Green is realy green

July 3, 2011 First day in country. This is the 2011 new blog written by Glenna Applewhite from First Baptist Church, Monahans. We are on mission with the Lulwanda Children’s Home. We encourage you to respond because we love to hear from you at our nightly meetings.

Green is really green, blue is bluer, and yellow is more than yellow in Uganda. I always think this when observing the countryside here. This year is no different. But what is more amazing than this is the warmth of the people, the genuine smiles and presence of God and the Holy Spirit in the relationships we build among the team-members and among the children and workers at Lulwanda.

We arrived in Mbale today after 48 hours of airports and several hours in 3 vans loaded to the tip-top with our suitcases and supplies. We all agree that airline food leaves something to be desired and sleeping on planes is not our idea of a restful night. But on a better airport note, Kathy H. did run into a team also ministering in Uganda who are from her son’s church (The Sanctuary in Sugarland TX.) This truly is a small world. We are however thankful to God for the amazing blessing of being here. The chance to serve God in this place is a once in a lifetime experience. Our group consists of Mike and Mary Thrasher, Bonita Fyke, Derrick Flack and Brodie Flack from Wimberly, TX; J.W Thrasher, Charles and Kathy Inman; Gay Jenkins from Beaumont; and Kathie Hartzog from Houston.

We sit tonight listening to Mike talk about the indigenous people who need ministry, who need help and most of all who need the good news. This is true of people all over the world, in Uganda, in Africa, and in Texas or the United States. Our collective call is not to gather the harvest, nor to minister long term in these fields ripe for the harvest. It is not to harvest at all; it is to pray and let God take care of the harvest. Our call is to be up-close and personal with those whom God puts in our path. Pray for God to put lots of people in our path! Pray for us to recognize His will before us.

Our discussion continues about the vast amounts of materials, supplies, and clothing we have brought with us from all over the state of Texas. You, all of you, have been most generous in helping with supplies and we are so thankful to God for the gifts you have given. Tomorrow night I will blog about the gifts from our children through school and VBS.

It just thundered and rain is pouring from the sky. Thank you God that we have heard it and we are heartened that it will rain in Texas according to Your Magnificent Design for us.

We close today with this tidbit of information. Twelve of thirteen of us said that the chocolate cake we had today tasted wonderful. J.W. abstained.