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Dear Friends, How are you? I hope you’re doing really well and experiencing the goodness of God in your life. We’d so love to get coffee with you and catch up. In fact, maybe we’ll be able to do that soon! Keep reading for more info about our coming time in the States. Mustard Seed Fellowships. It took a minute for my eyes to adjust to the dimness of the small room as I left the African afternoon sun shining brightly outside. I was guided to an empty chair in the semi-darkness and began to get my bearings. The ten people present, mostly seated on the floor, were sufficient to make the room seem crowded. Someone offered me a banana, which I ate in silence as all eyes were fastened on me. Eventually, Mariam took charge and led everyone in introducing themselves. I recognized several from a previous visit and soon began to feel comfortable. I was happy to see Vivian, who had decided to follow Jesus just two weeks previously. After introductions and a brief time of prayer, several of us went outside again with the purpose of sharing the gospel and finding more “people of peace” — those who would welcome us into their homes, receive the message of the gospel, and gather others to begin learning the ways of Jesus. Jill and I have been working with Mariam for the past few months, and she has proven to be a bold evangelist and a ready disciple-maker. On this hot afternoon, I was spending time with her and the emerging team she is gathering to bring the gospel to a couple of villages near Masaka. Alex and Johnson are two young men who moved to the area within the past year and began following Jesus when someone shared the gospel with them. Vivian, as mentioned, gave her life to Jesus two weeks ago and is now learning to be a witness for Him. As we went, we talked to many people: a tough older lady who firmly rejected our message, a worn-out mom who had given her life to Christ some time before but who was discouraged, an inebriated man at a bar, two delightful and joyous believers who welcomed us warmly, and a lady who remembered me preaching in a nearby church twenty years ago(!). In each case, we were able to share about Christ, offer prayer, and begin developing a friendship. Later, we returned to the small home and Alex, for the first time, led us all in a Bible Study in which we discussed Jesus’ teachings about prayer found in Luke 11. We prayed together, shared life updates, and made commitments to obey the Word we had been discussing. Small fellowships such as this one are meeting in many places around our city, all with the aim of making disciples who will make disciples who will make disciples and so on. We are incredibly thankful to be part of God’s good work in this place. We are currently leading multiple training cohorts, aimed at developing more disciple-makers and fellowship leaders. We are also experiencing the joy of seeing some of those we have trained in the past join our team of trainers and leaders. The harvest is certainly plentiful, and the workers are few. Please continue to pray with us for the Lord of the harvest to provide more laborers. US Trip. We are planning to be in the US for most of October thru December, and are looking forward to seeing many of you. Right now we are making plans in Tulsa, Michigan, Virginia, and Kansas City, with possibly a few other places as well. Reach out to us if you’d like to hear more about the work in Uganda or just catch up and hang out.
Mirembe House. Our new Sent Team and Training Center, which we’re calling Mirembe House (“Mirembe” means “Peace” in Luganda), is coming along well. This has been quite the process, with many ups and downs along the way, but we do feel we see the light at the end of the tunnel. In fact, we are expecting to move in by January! This week they are installing the tiles for the floors and the railings for the balcony and stairs. Jill spent time with our plumber a few days ago, selecting all the fixtures for the bathrooms and kitchen. For more information about this project, follow this link: https://www.iamsent.net/building.html Residency. Help us spread the word! We’re hosting a SENT Residency from January 10-31. This is a missions and disciple-making training program for young adults. We believe it will be beneficial to anyone who would like to grow in discipleship and disciple-making, regardless of whether or not they will ultimately serve God cross-culturally. We are still receiving applications, so if you are interested in this or know anyone else who may be, please tell them about it. You can follow this link to learn more: https://www.iamsent.net/residency.html
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“Very truly I tell you, whoever believes in me will do the works I have been doing, and they will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father. And I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son.” — John 14:12-13
