When I first saw the children over three years ago, they had been just that – children, but seeing them now, three years later, so many of them are grown up. They are getting to be, or are already, adults. The scene was difficult to take in, but I am thankful that they have grown up so well and are dreaming big as far as what they want to do with their lives. The second day I was in Addis, I started taking pictures of the children for the sponsorship packets. We set up a photoshoot in the common room which has a blank white wall, much like the seamless that we have at Northwest. They boys all wanted to wear their best clothes and act famous in front of the camera. We had a great time.

A few days later, I left for Soddo. A friend of mine from Westmont, and a former roommate in Seattle, Sam lives there with another friend Noah and Katie. Together, they help facilitate an orphan care center than is part of a larger care organization in Ethiopia. They have been living there for the better part of a year and have a few months to go. The plan was to get media content for the CC Ethiopia website. On the way to Soddo, however, I started feeling very cold and feverish. The 6 hour ride down there with my 30lb camera bag wasn’t necessarily helping much and when I arrived in Soddo, I already needed a rest. Sam and I were able to catch up and talk about the orphan care center. We talked about the problems in Ethiopia and how they add to the orphan situation. We talked about Ethiopia as a whole, orphan care, and what really works. I went to bed feeling a little better, but didn’t end up falling asleep for a while. I had felt the fever returning and couldn’t get comfortable. The next day we had made plans for going to another town even further south called Arbaminch. We had hoped to do some relaxing and wildlife viewing in the national park near Arbaminch. We had to wait until the next day, but in the meantime, I had been feeling the fever return. Sam, Noah, and Katie, as well as another staff member at the orphan care center, went to Arbaminch to eat and hang out in the city, while I took to resting. It ended up being one of the worst, most painful nights I can remember. The fever had risen causing my whole body to throb, my head to pound, and my skin to feel needle pricks with every movement. Nothing I could do could alleviate the pain. I thought to myself that hell must be a searingly hot pain like this that lasts forever. I didn’t sleep. In the morning, we were supposed to get into a boat to cross the lake into the national park, but I had to get to a hospital. I couldn’t live in such pain anymore. We hired a driver and began the long journey back to Soddo, to the Christian Hospital there. Sam, Noah, and Katie had built a relationship with some of the ex-pat couples that lived in the hospital compound and served in various roles as doctors in the hospital. We went straight to the emergency room and I began going through various tests to see what exactly was wrong with me.

The doctor came back with a report that I was carrying a high concentration of Malaria in my blood. He explained that it was the worst type of Malaria, but I could be treated and would recover. Since I was planning on going back to Addis Ababa in a couple of days and then on back to the US, they decided to keep me in the hospital for a couple of nights and hook me up to the I.V. It was the most effective way to get the medicine into my body while being able to monitor my progress. Sam wanted to stay with me in the hospital, and I didn’t object. The hospital in and of itself was a cross-cultural lesson, with many stories to look back on. It was also a time for reflection on the majority of my summer trip to Africa. I came with high hopes, with definite strategies, with plans and ideas, but I left with many questions. Pages and pages of journal reflection uncovered unseen problems, cultural barriers, and deep issues that I could only see the surface of.

As I made the long journey back to Seattle, I thought more and more about my role in Uganda and Ethiopia. My first layover in Addis on the way to Uganda had reminded me that I will never blend in to these places I have come to love. My experiences in each nation confirmed this. Sometimes it made me want to stop my feet. Sometimes I wanted to give up and run away. Sometimes I wondered if I was doing anything at all. But it comes down to this – God has given me something. I call it a gift of revelation that these children are important to him. I am honored to see this importance and God has grafted this part of His heart onto mine. No matter what I feel or what I do, these children are a part of me and I know that no matter how large or small the end result is, whatever I am able to accomplish matters because of the value that these lives have in the mind and heart of God. He started something in me, and no matter how good or bad I feel, He is faithful to complete it.

Keep an eye out for stories from Uganda and Ethiopia of how God has had his hand on the lives of these orphaned children. God’s plans for them are much like His plans for us. “For I know the plans I have for you,” says the LORD. “They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope.” (Jeremiah 29:11)

Thank you so much for your prayers while I was away and for your financial gifts that made it possible to go and collect photos and stories. There is still much more work to be done here to get the sponsorship programs ready, so I would appreciate your prayers in this season. Blessings.
John Paul

I asked if it was possible to have a backup plan. A harness, a net, a chute. Something to fall back on if I couldn’t make it back. Honestly, I don’t want one. I would love to hope without doubt. I would love for my mind to run free with plans of what I could do with the time that I would have in the land far away. I hope beyond to the impact that it would make. I think further to the type of man I want to be, to what God has for me, to what he has for the world. Does this all play in? Does this moment, this field experience, this research question have an impact? Would I miss something if I were to stay and find something else?

