Exploring Uganda

We had three girls from Bend, Oregon (Megan, Kristen and Whitney) come and stay with us for two and a half weeks. The above picture shows some of the wonderful things that they brought all the way from America for us (this includes pop tarts, reeces peanut butter cups, some maternity clothes and other fantastic things!)

Our first leg of the trip began on Bussi Island where we helped distribute some sweaters that were donated to the kids, put on a few days of VBS, ate lots of fish and had a wonderful few days spending time with the beautiful children at Osanidde.
Our trip to the island also included a visit to Pastor Joash's famous pineapple plantation where we shave them and eat them on the spot. We had to have the girls experience literally the best pineapples in the world! I think the expression on their faces sum it up.
And of course while Virginia and the girls were hard at work on the island, Brent was out fishing on the Lake. If you look closely the big fish actually died trying to eat a smaller fish (not small enough) and the little one is coming out of it's gills. Nice catch Brent!

Our next destination took us up North to visit Bob and Carol Higgins in Lira. After quite a few hours in the car driving on bumpy, pot holed roads we finally made it for a wonderful tour of their orphanage Otino Waa Village.Brent joined in on a game of Simon Says at an Otino Waa VBS and here he is above right before he lost for putting his hands in the air when simon didn't say!
Our next stop...Murchison Falls National Park for Safari. What a beautiful place! Here we are at the top of the falls for a quick pic!After our time at Murchison Falls we spent a few days in Gulu where we were able to minister to the kids in one of the IDP camps. We sang songs, played games, told bible stores and shared the gospel. Many received Christ as their savior.
Also while in Gulu we stayed with Pastor Espiritu who has a church in town, leads the IDP camp outreaches and also has been given radio airtime on 3 different stations to lead discussions and preach the gospel. While we were there he invited Brent to help lead a discussion about the bible on one of the live radio talk shows. The above picture shows Brent doing a great job sharing with the people the truth about the word of God.
On one of our last days back in Kampala we took the girls to Owino Market which is the largest semi outdoor market in Kampala. It happened to rain quite hard the day we went, so here we are trying to stay dry while we weave our way in and out of this crazy place! As you can see, it was quite an eventful two weeks and in the end we were all glad that we made it back home in one piece!
And finally, the latest on the belly....here it is at 5 and half months with 3 and a half more months to go!

Experience The Day With Us....

The following video of our ultrasound shows that we are indeed having a boy. The view is just of his two legs (femur bones to knees) and "in between". It's not a full shot of his body because the view is from underneath him. He was moving around a lot during the procedure, so that's why it looks like moving blobs most of the time. :) Look closely. Enjoy!





This next one shows more of his body a bit better(legs and cute little bottom anyway). He's a squirmer!





Here's one of his strong, little heartbeat.

It's A Boy!!

We had our ultra sound today and found out that we're having a little baby boy! He was moving around so much it was hard to get a clear shot of him, but we will have some video soon of the live experience. We're excited to have a little Brent around soon!

Catching Up

Since our last post......

We traveled to Nakifuma, Uganda where we assisted with a crusade and taught a two day seminar.

We celebrated our 3rd anniversary in the cold Kenyan countryside as we joined a medical ministry team with some friends from Boise.

We just returned from a week a half trip to do Island ministry with a 7 member YWAM team from New Zealand. It was a packed week where we did children's crusades, church planting, seminars and even a women's conference!

We're now preparing for a team of three girls that are coming from Westside Church in Bend, Oregon next week to see Uganda and do lots of children's ministry. It's been a busy summer for us so far and we would appreciate your continued prayers for health and safety as we continue to travel and minister.Last of all, here's the latest news on the growing belly! It's growing...really...

We Got A Car!

After taking public transportation and motorcycle taxi's for almost 8 months now we have our own vehicle! Yay! It's a '95 Toyota Landcruiser, perfect for the crazy African roads!

