Maranatha Chapel: Report From Africa - Africa - Mission Opportunities 2008 - Missions - For All

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Report from Africa

07/06—from Pastor Ray
I heard from Annie in Kitgum that the give away of the back packs and t-shirts was awesome, and seeing 1,700 kids running around with red shirts and blue back packs and all the smiling teeth was something to see. Annie also said that Doug Drake was preaching his heart out and crying "DO YOU WANT TO BE A HERO FOR GOD?" and all the kids screamed back, "YES WE DO!" So Doug was preaching his heart out and sounded like the Billy Graham of Kitgum - plus he hasn't shaved, so he looks and sounds more like like John The Baptist! Hopefully we're off to Zanzibar tomorrow. See you in a week! Ray

07/04—from Pastor Ray
Hello from Kitgum! The Lord is really blessing us here, we are basically doing VBS for over 1,700 kids! I think it is the largest VBS I have ever
seen. Classes range from 100 to 160 kids for one teacher. And the team is awesome; they are truly amazing and being so mightily used of the
Lord. Whole classes are praying to receive the Lord, although we pray that they will understand in a deeper way all they have done. But they are very hungry and open.

The Pastors conference was wonderful and the team ministering in Entebbe did
a tremendous job. I haven't spoken to Glenn, as it is very difficult, but I trust that you have heard from him and I'm sure that the Lord is greatly
using the team there in Kenya.

Hope all is well with you and the family in Maranatha, and we'll see you soon.
Love and prayers to the church there,
Ray
07/04—from Gary Lawton
The trip here continues to be good...we have been ministering to kids each day and intern pastors in the morning. We visit widows in the afternoon with food/ supplies - we have gone to about 11 homes. You cannot believe the conditions...most widows have TB or AIDS or both...and will leave behind five or six small kids. Heartbreaking. All of them are saved though and attend church, Calvary Chapel Entebbe...so there ultimate hope.
It is affecting the team though in good and bad ways...very hard to see and very blessed to help. This team is so great...many wonderful moments.

I spoke at Calvary Chapel Kampala last night...good response. They really laughed hard...lots of fun. God is blessing there in a wonderful way.

The Kitgum team is doing very well...First day— 1750 kids showed up!! Then it rained like a monsoon...so the roads and travel was hard. Today is day number two for them— probably more muddy kids will show....then Friday the Love Covers Back packs will go out...they are expecting pandemonium! So pray.

More tommorow,
Gary
07/02 —from Gary Lawton
It's Monday eve here in Kampala...the Kitgum team of 18 got off early today and flew the hour plus flight and all arrived without a hitch. They were all excited and worried at the same time. I saw their schedule...it's going to be grueling. Fire up the praying people there, OK?

The rest of us here finally got our day off, five folks went to river raft the Nile river...and the rest of us went shopping (ugh). Tommorrow - Tuesday we head back down to CC Entebbe to finish out the week. I'll be training interns each moring in pastoral stuff and the team will be working with kids and helping out at the widows' farm.

The water is back on here at the guest house; it has been off for two days here...so we finally got showers...feeling human again. However the Kitgum team did not get a shower before they left and are not likley going to much opportunity up there...so, do I need to elaborate?

Safe to say - they will leave a memorable fragrance- we hope it's Jesus.

07/01—From Pastor Gary Lawton
Today was Sunday...Ray did the three morning services for Calvary Chapel Kampala and I spoke at CC Entebbe....great fun and very hungry, receptive people. It is so refeshing to see the hunger.

The team is making final preparations for the flight to Kitgum in the morning on Monday. Two flights of nine people on two small planes....they will fly for about one and a half hours and land on a dirt field in Kitgum. They may have to buzz the field first to run off any cows on the runway! All is a go...they are very excited.

The team has been fabulous, they have worked so hard and become great friends...laughing is like breathing. The pastor of CC Entebbe has been so pleased with their attiudes and work. I am sure they will be no less in Kitgum. The remaining eight of us are taking Monday off to get a little rest and do some shopping. But right back at it on Teusday through Friday at Entebbe. I will be training the intern pastors and the team will minister to the kids.

All for now,
Blessings,
Gary

06/30—From Pastor Gary Lawton

It's Saturday night and the pastor's conference is over....three long days but very blessed. About 175 pastors / leaders were there....very grateful men. Lots of new friends ....great hunger for the Word here.

Gary Priest got his luggage last night—it is a miracle! Nothing was missing including his camera...he is so glad to be back in his own clothes.

