Merry Christmas!

At Christmas, we celebrate the revelation of God’s heart through the birth of His Son Jesus, who the Bible makes clear also reveals our hearts.

God’s truth, love, mercy and grace shines through Jesus, even as Simeon also told Mary eight days after Jesus’ birth :  "This child is destined to cause the falling and rising of many in Israel, and to be a sign that will be spoken against, so that the thoughts of many hearts will be revealed...” (NIV Luke 2:34)

Encouraging professing believers in Jesus to allow Him to search and reveal their hearts is a big part of our ministry in Uganda. We believe this is the essence of discipleship. The condition of our hearts reveals the depth of our relationship with the one born of a virgin who lived a sinless life and died as payment for our sins.

As we disciple students, we work with groups of 15-20 in various sessions and one on one with individual students.  Learning about the practical application of living out the Gospel is key to having an abundant spiritual life. Do we inquire of the Lord in all our decisions?  How do we lead others with a servant’s heart?  How do we handle money and success and honor God in all aspects? What are the basics of practical problem-solving and planning? In all of these situations the condition of our hearts reflects  our relationship with Jesus and how we live our lives.

In our daily decisions, the challenge is to have Jesus on the throne, rather than ourselves. Or, to put it another way, in our decisions, are we saying “yes” to Jesus or “no” to Jesus?

Putting Jesus first places us in conflict with all other world views. It is tough, but necessary, teaching that being a friend of the world makes us an enemy of God (James 4:4). Simeon made it clear to Mary and Joseph there is no neutral reaction to Jesus.

The great English pastor Charles Spurgeon said, “Never does a man hear the gospel, but he either rises or falls under that hearing.” Even if we have fallen, God’s grace allows us to repent in faith and be risen.  As we rejoice this Christmas, let us reaffirm the birth of Jesus and the Holy Spirit in our hearts even as we also celebrate the baby in a manger.

                                               

Merry Christmas,

Mark and Margaret

Fire, Freedom and Multiplication

Just as we began worship in the tiny one-room church in a swampy slum along Lake Victoria, a billowing fire burst out in the shrine (witch doctor hut) across the muddy road.

John translates as Mark teaches

The ladies and children singing with us shrieked and ran out to see what was happening. Nearly as soon as it started, the fire burned itself out as men tossed sand and water upon it.

Then it was back to worship as the mothers nursed and many children ran around naked from the waist  down.  Just another day in Uganda!

The ladies, gathered by John Mugowa, a young man we have discipled for 10 years, enthusiastically received Mark’s message of freedom and identity in Jesus. As professing believers, they claimed their acceptance, security and significance in Jesus. Margaret offered up a heartfelt prayer for the ladies, their families and the community.

Then it was off to celebrate John’s birthday in a nearby classy restaurant which nonetheless seemed light years away from where we just worshiped.

John is a great encouragement and blessing from the Lord to us as he continues to use his gifts to bear fruit for the Kingdom. He used his scholarship from The Rock Outreach to gain a degree from Uganda Christian University and now runs his own IT services business. The majority of his ministry to the single mothers and children is self-funded.

John himself was an orphan after his father, a witch doctor, died when he was a young boy. His story is told in a Rock documentary which may be viewed at www.rockoutreach.org/p/firm-place-video.html.

The Joy of the Lord Is Our Strength

Joy is the best way we can describe our last trip to Uganda.  Upon arrival we had to fill out a form describing any health symptoms and nurses with masks checked us for Ebola and shined lights at us to determine if we had a temperature.  Joseph and Joanitah, former Rock scholarship students met us at the Entebbe airport.  They reassured us that we were safe after a terrorist scare pertaining to Al-Shabaab was discovered by the Uganda police the day before.  Even our taxi driver friend Moses said, “You are safe and can go to the store to get groceries before going on to the apartment.”

The apartment is on the Uganda Christian University campus on a hill with small monkeys running around and swinging from the trees.  In the early morning the mist rises from the valley as the rooster crows and wakes us up. Upon arrival the students started to stop by and welcome us and we felt right at home.

We open the doors and they know they are welcome to stop by any time we are there for a snack or a chat.  Cooking is a favorite activity along with doing complex Lego creations.

