Wow I’m finally in Uganda, it’s been a
long 2 months in Mexico and I thought I would never get here. The ride
through Dubai was rediculous, I didn’t sleep for over 50 hours because
of our 13 hour layover in Dubai and we decided to stay up all night to
go on a tour of Dubai. As much as I hate to admit it because I didn’t
want to go on the tour, I’m glad we did because Dubai is beautiful.
They have a fully automatic metro system that goes underground and
above ground elevated above the roadways. Every single building it
seems like is shaped like something, an aircraft, a sailboat, a wave,
all down to the manmade islands that surround the coast. There they
have so many “two year projects” meaning everything they build they do
it in just two years and the stuff that they build is no small thing
either it is all massive over the top ridiculous architechture and
landscaping. The man who took us on the tour was pretty awesome, he
said he has lived there for 15 years and when he moved there it was all
mostly desert, and in 15 years it is probably more developed than
Houston is. My favorite thing about Dubai is the man-made islands, they
have one in the shape of a palm tree with 7 braches on either side and
an underwater road to get there, this piticular island is 14 K long and
7k long with Condos better than 5 star hotels that you can rent for 99
years for 400k each.
long 2 months in Mexico and I thought I would never get here. The ride
through Dubai was rediculous, I didn’t sleep for over 50 hours because
of our 13 hour layover in Dubai and we decided to stay up all night to
go on a tour of Dubai. As much as I hate to admit it because I didn’t
want to go on the tour, I’m glad we did because Dubai is beautiful.
They have a fully automatic metro system that goes underground and
above ground elevated above the roadways. Every single building it
seems like is shaped like something, an aircraft, a sailboat, a wave,
all down to the manmade islands that surround the coast. There they
have so many “two year projects” meaning everything they build they do
it in just two years and the stuff that they build is no small thing
either it is all massive over the top ridiculous architechture and
landscaping. The man who took us on the tour was pretty awesome, he
said he has lived there for 15 years and when he moved there it was all
mostly desert, and in 15 years it is probably more developed than
Houston is. My favorite thing about Dubai is the man-made islands, they
have one in the shape of a palm tree with 7 braches on either side and
an underwater road to get there, this piticular island is 14 K long and
7k long with Condos better than 5 star hotels that you can rent for 99
years for 400k each.
Even tho Dubai was
pretty amazing I was not sad to leave. The plane ride to Uganda was 7
hours which seemed like nothing compared to the 14 hours from Houston
to Dubai. We met our host which was a man who is pretty well in shape
his name is Richard Kwalske, he works with Helping Hands ministry in
both Germany and Uganda, and has his own seperate projects in Bolivia.
I think he is awesome, he got me super pumped about everything that we
would be doing from church planting, preaching, teaching english,
learning Lugandan and Swahili <and several other languages I can’t
spell>, going to bush churches to evangelize, house visits, and
establishing a home that he had built for us!!!! After being here for 6
days in a house in the middle of the courtyard of his school for
orphans we are moving into a newly finished building that he has had
built for us to stay in our 6 months and have other mission teams stay
in, and as we live here other mission teams will be coming through for
about a week at a time and we will be like their team leaders to show
them and take them with us in our ministries here. Our main leader here
is a man that people call Pastor Moses, he seems like an incredible man
we went to church on sunday and during tesify time every single person
that got up to share about what God was doing in their lives pastor
Moses was someone they were also thanking. They asked me to teach the
“youth service” which was anyone from 12-24 years old, it was pretty
cool we knew a song in Swahili already so we sang it with them.
pretty amazing I was not sad to leave. The plane ride to Uganda was 7
hours which seemed like nothing compared to the 14 hours from Houston
to Dubai. We met our host which was a man who is pretty well in shape
his name is Richard Kwalske, he works with Helping Hands ministry in
both Germany and Uganda, and has his own seperate projects in Bolivia.
