Gospel Presentation -- Bridge Illustration

Another example of the Bridge Illustration. And another. And another.

Here is a video introduction and demonstration--great!!

A powerpoint demo.

If you really get serious and want supplemental materials, go back to the Living Faith EE Presentation here.

Overcoming Barriers to Evangelism

Commendation for the Thomasons

September 24, 2008

Phil Chambers
Missions Pastor
Oak Mountain Presbyterian Church

Dear Phil and the OMPC Missions Committee,

Greetings from Uganda!

We are very, very grateful for the labors of Gordon and Sally Thomason in Uganda over this past year. Sally has done a wonderful job at the Zana Clinic, caring for nurses and patients. She has also been a big servant to the construction project by being a good wife to Gordon and by keeping him healthy and able to work so diligently. Both invested heavily in the singles ministry at Zana Community Presbyterian Church and cared much for the singles. Gordon’s labors as our campus construction project manager are much appreciated. He has been an immense resource, a wise builder and has made numerous and significant contributions to the project. He has been a key factor in the high quality of our seven buildings and in their construction happening in a timely fashion, allowing us to open our new campus. We are grateful to Oak Mountain Presbyterian Church for your partnership with us, for sending the Thomasons to us, and for Gordon and Sally’s willingness to come to Uganda and to labor in a self-sacrificing manner here for so many months.

Again, we are grateful for the contributions of the Thomasons and OMPC to the new campus and we are confident that their, your and our labors, by God’s grace, will together build Christ’s Bride and advance His kingdom here in Uganda and Africa.

In Christ,

and on behalf of the Westminster Theological College Faculty,

Emma Kiwanuka
Dave Eby

Greetings from Africa from the Thomasons

September 17, 2008

Greetings from Africa

Our time over the past few weeks here has been a blur of activity and many things have been accomplished.

Five of the seven college buildings are in full use and one floor of the two-story classroom is functional. The other three unused levels (classroom and administrative buildings) are at the 70% completion stage but will be functional, though not finished, by early to mid October (85-90%). Finishing this portion of the project has been hampered by lack of available funds. Some funding earmarked for this project was committed as an end-of-the-year donation, which is normal and understandable. That fact, coupled with significant inflation and spiraling material costs, has caused us to reduce the construction pace to compliment the income.

Sub-contractor compliance here is considered one of the extreme sports and as we move into the wet season, much of our time is burned up re-cleaning buildings, covering work in progress and un-sticking vehicles. Having students and staff families on the site has assisted us with increased supervision and no lack of activities in the suggestion box area. I also now have a three-year old assistant project manager who joyfully attends me whenever possible.

In summarizing my thoughts concerning the project I would have to say that, while these buildings are not perfect, they are extremely well built and above par for this region. God will, I believe, use these facilities for years to come as a launching pad for the Gospel pointed at East Africa and beyond. Thank you for being a part of this effort through your faithful prayers and finances.

The first singles retreat for Zana Presbyterian was a blessing and it was fun to watch them pull it all together in true African fashion. (Eleventh hour and 59 minutes to be exact!) The retreat was well attended and several churches were involved. The teaching was excellent (the theme was Guarding Your Heart) and we are seeing changed lives, in evidence a week later. It has been a joy to work with this group and we hardly remember the involuntary blood donations made to the mosquitoes at the camp. Our son, Ben, joined us for the festivities as the game-miester and what a hit he was. Africans are intense making a living six days a week but for this weekend they learned how to play. We saw many smiling and laughing faces that we had not seen before. We are now called Momma and Ta Ta Ben.

As I mentioned Ben is here for our last weeks and we have the joy of exposing him to the country and culture as we have been exposed ourselves. He is learning to eat matoke and his exposure to public transit here should be televised on the X Games. Ten passenger vans are licensed for 14 passengers but in rural areas, a minimum of 18 people is normal and over 20 is not unusual.

Sally has spent a large part of the past few weeks caring for a number of kids with special needs using funds many of you have provided. Cataract surgery for one child that has never been able to see much at all, tubes in the ears of another, glasses, medication for many, supplies for the Smiling Faces Club, paints and brushes for the new art class beginning at Zana School, help for the little boy newly diagnosed with cerebral palsy, and much more. We will even have a little money to leave behind to ensure proper follow-up where necessary. Sally went to visit Frida, the lady with the artificial leg from our last trip, who lives in a village way out in the middle of nowhere. She was able to take her some wrenches to tighten her prosthesis and also some dark stockings to better match her skin color. Frida was overjoyed with the visit. It is simply amazing how she survives but God continues to be faithful.

