Dear Gary, 
The radio broadcast on Sunday morning was a blessing. The owner of the radio station is a Muslim. His wife was barren for 7 years when his Christian neighbor offered to pray for her. She was pregnant the next month, and has since had 3 children. The station owner was so grateful that he has given the Christian man a free one hour slot on his station to talk about his God every Sunday morning. The Christian man attended our conference and asked us to come and share. Bond and Joe did a great job of fully sharing the gospel and revealing how the bible is the real Word of God. After the church service and super fun Promise Child day, we headed to the Promise Child Boy's Rehabilitation Home. The 12 boys who live in this home were once homeless street kids, begging and stealing. Pastor David was burdened to give these boys a second chance and opened the rehab home. The boy's caregiver, a man called Sunday, loves those boys like his own sons. They are truly a big family. Seeing the way these children have been transformed because of the love of Christ was so emotional for us. These children who once had no hope and were considered worthless by society now have aspirations to be pilots, engineers, doctors, and pastors. They are doing well in school, are healthy, and most importantly, they are being brought up in a loving Christian environment. We sat and encouraged the boys before we provided them with soccer balls and new matching red jerseys for Christmas. They were thrilled to go outside and play barefoot in the dirt field, setting up branches for goalposts, and playing against the neighborhood children looking like a real team.They each received two cards that some children from CC WestGrove had made for them and they were so excited to open them and see the drawings and pictures the kids had made. We arrived home safely on Tuesday night, and are in awe of all God did in just 10 ministry days. Here is a list of just some of the blessings that we were able to be part of because of God's grace. 13 people, representing 4 different churches, came together and united for God's glory: 

•  Provided a wildly entertaining puppet show to over 300 children on 2 Promise Child days 
  
•  Shared the gospel no less than 3 times with every Promise Child in the Midigo/Yumbe/Arua area 
  
•  Shared the full gospel with dozens of parents and caretakers 
  
• Provided games and crafts for all the Promise Child kids 
  
•  Fed lunch to all the Ugandan Promise Children and their families 
  
•  Met with the police chiefs of both Arua and Yumbe to promote good relations for Calvary Chapel 
  
•  Visited and prayed over the new Calvary Chapel Midigo compound 
  
•  Prayed earnestly for the West Nile region as we watched the sunrise each morning 
  
•  Provided new sheets for the new Calvary Chapel Midigo compound 
  
•  Visited several Promise Child families at their homesteads to give encouragement, love & the gospel 
  
•  Shared the gospel with many Muslims who were very receptive 
  
•  Taught 2 Sunday morning church services Delivered 10 Faith Comes by Hearing Gospel Proclaimers 
  
•  Delivered several Faith Comes by Hearing Bible Sticks 
  
•  Fixed an electrical problem at the compund 
  
•  Taught 1 Timothy verse by verse to 350 pastors and church leaders from Uganda, Congo, and Sudan 
  
•  Saw the Word of God convict and transform God's people in incredible ways 
  
•  Visited the Promise Child Boy's Rehab home and encouraged the boys 
  
•  Purchased a new bunk bed, mattresses, a DVD player, and 13 new malaria nets for boy's home 
  
•  Delivered donated soccer uniforms and equipment to dozens of kids 7 of our team members got to meet their own Promise Children 
  
•  Gave an ipod, loaded with Calvary Chapel teachers' sermons to Pastor David 
  
•  Provided beautiful hand-made earrings to over 200 women 
  
•  Provided new clothing to many needy women and children 
  
•  Totally surprised our woman translator by providing cement and sand to finish her home 
  
•  Enjoyed the hospitality of Richard and Betty, who cooked a delicious goat for us 
  
•  Gave haircuts to an American missionary family 
  
•  Purchased dinner and a hotel stay for a missionary and her husband to enjoy 
  
•  Shared the gospel for an hour on a Muslim radio station 
  
•  Provided a solar panel for a Promise Child family 
  
•  Brought new computers for our Promise Child staff 
  
• Watched Rebecca Kusunoki reunited with her siblings 
  
• Purchased $500 worth of Bibles for Calvary Chapel Midigo 
  
• Baptized 6 Promise Child boys and one caregiver 
  
•  Donated two new portable sound systems to 2 churches 
  
•  Donated a new projector to Calvary Chapel Arua 
  
•  Donated a new guitar to Calvary Chapel Arua 
  
•  Provided music tapes and movies for CC Midigo and CC Arua 
  

 Thank you for your partnership with us on this trip. The rewards are yours to enjoy as much as they are ours. 

