Ready to trade our scarfs and tuques for polos and skirts

Posing for a pre-departure team photo.

Front (left to right): David, Rodney, Noah
Back (left to right): Adrian, Sherene, Denise, Theresa, Ryan

Just in time

Praise God! With just a week left before our departure, we've reached our fundraising target of $24,000.

We have our final team meeting tomorrow. The countdown begins. 6 days to go!

Call for increased intercession

Thank you so much for the outpouring of support. It is coming in many ways, whether financially, prophetically, materially, or through prayer and fasting.  These past few weeks have been tough. Many of our team members or their loved ones suffered personal setbacks, heartbreaking tragedies, spiritual oppression, even a multitude of distractions to occupy our time and energies. Some of us are still in the midst of it, some are just getting out. We ask for increased prayer and intercession in the days leading up and especially during our time there.


We thank God for the people from Life-Spring who have been participating in a 24-hour prayer and fasting chain for the Uganda missions for the past month. We will be taking a short Christmas break to let everyone enjoy the holidays, but the "chain" resumes on New Years Day and continuing for the duration of the trip.  We leave on the evening of December 31, 2010 and return on January 24, 2011. (Yes, we get to celebrate New Years on the plane!) 


Please continue to pray for us and with us. Our top prayer items are:

• Perseverance and unity - That even when the times are tough, we will persevere and continue to "stand firm in the one Spirit, striving together as one for the faith of the gospel without being frightened in any way by those who oppose [us]." (Phil. 1:27-28)
• Protection for the team, family members, and loved ones
• For God's kingdom to be extended in Uganda
• For the believers in Uganda to be strengthened, encouraged, and equipped to be leaders in their generation
• For physical and spiritual restoration in the land of Uganda

Thank you and God bless!

Meet Ryan Seow

Name: Ryan Seow Occupation: Tyndale Seminary Student by day / Pastoral Intern by night # of trips to Uganda: 1 (soon to be 2)
Why I'm going to Uganda: God has called me to the nations and especially to the nation of Africa Celebrity Look-a-Like:  Fozzie Bear

Meet the team leader, Pastor Adrian Wi

Name: Adrian Wi Occupation: Pastor # of trips to Uganda: Including this one, 4
Why I'm going to Uganda: To explore the possibility of investing more of my life into the emerging leaders of Uganda If you could be a superhero, who would you be? Spiderman

Meet Sherene Wi

Name: Sherene Wi Occupation: Big boss of the household - not just a housewife # of trips to Uganda: 0. This is my first trip.
Why I'm going to Uganda: I want to personally meet the extraordinary people of Uganda that my husband Adrian has grown so fond of.  We have opportunity to visit orphanages on this trip and I am especially drawn to the orphans and hope to be able to respond in some way to their heart's cry. What's in your refrigerator right now? My refrigerator has lots and lots of yogurt. My boys love yogurt.

Meet Denise Cheng

Name: Denise Cheng Occupation: Multimedia Software Engineer # of trips to Uganda: 1, soon to be 2!
Why I'm going to Uganda: Because God has blessed us with lots to give, and because we have much to learn too.  Obeying God's command to bring the good news to all nations! What would I find in your refrigerator right now? Leftover chicken rice from our last team meeting. Yummy!

Meet Theresa Wong

Name: Theresa Wong Occupation: Unemployed Nurse (somebody hire me!) # of trips to Uganda: 0

Why I'm going to Uganda: My desire to go to Uganda began earlier this year in January when our church welcomed back a larger team who had just arrived home from Uganda. Hearing their stories of miracles, healings, lives being touched, and God moving in such a mighty way stirred something in my spirit that could only be satisfied by becoming a part of it. My heart began to break for the people of Uganda. I want to go and meet the people and see how we can share the love of the Father with them. If you could be a superhero, what would you want your superpowers to be?  To control time!

Meet Rodney Lau

Name: Rodney Lau Occupation: Healthcare Engineer # of trips to Uganda: 2 previous trips

Why I'm going to Uganda: To hopefully facilitate sustainable transformation in the lives of Ugandans If you were an animal what would you be?  Giraffe, because they look funny What was the last book you read?  Innovator's Prescription - A Disruptive Solution for Health Care What would I find in your refrigerator right now?  Cows If you could be a superhero, what would you want your superpowers to be?  Super speed!

Meet David Ee

Name: David Ee Occupation: Real estate investments director (Area of coverage, U.S. Canada and Asia) # of trips to Uganda: 1st trip

Why I'm going to Uganda: I have heard so many "God" stories of how lives have been touched and changed when our young adults served in previous trips to Uganda. I need a break from my daily work routine and pray that I will be able to see first hand, the power of our God working in the lives of the people in Uganda. I consider it a privilege to be able to serve with a group of energetic young adults from our church.

Meet Noah Okiror

Name: Noah Okiror Occupation: Ex-Wildlife Biologist, Ex-Biology/PhysEd Teacher, Retired Military Chaplain, Now a Missionary to the underprivileged youth # trips to Uganda: Are you kidding me? I was born there, Hallooo!
Why I'm going to Uganda: I am going in answer to the call for help; to see opportunities of ministering the love of the father to the hurting youth. The last book I read: Thomas A. Smail, The Forgotten Father Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdemans, 1981

Passion and compassion

I've been thinking about putting up a list of prayer items for our trip to Uganda but every time I come up with a checklist, it doesn't feel right. First thing that comes up is the usual wish list of provision, health, and divine inspiration as we prepare for messages, but those are all self-centered prayers, not that we don't need them, but what is more important is intercession for the advancement of the kingdom of God globally, and for us for the next season, in Uganda.

