By Carol Lee

“If we had not winter, the spring would not be so pleasant; if we did not sometimes taste of adversity, prosperity would not be so welcome.“

Anne Bradstreet

“Our Lord has written the promise of resurrection, not in books alone, but in every leaf in springtime.”

Martin Luther

Jacob and I are grateful for SEASONS, not only in the earthly sense, but also in the spiritual. Just as the dormancy of Winter gives way to the resurrection of fresh, green growth, spiritual winters create space and time for hidden growth and rest. This has been our experience.

After a long, hot, dusty, ashy Dry Season (our equivalent of winter just above the equator), the Rainy Season has come in earnest. It only takes one good rain to awaken to life new growth on plants and trees that have self-protectively hunkered down beneath the ground or have shed unsustainable foliage. The earth seems to sing its relief from drought through the songs of the birds and bugs and breaks out its Spring wardrobe of refreshing coolness.

The goodness of the rain also comes with the commission to make the most of its goodness through the hard work of plowing and planting while the rain does its work of watering. The fields of Reaching Africa’s Unreached (RAU) have been plowed and harrowed and planting has started–maize and beans–two staples in this region. The canopy of the mango trees has crowded out the intercropping of other plants which used to grow between the rows, so maize and beans will be sown mostly in the open fields of the properties that have not yet given birth to buildings and other projects.

The mango orchard is now producing in a great enough quantity to attract buyers for juicing plants. That has been Jacob’s plan and hope all along–that the sale of mangoes could contribute to the sustainability of the ministry. Zakeo, Ag Production Officer, took a gentleman, who had come all the way from Kampala, on tour of the orchard last week and who verbalized an interest in harvesting the whole mango crop for juicing. What an answer to prayer that would be!

The Box Gardens are coming to life with the rains and the dissipation of the withering heat of Dry/Hot Season. Vegetable production would have come to a complete halt if not for drip irrigation kits, courtesy of M.A.R.S. (Missionary Agricultural Resource Services), which allowed us to produce vegetables even during Dry season.

RAU provides a Demonstration Farm for various agricultural endeavors as a way to inspire and teach church leaders and community members about improved methods and “Farming as a Business“. Agricultural training will continue to be a part of our Leaders’ Retreats in hopes that leaders will be instructed, but mostly inspired (since most people have land and have already been farming to one degree or another). Jacob loves to make the point that a 5,000 shilling ($1.34) investment in a grafted mango seedling, if well nurtured and protected, can become a 500,000 shilling ($134) or more income-producing tree for years to come–and within 3-5 years. Every leader is encouraged to get several seedlings for each child they produce so that, in due season, they will have a steady income which helps to cover the cost of their children’s education. RAU’s Demo Farm gives an inspiring visual of what can be done, even on a small scale.

“…I have come so that they may have life and have it in abundance.“

Jesus, in John 10:10

Spiritually speaking, the “fields” of RAU’s ministry have been plowed and harrowed in the planning of upcoming ministry events–the fertile soil ready for the sowing of God’s word.

“Spring” inaugurated a fresh season of ministry for RAU. We welcomed back Randy Southwell, with ABWE’s Good Soil Ministry, and his team members (Bobby Hile, Denny Nuwagaba, and Caleb Mitchell) to complete the Roots of Faith: Old Testament course which had previously been cut short by a medical emergency. The 6-day course was a “smash hit” and greatly appreciated by the 59 leaders who attended (49 of which were housed here on the RAU campus). Jacob and I were grateful, as always, for the friendship and fellowship we experienced as we got to know the team over several meals and in the venue of ministry. “Roots of Faith: OT“ is just one of the courses we hope to take the same group through in this coming year.

In the midst of the training, a momentous opportunity presented itself to us. Jacob was invited as the Guest of Honor to speak at the launching of 9 more Old Testament Books in the Aringa Language (5 had been previously translated). In 2014, Jacob and I were blessed to attend the inauguration of the complete Aringa New Testament in Yumbe so to see the Old Testament pushing ahead is a joy. This rigorous task was accomplished through a partnership of Summer Institute of Linguistics (SIL), Here is Life (HIL) and Seed Company. For those of us who have not known life without a Bible in our language of birth and culture, this should impact us deeply. Just think how much of the fullness of meaning and knowledge we would miss if we only read the Bible in a second language and not our language of fluency! This point was well made during the Aringa celebration by a group of actors who dramatized the impact of “heart language” in a skit–with great humor! It was an immense honor for Jacob to participate, especially sharing in tandem with Onduga Charles, who translated Jacob’s message into Aringa.

Another blessing that the West tends to take for granted is the wealth of possession and opportunity not shared by a large portion of the world. We love to take our visiting teams to the Metu Mountains to show them the challenges and impactful context in which the leaders in this northwestern corner of Uganda live–remoteness, lack of resources and education (for many), sickness, physical hardship and living conditions and little to no opportunity to attend a Bible College or Seminary. For this reason, it is the joy and priority of RAU to walk alongside the leaders whom we serve, to encourage them spiritually and support them as much as we can in other ways as well.

