Christ Community Presbyterian Church is sending a 20 member mission team to Uganda August 2007 to help plant a Presbyterian Church of Uganda congregation in the Muyenga/Tank Hill district of Kampala.  The team will be performing door-to-door evangelistic ministry, providing vacation bible school programs to the area children, and participating in mercy ministry projects.  They will be staying near the grounds of the Westminster Theological College and Seminary in Kampala with MTW missionaries Dave and Darlene Eby.

Westminster Theological College and Seminary, Uganda

Uganda is a landlocked nation of 91,000 square miles (about the size of Michigan) that rests on the equator in central Africa.  The population is about 23 million, with a life expectancy of only 42 years (1 in 12 Ugandans is an orphan).   The country and their people are poor, especially compared to American standards: 77% live on rammed earth floors; 92% do not have electricity; the main source of information is word of mouth; only 4.5% have a television.  As with much of central Africa, malaria is endemic and represents a significant cause of morbidity and mortality for the people of Uganda.

Pictured (left to right) are Cara Smith, Elder Bill Shultz, Taylor Smith, Emily Sumner, Adam Martin, Ruth Martin, Elder Peter Martin, Paul Martin, Don Copeland, Roxanne Copeland, Tony Sumner, Wini Baker, Reverend Al Baker, Hannah Kearney, James Kearney, Cathy Kearney, and Tom Kearney.   Team members not pictured and joining us from other parts of the country are Reverend John Fender, Lori Boatright and Julie Sumner.

CCPC Team Uganda at July 22 Training Session

Schedule for Mission Team

July 30	Leave Hartford
July 31	Arrive Entebbe, Uganda
August 1-4	Door to door evangelistic ministry, mercy ministry, vacation bible school, night meetings with evangelistic sermons
August 5	Al Baker preaching at the new church. John Fender preaching at another church in Kampala.
August 6	More evangelism and mercy ministry and our Ruling Elders will meet with the Presbyterian Church of Uganda's Ruling Elders for instruction and mutual encouragement
August 7	Sight seeing, gift buying, leave Uganda at 10:30PM
August 8/9	Arrive in United States

Additional information will be posted from Uganda depending upon internet connectivity. Check back for updates during the trip.

Update 7/31:

After a 2 hr delay leaving Hartford, we arrived in Amsterdam at 7:30AM (1:30AM Hartford time). Our connecting flight to Uganda leaves at 11:10 AM. Our next update will be from Kampala!

We arrived at Entebbe Airport at 8:10 PM (1:10PM Hartford).. It took about an hour to get our luggage and obtain visas. Dave and Darlene Eby met our group of twenty and along with six from Dave Eby's former church in San Diego.


Outside Entebbe Airport

After a 40 minute bus ride (and 25 hours after we left the United States) we arrived at Dave and Darlene's house. We were oriented to our living quarters, met for a brief meeting and prayer... then went to bed for some much needed sleep.

Update 8/1

We awoke to the sounds of monkeys, parrots, roosters and other unfamilar exotic sounds. An unnatural sound was heard as well - the Muslim call to prayer at dawn. It started with a megaphone loud reading in arabic and turned into a repetitive chant... A reminder of one of the aspects of spiritual warfare that is taking place in this country. The Ugandan people are open to discussing things of faith and the Mormans and Jehovah's Witnesses have a strong presence as well.

Before breakfast, we spent thirty minutes in prayer, focusing on the third petition of the Lord's Prayer: "Hallowed Be Thy Name"


Gathering before the prayer meeting

After breakfast, we had an orientation session for the week from Dave Eby, our MTW host, and Pastor Gerald, the pastor of New City Presbyterian Church in Uganda. Gerald was born and raised in Uganda, went to the United States for Bible College and Seminar training, then returned to Uganda to minister to the Uganda people. His vision includes the planting of many churches in Uganda, one of which will have its first service this Sunday, August 5. The name of the new church is "Christ Community Church" and its first sermon will be by Reverend Al Baker. Gerald shared with us six (6) conditions pervasive in the culture of Uganda for which prayer and God's grace is needed: (1) Lying is a way of life (2) Lack of Honesty (3) Poor Work Ethic leading to ready acceptance of the prosperity gospel (4) Failure to resolve conflict (5) Sexual Sin (6) Lack of Teamwork due to "Chief" mentality. We came to Uganda at a particularly challenging time. The "Church" and Pastors are distrusted. There was a scandal where a pastor was using a hidden tazor to shock/stun people to falsely portray spiritual power and experience. Also Ted Haggard funneled a great deal of financial support into ministry work in Uganda. His fall from grace was widely publicized here and adds to the general distrust of pastors and churches. Taken in total there is much to pray for and about in Uganda.

