RESPECT, LOVE and GRATITUDE!

 

Children all around the world need our love and care. Though many children around the world have few luxuries and many times not even enough food, I find more respect, love and gratitude exhibited by them as a result of just a touch, smile or hug of compassion. Here, I am in Uganda and have given this young albino child sunglasses so she might see in the bright light.  She is respectfully giving me thanks.

Children of India sit with arms crossed, hands in laps, patiently waiting on the program to begin!

Learning New Skills to Support a Family

With the start of new sewing classes, Ugandan women and men have the opportunity to learn to be tailors and earn money to support their families.  This term 38 women and 2 men are attending class.  Some of the women traveled so far that they are staying in an empty building because they can't afford lodging. We were surprised at the large number, and we only have 12 machines for them to practice on. Money is available for 2 more machines.  I commend these men and women for their desire to learn a new trade. Would you or your church be interested in giving $120 to buy a (treadle) machine for these people to learn a trade to support a whole family?  We hope to provide resources for them to get started in business. Then they will return a percentage of their profit to help support the next class. 

People RUN to accept Christ!

 

On our third day of clinics in June, we went to Kamake. We held the clinic in a large government building and saw 372 patients! It was market day in the village and there were hunreds of people all around. 202 of those 372 patients accepted Christ, but when it was time to close, there were still MANY people around (Some of the school kids had even skipped school and showed up. They had heard there were "mzungu" people there and they wanted to see us.) As we closed, I shared the Gospel with those standing around and 36 more people accepted Christ. That afternoon we held our first Crusade (began with 1 + hours of singing and dancing by our faithful Praise Team in the BLAZING sun). There were so many curious children around that I tried a "congo line"/Follow the Leader to try to keep them away from Virginia who was trying to just breathe in the oppressive heat. That didn't work for long, so we finally had to retreat to the shade of the van. With doors open, we were still the center of attention, even to the point of curious children touching my white skin & potruding veins to see how this "mzungu" even felt different. At the Crusade that night, 5 people came forward at the invitation. The Pastors said there were many more “private” decisions as the people are "shy" to make that public profession of faith. The next night, Hugh was the preacher and the huge crowd was back again. Adults hang back because the music is LOUD and there was some shade under the shelters of the marketplace. When he gave the invitaton, the Ugandan Pastors said they had never seen such a phenomenon - the people came RUNNING to the platform to give their lives to Christ. So much for SHY!!! As we had just successfully planted a church, we made arrangements to rent a shop space for 6 months for $20 a month.

The first picture is a picture of the rented place/"church". Agnatius called from Uganda the next week to say that over 120 people had shown up for church and the place was too small! But that's all we have at the moment. When we returned in Nov. we went by Kameke to pick up people for baptism and I snapped a photo of the "meeting place". Ladies, guess who sits inside in the shade and who overflows to the outside? Yeah, you're right!



A Gift of eternal significance

Discipleship Pastors in Uganda have a great need for motorcycles to substitute for 10 mile bike rides to the churches where they teach new Believers the principles of following Christ. Would you, your Sunday School class, your business, or your church invest in a gift of $1200 to make an eternal impact on the lives of new Believers?

The Miracle of Kibale - June 2012

Leaving at 8 a.m. for Ngoro District (a new work), we began our 2 ½ hour trip north. About ½ hour out of town, 1 van sputtered to a stop. Hugh got out and said they had put petrol in the tank instead of diesel. We all felt satan was out to thwart our plans. After a few frustrating minutes, we loaded workers necessary to begin the clinic into the other van for the rest of the 2 hour ride. It went about 10 feet, & it died!! (It turned out that this was the only town for MILES on this difficult journey). We all just stared!! Mike, excited, kept bouncing up and down, saying, “God’s got a plan! God’s got a plan!”  But Hugh and I were just focused on what to do with 2 broken down vans, and 30+ people to transport on to Ngoro! Plus we were worried that the vans would NEVER run again! As Agnatius and Hugh went back to town (in the car he had thought about NOT driving on this long trip, I ran and jumped in, so sick I just wanted anywhere to sit and sleep. As we drove off down the road, I thought, “I just left my whole team all by themselves without a leader”. But it was too late to do anything so I just enjoyed the sleep! (Guiltily) When we returned about 1 ½ hours later with a mechanic, diesel fuel, and fuel filters all paid for by the station, we found a celebration taking place. Bullhorn, singers, dancing, celebration as 19 men had come to the Lord. Later, Virginia led another lady in prayer who requested to receive Christ. She was a widow with 5 children – another goat recipient. (Stella Amozina). One of the Pastors said, “This trip is anointed. God is at work”. As we rejoiced with the Team and the people there, one man said, “Please don’t leave us orphans without a church. We want a place to worship and want to meet this Sunday.  We don't want to be decieved.”  So an unplanned church plant was made!! (A building was rented ($20 mo. for 8 months), and a pastor was assigned for Sunday at 10:30 a.m.) Thank God for available seminary students as pastors. Agnatius said they had driven through that town many times and never thought to start a church for some reason. I guess God had to get our attention!! And what Satan had planned for evil, God turned to good!!! And, miracle upon miracle, the vans both started right up and ran perfectly the rest of the trip.

The Fire of Hell

As we visited a sugar cane factory in India, we watched as a young girl forced more and more chaff into the hottest fire I have ever seen. The pit was probably 20 - 25 feet across with a shallow "dish" loaded with about 6 inches of BOILING sorghum. The fire underneath was RED RED hot. I thought of Hugh's favorite sermon source, Psalms 40, and the pit described there and also of Gehenna (Hell) where the fire never goes out. Our pastor took that ppicture of hell literally and reminded us to remind ourselves of the importance of praying for and witnessing to the lost.

Welling Generous in their Poverty

Benjamin is always interested in our work in Uganda as he has such a heart to share the Gospel. Hugh told him the "Miracle of Kibale: God's Plan Baptist Church" story. He had given money in previous years for a bicycle and a goat for Uganda. He asked about costs of things there - Bibles, bikes, goats, etc. (We thought "comparing costs" between countries). On the last night at Holy Wings, we always have a Victory Celebration Party complete with a "feast", dancing, testimonies and fireworks.
As we closed the evening, Benjamin said the Translators had all talked and they wanted to buy Bibles for the Discipleship participants in Kibale. (There were only 2 Bibles in the whole group at Kibale, UG). His dad, Prabhudas, stood and said he'd like to buy 2 bikes for Pastors. His mom, Ruth, stood up and said she wanted to buy some Bibles, too. (She later gave me all the money from the Church's ladies prayer group which will go for special ministry to Uganda Pastors' wives in June). As we tearfully accepted their GENEROUS giving, out of their poverty, I thought, "They are truly rich, and I am so poor".

2 Corinthians 8:2 "And we want you to know about the grace that God has given the (Indian) churches. In the midst of a severe trial, their overflowing joy and their extreme poverty welled up in rich generosity. For I testify that they gave . . . even beyond their ability. . . They pleaded with us for the privilege of sharing in this service to the Lord's people (having given themselves first to the Lord)."

Do you give out of your abundance or your poverty? Have I COMPLETELY given myself to the Lord first?