Update From Soroti team (Rodney)

We've finished 2 conferences and crusades in 2 different villages and a Sunday service.  God is moving powerfully!  A few highlights:

1. The team prayed for a blind man and we asked him to test his eyesight after the prayers. After the first time praying, he began to see more light, so we kept on praying.  Then we asked him to test it again and he began to see outline of things, then just the ground but not the sky.  Finally, after breaking the curse of witchcraft, he began to see everything.  God is good!
2. There was a pastor who had a brother who was a witch doctor.  The witch doctor wanted to kill him.  We prayed for protection over him and for the plans that God has in store for the pastor.  The pastor felt uplifted and encouraged that someone would walk alongside them.
3. In Ugandan culture, people are not affectionate with their children or spouses, even within their own homes.  They don't really play with their children and the relationship between spouses and with children are very functional and not relational. On this trip, we saw one of the pastors openly hugging his children and we can tell that the children feel loved.  This is a big breakthrough as we continue to teach how to practically demonstrate the Father's love.  The teams from the past paved the way for this to occur.

This week, we have a 2-day regional conference where more than 100 church leaders from around the region are expected to attend.  We will be preaching what is the Kingdom of God and how to practically live it out in the church and outside the church, including how the church can enable Kingdom living outside the church.  

Thank you for your prayers.  We know they are fueling our work here. 

Kumi update (JTY)

Kumi is about a 2 hour drive from Soroti and very different from the other village we visited called Amuria. It was the real African experience because it was in the village and not a lot of modern civilization was around. Adrian has been to this village previously. This village was never hit by the Lord's Resistance Army (LRA) so it was different ministering there.  As we arrived, we talked about the Father's heart and forgiveness. At first, there was difficulty ministering due to a lot of bitterness. As Pastor Job reached out for forgiveness from a father perspective, more people responded. 

At the crusade, Moses and Jonathan spoke about dreams with Moses performing one his rap songs. The people loved his song. After speaking, we called for prayer/healing. We saw many healings - toothaches, backpains, stomaches, headaches, salvations. Day 2 was much of the same. Ada talked about blessings/curses and Rosanna talked about relationships in the family. The people loved Rosanna's message as she talked about the difficult areas of intimacy and being vulnerable with their spouse. At the crusade, Tim and Moses talked about water and soil. Moses performed another rap song and worship song. There was a few more healings/salvations at night.

Update from Soroti team (Rodney)

We've had two days of conferences and crusades in Amuria. We spoke on forgiveness and saw God healing people from all the hurts and wounds of the past. We shared about the father's heart in the family and began to break down cultural barriers that were preventing  the love of the Father to be manifested in the family.  At the crusade, we witnessed healings, including the blind beginning to see. God is amazing!

Departure day

Team departs for Uganda tonight and will be flying to Entebbe, Uganda via Dubai. They expect to arrive in Kampala on Sunday afternoon.

Meet the Team Uganda 2013 (Travelling)

Alvin Koh

Name: Alvin Koh Occupation: Pastor No of trips to Uganda: 2

Why I’m going to Uganda: I am excited to be able to work with leaders in Uganda. It is wonderful to see what the Lord is doing with the life of the leaders there. This trip is particularly exciting to have the local Ugandan leaders working side by side with us. Our hope is to see the local leadership emerge to impact their own people and to see them have a desire to bring this message to other African nations. What smell do you wish you could bottle?   I love the scent of oranges. It always gives a sense of freshness.

Meet the Team Uganda 2013 (Soroti)

 Rodney Lau

Name: Rodney Lau Occupation: Healthcare Professional No of trips to Uganda: 3

Why I’m going to Uganda: Uganda always has a special place in my heart.  I've been blessed to see the Holy Spirit in action just like in the book of Acts, from miraculous physical healings and forgiveness of others to intimate personal encounters with the Lord.  I've seen lives transformed so that they are able to love others unconditionally. Having been blessed to experience the transformation in people’s lives first-hand, I yearn to see more.  I am returning  to Uganda  to investigate how we can more deeply invest in the lives of people in Uganda. What am I most afraid of? The gift of martyrdom, because it can only be used once, and the gift of celibacy...

