Sept 27th Update

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Good afternoon! It's a VERY rainy Monday here in Mbale. The storm started about 30 minutes ago and there is already standing water outside. So far the internet is on. I'm crossing my fingers that this will work and you will get pictures even.
First, Moses is doing really well! His body is responding well to the medication and he looks lively again. As a matter of fact, on Thursday afternoon, I went over and spent a couple of hours with the kids singing and teaching them games. When I first got there, many of the children came running and yelling, "Pastor Laurie, you are welcome!" and throwing their arms around me. That's not unusual, but in the midst of it I heard this pleading groan from the veranda (the place the kids sit to eat). I looked up and there was Moses, with his hands raised towards me, pleading with his eyes for me to come and pay attention to him. Now, that IS unusual. It's the first time he has ever reached out to me and wanted to be a part of the kids' welcoming. It really touched my heart! I went and sat with him and talked, then he came and swayed while we sang and danced. What a great thing to see all the life returning to him! Thank you so much for praying. Our Father loves this little boy so much.
The first picture is from a "party" I went to yesterday with Betty and Rogers. The woman in the lavender gomes is Agnes, who has recently been saved and comes to everything we do now. Her relationship with Jesus is growing daily. The party was for her and was a kind of shower to help her. They have groups here called "one by one" which are promoted by the government to help people better themselves. There are 18 people in the group and for one of them each month, there is a party like this. That person invites all their friends, plus the people from their group. Everyone brings dishes or linens or money and gives them to the person. So, this was Agnes' party and she had invited Rogers, Betty and I. We were the "special guests," according to the invitation. That means we had to make a speech (Rogers did that...whew!) and I was asked to pray at the beginning of the function. Since the whole thing was in Luganda (the main language - of 40 - around Uganda), I didn't understand much. And because they didn't understand me, I prayed as I heard from the Lord. So, I prayed for all these people to get saved, etc.
The most interesting (negatively!) part of the party was it was to begin at 2:30pm. Rogers said we didn't have to go until about 4pm ("Pastor Laurie, these functions are on Uganda time, not American time."). We didn't leave the house until 4pm, so I was trying to hurry. After all, I was the special guest...or one of them. When we got there (about a mile from the house walking, of course), there were about 20 people there, and music was blaring, but Agnes still had 3 curlers in her hair and an old dress on. I wondered... Anyway, Rogers said he was going to walk on into town to do something and would be back. Betty and I sat there, me wondering and her sure of what was happening. Some people got up to dance to the music, and people slowly filtered in. Are you ready for this? The event actually did not start until 5:55! 3 hours and 25 minutes after it was scheduled to start and 1 1/2 hours after we arrived. The boy in the picture looked like I felt, although I tried to keep a cheerful appearance! The party was still going when we left as I had a phone appt and Rogers had a counseling appt. It was definitely a cultural experience!! Someday I will try to remember to tell you about the whole party - not really what we would call a party!
The second pictures is of some of the kids in Sunday School yesterday. The teachers were having them pray for each other and asked them to lay hands on each other to pray. Some of those in the picture are our Cornerstone kids and some are from the community. Here's your test: can you tell who are the kids from the orphanage?? Have you been studying their pictures? Write to me and tell me if you know who is who.
We have a team from World Race coming next week, and a Crusade in the Budaka area the next week. We are running hard to get everything done. Please be in prayer for us for the crusade that many will hear the Good News and respond to Jesus. We will be "crusading" in these villages and towns: Budaka (Mon/Fri), Kabuna (Tues), Kadaruna (Wed) and Naboa (Thurs). We are working with the pastors in those villages to help evangelize their villages. Our World Race team will be helping us in going door to door, and we will probably have at least some of them share their testimonies at the crusades.
May the Lord bless you today! Be full of His Spirit.
We all love and pray for you.
Laurie