Ryan Williams: EMI Chronicles

May Update

2009-05-11T12:51:00.007-06:00

Three-Month Summary

It’s been a while since my last update, so without further adieu, here is the latest news of what’s going on in the world of Ryan Williams these days.

I’ve spent the last three months working tirelessly on New Hope Uganda’s (NHU) new “Musana Camps” project, whose vision is to build a multi-functional Christian camp site on the shores of Lake Victoria where God’s truth will be encountered and lives will be changed. New Hope’s big plan, in the Lord’s timing and will, is to build Men’s, Family, and Guest Camps on the land; which will also include a community clinic, Youth Camp, amphitheatre, administration center, runway, and various other buildings in the future. The site is breathtakingly beautiful and worth the long bumpy road to get there. One of the first things people immediately say when they arrive to the site is, “This is it! This was well worth the drive.” It’s one of the best spots along the big lake that I’ve been to.

During this time, I spent a whole month back in February producing a massive survey of the 750 acre site (not a one man job let me assure you). After the project teams’ 10 day trip back in early March I spent the next two months producing AutoCAD drawings, designing & defining water and wastewater systems, and organizing a master site plan for the new “Musana Camps”, which means “Light” in Lugandan. The slogan for the new camp is “Encountering Truth, Transforming Lives.” A very catchy and suitable phrase for what the Camps’ vision and focus is to be. I am excited for what NHU is planning to do with the site, and I know it will be prime spot to share God’s truth in the most impacting way.

All that hard unpaid work finally paid off last week, not in dollars, but in something of much greater worth to me: a knowing fulfillment of completing a large task given to me by God. Last week, on May 9th, we printed and bound 16 copies of the 77 page Final Report! This report encompasses three hard months worth of work and many long hours. If you added up all the hours spent by everyone involved who worked on this project, it would equate to about $90,000 worth of engineering & architectural services back home, but we do this work gladly for free. It will be given to the volunteer team and to New Hope Uganda, which includes renders of the buildings, a written report, drawings and everything else they will need to proceed with construction & fundraising for the new Musana Camps project. Construction is planned to start in late 2009. I hope to one day return to Uganda in the future and visit the site to see how all my hard work and effort has come to fruition…. How exciting will that be!! Such a unique experience, which I can call my own: “Yes, Musana Camps, I actually helped design that site!” I look forward to the day. All in all, it has been a pleasure for me to come alongside NHU and to help them realize their God-given vision. I pray that God would bless this NHU ministry as they go forward now and begin building the framework for what I no doubt believe will be the most amazing and Christ-centered camping experience in all of Uganda.

The Musana Camps Final Report

I’ve learned a lot about myself and my work abilities through this experience—first of all that I enjoy civil engineering, and that I’m good at it, but also where my limitations lie and the places where God has bestowed upon me certain talents. My mentor and project leader Brad Crawford has really helped me to see these things clearly. I know with all my heart that God called me specifically to work on this project, and to be here at the EMI-East Africa office at this time. God knew I was the one with the appropriate skills, knowledge, work ethic, and self-starting initiative to tackle this project from the get-go and get the job done on time-- not that God need anything from me, but like Jay Dangers, the director of New Hope, once said: "God doesn't need our help to complete the job, as if he was deficient-- but he wants it! He wants to be in relationship with us, and so we build that relationship by getting involved in what the Lord is doing. It isn't about the task, or my ministry, it is about HIM and our relationship with HIM."

The task I had to do here at eMi was the means through which God revealed Himself as Provider, Counselor, Wise King, and all-knowing Father. I've done what I've done not to beat my chest in pride, but to thank God for bringing me here to let me do what I love and to grow in relationship with my Father in Heaven while doing it. I think this understanding has been the biggest lesson I have learned in my experiences on this trip. I know my team members would concur wholeheartedly.

Not only that, but the team I worked with was fantastic; an exceptional and rare team that I will look back on years to come and remember warmly. This work was entirely a team effort, so I'd like to thank Pat & Kara Aylard, Mike Krop, Lewis McNeel, Ryan Gab, Grace Poon, Chris Leibrock, Lindsay Shelton, and Brad Crawford for the great times of laughter, sharing and fellowship we had on our project trip. A special thanks goes to Syd & Andrea Sparks for hosting our team and providing some amazing meals for our team to eat. Hands down, it was some of the best food I've eaten here in Uganda!

Things To Come

Now I look to the future and the next 2 months here in Uganda as I close out my time in Africa. By no means am I finished. I still have been asked to go on two more project trips. My next trip starts very soon, on May 17th, where I will be joining Brad Crawford again, this time on his Tanzania trip to Mwanza to help with the site survey of 30 acre site, which will host a school, orhpanage, and medical clinic for End-Time Glory Ministries. Getting there will be quite the adventure. Either we will take a ferry across Lake Victoria (which is sketchy and uncertain), a 20 hour bus ride (which is long, bumpy, painful, and downright unbearable), or a personal hire drive through Kenya and Tanzania (which is probably the best of the three options, but in no way anymore comfortable). Brad has still been trying to decide which route to take. We still don’t know what the transportation will look like, but no matter what Brad chooses, it is going to be quite an adventure! In Africa you learn to take things as they come, and I have a feeling this trip will give each of us a full dose of what it means to be flexible. Our team could use prayer support as we figure out the trip details and organize our efforts! Please pray for safe travels, for clear minds & energy to do our work efficiently when we arrive in Tanzania. Pray for protection and grace as we travel and work.

After Tanzania, I do not get much downtime; it is on to the next thing. I will be traveling with Janet Strike on May 26th to work on another project in northern Ugandan in Pader district just northwest of Gulu to help UAPO design a community center for internally displaced people. I will be focusing my work efforts mostly on cost estimating and construction management during my time on this trip. (This means I'll be figuring out costs for things like solar panels, and understanding what the local construction methods are). Please pray for knowledge, wisdom, and discernment, as these disciplines are not my area of expertise, but I have always been willing to learn more.

Both trips should stretch my patience, skill, endurance, and whatever else I'm faced with to the limits. I am praying to gain a deeper understanding of what it means to “rely on God” through these next experiences. I want to be a means of God’s grace and compassion to the other team members in the face of our suffering and trials (like long bus rides), and also to the local people I meet along the way. Please pray with me to the Lord Jesus for this fulfillment, that to live is Christ.

Also, there are a lot of transitions happening around the EMI office in the next week, and it is going to get very busy for us here. The new summer interns are arriving on May 15th., and I have been asked to show the new guys around Kampala and get them settled. Then I leave for Tanzania on May 17th and get back sometime around May 25th. The next day I’m heading to northern Uganda on May 26th until June 7th. The next 2 months (June & July) will be devoted to working on both trips. I hope to finish as best I can before I leave Africa on July 10th. Time is flying by so fast!

I’ve thought a lot about what I will do when I return to Canada, but for right now my focus will be on the next two project trips on my plate. I came here clearly with a focus on doing as much work as possible and of being as much assistance to the eMi-EA office as I could, and so I desire to complete all the tasks which have been set before me-- and to do it whilst growing in relationship with my Lord and Saviour. Pray I have the strength and endurance to get through the next two months. I still have lots of work to do here yet, and I’m not quite ready to leave either.

That is all for now, but I wanted to leave you with an amazing picture of me standing with my sponsor child, Eric Wagagali, and my Ugandan friend Fred Mwanje. It was a long trip, but not to many people get to meet the children they sponsor, and so I was completely blessed to have met them and encourage them in person. I am always reminded when I look at this photo of the fact that these people who live in mud huts and in the unthought-of places of the earth matter to God and are loved dearly by Him. I've realized from being here that the sacrifice of spending my efforts to help and care for people like this, whether small or big, is worth every ounce of energy God gives me.

Three-Month Summary

It’s been a while since my last update, so without further adieu, here is the latest news of what’s going on in the world of Ryan Williams these days.

I’ve spent the last three months working tirelessly on New Hope Uganda’s (NHU) new “Musana Camps” project, whose vision is to build a multi-functional Christian camp site on the shores of Lake Victoria where God’s truth will be encountered and lives will be changed. New Hope’s big plan, in the Lord’s timing and will, is to build Men’s, Family, and Guest Camps on the land; which will also include a community clinic, Youth Camp, amphitheatre, administration center, runway, and various other buildings in the future. The site is breathtakingly beautiful and worth the long bumpy road to get there. One of the first things people immediately say when they arrive to the site is, “This is it! This was well worth the drive.” It’s one of the best spots along the big lake that I’ve been to.

During this time, I spent a whole month back in February producing a massive survey of the 750 acre site (not a one man job let me assure you). After the project teams’ 10 day trip back in early March I spent the next two months producing AutoCAD drawings, designing & defining water and wastewater systems, and organizing a master site plan for the new “Musana Camps”, which means “Light” in Lugandan. The slogan for the new camp is “Encountering Truth, Transforming Lives.” A very catchy and suitable phrase for what the Camps’ vision and focus is to be. I am excited for what NHU is planning to do with the site, and I know it will be prime spot to share God’s truth in the most impacting way.

All that hard unpaid work finally paid off last week, not in dollars, but in something of much greater worth to me: a knowing fulfillment of completing a large task given to me by God. Last week, on May 9th, we printed and bound 16 copies of the 77 page Final Report! This report encompasses three hard months worth of work and many long hours. If you added up all the hours spent by everyone involved who worked on this project, it would equate to about $90,000 worth of engineering & architectural services back home, but we do this work gladly for free. It will be given to the volunteer team and to New Hope Uganda, which includes renders of the buildings, a written report, drawings and everything else they will need to proceed with construction & fundraising for the new Musana Camps project. Construction is planned to start in late 2009. I hope to one day return to Uganda in the future and visit the site to see how all my hard work and effort has come to fruition…. How exciting will that be!! Such a unique experience, which I can call my own: “Yes, Musana Camps, I actually helped design that site!” I look forward to the day. All in all, it has been a pleasure for me to come alongside NHU and to help them realize their God-given vision. I pray that God would bless this NHU ministry as they go forward now and begin building the framework for what I no doubt believe will be the most amazing and Christ-centered camping experience in all of Uganda.

I’ve learned a lot about myself and my work abilities through this experience—first of all that I enjoy civil engineering, and that I’m good at it, but also where my limitations lie and the places where God has bestowed upon me certain talents. My mentor and project leader Brad Crawford has really helped me to see these things clearly. I know with all my heart that God called me specifically to work on this project, and to be here at the EMI-East Africa office at this time. God knew I was the one with the appropriate skills, knowledge, work ethic, and self-starting initiative to tackle this project from the get-go and get the job done on time-- not that God need anything from me, but like Jay Dangers, the director of New Hope, once said: "God doesn't need our help to complete the job, as if he was deficient-- but he wants it! He wants to be in relationship with us, and so we build that relationship by getting involved in what the Lord is doing. It isn't about the task, or my ministry, it is about HIM and our relationship with HIM."

The task I had to do here at eMi was the means through which God revealed Himself as Provider, Counselor, Wise King, and all-knowing Father. I've done what I've done not to beat my chest in pride, but to thank God for bringing me here to let me do what I love and to grow in relationship with my Father in Heaven while doing it. I think this understanding has been the biggest lesson I have learned in my experiences on this trip. I know my team members would concur wholeheartedly.

