July 2010 Update
First, We want to thank the many of you that prayed for us and sent us an email after the bombings in Kampala. My apologies for not replying to each of you.
We can never thank you enough for praying for us! So often we become numb to the words,"I'll pray for you." In both, giving the words and receiving them. Please know that when you share with us that you are praying for us, it strengthens us and encourages us.
This past month I have been studying Jeremiah. His prayers are so intense. At times, he weeps for the people he is praying for. Other times he is shouting at God in anger over his circumstances. I love reading his prayers to God, they also strengthen me and encourage me.
Ministry Update:
Eric has been very busy this past month. He continues to study the language in the morning and goes out to various places in the afternoon. We'd like to ask that you pray for the village of Namulamba(this is where Charles lives, the man in previous emails that has prayed to receive Christ) as we share Bible Stories every Sunday to a group of people.
We'd also ask that you pray for a man named Richard that Eric has been meeting with for several weeks and just recently prayed to receive Christ. Eric has also had the opportunity to go into a secondary school and share. While doing this, 2 students have prayed to receive Christ. Keep those prayers coming!
Krisann now travels out to 3 different schools and works w/ the teachers and students. They will take a break for the month of August. This is when Krisann will begin preparing the start of the school year for Colby and Emily. Colby will be starting 7th grade and Emily 4th grade. We get to babysit little David(mentioned in last months update) about once a week. Please pray for his health as he struggles just staying well.
Sports Camp is August 14 - 20. It will be held at a secondary school. There are 70 male students signed up to attend. There are 8 guys from the area and one from the states that will act as camp counselors. We have been in full gear preparing for this event. Our prayer is that the student's will have an open heart to hear what God has to say. And that they will take what they learn home with them. After the camp we will use the relationships that are built to then go into the homes of these students and share with whole family. Understand that a family here is about 10-15 people. Please pray for Clinton, the young man traveling here from the states to help us. Pray for the Holy Spirit to fall on this camp. Pray for Eric and Larry as they lead.
Safety:
God is our shield and protector. Yes, there is still a threat of more bombings here. Because of the threat our volunteer team from our home church has postponed their trip here. We are sad to not get to see them next week, but rest in knowing that God has the greater plan! We feel completely safe here in Mityana. We do feel like we will steer clear of Kampala for a few weeks. However, we have to go next Wednesday to take care of a few things and ask for your prayers as we travel in and around the city. The main areas for us to avoid are areas w/ large group gatherings. So, we will do that.
Blessing:
We are coming home for Christmas! We are taking our vacation time and spending it in Texas and Missouri!
Thank you for all your love and support! May we seek His face in all that we do in hopes to glorify His name!
Blessings,
Krisann and Eric Pease
imb.org
Box 50, Mityana, Uganda
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June 2010 Update
Children...
Jesus said, "Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of Heaven belongs to such as these." Matthew 19:14
The amazing Canyon Creek Elementary(Colby and Emily's former school in Texas) 6th grade class challenged the teachers to a kickball tournament. They honored Colby and Emily by donating the money that they raised to help buy balls, jump ropes, and other fun sports equipment for a nearby orphanage here in Mityana, Uganda! THANKS CCE!!!
Emily celebrated her 9th birthday May 31st. Where did the years go?
Avy Jewell was born to Larry and Amanda(our teammates) on June 6, 2010. They are all well and in Kenya working on getting Avy's passport. Pray for the paper work to be completed by the end of June. And please pray for the safe return of this precious family back to Mityana.
Colby shared Christ with a man in a nearby village. No decision was made, but Colby did an awesome job sharing from his heart! Pray for Steve, the man he shared with and pray for Colby to continue sharing his faith!
Baby David was abandoned by his parents to his alcoholic grandparents. They were unable to care for him and willingly gave him to a nearby orphanage. We think David is around 18 - 20 months old. However, due to severe malnourishment he looks like a 5 month old. He cannot crawl or walk but he has a smile that will light up a room. We've had the privilege of babysitting for David a few times and he has captured our hearts. Pray for him to get strong and healthy. Pray for Jackie, the woman caring for him at the orphanage.
