For the past week, since we got back home from Uganda, Africa on Thursday, January 30th at 5:40 pm, from approximately 30 hours of flight and layovers, Karen and I have been getting oriented to resting and sleeping on central standard time again. I (Milton) have also been loading pictures and videos on my Macbook and getting ready to present our mission trip to some local churches who desire emphasis on glocal (global and local) missions. It would take pages and pages to write a detailed account of the trip. Here is a brief narrative of the highlights of our mission journey - as brief as possible. Please forbear any misspelled words, especially cities and names.
We left on January 18th at 11:30 am from Nashville airport, to Detroit, from Detroit to Amsterdam, Holland, from Amsterdam to Entebbe, Uganda via a one hour layover at Kigali, Rwanda airport. The total flight and layover time was approximately 30 hours. I slept maybe one hour total on the trip. I Never understood how some were seemingly sleeping like babies on the plane. We arrived at Entebbe airport on January 19th at 11:30 pm, which is nine hours ahead of Nashville time. We were transported by taxi with Bishop Ntezimana James, National Overseer of Uganda, and two of his staff to the Mum Resort Hotel in Iganga, Uganda three hours from Entebbe airport. I got my first ride in a Ugandan taxi. What an experience. I'm glad it was night. I closed my eyes and prayed. Later we were taxied during the daytime and I prayed harder but it was an exciting ride.
We arrived at the hotel at approximately 2:30 am, Monday, January 20th, Uganda time. It is a Hotel with high built concrete walls around it and a large iron gate. The guard let us in with his assault rifle in hand. We were thankful for the room and feeling safe. Most every substantial business (bank, supermarket, etc) in Uganda is protected by armed guards with assault rifles. When you enter a bank, you are scanned by a metal detector. The Mum hotel is where we were housed for ten nights and days. We were transported in and out each day mostly by taxi or by Bishop James's vehicle. We slept or tried to sleep until about 9 am the next morning (Monday) and had continental breakfast in the dining area of the hotel with Bishop James and Mama Winnie (his wife). This was our breakfast each morning provided with the room. It was fruit (usually pineapple and watermelon and sometimes oranges and passion fruit), one type of dry cereal flakes, hot tea or coffee, milk, orange juice or passion fruit juice, bread or toast, butter, beef sausage, some cooked veggies and sometimes eggs cooked the way you ordered.
After getting up late on Monday January 20th and eating breakfast, we rested most of the rest of the day. This was strongly suggested by Bishop James. We also took time to orient ourselves to the hotel. We had dinner in the hotel dining area in the late evening ordered from their menu. The first day we also fellowshipped some with Bishop James and Mama Winnie in the dining area. We rested again as much as possible late that evening and night. On Tuesday, January 21st after breakfast, Bishop James took us to the bank where we exchanged US dollars for Ugandan shillings. The shillings were necessary for purchasing in Uganda. You could buy with dollars but would not get the best exchange. The first bank we went to, the exchange rate was 2415 shillings per dollar. I exchanged several hundred dollars since I knew the room would be 90,000 shillings per night or about 40 dollars including any meals except the provided continental breakfast. After going to the bank, Bishop James transported us to the location of the Uganda, Church of God of Prophecy National Convention. Just before we left, He advised me that I was to preach. I knew I was on program twice for the convention but this was the first I heard about the pre-convention speaking.
There at the convention site, Joy Dominion Academy in Jinja, Uganda, about 50 people were already involved in intercessory prayer and worship in the main auditorium. People were walking the floor praying and worshipping. Bishop Sylvester Seseka, District Overseer of the Jinja district and National Evangelist for Uganda, was leading the worship and prayer. As we entered the building we sensed the presence of the Holy Spirit. It was a powerful feeling of God's presence. In a while, the praying and worship subsided and Bishop James addressed the group and encouraged continued intercessory prayer. He then introduced us. My wife Karen, my daughter Sarah and I greeted them. I also greeted them for Bishop E. C. McKinley, State Overseer of TN and Bishop Gary Riley, Area Presbyter of our District.
Then Bishop James called me to come up on the stage to preach. At that moment the passage came to me in Luke 18:1-8. God anointed me for the next 20-30 minutes to preach a message on Persistence In Prayer Brings Faith. Bishop Seseka translated. The Holy Spirit blessed greatly. I was so thankful for God's presence. People were rejoicing and continued worshipping and praying. After the group was dismissed we fellowshipped outside under a shade tree with Bishop Seseka, National Youth Director, Jamin Siminyu, Secretary of Convention, Patrick Baraza and Bishop James and Mama Winnie. I could hear the intercessory group continue in prayer. They had moved to buildings just up the hill from the main auditorium.
