Young Life Weekend

2008-03-02T18:12:00.000-08:00

Its not always clear to see how God is leading. When Annie and I moved home from Uganda we had every intention to move to Boston. Then, one week before moving our plans changed. We often wonder, "Why does God want us in Durham." These past few weeks have shed a little light on how God is going to use us to touch his people here in NC. Since we both love Young Life it was only natural to look into how Young Life is doing in Durham. No sooner did we arrive than we learned that Young Life disbanded in this Region. Annie and I soon jumped on board and are now finding ourselves joining with some others in the area to get Young Life back on its feet here. After all, there are tons of High School kids here that need to fall in love with our King!!! We have been placed in the training of the college leaders from both Duke and North Carolina. Last weekend we went with them on a weekend retreat, and tonight after leadership Annie and I were both asked by the college students to lead a bible study- one for the Freshman girls and one for the Freshman guys. YEAH!!! God is moving and we are excited to be able to join in what he is doing. This group needs your prayers. We'll keep you informed on what else God is doing!!!

Hitting the Slopes- Utah

2008-02-07T09:55:00.000-08:00

Six feet of fresh snow, meals on the slopes, hot tubes, wii games, and lots of family....What fun?!!! Annie and I are loving teaching school and going to school, but it was a breath of fresh are to shake things up and meet the family out in Utah. This long weekend reminded me that few things can remind us about how amazing God is more than having fun in the world he created.

Annie and I also got the chance to take a night and have a date standing half way up a ski slope watching the World Cup Ariel Skiing competition. We where amazed to see people jump up to nine stories in the air, while flipping and spinning. The to

p jumpers in the world!!! Amazing!!!

Cheesy Sweater Christmas Party

2007-12-03T11:52:00.000-08:00

What could be better when trying to forget that finals are around the corner than to throw a party. Not just any party will do- we had to throw a cheesy sweater christmas party. The cheesier the better...good food, unbelievable styles, classic Christmas videos, and good friends. It was the perfect way to get into the Christmas Spirit.

Thanksgiving-God has got great timing.

2007-11-28T12:05:00.000-08:00

This Thanksgiving break had a sad beginning, but a magnificent ending. Monday morning Annie and I found out that my Grandmother Bowie passed away. Although it was difficult to hear that someone you love has passed away it is amazing to see how God blessed our family. Grandmother has been living with Alzheimer's and over the past three years has not known even her own children. Because of her Alzheimer's she has had no pain in the last years of her life, and the family has been able to take her large real estate business and as of Friday, before she died, the business paid off every outstanding debt.
Also because she passed away over Thanksgiving our entire family was able to be together for the week, so we spent the time sharing stories of her magnificent life.

Thanksgiving dayThanksgiving day was our first time Annie and I jumped back and forth between families, and we loved it. We began with breakfast at my parents, luch with her parents, and Thanksgiving dinner back with my parents. Great food, lots of jumping on the trampoline with kids, and even more games of hide and go seek. What great fun.

Hiking, Hot tubbing, and hanging out with the Family Saturday, was a day of fun. After an e

motional week it was great to head up to the lodge to spend time hanging out with family. In the cold air all around the kids had fun getting into the hot tub while everyone else hiked up the mountain to the Appalachian trial.

Duke Basketball...Oh Yeah!!!

2007-11-10T10:32:00.000-08:00

Well after tonight it has become clear that there is nothing like Duke Basketball!!! Tonight Annie and I (along with my grandfather and 2 other cousins) made our way into the tightly packed Cameron stadium. As we watched people with devil tridents and painted chests scream at the top of their lungs, we soon found ourselves overcome with excitement to join the crowd and cheer for our BLUE DEVILS.

Fall in the Bull City

2007-11-09T12:22:00.000-08:00

HALLOWEEN ON FRANKLIN STREET

This Halloween 75,000 people flooded the main street running through UNC's campus dressed in their best costumes, so of course Annie and I had to go. Our favorite costumes were the Tetrus pieces, Mr Peanut, and a man dressed as a woman giving birth. Annie went as the Broadway "Annie," and I went as the dancing man from the new ipod commercial.

