What can I say but give glory and thanks to my Father. It has been a remarkable 10weeks journey. We have bonded so much as a class that it now feels like family. Season three Mizizi launch at the barbeque lounge went well; not as many showed up because most of the friends who invited them were at the retreat! Those of us who were there had a great time though, as Sancho led the briefing of what Mizizi is all about.

Back to the retreat center we walked in to find the most comical football match ever witnessed.  Ladies outweighed (figuratively speaking) the gents by far, had three goalkeepers at their post and still the guys had to play with their hands tied at their backs. Great fun and laughter, the game was more of a comedy than a match but interestingly the guys still held it up. Good match it was.

We heard the morning sessions went extremely well; a lot of open and honest sharing. Real people with real issues encountering a real God. Lots of healing and encouragement.

Evening session was awesome, the Holy Spirit was in our midst and what can I say? When the Holy Spirit shows up there is always a showdown! There was more salvation, emotional healing, peace and joy and comfort. All in all, sixteen people turned control of their lives over to their heavenly Father that day.

Later in the night as the full moon shone we gathered round the bonfire for some chit chats, laughter, songs and tales.

This was family right there and it was amazing to hear every one mention what Mizizi has done or has meant to them in the last 10weeks

Our goodbyes later on Sunday were laced with joy of knowing that we had had a good time and above all that God had walked with us for the whole journey…

And now, on to the next adventure!

God bless,

Sarah – for the Mizizi team

It is week 10 of our Mizizi class and we are all gathered together at barbeque lounge holding up good conversations. I look around the group and my heart gives thanks to God this is family right here

As we go through the topic of gifting, everyone is amazed at the discovery. God indeed has placed gifts in each and every one of us to be used for service to others.

Early in the evening we make our way to the shack for the Mathew party (a party where the class gets to invite their friends to come and find out about Mizizi and maybe even sign up for the next season ). There is a good turn up. Great food, music and ambiance the party kicks in. Amidst all the food I have had in Uganda I confess to a love for Ngujas (baked or fried plantains) and we have these in plenty plus a variety of sumptuous roasted meats.

Several people rise up and give their views of what Mizizi has meant to them. All in all everyone was in agreement that though Mizizi

• Great friendships have been built
• Addictions broken
• Hurt emotions  healed
• Business relations created

With our tummies and hearts full we all left the party in high spirit knowing fully well that our God has been amazing, it’s been great and it’s been fun.

We’ve had ups and downs in our travels, our bus journeys have somehow being hampered by a lot of troubles namely bus delays. Reasons have ranged from traffic, faulty lights, check ups e.t.c. But all in all we thank God because we have at all times arrived safely and the sessions gone well

This weekend was no exception which saw us arriving two hours later than the expected time. The class had already gone ahead to our social justice event! That was remarkable.

The temperatures were at an all time high, it was hot and dry as we made our way to the Alive Medical Services. The clinic is idyllic set in the middle of a busy estate with the Namuwongo slum sprawled behind it. It mainly caters for the Aids patients who live at the slum and they are provided for food and drugs for free. This is made possible through funding from their partner organization Keep a Child Alive, donors and well-wishers.

As one group did a tour of the slum the other group had a chance to go for a familiarization tour around the clinic and meet the patients.

Time flew by so fast that it was soon time for the groups to wind up. We gathered for a debriefing at the hospital entrance and people shared their experiences. It was heart moving.

Most of the houses in the slum are mud walled with sewerage running through them. The shacks are tiny and in the nights the large families are forced to sleep in shifts as their room can only accommodate one bed.

Some people work in the nearby factories while others beg in the city of Kampala. It was heart rending for the little food we had carried could only cater for a few homes so a majority felt left out

Everyone agreed it was time to act. One of the members almost adopted some kids in the slums while others felt they should pick up the clinic and the slum as their project and come up with ways to improve the lives of hundreds living in dire conditions.

