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!