I am still alive and am thinking!!!

Hi Everyone! I know it has been many months since I updated this blog. You probably aren't even looking it over anymore. I am back though and have some thoughts to share with you.

My number one thought tonight is...
God is still in the prayer anwering business!!!! did ya know that?

Second thought is....
We all love to celebrate Christmas and speak of Jesus who came as a baby, but one thing we can learn from the wise men is that they diligently followed that star and when they found Jesus, their desire was to WORSHIP Him!!! are you worshipping Him tonight?

Let's not get caught up in the hustle and bustle of the season...let's worship the King of Kings, the Prince of Peace...the One who was, and is and is to come.

Blessings,
Delight

BLESSINGS KEEP POURING IN!!! Part 6

Brian and Susan Sain come to Uganda!!!

(This is a Brian quote)
"No flaken, I'm cereal!"

translated...

"No joking, I'm serious."

Brian and Susan Sain, how can we describe them...

A MAJOR BLESSING!!!! They arrived on July 4th and got right in and gave of themselves and what a blessing they were! Brian played and watched some TV with our kids. Just like a cousin would do. I don't think a day went by that he didn't entertain them with some kind of great idea! He also helped Kenneth with some of the pastor training materials. Susan blessed us with her abilities to sew, teach, listen, encourage, and more.

One of the neat things that the Sains did while they were here was continue a project that Jenny Jordan had started at the Maternity Clinic. Below... is a picture of Florence Matwire, the midwife who runs and own the clinic, and Brian and Susan. The Sains, Jenny and dear congregations of Cumberland Presbyterians in Texas and Tennessee provided the funds to "spruce up" the delivery room, which we called "the Mommy Room", because the mommies stay in this room even after they deliver. Fresh paint was applied to the walls, new mattresses were purchased, sheets, baby blankets, and a comfortor was donated. A new dresser was purchased, along with many other things. Florence was beside herself with joy! She says she wants to have a dedication service for the new room. More pictures will be coming some day.

We were sad to see them go, but I have a feeling we will be seeing them again! I believe Uganda got in their blood....BIG TIME!!!

Ta ta for this time.

Delight

BLESSINGS KEEP POURING IN!!! Part 5 cont...

It's Picture Time!!!

Sunset in Murchison National Park

Murchison Falls

(notice how wild the right side is and how peaceful it is on the far end)

My favorite animal...the Giraffe. These were not full grown :)

The Lioness was so picturesque...

I got to see the Elephant for the first time!!! YEAH!!

and of course, we can forget the....

Baboon! (this creature thought is was the guide of the park or something...he was always right by the road as we went out for our game drive!)

I have so many more pictures of the different animals but these are some of the best. Kenneth's favorite is the Wart Hog. So, I leave you with the best game meat in africa...in our opinion of course! :)

Blessings, Delight

BLESSINGS KEEP POURING IN!!! Part 5

Our Murchison Falls Trip!!

Ok, so I am finally getting to tell you about our amazing trip to the largest national park in Uganda. Muchison Falls National Park is 3840 square kilometers. We had a great time with some neat people and driving for miles and miles to catch a glimps of some animals. In all my time in Africa, I had never seen an elephant....and guess what...I got to see some! Of course the giraffe are still my all time favorite, but all of God's creation was amazing.

Sit back and take a look at some neat creations God has made...

So...I am experiencing internet problems...I will put the pictures on at another time.

Sorry!!!

Delight

BLESSINGS KEEP POURING IN!!! Part 4

Another Visitor Comes to Uganda!! or two or three...

We have been so blessed to have visitors come to see what God is all about in Uganda. These young ladies are very special to us and to the Lord.

left to right...Angela Doyle, Amber Erny & Jenny Jordan

Let me just share a bit about each young lady.

Angela Doyle has been one of our summer volunteers. She came in on May 21st and has done a variety of things. She was in our area for a week or so and did some amazing work at Heritage International School in the Library. Thank you Angela!!! Then she went to Arua and helped out where she was needed there. Angela has received the Lord's call to be a missionary in Africa, but she has not felt a confirmation of what country, specifically. We have been so blessed to have her in Uganda this summer.