Not only that, but the team I worked with was fantastic; an exceptional and rare team that I will look back on years to come and remember warmly. This work was entirely a team effort, so I'd like to thank Pat & Kara Aylard, Mike Krop, Lewis McNeel, Ryan Gab, Grace Poon, Chris Leibrock, Lindsay Shelton, and Brad Crawford for the great times of laughter, sharing and fellowship we had on our project trip. A special thanks goes to Syd & Andrea Sparks for hosting our team and providing some amazing meals for our team to eat. Hands down, it was some of the best food I've eaten here in Uganda!

Things To Come

Now I look to the future and the next 2 months here in Uganda as I close out my time in Africa. By no means am I finished. I still have been asked to go on two more project trips. My next trip starts very soon, on May 17th, where I will be joining Brad Crawford again, this time on his Tanzania trip to Mwanza to help with the site survey of 30 acre site, which will host a school, orhpanage, and medical clinic for End-Time Glory Ministries. Getting there will be quite the adventure. Either we will take a ferry across Lake Victoria (which is sketchy and uncertain), a 20 hour bus ride (which is long, bumpy, painful, and downright unbearable), or a personal hire drive through Kenya and Tanzania (which is probably the best of the three options, but in no way anymore comfortable). Brad has still been trying to decide which route to take. We still don’t know what the transportation will look like, but no matter what Brad chooses, it is going to be quite an adventure! In Africa you learn to take things as they come, and I have a feeling this trip will give each of us a full dose of what it means to be flexible. Our team could use prayer support as we figure out the trip details and organize our efforts! Please pray for safe travels, for clear minds & energy to do our work efficiently when we arrive in Tanzania. Pray for protection and grace as we travel and work.

After Tanzania, I do not get much downtime; it is on to the next thing. I will be traveling with Janet Strike on May 26th to work on another project in northern Ugandan in Pader district just northwest of Gulu to help UAPO design a community center for internally displaced people. I will be focusing my work efforts mostly on cost estimating and construction management during my time on this trip. (This means I'll be figuring out costs for things like solar panels, and understanding what the local construction methods are). Please pray for knowledge, wisdom, and discernment, as these disciplines are not my area of expertise, but I have always been willing to learn more.

Both trips should stretch my patience, skill, endurance, and whatever else I'm faced with to the limits. I am praying to gain a deeper understanding of what it means to “rely on God” through these next experiences. I want to be a means of God’s grace and compassion to the other team members in the face of our suffering and trials (like long bus rides), and also to the local people I meet along the way. Please pray with me to the Lord Jesus for this fulfillment, that to live is Christ.

Also, there are a lot of transitions happening around the EMI office in the next week, and it is going to get very busy for us here. The new summer interns are arriving on May 15th., and I have been asked to show the new guys around Kampala and get them settled. Then I leave for Tanzania on May 17th and get back sometime around May 25th. The next day I’m heading to northern Uganda on May 26th until June 7th. The next 2 months (June & July) will be devoted to working on both trips. I hope to finish as best I can before I leave Africa on July 10th. Time is flying by so fast!

I’ve thought a lot about what I will do when I return to Canada, but for right now my focus will be on the next two project trips on my plate. I came here clearly with a focus on doing as much work as possible and of being as much assistance to the eMi-EA office as I could, and so I desire to complete all the tasks which have been set before me-- and to do it whilst growing in relationship with my Lord and Saviour. Pray I have the strength and endurance to get through the next two months. I still have lots of work to do here yet, and I’m not quite ready to leave either.

That is all for now, but I wanted to leave you with an amazing picture of me standing with my sponsor child, Eric Wagagali, and my Ugandan friend Fred Mwanje (see attached). It was a long trip, but not to many people get to meet the children they sponsor, and so I was completely blessed to have met them and encourage them in person. I am always reminded when I look at this photo of the fact that these people who live in mud huts and in the unthought-of places of the earth matter to God and are loved dearly by Him. I've realized from being here that the sacrifice of spending my efforts to help and care for people like this, whether small or big, is worth every ounce of energy God gives me.

Standing with my sponsor child Eric Wagagali and my friend Fred Mwanje.

Giving a mattress for the children to sleep on. They previously slept on the ground. We also gave them food and a soccer ball! They were very happy to see us.

Prayer Requests:

For the upcoming Tanzania trip on May 16th to serve with End-Time Glory Ministries to design an orphanage, medical clinic, & school. Pray for safe travels on the long journey, our health, and for unity on the team. Pray for wisdom as we discern how best to utilize the land owned by the ministry.

For the upcoming northern Ugandan trip on May 27th to serve with Ugandan American Partnership Organization (UAPO) as we help design a community center for internally displaced peoples. Pray for safe travel up north, our health, and for good communication between our team and the people from UAPO, as we get a clear sense of what they are looking to do on the site plan. Construction is planned to start next year.

Pray for my friend Fred Mwanje in Jinja as he decides what next steps & initiatives to take with his ministry. Pray for foreign people and churches to come alongside him and support him in his work with orphans and widows in Mayuge district. He is an honest and uncorrupted man of God who stewards his money wisely. But he is plagued by being associated in the same group as “corrupt church leaders” who use the money they receive foolishly. People from the west find it hard to give to those in Africa who don’t have some sort of “mzungu” spokesmen to speak on their behalf; people are leery and often just assume they are corrupt. I’ve seen it happen to good Christian men here. You certainly have to watch for corruption, but it is a shame that it is the good people of God who are really trying to make a difference in their country are the ones who become handicapped because of the wolves and false shepherds in the church. Pray for God to tug at the hearts of believers to recognize such men by the Holy Spirits’ discernment, and support these men when they find them.

Pray for my next step as I decide what to do and where to go when I return to Canada in July.

For God's Glory,
Ryan Williams

Contemplations of Christ's Church: "Unity of the faith of the Church throughout the whole world"

2009-04-18T08:02:00.001-06:00

This is so well written, I had to share it.

–written by Irenaeus of Lyons, Against Heresies, I.X. in Ante-Nicene Fathers: The Apostolic Fathers with Justin Martyr and Irenaeus, Vol. 1, Ed. A. Cleveland Coxe (Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans, 2001), 186AD.

1. The Church, though dispersed through our the whole world, even to the ends of the earth, has received from the apostles and their disciples this faith: [She believes] in one God, the Father Almighty, Maker of heaven, and earth, and the sea, and all things that are in them; and in one Christ Jesus, the Son of God, who became incarnate for our salvation; and in the Holy Spirit, who proclaimed through the prophets the dispensations of God, and the advents, and the birth from a virgin, and the passion, and the resurrection from the dead, and the ascension into heaven in the flesh of the beloved Christ Jesus, our Lord, and His [future] manifestation from heaven in the glory of the Father “to gather all things in one,” and to raise up anew all flesh of the whole human race, in order that to Christ Jesus, our Lord, and God, and Saviour, and King, according to the will of the invisible Father, “every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth, and that every tongue should confess” to Him, and that He should execute just judgment towards all; that He may send “spiritual wickednesses,” and the angels who transgressed and became apostates, together with the ungodly, and unrighteous, and wicked, and profane among men, into everlasting fire; but may, in the exercise of His grace, confer immortality on the righteous, and holy, and those who have kept His commandments, and have persevered in His love, some from the beginning [of their Christian course], and others from [the date of] their repentance, and may surround them with everlasting glory.

2. As I have already observed, the Church, having received this preaching and this faith, although scattered throughout the whole world, yet, as if occupying but one house, carefully preserves it. She also believes these points [of doctrine] just as if she had but one soul, and one and the same heart, and she proclaims them, and teaches them, and hands them down, with perfect harmony, as if she possessed only one mouth. For, although the languages of the world are dissimilar, yet the import of the tradition is one and the same. For the Churches which have been planted in Germany do not believe or hand down anything different, nor do those in Spain, nor those in Gaul, nor those in the East, nor those in Egypt, nor those in Libya, nor those which have been established in the central regions of the world. But as the sun, that creature of God, is one and the same throughout the whole world, so also the preaching of the truth shineth everywhere, and enlightens all men that are willing to come to a knowledge of the truth. Nor will any one of the rulers in the Churches, however highly gifted he may be in point of eloquence, teach doctrines different from these (for no one is greater than the Master); nor, on the other hand, will he who is deficient in power of expression inflict injury on the tradition. For the faith being ever one and the same, neither does one who is able at great length to discourse regarding it, make any addition to it, nor does one, who can say but little diminish it.

3. It does not follow because men are endowed with greater and less degrees of intelligence, that they should therefore change the subject-matter [of the faith] itself, and should conceive of some other God besides Him who is the Framer, Maker, and Preserver of this universe, (as if He were not sufficient for them), or of another Christ, or another Only-begotten. But the fact referred to simply implies this: that one may [more accurately than another] bring out the meaning of those things which have been spoken in parables, and accommodate them to the general scheme of the faith; and explain [with special clearness] the operation and dispensation of God connected with human salvation; and show that God manifested long-suffering in regard to the apostasy of the angels who transgressed, as also with respect to the disobedience of men; and set forth why it is that one and the same God has made some things temporal and some eternal, some heavenly and others earthly; and understand for what reason God, though invisible, manifested Himself to the prophets not under one form, but differently to different individuals; and show why it was that more covenants than one were given to mankind; and teach what was the special character of each of these covenants; and search out for what reason “God hath concluded every man in unbelief, that He may have mercy upon all;” and gratefully describe on what account the Word of God became flesh and suffered; and relate why the advent of the Son of God took place in these last times, that is, in the end, rather than in the beginning [of the world]; and unfold what is contained in the Scriptures concerning the end [itself], and things to come; and not be silent as to how it is that God has made the Gentiles, whose salvation was despaired of, fellow-heirs, and of the same body, and partakers with the saints; and discourse how it is that “this mortal body shall put on immortality, and this corruptible shall put on incorruption;” and proclaim in what sense [God] says, “That is a people who was not a people; and she is beloved who was not beloved;” and in what sense He says that “more are the children of her that was desolate, than of her who possessed a husband.”

For in reference to these points, and others of a like nature, the apostle exclaims:
“Oh! the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God; how unsearchable are His judgments, and His ways past finding out!”'

Couldn't had said it better myself.

Summing up my project trip: Easy as one, two, three!

2009-03-28T03:23:00.009-06:00

Well, I was planning to do a long write-up of my project trip with New Hope Uganda (done on March 10th), but it seems that my project leader, Brad Crawford, has already done a superb job of writing "for me", as it were, breaking down our trip into a daily journal of sorts loaded with tons of detail (more than I ever could remember!). So, in the spirit of saving time and not reinventing the wheel, I will simply redirect you to his daily journal of our project trip, so that you may get a small sense of what I'm doing here in Uganda. Enjoy!

PART I (of III) - Project trip: Men's Training Camp

PART II (of III) – Snakes and Crocodiles

PART III (of III) – Church in the village

I've also uploaded some photos on Facebook for everyone to enjoy. Here are the links:

Album #1

Fishing for Crocodile on Volcano Island

2009-03-08T05:33:00.046-06:00

Some of you may be wondering what activities I have been up to these last few weeks to warrant the lack of recent updates from me. I can assure you that this is not due to some disinterest in keeping my supporters informed of my going-ons. Truth be told, there are many moments when time, in its usual fashion, does not allow me to find the time to do a good post justice, and then in other occasions, when I simply lack the inspiration to write. I think the later happens more often to me than I would like. But do not mistaken this inspirational-void as inactivity or complacency-- I have been very active in many regards, but the effort to recapitulate my adventures, thoughts, and activities into sufficient enough words has largely evaded me until now. More likely than not, I think this working to be God's timing.

