Latest Newsletter.... Changes are Coming

http://www.gatewayglobaloutreach.org/Bogan/Newsletters/Archive/NewsletterSept2013.pdf

Trusting In God

I have found in my life that when one has something particularly difficult to say one should simply say it right away. So, it is with no small amount of sadness that I inform you all that in consultation with our mission director Doss Estep, we have decided to return to the US in March of 2014.

Since the beginning of our journey toward Africa in 2008, we have moved forward trusting in God's direction and timing. Along the way, we hoped that our presence in Africa would last a lifetime. Thus, we planned accordingly and it seemed that God had provided a perfect long-term outlet for our unique gifts and skill sets. However, in recent months, situations and circumstances have occurred that have brought into question the long-term viability of our current assignment in Africa. I will not go into many of the specifics in writing as I do not want to be misunderstood, but there has been a deepening sense of unrest in our hearts for several months. After our return to Africa in June, however, it became readily apparent to us that this was no longer where we belong. 

Upon our return in June, we found the situation had significantly changed here for us and we began the heart wrenching process of looking practically at the possibility of a future removed from Africa. In our opinion (which is also the opinion our mission director), the long-term stability of our mission here has become too precarious for us to properly launch our oldest children in the next few years. The challenges of reintegration, college, work, and their futures would only be impossibly complicated should the family situation change rapidly due to a sudden unscheduled international relocation. In addition to considering the future of our older children, we have had to make some tough decisions concerning the education of our youngest child who has significant developmental delays. These decisions have brought us to a realization that resources in the US which are simply not available out here might be a key to his long term educational success.

So, what now?

Finishing well means closing things down in a way that is thoughtful and forward looking. This will take some time and as of this writing our plan is to remain in Jinja until the beginning of March 2014. In the following months, I plan to keep you all informed of what that looks like specifically as we proceed. However, at this juncture we are still praying and thinking that through. To be quite honest, we're still trying to deal with the reality that next year we will no longer call Africa 'home.' My goal professionally is to continue to teach at the seminary as I have been. The training of leaders is still the most effective means of changing Africa and as long as God has me in this place I will do so by His grace. Again, we are a long way from having the details worked out, but, well, we've lived that way now for some time so this is not uncharted territory ;-). Please please please, pray for us as we try to cope with all of this; it's not an easy thing by any stretch of the imagination.

In closing, I cannot stress enough to you the gravity with which we have approached this decision. While we are indeed deeply saddened by it, we are firmly resolved that this is the leading of the Holy Spirit and, as such, we will proceed forward trusting in the same God who brought us here. My chief concern in communicating this decision to our team, and then living through its reality together is that it should serve to increase all of our faith in our great God. As we have seen together throughout the years many of us have been on this Africa journey, He works all things together for good. This includes the confusing things as well as the clear. Clarity comes through obedience so we obediently trust even (and especially) when things seem a bit dark.

Thank you all for your prayers and continued encouragement and support! We need you all now more than ever.

In Christ,

Aaron, Dana, Nick, Dylan, Marie, Joey

The Uganda Bogans

The Excitement is Building.....

Christmas has come and gone. We are now in a New Year and before we know it we will be back in the States.  We are very much looking forward to it.  As the days are coming closer to leaving, our family finds ourselves talking about all the things we can't wait to do.  Many of you may be wondering what kinds of things do we miss.  Well I could write pages but these are just a few:

• Skyline Chili
• Good Hamburgers and Steaks
• Marie misses Olive Garden
• Joey misses McDonalds
• Driving on nice paved roads
• No burning of tires or plastic
• Going to a library
• Shopping at a grocery store and finding what you want
• Soft tissues and toilet paper
• Drive-thrus and fast food

So I think you get the point that we will be like kids in a candy store.  The problem is deciding what to do  first.  I think it is unanimous that Skyline is first on our agenda.  However, more importantly than these things are the opportunities that we will have to visit many of our family members and friends.  Many of you have messaged us on FB or sent us emails stating how excited you are for us to return.  We are so grateful and blessed to have people on the other side of the world who love and pray for us daily.  Our family is looking forward to seeing all of you, catching up, and eating some good meals together:)

Our calendars are quickly filling up with conferences, visiting our supporting churches, and traveling.  We hope that we will get to see most of you and if you would like to have lunch or an evening with us, please let us know.  Please pray for travel safety, for our health, and for the last few weeks as we try to organize things in both our worlds.  We thank God for the opportunity to travel back to the U.S. to see family and friends!!!

Reflections....by Joey and Marie

Our neighbors from Oxford, OH emailed us and wanted to know how Joey and Marie were doing and how they liked living in Africa.  When our friend teaches her little boys about Africa, she explains to them that is where Joey and Marie live.  I thought their insights too cute not to share with others:)  I typed what Joey told me.  For those who ask how the children are, this gives you a good idea of what Joey and Marie have been up to lately.  Thanks again for many of you who continue to pray for our family.

Dear Xavier and Nicolas,

Hello, Xavier and Nicolas. This is Joey. I wish I could be there to play with you, but I live in Uganda now and not in America. The things I like about living here is I like the food and our house here. I have a good friend that lives at our house named Mbusa. He takes care of the outside of our home. I also have Moses as a friend. He is our guard at night. We have to have a guard so thieves won't get into our yard. We also have a fence that goes all around our yard and four dogs outside. Their names are Misty, Anthony, Pokey, and Remus. Pokey and Remus are puppies of Misty. Pokey is about a year old and Remus is three months old. Remus is the puppy of Misty and Anthony. So we have quite a family of dogs that protects us too. I don't like how it's warm all the time because we can't have snow. I want to come back to America so, I can play in snow. I like to spend my time reading books and playing with my Leapster. My favorite games are Batman and Star Wars. I love doing school with my mom and writing. I like learning about all different animals around the world. I'm excited about Christmas this year because my Gram Gram and Grandpa Nick are coming. We have our Christmas tree up and I made a chain to countdown the days till Christmas arrives. I can't wait to see Gram Gram and Grandpa Nick!!!! We hopefully will get to see you when we come back to America next year. I can't wait to play with you again.

