stephen on mission

Back in Guatemala!

2009-05-29T08:39:00.003-05:00

Well, we all made it safely to Guatemala City, Guatemala and made the drive to Chimaltenango shortly after. I had the privilege of flying separate from the rest of the group along with Robby and Roxanne going through Atlanta. We decided that we like smaller groups when flying. It just makes things a lot easier. I didn't get much sleep the night before so I slept as much as I could on the planes and on our layover. Once we made it in Guatemala City, we were looking for the rest of the group (they said they would wait for us), but apparently they had left. We stood outside the airport for about 30 minutes waiting for someone to come pick us up. Eventually a Guatemalan drove up in a truck and honked and waved at us, so we assumed (and hoped) that he was there to pick us up. Luckily Roxanne is pretty fluent in Spanish, so she got things figured out. We met up with the rest of the group at a mall in Chimaltenango and exchanged money and ate at Pollo Campero. After more naps and some orientating, some Catchphrase and showers, just about everyone went to bed around 9. Since they don't do Daylight Savings here, it gets dark earlier than we're used to, so it seemed a lot later.

After eating a hearty breakfast, we're about to have a time of worship before we all head to the village to work building houses and ministering to people today. Pray for safety and opportunities to share God's love with the people here. More blogs to come.

If you're not viewing this on my actual blog, go to stephenonmission.blogspot.com to see the original posting along with others!

The Future

2009-02-03T12:45:00.004-06:00

Well, I'm back in school, and, well, it's going. 18 hours seemed overwhelming, if not impossible, at first, but I think I'm getting used to it now.

As for "The Future," this summer I will be going back to Guatemala, as well as to Belize for the first time. I was hoping to be able to go to Uganda for the International World Changers project this summer, but Belize is looking like the best option right now. More details to come on what we will be doing in each of these countries, but for now here are the dates:

Guatemala : May 28 - June 4

Belize: June 20 - 27

Please be in prayer for these trips as the teams going begin to form and plan more!

Also, here is a link to all the mission trips that our college group is participating in this summer as well as a link to all the ones that the entire church is involved in. Please pray for missions!

Faith College Missions

Faith Baptist Missions

You say goodbye, I say hello...

2008-12-13T07:19:00.004-06:00

Well, we said our goodbye's and the Shelton's dropped us off at the airport in Entebbe. Airports tend to work a little differently outside of the U.S., so no one can come inside unless they are flying out. We got through the first security checkpoint and they told us to go wait over to the side were a restaurant was until we heard an announcement for our flight. We only had about 45 minutes until our flight was supposed to leave, so we were getting a little nervous after about 10 minutes had passed. We decided to go ahead and try to go check in for our flight, but we couldn't find the check-in desk for our airline, Air Tanzania. There isn't one. After asking around, we found out that their offices were upstairs, so I went up and found out that our flight had been cancelled. Apparently there was no contact info associated with our tickets, so they had no way of letting us know. There was another flight on Kenyan Airlines, but it was full so we are flying out tomorrow instead. And apparently we check in at the Air Uganda desk. So are we flying Air Tanzania or Air Uganda? I don't think anyone really knows... But yay for another night in Uganda. Apparently it's a lot hotter in Dar than it is here, so we get to enjoy the weather here for one more day.

I'll be in Dar Es Salaam sometime tomorrow (the arrival time isn't on our itinerary so I really don't know when...) for debriefing with all of the other HandsOn missionaries from this semester in the CESA region. We leave Dar on Tuesday and get home on Wednesday afternoon. There are 2 others flying in to Memphis with me, so I'm excited about that.

Thanks for your prayers and I look forward to seeing everyone in just a few days!!

So many pictures...

2008-12-04T04:41:00.002-06:00

I uploaded more pictures to facebook. Check 'em out!

Uganda [thus far] 11
Uganda [thus far] 12
Uganda [thus far] 13
Uganda [thus far] 14
Uganda [thus far] 15

Also added a countdown for when I leave for Dar Es Salaam, Tanzania. I tried to add another for when I will be arriving in Memphis, but I couldn't figure out how to add another event. Maybe after the first countdown finishes it will move to the next event. We'll see...

Thanks for your continued prayers, and I look forward to being home and seeing everyone in less than 2 weeks!

I'm writing a book...

2008-11-27T00:28:00.004-06:00

Not really, but I am working on making a photo-book with pictures from this summer and this semester. I thought I'd model it after my blog. Hopefully I'll be able to order it as soon as I get home.

I am going to Entebbe today for a Thanksgiving lunch with a bunch of the missionaries in the country here. All of the guys are going fishing on Lake Victoria (second widest freshwater lake in the world) sometime after lunch, so that should be fun. HAPPY THANKSGIVING from Uganda!

Another month gone by...

2008-11-20T01:52:00.004-06:00

Once again, I apologize for my lack of updates. I can't stress enough how quickly the time seems to be passing now. And I feel bad for being excited about that, but I am just so ready to be back home. Although, in saying that, I know that just a few weeks into my homecoming I'll be wishing I was back here. I won't miss the excessive potholes in the roads [or the lacking roads amongst the potholes], the unavoidable layer of dirt that gets on everything, or the mosquitoes swarming me as I try to check my email at night or buzzing in my ears while I try to sleep. I will miss the people, both the missionaries and the Ugandans. God has shown me so much in these few months of just what it takes to be a missionary, the sacrifice and motivation and effort. God has encouraged me in seeing the work that He is doing here, seeing people who are willing to give of themselves, to live the life that Christ has called them to, the life that He has called all of us to.

Pray for my teammates and I as we have begun wrapping up our areas of ministry, preparing to leave in just a few short weeks. Our schedule for departure begins on December 13 as we will fly from Uganda back to Dar Es Salaam, Tanzania [where we were for orientation] for a few days of debriefing with all of the other HandsOn teams. All of the HandsOn teams will depart from Tanzania on December 16, flying into D.C. and parting ways from there to arrive at our respective homes on December 17.

I'm working on a post of what God has shown me this semester, kind of an overall summary of sorts. It was going to be part of this post, but I decided I should put some more time and thought into it and really just search for more. I'm excited and nervous about sharing what God has shown me. With that said, I promise at least one more post.

Thanks for your continued prayers! Hope everyone likes the new song."Love, after all, matters the most..." Share that Love with someone!

Long time, no...blog?