Sometimes the promises that Jesus makes at first blush seem outlandish to the point of absurdity. I’m tempted to skim over such words because I don’t know what to do with them. But then I have to pause and tell myself this is Jesus speaking and He means every word. It is true, and He wants His followers to live accordingly. We have a calling to do the works of Jesus (and even greater!!) and we have the promise that in order to actually do them, we can ask Him for anything in His name and He’ll do it(!). All of this is so that the Father may be glorified in the Son - that He will be revealed, exalted, made known through the works that Jesus does in and through us. The Father is glorified by you and me doing the works of Jesus in the power of His Name. Works of compassion and forgiveness and healing and gospel proclaiming and service and generosity and so much more. Our prayer is for Jesus to raise up thousands in Uganda who are doing His works in the context of very ordinary lives, and also spreading these works into more and more places of darkness and brokenness. What an underserved privilege to be part of this. His works are amazing!! Equipping the Saints Through God’s grace, we are continuing to help equip cohorts of committed believers to make disciples. We do this through sharing simple principles and methods and by going into the harvest fields and experiencing His ministry together. Our aim is always to lead people to Jesus and form them into small groups - “Mustard Seed Fellowships” - for the sake of growing in the Lord and being equipped to go out and make more disciples. We currently are working with around 50 fellowship leaders in Masaka who have been active in this ministry, as well as approximately 70 in various villages in central and western Uganda. These leaders have shared that they are telling the Gospel to people at work, with their neighbors, and even strangers they meet. Through this witness, people are coming to Jesus and as they attend the fellowships they are growing in maturity. One disciple-maker told us the story of a person who has been actively practicing witchcraft since 1961 being born again recently when they shared the Gospel with him. Another elderly lady was walking home after attending a training, and met with a downcast woman on the road. After stopping to speak and hearing her story, this grandmother offered to come on another day to the lady’s home to share more, and this offer was accepted. On the appointed day, the lady was not at home, but four of her older children were born again as the elderly lady shared Jesus with them. Another young man is a barber and he has seen three people come to Christ after beginning to share with his customers about Jesus. He also teaches keyboard on the side, and two of his students are now following Jesus and come to him for fellowship. Another lady tells of opening her house every night at 8:00 for anyone who wants prayer. Through this, she has had the opportunity to share with many people and some have experienced answers to prayer. There are many more beautiful stories like this, as people seek to do the works of Jesus in loving their neighbors and speaking His Word. Other Updates Things are still progressing on the team and training center, and we are hopeful that the roof will soon be on. It’s amazing watching it go up! There is still much work to do but we are really grateful for the recent progress. We are also looking forward to hosting a couple of amazing teams this summer, both of whom will enter into the disciple-making work with us. We are very expectant as we plan for these outreaches. Finally, we are planning a Residency program for January, 2025. It will be 3 weeks here in Masaka, and participants will learn about and experience the work of cross-cultural disciple-making. If you or someone you know might be interested in this, please reach out! We would so appreciate your prayers! We are so thankful for how far we have come in building the Team & Training Center, and so appreciative of the gifts that have gotten us to where we are. The current situation is that we are in a holding pattern until more funds become available.
However, we have some great news! Believers Church in Tulsa has offered to fund a matching campaign. From now until the end of the year, they will match all gifts for the training center, up to a total of $5,000. This means that if we raise $5,000 between now and the end of the year, they will match that and we’ll actually receive $10,000 for the building!! If you would like to be part of this, follow this link: https://www.iamsent.net/building.html Vision Our vision for this space is multi-faceted, and we are earnestly seeking the Lord’s guidance in all of it. One of the things that excites us is the equipping opportunities that will be opened up or improved. This building has been designed in such a way that we will have a good setting for bringing small training cohorts together of as many as 50 people for non-residential events. The environment is quiet, beautiful, and away from the distractions that often hinder our trainings. Through partnerships with our friends who own a guest house within walking distance, we should even be able to host up to 30 people for multi-day events. In the building itself, we’ll be able to readily house a dozen people. This will be so helpful for training purposes. We will be able to pull people away for two to three days of focused learning and relational investment at relatively low cost. We also envision hosting retreats for Christian leaders, enabling them to come away for teaching and experiences focused on prayer and spiritual formation. In fact, the possibilities seem almost endless. In addition to this, we look forward to using the space as a team center, hosting short-term teams and interns to both learn and join us in the work here in Masaka. There is also an individual-sized prayer room in the facility as well, and we are excited about having this set-aside space available for teams, learning cohorts, and members of the community. Our contractor is telling us that we need an additional $40,000 to complete the building. If you would like to contribute to this project, follow this link. Again, remember that whatever you give between now and the end of the year will be matched by Believers Church. Thank you so much for reading this, and for your interest in our lives and ministry. I can’t tell you how much we appreciate you! God bless you! Tulsa Boiler Room
