Friday, June 24, 2016
Tuesday, May 31, 2016
May 30th
The past couple days have been quite the adventure! Sports Outreach blessed us with some African adventures to go on for our last days in this lovely place. Today we arrived at Paraa Safari lodge and had a nice meal. Shortly after we went on a boat ride on the Nile River, witnessing different animals including hippos, elephants, lizards, crocodiles and various birds. We enjoyed learning about the different animals as well as bonding together. After the boat ride we got off and hiked up the incredible Murchison Falls. We were able to trek up a steep incline to appreciate Gods masterpiece of nature. It was wonderful to be able to look out at the falls and reflect on the amazing experiences we had on this trip as well has witness the power of our God through a strong waterfall. There was one part where we even saw a rainbow in the falls as we were sprayed with mist. When we finished our hike, we took a ferry and bus ride back. At the end of the day we enjoyed a hearty meal and then spent the rest of the evening reflecting on our journey. We each shared some things that took place during the trip that we wanted to remember. It was a sentimental way to reminisce on all the beautiful happenings of our Ugandan adventure.
May 31st
We headed out at 5:30 this morning with the best start to the day, a safari! With our group split between three jeeps, we were on our way. All of us were amazed by the incredible array of animals in their habitats before us as well as the sunrise that revealed them. We saw many antelope, water buffalo, various birds and giraffes. One of our favorite sights to see was family of about seven lions together right in clear sight. Most of us also saw our first pangolin, which I would describe as a large armadillo lizard that rolls up in a ball for defense. After our amazing morning adventure we ate a quick breakfast at the hotel and started our journey home. After at least seven hours of traveling on the bus driven by the amazing Wilfred, we ate tasty pizza at Cafe Javas. The time finally came for us to reach the first airport and tell our fearless leader Sam and fantastic bus driver Wilfred goodbye. Our flight from Kampala takes off at 11:30. We will be returning Wednesday evening after two layovers in Amsterdam and Georgia. As we fly home and have time to think, we will surely be reflecting on our incredible Ugandan experience where the Lord has blessed and revealed himself greatly! We cannot express our thankfulness enough for all the prayers and support. Please play for safe travels home.
Love,
AROMA Uganda 2016
(Alissa)
The past couple days have been quite the adventure! Sports Outreach blessed us with some African adventures to go on for our last days in this lovely place. Today we arrived at Paraa Safari lodge and had a nice meal. Shortly after we went on a boat ride on the Nile River, witnessing different animals including hippos, elephants, lizards, crocodiles and various birds. We enjoyed learning about the different animals as well as bonding together. After the boat ride we got off and hiked up the incredible Murchison Falls. We were able to trek up a steep incline to appreciate Gods masterpiece of nature. It was wonderful to be able to look out at the falls and reflect on the amazing experiences we had on this trip as well has witness the power of our God through a strong waterfall. There was one part where we even saw a rainbow in the falls as we were sprayed with mist. When we finished our hike, we took a ferry and bus ride back. At the end of the day we enjoyed a hearty meal and then spent the rest of the evening reflecting on our journey. We each shared some things that took place during the trip that we wanted to remember. It was a sentimental way to reminisce on all the beautiful happenings of our Ugandan adventure.
May 31st
We headed out at 5:30 this morning with the best start to the day, a safari! With our group split between three jeeps, we were on our way. All of us were amazed by the incredible array of animals in their habitats before us as well as the sunrise that revealed them. We saw many antelope, water buffalo, various birds and giraffes. One of our favorite sights to see was family of about seven lions together right in clear sight. Most of us also saw our first pangolin, which I would describe as a large armadillo lizard that rolls up in a ball for defense. After our amazing morning adventure we ate a quick breakfast at the hotel and started our journey home. After at least seven hours of traveling on the bus driven by the amazing Wilfred, we ate tasty pizza at Cafe Javas. The time finally came for us to reach the first airport and tell our fearless leader Sam and fantastic bus driver Wilfred goodbye. Our flight from Kampala takes off at 11:30. We will be returning Wednesday evening after two layovers in Amsterdam and Georgia. As we fly home and have time to think, we will surely be reflecting on our incredible Ugandan experience where the Lord has blessed and revealed himself greatly! We cannot express our thankfulness enough for all the prayers and support. Please play for safe travels home.
