We have taught Bible lessons at an orphan school and will continue to teach at different orphan schools throughout the duration of our trip. It’s been a challenge because our lessons and activities don’t go over as well as what they would in the states. They are sometimes hard to transfer cross-culturally. It is also hard because what we say in teaching is translated not once but then twice. We wonder what gets lost in translation. It has been fun to interact with the children. It has been challenging to be white and interact with the teachers at the schools because they often think us being there represents the arrival of money.

            However, we have been trying to incorporate Elisha into all of our lessons. He is a photographer for Horizon, an amazing friend, a deep thinker and a great conversationalist. He has been the biggest blessing! His friendship is definitely a gift from God. We have had many great conversations, his heart for the orphans is very evident. He has definitely taught us many things about this culture, the government and its people. We now have Friday night movies with him and Sunday night sermons from Steve DeNeff at College Church.

            We have also embraced the African culture and are able to spend much quality time with God and with people. We live with our supervisor and his family so we are definitely immersed and loving the laid back African time contrary to the busyness of American life. The food has been great and praise the Lord neither of us have been sick yet! God has definitely blessed us with rest and time to really spend with Him which we really need as we are challenged by the many differences and frustrations.

            God has definitely been providing for us, we made a Ugandan friend named Bridget who we are  going to the market with this week and we also met some American missionaries who we will spend some time with tonight. Destiny, who is here with her husband and son, has been here for the last four years and is in her 20s. We are very excited to have dinner with her tonight and fellowship with her!

            Overall, we are learning that God provides and that we can and need to fully rely on Him in every situation. He sees the bigger picture, while we cannot. Pray that we can continue to rely on Him in every way.

We arrived in Fort Portal yesterday after two back-to-back red eye flights.  We actually ended up being very thankful for our 11-hour layover in London because we were able to go out in the city and walk around a lot.  Being outside and keeping busy helped the time pass and kept us from sleeping so it was easier to adjust to the time difference in Uganda.

We arrived at the Entebbe airport Saturday morning and were greeted by Pastor Silas, his sister and nephew.  We drove to Kampala where we had breakfast with Elijah and Elisha.  Elijah works for the Ugandan President’s office dealing with matters of globalization.  Elisha is part of the Horizon International staff here in Fort Portal.  He has been a blessing as he is close to our age, easy to understand, and very fun and willing to answer all of our questions. 

We had a very long drive from Kampala to Fort Portal and saw a lot of the country.  Today we were introduced to the church in Fort Portal and some of the children we will be spending time with.  Tomorrow we will go to a school that was started by Horizon and teach the children there.

Please pray for our time with the children and our relationships with the Ugandan people.  Everyone speaks English but it is difficult to understand some people, which causes misunderstandings and makes communication a little harder.  We will write more later… thank you for your prayers!!!

We have been asked to spend our two months in Uganda setting up afternoon children’s programs for 32 groups of orphaned children in the villages surrounding the larger city of Fort Portal (population: 20,000).  We will model what an afternoon children’s club would look like, recruit volunteers, and then train and equip others to continue with these programs after we are gone.  While there is a lot of curriculum published for children’s ministries, nearly all of this has been written for American children, and much of this contains aspects that are not relevant to Ugandan AIDS orphans.  For this reason, we have been asked to write enough curriculum for the clubs to continue for one year after we leave until a new curriculum must be found or written.

The task seems huge and there are many uncertainties, but we know that God is faithful and believe that he will enable us to accomplish much in our two months in Uganda.  We believe that the fact that we are working together and that Silas and Betty are so eager to work with us will be a great source of strength as we gain knowledge, wisdom, and support from these relationships. 

Please continue to pray for the ministry that will take place while we are in Uganda… we will include a more specific prayer list before we leave on 21 June. Thank you so much!!

“A Closer Walk is the first film to depict humankind’s confrontation with the global AIDS epidemic… The film’s basic themes remain, what are the underlying causes of AIDS; the relationship between health, dignity, and human rights; and the universal need for action, compassion, and commitment to counter what has become the worst plague in human history.”

This documentary is an excellent resource for gaining a deeper understanding of the impact of the HIV/AIDS pandemic throughout the world.  For more info visit the website, www.acloserwalk.org/about_the_film/.

Also… while we will be in southwest Uganda and unaffected by the ongoing crisis in Northern Uganda and Sudan, we highly recommend that you check out the “Invisible Children” documentary to learn more about the conflict in the north.  You can find more info at www.invisiblechildren.com.

“The increased spiral of adult deaths in so many countries means that the number of children orphaned each day is expanding exponentially.  Africa is staggering under the load.” 

Dear Family and Friends,

As we near the completion of our degrees in Christian Ministries from Taylor University, we now embark on a journey of service through a summer internship in Fort Portal, Uganda, with the organization Horizon International.

“Horizon International exists to create a world of hope for AIDS orphans.  Our objective is to raise up, out of the tragedy of the HIV/AIDS pandemic, a new generation of leaders who follow Jesus Christ, ‘one child at a time.’”  This goal is accomplished through orphan care, community transformation, and child sponsorships.  Horizon uses a home-based orphan care model.  They not only care for the children, but are committed to transforming a whole family unit so that the kids stay in their community and culture.  Then they tend to prosper once they get the help Horizon can provide.

We will be serving in Uganda under the direction of Pastor Silas and Betty Atugonza Mufumu, who are the Southwestern Uganda Regional Coordinators for Horizon.  We will primarily be working with 32 groups of orphaned children in various villages surrounding the provincial city of Fort Portal.  Our task will be to implement programs that focus on the spiritual nurture of the children, and to enlist and equip others to carry on with the work of these programs after we have returned to the States.

Through our internship with Horizon we hope to gain a better understanding of the scope and impact of the HIV/AIDS pandemic in the lives of those who are directly affected by it.  We have the expectation that our worldviews will be broadened, allowing us to better know how to respond to this crisis and make others aware of the needs surrounding it.  We hope that through our interactions with AIDS orphans we will be able to show love to some of Christ’s children who live daily in a world of pain that we have never had to experience and can only imagine.  We expect to be challenged and grow into a deeper understanding of what it means to be a true follower of Christ and to respond to the needs of the world in the same way he would.

We now ask you for our greatest need, your prayers.  The assurance that we are being fortified by the diligence and love of you, our dearest brothers and sisters in Christ, will be our armor and wisdom, our strength and peace, and most assuredly, our joy.  Our joy, as you travel with us to Africa in prayer during the summer of 2007.

If the Holy Spirit directs, we would be honored if you would sow a financial seed into Horizon International, on behalf of Christ and those orphaned as a result of the HIV/AIDS pandemic.  We will take any amount of support with gratitude, with no amount being too small.  We will count it a privilege to be sent by many.

Thank you so much for your invaluable role in our lives.

Blessings,

Heidi Oliver & Hannah Moser

“Not by might, nor by power, but by my Spirit,” says the Lord of hosts.  Zechariah 4:6

Soooo, we’re going to AFRICA!!!! This is just a little shout-out to get the ball rolling. Your prayers and support are greatly appreciated!

Check back to hear more about our journey…

Love, Hannah and Heidi