The Three Month Pooch

Today marks the end of the first trimester (3 months) and we call this the 3 month pooch. It will only get better from here folks!

This pictures is also for people like Kristin Downs who said they had to "see it to believe it". It's true that even I can grow a belly! :)

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.....And this just in....

We also had our first Ultra Sound today (7/5). For some reason they only gave us the picture showing the baby's head (a whopping 2.53 cm)! During the live procedure we were able to see the baby's whole body including little hands and feet, the heart beat, the spine and the cute little head! What a little squirmer this little one is. He/she was swimming and doing acrobats all over the place. The doctor said everything looks normal. It was a fun first "introduction". Hopefully the next ultrasound we'll be able to tell if it's a boy or a girl!

Stay tuned for more baby/ tummy updates!

Celebrating the 4th of July in Uganda!

We've had two 4th of July parties already in Uganda and it's not even the 4th yet! We had a great time on Saturday getting together with a bunch of American missionaries at one of their houses, eating hamburgers, hot dogs, potato salad, pork and beans and even a yummy confetti cake to celebrate the 4th of July. We were able to hear from each of them what they've been doing here and their heart for this nation and also share about our time here. We met a younger couple who just moved here a month a ago from Michigan who will be teaching a discipleship curriculum to young adult leaders who will take the curriculum to the high schools. It was refreshing to have some fellowship with some like minded/hearted people that all come from the same place, speak the same language and most importantly are working for the cause of Christ.

Yesterday's party was put on by the American Embassy for all Americans living or staying in Uganda. There were probably over 100-250 people there from all walks of life; Non profit organizations, missionaries, government workers, families, young adults, etc. Brent even got to meet with and shake the ambassadors hand!

Right now we're trying to get our work permit to be legal for at least a year and we'll be starting that process tomorrow, so please pray for us that we have favor with the immigration officials here. Thanks for checking in!

Our Little Neighbor Friends

For Fun

"Silly boys!"

Good changes and sad ones.....

We got internet at our house today and we're so excited! Now there's no more trying to find an internet cafe that's working...we have one here right in our living room. Now we can chat with ya'll all day long!

Also....our friend Seth Brown goes back to America on monday the 11th. It's crazy that 3 months have gone by already and we'll be seeing him off just a few days from now!! Here's a few pictures to sum up our wonderful three months with him here. We'll miss ya son!!

Baby News!!!

For those of you who haven't yet heard, Brent and I are expecting a new little earwicker around Jan 4th. Please keep all three of us in your prayers!!! Yay! (Sorry, no pictures yet to show) :)

Around East Africa In 10 Days

It's been quite a whirlwind these past few weeks. Last minute we were invited to go to a mountain village in Kenya to teach at a seminar and help with a crusade, so we hopped on an overnight bus from Kampala to Nairobi and then a smaller bus to Meru. All in all it was almost 24 hours in travel time on horrible, crazy, bumpy roads included with loud "bootie" music for our "sleeping pleasure"...I mean nightmare. :)

We had a wonderful time encouraging the church people and meeting fellow believers!The church building is strategically set between two bars..so needless to say we tried sharing the Lord with quite a few drunk men. On one occasion , one of these drunk men took Brent to all the different bars to meet his friends and invite them to church. It was definitely a different ministry trip all together!!!

The host home we stayed at was beautiful and the couple that hosted us were fantastic! WE have seriously never eaten so much in our whole lives. We ended up eating 5 meals a day and should be 100 pounds heavier. If you really love food and hospitality then Kenya is the place for you!!!

The monday we returned from Kenya we immediately packed up and headed to the airport to fly to Rwanda....but due to heavy traffic and public transportation we missed out flight. So....we went all the way back home late at night and had to wait until the next evening to catch the next plane. We did finally get on the plane the next day and made it to Rwanda. What a beautiful country it is! We were invited by a family friend to come and meet some pastors and business people who were looking for investment and ministry opportunities. We learned a lot about the Genocide that took place in 1994, went to the memorial where thousands of bodies are buried in a mass grave and heard via video, testimonies of people that had survived the atrocities. There was even a young man with our team that had escaped with his family to America during that time and had returned to Rwanda for the 1st time. We were privileged to see first hand the restoration God is doing in that land!