RALEIGH HALF MARATHON
There is nothing like a 13.1 mile jog to get you going in the morning. Annie and I hopped out of bed Sunday morning and headed out into the cold dark so that we could go run in Raleigh's first marathon. Joining about 5 thousand other friends at the starting line, Annie and I had fun seeing Raleigh by foot for the first time.

THE WAY OF THE DUKIES
Taking classes at Duke has been a faith building challenge. Every week I feel that God is pulling and shaping my understandings of Him and how to read the Bible. Although I am being taught to wrestle with the tensions, academics, controversies, and historicity issues- it has become more clear to me than ever that our God is a God who has a wild love for us. He is willing to abandon all so that we may come close to Him in a intimate love relationship. This love is not only worthy of our enormous joy and praise, but also worthy of abandoning all to following our King.

God shakes life up...GO DUKE!!!

2007-08-24T14:37:00.000-07:00

God is a God who likes to keep life exciting. It was three weeks before our wheels touched down in Africa that we found out we would be moving accross the world. Annie and I had been praying that if God wanted us in Africa He needed to open the doors. How would we know it was God leading? Annie wanted to be a kindergarten teacher and we only had from mid January to June. Sure enough as December came to a close a call came and WGM let us know that they needed a kindergarten teacher from Jan 11-June 2nd.
When we arived home Annie and i had plans to attend Gordon Conwell in Boston. We were excited...Boston- its like NYC and Charleston coliding. Then God began to shaking life up all over again. Two weeks before leaving we learned that Gordon Conwell was not accredited with the Methodist church. Within an hour we learned that Duke was interested in us joining their program, partially because we had been missionaries in Africa. We had a tough decision ahead of us and Annie and I laughed as we told people that we were moving on August 26th, but we did not know where. After looking at both schools again we decided that life at Duke is where God wants us.
GO BLUE DEVILS!!!

AMERICA...Welcome Home

2007-07-18T07:04:00.000-07:00

Wow!!! It is always exciting to take off and follow where God has been leading, but it feels so good to come home. Last night Annie and I arrived back in Tennessee with an airport full of excited family. We can't wait to tell everyone about our experience in person. Now we can take time to thank you all for your prayers, calls, emails, comments, and support. We have learned and grown so much. It is wild to think that six months ago Annie and I were stepping into active ministry in a third world country, and now living for Christ continues back in America.

Just to fill you in on a few snap shots of the Europe travels...
Greece- Greek Isle of Mykonos

Rome- Inside the Roman Colosseum

Italy- Venice
France- Eiffel Tower

Israel

2007-06-18T10:21:00.000-07:00

Our entire lives we have read stories from the Bible, but this week we have been able to see where those stories actually took place. What an amazing place to be learning, growing, and watching the Bible come to life before our eyes.

Sea of Galilee- Jesus walked on water and fed the five thousand near by.

Hundreds of Muslims filled the court yard to pray just 100 yards from the location Jesus was born.

Armed soldiers standing just outside where Jesus was arrested, the Garden of Gethsemani.

Dome of the Rock from inside a church on the top of Mt. of Olives.

Bobbing like corks in the Dead Sea.

Egypt

2007-06-18T07:06:00.000-07:00

We are out of Uganda and making our way back to America...with just a few stops on the way! Annie and I are excited to have the opportunity to visit a few of the places we have always dreamed of visiting. Here are a few snap shots of Egypt. Wow!

Cairo, Pyramids

Luxor, Luxor Temple- In front of Ramses II

Luxor, Luxor Temple- Hieroglyphic Door

Last week in Uganda

2007-06-01T04:11:00.000-07:00

Our final week in Uganda has been a busy one, but a great one.

Graduation

It began last Friday when my class graduated from Kindergarten. We had a full ceremony to commemorate the occassion with caps, gowns, diplomas, and awards. The class performed a song they had learned with lyrics saying, "I am a promise. I am a possibility. I am a promise with a capital 'P'. I am a great, big, fun-to-love potentiality. I am learning to hear God's voice, and I am trying to make the right choices. I promise to be anything God wants me to be." They were so precious! It was a great way to celebrate the end of the year and all their accomplishments.

