Friday found us waking up to the shouts of Ben and Andre's whooping and cheering and hollaring at each other as they decided to brave the very cold morning showers. This, of course, woke everyone up, but we had to be at mass for 7am anyway so it wasn't a big deal - the last mass with everyone we had come to know and love during the past three weeks. It's a different sort of feeling, having to leave behind a ministry that we've built into, and where we have no idea what the outcome will be. Complete trust and faith in another person to pass along the message - so hard but so amazing. I kept thinking that this is how St.Paul must have felt while he was spreading the gospel. All he had was trust and faith that the people he built into would be able to carry on the message and overcome struggles, persevering in hope that they would "get it right".
Accordingly, Friday was probably one of our busiest days. In the midst of having to say our final farewells we still had to sit down and plan a propsal of what the future of CCO in Uganda could look like, plan a prayer meeting, schedule our last one-on-one discpleship meetings, figure out who our executive team for CCO on campus would be, pray for the movement on campus...and pack! It was wild! But such an incredibly blessed time.
One highlight was getting together for supper with everyone who had helped us, and just talking and sharing stories about what has been going on. It felt like the last supper, saying goodbye, affirming one another and building each other up to send out - them to their peers on campus and us back to Canada. But in asking them how they felt about us leaving, their response was incredible - "It'll be hard, but we will do it!" seemed to be the common message - no second guessing, just a commitment to pass on the message!
The day ended with a prayer meeting put on by the UMU students. It started with Praise and Worship, then a talk given by one of the NETers, Peter, and ended with a time of praying over those students who attended. Such a powerful night and the best way to end our time of ministry!
It's definitely hard to say goodbye - these students have become a part of our lives - and as much as we came to teach them, they have taught us so much. Please continue to pray for our students at UMU that God may grant them the graces to carry out the message and mission!
Tuesday, August 31, 2010
Monday, August 30, 2010
Day 21: Happy Birthday, Daniel John Pettipas!
When it is somebody's birthday, the Ugandans we had been hanging out with thought it fitting to pour water on the head of whomever the celebrations were for. After Mass in the morning lots of water was aimed at Daniel's floppy locks while mischevious smiles were plastered on the beaming faces of the perpetrators.
The day, however, had much focus as we had two events to organize for the students at UMU; this would be the first time we would have the new students to ourselves in a classroom setting. Great opportunity! Before this point we had spent much of our time sharing the Ultimate Relationship and had spiritual conversations over meal times, and we Canadians had been focusing our attention on the leaders we had trained the week before, ensuring they were comfortable leading their faith studies. Knowing we were have an audience allowed for greater cooperation between everybody involved in the mission: Canadians, NETers and UMU students. We had two events planned, one in the afternoon and one in the evening. The afternoon session saw Andre give a talk that brought the dead to life, as many students were falling asleep but paid special attention to the Westerners in their midst. We also had all the Canadians and four of the UMU students share quick 45 second testimonies. The students that atended this session were impacted and responded.
The evening session was a “fun night” which turned out to be full of surprises. There is a storehouse of freedom in executing evengs here in Uganda, it seems, and this tendency towards 'improvisation' took advantage of us tonight. Eloisa's Co-MC disappeared a couple of times with no warning, we had an impromptu 15 minute testimony shared by one of the students, and a lot of singing took place at random junctures during the evening. The funniest thing about it all was in the fact that it worked: people really enjoyed themselves and took the testimonies shared by Megan and Sylvia (her disciple) to heart. It was a night only a Ugandan could truly understand – in other words, what would have been a disaster in Canada was taken all in good fun here.
Pray that this freedom translates to the faith studies the students will be leading over the next six weeks!
The day, however, had much focus as we had two events to organize for the students at UMU; this would be the first time we would have the new students to ourselves in a classroom setting. Great opportunity! Before this point we had spent much of our time sharing the Ultimate Relationship and had spiritual conversations over meal times, and we Canadians had been focusing our attention on the leaders we had trained the week before, ensuring they were comfortable leading their faith studies. Knowing we were have an audience allowed for greater cooperation between everybody involved in the mission: Canadians, NETers and UMU students. We had two events planned, one in the afternoon and one in the evening. The afternoon session saw Andre give a talk that brought the dead to life, as many students were falling asleep but paid special attention to the Westerners in their midst. We also had all the Canadians and four of the UMU students share quick 45 second testimonies. The students that atended this session were impacted and responded.
The evening session was a “fun night” which turned out to be full of surprises. There is a storehouse of freedom in executing evengs here in Uganda, it seems, and this tendency towards 'improvisation' took advantage of us tonight. Eloisa's Co-MC disappeared a couple of times with no warning, we had an impromptu 15 minute testimony shared by one of the students, and a lot of singing took place at random junctures during the evening. The funniest thing about it all was in the fact that it worked: people really enjoyed themselves and took the testimonies shared by Megan and Sylvia (her disciple) to heart. It was a night only a Ugandan could truly understand – in other words, what would have been a disaster in Canada was taken all in good fun here.
Pray that this freedom translates to the faith studies the students will be leading over the next six weeks!
Day 20: Rest and a Bonfire!
After two and a half weeks of going and going we finally planned a day for rest. Most of us still got up for 7am Mass, and then had breakfast in the dining hall. Breakfast consisted of really, really sweet tea and a piece of bread. We then had a break were most of us went back to sleep or attempted to use the internet in the library. Catching up on Facebook and email proved to be difficult because it wouldn't let us send any messages (or blogs!) until we could find a way around it.
Mid-morning we met with the student leaders and the NETers for intercession. We prayed for the campus and the students through praise and worship. Yet again we were amazed by the intensity and the conviction of their prayers through music.
The afternoon was free, and many of us didn't know what to do with ourselves. Free time? What's that? Most of us ended up congregating in one room listening to Andre while eating fresh pineapple and passionfruit from the market. That's right: passionfruit – yum. He offered us words of wisdom and advice on life and mission.
That night the school had a big campfire, full with lots of music and soda. We tried to show off all the new dance moves we had learned...and I'm sure all the students had a good laugh. It was a great night to hang out with the student leaders and get to know many of the first years. By the end of the night, though, we were all exhausted from dancing and in the end I'm not so sure how restful our “day of rest” was.
Please pray for the first year students and the rest of the students coming next week that their would be open to hearing the Gospel.
Mid-morning we met with the student leaders and the NETers for intercession. We prayed for the campus and the students through praise and worship. Yet again we were amazed by the intensity and the conviction of their prayers through music.
The afternoon was free, and many of us didn't know what to do with ourselves. Free time? What's that? Most of us ended up congregating in one room listening to Andre while eating fresh pineapple and passionfruit from the market. That's right: passionfruit – yum. He offered us words of wisdom and advice on life and mission.
That night the school had a big campfire, full with lots of music and soda. We tried to show off all the new dance moves we had learned...and I'm sure all the students had a good laugh. It was a great night to hang out with the student leaders and get to know many of the first years. By the end of the night, though, we were all exhausted from dancing and in the end I'm not so sure how restful our “day of rest” was.
Please pray for the first year students and the rest of the students coming next week that their would be open to hearing the Gospel.
Day 19: Roles for the Week
The first night at Ugandan Martyrs University (UMU) was marked by a distinct lack of mosquito netting, but luckily we picked the most mosquito-less time of the year to be missionary in Uganda. And a part of being missionary is, of course, finding our expectations always a little off from the reality. Meaning, we had thought that we'd be able to go to a noontime mass for the duration of the week, but in fact there was 7am mass again. This was a fairly regular time for people to go to mass through the country, so it didn't come as a surprise when it was the case on campus as well. After mass, the mission team and the various student leaders all gathered in one of the classrooms for a strategic meeting. We were outlining our plan for the week.
