 (Written before the group went out) Where are we going? Uganda, in mid-Africa. We fly into - and out of - Entebbe, the international airport near the capital Kampala. From there we travel to Kisiizi Hospital where we will be based in South West Uganda, hosted by our MAM Link Missionaries, Peter and Rebecca Winfrey. We are planning excursions too, such as to Bushara Island on Lake Bunyoni. Why Uganda? In 1964, Andrew Bowman (commemorated by a tree outside St George's) went with his wife Susan to Uganda to teach theology. He was there for most of 20 years before having to return home because of ill health. There has been strong support in Stamford for the Mid-Africa Ministry for many years, and it is counted as St George's strongest missions link. In 2001, St George's Mission Task Force voted to try to extend the congregation's investment in Ugandan mission. The visits to Stamford by Medad Birungi and other Ugandans have helped this and there are plans to give further to projects in Uganda.  Why are we going? St George's is a church where: · Jesus is at the centre: We go in obedience to his command to go into all the world. · The Bible is our guide: We go to share the good news of God's word through outreach and Bible teaching. · People matter: We go to build meaningful relationships with people from another culture for the sake of God's kingdom. For Kisiizi and Uganda We are primarily a work party. We are offering our talents and services to Kisiizi hospital and our mission partners there. For example, we may be involved in building and maintenance or teaching computer skills. We share from our riches including education, skills and discipleship. We are also missionaries, in the sense that we will be undertaking some overt gospel work. This includes conducting a children's mission at the hospital. For St George's and ourselves We will experience something of life in Uganda in general and Kisiizi in particular. This may help us to be more mission-focused Christians, and to become advocates for our partners. The visit can give a world vision to our evangelistic effort. It will also increase mission awareness in St George's. We will definitely be blessed by our Ugandan Christian brethren. They can give from their spiritual riches and teach us about faith, lifestyle and supporting one another. Past visitors have reported feeling overwhelmed by the depth of love and hospitality shown by their impoverished brothers and sisters. Activities: trips to Lake Bunyonyi and the Queen Elizabeth Game Park What shall we pray? The Hospital: Give thanks for the work of Kisiizi hospital and the Christian witness it provides. Pray for all staff as they seek to witness to Christ in word and deed. The Winfreys: Pray for our mission partners Peter & Rebecca Winfrey. They are responsible for the leadership of the hospital but are at present back in the UK due to Rebecca's father being ill. Rebecca is feeling the stress of the situation both from a UK perspective and life in Uganda. Pray for the Lord's peace of mind. The children's mission: Pray for constructive preparations, in particular for the children's mission on the theme 'Jesus: the bread of life'. Pray for those who will be preparing and delivering the meetings, for the activities of the children's mission - a mixture of games and crafts - and for the children (600?!) to have open hearts for the message. The team and partnership: Pray for team building, that we will function as a body complementing each other. Pray for a real sense of partnership with fellow Christians in Uganda and relationships that result in mutual blessing; for humility and understanding as two different cultures mix; for a greater sense of involvement in the work of the world wide church as a result of this trip. Preparations: Pray for practical details: flights, transport in Uganda, accommodation in the different places we stay, general health and safety. Mid-Africa Ministry. Here is a prayer from MAM: "God of all nations, who raised up from the people of Africa missionaries, saints and martyrs who were faithful even to death: grant that in the face of all hatred and fear your people may be ready to live or die constant in love for friend and foe alike; for the sake of Jesus of Christ our Lord." You can get more prayer information from the prayer letters of the Winfrey's, the Birungi's, MAM and Kisiizi. Uganda Home | Kisiizi Hospital | Photo Gallery | About Uganda |