Uganda 2010 - Trip Updates
June 24 - Dear friends, family, prayer partners, supporters, et al;
The journey begins!!
The purpose of this email update is to try to keep you up to date so that you not only know how the team is faring, but you might have a better idea of how to pray for us. We will try to do it every day or two, keep it fairly brief and to the point, and may include a picture or two when we can. We will rotate the responsibility for the update, so you will get a different perspective each time.
You may not know everyone on the trip, so let me do a brief introduction. The picture below is our gathering at the Columbia airport; bags checked and underweight, so we are ready for departure. Left to right is Craig Wilkes, missions pastor at First Pres, Emily Drummond, Erskine student, Jimmy Stands, Ob-Gyn physician, Bruce Easterling, geriatrician, Ted Ravenel, dentist, Robert Belding, orthopedic surgeon, frequent short term missionary, Jacob Shockley, USC grad working at the Cason Group, Paula Hill, member care for missionaries is her passion, Frank Hill, ENT doc, Jan Burk, pediatric/neonatal nurse, and Tony Burk, project manager at Bose Corporation, Uganda trip veteran.
Please pray for safe travels, that we can rest on the long flights, that our luggage will arrive on time and breeze through customs, and that the Lord would be doing a work in our hearts and the hearts of the Ugandan people we will meet and share the Gospel with.
May the Lord bless you richly!
Frank, for the group
Frank Hill
June 26th
We have arrived and joined the Redeemer group from Dallas. Overall our flights were uneventful but had a four hour delay in Amsterdam because of a broken fuel pump. After a couple of hours we had to unload and board another KLM plane to Uganda. We were about four hours behind schedule and arrived here aroud 12:30 AM local time. None of us had any trouble sleeping. There had been some recent rain so this normally dusty time of year was dust free.
We had a wonderful breakfast of Hobos, Bagels with jam and peanut butter, saugage and juice. They have planned a picnic this afternoon and have asked some Ugandan dancers to come this evening. We have been through cultural, evangelical, and medical updates for the trip. Our host church has been doing both radio and moving truck loud speaker notification of the "Free Medical Clinics" this week so we are not sure how many patients to expect.
We leave Dave and Darlene Ebby's at 6 AM tomorrow to head for Mayuge. We are all well, safe, and blessed and ask for your continued prayers that we will honor and glorify Christ with our presence.
The Ugandan team
June 29th
Two very full days, about 550 patients and lots of evangelism so far. No one is sick, everyone excited about the mission! Feel free to post this, too.
In the name of the Lord.
Frank
June 30th
Another big day today and we are seeing a lot of (local people) confess faith in Christ! About 50 of the local congregation are gathered at the church every night praying till midnight for the next day's clinic and evangelism! Wow, what a commitment to the Lord's work. Sorry we can't do a full email tonight with pics, but the internet is still not working here: maybe tomorrow. Limited to this on the cell phone. Please pray for our break tomorrow, everyone needs it! Pray our medicine will last through Sat and pray most of all, that the Lord will be with us in all our interaction with the Ugandan people, that they will continue to be open to the gospel!
YOUR PRAYERS ARE VERY MUCH APPRECIATED!!
Frank, for the Mission Mayuge team
July 1
To all our friends and family praying for our mission: Greetings from Uganda again, the internet is still not functioning well, so the simplest is this email from the phone which Neal kindly forwards. I had said early on I would try to have others write our updates, but since it is late & from the phone, you're stuck with me. (Jimmy Stands wrote the one on Sat, by the way) A much needed break today and back to the clinic tomorrow and Sat. Some shopping & sightseeing, resupply of medicines, Jimmy Stands went with Dave Eby to a pastors conference in Mayuge, and we went boating on the Nile, some on a calm ride and others on the rapids. A wonderful day. The church in Mayuge was expanded today! Packed out last Sunday with about 400, bound to be overflowing next Sunday, so with a little financial help from us for materials and the church members labor, they added on about 2000 sq ft today while we weren't there using it for a clinic!! HOW'S THAT FOR A CHURCH BUILDING PROGRAM! (A very simple structure, of course: tin roof, eucalyptus poles for support and we'll see tomorrow if they have walls) The people are very friendly and very open to the gospel! An evangelism trip to the prison yesterday led to many confessions of faith! Please pray for continued good health, strength, and stamina to finish strong tomorrow and Saturday, the crowds will probably be bigger than ever. Pray the Lord will suppress the opposition to the church & that the Lord will continue to open the hearts of the Ugandan people. We serve an awesome God! Thanks again for your prayers.
Frank Hill, for the team
