Uganda / Kenya November 2014

A long time seems to have gone by since my last letter…. Apologies!

I am going to try and update in a shorter version, as much has happened, so I will try (a miracle in the making) of keeping it concise! Hahahahahaha

1. Nakumatt Supermarket: Following my last letter and praying for the guard’s leg, the next visit she greeted me with high kicks, saying that after the prayer, she was completely healed! I also became acquainted with the managers, and received an invitation to share the word of God to the staff on the Sunday morning before the store opened. The following week I was called to preach the same word but this time in an open-air meeting of remembrance for the people who died the previous year by terrorists in Kenya where people died and some badly injured whilst shopping at the Mall and in Nakumatt. It was indeed a privilege to stand at this time and preach a message on forgiveness. On another note.. i met one of my sons one day – Fred he is a police officer, and we met at the Supermarket then went for coffee together and to chat. I was the one to ask him what a police officer earns a month…. it was the same i had just paid on my shopping bill!!! My heart felt so crushed.

2. Joshua.  Joshua was dedicated at the church… he is now getting so big and heavy. He still has soft black musungu hair (soft and wavy) Coming up to 4 months old, he is developing well – laughing and chatting, happy in the same room as others, hating to be left alone. The other day I was left with him longer than anticipated, and he was desperate to be fed. I tried to give him the bottle I made, but he refused… crying crying crying. I took him to lay down as mummy does to try and comfort him and he started to search for milk through my dress. I decided to see if he would rest if I gave him breast – dry of course hahahahah. He sucked and sucked – the crying had stopped… his at least – mine began arghhhhhhhh it was too painful to allow for long, so I ran for the bottle and immediately he accepted it and drank til contentment! Mum and dad laughed so much when I told them…. It was my first time ever to have a baby try to feed from me – heheheheheheh Experiences I never thought I would ever have! I have learnt to wipe snotty noses, and wipe bottoms. If you knew me – you would know this is a miracle!!!!

3. YWAM DTS – Kampala. What an amazing week, sharing my testimony and from it teaching on the Grace of God! The team was small – but an amazing group of six young men, two from India, two from Ethiopa – both Pastors, one from Rwanda and one from Uganda. I met the Base Leaders, from India – Saji and Sheena who I immediately fell in love with and their son. At the end of the week, they were to give feedback… one said that the first day he was angry wondering why such a woman would be allowed to teach having lived such a life!!!.. but he confessed that God had used me to see His amazing love and Grace for him and for all, when on the last day I knelt in worship and washed all of their feet. Another said his life had been totally transformed, and all said they had never known such love as God revealed to them that week. As writing this – they are here in Entebbe working with local churches on outreach, and having heard some testimonies – one of the things I know is God had delivered some from a Religious Spirit! Amen

Kissing the feet.. How lovely are the feet of they who bring good news

 

 

After the DTS, Haggai came to pick me up as we were to attend an Introduction (Cultural engagement ceremony) of his son, my grandshon Addadi… A picture of us in the morning about to leave in our Ugandan official dress Agnes, Haggai and myself.

 

 

4. Kenya. I needed to leave the Uganda and re-enter for visa purposes, so receiving another invitation from a Pastor who had invited me twelve months ago to come, I accepted. Planned for twelve days which the Pastor had arranged two seminars of six days, I booked the tickets… then one of the seminars cancelled!!! Whilst at the DTS, visiting people from Kenya came to visit – a Canadian (welsh born) man called David married to a beautiful Kenyan woman called Lucy. He had once been involved in YWAM and saw the base popping in to say hello. (In group picture above with red T Shirt) Becoming friends on Facebook, he saw I was coming to Kenya and invited me to see them also. They ended up hosting me for the 12 days in their home – such amazing hospitality, and God saw to it that they also opened doors to minister in the six empty days! People’s lives were being transformed from the messages preached, it was wonderful to see God setting the captives free from many years – some all their lives, from the prison of bitterness and resentment -called “Unforgiveness”. The door has opened to me for a longer time to be spent in the land of Kenya, with invites from other Pastors to preach at their churches and to return to those I already preached. One Pastor, Pastor James and his beautiful wife Eunice, will take me down to Mombasa where I was 25 years ago, and introduce me to the churches there where he is known and respected.  Pictures below with my hosts (Left) Omondi David and Kezy (Right) David and Lucy

 

 

 

5. Pastor Jimmy. Pastor J is living just a little past my home, and is Pastor to a church in the area, and leader of the Pastors fellowship in the area of approx. 40 Pastors, that meet every week and pray together. He came to my home and fellowshiped at my invitation, and from that decided to open up doors to me of preaching in churches in Jinja, Kampala and his own here in Bunono. He is married to Margaret (a GP) working in the local HIV clinic, and they have become wonderful friends.

