Sisters and Friends

Sisters and Friends

My family consists of my parents, two brothers and me.  My upbringing was great and I was able to experience sports as a spectator and also a participant. I was in some ways a Tom girl always wanting to follow my brothers around and be involved in what they did when I was young.  I knew how to relate to guys, but not to girls.  I struggled for years to have healthy relationships with girls.  One of the many blessings God has given me is showing me how to have a healthy relationship with other Christian women.  He started guiding me even the day I was saved.  I was at a girl friend’s home preparing for her wedding and I told Raymond to come get me to take me to church.  That is the day I accepted Christ.  That is also the day that this unhealthy relationship ended.

Through the years, God has given me some really beautiful relationships with Godly Christian women.  He has given me friends and sisters.  Here are a few important women in my life that have helped me live, laugh, love, and grow in Christ. 

The first person is in America in the wonderful state of Florida.  It is Phoebe.  We are both southern women who have education majors, love scrapbooking, and handsome sons that keep us busy.  She has made me laugh, think, and helped me prepare for missionary work.  Her family has a heart of giving to others and serving people.  I am thankful for her friendship and stepping back into her life while in America.

Phoebe & I at Thanksgiving 

The next person is my friend from the Netherlands, Debbie.  She is a quirky friend that is full of energy and has taught me to laugh and enjoy life.  She has reminded me to make sure I breathe through everything and put everything in God’s hands.  She has became a part of our family in Uganda.  We helped each other through our ups and downs of living in a foreign country.  Raymond says that she knows how to bring a peace to me.  She is my sister in Christ and I am forever changed by our friendship.

                                           Debbie - friend from the Netherlands and fellow teacher

The next group of ladies are special to me, because they are my Ugandan sisters.  Esther and Margaret.  Esther was my assistant in my 2^nd grade class and Margaret was the assistant in the other 2^nd grade class.  Esther and I have the same birth month and a love of worshipping God.  She is a worship leader for her church and has a heart to serve.  She helped me to learn to let go and let others help in getting the job done.  I use to have trouble with trying to make everything perfect in the classroom and controlling everything.  I loved that we were able to lean on one another, share our struggles, fears, accomplishments, joy and life together.  Then Margaret came to the school and we were a fun trio enjoying the fellowship of sisters in Christ.  They taught me the real Uganda.  A little of language, a lot of culture, and introduced me to wonderful Ugandan food.  I am thankful that I was not just a white person, but someone they welcomed at their lunch table and willing to experience life with.

Esther my Ugandan sister

Margaret -  my Ugandan sister

Last, but never least, is my missionary sisters, Meg & Kelly.  They are both fellow missionaries with WGM in Uganda. They understand what it means to live in another country and feel overwhelmed by life.  How bringing your children to a foreign country can be beautiful, but has its challenges.  Most of all they know how following God’s call to ministry is precious.  Sharing Christ to the Ugandan people is amazing. They each have their special ministry in Uganda and we all play a different role in bringing people to Christ.  These are some of the wonderful mission family that I have prayed for and enjoyed ministry with the past year.

 Many of my fellow missionaries were so important to my journey in Uganda.  All of us ladies held each other up in prayer, encouragement and friendship.  I thank God also for Christine, Delight, Lisa, Joyce, Joanna & Lisa.  You inspire me to be a greater women and spirit led missionary.  Many other ladies were also involved in my life in Uganda and I appreciate all the important ways that God used fellow women from around the world to encourage me.

Ray & I with Christine & Jeff

Joyce & George with us on my birthday

Thanksgiving Field picture - All my mission family

September Group Picture

Becca, Lisa, Jean & I looking at Lake Victoria

Delight & I hanging out here in the states

So ladies, thank you for helping me grow deeper in Christ, experience life together, and serve the Lord together.

