Uganda November 5, 2012

November 5, 2012

Monday morning we met at the Diocese office of the Anglican Church in Kisoro. The meeting was hosted by Bishop Cranmar Mugisha. Bishop Cranmar had organized a three-day training for the children's workers one of his many churches. We asked that he also gather a group of local church leaders for us to meet. The leadership of the Anglican Church was present as well as representatives from the Assemblies of God, United Pentecostal Church, Cornerstone Church and the Union of Baptist Churches. All were introduced and then Joe Cox, EGM's Vice-President of International Ministries presented the work of our ministry. I was able to share along with Joe about the vision. When Joe finished, he asked for feedback. The first to respond simply asked when the Anglican's would be able to share what they received with other churches. One Pastor said he had already heard through word of mouth about how the EGM teaching had started to affect their ministry to children. The discussion took on a life of its own guided not by the EGM team, but by God. 

The conclusion was that on November 21^st, seven members of the group will meet to revisit the training topics and then schedule a conference in Kisoro for those who could not participate in our original conference. This will be led by Ugandans who participated in the EGM seminars and are using the Model Children's Worker principles in their church. After that, EGM will be asked to return and do follow-up work with children's workers in the region. They believe that making a significant investment in children's ministry by launching an EGM ministry in Uganda could lead to a revival like the one that took place in the 1960's in East Africa which began in the Kisoro region and spread throughout East Africa. Joe and I felt like EGM-Uganda was springing alive before our eyes. Please join us in prayer asking the LORD for his particular blessing on the ministry meeting on November 21^st. Ask the LORD to give us wisdom in joining Him in this exciting new ministry. 

Daniel Watts

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Uganda November 4, 2012

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November 4, 2012

Sunday morning we attended an English service at the Anglican Cathedral where roughly 600 people attended. Joe, who was preaching, prayed for the children before they went off to Sunday school. He spoke on Matthew 17 and I was reminded of the new life that Jesus gave the demon possessed boy. His present life was desperate but the life that followed was a new life through Jesus Christ. Joe reminded us of the advocates for children; those who would lead them to Christ. He spoke with passion about the need children have for salvation through Christ Jesus. It was a powerful service!

We left and drove to another church to participate in a second confirmation service at Muganza Village Church. The simple sanctuary was crammed with about 600 people. It was quite amazing and for me, a huge blessing to take part in. There were literally hundreds of children present and the service was filled with joy, pomp and circumstance, deep meaning, dancing and singing and beautiful people. I spoke on the Parable of the Two Sons and welcomed the confirmed children into the family of God where we have a loving Father filled with compassion, eager to search us out and forgive us our shortcomings. I reminded them that they too will be tempted to squander what God has given them by experimenting with wild living but can always return to the Father who is ready to forgive.

Finally, I reminded them that we cannot be like the older brother who was angry that God forgave and celebrated the return of the Son. God has called us to invite others into the family and there are no blacks, no whites, no rich and poor, no educated or uneducated, no American or Ugandan. We are all one in Christ and welcomed into the family of God through saving faith in Christ Jesus our LORD and Savior. I got rolling at the end with the help of a fantastic translator (Hebert) and had some African response along with the cadence of my preaching. For a moment I felt like Martin Luther King on the Mall. We enjoyed dinner together afterwards at a kind of feast. Potatoes boiled, whole potatoes fried, rice, a type of banana paste, beans and then the 'special treats': chicken, beef and turnip greens. It was awesome.

Sunday night we attended a farewell banquet at the diocese Guesthouse where the training occurred. Joe and I were given precious gifts and testimonies were shared regarding the effect of the conference. The leadership of the Anglican Church diocese was present and the Bishop shared personally how the three days of training had lifted his vision for children's ministry-super awesome! Joe shared heartfelt greetings and thanks from our entire EGM team, particularly the churches and individuals supporting the ministry. His words were received with genuine joy and clearly touched the hearts of everyone.

The LORD led me to share about my visit to Ust Barguzin, Siberia years ago and the fruit festival with the Siberian family. In Uganda, we received bananas for dessert each day so when I told the Ugandans that those Siberians had wept over eating a banana, they were clearly touched. When I reminded them of the need to be thankful for what we have and not take things for granted, such as bananas, I could sense the LORD's leading.

Finally, when I shared about my conviction in taking Jesus Christ for granted there was a real sense of conviction followed by rejoicing in the LORD and all that He had done over the last four days. We concluded the time with Bishop Cranmer in prayer after which we sang in Urufumbira, "When the Roll is Called Up Yonder." This was one of my grandmother's favorite hymns and I knew that she and my grandfather were smiling in heaven at the precious worship of God's family in Kisoro, Uganda.