I know that I said that last email was my last one for the trip but I just finished watching a movie called "The Grace Card" on the plane. It made me think a lot about God. Not only the grace that saved me but the grace of God that allowed me to be born into a family that loved me. Grace that allowed me to be born in a land that was free. Free from persecution, free from fear. Why did I get this grace while six kids that I love (Rebecca, Faith, Majok, Anei, Aguer, Abong) were born into poverty, sickness, pain and death? Why were Faith and Rebecca rescued from while their siblings still live in it? Why do the people we just spent two weeks ministering to, still live in poverty and I live in relative abundance? At first I thought it was God's grace and that "to whom much is given much is required." In a sense that is true but then does that mean that God has no grace for them? Then I realized that it is God's saving grace that gives each and everyone of us the power to live in freedom. Freedom from fear, freedom from bondage to sin and death. It is the truth of God's word that sets men free and makes them eternally rich beyond our wildest imagination. I met some truly rich people these past two weeks. Full of the joy of the Lord while living amidst squalor, disease and death. In a sense they know the grace of God in a way that I don't. Then I realized something. God sent me over there to learn of His grace. He sent me over to sit every morning on the top of a granite hill in the middle of the African bush and be taught. To witness true joy and peace that was not based upon circumstances but only upon the incredible love of Jesus Christ. He sent me over to learn about sacrifice from those who sacrificed what little comfort they had to go and live among a people desperately needing to know a true savior. I did go and teach but what a tragedy it would be if I had gone over only to teach and did not learn these lessons of grace. I have experienced grace in my life in such and incredible way already. Now even more I appreciate all that I have in Him. I have so much more to learn of that I am sure. I will never exhaust the depth of God's love. I have always said in missions that I receive more than I could ever give out. Truly that is the case once again. So many around us live in spiritual bankruptcy and bondage. So many around us right now live in a greater darkness than the "dark continent." We have a message of freedom found only in Jesus Christ that we must give them. Do I/we appreciate the grace that has been given to us? If we do then we will be willing to go anywhere and to anyone and tell them of this incredible gift of grace. "And you shall know the truth and the truth shall make you free." John 8:32