I think he is awesome, he got me super pumped about everything that we
would be doing from church planting, preaching, teaching english,
learning Lugandan and Swahili <and several other languages I can’t
spell>, going to bush churches to evangelize, house visits, and
establishing a home that he had built for us!!!! After being here for 6
days in a house in the middle of the courtyard of his school for
orphans we are moving into a newly finished building that he has had
built for us to stay in our 6 months and have other mission teams stay
in, and as we live here other mission teams will be coming through for
about a week at a time and we will be like their team leaders to show
them and take them with us in our ministries here. Our main leader here
is a man that people call Pastor Moses, he seems like an incredible man
we went to church on sunday and during tesify time every single person
that got up to share about what God was doing in their lives pastor
Moses was someone they were also thanking. They asked me to teach the
“youth service” which was anyone from 12-24 years old, it was pretty
cool we knew a song in Swahili already so we sang it with them.
Everyday life here right
now looks like alot of just hanging out with people which sounds like
not much but if we leave our home <with us being white> we get
mobbed by children yelling MZUNGU MZUNGU which means white or white
person and they follow us wherever we go they want to touch us, play
with us, with our hair, they like pulling my leghair, and most of all
just follow us to hold our hands or try to jump onto our already moving
bikes….. I am looking forward to doing some more singing in the
middle of a square full of Ugandans, their were about 500 people
listening to us sing in English while the pastors prepared a message
for the crowds.
now looks like alot of just hanging out with people which sounds like
not much but if we leave our home <with us being white> we get
mobbed by children yelling MZUNGU MZUNGU which means white or white
person and they follow us wherever we go they want to touch us, play
with us, with our hair, they like pulling my leghair, and most of all
just follow us to hold our hands or try to jump onto our already moving
bikes….. I am looking forward to doing some more singing in the
middle of a square full of Ugandans, their were about 500 people
listening to us sing in English while the pastors prepared a message
for the crowds.
to anybody reading this i might add some more but im praying for you and i love you all
even strangers….
John,
It sounds like you have had an awesome journey so far and have arrived at your destination in Uganda to begin another chapter of your journey. I think about you often and always include you in my prayers.
It was strange to watch the youth go off to the Tribal Gathering without you being there too. If I was asked to describe Mercy Street youth, I think I would end up describing you. You have been such a leader within that group of kids. I think the folks in Uganda definitely have definitely recognized your leadership in asking you to lead their youth service.
I am in awe of your courage, faith, and committment to spreading God’s love.
Stay safe!
John,
I am so encouraged to read your blog, and to hear of the awesome report of the work that you’ll be doing in Uganda. I know that God has such great plans and desire for you there. Things definitely are not the same around here with you gone. I feel like I have spent the majority of this semester trying to figure out what do to with you not around. Just writing this gets me a little choked up. I feel the deep privalage and joy of being a part of your life John and I pray for you often here in Houston. The Holy Spirit will put you on my heart while I’m, driving or praying and I’ll just begin to intercede. Also, Paul says in Romans 8 that the Holy Spirit intercedes for us with groanings that are too deep for words. I too feel those groanings for you John. I also missed you so much at Tribal Gathering. It’s funny how God always seems to speak to me at that camp out. In the past so many of those words had to do with you. I having been spending some time with Jordan and he is doing really good. I am seeing him grow more it seems every week. For now I am praying that God would give you discernment, when to rest and when to move. I am also praying that the door will be open to come and see you! I love you bro and will write again soon and will continue to check the blog for updates!
John,
Sounds like you had a good trip to Uganda and through Dubai! I’m praying for you guys in Uganda.
Erin
John,
How happy to hear you all have arrived in Uganda! Wow what a journey…I am in such awe in the way you and the others are serving the kingdom!
I miss your face on the street!! but we are doing good!
Thank you for praying for me and know that I am praying for you!! Love you~
Suzanne
John,
So glad to see you made it to a computer! I always love to hear what’s going on. I am grateful that you called on Thanksgiving! I think we talked an hour, don’t want to see that bill. Every minute was worth it!!
I will have to forward your Blog address out again. Since it had been so long since you had done any writing, people most have lost your info. because they keep asking me for it.
Also happy you explained what all you’ve done so far and the plans God has for you yet to come in you all’s ministry, because as I am sure you will not be surprised I butchered what you told me as I was trying to recount all your stories to everyone that asked. Even gave another announcement at church updating your progress.
I LOVE YOU VERY MUCH and can’t wait until your next update!! Maybe more than 1x a week would be great!
