Glory Stories

There have been a lot of beautiful moments in the past week, so today I just want to share some “glory stories.”

Firstly, I thank you all for your continued prayers. If you were not aware, there was a Mass offered for you (my benefactors, supporters and prayer partners) and your intentions last Thursday morning at the parish here in Bisanje. I am very grateful. On Friday, I gave a series of four talks on intercession to the members of Holy Trinity Community, a Catholic Charismatic Covenant Community where I usually stay three nights a week. The topic of the talks was intercession: What is Intercession?, Why do we Intercede?, Who is Called to Intercede?, and Hearing God’s Voice. About 9 people were present, those who live at the community and a few others. It was perfect for me because I love small groups and it allowed us to have a more intimate discussion rather than feeling like I was preaching to them. We also had the opportunity to do an intercessory meditation and pray a decade of the rosary together. I found out after the fact that 4 or 5 of the people who attended were leaders of intercession teams in Masaka. But they told me the ideas I presented were new to them and they were very grateful. As well, there were a few times they asked me challenging questions about discernment or prayer and I was at a loss for words. So I prayed silently, “Holy Spirit, what do you want me to say?” And by God’s grace, I was able to offer them an answer. Your intercession carried me and helped me tremendously, so thank you!

In the Life Teen office, learning to play paper football

On Sunday morning, I wanted to make it to 7am Mass at Kitovu (where we meet for Lifeteen), but it was impossible because this required me to leave at 6:30am and it was pouring down rain. Welcome to rainy season! At 9am, some of our teens/core members here were going to Skype with some of the teens/core members from our sister Life Teen program at St. Tim’s in Arizona, so it was essential that I made it Kitovu on time, and with a computer that was still functioning! Therefore, I decided to go to 7am Mass nearby and then take a motorcycle taxi afterward. Here in Uganda, after-Mass announcements usually take about 20-30 minutes, so by 8:35am I was squirming in my seat and begging God for patience and trust, saying to myself, “You’ll be fine. You will make it.” After Mass, I practically ran out of the church and down the street, hailed the first boda-boda driver I saw, and we made it to Kitovu just as their 7am Mass was finishing. I found Moses and we went with 2 other CORE members and 2 of the teens to the Life Teen office, to call the teens in Arizona, who were on retreat this weekend and had just finished their late night Adoration. We were 15 late for the meeting, but praise God, we had an excellent internet connection, and everyone enjoyed seeing each other’s faces and asking some questions and just shooting the breeze. God is faithful!

P.E. with the P.3 class

Finally, the rain let up a bit today, which was wonderful since I am the P.E. teacher at school. When it is raining, P.E. is either cancelled or we have to find some fun thing to do inside the classroom to give them a break from their studies. But today, armed with some fun group game ideas I got from the internet, I gathered my P.5 class (5^th grade?) and took them into the courtyard. I proceeded to write the word “hockey” in the dirt and explain the game. Then, we began with a wadded-up piece of paper and some large sticks from the trees, and we went to town! After some time, the piece of paper had had enough, so I handed them a passion fruit instead, and said, “Go!” Some of the boys were dissatisfied with the passion fruit puck (which eventually was turned into passion fruit juice), so they began pulling some trash and banana fibers from the trash pile and putting them together to make a small ball (this is commonly how kids make balls to play soccer). But, even that ball was destroyed by their heavy beating, and they finally settled on an old plastic bottle to be their puck. It was hilarious to watch and the whole time I wished I had my camera. They were chasing each other around the school yard laughing and laughing. The girls were beating the boys 5-0 when the lunch bell rang, so the boys insisted that they switch goals (because we all know it must have been the direction that was the result of their success, not the fact that they were actually more talented ;) ). The boys did, in fact, manage to score one goal, and then I sent them to lunch, with the girls chanting, “We are the winners! We are the winners!” I am sure there will be a rematch in the near future.

This weekend we are putting on a retreat for the parents of the students. The topic: trusting in God in our daily lives. Please keep this in your prayers, and know that I am praying for you!