I have to say, the entire team was not too excited about our return trip to Lugazi for two reasons: One, we were having a wonderful time ministering in the camps and two Speed Humps. But we did realize that we had to return at some point.

Just to the west of the main road we drove up on, Murchison Falls National Park is located. Pastor Bill and Linda had decided to “detour” us that way.
So we had an “unofficial” safari. It was absolutely amazing. Seeing animals “free” to roam in their own natural habitat was so wonderful. We came up on quite a few giraffes. The are truly amazing creatures. Each one is colored differenlty. Some were really chestnut colored and others more brown. Some dark and some really light. All different colors, but just giraffes ~ just like people.

I was in awe as I also noticed that giraffes are graceful, especially when they run. It looks like they run in slow motion…. but their stride is long and they cover a great distance in just a few steps. Like the plan of God, it seems like things are moving in slow motion, but when we turn around and look back a year, we see the great distance He has had us travel. He’s had us make great strides.

Other animals we saw: Oribi, Waterbucks, warthogs, Elepahants (YES real live ones), African Buffalo, Hippopotamus, Red Tailed monkeys, baboons, Tortoise, Ibex and a bunch of animals that I don’t even know the names…

African Buffalo, Giraffes with Nile river in background and Hippos in the Nile.. Sorry, my Camera batteries died!

note: The best part about the safari… limited speed humps… we bypassed most of them and it took the same amount of time.

Ok… after we packed up the movie projector and took down the sheet, we headed back and the sound of thunder started to rumble overhead with lightining. Raindrops started to fall quickly and very hard on the glass of the van. Talk about a deluge! Again, I’m back in Fiji and the tropical rains that pour and pour and pour.

As we drive the roads are quickly becoming flooded. Mind you the roads are not good with out rain, so we start to pray. You can see currents running across and down the roads… Ignasis eyes are scanning and watching the road. You could feel tires slipping on the road. As I prayed, I could not help but think….
Rule of a flooded road…..Don’t cross you don’t know whats under the water…
But rule of a flooded road in Africa, keep going!

So, we prayed that the angels would keep up out of ruts and drop offs and fill in those low places. Prayer answered. It was slow going (no surprise there) but we made it back with out harm or incident.

Faith Family, again, I want to thank you for your prayers, they keep us as we go out and come in!
Check out the photos below!!! WOW

After the Church services ended after noon, we traveled to the camp of Pabo to meet the other team members.
In Pabo, we ate lunch at one of the Pastors houses. We were able to minister to the children and pray for the sick.
It touched the hearts of the people that we were there. It was absolutely beautiful. In their lack, they want to give us their all.

Note: In regards to clothing, the decisions on what to wear is not based upon color or style as often times what they are wearing is all they have. It is their only outfit. Their decision is based upon HOW TO WEAR whether or not they are covering the front side or the back side.

We continued along to the next camp: Oting
Oting, is a camp that was closed to having anyone from the “outside” come in at all. Apparently there were some other orginazations that came in and made promises that they did not keep. But, Pastor Basco talked to the camp administrator and asked if we could possibly show a film. After a discussion, the camp administrator agreed. Set up in on the van. A white sheet is draped on the van to project the movie on. As some of the group was setting up the screen. Carolyn and I got out and started engaging the Children in a friendly game of soccer. Their soccer ball was old wadded up clothes, tied end to end, wrapped in a ball that looked like a rubberband ball.

Same plan as in the children’s homes, kick the ball around until one of the kids gets close enough to you to get a hug.. The grab on and hug them. It works wonders. The all giggle at first and tease the “first recipient” of the hug, but then they inch closer and closer until they get their hug.

Another thing we did was engage them in a game of Hand Pile war, where you alternate your hands on top of each other pulling from the bottom to see who can keep it in order and end up on top. It brought heaps of laughter. It was special. You do with little and give in abundance.

After a bit, Pastor Bosco approached the camp administrator and asked if the team could go from hut to hut and pray for the people. Unknown to us, he had been watching us engage the children and as he saw the smiles, laughter and hugs, his heart was softened. He agreed to let us go.

From hut to hut we go. Prayer was for all sorts of needs, healing, provisions, families who’ve lost loved ones, and most importantly sharing the Gospel and prayer to receive Jesus. It was magnificient! Darkness came up quick on us and we headed back to where the film was playing. Between 800-1000 people had gathered by the van to watch the movie. There are no benches to sit upon, so all stood. Packed in so tight in a small area….
The film played, people watched, and when it ended, a simple message for those to receive Jesus was offered, it was beautiful as the prayer was repeated in the native tongue…. absolutely music to the ears of the Lord.