Hello. This is Marie. I am glad to hear from you. My favorite thing in Uganda is the lovely sunsets. They can be pink, purple, orange or other colors. They are so pretty. I also love the people here. We have a helper named Prossie who cooks all our food. She is wonderful! This morning we had chocolate donuts for breakfast. Prossie does a wonderful job. She has a boy and a girl. They are so fun to play with. The little boy is two years old and the girl is four. We also have a great church close to our house. I enjoy going so much. I have so many friends that God has blessed me with. Another favorite thing I like doing is going swimming. There are very nice swimming pools in Jinja. Sometimes I go with my friends to the pool. Swimming is so fun because it is always hot here. School has been going fine this year and I am now in sixth grade. I've been memorizing the book of James. I know chapter 1 and almost all of 2. By the time we come back, I should almost have all of chapter 3 memorized. God is teaching me a lot of new things. The hard part now is doing what it says and that is what some of chapter 2 talks about. We are also learning about the first colonies in America. It has been very fun to learn how our country started. I have one more week of school before Christmas break. I am very happy that Christmas is coming! My grandparents are coming this year and are staying until after Christmas. I hope you have a wonderful Christmas this year. Hopefully we will see you next year. Bye!

Your Friends,

Joey and Marie

Doubts and Deliverance

Sometimes life in Uganda is tough. I know many will say life in all places has its ups and downs and realistically I know that. However, there are days where you get tired of burning trash and smoke rolling inside your house, screaming/crying children that live all around you, gates clanging shut and people yelling as you try as you might to have quiet time in the mornings with the Lord, dogs barking at all hours of the night, leaking pipes, and nothing ever going according to your plans. That is some of our life in Uganda. Most days I can overlook and not let these things bother or irk me so much. But then there are times where it just seems too much.

This has been a tough week with just living life here. There have been doubts that have crept in my mind. God is this really where you want us? Will I be able to live here year after year? Lord is anything I'm doing here making a difference? And the list goes on and on. I pray. I wait on Him. Then last night at my weekly Bible study all the women sat around and shared their struggles with living here as did I. God so sweetly answered my questions, one after another. I had a sweet Christian sister pray for me, During her prayer she asked God to clearly show me this week and reconfirm that this place is definitely where He wants us. Even as she was praying, I felt a peace overcome me that surpasses all understanding as Philippians 4:6-7 states (6 Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; 7 and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus). Not only did my Father surround me with that peace but at the same time Aaron received an email from a friend back in the states. In every paragraph our friend constantly reminded us that what we are doing here is for eternity. God is using us here to advance His kingdom. Then today I read where people have and are coming to Christ because a team from our home church, Urbancrest, were obedient in August to go share Christ in this Muslim village where a pastor from Uganda Baptist Seminary has a church. This is the update I just read from Terry Nester's newsletter:

We held a medical clinic in August for two days and treated over 300 families! We treated a 70 year-old church member named Sylvester, who had a huge mass completely covering the right side of his chest. I mean, it was swelled as large as a throw pillow! He was taken to Jinja Main Hospital first, who then referred us to Mulago Hospital in Kampala. To make a long story short, he was operated on last week and they removed the mass and said, “It was innocent.” That sounds much better than just using the word, “Benign”! On Wednesday, last week, we took him to his home in the village and the whole family was there to welcome us! Pastor Robert called me on Friday to let me know that all six of Sylvester’s sons want to receive Christ because of the love of Christ shown to their father through the local church! It reminded me of what I just preached in I Peter 2:12: “To live such good (excellent, fair to look at, noble, righteous, holy) lives among the pagans (nations) that, though they may accuse you of doing wrong, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day He visits us.”

So now I step back. I see that through the inconveniences of a life lived in Uganda there is such sweetness. Sweetness in the people that I teach at the seminary, ones that I encounter as I am in Jinja, and my children who I teach at home. As I've been teaching community health at the seminary, I work to use the Bible to show how Jesus taught about the Christian's responsibility to care for a person spiritually as well as physically. Had the older man not seen the love of Christ lived out through others by caring for his physical needs, he may very well still be in spiritual darkness. It has been so sweet how God has used this one story to show how obedience to serve, to partner with pastors that we are teaching at the seminary, to be concerned for ones physical state as well as their spiritual, to love on others as Christ did can change the world one person at a time. As Jesus taught, the Harvest is plentiful but the workers are few (Matthew 9:37). There are many who still need to hear the redemptive story of Christ, but our family is dedicated to remaining steadfast in our purpose to teach and disciple to the end's of the earth:)

This is now my prayer: Lord, help me to be a faithful worker and follower of You as I share the gospel through not only my words but my actions as well. You are my teacher and I want to continue to sit at Your feet and learn all I can from you. Give me the wisdom to stay the course and keep my eyes fixed on You in times of weariness. Thank you Heavenly Father for delivering me from doubting our purpose here. Jesus you are my sweet Deliverer!!

A Year Has Gone and Went

A Medical Clinic in the Village

It's really hard to believe that a year has gone by since moving to Uganda.  Where has the time gone?  I wrote that there is a time warp here:)  Not really, but days fly and since there is no change of season here, it is harder to keep track of time.  The other day I was talking with a few Ugandan friends and was mentioning  that Aaron and my birthdays are in the fall.  As soon as the comment left my mouth, I realized they had no idea what fall was.  So I quickly explained about the seasons.  I do enjoy teaching the Ugandans about life in America, because they are so curious and it quickly opens doors up to mor conversation.