6. Family. My immediate family that I am living with – Samson and Salome and the five grandchildren. God has been binding us together with cords that cannot be broken! Just as the teaching at the DTS in Kampala finished, I returned home to a family situation, where Salome had left for one week needing rest and help suffering physical pain since giving birth. When she was away, it came to light that maybe not everything was as it seemed in the marriage. Salome returned and we were able to talk, as I had also been able to talk with Samson. They had been praying for a long time for someone they could both talk to… and it was me. We planned a time when the children were at school to sit down all together and discuss the problems – all of them – what ever they could remember that brought pain. But it was not to look at the individual actions but rather to look at the Spirit behind it! The bible tells us we fight not against flesh and blood but against powers and principalities. Over the two days we were able to discuss and I wrote down everything… the second day we actually began to confront the spirits as they were discerned, there was repentance from both and forgiveness to each other, and curses were being broken from generational lines. As we concluded the second day – we lit a bonfire and burnt the paper with all the accusations – it was finished!! The next day it was an instant change… the atmosphere was totally different… and continues to be an amazing testimony of Gods healing and setting the Captives Free!

Just after we received a visit from Salome’s own grandfather from the village and her Uncle, living nearby,  Jajja (grandfather) had lost his eye sight and not seen for many years, but had come to Kampala for an operation, and he could to my surprise see me loud and clear, and delighted in having his first ever musungu kiss

7. My Health.  Shortly after the praying for the marriage, I became sick – my back was affected, and I believed it was a trapped sciatic nerve. I have experienced it before – but it was a different leg, and what I had never felt before was like ice running down my leg putting my leg and foot into a state of pins and needles / tingling and numbness! A thought came to my mind, due to the throbbing in the calf, Blood clot. I however dismissed it immediately from my thoughts believing that the Lord is taking care of me. I ministered with Pastor Jimmy, but had to travel with the front seat right back in horizontal position… struggling to sit for any length of time. Salome would bathe me with hot water and massage my leg to try and help the release of the nerve, and bring feeling back to the foot. Pastors Pete and Esther and others from the church came to visit me and pray for me, Bishop Edison and the team from Tanzania who were in Uganda, came to visit and to pray for me…. I managed to board the plane to Kenya…. But the roads in Nairobi were horrendous, and having experienced all the potholes the first night I was unable to lay on the bed, or sit the pain was so excruciating I spent the whole night leaning against the wall and crying, listening to worship and praying, but not sleeping. Pastor Omondi came to pick me up in the morning and took me to the hospital just where I was staying to see a dr friend. She gave me pethidine and further painkillers. Lucy and also Pastor Omondi’s wife Kezy would massage my foot every day….  (Despite the pain – when i took the platform to preach i was completely pain free!!!  God’s Grace was amazing!) When I returned to Uganda, it was still bad, and a friend who was concerned led me to look up DVT on the internet. The symptoms were that of the same I was experiencing. A friend from church agreed to take me to the hospital the next day… costing a lot of money to see the dr, who then sent me to another hospital in Kampala for ultra sound and supposedly an MRI scan which I refuse because of the cost. Ultra sound proved there was no blood clot! On the way back after being prescribed more painkillers and anti-inflammatory medicine, I felt the presence of the Lord telling me I had failed to trust him and allowed fear to enter my heart. In fact He was showing me that there is hidden fears still within my heart – fears that He wants to free me from through His perfect love… Perfect love casts out all fear!!! His love once again was revealing to me that my lips have confessed complete trust in Him, but my heart was not inline as yet – He is drawing me into His loving kindness to trust Him in all things… not just words spoken but in the very depths of my being… indeed I am still a work in progress in the Hands of the Master Potter! He has been given my permission to Break me, Melt me , Mould me and Fill me with more of Him! I am still having some numbness in the foot – however I know that it is for only a short time before fullness of health is resumed!

My first Motorbike ride (borda) since my back injury, was unexpectedly to the airport… when i saw on facebook that my friend from my own DTS in YWAM last seen some 27 years ago had been here in Uganda and leaving to return home to his wife and children.  He works for World Vision now…. oh what a treasure it was to meet up after so many years!!!  Jaap

28 years ago – smiling and laughing together back then

 

 

 

 

 

