Check out ARM's Facebook Page!

Over the last week I have been working on updating ARM's Facebook Page with new pictures, status updates, links, and much much more...

Make sure you check it out at: www.facebook.com/AfricaRenewalMinistries and let us know what you think!!

Be Blessed...

Communications & Curriculum...

Over the past several years I have been mostly focused on curriculum development here in Uganda...I have enjoyed seeing the fruits of my labor so far, especially as the first batch of students in the child development diploma at Africa Renewal Christian College prepare for graduation!!

Now, after 3 years of mostly doing curriculum, ARM has asked me to help assist in the communications department.  Some days I can't help but feel inadequate for the job, knowing that I have never studied marketing or communication - but it is on those days that I am reminded that God can use anyone to lift up and glorify His name!

Please keep me in your prayers as I work on balancing my new tasks in the communications department with my continued work on ARM's leadership curriculum!

CONDO VIEWING!!!

It's that time...Time to come and check out my condo that is for rent!!


When: JAN 21st, 2012, 11am - 3pm

Where: 8710 Independence Ave, Canoga Park, CA 91304

Who to Contact: Trudy @ (866) 884-4239 ext. 8230

Email Contact: 8710rental@sbcglobal.net

What: Click here for details & pictures of the condo for rent

CONDO AVAILABLE - JAN 2012!!!

If you missed out on your opportunity to rent my place in Canoga Park, CA last time it was available, NOW IS YOUR CHANCE! It is being offered at a REDUCED PRICE!!

$1,575 per month with $1,000 security depost and will be available Jan 14th, 2012!

Here are some pics of the place, please note that the pics show the unit furnished, however it is being offered unfurnished at this time:

It is important that I get the place rented as soon as possible so if you are interested, or someone you know is interested...please feel free to contact me at: 8710rental@sbcglobal.net

Here are some of the details:

• 2 bedroom, 2 bath condo in Canoga Park California
• 1,218 sq ftHardwood floors throughout
• Granite in kitchen and baths
• his/her sinks
• wood burning fireplace
• all appliances included (refridge, stove, microwave, washer/dryer)
• free water
• shared pool/jacuzzi
• 2 balconies
• 2 underground parking spaces
• central ac/heat
• top floor unit in a quiet building
• Central location, near 101 and 118 freeway access
• Sorry...no pets allowed
• Price: $1,575 per month with $1,000 security deposit required

This is below what I pay on it every month so you are getting a deal!!!

Contact: 8710rental@sbcglobal.net

Sneak Peak...

ARM (otherwise known as Africa Renewal Ministries) is celebrating it's 20th year and as a result I have been helping put together a celebration magazine...it is filled with stories about the organization, successes they have had, and how far they have come over the last 20 years. As we were working on success stories for the Mwangaza Choir pages, I realized that I too had a success story about the choir that I could share...Parts of this story will be in the magazine, but I figured I would share it with those of you who may never see the magazine in print...for those of you who will see the magazine, consider this your "sneak peak",

If it were not for ARM’s very first choir, sent to Californi

a in 2004, I don’t think I would be living, working and serving in Uganda Today.

I first discovered the country Uganda, sitting in Cornerstone Community Church, Simi Valley, California. I remember the music and the rhythms, but even more so I remember the testimonies of the children who had faced so many challenges in their young lives but had the determination to love Jesus and share Him with the world. It was in my seat that night that I felt God telling me…”Go, go to Uganda”…

You would think that I would have ran out of my seat and talked to my missions pastor that second, but being a procrastinator, I didn’t…I did however go to the back table and signed up to start supporting a young girl who lived in Ggaba. It was the first time I had ever given to anyone or any cause outside of my own little church circle and I loved feeling like I was doing something so outside of myself, even if I hadn’t actually done anything with Gods call “to go, go to Uganda”…That was in 2004...

(Mwangaza's Choir - 2004)

It was 2 years later when the second choir returned to my church that I realized I had been disobedient to God and what he asked me to do 2 years previously. I sat again listening to the music but mostly praying during that concert, “God if you want me to go, you need to do it because I don’t know how”…in my usual fashion, I went to the back table and sponsored another 2 children. I was up to 3 now, but still had never set foot on Uganda’s soil.

(Mwangaza's Choir - 2006)

It was a few weeks later that God opened up a huge opportunity and I was invited to go on a short term trip to Uganda with some members of my church. I went with them in Nov. 2006 and my life has never been the same. Before traveling to Uganda, I was always the one who planned trips to different places around the world and then ticked them off my list when I returned…determined to explore the world in my lifetime. But when I returned from Uganda, I didn’t tick it off my list…instead I found myself saying, “As long as I keep going back to Uganda, I don’t care if I ever go anywhere else”.