Baby Jaden was born at 1 lb and 13 oz to David and Lisa, our friends in Colorado. Pray for Lisa'a body to heal, it has been a difficult pass 2 months on her body. And pray for Jaden to grow stronger and stonger everyday.
Colby and Emily had a blast with other MK's at our prayer retreat in Jinja!
Over the past few weeks children have been our theme. So, we made our update all about children. Hope you enjoyed each child's story.
Please pray over these stories and watch for more prayer requests to be coming your way!
Blessings,
Eric, Krisann, Colby, and Emily Pease
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May 2010 Update
Your Prayers At Work/Praises:
1- Charles, the man mentioned in April's update, prayed to receive Christ as his personal Savior!
2- In Eric and Larry's discipleship group there is a growing passion for the lost. We have seen 7 professions of faith as a result of this group sharing their faith.
3- Colby and Emily have had a good time going out to a nearby orphanage and are slowly beginning to build some relationships with the kids here.
4- My mom's surgery on her ankle went well, and her first few days afterward were great! She still has a long road to full recovery.
5- God's constant protection over us when we travel.
I'd like to take a moment to share what God has laid on my heart.
The ladies here (Amanda, Christa, and I) have recently been doing a Bible Study that discusses phases that we as Christians go through in life. I took the thought of phases and looked back over the last 2 years and here's what phases I realized we have been through:
1-Honeymoon - Newness and beauty of it all
2-Culture Shock - There's no fast food, I miss Target!
3-Fear - Did God really call us here?
4-Joy - In serving and sharing with the people
5-Attacked - By the enemy in our marriage, parenting, and ministry.
6-Overwhelmed- By the huge need here: need for education, need for love, need for honesty, NEED FOR JESUS
7-Excitement - To see people coming to truly know the Lord and to see where God is going to lead
OK, so maybe these aren't phases, just our raw emotions. Whatever you want to call them, we repeatedly face these. And we are learning to be ok with all these emotions/phases, because it is through this all that we are refined to be more like Him and less like us. Don't get me wrong, it is never easy and sometimes I fight it tooth and nail! But, we must rest in our Maker, the one who has the big picture.
Thanks for listening! Thanks for praying!
Upcoming Events:
Christa, God's blessing to us over the last 3 months, will be returning home next Tuesday.
May 31st we celebrate Emily's 9th birthday.
June 3rd-6th we will be traveling to Jinja (about a 3 hour drive) for a prayer retreat.
June 10th Krisann returns to Butebi to work with the teachers and kids for an hour once a week.
June 18th is our goal to have school completed for the year and is Eric and Krisann's 16th wedding anniversary.
Remember, we love hearing from you and learning how we can be praying for you!
Abiding in Him,
Krisann and Eric Pease
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"The effective prayer of a righteous man can accomplish much." James 5:16b
April 22, 2010
Dear Family and Friends,
I had so much to share with you all that it has taken me days to figure out how to put it all into a brief update. Well, today I gave up and just put it all down. I know that you all have busy schedules, so I ask that you pick one or two stories below to read and simply pray over those stories. Thanks for all you do! As I heard once in a sermon always remember to, "Live a life that demands a question."
First Story - Charles & Irene
One of our biggest challenges is the stronghold of the belief that good works gets you to Heaven instead of a relationship with Christ. Charles is an 80 year old man who believes this. Eric has shared with him several times and he is satisfied with his own decision. Irene is another young lady who believed the same until she heard the Gospel. Now she walks in a relationship with Christ. Please pray for Charles to hear God's calling as Eric will go and share with him one more time next week. Please pray for Irene as she begins her new walk with the Lord.
Second Story - Language
Mastering this Luganda language will take years! Eric now has a great language helper, Dan. He is a young man who loves the Lord and is hoping to get into medical school in September. Eric spends his days studying the language and then taking what he has studied and practicing it out in the community. He is currently learning how to share his testimony in Luganda. Krisann still spends the majority of her time teaching and taking care of the house. However, she is committed to studying language a little everyday. Please pray for Dan to follow God's call on his life. Please pray for Eric and Krisann as they continue striving to learn the language.
