In the deep...

“They saw the works of the Lord, his wonderful deeds in the deep” (Psalm 107:24, NIV) 

The scripture says is Psalm 107:23, “They that go down to the sea and do business in deep waters, they will see the wonders of God.” Friend, you and I were created to do business in deep waters. In other words, we’re not supposed to have little dreams or little plans. We are supposed to have big dreams. We are supposed to go out into the deep things God has for us.

 

But understand, when you’re out there in the deep waters, you can’t touch the ground. You can’t see the shoreline, and at times, it can get a little rocky. You may not always see how things are going to work out. But, the scripture tells us that deep calls to deep. In other words, God is the one who has called you to the deep waters. He is with you, and He knows there are deep things on the inside of you. Remember, in deep waters, you are not alone. God is with you, and He’s causing those deep things inside of you to come forth.

 

If you feel like you are out in the deep today, if you feel like you are overwhelmed, remember, you are in the right place and God is with you. You will see His wonderful deeds in the deep, and you will fulfill the plan He has in store for you.

                                           A PRAYER FOR TODAY 

Father in heaven, I surrender every area of my life to You. I hunger for every single thing You have in store for me. I choose to trust You out in the deep waters knowing that You have good things in store for me in Jesus’ name. Amen. 

received from MBrooks33@aol.com (COFA TIPS)

Joy joy joy down in my heart, where? Down in my heart!!

Even before we went, Stan knew Pastor Gary Dickinson and the work of Olive Branch ministries.  Having seen it and worked in Uganda in 2008. He knew of the special people and the extreme needs there.  He has bee extremely encouraged by seeing the team’s reaction to the outreach and the fact that everyone felt that the work being  done by OBM was outstanding and a viable mission. 

Now, as we look back to the trip, the overarching description of our experiences is JOY.

·         Joy in arriving

·         Joy in getting to know the team

·         Joy in getting to know the kids

·         Joy in seeing the clinic and its progress

·         Joy in the children, dancing and worshipping God

·         Joy in the community and the church, even in the home visits sharing the love, joy, sadness and God’s love

·         Joy in our children’s program/kids club, its success and the way God developed it and completed it.

·         Joy in receiving the drums, playing them and dancing

·         Joy in Tara’s recovery

·         Joy in seeing God’s plan work out and the people coming to Christ

And the tremendous sense of thankfulness  in us and the team, the villagers, the children, praising God and acknowledging His faithfulness to provide all of our needs – all of the time! He reveals His glory everywhere, we can see Him in everything if we simply look.

For me, it was huge to see that I could be part of God’s plan and make a difference. Everyone filled a need and had a gifting that God could use.

We're here!!!!

Enuf said, 28 hours of travel and the cock crowed at 5 AM and off we go.  It is beautiful!! The people are beautiful and all is well :)

27 hours and counting !!!

Hi Prayer Team,

Yesterday at church we all gathered for a prayer and a big send off (see picture). Since we are just about off to Uganda, we wanted to give you the scoop so that you can keep up with our journey.
Just follow the prayer calendar you received at church for the basic daily itinerary and below are the locations of where we will be staying along the way ... Timewise – Uganda is about 10 hours ahead of us on Mountain Time – right now it 3:10 AM here in Colorado and 1:10 PM in Zziba – just getting ready for lunch

Wed 1/4 ... Adoni Guest house Kampala, Uganda ...

Thurs 1/5 thru Wed  1/11 Elly's Motel in Kkokonjeru Uganda ... there would be no phone number or functional address ... remember, you're not in Kansas any longer ;-)

Thurs 1/12 and Fri  1/13 Paraa Safari Lodge Murchison Falls National Park in North Western Uganda 011 256 77 2788880

Depart Uganda Sat night at 11.30 PM Uganda time ...

So…on Tuesday, January 3^rd, at 8:05 AM, a Delta jet will go wheels up from Denver, Colorado; and aboard that plane will be a team of 14 willing souls headed for an incredible adventure in Uganda, East Africa …

Our mission:  Building a clinic to bring medical care to the rural village of Zziba, a five year dream come true.  This trip, and the undertaking of this project, was born in the hearts of the leadership of Rock Creek Church in Louisville, Colorado, a year ago as we began sharing with them and they caught the vision for what God is doing through OBM in that rural area of Uganda and the need for a regional medical clinic.  We began praying and planning and now it’s becoming a reality!  A couple of months ago, the church conducted a silent auction to raise the funds to build our clinic.  All the funds were raised and we are on our way to put it all to good use.  Our group will get a great start on the building and the local Ugandan contractor will finish it after we leave.

As well as building the clinic, our group will be thoroughly engaged in children’s ministry, community development, clothing distribution, working with widows and families, and conducting a two day pastors’ seminar for a large number of rural pastors who rarely get this kind of training. The congregation is sending us with backpacks filled with school supplies for all of the children, as well as a brand new pair of shoes for each.  Many of the students also donated art supplies for the children.

What an amazing time for this wonderful group from Rock Creek as well the people of Zziba; neither will be the same after we leave!  To give you a glimpse of the excitement in the village about our coming ... They have arranged a welcoming celebration that will include speeches by the pastor, local government officials, an official welcome from a member of Parliament on behalf of the President of Uganda ... there will be singing and dancing and a big dinner ... all to welcome the visitors from the US ... and from there, the fun begins!!!   

Keep us in your prayers and thank you for helping us to continue to bring significant resource and opportunity to the people we serve.

It is hard to believe that 2012 starts our 6^th year of serving these dear and very precious children.  We have plowed, we have planted, we have been lovingly nurturing and we are beginning to see some amazing fruit, especially in the lives of the older children, some of whom are about to graduate. We will share some great stories with you when we get back!

Grace, peace and a most blessed and happy New Year to you all…2012 “the best is yet to come” !

Note: Some of the above text is stolen from emails by Pastor Gary :)