Monday, February 4, 2013

Kicking Off Adult Sunday School

Damon Teaching OT Survey
This past Sunday Community Bible Church of Kubamitwe started Sunday School. Up until now, the facilities would not allow for multiple Sunday School classes, but now that we are in our new building we can facilitate different classes. We are offering three adult classes: a basic discipleship class, a class on Romans, and a survey of the Old Testament. We have had an amazing response: 80%+ of the adults who attend church were at Sunday School last week. It is our prayer that God would give His people here a rich understanding of His Word.

The School Building Is Finished!

Classroom
The Teachers and Administration
Praise the Lord that the school building is finished. The building is very nice for such a remote village, and the curriculum is excellent as well. We are at capacity for this year and have a waiting list. The teachers are all going through a discipleship program and are very excited about teaching at Legacy. We asked one what her impressions were of SOS Ministries, and she said that this is one the most loving places she's ever experienced. We praise the Lord for all of those (like you!) who have made all this possible.  Our students are not only getting a quality education (far better than what they could have hoped for otherwise) but they are being taught the Bible and what it means to be a Christian. Please continue to pray for us and our teachers as we strive to leave a legacy here in the village of Kubamitwe. 










Monday, December 24, 2012

Christmas Gifts



These past two days the Cupp family and Hurley family joined forces to hand out 300 bags of sugar to the three villages that surround the SOS property. It was eye opening in many ways. First, we traveled deeper into the bush than we've been before, and the living conditions of most are very extreme. Most of the people live in one or two room huts with dirt floors and no running water or electricity. As we visited each home, most of the people were very appreciative of our small act  of kindness and thanked us in Lugandan several times before we left. It is our hope and prayer that this would not only demonstrate Christ's love but also endear us to the people of this area so that we would have more open doors. As we returned from our trip tired and dirty, our hearts were filled with joy; it is truly, "more blessed to give than to receive" (Acts 20:35). Thank you for your participation in this through your prayer and support!

Jen and Kids handing out candy
Jen, Ethan, and Danielle delivering
Christmas gifts

Wednesday, October 31, 2012

My Family is Here!


My family arrived after a very long journey from the states.  It was a nine hour flight to London, a twelve hour layover, and then another nine hour journey to Uganda.  Needless to say, they were all very glad to finally be here.  This is what jet lag looks like for a three year old little girl.

The entire compound is a buzz of activity these days.  There is work going on at our house, at the church, and at the new school.  There is the daily rain in the afternoons, but it doesn’t seem to slow down the progress much.  Jen had her first experience with hanging all of the laundry out to dry.  While she was working in the house, a huge storm blew in and she and some others had to go running to pull all of the clothes off of the line in the rain.  The kids are adjusting well and love that there are so many “farm” animals all around.  There are goats, chickens and cows that roam all over the place.  The kids love that there is a baby goat and lots of chicks, so we see them running after them all of the time.  Nate has already caught his first poisonous frog by spearing it.  Some of the workers found 2 baby cobras in the back yard in one of the ditches, so that was the excitement for the day as they let the cobras strike at their shoes.  This was after a 6 foot cobra was killed 300 yards from our house.  These are things that Jen is trying to forget about, but the boys love it!! 
 
This past Sunday was a very special day.  It was the inauguration service in the new church building.  There were a lot more people there than normal because of the general excitement about the building in the village.  Shannon and the elders had put ribbon across the front so that some of the people could cut the ribbon, and once the ribbon was cut the people flooded joyfully into the building.  It was a three hour service, with singing, testimonies of some who have been saved as a result of the ministry, a charge to the elders by the president of the Baptist Union, and a message about the true meaning of the church. 

Jen and Danielle sang at the end of the service with “We Will Glorify”, and Jen actually sang in Lugandan for the last verse.  The people shouted with joy at different times during the song, and then everyone joined in singing with them at the end.  

After lunch, there was a baptism service.  Each person shared their testimony before being baptized.  Many of the people had come to Christ as a result of attending Bible studies led by different people in the ministry.  It was such a reminder of the power of God’s Word to change lives.  The people baptized had such passion as they shared about their conversion, and all of the people would clap and rejoice with them when they were baptized. 

