This is going to be short because it's really late and we have to be ready to leave at 8 in the morning for our 9 hour drive back to Kampala.

We had a great day today as we wrapped up our time here in Rukungiri.  The team split up to go to two different churches.  John, Kari, Tammi and Pam went to Murama and did another Sunday School with the kids.  Terrilee, Keri, Matt and Liz went to All Saints which was a very different experience as it was  much more affluent compared to Murama.  After almost 3 1/2 hours we were ready for lunch!  Then we got to go and see the Bishops home in the afternoon and then tonight was the long drawn out but very special farewell dinner, where we are appreciated and get to thank our hosts and partners.

It is with mixed emotions that we leave tomorrow.  Of course we miss all of you, but the people and children here have captured our heart.  God has been working  in  all of us and we will not be returning the same as when we arrived. Can't wait to share pictures, stories and how God has worked.  Thanks for your prayers and support.

The Uganda Team.

Today was Mosaic Vision Center Day where over 100 children came to the diocese headquarters to have a time of worship, devotions, games, lunch and just getting to hang out together.  Many of these children we have known over the years and it brought so much joy to connect with them and see how they have grown and changed.  The time of worship was amazing because boy can these kids sing and dance!  So much joy and abandon!  After that we broke into 4 groups.

John and Matt took the older boys and shared their testimonies.  Liz and Pam shared with the older girls, Keri and Kari encouraged the caregivers and Nicole and Tammi were with the elementary age kids, this was a last minute addition, so kudos to them for their willingness to be flexible and do what it takes.  They did a lesson on creation and how we are all broken because of the first sin.  They did an amazing job and when they were done quite a few kids prayed to accept Jesus as their savior.

The Mosaic staff ended up having to do the translating for us, so were not able to get as much time building into them as we had hoped.  We managed to change things around in the afternoon and I was able to get a little over two hours talking with them encouraging them and praying with them.  They are an amazing group of people that truly are the hands and feet of Jesus to these children.  It has been a huge blessing to be with them.

We have church tomorrow and the farewell dinner then back to Kampala on Monday!!

Bye for now,

Terrilee for the Uganda Team.  

We have been having a lo of rain here but today was an answer to prayer as we headed to the Child Survival Program in Kashenyi on a beautiful Friday.  We were welcomed by a large group of moms / caregivers who were singing and dancing and playing the drums.  Their beautiful healthy babies were with them, some strapped to their backs others their fronts.  This is a program that Compassion International started to reach moms who were pregnant or had children under 3 because 1 in 5 were dying before they reached the age of 5.  They give prenatal care, teach them hygiene and nutrition and help them learn a way to earn an income to just name a few of the things these families gain from being in the program.  The moms have community, they learn skills and the fathers are involved as well, which is not the norm in Uganda.  We got to go visit 2 of the CSP homes and really see how what they learned was put into practice in how they set up their homes and planted their gardens.  We were so humbled by the way they share food with us from the very little they had.  The moms put on a program for us when we got back to the project at the church and I had a chance to encourage and speak into their lives.  The Crossing funds this awesome program and if you are not already a part of it I would challenge you to join in by sponsoring at $20 a month.  It is so little but changes the lives of so many.

The team is a little tired because we are going nearly non stop so keep on praying for us to finish strong the next couple of days.

Love to you all!

Terrilee for the Team. 

Hey friends and families,

This is Liz.  I have written and rewritten this text multiple times.  I cannot adequately describe how today has impacted our lives and touched our hearts.  Today we met the children we sponsor.

I started sponsoring Emanuel because he had lost both of his parents to AIDS and was raising 3 of his 9 siblings.  We've only written each other once but seconds after I met him, he told me he loved me and was so happy I came to see him.  We spent the day getting to know eachother, praying and playing.  Emanuel skipped a lot of play time so that he could write me a letter.  The letter said that I will be his "mother until the end of his days ..."  

Everyone has a story from today that touched their heart and we can't wait to share them with you!!  We have seen in incredible ways the ENORMOUS value of sponsoring a child and the hope it gives them for a chance in life.  The whole team would agree with me that this was one of our favorite days!

Please keep praying that we can finish strong over the next 3 days with our partners, that we can show and share God's love to our partners and all the people they serve in this community.

We appreciate your prayers and support and hope you are in some way tracking with us on what God is doing in and through us.

Can't wait to share with you all,

Liz for the Team!!

We had a great and relaxing day today as we hit the midway point on our mission experience.  We left this morning and spent the day at Queen Elizabeth National Park.  It was very fun. The team was in great spirits and looking forward to a day of fun, rest and recharging for the rest of our mission.  We drove through the park and saw quite a bit of wildlife, warthogs, antelope, an some amazing birds.  We stopped at a Safari Lodge to have lunch and then go on a boat ride to see other animals.  We were near Lake Edward and Lake George and they are both full of wildlife.

