What Courage Looks Like

Moses’ first live performance

Tomorrow - October 9 - is Independence Day in Uganda. Moses, aka “Mr. Man,” will be performing a song for President Museveni during tomorrow’s celebrations. It’s a dream come true. 

Several weeks ago before I arrived back in Uganda, Moses and his wife were diagnosed with HIV. You may remember Moses from an earlier post. We became buddies back in the Spring when I started instructing him in CrossFit (see pic below). 

Moses confided his fears to me as soon as I arrived back in early September. It was a blow to me for several reasons. One, Moses is a good man with a good heart. His passion for life is unmissable. I love him because he is an underdog, persistently chasing his dreams of becoming a country music star. And two, because HIV/AIDS has been a social fixture for my generation, yet I’ve never experienced the viciousness of the virus up close and personal before. 

After he broke the news to me, I committed to giving Moses hope for the duration of my stay in Uganda. In the end, I am ashamed to admit that it was he who gave me hope. To many, this terrible virus is accepted as a death sentence - dreams smashed and families broken. But Moses hasn’t wallowed in his plight. In the 30 days I have been in Uganda, Moses performed his first live show, recorded and released his debut album under the stage name “Mr Man,” and is now playing in front of the president of Uganda and thousands of others on independence day. What a stud. 

Having a tough day? Feeling sorry for yourself? Think of Moses. Moses IS courage. This guy is chasing his dreams while fighting for his life. God Bless him. 

I thank God for the people and experiences he has injected into my life.  

The Consequences of Free Will

“Growth demands a temporary surrender of security."

The unknown is often frightening. I have many sleepless nights pondering the path of my feet. When I was first presented the opportunity to work in Uganda, I couldn’t even locate it on a map. My assignment was to empower people to fulfill their dreams. That’s it.

So, I’m to travel across the world to a mysterious continent to team with total strangers from a culture that is mind shatteringly different than my own? Was this a joke? Leave a city I’ve fallen in love with, leave my new friends, depart away from my family, put my personal ambitions of serving my country on hold? Yeah, now you got me really laughing.

This was one of those fork in the road type moments. Fortunately, God gave me free will. It’s my free will to live comfortably, cleanly, even complacently, but I know that I’m also free to get my hands dirty, to live extraordinarily, to live for something bigger than myself. When my back is up against a wall, I tend to fight. So, when I was faced with a life altering opportunity, the decision was easy. I have no right to judge anyone’s free will. It is just my personal belief that God gives favor to people who challenge themselves, who take risks steeped in trust and faith. The bigger the risk, the bigger the reward.

The consequences of faith and freewill...

dreams become reality...

families are united...

new friends are made...

baby Light, an orphan, was left in a trash bin. she is now healthy...

presidential candidates show up at your church!

Ministry of Security

I mentioned in my previous post that the Light of the Lord Global Missions team was assigned to play an intimate role in the Love Kampala Festival organized by the Luis Palau Alliance Ministries based out of Portland, Oregon. Luis Palau Alliance Ministries performs festivals all over the world every year, and when we discovered that they were coming to Kampala, we knew we had to find a way to get involved.  

On July 11, 2010, during the championship match of the World Cup, al-Qaida linked Somali group - al-Shebaab - launched suicide bombing attacks on two locations in Kampala being occupied by World Cup fans. 79 people were killed, including one American. Now, with the country on high alert and just two months later, a festival expecting 100,000 Christians and high profile names was coming to town. 

When we were connected to the LKF team via a wild set of “circumstances,” security was the furthest thing from our minds. As an organization, we just wanted to volunteer and help the LKF team put on a spectacular event for our adopted country. We were ready to be trash collectors if that’s what was asked of us. As it’s been detailed on my early blog post’s and our website, LOLGMU was founded in the sands of Iraq. Our leaders come from various military and law enforcement backgrounds, having risked their lives protecting U.S. military installations as part of their prior service. 

