Today the team went to worship at Grace Fellowship Church in the Old Kampala Slum. It was daunting to arrive to a place that has such obvious needs, but the service was inspirational. Numerous groups of children made their way to the front where they sang and danced to songs praising God. Many of the children didn’t even have shoes but it was evident how thankful they were to God! They are truly happy children!
We were able to open a clinic in the slum where 200 people came to get medical attention. We also traveled to the boys’ home, which houses 50 boys from the surrounding area, to fit shoes for those there. About 20 girls were also outfitted for shoes. It was a long and tiring day for the team, but one I’m certain no one would trade. God is at work here.
Tomorrow we will travel to Masaka, and will be staying at the Maria Flo Hotel. The phone number to the hotel is (256) (0) 752 800329. Please continue to pray for us and especially for the Ugandans here. We will be out of touch for the next few days while in Masaka. We are staying at the Metropole Hotel in Kampala on Thursday night, and the number there is (256) (4) 1439006. Thanks and may God bless you!
Ruth Yusckat
Sunday, November 21, 2010
Saturday, November 20, 2010
Sudan Team Arrives Safely Back to States
Just a quick note to let everyone know that the Sudan team is home safely! Praise God for an incredible trip that I pray will spark future thoughts and posts...as mentioned yesterday, so much to process...
Thank you again for all of your love, support, and prayers! We felt them in a mighty way!
Praise Him!
Rebecca Cummings
Thank you again for all of your love, support, and prayers! We felt them in a mighty way!
Praise Him!
Rebecca Cummings
A Great Day in the Pearl of Africa!
Hi all!
Today was our first ministry day here in Kampala, and it was great! The medical and optical teams had a busy day and helped so many at Grace Fellowship Church... I think I heard that the medical team saw 198 people! Wow! The people were truly a blessing. As someone who had never been outside of the US before this trip, I can honestly say it was an eye-opener. The need here is so great, but the children we saw on carnval team were SO happy! The simplest things thrilled them, and it just made me think about how spoiled most of us are (I know I am anyways!) Last, I'd just like to say that we have a wonderful team here. Everyone has such a good, loving attitude, and I am so thankful! All is well.. please continue to pray for our team and the people we come into contact with. Pray that God will use us however He sees fit and that we'll remain "flexible* and follow His leading. Thanks and Love to all!
Whitney Shelnutt
Today was our first ministry day here in Kampala, and it was great! The medical and optical teams had a busy day and helped so many at Grace Fellowship Church... I think I heard that the medical team saw 198 people! Wow! The people were truly a blessing. As someone who had never been outside of the US before this trip, I can honestly say it was an eye-opener. The need here is so great, but the children we saw on carnval team were SO happy! The simplest things thrilled them, and it just made me think about how spoiled most of us are (I know I am anyways!) Last, I'd just like to say that we have a wonderful team here. Everyone has such a good, loving attitude, and I am so thankful! All is well.. please continue to pray for our team and the people we come into contact with. Pray that God will use us however He sees fit and that we'll remain "flexible* and follow His leading. Thanks and Love to all!
Whitney Shelnutt
Uganda Mission Team Arrives Safely in Kampala
Happy to let everyone in the States know that the Uganda team rested well last night. The team will move out this morning to a village outside of Kampala called Awera. We're looking forward to seeing how God uses our time in Uganda to challenge the way we see ourselves, our community and the world. Please keep us in your prayers.
Randy Plaisance
Kampala, Uganda
Randy Plaisance
Kampala, Uganda
Friday, November 19, 2010
It Made a Difference to That One
Most of you have probably heard that story about the little boy walking along the beach, picking up starfish and throwing them back in the ocean. An older man comes along and says to the boy, "There are thousands of starfish on the shore that will die if they do not make it back into the ocean. Why are you doing this?"
The little boy smiles as he picks one up and thows it back to the ocean and says, "It made a difference to that one."
Boy, have we felt that way this week. The need is so great, we cannot begin to even express it. We pray that our stories, pictures, and videos help, but as we head home to tell you about it all...please bear with us. We want to capture your hearts the same way ours have been. There has been so much to process and comprehend in our minds and hearts. It will take us time....and different points of view will come at different times.
