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

    

 

Follow us on FaceBook

"In His name the nations will put their hope..." Matthew 12:21

We wanted to pass this link on to you. This is the latest newsletter from LivingStone University Partners in Mbale. It contains a couple of very powerful stories. One is about a young lady named Barbra whose life is being transformed by her experience at LIU.  The other is about Zechariah Manyok, a man who grew up in very turbulent times as a child soldier in Sudan.  He has recently come to be an instructor at LIU.  I had the privilege of meeting him in Mbale while there with John Bean and Roger Royston in January of this year.

These are stories of how God changes lives that will impact generations; the kind of stories that make Laurie and me feel very humbled excited about serving with the mission team in Mbale.
http://www.livingstoneuniversity.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/LivingStoneLoopNOVEMB2013.pdf

Sunday With the Denbigh Church of Christ

Last Sunday (12/1/13) we had the privilege of worshiping with the Denbigh Church of Christ in Newport News, Virginia. The welcome was warm and the worship was joyful. They had invited Laurie and me to share our plans to join the team in Mbale during the adult Bible class, then gave me the opportunity to preach. We had a delightful lunch with several members afterward.

We are grateful to God that the Denbigh church has decided to assist us with our one-time needs, and also loaded our car with material goods that we will need to house guests (rugs, sheets, fabric, and a sewing machine!). Individual members are also considering how they can help.  Special thanks to Linda Shoun, Charles Tucker, and the Denbigh elders for arranging this visit.


We also look forward to a special gathering for prayer on our behalf this Friday at 7 p.m. at the Fredericksburg Church of Christ. Please join us there if you can; if not, prayers are appreciated from any location!

New Partners

We have had a good couple of weeks in our preparation to join the team in Mbale in January. We are deeply honored that seven more people have graciously joined our support team. Please join us in thanking the Lord for these new partners and asking that He continue to lead us to others!

Video-Glimpse into Mbale

Watch this video to get a glimpse of the vision of LivingStone International University in Mbale, Uganda.