A Quick Update

Wow! It has been such a long time since I have written….having no power or internet is both good and bad. Bear with me as I attempt to update you on what has been happening in the past two weeks.

Youth Pastor’s & Leaders conference

A few Saturdays ago, we held a one-day conference for youth pastors and leaders in Gulu. Our objective was to come together and brainstorm ways to reach the youth of Northern Uganda.

It was quite the experience. Casandra, Amanda & I arrived at the HOP and began setting up chairs at 8:00am. The conference was to begin at 9:00am…however, when the time came it was three girls, no sound system, no Zallon, and a very empty building. I will admit…I was slightly uncertain if anyone would show at all…however, I should have know to show up late is the fashion….it was about 10:30 when people started coming. By that time, our sound system was set up, our speaker had made it and we were all set to go. There were 30 youth pastors/leaders in attendance and we had a wonderful time getting to know one another and sharing a common vision to reach the youth of Northern Uganda.

Coming out of this initial meeting, we have decided to meet for a few hours every second Saturday of the month. Our next meeting is set for this coming Saturday.

D12.3

Drama/dance practice began last week. Unfortunately, we have different youth coming out each time….it may take a while before we get a solid team together. We were invited to share our vision for the youth at a gospel music evening put on by GOMAS (Gospel Music Association). We were encouraged to do a drama/dance, however, I received a called yesterday morning from the young man who is choreographing our dance saying that he will be out in the village until next week. Without ways to contact youth for practice times…it makes it a little tricky to bring everyone together. And so… we are ever challenged to go with the flow.

Marketplace Pearls

Our women’s bible study in the marketplace has been such a blessing to take part in. The women we have been connecting with have invited us into their hearts and shared with us the struggles they face on a daily basis. We have been continuing our study on Tamar….and have enjoyed the conversation that has been sparked as the women have begun to relate Tamar’s story to their own. It has opened doors not only to speak life into their lives, but they have also poured into us. One of the ladies mentioned to us last Friday that people from neighboring shops have been asking why three muzungo’s come to their shop all the time. They assumed we were giving them something. Our friend responded by saying that we came with nothing but everything in bringing the word of God and conversation among friends. We have encouraged them to begin inviting others women to join us. After the study, we sat around visiting for a few hours…while Casandra attempted to sew headbands out of the scraps of fabric. You should have seen the looks she got from those who stopped by the shop. They were slightly confused at the sight, but it made for a good laugh all around.

In other news…

We went to the army barracks and played a game of football against the soldiers....well...I just watched and showed support through cheerleading on the sidelines.

Along with the youth ministry we are attempting to get off the ground, I will be going back to the school during the day (which is fantastic because I miss my kids, Joshua and the amazing chapatti and tea) to set up a resource room. Along with working as a resource teacher in the areas of behavior and reading, I will be teaching a few classes such as creative arts (art, drama, music, writing), pioneering the Why Wait? Curriculum (regarding moral issues such as abstinence, etc) and helping Amanda put together a curriculum for teaching health during the afternoons. I have a meeting with the headmaster sometime this week to work out a schedule. We may also be running a few after school programs for the children.

On Saturdays, the House of Prayer will be open to youth to drop in and take part in some bible studies, praise & worship, prayer, community outreach & just to hang out. We are working out a vision to see this be the start for the long term goal of building a youth community center here in Gulu. You have to start somewhere.

As we continue to move along, please pray for direction and rest as we begin to pioneer a few projects over here. During school holidays (may & august) we will also be planning for VBS, youth retreats and conferences, etc. We will be having many teams from North America (including Heartstrings…talk to them if you are interested) and are looking forward to having them join us.

http://www.heartstringsworldmission.org

Blessings,
Janessa

Marketplace Pearls & a Generation for Christ

The sun is streaming through my bedroom window and the fan blowing is reminder that I am so blessed to have power on this hot Saturday. I can’t believe it has been almost six weeks that I have been gone from Canada. Settling into a new country has proved to be both exciting and exhausting at times. I feel I am learning new things daily, which is a good thing…but in addition to the heat, energy seems to lack at times. That will have to change since I have been told I am going to sweat when I am put through a dance practice.
However, I wanted to share yesterday with you. As you know, I have been on the search for pearls here in the pearl of Africa and stumbled upon a few in the marketplace yesterday. Amanda, Casandra and I have had a few of the women at a shop in the marketplace fix our dresses and make us skirts. In our coming and going over the past few weeks we have begun to develop a relationship with them. God began speaking to the three of us about taking the {purl} project to them in the form of a women’s bible study. So, yesterday afternoon we made our way to their shop and took a seat among the women, the fabric and sewing machines. After a brief introduction of names, we gave each of the seven women one of the pearl necklaces we have been creating in our spare time. I had brought an oyster and pearl with me and explained that a pearl is created out of suffering and a life that has overcome affliction. A pearl is drawn from something that is alive. A pearl begins as an irritant and becomes one of the most valued things in the world. I explained what God had spoken to my heart about the women of Uganda being the “real” pearls of Africa. I shared
that women are pearls…that many of us have overcome painful situations in our lives…and as a result we have become like those pearls that stand out so much to the inside of the oyster. The uglier the circumstances…the more beautiful that pearl becomes in contrast to what surrounds it.

