Hey, as you can see, Mary Kate found an Internet cafe (see her post below this one!!) and wrote a little something from Kampala. They had a free day to rest and do a little shopping and looking around the city before they are off again on assignment tomorrow.
Her team will go up to Gulu until Saturday to work in the children's camp. Some of you are familiar with the Watoto Children's Choir...they are from that area. There is a Watoto Children's Center, maybe they will visit there as well. (Back at the Chris Tomlin concert we went to in January, Mary Kate got excited about the Watoto children, and she said, "Mom, I think I should go to Uganda." Here is the website of Chris Tomlin singing with the choir...check it out, if you haven't heard it before. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_Tung5rpfWA&feature=related)
Please pray that she gets over her cold or allergy problem. She said it is very dusty there. She phoned us for literally 30 seconds yesterday afternoon ( that's what she refers to in her post), but the connection was so poor and her time ran out soooo quickly (they may have been sharing calling cards) that we didn't really hear very much.
Their ministry in Kampala at the schools and orphanages went very well. There were always soooo many people gathering to hear the Gospel. What a privilege to be able to share the "True Love Waits" program and do VBS as well. The people there have been so horribly effected by the war in their country and need the hope of the Savior. Many have responded and accepted Jesus as Lord and Savior, and the local church that GE is working with, now has a lot of work to do. What an exciting thing to have happen. Imagine these children not knowing someone loves them and that they are worth saving. Thank you for your prayers for the teams, for their safety and health, and that God will continue to use them in a mighty way, that lives will be changed from darkness to light!
Monday, June 29, 2009
It's ME!!
Hello everyone...
I'm in the internet cafe... for a few min. i'm trying to get a calling card to call my family back. sorry mom that i lost you last night. the min. ran out and i didn't have anymore. anyway.... Uganda is great. we were in kampala this past week doing purity programs in schools. so awesome. i have stories to tell about that when i get back. the stories of these kids are unbeliveable. the girls are so open and have such a need for the love of God. tomorrow we leave for Gulu. that will be crazy i'm sure. so diff from here. next sunday and monday is the safari. the church we are working with is incredible. we leave for the states on wed of next. i can't believe the time is almost up. love you all. and miss you.
(mom and dad... im trying to get some calling time. sorry. i love you super much. i'm doing well. just have a little cold. but no big deal. love you)
I'm in the internet cafe... for a few min. i'm trying to get a calling card to call my family back. sorry mom that i lost you last night. the min. ran out and i didn't have anymore. anyway.... Uganda is great. we were in kampala this past week doing purity programs in schools. so awesome. i have stories to tell about that when i get back. the stories of these kids are unbeliveable. the girls are so open and have such a need for the love of God. tomorrow we leave for Gulu. that will be crazy i'm sure. so diff from here. next sunday and monday is the safari. the church we are working with is incredible. we leave for the states on wed of next. i can't believe the time is almost up. love you all. and miss you.
(mom and dad... im trying to get some calling time. sorry. i love you super much. i'm doing well. just have a little cold. but no big deal. love you)
Friday, June 26, 2009
It doesn't get any better than this!!!
Another perfect day weather-wise in Kampala. And, another day of rejoicing in Heaven, according the the "Updates from the Field" on GE's website. The website was updated by Mary Kate, and unless there is another Mary Kate on the trip, it must be OUR missionary!!
She writes: "Tuesday morning (6-23-09) my team and I went to a school, Hope of Joy. We were prepared to do our purity program 'True Love Waits' but when we arrived, the children were quite young and we decided a VBS program would be more appropriate. We had about 1 minute to plan as we walked in the classroom. We decided to pray because we had no idea what we were going to do, and definitely needed God's help. My MIG (Ministry Group) and I got a third grade class to work with. The children were so adorable. They all stood and greeted us and we sang some songs and played some games with them. Then we told the story of Daniel and the Lion's Den and a girl in my MIG shared her testimony (the third grade version) :) Then I tied it all together and shared the gospel message. At the end, I asked if anyone had any questions or wanted to have Jesus in their life. Almost immediately one boy raised his hand and whispered to his teacher that he wanted Jesus. His face lit up with a huge smile. I asked if anyone else wanted that and lots of kids in the class came up and I led them in a prayer of salvation. Whether or not they all understood exactly what they were doing, we planted a seed in their lives. I know this little boy will never forget that day. I will never forget his smile for Jesus! God definitely gave us the words to speak, and I am SO thankful for HIM! Mary Kate
Exciting stuff, huh? I hope Mary Kate took a picture of this little boy...please remember to pray for him, and for the others who heard about Jesus!! So, now we know Mary Kate's team has been in the schools and orphanages this week. All the teams will be back together on Sunday for church together and sharing what the Lord has been doing. Then, they switch places, and it's her team that goes to Gulu, the children's camp about 200 miles north of Kampala. I'm going to try to have Mary Kate put this song on when she gets home, but for now, please remember these words and give a SHOUT TO THE LORD because God IS working!!