We definitely hit the record for being in 3 countries within a few days time. Whewww...now it's time for a rest. Until the next adventure........... :)

The Great Adventure is online....

We have a new fun video on our website. It's all about "The Great Adventure". Trust me, you don't want to miss it!

Some More Pictures...

Teaching the kids how to bead necklaces

Sharing the word with the kids

A first time playdough creation

Fishing for Candy

VBS AT OSANIDDE VILLAGE

Brent acting out the story of Jonah and the Whale

Seth with his new found little friend

Esther and Virginia

Eating the best pineapples in the world!

Wings Over Uganda & A Friend Comes to Visit.

We had a fabulous time in Karamoja preaching in a prison and a few schools, witnessing many salvation's and deliverance's at the crusade, and of course getting our pictures taken with the indigenous cattle people!

One of the highlights was one of the nights at the crusade Jon Dunagan (an evangelist from Oregon) demonstrated reconciliation and humility when he washed the feet of Drake Kanaabo the Ugandan Evangelist before the whole crowd. Not only that, he had two pastors from warring tribes (these tribes are the ones who fight and kill each other for cattle and have been for many years) wash each others feet demonstrating how the love of Christ can bring even enemies together. It was powerful, as these men began to weep as they humbled themselves, demonstrating the unifying love of Christ!

To get to and from Karamoja we flew with MAF (Missionary Aviation Fellowship), which was a wonderful 1 hour flight as opposed to a 13 hour drive! On the flight back the pilot let Brent co-pilot and Brent flew us to Kampala apart from the landing part of it. I think Brent was thrilled to get to brush up on his skills! Way to go Brent! We were humbled though by a group of Ugandans who came 21 hours by truck, standing most of the way to help with the crusade. These were some of the most passionate dedicated believers we've met.

A few days later we were privileged to receive our friend Seth Brown from the U.S who will be staying with us for 3 months. He's been here two days now getting over the jet lag and culture shock, but off and running and ready to step into what God has for him here.

Thanks for all your love and prayers, keep checking in often for more updates!!
Our latest video is also online, so go to our website and check it out!

Mice, Geckos and other assorted creeping things!

What a week it's been! We had a wonderful relaxing time out on Kalangala Island for 4 days to celebrate our birthdays and to take some time to pray and evaluate the last three months. Brent did get a pretty bad sunburn on his legs as we were canoeing our way on the water,but recovering well. It was so good to take time on the quiet lake and seek God and be refreshed again by his presence and re-surrender our hearts again to Him and His will for our lives. Not that we have a whole lot more details than before, but a lot of Peace. Praise God!

We did return though to Little Tom Mouse and his friends in our house, climbing the walls, getting in our clothes and trying to eat our food. They're so frustrating cause they're so little and cute, but they're terrible house guests! Does anyone have any good ideas about catching mice? They're really hard to catch and I don't think they like cheese as is commonly thought. We tried it..didn't work...arrrgghh

Another thing, I was using the pit latrine (Virginia) the other day and I saw the Gecko climbing the inside wall of the door like I normally do but when I shut the door he must have been in between and got squished because he flopped to the ground unconscious. I didn't do CPR or anything, but I did feel really bad and had Brent remove his little body. That's the sad story of the week. Geckos are a funny creature. They show up when are where you don't expect them, especially the shower in the mornings!

If you ever get a chance to come to Uganda, you'll definitely find all sorts of fun assorted creatures. Big vulture birds that land on your roof and poo on you as you walk below, cockroaches that find their way into your bedroom, big ants that invade your kitchen, mosquitos and sorts of fun things.