When we left Tulsa two years ago to launch back out to Uganda, we did so with a lot of unknowns and emotions. Leaving the Tulsa Boiler Room was one of the very difficult parts of the whole endeavor. This church had at that time been our spiritual family for a dozen years, and the relationships we even now share and the vision we have pursued together are incredibly dear to us. As we began to seek the Lord’s leading regarding our possible move, our BR family walked with us, supported us, encouraged us, discerned with us, and prayed for us every step of the way. And they continue to do so to this day. At the same time, we earnestly tried by the grace of God to help them through the transition and changes that would occur as we moved on in the new direction to which God was calling us. We did this with a lot of confidence, trusting in the Holy Spirit and also in the faithful servanthood of the elders, other leaders, and all the beloved members of this community. We have not been disappointed. As family elders, Oli, Heidi, Micah, and Sarah have served with faithful diligence, grace, and wisdom. They have shown themselves to be wise shepherds, Kingdom servants, and equippers of up-and-coming ministers of the Gospel. And as if that’s not enough, others in the BR continue to serve sacrificially and lovingly in many different ways - from Matt and Karissa leading the particular “spud” (church) that had met in our home for years, to James and Micah teaching the scriptures brilliantly, passionately, and diligently, to Kylie doing all the big and small tasks needed to keep the church operating at a high level, to Katie and Heidi providing financial oversight, to all others who encourage one another, pray for one another, share with one another, offer hospitality to one another, serve one another, love one another. Having just spent more than a month once again immersed in the loving embrace of this family, our hearts are filled with gratitude. God is active in your midst. And now as new leaders - Simeon, Rebekah, Kylie, Mark, and Michelle - are being commissioned to take on more shepherding and servanthood roles, I couldn’t be more proud or excited about the future. Way to go, BR! Philip On August 12, we dropped Philip off at Oral Roberts Unitversity to begin a new chapter in his life. After finishing high school in May 2022, Philip decided to stay with us in Uganda for an additional year. Words cannot express what a blessing and help he was in every area of life and ministry. We will forever be grateful for this special year together. Now, though, it is time for him to step into a new journey. As we grieve his absence with us in Uganda, we celebrate all the new and wonderful experiences the Lord is leading him into. Training and Team Center We’ve made a lot of progress on the building over the past couple months. We are still very excited about this dream and looking forward to the day we’ll be able to move into it. Our vision for this space is for it to be used as a place of training, of hospitality, and of prayer. We envision hosting retreats, small intensive training events, and regular learning cohorts. We also foresee housing interns from Uganda and other nations and also teams who come to participate in God’s work in Masaka. We intend to have a prayer room that will be open to the community as a quiet and creative place to meet with Jesus, and also to host seasons of prayer in which we mobilize local believers to join us in praying nonstop for specific seasons of time. Our family will also live in the building and it’s been fun to design a simple living space for ourselves. We are currently at a pause in the building as we await more funding. For more information about this, follow this link: https://www.iamsent.net/building.html We love and appreciate you so much. God bless you!  “The law of the Lord is perfect,
refreshing the soul. The statutes of the Lord are trustworthy, making wise the simple. The precepts of the Lord are right, giving joy to the heart. The commands of the Lord are radiant, giving light to the eyes. The fear of the Lord is pure, enduring forever. The decrees of the Lord are firm, and all of them are righteous. They are more precious than gold, than much pure gold; they are sweeter than honey, than honey from the honeycomb.” — Psalms 19:7-10 This Psalm has been a constant companion for me these days. It reminds me every time I consider it how precious and amazing God’s ways are. How valuable His Word. How perfect and good and right His commands. What a gift that He has revealed Himself to us and continues to do so through the Bible. What a joy! Life has been full for the Ways over the past months. In April we commissioned and prayed over 43 disciple-makers who have been part of two different training cohorts in Western Uganda for the past year. These trainings have been hosted by our dear friends - Pastor Robert in Kabujogera and Pastor Israel in Kansenene. In addition to that, we have new cohorts going in Masaka, Kyotera (towards the Tanzania border), and Tororo in the far-eastern part of the country near