A new letter from Pastor Hector in Hermosillo

We received a letter from Pastor Hector In Hermosillo. Here is the translated letter:
HERMOSILLO,SONORA ; 20 DE SEPTIEMBRE DE 2010

Beloved brothers in Phoenix
I greet you in the precious name that is above every name, our beloved Jesus Christ. I am hoping that when you receive this letter you are all well and enjoying the grandeur of our God and enjoying being His sons through his blessed grace.
Beloved Brothers, it is a huge blessing for me to share with you all that the Lord has been doing in my life and in the life of my family and in our Church.
To begin, I want to thank God and you for your prayers and friendship. I know that it has been a long while since you have come, but God knows the reasons. We want you to return so that we can see you all and share some time with you. Also in our prayers is the request that God would allow us to come and visit you, to know your church. We are praying that God would give us the opportunity to come and visit you in the beginning of December, and that is in the hands of our all powerful God.
On another note I wanted to let you know that every two months I will be going to Chihuahua City to teach classes at a Bible college that has opened at the church where I grew up. They have just opened the college and the classes will run four semesters and include homiletics, personal evangelism, and end times prophesies . This college is humble and each teacher will have to pay their own way to serve there. I am thanking the Lord for this new opportunity that He has given me to serve him in addition to the work in Hermosillo and the towns in the mountains. I beg you to pray for this new ministry.
In addition brothers, I want you o pray with me for three families that have been joining with us at Church, I have begun to disciple them and I want the Lord to use me and do the work in the lives of these three families. This coming Friday we are starting a home study with one of the three families. This is the poorest of the three families, their house is made of cardboard and is next to a wash where the poorest families of our city live. Pray that God would use us to make them rich in Jesus Christ and receive eternal life by the Grace of the Lord.
By the mercy of God we remain firm and going forward, besides the trials, difficulties and problems that all churches experience. We are going forward with the joy of prayer and evangelism, resting in that it is our marvelous Lord working through us, we are instruments in His hands. He is faithful and know every request from our hearts before we ask it and he knows our hearts and all of our prayers that glorify Him, the Holy Spirit intercedes to the Father on our behalf.
I have included photos of our work in the Tarahumara Mountains and the Huasteca Mountains. It is such a pleasure to travel there once a year to serve Christ en these isolated places and share with the people the glorious mercies of our Lord for them to receive also eternal life and know the Supreme King of all creation.
Brothers, let me encourage you with grace and joy to continue working for Christ, being molded by Him for His use. That He would fill us with holiness, love. Compassion to share the blessed Gospel to lost souls that can only be recued by way of the message of the death and resurrection of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness and all things shall be added.
I close today, telling you, beloved brothers that the streets of gold and crystal and precious pearl in heaven do not excite me, but what truly excites me will be to wrap my arms around the God who gave His life for us. What thrills me is to know my great redeemer and savior even if I met Him on streets made of cardboard.
Brothers, we love you with the love of Jesus Christ and ask that God would allow the love between us to continue to grow.
In the great love of Christ,
Brother Hector L. Mendoza and family
Hugs to you!!!

a letter from Abby about the boys we sponsor

Here is a letter I received from Abby about the boys we sponsor:

Hey Gina,

About Eddy, he now comes to our street programs regularly and hopefully will begin sleeping in the church soon. There are 2 new homes opening up for 40 kids in our street programs to go into and we want Eddy to be given another chance in one of these homes (praise the Lord for them opening!) so within 2 weeks, as long as Eddy stays around in our programs, and I am sure because he is such a smart kid that he will, he will be going to a different home off of the streets.

Amos and Godfrey are also doing wonderfully! Amos adapted to the home the moment we brought him home. he is such a sweet, responsible, and caring kid. Godfrey is also doing great, he is passionate, caring, and loves to make people happy!