Living here has been beyond anything I could have ever dreamed.  God's plans always seem to turn out that way:)  Much better than anything I could plan, dream, or even imagine.  Some people have asked if five years ago we could have imagined this is where God would have us.  I just laugh, because honestly five years ago we had only been Christians less than three years.  So no, this is probably one of the last places on earth I thought we would ever be.  Plus, beyond that I would have never imagined a year ago that I would be teaching at the seminary alongside of Aaron.  That has been the greatest leap of faith personally for me.  Many don't understand the fear I had speaking in front of adults.  I can remember when we were visiting and sharing with churches, I would threaten Aaron not to put me in front of people to share.  At one point I did share in a women's Bible study with my knees a knocking and my stomach in knots.  So for me to be teaching in front of adults, let alone pastors and teachers, is a huge hurdle that God helped me to overcome. Every day God is showing more and more of who I am, how He gifted me, and what He wants me to do with those talents.  Now I look so forward to traveling back to the States in the spring and having opportunities to share how God is transforming East Africa by what is going on at the seminary.  It's so amazing and humbling to be a part of and I want to give God all the glory how it is happening.  I sometimes tease Aaron that he better watch out when we share at gatherings and churches from now on because he may not be able to shut me up:)

So I haven't done a very good job of keeping this blog updated in the last few months.  Every time I have thought about it, I get overwhelmed.  There is so much to tell, and many times I don't know where to begin.  In the last few months here are some things that have happened:  I have finished up teaching Marie and Joey school, went to Kenya, had two teams visit, taught at the seminary, started another school year with Marie and Joey while the older boys are finishing up last years curriculum this week, and am preparing to begin teaching again in another week at the seminary.  Much of this is just every day life for us.  I wonder why others want to hear about this or that, but then people will say that they love to hear updates of our life since they don't have the opportunity to talk or visit with us face to face.  Because of this I want to strive to do better at updating the blog.  I know there are some that don't use Facebook which is where I post many of our family and ministry pictures.  For those of you who don't, I would like to share some pictures below to give you a better idea of what the last few months have been like.  I hope you enjoy.

God bless and please continue to pray for health and safety for our family.  This country that we live in is absolutely beautiful but at the same time danger lurks almost everywhere.  Because of the diligent prayers of others, its why we can live and work here.  We thank all of you who take our family to God's throne regularly.

Teaching at the seminary

Morning teaching with Joey and Marie

Nick and Dylan at Hanah Moshi

Marie teaching/singing with the children

After a long day of ministry (health clinic and VBS)

Taking a break with great friends from the U.S.

The team from our home church, Urbancrest (missing Doss and Michelle)

Dylan and our dear friend, Todd at a local supermarket ( like the Santa hat!!)

Marie and a very good friend, Mindy.

Joey's 9th Birthday

Marie and Joey with Dad in Kenya

Marie dressing Dad up:)

Us in Kenya

Kenyan landscape

This is paradise!!!

Time Warp

It seems that Uganda has a time warp.   In many ways things moves slower...people on foot and bikes, no power tools for planting/building, or people taking time on their way to visit with others.  However, in other ways time just disappears and moves at warp speed....bodas(motorcycles)/taxis(vans) zooming everywhere, another graduation at the seminary finished, and we've lived here for 9 months but it only seems like a few months.  I just realized that it's been about a month since I've last posted, but it seems like yesterday.  I guess that's what happens when God  has you engaged with your surroundings and you are learning so much in such a short period of time.  

If you saw our latest newsletter, you read where Uganda Baptist Seminary just graduated almost 40 students.  Needless to say that much work goes into the preparation of graduation, and I had the opportunity to help where I could.  I've also been helping out in the clinic at the seminary since Evelyn Frost, the school nurse, has been back in the states for a few weeks.  That always provides great learning experiences.  However, the students were so gracious to pass the flu on to me, and  after two weeks I'm still trying to rid myself of it :)  I'm looking forward to Evelyn being back as I prepare to start teaching an English class to a Certificate class on Tuesday.  I haven't been able to teach in a couple of months, and I'm so looking forward to being back in the classroom.

Aaron and I with Jacob, a student and good friend

All lined up and ready to begin

Our family also had an opportunity to travel to Kampala this past week for orthodontist appointments for three of our children.  While we were there we decided to spend the night at a nice hotel that is connected to the mall.  It's the first time we have stayed in a hotel that is very much like any hotel you might find in the States.  It was a real treat, and we even were blessed with an upgraded room when we arrived.  The hotel said they wanted to give us the Villa.  We didn't exactly know what that meant, but we ended up with a 3 bedroom, 3 bath, LR, dining room townhouse.  Like I told Aaron, I've only seen something like that in the movies.  We thank the Lord for blessing us which such a nice surprise. While we were there, we took the children to see their first movie in Uganda.  We viewed, The Avengers, which was okay.  The movie theater was little too warm for my liking even at 10:00 at night:)  We had a good time getting a way from home for a few days.  Even the traffic wasn't too bad and Aaron trusted me to drive all the way to the big city:)

This is our local fast food drive-thru on the way to Kampala

You have the choice between chicken or goat on a stick or livers on a stick
Aaron calls it salmonella on a stick:)

Sad to say, Nicholas, has been dealing with malaria.  He started not feeling well last Tuesday and continued to get worse each day.  I tested him twice, but the rapid malaria test came back negative both times.  By Friday someone mentioned that the rapid test only checks for one type of malaria.  There are four different strands of malaria.  So, I quickly started him on the medication and by that night his temperature was 104 degrees.  That was after two hours of ibuprofen, so I became quite concerned.  After sending out a prayer request on Facebook, within an hour his temperature broke and by the next morning there was great improvement.  I thank God for many of you who prayed and encouraged me as I was waiting for Nicholas to start feeling better.  It is so difficult when one of your children is so sick.  So please continue to pray for our family's health.  We are coming into contact with so many new bugs and parasites and our bodies are continually having to fight these new things.  Your prayers do matter and we find strength through them.