I returned again to Uganda in 2007, trying to tell myself that I was just called to go on short terms there, but God showed me through the pastors at my church and through the people in Uganda, that he wanted me in Uganda, LONG TERM.

I finally submitted to God’s call for me, when I moved to Uganda in July 2009, and I have to say that it has been the greatest blessing in my life. In Mark 10 God says that those who leave their homes, their families, and their land for him will receive 100 fold and I have found that to be true in my own life. Some days I smile and thank God for making Uganda just for me…I know that is silly because he didn’t make it just for me, but the blessings he has poured out in my life in the few short years I have been here make it feel that way. I can’t imagine my life anywhere else, and I am so blessed to be working alongside the very organization that sent Mwangaza choir all those years ago and helped me realize God’s calling on my life!

(Me and my co-workers at ARM Headquarters, Sept 2011)

Thank you ARM for being faithful, keep up the good work because you are making an impact for the world!

Birthday Clowns...

I don't know about you but usually I find clowns odd and creepy, but last weekend, I found one that was quite entertaining...one who danced, and had jokes, and mocked the kids (but in a good way) haha...it was very fun! So here are some pics, from our 3 year old cousin's bday...enjoy :)

Concert Mania...

Well...Okay, not quite mania (being that it was more of a jazz concert) BUT still sooo sooo good!

This month we checked out one of our local musican's here in Kampala, Maurice Kirya, and honestly...it was great! I was very impressed, not only by the music but also by the venue...!

Proof that missionaries in "far off places" can still go out and have a great time :)- and proof for some of you that I don't pass by lions on my way to work... (you know who you are!)

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Now, for the funny part of the concert, and probably only funny for those of you who know my sister Barbara and I when we go out...but check it out...I found our twins...the chick in the white sweater was SOOO me (actually, I have that exact sweater but in black, so yes, sooo me) and the white chick was a dancing fool, just like Barbs...it was sooo funny to watch them that I had to snap the picture, even if i knew the quality wasn't going to be so great!

Definitely my Mother's Daughter...

The other day I got myself all "dolled" up for a fancy wedding at the local 5-Star resort...My sis covered me in make-up, we did my hair and of course had to take some pictures afterward...

When I looked at the pictures I couldn't help but laughing as I realized I have become my mother...

It was soooo funny because I could see some of her expressions in me, which apparently I never see without the camera...

So these pics are for those of you who know my mother, and want a glimpse of what she looked like when she was around my age!

I know...its a little scary right (esp the last one...you guys might as well just call me Teri...) humm?!

Curriculum Consultant...

Wow...I can't believe it has been about a month since I posted on this blog! SOOOO SOOOO Sorry!

It seems time has escaped me as I dove into my language studies!

While I am still in no way fluent in Luganda, I have a better grasp on it for sure and I hope to continue to learn and grow in my language skills in the next few months and years! Please be praying for my brain...I think I have sprouted some new gray hairs on my head because of all this thinking and learning, but yes, its worth it...and there is always dye to cover the gray!!!

Unfortunately, my 6 months of full-time language study has ended...but yet a new chapter has started! As promised, I am now in ARM headquarters helping them with their leadership curriculum. The goal of the curriculum is to ensure that when their children leave the sponsorship program, they are able to be examples of servant leaders to the community around them. This curriculum revision is set to take 4 months, then I will transition back to my position at ARCC (aka...GBI).

Soooo, as some would say..."that's the skinny" and thanks for your continued reading, despite my prolonged absence! I hope to be a little bit better at updating this in the near future!!!

GBI gets a new look and a new name :)

Ever since GBI moved out of Gaba, our school name has been somewhat awkward, especially when meeting new people...usually my conversations went something like this...

"Where do you work?"

Me: "At Gaba Bible Institute"

"Oh okay, I know where Gaba is"

Me: "Well, its called Gaba Bible Institute because we used to be in Gaba but now the school is in Buloba."

"Buloba?! That's far!"

Me: "Well, its not too far and the plus is that now we have a nice new campus with lots of space!"

"But why is it still called Gaba then?"

Me: "Well, we will change our name soon but we are waiting for when we apply for a new accreditation from the National Council"

"Oh, okay"

SOOOOOO all that to say, now my conversations can be easier - I can just picture them:

"Where do you work?"

Me: "Africa Renewal Christian College"

"Oh okay, thats cool, where is that?"

Me: "Buloba..."

So there you have it, GBI is now ARCC or "Africa Renewal Christian College" and our new logo, well, I think its pretty cool :)

Revisions and Additions...