I want to go. I want it to be possible. It might not be reasonable, but it’s something that I can stand in faith for. It’s something to work towards, something to hope for. I don’t even want to ask about what would happen if it doesn’t work out because I don’t want to let myself think that this won’t happen. So I won’t. There is nothing I would rather do than to spend a month in Africa, renewing relationships with orphan care centers, investigating trends, offering myself and the gifts God has given me, and the mission that He has placed in my heart concerning the welfare of these children. What else could I do?

Next is a new video from the people at These Numbers Have Faces. I helped them out a very little bit about a year ago when I was in South Africa. I was deeply impacted by meeting Ace, Anda, and Michael. The work that These Numbers is doing there is powerful and effective. They are currently sopporting 3 students from the township of Gugulethu to go to school. Check out the video and see what they are up to! Here is their website as well. www.thesenumbers.com

A team from Germany came to Spain to teach us about photography. We didn’t learn heaps about photography that week, but we had major breakthroughs as a family that the students have become. Amsterdam was a difficult time for most of us, not only as a team, but on individual levels as well. We were disconnected, distraught, and visionless. In a way, we had forgotten why God had called us to do this program in the first place and, in our relation with each other, weren’t walking in love. Spain and the team from Germany provided a sort of intervention, keeping us all in the same room sharing what we were struggling with in relation to the team, ourselves, and with God. It was such a fruitful time that reignited our passion to receive and give the Father’s love freely.

[A mountain that Tim and I climbed overlooking Torremolinos]

[The lower part]

[A hillside in Tanger, Morocco]

[Marrakesh is a city known for its craziness. It has one of the biggest markets in North Africa and competes with Addis Ababa for Africa's largest. Even on the first day, I needed to get away from it, so Scott and I headed into the back alleys away from everything else and found a small group of boys playing soccer. We spent a few minutes with them before heading back to the hostel.]

[Morocco is known for a traditional dish called Tajin. You can find it everywhere along with the spices that are included. There is so much color in Morocco, more than I ever expected.]

[Anna and Aaron on the Atlas mountain pass. Our guide, Housine, asked us to count the number of turns on the way up. We didn't, but he kept asking. When we got to the top, he wouldn't tell us how many until we gave him good guesses, but after we did he revealed that there were only 2; right and left. Clever, Housine... very clever.]

[When we were told that we would be driving through the Atlas Mountains to get to the desert, I wasn't expecting red earth, snow covered peaks, and windblown wheat fields filling the valleys. Anna and Aaron both said that it reminded them of Nepal. It just reminded me of something beautiful since I had never seen anything like it (besides maybe the Alberta Canada coat of arms).]

[Housine says that the Berber people only live in the mountains. Its possible that they came from the Mountains, but they live all over Morocco. They make up about 60% of the population if you are interested in figures. They are a warm people, a point that I will explain in another caption.]

[After driving through some diverse and amazing landscapes and biomes, we arrived at the end of the road, literally. Housine lives in a small desert town called M'Hamed and it is where the pavement ends as far as roads go. We stayed on the edge of the Sahara in Bedouin type tents at a campsite. Unlike many other of the tourist programs, it was just Aaron, Anna and I at the camp with Housine and his friends and family.]

[Housine and his family come from the tribal Tauregs that once traversed the Sahara. They are also known as Nomads or the Blue Men because of their bright blue jalebahs (long shirts). Because of the Nation-States that have invaded the African continent in the lat 200 years, whole tribes have been cut off from each other, especially with countries with closed borders like Algeria, a mere 38 kilometers from the town of M'Hamed. The once itinerant Blue Men are mostly settled down now, but the freedom of wandering is evident in the infrastructure of their towns and the remains of vacated Kasbahs (old towns with refuges) that dot the desert countryside. Who knows how long Housine's family will stay in M'Hamed?]

[After visiting the old M'Hamed Kasbah, we headed via Landrover to the Chicaga Dunes. It is one of the largest dune systems in Morocco and boasts the highest dune of 300 meters (or 990 ft). The desert is one of my favorite ecosystems and for some odd reason, I find refreshment for my spirit there.]

[A few tourists taking a rest on one of the lower dunes. We were surprised that there weren't many tourists and the dunes were relatively untouched, which was amazing for pictures.]

[Anna making the long trek to the top of the highest sand-dune. There is this innate desire to see the highest point around and climb it. We gave in to this aspiration and reached the summit with a few minutes of sunrise left.]

[Aaron and Anna at the top. We hauled Anna's MacBook to the top in order to record one of our daily video journals which can be viewed HERE on Anna's Blog. We watched the sun drop beneath the horizon and praised our Maker for His amazing creation. Soon after, we headed back to the camp and fell asleep early (before the Blue Men were finished with their rhythmic songs) so we could get up for sunrise.]

