Jaja Lucy!

Dear readers it has been while since I gave you the update of what is going on here in Africa. Like many other people who know and have seen there is this great joy of being in Africa. Every day is a good day where you have an opportunity of fellowshipping with some friend and know new people.

Last weekend my friend and I pastor Dan we went to see some friend in Jinja and Iganga where we spend knight there. Dan is native of Jinja and married to beautiful lady from Singapore. Dan and I where good friend since 2006 and some time he will call me to go with him to minister in some of place in his home district. In 2007 he introduce me to his grand mother my name Jaja Lucy, Mama Lucy or Jaja Lucy does not know English but can speak Losogo which is the language for Basogas( the tribe in Jinja) I preached at Mama Lucy’s church in 2007 and she welcomed me and Dan to her house and feed us with good food( matoke, nyama and beans). On our way back to Kampala, mama Lucy gave me beans, mango, and sugar cane. I told mama Lucy that I do not need those thing let she keep for her and I am so thankful for the food that she have given me. But Jaja said my son I have joy of given you those food items. That all I have and I have to share with you. I told her that thank you very much for being generous.

This time we went and spend nigh at Jaja’s place and she did not expect me to come and see her. She was so happy that I remembered her and come to spend night in her place. Jaja on my way back she gave me all the eggs that in need and more beans to me to come with. I am so grateful to see how God is doing great things through Jaja Lucy, she have started Church in her own back yard and call her pastor to come and meet with me and to fellowship wit us. Jaja prayed over me and asked God’s blessing to keep me in my school and she said next time when you come I want us to have disciple making conference here at my Church. I brought small gift to Jaja and you cannot imagine the joy she expressed. Our God is a good God He cares for us and all that we need His hand will provide “Great is thy faithfulness”

To Him be the glory!!!!     

Dar es Salaam

May 30 - 31, 2012

Dean: We traveled back to Dar on May 30, 2012, met with the host pastor for the business conference and got settled in at 'Passionate Father' hostel. 

Dean:  Dinner at the Mediterraneania Restaurant overlooking the Indian Ocean. 

Cheese and spinach stuffed ravioli.

Our dinner friends.

Dean:  May 31st was spent out in the communities visiting a couple of micro finance clients.  This was a WOW day with great encouragement.

[L-R]  Happy, Hope, Lucy, Flora, Elijah

Dean:  Happy is a street cook, Hope is an event planner, Lucy is a seamstress, Flora works for SRI Mircrofinance, Elijah is a chicken farmer and micro team leader.

Dean:  Elijah's testimony includes quitting his job as he became a believer because they asked him to do unethical things.  He received 500 meat chicks the day before our arrival.  His business is growing through his involvement with SRI.

Dean:  Daniel works in a soap factory.  His home based business is a Christian school for 2-6 year old children.  We drove 20 minutes out of town, then hiked 20 minutes back to the school.  It is awesome to see their love for the Lord!

Good neighbors

There are so many stories to tell from this trip. Going out of your zone and experiencing life somewhere is very difficult some times; you need to learn new language and culture in order to get along with other people. But when I come back In South Sudan it is different. When some one comes, every body wanted to come around and fellowship with the person who come and to see if they can help. Not only that but also to explore the possibility of friendship.

I will not forget the day I show my land where my house was build and will be staying when I return home. There is young man called Kabi (kabi is the name for lizard in Moru) he and his family have hard that I will be their neighbor they are all happy that I will be joining then soon. Kabi brought me some water to drink and some cassava to eat. He introduced himself to me and told me that where he comes and what he is doing in Mundri. As we are still talking other three young men showed up and they are friends with Kabi. I told them how thankful I am to have neighbors such as them. Kabi and his friends started helping me and I told them that I do not have budget for that work that is why I am going to do my self but they said “ we are here to help our neighbor” they said they do not need anything but what they need is to fellowship with me.

Showing love to one another is very common among South Sudanese people. These guys have shown me the true love where you do not expect anything in return. I am so blessed to have those good neighbors this reminds me of the story of good Samaritans whom have show mercy and love of Christ. After cutting bushes, we sat down for break and I told the guys that let us read Matt: 4vs 19. Where call his first disciple and asked the to follow Him and He will make them a fishers of Men. Kabi and his friends are very happy and we prayed together.

Like many missionaries have said you will not make un impact if you do not stay with the people and if you do not participate with them. Living the life they are living make you to be part of them. Kabi is encouraged that I am part of then and it is true because we are all speaking one language and sharing things together. There are some many people like Kabi and his friends are waiting for some one to come in their village or town. I am so thankful that the work of Christ is un stoppable and I know you will be encouraged as you read this story.

