Winding Down 2015

The end of the year is upon us!

There is a definite rhythm to things in Uganda. One of the important ways 
we have to adapt our own pace of life somewhat so that we can walk alongside 
others in relationships. 

We enjoy the fact that in the month of December activities tend to slow down. Schools close early in the month, and students are typically on holiday for five to six weeks. Many people have extended vacation time from work and so they travel back to their home areas.

Motorcycles or Boda bodas are the 'taxis' of East Africa and entire families ride on them

There is no cold (not even cool) weather, which we actually miss sometimes; but there are no traffic jams from Christmas shopping either, which is fine with us.

That being said, there have been some exciting things happening here at the end of the year. On December 10 to 12 we hosted the annual Youth Conference for Churches of Christ. There were about 300 in attendance and 7 baptisms!

Youth Conference in Mbale

Mbale Church of Christ will also host the yearly Women's Conference in early January and we anticipate 250 to 300 ladies coming for it also.



Opportunities for End of Year Giving

We know that there are many opportunities to donate to various charities at this time of year and we wanted to make you aware of two projects that we are directly involved with here that we believe are very worthwhile if you feel so inclined to give to.

The first opportunity for giving is to help add on to an elderly church member's home. Francis Kato has been a part of Mbale Church of Christ for over 10 years. 
Two of his adult children have died, leaving him and his wife to raise the grandchildren. There are 11 people currently sharing their one-bedroom house. 

We hope to assist them in adding a bedroom for the boys and one for the girls onto the back of his home. We would also like to get his one toilet functioning again and to add another full bath with a shower so they can all have a private place to bathe.

House plans as it is

House with the bedrooms and bath added

MCC took up a special collection earlier this year to purchase materials to begin the work. to cpmplete the job we have an estimate of $1500 for adding one bedroom and bathroom. an additional $1000 would be needed for the second room.


The second opportunity for giving is for the improvement of our Sunday school facility. For many years the children's bible classes have met in a multipurpose covered verandah/storage area that is open to the weather.

Verandah where bible classes are held

The way it is now, the older kids just sit on the walls and benches are set up for the smaller kids. The open floor plan works well for the older ones, but toddlers tend to wander out with no walls or doors to keep them in. We have been able to make this work in the past, but we now have about 60 children attending and are limited by our current setup.

Verandah /storage area as it is

The SEW ministry is self-funded and thankfully they are in the process of constructing a separate building. This will free up the majority of this space to be just for the children. 

Our goal is to enclose this area so that it can be functional, clean and secure. Then we will set it up as proper classroom space for the children of MCC. We estimate the cost to be $5000 to enclose this.

Classroom / storage area now enclosed and lockable

If you feel led to give a tax deductible donation, please send your check to : Fredericksburg Church of Christ, PO Box 657, Fredericksburg, VA 22404. On memo line please write: Uganda-Sunday School or Uganda-Kato. Please feel free to send us a private message via our FaceBook pages or email if you have any questions.

May God bless you in 2016!!

Women's Ministries

During our recent visit to the States in July and August, there seemed to 

be a lot of interest in the things Laurie is doing here in Uganda.  So, we 

thought this might be a good time to share some of those things with you.

Worshiping and praying together

Laurie has joined a group of ladies from the Mbale church who visit members in their homes who have been sick or are in need of assist-ance. They go out together on the second Sunday of the month.

Before Laurie started joining them, the ladies would walk to their des- tination. It'd normally take about an hour each way to get there.


The first time she drove them, there were 18 women and children squeezed into an 8-person van. They have stated how much they appreciate her willingness to drive them there and for the teaching she does while they are together.

Laurie works with a rotation of Sunday school teachers at Mbale Church of Christ. She has also developed a curriculum that requires only photocopying and basic supplies found in Uganda. The four years of lesson plans were originally created by the Nairobi Mission Team ladies in the 1990's. Laurie is updating it into a digital format so that it is easier to store and share. A bound, hard copy of the first year of this material has been presented to the Mbale church and the Bungoma church in Kenya. Year two has just been finished and is being bound before being presented to the churches.