Please continue to pray for us as Aaron and I teach at the seminary.  The next term starts Tuesday.  We are looking forward to it and the opportunities that God presents in the classroom.  Many times it's hard to believe that we are teaching men and women from all over East Africa.  The impact that this teaching could have could be huge, but only God knows for sure.  Please pray that we make the most out of the time that we have with these students to disciple them and grow them, so in turn they can teach hundreds of others about the Gospel of Christ.  We are so grateful to so many of you who have continually prayed for us through these past few years.  We have a wonderful team of supporters, and we couldn't do what we do if it wasn't for you all.  Till next time, God Bless!!!

Our Latest Newsletter

Here is this month's newsletter.  If you would like to get these newsletters directly in your inbox, then email me to get added to our distribution list.  We love to share what God continues to do through us here in Uganda.  Thank you to all of those you continually pray for our family.  We so appreciate it.

http://www.gatewayglobaloutreach.org/Bogan/Newsletters/Archive/NewsletterApr2012.pdf

Parenting in Africa

This is an article that I recently read.  Thought it was so well said, that I wanted to share.  It's so true:)

Some people tell me it is brave to raise my kids in Africa. They could get malaria or be bitten by a poisonous snake. They don’t have a Sunday School class. They can’t eat gluten-free foods. Their friends are Muslims. They live far away from cousins, aunts and uncles, and grandparents.

My initial reaction is to be tempted to say, “Well, I think it is brave to raise kids in America.” I know my heart, my soul-shriveling tendency to love the world. I know my kids, how quickly they could be sucked into the idolatry of a nation whose church is the shopping mall and whose God is the latest iPhone.

But this kneejerk reaction is wrong because it assumes brave is the right word to use to describe parenting, whether in Africa or in the United States.

Brave is the wrong word.

Life As Fasting

Living overseas is a form of fasting. Fasting from the comforts of a would-be heaven on earth where there are hot showers, dishwashers and clothes dryers, fully-stocked grocery stores and someone else to teach piano lessons. Living overseas is fasting that says, “this much, O God, this much, I want to know you.” And, “this much, O God, this much, I want you to be known”.

I want to know God deeply and I want him to be known so much that I will risk scary diseases, fast from my beloved family and worldly comforts, and teach my children to engage with neighbors of differing faiths. But to live and fast like that, to raise my children like that, isn’t brave.

When I think about mothering my three children who love this steamy, desert nation, I don’t feel brave. I feel dependent. Helplessly, desperately, breathlessly, clingingly dependent.

Dependent

Any mother, anywhere in the world, could receive a phone call in the next five minutes about a car accident. A child could decide Jesus is an imaginary friend and reject truth. Another could fall into immoral living.

There is nothing brave about loving little people who will grow up and could choose to abandon the things of God. But for dependency on the promises and character of God, there is terror and anxiety.

Being dependent isn’t just for mothers living in Africa. The only way to parent is with faith that God is able to keep and hold our children. The only way to parent is to be dependent on his sovereign plan and tender care for them. Dependent on the strength of the everlasting arms to hold us, to hold our children, and to keep us in perfect peace with our minds stayed on Him.

No, brave is not the right word for parents.

Dependent is.

Rachel Pieh Jones is a wife, mother, and freelance writer. She and her husband Tom have three children: Magdalene (11), Henry (11), and Lucy (6). She lives in east Africa and blogs at djiboutijones.com

Things That Make You Go Hmmmm....... In Africa

There are so many things that I find interesting living here. Uganda is a place where most things are not done with excellency and so you bear the fruit of that. Some examples are

- buying new items and within a few days they no longer work

- electrical outages for days because company doesn't have vital parts needed

- electric gets turned off because of not paying your bill, which you did but they
were behind on billing- so to turn it back on all you have to do is switch the
breaker back on inside the electrical box:)

- electrical boxes outside that are not water tight so wires rust and catch on fire

- dogs barking/kids screaming all hours of the day. This last week there was a dog on our lane that has barked all hours of the night.

- when getting dependent and student passes for family, lawyer tells you that immigration has lost the file. Waiting to see what to do about this one:)

- still waiting for screens to be finished on guest house from January when the man told me that he would be back the next day

- when you go purchase cooking gas, all the gas stations say "it is finished"

- security company that you have hired doesn't pay guards for weeks and if we were not to pay our workers we would be taken to court

So these are just a few things off the top of my head in the last few days I've been dealing with. Life here is a huge adjustment and sometimes frustrating. The Lord has said we will have trials, which can be every day trials such as these. In James 1:12 it says, "Blessed is the man who remains steadfast under trial." We are blessed because if he exude the Love of Christ through these small trials then God will bless us with "the crown of life." My interactions with the people around me is a direct correlation with how much I love the Lord. Sometimes I don't want to think this because then I would realize that sometimes I don't love the Lord very much. My sinful nature takes over and I'm not very loving to the people that I'm speaking to because of by own desires (retaliation for what I think is right) as Peter wrote in 1:14. Peter 1:15 states, "that desire gives birth to sin, and sin when it is fully grown brings forth death. I thank God for the trials here, because if we didn't have them then I would think I could live here without seeking God's wisdom and direction. Daily I'm reminded that is not possible here in our new home nor in the U.S. either. But it becomes much more evident when you are constantly out of your comfort zone:)

My prayer is that people (my family, workers, students at the seminary, other missionaries, shopkeepers and parking attendants in Jinja) when they see me will know that I love them like their Creator loves them. In some ways I do wonder if that is possible, but since I have the Holy Spirit in me which is the same as Jesus walking right beside me, then it is. I pray that each day I learn how to be more and more like Jesus. To do that every interaction I have needs to be more and more like Him. Please pray that every step I take is one step closer to being like Jesus:) For everyone who reads this, I pray that we all will heed what Colossians 4:5-6 says, "Walk in wisdom toward outsiders, making the best use of time. Let your speech always be gracious, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how you ought to answer each person."