This summer has been a busy one...and yes, I realize it has just begun!

Amidst all of my luganda learning, I have also been helping GBI with Curriculum revisions and additions. Each week I meet with 2-5 people who are each learning how to write curriculum...

I am excited for the much needed revisions in our English and Computer programs and I am also interested in our future additions (Bachelors Degrees)...hopefully coming next year sometime!

Please continue to pray for me and my curriculum writing buddies! Pray for wisdom, insight, creativity, depth and determination...all very important traits we need to write curriculum that will stand out above the rest!

Uganda...A Fresh Perspective...

We have all seen it on tv and in pictures...the dirty, fly ridden kid, with tears in his eyes sitting in a slum...and yes, we do have those here in UG BUT I want you to see the pictures you don't ever see...A glimpse of what real life looks like here in Uganda...

Our International Airport - This is what you would see when you first arrive in UG

Inside of Entebbe Airport, Complete with Duty free stores...

Around Town...This is Kampala Road in the heart of our capital city. The Brown building with red letters on the left is our main post office...this is where I pick up packages sent to me :)

This is a Friday Night at Emin Pasha, a local hotel/restaurant/spa - On Friday nights they have a jazz band called Qwela...it's a great night to snack on good food, listen to good music and hang out with your friends!

This is Cafe Java's...it's kind of like our version of starbucks but it is also a full restaurant with all the "american" food you could want...My fav...An Iced Mocha and a Chicken Salad Sandwich.

This is Garden City, one of our malls. It comes complete with a casino, bowling alley, movie theatre, dance club, and food court.

Here's a peak inside Garden City, this is one of our grocery store chains called Uchumi. This particular grocery store also hosts a christian book store and electronics shop.

In Uganda, we drive on the left hand side and rather than having traffic lights everywhere we use these roundabouts at intersections.

This is the inside of the National Theatre, every few months they host musicals and plays here. My Ugandan sister Barbara is part of the theatre group so she can often be found singing on this stage.

This is the parliament building in the center of Kampala

This is where my sister Barbara works and one of our best options for car insurance.

Our football stadium, home to the Uganda Cranes...This is called Mandela Stadium

Kampala is home to many international schools, this one is KISU, which is a school for primary through high school age kids. My friend Jeff's kids go here...they have an amazing school campus!

Here is our national bank, Bank of Uganda...some of my Ugandan family members work here as managers and economists.

Yumm...another great food spot here in town is called Faze 2 - This is great for lunches or candle lit dinners.

This is downtown Kampala, the building you see straight ahead is home to many little shops BUT is also home to my church (Calvary Chapel Kampala) - the top floor is our sanctuary, and the one right below it are the church offices and sunday school rooms.

This is the Kololo airstrip with a great view of our capital city...large events are usually held here, such as concerts, fairs, motorcross events and political speeches.

Our golf course, in the center of our city...its soooo beautiful that it almost makes me want to learn how to play golf...humm...

This is the Speke, it is a hotel about 5 minutes drive from my house and has this amazing pool, house back riding, and water sports...It also has some great Indian food :)

The Sheraton Hotel...They have a great little dance club here where they like to play old skool music (60's-90's) videos...If you want to dance to the "YMCA" song, this is the place to do it :)

And...last but not least on my little tour of Kampala is the Serena Hotel...Its also a great place with an amazing seafood buffet and a lake in the lobby.

I hope you enjoyed my little tour...I am hoping this will help clear up the questions I get about how many wild animals I see on my way to work everyday! I'm also hoping some of my long lost friends from Cali may want to come visit me and this city I call home :)

The 2 Year Mark...

Today I have officially been in Uganda for 2 years...I arrived here on July 1st, 2009 and its so odd because sometimes it feels like I have been here for SOOO long, then other times it feels as if I have just arrived...

Either way, It is becoming more and more evident to me that I have not stood on US soil for awhile...I have forgotten what its like in some ways...I have forgotten names of streets, food places, and directions. I have friends who were single when I left who are now married with children...it's all a little surreal!

Despite that though, I enjoy this new life of mine and I am looking forward to many more anniversaries here in Uganda! Now I just need someone to toast this special day...champagne anyone??

Change the World...

This is a story I heard from a friend of mine today...I liked it and thought I would share it with the rest of you...

The Egg:

The Egg starts out with a hard shell and a soft inside BUT after putting it in boiling water, it changes and develops a harder inside.

The Carrot:

The Carrot starts out hard BUT after putting it in boiling water, it changes and becomes soft.

The Coffee:

The Coffee, goes into the boiling water and rather than changing the beans the water is changed.