The Honors College and Law Fellowship

Over the past several years we have connected with the Honors College leadership team and the UCU Law Fellowship team.  As a result we had given them Life Application Bibles, done devotionals in the morning,and discipled several of the chairmen.  The practical side of discipleship is a topic of discussion. The students read a lot and study the principles but implementation is something they crave and we create an environment for this to happen.

Mark led three sessions on “Solving Problems God’s Way” using examples of Samson as a bad example and Joseph along with David as good examples.  The main principle we wanted to students to take away from the training was “to inquire of the Lord” for all decisions which will lead to success.  Even when they think they have a solution that has worked before to still “inquire” because God sees all the variables when we don’t. The group of honors college and law fellowship students were divided into two groups and were given points for being early to the sessions, solving riddles, and bonus points for team building activities and creative solutions to problem-solving situations.

Over the three weeks we saw a paradigm change in the way they approached solutions and began to “think outside the box” with the emerging leaders reminding their groups to first “inquire of the Lord.”  It seems to resonate with them that this is the key to successful implementation.

UCU Staff Mentors

Rev. Abel Wankuma Kibbedi the faculty member in charge of the Honors College contacted Margaret to teach some classes to university staff members who mentor the students from different departments on campus.  Rev. Abel knew that Margaret had mentored many of the students and wanted her to share some practical ways to mentor and also how she was teaching the students how to write the shortened versions of the CV/resumes.  On three Tuesday mornings she met with 9-12 staff members from various departments to discuss the following topics:  Why mentor? Laying a Successful Christian Foundation for Life, Biblical Examples of Mentors, Practical Guidelines, Roles of the Mentor and Mentee (Role-playing by participants), Suggested Fun Activities, Time Frames, Objectives and Evaluation of the Process (Helping Students to be Effective Citizens and Family Members) The first two sessions were in lecture rooms on campus and the final session was in the apartment to demonstrate the easy mentoring at home.

Our Navigator Friends

Our friends at Navigators share our passion for one on one mentoring to the students and we plan joint activities for each trip to Uganda.  During this trip we discussed two movies, Heaven Is For Real and God Isn’t Dead with approximately 15-20 students each evening.  We analyzed the interactions of the people, their thought process and how different things influenced our perspectives spiritually.  This is a new concept for some of the students to watch a movie and discuss the implications pertaining to living out what we believe day by day.  Like our friends at Navigators we want to go deeper in our spiritual relationships so the foundational doctrines of the faith are put into practice on a day to day basis.  Movies have proven to be a great tool in opening up discussions pertaining to saying “yes” to God or “no” to God.

One evening we had four of the Navigator small group leaders over for dinner and had a rich discussion and time of sharing testimonies pertaining to life-style discipleship.  We love to be intentional about building up other ministries and leaders by encouraging them through hospitality.  It always knits our hearts together when we pray and share a meal.

Exploring Careers, CVs and Being All God Wants Us to Be

Three days a week during the month on site, Margaret had appointments from 10 a.m.-4 p.m. with students preparing to graduate. All of the students needed assistance with exploring career opportunities, writing quantitative CVs/Resumes, and setting up LinkedIn accounts to network with potential employers.  On average it took her 2 hours to interview a student and help them create a one page CV on their own laptops.  In addition she talked about presenting yourself in a professional, friendly way both in person in the way you dress and also on LinkedIn and Facebook.

 It is a comprehensive approach that incorporates a student’s spiritual identity in Christ and the practical gifts and skills they have that are marketable in the workplace.  She even took pictures of the students so they could easily activate a professional LinkedIn account.  At the end of each session the student had a different picture of who that are as believers, what quantitative skills they possess, and gained confidence and a sense of God’s direction as they seek a job.  Part of the preparation is learning to inquire and trust the Lord to guide them as they apply for a variety of positions. Also they needed to prepare and have a realistic perspective about the employers’ time frame and expectations. Seeing the importance of an attitude of going out to meet people without fear and trusting the Lord to open or close doors as they take a step of faith was a new concept for most of them.