When the LKF team learned of our collected expertise, they shared their security concerns with us and asked us if we could volunteer to alleviate these concerns. In Isaiah 6:8, the Bible reads, “And I heard the voice of the Lord saying, “Whom shall I send, and who will go for us?” Then I said, “Here am I! Send me.” So, in a quick turn of events, we had two highly decorated U.S. Marines performing threat and vulnerability risk assessments, coordinating the festival’s security apparatus with local police, counter-terrorism, and military units, and creating emergency contingency plans. My team and I were assigned to provide personal protection for the VIP’s for the week leading up to the event and the event itself. 

While the threat was real and the work was serious, the opportunities and experiences that were presented to us as a result of our volunteer efforts was unbelievable. We got to attend many high profile functions, make new networks of friends and partners, witness the behind-the-scenes efforts of a major festival and concert, and hang out with international sport and music stars like Nicole Mullen, Papa San, and Andrew Palau. The weekend long festival turned out to be a huge success which thankfully included no incidents. 

I will close by saying that every member of the Love Kampala Festival team and guests that we encountered was a joy and pleasure to work for. Andrew and Wendy Palau and their close team surrounding them are all amazing people. The Luis Palau Alliance is an exceptional ministry and I wish them great success in the future. Thank you for allowing Light of the Lord Global Missions to share in the experience. 

***UPDATE - Great summation of festival and the critical role we played here: http://andrew.palau.org/news/detail/love_kampala_festival_press_release_25

Headline: “Security Concerns Fail to Dampen Enthusiasm for Love Kampala Festival with Andrew Palau"

Andrew Palau

Papa San

Nicole Mullen

Action Sports

Action Sports

The Next Chapter

Missing football at home so I decided to bring a little football love to Uganda. Go Cats!

I am finally back on the ground in Uganda! The men - Stephen, John, and Aba - truly feel like brothers. When we are together I am overwhelmed with a feeling that anything is possible. Their sacrifice, their trust in me, and their wisdom inspire me every day. 

Our mission while I am here in Uganda is diverse. In March and April we had two overarching goals that required our total focus - to launch our ministry and establish a small business (Mary’s Milk) to sustain it. Having accomplished both goals, we are now researching numerous ways to improve our ministry model - a model that uniquely mixes Christian ministry with entrepreneurial enterprise. 

We are exploring the following:

• How to improve operational efficiency at our current Mary’s Milk store
• Opening a second store in Kampala
• Aquaculture and the practicality of its application to rural villages
• Land nearby our current village of Kirombe to build a brick and mortar church
• Specific requirements and barriers to building a small school and orphanage 
• Partnerships with prominent organizations and people in Uganda
• Operating in more rural areas of Uganda

But first...

Before we commit to the above, LOLGMU has committed to volunteering for the Love Kampala Festival organized by Luis Palau Alliance Ministries. Luis Palau is an international Christian evangelist and his son Andrew is following in his footsteps. We are fortunate to be playing an intimate role in the festival, which requires our sole focus and time for the week leading up to the festival and the weekend itself (Sept. 25 & 26). The team is very excited to be apart of this event, as it is an opportunity to market our organization, make new friends and partners, and work with internationally known stars like Jamaican raggae singer Papa San. 

I almost forgot...our website is complete! Please check it out! http://www.lolgm.com/

http://www.lovekampala.org/

Sustainable Ministry Model

Light of the Lord Global Missions is neither a stand alone religious entity nor a stand alone non-profit business entity, but it is an innovative mix of the two. Our ministry model is one based on the notion of interdependence - linking individuals, families, communities, businesses, and government to each other and to God.

Here is our complete Vision:

Light of the Lord Global Missions stands as a link between Heaven and earth. We are a delivery vehicle for God, spreading His light to places in the world that need Him most.

To know God personally is to know no limitation, to know no fear, to know that anything is possible, to have an absolute certainty of oneself, to know true happiness.

As ambassadors for the Lord, our first objective is to motivate people to understand that their greatest dreams and highest potential can be achieved after an interdependent partnership is forged with the Lord. Our second objective is to act as a catalyst in this process by laying a foundation for sustainable growth in all facets of an individual’s life.