She writes: "Tuesday morning (6-23-09) my team and I went to a school, Hope of Joy. We were prepared to do our purity program 'True Love Waits' but when we arrived, the children were quite young and we decided a VBS program would be more appropriate. We had about 1 minute to plan as we walked in the classroom. We decided to pray because we had no idea what we were going to do, and definitely needed God's help. My MIG (Ministry Group) and I got a third grade class to work with. The children were so adorable. They all stood and greeted us and we sang some songs and played some games with them. Then we told the story of Daniel and the Lion's Den and a girl in my MIG shared her testimony (the third grade version) :) Then I tied it all together and shared the gospel message. At the end, I asked if anyone had any questions or wanted to have Jesus in their life. Almost immediately one boy raised his hand and whispered to his teacher that he wanted Jesus. His face lit up with a huge smile. I asked if anyone else wanted that and lots of kids in the class came up and I led them in a prayer of salvation. Whether or not they all understood exactly what they were doing, we planted a seed in their lives. I know this little boy will never forget that day. I will never forget his smile for Jesus! God definitely gave us the words to speak, and I am SO thankful for HIM! Mary Kate
Exciting stuff, huh? I hope Mary Kate took a picture of this little boy...please remember to pray for him, and for the others who heard about Jesus!! So, now we know Mary Kate's team has been in the schools and orphanages this week. All the teams will be back together on Sunday for church together and sharing what the Lord has been doing. Then, they switch places, and it's her team that goes to Gulu, the children's camp about 200 miles north of Kampala. I'm going to try to have Mary Kate put this song on when she gets home, but for now, please remember these words and give a SHOUT TO THE LORD because God IS working!!
"Little is MUCH, when God's in it,
and no one can fathom the plans He holds,
little is MUCH, when God's in it,
He changes the world with the seeds we sow."
Tuesday, June 23, 2009
Updates: Priceless!
Today, on the Global Expeditions site, which has been updated, I read some very exciting stuff. The weather is perfect there (in NJ, this is the first sunny day we've had...17 out of 21 days of rain!) and they are pumped up for ministry. The people have been welcoming to them, and teams are thankful for the prayer on their behalf.
In case you can't reach the GE website updates, here is what one of the team members wrote about: they were sitting outside the hostel, doing some drama practice, when local children started watching them. Before long there were many kids. Every child likes ice cream so GE treated, and someone ran for a translator. They decided to have an impromptu VBS with games, songs and a lesson...five kids came to know the Lord!! HOW COOL IS THAT!!
It definitely looks like one of the teams is in Gulu, which by the way, is about 200 miles north, working at the camp. Then the others are working in the schools and orphanages. Gulu is an area that, just since spring of 2007, has had peace after 21 years of war against the rebel Lord's Resistance Army (LRA) and it's leader, Joseph Kony (bad guy!!) Unfortunately, Kony and the LRA has moved on into Congo, and is doing damage there. Gulu is growing again, in part, thanks to international help, with medicine, rehabilitation centers for the abducted children, and with food. There is a lot of work to be done there, so please pray for the time there.
In case you can't reach the GE website updates, here is what one of the team members wrote about: they were sitting outside the hostel, doing some drama practice, when local children started watching them. Before long there were many kids. Every child likes ice cream so GE treated, and someone ran for a translator. They decided to have an impromptu VBS with games, songs and a lesson...five kids came to know the Lord!! HOW COOL IS THAT!!
It definitely looks like one of the teams is in Gulu, which by the way, is about 200 miles north, working at the camp. Then the others are working in the schools and orphanages. Gulu is an area that, just since spring of 2007, has had peace after 21 years of war against the rebel Lord's Resistance Army (LRA) and it's leader, Joseph Kony (bad guy!!) Unfortunately, Kony and the LRA has moved on into Congo, and is doing damage there. Gulu is growing again, in part, thanks to international help, with medicine, rehabilitation centers for the abducted children, and with food. There is a lot of work to be done there, so please pray for the time there.
Monday, June 22, 2009
Keep Praying!
Mary Kate left me with a schedule of what would probably be going on this next week, so I'll just tell you what it says. I really don't have any other information from "the field" yet, so until they update that, I can't update this, you understand. Trust me, I'm waiting and checking all the time for any information.
Today, one of the teams will head to Gulu to work in the children's camp. Gula is in northern Uganda so it may be quite a ride. This is where the refugee children live, who have been drastically effected (and possibly orphaned) by the of years of war in their country. The other two teams will go to schools throughout Kampala and present the "True Love Waits" abstinence program. If you recall from earlier posts, they were working on the material back in Texas and will be explaining the Gospel with that program. They are also supposed to go to some orphanages. The teams will do about 6-7 days of this, then switch, with one day in between so they can share what work has been done. I'm sure it will be exciting, but emotionally wearing at the same time. Understanding all the trauma the Ugandan people have been through, and listening to their stories will be difficult. Please pray for the teams as they share the love of the Savior with people who REALLY need HIM. Please pray that the teams will be clear in their messages and that God will open people's eyes to accept Jesus into their hearts. Pray also for the local church there, that they will be able to disciple and minister to all those who will need it. The Ugandan people need HOPE and that is exactly what God offers!
This is the song we sang in church yesterday, I thought of Mary Kate...
(Hillsong, Mighty To Save)
Everyone needs compassion, a love that's never failing, let mercy fall on me,
Everyone needs forgiveness, the kindness of a Savior,
THE HOPE OF NATIONS!
