MISSION: Uganda Blog Update 04-21-2014

Happy Easter, folks! Our churches are doing well here. I am preaching through 1 Corinthians, because it deals specifically with church problems, and the doctrine of the Holy Spirit. We have many Pentecostal congregations here, and they are preaching a lot of misinformation about the Holy Spirit. This has the effect of creating a lot of confusion about salvation and spiritual growth. 1 Corinthians corrects those errors. I had a man come for salvation after a sermon about how God gave us the Holy Spirit to lead us into all truth and to produce the character of Christ in us. His words were “You preach that a person should live by the Bible. The others only teach you should experience miracles. They don’t preach the Bible.”

Later that same Sunday, I preached a funeral for a young child in our Juru church. The boy had been playing around the podium the week prior. Within the week, dysentary had claimed his life. I preached to a gathering of around 70 people, including Muslims, from 1 Corinthians 15, which deals with the resurrection. Jesus Christ the Son of God prevailed over sin and death, and we have the absolute assurance of eternal life through him. Though this child had died, because he knew neither good nor evil, he was already in Heaven, and we who remain and believe on the Lord Jesus will see him again, either after death, or in the clouds upon the Lord’s return. The gospel was clearly preached by myself, and my Pastors from Sangano and Juru. The church in Juru is growing. Our man, Byuma, is developing into a great Pastor. I am confident that within the year, both churches will be ready to become organized and fully independent. Pray for these “children” as they enter adulthood and become mature churches.

Yesterday, Easter Sunday, we had a joint service of all four churches in Nakivale. We baptized 15, including 5 from Juru and my man from Ngarama. That’s why we’re here. That’s why we go out to the camp. I have great goals for all of them. Once we get these churches organized, I intend to start another in Kabingo, and possibly another in a trading center we pass on the way to Ngarama (the trading center is growing like gangbusters – they need a Baptist church). Our refugee camp is not the sort of place that most of these religious organizations would wish to start congregations – there’s no money in it. These people, they think, have nothing to offer. I see a harvest field that is ready for harvest, and I am excited at the potential of the place.

I have kicked in some iron sheets along with Bro. Bassett, and six bags of cement to repair the church building at Ngarama which was damaged in a storm (the wind tore the roof off). We are correcting some mistakes the prior mason made in it’s construction, and also making some general repairs, so the place will look great when it’s repaired. I am having some guttering and drain trenches put in to better manage the rain runoff so it doesn’t damage the building.

The library building at Sangano now has windows and doors, the strong, metal variety. The mason is putting in the floor. The building is nearing completion. We need our books from America. I have had some money come in for the shipping of our container, but not yet enough. It sits still at the mission house in St. Louis, ready to go. We need the funds to get it shipped here. Please pray about the shipping money.

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God bless you!