and death, and brought us into the kingdom of His glorious light. Continue to pray for us as we bring this good news to the people of Africa. Continue to pray, also, for our African partners, including the translators, pastors, and church members who are involved in the work here. There are many Godly people here. I look forward to one day seeing their mansions in Glory.

Steve Brown for your missionaries in Uganda

I received a text from James at 6:45am this morning (2:45pm Uganda time). It read, “Twenty-six bags (not a typo, all MBC bags) are now residing in their respective rooms…” It appears the early count I had of 16 lost bags was 10 short of the actual total. PTL that the lost has been found & delivered!! Marcie texted me later in the day saying that team seems happier with deodorant!!!

Tuesday’s schedule was:
Crusade testimonies: Dean, Brooks, Micah, & Marcie
Crusade speaker: David Brown
School team: Tyler’s small group

Wednesday’s schedule is:
Crusade testimonies: Tyler, Kennedy, Oliver, & Bob
Crusade speaker: Damian
School team: David Crass’ small group

Thanks for your prayers!!

Angie

Here is Steve Brown’s report from the field…

7/4/2011, early AM

Greetings from Soroti, Uganda!

The team arrived around 8 or so on 7/2, tired but happy to be here. After two solid days of travel, the proximity of a bed and a hot shower are, as the Ugandans say, “most welcome.” Unfortunately, during dinner, the electricity went off, and remained off until late in the day on 7/3. That meant unpacking in the dark, and, unless the water in one’s individual room water heater remained hot, cold showers. Despite this, I did not hear any grumbling.

Sunday morning, vans started departing at 0600 to go to various churches. Each church team included someone to preach, a men’s Sunday School teacher, a women’s Sunday School teacher, and several youth to work with the children. Lunch together followed at the Soroti church (planted by our group 2 years ago), followed by some free time. After dinner, Ravi and Kitty, a couple from South Africa who are participating in the B.E.E. teaching, shared birthday cake with everyone to celebrate Kitty’s birthday. Ravi and Kitty are involved in church planting throughout southern Africa. He is a full time businessman, but they devote much of their time to ministry.

Everyone is here, but, as you know, much of the luggage is not. Another flight arrived the night of 7/3. KLM will be sending up everything they have on the morning of 7/4. Please pray that they will have everyone’s luggage, and that it will all get here by 7/4 early evening. In the meantime, it has been a good opportunity to share clothing and toiletries with each other. Some have been blessed to give, and others to receive.

The Soroti Teaching Team, consisting of James Bobo and Steve Brown, had arrived Thursday evening. They are working with a group that includes 4 women and 11 men, with 3 from South Africa, 2 from Zambia, 1 from Malawi, and 9 from Uganda. All of these are church leaders who have:

1. Committed to the 10 year BEE curriculum
2. Committed to forming their own groups of 15 to make the same commitment; and
3. Committed to traveling to Soroti twice a year for training.

They are doing an intensive study of Romans and Galatians. Each group member had gone through the 550 pages of material prior to the week.

As of 7/3 pm, both Natalie Brown and David Crass were not feeling well. It seemed to be a problem of fatigue, jet lag, and adjusting, rather than to illness. Please pray for their speedy recovery.

During dinner 7/3, several people shared how God worked in the churches they visited. The group who traveled to Tubur was particularly excited. In years past, we have started our church plants in villages where there had not been a presence before. This year, the church in Soroti started doing outreach in Soroti months ago, and started a church that has been meeting outside. Because of that, people there are calling it the “church under a tree.” Dean Jarrett reported that at their church service, there were about 40 adults and a larger number of children. Many of the translators working with the team today will be locals from this church, who will be taking our people to visit their friends and relatives. The children’s team, which included Bob Henson, Brooks Jarrett, and Micah Jarrett reported that the children loved to sing, knew quite a few songs, and were most enthusiastic.

Paul Moore shared about the church experiences they had. David Crass did the sermon, and shared about the trials his family went through several years ago. Paul reported that as David began to share about his wife’s illness, how she reached the point that she could not care for herself and that he and his children had to care for her, all the adults in the room were entranced, hearing an American reporting about struggles that many of them have experienced. When he shared how his children had to care for her, the children became quiet. He had his son Brent come to the stage for a lesson about trust. When they saw him close his eyes, with his arms crossed across his chest, the children gazed at him intently. As he became to fall backward (unannounced), trusting his dad to catch him, there were shrieks from many in the congregation.

