Uganda Trip
- Bekah Querfeld
- Apr 22
- 4 min read
Updated: Jun 9
Many of you read that title and are thinking "Wait, didn't she just come back from Albania? She's leaving again? Wait, what's going on in Uganda?!" And to answer, yes, yes, and I'm about to fill you in.
An Upcoming Project:
Did you know that 95% of pastors around the world do not have a formal degree in Bible or Ministry?
As a pastor's wife and a missionary, this is mind-boggling to me! I know the messy situations that my husband has to respond to with wisdom and grace within our church. He consistently has to lean on his seminary training as he tries to care for God's people, and so I can only imagine how difficult it would be without!
The goal of the Global Education Department, and my goal as its Director, is to find ways to find ways to make quality training accessible for those who can't get the degree-level training for one reason or another.
As such, one of my upcoming projects is to work with a team to develop a training program in Bible, theology, and ministry skills that offers quality teaching in a way that is accessible for as many people as possible. This project will take at least 3-5 years to develop, test, and revise, however I will starting the think-tank process in May during my upcoming trip to Uganda
Purpose of the Trip:
My primary goal for this trip is to grow in my understanding of the African context and the needs of pastors and ministry leaders there. My second goal is to build relationships with our BCM Uganda leadership team, some of whom will be serving in the area of Global Theological Education.
Schedule for the Trip:
This trip is packed to the brim with kingdom opportunities! I am so looking forward to learning all that God has for me, and to get to know the people who He will place in my path! Since there are so many different parts of my trip, I've included a broad schedule below, along with prayer requests for each portion of my trip. There is so much that God has in store, but I know how desperately I will need your prayers.
May 6th-7th: Travel to Uganda
Pray for safe travels and smooth connections.
May 8th-9th: Observe a teacher training in an African context.
I will be observing a children's ministry teacher training run by a South African woman for a group of central African leaders. This will help me experience different learning styles, teaching styles, and cultural backgrounds and how they impact the training classroom.
Pray that God will bless the training and that I will learn well by observing how it is run.
May 10th: Uganda Missions Conference
Our BCM Uganda team is hosting a Missions conference for church, seminary, and ministry leaders from throughout Uganda. It is a reminder for ministry leaders to innovate and press-on in the Great Commission.
Pray that ministry leaders will fall in love with the God's kingdom and mission and will leave with renewed vision and refreshed spirits.
May 10th-May 11th: BCM Uganda Board Retreat
From the evening of the 10th until the evening of the 11th, our BCM Uganda Board of Directors will be meeting. During this meeting, I will be sharing about my vision for the Global Education Department, and give an overview of our vision, ministry, and upcoming projects.
Pray that I will be able to present my ministry in a clear and compelling way so that the Board of Uganda also sees the vision and need for accessible theological education around the world.
May 12th-13th: Ministry Leadership Training Think-Tank
I will be participating in a think-tank with several African leaders to think through the barriers that stop pastors and ministry leaders throughout Africa from receiving theological education, along with brainstorming how to remove those hurdles.
Pray for attentiveness to the Holy Spirit during these conversations.
Pray for cultural awareness and sensitivity in the midst of these discussions.
Pray for productive conversations that lead to the advancement of God's kingdom.
Pray that quality relationships will be established with these incredible BCM missionary leaders as we will be working together on these projects over several years.
May 14th-May 15th: Observe trainings in Ugandan Seminaries
The last day and a half of my trip will involve time within existing Ugandan seminaries. This will give me the opportunity to observe a training in a formal classroom environment.
Pray that I will learn and observe well, even though I will be tired by this point in the week.
May 15th-May 16th: Travel back to America
Pray for safe travels and smooth connections on my way home.
This schedule is still subject to change, as my hosts are still finalizing a few of the details for my time there, but this gives a general idea of what I will be doing each day of the trip. I'd be honored if you would pray me through it.
Prayers and Praises:
Partnership Development (Support-Raising):
Praise God that I am up to 23% funding! God has been faithfully bringing partners to be who are committed to pray and provide as I'm on this journey
Pray that God will continue to make His will clear throughout this process.
Pray that God will lead me to those He has planned for me to partner with.
Uganda Trip:
Pray for safe and simple travels for me and the other American teammates who will be going to Uganda.
Pray that I will build solid relationships with our BCM Uganda team and the African leaders who I will be working alongside of during the think tank.
Pray for cultural sensitivity and awareness as I will be working with leaders from a range of cultures.
Pray for attentiveness to the Holy Spirit's guidance during conversations.
Pray for productive conversations and experiences that can inform this upcoming curriculum project.
Family and Church:
Pray for my family as we grieve the loss of my grandmother, Sandy Barber.
Pray for gospel opportunities with the children and teens we work with at church.
Upcoming Trip Dates:
May 6th-May 16th--Kampala, Uganda
Current Support: 23% |
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