We want to thank you for your faithfulness in praying for us. We had safe travel back to Uganda. We arrived and found the Spirit of the Lord so busy at work in the hearts of the staff we work with and the students, and we prayed that we could catch up and join them at this accelerated speed. Hallelujah! God is faithful and has helped us to come up to a level of faithfulness and depth of intimacy that we had not known before. Surely He is a living God and does not allow us to remain the same when we encounter Him, when we spend time in His presence. And so we are leaning in now more than ever.
Its beautiful to see the Lord at work in the hearts of people. Some of our students have joined us in a monday night worship night and are receiving revelations that only the Lord could bring. Eyes being opened to the religious spirit that is so rampant here and hearts tenderised before the Lord, ready to receive any word from Him. Jose (our fellow teacher) and Emma (our security guard/student/pastor) are going to the hospital to pray once a week for people and have seen people healed and heard amazing testimonies when they go back the next week and find the people they prayed for have been released from the hospital, and many desire them to pray for them. Jesus told us we would do greater things than even He because we have His Spirit resident in us. Do we really believe that?
This last Saturday I (Beckie) went with Sol (our fellow teacher) and Berna (my good friend and helper at the school) to one of the villages we have been involved with for some time. These two had started a woman's bible study while we were in the states, and it has transformed into an "anybody" bible study because even the men and children are hungry for the Word of God.
When we arrived we first went straight to the pastor's home to meet with his wife and minister to her. Her husband is now a pastor but he used to be a drunkard/wife-beater just a few short years ago. She has seen the ugliest parts of her husband but has stood by him up to now, faithfully praying for him over the years. We wanted to bless her and prepare her to pray for healing in her own heart because we know that God wants to use her in a big way in her village, especially ministering to other women who are having the same kind of struggle she had.
We shared with her and then prayed for her and then the rain came, and we were stuck in the house and could not go back to the classroom where the bible study was located. So we invited another lady into the house who was stranded on the veranda. She came in and shared briefly her struggle with her husband and we prayed for her too, and we saw the pastor's wife encouraging her and she's the one who led the prayer time for her.
So eventually the rains stopped or at least slowed we were able to proceed to the classroom, but only had time to offer a blessing for the faithful few who waited it out, and braved the rain. We serve such a loving God, that he orchestrated such a time as this, that two ladies were able to receive healing and prayer and be empowered to share the love of Christ with others.
We have had one class since we came back. It was on the subject Teaching the Christian Faith and Catechism. Ruudy and Jose taught and it went well. The students seemed so excited and one of them shared that they needed to arrange a conference in his village and teach all the pastors in the area these truths as they really need to hear them.
We thank God for all of these answers to prayers! Our heart rejoices in Him, Because we trust in His holy Name! (ps 33:21)
Please keep praying for us and for the ministry in this season of acceleration.
1. Our students, that their hearts would be open and thirsty for the Truth, and that Truth would set them free.
2. Our selves, that we would do all we do in wisdom and with hearts that are sensitive to the leading of the Holy Spirit.
3. Keep praying for the national elections, we've just passed through the presidential nominations, with elections coming February 18. So far at least 12 people have been killed in the campaigning. Pray for peace and for a Godly leader to come to power. And however else the Lord leads.
4. The provision of the Lord, and the faith to trust Him as our provider
