Greetings Friends and Family
I have just been back home in Uganda for one week after spending a day or two ore than a month in England with my family. My family, sons, daughter and grandchildren continue as always to be closer and they all looked after me really well. Once again I stayed with my elder son John, his wife Caroline and my youngest granddaughters Melissa and Imogen (Immy). As always I was too well fed there at home with them and on my visits to son Matthew, wife Elaine and Joshua; Reece is at Huddersfield University and I got to visit hime there one day. I was surprised how Huddersfiled was quite a smart town; very different the days when I was a young boy visiting my aunty Mary. Yet more good meals with my daughter Caroline, husband Gary, Hannah, Ruth and Beth, and two boyfriends, Jack & Chris.
Mt first full week in England was at Partners in Harvest Europe; a good refreshing time and two lots of teaching was confirmation to me of some ministry that I had being doing recently here in Uganda.
A couple of meals out with friends form the Well, my home sending Church in Lytham St Annes & Blackpool. Coffee, biscuits, makes, more coffee with Church family. It’s always amazing to me how I’m away from my Church family for almost a year at a time, but when I visit it just seems like only one week absence.
Our family holiday was in North Wales again at the end of October; we had a beautiful big house called Derwas, about 4 miles from Old Conway. I can only think of one Sunday in the year when I plan NOT to go to Church and that is th Sunday of this October holiday., when I plan to enjoy God through his wonderful creation. I have always found it so easy to worship Jesus in the hills, mountains and valleys of his unspoilt beauty. Why am `I saying this? Well on the Sunday morning I woke at 3am and I sensed the Holy Spirit saying “I want you to encourage my people in Church today” So what seemed vilisation4-miles from the nearest civilisation…
I looked on the Internet for Churches in Colwyn Bay and read briefly about several Churches, but one small website caught my eye for two main reasons: a) it was a member of Evangelical Alliance and it welcomed visors by saying ‘Come hungry’. I thought this is the one; it was the English Baptist Church, Old Colwyn. So I found my way there and received a warm welcome from the people and the husband and wife pastors. They asked me if I was on holiday etc and where I was from to which I replied Lytham St annes, but I live in Uganda, a missionary; and I was asked if I would speak to them… Holy Spirit knows what `he is doing!!!
So I spoke for about 20-minutes and afterwards whilst Im going back to may seat a young woman asked me if I was staying for coffee afterwards as she wished to talk with me. So I stayed for coffee and chatted with several people and this young woman who God had been speaking to her about the mission field for some time. That particular morning she had also woke up at 3am to hear God saying something about Uganda. If we family holiday in North Wales next year I aim to go back to that small Church. That week they were part of a Mission to Wales; praying for another Welsh revival to affect the world again.
Sorry this is a bit wordy…
Whilst I have been in England Alex and Emma led an Encounter course in the Retreat House for eight members of our Agape Love Church and this week Alex has led his first encounter course doing all the teaching (except the first session, which I did). We had nine pastors from Kumuli and Buyende Districts in Eastern Uganda. They completed the course this afternoon (Thursday) and will return to their villages tomorrow morning
Little 21-month old Benjamin, who suffers with Sickle Cell disease was dancing and singing, worshipping Jesus last Friday and Saturday is arm was still hurting causing him to cry, so Alex and Esther took him to Gwatiro Hospital (poor lad spends so much time there for blood transfusions and what have you) to find he had broken his upper arm. The doctor referred to it as a green wood fracture; I think its a hairline fracture sort of along the bone not across it.
Please pray for Benjamin and mum and dad, life is not easy.
IRIS SS/U are having a Harvest School team again in December and this time they will spend Tuesday 12th to Friday 15th with us at Agape Love Church working with children and families in Kasubi slum. They will stay in our Retreat House and we willl join with them in this mission. PTL. Please pray for us as we seek to put everything in place before the arrive. Carolyn will be in Pemba from Sunday until the 3rd December.
At the end of December Carolyn will be bring a team of seven to do a sort of repeat mission with us again in the Kasubi slum. This is a YWAM team from Hawaii. Again prayers please.
Let me finish there… Oh and continue to pray for the health and hygiene situation at out Nursery School/Church and pastor Emmy’s home. Thank you to Jean and her helpers and all those who contributed in different ways to donate £535 toward these two projects that will cost £2,450.
Carolyn speaking at Agape last Sunday
Benjamin and Encounter Retreat (Father’s Blessing)
Mainly children's clothes. Feast at Matthew's
From next week it will be full house with most of my boys home from school/college/UNI
Love & Blessings
David T Atkinson