This is a well done video was done October 31st when we had a group of farmers along with National Director, Miriam, with Uganda Agribusiness Alliance. The national media was also with us and produced this video which will be seen throughout Uganda.
All praise to Jesus with gratefulness for those who have been praying for us and sacrificially giving.
We thank each and everyone who lifts up intercessory prayers on our behalf and that of the ministry. Thank you for supporting us through words of encouragement, financial gifts and even the ministry of presence as you join us on the field from time to time! We look forward to updating you with all that God is doing and will do–just around the bend!!
Please be in prayer for us in these following matters and consider partnering with us in them.
Daily operational expenses (monthly gifts help us to keep things running smoothly day by day; Special gifts allow us to accomplish specific projects).
“And I will lead the blind in a way that they do not know, in paths that they have not known I will guide them. I will turn the darkness before them into light, the rough places into level ground. These are the things I do, and I do not forsake them. ~~Isaiah 42: 16
“The truth is: We serve a generous God. He delights in giving us opportunities beyond our capabilities. He has promised to equip us, and remain with us through each bend in the road.” ~~David Jeremiah
We, Jacob and I–and RAU–stand at that bend in the road–that new direction–with great joy in seeing how the Lord has answered our prayers. I will expound on that in a bit.
We have been back in Uganda for about 3 weeks now, though it feels like so much longer since we hit the ground running (I can’t believe it’s still October!). We had a wonderful visit in the States with our family in 3 different States. Seeing all TEN of our grandchildren was truly GRAND! Strengthening our bond with our children and their spouses was a gift! We flew to 3 different States to visit two supporting churches (including making connections with four new ones) and we drove to 7 different churches within Texas during July- September. We met up with “old” friends during the weekdays and made connections with new ones through folks who have been faithful supporters. As I have said so frequently, the travel was hard on us, but the destinations and the people were GREAT!!! The Lord was gracious in it all and gracious to bring us safely back to northern Uganda.
Pastor Tobious, in the Metu Mountains, wrote of continuing Gospel work along with discipleship, both in the Aya and Gbari side, noting that 17 people professed faith in Christ while we were in the States. The terrain and remoteness of these mountains makes the work difficult and makes Pastor Tobious’s (as well as the other leaders’) commitment and work all the more commendable. We praise God for his faithful plodding and service to the Lord and his part in building up the church in the Metu Mountains.
In Yumbe, our Aringa brother, Charles, has been faithfully broadcasting the message of Good News to students in schools and to neighbors while he also plays an integral role in discipling young men and being a team member of the translation of the complete Bible into Aringa. Jacob and I were honored to be a part of the ceremony in 2014 when the Aringa New Testament was first published! As we plan for a more consistent presence in this region, please read more about it here: NEW: Proposed RAU Yumbe On-the-Ground Branch. Pray with us toward that.
Joshua Abraham–faithful in season and out of season in the Bidi Bidi camps
Trusting God by Jerry Bridges
Christian resources and Study Bibles are being distributed in the nearby refugee resettlement camps and as well as to the Republic of Sudan and South Sudan
In line with our theme verse, 2 Timothy 2:2 (Faithful people teaching others to teach faithfully what has been entrusted to them), Joshua Abraham, a Darfurian Sudanese refugee in the Bidi Bidi camp has been faithfully gathering and facilitating another group (of 21 in zone one) to read and study 14 Christian theological resources which RAU has been able to provide and another group of 20 in Zone 2 . We look forward to a graduation in December as this 5th group of “reading leaders” finishes up the course. The 6th group will graduate in January. It has been a major goal of Jacob’s to foster a reading culture among leaders in the northwestern part of Uganda, South Sudan and the Republic of (North) Sudan. Everyone who has come to RAU for training knows well this quote: “Leaders are readers and readers are leaders.” By God’s grace, we hope to host many more module trainings here, to continue to disciple more deeply up close and personal, and provide resources to the many leaders who God is raising up.
