Last night, many members of the Transforming Uganda 2010 Summer team from The Oaks Fellowship got together at the Houston’s home in Midlothian to reunite and hear about how their trip to Uganda has impacted their lives at home. Asher and I were able to attend. It was a great night of reflection with some really great food, mostly dessert! And, for all of you that know Tracy Houston, there was plenty of coffee in all different varieties!
I think Donna Maston really summed things up well when she said, “The trip was called Transforming Uganda, but really, it transformed me!” There was a universal head nod of agreement from everyone in the room. She is working on making a short film of her time in Uganda, and she watches the footage constantly, especially the footage when Pastor Jackson prayed over her personally during the prayer conference.
Tim and Becky Chesney have really decided that they love missions, and they would like to go more in the future. They have also determined that they can do things to help while they are at home, too. So, they are working on starting a nonprofit organization of their own. Becky has resigned from her school counseling job to go a nonprofit route. They really feel that God opened their eyes to a need and their hearts to want to do more to fill that need.
Andrea Lathrop, the missions pastor at The Oaks Fellowship, had just finished writing the church leadership to suggest that the church create a long-term relationship with Christian Life Ministries, in particular the Seeta orphan village. The leadership seems to be in agreement at this point. Hallelujah!
Jeff Martin and his wife Crystal were really moved by what they saw in Uganda. They have been considering long-term missions in Ecuador, but since his trip to Uganda, they are now heavily considering long-term missions in Uganda instead. Donna Maston, Crystal’s mom, wasn’t too thrilled about their considerations to go to Ecuador, but she said last night that she is happy now because if they are going to go somewhere, at least it is somewhere that she loves.
Amy Noelck was really impacted by the prayer conference. What she took away from Uganda has really revved up her prayer group at her college, and Bev and Wayne in Iowa have started a prayer group at their church. Her personal prayer life has strengthened, and her heart for America has really been empowered to do something great here, starting with prayer.
Donna Poole really loved the children. She said that she expected to go and want to bring all the children home with her, but she realized while there that she didn’t have that feeling because they were in such a good place. They have something special there, a special relationship with God, and she wouldn’t want to remove them from that.
Nancy Vicalvi was also impacted by the prayer conference. She enjoyed learning about prayer and is using what she learned to strengthen her relationship with God.
Tracy Houston enjoyed watching her son Austin on the trip, and she has since started working within the family company to get more children sponsored. She is working to do more for the orphans at the orphan village.
All in all, it was clear that the team was touched by what they saw in Uganda. But more importantly, I think everyone in the room was brought into a closer relationship with God through prayer and ministry.