40 to 65 kids aged 2 to 13 being taught under the verandah of a multipurpose structure

old schoolhouse - BEFORE

 

Guest House - AFTER

As you may have noticed from previous newsletters, we have spent a lot of time changing a simple school house into a self-contained, three bedroom guest house.

Since Daryl has been involved with teaching courses at LivingStone International University and with ministry at Mbale Church of Christ, the bulk of the oversight of the renovation has fallen to Laurie.

Both of us mentor LivingStone International University students once a week. Some have Muslim parents or are Muslim themselves.

Hope you now have a better idea of some of the things we've been involved in.


Prayer Requests:
1) For Mbale Church of Christ as we focus on genuine discipleship of all believers in 2015. We believe the Lord will produce the fruit He desires from us as we learn to walk with him.

2) For our son, Lee, who is now attending LivingStone International University and adapting to life in Uganda.

3) For continued good health and safety. We never want to take that for granted.

ONE YEAR/ thirteenth Year

On May 5th we marked one year since our arrival in Uganda and our thirteenth year in East Africa. Our deepest thanks to all of you who help us to be here. It is interesting to think about what we are feeling this time compared to how we felt in 1988 after our first year in Kenya. Back then we were treading hard to keep afloat with our language studies and trying not to become too overwhelmed by the cultural differences we were struggling to adapt to.

Laurie with ladies after church - 2015

Laurie with ladies after church - 1990
Lydia was 1 yr then, 26 today

Daryl speaking with Bible
Class using Face Time

I remember there was a visitor from the States who brought a video of restaurants and well stocked grocery stores just to tease us about some of the things we had been missing so much. We had no electricity for the first seven months. There was no email or internet available to us, and we were thankful to have a phone with which we could call to the U.S. for a mere $4 a minute.

I mention this only to say how grateful we are that things have come a long way since then. Though we have done (and are still doing) considerable work on our house, we had electricity and reliable water from day one.

Our cell phones and internet work the great majority of the time, making it easier to do several tasks related to our work, and much easier to communicate with loved ones far away.

Allen Family, Daryl and Laurie Bates,
Ty Hayes and Robinson Family

We're also thankful that we have had a great first year with our team. We did not know our teammates nearly as well before coming to Uganda as we did when going to Kenya. But we feel blessed by the compatibility we have experienced with them.

We are different ages and backgrounds, and we function in different roles, but it is a real joy to be co-workers with them. And our team is set to grow!

The Allens are expecting their third child in June. By August we should have new teachers, Ericka Angel and Valerie Oliver, for the team's mission school.

After one year it feels like we are just getting started in ministry, but we are excited to be able to mark some progress toward some of the long term goals that we came here for - equipping
Ugandan leaders and transitioning greater responsibility into their hands.

1) Mbale Church of Christ
David Iyakia - David is a  volunteer minister at MCC. He has a great passion for the Lord and a proven commitment to MCC. David is employed full-time with a local NGO (Non Government Organization) that assists farmers, and he has a few years left on his contract. We envision David developing a full-time lead minister of MCC in coming years.

David translating for Daryl

The goal for 2015 is to assist David to be qualified for further studies at LivingStone International University.  He will undergo testing similar to the GED in the US and should be ready to enter LIU by either the spring of fall of 2016. Our plan is to help David to gain ministry training at LIU over the next few years as he also phases out his work with the livestock project.

2) NTCC - New Testament Church of Christ

Representatives from NTCC from Mbale
(where we live), Mbarara, Jinja and Kampala

Though it sounds strange for those who come from the USA, many nations (including Uganda) require churches to register just like NGOs or other entities in the country, and to submit an organizational 'constitution' to the authorities and hold annual meetings. There must be representatives who interact with the government on behalf of the church. We do all of these things in order to comply with local regulations, while at the same time seek to maintain a Biblical authority structure in local churches. Our churches are registered under the name "New Testament Churches of Christ."