As our time draws to a close here we are truly amazed at what God has done because of your faithfulness, and in some cases, in spite of us. He is truly worthy! We leave here on September 23, returning to California to connect with Ja Ja and family. We then return to Alabama from the left coast on October 2. Please pray for our re-entry to the U.S. and reverse culture adjustment. The longer away, the more difficult the adjustments. We are tired, but it is a good feeling to be used up in a worthy endeavor.

In the Lamb,

Gorden, Sally, and Ben

Smiling Faces doing the hokey pokey

Want to go swimming anyone?

Sylvia 1 day after cataract surgery- coloring for the first time

Visiting Fridah and her family in her isolated village

Sylvia attempts to see by squinting and telescoping her hands around her eyes pre-surgery

Sylvia in the hospital day before surgery-she has to hold
the book next to her eyes to determine the color of something

Baby Enoch- newly diagnosed with cerebral palsy

Ben hanging with the giraffs

101 things to do with a bike- water transport

Thomason August 26, 2008 Update

August 26, 2008

Greetings from the mazungus at Labowa!

We are busy with life here. Sally is helping with implementing ongoing change for the clinic as directed by the Board. She has also been helping several children with specific medical needs. One girl, Alice, will have ear and adenoid surgery in a few weeks, which hopefully will improve her hearing and decrease the number of infections. She took Sylvia to the hospital today and in the morning Sylvia will have bilateral cataract surgery. Please pray that this will significantly improve her vision as she is a very bright 6-year old girl. She is very eager to see well enough to learn to write. Then on Thursday Sally takes Enoch to a pediatric neurologist. Enoch is a two-year old that came to the medical clinic that the team did back in late June. He appears to have some serious neuromuscular disease so hopefully an accurate diagnosis can be made that will help the parents assist the child. He is not able to sit, crawl, walk, or talk. Unfortunately there are not the early intervention resources here that are prevalent in the states.



The construction project races on. We anticipate finishing five of the seven buildings in the next week. Then we will focus our attention and limited resources on the final 2 two-story buildings. The final roofing has begun and we hope to attain usable status for both buildings. The promised finances for the buildings include an end-of-the year gift that will come later to complete the structures but we hope to have them ready for occupancy even though not completely finished. This is the third time I have reduced the crew size due to lack of finances.



Now to the latest scoop. August 20 was our anniversary (31 years) and August 21 was Sally’s latest birthday past 30-something. We read in our Lonely Planet book of East Africa that there is an actual boat here that was used in the filming of the movie, The African Queen, which gives dinner cruises on Lake Victoria. However, no one in our immediate African family knew any information about the boat. Our adventure began at 6:00 AM on the 20th with a long taxi ride to the docks at Entebbe. The taxis are minivans, usually packed with about 16 people that are the public transportation system here. After (1) locating the correct part of town (2) getting a boda boda (motorcycle) ride to the dock and (3) realizing that most of the people around the dock did not speak English, we realized that no one had heard of the boat. We began to realize that without more information our quest was impractical at best. We again consulted our book, which gives only part information, and decided that there may be other options for the berth of the “Queen.” We again took a taxi and went to Kampala and had morning coffee. We then took another taxi to Port Bell, another dock close to the city, but alas no “Queen” to be found. We did however find a guide with a boat who took us on an island excursion on the lake. We visited a small island inhabited by 250-300 people living mostly in one community. Housing was of sticks and mud for walls and thatch or tin for roofs. The folks are totally self-sufficient by fishing as well as farming the island because of the rich soil and constant water supply. They have a 12-month growing season so crop rotation is the key to success. There is no school, clinic or buildings of business, other than what is sold from windows out of the huts. There are hundreds of such islands on Lake Victoria and many are hours away from any major port or city. It is quite possible to be born, live your life, and die without ever leaving the island and its immediate waters.



