Glenn and Kathy Kendall Update #139 from Uganda, October 21, 2008
Chocolate cake: moist, rich, velvety...numerous
ingredients blended, mixed together to make one delicious taste. On their
own, none of the ingredients brings the desire to eat; together they become a
mouth watering dessert.
A country is similar in that not just one element can describe
it, but together one gains an essence of that nation. Uganda from north to south and east
to west is a land of vast variety. These past days we have enjoyed the
people who are gracious, gentle, helpful, generous.
We have traveled roads so narrow that the only one
vehicle can pass through the grasses brushing either side of the vehicle as we
bounced down potholed mud filled roads. We have traveled in buses swaying
side to side as they careen down narrow two lane roads horns trumpeting out
various pitched calls, avoiding ruts, bikes, animals, and people as well as
other vehicles.
We have seen people working the land by hand as they
till, hoe, dig, plant, weed, harvest by hand crops of corn, sweet potatoes,
bananas, sesame, coffee, tea, beans, peanuts.
We crossed the Nile
River twice, the longest
river in the world. We neared the Mountains of the Moon eternally glacier
covered. We crossed the equator in Uganda, one of only 10 countries in
the entire world where you can cross it on land.
Uganda
called by Winston Churchill 'the pearl of Africa',
like a cake is to be enjoyed in the composite.
A church is also like a chocolate cake. Forty years
ago Glenn worked at Kampala Baptist Church,
just starting near THE one University
of Uganda at that time in Kampala, Makerere.
At that time a small, struggling new entity, run by missionaries now a vibrant,
dynamic, large congregation composed of peoples of many backgrounds run all by
Ugandans, a church that has seen 20 other churches form in Kampala and in the last year the BUU, Baptist
Union of Uganda has started 96 new churches throughout the country to 1775.
The past forty years numerous peoples and missions
contributed to the church. Like a chocolate cake, not one could stand
alone; together they have made a grand contribution.
Chocolate cakes, countries, churches....each composed of
ingredients minuscule or grand, but all contributing to the whole.
Praise God for the tremendous, ongoing church growth in Uganda.
Pray for the huge needs this great growth brings:
-
The grandmother alone, in poverty, in the name
of Jesus caring for 16 orphans.
-
The cluster of churches really just groups,
untrained, heretical, syncratic yet desiring to be the church.
-
The senior regional pastor who wants to "retire"
so he can bring in younger leadership while he is around to encourage new
pastors in the above two situations.
Pray for more WorldVenture personnel:
-
More people to do leadership training
-
A team to work in northern Uganda / Southern Sudan
working with Ugandans to spread the church into that ravished land.
-
People to work with Hope Alive - a great child
sponsorship program making a huge difference in the lives of 500 children and
their families.
Pray for us:
-
The rest of this week we are in war torn DR
Congo, through Oct 25.
-
Next week we meet with our Rwanda people, through November 1.
-
The following week with our Senegal team, through November 8.