2008-10-29T02:49:00.002-05:00

Sorry it has been so long since my last update! I can't believe how fast the days are going by now. It's crazy! Yesterday was, strangely, one of my favorite days so far. Breanne and I met Steven at Citizens Trust Senior Secondary School, the school we have been going to on Tuesdays for over a month now. Steven was with Douglas, an awesome Ugandan, so he came as well. I stinkin love Douglas. He has an awesome heart and is just so great to work with. Our routine with the scripture union at the school has gotten kind of, well, boring. But Douglas brought a change to all that. He just has a way of talking to groups to encourage them and get them excited about Jesus. It also helps that he is a Ugandan. He had everyone commit to bringing 5 friends each to the meeting next week and he committed to come, as well. At the end he had everyone get in groups of 3 or 4 and pray to close with each of us mzugnu in different groups. Something so simple that we never thought to do. Also, after talking tonight with him, he gave us some great insight on things we can do to really connect with these students. It's almost like we could adopt this school for the semester. He mentioned making cards for them when they start their exams to encourage them, and something as simple as buyng them pens and pencils to use for their exams. We've been trying to just do a program once a week when we have the chance to do something so much more, and Douglas helped to open our eyes to this.

Last night, the 3 of us went with Douglas to Butabika to go to a medical school and meet with students there. It was pretty much awesome. There are some incredible guys and girls there who are so eager to do great things for Christ! I got to see one of the dorm rooms. It was about 3 or 4 times the size of my closet back home and had 2 bunk beds, so 4 guys stayed in each room. We rode with Douglas in a car he is borrowing from some missionaries who are stateside [I think], and that's been an experience. Ugandans are interesting drivers, to say the least. The car was pretty cool. It is a Mitsubishi Pajero, an older model, but it had leather, armrests that folded down on both sides of the back seats, and get this, an oversized sunroof over just the back seat. I decided that it might just be the African equivalent to a town car or some other car good for having a chauffeur . :) On the way home we opened up the sunroof and looked out at the clear night sky. Marvelous.

But enough about cars. I'm excited about the days ahead. I am going to be putting a video together for the missionaries here, a presentation of the different ministries going on here. I will hopefully be going out with the different missionaries in the days and weeks ahead to take pictures at different sites. Also, looking at possibly going to an orphanage in Jinja sometime next week with Hannah and Breanne.

I just discovered Stewart and Kelsey's blogs online, so I added them to the links on the right. I'm so excited about all the things God is doing back home in the lives of my friends! I'm so proud of the huge leaps of faith that people are taking in trusting God with things. It's awesome that people are seeing that there is something greater in life than just the "American dream." To my friends back home: you are all amazing! Keep striving to do good things for God, and in turn, He will turn them into GREAT things! I am so seriously proud of all of you and miss everyone so stinkin much! I love you and am praying for you all!

Thanks to everyone for your prayers and love. Continue to glorify God in all you DO! [keyword: DO something!]

New Album: Uganda [thus far] 10

The most annoying thing in the world...

2008-10-23T11:06:00.002-05:00

is the sound of a mosquito buzzing in my ear! So many mosquitos...

I mean, I am outside but still. There's a whole lot of 'em out tonight. Just thought I'd share. :)

So, about those pictures...

2008-10-12T13:49:00.003-05:00

I know a few blogs ago I said that I am constantly updating and uploading photos, and that's half true. I have been updating my photos on Facebook, but I've been slacking on uploading them to Photobucket for non-Facebook users. Until I get a chance to upload photos to Photobucket, here are links to my albums on Facebook:

Uganda [thus far] 9
Uganda [thus far] 8
Uganda [thus far] 7
Uganda [thus far] 6
Uganda [thus far] 5
Uganda [thus far] 4
Uganda [thus far] 3
Uganda [thus far] 2
Uganda [thus far]

Thanks for your continued prayers and love!

Haggling with a Boda Driver

2008-10-12T05:20:00.002-05:00

Driver: Hello, my friends! [this is how they try to get passengers as people walk by]
Stephen: Muyenga, Tank Hill. 2,000 schillings
Driver: 3,000
Stephen 2,000
Driver: 2,500
Stephen: 2,000
Driver: Okay, let's go.

Victory. My mother would be proud...

Halfway there...

2008-10-07T12:08:00.003-05:00

Today marks the halfway point in my journey here in Africa. It's crazy that it has already been that long, and at the same time it's nice to know that I'm that much closer to being back home. I want to thank everyone so much for the encouraging notes and messages for my family and I after last weekend. I really appreciate the prayers so much!

Steven and I got moved into our house this past week. We moved into the house that the girls were living in and now they have moved into another place. The BMU has these big storage containers on the compound that are full of household items to stock missionary's homes here, so I got to go through and pick out a bunch of stuff for the house. That was fun. A lot of the stuff is kind of old [think 70s and 80s type decor] but it works. It's a really awesome house, but we have to walk back down to the guest house (where we were staying) in order to use the internet. That's one reason I haven't given an update in a while. It's nice waking up in the morning and not thinking, "I need to check my email." Well even if that's the first thing I think of when I wake up, I then remind myself that I can't.

In reflecting back on the past 2 or so months and seeing where we are now, I'm not sure what to think. At times it seems that we haven't accomplished a lot, but that the same time, I know that God has done so much in me and that He is still working in me. It's crazy how many things I see here that parallel ministries back home. It's helped me to see how much effort and love it takes to do [especially to start] any kind of ministry, whether in Africa or in Bartlett. It's given me a greater respect for missionaries and has just opened my eyes to what the life of a missionary is really like. It should be just like any other Christian's life. The only difference is that we are taken out of our familiar culture and immersed in a foreign culture. For any Christian, our lives should still be all about telling people this incredible thing that we know. That there is something wrong with us. We are separated from God, but He loved us so much that He came back for us. And He's coming back again!

Being the first Hands On team here in Uganda, we are kind of the guinea pigs. And I knew that going into this and from just about every mission trip I've ever been on, I know one of the most important things is to be flexible. Thankfully, God has prepared me in so many ways for this experience, even in some circumstances that are somewhat humorous. I know that whatever God has planned for the rest of my time here, it will be more than I could ever achieve on my own. Anything that is accomplished is simply and utterly a gift from God, nothing of me.

"But he said to me, 'My grace is sufficient for you, my power is made perfect in weakness.' Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ's power may rest on me. That is why, for Christ's sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong." 2 Cor. 12:9-10 (NIV)

May we all learn to boast in our weaknesses, that Christ's power may increase as He receives all the glory!

Homesick, in more than one way...

2008-09-26T14:00:00.007-05:00

After getting home tonight from rafting on the Nile River today, I got on the computer to check my email. In my email, I have a list of many different blogs of people I know, which update whenever they add a new blog.

And that's when I found out.

I read my sister's latest blog and learned that my grandfather had passed away. Then I got on Skype and sure enough I had voicemails from my mom and sister telling me the news. I knew that this was coming, and in the recent weeks since my time here, I just have felt in my heart that I wasn't going to be seeing Papaw when I got back home, maybe even from the moment I saw him in the hospital on July 30, the day before I left for Tanzania, when he told me he loved me and was proud of me as tears were filling his eyes (and mine). Maybe this was God's way of preparing me for what was to come. This is the first grandparent to leave my sisters and I, and being so far from home makes it difficult for me to really grasp. I don't think it will really seem palpable or real until I get home in December and he's not there...