Kenya. Some of these are geared towards pastors and others for all believers who want to participate in the Great Commission. It has been a joy to venture into some new areas and meet a lot of wonderful, devoted men and women of God. We’ve put a lot of miles on the car over this time, but it has been worth it. We’ve also been busy with local ‘Mustard Seed Fellowships,’ discipling people and going deeper in fellowship. We have seen a good number of people commit their lives to Jesus and it has been such a joy! Teams In May and June we hosted eight fantastic students from Oral Roberts University. They shared the gospel, participated in various trainings, ministered in churches, loved on kids, and were a wonderful blessing in so many ways. They stayed with us for almost a month, becoming part of our family and entering into our ministries and lives. We are very thankful. This month we plan to host two more teams - from Tulsa House of Prayer (THOP) and Believers Church (BC). These groups include old friends and some others we haven’t met yet. We’re really excited about welcoming them all to Uganda and to our home. One of the big things they’ll be participating in is our first ever SENT Gathering. We are praying that God uses this to encourage, mobilize, and equip intercessors and disciple-makers for the harvest. We are asking for signifcant encoutners with Jesus, for deepening friendships, and for ongoing fruit that will lead to disciple-making movements throughout Uganda. Team & Trainign Center Building is underway, and we are so so thankful and amazed. Our vision for this space is for it to be used as a place of training, of hospitality, and of prayer. We envision hosting retreats, small intensive training events, and regular learning cohorts. We also foresee housing interns from Uganda and other nations and also teams who come to participate in God’s work in Masaka. We intend to have a prayer room that will be open to the community as a quiet and creative place to meet with Jesus, and also to host seasons of prayer in which we mobilize local believers to join us in praying nonstop for specific seasons of time. Our family will also live in the building and it’s been fun to design a simple living space for ourselves. We have a long way to go on this project, but it is so encouraging to have begun! SENT Residency In October we plan to host a Residency here in Masaka. We are inviting people to come for 6-7 weeks to learn about disciple-making and missions through lots of hands-on experience as well as instruction, community life, and spiritual rhythms. If you are interested or know someone who may be, please reach out and let us know. We’re accepting applications until August 21.  “You, God, are my God,
earnestly I seek you; I thirst for you, my whole being longs for you, in a dry and parched land where there is no water.” — Psalms 63:1 This prayer is becoming the cry of my heart. It expresses so beautifully and powerfully how I feel and what I desire my life to be about. I want God! To know Him; to serve Him; to obey Him; to love Him! There is nothing else in the world that can compare. There is nothing that is more worthy of my time and resources and energy and affections. “Earnestly I seek you; I thirst for you, my whole being longs for you!!!” Mustard Seed Fellowships. Yesterday was Tuesday - which means Jill, Philip, and Success (the daughter of our good friend Pastor Kasozi) spent the afternoon in the village of Kigato. They have made a number of friends in this small community, and gather each week with a few of them to read the Bible, discuss how to obey it, encourage and pray for one another, and just spend time together. These gatherings have become an important rhythm for all involved. Through it, some have given their lives to Christ. Others are still listening and participating, questioning and wondering. Some come and go. A few are consistent each week. They help one another in times of need and rejoice together when a member receives a small blessing - an answer to prayer, an unexpected gift, news that a child is doing well in school. Right now one of the older ladies, or Jjajjas, is very sick, but yesterday they received the good news that she is improving and should be released from the hospital today. On Sunday afternoon we’ll meet with a dozen or so others who lead similar fellowships. Betty is one of these dedicated leaders. Recently she told us that August to October of last year was a really tough period for her. She was in a lot of pain physically and wanted to do nothing but lay in bed. However, she felt the Lord impressing her to get up and go be with one of the groups she has started (nine of them at last count!). She did so, and found that as long as she was there - listening, praying, instructing, encouraging - she was pain free. Then the moment she dropped exhausted back in bed, the pain returned. This pattern was repeated numerous times over those months. The only pain relief, she told us, came when she went out to share the gospel, pray with people, and lead discipleship groups. In a couple of weeks, Philip and I plan to spend time in the mountains with two groups who we’ve been training to do this same disciple-making work. It will be good to be back with them, to hear their testimonies and challenges, and in God’s grace encourage and help them. The smallness of this endeavor - a scattering of small groups meeting with just a Bible and a trust that the Holy Spirit is present - is sometimes inspiring and sometimes