Amber Erny has been here since sometime in April. She has just about finished her short time in Uganda, though, but has been such a blessing to us. Amber helped at HIS in the second grade class. Emilee became very close to her during this time. After her time in Kampala, she then moved on to Arua where she helped build relationships and worked with children. It will be hard to see her go.

Jenny Jordan came for just 10 days or so this month. She moved into our house and was like one of the family from the beginning. Jenny is going to go to school to be a nurse and what a special young lady the Lord has to serve Him one day on the mission field. She has such a love for people...especially children. I think every chance she got, she was holding a child! Jenny got the opportunity to help in a local maternity clinic. This clinic is very small and doesn't get a lot of clients, but the ones who came while Jenny was there, were received with a loving touch and beautiful smile. We were sad to see her go. The time was too short!

Thank you Jesus for bringing these visitors and many others to Uganda to share their lives with us, and with the people of Uganda. Bless them Jesus, we pray. Keep them ever near you and hold them in the palm of your strong and loving hand. Guide them in the path that You would want them to go. For it is in Your precious name that I pray these things...Amen.

Next... Murchison Falls trip.

BLESSINGS KEEP POURING IN!!! Part 3

Look Who Turned 8 Years Old!!!

Miss. Emilee Grace Hopson

turned 8 years old on

June 7th, 2007.

Our little girl is a blessing from the Lord, as is all of our children. Emilee loves Jesus, loves to laugh and have fun, loves people, loves horses, loves to read and the list could go on and on. She is learning more and more each day about being "pretty" on the inside as well as pretty on the outside. We know Jesus has a plan for our Emilee and we pray His blessings on her.

In Christ,

Delight

Coming soon...

Another visitor comes to Uganda!!

BLESSINGS KEEP POURING IN!!! Part 2

DANIEL GROVES COMES TO UGANDA!!!

On May 21st, our nephew, Daniel Groves, arrived here for the first time. We were so excited to see him and to have family here. Kaleb, Austin and Emilee couldn't wait to see one of their many cousins on this side of the globe! We had a great time with Daniel and felt blessed to have him here.

One of the funniest things that happened was when we introduced Daniel to one of our Ugandan congregations. Kenneth stood up and had Daniel stand beside him. He said, "This is our nephew, Daniel. He is visiting us from the U.S. and is 19 years old." The lady in front of us gasped as she shared her surprise that he was only 19. They thought he was much older since he was so tall. It was so funny!

Daniel snapped pictures all over the place and got some really neat shots. Here is a picture that we took of him and the boys on the Nile River.

YES, I said the Nile. The one Moses floated on.

And what kind of trip would it be without going to the EQUATOR!! These were exciting times!! Daniel has one foot on the north side of the equator and the other foot on the south side.

Would you like to have a Uganda experience? Is God asking you to step out of your comfort zone and see what He is doing in Uganda? Come on over and find out for yourself.

JESUS IS ALIVE IN UGANDA.

Daniel says he will never be the same. What about you?

Blessings,

Delight

Coming up next...

Look who turned 8!!

BLESSINGS KEEP POURING IN!!! Part 1

I know it has been a long time since I updated this blog. For those of you who check it everyday and wonder what has become of me…I am very sorry. It feels like I have been going non stop and when I do stop it is to rest up to go again. I will attempt to fill you in on all the happenings here, but I am sure I will forget something.

As I mentioned in my last blog update, we had a team of young people from Indiana Wesleyan University in May. They were an absolute joy to have around. They played with our children, cleaned, painted, organized, moved furniture and ministered to so many people. They led VBS’s in several Ugandan churches and touched the lives of well over 500 children by sharing with them about the love of Jesus. They spoke in chapel at Heritage International School and I believe it is safe to say that they were loved every where they went!

Swimming and being crazy with the kiddos

Bukasa Wakiso VBS

Buvuma Island VBS

Kisugu VBS

What a great bunch of young people!!

Coming up next...

Daniel Groves visits Uganda!!!

ABSOLUTELY AMAZING!!!

My God is absolutely amazing!! He has blessed me with His unconditional love. He has given me a ministry and desire to serve. He has granted me the opportunity to live for Him. He has provided for my every need. He has filled me with His comfort, His peace, His mercy, His forgiveness, and His grace. I do not deserve it, yet He gives it to me anyway!!! This is just part of the message that I want to share with you and with my neighbors here in Uganda. There is so much going on...I don't even know where to begin.

