Uganda Here I Come!

Well tickets are bought, I've gotten my shots, and things are coming together for my upcoming trip. I am nervous and excited for this first real opportunity to put everything I've learned and trained in for the past couple years, as well as the 8 years of prior ministry experience, into full swing in Uganda. The group of incoming students is going to be quite diverse. Students from several Western countries, African pastors, people from all walks off life will be coming to learn about how we begin the process of seeing God work in a transformational way in communities.

I really appreciate your prayers in the weeks leading up to the school, as well as all throughout. The cultural diversity is going to be an amazing learning opportunity for every staff and student participating, but we will have many issues that need to be covered in grace for this time to be everything it has the potential to be. Prayer really does change things, and I humbly ask for you to remember us as often as you can while I am there.

It really is an amazing opportunity to marry together all of the different personal passions, skills, and interests I have with what the local body of Christ is really asking for there, so I cannot wait to see what the Lord will do there. I am really looking forward to getting there, but San Antonio has been awesome and May has been a busy month here.

One of my Texas Firsts that happened to me in May was being invited to be a judge at a small chili cook-off put on at a nearby ranch by friends of some friends. Being someone who just gets really thrilled to see community happening in places, I really enjoyed getting to be part of something so seemingly simple, yet so important. Whether people gather around The Bible, texas chili, or the Spurs -Go Spurs! (I became a Spurs fan since I've been here seeing as I've never followed basketball before and apparently it would be hard to live in San Antonio and not be!)- when they gather, life happens in ways it just doesn't when we are busy going about our day. It's in those places that a really great environment is established for people to encounter people who know and love God on neutral ground and really rub shoulders and see what they're about. So here's to Texas Chili Cook-off's!

One big highlight from this month was being able to make a short trip to Pennsylvania so I could be at my youngest brother's graduation. It is wild to think that all of us are out of high school now! It seems like just yesterday I was graduating and heading off to YWAM as the first one of us to leave home. God is certainly good, and I am so blessed to have the family I have.

While there is a very short time left until I leave for Uganda, and I do already have plane tickets, there is still a lot of room for financial partners for this trip, and enough time left to help out if you so desire. Anything you can do is much appreciated as I finish preparations for the trip itself and pull together funds to sustain me while I'm there. In case you didn't see the pages in my last update, I've included links to the fundraising page, YWAM Hopeland's website, and the Wiki page about Uganda for those that are curious. So far $750 has come in of my $3000 goal! Thanks to everyone for your gifts and prayers!
Fundraising Page

YWAM Hopeland
Uganda Wiki

Prayer Requests:
1) For remaining time in San Antonio to be fruitful and for me to be able to finish things up some projects I am helping the church with here.
2) Good communication with school leaders and contacts in Uganda
3) Health
4) Wisdom in preparing for teaching sessions I will be facilitating during the school
5) Continued peace about finances and future