Weddings of Two Spiritual Daughters in 2015

Two of our Rock scholarship graduates are planning weddings in 2015.  Gorret and Leonard are planning to be married in January while Juliana and Lawrence are planning a July wedding.  We were so excited to meet these two godly men and hear the stories about how each came to love our spiritual daughters.  During the time we have known these young women, who are both total orphans, we have stressed the importance of studying a future spouse so you are equally yoked.  Observing their character carefully and developing a friendship before any romantic commitments are made was another consideration.  We had a fun conversation over a private dinner with each couple and the men were surprised when they heard how each lady had studied them carefully to determine if they would be a protector, provider and promoter.

Both couples shared they had been good friends since 2008 and only recently had romantic feelings entered the picture.  It was like God prepared them all, then “flipped a romantic switch” that changed the relationship from purely a friendship, doing ministry together, to “romantic courting for marriage.”

The joy of seeing these lovely young women find godly men to marry was so wonderful.  They share ministry at their churches and have found jobs they enjoy and are stable and strong in their faith in Jesus.

Fence Completed Around Kingdom View and Water Connected

God continues to lead us step by step with Kingdom View as we acquire the land, work with the architect and adjust the plans with guidance from the university administration.  With two hostels being constructed next door to our land by the Church of Uganda we felt it was wise to have a more permanent fence marking our boundary lines.  One of our missionary friends introduced us to Steven who has done all the landscaping around the university and has a passion for plants.  Mark shared our plans and the need of a natural boundary that was at the same time beautiful.  Margaret loves to arrange flowers so upon Steven’s suggestion we decided to plant bougainvillea all around the parameter of the property for security and beauty.  Steven said with proper watering the first three months we would have a substantial hedge with low maintenance in the future.  The next step was getting the city water line connected and God provided a miracle and it was connected in 5 days and ready to go.

A new development with the construction of the girls’ hostel with 300-400 students next door presents a wonderful discipleship opportunity.  In the past we have taught a class “Doing Business God’s Way” and the students have requested that we teach this class on an ongoing basis but also provide practical business experience like an internship.  As we prayed and thought about this we considered with our board members the possibility of developing a retail training area which would serve three purposes.  First it would act as a “business laboratory for training students”, second it could provide goods and services next to the new hostels, and thirdly it would help Kingdom View be sustainable.  As we researched the idea we found if we provided items and services for sale that were competitively priced with those the students were purchasing, it would be a win-win situation for all concerned. 

Next we met with our architect and shared the board members ideas to create a small takeout café, a small general store with basic necessities, a salon with two chairs, a shoe repair/alteration shop, and an Internet café/copy center.  The retail training area (lower left) would be open to the public by a foot path and gate and be outside the main Kingdom View property but also accessible and connected.  Security is an issue that the university administration has discussed with us frequently and this would provide a public place for students and also a more secure place for meetings and activities requiring the use of expensive equipment and monitoring of access so we don’t have problems with theft.

A Vision Requiring a Miracle for the Future

As we return home to Texas, we know the vision ahead is more than we could ever accomplish in our own strength. We trust the Lord because it is His plan.  He has pointed us in this direction, continues to surprise us with solutions, people and resources.  Each day we are filled with joy as we take another step of faith.  We are blessed to have ministry donors, prayer partners and a leadership team that is committed to honor God in all we do with Kingdom View.

I Believe

Blessed to be back in Uganda, God continually draws me to the place commonly known as Prayer Mountain, with the official name Besania Hill. Here I am humbled and compelled to pray. This is the place where the Lord has led us to purchase property for  Kingdom View Fellowship and Guest House.

 
God has provided funds for .65 acre which could meet our basic vision. An adjoining .6 acre also is available which would provide for a greater resource and outreach for the 8,500 students at the adjoining Uganda Christian University who the Lord has called us to serve.

As I pray over the land, God continually presses on my heart that I need to have faith that He will provide the additional land to serve His purposes. He challenges me to have greater faith and more patience even though we have a burning desire to put our resources into beginning building on the land we already own.

Strategically, I'm thinking once we start building it will be easier to rally financial support to complete the ministry facility. But God reminds me it is not by strategy, might nor power that His purposes are accomplished, but through His spirit. Lord, I believe. Help me to believe even more.