As deceiving as the title of this post must seem, I have not gone anywhere to fish, neither for crocodiles or otherwise, nor have I gone by harm's way to visit any active volcanoes, like some adventure seeker does to pursue a thrill. No. The "adventure", in which I will try to express here, is not of that quality or temperament. It is of more wittier and unheralded stock. The weight of its meaning and implications came upon me later like the person who, all at once, suddenly notices that it is about to rain or snow.

But the title, at least, is purposefully written to capture the essence of what many adventures all have in common, whether large or small: the assumption of things to come, and the realization of things not expected. Or on the opposite end: expecting nothing and having something in return. This is a story, primarily, of just such an occurrence. Indeed, the setting and the players are unique to my own adventure, but no less does this occurrence happen to me than to someone in their kitchen during breakfast. I speak as one playing both poet and player.

This is to our betterment and benefit as humans I believe, not the other way round. Like a sort of "slap in the face", these occurrences wake us up to the true realities of life, and set us in our place. The real "thing" always set to right the "thing" which was imagined. A past memory of someone is only a crude estimation of the real person, tainted by our own imposed wills and thoughts, and lost to time and distraction. For certain, we do not know our friends as we think we do, and we may be surprised or even shocked when what we thought to be "true" does not hold water. It is clearly advisable from here that we should take care in how much stock we put in making wishful expectations, both of people and places and the like, lest they deceive us of the real truth. Like flame to metal, the imagination needs to be tempered and set to straight by the presence of reality, or else the fantasies have no basis for truth or existence, except as pollution to the mind. The quality of a rope (in this case our ideas) is never found more truer than when it is used to dangle over a gaping precipice.

In this world we have our limitations. We do not know what is around the next bend. We cannot understand what we do not yet know. And still, with surprising consistency, we strain and cram our necks around the corner to catch just a glimpse of what may be lying there in waiting. To think that if we just knew what was ahead-- of all possible dangers and enjoyments to come, of all things true in people both unseen and seen, that we would be the better for it. How utterly foolish!! I do not despise God for giving me the eyes I have, with its constraints to see only what is in front of me, both in time and space. It is the bowl in which we live, and for me, I find soul rest in accepting what can never be fully grasped; truly, to put a surrendering trust in the Creator that knows better than I. What a fool I would be to assume otherwise!! It would be better for me to rest in God's Almighty power than to try and grasp His abilities (take your pick) for my own selfish gain. Further still, I would no sooner doubt it was the prideful choice and desire of the creature (man) to grasp such omniscience and independence thus possessed by its Creator-- the very thought of becoming like God, that led to the Fall of Man. By what I can determine through knowable history, this mark of selfishness has not changed in intensity or capacity over time. We are still fallen, myself being included.

But back to the point, lest I bore my readers with subjects to heavy for prolonged consumption. I wanted primarily to talk about the adventure I found myself in, and to glean from it applicable lifelong lessons (as most stories imply), so that in turn I may teach you the life lessons I have learned.

It began with a choice, as most stories do, of doing something I was not entirely comfortable in doing. It was a question, posed to me by some other members of my party, to visit, what we had already dubbed, "Volcano Island." -- a term rightly given to it due to its natural shape and form to what a "volcano island" might look like if it were one. This idea, of course, was brought about by our inherent desire to explore new places. But it required of me (of us) a boat ride, one I was not totally sure would go over smoothly, and it demanded of me a tolerance for unkempt things. I was willing to take the risk, but I did not know what awaited me (or likewise us) at our destination.

Like most typical things in Africa, the choice to go was not followed by immediate fulfillment. Things take a very long time to develop in Africa, (an understanding I will here mention that has come to be known by experience), and so I was not surprised at all when our boat did not leave the shore until mid afternoon that same day. The boat had to be arranged, the motor (if you can call it that) found, the fuel bought, the people chosen, the conversations spoken, the pleasantries given, before any visit to Volcano Island could ever be initiated. The passage of time, seemingly, was pressed upon my mind of its venial existence, so much so that I felt capable to feed it food or tuck it in for bed if I really tried hard enough.

But the time later came for us to embark, and embark we did, for mysterious (or I'd like to think at least) Volcano Island.

The first clear misinterpretation came to me as we approached the looming island: it wasn't as big as I thought it would be. A kind of false hope was momentously shattered. Like the deflating of a large balloon, I encountered reality in its rawest form: I beheld the island for what it really was. My first misconception had been unearthed, and not to my liking of course.

We landed, and met another thing I did not expect: people, in fact a whole village of 300 people, living on that island. They had cows, to my amazement, and cell phones! I even saw to my bewilderment an, honest to God, satellite dish, which to me seemed like the presence of snow in hell. Here in the far bush reaches of Uganda, my typical picture of poverty and isolation had taken a new twist which I did not expect. I'm still trying to come to grips with this reality.

The island was covered, from head to toe, in shrubbery. From afar it definitely seemed to be just grass. When we found ourselves walking amongst it, the shrubs were well above our heads. Worst of all, and to my horror, every shrub was covered in spiders of every kind and creepiness, big and small. We were covered in them (I'm sure I even swallowed a few) as we trekked towards the top of this "Volcano Island", which was really no volcano at all, and had seemingly sprouted creepy crawlies along its reach as if to spite us of our false idea of its supposed nature. It was hot, sweaty climbing, and the webs and spiders were thus sticking to our clothes. I for one was not enjoying myself; indeed, "this was not what I signed up for" might have sufficed. Yet again, what I thought to be truth was no truth at all until it was stared at in the face, experienced in its rawest form, and met with unabashed nearness. This was no Volcano Island, it was Spider Island!!

I did not expect there to be much on the island except maybe some birds (which there were plenty of) and some people, but once again life decided to throw a curve ball and keep us swinging. Once we finished at the top, we walked through the spiders again to the far side of the island and found a cliff outcropping of measurable size. To our unforeseen enjoyment we found ourselves (not me but our boat guides) "fishing for crocodiles" amongst the bushes on the shore, trying to weed them out by playing a dangerous game of "peekaboo" and "catch me if you can". One guy even went so far as to hack with his panga (a sword-like blade used for cutting) at the bushes suspected at hiding the damgerous croc. It was an encounter where you felt that "someone could get hurt", but thankfully no one did. Once again, we encountered something unexpected. We expected nothing and returned having something; an experience with crocodiles.

Our exploration time on the island had come to an end, and we made our way through the village back to our boat. Little did we know, the villagers, primarily the chief of the island, was accusing us of a number of grievances, and he would not let us leave until the matter was settled. On one hand I could see the validity of their requests:

1) One, that we did not introduce ourselves to the village council upon our arrival, which can be fully appreciated even in our western societies, but to them it was a grave rudeness and insult.

2) We had brought a panga with us to help cut through the bush, but this was taken as an offence as soon as we landed. The blade was not tied with rope (apparently a gesture of peace), which meant to them that had come to "cut-up" their people. Some threatened to do the same to us, but it never went farther than that. A sorry misunderstanding and one that we were very apologetic about, which they eventually excepted. Once again, raw experience in its purest form had abruptly taught us "how things work around here," much to our chagrin.

3) The next grievances that follow are less valid on their part, mostly because they border on the realm of the rediculous and sublime. They wanted money, naturally, because we had come to visit "their" island and to see "their" crocodiles. Of course, they forgot the simple fact that they did not own any part of the island, in all senses of the word, because they were squatting on land that was not "theirs"-- a point which was firmly explained and argued to the village council. How could we pay for visiting crocodiles they did not care for or even know their exact number? This was God's creation, not theirs. The true nature of their request had been thus exposed: they wanted money for free. When they realized they could no longer "handle us" in conversation, and that their requests were futile (we were not going to pay), they let us go on our apology. I have no doubt in my mind that God was working in the mouths of our translators to get us out of that jam with no scars or harm done. I am very thankful for that. I am more the wiser for it.

I do not doubt our appearance of disparate flesh (being white and all) had unearthed in them the natural attraction most people in Africa have when they see a mzungu: "white person = money, therefore I can get money from this person". I am also coming to grips with the fact that "they", being the natives of Uganda, have in themselves a fasle reality of "us", just as we (being westerners) have of "them". Both must be corrected. I am working to correct in myself the later, much work is still needed to debunk the first. I do not fully understand the picture of poverty (which includes mental misinterpretations of the truth) or how to interpret it, but the existence of such a chasm has nevertheless become very real to me; it is a step in the right direction. I am not so naive as I once was.

I could speak of similar examples throughout the rest of this story, but I believe the main points have justifiably been made, and the arena created for understanding its lesson clear. I just pray and hope that you, like me, will not take for granted or assume the things (in the broadest sense) which we think true when we have not yet encountered them completely, as they really are. Or, in a much more deceiving evil, assume that we know everything once we do. For in meeting them, ideas and all, we learn, to a degree, their true essence. And we can walk with confidence, unless pride deceives us once more, that we know to some accurate estimation the "real matter of it all". Therefore, let us imitate the pure attitude of our greatest example, Jesus Christ, who:

"being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient to death— even death on a cross! "

For Him.

Ryan Williams

Marching Orders - To Lugazi I Go

2009-02-04T04:01:00.003-07:00

Tomorrow I am heading out to a remote place on the shores of Lake Victoria, which is about 30kms south of Lugazi, and 80kms away from Kampala. I will be doing survey work with the help of another volunteer Chris Adam, who is flying into Uganda tomorrow. Once at the site, we will begin our survey of the whopping 500 acres of land (approx. 2 square kilometers) for a ministry called New Hope Uganda (NHU)-- which is a christian non-denomination organization focused on bringing the fatherhood of God to the fatherless orphans of Uganda. The vision is taken directly from Psalm 68:5-6. (www.newhopeuganda.org).

EMI is partnering with this ministry to help design the site for a future youth camp and training center. My "official" project trip to this site is not until March, but because the site is so huge, our survey work needs to be done in advance so that we have something to work with once the project trip in March takes place. The survey work should take about 2 full weeks to complete. Needless to say, I am looking forward to the exciting days ahead of putting my unique skills to good use... and of course, having the chance to live in a tent on the shores of Lake Victoria. :)

The survey work will be both physically taxing and tedious, especially outside in the African heat and quick-forming Ugandan storms. So please pray for my health and safety as I go into the bush for the next 2 weeks to serve the NHU ministry. Pray that Chris and I will both gain wisdom, discernment, and unity as we do our survey work together in the field.

Below is a picture of the site I am going to; a very beautiful and lush place on the shores of Lake Victoria.

So until next time,
Weeraba mukwano (Goodye friends).

-Ryan

Scavenger Hunt

2009-01-26T06:27:00.008-07:00

Pictures

(below) Typical nice neighbourhood in the Kampala area. There's no real structure to the roads or buildings or land. People just build or go where there is room. What amazes me is that it works!

(below) Outside view of EMI office looking toward Lake Victoria. There's two boda-bodas (motorcycle taxis) sitting outside.

So for those of you who have been asking, I am staying in a pretty nice apartment about only 15 minutes (walking distance) from the office. All the buildings in our neighborhood (Kansanga district) are built with tall walls and barbwire/broken glass ontop for security. These measures were built during Idi Amin's reign and apparently it has stuck. It feels like you're walking down backalleys all the time, but you get used to it.

