Arua

In January, we had the chance to travel to Northwest Uganda to city called Arua.  We had the privelege of spending time with WGM missionaries in the city.  It was so refreshing to get out of the city.  We enjoy Kampala where we live, but it is a huge metopolitatan city. 

When you get just a short time out of the city the country is very beautiful and diverse with it's landscape.  It was a about a 8 hour drive to Arua by car.  The roads are just like the scenery, very diverse.  Sometimes they are smooth and others rough and bumpy with a lot of potholes.  We stopped at a road side diner with working toilets about half way there.  Great place for a snack in the middle of no where.

Arua is a small town with a very diverse population that is very close to South Sudan and Democratic Republic of Congo. 

 

Life is much simplier.  The missionaries have solar power at their homes.  So some of the convienences we have in the city are not possible.  Clothes have to be washed by hand and hung out to dry.  They have a solar water heater, so when the hot water is gone, no more till more is heated by the sun.  If you use up the electricity, you have no more electricity.  With the four of us staying with the Rambo family of 5, we ran out of electricity the last morning before we left.  The sun was not up yet, when we got up to leave, so out came the flashlights.  If you don't have to turn on the lights or use electricity, don't use it.  If you need some clothes ironed you have to use a charcoal iron.  And Meg Rambo had a threadle sewing machine, so she would not use electricity.  You use foot power to run it.

The Rambo & Coppedge family are involved in  pastor training in the area.  We were able to see prepration for a pastor retreat.  Joshua & Raymond were able to go with a missionary volunteer CT, to a boys home to play soccer and share a bible story   Nicole was able to attend a womens bible study with the expatriate community.  And we were able to see the market area for food and fabric.  During this time, we were able to meet some of the various Ugandans that the missionaries work with and build relationships with in the community.

One woman, Rose, is a tailor that we hired to make Katherine and Nicole a skirt out of the fabric we bought.

Katherine and Nicole with the tailor - Rose

Raymond with the carver

 

Please pray for the missionaries in Arua and the work they do to further the Kingdom of God.  As I am writing this the Rambo family has left for the United States to raise funds to continue the ministry in Africa.  Please pray for the continued support to these two beautiful families.

Coppedge Family

Meg Rambo with both families kids

 

Scott Rambo with son Josiah in front of their house in Arua