I traveled Thursday morning to my village,which is about 6 hours from Kampala for the funeral of my grandma.She had been bed ridden for close to 3years.

In many ways I am glad she is physically rested although I am concerned about her eternal rest...at this point only God knows.Still weary from the traveling though.

Looking forward to this week as I will be venturing into some exciting ministry activities.The most exciting of them all is the launch of season 2 of our parenting class that has attracted so far 60 people.I will blog more on this as the week unfolds.

Thank you all for praying and thinking about us....

Have a super week.

Onabaz

MY HOUSE HUNTING EXPERIENCE

I have spent the last several days in an adventure that is both frustrating,exciting and has quickly re-introduced Uganda at its best to me,a kind of re-orientation in the culture and life of Ugandans.

Bottom line...to be able to have a decent home,in a safe neighborhood there is no middle ground,one has to part with a considerable amount of money.Besides you are lucky to find a landlord who will ask for 3months in advance payment.They ask for 6months.(Crazy if you ask me because i am yet to find a job that pays you salary in advance)

As a country we have no laws that govern our housing,rent etc etc.....everyone decides what they want to do.

I have so far gone through more than 10 house brokers and we have not found a house yet.It is easy to get frustrated but my attitude has been to enjoy the adventure of house hunting.

We have been to some places where if a disease broke out it would be a miracle if anyone there survived.And we also have been to neighborhoods where we have wondered whether this is actually in Uganda...very upscale places.We are kinda looking for the in between.

However we both have a good felling that we will find a place that works for us.With all of this happening we are reconnecting with friends,which is a lot of fun yet at the same time I am having strong emotions of missing all my Vegas family.Please plan on coming down here....may be together we could find this house.

I will be speaking this weekend at our MCC service,so pray for that.
Otherwise we miss you.....and keep praying for us.

SP and JOY

FINALLY HOME

We arrived safe yester night and are battling with jet lag....Our flight was smooth and nice.We actually arrived 10minutes earlier than scheduled.We are staying at Pr Martin and Tracey's home until we find a house.I actually talked to a house broker who will help us in this process.It feels so good to be back home...and it is until now that i realize how completely different Kampala is.....the dirt dusty roads,crazy crazy, crazy, crazy, crazy, crazy, crazy, crazy traffic,people,bicycles everywhere.....

I am trying to get some pictures posted but i was rudely shocked at the incredible slow speed of our internet....life is different here but we will manage.My plan is to visit one of the commercial internet cafe's which can handle uploading pictures.

I had a chance to talk with Pr Martin about my new and emerging role.....the same words he used in describing my responsibility were the words that God had laid on my heart through out the duration of our time in Vegas...shepherd and nurture His people and in so doing expand God's Kingdom.

I have lots to share but will keep you posted as we get settled.Thank you for your love and support.

SP and JOY

MY VEGAS PICTURES

I took these pictures on saturday morning while on a lazy plane tour of Vegas with friends of mine.We flew over the valley of fire,red rock,Lake mead,parts of the desert,Hoover dam and down town Vegas.Things look different from up above.



SP Onaba

BACK TO UGANDA

My dear blogger friends,I am still here.I have not given up my new blogging adventure.I came down with severe pain several days back after an infection in my throat slowed my mobility, caused intense pain on the right hand side of my head.I had trouble swallowing anything and talking equaled multiplying pain.I went in to see a doctor who prescribed some medicine and I have since recovered and I don't plan on getting sick anytime soon.

The time has also come..as of now we are counting down(less than 3weeks)and we will be enjoying native Ugandan food and all the people etc etc that we have missed.As a result, a bulk of our remaining time has been spent packing,meeting people,drinking coffees,eating lunches and dinners.....

Today it actually hit me how much I am going to miss my new family here in Vegas.I am trying to keep myself from crying.....so pray for me.It has been an awesome last couple of months......I am still processing.I will keep you posted on stuff as we go along.

Blessings
SP Onaba

THE GRAND CANYON IS A MASTERPIECE,GOD'S MASTERPIECE

We made it to the Grand Canyon and back to Vegas safely.In one sense the GC is a big hole in the ground but yet in a more truer sense it is God's masterpiece.....The Psalmist would say....Creation declares the glory of God.....

Besides the GC,Joy and I saw some of the most beautiful places ever.Here is a brief run thru of the places we went to.

We left Vegas late thursday and spent the night in Kingman (i hope to visit queen woman someday).After our breakfast Friday morning we headed for the Grand Canyon,I was not sure what to expect until i finally got there.Words fail me at this point.Joy took some pictures but they are not as close as being there and experiencing.But let me try....it's this huge huge huge hole sorrounded by mountains and its so wide you can not see one end from the other.You know you are at the GC when you look down and you feel your head start to spin.....thats as best as i can try.

