A Day at the Market

Today we went to the Any An Tsena Sabotsy, aka The Market. This market in Antsirabe is very large and has a large assortment of things, and compared to the other markets that I have been to in Africa, this one is very neat and orderly. We spent a couple of hours shopping and practicing our Malagasy, and bought bananas, pears, some baskets, and fresh flowers. We thank God for the opportunity to go to the market and learn more about the people that we have been called to serve.
Manga(mangos)
Mananasy(pineapple)
Mamyko(my sweet)
Hena kisoa(pork)
Hena Omby(beef)

Greetings to everyone, from the town of Antsirabe, Madagascar. This is our temporary town as we study and attempt to learn the Malagasy language. We will be studying language and learning culture here until July. After our official, formal language class is complete, we will be moving to the Northern Madagascar town of Diego Suarez and will be working among the Northern Sakalava people. Our language teachers in the photos are Madame Lalao, and her son Andry. They are both experienced and very good teachers and we are fortunate to have them. We would ask that you would please pray for our ability to learn, comprehend and retain the language, and that you would pray for the salvation of the Sakalava people that we are going to serve. Thank you all for your continued prayers and support as we strive to reach Madagascar for Christ.

OUR NEW ADVENTURE

We have been appointed as career IMB missionaries to Madagascar, and will go there on Jan 6th, 2011. Our stateside assignment has been great, we have reconnected with family and alot of churches that we pray will join us as we serve God and His people in Madagascar. Please start praying now for our new people, that they would have open hearts to the message that we will be bringing. Our next post will be from the big island. God bless.

BAPTIST GLOBAL RESPONSE

JULY 14TH, 2010: THE IN-HOME CARE KITS THAT WE HAD REQUESTED WERE DELIVERED TO THOSE IN NEED IN THE SLUM AREAS OF NAGURU AND NATEETE. THE BGR IS AN ARM OF THE IMB THAT HELPS CONNECT THOSE IN NEED WITH THOSE WHO CARE, AND WE HAD THE PRIVILEGE OF NOT ONLY SERVING THEIR PHYSICAL NEEDS WITH THESE BUCKETS, BUT WERE ABLE TO SHARE THE GOSPEL OF JESUS WITH THEM AS WELL. THESE BUCKETS CONTAIN MANY ITEMS THAT WILL ASSIST CARE GIVERS OF HIV PATIENTS. THERE IS EVERYTHING FROM SOAP TO BED SHEETS TO VITAMINS IN THESE BUCKETS THAT HAVE BEEN ASSEMBLED BY BAPTIST CHURCHES ALL OVER THE COUNTRY. THE KAMPALA URBAN TEAM WAS ABLE TO DELIVER 50 BUCKETS TOTAL, IN FOUR DIFFERENT LOCATIONS OF THE TWO SLUMS. HUNDREDS OF PEOPLE HEARD THE GOSPEL AND SEVERAL PRAYED TO RECEIVE JESUS. WE THANK GOD FOR ALLOWING US TO BE A PART OF HIS WORK, AND FOR BLESSING US WITH THIS OPPORTUNITY TO SERVE THOSE IN NEED.

THANK YOU SPRING HILL BAPTIST CHURCH

THE KIDS AND STAFF AT MUSANA CHILDRENS HOME SEND THEIR GREETINGS AND THANKS TO SPRING HILL BAPTIST CHURCH FOR THE INCREDIBLE GIFT OF NEW SPORTS EQUIPMENT. THE KAMPALA URBAN TEAM HAD THE PLEASURE OF DELIVERING THE NEW THINGS TO MUSANA CHILDRENS HOME AND GETTING TO SPEND TIME WITH ALL OF THE KIDS THERE AND SHARE THE LOVE OF JESUS WITH THEM. THANKS TO THE GENEROUS GIFT FROM THE GUYS AT SHBC, WE WERE ABLE TO TAKE THE CHILDRENS HOME A NEW VOLLEYBALL SET, BADMITTON SET, PING PONG SET, 4 SOCCER BALLS, A FOOTBALL, A BASKETBALL, A CASE OF 50 NEW BIBLES, TOOTHBRUSHES, TOOTHPASTE, AND MONEY TO PURCHASE NEW MOSQUITO NETS AND SUPPLIES FOR THEIR CLINIC. ANDREA, THE DIRECTOR OF THE HOME WAS BLOWN AWAY AND WANTED US TO EXPRESS HER EXTREME GRATITUDE FOR THE OVERWHELMING GIFT. THERE ARE ABOUT 150 KIDS AT MUSANA, AND MOST OF THEM HAVE LOST THEIR PARENTS TO HIV AND THEY JUST REALLY WANT TO FEEL LOVED, AND SPRING HILL HAS BROUGHT SOME LOVE TO THEM. SPRING HILL ROCKS!! MAY GOD CONTINUE USING SHBC TO BLESS "THE LEAST OF THESE" MATT.25:40

