Day 21, June 19, 2014

The House Mamas-Colossians 3:23-2 “Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men, knowing that from the Lord you will receive the inheritance as your reward. You are serving the Lord Christ.”

The House Mamas, June 19, 2014Working each and every day and night are the ladies who we call the “Mamas”. Each takes charge of a dorm room of kids and they keep the peace, feed, clothe, bathe, assist, and do just about every job any mom any where would do. They are women of faith and love. They worry and fuss over the needs of each child. They decide who needs more food and who needs more hugs. They are just the workers of the dorms. Praise God for these ladies. Pray that they are strengthened for the labor. Pray that they are healthy and remain so. Pray for the families they leave to work at Lulwanda. Yes, they leave families to stay here and work. Pray for each and every child who receives the blessings sent from God in and through these women. Thank God and ask Him to reward them while they indeed serve a living Savior. Thank God for the opportunity of knowing personally these servants of the Lord, Jesus Christ. Stars are in their eternal crowns.

Day 22, June 20, 2014

The Cooks-Matthew 6:25-26 “Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food and the body more than clothing? Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they?”

The Cooks, June 20, 2014The cooks work in the outdoor kitchen in the courtyard. They cook over large pots with charcoal fires. Their jobs are hot and steamy, but they always have a smile and a wave. They feed this large group of children and very seldom does a plate return empty. They clean up at the end of the noon meal ready to start all over again for the next one. Pray that God’s blessings fall on them. Pray for their protection. The pots are large, the fires are hot, and the knives are big and sharp. Pray for the food they prepare. Pray also for our cook who works for us since our diet is so different from the kids. Pray that all will remain healthy with the food we eat and that we will be satisfied with the portions which come from God. He feeds us so let us be eternally grateful for his provision of food and for those hands which prepare it. Pray for our team workers who find their way to the kitchen on a regular basis and thank God for biscuits!

Day 23, June 21, 2014

The Pastors-I Peter 5:2-3 “….shepherd the flock of God that is among you, exercising oversight, not under compulsion, but willingly, as God would have you, not for shameful gain, but eagerly; not domineering over those in your charge; but being examples to the flock.”

The Pastors, June 21, 2014Pastor David lives near Lulwanda and is the local pastor to the children and many of the adults who live or work at the home. Pastor Morris Oginga is the pastor whose vision saw the planting of many churches in the area. All the pastors in Uganda work to minister the lost, hungry, poor, and sick. They preach, encourage, pray, visit, and carry on full time church ministry. Many are bi-vocational. They love and care deeply for the people and are living examples to the love of Jesus. Pray for their continued safety and health. Ask God to bless their work and their ministry. May we follow their example as we seek to minister to the flock at Lulwanda. Praise God for their lives. Thank God that they followed after the call of the Holy Spirit and that we have done the same. In fulfilling our mission to minister to these children we find ourselves in need of prayer also. Pray for every team member to become a pastor to these little ones. Ask God to bless each of us in the name of Jesus.

Day 24, June 22, 2014

Grace International Children’s Foundation-Luke 5:4-7 “And when he had finished speaking, he said to Simon, ‘Put out into the deep and let down your nets for a catch.’ And Simon answered, ‘Master, we toiled all night and took nothing! But at your word I will let down the nets.’ And when they had done this, they enclosed a large number of fish, and their nets were breaking. They signaled to their partners in the other boat to come and help them. And they came and filled both the boats, so that they began to sink.”

Grace International Children’s Foundation, June 22, 2014

Visions must be driven by faith put into action. GICF had a vision about ministering to the millions of orphans in Uganda. These folks have worked and prayed and lived by that faith for more than a decade in their work here. Their unwavering support has kept Lulwanda afloat and continues to drive the mission they felt so strongly they were called to complete. This venture was like letting down those nets at the call of Jesus to do so. They followed his word alone. They took action as called. They now have a net full and God has more in store for this group of committed people. First ask God to light for us the way to Uganda, to Lulwanda in response to that same call. Ask him to bless the nets as we gather in what we need to follow after the will of God. Ask him to fill up the nets all the while remembering that a sinking boat is a scary thing. Ask him to grant us peace, forethought, and discernment as we work. Praise God for GICF and thank him for the lives of men and women who spread the word to the other boats. Thank God for every single team, every single person whose call in life was to come to this place of grace.

Day 25, June 23, 2014

The Head Teachers Conference-I Samuel 12:23-24 “Moreover, as for me, far be it from me that I should sin against the LORD by ceasing to pray for you, and I will instruct you in the good and the right way. Only fear the LORD and serve him faithfully with all your heart. For consider what great things he has done for you.”

The Head Teachers ConferenceJune 23, 2014

Every year our team focuses on a multitude of projects and over the course of time we have managed to build a relationship with the district education officers. Tied to this group is the goal of being able to do staff development with the teachers of this district. The staff development is driven by the needs of Lulwanda but the vision of the teachers there some years ago was to include teachers from the neighboring schools. This ministry is important in that each and every day these teachers come, we have the opportunity to share the gospel, the good news in love and fellowship. This year we will focus our efforts on the head teachers of the district. Pray that we present material that is timely and valuable. Ask God to bless our communication, making us listeners and collaborators rather than just talking lecturers. Pray now for the participants that God will bring to us. Pray that every word spoken is spoken in the right way and feeds these so that they may glean some new ways to educate the children of Uganda. Praise God for the efforts of every head teacher, every day.