For that reason, we are determined to develop and implement self-sustainable programs – programs modeled after and cloaked in Christian values and principles - that empower individuals and communities to take control of their own destiny.  Moreover, by acting as a catalyst and providing opportunity to people who have never been allowed to dream, we are unlocking a human potential that has no limitation and is quite simply unimaginable. 

The following are two examples of how we have formed the foundation of a self-sustaining ministry and how we act as a catalyst in helping people reach their full potential:

1) Mary’s Milk - An Entrepreneurial Success 

Since I departed from Uganda, we have injected NO new capital into the dairy operation. It has sustained itself from day one, literally earning a profit since opening its doors to business. Once salaries, utilities, and other operational costs are accounted for, the remaining profits are then re-circulated back into the ministry to meet its demands. Example demands include: purchase of new equipment, support of orphans, weekly cost of hiring an interpreter. 

As one can see, the ministry is dependent on Mary’s Milk success. However, Mary’s Milk is also dependent on the ministry. Our success as a ministry creates a positive association to Mary’s Milk in the community and also acts as a marketing tool for the business. When we provide discounted milk on Sunday’s to our fellowship, we are showing goodwill and creating a positive image for Mary’s Milk. Thus, Mary’s milk and our Ministry are interdependent of each other. 

This is an example of the model we want to replicate on a very large scale. Now let me show you how an interdependent, self-sustaining ministry model directly impacts an individual human being....

2) Our Model Serves as a Catalyst to Angela’s Dreams

Angela is 20 years-old and is one of two employees at Mary’s Milk. Angela received the equivalent of a high school level education in United States. Like the majority of Ugandan’s, she could not afford to continue her education. Also like the majority of Ugandan’s, Angela was jobless. One day when I was supervising our new employees, I asked Angela if she was enjoying her new job.  Angela said, “My friends and people in my village look at me differently and respect me now because I have a job.” 

Angela has a new sense of dignity. She now has a reason to dream. With the money she is earning and saving she can one day attend college, provide for herself and her family, and maybe even start her own business. We serv as a catalyst to Angela reaching her full potential.


Interdependence. Mary’s Milk can’t succeed without Angela and Angela can’t dream big without the help of Mary’s Milk. 

Angela

Major Strides at Home and Abroad

Our first adopted orphan - 6 month old baby ‘Light’ 

It’s been exactly 32 days since I departed from Africa, narrowly escaping the travel disaster taking place in Europe as a result of the volcano in Iceland. As my family and friends know, I left Uganda feeling the euphoria of victory. One of my Dad’s heroes, Vince Lombardi, said, "I firmly believe that any man's finest hour - his greatest fulfillment to all he holds dear - is that moment when he has to work his heart out in a good cause and he's exhausted on the field of battle - victorious.” Lombardi was dead on. 


Our battle included the effort to launch a business from scratch in just five weeks, the pressure to fulfill the dreams of a pastor, managing individuals with different personalities and tribal tendencies, and overcoming cultural obstacles. By the end of my time in Uganda, I was ready to drop. But, people who have experienced exhaustion to their core know that the outcome associated with the feeling typically equates to success. Even with all of that, our successes in Uganda we’re just baby steps in the direction of our long term vision. The much greater challenge now is fulfilling our mission statement of creating self-sustaining ministries and programs around the globe. As you will find below, our team in Uganda is already showing great signs of taking control of their own destiny. 

Mission Statement

Light of the Lord Global Missions is dedicated to serving and sharing the love and light of Jesus Christ. Our mission is to foster and support global partners and ministries to become self-sustaining while caring for the needs of their local communities.

Our goal is to encourage and empower individuals and communities to lead purpose-driven and interdependent lives with God through Christ. As the Apostle Paul had his tent-making business, our objective is to implement a ministry model that becomes largely self-sufficient by providing intellectual, financial, and physical resources to these communities.

First, before I reveal the progress taking shape in Uganda, I want to outline my responsibilities as the Global Missions Coordinator at home in the United States.  Included in the list are some key developments that are unfolding from our Washington D.C. headquarters. 