ZOO
The 1st grade teacher, Miss Heather, and I made (what I now realize was) a really good decision to take a field trip to the zoo on the last week of school. We set off Tuesday morning with 10 Kindergarteners, 12 grade 1 students, Miss Heather and myself, and a few other chaperones including Mr. Brad! It rained the entire 45 minute drive to the Uganda Educational Wildlife Center, but luckily, the rain came to a slow stop shortly after we arrived. We then began our trek around the center escorted by a trained guide. We saw red-tailed monkeys, fish eagles, a lion, African buffalo, antelope, shoebill storks, a crocidile, otters, the crested crane (Uganda's national bird) and many others. We even got to feed the chimps and ostriches! Our day ended with some play time on the playground, and a thrilling donkey ride. Imagine that, an African zoo with donkeys! We all made it back just in time to catch the bus to go home, and we had a great time!

Finishing up
Well, school is out. The final bell rang yesterday afternoon as I was cleaning my classroom. I closed the door, locked it, and said good-bye to my first classroom. It still hasn't really hit me yet that we are leaving and won't be coming back to school. When we first got to Uganda, we thought 5 months was a long time. Now it just seems like a blink. We ran into some friends at lunch today, and it felt so bizarre telling them we are leaving tomorrow. Tomorrow. I've decided that one of the hardest things to do is to say good-bye to someone you will never see again. I've been putting some of those good-byes off, but inevitably, today and tomorrow will be filled with too many to count. "When are you coming back?" many people ask. And all we can really respond with is, "whenever God calls us to come back." I do know that we are both more than willing to if He does call us in that direction anytime in the future.

Risky Curiosity

2007-05-20T22:34:00.000-07:00

Surrounded by a thousand stampeding Ugandans I put both arms around Annie’s torso, pulled her close, placed both feet firmly on the ground in front of me, and proceeded to be pushed thirty feet through an iron gate encompassing the stadium. With room to breath, Annie and our friend Catherine ran to safety as Catherine’s husband Ben and I turned our attention back to the crowd. Just behind us a women lost her footing, causing people to fall to the ground like dominos. Those Ugandan’s outside the gate continued forcing their way in past the trembling armed guards- not stopping to help those they were trampling. Ben and I ran to pull fallen Ugandan’s back up to their feet, only to find them pinned to the ground by the pressure of the crowd. As the guards stepped in, we began waving our arms and yelling for the crowd to stop. Soon we were able to pull people off the ground. Many women were injured, children had blood covered faces, and one child was at best unconscious. Our intentions for coming to this Benny Hinn Crusade in Kampala was to see the authenticity, or lack of, but we found ourselves blessed to escape from a dangerous situation. God was taking care of us, and the night had just begun.

Dangerous Faith

Just inside the 20ft gates holding back the mobs we were presented with a new dilemma- “No camera’s allowed”. The police gave us two options: Take the camera back through the screaming crowd to your car, or give the camera to us- never to be returned. God presented the third option, and his name is Curt. Curt is the Event Coordinator for Benny Hinn’s ministry all over the world. While I was discussing with the officers our options, Ben walked over to this mountain size Texan, and asked him for help. Immediately, Curt escorted us backstage, and then into VIP seating. The Stadium seated 53,000 people, and we were seated on the third row-15 seats from Ugandan’s First Lady, President Museveni’s wife. The show began with worship lead by a 5,000 member choir. We found ourselves divided. The music was solid, but we were soon in shock by the statements Benny Hinn would mislead the audience with.

“Sickness is illegal in the Church and in your body.”
“No Believer should die sick.”
“Cancer and disease do not belong in the Church.”
Give money, but not to me- to Jesus. If you give money to Jesus tonight he will repay you. Don’t worry I know how to spend God’s money. (paraphrase)
“Believe in the Cross and Sickness will leave your body. Touch the place where you are sick- IT IS HEALED!”