Looking back over the last 10 years in which we have lived and worked here, a lot of planting and watering has been done and, by God’s grace, we are beginning to see the harvest of leaders being equipped with resources and a deep desire to be students of the word of God, ones who need not be ashamed, who are “correctly teaching the word of truth” (2 Timothy 2:15) and living by the truth as well as applying that truth to their contexts with wisdom.

In addition to providing on and off-site training, RAU’s vision to put rich theological books into leaders’ and pastors’ hands is an on-going priority and investment. I cannot count how many times Jacob has repeated this phrase to leaders attending the retreats: “Leaders are readers and readers are leaders.” On Wednesday, the 29th, the long-awaited shipment of resources from Christian Book arrived on campus by lorry. Some of the books were ones which Jacob ordered and then hitched a ride on the Christian Book container. Others came through Christian Book for a considerable discount. Many were added for free! RAU still has thousands of ESV TruTone Global Study Bibles which are being intentionally placed into leaders’ hands with the hope that they will teach other faithful people to teach others (2 Timothy 2:2). Thanks, again, to all who have partnered with us to make our ESV Global Study Bible project a reality as well as the project to get theological books here!

Along with the shipment of resources from Christian Book, we finally received all of the remaining Dual-Language tracts (pictured above: Aringa/English; Arabic/English &Madi/English) from LMI (a total of 600,000 now are at RAU). Doug Salser and the LMI team have done a beautiful job on the printing! We have already handed out many in the Moyo and Yumbe area. Thank you Doug and LMI!

In April, we will receive another team from ABWE–members of their International Healthcare Ministries (IHM) and leaders within ABWE–to benefit from the collective wisdom gleaned from their decades of service in the Healthcare sector around the world. RAU’s desire is to minister to the whole person and to be vessels of mercy to people in remote regions–to care about people’s eternal needs without neglecting their earthly ones. Our hope is that after doing a survey of the region, talking with Medical Personnel in the area and having brainstorming sessions, the team will help RAU come up with a plan for medical outreach and the development of specialized services such as Dentistry and Ophthalmology which are limited for this remote region–and, perhaps, other ministries that are yet unimagined.

Please be prayerful on behalf of the ministry of Reaching Africa’s Unreached of which you are partners in various ways: for wisdom, energy and supply for each teaching retreat; for the word planted in good soil to produce much fruit in the lives of leaders who lead their congregations; for all the upcoming teams who are coming to participate in the ministry of RAU–1) the Medical Survey Team from ABWE (April); 2) Paul Ortega and his Medical Outreach team from the USA and Mbale, Uganda (May); 3) The “Helping Without Hurting in Africa” authors (Jonny Kabiswa Kyazze and Anthony Sytsma, May); 4) Ron Zeiner for Old Testament Survey (May); 5) Pray for the ongoing Agricultural efforts which RAU hopes will have a sustainable impact on the lives of people; 6) The possibility of and financial supply for working with a Dental group (Hope Smiles) in Jinja who want to come and do clinics in the Moyo area; 7) For the wise distribution of theological resources to key leaders. 8) Please be in prayer for Zorah who is planning to spend extended days at Aya Baptist to teach gathered Sunday school leaders and to equip them with curriculum. He and his wife, Josiane, are already working with Pastor Henry’s church in the Children’s ministry. 9) Pray for Pastor Tobious in the Metu Mountains, Onduga Charles in Yumbe and Pastor Godfrey in Obongi and Joshua Abraham in the refugee settlement camps as they labor in the Lord and persevere in hard places and hard situations. 10) Pray for Paul George as he prepares to return to RAU after an extended time away.

Join us in prayer for the Pryce’s and Langworthy’s who have committed themselves and their families to link arms with Jacob and me and the team here. It remains one of our greatest longings and prayers to have others to “come over and help us” and who can continue what has been started. They are in the fundraising season of missionary life and we ask that you pray for their success and participate in it if you can.

We cannot end this newsletter without mentioning our dear brother, Kevin Kolb, who recently died and now has the most longed-for experience of resurrection life in the presence of the Lord Jesus Christ. He has shed mortality for immortality. Kevin has many accomplishments to commend him, but the one most precious to us and appreciated by RAU and by Jacob and me, in particular, is the role he played as a Board member for RAU’s 501c3. Kevin’s skill set served us well on many occasions. His love for the Lord and for the mission of the Church, and his loving support of us was and always will be a blessing.

“So then neither the one who plants nor the one who waters is anything, but only God who gives the growth. Now he who plants and he who waters are one, and each will receive his own reward according to his own labor. For we are God’s coworkers. You are God’s field, God’s building.”

1 Corinthians 3:7-9

What a privilege to be co-laborers with God in His field! We could not be more aware or grateful that we are not in this endeavor alone. “For it is God who is working in [us] both to will and to work according to his good purpose.” (Philippians 2:13) And, your prayerful, enthusiastic, loving financial partnership is an indispensable component of this work–the “fertilizer“–if we want to keep in line with the Spring Garden theme–that nourishes the growth of the ministry.

