Update: Thursday, April 24

I have now been in Uganda for one month! It feels like it has only been a few days at most, but at the same time it could have been a year. I am getting to know everyone more and more, and the men I live with (their names are Patrick, Samson, Obadia, Mehdard, and Amos) are becoming like brothers to me. The ABIDE Program is going well and the discipleship is yielding some incredible fruit. Its been a time of growth - both in leadership and in learning. I get to be both the discipler and the discipled; the teacher and the student. I have learned so much and we are only 1/4 of the way through ABIDE.

Our ABIDE schedule consists of classes Tuesday through Friday from 9 am until 4 pm (Monday's are our day off). During class time, we are discussing the Bible, specifically John chapters 13-17. We are also reading "How to Read the Bible for All its Worth" (which discusses how to analyze and interpret the Bible yourself using the original languages of the Bible - Hebrew and Greek, mainly - and it also discusses context and applying the Bible today). The second book we are reading is "The Master Plan of Evangelism" which discusses how to share the Bible the way that Jesus did and how to be effective at sharing the Gospel. The third book we are reading is "The Cost of Discipleship" which is also my favorite. It is by Dietrich Bonhoeffer (spelling?), and if you don't know who he is, then SHAME on you! Bonhoeffer was German (No, really?!) who was murdered in 1945 because he stood up, as a Christian, to Adolf Hitler and the Nazi regime. He was very vocal at how horrible Nazi's and socialism were, and eventually became part of a plot to assassinate Hitler. It failed and he was caught, and was hanged just weeks before the Nazi's were stopped. He is a Christian martyr and was a voice for the people who Hitler tried to keep quiet. Read this book as soon as you can!

On the weekends we are doing outreach. We are visiting nearby churches and helping with worship, sharing our testimonies, and preaching. We are also doing community outreach through service projects and prayer. We are praying for our neighbors around us, getting to know them, and sharing our faith with them as well. People have been so receptive and the culture towards Christianity is much different here than in America. You are also allowed to openly preach and share with children at public schools - and most of the time, it's because you were invited by the teachers...praise God!

I am also leading worship and teaching a computer course every Friday so that the students can learn some practical skills while they are a part of ABIDE. It's been difficult so far trying to teach computer skills to people who have never touched a computer...can you imagine? But that's why they need to learn it, especially today.

Word of the week: Akamassimye! which means: PRAISE GOD!

I will leave you with a verse: Hebrews 2: 5-9

It is not to angels that he has subjected the world to come, about which we are speaking. But there is a place where someone has testified: "What is man that you are mindful of him, the son of man that you care for him? You made him a little lower than the angels; you crowned him with glory and honor and put everything under his feet."
In putting everything under him (Jesus), God left nothing that is not subject to him. Yet at present we do not see everything subject to him. But we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels, now crowned with glory and honor because he suffered death, so that by the grace of God he might taste death for everyone.

Seeking God

I shared this verse with a friend yesterday, and I thought everyone should hear it. Often, people just quote Jeremiah 29:11, but they leave out the sweetest part which are in verses 12 and 13. It is such a good reminder of who God is and "the plans (he has) for you."

Jeremiah 29: 11-13
"For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart."

Amen!

Hakuna Matata, ABIDE, and other random thoughts

Hello all! Sorry for the late post...you'll probably be hearing that a lot because sometimes it's hard to get to use the internet...which brings me to my "Random word of the week" segment (P.S. I am starting a "random word of the week" segment from now on!). The word this week is Hakuna Matata - yes, that's right...Hakuna Matata which means (and this will be easy for those of you with Disney Trivia knowledge) "No worries". Things are slow here - life, the internet, cars...so just take it easy, don't worry - you know, Hakuna Matata!!!

ANYWHO, things are going AMAZINGLY well. But I realized that I hadn't told you exactly what I am doing while I'm here, so I'll use this post to finally do so!

Today we started the program I am helping to lead called ABIDE - Amagara Bible Institute of Discipleship and Evangelism. It sounds fancy, doesn't it? Simply put, it is a discipleship program for Ugandan men who recently graduated high school (they call high school "secondary school"). There are five men in the program this year and it will be lasting four months. A huge problem in Uganda is a serious lack of GOOD leadership - of men who take care of their wives, don't abuse alcohol, and know what it means to be honest. This program is aiming to instill that type of leadership in these men. The hope is that one day, their will be ABIDE programs throughout Uganda, discipling men in the way that Jesus Christ led us. It is quite the undertaking as you can imagine and the program, the men I am with, and I need your prayers. It's intense. We are reading 4 books right now plus the Book of John, chapters 13 through 17, when Jesus teaches on Discipleship. I'll have to talk about the books we are reading some other time...but I am so excited to be starting and I am settling in well. So mom and dad, hakuna matata, ok? Love you all and miss you...

-Matayo <><

P.S. Something I thought about the other day was that while I am praying for you all here in Uganda, I am 9 hours ahead...so when you're all sleeping, I'm praying. And when you are praying for me in the good ole' USA, I am sleeping...so it's like 24 hours of prayer is going on!!! SWEET!!! God is good, and is working all over...in Uganda and America. Email me and say hi... matt2uganda@gmail.com