Hello, from Jinja!

Hello our family! APOYO!!!

As we sit here in Jinja, Uganda we are so excited to be in touch with you for a minute. We hope that Gods peace and grace is with you. We want to start with: God is good all the time. Your prayers are being answered. Thank you for praying so much. So many people heard about Jesus and not only the out reach, but the bible study finished strongly too. We are dug down deep with the group of guys coming every single day. We are living in unity with our brothers and sisters here on the farm. God is blessing our offering everywhere we go. We are very confident that God is working on the hearts' of the farm residents. that He is speaking to them here, and growing the seeds that are being planted. please keep praying that God will touch their hearts.

Please pray for the women we have been ministering to: Tabitha, Rose, Pamela and Diana. Rose still has a son that hasn't returned from the LRA. Pamela and her family need prayer for health. Tabitha is getting settled into her new hut- she has two orphans she is mothering. Diana has many children and is fighting malaria. They all need prayer for Gods provision in their lives. We are praying that they would find all they need in the Lord, and He would be everything for them.

Please pray God would provide financially for the 2nd church we went to here in Kigumba. They are building a new church that is big. The last two days we visited homes and shared with them. Please pray for Gods provision and that they receive good health.

And please pray that God will continue to speak to all of us and we may serve Him well with who He has made us.

Lubanga wa ni be ("God is good"- in the language of Acholi)

Jesu ni wangu, wa zima wa mi lele. ("Jesus is my Lord, He is the light"- in the language of Swahili)

We are here in Jinja now. After a long and peaceful ride here, we were soon introduced to Younglife, Africa. We had the pleasure of doing fellowship with them, doing worship, and participating in a crazy younglife skit, becoming "part of the tribe" there is so much ahead of us, so we will keep you updated.

christian evan andrew

p.s. we got to take part in the killing of a cobra. as well as a few animal slaughtering's for food. for you PETA representatives, this is how the rest of the world works:)

(Image Above: Lake Victoria, Jinja Uganda -- from www.africanwater.org)

Travel to Jinja

The Team is traveling by bus across Uganda today. Watch for updates.


"Do not pray for easy lives,
Pray to be stronger men.
Do not pray for tasks equal to your power,
Pray for power equal to your task."

Philip Brooks(1835-1893)


"Finally, be strong in the LORD and his mighty power."

The Bible, Ephesians 6:10

Update From Canaan Farm

A blog update from V-Team, in their last week in Masindi.
(red words are original text, black headings have been added)

Sight. In our Bible study, our friend Matteo came to Christ. it was incredible. we went through John ch. 9 when Jesus heals the blind man. And God touched Matteo's heart through this, and He accepted Christ.

Water to Widows. We have finished the hut and our new project focus is doing outreach for widows. We have been talking to 4; Diana, Rose, Pamela and Tabitha. Tabitha is who we built the hut for. But now we make water filters for them. We make the concrete mold, then we give it to them, or clean the one they already have - then share the gospel with them. We will just share whatever is on our hearts that time and preach and its great. We get to pray with them and lay hands and pray for healing. These ladies are the ones who do the jewelry. They are apart of the family empowerment program that Cannan farm has. They make the jewelry and Sarah Ray sells it then sends them the money. So, they can aquire this skill and make a living. And so we give them clean water and pray with them.

Preaching. On Sunday (11/30) we were invited to preach at a church! We three took an intense ride to the church in the main town, Kigumba. Usually Richard says to drive slow because of the bumps in the road. they respect that. But, this time it was so hot anddusty that richards order was to stay spread out to the taxi drivers. So this meant for them to drive.... fast. So we were greeted with Christs love there. We were given water to wash up, then had fellowship. The congregation arrived and it was home:) over and over it was "praise God for our being together!" and we would praise.

Here in Africa everyone in church dances:) Like, they dance for and hourand a half then have a half hour sermon kinda thing. So it begun with some singing and dancing. WOrshiping with our brothers and sisters in Africa. We had the opportunity to play and preach as well. It was cool because a lot of this church was youth, so we were really able to connect with them. And, by the way, it had to be translated into Swahili. Swahili is the coolest language ever. (just p.s.) so anyway...after that long service we took a long taxi ride home on our fourwheel drive drive way.

a few cool points-

• We all got to have a coke since weve been here.
• Andrew took a death bus to Kampala that drove at mach 3 on a broken road. He sat next to a woman breast feeding a crying child, and a man speaking an unknown language to him. He described it as- "I knew I was in Africa."
• Evan rode a bike with Jackson riding "boda boda" (meaning riding on the back like doubling on a motorcycle) and He thought it was the twilight zone. Jackson saidthat they have NEVER seen a white man on a bicycle before. So through the center he drove, evan was the passenger, then on the way back they switched.

