Do you know that it is closer to the beginning of 2011 than it is to the beginning of 2010? Hard to believe isn’t it? Over half this year has passed. Time is moving swiftly and I am getting older! Plus, now I have to start thinking about Christmas gifts! It will be here before we know it.

Anyway, it is a good time to take a quick look at what God has done through the IMFC ministries in Uganda in 2010 and celebrate it. Here is a quick look at the first six months. I find it absolutely exciting. I believe you will also.

•2,437 people have prayed to receive Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior, enrolled into Bible Way and received the first book, Who Is Jesus. At this rate almost 5,000 people will receive Christ as their Lord and Savior and begin to be discipled in 2010! Beginning now, I am asking God for 5,000 people in 2010. Join me. Celebrate it!

•In June alone, IMFC gave out 1,888 discipleship books and 180 Bibles! 521 were the first book of the Bible Way Material, Who Is Jesus. The remaining 9 books of Bible Way made up the 1,367 books distributed. This work is exploding! Celebrate it!

•23 Churches have been started: 17 in Naguru and 6 in Natete. Celebrate it!

•528 Bibles have been given to people who have completed the first five books of Bible Way, successfully passing the exams and memorizing 60 Bible verses. Celebrate it!

•6 new Bible Way Clubs were opened in 6 High Schools in Kampala. This brings the total number of schools IMFC is in to 26. Celebrate it!

•73 new believers have been baptized. (Note: baptism happens mainly when volunteers are present to pay for transport to Lake Victoria. There are many waiting.) Celebrate it!

•Jinja Prison has been engaged. 3 wards of this huge prison are now involved in the Bible Way Program. This makes 14 prisons in 7 different facilities. Celebrate it!

•Leadership training is now taking place in Naguru and Natete with over 30 people participating. Celebrate it!

•These numbers do not reflect the food that has been given out month by month to over 700 people and the lives that have been changed through it. (You have read their stories here.) Nor do they reflect the volunteers that have traveled to Kampala and had their lives impacted as well. Celebrate it!

This has been a great first half to 2010. But, the work is just beginning.

I want to share the final paragraph from an email Joseph Esiana sent me who leads our IMFC team in Uganda. It is written for all of you who have prayed or given to this ministry.

I know the Lord has used you incredibly to give that has led the success as outlined above. God has multiplied your gifts and produced a bountiful harvest for himself. Will you continue to join Him even this summer and fall in what He is doing in Kampala and Uganda? Remember; “The harvest is plentfull but the laborers are few” Will you be among the few to join Him?

May the Lord God bless and honor your efforts.

Joseph Esiana

Team Leader IMFC – Uganda

I want to thank you and ask you to keep praying and giving. The growth of this ministry is hard to keep up with. Thanks.

God is at work in the prison’s of Uganda! Here is a story from Luzira Prison in Kampala, Uganda:

“Praise be to God! I thank Bible Way Correspondence School because now I know who Jesus is.”

“I grew up in my life not knowing Jesus is the way, truth and life because my parents were muslims and not in a clear/right way. But through reading this course Who is Jesus from you, I have understood Jesus as my Savior. I have now asked him into my heart to be my Lord and Savior.”

“Glory be to God.”

Ramadhan Lubega
Bible Way Student no.62148

This guy is–WAS–a muslim! Today, he is a follower of Jesus Christ. Pray for Ramadhan as he continues his studies in the Bible Way materials. Pray that when he gets out of prison his friends will see that he is a new man. Pray that through him many more muslims will come to faith in Jesus Christ.

Is Ramadhan’s story unusual? No. Unique? Yes! It is his story and it is unique to him, but there are many more prisoners coming to faith in Jesus Christ, just like Ramandhan, in the prisons of Uganda. You can read several stories on this blog from inmates who have given their lives to Jesus Christ and have been changed forever. And the doors keep opening!

I received this email from Joseph last week about a new opportunity-a new open door-in Jinja Prison.

Joseph writes:

In June 2010, Bible Way starts work in a new prison in Jinja. This prison is 1hour 30 minutes east of Kampala. It is just next to Lake Victoria.

Today I went on a fact finding mission and just meet with the Officers in Charge of the Prison facility and lay strategy on how best to reach to the prison. This is what I found out.

Jinja Prison is divided into four sections, namely; Remand (those whose cases are still investigated); Women section; and Jinja Main prison which is sub divided into two i.e Convicts (those who are serving their sentence); and Condemned (those on death penalty).