Damian Barrett shared how, without communicating about it beforehand, he and Tamarah Brown had both prepared Sunday School lessons on prayer. As it turned out, this church, started a year ago, had an all night prayer meeting on Friday night before we arrived, and prayed for our mission to Tubur at the conclusion of the service. The pastor at the church was most grateful for the teaching, as prayer is a central issue in their ministry.

We appreciate your prayers, and look forward to all that God will do this Independence Day as we begin to share in Tubur.

Steve Brown for your team in Uganda

I received an update from Dean & James this afternoon (nighttime in Uganda)…

David Crass just simply needed a good rest and last night, he received it. He felt infinitely better this morning and was ready to “hit the trail” with a number of other ready troopers.

The lost luggage did not arrive this morning. KLM in Kampala says the bags will leave Kampala tonight (now) & arrive by morning.

Thanks for your prayers!

Angie

Soroti Teaching Team

In the middle of Stephen’s facilitation of Romans 1, Beatrice experienced a seizure. It lasted about 90-120 seconds. The group’s response was similar to what we have observed before with Gladys and Michael being the most fervent in their prayers on Beatrice’s behalf.

Once the seizure had passed, Steve Brown and Gladys took her to the pastor’s house to rest. She was able to walk on her own, was composed, but did have a residual headache. She is currently @ the local clinic and being run through the basic diagnostics. Steve says that malaria can do a wide range of symptoms and it may be a pre-cursor to a reoccurrence. If so, that is something that can be definitely tested for and treated accordingly.

She did in fact test positive for malaria and is being treated accordingly. We were able to visit her in the clinic. Her headache has passed & she is feeling much better. This is her first time to have malaria & she will have 24 hours of IV treatment & may join us tomorrow afternoon. Prayers for complete healing would be appreciated and wisdom for the doctors to confirm there is no other physical concern that needs to be addressed.

John, Pastor Fred’s & Rose’s son, was also at the clinic with Rose. They are also testing him for malaria, so please pray for him as well.

The transformer feeding the hotel was replaced today, so they expect the power to be fine. PTL!

Church Plant Team & Men’s Mentoring Team

Dean was due to call with an update at 3:00pm today, but the power was still off from last night. After charging his phone, he was able to send several text messages. The power stayed on for 4.5 hours from about 4:00-8:30pm (Uganda time) before going back off, thus no email update from Steve Brown today. In answer to many prayers, the power did come back on at 10:30pm…I’m sure those oscillating fans in the rooms are working overtime!

The Team had a good day at the churches this morning. They were able to teach & preach at 6 churches as planned. Tubur, where Dean preached, & Mukongoro, where David Crass preached, went especially well. It was a good first experience for our team members who were well received as Sunday School teachers & preachers. It is quite thrilling to walk into a church in a different country, in a different culture, where they speak a different language (Luganda or Ateso & English) and immediately connect with brothers and sisters in Christ! Wow!! What a way to start the week!

After a great morning, the Team gathered for an abundant lunch at Soroti Church with church members. It was a good opportunity for the members of the Soroti Church (MBC’s church plant in 2009) to get to know more MBC members.

When the power came on at 4:00pm, it was just in time for our missionaries to relax, nap, and work on final preparations for the week. It also rained for about 30 minutes this evening, to the cheers of several West Texans! The area around Soroti is still significantly short of their normal rainfall so it is much appreciated by the Ugandans as well.

Josh Barrett arrived at the hotel last night feeling fine (thanks for your prayers!). David Crass & Natalie Brown need a little recharging tonight, but everyone is well for which the team is grateful.

Dean spent a long time on the phone with the lost baggage department this afternoon. Word is that everyone will get at least 1 bag when they are delivered tomorrow. Dean thinks they’ll get all the bags.

Tomorrow begins the week of ministry with the same basic daily schedule. After breakfast and the morning devotional, the majority of the Team will travel to Tubur village. Upon arriving, they will gather with the translators for a devotional and time of prayer at the new church. Our missionaries will pair up with a translator or two and head out on the trail, going house to house sharing the gospel of Christ with whomever they meet at home, in the fields, and on the trail. We talk to everyone we see! Around 2:00pm, the Team will return to the church for lunch and a brief rest. The afternoon crusade then begins around 4:30pm. The speakers are turned up loud enough for the whole village to hear! Each day, designated team members give their testimonies and one of our men preaches a gospel message. During the main message, the children are taken aside for a special children’s program complete with puppet, songs, a Bible story, and the Gospel.

