Bruce and Michael

Christmas 2010 through 2011

"Let's celebrate this blissful New year. Merry X-mass."

Bruce Basirika to Sean Gregory

Reply from Bruce Basirika Lutwama, Sounds of Hope Youth Group, Uganda

Hi Sean,

It is hot and dusty from here. The weather is too hot and many crops are dying of thirst. Water is being sold expensively here as wells and dams are drying up. You can imagine that kind of hotness. You being part of fundraising team for needy gives courage that you feel the responsibility of making the needy happy. Some people do not feel it at all and end up thinking about themselves only. How is Kevin? I pray your dream of volunteering in a hospital comes to reality. I can as well extend my invitation to come and volunteer at Sounds Of Hope Children and Youth Centre in the school called Angels of Hope Junior School which for orphans in the area. Do you have many people who want to volunteer in Africa from your area?

I look forward to hear from you again.

Bruce

Reply from Sean Gregory, Christians Under the Stairs, Deer Park, N.Y., U.S.A.

April 2011

Dear Bruce,

I got your letter telling about the crops dying from lack of water. I sincerely hope and pray that rain comes to your area soon.

I have not yet started volunteer work in the hospital. I changed jobs and have been concentrating on spending a great amount of time doing the best job I can for my new boss. I do realize I need to go back to college, too, and get a degree.

In your letter you asked about my friend Kevin. He's doing well and is doing wonderful things with the church choir (a group of men and women that sing special songs each week in church). He plays many instruments such as the piano, trumpet, and flute. He showed me how to play his djembe and left it here at my house.

Those volunteers at the Sounds of Hope organization you mentioned must be very caring people. I've only known of a few individuals that have volunteered in Africa. One of them helped build a church. The C.U.T.S. will soon be going into New York City to feed some of the homeless and needy people from the area. I'm looking forward to going with them.

Best wishes,

Sean

Correspondence March 2010 through December 2010

My name is Bruce Basirika Lutwama. I am 18 years old and a member of the Sounds of Hope youth program in Uganda. I am fortunate. Though I live with parents and brothers and sisters, I have my own room. I have to walk 3 kilometers five days a week to and from school. At home I have to help out with cleaning our home, washing clothes and fetching water for my family. I really enjoy playing football (soccer) and watching films. I attend church regularly with my family and my favorite verse is John 3:16, "For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son that, whosoever believes in him, will not perish but will have everlasting life." I hope to grow up to be a lawyer.

Reply from Michael Gebhardt, Christians Under the Stairs, Deer Park, New York, USA

" Dear Bruce ... my name is Michael. I am 16 years old and a junior in high school. Playing football and soccer is one of my favorite things to do. I soon want to go off to college and become a lawyer like you.

What I like about youth group is that I meet friends from other towns and schools on Sunday nights at our programs. I have made many friends outside of those from school through youth group.

Since you shared your favorite hymn with me, let me do the same. Mine is a Christmas carol: Silent Night.

Frank, Vito, Dennis, Arindam, Mike

Best of luck with your future."

Reply from Bruce Basirika Lutwama, Sounds of Hope Youth Group, Uganda

Dear Micheal,

I enjoy having friends and meeting them as well. So when I got news that I had got a friend from USA it sounded so humbling to me and more so a friend through Bible Pen pal which is very new in our youth program I think world wide. Being a son of a pastor, I need very much to share about our Christian life and other things as well. Taking readings in church every Sunday gives special spiritual pleasure to me. My dad is Rev.Davis and my mom is Joyce. My dad is a pastor as well as a head teacher in our school.

My most enjoyed subjects are History, Geography, Art, Food and nutrition, English, computer science and Biology.

Your friend, Bruce

Comment and Challenge from Lindsay Ullmann, United Kingdom

Hi ... my name is Lindsay Ullmann. I started to write poetry when I was your age and it helped me to learn more about myself as a person. I grew to understand that I had to search to just find myself . I am in my 20's and now am a professional songwriter and singer. So if we turn our thoughts around into something positive we can accomplish almost anything - through creativity and spirituality.

