Jesus is Born today!

It was different this year celebrating in the heat, but I think it was probably hot where Jesus was born. I don't know. We tried to get the kids gifts from Africa since they are all excited about things here! The boys each got a drum and slingshot.  Ashley got a Ugandan purse and a ebony elephant!  We had a fun day with the kids eating popcorn and watching Polar Express!

On Wednesday we had the privilege of taking Pastor Francis and his family out to their village. Their village is about one and a half hours away on crazy bumpy roads.  We packed up all their luggage around 9:30 in the morning, which included bikes and mattresses on top and a chicken by our feet. We packed eleven of us into our eight passenger van.  Thankfully we have air conditioning in our van! We started out from their home with Benjamin(a church member) praying for to safe travels.
We drove to Lake Kyoga first, and saw many cool things. In the one picture, Drew is holding and looking at a hippo tooth that was along the shore. We saw a funny looking duck and her cute little ducklings fighting over a minnow that one had caught. We were then told that we could take a boat ride across the lake to see many monkeys. The boat ride over was so nice with the breeze blowing on our faces and surrounded by our friends. When we arrived on the other shore we did not see monkeys immediately so we trekked back into the land in search for monkeys.  Along the way, we saw exotic birds, colorful butterflies, cows, and many unique plants and trees. We did finally see some monkeys after trekking a ways. We then got back on our boat and started back. We then saw monkeys in the trees right by the shore.  They were giving us a show.  After we observed them for a little bit we took off and then returned back to the other side.
We then drove to Janet's(Pastor's wife) village. We visited her mother and some of her siblings.  It was a beautiful village and we relaxed for a little while and got rehydrated. (We were all a little dehydrated from the boat ride since we forgot to take water. ) Steve found out later that she has only seen her mother twice this year and even now their wasn't much conversation.
Pastor Francis's village was our next stop. It was beautiful with orange, lemon, avocado, papaya trees and other vegetable plants. We visited while they prepared us a meal. The chicken we brought along was slaughtered and then the boys chased another chicken and that was also on the menu. We watched them prepare them so carefully for us. It was done with such love and care. They know we are more picky with our meat and they prepared it beautifully. It was really humbling! When the meat was complete they served us first and smiled broadly as we enjoyed the meal they had just prepared. They all had to be hungry, but in their custom they serve the guests first.
It was a wonderful day full of many lessons on culture. We are so thankful for their friendship and the blessing they are to us. We will miss them for the two weeks they are in the village.

Timothy Leadership Training

I (Steve) have been working along side with Joshua Shaarda teaching Timothy Leadership Training (TLT).  This training here in Pingere (pictures below), which is about an hour ride on motorcycle from Soroti, is the first of TLT Training in this area.  I was able to go at the beginning and see the initial planning stages up to the actual start of training.  We consistently had around 25 pastors/church leaders attend both days of the training on Pastoral Care.  I am privileged to be immersed in the culture because I am learning a lot from the Ateso people.  I will be starting more intense language training after the first of the year with a Pastor Francis who is a neighbor of ours.  I've also been in a village called Orungo where TLT is being taught.  I am also excited to possibly do follow ups with the Pastor's Action Plans and Results for Kingdom Change which is a vital part of TLT Training.  This will bring opportunities to meet at homes and work in gardens and build trust and relationships with the Ugandan people.  Our ministry here in Uganda is all relational.  Working along side the Ugandan people is our ministry teaching them the Biblical Worldview.  I  am excited to share more in the future about TLT and the work God has given me to do here in Soroti and Beyond.  2 Timothy 2:2 "And the things you have heard me say in the presence of many witnesses entrust to reliable men who will also be qualified to teach others."

Pastor Peter following the Scripture

Instruments used for praise & worship, and for a table.

Everything is translated from English to Ateso

This pastor's son sat in on the training session.

This is the church in Pingere,  brick/mud walls,  stick/thatch roof,  dung floor.

Pastor Martin playing the drum during praise & worship

This pastor following along our track 1session on Pastoral Care (Caring For God's People).

