Hello all!
It’s December already! That’s crazy! I have now been here for five months. I am almost half way through my trip, wow. It has seemed long in some ways, but really it has gone by so fast! It’s so awesome to look back and see where God has taken me over these months. His plans are so much better than mine!
I just want to start out by re-iterating a need I put forth in my last blog post. I still have around $750 that I owe EAC for the last month and a half of my trip. I have always hated asking for money, but it’s not for me. It’s for God’s work to be done. I would ask you to prayerfully considering donating. Any amount would be so welcomed. If you feel God leading you to give please send me an email at crazy4him92@sbcglobal.net.
Here is a little overview of this past month. I’ll try to keep it shorter than in the past.
The first week of the month was pretty average, but the second week the entire team from Kenya came to serve alongside us for a week. It was a really great time, and the house was full once again. We had around thirty people, which is by far the most since the summer has ended. It’s really fun when the house is full because there is so much life and so much going on. That weekend we had our end of term sponsorship meeting at the house. All the kids came over and we got to spend time with them and help them write letters to their sponsors. It’s hard to believe that another term is already over!
On Sunday, my worship band played at Watoto Central, which is by far the largest church in Kampala and maybe in Uganda. I have never had so much fun playing worship! There were five services and by the end I was drained, but it was such a great experience. I love Watoto and how they are reaching out to the community. God is definitely doing great things through the church. Right before the service on Saturday night, the worship pastor’s wife told us that there was no offering song. We tried to come up with a song, but no one had ideas. I told them that I would do a song, so without even knowing if I could sing they let me. I sang Heaven Song by Phil Whickham, and it went very well for all the services. It’s not that I’m great or deserving in any way to have opportunities like that, but it’s so humbling to see how God is opening doors in ministry for me. About two years ago when God called me to the mission field, I gave up my right to playing music and pursuing it as a career. I gave up my right to fame. I kind of thought I was giving up music, but how awesome that God is allowing me to use it on the mission field! Praise Him!
A week after the Kenyans left, I went to serve with them in Kenya for two weeks. Myself and two other American volunteers packed up and headed for Nairobi. Everything went smoothly in getting there. We had a great two weeks full of kissing giraffes, drinking Pineapple Fanta (which I have looked for everywhere in Kampala and never been able to find), eating crocodile, and doing ministry. We were able to do two Christmas VBS type programs. One at a primary school in Kabera, which is the largest slum in East Africa, and another one at a boys juvenile home. Also, we went to a village for a day and did a shorter version of our Christmas program. I wish I had space to share some awesome stories of how God worked, but I will share one of the main things He taught me. Every day, we had to take public transportation and it would take two hours each way. It could have been really frustrating, but God really taught me patience. During that time, I would listen to sermons on my Ipod and just talk to God. At the house we didn’t have wireless internet so I had to find other things to do. I found myself reading the Bible a lot and, for the first time in long time, memorizing scripture. In those two weeks, I spent more time with God than I have in years. Just because I’m on the mission field it doesn’t mean it is any easier to seek God than at home. In some ways it’s harder. I need to be in God’s word more than just a few minutes every day, and I need to be in prayer constantly. Even as I have been back in Uganda I have found myself going back to basically ignoring God. Yes, I set aside some time for Him, but I shouldn’t need to set aside time for Him. I should have to find time to do other things because so much of my time is spent in His word and in prayer. Please pray that I would fall in love with God’s word and in spending time with Him. It’s the only way I will make it through this year. This is all about Him.
Before this gets any longer, I’ll wrap it up. So far this week we have done three Christmas parties at projects and we have one more for sponsor kids on Saturday. It’s been a lot of fun, and I think we have really been able to bless these children and show them the true meaning of Christmas. A major prayer request for this next month is that God would really give me strength to make it through this holiday season. It was really hard to be away from home for Thanksgiving and I know it will only be harder for Christmas.
I love you all, and I pray that God would bless you during the CHRISTmas season. Let’s remember that it’s all about Him. It’s not about getting the best gifts. America will spend billions of dollars this month, and give you “Season Greetings”. Bleh, that hogwash! Please remember the millions of people in American and around the world that will go with nothing this Christmas. God’s heart breaks for them.
Isaiah 1:17, “Seek justice; correct oppression. Bring justice to the fatherless; plead the widow’s cause.”
God bless!
Craigayy