There were no thoughts of sadness, worry, or disappointment as my feet almost flew down the sand dunes in the Saharan section of Morocco. I was carefree (besides feeling that I might end up toppling end over end down the rest of the dune) experiencing excitement, joy and freedom. There are moments like this in all of our lives, some brief others long-lasting, that force us to forget about our issues no matter how big or small. In reflecting on the seemingly insignificant instance, I realized that many people as they get older don’t take the time or even feel like they can have moments they can let themselves go with childish enthusiasm to experience innocent joy and exuberance. Look for your sand dune.

[Our camp at the Chicaga dunes was surprisingly cozy despite the fine layer of dust that covered everything (including our camera equipment). The sun rewarded our early morning efforts with spectacular views of the dunes and the textures of the sand. After breakfast we piled back in the Landrover and started the long journey back to Marrakesh, 12 hours away.]

[Along the way, we stopped in a Berber village high in the Atlas mountains. We had yet to experience hospitality in the way they showed it to us. We were invited to a terrace overlooking wheat fields and mountain dwellings where we enjoyed mint tea and broken conversations. We were invited to spend a few nights up in the village, but wouldn't have had a way to get back to Marrakesh had we done so. We all want to visit Morocco again and spend much more time in the Atlas with the Berbers.]

[It is extremely difficult to get photos of women, especially in the Muslim world. Equally difficult is getting to know them and their stories. Outside of the craziness of the Marrakesh Medina, we wandered in a small community of craftsman and porters. There were no Westerners walking the streets so it was much easier to relate with the people on a personal level. Anna had been praying that she would be able to get connected with a local woman and possibly even get portraits of her. God presented the opportunity and we spent close to an hour and a half getting to know the Berber family who had come to Marrakesh. We were so blown away by their hospitality and warmth. We would all love to go back and visit them someday as well.]

[Morocco is quite famous for its leather. The largest tannery is located in Fez, but there are also quite a few large tanneries in Marrakesh as well. It is popular for tourists to go and thus popular to be led to specific tanneries by a myriad of different people, including children and inebriated men. We finally made our own way through an open door into a tannery deserted by tourists. We walked around and took some pictures before heading back to our hostel. The man on the bottom is Abdallah Azziz who showed me the whole process of tanning leathers, a process that has become his life-long profession.]

[Some of the Arab influenced architecture in Marrakesh]

[The closest coastal town to Marrakesh is Essaouira (I am still terrible at the pronunciation). Translated, the name means "windy city" and it is very windy. It is also dominated by the tourism industry. There is also a history and tradition of catching fish in the Atlantic, so a generous fishing industry also brings in revenue for the coastal community.]

[A man sits at the gate of the Essaouira medina in the traditional dress of many Moroccans, a hooded jalebah.

[One of the strays that Aaron and Anna (and I) fell in love with]

[Another of Essaouira's medina gates.]

[Aaron standing in front of a colorful backdrop composed of rugs and blankets]

[The medina walls of Essaouira]

We are in Costa Rica and Latin America for the next few weeks finalizing the phase of the track in which we travel around the world. It’s hard to believe that it has been almost 9 months already. Pray for us as we finish here, take a quick break at home, and then meet back in Kona. I will be sure to have another blog update before then.

In His Love,

John Paul Vicory

The last 2 months have been pretty crazy, even though I have only been in the States for a little over a month now. When I first got the vision for this show, I really had no idea how involved it would be until I got back home. There was money to raise for the trip, venues to book, sponsors to find, prints to make, details to tie up, and finally, the event to put on. God has really paved the way for these shows to go through, first of all, blessing me with Cierra, a friend from DTS. She has really been the influencer behind the event, all I really did was print out some pictures. He has also given us favor with countless individuals and companies. If I were to list all of the amazing things that he has done, you probably would stop reading because the text would go on for pages.

So, on Thursday the 12^th, the first show of the Not Alone Benefit Photography Tour kicked off in Downtown Denver at JC’s Ground. I would say probably 150 people showed to support the orphans in Africa. Family and friends came, but I would say that I probably didn’t know the majority of the people that were there. There was even a young man from Zimbabwe that has been living in Denver for a short time. I won’t tell the amount that was raised, because I want to save it for the end of the tour, but it was so encouraging. I really didn’t expect what happened, with the amount of people and money that was given. It was great to see people moved by the social and physical damage that is going on in Africa. To Him be all glory!

Thank you as well to all of you who helped make the Benefit a reality!