Speaking to a third world country, Benny Hinn was telling the people what they wanted to hear. If they put their faith in Jesus they will be given money and healing from sickness. He used passages from the bible, but often took them out of context. 53,000 people that night accepted his words without question. Many accepted Christ for the first time, not because of a love relationship, but because of a big production and they were promised- healing and money. This night we learned first hand about how many of God's people are being misguided- All the more reason for us to keep grounded in truth and share it however we can.

(Copyright Sunday, May 20, 2007 at 10:34 PM )

Rapelling, Hiking, and Caving

2007-05-14T03:10:00.000-07:00

Rapelling upside down from a 300 ft waterfall, crawling through a cave filled with hundreds of bats, and hiking through a coffee & banana tree forest in the African mountains was just the adventure Annie and I set out to find this weekend. With only three weeks left in Uganda, Annie and I enjoyed heading out of Kampala to find Sipi Falls- Eastern Uganda. It was amazing!

On the right is a picture of me looking like a dot as I rapel off of Sipi Falls. (100m-300ft). The bottom pic is of Sipi falls.

Happy Mother's Day!

2007-05-14T02:44:00.000-07:00

Earlier last week, my class began a special Mother's Day project. We planted flowers and decorated the tins specially for our mothers. It was really sweet to see them so excited about their mom's and making something just for them! The first picture is about half of my students showing off their flowers. The second is of one of my students from Korea, named Ji Soo, watering her flower. (And since we cannot be there to tell our mom's in person... Happy Mother's Day. We love you and miss you so much!)

Teaching in the Village

2007-05-02T03:40:00.000-07:00

Training Ugandans to be pastors has presented not only some incredible conversations, but many cultural challenges as well. Ugandan culture teaches men to have multiple wives and not to show those wives love or affection. Some Ugandan women do not feel loved unless they are physically beaten regularly. This week in the village, I was asked to teach 15 men and two women an overview of the Old Testament. When we talked about Song of Songs we dove into how much love and passion Solomon had for his wife. I had the opportunity to challenge these leader in the church to not be ashamed to love their wives both in public and in private. The men were full of questions, and the first man to ask a question is on the leadership board of the entire African Gospel Church for Uganda. It was clear that God was moving in their lives. (This picture is at the village Church with Pastor Gideon)

Diesel Mob

Bang!!! Parked in a traffic jam at the gas station, I looked over my shoulder just in time to see a motorcycle taxi (boda boda) get hit by a Land Cruiser and the two boda passengers go flying to the ground five feet from my car. The woman on the back of the boda boda stood up holding her head and crying. Immediately every African around swarmed the Land Cruiser and began yelling at the driver- who I quickly noticed was another missionary in my organization. Getting on the phone, I got in touch with our field director and in fifteen minutes we had an insurance man on site. Once we got out of our cars, we were able to talk to the Ugandans around the vehicle and work the situation out. Because the accident was the fault of boda boda, the mob died down. It was tenuous for a moment because of the recent riot acts have gotten everyone worked up. (Good news: President Museveni has backed down from his hope to sell the forest, and the people hopefully will have no more riots.)

God moves through whistles

Joining our friends John, Erica, and Jeannie this weekend in Arua, N. Uganda, Annie and I were able to see how God is opening doors for them to start local ministries. One month ago, John and Erica moved to Arua, N. Uganda to create new ministry opportunities for our organization (WGM). God began opening doors through a sport that John loves, volleyball. Just behind their home, John heard a whistle blow and he went to check it out. He told us his story... "Walking up a trail, I found two hundred African eyes shift focus from the volley ball court to me. Standing in the midst of the Africans, I heard someone say, "You are welcome." Soon I joined in playing volleyball with these Ugandans, and bump...set...spike later they began to accept me as one of their own teammates." This experience has opened doors for John to help coach several of the players, and the head master of the school even wants them to come in and help with the spiritual development of the students.