Each day this week, we will also send a small group for School Ministry. This is an incredible opportunity to share testimonies and the Gospel of Christ with a great welcome in public & private schools!

David, Brian, & Brent Crass & Lexi Haest are scheduled to share their testimonies tomorrow afternoon, while Tyler Beard will preach the crusade message. David Brown’s small group is set to send 3-4 people to schools.

Please praise God for answered prayer:
1. His gracious provision of a good day preaching and teaching in the 6 churches
2. The power coming back on for the afternoon & then again tonight
3. All team members are healthy

Please pray for:
1. For a good 8 hrs of sleep tonight
2. Boldness and courage as the Team begins their ministry, especially for our first-time missionaries and those scheduled to share testimonies & preach
3. God to prepare the hearts of those who will hear His message of salvation
4. That all 16 lost bags will be delivered tomorrow

And remember…when you awaken in the middle of the night, the Spirit may be prompting you to lift others in prayer. 4am CDT equates to noon in Uganda – prime evangelism time on the trail.

The team wanted me to let you know how much they appreciate your prayer coverage! Keep it up!

Angie Snell

Soroti Teaching Team

The 4.5 hours of electricity was a welcome relief for the Alpha team as they wrapped up Galatians today. They celebrated Kitty’s birthday and had a good relaxing dinner with all of the MBC missionaries. James said the school team, the crusade team, & the Alpha team (James, Steve, & Mike Loftis) will all be going full force tomorrow & everyone is quite excited. Thank you for your continued prayers!!

Church Plant Team & Men’s Mentoring Team

This morning the team embarked on their journey from Entebbe, through Kampala, & eastward to Soroti. They had about an hour for shopping in a market along the busy streets of Kampala, home to over one million people. Being Saturday, the roads are crowded with cars, motorbikes, boda bodas (bicycles for hire), & pedestrians all going in different directions. The streets are lined with shops of every kind & outdoor markets where you will find everything from live chickens, whole branches of green bananas & fresh meat to tennis shoes hanging by the shoe strings from large patio-style umbrellas & plumbing supplies in like fashion.

Leaving the congestion of Kampala behind, the Team made their way through tea plantations, sugar cane fields, & rain forest on their way east. I was not able to confirm if they stopped in Jinja at our traditional lunch stop, Ling Ling’s (the best Chinese food in East Africa!), but hopefully they did.

After a long day, the team arrived at the Soroti Hotel around 8:30pm, their home-away-from-home for the next week. Dean’s text read…

“We arrived safely, in the dark after a long day on the road. Traffic snarls and bad roads slowed us down considerably. It was a welcome sight to see not only our hotel this evening, but also the Alpha training group led by James Bobo and Steve Brown. Lots of folks napped as the day wore on, and almost everyone has had some sleep. I was told (wrongly) that David Crass did not have his c-pap, but he does. We’ll preach at 6 churches in the morning. Because of the heat, church is starting early. We’ll meet back in Soroti for lunch at 2:00pm.”

The power went out around 9:00pm and had been out for about 2.5 hours when I last heard from them. It didn’t appear that it would be on any time soon. This is an unusual length of outage & the hotel’s back-up generator wasn’t running. Despite this, I know they are all looking forward to good rest tonight.

Tomorrow, the following people will be teaching and preaching at Ugandan churches planted in previous years:
- Soroti – Tyler, Sandy, Glen, Anna, & Kennedy
- Tubur – Dean, Brooks, Micah, & Bob (because of the outreach of Soroti Presbyterian Church, there is already a group of believers meeting at Tubur)
- Lira – Laynce, Vince, Lexi, & Chris
- Onyakello – Damian, Mike, Tamarah, Jocelyn, Elliot, & Josh
- Kanyum – David Brown, Marcie, Julie, Natalie, & Oliver
- Mukongoro – David Crass, Paul, Alison, Brian, & Brent

Everyone will meet back at Soroti Presbyterian Church for lunch, then have the afternoon off at the hotel to relax, nap, and prepare for the week of ministry in the village of Tubur.