frustrating. Because I can be impatient. However, in times of doubt and angst, I am lifted again by two realities: (1) When I look deeper into these groups, I see genuine transformation in people’s lives. Even to see one person truly born again and living a new life is miraculous. To see several in a given area is truly significant. These are actual people, delivered from the kingdom of darkness and welcomed into the Kingdom of Jesus. They are growing to know Jesus more closely, to obey Him more fully, to make Him known more truly. Beautiful! (2) My doubts are also cut short when I remember Multiplication. We are believing that these small ‘mustard seeds’ of the Kingdom will grow and produce more just like them. And they in turn will produce more. And more and more and more. God seems to love working like this. Small. Underground. Unimpressive. Who can tell the work He is even now doing beneath the surface in unpercieved ways? Please join with us in praying for more transformation and for multiplication. Ministry Partners We have the privelege of partnering with some incredible ministries as we seek to make disciples and equip leaders in Uganda. One of these is All Nations, led by our good friend Wilson Namuwazo. A couple of weeks ago I spent a day with him and his team for their annual CPx (Church Planting Experience) - a training and equipping intensive for selected members in their disciple-making movement. As always, it was an inspiring day. I shared with the group about training in godliness (1 Tim 4:7). They were incredibly responsive and engaged, making it a wonderful experience for me. Even more than that, I loved hearing stories from the field - addicts burning their drugs, prostitutes being born again and given new life, the poor ministered to, communities served, and the gospel proclaimed in any setting you can imagine. What joy! Another partner is Global Advance (GA), based in Rockwall, Texas. After my time with Wilson and team in Kampala, I traveled to Mukono to spend a couple of days with our GA Uganda national leaders. This retreat was led by the ever-zealous and energetic Wilberforce Owori, GA’s national prayer coordinator. It was a beautiful time of intercession, deep connection, and laughter. Each participant was able to share their vision and plans for 2023 related to the various ministries within GA that they lead - NextGen youth ministry, Esther Initiative women’s ministry, pastoral training, church planting, marketplace ministry, and prayer - and to be prayed over and encouraged in their efforts. I’m really grateful for such an incredible team. My role is to be kind of a coach and consultant, but the lion’s share of the work is done by these wonderful servants. “The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field. When a man found it, he hid it again, and then in his joy went and sold all he had and bought that field.” -- Matthew 13:44 Jesus is the best, and when we truly see Him we understand that nothing in life can compare to knowing and following Him. He is the greatest treasure. He is worth it all! I want to know Him more! And I want to make Him known to others. What a gift! TEAM For almost four weeks in May and June we hosted an amazing missions team from Oral Roberts University. It was an incredibly full time and a joyful and fruitful one as well. Together we shared the gospel all over Masaka and some in western Uganda and Kampala as well, and we saw many people turn to Jesus. We were able to return multiple times to a good number of these and begin the process of discipling them and helping them to settle into small simple churches that we call Mustard Seed Fellowships. It was a powerful time. One day a couple of team members shared with a barber named John who has a small shop near our home. John readily responded to the call to salvation and our team prayed with him to receive Jesus. Over the ensuing weeks, they had several Bible studies and prayer times with him in his small barber shop. Since the team left, Philip has been faithfully discipling and spending time with him. Another group shared with a lady named Regina for whom Jill has been praying since October. Regina lives near where we stayed our first four months in Uganda last year, and Jill became fiends with her on her frequent walks through the village. Early on, Jill had an impression that the Lord wanted to bring Regina to Himself and that she would be a “person of peace” to influence others towards Christ as well. For a long time Regina showed little interest in the Gospel, but then she responded to Jesus’ call when the team shared with her. Jill has had several follow-up Bible studies and prayer times with her since then, and Regina has invited several of her neighbors to join these weekly times of fellowship. There are many stories similar to these, and we are so grateful and excited about the work of God in Masaka and other parts of Uganda. It is a thrill to be part of it! LAND GIFT Our wonderful friends Darren and Fatuma O’Quinn have given us a plot of land right next to theirs.