“Seeking Allah, Finding Jesus” by Nabeel Qureshi
Which brings me back to “the bend in the road” about which I was writing earlier. One of the most gracious acts of the Lord has been His answer to our fervently longed-for request–to bring other team members to work alongside us at RAU full-time. While we were in the States, we received the news that the Langworthy’s (ABWE Missionaries) had reached their “100%” support goal and they were making plans to be in Uganda by the end of October or soon thereafter! This was music to our ears and joy to our hearts. Additionally, another couple (Andre and Emilita Solomos) will be coming for 3 months on a survey trip (through ABWE). Andre teaches in his local church in Colorado. Close on their heels, our dear friends, Wayne and Nancy Reigel, will return to serve with us for several months (Wayne is an elder in his local church, Faith Community in Louisville, Kentucky). Having “boots on the ground” helps us keep pace with the great need for pastoral training and discipleship. Having others join the team means a multiplication of teaching teams and opportunities to support the work that leaders in the area are doing.
Aaron, Amanda, Alijah, Isaac, David and Grace Langworthy
Andre and Emilita Solomos
Wayne and Nancy Reigel
Please pray with us as we follow this bend in the road! Several years ago, anticipating the addition of other families and understanding that team dynamics can make or break a ministry, we bought the book entitled, “Becoming A Healthy Team: 5 Traits of Vital Leadership“, by Stephen A. Macchia, which we had the potential team members read along with us. Pray that our hearts will be knit together in unity of mission that focuses on the glory of God and the good of the people we serve.
Pray for the Langworthy family as they leave behind precious family and friends and a supportive sending church. We know what a vital role the church plays in our health and wellbeing in the Lord. Pray that we will be able to welcome them helpfully as they adjust to all the changes that are part of living cross-culturally. Pray for their safety in travel, their hearts in grieving the changes, their joy in anticipating all that God has planned for them, for spiritual gifts to be discerned and used, and for their perseverance through hard things. Pray for the children in this transition. Pray for this family’s health and wellbeing physically, emotionally and spiritually.
Pray for the Solomos family and the Reigels as they desire to be faithful in their “latter years“. We thank God for other “vintage” people like us who long to be useful in the Kingdom of God, to NOT be shelved or wasteful of any of the precious time they are allotted in this world.
If we were God and had His knowledge and sovereignty over the landscape of our lives, we would see a straight line from where we were and are to the place that He will bring us. But “bends in the road” are bends to us because we cannot see what lies ahead. Our sight is limited so we must walk one step at a time, trusting that the Lord is with us and sees, knows and plans the things that are coming ahead. This is great comfort to us!
We thank each and everyone who lifts up intercessory prayers on our behalf and that of the ministry. Thank you for supporting us through words of encouragement, financial gifts and even the ministry of presence as you join us on the field from time to time! We look forward to updating you with all that God is doing and will do–just around the bend!!
Please be in prayer for us in these following matters and consider partnering with us in them.
Daily operational expenses (monthly gifts help us to keep things running smoothly day by day; Special gifts allow us to accomplish specific projects).
“How do you know what your life will be like tomorrow? Your life is like the morning fog—it’s here a little while, then it’s gone.” (James 4:14 NLT)
As I approach 70, James 4:14 resonates powerfully with me! Carol and I are truly thankful for the many years the Lord has blessed us with. We remain constantly in awe as we reflect on the abundant love He has poured into our lives through our Lord Jesus Christ! God’s grace and mercy never cease to amaze us. I vividly recall that transformative day, nearly 50 years ago, when my heart was opened to our Lord’s incredible love, mercy, and grace! Praise God from whom all blessings flow!
Our first stop back to the USA was in Seguin, Texas. It is the place where Carol and I spent most of our lives together. During those first days Stateside, we rested after our journey from Entebbe, which took 40 hours, enjoyed fellowship with friends, and worshipped with our home sending church, Lifegate, of which we have been members since 1982. It was a joy to worship together and be fed by the sound preaching of God’s Word. Dear friends from the church graciously opened their cabin behind their own home to set up as a home base while we are back in the States. On the 10th of July , Carol and I celebrated our 44th wedding anniversary. Our wedding was in Seguin.
We then journeyed on to see our three children, their wonderful spouses, and our ten beautiful grandchildren. They are living and raising their families in three separate states. We see the growth and maturity of our grandchildren each year we are back. It was our first time to see, hold, and love on our most recent grandchild. These were very special times together, re-bonding again and building special lifelong memories. Upon each departure, we had to remind our teary-eyed selves and teary precious-dear ones that we must be thankful for these times the Lord has given us together and not focus on the time we are apart. We certainly are “…foreigners and nomads here on earth…”.