An update on the “lost” luggage situation…KLM found “some” of the bags in Amsterdam & hoped to have all 16 bags in Uganda tonight. Dean will call in the morning to confirm receipt & transport by KLM to Soroti. There is a back-up plan in place with a van ready to drive to Entebbe to pick up the bags if it looks like that would be faster than KLM’s plan.

Please pray for:
1. Good rest tonight
2. That the power would come back on by 5:00am so the kitchen can prepare an early breakfast & the missionaries going in the 6:30am vans will have hot water
3. That everyone will be excited, ready, & flexible for teaching & preaching tomorrow morning (sometimes you don’t have enough time to finish your Sunday School lesson or sermon & sometimes you get asked to keep speaking even though you’ve finished with all you’ve prepared!)
4. That all 16 bags will arrive in Uganda tonight & get to the team as quickly as possible tomorrow

Steve Brown is planning to send email updates starting tomorrow evening (Uganda time), so I should have news to pass along tomorrow afternoon. Praise God for the faithfulness and availability of these 31 missionaries as they go out into the harvest!

God bless,

Angie

Soroti Teaching Team

From James Bobo…”The training went well today as we progressed thru Galatians. Please pray for Simon Peter who will be facilitating the last session on Galatians tomorrow.”

Women’s Mentoring Team & Tom Green

Brie arrived safely in Midland last night at 11:00am. Tom, Julie, & Deb arrived home today. Praise God for safe travel & fruitful ministry last week in Uganda!

Church Plant Team & Men’s Mentoring Team

Our missionaries are safely on the ground! Praise the Lord! Unfortunately, many of their suitcases did not arrive with them. I understand from Damian that 16 bags are somewhere other than in Uganda…that’s over half of the team’s checked luggage. I think that sets a lost luggage record for the 11 years we’ve been doing mission trips to Uganda.

Dean’s text said, “Lots of lost bags but folks are already beginning to swap clothes. Most of us all still smiling.”

Most should have at least one extra set of their own clothes as we tell the team to pack a change of clothes in their carry-on bag “just in case”. As you can imagine, creating a wardrobe from your fellow missionaries only adds to the adventure of going half-way around the world.

Our missionaries have checked in to a hotel for the night, had an evening meal, and now they’re trying to get some sleep, hopefully a good 8 hours worth. In the morning, they will bring their bags to the front desk before heading to breakfast & team devotional. They will load the vans at 8:00am to head into Kampala for a bit of shopping on their way to Soroti, their home base for the week. Since they arrived at night, tomorrow will be their first opportunity to truly take in the sights, sounds, & smells of Uganda.

Praise God for the Team’s safe arrival!

Pray for:
1. Good rest tonight
2. That God would knit the Team together as they prepare to serve Him this week
3. That the “lost” luggage will arrive tomorrow in Uganda & catch up to the team quickly

The Greens, Deborah McCurdy, & Brie Kennard arrive Houston safely this afternoon & made it through Customs fine. Unfortunately, their flight home to Midland was cancelled due to mechanical problems. Because the other 2 flights to Midland this evening were oversold, Continental is putting them up in a hotel tonight & rebooked them on flights tomorrow morning. Tom will arrive at 10:15am; Julie & Deb at 12:30pm. Brie opted to take a shuttle to Hobby & catch a late Southwest flight home tonight.

Please continue to pray them all the way home!

Here is the final update that Tom sent tonight…

Wednesday, June 29th—Day 6

We all ended with a great last day!

The three Doves ended the class training with instructions on how to continue on the HTWT training. Encouragement was given while there was a discussion on challenges the women face and questions. It was fun to hand the women their certificates and see how proud they were. Deborah gave a devotional on opportunities and we ended with a communion service.

It was bittersweet to say goodbye. Each one of us have grown to deeply care about these ladies and it was sad to say goodbye. On the other hand, it feels good to know we will begin our journey back home tomorrow to see family and friends.

I, Tom, traveled with Pastor David Bukka to Komuge to visit the church of Pastor Simon Peter. Pastor David has been my constant companion throughout this trip. Pastor David lost his only cow to a snake bite, apparently from a Green Mamba yesterday. This is such a severe financial blow to him and his family,Millie who was part of the HTWT teaching and their four children. I must find a way to help him through this crisis. The church family today consisted of almost 100 people. Their problems and concerns were similar to the other three churches even though it is removed from the other three by many miles and the farms were obviously much more prosperous. In all this was a significant learning experience. I have begun to structure my data and have set out to formulate plans for using the information and returning on the next trip.