We were recently blessed with a gift that we used to purchase some English and Luganda Bibles. We made the trip to the Bible House a family trip so that our kids could be a part of this. The first Bibles were given to some ladies at a Bible study in Namuwango/Soweto. Thank you friends for this wonderful gift.

MUSANA CHILDRENS HOME

Afew weeks ago I was able to accompany a volunteer team from Early, Texas to an orphanage called Musana Childrens Home. The home is run by a young lady from Colorado and a group of volunteers. The children were so excited to have our team come out to visit them, they greeted us with shouts and songs and found great joy in showing us around their home. There are over 100 kids here that are receiving education, nutrition, and health care, it is a wonderful home. We played games, told stories and shared the love of Jesus with them. I am quite sure that we were blessed by this visit just as much, if not more than the kids were.

The birth of a house church

The Book of Acts records many new believers meeting in their homes for church, and Jesus tells us in Matthew that where two or three are gathered in His name, He will be there with them. Today was such an occasion. In the slum area of Naguru, a new house began and Jesus' name was made famous to people that live here and His name was glorified. After spending many days walking through this area evangelizing, a man of peace was found and a place to meet was granted. Twenty people, ten men and ten women gathered round to listen to God's word, sing a song of praise, and pray together. It was wonderful, and I wish all of you could have been here to experience the power of God in Naguru. To God be the glory, great things He is doing!!

God is good all the time . . .

. . . and all the time God is good! In earlier posts we introduced you to Tina and her amazing journey in faith. She has endured many struggles over the past year. The death of her husband in an auto accident. A partial loss of use in her right arm and leg as part of that same accident. But, through it all she has kept her eyes on the one who provides, the one who supports and the one who sustains, our Heavenly Father. You may remember that she had a little girl in September and we named her Faith. Take a look at Faith now! God has provided Tina with a beautiful little girl, a testament to her faith in Jesus Christ. May God continue to be glorified in the life of Tina and Faith. May Tina share her faith and testimony as she shares the story of her little girl.

"I pray that you may be active in sharing your faith, so that you will have a full understanding of every good thing we have in Christ." Philemon :6

Celebrating Jesus' love on Valentine's Day

On this day of celebrating love, we were able to share with those at Lugoba Baptist Church the most important love all all, the love of Jesus Christ! Andrew was able to share through Scripture the importance of love as commanded in John 15. Our prayer is that the love of Jesus would shine through each and every day in the lives of those in this church, this community and throughout Kampala.




This picture cannot fully capture the outpouring of love this sister in Christ is laying at our Father's feet. She worships in song, totally unaware of those around. Her only focus is on the one who died for her, who shed His blood for her and who has prepared a place in heaven for her.









Here is one of my favorite young friends, Ivan, getting ready to sing "Go Light Your Candle". This song simply encourages each one to grab the hand of another and share the love of Jesus. A simple message with eternal consequences! Praise God for these young people, dedicated to sharing God's love through music.






"I will sing of the Lord's great love forever; with my mouth I will make your faithfulness known through all generations." Psalms 89:1

Christmas in Kampala

Yesterday we went to celebrate and share the story of Christmas with the house church in Biina. What a blessing this group of believers is to our family! We were welcomed with a HUGE downpour, as you can see in the picture. It was wet, wet, wet and cold. There were several in the group that were unable to make it because of the rain, but it would take more than this mini flood to keep us from celebrating the birth of Jesus.

We passed out GOD LOVES YOU coloring books, crayons and "sweeties" (candy) to the children and most adults! Then Andrew read the story of Jesus' birth from Luke. What a joy it was to watch the children as they listened to the amazing story of our Savior's birth. We discussed the true meaning of the season and how we need to share the hope we have in Jesus Christ with others.

This group is a living testament to the faith, hope and love we have in Christ. There is a lot to be thankful for this year as we look forward to 2010. We have grown in love, knowledge of the Word and in size. We have a new addition as you can see in the picture, this beautiful baby girl was born about 3 weeks ago. What a blessing to the group and her family. We are still waiting on a name!

