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FEBRUARY NEWSLETTER

February, 2008, Kampala, Uganda, Africa

The days seem to be melting away now as we have many tasks to complete before our departure by mid April. We leave for Johannesburg, South Africa, Feb. 24 for a meeting and Danny returns here on the 29th but I remain there to most probably have knee surgery. I have a torn meniscus and will be seeing a doctor March 3 and possible surgery. I might be there 3 weeks before surgery can be scheduled and then some recuperation and return. I have had a problem for 4 months, and not sure how it started, but this was unexpected so it has hastened our need to begin closing out the furnishings in our apt so that when I return we can have most of that behind us and can spend the latter days here visiting with our Uganda brothers and sisters.

We do keep wondering where these 3 years have gone? We can hardly imagine leaving Uganda and the dear friends we have made here. WE will sorely miss them. It has been a busy and challenging ministry and one for which we are so grateful.

We still are not completely sure about the next step in our journey but will continue on in the process with IMB to return to some job, perhaps still in Africa, if not Uganda. We are just open to where God leads us. WE are getting very anxious to see sweet Isaac, and of course our other family. He is growing quickly and beginning to crawl and has bottom teeth.

We went to Nairobi for a week of medical testing before some other training was to begin. We got good medical checkups overall and were so grateful that Danny’s prostate biopsy (6 of them) came back negative. We were to be in Nairobi for 3 weeks for Strategy Leader training but on the second day we were all advised that we must return to our countries because of the continuing conflicts in Kenya. There were riots, fighting and displacements very near the place where we were staying. Though we did not feel we were in any immediate danger, those in charge felt it was best to cancel the meeting and send us home. We do appreciate the care and concern that the IMB has for its people. We were disappointed to return but the leaders there also had much to deal with in their city. Things continue to be very critical in Kenya and they do need our continued prayers that peace may come. Please PRAY for the conflicts in Kenya and also for our many missionaries there.

We have had a wonderful team from Mount Zion Baptist Church, Alexandria, AL, working with us these past two weeks. They have been such a joy and have done a wonderful job. They were involved in some new work about 3 hours west of here, near Ft. Portal, and in their 3 days there, 150 folks gave their lives to Christ. Also, there were 3 new house churches born. PRAY for these new house groups. This is Mount Zion’s third year to come to Kampala and they have added so much to the ministry here and we appreciate them and their church for sending them. We have been so blessed with many wonderful volunteers who have come these past three years. They are such great helpers to reach out into the city and beyond and share Jesus with love and enthusiasm.

Manna Ministry, the food distribution program, started a new 6 month program in two areas this month and we are looking forward to seeing house churches born in these areas. We have been so blessed to be able to partner with them as they share food and we share the gospel at the distributions and see house churches and celebration points come to be. WE are blessed by Jimmy Barry and the men he represents who meet physical needs for about 400+ folks per month. Many folks are being saved through this program and that is their goal along with feeding hungry and dying people.

Thank you to so many who shared love and concern for Rose, our helper, whose house burned. She is doing well and is so grateful to God for the way that He has helped her and sustained her. She was so devastated with the loss but He has multiplied her blessings and she is doing well. And her faith has been a perpetual testimony of His grace and love.

In January, we welcomed Stephen (pronounced Stef-en) and Kaye Carson, Longview Point Baptist Church, Hernando, MS, to our team. And what can I say?????….Mississippians are just great folks!!!!! They are a young couple and had been to Uganda before as volunteers and felt God leading them to serve here at least 2 years. They are quickly becoming acclimated to the culture and are doing a great job loving the Ugandans. PRAY for Stephen and Kaye that they will adjust well and have the privilege to share Jesus with many people.

Thanks again for all your wonderful love and encouragement to us and we are looking forward to soon being able to see many of you when we return to the US. We will be hiding out some with Isaac so that his parents can’t find him but we will also be traveling some and look forward to crossing paths with many of you. We just are so grateful for the joy to have had you on this journey with us in prayer, love, financial support, love gifts, visits, emails and the list goes on. You are dear and precious to us.

Remember… it is your faithfulness to the Cooperative Program and the Lottie Moon Christmas Offering for International Missions that keeps folks like us and 5,000+ other missionaries in 130+ countries around the world, preaching the Gospel and sharing Jesus Christ with a lost world. Thank you.

