Student Retreat

Wow!  Good day, but long day.

Joel and I woke up early this morning to go to a University Student Retreat about 1.5-2 hours away in a town called Masaka.  We picked up one student named Livingston and headed that way.  We found the first turn, but the second and third turns were a little more difficult to find.  We ended up going way to far and having to come back, but I got some awesome video of some cows and some cool pictures of a really neat church in a neighboring village.

We finally made it there just in time for the small group break outs after the first session, which Joel was leading, haha.  After a quick banana break we were back to the pavilion for my main teaching session.  It was such a privilege to teach 100 University Students who have such great potential to change Uganda for the sake of Jesus Christ.  I was asked to speak about having an impact through ministry.  I shared how Christ gave us the ministry of reconciliation from 2 Corinthians 5:17-21 and showed how Paul implemented the ministry of reconciliation through discipleship from 1 Thessalonians.  It was awesome!  I was able to talk with several students afterwards who really wanted to be discipled so that they could then disciple others.  So, I got them all hooked up with Joel and he will be doing the follow up after we leave.

We ate a traditional Ugandan meal at lunch with potatoes, beans, matoki, and some white stuff that tasted like sticky rice.  It was great!  Part of a traditional Ugandan meal means there is NO silverware.  That means we ate with our hands.  My kids would have loved it!  After lunch, Joel and I led an all guy session which was wonderful.  We really got to challenge them in the area of manhood and saw some lights clicking on.  We had a Q&A with the whole group and then where on our way back to Mbarara.

One of the greatest things about this mission opportunity for our church is that we can come and help, but when we leave, there is still somebody behind who does ministry by the same biblical principles we hold dear.  We are not leaving them alone!  Joel and I spent the whole ride back dreaming and planning a future trip for our church to come back to train about 25 University Students who Joel picks to become solid disciple makers.  There are students willing and waiting for an opportunity like this, but no structure for it at all.  This is Joel's heart and would love to see something like this implemented for long term affect.

We made it back and had some dinner waiting for us along with some of Ruth's famous Passion Fruit Juice!  Joy and Jill spent the day painting the main hallway and entryway of the Skinner's home.  Jill was grateful for the extra set of hands and responded that, "now it felt more like a home."  Joy quickly learned that painting in Uganda is nothing like painting at home.  They used rickety ladders, brushes with bristles of all lengths, and rollers that don't really roll.  All that to say, a job well done.

Tomorrow I will be preaching at University Baptist Church for Pastor Enoch who will still be at the student retreat.  I am looking forward to using God's Word to teach about God's Word from Psalms 19.  Thanks for your prayers!