Dearest Friends,
NIGHT AND REGAN
Night and Regan are two little boys who stood in a market today and heard about Jesus. They were so excited that they stood in the rain at the end of the show to talk with me. They could not stop smiling! My friends who translated for me said they believed the boys had trusted in Jesus. The local pastor met them and so he will be able to encourage them. Please pray for Night and Regan to grow strong in the Lord.
BUZZZZZZZZ…
Today, we did two shows in open market areas. At one, we had lots of children and so many came to faith. I was amazed that they listened so well and responded by praying so loudly. Any time one of us was talking about Jesus, a man across the road used his metal cutting saw. The noise was incredible! Still, the crowd kept increasing. Many people who were riding by on bikes and motorcycles stopped to hear the gospel. They were so hungry to hear that we added more to our program. The man with the saw always stopped to watch the puppets.
Following the second show, it poured. We moved most of the team into the back of an open pick up truck so that we could protect the sound equipment. Thirteen people and numerous Rubbermaid tubs of puppets rode down the road in a downpour. As they rode, they sang praises in Ugandan. Sam, Jared, and Randy had the best time!
Everyday we are blessed! God is so good!
TRUE RICHES, REAL JOY
Every afternoon for days we have been meeting at the church building, a tin roofed building with no walls. There are so many holes in the roof that today they had to move all the benches around to avoid the rain coming into the building.
Actually, I have not been in a church building yet that had anything but a dirt floor. Most are not even level. Some follow the slope of a hill. The benches have no backs and they are small.
You cannot imagine the bathrooms. There are no fans and often no electricity. The comforts are just not there.
But the worship is amazing! Too often for us in the west, our church is all about our comfort. We require things that are not even possible in most of the places that we are traveling. I confess that I put myself too often in that number. I too much appreciate my comforts.
These dear brothers and sisters challenge me by the way they live their lives. They have the sweetest spirit and are so selfless in the way they do ministry. My heart’s desire is to be a blessing to our Ugandan friends. My prayer is that the Father will change my heart so that I will not seek my own comfort.
Praise God (Mukama Yebazibwe) for all that we see him doing in our friends, but I am so grateful for how I see our Father changing each one of us.
UNCLE HANK
There is a lovely story that many of you may not know. Twenty years ago, when our sons Josh and Matt came to us wanting to tell people about Jesus. Mike suggested that they use puppets. He had this idea because Hank Shum was the church planter that we all worked with to start our church. They boys had seen him do puppets and loved what he did. I draw stories because "Uncle Hank" taught me and actually gave me my first chalks.
I met a lady here in Uganda who had enjoyed Hank’s teaching as a teenager in the late 70’s in America. She was so excited when I told her who my teacher had been. I was so thrilled to hear her story of how Hank had touched her life.
I am half way around the world and Hank’s life is now touching children here for Jesus Christ. Praise God (Mukama Yebazibwe)!
In Christ,
Linda for Sam, Jared, and Randy