(!!!) We are blown away by this generosity and are very excited to see what the Lord may do with this incredible gift. After a season of prayer and seeking wisdom, our intent is to build a small training and retreat center on the land, with a space for our family to live as well. The plot is on top of “Hallelujah Mountain,” the location of the ministry Darren and Fatuma lead in taking care of street kids and welcoming them into family (https://www.loveandcareforall.org). The Lord has already provided enough funds to get started on the construction, and we are currently waiting for the process of our blueprints being approved by the necessary government entities. The idea of building is quite intimidating to us, but we are trusting the Lord and moving forward. If you’d like to know more about this, or donate funds for the ongoing construction once it gets going, please let us know. PETER!! Our son, Peter, came to visit for two weeks, and man it was so amazing. We are more grateful than we can say. We played games, attended discipleship groups, ate good food, had wonderful conversations, went swimming in Lake Nabugabo, and just enjoyed every minute of it. How amazing! USA Visit We are planning to be in the US soon and are hoping to catch up in person with many of you. If you are interested in meeting up or in us sharing in a small group or church, please let us know. We plan to be in Michigan, Virginia, Oklahoma, Texas, Colorado, Massachusetts, and maybe other states. Thanks for your interest in our lives and for reading this update. We would greatly appreciate your prayers if you think of us. We’d also love to hear from you and know what is happening in your lives. God bless you! With Love, Tim and Jill (and Philip and Hannah) Dear Family and Friends,
“How beautiful on the mountains are the feet of those who bring good news, who proclaim peace, who bring good tidings, who proclaim salvation, who say to Zion, “Your God reigns!” — Isaiah 52:7 “The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed, which a man took and planted in his field. Though it is the smallest of all seeds, yet when it grows, it is the largest of garden plants and becomes a tree, so that the birds come and perch in its branches.” — Matt 13:31-32 Jesus is like no other, isn’t He? He is utterly worthy of any and every gift we could offer Him; any task we could seek to do for Him; any sacrifice we could make for Him. He is always worth it. And indeed, how good and wonderful and beautiful it is to bring Good News of His love and salvation to others - to those who are lost and trapped in all manner of brokenness and bondage. What a thrill and an honor to be part of His work in the nations! There has been so much going on that it’s hard to know where to begin. Our vision and our work is to train people who love Jesus in making disciples who will make disciples who will make disciples… We long to see many people born again into His wonderful family and growing into maturity in Jesus. By the end of last year we had four training groups made up of believers who were interested in knowing more about how to make disciples. One of these groups dissolved, and so we began January 2022 with 3 groups. By God’s grace and power, in the past 4 months these 3 groups have grown to 16! Part of the training involves beginning a new group - which we are calling ‘Mustard Seed Fellowships.’ These fellowships are basically simple churches, and are formed by sharing the Gospel with the lost and inviting both believers and unbelievers to gather together to read God’s Word. These 16 groups range in size from 3 people up to 15, and are a mix of new believers, mature believers, and people who are still seeking. They meet each week to worship, discuss the Word and how to obey it, pray for one another, etc. Nearly every week we are hearing about people gaining courage to proclaim the gospel and people coming to faith. We have received reports of demonic influences being expelled from families and of new fellowships being launched in homes and businesses. Jill and Michayla began meeting people in the village of Kigato, just outside of Masaka, late last year. Over time they shared Jesus with their friends, and a few gave their lives to Christ! For the past several months they have been meeting together with these new believers as well as some who are not yet following Jesus. It has been so beautiful! Hannah shared the gospel with a shopkeeper whose vegetable stand is about a five minute walk from our home. At first this lady did not want to give her life to Jesus, but was interested in more Bible study. After three weeks of meeting together to read the Word, she surrendered her life to Christ. Now, Hannah goes every week along with Jill and our friend Success to discuss the Bible and train their new sister in how to make more disciples. One old friend who has been part of the training group has been going from house to house in her part of the city sharing the gospel, and has started 4 fellowships herself in the homes of people who are receiving the Word. Another participant and her daughter began inviting people in their neighborhood to come read the Bible together just about a month ago, and now around 15 people gather at their home each week. Another testifies that now she shares the gospel wherever she goes, and still another is rejoicing that, though she never used to have the courage to share Christ with strangers, now she hardly ever goes a full day without telling someone about Jesus. God is doing beautiful things, and we are so, so grateful! Four days from today, by God’s grace, I will collect 16 wonderful ORU students from the airport. For the following four weeks, we will together proclaim the gospel, share Jesus’ love with street kids and orphans, and pray for a move of God’s Spirit in Masaka and beyond. The team will be working directly with our Mustard Seed Fellowships in every neighborhood where they exist, and our prayer is to see many people come to Jesus and more fellowships planted, including second generation groups that come out of existing ones - which will then continue to multiply. Finally, we are planning a trip to the US. If you are in the Oklahoma / Texas area, we’d love to connect sometime during August or maybe September. If in Colorado, early September. We’ll also be in Michigan and Virginia and maybe other places. We would love the opportunity to share about the work here or about being part of God’s mission in the world. Mostly we’d really love to see you and hear about your life and get caught up. Thanks so much for being interested in us and for reading this letter. God bless you! the Ways
