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?

Luke 9:62 says, "Jesus replied, 'No one who puts a hand to the plow and looks back is fit for service in the Kingdom of God". India is full of real life biblical illustrations. It makes it easy to share God's Word with the people (and sometimes hard, because they know more than me about threshing, harvesting, plowing, shepherding, etc. But the Bible does come to life in every way!!

A Privilege to Suffer for Christ

We visited this village on the last Tuesday. We had run out of minus glasses but a friend's contribution allowed us to purchase 95 pair of eyeglasses so we could do the clinic. The "under construction" church, sprinkled with Believers when we arrived, filled up with the unconverted "spectators". At the conclusion of the Gospel Message, 20 people indicated they were accepting Christ as the one true God and as Lord and Saviour. As people poured in for the clinic, it seemed on the verge of uncontrol at any moment. As the day wore on, more an more people crowded in. Benjamin saw we were running low on glasses, and knowing that more would be coming as the workers came from the fields, he suggested we close up (hurriedly). It's always hard to leave those latecomers begging without giving something to show the love of Christ. But all the suitases were closed, and we loaded up the van. Still onlookers were begging with actions indicating pain and poor eyesight! The village women at the well had been arguing for a while, so tension was high. As we left the church (praying for the Pastor, his family, and the ministry, they had such sweet smiles of rejoicing on their faces. (127 of the 250 seen in the cinic had prayed to receive Christ). In the van, Benjamin told us the "rest of the story". A few weeks before, some of the opposing religion in the village had beaten the Pastor and his wife. They said they counted it a privilege to suffer for Christ and had welcomed the opportunity to do good to their enemies that day. Some of those who had beaten the Pastor were in the congregation and/or clinic, and they came to him and assured him that it would never happen again as they had seen him give so willingly and joyfully that day. How long since you suffered for the Gospel?

The Miracle of Kibale (The rest of the story)

To read the first part of the story, click here.

This is the rest of the story... Sunday Nov 11, 2012, at the Kibale BC (God’s Plan BC), we arrived to a temporary shed with a grass mat ceiling and walls, which was expanded to include an orange-tarped area added on the side to hold over 140 people. (Tarps are not as cool as grass mats). The people were already worshipping and celebrating when we arrived and greeted us excitedly. Songs continued, all teaching the biblical truths that will keep these people strong while living life in difficult circumstances: “Though I lose everything, still I will serve Him”. (This is the church GOD planted in June when the vans both broke down in the ONLY town inside a one hour drive. 19 young men gave their lives to Christ as the team had their own impromptu Crusade (minus us leaders who had returned to town to solve the problem of petrol in a diesel powered van)).  There were about 60 adults, Youth and 60 children present for the service. We were planning baptism, and, as the question was asked for a show of hands on who would be baptized, I asked how many of the original 19 men converts would be baptized. Nine men stood, indicating they were part of the original 19. Today 36 new Believers of that new church were baptized.

After the service, we loaded up and drove to other new churches where about 300 people piled into a rented cattle truck to go to a stream for baptism. 127 adults and youth were baptized from 5 churches:  36 from Kibale. When Agnatius had gone to the Kibale Baptist Church the first time after we left in June, there were only men in the church. He asked where the women were. The men said that their wives were waiting to see if Christ really did make a difference in their husbands’ lives before making that commitment to Christ themselves. We returned to Kibale for lunch served by the church (just to us). We had bought 10 loaves of bread in case there wasn’t food for the masses. We broke each slice in 2 and the kids impatiently pushed for their ½ slice. (The Pastors helped finally with a "line”). I had given out candy to the 40+ kids in the church and shared a Bible story with them. About 15 of the older kids indicated a decision for Christ.

Tonight we had a impromptu mini-Crusade under a large tree. After a message on Ps. 40, 111 more people gave their lives to Christ. (Time for another baptism).  It was the ONLY day it didn’t cloud up and rain in the afternoon. One man said, “Take those cigarettes out of my pocket. I’m giving my life to Christ.”

After lunch on Tuesday, we attended Simon’s Discipleship class at Kibale. 27 adults, 6 Youth and about 30 children listened attentively.  Two men read out of the 2 Bibles in the group, and people eagerly answered questions (and applauded the correct answer). After 1 ½ hour of class, a man raised his hand and said that he had missed baptism on Sunday (cooking for us, I think) and asked, “What shall I do?”   Two more said they had missed it too, and Hugh commented, “We’ll just go do it now”. So we loaded them in the car, drove a wild 15 minutes back to the stream again and baptized the 3.

As we did the baptism, of course, a small crowd had gathered. The thought crossed my mind as I looked over at them, “And what hinders YOU from being baptized?” After the Lord whispered it 3 times, I went over and explained to them what had just taken place, preached the Gospel to them and 5 of the 7 gave their lives to Christ. As we laughed about all the "coincidental", unplanned things that had happened, none of which we had planned, we realized "God DID have a plan". The Pastors decided to name the church God's Plan Baptist Church.