(below) Looking outside on the balcony of our 2nd-storey apartment. We have really good phone reception because there is a telephone receiver right outside our place, hehe. :)

Observations

Day 6 in Uganda: Today we went on a scavenger hunt through downtown Kampala. Kampala itself is a only city of about 1,600,000 people (approx.), and is the capital ciy and hub of Uganda. Most of the imported goods come from Nairobi (the capital city of Kenya), which happens to be the hub of East Africa. Despite it's moderate size, the city is vibrant and bustling with people. Today happened to be a holiday (NRM day), to celebrate the current political party in power. Because of that the streets were a bit "lighter" than usual, but I couldn't tell the difference. The streets were packed!

One thing you learn really quickly about traffic: There are no rules! There are no such things as "passing lanes", no apparent signs to inform you of where you are, and no white lines on the road to help distinguish where traffic should go. Matatu drivers simply go where there is room. Cars and bodas drive and weave within inches of each other. Merging is as simple as cutting cars off. Traffic lights are very rare, and are only found on very busy intersections downtown. The extent of traffic control (if at all) lies on a few traffic policeman who have whistles and wear florescent vests. I wouldn't want their job. And crossing the street is just as dangerous as driving on them.

When you live in such a chaotic place, you really just have to grit your teeth and bear with it. There's no way you can escape the chaos, so you just learn to live with it. It certainly asks for patience. One thing that surprises me about this place is that the system works. It is completely insane and chaotic, but it works. One thing I've been contemplating lately: I certainly believe God is the master of order and chaos and can work in a place like this. I've been seeing the complete opposite of the simple and orderly life of Edmonton, and I kinda like it.

Scavenger Hunt

In order to get to downtown Kampala it required us to take public transit, which in this case involved us taking a matatu taxi for 700 shillings (about 30 cents). We drove to the taxi park downtown and had the momentous task of trying to find Owino market, the main post office, a number of churches, and the Nando restaurant. We resorted to simply asking people for directions. We had to be aware of simply not walking up to people and abruptly asking for directions. That is considered rude; not saying hello and asking how they are doing first. You have to initiate some sort of friendly greeting before you ask a question. I caught myself doing that a couple times, oops!

Our visit to the market was quite an eye-opener. The market was very large, and you could buy pretty much anything you wanted, from clothes, food, electronics, watches, pens, toys, shoes, and much more. But this market was not like going to walmart, not even close. Each seller would only have about a square-meter plot where their wares would be displayed. Everyone would be yelling in their local tongue trying to get people to buy their goods. We each had the task of buying one thing on the list for supper that night. I had the task of purchasing rice. I basically walked until I found good price (1800 for 1kg), not even $1.

Being a mzungu (white person) in these situations makes it rather interesting and difficult when you want to purchase something you want. First off, when people here look at you, the first thing they naturally think is "he has money". They know we have cash, and therefore their prices to us are normally higher. So, I have been learning the art of bargaining and haggling for goods. The biggest thing is making them realize I am not a tourist. The simplest way to do that, I've found, is by talking in Lugandan or their local tongue. That seems to break the ice when they know you know their language. It's completely normal to haggle down prices here, and it's something I've never had to do before. It's amazing what skills you can learn here. :)

I've certainly noticed this: You get a real sense of living in a foreign place when you are forced to live like everyone else, and not have access to the luxuries a normal "tourist" might have, like private vehicles and malls. I feel like I've "integrated" into Ugandan life, and I know that this integration will just deepen as time goes on. There are a million things I could share here, but hopefully these stories will help shed some light on some of the things I am facing here, and the challenges I have of just living.

Keep praying for me!

For Him,

Ryan

Arrived!

2009-01-21T05:39:00.001-07:00

Well, I arrived safely in Uganda this morning with the rest of the EMI interns. It is currently 3:45pm on Wednesday afternoon as I write this letter, and I'm VERY tired. There is right now a large thunderstorm outside the EMI office, very intense (I'm glad I brought my rain gear!). And the internet connection is very sloowww, something I will have to get used to no doubt! To put it into perspective, downloading at 10kps is considered excellent.

We had a 12 hour layover in London, so we took the opportunity to do some quick sight-seeing. Andrew, one of the other interns from Texas, had a friend who lived in Portsmith, so he took a day off to be our tourguide for the day. We saw many things like Big Ben, Millenium wheel, crossed the river Thames, and saw Westminister Abbey where many famous people are buried. We visited Tower bridge, London tower, saw the docked Belfast battleship, and gawked at the Girkin and many other famous architectural buildings in London. We passed by Buckingham palace where the Queen lives and stopped by Scotland Yard where we pretended to be terrorists (just joking). We saw the Bank of England and experienced rush hour on the tube, yikes! Overall, London was awesome, but after experiencing 4 days worth of sight-seeing in 7 hours, we wee ready to get going again. If the internet holds up, I'll be putting up some pictures of my travels later on.

I'm very tired right now, so my plan right now is to get some good rest in the next few days and to readjust my mind and body to my new surroundings. One thing is certain: It's exciting to finally be here!

Ryan

Me-ganda U-ganda!!

2009-01-13T23:35:00.009-07:00

Financial Update

Well folks, another chapter of my journey is about to begin!

First of all, I wanted to thank everyone who has given financially on such short notice during my time of need. One word: Wow!! My monetary need was a large bill to meet this time around, as I needed to raise ~$8,000 in just one short month-- but because of people like YOU chipping in what you could, that goal has almost been reached entirely. But the truth is: I still need more.

I require about $1000 more, but I still have 6 months yet to raise that small amount. The good news is, I will have enough funds to carry me through 5 of the 6 months I will be living in Uganda, which is not until May-June! To me, this is answered prayer; God has provided enough for me to thrive & survive. I think this amount is certainly reachable (especially after what I've seen this past month). Please keep praying that the rest of the funds would come... I know it will, because I know my Lord. :)

Know that YOU have come through for me when I needed it most, and for that I am sincerely grateful. Asking for help has never been an easy thing for me to do (dare I say most of us?), but it's times like this which makes me realize that it's OK to ask for help; it really is.

I needed help. You helped me. Thank you!

Reflections

As I reflect on this, I think our society is too bent upon being self-sufficient and independant, which makes this experience dish out a good healthy dose of what it means to "be in need"-- and further still, to know that it's OK. In fact, God wants us there... Here I have been driven to ask for help not because of greed or glory, but out of necessity. I need this to survive. Most of all, this trial has taught me to depend upon God and His promises, and to realize his loving-kindness, for which I am eternally thankful. It's more than just words... I've experienced His kindness through people and the fulfillment of my financial need (Colossians 3:12). Now that's results!!

I hope this verse speaks to those who have given towards my need:

"He who oppresses the poor shows contempt for their Maker,
but whoever is kind to the needy honors God. " Proverbs 14:30-32

"For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me."
Matthew 25:35-36

You have done more than just give, you have honored God with your gift-in-kind. I can safely say that that He is pleased and honored with the deed you have done.

It's Time to Go!

So, with that, it's time for me to bid farewell to family, friends, cold weather, hockey, and everything else that is near, dear and familiar to me. I step into a world of unknowns, but I know that my God and Saviour will lead me on. And I know you're with me, too. And that means much to me. :)

Prayer Requests

I shall write again when I get to the other side, but here are a few specific prayer requests as I depart:

-Pray for my good health and well-being. I will be susceptible to disease and sickness while living in Uganda. Pray for divine protection and safety as I live, move and breathe amongst the people of Uganda.

-Pray for divine appointments as I meet people, missionaries, nationals, and expatriates working in the local mission field. Pray that God would bring unity and harmony into my relationships, both at work and in public, and that the harvest for Christ would be ready and rich.

-Pray people would see Jesus Christ, not Ryan Williams.

-Pray for my pastor friend Fred Mwanje and my support child Eric Wagagali, whom I've supported financially for the past 3 years. I will actually have the opportunity to visit them both in the city of Jinja ( not far from Kampala), and I am not sure what to expect when we actually meet in person. Pray for wisdom, love, and joy as we meet together for the very first time!!

-Pray that my relationship with Abba Father will deepen and grow maturity.

EMI Gains News Exposure

2009-01-09T21:27:00.004-07:00

Well, I made the news on the University of Alberta Faculty of Engineering website. I was interviewed by Richard Cairney from the engineering faculty a few days ago. i could hardly believe it, but they were incredibly interested in my project trip I did to Kenya, and they want to hear more when I return from Uganda.

This opportunity causes great exposure for EMI, and also creates the possibility for more UofA students to hear about EMI and become future interns. Praise God!

You can check out the new release here:

http://www.engineering.ualberta.ca/news.cfm?story=86991

For HIM!!

Ryan

Support Letter - Uganda 2009

2008-12-06T11:09:00.003-07:00

Well, plans are now in motion for my departure to Uganda in Jan 2009. I am beyond excited! My time in Colorado Springs has taught me many things; I have met many amazing people (whom I will miss dearly!), and yet I cannot imagine what kinds of things I'll learn while living in Uganda! Please pray for me as I organize my travel itinerary and sort out the details.

In leiu of my upcoming trip to Uganda next year, I've written up my Dec. 2008 update for you to enjoy. Special thanks to Chris at eMi for inspiration on the page setup. :)

Encouragements: Lengthen Your View

2008-11-16T10:19:00.002-07:00

"This life, therefore,
is not righteousness but growth in righteousness,
not health but healing,
not being but becoming,
not rest but exercise.
We are not yet what we shall be, but we are growing toward it.
The process is not yet finished, but it is going on.
This is not the end but it is the road.
All does not yet gleam in glory but all is being purified." -Martin Luther

"...being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus." Philipipans 1:6

For a healthy outlook on life, we must operate on a scale that can envision a lifetime. A "Disciple" is a lifelong learner of wisdom, living in relationship to a wise master. A "son/daughter/child" is having a lifelong relationship with the Father. These are relationships with everlasting implications, not temporary intentions.

What matters most in regards to our walk with Christ is our direction, not the rate at which we walk. Our testimonies of God's Grace are indeed different, but each scenario reveals God's glory in unique ways. Sometimes in our walk of ongoing sanctification, we leap like a gazelle in the Grace given us. Sometimes it is a steady, measured walk. Sometimes we crawl on our hands and feet. And sometimes we don't move at all. But one thing is true of them all: We are all on a trajectory from what we are to what we will be. Santification and Transformation is a lifelong process, realizing that He who started the good work will finish it until the day of Christ Jesus.

Remember, God is on the scene throughout your entire life. From Start to Finish. He planned a good work. He began a good work. He continues a good work. He will finish a goodwork. He has staked his glory on the completion of that work. We are not yet what we shall be, but we are growing towards it. Yes, brothers and sisters, He who started the work is faithful.

"Now may the God of peace Himself sanctify you entirely; and may your spirit and soul and body be preserved complete, without blame at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. Faithful is He who calls you, and He also will bring it to pass." 1 Thessalonians 5:23-24

Project Trip to Kenya

2008-11-02T13:04:00.109-07:00

*Warning! This post is not for the faint of heart!*

Kenya project team, from left to right: David Lewis (structural engineer), Sarah Dunn (architect), Jalina Reinhardt (nurse), in back Jason Reinhardt (mechanical engineer), in front Danna Judish (team leader), in front Emily Mentink (architect student), in back me, Peter Craig (civil engineer).

Three weeks ago I embarked on an EMI project trip to Kenya with 10 other team-members from around the US. Our main focus was to design a medical clinic in the Nyanza Province (near Kisumu) for the Baptist Mission of Kenya, headed by Shem Okello, but it turned out to be much more than simply that...