(Chorus) Savior, He can move the mountains
My God is mighty to save, He is mighty to save,
Forever, Author of salvation, He rose and conquered the grave,
Jesus conquered the grave!
Today, one of the teams will head to Gulu to work in the children's camp. Gula is in northern Uganda so it may be quite a ride. This is where the refugee children live, who have been drastically effected (and possibly orphaned) by the of years of war in their country. The other two teams will go to schools throughout Kampala and present the "True Love Waits" abstinence program. If you recall from earlier posts, they were working on the material back in Texas and will be explaining the Gospel with that program. They are also supposed to go to some orphanages. The teams will do about 6-7 days of this, then switch, with one day in between so they can share what work has been done. I'm sure it will be exciting, but emotionally wearing at the same time. Understanding all the trauma the Ugandan people have been through, and listening to their stories will be difficult. Please pray for the teams as they share the love of the Savior with people who REALLY need HIM. Please pray that the teams will be clear in their messages and that God will open people's eyes to accept Jesus into their hearts. Pray also for the local church there, that they will be able to disciple and minister to all those who will need it. The Ugandan people need HOPE and that is exactly what God offers!
This is the song we sang in church yesterday, I thought of Mary Kate...
(Hillsong, Mighty To Save)
Everyone needs compassion, a love that's never failing, let mercy fall on me,
Everyone needs forgiveness, the kindness of a Savior,
THE HOPE OF NATIONS!
(Chorus) Savior, He can move the mountains
My God is mighty to save, He is mighty to save,
Forever, Author of salvation, He rose and conquered the grave,
Jesus conquered the grave!
The Lord your God is with YOU, He is mighty to save! Zeph. 3:17
Saturday, June 20, 2009
A lesson in Longitude and Latitude
The weather in Kampala right now is a partly cloudy, 72 degrees, but it's the middle of the night there, so hopefully they are all sleeping soundly. Sunday wake-up, which will be in a few hours from now for them, will bring a meeting with Pastor Sempa and they will worship at a local church. It will probably be a great time! Not sure of much more of the schedule for the day, but in the evening, they will have church on their own with their Project Leaders, Candice and Adam. Mary Kate said she really enjoyed both of these people, and was looking forward to getting to know them better. They've been on lots of trips, all over the world.
Before Mary Kate left, she was busy looking on the Internet for a map of Kampala. I asked her about it, and she said she wanted to know where the equator went through. I think she thought there was an actual LINE through town, and that she wanted to be on the other side of it at some point to be able to say she crossed the equator. Tyler (Mr. Cartographer) tried over and over to explain that the equator is an angle of longitude and latitude and....blah, blah, blah. I could see Mary Kate's eyes glazing over. She just wanted the bottom line, me too at that point. Was she going to be ON THE EQUATOR OR NOT? I even looked it up on the Internet and had to have Tyler come and explain it to ME!! We must have been sleeping that day in school, but thankfully Tyler pays attention. Mary Kate, sweetheart, I hope you cross over, wherever you think is "there" IS! Have fun...and I know you just want to see if toilets flush the other direction!
Before Mary Kate left, she was busy looking on the Internet for a map of Kampala. I asked her about it, and she said she wanted to know where the equator went through. I think she thought there was an actual LINE through town, and that she wanted to be on the other side of it at some point to be able to say she crossed the equator. Tyler (Mr. Cartographer) tried over and over to explain that the equator is an angle of longitude and latitude and....blah, blah, blah. I could see Mary Kate's eyes glazing over. She just wanted the bottom line, me too at that point. Was she going to be ON THE EQUATOR OR NOT? I even looked it up on the Internet and had to have Tyler come and explain it to ME!! We must have been sleeping that day in school, but thankfully Tyler pays attention. Mary Kate, sweetheart, I hope you cross over, wherever you think is "there" IS! Have fun...and I know you just want to see if toilets flush the other direction!
Friday, June 19, 2009
Can You Hear Me NOW?
The team left Dubai about 9:00 a.m. this morning and arrived in Entebbe, Uganda at 2:36 p.m. local time, with about an hour layover in Bole, Ethiopia. They also gained one hour back, so they are now 7 hours ahead of us in New Jersey.
Mary Kate just phoned (they are required to call when they reach their country. It is 2:45 p.m. here) but we only had 3 minutes to talk. The connection was OK, and she is fine. Please pray everyone stays well, since the girl next to MK on the plane, was sick...could have been motion sickness...or not. She said the weather there was perfect, a cool 72 degrees and sunny. No more Texas heat! The place they are staying in is called Nana Hostel in Kampala. That will be their home base, and from there, they will go to the villages and schools. She said Nana Hostel was very nice, nothing like their accommodations in Panama, but then this is a city base and that was the jungle and islands. It was good to hear from her, and thank you for your prayers as they traveled. Now the work begins.
The "Update from the Field" posted on the GE website this morning says "Greetings Parents and prayer partners! The teams are currently in the airport in Dubai awaiting the boarding of the final flight to Uganda! The group is doing wonderful! Last night we had a layover in Dubai hotel. Everyone is healthy, cheerful and excited. Many blessings have happened in our travel process where team members have been able to share Christ with fellow travelers. We thank you for your prayers! When we allow the students to make phone calls as soon as we are able upon landing."
