Remembering the Works of the Lord
By Carol Lee
“I will remember the works of the Lord. Yes, I will remember the amazing things you did long ago! I will think about all you have done; I will reflect upon your deeds!”
Psalm 77: 11-12
Life seems to have gotten busier and it has been difficult to take time to stop and “remember the works of the Lord,” but it is our joy to “remember…think…reflect…and be amazed!”
It has been several weeks since the last newsletter and much has happened that needs to be recounted.
September 15th through the 18th brought us the great joy of hosting a group of men and women from the D.R. Congo. They came a long way and brought a lot of laughter, celebration and color to RAU! I thoroughly enjoyed trying to save my little bit of French from complete extinction by using it among the Congolese. Between our collective efforts of French, English and interpretation into and from Lingala, we got along just fine and were able to bond and enjoy our time together with them.
Pastor Bob Gad came all the way from Kampala to help teach and encourage the group. We have always appreciated Bob’s way of communicating and his own experience in the ministry. He brings a lot of wisdom regarding leadership within the church.
Apiku was a blessing in sharing his expertise in Agriculture with our retreat group. We were wondering how the ladies would do with the practical aspect of gardening, but, much to our happy surprise, they quickly changed out of their fancy Congolese fashions and got very much involved.
I received a beautiful Congolese dress from one of my sisters, Sarah. We had a blast doing a photo session and modeling our dresses. These ladies were full of love and affection and it was easy to love them, too.
The very next day, Saturday, September 19, Jacob, Zorah and Mindra headed to Yumbe to meet for the third time with the Imams and Sheikhs. He continues to be so encouraged and blessed at how those meetings are going. There is a true spirit of dialogue which is especially protected by the Khard who is over all the Imams. Jacob continued with the theme, “Who Is Jesus?” A mutual respect has been displayed between Jacob and the leaders who have gathered. This time they also shared a meal.
The following week, on September 23, we celebrated Jacob’s 60th birthday by inviting friends and coworkers for a meal. It was a blessed event where we shared some amazing food and laughter and words of encouragement. Some of the stories that our guests retold reminded me of “A Roast” as we know it in the States.
The very next day 18 men from the Metu Mountains came for a two day Agricultural Retreat to glean from Emma all that could help them improve their situations in the remote villages in which they live. It was a great opportunity for them to receive some much needed instruction which came with the exhortation to not keep it to themselves but to use it and teach it to others (2 Timothy 2:2)
The following Sunday, September 27th, Jacob, Zorah and Mindra headed to Yumbe District again, this time for open air preaching in a trading center called Wollo which is predominantly Muslim. Jacob states that the people were warm and receptive as Aringa tracts and Aringa New Testaments (for Imams) were handed out. Many youth from Pilgrim’s Church in Yumbe town joined the effort, doing one-on-one with the large crowds gathered there and providing worship music which also draws a crowd. Jacob and Charles climbed the Land Cruiser where Jacob, through Charles’ expert interpretation skills, preached from Mark 2:1-12. The last thing was the showing of the Jesus Film which threatened to be shut down by rain. The crowd was eager to see the film and fortunately the weather cooperated.
This last week we had to take a trip to Arua to conduct some business. One of the highlights was meeting up with Sid Harper, from YWAM. During the conversation it was decided to pursue an opportunity with one of their visiting DTS (Discipleship Training) teams.
On the way back from Arua, Jacob could feel the effects of another bout of malaria hitting him. The drive home was miserable for him but he made it without having to stop. He took some medication right away and, fortunately, he was able to overcome it in record time! Thanks for all who prayed for his recovery. While Jacob has had six bouts of malaria, by God’s grace, I have continued to remain malaria free. Generally, we are very grateful for good health.