First off, I realize that trying to cram 3 weeks worth of my life into one blog will be nearly impossible, so realize that I'll only be touching upon the highlights of my trip, and there were many!

The trip started out with our long journey to Kenya on the morning of Oct 10th. Surprisingly enough, this trip happened to be my very first commercial flight ever, and my very first time to Africa. It turned out that I had a lot of "firsts" this time around. We flew out of Denver to Chicago, then from Chicago to London where we saw the new Terminal 5 of Heathrow Airport, a beautifully engineered structure. The EMI team (consisting of myself, Danna Judish, Emily Mentink, and Jason & Jalina Reinhardt) met up with the rest of the volunteer team at Heathrow, which included "team Liason" Judy Pitt and two midwives Judy Roberts and Peggy Peterson. We then travelled together from London to Nairobi, the capital city of Kenya. Thankfully, I had no issues getting some sleep on the plane.

When we arrived in Nairobi we were welcomed by long line-ups and even longer wait times. Pole, pole (pronouncd poe-lay) as they say in Africa: Slowly, slowly. It took us 2.5 hours just to get our visas and get through customs with our bags, which was quite an event in itself. A couple of our bags contained medical supplies which we had brought from the US, and one Customs lady in particular was up in arms about Emily & Jalina's bag of "goods". They would not let them through with the supplies, but with some amazing diplomatic "hand-waving" and "feet-work" by Shem Okello (our ministry contact in Kenya) & Judy Pitt, we were able to pass through Customs with all our bags & supplies! Bwana Asifiwe! (Praise God! in Swahili).

In comparison, going through customs I was simply asked what the purpose of my trip was. I said I was a tourist and he waved me through without even opening my bags (which had medical supplies in it). Funny how that all works.

We arrived at the Karina guest house late that night and met our Nairobi host, Bob Karina, who currently is the managing director of the NSE (Nairobi Stock Exchange). We were touched by his presense and gracious hospitality, as he waited all night for us to arrive so he could greet & welcome us to his home. He is a christian man who holds an important position in the country of Kenya. As I remember him, please pray for him as he tries to manage the NSE during this difficult world-wide economic crisis.

Our stay at Karina's was very pleasant, and we were treated to some excellent Kenyan food and hospitality. Antony, our cook, said his dream was to one day become a chef. I have no doubt he will suceed; the food was excellent!

The next day, we visited an orphanage called Good Hope Orphanage in Nairobi. The children performed a beautiful dance routine when we arrived. I was touched by the childrens' heart-gripping testimonies of suffering, loss, and hope in the midst of despair.

The next day we were introduced at Shem Okello's church in Nairobi, and we visited the Good Hope Orphanage, which cares for over 40 or so orphan children in the city. They performed some amazing dance routines for us, and a few of them shared their heart-breaking testimonies of how they came to be at the orphanage. Afterwards, the children took us for a tour of their 5-storey building. I was encouraged by the strong christian values they were taught and the cleanliness of their rooms. They were well-behaved, and, dare I say, many of them would put the spoiled kids of America to shame.

After our visits in Nairobi, it was time for us to travel to our site. That meant a 7 hour drive matatu style to a rural community about 30km SE of Kisumu, which is a city on the shores of Lake Victoria in the SW corner of Kenya. Thankfully, most of the main roads had been newly tarmacked, so the drive only took 7 hours instead of 12. Our team was beyond grateful.

(below) Picture taken looking outside of the Graphic Guest House in Ahero. Typical landscape of the community, mudhuts and tin roofs. Animals like goats, chickens, cows, and dogs dotted the dirtroads wandering aimlessly and with seemingly no owner. I still don't know how the locals can distinguish whose animals are whose.

Our accommodations at the Graphic Guest House. Thank you mosquito net; No bug bites for me! I rarely got bitten, but other team members seemed to be more susceptible to the mosquitos.

During our stay, we stayed in another Guest House run by Mama Grace, the wife of a man named Philemon (whom I will introduce shortly), which had toilets, running water and electricity... sometimes. It was only a couple kms away from the site. We were once again grateful for the familar things that we take for granted here in North America, like toilets, and we were touched again by the amazing hospitality of our hosts. They spared no expense or effort to make our stay pleasant. Just as a simple example, the daughter of Mama Grace travelled all the way from Nairobi to solely come and serve us during our stay. I know now what a true servants heart looks like. We came to serve them, but they truly served us with ALL that they had. (Romans 14:17-19)

The Chief of the area was present on the first day we arrived, which was a big big deal. When he said he would support the project, it meant that he would approve of the medical centre and would offer any assistance that was required. That meant permits, funding, nurses, or whatever else the goverment was able to give would be available to us. Bwana Asifiwe! One more green light the Lord had opened!

One day, we went to the nearby house of Philemon (pronounced as Philly-mon) to test the water quality of his deep well. As it turned out, the well on his property was at the same depth as the proposed well for our site, ~120m deep. The Baptist Mission of Kenya (lead by Shem Okello and his family) had a vision to provide clean water to the surrounding community on-site, so it was crucial to do tests to make sure the source water was clean and would not require disinfection or filtration. Philemon happened to have a well at that same depth, and that enabled us to do our basic tests. He told us that he had people come from Canada to do detailed tests on the water in the past, and they reported no problems with the water. The report was encouraging, and so were our test results: from what we could gather, it was a safe source. What good news! As far as we knew, the people would not need to filtrate or disinfect their water source, it would already be safe & clean! Bwana Asifiwe!

Philemon was quite an important figure in the community, as his wife ran the local "Graphic Guest House", and he himself holding an important position in the country of Kenya in the past. He in fact used to be the Commissioner of Police for the country of Kenya from 1998-2002, and was also in charge of the secret service for the President. He greeted & welcomed us to his home (as most all Kenyans do!), talked a lot about his children, and was very supportive of our efforts to design the Medical Centre in the area. He was present in the "big" chair during our final presentation to the community, and gave a warming speech of godly encouragement to those who were present. I still remember Philemon's favorite saying to us, "Let this not be the last time we meet."

We spent most of the first week working on our design, completing our site survey, and hammering out the details of the Medical Centre building.
Dave Lewis, our structural engineer, met with local contractors and discussed local building practices.
Jason, Peter and I completed the site survey and conducted percolation tests on-site, to the curiosity of numerous passer-bys.
Peggy, Judy (the mid-wives), and Jalina (nurse) spent most of the time with the local women teaching them proper child-birthing techniques, health & wellness, and the importance of handing down wisdom to the younger ladies. If someone had a problem and only one person knew what to do, people had to walk to that person to get help. Peggy, Judy, and Jalina saw the lack of sharing and encouraged the women to share with one another.
The architects Sarah & Emily worked tirelessly on the sketch-up model and floors plans, spending countless hours to finish their work in time for the final presentation.
Overall, our team worked like a well-oiled machine, and our individual experiences made for some excellent sharing time together. We even had a spontaneous 3 hour discussion one evening trying to solve Africa, but I guess that's not so surprising... after all, engineers are tailored and driven to solve problems, but alas, we didn't come up with an answer for Africa.

Adjusting to "African Time" was probably the most difficult adjustment of all. Suffice to say, it created an excellent arena to practice patience and exercise endurance. Most Kenyans do not have the same sense of time as North America does, and they put more emphasis on community and chatting than on productivity or efficiency. This is mostly due to the fact that Kenya is an agricultural-based society where time is understood by season, and not by hour. The task will get done eventually. Also, children are often named according to what season they were born in.

We made the mistake many times of asking "How long will it take to go to ____?" The locals do not think in terms of hours, and therefore cannot give an accurate assessment. In many cases, what was thought to be a 3 hour trip turned out to be an all-day event (i.e. unscheduled stops for Talapi in Kisumu, and to visit Thomas at his home). It was a challenge to accept the change of pace, especially with the amount of work we needed to get done, but it taught me one very important thing: you must be flexible in order to survive; things don't always go as planned, and if you demand too much, either from yourself or the locals, you are going to frustrate yourself to no end. I am reminded of Paul's train-of-thought in 1 Cor 9:19-23. Essentially, "I become all things to all people so that by all possible means I might save some."

As a perfect example, one time the power went out at the guest house, so we could not work on our labtops. Instead of getting annoyed, I saw it as an opportunity to play hide-n-seek with the nearby kids for a few hours. They absolutely loved playing with my dice and my egg-shaker. I look back now and say, "I'm so glad the power went out, because otherwise I would've missed an opportunity to love on the kids."

Phanuel (our Kenyan cowboy, wearing the hat) posing inside Mama Doris' house with the Okello children, and proud to show off his gigantic pumpkin. This meant food for the family.

We met so many interesting people while we were in Kenya. One guy stuck out for me. His name was Phanuel. He always had a smile on his face. Always. He showed me his home and talked proudly about his chicken coop. He also had some nearby crops (where he got the pumpkin from). He would go out each morning and water his plants, getting water from a "nearby" river. He only had a couple watering jugs at his disposal, so he said it would take him 8 hours to go back and forth from the river to water all his plants. It was amazing to me that in the midst of such poverty and trial, he could be so joyful. He would talk about his sufferings, then he would laugh about it and thank God for what he had. I found that profoundly inspiring; he was truly living by God's word, and I know it was the Holy Spirit that was teaching him to be joyful in all circumstances.

We visited the local school next to Mama Doris' house with around 400 kids attending the school. The kids simply wanted to catch a glimpse of us. Peter and I later went outside and began teaching them songs, with Peter playing the guitar and me playing percussion. We were totally surrounded by kids. Afterwards, all the kids sang us a song I will never forget. It was the highlight of the trip for me.

The highlight of the whole trip for me probably had to be when we visited the local school next to Mama Doris' house. Our team was swarmed by the children who just wanted to catch a glimpse of us and to see our faces. I'm sure they rarely got to see "mzungus" (white people) visit their school. Peter and I began to teach them songs, like "Step by Step" and "Lord Prepare Me to be a Sanctuary", and they were just drinking it all up. I don't think they had ever seen or heard an egg-shaker before, and it was my divine pleasure to play to their enjoyment. It was amazing to me how such a simple thing could give them joy. When Peter and I finished, they sang us "We are serving the living God" and a couple other Kenyan songs. I loved being in the midst of it all, and it's a moment I'll never forget.

Peter and I surrounded by kids at the school, smiles all around. More pictures of the precious kids.

As I look back now, I am joyful and excited over the fact that God brought me on this trip for many good reasons. I got to be intimately involved with EMI's work, and I saw exactly what kind of impact an EMI trip makes on christian ministries around the world. It really does design a world of HOPE. I can see myself continuing down this path with EMI and getting more involved in the future. I see this trip as being that great first step into christian missions, and I have learned a lot about what it takes to live for Christ. I now know what kind of things I need to pray for and work on.

And in all honesty, serving in Africa really wasn't all that scary or "another world" as some people think it is, and I wouldn't be hesitant to go if God called me to serve Him overseas; I would be Ok with that, but it's up to Him to decide. That old adage of "you have to be a super christian to go 'there'" has now been shattered for me since I have personally gone "there". Serving in Africa wasn't as intimidating or difficult as I thought it would be. In many ways it was so much more easier to share the gospel in Kenya than in North America. Simply due to the fact that your white makes you a people-magnet (especially to kids), and you have an immediate pedestal to share the gospel of Jesus Christ, whether in word or in deed.

