A Life Like This


Our Grandson was asked to write an article for a school project. He asked if he could interview us about our experience overseas. What a privilege.

A retired local couple, Paul and Mary Foster (ages 69 and 68), recently moved to Uganda, Africa in August of 2023. While most retirees relocate and pursue a life of relaxation and down time; these two are pursuing one of hard work and service. 

The Fosters didn’t just wake up one day and decide to move to Africa. Their journey started 14 years ago when they took their first overseas mission trip with a group from their local church. Mary says they went so they could be pushed out of their “comfort zone” and to meet a pastor, Moses, their daughter had met on an earlier trip. Not only did they meet this pastor, but they developed a friendship with him that would grow over the next decade of their lives. Paul and Mary continued to take short term trips to Moses’ village in Kiburara, Uganda almost every year. 

Why did they take this big leap? They went from short 10-day visits once a year to committing to live in Africa full time. In Mary’s words “we came for this 2-year mission because we had come to love the people we’d met and worked with. God made it clear that this was where we should invest in discipling believers to know and study God’s Word.” Paul chimes in saying “some people may think that we moved to Africa looking for adventure or escape. The truth is that we felt that we had a ‘calling’ to serve a friend of ours who asked us for help.” They have found themselves helping Moses’ mission ever since. While their jobs in Uganda may vary day to day their primary goal is to strengthen believers in the church and equip them with more biblical knowledge. Paul explains “our main job is to teach inductive bible study classes. We have weekly meetings with teachers and leaders in the community in the western part of the country. We show them how to take a text and look up the context, meaning and application…” Along with this training Mary has also invested time with a women’s baking club and youth bible study. 

This shift in lifestyle has not been without difficulty. Culture shock might be the most obvious: from different foods, communication styles, languages and even worship services, every physical thing for them has changed. They often long for the familiarity of their own church, lifelong friends and family. Although the transition has been difficult, the benefits outweigh the sacrifices. The Fosters have seen health improvement with constant walks and only fresh food options. In the absence of radio, tv, and social media they have become less stressed and strengthened their marriage. “Best of all we have grown dramatically in our spiritual journey. Because we are in new situations constantly, we have learned to depend on God more than ever.” says Paul. 

For anyone inspired to make a similar change in their life, Mary has some words of wisdom for you. “…let God use you wherever he wants you to be… don’t think you have nothing big to offer… pay attention to how god is training you now… invest in your own friendship with the lord… go on shorter [missions’] trips before you take the plunge for fulltime…”

While retirement usually brings promises of relaxation it is good for us to consider a life like this. Paul and Mary Foster uprooted the life they had here to follow God’s plans. They made choices and they are a reminder to everyone that it is never too early, or too late, to do the same.

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#lifeabroad

Affecting Many Lives

We were overwhelmed when we saw this FB Post in early December from our ministry partner Moses Nkwatsibwe of Covenant Global Ministries

I would like to express my heartfelt appreciation to God for the lives of Paul and Mary Foster. They have exemplified remarkable humility, love, and parental care, by positively affecting so many lives in Uganda. Since their decision to live in Kiburara, Ibanda for two years, they have indeed challenged us with their unwavering dedication to serving God.

The younger generation has drawn valuable lessons from the example set by this couple, who have selflessly relinquished their comfort zone to live among us and serve our Lord Jesus Christ. 

They have been instrumental in helping disciple-making through various initiatives, including Paul’s weekly discipleship sessions with young men, Mary’s baking classes aimed at empowering women, and their joint involvement in COMA (Context, Observation, Meaning, and Application) Inductive Bible Study training. Notably, they have successfully trained four groups, including Kiburara-Ibanda, Kanara-Kamwenge, Kiburara Prison women staff-Ibanda, and Covenant Global Church Buloba. 

This week they were teaching at Covenant Global Church Buloba on their way to the USA for the Christmas season and reunion with their family. On Friday and Saturday, they taught on the Book of Titus. Papa Paul preached from this text in Sunday’s sermon.

Pastor Moses Nkwatsibwe

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http://www.sustainablemissionsinc.org

A Whirlwind Furlough and a Return to Uganda

Reflections and Preparations

What a whirlwind time it’s been, being home for furlough. We came back just before Christmas and have been busy almost every day this last month. Today, Saturday, we will finish packing for departure back to Uganda on Monday, coinciding with Inaugural Day. Returning to the states just in time for this Polar Vortex was quite a rude awakening. We bought a half cord of firewood and have had the wood stove going for the last three weeks, thank goodness.

Returning to the United States after being away for an extended period is always a mix of emotions. The familiarity of home brings comfort, yet the experiences we had in Uganda have deeply changed us. Coming back just before Christmas meant diving straight into the holiday season, a time filled with joy, but also busyness. We were constantly on the move, reconnecting with family and friends, sharing stories of our mission, and preparing for our departure once again.