After the GC we drove down to Flagstaff where we had dinner and spent our night ready for our next destination....Sedona (the one thing i remember about Flagstaff was our hotel breakfast...it was lame,the coffee was the worst i have had in my entire life so far) Sedona was our next stop before heading to Prescott where we would spend the night while heading back to Kingman via the historic route 66.

Except for all the new age and sorcery disguised as psychics....Sedona is this beautiful little art town with Red mountains sorrounding it in the middle of nowhere.I loved their houses.If i had to choose between living in Vegas and Sedona,i would go to Sedona.All i recall about Prescott was the nice Mexican-(Casa Ranchez) restaurant that we went to for dinner and the cold that i picked up that i carried along the rest of the trip.At somepoint i thought that perhaps i had caught the swine flu.

Our 2 final stops were,the Caverns at...i forget the place.Perhaps one of my aha places was the hoover dam and the new bridge.Someone please tell me.... how did they build those two things?The dam and the new bridge are humongous.I know our tour guide explained how they did the bulding but i am not satisfied.

I am slowly recovering from my cold which has drained alot of energy from me.Joy held up pretty well on the trip.She actually surprised me.Pray that she doesnot catch some of my cold.

.....Here are some pictures we took...
Love,
Onabaz

ROAD TRIP TO SEE THE GRAND CANYON

Its 5:53pm, local Las Vegas time and in the next 60mins,we will be on our way to see the Grand Canyon.Some have said it is God's master piece while others maintain it's a big hole in the ground.I will find out for myself this weekend.

We have a camera with us so we can capture some pictures that we will share with you so you can decide who is correct...masterpiece or big hole???

We will spend tonight in Kingman and tomorrow proceed to our destination where we will be for the whole weekend.

Packing
We also just finished our first phase of packing and shipped our bags and had some taken by friends to Lancaster,PA.(A team of 25 is headed to Uganda on June 17th for a short term mission trip and so they are helping take some bags for us.)

Doctor's Visit
Today we did visit the doctor for Joy's routine check up and the report is that Baby O is growing normally and so is Joy's health.Thanks and keep the prayers going up.

Pray for our protection as we travel and that God would use this time to refresh our souls.

See ya soon.

SP Onaba

HERE WE GO

A lot has transpired since my last post....many apologies for my delay.I need to become better at being consistent with blogging.My trip to Mexico was very successful.We managed to build 2 houses(Very basic houses) The part of Mexico we went to reminded me of Uganda...the dust,the slums,the poverty and just the tough reality of life.I have some pictures that will help tell the story better than I can.




I was happy to come back home to my wife who is doing much better now with the pregnancy.She officially finished her first trimester and apparently life should return to normal, atleast.We are also actively starting the process of preparing to go back home....Uganda,so we are doing alot of meetings with friends and packing stuff.

Our host family here,organised a send off party for us and they called it the SP and JOY open house party.Am looking forward to this so much.There is over 40 people coming.In one sense we miss home but we are beginning to feel like we will miss the people of Canyonridge and Vegas who have become family in this part of the world.

Joy will be doing scripture reading for Pr Kevin as he preaches in all 4 services this weekend and I will be speaking on James 1 in the next gen ministry.So covet your prayers.

Yesternight we had an awesome meeting with some college students that I will tell you about in my next post.

Love you,
SP

FROM MY DESK

This week has been one of those weeks.....Started on a slow note but is going to pick up.Lots of things to process,get done and decisions to make.

I leave for Mexico first thing on Friday morning with a team of others from Canyonrige for the annual memorial weekend mission trip where we will build houses.I am looking forward to this.Yet at the same time a part of me is remaining with Joy and I hope and pray that she will be OK without my physical presence.

This past Sunday was a highlight.My talk at New Community(Church of 55+)was great.I talked about the mandate that the older people have and that they should not neglect that.After this we went with a dear friend of ours(Jayme)to a womens prison where Joy and myself were guest speakers.My wife shared her story and how God has changed her.By the time we left, the place was fired up.The sense of hope and faith was very tangible in the room.There was not a single dry eye in the room,except mine, as we all listenend to Joy.At somepoint I felt like something else had come over my wife.She was in the flow....ver very powerful.

Our time here(Vegas) is nearing its end and so we are entering a wrap up phase.Pray that this will go well.Will share with you more as time unfolds.

Blessings
SP Onaba

LOVE FOR A LIFETIME

Just got back from a two day marriage conference that Canyonrdige put together.My wife and I both enjoyed Dr Bob Moeller and Dr Gary Chapman...very solid men.

