FHLM September 2018 Newsletter

Hello and happy greetings from Masaka! I hope this update finds you all very well and blessed! Can you believe it is October already? This year is flying by!!

Here in Masaka the seasonal rains are off & on so please pray for rain to come in abundance!! For I will pour water on the thirsty land, and streams on the dry ground; I will pour out my Spirit on your offspring, and my blessing on your descendants.  Isaiah 44:3

Director’s Update:

Heart Felt Thanks: Well for the first time in 9 years I won’t be coming back to the U.S. for a Furlough.  Rogers and I have decided to take a Holiday together at the end of October. This will not only be a good rest for us, but also aid in Rogers’ travel experience, so when he applies for another U.S. Visa they can see that he has travelled. That said, I will miss not coming to visit you this year and personally catch-up on how life is treating you all.  However, I want to thank all of you who have been so faithfully to the ministry, to me, and to my family over the last 9 years! The Apostle Paul said it best when he wrote “For even in Thessalonica you sent aid once and again for my necessities. “—Over the last 9 years so many of you have sent aid to me and the ministry, and we thank you for doing so.  He also wrote, “Not that I seek the gift, but I seek the fruit that abounds to your account.”—That because of your care, prayers and generosity I pray that “My God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus.”        

Old Friends: On the 7^th I accompanied the driver to Entebbe to pick up my dear friend, Liz, after a 4 month furlough in U.K. That same day while she was shopping in Entebbe to restock her house, we ran into our friend, Fay, who was also returning to Uganda after a year and half furlough. It was a great reunion! I’m blessed to have my old friends back in Masaka!

Ndejje Visit: On the 29^th Aunt Liz and I went up to Ndejje University to visit Babirye, and Liz’s guys, Sseb, and Meddie. We spent the whole Saturday afternoon with them catching up on how their first two months of university has gone. As Babirye and I sat on a bench under a big mango tree, told me that she has realized that coming to this university was such a great choice for her and that she so grateful for the foresight of me and the board to send her there.  She has really settled into campus life and has joined the Christian Union praise & worship team, and a Tuesday evening Cell Group & Bible study.  Though she has 10 course units, she told me that she knows God will help her succeed! She said her favourite classes this semester are Christian Ethics and Contemporary Religion. After we had a good long catch-up we did an in-depth tour of their serene and much forested campus. Then we saw her and the guys’ hostels and dorm rooms, which are very nice. We than all went to lunch in the trading centre, but as all good things time ran fast and we had to say bye-bye.  It was a very lovely day!!

Youthz Update:

Holiday Programs are full throttle; sewing, crocheting, Bible Studies, outreach trainings, and fun days!

• We had a day were I taught the youth basic sewing skills; putting on a button, simple stitching and hemming a garment. Jane taught the youth how to put in a zipper. These are minimal skills that all of us should know.
• The youth are really becoming “professional” in crocheting beanies and scarves. Oliver has become the teacher for making scarves and Justine the teacher for making beanies. Both Eddy and Mark are doing will with making scarves. So far the youth have made 4 beanies, 5 scarves 2 table mats and a few bracelets!! They love crocheting!!
• Every Tuesday and Thursday we were back in the Linage of the King, studying about King Rehoboam and King Abijah and how the nation of Israel was split in the southern kingdom, or Judah and the northern kingdom, or Israel. 2 Chronicles 10-13. The youth have learnt every living person will be known by the degree to which they seek the Lord. There is great blessing in following Him!
• We had a few days of Outreach Training to prepare the youth for their monthly outreaches to baby and children’s homes and get them ready for the big outreach that is happening in Dec. They learnt several evangelism skits; Rag Man, Sin Chair, and Catch All. They also prepared a Bible study skit for this month’s outreach.
• We also had a few “fun days” of playing Monopoly & Ludo (a Ugandan version of Sorry).