A couple of nights ago I drove to the airport in Entebbe and dropped Nathan off to begin his long journey back to the States (he made it to Tulsa late Friday night). Yes, my eyes were full of tears as he turned away to enter the labyrinth of security screening and health checks, and yes it was a sad night. However, I must say that my heart is so filled with gratitude and joy that I can’t stay depressed. We had the gift of Nathan spending seven weeks with us in Uganda, and that fact blows me away. We made many wonderful memories and had such good times with him. In addition to being our son whom we love more than we can ever say, Nathan is such an incredible man of God who is filled with kindness and compassion and zeal and love for Jesus. His company challenges and comforts us constantly, and even though we miss him a lot we are very, very thankful.
The morning after my emotional farewell to Nathan, I drove to a retreat center to spend the day with around 75 leaders from various parts of Uganda. We gathered together as part of Global Advance (GA), a ministry that has become one of our primary partners in the work of the Gospel in Uganda. The GA Uganda team put on a wonderful event, and it was an honor and pleasure to be part of it. Each participant came with a particular area of focus and were able to join others in learning and strategizing about making disciples within that sphere. The focus areas included making disciples among the youth, marketplace leaders, women, pastors, and church planters. We also had a team coming together to discuss and plan for mobilizing prayer for the work of the Kingdom in Uganda and beyond. It was a thrilling moment to stand with these men and women and to dream together, pray together, challenge one another, and commit to labor together as servants of God and of each other. January was a busy month for us. We moved into our house the first week of the month, and two days later began a five-day disciple-making residency. We learned some significant things through the experience, had a lot of fun, encountered the Lord, and rejoiced in fruitful Gospel outreaches. As we went into various communities to share Jesus and make disciples, several people committed their lives to the Lord and are continuing to come together to be encouraged and learn what it means to follow Jesus. It is a beautiful thing, and I’m so happy and thankful. We are continuing our ‘Mustard Seed Fellowships’ - small groups that gather together to be discipled and learn how to disciple others. Again, we are learning a lot through this process and are also seeing some fruit. It is a simple and yet awesome thing to walk with people who are eager to learn how to make disciples and partner together in the gospel. A huge highlight for me recently came on a trip to Kampala to see our friend Wilson and join in the CPx (Church Planting Experience) that he leads each year. I was overjoyed to find that three of the participants at this years month-long training are from the Mening people group of South Sudan. For the past couple of years, the Boiler Room and Believers Church have been partnering with All Nations and Wilson to send a Ugandan missionary to this previously unreached and unengaged people group. What an amazing answer to many prayers to actually meet three new believers from that group who now have a passion and the training to go reach their own people with the love and power of Christ. This is amazing! There is so much more I could write. It has been so great having Emily and Michayla here with us, adding significantly to our mission and to our lives. Our family is doing well. Philip and Hannah are champs, plugging along with online school while participating in various mission endeavors with us. They make me so happy. Jill is busily setting up our home (and by the way, that phrase does not come close to communicating the work and frustration and sweat and difficulty of the task) as well as forming simple discipleship groups with new believers, building relationships, being a loving and caring mama to all, and doing so much more of course. What can I say? She’s incredible. We miss you and really love hearing from you. God bless you! Dear family and friends, One day just about twenty-one years ago, I stood to worship the Lord with a discouraged heart. We had recently launched a training program for pastors and church planters in the town of Masaka, and the first couple of months had gone really well. I remember clearly the first day we gathered, and how I had felt such joy in the Lord and His work. I had returned to the room where I was staying with Jill and our three little kids that day, and told them I could do this for the rest of my life. I was so excited and full of hope and expectation. But just two months later I was facing deep disappointment. What had been a strong group of twenty eager pastors had apparently dwindled to three. And, to be honest, I was not so sure about the three who remained. They did not strike me as the cream of the crop. They were not pastors of respected town churches or leaders of church networks, but people who served in remote villages, laboring among small flocks of believers. And so as I stood to worship that day with these three “unimpressive” students, I was confused and unhappy and frustrated. I had put so much work and vision into this endeavor, and I was watching it disintegrate right before my eyes. As we began to sing, my heart was certainly not very worshipful. Tumutende, tumutende!.. Praise Him! Praise Him!