Despite the loss in our lives, today was a wonderful day. God is still God, and the victory is still His. I can only think of the things that I saw today, the beauty of God in the nature of Africa, and I wonder what I was looking at during the exact time that Papaw went to be with the Lord. This morning I saw my first sunrise since being here, and it was the most beautiful thing I've ever seen. It was truly breathtaking. I saw more than 20 miles of the Nile River, experienced the fury of powerful rapids. I saw the bluest sky and the whitest clouds, so amazing and somehow different than any I have ever seen. All these things created by the God of the universe, and now my Papaw is in His presence worshipping Him. No more frail body or bruised bones, no aching or hurting. A new creation made for an eternity of being in the presence of and worshipping the Almighty God.

I wish that I could be at home with the rest of my family during this time, but I know that God has called me to be here serving Him. Just as Matthew 10:37-39 says, I must continue to take up my cross and follow Christ. I must realize that there is still work to be done here, all over this earth, that there is still a race to run (Hebrews 12:1-2). Even though I feel homesick more than ever, missing Papaw and friends and family back home, I can look forward to a day when I will be back home, and the day when I will truly be home with Christ, just as Papaw is. May we strive to live for Christ, spreading His name and renown wherever He takes us, that the words of 2 Timothy 4:6-8 might be true to our lives when God calls us home.

"Whoever loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of me, and whoever loves son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me. And whoever does not take up his cross and follow me is not worthy of me. Whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it." Matthew 10:37-39 (ESV)

"Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God." Hebrews 12:1-2

"For I am already being poured out as a drink offering, and the time of my departure has come. I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Henceforth is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, will award to me on that Day, and not only to me but also to al who have loved his appearing." 2 Timothy 4:6-8 (ESV)

"Homesick" by MercyMe

You're in a better place, I've heard a thousand times
And at least a thousand times I've rejoiced for you
But the reason why I'm broken, the reason why I cry
Is how long must I wait to be with you

I close my eyes and I see your face
If home's where my heart is then I'm out of place
Lord, won't you give me strength to make it through somehow
I've never been more homesick than now

Help me, Lord, cause I don't understand your ways
The reason why, I wonder if I'll ever know
But even if you showed me the hurt would be the same
Cause I'm still here so far away from home

I close my eyes and I see your face
If home's where my heart is then I'm out of place
Lord, won't you give me strength to make it through somehow
I've never been more homesick than now

In Christ there are no goodbyes
And in Christ there is no end
So I'll hold onto Jesus with all that I have
To see you again
To see you again

I close my eyes and I see your face
If home's where my heart is then I'm out of place
Lord, won't you give me strength to make it through somehow
Won't you give me strength to make it through somehow
Won't you give me strength to make it through somehow

I've never been more homesick than now

In loving memory of

THOMAS "JACK" HOWARD SHELTON, SR.

Husband, father, and Papaw

September 2, 1921 - September 26, 2008

Christmas comes early in Africa...

2008-09-22T17:01:00.009-05:00

This afternoon felt a lot like we were opening presents as Hannah, Breanne, and I were over at the Shelton’s house looking through all the things that were sent to us from home with the mission team from Mississippi. Kind of funny, since we knew most of the things we were getting, but I guess that’s a lot how Christmas usually is, too. My parents sent me some Barbeque Pringles (they have them here, but the store down the street has been out for a couple weeks), grape jelly (yay!), fabric softener sheets (hard to find here; smells throughout the house...), peanut butter filled pretzels (that got mostly crushed in transit haha), CD-Rs & DVD-Rs (always come in handy), iPhone armband (gift to myself to use when running), and my favorite: cards from friends at church. I cannot tell you how much the messages in each of these cards mean to me. Even the simplest “praying for you” or “miss you” means so much more and brings more encouragement than anyone could ever know. Thank you all so much for encouraging me and praying for me.

Today was a good day. The team from Mississippi got here this weekend, so today was their first day of ministry. We went with them this morning to an area called Bootabika (no clue if that’s spelled right, but that’s how it sounds). We did door to door evangelism and encouraging, as the Kampala Urban Team is looking to start house churches in this area. We were witnessing to people, but also looking for persons of peace in the area to use a house or a courtyard for people to meet and fellowship in the future. Some of the groups saw many people come to Christ! My group met many who were already believers, but we spent most of our time with one woman, who did not choose to accept Christ today. I hope that you will pray for her, as we will, that God will convict her heart with the words she heard from us today, that she might have visions and dreams so that she will realize that she is in need of a Savior.

For lunch, we introduced our new friends to I<3NYK (I Love New York Kitchen) at the Garden City Mall. It was quite delicious, and they were grateful that we showed them that little gem. While we were eating lunch, the sky fell out and rained out the plan for the afternoon. I think the team ended up going shopping, but the 4 of us came back to the compound for much needed rest. It’s amazing how exhausting going out can be. After resting, Hannah, Breanne, and I went to the Shelton’s an picked up our “care packages” and Hannah stayed to watch the Shelton’s girls so that they could go out to eat with the mission team. Breanne and I came back to plan for tomorrow. We will be going to a school nearby during their lunch hour and doing a presentation of sorts. We pretty much have the hour or so to do what we want, so we decided to have a little church service. Breanne, Hannah, and I will lead four or five songs and then Steven will bring a message. That is what is on the agenda, but God could totally have something else in mind. We’ll see.

I am so excited about Wednesday. We found out yesterday that Hillsong is in town. If you look in my older posts, you’ll see that I posted the lyrics to a song sung by none other than Hillsong. I am stinkin stoked that they are here and we will [hopefully] be going to see them in concert Wednesday night. I told the Berry’s that I would have to see if I could take Darlene Zschech and the band to lunch (haha). I have no idea how big of an event it will be, but I am so excited for some Mzungu worship and songs… or better yet Australian worship and songs!

That is all I have for now. I’ll try to update again this weekend. Pictures are being uploaded constantly and randomly, so check often to see the ones I’ve added. Thanks again for your prayers and support! God is good!!

Photos Added!

2008-09-14T08:51:00.001-05:00

Click "Photos" on the right side, a little further down the page. I added photos from Tanzania and some from Uganda so far.

Humility and the Mzungu

2008-09-13T13:33:00.008-05:00

The book I am reading right now is Humility: The Journey Toward Holiness by Andrew Murray (thanks, Jared). It's very convicting because I am discovering just how much I am not humble. And I'm realizing just how difficult it is to be humble, especially here. As mzungu, or white people, we are automatically looked at as wealthy and well-off, and all things considered, compared to the majority of Ugandans, we are. My prayer is that they would not see earthly wealth, but that they would see Christ! Please pray that for increasing humility so that Christ can shine through us.

