Dear All,
Monday's Bottom Line:
We have good news today: Hillary and Mark held their first Disciple-Makers seminar on Monday and all went well, with half the people requesting to join DM groups. Mark and Hillary are now gearing up for the next seminar in another part of Kampala on Tuesday, Mark has been reunited with his lost luggage (thank God!), and Scott is on his way to Nairobi, where he'll land in the middle of the night on Tuesday night (MO time).
Monday's Prayer Requests:
- Good attendance at Tuesday's DM seminar; no distractions that would hinder what God wants to do; Mark and Hillary to effectively communicate WHY raising disciple-makers is so vital.
- Safety, peace, and good sleep for Scott as he travels to Nairobi. All his luggage to arrive with him.
- Our Two from the States (Mark and Scott) to have great relationships with our current and potential team members in the various countries they'll be visiting on this trip.
Monday's Details:
First, any guesses on what this is? Read on to find out!
Is it decorative? Edible? Functional?
Hillary and Mark's first DM seminar was held in a church in the village of Nakabugo on the outskirts of Kampala, the capital city of Uganda, which has a population of over 4 million. Mark said, "We had 23 in attendance today, and out of the 23 we had 12 sign up for DM groups." Here's the whole gang! Mark is the guy near the back on the right with the long red beard, and Hillary is to the left of him wearing glasses.
DM seminar attendees in Nakabugo, Uganda
Although the crowd wasn't huge, it was a very powerful session, and Mark and Hillary were encouraged. Both a WhatsApp [online] group and a physical [in-person] group will be starting there in Nakabugo. Hillary and Mark understand that more people are expected at Tuesday's seminar in Rubaga, which is one of five sections of the city of Kampala.
I think a few more comments about geography might be helpful here.
You may recall this map of Africa showing Kenya (blue star) and Uganda (red star). I've added a purple arrow pointing to the tiny country of Rwanda.
The whole African continent
Now, let's zoom in a bit. Here's a map of central Africa, the part "below" Africa's big hump on the west, showing Kenya (blue star, where Scott is headed), Uganda (red star, where Mark and Hillary are now), and tiny Rwanda (purple arrow).
Central Africa
And we can zoom in even farther, to show our particular countries of interest in East Africa: Kenya (blue star, where Scott is headed), Uganda (red star, where Mark and Hillary are now), and tiny Rwanda (purple arrow).
East Africa
Now, you may well be thinking, "Patty, why on earth are you showing us all these maps?!?" Well, actually just so that this next one will make more sense!
On this mission trip, Mark (and often Hillary) will be ministering in one place, while Scott (and often James) will be ministering somewhere else. And these great men will often be in a given place for only one day. So... our good friend and TTC team member in India, Edwin, has created a series of daily maps, so that we can see where various people are when. And since it's still barely July 21, here's Edwin's July 21 map. = )
At the top, right under "2025 Mission Trip," there are two red map pins. One is Nakabugo village, where Hillary and Mark led the first DM seminar today, and the other is Rubaga district, where they will lead the next seminar on Tuesday (July 22). Those pins are very close together because Nakabugo and Rubaga are both basically in Kampala. The land to the east of Lake Victoria is Kenya, the land to the west of the lake is Uganda, and tiny Rwanda is in the bottom left corner.
July 21 - Mark (and Hillary) near Kampala, Uganda
All that said, here are the three most important things to remember today:
- All these maps show places that are full of people, and reaching the people with the gospel and a proven way to make disciples is what matters.
- Your prayers each day for our team and for those they are interacting with are powerful and so vital. Thank you!
- Mark's portable espresso machine was still in his lost suitcase when he got it. = )
And the mystery picture we started with? Mark said,
"Coffee beans! As a snack. I am [such a] blessed man!"
We very much appreciate your prayers today!
Blessings,
Patty