Even so, we are so excited to be coming home and to share! Although there were so many we could not help...and we have and still are grieving for those people...we made a difference to that one.
See you all very soon.
We love you,
The Sudan Team:
Rebecca and Tommy
Joy and Yancy
Kevin
Eric
John
Tripp
Daniel
The little boy smiles as he picks one up and thows it back to the ocean and says, "It made a difference to that one."
Boy, have we felt that way this week. The need is so great, we cannot begin to even express it. We pray that our stories, pictures, and videos help, but as we head home to tell you about it all...please bear with us. We want to capture your hearts the same way ours have been. There has been so much to process and comprehend in our minds and hearts. It will take us time....and different points of view will come at different times.
Even so, we are so excited to be coming home and to share! Although there were so many we could not help...and we have and still are grieving for those people...we made a difference to that one.
See you all very soon.
We love you,
The Sudan Team:
Rebecca and Tommy
Joy and Yancy
Kevin
Eric
John
Tripp
Daniel
Sudan Team Lands in Uganda
The Sudan team has landed safely in Uganda. Everyone is resting, preparing for the flight back to the States later this evening.
What a great week we had. Words cannot begin to describe the experience. The trip ended on a great note with Yancy and Joy Carpenter getting to visit the home of our dear friend Bullen Timo. Yancy and Joy prayed with Mr. Timo, as well as all of his family. Bullen, your grandad sends his love and so do all of your other friends and family in Mundri.
Pray for our staff. FCM's Uganda team lands in a few hours with ministry beginning tomorrow.
Tripp Skipper
Kampala, Uganda
What a great week we had. Words cannot begin to describe the experience. The trip ended on a great note with Yancy and Joy Carpenter getting to visit the home of our dear friend Bullen Timo. Yancy and Joy prayed with Mr. Timo, as well as all of his family. Bullen, your grandad sends his love and so do all of your other friends and family in Mundri.
Pray for our staff. FCM's Uganda team lands in a few hours with ministry beginning tomorrow.
Tripp Skipper
Kampala, Uganda
Thursday, November 18, 2010
Last Ministry Day Underway in Sudan
The team is physically exhausted but their spirits are strong. I don't know if you realize it but this mobile medical team is the first of its kind in Western Mundri County. Work has been done in East Mundri County but so many of the folks in the villages that we are visiting have never seen a doctor. By the end of the day the team will have seen over 750 patients.
For the family members that were left behind I encourage you to prepare yourself for the stories that will be communicated once the team returns. They have seen a depth of physical pain and suffering that will be difficult to put into words. The pictures and videos will help but they only go so far in helping each team member unpack all that is in their head. Be patient with them. The reality of life in Sudan has set in and the images are a lot to process.
We give all the glory to the Lord. He is writing a story with each of our lives. We give thanks for the goers as well as those that sent. It's all about Him!
God Bless,
Tripp Skipper
Mundri, Sudan
For the family members that were left behind I encourage you to prepare yourself for the stories that will be communicated once the team returns. They have seen a depth of physical pain and suffering that will be difficult to put into words. The pictures and videos will help but they only go so far in helping each team member unpack all that is in their head. Be patient with them. The reality of life in Sudan has set in and the images are a lot to process.
We give all the glory to the Lord. He is writing a story with each of our lives. We give thanks for the goers as well as those that sent. It's all about Him!
God Bless,
Tripp Skipper
Mundri, Sudan
Wednesday, November 17, 2010
Dr. Eric Robinson in Surgery
Please pray for Dr. Eric Robinson, one of our team members that is serving in South Sudan this week. As I write this update Eric is performing hernia surgery on several patients at the hospital in Lui, Sudan. The hospital has over thirty patients in need of hernia surgery but there is only one doctor available. Hopefully Eric can help relieve some of the back log over the next two days.
The team rested well last night and the mobile medical clinic is working today in a small village just outside of Mundri. It's hard to believe that we only have one more ministry day left.
Daniel Phillips
Birmingham, Alabama
The team rested well last night and the mobile medical clinic is working today in a small village just outside of Mundri. It's hard to believe that we only have one more ministry day left.
