Well, I’m breaking new ground for time in Africa! I’ve been here for 6 weeks! Some of my days are crazy busy but then some days are very slow and laid back, which is good. It’s giving me time to get some reading done. I’m slowly getting used to things here. I now go into Mbale by myself to hang out, do a little shopping, and walk around trying to get to know the town and some of the people. I’ve found a little coffee cafe where I get french fries and a cold drink which helps to gives me a change from the basic food cooked at home. When I got here I told Bishop and Mabel (his wife) that I didn’t want them to do anything special in the way of food but to just cook like she normally would so that I would learn to eat like they do. That may have been a mistake!! They eat very simply, potatoes, beans, cabbage, matoke, mushroom soup. By the way, Mabel raises mushrooms and makes the best mushroom soup I’ve ever had. Some days that’s my saving meal, rice and mushroom soup.

If I understand them (which is always a question, most of the time I don’t) we will be entering into the rainy season in about a month. They only have two seasons rainy and dry. We are starting to get a little rain every couple of days which helps to cool things off and to keep the dust down. Without the rain, it gets really, really, I mean really, really dusty. It’s a red dust that gets everywhere. It’s unbelievable. In and around town it’s a red haze that just hangs in the air. By the end of the day everything has a red cast to it. Some days I wonder if I’m going to be stained red and look like an America Indian when I get back!!

Last Sunday (7/21/13) Bishop Gogo was sick so we just stayed home and had church in his home. We got to pray for and old lady that lives close to the house who she was having trouble seeing and her legs where hurting, making it hard for her to walk and do the things that she was needing to do like work a garden. She called Bishop on Monday and said that her legs had quit hurting and that she could see better!!! They are so casual about things like this. They kind of act like it is pretty normal and no big deal!!!

This Sunday (7/28/13) we went back to the first church that I preached in and I preached again. I went thinking that I was going to preach one message but The Lord had other ideas. His ideas are better so we had a great time. When you preach with an interpreter you are never really sure what you said. Your interpreter may have taken a bad sermon and made it a good one for you.

The first Sunday we were there we prayed for a lot of the people so this Sunday we got to hear what God had done for them. Most of the time, because of the language issues, I have no idea what I am praying for unless the Holy Spirit tells me. It’s good to know that God always knows our needs.

One of the lady’s was having money problems and didn’t have the school fees for her son. I prayed for blessings, not knowing what her needs were. The Lord answered our prayers and provide the school fees for her son for the rest of this term. Another young girl, a teenager that we prayed for, was struggling with depression and some mental issues. Again, at the time I was clueless (I kind of stay that way.) and just prayed for the Holy Spirit to give her peace and for her to know His peace in her heart. Our Lord met her needs and removed the depression. Now she has His peace to keep her heart. Is God cool are what?!!!! Another man that we prayed for was having a lot of health problems (headaches, back, hips and legs, a lot of trouble walking). He was healed and is doing well. So do you think I’m having fun yet?!!!! O’ YEA!

This small church was in what they call the bush. One of the picture shows a part of the walk to the church from the road, about a 40-50yd walk.

 

 

 

The clergy pictured are Canon Richard Bulafy on the left, Bishop Gogo next to him, me, next to me on the right is the rector of this church Bumatofu ICCEC and then Canon Michael Wadamba on the end.

 

 

Now let us go in peace to love and serve The Lord,
Deacon Ron