Emerge Team from Colorado

The team that we have been preparing for has finally arrived. It is a team of 9 girls from all over the States. For most of the girls on this team, this is their first time being over seas and for some their first experience with missions. They will spend 12 days here in Arua. Please pray that God uses this team to be a blessing here to both the base and to the people we meet in Arua. Also, pray that these girls' hearts are broken for what God is doing in Africa and in missions.


So far, they have already visited a local village called Vurra, where they lead VBS for the nursery school there. They put together many skits, songs, dances, and much more. It was a great time for them to share the love of God with the children here in Uganda. It was such a blessing to see how excited the children were to play with bubbles and balls.


We also had the opportunity to pass out over 150 Mosquito nets to families in need. These nets were paid for by some college students from the States, who heard about the Malaria problem here in Uganda and raised money to buy mosquito nets. We like to think of them as the hands that raised the money and our team as the feet that delivered the nets. Please pray that God brings an end to Malaria in Uganda and all of Africa.

Hello,

This is Amanda(the visitor from the United States) writing again. My husband and I have been having a great time getting to know all of the amazing families on the Arua base. Here is a photograph of my husband playing with some of the babies on base. He is now proud to say that the babies no longer shriek in terror at the mere sight of him! Please pray that God continues to bring families to do His work here in Arua.

It has also been a blessing to be on base while the Discipleship Training School has been in session. They are currently on their sixth week and learning about relationships and marriage. It challenges me to be around believers, who are so eager to go deeper in their walk with the Lord.

It is so exciting to have students from so many different African nations coming together to study. There are students from Nigeria, Sudan, Uganda, and the Congo.

Please pray that these students continue to grow and mature in their faith. Also, pray that God prepares these students to go to the nations and share the unfailing love of Christ.

Hello,
My name is Amanda Degler and I will be filling in for Vikki for the next few weeks. I am currently visiting Arua for one month and we thought it would be fun to give readers an outside perspective of the base and all that is happening here.

My husband and I came from the ywam base in Colorado Springs. We were excited to see that a team from Colorado Springs just built a new bridge for the base here. Apparently this is the sixth or seventh bridge that the base has had, because the rain keeps washing them away. This bridge is a sort of symbol of the base's purpose, which is to be a bridge of healing to the nations. This is a perfect mission for a base that borders Sudan, Congo, and Kenya. Over the past few weeks, we have heard many stories of how they are reaching each of these Nations. It is so exciting to see their God-given vision becoming a reality.

Since we have been here on the base, we have had a great time playing with all the children here on base. Here is a photo of some of the staff's children. We find it amusing that they call my husband and I, Uncle and Auntie.

Well, that is all I have for now, but I will be sure to keep you updated on what is happening here in Arua.

Eric Higiro

This is the second post highlighting a YWAM Arua staff member. Today we'd like to introduce you to ...

Eric Higiro

Eric is an out going, dramatic young man, who relates well with people, and delights sharing the word of God with others. He enjoys working with the youth and loves to see Muslims come to faith in Jesus. He is passionate about bringing hope to the hopeless and sharing in their challenges. His heart is to see God bring true forgiveness and reconciliation between his fellow Rwandans, freeing people from the bitterness that has existed since the genocide.

Eric did his DTS in 2007 in Rwanda, his homeland. After doing his outreach in Arua, he came to like the way the base related to the local community. He joined the staff in 2008. His passion is to see God open doors for ministry to the un-reached people in the neighbouring countries.

During his free time, he loves to pray and to visit his friends. He shares his testimonies of how he has grown in the knowledge of God since 2007.

As you read this post, Eric is on a journey back to Kigali to meet with some Rwandan pastors and other YWAMers who are serious about mobilizing the African churches to financially support their African missionaries. Many years of being on the receiving end of missionaries and financial aid has left many of the African countries with a wrong conception that missionaries come from the West and are supported by the West.

But the Great Commission calls ALL believers to go and tell the Good News, and that includes African Christians. We are excited that the Church in Rwanda is catching the vision of supporting their own people into missions , and we are blessed that they called Eric back to Kigali to discuss the calling God has given him to be a missionary in Uganda.

We are trusting God that some of the people Eric talks to will feel called to start a support team that will be praying and providing financially for him. At the moment Eric has no regular financial support.

Let's pray for Eric and the people he is meeting with, that they will hear God clearly and join hands in seeing His kingdom come in this place.

YWAM Arua staff pray for Eric as he prepares to visit Kigali