Daniel Phillips
Birmingham, Alabama
Tuesday, November 16, 2010
FCM Leads Medical Team in South Sudan
Internet is tough to come by in South Sudan but here's a quick update. The team is safe, healthy and doing great. Yesterday we visited a small village just outside of Mundri, called Okari. This is the home village of our dear friend Andrew Elisapana. What a joy to visit with his family. Andrew, your mom and dad send you their love.
As I write this the team is ministering in a village called Mirikalanga. After today the team will have treated over 300 patients, distributing much needed medical supplies. With every prescription that Rebecca fills, the love of Christ is being demonstrated. Yet, we know that even our care is temporary. The spiritual healing that God offers through Christ Jesus is the eternal answer.
Check out FCM's facebook page to view some of this week's pictures.
For the Joy,
Tripp Skipper
Mundri, Sudan
Saturday, November 13, 2010
IN SUDAN!!!
Good afternoon (early morning for you!) from Mundri, Sudan!!!!
We arrived safely a couple of hours ago and have already had lunch (rice, beans, tomatoes and onions, and bread...we hear this will be the norm for us while here), orientation from Jeffreys on what to expect for the week, and a visit to Former Commissioner of Mundri Bullen's home. We think a Commissioner is sort of like a county mayor.
Change of plans....we will no longer be staying in Lui tonight; instead, we will be in Mundri the entire trip. Good news - this means we will have a "shower" the whole time! We will be going to 3 churches tomorrow...Yancy and Joy will be going to Andrew's father's church, John will be speaking at another church, and Eric at another. The rest of us will be going to those churches as well.
The plane trip here went very smoothly - the journey was beautiful and we got to see the Nile! Africa, at least this part, is so green!
Praise the Lord! - all of our medications made it in!! This afternoon or tomorrow we will plan to repack and prepare for Monday's clinic (we thought we were starting tomorrow, but that has changed also).
Our anxiousness has drastically decreased. We are so excited to be here! Please continue to pray for our energy, our unity, and that Jesus will be glorified in everything.
Everyone is well. Tripp has a bit of a cold, so please pray for his health because we need him!
We continue to be thankful for you and all of your prayers!
We love you,
Rebecca and Joy and the boys
We arrived safely a couple of hours ago and have already had lunch (rice, beans, tomatoes and onions, and bread...we hear this will be the norm for us while here), orientation from Jeffreys on what to expect for the week, and a visit to Former Commissioner of Mundri Bullen's home. We think a Commissioner is sort of like a county mayor.
Change of plans....we will no longer be staying in Lui tonight; instead, we will be in Mundri the entire trip. Good news - this means we will have a "shower" the whole time! We will be going to 3 churches tomorrow...Yancy and Joy will be going to Andrew's father's church, John will be speaking at another church, and Eric at another. The rest of us will be going to those churches as well.
The plane trip here went very smoothly - the journey was beautiful and we got to see the Nile! Africa, at least this part, is so green!
Praise the Lord! - all of our medications made it in!! This afternoon or tomorrow we will plan to repack and prepare for Monday's clinic (we thought we were starting tomorrow, but that has changed also).
Our anxiousness has drastically decreased. We are so excited to be here! Please continue to pray for our energy, our unity, and that Jesus will be glorified in everything.
Everyone is well. Tripp has a bit of a cold, so please pray for his health because we need him!
We continue to be thankful for you and all of your prayers!
We love you,
Rebecca and Joy and the boys
Friday, November 12, 2010
On Our Way In
All of this is for your benefit. And as God's grace reaches more and more people, there will be great thanksgiving, and God will receive more and more glory. 2 Corinthians 4:15
Each night, John has been leading us in our share time, and as we prepare to enter Sudan tomorrow, he spoke tonight of giving thanks. How encouraged are we to know that as God's Word reaches the people of Sudan, there will be more thanksgiving and God will receive more glory!
We are good and safe and Daniel should be here any minute, but we are also nervous and anxious about what this next week holds...and we are more aware than ever of how much we need your prayers and God's grace.
Please continue to pray for the whole team and each person we will come into contact with.
We hope to share again with you on Friday sometime when we arrive back in Kampala, Uganda (although, let us just state for the record that contact from Africa is hard....Tripp calls it TIA - This Is Africa!).
Until then...God is good!