Everything they said was great.Some of the topics the speakers covered included:

Communication 101
Creating closeness thru an accepting heart
Understanding and Expressing love
Seven secrets to great sex
Initiating positive change
How to share the things that bug you

It just got me thinking about our couples ministry,3hearts and our vision of being cycle breakers in a culture that has been damaged by polygamy and HIV.Joy and I are excited to see the fruit so far,of young people who have chosen to live sexually pure lives,get engaged,get married and start the chapter of having babies.We are seeing with our eyes the beginning of the transformation of an entire generation.

I liked the application for the couples at the end of the conference:

1. Work through a marriage book together
2. Once a year attend a marriage event/conference
3. Read a book on marriage together every year.

Once we get back to Kampala,we want to pioneer these kind of ideas.Rewriting history is what God has given us and others the opportunity to do.
I encourage you like I have been to seek to be a better husband and invest in your marriage that Christ may be glorified.

TIRED AND EXHAUSTED

I have not had time to sit down and blog.....lots of things to do and thinking happening.This mental process has a way in which it drains my energy.
Its coming to 10pm,here and these are my last words before i hit dream land.Tomorrow though, I will share some upcoming things.Joy is doing fine...and she says hello.Miss you all,especially my UG crew.

SP Onaba

PLANNING AND FOOD

PLANNING
Today was rather a long but memorable day.I was part of the Canyonridge annual staff retreat meeting.Several things happened but i thought one of the coolest things for me was to hear Kevin,the senior pastor clearly share afresh the heart beat of Canyonridge...to seek and save the lost.There was just so much energy in the room.Our day ended with staff bowling at one of the bowling alleys here in Vegas.I was not bad for a beginner.I did not stay to the end because I had to go pick my wife.

JOY and FOOD
Things have kind of flipped for Joy regarding her eating habits.She hardly has an appetite to eat anything and this is getting us a little concerned.Today she felt like eating beef stew made the Ugandan way,so being the good chef- husband that I am,I went to the kitchen and did my Ugandan thing.I basically boiled beef and added some onions,tomatoes,carrots plus potatoes.(these are the specific ingredients she asked for) The result was a dish that surprisingly, Joy ate.As I type this blog,she is laying peacefully by my side having sweet dreams.Please pray that God will give Joy an appetite for food.

GOD HAS A SENSE OF HUMOUR

Who knew that one day I would be in Vegas of all places sharing about this Jesus who changes lives.If you had told me this several years ago I would have laughed my head off.Of course i do remember as a freshman, day dreaming about being a Hollywood celebrity,but this was just a way to escape the questions that I was facing regarding my future and the purpose of life.

Today I would not trade what I am doing for anything.God has been good to me.To see Him at work in the things we do,to witness Him change lives and be invited to be a part of this process is to me more than an honor.And so, because of His goodness I am deliberately committing this week to be my week of thanksgiving.So I will share with you this week some of the things I am thankful for.

As for me and my household we will serve you, Lord.

SP Onaba

RED ROCK HIKE

I just got back from our hike this morning....(turtlehead peak-2000ft) I thought it was going to be easy!I wish i knew,i would never have gone in the first place.Half way the hike,i felt like someone was slowing cutting off my waist.I nearly told the guys i was with to find me on their way back from the top of the mountain.They did not give up on me and yes i made it to the top successfully. The view is awesome.I could literally see the whole of Vegas and a bit of Lake Mead.Red rock is an awesome place.



Right now I am headed to church to finalize my communion med thoughts....Blessings

SP Onaba

THIS WEEKEND

Tomorrow morning a good friend of mine (Craig) and another of his good friend who i have not meet will go hiking-Red Rock- first thing tomorrow morning.It is going to be my first hike ever.....but i am not sure it is going to be the first because back home we pretty much hike daily except that its on plain land not mountains.

After my hike i should be set and ready for communion med.....short for an inspirational brief talk on the significance of remembering the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ which is done before communion is taken.I will be doing this at all the 4 services at Canyon ridge.Pray that i have my thoughts ready and set.I am wondering what colors to wear so the camera does not vomit me.

SP Onaba

A QUICK UPDATE

I just spent the last 3 hours working on this blog......so far so good.Lantz my texan friend did all the work.Thanks to him.My dream is to have one of the most read blogs....and yes this is the beginning.Look out for an awesome update soon.Let me also know what you think would get this blog up and running......the revolution has began

SP Onaba

MY FIRST BLOG

I feel good this afternoon for successfully setting up my blog.This way i can keep in touch with friends all over the world.

I both love and hate facebook,it depends on how i am feeling.My immediate thanks go to Jess and Lantz;and Tom.You guyz encouraged this effort.Thanks

SP Onaba