DLM Newsletter - May 2026
- 3 days ago
- 7 min read
May has been a busy month here in Uganda!
MISSION TEAM - May 15 - 22
What a blessing to host Curt Deal, Halli Deal, Ashley, and Mama for an eight-day trip this month. After leaving Atlanta on Thursday afternoon, May 14th, the team finally arrived in Entebbe, Uganda, on Friday, May 15th, around 10:30 p.m. After a three-and-a-half-hour drive to the DLM property (Friday night jam/traffic was insane), we settled in for a short night’s rest.
We enjoyed a late breakfast on Saturday morning before touring the property and checking out the school buildings. After a quick lunch, we ventured off the property and up the beaten path to Mama Dora’s house for DLM’s Saturday Bible Study in the village. We were met by several children who escorted us to Mama Dora's house, of course, hand in hand all the way! As always, we had a room full of children, ranging from 1-year-olds to 14-year-olds. The Gospel is always shared! On our way back home, our new visitors experienced a trip to the borehole.
Later that afternoon, we met up with the construction team on the pitch (soccer field). I have been sharing the Gospel with this group for some time now. The agreement is that they can play with the soccer ball for some recreational time, but we have to review the Gospel first. It's a win-win!!!
On Sunday morning, the team and I headed out to Kampala around 5:00 a.m. First stop, La Pâtisserie Restaurant, for a delicious breakfast buffet. Our next stop was to pick up Mama Fab and meet the driver and two sponsor boys for church at 10:00 a.m. I did not have Kabowa Bible Study because the students were on holiday. However, our new visitors (Curt and Halli) were able to tour the Jeholand Schools Kabowa, where our primary students attend, AND meet their sponsor child, his father, and his sister. This experience was priceless to witness!
Off to Arena Mall for some grocery shopping at Carrefour and a mid-afternoon snack at Caffesserie. Our final stop was the Ndere Cultural Centre for a Ugandan cultural show and dinner buffet. What a great day! I believe the team enjoyed sightseeing throughout the day as we traveled to Kampala and around the city, despite the crazy jam (traffic). We reached home shortly before midnight!
Mr. Curt is the first male volunteer to visit since I moved to the village. The construction team loved having him around because he helped with the construction work. On Monday, he joined the construction team and began working on a project to build two sets of steps for the first classroom block. The team insisted that if Curt worked with them, he had to eat with them. He accepted and was introduced to posho and beans.
The rest of the team and I unpacked boxes of groceries and household items that I had requested Mama to bring. We also spent time tweaking the itinerary for the upcoming Secondary Retreat for Senior 2 kids.
In the late afternoon, we walked to Mama Dora’s to see the children.
Tuesday was a day of sightseeing around the nearby villages and towns, with a stop at the equator. Riding the dirt roads and seeing everyday life in the village was exciting for the team. We visited Masiko Primary School, the local government school, where I volunteer. A visit to the equator for shopping (many shops for tourists), lunch at Equator Restaurant, and a demonstration of how water spirals down a drain funnel on the equator and on the Northern and Southern Hemispheres was enjoyed by all. Our final stop was for coffee at a nearby coffee shop called Endiro Coffee. Later that afternoon, we walked to Mama Dora’s to see the children again.
Wednesday was a full day of cleaning in preparation for the upcoming Secondary Retreat for our Senior 2 kids. The Administration Building needed a deep cleaning that included windows, burglars, doors, floors, and four bathrooms. This was a huge undertaking as painters and carpenters had recently finished their work. After a short lunch break, we cleaned the building where the kids would bathe and sleep while on the property, attending the retreat.
Mr. Curt spent his Wednesday afternoon with the construction team completing several tasks to finish the concrete floors in a couple of the classrooms in the first block. He also slipped away Thursday morning to continue his work. By the end of the week, he had earned the title, “Expert”. The construction team really enjoyed having him join them!
Meals prepared and eaten at home included Parmesan chicken with spaghetti noodles and marinara; soft-shelled beef tacos and the fixings; pan-seared steak, mashed potatoes, tossed salad and fried okra (both from my garden); breakfast of scrambled eggs, English bacon, toast, fruit, and juice; homemade chicken salad and crackers; Ugandan rice and beans and baked chicken; and PB&J sandwiches with crisps (potato chips). Many of the items were brought from the US because they are either not found here or are imported and very expensive.