The boys are on school holiday now for 4 weeks which is exciting, Davis came home with us from boarding school and is having a blast. I bought 4 pairs of roller skates for the boys to share, it was the most hilarious thing watching them as they learned. They now have the hang of it and we often take them to the basketball court at the university nearby to practice. We are also reading through the Chronicles of Narnia series with the boys, especially on their holiday and they LOVE it, they just love books. It has all 6 or 7 of the books in one big, fat book and we ARE going to finish it! =-) We are also reading through a book about Jesus, (it goes through the New Testament- all of His teachings and His life, death, and resurection) for devotions each night and then talking about it after we read it

Pious, Dissan, and Shafik are composing more songs to sing at church- they are so cute, they love performing and writing songs to praise God for the new life that He has given them.

William, Peter, Amos, Shafik, and Kateregga also got special treats for being the "cleanest" boys in the house and doing such a great job working hard to wash their clothing and keep it clean.

God bless,

Abby

an update from Abby about Uganda

Hey family and friends

God has been so good to us, yesterday were able to move all of our big family out of the slums in Kivulu into a big and beautiful house in Wakalega, Kampala. Its a big and beautiful house were the boys can play away from the drugs, prostitution, clubs, and gambling of Kivulu! We are praying that everything will continue to move forward with our new land as well as our paperwork continues to pull through with A Perfect Injustice and as we look for land (we did find a really beautiful 22 acres at a great price and are just trying to tell now whether it is legitimate). Rent in our new home isnt cheap and we cant wait to have our own place in the village.

God is bringing many visitors in the next few months to help with the work which is also such a blessing. Please pray as we try and begin a new project for prostituted young women counseling them and teaching them how to make jewlery so that they can know how special they are and how much God loves them and have a life off of the street. It is overwhelming starting this project but I know that it is something that God has called me to do. Please pray that He will keep his hand over it, heal the girls that we are working with, and give us wisdom. We are hoping to model the project after our "bead guys" so that after a 4 or 5 months or so, lots of counseling, and love the girls will be able to run the business on their own, and that it will be "theirs". We will purchase the products from them and help them find other markets where they can sell them as well.

Things smoothed out in our street programs. We will be starting them up again in 2 months or so andd are already talking with other churches and people now about restarting them more organized then before, with as many people working together as possible to love on street children for Christ.

Thank you for all your prayers,

God bless,

Abby

John Gemmill is home! Praise the Lord Here is the trip summary

Friends,

Thank you very much for your prayers and encouragement! I am back from the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). The conference held at UCBC (Christian Bilingual University of Congo) in Eastern Congo was successful--we believe beyond doubt that God was at work!

SUMMARY OF THE CONFERENCE:

UCBC hosted a conference facilitated by Christian lawyers from DRC, USA, Uganda, Rwanda, Kenya, and Burundi to work with approximately 50 DRC lawyers, judges, and government officials from North Kivu province.

Establishing justice for the people of Congo is critical to the transformation of DRC in its early years of democracy. The four day conference addressed strategies for dealing with rule of law issues ranging from land reform and sexual violence to integrity and independence of the DRC judicial system. It resulted in a number of “firsts” for UCBC and DRC. It was the first time that international justice organizations such as Advocates International/Advocates Africa, International Justice Mission, and African Leadership and Reconciliation Ministry (ALARM) had come to Beni or to UCBC. The conference resolutions called for the formation of Christian lawyer groups for the first time in the cities of Beni, Bunia, and Butembo. Finally, in a significant vote of confidence and trust in UCBC, the delegates resolved that UCBC be the facilitating institution to coordinate the new city groups (including how they may connect in the future with each other and with NGOs in the Eastern Congo region). The city groups will be local fellowships of lawyers and judges which will provide not only encouragement and discipleship within the local group, but also a forum for addressing rule of law issues at the grass roots level.

On the final day of the conference, the lawyers from each of the six nations planted trees at UCBC to symbolize the unity of the lawyers in seeking justice for DRC. They also participated in a servant-leadership work project by buying the materials and providing the labor to paint one of the large student classrooms within UCBC. A palpable spirit of hope and commitment to employing Christian principles in the legal process in DRC built throughout the conference. Please pray that these seeds planted in the July 2010 conference will continue to grow and by God’s continuing grace produce the justice God intends for the people of Congo!