Love,
AROMA Uganda 2016
(Alissa)
Sunday, May 29, 2016
Praise God! (Amen)
Today we continued our adventure in Uganda by traveling to the Sports Outreach Ministry (SOM) Farm to attend church at New Foundations Community Church. Upon arrival, we were greeted with smiles and felt welcomed within their congregation.
Before the service began, Jordan shared his testimomy on how he became a follower of Christ. Following his speech, Erin shared a word of encouragement by reading from Philippians 4:4-7.
Worship was very lively and the entire congregation was dancing and singing for the almighty King. Pastor Aloysius shared a powerful message on the importance of following God and trusting in His word. From scripture, he shared from Revelations 2:18-29. He intertwined this reading of scripture with the overriding message by sharing three ways we, as humans, can live a Godly life. We first must obey God and do what he wants us to do. Second, we must give up trying to do things by ourselves. Finally, we must begin reading and absorbing the messages from God's word.
After church we traveled to a neighboring village known as Lajwatek Village. Immediately entering the village their was dancing and singing lead by the children and women of the village. After a couple of songs, we gathered with the entire village. One of the village woman, Ester, shared her testimony on how Pastor Aloysius saved her life and led her to Christ.
After eating lunch and resting our bodies at the hotel, we traveled back to the SOM Farm. Our AROMA staff team scrimmaged the SOM staff in a friendly match of soccer. Our AROMA team prevailed and won our second international game 2-1. Even though he had a competitive game, both teams came together and got to know one another on a more personal level after the game.
The SOM staff was very generous and showed hospitality by serving us dinner. We also had the opportunity to purchase hand-made jewelry and accessories to support Christine's House. This building is a home where young girls come to receive mentorship from facing struggles in their lives.
Our entire AROMA staff would like to thank the SOM staff for their hospitality by hosting us for the past couple of days. We would also like to thank everyone for all the constant support and prayer.
Today was, again, an amazing experience and the presence of God was felt everywhere. Thank you, Lord, for allowing us to experience Your love through these disciples of yours.
God Bless,
AROMA Uganda 2016
(Dakota R.)
Today we continued our adventure in Uganda by traveling to the Sports Outreach Ministry (SOM) Farm to attend church at New Foundations Community Church. Upon arrival, we were greeted with smiles and felt welcomed within their congregation.
Before the service began, Jordan shared his testimomy on how he became a follower of Christ. Following his speech, Erin shared a word of encouragement by reading from Philippians 4:4-7.
Worship was very lively and the entire congregation was dancing and singing for the almighty King. Pastor Aloysius shared a powerful message on the importance of following God and trusting in His word. From scripture, he shared from Revelations 2:18-29. He intertwined this reading of scripture with the overriding message by sharing three ways we, as humans, can live a Godly life. We first must obey God and do what he wants us to do. Second, we must give up trying to do things by ourselves. Finally, we must begin reading and absorbing the messages from God's word.
After church we traveled to a neighboring village known as Lajwatek Village. Immediately entering the village their was dancing and singing lead by the children and women of the village. After a couple of songs, we gathered with the entire village. One of the village woman, Ester, shared her testimony on how Pastor Aloysius saved her life and led her to Christ.
After eating lunch and resting our bodies at the hotel, we traveled back to the SOM Farm. Our AROMA staff team scrimmaged the SOM staff in a friendly match of soccer. Our AROMA team prevailed and won our second international game 2-1. Even though he had a competitive game, both teams came together and got to know one another on a more personal level after the game.
The SOM staff was very generous and showed hospitality by serving us dinner. We also had the opportunity to purchase hand-made jewelry and accessories to support Christine's House. This building is a home where young girls come to receive mentorship from facing struggles in their lives.
Our entire AROMA staff would like to thank the SOM staff for their hospitality by hosting us for the past couple of days. We would also like to thank everyone for all the constant support and prayer.
Today was, again, an amazing experience and the presence of God was felt everywhere. Thank you, Lord, for allowing us to experience Your love through these disciples of yours.
