Pastor Fred in Colorado
What a fantastic time we had when Pastor Fred Muyimba from Kampala, Uganda was here with us in Fort Collins, Colorado. We had been praying for a long time that God would open the door and then provide the finances for Pastor Fred to come and minister, not only here in Colorado, but other states as well. It was a great success in so many different ways. Pastor Fred had the opportunity to meet many new people and to minister in many new places. Everywhere we went people were touched by Pastor Fred’s love and his total surrender and commitment to God. This man has been on an incredible journey, a journey that has not been an easy one. As he shared his story of determination and faith, many people were challenged and inspired to do the same.
From prison, churches and schools, we found ourselves very busy as we were being led by the keen guidance and power of the Holy Spirit. I have heard Pastor Fred’s story many different times, but each time God teaches me something new about this man and his faith. The struggles I face here in America seem so small in comparison to what he has faced as he has built his church in the capital city as well as planting churches throughout his country. Many of these churches are in villages where there has never been a church before. I have had the opportunity to be in these villages and to watch the power of God at work is an amazing experience. To see the joy and hope in the hearts of the people in these villages must make God very pleased.
It has been a real honor and privilege for me to play a very small part in helping Pastor Fred fulfill the vision God placed in his heart many years ago. You and I can make a difference in the lives of people. The God of the universe created you to be a part of His amazing work on this earth. If God can take a young man from the villages of Uganda and place in him a vision bigger than himself, and then watch God fulfill that vision is his life. Just think what he can do with you and me!
Uganda October 29th-November 9th Vision: 200 for 20
As I was sitting here at my desk writing this newsletter something really cool happened. Do you want to hear about it? Great! As you probably know I have been working with Pastor Fred Muyimba from Kampala, Uganda for a number of years now. We have had a vision to start churches in villages in Uganda where there has never been a church before. We also have a heart and dedication to help develop leaders in Uganda who can pastor these churches. I am happy to report we have almost thirty churches where this has taken place. I will be back in Uganda in November and we will be visiting many of these churches and will be meeting with these pastors for leadership training. Every time I talk about this I am just amazed at what God’s has done through our willingness to be faithful to the vision He gave us. So here is what I felt the Holy Spirit just gave me, I call it, “Vision: 200 for 20.” One of my goals for this trip will be to leave $200 with 20 of these churches. This could help some of them buy land; it could help them in the construction of their church or the purchase of musical instruments for their worship.
I want to invite you to be a part of this trip and you won’t even have to leave the comforts of home. I want to invite you to be a part of the, “Vision: 200 for 20.” You and your family may want to give $200 to one of these churches, or maybe you can just give $50, whatever it is; it will be a great blessing. You may have a business and you can give to three or four of these churches. If we all work together we can do something much bigger than ourselves. What a powerful and tangible way for us to invest in the work of the Kingdom through our brothers and sisters who could really use our help. If this is something that you would like to be a part of, make your tax-deductible check out to Empty Tomb Ministries and memo, “Vision: 200 for 20.”
Arkansas Valley Prison: October 5th and 6th
One thing I have learned over the years, when you make yourself available to God anything can happen. When I made myself available to God, I never dreamed I would be doing work in prisons. I am a part of a prison ministry here in Colorado called Warriors for Christ. The sole purpose of this ministry is to bring the person of Jesus Christ into the prisons.
One of the prisons we have been working with is Arkansas Valley Prison in Ordway, Colorado. It is a prison of about 1,100 men. We have been given the green light to come in and minister to these men. For whatever reason this prison has not had a chaplain for a number of years and because of that the Christian church within this prison has been run by a number of inmates. These are inmates that I have gotten to know over the years. These inmates respect the work that we are doing and are desperate for us to help. During our last visit to Ark Valley, I was talking with some of the leaders of the church and they shared with me that the church has grown to over 100 men. This has placed a burden on these leaders who have never been trained to deal with something like this. As we talked, they asked if I could possibly do them a big favor. They wanted me to set-up a training session for my next visit. They asked if I would be willing to meet with the 10 leaders of this church to help give them some leadership training and guidance. It was one of those moments where the Holy Spirit grabs you and then helps you understand the magnitude of this request. I am humbled by this need and realized the importance of helping this church within the walls of this prison.
We submitted a proposal to the proper authorities within the prison and they gave their approval for this to happen during our October two day ministry trip. Would you please keep this in your prayers, not only for the training session, but as I prepare the material that I will need to help these men lead this church. Things happen when we open our hearts and calendars to the God of the Universe! May He richly bless you and use you as you serve Him and make yourself available to His work on earth.
“Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.'” Matthew 25:34-36