Bats. On monday night we had yet another bat experience. Every single night Evan has these encounters with bats in the bathroom. the first attack was he was going number two and one flew up under him to try to fit between his legs to get out of the toilet. So after awhile, he opened the toilet and the door to let that one out, and outf lew that one plus 8. Evan was ambushed. "they tried to dismember me," evan says. But incidents like this one happen often. Andrew found the correct way to deal is to make a small noise and they wake up and leave. But evan's problem is that they are never asleep in the bathroom when he gets in there, so its havoc. Because of evan's screaming and swinging, this causes some excitement for the bats and they like to mob him. Susan killed a bat with her sandal and it was a revolution.It was so exciting, and us three with a few of our friends were sprinting through the flowers to meet susan at the bathroom to see the kill. Because of the laughing i am pretty sure that the farm awoke in bewilderment.

Cobras. Then we had our first cobra experience. A huge group of guys on the farm joined up to dig it out and kill it. Because cobras are extremely dangerous and will kill. So we were all very suprised to see a few rats pop out of the cobra hole as we were digging, and basically threw everyone into panic. We got it though and killed it-making home a bit safer. so God is so good.

Growth. We are growing in our relationships together --us three, kinda like marriage. We are continuing to bring our five loaves and two fish, and God is working wonders around us. there is a lot of seeds being planted, and God is moving around us to make them grow. We dont know how all the time, but we know that God is speaking to them around us and the seeds are growing in the guys hearts- as well as whoever else He is planning.

Please pray for these guys! we want them to get in the word and grow deep. just pray for that bible study. Our focus is a lot more ministry. We travel and do home visits to people and pray for them, and share the word as well. One of our favorite times is gathering around at random parts of the day and night and worshiping. Or talking about God around a big fire eating roasted corn. We are learning to lead these boys to Christ, and serve them. We are being changed by Gods love, and His love is pouring all over all our friends here. The Spirit just takes it wherever He wants.

PLEASE PRAY SO MUCH: that all these people will be coming to Christ. We are watching the Gospel of John on DVD and a lot of people are coming. Pray they will understand Jesus' love. Our first "Gospel of John" experience ended with the entire crowd (probably 20) worshiping to Childrens worship songs and dancing. Pray that Matteo is strengthened as a new believer. Pray that Joseph comes to know Christ.

New Church. On sunday (the 7th) we went to another church to preach. God moved through us and we are confident in God-that He spoke to hearts and pray that the seeds planted will bear fruit. They are building a real church (right now it is more of a straw warehouse) and they need money. It is going to be huge, and we are confident that God will reach so many people through it.

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Pray in faith that God will build this church and people will give their lives to Christ. Every single day we go and clean water filters for people or build them. We will travel to homes and clean preexisting ones or make them for people who don't have them. This is a project Cannan Farm does through Family Empowerment. Everyday we are in close contact with needy people. We give them clean water then share the word of God with them. Then we'll pray with them. So please pray that on these days Christ will shine through and touch their hearts.

Christ. Pray that God will take our feeble offering and bless it in abundance- and God will bring these people to them. In every experience we are falling more and more in love with Christ. We are truly finding the meaning of "love the Lord your God, and your neighbor." Christ died for us, and we are basking in that love. That love is eminating out onto new believers and nonbelievers. We are finding more and more the truth that Christs love is all we need to be complete - and from that our actions are pouring out. God is becoming our everything. Our entire identity, motive for acting, everything. As we grow in that relationship, God is revealing His immovable and unchanging character - and our faiths are being built around that.

We are finding individually who God has made us. And every little quirk and characteristic is all being poured out as an offering for Gods glory. We are learning to not quench the Spirit, and let God do whatever He wants. To let those words flow. We are getting to minister Jesus' love in new ways- and as many as we can. Relationships are being built divinely. We are seeing all the"flavors" of God."

~V-Team

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"While I am in the world, I am the light of the world."

~Jesus.

."One thing I do know, I was blind, but now I see."

~Blind man

healed by Jesus.

John chapter 9 (vs.5 & 25)

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The Team leaves December 16th for Jinja.

Picture of Canaan Farm child and dance, courtesy of Sarah Ray.

At the Next Stop

V-Team will be moving again. On December 16th they depart from their home at Canaan Farm, in Masindi and will travel south by bus, across Uganda, to the town, Jinja. (See Map)

The approximate travel distance between Masindi and Jinja can be around 250 km or 170 miles. It will be a day's travel.