A taxi back to Kampala and another taxi to Gabba Beach, our last option to search for the “Queen” this day. Another port, more fish and fishmen, boats, and ferries did abound, but alas no “Queen.” We had been informed by friends of a great restaurant up on the hill overlooking the lake and the city so we took a culinary detour as we foraged for food. We could see the island we had just explored as we sat at a table and enjoyed an outstanding meal. More bodas and taxis to make it back home ended a very memorable 31st anniversary and we have preserved the quest for the “Queen” for another day of adventure. Sally received roses for her birthday and a beautiful set of soapstone coasters.



Our time of fellowship with the singles continues and we are working on their upcoming retreat. We are excited to be a part and honored to be included in the planning.



Please pray for:



1. Sylvia’s surgery tomorrow

2. The singles retreat (September 5-7)

3. The work project

4. Finances for the project

5. Changes at the clinic

6. Wisdom as we enter our last month here (we would like to finish well)

7. Gorden’s knee which is injured and painful

8. Wisdom in relationships

9. Our son Ben arrives here September 3 and will stay until we leave the 23rd



Thank you for your prayers and financial support, both of which sustain us.



Gorden and Sally


PS we have attached some photos as we received a great used digital camera from a friend of our daughter. Hope you enjoy!

Admin building

Dorm

Two-Story Classroom

Temporary Library

Update from Thomasons -- August 9, 2008

August 9, 2008

Greetings from Uganda,

Whew! Things are moving very rapidly here, yet we continue to be in the more hurried I go the behinder I get syndrome. Some major changes have taken place in the clinic relative to staffing, hours, and operations so Sally keeps busy assisting with implementation and advice connected with the changes to try to have the smoothest transition as possible. Please pray as change is hard for most of those involved.


Last week Sally took three orphan children from the school to an eye specialist for an evaluation. One child had an eye injury when he was two (he is now fou4) and it seems there is nothing that can be done to help him to have any sight from this eye. The second child has severe lazy eyes but he is 13 so the brain patterns are well set by this point so we are not sure if we can help him. We did get some glasses for him to use and Sally will take him back in a month for further evaluation. The third child, Sylvia, has congenital cataracts. She is six and again it would have been helpful to have this problem addressed when she was little. The ophthalmologist felt surgical removal and glasses would definitely improve her vision. So on Thursday Sally took Sylvia to the Uganda Heart Institute and after a seven- hour wait and an echocardiogram, got the approval from the cardiologist to proceed with the surgery. (Kids with congenital cataracts often have congenital heart problems as well.) Sally takes the report back on Tuesday and then the surgery will be scheduled. These three children all come from extremely poor homes where the family lives in a one-room dirt floor shack. They are being raised by the grandmother or other family members. As we have said many times, the needs here are overwhelming and you just try to follow through on what God leads you to do. At times it feels like it is just a drop in the bucket that is too little, too late. Please pray that the glasses for William help and that the surgery and glasses for Sylvia will greatly help. She wants so badly to see so she can have a notebook and learn to write like the other children.


The construction project could use your prayers, as well. The Seminary Masters Program begins August 19th (requiring four buildings to be finished) and the College begins September 1 (requiring two additional buildings.) The remaining administration building is needed as soon as possible and definitely before we leave here September 23. With all the construction projects under a time crunch, we are working feverishly, but seem to be crawling to a conclusion. I am, however, optimistic.


On the local scene we continue to meet with the leadership team of the singles and encourage them with food, fun, and fellowship. We are planning their first ever singles retreat. We are praying our son, Ben, will be able to join us for a time in September where he can assist us in the retreat. What a gamemiester he is!


Our latest cultural antics found us attending our first Introduction last weekend. An Introduction is where the groom is introduced officially to the brides family and the brides family determines if they will allow the wedding to take place. So I purchased a konzu which is a long white gown and borrowed a suit coat to wear over the konzu. Sally borrowed a gomas which is the traditional Buganda dress. The event took place in a village near Mt. Elgon (close to the Kenyan border) about 45 minutes drive outside of Mbale. Sixty of us in two small buses and a van left the church around 6:30 am for the journey. This introduction happened to be between two different clans so there was a little bit of tension and suspense not knowing if one clan would approve of a groom from another clan. We took many gifts for the family which are all part of the dowry. When we arrived at the home of the bride, her family and friends were already gathered. The yard was decorated with flowers, lights and other items. Several tents were set up so we could be seated out of the sun. The brides family and the grooms family each had a spokesperson and several hours of questioning and exchanging of cash proceeded. Then in a game they searched for the groom and he at last was chosen. We then went out to get all the gifts. In a procession back into the yard each of us carried gifts, which included bags of flour, sugar, baskets of fruits and vegetables. Sally elected to carry some hand baskets of clothes so she wouldnt have to balance a basket on her head. She hasnt mastered that talent yet! After the presenting of the gifts we ate a big feast. Sally and I were chosen to eat inside the house at the table of honor with the bride and groom and family. All this was eaten without silverware and without talking as Ugandans dont talk much when they eat. After dinner there was more celebration with music and tribal dancing which includes bobbing, weaving, and shoulder dipping. My workers loved my attempts! We then all piled into the buses for the five- hour trip home where we sang, laughed and talked together. It was a great day of fun and celebration for all.