Mary Kate just phoned (they are required to call when they reach their country. It is 2:45 p.m. here) but we only had 3 minutes to talk. The connection was OK, and she is fine. Please pray everyone stays well, since the girl next to MK on the plane, was sick...could have been motion sickness...or not. She said the weather there was perfect, a cool 72 degrees and sunny. No more Texas heat! The place they are staying in is called Nana Hostel in Kampala. That will be their home base, and from there, they will go to the villages and schools. She said Nana Hostel was very nice, nothing like their accommodations in Panama, but then this is a city base and that was the jungle and islands. It was good to hear from her, and thank you for your prayers as they traveled. Now the work begins.
The "Update from the Field" posted on the GE website this morning says "Greetings Parents and prayer partners! The teams are currently in the airport in Dubai awaiting the boarding of the final flight to Uganda! The group is doing wonderful! Last night we had a layover in Dubai hotel. Everyone is healthy, cheerful and excited. Many blessings have happened in our travel process where team members have been able to share Christ with fellow travelers. We thank you for your prayers! When we allow the students to make phone calls as soon as we are able upon landing."
Thursday, June 18, 2009
Hello Houston...we've got a problem!! (part 2)
Since you can see a picture of the plane and read Mary Kate's description of it, you know they made it to Houston, but not without a little excitement. That "missionary bus" I wrote about on my last entry, was true to it's name. On the way down to Houston, the bus overheated (what a surprise, since everything does at 100 degrees!). They had to open all the emergency hatches, etc. and let the poor thing cool down. They pulled to the side of the road (they always leave super early to get soooo many people checked in) and after a little while, they were back on track. God truly was watching over this group since by the time they arrived at the airport, they were the last to check in. (they could have been told, "you are the last to check in, I'm sorry to tell you this but you have been eliminated!!")
At the airport, they were each allowed to check two bags...about 23 kilos each,(50 lbs) for no cost (how about THAT...American Airlines, Continental, United, etc.) Mary Kate also had a giant garbage bag filled with sleeping bags to check. They kind of re-pack stuff since they have to all carry part of the equipment that is going. Some have sound equipment, some have food, some have teaching supplies, etc. There was a huge "sound equipment box" that had to go, but was way over the limit...like at 70lbs. Mary Kate and some others ended up with microphones and wires in their carry-on since some of that stuff had to be re-packed, then the ticket agents were gracious, and let the box go through since they didn't have many OTHER over weight bags. Praise God!!
Here at home, we were trying to figure out the shortest route to Dubai from Texas. Tyler, of course (if you know him) threw out the "great circle" theory, which in short is: flying north and down is shortest. He even went to get a ball and string to demonstrate. We ended up looking it up on the Internet and he's right! Check this out: http://liftanddrag.blogspot.com/2009/02/great-circle-route.html
Well, I see from the flight track, that they have landed in Dubai, 6:29 p.m. (local time there...8 hours ahead of us.) Thank you again for your prayers for their safety.
At the airport, they were each allowed to check two bags...about 23 kilos each,(50 lbs) for no cost (how about THAT...American Airlines, Continental, United, etc.) Mary Kate also had a giant garbage bag filled with sleeping bags to check. They kind of re-pack stuff since they have to all carry part of the equipment that is going. Some have sound equipment, some have food, some have teaching supplies, etc. There was a huge "sound equipment box" that had to go, but was way over the limit...like at 70lbs. Mary Kate and some others ended up with microphones and wires in their carry-on since some of that stuff had to be re-packed, then the ticket agents were gracious, and let the box go through since they didn't have many OTHER over weight bags. Praise God!!
Here at home, we were trying to figure out the shortest route to Dubai from Texas. Tyler, of course (if you know him) threw out the "great circle" theory, which in short is: flying north and down is shortest. He even went to get a ball and string to demonstrate. We ended up looking it up on the Internet and he's right! Check this out: http://liftanddrag.blogspot.com/2009/02/great-circle-route.html
Well, I see from the flight track, that they have landed in Dubai, 6:29 p.m. (local time there...8 hours ahead of us.) Thank you again for your prayers for their safety.
Wednesday, June 17, 2009
This plane is amazing! Personal tv screens...toothbrush...roomy seats...blanket...wash clothe...etc, etc, etc... Gonna be a great trip! Thank you all so much for all your prayers. Last night i was thinking about this trip and how amazing its gonna be and how its gonna need lots of prayer. So thank you all so much! :) love you all. Its off to uganda now! I'll talk to you all in a few weeks! Til then...email often and check the blog!
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Hello Houston...
As you can see from the suitcase picture Mary Kate posted, they are packed up and on their way to Houston this afternoon. She phoned before, on the bus, and they expect to fly out tonight to Dubai (one of the stops on the way to Uganda).
Last night was an exciting time at their Commissioning Service. We, here at home, were able to watch the end of it "streaming LIVE" on our computer. (I think the service was like 2 hours long). We just caught the flag recessional which was very nice. Each flag of the country GE is headed for today was represented, and the kids followed "their flag" out, and had a great time of prayer for the country they will be going to. Mary Kate said it was really AWESOME!! and knows God is going to work in Uganda! Some of the teams were on their way to the airport or on buses right after the service. Mary Kate was at least able to get a good night sleep and leave this a.m. It's definitely a "missionary bus" trip to Houston, but at least it has air-conditioning. I don't think Texas is her favorite place, but it was an important stop and the training was so valuable.