God has blessed me with some wonderful children.

Austin, my second born son, had a birthday on April 29th. He wanted a Sponge Bob cake. OH MY!!! Here is how it came out. We had Austin's favorite supper...hot dogs and macaroni and cheese. He invited his friends over and because he turned double digits, he also got to have his first birthday sleep over. Austin and his friend got to watch several episodes of Sponge Bob on a big screen. Austin's Daddy projected it on the wall. It was all fun.

God has blessed us with a very good vehicle. The first picture is of our 'new' Toyota Land Cruiser Prado. It is a 1995, so it is not 'new', but is in very good condition. If you will remember our Nissan was in a train accident back in December. We took this picture after it had been in the mechanic shop for a few months, so it actually looks worse than it did, but the damage was mostly done to the frame. The mechanic is trying to find parts for it. We feel so blessed that we had not had any problems with it while we had it. The mechanic is finding that parts are very expensive...$4,000 for a radiator!!! Thank you Jesus for keeping our vehicle is good repair all those month. And for blessing us with this new one.

God has blessed us with the opportunity to lead a work team from Indian Wesleyan University. These are a great bunch of young people, searching for God's will for their lives. Some are still in college, but some have graduated. Please be in prayer for all of them to hear the Lord's voice in what He would want them to do. Also pray for them to have a healthy stay in Uganda. I will post more about what they are doing on another day.

Isn't God Good?!

Delight

FUN IN THE SUN!!!

During the school Easter break, we all decided to take our kids to the pool. The pictures below are some of the greatest MK kids, having a ball!

Best Buds Forever!!

Jordan Mayo (left) and Austin Hopson (right) enjoyed back stroking back and forth across the pool over and over.

Miss Emilee Hopson

Does the Cannon Ball!

Will she hit her Daddy with her 'mighty' splash?

answer is: Nope...it was barely even a splash!!!











Ethan Mayo takes a
Flying Leap!!!















OOOO that had to hurt!!
There's those best buds back stroking to the other side again....can you see them? LOL


It was a great day! The kids were totally exhausted that night!

Thanks for praying for our Missionary Kids. They see their parents working a lot of hours, but we as parents want to take time out to have fun, too! It was a much needed relaxing day!

Delight

I AM EXCITED!!!

Hey everyone! I am so excited that I am actually able to update this blog. I am sure you are tired of seeing the same thing every time you log onto this thing. Most days the Internet it not working fast enough to be able to actually have a productive time on here, but I guess 12:17 a.m. is the best time to get on.

I typed up a whole blog well over 2 weeks ago and lost it all...how or why? I have no idea! Anyway, I am going to attempt it again.

Hold on to your seat because here we go! I am going to share with you some exciting church/worship pictures. God is alive in Uganda and it amazes me how many ways people sing praises to our Lord!!

Kampala International University Church

This church is on the KIU campus...We had to walk up SEVERAL flights of stairs to get to it, but it was worth all the air we lost getting up there. It thrills my heart to see around 500 university aged young people praising Jesus!! This is their praise and dance team. Lots and Lots of energy!! They also have praise and worship choruses and a 40 or so person accapella choir! We were blessed to be a part of this service.




Let's move on to another church with a totally different style...

This is Christ's Gate Church

This man is Pastor Nelson. Pastor Nelson doesn't stand still much when he is praising Jesus. He loves the Lord with all his heart. We were so surprised to be in the papyrus reed church and then they fired up the microphones. IT WAS LOUD! They make it loud so that people in their homes can worship or maybe hear the Word for the first time. What a blessing we received on this special Palm Sunday.

Tears sprang to my eyes and ran down my cheeks while this young gal received Jesus as Saviour of her life. The pastor's wife interrupted the preaching and said, "This girl says she has to be saved and right now!" What a special day! We got to witness Jesus saving grace in a papyrus reed church with dirt floors and extremely loud microphones so that other's can hear His love accepted and proclaimed!!

Ok...now on to another church....