Before they leave, Andrew, Evan, and Christian will be saying goodbye to many significant new Ugandan friends. They have worked under the leadership of Richard. They received new African names, farmed alongside friends in the fields, fought bats in the bathroom, fished, built hut roofs and mortar walls; worshipped, and taught Bible groups with the people of Canaan Farm. And, no doubt, so very much more ... we have no idea how much. So watch for direct updates when the Team reaches internet connection and finally breaks their long two week communication silence.

Their new homebase, is a rural town at the source of the Nile River -- a spot where the Nile begins its journey through Uganda, Sudan and finally Egypt. Upon arrival, the guys will move into a home that is owned and run by "Suubi Africa."

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Suubi is a Non-Profit Organization that works with people and projects in Africa. Their main drive is to provide jobs for impoverished women. By exporting and marketing products made by women, Suubi provides the empowerment of jobs. This practical form of hope currently employs over 65 women and impacts over 500 immediate family members. And these jobs are sometimes as simple as a bead. The women of Suubi make jewelry. And, the Team will see and experience it all firsthand, as they will be living at the base for this amazing organization.

Please check out their two very cool websites: Suubi Africa and Light Gives Heat. They take a couple seconds to download before you can start browsing. Be patient. It's worth it.

• For Information http://www.suubiafrica.org/
• For the Women's Work ( and Purchase Online!) http://www.lightgivesheat.org/

Bicycles & Young Life. After the Team gets settled into their new homebase, they will pick up their bikes. The guys pre-arranged to have bicycles while in Jinja. They will be in a school town and traveling around with the kids they meet through Young Life Africa. The main part of their work for the next weeks will be building relationships with the students in the region, through Young Life.

But, The Team is probably taking time to sit, listen, worship, remember, and getting ready to say goodbye to some very important people at Canaan Farm before they hit the road again.

Pray for their goodbyes, and safe travel in the countryside of Uganda.... and watch for updates. Godspeed.

"We have been shown a hope that doesn't make sense

A hope that's alive

A hope that contagious

A hope that changes everything

... and it's changed us."

~Suubi Africa

~kjl

Thankful in Uganda

Word from Nimaro, Lakija, and Angerwot.

(Andrew, Evan, and Christian.)

Today (11/25) we finished the outside wall of the hut for Tabitha -- the widow we are serving. Every morning we have been sharing the Word with her. We show up in the morning, and share scripture and what is on our hearts with her. Then, we get to work.

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The Bible study has been going really great. We have been going through the book of John. We are now on chapter 8, and everyday God moves. God will move through one of us and the Bible study will be led by the Spirit. Then all the group of guys get to ask questions. It is a great way for us to be sharpened. The Spirit puts different things in the boys hearts everyday. There is a guy here named Jpseph and he is so close togiving His life to Christ. His testimony so far is incredible. God has spared His life- and now in the Bible study Joseph will openly discuss how he wants to give His life to Christ. Another man we have beentouched by is Francis. He is asking a lot of good questions.

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One day we were going to do construction on the hut and we were greeted by Mr.Achana. He is a man who lives with his 2 daughters and sick son. Instead of doing the hut, we stayed with him until lunch and got the sunflower seeds out of the sunflowers by hitting them with sticks. We did about 160 kilos (about 4 dollars worth) of sunflower seeds from the sunflowers with him. We retrieved the sunflowers (size of a dinnerplate) from the farm then hit them. We got to gather together and pray for his baby as well. During church Sunday, Richard's mother, Sarah (filling in for the senior pastor), was feeling ill and went to her hut. While another man was preaching, she passed out and the entire church ran over. At first she was not breathing and was unconscious. Susan (Richard's wife) is a nurse and cared for her. We gathered to pray and waited. The next day we walked down to her hut and she was outside. We sat and talked to her. She said that she felt called to this place to preach and that the devil had no authority in her life. She is starting to feel better and it is amazing to see how God has healed her.

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Relationships with the boys has grown tremendously. We have recieved Acholi (the local african dialect- similar to swahili) names. Andrew- Nimaro (love). Evan- Lakija (loves mercy). Christian- Agenorwot (trusting in God). Now we are called by our new names and call our new friends by theirs. Every night before dinner while we wait we gather around and worship. We play the drum to their singing.We are learning their songs very well, and are able to sing a few! Or, we will pull out the guitars and sing ours while they clap. Either way- we worship Jesus Christ together daily.

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The other day we went fishing for tilapia. We all caught a few- and that night ate them fordinner. She just opened the fish and pulled the innards out- but then just fried it. So we got to eat the head and all (none of us really did though- too difficult and we're too impatient.)