One of the members had this to say

It appears social justice humbled us more than we thought. After last weekend’s visit to the families in Namuwongo, I kept saying I’d “Save A Beer” a week to help out, but now in this week’s readings, they are talking about tithing….it’s like I’m being set up!!

Anyway, it’s nice to know that we are simply stewards of God’s wealth and that we should be compelled to share this wealth with those in need.

This week’s readings are surely eye-opening for me. I am definitely not a giver. My prayer for this week is that God gives me the courage and willingness to give and share His wealth with others and expect nothing in return.

“Your life is a gift, appreciate it. Lift others by being kind, considerate, compassionate and forgiving. Be grateful for what you have.”

God Bless

Sarah

The journey is halfway through we are on the fifth week and fatigue strains are beginning to show. We have had an incredible time chatting and hanging out with this amazing group of people who have turned out to be the great of friends.

A short story I had read a while back came to mind. It’s a story of the fern and the bamboo. The fern grows quickly and it’s  brilliant green covers the floor in no time, however the bamboo takes five years to sprout yet 6months later it rises to over 100feet making it one of the tallest trees in the forest.

Fast or slow progresses are all God’s doings and am thankful for the fact that he is enabling us to enjoy each and very moment of these 10weeks

Saturday’s class was reflective as we shared about the role of the church in our society today

What stood out is how the church and any activities associated with the church are viewed with a lot of distrust and suspicion

The place that was meant to be of refuge has turned into a place of hurt. Most are viewed as money making ventures out to fleece every last coin from the congregation.

Others felt there is lot of hypocrisy amongst the same people entitled to lead and shepherd the congregate this is mainly fueled by scandals that grace the local dailies which details in depth the transgressions of the church leaders

As we conversed, questions swirled my mind…. Is there any hope for redeeming the church in Kampala to a favorable view?

It’s a long journey and a process but God is capable of doing increasingly and abundantly more than we can ever imagine. The hurts, distrusts and bordering suspicion that bar people from church will all be put right in His presence. Maybe one person at a time and the church in Kampala will be restored to what God intended it to be

What shall we say the kingdom of God is like, or what parable shall we use to describe it? It is like a mustard seed, which is the smallest seed you plant in the ground. Yet when planted, it grows and becomes the largest of all garden plants, with such big branches that the birds of the air can perch in its shade. — Mark 4:30-32

God Bless

Sarah

Its 12:30a.m, the air is crispy and it’s dark save for the slight glow of the moonlight when we arrive at our first road block in Molo. Quick check up and we slip back into the bus for the unknown 10hours ahead. I always look forward to the Kampala trips with anticipation of what God is going to do and it’s always amazing to catch up with guys and find out how their week was.

Dawn finds us at Malaba border and by then we had experienced a couple of hitches; from the bus having no headlights (waited for one hour as the lights were being fixed at westlands) to numerous stops and a long delay at the immigration. This meant we were way behind our expected time of arrival but somehow we still knew things would work out all right,

We arrived in Kampala safe and sound though very late, a quick drop at our hosts and we were off to Centenary Park for the classes. Thanks to Isaac and the team the class was well underway.

I had to make a quick dash to the Kampala coach terminus for our forgotten parcels and our God is amazing, no one had made away with them and i found them all intact. This was the beginning of the many miracles God was going to bring our way in the course of the day

I headed back to the classes where discussions were going on about surrender and giving it all to God and my oh my  the discussions were profound it was amazing to hear real life issues being discussed in-depth. We all had a good time that time passed by so quickly it was sad to see the discussions end

By then it was already drizzling and a great ice-cream plot came up (hehehe this shows you the number of chicks who were present for this plot) we carpooled off to Javas for a fun filled afternoon

Salads, Chicken, sandwiches, hot coffees(actually we chickened out of the ice-cream because of the cold) and great conversations All the cold and rain were forgotten as we laughed, talked and laughed some more. We had a good time.