[All photos courtesy of Matt Loevenguth]

I leave tomorrow for the next leg of the trip, which will be Chicago and Toronto. I still don’t know what to expect from these places, but I know that people need to see what is happening and get involved in some way. Please pray that people’s hearts will be open to see these children as God sees them. You can also check the Benefit’s website for more information…

Not Alone Benefit Photography Tour

I have also been accepted to another school from YWAM that I have mentioned in previous posts. It’s called PhotogenX Around the World, and it starts this September in South Africa. From South Africa a team of us will travel to Egypt, Sinai, Israel, Ethiopia, Spain, Morocco, the Netherlands, and Costa Rica before going to Kona, HI for more training. The whole program is 17 months long with only short breaks for Christmas and New Years. The focus of the school will be on social justice in the areas visited, how to capture and record injustice to portray an accurate display for the rest of the world, learn about the different cultures that we are immersed in, and to learn more about the Word of God. The program comes with an Associates of Arts in photography too, which isn’t a bad deal, and a portfolio from across the globe, which is amazing.

I have been particular about not asking for support on the blog, and there is a reason for it. I want to make sure that I am providing insight and information with no strings attached. The blog isn’t a gimmick for raising financial support for myself and I would like to keep it that way. So, if you are interested in the next program that I will be involved in and how you can help, please contact me (at the email address on the side) and we can discuss further. If you aren’t, then there is no pressure, I still need as much prayer as I can get!

I will continue to update the blog on my future travels so stay tuned!

God Bless!
Servant of Christ
John Paul

It has been two+ weeks since the last blog update, and less than a week since I have been home. I wanted to be sure that told everyone about the conference the last week in Uganda and some of my experience in being back home in the Western World.

A quick update from St. America’s before I continue. Someone, who will remain anonymous, has agreed to pay 1500 US Dollars for the children at the orphanage to get bunk beds! This is such an answer to prayer because previously they had all been sleeping on thin straw mats on the floor, practically and literally on top of each other. God is so good, and it is such an honor to be a part of it! Mark visited one last time before he came back to the states and discovered that they had named the three houses after him (Mark Weaver), Alex, and I. My eyes welled up with tears after I heard the news.
Their international account is also set up, which is a huge blessing from God. We are using a YWAM account set up by John Bills to enable people to get tax-deductable receipts. If you want to donate, make checks payable to YWAM (or Youth with a Mission) and don’t make any indications of St. Amerias on the check. Put a note that says, “African Orphans Fund, St. Ameria’s Orphanage” on it, and send the envelope to
YWAM Los Angeles
11141 Osborne Street
Lake View Terrave, CA 91342

The conference was powerful to say the least. Some of the days were spent without power, some were spent without water, but the fellowship evident among the attendees was powerful. Even people with no background in HIV/AIDS work came to the conference to get a better understanding. They left with so much more; a deep understanding of the daunting task, and even a deeper appreciation for those who have been involved with this fight for so long.

One of the most powerful sessions was the day the First Lady of Uganda spoke, although it wasn’t her speech that was so necessarily powerful. After all the Ugandan dignitaries and officers had gone, we were left without power yet again, but this time was different. It was a Wednesday night and on the schedule was a memorial for those who had lost their lives to HIV related illness that had been a part of YWAM. Attendees were asked to bring a ribbon, a foot in length, to the conference for this memorial service. We tied the ribbons together to get an idea of how HIV was affecting the YWAM community. This helped all of us realize the importance of HIV/AIDS work in all of the world. Staring at the countless strands of ribbon, many couldn’t handle the emotions of remembering those that they had lost. Some had been small babies and children, some had been friends and mentors of many years. I am not sure there was a dry eye in the entire place. We are all affected.

The week finished off great! Everyone I talked to said that it was one of the best conferences that they had been to despite the power and water outages. It wasn’t anything that the preparation team did though, it was all about God bringing together people who have a passion for the same thing, seeing Gods heart in this world. It was encouraging for them to be there and see that they really aren’t alone in this fight. Please don’t let this blog be the end of your experience with HIV/AIDS. Take measures to educate yourself and those around you to what is going on in the world. Investigate different areas where you can be personally involved in this mission that is so close to God’s heart.

As for me? This may be the last blog update for a while. It has been a great journey is sharing my thoughts and experiences with you, and a great blessing to receive the encouragement and prayers that we did from you.
I am already over my head in work trying to set up these Benefit Photography Galleries across the States. Please continue to pray that I will get everything done that is on my heart and that God will provide for the overwhelming expense that it is going to be. I really know that God wants to do a lot for these different ministries that will benefit. If you would like to be involved in anyway, please let me know!
The set-up for the benefit has changed slightly. Instead of dealing with percentages of donations and all of that, there will be different tables set up highlighting the different ministries. People will be able to write checks and give cash to the ministries of their choice. My images will be available to be purchased and donations will be accepted for me and the needs of the Tour as well.
The benefit tour will be called “Not Alone” and will be in the following cities on the following dates.