We love you,
Joy and Rebecca (and Yancy, Tommy, Kevin, John, Eric, Tripp, Daniel)
Each night, John has been leading us in our share time, and as we prepare to enter Sudan tomorrow, he spoke tonight of giving thanks. How encouraged are we to know that as God's Word reaches the people of Sudan, there will be more thanksgiving and God will receive more glory!
We are good and safe and Daniel should be here any minute, but we are also nervous and anxious about what this next week holds...and we are more aware than ever of how much we need your prayers and God's grace.
Please continue to pray for the whole team and each person we will come into contact with.
We hope to share again with you on Friday sometime when we arrive back in Kampala, Uganda (although, let us just state for the record that contact from Africa is hard....Tripp calls it TIA - This Is Africa!).
Until then...God is good!
We love you,
Joy and Rebecca (and Yancy, Tommy, Kevin, John, Eric, Tripp, Daniel)
Thursday, November 11, 2010
In Africa!!
Hello from Africa!
We can't believe we are finally saying those words! As we look out over Lake Mburo and 2 crowned hornedbill birds (Zazu from the Lion King for any Disney fans!), we write to you with full mouths and hearts! There is so much to tell about, so we'll try to hit the highlights...
Our flight over was...LONG! Both of them. But after repairing a flat tire on our trailer on the way to the Atlanta airport, we were thankful to have made it without any further issues. We landed in Entebbe and arrived Tuesday evening at Father's House.
Father's House is a family-style orphanage that is such a sanctuary from the surrounding area of Kampala. It is a beautiful home overlooking Lake Victoria and the city of Kampala. Even more beautiful is the family inside. Suzanne was a gracious hostess and shared with us about following the Lord's guidance to "father His children." They have about 20 children in the home currently, and they were so much fun to visit with. One message Suzanne shared with us was about the custody battle that exists between God and Satan for the hearts of the children of the world. Oh, how God loves us!!
Wednesday morning we left Father's House and traveled into Kampala to Grace Fellowship Primary School and Church. Pastor Nelson loves the people, and especially the children, of this city! We were loved on by the children at the school, many of them orphans, and they sang for us. It was incredible. They just wanted to touch us...and it reminded us of the woman who just wanted to touch the hem of Jesus' robe. We pray that we showed His face to them.
We also visited the Street Boys...a ministry to boys who live on the street. Many of them are also orphans and have been abused by their families. Abby, a former street boy himself, leads this ministry that meets on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays to love on these boys, have Bible study, help with homework, provide a meal, and teach a trade. We had the great honor of praying with these boys and viewing/purchasing some of their beautiful work! When you see the giraffe in our homes, you will know where it came from!
After lunch, we headed to Mohingo Lodge in the Mburo National Park. For those of you who know Tripp well, you will love the fact that we 1) thought this would be a 2 1/2 hour trip, 2) were told as we boarded the bus, that it would take 4 hours, and 3) journeyed 5 hours before arriving!! :) Good times. Literally, for a 5-hour bus ride on African roads, it was! The team has had many opportunities to share with each other. :)
The trip was worth it. On the road to the Lodge, we saw zebra, warthogs, antelope, and massive deer-looking animals. For those of you who know Joy and Rebecca well...we are camping. In a glorified tent, but we. are. camping. We are thankful that the preparation for the trip into Sudan has been gradual.
Today (Thursday) has been a very restful day. Enjoying the animals, the food, and the fellowship. The boys are currently on a boat ride to see more animals. The girls are enjoying extra relaxing. We know the rest of the trip will be full, and we are very thankful that God has provided this respite before the rest of the trip begins.
We fly into Sudan on Saturday. Many of you have been praying for the "logistics of Sudan" as mentioned in Joy's and Rebecca's last email updates. We had no idea of what we were praying for, so we want to close with this miracle and final specific prayer request:
Right before Tripp left for Uganda (a couple of days before the rest of us came), he received word that Jeffreys, the missionary we are working with in Sudan, had not yet received his letter of exemption from the Government of South Sudan to come get the medications from us in Uganda and drive them back over the border into Sudan. Jeffreys told Tripp the letter would not arrive until November 15 or so.
After Tripp landed, he began the search for a way to get the medications to Sudan.