Two words capture the cry of my heart: they are Passion and Compassion.

The word "passion" comes from a Latin root word meaning "to suffer". To be passionate for something means to be ready and willing to suffer for it. What are we passionate for in Uganda? Are we willing to suffer for it? More importantly, what is Jesus passionate for?

For everyone in the team, we may be passionate about different things. I know both Adrian and Noah have a passion to father the next generation in Uganda; while for me, I want to train and equip the next generation to achieve their destiny.

Over the next few weeks, we'll be posting profiles of each of the team members so that you can get to know us better. I invite you to pray for each of the team members to recognize their passion and to develop the conviction that they will be ready and willing to suffer for it.

The second word is "compassion". I have a long history with this word, dating back from Teens Conference 1996(?) where I was the co-leader of team "Compassion"-- the theme of the year happened to be fruit of the spirit. We spent countless hours trying to come up with a team cheer, and after many brain cycles and consultations, we came up with the tag line, "Compassion, it's never out of fashion."

But let's come back into the present. I was reading Shane Claiborne's book recently called "Irresistible Revolution", a recommended read for anyone seeking for a Christianity that is exciting and relevant, and he talked about compassion as suffering with the people, be it the poor, the oppressed, the minority, the outcasts. Again, going back to word origins meaning "to suffer with", it means not just giving out from arm's length, but integrating oneself into the community, to view their problems not just as theirs, but ours.

The Africans have a wonderful concept called "ubuntu" signifying that every person is only a person through other people, that our humanity is bound up in each other's. Archbishop Desmond Tutu of South Africa says that there is no English word translation for it, but I'm going to propose one, and it's called "compassion".

Please pray that we would begin to understand and live out compassion for people--that we may identify with them, love them, accept them, believe in their destiny, support them, and even learn to be vulnerable to them.

Thank you for joining and supporting us in our journey of discovering passion and compassion in the land of Uganda.

Uganda 2011 Itinerary

Our travels start in Kampala, going eastwards to Jinja, Tororo, then northwards to Soroti, then Gulu, then to Murchison Falls. From there, we head back to Kampala for conferences in Mpigi and Kajansi. We then say good bye to half the team who will be leaving for home.

The remaining team will travel southwest to Mbarara for conferences and a wedding.

View Uganda 2011 in a larger map

Here is our tentative schedule.

Uganda 2011

In January 2011, a small team of eight from Toronto Life-Spring Christian Fellowship will be making a return trip to Uganda. This trip was conceived as a response to a burden to invest in something more lasting for Uganda. 

People ask, why not make an investment in Toronto?  We are!  Life-Spring is still very much involved in work in the city of Toronto, training leaders, sending out teams to churches and fellowships, reaching out to the homeless and the poor.  But we also go to Uganda because the need there is urgent and the situation dire, because there are very few NGOs that address the spiritual needs of the people, because many predict that this is Africa’s decade to rise up, because it is an opportune time to join the work there.

For the first two weeks, we plan to do a survey of Uganda, starting out from Kampala to all four corners of Uganda.  The question we’ll be asking is how we can pass on our gifts and anointing in the area of the Father’s heart and in healing and deliverance, to the raise up a generation of people there who can receive it, live it, and run with it.

In the third and last week, we will be staying at a town called Mbarara in western Uganda.  Since our last visit in January 2010, they have experienced great revival and they are seeking help on how to build up the new and renewed believers.

We’re very excited to see what will come out of this trip. We are prayerfully considering building a training base in Uganda so that we can help build a solid foundation for the believers there.

If you would like to support us in this trip, here are some ways:

•  Through financial contribution. If writing a cheque, please make it payable to TLCF, under memo write “Uganda missions.” Charitable donation tax receipts will be issued at the end of the year.
•  Through prayer support. We will post our latest prayer needs on this blog.
•  Through donation of new or used cellphones (using SIM cards), books, DVD movies, or clothing. However, due to limited space, we may not be able to bring everything. Any unused donations will be given to local charitable organizations that collect these items.

Thank you and God bless you!

Tororo makes soy milk

One of the projects being conducted by the church in Tororo under Leadia is to secure provision for those infected by HIV/AIDS through the organic farming of soy beans. So far they have given out 5 kgs of soy seeds to a total of fifty households under a micro loan project. Upon harvest, each household will give back 5 kgs that they will in turn give out to another set of fifty households. A portion of the harvest will also be sold to set up funds for a micro loan scheme.

While we were in Tororo, we had a chance to share with the pastor how to make soy milk from soy beans. Last week, the church tried to make soy milk for the first time. Here are some pictures from the soy milk demo:

Feedback from the people was that they were pleasantly surprised at how milk can come out of soy. The taste of soy milk straight up is still a little foreign to them, however when mixed with coffee or tea leaves, they enjoyed the drink a lot better!

Since last Sunday's demo, they have made soy milk a few more times. In the past year, a lot of people have lost cattle from foot and mouth disease, so these days cow's milk is not as accessible, but they are happy to have soy milk as an alternative. We hope that this new beverage will help enhance the health of the people there.