God Bless,
AROMA Uganda 2016
(Dakota R.)
Saturday, May 28, 2016
Today began bright and early with breakfast at 6:30. We then drove to Awak Lela, where we were welcomed by a large crowd. The first event of the day was a 2.5K race with the community and sports outreach staff. We gathered at the starting point, where we sang a song, the staff explained the course, and we prayed to open the day. Children then began the race, shortly followed by everyone else. The competition was tough, but we were well-represented by our very own Jacob Bender who finished second. While we waited for everyone to finish, Alissa proceeded to finish multiple times, going back to run the last 200 yards or so with a number of people, encouraging them all the way, and of course, always with a huge smile on her face. After the race, everyone gathered together and Alissa shared part of her story about her struggles and God's work in her life. She related the race we just ran to the race we run in life towards our ultimate prize, Jesus Christ.
We were then divided up into 15 "families". Each family included one or two sports outreach staff and one of our Aroma team members. We were the "moms and dads" of each family, and we each had children of a similar age range in our groups. Our families were named after disciples/people in the Bible. Families got to know each other with songs, dancing, and smaller games like staring contests and finger grabbing. There were 4 families in 4 groups, (A,B,C,D). The 4 families competed against each other in games within their group. We played games called cat and mouse, electric shock, snake bite, 4 by 4 relays, kangaroo relays, and a few others. Each of the games had Bible lessons to go along with them. So after each game, each family would get together and we would share about the scripture associated with the game, as well as anything else we wanted to share with our family. The main ideas were God's love, sin, Jesus as the bridge, and communication of the gospel. Being in this family setting presented a great opportunity for all of us to share a number of times throughout the day.
After we had played all of the games, we prepared for our official match against the local soccer team. We sported some dashing maroon kits supplied by Mechanicsburg High School (thank you!) and our Aroma team was joined by some of the sports outreach staff and soccer stars: Sam, Aloysius, Aruna, and Richard. It was a great competition and was scoreless until about halfway through the first half when our leader from sports outreach, Sam, scored our first goal! a few minutes later, Sam woodworth would connect with Kirby for our second goal putting us up 2-0. We had a brief halftime and then played the second half. Each team had a number of opportunities in the second half, but the game finished 2-0.
After the game, the hundreds of spectators (men, women and many many children) gathered on the field. Dakota R shared his testimony about how he came to Christ and Tyler shared the gospel in a very clear way. Following their sharing, Pastor Aloysius invited anyone who would like to accept Christ to raise their hands and then invited them to gather with a few members of the sports outreach and aroma teams, as well as the leaders of their local churches. Kirby prayed for the group to accept Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior. 48 people accepted Christ today and were directed to a church to be surrounded by a community of believers to continue to grow in their faith. After this, we were awarded a goat for winning the soccer match, for which we were very grateful and honored. We named him afoyo (which means thank you in Achole language). Overall, we had an incredible day full of lots of smiles, games, fun, and Jesus. We rejoice in everyone who accepted Jesus today and all those who learned more and grew in their walks with Christ.
Love,
AROMA Uganda 2016
(Erin)
We were then divided up into 15 "families". Each family included one or two sports outreach staff and one of our Aroma team members. We were the "moms and dads" of each family, and we each had children of a similar age range in our groups. Our families were named after disciples/people in the Bible. Families got to know each other with songs, dancing, and smaller games like staring contests and finger grabbing. There were 4 families in 4 groups, (A,B,C,D). The 4 families competed against each other in games within their group. We played games called cat and mouse, electric shock, snake bite, 4 by 4 relays, kangaroo relays, and a few others. Each of the games had Bible lessons to go along with them. So after each game, each family would get together and we would share about the scripture associated with the game, as well as anything else we wanted to share with our family. The main ideas were God's love, sin, Jesus as the bridge, and communication of the gospel. Being in this family setting presented a great opportunity for all of us to share a number of times throughout the day.
