God is good. The Park Avenue Team had a very full and very blessed two weeks here in Uganda. They left on Monday to return home and arrived back in the States safely on Tuesday (the 22nd). I thank God so much for giving them the opportunity to come here to Uganda to see the work that Hope Alive! is doing.
During the first week, the team was in Kampala working in the main Hope Alive! office and interacting with the students. In the office, we painted the entire interior of the building to give the walls of the office a nice, clean look. In addition, Mark Sr. and Mark Jr. worked with one of the missionaries to build shelves for all the closets in the office. These jobs had been on Hope Alive!’s “to do” list for quite some time, but the organization was lacking the funds and time to get the jobs done. Thankfully, our team was able to complete these jobs for Hope Alive! in the matter of just a few days!
The team also participated in the weekly Hope Alive! Saturday Club in which the students gather together for activities, food, and Bible teaching. Maria had a blast teaching the Bible class for secondary students. During activity time, Mark Jr. made some fantastic paper airplanes for the kids. Maria also came up with a wonderful, novel idea for an activity: she brought a collection of nail polish and painted many of the students’ toenails! (Both girls AND boys wanted their toenails painted!)
On Sunday, the team attended church at Lugogo Baptist Church. After the service, we were treated to a wonderful lunch of local food by one of the families from the project.
On the Wednesday of the team’s second week, we left early in the morning to drive to northern Uganda for a visit to Murchison Falls National Park and then to Gulu. On the way, we encountered a very serious mechanical problem with our vehicle while we were driving. All I can say is that God’s mighty hand of protection must have been upon us. Thank you so much to everyone who has been praying for our safety. See the post below for more details.
After dealing with the car problems and then missing the turnoff for the park, we finally arrived at Murchison Falls just before dark… over six hours after our planned time of arrival. The day was very long and strewn with challenges, but there was no complaining and everyone maintained a positive attitude! Needless to say, God was teaching us a lot about endurance on that day. We endured, knowing that God had a definite purpose for our time in Northern Uganda.
The next day at Murchison Falls, the team had the opportunity to see elephant, giraffe, gazelle, buffalo, hippos, and monkeys. In addition, we drove to the top of the falls to take in the spectacular view.
In Gulu, we spent an entire day just visiting the students at various schools. The visit from our team was a treat for these students, as they rarely have people make a special trip to see them at their schools. On Saturday, the team participated in Gulu’s Saturday Program. I gave a short word of encouragement while Mark Sr. and Maria each shared some special songs with the students. At the end of the program, there was toenail painting and balloons! Mark Sr. preached during the “English Service” on Sunday morning in Gulu Baptist Church. And the team wrapped up their time in Gulu with some special visits to the homes of children living within the refugee camp and the nearby village.
I am so grateful that Mark, Mark, and Maria had the opportunity to represent not only Park Avenue, but also Christ Jesus, here in Uganda. I believe that they have their own stories and perspectives to share. If you see them, make sure to ask them about their experiences and how God worked in their lives during their trip!
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