Well, we're headed off again tomorrow to Moroto, Karamoja. It's a region in the NE part of Uganda where the people run around naked (so we hear) except for their AK47's that they use for cattle raiding and robbing. It's been a real unstable part of the country and we're believing God and His church to take some serious territory this week! So please pray as we'll be flying in tomorrow and coming back in 6 days. Thanks so much for dropping in!!!

The Return of the Earwickers...

Thank you to all of you who prayed for our time in Congo. It was a successful trip, aside from having to pay extra visa fees due to the fact that Congo doesn't have any drivable roads, so we had to go back to Uganda from the first Congolese city and enter back into Congo to go to the next one, not very far away. Craziness!! We found that there is much need in Congo. No schools, proper roads, hospitals or medical facilities, clean water etc. We did find though that the church is strong and seemingly unified. This is our favorite part about crusades. Seeing the church come together for one purpose; it's heavenly!

The United Nations is heavily patrolling the area because there has been much unrest and many rebel groups are present in Congo waiting to stir up trouble. The local people even tell us that it wasn't long ago that Cannibalism was a common practice among some of these rebel groups. We continue to pray that the Gospel of Jesus Christ will transform this Nation into the one that God has purposed it to be. It's a country rich in natural minerals and potentially could be the richest nation in Africa, but due to rebel control this isn't possible unless some serious change happens.

Please pray for Congo that the church would seek out His treasures of darkness and that many would be saved, transformed and that a Nation would come to the saving knowledge of Jesus Christ!!

God bless and we love you all!!

Off To Congo...

Just letting you know that we're headed to Congo to help with a crusade and teach at 3 seminars. We leave Monday the 5th and return around the 18th. Please pray for us as we prepare to go. We'll travel by bus to Paidha, Uganda for a crusade and then travel over the border to Congo. We're excited to see what God is doing over the border from us, and we'll have the full report when we return! Thanks for your prayers!

Those Who Hunger And Thirst After Righteousness…

Mukama Yeba Zibwe! (Praise the Lord!)

Since we last updated you on our adventures here in Uganda we've been quite busy traveling and teaching in various village churches.

One thing we've come to realize in our two months here in Uganda is that people are hungry for the Word of God. We traveled to a town called Misindi where we (along with Drake Kanaabo and team) were invited to share the gospel with 2,000 new police recruits at their training camp.

After sharing in song and in the word around 1,000 recruits raised their hands for salvation. But the amazing thing was that when we handed out bibles (and we had plenty for everyone) they started fighting over them, like ravenous animals. We weren't sure what to think! Either way in that moment and in other experience we've come to realize the vast need for training and the Word of God.

Brent in two instances already, so passionate about people having their own bibles (which is rare due to the expense) after teaching has offered to get people bibles that don’t have them. So, today we’re going to go on a Bible hunt and get Bibles for these believers.

So when you think of us, please pray that God will give us the wisdom we need to help fill this need for His Word and that God’s Kingdom will be extended everywhere we go.

We’ve also come to realize the things we took for granted in the US,

like clean drinking water, clean air and drivable roads are now much more difficult to come by here in Uganda. We’re learning how to boil water and filter it, buy it bottled when we can’t boil it and take much care in how we use it. It reminds me of the time Jesus met the woman at the well and asked her for a drink. He translated our need for temporal water that runs out, to spiritual water that becomes a fountain, springing up into eternal life. How precious and necessary is the natural water that we drink, but how much more the living water that Jesus gives!

In response to our previous post, we hope you all had the chance to “sing for a moment” as the back of the Ugandan taxi suggested. We’ve found it to be quite a funny, refreshing thing to do. You should try it!

Our newest video should be working now. The end cut off the first time we posted it and then it wasn't working at all. We also have posted some more pictures on our website and their real cute, if you’re into cute things like that. J

Most of all, we would love to hear from you more often, so please if you get a chance and think of us, send an email, a text message or a make a quick phone call. We’d love it because we miss ya’ll! Okay, hope you’ve been updated and Check back soon.