We're All Together

We all arrived safely in Houston where we all met for the first time.  New friendships are being made as we get to know each other better.  After a brief visit in Houston, it was time to get on the plane for London.  We have arrived and am enjoying our 9 hour layover.  As you can see from the picture below, some are sleeping.  We don't know how Marc has manipulated his body to fit over the arm rests, but he is sleeping soundly.  Others are playing cards, reading, or working on their computer.  We anxiously await our next 9 hour flight and 6 hour "van " ride.  Everybody is behaving themselves so far, I can tell we will have our hands full with Josh.  He is just a big kid!

All our our baggage and boxes made it on the plane.  We had one box that was 3 inches too big, but since I am so sweet to the gate agents, ours just happened to graduate from SWT in San Marcos, we were able to get the box on the plane without any problems.  Hopefully they will all arrive in Entebbe in one piece and we get through customs without any problems.

Everyone is excited and ready to get to Uganda.  God is already working making us one team and marvelous things are going to happen.

In the group picture above, Josh is not in the picture.  He was volunteered to take the picture.  I will get him in another picture later.

We're Off

In a couple of hours, we will all be on our way to the airport in Houston, either by plane or automobile. We will all meet as one team for the first time and begin our journey together. My dad says the team from Monahans is "wired" and ready to go. The 3 men are so excited, they shaved their heads! Not sure what that will look like, but I will post a picture as soon as I can. Since I am the "master packer", I pack all the supply boxes and wrap them up so they don't come apart and haul them to the airport. I thought since we shipped all the supplies in the container in March, we would not have much to take with us. Wrong!! I have stuffed and shoved to get all the boxes in the car and on top of the car to get them to the airport. Hopefully they don't fall off in the middle of Interstate 10.

I know we had a special prayer time for Mary and I yesterday at church. This always means so much to us as we journey off. Knowing that others are lifting us up in prayer makes us feel safer and gives us more energy. The Monahans group also had a commissioning time, and I am told almost everyone in attendance yesterday came down to pray and wish them well on their trip. It is an exciting time to see what is happening at FBC Monahans through this group. Hopefully that church will not be the same, but their heart for missions will once again flourish.

I hope to post some pictures of the team once we all get together at the airport. Don't know when I will get the chance to post again. Hopefully I can find internet access at the London airport. I can't say it enough, but "Thank You" for your support and prayers.

Less Than A Week

We are in our final week countdown and everything seems to be coming together. I was visiting with a dear friend about our trip, and he has a hard time understanding why I go halfway across the world for 2 weeks working with orphans instead of going on nice relaxing vacation. I explained to him that God has called Mary and I to Uganda and we have answered His call. In Isaiah 6:8 the bible says "And I heard the voice of the Lord saying, whom shall I send, and who will go for us? Then I said, Here am I! Send me." Many people go on a mission trip for the adventure and miss the real reason they are there. I have been on several of those trips myself. When I returned from Uganda after my first trip in 2006, God spoke to me and told me He wanted me to continue to go and minister to the children and staff of Lulwanda. When you see the happy faces of the children who had so little hope, but now have a future, I can't help but say "thank you God for allowing me to be a part."

Please pray for our team, beginning now. Pray that our hearts will be right and in tune with God as we prepare to go to Uganda. Many are anxious and nervous about going halfway around the world. Pray for health. Pray for safety. Pray for the children and adults we will encounter. Pray for God's love to show through us. Thank you our faithful prayer partners for lifting us up daily.

13 days and Counting

Preparations continue to be made with only 13 days left before we leave.  Mary and I have been to Monahans and Houston to meet with each team member and everyone seems excited and ready to go.  Everyday I think of one more thing that must be done before we leave, box up more supplies, record puppet skits, etc.  It's that way every year, but I always get it all done in time.  I am getting really good at getting 50 pounds of supplies in a box without re boxing several times.

Everyday I read the blog of a team from Houston that is at Lulwanda Children's Home this week, and it makes me more anxious to be there each day.  God is working in Uganda.

Please pray for Dyana Solheim, the nurse at Lulwanda Children's Home.  Dyana has been in Uganda for about 4 months and got word this week that her brother passed away in Milwaukee suddenly.  She will be returning home for the funeral and see her mother who is in ill health.  Keep her in your prayers.

As soon as I get the whole group together, I will be posting a picture of the team to replace the picture of Mary and I at the equator.  I hope to post pictures each day we are in Uganda.

Check back on Monday for the last post before we leave.

21 Days and Counting

T minus 21 days before our team leaves for Uganda.  Mary and I have the privilege of leading this awesome team consisting of 6 members of Mike's home church in Monahans, Tx. including his dad.  FBC Monahans has been very supportive of the library project by donating money, books and supplies.  It was only natural that we invite them to join us as we assemble the library.  Our team also includes a young lady from Wimberley, Tx who will be making her second trip to LCH.  A fellow board member of GICF (Grace International Children's Foundation), his wife and granddaughter will be joining us to help with the library and obtain information for the formation of a board of directors for the Bible college in Mbale.  Finally we are blessed to have a director of an inner city Houston preschool who will be spending the week with the 2 preschool teachers providing them with some much needed training.  This is an area that has been neglected in the past, so we are thrilled to have a qualified professional to help in this area.

Our main goal for this trip is the assembly of the library at Lulwanda Primary School.  God put on Mike's heart in 2007 to build a library for the school since they did not have any books to read and advance their studies.  Through many generous donors over 4000 books and supplies were shipped on a sea container March 13 and arrived in Uganda on May 23.  The first part of our time will be constructing book shelves, catagorizing the books and shelving the books for the library.  A new block of classrooms is currently being built and hopefully will be completed by the time we arrive.  We will turning one of the current classrooms into the library.  Mike is excited to see this "dream" become a reality.

Our second part of our time will be split into two teams.  One team will remain at Lulwanda training the children and staff in procedures of using a library. They will also spend time reading to the children and helping them in their studies.  The other half of the team will be ministering at Covenant Primary School and Covenant Bible Institute of Theology.  Dr. Josh Stowe of Monahans will be leading a two day teaching seminar for the students of CBIT and pastors.  This will be a wonderful time for the students to receive exceptional teaching.  Others will be placing some of the books from the library in each of the Primary Schools' 7 classrooms.  We received enough books that we can share with Covenant.  We hope in the future, Covenant Primary School will be able to house a full library.  Since the shipment of books, Mike has already received another 3000 books.  God is Great!!  It is amazing how God works when you say yes to His plans.

We ask you to begin now praying for each team member as they continue to prepare for this wonderful trip.  Pray for them as they pack, prepare their assignments, for traveling safety and that each member will be sensitive to the needs of the children and adults they will be coming in contact with in Uganda.  Without you, our prayer partners, this mission cannot succeed.  Thank you for praying for us daily.

Continue to check back for updates prior to our departure and each day we are gone.