After lunch, we traveled to Muyenga/Tank Hill district, site of the new church. We broke up into fifteen teams of one Ugandan with 2 to 3 Americans to blanket the neighborhood, share the gospel and invite those we met to Sunday's service. Many we spoke with said they would come to church on Sunday, but given the conditions Gerald shared with us (lying and lack of honesty)and distrust of pastors and the church, it remains to be seen how many will actually show up.


Debriefing after neighborhood visits

Following are some pictures taken to and from our trip to Muyenga/Tank Hill:


















After returning from Muyenga/Tank Hill, we prepared for the next days work, ate supper, sang and learned some Ugandan hymns (in Ugandan).


Update 8/2

Taylor and Emily take full responsibility for this update.

First, we woke up. Duh.

Our prayer time this morning was focused on the second petition of the Lord's Prayer, "Thy kingdom come." We were then treated to a breakfast of excellent pancakes and fruit juice. So I suppose we're not exactly roughing it.

After breakfast we returned to the same Muyenga/Tank Hill area and continued to hand out flyers and tracts, telling people about the upcoming church service on Sunday and sharing our faith. There were more exciting opportunities today to not only share the gospel but also just get to know the Ugandan people. One group talked to a Ugandan woman for over an hour, sharing their life experiences with each other - which for us, of course, meant our personal relationship with Jesus.

We had lunch at an African buffet, getting our first taste of the staple Ugandan dish, matoki (basically mashed bananas wrapped in banana leaves, minus the flavor and plus healthy amounts of peanut sauce). We then had time to relax: playing Frisbee, reading, journaling, and talking with one another on the lush field below the restaurant.

After that, we visited a slum (Kif Um Bira). As the bus maneuvered its way through narrow dirt roads strewn with waste, children swarmed around us, racing from dilapidated shacks to join the "Vacation Bible Study" which we set up on a less-than-lush field above the village. There we led the children in songs in both Luganda and English, and, with the help of a very tall translator named "Max," told them Bible stories about Joseph, Adam and Eve, and Noah. Pastor Baker shared the gospel, and then we played games with soccer balls. But not soccer.

The poverty in the slums was startling. At first it was just a shock to see the dirty faces, tattered clothing, and swollen bellies of the children. But after the initial shock had passed, we were all struck by the joy radiating from the people. After returning to the Ebys, we all agreed that their unwavering smiles would be lodged in our minds forever.

After dinner Amil, a convert from Islam and one of the Ebys' hired helpers, shared powerfully with us how to witness to Muslims. We ended the night with an impromptu choral concert by Amil, Willie, and Chi, the Ebys' other hired helpers. Our conclusion is that the people of Uganda could have much more worthily benefited from the millions of dollars Paul Simon made by ripping off their music. And they're better, too.

T-Smith and E-Sums, over and out.

Pictures from August 2


Blowing Up Soccer Balls on the way to the Slums


Taylor jamming on the bus


Headline: New Sex Scandal Rocks Church


Billboard campaign to combat cross-generational sex and the transmission of HIV to teenaged girls























































Update 8/3

Many of us woke up at 5:00 am to a very strong thunderstorm, due to the rain pouring down on the roof. It was a very strong rain, and we were wondering how this would impact our day. We had promised to return to the Kif Um Bira slum to see the children, for another day of Vacation Bible School. We were reminded of the need to stay flexible.

We started with prayer time, studying the third petition, “Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven.” This was a good reminder that God is in control of all things, including the rain. If it was His plan for us to return to Kif Um Bira, it would happen. Pastor Eby read a devotion from John Piper about the rain and how God is in the rain.

Due to the rain, our morning plans changed, and we had the opportunity to visit Westminster Theological Seminary, the college, Zana Community Presbyterian Church, a medical clinic, and a primary school. Upon our arrival, Ruth picked up a little girl, Doreen, and they immediately became good friends. They spent over an hour together. So much goes on in that community – training the children in sewing to help fund their schooling, the clinic to provide treatment for malaria and upper respiratory illness, and theological training and education.

Ruth With Doreen

Three of the seminary students are refugees from Congo. I was able to talk at length with Felix, who had fled from Congo after all his family was killed in the civil war. He was able to communicate how God had protected him from rebel soldiers as he fled his village, how Christians took him in – giving him food, clothing and a place to stay for two weeks, how he arrived at the Uganda border and was thrown in jail. The authorities thought he was a rebel soldier, and it took him two weeks to convince them otherwise. It was while in jail that he realized how God had protected him during that time. After 16 months in a refugee camp in Uganda learning English, Felix and two friends went to the Seminary seeking to enroll in school. They are ready to start their second year at the end of August.