We are still waiting for our container to arrive, but we got word that it has finally left the port and is on the way.  Please pray that this leg of the journey will go smoothly.  We need to send it through customs in Uganda, which can be a hassle.  We are anxious to get settled into the house, but God’s timing is perfect.  We were just able to stain the floors, and the painters are still finishing up some things, so even if the container had come, the house would not have been ready yet for all of our belongings.  So many people have been helping us, and we are grateful for the ways that the people here are pouring out their love on us.  When we meet new people and they find out that we will be living here, they are so excited and tell us over and over, “You are most welcome.”  Jen’s mom has been so helpful, and everyone calls her Grammy.  Emma has become quite the favorite with everyone, and people are constantly picking her up and walking around with her.  A couple of our boys have already told us how good the bugs are to eat.  (I think they were flying termites…I wouldn’t know from personal experience if they taste good or not, but the Ugandans love them).


Thursday, October 11, 2012


My Refuge and My Fortress

Psalm 91:1-2 “He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will abide in the shadow of the Almighty. I will say to the Lord, My refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust.”

The past few days have shown me how desperately dependent on God I really am. It was easier in America to live under the facade of self-reliance; however, life here is so unpredictable and new to me, that Psalm 91 has been my daily, almost hourly prayer and reminder to my own soul. The Lord has shown Himself faithful in so many ways, and I keep reminding myself to dwell in the shelter of the Most High so that I will abide in the shadow of the Almighty.

Thank you for your prayers. I am working on having my container transported from Kenya to our house, and there are so many uncertainties, and the cost is more than expected. Pray that God would give me peace and wisdom as I work through the details. I am also working on some things at our house. The workers have made a lot of progress in the past few days. They should finish the final layer of concrete on the floor today. 

Tuesday, October 9, 2012

My First Week in Uganda

It's hard to believe that tomorrow will mark my first week in Uganda. It has been a great week; the Lord has been so faithful. This is the rainy season here and I experienced a part of that as we drove from the airport to the Hurley's home last Wednesday. Usually what happens in the rainy season is that at some part of the day, a thunderstorm will develop and sometimes last for hours, at other times a few minutes. It has been relatively dry here for the rainy season this year. So much so, that the people in the village of Kubamitwe (where I now live) are concerned for their crops. 



Our house is coming along, though things happen here much slower than I am used to, partly because of the difficulty in transporting supplies. I spent my first few days clearing the jungle behind our house with Ben Basinger, Elisa Hurley, and Benje (one of my Ugandan brothers). We tore down a huge termite mound (about 6 feet tall), which was quite a chore. Apparently, You want to do this if they are close to your house because snakes will use them as homes and have hundreds of baby snakes that will then invade your territory. I know that Jen is relieved! Yesterday I drove into Mukono, a town about a 3 hour drive away, to pick up cabinets for our house. The builder is in the process of putting the finishing concrete on the floors. We've made a few changes, so there are still many things for them to do, but it looks like it should be close in a couple of weeks. Currently, I am being well taken care of by the Hurleys. 


 The church, Community Bible Church of Kubamitwe, is almost finished as well. We hope to officially move in October 28. Please continue to pray for the leadership of this church. It continues to grow and face challenges, but praise the Lord for what He is doing in this community. The Elders have agreed to make me an Elder in the coming weeks; pray that I would be found faithful to shepherd biblically (1 Peter 5).




 Legacy Christian Academy of Uganda is well underway! This is also a great need in the community. We hope to start in late January, which is when the school year begins in Uganda. Solomon, the headmaster of the school, is a great addition to SOS Ministries. We feel truly blessed to have him and his wife on our team. Pray that the building will get finished quickly and that we would have wisdom as we begin the process of teacher selection.



I miss my family a tremendous amount, but staying busy helps! Pray for my sweet wife as she makes last minute decisions and purchases and as she parents our children without me. I know that it is difficult, but God is giving her strength and the blessing of a church family at home. I can't thank you all enough for your prayers and support.


Monday, October 1, 2012

The Time is Here!

The journey that our family began about 3 years ago, has brought me (Damon) to the DFW airport, Terminal D, Gate 11, waiting for the flight that will land me in Uganda Wednesday morning. It is definitely sad to leave behind family and friends who mean so much to me, but I am also filled with anticipation and excitement about where God has brought us and where He is taking us. God is so faithful to supply everything we need to glorify Him. Please pray for our family as we make this transition to Uganda and SOS Ministries.