This adventure began with nine High School students, a loaded down van, rumors of riots in the city, and one goal in mind...to share Christ through skits, manual labor, and visiting the thatch roof homes. My Job, Brad, was to be a leader for the High School mission trip, Wednesday-Friday, and then to be a speaker for the spiritual retreat that weekend. A highlight for the mission trip was visiting several local homes. 
Walking up the dusty road to the row of thatch roof homes, we were quickly greeted and asked to sit with them. They offered us their only makeshift chairs as they quickly sat in the dirt. We soon learned that the majority of this particular family was dying of several life threatening diseases. They had no hope for decent health care and no money. Yet their faces were still beaming with joy. When asked, "Where do you find joy?" the elderly mother with aids quickly pointed at her husband and spoke up in her native tongue saying, "We find joy in Jesus and our children." Her youngest child, 40ish, that
was suffering from Sickle Cell Anemia agreed, "Jesus is our Joy." As we walked back down the dust covered road a student remarked, "It puts things in perspective. When rubber meets the road Jesus has to be our everything." (Pics: Top left- Brian teaches village kids bible verse, right: Brad playing 11 vs 11 soccer with village kids, Mission student group)
Riots in Kampala
This past week we have been under several riot warnings. As for Annie and I, we are living just in the out skirts of the city and there is absolutely no problems with safety in our area. What began as frustrated Ugandan citizens hoping to save a forest from being turned into a sugar factory, unfortunately became a deadly mob scene. Annie's school was notified by the American Embassy that anyone who is basically not African shouldn't enter downtown Kampala. (We rarely do this anyway due to traffic and of course rarely having transportation.) The danger for "Mzungus", white people, is that if anything were to go wrong, car accident etc, there is a high chance of being blamed and then mobbed. Keep in mind this is a country that has only known war and fighting for many years. We are safe, our organization is safe, the school is safe, but the city could certainly use your prayers. *This picture came from the internet and not from our own personal camera.
Ripped from the raft, thrown into the air, and submerged under roaring white water until you cannot stand it any longer…this wraps up our Nile River rafting trip. Saturday, Annie, Mom, Dad, and I took on what many people consider the most difficult rapids in the world. Class five rapids are the most difficult rapids that can be rafted and survived. We paddled into the center of every rapid, and only flipped four times. To say the least it was a full day of heart pounding adventure.
Hours out of the City limits, we drove along dust covered roads surrounded by forests of banana trees and tea fields until finally we arrived at a group of broken down huts. The training of pastors today would take place on dirt floors and in the shade of a large thatch roof Church. The more I train Africans, the more I am hit with the reality of Biblical truths. Africans talk about speaking in tongues and demon possession as if it is a daily occurrence. Obviously, I go from being the teacher to being the student as I learn the African perspective on faith.
After training, I found a dusty trial leading off into the distance, and it called my name. As I hiked, I found more thatch roof huts every fifty yards or so. It was exciting to stop and talk to the families that lived in the homes. They were amazed by the color of my skin. A man by the name of Simon saw me on the trail and begged me to hop on his bike so he could take me to meet his family. 
They welcomed me in and we sat and talked for a while before I continued on my hike. Time passed quickly as I met more and more locals, but the grand finale of the hike was finding the Nile River. It was filled with fishermen and made for a great climax before the hike home.
God…You’re my everything.
Training local Ugandans to be pastors has been fun, but seeing God move in the lives of the students at Annie’s school has been incredible. A few weeks ago, I was asked to speak at a chapel for the High School and Middle School students. We talked about what it means to believe. God began to move, and after we finished, 8 out of 22 students stayed behind to talk about how to move deeper in their faith. One of those made a first time decision, and several have made re-dedications. Also, on of our friends, Lisa Fish, spoke to both the younger and older students the following week, and several others made decisions for Christ as well. As she prayed with one student, he made clear the sincere cry of his heart by saying, “…God, you’re my everything.” God is really moving in that school, and it is such a blessing to see the Him move in so many!
Rolexes…only 600 Shillings
These Rolexes are hot, only 600 shillings, and on every street corner. The only catch is that 600 shillings is roughly 33 cents, and these Rolexes you don’t wear- you eat. Ugandans love their early morning breakfast, so these Rolexes, omelets in a pita, hit the spot. All you need to make them is a bamboo hut, metal pan sitting over hot coals, lots of oil, egg, tomato, onion, and a pita shell. The sit heavy, but taste great!!!
Here are just a few pictures from that morning- one is just of the class making funny the faces. The other was actually taken during our skit. You can see the people of Nineveh on the left, the shipmates on the right, and Jonah praying while in the belly of the fish! 
Coming to Africa Annie and I expected devastation and poverty. We found abounding Joy.
Relationships are the life of the African heart. Even simple conversations begin by establishing the most important things: How are you? How is your family? How is life and health? Focusing on what really matters fills their lives with a unrestrainable joy that we are finding contagious. 
Unfortunately, no else thought it was as funny as we did. This map was hanging to show the countries that were there. It was so fascinating seeing different cultures’ traditional dress, and learning interesting/random facts about their flags or country. For example, I learned that in Singapore there is no chewing gum, and if you are caught chewing any you are fined. The evening was full of great food, lots of laughter, and wonderful fellowship!