Rwanda
June 5-14
I know that you have heard me say this before, and now I am going to say it again, “I will be back in Rwanda for another amazing ministry trip.” It is with heartfelt humility that I go and represent Empty Tomb Ministries and Arise Rwanda Ministries to the people of Rwanda. It will also be a real blessing to once again see the many friends that I have made over the years. I have so many fond memories of all the things that the Holy Spirit has done and the many lives that have been changed over the years. To God be the glory!
As I write this newsletter here in April, our team in Rwanda is already making plans for our visit. I believe that God has many divine appointments for us and that many lives will be impacted for all eternity. I am praying for the power of the Holy Spirit to be very evident in all we do. I truly believe that God is going to heal the sick and set the captives free. Also, when the people hear the truth of the gospel, their hearts will be open to receive God’s word and to accept Jesus as their Lord and Savior.
As always, we will have the opportunity to minister to the students at Kivu Hills Academy. Arise Rwanda Ministries built this school a number of years ago and it is now the home of about 350 students. The students live on campus and, each and every day, they have the opportunity to be engaged in building their lives through a personal and living relationship with Jesus Christ. KHA has become one of the top schools in all of Rwanda—it is a testimony of the staff and all their hard work. Principal Claude Dusabe and his staff have done an amazing job building into the lives of the students at KHA. I will look forward to speaking into their lives while I am in Boneza.
While we are in Boneza, we will once again host a pastoral conference not far from the school. Helping to equip the pastors is one of my favorite things to do! We will spend two days together, studying God’s word and sharing many leadership ideas with these pastors. I have grown to love them and appreciate all the hard work they do for the Kingdom of God. A few of our team members from Arise will help with refreshments and all of the food preparations. These two days are a real highlight for the pastors. Nothing touches a pastor’s heart more than food and fellowship!
Now I want to invite you to be a part of a very important part of our conference. Each conference that we have done over the years, we have always tried to bless the pastors with a financial gift for them and their families. The average pastor in Boneza makes about $2 a day. We will have between 50-60 pastors joining us for this conference. Our goal is to give each pastor a $50 gift, a t-shirt, and an Empty Tomb Ministries hat. Now can it get any better than that? I am not the best at math but if I get my trusty old calculator out and take 50 pastors times $50 it equals $2,500. What a blessing this would be to the pastors and their families. Would you prayerfully consider joining me on this mission? You don’t have to even get on a plane and fly for 20 plus hours—you can just relax in your home knowing you have done something to richly bless someone else. If that sounds good to you, there are two ways you can get me your hard earned money. You can give through our PayPal account on our web page or by writing a check to ETM and placing it in the really nice envelope that I have provided. I would love to have you join me on this amazing journey!
Kivu Hills Academy on top of the hill we call, “The Holy Hill” looking over the village of Boneza.
It is a real honor to be a part of building into the lives of these wonderful pastors.
ETM Ministry Center
Kampala, Uganda
I wanted to give you a quick update on the progress of our ministry center that we have been building for the last couple years in the capital city of Kampala. From the very beginning, it was going to take a very big step of faith, as we have trusted God to help make all of this possible. We are now about 90 percent done and the building is being used. We have a prayer meeting each Thursday, Little Lambs pre-school each week, and each Sunday we have over 100 kids who attend our children’s church. Needless to say, we are off to a great start.
If you would like to know more about our ministry center, you can watch a video presentation by our ministry director, Grace Agatha. Grace and her team are doing a wonderful job of ministering to all the kids. In regards to finishing the center, we have painting on the inside and out. We have a lot of outside landscaping to really make the outside of the building very inviting. If you notice in the picture, there is a plot of land right in front of the center. We have an option to eventually buy that land, which would give us more parking and a place for outside activities for the kids. Grace’s sister owns the land and is willing to give us a great deal if we want to buy it. We are looking at about $9,000 for the land. If that is something you might like to be a part of, you can visit our web page to give through PayPal, or send a check to our P.O.Box here in Colorado.
God has been so faithful over the years as we have invested our time and resources into the lives of the Ugandan people. It is working with the pastors in the villages through our leadership training to helping build a number of churches where the people can gather, worship God, and grow in their faith. And now, with the ministry center, we will be able to help equip the future leaders of tomorrow. Thanks to all of you who have been such a blessing throughout the years!
The ETM Ministry center, located in the heart of the capital city of Kampala, Uganda.
Resurrection Christian School
4th Grade Uganda Presentation
Now that was one tough crowd! I surely had to bring my A game or I was going to be in real trouble. What a blessing it was to spend some time with Mrs. McDowell’s 4th grade class at Resurrection Christian School in Loveland, Colorado. Oh yes, our granddaughter Alexa is one of the students in that class and it was so much fun to be there that morning.
I was invited to come and share a slide presentation with the class on the work that ETM has been doing with the wonderful people of Uganda. As I spent a number of hours preparing my power point presentation, it took me down memory lane. I have had the privilege of going to Uganda for about 20 years, which fills my heart with so many memories. During that time I have made many wonderful friends and had the opportunity to minister to thousands of people. Most of my time has been spent out in the villages where life is very poor and difficult at times. Yet in the midst of all the challenges, the people have so much gratitude and thankfulness to the God that fills their hearts with a faith that comes from heaven.
I remember one trip in particular where we had the honor of water baptizing 120 people in a Ugandan river on a beautiful sunny day. It was a day filled with much love and hope as we all praised God for the work He was doing in all of our hearts. It was like the Bible was coming alive and our lives would never be the same again. It has been such an honor for me to represent all of you through this ministry. Our work is not done as we continue to finish the Empty Tomb Ministry center in the capital city of Kampala. Thanks to all of you who have given from your hearts to help us in this all important work. Thank you Mrs. McDowell for the opportunity to go down memory lane. And thank you Lord for those 4th graders that you touched that morning and one day will be used by you around the world!
It was great fun to be with the 4th graders at Resurrection Christian School.