Great is thy faithfulness!     

What a friend.....

ON June 1, 2012 - Bullen wrote the following.......

Be glorified, Be worshiped in the heavens and on the earth. May Your glory be display through Your church. What a worship we had today! Dancing, jumping and praising God - it is a beautiful thing to see brothers and sisters worshiping in Spirit and in Truth. Our Sunday started when we got to the church and gathered for prayers and church announcements were conducted.  There we began the worship. It took more than 3 hours and no one was ready to go home. The preaching, worship, and praises continues.  This is true that God inhabits in the praises of his people. 


Yesterday I met a young man in the conference after I finished teaching, he walked up to me and hold my hand and he said, "Bullen, I am one of the 20 children of my father, no one from my family is Christian - but only me and I need prayers. Because I am going through tough times. I am encouraged by your testimony that God is able to do what man cannot do." I prayed with him and you can tell how happy and grateful he is. He told me that God has called him to go to his village and to preach the gospel to his tribe. His father asked him to leave the house when he became a Christian. Silas was such a great young man whose love for Christ is great!

“Are we weak and heavy laden,cumbered with a load of care? Precious Savior, still our refuge; take it to the Lord in prayer. Do thy friends despise, forsake thee? Take it to the Lord in prayer! In His arms He'll take and shield thee; thou wilt find a solace there.”

Morogoro Pictures

Adventures, Adventures, Adventures beginning May 27-29, 2012

Riding on the left side of the road? yes it is scary!

This kid is trying to tell me something very seriously, but i do not know his language and there is no interpreter to help both of us. One day every tongue and tribe will worship Our Lord! Oh what a day!

We are in trouble!!! The van was stuck in the mud and there is no way we can get it out. Everyone was sitting there and do not know what to do. How in the world are we getting out of here!

Dean and I are packaging vitamins for the children. 

Dean said "Our agenda doesn't look that busy, but we are busy from sun up -sun down +some.  The people are beautiful, and the sights are amazing.  We spent a couple of days in Morogoro setting up and running a medical clinic, a children's program and a nightly crusade."

These are some of the children loved on at the VBS.

Dean: "There would be several 'praise and worship teams' that performed before the preaching, usually 1.5 hours of praise and worship and 30-45 minutes of preaching"

Greetings from Tanzania

Greeting and love to all of you from Tanzania. God is so good and forever he will be. This summer is going to be one of amazing summer ever! I have been looking for this for many years. To God be the glory for this opportunity to come and server my brothers and sisters in this part of the world.

This country is one of the amazing countries in east African where people stay in solidarity with one another, they share what they have with their community and every one is there to help each other when it needed. On our arrival, Bishop Rejoice and his church members are already waiting for us, we have hugs hand shaking as African does all the time. He said in Western world “time is the enemy but here time is our friend”. He has given us warm welcoming.

We did not stay at Dar el Salaam, we head to Mororgoro where we are having the medical clinic, Crusade, disciple making conference. Many brothers and sisters who have come to attend the conference had same story of God working in their life. One of them is pastor Ruben who is very young among the rest. Ruben is pastoring church in Dar el Salaam and his church is the one of the growing churches in the region. His father once abandoned Ruben when he was very small. His father left him and his mother. But Ruben’s mother was godly lady and she tough her son to follow Christ. Through the influence of his mother he become a believer and now he is pastoring one of the fasters growing churches in this town.

Ruben was my roommate he can wake up earlier to pray and read the word of God. This man’s vision in to plant more churches in the next three years to come and he has already plans of going to plant church in Zambia, Malawi Rwanda and many more area in the East Africa. This man has no theological degree but he has Christ who is above all the Degrees. He is very exited to attend this pastors conference.  

This is just the beginning of the story of what God is doing in this part of world. I will be posting more in days to come. Our God reigns for ever!!!!!  

Travels

Post by Lisa Mitchell

Bullen has been busy the past couple of months on a visit to Africa. I have a few pictures to share from Rejoice and Hope of his adventures. Bullen tells me that he has many more pictures and stories, but no electricity or internet access to share them until his return to the States. So here are some appetizers for those of us who are walking this journey with him!

The gentlemen in the picture are (L-R) Bob Quinn, me, Dean Spears. He traveled with them for two weeks on an African Adventure to share Jesus Christ with the people that entered their 3' circle (Dean's words).

On May 25, 2012, Bullen began his adventures on a flight to London. On May 26 we flew out of London for a 9 hour flight to Dar es Salaam, Tanzania.  Upon arrival we loaded a bus and headed to Morogoro for a few days of mission work. Tomorrows post will tell you all about this........