Teaching at the Seminary

It still sounds strange to me to say that I'm a teacher at Uganda Baptist Seminary. As I wrote in my last post, this is never what I thought I would be doing here when we came. I think most times when I step into the classroom I'm feeling excitement and nervousness at the same time. Soon after I start teaching that soon disappears and I just feel at peace. Never in a hundred years would I have envisioned myself standing in front of a classroom teaching pastors and teachers in East Africa. But God has put me there and surprisingly, I have found that I love it!!!

Last week I began teaching a five day English class to a new Diploma class. So for five days we sang grammar songs, diagrammed sentences, and learned how to construct a well written paragraph. I would have never guessed that you could have so much fun learning grammar, but I was bound and determined not to make it boring for them. So with drum in hand, I entered the classroom and many of the students thought I had gone and lost my mind:) However, we had a great time of learning and by the end of five days, most had great improvement with their English skills. Most importantly I could see how many of them were starting to see how improving their English communication skills were going to benefit them and their church community when they returned. Many of the students were excited to understand how organizing their thoughts better would lead to better sermons and better communication about God's word. I'm still in awe how God is using me in a way that I would have never ever expected.

This week I have been teaching Community Health/Leadership to a Certificate class. The class has been interesting, fun, and an education for me. It's one thing to be prepared to teach them the knowledge that I've gained over the years, but it's another for them to teach me. But many times that is exactly what happens. The students have taught me something new every day. What I've determined is that I can stand and teach the facts, but if I don't understand what they are thinking and where they are coming from, I will not be effective. So yesterday I allowed them to share what information has been passed on to them about malaria. Here are some interesting comments from the class: malaria is contracted from eating too many mangoes or paw-paws, eating cold food, walking in the rain, drinking contaminated water, letting your child cry and scream, or having an evil spirit. There were many more:) But, what was neat is that students were starting to make connections today as to why some of these myths have come about. To be part of teaching them, to think critically and to use knowledge from the Bible to mold their thinking, has been wonderful. Needless to say, there have been times this week that students would ask me a theological question, and I thank God that He anointed me with His wisdom and knowledge. Sometimes I would think where in the world did that just come from. But I know God is in the business of getting His message across to those who really want to know Truth.

So I thank God that He has given this opportunity to show me things that I would have never experienced or known. I am learning more about the culture every day by learning from the students that come from all over East Africa. My prayer is that they will be able to take the information that I have taught them back to their communitites and villages. Hopefully they will educate others about God's word and what it says about creation. That may be in the form of better English and communication skills, or it may be in the form of Biblical health education.

The family is doing well. Marie just got over a stomach bug which left her very weak and tired. We praise God that the virus was short lived and she is on the mend. However, Joey has it now and is working hard to get the vomit in the bucket:) We pray by tomorrow he will be feeling much better. Nick and Dylan are growing like weeds and doing great. Aaron and I are looking forward to celebrating our 18th wedding anniversary on Sunday. It's really hard to believe that we have been married that long. I still feel like I'm 25:) It has been a wonderful 18 years with Aaron and I praise the Lord for such a Godly man in my life. Please continue to pray for our health and safety. Also for Aaron and I as we continue to teach and interact with the students at the seminary. We so appreciate all of you who walk alongside of us through prayers and encouragement. We are so blessed!!!!!!

The Lord Continues to Stretch

A few weeks ago I was asked if I would like to teach the Community Health Education class at seminary. My first reaction was to say, "No, thank you." But before I could, I heard myself saying, "Sure." Oh, boy what had just come out of my mouth. Now, don't get me wrong, I love teaching. I would rather teach my children then almost anything at all. But this isn't teaching children, this is teaching pastors and church leaders. Big difference. Plus, speaking in a public forum is my least favorite thing to do. Or I had convinced myself of this. So after saying yes, I began to prepare for the six hours I would be teaching. I would be required to teach on HIV/AIDS and anything else that would be pertinent for them to take back, so they could educate their community and church.

So starting on Wed. afternoon, I walked into a large classroom to teach health to over 50 pastors and church leaders. Talk about being nervous, but with God, all things are possible (Matthew 19: 26). Starting out I was extremely nervous, but quickly I calmed down and found that it was enjoyable. However, not all was enjoyable. Like the students constantly stopping me and saying that they couldn't understand my accent, and I was speaking too fast. There were others who thought it was funny to make comments on everything, or try to get others to laugh at their jokes. All in all I learned alot that day and to be real honest, wasn't sure that I was where God wanted me to be because it was hard. I was being stretched. So I said to the Lord, "if you want me to continue teaching at the seminary, then you need to make it very clear within the next two days." More than anything, I just did not think I was connecting with the students. I was pleasantly surprised the next day when I was looking forward to going back in the classroom. After day two of teaching, I was kidding around with the students, they were understanding me better, and I was enjoying myself. I was a bit surprised at the quick turnaround, but God doesn't mess around:) By day three, I was sad to see the class end. I so enjoyed getting to know the students better, having the ability to educate on health diseases and nutrition where they would have the abilitly to impact hundreds of others with the information, and having the opportunity to understand more about this culture and people. Wow, God was stretching and growing me in a way that I could have never imagined. Now, I'm scheduled to teach an English class and the Community Health class for the next term. I know more growth and stretching will continue to occur. I have a tremendous amount to learn, and it seems here in Uganda it is constant or just more obvious than back in the states:)

I also had the opportunity last week of holding clinic at the seminary when the nurse wasn't available. I continue to learn so much each time I do this. My nursing skills continue to grow and again He stretches me. Another responsiblity that I'm enjoying is the bookroom at school. It doesn't require much time, unless it's at the beginning or end of term. Well, last week was the final week of the term. So I was getting packets together for the instructors for their classes, preparing the textbooks for each class, and intaking books from classes that were finishing. I really enjoy working in the bookroom and organizing the curriculum for all the classes.