Mary and I are now preparing to finish our last six-month “tour of duty” in Uganda. When I retired in the fall of 2022, we were exploring “full-time” missions in Uganda. We had started the process with Amazima, Katie Davis Majors’ organization. During the application process, we joined a group in January 2023 serving for the annual Youth Conference in Kiburara. It was there that Moses and Sarah approached us privately and asked if we would consider joining them to help with Covenant Global Ministries (CGM). We honestly didn’t think they would need our help, so we hadn’t asked. However, after much prayer, we made a two-year commitment to CGM, from September 2023 to August 2025.

This has been an incredibly exciting time living overseas, and we have learned so much about cross-cultural missions. We can humbly say that we have made plenty of mistakes, but God has used us amid our inadequacies. It is always humbling to be reminded by our sweet Savior that we were never in control to begin with (2 Corinthians 12:9).

We are refreshed and encouraged now as we prepare to return to our “second home” in Kiburara. What we have learned about ourselves, and our new community, is more than I can describe here. The richness of village life, the scenery of the Rwenzori Mountain range, the clean air, and lush vegetation are beyond what you can imagine.

Our small “community” in Africa awaits us, and we are looking forward to seeing them. Thank you for following us and praying for us. We truly would not be able to serve in this way without you.

(See Our New Website)

http://www.sustainablemissionsinc.org

NORMAL is BORING!

Welcome 2025, and Happy New Year to all of you who are catching your breath after a full December! We’ve enjoyed Christmas celebrations and some relaxation time with our family, but we are headed back soon to our second home in Kiburara, Uganda. We’ve had a couple weeks to reflect on how faithfully God’s directed our steps there and what He has done through two rookie retirees, that by most accounts have lived NORMAL American lives.

In various situations over the years, we may have fancied ourselves as unique, even ‘special’, however, after reading the definition for NORMAL “conforming to a standard; usual, typical, or expected” we continue to fit the ‘NORMAL definition well.

We remember a tee shirt from our college days that declared in bold letters, NORMAL is BORING! Over the last year and a half, we’ve shared ways God has used our ordinary lives in Uganda in extraordinary way. As the New Year begins, we would like to share how God has worked through our partner Moses in many out-of-the-ordinary and beyond NORMAL ways. We’d like to share the following stories. They are but a sampling of what living an ABNORMAL life…one of all-in trusting God…can look like.

Story One: Rose’s Prayer

Moses’ narrative begins with Rose, an older woman who lives in a poor suburb of Kampala, Uganda, called Buloba. Rose has been a Jesus follower for many years and yearned to be part of a good Bible teaching church. She struggled to find one near her home. There were lots of churches around, but few made the Bible central to what they preached. Because of her very limited resources and age-related challenges, there was the additional difficulty of transport. But Rose was undeterred and prayed that God would bring a good church to her!

Meanwhile Moses, who’d never met Rose, had begun to sense it was time to start an official church from a college-age fellowship in another area of Kampala. He, and others in the fellowship began to earnestly pray for direction at about the same time as Rose. As they prayed, obstacles seemed to mount. The first two challenges were finding an affordable rental location and secondly, finding the finances to pay for it. The fellowship eventually did find a location but were evicted a short time later. At this point, neither Moses, the students he led, nor Rose had any reason for hope.

Rose was an old woman without resources. The new college fellowship was young and likewise without resources. But ALL of them continued to pray. They put their requests in God’s hands and trusted He would do what they could not. These believers dared to believe in a God that works in the realm of the extraordinary and acts in unexpected and usually not NORMAL ways as He cares for His people.

Within one month of being booted out of their rental space, the Lord miraculously arranged all the details, so that they were able to PURCHASE a plot of land (not rent) AND have enough funds to build a temporary church building! Unbeknownst to any of them, this new plot was also within walking distance from Rose’s home.

This young, now growing church fellowship, was born from prayer. It was made possible in response to prayer AND planted at the precise spot and time it needed to be, because people dared to believe God. Because the God who could and would work outside of the realm of ‘NORMAL’. Buloba Covenant Global Ministries is a church of people who have seen firsthand their God’s wonder-working power!

Story Two: Arthur

In early January we received this story from Pastor Moses:

“Not long ago, I met a man named Arthur who was in a battle with alcoholism and suicidal thoughts. His life was shrouded in darkness and despair, and it broke my heart to see someone so lost. Feeling led by the Spirit, I decided to take him in and disciple him. I began sharing the love and hope that only Jesus can provide. Through prayer, practical support and the grace of God, Arthur began to change.

He found a new strength in his faith in Christ. He began learning the craft, making woven chairs, a skill that not only gave him purpose, but also helped him rebuild his life. I’ve been able to watch as he’s grown and flourished in this newfound direction, and it’s been nothing short of miraculous.

As amazed as I’ve been with Arthur’s transformation, the wonders didn’t stop with just him. Arthur has a brother who’d been unable to walk and was confined to the family home. He had been sick and paralyzed for ten years. Arthur’s parents, who’d observed up close the changes in their son Arthur, decided to trust the God who had so radically changed him could do the same for their other son.

