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OK, We were supposed to arrive into Entebbe, Uganda early Friday morning. But, we hit a snag. I’ll explain and I will keep a very long story short. On April 4, I applied for Visas for both of us on the official Uganda Immigration visa website. We had to upload all of the necessary documents but it was pretty easy. I got mine in a day. However, in sending Debbie’s application in, I hit “send” before I paid the $50 fee. OK, nothing major, I’ll get her application number and finish it . In fact, on the website, there is a link that tells you that if you don’t have the application number, type in the email address linked to the application (Debbie’s address) and they will send you the application number. So I did that but no response. I did it again . . . and again, and again but no response. We looked in her spam and junk mail to see if there had been any attempt to contact her. I called the Uganda Embassy in DC several times, but they never answer the phone, and they never return messages. I emailed the Immigration office in Uganda but to no avail. So, I had been told that one could obtain an “on-arrival” visa. I called the airline (Qatar) and was told that she would be able to board the flight if she had in her possession the required documents. So, we flew to LAX on Wednesday and Debbie was NOT allowed to board. At the gate they told us that you HAD to have the completed visa in order to board, despite what another Qatar agent had told me. So, we re-booked for Friday, booked 2 nights in a hotel and felt that if it didn’t work out by then, she would not accompany me.

In spite of even talking with a man in Uganda at immigration, we were told she has to pay the fee . . which we had been trying to do for weeks. So, she flew back home on Thursday evening.

It is sad for me to be on this trip without her. I really beat myself up for making that mistake, but it was correctable and we should have been able to simply pay the fee. God’s will be done. I Don’t know why we could not make this work but when something doesn’t work out, you have to just accept the will of God.

Meanwhile, I am at the airport in Doha, Qatar waiting to board the flight to Uganda in 3 hours. I will get in at 7:20 AM on Sunday morning and will be met by Pastor Zeddie of Calvary Chapel of Kampala and he will whisk me to the church where I will preach at 2 morning services. So, I’m ready but please pray that I stay awake!!

Thanks for the prayers. More to come later.

David

It is Saturday, April 23 and we will be leaving for Uganda in 4 days, on Wednesday April 27. We will be participating in a Pastors and Wives Retreat, for East African pastors, in Jinja, Uganda. We have participated in 2016, 2017, and 2019. Debbie and I look forward to being with so many wonderful couples again. I will be blogging and, hopefully, posting some photos as well.

Thanks for your prayers!

David

We have been in pandemic mode for about a year and a half now. Many thought we would have seen the worst of it by now, but who knows? So, what are we to do? Since the idea of MTI is to train and teach pastors and leaders in other countries, that has been nearly impossible since I returned from India in March of 2020. In the meantime, we have been able to financially assist churches and individuals and communities in foreign nations and will continue to do so until I am able to travel again. Recently we saw that the earthquake in Haiti was devastating, with thousands now injured and homeless. I have a friend who runs a charitable organization and, trough her organization, we were able to donate for supplies and relief in Haiti.

I also am also nearly daily in communication with leaders in other nations and we are still talking about plans for when travel is safer again.

Almost as devastating as the pandemic and earthquake is the ugly division I see among Christians here in the US. We are called to LOVE one another. We will not see eye to eye with each other on all the issues. But I see Christians demonizing each other and being cruel and dismissive of those who think differently. Church, we are called to rise above all of that nonsense. The GOSPEL has remained unchanged for 2,000 years. Nations change, ideas change, the world is always in a state of change. But the Gospel remains the hope for all mankind. Do you hate those Christians who think differently than you regarding the pandemic? Regarding politics? Have you written them off and do you refuse to worship with them? Think about it: what has Jesus called us do? LOVE ONE ANOTHER. That is the single and sole evidence of our faith in Christ. Jesus said that “Men will know that you are my disciples by the love you have toward one another”. We cannot escape that. Are we his disciples? Is he your Lord? If ever the church needs to display the love of Christ, it is now. Let’s repent of hatred and division and finger-pointing. May we love others as He has loved each of us.