FYI..on a personal note, my situation I told you about HAS had significant change. I think the prayers are working!
John,
So glad to get an update from Uganda. I know you have been hungry to get there and begin your work. I am so proud and happy for you. You hit Dubai at an interesting time considering it just went belly up with debt last week. I’m sure it will get bailed out but it was just interesting that you happened to be there at the same time that it was making the news here. Gran brought an article from the Houston Chronicle with a picture of Dubai and a story about the whole debt crisis…she was not interested in the story though she just brought it to Jacque’s to show everyone where you were! The family is so proud about this journey you are on. I’ve really been missing you and it was weird to have everyone at Jacque’s for family birthdays and to not have you there. However, while you are not here physically you are here in Houston with us in spirit. I think about you often and wonder what you are up to. So keep us posted.
Love,
Your brother- Robert
Julie, my lovely daughter & your Mom wrote: “FYI..on a personal note, my situation I told you about HAS had significant change. I think the prayers are working!”
I am “concerned” so will one of you please enlighten your old Poppa please?
Excited, yes your Poppa is excited for you John, but I think pleased, grateful, appreciative, and humbled might better describe the feelings and emotions felt by your Grandfather when thinking of your Mission Effort Son. Of course I am proud for you in this choice and extremly grateful for the servant heart which is making such choices. Like my other grndson & your elder brother Robert, AND your Gran, I think it is a “Quirky” coincidence that you were in Dubai when the financial news hit the fan—-did your arrival play any roll in the dramatic drop in the Market :-).
Your Missionary Cuz, Cameron snuck in home from Mission Lazarus in Honduras for a couple of days,(Flew out yesterday morning from Tyler at 5:30 AM) we all had a lovely Thanksgiving Dinner hosted by your Uncle Clay’s wife Melissa Hartsell at their lovely rural home outside Longview. Your Aunt Kathryn, her new husband Charley, her two sons Randall and Andrew came down from Allen (near Dallas) and showed us pictures of Randall’s new Volvo, gotten for his 16th BD today! Both Randall & Andrew are on the Allen HS Wrestling Team, playing Baseball and VERY active with the Youth Group of the Church they attend. Melissa’s daughter was there as was Melissa’s Mom. The daughter is a cutie, is a Cheer Leader at Longview HS and demonstrated some acrobatic flips and cartwheels to the delight of her boy cousins :-). John, please KNOW that you and yours there and at home are in our daily prayers, that God continue to bless you in all you undertake which is in His will. I love reading your accounts of your many adventures and can hardly wait to get them open when the notice flashes upon my screen. Do GOOD son, and all will be well with you and your efforts. Please convey my best wishes to all with you there. Love, from your Poppa, Sherry C Hartsell [email protected]
John I am reading the comments that have been made to your blog today. Actually, I hurry to open them everytime I receive a notice as Poppa said he does. It’s just such a Blessing to hear how others feel about you.
it is Obvious your single decision to follow Gods calling has an effect on so many peoples lives. You are a leader and an inspiration!
Love you dearly!!
Please tell everyone on your 2 teams that I’m waiting to read their blogs as well. Especially send my love to Jennesa, Kyle, Tara, Shrease (spell?) and Jessica.
Mom
John I am reading the comments that have been made to your blog today. Actually, I hurry to open them everytime I receive a notice as Poppa said he does. It’s just such a Blessing to hear how others feel about you.
it is Obvious your single decision to follow Gods calling has an effect on so many peoples lives. You are a leader and an inspiration!
Love you dearly!!
Please tell everyone on your 2 teams that I’m waiting to read their blogs as well. Especially send my love to Jennesa, Kyle, Tara, Shrease (spell?) and Jessica.
Mom
John, I see the comments Landon has made today and it definately brings tears to my eyes! I too feel those groanings that are too deep for words when I am thinking about you or praying for you.
I continue to be amazed with how God is moving in your life!
I also read the note that Matt Love wrote last night. It was on the “Training Camp” blog page. It was another awesome note of encouragement and testimony of God moving not only in your life but in so many others lives that have been touched by your obedience to God’s calling!!
I Love you DEARLY.
FYI…Today is your Brother Robert’s b-day!