We realized that we were in three distinct groups: the Canadians, the UMU students, and the NET team. The NETers joined us from Masaka, both the 2010-2011 team and part of the 2009-2010 team. We knew that for our mission to reach its goal we all needed to take up our group roles and play them to the fullest. The Canadians were to build into the seven UMU students who were present at last weeks conference, and assist in bridging the gap between the ideas shared last week and the faith studies that will be led this semester. The UMU students were to think of different peers, both leaders new students, to bring together into one or two faith study groups. The NET team members were in charge of going out through all the campus and share the kerygmatic gospel using tools gained the previous week (the Ultimate Relationship book, three minute testimonies, etc), a role which they took up with incredible fervour.
With the roles divided up, the different groups left the meeting with a renewed sense of the mission we have this week. As part of the Canadian group, we each took initiative for one or two UMU students and began meeting with them for discipleship meetings today and on Thursday. During the evening we were planning to have a group event for the first-years, but the leadership decided it would be best to have a night off to rest and prepare for the rest of the week.
Pray that the work we do this week with the UMU students will develop into strong faith study groups for the fall semester!
We realized that we were in three distinct groups: the Canadians, the UMU students, and the NET team. The NETers joined us from Masaka, both the 2010-2011 team and part of the 2009-2010 team. We knew that for our mission to reach its goal we all needed to take up our group roles and play them to the fullest. The Canadians were to build into the seven UMU students who were present at last weeks conference, and assist in bridging the gap between the ideas shared last week and the faith studies that will be led this semester. The UMU students were to think of different peers, both leaders new students, to bring together into one or two faith study groups. The NET team members were in charge of going out through all the campus and share the kerygmatic gospel using tools gained the previous week (the Ultimate Relationship book, three minute testimonies, etc), a role which they took up with incredible fervour.
With the roles divided up, the different groups left the meeting with a renewed sense of the mission we have this week. As part of the Canadian group, we each took initiative for one or two UMU students and began meeting with them for discipleship meetings today and on Thursday. During the evening we were planning to have a group event for the first-years, but the leadership decided it would be best to have a night off to rest and prepare for the rest of the week.
Pray that the work we do this week with the UMU students will develop into strong faith study groups for the fall semester!
Thursday, August 19, 2010
Day 18: Down a Bumpy Road
After a restful sleep and the last chance for a warm shower, we left Kasese to head to Ugandan Martyrs University in Nkozi where we will be working with the students we trained last week to help them get started with their campus ministry. The drive was like no other. As soon as we left the town, we encountered a large family of baboons on the side of the road. We stopped to feed them bananas and take their pictures. We even got a video of a baby baboon hanging off his mama (videos coming soon on Facebook). The epic nature of the drive didn't end there. A few minutes later we saw another family of elephants just on the side of the road. As we continued, we passed through many small towns filled with cows in the middle of the road, houses painted with full-scale advertisements, palm trees covered in dust, and cute little children. Then we stopped by the town of Mbarera for lunch, which was your typical Ugandan meal consisting of matoke, g-nut sauce, posho, and rice. We were tempted by the pirated DVD store downstairs – but we controlled ourselves. Once we left Mbarera the road seemed to worsen. It became a gravel surface filled with potholes and speedbumps every couple minutes. It is rare to see a paved highway in Uganda.
We took a break from the bumpy road with a stop in Masaka to pick up our luggage and reunite with the rest of the NETers. We had taken three members of this past year's NET team, but would be joined by all eight of next years team at the university. After a brief hello we headed back onto the road which, surprise surprise, was even bumpier and dustier. Finally, after seven and a half total hours of driving (which in Canada would have taken about four hours) we arrived on campus.
Relieving our sore bums from the long drive, we stood outside our van to find out some news that changed our entire plans. The previous plan was that Andre was going to give a talk to the administration of the university, and throughout the week we would be working with the students during the evening – meaning that we'd have our daytimes free with the exception of mass at noon. Well, that changed as we found out that we had to pull together a thirty minute presentation of CCO in front of 400 freshmen and that our days would be way different than what we expected...no mass at noon! It was at 7am each day! We quickly settled down in our dorm rooms, freshened up a bit (praise the Lord), and had a meeting with the student leaders we trained in the previous week. After dinner, the team gathered to discuss our plan for our presentation.
The presentation went well. Daniel, Ben, Megan and Eloisa attempted to show off the traditional Ugandan dances. It gave the crowd a laugh. Then the rest of the team joined in to teach the 400 freshmen the Chicken Dance. It went OK – freshmen are shy, after all. After introducing ourselves, Andre explained what CCO was to the students. After our presentation, the student council made the freshmen sing the UMU (Ugandan Martyrs University) anthem over and over and go over some university policies. This whole orientation made us all realize that we are now in the real world...ahh!
Pray for us!!
We took a break from the bumpy road with a stop in Masaka to pick up our luggage and reunite with the rest of the NETers. We had taken three members of this past year's NET team, but would be joined by all eight of next years team at the university. After a brief hello we headed back onto the road which, surprise surprise, was even bumpier and dustier. Finally, after seven and a half total hours of driving (which in Canada would have taken about four hours) we arrived on campus.
Relieving our sore bums from the long drive, we stood outside our van to find out some news that changed our entire plans. The previous plan was that Andre was going to give a talk to the administration of the university, and throughout the week we would be working with the students during the evening – meaning that we'd have our daytimes free with the exception of mass at noon. Well, that changed as we found out that we had to pull together a thirty minute presentation of CCO in front of 400 freshmen and that our days would be way different than what we expected...no mass at noon! It was at 7am each day! We quickly settled down in our dorm rooms, freshened up a bit (praise the Lord), and had a meeting with the student leaders we trained in the previous week. After dinner, the team gathered to discuss our plan for our presentation.
The presentation went well. Daniel, Ben, Megan and Eloisa attempted to show off the traditional Ugandan dances. It gave the crowd a laugh. Then the rest of the team joined in to teach the 400 freshmen the Chicken Dance. It went OK – freshmen are shy, after all. After introducing ourselves, Andre explained what CCO was to the students. After our presentation, the student council made the freshmen sing the UMU (Ugandan Martyrs University) anthem over and over and go over some university policies. This whole orientation made us all realize that we are now in the real world...ahh!
Pray for us!!
Day 17: LIONS! Or...not...
Our day started early hoping to catch the lions before they slept. Last night we had the chance to see lots of different animals on our boat cruise, like hippos, elephants, buffalo, crocodiles, and others – but we were definetly wanting to glimpse the big cats. But alas – we did not get to see them; but we did see a herd of elephants cross the road right in front of us. Epic was the only word to describe the experience.
The disappointment of not seeing the lions was overshadowed by the opportunity (and great joy) to go to mass at a small country parish INSIDE THE NATIONAL PARK. This had been a struggle for us, because we thought we'd have to leave the park early for mass and then get back for a quick tour before leaving. In addition to serving the visiting tourists, this parish catered to the locals who lived inside the park. Yes, there were people who shared the space with the hippos, elephants, et all...and the proceeds from the park went to them in part. They were very happy to see us, especially the priest who had traveled a long way to say mass. He shared how the night before he was speaking to a fellow priest about the disouragement he was feeling that very few white tourists take the time to go to mass. He was very encouraged and invited us up to introduce ourselves and explain what we were doing in Uganda. There were only fifteen locals at mass but they sang and danced as if it was filled with people. You could feel their deep faith and joy.
We spend the afternoon enjoying a much-needed nap from which we woke up energized for an evening of singing and dancing and lots of laughter. Africa has changed the way we Canadians see “freedom” to be who we are and not worry about what others are thinking. It was very beautiful to see all of us growing so close. As one of us said, it was hard to feel sad or mad for any length of time when we were being surrounded by the authentic love and care of others. The explanation given for this love and unity was our commitment to a shared mission. We were being drawn together because our hearts were one.
Pray that the rest we experinced will give us the necessary energy to enter into our last week of mission. The upcoming week is very important for the establishment and contintuation of CCO-style ministry at Ugandan Martyrs University, which is becoming one of the leading universties in Uganda.