With hope for on-going fruitfulness and rejuvenation of the mission and harvest in the West Nile region of Uganda, and with gratefulness for your friendship in the Gospel,

Jacob and Carol Lee

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

Donations are tax deductible

Checks may be written to RAU and sent to our secretary Beth and she will deposit them into RAU’s account : Lifegate-RAU, 395 Lifegate Ln., Seguin, TX. 78155

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

Greetings from Stephenville Texas! 

Yes, I wrote Stephenville, Texas! We arrived at midnight February 15 at the Dallas airport and were picked up by our daughter Anna and our two beautiful granddaughters, Keira and Clara. After a stop at IHop we made it to Stephenville and were greeted by our youngest grandchild Rylan and a bit later by Kenny. Oh what joy to see them again! Because our trip is only two weeks (travel included) we will miss seeing the rest of our immediate family. 

On a sad note, while in flight here, we received word that my brother John, who is a little over a year younger than me, had died. He had been fighting throat cancer. I am glad he is a believer and we had some time on our last visit with him on the Iowa “farm” where I grew up together with him. At that visit, he shared even though he could barely speak how the Lord had been very near to him. We prayed together  with the hope and assurance we would see each other in heaven. I have many precious memories with him. The most difficult part for Carol and me living on the Uganda/South Sudan border is being a long way away from our children, their spouses, 9 grandchildren, immediate family and our dear, dear friends. At this time no service has been planned for John. Lord willing, when we are back in the summer, we can be part of memorial remembrance.

So why are we in Texas for this short time? Last summer, by God’s providence, I got in contact with the lead pastor, Scott Frerking, of Hill Country Fellowship Burnet Texas. Back in the late 70’s his family ministered to both Carol and me in the early days of being saved. Such a wonderful, Christ loving family!  Scott was 8 or 9 then. Scott invited us to come on a Sunday to Burnet and preach during our last trip to the States. The church graciously and warmly received us. Since then they have brought us on board as one of their missionaries they pray for and support.  Hill Country Fellowship is a very mission minded church! They invited us to their 4th Annual missions conference and that is why we are back for a short spell. Please pray that many hearts are moved away from just living the “American Dream” and becoming zealous for reaching the nations that do not have the gospel of grace. 

I am happy to report, since Carol’s last newsletter just a few weeks ago, that I received a report from the northern part of Darfur. Darfur is a state in the Republic of (North) Sudan. This is a post I just put up on my Facebook page:

“I just saw one of the most thrilling videos in my whole life….and I am 67. I am sorry to say I cannot post it. It was a video of new believers from the northern Darfur state in the Republic of (North) Sudan being baptized! If you do not know about Darfur please investigate. It is one of the most unreached areas in the world. We have the joy and honor of working with believers from there. Recently, they have received 50 plus boxes containing Arabic Study Bibles and biblically sound Christian books in Arabic. We still have left in one of our containers one tipper lorry load more to head there and other parts of Sudan to Christian leaders….2 Timothy 2:2. Also through the ministry of Study to Be Approved, we have been able to send Kindle Fires loaded with Arabic Christian resources given to us for church leaders in the Republic of (North) Sudan.

I have just received a message that one of those doing the baptisms is facing threats from community leaders. Please please pray for our brothers and sisters in Christ there!

Many thanks to all who pray and support Reaching Africa’s Unreached (RAU)! Please continue to pray and consider supporting RAU financially. ( https://reachingafricasunreached.org/donations/ )”
On another note, our dear long time friend and Aringa coworker, Onduga Charles, wrote that in March they are having the launching of nine Old Testament books that have been just translated and are being put into print. Charles is a lead member on the translation team of 20. The team has asked me to be the “Guest of Honor“. What a privilege and joy! In 2014, Carol and I, along with some friends, were at the launching of the first New Testament in print for the Aringa. A life long memory!! The Aringa are in the category of an unreached people group according to the Joshua Project. Jesus is building his church among the Aringa!
Please take a quick look again at our last blog post/newsletter to find other prayer requests. Thank you and God bless you abundantly. Carol and I as well the RAU team greatly appreciate you!

In His loving and sovereign grip,

Jacob and Carol Lee

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

Donations are tax deductible

Checks may be written to RAU and sent to our secretary Beth and she will deposit them into RAU’s account : Lifegate-RAU, 395 Lifegate Ln., Seguin, TX. 78155

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

By Carol Lee

Imagine you are on a roller coaster ride. You have already survived many fast-paced ups and sudden downs, corkscrew twists and unexpected turns. And then…you slow down as you enter a dark, disorienting tunnel….but the pace picks up as a promise that something exciting is up ahead. Suddenly, the light at the end of the tunnel comes upon you like a flash and you are off, again, to a wild ride.

THAT! could be a description of our lives in the disorienting and disrupting times of COVID-19 and Ebola! But now, the speed is picking up and, suddenly, we are experiencing the flash of light at the end of the tunnel signaling that the ride is about to get wild–again!

