fruit of hospitality

Come on in... take your shoes off... make yourself at home...
this is holy ground...
You are welcome here.  

The food is on the counter. The plates are stacked a mile high.
There is more than enough.  Eat and be satisfied.  

And they come.  This team of 20 from Indiana,
with a dozen or so from  Kampala International University, plus us...
34? 40? 52?  How many will You feed tonight?  

You take the bread. You bless it. You break it. 

You give it away and You give thanks.  

And so we join You in the giving.

Funny, this kingdom economy...

give away and pour out and empty yourself for others... 

and you. are. filled. beyond. measure.

excerpts of gifts #4137-4182

• the team arriving safely
• 19 alive, spirited young people- a breath of fresh air
• their sheer delight in cold cuts and chips, apparently an amazing dinner after a week of african food
• the happy hum of conversation
• this big house filled to the brim- just what it was made for!
• a bunch of people loving on our boys
• hands clasped in a circle of prayer, lifting each other up
• sweet girls doing the dishes
• a shift in perspective, extending hospitality even to my boys
• playing Toy Story Yatzee with Caleb
• this moment of peace in the middle of a day
• this home filled with people, food, laughter, stories, love
• Gloria here to help us keep our home ready for guests
• little boy climbing up into Daddy's lap
• a bagel and coffee on a Saturday morning
• this joy in serving, my cup runneth over

Seated in the Heavenlies...

this view. the ominous clouds. the palm tree swaying in the breeze. 
the sunlight illuminating the veranda. a storm is brewing.  but there is such beauty.

and we, with Christ, take our place above the storm in the heavenlies.  

"If we are to grapple, not with flesh-and-blood adversaries, but with principalities and powers in the heavenlies, we need to come to grips with one basic truth of God's Word: that when God raised Jesus Christ from the dead and set Him in the seat of authority "far above all", He made us co-sharers with Him in every stage of the mighty finished work and then seated us with Him.

From only one position is it safe to approach and resist Satan, and that is from this position in Christ in the highest heavenlies.  From this position Satan and his hosts are completely vulnerable.

So for us also (like the fighter pilots of World War II) altitude is a vital factor.  Victory depends on it.  Understandable, therefore, Satan's craft is dedicated to luring us away from this place of advantage and causing us to forget his vulnerability." -R Arthur Matthews, Born for Battle

So, how do we soar to our rightful place with Christ in the heavenlies?  And how do we stay there day in and day out?  Praise rises.  Gratitude lifts.  As we fix our eyes on Him in praise and thanksgiving- we take our place beside Him.  Praise is our response to His glory.  Gratitude is our response to His goodness- it unites us with Him.  And Satan does not want us thanking God for all things.  He wants us grumbling and complaining for every minor inconvenience.  It lowers us beneath him and leaves us vulnerable to his attack. 

As Ann Voskamp notes in One Thousand Gifts: 
"The brave who focus on all things good and all things beautiful and all things true, even in the small, who give thanks for it and discover joy even in the here and now, they are the change agents who bring fullest light to all the world." 

Will you take your seat with Christ in the heavenlies?  Will you thank Him for all things?  We need grateful, valiant warriors who will fight beside us for the hearts and souls of those in Uganda! 

WGM Family

Here is a shot of our WGM and Africa Gospel Church family from our first weekend in Kampala- thanks, Lisa, for posting! 

We are so grateful for these men and women who have dedicated their lives to the Lord.  They have answered many questions for us already, opened their homes to us for meals, driven us to town, prayed for us, and generally made this first month a great experience!

Who are the men and women pouring themselves into you?  Who could you be pouring into? 

Home Blessing: July 3rd

House Dedication
We dedicate this home to love and understanding.
May its joys and sorrows be shared and the individuality of each person who lives and visits here be appreciated.

We dedicate this home to work, and rest and play.
May our home have joy and high fellowship, with kindness in its voices and laughter running within its walls.

We dedicate this home to friendly life.
May its doors open in hospitality and its windows look out with kindness toward other homes.

We dedicate this home to cooperation.
May its duties be performed in love, its furnishings bear witness that the work of others ministers to our comfort, and its table remind us that God is our Source who meets our daily needs.

We dedicate this home to the appreciation of all things good and true.
May the books bring wisdom, the pictures symbolize things beautiful, and the music bring joy and inspiration.

We dedicate the time and talent of those who live here to help meet the needs of the world at our doorstep and within our circles of influence.

We dedicate this home as a unit in the Church universal, an instrument of the Kingdom of God, a place of worship and Christian training and a threshold to the life eternal.

In the name of Jesus, and under the covering of His blood we dedicate and bless this house.  Amen

On Sunday, July 3, the Kampala Team will meet for prayer and home blessing at our property.  Will you join us?  Save the date!


We will post a video tour of our home so you can join us in the prayer walk and home blessing.

View from here

People. Motorcycles (called Boda-Boda's). Bicycles. People. Cars. Goats. Cows. Chickens.  Potholes.

Yes, this is all normal.  Getting in our car is an act of faith in a great big God everyday.  

Thanks for praying.

We have returned from Retreat with a new passion to see God's will done among our team and throughout Uganda.  

We're busy doing life (and talking to chickens)  and gearing up for a 19 person team that arrives on Tuesday.  We're so grateful for you and will post some more pictures and gratitude and stories soon!