Bruce and Michael, do you feel that you have had a wake up call in life like I had through poetry, when I was your age? If so, would you care to share? Would you agree that creativity and spirituality can help us and also those around us?

Reply from Sean Gregory, Christians Under the Stairs, Deer Park, New York, USA

Dear Bruce

My name is Sean and I am now 21 years old. I live at home with my parents and one of my brothers. I was a member of my church's youth group from the time I was twelve years old until I graduated from high school at age eighteen. I always enjoyed the people and making new friends. Even now I still stop by occasionally to see what is going on.

The many activities and challenges we did helped us grow closer and also grow in our spirituality. One event that meant a lot to me was to team up with an organization on Long Island and drive into New York City to feed the homeless people.

I'm working full time now and just started a new job. I've had to work on most Sundays, but when I am not working I like to attend church.

Music has always been important to me. I'm not the best singer but I like to try to sing when I am playing the banjo. When I was in high school, I was a member of a band. We had a couple of guitar players, a singer and I played the drums. We performed at various places and played for the youth group one time. We wrote our own songs and recorded a CD. I enjoyed the creativity of coming up with lyrics and putting them into a musical arrangement.

You mentioned your favorite Bible verse. I do not really have a favorite Bible verse but I have a favorite hymn. It is "Here I am Lord". I like when the choir of our church sings it too. In your letter you said that you like to play soccer. I was never a good player but I love watching it on television. Are you following the World Cup? There have been some awesome games. I can do without the constant sound of the horns though!

You also mentioned that you would like to be a lawyer. What king of law interests you?

Take care,

Sean

Reply from Bruce Basirika Lutwama, Sounds of Hope Youth Group, Uganda

Dear Sean,

Am joyful we are friends and you carried out some practice in Music and playing musical instruments in your times. Am also living with my parents and my school is just few meters from my home. Writing and recording some music is not cheap here and I must say you great guys if you wrote and recorded a CD.I have not yet got to know of any king of law that interests but I will let you know of one in case I get to know him/her. I followed the world cup . I was a supporter of African teams though they never made to the final stage.

Your friend,

Bruce

Reply from Sean Gregory, Christians Under the Stairs, Deer Park, New York, USA

Hi Christopher,

Greetings from Long Island, New York! The weather here is now getting colder; in fact we got 18 inches of snow at our church two days ago. We completed our holiday of Thanksgiving a few weeks ago. Schools and businesses are closed that day and people travel for distances to be with family and friends. We do the same thing on Christmas Day.

Thanksgiving is about family and giving thanks to God for all of his blessings. We usually have turkey for our meal at Thanksgiving. Before we eat our family takes turns to say what they are thankful to God for. The turkey tradition was started by our ancestors that came to this country in the 1600's. I have been told that many in your country think there are no needy people here in the U.S. However, the need is great. In the weeks prior to Thanksgiving there are food collections in churches, schools and communitites for those who cannot afford to buy groceries. My mom is one of several teachers in her school that have brought a turkey for the needy families in her school. This way they can feed their families a Thanksgiving dinner. Students from the local school have come around to our house to collect donations of food that will be distributed in time for the holiday to needy families in the area. I recently traveled to New York City with the organization Hope for the Future. The C.U.T.S. youth group from Deer Park works with this group to give out food to the homeless people in the area of New York City. This is one of the activities that I liked best when I was in youth group.

I spend a lot of time working with my job. I get to meet and talk to people from all different places. I also plan on volunteering at a hospital in the area. I am not sure what I will do but I want to help in some way. I have much to be thankful for and would like to give back in any way that I can.

I like to play the banjo and the drums and I like to sing. Recently I started a new band with my friend Kevin from our church. We were both members of the youth group a few years ago while we were in high school and we still visit during some of the group's special events.

Until next time.

Yours in Christ

Sean

Would you like to become another Bible Penpal with Bruce or Michael ? Send them a note and/or answer Lindsay's question by writing a note to our website e-mail : timferguson@christianyouthgroup.org. Your thoughts will be included on this webpage. Bruce, Michael and Lindsay will be notified that you have written.