February 29, 2016

Trip 16, Update 8, A Great Trip Finished

Team Uganda has all arrived back at home or back to Kenya. They had a good 2 weeks with the kids who were out of school and got a lot of help from them with some projects…

Basketball court and the SOH Globetrotters….

Fenced in Chicken range and new roost, goal being to grow the flock for eggs and meat…

Shelter for outside gathering in the shade. 18′ x 18’….

New climbing wall and fort for the playground…

New desk for Paul, new BBQ Grill for the Americans….

New generator to power the water well when the sun is not shining. This will eliminate water shortages and allow the distribution to the community more regularly.

Greg with one of his helpers…

The team enjoyed nightly visits to the community, praying for the sick and sharing about Jesus. This was well received and influenced the high attendance for the Jesus Film showing.

Praising God!

Posted in Mission Trips, Projects, Updates from Uganda
Tagged 2016 Trip, mission trip, Projects, Stream of Hope Home, Ugandan People

February 7, 2016

Trip 16, Update 7, Good News

The Stream of Hope Home is beginning it’s 3rd year at the property purchased near Biasi, Uganda. The community has seem amazing things happen, buildings going up, children given hope, church revivals, community service, and fresh water supplied. These are all passive illustrations of the love of Jesus working in practical ways. On this trip, the team has made active evangelism efforts into the community to tell people the “Good News”. Their words have credibility due to the ministry’s loving actions. Here are a few updates from Ed and Greg at SOH…….

Greg and the rest of the team did a nightly walking evangelism tour of the local families. The area is rural and very depressed but they all heard of the Eternal Salvation which is only through Christ Jesus. One woman was so grateful that she gave the team 3 live laying chickens. Can you imagine being so grateful for the Gospel message of Salvation that you would give up part of your food source? When I saw the chickens and heard the story I couldn’t help but think of the Widows’ Offering in Mark 12:43 – Calling his disciples to him, Jesus said, “Truly I tell you, this poor widow has put more into the treasury than all the others. (44) They all gave out of their wealth; but she, out of her poverty, put in everything—all she had to live on”. (The chickens will provide eggs for the kids)

Wednesday night we played the Jesus video (in the Lugandan language) which chronicles the ministry, death and resurrection of Jesus. Because of the outreach into the community, I counted over 150 people in attendance. When the movie came to the part where Jesus was resurrected, the entire audience went wild with clapping and hollering. After my initial astonishment, I teared’ up as I realized that they got it.
Ed

….on our witnessing yesterday we met a man that was dying and he believed he had been cursed by demons. As he lay there naked in his own urine, we layed hands on him and prayed the demons away (Paul was not along so I had to lead the prayer, way out of my comfort zone). I will go back to see the man today. …..pray for this man. He is dying and needs peace and a savior.

Greg

Edinasi, Greg, Jon, and Nathan with one of the “gift” chickens.

Posted in Prayers, Updates from Uganda
Tagged 2016 Trip, mission trip, Stream of Hope Home, Ugandan People

February 4, 2016

Trip 16, Update 6, SOH Home

The team has been at the Stream of Hope Home this week and have been doing well. Ed and Geri will be traveling back to the US tomorrow and Sandi back to Kenya for a few more weeks. Nightly community walks and evangelism visits lead to a standing room only crowd to see the Jesus Film in Lugandan last night, shown in the SOH dining hall. Greg reported that one woman was so happy that they visited and spoke to her about Jesus that she gave them 3 chickens for egg laying. Please pray for travel mercy and for the community to be open.

Here are some photos of the open air shelter, new basketball court, and kids.

Posted in Mission Trips, Prayers, Projects, Updates from Uganda
Tagged 2016 Trip, mission trip, Projects, Stream of Hope Home, Ugandan People

September 19, 2014

Pushing Back the Darkness…SOH Uganda Update #2… Clean Water

Waterborne diseases, common diarrhea, contaminated water supply and containers, missed school, missed work, wood too precious to boil drinking water, hours spent each day to obtain water, skipping tooth brushing, body cleaning, dish washing, and clothes washing due to scarce water. The Stream of Hope Home and neighbors live this way every day…..that is until…

We had the pleasure of implementing a giant blessing to these precious people. When we left to return to the US, chlorinated water under pressure was flowing to the orphanage and to the distribution site at the gate for the community. The sun provides the power to automatically pump water to an elevated tank when needed. It is a reliable system only requiring some sunny days which is not a big problem on the equator.

This is how it happened…All praise and Glory to God for His Provisions and Grace.

Drill rig on site in early July

Hit a good water source at 150′. Praising God!

Installed an AC/DC pump, 700W of solar panels and an automatic control system. The wellhead is below the panels.

The instant that water was flowing (just out a hose) the community members filled containers for hours each day.

We designed and had a tank stand fabricated locally to hold a 5000 liter tank about 16′ off the ground. This was an event of Egyptian proportions.

Eager plumbers helping Greg.

System working…God is good!

Chlorinator system. Tank drain valve in upper right, provided the 1st shower after 2 weeks in Uganda.

View from the tank toward the home. Boys dorm under construction on the left.

Fresh pure water piped to the home.

View toward the community distribution site.

Community getting water. Site to be improved but providing clean pure drinking water. The Community was excited and supportive.

Water is Life. Clean for drinking and cooking, available for cleaning, on demand to allow life to proceed.

Posted in Updates from Uganda
Tagged 2014, 2014 Trip, mission trip, New SOH Home, Stream of Hope Home, Ugandan People

September 9, 2014

Trip #3 for 2014 Completed….Pushing back the darkness! Update #1…Lights

Scott Agnew, Gene Coleman, Jon Zavodny, Greg Perkins, and I completed the last of a 3 part mission to the SOH Home, Uganda.

One of the Directors of the Stream of Hope Home described our work as “Pushing back the darkness”. He was referring to the 700w of Solar Panels, 400 amp-hrs. of batteries, and LED lights in all the rooms, kitchen, and church. However, I see that statement as much more metaphorical and general. I know that God is working through us to improve health, give hope, and show the light of Christ Jesus and it is making a huge difference, brightening the futures for these kids and community.

We returned last Thursday from nearly 2 weeks at the SOH orphanage and we completed several important projects. We did not have internet available and I could not send updates so I will do so, one key project at a time over the next few weeks. Praise God with us!