A Very "African"... Very Amazing Sunday!

Yesterday (Jan. 28) was John’s 29^th birthday! And he got about the best present he could have asked for... His mom was here in Arua to celebrate it with us!!! Betty Rinehimer, John’s mom (pictured right), arrived in Uganda last week, and it has really been fun having her here! We feel so blessed to have just had my best friend Katie here, and then not even 2 weeks later, John’s mom here!

We have been trying to give her an idea of what life in Africa is like… we took her shopping in the city for crafts, we brought her to Arua by car instead of plane (so she got to experience 8 hours of Ugandan driving!), we’ve taken her shopping in the market here in Arua for food, and on Sunday, we took her to her first African church service!

We visited a church in Padel, Uganda, where one of the pastors we are training, Pastor Cosmas, is overseeing. I led Sunday School for the congregation (adults & children together), and John preached the “3 Chair” sermon, which describes the 3 places a person can be in their relationship with God.

It was definitely an African experience… we left for church at 8:00am and got home at 6:00pm… a 10 hour day! It made for a long day, and we were all definitely tired at the end of it, but it was an amazing day and definitely worth it! We first had a brief meeting with the pastor & translator, then Sunday School, then singing, then preaching, then lunch, then the best part of the day… 2 people came forward to give their life to Christ!!!!!!!! It was about an hour after the sermon, after we had eaten lunch, when an 18 year old boy named Dennis came into the hut where we were with Pastor Cosmas and told us that he had “backslidden,” or grown apart from the Lord, because he didn’t think he could live the Christian life until he got married… and that today, He wanted to accept Christ and give his life to the Lord! It was amazing! (Pictured above from left to right: our translator Geoffrey, Dennis, John, Erica, & Pastor Cosmas).

And then just a few minutes later, an older man, probably in his 80’s, named Luigi, also went to Pastor Cosmas and said he wanted to become a Christian as well! (Luigi is pictured to the right in the striped shirt to the right of John). We were able to talk with them about their decisions and pray with them, as they asked Jesus into their hearts. It was such a precious time and amazing day. It is so sweet to me that John & I get to be a team for Jesus, and work for His Kingdom together. What an amazing privilege and honor.

And finally, the 2^nd best part of the day… the gifts! Ugandans are huge on hospitality~ and visitors are a very big deal to them! So… as a gift for visiting their church, they gave John & I each a chicken!!!!!! It was so funny!... Yet so sweet, because it is such a sacrifice for them. And for his mom, they gave her 2 Ugandan wood carvings of a leopard & giraffe! We are pictured above with our chickens & carvings!

Coppedge & Volunteer Update:

We have a new “Volunteer-in-Action” (VIA) with us here in Arua as of Saturday, Jan. 26. His name is Mark Landerholm, and he will be here for 2 months, helping out with the pastor training. And also, Billy & Joanna return with their 3 month old baby, Elsie Jayne, tonight (Jan. 29)!!! They will stay in the city for a few days & come to Arua on Friday, Feb. 1. We are SO excited to see them, to meet Elsie Jayne, and to just have them back in Arua! Praise the Lord for bringing them back!