MISSION: Uganda Blog Update 12-17-2012

Greetings! Last week, Independent Baptist Church in Mbarara had its bi-annual Mobile Institute. This is a week-long, intensive, training time we make available for all the men who are called to preach in this area. They come from all over, and are housed and fed for the week at the orphanage building Bryan Stensaas is building there (it is nearly finished). This time, we had a beginner class (Gospel of John) and an advanced class (Christian Leadership). I had the great privilege of teaching on two of the chapters in John, with the whole book divided amongst the various pastors already trained and the missionaries. It was a tremendous week. We are training men who have the potential to spread out throughout Uganda and start churches. A ministry such as ours is absolutely based on the quality of the Biblical training and education we give our people. This is why Project Libris, our library project, is underway for furlough. I am gathering books to bring back and start a library out in Nakivale, primarily for the benefit of the pastors and ministry students there. Some of our guys from Nakivale were present at the Institute, and sang a beautiful Kinyarwanda hymn in the Wednesday service. It was a joy to see these men in attendance (66 this time), away from their families, preparing for the challenging work of leading New Testament churches.

Continue to pray for us. We are still stuck at home due to our broken vehicle (month-and-a-half now). As I’ve said before, our operations in town are unaffected (we normally walk most places), but our village ministry is utterly crippled. Until this is resolved, our work at Navkivale is at a standstill. The way things are going, we will be unable to get out to the camp for the Christmas service this week, the VBS next month, and our annual, mandatory Field Conference coming up at the end of January. I don’t normally ask for help, but this is a serious need. If folks would be willing to help us with a small financial gift to help pay for this fix, I would be very grateful. No amount is too small. We still need $2800. Whatever God leads you to do, make sure you mark it ‘Vehicle Repair’ and I will add it to the collective ’til we have enough for the fix. I am praying we will be able to get this done in the next week so we can go out to the camp for Christmas. We have gifts we were planning to give our people, and no practical way to get out to them. 

 God bless you all, and Merry Christmas!