“For God so loved the world that
He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish
but have everlasting life.” John 3:16 NKJV
Friends: Greetings in our Lord’s love, grace and peace once again this month! John 3:16 really communicates one of the major goals of our work and that is to evangelize the lost and needy. In Luganda, the main language of Central Uganda, John 3:16 looks like this: “Kubanga Katonda bwe yayagala ensi bw’ati, n’okuwaayo n’awaayo Omwana we eyazaalibwa omu yekka, buli muntu yenna amukkiriza aleme okubula, naye abeera n’obulamu obutaggwaawo.” And in our Scripture and Literature Distributions and Pastoral Development meetings we seek to encourage and equip the people and churches to evangelize in their respective areas. Harriet (she’s like our daughter), holds a Madi-a language spoken in Northern Uganda-New Testament at left, which of course contains in Madi the precious verse John 3:16. Luganda and Madi speakers were recently blessed to receive the Scriptures in their mother tongue by the Lord’s will and grace in our outreaches! The precious Word which abides forever is promised to produce God’s purpose in His sending it forth! And He says that it will never fail to do this! That truth strengthens, comforts and encourages us!
Since April when we received a large gift of Life Application Study Bibles from Chapelstreet Church of Batavia, Il (Thank you Chapelstreet!) we have traveled about Uganda distributing the Study Bibles, teaching and in training pastors and leaders. Outreaches have been held in Ft. Portal, twice in Mbarara, in Arua, Koboko, Yumbe and Kapchorwa. The Koboko outreach is pictured in the top photo while the Kapchorwa outreach is pictured in the bottom photo. The Bibles have also been distributed in Entebbe, Nebbi, Pakwach, in refugee camps near Adjumani and Arua. The photo of the hut at the left was taken near Koboko, Northern Uganda. Hundreds of Scriptures in English, Luganda, Runyankole, Alur, Lugbara and Madi have also been distributed.
We plan to continue to distribute Life Application Study Bibles and other Scriptures to needy pastors and leaders in teaching/training times throughout the country where there is a need for our encouragements, teachings and the Scriptures. We soon plan a ministry time in Lira, Northern Uganda and later this year, as God wills, in Soroti, Mbale and possibly Karamoja or Kabong—all in Eastern Uganda.
In many areas that we visit in our teachings there is a need for churches (most are rural areas) and we often include encouragements to plant churches. In Kapchorwa the pastor who invited us oversees several large districts in Eastern Uganda and the people were delighted to receive the Scriptures and literature. He asked us to teach about church planting, which we did, and he shared with us his hope and plan to plant 20 churches in these districts in the next 5 years. Please pray that as God wills the people will plant the churches that are needed in their areas. And please pray that God’s promised blessings will come to the people who trust Christ, repent of their sins, and seek Him in the Holy Scriptures. Pray that God will use these ministry visits for His glory and for the real good and growth of His church throughout the country. Pray for our stamina and wisdom, for grace to minister and for His grace to be evident and fruitful in the lives of those we serve. Love and thanks to you all and special thanks for your prayers and support which enables us to bring truth, needed teaching and encouragement to our friends in Uganda! May God bless you!
KAPPY’S CORNER—Gideon and Longings
Friends: Greetings in our Lord’s love, grace and peace once again this month! John 3:16 really communicates one of the major goals of our work and that is to evangelize the lost and needy. In Luganda, the main language of Central Uganda, John 3:16 looks like this: “Kubanga Katonda bwe yayagala ensi bw’ati, n’okuwaayo n’awaayo Omwana we eyazaalibwa omu yekka, buli muntu yenna amukkiriza aleme okubula, naye abeera n’obulamu obutaggwaawo.” And in our Scripture and Literature Distributions and Pastoral Development meetings we seek to encourage and equip the people and churches to evangelize in their respective areas. Harriet (she’s like our daughter), holds a Madi-a language spoken in Northern Uganda-New Testament at left, which of course contains in Madi the precious verse John 3:16. Luganda and Madi speakers were recently blessed to receive the Scriptures in their mother tongue by the Lord’s will and grace in our outreaches! The precious Word which abides forever is promised to produce God’s purpose in His sending it forth! And He says that it will never fail to do this! That truth strengthens, comforts and encourages us!
