On March 7th I am heading to Jinja, Uganda to help build a playground. The American- made playground and children’s Bible curriculum will be part of our gift to Robert Sityo’s school of 1300 students. Going to visit an East African national and the ministry God has blessed is a great privilege. We will watch a huge recycled metal playground (the container safely arrived from its 3 month Atlantic crossing last week) be installed on the grounds of a school that our friends, the Sityos founded in 2004. Check out Kids Around the World for the details. I believe that where these kids are standing posing for this picture, will be a playground by March 15.

While travel to Africa is never an easy undertaking… flying in multiple planes, connecting to drivers that you hire online to take you to the places you need to go, finding hotels near the airport, getting 3-4 immunizations including Yellow Fever, (that somehow the USA is “out of”…how does that happen? Just got my European-made Yellow Fever shot last week). You can’t go to Uganda without a Yellow Fever Immunization since there are lots of kinds of mosquitoes to fend off in the Lake Victoria region where I will be. Yep, I’m taking anti-Malaria meds too.

I won’t go on because it will all be worth it. Since I’ve done similar trips, I know…beyond any doubt.

I have shared a few stories about Robert on this blog.  One story is connected to the school that God protected as the new high school dorm building was being built from a witchdoctor’s curse. God has been working here in awesome ways for over 10 years. Our small team of four will be going to the village where this impressive school, Fountain of Hope School, is flourishing and students are getting a quality education.

We will meet Robert and Sarah’s 21 children and the two year old triplets, Sandra, Nathan and Chelsea. We will meet the many children who are sponsored by US friends. We will meet the hundreds of Muslim students who have found new life in Christ. We will visit a couple of new churches that Robert and his teams have planted and reached out to the Muslim families who send their kids to this school. (This Valentine’s Day week I told my two grandsons this incredible story and their mom tells me they can’t stop talking about it.)

What a sight it will be to have over a thousand kids watching the building of a playground just for them. We hope they feel God’s smile upon them in this small village of Bukeeka, Uganda. I’ll be sure to post some pictures of the Dedication Day event.

I am feeling so humbled to know a man who is spending his life reaching the unreached in his home area…many are his Muslim neighbors. He has planted 13 churches and trained dozens of co-workers in the basics in how to teach the Word of God and reach into the  community and serve their needs. He was a Billy Graham Scholar at Wheaton Graduate School in 2015. He has been the catalyst for scores of Muslims becoming Christ-followers. (Wheaton Bible Church has recently recognized this ministry with a grant to help build a new church building.)

The individuals going with me are the generous donors of the playground. They have shown their commitment to children around the world and you might be interested in getting involved as well. If you are interested in helping with the local shipping cost for this playground, we would still appreciate any gift to KATW.net (write Bukeeka, Uganda in the optional message box).

For me, personally, it is always a joy to be back in East Africa, near where our family lived in 1990-91 in Kenya. I am still very attached to this warm and wonderful place on our beautiful planet. I won’t be able to visit Hope for Life Kenya this time, but we will go on a side trip to Masai Mara Game Park at the end of our time and see some of God’s lovely creatures. I’ll tell you lots more when I get back.