Saying these things reminds me of God's call to "be of good courage" and to "walk by faith and not by sight". So I say to the reader, if you feel God's tug to serve Him on missions, don't listen to the enemies lies! Trust God and follow Him in obedience. It's not so bad after all!

Serving Jesus Christ is as simple as sitting with a child.

I thoroughly enjoyed my trip to Kenya, and I am looking forward to my next big journey with EMI as I go to live in Kampala, Uganda for 6 months starting on January 19th '09. Please pray that in the next 2 months I would be able to raise the $7,000 I need to cover my living and travel expenses. For those who have donated already towards my journey, I thank you for sending me out, and I ask again for your financial support during this time. I will be back in Edmonton for the Christmas Season, so if you see me then, please don't hesitate to come ask more about my trip. I would be glad to share more of my stories with you.

In Christ,

Ryan Williams
Like Jesus, with Jesus, in Jesus I live to do the Father's Will. - Andrew Murrray

HomeRun

2008-10-31T10:57:00.004-06:00

Well, I've finally returned to US soil after an amazing 3 week trip to 3 different countries. Just reflecting on the trip today definitely confirms one thing for me: We hit a home-run on this trip. The impact this trip has had on me and on the people we've touched in-country cannot sufficiently be put into words... But I will do my best to try!

First off, I will say this: It was your prayers that made this trip a success. I say again, our team was covered in prayer. This would be the first thing I would praise God for: that God showered us with mercy and had His hand on this trip all-throughout and covered us with His blessing and safety.

How can I say such things? Because absolutely no one got sick on our team (a team of 11 people no less). Not one person. Apart from feeling the effects of jetlag for the first few days, our team worked in harmony with each other. The unity was so apparent because we ended up finishing 70-80% of our total work in-country, which is absolutely amazing progress! No one got injured, no one got hurt, and best of all, our team made a huge impact with the work we completed.
Simply put, God is indeed doing a great work in Kenya, and it was more than satisfying to be the vessel (and by that I mean the amazing Team I was on) in which God chose to use to carry out His glorious work. It was great to be in the eye of God's work (Habukkuk 1:5).

Ndiyo, Bwana Asifiwe!! (Yes, Praise God!!)

More to come.

Ryan Williams

Packed and Ready to Go!

2008-10-09T15:02:00.002-06:00

Well, as of right now I'm all packed up and ready to go! And so is the rest of the team. We leave COS tomorrow at 6am, since our flight is out of Denver. I'm so pumped to finally be on my way!

This trip is going to be particularily special. What makes it so special you ask? Well, one of our team member is a nurse, so she was able to procur some wonderful donations from a local catholic hospital in town. Therefore, we are bringing along three huge bags of medical supplies & medicine to give to Dr. Joseph from Nairobi who will run the medical clinic we will design. This will no doubt fill a huge huge need, and it is very exciting to see it all come together!! I've been concerned lately at how strict U.S. Customs is with anything pertaining to medicine, so please pray that all of the supplies pass U.S. Customs with no problems or delays.

This will be my last update from COS. I'll be trying to get in an update or two when I'm in Africa, but there is no promises. I highly doubt I will have continuous access to the Internet while I am in-country. So expect this to be my last blog for a while.

See you on the other side!

In Christ,

Ryan Williams

A little taste of Alberta hockey!!

2008-10-04T21:20:00.002-06:00

I couldn't believe it when I saw it. University of Alberta plays the US Air Force Falcons in an exhibition college hockey game tomorrow at 5:05pm... in Colorado Springs!! How lucky am I?!?!

You can bet I'll be there cheering on our Bears. GO UOFA BEARS!! :)

A whole whack of stuff I need to say

2008-10-04T21:13:00.003-06:00

First of all I'd like to say, I consider it all joy when I remember and think of the people who have chosen to support me and stand behind me in my journey with eMi. I am so thankful for you all. You may not know it, but your simple comments, emails and prayers have comforted me immensely during this time. To know that there are people interceding on my behalf, and are willing to carry my requests to Heaven for me is supernaturally inspiring. For me it is a beautiful picture of the Body of Christ at work, and I love it! I continue to pray 2Cor 9 over each of your lives; that God will bless you richly for the generosity and kindness you have shown.

Therefore, do not think that you're efforts go unnoticed. I have personally felt a wall of prayer surround me these last few days-- especially with the immediate fact I am leaving on my project trip to Kenya, Africa this Friday(more on this later). Know that I cannot do this alone, and I will require much prayer in the coming weeks as I take my first steps into my role on the project team, and as I endure the hardships of life overseas in Africa. I will speak more of my prayer requests and my heart at the end of this letter.

But first, a quick status update:

I've now settled into day-to-day life here in Colorado Springs. Thank God for routine and work for my hands to do! I'm definitely getting a sense of accomplishment in my work. My strong (canadian) work ethic has not gone unnoticed to the staff, which is a definite confirmation for me. I've gotten to know most of the staff and interns at eMi, and I can definitely say that all of them are top notch amazing people. This semester my mentor is Henry Watts and we are discovering the meaning and power behind prayer. I'm learning how wonderful it is to be able to dialogue with my Father in Heaven. I'm attending New Life church ( a mega-church of 14,000), and have joined a small group called Everlasting (consisting of 20-somethings). I enjoy the worship, teaching, and the people I have met. I have found it really easy to connect with christian people here. Thanks be to God for that. It is amazing that you can go to any city and have the opportunity to connect with like-minded people right away; what a blessing it is.

More exciting good news:

Just yesterday (Oct 3rd) I was informed by the EMI staff that I have been officially accepted for the Spring term!! This means that I will be going to live in Kampala, Uganda from January- mid July 2009 (about 7 months in length). I am beyond words to express the feeling of finally getting the green light for this vision God has given me for the past 2 years!! PRAISE GOD, HE has been FAITHFUL! That is His Name.

This means I will be doing another wave of fundraising for the next 3-4 months to raise the $6,000 of support I still need to cover my living expenses and travel costs for life in Uganda. I've been informed by staff that the cost of living in Uganda has gone up steadily with the instability of financial markets, and with the high cost of food. Please pray that God would move in the hearts of people to donate (yet again) towards my furthering journey. I believe God has commissioned me to go to Uganda, so I have no worries that I will raise the necessary funds in due time. It is entirely in God's hands, and He is not done with me yet!!

If you feel led to donate again the method of giving has not changed. All donations are fed into my account with EMI-Canada in Calgary, and all donations are tax deductible. On this blog page I've written detailed donation information with links to the EMI website. Please check for further instructions.

Pray that God would carry me through another season with EMI! I am so excited for what's to come!!

Project Trip Update/Itinerary:

Now for the urgent stuff: The time has come for me to leave on my project trip. I leave for Kenya at 10:30am on Friday, October 10th (MST). Our team will arrive in Nairobi at 9:00pm on Saturday, Oct 11th (Local time); its about an 18 hour flight in total. The time difference from MST is +10 hours ahead. When I arrive in Nairobi it will feel like 11:00am. We are then taking a 8-10 hour matatu (bus) ride to the village where we will be working. The place we are going to is rural Kenya, but the closest village is called Ahero, Kenya. You can google map it to see where I'm going!

After we are done our work in Kenya, we are going on an authentic African Safari! It should be a nice reprieve from all the hard work. After that I will be spending 4 days in Uganda with Danna and Emily to visit the EMI office in Kampala. This will be a good chance for me to see firsthand what I'm getting myself into come January! I will also have the exhilirating chance to go white water rafting down the Nile river, which is apparently the most turbulent waters in the world. Pray for my safety!! I may also have the chance to meet up with a pastor that I know in Jinja, Uganda if I have free time. Pray for divine appointments to be made!

After Uganda we are flying to London to spend a few days to visit the new EMI-UK office. Pray for the new office as it expands into the European field, and as the staff embarks on its search for new connections & new volunteers. One benefit of the new sending office in the UK is that it is much cheaper to fly to India, Africa or the Middle East for volunteers from Europe.

In total my trip will be 3 weeks long.

This is my first international trip to Africa, and its a very long trip. Our team consists of 8 people from around the US ranging from architects to structural, civil and mechanical engineers, and one nurse. Our project team looks like this:

Danna Judish, Civil Eng., EMI Staff, Team Leader
Jason Reinhardt, Mech. Eng., EMI Staff
Jalina Reinhardt, Nurse, Jason's wife
Sarah Dunn, Architect, Volunteer
Dave Lewis, Struc. Eng., Volunteer
Peter Craig, Civil Eng., Volunteer
Emily Mentink, Architect, Intern
Ryan Williams, Civil Eng., Intern

Most Importantly, Prayer Requests:

Please pray for travelling mercies as we embark on the long trek to Kenya.Pray that all our bags make it to our destination and that we get their safely with no delays.
Especially pray for the teams' health. As we go into a foreign country we will be more susceptible to sickness. Pray that God would supernaturally protect us from sickness and disease.
Pray that the Gospel of Jesus Christ would shine through to the people we will serve. Pray that lives are transformed, that people are encouraged & uplifted, and that people come to believe in the Christ.
Pray for unity and harmony on our team as we work hard to complete our medical clinic design in-country. Pray that our team would be of one-accord as we make important decisions.
Pray for God to touch our lives personally as we go and serve. This is not only about "us reaching them", but also about "them teaching us" with their lives, too.
Pray for divine appointments and for God's Providence to reign over our trip. In a world of chaos let us see that God is in Control!!
Pray for vision and insight to see where God wants to lead me next; that my ears would be open, that my eyes would see, and that I would come to understand and perceive what His steps are for me. I am at a critical time in my life where some key decisions need to be made about my future. Pray for God to mercifully impart His wisdom as I make those choices.
We have been commissioned by God to go on this trip to do His Will. Pray that we would walk boldly in the Authority and Power given to us by Jesus Christ, to speak love and truth into the lives of others. (Matthew 28:17-19)
Pray I take good photos to capture the essence of the trip! :)

This is a unique trip because another ministry is going to be travelling with us. They will be showing the Jesus film to the villages and sharing the Gospel while we are designing the Medical Clinic and other various buildings. The work is quite simple in comparison to many other typical EMI projects, so we are hoping to finish most of the work in-country. We will be spending a solid week working on the design. Pray that even though we will be focusing on our work in the village, we will have time to make strong connections with the people their.

I am also looking to buy an authentic kjembe drum, so pray I find one!! I've already bought a south american Cajon and it sounds sweet! :)

Thank you for reading my terribly long email, but there was tons of info to share! Its both a bane and a blessing: Once I get going I can't stop writing! Thank you for reading and being a part of my story. It does not go unnoticed.

In Christ,

Ryan Williams

"Like Jesus, with Jesus, in Jesus I live to do the Father's Will." -Andrew Murray

Office Life & Denver

2008-09-12T22:03:00.022-06:00

I've been helping Gary at the office with a project in the Philippines, helping to finish the civil drawings & design for the site. In particular, I've been working on completing the proposed water & wastewater systems (i.e. septic tanks and soakage pit designs), and to also finish the civil AutoCAD drawings to put into the final report. And I tell you what, it's been so satisfying to finally put my hands and focus towards something that will have such a definite positive impact on the lives of people overseas. And best of all, I know what I'm doing! (guess that's what school is for!). I love it!