Jacob and I are so grateful for the many lessons learned (even the most difficult and painful ones), for grace for a different season of life, for a renewed confidence in the sovereign goodness of God, and for the continuing privilege of displaying the beauty of Christ in the Gospel by word and deed. The last two- and-a-half years have been humbling, yet grounding, as we have dug deeper in our knowledge and experience of the Father and His loving plans for us. One of our morning devotional books has been especially helpful in orienting us toward gratitude to a God who is not surprised or de-throned by what we consider to be ups and downs and twists and turns in our story:

“But there are no contingencies with God. Our unexpected, forced change of plans is a part of His plan. God is never surprised, never caught off guard, never frustrated by unexpected developments. God does as He pleases, and that which pleases Him is always for His glory and our good.
Our lives are also cluttered with a lot of “if onlys”: “If only I had done this,” or “If only that had not happened.” But again, God has no “if onlys.” God never makes a mistake; God has no regrets. “This God—his way is perfect” (Psalm 18:30). We can trust God. He is trustworthy.
And so we’re told, “Trust in him at all times, O people; pour out your heart before him; God is a refuge for us” (62:8). Such encouragement is needed because so often our faith falters in various situations while we await the outcome. And frequently our situations don’t really have a happy ending. Is God sovereign then also? This is the crucial question. We honor God by choosing to trust Him when we don’t understand what He is doing or why He has allowed some adverse circumstance to occur. As we seek God’s glory, we may be sure He has purposed our good and won’t be frustrated in fulfilling that purpose.“

Jerry Bridges in “31 Days Toward Trusting God”

As we have shared in past newsletters, we made the most of COVID-19 and Uganda’s Ebola’s uncertainties by preparing the campus and the buildings for an influx of TEAM! Lydia’s House is only a good cleaning and some minor tasks away from our being able to move in and settle. There is very little left to do to make the other homes ready–initially, for teams that are coming in March, April and May, and then, hopefully by the end of the year, for our two, long-prayed-for families–the Pryce’s and Langworthy’s with ABWE.

In February, Jacob and I will take a whirlwind trip to the States for a special Missions Conference in Burnet, Texas hosted by Hill Country Fellowship. We will attend as invited guests along with a number of other missionaries they support. We look forward to that time for refreshment, fellowship and connection with like-minded, Great Commission partners, sandwiched on either side by a short stay with Anna (our daughter) and Kenny, Keira, Clara and Rylan Danley.

March 20-25th, RAU will be hosting the ABWE‘s Good Soil Team, once again, for the “Roots of Faith: Old Testament” course which was cut short last time by a medical emergency (thankfully with a God-glorifying, joyful outcome!!). We are hoping to have the same attendees back again so they can receive the full benefit of the course. Jacob and I are grateful to Randy Southwell and team for keeping us on their radar and making it a priority to try again. (Randy was the one God graciously spared from a heart attack and yet, he is not deterred from “round two“!)

In April, we are privileged to host a team of veteran doctors, nurses (and others) who are members of ABWE’s International Healthcare Ministry (IHM). In past newsletters, we had reported about a tract of land that was purchased with some kind of medical facility in mind. Last summer, the IHM was gracious to meet with Jacob and me and give wise counsel on how to proceed–mainly, slowwwly. By the end of the meeting they had determined to plan a survey trip to help us assess the greatest needs for this area and how those needs might be fleshed out while keeping the Gospel front and center. We look forward to their collective wisdom and insight.

The month of May will be about as packed as it could be–and still be survivable!! In the first week of May, Paul Ortega and a team from the USA, as well as from Pearl Haven Ministries in Mbale, Uganda, will partner to bring medical personnel (Doctors, nurses, lab techs and pharmacists), lab test kits, and pharmaceuticals to do a medical and Gospel outreach–2 days in the Metu Mountains and 2 days at the RAU campus. Some of the team members will also have a children’s outreach while the rest are addressing the health needs of the people who come for care. We were blessed by Paul’s team in the past as they served wholeheartedly as unto the Lord, and the recipients of their ministry have been many grateful people.

May 15th-20th, two of the authors of “Helping Without Hurting in Africa,” Jonny Kabiswa Kyazze and Anthony Sytsma, will personally come and teach the course to a gathered group of Moyo/Metu, Yumbe/Obongi/Refugee Settlement church leaders. Jonny Kabiswa Kyazze is a Ugandan and the holder of a Master’s in Management and Organizational Development, Bachelor of Science in Community-Based Development, and a Diploma in Business Management. Anthony Sytsma and his wife, Sara, both work for Resonate Global Mission in Uganda, where Anthony mentors and teaches pastors. Anthony’s wife, Sara, will also be joining us to teach some practical ideas in agricultural, as well as cooking methods, clay ovens, nutrition, reducing fuel costs, etc. She teaches a whole number of agricultural techniques and practical tips for small scale subsistence farmers.

With great joy (and to the joy of many who sat under his teaching years ago), we welcome Ron Zeiner back to RAU on May 26th (the retreat will be May 29-June 2nd) to teach an Old Testament (OT) survey, book by book. Ron is the Pastor at Bread of Life Church in Uvalde, Texas, and has been a longtime friend going back to when Lifegate (our sending church) was first formed. We are thankful to JoAnna, his wife, for turning him loose! In probably one of the hardest tasks a good OT scholar could be assigned, Ron has distilled each OT book to its most vital storyline and implications. Many pastors are able to remember his comparative study on Jonah and Peter and how blessed they were by the study. Jacob and I are blessed to have him back here!

