I've been home in the U.S. for about 3 weeks now, and I am already missing the beauty, people and Church in Uganda.

During the last week of March, we hosted my mother and our dear family friend, Holly, in Kabale after their adventures in Rwanda with the famous silverback gorillas. Together we enjoyed touring the mountainsides, and I had the great privilege to introduce my mother to all the people who have been such a wonderful influence in my life for the past 6 months.

Our family with Pastor Magambo's family at Lake Bunyonyi

We had many insightful conversations when we were welcomed into PAG Church's Bishop's home with his wife and granddaughter, and another pastor from PAG. Over a traditional home-cooked meal, my mother and Holly were able to hear about the stories and the culture from the bishop that well-encompassed my time in Uganda.

Dinner at Bishop Tumwijuke's home

The night before we left Kabale to head to the eastern part of Uganda, my Rwakaraba church pastor, Emmanuel Magambo, hosted us in his home with the leaders of our church to commemorate our time together. We remembered when I had first arrived to Kabale and the way we grew together to be family, and we sang praises to God for the gift of salvation. What a sweet goodbye memory!

Rwakaraba Church family presenting their parting gift

After we made the long journey to Namukuma village in the eastern region of Uganda, we finally reached the Spirit Led Educational Ministries Resource Center where our friend Tim resides and operates a children's ministry out of. We had a morning bible study with friends from Namukuma village and had a chance to play games with children that afternoon. The next day, we said our sad goodbyes and left Sarah and Lianna in Kampala as we were driven to the airport the evening of April 6th.

My mother and Holly in morning Bible study 

Children of Namukuma village in Uganda

After we left Kampala, we made a stop in Paris, France where our French-speaking friend, Holly, showed us around the famous city and its highlights within just a few short days. 

When we finally reached home in Lexington, Kentucky, I was welcomed home by my loving family and have enjoyed sharing the memories from living in Kabale with everyone at home. As I settle back into life here, I am so grateful for the opportunity to live alongside Godly, talented, and uniquely designed people and call them my friends and family. I look forward to the day when I know I will return to my second home, and see and hear about the wonderful things God continues to do in the lives and community of Kabale, Uganda. In the meantime, it is my privilege to remain in prayer for the PAG Church, Kabale community, and my friends as they pursue their individual dreams and callings, and I invite you to be in prayer with me!

To my Kabale friends:

Mukama asiimwe! Webare munonga. Mukama omugisha. 

p.s. The two most popular modes of transportation in Uganda will forever be in my memories: 

Boda boda rides

Mud paths

It is so hard to believe that it has been nearly 6 months here in Kabale, Uganda! The friends and family I've made here will truly be friends and family forever.

As I wrap up my time in Uganda, we have been seeing God at work in marvelous ways, both in our own lives and in the lives of those around us in Kabale.

Deos (left) and the agriculture team (center two) showing compost manure 

In late February, we hosted 2 visitors from the US World Renew office who came to do evaluations of the Community Development Department's Agriculture field. On February 21st and 22nd, we went to visit farmers in surrounding communities to observe the vast impacts that the implementation of programs like Farming God's Way has had on farmers and their families. We visited the village of Kitumba where the village PAG church pastor maintains a farm. He told us of how difficult the early stages of his life and marriage were when he lost a job working as a security guard and his wife was forced to live with her family until Deos found a way of income. He began farming, and discovered who Jesus was and surrendered his life to Him, and since then has cultivated a sustainable farm, is now the pastor of a local church, and lives with his wife and 2 children in primary school.

On February 23rd, Sarah, Lianna, our friends from a local hospital, Ivan and Leonard, and I went to Sarah's home in Kyanamira village to pray for and share the Word of God with Sarah's bedridden father. Muzee (old man) has been bedridden for years as he battles with hypertension and kidney issues. As we worshipped God in his small bedroom, we believed God for the impossible things in life. As you believe with us, please keep Sarah's father and family in your prayers.

Urban Nite crew praying for the nation, communities and families of Uganda

That night, I had the privilege to speak at PAG Central's youth ministry called Urban Nite. There was a panel of 2 of us and our interviewer who asked our opinions on everything about time management- from priorities to the stigma of "African time." Urban Nite has become one of my favorite times to fellowship with fellow youth around Kabale, to meet new people, and to come alive as we worship God!