… As we sang this simple chorus in Luganda that day so long ago, I slowly became aware of the presence of Jesus in a beautiful and powerful way. Hope and faith filled my soul, and I repented for the discouragement and for despising what God had sent me. I felt an assurance that the Name of Jesus surely would be praised across this land, morning, noon, and night, and that He would somehow use us four unimpressive vessels - and others who would gather with us - in this great work. As it turns out, the following day around a dozen students came together, and for the next two years remained faithful. Six of them eventually joined us as co-laborers at the end of their studies, and with the exception of our friend Kayita who passed away a decade ago, we have been partnering in the Gospel together ever since. And that brings me to yesterday. Our vision in Uganda is to see disciple-making movements that lead many people to Jesus, using ordinary believers who are filled with the Spirit of God and willing to experience hardship and discomfort out of love for Him. Our first step was to gather a small group of pastors for a church planting training cohort that will emphasize church planting movements and making disciples. Yesterday was our first session, and I had been slightly anxious and not very excited about it. Honestly, I was feeling unsure of myself, questioning our strategy, and a little skeptical about what the results would be. Yesterday morning as I prayed before heading out, the Lord unexpectedly filled me with joy and assurance. By the time we reached the Mt of the Lord Church, where the training would take place, I was genuinely excited. Before I began to teach, our host and long-time friend and partner, Pastor Kintu, asked to lead in a time of worship. The very first song he sang was that simple chorus that God had spoken to me through so wonderfully twenty-one years ago: Tumutende! Tumutende! It all rushed back to me in a moment. We were standing in the same place as the four of us had been on that day, and I remembered it again so clearly. I sensed the Lord speak to me again the same assurance and encouragement, and I could hardly sing as the tears threatened to flow. Jesus is so kind and loving to us, and it is a wonder and a gift to be part of His great work in the nations. Settling In We have been in Uganda for a little more than five weeks now. We are slowly adjusting and re-acclimating to life here. It’s been quite a ride so far. Philip and Hannah are absolute heroes. I am so thankful for them. They have great attitudes and are entering into the missionary life with grace and determination. They are a joy to be around, and we are having wonderfully fun and meaningful times together. They spend the majority of their time during the days doing online school, and the evenings we generally play games or have worship and Bible discussion times. Jill is amazing as well. She has made this temporary accommodation into a home for us, and brings such encouragement and life and peace. She is helping the kids with school, joining me in the church-planting training, overseeing the household, making friends, and generally enjoying life and being a blessing to all around. We have been staying in the team housing of our friends at Love and Care Uganda, and it has been a wonderful blessing. This is a ministry that takes in children who have been living on the streets and welcomes them into family. It is amazing. However, we are also excited to have made an agreement on a house of our own to rent. The owner is making some improvements on the house that we requested, and we hope to move in a couple weeks or so. We are also grateful to have bought a car - a Toyota “Super Custom” four-wheel drive van. It is making life easier and helping us to accomplish more. Life has been full these five weeks. I am grateful for a peaceful village environment, and a beautiful small mountain on which to take walks and spend quiet time in prayer. I am also grateful for old friends and some new ones as well. Of course, it has not all been easy and fun. Each of us have days when we just want to go back to the States. We profoundly miss our incredible Tulsa family and all the good work the Lord had for us in Tulsa. We have moments and days of discouragement and “what-in-the-world-have-we-dones!?!” But He is so good to us! We expected those challenges, and they don’t last. We are playing lots of games, going on walks, laughing, and enjoying one another. The Father has overwhelmed us with good gifts. One of our favorite things is hearing from you. We’d genuinely love to know what is happening with you, how you are doing, and how we can pray for you. Thanks so much for reading this (rather long) letter. We love you and are grateful for you! |
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