LASTING IMPRESSIONS:

First, despite very challenging difficulties and obstacles, the attendees expressed their desire and intention to grow in the Lord and to work together toward significant improvements in their legal and justice systems. Success will not be easy or quick, but there is hope.

Second, UCBC is a shining light of hope in a part of the world that hasn't had a lot of hope. We were privileged to interact with a number of students at UCBC. Many of us commented on the hope in the eyes of these bright, joyful, and committed students. UCBC is a unique and special university in my view. The vision of Dr. David Kasali and the University is to train up men and women with a solid biblical foundation, academic excellence, and a heart for their communities. More information is available at http://www.congoinitiative.org/view.cfm?page_id=108 .

Thank you again, very much, for praying for our conference and for our safety and success. Your encouragement and prayers have supported me throughout this time!

John

News from John Gemmill

John did not have e-mail during the week of his conference. Here is the summary he sent. As you can see he is used to being brief!

Mon--the "Consultation" opened after lunch and worship. Intros and initial remarks, and prayer.
Tues--worship, then broke into 4 groups; identified biggest justice challenges in morning. Lunch; worship; then very good presentations from several of our leaders. Then some very spirited discussion among the Congelese -- a young Democracy in action!
Wed--worship; then panel presentations from several of us, regarding the value personally and spiritually of forming local groups of Christian lawyers (including judges), followed by Q + A. Lunch; worship; then the Attendees set about to make Resolutions. Very encouraging stuff.
We also pray at every interval.
Thurs--worship + prayer; then they finished the Resolutions. Then we planted trees and painted. Now adjourned--considered very successful.
Now tired. Tomorrow we'll evaluate for the future. It will be difficult and probably slow for the Christians here to advance toward the Rule of Law but they seem dedicated to doing so!

Love,
John

Our Girl Brittney Fallon went Down Under

Brittany Fallon, an engineering student from ASU, went on her second mission trip this past summer. She went with Campus Crusade for Christ. They went specifically to witness to college students. She had a great time and was able to see students believe in Jesus for salvation. This trip was an expensive one monetarily but oh so very worth it. here is an excerpt from her e-mails home:
Two girls prayed to have a real relationship with Christ yesterday. On our third day on campus!! God is really here, and he really is moving. Some of the staff members were shocked that we already people were coming to Christ. As we were praying yesterday during team time, I got the number 20 in my head. I want to see 20 Monash Uni students come to Christ and ask to have a relationship with him. Early in the morning, me and Nicole talked to a guy and girl in the engineering courtyard. Shannon (the boy, I don't know how to spell it but that's how you pronounce it) and Steph. They were super open to hearing about what we had to say, and they gave quite a bit of feedback. We sat talking to them for nearly an hour after we had initially asked for only 15 min of their time. Steph's family is Buddhist, but she only believes parts of it. She does however believe there is a higher power. Shannon, however, has no religious background at all. He had heard some stuff about different levels of heaven after you die, where the better people go to a better heaven. But as we talked about our beliefs, he was listening intently and reading along in the Knowing God Personally booklet. They both seem curious about having a relationship with God and Christ. Steph kept saying should couldn't really give her opinion because she didn't know much about Christianity or what it meant. Please pray that they both will continue to want to learn about what it means to have a relationship with Christ and that God will reveal himself to them to show that He is real.
Today, we are going to have a pizza party for Student Life at noon. Many students like free food here just like the students in the States! Please pray for the people we encounter that God will soften their hearts and use us as a light. Also, pray we have enough food. We invited TONS of people!

Brittney left for Australia trusting that God would provide the funds. If you feel led to add to her fund, email her at brittney.fallon@gmail.com and she will send you the details.