Third Story - Christa & Kids
Colby and Emily are hoping to have their 6th and 3rd grade years completed by mid June. Christa has been a HUGE blessing to have here with us! She helps lead art, PE, science, reading, and whatever I need her help with. She has been wonderful. We are thankful to have her for at least another month. Eric and I are quick to confess that one of our failures here is not pushing to get our kids out in the community to make new friends. As a result, we continue to struggle with them finding their place here in Mityana. Last week we went to an orphanage and lead a Bible story; afterwards, the guys got together and played kickball while the girls jump roped. It was good to see Colby and Emily hanging out with the kids. Please pray for them to find a friend and for Eric and I to be sensitive as to when to push them and when not to push. Please pray for Christa as she seeks God's plan for her life.
Fourth Story - 4 Guys and a Dream
Last week Eric had 4 of our national friends call and ask to meet with him. They came and shared how they want to go out to an area and start a church plant. They want to begin by doing some door to door evangelism. This is a HUGE praise! Most Nationals don't understand the concept of evangelism, but these guys are on fire! How exciting! Please pray for Peter, Peter, Henry, and Dan to be passionate about sharing their faith and seeing other's come to know Jesus as their Lord and Savior. Please pray for Eric and Larry as they lead by example.
Fifth Story - Are You Ready For Some Football?
Eric and Larry continue to make progress with the sports camp. It is now officially scheduled for August 14 - 19th. They will have about 60 guys between the ages of 16 - 19 spend 5 nights and 6 days at a nearby secondary school. The goal of this camp is to introduce young men to a relationship with Christ and to make a connection with each students home village. With the ultimate hope of starting some church plants out in these communities. Please pray for the right young men to sign up for this camp. Please pray for Eric and Larry to have wisdom and discernment as they make preparations. Please pray for us to have the male leaders that we need to run this camp.
Sixth Story - Partners in Crime
Our teammates, Larry and Amanda are expecting their first baby the first of June. Amanda will fly to Kenya to deliver Baby Avy. She will go several weeks before her due date and then Larry will fly a few weeks later to meet her. Please pray for the timing of everything to go smoothly. Please pray for a smooth delivery. Our other partners are my parents, Frank and Rita Conder. Please pray for my mom as she is planning to have her ankle fused on May 11th. She has suffered for years with her ankle and now the only way to ease her pain is to have it fused. This is a 3 to 5 month recovery. Please pray for them both as they undergo this surgery and begin the recovery process.
Thanks for reading! We love and appreciate each of you! We also love hearing from you and learning how we can better pray for you.
Keep the prayers coming!
In His Love,
Krisann and Eric Pease
March 22, 2010
Dear Family and Friends,
We just wanted to stop and say thank you.
- Thank each of you for your prayers!
- Thank you for your love and support!
- Thank you for your encouraging emails!
- Thank you for the packages!
- Thank you for sharing with us and allowing us to pray for you!
- Thank you for tithing!
- Thank you for all you do!
What's Next?
God is continuing to open doors for ministry through sports**. We have received the ok to conduct our first sports camp in August at Mityana Secondary School. Our battle is not with flesh and blood... starvation is ramped in Uganda, not in a physical sense but spiritual. We are using the camp to place students in an environment where we can model for them what it means to live II Cor 5:17
"Therefore if any man is in Christ, he is a new creature; the old things passed away; behold new things have come."
Our goal is to build relationships w/ students, to share Christ, to grow their relationship w/ Christ through discipleship, and ultimately to reach out to the student's family and community to grow a family of believers.
God is opening the doors for Krisann to use her love of teaching. Beginning next week, she and Amanda will be going out to Butebi, a village nearby, and work w/ some preschool aged children. Our goal is to teach some basic English and share a Bible story with the children once a week.