Then the bombshell

We had no return tickets. With all the early morning haste and drama we had forgotten to book the return tickets home. And off we were dashing in and out of terminus’s in search of tickets with no luck. All the buses for Sunday morning were full.

So we headed back to our hosts for the evening with the decision try again the next morning

More great food and a homely ambiance. Our splendid hosts made us feel so at home. We lounged and conversed about anything and everything as sweet angelic little Kui kept us entertained.

Sunday morning we called Kampala Coach and all we could get were back bench seats in the 3 O’clock bus. But wasalala didn’t God amaze us again, someone from Modern Coast Bus returned our call( we had made it the previous night) and offered us 3 first class tickets on the midday bus….. ……

I look back at the trip with gratitude in my heart. God was there throughout

He was there in the class as people talked about being real.

He was there as we went to get our forgotten parcels from the Kampala coach bus and found them safe

He was there as we hustled for tickets back home, sleeping in faith and waking up to a call that three tickets were available

He was there……..

God Bless

Sarah

Have we finished? Or have we just begun? These were the questions I left with as we finished off our 11 weeks of Mizizi with an awesome retreat!

We left Nairobi on Thursday night and after long drive we got to our venue, about 20 kms from Kampala, at about 2.00 pm on Friday! Banana Village was the perfect retreat venue, with cosy bandas and a beautiful garden. To grace our special weekend were Pastors Simon and Molly.

We began the retreat with great anticipation and excitement as to what God was going to do during the next two days. On Friday night, we began by watching ‘The Matrix’, an intriguing movie that is a great metaphor for the life God calls us to. It definitely set the tone for the rest of the retreat, as God began to speak to all of us about Himself.

On Saturday, Pastor Simon & Molly respectively led us in talking about sex and about the Holy Spirit. Deep stuff! After a sumptuous lunch of matoke, beans etc we took a short break and then began our team building excercises. We had so much fun and saw some very interesting sides of some people. Do guys love to have fun or what !

As with any retreat the highlight is really the Saturday evening session when we pray and anoint the class members. We prayed for brokenness amongst the class members and a real encounter with God. And He did not disappoint! There was genuine brokenness in every class member and we had to just watch in awe as the Lord spoke to His children. How amazing it is when the Lord lifts burdens, brings healing , deliverance and salvation to his people. We were so humbled and also full of joy for every class member because we realized that their lives would never be the same. One of the class members accepted Christ as we prayed for him. What a great evening!

We stayed up till early morning ,talking and joking, just trying to stay in the moment for as long as possible.

As we met for breakfast there was a new joy and energy amongst all of us. We realized we had been in God’s presence and the two days at Banana Village will forever be etched in our memories.

We thank God for being so faithful and gracious in providing for all our needs during the 11 weeks of Mizizi. We thank God for impacting the lives of 20 people in a way that we could never have imagined. We thank God for giving us the opportunity to partner with Him in His great work. We thank God for all the wonderful friendships that have been formed during these 11 weeks.

May the name of Jesus be glorified in Uganda as we continue working towards planting Mavuno Kampala.

Sumeet for the ever-growing Kampala Team

Team Kampala has three new members… Frank, Ranja you’ve already met. Today you get to hear from Sarah, our latest fearless influencer….

With butterflies doing a lazy evening dance in my tummy I make my way through the hazy traffic trying to beat time. I have to be at Debonairs by 6:30 and this being my first trip to Kampala on a mizizi mission my tummy is doing triple and double jumps. I’m anxious.

6:30 clocks as I run across K Street – why oh why does it happen that on end month and being a Friday all Nairobians have their cars out on the streets? I manage to arrive just in time

The four mighty men of God are there (Summet, Sancho, Ranja and Frank) and after some chitchat and digging into some pizza we are back onto the streets for the quick trip down to River Road. All around us is human and matatu traffic but we make it to the Kampala coach terminus all safe and sound

On a side note I had a Paris Hilton moment right there: The four God’s soldiers were like body guards around me all that was missing were black suits and stunners. It felt remarkable and I was proud to be among these great men of God. By the way the new to be Kampala missionaries – be prepared for a fresher’s rite of passage and lots of banter…..