Denver, Colorado: July 12th
Chicago, Illinois: July 19th and 20th (20th Lord Willing!)
Toronto, Ontario Canada: July 21st
Ellensburg, Washington: July 31st
Seattle Washington: August 3rd
Santa Barbara, California: August 22nd and 25th
Visalia, California: September 1st

There are also bookmarks with one of my pictures available from Halfway There Water Project. Click on the bookmark to go to the site where they are all available!

Go to the Bookmark Section

Okay, so that is it from me, at least for now. I would just like to encourage you all to look into the issues that are going on all over the world. There is more to life than meets the eye, especially in the Western World. It is part of our responsibility to take action, changing our world even if it means one person at a time. This can mean supporting someone who is in missions, getting involved in community based ministry, or getting out there into the world yourself! I guarantee that you will find unparalleled fulfillment in it.

Please continue to pray for me and for the rest of the team as they readjust to the places that they left 9 months ago. Its not as easy as it seems for us. The difference between these two worlds is staggering. Continue to provide feedback as well; I would love to hear your thoughts!

Take care, and God Bless
A servant of Christ,
John Paul

Greetings from the Hopeland Base in Jinja. It has been a bittersweet week for us here in Uganda. Another one of our team members has left for home this morning. Rob decided that it was time for him to go home a couple of weeks ago, so he prayed about it and felt that the Lord gave him the O.K. to do so. He left for Canada this morning, so pray for traveling mercies on the long series of flights necessary.

Rob was one of my closest friends throughout the entirety of my YWAM journey thus far. The Lord has blessed me so much through him physically and spiritually. We will be dearly missed by all of the team members and especially by me. Rob, I will miss you, bud… See you this summer Lord willing!

There was another tragedy in the United States this week that I am sure all of you are aware of. The deadliest shooting spree in US history occurred at Virginia Tech on Monday. It comes almost 8 years to date from the Columbine Shootings in Englewood, Colorado. Tragedy is a constant reminder to me of the state of our humanness. I am from Colorado and remember the day of the shootings at Columbine. I know how devastating that these actions can be to communities and to my country as a whole. Every 20^th of April, I remember the shootings by listening to the “Lullaby for Columbine” album and take time to pray for our country and especially our youth. The song that impacts me the most is one called “Friend of Mine” written by Jonathan and Stephen Cohen, two students of Columbine… These are lyrics that all of us should keep in mind. Please take time to pray for all for all of the victims and their families of both Virginia Tech and Columbine. Pray also that we will act in Love toward all people.

“Turn our pain, to your gain,
Keep our hearts, on the mark
Comfort us, with your love, love again.

Christ of grace, Oh turn this place to
Look to you, honor you,
Fix you in our view”

On a lighter note, there is a definite praise report this week. The Lord has spoken to someone back home through this blog. I got word early last week that St. America’s Home [refer to previous blog entries] will be getting a monthly supporter! The donors will remain unnamed, but most of the technical information was handled today on a journey to the orphanage. This will be the home’s first monthly supporter since it was started in 1994. It is such an answer to prayer. They were so excited to hear the great news! I am so thrilled that they will be getting the support because I have seen the tremendous need that they face. I am also honored that the Lord would use this humble blog to accomplish his will!

I will also be supporting St. Ameria’s Orphanage with some of the funds that will be raised during the benefit art shows later this summer. If you would like to help out as well with any of the ministries that I have highlighted in this blog or the Team Ethiopia blog, please let me know.

It was so nice to see the children again today. Tara came with me and it was her first time to St. Ameria’s. The children sang again today, but instead of singing of how AIDS killed their parents, they sang of the hope that is found through Jesus Christ. The headmaster/choir director was also there today (he had been at a conference in Kampala the previous visitations). He was telling us of how the children use songs and dances to the Lord to comfort them when they are in pain. I felt such hope today, more so than the other times I had visited. It was such a blessing to be there.

The Vocational Training School (VTS) put on a coffee night for the base on Friday night. There was food, great coffee, and wonderful entertainment. A group from Tonga are here on outreach for a Frontier Missions School and have been helping out with the VTS. Another couple of staff in the VTS are getting married soon as well, so much is happening in that arena. The Tongans did a number of traditional dances for us, so here are a couple of the pictures from that night. They were also able to raise some money for the school as well!