God has blessed us with 2 special guests. Gama, a friend from Texas, came to visit us last week. What a blessing it was to have him here! Gama, thanks for coming and thanks for bringing all the goodies from home! And Christa, another friend from Texas, arrived about 3 weeks ago and will be here w/ us until the end of May. She is investing in the lives of Colby and Emily. And we are so appreciative of her faithfulness and her obedience. Thanks Christa!
How to Pray...
- Please pray for Eric and Larry as they continue to take care of all the details in preparing for the sport's camp.
- Please pray for Krisann and Amanda as they begin to minister to the children. Please pray for Agnes and Viola who are the teachers to the 30 preschool children.
- Please pray for those we are currently sharing with and discipling, specifically a young man named Peter.
- Please pray for Christa as she ministers to our family.
- Please pray for Colby and Emily as they continue to try and find their place here.
May His Name Be Known To All!
Krisann and Eric Pease
**This is a copy of our strategy to reach the Baganda People. We wanted to share it with you, our partners in prayer.
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December 17, 2009
RATS.....
As I pulled out some Christmas decorations, a rat jumped out at me and ran around the corner. I screamed like a baby! No, we didn't catch it. It ran into a little hole under a cabinet.
Later, Colby pulled out the rest of the Christmas stuff (I wasn't touching that box). As he got to the bottom of the box he discovered 6 baby rats!!! They were just days old. No, they weren't cute enough to keep.
And, yes we have put out rat poison to get rid of the little creatures.
Our rat problem has given me a great visual on my struggle with sin. The sin in my life is often times like rats. I don't always see it, but I see the effects of it. It can catch me off guard. It looks for ways to sneak in. Oh how I pray I can get rid of the rats!
PRAY FOR US TO HAVE THE SELF-DISCIPLINE TO OVERCOME OUR STRUGGLES.
MITYANA...
We are finally settling in here in Mitayana. Our house sits at the top of a hill overlooking tea fields and a lake in the distance. I thank God for the incredible view He has given us! Our house is all decorated for Christmas. It still feels strange for the weather to be so warm this time of year. We stay in the 70's to 80's year round. They call Uganda the Pearl of Africa, and when you stand and look out our front door you can understand why.
PRAISE GOD THAT WE ARE FINALLY HERE AND WE FINALLY HAVE INTERNET!
MINISTRY...
Meet Peter, Henry, Henry, Brian, Dan, and Timo. These are all young men who live here and have a desire to see the Gospel of Christ spread throughout their community. They are all members of Mityana Baptist Church. And they have helped plant other churches in nearby villages. We are excited to grow our relationship with them and encourage and challenge them along the way. Over the next few months we will be surveying the surrounding areas to see how God wants to use us. In January we will be working with our first volunteer team from the states doing a medical clinic in a nearby village. Vista Grande Baptist Church from Colorado is bringing a team of about 12 to work with us, we are so excited to have them here!
PRAY FOR THE MEDICAL CLINIC JAN. 7 & 8. PRAY FOR THE TEAM COMING FROM THE STATES.
TEAM...
I don't think I've done this so please forgive my tardiness. Let me introduce you to our team..Ricky and Brenda Smith are our team leaders, they serve on the Sessee Islands(where we first thought we were going to serve), and Larry and Amanda Mauldin are also new like us and they live next door to us. Together we make up the Baganda team serving the Baganda people group of Uganda.
PRAY FOR OUR TEAM TO BE STRENGTHENED AND ENCOURAGED. PRAY FOR THE BAGANDA PEOPLE TO HUNGER AND THIRST FOR THE TRUTH.
FAMILY...
Praise God Emily's knee has healed nicely. She has a nice battle scar to go with a great story. Colby is settling in. He loves throwing the football with Larry, our neighbor. He is also trying to learn how to play guitar, thanks to Timo, his teacher, and Amanda for letting him borrow her guitar. There was a Memorial Service for Eric's mom Dec. 5th, it went well. We are thankful that she is free from pain now.
PRAISE GOD FOR HIS PROTECTION AND LOVE.
Thank you for your love and support!
