As you may very well know, one of our partnerships is with World Vision in northern Uganda. We are deeply vested financially, emotionally, and spiritually, in this area of the world as we are partnering with World Vision and their efforts in the Aber Area Development Program. While there are numerous issues that northern Uganda faces, the slice that we've gotten involved with is the Youth Psychological Program. This ministry reaches out and seeks to put adolescents back together emotionally, spiritually, and even relationally after their escape from forced soldiering and for the girls, sex slavery. These adolescents experience untold horror that fractures them to the very core, so we believe by partnering with World Vision in this way that we actually express the gospel of Christ who came to rescue us from sin and to put this world back together through the power of His Spirit and finally when he returns. That is why we are so heavily vested in this corner of the world and why I am so proud of all we are doing there as such a young church!
 
So on March 19th I will be going to Uganda with World Vision to tour the area and see what God is doing in and through World Vision there. While the itinerary is still in flux for the ten days that I will be in Uganda, the major pieces of it involve visiting Aber, the Youth Psychological Center, some of the children who are sponsored by people in the church, and meeting with some pastors in the area (to encourage, teach, train, and root on in their very tough call in that area).
 
I share all of this because I would like you to be involved in this trip too through prayer and help. I need people to pray for me in my travels and in my time in Uganda. I would ask that you pray for my safety, the strength to do the ministry God would have me do there, the eyes to see what God is doing, and the sensitivity to His Spirit to follow his leading there. Once I get the itinerary, I will get it into your hands somehow, but please pray for me.
 
But I would also ask that you help me by helping out Jenny and my boys. They are the ones who are taking the brunt of this trip, as they are left behind to do life without me for a short period of time. I imagine that Jenny probably needs some relief from being the sole caretaker of two small boys and company as she'll be isolated from adults with me in Uganda. I also imagine that my boys need your help in praying for them in my absence and simply encouraging them of God's control and love for them in my absence. So please feel free to initiate with Jenny and ask her how you can help, should you have the space to do so.
 
I am so excited to see how God is using our young church in such big ways within Aber for the sake of his kingdom's advance. In many ways, I anticipate that it will be a time where I'll be able to catch a glimpse that all of our hard work and generosity and prayers have been worth it as I see how God is bringing the gospel of Christ and his goodness close to the broken and hurting in northern Uganda.
 
Once again grateful to partner with you in Uganda,