Our primary goal for each return trip to the USA is to secure much-needed rest and to reconnect with our children and grandchildren, long-time friends and supporters, as well as time with supporting churches (sadly each time back we cannot be with each one) and to be in new churches who have invited us to share with them. On this visit, we have been/will be with 13 different churches, many church fellowships, home Bible studies, and enjoying lunch and breakfast meetings with friends and pastors. The Lord has richly blessed us with an abundance of supportive friends and churches since our move to Uganda near the South Sudan border July 2013. We have been able to steadfastly walk out the vision and mission of Reaching Africa’s Unreached , thanks to the loving support and prayers of so many.
Our hope and prayer is that this vision will persist until the second coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, with you as our co-laborers in the faith, alongside those who support our mission and our partnering mission agency, ABWE. We are excited about the upcoming addition of the Langworthy family joining us for the long term, along with two couples committing to three months. We are earnestly in prayer for more long-term, boots-on-ground missionaries to join us as we want to faithfully pass the torch to those who are like-minded in vision and heart who carry on whenever the Lord so decrees. Please pray with us in this!
As we confidently move forward with the work the Lord has accomplished and trust that He will continue to do so (Philippians 1:6), we present these current and future requests before you to prayerfully consider. I have placed them in order of importance. Would you also consider being an ambassador for us and reach out those who may be interested in helping?
1.Monthly Support: Consistent monthly support is vital for the overall mission and vision of RAU to thrive effectively. We are grateful that our personal needs are met. Reliable monthly donations empower RAU to fulfill its mission of discipleship and pastoral empowerment
2.An RAU boots-on-the-ground branch in Yumbe town. RAU’s next step in walking out 2 Timothy 2:2 is to expand a “boots on the ground” branch to the mostly Muslim Yumbe district where RAU has been working since 2013. The land is available, and we have the conviction that the timing is right to construct a second “boots on the ground” long-term campus. This would allow RAU to walk out more fully its mission/vision among the Aringa and the many in the nearby refugee settlements. Our area hosts the largest numbers of refugees in the continent of Africa! We are looking to raise a total of $246,000 (but broken down into three phases) to fulfill this vision that the Lord has placed on our hearts. Please read on for more details regarding the whys and the how’s: **NEW: Proposed RAU Yumbe On-the-Ground Branch**
Recent Aringa church leadership training in Yumbe district. The Aringa are listed as an unreached people group. We want to see that change!
Recent church leadership training in Biddi-biddi Refugee resettlement camp.Many are from unreached tribes
“Wisdom is knowing what to do next, skill is knowing how to do it, and virtue is doing it.” (David Starr Jordan)
“A vision without a task makes a visionary; a task without a vision is drudgery; a vision with a task makes a missionary” (George Deakin quoted in Leonard Ravenhill’s book Why Revival Tarries-1974 Edition p.14)
3.Completion of the Metu Mountain Gbari/Arapi Church/Training Facility: Approximately $20,000.
This is how far we are
4.A third annual dental clinic held at RAU: Last year, a team including four Ugandan dentists from Hope Smiles saw 588 patients from Monday to Friday. On Friday morning, we had people waiting at the gate at 4:30 AM! There is little to no dental care in our area. It cost $5000 to bring four dentist, their team/medicines/equipment last year. If we had $7000, we could bring 8 dentists their team/medicines/equipment and double the number!
5.New Update as of September 5th, 2025: We are excited to announce an incredible opportunity with Christianbook International Outreach (CBIO) to procure Arabic Study Bibles based on the NIV Study Bible for just $10.00 each. There are approximately 6,000 available. CBIO has generously committed to covering the remaining cost of these study Bibles. This is a fantastic chance for numerous church leaders from both South Sudan and the Republic of Sudan to access this invaluable resource, which will significantly equip them in their ministries. We have effective methods in place to ensure this resource reaches refugee church leaders in resettlement camps in both South Sudan and Uganda.
Pray for us to stay the course….thank you!
In the loving sovereign grip of our Lord Jesus Christ,
This is the ministry video we are showing to the churches we visit while in the States. Carol is very gifted! Watch and listen to all that the Lord is doing in far northern Uganda.
We made it to Seguin, Texas, arriving at our friends’ home around 2 AM on July 2nd. The journey from Entebbe to Seguin was nearly 40 hours due to a few delays.
