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. 

Beginning to Look Like Home, Vol.3

On July 10 as Daryl drove out of our gate on his way to the office, he saw the container we had shipped in April headed our way. We had been notified that it had made it to Mombasa, Kenya, but didn’t know it was that close. He immediately turned around and put out a community text to ask for help.

Within minutes ten people showed up to help which made the job so much easier. It reminded us of the loading we did in America and all the help you gave us there, too. What a blessing! Now on to the business of setting up house here!

Glimpse Into Uganda

LivingStone International University hosted its first Open House this month. LIU advertised the event on local radio and social network sites. Since it was their first, they weren’t sure how well it would be received or how many people to even plan for. 

It turned out to be a very successful day. There were over 100 visitors/ potential students from as far away as Kampala.  A poignant moment came when two Nigerian ladies who are teaching at the local Islamic University thanked us for bringing Christ to this area of the country.

Prayers Sought and Answered

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

·      Container came without having to be stored first and without heavy taxes. Thank you for praying!

·      There was reconciliation between some of the leaders and a few of the congregation at MCC after months of tension. God is good!

·      We’re asking for prayers for those who are wiring up our electrical back-up system, so that it will function properly and safely.

·      We ask that you join us in prayer for Mbale Church of Christ as we make special efforts to involve LIU students in the church this school year, which begins in mid-August. Thank you!

Everything Old Is New Again, Vol. 2

It’s exciting and disconcerting at the same time to start over again in a new county.  Since Uganda is adjacent to Kenya, a country we lived in for almost 12 years, there are many similarities that make living here not quite so ‘new’.

But then again, East Africa is not the same place we left 15 years ago either, the same way that the US in 1999 was not the same as when we left in 1987.

We left as a young couple and came back with three children. This time around we leave our children and grandchildren in the US and have rejoined our journey in Africa as a couple.

Innovations like cell phones and the internet are a part of the culture here now and have greatly changed how people communicate, but power failures are pretty much a daily problem. There are more hospitals and clinics available, yet children still die from malnutrition and malaria. Again, different, yet some of the same old problems. 

We have become reacquainted with the slower paced life and how long it can take to do simple tasks. We’ve had to once again get used to being stared at often in public and hearing “Mzungu!” (white person) yelled out at us by the kids as we pass by. 

We were reminded again on a recent Sunday of how things are familiar in some ways, but different in others—when a little girl dropped to her knees when we went to shake her hand during the ‘greet-each-other’ time. She did this to show her respect, but it is only girls who are taught to do this, not boys, so we have mixed feelings about how to take this practice.

                                                                                   

Wheels. Another old item that is new again is our vehicle! Yes, we are now the proud owners of an older model Toyota Land Cruiser. It belonged to a missionary team in another area of the country as a team ‘spare’ vehicle and they decided they would rather sell it.

We had it thoroughly inspected in Kampala by a mechanic who happens to come from a family of successful motorcycle racers who now owns his own mechanic shop in Kampala.

 

We are excited about what the Lord will bring out way here, whether it be new or old. We pray for God to give us new eyes and renewed faith to accomplish his will. Thank you again for praying for us and sending us to be a part of this mission. Daryl and Laurie Glimpse Into Every Day Uganda Life

Bates Prayer Corner: 1) Container. The household goods that we shipped have still not arrived, but we are told they are getting closer at least! The last report we heard is that it may arrive in Mbale by July 8th or there-abouts. Whenever it is, please pray that the customs and clearing agents will be reasonable and fair (which is not always the case). 2) Taxes. We have learned that there were recent changes in the tax laws that could possibly subject us to income tax here in Uganda (even though we don’t make or receive any income from here). We had not budgeted for this. The laws are somewhat subjective and ambiguous, and one of our church members who is     a lawyer is following up on this matter for us.  Please again pray for the authorities to be just & fair minded. Thank you to all who have already been interceding for us about this. 3) Landlord. Our landlord passed away about five weeks after we arrived.  Please pray for comfort for the Netuwa family, and that we will continue to have a good relationship with the rest of the family, as we had with Dr. Netuwa. 4) Our children. Please continue to pray for our sons Steven and Lee, as well as our daughter Lydia and her family as they go through job transitions and make decisions about the future.