His parents began to pursue prayer and counsel. God began to work in this boy’s body and in his life and he was able to walk on his own, unsupported by anyone. In a moment that can only be described as divine, he stood up on his own legs, filled with newfound strength!

The joy of seeing him walk again after so many years was just overwhelming for all of us! To add to this amazing moment, Arthur’s brother, like his brother and parents before him also chose to trust Christ. As a matter of fact, ALL seven members of the family chose to accept Jesus as their Savior and were baptized together.” Moses continued, “ It was a beautiful sight….an amazing testament to how God can change lives and restore hope in the most profound ways!”.

We are continually amazed by the incredible things the Lord can do when we step out in faith and love. This experience has reinforced Our belief that no one is beyond the reach of God’s Grace. What a joy to be part of this journey and to witness the power of salvation in action.

Story Three: New Year’s Eve

Our final story is an account that also came on New Year’s Eve from Moses:

“On the night of December 31st, 2024, we gathered at Kiburara to usher in the New Year with a powerful worship service. The atmosphere was charged with anticipation and faith as we prayed and sought God’s presence. As the clock struck midnight, we celebrated the arrival of the New Year, and I am thrilled to report that we concluded our service at 12:30 AM with an overwhelming sense of joy and purpose.

In a beautiful display of God’s grace, 27 souls came forward to accept Christ as their Savior that night! It was a moment of profound joy, witnessing lives transformed and hearts renewed. We rejoiced together, knowing that Heaven was celebrating with us.

Immediately following this incredible event, we set out for Kampala, arriving at Buloba Church in the morning. There, we continued our celebration of faith with a service that felt like a family reunion. The love and unity among us were palpable as we worshiped together, shared the Word, and enjoyed a meal as one family in Christ.

This experience has reaffirmed our belief in the power of prayer and the faithfulness of our God. We are truly grateful for the lives touched and the fellowship shared.”. Moses Concluded, “We thank God for His abundant blessings and for allowing us to witness His mighty works in two ladies: one a Muslim and one a Catholic, who got saved at Buloba Covenant Global Church”.  

We have been blessed by each of these stories. We hope you’ve been encouraged as well. God is working in powerful ways and we, like Moses, are in awe of our Lord who is, unlike ANYONE able to save, care for and bless those who love Him.

Our God is ANYTHING but NORMAL! We are Excited for what He will do in 2025…..

About

 Instant-pot or Crockpot

Presto Cooker. Instant-Pot. Microwave. Fast Food. These brand names are a way of life for us in the USA. We force ourselves to slow down making a meal from scratch. Meals are quickly inhaled……..so lingering over a lovingly home made dinner and good conversation belongs to another era!

Over the last few decades, technology has birthed amazing advancements. Even as these have improved our ability to do more in less time, with their benefits, there have been some downsides. Stress levels, depression and chronic health conditions are going up! 

But, we’ve noticed that there’s a new “rebellion”, a push back, that is challenging us to slow down, enjoy, and yes, even to linger a bit. 

People have tasted the value of a slower way of life, sharing meals or doing life. They testify to both its health and relational benefits.

Here in Uganda, Paul and I have had to put this to the test. We, like most Americans, are conditioned to think “faster is better” because the MORE we can accomplish in a day the better. 

However, part of God’s plan for our personal growth here in Africa, has been to value simple, uncomplicated daily tasks. 

Life here in Uganda, rolls day to day, most often filled with activities unencumbered by mind-cluttering technology.

Instead of a microwave………here in the village our friends cook over charcoal or wood. Instead of lining up at a drive through restaurant in town, we walk to the market buying fresh tomatoes, onions, pumpkin or yams. If there are enough shillings, we even buy a live chicken or goat. 

Here, families come home to clean, peel and chop the vegetables and prepare the meat. They begin their meals hours in advance, setting fires then letting the coals settle boiling the water or roasting the meat. 

While their food cooks, often they’re grinding corn or millet before making it into porridge or posho bread. Or maybe at the same time they’re checking on another side dish cooking on the charcoal stove next to the first. There is NOTHING “presto” about cooking here!

While all this takes considerably more time than we are used to, this is how life happens in the village. Slower, more difficult, like gardening an acre of land………armed with only a large metal hoe!

The beauty we appreciate, is that in the midst of a harder and slower way of doing life PEOPLE and relationships have time to incubate and grow! 

Our morning walks take longer as we stop and chat with friends and neighbors. We pray for those who are hurting, we laugh together and share life, even learning many new gardening tips from our neighbor’s. We have found that we can support and encourage one another and lingering with little village children—ALL because we have time. 

A life of “less” can be difficult, but less STUFF means you cannot push yourself to achieve more and more and more! 

Here, you work hard and do what you can, but you don’t get lost in the flurry of activity as easily as in the states!

So, how has this helped us “achieve” our mission to disciple, teach bible study, mentor marriages and encourage friends to follow after God? 