June will bring a welcome respite from the whirr of events as we prepare for our furlough to the USA for 3 months (July through September). Right away in July, we will attend a “New Missionary Orientation” at the ABWE headquarters as Associate missionaries. As Jacob and I soberly assess our lives, we recognize that there must be vision bearers after us who can and will continue the ministry. ABWE has stood with us by identifying missionaries from their group who are willing!! After that, we will, Lord willing, have a fun-packed vacation with our 3 children and their families–all together for the first time since 2018. From there, we will begin our itinerating to supporting churches and our sending church, Lifegate.

Please keep us and all of these teams in your prayers for safe travel and effective ministry!

As much as I do not thrive on the adrenaline rush of a fast paced life, it is wonderful to have a full calendar of activity that reflects most clearly our vision for being here in northwestern Uganda–to serve the local church leaders from Moyo and Yumbe District churches as well as Sudanese church leaders residing in the nearby refugee settlement camps by taking part in the development of pastors and leaders who are growing in the knowledge and love of Christ, growing in character and integrity and growing in love for the flocks to which God has called them to serve. The call to “teach faithful people who will also teach others” is what energizes the ministry of RAU (2 Timothy 2:2).

Jacob and I often pray with gratitude for all of you who have stood with us and participated through your prayers and financial gifts, through encouraging communications and care for our souls. As we have said before, RAU is only a pipeline of grace. Ministries and missions were never meant to have their focus on the work of individuals. In his book, “Becoming a Healthy Team,” which we are reading together as a ministry team, Stephen Macchia writes the following:

“Jesus sent the Twelve out to fulfill his mission, share his message, and perform life-changing ministry. This motley group of called-out ones was privileged to partner with the Savior in ministry beyond measure. The likes of the disciples are known today as followers of Christ who are willing to die to self so that the life, love, and mission of Christ may be evidenced in this world…From the time of Pentecost to the earliest growth of the Christian church, the believers were known to share all they had with one another so that the mission, message, and ministry of Christ would be multiplied in their generation. The ripple effects of this movement of the Spirit remain actively alive today—hallelujah!“

Jacob and I are also keenly aware that we have a TEAM on the ground without which we could not accomplish the multi-faceted ministry which is RAU. We thank God for Paul George, long time friend and ministry partner from Texas, who now spends many of his months here with us. His outreach with Odendi Zakeo, into our immediate neighborhoods and into Moyo (hospital and prison) brings the Gospel and love of Christ down to the “capillary” level of care. Onette Zorah is a gifted teacher with a particular love for the children and the goal of establishing a sound Sunday school curriculum. He is a help in many ways. RAU’s daily workers have co-labored with us in keeping the Demo farm functioning and beautiful and, during our many building projects, their particular skills have been a blessing. We are grateful for our American and Ugandan NGO Board members who “grease the wheels” of our progress in so many ways. Though they are not with us on site, Pastor Ojji Tobious (Metu Mountains), Pastor Amani Godfrey (Obongi), Onduga Charles (Yumbe), and Joshua Abraham (Bidi bidi Refugee Settlement) have worked tirelessly under harsh conditions to be a part RAU’s “2 Timothy 2:2” task in their respective areas.

Thanksgiving and Requests

“Always be full of joy in the Lord. I say it again—rejoice! Let everyone see that you are considerate in all you do. Remember, the Lord is coming soon. Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus.“

Philippians 4:4-7

1. Thanksgiving for a joyful Christmas celebration with the Gbari/Arapi/Duku/Oyo church plants in the Metu Mountains. Under the watchful care of Pastor Geoffrey, our brothers and sisters in Christ there are faithfully gathering. [Note: Ayaa Baptist Church is rejoicing in the completion of their church building, thanks to faithful and loving donors.] Request: Several years ago, a church building was begun in Gbari/Arapi and brought to beam level. Our hope is to raise the necessary funds to help them complete the building with a roof and finishing work (Approximately $20,000 needed). The church structure would also serve as a training center for the northern parts of the Metu Mountains while Ayaa would serve in the same capacity for the southern section of the Metu Mountains. Please pray and consider coming alongside these brothers and sisters so they may enjoy a structure that shields them from the elements. It will serve them in their weekly services and as a gathering place for trainings and other events. Please also pray that these dear people will not grow weary in the midst of the struggles of their hard lives and that they would be a light that shines in these valley communities.

2. Thanksgiving for Onduga Charles and his faithful zeal for the youth of Yumbe. Recently, Jacob and I were invited to teach at Pilgrim’s Youth conference. What an exuberant and worshipful group of young people!! It was a joy to participate with them in stirring up zeal with knowledge through teaching and the resource of ESV Global Study Bibles and in participating with them in an outreach in Kuru where they jubilated in song and shared the Gospel in earnest. I was especially impressed with a young man named William, who not only took the “task” seriously, but also peppered me with the questions that he was faced with in sharing the faith with others. Jacob enjoyed his one on one in the market with some of the youth as well as using the Land Cruiser for his “stage” as he preached and Charles (in his usual, fiery, animated way) interpreted into Aringa. At times, I hold my breath as the “dance around” the spare tires up there! Request: Please pray that the fire of their zeal for Christ will not die out by distractions of life. Pray that RAU can continue to support Charles in his outreaches and discipleship in Yumbe District.