The disappointment of not seeing the lions was overshadowed by the opportunity (and great joy) to go to mass at a small country parish INSIDE THE NATIONAL PARK. This had been a struggle for us, because we thought we'd have to leave the park early for mass and then get back for a quick tour before leaving. In addition to serving the visiting tourists, this parish catered to the locals who lived inside the park. Yes, there were people who shared the space with the hippos, elephants, et all...and the proceeds from the park went to them in part. They were very happy to see us, especially the priest who had traveled a long way to say mass. He shared how the night before he was speaking to a fellow priest about the disouragement he was feeling that very few white tourists take the time to go to mass. He was very encouraged and invited us up to introduce ourselves and explain what we were doing in Uganda. There were only fifteen locals at mass but they sang and danced as if it was filled with people. You could feel their deep faith and joy.
We spend the afternoon enjoying a much-needed nap from which we woke up energized for an evening of singing and dancing and lots of laughter. Africa has changed the way we Canadians see “freedom” to be who we are and not worry about what others are thinking. It was very beautiful to see all of us growing so close. As one of us said, it was hard to feel sad or mad for any length of time when we were being surrounded by the authentic love and care of others. The explanation given for this love and unity was our commitment to a shared mission. We were being drawn together because our hearts were one.
Pray that the rest we experinced will give us the necessary energy to enter into our last week of mission. The upcoming week is very important for the establishment and contintuation of CCO-style ministry at Ugandan Martyrs University, which is becoming one of the leading universties in Uganda.
Day 16: Weekend Off - Kasese and Elephants
After a long week of hard work, we set out on an adventure. We "happily" awoke at 5:30am to begin our journey to Kasese (pronounced like 'Assisi' with a 'K'), with plans of taking a safari. The six-hour drive to Western Uganda was filled with laughter, food, and sleep, as well as some Zebra sightings. The terrain near Masaka, where we spent most of our time, was a bit hilly but while we drove we entered very hilly terrain. It was quite a shock to see the flatlands of Queen Elizabeth Park after the elevation/valley contrast of the road there.
Once we arrived, we dropped our bags at the hotel, had some food, and headed to Queen Elizabeth park to begin our adventure. We took a boat tour at five, which, I think most of us would agree, was the highlight of the trip. We saw water buffalo, kobs (like deer, but with bigger horns), waterbacks (even bigger kobs with bigger horns), hippopotamuses, and elephants, as well as a large variety of rare birds. We even got to see two elephants fight with each other!
From there we headed back to the hotel - we were all quite exhausted by this point so some of us went straight to bed while others headed to a local store to try and find some good snacks. We hit the jackpot with some peanut butter and nutella, yummy!!! The previous week had taken its toll on our bodies and minds, however, and so we made sure we went to bed early enough to fight off all the forming grumpyness. As we closed our eyes we were all looking forward to tomorrow, where we would go on a safari in search of lions!
Once we arrived, we dropped our bags at the hotel, had some food, and headed to Queen Elizabeth park to begin our adventure. We took a boat tour at five, which, I think most of us would agree, was the highlight of the trip. We saw water buffalo, kobs (like deer, but with bigger horns), waterbacks (even bigger kobs with bigger horns), hippopotamuses, and elephants, as well as a large variety of rare birds. We even got to see two elephants fight with each other!
From there we headed back to the hotel - we were all quite exhausted by this point so some of us went straight to bed while others headed to a local store to try and find some good snacks. We hit the jackpot with some peanut butter and nutella, yummy!!! The previous week had taken its toll on our bodies and minds, however, and so we made sure we went to bed early enough to fight off all the forming grumpyness. As we closed our eyes we were all looking forward to tomorrow, where we would go on a safari in search of lions!
Day 15: Final Day of the Conference
After the commissioning night we were left with only Friday for our training sessions - and it was only a half-day. We started off with the normal routine: mass, breakfast and worship. This Friday I was in charge of dishes, which is usually an easy task (in Canada) but a little bit harder in Uganda. Everything needs to get done, but it amazes me how hard everyone works - no one complains and everybody stays clean through it all. Staying clean is very hard for me to accomplish while washing dishes.
The best part of the day was when almost every student went up and shared what God was doing in their hearts this week. It was a big moment for me because I often struggled with wondering whether my group was really understanding the message in the studies or if they were just giving me generic answers. Often I had to push them to think past the usual answers. However, by hearing them talk about the words they recieved at commissioning, I really saw that they really did get the missionary heart.
The biggest impact I saw was in Simon, who really believes in the multiplying missionary model and was the first one to go up on Thursday to pray during the commissioning. He said the Apostles prayer with power and certainty and, when he shared on Friday, he said it was a profound experience. He talked about a vision of him on an altar in heaven in front of the gates, and he could see angels all around him - so he knew that he had to say this prayer and mean it.
After the sharing we did some more training lessons and said good-bye to everyone. For many people it was not the final good-bye because we would be seeing some of them on Monday at Ugandian Martyrs University, where we will be assisting students in implementing the program next week. These students will also be aided by the NET team here in Uganda. After saying goodbye, we went out for dinner and had some good bonding time.
When we arrived back at the seminary we were staying at, there were three other people staying on the same floor: three German tourists who had a connection with one of the priests there. Dan and Josh decided to share the Ultimate Relationship with them (the ministry never stops!!!!), and from what I could tell later, it seemed to be fruitful. The guys said that they were in the second circle, but now at least they have heard the gospel message and can think about their choice in a clear and simple way. One of the funniest parts of the sharing was that one of the brothers was in his boxers and the one of them was in a towel. Apparently our friends from Deuchland are quite comfortable with themselves in front of strangers. But God still works.
We are going to be on the Univeristy campus next week, and I ask that you pray for the students and especially the ones we have trained - that they will be able to carry out their missionary goals.
The best part of the day was when almost every student went up and shared what God was doing in their hearts this week. It was a big moment for me because I often struggled with wondering whether my group was really understanding the message in the studies or if they were just giving me generic answers. Often I had to push them to think past the usual answers. However, by hearing them talk about the words they recieved at commissioning, I really saw that they really did get the missionary heart.
The biggest impact I saw was in Simon, who really believes in the multiplying missionary model and was the first one to go up on Thursday to pray during the commissioning. He said the Apostles prayer with power and certainty and, when he shared on Friday, he said it was a profound experience. He talked about a vision of him on an altar in heaven in front of the gates, and he could see angels all around him - so he knew that he had to say this prayer and mean it.
After the sharing we did some more training lessons and said good-bye to everyone. For many people it was not the final good-bye because we would be seeing some of them on Monday at Ugandian Martyrs University, where we will be assisting students in implementing the program next week. These students will also be aided by the NET team here in Uganda. After saying goodbye, we went out for dinner and had some good bonding time.
When we arrived back at the seminary we were staying at, there were three other people staying on the same floor: three German tourists who had a connection with one of the priests there. Dan and Josh decided to share the Ultimate Relationship with them (the ministry never stops!!!!), and from what I could tell later, it seemed to be fruitful. The guys said that they were in the second circle, but now at least they have heard the gospel message and can think about their choice in a clear and simple way. One of the funniest parts of the sharing was that one of the brothers was in his boxers and the one of them was in a towel. Apparently our friends from Deuchland are quite comfortable with themselves in front of strangers. But God still works.
We are going to be on the Univeristy campus next week, and I ask that you pray for the students and especially the ones we have trained - that they will be able to carry out their missionary goals.
Monday, August 16, 2010
Day 14: Commission Night
Thursday - the last full day with our students for the week! We couldn’t believe how fast our time went. The day started anywhere from 5:45-6:45, depending on the person and who was showering and when, since the place we are staying at has one shower for the eight of us. Mass at 7:00, breakfast at 8:00, chores at 8:30, first faith study session at 9:00am and then continuing the program with sessions, workshops and large group meetings before finishing our day at 10:00 pm - then back to our ‘home“ to talk for a bit, pray, talk some more and then off to bed. They’ve been long days, but I don’t think anyone would trade what we’ve been doing for anything - it’s been incredible.
