Africa-trip-2013

Gulf Coast Air Systems is proud to be active in our Tampa community.

For several years I have been blessed to be able to go to Africa to minister to the Ugandans and Zambians with Kelly Green Global. Volunteers went to supply medical and dental assistance, educate about AIDS prevention, and teach God’s Word. My main job was to educate the pastors but also assist any of the other teams. We treated anyone who stood in line, and believe me the lines were long; the people waited in the hot sun with no food or water in order to receive aid. Everyone was welcome!

The past couple years, my friend, Bob, and I have ministered to the villagers at Kowanjani, Uganda. It is a small place, and I was honored to have a private school named after me. In Uganda the government pays ½ of the public school education and the villagers pay ½; if you cannot afford it, the less affluent attend a private school. I was impressed with the third graders’ grasp of compound fractions and English, the only language allowed to be spoken in the school. As they have not had a lot of English speaking visitors, it is interesting to hear them pronounce some words, especially vowels. For example, “horse” is pronounced “hor-see” with a long e.

They do not have a lot to offer you monetarily but give from the heart. You might receive a piece of fruit, a big smile, or they might sing and dance for you. One year in Kowanjani, we received two U.S. dollars. Where did they get them? This village is very remote, and some Ugandans did not know that it existed.

They are so eager to hear God’s Word, and it thrills my heart to be able to return to them. It was with trepidation on my first journey that I traveled so far to an unknown land. The journey was very long, but the memories are forever. My wife had asked me not to go into the Nile and about had a heart attack when I told her that I baptized in the Nile. I questioned them about the crocodiles, and they said that there were “not many” where we were going. What a comfort! It only takes one, and praise the Lord that none were there.

On one trip, we had the chance to do a camera safari in Kenya, and I went to a Masi village and saw the big game animals of the area.

I shall share some photographs with you and update stories periodically. If you feel God calling you to go and help or want more data on Kelly Green Global, please call me for more information.