3. Thanksgiving for Odendi Zakeo and his continued efforts to keep the Demo Farm operational and ready for the next project or growing season. With dry season upon us, we have the opportunity to demonstrate drip irrigation with kits supplied by M.A.R.S. (Missionary Agricultural Resource Services) whose ongoing support has made a way for us to provide training for Christian leaders as well as community members. Request: Please pray that this aspect of RAU’s ministry would be fruitful in inspiring and training many to view farming as a business and not merely a subsistence practice. Our desire is to see economic change by the people’s wise use of their land and farming knowledge.

4. Thanksgiving for the many Bibles and resources that were able to be sent (twice) to Northern Darfur in the Republic of Sudan because of an open door in that country which allows believers to gather to worship Jesus Christ (thanks to our contacts and recent political developments which have provided broader freedoms). Soon another load will be taken into the Nuba Mountains for church leaders. Request: please be prayerful for the hundreds of Christian books in Arabic and Arabic Study Bibles that were transported there–that they would be disseminated wisely and bear fruit that will last and pray that the Gospel would once again take full root in a country which has deep Christian roots (Christianity reached the area of present-day northern Sudan, then called Nubia, by about the end of the first century after Christ.) but was, most recently, a strongly Muslim country.

5. Thanksgiving for 12 students into whose futures RAU has the privilege of investing (from Primary to Secondary to Nursing and Trade School). Especially in this northwestern region of Uganda, where opportunities are hard won, education paves the way for improved chances of a decent job. Request: The funding which was there specifically for education sponsorship at the beginning is no longer available. If this is an area of vision and passion for you, please prayerfully consider sponsoring 1 or more students to completion of, at least, secondary level….$5000 per year is needed.

6. Thanksgiving for Anzoa Gift’s remarkable recovery and health after her two trips to India for heart surgery. Request: please keep praying for her health and the sound functioning of her pacemaker. It’s possible that at some point her heart rhythm may return to normal and she may not need one. Pray for her desire to become a nurse (inspired by the good care she has received) and, especially, that the difficulties and conditions of her life may not overcome this good path in her life.

7. Thanksgiving for the godly, faithful life of our brother in Christ, Pastor Bilali Pasquino of Ijujo church. He is 72 years old and continues to lead his flock well. Jacob and I were deeply touched by his faithful shepherding, remaining fruitful in his old age. Request: Prayerfully consider a gift towards a “permanent home” (bricks and cement and a metal roof) which he longs to finish for his wife so they live the end of their lives in improved conditions. We don’t normally support personal projects like this, but we were inspired to honor and support him in this season of his life. $5,000 is needed to finish it out and $200 has already been received. Recently, as he was walking along the road, he was knocked by a cow and suffered a painful leg injury. Pray for recovery and strength to continue.

Please remember Reaching Africa’s Unreached and prayerfully consider “joining the chorus” with your prayers and financial gifts as we sing the Gospel of grace in Uganda, South Sudan and (North) Sudan, most especially through the leaders RAU seeks to empower in reaching the many tribes and tongues they represent.

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 RAU’s Mission/Vision along. If you are not giving monthly, would you please consider helping us in 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 RAU’s philosophy on missionary giving and how to give—> https://reachingafricasunreached.org/donations/

Our love, prayers and blessings for you all!

Carol and Jacob Lee

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

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

JOY TO THE WORLD!! By Carol Lee

JOY to the world,THE LORD IS COME! Let earth receive her KING;

LET EVERY HEART PREPARE HIM ROOM and HEAV’N AND NATURE SING.

JOY to the EARTH, the SAVIOR REIGNS! Let men their SONGS employ,

while fields and floods, rocks, hills, and plains, REPEAT THE SOUNDING JOY

No more let sins and sorrows grow nor thorns infest the ground;

HE COMES TO MAKE HIS BLESSINGS KNOWN FAR AS THE CURSE IS FOUND.

HE RULES THE WORLD with TRUTH AND GRACE and makes the NATIONS prove

the GLORIES OF HIS RIGHTEOUSNESS and WONDERS OF HIS LOVE.

WOW! 

This song is EXPLOSIVE and EXPANSIVE in its JOY and eager desire to make the coming of our Savior known and His love, truth and righteousness experienced in each  heart, individually as well as globally.  There isn’t one square inch of heaven or earth where the song’s writer, Isaac Watts, doesn’t hope to hear the echo of this good news or see its full expression.