Of course she is excited to get to Dubai since she's never been that far east. With the time change and the long flight, they will stay the rest of the night at a hotel in Dubai and fly out Friday a.m. to Kampala, Uganda.
Dubai is in United Arab Emirates and sits on the southern coast of the Persian Gulf. It is home to some of the tallest freestanding buildings in the entire world. AND, they have a cool, I mean REALLY COOL, area called Palm Island and The World. If you click on http://www.theworld.ae/ or http://www.thepalm.ae/ you will see something you won't believe. The country has literally put man-made islands in the water in the shape of a palm tree and of the world map. These islands are privately owned communities (BIG, BIG $$) but what else is an oil-baron to do with his billions? (Sorry, just a little tourist note on Dubai) I hope Mary Kate can get a look at those places from the air, since they are unimaginable. I'm sure she will get her passport stamped there :)
She will be responsible for her girls in the hotel, and no one goes anywhere without a male to accompany them!! Each MIG (Ministry Group) has 4-5 kids and at least one of them is a guy, for safety, EVERYWHERE outside of Texas.
Friday a.m. they will take off for Uganda with a little stop in Ethiopia. Good thing she can sleep anywhere, anytime, because I'm not sure she will know what time it really is by then. They will be 7 hours ahead of us when she reaches Kampala, Uganda. They will hit the ground running, filling the first full day with ministry and work on getting to know the culture there. I'll write more about what she will be doing in Uganda after they get there.
Please continue to pray as they travel, and that God will use this team in a mighty way to change the world...THAT'S what it's ALL about!
Last night was an exciting time at their Commissioning Service. We, here at home, were able to watch the end of it "streaming LIVE" on our computer. (I think the service was like 2 hours long). We just caught the flag recessional which was very nice. Each flag of the country GE is headed for today was represented, and the kids followed "their flag" out, and had a great time of prayer for the country they will be going to. Mary Kate said it was really AWESOME!! and knows God is going to work in Uganda! Some of the teams were on their way to the airport or on buses right after the service. Mary Kate was at least able to get a good night sleep and leave this a.m. It's definitely a "missionary bus" trip to Houston, but at least it has air-conditioning. I don't think Texas is her favorite place, but it was an important stop and the training was so valuable.
Of course she is excited to get to Dubai since she's never been that far east. With the time change and the long flight, they will stay the rest of the night at a hotel in Dubai and fly out Friday a.m. to Kampala, Uganda.
Dubai is in United Arab Emirates and sits on the southern coast of the Persian Gulf. It is home to some of the tallest freestanding buildings in the entire world. AND, they have a cool, I mean REALLY COOL, area called Palm Island and The World. If you click on http://www.theworld.ae/ or http://www.thepalm.ae/ you will see something you won't believe. The country has literally put man-made islands in the water in the shape of a palm tree and of the world map. These islands are privately owned communities (BIG, BIG $$) but what else is an oil-baron to do with his billions? (Sorry, just a little tourist note on Dubai) I hope Mary Kate can get a look at those places from the air, since they are unimaginable. I'm sure she will get her passport stamped there :)
She will be responsible for her girls in the hotel, and no one goes anywhere without a male to accompany them!! Each MIG (Ministry Group) has 4-5 kids and at least one of them is a guy, for safety, EVERYWHERE outside of Texas.
Friday a.m. they will take off for Uganda with a little stop in Ethiopia. Good thing she can sleep anywhere, anytime, because I'm not sure she will know what time it really is by then. They will be 7 hours ahead of us when she reaches Kampala, Uganda. They will hit the ground running, filling the first full day with ministry and work on getting to know the culture there. I'll write more about what she will be doing in Uganda after they get there.
Please continue to pray as they travel, and that God will use this team in a mighty way to change the world...THAT'S what it's ALL about!
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Hey everyone! I'm leaving for the airport in an hour and our flight is this evening. We finally will arrive in uganda on friday...keeping in mind the major layover and the time change! My team name is Caritas...it is the latin equivilant of the greek word agape love. So our whole goal as a team is to bring and show love. My leaders are amazing! I'm so excited to be part of this trip! I have heard the email system may be having some flukes but just keep trying. They do go through at somepoint...just it may be the next day.so just try again. I love getting emails. Yesterday was spent doing evangelism training. And last night we were commissoned in a great ceremony! We worshiped and prayed a lot for uganda! My mom will explain more about that. My family watched it online. Thanks to everyone who is praying for me! It means so much to me! Love you all! Now i'm off to change the world!
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Tuesday, June 16, 2009
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MA for MK!!
Yup, it's Mom here again...we heard from Mary Kate last night. She calls just before she has "lights out" and since she is in "go, go, go Central time" and we are in "I'm pooped and want to go to sleep Eastern time" it's late by the time she phones us. We LOVE to get to hear from her, especially since that won't be the case when she leaves for Uganda tomorrow.
