Locked Out!!!

The picture may require a little explanation but the lesson learned is that it is just as easy to lock yourself out of your house…whether you are in Uganda or in America! This weekend we have had a mini-field retreat with our field pastor and his wife, Rick and Janie Burkhalter. On Friday, we had a wonderfully relaxing day as a team at a beautiful resort not far from our house. We came home about 6:00 p.m. hoping for quick showers and a bit to eat before they all came over at 7:30 for games. Wearily we dragged our sunburned selves up the steps, already anticipating cool showers when we realized the house was locked…tight. Locking yourself out of your house in a country where every window has bars makes “breaking in” a bit more challenging. Conveniently the spare key had been accidentally left inside instead of at our neighbors. Our day watchman, Mugisha (in the blue shirt overseeing) and our night watchman, Julius (in the window), graciously helped us try to rig some sort of wiring device to fish the keys off their rack (see the picture). After numerous failed attempts, a hidden set of keys was located but needless to say we did not get showers before our company came. They did come though and we had a brilliant time playing and laughing. These days we would request your prayers that Jesus would talk to our hearts as families but also as a field. The challenges are many; the resources limited; but our God is BIG. Even for getting into our own house! Thank you for laughing with us.

Billy & Joanna Coppedge

Many of you have been praying for our family in light of Moms Coppedge going to be with Jesus. Thank you. Please keep praying as our family continues to thank Jesus for such a grandmother but also begins the process of sorting through ninety-two precious years of life’s treasures. Jesus has been present here in Uganda for us even amidst the sadness.

An Opportunity to Trust Jesus

Serving Jesus is such a privilege. We thank Him for entrusting us with so much. At times you wonder what He is thinking, but apparently in His patience and kindness, He believes we are capable of what sometimes feels more than we'd wish to carry. This afternoon we got the call from my Daddy that his mother, Moms Coppedge(my grandmother) went to be with Jesus. She passed away 5:15 on the 19th. The incredible blessing was all the family got to be with her when Jesus came including my oldest sister Katy Beth (who just flew in from Hungary). While such moments are ever so painful, we thank Jesus she loved and served Him for 92 years. This week we praise God for godly grandparents and parents. There is a sense of responsibility and calling... in some way we carry her witness for Jesus to men and women in Uganda. What a privilge. To be honest, the week has been hard. We knew she was close to going and that makes everything a little cloudy. We'd covet your prayers for my family as they celebrate her life and spend these days thanking Jesus for all the ways she pointed us as a family to Him. Jesus has been very real and while you may laugh, the puppy we got at the beginning of the week has been a wonderful distraction/blessing. Thank you for your prayers and love.

For Love of Jesus

A New Addition to the Team

This last Sunday a man appeared at our gate just as we were leaving for church. He was from Armor Group, a near-by business that trains dogs to assist law enforcement in tracking, narcotics, explosives, and security. The previous Saturday, we had been trying to practice our Swahili and spoke briefly with the Armor Group guard. The guard had misunderstood our questions and thought we wanted a dog. The company promptly sent this man named Wilson(not the pastor previously mentioned) over to offer us the "last" available puppy. We had both assumed we would have a dog for security in Arua but neither of us had thought through how we would actually acquire such an animal. Jesus apparently recognized our confusion and solved the problem by bring the dog to us! We finally talked Wilson into giving us a day to pray about it so we could make a somewhat emotionally stable decision (as the dog was wooing hearts even as we talked). But the damage had been done and there was no turning back. Needless to say, we are now the owners of a "vicious" security dog. The adventure continues and we chuckle because Jesus seems to continue to delight in the BIG and the small things. We are quite grateful He cares about both!

We trust you sense His delight this week. Thank you for praying for us. We have been here a month and feel both humbled and grateful for all your love.

Billy & Joanna...and Marori

An African Country Church

This last Sunday we were invited to attend a one year anniversary celebration for a new church located outside of the capital of Kampala. The name of the area was Natchigala and the church was set amidst a beautiful tea estate, green tea bushes covering the hill side like a blanket. The drive out was delightful as both of us were reminded of how much we had missed the open countryside with its vivid colors and six foot red-clay termite hills. We got lost trying to follow the heavily overgrown trail but eventually pulled up at a “rustic” structure of bamboo siding, tin roofing sheets, and several large tarps whipping in the late morning breeze.
As “muzungus” (a white person but as a statement of fact and not demeaning) we received a lot of looks and many greeted us with joy-filled smiles. The audience’s clothing and appearance was a full spectrum ranging from several women who had their hair done professionally to numerous children in the back who were without even cheap bata sandals.
The pastor’s name is Wilson and the church in Natchigala was born in his heart as he realized the need for Jesus in the Natchigala community. He and his wife, Grace, are some of our heroes as we continue to learn from their willingness to leap out upon the promises of God and see what He would do with not much more than an available couple.
It was a refreshing privilege to be back in an African “pulpit” (there was none!) and re-experience the humor generated by misunderstandings between the preacher and the translator. Jesus was faithful and it dawned on us during the extended celebrations that this was our fourth Sunday in Uganda.
Thank you for standing with us as part of Jesus' team and as we cannot say thank you enough for "holding the ropes."
The Africa Gospel Church of Natchigala sends their “greetings!”

A Chance to Share Jesus

At the end of this last week, I met with our Field Director Jon Mayo and he promptly summarized my (our) priorities for the next three months: Jesus, Joanna, Swahili. Kindly but very firmly he cautioned me to stay on task and inspite of wanting to serve in more "tangible" ways, resist the urge in light of the Bigger Picture. This morning in my prayer with Jesus, I was just sharing my desire for some opportunity to share Jesus with a non-Christian, inspite of my "strick" assignment to not go looking for other ministries.
Not long after that, while fixing coffee there was a rap on our backdoor and it was Patrick, our guard. He sadly informed me that his "brother-cousin" had passed away in the night and he was asking for permission to be excused to attend to funeral details. We talked for a few minutes and then while I assumed he was a Christian, I thought I would just "double-check." To my surprise, his response was, "My wife and I have not yet made that decision." What opened up then was a chance for me to share with Patrick about a pair of sisters who once lost their brother named Lazarus and how Jesus showed up and declared that He was indeed the Resurrection and the Life. Patrick did not immediate pray to receive Jesus but I believe the experience really was probably more for me... I prayed for such an opportunity, not imagining how it would work being surrounded mostly by only other missionaries, and yet before breakfast, Jesus provided just such an opportunity.
Amazingly enough, Joanna had been carrying the same burden for an opportunity to share Jesus and she had a very similar experience shortly after church this afternoon. She was talking with a freshman girl(in high school) named Agnus who seemed to know the Christian answers and even indicated her parents were "born-again." She had never made a decision for Jesus herself though. Joanna shared a bit of her own testimony then about the necessity of personal faith and what Jesus had done in her own life. Once again, Agnus did not promptly ask Jesus into her heart but she did get to hear a clear explanation of how and furthermore, that Jesus loved her. With Jesus, you never know quite what your "normal" day will look like!
Thank you again for praying with us...for Swahili; for our current fellow missionaries; for other missionaries soon coming to join us; and for more opportunities like today...to share Jesus!

Your Fellow Teammates,
Billy and Joanna Coppedge


(While we do not have a picture of either Patrick or Agnus, we wanted you to "meet" Joanna's friend Caroline)