A Great July 4th in Uganda

Today, Mary Kate's team had their last day of ministry in Gulu. The Project Leader, Candace, wrote an update, saying the team in Gulu was presented with the opportunity to love and work hard, and they did both. Candace wrote that they seemed unstoppable when it came to their passion for ministry and impacting as many lives as they could for the Lord. She thanked everyone their prayers that were definitely needed and felt. Their strength, of course, came from the Lord!!

Another update was written about one of the team's ride back from Gulu on the bus. It will touch your hearts as it did ours. " Jul 04 2009 07:06AM: When we came to Uganda we knew we were in for a reality check and that we would see how blessed we really were but it wasn't until we were driving home from Gulu that it really hit us. The week had already been extremely emotionally and spiritually draining as we spent our time serving in displacement camps, orphanages and the hospital. We witnessed poverty first hand but nothing could have prepared us for what would happen on the ride back to Kampala. We had stopped to buy some fruit from roadside vendors and the bus was quickly surrounded by people that were selling other goods. We were sitting in the back of the bus when a man approached our window but it didn't look like he had anything to sell. He motioned to a little boy standing next to him and tried to tell us something but we couldn't understand him. Another man came over and placed his hands on the boys shoulders. He said, "This is my son, please take him with you where you are going." We were confused, we were on our way to Kampala-why would this man want us to take his son there? He asked us if we were from the UK but we told him we were actually from America. He started pleading with us again, "Please, please take him there with you, I give you him." Our hearts were broken, we didn't know what to say. We couldn't imagine what these people had been through that would make this man want to give up his son so that he could have a better life. This man was demonstrating the ultimate, selfless sacrifice. Of course we couldn't take the boy with us but the image of that father's love will be engraved in our hearts forever. As the bus started to drive away the man asked for a Bible, that was something we were able to give him. We're SOOOO blessed in America and it's almost embarrassing that it took a man offering his own son in order for us to realize that." People need the Lord and there is SO much work to be done! Thank you for YOUR part in Mary Kate's trip...your prayers, encouragement and financial support!

It is late afternoon there (4:30 p.m.) as I write this post (9:30 here) and they will be all together again to share stories of what the Lord has done this past week. Tomorrow they will embark on a safari for their "free day" and some much needed emotional, spiritual and physical rest. They will stay overnight and travel back Monday, to Kampala, then depart for Dubai on Tuesday. With the time change, it's hard to figure out the schedule, but I believe they will land back in Houston on Wednesday to debrief....back to HOT, HOT, Texas. Mary Kate will fly home on Friday. :)