So should we be...we shouldn't be changed by our world and our environment but we should strive to leave our own impressions on it, we should in essence go into the world and change it

The moral of the story...be like the coffee and forever leave your mark on this little place we call earth...

The FUTURE of GBI!

2006 was the first time I stepped foot in Gaba, at that time GBI didn't exist...

In 2007, I once again stepped foot in Gaba, this time it was in a 2 story white house which was being turned into what is now known as Gaba Bible Institute...at that time, it didnt look like much and didn't have much! Most of the books were from the 1960s and there were very few people on the campus.

In 2010, the 2 storied house was falling apart but the school itself had started to prosper...we had gained accreditation, we had newer books, student desks, and more students and staff. The school was in such a bad state though, that the 2nd floor of our school was condemned and the students studied outside under tents...

In 2011...the state of our school changed dramatically...and God blew me away with what he could do. We moved into our new campus, which was no longer a rented house, but consisted of 18 acres of land for us to grow into.

AND NOW...while none of us but God can know the future, we can get a glimpse of where GBI is headed...I am soooooo blessed to be apart of this! Thank you for praying! As I see God continue to do amazing things everyday through Gaba Bible Institute, I can truly say, I can not even imagine what he still has in store for us! For we are TRULY blessed!

Time for Change...

It has been 3 years since I have had this blog and well...I think its time for a change so here is the new and improved look for this blog!

You may remember the old blog...it had a picture of Gaba Port at the top with the words "Send Me"...well now that I have been living in Uganda for 2 years...it is quite obvious that you have indeed "sent me"...

As you know GBI spent its first 3 years in Gaba on the shores of Lake Victoria...hence the picture of Gaba Port, BUT God has blessed us with our own campus and so my new picture on the top of this blot is of GBI's New Buloba Campus! I am so excited to see how God uses this campus, the workers and the students who are here!

Thank you again for being a part of sending me...and keeping me here in Uganda! I am truly blessed to be on this journey as I watch God work in Uganda.

Hell???

Yesterday in church our pastor talked about hell...he talked about the option in the bible that God will ultimately give us...either we use him as our cornerstone on which to stand or he will be the cornerstone that crushes us.

Now I know alot of people feel uncomfortable when talking about hell...some want to believe that only "evil" people will go there, others want to believe that it doesn't exist at all, or still others like to joke about how fun it will be there because all the people who like to "party" will be there. I do think its something everyone needs to consider when they decide what they want to believe in and for some reason the topic has come to my attention in the last few weeks several times. I don't know if its because its something that I dodge in my conversations with people or what, but for some reason I think it needs to be something we talk about.

This morning when I woke up, I saw a video on facebook about the very same topic...it was a video from my pastor in California. I think he explains it very well, so rather than re-create what he was trying to say, I will just re post the video here. It is thought provoking and challenging...in a very good and much needed way.

Luganda Proverbs...

One of my assignments in language school is to memorize some of the Luganda proverbs we have...if you know anything about me though, you know my memorization skills are TERRIBLE! So I thought I would share a few of the proverbs here in an attempt to aid in my memorizing!!!

These are just a few from a book of over 1000 proverbs I have, I am giving you just the literal translation...see if you can figure out what the meaning behind them are - (hint: I gave you easy ones)...As with any proverbs in any country these will also give you a little view of what culture looks like in Uganda!

"Abali awamu, tebalema kuyomba" - People who live together cannot fail to have quarrels

"Abangi babi kulya, balungi mirimu" - A crowd is bad for eating, but good for work

"Ab'oluganda bwe bayomba, tossaayo kikyo" - You should not give an opinion when 2 relatives are quarrelling.

"Agenda gy'amanyi, tazibirirwa budde" - One who travels to a familiar place does not worry about arriving in the dark.

"Akatono, kekazzza omukwaano" - A small gift strengthens a friendship

"Akozesa emikono gye, tabulwa ky'aalya" - One who uses both hands, cannot fail to eat

Happy Birthday Barbs!

I'm glad you were born :)

Ooops!

I realized today that it has been almost a month since I posted anything here and in addition to that, I am pretty sure I also missed my email update which was supposed to go about two weeks ago...

But don't fear...I haven't fallen in a ditch and died or run away never to be found again...

Its amazing to me that the more language learning I do, the more tired my brain becomes and therefore the thought of writing anything, in any language, in any medium, has become quite the task. In fact, most days I even have trouble answer questions after 4pm!

I sure hope all this new input doesn't push out anything important that is already stuck in my brain!! haha...it sounds weird but it is a very real possibility at this point!

I promise to try harder and post more often!!!