It has taken some time to reflect back on this latest trip to Africa. There is still a lot of reflection and discernment to be done, but I know I have learned a lot up to this point already. I could best wrap up my own personal lessons in one word: weakness.

I feel like I’ve learned a lot about my own weaknesses. It seems clear that being on your home turf allows for a certain level of status quo and comfort to develop even if things are busy and difficult. Operating within a comfort zone seems to be something that will naturally and inevitably come upon us…no matter how much we teach and talk about living with radical faith…or stepping out and serving God in ways that are breaking the worldly patterns of religion....

We traveled into the African wilderness and looked it right in the teeth…and realized we are tired and worn out. It would've been better at the beginning of this long trip. We were in a town of about 20,000 which may not sound like wilderness…and it really isn’t, but it is a lot more rough than the places we have been in Africa. It is clear that as you get out of the cities the conditions worsen drastically.

We went to Lukaya, Uganda at the invitation of some leaders at Good Shepherd Child Care Centre. They had found us online back in Jan. 2009. We have been in email communication since that time, and they have accepted our encouragement of gathering leaders to pray and serve together. So it seemed that it would be good to visit them on our conference tour.

We arrived there and quickly realized that it was going to be very different....

We want to quick sum up what we did while in Kampala before heading west to a small town called Lukaya (Map).

On Wednesday the 8th we had a spectacular meeting with an old "mosei" (wise man with gray hair), and his son in law.  Both of them are pastors in Kampala.

The elder shared a long story about his time in prison during the Idi Amin's regime in Uganda...

Travel days are good days to fill space and time. There is no sitting around to be burdened by the thoughts of family and home….not as though they are unwanted burdens..they are just heavy. When you spend hours in a car in Africa it feels like 10 minutes. Nowhere I have ever been has as much color, flavor, and people along the road as in Africa.

We started out early from our $8/night hotel…which ended up being worth just about that much....

Today was one of the most encouraging days. I know I keep saying that a lot but honestly God keeps revealing more and more and showing us more and more things that are aimed at affirming and encouraging the work and calling we have.

The plan was to leave very early (6:30am) in the morning to head to Mt. Elgon (Kapsokwany). This would be our second location for a conference, but only a one day conference. Early on, while still planning in the US, we were very discouraged to discover that the friend (a student of ours in 2008) we had been planning with had some serious moral allegations and we were advised to plan through someone else. We have spent a lot of time and effort ensuring that we have heard both sides of the story..i.e. meeting with both parties. Nevertheless we ended up working with a bishop in the region to plan this one day conference.

The day started very much in line with the saying T.I.A (This is Africa)....

Saturday was the second and final day of the conference. We knew we would have less people because many told us they had prior commitments for Saturday. So we were incredibly encouraged when we had lots of new people who couldn’t make it on Friday. One of those guests was our old friend Dr. Kisang, whom I have known since my first visit to Kenya in 2007. He decided to set aside an entire day to listen to us and then take us around town after the conference was over.

We decided to start the day with an overview of the previous day because of so many new people. Then we jumped into “needs assessment” This section went very well. It was about praying for the good of your city (Jeremiah 29:7) together as a group of churches. Then there are some complimentary techniques (Listen, Ask, Seek, Reflect). This was all very well received.

The remainder of the day Gary led the brainstorming/creativity workshop. It was very good. Gary did a great little game: draw a roman numeral 9 (IX) on the dry erase board and ask if anyone can make the IX a VI (6) with only one line. They tried and tried but couldn’t get it. One answer is to....

Today we began the day quite nervous.  We had no idea how this kind of workshop would be recieved by the kenyan church leaders.  We were told by our friends that nothing like this had been done before (A conference specifically focusing on local church unity and service in the community)

We did not know if we were prepared enough.  We did not know if people would even come.  So needless to say it was an unsettling morning. Although,my morning was made a little better because I broke out my hidden stash of oatmeal to suppliment the typical breakfast of a glass of chai and a butter sandwich)

The conference was to begin at 9am.  So at 9:30 we were only a little bit concerned that there were only three people there.  T.I.A (this is Africa) and time in africa is not like time in USA.  But when it got to be 10:30 and we still hadn't started we were getting ansy.

But why continue to doubt when we have been shown God's faithfulness time and time again...a self-admitted fault.  We went for a tea break at 10:30 (please note that in africa many times just as work is about to get started...it is time for tea break :)  At 11:00am we started and there were at least 25 people.  By the time 11:30 came we were up to about 50 people.

The teaching went well and not until after the teaching was over and we heard the feedback did we realize just how much God was working in their hearts and they needed this message.  We have been very encouraged to hear so many positive responses.

Tomorrow is part 2 a very practical workshop where we have leaders broken up into groups according to their geographic area.  They will work together to take what was learned today and start action steps for their community.

Please pray for tomorrow's time.  Pray that the pastors will finish strong and that some important seeds will have been planted.

We will finish the Kitale Conference tomorrow and then head to Mt. Elgon for church on sunday and a one day conference on Monday.  Please continue to pray for our strength, health, and joy.

One major blessing is that the internet is so good here that we have both been able to skype with our wives and have no lag in the video/audio quality.

We have had so many prayers answered.  Our travels were long but it is so good to be back in Kenya. The sun, the red dirt, the smell all things that are easily forgotten when living half a world away, but so amazingly refreshed as soon as you step off the plane.

On our layover we were in Amsterdam for 9 hours so we decided to venture into downtown.  Little did we think that we had packed for Africa and Amsterdam was a windy 30 degrees...lets just say we didn't hang around downtown very long before going back to the airport.

Upon arriving in Kenya we hopped onto a small plane to take us up to Kitale.  We landed and were picked up by an old friend Dickson Talam.  It was so good to see him as he is the main organiser of the conference here in Kitale and the first african pastor with whom I spent much time with in 2007.

We rested and went out for a dinner with a bishop who is also a coordinator of the conference.  After a long two days of travel and a meal...we were out cold in our beds.

I thank you for those of you who prayed about my time at the Nairobi airport as that is a particularly horrible place for me everytime I go there. It couldn't have gone any more smooth.

Now we have the daunting task of preparing for the conference that will begin tomorrow (Dec 3) morning. We have been told that a conference like this (teaching about local church collaboration) has never been done and that they are hoping for at least 60-70 pastors to come for the two day conference.

Please pray as our worry and stress is mounting given a big question...is this teaching going to be culturally relevant and what is the best way to communicate it so it is understood.

Over dinner last night we learned about the struggles of kenyan pastoral leadership and that sometimes coming together to serve is more harmful than good if poor leadership commanderes the work.

We appreciate your prayers and look forward to reporting about the conference in Kitale Dec 3 and 4th.

Blessings in Christ.