Lunch was amazing and for many the highlight of the day because everyone was a bit tired of the same food we had been having at pretty much every meal for 4 days so it was a treat to have a burger or piece of pizza or pork chops.

After lunch at the lodge we got on a boat and right away we got to see some elephants right up close.  We saw many hippos and some just born babies.  Did you know that more hippos take more lives in Africa than any other animal?  We had a great guide who gave us a lot of interesting info on all that we ere seeing.

We had some rain on the way in but while on the water the weather couldn't have been better!  It was an amazing day and we got a ton of pictures we look forward to sharing .

This team is awesome!!! Everyone is approaching things with such great attitudes.  There is no complaining and we are all getting along well.  Couldn't ask for a better team!  Everyone is excited for tomorrow when we get to spend the day with our sponsored kids, some of whom have traveled for a couple days to get to us.  It is always a sweet time to be with them and encourage and speak into their lives and learn about their lives, families, dreams and challenges.

Love to you all,

Terrilee Stevenson 

Today was the 3rd and last day of Sunday School training & Terrilee has been amazing!!!  At first audiences were not sold on mzungu woman but she won them over and had them laughing and focused while bringing home the value of caring for and teaching children well.  She had some of the audience up acting out creation and Matt was the tree of knowledge and was as funny as one of the pastors acting like "the heavens".  Terrilee may have a new career.






We have had incredible storms but the team did not have to do much hiking around today.  The entire team is doing great.  They are all healthy, lots of laughter, deep sharing and growing together.  I love to see the change that takes place not only in country but in people.  God will not leave one of us unchanged.

This is my 4th time over here now and Uganda is in cultural transition for sure, there is much progress and more comfort than when I first came but the poverty and death all around is still overwhelming.

It is so great to have John an Matt on board with us and our groups are doing so well together.  Nicole, Tammi, Kari and Pam are amazing with the kids. We have met up with an Aussie partner who does some work here as well and that has been a great God shot.  What a great collaboration, we hope to keep developing that relationship.


My next project when I get back will be a history of The Crossing in Uganda so there is more detailed context for future teams.

Tomorrow we get a bit of a rest and are going to the National Park.  All is good, love to all families and supporters, we are all happy, well and thankful to be here.  Ian, your wife rocks!!  Big love to Terry and Conner.

Goodnight,

Keri Moore

Today was an amazing day for our team!  Half of the team  (Matt, Pam, Liz & Terrilee) headed to the Rift Valley to continue training Sunday school teachers how to effectively teach children about Christ.  They worked with 70 leaders today.  The other half of the team (John, Tammi, Kari, Nicole & Keri) were able to visit 7 homes of children in the Mosaic Vision program.  These were children old and young, with no parents altogether and a few with parents dying of AIDS.  We were able to see the amazing things that Mosaic has been doing in the lives of these children.

The value of sponsorship became so evident today as we prayed for and with families that welcomed us into their humble homes and hosted us with what little food they have.  They value their sponsors and praise God despite their circumstances.  The last stop we made was a surprise visit t the home of one of the boys I (Nicole) sponsor.  He was in school, but his 3 brothers were moved to hear who I was hugging me in tears and calling me "mom".  I am mom because their mom died of AIDS and so did their father.  They are 4 young men who sustain themselves with the help of Mosaic Vision's child sponsorship.  I wish I could relay in words what this day was to us, but I can't.  Our God is an amazing master who provides and loves all his children.  I saw this face to face and felt His presence today everywhere we went.

Thanks for reading our story.  Please continue praying for our time here and the people of Uganda.

May God bless you!!

Nicole Carter 

Greetings from Uganda.  This is Kari Zamoya sharing and today was a big ministry day and we saw the Holy Spirit speaking and working through us today.  We drove 90 minutes to the Rift Valley and joined their church service.  At the beginning of the service I came to tears when I experienced church Uganda style with drums beating, hands clapping and joyful singing.  Halfway through the service four of us went outside with about 250 children to teach Sunday school!  While we were with the kids, Keri shared from Psalms 121 and gave a short message about how we are all the same.  Then Matt came up and shared his testimony.  Both of them knocked it out of the park!  At the end of the time the kids all came back into church and we got to see how this little church did offerings.  We got to witness sugar cane stalks huge jack fruit, rice and eggs brought up during the offering time.  Not everyone had money so they gave what they have.