"True humility comes when before God we see ourselves as nothing, have put aside self, and let God be all. The soul that has done this, and can say, 'I have lost myself in finding you,' no longer compares itself with others. It has given up forever any thought of self in God's presence; it meets it's fellowmen as one who is nothing and seeks nothing for itself; who is a servant of God and for His sake is a servant to all." --Andrew Murray

RECAP OF THE WEEK:

Steven and I had the opportunity to go to Fort Portal on Wednesday with Anthony and two Ugandan pastors, Deo and John "the barber." It was quite the adventure! I took the back seat of the Land Cruiser Prado and tried to sleep most of the 4 hour drive to keep from getting carsick (I didn't get sick, by the way). I was also listening to my iPod, and my headphones pretty much block out any surrounding sounds (that's important to the story). There was one moment where I was in that in-between area of almost asleep, but still just a little awake. I thought we were speeding up really fast because I felt my body moving, but then I woke up a little more and realized that my body was moving toward the front of the vehicle, meaning that we were slowing down quickly and not speeding up. As my friends back home who have been to Uganda before know, there are speed bumps in the road that can be quite terrible. I'm not talking about little speed bumps you brake a little for, these things can be monstrous and can do some damage if you're not careful (my car wouldn't survive here). Anyways, I could feel that we were slowing fairly quickly, so I grabbed the back of the seat to brace myself (meanwhile I'm still lying down on the seat and can't hear anything) and next thing I know I'm a good 8 to 10 inches off my seat and in the air. I'm pretty sure that had I been in a "safer position" it would have actually hurt, being that I definitely would have hit my head on the roof pretty hard. I actually think I was in the best position possible. It ended up being pretty funny, but needless to say, we watched for that speed bump on the way home...

In the back seat of the Yota

The trip home on Thursday was another adventure. About halfway through the drive, the A/C went out in the Cruiser. Then, probably less than 30 minutes later, something happened noticeably with the engine. Turned out, the radiator blew. Luckily, we were pulling up to a somewhat populated area at the time. Definitely a God thing. Anthony called the BMU and got someone to come meet us. We ended up staying there for about an hour before we decided to buy a jug of water to keep refilling the radiator and move on. We were trying to get to the next town because there was a vacant mission house that the IMB owns (to leave the vehicle) and plus there was food. We had to stop a couple times between towns, as the engine would get a little hot, and add some water till it cooled back down. Once we finally got there, we ate and waited for Fred to arrive with another vehicle and to show us where this house was. We ended up having to stop again on the way to the house to add water. This house was pretty cool. It had a large backyard with an incredible view of Lake Victoria. We were in the compound for a while as Fred removed the radiator from the Cruiser to take back to Kampala, so I took this opportunity to take many pictures. We left the cruiser at the mission house (I think it's actually still there) and finally made it back around 6, about 7-8 hours after we originally left. TIA... :P

The sad, broken-down Prado

Fred removing the cracked radiator

A tree swing and the view from the house we stopped at

Friday night we went with Anthony to one of the more established churches, Kampala Baptist Church (KBC or KBC Baptist Church according to Steven...haha) for something they have for university students called TGIF. We got there after fighting through traffic for a while (absolute craziness; typical). We got out of the car and I made a comment about something going on next door, because I heard loud music and assumed that it was a club or something next to the church. To my surprise (and delight) the sound was coming from the church. We got to meet about 15-20 students there, and the program for the night was a movie. We were expecting a Bible study or something, but it was cool because we just got to fellowship with and meet some new people. We will be going to church at KBC in the morning so I am excited about that. I love how different the house churches are, but I am excited for something more contemporary.

We went to the Shelton's this morning for a youth pastors tea so that we could meet with youth pastors from the Baptist churches in the city. We were mainly trying to meet with the ones who are in the more established churches to see how they have been able to effectively impact the youth in their communities. We ended up being there for a while, but I think that it was really good for us to meet them and to get a better idea of ways that we can reach the youth. I'm really excited about working with the bigger churches to try and fill the gap between them and the house churches. Some of us are looking at doing a choir program with Bible studies and hopefully being able to do a Christmas program before we leave in December! I'm so excited about this (as you can imagine). Hannah plays the piano, Breanne plays the guitar, and I sing, so I'm confident that God can use us with this, and I'm excited and eager to see Him work out all the details. Steven is not so keen on music, but he's got other things he's looking to do, so that's good.

Monkeys Breanne and I saw on our walk to the Shelton's

I'm excited about the days ahead and all the doors that God is opening. Continue to pray for us as we take advantage of the opportunities that we have to reach the youth of Kampala. I challenge you to look at the doors that God is opening for you and areas that have been opened to you to reach others for Christ!

Loving and missing...

2008-09-09T13:26:00.002-05:00

I decided to add a list of things that I love about living here in Uganda and of things that I miss about home. They are both on the right side underneath Blogs of Friends. I'm thinking that both lists will be pretty long by the time December rolls around!

Please note: the lists are sorted alphabetically, not based on how much I love or miss something.

Encouragement and Discipline

2008-09-08T14:05:00.003-05:00

So, I just got done reading through all of the blogs of the other Hands On missionaries (those who have blogs), and I am nothing less than encouraged. Please take the time to read about all that God is doing on this continent through a handful of students surrendering to God's call! I feel somewhat inadequate compared to what they have recorded of their journeys thus far, but I know that God still has great things for me here.

Please continue to pray for me here. I am seeking more discipline as I try to be more productive with my time, even if I have nothing to do. I am trying to limit my time on the internet to just once a day, either in the morning or afternoon, especially the time I spend looking at Facebook. While it helps me to stay connected with what is going on back home, I fear that it may be taking my focus away from what God has placed before me here. Please pray that I will be strict on myself in this area and that I will seek to spend my time in the Word and with God. The missionaries here have talked about their experiences here as journeymen and how the best part was the time they were able to spend with God. I have that time as I am here, but it is so easy to distract myself with other things. I also challenge you to look at the things that are distracting you and pulling you away from spending time with God. Take some time to spend with the One who has redeemed us. It will be well worth your while...

Thank you so much for your prayers. I am praying for all that God is doing back home and all that He is doing through my friends scattered all across this continent!

Packages and such...

2008-09-05T05:41:00.002-05:00

For those of you who would love to send packages, gifts if you will, to me here in Africa, but have been hesitant to do so because of the cost of shipping said items, you are in luck! There is a mission team from Brandon, MS coming here on September 18, and they will be able to bring things to us from the U.S. You can send things to the following address:

Stephen Shelton - Baptist Mission of Uganda

c/o First Baptist Church of Brandon - Vickie Buys

309 S. College Street

Brandon, MS 39042

We are not sure if the team is getting here on the 18th or if they are leaving the states on the 18th, so if you send anything, be sure that it will get there by the 15th to be safe. Letters and small things can still be sent directly here anytime to the P.O. Box on the right under Contact Info. If anything, letters are extremely welcome! Thanks!