Maasai Warriors- Step into the OT

2007-04-22T22:07:00.000-07:00

The Maasai village is surrounded by a wall of thorn bush branches that they use to keep wild animals from attacking their children and livestock. Entering the village, the children that were running and playing beside their mud/dung homes turned quickly to give Dad, Mom, Annie, and me a big, fly-covered smile. The Maasai are known for their warrior skills, but as they opened their homes to us they shared with us more about their culture- which is just like stepping into the Old Testament (OT). Here is a little bit about what we learned...
The Maasai man typically has many wives that he purchases with cows. The first marriage is an arranged marriage, and the marriages there after can be chosen for love. If anything is to go wrong (sickness, baby who cries, etc.) it is believed to be because an ancestor is upset with them. To appease their ancestor they take an arrow, cut a hole in the neck of a cow, let blood drip into a leather container, and then pour it on the ground next to their home. If the ground soaks in the blood, then the spirit has been appeased. The Maasai financial value is determined by how many cows they own, and typically the richest man in the village is the "Traditional medicine doctor", aka witch doctor. If you go to a witch doctor for treatment, he will give you herbs (good for malaria, stomach ache, and even Viagra). Witch doctors often fabricate stories such as telling a new Maasai parent that their child is going to die. For the price of five or so cows he will pray that it does not happen. If the child does not die then he has done his job. However, if the child dies, then the people have not had enough faith.
Many of these beliefs and traditions are some of the same beliefs and traditions that we have heard about our whole lives- straight out of the Bible. It was fascinating to see, hear, and imagine what life might have really been like then.

Safari Holiday

2007-04-22T06:16:00.000-07:00

Easter Holiday (aka Spring Break) was filled with safaris, safaris, and more safaris. Not to mention that we were in the company or Brad's wonderful parents! I had a week and a half off from school, so we immediately took off and began our journey in Nairobi, Kenya. While in Kenya, we stayed right next to the Giraffe

Center where efforts are being made to restore the Rothschild Giraffe species. These giraffes would come right up to our door to be fed from our hands! It was a very unique way to start off our trip. The next morning we traveled to Kenya's Amboseli National Park where we stayed for 3 days and enjoyed game drives and a visit to a Maasai village. This park just so happens to be at the base of the World's famous Mt. Kiliminjaro, which was an incredible site to see.

From there, we headed to Tanzania to the Ngorongoro Crater Conservation Park. The crater was created from a volcano that collapsed after exploding millions of years ago. The mountain was believed to be even bigger than Mt. Kiliminjaro; therfore, you can imagine the size of the crater. We stayed in a great place that was nestled on the crater's edge- with an amazing view! From there we headed to the Serengeti (meaning "endless plains") National Park, where we were able to observe the great migration of wildebeast and zebra. Thousands and thousands of these animals head North into Kenya every year, only to go back South every year. We were able to take a balloon ride over part of the park in order to get an arial view of the migration! It was beautiful! While in Tanzania, we also stopped in (literally) the middle of Africa. The town of Arusha is known to be the halfway marker if driving from Cairo to Capetown. We stoppped for lunch, and moved quickly onto our next destination... the Maasai Mara National Park in Kenya. The Mara is just an extension of the Serengeti. The border between Tanzania and Kenya is the only thing that separates the two. The word mara means "spotted savannah or plains" in Swahili, so the only real difference between the two parks is that the Mara has more 'spots' of trees and bush area. The neat thing about this park is that you can drive off the roads to go and see the animals up close! We were able to drive right up in the center of a herd of elephants and later a herd of giraffes! It was such a fun experience! Once we wrapped up our time there, it was time to head back to Uganda and America for Paul and Betty. We were little bit tired from all the traveling, but I certainly don't think any of us really wanted to leave this part of the world we had just discovered only a few days prior. It was a very special way to spend Easter exploring God's creation and reflecting on how creative and just plain awesome God is!

*We have added more pictures from our trip (of animals, Maasai, etc.), and you can look at them by clicking the "photos" tab located up top (right under the cross). *

When Rubber Meets the Road

2007-04-22T05:14:00.000-07:00

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.

Rafting the Nile

2007-04-02T08:34:00.000-07:00

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.

