Living Like Kings! ... Working Like Priests!

June 7, 2011

To Him who loved us and washed us from our sins in His own blood, and has made us kings and priests to His God and Father, to Him be glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen.  (Revelation 1:5-6)

None of the members of the Band had an accurate imagination of what our 12 days together in Western Uganda would be like.  We knew we had been invited on a short term mission with Next Generation Ministries.  We knew that we would be singing our music.  But, we had little idea of what living together with a team of 15 would be like.


Friday, May 27th, nine members of the band had the amazing privilege of traveling from Kampala, Uganda to Mbarara, Uganda in the vehicle owned by Next Generation Ministries.  We loaded the drum set of NGM on top of the vehicle along with a 12 string guitar, bass and our luggage.  Some of our members had to remain at home for school or work, but because Paul and Pam Hunter, our team leaders for this mission, were also taking their two oldest granddaughters, Pastor Jeff Kasigwa of Kampala, and our driver, Peter Bukenya on the trip, we were limited to nine members:  Yves, Mukuki, Joseph, Hope, Robert, Serge Kazi, Jackson, Boris, and Sami.

Solomon, wife Lily, baby with Pam, Paul & granddaughters

After a full day of driving, we arrived in a small village outside of Mbarara called Ruti.  Ruti is the home of Pastor Solomon and his wife Lillian.  They volunteered to host our entire time in their house.  We had no idea how motivating our time with them would be.  We gathered for prayer at 6 AM each morning and had another hour of prayer and the Word just before bed each evening.  Sometimes the mission pushed our prayer late into the night, even going past midnight one evening!  But, we were so blessed by the love, leadership, and teaching of Solomon.  He is a young, but mature pastor who has the heart of a spiritual father.  He was a man who could make us laugh so much, but also have very serious times as well.  Can you imagine?!?

Solomon ... a spiritual father to Robyn & Blair

We spent five nights in this home of peace, joy, prayer and community.  Our first day we traveled to Isaka to minister to one of the fellowships of Kampala International University.  The Medical School is on this campus and we ministered to about 200 students in a jam packed classroom, with several dozens seated outside and looking through the windows.  Papa Paul preached from the first three chapters of Ephesians about the eternal purpose of God ... how God desired a family for Himself and a Bride for His Son ... even before the world was created.


Sunday morning, Papa Paul preached in two services to over 1500 people at the Evangelical Christian Church of Uganda.  Jeff sang a couple of songs and we sang in the second service.  Soon after lunch together we moved to a Praise and Worship session in Pastor Solomon's church until the sun disappeared behind the Rwenzori Mountains.

Papa Paul with interpreter

Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday, we sang in the Lunch Hour at the Evangelical Christian Church which runs from midday until 2 PM and again Papa Paul taught.  His subject was Relational Mentoring/Discipleship.  Monday evening we shared at a Workers Fellowship and Tuesday afternoon we ministered in a vocational/secondary school for disabled students.  It was a very moving experience.  Boris shared his life testimony and Papa Paul gave a short message followed by an invitation for students to give their life to Christ with about five students responding.


After a stimulating and fulfilling 5 days in Mbarara, the mission team traveled on Wednesday evening to Kamwenge.  Tomorrow we will write about our five days there and how we lived as kings.  For now, we were discovering how to be a part of a team of ministering priests during the first half of our mission.