In His Love,
Krisann Pease
November 4, 2009
Dear Friends and Family,
Moving day is set for this Wednesday!
The past 2 weeks have been filled with lots of trips to Mityana(about a 2 hour drive), cleaning out, packing, praying, visiting with Eric's mom on Skype, cramming in a little school, fishing(Colby caught a 20 pounder! Uncle Ross, you'd have been proud.), more praying, and oh yes, putting stitches in Emily's knee and much more praying.
Our 8 year old daughter decided to slip on a boat ramp and jam her knee on a rock. Of course none of it was intentional. There being no emergency room to run to, we set up a make shift bed on a dining room table at Ricky and Brenda's house. We quickly decided super glue just wasn't going to hold this gaping wound together. After all was said and done, and with the help of 6 other missionaries, Emily got 4 big stitches in her knee(Yes, we did numb her knee up). In the states she'd have gotten about 20. She will have a nice 2 inch "c" shaped scar to tell her story. She was quite the trooper and we were so proud of her! God was definitely there holding our hands.
We wanted to send out this update because we don't know when we will get our internet set up in Mityana. It might take a while, as most things do here in Africa. So, if you email us and we don't respond you'll know why. Thank you for all you do to support us!
As I stated in another email, "As a 36 year old wife and mom and a follower of Christ for 26 years, I continue to stand in awe of God's faithfulness, love, and the power of prayer! Thank you for allowing the Lord to use you as you have blessed us and encouraged us along this road we are on."
Here is a weekly prayer calendar you can use for the month of November, if you'd like:
- Monday's: Pray for Eric's mom's pain to be minimal and pray for others you know battling illnesses
- Tuesday's: Pray for good health for us all and healing upon Emily's injury.
- Wednesday's: Pray for our move to go smoothly and that we'd be sensitive to the leading of the Holy Spirit as we get to know our new home.
- Thursday's: Pray for Colby and Emily to make new friends. Pray for the thousands of orphans in the world.
- Friday's: Pray for our worker's in Entebbe to find new jobs and that we'd find the right person's to help us in Mityana. Pray for those you know without work.
- Saturday's: Pray for Believer's in Uganda to seek the truth. Pray for Believer's in the US to be bold with their faith
- Sunday's: Pray for the church in Mityana to have a hunger and thirst for Christ. Pray for your pastor and leaders in your church.
In His Love,
Krisann and Eric Pease
Oct. 15, 2009
"Rest in the Lord and wait patiently for HIm..." Psalm 37:7a
"Wait for the Lord, and keep His way..." Psalm 37:34a
How often I must be reminded to do these things, rest and wait in the Lord!!!
I pray this email finds you doing well. We think of you all often and pray for you. Please continue to let us know how we can pray specifically for you.
Since we last wrote...
- We arrived back in Uganda with no problems!
- We have franticly been studying for our language test that is tomorrow(Wed.).
- Cindy, Eric's mom, is still holding her own. She and Richard have moved back into her apartment with lots of help from her daughters. We are thankful to have Skype to keep in touch with her.
- We have been battling a few illnesses. A new one called the Nairobi Eye...google it if you curious. Nothing serious!
- We got GREAT news that our teammates, Larry and Amanda are expecting their first child this summer!
- And a move is in the forecast for us.
MInistry Update and a few facts...
Many of my last few updates have asked for prayers regarding our ministry here in Uganda. Well, we have been specifically praying for clarity as to where the Lord wants us to serve Him. We have struggled with the logistics of island ministry for our family for the last several months, but have rested in knowing that God knows what He is doing. The Buganda People make up about 1/3 of Uganda and just a fraction of them live on the islands. There are 3 families with the IMB working with the Buganda People: Us, Larry and Amanda, and Ricky and Brenda. So, after much prayer, Ricky and Brenda will continue working out on the islands while our family and Larry and Amanda will focus on the mainland. It looks like we will move to a town called Mityana(mi-tee-ahnna), about 2 hours from Entebbe. We will be making a final decision this week. We are so excited to see what the Lord has in store for us all! He is the Master Planner and we rest in that knowledge.