He Is LORD!

2008-09-01T07:30:00.002-05:00

Oh blessed Lamb once slain

Will reign forevermore

His hands once bound now save

Our God will never fail

He is Lord, He is Lord!

Sings my soul, He is the Lord

And He lives, yes, He lives

I'm alive cause Jesus lives!

'Tis at the cross of Christ

Where earth and heaven meet

Where sin is overcome

To God the victory

He is Lord, He is Lord!

Sings my soul, He is the Lord

And He lives, yes, He lives

I'm alive cause Jesus lives!

And now let the earth resound with praise

For our Savior, God, He reigns

He is high and lifted up!

Arise, for the King of glory waits!

He is coming back again!

He is Lord, He is Lord!

Sings my soul, He is the Lord

And He lives, yes, He lives

I'm alive cause Jesus lives!

And now let the earth resound with praise

For our Savior, God, He reigns

He is high and lifted up!

Arise, for the King of glory waits!

He is coming back again!

Everyone needs to get this album and listen to this song! It is so powerful! HE IS LORD!!

Revamped, refreshed, and ready to go!

2008-08-31T17:21:00.002-05:00

It has officially been a month since I left home! It's crazy to think that it's already been that long. I felt that it was time to revamp the blog, so I got a new background and replaced the stock photos at the top with some of my own from the summer. I apologize because it does take a little bit longer to load the page, but I think it looks much better (let me know what you think!). I also added a few (or more) links. At the top you will find a banner for the CESA Hands On web site. This is a site being updated with information about all of the Hands On teams in the CESA (Central, Eastern, & Southern Africa) region. Then, a little ways down on the left you will find the Hands On logo. This link takes you to The Task website with the listings of the Hands On projects for the coming semesters. Below that, you will find links to blogs of my friends all over CESA sharing the love of Jesus. Check them all out! They're some really awesome people!

The past few days have been really good! God allowed Breanne, Joseph, and I to lead 3 people (one of whom was Muslim!) to Christ through sharing our testimonies and the Gospel on Friday! Pray for the fourth, Betty, that she might accept Christ in the coming days. It was amazing how evident the Holy Spirit was working on her heart.

Steven and I were supposed to go with the Carson's to church at Bonda, but Stephen (Carson) was sick this morning, possibly with Malaria, so we have been here at the compound all day. The girls went to church with the Berry's at Kipuli (pronounced chi-boo-lee) and invited all of the youth to come here for a Bible study tonight. We weren't sure what to expect, but we ended up having nearly 30 people! We had a short Bible study, but we spent most of the time talking wit them about what they want to do and what they are going through. It was a humbling discussion as they talked about their struggles with money for school fees and food. Pray that God will show us what we need to teach them from the Word to encourage them and that He will speak to their hearts through us and through each other! We will be meeting with the missionaries and pastors here this week to really initiate the Bible studies and figure out how to grow our ministry here. Please continue to pray for the work that God is doing here! Pray for God to show His will, that we might adjust and conform to it however we need to. Pray that we will become nothing so that Christ can be everything!

Love you and miss you all!!

Adjustments and Blessings

2008-08-28T05:29:00.005-05:00

Bagged milk. This is just one of the many things that are done differently here. It's amazing how many things you learn by living in a different culture versus visiting for a short mission project. I was so excited yesterday when I found dry taco seasoning. All of the missionaries here have told us that we would not be able to find it here. I can't wait to tell them I found some. Also, I am really missing grape jelly. PB&J's just aren't the same with anything else. I have found what is called Blackcurrent jam (I've never heard of it, but for all I know we could have it back home), and it's the closest I think I am going to get to grape.

These are the vehicles sitting here at the compound that I see everyday and think to myself, "I really wish I could just drive one of those instead of using public transport." But that what we have to do. We have 3 options: Taxi's, Boda-bodas, or private hires. Taxi's are not like taxis as we think in the U.S. They are more like buses, but much smaller in size. The best way to describe them is that they are like 14 or 15 passenger vans compressed to the size of minivans. These are the least expensive to use, but can be confusing because there is no neon sign in the windshield telling us where they are going. Also, to go to some places, we have to take a taxi to the taxi park in the middle of the city where there are hundreds of thousands of taxis, and get on another one to take us to where we want to go. Talk about chaos and stress. And we had Ugandans leading us through the park the one time we have done it. Boda-bodas are motorcycles that you can hitch a ride on the back of. These are my favorite so far. They were scary at first, but I think they are the most practical at this point. They can go anywhere you want them, but safety really is the main issue with these, so we are not supposed to take them to go very far. It's like playing real-life Mario Cart, but you're not in control of the vehicle. Yeah. Lastly, the private hires are the most expensive. These are like what we know as taxis in the U.S. They would be the best option if they weren't expensive. I say expensive, but they are pretty cheap compared to a taxi back home. We are alloted 8,000 UGX ($5) per day for transport, so that's what we're working with. I need to take a picture of me on a Boda so I can post it on here.

Below is the video of me bungee jumping from a couple weeks ago. (It's sideways, I know. I can't change that) You can kind of hear me yelp after I jump...and then the girls laugh at me. Good times...

We have still not really started our ministry here yet. I am just about DFA'd out. We have been doing daily field assignments since last week to get to know the culture. They have been helpful but somewhat exhausting trying to get to different places and ask people all kinds of questions. I'm sure it will pay off for the ministry we will be doing. Speaking of that, hopefully we will start doing Bible studies with youth next week so that we can find specific ones to pick out and disciple so that they can be the future leaders. We are pretty much trying to replace ourselves with Ugandans who can disciple others. Please continue to be in prayer for us as we try to find those whom God has called us here to invest ourselves into.

Another thing: the lost bag I mentioned in the last post was found! It was my smallest suitcase that had my dad's [really nice] camera and all the books that the guys back home gave me to read while I am here. The amazing thing is that it wasn't just missing, it was taken by another passenger by mistake, so it is pretty awesome that it was returned, given what was inside. Praise God!

I love and miss everyone!

Life in Africa

2008-08-20T06:32:00.006-05:00

Well, I finally made it to Uganda! Tanzania was nothing short of amazing. In Dar Es Salaam I met with 37 of the other Hands On participants as well as numerous missionaries to the CESA region for 2 weeks. Honestly, a lot of the sessions we sat through were pretty boring, but the people I met were incredible. God really used that time to show me that he has all of this worked out and that we have all been called by Him to be here. Hearing everyone's testimonies and just being surrounded by such strong people in the faith was amazing. By the time we left Dar, I truly felt like I was living

Hebrews 12, "surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses..." As the verse continues, now that we have all parted ways, we must "lay aside every weight, and sin, which clings so closely, and...run with endurance the race that is set before us looking to Jesus..." How great it will be when we all meet together again in Dar before heading home in December to share with each other the amazing things that will happen in the months ahead!