The first part of our furlough will be filled with joy as we revel in the precious moments spent with our three beloved children, their wonderful spouses, and our delightful ten grandchildren. Each laugh, hug, and shared story will create lasting memories. It will be our first time seeing Grandchild number ten in the flesh (Silas), and the excitement is palpable, as we eagerly anticipate watching him grow and connecting with all of the grandkids in uniquely special ways. Our hope is to create lasting, impactful and even tighter bonds that will last a lifetime.
Carol and I are praising God for the first stage of our Ugandan residency, a milestone that feels both rewarding and exciting. We started the process last December. Since we have had four consecutive three-year work permits, we are grateful that Uganda gives us the opportunity to apply for this next phase. At the end of five years, specifically in June 2030, there is just a review process involved; if everything goes smoothly, we could be granted an additional ten years. This gives us a sense of stability and hope for the future. Looking ahead to 2040, if the Lord wills, I (Jacob) anticipate reaching the stage of actual permanent residency status, which is a significant step in our journey. I can’t help but chuckle at the thought that I will only then be a mere 84, feeling both overwhelmed by the age and the possibilities that lie ahead. 🙂
Please pray for us that our time in America will be restful, fruitful, and a good time of reconnecting with family, friends, and as many as possible with those who pray for and support us and the ministry of Reaching Africa’s Unreached (RAU). We are eager to share experiences and stories with loved ones, which we hope will deepen our bonds and inspire those around us. Additionally, we are looking forward to engaging in meaningful conversations that could spark new ideas and collaborations. We also hope and pray we can pass on RAU’s vision and mission to new brothers and sisters in the Lord and see with our own eyes others that are called to work alongside of us. We pray for more supporting churches that share our passion for strengthening the Ugandan and Sudanese churches, which consist of many different tribes and share a passion for proclaiming the glorious gospel of grace, enabling us to continue our important work in reaching the unreached and spreading the message of hope that can only be found in our Lord Jesus Christ!
“And now, just as you accepted Christ Jesus as your Lord, you must continue to follow him. Let your roots grow down into him, and let your lives be built on him. Then your faith will grow strong in the truth you were taught, and you will overflow with thankfulness.” Colossians 2: 6-7
RAU Grafted Mango Demo Farm
New Satellite picture of the RAU Campus: 3°41’34.1″N 31°41’25.1″E
In our last post on May 14th, Carol wrote about the upcoming Hermeneutics (“the art and science of biblical interpretation”) module with Rocky Point Baptist Church (RPBC), Stephen, Texas, and the Forest Hill Presbyterian (PCA) Church from Forest Hill, Maryland, module on the book of Romans in Reaching Africa’s Unreached (RAU’s) Hall of Tyrannus. The RPBC team was led by Elder Scott Manley and the Forest Hill team by Pastor Jason Van Bemmel. Whenever we have teams, we request they be led by an Elder or Pastor in the church. In each of these modules, there were close to sixty church leaders from many different denominations in attendance from Monday to Friday. The attendees who traveled slept and ate at RAU. Full-day schedules ran from 9 AM to noon, 1:30 PM to 5:30 PM, and 7 PM to 8 PM. The focus of RAU’s module training is strengthening church leaders primarily in the primary (first tier) doctrines of the Christian faith and in a Biblical Worldview that understands the implications of Christ’s Lordship for all of life. Since 2013 we have had around 50 of these modules.
The hermeneutics module was May 26th – 30th. Pastor Jeff Dyke put together an outline of the book, 40 Questions on Biblical Interpretation by Robert Plummer. These two resources, along with an Africa Study Bible and some other books, were given to the leaders.
Sunday, May 25th, we worshipped in the Metu Mountains church plant in Arapi/Gbari. Elder, Scott Manley, preached the Word.
On Tuesday, May 27th, while Scott and Blake taught in the Hall of Tyrannus, I (Jacob) took the rest of the team to the Metu Mountains to visit a couple of churches and a borehole RAU put in and where RAU seeks to assist Aya Baptist in planting a church. At each stop, the Word was shared.
On May 28th and 29th, while men on the team taught at RAU, the RPBC’s ladies and Carol had a two day conference with ladies in a nearby church on the the sovereignty of God and suffering.