The property is on the way up Prayer Mountain. At the top of this mountain is a prayer encampment maintained by Archbishop Livingstone Nykyoyo, the visionary who transformed a small Church of Uganda seminary into Uganda Christian University, "a centre of excellence in the heart of Africa." People can camp and pray, just as Jesus retreated to the mountains to be with His Father. The area is formally known as Besania Hill, or Bethany in the American translation.

Bethany in the Bible was about 1.5 miles east of Jerusalem and on the southeastern slope of the Mount of Olives, from which Jesus ascended into heaven. It also was the home of siblings Mary, Martha and their brother Lazarus, whom Jesus raised from the dead. The story of Mary and Martha is instructive of how to proceed in ministry:

"As Jesus and his disciples were on their way, he came to a village where a woman named Martha opened her home to him. She had a sister called Mary, who sat at the Lord's feet listening to what he said. But Martha was distracted by all the preparations that had to be made. She came to him and asked, "Lord, don't you care that my sister has left me to do the work by myself? Tell her to help me!" "Martha, Martha," the Lord answered, "you are worried and upset about many things, but only one thing is needed. Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her."(Luke 10:38-42)

It goes against our "grab the bull by the horns" culture, but Jesus tells us that sitting at His feet and trusting Him is better than being "distracted by all the preparations that had to be made." He is faithful and will complete in us the good work He has begun. Would you pray about being a part of it? We need $85,000 to purchase the additional .6 acre we believe the Lord has set aside for Himself through us.

Mark

On the Way to Kingdom View

Time to return to Uganda and Mark and I are so excited about what the Lord is doing through the Rock in Uganda.  We plan on spending almost a month in Mukono, Uganda where Uganda Christian University is located to minister to the students, friends on campus, and  develop a plan with the architect for Kingdom View ministry house next to the university.

Imagine having a place for campus ministries to meet within walking distance to campus where they can learn more about Jesus, and fellowship with other professionals, pastors and missionaries. 

Lifestyle discipleship reaches some of the 8,000 students attending Uganda Christian University as they discuss life's challenges, cook in the kitchen and just hang out and talk.

Other friends and pastors stop by to visit and often stay for lunch or dinner.  Mark, Dan and I love to cook, catch up and just share life.  Our door is always open to students needing advice, guidance on writing their resumes, and always prayer.  Hospitality is something that is popular in Uganda and we always love to give back that wonderful hospitality when we are around.

For a few days while we are there we plan to travel to Northern Uganda to the Village of Hope to encourage the staff and pastor there.  Please pray this time will bless the staff and orphans there.

A Changed Paradigm for Children Who Are Hurting

Greetings from Uganda!  God is truly an amazing God.  We arrived after a very long hard trip with a total rerouting of our trip and a few lost bags.  Our long-time friend Earl Fain joined us on the first part of our trip as we ministered to university students at Uganda Christian University.  Many of the students who are graduating don’t have their CVs or resumes done and need practical advice writing them and coaching with job interviewing skills.  Several students stopped by the apartment and Earl and I did some editing and role playing. 

We have really appreciated the relationship The Rock has with the university and after meeting with the former Vice Chancellor, the current Vice Chancellor and the retired Archbishop of the Anglican diocese who started the university we know we have a shared vision of making impactful disciples of Jesus.  God is opening some doors to do several things.  The university students at UCU often graduate and become Christian change-makers in the country.  They minister to other organizations, they live out their faith in the workplace, many find themselves taking care of the orphans in their families and they need encouragement as they graduate and face the challenges of the culture.

As we have prayed since our last trip for God to show us the next step, an opportunity to purchase land within walking distance to the university has surfaced.  The former archbishop showed us some land and arranged for us to meet the owner.  Dan, Mark, Earl and I all feel the Lord is in this to create a gathering place for believers to meet, study, get rest if the need a break as pastors with their wives, and also continue getting training as organizations or individuals in practical ways as disciples.  The core of the ministry will be teaching the paradigm shift of believing truth instead of lies that hold us back in all aspects of life.  We believe God wants us to open a guest house and gathering place with a “kingdom view” on top of the highest mountain in Mukono to renew, restore and refresh believers…It will be a miracle if it happens but with God all things are possible.  In addition to the ministry to students, graduates and staff we were asked to minister to another ministry in Northern Uganda.