Daniel Watts

To donate to EGM visit us at egmworld.org/donate

Uganda November 1, 2012

*During the next two weeks look on our Facebook for our blog posts about Daniel and Joe's most recent trip to Uganda, including stories and photos. Please share these posts with your friends and family.

November 1, 2012

Praise the LORD for another day to serve in Kisoro, Uganda. Yesterday was a great day for EGM. My colleague Joe Cox did most if the teaching. He did a great job teaching the TRUTH seminar and God surely touched the hearts of the teachers. The TRUTH seminar included an experiential activity where teachers wrote the needs of a child within their ministry on an orange post-it-note. Then, they prayed and asked the LORD for insight into how His Word might meet the need of that child. Next, they were asked to write the text and main idea on a pink heart post-it-note where they stuck it onto the wall adjacent to the orange sticker. It is hard to describe in words the precious way that God touched the children's workers. After they returned to their seats, Joe asked if anyone wanted to share. A precious teacher stood up and shared her experience:

"I have one hundred and twenty children in my class. They are all very naughty. Sometimes I have had to beat them with a stick. The boys act very naughty and even crawl out the windows. I even started to hate the children and did not want to teach them anymore." Then she began to weep declaring her desire to repent of her lack of love for the boys and girls and expressed her renewed commitment to ministering the love of Christ to children.

The post-it-note activity touched their hearts so deeply showing them that God loves these children and He wants them to love these children as well.

Daniel Watts

To donate to EGM visit us at egmworld.org/donate

Mexico Update

This year proved to be very significant for EGM’s work in Mexico. Under Eric Solorio’s leadership, the training team doubled in size working with more churches and Children’s Workers than in the past several years combined!

Many children in Baja have benefited from this work. They had the opportunity to learn about God’s Word in a way they could understand and were challenged to live it out in their lives. Leea is one of these children. She is 2 1/2 years old and attends Vino Nuevo church in Ensenada. After learning about the importance of prayer, she was challenged to write down the name of one person that she wanted to pray for each day. To help her remember to pray, she posted her prayer log on her refrigerator. That week, every day before lunch, Leea led her family in prayer for those on her list including her uncle who was sad and Juanito, a little boy whose father had left him. Leea not only wanted to pray for these people before her meals, but also at bedtime. Her parents describe their prayer time with Leea as a “glorious moment”. Even though she was only challenged to pray for one week, she has continued. She has added additional names to her list and continues to interceded in prayer for them. At church last month, her teacher asked the children if anyone wanted to pray and even though Leea is only 1 1/2 years old, she went up front and led her class in prayer. God has used EGM to grow Leea’s heart to converse with Him and for this we are very thankful!!

Krysten Norkaitis

Trip to Uganda with Daniel Watts

*During the next three weeks look for our blog posts about Daniel and Joe's most recent trip to Uganda, including stories and photos. Please share these posts with your friends and family.

October 31, 2012

Sitting on the balcony in Kigali, Rwanda-nicely dressed with my smartphone and iPad in-hand, I noticed a street sweeper who was simply clothed cleaning the street with a real broom; he waved to me and smiled. Has the technology and material toys made me happier or given me more joy?

We drove from Kigali, Rwanda to Kisoro, Uganda. Leaving Kigali, I was struck anew about how little a foreign missionary knows when they enter into a culture. To really have an impact within the culture, it takes enormous effort and time. Language fluency is crucial! Without language, you cannot really enter inside the culture and come to understand the plethora of issues that are crucial for ministry effectiveness.

Driving through the Rwanda countryside, many questions come to mind:

§  Who owns all the small plots of land being farmed?

§  What are the family dynamics especially in regards to men and children?

§  The women are carrying amazing loads balanced on their heads and also appear to be working in the fields; what are the roles of men and women?

§  Children are everywhere and I can see that Joe is nervous in the front seat with all the little precious children just on the shoulder of the road. Why are very small children out on their own?

Because the agriculture is so diverse, I noticed the following crops: Rice, bananas, cabbage, potatoes, beans, avocados and pineapples. The fields were filled with grazing goats, sheep and cows. I also observed what appeared to be a large pig farm where the pigs were enclosed in a roofed structure, something like you would see in Europe.

Along the way to the border, I observed more than 15 church buildings. They were all very small and simple with holes for windows; some of which had no doors. One thing struck me while driving to Kisoro. The appearance of the buildings; specifically the nice buildings and schools are funded and built by US Aid, UN and UNICEF, etc. More to follow on that!

It has been raining since we arrived (at 3:30pm) and it appears it will continue throughout the night and the power will most likely be out may all night as well. A children's worker just arrived who had walked 15 kilometers through the rain to be here. Simply Amazing!

Daniel Watts

To donate to EGM visit us at http://www.egmworld.org/donate