Since April when we received a large gift of Life Application Study Bibles from Chapelstreet Church of Batavia, Il (Thank you Chapelstreet!) we have traveled about Uganda distributing the Study Bibles, teaching and in training pastors and leaders. Outreaches have been held in Ft. Portal, twice in Mbarara, in Arua, Koboko, Yumbe and Kapchorwa. The Koboko outreach is pictured in the top photo while the Kapchorwa outreach is pictured in the bottom photo. The Bibles have also been distributed in Entebbe, Nebbi, Pakwach, in refugee camps near Adjumani and Arua. The photo of the hut at the left was taken near Koboko, Northern Uganda. Hundreds of Scriptures in English, Luganda, Runyankole, Alur, Lugbara and Madi have also been distributed.
We plan to continue to distribute Life Application Study Bibles and other Scriptures to needy pastors and leaders in teaching/training times throughout the country where there is a need for our encouragements, teachings and the Scriptures. We soon plan a ministry time in Lira, Northern Uganda and later this year, as God wills, in Soroti, Mbale and possibly Karamoja or Kabong—all in Eastern Uganda.
In many areas that we visit in our teachings there is a need for churches (most are rural areas) and we often include encouragements to plant churches. In Kapchorwa the pastor who invited us oversees several large districts in Eastern Uganda and the people were delighted to receive the Scriptures and literature. He asked us to teach about church planting, which we did, and he shared with us his hope and plan to plant 20 churches in these districts in the next 5 years. Please pray that as God wills the people will plant the churches that are needed in their areas. And please pray that God’s promised blessings will come to the people who trust Christ, repent of their sins, and seek Him in the Holy Scriptures. Pray that God will use these ministry visits for His glory and for the real good and growth of His church throughout the country. Pray for our stamina and wisdom, for grace to minister and for His grace to be evident and fruitful in the lives of those we serve. Love and thanks to you all and special thanks for your prayers and support which enables us to bring truth, needed teaching and encouragement to our friends in Uganda! May God bless you!
KAPPY’S CORNER—Gideon and Longings
It was one of those mornings. The neighbor’s rooster began its serenade long before dawn. A chill wind had set in during the night. The scraping and thumping in the ceiling signaled the return of the bats after a night’s hunt for insects. A siren screamed in the distance. Tensions had been mounting in the city where we live. There had been riots and the situation was under control—for the moment. I had been fighting off a sense of dread for days. In the dark I found myself longing for peace, both inside myself and outside. I prayed for holiness, light, purity, a total absence of evil. I longed for heaven. I took some comfort in that thought. Then I remembered Gideon.
I’d been reading in the book of Judges when I once again came across the account of Gideon. I believe I’ve come to a new understanding of the man. I remember hearing the thought that Gideon was not a brave man, that when God called him a ‘mighty man of valor’ He was being sarcastic. I disagree. I believe the Lord saw in Gideon something the man could not see in himself. I see Gideon as a man who has been beaten down year after year. When the angel of the Lord came to tell Gideon that He would use him to deliver Israel, he was beating out the wheat in his father’s winepress to hide it from the Midianite raiders. These raiders had come for seven years every time there was a harvest and taken everything, food and animals. Gideon was doing what he must to feed his family. He had seen little good for years and he needed reassurance from God that He would be with him. Gideon asked in many ways for God to show him that He would enable him to do what to Gideon seemed like an overwhelming task. And God, in His mercy and strong, constant and tender love, answered every request Gideon made. Then the Lord did much more than Gideon could have imagined using him in a mighty way to bring about His plan to deliver Israel.
But the biblical account isn’t so much about Gideon as it is about the Faithful, All-Powerful Ruler of the Universe and His divine purpose. He has proven over and over again that what He wills to be done will be done; whomever He wills to use for His ultimate good He will equip. And often, the equipping is inside of us rather than outside. The situation may or may not change but our hearts will, and our confidence in God will grow stronger. As I thought about this truth peace filled my heart to overflowing. The love of the Lord will never fail.
For our Lord Jesus and His people,
Jim and Kappy
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