Our time here has brought us so much joy, laughter, friendships and hope. Going through the last of the lessons with our faith study groups and hearing them talking about the material and how it impacted them, seeing hearts change, and the dedication the students have to both the message and mission has astounded us. Two stories especially stick out to me. One of the students hadn’t talked with a friend from back home in a while and after learning the UR (ultimate relationship booklet - a tool to communicate the basic gospel message) phoned this friend, talked him through the book and now will get to meet him when going on campus next month cause he wants to know more! Another student decided to share the UR with one of the staff from the “camp” we are staying at and this staff member decided to return to the Catholic Church. We are constantly being amazed.
Tonight we had our commissioning of the students. The team had been talking and felt that there were still some students that hadn’t fully made a commitment to Christ so the night started with a mini-talk by Andre challenging those who hadn’t made that commitment to do so tonight. After some praise and worship we then went into the commissioning. Andre reminded the students that this week wasn’t about them, but it was about bringing this message to their friends, onto campuses, and out into Uganda - and how that decision started tonight. Each student spent some time in prayer and asked God to reveal to them what He wanted for them. Then one by one each person got up read the Apostle’s Prayer (a missionary prayer) out loud and then came to their small group leader to be prayed over. Then after all had gone we finished off with some praise and worship - African style! It was such a powerful night! We are definitely going to miss everyone tomorrow when they leave.
Please pray for the Holy Spirit to go before us and prepare the hearts of the university students we will be reaching out to on Monday when we get onto campus for the first time
Our time here has brought us so much joy, laughter, friendships and hope. Going through the last of the lessons with our faith study groups and hearing them talking about the material and how it impacted them, seeing hearts change, and the dedication the students have to both the message and mission has astounded us. Two stories especially stick out to me. One of the students hadn’t talked with a friend from back home in a while and after learning the UR (ultimate relationship booklet - a tool to communicate the basic gospel message) phoned this friend, talked him through the book and now will get to meet him when going on campus next month cause he wants to know more! Another student decided to share the UR with one of the staff from the “camp” we are staying at and this staff member decided to return to the Catholic Church. We are constantly being amazed.
Tonight we had our commissioning of the students. The team had been talking and felt that there were still some students that hadn’t fully made a commitment to Christ so the night started with a mini-talk by Andre challenging those who hadn’t made that commitment to do so tonight. After some praise and worship we then went into the commissioning. Andre reminded the students that this week wasn’t about them, but it was about bringing this message to their friends, onto campuses, and out into Uganda - and how that decision started tonight. Each student spent some time in prayer and asked God to reveal to them what He wanted for them. Then one by one each person got up read the Apostle’s Prayer (a missionary prayer) out loud and then came to their small group leader to be prayed over. Then after all had gone we finished off with some praise and worship - African style! It was such a powerful night! We are definitely going to miss everyone tomorrow when they leave.
Please pray for the Holy Spirit to go before us and prepare the hearts of the university students we will be reaching out to on Monday when we get onto campus for the first time
Saturday, August 14, 2010
Day 13: Midnight Encounters and Dance!
“I am so sorry...”. These were the words uttered by Josh when he was caught in Eloisa and Kristen's room in the middle of the night. Josh was inspired to use the washroom in the dark, on his way back to his room he overshot his room by a couple doors and attempted to crawl into Kristen's mosquito net thinking it was his own. At the realization of a body in the bed, Josh planned to get away quickly but was stopped in his tracks by Kristen, awakening, wondering what was happening. Eloisa shone her flashlight onto Josh who was standing in the corner – he was so embarrassed.
It was our second day going through the Commisson study with our students, and we covered lessons dealing with a heart for the lost, understanding “Timothy” (those who we are building into) and seeing opportunities for evangelization. The excitement towards the mission increased two-fold this day as realizations of what the possibilities in fact were. What was interesting was the focus of concern for the Ugandan students. As Westerners, we usually concern ourselves with those Catholics who have a negative perspective of the church and see it as a 'house of condemnation', while the Ugandan students had a heart for the Catholics who would attend Mass regularly, but once they percieved that the Lord was not providing them with what they wanted they would go to the witch doctor. This is a major concern for the students here, who have seen many family members affected in the worst ways by occult activity. In the end, however, the unhealthy results of both mindsets are the same: perspectives need to change for those who see the Church as something other than a place of freedom and relationship.
The end of that evening was an amazing encounter between Canadian and Ugandan culture: dance party! We hosted what we called a “Canadian Fun Night”, where we taught various Western dances to the Ugandans and they taught us the traditional dances of their different tribes. After a night of two-stepping, chicken dancing, heavy stomping and hip shaking, our relationship with our friends was solidified – they love us and we love them.
Please pray for the students as they begin planning for missionary action on their campuses!
It was our second day going through the Commisson study with our students, and we covered lessons dealing with a heart for the lost, understanding “Timothy” (those who we are building into) and seeing opportunities for evangelization. The excitement towards the mission increased two-fold this day as realizations of what the possibilities in fact were. What was interesting was the focus of concern for the Ugandan students. As Westerners, we usually concern ourselves with those Catholics who have a negative perspective of the church and see it as a 'house of condemnation', while the Ugandan students had a heart for the Catholics who would attend Mass regularly, but once they percieved that the Lord was not providing them with what they wanted they would go to the witch doctor. This is a major concern for the students here, who have seen many family members affected in the worst ways by occult activity. In the end, however, the unhealthy results of both mindsets are the same: perspectives need to change for those who see the Church as something other than a place of freedom and relationship.
The end of that evening was an amazing encounter between Canadian and Ugandan culture: dance party! We hosted what we called a “Canadian Fun Night”, where we taught various Western dances to the Ugandans and they taught us the traditional dances of their different tribes. After a night of two-stepping, chicken dancing, heavy stomping and hip shaking, our relationship with our friends was solidified – they love us and we love them.
Please pray for the students as they begin planning for missionary action on their campuses!
Friday, August 13, 2010
Day 12: Commission!
WOW! What a day! We started the Commission study today. The first lesson introduced the students to what our basic identity is as Catholics – Missionaries! We have been entrusted with both a Message and Mission. We were all astounded by the enthusiasm the students have for the material. There were a few students who were supposed to be going to a Youth Conference this week but have decided to stay here instead because they wanted to experience the rest of the training. Everyone has been so engaged and ask so many questions. They are already talking about what they want to take back to their campuses. Their zeal is contagious – all of us missionaries are even more excited about doing the rest of the study. We also introduced them to another tool to share their faith – the Ultimate Relationship Booklet. It's a small booklet that goes over the basics of our faith.
During our breaks throughout the day we learned many local dances, while Andre passed on some of his wrestling skills. We're really starting to feel apart of the community.
One of the highlights of the day was Praise and Worship. Just as we started the power went out, which often happens here in Uganda. In Canada if this were to happen we'd probably end the night, not here. We lit candles and began worship. It was the most powerful Praise and Worship we've experienced since coming here. The lack of power, lights, or a keyboard did not damper anyones spirits. All that mattered was that we were praising the Lord together!
Pray for the continued zeal of these students for their mission on campus!
During our breaks throughout the day we learned many local dances, while Andre passed on some of his wrestling skills. We're really starting to feel apart of the community.
One of the highlights of the day was Praise and Worship. Just as we started the power went out, which often happens here in Uganda. In Canada if this were to happen we'd probably end the night, not here. We lit candles and began worship. It was the most powerful Praise and Worship we've experienced since coming here. The lack of power, lights, or a keyboard did not damper anyones spirits. All that mattered was that we were praising the Lord together!
Pray for the continued zeal of these students for their mission on campus!
Monday, August 9, 2010
Day 11: Ground Zero
We'd be lying if we said that there wasn't a little bit of preoccupation mixed with anticipation for this Monday. Our trip so far has consisted of participating in a leadership conference with about one hundred other young people from Uganda and bordering countries – and our role has been building relationships and inviting the other participants to engage with the talks through conversations during meals and breaks. The grounds of the seminary were gorgeous and there is always a cool breeze coming from the lake (Lake Victoria) this time of year, so it was a read blessing for many of us.