Day Three in Shonto

Today is Friday and the construction project is mostly done. The cement truck arived late, but the boys were ready. They quickly spread the five yards of cement and made a beautiful floor for the entry of the church. Today the project is to drywall the sound room walls. VBS for the last two days has been so fun. It was amazing listening to Pastor Arnold talk about the influence VBS had on him when he was only eight. The seeds were planted for him and that developed into a ministry to his own people. The lessons have been all about TRUTH. A reminder to me and the team for the need to know,live and speak the truth. When asking the Navajo kids some questions about God, I realized that there is a whole generation who need to hear the truth. Kids are kids no matter where you find them; Uganda, Arizona or Shonto. They all need to hear that Jesus loves them and that He is the Truth. Please pray for the team and the kids that are participating.

Andrea has said this is the highest number for two days in a row. I am humbled by the surroundings here and the spirit of my brothers and sisters in Shonto. It is an amazing experience to become acquainted with people that I will see again when I am in the presence of the Lord. The Church is filled with many people of different cultures and different languages, but in Glory we will all be saying the same thing, "Hallelujah to the Lord." Please know that every dollar you have spent and every item that you have donated is going to good use. The kids love the crafts and all of the leftovers from SHOUT. Thank you again for everything you have done to make this trip possible.

Shonto Arrival

Praise the Lord we made it all safe. The weather is beautiful and the team ready to get started. The project for this year is pouring a cement floor in the front of the church. The VBS is a beach themed one and we are ready for the party to begin. I took some pictures of the sign advertising VBS and the before picture of the floor. Check in every day to see the projects as they progress. Inside the sanctuary is an absolutely beautiful stained glass window. That picture is included as well. How appropriate the words of Christ about His "sheep" are here in Shonto. We passed several little flocks of sheep with the watchful shepherd looking after each one. This week we will be working with our Navajo brothers and sisters to spread the Gospel and continue to improve the church for the use of the community.

Here at the airport

What a roller coaster ride. First I had a flight, then I was bumped, and now I have a flight again. So I am here at the airport and patiently waiting. I am so very excited to share with you about the work here in Africa. It is a heartbreaking and heartwarming work. Abby came with me to the airport to see me off and then got a call this morning that the official (mayor) of Kivulu (the slum) was not going to allow the street kids to sleep at the church. He said they were dirty and were little thieves. Uncle David called Abby and he told her that the man probably just wants money. It is almost funny to think that the mayor would be calling the street kids dirty and thieves. The slum is filled with drugs, prostitution, open sewers, and violence. But it is not surprising that he would want money. The suitcase that we filled with supplies for the kids is now filled with beaded necklaces. The sale of those necklaces funds well over half of what Abby does. So please buy a necklace! I met the young men that make the necklaces. Five of them sleep in a one room apartment. Several don't know how to read but would like to learn. They are former street kids. So they have gainful employment and Abby can fund so MANY different things. I will post more pictures once I get home. I have some truly special pictures that I know you will be blessed to see. Last night when Uncle Julius and Uncle David went down to the church to give the street boys some warm tea and a bun and to pray with them one of the boys wanted to use a cell phone to make a call to Abby. So David called Abby and one of the boys wanted to especially wish me a safe journey and for God to keep me safe. Very humbling. Because I feel like he was really praying for all of you too. May God give us the heart to help hurting people wherever we go; whether it is in Phoenix, Paraguay, Shonto, Uganda or whever He has us at the time. God bless you all and I will see you soon.

Here are some pictures

The birthday boy getting his card-he was so excited!

This is my shower

This is a man making bricks for the new house with African Hearts

This is Aslan and Abby.