Amanda then read from Genesis 38, the story of Judah and Tamar. We are going to be doing an in-depth bible study into the lives of women in the bible, beginning with the life of Tamar. We have a book Lineage of Grace, which tells the story of Tamar from her perspective to give us an idea of what life, could have been like for this woman of grace. We will be discussing themes such as forgiveness, patience, grace, unjust accusations, family dynamics, worship of idols – which are only a few of the elements in this story. Casandra asked for prayer requests and then the women asked to pray for us. Due to some of the having a lack of English, they asked to pray in their own language. It was an incredible experience. To sit in one of the many shops in the marketplace with a group of incredibly accepting women who are hungry for God, sharing with one another and agreeing with one another in prayer.

Before leaving Canada, I had no idea how the {purl} project would begin in Uganda…but this message of beauty found in the broken has begun and we are so excited to see what and where God is going to take it. Our prayer is that the women we come in contact (here in Uganda, at home and throughout the world) with would know their true worth…that is only found in Jesus. It is so encouraging to have Casandra (a rep of the USA) join us searching for pearls. Thank you to my girls (Katy, Kristy & Ashley) back in Canada who are continuing to reach girls and women at home with the message of Jesus love.

If you would like more information on the {purl} project:
check us out at http://www.heartstringsworldmission.org
email us at purlproject@heartstringsworldmission.org
to see how you can get involved.

Another exciting thing has begun with the youth ministry. Yesterday at HOP (House of Prayer) - a gathering of pastors, leaders and people from various denominations that come together for daily prayer, worship and the word of God, we announced our one-day youth pastor & leader conference scheduled for Saturday, March 20 and the vision of D12.3 which will begin holding practices next week. After the service, I met many pastors and sent them with a letter explaining the conference next week. So many people have shown their support and encouraged us that this is going to take off and soar. I spoke with the director a few days ago over tea, and she encouraged me to begin a youth drop in center, regardless of whether we have a building or not. All my summers of working with Urban Renewal – a street “drop-in center” in Osborne Village seems to have been for a reason eh?
We have been offered the use of the HOP building on Friday and Saturday nights. There are three categories of youth that G4C (Generation for Christ – the youth ministry of Favor of God) will be focusing on. These include those in school, in church and on the streets. My heart is so broken for the street youth. The discos/bars are a target place for these youth – so the vision to provide an alternative for them is a need. FOG has property they are looking into to create a community youth and resource center but of course finances are holding us back. I know God will provide this generation, so we are going to step out in faith over the next few months and take what we have and run with it.
The next few weeks will be busy with meeting the director of Gulu University and local high schools to share the vision of G4C and to set up events. Let me just take a moment to mention that this is both so incredibly awesome and terrifying at the same time! So out of my comfort zone…but just so excited and ready to go! This week I also heard back about whether or not there is a youth prison in the area – there is and we have been given permission to enter it with our message of hope and healing for this generation. God has been opening so many doors this week…we will be moving around to the various youth groups and connecting with them as well. I have a feeling this will be the last Saturday I get to sleep in…weekends are going to be filled with youth ministry…don’t worry, there is always time to rest as we wait for things to happen!

Last weekend on friday night we had a girls sleepover with Forester girls (Mikayla, Hannah, Sarah & Emma) - nail polish, movie and food, while Kent & Becki went out on their first date in Uganda. We were blessed to be invited to Murchison Falls with them where we enjoyed the beautiful waterfalls and animals of Uganda. It was refreshing to go camping...where hippos and warthogs, among other things roam the campgounds. We have had limited power and no running water since we have come up to Gulu....so it was so awesome to have a shower at the campground!!!! YEAH! We have become used to our basin and bucket. But such is life here in the pearl and I wouldn't change it...well...


Be blessed!
Janessa

pic1 - Amanda & I and the tent we slept in
pic 2 - Kent and Becki
pic 3 - elephant we saw on safari
pic 4 -Casandra, Amanda & the Forester gals
pic 5 - one of the giraffes we saw as we past by a herd of them

After a weekend in Kampala...

After a lovely weekend trip down to Kampala, it is so wonderful to be home.

I have been battling a nasty cold…which left me with no voice for the weekend and a cough that keeps me up during the nights. However, I was visited today by the doctor on a house call, and he brought me a nice little bottle of medicine “Lung Tonic.” It tastes, smells, and looks like its name. Dr. Tom says it will make me better…however, I am more then content to keep this cough as an alternative to taking that tonic medicine every three hours, along with the other tablets I am already on. A positive to me being sick, is that I have time to blog…

In more important news, D12.3 is getting underway. I spent the car ride from Kampala to Gulu designing a logo which is in the process of being put on t-shirts for the team. It was a challenge…with the many “humps,” meaning over sized bumps…that we had to overcome.

The vision on D12.3

Daniel 12:3 (D12.3)

Those who are wise will shine like the brightness of the heavens and those who lead many to righteousness, like the stars for ever and ever

D:

1. discipleship (equipping & mentoring)
2. drama (healing)
3. dance (hope)

The cry of our heart is to reach the youth of Northern Uganda and to raise up a once broken generation into a generation of healing and hope. Through discipleship, dance and drama, it is our desire that the youth will shine as the brightest stars in the darkest skies.

Our desire is to equip and disciple the youth of Northern Uganda into leaders of their communities, with both purpose and plan (Jer. 29:11). As leaders of their generation, they will set an example for others in speech, life, love, faith & purity (1 Tim 4:11). Drama and dance is the strategy used to bring healing and hope in the areas of life skills training, counseling, mentoring and uniting youth as the body of Christ (Eph. 4:16). Just as a star represents knowledge and truth, this generation will shine before men and lead them to Christ (Matt 5:16).

We have 9 people already and are aiming for 12. Cassandra, one of the girls living next to me and also serving here at FOG has decided to join me. This is such an answer to prayer! As we are very much in the beginning stages....please keep us in your prayers.

Blessings.