The following day, Sarah and I headed to the village of Bubaare to participate in an OVC (Orphans and Vulnerable Children) Center Day where we taught a bible lesson to children in primary level. Toward the end of our class, I captured this video of Sarah leading children in the hand motions that coordinate with the 17 stories we are learning from the Bible: 

From March 1st to March 5th, German evangelist Peter Franz, who runs Gospel Fire International (http://en.gfi-ministries.org) in neighboring Kenya made his way through Uganda to Kabale to preach the gospel! 

Kabale stadium setup with the banner and theme "Jesus Heals Broken Hearts"

After the office everyday, we headed to the town stadium to hear the good news preached to anyone and everyone in Kabale. What an incredible time to be a part of God's great desire for people to come to Him! God was also faithful in holding back rain that typically happens every day in this rainy season until the very end of the last day! 

March 8th was International Women's Day, and as a public holiday here, we hosted 5 of our girlfriends to celebrate with chapatis (incredibly fattening street snack), music, and nail polish. 

Lianna (right), Sarah (front left), Ably (back right), and I 

More recently, Sarah, Lianna and I traveled to a village called Kaharo to visit the home of our friend Ably. We boarded a taxi for about 10 minutes and after being dropped off on the side of the road, we began the long hike to his home on the mountain side. As we walked in a valley, we marveled at the tall green mountains and the quietness. As heavy rains have wreaked destruction on some farms, workers were in their gardens caring for this season's cabbages, beetroots, and cauliflower. As we reached his home, we were welcomed with a beautiful view of 3 surrounding mountains tall enough to nearly touch the looming rain clouds. We spent the afternoon touring the luscious garden which had fruits like guava, passion fruit and bananas, and all types vegetables, from cassava to cabbage. Ably's cousin was kind enough to dig up fresh cassava, pick some avocados and cabbages for us to bring home! Before leaving, we had to partake in a delicious lunch prepared by Ably's mother which consisted of things grown in their garden. 

View from Ably's home

As I prepare to host my mother and our family friend at the end of March, I am so grateful for every opportunity the Lord has provided for joy, adventures, and callings in our lives here in Kabale! Thank you for being consistent in prayer for the people, church and livelihoods of those in Kabale. I am getting anxiously excited to be home in Lexington, Kentucky (and Sarasota, Florida) sharing about this great journey! 

This New Year has brought many joys, new beginnings, challenges, and friendships to Kabale, Uganda. Here are some updates from our PAG church in Rwakaraba:

1. Sarah and I help facilitate a children's class at church for kids in the community, and every Saturday at 3pm, we gather to play games and learn about Jesus and what it means to be a Christ follower through The Mailbox Club Explorers booklet. We are so thankful for these incredible books to teach children about the love of God through His Son Jesus!

I was able to catch a moment recently when (almost!) everyone was working in their own books...

Children from Sat class 

2. Sarah, my learning partner and housemate (and personal translator, friend, and coworker), has recently acquired a new job working with our church! She will be coordinating the community's OVC (Orphans and Vulnerable Children) program, which includes 3 surrounding villages: Rwakaraba, Bugongi, and Bubaare. Within those villages, around 50 children gather together once a month to play games and learn to do activities with children who may be HIV+ or those who have lost both parents, or with those who are living in extreme poverty. This community work operating out of our church is so important, and often stressful so please keep Sarah in your prayers! 

3. I have taken up a leadership position in our youth ministry recently and it's been a blessing to my everyday life as I connect with the young people in our church. I work alongside a youth leader, Jemima, and we have decided to go through a Christian life skills book together, as well as a book series called Understanding True Love which addresses the misconceptions, lies, and temptations of today concerning youth and relationships. There are about 10 of us in total, and as a youth myself, it's such a joy to be a part of and to see other young people expressing their creativity and ideas, and using their talents, insights, and experiences to address the world's paradigms!