Danny and Claudia

Our Visit to Kaabong

In northeastern Uganda lives a nomadic tribe, the Karamojong, who place greater value on cattle than on anything else. Carrying guns and fighting between sub-tribes mainly over their animals makes the region dangerous for missionaries, likeGeorgia and Jacob Reed. Oral Bible stories penetrate the hearts of the Karamojong and groups are forming. Ask God for Karamojong leaders who will leave their dependence on witch doctors and trust in God alone.

Claudia and I had the privilege of spending about 5 days with the Reeds. Kaabong is in the northeastern part of Uganda…. very dry and hot. Many times the Reeds leave in the early morning walking to a storying center some 10 to 15 miles away to teach and train others to tell the stories of the Bible. Kaabong is a very hard place to live… no electricity (except a windmill and batteries) … no water (expect from the bore hole)… no meat … no fresh fruit …no vegetables … But there is rice and beans…

Jacob and Georgia will be leaving Uganda in May to return to the states. Pray that God will raise up other to carry the gospel to this difficult area. Pray that the leaders they have trained will remain faithful.

Kaabong

For Christy

I had the opportunity to preach at Kalerwe this morning. It was a wonderful experience. I rode on back of the boda with Pastor Benin. The church was full. And God's Spirit filled the place.

Also "Little Christy" was there...

UPDATE POSTED

We've posted our January update at www.danny-claudia.org. The pictures are there. Sorry about the earlier problem. Claudia's Newsletter and changes on the first page. Enjoy.

Hope to blog about our trip to Kaabong in the Northeast later, but for now, check the website. Thanks.

If you are not on our mailing list and would like to be notified when we update, please send me an email at dannyh@pobox.com.

CHRISTMAS DAY

Pastor Benon and I were hit by a car as we were riding the BodaBoda last Friday, so Claudia and I didn't make it to church on Sunday. After being "stove-up" for a few days, we decided to go to church on Christmas Day. All the churches have church on Christmas Day. There were no carols or Christmas music BUT there was worship and thanksgiving for the coming of the Christ-child. Pastor Deo preached about the coming of Jesus. As we worshipped, I could not help but notice the guy in front of me. Baseball cap and all, he stood and ever humbly worshipped the living God. He wouldn't know all our "right" words, but I believe his heart was so pure before the Father. I just watched. He never grew weary. He never sat down. He never dropped his hands. His lips moved but I could hear no sound. He was just loving God! What a gift to the Father --Merry Christmas!

THE INDESCRIBABLE GIFT –

THE INDESCRIBABLE GIFT –
II Corinthians 9:15 – “Thanks be unto God for His indescribable GIFT.

At the age of 60, we left the pastorate of 40 years and moved to Kampala, Uganda, to share the gift of God’s love, Jesus Christ. Though our white skin was very obvious among millions of blacks and many cultural changes were confronted, we found a loving, welcoming, wonderful people as we walked streets seeking to start house churches under trees, in small courtyards, or in someone’s tiny room.

We felt Christmas would be celebrated differently and we would miss our family, our church and the traditions we loved so we tried to prepare ourselves for that. We had given up heavy gift exchanges 35 years ago and celebrated His birth by mostly giving to the Lottie Moon Christmas Offering for foreign missions. So it wasn’t the lack of gift exchanges that shocked us but it was the almost non-existent traditions of Christmas music, carols, cantatas and worship celebrations as we had known for so many years.

Christmas Sunday worship was just like the other 51 Sundays of the year. They sang the same Ugandan praise songs, with many repeated verses, shared testimonies, had lively drumming and dancing, clapping, greetings and preaching of the Word; all with no mention of the Advent of Christ. Wow, we did not like that!!!! How could they celebrate Christmas without singing “Silent Night” and preaching from Luke 2, or hanging red and green decorations? But they did!! Mamas with babies on their backs, mamas with suckling child and men and children all worshipped God with eyes closed, swaying with hands raised in praise and faces tilted upward with sweet smiles of adoration for their God.

“But Lord,” I asked, “How could they not sing carols? Why hasn’t somebody taught them the carols? They have MISSED so much by not knowing the music of Christmas!” I complained for several weeks. But each week the Ugandans continued to worship with just as much joy, exuberance, and praise as the week before. God revealed to me it was the Ugandans who were REALLY celebrating the birth of Christ. They celebrated it EVERY Sunday. Christmas wasn’t a time of pageants, huge Christmas gift exchanges or even cherished traditions but it was their focused joy in Christ. The ravages of war, HIV/AIDS, life in refugee camps for over 20 years and a short life span had taught them the True Meaning of Christmas. They knew that Life Everlasting is exactly what they had to celebrate and celebrate they were doing; both daily and weekly…not just one day a year. They knew the Inexpressible Gift that had been given to them through Jesus Christ, their Savior and Lord.