If you read her posting, you know that she got the MA position that she wanted and applied for. (MA stands for Missionary Assistant. They are 18 years old or older, show good leadership qualities, etc). Mary Kate went to Texas earlier (last Friday, instead of Sunday) with many others who applied for MA positions, to train in leadership. The order of "command" is 2 Project Directors (who oversee the entire field project), Team Leaders, Missionary Assistants, then Missionaries. Mary Kate will have the privilege of having four girls in her group and will be responsible for mentoring, a specific ministry, as well as making sure everyone is accounted for from now on, traveling plus in Uganda. There are 3 teams of about 80-90 people going to Uganda...Mary Kate's team has about 25 on it.
Today (Tuesday) they will continue their evangelism training and polish up the "True Love Waits" program that will be presented in schools. With Texas being sooo hot, it's great that they have air-conditioned rooms for their sessions. Mary Kate will be glad to get to Uganda where, believe it or not, it's cooler.
Tonight is the Commissioning Service. Since everyone takes off to different parts of the world tomorrow, they have a service tonight presenting flags representing all the countries. It's a great time of worship and prayer for the teams. Then tomorrow, it's off to Uganda!!!
Please pray for Mary Kate's group: Anna, Amie, Lexi and Claudia. Pray that she will be a very good leader to them and have wisdom, be a Godly example, and that their entire team will work great together and be healthy and safe. And, of course for safety for all the teams traveling tomorrow. Mary Kate will arrive in Uganda on Friday (you know, the time change and Uganda being on the far side...it takes a while to get there). Thanks again for your prayers.
If you read her posting, you know that she got the MA position that she wanted and applied for. (MA stands for Missionary Assistant. They are 18 years old or older, show good leadership qualities, etc). Mary Kate went to Texas earlier (last Friday, instead of Sunday) with many others who applied for MA positions, to train in leadership. The order of "command" is 2 Project Directors (who oversee the entire field project), Team Leaders, Missionary Assistants, then Missionaries. Mary Kate will have the privilege of having four girls in her group and will be responsible for mentoring, a specific ministry, as well as making sure everyone is accounted for from now on, traveling plus in Uganda. There are 3 teams of about 80-90 people going to Uganda...Mary Kate's team has about 25 on it.
Today (Tuesday) they will continue their evangelism training and polish up the "True Love Waits" program that will be presented in schools. With Texas being sooo hot, it's great that they have air-conditioned rooms for their sessions. Mary Kate will be glad to get to Uganda where, believe it or not, it's cooler.
Tonight is the Commissioning Service. Since everyone takes off to different parts of the world tomorrow, they have a service tonight presenting flags representing all the countries. It's a great time of worship and prayer for the teams. Then tomorrow, it's off to Uganda!!!
Please pray for Mary Kate's group: Anna, Amie, Lexi and Claudia. Pray that she will be a very good leader to them and have wisdom, be a Godly example, and that their entire team will work great together and be healthy and safe. And, of course for safety for all the teams traveling tomorrow. Mary Kate will arrive in Uganda on Friday (you know, the time change and Uganda being on the far side...it takes a while to get there). Thanks again for your prayers.
Hello Blog Readers! I would like to announce that I am an MA on this trip. I found out today! I am very excited to be able to mentor four girls this summer. I'm sure my mom will write more about the girls and my job. Its gonna be great. Today we worked really hard training. We broke up into our teams. I have amazing team leaders! In uganda we will be doing a program called True Love Waits. We trained for many many hours today on how to present that. Basically the program is broken up into six sections. Each section shares something different. It is all very God centered. Its a great way to share about God in a practical manner. We were divided into groups and each had a section to work on and present. My group had section three... Which was called safe sex is no sex. We share some verses and stats and did a skit to explain it all. Its a good program to be able to work with. Tomorrow i
will try to update again with some info about my team! Until then... it is lights out so good night!
will try to update again with some info about my team! Until then... it is lights out so good night!
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Sunday, June 14, 2009
Tents and Tornado drills!
Well, I see Mary Kate has posted some pictures of her five star accommodations. Pretty exciting, huh? AND, how about that Tornado drill at 5:50 a.m.? She is definitely not used to THAT! New Jersey doesn't have many tornadoes...Level Orange for the terrorist threats, nor'easters, gridlock and the like, but not too many tornadoes. (Auntie Em, Auntie Em...) Well, I'm glad they know what to do just in case.
Mary Kate said that today the rest of the team comes in from all over the country. She also met a girl who knows one of Mary Kate's friends from Messiah, so it's a small world after all. (don't worry I won't sing it).
For those of you who have tried to e-mail her, we aren't getting through yet either. It's definitely on their end, but please keep trying. And, as always, thank you again for your prayers for her. They REALLY have such a busy schedule and I am praying that some how they can get rest before they leave for Uganda. The heat really takes a lot out of you, and it's HOT there. She said she'd probably never want to live in Texas.
Later...Cindy
Mary Kate said that today the rest of the team comes in from all over the country. She also met a girl who knows one of Mary Kate's friends from Messiah, so it's a small world after all. (don't worry I won't sing it).
For those of you who have tried to e-mail her, we aren't getting through yet either. It's definitely on their end, but please keep trying. And, as always, thank you again for your prayers for her. They REALLY have such a busy schedule and I am praying that some how they can get rest before they leave for Uganda. The heat really takes a lot out of you, and it's HOT there. She said she'd probably never want to live in Texas.
Later...Cindy
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To learn how you can snap pictures and capture videos with your wireless phone visit www.verizonwireless.com/picture.