Sarah and I at the shoreline of Murchison Bay

In other news, in late January we welcomed another mzungu (white person) to Kabale! Her name is Lianna and she is also volunteering through World Renew for 6 months. At home, she is a registered nurse, and she has made it part of her routine to be volunteering at the local referral hospital while she's here, as well as being involved in the various activities in PAG's Central church in town. You can follow updates on her personal blog at https://liannajoyfull.blogspot.ug. Lianna, Sarah and I have had the opportunity to bond and become like sisters already, including our trip last weekend to the capital city of Kampala. Lianna needed to be registered at the nursing counsel, so we decided to make it a trip and visit our World Renew contact, Carol, again. While we were there, we were able to walk around Ggaba town and down to the shoreline where tons of fish were for sale from Murchison Bay.

Carol (below right), Sarah and Lianna (monkey in tree) in front of Carol's banana plantation

The next day, we traveled about an hour outside of Kampala to visit the ancestral home of Carol and her family. Situated on the top of a hill that her father was able to buy completely, was their remodeled home, a farm, and a primary school that her mother founded. We toured around the school where her mother has become a legend, viewed the garden in which Carol works during the weekends, and discussed the dreams of their family to expand the school, build a poultry farm for Carol's niece, and to sell the food grown in her garden.

Sarah, Carol and I near Carol's home

The following week, Sarah and I attended a training at PAG Central Church called Truth-Centered Transformation, which was held for the pastors and representatives of PAG's branch churches in Kabale zone. From Tuesday to Thursday last week, the pastor from Rwakaraba PAG church, Kyanamira PAG church and our Community Development Department manager led us in discussions about holistic discipleship, the truth about God's plan to restore lives within communities, God's call to love God and neighbor laid out throughout the Bible, and ways that the church of today can help in cultivating true transformation in our different areas of ministry. This training helped open our eyes to the truth of the Bible and the practical ways to put that into practice in the context of community development work, and we are continually blessed to be a part of God's vision here! 

This weekend, our friend Johnson launched his new hostel and restaurant near Kabale University, and as he is so passionate for the university youth, PAG Central's Urban Nite youth ministry was held there on Friday and Saturday night. A talented worship artist named D Reign and his band traveled from Kampala to perform for us and speak to us about some of the transformation Jesus has done in him and his ministry. Lianna and I attended Saturday night and were blown away by what a wonderful time it was dancing, worshipping, praying over young people, and listening to God's voice around an open bonfire! 

After church on Sunday, we went into the field with our HIV department to be a part of the community theatre and HCT (HIV Community Testing) project, where people from local communities participate in a skit that displays some of the stigmas and health concerns surrounding HIV/AIDS. After the play, there is a station set up for HIV testing for those who have been moved to test or retest because of what they saw in the play. Lianna was able to administer tests to individuals while Sarah and I recorded information of about 70 people that afternoon. We give thanks to God that in Kyanamira village, where once there were too many people testing positive for HIV, none of those 70 people who came were positive.  What an impact this creative project has had in such a community!

Finally, I want to thank you all for the many prayers, encouragements and updates from home! It is truly so wonderful and comforting to hear the things happening at Quest Community Church in Kentucky and in the lives of my family and friends while I'm halfway across the world. 

Soon I will be leaving Kabale, so over the next few weeks, I will be spending as much time as possible with the friends and family I've made here, and also praying for God to prosper this church and its ministries! 

Happy New Year to all of my friends and family following! I'm confident 2018 will be a year full of God's blessings and restoration.

Over the Christmas holiday, Sarah and I traveled to eastern Uganda to visit the resource center of a missionary and family friend of our home church in Kentucky named Tim Carson. Tim is the international director of a literacy mission called Spirit Led Educational Ministries, or SLEM, deep in the village of Namukuma (slemafrica.org), and teaches children English, and presents the gospel, through life activities and resources at his center.

View from the Resource Center in Namukuma

The first few days we were there, we had multiple dance parties, lots of good meals and presented many children with gifts from America for Christmas. On Christmas Eve, we cooked a meal for the children from the village and some of their families and had a great time celebrating and teaching about the birth of Jesus and why it is so important. Christmas Day began when all 18 of us, including friends of friends, village children, Tim's 3 adopted sons and Sarah and I, were seated in the living room ready to open our presents.

Christmas morning crew

A boy named Borgie adorned with his Christmas presents

The day was spent loving each other with gifts and good food, and learning about Jesus more and more. In the afternoon, we welcomed a muslim couple into our celebrations and had a blast dancing and spending the day in their presence!