Movie Night here we come!

2007-04-02T07:54:00.001-07:00

With movies, candy, and popcorn in hand... we are ready for not just one movie night, but for movie nights for over a month! We'd like to say a quick THANK YOU to everyone who helped put together such wonderful care packages for Paul and Betty to bring with them. We were showered with gifts and overwhelmed with your love and support! Our neighbor overheard us going through the suitcases, and she thought it sounded like a couple of kids on Christmas morning! We cannot thank you enough!

Village Hike to the Nile

2007-03-23T11:19:00.000-07:00

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!!!

Kindergarten's Chapel

2007-03-23T10:21:00.000-07:00

Every Friday at Heritage, the elementary school (Jr. K- grade 6) has Chapel together, and each week, a different class is in charge of it. Last week was our turn! Chapel usually consists of singing some children's praise songs, maybe classes sharing their memory verse for the week, and a Biblical skit of some sort performed by the grade in charge. As you can imagine, my class voted unanimously on performing the story of Jonah. So we began putting in long, hard hours practicing our skit. As I was thinking about and preparing for the upcoming Chapel, I felt like something was missing. Chapel was getting a bit drab. It was the excitement that comes with learning about Jesus that was missing. Brad and I decided to mix things up a little bit... Young Life style! We decided to have the students play a game before anything else started in order to bring their focus and attention up front for the message. But how can you play a game without having crazy game show hosts?! And what clever names can you go by when the majority of your audience is under 12 and from countries all over the world. We needed something everyone would understand... So we both entered on a child's bicycle as "Boda and Boda". (Note: A boda boda is a motorcycle taxi here in Uganda. The drivers are known for being a little crazy and unlogical.) Everyone erupted with laughter! We actually created such a ruckus that other teachers came just to see what the commotion was. It was awesome! We proceeded to sing some of the children's favorite songs (including God is Bigger than the Boogy Man and Praise Ye the Lord). Lastly, my students performed their masterpiece as they brought the story of Jonah to life. As I read from a book, they acted out their parts- becoming the bad people of Nineveh with evil laughs, the shipmates tossing boxes into the sea, the whale eating up Jonah, and of course, Jonah (played by one of the most shy students in my class)! It was amazing! I truly wish you could have been there to see! My class is so precious and is such a blessing! 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!

Lives of Joy

2007-03-08T02:28:00.001-08:00

Coming to Africa Annie and I expected devastation and poverty. We found abounding Joy.

When you think of Africa two things probably come to mind...wild animals and pot bellied children with flies around their eyes. As Annie and I began dreaming of following God's heart to Africa we could not have imagined the impact the natives would make on us. Most visitors to Africa long to help people with their poverty. Yes, money would ease some of the problems, but natives do not focus on what they do not have. They choose to focus on what they do have, relationships. 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.

Gamecock Fans!!!

Days of 85,000 football fans erupting with joy over a huge victory, painting up for games, ESPN highlights, and tail gating are easy to remember when the African Gamecocks fill the streets. They may not know that they are an inspiration to thousands in South Carolina, but they know how to strut their stuff in Uganda.

International Dinner

2007-03-04T05:42:00.000-08:00

Just this past Friday, my school hosted an International Dinner. Each country that is represented in the school had a table full of flags, memorabilia, and food to represent the country well. As many of you might have expected, I contributed an American classic… MAC-N-CHEESE! The Italians contributed lots of yummy pasta and ice cream, while the Koreans brought tons of sushi (making Brad extremely happy), and the group from the Philippines roasted a pig! After eating and socializing for a while, we also had contests to see who had lived in the most countries and continents, which family had the most birth places, etc. Then each country had to sing their national anthem and share an interesting fact. We thought about singing a little medley of songs like “God Bless America” and “Born in the USA,” but instead we just stuck to “Take Me Out to the Ball Game.” 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!