God provided.
Tripp contacted the MAF (Missions Aviation Fellowship), and they "just happened" to have an empty plane going into Sudan this Friday...as in tomorrow!
On our way to the Lodge, Tripp spoke to a staff member at MAF, and, in more continued praise, ALL of our medication gets to go in!!! Hallelujah!
Please continue to pray that the medication will make it there before we do. That sounds really simple to us, but evidently, it is not so simple here.
Please also continue to pray for us and our time in Sudan. Pray that God will prepare us. We don't really have a clue. Please pray that we will glorify Him in every single thing we say and do.
Thank you all again for your prayers and support! We love you, and we can't wait to share more with you!
For Him,
Joy and Rebecca and the boys
We can't believe we are finally saying those words! As we look out over Lake Mburo and 2 crowned hornedbill birds (Zazu from the Lion King for any Disney fans!), we write to you with full mouths and hearts! There is so much to tell about, so we'll try to hit the highlights...
Our flight over was...LONG! Both of them. But after repairing a flat tire on our trailer on the way to the Atlanta airport, we were thankful to have made it without any further issues. We landed in Entebbe and arrived Tuesday evening at Father's House.
Father's House is a family-style orphanage that is such a sanctuary from the surrounding area of Kampala. It is a beautiful home overlooking Lake Victoria and the city of Kampala. Even more beautiful is the family inside. Suzanne was a gracious hostess and shared with us about following the Lord's guidance to "father His children." They have about 20 children in the home currently, and they were so much fun to visit with. One message Suzanne shared with us was about the custody battle that exists between God and Satan for the hearts of the children of the world. Oh, how God loves us!!
Wednesday morning we left Father's House and traveled into Kampala to Grace Fellowship Primary School and Church. Pastor Nelson loves the people, and especially the children, of this city! We were loved on by the children at the school, many of them orphans, and they sang for us. It was incredible. They just wanted to touch us...and it reminded us of the woman who just wanted to touch the hem of Jesus' robe. We pray that we showed His face to them.
We also visited the Street Boys...a ministry to boys who live on the street. Many of them are also orphans and have been abused by their families. Abby, a former street boy himself, leads this ministry that meets on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays to love on these boys, have Bible study, help with homework, provide a meal, and teach a trade. We had the great honor of praying with these boys and viewing/purchasing some of their beautiful work! When you see the giraffe in our homes, you will know where it came from!
After lunch, we headed to Mohingo Lodge in the Mburo National Park. For those of you who know Tripp well, you will love the fact that we 1) thought this would be a 2 1/2 hour trip, 2) were told as we boarded the bus, that it would take 4 hours, and 3) journeyed 5 hours before arriving!! :) Good times. Literally, for a 5-hour bus ride on African roads, it was! The team has had many opportunities to share with each other. :)
The trip was worth it. On the road to the Lodge, we saw zebra, warthogs, antelope, and massive deer-looking animals. For those of you who know Joy and Rebecca well...we are camping. In a glorified tent, but we. are. camping. We are thankful that the preparation for the trip into Sudan has been gradual.
Today (Thursday) has been a very restful day. Enjoying the animals, the food, and the fellowship. The boys are currently on a boat ride to see more animals. The girls are enjoying extra relaxing. We know the rest of the trip will be full, and we are very thankful that God has provided this respite before the rest of the trip begins.
We fly into Sudan on Saturday. Many of you have been praying for the "logistics of Sudan" as mentioned in Joy's and Rebecca's last email updates. We had no idea of what we were praying for, so we want to close with this miracle and final specific prayer request:
Right before Tripp left for Uganda (a couple of days before the rest of us came), he received word that Jeffreys, the missionary we are working with in Sudan, had not yet received his letter of exemption from the Government of South Sudan to come get the medications from us in Uganda and drive them back over the border into Sudan. Jeffreys told Tripp the letter would not arrive until November 15 or so.
After Tripp landed, he began the search for a way to get the medications to Sudan.
God provided.
Tripp contacted the MAF (Missions Aviation Fellowship), and they "just happened" to have an empty plane going into Sudan this Friday...as in tomorrow!
On our way to the Lodge, Tripp spoke to a staff member at MAF, and, in more continued praise, ALL of our medication gets to go in!!! Hallelujah!