So if you would have asked me before we moved here, if I would be teaching and working at the seminary, I would have quickly said, "I don't think so." I would have told you that I thought God would have me working in an orphanage doing nursing care. To me that is what made sense. However, God had/has another plan to stretch me and show me His plan and purpose for my life. My job is to stay obedient to what He calls me to do. I thank God I didn't allow the fear stop me from being obedient to walk through the door that He opened, even when I didn't understand. Psalm 128:1 says,"Blessed are all who fear the LORD, who walk in obedience to him." I pray that I will strive to stay obedient to Him.

Time of Reflection

I'm writing this on New Year's Eve 2011. First thing this morning I woke up and started thinking about when we had spent New Year's Eve in Kenya. Believe it or not, two years ago we were in Kenya trying to figure out if God had called us to work there. We were given the affirmation of the Lord to go ahead. Only later did we realize that it was the affirmation for Africa, not Kenya. Later we would find out that it would be Uganda. Now we celebrate this New Year in Jinja, Uganda which, by God's grace, is rapidly becoming home.

So much has happened in these two years that it is hard to recollect. Not long after we returned from Kenya I began this blog, so those who don't know the whole story can go back and read. For those of you who do, we thank God that you have been beside us on this amazing journey to Africa. God has done some amazing and miraculous things in these last few years. He sold our house in just 3 weeks, 100% of our support and start-up funds were raised, we have many new friends and churches that are working with us to further the Kingdom, and our family is adjusting amazingly well to life in Uganda. None of this could have been possible apart from God and the Lord has moved as a result of literally hundreds of you who consistently pray and support us. It has been an amazing ride and we so look forward to what the Lord will do in 2012.

Since living in Uganda we have met some amazing new friends. The missionary community here has been so supportive and helpful in our adjustment to life in Africa as well as seting up our home. We know it was/is divine intervention from the Lord. The people who are helping in and around our home have been such a blessing. Mbusa who is helping with the outside work, Grace who helps with homeschooling and cooking, Prossie who helps with all other housework, and Peter who is our night guard. They may all think that we provide so much to them, but they don't realize how much they have given and taught us. There have been times when we were able to assist them, but we pray that those times they saw Jesus and not us. We are blessed now to have Prossie's two children, Manilla Hope and Dean, in our home daily with her. We have the opportunity to teach them about Jesus, so that they and the generations that follow will know the love of Christ. We also love the fact that God has placed us in the lives of our neighbors across the street. We pray that every interaction we have: taking the children to church, buying medicine for their child who has malaria, purchasing chapati/rolexes(tortillas with eggs) from the father at his duka (his shop), that they clearly see Christ and how He brought us to this new land to serve the people of Africa whom He loves so much. Even the times we spend talking to the parking people who collect the parking fees (there are human parking meters here), we pray we are seizing every opportunity to teach about Jesus and His sacrifice of love for all humanity (John 3:16). We even had one of them ask us to buy him a Bible :) We pray we have made and continue to make an eternal difference here in the lives of those the Lord has placed us here to serve.

I haven't even begun to tell you about the seminary. Right now the school is at capacity with student enrollment, and Aaron has been overseeing the building project of the newest dormitory. The next building project is tentatively slated for March with two new classrooms. Aaron is thrilled to have the opportunity to teach deep biblical truth to hundreds of preachers, teachers, and church leaders, who then take sound doctrine all across East Africa. It's almost too unreal to believe where God has put us and how He is using all of us!!

I have also had the opportunity to help out where needed at the school. For two weeks I was able to fill in for the nurse on site while she was traveling. I was stretched beyond what I thought I could do and learned so much during that time. I also have been working in the seminary textbook room, making sure that books are issued to students and then received back from them at the end of term. I'm also looking into other ways that I can support the work going on at Uganda Baptist Seminary.

In this last term at the school, Nicholas and Dylan had the opportunity to take Aaron's New Testament Background class. They really enjoyed it and did very well. In Jan. they look forward to taking another class on church history. It has given them a chance to learn more from the Africans in class and also gives them some time to discuss life and the Bible with others. Last term they spoke at length with a Rwandan pastor who lived through the genocide there in the mid '90s. Quite an education on world events and perspectives! We plan to continue to use the classes at the seminary to enhance their high school curriculum. What an amazing opportunity God has blessed us with to help us raise our children in the discipline and instruction of the Lord (Ephesians 6:4)! Marie and Joey have had fun learning Luganda, the local tribal language here. Marie is picking it up faster than any of us. Joey's favorite word is Bulungi which means good. He is either saying "No Bulungi" or "Bulungi" to Manilla Hope since she only speaks Luganda right now.

In reflection we want to thank God and thank you all for your vital role in this incredible adventure for Jesus. Please continue to pray for our family and our ministry here during 2012. We pray that this is only the beginning of many years to come!!!! Thank you again for being a part of what God is doing here in East Africa.

Thankful For So Much

This year was a Thanksgiving like none other. We celebrated Thanksgiving with new friends and missionaries in Uganda. It was a wonderful time with so many people that God has directly brought into our lives. We welcomed 28 people in our home for a time of thanksgiving and celebration for how God has blessed abundantly. With the help from our Peace Corps. friends, Christy, Lisa, and Drew, they searched and found, not one but two, turkeys for our dinner table. Among the turkeys we had stuffing, garlic mashed potatoes, pumpkin casserole, salads, deviled eggs, and the list goes on and on. I think the pictures from Thanksgiving day will explain much better than words:) Our family has so much to be thankful to God for.

Miracles Do Happen

God has yet amazed me again!! I would think by now that I wouldn't be surprised with how God does what He does, but this time I'm amazed that I was the one who got to partake in a miracle. Please let me explain.

Friday afternoon outside our gate, while Marie and Joey were playing with our neighbor children, I asked about their health. Nabira, the 10 year old girl, stated that her mother was at the hospital with their 8 year old sister, Janette. Apparently a few days before Janette had gotten very sick and almost died at home. As the children were talking you could see the concern on their faces. One mentioned that maybe I could go the next day to visit her. Another one of the older boys said that maybe I could take them to see her. My heart was heavy with the thought of this precious child being so sick, and the mother having to be away from the rest of her children while tending to the sick one. So, I decided to visit the next day.