Actually, this is the very vehicle that the Lord has used to help us slow down. Our friend’s example has helped us, we have had to make adjustments, to take the time we need to spend time with the high school girls, or men and women in the village who we otherwise wouldn’t be connecting with. They are helping us as we are shifting and helping them to pivot with their time.

These weeks since we’ve been back have been full but not in our usual Gaithersburg, Maryland kind of way. 

We returned to an empty home with Moses and Sarah on sabbatical in South Africa. So things here were very quiet. We spent two weeks unpacking and resettling before a large team from the States arrived for their two week mission trip. 

Initially Paul and I had the host and hostess roles and we learned much about what goes on “behind-the-scenes” when Sarah and the other helpers host a team! 

We were certainly happy to help but also relieved when a few days later Grace (Moses’ eldest daughter) arrived to take charge. 

Because we weren’t part of the team’s activities, we had a ringside seat to observe. This team, like many others, had lots to do, and places to see and people to meet. When you have limited time on these “short term” missions trips, you try to fit in all you can…….and  maybe a little more if you’re an American. 

As the team moved and ministered, in significant ways, we got to watch. As we did, the Holy Spirit reminded us that not everything is achieved at the full speed. 

We could TRY to do EVERYTHING these faithful saints were doing, but we’d be burned out and exhausted. Our ministry pace, the one God has called us to is different. Ours is a slow, “Crockpot”, kind of simmer as opposed to an “Instant Pot” boil. It’s a daily strengthening of friendships, serving, taking time to know people, their struggles that they wrestle with and then love them. 

It’s the kind of ministry Jesus had with his small band of disciples that lived with Him over three years. He loved, He invested, He challenged and sometimes corrected. 

We are blessed that over our lifetime , we have seen the value of this kind investment in “people building”. We’re blessed that here in Uganda, our Father has placed us in a culture that fits with what He’s taught us to value above our “achievements” and fast paced life. He keeps growing us even as He takes our efforts and increases them to His glory! 

Our induction bible studies continue as we move to another village called Kanara. The men’s fellowship continued while we were away on furlough, and these men are going deeper in support and prayer. We’re now praying, and getting counsel about beginning married couples mentoring. 

Mary is also considering a drawing class at the secondary (High) school. There she would be engaging more teens and hopefully “drawing out” the gifts God’s placed in them. 

The Lord encourages and challenges us regularly, that we are on mission living lives that make Christ seen and heard to whoever and wherever He leads us.

Blessings to all of You!!

Paul & Mary

One Year Anniversary

It’s kinda crazy how time ‘flies by’. Our one year anniversary of living full time in Uganda! Milestones reached are often opportunities to stop, pause and reflect. Taking time of reflection is just what we recently did. As we re-examined the goals we had set and compared them with where we are now, midway through our commitment. We were encouraged.


Instead of seeing how much more there was to do, which is usually our personal default, God used our reminiscing and conversations to infuse us with vigor for what lies ahead. We have found that living in Africa, in an area with so much need, it’s easy for us to get “Mission Creep”. An avalanche of genuine need all around us can (and has at times does) feel overwhelming. Our hearts can be crushed as we carry the suffering and burdens that poverty and loss (loss of family members, of crops, or jobs) have inflicted on our friends.

That’s when we need to remember our purpose, our mission, and our passion. What was the directive God has called us to. Our mission statement we penned more than two years ago is pretty basic.

“We are a couple on mission to live lives that make Christ seen and heard wherever and to whomever God leads”.

This mission statement is something that we’ve tried to live out for years so when God directed us to Uganda we wrote it down. It’s been a great help. The clarity of that statement gives us focus. It helps us remember the WHY behind what we do. We aren’t a money giving organization nor an NGO. And we don’t ever want to create that kind of a “transactional relationship” here with our neighbors. Doling out money (even if that were a remote possibility for us) would lead to a business relationship. There is no denying that funds, when in a desperate situation, will provide relief, but that isn’t our purpose.

In our situation, handing out the small amount of money we have when the enormity of the structural need is so great, would never bring relief, a drop in the proverbial ocean of need.

We were invited to come here to live in community and to BUILD into people as God shows us the best way to do that! To Be Influencers. Living our lives, to make Christ seen and heard is when the Gospel has the opportunity to affect and change people from the inside out. That’s where the “rubber meets the road” sorta say. That is a mission worth investing in. A decade or two from now, our neighbors here may still be talking about the “two crazy Muzungu” who lived in the village and showed them Jesus! 
 
“Whatever is worth doing at all, is worth doing well.” This quote by Philip Stanhope, an English Earl, speaks of a truth that we’ve seen pressed into both of us this last year. We don’t want to go halfway. We want to be ALL IN! The Lord hasn’t called us to “cruise” through life, or our “retirement”.

We spend hours in prayer and study to “prep” for the bible studies in the villages. The same “prep” for the men’s weekly fellowship or for preaching or even as a panelist for a young men’s gathering (that Paul was asked to co-lead), and in any number of other arenas we are asked to do in the community.