After we had played all of the games, we prepared for our official match against the local soccer team. We sported some dashing maroon kits supplied by Mechanicsburg High School (thank you!) and our Aroma team was joined by some of the sports outreach staff and soccer stars: Sam, Aloysius, Aruna, and Richard. It was a great competition and was scoreless until about halfway through the first half when our leader from sports outreach, Sam, scored our first goal! a few minutes later, Sam woodworth would connect with Kirby for our second goal putting us up 2-0. We had a brief halftime and then played the second half. Each team had a number of opportunities in the second half, but the game finished 2-0.
After the game, the hundreds of spectators (men, women and many many children) gathered on the field. Dakota R shared his testimony about how he came to Christ and Tyler shared the gospel in a very clear way. Following their sharing, Pastor Aloysius invited anyone who would like to accept Christ to raise their hands and then invited them to gather with a few members of the sports outreach and aroma teams, as well as the leaders of their local churches. Kirby prayed for the group to accept Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior. 48 people accepted Christ today and were directed to a church to be surrounded by a community of believers to continue to grow in their faith. After this, we were awarded a goat for winning the soccer match, for which we were very grateful and honored. We named him afoyo (which means thank you in Achole language). Overall, we had an incredible day full of lots of smiles, games, fun, and Jesus. We rejoice in everyone who accepted Jesus today and all those who learned more and grew in their walks with Christ.
Love,
AROMA Uganda 2016
(Erin)
Friday, May 27, 2016
Friday. What a Day!
. Today was a very full day, but it was also a very great day. We started the morning with breakfast and a team devotional. We felt it was especially important to spend time together in the word and in pray as we were informed that some of the places we would be visiting and working could potentially be very emotionally and spiritually heavy places.
Our first journey was to the Gulu Remand House, a juvenile detention center. There we met with the entire group where Dakota Rosenberg and I (Sam Woodworth) were able to share a testimony and an encouraging word respectively. Dakota shared from Romans 12:26 and I shared from Titus 3:3-8. Next we had the opportunity to serve the group lunch, a meal they often do not get. We then went outside and played Ultimate Frisbee and soccer with the boys (and a few girls). They also enjoyed playing "Head it! Catch it!" And "River, Bank". It was a joyful time and everyone left the field laughing and sweating. Before we left Zeb Cross felt called to share a story from his life and was able to speak a word of encouragement to the group.
On our way back to the hotel for lunch we made a quick stop down memory lane for our fearless leader Aaron Faro. 11 years ago, amid a war torn city, Aaron played in the first and only international professional soccer game in Gulu with the Charlotte Eagles in Pece Stadium. So we stopped by the stadium to get the story behind the game and how it impacted the growth of Sports Outreach, and the Holy Spirit, in the city of Gulu.
After the stadium visit, we rode the bus back to the hotel and had a quick bite to eat while conversing about the morning. We left around 2pm from the hotel to travel to the Sawyer product demonstration and hands-on walkthrough.
Our famous bus driver, Wilfred, was drove like a professional, evading the numerous pot holes and ditches that came his way. When we arrived, there were many representatives from different churches in the area that attended the meeting place, some of which traveled many hours in advance to the meeting place.
Our knowledgable Sawyer product demonstration expert, Jordan Frank, gave a clear and concise presentation on the bucket filter. He was not wavered by the 30min Q&A from group of church representatives nor the speculation over the effectiveness of the bucket filter.
After the demo, Kirby R. presented the gospel and Aaron F. presented a small group session on the verse behind AROMA (2 Corinthians 2:14-15) and split us up into small groups with a translator for every group.
After coming back together, we entered into song with the group and said our goodbyes to most of the people there and walked down the road and trail. We walked to a small hut that was home to a little girl by the name of Trinity and gave her family a bucket filter. Her mother described her as a lovely girl that could sing very well, so Trinity sang us a short song and we said goodbyes.
The children followed us a few hundred meters over to a hut that was home to a little boy named Osama. We gave a bucket filter to his family and his aunt gave us the short background story of Osama's life so far. We said our goodbyes to the children following us while holding our hands and boarded the bus to go back to the hotel.
Lastly, we made a quick stop at a 3.5 acre farm tended by two wives married to the same husband. In most polygamous marriages, the wives are not friends, but these two women were quite the opposite. The younger wife had actually motivated the older wife to work in the field and start anew by planting soy bean and maize. As some of the leaders of our group asked for a picture, the two women requested that they have a photo taken together because they were friends and would not have a picture without the other.