After church some of us went to visit a 17 year old young man who has been taking care of his two younger siblings since he was 9 years old when both of his parents died.  The rest of us stayed at the church to train the Sunday school teachers.  There were last minute changes to training, but God was faithful again and the time was very helpful for attendees.  We have had a good amount of heavy rain the last two days , but God's hand of protection is on us.

In Christ, for the Uganda team,

Kari Zamoya  

Great day today where we were all able to put our devotion into practice by learning what it means to "step out of the boat" like Peter did.  We spent the morning at the diocese seeing the economic projects that the Bishop and Eva have been working on.  We actually got to work with a crew to help finish off the piggery.   Just before we arrived they got their first 4 female pigs with the male arriving in the afternoon.

Later in the day we got to go visit the hospital that we have helped our partners develop here.  It is so coo to see the difference that has been made this last year.  There are now 2 doctors and a director in place.   The generator and housing will be in place shortly and the last big need is running water.   A plan is in place for the water so hopefully we can work with them to get that going.  We also found out that the diocese was able to purchase the land adjacent to the hospital so that is a huge answer to prayer.

Liz, Nicole and Kari were invited by Bishop to a "Give Away Ceremony"  which is a precursor to a wedding, where the future groom has to pay the dowry and the bride is given to the grooms family.  Is is a custom in Uganda and  formal yet fun type of event. They have some great stories to share when they get back and had us all laughing at our debrief tonight.

Terrilee spent most of the day with a woman from Australia preparing to do the 1st Sunday School training which is way more extensive than what we were expecting.  This is definitely a stepping out of the boat moment.  The team continues to amaze Terrilee with their heart and willingness to do whatever is needed.  Their support and encouragement of each other and their complete flexibility is impressive.  She can see God's hand every day in the way he has pulled these 9 people together.

Please pray for us tomorrow as we experience and share in church tomorrow and share do the Sunday School training time for leaders.   Thanks for reading!! and being in it with us. 

Everyone was raring to Go this morning as we ate breakfast and had a great devotional time this morning at the Central Inn.  Catherine and Fiona from Mosaic Vision joined us and they will be with us paving the way for our whole trip.  The Five first timers (Pam, Liz, Tammi, Matt, Kari) were especially excited to actually see Uganda in the day light.

We started our drive through the capital city of Kampala.  It's congested, full of people and has practically nor rules for traffic.  The people are obviously poor and dealing with  challenging circumstances.  Like most cities there are big buildings and business, but there are also slums and shacks, and many children in the streets. As soon as we got outside the city it's totally different.  It's very green because it is the beginning of rainy season.  There is much less traffic but much to see as we drive through village after village and see the lush country side.   In our debrief tonight several people shared how they were struck by the faces they saw along the roadside, some happy, but many disinterested, sad even desolate.  We saw the need for Jesus here in the faces of the people on the this 9 hour drive through beautiful country.  Some of the team slept, some stayed awake the whole time so they wouldn't miss a thing.  We had fun singing worship songs and even learning hand motions to a couple of soungs we are going to teach the kids.

We arrived in Rukungiri and had a few minutes to freshen up at our hotel before we headed off to the Bishops house for a Welcome dinner.  For several of us this was the highlight of the day, getting to see dear friends and reconnecting with them.   They are so gracious to us and we had a great time of meeting new friends and carrying on with old ones.  They let us go early because they understood our body clocks were still a bit off, so we ended our day.

Pray for us tomorrow as we work on building the piggery and rework our teacher training time for Sunday.  Love from the Team!  

Wednesday morning our fantastic team of 9 was sent off with a lot of love, support and prayer.  About 40 people were there to circle around them and let them know we are in it with them.   It's always so cool to see the team get loaded up and pull out of the parking structure knowing they are going to show and share God's love with others and transformation will take place not only where they are going but in them.

I got word at about 1:00 p.m. that the team arrived safely into Entebbe Airport  at 10:30 Uganda time.  They had a bit of a rain delay in Kenya and one suitcase didn't making it yet, but everyone was excited to finally be in country. Terrilee said Tammi & Liz slept well on the flights everyone else it was more hit and miss with sleep.  They checked in to an Inn at about 12:30 a.m. and will get some rest before an 8 hour drive west to Rukungiri.   At this point in the journey the team will be ready to sleep and when they wake up and hit the road, they will see things they have never seen before.  So far it has been dark and they are a bit tired, so pray for them to have a good rest and to wake up refreshed, with their eyes and heart wide open to see and experience all that God has for them.  They will be warmly welcomed into Rukungiri and their work will begin.  Check back tomorrow night for an update.

For Team Uganda, In His Strength,

Ian Stevenson