Uganda awareness day pictures

Thanks to everyone who helped out and to everyone who stopped by. 

Kitchen volunteers

Mbarara booth

Decorations 

Kitchen prep

Serving hors d'oeuvres

More hors d'oeuvres

More servers and food

Uganda currency

Mbarara booth hostess

Seminar speaker

Rubongi booth hosts

Video

Culture booth hostesses

Blessings booth

Chocolate fountain

Pastor Alvin sharing about Mbarara

Herman Lam (right), event master

Uganda 2012 Meet the team: Herman Lam

Name: Herman Lam Occupation: Engineer in training # of trips to Uganda: 0 (First Time!!)

Why I'm going to Uganda: God's been stretching me over the past couple of years, in my own character and in the capacity to love and bless others.  Uganda's the next big stretch, eye-opener and heart-opener to God's heart and his love for the nations.  It will be a trip to share, love on and to overflow all that God's taught, and blessed me with over these past couple of years, that being the Father's Heart and what it means to be His son. If you could be a superhero, what would you want your superpowers to be? Freeze Time.. then I could sleep more and not lose time doing it!

Uganda 2012 Meet the team: Donna Parachin

Name: Donna Parachin # of trips to Uganda: 0 (first time)

"How great is the love the Father has lavished on us that we should be called children of God!" - 1 John 3:1 There are many verses in the Bible that speak of God as being our loving Father. While many of us as committed Christians understand this truth in our minds, we lack a genuine personal experience of His Fatherly love in our lives. God can seem distant and detached from our every day lives. He can seem to be silent in the midst of our troubles and our cries for His help. We long to touch Him and to be touched by Him in our hearts. Not only do many of us not experience God as the loving Father that He truly is, we instead fear Him as a Judge and as a strict Master under which we serve as slaves rather than being in relationship to Him as sons and daughters. “Living in the Abundance of the Father’s Love” is a conference that has been designed to bring God’s people into an experiential, transforming encounter with God’s Fatherly love. As a result, those in attendance will see their relationship to God transformed from that of being spiritual orphans to glorious sons and daughters! Encountering this unfailing love of the Father will release you from the barriers that have kept you from Him and the fulfillment of His desire for fruitfulness in your life. "For you did not receive a spirit that makes you a slave again to fear, but you received the Spirit of sonship. And by him we cry, `Abba, Father [or Pa Pa, Father].'" - Romans 8:15

Uganda 2012 Meet the team: Don Boyd

Name: Don Boyd

We will be hosting the conference entitled "THE HEALING POWER OF LOVE" in Mbarara, Uganda. The conference will be 4 dynamic days spent in the powerful and healing presence of our loving Heavenly Father.  This is a time of spiritual restoration and renewal as we receive ministry in the Word as well as Spirit-empowered impartation.  It is time for a shift in our thinking, our words and our walk so we can be set free from our past and learn to see ourselves the way God sees us - through the loving eyes and heart of Jesus.  It will change your life and set you in a place of victory while dealing with the realities of everyday life.  The Enemy wants to keep you down, alone and in despair; but the Lord longs to lift you up, bring you into loving relationships and establish you with a hope and a future.

Uganda 2012 Meet the team: Adrian Wi

Name: AdrianWi Occupation: Pastor About me: Happy married with 3 boys # of trips to Uganda: 4 (almost Ugandan!)
Why I'm going to Uganda:  One of my defining moments was an encounter with a little orphan girl in Soroti, Uganda that redefined the Father’s Love for me. My passion is to raise up a generation that carries the heart of the Father Things I like to do on my rest time:  Play fight with my 3 boys, workout, soaking, hanging out and gaming with my spiritual sons

Uganda 2012 Meet the Team: Abby Lai

Name: Abby Lai Occupation: Marketing (Yes…we are the people who make you buy stuff)  # of trips to Uganda: 0 (this is my first)

Why I'm going to Uganda:  This will be my very first mission trip and I’ve always hoped to experience something like this! I’ve heard of all the miracles and stories that happen whenever people come back from there, and I am excited to go share the Father’s love and have my eyes opened up to other parts of the world. If you could be a superhero, what would you want your superpowers to be?  The ability to jump through time!

Uganda 2012 Meet the team: Jonathan Chung

Name: Jonathan Chung Occupation: Renovator # of trips to Uganda: 0 (this is my first)
Why I'm going to Uganda: Because I want to bring hope and leave practical life skills with people Celebrity Look-a-Like: Bruce Lee

Uganda 2012 Meet the Team: Karen Chan

Name: Karen Chan Occupation: Graphic Designer # of trips to Uganda: 0 (this is my first)
Why I'm going to Uganda:   I want to love the Ugandans for who they are Celebrity Look-a-Like: Some Korean girl

