Resources & Updates

Day 4 Update:

Day four of our Ugandan adventure revolved around the kids of Jordan House and students in a primary school that Operation Uganda (OU) supports.

Every day, OU staff at the Jordan House daycare program play games, teach classes, and provide a midday meal for dozens of little children in the low income Kasumi neighborhood of Kampala. The kids clearly love all the attention from these caring adults in a neighborhood that has its share of brokenness  and sorrow. Today we joined the staff, and did face painting, Lego building, and other activities to promote friendly competition and sportsmanship. Several of our team members are nursing sore muscles after participating in games like the sack race, but we have joy from our time with the kids.

In the afternoon, we took a short trip to the neighborhood primary school to meet with the principal and visit kids in two classes. Operation Uganda staff have a partnership with the school to provide spiritual education on topics like honesty, purity, and honor. Additionally, OU provides scholarships, uniforms, and other support for selected students so that they can continue their education in a country where public school students must pay their own way, and many drop out in the early grades. (Several of the young adult mentors of OU began as primary school students in this same school.) In our meeting with the students at Kasubi Primary, they had the opportunity to ask us questions. Though there were a few questions directed to “Big Mike” and others, Annabelle Halbach was clearly the cool kid in the room.

That’s all for now. We are all headed to our rooms to catch up on some sleep. Please continue to pray for our health, our physical endurance, and openness to the Holy Spirit’s moving.

Day 3 Update:

The team in Uganda is encountering the Lord in rich ways, as they serve with our partners in Kampala! What a blessing it is to see their smiles, to hear their stories, and to see how God is at work! Please enjoy this update from yesterday, and the pictures at the end of this email.

The FPC Uganda team awoke early this morning to the sound of a torrential, tropical thunder shower. The work plan for the day included our helping Operation Uganda serve a large community lunch following Sunday services at Jordan house. OU’s staff had been working through the night to prepare enough food for over 800 people in their neighborhood.

As our team concluded breakfast, Kathy Timberlake led our morning devotional on the scripture accounts of Jesus’ feeding of the 5,000. We talked about situations where there might not be enough food for guests, and how we would respond. We talked about God‘s ample provision for his people.

As the storm began to lift, we made our way to Jordan house.  Once we arrived, we found a large group of worshipers beginning their worship service. Kinetic and spiritual energy abounded through singing, dancing and the preaching of the word.  FPC’s group was introduced to the congregation, and Benson Meadows played a praise song for the congregation, one which was familiar to both our group and our Ugandan brothers and sisters.

As the worship service wound down, we were ushered out of the sanctuary and laid out food for the banquet: matoke with peanut sauce, rice, beans and meat. Then all the children were gathered for handwashing. Finally, bowls were distributed to all the children. Then serving lines were opened up to the adults. The whole neighborhood, it seemed, had turned out. Would there be enough?

Thanks to God’s great provision (and ongoing coaching from church ladies on portion control), everybody had enough food, and there were 12 basketfuls left over. (OK, this last bit was an exaggeration, but all the OU team and our crew had plenty to eat after all guests had left.

The lesson for the day: whether the weather is unpredictable or you have a greater-than-expected number of guests at the banquet, God WILL provide.

Day 2 Update:

The first full day of FPC’s mission trip to Uganda was a mixture of joy, heartbreak, and hope.

When our team bus rolled into the entrance of Operation Uganda’s Jordan House, we were met by a joyous throng of several dozen small children, all dressed in colorful Ugandan outfits and singing and dancing Ugandan songs.

In the afternoon, we walked with OU staff through Kampala’s slums, meeting the families served by staff members and praying for one another.

In the afternoon we were also able to speak at length with members of Operation Uganda’s local staff. We found hope in the fact that a number of OU staff members started out as children from this same neighborhood. They were loved and cared  for over the years, receiving mentoring and skill-building until they were able to help children who came after them.

What we saw on day two was that this world still harbors terrible injustice, but that God is at work through dear brothers and sisters in Christ. They labor on, in partnership with our church, looking forward to that day when Jesus brings perfect justice and perfect peace.

Day 1 Update:

It was nearly 30 hours of travel across three continents.  We were never completely confident of what time zone we were in. But the FPC Uganda team is finally on the ground in Kampala! The trip logistics all came together, and we actually met other Christian pilgrims on our flight from Chicago to Brussels - Louisiana families with small children who were going for a full month to serve the Lord in Poland. Tonight, before we turn in, we ponder how God will use us in the coming days. We are filled with anticipation for this reunion with brothers and sisters serving in Uganda!

Please pray for health, for strength, and for the Holy Spirit to move so that we and our ministry partners might form meaningful relationships.

Travel Day - Friday, May 29, 2026

Thank you for coming alongside the Uganda Mission Trip Team in prayer throughout their journey over these next days! Your prayer support is an important work in supporting and encouraging this team, as the Lord is at work in and through them.

The team flew out from San Antonio yesterday afternoon and met up with their final team member in the Brussels airport for the final leg of their journey in the early hours of this morning.

Join in praying for the team’s last bit of travel, along with the Lord’s provision through jet lag as their feet hit the ground in Uganda later tonight (Texas time).

Please enjoy the attached photo of the team prior to their first flight, in the San Antonio airport, and stay tuned for more updates along the way!