Walking with God in 2019

Dr. John LaNoue • February 11, 2019
A poster for amigos mission in motion shows a girl holding a cup

 

It is Valentine Day and do I have “A Love Story”!

 

A black and white photo of a bride and groom on their wedding day

It was September 25 th , my 20 th birthday. Due to an injury, I was not traveling with the football team on that Saturday. I was trying to find the game on the radio in the Baptist Student Union, when a friend from my hometown joined me.

Lorella was a strong Christian, so the conversation turned to the Lord, His work, our experiences seeking and following His will for our lives. As we shared testimonies of how we had experienced His leadership, I told her about my off- campus activities. I was pastoring two small half-time churches in a rural area, and preaching as an interim pastor at a Black Baptist Church on Friday nights.

I realized being a single pastor had its dangers and pressures! The matchmakers in the congregations were having a heyday trying to find me a wife from the singles in the church!

I started praying for God’s will in my search for a wife. I had stopped dating for at least three months because I was convinced that God would bring the one I needed to me. My seeking the one had not been fruitful. I told God what kind of mate I wanted, I even gave Him the dimensions!

 

I told myfriend about my dilemma, and that I was wasting my time dating until I foundsomeone who was called to the ministry as a preacher’s wife.

 

 

She said shehad to run some errands, but for me to stay because she would like to continueour discussion later.

 

 

When shereturned, she brought her two roommates. One was a curly haired cutie who wasmiss personality. The other was very quiet, had Vaseline on her face, and hereyelashes and bangs were singed. She was the exhibitionist twirler and hadgotten too close to two fire batons.

 

She sprained her ankle marching in a parade on Monday. I got permission to tape her ankle, carry her down stairs, and help her to class.

 

WE starteddating and every date ended with a Bible study or a prayer meeting. I was a hotblooded Cajun, but God told me to keep my hands off because she was Hisproperty! Three weeks later she answered God’s call to be a pastor’s wife in achurch service. I asked God if this was the one? He gave me the affirmation!

 

That night, I asked her to marry me! We found each other through the will of God as an answer to prayer.

 

She said,“yes!” !!! Then I kissed her for the first time!

 

A man and woman are posing for a picture in front of a wreath.
A man and a woman are sitting at a table eating food

We had known each other three weeks and we married two months later! Since we both were from broken homes, we did not have a good example to follow, but since God created the family we used the Bible as our marriage manual.

 

We have beenmarried 64 years and 6 weeks, so its working extremely well!

 

 

Oh, by the way, I still remember those warm lips and that precious first kiss like it just happened!

 