Thanks so much for your encouragement and prayer support!


Gorden and Sally

Gethomason1@juno.com

Thomason update

July 26, 2008


Greetings from Lubowa (our new village),


Each term of service brings new rewards, new challenges, and more or better cultural understanding, if you participate as the learner. Consequently we remain in somewhat of a perpetual state of being stretched.

The project is going well with your normal daily disasters. (That's why I make the big bucks!) There is one area I could use specific prayer and that would be in the area of plaster. There are some complications probably from poor materials, not techniques, but because plastering is all but dead art in the U.S. I have very little experience with it. It is interesting to note that in 1969 one of my first summer construction jobs was working with a plastering company in Birmingham. I smile as I reflect on how God prepares us for service, usually in our ignorance. I thought it was just a summer job.

Sally continues to serve at the clinic. Giving Josephine a couple of days off each week is one of her priorities. She is now taking a special interest in some kids at the school with special needs. She will take these three kids to see an eye specialist August 5, thanks to a wonderful gift from the medical team from Birmingham and South Carolina. On Monday Sally and Josephine (the nurse on day shift) did a mini clinic at Nkumba Orphanage where they saw over 60 kids in a very busy day. Most of these children have lost parents due to AIDS. Yesterday she went to Garuga and helped with a small medical team. It was heartbreaking as several of the children were extremely malnourished, which is such a foreign concept in the States. One baby who was only a month old was severely dehydrated and so weak he could not suck to breast feed. They were able to take the baby to a nearby hospital where hopefully this Sudanese child can get some help. The young mother did not know how to take care of a baby and had no family to help. The needs here can be absolutely overwhelming.

Please pray for our effectiveness with the singles. We moved to our new location for safety and security issues but some of the locals do not feel comfortable coming here due to the location and distance. Pray that we can bridge the gap and for transportation issues as there is almost no public transportation in the immediate area. So we do a lot more walking and Sally has tuned up a bike that she rides to the clinic.

Driving to work one morning last week our driver narrowly missed a young man who darted to the center of the highway. Determined he could not outrun the oncoming traffic in the second lane. he reversed his field, causing us to narrowly miss him, only taking the color off his T-shirt. Tony (my interpreter) turned to me and said the Ugandans would tell him to go and eat his chicken. You must remember Africa is a verbal, not written, society and things are handed down through the generations by word of mouth. One must also keep in mind that village influence and the tribal/clan importance must be kept in the context of stories, idioms, etc. here. It seems that there was a master of the house who lived with a rat, a chicken, a goat, and a cow. The rat and chicken lived inside while the goat and cow lived outside. One day a snake comes in the house and goes into the rat hole. The rat approaches the chicken, Please help me get rid of the snake. No, he says, Go to the goat as I am too small. When the goat was approached he said, No, I don't live in the house. Go to the cow. The cow in turn said, No, as she had no interest in killing the snake as she did not live in the house either. The rat, determined to rid himself of the snake, proceeded to be bitten and died as did the master of the house. In turn, the snake bit the chicken, goat and cow, killing them all. The moral of the story is with full cooperation, death and disaster may have been avoided. In order to remember this lesson, whenever a person dies, the family eats chicken before the funeral, goat upon arriving home from the burial, and beef a short time thereafter. Hence the response to near-miss costing one his life is, Go eat your chicken, as you have cheated death.

To train a mazungu it takes a village. I think we are having vegetable soup for dinner!

Serving in East Africa,

Gorden and Sally