However, we were all looking forward to this week because this is when we'd be pulling out our secret weapon: the Comission Study/Fifth Faith Study/Courageous Catholic Program. These unassuming duotangs contained the wealth of CCO's twenty-two years of experience and packs quite a punch when it comes to training people to be evangelists and to embrace the missionary call of our baptism. We were planning on giving sessions on Comission during the day and then leading the participants (narrowed down to about 35 university students and staff) through the Discovery faith study each evening.
The Discovery study is our introductory faith study which brings a person to a place where they can make an informed decision about whether or not to enter into a personal relationship with Jesus, and is the front-line of CCO ministry on Canadian campuses. However, the Spirit was working powerfully in Megan when she suggested that we take the whole first day to do Discovery all the way through (as compared to doing one lesson (out of six) each evening) and start Comission on Tuesday. We thought it was a good idea and decided to follow through with it. A few of us were still a little anxious about this week despite the awesome material because it meant that we would be working ministry days between 7am-9pm every day without much of a break.
Monday morning came, our ride (the ever-faithful Patrick) picked us up and brought us to the new site of our conference. The six students were each given groups of 4-6 to lead through Discovery and were all blown away by the enthusiam and the reception of the material. Personally, I have never seen a more effective communication of the material (courtesy of Andre's large-group follow-ups to the small group study sessions) and a more passionate and receptive response. It was incredible. Different students at lunch described wanting to take this material to their campus and start movements to bring back their brothers and sisters who were lost. The overwhelming success of this first day was able to raise some of the drooping spirits of our fellow missionaries.
The Spirit is working powerfully and many of the participants are actively being impacted by the material. Pray that we are able to further abandon ourselves to the Holy Spirit and allow for Him to work through us and in the participants of the conference!
p.s. things are crazy. in the best of ways.
However, we were all looking forward to this week because this is when we'd be pulling out our secret weapon: the Comission Study/Fifth Faith Study/Courageous Catholic Program. These unassuming duotangs contained the wealth of CCO's twenty-two years of experience and packs quite a punch when it comes to training people to be evangelists and to embrace the missionary call of our baptism. We were planning on giving sessions on Comission during the day and then leading the participants (narrowed down to about 35 university students and staff) through the Discovery faith study each evening.
The Discovery study is our introductory faith study which brings a person to a place where they can make an informed decision about whether or not to enter into a personal relationship with Jesus, and is the front-line of CCO ministry on Canadian campuses. However, the Spirit was working powerfully in Megan when she suggested that we take the whole first day to do Discovery all the way through (as compared to doing one lesson (out of six) each evening) and start Comission on Tuesday. We thought it was a good idea and decided to follow through with it. A few of us were still a little anxious about this week despite the awesome material because it meant that we would be working ministry days between 7am-9pm every day without much of a break.
Monday morning came, our ride (the ever-faithful Patrick) picked us up and brought us to the new site of our conference. The six students were each given groups of 4-6 to lead through Discovery and were all blown away by the enthusiam and the reception of the material. Personally, I have never seen a more effective communication of the material (courtesy of Andre's large-group follow-ups to the small group study sessions) and a more passionate and receptive response. It was incredible. Different students at lunch described wanting to take this material to their campus and start movements to bring back their brothers and sisters who were lost. The overwhelming success of this first day was able to raise some of the drooping spirits of our fellow missionaries.
The Spirit is working powerfully and many of the participants are actively being impacted by the material. Pray that we are able to further abandon ourselves to the Holy Spirit and allow for Him to work through us and in the participants of the conference!
p.s. things are crazy. in the best of ways.
Day 10: A Restful Sunday
There is no other way to start a mission day in Africa than to wake up to the sound of a 5:30am alarm clock accompanied by the sound of beating drums and roosters. We rolled out of bed and made our way to the last Mass we'd spend with most of the participants of the Leadership Conference we've been participating in. The Mass was celebrated by the Bishop of Masaka diocese so it was great to meet him before the start of Mass. Afterwards we had breakfast and said our goodbyes to the participants that were not coming back to join us for our CCO training week. This was tough for all us and the Ugandans as we had to say goodbye to the new friends we made who were, in a very short time, so welcoming and friendly.
After our goodbyes we headed back to our temporary home with the exception of Ben and Kristen who stayed behind to work with the Ugandan NET team on the music for the upcoming week (thank you Ben and Kristen!!!). The rest of us took a nap break. Most of us headed to bed right away (as we were exhausted from the past few days) while others took a short walk around the village and found some pigs to take pictures with. We finally had internet access and took advantage by contacting loved ones back at home. After the six of us managed to squeeze in a nap and hand-wash some items of clothing, Ben and Kristen came back and we made our way into town. We had a nice lunch together at a mazungo(foreigner) restaurant. Then we ended up at a community centre where the girls had some bonding time and some of the guys took a rest.
Once we were all rested we, along with a few Australians and the Ugandan NET team, were invited to Fred Mawanda's house for dinner. Fred is the NET director of Uganda and our main director for our whole time here. It was his youngest son, Timothy's, first Communion so it was a pretty big deal (Side note- Fred's oldest son is named Paul... get it? Paul and Timothy!!). After enjoying a delicious meal, we were given the chance to say a few words to Timothy. Josh had told him that he was born in a special time that needs special people like his parents and that now that Jesus is present in his heart in a special way, He can do special things in Timothy. Hearing this had made Timothy tear up. He had lots of support that night. Then we headed home, prayed, and slept to wake up early again for our very first day of our training!!
PS. As I (Eloisa) am writing this, we already have so many glory stories to share after half a day. Make sure you read the next few days!! Pray for our training week!
After our goodbyes we headed back to our temporary home with the exception of Ben and Kristen who stayed behind to work with the Ugandan NET team on the music for the upcoming week (thank you Ben and Kristen!!!). The rest of us took a nap break. Most of us headed to bed right away (as we were exhausted from the past few days) while others took a short walk around the village and found some pigs to take pictures with. We finally had internet access and took advantage by contacting loved ones back at home. After the six of us managed to squeeze in a nap and hand-wash some items of clothing, Ben and Kristen came back and we made our way into town. We had a nice lunch together at a mazungo(foreigner) restaurant. Then we ended up at a community centre where the girls had some bonding time and some of the guys took a rest.
Once we were all rested we, along with a few Australians and the Ugandan NET team, were invited to Fred Mawanda's house for dinner. Fred is the NET director of Uganda and our main director for our whole time here. It was his youngest son, Timothy's, first Communion so it was a pretty big deal (Side note- Fred's oldest son is named Paul... get it? Paul and Timothy!!). After enjoying a delicious meal, we were given the chance to say a few words to Timothy. Josh had told him that he was born in a special time that needs special people like his parents and that now that Jesus is present in his heart in a special way, He can do special things in Timothy. Hearing this had made Timothy tear up. He had lots of support that night. Then we headed home, prayed, and slept to wake up early again for our very first day of our training!!
PS. As I (Eloisa) am writing this, we already have so many glory stories to share after half a day. Make sure you read the next few days!! Pray for our training week!
Day 9: Cultural Celebrations - Ordination and Talent Night!
This nation is truly youthful. The West may think that the solution for Africa is to have less childern, but in Uganda they see children as a blessing!
We started this day off by going to an ordination, I would describe this day with words like culture, energy, and celebration. The mass was five hours long, all of it in the native language (Buganda), which made it hard for us to understand – but not hard for us to enter in! We finished the night off with a talent show, and I cannot overstate the fact that Ugandians are talented. It was awe-inspiring to see how effortlessly and rhythmically they can dance, EVERY ONE OF THEM! They sing and they laugh, they are truly free people. Everyone was celebrated, even if they weren't the most talented of the group. Our abilty to dance and sing was nothing compared to theirs, but they made us feel like we were just as good as them, that we could do it, and so we did! And for at least one night we had some soul in us! We brought the joy of the Chicken Dance to Africa!
We are preparing for next week, where we will be leading them through how to do campus ministry. The anticipation and expectations are rising, as does its signifigance. The reality that only 14% of Ugandians go to university tells us that the leaders in this country are going to be on campus. And, unfortunately, leadership is much needed as there is much corruption which keeps Ugandians opressed. The 30 students that we will be working with next week want to bring about change. They want to reach out to the growing number of Catholics that are wandering or that are being picked up by other denominations because the Church is not seen as having the answers/experiences of God.