Your sister and friend,

 Nicole

February 2014 Ministry Update & Schedule

Greetings everyone! We are starting to travel for the month of February in the Southeastern states with a heavy concentration of activities in Florida. We want to start a drive to pass our biggest hurdle. In the next two months, we would like to gain 80 new champions for the ministry needs we have. Even if you are not able to support us directly, perhaps you could host us in your home and have the same result of connecting us to the champions that the Lord has for us. Most of our weekend days are filled, but we still have some Wednesday nights and most other weekday nights(or days) open. Would your church be willing to invite us to speak on Wednesday evening? Do you have a small group that would like to hear how the Lord is moving in other parts of the world? If you would like to partner with us or are interested in hosting us, please let us know. We would love for you to introduce us to your church, family and friends.  Even if we are not able to meet with them in the month of February, we still need to fill dates in the months to come.  Please be in prayer for the following events and we would love to see many of you at the wonderful churches that have already invited us to share. 

January 31st & February 1st - Traveling to Florida
February 1st - Avon Park Holiness Camp - 6:30 pm Service
February 1st-7th - Enjoying the services at Avon Park Holiness Camp 
February 9th - Faith Wesleyan Church in Lakeland, FL - 6:00 pm Service  will attend in the morning service 
February 12th - Lake Gibson Church of the Nazarene  in Lakeland, FL - 7:00 pm Service
February 13th -21st - Enjoying the services at Florida Holiness Campground
February 15th - Home meeting
February 16th - Highland Park Church of the Nazarene
                         10:30 am Joy Sunday School Class
                          6:00 pm Chapel Service
February 23rd - North Fort Myers Church of the Nazarene - 10:45 am Service
February 24th-25th - Travel back to Wilmore, KY

While we are staying at Avon Park Holiness Camp & Florida Holiness Camp we would love the opportunity to share a meal with you if you are there.  Lakeland, there are no meals served in the evenings at the Florida Holiness Campground, so we are wondering if we can invite ourselves over for dinner?  This will help us to keep costs down.  Let us know if you would like us to join you for a meal.

May the Lord bless you all!

Nicole & Raymond Leisure

Thanking Jesus for my husband

I am thanking Jesus for my husband today and his willingness to go where God has called us.  Raymond and I celebrated in November our 20^th wedding anniversary.  When I reflect on how God brought the two of us from opposite sides of the country together in a small town in Minnesota.  Even though Ray & I did not have a personal relationship with Christ, we can now see how God had his hand in our lives even back then.

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God could direct what seemed impossible then and he was able to direct what seemed impossible now by sending us to Uganda.  I am so proud of the heart of Ray and his willingness to say to God – send me and I will use the gifts you have given me to serve fellow missionaries and the Ugandan people.  Over the year Ray was able to help with networking set up at Heritage International School.  He was also able to assist in IT work at the school, fix laptops for Africa Gospel Church pastors, missionaries, teachers, and students at the school.

                                                Inside of a laptop that Ray fixed (one of many)

 Then he was able to work with helping to maintain and coordinate maintenance on the missionary vehicles and other various jobs for our World Gospel Mission family.  Ray was able to research and explore alternate fuels, cooking sources and water systems.

     

Mwato stove that he used and shared with the Ugandans

  
                                     Raymond working on his Bio Gas system

                               The final results of the Bio Gas system was to be able to boil water.

Five years ago he was following me to Africa wondering what his purpose in the short term mission trip was all about.  I remember him talking to an African Pastor that was visiting us in Florida, before our first trip.  Ray was trying to explain many possibilities that the Pastor could do and the Pastor explained to him that God had given him the mind to understand and use the principles.  They could not just read the information like him and make it happen.  Ray then arrived in Uganda and his heart was opened to how he could help the missionaries and the Ugandans.  So I am Thanking Jesus for my husband and his servant heart and mind.

Thank you Jesus for your Word!