My wish is that all believers would worship with the pathos, sincerity and joy I have seen expressed in our dear precious Ugandan brothers and sisters for God’s Indescribable Gift. It is His Gift….not just a wish. Praise be unto God!!

Danny and Claudia Hood, Kampala, Uganda, Africa

Isaac's First Christmas

Neteete - It's wet!

I don't think I have ever been into Neteete when it wasn't wet! But the people turn out, not just those receiving food. They come... Muslims come... unbelievers come... they all come! And we have a good time. They hear the Gospel of Jesus. I love the children. We are doing animal sounds together. We have a fun time together. Come on over and join us.

Neteete Food Distribution

We partner with IMFC (International Missionaries for Christ), an NGO that seeks to meet the physical as well as the spiritual needs of our Ugandan friends. They distribute food and allow us to preach and plant churches along side of them. The young and the old hear the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Christmas for them will NOT include any gifts... there's no tree... no decorations... just another day. But they are so grateful to be alive. Pray that they will receive the greatest gift -- JESUS! Eternal life.

I want to tell you a story.

This story is from a book called the Bible. Men did not make up the Bible. It is the word of the Most High God. These stories are true and reliable because they are the words of the Most High God.

There is only one God, and He is the Most High God. The Most High God is more powerful than men and kingdoms. The Most High God is more powerful than other gods such as the money god, success god, or popularity god. He is also more powerful than idols made by men. The Most High God is the most powerful.

In the beginning the Most High God existed. The Most High God is the Creator. He created everything on earth and in heaven and is all-powerful over everything. His name is God.
When God began to create things, He just used His words. He spoke and everything came to being. He created angels to worship and serve Him. They were very beautiful.

God created everything in 6 days. [He created the sky, land, water, mountains, oceans, sun, moon, stars, all plant and animals. He created everything.] Finally, He created man according to His image. God created man to enjoy all that He has created. God created everything and saw that it was good.

God placed the man and woman in a beautiful garden to live. They had a very good relationship. He told them to take care of the garden and enjoy everything. He gave them a special command: they could eat from every tree in the garden except one. If they ate from that one tree, they would die. Man and woman listened to God and had a wonderful relationship with Him in the garden.

However, do you remember the angels God created? One of the angels was very smart and beautiful. This angel became very proud. He wanted to be like God and to have the other angels to worship him instead of God. Only God deserves all the worship and service. Therefore God cast the bad angel, Satan, and the other angels who listened to him out of heaven. These bad angels are known as demons.

One day, Satan tempted woman, named Eve, to eat the food from the tree that was forbidden. [Satan lied to the woman. He told Eve that if she ate of the tree, she would be just like the Most High God.] Eve listened to Satan and ate the fruit. Then she gave it to her husband, Adam, to eat. Both of them disobeyed God’s command. Disobeying God’s command is sin. God is righteous and holy. He must punish sin. God cast the man and the woman out of the garden, and their relationship with God was broken. Man and God were now separated forever.
Like Adam and Eve, all people since then have sinned by not listening to God’s commands and are separated from God. The result of sin is eternal death. We cannot live with God forever.

Over time, the number of people on earth multiplied. God loved them very much and wanted them to have a relationship with Him. He gave them 10 commandments to follow. Remember God is perfect and holy, so we must be perfect and holy to live with him. [The 10 commandments teach man how to relate to God and how to relate to people. Some of the commands were: do not worship other gods or make idols; honor your parents; do not lie, steal, murder or commit adultery.] However, no one was able to obey all of these commands. So, each time they sinned, God allowed them to repent of their sins and offer a blood sacrifice to take the place of their punishment. This sacrifice was shedding the blood of a perfect animal. If they would repent and offer the blood sacrifice, God would forgive them. Only by the shedding of blood can man’s sin be forgiven. However, man kept sinning and the sin sacrifice became a ritual rather than something from their heart. God became tired of the blood of animals. The shedding of animal’s blood was never sufficient to bring men back to God.

Remember that God loves man whom He created very much. He is angry that they disobey Him, and is sad that they cannot come back to Him. Therefore He gave man a perfect way to reconnect to Him.

God sent Jesus to show us the way back to Himself. Who is Jesus? Jesus is God’s son, His one and only son.

Jesus was a wise teacher. [Many people would come to hear Him teach about how they could return to God.]

Jesus was a powerful miracle worker.