[We got to go to a really nice beach for our last day in Tanzania!]

It's hard to believe we have already been here in Uganda almost a week! Our flight was delayed something like 6 hours leaving Tanzania (something about the airline not having any fuel...there were a few rumors going around). Once we finally made it in, we were there almost another hour trying to deal with a missing bag (still yet to be found).

We spent the night in our new homes. The girls are in the house they will be staying in until late October or early November when some other missionaries come to move in. Steven and I are staying in a guest house on the Baptist Mission compound until our apartment is ready, which will hopefully be sometime next week. I'm not complaining because this guest house is a lot roomier than our apartment will probably be. They told us that the apartment has one room and a bathroom. They are planning to put a cooktop (stove) and fridge on the veranda for a make-shift kitchenette. In the guest house we have separate bedrooms, bathrooms, a living room and a full kitchen. Oh well, TIA and this is actually more than I ever expected. :)

We went with Misti (one of our supervising missionaries) and her girls to meet her husband, Anthony (our other supervising missionary), in Jinja for the weekend. He is teaching at the Baptist seminary there for the next couple of weeks. We got to meet more missionaries who live in Jinja and see a smaller, quieter place than Kampala. We also went to the source of the Nile, where lake Victoria feeds into the Nile River. Steven and I went bungee jumping over the Nile Sunday afternoon. It was about a 150-foot drop from the tower (seen in the upper-right of the picture) down to the river. I went first. It was pretty exhilarating! I'm pretty impressed that I didn't hesitate after they counted down for me to go. I did have second thoughts once I left the ledge, but it was a little too late then, and my stomach was already in my chest (which was strange since I was upside down). The worst part was hanging upside down after I stopped bouncing until they lowered me down into a raft. I had a headache for most of the rest of the day. Don't think I could do that twice in one day...

[The bungee tower over the Nile River]

So, what exactly are we going to be doing here in Kampala? Well, that's the question that all of us are asking! We are going to be working with the youth in the network of house churches here in the urban areas. There is currently no kind of student ministry in the house churches, so we will pretty much be launching it. We are going to be spending the rest of this week and next week figuring out what exactly all of that will entail. We are meeting with the pastors in the house church network as well as some from churches in the city that have existing student ministries. We will possibly be looking to them for an example of what we might could do in the churches we will be working in, except that we won't have any kind of a budget, of course. We don't really have a specific agenda or outline to follow (other than Christ's example in scripture) so what we do will be mostly up to us. We are looking to start Bible studies and disciple students here. Most importantly, as I recall Misti saying yesterday, we want to find where God is working and join Him there. Couldn't put it any better.

Here are some ways you can continue to pray for my team, as well as the other Hands On teams:

1. Pray that God will glorify Himself through our ministries

2. Pray for opportunities to share our faith.

3. Pray for boldness as we live out our faith.

4. Pray for God to prepare the hearts of the people we will encounter.

5. Pray for our cultural sensitivity and understanding.

6. Pray for our relationships with our supervisors and other missionaries.

7. Pray for team unity.

8. Pray for our relationships with nationals.

9. Pray for safety in travel and health on the field.

10. Pray for humility and a flexible spirit.

11. Pray for protection from loneliness and depression.

12. Pray for peace of mind for our families back home.

13. Pray that God will use our missions experiences to grow the passion in us for missions.

I cannot tell you enough just how much I appreciate the prayers and all of the support from everyone! I hope to keep you updated weekly if I am able, but we will see. The internet is very, very slow here so the time it normally takes to do the simplest thing is increased exponentially.

"The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ and the love of God and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be will you all." 2 Corinthians 13:14 (ESV)

I made it!

2008-08-03T14:11:00.002-05:00

I am in Dar Es Salaam, Tanzania! These are some of the amazing things I got to see Friday night/Saturday morning from the airplane window:

Lightning off the coast of Italy
City lights of Rome
Stars over Naples
Shooting star over Lybia
Sunrise over Egypt and Sudan

Incredible.

Keep praying!

One adventure to the next...

2008-07-31T21:24:00.004-05:00

The week in the Republika e Kosovës (Kosovo) was truly amazing. I still have traces of the blue paint we used on my fingernails. Yes, I have washed my hands since (many times, actually, just to try to get the paint off), but I have come to find these remnants as a reminder of the place we left behind, a reminder to continue to pray for the work that God is doing there. Throughout the week, we were able to form relationships and minister to the people of Kaçanik, the village that the school was in. We were able to completely repaint the inside of the school, which was an amazing feat in itself, but that’s not all we were there to do. I think the biggest influence we had was on the translators assigned to each of our crews. Only one of the five or so translators was a believer. The rest are each Muslims. I know some of them were moreso Muslim by heritage than by actual faith. This was an encouragement as we asked them questions of their own faith that they were unable to answer. Hopefully as a result of seeing Christ in us, they will begin to seek the truth found in Christ.

It was humbling to see the many memorials to those who died and the rubble left from the recent war in the area. In the school alone, there were pictures of three children who were killed in a bombing on their village. The destruction is a reminder, to me, of the evil in this world that can only be overcome by the love of Christ spread by us as believers to the lost. We were able to see one man come to salvation after reading the gospel of John. Pray for Kosovar that he may be a light for Christ to shine in that village that others may be saved!

I think what was most encouraging for me was the crew that I was able to work with. God truly placed us each together. That’s all there is to it. It was an amazing time of fellowship and worship working with each of the incredible people on my crew. We were called “the wedding singers” and we lived up to our name by filling that school with the praises of God while we worked!

I am now en route to Africa. I can’t believe it’s really here. Leaving was bitter sweet and many tears were shed (I started it), but I think I’m okay now. In leaving, I really realize just how blessed I am to have the amazing family and friends that I have. Thank you to everyone who came to my going away party and for those who made me cards and things. It all really means a lot.

I met a guy named Josh who will be in South Africa for the semester. We both flew out of Memphis, but we didn’t actually meet each other until we got to Atlanta. I am now in a hotel room in the D.C. area until I leave for my flight to Ethiopia in the morning. 15 hours and 15 minutes. It will be a new record for longest flight for me. Still, I am looking forward to finally getting to Africa and being back with the people and the place that I loved so much last summer.

While I am in Tanzania, I most likely won’t be able to update my blog. I will be there for 2 weeks (until the 14th or so) so this may be my last update for a while. I should have a chance to email my parents to let them know that I made it safely, so that is good.

Continue to pray for safety as I resume traveling tomorrow morning and get in to Tanzania sometime Saturday. Please pray for me for the next 2 weeks as all 37 of the Hands On participants are training for the semester, that we might be prepared for the work God has prepared for us.