Christmas Day crew

The week after we returned from Buikwe District back to Kabale in the southwest, we prepared for PAG Central branch's annual January conference, where speakers from all around Uganda come and speak and hundreds of people from town are able to hear about Jesus and be transformed! During this conference, I helped the ushering team as we welcomed people inside our church building. From Wednesday Jan 10th to Sunday Jan 14th, we packed the church with people and worship and great speakers! Many people heard who Jesus was clearly for the first time and surrendered their lives to Him, and many people were also healed of ailments and spiritual bondage that gripped their lives or the lives of their family. The reality of freedom and salvation became something tangible for the first time for people in Kabale, and nothing could contain the joy that we had because of it!

PAG Central also celebrated 25 years of God's provision and faithfulness since the church began, and unveiled their vision to build a vocational school for children over the next 25 years.

As these plans for the church unfold, please pray with all of us in Kabale that God would provide the funds for their school and that God's will would be done through the PAG church here to reach people with the message of hope in a broken world. Also, please pray for Tim's ministries at SLEM as they seek God in how they can grow and prosper and for the provision of passionate teachers for children in Namukuma. The Spirit of God is among these people in a powerful way, and I am incredibly blessed to be an active part of their ministries and God's work halfway across the world from my home!

Since November 16th, many lives have been changed through the gospel of Christ. On November 18th and 19th, our Rwakaraba PAG church held an open-air crusade in a nearby village named Bubaare. And just like God promised in Isaiah 55:11, when He speaks, His word will not return empty, but will accomplish what He intends and will prosper in what He sends it to do! During our first crusade, two women realized who Jesus was and surrendered their lives to Him, and two people were healed of chronic diseases/pains. I managed to capture a moment in worship as our choir sang "Webare Yesu," meaning "Thank you Jesus!"

Livelihood chairperson Mable speaking in Ikumba

The following week, we went back to the Ikumba only this time with the head of the Livelihoods department. We traveled with about 15 other VSLA (Village Savings and Loans Association) group leaders to a home in Ikumba to discuss how their VSLA was managed, and to discuss how to implement these strategies into their own village groups. 11 years ago, the group was started to increase income to support farming activities and to begin saving long-term. Now, the group of 35 members have countless success stories about how the group has changed their lives and provided a way where they thought there was no way to grow financially. One woman told about her grass-thatched house that was transformed into a permanent brick home through a loan and now protects her from the cold of the mountains. Another woman was able to pay school fees for 3 children and rebuild her home that was previously destroyed by rain through loans. The future they see is one where their group can grow in all capacities and invest in families at the household level.

On Wednesday November 29th, our small group that typically meets in the home of our neighbors decided to reach out to our community. As we set out together, our first and only stop of the evening was directly across our church where 2 women were transformed by Jesus even before we came. We were simply able to be part of God's sovereign plan for them to receive Jesus that day.

After following up with one of those women, we went to see a friend of the church currently in prison that Friday afternoon. The guards had favor on us and let us visit in a room where we could hug and chat with Karen face to face. She told us of the difficult conditions in the local prison, including overcrowding, lack of blankets, food and other necessities. Our small group of 5, made up of Sarah, our neighbors Dan and Sharon, and our boda boda driver Ezra, prayed for our sister and her future.

That weekend, the church held their second open-air crusade in a village named Kiora, and after several complications we finally set up our speakers and had 11 people total receive Christ into their hearts and lives! Following up with new believers has been somewhat of a challenge, but a joy nonetheless as the Word of God encourages all of us.

Finally, after many conversations, our boda boda driver, Ezra, made his way to the PAG church and before he left the building, he understood for the first time who Jesus was and decided he couldn't live without Him!

As many people, myself and Sarah included, are transformed every day, please join me in prayer over the Christmas holidays for people all over Kabale as they begin new journeys with Christ and share the good news!

The past two weeks have been riddled with sickness- when either my partner, Sarah, or I become ill, both of our schedules are affected. However, we truly thank God for the powerful ways He's been at work in Kabale, through sickness and many changed plans.

On the first of November, the agriculture department of PAG Community Development had an in-depth monitoring of both its strengths and weaknesses. Together with all the board members, including the bishop and our village church pastor, we visited three gardens to get a glimpse at the work the Ag department has done since they were last evaluated. When we returned, we spent the next few hours discussing our observation of each garden, including some demonstration gardens in villages, and recommendations for future work.

