That’s A Wrap!…Well, Just About

On By Jacob LeeIn Uncategorized

(More pictures and a video below)

By Carol Lee

By now, Jacob and I would have been to the States for our annual 3-month visit and would already be packed and ready to return to Uganda. As it is, we still have some weeks left before we visit family, friends and supporting churches in the US. Extenuating circumstances lengthened our stay, but it has been providential in allowing Jacob to WRAP up the last of the renovations on campus and ready us for another year of fruitful ministry as well as to receive other missionary families to join us as God provides.

It has been a long year of steady physical as well as administrative/managerial effort for Jacob in overseeing the building projects and keeping in contact with partners in the US and Canada in addition to expanding RAU’s network of ministry collaborators. We are so grateful for the way the Lord connects us to others who have similar visions so that we can all go far together in Kingdom mission. As the saying goes, “If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together.”

We recently returned from a short getaway at our favorite spot in Entebbe. Now, in about one month we will complete the final WRAP up before traveling to the States. Once again, we are blessed to be able to put the management of the campus and its activities into the capable hands of Onette Zorah (Bachelors in Child Development and soon receiving his Masters in Business Administration with a major in organizational leadership). He has proven to be valuable to the ministry as have our friends and co-workers in Kampala, Bukenya Patrick (COO) and Kalunda Thomas (CFO) and the folks that help us out here on campus.

Here is what has been happening since the last update:

  • The site for the borehole for the UPDF (Ugandan army) has been found and drilled and officially opened by Local government leaders as well as Jacob. Due to some insecurity at the border between South Sudan and Uganda, the Ugandan government wanted to install a large UPDF barracks to keep peace and stability in our border region. The road to the designated site was too rough for the drilling trucks to reach easily, so the district assigned a bulldozer to grade a road to the borehole site so that the drillers could push forward. Once the road was complete, it did not take long for the local drilling company to hit water. This borehole will be a tremendous help, not only for those in the barracks but also for the nearby communities and, Lord willing, an in-road for the Good News of Jesus Christ we long to bring to the people.
  • RAU has been supporting the church plants in the Metu Mountains to gradually improve their meeting areas. Termites are a troublesome enemy and they are equal opportunity devourers of anything wood. During rainy season, the ground turns to mud. RAU has helped them to get cement columns and metal roofing in the past and now, in a couple of locations, the churches are having slabs put in. Duku and Oyo Community Baptist Churches both received slabs which will make much better places to meet.
  • Pastor Tobious and Jacob have known each other since 2010; RAU has developed a wonderful ministry partnership with him and Aya Baptist Church for which Tobious is the senior pastor. Recently, the church plants which were birthed out of Aya and Ijujo Baptist churches began the process of applying for membership in the Baptist Union of Uganda. RAU’s desire has always been to come alongside church plants for 8 villages to move them towards self-governance, self-sufficiency and self-propagation. This coincides with the motto of the Baptist Union: “To bring churches to spiritual maturity and equip them for God’s mission.” Membership involves many processes and fees towards which we have been able to contribute. Pastor Tobious has great vision for his “corner of the world” and for his people and works tirelessly to bring them good.
  • The Arapi/Gbari (the “G” in Gbari is almost silent) Community Baptist Church building is finally and fully complete–the last step was to get “Arapi/Gbari Community Baptist Church” is painted and it has been done well! Pray that this church will be a place of worship, learning, fellowship and mission. It is our hope that it also be a training center for smaller churches in Metu Mountains northern side. Aya Baptist vision is to do the same for small southern Metu Mountain churches. Aya Baptist also received a small face lift via a new coat of paint on the walls.
  • Literature distribution continues on a regular basis: Africa Study Bibles to Church leaders in Uganda, Refugee settlements, South Sudan and the Nuba Mountain region, and Global Outreach Bibles to students and congregation members.
  • RAU was able to get 4,000 more Prosperity Gospel booklets and 5,000 of ABWE’s Good Soil publication, “Message of Hope” (MOH) booklets (in Aringa-) printed through a wonderful partner–Ekisinga Publishing out of Jinja, Uganda. We want all leaders to receive a copy of the Prosperity Gospel booklet to make them aware of the dangers and false promises of the Prosperity Gospel. The MOH booklet will be distributed mostly in Yumbe District where Aringa is spoken.
  • RAU is supplying two Bible School libraries–one in Gulu and the other in Adjumani–with theological books for students in attendance. We have also provided at least 5 graduating classes around (mainly) the West Nile but also beyond with Africa Study Bibles for the students.
  • Crossway Publishing has given RAU license to post 15 different theological books in Arabic making them available for free to a large population of Arabic speaking people. This is a huge blessing to leaders who might not otherwise have access to such wonderful resources.
  • Dr. Steve Wellum, Professor at Southern Seminary in Louisville, Kentucky, has produced 26 lessons (each 25-30 minutes in length) on the first tier Christian doctrines of the Trinity and the Person of Christ which will be uploaded to the RAU website. Stateside, Wayne Reigel is organizing the project to put these lessons on thumb drives and MicroSD cards for easy access for those with smart phones.
  • The Yumbe–RAU Branch: With the Land title secured for the property in Yumbe, we are only waiting to reach the full amount of funding necessary to drill a borehole, build a wall around the property and build a home for potential team members which would also serve as a teaching/discipleship space. So far, $40,000 has been set aside from a donation of Blackhawk Mintries. The goal is $246,000. Please read about the vision of an RAU on the ground branch in Yumbe which would be set amoung the Aringa tribe which listed as unreached people group and put RAU closer to Bidi-Bidi Zones One and Two Refugee Resettlement camps which is home to many Sudanese.
  • On October 24th, we will attend another graduation at Bidi Bidi Refugee Resettlement where Joshua Abraham Rawi has led another group of church leaders through 14 theological books and some few pamphlets. Joshua has been faithfully leading 2 groups per year in this study for the last 5-6 years.
  • Praise the Lord! With finishing touches and being done on campus as I write, we now have 4 beautiful homes for missionary team members to join. Of course, the Langworthy’s, and Jacob and I occupy two of them. We look forward to others joining us in days to come. For those interested, please go to ABWE and browse under “Serve” and then ” Browse Opportunities” to see the positions we are hoping to fill. As missionaries must raise their own support, we are looking for those who can accomplish this in addition to raising money for the funding of ministry activities.
  • In the town of Kochi, along the route to Yumbe and Arua, the Land Cruiser broke down some years back. While waiting for repairs , Jacob was approached by a Local Councilman to come and preach there–which he did. Now a small church has been planted and is being pastored by Ofezu Wilson. For the longest time they were meeting under a tree or in a local school, but now they are trying to build a small structure in which to gather. Pastor Wilson has come by for some “carpets” or tarpaulins to cover the simple structure they have built. Jacob also sent along Bibles and some theological books. This kind of providence brings such joy.

