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Hello everyone
Grettings from Washington DC! We arrived here yesterday evening after a nights stay in London. God even blessed out plane rides home. Our flight from Ugandda was practically empty, only 37 people on a Boeing 737. On our flight from London we were bumped up from coach to business class! We couldn't believe it, we thought it was a mistake or something. It has been quite a journey already beginning to adjust to American culture. Please pray for us as we go through this 'reverse culture shock'. We are elated for the grace God has poured out on us these five months. We are traveling back to WV sometime today and are very excited to see more family and friends. I will send out an update in just a few more days.

Prayer:
1. As we readjust to American culture
2. As our bodies adjust to the time change.
3. For safety as we travel the next couple weeks.
4. To be able to process and communicate the mains things GOd has taught us these five months.

4tg,
Mike (Rachel)

At Musana Camps (A New Hope Ministry)

Prayer

Hello everyone, I hope that Spring is finding you well. Rachel and I are excited to come back to the beautiful season full of beautiful colors and fresh smells. We are wrapping things up here over the next week and a half so we would like for you to pray for us concerning several things:

- That we will be able to finish well
- That we will fully take in every minute we have left here
- For our family group: We have had three boys leave over the past two months, also we are praying about taking one of the children on financially.
- For us to plan how we will implement what we have learned through our training and experience here when we return.
-For us to find an apartment in Charleston quickly when we return

4tg,
Michael

So what is a man or woman anyway?

Rachel and I are part of a group that is writing a curriculum of sorts for parents to use to teach their children to become mature men and women. Check out these definitions of manhood and womanhood:
‘At the heart of mature masculinity is a sense of benevolent responsibility to lead, provide for and protect women in ways appropriate to a man’s differing relationships.” – John Piper
‘At the heart of mature femininity is a freeing disposition to affirm, receive, and nurture strength and leadership from worthy men in ways appropriate to the differing relationships.’ – John Piper
These are not exhaustive definitions, instead these are at least what the definitions of manhood and womanhood should be. To get a fuller definition see John Piper's "Recovering Biblical Manhood and Womanhood'.
So how in the world does one go about teaching their child to become a biblical man and woman?
That is the question we are seeking to provide an answer for. An answer that is not as ambiguous as saying 'just teach the Bible'.
But before we share any of this we first need to say that this teaching begins with the parents.
We need:
Purpose: We have a clear vision and zealous pursuit of what we as men and women are called to be.
Responsibility: Are you willing to bear the burden, or shame of poor decisions, willing to lay down your life for this most important pursuit?
Accountability: Paramount for keeping the first two, namely making decisions in the presence of others.
Itegrity: How you conduct your life, in finances, faithfulness, speech, how you spend time, not hypocritical
Servanthood: Committed to die to self, no passivity, not authoritarian, live outside yourself, gospel centered
Example: In weakness, need, and success, willing to lead other men, women, boys and girls in a life of repentance and faith. You are an example.

White Water Rafting

During our mid-term break we got the opportunity to go white water rafting on the Nile! Rachel and I were game but most of the others were not until we talked them into it. Part of the fear came from knowing that we would have to raft down Bujugali Falls, a class 5 rapid and would usually mean your boat will flip over. It would be a chance of a life-time.
There were seven of us so we got our own raft. Our guide was native Ugandan and had spent most of his life on the Nile, he knew the water well. Only a few of us had been rafting before so we had to go through all the basics of rafting before we set out on the adventure. On our first training rapid our boat flipped and half of us fell into the water. It wasn't looking good for us from the start. We made it through our first class 4 rapid just fine losing only our guide but on the first class 5 we flipped completely over. The next few rapids we handled like pros but on the next class 5 not all of us came out unscathed. After we came out of the rapid we were congratulating each other but noticed that our guide's mouth was bloody, his tooth hanging by a thread, and his oar broken in two. All the girls sceamed and could not look at him. He was dazed, and couldn't talk but just moan. We were headed straight for Bujugali Falls! So how did this happen to the guide? Well, he got his oar stuck between rocks and it snapped, the bunt of it hitting him directly in the mouth, almost knocking him completelty out. So we paddled the raft to the side and got the attention of a medic. Once he was checked out he decided to stay and guide through to the end. Josh and I were at the front of the boat, Rachel behind me as I could see the Falls approaching. My adrenaline began to rush as our raft picked up speed, I could see the water dropping and hear water crashing against rocks. All the sudden Our boat was straight up end to end crashing into the water. Josh and I grabbed the front of the raft and pulled up hard and held onto the sides so as to not let it flip over. Josh started to fly out but we grabbed him before he fell into the water. Then it was calm. We made it through Bujugali Falls without flipping or losing a rafter. other rafters were not so lucky. One guy was rescued from the eddies at the bottom of the Falls and we took him in our raft. He was so frightened, he almost drowned. At the end the trip we stopped at an island in the river and had cold cut sandwiches, something we had not had since we left the States.