Carolyn, Danielle, Sarah and I are left at the first camp to do the church service.
Danielle and Sarah will do children’s ministry and Carolyn and I will do the main service.

We start the service by worshipping together.. The people in the camp want to bless us so they are singing in English, and many don’t even speak English. They speak Lumasaba and Ateso in the North ~ different from the Luganda in the South…. We make a request for them to praise and worsihp in their native tongue. It is absolutelty beautiful! Danielle sings Beautiful Jesus and it is such a blessing to the peple and the team to see her gift in operation. After Praise and worship, we split off…

After a warm welcome by Pastor Paul to Carolyn and me. And Carolyn starts speaking her heart on having joy. She shares from her experiences in life and how it was allowing the joy of the Lord in her heart that carried her through. She talked about true joy versus happiness based upon circumstances. When she turned it over to me… I picked up with Hebrews 12.. that it was for the Joy set before Him, that Jesus endured the cross. Shared about the One who is the giver of joy. Then went into teaching on the role of the Holy Spirit and staying filled with the joy.. Eph. 5:18 & 19.

As I was teaching, I had looked back at Pastor Paul and he had a great big smile on his face and was thanking the Lord. The Lord is so good, He responded by flooding the place with His Holy Spirit. Carolyn and I prayed for an extra measure of the Holy Spirit to be upon them individually. New languages were abounding and joy was breaking out. We then werwe led to pray for the sick and the the Lord healed them. Thank you Lord Jesus!

A celebration and praise session broke out that I believe the people were “floating” on the air as they danced. I don’t know how they do it, but they “hover” above the ground. We ended up dancing outside the Church around the building… It was so glorious and wonderful time of praising the Lord. In the middle of Africa, we’re marching around a church! Selah!!! After the praise and worship, Pastor Paul thanked God for having us come. He prayed over Carolyn and me and I know that his thanks were more than just words. One could feel that there was a deep sincerity behind his thanks to the Lord.

As we walked back to where we were going to meet our transport, he turned to me and started to speak, through the interpreter, Pastor Paul told me that in the morning, as he and the elders were reading the bible, he saw a verse about the Holy Spirit. He told the elders that he felt impressed that they should make a special request to the Lord to enlighten them to the role of the Holy Spirit, to send someone to teach about the infilling.

We know that we are answers to prayers, but to me, it is so humbling to know that the Lord used us to be an immediate answer to a prayer that was put up in the morning. Thank you Lord for entrusting us with this special message to deliver at the appointed time.

And to all my Faith Family.. Thank you for your constant prayers for us to hear with the ears of our Spirits and Obey what we are being prompted to do. They help keep us in tune with the spirit and put down the distractions.

Photos of the Church: Those on the inside:
Pastor Paul, Congregation, Musicians (the instrument is a harp)

Those on the outside: Children of non Christian families looking in through “windows” and doors, longing to be a part of the family…

Life in a refugee camp is one that I could not imagine. We see clips on news programs now and again, but until you visit a refugee camp it is just not real. Without any announcement, we approached the first camp, it looked as if there were thousands of little huts all “squished” together in a rather small area. Knowing that most villages are not this big, I knew it was a refugee camp.

I’ll do my best to describe the life in a camp…
Security for the camp: Camps with barbed wire around them are for the protection of the people who live in the camp. To keep out those bands of the LRA who drove them from their villages in first place. Security means that people can leave the camp during daylight to clear small patches of land and grow vegetables to supplement food that they are given by the UN’s World Food Program. They must be back before dark.

Making charcoal and selling it is a popular wasy to provide some form of income for the people. Our drive takes us down roads were bags of charcoal are sitting on the side of the road awaiting to be picked up. A bag of charcoal goes for about 7500 Ugandan shillings or $4. The government has recently banned the production of Charcoal as too much of the Rain Forest was being destroyed. There is good and bad to that…. taking away a means of income or an important part of balance for the eco-system.

In each of the camps, there are few health facilities in the camp and people die each week from malaria, cholera, dysentery or Aids-related illnesses. Medical care is just not there… God healing through prayer is always the best option.

DISTRUST, HOPELESNESS and DISPAIR are evident as you go into the camps. Many groups had come through and made so many promises, but many of the promises have been unfulfilled….. BUT GLORY TO GOD… We bring the TRUTH where they can be made PERFECT and ENTIRE, WANTING NOTHING!!!!!