Happy Fourth

The last three days have been eventful. Friday was a work day around the compound and Saturday morning was spent preparing for Ryan's going away party. Ryan was honored with his ordination during the party. He has been in Jinja for almost 9 years and he has done some extraordinary things in the ministry: teaching youth, training worship leaders, providing instruments for the music ministry, teaching lessons for the instruments, and investing in countless lives. We are so proud of the work he has done. The Lord is now leading him to a new season of ministry in northern Uganda.


Today was a big ministry day with teachings by Mark in the prisons and prayer ministry by Deanna in the hospital. During the prison services, some men came forward for salvation. Please pray for these new believers. One man in particular stood to accept the Lord that had been to many services before but did not feel he needed to change. But today his heart was convicted to respond to the life changing gospel.


Deanna enjoyed teaching the children in Sunday School for the Prison Staff. They really liked the BIG Bible story book from America. She also loved praying for the mamas and newborns in the maternity ward at Jinja Hospital. She was allowed into the premature ward. It was such a blessing I will never forget holding them and singing "Jesus Loves Me" and praying for them. They were so tiny and fragile. It is a tough ministry. We prayed for a lady that had just delivered and in the bed next to her we prayed with a lady as her eyes filled with tears over just losing her baby. It is heartbreaking but for them there is so much illness and death here that they expect that they will bury many of their children.


This evening we attended a missionary fellowship. It was very nice to meet missionaries that have been in Africa for many years, one lady told me she has been here since 1966, wow! We realized that it was the 4th of July when we saw the red, white, and blue decorations. We really liked singing hymns from the hymnal. "What A Friend We Have In Jesus" and "It Is Well With My Soul" and others. It brought back so many wonderful memories, such as Hymn # 410, verse 1 and 3. That is how we grew up and it was wonderful to sing hymns with the missionaries. We even had hotdogs and homemade banana ice cream. It was a great 4th of July in Uganda.