There were many kids and teens at the convention. From the time we arrived (even at the hotel and down the dirt street) until we left, Karen and Sarah connected with the children and spent much of their time visiting, praying with and holding them. Mothers at the convention would bring their smaller children to be held by "Mama" Karen and for her to bless them. Sarah connected with the older children and teens and made many pictures inside the building and outside with them. She also had her hair weaved into corn rows by one of the members who is professional hair dresser. Being with the children, holding them, loving them and blessing them was a highlight for all of us, especially Karen and Sarah. I will never forget looking into the eyes of Ugandan street children in Kampala and Busia, of all ages, begging for money, food and anything anyone would give them.
We were transported back to the hotel later that evening where we ordered dinner with Bishop James and Mama Winnie. The talapia fish is one of their delicacies and we enjoyed it greatly. They served various chicken and beef dishes along with some veggies. Also we enjoyed the African tea (chia) with pure sugar-cane sugar. We had plenty of bottled water as we were were advised not to drink from the public water supplied to the hotel. The shower was connected to the bathroom wall right next to the toilet with a drain in the floor. It was sufficient and we were thankful. We were not sure where we would be housed and were thankful for "some" air conditioning in the room, running water, commodes and showers. We fellowshipped and rested Tuesday night, were up, cleaned up and ready to eat at 8 am on Wednesday. After breakfast, we journeyed back to the convention venue around 10:30 am where people were continuing in prayer and worship that started at 6 am. I also preached the noon message, "Know God, Be Strong, Do Exploits," from Daniel 11:32b and Philippians 3:10. Patrick Baraza translated. God blessed and helped me with another unplanned message. Glad the Bible encourages to be instant in season and out and friends and family were praying back home.
People came to the convention in 14 passenger taxis or larger number passenger buses and when they arrived they were there on campus until the convention was over Sunday, January 26 at 1:30 pm. Bishop James announced that no one was to go outside the gates until the end of the convention. The campus is fenced all around with a large iron gate on the front. The men were housed in dorms on pallets or mattresses and the women and children stayed in separate dorms on pallets and mattresses. There were no air-conditioners or electric fans anywhere on the campus. The women prepared meals of rice, beans, a steamed banana dish, pineapple, watermelon, roasted or boiled chicken, beef and other veggies for the delegates who ate two meals a day during the convention - one at around 1:30 pm and one after the evening service around 8-9 pm. The delegates ate mostly beans and rice on the grounds, with their hands after washing them - their customary way of eating. Karen and Sarah helped the ladies at one point, separate the beans and rice and stir the rice in a huge pot over the open fire. The food is from the agricultural society (mostly worked by hand with picks and hoes) that the Ugandans live and work in. There are a few tractors who hire out to break farm and garden ground and some teams of yoked oxen hire out to break ground. We (the guests) also ate the same two meals each day of the convention in a building where we were fed. We also had fruit and meat and spoons, forks, knives and usually a soft drink - orange, sprite, coke, bitter lemon, and other Ugandan soft drinks. The fellowship during the meals was a highlight for us. We ate together, laughed together and conversed together. There were no fast food restaurants. I never saw a McDonalds, Wendy's, Sonic or any other fast food place. There were some local restaurants serving much the same food that we ate at the convention with a few more choices. We never ate at one.
The convention officially opened on Thursday, January 23 at approximately 9:30 am by National Overseer, Bishop Ntezimana James. Bishop James chose "Tested for Abundance," as a theme for the convention, taken from Psalms 66:12b. Through the struggles, trials, tests and tribulations that the Ugandan people face, they still realized the abundant blessings of God in many ways. The convention messages, choirs, reports and worship times were awesome. There were messages from National Evangelist and District Overseer, Pastor Sylvester Seseka, evangelistic messages and altar services each evening (Thursday-Saturday) by National Evangelist and Pastor, Bishop John Ober of Kenya, a message on Friday noon and altar service by National Overseer of Rwanda, Bishop Redias Nkundabera, a timely and challenging message by National Overseer of Kenya, Bishop Cyril Odendo on Saturday morning. There were several salvation experiences, healings, deliverances and several baptized with the Holy Ghost throughout the convention. General Presbyter of Africa, Bishop Stephen Masilela was scheduled to attend and preach but was detained in Nairobi as the government held his passport for some unknown reason. It was later released but he was detained too long to be able to attend the Ugandan convention.