Pray for us that we would be able to effectively raise up these Ugandian students who will become leaders on their campus for the new evengelization!
We started this day off by going to an ordination, I would describe this day with words like culture, energy, and celebration. The mass was five hours long, all of it in the native language (Buganda), which made it hard for us to understand – but not hard for us to enter in! We finished the night off with a talent show, and I cannot overstate the fact that Ugandians are talented. It was awe-inspiring to see how effortlessly and rhythmically they can dance, EVERY ONE OF THEM! They sing and they laugh, they are truly free people. Everyone was celebrated, even if they weren't the most talented of the group. Our abilty to dance and sing was nothing compared to theirs, but they made us feel like we were just as good as them, that we could do it, and so we did! And for at least one night we had some soul in us! We brought the joy of the Chicken Dance to Africa!
We are preparing for next week, where we will be leading them through how to do campus ministry. The anticipation and expectations are rising, as does its signifigance. The reality that only 14% of Ugandians go to university tells us that the leaders in this country are going to be on campus. And, unfortunately, leadership is much needed as there is much corruption which keeps Ugandians opressed. The 30 students that we will be working with next week want to bring about change. They want to reach out to the growing number of Catholics that are wandering or that are being picked up by other denominations because the Church is not seen as having the answers/experiences of God.
Pray for us that we would be able to effectively raise up these Ugandian students who will become leaders on their campus for the new evengelization!
Sunday, August 8, 2010
Special Feature: from behind the scenes of the Uganda mission project
When the mission team asked me, the new little assistant to CCO's missions director, to write a special blog entry, I wondered what I had to say that might be of interest; they told me they wanted a behind-the-scenes look at the preparation that went into getting this mission off the ground.
Even from my limited involvement, joining staff in the midst of the planning of this mission, I could tell that this was going to be a unique and very special project. This is, first of all, CCO's first mission to Africa, one that I hope will create connections for many future missions. The mission team is also smaller than most, and a powerhouse of leaders.
Before having the opportunity to spend the weekend with them as they prepared for their departure, my experience of the mission was limited to tracking their donations, booking their flights and obtaining their visas - a task that proved much more challenging than anticipated. After many phone calls and visits to the Uganda Consulate, each presenting yet another problem with the forms, all the miscommunication was cleared up and we finally received all 8 visas. Reflecting on all the problems we'd had, I commented that God must have something incredible up his sleeve for this mission if spiritual warfare was even extending to the visa applications! I can't wait (like all of you, I'm sure) to hear exactly what God has in store for the rest of this mission! And to the team - I am keeping each of you in my prayers!
~ Katie
Even from my limited involvement, joining staff in the midst of the planning of this mission, I could tell that this was going to be a unique and very special project. This is, first of all, CCO's first mission to Africa, one that I hope will create connections for many future missions. The mission team is also smaller than most, and a powerhouse of leaders.
Before having the opportunity to spend the weekend with them as they prepared for their departure, my experience of the mission was limited to tracking their donations, booking their flights and obtaining their visas - a task that proved much more challenging than anticipated. After many phone calls and visits to the Uganda Consulate, each presenting yet another problem with the forms, all the miscommunication was cleared up and we finally received all 8 visas. Reflecting on all the problems we'd had, I commented that God must have something incredible up his sleeve for this mission if spiritual warfare was even extending to the visa applications! I can't wait (like all of you, I'm sure) to hear exactly what God has in store for the rest of this mission! And to the team - I am keeping each of you in my prayers!
~ Katie
Saturday, August 7, 2010
Day 8: Rest, Plans, and Salsa!
The beginning of our second week already...WOW! We were all feeling quite tired and ready for a bit of a break and decided to stay at our accomidations for the morning before heading to the conference. We had a bit of a sleep-in with a wake up call around eight – it was nice to wake up feeling a bit refreshed and ready to think again. We gathered together at nine and had a team check-in, sharing with each other where we were at. Many of us found that because of the cultural differences, as well as the language barrier (we all speak English, but with different accents), it was a bit of a struggle to feel like we were making strong connections with the Ugandans. However, relationships were still growing and our hearts have been moved by the genuine interest and love we have received. As a team we discussed the need to really guard our tongues with each other. Because we have made a decision to be very open and vulnerable with each other, and because many of us shared that we were feeling very weak and inadequate for our call to be here, it is especially important for us to avoid all negative humor and to look for opportunities to affirm one another and build each other up. After this time of sharing we each went and had our personal prayer time and gathered together again after to meet about our schedule for next week. We learned that it is important to have a program that runs all day and night, which forced us to change things up quite a bit. So we spent some time wrestling through our ideas, deciding to start the week by going through the entire discovery study as a sort of opening retreat. Doing the discovery study first also serves to prepare the participants for going through the Comission study. We also left open space in the schedule so that we can be open to the spirit and give additional training or talks that, through prophetic listening, come out as most important.
We came back to the conference for lunch refreshed and ready to engage with people. After lunch we gathered in the main hall and Andre gave his talk on holiness and mission. It was clear from the response that this was a new message to them, and came to some as a bit of a shock. We felt a bit of resistance to the message but a desire to understand and be open. After the session we realized our sleep-in was necessary as we needed a lot of energy for what was to come: impromptu salsa lessons! Most of us joined in, and the Ugandans thought we were quite entertaining as we tried to move our hips like them. They especially enjoyed Josh, as he took the dance very seriously!
We left again around five to go into town for supper. We went to a nice restaurant in town, and were delighted to see some food that resembeled what we eat in Canada. A few of us are struggleing with the daily meal plan (involving lots of stewed banana called matooke) so this night was a nice treat. We had BBQ chicken and beef, scalped potatoes, lasagne, avacado and tomatoe salad, skewers, pop, and a brownie for dessert. It was sooooo good!
We went back to the retreat for the evening session. It was one crazy night of praise and worship! We danced like we never danced before! Even Andre was caught busting a move. The people here are truly free and joyful in their worship! And yes, we have video! It ended up being a night of adoration and confession which was quite a nice surprise. We spent the night in prayer and worship of our Lord. At around ten we headed back home, chatted and visited with each other for about an hour and then headed off to our own spaces to get some rest....well, at least some of us did.
As I end the blog for day eight I ask those of you reading this to please pray for our relationships with the people here. That they will be both strong and free. That our influence will grow and that the Ugandan people will take seriously the call to be missionary and renew their country and the world!
We came back to the conference for lunch refreshed and ready to engage with people. After lunch we gathered in the main hall and Andre gave his talk on holiness and mission. It was clear from the response that this was a new message to them, and came to some as a bit of a shock. We felt a bit of resistance to the message but a desire to understand and be open. After the session we realized our sleep-in was necessary as we needed a lot of energy for what was to come: impromptu salsa lessons! Most of us joined in, and the Ugandans thought we were quite entertaining as we tried to move our hips like them. They especially enjoyed Josh, as he took the dance very seriously!
We left again around five to go into town for supper. We went to a nice restaurant in town, and were delighted to see some food that resembeled what we eat in Canada. A few of us are struggleing with the daily meal plan (involving lots of stewed banana called matooke) so this night was a nice treat. We had BBQ chicken and beef, scalped potatoes, lasagne, avacado and tomatoe salad, skewers, pop, and a brownie for dessert. It was sooooo good!
We went back to the retreat for the evening session. It was one crazy night of praise and worship! We danced like we never danced before! Even Andre was caught busting a move. The people here are truly free and joyful in their worship! And yes, we have video! It ended up being a night of adoration and confession which was quite a nice surprise. We spent the night in prayer and worship of our Lord. At around ten we headed back home, chatted and visited with each other for about an hour and then headed off to our own spaces to get some rest....well, at least some of us did.
As I end the blog for day eight I ask those of you reading this to please pray for our relationships with the people here. That they will be both strong and free. That our influence will grow and that the Ugandan people will take seriously the call to be missionary and renew their country and the world!