Praise God for Jjaja Esther and this group of believers that meet each week! Pray for them as they battle with health issues, lack of jobs and daily living. Even in the midst of their daily struggles they are a light unto their community. Pray that they will continue to share the love of Jesus with their neighbors, family and friends. Pray for Charles, as he has come to be a leader of this group. May God bless him with guidance and direction as he seeks to learn and grow in his faith.

Mukama ye bazibwe! Praise the Lord!

A Testament to Faith...

and that is what we named her! Many of you may remember meeting Tina in an earlier blog. Her story is one of God's mercy, grace and goodness. Many did not believe that Tina would be able to deliver a healthy baby. Doctors told her the baby would be lame and probably die, but God had other plans!

This little miracle was born on September 27th, not sure how much she weighs or how long she is, but we know for sure she is a miracle. She was born at home in the middle of the night, much to the surprise of everyone in the house. There are still family members who don't believe that she can exist so many plan on coming by over the next few weeks to witness this child.

Tina asked us to name her new baby, it was both an honor and privilege. Naming a baby, not your own, can be stressful! But, her name came easily as we asked for God's help. You see, Tina has shown great faith since the car accident. Through the loss of her husband. Through her life changing illness. Through her disability. Tina can see God at work. Now she has an opportunity not only to share her faith with her family and others, but to share her precious baby Faith, as a testament to the awesome power, love and mercy of our Heavenly Father.

"I pray that you may be active in sharing your faith, so that you will have a full understanding of every good thing we have in Jesus Christ." Philemon :6

NAGURU

There is an uncountable number of slum areas in Kampala, and I may never get into all of them. This is Naguru, which is a slum that is very near one of the more affluent areas of Kampala, the contrast here is almost unbelievable. I spent all day Tuesday with my friend Douglas visiting the people of Naguru, and exploring the possibility of starting a house church there. As with all of these areas, the need is very great spiritually and physically. This first photo is of a group of women that are making local waragi (moonshine). We had a really good time getting to know these women, and after some time, I started to preach to them as they worked. None of them prayed to receive Jesus, but they all heard the gospel and were given an opportunity. I pray that they will take the words of God to heart and repent and ask Him into their lives.

This man is the landlord of this place and he is a believer, we had a very nice visit with him and encouraged him to share his faith with the community.

Typical scene of kids playing in the mud.

Mother and daughter. This maama saw Douglas and I and came to us and asked us to please come to her place. She is a drunkard and occasional prostitute and has been known to beat her daughter. We sat and listened for at least an hour as they both cried while telling us all of their issues. We shared with them, we preached to them, we prayed with them, and we loved them. At the end, they BOTH prayed to receive Jesus. Mukaama Ye Bazibwe!!!

We shared the gospel everywhere we went and preached at every opportunity, even in the middle of the street. It was a great day in Naguru. Please remember these dear people in your prayers.

Sunday in Buziga

We had the privilege of worshiping at Lifeway Baptist Church in Buziga this past Sunday. Andrew was asked to preach and encourage this congregation not far from where we live in Kansanga. Lifeway is a light in this community, its sits among mosques, an Islamic Institute and other avenues of false teachings.

This church is alive and on mission to reach those in their community. Please pray for this congregation as they prepare for a week long evangelism and outreach event culminating in the showing of the Jesus film. Our prayer is that God will go before them as they reach out as His "hands" and "feet" to share the love and good news of Jesus Christ!

The first hour of service includes great songs of worship and praise, sometimes its more than just the first hour! "Sing to him, sing praise to him; tell of all his wonderful acts." Psalm 105:2

This is Pastor Cosmos (left) with one of our young Ugandan friends, Everest. We pray for the leadership of this church, that they will seek guidance and direction from God. Everest is currently a student at Uganda Baptist Seminary. We praise God for this opportunity for him to obtain a solid foundation in the Word.

Here Andrew is preaching with translation help from our friend Joel. God's word is mighty and strong. Andrew encouraged the church to not be complacent pew sitters, that their role in the great commission is to go out into their community and witness to their friends and family and neighbors about what Jesus has done for them. And how He is willing to do the same for everyone who calls on His name. It was a great spirit filled service and the name of the Lord was glorified. The sermon was confirmation from God's word, to this group of believers that the good news of Jesus Christ should not remain within their four walls, but should be proclaimed throughout Buziga, Kampala, Uganda . . . "and to the ends of the earth."