Enthusiasm for learning

 March 11

It has been exciting to be surrounded by so many church leaders who have an insatiable enthusiasm to learn more about God’s Word, Church of God doctrine, and how to build a healthy church environment.

This past Saturday, March 5, we were supposed to have 25 pastors and church leaders attend a leadership conference. When we arrived, there were more than 50 pastors and leaders, ready to learn. We had a wonderful morning sharing together some of the challenges we’ve all faced through this pandemic on top of everyday ministry challenges.

For the entire day, we talked about the role of a Pastor, how to manage our mental health, and finally how to deal with conflict. It was a day of many blessings as I began some new relationships and had the opportunity to encourage leaders who have faced seemingly insurmountable challenges without the “safety nets” that many of us in the United States have had these last two years.

This past week (Monday-Wednesday), I helped to launch a new program for the Church of God in Uganda that we hope will have global impact. It is called Core Discipleship, and is the result of years of work into which Rev. Greg Smith, Rev. Jeanette Flynn, and our missionaries, Rev.’s Tim & Colleen Stevenson, and several Ugandan leaders have invested.

I led a group of 13 very eager candidates for this program - 9 men and 4 ladies. We had a wonderful week of teaching, dialogue, and praying together. I am always so encouraged to be around people who are sponge-like when they have learning opportunities.

Yesterday I was so humbled to read a Facebook post where someone from our home church posted a beautiful plea to pray for me as I engaged in this teaching opportunity. I had told my students that people were praying for them, and so my heart swelled when I read her post.

Thank you - all of you who have been praying for us. We have one more assignment tomorrow, when I will be speaking at an ordination service for 14 Pastors, and the others will be singing. It is such a big deal here, more so than in the States. We are hearing reports that many of them are purchasing new suits to wear, and one pastor is bringing 19 people from his church on a multiple hour drive through difficult terrain, while piled into a taxi for the entire trip.

I pray that it will be a memorable occasion for these candidates. We are excited to give them leather-bound Study bibles as a gift in memory of my cousin who passed away just weeks before our departure, and another individual also donated several hundred dollars for the additional bibles.

As much as I love bringing eye clinics to Uganda, God most certainly superintended this trip so that Core discipleship could be launched, so that Carna could spend so much time equipping people to navigate grief. It has been so humbling to be a part of it.

Thank you again to all who have prayed for the success of this trip.

Blessings, 

P. Roy