Jesus Is Risen!

On the Saturday before Easter Sam,Carol, and I left for for Yumbe. Because of the drive we chose to spend the night there instead of having to make a very early start on Sunday. Also, because we have no vehicle, we have to hire one and it is hard to get one to leave early on a Sunday morning!  Pastor Charles had invited me to preach at Pilgrim’s Anglican Church. Pastor Ben’s non-denominational church also joined in the worship service.

My sermon was entitled: The Resurrection and Forgiveness of Sin (Luke 24:45-48 tied together with Matt.18:21-35). Pastor Alex did a wonderful job of interpreting the message into Aringa.

The crowd was large and everyone did not fit inside. A very large group of children stayed outside for Bible study and singing.  With such a large group (Charles said there were 600+/- counting the children who met outside) you would never have thought we were in a community with less than 1% of its population being evangelical Christians! Of course, just as in America, I was told, many also just attend church on Christmas and Easter. Many at the end of message responded with tears, not wanting to be like the Unforgiving servant in Matthew 18.

Carol and I also had a time after the service to meet with several women who needed counsel, two of the three suffering persecution from Muslim relatives or neighbors because of their association with Christ.

Sam was outside teaching the children, “Jesus Loves Me “. They were very quick learners!

We then had a late lunch at Pastor Charles’ home. At lunch we were told that the leaders of the church had a long meeting after the service where the men were giving and receiving forgiveness from one another. ..PTL! I have never been in a revival but, from what I have read, the early signs of revival are in Yumbe and in Obongi. I would like to go to Yumbe on a weekly basis for discipleship training for church leaders and also often on Sunday mornings. I rejoice that we have opportunities to host Yumbe leaders here at RAU. However, for healthy growth for God’s church in Yumbe, which is growing fast, there needs to be ongoing discipleship especially for church leaders. This is the main calling the Lord has given to Reaching Africa’s Unreached. Please pray for us in this privileged task to which we have been appointed!

Charles and Ben have spearheaded our outreaches (evangelism,discipleship,mercy ministry) in Yumbe. They organized our Yumbe pastor’s retreat last February and are working to get 17 more to come to RAU in May for a week. They are real fine brothers in Christ!

Prayer Requests and Opportunities for Giving:

*Pastor Ben and his wife are taking the little boy who had cleft pallet surgery a little over a month ago for a followup surgery. He also taking another child to Kampala who was recently brought to our attention that  has a very severe cleft pallet. The parents are also going. Lord willing, he will be able to have his first operation. Both of these children are from Yumbe. RAU is providing for all the transport costs, care in the hospital, special foods for the children before and after the operation, and all paperwork which has been required. An NGO specializing in such surgeries is taking care of the operation. RAU has been given specific funds for this. No doubt we will need additional funds for followup surgeries for the second child.

*On Wednesday we will be in one of the ten South Sudanese refugee camps near Adjumani. We will be observing distribution by the OPM (Uganda’s Office of the Prime Minister) and UN of the 4.5 +- tons of dried cassava given by RAU through your generous gifts. We are told that there are now around 100,000 in these camps. I wrote about this and included a video in my last newsletter here. “Thank you” to those who gave to help make this happen! Please continue to pray for the refugees, the war in South Sudan, and RAU’s opportunities to help feed people who, at this point, cannot provide for themselves. It is also a wonderful opportunity to proclaim the gospel in the camps and to disciple believers. By God’s grace they will be able to go back to their homes in South Sudan and take the gospel back with them!

* Next week we will have another group of pastors with us in retreat. This group is from Moyo. Pray for this time as you have in the past. May the Lord strengthen and encourage these church leaders so that they, in turn, can strengthen their congregations for growth in grace and church planting.

*Pray with us for a vehicle.  On our return from Yumbe yesterday, Sam mentioned to  us, “You know, your not having a vehicle for nearly 9 months has taught you many things you never would have learned…”. Yes! However,  I hope our learning in this way is soon over! We are still working on getting all our money back for ’99 Land Cruiser we never  received. The Ugandan broker has now given us $4,000 of the $15,000 we had given him. The rest will be given back in installments if he does not get the  money back from the Japanese dealer he worked with. Because of the immediate need, this time around, when we have money, we will trust the Lord to lead us to a suitable vehicle already in Kampala, which I hope to do after our next pastor’s retreat. Finding a strong, reliable vehicle in Kampala, preferably a Land Cruiser, will  cost around  $25,000. Most NGO’s, the UN, and other groups in this area use Land Cruisers. They are the first choice for very good reasons. Most importantly, pray for us in this and please consider helping if you can. Any funds we have  over the cost of the vehicle (such as the remaining $11,000o being paid back to us) could be used for future discipleship ministries. Thank you!

*We are continuing to clear and plow the land to make it ready to plant crops. The rains have  still not come. I am beginning to hear more often that we could be in for a drought and if that happens here there would be famine. So many survive off their gardens. Pray with us for the rains to begin.

Thank You!

Jacob (and Carol) Lee

Web Site: www.ReachingAfricasUnreached.com
Blog: www.ReachingAfricasUnreached.org

Facebook: www.facebook.com/ReachingAfricasUnreached

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For those who have asked, small packages and letters may safely be sent to:

Jacob & Carol Lee, PO. 55, Moyo Uganda, East Africa

Our “wish lists” may be found at Amazon (Click on the “Wish List” link and type in our names)

The greatest evil is having the gospel and not doing everything within our  power to get it to those who do not have it. May the Lord grant each of us His followers the wherewithal to be obedient disciples!  

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