WORLD OUTREACH MINISTRY

Dave and I met the founders of this ministry in October, '94, and it's

quite a story... a funny one.  After our involvement with them, over these years, we've had a very hard heart for them.  Because one of my new spiritual granddaughters, connected through blogging, Elise Heidy, recently returned to Uganda and will be there for over a year, it was wildly discovered that she is with them, involved with them.  The rejoicing has overwhelmed me.   So, I felt it in my heart that sharing our story about them would be a blessing.  And will be spread around, I hope, to them, too.  If nothing else, I'll send it on an email, since I am one of their checker-outer people when someone drops insanity in their plate. Ron used to email me and show me a computer bit and say "Is this OK?"  Loved them ever since we met.  Would love to be with them more and more often.  Now I'll shut up and tell the "meeting" story.
=============================
 After moving into a house with new friends, Tim and Jill Way,

Our new place 2 months later

while we were in the process of looking for a house to rent after leaving a slum area where we'd lived with a Ugandan family for a month, I decided to take a taxi and get downtown in Kampala and wander around and get to know where some good shops might be.

I was walking past an Italian meat shop, and decided to pop in and see what was there.  I got in the entry "door"...which was just a thick cloth ... and, in the back of the shop a bunch of men were standing there, laying hands on a man, and praying loudly over him.  How could I NOT go there?  So, I walked back.  The man being prayed over was, obviously, from our nation, and one man praying for him was obviously from here, too.  The rest were Ugandans.  I didn't tightly enter into their mix, but I did stand behind them and prayed right along with them.  When they finished and said, very strongly, "A-MEN!"  I did, too.  And quite a number of them turned suddenly and shockingly to see a woman, a WHITE woman, a NEW woman, in their mix.  The white man glanced at me, smiled, and then needed to take a bit of time over this one who was so sick and had been left behind by the short-term team he'd been with.  He wasn't connected to this group of men praying for him, but somehow they met in the middle.  As I recall, he also was given enough money from their ministry to fly back home.

When all of that slowed down, the leader came to me.  He introduced himself as Ron DeVore and said he had a ministry in the Kampala area and had been there for several years.  He asked me what I was up to, and I basically filled in that gap.  Well, one thing he did, because he'd been in the downtown area many, many times, he took me to the Nakasero market area to shops or the open market place and introduce me to people who would be honest and helping and not cheating or providing less-than when I needed more-than.  And it was a huge blessing.  Especially, the market place, mostly fruit and vegetables, who, a man named Sam [not who became our

Ugandan son] he gave me to.  These people at the Market were wonderful forever until we had to leave for the U.S. in April, '96... and I could tell some more funny stories, especially as a shopper, and may do that one of these days.  Making people laugh is a good thing.
 

When Ron had taken me around, he offered to take me to my place, have me introduce him to my husband, and would like us to come to their church the next morning and he'd pick us up.

We agreed.  He came.  We went.  It was HIGH on the side of a hill a few miles on the Entebbe road outside of Kampala.  I know the road is better now, but then it was quite a challenge, even when not filled with mud that day.  [Many other times Dave and I walked up that hill, held onto any pieces of tree, shrubs, etc., that would help us keep pulling up and not falling down.]

When we got to the church... very basically built at that time ... we were introduced and we were very much welcomed.  When the service was over, Ron and his wife, Shirley, and Dave and I stood by the door.  We had piles of handshaking and many appreciations poured on us.

At leaving the church we walked a couple dozen feet to their "house"...which was quite unusual.  They had kept a ship storage container that had been filled with their items that had been brought from the states.  They had placed it on their ministry property, and expanded the container on both ends, adding bedrooms and bathrooms, but the rest of it was simply that small.  [Some people used to think missionaries only kept the best, biggest stuff.  And, I must admit that it was sometimes the case.  But this was NOT similar.  They did the least they could, so they would not be spending too much money or look too wealthy.]

As we walked onto the porch area, that few seconds after leaving the church, Shirley said, "It's time to wash the 'praise the Lord' off your hands, so you can eat."  I've never forgotten that.  Always makes me chuckle.

We had a wonderful time together that day, met a number of their Ugandan pastors that were a significant part of their group, and had a nice sharing time.  What amazed me is that, even though I was living in Omaha by then [had been for nearly 20 years], had been raised in the Northwest, lived in Tacoma and Seattle...and their ministry base was in the mid-location between those two towns.  What a hoot!  

'95, us, our son Sam, one of their sons, and the DeVores at their house.

The sad part:  they were leaving for Federal Way area in just a few days and would be gone for some months.  We were also told that any time we needed to swing by, meet someone, rest after or before being at the airport, we were welcome to stay at their place, whether or not they were there.  And we did it... many times.


After all these years of being involved with them, one way or another, one place or another, our appreciation to the Lord for putting us together has never left our hearts.  We love them, we admire their work, their hearts.