Day 7: Building Relationships
We awoke with urgency this Thursday morning: Dan, and Josh and I awoke to Andre knocking on our door because the van that would take us to the leadership conference had arrived. However, even though we woke 45 minutes later than we planned, thanks to fast driving and longer-than-Canadian-entrance songs (average 10 min), we arrive before the opening blessing at mass.
As we settled in to the day and started to build relationships it was obvious that the spirit is moving, especially within our team. Our team is always out and about building relationships. and rarely do we have time to just be with the team. However, the Lord knows this and leads us together so we are able to have this time and re-fuel our tanks and build our team so we are able to minister better. For example, today during free time we were spread out all over the grounds. By the way...these grounds sorta feel like paradise. Andre was praying on a porch and stopped in mid-prayer and he beckoned Megan, who was not too far away, to come over. Kristen and Eloisa, who were also nearby, followed. I was furthere away and thought it must be important and motioned to Dan and Josh to leave the food line and come along. Melissa was praying nearby and heard us talking. So, without any overt guidance other than the Spirit, we gathered in the middle of the day to re-fill out tanks and check in about how we were doing.
Thursday was a fruitful day for me in the conversations I've had with the other participants. Just talking to some Uganda students quickly led to quick friendships. One such friend was John, and we talked about how he is learning that he has to inspire his fellow students at his business school. We told each other we could pray about the other's situation because they are very similar – in that we are the only practicing Catholic in our families. We formed a bond while praying for each other and identifying with the other's situation. John's passion inspires me to step our more.
I also talked with a young man named Morris, and we shared testimonies. He had left the faith but has come back and now he is continuing to grow closer to God. Morris and I talked for over an hour and it was a very announted time. Christ is letting us work together to build relationships one person at a time.
The spirit is moving and I am blessed that I can be a vessel for the Lord.
I ask everyone to please pray for the students here, that they continue to be inspired and will go back to their own campuses and inspire others to be leaders in the faith.
As we settled in to the day and started to build relationships it was obvious that the spirit is moving, especially within our team. Our team is always out and about building relationships. and rarely do we have time to just be with the team. However, the Lord knows this and leads us together so we are able to have this time and re-fuel our tanks and build our team so we are able to minister better. For example, today during free time we were spread out all over the grounds. By the way...these grounds sorta feel like paradise. Andre was praying on a porch and stopped in mid-prayer and he beckoned Megan, who was not too far away, to come over. Kristen and Eloisa, who were also nearby, followed. I was furthere away and thought it must be important and motioned to Dan and Josh to leave the food line and come along. Melissa was praying nearby and heard us talking. So, without any overt guidance other than the Spirit, we gathered in the middle of the day to re-fill out tanks and check in about how we were doing.
Thursday was a fruitful day for me in the conversations I've had with the other participants. Just talking to some Uganda students quickly led to quick friendships. One such friend was John, and we talked about how he is learning that he has to inspire his fellow students at his business school. We told each other we could pray about the other's situation because they are very similar – in that we are the only practicing Catholic in our families. We formed a bond while praying for each other and identifying with the other's situation. John's passion inspires me to step our more.
I also talked with a young man named Morris, and we shared testimonies. He had left the faith but has come back and now he is continuing to grow closer to God. Morris and I talked for over an hour and it was a very announted time. Christ is letting us work together to build relationships one person at a time.
The spirit is moving and I am blessed that I can be a vessel for the Lord.
I ask everyone to please pray for the students here, that they continue to be inspired and will go back to their own campuses and inspire others to be leaders in the faith.
Day Six: Our First Full Day in Uganda
The day started at 6am, breakfast at 7am, left at 8am then a four hour drive to a seminary 15 mins outside of Musaka, where we would be attending a leadership conference. Giving us the chance to just get to know those university students we would be working with next week. There was a lot of excitement and anticipation as we climbed into the van, knowing that were on our final stages of travel and about to meet everyone.
The drive there was incredible and surreal all at the same time. I can't explain what it was like to see something we only imagined become real – to see kids walking on there way to school in their uniforms, houses built one right next to the other, stores consisting of four tin walls and a makesift roof, live chickens in crates waiting to be sold and then, right next to it, a building to buy mobile phones. It was a lot much to take in.
Midway through the drive we stopped to take pictures at the Equator (yes, the real one) and finally arrived at the seminary we'd be staying at, and were welcomed by Fred Mawanda – our contact person here for the next few weeks. After unloading our suitcases we were greeted by all the participants at the leadership conference. We will be conducting a CCO-led evangelization conference next week, but at the moment we are participants in a Ugandan leadership conference. Everyone was incredibly welcoming and right away we were invited in. Lunch came, then sports and activites – learning a few new games along the way. Then came the praise and worship. I was blown away: there were singing and dancing and had such an atmosphere of joy that was so life-giving. After listening to a talk and meeting people we headed back to our 'home', had a quick meeting, and shortly fell exhausted into our beds and mosquito nets.
The drive there was incredible and surreal all at the same time. I can't explain what it was like to see something we only imagined become real – to see kids walking on there way to school in their uniforms, houses built one right next to the other, stores consisting of four tin walls and a makesift roof, live chickens in crates waiting to be sold and then, right next to it, a building to buy mobile phones. It was a lot much to take in.
Midway through the drive we stopped to take pictures at the Equator (yes, the real one) and finally arrived at the seminary we'd be staying at, and were welcomed by Fred Mawanda – our contact person here for the next few weeks. After unloading our suitcases we were greeted by all the participants at the leadership conference. We will be conducting a CCO-led evangelization conference next week, but at the moment we are participants in a Ugandan leadership conference. Everyone was incredibly welcoming and right away we were invited in. Lunch came, then sports and activites – learning a few new games along the way. Then came the praise and worship. I was blown away: there were singing and dancing and had such an atmosphere of joy that was so life-giving. After listening to a talk and meeting people we headed back to our 'home', had a quick meeting, and shortly fell exhausted into our beds and mosquito nets.
Day Five: Light in the Darkness
Amsterdam! Being passed out on benches from fatigue, eating foreign Mc Donald's (Mc Krocket) and sharing hilarious ministry stories in the airport was the extent of our experience of Amsterdam. It was during the plane ride to Uganda when our eyes were opened to a whole new world – looking out the window, your eyes would take a while to realize that what you thought were clouds was in fact the Sahara Desert. The Nile was stretched across the length of our window view leaving us very excited and in greater touch with the reality of where we were about to land: another continent!
As time for landing came near, the sky was split in half between light and darkness with the sun at the center of the seperation. This scene was absolutely beautiful, leading us into both night time and mystery. Without being able to make out the landscape we saw the city lights of Kampala as we flew over before landing in Entebbe. The airport floor crunched beneath our feet as we walked over either dead or dying insects; a reality that vanished from our minds as we were welcomed by the huge smiles of Stella and Patrick: a couple of our Ugandan contacts who are heavily involved in N.E.T. Ministries Uganda.
More smiles welcomed us as we were driven through barb-wired gates and an armed guard as we took our rest in a local convent in Entebbe, the airport city of Uganda. An extremely jovial Sister welcomed us with much smiles and laughter which confirmed the expectation of joy that some of us had. On our way to the toilets geckos welcomed us and stuck to the outside of the window screens, which was extremely cool and fun. It was clear however that we were exhausted from our journey and yearning for sleep. So we prayed our Invocation to the Ugandan Martyrs rolled into our beds covered with mosquito nets and slept with great expectations for the Ugandan sun rise and a great peace in our hearts which was indictive of things to come.
As time for landing came near, the sky was split in half between light and darkness with the sun at the center of the seperation. This scene was absolutely beautiful, leading us into both night time and mystery. Without being able to make out the landscape we saw the city lights of Kampala as we flew over before landing in Entebbe. The airport floor crunched beneath our feet as we walked over either dead or dying insects; a reality that vanished from our minds as we were welcomed by the huge smiles of Stella and Patrick: a couple of our Ugandan contacts who are heavily involved in N.E.T. Ministries Uganda.