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For Thanksgiving, we woke up and milked cows. Gross. And later we picked a goat and slaughtered it. Francis did most of the work. He "daisy-chained" the intestines which is a method we do to our rock climbing ropes. We saw it from start to finish- the slitting of the throat, skinning,dismembering, cleaning the stomach, and cleaning it all up. Then over a bar-b-q we ate our goat. We had just named him Frederick. So we ate Frederick for lunch. For dinner on thanksgiving we ate thedaisy-chained intestines too. We were very thankful, on Thanksgiving, for Frederick.

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We were able to share with another widow named Rose. She is praying for her son to return from being captured from the LRA. Please pray for Rose and Tabitha- that God would fill their hearts -- that he would be the strength of their hearts, and they would find everything they need in Him. Please pray that God would heal people on the farm, for we have met many people we've been praying with that are ill. Please pray for the many guys in our study are asking hard questions and digging deep. We are able to discuss so much, and build relationships.

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It is so good. Holy tolito! Evan had an extreme experience being ambushed by bats in the bathroom. We will discuss that when we have faster and longer internet."

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We're alive and well, and doing better and better everyday.

Its so amazing here.

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Lakija (evan)

Agenerwot (christian)
Nimaro (andrew)

Pictures of Canaan Farm

(Below: The type of hut that V-Team now calls home.)

Finally, actual images from Uganda!

These pictures come to the blog from Sarah Ray. Sarah has been a profound influence on V-Team and has given them much guidance in the planning of this big trip. Sarah is an experienced world-traveler and supports free-trade business, and micro-enterprise for women in poverty in the poorest countries of the world. Her Yobel Market link is on the "Links"Sidebar of this Blog. The Team will be working with women in Uganda, who are making jewelry that will be sold in the U.S., by Yobel Market. The site is full of great and responsible ways to shop for Christmas. V-Team even uses her products. Christian and Evan both wear vibrant (wild!) passport carriers from Yobel Market as they go the globe.

In the course of her life and travels, Sarah has lived at Canaan Farm on a couple of occasions, and sent along these pictures. Thank you for the pix, Sarah!

You can click on her business website -- www.yobelmarket.com -- Go Christmas Shopping !!

Pictured Below: Canaan Farm. A bike used for travel to the market. A gathering of Canaan Farm residents. The closest Market -- 11km away. Market produce. Beautiful children. A pix of the Farm. Women in the business of making jewelry beads. Women Dancing.

The Current Home, for V-Team.

Life is good.

A quick e-mail excerpt from Evan:

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"... everything is perfect. i am living in the ideal conditions for me. no running water. outhouses. Showers by pouring water from a bore-hole over me in the sun. This is great here. I can't even explain how good this part of my life is. I have gone deeper into my relationship with God and i cannot explain very well, but i am just going so much deeper into my relationship with God everyday. This is my place. Everyday we either farm or do contruction of the hut. The hut is made out of bricks held together by mud mixed with water to create a harder than concrete substance. It is 14 feet across and we gather brick, and mix the mud and lay brick like real masons- my new favorite career. Being a mason of some sort. Either that or we farm, like, slashing all the bush out with ho's then chopping up the roots, then making a seed bed for some kind of vegetable. Every meal is the food from the farm -- beans, rice, cabbage, sweet potatoes, something!

They have a fishing pond with tilapia in it and i am looking forward to fishing in it. I am getting to know the area more, 500 acres total. Everyday we take a walk to water our new cabbages and we walk by a few huts and we say "Jambo!" or "Apoyo!" means like thank you or hello or something. I cant even explain. There is this need for God here. The civil war problem in Uganda and Africa is so terrible. And after children are abducted sometimes the family turns to witchcraft or simply their own ways. And there is just some kind of depression feeling where there is so much pain in the past. But here in Cannan Farm- people have hope and life because of Jesus. It is just amazing to see how much need is met here by God. Every night we gather and talk about God over a bon fire or after dinner drinking African tea. And the relational encounter with God is so unique. Ah, im sorry i cannot describe this better, but i have very little time...

It is awesome to see miracles from God ... Slowly but surely i am finding out how much God loves us and how much He wants this personal relationship with us. The timing is perfect too, because we would not have been ready to lead a bible study in september. Its like we were lead through Haiti and Brasil, and were on our own and practiced in Germany. Now we are here, and all we have is God to rely on. And He is blessing every aspect of our time here ... I am enjoying being in rural Africa. It is my calling. Farming. Masonry. Doin it up.

So i am sitting here in my hut and i hear rats and lizards crawling in the grass roof! and shortly going to take a shower outside under very cold hand poured water. its awesome!

... Life is good!

~ EVAN