As I look back on the events of the last little while, I feel like life is moving too fast! There are so many things going on and it's hard to just sit down and write about them.
First of all, today is our 30th Wedding anniversary! Hard to believe we have been together so long. We have raised 4 amazing kids, who have married 4 amazing spouses! We have 3 grandchildren with 3 on the way! We are excited to meet them when we get home in 7 months! We have been through wonderful and difficult times, like any other couple. We just feel very blessed to be where we are at this time. Here are a few photos from the past.
1992
2000
2004
Okay, when there are no kids in the pictures, I can't remember the dates... Haha!
2013
Anyway, it's been a fun ride for sure! Now on to mission news!
We received approval to create a branch just outside of Mbale. As I have written about the members of the church living here, I keep referring to it with different names. I apologize for that, and believe I finally have the right name. This second branch outside of Mbale town is called Mugiti Branch. It has been referred to as Palissa, Kabwangassi, Kamonkoli, and Mile 5. As President Collings and President Okello were taking care of interviews and finalizing the creation of the branch, the members in the area where the branch will be held, clarified the actual name of the village where they are meeting, and we received approval to make Mugiti the official name.
I'm repeating the story of this branch, so bear with me. President Collings and I were attending Mbale branch just over a year ago when President Collings asked President Etiang, the Branch President about a small group of members. He was told that there were about 25 people who live 1 1/2 hours away from the church. They had been members of the church for 2 to 3 years, and would walk regularly to church on Sunday. It would take them 2 to 3 hours of walking round trip, and then 3 hours in their meetings. The branch president said that people from this area were always early when they came, and would even arrive before the branch president arrived on Sunday morning. President Collings decided he wanted to hold a fireside in their village, and just get an idea of how many members were there. He also just wanted to share a gospel message with them to lift their spirits because he could see the sacrifice they made each Sunday to go to church. These people never complained or asked for a church closer to them, they just came faithfully to church for 2 to 3 years. On December 12, 2017 we went for the fireside, and 70 people were there. It was held at one of the members' property under a mango tree. They were so welcoming, and we really enjoyed the time we spent with them.
President Collings decided he would request that a group be formed so that the people could have sacrament meeting near their homes and didn't have to walk so far. He was very surprised to receive approval for the group to be created. On Friday, March 30, 2018 we organized to create a group in Mile 5. We told the members we would be there at 3:00 pm. President Collings and I were traveling from Kampala that day, which is a 5 hour drive. At 11:00 am, President Collings started receiving phone calls asking where we were. There were already over 70 people there waiting for us. When we arrived, there were about 175 people waiting for us. To our surprise, the members in this area had pooled their funds together and rented a tent, a sound system, and had even made enough food to feed the entire group. There were a lot of shouts for joy as we arrived and started the meeting.
Missionaries were sent to proselyte in that area, and there were consistent baptisms almost every week. Each Sunday there were between 80 to 90 people attending sacrament meeting. By December 2, 2018, almost exactly a year from the date of the first fireside, we received permission, and created an official Branch of the Church. The name was changed from Mile 5 to Mugiti.
The number of people attending church in Mugiti is higher than in some wards in Uganda. They are strong, faithful, dedicated men and women who have shown how much they love the Gospel of Jesus Christ by coming regularly to church, even when it was an hour and a half walk to get there.
The new Branch Presidency are very good men, and their wives are very supportive of them, and will be a blessing to them as they serve in their individual callings.
President Mpande with his two counselors
There was much excitement in the air as people were given callings, then set apart, and then they were taught and trained in their duties.
Each week on Saturday evening, a tent is erected among the houses and mud huts, in preparation for Sacrament Meeting the next day. The members all come and worship together. They invite friends and family members to church and share the message of the Gospel with those around them. They have Sunday school, Primary, Priesthood, and Relief Society classes, and even baptisms in a portable font. By Monday morning the tent is taken down. This will continue until a more permanent building is leased.
We are so happy for the members in Mugiti and Mbale. They have a very bright future.
While spending time in Mbale Town, we decided to take a preparation day with our missionaries. The plan was to drive to Sipi Falls and then go for a little hike up to the actual waterfall. President Collings and I have tried several times to go to Sipi Falls, but it seems like every time we try, something comes up.
Sadly, this time was no different... we got a few miles up the road and the missionaries in the van in front of us pulled over. They said the clutch had gone out. Sure enough, when they tried to pull forward again, nothing happened. They all got out of the van and turned it around by pushing it forward. Once turned around, it was facing downhill, and they were able to climb back in and coast for a while until it got in a higher gear.
We were able to get it back to the missionaries apartment without too much trouble, and were just glad it didn't break down on the narrow trail on the way to Sipi Falls. I'm starting to wonder if we will ever see it before we go home?
We ended up just driving back to Kampala, which is a 5 hour drive, while the missionaries played volleyball at the church. I think they still had a nice preparation day activity, and weren't too disappointed.