It was an honor for me (Dakota S.) to capture that moment with my camera that I had been using on this trip. It was a beautiful evening scene with two women sharing a field and telling of their hard work that they had put into their land. They requested that I send it to them and I will be sure to do so to them as I will to those reading this blog. Peace and love, Sam Woodworth, Dakota Schmalz and team
Our first journey was to the Gulu Remand House, a juvenile detention center. There we met with the entire group where Dakota Rosenberg and I (Sam Woodworth) were able to share a testimony and an encouraging word respectively. Dakota shared from Romans 12:26 and I shared from Titus 3:3-8. Next we had the opportunity to serve the group lunch, a meal they often do not get. We then went outside and played Ultimate Frisbee and soccer with the boys (and a few girls). They also enjoyed playing "Head it! Catch it!" And "River, Bank". It was a joyful time and everyone left the field laughing and sweating. Before we left Zeb Cross felt called to share a story from his life and was able to speak a word of encouragement to the group.
On our way back to the hotel for lunch we made a quick stop down memory lane for our fearless leader Aaron Faro. 11 years ago, amid a war torn city, Aaron played in the first and only international professional soccer game in Gulu with the Charlotte Eagles in Pece Stadium. So we stopped by the stadium to get the story behind the game and how it impacted the growth of Sports Outreach, and the Holy Spirit, in the city of Gulu.
After the stadium visit, we rode the bus back to the hotel and had a quick bite to eat while conversing about the morning. We left around 2pm from the hotel to travel to the Sawyer product demonstration and hands-on walkthrough.
Our famous bus driver, Wilfred, was drove like a professional, evading the numerous pot holes and ditches that came his way. When we arrived, there were many representatives from different churches in the area that attended the meeting place, some of which traveled many hours in advance to the meeting place.
Our knowledgable Sawyer product demonstration expert, Jordan Frank, gave a clear and concise presentation on the bucket filter. He was not wavered by the 30min Q&A from group of church representatives nor the speculation over the effectiveness of the bucket filter.
After the demo, Kirby R. presented the gospel and Aaron F. presented a small group session on the verse behind AROMA (2 Corinthians 2:14-15) and split us up into small groups with a translator for every group.
After coming back together, we entered into song with the group and said our goodbyes to most of the people there and walked down the road and trail. We walked to a small hut that was home to a little girl by the name of Trinity and gave her family a bucket filter. Her mother described her as a lovely girl that could sing very well, so Trinity sang us a short song and we said goodbyes.
The children followed us a few hundred meters over to a hut that was home to a little boy named Osama. We gave a bucket filter to his family and his aunt gave us the short background story of Osama's life so far. We said our goodbyes to the children following us while holding our hands and boarded the bus to go back to the hotel.
Lastly, we made a quick stop at a 3.5 acre farm tended by two wives married to the same husband. In most polygamous marriages, the wives are not friends, but these two women were quite the opposite. The younger wife had actually motivated the older wife to work in the field and start anew by planting soy bean and maize. As some of the leaders of our group asked for a picture, the two women requested that they have a photo taken together because they were friends and would not have a picture without the other.
It was an honor for me (Dakota S.) to capture that moment with my camera that I had been using on this trip. It was a beautiful evening scene with two women sharing a field and telling of their hard work that they had put into their land. They requested that I send it to them and I will be sure to do so to them as I will to those reading this blog. Peace and love, Sam Woodworth, Dakota Schmalz and team
Thursday, May 26, 2016
5/26
We drove to a remote village where Coach Faro got to meet his sponsor daughter and her family. The encounter was amazing, and we were able to pray for the future of the family. On the way back to the hotel, we visited the vocational school of The Christine House. There, we met eight girls who were being taught hairdressing, baking and tailoring.
