November 3 (Tuesday morning)

Dear Friends and Family,

We were unable to upload the Sunday morning update before leaving Mbale because the internet service at the Mount Elgon Hotel was down on the weekend. You will see Sunday's update below this one. All are well, and we are now at Queen Elizabeth National Park.

The Sunday morning services at Kidoko Church were exceptional. There was a large turnout for Sunday school classes for men, women, and children. For the main service, not all could fit inside the church structure. Estimates were that approximately 500 were present. African worship with this many people inside a building is always a special experience. Keith gave a sermon challenging attendees to become a Biblical church, and Pastor Morris gave his much-anticipated, high-energy message commissioning Pastor Charles as the church’s new leader. To think the place was only a building one week ago, and to experience 500 people, many of whom are new believers, praising God is a special experience. We all thank God for the privilege of being a part of this. Likewise, this could not have happened without the faithful support of Tomball Bible Church in providing the funds to construct the church nor without the prayers and support of our senders. We are grateful to our Ugandan hosts for their faithfulness and encouragement, and our team was blessed by each of them. We hope our blog updates have allowed you to share in our joy.

On Sunday afternoon and Monday, we made the journey across Uganda to Mweya Safari Lodge in Queen Elizabeth National Park. Our plan is to enjoy a little R&R and to go on a few sightseeing safaris. On Monday evening, we all saw elephants, hippos, cape buffaloes, wart hogs, mongooses, and various forms of antelope/deer. A few from our team who rose early this morning got to see close-up looks at three male lions and four female lions. Elephants in the park were poached down to 200 a few years ago, but their population is back up to 3000 based on increased conservation and security efforts. It is a special treat to see all of these animals in the wild.

As twelve of us prepare to come home, one of our team will be remaining for a few more weeks. Marsha plans to stay until Dec. 3, and she will be continuing in various ministry roles with the Ogengas. Please continue to keep her in your prayers.

Thanks again for all of your prayers and support. We anticipate this will be our last update, since most of us head for the airport tomorrow. Please pray for safe travel. We are scheduled to be back in Houston at 2:20 pm on Thursday afternoon. Knowing all of you have been behind us has been a key part of our trip. God has worked in many in Uganda, and he has certainly grown all of us as well. We’ve missed our families, and we look forward to getting home. God is good all the time, and all the time, God is good!

Blessings,
Fred (on behalf of the whole team)