Top Priorities, Duties, and Development: 

1) Remote oversight and management of current operations in Uganda - The keyword is ‘remote.’ My goal is not to micromanage from abroad. I schedule a weekly conference call with my team and receive a weekly progress report. 

2) Develop official website - A website is key in establishing ourselves as a serious contender in the mission world. Soon this blog will be incorporated into the website. I am currently working with a wonderful freelance developer (more information to follow).

3) Fund Raise - Inherent to fund raising is also networking, relationship building, forming partnerships with other reputable organizations, etc. Fund raising is critical and necessary for assisting in the growth and success of our long term vision. 

4) Plan and budget for future projects - Example, we are in the process of forming LOLGM Israel and a formal business plan is complete. Per the plan - LOLGM Israel is a retail business, that sells travel-related products and services to customers, on behalf of suppliers, such as airlines, car rentals, hotels, sightseeing tours and package holidays.  Products of the company will include tour packages of most likely 9 days in duration including travel days to and from their home country.  We will be targeting Hispanics and Latin-American Christians. 

Progress From Uganda

Pastor Jackson, one of our three pastor’s, leading the newly formed church choir

Mary’s Milk:

• Open for 6 weeks
• We began selling only milk. We are now selling milk, yogurt, and bread
• We began selling 100L of milk per day with a milk cooler capacity of 600L. We’re currently selling 200-250L per day as we slowly establish ourselves in the market. In order to sell at capacity and beyond, it is critical that we continue developing relationships with wholesaler’s who approach the store and buy milk in large quantities. Based on our projections, it will take 3-4 months to fully penetrate the market and sell at max capacity. 
• We have profited since day one and have been in the black every single day for 6 weeks
• Both of our employees, Sam and Angela, have passed their medical examinations. 
• We passed inspection and received our operating license from the Dairy Development Authority (DDA), putting us in good order with the authorities. 

LOLGMU Sunday Service: 

• Our first Sunday included one mass with Pastor Aba leading the way. In just five Sunday’s, the men have added a second evening mass with around 100 followers total for the day. 
• Launched Sunday School for the children of the parents attending mass, which takes place an hour before the morning service. During Sunday School, the kids are taught lessons from the Bible and lessons on discipline, leadership, values, etc. The kids present what they learned in class to their parents during the service. 
• Two additional pastor’s, Pastor Amos and Pastor Jackson, have joined Pastor Aba to assist in church services. 
• Pastor Jackson has formed a 15 person choir and organizes regular practice during the week. Along with the choir, the men are training an orphan to play on the keyboard that they recently purchased. 
• Beyond Sunday, the men are performing lunch hour prayers and counseling on Monday’s, Tuesday’s, and Thursday’s, evening fellowship and choir practice on Wednesday’s, and choir practice again on Saturday’s. 
• On Sunday’s, the men are selling milk at a discount for all church attendees. Our goal is to one day provide a free meal to all of our fellowship on Sunday’s. 

Other Developments and Programs: 

• A 6-month old baby girl was left in a trash bin in front of the offices of LOLGMU. Pastor Aba discovered her and has taken her in. He has named her ‘Light.' If all goes well with the authorities, she will be a our first adopted orphan. 
• The LOLGMU Director’s have created and written their first monthly report, entitled Monthly Ministry Activity Report (MMAR). 
• The men have been pro-active in attempting to form an official partnership with Heifer International. This week, they are meeting with a woman’s group sponsored by Heifer in an attempt to buy their yogurt and sell it in our store. 

As you can realize, the above progress in Uganda occurred after I departed. The LOLGMU Director’s have worked tremendously hard since I left them and it is heartwarming to see how they are prospering in their new roles as leaders of the organization. I am so proud of them!

Jackson leading choir practice 

Pastor Aba doing his thing!

More fun with the kids

For My Dad

Before I left for Uganda, my dad bought two new soccer balls and an air pump for me to give away at my liking. It turns out that about quarter-of-a-mile down the road from our Mary's Milk store sits Luzira Secondary School. For the first week or so I passed by the school and noticed the soccer team playing with balls that looked like they were the first soccer balls ever invented and shooting on goals without nets. It also looked as if their was a competition between the soccer team and the local goat population for control of the field. 