We woke to the full force of northern Uganda's rainy season. Because of the morning downpour, our earlier activities were moved from the fields to inside. The activities included two simple team-building games where we partnered up with some of the on-site staff and competed against them. Integrated with both of theses games were biblical lessons. For example, we were reminded of the importance maintaining focus on our purpose in Jesus to avoid temptations and distractions. These distractions can often be detrimental to our personal and social spiritual pursuits and callings. After this the rain had subsided, and the boys and girls split up. The boys led a soccer clinic for local students while the girls visited with the young ladies of the Christine House of Anointing. Christine's house, which is a home for girls with difficult pasts, was a great experience. We met with the girls and shared scripture and our stories to encourage them. We traded off some worship songs with them and the girls preformed a skit for us showing us some of their cultural norms. Next we had a nail painting party with the girls! Shoutout to Christine Faro for sending some nail polish along with us! It was a big hit and the girls loved it. To close out our time with the girls we prayed with them and they taught us a traditional Ugandan dance. It was an awesome experience to share God's love with one another. We were moved by the way He is working in the girls lives and how much He loves each one of us.
After lunch, we had some hands on experience with gardening and construction. We planted soybeans and passion fruit. We then helped in the construction of the future daycare. First, we mixed red dirt and dry cement in a big pile. Then, we shoveled the mix into a man-powered brick press. In all, we created around sixty bricks which, after drying for a week, will be added to the walls of the daycare.
Aloysius and Esther joined us for dinner and shared stories of their move to Gulu and the growth of their ministry there. Overall, it was an incredible day.
Love,
AROMA Uganda 2016
(Kirby and Liv)
Wednesday, May 25, 2016
Sam saw a monkey!
Unlike the other days since arriving in Uganda, today we changed location from Kampala to Gulu to interact with the other branch of Sports Outreach.
The drive took about seven hours to complete, but honestly, it couldn't have gone quicker. It started out slow and steady as we inched forward through Kampala (huge kudos to our driver Herbert as he maneuvered through the indescribable chaos of a five-way intersection). Then it was smooth sailing as we stopped about three to four hours in for a snack and bathroom break at a local gas station that was selling the most delicious mango-flavored amything I've ever experienced. The most exciting part of the journey was definitely slowing down as we passed the Nile River. With the powerful body of water flowing directly next to us, and the antics of the baboons following the bus (Sam finally saw a monkey!), it was one of the most incredible sights I've seen and truly a testament to the infinite uniqueness and majesty of God's creation. However, the most important and meaningful part of the journey in my opinion was when the entire bus began playing Hot Seat, a game where for 10 minutes, one person has to answer any questions asked to them by the group. We were nearly able to get every single person on the team in the Hot Seat, and I felt that today was a real step forward with respect to our team unity. The questions came easily for the most part, and there were some real creative ones that were posed, as well. The greatest joy for me in that ride was how willing the team was to open up to each other. There was no hesitation when it came to answering the majority of the questions, and any hesitation was only to think of a thoughtful answer. It made me happy to see everyone interacting so wholeheartedly about our personal interests and lives.
We arrived in Gulu around three in the afternoon, and after an hour of getting settled in, we headed off to the SOM Complex. Upon arrival, we were greeted by exclamations of happiness and enthusiasm as we entered the chapel area for a devotional service/info session. Them upon receiving a tour of the well-maintained and developed facility, we engaged in a game of jewel tag with the SOM staff. After the game was over, we all gathered in a circle for one last small devotional time period. The object of jewel tag is to capture the other teams players and put them in jail (worth five points per player), free your players from the opponent's jail, and capture the opponent's treasure and get it back to your side (worth ten points per treasure). What was funny was that even though treasure was worth more points, most of the time, teams opted to try and save their comrades over getting the treasure.
In the discussion circle, someone brought up the comparison of how the Lord had sent Jesus to die for us, the prisoners, so that we could be freed from sin, our eternal prison. By his sacrifice we were freed and because God had won, we had won. He had overcome which meant that we, too, overcame, and sometimes as Christians, we are given a choice to witness to others imprisoned without knowing Jesus's love in which case we are called to show the love that Jesus showed us.
Overall, today was one of the most unique days we've experienced so far, and I feel that as a team, we took the best possible steps to move forward as a team, as one body of believers, and as a group of students ready to give it our all for the One who gave us His all.
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