"Remember my affliction and my wandering, the wormwood and the bitterness. Surely my soul remembers and is bowed down within me. This I recall to my mind. Therefore I have hope. The Lord's lovingkindnesses indeed never cease for His compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is Your faithfulness." Lamentations 3:19-23 
 I write this last update the way we started out. Writing on my Blackberry on an airplane. This time we are on the last leg of our journey home. I know that this has been a life changing trip for all of the team. There are so many thoughts that go through my head. Wonder at all that God did in and through each of the team members. The miracles he wrought some that we may never even know. Pastor Bond and Pastor Joe had the opportunity to share the Gospel on a Muslim radio station Sunday morning. Their message went out over the airwaves to Uganda, Sudan and Congo. What a blessed opportunity that only God could orchestrate. The lives physically and spiritually changed through the ministry of the believing staff at Midigo Hospital as well as the outreach of Calvary Chapel of Midigo, Arua and Yumbe. God is truly a faithful God. He did not let us down. Each of the teachers had just the right words to say and the people were so receptive. Each team member had a specific role to play. For Rebecca it was with the kids and the women. She played with the kids and worked tirelessly alongside the women. Seeing her getting in and working with the village women and forming fast friendships made me so proud of her. She was truly in her element. For Steve his years as a missions pastor and maturity truly showed through as he presented both teaching and exhortation in a powerful way. His love for the people and tireless spirit was so evident and truly a blessing to them. Last night was truly a mixed blessing as we were excited about heading home yet so sad to leave our kids. Rebecca's sister Abong and brother Aguer along with Faith's brother's Anei and Majok spent every waking minute of the last few days with us. We all laughed together, worked together and studied the word together. I was so blessed on Sunday when Majok using his Christian name introduced himself to the Calvary Chapel of Kasega as Abraham Garang Kusunoki. I was heart broken as he stood back in the shadows last night and wept as we said goodbye. He has grown into such a man after God's own heart. At 20 years old he loves to minister the Word and share the Gospel. I told him "you are the man of this family. The eldest brother of the four African siblings. Look after them, guide them in the Word and protect them." Anei is our sensitive one. He is 18 years old now and has his sights set on medical school. It has been almost four years since we saw them. He told me that every year he prayed that this would be the year that God brought us back to see them. Aguer is 18 years old and growing up a stranger in a strange world. He came from the bush, without any education to a strange city full of sights and sounds that I know were overwhelming. He is still withdrawn trying to find his place in the world. Going to a school where he is more than 10 years older than his classmates. He is the size and stature of a man but behind his eyes I see the hurt and pain of the war he has been witness to all his life. He is so vulnerable right now. Pray for God's healing of his broken heart. Abong at 15 years old is turning into a woman but in many ways still a child. War is a robber of childhoods. What a joy it was to see Rebecca and all her younger siblings laughing and teasing each other. The only greater joy for all of us would have been to have our whole family together. It hit me yesterday, "I have 10 kids!" One of my great memories of the trip was seeing Steve teaching Anei how to swim and Anei almost drowning him in the process! Pastor Juventine and his wife Doctor Elizabeth are such blessed servants. They are so loved in the whole region around Midigo. The people in neighboring towns call him Dr. Midigo. It is a term of endearment and respect. They have truly dedicated their lives to serving the widows and orphans in Christ's name. Dr. Elizabeth is in the second year of a 3 year pediatric specialty course that will allow her to better serve the children who are so vulnerable. Please pray for them as this requires extended absences from Juventine and the kids and is so hard on her. There are so many individual stories of servants of God risking their lives to bring the Gospel of Jesus Christ and His word to a lost and hurting world. Men and women serving God is some of the most remote and hostile areas. I am truly humbled by their testimonies. The work of Pastor Brent and his wife Nancy through their ministry Promise Child is truly amazing. God has used them and the child sponsorship program to bring physical life and more importantly eternal life to hundreds of kids. Their home for street kids in Arua is inspirational and we had the privilege of seeing Pastor Brent baptize 8 of these young men who not too long ago were living on the streets. To tell of everything that went on and the tireless way that all them team members worked and served would take a whole book and to think this was just a two week trip! I am so appreciative of each one of them and of the opportunity that I had to serve with them. I am so thankful and blessed by my family. Carol truly held down the fort as she was so encouraging and supportive of my taking this trip with Rebecca. Each of my girls prayed, encouraged me during our phone calls or with verses and letters they sent along with us. Carol gave me a card for each day with scriptures and loving notes of encouragement. Please pray that very soon we will all be together as a family in Africa. Carol and I and our ten kids! Thanks also to our Pastor John Randall whose heart and support in this trip helped make it all possible. To each of you that has prayed so faithfully for us we thank you. We felt those prayers. God answered from on high and you will never know just how much they meant to us and the impact your prayers had on the people. At least not this side of heaven. I pray that God will give you the opportunity as He wills, to go into all the world and make disciples.

Well we are rapidly coming to the end of our journey. It has certainly been the journey of a lifetime. We have a saying in Africa that you live a lifetime in one day. There is so much to take in and your heart is constantly broken over the suffering and hopelessness experienced by the people. At the same time you are elated to see the hope and joy in the lives and faces of those that know Christ. He is their/our hope and our only source of peace! In some ways this trip has gone by too fast and in other ways it has been too long. Steve, Rebecca and I are all anxious to see our families and loved ones yet we are sad to leave our friends here. Especially our boys, Majok, Anei, Aguer and our daughter Abong. You can see them pictured below. It has been so fun to see Rebecca and the kids laughing and joking around with each other just like brothers and sisters. Please be in prayer as it is going to hard for us to leave them but especially for Rebecca. Yesterday we spent the day with our Pastor John Randall's parents Patty and Jim Randall. We have been so blessed to meet them and see the work that they are involved with at Calvary Chapel of Entebbe. Today, we went to Calvary Chapel of Kasega a small village church about 2 ½ miles away from Entebbe in a very poor region of Uganda. These are truly the poorest of the poor. Steve Bailey greeted the church with a word of encouragement and a very loving exhortation to follow the Lord and live according to His word. It was truly a timely word!