Plans for the benefit photography shows are also coming together as well. As is stands right now, the cities are as follow (in order): Denver, Chicago, Ellensburg, Seattle, Santa Barbara, and Las Vegas. Please pray for the dates and places to be solidified. The ministries that will benefit from the shows will be: Bereket Orphanage (Ethiopia), YWAM Mercy Development (Ethiopia), Hope Enterprises (Ethiopia), and St. Ameria’s Orphanage (Uganda). To learn more about
each one of these ministries, please refer to past blog entries both in this blog, and the Team Ethiopia blog (http://ethiopiadts06.blogspot.com). If you want further information, please contact me and we will work something out.

A portion of the benefit will also go for my student tuition for another YWAM program called PhotogenX “round the world” tour. I think I have posted information about it before, but will go into a little bit more detail now. It is a program that starts at the end of September 2007 and ends at the beginning of April 2009. As the name suggests, it involved photography and going around the world. For the first 12 months or so, we will be traveling the world starting in India then proceeding to Israel, Egypt, Turkey, Greece, Chad, Southern Africa, Germany, Venezuela, and then back to Kona. In Kona we will be taking some more classes in photography and then going back out into the world for outreach. During the course of the school, we will be focusing on child trafficking and the sex trade. Part of the course will be taking the short version of the School of Biblical Studies as well. The final product of the course will be an Associates degree in photography, a portfolio from across the globe, a published book of all of our work, and a wide range of experience. More than what is seen, what I wish to make a difference in the world that was entrusted to us. I hope to fight some of the injustices that plague humanity as a global community. For more information, check the resources available on the internet. [PhotogenX]

Thank you so much for reading yet another blog and for the encouragement that I get from hearing your comments. I have mentioned this before, but to all who get the link to this site from the email I send out, I don’t just add everyone in my address book to the list, but because I want to. I don’t necessarily want this to be a one way mode of communication, but more of a two way mode. Please leave comments and questions you would like me to address and I will do my best to get back to you. And, if you just want to drop by and say hi, or have a prayer request, please feel free to email me and I will reply as quickly as I can. Thank you again.

Please continue to pray for all of us out here in Uganda. The struggle against HIV and AIDS is an uphill battle; we are behind in the fight and are still losing ground on a wide scale. We hope that with this conference we can stage an offensive and finally make some of it up.

In Christ Alone

John Paul

Part of the YWAM HIV/AIDS Global Gathering is taking a trip to a local ministry right outside of Jinja. It is a ministry under YWAM called To.RCH (Together Restoring Community Hope) located in a village called Kangulumira. TORCH is split into three ministries and all of our team members had the opportunity to partner with TORCH in the recent weeks. We were all invited (on different days) to go out into the community and do home visits to people who are HIV positive. Last Friday was my turn to go. So Gina, Jonathan, and I left early Friday morning and traveled for about an hour total to reach Kangulumira.

When we arrived, we took a tour of a health Clinic operated by YWAM called KIHP (Kangulumira Integrated Health Project). Doctor Tim (who lives at the Hopeland base as well) is the doctor there and sees about 30 patients a day. It was heartbreaking to see all of the sick people, but encouraging knowing that there are people who are doing something about them. God has been providing for this project for about 10 years now. Each month, they don’t really know where the money is going to come from to continue the work, but God has been faithful to provide.

[The KIHP Health Clinic]

We left on foot and ended up spending a large portion of the day walking between the different homes that we visited. All along the way there were children who loved to have their picture taken and enjoyed walking hand in hand with us as we walked down the path, even if the attention only lasted for a few minutes.

The first woman we visited, Florence, lived with her husband and one of her sons. She had 4 children, but didn’t know the status (HIV positive or negative) of any of them. Only 1 of her sons lived with her and her husband was not the father of the boy. Her husband was HIV+ as well, but wasn’t around when we visited. Honestly, when I first saw her, I was a little taken back. After she had contracted the virus, some kind of legion had formed over the left side of her face and ended up taking her left eye. Most of the left side of her face was covered with a scar. I can’t imagine the kind of life she has had up until the moment that we met.

One of the first things that came up was the topic of being “born again”. [There is a big difference between being a Christian and being Born-Again. Christianity is a lot like many other religions, where people don’t become one, they are born into it. Thinking about it, I find that this definition of Christianity may be true all over the world.] She wanted to know more about what it meant to be born again, so I told her the story about the Creator of the Universe, Jesus Christ, and what he did for her on the cross. I asked her what she thought about salvation and accepting Jesus as her personal Savior; she said that “she needed it”. I had never come across someone being so open to the Gospel before. She was so sincere in her faith that I knew the Holy Spirit has really convicted her heart. It’s also great that Lavissa (a counselor from KIHP that does the home visits) was going to be going back there on a regular basis to encourage her in her new found faith.