I was a bit concerned since I didn't know what the diagnoses was. I could easily walk into a situation where Janette could have TB, since we had heard a child coughing terribly a few days earlier. With much prayer of safety and for God to give me the right words, I headed to the hospital the next day with the oldest child in the family, Ashliff. Also, this would be the first time meeting the mother. Upon arriving I found Mother with Janette and another surprise. Not only was Janette in the hospital, but her 3 month old baby sister, Rasheeda, was also very sick. Janette was diagnosed with pneumonia and looked fairly well, other than a pretty yucky cough here and there. However, the baby was diagnosed with malaria and the flu and was not doing well. This little girl had a cough like none I've ever heard before. My children have had pneumonia, croup, flu, and bronchitis, but I've never heard anything like this before. Upon awaking the child continuously coughed, almost without being able to take a breath. All I could think was that if this had been in the U.S. she would be on oxygen, breathing treatments, and complete nursing care. The care she was receiving was intramuscular injections of antibiotics, steroid shots, some various cough medicines. and no doctor or nurse to be found. The major issue was that the antibiotic she was on was not the right medicine to eradicate the malaria. Baby Rasheeda was scheduled to get one more dose of the antibiotic, and then she was going to be released from the hospital. All I could think is that I needed to pray over this family and this child. God directed me to ask the mother if I could pray over them before leaving. She enthusiastically said yes.

I began by putting my hands on Mother, Janette, and baby. I prayed aloud with them that God would do a miraculous healing in Rasheeda, and continue the healing process in Janette. I prayed with a boldness like I've never prayed before. Afterwards, I quietly said to God, please show them that you are real. I left the hospital with my nursing mindset that new medical care was needed. So I started talking to other missionaries through the day about other options for medical care in Jinja. I also needed to find out if it would be okay to help them financially if that was a cause for them to not want better medical care. Later that day I was going to head back to the hospital, when I saw that Mother was back home with both children. I went over to visit to see how Baby Rasheeda was doing. The mother said better. We sat and talked for about 15-20 minutes while Rasheeda was fully awake and very responsive. By God's healing power the child did not cough once while being there for that amount of time. Many of you might say right away that God had healed. Yes He did!! But sitting there my mind didn't process all that had happened right away. I did tell the mother that it was because God heard our prayers. I again checked on them again on Sunday and the baby was continuing to improve even more. Thank you, Lord, for showing yourself to this family.

On Sunday we picked up four of the seven children of this family to take them to church with us once again. This has become a weekly treat now:) During church I was able to share about this miracle that God had allowed me to take part in. It was a joyous time of giving God all the honor and glory for what had happened. After church the oldest child, Ashliff, thanked me for sharing the story. I just looked at him and said, "Ashliff, thank God for what he did. I was only obedient to do what He asked." Come to find out, I have been told this is a Muslim family. Wow!!! God please work and help me be bold for Your namesake.

Family and friends...you never know what can happen when you are obedient to do what God calls you to do. Please don't let fear stand in your way, like I almost did. Step out on faith and know that God will work out all things for His own glory. Please join me in prayer for this precious family who needs to know and accept the free gift of salvation from my Lord, Jesus Christ. ------Blessings, Dana.

Living in Uganda

Hey!! It's Marie! I want to share what's been happening since we moved to Uganda. We are pretty much settled here and are attending a great church. We've also been eating many kinds of foods and God has been very good to us.

We are going to Acacia Community Church. It is a wonderful church with a Christian heart. We sit under a tree while we listen to the pastor preach. Last week at Children's Church there was a little girl standing by one of the tables. We were doing our lesson and all of a sudden, she screams! There was a lizard in her shoe and it was crawling up her leg! I felt terrible for her. I have some Ugandan friends. They're awesome! We also sing "I am a Team Kid" every Sunday. It's fantastic! I love to sing it!!

For now we are eating out on Sundays. Some places we've been is The Keep, Ling-Lings (Chinese food), and Paradise Hotel on the Nile. At Paradise we sat where we could see the Nile River and they had excellent pizza. It was beautiful! At home we have two helpers. Their names are Grace and Prossie. I am learning how to cook. I now know how to make chapatis(tortillas but thicker) and banana bread. For Dad's birthday we had a banana loaf as the cake. We even put a candle on it!

You might be wondering about our safety at night. We have a guard named Peter. He is a very nice man. Then we have Mbusa who is our garden and yard help. Joey and him get along very well.

Me, Mbusa, and Joey

Even though we have a guard, it's God who really is protecting us. God has kept us safe so far, and I know He'll continue to do so. Praise God for what He's done. Also, please, please, pray! I miss you all. God bless! Bye for now!!

A New Home

I've been wanting to update and let everyone know how things are going for a few days. The problem is that there is so much to share. So I think I'll just jump in and try to share what comes to mind. I will try my best to explain what we see and experience.

We traveled on Aug. 31 from Dayton airport, to Atlanta(2.5 hr. layover), to Amsterdam(another 2.5 hr. layover), to Kigali, Rwanda(let people off and pick people up), then to Entebbe, Uganda. All said and done it took over 26 hours from Dayton to Uganda. God answered many prayers by having all the fees for 27 checked in bags waived, no delays, all children and dog(Buckets) did very well, and all bags arrived at destination. On top of that when we arrived in Uganda we were greeted by another missionary co-worker who took wonderful care of getting us transportation on a bus(also called coaster)and a house to stay in for that night. The next morning we visited the Game store(dept. store) and supermarket to buy some things before heading to Jinja. Needless to say we were all anxious to travel to our home in Jinja which is a two hour ride from Kampala, the capitol of Uganda.