By Michael Ryer June 9, 2026
A Pentecost outreach by Pastor Abogasti became the founding of Mwakalundi Baptist Church — 80 baptized believers, first worship under a tree, in Tanzania.
By Victor Phiri June 1, 2026
By Warren Olgado May 25, 2026
In a small rural village in Tanzania, a man sits quietly outside his home. His body is thin. His shoulders are tired. And rising from his back is a painful tumor that has slowly stolen nearly everything from him. His name is Zakaria. For years, Zakaria worked as a boda boda driver, carrying passengers from village to village on his motorcycle. In East Africa, a boda boda is more than transportation. For many families, it is survival. Every ride meant food. Every mile meant provision. Every long day on rough roads meant another opportunity to care for his wife and continue moving forward. But suffering often enters quietly. What began as a hitching pain in Zakaria’s back slowly became swelling. At first, it was manageable. Like many men trying to provide for their families, he pushed through the discomfort and kept working. But the pain continued. The swelling grew. And over time, the tumor became impossible to ignore. Today, Zakaria lives with constant pain and uncertainty. The disease has robbed him of strength, dignity, income, and peace. The motorcycle he once depended on has already been sold in a desperate attempt to find healing. And yet, in the middle of suffering, something unexpected happened. Hope arrived.
By Michael Ryer May 20, 2026
In many parts of the world, turning on a faucet is so ordinary that it barely deserves a second thought. A glass fills. A child drinks. A mother does the dishes. A shower runs before work or school. Clean water is simply there. In Northern Uganda, that reality still feels distant for thousands of families. In many villages scattered across rural East Africa, water is not found in a kitchen sink or flowing from pipes beneath the ground. It is carried in yellow jerrycans across dusty roads and narrow footpaths. It is gathered from muddy ponds, shallow holes carved into the earth, or stagnant pools shared with livestock. Sometimes it is brown. Sometimes it smells foul. Sometimes it makes children sick. For families with no other option, it is all they have. The water crisis in East Africa is not only about thirst. It affects health, education, safety, opportunity, and dignity. It shapes how children spend their mornings and how mothers spend their days. It determines whether girls attend school consistently or remain trapped in long daily walks carrying heavy containers of water under the scorching sun. At Amigos Internacionales, this reality is not theoretical. Staff and partners have sat beside families in remote villages. They have watched children scoop water from contaminated pits after rainfall. They have seen entire communities transformed when clean water finally arrived. That transformation is why water remains one of the most urgent and powerful parts of the MissionPoint model across Northern Uganda.
By Michael Ryer May 13, 2026
For seventeen years, Bridgette has carried a burden no child should ever bear. What started as a small red spot on her face when she was just a baby grew into a massive vascular tumor that doctors across Uganda refused to operate on. Too risky, they said. The tumor could bleed too much. She might not survive. Come back when she's older. Come back when it's smaller. Come back, come back, come back. Bridgette and her mother, Rose, heard "no" for seventeen years. But today, something has finally changed. Bridgette is now on medication that is actively shrinking her tumor. Dr. Paul Mulyamboga, Amigos Internacionales' Director of Medical Services and founder of Doctors on Mission, is monitoring her progress. When the tumor reaches an operable size, he will refer her to Mulago National Referral Hospital in Kampala for the vascular surgery that could change her life. There's just one problem: surgery can only happen if the funding is already in place . If we don't raise $12,000 before Bridgette's tumor is ready for surgery, she will have to wait again. And after seventeen years of waiting, we cannot let that happen. How It Started — A Small Red Spot
Rwottwero Godfrey before and after cleft lip surgery — Bethel Smile program, Amigos Internacionales
By Amigos Internacionales April 30, 2026
Baby Godfrey couldn't eat without pain. His family couldn't afford surgery. The Bethel Smile program gave him free cleft lip surgery at 4 months old.
MissionPoint Burundi free medical camp in Gisuru, doctors treating patients
By Amigos Internacionales April 28, 2026
Inside the Gisuru medical camp in Burundi — surgeries, eye care, and spiritual ministry delivered by volunteer doctors. See the full impact report from 2025.
Two people beside a wheelchair outside, with a child seated at a small desk in a grassy outdoor area.
By Amigos Internacionales April 27, 2026
East Texas journalist Jennifer Scott traveled to East Africa to cover Amigos Internacionales. Read the full Tyler Morning Telegraph feature from April 2026.
By Amigos Internacionales April 13, 2026
Learn how church missions in Africa, through partnerships with Amigos Internacionales, can bring lasting change to communities in need. Get involved in education, healthcare, and development projects.
By Amigos Internacionales April 9, 2026
Discover the resilience of refugees in Northern Uganda and how Amigos Internacionales is providing medical care, education, and empowerment to help rebuild lives.
People stand near the ruins of a collapsed brick building in a grassy, mountainous area.
By Victor Phiri April 4, 2026
Deadly floods and landslides have displaced families in Malawi’s Mulanje and Phalombe districts, leaving them without shelter or food. Learn how emergency tents and food relief can bring hope—and how you can help today.
A collapsed building with twisted metal roofing, wooden debris, and scattered bricks in a rural, open-field setting.
By Victor Phiri April 1, 2026
Missionpoint Malawi aids flood victims in Mulanje & Phalombe. Help us provide food & support to families in need. Join our efforts today!
More Posts