This anthem especially sings the exultant refrain of our human and divine story—the fulfillment of a long-ago Promise to a broken world—and urges us to appreciate the full impact of it:

• God sets the stage for His Story—the creation of a pristine world where His image-bearers would multiply and spread God’s Kingdom and glory until the whole earth was full of His glorious reign.
• A heavenly Rebel, Satan, in having coveted God’s glory and shaken his fist at God in defiance and cast out of heaven, seeks to take the pinnacle of God’s creation—MAN AND WOMAN—down with him.
• Satan appears to have wildly succeeded—BUT FOR THAT POWERFUL PROMISE from God Himself of a CONQUERING SEED
• Biblical history is a crescendoing narrative, stanza upon stanza upon stanza upon stanza, that tells a complex story, and inspires in us a yearning to see and sing the joyous refrain of the Long-expected fulfillment—Jesus, God’s Son, in human flesh, born of a virgin, born to destroy the works of the one through whom the destruction and chaos came.

BUT! 

The refrain is only an interlude between the stanzas yet to come, for not every heart has made Him room, the whole earth is not yet repeating the sounding joy, and the Savior’s blessings are not yet known “far as the curse is found”! The vast majority of humanity has not even heard this melody and message so that it may sing along in this joyful season of celebration.

SING AND CELEBRATE!

Do not let the somber warning of “BUT!” muzzle your joyous refrain. We cannot effectively enjoin others to receive a message we do not treasure and celebrate well. 

REMEMBER!

• That our Long Expected Jesus entered into human history and fulfilled all that the Father had planned
• Jesus came to live, die, rise and ascend to heaven. 
• He did this so that in living He would fulfill all righteousness,
• In dying He would become a curse for us so that we might become the righteousness of God,
• In rising, having been declared the Son of God, He would display victory over sin, death and the Devil and, 
• In ascending He would return to His Father as the King upon His throne, as an Intercessor for all of us “Sinners-in-Chief” who call upon His name and, 
• from where He would send His Holy Spirit to empower us to sing this song to every tribe, tongue, people and nation.

This Christmas, all of us at Reaching Africa’s Unreached (RAU) are delighted to be part of the great choir of those singing this song to the Nations in and around which the Lord has placed us—Uganda, South Sudan and the Republic of (North) Sudan.

UGANDA

Metu Mountains

• A little over a week ago, Paul George, Pastor Henry, Jacob and I had the privilege of accepting an invitation to the home and village of Metu Mountain Chief Kanyaba Salverio Lukere 11 for the special purpose of sharing the Good News of Jesus Christ with his family and all who gathered. Jacob had first met him back in 2010. Jacob preached from John 11 (the raising of Lazarus from the dead) with Pastor Tobious interpreting. I was given the opportunity to read the text in Ma’di and then, at the end to share John 3:16 and Jesus Loves Me in Ma’di. Some of the Metu Mountain pastors also joined in and gave messages of encouragement, exhortations and prayers. A very joyful day, for sure, of good news, good food and fellowship and open hearted response to the message!
• Pastor Tobious continues to oversee and care for the itinerant pastors in the Metu Mountains. They are keen to extend the reach of the Gospel to surrounding villages and have an eagerness to be equipped in the word of God and in their calling as pastors. Please keep praying for them—that they would not grow weary in well-doing, especially in the difficult conditions in which they live. We will spend Christmas with the church plant in Arapi/Gbari Metu Mountains.
• We praise the Lord for the good health and safety of Anzoa Gift who was able to return from India after her heart repair and pacemaker placement. Such acts of love are made possible by the generous hearts of RAU partners and they pave the way for the Gospel to be received with joy. We look forward to the day we can visit Anzoa Gift’s Metu Mountain village of Abeso not only to celebrate her life but also to see and celebrate the borehole which was provided through RAU for clean, accessible water. We are praying a church can also be planted in Abeso.

Moyo

• We are grateful for our RAU team members who are faithfully singing the song of the Lamb to people of Moyo District in various places and settings. Zorah has had a burden to equip the youth in the church which we attend, training them to teach the young children through the New City & Westminster Catechism along with Bible memory verses. 2 Timothy 2:2 in action!!
• Co-worker, Paul George has been doing what he loves—hospital visitation for prayer and sharing the Gospel. He and Odendi Zakeo (our Ag Production Officer) have teamed up in Gospel friendship to go every Sunday when they share and pray and provide necessities such as soap.  They are also involved in Prison ministry and hope to do that more and more. Paul and Zakeo are making the most of every opportunity to proclaim and display the love of Christ Jesus in our surrounding communities.
• Jacob has had an increasing number of opportunities to preach and to share the gospel and give out gospel tracts with community members. A few weeks ago, 3 men came to the gate wanting to know more about becoming Christians—2 of them believed on the Lord and prayed with Jacob and Pastor Henry. These 2 men are now attending regularly at Pastor Henry’s church.
• The resources (ESV Global Study Bibles and theological books) have been a blessing to many and those continue to be sent out regularly to various leaders in Moyo as well in surrounding districts, South Sudan and the Republic of (North) Sudan. RAU is grateful to the many who gave generously to purchase and ship them here!