Statistics:
The total inmates’ population as of today is 1,764 adult inmates plus 13 children ages 0 – 24 months.
Remand has 658 inmates; Women 36; Children 13, Convicts 900; and condemned 170.

Out of the total number in the prison, 84 so far have been discovered to be living with HIV/AIDS and only 30 are receiving treatment (ARV treatment).
18 of the staff are also HIV+

Prayer Points:
• Like many of the prisons we are working in, Jinja prison lives in total darkness in dear need of the gospel of Jesus Christ.

• In the next six months, we want to reach at least 70% of the total prison population through sharing Christ with them; proving them with our Bible Way Materials like Who is Jesus etc. These materials though need to be reprinted.

• We want to provide each student who goes through our courses with a Bible.

• We want to be visiting the prison to share Christ, carry out counseling, teaching etc at least twice every month.

• Those who are living with HIV/AIDS need special attention like diet as well as the children.

• As the Lord provides, we would also provide them with the basic needs like blankets, laundry soap, sugar, sports equipments and drugs.

Thank you so much for your prayers and support which has helped us to reach to the unreached in the prisons.

God Bless.
Joseph.

Pray that the Lord provides the funds to enter Jinja Prison. It cost only $100 per month to enter a prison of Uganda with the Bible Way materials, but the results are priceless.

On the way to Murchinson Falls Game Park the team stopped at Masindi Prison.

A former prisoner in Luzira Prison in Kampala and Bible Way student, Kenneth, moved to Masindi in the summer and began to minister to men and women there. Kenneth receives no salary or benefits for his work. It is truly a work of love, and how God has blessed! Over 150 prisoners prayed to receive Jesus as their Lord and Savior while the team was with them.

Kenneth will follow up with these men and women and enroll them into Bible Way. Pray for Kenneth and for the men and women in Masindi Prison.

These pictures were taken by the welfare officer of the prison and graciously sent to us. I hope you enjoy them.

[View with PicLens]

Bible Way Correspondance Course has made such a difference in the behavior of the prisoners that the authorities have made it a valuable part of their rehabilitation program. Thanks for your support.

Dear friends, thanks for your prayers! Kampala has returned to calmness.

Yesterday and today were very amazing days for me to witness in the Prisons. Yesterday I visited Kampala Remand Prison in Luzira and today Kasangati Prison. As a result of the riots that rocked Kampala last week that led to the death of over 20 people and the police arresting over 500 suspects, the prison facilities are full to capacity.

In June, Jimmy, Pam, Douglas and I visited the prison facility in Kasangati. On that day, about 150 inmates were all together in lock up. It was really full to capacity. Since there were not enough guards on that day, we could only speak to the women inmates numbering about 25.

Today, in Kasangati Prison where I visited, the number has almost doubled. They were 291! This could have resulted from the riots that rocked Kampala last weekend. The good news however is the fact that these men were very attentive to the gospel. You could easily see in their faces the emptiness that only God can fill through His spirit. After I shared the story of the lost son as told in Luke 15, men amounting to 35 stood up and asked the Lord into their hearts! Wow!

Please pray for these men and women that God will transform their lives and that they become useful in God’s kingdom. Pray also for their living conditions. Pray for Bible Way as we continue to take the gospel to these prisons and disciple those who pray to trust the Lord Jesus.

Hope you have a great day.

Joseph

The Masindi story is being replicated in Nakasongola Prison. Last month, August 16, Douglas and Joseph visited the Prison in Nakasongola. They shared the gospel and the vision for the Prison ministry for the area. Ninety inmates prayed to receive Christ and were immediately enrolled to begin discipleship in the first course ‘Who is Jesus?’

The Deputy Officer in Charge (O.C) of the Prison facility, Michael Ekaju, who is also a Christian, offered to facilitate the inmates study in Bible Way and to help them grow in the knowledge of God and be transformed in to responsible citizens!

This week Michael sent 68 of the 90 Bible Way books, Who is Jesus, to us! Wow, what an incredible thing that the Lord is doing! This is over 70% completion rate! More amazing is that 63 of the inmates turned in their decision cards having acknowledged Jesus as Lord and Savior of their lives! God continues to be at work in Kampala and Uganda as a whole.

Several copies of Book 2, Basic Bible Teachings, have been sent to Nakasongola Prison for the inmates to continue with their discipleship and life transformation.

Isn’t it worth joining God in what He is doing in the Prisons?