During the writing of this newsletter the container arrived. It is never a simple affair to get a container offloaded and set in place and it requires a lot of engineering and brawn! Before we could even think of pulling the container off of the truck we had to offload the contents to make the container as light as possible. It was all hands on deck for that – including me! The type of trailer on which the container was set posed some problems. After numerous tries, darkness forced us to wait and try again in the morning. In daylight it was easier to assess and determine what the “hang-up” was and to find a solution. The tractor and a large crow bar came in handy in lifting the front end of the container up enough to wedge some pieces of metal under neath so that the container could be pulled off the truck. The back end of the container was tied to a Mango tree and came off quickly once it was found out where the sticking point was. Emma, our Agricultural Extension Officer, successfully located someone in Moyo who had a machine big enough to move the container on to the cement pad where its permanent home will be.
We appreciate Nicholas Olowo and Patrick Bukenya and their hard work in getting the container processed through the URA in a reasonable time frame. Pastor Patrick has been a vital point man for the ministry of RAU on Kampala side, helping us to accomplish what we have by working on issues from that end.
Two days after the container was set, the YWAM team arrived. Thank you, Sid Harper, for your brilliant idea of teaming up for the glory of God and the blessing of the people in this area. This multi-generational group is awesome and immediately we felt a kinship in the Lord. Right now, the team is helping Jacob carry all the boxes of Bibles back into the container. We appreciate Zorah’s particular help in keeping the resources organized and ready to go. On Sunday Jacob will take the team to Obongi to minister in Pastor Godfrey’s church. Starting on Monday, Odendi, one of the men who works at RAU, has organized a schedule of ministry in the immediate surrounding villages which will allow the YWAM team to put their gifts to use, whether it be to serve in physical ways or to teach and preach. We look forward to a future of partnering with YWAM as teams come through.
Jacob put the team to work two days after they arrived placing the Bibles back into the container, sorted and organized.
It was such a joy to meet our Lucy’s baby Frank when they came to visit. The Lord answered prayers for a safe delivery and healthy mother and child.
Please remember to pray for all the following upcoming ministry opportunities:
- During the time that the YWAM team is here, on October 15-16, Jacob will be involved in a two-day teaching session with leaders from Koboko. He will spend the night there and will be accompanied by Zorah who has been a tremendous help and encouragement in the ministry.
2. October 24th: Jacob will meet with Yumbe Imams and Sheikhs for the fourth time. The theme again will be “Who Is Jesus?” Thankfully, the container brought several boxes of Arabic New Testaments and complete Bibles which Jacob will be happy to share with them.
3. During the last week of October (27-30) we will host our first Leaders’ Retreat group from South Sudan.
4. November 10 – 13 will be another retreat for leaders from the D.R. Congo.
5.On November 21st will be the first ever open air preaching in downtown Yumbe with a showing of the Jesus film in Aringa.
6. November 29th: Open air preaching for the second time in Kuru near Yumbe town.
7. November 28th to December 5th: Youth Group from First Presbyterian Church, Kampala
We are leaving the rest of December open for our preparations to return to the United States near the end of December.
Jacob and I want to very specifically thank all those who give generously to support the ongoing ministry of RAU. We never tire of remembering that we could not do what we are doing without the fuel which your gifts supply. Because of our monthly supporters (who provide a steady income for keeping operations running) as well as other generous gifts, we have not spent time worrying how we will sustain what the Lord has started – His provision has been timely and abundant through you, our partners in Christ!
For those who are interested in supporting us on a regular basis, even small, consistent amounts are helpful when budgeting. It has been helpful for many to use PayPal as a means for monthly payments. There are instructions at our donation page on how to make recurring monthly donations. All gifts are tax deductible. With that said, every gift given in any way is welcome and appreciated!
———————
Tax deductible charitable donations may be made via PayPal. PayPal also has a way to make reoccurring monthly gifts. To do so please click their link below. PayPal deducts a small amount from each gift as a processing fee. All gifts given through PayPal are now tax deductible as Reaching Africa’s Unreached has 501 c3 tax exempt status as a charitable organization. If you wish to write a check you may write it out to R.A.U. and mail it to Lifegate Missions, 395 Lifegate Ln., Seguin Texas 78155
Reaching Africa's Unreached 