Entries by James

MISSION: Uganda Blog Update 03-11-2005

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Just a quick note. You may have heard the Jaws-inspired phrase "We're going to need a bigger boat." Well, we're going to need a bigger van. Why? Well, my wife may be carrying twins. That's right, TWINS. How cool is that? We won't know for sure 'til we can afford an ultrasound, but based on her symptoms, compared to prior pregnancies, it's a definite possibility. I am, of course, rooting for twin girls, which would balance the numbers nicely (3 boys and 3 girls). Anyway. I was driving past the place where I spotted that conversion van the other day, and it hit me – 'If this is twins, a conversion van won't be big enough". We would need 8 seatbelts, and a conversion van only has 7. So, I guess it has to be a passenger van now. Now, some of the eugenicist, population control types out there may be tempted to think, "Six kids!? Have they gone mad?!" I, however, feel honored that God would potentially entrust not one, but TWO sets of twins to us. Pretty slick. Good thing we're going to a country where large families are still considered good, and children are rightly regarded as God's blessing.

MISSION: Uganda Blog Update 03-09-2005

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Greetings, faithful reader! We're home this week. Somehow, we got some wires crossed with our church in Ava, MO. Apparently, the meeting was for the first Sunday in March, 2006, not 2005. Glad I called first. Rolling Eyes This coming Sunday, we'll be in our church for our Annual Church Planting Conference. Bro. Jim Waymire, and Bro. Jim Beller will be the keynote speakers, along with several guest speakers from the St. Louis area. I'm really looking forward to it. Since church planting will be one of our primary missions in Uganda, it will be good to hear from guys who've actually done it to learn the practicalities of how it should be done.

MISSION: Uganda Blog Update 03-04-2005

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I read this article today, and I thought it underscored very well, "Why We Need Missionaries in Africa":

Up to 89 Million More AIDS Victims in Africa by 2025 – UN
Fri Mar 4, 2005 10:15 AM ET

By Tsegaye Tadesse

ADDIS ABABA (Reuters) – A further 89 million people in Africa could be infected by the HIV virus by 2025 in the continent's biggest crisis since slavery, the United Nations said on Friday.

The worst case scenario, which projects a four-fold increase in deaths from the killer disease over 20 years, was one of three contained in a report by the UNAIDS agency.

MISSION: Uganda Blog Update 03-03-2005

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Hello, all! The last week has been quite eventful to say the least. We'd asked for prayer for our son John because he had the stomach flu. After sending the update we saw a marked improvement in how he was feeling. Thank you all for praying for him! We had a missions conference in Harrisonville, MO last week from Wed. until Sun. We didn't want to take sick kids with us. When no one was sick on Wed. morning we packed everyone in the van and headed out. (More on the conference later.) Thursday Ethan had the flu and it was one right after another with each of us getting it for the next several days. Thankfully I didn't get it until Monday when the conference was over but James was quite sick on Sunday. We all seem to be doing better now. Elizabeth is the only one who is still hanging on to some residual effects from it. Be praying for her. She has had very loose diapers ever since Sunday night. She is drinking plenty of fluids and acting okay but can't seem to shake the bowel problems.

MISSION: Uganda Blog Update 02-22-2005

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Greetings, once again. We finished up our missions conference at Heritage Baptist Church in Florissant, MO last week. Most of the church is deaf, so Paul Strosneider translated for us hearing folks. It underscored yet again how imperative it is that we learn sign language at some point. I know of no ministry to the deaf in Uganda, and it would be criminal to deny the gospel to the deaf because of a failure to communicate. Alan Snare was with us in the conference, and he is a missionary to the deaf, and is deaf himself. He preached a message to the deaf on Wednesday, and two of them were saved! Once again, I was convicted of the need to learn at least enough sign to communicate. I have been to more than one church with deaf members, and I have always hated being unable to "speak" to them. So, Anna and I are considering obtaining some of the instructional materials that Paul Strosneider recommends. You can be in prayer for him. Although he has a successful ministry here in St. Louis, he is feeling burdened for the deaf in Africa. I, of course, have tried to encourage him to come to Uganda, to establish a school for the deaf, as well as for the hearing. We can bring American sign language to the Ugandan people, and to all of Africa, really, because they have no sign language of their own. Pray about that. Meanwhile, we will do what we can to learn some sign language, so we will be ready to minister to the deaf, as well as the hearing, not only in Uganda, but on deputation here in America. Pray for Heritage Baptist. They still need a pastor.