Church Plant Team & Men’s Mentoring Team

Just a quick update on our Uganda Team this morning & a correction.

First, the correction…I made a mistake on the missionary list in the last email. Josh Barrett is on this year’s trip, not his brother James. Sorry about that!

Now for the update…

They landed in Amsterdam at 9:02am Amsterdam time (2:02am TX time), about 40 min. late. I received a text from Dean before they boarded their flight to Uganda. He said, “All through security. We saw Deb, Julie, Tom, and Brie. Lots of hugs. Micah lost his ipod. Josh and Natalie a little queasy. Some slept, many talked and watched. Our God is an AWESOME God.”

Praise God for their safe arrival & the reunion He orchestrated with fellow missionaries!

Their flight to Uganda left about 17 min. late & they are now half through the final leg of the journey. They will make a short stop in Nairobi, Kenya before making it to their final destination of Entebbe, Uganda. Some may be napping, some may be watching a movie or reading a good book, some may be working on last minute preparations of a Sunday School lesson, sermon, or testimony. Excitement will build as they get closer to Uganda over the next 6 hours. Uganda is 8 hours ahead of Central Time, so they will arrive at 2:15pm our time. Our team will be greeted (on the other side of Customs) by the smiling face of Aidah Ogenga, Pastor Morris Ogenga’s wife.

To track this final flight, you will need to go to the KLM website (www.klm.com) & enter flight # 535.

Please pray for:
1. Safe arrival in Entebbe
2. Health for the team & that Josh & Natalie will land in Entebbe feeling great
3. Bio-clock adjustments…that their bodies will get on Uganda time quickly
3. All luggage to arrive at the same time the missionaries do
4. That God would be preparing the hearts of all who will hear the Good News this week

Thanks for your prayers! Having been on many Uganda trips myself, I can tell you without a doubt that the team is relying on your prayer support. You are ministering to them every time you pray & it is such an encouragement!

Angie Snell

Women’s Mentoring Team & Tom Green

Please continue to pray safe travel home. They are due to arrive Midland today at 6:05pm on Continental 5832.

Church Plant Team & Men’s Mentoring Team

The team took off on KLM bound for Amsterdam about an hour behind schedule at 4:57pm. They are scheduled to arrive Amsterdam only 6 minutes late at 8:26am, so apparently a tailwind is expected!

Before the flight, I spoke with Dean Jarrett, our Team Leader. The team did indeed get lunch, but they were not able to have the team meeting as planned. KLM had cancelled the evening flight to Amsterdam so the agents were working hard to get more people on our team’s flight. This meant a lengthier check-in process. Thankfully, the Lord provided 2 wonderful ladies who processed our group patiently & courteously. For check-in, team members had to present their luggage claim tickets so that KLM could make sure the right bags got on the flight. Oliver Woupio was not able to find his tags & through the investigative skills of Damian Barrett, they discovered that Continental only showed one baggage record for Oliver. He actually checked 2 bags (I witnessed the Midland Continental agent tag both of his bags), so we are praying they are both on the flight.

Now that they are finally on their way across the ocean, the excitement begins! Team members can no longer do anything about things at home & they are free to focus on the upcoming work in the Lord’s fields of Uganda. Right now, they are eating the first of many plane meals & getting settled in for the 9.5 hour flight across the ocean. After dinner, it is time to sleep so they can begin to get on Uganda time (8 hours ahead of TX time). They are on a great adventure!

Please pray specifically for the following:
1. That our missionaries will be able to sleep on the flight to Amsterdam (5 hours of good sleep would be great!)
2. For a fruitful time on the flights (before & after sleeping) for those who are still working on their lessons & messages
3. That all 58 suitcases will arrive in Uganda with the Team on Friday night

Use the following flight tracker to watch their international flight (this site is better than the tracker I sent in the first email): http://routesinternational.com/tracker.htm

Just input KL 662 to see the flight they are on now.

Thanks for your prayers! The team is counting on them!

Angie S.

Church Plant Team & Men’s Mentoring Team

The Uganda Church Plant Team is on its way! A great crowd of friends & family gathered to send off 29 faithful servants from MBC. They flew in 2 groups to Houston where everyone has arrived safely. This is the first leg of a 29 hour journey! They have had lunch (their last American meal for 11 days) & are gathered for a team meeting before boarding their flight to Amsterdam. Spirits are good & God is great!!

