As wonderful as an all-inclusive backpack picnic set is, the best wedding gift a couple could ever receive is support, care, and preparation for a lasting marriage. That is, relational equipment for a continual wed-ding.
This truth is why I pastor marrieds/engaged couples at my church, and why I'm compelled to travel half way around the world to Uganda this summer. This East African country has been war-torn for nearly three decades (You may have learned about this from the documentary Invisible Children). As a result, families have been broken and lives have been dramatically altered. But there is hope. With God, there is always hope!
Beginning in 2005, Children of the Nations (COTN) established a ministry in Uganda to rebuild and restore the lives of Ugandan families, with the vision of "Raising children who transform nations." COTN is a strategic partner of my church. And in In 2010, pastor James Okalo Ekwang, COTN country director, approached Flood with the request of bringing a team over to train and lead a marriage & family conference. What's providential about this invitation is that Flood has always valued training and equipping people through conferences and leadership communities. In fact, in Flood's ten year history, we've successfully led a six-week premarital conference for eight of those years. It's just in our DNA.
That's why in August of 2011, a team of fifteen of us will be traveling to "the Pearl of Africa" to host a conference, train leaders, and receive the gift of family from our brothers & sisters in Uganda. Our purpose is to strengthen marriages and families by teaching biblical principles to an invited group in Lira, Uganda, through: A) organizing and running a conference for married couples, engaged couples, and single mothers (about 100 couples, 100 widows, and many children). B) Equipping local counselors to better deal with family issues through training and a developed curriculum. C) Training local leaders to lead future conferences and enrichment. D) Offer counseling to couples, single parents, and children through skilled therapists on our team.
We are excited about this amazing opportunity to learn, teach, and grow. But even more vital is going to be the experience of tasting what the apostle James calls pure religion: "… and genuine religion in the sight of God the Father means caring for orphans and widows in their distress and refusing to let the world corrupt you" (James 1:27). The root of religion means connecting what's been disconnected. Though being a part of Jesus' healing of the world is crucial, we know that something inside of us will be restored as well.
Fifteen of us are traveling to Uganda in a few months, representing a mass of others. Will you be a part of this team that brings hope and healing to God's beloved? Here's how you can be an integral part:
- COMMIT to praying (interceding for our team)
- GIVE financially
- SEND this to someone who might be interested in supporting this trip
- SUBSCRIBE to this Blog for updates, news and memories
FINANCIAL SUPPORT
Thank you, I've raised all my support!!!
PRAY FOR...
- Our trip planning: Our team has some key meetings ahead in which we are planning the conference, training, and counseling sessions.
- Team unity: of mind, heart and spirit.
- Logistics in Uganda: That our meeting space would accommodate the amount of people.
- Protection: Against attacks of the mind (doubt, anxiety, fear, etc.)
Thanks for partnering with me on this journey,
Scott
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