"You are bringing us the seed of God's word. Now I must take that seed and give it to others." A Sudanese Pastor I am sending out a quick email as we are on our way to Arua from Calvary Chapel of Midigo. I don't know if I will have email access at that point so I am sending a quick update out now. The conference was incredible and a real blessing to see all the pastors, wives and church leaders that were so hungry for the word of God. Many had traveled for a couple of days by foot, bicycle in the back of a truck or whatever means they could to get here. The accommodations were Spartan as a few men slept on a mattress turned sideways with just their upper body on the mattress and the rest on a mat. Yet they were here and wanted even more. The told us that we needed to come back and give them more training for a month or even a year. One pastor came up to me for prayer and said that he realized he had not served his church well by not teaching them the word verse by verse. Now he would be going home to tell teach them the word of God. What a joy to hear that. The picture of the woman is right after one of our sessions. We told them that they needed to be good Bereans and search out the word to see if what we were saying was true. This woman took us at our word. Praise the Lord! The hill in the picture is a large hill behind the church. It rises up about 700 feet from the base so it's fairly large. One of the Sudanese pastors told us yesterday that from the day he got here he wanted to climb the hill. He said that the schedule was too full so he never got a chance but kept looking up at it. Yesterday morning he got up early in the morning to pray. As he prayed he said he had a vision of the hill and Jesus was standing upon the hill dressed in white. He said that as he went out he could see that Jesus held a bible in one arm and something in his right hand. He said Jesus said, "listen to these people they are bringing you the seed of my Word." At that he said Jesus opened his right hand and began to cast seed upon the area below. Then he told him to go to his people and do the same. Nancy Kaser had taught a workshop the previous evening and as an illustration she had used wheat seed which she had given out to all the women. After he had this vision he said he ran into one of the ladies and she showed him the seed she had gotten the night before. He said, "God confirmed that the vision was from Him." Please continue to pray as the team moves to do another conference in the city of Arua. The spiritual attacks have been and will be intense so please pray fervently. Thank you all!

Dear Prayer Warriors,



Today marked the beginning of the Pastors/Leaders/Wives Conference here in
Midigo.  We were so blessed to see over 200 pastors, leaders and their wives
many who walked or rode a bike for miles or even days to get here.  They
came from all over the area and Sudan eager to learn from God's word.  They
will sit for hours in the heat without complaining (unlike me) just soaking
up the word of God.  When we are done they still want more.  A pastor from
Sudan said that this kind of teaching was so critical for Sudan.  He asked
me if we would like to meet the Sudanese pastors so they can communicate the
spiritual needs of Sudan.  One pastor told me that we needed to come back
and teach a school that was months or even a yearlong course so that they
can be prepared for the ministry in their fledgling country.  I am so
humbled to be around these men and women of God who are giving their lives
for the cause of the Gospel.  What an inspiration.  I need to learn from
them.  I can teach the Word but their attitude of humility and grace is what
I want to demonstrate in my own life.  God is so good!



Thank you so much for your prayers for us.  Without your prayers we wouldn't
be able to be here and neither would they.  Satan is certainly trying to
oppose us.  Some of our team has had very weird and discomforting dreams
since we have been here.  One of our vans has gotten three flat tires.
Satan does not want this to happen.  We are teaching through 1 Timothy and
made it through chapters 1 and 2 today.  There are workshops going on right
now on being a praying pastor and wives supporting their husbands in the
ministry.  Please continue to pray for us as we continue teaching for the
next two days.  God is doing an incredible work.



