UPDATE // August 2020
Wednesday, August 5, 2020
Dear brothers, sisters, and friends,I’d like to take this occasion to update you on the Urbans and our ministry endeavors. What chaotic, uncertain and tumultuous times we live in! I have a lot to say about current events, having done a good deal of research about the globalist ag... .. read more..
August
Saturday, August 8, 2020
We finished the month of July spending a marvelous time together with our good friends the Greene family at the Nile River Emily and I have been best friends since high school! Now our sons are best friends too. The rainy season brings some interesting challenges We brought Jonathan back with us ... .. read more..
Gender Based Violence
Wednesday, July 29, 2020
I love that on Facebook Paula has posted a black & white photo of herself as part of the current awareness campaign around gender based violence (GBV). Here in South Africa the statistics on GBV are truly horrific with many men apparently thinking that using violence against women and e... .. read more..
Raise Right App Now Available
Friday, July 31, 2020
July 30, 2020 - Raise Right is the name of the App that you can download and use to purchase easily and Quickly gift cards for making your purchases. (We have talked about Scrip before and this replaces that) Why... .. read more..
Recording a Friend's Reinvention
Sunday, August 2, 2020
Recording a friend's reinvention. That might describe today's rewarding errand as I delivered donations to FLORECE while also taking time to assist Catalina in the final step of an important project. A self-employed and talented seamstress, prior to COVID-19 Catalina rented her own workspace and ... .. read more..
A Nice Change (August Prayer Letter)
Friday, August 7, 2020
Hi everyone, As I mentioned in our summer newsletter, Yoko and I are finally getting some in-person ministry opportunities after months of doing everything online. It’s a nice change! This past Sunday, we visited Saint John First Wesleyan, where we were interviewed instead of doing our usual pre... .. read more..
Running in the Dark: #COVID-19 UGANDA day 127
Saturday, July 25, 2020
When we moved back to Bundi 1.5 years ago, I started running in the dark. It's too hot and humid to go later, and too public to run in the daytime while attracting "mujungu! mujungu!" frenzies from children, unwanted attention, traffic to dodge. Plus to be at the hospital by 8 while living on the... .. read more..
Camping during the lockdown
Thursday, July 30, 2020
What do you do when your kids are desperate to get out in nature but the country is in a lock down? We had to get creative. We went camping on the roof of our apartment building. We were treated to some amazing views of the mountains at sunrise. Christine and our other daughter Ameli... .. read more..
Rookies of the Year, COVID-19 edition (Uganda day 132)
Thursday, July 30, 2020
When COVID exploded last Spring, our Area of Africa was not immune to the impact of altered plans, closing borders, mounting worry. Quite a high percentage of our workers had structured Home Assignments (the 1 in 5 plan for furlough from the field to report to supporters and reconnect with family... .. read more..
Are you wonky?
Thursday, July 30, 2020
A wonk is a person who is preoccupied with arcane details or procedures in a specialized field. It is often used in politics in the phrase “policy wonk” to refer to a person who knows fine details of government law and policy. Jesus had to deal with wonks among the religious leaders o... .. read more..
Counting the Memories of Quarantine
Thursday, July 30, 2020
4 months, 11 days. Nineteen weeks. 133 days. This is how long we have been under a state of emergency in Chile. ------------------------- 2 months, 15 days. Eleven weeks. 76 days. This is how long we have been under quarantine/lockdown in Iquique. ------------------------- Is it strange tha... .. read more..
Tuesday, July 28, 2020
Dear Friends, Greetings from Kitchener, Ontario! We hope and pray that you and your friends and family are doing well during this difficult time of Covid-19. I have heard it said that “God will not give you more than you can handle.” But I am reminded of how God lead his people, Israel, into a [&... .. read more..
New Normal or New Creation?
Sunday, August 9, 2020
The life that we knew was no paradise; it was at best a life “in-between” and there was yet a work to be done, not only in the world but also in us. .. read more..
Worship Sunday
Sunday, July 26, 2020
From time to time at The Gathering we give our gathering over to a Worship Sunday, in which we ask members to choose a song which God is speaking to them through at present and give a short testimony with the song. This morning we took our Worship Sunday on to WhatsApp for the first time and it w... .. read more..
David's Birthday 2020
Thursday, August 6, 2020
He kicked off his birthday weekend with a backyard camp out. They set up the tent on Friday afternoon with plans to sleep out there both Friday and Saturday night. They had a lot of fun! His actual birthday fell on Sunday. We enjoyed a blueberry pancake breakfast. We watched chu... .. read more..
Face Masks
Friday, July 31, 2020
Yesterday was a day of blessing as we finally took delivery of a small consignment of branded face masks for The Gathering and some sweatshirts for Paula & I, all of which was very nice. Whilst we were blessed with these, we were able to bless the community Neighbourhood Watch with some more ... .. read more..
That Was My Morning, How Was Yours?
Tuesday, July 28, 2020
This morning was a little bit different as I went in to Cape Town to pick up another 12 boxes of emergency food rations. Thank you My Father's House! These peanut butter sachets are proving very popular with our homeless Soup Kitchen regulars, so it's good to know that we'll be able to continue t... .. read more..
Praying for Revival
Monday, July 27, 2020
God has been stirring the hearts of the members of the Open Bible Church in Gherla to pray for revival. Several prophecies concerning revival coming to Gherla were given to the church at different times over the past year or so through different people from different places. Then rece... .. read more..
Monday Traditions
Monday, July 27, 2020
There's a great line in Over The Hedge (the best cartoon film ever) where Vernon tells RJ that miscommunication is something that families do well. I was reminded of this this afternoon when Paula told me I was doing a boxing session for Joel whilst cooking garlic mushrooms. That wasn't the conve... .. read more..
Contraband
Friday, August 7, 2020
We find ourselves in a ridiculous situation here in SA. As part of the ANC government's many irrational rules governing our lockdown, the sale and transportation of alcohol is prohibited (it was originally banned, then unbanned and then banned again which is where we find ourselves). So with our ... .. read more..
Last 90 Days Most Popular Posts (31 July 2020)
Saturday, August 1, 2020
The most popular posts from the last 90 days are somewhat predictable, I guess. Lots about COVID-19 and slowly opening up! If you missed the latest, we did indeed meet this past Sunday, with a wonderful baptism service! And you can certainly pray for us as we get ready for this Sunday. Things are... .. read more..
Coronavirus Update
Monday, August 3, 2020
Our first cherry tomatoes from the garden Summer is going well for us here in Romania. There was abundant rain in spring, June and July and everything is green and growing. It seems that the Coronavirus is growing, too. A few weeks ago, confirmed cases surged over 1,000 a day in... .. read more..
This Wasn't the Way We Envisioned Goodbye
Wednesday, August 5, 2020
This wasn't the way we envisioned goodbye. If plans had stayed in place, you would have experienced a wonderful summer with your grandparents in their home. You would have learned what it was like to work your first real job. You would have opened a bank account, gotten a driver's license, and ce... .. read more..
"I am weary of holding it in." COVID-19Uganda day 141 from Jeremiah
Saturday, August 8, 2020
141 days are feeling long for all of us in Uganda, yet our troubles are only a minuscule taste of the world's. August finds the read-through-the-Bible-chronologically march in Jeremiah, in the final days of the crumbling Kingdoms of Israel and Judah. And perhaps because we have to Ser... .. read more..
March Onward
Tuesday, August 4, 2020
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