Social Media

By Michael Ryer June 9, 2026
A Pentecost outreach by Pastor Abogasti became the founding of Mwakalundi Baptist Church — 80 baptized believers, first worship under a tree, in Tanzania.
By Victor Phiri June 1, 2026
By Warren Olgado May 25, 2026
In a small rural village in Tanzania, a man sits quietly outside his home. His body is thin. His shoulders are tired. And rising from his back is a painful tumor that has slowly stolen nearly everything from him. His name is Zakaria. For years, Zakaria worked as a boda boda driver, carrying passengers from village to village on his motorcycle. In East Africa, a boda boda is more than transportation. For many families, it is survival. Every ride meant food. Every mile meant provision. Every long day on rough roads meant another opportunity to care for his wife and continue moving forward. But suffering often enters quietly. What began as a hitching pain in Zakaria’s back slowly became swelling. At first, it was manageable. Like many men trying to provide for their families, he pushed through the discomfort and kept working. But the pain continued. The swelling grew. And over time, the tumor became impossible to ignore. Today, Zakaria lives with constant pain and uncertainty. The disease has robbed him of strength, dignity, income, and peace. The motorcycle he once depended on has already been sold in a desperate attempt to find healing. And yet, in the middle of suffering, something unexpected happened. Hope arrived.
By Michael Ryer May 20, 2026
In many parts of the world, turning on a faucet is so ordinary that it barely deserves a second thought. A glass fills. A child drinks. A mother does the dishes. A shower runs before work or school. Clean water is simply there. In Northern Uganda, that reality still feels distant for thousands of families. In many villages scattered across rural East Africa, water is not found in a kitchen sink or flowing from pipes beneath the ground. It is carried in yellow jerrycans across dusty roads and narrow footpaths. It is gathered from muddy ponds, shallow holes carved into the earth, or stagnant pools shared with livestock. Sometimes it is brown. Sometimes it smells foul. Sometimes it makes children sick. For families with no other option, it is all they have. The water crisis in East Africa is not only about thirst. It affects health, education, safety, opportunity, and dignity. It shapes how children spend their mornings and how mothers spend their days. It determines whether girls attend school consistently or remain trapped in long daily walks carrying heavy containers of water under the scorching sun. At Amigos Internacionales, this reality is not theoretical. Staff and partners have sat beside families in remote villages. They have watched children scoop water from contaminated pits after rainfall. They have seen entire communities transformed when clean water finally arrived. That transformation is why water remains one of the most urgent and powerful parts of the MissionPoint model across Northern Uganda.
By Michael Ryer May 13, 2026
For seventeen years, Bridgette has carried a burden no child should ever bear. What started as a small red spot on her face when she was just a baby grew into a massive vascular tumor that doctors across Uganda refused to operate on. Too risky, they said. The tumor could bleed too much. She might not survive. Come back when she's older. Come back when it's smaller. Come back, come back, come back. Bridgette and her mother, Rose, heard "no" for seventeen years. But today, something has finally changed. Bridgette is now on medication that is actively shrinking her tumor. Dr. Paul Mulyamboga, Amigos Internacionales' Director of Medical Services and founder of Doctors on Mission, is monitoring her progress. When the tumor reaches an operable size, he will refer her to Mulago National Referral Hospital in Kampala for the vascular surgery that could change her life. There's just one problem: surgery can only happen if the funding is already in place . If we don't raise $12,000 before Bridgette's tumor is ready for surgery, she will have to wait again. And after seventeen years of waiting, we cannot let that happen. How It Started — A Small Red Spot
Rwottwero Godfrey before and after cleft lip surgery — Bethel Smile program, Amigos Internacionales
By Amigos Internacionales April 30, 2026
Baby Godfrey couldn't eat without pain. His family couldn't afford surgery. The Bethel Smile program gave him free cleft lip surgery at 4 months old.
MissionPoint Burundi free medical camp in Gisuru, doctors treating patients
By Amigos Internacionales April 28, 2026
Inside the Gisuru medical camp in Burundi — surgeries, eye care, and spiritual ministry delivered by volunteer doctors. See the full impact report from 2025.
Two people beside a wheelchair outside, with a child seated at a small desk in a grassy outdoor area.
By Amigos Internacionales April 27, 2026
East Texas journalist Jennifer Scott traveled to East Africa to cover Amigos Internacionales. Read the full Tyler Morning Telegraph feature from April 2026.
By Amigos Internacionales April 13, 2026
Learn how church missions in Africa, through partnerships with Amigos Internacionales, can bring lasting change to communities in need. Get involved in education, healthcare, and development projects.
By Amigos Internacionales April 9, 2026
Discover the resilience of refugees in Northern Uganda and how Amigos Internacionales is providing medical care, education, and empowerment to help rebuild lives.
People stand near the ruins of a collapsed brick building in a grassy, mountainous area.
By Victor Phiri April 4, 2026
Deadly floods and landslides have displaced families in Malawi’s Mulanje and Phalombe districts, leaving them without shelter or food. Learn how emergency tents and food relief can bring hope—and how you can help today.
A collapsed building with twisted metal roofing, wooden debris, and scattered bricks in a rural, open-field setting.
By Victor Phiri April 1, 2026
Missionpoint Malawi aids flood victims in Mulanje & Phalombe. Help us provide food & support to families in need. Join our efforts today!
A child wearing a light blue hijab and shirt, smiling while touching their chin, standing outdoors in a sandy area.
By Amigos Internacionales March 28, 2026
Perpetua’s story in Tanzania reveals the daily reality of living with sickle cell and how compassionate medical care and faith bring hope to vulnerable children.
A person in a light shirt and dark boots holds a water container in front of a muddy, contaminated water source.
By Amigos Internacionales March 27, 2026
Learn about the water crisis in rural Uganda and how Amigos Internacionales is providing sustainable, clean water solutions to transform lives and communities.
Three students in uniforms running along a dirt path in front of rural buildings.
By Amigos Internacionales March 26, 2026
Learn how child sponsorship in Africa transforms lives in Uganda through education, healthcare, and long-term community impact.
Two people laying bricks to construct an outdoor latrine in a grassy, rural area.
By Amigos Internacionales March 25, 2026
Support community efforts in Loyobo, Uganda, for a medical camp. Join us in fostering care, unity, & youth engagement.
By Amigos Internacionales March 24, 2026
Discover why children in rural Africa lack access to life-saving surgery and how Amigos Internacionales is providing hope through medical missions.
Three children walk along a red dirt path beside lush greenery, one carrying a yellow plastic container.
By Amigos Internacionales March 19, 2026
Learn the severe effects of not drilling water wells in East Africa. Act now to improve health, education, & economic stability.
A person crouches near a muddy, polluted water source in a wooded area, filling a yellow plastic container.
By Amigos Internacionales March 19, 2026
Understand the costs of clean water in rural Africa. Join us in making a difference for communities in need.
A large group of people gathers on a dirt clearing in front of a long, thatched-roof building under a bright blue sky.
By Amigos Internacionales March 16, 2026
Clean water transforms lives in Northern Uganda. Join us in supporting health, education, & economic growth. Get involved today!
Show More