On May 31st-June 3rd we were all in Yumbe District worshipping on Sunday with Lodenga Church, then spending lunch at the home of our friend, Charles, where he shared about the Aringa tribe and the struggles facing the church. Then we visited several upper-level Sheikhs and leaders in the District Khard’s office next to the biggest mosque in the District. Later, we had the opportunity to minister to the physical needs of two Sheikhs suffering from diabetes and who have been friends since 2014. A couple (Rachel and Ethan) on the team who are in the medical field were a huge help in ensuring good wound care for one of the Sheikhs. While we were waiting, I had some good one-on-one times with the Sheikhs where I shared the gospel in a kind and respectful way once again. Please pray for them, the gospel seed has been planted and watered for a number of years now.
On Monday, June 2nd we met again at Lodenga Church. The RPBC men had a five-hour session with the men on Romans, and the women met separately with the RPBC’s women team members who taught, again, on the sovereignty of God and suffering.
One special aspect of the Rocky Point team was that our daughter, Anna, was one of the team members. What a gift to us as parents! She even stayed with us in our home. We love to see Anna in action, loving and serving, sharing will great skill from the word of God and sharing her laughter and joy.
Forest Hill Presbyterian (PCA) Church team was with us June 8th-June 18th.
Romans Module June 9th-13th.
On June 11th, I took Caleb, Silas, and co-worker Zakeo to two secondary schools where Caleb and Silas effectively shared the gospel. The next day, the three of them went back to the nearby Logoba Secondary School and planted several of RAU’s seedlings. Seedlings are part of RAU’s demo farm project. During the whole week, Katherine was in the kitchen helping our RAU cooks with the food preparations and washing dishes, etc.. The cooks all were impressed with Katherine’s work ethic! Food preparation is very labor-intensive. RAU provides some transport, lodging, and three meals a day for those attending the module training as well as the rest of the staff. In our Romans module, we had 55 who received certificates. It costs RAU around $40 per church leader to have them with us. We are very grateful to the churches and individuals who financially support RAU so that we can continue in the calling the Lord has given us.
On Friday, June 13th, after the close of the Romans module, we all met at RAU with the widow (Sarah along with her six children) of the Metu Mountain pastor who was helping in a remote church plant there. He died in a very tragic way. Praise God for the support given to RAU on her behalf, as well as Aya Baptist church in the Aya Metu Mountains, which is standing with her. One of the church’s members, also a widow, has agreed to offer the mother pictured here a free space to start her own shop and will also mentor her in business. That is the way the church is supposed to live!
Pastor Richard’s widow and children
Forest Hill in Yumbe District: LodengaChurch of Uganda
This was our 7th trip to this small church in Lodenga Village since mid-December 2024 and fourth with a team on a Sunday morning and training on Monday afternoon. We have also been active along with local churches in evangelism, open-air preaching, and the Jesus film in this immediate area. It is literally surrounded by ardent Muslims, and the church is under constant pressure. ABWE (Carol and I are Associate ABWE missionaries) highlighted the work of RAU in the Lodenga area: “A Church Stands Strong” – https://abwe.org/blog/a-church-stands-strong/ It is an honor to have RAU highlighted in ABWE’s “Message Magazine.“ We are blessed to be part of the ABWE family!
“God help me make a difference for you that is utterly disproportionate to who I am.” (David Brainerd)
Above: An earlier date in a market near Lodenga Church
Bibles and Books
Getting study Bibles, Bibles, and sound theological books into the hands of West Nile Ugandans, as well as North and South Sudanese church leaders, combined with our module teaching in RAU’s Hall of Tyrannus and local churches, is another way RAU is seeking to walk out 2 Timothy 2:2 in our Sub-Saharan region. The Lord has certainly blessed and provided! Currently, RAU has four 40′ shelved containers to safely keep these resources from the elements and especially from the many rats and termites we have in our area. Our goal is to be a resource center for West Nile Uganda, the nearby refugee resettlement camps, as well as for South Sudanese and North Sudanese who fled to both South Sudan and Uganda. I am happy to report that since our last post, we have received several thousand more books of various titles via Christianbook International outreach, Crossway International, Oasis International, and Evergreen Publishing Zambia. Evergreen is now able to print books in Uganda, PTL! Most recently, we received over a thousand of Conrad Mbewe’s new book on the Christian Family. It is added to his other two we have in stock for leaders. We have also recently received over 2,500 ESV Global Study Bibles from Crossway. Since 2013, they have blessed us now with well over 30,000 ESV Global Study Bibles, which have been primarily for church leaders and community leaders.