We’d appreciate your praise for a quickly answered prayer this morning. When Julie Brown checked in, she was told she did not have a seat on the Continental flight (even though we had proof on her itinerary that she did indeed have a seat). The flight was oversold & apparently they gave her seat to someone who had checked in before her. After being told that the next 2 flights of the day were also oversold, they sent her to the gate to fly stand-by on a full, oversold flight with her bags only checked to Houston. This was obviously Continental’s problem, but we were getting no reassurances that they would fix it & get Julie to Houston in time for the Amsterdam flight. Talk about stressful! Of course, God had it all under control. When Julie checked in at the gate, they put her on the next flight which half of our team members were on…and they retagged her bags all the way to Uganda! Praise the Lord!

If you’d like to track their flight progress, go to this website & input their flights: http://flightaware.com/

June 30…KLM 662 Depart IAH 4:05pm, Arrive Amsterdam 8:20am (7/01)

July 1…KLM 535 Depart Amsterdam 10:40am, Arrive Entebbe 10:15pm

Please be praying for safe travel and that all bags will arrive with the team in Entebbe tomorrow.

Women’s Mentoring Team & Tom Green

Tom & Julie Green, Brie Kennard, & Deborah McCurdy have begun the long journey home today. They passed James Bobo & Steve Brown on the road to Entebbe earlier this afternoon. James said they had a great week!

Please pray for safe travel all the way back to Midland & good sleep on the flights. If I’ve figured it correctly, they should overlap in Amsterdam with our team that left today…that should be a welcome surprise!

Soroti Training Center – Alpha Group studying Galatians & Romans this week

The class members have all made it to Soroti. They start in tomorrow morning on the book of Galatians. Please pray for Tom, Kitty and Beatrice as they facilitate the first lessons. Please pray for Simon Peter one of our students actually from Soroti. He is ill with Malaria & Pneumonia. Pray that he will recover quickly and be able to join the class this week.

In Uganda

James Bobo & Steve Brown arrived safely in Uganda this afternoon with all their luggage. Praise the Lord! They are hopefully sleeping soundly now in the Entebbe hotel as it is 2:00am Uganda time.

Leaving for Uganda TOMORROW!

Tomorrow morning, June 30th, our Church Plant Team & Men’s Mentoring Team will be leaving for Uganda. You are invited to come out to the airport to send them off at 8:00am. As a missionary, it is so encouraging to be prayed over by you, the Home Team, one last time. All the hugs are great too! Those leaving for Uganda tomorrow are:

Chris Andrews
Damian Barrett
Josh Barrett
Tyler Beard
Kennedy Beard
David Brown
Julie Brown
Natalie Brown
Tamarah Brown
Alison Brown
Jocelyn Brown
Elliot Brown
David Crass
Brian Crass
Brent Crass
Marcie Erwin
Lexi Haest
Bob Henson
Dean Jarrett
Brooks Jarrett
Micah Jarrett
Sandy Minor
Glen Minor
Anna Minor
Paul Moore
Oliver Woupio
Mike Loftis
Vince Loftis
Laynce Nix

We have 2 more missionaries on their way to Uganda today. James Bobo & Steve Brown left Midland yesterday & are on the flight from Amsterdam to Entebbe right now. They are scheduled to arrive Uganda at 2:15pm TX time this afternoon.

During their layover in Amsterdam, James said the trip had been uneventful so far. Please pray for safe travel, that their journey remains “uneventful”, & that their bags make it to Uganda with them.

There also are 7 students from Zambia, Malawi, & South Africa flying into Uganda today for this training. Please include them in your prayers for safe travel. The 2 Zambians missed their flight this morning, but were able to rebook on the next flight out tonight.

After an intense 5 minute discussion on what day it is, we all have decided that we are doing well!

Tom had a great day. He met with Dr. Phillip today and realized that they should be best friends. He is invited to visit MBC and the Greens. They had great discussion and met for two hours. Tom then met with Bernard, a paraveterinarian (nurse practitioner) who is the individual who cares for the Lulwanda Children’s Home animals. He got great insights into how they care for the animals and how to help them. Tom says that it is amazing how much brighter everything looks when you are feeling good. He will have his last meeting tomorrow with his 4th church. Attendance has increased with each meeting as the word spread–25, 41 then 98.

