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.