FRIENDS

2007-02-22T06:05:00.000-08:00

Since Brad and I have been here, we have made so many wonderful new friends- inside and out of our mission organization. Even within the first week we were here, someone had us over for a meal each day in order to help us adjust and get to know each other better. The many meals and time we spend together will certainly be some of my best memories once we come back home. These people are so dear to our hearts, that we know we won't be able to stop talking about them... So here's just a quick profile of a few. Every week, Brad and I have been meeting up with our friends John, Erica, and Jeannie. This is a time that not only do we eat dinner and ice cream together, but we also spend time (girls with girls and guys with guys) just talking about what the Lord is teaching us that week. It's just a time to be intentional with each other and dig down into each others lives. It's amazing! John and Erica have been married for two years and come from Kentucky. Jeannie is our age, just graduated from Asbury in Kentucky, and is from Georgia. Side note, just about everyone here in our mission is somehow affiliated with Asbury. The three of them are actually only in Kampala for just a little while longer. They are here learning Swahili in order to move to Arua to do missions there. Arua is in Northern Uganda, and WGM is just now setting the foundations to begin pastor training not only there, but also in the Congo and the Sudan. Sadly, our friends leave in about 2 weeks. Brad and I will probably take the long road trip with them to help them get settled in their new houses. But until they leave, we're going to spend as much time continuing to get to know each other and encourage each other weekly- daily even. In the first picture is, (left to right) John, Erica, Jeannie, myself, and Brad. The second is Delight, Lee Ann, Ben, Jeannie, myself, and Ethan. These are just a few of our other friends within World Gospel Mission. The third is Lisa and Ethan. We live with behind Lisa, and are always laughing because of her bubbly personality.

Out of Kampala and into Africa

2007-02-16T03:32:00.000-08:00

A few weeks back, Annie and I got the chance to head to a town called Jinja- which is about 70km away from Kampala. Leaving the city opened our eyes to a new part of Africa. The city is full of smiling children, monkeys, pot holes, outdoor markets, poverty, swarms of vehicles, and irrupting with technology. However, in the bush we found forests of banana trees, cattle, mud homes, and the occasional cell tower. What we did not expect to see were class 4 and 5 rapids at the source of the Nile River. Annie and I quickly made plans to return for some awesome white water rafting down the biggest rapids we have ever seen. This certainly is not what I imagined when Moses was placed in the reeds.

The first picture was taken on our way to Jinja. As we stopped to smile and wave, more and more children emerged from their houses! The next was taken there at the source of the Nile in Jinja. It was so amazing to see the beginning of something we've always heard about.

SPIRIT WEEK at Heritage
Two weeks ago was Spirit Week at Annie's School. It was full of games, contests, and I spoke everyday at chapel. This was so much fun! However, the challenge was how to teach students as young as kindergarten and as old as high school in the same chapel. The talks ranged from sin/salvation to ministry that is unique to you. It was fun to watch the kids get excited about growing in their love relationship with God and then taking that passion out to others. This week, I will also be leaving Kampala to go into the the Village for pastor training. The last picture is one that was painted by one of Annie's students, Karlijn (from Holland). She was showing that her favorite part about SPIRIT week was "Mr. Brad" speaking!

Three of our Favorite Things

2007-02-08T11:00:00.000-08:00

Daily we are able to see a Africa from a new perspective. Sunday we had the chance to go with one of our new Ugandan friends, Nelson, to his church. Nelson lives with his nine children in a home that is made of mud bricks and surrounded by banana trees. When you walk down the dirt road to his home you notice two things. First, a hole the size of a VolksWagon Beetle that they throw all of their compost in, and the second is a long bamboo hut.

The rhythm and dancing reverberated from inside the bamboo hut as we stepped into his church. This week, Nelson and his wife Lucy lead a ten day revival, and Annie and I were blessed to join. Dancing is a huge part of worship in Uganda. They do not just sing praise to God, but they dance. For two hours we danced and prayed before Nelson gave his sermon. I was able to give my testimony, and Annie was asked to spend time teaching the children.