Katale Africa Gospel Church

Katale is a church that is in the midst of a very difficult people group. This church has grown very rapidly, but numbers are not what is important to them. We have been to this church a number of times now and I continue to be awed by their desire to reach people outside of the church property. They are on fire! This picture does not do them justice. These men played these drums for at least 45 minutes and then traded off with someone else and played some other kind of homemade instrument. I believe it was a bug spray can with beans or rocks on the inside. Their shirts were completely soaked after they finished their praise and worship time. This church loves to move. The man on the right drum normally sings with the worship team and I am telling you, he does aerobics for 45 minutes to an hour...nonstop! I had never seen it. God is ALIVE!!!

Thank you for your prayers. I would love for you all to come and see for yourselves the love these people have for Jesus! Most of them have nothing in material possessions, but they HAVE IT ALL BECAUSE THEY HAVE JESUS!!!

I stand amazed and am so excited to share it.

Delight

Joy Unspeakable

This is Bukasa Wakiso Africa Gospel Church! We visited this church last Sunday and what joy they shared with us through their songs, testimonies and excitement in having visitors.

This congregation of believers were meeting in a small building. There were holes in the walls and the bricks were falling apart, the floors were dirt and there were no windows, but they were so happy to have a place they could go and celebrate their life for Christ. The man who owns this building has little by little pushed them out by adding more and more chickens to the place. This 'new' church of theirs is all they have now, but nothing has hindered their joy. As we were listening to the pastor speak, we could hear the chickens clucking away.

That Sunday they had just received word that they will be given metal sheets to put a roof on their church. I wish you could have heard the joy that was expressed after that announcement. They have been praying for a roof so that they would not get wet when it rains. I was humbled by it all. Here they barely have sticks for walls. They have thin tree trunks for braces and now they will get to add metal sheets on the roof to replace the reeds that are there now. But nothing hinders their joy in Jesus.

This week, when satan tries to hinder our joy...let's remind him that we have a joy unspeakable and full of glory.

Love to all,

Delight

#12

He is 12!

Can you believe it?

"LOOK OUT GIRLS"

FLAT STANLEY!!!

Flat Stanley was spotted at the Novotel Hotel near London's Heathrow airport. This is for you Trevor!!!

Finally...an update

Ok...now for an update. I have not been able to sign in to my blog since the 5th or so of Febraury. I have not been meaning to leave you hanging! I tried almost daily to log in and there was always a system error or the network didn't recognize my password or some such nonsense. "Welcome back to Uganda" We have wireless network this time around, which is actually cheaper than dial-up, but it isn't as efficient as dial-up.

So, let me see where to begin...

Ok...I tried for 30 minutes to upload a picture, but the network wouldn't let me...at least I am able to type something. OH MY!!

One of these days I am going to share all kinds of pictures with you.

We went to a church in an area called Katale and were blessed. They have an hours worth of singing. This one man, full of energy, would give those arobic workout queens on TV a run for their money! I didn't have my camera with me that day, but I will get a picture next time we are there. He danced and danced for the Lord for more than 40 minutes! The music is quite lively in Uganda, anyway, but at Katale, they are so happy to be freed from the bondage they have felt for so long that they can't help but do glory arobics for Jesus! Another man stood up to give his testimoney. He was saved while in prison for the umpteenth time. He witnessed about how horrible he was. How he would steal a ladies purse and then taunt them to come and get him. He did all kinds of dispicable things, but GOD got a hold of him. He is an uneducated man, but God is filling him with His love. He now has a dream to go to the prison and share with inmates how God has filled him to overflowing! During prayer time that Sunday morning, at first I didn't know what they were doing because they were praying in Luganda, but I soon realized they were praying for the people who were still outside the church in their homes. People who still needed the Lord. They turned in each directed of their church and prayed for the people on the North side the of the church, then East, the West and the South. God is alive and working at the Katale Africa Gospel Church.

We have seen God at work in the hearts of a lot of people. The Lord is good and deserves our praise!!

On to some family news...

On the 22nd of February, our oldest son turned 12! Kaleb has some great qualities! Please pray that he will allow God to use those qualities as he develops into a man. Many often say the 12th year is a year of change for a boy. I pray God's richest blessings on my son; I pray for his talents and his love for Jesus to be tried, tested and true. I pray that He grows to be the man that God intends for him to be.