When thinking about how thankful I am about my life.  I found myself also thinking of my fellow brothers and sisters in Christ that we serve in Uganda. What is the one thing that has impacted my life and also them?  My soul is shouting God's precious word, the Bible.  God's presence is with us and the Holy Spirit to make the word come alive.  God is welcoming us in his arms and the words he ordained can speak to us.

 The precious words of
Isaiah 58:9 - "Then you will call, and the Lord will answer; you will cry for help, and he will say: Here am I."
John 3:16 - "For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life."
Matthew 28:19-20 - "Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you.  And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age."

There are many words in the Bible that God has used to draw us to seek Him, grow closer in communion with Him, and cry out to Him in our times of trails.  So Thank you Jesus for your Word that called my heart to kneel at an alter 15 years ago seeking your forgiveness, grace, and love forevermore.

Our brothers and sisters in Uganda are searching for God, just as I did 15 years ago.  They are hungry to hear and read the word.  Not all our able to have their own bible.  The women here share this bible during a service.  It is written in their native language. This church is in the heart of tea fields outside of the Kampala area.

Even the children our eager to see and read the word!  The Ugandan people I found were eager for the word of God.  When visiting another church the pastor even asked me to read my New International Version of scripture, so the congregation could hear the words spoken in another translation.  How precious it is to share a scripture and word of encouragement to help them on their journey of growing in Christ. So tell us what scripture are you thanking Jesus for today!

A Month of Thanksgiving

November is a special month for me.  I have always cherished the time with family and friends during the Thanksgiving Holidays.  Thanksgiving was one of the 2 holidays that I celebrated growing up.  Being together with family and friends and enjoying some great food was the highlight..  One year ago I was working with my second graders in Uganda preparing a chapel service of Thanking Jesus.  So I would like to show you what my family is thankful for here in the States and in Uganda.  Stop by all month and see how God has been a blessing in our lives.

One of my students made this sign and we took pictures with it.  Due to privacy I am not able to share their faces, but it is a picture of 5 handsome boys from Uganda, Eritrean, and America. :)

Let us know what you Thank Jesus for!

America - My home?

We came back to America in June 2013.  It has been crazy travelling on the road since we arrived.  Living out of a suitcase and travelling all over the USA east of the Mississippi River. We have traveled many miles on the road meeting new people and updating everyone of our journey over the last year. We have now arrived to our new home in Wilmore, KY.  It is wonderful to be settled in a place that we can call home. Have a schedule, cook for ourselves, and explore how God wants to use us here in America.

One of the interesting things we have realized, when people ask us, "Where are you from?".  My heart says Uganda, but to many Americans they find that strange.  Yes, home is where you put your head at night, where you grew up, where your roots come from, but it is also where your heart is.  I did not expect to feel so strongly that we left our home in Uganda. It is where I will return to and it is where I long to be.  Yes, I love to hug and kiss my family and friends.  Go eat in a restaurant of food that I have not eaten in a long time.  Watch American TV, play games, go shopping, drive on paved roads.  There is still one thing that remains.  My heart and soul long to walk on the red dirt streets of Uganda, the sound of the "monkey birds" as they call out above my house, the dancing and singing to God in a language that I am still trying to understand, and the joy of a small child greeting me at my car - walking me hand and hand into a small village church.

The people of Uganda, my teacher friends from around the world, and my missionary family that I worked with daily.  They stole a piece of my heart and will keep it until I return safely to them in Uganda.  So yes, my homeland is America, but my home is in Uganda, Africa.  Will you pray with us, for our return to Uganda?  We want to build a whole new team of prayer warriors to walk with us on this journey.  Contact us and let us know if you want to join the team.  We would love to introduce you to our home!

24/7 Prayer Room: Not just Preachers Needed!

Check out Ray's video over at the WGM Uganda Blog!

24/7 Prayer Room: Not just Preachers Needed!: Hope this video by Ray Leisure opened your eyes to the many ways you can be a missionary in Uganda or around the world.  God can use ...