The month of May has been a whirlwind, so much I completely
forgot Mothers day. I walked in
the kitchen after a short flight back from Nairobi, Kenya where the FNC band
had it’s first ever “mission trip” to a foreign land, and my little Annie
bluntly said, “Dad, did you remember it was Mothers day?” I can’t remember a time where I had
completely forgotten about such a holiday. Now in the past, Wendy (and the girls) have on occasion
diagnosed me with selected memory, but this time, I have to confess, was
different. In the states, there is
no such calendar needed to tell you what holiday is coming next. Just turn on your TV or go shopping and
right away you are prepared for the up coming events, but not so much here in
Uganda. Can I tell you, I saw not
one commercial or advertisement that even hinted Mothers day. Needless to say, I now have an old-fashioned
calendar hanging beside me in my office.
Before we traveled to Nairobi, FNC and UCF combined held a
worship event in the brand new UCF auditorium; it was definitely a night to
remember. More than 1200 students
and family members were in attendance, with many coming forward for
prayer. Some of the songs sung
that evening were, 10,000 reasons (Matt Redman), How He Loves (John Mark
McMillan), and I Will Follow (Chris Tomlin).
The Fireplace (FNC’s monthly Friday night worship event)
held it’s third service as well, during the month of May. The focus of the evening was
“Forgiveness”. In prior services,
we went for the sky, hiring and borrowing other sound equipment, lighting
etc. But this time, we wanted to
see what would happened if we just stripped it all down, simplifying all
aspects, and seeing what God would do with what WE had and not what we didn’t
have… After the evening was complete, people didn’t want to leave. Not because
they wanted to hear one more song, and not because they wanted to just hang
out. I believe people were
actually touched by God that night.
The stories of forgiveness that were told the following week as we debriefed
as a staff were amazing. God did
His work and dwelled among us that evening.
JCI (Joy Club International) continues to be a success with
the children and families that surround our FNC campus here in Kampala. Last week we had a new record of over 180
children, and with volunteers included in the count, the number well exceeded
200. Each week, after the children
have gone home, we quickly circle the wagons and discuss the highs and the lows
of the evening. The one comment
that continues to repeat itself is, “How can we do more for these kids?” Such an encouraging question from the
volunteers, when you as a leader just hope your volunteers will just show
up! But showing up or sticking
around isn’t a concern here. In our last meeting, Wendy and I pleaded for the
volunteers to be patient with us, that their ideas of medical assistance,
school supplies, a bag of rice to send home, etc. are all things we need to
address, and in time we will do so, Lord willing and providing. The needs here are overwhelming. Most of you, including me, reading this
will go to sleep tonight with your bellies full, a roof over your head and your
bodies clean. Most of these
children will not, this is not a “tug at your heart strings sort of plea” it is
simply reality here in our little community. If you want to help, then do it. Take action. Go
to our DONATION PAGE, and make a contribution, or send a check to our PO BOX in
the states. Or even better, send
Wendy or I an email or FACEBOOK message telling us you want to support the Joy
Club Int. ministry. No donation is
too small and the impact your money makes is real. And if your one of those givers (like me) that would like to
be specific with your gift, I can assure you that 100% of your dollars will go
directly to your specification.
Prayer Requests:
1. That God continues to bless FNC with provision...We are in need of several more monthly
supporters. This mission is
growing, and with growth comes extra expense. Please prayerfully consider becoming a monthly partner.
2. That God provides more volunteers for JCI or Joy
Club Int.
3. That the leadership of FNC continues to look to
God for our next step.
4. Continued good health for the
Gilliland family.