In an effort to support the community that has been gracious in welcoming Light of the Lord Global Missions, Uganda to their neighborhood, I decided that Luzira SS was very much deserving of the new soccer balls. I approached the Athletic Director, Kavuma George, and presented him with the balls. Kavuma was ecstatic and thankful for the surprise. He then demanded that I take a picture with him and some of his players as you see above.  All smiles now, but they may not be so happy to see me when I come back and put the team through some CrossFit work outs!

Dad - your new mission is to find some soccer nets for me to bring back for the next go-around!

Victim of the Nile River

I've snowboarded the Rockies, canyoneered the Swiss Alps, and surfed the perfectly blue waters of Costa Rica. Now I have had the ultimate thrill of rafting the ferocious Nile River. It took me 30 of the 31 kilometers of the adventure to actually get over my astonishment of being in the Nile.


To me, the Nile River was a mysterious place learned about in history and geography classes growing up. The closest I ever imagined coming to the river was watching the Discovery and History channels on TV. Who hasn't seen a special on killer crocs and hippos of the Nile?


Rafting the Nile is on the top ten list of every travel guide in East Africa, and for great reason. The day consisted of 31 kilometers (or roughly 20 miles) of Class 5 rapids. Class 5 rapids are the biggest commercially ridable rapids in the world. Anything above Class 5 is illegal for rafting companies to take their rafters through. Aside from the thrill, I was also fortunate to ride with an awesome group of people.  My raft could literally represent the United Nations -  we were all from South Africa, Tanzania, England, Australia, Finland, Germany, Uganda, and the U.S.  


I highly recommend rafting the Nile River to any adrenaline junky out there. If you like to get wet, I guarantee that you will get tossed from your raft. I promise the experience will not let you down. Watch out for the crocs!

Hilarious sequence of me getting bashed by the Nile...

My raft completely submerged in a Class 5. Where am I?

See the bright red helmet in the middle of the raft? That's me. Wait...

See that leg sticking out of the top of the wave? Guess who...

My raft looking for me. I literally flipped backwards out of the raft and had to be fished out of the water by a rescue kayak. I am such a wuss. 

Not my group, but look how the rafters are hanging on for their lives like it's the sinking Titanic...so awesome

Aba's Dream Comes True - Finish Line Crossed!

Pastor Aba riling up the crowd!

Aba's daughter singing - his family drove 150 miles from Soroti for the day

Modest crowd for the first Sunday

Welcome to Sunday service at Light of the Lord Global Missions, Uganda. The first Sunday could not have gone any better and I give all the credit in the world to Aba for pulling it off. With Mary’s Milk consuming every working moment and our limited funds quickly depleting, I instructed Aba to make a bare bones budget and gather exactly what he needed in order to have a service that matched his vision.

On Saturday, I was on my own rafting the Nile River and was unable to communicate with the other Director’s. As a result, the preparation and organization for Sunday’s service was placed completely on Aba’s shoulders. I’ll admit it, my vision of Sunday was a modest tent and chairs and an expectation of just a handful of people. However, I was completely taken aback when I arrived at our service. The set-up was so beautiful that it seemed as if Aba found a way to make the value of every shilling worth tenfold. Not to mention he put my vision to shame. I guess when you know you are about to fulfill a dream, nothing can stop you from matching what you envision. 

The day was complete with flowers, balloons, music and DJ, singers, a translator, an usher, guest speakers, food, drinks, and even a cake cutting ceremony with sparklers! The service started with about 15 people in attendance and finished with roughly 50 people. We also fed about 50 people a full meal with drinks and cake included. The reality is that this might have been some of the attendee’s only meal of the day. 

I take no credit for this amazing day. I was a mere church attendee witnessing Aba fulfill his dream of becoming a Pastor/Preacher. I have a feeling we are going to outgrow our tent within a few Sunday’s…

The cakes read: "Happy Birthday LOLGMU" and "Light of the Lord Global Missions"

All smiles

The kids followed the music

Some dancing 

Funny how our numbers increased as the food and cake were revealed!

Pre service set-up