1 June, 2009
Monday, 1 June 2009
So much has happened since I last wrote that I will try not to make a “book” out of this update.
After the last update, we celebrated Shiloh’s birthday on the day that the Applegates moved in with us. I had made a regular cake decorated as the Texas flag and then made his rice crispy cake in the shape of Africa. He was pleased that he got both of his requests.
The Applegates stayed with us 7 days before going to Kampala. One of those nights we also had Matt’s family with us, making a total of 20 people under our roof. The Lord truly sustained me with strength for each day as it was challenging to keep everything running (I won’t say “smoothly” as there were some “rocky” moments in there, too). The very day that Applegates left, another missionary family of 5 arrived with 2 other couples, as well as Matt’s family on their return trip to Mbarara – 24 people total that night! Keith took the Wallaces and the two Hunts families to different colleges around Masaka to give Bibles to the students and faculty. He met a man who is second in command to the king of one of the universities who told Keith that he would be issued a staff card so that he could come anytime he wanted to counsel the students or teachers.
Kristy Applegate’s blood pressure wouldn’t stabilize upon her arrival to Kampala, which was endangering both her life and the baby’s, so on Friday morning (April 24) she and Tony took a Medivac flight to South Africa. Keith and his brothers had purchased airline tickets several months ago to surprise their sister at her wedding. Although the wedding was canceled, their tickets were unrefundable, so the three of them flew to the states on the 23rd. The Applegates had planned to fly on this same flight, but because of the complications, Tony & Kristy were unable to do so. However, their three children couldn’t go with them to South Africa, so Keith, Matt & Andrew were given charge of Eliana, Elijah, and Elexus and delivered them safely to their grandparents in Missouri.
Baby Elysse Glorianna Applegate was born April 25 and has seen a lot of improvement since her birth. She was born with club feet and deformed hands, but already the splints seem to be helping with the situation. She will still need surgeries once she reaches the States, but we praise the Lord for the competent hospital and doctors who are tending to her. They are praying that they can leave for the States within the month.
Somehow the kids and I survived without Keith for 19 long days. He spent a week with his family in Missouri and visited three supporting churches, our African director, his grandmother and my dad. He then flew to Austin where he had a great week with our home church and new Pastor. The day he flew out of Austin, we were smelling burned wires in the school room where our battery system is. Keith thought maybe the fan had stopped working in the inverter, so I hooked up a room fan to blow on the system. This seemed to dissipate the smell until the electricity came back on. I checked out the system again when we started smelling the terrible smell and discovered that the inverter was melting! I immediately shut down the electricity, and we were two days without electricity waiting for Keith’s return. If I hadn’t been home at the time, we would have had a house fire. Thank you for your prayers for us!
On the same day Keith flew into Uganda, another couple arrived on a survey trip. Keith had met Ron Reece in our mission’s conference last October. Their church in New York abundantly blessed us with so much. What a giving, caring church this is! Ron and Danielle are both proficient in computers and have been overhauling our home computers, as well as the radio’s, Keith’s office, and the school’s. They are hoping to finish up everything tomorrow. While it is a blessing to upgrade and get newer versions of programs, I am now lost on my own computer. It will take some time for me to be able to quickly find my way around again, so please bear with me.
The week before Keith left for the States, a piki-piki (moped-taxi) ran into the van as I was taking our ladies out soul winning. The driver and his passenger were unhurt, and after he took off and hid his bike (so it wouldn’t be confiscated by the police), he returned and jumped into the van – probably with the intent of grabbing my keys or purse and demanding payment. However, when my ladies brought the police over, he took off – probably because he didn’t have a drive’s permit. I sent the ladies out soul winning and spent the afternoon filling out a police report – all done by hand. Thank you for praying for me! The Thursday after Keith’s return, we had 5 people saved during Ladies Soul Winning. I visited a lady who had come to our church and went through the plan of salvation with her before discovering she was already saved. But then she called in another lady. I gave her the Gospel, and she prayed and trusted Christ. They called in another lady. Again, I told her about the free gift of salvation, and she trusted Christ. While I was talking with her, a man had come in. So after this lady had prayed, I directed my attention to him and discovered he was not saved. Again, I went through the plan of salvation, and he also trusted Christ to save him. PRAISE THE LORD!