Note: To play video messages sent to email, QuickTime� 6.5 or higher is required.
To learn how you can snap pictures and capture videos with your wireless phone visit www.verizonwireless.com/picture.
Note: To play video messages sent to email, QuickTime® 6.5 or higher is required.
Training in Texas!
Hello from extremly hot Garden Valley, Texas! We've been training all day today and had some sessions yesterday. Yesterday i met all the leaders on this trip... The project directors and the team leaders. Then we had an awesome worship time. Then today... We were woken up at 5:50am for a tornado drill... We had to learn what to do if a storm came up. Then we had breakfast and an hour long awesome quiet time. Then we had a bunch of really good sessions on what it looks like to be a leader. The teaching was excellent! There was just a lot of sessions and everyone was so exhausted. We were also able to do some team building on the low ropes course. That was a lot of fun and a great way to get to know people on my project! Tonight we wrapped up the leadership training and tomorrow the rest of the missionaries arrive!! It will be exciting to finally meet my teammates! Thanks for everyones
prayers and support! This is gonna be a great trip where God is gonna do some amazing things!
prayers and support! This is gonna be a great trip where God is gonna do some amazing things!
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Friday, June 12, 2009
Newark Airport - June 12th - leaving for Texas.
I will try to figure out how to get these pictures on right and all at the same time too!
Deep in the heart of Texas!
Thank you all for your prayers for Mary Kate. She arrived (I see she posted also! How'd she do that?) in Texas this afternoon.
We left for the airport about 6:45 a.m. and she got her luggage checked in quickly. We are grateful that no overage fee was charged since all that peanut butter and jelly really weighed her luggage down. She was a tiny bit over the 50 lb...ok, like 4-5 lbs. over limit but they didn't care. After getting on the plane, there was something wrong with the door. Trust me on this one, you want the door to CLOSE. Everyone had to get off, then get back on and get all their stuff. They thought it was best to switch to another plane, (great thinking!) and she was finally off for real. With a breakfast of Cornflakes and bananas, (can't imagine that was her favorite) she had a good flight. She phoned us around 3:30 to say she met up with the Global Expedition group and would be leaving for the 2 hour bus ride to their headquaters soon.
For the next few days, Mary Kate will be training for her mission trip in Garden Valley. Training will include preparation for ministry, team building exercises, and Scripture memory, etc. Knowing Mary Kate, she'll be doing her share of meeting new friends too, you can count on that!! The new friends will soon learn that Mary Kate has a great laugh, and can hiccup louder than anyone else they know!
We are so grateful to so many who have prayed for her and have given financially to help her be able to go on this trip. We are praying and trusting the Lord to use her and her team to touch many lives in Uganda. Until next time...Cindy
We left for the airport about 6:45 a.m. and she got her luggage checked in quickly. We are grateful that no overage fee was charged since all that peanut butter and jelly really weighed her luggage down. She was a tiny bit over the 50 lb...ok, like 4-5 lbs. over limit but they didn't care. After getting on the plane, there was something wrong with the door. Trust me on this one, you want the door to CLOSE. Everyone had to get off, then get back on and get all their stuff. They thought it was best to switch to another plane, (great thinking!) and she was finally off for real. With a breakfast of Cornflakes and bananas, (can't imagine that was her favorite) she had a good flight. She phoned us around 3:30 to say she met up with the Global Expedition group and would be leaving for the 2 hour bus ride to their headquaters soon.
For the next few days, Mary Kate will be training for her mission trip in Garden Valley. Training will include preparation for ministry, team building exercises, and Scripture memory, etc. Knowing Mary Kate, she'll be doing her share of meeting new friends too, you can count on that!! The new friends will soon learn that Mary Kate has a great laugh, and can hiccup louder than anyone else they know!
We are so grateful to so many who have prayed for her and have given financially to help her be able to go on this trip. We are praying and trusting the Lord to use her and her team to touch many lives in Uganda. Until next time...Cindy
I made it to Texas!
I made it to Texas! Now i'm headed to the Global Expeditions/Teen Mania headquarters which is 2 hours away from the airport.
Goodbye NJ!
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Thursday, June 11, 2009
Getting ready to fly off to Texas
Hi, Mary Kate's Mom here...she is busy packing and weighing the suitcase, and getting ready to go. She taught me how to blog, so I can update this fun, new, technology while she is in Uganda. So I will try to keep up whenever I hear something. Please pray for her as she travels and spends the next couple of days in Texas...for safety, good health and great working as a team. Thanks.
Wednesday, June 10, 2009
Email Me!
While I'm gone in Uganda you can all email me! But it must be through the Global Expeditions website so that I will be able to get it while I'm gone. For more details on how exactly to do that... look on the lefthand side of this blog and read the section entitled "Email me in Uganda". I'd love to hear from all of you!!
Tuesday, June 9, 2009
Updates While I'm in Uganda?
While I'm in Uganda I will probably not have access to the internet, so I will be having my mom update this blog while I'm gone with information she recieves from me or from Global Expeditions. I have learned how to update this blog from my cell phone with pictures and posts, however I'll only be able to do that while I'm in the U.S. but updates will definitely be coming when my mom finds stuff out. Then when I return I'll be posting all sorts of pictures, videos and stories from my trip! So keep checking back!!
