Stateside Destinations by Plane

I hope you all are well! Time has gotten away from Carol and me. Our last update was July 20th. Would you be so kind as to take a few minutes of your busy day to catch up with us by reading this update and placing us in your prayers?

As you can see from the map above and the one below we have been doing a lot of traveling in our homeland the United States of America. We left Reaching Africa’s Unreached the last week of July and spent a few days in Entebbe. We were due to arrive in Austin Texas July 31st but, because of a mechanical flight delay, we were put up by Delta in a very nice hotel in Amsterdam. We were received August 1st by our home church (Lifegate-Seguin) hosts, Gerard and Mary Lopez. They have been so gracious and kind. The day after arriving at our home base of Seguin the traveling began.

Texas visits by vehicle

One of our goals whenever we come back is to spend as much quality time as we can with family. Our Lord has graciously granted us such time! We have been able to spend time with our  daughter Anna, husband Kenny Danely and their three beautiful children Keira, Clara, and Rylan in Stephenville, Texas. Rylan is our newest of our nine grandchildren. This was our first time seeing him in the “flesh“. A little later, we had a great time with our son, Josiah and wife, Unyae, in Chattanooga Tennessee. And lastly, we had a precious time with our son Joshua, wife Rebecca and grandchildren Eliza, Ben, Vera, Nora, Olivia, and Lillian. Lifelong memories were made on each visit. Carol and I are grateful for the time which was given to us to see them all again. It does not get any easier to say our goodbyes…tears flow, but they are a tender reminder that bonds have been forged. We are thankful for an understanding and supportive family. Pray for the grandchildren that they, too, will grow in their understanding of the “why” of our living so far away from them. We also had a short visit in Iowa to see my dad as well as family from both Carol’s and my side. One of the days was at the “farm” in Northeastern Iowa where I grew up.

There is a quote which states, “A missionary is someone who leaves their family for a short time so that others may be with their families for an eternity.”

It is the illumination we pray our children/spouses and grandkids will experience!

Our beloved children, spouses and grandchildren

Another of our goals is to renew ties with our supporters and to make new connections with donors who might link arms with us in their prayers and financial partnership. Prayer is the jet fuel of missions and the local church is the primary means of reaching the nations with the glorious gospel. If the 3 billion or more people of the world who have little to no access to the gospel are going to be reached, it will be through praying, Jesus-loving, gospel-preaching, local churches who are obedient to Jesus’ GREAT commission! The vision of Reaching Africa’s Unreached remains the same: walking out 2 Timothy 2:2 in Sub-Saharan Africa and East Africa particularly. Please take a few minutes and look over RAU’s  Mission and Vision page and pray for us: https://reachingafricasunreached.org/about/  Thank you!

In this season of travel, Carol and I were in nine churches, sharing in various ways. We have shown the short video which Carol made, been interviewed in front of congregations, and have been given the opportunity to preach in seven of the nine churches. Because of time constraints, we are only able to visit some churches every other Stateside journey.  My message in each church has been from Luke 24:44-53 entitled “The God Who Opens!” There is a video of the message at Hill Country Fellowship. The message begins at minute 35:35. 

The churches I preached in and/or where Carol and I shared are: Rocky Point Baptist Church, Lifegate Church (which is our home church where we have been members now for 40 years), Valley Bible Church, One Hope Church, Gospel Life Church, Nixon United Methodist Church along with Nixon First Baptist Church (Nixon HS is where I taught for a number of years), Hill Country Fellowship Church, Comfort Baptist Church, and Forest Hill Presybterian (PCA) Church. We also visited with church leaders from  Amazing Grace Baptist Church, Faith Lutheran (LCMS) Church, and Bread of Life Church.  Carol and I had a nice brunch with some of the missions committee members of Faith Community Church in Louisville, KY. When we were visiting with Joshua and Becca and grandkids in Colorado Springs, we had the joy of worshiping with brothers and sisters at Hope Chapel Church and at Third Avenue Baptist Church in Louisville with dear friends Edward and Jennifer Heinze. We have had numerous times of fellowship with couples, families and individuals. Usually our meetings are with a meal and thus we will be going back to RAU with additional pounds–or our “Furlough Fifteen“! Carol and I are grateful for all the love and hospitality which has been lavished upon us in so many ways and in so many places. Praise God from whom all blessings flow.

We travel back to Uganda on November 3 with a new threat to our beloved Uganda-Ebola. Please pray for Uganda that the Ebola virus (Sudan strain) will be contained and kept from bringing widespread suffering and death. One of the lessons we learned and walked through with our COVID experience in Uganda is that God has NO plan “B”. He is always operating in his plan “A” and it is our responsibility to faithfully follow the Lord with great trust in His sovereignty. Our goal does not change and that goal is to bring glory and honor to God our Father in all we do. Our greatest desire is to see people redeemed and forgiven through Jesus Christ and worshiping in and by the Holy Spirit. Please pray for us that we will be faithful ambassadors of Christ.

Please continue to pray for the Pryce and Langworthy families who are with our partnering mission organization ABWE, seeking to join us as long term missionaries. They are currently in their fundraising phase and as the Lord provides they will join us. We pray that hearts will be stirred to also supply their needs as that supply is crucial to the ongoing mission of RAU. God is at work all over the world and Jesus IS BUILDING HIS CHURCH. He certainly is doing it in the geographical areas RAU is working in, e.g. the West Nile of Uganda, South Sudan and the Republic of Sudan. 