I’ll end this post the way I ended my journal entry coming back from Kosovo: I am amazed at how God is choosing to use me. 3 countries in 3 months. And that’s just the beginning...

Kosovo Pictures

2008-07-28T17:43:00.001-05:00

I just got done uploading my pictures from Kosovo. The link is on the right under 'Photos.' I'll be posting more details about the trip a little later.

Beginnings in Kosova

2008-07-19T15:15:00.000-05:00

We made it safely. I typed more in the original post but this computer isn't that great so it didn't go through.

Proverbs 24:11

Be challenged.

1 Corinthians 1:9

2008-07-14T09:45:00.006-05:00

God is faithful! My passport is in Memphis! I missed the delivery because I was upstairs getting ready for work this morning and didn't hear the doorbell, but I will go by FedEx this afternoon and just pick it up. Thank you to everyone who is praying! You have no idea how much I appreciate it.

Kosovo is coming! I leave bright and early at 5:40am Thursday morning. I'm flying by myself so I'm a little nervous, but it will help me prepare for flying to Africa. I'm so excited!

In the midst of their newfound independence, let us show them the new life we have found in Christ!

Urgent Prayer Need!

2008-06-24T14:37:00.002-05:00

I found out last week that I am going to have to send my passport (the actual thing) to get Visa's for both Tanzania and Uganda for the fall. I leave for Kosovo in a little over 3 weeks. Please, please, please pray for my passport to come back in time, otherwise I won't be able to go to Kosovo! I am still waiting to get some information to finish filling out the Visa applications, but hopefully I will be able to FedEx it overnight tomorrow. I am trusting God, but I still fear that I might not get it back in time. Please pray!!

Leaving Uruguay

2008-06-24T14:12:00.004-05:00

We touched down back in Memphis around 12:30 Sunday afternoon after flying out of Montevideo around 9 the night before (7 Central time). It rained just about all day Thursday and Friday. We were limited as to what we could do because it was so cold and wet outside. We tried to persevere and go and hand out invitations to the coffee house, but we ended up coming back to the hotel early both days.

The coffee houses Thursday and Friday nights were a success, despite the rain, according to the missionaries. They were thrilled! Thursday night we had around 30 people come, and Friday we had 50 to 60 come. We had 2 people come to Christ, that we know of, which is an amazing thing! We were warned that there most likely wouldn't be a large harvest, such as with the Brazil team from last week. Our goal for the week and for the coffee houses was to form relationships, which would lead to eventual presentations of the Gospel. After we got back to the states, Casey heard from someone that some new people came to one of the cell churches Sunday after we left as a result of our ministries last week! Priase God for the work He continues to do in Uruguay!

I've uploaded the pictures from this trip to photobucket. Use the link on the right under "Photos" to see the pictures I took in Uruguay. I didn't take as many this trip because of the rain and just because the camera got in the way of what I was trying to do sometimes.

Half-day Wednesday

2008-06-18T22:14:00.002-05:00

Today was nice. It was pretty cold in the morning. I'm beginning to think that Montevideo might have weather as crazy as Memphis with how much it seems to be changing back and forth. Tomorrow it is supposed to rain.

We started out the morning by going to our target areas for GAP and we handed out the gospels of John to the apartments and small businesses on the streets we were assigned. It feels like we didn't really do much because we were mostly ringing buzzers without answer and shoving envelopes under doors. It was almost a little discouraging, but I know that if we trust God, He will be faithful. Tonight in group devotion we talked about how we have been called here to do the work that God has placed before us, and in doing that we must do it to the fullest. Our group devotion was encouraging tonight because it made me realize that I have to take the extra step to be bold and confront people on the street with the Gospel or invitations to the coffee house we are hosting tomorrow and Friday nights. Please pray for me and everyone else to be bold.

With it being half-day Wednesday (a World Changers tradition, for those who don't know), we only did ministry in the morning. We had the afternoon to spend with our church groups touring and shopping in the city. We went to the old part of the city first, which has some cool architecture and street vendors. I bought and Matè kit and a Russian Bible from 1914. I'm most excited about the Bible. I think I am going to start collecting really old Bibles in different languages. I also bought a Uruguay scarf and toboggan, which are definitely helping with the cold weather. After the old city, we took taxis to a mall, which was pretty modern. This stunk because all of the prices were really high like other modern malls, so I didn't buy anything there, not when I can buy similar things at home or online for the same price. It was still a blast spending the afternoon with everyone from Faith and also our new friend, Joel, who we adopted since he is an individual participant (he doesn't have a church group here).

Please continue to pray for God to work in Montevideo! Pray for the coffee house that we will be having Thursday and Friday night, that He will use it to reach many with the Gospel! Pray for the Father to burden our hearts for the lost souls that are all around us! Pray for Him to burden your heart for those around you who do not know Him.

Finally!

2008-06-17T22:54:00.003-05:00

So, it's almost 1 am here but I'm going to go ahead and write instead of going to sleep. My loser roommate (Stephen Brannon) steals my computer every night, so by the time I get it I'm too tired and ready to go to sleep. Look for his blog tomorrow as we discuss the meaning behind Leona Lewis' song Bleeding Love. haha

The week has gotten off to a great start. The crew that I am on is mainly doing street ministry. We are walking (a lot) to different plazas and parks and performing the Redeemer drama. After the drama is over, we then are passing out evangelical tracts and invitations to a coffee house we are hosting Thursday and Friday nights. The people seem to be receptive to the invitations and are taking the tracts. In the mornings we are doing the GAP (Gospel Advancement Program) assignments. Thus far we have prayer walked the areas where will will be working each morning. Starting tomorrow, we will begin passing out gospels of John to the houses and apartments in each district. This will be exciting because it is what we have been prayer walking for the past two days, and we can't wait to see what God is going to do!

In defense of Stephen Brannon's comment as to how I drink my matè: I don't even like it with sugar! It tastes like bitter, unsweet tea to me, and I just don't like it. My bitter taste buds were screaming. It was awful.

The temperature has warmed up quite a bit since I last posted. I think it was probably in the 60's today. It's funny that 2 days ago I had 3 jackets on and I was still cold! I'm enjoying getting to know the people on my crew from all the other churches and also hanging out with those from Faith (Blair Martin, Kelsey Hendricks, Casey Parks, Bethany Hutchison, and Stephen Brannon). Thank you for your prayers and continue to pray for God to move in Montevideo!! ¡Ciao!

Updates coming...

2008-06-17T10:21:00.001-05:00

I promise I will bring updates later tonight. For now, check out Stephen Brannon's blog and the IWC Uruguay blog. Please continue to pray for all of us!

The southern hemisphere...