Flight Cancelled

Well, I am certainly glad I bought travel insurance. The volcano in Iceland has spread ash all over Europe and British Airways is not flying and the rumor is two weeks to clear the ash. S I will be re booking probably with Emirates Airlines and going to Dubai. At least my clothing is pretty modest. But I may have a number of weird stops. I went to church today with Abby and Moreen. It was good but I really miss Bob's preaching. So like I tell of the volunteers, "flexibility is the name of the game in ministry." So I am getting a big spoonful of my own advice. I went to the market today and bought some videos for my trip. We also bought some new videos for the boys. They got August Rush, The Blind Side, Hachiko, and some animated videos. They love August Rush and she got a translated one for them. If you think about it it is sort of an Oliver twist type story. They can relate to a boy searching for his parents. The DVDs cost a dollar and most are current. They are legal videos here in Uganda, but I wonder about the US. Actually I am PRETTY sure they are copies. Especially since I saw the guy copying them, ha!
Yesterday we took the boys from the street to a big soccer field. The game was boys vs staff. they really had fun. One of the boys found a tiny little kitten and wanted to give it to me. My heart just melted. The street boys gave Abby a kitten and she named her Aslan, like the lion out of The Lion The Witch and The Wardrobe. The kids have led such a violent life, she encourages them to be not only be kind to each other but also animals. Both houses have dogs. The house here in the slum has the sweetest dog. Spoiled rotten and he loves the boys.
I can't wait to see you but I don't know when that will be.
MY PHONE IS NOT WORKING-SORRY-I CAN'T SEND OR RECEIVE TEXTS.

Pictures from Uganda

Here are some pictures from Uganda:

Saturday in Uganda

Today is Saturday. I have spent the last few days in a whirlwind. I was able to go to the house in Senge. It has about 15 boys. It is away from the city in a village. The boys can wander around a little bit and interract with the community. They also have their own gardens and were proud to show them off to me. This home is run by African Hearts. I have spent most of my time in the Kivulu house, located in the Kivulu community (slum). It is a dangerous place with prostitution, drugs, pornographic movie houses, and it is filthy. The boys here live in ahouse with a large wall around it and a small dirt patch in the middle. No-one, and I do mean no-one enters or leaves without permission. The gate has two locks. So the boys live the majority of heir time here. All attend school, but their break just began for five weeks. This is not a big space for 15 rough and tumble boys.
I have been able to do lot's of things with the boys, both in the Kivulu house and also the street kids. I caught a head cold. I am good as long as I don't get lice too. The street boys I guess don't find me very threatening and they always want to sit close to me, or hold my hands when we walk. How could I possibley tell them no? So I may not be able to be around our kids for a while when I return if I am being treated for lice. For the last few nights I have joined Abby and Uncle Julius as they bring hot tea to the boys on the street before bedtime. I carefully watchd a boy unwrap a dirty plastic burlap type sack and spread it on the ground, then pull out a clean one and crawl into it like it was a sleeping bag. He also had a piece of cloth that he covered his chest with. The bag only went up a little past his waist. But the boy next to him slept on a ratty piece of cardboard with no covers at all. Such a heartbreak. I also was able to visit the older boys, 17-19, that make the beads. They are too old to stay at the church so Abby rented them a small room and they make beads all day. The guys were asking Abby if they could make and sell necklaces with seeds in them but she said they might not sell, but I bought it and paid a premium price. Over $1.00. The other boys were clucking their tongues at him. I think they wished they had necklaces to sell the rich Muzungo. I took some pictures of the older boys to show you. Abby also let the boys open to gifts that Bob and Cathy, their sponsors, had sent with me for their birthdays. i took pictures of that too. The sent to buckets of Legos. What boy doesn't like Legos? Today I went to the market again to buy Sunday shirts for the boys. We really picked around to get the best ones. We brought to boys with us, Peter, the oldest and Katarenga, a new boy at the home. We took them to lunch too. A special treat. So when we went to look for the shirts Peter fell in love with a Boy Scout uniform. So I got it for him and then Katarenga saw one too, so we got that for him. I can't wait to see them wearing their shirts.
They will be testing all of the boys for HIV. So far all of the ones at Kivulu are clean but they are going to test the street kids as well. Three of the boys currently have malaria and are being treated. The clinic charges are a big part of the budget here.
So I asked Abby how we could most help her. Would she like a team to come out or money and she didn't even hesitate and said money. Then she told me about her dream to buy 10 acres and build a home in a village not too far from Kampala. Then she would take all of the boys away from the slum and give them a real home. The bill for that...$110,000. Land is not cheap here. But she already has a great staff. Her best friend here in Uganda, Moreen will be a house mom. David and Julius will be the house dads. They are all such amazing people who really love the kids.
I could barely leave the boys sleeping on the ground at the church, so I don't know how she does it day after day. Only God can give strength for that.
I may not be able to leave to come home on Monday because of the Volcano. London is not accepting ANY flights because of heavy ash in the air. So pray that the ash will seperate.
I love you all and I have felt your prayers.