Soroti Video

Jinja Video

Mbarara Videos and Testimonies

Part I


Part II

Tororo Slideshow

Stick around for the credits, especially around the 4m20s mark to see the patented penguin dance.

Kevin's Testimony Video (full version)

Adrian - The Girl that broke my heart (Report on Uganda)

Dear Friends

This trip round, as I reflect, I feel that the Father was trying showing me something that is deep in His heart. Yes indeed…the Holy Spirit demonstrated Himself to the people. Yes…there were many awesome moments (as you have read from the previous reports). The anointing reached levels where I’ve never seen or tasted before. The goodness and nature of God passed before over very eyes. All we could do was to stand, watch, pray and cry with the people. In fact till today, I am still in wonder, overjoyed and grateful with the mighty move of the Holy Spirit. But on the last day in Soroti, Uganda, it felt like to me that Heaven was silent. It was as though the Father wanted to reveal something that is bigger than all I have seen or heard. What happened? I was taken to an orphanage. It wasn’t quite what I had expected. Here I was going in, prepared for ministry to the kids, when all of the sudden what hit me next I must say ‘ruined me for life’.

This orphanage is run by YWAM. It is not an ordinary one. It is a place where orphans who are left for dead in their village because of HIV and diseases. They go from as young as a few days old, to teenage years. As I walked through the venue, I see a 5 weeks old orphan with HIV, struggling to live on a machine. His twin brother and mother died upon child birth. The day before, a few days old orphan died as he was born into the world without an arm and his mother died 40hrs after giving birth. These children because they are orphans are left to the next of kin in the village but because of food shortage, they get the leftover if there is even any. Hence the children who are healthy get the first dips in the food. Out of 320 kids that have come by the orphanage, about 60 have died in there. Then a little girl caught my eye. She is 1yr 7mths old. She had hardly any flesh. She was mostly all bones wrapped in skin. As I bent over, because she had no strength or muscle to move her lower body, she dragged herself to me. Put her little fingers on my finger and that’s all she could muster. As I picked her fragile body up and held her, the Father broke me hard. Here I was all ready for storytelling to the children, songs, games and what I could only do at that moment was to hold her tight. I felt that I was stripped of everything that I could do to help her. I was leveled to the ground. What can I say? Nothing! What I can I do? Nothing! I was speechless. No amount of words or wisdom could help her. It felt like the Father knocked the wind out of me. I was heart broken. After feeling that way for a while, the Father began to show me what this girl needs. What she needs most is not another story, games, song, gospel, church or even an outbreak of revival (please don’t misunderstand what I am saying, I believe in these things strongly and am a strong supporter of them, but the Father was really trying to have me grasp something in His heart). She wanted to be held by someone who loves her. She wanted to be touched. She wanted to feel what it is like for a father to hold her in his arms and have the most loving pair of eyes staring down at her. She wanted to feel secure in a time of uncertainty. Hands that won’t hurt her but comfort her. As I held her, I could feel the pain on my Father’s heart as well as an overwhelming love for her. It is one thing to see pictures and videos of kids in such a situation. But it is another to hold them in your arms. Even till today, this experience is still impacting me. As I allow the Father to work in me, I realized I am ruined more and more.

I really appreciate what the Father did for me. I believe this is a great gift from Him. I do appreciate the mighty move of the Holy Spirit and I do want more of that. In fact I am excited about it. But this was a moment for me as the Father showed me another revelation into the depths of what breaks His heart.

Deuteronomy 10:18 “He defends the cause of the fatherless and the widow, and loves the alien, giving him food and clothing.”

James 1:27 “Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.”

Blessings

Adrian

Tororo - Women's Session

This session was one of the most memorable one of the conference. As the Holy Spirit would have it, we didn't teach or preach to them. We just shared our lives. Each one of us girls shared our journey with God, the ups and the downs, especially the downs. The women came up too and shared their stories. We cried and prayed together.  It was a time of solidarity--as women, as sisters in Christ.

While the women stayed inside and shed tears, the men sat under a big tree outside and shared laughs. The method may be different, but the outcome was the same. We bonded and it was good!

Tororo - Pastors and Leaders Conference

The first big breakthrough happened on the first day as Herman and Joe preached on the Father's heart and on sonship. A lot of the pastors and leaders grew up fatherless or with an abusive father that it was difficult for them to see God as a loving father. But that day, the Holy Spirit broke through and God's liquid love poured over the people that many wept because they had never, until now, experienced the love of a father.

One pastor shared when he was a child, his father beat him when he asked for money for pen and books. His father response was, "Where do you see the money?"  But that day for the first time, he felt the tangible presence of God and he broke down in tears as he received the love of Father God for him.

Another pastor shared that his father has three wives, and he was the youngest son of the third wife. When he was still a baby, his father abandoned them. Growing up he didn't have any parental love, and he couldn't understand how God who he cannot see can love him when his father who he can see cannot.  But that day, God touched him. He also felt the tangible presence of God caressing him on his head, and tears started to flow down.  He said that he now has a new foundation in life, and he wants to become a good and loving father to his children, and to his spiritual children.