Until recently there were only missionaries who served as 'officers' with NTCC. But in March of this year, two Ugandans, Richard Kweyamba from Mbarara and Isaac Sanyu from Kampala, were selected as representatives. This is an important step in the direction of greater autonomy of Churches of Christ in Uganda.

PRAYER NEEDS:
~ Completion of our guest house by mid July
~ Valerie Oliver as she prepares to join the team in early August
~ Our furlough in the US, July 22 to August 24


THANKS TO GOD FOR YOUR PARTNERSHIP!!

We look forward to seeing you soon.

"A Time to Tear Down and a Time to Build"

This has been our life over the past couple of months. As we've stated before, the property we are living on was formerly used as a school for mission kids and their teachers.

Most properties here in Mbale have the main house on the grounds and then a smaller house nearby for workers to live in. Many people convert these into space for visitors to stay in, which is what we are in the process of doing.

This area is being turned into two en suite bathrooms

I cannot tell you how blessed we were to have
a place like that to stay in while we were having our home fumigated, painted and repaired.

Our goal is to have a com-fortable place for visitors, including local folks, as well as those who will be coming to visit from outside of Uganda.

We began the work to create more guest space
at out place but then hit delays that wound up stretching into four months.

Construction has now resumed. It is slow going because almost all of the work is done by hand and interior walls are built of brick, not the typical 2 x 4s and sheet rock that is used in the US. So the 'tearing down' and 'building up' process is labor intensive.

Our church is also in the 'tearing down and building up' process in a way. They are looking at a better discipleship/mentoring process than what's in place at the moment. One of our teammates, JP Robinson, is rewriting a booklet his church is US uses to be more easily understood by Ugandans.

Some Ugandan churches, out of desperation for leaders and ministers, are using men that have no real training. The church leaders in Mbale along with trusted nearby preachers are forming a group through or 'tear down' the booklet so that American slang and phrases are removed to make it easier to use to 'build up' the leaders first and then once the book has been thoroughly gone through and taught, to empower ALL Christians to make disciples. The was the last command Jesus gave us before he ascended into heaven so we feel it's an important one we must teach also.

L to R: Henry Buregea (Congo), Dennis Okoth (Kenya), Zachariah and Christina
Manyok (South Sudan). JP and Jill Robinson (US), Yvette Buregea (Congo)

This may be a difficult road in some respects. Many African countries teach to just repeat back what they are being taught. This works well in a classroom where there are not enough books for students. There are even times at LivingStone International University where professors are met with looks of confusion when students are asked to give their opinion or to express a thought of their own because this is just not the way they have been taught to learn. Thinking 'outside the box' or in a different way to be intimidating that they will answer wrong.

It will be a long process, almost like a turning of a ship. But we have confidence in the blending of the African and American group working on the workbook that it will be a valuable tool that will give freedom of thought and unlimited potential to learn about and from each other and our desire to develop strong Christians on the continent of Africa.

Leaders standing before the church telling them about a decision that had been made 

Laurie recently spoke at the All Ugandan Ladies Day and had an exercise in this very thing. The topic was 'A Woman of Difference".  She decided to speak on how we all have different personality types. She began her session by handing out a paper and saying that everyone was taking a personality test.

She received blank stares. After repeating the instructions multiple times and using two translators, they were finally able to find out that many of the women had little schooling and were fearful of answering 'the test' incorrectly. After explaining the 'test' could not be answered 'wrong' and that it was just to get to know themselves better, everyone visibly relaxed and enjoyed themselves.

All Uganda Ladies Day at Mbale Church of Christ

Thank you for your prayers!!

A Year of Transition

Laurie and I have been reflecting on the amazing journey we've been on this year. The first half of it was focused on finding spiritual and financial partners for our new direction in ministry, preparing our house for sale and finally making the move to Uganda.