We did something a little bit different for Mission Leadership Council this month. We decided to take the missionaries to a very special and even sacred place. When we read in the scriptures, many times when God wanted to speak to his prophets, they would go up in the mountains. When you are in the mountains, there are very few distractions. It's quiet and peaceful. We even compared it to being in the temple. We may not have a temple in Uganda yet, but we do have mountains.(okay, hills...)
Our hike up the mountain started in a field of sugar cane. It was a really beautiful setting. We started with a hymn and prayer, and then asked the new leaders, and those who will go home after this transfer, to share their testimonies with the group. Then we started our hike. As we hiked, we sang church hymns. Every few minutes we would stop in the shade and the zone leaders from different zones would talk to us. We did this throughout the hike, and ended up at the top of the hill.
This next picture doesn't show what we saw, but I promise it's there. I took it to remind myself. When we got to the top of the hill and sat down for the rest of the training, there were butterflies EVERYWHERE! They were every size and color you could imagine. Black and white like zebras, bright blue, orange, yellow, even the white ones had these amazing tan patterns on them that made me think of the beauty of an antique gown. I thought once we got there that we would scare them away, but as we listened to the different leaders speak, they continued to fly around everywhere. I may have been the only one to appreciate it, but it was amazing and beautiful to me.
We had a meeting like this a year ago. The trail we hiked is in the Mabira Rainforest. The last time it was a beautiful hike, but once we got to the top the Heavens opened and the rain just let loose on us! This time it was just beautiful. We spent all the time we wanted and I felt like we were spiritually fed.
After the meetings, we all hiked back down the mountain to the vehicles.
One of our missionaries shared this picture with us. We had no idea he had taken it, but I really like it. It's a great memory to me of our journey together these past few years.
As we walked back down the mountain, I had to get a picture of the view from the top. I keep saying what a beautiful place Uganda is. I mean it! Everywhere I look it's green, lush, and beautiful. God's creations are so incredible.
After the hike and meeting, we stopped at Cafe Jungle for lunch. This place is so nice! We called ahead of time because we didn't want to overwhelm them with trying to cook for almost 30 people. They were prepared for us. There was plenty of food, and we didn't hardly have to wait at all. The owner is a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. He was so grateful that we stopped for lunch there, that he gave us all drinks, free of charge! They are located right next to the Oryx gas station on the West side of the Mabira Rainforest, right before you enter the forest. I highly recommend stopping there. Very good food, very clean restaurant, and very good customer service.
By the way, the Mtn Dew belongs to other missionaries, haha! Our drinks are hidden behind the ketchup bottle. We pushed them aside for the picture.
I'm trying my best to get in the Christmas Spirit. It's so difficult when I grew up with snow every year for Christmas, or at least cold weather. It has been pleasant here. In fact it has rained several times a week, which is not normal. We are supposed to be in the dry season right now. I'm not complaining. It feels more like winter and Christmas when the sky is cloudy and the temperatures are lower (70 degrees, haha).
With that being said, I decided to invite the sister missionaries who are in Kampala to come to the mission home for some Christmas Baking, to help me with the Christmas Spirit. This year the missionaries are participating in the "Light the World" campaign. This week it focused on lighting your community. When I invited the sisters over, I talked to them about some of the fun traditions we have in the United States. The tradition I focused on is giving neighbor gifts. None of the sisters have made sugar cookies before, so we baked and frosted sugar cookies. I gave them the recipe so they could go home and bake more. Then I challenged them to "Light their community" by sharing a plate of cookies with their neighbors or people they are teaching. If not a plate of cookies, maybe think of something else they can do to light their community.
We then talked about the traditions they have in their families and even in their countries. We have sisters serving from South Africa, Zimbabwe, Zambia, Ghana, Kenya, and Uganda. It was fun to hear some of the fun traditions they have. We have a lot in common... mostly eating together.
Later we talked about the rest of the Light the World campaign. Next week they focus on lighting their families. We talked about some ways they can do that as missionaries. They talked about what they should share as they send their weekly email, but also what they can do for their companions, who are like their family while they are serving missions.
The final week of December we will focus on Lighting our Faith. As missionaries we spend a lot of time studying, pondering, praying, and relying on the Holy Ghost. It's a special opportunity to light our faith for the whole time we are serving, but we decided to talk about what more we can do to light our faith during this Christmas season. They talked about stretching themselves more by setting higher goals and then working as hard as they can, with faith that they will be able to accomplish those goals. They also talked about how they will work hard to develop Christ like attributes. It is interesting that the best way to light your own faith is to focus on service to others. Being on a mission is a very special time to celebrate Christmas. It can be one of the most spiritual holidays we can ever experience. This is when it really isn't about the material things, but more about Jesus Christ.