Refugees with Elder Bill Shultz, Tom Kerney and Dave Eby. Felix is on right next to Dave Eby

After lunch we returned to Kif Um Bira for our second day of ministering to the people of that area. Cathy and Hannah Kearney shared from the Bible, Wini Baker shared with the moms and grandmas, and we played games, and passed out the clothing. We had the chance to share with many of the people. There were many tears in our eyes as we said good bye at the end, wondering if we would ever return. We left behind the love of God, clothing, toys, and a little bit of our hearts.

This evening we had a concert from several members of the New City Presbyterian Church choir, including drums. It was beautiful to hear Psalms, and hymns, and spiritual songs in Ugandan, and to have a little taste of heaven when every tribe, tongue, nation, and people will be praising God.

Listen....



Peter, for Team Uganda

More pictures from 8/3


Entrance to Westminster Theological College and Seminary, Zana Community Presbyterian Church, Zana Health clinic, and the Zana Primary school.


Muddy Water adjacent to the Westminster / Zana compound after morning rain.








Arrival at Zana School




Zana School Quilting and Sewing Classes


Zana School Girls Dancing



James playing soccer with boys




Nurse and Doctor at Zana Clinic

Examining Room


Dave Eby Praying for man with malaria
Malaria kills 320 - 350 Ugandans per DAY.
This man says he gets malaria five times a year.


Nurse Josephine showing drug cabinet in clinic

The following pictures are from the Kif Um Bira slum


John Fender preaching to children


Team leading singing and teaching songs


Cathy Kearney teaching bible stories


Wini Baker teaching women


Hanna and Juliana teaching children using 3 intepreters














Women in line to receive clothes









Getting ready to leave


Update 8/4

The guys and gals split up today – the ladies attended a conference at the Eby’s and the men a prayer breakfast at Blue Africa restaurant.

At the Eby’s women gathered to hear Darlene Eby speak about time management; Wini Baker about biblical submission to authority; and Lori Boatright about contentment. After the topics were presented the women divided into two groups to discuss the presentations. A meal followed during which the African and US women built relationships.


At the men’s prayer breakfast in downtown Kampala, John Fender talked to 25 men about sexual purity and Al Baker about men’s priorities. The men “hung out” together getting acquainted, sharing observations from the topics and prayed in clusters.


In the afternoon, as the women’s conference continued, the guys drove - in the pouring rain - through a slum near the Muyenga church plant (the leadership is considering a mercy ministry to the residents of the area). We then ate African pizza and went back (third time) to the Tank Hill community to hand out flyers about the church plant’s first service and visited the Word of Life campus, where the service will be held tomorrow at 10:30. We set up chairs (seem familiar?) and prayed.


In the evening before dinner the men and women came together to update each other. We were ecstatic to hear from Gerald, the pastor of New City Presbyterian Church, that the Session decided yesterday to launch another church plant next Sunday in the Kif Um Bira slum, where we had visited the last two days. He said the work has gained great momentum, especially over the past few weeks and he was especially grateful for our team’s “hands on” approach - holding, hugging, teaching, playing with the children; going into residents' huts and praying for their physical and spirtual condition. We physically and spiritually embraced that community.

Our 26 member mission team, including the six members from North City Presbyterian Church in San Diego, and John Fender (pastor of a PCA Church in Georgia) was privileged to aid the foundational work of the indigenous workers - Deacon Dickens, members of the New City – and other mission teams from the states. Our prayers are for the residents – especially the children – that the hope of the Gospel will penetrate their hearts by the power of the Holy Spirit; that they may lead Godly, productive lives, serving their Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, and their community and church.

For the team……… Bill Schultz


Update 8/5

Today is the Lord's day and was spent by our team in worship. The fruits of our labors (and the labors of the local team) were evident by attendance at the first worship service of Christ Community Church. Over 100 attended the service of which at least 70 were from the local Tank Hill community that we had visited three times in the past four days. We saw many familiar faces. Al Baker preached from 2 Corinthians 5:20-21 on being reconciled to God through Christ. Listen...










At the same time Christ Community was holding its first service, John Fender preached at the mother church, New City Presbyterian.


A second worship service for Christ Community was held at 5PM. Al Baker preached again, this time from Matthew 22:1-14. Listen... After the service a light supper was served and fellowship continued until darkness. Many of the same from the morning service attended along with fresh but familiar faces.
















We finished the night back at the Eby's, eating ice cream and watching a documentary about Jim and Elisabeth Elliott. It was a glorious day.

For Team Uganda - Tony Sumner


Update 8/6

On our last full day in Uganda, we started the morning with prayer focusing on the Fifth Petition, “Gives Us This Day Our Daily Bread.” We praised God for He is our ultimate provider and sustainer.