Daryl saying goodbye to our youngest

April was our last month in the U.S.  It was of course the busiest of all; packing up our home to move it to Uganda via shipping container, buying additional furnishings for our home and the guest house in Mbale, relocating our sons from Fredericksburg, VA to Abilene, TX, attending Laurie's sister's funeral and finally saying goodbye 
to family and friends before we boarded the plane for the flight from Washington, DC to Entebbe, Uganda.  What a roller-coaster of emotions!

Tail of Uganda Airways plane blocking the word 'ENTEBBE' written in stone on hillside

Once we landed in Uganda, we began the work of transforming a place which was once used as a school house for missionary kids (with its vibrant primary colored rooms) into a restful home/guest house.  After the container arrived in July we had our energy back-up system installed. It has been great to be able to work around the constant power interruptions and to feel energy friendly at the same time! We also moved out some borrowed furnishings to make room for our own. 

This really made us begin to feel more settled. Renovations are still ongoing for us to be able to host guests from out of town, but we hope to be ready to engage this part of our ministry by sometime in February.

Daryl works alongside the leadership team of Mbale Church of Christ.  He has completed his first semester of teaching Bible and Greek at LivingStone International University. 

Laurie is working with the children's Bible class at Mbale Church of Christ using material created sixteen years ago with the Nairobi Mission Team ladies when we lived there. She had to convert everything into a digital format from hard copies, but the material is now easy to use and will bless the Bible class for years. We are both serving as mentors to LivingStone International University students.

Students L to R: Caroline, Rehema "Rhemy" and Sarah

Even though it has been an emotional year of letting go and starting over, God has been with us every step of the way, affirming that He has us exactly where He wants us. We appreciate all of our African and American teammates. We have a real sense of calling to the work we are doing.

Bosco

It's also affirming when we see new people coming to the Lord. Recently there were three people who came for baptism while there was a water shortage. So they chose to be baptized in the nearby stream instead of waiting for the water to come back on.

Florence

Miriam

What a joy it was to watch the changes and growth of the multicultural group of people that make up the Mbale Church of Christ this past year. The two ladies that were baptized were from the SEW ministry that teaches women sewing skills. It's the most effective outreach we have to Muslims in our area. 

We look forward to what the Lord has in store for us for the new year 

and we are glad that you are there to walk with us from afar. 

May God bless you in the year 2015!!

Prayer Requests:

1) For Mbale Church of Christ as we focus on genuine discipleship of all believers in 2015. We believe the Lord will produce the fruit he desires from us as we learn to walk with him. 

2) For us during the holiday season as we spend it apart from loved ones.

3) For continued good health and safety. We never want to take this for granted.

4) For Florence, Miriam and Bosco--new members of God's family!

The Fellowship of the Believers

We are having a time of renewal in the Mbale (Uganda) Church of Christ. There have been past difficulties that we are trying to work through together as a church, to heal and to move on to what the Lord has planned for us. The way that we are approaching this is by preaching through the book of Acts and intentionally engaging the practices of the early church.

"They devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching and to (1) fellowship, to the (2) breaking of bread and to (3) prayer...They sold property and possessions to (4) give to anyone who had need...praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved." Acts 2:42-47 (NIV)

Wood stacked by wall is what was used to cook the meal

(1) FELLOWSHIP: Our first Sunday in the series, we held a fellowship meal or old-fashioned 'dinner on the grounds'. We had a great attendance that day, about 230, with several visitors. It had been
a few years since MCC had eaten together as a church. The shared meal put everyone in good spirits, but it got even better. The high-
light of the day came afterwards when a 57 year old man named Luke was baptized into Christ.

Church Leaders from South Sudan, Kenya, Uganda & USA

(2) COMMUNION/BREAKING OF BREAD: In the second Sunday in the series, the focus was put on
the Lord's Supper in place of the usual sermon.

