January 6, 2009

We will head to raft the Nile tomorrow, and I’ll just be honest, we are ALL NERVOUS!! PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE PRAY FOR US!!!! We had a day of rest yesterday, so we read, had group devotionals, walked into town, and played frisbee. I cannot believe we have only a few days left. We have been cleaning/giving away clothes this morning and getting prepared for one last trip into town to do contact work and help organize the Younglife Library. We did a prayer walk over the land this morning because Simon shared with us a dream about starting a school for teens and a Younglife camp on his property. I think it would be so amazing to be able to come back in the next few years and see the progress with the school and Young Life. The Lord has already multiplied the teenagers affected by Young Life, and I have been blown away by the excitement and passion for YL club and contact work. The Lord is definitely working here, and I have been blessed to be able to have been a part of it, even if it is a really small part...

I have learned so much, and I cannot wait we can tell all of yall in person all of the many stories and memories we have had in Africa!

Turner Outlaw


Okay, so after getting over my “fear of blogging” (all thanks to Drew)…I decided to jump on the bandwagon. In all seriousness, this trip has been absolutely amazing and I feel so blessed that God has called me to this place. I am forever grateful for the opportunity to serve and to fellowship with 13 amazing men and women who have such a heart for the Lord. Yesterday, which was our only free day, we had time to just be still before the Lord and recharge our battery. As I watched the sunset, I was reminded of the beauty of God’s creation and all his goodness. I was truly humbled to think about this path that he has allowed me to travel to bring me to this place: AFRICA. With a heart that is healed and made new, I feel truly blessed that God chose ME to be a part of this journey. Though at times it can often be a struggle and a challenge, I am constantly reminded of God’s grace and sovereignty when I look into the eyes of these beautiful children who truly paint a portrait of God’s love for us. And I am even more reminded of His love for us, when I talk with the African leaders here who share in this same love for the Lord. We are all united by one common love, CHRIST, and that will never change! It is so hard to believe that this journey will end in just a few days and we have to go back to our lives in America. But, this experience will continue to change and transform each of our hearts. As we wrap up our time here in Palissa, I pray that we can continue to be servants of Christ and love on these people who have touched each of us. I am reminded of God’s words in Matthew 25:40, “I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.” Although God’s purpose for bringing all of us here is different for each of us, we were all brought here to learn how to love more, to love better, and to love deeper. Jambo Rafiki!

In His Hands,
Reagan Hardy (aka GUNZ)


Yoga! (Hello in Ateso, the local language),

We are enjoying our final day in Pallisa. It’s amazing how after a week here, this place has begun to feel much like home, so much that on our walk to town we ran into over 10 leaders who knew our names. Living with Simon and his family has been such a blessing, they seem like they have become family to us. Conversations seem to be drifting towards us returning to this Holy Ground.

Every night before bed, we have gathered under the stars for a time of sharing and worship. Most nights we have had the privilege of hearing Simon speak and last night he followed up on a message from 1 Corinthians 13 given by another African leader. His message emphasized not only on love, but on the greatness of hope. He made reference to a neighbor who by all worldly standards of living conditions should have no hope. Simon challenged us to question what it is that makes this man wake up every day. The answer is simply HOPE. Hope is exactly what we have seen in every face and smile here in Uganda. There is a joy and beauty in the life here that from an American’s eyes seems filled with disparity.

This message of hope is one that we all desire to carry back to our own lives in the States. The story of hope is one that will not only wake us up every morning but will also empower us to further the Lord’s kingdom.

We are excited to share stories, pictures, and memories of our time in Uganda with all of you back home. Pray for safe travels and continued growth and understanding from this experience.

Love, Love, Love,
Emily and Elizabeth


Today was a busy day because we were packing our bags. It was interesting watching the children crowd around our bags. Seeing the amount of clothes and stuff that were coming out of our bags was very strange for the onlookers. We hope that the things we’ve left behind- material and relational will be used by God. Today we also spent time praying over the future school grounds. We will have to pray and support the team that Simon is forming. They are meeting next week to decide what the buildings will look like. I wonder if they will have a pitch (soccer field) or not. It’s exciting to think about how God will use the school to develop leaders for Uganda. As I prayed the thought came to my mind of what will happen twenty years from now. I hope that the school will grow and become an excellent institution. I think that there will be a struggle in the community of evil against good. But God promises that God will take the victory. Even so faith will be built to trust God. Simon spoke to us last night about hope. So now we have heard about love, faith and hope. Just today I was reading in Romans 4 and 5. There was a part which mentioned against all hope Abraham believed God. He continued in faith. Then there is suffering produces perseverance then character then hope because of the love God has poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit. I really think that God has used us here. Michael and the other leaders have shared just how much God has used us to encourage them and validate their ministry in the villages. So, praise the Lord.
There have been many conversations during these days in Pallisa, but the one I had with Augustine today amazed me. We were talking about the AIDS epidemic. He was explaining how fast it spreads. You know, there is one person in every three with HIV. He said that churches are trying to help by monitoring each member’s infection. If a husband becomes infected, the church cancels that marriage and the couple in forced to separate. In other ways, when a woman is left a widow any many will come to support her and her children financially. Many times the widow will have AIDS and give it to the new husband who will in turn transfer it to his other wives and children. Polygamy is very common here. A man in Simon’s village has 39 wives. There are so many that he does not even know the names of his children. His sons even infect the wives and then the babies born may contract it. Teenagers just pass it along. Casual sex is very common. Still the statistic hits me: one person in every three is infected. Pallisa is not even that bad. Jinja is terrible, and Kampala is worse. It is hard to imagine what AIDS is like in America. God have mercy. My hope is that the rich will stop exploiting the poor and spreading AIDS. It IS a killer. But against all hope, we can believe that God will save the poor and lost. There is hope that small steps can be made. There is hope that Simon’s school will be finished quickly and that students will learn how to stop the epidemic and lead their fellow villagers to a better life style.
I no longer think that one- Uganda or America- is better. Suffering is in both. Sin is in both. The only difference is that we in America have modern conveniences like running water, but we all have a deep cavern in our lives that can be filled with the abundant love of God. God is amazing. God will overwhelm us with himself. If people have God, then life can be lived to the fullest, even a life with one pair of torn clothes and malaria and AIDS looming on the horizon. God’s ways are different than ours.
Amen.

Bwana Asifiwe, Amen.
Lauren Harper