Another pastor shared that God gave him a picture of a family, where the son told his dad, "Stay home. I will provide for the family." He realized that he had been thinking like that son. He is trying to provide for the family, but God is saying to him, "Let me be the father and you just be my son."  It was the beginning of the release of a huge burden that he had been carrying.

Day two Natalie taught on the Holy Spirit. During the soaking session, the Holy Spirit ministered to the people  that their countenance changed. Natalie observed that their faces glowed like people in love and when worship started again, it was like everyone's spirit was free and able to soar!

Day three Karyne taught about generational blessings and curses, and Gabe taught about spiritual warfare.  Day four, I (Denise) taught on confession, power of agreement, and soul ties. Then we went into a time of prayer and intercession.  

The pastors and leaders themselves applied what they had learned and interceded on behalf of their families, their churches, their towns and villages, their country. It was so powerful when everyone prayed in one accord that we felt the shift in the spiritual realm.

That day, Pastor Philemon, head of the Tororo Deliverance church and our gracious host, challenged the pastors and leaders. He said Africans have a mentality of always looking to receive from the west. How can God bless them when they only receive but don't give. So he challenged the leaders to give so that Africa can be a blessing to the nations. So people gave, and the next day, even though the pastor didn't take up a collection, people came up to him and gave voluntarily, and the last day, they gave again.  I was so touched by their obedience and generosity.  I know they will be blessed for sowing into the kingdom of God.

Tororo - Harvest

So we spent four days doing door-to-door evangelism and a lot of people received Jesus as their Lord and Saviour. It seemed too easy.  I wondered if people really understood the meaning of their confession of faith. But then we saw the people whose homes we visited in the morning come to the afternoon crusades, and the next day they returned, and on Sunday, they joined us for worship service.

What a joy it was to see the faces of people whose lives intersected ours even for a brief moment, come into the family of God!  

One lady who is a new believer testified that her daughter used to be tormented by demons everyday and every night. It disrupted her even at school that the teachers asked her not to come in. However, after the whole family received Jesus, that night the demons did not come to bother them and her daughter was able to sleep through the night. The lady also testified that she feels like God has a calling on her life. That she is to quit her business selling alcohol because God has something else in store for her. This all happened within a few days of her accepting Jesus and she can already hear the voice of God!

Tororo - Worship

There is so much freedom and joy in the way they worship in Uganda. We enjoyed singing and dancing alongside our African brothers and sisters - unto our God!

The clip below is from one of our revival meetings.

Team Tororo - Just for fun

Every morning in Tororo, we vote for worst dressed and take a picture in front of our hotel, just for fun! In Uganda, we had to adhere to a dress code: collared shirt and trousers for men, nice top and long skirt for women.

As the trip progressed, people started dressing better so the judging got tougher. You get voted for having wrinkly clothes, stains, muddy shoes, or wearing the same outfit twice.

Here are some of the winners. One finger for first place, two fingers for second place.

Tororo - Running Start

So I didn't get a chance to post at all from Uganda. The internet connection there was so slow, it took about five minutes just to get to the Yahoo login screen, and another five to ten minutes to get to my Inbox.  I sent one email to my family to let them know we've arrived safely and that they probably won't be hearing from me again soon, and another update to the church family.

We spent our first morning in Kampala together with all the other teams and a few of the local pastors. We had a commissioning service, and soon after, each team left for their assigned regions. Pastor Philemon and Pastor Joseph from Tororo came to pick us up. The drive from Kampala to Tororo takes about 4 hours. On the way, we pass through a forest inhabited by baboons. We saw a few by the road.

The first evening in Tororo, the pastors gave us a surprise. Our original schedule included five crusades, and a five-day pastors and leaders conference.  We thought we had our hands full, and then we were given this revised schedule.

Day 1 to Day 2: (Rubongi village)
9am to 12pm - Door-to-door evangelism
4pm to 7pm - Open-air crusade

Day 3 to Day 5: (Tororo)

9am to 12pm - Door-to-door evangelism

4pm to 7pm - Open-air crusade

Day 6 (Sunday):
Speaking at four different churches

Day 7 to Day 10:
9am to 2pm - Pastors and leaders conference
4pm to 7pm - Revival meeting

Here is team Tororo on the first official working day of the trip.

Door-to-door evangelism had to be one of the toughest challenges for our team. Each one of us had to lead a team of local people to visit homes one by one to share the gospel. We were the main speakers, and the local people were there to help us as interpreters and guides. None of us was comfortable with the idea but we went along with it.

The first day of door-to-door was rough. I didn't understand anything about their culture, so I was awkward during the small talk and stumbled my way through the gospel presentation.  Yet despite that, the Holy Spirit showed up. On one of the first homes we visited, there was an elderly lady with poor vision, her eyes were half-closed. I prayed for her eyes to be healed and Jesus healed her! Her eyes were opened wide and she kept looking at me with eyes of wonder. When the other people saw that she was healed, they brought all their sick, young and old, and I prayed for all of them. Many people believed in Jesus!

After that, we had our first crusade. Herman shared his testimony, and many people responded. What touched me the most was seeing a group of tough-looking young men, about six of them, come forward to receive salvation in Jesus. It is rare to see young men give their lives to Christ. The next day, these young men came to the church for their first discipleship class.  The pastor asked me if I could come say a few words to encourage them. I agreed and found myself joining a men's discipleship group conducted in Japadola, the local language. Regardless, we are now a family in Christ, and that transcends language, race or sex. After they finished the class, I told them that following Jesus is probably the best decision that they've made in their lives, and that this is just the beginning of a wonderful journey.  I encouraged them to read the bible, and if they encounter something in it that seems impossible, to believe it by faith, because nothing is impossible with God.