I've attached two pictures.  One is of the people attending our conference
and the second is the sandals of a young man sitting in front of me.  His
sandals only fit half his foot.  Yet he came to be taught the word of God.
Most of these people have nothing and live in abject poverty.  Yet her they
are worshiping the Lord and praising Him with all their hearts.  May I learn
all that God has for me to learn from these saints.

Dear Prayer Warriors,
Yesterday was a day of bringing the little children to Jesus.  Our team did
a VBS day led by Rebecca for about 200 kids.  It was such a blessing to see
all the children with big smiles on their face and laughing at the puppet
show, listening intently to the bible story or doing the craft.  Many raised
their hands to ask Jesus into their heart.  Rebecca is really in her element
right now serving with such joy.  As her father this is such a blessing to
see her being used to glorify God.  Nothing else could be more important
than that to me.
We had some hand puppets that were given to us by John and Tari Fentress
that were such a big hit with the kids.  Pastor Bond from Promise Child
Ministries told  the bible study using the puppets without any preparation
other than playing with them after dinner the night before.  He did an
incredible job and the children were so blessed and enthralled by the
presentation.
As the kids were doing their VBS Pastor Brent Kaser the head of Promise
Child brought the parents and care givers into a meeting to talk to them
about the Promise Child Sponsorship program.  At the end of the program the
gospel was given to them and most of them raised their hands to accept Jesus
as their Lord and Savior.  This is the reason why we all came.  This is the
reason why the founding ministry Safe Harbor originally came to this area.
To share the Gospel of Jesus Christ.  It is all about the simplicity of the
Gospel.  After the Gospel was shared Pastor Vincent got up to encourage them
to walk with the Lord and to grow in Christ.  What a joy it is to be able to
bring people to Christ and know that there is a solid ministry left behind
to disciple them.  Please pray that the Lord will encourage them and
strengthen them in their walk with the Lord.  Many will face intense
persecution when they return to their villages.
Today at church a young woman came up to sing a song.  Pastor Juventine told
me that about two months ago she came to the Lord and left Islam.  She was
beaten severely by her family because of it.  She had to be taken out of her
house but the beatings and persecution continued until she was brought in to
the family of Melissa (an American missionary) and her husband Vincent.  Now
she was up there singing with joy to the Lord in her heart.
I had the opportunity to teach today at Calvary Chapel of Midigo.  The Lords
impressed Jeremiah 6:16 on my heart.
"Thus says the Lord, "Stand by the ways and see and ask for the ancient
paths,.  Where the good way is and walk in it; and you shall find rest for
your souls.""
What an incredible joy it was to be able to come back and teach in Midigo
after being away for more than four years.  So many greeted me with smiles,
hugs and words of encouragement.  One young man named Simon came up and
hugged me and would not let go.  He kept saying over and over, "welcome
home, welcome home."  I do feel as if I have come home.  The Lord has
allowed me to travel all over the world in my walk with him but this is the
one place other than my home in Orange County that really feels like home.
Thank you so much for all your prayers.  Please don't stop.
Also, please check the Promise Child website for more updates, photos and
stories from the entire team.