More smiles welcomed us as we were driven through barb-wired gates and an armed guard as we took our rest in a local convent in Entebbe, the airport city of Uganda. An extremely jovial Sister welcomed us with much smiles and laughter which confirmed the expectation of joy that some of us had. On our way to the toilets geckos welcomed us and stuck to the outside of the window screens, which was extremely cool and fun. It was clear however that we were exhausted from our journey and yearning for sleep. So we prayed our Invocation to the Ugandan Martyrs rolled into our beds covered with mosquito nets and slept with great expectations for the Ugandan sun rise and a great peace in our hearts which was indictive of things to come.
Friday, August 6, 2010
Day Four: Our (Ugandan) Journey Begins!
There is no better way to start a journey than with a great meal. We woke up to an amazing breakfast prepared by Angele and Katie. We sat, talked, ate, and sipped on coffee. We were relaxed, refreshed and ready to go. A special thank you goes out to the Regnier family and Katie for taking care of us all weekend, we appreaciate your love and hospitality more than you know! With full stomachs we began to fill our backpacks and suitcases. Even as we prepared to leave there was this indescribable calm. Everyone felt very at peace. Once everything was packed and ready to go, the team came together outside to pray.
As we read the Gospel for the day the purpose of this mission was confirmed.
Matthew 14:13-21 tells the story of Jesus multiplying the fish and the loaves of bread and feeding the huge crowd. The purpose of our mission is to go and build into the leaders there in Uganda so that they can build into others, which is what we call spiritual multiplication. It was clear that God had great things in store for us. He was going to take whatever little we had to offer and multiply it!
We left that prayer time feeling focused, united as a team and excited to see what God had instore for us in Uganda. It was now time to begin the long journey! We started the journey on a bus to Montreal where we got on a plane headed for Amsterdam. After waiting over an hour for a thunderstorm to end we took off!
Please keep our team in your prayers. Pray that we continue be filled with God's peace and that our hearts are filled with Great Expectations.
As we read the Gospel for the day the purpose of this mission was confirmed.
Matthew 14:13-21 tells the story of Jesus multiplying the fish and the loaves of bread and feeding the huge crowd. The purpose of our mission is to go and build into the leaders there in Uganda so that they can build into others, which is what we call spiritual multiplication. It was clear that God had great things in store for us. He was going to take whatever little we had to offer and multiply it!
We left that prayer time feeling focused, united as a team and excited to see what God had instore for us in Uganda. It was now time to begin the long journey! We started the journey on a bus to Montreal where we got on a plane headed for Amsterdam. After waiting over an hour for a thunderstorm to end we took off!
Please keep our team in your prayers. Pray that we continue be filled with God's peace and that our hearts are filled with Great Expectations.
Monday, August 2, 2010
Day Three - last full day in Ottawa
Our last mass in Canada for three weeks occurred at Annunciation of the Lord parish in Gloucester. It was a special treat for one of our missionaries, Kristen Boskill, as she was placed at this parish for eight months as a part of the NET parish team program. We had desired to go to confession after mass but there wasn't time, so the priest present graciously offered his availability after the 6pm mass that evening.
We arrived back at the Regnier's to another incredible brunch prepared by Angèle and Katie Lebrun. Many of us had commented on how taken-care-of we had felt while at the Regniers, and how being among such incredible hosts had a restorative effect on all of us - which is very much needed as we leave on mission! We caught up with our "Courageous Catholic" study during the day and finished going over our curriculum for the training week in Kampala. We recognized that there will be a great deal of flexibility needed because of the change of pace from Canadian life to Ugandan life - we will have to adapt to those we are coming to serve.
We had a man from Nigeria come to answer our questions about African culture and lifestyle, and we were able to learn quite a bit. There were more than a few faux-pas' that we were shown to avoid! After this preparation the team went to confession to receive the Lord's graces before leaving on mission. We moved from the grace of reconciliation to the grace of fellowship as we arrived back at the Regniers to find many of the Ottawa CCO staff and their families present to wish us well in Uganda. We had an incredible prayer session in which all of us were commissioned guided by the verse: "beautiful are the feet of those who bear the Gospel". All of our feet were anointed with holy oil in a beautiful ceremony, followed by the exhortation to "remember who we are" as missionaries and as Catholics.
There was community and fellowship into the evening, and as the last few visitors exited through the front door we knew that we were wrapped in the Body of Christ, both in prayer and in sacrament. One more sleep before we leave for the plane!
We ask for prayers of safety as we board our flight, and that our final hours before landing into Entebbe (Ugandan airport) be a time of prayer, restoration, and a time of continued preparation to do the Lord's work.
We arrived back at the Regnier's to another incredible brunch prepared by Angèle and Katie Lebrun. Many of us had commented on how taken-care-of we had felt while at the Regniers, and how being among such incredible hosts had a restorative effect on all of us - which is very much needed as we leave on mission! We caught up with our "Courageous Catholic" study during the day and finished going over our curriculum for the training week in Kampala. We recognized that there will be a great deal of flexibility needed because of the change of pace from Canadian life to Ugandan life - we will have to adapt to those we are coming to serve.
We had a man from Nigeria come to answer our questions about African culture and lifestyle, and we were able to learn quite a bit. There were more than a few faux-pas' that we were shown to avoid! After this preparation the team went to confession to receive the Lord's graces before leaving on mission. We moved from the grace of reconciliation to the grace of fellowship as we arrived back at the Regniers to find many of the Ottawa CCO staff and their families present to wish us well in Uganda. We had an incredible prayer session in which all of us were commissioned guided by the verse: "beautiful are the feet of those who bear the Gospel". All of our feet were anointed with holy oil in a beautiful ceremony, followed by the exhortation to "remember who we are" as missionaries and as Catholics.
There was community and fellowship into the evening, and as the last few visitors exited through the front door we knew that we were wrapped in the Body of Christ, both in prayer and in sacrament. One more sleep before we leave for the plane!
We ask for prayers of safety as we board our flight, and that our final hours before landing into Entebbe (Ugandan airport) be a time of prayer, restoration, and a time of continued preparation to do the Lord's work.
Sunday, August 1, 2010
Day two... still in Ottawa
After an intense night of sharing and a good night's rest, we began our morning with a wonderful breakfast prepared by André's wife, Angèle and Katie. Once we finished, we split from each other to take some time for personal prayer. We were given the daily readings to guide us through our prayer and they amazingly fit perfectly with the theme of last night's discussion. We met back together as a team to pray together and left the time of prayer feeling more confident and excited with our mission to Uganda.
Then, we carried on with our training. Most of today was spent going through some of the lessons of CCO's 5th study, "Courageous Catholic." Going through the study has been a great time. It has been preparing us as better leaders for when we lead the same study to the students in Uganda. It has also been an eye-opening process as we think about our own lives when discussing the questions. Also, we had some time to work on our talks while fitting in a swimming break or for some of us, a nap.
Our evening was dedicated to team bonding. After another delicious meal, we celebrated Kristen's birthday with some cake and proceeded with a movie night. We picked Lion King as our movie to help us become more excited for Africa. The team has been getting along really well. Already, there is a lot of love for each other on this mission. All of us are really excited to grow in friendship with one another while we spend the next three weeks together.
We appreciate your continuous prayers!
PS. One and a half more days till we leave!!!
Then, we carried on with our training. Most of today was spent going through some of the lessons of CCO's 5th study, "Courageous Catholic." Going through the study has been a great time. It has been preparing us as better leaders for when we lead the same study to the students in Uganda. It has also been an eye-opening process as we think about our own lives when discussing the questions. Also, we had some time to work on our talks while fitting in a swimming break or for some of us, a nap.
Our evening was dedicated to team bonding. After another delicious meal, we celebrated Kristen's birthday with some cake and proceeded with a movie night. We picked Lion King as our movie to help us become more excited for Africa. The team has been getting along really well. Already, there is a lot of love for each other on this mission. All of us are really excited to grow in friendship with one another while we spend the next three weeks together.
We appreciate your continuous prayers!
PS. One and a half more days till we leave!!!
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| Happy Birthday Kristen!!! |
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