A thorough check up and we are in the bus for the 12hour long ride to Kampala, The journey was uneventful till the road check a few hours after the Kampala border, we had to get out from the bus as the UG police took a long inspection of every paper bag, bag,  box and anything else that looked like something. It took a while and all the sleep we had evaded as we stood, stood and stood and shivered in the cold dark night

At around 7am we arrived at our gracious host Lydia’s (she is a darling; she made us feel so at home) quick shower and a sumptuous break fast and we were on our way to Centenary Park for the classes

Lets just say our God is an amazing God and He will always shock us the verse ‘no ear has heard, no eye has seen’… Came real

Kampala young adults are young, hippy fun youth who are even more image conscious than we are! This was evident in the flashy clad and cars. On a side note in the morning on our way to the host’s home we met a procession of big hot American rides (okay dudes what make were they?? Hehehhe that shows you I know nil about cars but honestly they were totally hot )

People turned up and with a hunger for God. We have some great people in the class… a popular talk show host, Makerere students, a Kora award nominee, a popular Dj, a big time music producer etc. Can you imagine what God can and will do through these guys fearlessly influencing society? Hundreds maybe thousands of lives will never be the same again!

The class was split into two and wasalalah didn’t God shock us again big time. People opened up and what we may have expected to happen in week four happened right there and then in week two. All the same the discussions were good and people didn’t want to leave we had to cut the discussions short albeit reluctantly. People bonded so much they were anxious to know what will happen after the class is over. We continued with after class bonding till late afternoon and overall had a good time.

Then it was back to our hosts where the original class was having their final session; found the class had just finished and it was time for pizza. More bonding with the new crew as we sang a fun short song led by a cool guy with an African-American Pentecostal church like voice it was good and it was fun!

In the evening after a leisurely walk in the hood we sat down for a more sumptuous meal of G-nut (groundnut) sauce, beef and matoke oohhh yummy yummy bites

There were laughs, good conversations and good food oooh and tall tales. Did you know spiders in Kampala hunt cats?? A really true story from Frank

All in all, to God be thanksgiving and praises and all the glory. He is hearing our prayers and it’s so humbling to be used by him

Let’s continue praying for Kampala and ask God for a big registration for the next few classes

God Bless

Sarah

Hi All,

This week was a first in several ways

It was the first time we drove ourselves down to Kampala. We’ve been taking a bus for the last few weeks and since we were 4 of us going down this time we decided to drive down.It was a good experience because we go to understand the clearing procedures at the border (took us 2 1/2 hours!) and also got to understand the driving terrain better. It was also quite a long drive as we got to Kampala around midnight!

We spoke last week about the possibility of starting two new classes this week and that had been our prayer. We also prayed that mostly Ugandans would sign up.

Well thanks for praying! We had 42 people show up for the introduction class!  32 have signed up so far and most are Ugandans. So we’re all set to begin two new classes this weekend. Frank and Ranja will be leading the classes. To God be the Glory for so spectacularly answering our prayer! Thanks to all of you who invited your friends (we still have a few spaces left so keep sending them!)

We were also able to find a second venue at the Barbeque lounge, our current location, so we’re all set to begin!

To cap it all, Pastor M. joined us in the evening for dinner with the current class. He shared about the history of Nairobi Chapel and Mavuno and what our vision is for the future. It felt like we were standing in a historical moment, as we dreamt about it would take to begin Mavuno Kampala. We’re praying that most of the current class would be willing to get involved in the various things that need to get done in the next few months i.e. hosting, understudying for class leader and administrating the next Mizizi classes. Our vision is that 300 people will have done Mizizi in Kampala by the end of the year! So pray that God will raise up new facilitators at Mavuno who will commit to this adventure.

32 in counting...