Yesterday Rebecca was reunited with her brother Aguer and sister Abong after seven years of being apart. Other than a few short glimpses on Skype last year from our friends computer in Sudan the last time she saw them Abong was 8 and Aguer was 11. Now Aguer was a young man, tall and strapping and Abong was becoming a young woman. I did not get to witness their reunion but I know that it was tearful and joyful reunion. Rebecca said they just hugged and cried and she couldn't believe how big she was. She told Rebecca that she was so excited to see Rebecca that they wanted to go to the airport two days before she came so they could wait for her. When her brother Aguer heard that she was coming he ran to put on his best clothes. He did not want his big sister who had come from America to see him dressed in anything else. When they saw each other from a distance they ran to each other. Rebecca wept but Aguer would not allow more than a few tears. He was after all now a man. Rebecca spent all day with them and walked over to visit my daughter Faith's father, Garang and her two brother Majok and Anei. They too had grown into fine young men. Rebecca's brother has had quite a difficult time adjusting to life in a big city after spending his whole life in the bush. He had gotten into fights and tried to intimidate others with his wild tales of his military prowess during Sudan's civil war. He was expelled from the school that Rebecca had placed he and Abong in and we were talking of sending him back to Sudan. This was so hard on Rebecca as she worries so much about them. When we arrived in Uganda our friend Pastor Sam told us that Aguer was doing much better and had been allowed back into school. Rebecca had spent a couple of hours with him on the phone a few weeks ago and that seemed to have really made an impact. In addition to that Pastor Sam said that Faith's dad Garang had spent a long time talking to him and counseling him. That was so good to hear and such a relief for me. As Rebecca's dad it was hard to see her in such turmoil and worry. Our family had been in fervent prayer for them both. The team spent the day relaxing and getting their feet back under them. The ladies all went shopping and most of the guys stayed back at the hotel to study for our teaching and rest. It was really needed. After a team dinner at Nicky's Pizza (brick oven pizza if you can believe that) we went back and prepared for an early morning departure up country. I went to sleep about midnight and actually slept off and on until about 5:15 am. Then it was up getting our bags downstairs a quick breakfast and off the airport. Thank you all so much for your prayers as the team all looked so refreshed and excited to begin our trip in ernest. I also had the privilege of meeting my pastor's parents Jim and Patty Randall. They are here in Uganda for six months working with Calvary Chapel of Entebbe and Potters Field Ministries. They are such a neat couple I can see where their son got his love for the Lord and heart for service. We had brought some care packages and Christmas gifts for them and Pastor Craig Lundquist's family (he is the pastor of CC Entebbe). We plan to spend more time with them when we return from northern Uganda on the 9th. I'm writing this on a small airplane enroute to Arua. Once we land we have a slow and bumpy four hour car ride to Midigo. Our home for the next week. Thank you all for your prayers. Please don't stop.

"But the goal of our instruction is love from a pure heart and a good conscience and a sincere faith" 1 Timothy 1:5 11/30/11 22:46 - I write this from the plane enroute from Istanbul, Turkey to our destination in Entebbe, Uganda. The first leg of our journey was about 13 1/2 hours and after a 1 1/2 hour layover we boarded another plane for another 8 hour plane ride. One of the benefits of these long plane rides is that it allows me to get my spiritual bearings. It is always so hectic before we head out for a trip. I usually board the plane with my mind racing. I get on the plane, take an deep breath and let God minister to me. We are headed to northern Uganda to teach two pastor's conferences. One in a town called Midigo and another in a small city named Arua. I have been privileged to minister in this area since 1998 and have witnessed God do many mighty and miraculous works. This is the home area of Uganda's most ruthless and violent dictators, Idi Amin. Prior to our arrival the people who are 95% muslim were violently anti-Christian. The last missionaries had been chased out or killed back in the 1970's. Now it is home to a few hundred member Calvary Chapel church which has birthed two other churches. We are going to teach a pastor's conference based upon 1 Timothy and the women on our team are going to be doing a women's conference. My daughter Rebecca will be doing a VBS for the children. What a humbling privilege to be able to come back to this area and be used to further His kingdom. Pastor's from many different churches in Sudan, the Congo, Central African Republic and all over northern Uganda come to be built up in God's word. I have been away a long time and a lot has transpired in my life since then. I am humbled that God is allowing me to go back and learn from them. It is always the case that I gain more from the people we minister to than we ever give. These pastors live a spartan life of persecution and poverty yet so many consider themselves as the richest men in the world because of Christ. We come only for a short time and experience a little bit of the hardship, heat, humidity and disease. They live it everyday for their entire lives. I pray that our team will be motivated, guided and inspired by God's love for the people he has called us to. My prayer is the words of the Psalmist in Psalm 119:169: "Let my cry come before Thee O Lord; Give me understanding according to thy word...... Let my lips utter praise, for Thou dost teach me Thy statutes. Let my tongue sing of Thy word, for all thy commandments are righteousness." Understanding, praise and singing may this be all of our prayer today.