Kenneth has gotten the go-ahead to begin rennovations on the garage. He has started on some jobs printing already and hopes to begin the rennovations soon so he will have more room to work. We really feel God is in this. The money did not come in for all the printing equipment, but we know that God's timing is perfect and the funds will come in, just at the right time. In the mean time, Kenneth is going to print all that God gives him to print and print it to the best of his ability.

I have been working at school for a couple of weeks now. It has been difficult because of things that were not done that should have been and things that still need to be done just to continue forward. Please be in prayer for the school. We will be needing several teachers for the next school year. I don't know what positions will need to be filled, but God knows and we pray for His wisdom.

I guess this will have to be all for now. Thank you so much for your prayers. Keep the comments coming and share this blog with as many people as you want. If no updates are made, then it is because I haven't been able to sign in for one reason or another.

May God be with you,

Delight

P.S....I don't know why it won't let me keep spaces between paragraphs, but it won't. Sorry, it was hard to read. UGH

BWANA ASIFIWE!!!

Bwana asifiwe [bw-ah-nah ah-see-fee-way] mean "Praise the Lord" in Swahili. I am praising the Lord. We arrived to Uganda on Wednesday, but not as planned...let me tell you the story. Grab your favorite beverage cause this might be long...

It all started on Monday, January 29th. We left my mom and dad's house around 10 a.m. thinking of the long trip ahead of us. As you will remember from my last post, we were having to go the long way around to get to Entebbe! Well, we got to Chicago early which was a good thing! The counter attendant we had was the same one we had last time, in 2003, and she was not very accommodating. This time she was very nice. She didn't really like all the luggage we had with us, but was kind of joking about it. Then she told us the great news!!! Here are her words..."The strike ended just a little while ago, so would you like to be routed straight to Entebbe via London?" Can you imagine our answer? ..."Yes, we would love to go straight to Entebbe via London!" So our route was back on track.

We said our good-byes to many of you and were off to the security check. After getting to the waiting area to board our plane, many different thoughts were taking place. The kids were crying and not wanting to leave, thoughts of awe came into action as the snow was coming down really hard, and we were struck with the realization that there were not very many people in the waiting area for such a large plane. We waved at those who were watching through the window and settled in for what we thought might be a several minute wait. But to our surprise an official came to the microphone and said that we would be boarding the plane early because of the snow. Still, there were only a hand full of people in the waiting area compared to what the plane could hold.

We boarded the plane, one of the first ones since we had children. As others started to file onto the plane, we were startled to see how many seats were remaining empty. After everyone was seated the attendants were suggesting that people spread out since there were so many seats available. It was the most unusual flight we had ever been on. I don't really know how many people the plane could hold, but I am guessing over 200 and it wasn't even half full. We were able to stretch out and actually relax for the first leg of our trip.

We arrived in London and were once again surprised at how few people were in the airport compared to times before. It was almost scary. No matter, we found our hotel room and crashed for a few hours.

Our second flight was even more empty. We flew on an airbus, which is considerably smaller, but there were still many, many seats open. Get this...there were only 43 passengers on the flight!!! We all had our own rows to stretch out and rest. Austin and I each had two seats to ourselves, and Emilee, Kaleb, and Kenneth had 3 each. UNBELIEVABLE!!

We made it to Entebbe and were on our way to our house. I noticed things have changed quite a bit in 8 months. Many of the roads have been repaired, but the traffic is worse. New buildings and homes are being built, but rent has increased. Stores are being added, so there are more things to choose from, but the prices of things have increased. One thing we were very excited about, though, was that there is an Italian Ice Cream shop close to our area. We can get a cup of ice cream for about $ .50. So...not all things have gone up.

We are happy to be back. We are still unpacking and trying to get things settled. The children started school on Monday and are already starting soccer practice and getting into the groove of things. I will not start working until next Monday because there is still quite a bit to do.

Bwana Asifiwe!!! God has answered prayers, over and above what we asked. We prayed for a safe trip and we almost had luxury. We prayed for the safety of our luggage and we arrived in Uganda with all 15 pieces. We prayed for a smooth transition into the country with jet lag, temperature changes and so on...and God has given us cooler temperatures and rains continue even when it is supposed to be the hottest time of the year. He knows exactly what we need. He knows how difficult it would be for me to adjust to the heat when we have been having such cold temperatures in the U.S. He knew that we needed to be able to relax on the plane since a few of us had been a little under the weather before we left. My God is Awesome!!!