Foreign missions has always been part of Carol’s and my heart since our marriage in 1981. At this link is my testimony of how the Lord brought us together to the Uganda/South Sudan border–> “I Remember”. Our first ministry in Uganda was in August of 2006 and the first of many short term ministry trips where we now live on the Uganda/South border was in March of 2007. After much prayer we were sent out by our church Lifegate as full time missionaries with RAU in July of 2013. We have always known our place in Christ’s mission was to be roadbuilders, metaphorically speaking. Our time on this earth is shorter with each day.  Our heartbeat is to pass the baton on to others with the same  mission and vision. Our desire is that RAU’s mission and vision continues until Christ Jesus returns.

 Visit the Pryce’s and Langworthy’s Links

It is our grateful conviction that the Lord, in his providence, crossed our paths with the mission sending organization, ABWE and this has been confirmed by RAU’s American Board as well as the leaders of our sending church, Lifegate. ABWE has the same mission philosophy as RAU. Check out this short video of theirs and see if you agree–> “The Mission of ABWE” .  Currently, we are actively seeking to deepen our partnership with ABWE so that when Carol and I are no longer present, RAU’s heartbeat of 2 Timothy 2:2 will be faithfully carried on. The Pryce and Langworthy  families joining us long term is part of that plan. My hope is that Carol and I will be able to stay at RAU for years to come, enabling us to be part of God’s plan for the strengthening of the Body of Christ in Uganda, South Sudan and the Republic of Sudan. There are many details to be worked through. Would you please pray with us for RAU and ABWE in this endeavor? We will keep you updated as things progress.

Praise Report

Anzoa Gift, the young girl who went to India for heart surgery (the 2nd time) is now home and doing very well, putting on weight and has received a good review at the Kampala Heart Hospital. Thank you to those who financially supported her travel and care and to those who prayed for her health, healing and safety!

Prayer requests:

1) Our return to Uganda beginning on November 3rd and for the containment of Ebola. Pray for FOR THE GLORIFICATION OF GOD OUR FATHER in the ministry, FOR Carol and I TO KEEP OUR EYES ON JESUS, and FOR OUR WILLS TO ALIGN WITH THE SPIRIT OF GOD. Pray for wisdom in our walking out  of 2 Timothy 2:2  and that RAU’s mercy ministry efforts would adorn the gospel (Titus 2:14) 

2) Pray for the Pryce and Langworthy families that the Lord would touch people’s hearts to financially support them as they seek to come alongside us in long term ministry. Pray the Lord would grant wisdom and guidance in our growing relationship with ABWE so that the mission and vision of RAU is passed onto future generations until Jesus’ glorious return.

3) Pray for the wise distribution of the 20,861 ESV Global Study and 16,000 theological books to leaders. They arrived to RAU last January and February. Already many 100’s have been placed into the hands of leaders in Uganda, South Sudan and the Republic of Sudan. Pray for the safe arrival of the remaining 600,000 dual language tracts and other books, such as  the 1,008 of “Seeking Allah, Finding Jesus: A Devout Muslim Encounters Christianity” that are currently on their way in ChristianBook International Outreach’s container. We received another 30 Kindle Fires from Delmar Hager with Study To Be Approved loaded with Arabic Christian materials which we will endeavor to send to pastors in the Republic of Sudan. Please pray with us for their journey from here in Texas to the Republic of Sudan.

4) Pray for an increase in those who financially support RAU on a monthly basis. While we are very grateful for those who give to various projects we especially are grateful to those who give monthly. As the Lord has grown the ministry of RAU our monthly supporters are the ones who are carrying us along. If you are not giving monthly, would you please consider helping that way? Please take time to peruse our website and see how we have sought to be faithful stewards of the gifts given. It is our desire that any charitable gifts that are given to R.A.U. would not compromise what you are  ALREADY giving to your local church and/or to other cross-cultural foreign missionaries. At this link you can read about our philosophy on missionary giving and how to give—> https://reachingafricasunreached.org/donations/ 

Carol and I appreciate your loving support and gracious prayers. May our Lord’s blessings be with you!

PayPal Link for donations: https://www.paypal.com/cgi-bin/webscr?cmd=_s-xclick&hosted_button_id=WAR99DL4JFWXQ

Donation page: https://reachingafricasunreached.org/donations/

Go to RAU’s Facebook page for up to date reports, pictures, musings, and exhortations: www.facebook.com/ReachingAfricasUnreached

RAU YouTube Videos: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCRmHafoBSemE7jS8kEHCG6Q/videos

RAU’s Mission and Vision Statements/Statement of Faith: https://reachingafricasunreached.org/about/

The greatest evil is having the gospel and not doing everything within our power to get it to those who do not have it!

Sowing seeds of love and kindness should not be separated from preaching the gospel of sovereign grace but completely intertwined with it!

When at least 35% of the world; “the unoccupied fields”, have no access to the gospel, we (believers) must all do all we can to reach them. We who are saved owe the gospel to every lost person, most especially the 2.4 billion who will not hear unless someone breaks into their “unoccupied field” with no thought of their own life!

Sowing seeds of love and kindness should not be separated from preaching the gospel of sovereign grace but completely intertwined with it!

I am sure that none of us will say when in heaven that we prayed too much, we sacrificed too much, proclaimed the gospel too much, and were too passionate to get the gospel to those who have little to no access to this gospel of grace. Let us together press on to make it our  ambition to preach the gospel where Christ has not been named!

Our goal in our gospel witness is to take our eyes off the “risk” and place them on the cause for the risk. When God compels us like this he often will not tell us the risks…after all there are no risks for the all-knowing, all-powerful God. So let us be AMBITIOUS (Romans 15:20) to see that ALL are reached with the gospel of grace (Romans 1:16) in ALL places…there are no closed doors to the gospel, just some which are more difficult to go through!

Jacob Lee