Friday, Sept. 2 we arrived at our new home. What a home!!! God blessed us with a beautiful home that was lovingly prepared by many who serve here in Uganda. All the kids rushed in the door to see their rooms and Aaron and I stood in the living room in awe of how beautiful it is. We quickly were going in one room and then another trying to take in all we were seeing. All I can say about our home is that it is beautiful not only because of the furnishings, but because so much love and hard work was poured into it by many of our fellow missionaries. After lunch everyone left to allow our family time to be in our home by ourselves. However, plans changed quickly (as they often do here) and Aaron had to leave to do an errand. So I started unpacking some things so we could at least have the basic necessities.

In the next few days I worked at getting all bags and boxes unpacked while traveling hither and yonder to get things in Jinja. Some of the most memorable things thus far for me was my first trip to the market. Wow!!! What an experience. There were so many people and things smashed into small places that it was so hard to move. It is amazing what you can find at the market. Things you wouldn't think of like caulking, plungers (called toilet pushers), bolts and screws, any vegetable I think you could imagine, live and dead chickens, goats, fish, and the list goes on and on. Trying to get around Jinja was not so easy at first. The biggest issue is that everything is backwards in comparison to the US. You drive on the wrong side of the road, the steering wheel is on the right side of the car, and everything but the brake and gas are opposite. God help me if we purchase a vehicle that is a stick shift since I've never driven one:) I asked the missionary who took me to the market how long it would take me to get around and find things in Jinja and the central market. Her response was that there is alot more traffic now, then when they first moved here over 20 years ago. Oh boy, I thought. However, two days later I had visited the market two more times, I could navigate around Jinja, and I had actually driven a couple of blocks to drop Nick and Dylan off at they youth Bible study. So now this little town is becoming home.

The children are all doing very well. Nick and Dylan have spent time making lots of new friends. Marie and Joey have new friends of their own and have already been to a couple of birthday parties. The church we are attending is wonderful. Hate to tell you Urbancrest family but Marie said it may even be better:) I think it's because we get to sit outside under a tree. Everyone here has been so supportive, encouraging, helpful, and loving. God has blessed immeasurably. Buckets is doing well and getting along with our German Shepherd, Misty. We do have a few gecko and frog friends that live in our home with us. So far no snakes or rats, but I'll keep you posted:)

Life here is very different, hard at times, but without a doubt an adventure. When things are absurd it is referred to as TIA(This Is Africa). For example even though we drill into concrete walls screws pull out, the power strips are not grounded, if it's new it doesn't mean that it will work for more than a few days, ants overtake your home in a matter of hours, water in bathroom floor because of clogged drain, huge gaps around new windows where critters can easily enter, and the list could go on and on. Even through the many inconveniences I couldn't imagine being anywhere else. A huge blessing that occurred was that Aaron didn't get shocked when drilling into the wall to hang a fan. The drill bit hit the wires but instead of going through them, the black and red wires just moved apart. Thank you Jesus!!!

Thank you to all that pray for us and encourage us through emails. I will have pictures and possible videos soon. I've been so busy trying to get our house in order that I haven't had time to enjoy Uganda yet. Today we did get to have lunch overlooking the Nile River and believe it or not we ate pizza:) It was really good too. God has been our strength through the small trials that have come and will continue to be and through it all we pray that we glorify His name. I am going to have the children post soon, so they can share their experiences thus far. Please continue to pray for our family as we transition to this new land and this new home. We wouldn't be here if it were not for the many faithful supporters and prayer warriors that we have. Thank you all.

Prayers Are Answered

We asked for our team to pray for insurance and for the extra baggage fees to be waived by Delta in our last newsletter. The extra baggage fees were going to cost $2,600. Well, God has answered in a BIG way. First praise is that everyone in the family has insurance coverage. Second, we were just notified that Delta waived all extra baggage fees for our trip. Hallelujah!!!! The last big piece that needs to fall in place is for our vehicles to sell. Please cotinue to pray, as we all see that prayer is essential and does work. Thank you to all who prayed and interceded for our family. It is greatly appreciated. We have 12 days till we depart for Jinja!! Our whole family is excited and can't wait to begin a new chapter in our lives serving an Awesome God in Africa. If you haven't read our latest newsletter you can view it at:
http://www.gatewayglobaloutreach.org/Bogan/Newsletters/Archive/NewsletterAug2011.pdf
God Bless!!!!

3 Weeks Till Departure

Wow, it's hard to believe that we are down to our last few weeks before leaving for Uganda. All the preparation, hardwork, prayers, prayers, and more prayers have definitely gotten us where we are today. We now are living in N. Kentucky with a couple who graciously opened their home to our family and our dog:) They are so gracious and giving and we have enjoyed getting to know them better each day. Jim and Bonnie are family to us now. It's so amazing to see and be a part of how God orchestrates every minute detail. This home is exactly where we needed to be these last few weeks in the states. We also have been working on health insurance. To be real blunt, it has been a pain. The first insurance company didn't want to cover any back problems for Aaron ever, because of his spinal fusion that he had two years ago. That stipulation doesn't work. so we've applied to two more companies. Please pray that this will get sorted through quickly, and we have insurance by Sept. 1. God can work this out also, so we pray for intervention. The last two days we have been working on getting our vehicles sold. Right now there are people very interested in both the van and truck. Again, please pray that the vehicles will sell quickly. so we can focus our attention on other things. Our family has tried to seize opportunities to enjoy the beautiful pool on the property. It has helped us to relax and enjoy this time a bit. Each day is filled with last things that need to be done before leaving, so trying to slow down a bit by the pool has been very nice. Good news is that Dylan and Marie get their braces off on Friday!!! Nick will have to transfer with his on, which he is not thrilled with. However, I keep telling him that it will be so worth it in the end:) God has worked that detail out by already having our ortho. here contact our ortho. there in Uganda to set treatment up. These last three weeks we are hoping to spend time with family and friends. Our calendar is filling quickly, but we enjoy these last days of gathering and eating with many that we will miss while we are away. Please continue to pray for this transition time, and I will try to update once more before we depart.