As part of our shared learning experience, Sarah and I will be observing other branches within the Community Development Department, or CDD. Our first visit outside of Agriculture was with our Livelihood department coordinator, Mable, who is the wife of our pastor at Rwakaraba PAG church. Yesterday, we drove to the neighboring village of Kitumba again, but this time to meet with a group of farmers who began their journey of saving and promoting healthy lifestyles back in 2006. Sarah, Mable and I, with their group leader, Willy, discussed some issues concerning nutrition, health and hygiene before moving to our main topic of group enterprises. Together we discussed the VSL, or Village Savings and Loan, association and promoted the idea of having their group not just save, but implement a project that benefits the group as a whole. The group started out as a group of HIV+ people 11 years ago with goals to improve health and well-being for those living as HIV+, promote income-generating activities, and provide counseling and opportunities to share life experiences. When PAG CDD targeted them for savings through borrowing, raising and selling goats and pigs, they found they had a fundamental problem: How do the animals benefit the whole group instead of just the individual? As a result, they registered their group with the PAG Sacco (aka Savings and Credit Cooperative Organization) in Kabale and had goats, pigs and rabbits to keep, as well as a smaller committee to monitor how the animals are being cared for and their farming practices. We discussed a strategy to benefit the entirety of the farmers and their future with the animals: first, give two pigs out of, for example, eight total to group members who have never received animals from the PAG sacco before. Then sell one from the six left and put the money in the group savings.

Some of the members of the Kitumba VSL group

The Livelihood department coordinator told all of us that the VSL group in Kitumba was a model example for many reasons, but principally for their dedication to save money and invest in resources that will benefit the group and individual lives in the long run, not just an immediate gratification. A prime example is a woman named Prudence. After finding out she was HIV+, she met Willy, the leader of the VSL group, and he encouraged her to join and start saving her money. She borrowed 100,000 shillings, approximately $27, and planted cabbages. After selling her cabbages, she now had 1.8 million shillings, approximately $495! Because of her investments in the sacco, she was able to buy 3 plots of land and create an Irish potato and cabbage-selling business from it. She was also able to build an extension to her previously crowded home which we were able to visit and see tangible differences in. She is praying that God bless her brick business and make her dream to have a more permanent home made from brick built come true. 

On Wednesday evening, our home cell (the group of people in the Rwakaraba PAG Church who meet in a home during the week to fellowship) decided to visit the home of an elderly woman named Eileen. Eileen is HIV+ and was struck by high blood pressure years ago and had a serious stroke. She has been paralyzed on the entire left side of her body ever since. Her neighbors nor her grandson visit often enough for her to have decent meals 2-3 times every day, bathe herself, or clean her clay home. Our group of 7 members surprised her with some food and love this evening, and she was overjoyed that we had found her home tucked away behind the main streets of Kabale. Before we began anything, we prayed over her body and health, and worshipped our Father. We spent the evening cleaning her home and washing her bed coverings while she sat on a bench and looked outside after years of seeing only her walls. We are praying and believing that she will one day be able to worship with us at church with legs that have been healed!

As we plan for a busy few weeks ahead, with an evangelism outreach crusade and holidays in the mix, please keep Prudence, Eileen, the town of Kabale, and the PAG church in your prayers!

My time here in Kabale, Uganda has made me feel like it is home already! Last week was my official first 4 days in the PAG office, 2 of which were spent out in the field with the Agriculture department.