Wednesday too

I am going to send some photos:

Tuesday in Uganda (actually now Wednesday)

Today is Wednesday and the rainy season has started in Uganda. Monday night it started to rain and it rained HARD for a couple of hours. Most of the city can handle the water but here in the slum it is really muddy. I went to the market with Abby and Uncle Julius. (remember uncle is a term of respect here). I remember hearing once that all of the clothes from Goodwill and Savers that did not get sold were baled and shipped to Africa. Well I can now say with complete confidence that it is absolutely true. We went shopping for clothes for the boys in the street programs. Abby drives a hard program and was able to buy 65 pieces of clothing for about a dollar a piece. We barely made it back to the house before it started to rain. We rode motorcycles, bodas. At some points I honestly had to close my eyes but we made it back safely! I bought an African outfit in the market with Abby's and an Ugandan woman's help. I will wear it to our dinner on the 24th. Most of the money I brought I have been using to help Abby. I want to go back to the market and buy an outfit for all of the boys in the house. If you would like to contribute to this, simply write a check and attach a note that says Uganda. You can buy a complete outfit for under $5 less than the price of a Starbucks. (no pressure or anything-HA) I also know the word for white person, it is Muzungu . I heard it a million times in the market today.
I am trying to understand the culture and religion of Uganda. It is probably 85% born again Christian. The next major religion is Islam. The Catholic church is not held in high regard here and is not considered Christian. There is a very small amount of Mormons. There are Bible verses written on all of the Taxis and on many walls.But polygamy is alive and well here. Don't ask me how that fits in. Over 80% of the people are under 30 years old. War and AIDS have taken a heavy toll.
The Ugandans say that politicians are corrupt. I know many Americans would say the same thing about our government. A man tried to pick pocket me but was caught by the police. He was severely beaten in front of me. I think I should have said thank you but I was simply frozen in disbelief. Uncle Julius pulled me into the taxi and we sped away. He explained to me that thieves are considered the lowest of the low here and are not tolerated.
So what is Abby and the Ugandan team doing here? They are helping (loving) as many of the street boys as possible. They may or may not have already heard the Gospel but they definitely have not experienced love. The kids in the slums have it better, and when you see the picture you will wonder how?, but at least they have some sort of family. But these boys wander the crowded dirty streets, huff a cheap type of airplane fuel, and become thieves. And you know what the people think of thieves. in addition to being fatherless, the boys in the Senge house have all been physically and sexually abused. When God says that He is a Father to the fatherless, who but us can be His loving arms here on Earth?