The second woman was a Muslim woman named Alima and she was beautiful. I noticed a spark in her eyes and smile the moment we arrived. She was even playing and joking around with her children and neighbors. In a way, I didn’t even want to tell her that we were working with HIV because it didn’t seem like the virus was an issue in her life. Her husband had died when their youngest of 4 children wasn’t even a year old. She had known someone working at KIHP that had been encouraging her to get tested, get the children tested, participate in lectures, and apply for income generating activity (IGA) grants. She had done so and now she has started a little bit of a business raising chickens. The youngest child is the only one enrolled in school and she hopes to enroll the others as well once she starts generating more income. We also talked to her about her ARV medication (AntiRetroViral) and it seemed like she had the complicated system of taking the medication down pat. She was willing to show us her medication, so I asked her if I could take a couple pictures of her with them. She was more than willing and wanted me to take photos of all of her children as well.

[Alima and one of her daughters]

The third lady was Judith; the only one that was born again (when we arrived at least), but was also the only one that wasn’t on ARV treatment. She had received some IGA money as well and now owned a small shop (which was also her home) that she sold bananas and coal out of. Her 13 year-old also lived with her in the dark shop. She was scared to take the ARV meds because she had heard that if you stop, they will be even worse for your body and that you would pretty much die quickly. Part of this fea
r is legitimate because taking the medication outside of the guidelines can be very bad for your body. But like we have seen so many times, taking ARV medication the right way is more than possible and could extend her life drastically. Once she gets into the habit of taking it, it could be as simple as clothing herself daily. Please pray that she will be confident and bold in taking measures to extend her life and be there for her child.

It was a great day and there were so many opportunities to take pictures of some neighborhood children. We walked a long way and were rewarded by seeing some great sights of the countryside. Much of the land that we walked through was used for growing pineapples and bananas, and some was used for growing some other important crops like plantains, chili peppers, cassava, beans, and some other fruits and vegetables as well. I had never really seen a pineapple so young!

Alex and I decided to go back to St. America’s on Saturday. There is something about that place that just captures me. There was a new soccer (football) ball in the team kit that was left over from outreach, so we decided to take it with us. We had to travel there by ourselves because Christopher (from last week) had some work for school, so he couldn’t accompany us this time. We didn’t even know the town where the orphanage was, but we managed to make a few calls and find out where it was. When we got there, about 25 children and the headmistress were waiting for us by the side of the road. It’s obvious that they don’t get very many western visitors.

We climbed up the hill and saw the boys playing soccer with a very small rubber ball that was tattered and flat. I was very relieved that we had brought the new one for them. When I took it out of my backpack and handed it to one of the teachers, the children started cheering and clapping… leaving me almost in tears. It was probably the first time that they had received a football like that.

We went into the office for about twenty minutes and it felt like an oven in there. We wanted to get some information about the orphanage and it’s budget to see if anyone would want to partner with them in getting some adequate buildings and food for the children(Email me if you are interested in some more information). We also wanted to just play with the kids and try to love them Christ’s love as much as possible. We both realized that the love we show will never look or feel like His love, but at least we can try. So after our office session we went outside to get some football in.

While we were in the office, someone had gone and actually put some air in the ball (we don’t have any pumps), so they were ready to play. Alex and I decided to be goalkeepers on opposing teams because we were both only wearing slippers (the children went barefoot on the sometimes rocky surface). It was a lot of fun out there except when we let the ball get by us on accident. The look in our teammates’ eyes was that of utter disappointment that we, their supposed friends, would have a hand in their possible loss. I hardly wanted to play after the first goal was scored on me because I didn’t want the kids to hate me if we lost. The game ended in a tie though, so it was okay!

The whole time we were playing, I was praying that they would be able to take their mind off of their situation for the hour or two that we were playing. That maybe, they would see a simple gift like a soccer ball as a gift from God; that there is more to life than sadness and suffering; that even though they didn’t choose the life the live (as they sang the previous week) there is still hope in it.

Please continue to be faithful in praying for us, we really rely on your prayers. Please pray for the various ministries that we are getting involved with as well, that God will continue to provide for them. Pray for the three homes that we visited this week as well, that the Holy Spirit will continue to comfort and minister to them.

My uncle Forest is still in Rwanda, but he is scheduled to leave this week. Please pray that he will be able to finish the business in an efficient manner, and that we will have traveling mercies as he heads back to London and then home to Colorado.

May God richly bless you!

John Paul

Our first week at the Hopeland Base in Jinja is almost over. It is much different than I had originally expected. Before we got here I thought that it would be a lot like the base in Ethiopia, which had only 2 people living on base (besides our team). There are three schools running here and over 50 people on base.