8. Salome. Salome was continuing to experience pain in her chest, and was also at the hospital due to stomach ulcers and problems with the stomach not closing after eating, meaning she was always hungry, then she began the same symptoms as me in the ankle and back. All of the above had been slowly but surely an increase since the time of the marriage counselling. I was certain that it was due to spiritual complications. Last Saturday I had gone to bed, and was woken with Samson knocking on the door. Salome was screaming and crying with the pain. We could not get her to hospital without transport and now it was midnight and no bordas working in the night. She asked for the anointing oil…. So I began to pray as I placed it on her forehead and chest where the pain was extreme. Laying on the sofa, I places one hand on her head and one on her chest, and with Samson placing hands on her feet, we began to worship….. and she fell almost asleep it seemed…. During the quiet I told Samson I believe there is something to do with witchcraft that was released during the time of repentance some six weeks earlier, and now was the time of deliverance. We continued to worship and pray quietly, then she awoke and was convulsing in her body, when we started to command the spirit to come out! She started to burp – but not normal – she never burps actually, and they were long and very deep sounds that we being released… I commanded them to leave this place, and not to re-enter anyone in the house, or even the chickens but to depart to the Lake. I told Samson that I had seen in my mind’s eye a snake, its tail inside of her, at her right ankle going up her leg, to her back then coiling around to her stomach and its head in her chest. She had bent forward as if to vomit, at which I replace my hand on her back. It was later she said that she could feel something let go from within like claws being released as I placed my hand on her back. After about 30 – 40 mins – she was quiet, and joining us to sing in worship. She slept without interruption and the next day – she was completely healed! She also tested with eating and drinking what before would have caused severe pain, plus she was able to eat a small portion and be full! She continues to remain free from sickness or pain of any kind.!!!  All Glory to God!

God came to set the captives free!!! Repentance is the door to freedom. As the Lord shows us – not in anger but in loving kindness of the things that are within us – hidden iniquities that need to be repented of – turned away from, I believe it is at that moment when we give the Holy Spirit authority to do a spring clean within…. And unknown to us – He is gently at work releasing the strongholds til that time of deliverance! To God be the Glory!!!!!

measuring / marking the plot

Lavender! I have measure out a plot of 20 x 21ft in the front garden and Samson is digging it up, and preparing it to plant the first of the Lavender as a step of faith. It was also a spiritual lesson in itself – the ground before hand had a house built, so as the digging began many bricks had to be removed.  The Lord is active in the same way in our hearts – His garden / vineyard of love (Holy Temple – His dwelling place)  Before  the seeds can be planted with the expectancy of fruit, the ground must be cleared of all boulders and stones (the sins and iniquities in our heart)… thus making the ground ready for the Holy Spirit to bear fruit…. or as it is said in Song of Songs… there are foxes in our vineyard of love hindering our love…. will you not chase them away.  Let us do it TOGETHER!”

The local farmer where we buy fresh milk every day, has freely given us manure for the garden and a next door neighbour has also said we can have some rich soil, so we need only to have some sand to mix with – which helps with the drainage, then make the raised rows ready to plant. There is local farmer who is preparing for us some seedlings – 50 to begin with. I have also seeds which I want to try to cultivate, and place in pots around the house… to make a pilot for the growing of Lavender in a larger proportion in the future to help push back the mosquitoes transmitting malaria and other deadly diseases, and to eventually give out lavender for all to grow in pots or garden around the house in an effort to save lives. The website for this is: http://heavensscent.eu.worpress

My son Samson, doing the hard manual labour of digging up the ground

FUTURE:
• Next week I need to go to Immigration offices to renew the visa again and to request a longer visa to be able to work on the lavender project. I have three possibly four pieces of land that can be rented with a view of planting lavender. I cannot follow up on it until I know I will be able to stay here for a longer period of time to oversee the project.
• Attending the DTS Graduation day 22nd November as a proud mum to the six amazing young men of God – a happy day for me indeed.
• Depending on the result from the immigration office, to prepare teaching for a teaching invitation in January, and to prepare for my first family Christmas here in Uganda.
• Make contact with South Africa with a view to going to visit the Evangelist from 27 yrs ago that prophesied over me and is awaiting for me to come and set up speaking engagements for me.
• Make arrangements for another trip to Kenya for a longer time – again depending on the visa requirements if I need to leave the country etc.

• The farmer who has given us the manure, showed Samson how he cooks with Biogas.  It is a large plastic drum, with pipes coming from attached to the gas stove/stoves.  He just keeps topping up the manure.  He has told us that if we wanted to do the same, he is more than happy to give us for free the manure, all we would need is to prepare the ground – building a base, and placing the plastic tank in place, and he would come and set up the pipes.  The cooker i bought is half gas (two top plates) and the rest electric- (two plates and the oven)  and Salome still tries to cook with a charcoal stove… which costs approx 50pence per day in charcoal…. it doesn’t sound much – but it is long and sometimes the coal doesn’t light if its wet.  The outlay of the tank and other things is costly up front to do – but once the estimated electric / charcoal are covered, it would then mean cooking for free.  And we could place another gas stove like a camping stove on the back veranda… freeing up the garage to be used more beneficially, either as a workroom /  guest room.
• It is also something to need consideration – a vehicle.  Having such problems is not easy without transport…. to go to the airport just a 15 minute drive away takes a borda ride, then a public taxi, then a private taxi….

 

• Please stand with me in prayer as i trust the Lord that He who has called me, and given me the Lavender vision will be the one also to provide for all our needs.