 Ada Lau

Name: Ada Lau Occupation: Student/ Residential Support Worker # of trips to Uganda: 2

Why I’m going to Uganda: I want to experience God’s tangible glory and find out first-hand what He is currently doing in the country of Uganda. I look forward to reuniting with old friends from the town of Soroti and sharing our lives together. Finally, I am excited to once again learn from the people of Uganda who are so full of joy, life and tenacity. What are my kryptonites? (Please don’t use them against me) Bubble wrap, soft & fuzzy fabrics, and any dessert made with green tea

Uganda 2013 Meet the team: Rosanna Soh

Name: Rosanna Soh Occupation: Home maker # of trips to Uganda: 0

Why I’m going to Uganda: It has been my dream for the last 5 years to join the Uganda team.  It is an honour to go and meet the people I hear about, to share a love that has changed my life and most importantly to proclaim good news to the poor, to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives, to comfort all who mourn, to bestow on them a crown of beauty instead of ashes, the oil of joy instead of mourning, and a garment of praise instead of a spirit of despair. (Isaiah 61).    I go simply because He called me.  There is no other way you would get me to leave my family and travel an insane number of hours to sleep under a mosquito net in crazy hot weather and encounter huge spiders.  I won’t even drive a couple of hours to go camping and I can’t even kill a tiny bug in my house!  If I could turn back time what year would I go back to? 1994 <sigh> my last year of high school…independent but not on my own =).  Living at home being taken care of by mom, getting allowance every week , having a driver’s liscence with no curfew and free use of the car.  The biggest thing I had to worry about was studying for my calculus test.  A time when I was surrounded by great friends and lots of fun.   (Can you tell I’m a homeschooling mom to 4 children =)

Meet the Team Uganda 2013 (Mbarara)

Joe Chong

Name: Joe Chong Occupation: Network Analyst # of trips to Uganda: 1

Why I’m going to Uganda: I’m going to Uganda because I want God to use me in any way to be a blessing to the people in Uganda.  The people of Uganda have deeply touched my heart since the first time I was there, and my heart is to see them live in the fullness and purpose that God had intended for them and see the Kingdom of God reign in their land.   If I could be a cereal box cartoon character for just 24 hours, what would I be? Why?? I would be a Trix rabbit and be the first Trix rabbit to get the Trix cereal.

Natalie Mak

Name: Natalie Chong (nee Mak) Occupation: Musician, teacher, music teacher # of trips to Uganda: 3

Why I’m going to Uganda: James 2:26 says: "For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also." This is the verse that drives me to do what I do. I have been to Uganda, I've seen God's power with my own eyes. And now that I've seen it, I cannot just sit here. God's love for us is immense and immeasurable and it's in all of us.  Personally, His love cannot be contained in me, it is too big for my four walls, and it is way more appealing than my comfortable North American life. I am so excited to return to Uganda to see God's glory manifest! If you could have any job in the world, what would it be? I'm a person who thrives on multi tasking. There are several jobs that I would love to have and I could probably do them all at once. I would love to be a professional competitive Scrabble player, someone who puts music in films, a scent creator, a children's television host/puppeteer, a food critic, and a personal shopper. At the moment, I play Scrabble on my iphone, I imagine music in films, I smell things, I sing children's songs, I describe food to anyone who will listen and I shop for myself, my husband, my family and my friends.

Joshua Chee

Name: Joshua Chee Occupation: Student # of trips to Uganda: 0

Why I’m going to Uganda: This is the first time since our church has been going that I have had the chance to go. I know that going to Uganda will force me to step out of my comfort zone. However, as long as I am obedient and willing to put in the preparation, God will use me as a blessing to the Ugandans as well as bless me through them. Fun Fact: Lakers are winning the championship this season (2012-2013)

Uganda 2013 Meet the team: Rebecca Woo

Name: Rebecca Woo Occupation: Registered Early Childhood Educator # of trips to Uganda: 2

Why I’m going to Uganda: Since my first trip to Uganda in 2008, I felt like a part of my heart has been left in Uganda. My second visit broke my heart as God showed me that there’s nothing in this world that I can do or offer that take could away the pain and suffering they have experienced. This epiphany helped me realize that it’s only through God’s love can things be changed and moved. So for this upcoming mission, I hope I can relay that same love that God has given me unto others. Would you rather breathe under water or fly? I would rather breathe under water so I spend more time with nemo.

 Herman Lam

Name: Herman Lam Occupation: Engineer-in-training # of trips to Uganda: 2

Why I’m going to Uganda: I've been blessed and privileged to have all that I do and it is my earnest desire and joy to pour back and to be a blessing.  To intentionally impart who you are is the principal reason why we as TLCF return to Uganda year after year, and it is the reason why I am going again.   My heart since I was a teenager was to be a blessing and encouragement to those around me.  I love to help, being part of brightening up people’s day, and equipping people with principles and skills they can use throughout life.  This is my heart returning to Uganda again as my second trip. What I look forward to on a day off or weekend: A crisp cold winter morning, with the sun just breaking the horizon; the smell of a fresh coffee brewing and the quietness and peacefulness of the moment.