May 20-22 was our Tent Revival where we had over 50 men attend from all over Uganda. 22 men preached during these three days, and hearts were stirred. Our two tents that Keith had set up leaked from the downpours that we got both Thursday and Friday, but the other tents we had borrowed stayed dry. It was a great time of fellowship for the men in getting together with other like-minded Christians.
As soon as Keith took the tents down on Saturday morning (the 23rd), we loaded up in our van for a long drive to Mbale. Andrew had asked Keith to preach their Missions Conference which was from Sunday – Wednesday. It was a great time, and I had the rare opportunity of hearing Keith preach. One afternoon we drove to the Sisiyi Falls and enjoyed a picnic at the base of the beautiful waterfalls. Our God gives us so much creation to enjoy.
Thursday was our shopping day in Kampala, and we all were glad to arrive safely back home on Friday. Saturday Keith took the men soulwinning about 40 minutes away at a new preaching point. When he got home, he said that it sounded like something was rubbing against the tire. Sunday our mechanic came to check out the problem. The latest money-making enterprise is stolen tires. Someone had tried to steal our tire and had loosened all five lug nuts; the tire was ready to come off at any time. Thank you for praying for us! If Keith would have lost the tire on his return from Lukiya, it could have been fatal. God has a work for us to do in Uganda, and Satan is fighting.
Savannah is enjoying the freedom of wandering around our home freely and not traveling. Whenever she is “helping” me in the kitchen, I count aloud measurements, point out shapes and try to make it a learning time. One day I was thinking of other things, when I heard “two, dee, foe, ive.” Although I hadn’t counted aloud the measurements I was making, Savannah did. She gets the numbers mixed up sometimes, but she has now become interested in counting everything.
Skyler was glad to be back with the family of chameleons. His little toe is swollen up, but the only thing I see wrong with it is a white spot. I’m not sure if he was bitten or what. He seems to react badly to bites.
One night when Keith was gone, Shiloh came into the school room where I was working on the computer. He was terribly upset and crying bucketfuls. “Mom, Skyler doesn’t want to go to heaven.” For the past several weeks, Shiloh has been asking about heaven and about getting saved. Earlier in the day after one of our question-answer-sessions, I had asked him when he was going to get saved. He replied, “When I’m 11.” I told him that he could die before then. Then he changed it to, “When daddy gets home.” So when he was all upset about Skyler not going to heaven, I told him that he didn’t want to go to heaven either when he knew that he needed to get saved but was putting it off. He didn’t put it off any longer. PRAISE THE LORD! Skyler also prayed, but I’m not sure if he truly understood or if he was copying brother. I will let God be the discerner of the heart, and I will keep presenting the Gospel to him as the Spirit leads.
Shae-Lynn had a bout of sickness yesterday, but is doing well today. She greatly enjoyed all of the play time with her cousins in Mbale and having three additional “sisters” to dress up and teach.
Stanley wasn’t two minutes inside of Andrew & Jacky’s house before he had found new books to read. Whenever Savannah wants to eat something besides what is on her plate, she knows that Stanley will share whatever he is eating. Stanley is also great at playing with her, but she prefers Shane or Shae-Lynn for holding her.
Shane is learning a lot about the insides of computers as he helps Brother Ron in working on them. He has been hurrying through his work so that he can go with Keith and Ron every opportunity that he can. He has two big books to work through to help him learn more about applications and such.
Tomorrow we are taking the Recees to Lake Nabugabo for a picnic and an opportunity to feed the monkeys. It is one of the few places that is safe for swimming, so the kids are excited. Then Thursday we will travel to Mbarara. Friday morning the kids and I will stay at Matt & Keila’s while Keith takes Ron & Danielle to Queen Elizabeth National Park. They have worked so hard that I’m sure they will enjoy the safari to see the animals. They have been very helpful and haven’t complained about anything…except maybe the taste of grasshoppers. J
Thank you for your faithful prayers for us. Without the Lord, we are and can do nothing. Have a great week!
Keith & Sally Jo Stensaas