Now with the advent of this amazing journey with EMI, I have become aware of a few common themes God is seemingly throwing my way; particular subjects that have grabbed my full attention, and topics that I have found an innate desire to learn more about. First of all, it absolutely amazes me how the Body of Christ functions and works and moves, and how the work of Jesus Christ brings us all together; it absolutely astounds me!! For example, I have been meditating on the world "OUR Father" in the Lord's prayer, and I become speechless in expressing just how wonderful it is that Jesus Christ and His Spirit has connected us ALL to the Father. Not just a few of us, but all who believe-- and that we worship and serve the same God through Jesus Christ by His Holy Spirit= the Father in Heaven. This truth about the Body of Christ has conveyed to me the importance of keeping unity and harmony among the brethren. It's an absolute mystery to me, but I so want to learn more and understand this amazing Truth of being a part of One Body with many members in Christ, that is the Church, and to find exactly where I fit into that beautiful picture.

Frankly, I've only begun to skim the surface in understanding and realizing the significance of this journey with EMI. In part, it has gracefully led me to ask myself some critical questions about myself (I like good meaty questions!), like:

Where do I belong in the Body of Christ-- in particular within EMI, in the Church as a worldwide entity, and even among the community that I currently reside in?
What kind of steps of faith will my "role in the Body" require of me?
With what gifts and skills has God graced me to function in the Body of Christ?
What weaknesses are inherit in me, and what function of the Body do I subsequently need to live healthily? Also, which weaknesses that I see can I in-turn build up in love?
In what ways has God appointed this internship with EMI to help answer these questions?

Secondly, I have been intrigued by the power of prayer and "how" it works. Like how we can pray for someone halfway across the world and yet still be effective. My mentor Henry Watts and I are looking into this topic of prayer this season, and I am really looking forward to what we will learn together.

These are the things I am currently asking myself. But not only that, I believe this internship with EMI and my life beyond will help to answer these questions!! Praise God Almighty!
On another note, the group of interns at the office have begun to connect really well. FYI, the intern group consists of 8 people:

Brian Smith
Emily Mentink
Greg Osbourne
John Gerber
Sangouk Ko
Stephanie Osbourne
Vicky Mah
and myself

We love to hang out together almost everyday, and we have learned to live off a meager intern budget. In fact, with plenty of help from Danna, we've found all the cheapest places to eat for dinner and lunch. Just the other day we ate individual pizzas for less than $4 a plate at Old Chicago. You certainly can't beat that!! It was good pizza, too.

On Saturday the interns (minus Greg, Steph, and Sangouk) headed to Denver to drop Jeremy off at the airport. he's our crafty draftsman heading to Uganda for a few weeks to help in the office there. Once we dropped him off, we decided to spend the day in Denver checking out all the sites and sounds. We checked out 16th Street Mall, a mall spanning about 8 straight blocks of downtown Denver. Tons of shops and things to see. The one shop I enjoyed the most was called the "Tattered Cover", a four-storey bookstore filled to the brim with books. I was very overwhelmed at the huge selection of books, but finally settled upon a little book called "Praying The Lord's Prayer". It has turned out to be a great choice.

We also visited the Denver Art Museum and saw numerous people outside with their canvases in hand painting pictures. Some of the artists were really good!

We went to the first-built REI store, which stands for Recreational Equipment International, just north of downtown Denver. The store itself is worth going to see. It was a three-storey exposed brick building with its very own climbing wall and bike trails for testing new bikes. Anything and everything pertaining to outdoor adventure could easily be found in that store.

To top off the day, I got to see my very first Major League Baseball game! We went to the Colorado Rockies vs Los Angeles Dodgers game, which was a total blast. The Dodgers won handily, to the shagrin of many Rockies fans, but it was fun to be a part of all the action and to hang out with the interns. I still like hockey games waayy better though! In fact, I may just go to an Oilers away game in Denver while I'm here. I didn't forget to bring my Oilers gear for just such an occassion!

I'll be uploading more pictures later, so keep an eye open. Until then, I have greatly appreciated everyone's support, both financially and through prayer over these past few months, and I thank you also for your continued support. It means so much to me knowing that people are sinerely intrigued and inspired by my personal journey.

Prayer Requests:

Please continue to pray for continued and even deeper fellowship among the Body of Christ at EMI, and for the building up of trust, friendship and harmony among the staff and interns.
Pray that I would continue to grow and mature steadily in the things that God is showing and working in me, and that I would always keep an open heart and ear to the Holy Spirit leading the way.
Pray for intern Brian Smith as he is heading out on his project trip to Mexico this Thursday. The team is travelling by vehicle, so please pray for their safe travel as they embark.

In Christ,

Ryan Williams

"Like Jesus, with Jesus, in Jesus I live to do the Father's Will."

First Week in Colorado

2008-08-31T15:25:00.029-06:00

Hello Supporters!

It has been a crazy week of activity here in Colorado Springs! I'll do my best to summarize all the exciting things that have already happened here at EMI thusfar.

I arrived safely in CoS last saturday and met my host family, Bob and Marilyn Smith. They've had experience hosting at least 26 EMI interns in their home before me, so I am in very good hands. Bob is on staff at EMI as our in-office surveyor and has a great sense of humour; both are a great blessing to me already from showing hospitality to me in their home. On my first night they taught me a new card game that's very popular in the Mid-west, called Euchre. Needless to say I got owned badly, but it was fun all the same! It all evens out anyways, since I got him back today playing Bocci ball, winning both games handely, lol. :)

Last week was the start of orientation week for all the EMI interns out at "The Hideaway"; a quiet and serene place 20 minutes North of Colorado Springs. There I met the rest of the interns heading to Costa Rica, Uganda, and India; an absolutely top notch group of 22 people who are just like me (pictures below). I feel privelaged to know each one of them. 8 of us interns are staying in Colorado Springs to work in the head office, 8 are heading to Uganda, 3 to India, and 3 to Costa Rica. I can't believe how close you can get to people in just one weeks time. It's been an amazing week of building friendships and meeting the staff members of EMI. Needless to say, I felt very sad when the other interns had to leave for the airport. Below is a group photo of all the Fall interns of 2008.

During orientation week we did many fun team building exercises like "Trust falls", "Pamper pole", and the difficult "Mohawk walk" out at Ponderosa Retreat. And then we did rock climbing and rapelling at Garden of the Gods on Wednesday, of which I am now definitely hooked. If you haven't tried technical rock climing yet I'd highly recommend you try, it's very exhilirating and challenging. We also went on the most beautiful hike up Glen Eyrie (pics below). What an awesome place!! Best hike I've been on so far. Needless to say, my week has been absolutely filled from day to night with activity and discussions and quiet times with God. I've learned so much about myself and what I am capable of through Christ. It's been a blessed time of inspiration, fellowship and prayer. Below are some photos of some of the highlights during orientation week.

This is the start of the hike at Glen Eyrie park in Colorado Springs. One of the mose beautiful hikes I've been on; definitely top 3. There is a good-sized stream that runs up along the trail, so you end of crossing it by whatever means (i.e. rocks or fallen trees) about 500 times in order that you don't get get wet, lol.

Beautiful picture of the Glen Eyrie gorge, about halfway up to the top.

Here we visited EMI Headquarters in downtown Colorado Springs. All the flags that EMI has done projects in hangs on the ceiling.

Rock climbing at Garden of the Gods. I'm hooked! It's very exhilirating and challenging. Here Sangouk Ko, an intern from Korea is showing us how it's done.

(above) By far the best part of the hike in Glen Eyrie. The trail converges into an impassable crevice where most people submitted to getting wet in order to carry on. Not me! You can see me climbing the side of the rock face in order to pass the crevice obstacle. I was scared of falling since I had no ropes keeping me from falling, but I made it across no problem!

(Above) LOL, I laugh everytime I see this photo. Apparently they use this jeep to clear the snow in the winters in Colorado Springs. Imagine this thing making it through a Canadian Winter; lol, good luck!

It's almost impossible for me to highlight all the high points of the week, simply because I'd have to start rambling on about every detail of orientation week. Suffice it to say, I feel I fit in with this organization even more than I felt before, and I am excited to start work in the office tomorrow morning (Tuesday). The staff I have met here are mature Christians with much wisdom and expertise; I hope to learn from each of them during my mentorship, and to share in spreading the Vision of what EMI is all about. Pray for the other interns who are arriving in-country of their respective offices (that would be India, Costa Rica, and Uganda). Pray that they will all recover from their jetlag quickly and will be able to adjust to the drastic shift in cultures.

I've uploaded my Photo Albums of Orientation Week on facebook HERE:

EMI Orientation Week PART 1.

EMI Orientation Week PART 2.

Video Tour of "The Hideaway"

Peter Nelson taking a dip in the Waterfall at Glen Eyrie

Interns Hiking at Glen Eyrie

More Hiking up Glen Eyrie

Rock Climbing at Glen Eyrie

I'll be uploading more pictures and videos in the week to come, so keep a lookout for more updates. Also, keep an eye on my Facebook page for more photos/videos media (facebook is by far the easiest way to upload photos to the internet).

Until next time, Grace and Peace from the Lord Jesus Christ and our Father in Heaven.

In Christ,

Ryan Williams

Farewell Edmonton!

2008-08-20T12:57:00.002-06:00

Hello Supporters!

Well the time has now come; a vision two years in the making is finally reality!! I depart for Colorado Springs, CO tomorrow to begin the next exciting chapter in my life with Engineering Ministries International. I feel the anticipation rise steadily as I pack and prepare for my trip tomorrow! I thank God for His wonderful Providence that has given me all that I need! Please pray for safe travels to Colorado Springs since I will be travelling by vehicle with all my valuables and luggage. Pray also for God's merciful anointing to rest upon this journey and over all that will transpire, so that His renown and glory may spread amongst the peoples! To God be all the Glory!

This will be my last update from Edmonton until I reach CoS. I'll do my best to keep each of you in-the-loop of what's going on via this blogsite:

http://adventureswithryan.blogspot.com/

Please check it out often, and don't be shy in leaving a comment or two! I love reading the feedback from you guys!

I'll also be sending periodic email updates with my prayer requests, so look out for those, too. Other than that, I shall see you all on the other side!

Peace be with you always,

Ryan Williams

Updates and Praise Reports

2008-08-02T08:40:00.012-06:00

Financial Praises

I have very exciting news to share-- indeed, a definite YAY God event! I received the latest update from EMI-Canada regarding the health of my financial donations, and a total of $4,264 sponsorship dollars have rolled in since I started fundraising back in April, and a difference of $2814 dollars since my last update just only a few weeks ago! Suffice it to say, people have stepped up to the plate and have donated graciously, and to them I am eternally grateful. And I know that there is still more yet to come. To those who have given generously, both in times of PRAYER and in finances, I pray that in reply God would Bless you richly for the outpouring of your generosity, whether big or small, just as He has promised to do in 2 Corinthians 9:6-9.

"...6Remember this: Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously. 7Each man should give what he has decided in his heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. 8And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work. 9As it is written: "He has scattered abroad his gifts to the poor; his righteousness endures forever..."

To some this amount may seem minimal, but to me it is ENOUGH, and just one more example of God's faithfulness. When this amount is added to the "keep from my own hands" I will have at least $8,000-- an amount that is more than adequate to cover every known expense for my term in Colorado Springs (CoS). And with less than 2 weeks before I depart, I can breathe a breath of relief and give my thanksgiving to God. Yes folks, my financial goal of $7,500 for CoS has now been reached-- and even exceeded! Praise God! Keep the donations coming, as I still need to raise around $6,500 for my next internship in Uganda in January. Keep praying for God's ultimate provision in my life. To God be all glory~!

