Time to Shine

Greetings from soroti Uganda! Our family arrived safely and is starting to settle in more and more every day. It was a challenging flight as our first flight from Chicago was cancelled at midnight and rebooked for the next day. The lessons of patience are only just beginning.

We are excited to be able to be used as tools for God to help encourage, equip, train and love the people here. Uganda is such a beautiful country filled with beautiful people. But it is also a country with so many needs. We read a book prior to our coming here entitled, "When Helping Hurts". It is a daily challenge to know the best way to help. The communities here have received foreign aid for so long that many don't know how to survive without it. We really need to lean on the Holy Spirit's guidance in who and how to help.

I have begun to spend time in the "town area" of Soroti, meeting the local shop owners, trying to learn how business currently gets done and what are their main challenges. In the process I have met people like Isaac Joshua, Eric, Pious and many others. My hope is to share their stories with you and shed some light for you to see God's love at work even in a hard place like Soroti. Our family thanks you for your love, support and prayers.

The Guys

One of the joys I've been able to enjoy is having breakfast with the guys. With 4 days to go before we leave for Africa the "guys" got up early and shared one more breakfast with me. I have been blessed so much by the friendships, laughter, sweat and tears we have shared together. God is good. Gonna miss these guys. Work is work, but it can be so much more if you really care about each other.

What does it mean to SHINE in Africa?

Being a small business owner in the states has been so rewarding. The relationships that have developed around Shine really seem like family, from our clients and vendors to the staff at shine. Throughout the years, it has been our intension to make a difference. There have been times when we were up for the challenge and times when we may have missed an opportunity. I love the verse in Matthew 5:16 "let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in Heaven". As we wash windows, clean out gutters and powerwash houses we have a choice. We can do it to make a buck, or we can do it in hopes of being a light in the world that will bring glory to God!

In the winter of 2010 my world was rocked by a cute little girl. Our family adopted a 4 year old princess from Ethiopia. While in Ethiopia, we were hit very hard with the fact that there are so many people, real live people like you and me, in the world we share that live in complete poverty and hopelessness. After our two week trip we returned home. We struggled with an ache in our heart for the other orphans and widows and oppressed we left in Ethiopia, but what should we do with that ache? We didn't know. Our family wanted others to understand and learn about the situations and the plight of so many in Africa. So we started this blog, not knowing what would become of it.

4 months after returning cancer struck our family. My 32 year old wife was diagnosed with breast cancer. God healed my wife, she is cancer free. Praise the Lord!!!  Almost to the year of her diagnosis, we had a meal with a couple that was serving in Uganda. They asked if we would join them. After much prayer we felt that this was indeed a calling for our family. In preparing for this two year commitment we are learning to take our days one day at a time relying on God for our strength. In 25 days we leave for Uganda. I invite you to join me, as my family and I try to be a light in the Soroti, Uganda community and to Shine in Africa.  Thank you for your love, support and prayers. It has meant so much to our family. We love you.

Millions of hits...a boy named Francis

Francis is a friend of mine.  Francis was abducted by gunpoint in the gardens near his family's home.  Francis was forced into the army of Joseph Kony.  On our vision trip we were able to sit down and listen to this young man share about the abduction of himself and many others in his village. We heard him tell us about being tied by rope, one child tied to another as they trampled through Ugandan terrain and through rivers, not being allowed to look at the face of Joseph Kony.  How he was forced to kill.  The things this boy had to endure and see were unimaginable and sorrowful.

Francis led a heroic escape from the hands of the LRA. (lords resistence army)  He helped several others escape including his buddy sitting next to him in the picture.  He found his way back to his village.  But now what?  He was tramatized to the extreme...Enter the love and transforming power of Jesus Christ.  Francis went through a process guided by counselors to show him how much His Father in Heaven loved Him and had the power to renew his mind, his soul, and his spirit.  The nightly nightmares have been taken away, joy has been restored.  Hope has been given graciously poured out on Francis.

The beautiful young lady in this picture is another one of the LRA's former child soldiers.  Francis explained to me that she is his bride.  And I have a secret to share.  They are expecting their first child. I was told to keep that a secret from members of his village, so if you find yourself in Uganda please don't tell!  Praise God!!  

It is customary and cultural in Uganda for boys and guys to hold hands with their friends.  I was a little wary of this custom, however when Francis grabbed my hand and walked me out to the gardens to see the place where he was taken I felt privileged to have this amazing young man consider me a friend.

So, as you watch the videos and the news reports of the terrible things going on in our world today pray.  Pray for Francis, pray for the people who are suffering at the hands of these cruel people.  Pray for those who are sharing of themselves to help share Christ's love.  Pray for Joseph Kony and others like him that desperately need a Savior.

I've been asked why would I take our family to Uganda.  It is for Francis and many others like him.  The question isn't why would I?  The true question is why wouldn't I?

Chris

Uganda. Where should I begin. This trip was a vision trip in hopes to confirm our call to serve in this country. We flew into Entebbe and were greeted by the two of the team members, Tim and Steve. We were very happy to see them. After getting our luggage we headed to the vehicle. Outside we were greeted with the darkness of night and several military looking men with guns. We drove to our guest house and spent our first night sleeping under the mosquito nets. The next day we drove the 7 hours along bumpy African roads to reach our destination Soroti.

Soroti is home to the Soroti Rock. If you aren't familiar with it I would suggest you google it. It is exactly that, a huge rock in the center of the town that takes quite a lot of work to hike to the top of. The views from the top are amazing. From day one we began meeting people from Uganda that all had such amazing stories of transformation. I hope their stories will inspire you and motivate you to step out of your comfort and step into a world of unknown...a place where God is at work!

                                            "Angelina"

A woman of extraordinary courage and faith. Angelina is blind. Chicken pox took her sight at the age of five, but it didn't take her spirit. It only made her more of who she was created to be. The blind have been a marginalized people in Uganda. They were categorized as worthless to society, destitute and destined for a life of begging. Angelina doesn't believe this, she never has. She knows beyond a shadow of a doubt that her creator made her for a purpose. She was made in the image of God. It is her mission to see that any person who is blind in Soroti is given the skills necessary to keep them from having to beg to survive. They are taught to read Braille. They are taught skills like knitting and gardening. In fact they have even been shown how to plant orange groves utilizing strings with measured knots for planting. Her wisdom was extraordinary. On the way to visit a blind man in the village that was now able to support his family with the sale of oranges from his trees she reminded us how important following up is. She said, "We must train, but then we have to follow up. Following up is so important." How often we begin the work, but then fail to follow through and follow up. She couldn't see us, but we sure could see the love of Christ in her. We are thankful to have met Angelina.