Jesus calms the storm. [On one occasion, He was with some of His students crossing a large lake on a boat. It was late at night. While Jesus was sleeping, a powerful storm arose on the lake. Jesus’ students were very afraid. They awakened Jesus and said, “We are about to die!” Jesus rebuked the wind and said to the waves, “Quiet! Be still!” Immediately the wind and rained stopped.] Jesus’ power is greater than natural powers.

Jesus fed over 5,000 people. [On another occasion over 5,000 people came to listen to Jesus teach about God. When evening came they had not eaten and were hungry. Altogether they only had five loaves of bread and two fish. Jesus used the five loaves of bread and two fish to feed over 5,000 people.] Jesus’ power is able to satisfy man’s needs.

Jesus cured a demon-possessed man. [Another time, Jesus saw a man with many demons inside him. The man was very powerful and dangerous. Jesus loved the man and cast the demons out of him.] Jesus is more powerful than demons.

Jesus raised the dead. [Jesus’ good friend became sick and died. Jesus was not with him. Four days later Jesus arrived at His friend’s house. Jesus felt very sad. His friend was already in the tomb. Jesus went to the front of the tomb and said, “Friend, come out.” His friend was resurrected. He walked out of the tomb alive!] Jesus’ power is greater than death.

Jesus was the good shepherd. He loves and cares for people.

Jesus was perfect. He never sinned.

Jesus was the Lamb of God.

People loved Jesus. However, some leaders were jealous of Jesus. These men grabbed Jesus and decided to kill Him. They placed Jesus on a cross. A cross is made from two large pieces of wood formed together in the shape of a large cross. They took His hands and His feet and nailed them to the cross. His precious blood flowed from His hands, feet and body. Jesus suffered much pain on the cross.

Jesus is the perfect sacrifice. Jesus was perfect and did not deserve to die. Instead, Jesus died for all mankind. God loves us and allowed Jesus to die on the cross in our place. Only through the shedding of Jesus’ precious blood was God able to forgive our sin. Jesus death demonstrates God’s love towards us. However this story doesn’t end here. On the third day Jesus rose from the dead!

[Before His crucifixion, Jesus told a story to his followers about a father and his sons.]
The father had two sons. The younger one said to his father, “Father, give me my share of the inheritance.” So he divided his property between them. The younger son got together all he had, set off for a distant country and there squandered his wealth in wild living.

After he had spent everything, he began to be in need. So he went and hired himself out to a citizen of that country, who sent him to his fields to feed pigs. He longed to fill his stomach with the pods that the pigs were eating, but no one gave him anything.

When he came to his senses, he said, “How many of my father's hired men have food to spare, and here I am starving to death! I will set out and go back to my father and say to him: ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son; make me like one of your hired men.'”

So he got up and went to his father. But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion for him. He ran to his son, threw his arms around him and kissed him. The son said to him, “Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son.”

But the father said to his servants, “Quick! Bring the best robe and put it on him. Put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet. Bring the fattened calf and kill it. Let's have a feast and celebrate. For this son of mine was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.” So they began to celebrate.

We are all like the younger son. We all have left God and are forever separated from Him. We all must repent and return to God. Jesus can lead us back to God’s side. Jesus said, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.”
We must go through Jesus to return to God. How can we go through Jesus? You must believe in your heart and with your mouth confess that Jesus is Lord. Do you want to go through Jesus and return to God’s side?

Through Jesus your relationship with God can be restored. Do you want to go through Jesus to return to God’s side?

If you want to, you must believe in your heart and confess, “I have sinned. I have left God. Jesus is the perfect sacrifice for my sin. I believe and trust in Jesus. I want to repent and allow Jesus to lead me back to God.”

Now your relationship with God is restored.

I know you care about your family. God is waiting for your whole family to believe in Him. Go home and tell your family and friends this good news. God loves them too!

Merry Christmas

Things have been a bit hectic. We have sent Christmas emails. Hope you received yours. If you are not on our mailing list and would like to be, please contact us at dannyh@pobox.com .

We do wish each of you a Merry Christmas. Christmas may not be celebrated the same way year after year but it’s still Christmas – the Birthday of the King. Claudia and I want to take this opportunity to wish each of you a Merry Christmas and to thank you being a part of faithfully giving to our Lord that the ends of the earth may know that Jesus, alone, is the Way, the Truth, and the Life. Your giving to missions through the Cooperative Program and the Lottie Moon Christmas Offerings for International Missions keeps more than 5,000 missionaries in over a 130 countries telling the story of Christmas – Immanuel, God with us. Thank you and may you enjoy a blessed Christmas.