SECONDARY RETREAT for SENIOR 2 STUDENTS
Our first Secondary Retreat for Senior 3 and 4 kids was held in January. We held our second Secondary Retreat for Senior 2 kids this week. On Thursday, the kids arrived around 1:00 p.m. They were served lunch, and activities began soon after with a Bible Trivia assignment. Deacon Mark, from my church in Kampala, came out and shared an encouraging message from Psalm 1. We put the kids into groups to solve “Escape from Jigsaw Island” by Escape Room Geeks. Brian shared some tips on making plans after secondary school and on interviewing for jobs. Mama Fab cooked pilau (a rice with onions) for our dinner, and we all enjoyed it.
On Friday morning, Brian, Mr. Curt, and the boys found a ripe cassava plant and dug several roots needed for our dinner. To start our morning, I shared a devotion reminding them that true success in life is being faithful to the Lord, not all the accomplishments so highly valued here in Uganda. May God work in their hearts and save and sanctify them. After tea and bread, we began the mock job interviews to help prepare them for after secondary school. The mission team interacted with the other kids as they played card games, jumped rope, played soccer, and enjoyed the beauty of the property. Mama Fab prepared Katogo (cassava root and beans) for lunch. We put the kids into different groups to solve “Wooka Booka Island” by Escape Room Geeks. Later that afternoon, the kids played keep-away; I even joined in on the fun! After a dinner of leftovers and stewed beef, each kid roasted a marshmallow and made a small s'more.
The kids, the mission team, and I had so much fun during the retreat. I'm thankful the team was around to help during that time.
We were up by 7:00 a.m. on Saturday to say goodbye to the kids and Mama Fab before they left for Kampala. Not long after, the team and I headed out for Endiro Coffee, which is about 20 minutes from the ministry home. We enjoyed a delicious meal and sampled many desserts at Mediterraneo Restaurant before heading to Entebbe for the team’s departure. Living two hours from the capital, I must plan for grocery shopping. We made one final stop at the mall in Entebbe to buy groceries, and then off to the Entebbe airport, where Brian and I said goodbye to the team.
I am so thankful for the team and all they helped me accomplish this week. I thank Brian for being such a vital part of this ministry, and Mama Fab for her assistance with the Educational Sponsorship Program.
Email me at info@delightinthelordministries.org if you are interested in a mission trip to Uganda.
BRICK BY BRICK CAPITAL CAMPAIGN
The construction team has been hard at work. The electrical team installed lights in the first classroom block so the team could see it lit up when they arrived. The fabricators have been on-site framing out windows and doors for the classroom blocks. The first classroom block now has doors and windows and a coat of interior and exterior primer, and it will soon welcome little ones to the Delight in the Lord Pre-Primary Day School! Glory to God! The roofing for the second block is finished. The second block will soon have windows and doors, too!
We thank God for His many Blessings!!!
What a wonderful time for the construction team to have Curt Deal on the ground and working with them for a short time. They continue to make great progress with the two classroom blocks.
Just before the team arrived, we needed $22,672.14 to reach our Brick by Brick Capital Campaign goal. When Mama reached home on Sunday, May 23, she sorted through the DLM mail. All were monthly partners except one. Inside that envelope was a check for $22,850.00! Wow! The beauty of this donation is that it is from a first-time giver who knew DLM but was not aware of the building program, and it helped us reach our goal of $184,000! Praise Him! Only God!!!! The Lord has surely blessed DLM with the funds to continue the building of the school! We shall finish the two classroom blocks in 2026!
OUR BRICK BY BRICK CAPITAL CAMPAIGN GOAL
of $184,000 has been REACHED!!!
Glory to God Alone!
Future donations to the building program will be used to build a retaining wall behind the two classroom blocks which is necessary to prevent erosion and damage to the foundation of the buildings. We also must build student latrines. There are many landscaping projects that need to be done on the 17-acre compound as we prepare to start the Pre-Primary Section in 2027.
Cierra Crowe, Founder and Director of Missions
Ashley Crowe, Executive Director
Lisa N. Crowe, Administrative Director
Delight in the Lord Ministries Board of Directors
Delight in the Lord Ministries, Inc.
P. O. Box 183
Brooklet, GA 30415
Website: www.delightinthelordministries.org
(912) 531-6675
Pictures are wonderful--making smile with each. Curt and Halle looked right at home, didn't they? Such outstanding Christians and their family. What a GREAT blessing to have received the necessary funds to complete classrooms. Surely A GOD WINK wasn't it. Continue the great work that God has given you and brought you to this day. Much love to all!! KK 😍