On the April 26^th we left Mukono to travel to Northern Uganda where Cindy Cunningham (our friend who recently had brain surgery) and her Ugandan friend Rose Aber started Village of Hope just south of Gulu.  The vision was to provide a safe haven for the children abducted or made orphans by Joseph Kony.  Cindy, Rose, Janelle and Mike have followed the Lord’s calling to help the children feel safe and loved in an environment where they can heal.  Cindy shared with me, prior to me leaving for Uganda that the staff requested some additional training to further the spiritual healing of the children.  Since many of the children still struggle with their identity because of the horrible things they have experienced we shared how the BOLD (Believers Overcoming Lies of the Devil) teaching has impacted the Rock university students.  The core of the teaching focuses on our identity in Christ as believers in practical ways living life day by day.

Since there are 250 children at the village we offered to bring some of our Rock university graduates and students to help minister to the children.  Emmanuel Babi and his wife Sarah (Care Medical Centre nurses) drove up with a few of the current students Michael, Gorret and David.  John Mugowa another Rock graduate joined Mark and me as we drove up to advance the team and organize the schedule. 

Upon arrival we found that the older kids were the ones most impacted by Kony.  Most of the younger kids were impacted by Kony but differently since they were orphaned or abandoned but as babies or small children. Kony is now in Sudan or Congo. Gorret one of the students who traveled with us said Rose the director told her about a teenage boy who couldn't eat meat because Kony had forced him to kill his older brother by biting him to death.

All of us agreed God had us there for a purpose and He was multiprocessing.  Sarah and Gorret spent time one on one sharing with the girls, Michael, John and David shared their testimonies and encouraged the boys to stay pure and honor God in every decision they make.  David trained the head teacher on some practical discipleship skills and spent one afternoon orchestrating AWANA games for about 250 kids.  We trained the staff, the teachers, the house moms and the key youth leaders on how to help the children change their paradigm from being victims to being children of God who are accepted, secure and significant. Much time was spent clarifying doctrinal questions pertaining to our salvation, eternal life with Jesus, our position in heaven, sanctification in our day to day life and who we are now in the present as believers.

Please join us in prayer as we inquire of the Lord in the next steps.  God is opening many new doors both with Uganda Christian University, student leaders on campus in the Honors College and in the field with other ministries and church leaders needing teaching support and encouragement on the ground.Stepping out on the water…once again!

Standing In the Gap With Friends Opens Doors

A few years ago, after we began working in Uganda a friend of mine Cindy Cunningham began a ministry in Northern Uganda called Village of Hope.  Through the years I have prayed with Cindy, shared stories, advice and struggles about our work in Africa as we encouraged each other.  Recently Cindy discovered a brain tumor had returned requiring surgery in April.  During our prayer times and discussions, she mentioned a need for training the staff and leaders in the ministry to take the healing of the children to a new level.  She often shares that the Village of Hope extends Jesus' love "through our time, love, and hope in the grace of God to bring healing to the hundreds of orphans affected by the brutal attacks of Joseph Kony and his army by the name of the Lord's Resistance Army."

 

After discussing with Cindy the paradigm shift to freedom we see developing in our staff and students in the Rock ministry, she believed the message of freedom in Christ  would further help heal the emotional and spiritual wounds of the young people. Mark and I and some other members of the ministry plan to visit Village of Hope in late April to share The Rock's BOLD adaptation for Africa of the Freedom in Christ Ministries. (BOLD is for Believers Overcoming Lies of the Devil - a compelling message in the African culture).

 

We are all excited to encourage the Village of Hope leadership team, present an overview to the young people and hang out in the homes with the kids and house mothers. When people desire healing God can cause there to be fundamental change in individual lives. Our identity in Jesus as taught in BOLD is not a program nor curriculum. It is a paradigm shift that penetrates the essence of who we are spiritually every bit as much as our DNA defines our biological makeup.

 

I love the way God multi-processes.  As more in the ministry are trained it is a great opportunity for African disciples currently in BOLD fellowships to put to use for the Kingdom what they have learned by serving others in Northern Uganda.