Greetings From Uganda, Vol. 1

Laurie and I have been in Uganda less than a month. 

Looking back, we realize that from the time that we first informed our elders in Fredericksburg of our desire to work in Mbale to the time of our arrival has been almost exactly two years. While it has been some time in coming, we are very grateful to the Lord for making it a reality at last and also thankful to all of you for partnering with us to make it possible.

These are the first steps in the journey and we look forward to traveling with you God willing for years to come. The first few days have been about getting over jetlag, getting better acquainted with our team and our community and beginning to establish a rhythm for ministry. Here are some first impressions of our new home:

Beauty - After a delay in London, we finally arrived at Entebbe airport at about 1:30 in the morning. Thankfully, Vince Vigil and Othaina Eid were patiently waiting to pick us up. The next day, we woke early to partly cloudy skies and temperatures in the upper 50's.  Though we're told there is a dry season, Uganda for the moment is a wonderfully verdant country, with rich red soil and rain showers every morning and evening. We can collect mangoes and avocados from the trees in the yard.

Hospitality - Though we have a house, it needs some work before it will be move in ready. In the meantime, we are benefiting from the generosity of our teammates, the Robinsons, who are letting us stay in their guesthouse, as well as the Vigils and Allens, who made sure we had plenty of delicious food to eat.

Community - The city of Mbale is blessed to have a wonderful community of expatriates, some who have been here for a few months and some who have been here for several years. There are families of missionaries, medical professionals, educators, project workers and others. Several of them have already had us over for meals and they provide a ready network for resources.

Electricity - (not!)

The power in the city continues to be off in the day about as much as it is on. Thankfully we were aware of this and you have helped us purchase an energy backup system for this (which was shipped in our container, yet to arrive). On the bright side (no pun intended), our water (which comes from the Nile!) so far has been reliable.

Ministry - One of the things we are immediately struck with as we walk the streets of Mbale is the number of youth (median age in Uganda is 15 years old); people who need encouragement, purpose and hope.

This is also one of the most compelling reasons we have come to Mbale, to help them to know and to grow in Christ, the only One who can save and give them fullness of life (John 10:10).

Thank you again for praying for us and sending us to be a part of this mission.   
Daryl & Laurie

Transitioning from US to Uganda

Update on the bates   March  2014

Greetings to all our loved ones and partners! 

By God’s grace, we are counting down the final few weeks until our departure to Uganda. It has been some time in coming, but we do believe that God’s timing is always the best. Sunday, March 16^th  marked our transition from Daryl being the minister of the  Fredericksburg Church of Christ to our new status as missionaries being sent by them.  

Here is a quick look at the days ahead of us.

PACKING / TRAVEL: We are already in the throes of preparing our goods to be shipped to Mbale. 

Packing day is March 28 at 9 a.m.

For those in the Fredericksburg area, please note:

We will be given two (2) free hours to pack the 40' container.  Every hour after that will cost $90!   If you have can help us that day we would greatly appreciate it!  We also need to borrow  your  furniture dollies.  (Packing will take place at our home.)

Once the container is done, we will clear out whatever remains and give the house a thorough cleaning in readiness for its new owners.

We will travel for about three weeks in early April in order to visit Laurie’s family and accompany Steven and Lee to Abilene, Texas where they will be studying at ACU.

 

We plan to be back in Fredericksburg for the last week of April, then depart on May 1 to Uganda!  

There’s so much to do in a short amount of time; your prayers will be greatly appreciated.

SUPPORT: By the grace of God, we have raised almost all of the one-time/setup funds needed! 

Our personal/work-fund monthly support is at about 84% of our budget.  If you or someone you know would have an interest in partnering with us, we would love to talk with you.  Also, if you have pledged support and need any assistance in arranging payment, we would be glad to help. We look forward to sharing news with you from Uganda!                                                 God is good!  Daryl and Laurie Bates

    

 

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