On Tuesday, October 24th, my partner, Sarah, the Agriculture Department Coordinator, Gordon, and I  drove to a neighboring district called Kashereregyenyi to visit a few farmers that were part of the district's farmer group that were taught about conservation agriculture. Our visit to the mountain top village was to see how their farms were doing and how successful the strategies they've implemented were. Our first family included Justus, his wife, and their children who farmed their large piece of land as a family. After we made introductions in their living room, we headed to the back of the house where they housed chicken and goat pens and a small bee farm. From the animals as well as leftover food items they made two compost piles, and this was the first method they had successfully implemented. For them, this was one of the most important because it fosters soil fertilization for their crops. As we walked a little further, we came to the large fields of Irish potatoes, cabbages and short beans, with grafted avocado trees planted throughout their land. The couple showed us the patch of land with Irish potatoes planted and the difference between the plants that had been mulched (another method implemented by covering soil with decomposable materials around your area) and those that had not. The difference was amazing- those that had been mulched had large, green leaves growing out of the ground, producing potatoes for the family in larger number and size! Gordon informed me that their potatoes will continue to look like that if they continue mulching their soil, as it makes soil stronger and more fertile the more it is mulched. Below the field of planted potatoes was a method used to reduce soil erosion by the rain. By planting papayas, with its strong roots and firmer soil, helps the water running down the mountain side meet some resistance and helps prevent landslides.

Justus and his wife standing in their field of Irish potatoes

Some of their trees were also grafted, a method whereby a branch taken from one tree is tied together with the trunk or branch of another tree and produces the food that you desire with the yields that have the strong, healthy characteristics from the original tree. The grafted avocado trees produced the largest avocados that Sarah and I have ever seen, and Justus graciously picked some for us to take home. Despite their luscious-looking piece of land, Justus informed us some of the problems they face on their farm, including lack of mulch, lack of money to buy sprays for plants, and the strong sun that shines during the afternoons.

Our next farmers were Miss Habaasa and Jennifer, both using the mulching technique to protect their soil and crops. Jennifer had planted a few green pepper plants and from her small yield had provided for herself and her friends and made 170,000 Ugandan shillings ($46) from the ones she sold!

Jennifer's farm overlooking towns below the mountains

On Thursday of last week, Gordon, Sarah and I got on a boda boda (the name for the motorcycles came from people driving refugees from "border" to "border") and drove to a small village outside of town called Kitumba. Because it was reported that most of the farming land in Kitumba had lost soil fertility, our plan was to meet with Community Extension Volunteers, or CEVs, at a local PAG church to hold a training on making and using good quality manure and also have a devotional time. Deos, the pastor of the PAG church, led our devotional time discussing material from the Timothy Leadership Training he had participated in, including God's plan to restore the world from its fallen nature through our stewardship of the earth and our personal relationship with Him. Gordon then explained how to make manure from both compost and animals, and how to use it for the benefit of plants. Gordon also explained how to make trenches so that usable soil could be saved even in heavy rainfall that occurs almost every day during this rainy season.

Pastor Deos in his church

A member of our village called Rwakaraba also came to the meeting as he will soon be the second Agriculture Department Coordinator for 3 districts including Kitumba beginning November 1st. Dan is a member of our church and the husband to one of Sarah and I's mentors, Sharon. Sharon and Dan have a farm on their land and welcomed us into their home on Sunday for lunch, where Dan also showed me the potatoes and maize he has planted to provide for his wife and two children.

After work on Thursday, Sarah and I met our friend Ivan and left Kabale to visit his hometown and family in Kisoro. We crammed into an already-full taxi and drove 2 hours in the mountains to reach the town. From there, we rented a boda boda and drove down a road lining Lake Matanda until we reached his home. Though his parents spoke very little English they, along with Ivan's many siblings, were so excited to have a Mzungu (white person) in their home. Friday morning Ivan took Sarah and I to a few famous places, including Mgahinga Gorilla National Park where 3 tall mountains reside, crossing the Uganda, Congo and Rwanda borders. Because it was raining and we arrived late in the morning, we could only hike to a platform view of the park, which featured the mountains, the Congo and Uganda. Our personal tour guide told us all about the area, activities like gorilla tracking and hiking, and found some 3-horned chameleons for us to marvel at on the way back down. Driving back down the long, bumpy road became dangerous when it began to rain heavily, so we pulled into a school and played soccer with some of the children hanging out in a construction building. We then departed for the Congo-Uganda border, only 15 minutes away, but due to time, we quickly went to Lake Matanda where we bargained for a cheap boat ride out on the lake at sunset where we could see the famous Mount Muhabora and the various islands in the lake. We needed the entirety of Saturday to rest when we arrived back home!

Sarah, Ivan and I at Mgahinga Gorilla National Park

God is at work in this community of passionate, welcoming people and Sarah and I are so amazed that we get to be a part of that daily, whether working or free-time fun!