Mary invests in the Women’s Baking Club. She spends hours discovering “new recipes” from what’s available, least expensive ingredients (in season) to help the ladies earn income to supplement the families needs. They will try to sell these “new recipes” of “baked goods ” at an affordable price in their local shops.

All of these blocks of time on our calendar equate to a lot of behind-the-scenes work! Work as something good. Each hour we meet with a group, means many more hours in preparation. So living lives that make Christ seen and heard requires a real investment!


We were “tapped” to teach at a marriage conference in August. We ramped up our prayer, study and preparation time, but due to a number of factors, we only had time to share half of what we’d planned, and that to only fifty or so people in the audience. But our host told us, after the fact, that many marriages were “healed” and husbands were asking forgiveness from wives. Our host now wants to schedule a larger conference for the future.

We see these investments of work, done well, have positioned us to be “influencers”, for future generations.  

We aren’t alone in this desire to pour ourselves, in some capacity, into others and into future generations. We are not more ‘saintly’ than someone else, just because we choose to live outside of the country, outside of our comfort zone. We have the assurance that God has grabbed hold of our lives, and at least for this season has given us the amazing gift to change this crazy world, or at least this small piece of it!

Others of you are making differences where you are as well. We’ve been encouraged to hear from a number of you and the ways God is using you!
*Some, of you parents, are schooling your kids and showing them (by words and actions) how to live out a trust in God. *Some, of you are teachers, and are daily loving students and demonstrating the love God has for them, pointing them to the daily realities of His hope. *Some, of you have important work positions, and you hunt for ways to share with hurting co-workers that God is REAL and HE is there for them. *Some, of you are confined to home for health reasons, but because of your caring hearts you are encouraging your caretakers! *Some, of you in the health care profession, will demonstrate genuine love and compassion to the elderly, letting them know that God sees them even when others don’t. *Some, of you take hours outside of your busy work schedules to be their for the incarcerated as you spend time listening and praying with them, who want to know God cares for the broken.


We could go on and on, but the point is that we are all MAKING A DIFFERENCE! How we respond and what investment we make as God gives us opportunities. What does yours look like?
Grateful For ALL of You!
Mary & Paul

  “Summer Breeze Makes Me Feel Fine”

  “Summer breeze makes me feel fine, blowin’ through the jasmine in my mind……”, lyrics from a 1970’s song by Seals and Crofts seem to epitomize these summer days. Warmer days are here and with them, many sweet summer memories come drifting back; swimming pools opening; kids on summer break and all the activity of the summer months. Many childhood and adult memories that recall fun-filled days spent with family and friends that in all likelihood any number of you share with us. 

  A long-time Amish tradition that often happens during summer is the community creation of a handmade quilt by a group of women. Each woman brings her fabric scraps, all of different colors and styles. Together these are laid out, a pattern created and then the fabric is cut into a variety of smaller sections that will be pieced together and stitched side by side one at a time. Over the course of a number of days, this rich variety of fabrics combines to become a lovely, unique quilt that will serve a family well, providing warmth and beauty for years to come.

  Sharing a bit about the events this summer, all of them, without exception, have been connected in some way to friends or family that we’ve been privileged to have in our lives. Just like many of our best summer memories are wrapped around the names and faces of people we share those memories with, likewise, each happening this past month was connected to friends. Each relationship seems to add something richer to the patchwork that God is designing in and with our lives.

  We finished our training with Moses and Sarah the first week of the summer for our ‘Walk and Not Faint” 15km fundraiser for the children’s hall in Buloba, near Kampala. June 8th dawned bright and beautiful but even up to the morning of the event we weren’t sure how it would go because it was so unusual for our Ugandan friends. Those fears were dispelled quickly however. Thanks to Moses and Sarah’s tenacity and enthusiasm for the walk and the great efforts of our ‘mobilizer’, Ronald, the day was a MAJOR success! 

  We had over 300 hundred students from Alpha & Omega Secondary School and many members of Kiburara Gospel Center and the Buloba Church participating. The excitement was palpable when we all started off just after dawn. Everyone (including a student being treated for malaria and two boys ages 8 and 10) finished a few hours later with achy legs and feet but in high spirits. This was a memory-making event where we came together, talked, laughed, and cheered each other along.

  We raised over $1,400 US dollars plus the monies many of you generously gave which we will be taking back to Uganda! Compared to the big name walk-a-thons in the States, this may not seem like a lot, but people in this small village gave sacrificially. We count this day as a great beginning to what we hope will be an annual event for Covenant Global Ministries in the future. 

  Two days after our walk event, We celebrated our 46th wedding anniversary and our Ugandan friends threw us a surprise party. We sang, ate, danced and shared some of our memories over the decades that included a number of you. Friends of many years or many months being stitched together because of the blessing of God’s gift of marriage. 

  The director of Hope Primary School, asked Mary to design the furniture layout for the school’s new library. He arrived in Kiburara the third week of summer. The furniture was constructed when we enlisted the services of a good carpenter from a nearby town. Alex, the carpenter and Mary had many phone calls, a half dozen meetings and finally the set-up times with his workmen. Yes, even in this work, another friendship was being built while together we created a colorful learning space for the children. The bonus was that it pleased David, the director of Hope Primary School, as well!