(Jonathan, Jack, and Rob before going into Jinja, Jonathan and Tara walking down a local road)

The base here is so beautiful. It is so lush and green. The campus is pretty big, but reminds me of where we were during lecture phase in Hawaii; Makapala. Its kind of outside of towns and cities and has a lot of open land. Many places on campus have a view of Lake Victoria…. One of the most spectacular views on base is from the soccer field at the bottom of campus. One of the first mornings we were here, a few of us went down there to jog and I was blown away by the beauty. The sun had just risen and was the biggest I had ever seen it. I will try to get a picture of the view for next weeks blog update, so hang tight.

For the community base clean up on Friday, we spent the morning with these tools called “slashers” slashing one of the fields of grass. All of us have blisters now because we aren’t used to that kind of work, but I’m sure that our hands will toughen up because we will probably doing the slashing every Friday. It was a great workout, however, and my muscles are still a little bit sore.

(Slashing Day… it was a little rough for us)

We haven’t been too busy this last week because we only had orientation to do. So we spent our time in various ways: going into Jinja (we are a few minutes outside of it), working out in the mornings, having brief meetings in the evenings, one-on-ones with Lucy, a bit of base management as a community, and yesterday (Saturday) we went to a resort on the shores of Lake Victoria called Kingfisher for a day by the pool.

(Gina, Rob, Tara, and Scott [another staff member at Hopeland] at the Kingfisher pool)

Base life is different here than in Ethiopia as well. Since there are so many people, meals are prepared for everyone and served as soon as the bell rings. Alex and I learned pretty quickly that if you don’t heed the bell, you may not eat! Now every time we hear that bell, we run to the line. We have a cup of milk tea with 2 rolls every morning for breakfast (similar to what we fed the children at the feeding center for breakfast at Hope Enterprises in Ethiopia), but we have also bought some fruit, bread, peanut butter, and jelly to supplement our diet when we get hungry.

Alex, Jonathan, and I went to a church this morning called Abundant Life Church of Kikera (Kikera is the nearest town to the base; about 30 min. walk). We went with a staff member from Uganda in the DTS School whom Alex had met in Arusha, Tanzania. There weren’t many people who attended, and it was a bit hard to understand the pastor because the translation was pretty much sandwiched on top of the English, but it was still amazing to see how God works in the lives of the people here. It will never cease to amaze me. The minute I got there two kids came over and grabbed both of my free hands and held them through the whole worship service, testimonies, encouragement, and announcements.

During the last week, we have only begun to know our team leader, Lucy Burrows, in a better way. Like I mentioned, she had one-on-ones with all of us and found out about who we were and what God was doing in our lives. She found out that I was the only one with Microsoft Access experience (thank you, Mike at Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History) and was pretty excited about that. She had convened with one of her good friends and intercessor back in the UK before she came out and also had stuff to share with us about what she had received from the Lord. Some of what she had received was precisely what I had communicated to her in my one-on-one (she shared at the end of it), so it was very encouraging to me because I had never met her before. God revealed to her exactly who I was and who I am wanting to become. God is so good!

This next week we will be going through some team building exercises and planning out what we will be doing for the next three months. It will be a key week in the grand scheme of our future at the Hopeland Base, so please pray for clarity of vision, teamwork, and unconditional love especially in this next week. Please continue to pray for our team members that have already gone home that they may continue to experience the Lord in new and powerful ways and that they may be witnesses to God’s glory! Thank you so much for your prayers, we see the effects of them in a powerful way at our end. I pray blessings over you for your faithfulness.

John Vicory

During the last week in Ethiopia, God continued to work mightily. We were able to hold a party at the YWAM base for many of the people that we had been working with in appreciation for letting us be a part of their lives. It was an amazing time of fellowship and closure for our brief time there. God opened so many doors for future teams in Ethiopia that it blows my mind. Continue to pray for the ministries that we were a part of and that God would unleash the Holy Spirit over Ethiopia in a new and dynamic way.

I was able to put together a brief slide show together for review night back in Kona that will take place this Thursday. It is just a brief sample of the stories, places, and pictures but i hope that you like it. The music in the background is “You’re Not Alone” by an amazing band called Saosin.

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mvxvGtwKMHg]

Now, it is time for Uganda! I can’t wait to see what the Lord has for us here. Everyone on the team thinks and feels that it will be a powerful time and that God is doing something BIG in Uganda. Please pray for us, for protection and deliverance from the enemy. He has already started tactics to dissuade us from our mission and what the Lord wants
Here is a list of the members of the extended team:
Rachel Donnelly
Maleea Morelock
Rob Broening
Jonathan Stoner
Jessie Gear
Ruth Dodgson
Jack Klinhomsopol (can’t pronounce) (from Thailand)
Alex Fung
Gina Kim
Tara Naylor
and Me (John Vicory)

A picture of us will appear soon, but i haven’t had time to get one uploaded yet…
Until next time, Grace and Peace from the Lord Jesus Christ