Day 2 of the crusade, I helped Kevin with the children's program. Kevin was trying to make the kids remember the bible verse "Day and night I remembered you in my prayers".  He drew a sun to represent the day, and a moon to represent night. But when he showed the kids the moon and asked what it was, they unanimously responded "banana"! I couldn't stop laughing.

Adrian #6 - Cry for Forgiveness

Hi Team

On the 2nd last day of the conference, the Holy Spirit moved the hearts of the pastors in the region of Soroti (16 in all) to call for a repentance for the violence that has taken place in their land. From the invasion of LRA, to the Cattle Raiders, to the tribal wars, to the time of Idi Amin. As people cried in repentance to the Lord, many fell to their knees weeping bitterly. We could feel the heart of the Father moving among the 400 people. Then, in a surprising move, the delegates began to release forgiveness to the ones who did violence against them (as mentioned above). You can see that as they did, a lot of them were crying in deep pain and sorrow. Then to top it of, the people began blessing their former enemies. They stretched their hands in the direction of where their enemies came from and they declared blessings over them. Remember the lady whose huband was murdered by 4 men 1.5 mths ago? She too wept, forgave and blessed his murderers.

Right after, the line for testimonies was extremely long. One by one came and talked about how the LRA has killed their familiy members. How the Cattle Raider poisoned one lady's sister in front of her and she witnessed her death. Then each of them said that for many years they couldn't forgive. In fact it was difficult and even impossible. But as the Spirit of God moved them, they could forgive but not just that, bless them too. The Lord brought closure to many people that day.

The presence of God was the thickest that we have ever seen. Even the pastors were blown away by what the Father did that day. For us, we just stood by the side, not saying a word, watching, praying and crying with the people as we felt their pain and sorrows.

Blessings

Adrian

Ryan #2 - Mbarara

We just finished our last day of ministry here in Mbarara, and God has been moving mightly! It would be impossible to describe all the details here. Suffice to say that we're seeing God move in a way very similar to the way he moved in Life-Spring 4-5 years ago. For example, yesterday, we climbed a small hill to have a heart to heart discussion with the youth mission team that we met on the trip. One of the spiritual mothers of the group, Joanna, began to open up about her own lonliness and how over the week, the Lord has began to heal her and father her. Right then, the Holy Spirit fell mightly. People began to cry and hit the ground (in the middle of a forest!) while God began to bring up hurts in their lives, and heal them. The entire youth group and church has been radically transformed. We're seeing them move in the exact same way God moved in Life-Spring 4-5 years ago.

Many more amazing stories and testimonies to come!

The Mbarara team

Rodney #3 - Update from Jinja

Hi All,

Thanks for prayers. God is really moving. Some highlights:

1. Street preached because car broke down on the way to a conference
and 2 people came to Christ. Was immediately invited to a house 2
minutes away to pray for the sick. Backache, headaches and stomach
aches went away.

2. Man who couldn't ride a bicycle because his leg was so painful
testified that he had been healed, then jumped for joy as a
demonstration of his healing. Other healings as well.

3. Stretching by preaching not based on notes but based on the Holy
Spirit, Leonard style.

4. BY doing a Leonard imitation...FREEDOM, FREEDOM, FREEDOM!!!

5. Going with the flow of the Holy Spirit

6. Lady couldn't walk since a young age (she's now in her late 20s,
30s) and was able to walk.

7. People slain in the spirit and weeping under the anointing of the HS.

8. ~50 people saved at the crusades.

9. Pastors touched by the messages at the pastor's conference and
asked their congregation to come to the village conferences. The
church overflowed to the outside.

10. We got avocados, watermelon, and a LIVE CHICKEN!!! As gifts...

Thanks for all the prayers, they're working!

Ada, BY, Rod

Adrian #5 - Testimonies

Hi Team

Amazing Testimonies:

1. HIV. There was a lady that was dignosed with HIV 2 weeks ago. She attended the conference last week and was ministered to. She went back to get tested last Saturday and the report has came back with no HIV.

2. Paralytic. There was a lady who was semi paralytic whereby she can't move her left arm. When the translator lifted her arm, it was like soft rubber or jello. Then literally during ministry, she started moving her arm, twisting it whatever way the translator was instructing her to twisting. Her arm firmed up and was restored to her.

3. When we held the conference in Soroti in 2008, there was a lady that was barren for 11yrs. Her husband treated her real bad as he wanted to have children. So in 2008, the team broke the generational curses off her. She return to this conference (14mths later) with twins. Her husband dotes on her.

4. Before we even spoke in the slums at the crusade yesterday, the Lord impressed on our hearts to call out for healing. As people gathered to testify, 2 people experience healing (1 with the issue of blood, the other with spinal cord problems) and they gave their life to Jesus Christ. Its amazing because we didn't even do anything. God demonstrated himself to them.

Once again, thank you for journeying with us. Please continue to contend with us.

Blessings

Adrian

Audrey #2

[...editted...]