Project Trip Details

Onto some other exciting news. For those of you curious as to where I will be heading to on my project trip, I will be travelling to Kenya from October 10 - 24th (2 weeks) to work with the Othoo Baptist Church in the Nyanza Province on the design of a medical clinic for the outlying rural community. I will be responsible for designing the water supply storage and distribution system for the clinic with well water as the source, along with on-site waste water handling, and basic surveying. Basically we do as much work as we can in the field collecting all the data we need to do our work, and then return to Colorado Springs to finish the designs. The full project scope can be read HERE.

Please pray for this project, and the many other project teams that are heading to Uganda, Haiti, Mexico, India, Sudan, Congo, North Africa, and East Asia. There are some needs that still need to be met. Please pray specifically that God would fill the rest of the positions on the project teams still needing to be filled, and also for the safety of each of the teams on their travels abroad. Pray that God would move powerfully, bringing unity amongst the teams, and that He would beckon people to respond to the Gospel of Jesus Christ by their seeing firsthand our example of Christ's love and kindness.

Pray for my health, too, as I just received my travel vaccinations yesterday. So I'm a little groggy and tender in the arms right now. Pray that the side effects from the shots won't inhibit my ability to do the hard physical labour I need to do next week. Thanks all!

Till next time!

-Ryan

Alexander Mackay: A Road-Maker for Christ in Uganda

2008-07-20T13:17:00.002-06:00

Today I wanted to share the lengthy, but powerful story of another missionary hero of mine. His name was Alexander Mackay [or Mackie], and he was the very first Christian missionary to the people of Uganda in 1875, which was not too long ago. His amazing story has impacted me greatly in two powerful ways: he was a fellow engineer like myself "able to turn his hand to anything", and he had a heart for preparing the way of the Lord in Uganda. He is known as the Road-maker who prepared a Highway for the Gospel to spread in Africa. And just look how that Gospel has now spread!! Therefore, I go to Uganda with honor towards men like Alexander who gave up their lives to be obedient and "prepare the way of the Lord". I pray you will deeply moved and encouraged by Alexander's story.

His biography is found here:

Alexander Mackay - Missionary to Uganda

Donations

2008-07-17T15:20:00.008-06:00

Well, dear friends, yesterday I received the numbers from Engineering Ministries International (EMI)-Canada regarding the financial support that's been gathered for my internship so far. As of this date, $1450 has been raised out of the $7000 I need to go to Colorado Springs, and of the $15,000 I need in total, which includes my internship to Uganda. With one month left until the start of my first internship in Colorado Springs, it is plain to see that my current financial need is real and urgent. I still need $13,550, 1/3 of which I will be able to cover from my personal account, but of the rest I am relying solely on God to provide; about $9,000 left in the hands of the Lord.

Of this need I do not feel anxious, but only hope and gratitude. Hope because I know my God is a great God, able to provide for my every need, and is able to move in the hearts of men to open their ears to hear my honest cry for help. And gratitude towards God and to those who have kept their word of promise to donate-- and in doing so have completely showered me with the severe kindness and grace of God. All I can say to you is Thank You... Thank you!

When looking at the reality of my need, it is promises like 2 Corinthians 9:8 that keep me going: "And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work." And another promise in Hebrews 13:5-6 which says, "'Make sure that your character is free from the love of money, being content with what you have; for He Himself has said, 'I WILL NEVER DESERT YOU, NOR WILL I EVER FORSAKE YOU," so that we confidently say,'THE LORD IS MY HELPER, I WILL NOT BE AFRAID. WHAT WILL MAN DO TO ME?'". It's in these promises of God which give me the strength and strong confidence to say, "In God's time, my needs will be met. God is my Helper. I trust in the Lord Jesus to provide."

My confidence in Christ does not mean that I do not struggle with certain things. I must be honest and say that this road I'm travelling has unearthed my allegiant uneasyness in asking others for money and donations (I’m sure I’m not alone in this struggle either). I have realized that it's not an easy thing for me to ask something of others. And that is why this next sentence was actually difficult for me to compose: It is a simple reminder directed to those who have verbalized intentions of donating towards my ministry, but have not yet fulfilled their word. I am still in urgent need of financial support, and I cannot go unless I am equipped by people like you who are willing to partner with me financially towards this EMI ministry. So I exhort those who have not yet donated to give, and to give cheerfully out of the abundance of God. If you don't know where to go from here, I have left instructions on the left side of this page for you to follow. And I encourage you to read 2 Corinthians 9 for biblical counsel in this matter.

There was something Richard Halverson, the chaplain of the U.S. Senate, pointed out once that has really stuck with me concerning my money. He said,

“Jesus Christ said more about money than about any other single thing because, when it comes to a man's real nature, money is of first importance. Money is an exact index to a man's true character. All through Scripture there is an intimate correlation between the development of a man's character and how he handles his money.”

These words really opened my eyes to see the importance of what I do with my money, and where the true meaning behind my giving and spending lies. I see Richards words as an excellent paraphrase of Matthew 6:21 where Jesus says, "Where your treasure is, there will your heart be also." I couldn’t agree more.

Out of all this talk of money, an important question then arises: What is your money invested into when it is given to EMI? This is where I want you to see the beauty and brilliance of your investment. Apart from the necessities of life, the majority of your donations are directly used to make the engineering services I will provide on each project to be free of charge to the client. Believe it or not, your donations are part of an amazing 1000 or more percent yield that each project sees in its lifetime! Let me say again, a 1000 percent yield to investment! It works like this: for the approximate $5,500 EMI spends in cash to implement each project (such as a school or medical clinic), EMI is able to turn around and mobilize $70,000 worth of design services from interns like me to create a Gift of amazing value, namely, the ability to provide the client with free professional design services!

To understand the magnitude and depth of this Gift, you must realize that for many pastors, missionaries, and ministry organizations around the world the cost to cover professional design services are typically the largest capital investment a ministry will ever make. These costs are an overwhelming roadbloack for many ministries, and it hinders the establishment and the means for the Gospel of Jesus Christ to spread throughout the world. What an amazing Gift it is, then, to not only have an organization like EMI which covers all the design costs, but also IS the hands and feet of Christ on the ground doing the design work and providing the professional service!! Can you see it!? EMI does not merely provide free design services, EMI is a beautiful extension of God’s indescribable mercy, and a brilliant picture of the incomparable riches of His Grace, expressed in the great kindness directed to us in Christ Jesus, that we who are followers of Christ may go and do the same-- just as EMI is so doing!

All I can say to this is, Wow! And I get to be part of it all! How very exciting indeed!! Pray that God will continue to show and pour out His amazing grace and severe kindness to the world through ministries like Engineering Ministries International. And may the Word of Jesus Christ spread quickly throughout the world like wildfire among dry trees. Amen!

-Ryan

My heros

2008-07-11T21:03:00.014-06:00

I'll start by saying this: I am going to Africa in very good company. The heroes which have gone before me utterly astound me with their God-given courage, and blow me away with their burning passion and desire to spread the Gospel of Jesus Christ to the dark places of the world no matter the cost-- even unto death. I cannot begin to express the uplifting inspiration and encouragement it gives me to read of these frontier missionary men who, despite facing unspeakable evils and insurmountable odds, endured and persevered through all their suffering, toil and trouble to prepare the way for the Lord to move inside the hearts of men and women all throughout history.

First it was Paul and his call to reach the Gentile sheep. Then God called people like William Carey to the flock waiting in India. And then John Eliot to the Algonquin Indians, and then David Brainerd among the Susquehanna. And then it was Hudson Taylor to inland China, and David Livingston to inland Africa, and most recently calling Cameron Townsend to the thousands of hidden and unreached people groups scattered throughout the world. The list goes on and on. Countless missionaries who have devoted their lives to sharing the Gospel with those who have never heard the name of Jesus Christ.

Each one went with this verse burning in their hearts: "I have other sheep that are not of this fold; I must bring them also, and they will heed my voice." (John 10:16). Yes! God has a flock, a people-- sheep not of this Canadian fold. Yes, He will bring them, and they will heed His voice. But how shall they hear the Shepherd's voice if we, His chosen people, do not go? And how shall we preach if we are not sent? Truly, I hear the call to go and reach the lost sheep of Christ. For me right now these "sheep" have no name, but I trust that God will reveal to me what His specific plan is for my life down the road. But for now, I simply trust and obey the call I have to work with Engineering Ministries International this year. And what a glorious and wonderful opportunity it is!! I am beyond excited to get started with EMI in August.

For most of you reading this blog, you know the circumstances which surround my upcoming journey with Engineering Ministries International, therefore I will not spend my time recounting the facts of it. Instead, I wish to spend the next few blogs spotlighting a few missionary heros who have deeply moved my soul, and have given me the inspiration, faith and hope to live in the same way.

The first of which is Peter Cameron Scott. Born in Scotland in 1867, his family moved to Pennsylvania when he was just a young man. It was there he joined the Christian Alliance Training Institute in New York at age 22-- a place founded by A.B. Simpson, which became part of the Christian and Missionary Alliance of our modern day.

But Peter was too impatient to finish the course. Africans were dying without knowledge of Christ. The upstart Peter quickly gathered seven eager young men and set sail for the Congo. He was flattened by Malaria right off the bat, and sent home. He recovered from the deadly illness and went back with the burning desire to preach the Gospel in Africa, but He was flattened once again by malaria and sent back home.

Now, just put yourself in this man's shoes. Wouldn't you begin to think, "Well, I guess I'm not called. I guess God doesn't want me in Africa." Not Peter Cameron Scott. He goes back to America, gets some training and is ordained by A.B. Simpson, and once again goes back to Africa to preach the Gospel of Jesus Christ. This time his brother John went with him. But lo, John falls dead soon after. With no family or church to conduct a proper burial in the wilds of Africa, Peter buries his brother alone, and kneeling at his grave dedicates his life to share the Gospel in Africa. How does God respond to his faithfulness? He flattens him again with malaria, and He is sent back, this time to England.

This man is utterly and totally devastated. Illness has plagued him at every turn. What then does He do? Peter goes to Westminister Abbey in England where the tomb of David Livingston is found, and he kneels down in front of the tomb and reads the epitaph on His stone:

"OTHER SHEEP I HAVE WHICH ARE NOT OF THIS FOLD; THEM ALSO I MUST BRING."

With this Peter rose with renewed determination and hope, and finally went back to Africa with that inspiration burned upon his very soul. He pressed inland to plant missions and share the gospel. He spent his efforts mostly in Kenya, where He founded the African Inland Mission, which to this day still exists! His efforts were heroic. However, he saw few Africans turn to Christ. Peter contracted deadly blackwater fever and died on December 8, 1896. Like Abraham, Peter never got to see the fruit of all his efforts and labor. But today we see the immense fruit which has come from missionary heros like Peter Cameron Scott. With less than 1% Christians in 1900, Kenya is now 79% Christian today in 2008!! All thanks to men like Peter Cameron Scott who were willing to endure immense hardships and insurmountable odds; who pressed on towards the goal set before them to "prepare ye the way for the Lord". Yes! Praise be the LORD!! Yes! I will say again:

"I have other sheep that are not of this fold; I must bring them also, and they will heed my voice."

Amen.

Testing

2008-05-02T18:23:00.001-06:00

This shall be the home of my blogs to come!