  Paul had a number of opportunities to teach biblical truths during the online lunch hour fellowship and interacted with both men and women encouraging them to bring what they see in the pages of scripture into a ‘real life’ faith. Jesus lived His day-to-day life walking with imperfect people, loving and building into His friendships with them. Paul likewise has given time to do the same even with people he usually only interacts with over WhatsApp calls! 

  We began a short furlough the end of June but even in Maryland, the Lord continues to build the Foster quilt binding us together with relationships we’ve been gifted, both present and past. We’ve had some sweet times with our daughters, sons-in-laws and grandchildren. All these relationships add a vibrance to our lives like no one else can!

  Friends we’ve been able to connect with while in the U.S., are helping to develop the ever evolving pattern to God’s creative work that we have grown to love and appreciate. People who encourage, challenge, build into, cry with, laugh with, pray with and feel all sorts of “feels” too.

  Just before we left for our furlough, we received word that three dear, long time friends had passed away unexpectedly. Upon arrival yet another two friends transitioned to be with the Lord. All of their departures were emotional for us. The ”permanence” of loss can feel like a tearing, where well placed threads stitched by God over the years are being snipped. Loss like this can be painful for sure. But the Lord reminded us that these connections in our lives haven’t been torn out, but rather they’ve been embroidered with His heart as a sort of ‘punctuation mark’. 

  All our lives are ongoing works of our good and creative Father. He brings us pieces and patches of relationships that He lovingly sews together and all the while, He’s engineering a piece of art. One that is unique and of high value. He’s doing that with us. He’s doing that with you. We never know who He’ll bring as the next piece to stitch or the next punctuation of embroidery He’ll add but let’s delight in the masterpieces He’s making of each one of us!

Rainy Season

It’s June now and dry season, (HOT and dry has begun). Rainy season this
year was short lived so we are back to soaking the gardens daily to keep the soil from hardening like cracked pavement.

When our partner Moses wanted to be more consistent in his walks AND he also
wanted to raise funds for Phase 2 for a Children’s Hall at his church plant in Buloba, we suggested we could combine two desires. Our daily walks, in preparation for our fundraising “Walkathon” event now begin predawn trying to finish our workouts in the cooler morning temps under the beautiful star lit sky.
Physical training for an event like this is something unheard of in western Uganda. People here work the soil daily and it’s hard work . They often walk 4-6 miles each way to their farms. They call it “Digging” which means hoeing, planting and harvesting the land. So it’s not like they don’t exercise.
They work hard to feed their families, to build or repair a home or pay their kids
school tuition…..not because they are fitness nuts like we are in the states.
The idea of something like a walk-a-thon isn’t something they can wrap their heads around!

Moses had participated in some 5k runs but nothing like a walk-a-thon. Pledging money is normal for weddings or burial expenses. But pledging to support a cause was unusual. Both Sarah and Moses were willing to give it a try so Paul and I took up the idea and the four of us have been faithful to stick with our training plan for the last 3 months. Next week we’ll test ourselves (along with a number of students and villagers) at the 1st Annual Walk & Not Faint 20k/15k Challenge!
Along with increased endurance and strength for our bodies, we’ve seen additional benefits. Paul and I have both lost some weight, gotten stronger, and we’ve had more time to invest in our friendship with Moses and Sarah. At times the walks have also allowed each couple to have “date” time away from the distractions and interruptions of life in a small village…………….especially a pastors life!


Our physical training also provided analogies for life here. The Bible verse “….let us run the race with perseverance, the race marked out for us”, (Hebrews 12:1b) has challenged us to focus our ministry goals too. God has set many courses for us over the years but has a specific course for us to “run” here. In sync with these goals, we’ve just wrapped up 3-modules of training in Kiburara. Teaching leaders Inductive Bible Study over the last 9-months. Like our physical training, this required endurance and focus.

Our leaders were excited to find they could learn so much from the scriptures with the right tools. Our discussions went deep and we learned a lot as we saw
how the people in the Bible dealt with some tough situations, cultural
craziness in the times they lived. The political and culture wars of our day pale in comparison to theirs!
During our final study of the Book of James, we began to visit home group meetings to see how they were understanding and incorporating the training.….so we held our breath in anticipation. The first home meeting, lead by Medius, was a group of mostly mothers and children. We met on the dirt patch in front of a small four room mud home, on chairs, benches and blankets. Worship and prayer were lively and expressive, with an accompanying drum to help keep the rhythm. Many in the group couldn’t read (just like in the early church), so Medius did an excellent job of investigating and sharing the “context” from her reading of the scripture (Who
wrote it? When? Why it was important to the church receiving the letter, etc.).