Uganda Monday Evening

In Arizona it is lunch time and here in Uganda it is 10:30 PM. I have had a couple of truly amazing days. Sunday we went to a church, Calvary Chapel, that has an American Pastor. This church spoonsors a program called Front Line and is a ministry to street children. They have a lot of British and American volunteers come and help. They seem to stay anywhere from four to six months. It takes that long to aquire a little Logandan and to gain the trust of the kids. We took the kids from the house to church with us. We then went to lunch with some Ugandan and American and British leaders. That afternoon we went to the pool with all of the boys. They had so very much fun. Just like all kids do on a hot afternoon. They boys really consider themselves a family and the Ugandan men that are counsellors at the home are their mentors. The boys call the men Uncles and the women, like Abby, Auntie. They call me Jajja which means grandmother. I am honored. Then Sunday night we went to the orphanage in Senge. It is run by African Hearts. Abby volunteers with them. They are a Ugandan group that works with street boys too. But it was late when we arrived and I wasn't able to really meet the boys. The next morning they left early to go to school and I was still sleeping. We then returned to The Kivulu house, the safe house, in Kampala. I spent the afternoon using the wonderful facepaints that you donated with the street kids, but they had to bathe first. I really had fun and they did too. Monday, Wednesday and Friday they have a program for the kids, they have a short school lesson, then they feed them, play games with them and tell them a Bible story. The boys can also get soap, clothes and recieve medical care. Then tonight I told the Bible story to the boys. I watch thirty or forty boys curl up on cardboard, or a plastic burlap sack to go to sleep. Some had towels or sheets, but they all layed on a hard dirt floor. But at least it is safe. Abby has hird two guards to watch them. Tonight she had to remind them to not sleep. One of the boys gave me a bracelet to wear. I will wear it with joy. I ate posho and beans for dinner, the same thing the boys get almost every night. They had pineapple and they shared with me. Generosity in the midst of great poverty. It just goes to show that poverty of the purse does not mean poverty of the heart. Please pray for the boys and Abby and her team both Ugandan and American.

Here in Uganda

Today is Saturday and I am here in Uganda. I spent my first night here at the safe house (Half way House) for the boys who are off the street and attending school. There are 13 of them. I also attended a program on Friday for the street boys. They played games, heard a Bible story and had a nutritious lunch. Kampala is a bustling city filled with motorcycles, walking people and Toyota minivans. The streets at one time were paved but have never been repaired, so they are a mess. The colors and smells are vibrant and pungent. The people friendly and the weather warm and humid. I have already taken some great photos and I will try to post some later. I am sort of in a hurry today as Abby and I and some of the Ugandan staff are taking three boys to the zoo. This is a VERY special treat that they earned. One boy consistently keeps his bed neat and clean and takes good care of himself, one was the top of his class in school, and the other is the most self disciplined. Abby and the staff were thrilled to see the items that I brought (that the church gave). They were the most excited about the soccer balls, pumps, and art supplies. Note to self...Abby likes foo-foo tea and coffee! HA! Tonight I will be going to the Senge house and stay there for at least a day or two. I am excited to see another part of Uganda. The Safe house is truly a refuge in the storm. It is located in a slum surrounded by trash, bars and violence. They lock the doors tightly and regulate who can come in.
Abby bought all of the boys athletic suits (pants and t-shirts). They were thrilled! The three boys are, of course, wearing theirs to the zoo. Tonight we are taking all of the boys swimming and I will try to videotape as much as I can.
I love you all and I will write more when I can.

Missed Flight In London

Well, in typical Gina Orr fashion I missed my flight to Entebbe, the airport in Uganda. Don't even ask me how I did it. Just keep in mind that I was in the airport for over three hours and still managed to somehow miss the flight. A word for the traveller like me, reset your watch as soon as you arrive at your destination and don't count on things being like they have always been before. HA The five boxes I am carrying arrived safely in London. Because I missed the flight they security system wanted me take the boxes OUT of the airport. The next flight to Entebbe was two days later! I was able to rebook my flight, re-que the bags and with the help of some very friendly BA staff find a reasonable hotel. The hotel was a bed in a box. Weirdest thing ever. Just room for a bed. No window, no sheets, but it did have a private bathroom. It cost me $30 to take the taxi there and $35 to spend the night! But what is the word for missions...flexibility. And despite the good advice of Dave Ramsay, I would say always carry a VISA, for emergencies. By the time I rebooked my flight it was almost midnight and I was considered a "risk" . I had to be escorted by a member of security at all times. I must look threatening. But the people at the desk were so very nice. I told them that if they ever got to Phoenix, I would take them to dinner for Mexican Food. To my surprise I found that they both HAD been to Arizona. So I gave them a business card from the church and told them to call me if they came back.

Wednesday in London I walked around all day. I saw the sights and spent 3 hours in the National Art Museum.