The following day we saw a lot of women coming up for ministry during the Sunday services and a lot of them broke down. We had a chance to speak the Father's love and acceptance into them.

Yesterday's Sunday service was amazing. There were 400 people who attended. What touched our hearts was that some of these people do not have mattresses to sleep on b/c there are just not enough mattresses to rent. But yet the people are so hungry for God that they don't mind sleeping on concrete floors!! Yesterday's testimonies were mind blowing. One woman who had HIV received prayer earlier in the conference and she got tested again and the results show that she is HIV free!!!

Adrian #4 - The Mighty Holy Spirit

Dear Friends

The conference has begun. There's a total of 400 people, the biggest the town of Soroti has ever seen. The crowd is huge and there's only 8 of us on the Soroti team. Our crusades, as the Ugandians call it, are held in the slums. About 350 people from the slums would come. We wondered how that was going to work because it would be quite impossible to lay hands on all of them. Then, the Lord put something on our hearts. I remembered in 2002, a spiritual father of mine did a ministry in Toronto. Instead of laying hands on people, he asked them to stretch out their hands to the Lord and he just prayed a prayer to cover the masses. The Holy Spirit fell on the people without anyone touching them. It was brilliant. So we decided to give it a try it.

This is what had happened in the conference and the crusades thus far... Within a few minutes, people lined up to testify of their healings. Eye sights were opened up. A woman whose doctor told her the solution to their eye problem was to remove them, had her eyes healed. Her visibility restored completely. Children with high fever became normal in temperature. People wept and fell under the anointing. They were dropping fast to the point that we couldn't catch them in time. There's a lot more stories that we can't even begin to tell you as we can't keep up. This is GOD at work! His goodness and kindess. What we cannot do, He does it in literally a few minutes. Its amazing to step aside and watch what the Holy Spirit does.

But probably one of the highlights is a woman that was tormented by evil spirits. She came to the crusade. For years she persecuted people who told her the gospel. She rejected everything about our faith. Then at the crusade, she came to the front, her body became so weak that she fell to her knees, started weeping, felt her heart almost explode as she gave her life to Jesus Christ. God demonstrated Himself to her. She testified the next day in the crusade. Man, this is so supernatural. Beyond us. God is good.

Anyways, please pray for us. Thanks for journeying with us.

Blessings

Adrian

Ryan #1 - Mbarara

Hi everyone,

Greetings from Mbarara, Uganda! The team here is just enjoying some down time with the local regional pastor, John Yawe, and wanted to give everyone at home an update on our team.

We've just finished our first conference in a place called Rushengo, a small village about 2 hours drive away from Mbarara. For those who don't know, Mbarara is one of the main towns in Uganda, surrounded by many smaller villages. Rushengo is one such village, inhabited mostly by people who live off the land. When we arrived, we were surprised to find that most of the audience was children and local villagers. We were expecting to run a pastors conference, so this was a bit of a change of plans. Also, we were excited to see another youth mission team from Mbarara also in the village... they were a great help in moer ways than one! The people here, including the youth mission team, have an amazing heart of servanthood. We began with messages about intimacy, core identity, and healing, but the conference really built up to the last two messages of the conference.

Pat Koh began the afternoon giving a great message on forgiveness. With an interpreter, you can never quite be sure if everyone fully understands the point you're trying to get across - the communication barrier is something we need to always be mindful of. However, it was clear by the altar call that the people really did understand the message of forgiveness - many people were able to forgive some pretty deep wounds. For example, one woman was able to forgive a person who killed one of her children... some deep healing took place!

The next session was really the highlight of the trip... here's a short writeup, not from us, but from one of the pastors at the conference.


From Pastor Moses Mukisa

Thursday was so hot in the iron-roofed church house in Rushango. The youth mission team saw it fit to divide the congregation into groups of men, women, youths, and children. This brought minsitry closer to the hurting flock.

The climax of the service was foot-washing that turned the service around. The atmosphere got charged with joy, praises and with worship. The distrusted hearts melted and a warm fellowship ensued; only to be interruped by the next part of the program that needed to be attended to.

Minds, outlooks, and hearts were permanently impacted.

Thank Jeus for the grace to obey and the strength to do.


This is something you really have to see to believe. We have plenty of amazing videos and stories to share when we get home! Thank you for all your prayers and intercession - as Life-Spring partners with churches in Uganda, we are seeing God bring healing to the nation.

Blessings and love,

The Mbarara team

Karyne #2 - Update from Tororo

Hello Everyone!

We are doing really well here in Tororo! Working hard but just really
loving it out here!

We start the day (ON TIME) at 9:00am to go to the church and from
there we go on 2-3 hour house-to-house evangelism visits. So we are
out and about the villages/town until about noon - 1pm. We come back
and hang out at the church for lunch until about 2-3pm and then head
back to the hotel for a bit.

We are then picked up at 4:30 to go and do outdoor crusades in the
market areas and we preach/pray/worship until about 7:30pm (when it
gets dark ... there are no lights, so when it's dark we leave).

Prayer Requests:

1. Strength + Health -- we are working at max capacity and so we need
supernatural strength to keep going -- it's only DAY 4!!!!

2. Unity -- amongst our teams and with the churches we partner with;
let us all be open to learn and share; for no offense to be taken when
we mutually try to teach other

3. God to download strategies and sharpen our gifts!

WE MISS YOU ALL!! Thank you for your prayers!!