Tomorrow could be another record.

We gave the Ladies homework last night, so they taught Chapter 10 today and really did a good job. We put them on a time frame so they could actually understand the process of time management. Tomorrow is our last day so we will leave them instructions on proceeding with their work.

In the meantime, praising the Lord that our Pink folders are alive and well. Thank you for your prayers.

Prayer Requests: That we would remain healthy, and finish strong. Continued safe travel to and from our appointments.

Praise for Tom’s recovery.

The Doves and Tom

Greetings!

Tom is feeling better but still pretty weak. He was able to make a few appointments today but came back early to rest.

Deborah and Brie were very tired today because neither got good sleep last night. Julie is doing well and held the other two together. Our little phrase has been “Where are we? What are we doing here?!” There has been lots of laughter and the three of us have really connected as a team.

We experienced a wonderful blessing this afternoon! Pouring down rain!!! For an hour and a half. The three of us ladies were dancing in the rain. We had to abandon our pavilion because of the high winds and heavy rain. We continued our session in one of the ladies bedrooms. Julie did so well adjusting to the loud rain. Out of the three of us, Julie was the best one to have to deal with the spontaneous change. She did so well keeping the ladies on track and we ended the day with hot tea and cookies sitting out in the cool breeze.

The ladies will teach the next chapter tomorrow. We thought it would be a perfect opportunity for them the practice facilitating and creating activities. Pray that they will not be anxious and have fun preparing tonight.

Please pray that we can find our pink folders (materials that need to be left with the ladies) and continued health.

In Him,

The three doves and Tom

Today was a good day. We started off with loud thunder and pouring down rain. What a gift to see rain and hear thunder!

The three of us ladies felt energized today so you prayers are working (or maybe it was Deborah’s peppermint oil!) Unfortunately Tom is under the weather and had to end his journeys early this afternoon. Please pray for healing for him and that he can get back up and going on Monday.

As for the HTWT training with the ladies, things went really well today seeing as we talked about the difficult topic of rape. The three of us really seem to be working as a team well. Brie feels at ease and is starting to get a hang on things. She gave her testimony for our devotion. It was great way for the ladies to get to know her and where she is coming from.

Deborah and Julie, as veterans, continue to teach without effort it seems. The ladies seem to be receptive to the material and told us thank you for the blessing of the knowledge we are giving them.

Tomorrow will be visiting Morris and Aidah’s church. Brie is on deck to teach the women’s Sunday School and/or children’s and Julie will prepare for a women’s Sunday School as well.

We will have a restful afternoon after church and prepare more for the upcoming week.

The phone lines are on and off. If you need to reach us call this cell number +256792257345.

The three doves and Tom

Greetings from Uganda

Our first day went well. The Ladies were very glad to see Deborah and greeted Brie very warmly.
Our topic today was on children and how we can help them through bad experiences.
A tough topic to be sure and they have a lot of the same issues we deal with. It was a great reminder of how much God loves all His children both young and old and He is the ultimate healer of our wounds no matter the cause.
Brie did a great job as a newbie.

Tom had a good day as well. He met with 25 people and learned a lot about what they deal with in caring for their animals. Before dinner he was on the computer researching a few things. He will continue on his discovery journey tomorrow in a town called Tuba, Pauline in our class lives in this town. He got to meet all the ladies in class today.

Please pray for our continued good health, for good rest and energy as our topics get more difficult, and for continued safe travels for Tom.

Thanks,

Julie

Dear All,

We arrived Wednesday night about 10:15 pm and then had the customs and baggage claim which got us out of the airport around 10:45 and to the hotel on Lake Victoria at 11:00. We did get some sleep but we are all looking forward to a good nights sleep. Our drive out to Mbale was uneventful unless you view rush hour traffic as uneventful!! Kampala traffic is crazy.

We had lunch at Chat’N Chino. Very good then on to the Mt Elgon Hotel were we will be until we leave next Thursday.

Classes start in the morning at 9:00am.

Please continue to pray for the appointments that the Lord has set for us.

Julie Green for the team

Our 4 Uganda missionaries arrived safely in Entebbe today along with all 8 pieces of checked luggage. Praise the Lord! After a good night’s rest at an Entebbe hotel, they will drive to Mbale where they begin their ministry on Friday. Please pray for continued safe travel & quick adjustment to a time zone 8 hours ahead of Midland.