May 21-

Ministry Partners,
Today was a very long day or so it seemed.

We had a very early breakfast at 6a.m., even Pastor Peace said it was to early to eat!
I needed to be at one of churches where the pastors helped Pastor Gerald put together the events of our time in Gulu to speak at both the first service, 7-9, and the second service, 9-11. Both services were in English so I did not work with a translator which I like to do since it gives me time between thoughts to gather the next words I will speak.

After the second service they took our team to the pastors office for pastries and African tea. then it was off to go to two other churches just to leave a few Bibles and thank them for also helping with our time there......or so I had been told. When we arrived I was given the mic and asked to speak so although I cut my regular "crusade" message down a bit, it was my third time to speak today and it was only 1pm. I praised the Lord for the decisions made today and for the strength He gave me.

Today this lovely young woman was added to the Lambs Book of Life

By the time we arrived at the last church we were late for another speaking time for me at the last church that I had not been previously told of and another visiting pastor was preaching. We sat and waited as he preached for a full hour at which point I excused myself along with Peace and went to the pastors house where Alfred and the rest of the team appeared after about another half hour. By the time we changed our clothe for travel and were driving out of the parking area the visiting pastor was still preaching ....... over 2 hours and going strong. Alfred said he was literally preaching from Genesis to Revelation.

I was so exhausted that I put my seat back and went to sleep but left strict instructions that someone should wake me when we got to the baboon/monkey area. As we approached the area the baboons and monkeys were everywhere and I was snapping away getting lots of photos. I was so engrossed in what I was doing that I did not see the dark colored gov. vehicle and the soldiers standing alongside watching the traffic but they saw my camera! They pulled us over and began to question Aaron and he assured them that I was not taking photos of them but of the baboons. At one point the officer/soldier look down at the IRM sign on our vehicle door and then asked Aaron if we were "born again" to which Aaron responded, "yes". He smiled at that and motioned us to go on.

We stopped to purchase mangoes along side the road from a street vendor also buying roasted corn on the cob and a case of water. It was a long 4 - 4 1/2 drive and I took another nap. As we arrived in Kampala pastor's Peace departed to go home and Aaron left us for an appointment. Alfred and I had dinner at a new place before heading to our home base.

Our team of Aaron, Alfred, Geoffrey and I will need to get repacked as we leave tomorrow for Masaka to have a crusade at the prison there, it's also Aaron's home area. As of today we have 3 more prisons to go to here in Uganda and then it is off to Kenya.

Please continue to pray for open hearts for the gospel and for energy, strength and a fresh anointing for the team. I am doing well but struggling with some exhaustion.

That none would be lost,

Arlene