Several weeks ago, President Collings baptized Sister Agnes. She was a young woman who reached out to him online asking to know more about the church. She is already starting to be a great missionary. We invited her and two of her friends to have dinner with us on one of our date nights. Agnes is going to school to become a nurse. She brought two of her friends who are also in nursing school. They have both been to church and have even started meeting with the missionaries. They had several questions about the Gospel that we were able to answer for them. It was such a great night.
We have had to spend quite a bit more time in the mission office lately because we don't have a senior couple. The missionaries working in the office are doing a fine job, but we still need to help out a bit. President Collings does the missionary interviews in the office instead of the mission home, which can be pretty fun. This week, President Okello decided to act like he was a missionary waiting to be interviewed. He tried to hide his identity, and almost got in trouble because of the hat and glasses!
We all thought it was pretty funny!
We also had three missionaries leave on their missions, and two go home. We didn't get pictures of all of them, but I got a few. Geoffrey Tindiwensi has been trying to go on a mission for over a year. We honestly thought he would not be able to go, but he received his mission call, and reported to the MTC this week, along with Sister Engola and Elder Wasswa. We are so happy for them. They will be great missionaries.
Sister Engola's father and aunt came with her to Kampala while she was being set apart. We spent a nice time with them before she went to the airport.
We were happy to receive Elder Wabwire home from his mission. We remember when he was set apart and left for his mission. We can't believe how quickly the time goes. He will be a great blessing to his branch in Busia.
We also had to say goodbye to one of our missionaries serving here, who returned to the United States. Elder Denison was an amazing missionary who served diligently and faithfully to the end. We are sorry to see him go, but know he will be blessed for the amazing service he gave. We look forward to seeing him when we return home in a few months, and wish him all the best.
President Collings is the church leader for all the districts and branches that are not in the stakes of our mission. There are 13 branches and 2 districts with an additional 6 branches in the districts, so he oversees 19 branches in 3 countries. Then there are 3 stakes which are presided over by stake presidents. We have 147 missionaries serving in all the branches, districts, and stakes. On top of all that, there is a unit called the Mission Branch. This comprises all the individuals and families who are members living in Uganda, but are too far from any branches. There are over 200 members who are in the Mission Branch. Many joined the church in Kampala, Jinja, Addis Ababa, or Kigali, as well as in other areas like North America and Europe. Then they returned to their homes which were outside of branch or stake boundaries. These individuals and families worship in their homes. They hold sacrament meetings with their family. They pay their tithing to the mission instead of to a bishop or branch president. They can still baptize their family members, and even go to the temple, but because they are so far away from any organized unit of the church, the meetings are done in their homes.
One young man who is part of the mission branch is named Brother Oweka. He joined the church when he was working in Jinja. He served a two year mission in Ghana Accra West, and then returned to Jinja. He was called as the Stake Clerk, where he served faithfully. Several months ago, he returned to his home in Paidha, Uganda. He has kept in close contact with President Collings, and although he no longer is able to go to church in a building on Sundays, he worships in his home with his family. President Collings decided to go visit Brother Oweka and meet his family members. This is an area that is about 3 to 4 hours from the closest branch, and probably won't become a branch for a few years, but it was such a wonderful opportunity to minister to this family, and enjoy their hospitality.
Brother Oweka
His sister and nephew
His brother, sister in law, niece, and a neighbor
A large group of extended family members who shared an amazing meal with us.
By special request from Brother Oweka's family, here is a picture of their entire compound.
President Reagan Opar, who is the Branch President of Gulu Branch, was offered a new job opportunity, and will be transferred to Kampala in the coming weeks. This means Gulu needed a new branch president. We spent Sunday in Gulu, where President Collings and President Okello interviewed, called and set apart a new Branch President, President Lubangakene Joel. He called the same counselors as the previous branch president. We are looking forward to continued growth of this amazing branch of the church. There were 130 members attending today. All very happy to sustain the new branch president. There was a great feeling in the meetings today.
Picture of a previous Branch President, Patrick Kumaketch with his growing family.
One more fun fact: Bardege, the other branch in Gulu town, has outgrown it's current building. They have been meeting in this building which was previously a home. They used two of the rooms as a chapel, but no matter how we tried, no more people could fit in the building, and people are continuing to join the church in Bardege branch. We are now building a new chapel right next to the current building. So when it's finished, sacrament meeting can be held in the new chapel, and we can still use the current building as classrooms. It was really fun to see the progress being made on the new chapel. This will be a great blessing as the church continues to grow in Gulu town. Attendance at Bardege branch today was 95.
When we come to the Northern Branches, President Collings and I are able to stay in lodging that is within the national parks here. It's comfortable, and close enough to be convenient. As we were driving to the lodge, there were two elephants blocking our way in the middle of the road. They weren't in any hurry to move. It was fun to see.
Then, as we were driving to church today, we saw a hyena sitting right next to the road. We stopped and fumbled around a bit for a camera, which gave the hyena time to walk away a bit, but we were really happy to catch a picture!