Team Tororo

PS -- We are all fine!!! IT IS OK!

Adrian #3 - Break My Heart For What Breaks Yours

Hi Team

As we move around, we witness the Spirit of God moving mightily. But at the same time, we also witness things that shouldn't be happening. Things that breaks our heart. I love what I do because these precious people keep me real and not get lost in the "haves" of our lives. My prayer is always for the Lord to keep breaking my heart for what breaks His.

Over the course of several days now:

1. We have seen children with open wounds and flies (plural) literally eating the flesh of that open wounds.

2. A woman, with a 3 mth old baby, her husband was just murdered by 4 men 1.5 months ago.

3. Church buildings that have been burnt by the LRA. Yet the village people persist to put it together again.

4. Church buildings blown down by natural disaster. People meeting in buildings that are about to crumble. Walls made out of scattered straws.

5. Literally no harvest because of climate change. Famine as people struggle for food. Food prices in the local markets increased because of scarcity. The poor can't afford to buy them because they don't have any money.

6. Man aducted and abused by the LRA. Tormented in spirit, soul and body.

7. A young girl, 7yrs old, who has HIV.

8. A young girl who has to support her family, wants to go to school, but can't afford even to buy a pair of shoes.

...


Please continue journeying with us as the Lord reveals what is precious to His heart.

Blessings

Adrian

Audrey #1 - Day 2

Anyway, yesterday was AMAZING! It took us a long time to get to the village. We started off on a normal road, then a bumpy road, then a bumpier road, then a very bumpy road, and to a very very bumby road, and finally to just grass to get to the remote village. Right about 500 meters before the village, we saw these pretty pink fusia flowers tied on the tall grass along the road right into the village. And we found out that the village people put those flowers there just to welcome us into their village. When we were pretty close we heard the village people screaming for joy, dancing, waving flags and singing us a welcome song. I just couldn't contain my tears b/c I was so touched. We are nobodys but yet the village welcomed us like Kings and Queens. When we got into the village mudhut church, they were worshipping just with simple wooden instruments and voices and I could immediately feel God's overwhelming love and presence in that place. God chooses to dwell in the middle of remote Africa b/c thats how much He loves His people. His heart is definitely in the village. Lots of other stories which I have to journal and share with you when I get back.

Anyway on a more personal note...I broke down this morning crying. I'm frustrated b/c I have to give my testimony tomorrow at Village 3 and I feel like I don't have anything that I can share that can relate to the people or that will touch the peoples lives. So I tried soaking at 5am and at about 6am I started to CRY b/c I was getting nothing and was getting frustrated. Then I had thoughts like "why am I here if I have nothing to testify or share with the people" I felt useless....and then I can hear your voice telling me "..hear the truth". So Elaine prayed for me as I was crying (felt like the Alaska moment when I broke down). So I think I'm going to share about the time in Alaska when the enemy tries to tear me down and make me feel small. And how the team was attacked in Alaska. And how we all gathered to pray together and fight back. And how the next morning I woke up with a holy anger in my spirit and stop the enemy from punching me like a punching bag. And when I spoke to the church in Alaska, I spoke with fire and authority. Though I am small and the enemy comes against me ... but I have God with me. God is with me. Greater is He who is in me than who is of this world! And I come against the enemy with the Almighty God.

Denise #1 - Hi from Tororo

Hi I'm writing on behalf of the Tororo team. Sorry there have been no updates. Internet is really slow and today is the first chance we had to write you.

Team is doing well. tired, but nobody is sick.

We've been really stretched. been only 3 days but it feels like so much has already happened.

Our schedule so far has been 3 hours of house to house evangelism in the morning, and then crusades in the afternoon. For house to house, we each have to lead a team of locals and we are the main evangelist. They are there to support us and help translate us. We don't know what we're doing but by faith, we just do it. Praise god, we've seen a lot of souls saved, and people getting healed. THe need here is so great, so many children and adults are sick, disabled, tormented by spirits, poor and desolate.

On sunday, we are splitting into four churches to preach.

Then next week, our schedule also changed from just having the h&D conference, to also having revivial meetings every night in addition.

The team is stretched but our faith is just rising up and we are soaring! Everyone has to preach more than they prepared. Everyone has to lead teams to do home to home evangelism. Kevin is doing a children's program every day. They are so many children, just as many as adults.

We are praying for all the other teams in Uganda daily. Hope you guys are having as much fun and work as us!

See you soon!

denise

Rodney #2 - Update from Jinja

Hi Everyone,

We just finished our pastor's conference and are now splitting up into
teams of 2 to go to 3 different villages. Pastor's conference was
great, God moved powerfully! Some highlights:

1. A lady came up to BY after his message and said, "I didn't know
that's what forgiveness was. I learned so much."
2. Pastors came together to repent of their generational curses and
for allowing the Jezebel spirit to operate within their region. They
also corporately asked God to heal their land from curses placed on
it. Very powerful.

Prayer requests:
1. Strength - we are running pretty hard adn not sleeping enough with
message preparation and jetlag. Strength to press in and rest.
2. Leonard - he has an upset stomach, not good.
3. Discernment - we walked into a warzone where teh leaders of teh
region are burned out and there's division in the church. Pray for
discernment for us.