After another delicious breakfast, we made our way to a high school in a nearby slum. This high school grew from 100 to 1200 students in one short year and is part of a larger not-for-profit movement to plant many more schools in the area. Although the dirty and crowded conditions at the school were undeniable, we saw past them a warm and positive atmosphere.

A large group of students gathered in the school yard to hear Pastor Dave Eby preach the gospel. We then divided into four groups led by Pastor Al Baker, Pastor John Fender, Pastor Dave Eby, and elders Bill Schultz and Peter Martin.

We joined the group with Pastor Eby in a classroom of about 50 students between the ages of 13-19. After Pastor Eby gave a brief introduction, Adam, Emily, and Juliana gave their testimonies. We immediately knew why God pushed us out of our comfort zone. The students listened intently and received what we had to say with great compassion. After we shared, the teenagers had many insightful questions for Pastor Eby, including: Does the Bible say “Jesus helps those who help themselves”? Should we go to a witch doctor before we go to God if we’re sick? Is Jesus the only way to God? Does the Bible say that women should learn in silence? Pastor Eby used Scripture to answer each question clearly. Our time ended too quickly, but we were blessed by the encouraging signs that God is working amongst the students.

Submitted by Juliana and Emily


In the evening the New City Life and CCPC elders and deacons met. We discussed CCPC's history and church planting strategy (multisite). Although the context of Kampala has many differences (eg, people walk to church, the leaders are young and new to position) there are far more similarities. Pastor Gerald and the leaders were very interested in the mechanics of multisite as they will have launched two new works in a two week period - this past Sunday in the Tank Hill district and this coming Sunday in the slum of Kif Um Bira - and do not want to overburden their leadership resources. We dialogued about ministry groups and elder/deacon involvement, shepherding, funding, personal holiness, and leadership training. We closed with a season of prayer.

The last full day was brought to a close as we all gathered together in the Eby's living room in sweet celebration and thanks. Our Ugandan brothers (students/compound* hired help: Willie, Chi, Gideon, Amil) sang several songs, many of which we joined. Peter Martin then gave thanked the students, the Ebys and our Lord for the experience (we received far more than we gave); Amil responded with passionate thanksgiving to the Lord and the group for their servanthood; and Dave and Darlene Eby reflected on the group's compassion and engagement.

Praise God, from whom all blessings flow;
Praise Him, all creatures here below;
Praise Him above, ye heavenly host:
Praise Father, Son, and Holy Ghost.
Amen.

for the team....Bill Schultz

* A compound is a Ugandan term for a walled/gated house.

Pictures from 8/6






















































Update 8/7

The team spent the day sight-seeing before leaving for Entebbe airport at 7:00PM.


Update 8/8

Arrived in Amsterdam 6:00AM. Part of the team connected on flights back to the United States. Others spent an additional day in Amsterdam visiting the Anne Frank House and various museums.


Update 8/9

The remainder of the team arrives back in Hartford at 3:30PM.


Update 8/11

I have been on more mission trips than I can count but I can honestly say that this one to Uganda has been the best of all. I say this for a number of reasons. The maturity of our group, which was made manifest in how well they got along, the absence of complaining or negativity, the team unity, the servants hearts toward those whom we came to serve, and the results of the trip all made this trip a delight for me. I had suspected that our people would fall in love with the Ugandan people, since I know our people to be very loving and the Ugandan people also to be so gracious and loving. I knew their hearts would melt as they saw the poverty of the people and their joy in the midst of it. But I was not expecting the overwhelming success of our brief time there. There is no other explanation than to say that God was with us in a powerful way. We saw one church, Christ Community of Myenga, planted (by no means am I suggesting that we did all of this in a few days time for there were many, many others who labored before us) and another in the slum in which we worked which begins worship services on August 12, called New Hope Presbyterian Church. I was greatly encouraged also by how two of our Ruling Elders, Bill Schultz and Peter Martin, were so used of God while there. The most encouraging aspect of their involvement was the Monday evening dinner meeting with several pastors and deacons from the Presbyterian Church of Uganda. They shared aspects of our ministry with our Ugandan brethren but also made clear that we have much to learn from them as well, specifically in the area of mercy ministry, how to do it Biblically.

The challenge for our Mission Uganda team is how to build on what we experienced. The emotion of such a trip will not last long. The stress of modernity in our daily lives will erode away the emotion we felt while there. That's okay for we cannot live long on emotion; but the question is- where do we go from here, not only in following through to build Christ's kingdom in Uganda but also how this should impact our personal, family, and church lives here in West Hartford. We meet on Tuesday, August 14 to de-brief on the trip and to discuss where we go from here.

Al Baker