Here in Kiburara, there’s a genuine desire to apply what the Bible says, but if we don’t
understand the setting, background or culture at that time, things can easily be
misapplied. Context information is key to correctly discerning meaning and application of any text, even the newspaper.
This is especially true when we live thousands of years after the original text
was written……in completely different cultures!
As we visited the home meetings, we saw each leader own style shone through, and
we could see the four tools of context, observation, meaning then application
were being used. All the groups had good discussions and the group was interested to learn more from the Word! At our final leaders training, Medius (the first group we visited) told us that a number of neighbors, not part of the church, had begun attending their outdoor meetings because they were so interested. The churches they attend don’t encourage reading the Bible. One neighbors even volunteered to host the group so she could invite more of her friends to come! They had never heard the Bible explained in plain language, simple enough to understand, and then a discussion seeing new things!

Amazing how God will get His message out right?? Paul uses the same inductive method of study to prepare his Sunday Bible studies and we’ve also seen a ‘trickle down’ as other teachers are making context the first part of their sermons or teaching. What a difference that makes as the whole church benefits more and more as the congregation is engaging with scripture in a deeper way.


As God has woven our bible study training into our more recent 20k training, He’s
helped us fix our eyes on the goal. The Walk & Not Faint Challenge adopted the title
from Isaiah 40:31 “….they who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint.”

Since last September, we, at times have felt weary or weak. We’d set goals but wondered if there’d be measurable results from our investment. Per usual though, God has taken our small investment and used it to create something good!
The “Lord’s Ask” for all of us is that we remain faithful and committed to the process,
then trust Him for the results. Ultimately He is both the race designer and the coach
running beside us to the finish line. We continue to pray that more and more will come to know Christ as Savior, enter the race and in the end, cross the finish line with us.

Your support is so important to our finishing well! Blessed to be ‘running the race marked out for us’!
Paul & Mary

“April Showers Bring May Flowers”

“April showers bring May flowers” is an idiom in the U.S., but somehow this year, it’s very applicable in Uganda too! The spring rains were late in Kiburara, but with the April showers, we have seen a greening of all the farms around us and rapid growth for the seeds planted in February.

This holds true for the gardens Mary designed and planted around our home too. Sarah wanted something pretty and Moses something edible, so she produced a plan to incorporate the two…all close to the house so we could reclaim used water for garden use in the event of drought.

We planted vegetables among the flowers and more tropical plants, like pineapple, in the same space as our Irish potatoes and interesting shrubs. It is quite a mix, and we are watching over them as any gardener would, anticipating a nice variety when the various harvests begin.

Jesus often used nature to illustrate truths for us in parables and it is not lost on us how rhythms of Nature can parallel different seasons of growth in our lives. Just as we prepared the soil in our garden, (improving the ground to receive seed) we have seen how this early gardening period resembled our early months here in Uganda. A farmer trusts that early preparation done well, will help the plants to bear fruit and it is no different in our case!

When we arrived in September (eight plus months ago) we began little by little, to till the “soil” so to speak. New concepts and ideas are like new seeds that you can get excited about growing but that need the right soil mix to grow well. We were grateful that Moses and his different teams of faithful leaders, had already begun preparing for planting deeper discipleship which has been our main thrust.

Solid growth takes time and will continue to take more as we course correct here and there. But just like our physical gardens, we have begun to see wonderful ‘first fruits’ as we invest in lives in Kiburara (western region), and in Buloba (eastern region).

Our leader’s bible study group has completed two books of the Bible together using the inductive study tools we have shown them. A handful of leaders had had training of this sort, but for our groups, this was a brand-new concept. Consequently, the conversation around the scriptures were Mary and Paul heavy. As the weeks went on, the groups got livelier, and people felt free to think through (and speak about) what we were reading and studying together. The group really benefited by all the input and different perspectives, and we were repeatedly told how helpful this training has been for them.

April 30th, we began our third training module in Kiburara. This time, in addition to our study, we will regularly observe how our members lead their own groups in the study method. Hopefully, this opens a door to encourage and strengthen them as they take the process, make it their own and pass the skills to those they lead.

Our SUV has now arrived after clearing customs and registration. With this new addition we can begin thinking how to move out to other villages and ways we can ready those places for planting too! More good stuff ahead.

Just as there are areas of a garden that sometimes do not do as well as others (for a variety of reasons), we have also seen slower progress of our initiatives. Adjustments to our listening skills has been highlighted and the need to be better learners! We have done the assumption thing too much, missing clues we should have seen! With our groups we assumed that our attendees were at a certain level of understanding just because they attend meetings or enjoy talking to Murunga’s and foreigners.

For Mary’s part, the last trimester at Alpha & Omega High School was one of sparse yields. Weeks into the term, God revealed faulty assumptions she had made as she jumped into Ruth’s story with the girls. She did not see that the girls were limited in bible knowledge due to different church and home backgrounds. She had not done her prep work well, so her progress was delayed. Despite these missteps, the girls were interested enough to come, and we kept building friendships. She is grateful for that!