Yumbe

• Early this year, before our journey to the USA, we met Abdul Rahim Zubair, a young Muslim 20-year old who had been tragically shot in the hip and paralyzed from the waist down, with little hope for recovery or for the Physical Therapy necessary for improved quality of life. He lives with his Mom (who has been doing all the heavy lifting in caring for him) in Yumbe. When he came to see us, there was little to be done except buy a wheelchair for him to allow him some mobility as well as respite for his mother. We are looking forward to a continuing relationship with this family struck by tragedy and to sharing Gospel hope with them. Pray with us and pray for Abdul!!
• Our dear friend and Gospel partner, Onduga Charles, is on FIRE to make Jesus Christ known and beloved and received as Savior among the Aringa of Yumbe. His zeal to raise up a generation of well-equipped, passionate youth stirs us to come along side him. In January, he will organize the annual youth conference where youths from the various sub counties of Yumbe district. We look forward to participating in that.  He hopes to identify 10 or 11 young men who can be trained pastorally for new church plants in surrounding towns and villages in Yumbe District. RAU looks forward walking with Charles in this. Charles reports that many of the Imams/Sheikhs are eager to recommence the Christian-Muslim dialogs with Jacob like the ones done in the past.
• Omar, a former Sheikh and now a brother in Christ, has been giving his energy to meeting with Muslims in Yumbe to share his story and the Gospel with many. From his reports and videos we are encouraged to see his growth in the Lord and the impact of his faith in his hometown. 
• Please pray for a Yumbe Sheikh A—— who has become extremely ill. He has a great desire to meet with Jacob and it is our prayer that at this meeting he will open his heart to Christ and trust in Him by the power of the Holy Spirit. Pray with us for that miracle–for healing of body and soul!

SOUTH SUDAN/REPUBLIC OF SUDAN (NORTH)

• In the fires of war and turmoil, God is forging men and women of faith from South Sudan and the Republic of (North) Sudan. They have been chased from their homes and have taken refuge in Settlements within Uganda. 
• RAU is privileged to partner with them, especially through the faithfulness of Joshua Abraham, a pastor from the Sudan (Darfur) who is a Muslim-Background-Believer (MBB). Over the last 4 years, Joshua has attended many trainings in the Hall of Tyrannus and coordinated to bring other pastors from the camps with him. This last year, implementing 2 Timothy 2:2, Joshua gathered 26 leaders from Bidi Bidi Refugee Settlement and took them through 14 Biblical resources provided by RAU relating to pastoral care, counseling, family life, economics and Bible literacy. This past December 17, we joined these leaders and their families and friends to celebrate their graduation from this course. It was a jubilation like we’ve never seen!
• Recently, RAU had the privilege of hosting for a few hours a group of men from Darfur, Sudan. They came with the purpose of greeting and thanking Jacob/RAU personally for the many Bibles, Kindle Fires and theological resources in Arabic and English which had been sent in the past and to load up their vehicle with many more books to take back to Darfur Sudan where people are eager to receive them. Pastor Adam told the story (which you may hear in the video below) of police in Sudan who confiscated the Bibles and books while also incarcerating many believers. During that time, the police began to read some of the books and, to the amazement of Pastor Adam, returned the resources stating, “We didn’t know Christians had such wonderful books. You must get more and give some to us!”

Looking Ahead

As COVID-19 and Ebola lose their impact and presence in Uganda, opportunities are, once again, opening up and filling up the RAU calendar. Gaps are filling up! There are new stanzas yet to be written and sung in God’s song!

• January: Yumbe Youth Conference and possible leadership conference in Bidi Bidi Settlement
• February: Jacob and I travel to Burnet, Texas for Hill Country Fellowship’s yearly Missions Conference (side benefit: we get to see Kenny and Anna and the kids!).
• April: RAU hosts authors of “Helping Without Hurting in Africa” as they teach the course by that name to church leaders from Metu Mountains, Moyo, Obongi, Yumbe and the Refugee settlements
• May: RAU hosts Paul Ortega’s team and Mbale Pearl Haven Ministries for a Medical Outreach at RAU and Metu Mountains Gbari/Arapi and Ayaa.
• Evangelism and discipleship in Moyo, Metu Mountains, Obongi, Yumbe, and refugee settlement camps. Hosting visitors who come to see RAU’s agriculture demo farm in action. Currently we are pruning the 640 grafted mangoes.
• Jacob weekly preaching on Tuesday morning on a local radio station beginning in the new year.
• July: return to USA for ABWE orientation as Associate Missionaries/itineration/family visits
• Continue to pray for the Pryce and Langworthy families as they raise support to join the RAU team.
• 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 and end of the year gifts 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 RAU’s Mission/Vision along. If you are not giving monthly, would you please consider helping us in 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 RAU 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 RAU’s philosophy on missionary giving and how to give—> https://reachingafricasunreached.org/donations/

We joyfully and expectantly await every good thing which the Lord has planned for us in this coming year.

As the end of 2022 approaches, please remember Reaching Africa’s Unreached and prayerfully consider “joining the chorus” with your prayers and financial gifts as we sing the Gospel of grace in Uganda, South Sudan and (North) Sudan, most especially through the leaders RAU seeks to empower in reaching the many tribes and tongues they represent. Please enjoy this video which gives a brief history and vision of RAU:

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

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