Bwana Asifiwe!

say it with me...

Bwana Asifiwe!!!

I will post some pictures as soon as I can. Until next time, thank you for your faithful prayers. We love you all.

In Christ,

Delight

2 DAYS

It is Saturday morning...2 days to go, before we leave for Uganda! OH MY! We have been in quite an ordeal around here. Let me fill you in.

On Thursday morning, we found out that the airline we are taking, based out of London, will have a strike, starting next Tuesday! THAT IS THE DAY WE LAND IN LONDON!! The cabin crews will be striking so the flight have been cancelled. No flights will be going. OH MY...what are we going to do?

In the last 2 days, Kenneth has been on the phone at least a dozen times, talking with our travel agent...and what a jewel she is! We were never really in panic mode during this whole thing...but I must say I felt pressure in my heart. You see, I am the type of person who likes to have things planned out so that I know what is going to happen. I don't have it written out on paper, but I like to know in my head. Well, this put a major kink in my planning. Kenneth and our travel agent think they have it all worked out and below is our flying schedule.

Leave Chicago on Monday night
Arrive in London Tuesday morning
Leave London on Tuesday night ( we fly out with a different airline)
Arrive Dubai on Wednesday morning
Stop over in Addis Abba, Ethiopia, for refueling
Arrive in Entebbe, Uganda in the afternoon on Wednesday!!!

Can you believe all that??? OH MY!!

Pray...that is all we can do. We are excited to get back to Uganda and we are going to get there!

Love,
Delight

...but God is ABLE!!

Our renters backed out...so we are still looking for renters. PRAY!!! We leave in 5 days and we really want to have this taken care of before we leave!

Also, British Airways, the airline we are taking to Uganda, is planning a strike to begin the very day we arrive in London! YIKES!! It looks like the strike will be with the baggage employees...this isn't good because we have 15 pieces of baggage going with us!! PRAY!!!

GOD IS ABLE!!!

Love to all,
Delight

AMAZING!!!

Amazing...there is no other word for how my Lord has provided for us. If you will remember in my last post that I asked prayer for renters for our house. Remember? Well.....

(drum roll, please....)

He has supplied!!! We are excited that Paul and Tiffany will be renting our home. Thank you Jesus for your provision!

Our Home in Illinois!

We are diligently packing these days. Packing our boxes to put in storage and packing our footlockers and cases to return to our home in Uganda.

Our Home in Uganda!

Of course part of going home to Uganda means that we get to see our precious Puppet. The children are so excited to see her. They bought her treats and a couple of new chew toys. I am sure she will take them and hind them without even saying thank you. Oh Well...she is so sweet.

Aaaawwww Puppet!

I can't believe I actually spoil a dog...but I must confess, she has me hooked.

Thank you for praying for us. We love each one of you. There are tons of things that I could write about, but I think I shall close for this time.

Always remember that we serve an Amazing God!

Because of Him,

Delight

The 'Right' One...

Well, it is another Monday and God is blessing! I am astounded at how He pours out His blessings on His children.

We packed 6 foot lockers today. OH MY!! It took us most of the day, but it feels so good to have that many done.

The big things going on in our lives right now is that we are trying to find renters for our mobile home and we are trying to sell our car. Finding renters is not an easy task. This isn't just a rental property we have; it is our home. We have to be particular in our choosing. We have been praying and asking others to pray for some time now, because January is not always the best month to find people who want to move into a different place. Well, we have had call after call! God is amazing us each day. Please pray with us as we choose the 'right' people to rent our home. We have had a few nibbles on the car, but nothing concrete yet. God knows. Please pray that the 'right' buyer will come along in His time and that we would be patient to wait on Him.


We recently found out that we will need to purchase a different vehicle when we return to Uganda. A new missionary couple were driving our vehicle and were hit by a train. They are recovering nicely from minor injuries...for which we are praising Jesus!! At this time we are waiting for word from the insurance company if our Nissan Mistral is totaled. That is how we are praying. Please pray with us as we seek out the best vehicle for our family upon our return to Uganda.

I think this is it for this week. I will let you know how the Lord answers our prayers. Thank you for standing with us in prayer.

In Christ Alone,
Delight