Reaching out to Uganda
Our ministry vision does not change from one continent to another; we must always meet the needs of the people first. As we follow the example of Jesus when he would not let the people return home without first feeding them it is our desire to do this also.
By partnering with a group of young men in a remote area of central Uganda we continue to reach out to the Indigenous people. They have formed a ministry called Born Again Christian On Mission (BACOM). These young men have a vision to not only share the gospel through street ministry and village soccer games but to also care for the elders and others in need they encounter along their way.
August 2010 update:
Over the past few months God had directed this ministry to many different places to share the message of Jesus, each time going a little deeper into the remote areas. And in each area God has made His presence known in a wonderful way. At least thirty souls have been saved in each village and many of these villages have requested to have a church started in their village. Following the example in the Book of Acts I have recommended they establish home churches in each village where the people can come together to worship, pray and share what God is doing in their lives. These home churches desperately need Bible for their members to use and share with others. A Ugandan Bible costs about $15.00.
Following our ministry vision to care for the needs of the people BACOM has also been building small houses and teaching proper hygiene to those they meet. Malaria and clean water are two of the biggest challenges in these remote areas. Malaria is particularly devastating in Africa, where it is a leading killer of children. In fact, there are 10 new cases of malaria every second. (need reference site) Every 30 seconds, a child in Africa dies from a malaria infection. Something as simple as a mosquito bed net can change these statistics. The bed nets work by creating a protective barrier against malaria carrying mosquitoes that can bite at night while they are sleeping. A family of four can sleep under an insecticide-treated bed net, safe from malaria, for four to five years. The insecticide woven into each net makes entire communities safer by repelling and killing mosquitoes so that they can’t go on to bite others who may not be protected by a net. One of these nets can be purchased at a cost as low as $15.00. This does not sound like much to us but with the average income in Uganda being only around 50 cents (US money) the cost makes them out of reach for most people at risk of malaria. Nets are a simple, life-saving solution.
A simple way to provide clean water is through training and clean water tablets. One tablet can purify one liter of unsafe water at a cost of only 25 cents. We need your help to provide these tablets to those in need. Join us now in sending nets and tablets to save lives. We believe our help will not only save lives but will also help to build up the body of Christ. This will be accomplished by not only preaching the love of Christ but by also showing Christ’s love through our actions to the people.
When the men and women of BACOM travel to these remote villages they are finding more and more elderly people who are being left behind by relatives to fend for themselves. Many live in small mud huts that are about to collapse. They are in desperate need of simple things like paraffin (kerosene for their lamps) soap, rice and beans. Our desire is to help BACOM establish a farm to help provide food for these elderly people who have no way of providing for themselves.
This group also finds time to have fun while sharing the Gospel at the same time. Soccer is a major part of the youth outreach of this ministry. On my last trip to Uganda I was able to take a supply of soccer balls for this ministry. The balls do not last long with the constant use and there is always a need to re-supply. As one of the major forms of sports in Uganda, soccer or “football”, has given this ministry the opportunity to share the gospel while building up young adults through athletic skills and allowing them to know the love of Christ in their lives. BACOM uses their training techniques in a dual purpose. While training the soccer teams to look for the goal while the opposing team is obstructing your path to score, they incorporates how a member of our opposing team, Satan, is constantly obstructing our path to stop us from achieving the goals God has for us in our lives. Because we are the sons and daughters of God our goal is to seek and receive what God has promised us for all eternity.
If you would like to help meet the needs of the people though a donation or would like to be a part of a team that travels to Uganda next summer to build huts and share the gospel please contact us.
Thank you for your prayers and support!