Day 26, June 24, 2014

Clear Communication-Colossians 4:5-6 “Walk in wisdom toward outsiders, making the best use of the time. Let your speech always be gracious, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how you ought to answer each person.”

Clear Communication, June 24, 2014

Even though English is the official language of Uganda, it is not always a person’s first language. It comes later for many and our students learning styles are more in line with English as a Second Language practices. The teachers too learned English later most of the time. The need to be understood in another culture is important for the word spoken out loud cannot be retrieved. Ask God for us to make wise decisions about what we say and how we say it. Pray for the use of our time as we seek to be succinct in our presentation of the message. Ask God to salt our speech so that the hearer will clearly understand our words and our hearts’ messages; we are the salt of the earth. Pray for how we answer questions being sensitive to the culture and aware of our need to share the love of Jesus where ever we are during this time of prayer and preparation: in airports, on the trip over and back, while working at Lulwanda, while traveling in country. Praise God, he speaks, we listen, we understand because He made us to understand His call upon our lives for this time. Praise his holy name!

Day 27, June 25 2014

The Lulwanda School-Hebrews 5:12-14 “For though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you again the basic principles of the oracles of God. You need milk, not solid food, for everyone who lives on milk is unskilled in the word of righteousness since he is a child. But solid food is for the mature, for those who have their powers of discernment trained by constant practice to distinguish good from evil.”

The Lulwanda School, June 25, 2014Every day as we live our lives, work in our professions, and share the gospel of Jesus, we are teaching. Our actions teach. Our behaviors teach. Our motives teach. Our words teach. We either teach well or we teach poorly. The life in the classrooms is brought to life by folks who also live lives that teach. They pass on what they have learned and the children benefit from their instruction. They are not perfect and neither are we to state the obvious, but a reminder to us is necessary so that we remember that we are not here to change them, we are here to collaborate with them, share knowledge with them, and form lasting bonds with them. Teachers at the school are working to fulfill their dreams of being fully certified. Many contributers are helping with those goals. Ask God to bless their learning so that it may benefit these children. Ask God to clean up our lives so that our major subject matter shows through us that is Jesus love, compassion, and teaching ministry. Thank God for this staff and its impact on the lives of these children. Be thankful for them every day.

Day 28, June 26, 2014

The Support Staff (secretaries,janitors, bus drivers, seamstress, gardeners and gate keepers) Luke 22:26b-27 “…. Rather, let the greatest among you become as the youngest and the leader as one who serves. For who is the greater, one who reclines at table or one who serves? Is it not the one who reclines at table? But I am among you as the one who serves.”

The Support Staff, June 26, 2014Lend a helping hand! These are all the folks who work behind, in front of, near, within, and driving….. They are the work force of support for Lulwanda. It is important that we remember them, hug them, love on them, and give them the credit where it is due. They are incredibly talented too. Just watch the videos on line and find the fruits of this talent. Music and videography abound! They are the support system for the teachers, the administration, and the house staff. They spend much time working for us too. Ask God to bless every stitch, every broom stroke, every steering wheel, every closet of supplies, every plant, tree, and shrub, every fence post and gate hinge, every desk, every calculator and computer, and every moment of every working day for the good of these folks. Ask God to take special care of them and their families. Pray for their jobs and their work. Pray for safety, patience, and stamina. Ask God to bless us through them and thank God for all they do. May we be humble before God as we watch them. Pray for their relationship with Jesus and ask him for strong hands, arms, and legs. Pray, pray, pray in thanksgiving to Him for them.

Day 29, June 27, 2014

The Team-I Timothy 4:6-10 “If you put these things before the brothers, you will be a good servant of Christ Jesus, being trained in the words of the faith and of the good doctrine that you have followed. Have nothing to do with irreverent, silly myths. Rather train yourself for godliness; for while bodily training is of some value, godliness is of value in every way, as it holds promise for the present life and also for the life to come. The saying is trustworthy and deserving of full acceptance. For to this end we toil and strive, because we have our hope set on the living God, who is the Savior of all people, especially of those who believe.”

The Team, June 28, 2014We would be remiss on this walk if we did not stop and pray for each

other and the mission-hearts which God has promised to honor. Pray first to be a good servant of Christ Jesus. Pray that our training in the scripture and in our testimony comes to our minds and mouths easily. Pray that we know how to respond to questions about the wonderful grace of Jesus. Ask God to enhance our training so that we are sure of the life to come, so sure that we may share that story of our relationship with him with everyone we meet. Ask God to bless our collective team work and our individual work. May it be honorable to him, glorify him, and proclaim him. Pray that our faith and our hope in that faith be strengthened. Pray that we grasp this verse and understand that God is living and the Savior of all. It is his desire that none should perish. Thank him for servanthood. Thank him for each personal sacrifice to be here. Thank him for the work, that it be worthy of his sacrifice for us.

Day 30, 2014

Prayer of commitment and commission: Pray today for the call to the field of God’s work. Pray for his plan for our individual lives. Pray for yourself and your personal relationship with him.

Pray now and each day to come for this mission and for your commitment to it.

Sent Out Two by Two: “For He seems to do nothing of Himself which He

can possibly delegate to His creatures. He commands us to do slowly and blunderingly what He could do perfectly and in the twinkling of an eye…We are not mere recipients or spectators. We are either privileged to share in the game or compelled to collaborate in the work.”

C.S. LewisFrom “The Efficacy of Prayer” The World‘s Last Night and Other Essays