Paul has had a similar epiphany with his men’s fellowship group, and we have been discussing what shifts may be needed going forward. Pray that we can listen better to God and to others in the community, so we become more discerning of change that needs to happen. We desire to bear fruit that really matters and will last.

God continues to use all sorts of ways to teach us here. Our Kiburara church has been going through the book of Acts chapter by chapter. Paul has been able to teach bible study prior to the main sermon most Sunday’s, so we have enjoyed doing a deeper dive into what the first church of Jesus followers was like.

When the Book of Acts written by Luke, the same Luke who wrote the Gospel, it details the events of the early Christian church. Wow, there is wild stuff happening! Some highlights include – Jesus ascends back to His Father as his followers watch, Peter becomes an articulate public speaker, a big crowd hears the Gospel message (each in their own language), and thousands turn to follow Christ and join the disciples in Jerusalem. As events roll on, lame men are miraculously able to walk, others have prison chains and doors opened by angels and dead people are prayed back to life!

Here is the thing though, the people who followed Jesus were just ordinary people whose hearts were open to the new life found in Him. Yes, there were miracles happening, but their day-in and day-out living grounded their community in the deep, rich soil of scripture study……..God’s redemption story, in prayer to hear from and talk to God, as well as fellowship with one another that strengthened and encouraged them. It was from THIS place that the Spirit of God produced such amazing, life altering fruit and even the miraculous!

As make shifts in how we approach the discipleship work God’s called us to here, the growth and maintenance of our physical garden provides a regular visual of how we are to nurture people well too. We are to be good “farmers” teaching others to go deep into the rich soil of the Word and trust the harvest to God. We hope that you likewise will be better farmers in the fields God has called you to care for…wherever they are! Happy Spring!!!

MID-TERM REPORT

This goes without saying, but we need to appreciate and thank you anyway. Thank you so much for your financial, emotional, spiritual and prayer support these last six months.

It will be impossible to document all the beauties and challenges we have faced and overcome these past few months, but we will highlight a few.

Truth be told our transition here to Africa has been several years in the making. You see our son-in-law and daughter helped organize the first short term trip to Kiburara in 2008, after a casual conversation between two friends at a pastor training center in Maryland. Our church had sent teams, mainly college kids, to the annual youth conference, ever since.

The point is that God used my retirement as a catalyst to serious conversations about what was next. We had a passion for the work here in Uganda-and our health was good, but we didn’t think that CGM (Covenant Global Ministries) needed our help. In fact, we had already started the application process with another group in the eastern region, when Pastor Moses and his wife approached us and asked if we would work with them instead.

We prayed and sought council, and in March 2023 accepted his offer for a two-year volunteer assignment (working without pay). Our launch date of August 2023 was delayed because of a cycling accident in July when I suffered a hip fracture.

Once I had completed physical therapy, we flew out in mid-September. During the last six months we have attended burials, weddings, baptisms, commissioning’s, births, and other numerous activities.

Our core mission is to simply live out our “Christian Lives” here in this community the same way we would live our core values back in the states. As simplistic as that sounds it’s a pretty radical concept, and a transformative idea in this context. It is no small thing living authentic lives and modeling a stable marriage in a society that has been ravaged by tribal genocide and HIV-AIDs.

The median age here is fifteen years old, so at sixty-eight years old we are considered “elders”, and we are shown a great deal of respect. Our words carry authority not just because we are from the USA but because we have four wonderful daughters, three sons-in-law, six grandkids and a forty-six-year marriage (a LEGACY unheard of in this country).

Contextualization and culture adjustment was just the beginning. English is the official language, but we felt it would be important to learn the local tribal Rukiga language and learn the Ankole regional traditions. We get giggles and hear laughter as we attempt to speak the local dialect, but we also get tons of respect for trying.

In a nutshell here it is: three burials, four weddings, two commissioning’s (with 800-1500 guest), three baptisms (about fifteen participants each time), sixteen leadership training’s in “inductive biblical studies”, fifteen men’s mentorship meetings, and hosting a variety of missionaries and local missions’ workers.

One of our most significant achievements was Mary forming a young girl’s mentoring group to provide counseling services for at risk high school students. This was stressed as one of the most important needs in the community by Pastor Moses. They have also met twenty times in these past few months.

We have found our host country friendly, the people warm and willing to go out of their way for strangers. Reading our Monthly Newsletter has given you some of our funny anecdotes and the peculiarities of life in Uganda.

The abject poverty is difficult to understand in such a rich and fertile country, but once you get your head around the mismanagement and corruption at high levels it all makes sense.

We are not a “money giving organization, we are a people changing organization!” a local NGO Group once shared. Making that clear to the community has been an important step. Not a handout but a hand up.

Demonstrating an example of stability is truly a “paradigm shift” of huge proportions. “Change the way you think, and you change the way you act”, to paraphrase Stephen Covey’s book. Taking personal responsibility for your actions will change your outcomes.

So, as they used to say on the “Prairie Home Companion”, that’s all from Lake Woebegone, where the women are strong, the men are good looking, and the children are above average.

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