We are extremely grateful to every one of the current class members for hosting us and taking care of us for the past 9 weeks. May God bless each one of them beyond what they could ask or imagine.

Our class this week was on service and how God has gifted us so that we may serve Him. As we near the end of the current class we’re excited for the opportunities for that the new classes are providing for each of the original members to serve, which will usher in a new season of maturity for them. One thing Lawrence and I keep learning over and over is that the work of God requires commitment and sacrifice but in the end we always recieve a lot more than we give.

We thank God for all the good things He is doing in Kampala. Please pray for Frank and Ranja for strength and wisdom as they continue next week. Also pray for the new sign-ups that each one would finish well and become a part of the exciting thing that God is doing in Kampala!

Starting well...Finishing well

God bless,

Sumeet

As we wind down towards the retreat ,in 3 weeks time ,we’re already looking ahead to what’s after Mizizi. We’re still thinking through the next steps but we’re hoping we’ll begin life groups in Kampala!

Eight weeks have gone so quickly and we’re planning to launch two more classes this coming week. Wow! Did we ever imagine that we’d have three classes running so quickly when we first came to Kampala!

This week was about money. Tough subject and yet Jesus spoke more about money than both faith and prayer. He knew that our attitudes towards money would profoundly affect our lives. And as class members shared about their financial habits and attitudes we could clearly see that money does play a huge part of our lives and may sometimes even determine how much we actually accomplish here on earth. The good news is that we have a second chance no matter what our finances are like if we are willing to make adjustments and be held accountable about our finances.

The vision at Mavuno is that all Mavunites would be so faithful with what God has given us have that God would have no choice but expand and enlarge our finances so that the work of God may be accomplished. Often we’ve looked at other communities that have accumulated vast amounts of wealth and wondered if God has forgotten about us. Well if you’re like me and have asked this question then begin to apply what God says about money and God will begin to bless you.

Lawrence and I are learning that all of us are at different places in life and we need people around us to help us and keep us accountable .This applies especially to our finances.We’re excited that as we finish with Mizizi we’ll have formed life groups where people can share life together.

 

It is God’s will that “none should perish” and we’re now realizing that unless we go out and reach out to those in the world they really do not have anywhere else to go to.So God has called us to to reach to Kampala and plant a Church there.

As we launch the 2 new classes, please continue to pray for us that we would remain strong and focused on our objective to plant a Mavuno type Church in Kampala. Pray for Frank and Ranja, our facilitators for the new classes and pray for all those that God has called in Kampala to be part of the next Mizizi season. Pray too that God will raise others in Mavuno to facilitate several other classes in September.

Regards,

Sumeet

Hi All,

Week 7 was an exciting and humbling experience at the same time.

Exciting because the Mizizi class organized the entire trip to a clinic that caters to HIV+ children some of whom are orphans. Our theme for the day was,”Hope for the future”.

On Saturdays the clinic arranges an open day for the kids where they have games and they counsel them on health and sexuality issues.

We had about 200 kids this Saturday and we had loads of fun singing and playing games with the kids. As we sat down with them and asked them what are some of the things they like and why they like them, some of the answers we got were,” I like God because He created me, I like medicines because they make me better, I like Jesus because he loves me, I like my friends because I can play with them”.

As we interacted with the kids and shared about why we were there we felt a deep sense humility and gratitude to God to be able to be part of the kids lives and just to be able to spend some time with them. We realized how lucky we are for all the privileges we have in our lives.

Some of us shared what our careers are and spend time encouraging the kids to look forward to a better future. The Mizizi group are also considering paying school fees for some of the kids. Some are also planning to come back to the clinic and mentor some of the girls and boys.

The trip to was a great credit to Mavuno Church and Mizizi as some of the staff at the clinic were very encouraged by our presence and are considering signing up for the next Mizizi class.

As we wound up with prayer for the staff we left knowing that we shall certainly be going back there very soon.

God bless,

Sumeet

NB. identity of the clinic was omitted to protect the confidentiality of the kids!