Praise and Prayer Requests

  • Praise the Lord for the energy and stamina to finish the long haul of building
  • Praise the Lord for our upcoming visit in the States to see family, friends and churches. Lord willing we leave Entebbe for Texas on November 16th.
  • Praise the Lord for His gracious supply for every aspect of ministry, whether here on campus or out in the communities
  • Pray for the fast spreading Ebola outbreak in next door D.R. Congo to be stopped and a wall to prevent cross border contamination.
  • Prayer for our travels within Uganda and the USA–safety and minimal disruption in travel
  • Pray for our co-workers here that they would experience health, energy and provision as they serve the Lord in their various capacities
  • Pray that the Lord of the Harvest would thrust forth laborers (future missionary team members) and pray that their fund-raising efforts would be fruitful and timely
  • Pray for and consider giving towards the Yumbe RAU Branch
  • Please pray for Jacob’s family in the loss of their father, Keith Lee. He passed away in Hospice care and was peaceful at the end. He would have been 96 on November 7th. We are grateful that he knew the Lord and we rest in the assurance that his faith in Christ has gained him entrance into a joyful inheritance in heaven.

And, well….That’s a WRAP–for now! Please enjoy some photos (below) that highlight the updates listed (above)!

Jacob’s father and one of Jacob’s favorite pictures of him as a child on his father’s lap.

1) Nkata and Lawrence (expert carpenter and finisher) are responsible for all the beautiful furniture and cabinetry around the campus. Here are some of the results of the skilled hard work of many over this past year on the missionary homes. Jacobs experience as general contractor in Texas served these projects well.

2. Jacob and the crew going to check for a borehole site where the barracks will be. He had a little protection with him!! The soldiers all received Africa Study Bibles and ESV Outreache Bibles and a commentary by Tim Keller on the Gospel of Mark.Here is the location. Jacob is targeting the barracks and village Abaya as a preaching point and Lord willing a church plant.

3. Some of the Metu Mountain church buildings (Arapi/Gbari, Aya, Duku, Oyo) getting a face lift or renovation!

4 .Africa Study Bibles, The Message of Hope in Aringa and a multitude of Bibles and theological books going out to leaders from Uganda, Refugees (Sudan and South Sudan) as well as into the countries of Sudan and South Sudan

5. Jacob and Pastor Wilson (from Kochi, Yumbe District–coming alongside a new church plant)

Thank you for standing with us, for taking an interest in, and for partnering with us in all we seek to do!

“Reaching Africa’s Unreached” was placed on our hearts in 2007. We know we are standing on the shoulders of many who have gone before us! Carol and I are very grateful for your prayers, words of encouragement, and support.

We ask for your continued prayers and financial support!

*Information on giving to Reaching Africa’s Unreached: https://reachingafricasunreached.org/donations/

RAU YouTube Videos: https://www.youtube.com/@jacoblee2082/videos

At our website, www.ReachingAfricasUnreached.org , are many pictures, videos, blog posts which help flesh out our mission and calling from our Lor and Savior Jesus.

“There is no success without sacrifice. If you succeed without sacrifice it is because someone has suffered before you. If you sacrifice without success it is because someone will succeed after you”

Missionary Adoniram Judson (1788-1850)

Love and blessings from both of us!

Jacob and Carol Lee

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