"Ki kati from Kampala, Uganda!"

Saturday, October 4, 2008 at 3:33am

"Hello from Kampala, Uganda!"Well so much for having regular journal entries! In the time since I last wrote, much has happened :) Kristen and I were with the Ugandan family for the first week, before meeting up with Dad & Lester Kelly for the Watoto Conference at Kampala Pentecostal Church in Uganda. There were 600 delegates from Uganda and across the globe – 26 different nations represented! Gary & Marilyn Skinner, along with an incredible group of people (including 740 volunteers!!) hosted an exciting conference, where we truly felt God moving! I was challenged, encouraged and inspired.. The conference went from Wednesday to Sunday last week, concluding with a combined church service @ Namboole Stadium! Throughout the conference, there was a running theme, emphasizing the importance of the local church! When we look at the problems facing the globe at this present time, many will attempt to bring hope and healing but only one has the true source of hope that the world is in desperate need for.. and that is the church of Jesus Christ!

Jesus has set His Spirit within us that we might be his hands, his feet and his mouthpiece to feed the hungry, bring hope to the hopeless and the life of Christ to those who are dying. Christ is the answer and He has empowered His Body – the church – to execute justice and be His tangible expression of love and compassion that people are in need of. Whether we live in Uganda, Australia, England or the US etc.. it is the local church that has been given the mandate to love those in our backyard and across the world. We can look at the brokenness of Uganda and the African continent and be overwhelmed with the enormity of need, or we can invite the Holy Spirit to invade our hearts and open our eyes to the greatness of God! Perish the thought that we ever think this is too hard for God! Whether it is aids orphans, child soldiers, child prostitutes or the many other seemingly impossible problems, He is able! He is more than able.. but I believe He is waiting for willing and obedient vessels to be the channel through which His Glory is made known and His name made famous! The neighbor across the street needs Christ just as much as the African orphan… Some are called across the street and some are called across the globe.

Regardless of where we are each called by God, what a privilege we hold in our hands to be the visible, tangible and audible expression of the love of Christ. Do I know exactly where God is calling me? No.. but WHERE I am called is not half as important as WHO He is calling me to be. A daily journey that like us all, I am walking… D

uring the conference all the delegates were broken into 2’s & 3’s to have lunch in one of the homes. Dad and I were incredibly blessed because we were able to have that lunch in the home that our family built in memory of Mum. For the first time (since we built in April 07) we were able to meet Mama Ellen and her newly established family of 7 children! Sarah is 14, Eva just turned 14, Patrick is 9, George is 7 (I think), Scott is 2, Dorica is 2 and Julian is 2!! A beautiful family! Spending that time was indeed a special experience knowing that this was the result of those sweaty days of building! Every brick that was laid meant that these kids now have not just a home, but a family! Mama Ellen is ADORABLE and there was certainly a mixture of emotions knowing that just like I was blessed with the best mother ever, so too these children are going be raised in the love of Christ, with a Godly mother who loves them. I have not yet been able to visit the school homes but am hoping to do that in the next few weeks. 15 months later, they too have mothers and children in them! Wow!

This week Kristen joined her NZ team while Dad, Lester and I spent the week here. Dad and I were able to go to Gulu in Northern Uganda which was great! 6 of us drove the 4.5 hours north to visit the first cluster of 9 Watoto homes, with 9 Mums and a great number of beautiful kids who now have a home! These women are amazing and I have such a deep respect for the role that they are choosing to play in partnering with KPC and Watoto in raising the next generation of Ugandan leaders! The kids were so excited! High 5’s have never been such a hit!! Lol.. While in Gulu we also visited the hospital that KPC are working with, along with briefly visiting the Laroo School for War Affected Children. Watoto are also working with this school to bring Christ centered rehabilitation and counseling to these rescued child soldiers and child mothers affected by the LRA.

During the conference, we had the privilege of having approx 40 ex-child soldiers and girls perform for us on stage with dancing, singing, drums etc… It was so moving because these children are still in the process of rehabilitation and yet God is working in them to restore that which had been stolen from them.. their childhood and their innocence. There are thousands more that have not yet been released from the bush.. At one point in the conference Marilyn also introduced a young woman to the stage who had been Joseph Kony’s wife for 11 years!! Through translation we learned of her story, that while in the bush she had given birth to 3 children, one of which is still in the bush, while she is caring for the remaining 2. As we listened to her heart-wrenching story I just thought to myself ‘It’s just not right…’. No girl should have to go through what she has been through. And then, get this.. She went back and was part of the peace talks with her former rebel husband! That is a testimony of strength and courage that can only be found in Christ! As I hugged her later, there was much that I wanted to say, but I realized that even though there was a language barrier, much can be communicated through the simplicity of a genuine embrace and loving her. Wow! God is restoring that beautiful woman and bringing hope and healing to a life that was once without such hope.

I could continue and share more about the conference and even about the testimony of David, a former child soldier and the horrendous experiences that he was tormented by, but I wont.All I know is that those testimonies can leave you devastated or motivated.. May these testimonies of triumph out of tragedy cause us to Glorify God all the more for His transforming power and then inspire us to lay our lives down before God yet again, asking that He would use us to bring hope and healing to the world around us, whether across the street or across the globe.Today (Friday 3/10) Dad and Lester flew home and I look ahead to my remaining 8 weeks with anticipation. I am still unsure of any specific direction but I am content in knowing that all I have in my hands is TODAY.

As I was reading Matthew this morning, God really challenged me to Seek Him First TODAY, and He will take care of my tomorrows! ‘Each day has enough worries of itself’ Matt 6. God only holds us accountable for that which we do have in our hands, not what we don’t have.. and at this point, all I have in my hands is TODAY! It is easy to be consumed with the unknown and trying to plan… but at present I have great contentment in simply seeking Him TODAY and trusting him with my TOMORROWS (all 55 of them!). I am currently staying in a hotel until Sunday, after which again.. is yet to be revealed! :)

At this stage I will stay in Kampala until at least the 19th October, until after the Joyce Meyer conference is finished. After that… only God knows!!Well I think this has been long enough for now! Blessings to you wherever this finds you! Always know that He alone is more than sufficient and He is unchanging although our world may be in chaos!

Walking by Faith...BEC*

"But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you. So do not worry about tomorrow; for tomorrow will care for itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own" Matt 6:33-34