Please continue to pray that the medication will make it there before we do. That sounds really simple to us, but evidently, it is not so simple here.
Please also continue to pray for us and our time in Sudan. Pray that God will prepare us. We don't really have a clue. Please pray that we will glorify Him in every single thing we say and do.
Thank you all again for your prayers and support! We love you, and we can't wait to share more with you!
For Him,
Joy and Rebecca and the boys
Monday, November 8, 2010
Headed to Atlanta - Sudan Here We Come!
So is this what being ready feels like?!
Honestly, I wasn't thinking so. But IT'S HERE!! And I know God is meeting our needs, just as he did for Paul:
"At the moment I have all I need—and more! I am generously supplied with the gifts [prayers, support, encouragement] you sent me...They are a sweet-smelling sacrifice that is acceptable and pleasing to God. And this same God who takes care of me will supply all your needs from His glorious riches, which have been given to us in Christ Jesus. Now all glory to God our Father forever and ever! Amen." Philippians 4:18-20
If you receive updates from my friend Joy, you will notice some of the content below sounds strangely familiar. :) In her last update, she provided some great thoughts and information that I would like to pass along also.
1. In addition to Apryl's daily updates, we are hoping to have internet access to update the Four Corners blog. Updates can be found at http://4cornersministries.blogspot.com/.
2. If I have the opportunity to, I will post updates on Facebook!
3. A couple of prayer requests: We contacted the Gideon's about getting Bibles in the Moru language. God is so good because they told us that they had just shipped every Moru Bible they had to Lui, Sudan! That's where we are going!! Please pray that we are able to meet up with the right people to get the Bibles. How awesome would it be to give everyone we treat at the clinic the Word of God?! Another prayer request that Tripp mentioned is for the logistics of our travel in Sudan (where we will be when and how we'll get there).
4. We are loaded to the max...I have crammed more stuff into spaces it really doesn't fit over the past 24 hours than I ever have before! I am so thankful that we are able to take so much to help the people we will be visiting, but I am really nervous about it all getting through the check-in process. We have weighed and re-weighed...so please pray that those scales at the airport read no more than 50 pounds!!
Thank you many times over for being the hands and feet of Jesus. I love you all so much and can't wait to share how God glorifies Himself through this trip! Talk to you from Africa!!
Rebecca Cummings
Opelika, Alabama
Honestly, I wasn't thinking so. But IT'S HERE!! And I know God is meeting our needs, just as he did for Paul:
"At the moment I have all I need—and more! I am generously supplied with the gifts [prayers, support, encouragement] you sent me...They are a sweet-smelling sacrifice that is acceptable and pleasing to God. And this same God who takes care of me will supply all your needs from His glorious riches, which have been given to us in Christ Jesus. Now all glory to God our Father forever and ever! Amen." Philippians 4:18-20
If you receive updates from my friend Joy, you will notice some of the content below sounds strangely familiar. :) In her last update, she provided some great thoughts and information that I would like to pass along also.
1. In addition to Apryl's daily updates, we are hoping to have internet access to update the Four Corners blog. Updates can be found at http://4cornersministries.blogspot.com/.
2. If I have the opportunity to, I will post updates on Facebook!
3. A couple of prayer requests: We contacted the Gideon's about getting Bibles in the Moru language. God is so good because they told us that they had just shipped every Moru Bible they had to Lui, Sudan! That's where we are going!! Please pray that we are able to meet up with the right people to get the Bibles. How awesome would it be to give everyone we treat at the clinic the Word of God?! Another prayer request that Tripp mentioned is for the logistics of our travel in Sudan (where we will be when and how we'll get there).
4. We are loaded to the max...I have crammed more stuff into spaces it really doesn't fit over the past 24 hours than I ever have before! I am so thankful that we are able to take so much to help the people we will be visiting, but I am really nervous about it all getting through the check-in process. We have weighed and re-weighed...so please pray that those scales at the airport read no more than 50 pounds!!
Thank you many times over for being the hands and feet of Jesus. I love you all so much and can't wait to share how God glorifies Himself through this trip! Talk to you from Africa!!
Rebecca Cummings
Opelika, Alabama
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