To Start a Church... Please pray!

It has been my intention to post on our blog more often than I have.  And many have expressed they want to read about our life out here... even just every day things.  For us, life and ministry intertwine all the time, as is to be expected as missionaries.

This has been on the forefront of our minds in the last few weeks:  the start of the new church at Word of Life Uganda.  It's not easy... We knew it would be that way.  There is a lot of work before us, and we are excited for what is ahead!

For the whole month of June, we have been meeting for Bible studies on Sunday mornings, inviting the community to come.  A few have been attending already.  And there is a core group of people from Word of Life that also attend.  We've been enjoying these times!  It has been very much like a church service, only that Welli gives a short devotional that leads into a time of Bible study.  The kids have also been having Sunday school.  We are so thankful for those who are already getting involved!

In fact, on the second Sunday that we met, a gentleman who came the week before invited a friend.  We have been studying together about who Jesus is... and they said it just made sense to them now.   I had posted on Facebook that day:

"Word of Life Fellowship Church officially launches on July 6.  We have started meeting on Sunday mornings for Bible study in anticipation of this and a few people have been coming from the community.  Today was the second time we met... and 2 men gave their lives to Christ!"

We ask for prayer as the services officially start in two weeks.  We are excited about this, but also overwhelmed with the work that it takes to put things into place.

Please pray:

• That we would be a church that preaches the Word of God faithfully.
• That the community will be open to hear the Word of God.
• That those who attend will grow in their faith, know the God's Word more, and become a community of believers -- brothers and sisters in Christ.
• For wisdom for Welli as he prepares sermons each week.
• Thank God that we have those who are already willing to serve in the church:  ushers, Sunday school teachers, behind-the-scenes prep for Sunday.
• For more who would be willing to serve, especially in the areas of music/worship and leading Bible Studies.

Thank you so very much for your prayers.

Food

It's been a while since I've been on the blog, and I've just realized looking at it that I didn't post anything in May!  That's simply too long a time, especially when it was my goal to post regularly.  A lot has changed in the month of May, with the kids going to school and myself working too.  I will write about that soon.

Truth be told, there's a lot I could write about.  There's usually so much in my head that I don't even know where to begin.  Sometimes I think of crazy and funny things going on, that my friends and family in Canada would get a kick out of reading.  Other times I think more seriously about spiritual things or how I miss people and life in Canada.  A lot to sort through in my mind.

For today, I thought I would keep it light... and write about food.  For friends that live here in East Africa and read this, maybe you will find this strange, because this is life for you.  Yet you might learn something as well from a Canadian perspective of someone who is adjusting to not only eating different, but shopping and preparing food different than I'm usually used to.

First of all, I cook almost everything from scratch.  No such thing as convenience foods (or if there are, they are simply outrageously expensive).  This isn't bad though... eating this way is much healthier.  But it is more time consuming, and sometimes when I'm just too tired to cook, I have to anyway.  For us, a quick dinner when we are tired is usually eggs and ugali.  There is no drive through or takeaway close by.  We would have to drive to Kampala for that, and it's not worth fighting traffic to do so.  There are cooked foods we can find and purchase ready to eat, such as barbecue pork or chicken on a stick and chapati.  It tastes good.

Don't get me wrong... there are options!  There are some great restaurants.  We have some favourites already... and many more to try out yet.  There is even a KFC in Kampala, and another to come in Entebbe.  There are some great coffee shops as well.

You can find a lot of things here you would find in Canada, but often at a price that I don't feel good about spending.  I can find tomato sauce to make pasta, but it's half the size and double the price.  The same is for cottage cheese... half the size, double the price.  So, a favourite dish of the kids, lasagna, has not been eaten now in four months.  (It's time to go check out an Italian restaurant, I say!)

I was excited at first that we get the Food Network Channel on TV here.  But I find that I don't watch it so much... it reminds me of food I cannot make!  Oh well... Again, getting adjusted to a new normal.

The kids used to complain at first about the way things taste different... the meat tastes different, the milk tastes different (Juma already wrote about that), but of late they haven't said much, which shows me they are getting used to it.  And I'm getting better at cooking various things.

As I said, I do make more from scratch, including flour tortillas (an item I have not found in supermarkets here... been told of a good Mexican restaurant though, which we also still need to check out).

These are the joys of adjustment.  And I will continue to keep working at it!

Until next time....