Uganda February 2015
One thing I have learned from my twelve ministry trips to Uganda, there are no two the same. The Holy Spirit has this amazing way of guiding you through the challenges that come when you travel throughout the world. My trip in February didn’t start out the way I had planned. After arriving at the airport in Denver, I was told my flight would be delayed by five hours, which meant I would miss my connecting flight the next day in London. And because of this delay, I was able to visit two more countries before arriving at my final destination, Kampala, Uganda. With this delay, I arrived a day and a half later than planned. Not sure if I mentioned this but the Holy Spirit directs our paths and He knows what He is doing! Our responsibility is to trust Him.
Once I arrived at the airport in Uganda, I realized there was something that didn’t arrive, my luggage. That is correct, my luggage. We were now a day and a half behind schedule so Pastor Fred and I decided that we must go because we had a 10 hour drive to our first village where we would meet with Pastor Godfrey and his 3 churches. Leaving without my luggage meant that I would spend a week in the villages wearing the same clothes! Let the fun begin!
After a long and tiring drive we finally arrived in our first village and were greeted by Pastor Godfrey and his wife. Pastor Godfrey has been coming to our leadership training for a few years but I had never had the opportunity to go and visit him in the village where he lives. I never expected what I was about to see. He has planted 3 churches in and around his village and 2 more in the Congo. I was so blessed and humbled to see the work that God is doing through this man. It made me once again realize that all things are possible for those who believe. God has given Pastor Godfrey a vision and through hard work and perseverance, he is seeing this vision become a reality.
Pastor Godfrey and his wife in one of the 5 churches they have started. Their village is about a 10 hour drive from the capital city of Kampala.
As our team traveled through the western part of Uganda, we were able to visit 10 different churches. I am so humbled and honored to be joined with these pastors and their churches. It was a great privilege to once again have Pastor Sydney Batuula as part of our team. Our last night in the villages we were hosted by Pastor Sydney and our team stayed at his home. Pastor Sydney has a church in Kigunda, he is also helping Pastor Fred oversee many of the churches throughout western Uganda. During our stay with Pastor Sydney, we were able to minister in his church as well as see the progress he is making on his new building. I am hoping to raise some funds to help Pastor Sydney finish his new church building in the not too distant future.
Before we prepared to head back to the capital city where Pastor Fred lives, something very strategic took place. We have been talking for some time about finding some land where we can host a training and outreach center. This facility would be centrally located for many of the churches we have oversight over. Some land became available right next to where Pastor Sydney lives and where his church is located. The more we talked about it the more we sensed that this land would be exactly what we were looking for. It is a plot of land about 2 acres in size and would be the perfect location for the training and outreach center.
Pastor Sydney is on the left and he is standing in front of his current church. You can see the walls of the new church being built around the old one. To the right of the church is the new land we just purchased.
After arriving back in the states, I sent out a letter to many of my supporters and I am happy to report that we were able to raise enough money to purchase the land. I want to once again thank those who have given sacrificially to bless the work we are doing in Uganda. Now that we have the land, we can proceed with the planning and implementation on what needs to be done to help make this training and outreach center a reality. There were so many more stories that I could share about the challenges of our travels. We were stopped by a herd of elephants at one point as well as working through a very difficult situation with a flat tire and watching the power of God see us through. Even though we face many challenges on this earth, God has provided us with the most amazing guide, the Holy Spirit. As I reflect back on this trip, I am humbled by all that the Holy Spirit did in the lives of so many people. It is my prayer that you will experience this same power in your life as you set your heart on serving God each day.
Every Breath We Take!
On March 22nd Laura and I had the opportunity to join our friends Mick and Judy Scarpella for a few days of hiking in Moab, Utah. If you have never been there, you are missing out on some of the most amazing National Parks in America. This was our first trip to Moab and it would prove to be a trip we will never forget!
On Monday the 23rd we had a wonderful day of hiking and fellowship and were looking forward to the next day and more of the same. On Tuesday morning we were about to experience something that would change our lives forever. As we were preparing to leave for our hike, I had a massive heart attack. Mick, Judy and Laura rushed me to an emergency room in Moab where they were able to break up the clot and then airlift me to Grand Junction, Colorado. It was there I would have 3 stents placed in my heart and spend a number of days in the hospital.
Because of Mick, Judy and Laura’s quick action and prayers, and the great work of those in the medical field and God’s amazing grace, I am thankful to be alive today. As I continue on the road to recovery, I give God great thanks for His love, grace and healing in my life. None of us knows what each day holds! We are truly at the mercy of God, our great creator. Each of us has an incredible story and that story is our lives. Life is not easy and each of us will face things we have no answers for, yet in the midst of the journey, we have this promise from Jesus, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.”
God has once again breathed life into my being, now and as always I will give Him my very best, a life lived for Him. No matter what you are facing, where you have been or what you have done, trust Him! Jesus not only died for you but He lives for you. And there is nothing more powerful and amazing than His love! Take a deep breath today and thank Him for what He has done for you.
Pastor Chuy and his wife Maria high atop Zacatecas.
Zacatecas, Mexico June 2015
Trusting God in the midst of change can be very challenging at times. I have learned over the years that the Holy Spirit knows what He is doing. I was scheduled for a ministry trip to Zacatecas later this month, but because of my recent heart attack, I will be moving that to later in June. After meeting with my cardiac doctor and Laura, we believe that June would be a much better time for my journey.
I was really looking forward to this ministry trip and once again being with Pastor Chuy and his wife Maria and their church in Zacatecas, Mexico. For a number of years I had the privilege of traveling with my friend Pastor Jim McNally. One of our favorite places was with Chuy and his church. Would you join me in prayer as I work out the details for this trip and for all that God would want to accomplish while I am there. If you would like to help bless the church in Zacatecas, make your check out to ETM and memo, Mexico.
New Ministry Videos
There are many days I find myself reflecting back on life and what it was like before I started Empty Tomb Ministries. And then I think of all the things God has done and all the places I have been able to go in His Name and all the people that I have come to know and love all around this world. I am humbled to the very core of my being!
A first for ETM! We have now put together a number of short videos about what God has done through the work of ETM. These are just a few of the many real stories of real people that God has touched around the world. I had the opportunity to work with Starstream Productions in creating these 7 short videos, ranging from 3-5 minutes. I want to invite you to take a look! Listen to the words, open your heart to the people you will see and the stories of what God has done in their lives. May the power of God move you and may you grasp the depth of His love for all people everywhere. And may you be challenged and encouraged to know, that you are so very important to God. You too have a story, a story written in Heaven and carried out on earth.