Merry Christmas!

Isaac surprised Jason at work!
Isaac sleeping with a smile!



















Isaac and Tim decorating the tree.
Isaac looks like his mom!

December Newsletter

December, 2007, Kampala, Uganda, Africa

It is hard to believe that I am writing the word, December. How quickly this year has passed and we are so grateful for the health and challenges we have experienced and look forward to once again celebrating the birth of our Lord. We are even seeing some red and green items of decoration in a few stores. The decorations of Uganda are not quite the American ones so it rings a happy note to see some red and green. I even have a small tree with more lights than tree, but am enjoying it....and it took only 15 minutes to decorate. Ha.

We traveled about 4 hours to Mbarara to celebrate Thanksgiving with the other missionaries serving in Uganda and Rwanda. Many of our missionary family are on stateside but we had 41 folks there and even had turkey and dressing…and someone had come with cranberry sauce with the whole cranberries. We had a wonderful few days of sharing and had extensive prayer times in solitude and with other missionaries. It was a time of rich encouragement and fun. PRAY for the Great Lakes Cluster of missionaries.

Our church, Kathleen Baptist, generously gave money, after hearing a burden that God had laid on the heart of Charlie and Garnett during their visit here, to buy bodas (small motorbikes) for two of our house church pastors. The money flowed in one night and before we knew it, we were able to purchase them. They were not given to the persons individually but to the Manna Ministry project and are then shared by the pastors and other leaders. It makes such a difference in their travel all over the city to various house churches. Travel here is by taxi, which is time consuming and not cheap, or going many miles by foot-which many of our leaders do, or riding a boda which is quite expensive. So this gift for the purchase of 2 bodas is such a blessing to our leaders. Thank you, precious church family, for your generosity. What a blessing you are. PRAY for the safety of our leaders as they travel on them that they may arrive quickly; but also safely. And PRAY that the work may grow stronger because they can go to more areas in a day.

We traveled to Kitgum, in northern Uganda, to help find housing for the transfer of one of our missionaries, Evert Tackett, to work there. Kitgum is a small town situated in the heart of the Internally Displaced Persons’ camps. These camps are many and the huts within them house hundreds of displaced persons. I have shared about this in other updates. Evert became burdened about this area and has not been able to put it to rest though he came to Uganda to do a completely different job with volunteers. We know no one with a more evangelistic heart than Evert. If you stand still, you will hear the gospel. We are so proud of him but we miss him very much. He is a real friend and encourager to us. PRAY for this new direction for him.

Our friends, Jim and Sherry, visited us for 10 short days this month. They served with us in our first years at Kathleen Baptist. They left after about 12 years to work in East Asia. We enjoyed every minute of our visit and were able to share our work with them and also to show them our beautiful game park….giraffes and elephants. We talked for hours and caught up on years of separation. PRAY for Jim and Sherry’s work. It is strategic.

There is an Ebola outbreak in the far western side of Uganda at the Congo border. It has certainly brought concern to Uganda and there have been several deaths. PRAY that these concerns can be handled with wisdom and that the virus can be controlled. At this point we do not feel endangered but with travel throughout Uganda, we, or some of our missionaries, or Ugandans we know could be confronted with it.

We just received word that one of our Newtwork Pastors, Paul died last night. He had AIDS and TB. Please pray for his family and the house churches in Gulu.

Yes, yes we are missing sweet Isaac and the pictures of him grow dearer. It is not so much that it is Christmas that makes us miss him, but just that we want to love and squeeze on him. He looks like a ball of love. And we also miss Jason and Janet/Timothy. We are so proud of them and the love we share and are grateful for computer contact…though often it is sluggish with our dial-up system.

In closing, we are mindful again that this is the season for the Lottie Moon Christmas Offering for Foreign Missions. It would take pages to explain the many ways this Offering is used for so many ministries and needs of missionaries on the field. We are blessed on the field by this Offering and we ask again that you pray about what God would have you give through the Offering to support over 5,000+ international missionaries. We give hundreds of dollars of gifts to others and forget the ONE whose birthday we are really celebrating. The Offering is a tangible way to give unto Him that His kingdom might be enlarged through His work in the lives of these missionaries.

With our love to each of you and our gratitude for your love for us.

MERRY CHRISTMAS

DANNY AND CLAUDIA

“Thanks be to God for His indescribable GIFT, The Lord Jesus Christ.”
II Cor. 9:15