Saturday & The Graduation

Saturday morning started with the team all heading off in different directions.  Walter, Ben, Cynthia and Greg went to the Bible College commencement exercises.  Ramon, Carole and Jim went with Dr. Patrick to visit water wells and the rest of the team visited the Luwanda Children’s Home.  Everyone met back at the Mbale church where we gathered with all our Ugandan friends for a delicious meal that had been prepared for us. 

The graduation ceremonies for the Covenant Bible Institute of Theology were a grand affair.  First Presbyterian has always stood with the college financially and through the years so when they realized that we were going to be in Mbale during the ceremony they wanted representatives from out church to participate.  Walter gave the commencement talk, Ben gave the charge to the graduates and Cynthia helped pass out the awards.  Little did they know that the Ugandan graduation was such a formal affair…traditional graduation robes were supplied and worn with pride.  There were chuckles all around at how silly they looked but the ceremony was wonderful.  The Covenant Bible Institute of Theology offers an intensive three-year core academic Diploma in Bible and Theology.  This curriculum covers 42 courses  giving the total of 102 credit hours that are required to complete the program in three academic years.  The graduates had worked long and hard, many leaving their families to be able to attend the college.  It was a privilege to be able to witness the jubilation and pride of the families as each graduates name was called to accept his diploma.  There were concordances and study Bibles handed out to the outstanding students in several areas.  A church from the United States had donated suits for each graduate so that they could start their mission as a pastor in a new suit.  The whole ceremony was a grand affair, full of Ugandan pomp and circumstance including a brass band.  Our prayers are with these young men as they go out as new pastors or church leaders and continue to be God’s fishermen.

School Team

Garrett Lang & Casey Smith visited 1 primary school and 2 secondary schools today and were both introduced as “U.N.C.L.E”. This was surprising and entertaining to the children at the school because Casey and one other on the school team are women. The team explained that it stands for “U Need Christ to Live Eternally”. Casey touched on how life without God and doubt in Him can lead to darkness and fear entering into life through the methods of satan. Garrett spoke on the armor of God and how we can defend ourselves from satan’s methods by the belt of truth, the breastplate of righteousness, feet strapped with the gospel of peace, the shield of faith, and the helmet of salvation. He noted that the sword of the Spirit is a worthy weapon wielded by Jesus against satan in His temptation. They enjoyed that each school visit was concluded with Ugandan style praise and worship as well as dancing.

Crusade

In the misty rain Carter and Carole gave their testimonies. It was a refreshing rain after a hectic day at the clinic. Jeff gave his sermon on the house of Cornelius and how God blessed all men, including gentiles, with faith and the salvation of Christ despite the label of being unclean. He expanded it to our lives and how we need not hold back from accepting others or sharing Christ’s gospel even if we consider them to be unclean or different.

Prison Team

Jim Alsup and Mitch Strickling went to prisons today and spoke to a small group of 12 men. Mitch spoke about his choices in life and how grace gave him a chance to turn to God after choosing to turn away. Jim gave a sermon on how satan can not make us sin and that it is a choice through free will. He pointed out that it is in our turning back to God when we have gone astray that helps us. And the payment Christ made for us can cleanse us from all rebellion if we will trust him. There were a handful of men from the group who decided to start their walk with Christ today.

Medical Clinic Day 2

As we pulled into Kuji this morning there was an endless line of people snaked around the church. We knew that we needed all the energy we could muster, and God gave it to us. Word certainly spread throughout the area that we were there to give aid. 

Today was crazy and crowded like yesterday, but a bit more controlled. Forming lines seemed to be a more welcome practice, as well as staying put (not cutting) in line. Yesterday certainly made for good practice for today. At the end of the two days we believe that we served about 2,100 people (We counted one-by-one the prescriptions that were written!) We are sad that it is over, but our pill-counting, temperature-taking, blood pressure- measuring, nursing hands need a rest. Especially Dr. Bartha's!