>>>2 days to go<<<
Monday, June 8, 2009
Specific Trip Details
I got to meet some of my team and the leaders via phone on Saturday. There was a huge conference call with as many members of the Uganda team that could make and our project directors were able to give us some detailed information about the trip and the ministry! It was very exciting!
Here is some of the info they gave us:
--Our project has a total of 82 people... ages ranging from 16-21 ish... the leaders are of course a bit older.
--In Uganda we will be working with the MarkArea Community Church (I believe that is what it is called, it was a little hard to hear on the call). This is a huge and growing church in Kampala. If you have ever heard of the Passion Conferences with Loui Giglio and Chris Tomlin and some other well known people, this church has hosted the Passion World Conference for Uganda. It is a church very focused on outreach.
--A previous leader on Global Expeditions trips all over the world moved to South Africa to become a full time missionary. He works in close partnership with the church in Kampala and has been helping to coordinate our trip.
--While we are in Uganda we will be visiting many schools from Elementary to High School to share with them an abstinence program. This program was developed by another former Global Expeditions leader who moved to Africa. It is a very God centered and gospel centered program that presents ideas of purity and God's design through skits and interactive activities.
--Our base city will be Kampala, which is the capital of Uganda. We will be taking trips to villages and also to Gulu. Gulu is in northern Uganda and is where most orphans, ex-child soldiers and refugees live.
--In Kampala we will be staying in an area where we will have electricity and showers on a regular basis!! (That is very exciting news!)
--We will be learning some dramas...like the heart skit and the Ragman drama. These are dramas that are either set to music or mimed that communicate the gospel in an easy to understand way. We did some of them while in Panama. (Here is a link to the Ragman drama on Youtube if you are curious about it... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ojyVHYefBn0)
--Our free day sounds very exciting!! We will be going on a 2 day safari! This sounds like a very fun part of this trip!!
That's all the information that I have right now. I will be posting a link soon of how to email me while I'm in Uganda!!!
Here is some of the info they gave us:
--Our project has a total of 82 people... ages ranging from 16-21 ish... the leaders are of course a bit older.
--In Uganda we will be working with the MarkArea Community Church (I believe that is what it is called, it was a little hard to hear on the call). This is a huge and growing church in Kampala. If you have ever heard of the Passion Conferences with Loui Giglio and Chris Tomlin and some other well known people, this church has hosted the Passion World Conference for Uganda. It is a church very focused on outreach.
--A previous leader on Global Expeditions trips all over the world moved to South Africa to become a full time missionary. He works in close partnership with the church in Kampala and has been helping to coordinate our trip.
--While we are in Uganda we will be visiting many schools from Elementary to High School to share with them an abstinence program. This program was developed by another former Global Expeditions leader who moved to Africa. It is a very God centered and gospel centered program that presents ideas of purity and God's design through skits and interactive activities.
--Our base city will be Kampala, which is the capital of Uganda. We will be taking trips to villages and also to Gulu. Gulu is in northern Uganda and is where most orphans, ex-child soldiers and refugees live.
--In Kampala we will be staying in an area where we will have electricity and showers on a regular basis!! (That is very exciting news!)
--We will be learning some dramas...like the heart skit and the Ragman drama. These are dramas that are either set to music or mimed that communicate the gospel in an easy to understand way. We did some of them while in Panama. (Here is a link to the Ragman drama on Youtube if you are curious about it... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ojyVHYefBn0)
--Our free day sounds very exciting!! We will be going on a 2 day safari! This sounds like a very fun part of this trip!!
That's all the information that I have right now. I will be posting a link soon of how to email me while I'm in Uganda!!!
Sunday, June 7, 2009
Paid in Full!!
Thanks to everyone who donated to my trip! It is now covered completely and I am 1 step closer to UGANDA!! It is a huge answer to prayer and God has provided every penny I needed!! :)
Friday, June 5, 2009
1 Week!!
1 week from right now I'll be in Texas training for my trip to UGANDA! I'm starting to get things together... I got a small sleepbag that will be easy to pack, some rope to hang my misquito net, bug spray (100% deet for the intense bugs), a really awesome journal so I can write all about my experience there, and there is still some more stuff to get, but it's starting to come together!
I've talked to one of my project directors a few times. Her name is Candace and she seems really nice. Tomorrow GE is holding a conference call for everyone going to Uganda on this trip and the leaders are gonna give us some details about the trip and introduce themselves... via phone... and answer some questions, so that should be very exciting!
I'll fill you all in on more of the details after I get them.
I'm all up-to-date on the shots I needed for this trip... so that's good, and I have malaria meds to take as well.
I can't wait!! Keep checking back for my updates as I continue to get ready and leave! Updates and pictures will be coming more regularly now!! :)
I've talked to one of my project directors a few times. Her name is Candace and she seems really nice. Tomorrow GE is holding a conference call for everyone going to Uganda on this trip and the leaders are gonna give us some details about the trip and introduce themselves... via phone... and answer some questions, so that should be very exciting!
I'll fill you all in on more of the details after I get them.
I'm all up-to-date on the shots I needed for this trip... so that's good, and I have malaria meds to take as well.
I can't wait!! Keep checking back for my updates as I continue to get ready and leave! Updates and pictures will be coming more regularly now!! :)
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