The ladies had a great retreat...I haven't had a minute to get the details..I'm sure Jessica will fill everyone in.
The VBS in Entebbe was a roaring success...450 kids (they were expecting 250) so it was ordered pandomium. Doug Drake was the fearless-tireless leader....it ended with a toy riot as they handed a few trinkets to the kids who came.....very funny and crazy.

Tommorrow , Sunday...Ray preaches in Calvary Chapel Kampala with most of the team and some will go down with me to the Other CC in Entebbe to do the service there.

Monday morning 15 team members fly in two small planes to KItgum...please remind the staff to pray. They are facing three very hard days...they are excited but nervous too. They will do great; this week has proved that...but pray.

The rest of us will finish the week in Entebbe, working with the church there.
Blessings,
Gary
06/28—UPDATE from Pastor Ray in Africa

"It is good to be here in Africa! The Lord brought us all here safely and we are spread out from Kampala, to Nairobi, to Entebbe.

We are doing a Pastor's Conference right now, and Danny Ramos is giving a short devotion to start our day (it's Friday). There are quite a few who listen to "In The Word" at 10 am on the local radio station called Power FM, which is from Kampala Pentecostal Church where the WATOTO children's ministry are from. It is so good to share with pastors, and their assisitants, and Bible College students to Simply Teach The Bible Simply!

Vicki and Annie and the other women have gone to a women's retreat, and will come home tomorrow. How amazing that my wife and daughter are teaching and sharing together side by side! Annie also met the woman whose name is also Annie who first took care of Isaac when he was just a baby and very sick. She shared pictures with my Annie of Isaac when he was just born, and then Annie shared with her pictures of how Isaac looks now with his new home and brothers and sisters. She said that one visit was worth the whole trip for her! [Note: Isaac was adopted by Annie and her husband, Shawn Stone, from Uganda.]

On Sunday I will be sharing in all three services at Calvary Chapel here in Kampala. On Monday Vicki, Annie, Gary Priest, and I plus other team members head to Kitgum. Some 2,000 backpacks have been prepared for the kids with all kinds of special items to give to all the children in the Maranatha Children's Sanctuary.

You are all in our prayers. I'm sure it feels a little lonely around the church, since we took so many with us! You are all in our throughts and hearts and prayers! Everyone on the team feels the fervent and faithful prayers of our dear family back home."
Pastor Ray

See the photos of Mission to Africa here.

Read a letter from Pastor Gary Lawton describing the goals for the 2007 Africa trip here.

Read the past reports here.

Our church has seen and heard the dramatic and heart wrenching stories of Uganda's "invisible children," also known as night commuters. UNICEF (the United Nations Children's Fund) estimates that more than 44,000 children leave their family farms and homes each afternoon to walk several miles into neighboring cities where they spend the night huddling together in the hope that they will escape abduction and abuse by a terrorist group calling itself the Lord's Resistance Army (LRA). In the past two years the LRA has abducted over 12,000 children in northern Uganda for use as child soldiers, forced "wives," and porters. For the past 17 years this group has terrorized the people of northern Uganda and southern Sudan.

When Wes Bentley, one of Maranatha's missionaries, of Far Reaching Ministries, brought this tragedy to Pastor Ray's attention, Ray shared the vision Wes has for building a safe place for these children. As a result of the funds supplied by our church members, the Maranatha Children's Sanctuary is being built in Uganda. Materials like a tractor are being purchased and they are asking for prayer as government officials deliberate over duty fees, and other red tape. The sanctuary will be a one square kilometer compound, enclosed by a 15 foot wide and 15 foot deep trench, a 12 foot wall, a drawbridge that is closed at night and guards posted all around.

A showing of the powerful film "Invisible Children" by Jason Russell, Bobby Bailey and Laren Poole added to the urgency of getting involved and helping these children.

In October 2005 of God opened doors for a team from Maranatha Chapel to journey with Far Reaching Ministries to participate in evangelistic outreaches in Kampala, Uganda and Nairobi, Kenya, October 8th through 21st. Pastor Ray, along with guest musicians held outdoor concert meetings to share the Gospel. Hundreds of people cam to the Lord, and a bond of fellowship was formed. Another team,a construction team, helped build a church for the body of belioevers in Nairobi. To read about what some of the team members experienced, click here.

For more information contact Maranatha Missions ministry: jessica.hawkins@maranathachapel.org or call 858 613-7800 x158
For more information check out these websites
www.farreachingministries.org