Sudanese from the Republic of (North) Sudan
In August, we are expecting 23,000+ ESV Pew Bibles, which will be primarily for congregation members, students, and evangelism outreach. In August 2024, we received 20,000+, and they were gone by February 2025. In addition, we are expecting 10,520 more Africa Study Bibles (ASB). These will be added to the 6,100 we received at the end of 2024. Praise God! Of all the resources we have for leaders, I see the ASB as the most important. We are so grateful for the Lord’s grace and the sacrificial love of God’s people!
We are grateful for this added edition on The Christian Family for Reaching Africa’s Unreached (RAU) resource center. It is written by an African pastor Conrad Mbewe who understands well transcultural biblical principles of marriage and family, and at the same time also understands the African mindset, which is often deeply rooted in tradition and community values. His insights explore the intersection of biblical faith and culture, offering practical guidance that resonates with the daily lives of believers. This makes it a great resource for our Ugandan and Sudanese Christian church leaders, empowering them to effectively nurture family units and strengthen their congregations through biblically sound, culturally relevant teachings. I believe that this addition will not only enhance church leaders understanding but also inspire them to foster healthier family dynamics within their communities, ultimately contributing to the spiritual growth and development of the African church.
Conrad Mbewe and his wife will be at RAU, Lord willing, November 17th-21st for a training module
I am very proud of Carol. She, along with a dedicated Madi Ugandan team, has skillfully translated Good Soil’s: The Story of Hopeinto Ma’di with the tonal markings. This remarkable achievement not only demonstrates their commitment to preserving linguistic heritage but also aims to make the book accessible to a wider audience. It is currently in the hands of readers to check for reliability and understanding, ensuring that every nuance and meaning is accurately conveyed. This process of review is crucial for maintaining the integrity of the translation. It may very well be the first printed non-biblical Ma’di book with the tonal marks, thus setting a precedent for future publications and inspiring others to undertake similar projects that enrich local literature.
In addition, dear friend Jackie Kirby in Podcast “JPF: Joyful. Patient. Faithful” interviews Carol. The episode is entitled “Carol In Uganda”. It is a very encouraging episode digging into how’s and whys we are in Uganda and the many struggles along the way. It is well worth your time. Thank you, Jackie!
On Wednesday June 25th we leave for Entebbe via MAF. While in Entebbe, we will travel into Kampala to pick up our Permanent (5-year) Resident permits. Since we have lived in Uganda now for nearly 12 years we could apply for these residence visa’s. This is a huge answer to prayer as we were unsure as to the logistics of entering back into the Uganda late September or early October! We were hoping for at least a 10-year permit, but as was explained to us, they start with 5 year residence, then a review and 10 year residence, followed by a review again and then a full-fledged Life-time Residential permit! I jokingly told Carol I will be just mere 84 years old when, Lord willing, we get permanent permanent residency! I pray the Lord gives us many more years to work in God’s vineyard of the West Nile of Uganda, South Sudan and the Republic of Sudan… Philippians 1:21-26. However, as Carol has noted in our previous post we might be in the home Jesus has prepared for us…John 14:3.
Please be in prayer for us in these coming months of activity and travel, as we embark on this exciting journey filled with anticipation and joy. We are looking forward to seeing our children, their spouses, and our ten wonderful grandchildren, each of whom brings a unique light into our lives. Eight of the ten were born while we have lived in Uganda, and over the years, God, in His boundless grace, has nurtured a profoundly close bond with them all that we cherish deeply. We are particularly eager to witness how they have grown and changed, creating new memories together that will last a lifetime. Additionally, we look forward to spending quality time with our beloved home church, Lifegate Seguin, Texas, where we have built lasting friendships with our brothers and sisters in Christ since we became members in 1982. Their unwavering support has been a blessing in our lives. We also have plans to visit supporting churches and friends who have stood by us throughout our journey, allowing us to reconnect and share stories of God’s faithfulness and provision along the way.
In the loving sovereign grip of our Lord Jesus Christ,
Reaching Africa's Unreached 