There are three big things to love about Uganda.
The first...there are no enforced speed limits. Driving is absolutely crazy, and it is awesome. We have become pro's at driving on the left side of the road with a left handed stick shift. The dirt roads have pot hole that literally swallow some trucks. Every rainy day becomes a great opportunity to throw the car into 4 wheel drive and have some fun. Old Land Cruisers and Land Rovers are popular here because they have the power to handle the roads. Recently, Annie and I have hired motorcycle taxis, called boda bodas, to take us around town.
The second...Coke is IT!!! Everyone here drinks coke products. Sure, if you look hard enough you can find a Pepsi, but we don't go into those kind of places. If you have ever been to Atlanta and gone through the coke museum you have had the chance to try the different flavors of Coke, tailored for the individual countries. In Uganda, Coke taste different, but Sprite has quickly become a big favorite off ours.
The third...you can never be late. Ugandan time is free and relaxed. There is not need to stress if you have a meeting at 1:00 and the group does not totally show until 1:53. As long as they make the meeting within the hour there is no reason to fret. This is a reason that some churches sing and dance for two hours before beginning.

Loving life in Uganda!

2007-01-30T08:45:00.000-08:00

Wow! Where do we start?! We first want to apologize for taking so long to post. Not only was internet access hard to come by at first, but we also had trouble opening our account. Now that we have finally worked it all out, we should be able to update the site much more frequently.
Our journey to Uganda began about two and a half weeks ago (and there is so much to tell), so we are just going to jump right into the adventure.
The first picture was taken on our first official tour of my school. It is just as beautiful as all the pictures on their website. There are palm trees all around, a stream running through the center of campus, and lots of sunshine. Even though the school is extrememly nice, outside of the school walls is the poverty you typically think of when you think of Africa. The next pictures are of the street we drive/walk on everyday to and from school. The people are so friendly, and their faces light up when you smile and wave! Right on this street you can buy anything from vegetables to airtime for your cell phone.

The Wednesday after we arrived was Brad's birthday! Our friends John and Erica had us over for dinner and cake! The entire first week we were here, someone from our mission organization hosted us for at least one meal a day! We felt so spoiled!

As far as teaching goes, I jumped right into school immediately. Beginning on Tuesday morning, I was on my own. I have 13 students and out of those, only 3 are American. I have three from Korea, one from Holland, one from England, one from Germany, and others from different countries in Africa. The whole school is this way. Teachers included. And most of the children’s parents are doing some sort of ministry. It is such a wonderful atmosphere! In just the short time I have been here, I have learned so much, and I really look forward to getting in routine with the class. The first Friday, I surprised the children with water color paints. You would have thought I had brought candy. Things such as markers and paints are hard to come by, so it was a treat for them as well as myself!
As for Brad, he has been running around with the mission field director, Jon Mayo, before beginning pastor training on the first Thursday and Friday. He was able to observe some of the classes Thursday, then on Friday he jumped in and taught the 4 gospels... in 4 hours! I think he really enjoyed his time with the pastors, and we all know he did a great job! I’ll have to let him explain it in greater detail later.
We were wrong about the number of people that live here in Kamapala. It is not 800,000… it’s more like 3.5 million! Because Kampala is the capital, people from all over the world live here. There are approximately 3,000 Americans living in Uganda. The life expectancy is about 42, (compared with the age of 30 only 10 years ago) and about 70% of the population are under the age of 30.
I cannot begin to tell you how much we are enjoying our time here! God has been so good, and we look forward to being able to keep you posted on more of a weekly basis. Unfortunately that is all we have time for for now. We love you all and miss you dearly! Thank you for all your support and prayers. Feel free to email us at annieandbradbrown@gmail.com or send us snail mail at P.O. Box 11788 Kampala, Uganda (not zip code necessary).

We're off...

2006-12-26T14:47:00.000-08:00

Well, we are off!
Brad and I are moving to Uganda, Africa in the middle of January. There we will be in Kampala, the capital, and working with an organization called World Gospel Mission. I will be teaching Kindergarten at a school for both missionary and local children. Brad will be taking part in church planting, as well as teaching pastors. We have created this website to keep our family and friends informed on all of our adventures. We cannot wait to share our experiences with you!
So, we're off.