Easter Kickoff

Happy Easter! Today, we kick off our week of meetings in which seven teams from six countries have gathered in Uganda. We are joined by Bill Smith whom, at 72 years of age, I like to say “knows more about disciplemaking making movements than anyone else on the planet.” His interacting, coaching, and mentoring will be invaluable to the teams we are working with.

Our focus for this week is five-fold (and your prayers to this end greatly appreciated).

1. Re-focused and enlarged vision for lostness (faith for seeing thousands of churches rather than hundreds).
2. Greater commitment to eliminate distractions (very common and difficult, especially as these leaders experience ‘success’ which attracts outside influences).
3. Tools and encouragement for selecting and training key leaders for future growth.
4. Discussion about UPG's (unreached people groups) and reaching out cross-culturally. How such work relates to our own mission.
5. Separate time to minister in a personal way to each leader, specifically around their hearts being refreshed and re-filled.

As shared in our prayer letters, we have already had some challenges which are going to be typical when so many people are involved in such an important time together. But, we are seeing God ‘resurrect’ each and every situation as He typically does! For example, we continue to pray for Steven’s son (Steven is the team leader from DR Congo) who has had a blood infection. And, we thank God that he is improving!

Please continue to pray for grace around travel and logistics as people arrive today!

As Brooks wrote in a prayer letter:

Easter Sunday! SEVEN leadership teams from SIX different countries. We serve a risen Christ! He lives. Here's proof! These folks are representative of what God is doing in these six countries, changing lives, pouring out His Spirit, giving life where it looks like there could be only death. SUPER EXCITING!!! We truly believe this is going to be a springtime, faith building, life-giving week that will encourage, bless and ignite these folks into a whole new season of growth and blossoming of seeds already planted and more, many more to come that will bear much, much fruit.

Thank you so much for your prayers and journeying with us!

As a side note, in case you didn’t see my Facebook post, it is nice to have our cell phone provider in Kenya send a warm Easter greeting. Not expecting something like this from my provider back home!