It is now Thursday and I had to leave my hotel at 11:00 and my flight is at eight. I came very early to insure that my boxes were on their way as well. All seems to be in order and I have explored the terminal and found that I could shop at Prada, Gucci, and Coach. On the other hand I think I will have an Americano at Starbucks. I am enjoying watching the people. What a diverse group. It is wonderful! My phone doesn't seem to want to call anyone, just as well since it is so expensive. But texting is only 35 cents. You can text me at 602-326-5025. I have a 22 hour layover on the way back that includes an overnight. I am considering staying at a hostel here, the chairs here are quite uncomfortable for sleep. And my pillow did not make it through security Tuesday night. Keep praying that the trip will still be a blessing and encouragement to Abby despite all of the problems. Take care everyone. Gina Orr Wednesday afternoon 5:30PM in London

Mission Trip To Uganda

On my way to Uganda tomorrow. I leave Monday, April 5, at 7:20 at night on a direct flight to London-Heathrow. I will then have an eight hour layover and get on a plane to Uganda. I arrive there at 7:30 on April 7. Whew! The purpose of this trip is to investigate the efforts there in Kampala and see if that is a project we would be comfortable partnering with. I will be visiting Abby Tracy and her Ugandan co-workers as they minister to street children. My prayer is that I would be a blessing to Abby and the whole team, and I can't wait to meet the kids. I have all of my clothes in a carry-on and I have 5 bags! The bags have clothes, school supplies, and fun stuff like soccer balls and art supplies. I am also taking bandaids and antibiotic creme. I will be returning to Phoenix on April 20. I am hoping that I will be able to use this blog to communicate with you all. If not, I will definitely update it as soon as I get back. So check back often and pray for the ministry in Uganda.

Introduction to a Rocket Scientist Missionary!

On Sunday March 14, the mission team was introduced to a rocket scientist...really! Jeff Benedict has been working for a large aeronautical company as a satellite specialist and has a masters degree in engineering. So how can a rocket scientist be a missionary? He and his wife Jackie will be leaving for Elkhart Indiana to join the technology center for HCJB Global, a worldwide Christian broadcasting organization. He will be joining a staff or retired and missionary engineers in the development of new technologies and troubleshooting of existing technologies for worldwide use. How Cool! Jeff and Jackie are longtime friends of Jeremy and Emily Podborny. They came to MVBC to share news of their new missionary work, seek prayer support, and look for any financial assistance. As you know the budget includes no money for new missionaries this year, but we know that God is faithful and is WAY bigger than a limited budget. If you would like more information on how you can get involved with Jeff and Jackie, I encourage you to click on their link (which is embedded in the title of this post) and it will take you directly to the Technology Center web page. You can also email them at jbenedict@hcjb.org. They are in the process of putting together a web page and we will post that link as soon as it is up and running. Please pray for them as they prepare to leave June 1, 2010. Jeff and Jackie, thank you so much for sharing with us and asking us to be a small part of your team.

New Direction for MVBC

In the Fall of 2009, the staff and elders met together to work out a new direction for Moon Valley Bible. This Direction revolves around three simple words: belong, believe, and become. In addition to the new direction, we have made plans that extend out to 2015. We know that plans change and we will be sensitive to how God is leading us. But it is very exciting to think about where God may have us in 2015. We have further fleshed out the three simple words into eight strategic initiatives:
Belong includes two major categories-magnetic campus and engaging weekends. The word Believe includes: enthusiastic kids, continual converts, and inspiring missions. The last word, Become, includes vibrant groups, conspicuous compassion, and equipping leaders.
What this all means is that Moon Valley Bible Church wants to transform into a missional church. We will have an outward focus instead of an inward focus. We will focus on all of the needs that people have including: Spiritual, Physical and Social. We believe that this honors Christ and His great commission and His great command: Go into all the world and preach the Gospel to every creature; and Love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul and mind and love your neighbor as yourself. Won't you join us?