You are the branches

Our last full day of ministry in Uganda began with a morning devotional time. We sang and prayed together and continued with our affirmation exercise from last night.

After our wonderful time together in the morning, our entire team headed to Akalabai church for morning service and Sunday School.

Today was the very last day for us in the village. The worship had already begun as our vans pulled up and our team joyously searched for where we might be able to fit into an already packed church.

After some praise and worship, we split into Sunday School groups. D. Bartha took the men’s group and spoke about truth. There were about 65 men. 

Carolyn, Laura, Audrey, Rachel, Allison, and Kylie led the time with the children. They sang many songs and taught about Noah's ark. There were around 200 of them. 

Cynthia and Karen taught the women inside the church. They taught a lesson about abiding to about 90 women.

After everyone packed back into the church, we commissioned the Akalabai church with an incredible worship service. Walter preached on Colossians 3. Pastor Morris shared a charge for the church and for Pastor Robert and his wife and the Akalabai choir led us in music. On behalf of the church, Walter also presented the cross we had made for them and the chalice and plate for communion.

The people of Akalabai were incredibly thankful and kind all morning long. Our team has loved getting to spend time with them, know their stories, and participate in the living and breathing Kingdom life in this little village in Africa. The two pictures below are of the church the people of Akalabai were worshipping in before we came and the one we commissioned today.

After eating lunch at the church, we said our goodbyes and split into two groups. One group went back to the hotel and the other went to see the newest water well that FPC Midland has sponsored. Our group traveled quite a ways to see Pastor Eldad and his wife Grace at the boar hole. The well was doing well and functioning properly. It had many visitors while the team was there and Walter and Rudi tried their hand at pumping a jug full.

The entire team assembled at the hotel around 5:00 for the Pastors dinner. This is a fellowship event we host every year at the Mount Elgon hotel in honor of the pastors and elders that have served as our translators throughout the week.

 It was an incredible time of fellowship, prayer, and unity.

 We also got to share in a time of communion with the pastors. The relationship we make with these fellow disciples throughout the week is one of the most significant aspects of our journey. We are so thankful for them, their stories, and their hearts for the Lord!

The dinner ended pretty late and we said some emotional goodbyes to our new (and old) friends. Our time here has been beyond incredible. We have been so humbled and so empowered by the ways the Spirit has used us. So inspired and so in awe at the ways we have seen God in others. It is an experience we will remember forever. A week of abiding. With God's grace, we can carry that abiding into the following weeks of our lives.

After the pastors left, we had a quick debrief to recap and share our thoughts about the days activities. Then we each got the chance to lift Dr. Bartha up with words of affirmation since he will be going back to the clinic tomorrow and not travel with us to Entebbe.

Tonight, we are packing up all of our things, deciding what to donate and what to bring home, what to give and what to take away. Our hearts are trying to figure out the same thing. It feels as though our journey here is over. It has been good, but we are ready to go home. It has been a joy to share all of this with you.

Thanks always for your prayers and support,

The 2015 Uganda Mission Team