Uganda 2012 Meet the team: Steven Chow

Name: Steven Chow Occupation: Business guy # of trips to Uganda: 0, first time

“And because you are sons, God has sent forth the Spirit of His Son into your hearts, crying out, “Abba, Father!” Therefore you are no longer a slave but a son, and if a son, then an heir of God through Christ.”     -Galatians 4:6-7 Encountering the Love of the Father has tremendously transformed Steven’s life. By the Grace of God, Steven has been released from the bondage of fear, brokenness, and continuous striving, and restored as a son in His Kingdom. His message is simple. The very Heart of “Daddy” God is to embrace each and every person, accepting them just as they are. Nothing can make God love His children more, and nothing can make Him love them less. The unconditional love of God draws us into a relationship with the triune God, enabling His children to boldly approach His throne in every season of life. In “doing life” together with the church family, Steven’s heart is to impart to others what he has lived, and what he has learned from the brothers and sisters that constantly surround him. Having experienced the power of family and unity in Christ, Steven’s heart is to share the redeeming love of Christ wherever God leads him, meeting each person where they are. Equipped with a heart for the nations, Steven sets out to Uganda, relying on God for provision, for wisdom, for guidance, and His daily supply of Grace. Steven’s desire is to see a nation transformed in every sphere of society; each person driven to take their place in God’s Kingdom by God’s love. When asked why he does this, Steven’s answer is plain and simple, “We love Him [and our neighbours] because He first loved us.”  -1 John 4:19

Uganda 2012 Meet the team: Gabriel Wee

Name: Gabriel Wee Occupation: Pastor # of trips to Uganda: 2

Why I'm going to Uganda:  After going to Uganda in January of 2009 the testimonies and stories of people whose lives have been transformed since our visit put a conviction in my heart to return. In speaking to the Pastor in Rubongi - he told me that from our visit in 2009 a woman gave birth to a little (& handsome) young boy whom they decided to name Gabriel. I want to confirm the rumors of how handsome he really is....  If you could be a superhero, what would you want your superpowers to be?  Batman - he in itself is a superhero.

Uganda Awareness Day, December 4, 2011

Stand-off with the elephants

We spent two days at the Paraa Safari Lodge in Murchison Falls National Park for some rest and relaxation.  One of the days, we went for a game drive, during which we had a close run-in with elephants. Check it out!

Look for the baby elephant in the video whom the herd is trying to protect. Turn up the volume for full terror effect.

Video: Pamoja

These children live under the care of Kajjansi Miracle Center under the banner of Kingdom Child Project.  Kajjansi is a town 20 minutes south of Kampala, the capital city.  Some of you may remember Daniel Mutibwa, who was our guest speaker at TLCF a few months ago.  He is the senior pastor of Kajjansi Miracle Center.

Majority of these children are orphans or abandoned children who used to live in the slums, but are now taken in by the church.

Here is a presentation done by the children--a song called Pamoja.



We took them back to the orphanage afterwards.

Piling up in the van with the children

Believe it or not, we fit all the children in the van!

Video: Mbarara DC youths singing and dancing

This happened on the last day of a four-day conference in Mbarara.  After the last session, the youths just started goofing around, singing, dancing, performing.

This video features the music of Justus Mukisa (wearing the pink hat). He's one of the youths from Mbarara DC.

Trip Recap part 3 - Amecet

Since the last team visit to Soroti, we've been hearing a lot about Amecet, the home that offers short-term care for children infected and affected by HIV. The last time the team went there, Adrian was ruined (see previous post).

Going there I was mentally prepared for a solemn afternoon. When we sat down with Els, the lady who started and continues to run the home, she tells of horrific stories of how she found these children, some of them abandoned in a garbage dumps, some of them rescued from the altars of witchcraft, their small bodies full of cuts and burns. She remembers all the children that have come and gone. Her eyes still tear up when she talks about them.

Adrian asked her about the little girl that broke his heart last year. Sadly, she didn't make it. She died shortly after the last visit.

We got a tour of the house. Even though they care for very sick children, the place felt more of a home than a hospital.  They have three shifts of staff providing 24/7 care to the children.  It seemed like the children were really loved and nurtured here. They are taught stories about Jesus, how to pray, and how to take their anti-retroviral drugs (ARVs), among other things.

Then we got to play with the children. Adrian brought out the box of toys we brought from Canada--singing Elmos, hot wheels, dinosaurs, dolls...

Adrian unpacking the box of toys for Amecet

Here we are having fun with the children.

Ryan, Theresa and baby

Japheth with Helen

Robert and Buzz Lightyear

It occurred to us that Japheth and Robert themselves probably have never had a chance to play with nice, battery-powered toys like this. It was a pleasure to watch Robert so captivated with a talking Buzz Lightyear.

David holding baby Moses

Denise and baby

Sherene playing with a young girl

The whole scene

We're so glad to have had this chance to spend a light-hearted, fun-filled afternoon with these children who have already endured so much in their young lives. Adrian said that the experience this day brought a lot of healing to him. We all had a good day!

More information on Amecet can be found here: http://amecet-soroti.blogspot.com/