Dec. 18 A tract and a scarf

 Ministry Partners,

A scarf and tract, the husband walked down the road reading the tract

To say today went a bit different than we planned would be an understatement. I am so thankful that the Savior I love is in charge and knows the events of the day before they happen. It also brings great peace for me to know that he goes before us and behind us keeping us safe at all times . 

It was decided that we would go to the farm prison this morning because we knew that the maximum security prison would be better to do in the afternoon after they had had time to accomplish their morning chores. Breakfast was at 7:30 and we were on the road by 8 for the 1 1/2 hour drive. Travel was going well when a cement truck decided to hit us with some clumps of cement and then all of a sudden Aaron pulled the van over and said that we had no breaks. Going up and down hills on a dirt rutted roads is not the best time to lose your brakes for sure. But praise Jesus, there was no one around us and I am so thankful that we didn't hit another car going down the hill because we couldn't stop. 

The culture here is so interesting in so many ways. Pastor Aaron caught a motorbike going by and headed into town to get some more brake fluid but forgot to take his phone. In his absence Alfred checked out under the hood and under the front of the car and could see that the brake fluid line had been knocked off. It's not really a surprising thing when you think of all the rough banging and hitting chuckholes and DEEP potholes. In doing that you would just expect that something would get knocked off. Then Alfred stopped another motorbike going by and gave him some money to go into town and find a mechanic tell the mechanic that the brake line was broken and to bring one and away the motorbike went. If Alfred had been able to contact Aaron he could have told him what he discovered but like I said Aaron had forgot his phone.

But you know in God's perfect timing he had something for me to do as I noticed ladies walking down this dirt road coming toward our van I knew it was an opportunity. I got in the back seat and got into my pack and pulled out one of my bags of scarves and my gospel tracks and as the ladies came by me I gave them a scarf and a track which brought huge smiles as they said thank you to me and I was glad Alfred was there to interpret. He also got some very cute photos of boys in a nearby tree who were checking to see if the Jack Fruit were ready to pick.

Then, all of a sudden the motorbike was pastor Aaron on the back arrived with an additional motorbike with him carrying a mechanic and at the same time the motorbike that Alfred had sent into town arrived with the second motorbike and mechanic. After Alfred talked to them it was discovered that Aaron's mechanic had not brought any brake lines so he was dismissed and the second mechanic opened his toolbox climbed under the front of the car and begin making repairs. It really didn't take him that long and I gave both the motorbike man and the mechanic a tract as Alfred paid them $20.00 and away they drove. I must say, it was the best $20.00 I ever spent.

We then headed to the farm prison and although they held us for some time at the front of the prison while they assembled all the men. It was a very good time of sharing the gospel and watching the men respond to each invitation. It's an interesting thing that we were told that there would be no visiting in the prison from December 15th through January 12th except for our visit because we are an international ministry. Once again God's provision. Then we were told to speed things up today because the prison itself had something scheduled following us. But we had just enough time to complete everything that we knew the Holy Spirit wanted us to present to the men.

Then we were off to the maximum security prison which was just down the road. Goodness what a beautiful new prison just built in 2020 and when I say huge I mean HUGE and modern. Perhaps they had forgotten or perhaps not but when we arrived they held us at the front of the prison because government officials were meeting with the prisoners inside. So we waited, and we waited, and we waited. We waited for two hours and then they came and told us that it really wasn't going to work for us to be there today, although we were approved to be there today, and could we return tomorrow. We asked them if they could please see that all of the prisoners, all 2700 of them would be assembled for us tomorrow and the deputy O.C. said they would.

So it was an hour and a half drive home and we decided to stop at a large grocery store center and pick up some more water and some batteries for the sound system. But we also found there a small little restaurant so we decided to have dinner there instead of returning home. Aaron and I head barbecue pork and Alfred had chicken strognoff served with the largest portion of rice I seen on one plate. Everything was absolutely delicious and hopefully we will be able to return there sometime during this trip. By the time we got home it was dark and there's so much to get done. By tomorrow night after we return from the prison we have to be packed up because we will no longer be in Kampala but until January 5th we will be traveling throughout Uganda.

I'm glad we have a storage area that locks here that we can put all the things that we are taking to Kenya and anything we don't need through our travels here into a lock storage.

So that is all for today, please continue to pray we are seeing the Holy Spirit do such a marvelous work in the hearts of the prisoners.

That none would be lost,

Arlene