Please pray for..
- God's grace on our language testing
- Wisdom and discernment as we make final decisions in regards to ministry
- Ricky and Brenda as they lead our team of 3 families
- David and Rene as they join our leadership team in Uganda
- Cindy and Richard as they take one day at a time with her illness
Much Love to you all!!!
Blessings,
Krisann and Eric Pease
Sept. 27, 2009
Back in the USA! What a month! This has been a month defined by prayer, your prayers for our family. We have felt and scene the power God displayed through each one of you as you have prayed for us. As most of you know, about a month ago Eric's mom was very unexpectedly diagnosed with terminal cancer and given a month or 2 to live. We flew back to the states Sept. 8th and we will be here until Oct. 4th. We just returned to Missouri after spending a week in Dallas.
What a blessed time we had with Krisann's family, our friends, and our amazing church family. Thank you to The Heights for making our time so special. We will spend our last week with Eric's family. Eric's mom is doing well. We are thankful for each day we have here with Eric's mom and his family. We have felt His peace, only the peace that comes from the Father. Thank you for your many prayers and words of encouragement. We are blessed to call you our friend and family.
May we all live like we only have 30 days. Embracing life and making the most of every opportunity to draw others to Christ.
Living in His Grace,
Krisann, Eric, Colby and Emily Pease
- Please pray for Cindy and Richard to have continued peace.
- Please pray for safe travels for our flight back to Uganda Oct. 4th.
- Please pray for Colby as he struggles with going back to Uganda.
- Please pray for our language test that we will be taking upon return to Uganda and our future ministry decisions.
- PRAISE God for our sweet time we have had here at home with family.
- Richard, Cindy, Eric, Jackie, and Heidi (Eric's sisters). Krisann, Colby, and Emily with Nana and Pop (Krisann's parents).
CONTACT INFO:
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www.imb.org
Box 938
Uganda, Africa
May 28, 2009
There is always a first time for everything!
Pease Family Firsts:
Eating a fried caterpillar
Plucking the feathers off the chicken that was for dinner
Living in a mud hut for 4 days
Harvesting sunflowers and beating the seeds out of each flower
Sharing Christ with a witch doctor (no decision was made)
Riding in an ox driven cart
Walking 45 minutes just to get to church
Getting water from a well
We have just returned from Zambia where we spent 12 days in an urban setting, 12 days in a rural setting and 4 days living with a Zambian family in a village. It was an incredible time of the Lord growing us and teaching us about African culture. We were definitely out of our comfort zone. It is always good to allow the Lord to stretch us.
Here is one thing we would like to share with you:
This passage in Deuteronomy 30: 11- 20 was shared to us by one of our IMB leaders. We encourage you to read it all, here are a few verses from that passage:
"(11)Now what I am commanding you today is not too difficult for you or beyond your reach... (16)The Lord your God will bless you in the land you are entering to posses... 19 Now choose life, so that you and your children may live (20) and that you may love the Lord your God, listen to His voice, and hold fast to him. For the Lord is your life..."
The Lord has given us each a land to go in and possess. Wether it is a place of work, a church, a neighborhood, family, or the islands on Lake Victoria in Uganda. We are learning that no task is beyond our reach. We pray that we will allow the Lord to lead each of us, and that we will follow.
Prayer Concerns:
Pray that the Lord will continue to open our ears and mouths as we strive to learn the Luganda language.
Pray for Krisann to find the balance between homeschooling, language, and everyday tasks.
Pray for safe travel as we drive about 13 hours to Kenya June 6 - 13th for a regional meeting.
Pray for Christians around the world to rise up and to be bold in their faith.
Pray for Mary, the witch doctor, to know the truth.
Pray for the International Mission Board leaders to have wisdom as they lead over 5,000 missionaries around the world.
Thank you for all your love and prayers! May the Lord lead you to live a radical life for HIm!
Please continue to let us know how we can be praying for you!
In His Grace,
Krisann and Eric Pease