This month’s Back to Success was on the 1^st. Faridah switched gears this month and focused on Maths, as it is one of our youth’s most challenging subjects. Oliver brought concept of enlargement leading to rotation which has challenged her. Faridah had Eddy teach that number to the youth and everyone got the concept after Eddy taught. Faridah had Justine do a number on functions which we had studied in the first weeks of Back to Success class to see if students still remember. Justine did it and Oliver came in and did part b of the question. Then the teacher gave us a number on quadratic equations as homework. Since Back to Success they have all been revising quadratic equations and other Maths concepts with success.

We had a Fun Day Out at Greenville Resort & Gardens Gayaza, Masaka on 8^th Sept with all the SOAR Youth minus Babz & Joseph. We were blessed with beautiful weather and a great time! We played games, Ludo & Uno, ate chips & beef, drank soda, sang & danced a little, and just chilled out. It was a well deserved day of rest for everyone, as the youth worked hard this Holiday revising and preparing for 3^rd Term which started on the 17^th.

On the 15^th we had our monthly Outreach Day and this time we visited Nurture Children’s Home. We began with introductions, praise songs and prayer and then it was time for the youth to present two of the skits that they practiced during the Holiday. The 1^st skit was the Biblical account of Cane & Able as narrated by Justine & acted out by Alpha as Cane, Eddy as Able and Oliver as the voice of God.  Justine really brought the point home of how jealousy was Cane’s downfall and how Able really sought to be generous to God first and then to his family. The 2^nd skit was called “The Catch All”. This skit entails 1 person, the “catch all” going into a doctor’s office and as patients’ with various sicknesses come in; itching, chicken clucking, and finally a pregnant lady, the “catch all” picks up every sickness from each person as the others receive “freedom” and run away so joyous! As you can imagine the kids thought this skit was hilarious with giving all their crazy sicknesses to Uncle Alpha! Yes, it was fun but the narrator pointed out that this is just like the “sins” we can catch from others and how Jesus the great healer can give us freedom!  It was a little fun with a message! The rest of the afternoon we sang, gave out sweeties, and played games and ball with the children. We ended with a prayer circle, a few praise songs and a final prayer from me (Aunt Rita). It was another lovely day of sharing God’s love and Word!!

Term Starts: Our ordinary level secondary youth; Eddy, Justine, Oliver started 3rd Term on the 17^th. During the 1^st week back the all had beginning of term exams, which they all said went pretty well. Since Joshua is an advanced level secondary 6 candidate this year he had to start 3^rd Term on the 3^rd. They are all so grateful to their school sponsors for being able to attend school and also not have to wait for school fee payments or requirement funds before being able to start school. It really takes a load off their hearts and minds and helps them to concentrate solely on school. We all say THANK YOU!

Movie Day was held on 29^th and the youth watched 90 Minutes in Heaven. This true to life movie is about Pastor Don Piper, who was pronounced dead by rescue workers after a horrific car accident and how he believes that he visited heaven before springing back to life 90 minutes later. Here is what a couple of the youth had to say about the movie:

Eddy-I learnt not to lose hope in any hard situation, but to lean on God because nothing is impossible before Him. And we should not say that God forgot us because of the situation we pass through. But know that God comes at the right time, because God will never leave us to suffer due to His love and compassion on us.

Alpha-When Pastor Don received an accident, died and went to heaven and then God sent a messenger who prayed to him and he came back to life, he then became bitter & hated everyone. He never wanted to speak anything out about what had happened because it was hidden deep inside him. I got that God takes those who are faithful in serving Him and gives them a chance to share with them what is happening in the heavenly Kingdom. Then after sends them back to be the witness to these other believers and unbelievers. It proves to me that anything can happen to me as a minister. So let’s know that we’re witnesses of God on this earth!

As you have read the Lord is moving! I’m so very excited to see ALL He has been doing! I want to thank all of you for your continued pray support, love and donations. May our Lord richly bless you and shine His light in your life!

Love and Blessings,

Rita