International Coordinator of Global Missions, Cathy Payne arrived at the Mum hotel in the early morning (around 2:30 am) on Friday, January the 24th. She preached two very anointed and timely messages, one on Saturday and one on Sunday. God blessed mightily and many were seeking God throughout the building. She also greeted the convention for the International Presbyters and the International offices and shared their love and prayers for the people and the church in Uganda. I also preached two convention messages, one on Thursday and one of Friday and greeted the convention for Bishop E. C. McKinley and Bishop Gary Riley each time. On Sunday before the delegates were dismissed, I gave the Ugandan COGOP finance committee a small seed donation of $1000.00 from Tennessee people to be divided among the pastors and state workers. This was a small seed for each one but it was given with the hope, prayer and faith that God will abundantly bless their ministries and multiply their efforts for the kingdom of God and for souls to be won to Jesus Christ. Time passed quickly on Sunday and Bishop James did not get to preach his convention address as the buses and taxis came at the appointed time. The convention was blessed throughout with the power and anointing of the Holy Spirit and a Spirit of unity and passion for praise and worship to God. Bishop James did offer some encouraging words and blessed the pastors, ministers and delegates as they were dismissed.
We were very physically worn after the convention and rested much of late Sunday evening and early Monday morning. We left for the Source of the Nile late Monday morning and arrived in Jinja, Uganda around noon where it is located. We enjoyed seeing the Nile River and the source of the Nile as we rode on a small, covered pontoon type boat to the area where the springs bubble up and Lake Victoria runs into the springs that start the mighty Nile River that flows north to the nations of Africa. We had a meal in the open air restaurant next to the Nile River and bought some souvenirs from the open air shops down the steps to the Nile. We did see some small monkeys in the trees along he Nile and many birds. On the way back up the steps from the Source of the Nile, I witnessed to a man as he asked why were were there. I shared my testimony and began talking to him about Christ. He then told me he was a Muslim. I continued to talk with him for a while but then we were told that the taxi was ready to leave. We returned to the motel that evening and rested until the next morning.
On Tuesday morning we left fairly early for Busia, Uganda where Bishop James lives and the Howard School for ministry is located about two hours drive from the Mum hotel. Busia is a city that is half in Uganda and half in Kenya. We enjoyed visiting in Bishop James's home, eating a meal prepared by his daughters, seeing the church sanctuary, Bishop James's small farm (about 6 acres) and the Howard School buildings. Some pastors were in training in one of the rooms when we visited there. We also drove over into the Western edge of Kenya and bought some ice cream. We could only go so far since we did not have visas. We had hoped to see the baboons who often come out on the road to Busia but, evidently, we came through during their resting times and none were seen. We passed through numerous small towns that I could never remember or spell. The countryside is mostly farming with sugar cane, tea, bananas, avocados, pineapples, jackfruit, watermelon, melons, cabbage, lettuce, beans, peas, sweet potatoes, Irish potatoes and other vegetables. While we were in Busia, where Mama Winnie works as a bank accountant, I had more dollars exchanged into shillings. The rate there was 2435 shillings per dollar, a little better than the first bank. I got enough to cover the room and meals we had eaten at the Mum Hotel and some extra for shopping on the trip to Entebbe.
We came back in the late evening and rested until we were up for continental breakfast, packed and left for Entebbe airport the next day at 2:30 pm. The 3 hour ride in the taxi was exciting - to say the least. Traffic in Uganda is much different than here in the states. There are many people walking, 14 passenger taxis, many motorcycle taxies, bicycles, large buses and large trucks hauling various crops and items and few cars and SUV's. There are few traffic lights (I only saw one in the capital city of Kampala the whole trip) and there is a sort of unwritten code to driving in Uganda. There are not many accidents because each driver knows their limitations and controls their vehicle. I will never forget how close the vehicles of all sizes and shapes came so close together. The taxi driver and the Brothers saw my eyes bulge on several occasions and had a good laugh. By the way, they insisted I sit in the front seat with the taxi driver - I wondered why.. We arrived at the airport around 6:30 pm after stopping in Kampala (about an hour from Entebbe) at a couple places to shop. Karen, Sarah and I also shopped at the airport with the several thousand shillings we had left. We got through security and customs and boarded our plane for Amsterdam at 11:30 pm and that brings me back to the first paragraph of this post. It was a journey of a lifetime and I hope it will not be our last. Thanks to all who helped us with donations and prayers. It was worth every penny.....
NOTICE: That is a brief summary of our mission trip. If you have further questions, include them in the comments section at the bottom of this post and I will answer what I know.
ALSO: If your church or group wants a more complete presentation of our mission trip, with emphasis on glocal (global and local) missions, contact me on Facebook messenger or email milt.gordon@gmail.com or call 615-732-4614 and leave a message if no answer and I will get back with you. God bless.
