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.