Closed Window, Open Doors

Moyo trip
Jeannie, Joanna, Billy, Erica and myself (the “A-team”) took a day trip to Moyo (2 hours north of us) on Sunday to see the “Induction” of our friend, William Shakespeare Paschi! (Yes this is his real name) It was a very long, extravagant African celebration to honor William in his “promotion” to the position of Arch Deacon. There was a lot of singing, dancing, ceremonial liturgy, praying, preaching and more singing and dancing. We definitely got a full taste of Ugandan culture! (Ceremonial entrance of the Arch Deacon pictured above)


Children's Ministry
We also met with the Director of Uganda Christian University to finalize our plans for Vacation Bible School with the children of the students and area the week of May 14th. It will be the first “project” for the IWU team (Indiana Wesleyan University). Everyone at the university has been so welcoming to us. They have even been praying for someone to help them with their children’s ministry and training of Sunday School teachers (which we are currently looking into for the future and praying about)!

Meeting with the city council
This week we also met with the Director of Education for Arua. We started to discuss how we could possibly help with the literacy programs already going on here in Arua, as the mayor had suggested, but God had His own plans for that meeting! It turns out that all of the literacy programs are in Lugbara (local town language, not close to Swahili)- there aren’t any in English…so obviously we won’t be much help! However, during our meeting, we learned that the empty desk and chair in the room we were meeting in belonged to a veterinarian who is in charge of the Agricultural Dept of Arua! For those of you who don't know, our teammate Jeannie has a lot of experience, skills & knowledge in the area of agriculture and she has already contacted this vet and is very excited about the opportunity to possibly use her gifts in this area! As Jon Mayo says, “It’s not always your first meeting that brings you to the place God has for you to do ministry!”

HIV/Aids training
Later this same week we met with the Medical Officer of Health & the Director of Health for Arua town. The meeting was very insightful and promising, and it looks like there is a very good chance that Jeannie will also get to shine in another one of her areas of expertise… sex education! There is a need for sex ed to be taught in secondary schools here in Arua, and we will all help out of course…We are meeting some time in the near future to discuss and agree on what we will be teaching, and the Director of Health approved us teaching the students primarily abstinence! What a blessing!

We are so incredibly excited about the many doors the Lord has opened for us this past week in Arua, and we can’t wait to see His ministry unfold here! We know that the Lord has plans for this town, this team, and this ministry! He has reaffirmed throughout the week this is His ministry, and not ours. Jesus will make a way in His timing and in His surprising ways. Praise the Lord!(Below are more pictures of the celebration of the Arch Deacon cermony)