Joel,  he lives right on the main road of Pamba and when we drive by or walk by he yells Muzungu!  He goes to our church and his siblings play at our home, so I keep telling him "You call me Auntie, not muzungu."  One day he will learn.  He is soo cute and runs up to me and grabs my hand now that he is used to me!

Ashley holding one of Paul's baby chicks.  

Winnie is Joel's older sister.  She has the most beautiful eyes and a sweet personality to go with them!

Celestine, trying to be sassy!! 

Avalien is Paul's sister and is just weeks younger than Ashley! Peace!!

Timothy is the older brother to Joel and Winnie.  He also had baby chicks, but no food for them so we gave him food for the chicks and when the chicks get big he will give us a cock and 2 hens.  He was so excited to feed his chicks!

Ashley and Jennifer- Timothy, Winnie and Joel's parents took in their niece when her mom died.  She is so sweet and also yells muzungu at me all the time.  Pray for this little darling as she adjusts to life with a new family. She kept asking for her mom and wanted to be held all the time which made Joel a little mad. She seems to be adjusting now though!

This is my good friend Janet. Her husband is the pastor of the church we attend most of the time. We have been making the bead necklaces together.  She is the mother to Paul and Avalien along with 3 older children.

Random Pictures

We have not updated in too long. It has been so busy with the holiday season. We have had a Candlelight Christmas Carol night, a Christmas Tea with the woman and it is just busy baking.

I will have lots of blogs soon, there is so much to write about and so many pictures I want you all to see. We are starting to feel more and more at home. The boys now have felt free to ride their bikes around the  neighborhood with Paul.

These are Roasted Ground Nuts. 

Paul is Drew and Troy's constant companion. He is the pastors son and the boys are going to be so sad when he goes back to boarding school!

Making beads has been my latest addiction.  It has been a great way to interact with a family here. We have gotten to know them quite well and it has been so fun. 

The beads are covered with varnish and they are drying in our unfinished boys quarters!

D

Smiling Faces and Dirty Bodies

Preparing for Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving was a wonderful time.  Our family had the privilege to prepare the turkey's this year. After 3 weeks of being woken up by these delicious birds, it was so fun to prepare them. (Although, after seeing them prepared, Ashley could not eat the meat)  Steve woke up early on the Monday before Thanksgiving and along with the boys killed the turkey for Thanksgiving dinner. It was quite and experience with blood everywhere and Ashley saying she was going to throw up and the boys just loving it. The turkey tasted great for our celebration. We thank God for his provision.

I have so much more to write, but I know some of you were waiting for these pictures.  I will share more about our celebration later.

Sipi Falls

The edge!

Three beautiful girls, inside and out!

This family was hulling the coffee beans!

Chris and Michele and their daughter Chloe came on a Vision Trip to Uganda to see if God is calling them long-term here. After a busy week of visiting all the ministry sites in Soroti we all went to Sipi Falls for a time of reflection and relaxation. We hiked to the top of Sipi falls, which was not relaxing, but it was wonderful. Our God is an amazing creator!
This trip brought back so many memories from when we came on our vision trip. It was wonderful to see God's faithfulness in the last 2 years. It was wonderful to be at Sipi with our kids and enjoy it the way I imagined they would. They climbed like troopers. They were the leaders of the pack right behind our guide. They enjoyed the Cameleon that Tim bought from some boys in the bush. They were covered from head to toe with dirt, just as I imagined they would be. It was so fun to see them playing in the stream and washing off in the stream water. They didn't get very clean, but it was better than before.
We slept in tents and listened to the waterfall all night long and Steve and the kids got up early in the morning to hike to the top of the falls.

What a wonderful reminder of our awesome God! He not only showed me his beautiful creation of the earth, but the beautiful creation of His people. The people live so simply in the mountains and they are so happy and content!

I wish I could write all my thoughts down, but it would take forever and I can't type as fast as my mind thinks. I really just want you all to be impressed with our wonderful Creator!! He is amazing!!