(3) PRAYER: The third Sunday in the series, the focus was on extended prayer for specific needs of the church. The service was concluded by praying for the new children born into the congregation.

Peace, the woman in pink, just had a set of twins!

Israel and his wife, Sabina (woman in floral dress),
bent over from the weight of their gift of bananas.

(4) GIVE TO ANYONE WHO HAS NEED: What a blessing it was to watch the fourth Sunday in the series unfold. We had announced our special offering for several Sundays. One elderly couple carried in a huge stalk of bananas from their farm as their gift.

We dedicated the entire offering from that Sunday's giving to an elderly man whose adult son and daughter-in-law had died of AIDS. The grandparents are now raising their two grandsons. The money will go towards an addition to their home so the kids can have their own separate sleeping area.

Man holding wooden box is
 the recipient of the offering

Prayer Requests:

1) Continued growth for Mbale Church of Christ as we dig into Scripture together and continue to grow as a family of God in the Mbale community.

2) God's protection over our team. The rate of break-ins and thefts goes up during the months of November and December. Two of our families have already been affected.

3) For us during the upcoming holiday season as we spend them apart from our loved ones.

      PLEASE NOTE: During this holiday season, if you would like to make a
      tax-deductible donation to our ministry, you may send your contribution
      care of: Fredericksburg Church of Christ // PO BOX 657 // Fredericksburg,
      VA 22404 // On memo line please write: Uganda Mission Fund. [If you
      would like to make an auto or bank deposit, please contact our church 
      and they will forward the information to you.] We are very thankful for
      and need your help!

Thank you again for praying for us and for

 sending us to be a part of this mission.

Let There Be Light!!

That old saying about not really missing something till it’s gone is so true. We did not realize how we missed being able to turn on a light switch whenever we wanted and to hear the sound of clothes tumbling in the dryer until we heard it the other day.

Thank you, THANK YOU to everyone who contributed to our One-Time giving so that we were able to ship over our energy back-up system. What a blessing!

These big, heavy batteries make the difference between being able to keep our phones and laptops charged (which means staying in touch with families and friends in the US), having our food not spoil and being able to run our fans when it’s hot! 

When the local electricity source is off we still can't turn on the hot water heaters (which you turn on 'on demand' like a light switch).  Or use the washing machine or, of course, run the clothes dryer because they would all run through our battery power like a hot knife through butter. But we are NOT complaining! So let me say it again. We feel VERY  blessed to have this power back-up system.

Overheard Blessings

We were also recently blessed in worship service and all from overhearing the man directly behind us. While scriptures were being read from Isaiah at the start of our services, he quietly said, ‘Beautiful!”

During a transitional time from one activity to another, a quote is often said which is, “God is good, all the time.” To which the congregation responds, “All the time, God is good.”  This gentleman added, ‘For that is His nature.”

Daryl and the gentleman, Luke, after services. He came from a very traditional village where he wore 

animal hides as a child until forced to change into western clothes at gunpoint by government authorities.

But the eavesdropping we liked best happened just before the sermon.  This is the time when they call the kids to the front to sing a song and pray together before they depart for their bible class which takes place during the sermon. 

He was trying to encourage the little girl that he brought with him to go, but she was too shy. He said, “Why? You are guiltless. You are pure. You are a child of God.”

Glimpse Into Uganda

We have prayer breakfasts at a local coffee shop in town that belongs to a Ugandan Christian woman. One morning, this was the way one of us was served our coffee.

Prayers Sought and Answered

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

·         Our team is in constant transition as some leave and others return. Please pray for healthy team relationships as we each work in our different ministries.

·      Our visit with Daniel and Judith Sambenje in Kenya went well. Pray for the preschools that are operating in Bungoma & Namushiya churches.

·      Please pray for new people and churches to partner with us so that we can make our budget which is behind where it needs to be.

·      Pray for our Mbale church leaders who are being maligned by disgruntled former members in an attempt to stir up trouble in the community.