More pictures

Some tribal dancing
African food
Aurther
Church at Luzira for the prison staff

I made it back safe. Here are some pictures from Uganda. The last three pictures are the place where I lived.

Last week here

So my time is wrapping up in Uganda, Africa. It has been an experience, an experience that has changed me and will bring change that I do not yet know of. I have finished up my Bible study at the prison and English class this past week. I spent the weekend relaxing in a town called Jinja. We sat on the Nile and ate some good food. We also went to the rain forest (which there is hardly any left at all) and saw some amazing trees and vegetation. Since it is the end of my trip I thought that I would list a few things that I will miss and that I will not miss. First the miss ( and in no particular order)

My host family
Hanging out with wonderful friends
Awesome wildlife
The prisoners
People who know what suffering is

Stuff I will not miss

Bad plumbing
Horrible roads
Ma toke - a real great tasking food
Pollution
Pretty much the whole infrastructure

I hope to publish some pictures when I get back and internet is a little bit faster.

God bless,

Scott

Prison. . . again

I am back in the prison again. Now I am teaching Philippians, doing some counseling, and playing some sports. This next week I will start the sports and counseling sessions. So far the bible study has been going really well. There are about 80-90 prisoners there for it. We do some singing, some testimonies, and I give a little talk. The whole experience is humbling and beautiful at the same time. These men seem to absorb the word and hold it in their hearts. They are wonderful people. I am also teaching a little bit of English to some women and a man that live around the prison. I really have no idea what I am doing or if they are learning, but hopefully they are.

May the Lord bless you and keep you wherever you are.

Back from Rwanda

I really do not have anything of importance to update you all about. We got back from Rwanda, which was great. We went to a Mexican restaurant which is one of a few in East Africa. It was great to have Mexican food in Rwanda. For a country that in less than 15 years ago was engulfed in genocide, it is completely different than one might think it would be. The roads were all paved and their infrastructure was quite good. It was a good relaxing get away to say the least. I will be in Uganda for the rest of my time (2 1/2 weeks). I do not know exactly what I am doing, but you could pray for me as I do not know what I am going to do with my time. I do not want to become stir crazy with boredom. I want this last two weeks to be great and hear what God is telling me. Also if you could pray for 4 of the people who are heading back tomorrow that would be great. I hope that everyone had a wonderful 4th of July back in the states.

I do want to say thank you for everyone who has been praying for me on this trip. Your prayers have been felt and I am learning a lot. May God bless you in your commitment to his work.

Rwanda

About 6 of us decided we would go to Rwanda. So here I am in the hotel in which the movie Hotel Rwanda was based on. So far it is a beautiful country. The ride to Rwanda was quite eventful. We left at 1am for an 9 hour bus ride. The bus that we took sold tickets to people to stand in the aisle of the bus. So to say the least it was over crowded and not the most comfortable. We are going to go explore today and see what Rwanda has to offer. Then we will head back for another 9 hour bus ride to Uganda. Pray for us as we head back to Uganda.

Safari

I have left Kampala and came up to a game reserve. It has probably been one of the coolest experiences of my life. We took a boat ride up the Nile to a huge waterfall and saw elephants, hippos, crocodiles, and a whole lot of other stuff. The next day we took a safari trip and saw some elephants, giraffes, a lot of different deer and birds, but most importantly a male lion. It was sweet. The lodge we are staying in is absolutly beautiful. It sits on a hill overlooking the Nile River. The stars are so clear you can see the milky way. It has been nice to get a break from rice, beans, and potatoes. I am about to go further up country for a few more days and then head back to Kampala.

Blessings

Mildmay AIDS Clinic

Today I visited Mildmay HIV/AIDS clinic in Entebbe. The clinic is a place where HIV patients get their ARV drugs to keep their immune system healthy. I visited the children's hospital that was on the ground. It was sad, but not as crazy as one might think. I think the worst kid was a girl who was 2 years old and literally looked like she was 2 months old. She could not talk or hold herself up in her crib. It was not something fun to see, but it was something that I need to see. But there were also kids who were walking around the ward of the hospital wanting to talk and play with us Mzungu's also known as white people. It was a good day to say the least and I am glad I got to see what I saw. Blessings,

Scott

Luzira Prison

I have been staying with the prison chaplain and his family. His name is Johnson, his wife Christine and their two children patience (5) and peace (7 months). These could be the cutest kids in Africa, not kidding. We have been getting to know the college students from Bugolobi. Today we went with the college students to the mens and womens prisons, which was amazing. There were about a thousand male prisoners who came to the service. The Ugandans sang some songs and tore up those drums. Some of the best music I have heard. There were quite a few people from the service who received the Lord. In the Afternoon we went to the womens prison. When we got their the women were already singing and playing drums. I thought the music at the mens prison was good, but it did not compare to these women singing. They sang with such hope and joy that can not be explained in mere words. That is what has been going on in my life here in Uganda. It has been amazing to say the least and I look forward to see what God has in store for the rest of the trip.

Uganda

I made it to Uganda after about 30 hours in airports and airplanes. Right now we are staying at a retreat house. We actually have hot water for showers, which will not happen anymore after a couple more days there. I found out that I will be living with the prison chaplain and his family. Today we meet some college students and went to downtown Kampala to buy sell phones and transfer our money to schillings. If you need to get a hold of me my number is 0714249457 and it will cost you about 15 cents a minute. That is all I got.

18 hours

I set up this blog in order to save me some time while I am in Africa. Hopefully I will be able to update you with what I am doing and experiencing while I am there. I am about to leave Kansas on the 10th for an 18 hours of flying to Kampala Uganda in Africa. That is LONG. What I will be doing when I get to Africa is a little uncertain, but that is just fine with me. I usually find out that when I expect something a certain way, God pretty much always shatters my ideas. So when I get to Kampala I will let you know what I will be doing for most of the trip.

The Fear of Love

I have come to fear love
as I have often come,
to what must be desired
and to what must be done.

Only love can quiet the fear
of love, and only love can save
from diminishment the love
we must lose to have.

We stand as in an open field,
blossom, leaf, and stem,
rooted and shaken in our day,
heads nodding in the wind.

- Wendell Berry

If I speak in the tonges of men and of angels, but have not love, I am a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. And if I have prophetic powers, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. If I give all I have, and if I deliver up my body to be burned, but have not love, I gain nothing.

1 Corinthians 13: 1-3