Thanks!
Rod.

Adrian #2 - Ministry Farming & More

Hi Team

I'm really excited about a particular project that is on its way. The village churches (7 in all) have been hit with massive drought and famine. They are located in remote areas of the Soroti district in Uganda. It is estimated that each church gets sometimes 1 visit a year from the outside, sometimes once in 2 years. As we ministered to the churches we brought along groundnut seeds which is their staple food. Anyways, a project was proposed by the district leader 2 days ago that if each church adopts a project of farming the seeds (4 bags per church), they could farm up to at least 4 acres. Each bag of seed is 1 acre. If the weather holds up, 1 acre or 1 bag will multiply up to 10 bags during harvesting. Then they can take the profits and sow it into their church and people for income. Anyways, the district leaders have undertaken this project to monitor and assist in the farming project.

Visiting Ajuku Village

Yesterday we ministered in Ajuku village. As we entered, we felt the presence of God strongly. The church felt like family. Anyways, as our team together with the Soroti pastors preached on the freedom and abundant life found in the presence of God, we experienced the power of God move in the place. Testimonies of people just walking into the mud hut church instantly getting healed. We didn't even have to touch them. Deaf ears opened up. Back pain gone. Some others testified that as soon as the team touched them, they were healed. We didn't even have to say anything. Such a awesome blessing to witness our Father move in that place.

There was a lady that came to the service though she was feeling ill. As she sat in the service, the pain in her stomach increased that as soon as she stepped out, she collapsed outside the church. Our team along with the Soroti pastors began ministering to her. As they focussed on speaking the presence of God into her, to fill her up, she began to feel alleviated. Then she broke down as the presence of God filled her. She later testified of her healing.

Please continue to contend with us as we realize that it is definitely not by might, nor by power, but only by the Spirit of God.

Blessings

Adrian

Adrian #1 - Update from Soroti

Hi Team

We completed our first day in the village called 'Otubet'. The team was overwhelemed by the honor that they gave us. They have little but yet have everything. Poor yet rich in the Spirit.

We are so favored by the people here. They gave us a 4x4 pickup truck, free internet, cheap lodging for a nice place. They love on us like family. In fact, they called us 'family'. Pastor Job said that as family, we are released to do whatever we feel God is leading us to do.

The presence of God was so powerful in Otubet yesterday. We preached on Isaiah 61, declared it over this village church. Then together with the pastors from Soroti that we equipped in 2008, we ministered to the people. Those pastors were awesome. They prayed powerfully, as led by the Spirit. We had many testimonies that were caught on video on healings and deliverance. We will tell you more in the near future.

One story from yesterday:
There was a young man that was aducted and abused by the LRA. When they aducted him, they beat him up real bad. Then they anointed him with oil to claim possession over him (witchcraft). He still feels the sting of the oil over the areas where they oiled him. He was tormented by the spiritual and physical effects of his aduction. When we ministered to him, we led him to forgive the LRA and the events of the aduction. As soon as we cut the soul ties, he fell to the ground under the anointing and the Spirit of God ministered to him. As the team soaked him in the presence of God, he felt a lifting from opression. He was immersed in the Holy Spirit for a while on the dirt. Then he got up and had a smile on his face. We asked him how he felt and he said he felt he has been set free. He kept saying 'Praise Jesus'.

Please continue to contend with us as we walk in Isaiah 61.

Love and Blessings

Adrian

Update from Jinja - Rodney #1

Hi all,

We just received our full schedule and it is packed! 3 1.5hr sessions
a day everyday with crusades on 3 of the nights. Lord has been good,
don't really feel any resistance so expecting big things. Today's the
start of our ministry time. Speaking schedule for the next 4 days:

BY - this afternoon, 2 messages on the 14th and 15th
Ada - tomorrow mid-day, 3 messages on the 14th and 15th
Rod - tomorrow afternoon, 3 messages on the 14th and 15th, crusade
message on the 15th

Thanks for praying!

We are staying at a pretty decent place. Our room actually has a
bathtub! Great food so far. =)

God bless,
Rod.

Karyne's first post

Hey Everyone!

Just want to let you all know that we have arrived safely and that we are doing well!

Nothing eventful has happened so far except that Ryan fainted on the plane -- was kinda funny. Due to low blood pressure and not eating anything .... but he's all good and well now! He's more than made up for his lack of appetite here!!

The food is fantastic (as per usual) and we're all eating really well. the pineapple is soooo sweet!

Anyhow -- the flight was amazing -- I hope we get to fly Emirates ALL THE TIME!

We are all splitting up today and going off to our respective cities --> Audrey to Soroti and Gabe/me to Tororo ....

It'll be sad to be separated but I guess since we'll be in 2 different cities you'll get double the stories :)

God's favour has been HUGE on us so far! No trouble with visas and Emirates put us up in a pretty nice hotel, with a buffet dinner :) So our stopover was great! We all had the chance to shower and sleep before our last leg to Uganda.

Gabe + friends went out AFTER our buffet dinner to explore the streets of Dubai and find some roti prata -- they were successful and apparently it's really cheap! It was about $0.25/roti and a BIG bowl of curry is about $5-8!? something like that ...

Anyhow -- just wanted to keep you all posted on our status and let you guys know we're ok :)

Blessings/Love,

Gabe, Karyne (and Audrey)!