Coincidences?

Coincidence(s)?

We had the privilege of speaking at First Baptist Duncan on the first of January.  It was an incredible experience in many ways.  The one I want to share with you in this blog came full circle yesterday.  At the end of the service, Brad Allen, called our family to the front as well as those who felt led to come down and pray for us before our departure.  Jay’s dad then led the time of prayer.  As we remained down front, Earl Hunter shared with Jay that his great nephew was a missionary in Uganda.  He then gave us a postcard with their picture and information on it.  I looked up their website, and Jay shot Micah an email.  Micah replied back, sharing that Kara was an RN and might like to join us, time willing, when we go out to some of the rural areas.  It seems like we have been very busy since we have arrived.  We had made another connection several months back with a gentleman named Steve Bredeson.  He is a missionary in Uganda associated with First Methodist in Ardmore.  He works with a ministry in Uganda called Eagle’s Nest.  Without prior planning on Jay or Steve’s part, we realized a few weeks before we left the States that Steve would be on our flight from Amsterdam to Entebee.  When we realized this we made plans to join him and Eagle’s Nest as they went to a village called Nakalanda.  Earlier this week, we made plans to join Steve and his team (which we became somewhat acquainted with in the Amsterdam airport)  in Gaba and travel to an area called Bethany to this village on Thursday.  Eagle’s Nest has a Medical Building in Nakalanda that is a completed structure only.  So, Joline, Joshua, and Jennifer joined the five of us and we headed to Gaba.  We met up with Steve and his team at their hotel there.  As introductions were being made, Steve said, this is Kara.  Then he said, this is her baby Abigail, and husband Micah.  I said, wait a minute.....I think we’ve shared emails.  We are from Oklahoma.  Is your great uncle Earl Hunter???  Kara said, I was praying for you guys February 1st, realizing you would be heading to Uganda.  I was just waiting to email you to give you a little time to settle in. Instead, here we were together without any effort on either of our parts.  

  

Thursday was special to us.  After the above described meeting of the Mills family, we boarded a large wooden boat with what appeared to be a 1970 model trolling motor and started off across one of the top ten largest lakes in the world.  

Luckily, it was a narrow part of the lake and reached the other side in about 30 minutes.  Once across, we went down a small canal that had about 6 inches of clearance on either side of our boat. 

We took this canal about a mile or two back into the jungle.  It was straight from Disney World.  We then jumped on Boda Bodas (motorcycle taxis) and traveled another 2-3 miles further inland.  

We stopped at Eagle’s Nest school.  We spent the day around the school.  We helped hand out care packages to 8 widows and 2 widowers in that village.  We got to pray with each of them individually and they were so appreciative. 

We also got to help feed the kids for lunch and enjoy some great beans and rice.  We played chase and soccer with the kids and made many new friends (Jayne especially).  

They have a clinic building there that was built 2 years ago and has never been used.  We may be able to work with Eagle’s nest to host some medical clinics there this year.  Thanks a million to Steve Bredesen for introducing us to this wonderful ministry and these beautiful people! 

After an awesome day in an area that Jay describes as Nat Geo Nowhere, we made the same trek back to Kampala.  We took a car to eat dinner with Steve Swigert (from Ardmore) and Brent Smith of Watoto.  We got home late again.  It seems like our nights keep getting shorter and our days more exciting!

Friday, Jay was in the clinic at Gaba and the kids and I were in the babies home!  What a delight this was helping to take care of these 22 orphaned children.  We had our attempt at Mexican food tonight for dinner.  We are going to sleep fast and then off to Hoyma to see Jim’s friend Henry on Saturday and Sunday.

Keep the prayers going, we can feel them.

Jill