2008-06-14T20:15:00.002-05:00

is a little colder than Memphis this time of year, but it's really not that bad. Being away from the hot humidity is actually feeling pretty good. It's kind of funny, though, because the people here are all wearing big coats and scarves, and it only in the 50's (Fahrenheit, obviously).

We made it safely to Montevideo, Uruguay around 9 this morning! Thankfully, there were absolutely no complications with any of the flights or luggage, so everything went very smoothly! We are all dead tired because between the 7 hour layover in Miami and the 8-9 hour flight to here, most of us didn't get much good sleep. Tonight we should all sleep very well! Today was mostly just getting settled and learning what we will be doing this week. The crew that I am on is doing street ministry with evangelism and performing the "Redeemer" drama. Tomorrow we will be going to a local church, and then we will have ministry training in the afternoon. Everything is amazing so far! Thanks for the prayers!

Leaving Guatemala

2008-06-04T14:37:00.010-05:00

Leaving was hard, but I think we were all pretty exhausted after the week. On Friday, Jon Nason, Ryan Johnston, and Denny Johnston and I went to a village near the orphanage to start building a house. Apparently the plans had changed since they had last discussed them when we went to get the supplies, because instead of using tin like on the other houses we had built, we were going to be using wood. We pulled up in a pickup truck with a very small bed, and had to haul back 8-12 foot pieces of timber that looked like it had been sliced off the sides of trees. Needless to say, this was a tiring adventure. We spent most of the afternoon hauling the wood to the site, since the road was about half a mile away. We only were able to get the posts in the ground, in an effort to at least give the next group who comes in an idea of how to finish building it. We had to leave because it started raining. As we were leaving the site, it was kind of surreal because it was like we were in the middle of a rain forest trekking along a muddy trail.

We left Chimaltenango and spent the last day in Antigua, which is more of a tourist destination. We were able to shop at the markets and get some unique things. We stayed at a really cool hotel with an old-world feel and beautiful court yards. The hotel rooms even locked with skeleton keys.

Overall it was a very good trip. We were able to share the love of God with the people of Guatemala by building houses, holding orphans, and leading over 500 people to Christ! Praise God for the work He is still going to continue to do in Guatemala!

Click the 'Photos' link on the right to see more pictures from Guatemala!

New Homes in 'The Village'

2008-05-29T23:51:00.007-05:00

Yesterday and today I had the privilege of going to what we are calling "The Village." I'm not sure if this is what the area is actually called, or if that is just the name we are using to refer to the location for the week. We built houses, about 2 each day, for families that have a great need for them. Many of the people we are building for already have homes, but they are generally overcrowded with the large families that exist within the culture here. The houses we have built are just about 12 feet on each side and covered with tin metal. The families are so grateful to have us here to do this, and it is such a great honor to do this for them, and, in doing so, sharing the love of Christ! Here are some pictures of from the past 2 days:

Also, some of us went on a tour of the grounds that we are staying on. We got to see a lot of really cool things, and I got some really good pictures!

I am excited to be going back to the orphanage tomorrow. It is our last day at the different work sites, so please pray for us as we prepare to say goodbye to the Guatemalans we have grown to love this week!

The fatherless, the orphaned and abandoned

2008-05-27T23:33:00.008-05:00

This picture shows a baby who is believed to be 5 days old and was found abandoned on the street in Guatemala. Today, Diego was delivered into loving arms at the orphanage called Amor del Niño (Love the Child).

"For the Lord your God is God of gods and Lord of lords, the great, the mighty, and the awesome God...He executes justice for the fatherless..."

Deuteronomy 10:17-18 (ESV)

"Religion that is pure and undefiled before God, the Father, is this: to visit orphans and widows in their affliction, and to keep oneself unstained from the world."

James 1:27 (ESV)

Beginnings in Guatemala

2008-05-26T18:32:00.003-05:00

I made it safely to Guatemala, and we just got back from our first day at our mission sites. I went with several others to a school in a village called "Panamaquin." After we finally made it up the hour-or so-long drive on a dirt road up a mountain (emphasis on "up"), Jonathan Nason and I started out the morning painting a metal roof (blood red paint...and it's still on me). We had backyard Bible club after lunch with the kids at the school (around 50 of them). I got to lead a couple songs, which was interesting because they were all in Spanish. Really, I was only just singing along to familiar songs with a CD, but the new words did make it difficult. Tomorrow I will be going to an orphanage called "Amor del Nino." Some of the ones who went to the orphanage today said they were swamped by kids. It should be fun! Please continue to pray for us!

The picture above is one I took from the roof of the house we are staying in. Amazing.

I Have a Blog!

2008-05-14T23:18:00.001-05:00

Hello, all! So, this is my really cool blog where I can keep everyone up to date with all that God is doing in my life in the weeks and months ahead. I'll be posting anything from daily happenings to prayer requests and everything in between.

This summer I am going to:
Guatemala (May 25 - June 1)
Uruguay (June 13 - 21)
Kosovo (July 19 - 26)

I am so excited to have to opportunity to serve on these trips, but I am most excited about next semester. I will be taking a break from school to go to Kampala, Uganda for 4 months (August 1 - December 15)! I had the opportunity and privilege to go to Kampala for 2 weeks last summer, and I am so pumped that God has provided a way to go back! I will be going along with 3 other college students from across the country through what is called a "Hands On" project with the International Mission Board.

As I prepare to take action in saying "Yes!" to God's call, I am beginning to feel overwhelmed with all that I need to do, in getting everything lined up to go. These are just a few that I would appreciate prayer for:

Health Insurance: My parents informed me that I am only covered under their healthcare plan while I am enrolled full time in college. Taking off a semester will cause my current health insurance to terminate until I resume my education the following semester. I am trying to see if somehow I can get credit as an independent study or an internship so that I can still be enrolled full time and keep my current healthcare benefits. Please pray for one of these to work out, or else I will have to find a way to pay for health insurance while I am not in school.

Finances: I cannot afford to go on all of these mission trips. Some may call me stupid or foolish for signing up for all of them, but I know that God has given me these opportunities for a reason: to go! I am trusting and relying on God to use His people to provide financially for most of the costs of these trips. I have made efforts to save money on my own, such as moving back home (saving more than $300/month) and restraining myself from impulse buying, which can be difficult at times. Please pray for me as I write letters, that God would use the letters to compel the Church to provide not only financially, but also through investing time in prayer. The total costs for all of these trips is more than $5,000, not to mention if I have to pay for health insurance. I am a college student. I am trusting God. :)

Spiritual Preparation: Being spiritually prepared for each of these mission trips could be the difference between a great experience being used by God and utter disaster. I would absolutely hate to go to Africa or any of these places and, being unprepared, ruin what God has already begun doing through the missionaries in each of these countries. Please pray for me to stay focused on Christ and to be a man after God's heart!

These are just a few things that I can think of right now. I will post more as things arise (or I remember them).

Trusting in Him,
Stephen