“But grow in grace, and [in] the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. To him [be] glory both now and for ever. Amen.” 2 Peter 3: 18

God, Bible Way, Kenneth and the buses continue to bear great fruit for the Kingdom in Masindi, Uganda. This week Kenneth turned in 40 exams of inmates that had completed three Bible courses of the Bible Way Correspondence School, memorized 36 Bible verses and have graduated to study book four – the Gospel of Mark Part 1!

Kenneth continues to be faithful in not only reaching but also disciplining the in mates in Masindi Prison.

-Joseph

This is an amazing story of a young man by the name of Geoffrey Sebwami who had been thrown into the prison in Luzira (Kampala Remand) due to purchasing stolen property. He met the Lord while in the prison. This is his story – in his own words.

“My name is Geoffrey Sebwami. I’m married to one wife and have 4 children. I was thrown into the prison on January 15, 2009. On January 28, 2009 a team of Muzungus (Whites) led by Pastor Joseph and Douglas visited Luzira Prison where I was. They shared the good news which I had resisted for long time, but I finally surrendered my life to Jesus to be my Lord and Savior. The following week Pastor Joseph and Douglas came again and I enrolled in to Bible Way and started to study the Who is Jesus course and also to memorize the Bible verses. I started to see a change in my life and a few weeks later I was entrusted to be in charge of the ward as a pastor!

On July 8, 2009, I was released from the prison and I headed straight to my spiritual fathers in Bible Way. I’m thankful to Bible Way for giving me the Bible courses and the Bible and also for showing me a church that I and my family now are members. I feel I’m home away from home!”

When Geoffrey was released from prison and came by our office, we asked him if he could meet with Pastor Andrew Mwenge of Kampala Baptist Church, Geoffrey lives near the Church. We didn’t know whether he would go as we had told him. It is amazing that two day later we called Pastor Andrew and Geoffrey had actually met with him!

The following Sunday Geoffrey went, as the Pastor had told him, to a worship service at Kampala Baptist Church! All three Pastors of Kampala Baptist Church have met with Geoffrey. They are ready to continue to do discipleship with him. We know this is a credible Church with sound doctrine and so Geoffrey is in safe hands!

Thank you all for your continued support and involvement in God’s harvest fields in Kampala and especially in the Prisons. May God honor and bless your efforts.

In His Harvest Field,

Joseph

Just received a note from Joseph on the progress of the work in Masindi about four hours north/northwest of Kampala. Check out this story on Kenneth to see how this work was started and how. It is a true work of the Lord. Here is an article on my trip to Masindi in July. Check it out as well.

In 2 Timothy 2:2, Paul tells Timothy,

“And the things you have heard me say in the presence of many witnesses, entrust to reliable men who will also be qualified to teach others”

I was blown away this week when I received a report from Kenneth, our mobilizer in Masindi Prison. Kenneth prayed to receive Christ in December, 2008 during our ministry at Luzira prison in Kampala. After volunteering with us for about 4 months, He felt the call of God to take the gospel to the inmates in Masindi prison, an area where he comes from.

He called me on my cell phone and told me he had sent 40 Bible Way exams of the inmates who had prayed to receive Christ in Masindi Prison. Guess what? How did he send the courses? He asked the bus officials to deliver the parcels to Kampala where I picked them at the bus park (terminal). Yes! We are using the big buses that transport people from Masindi to Kampala to carry discipleship books! And, this is done at no cost to us! Wow!

The forty inmates prayed to receive the Lord and immediately were enrolled into Bible Way discipleship program for continuous discipleship. Kenneth’s continuous commitment and faithfulness to the Lord in sharing the gospel in his hometown in Masindi with no financial support is very amazing! He really puts the words of Paul in 2 Timothy 2:2 into practice.

How to Pray:

• Please pray with him for strength as he faithfully continues to share the gospel of our Lord in Masindi especially at the prison.
• Pray for the protection from wrong teachings that can easily infiltrate him – He is by himself there yet still young in the Lord.
• Pray for provision even for his personal needs
• Pray for laborers who are passionate for the Lord and the gospel to join God and Kenneth in sharing Jesus in Masindi.

Hope you have a great day!

Joseph.

Masindi is about 200 kilometers north of Kampala. I have been through there many times going to Murchison Falls Game Park. It is a long drive.

Douglas and Joseph picked up Pam and me at 5:30 AM. We picked up Benon at 6:00 and was going to pick up Deo, but he was late and did not make the trip. Leaving so early we avoided the traffic jams that plague Kampala.

On the way to Masindi we stopped at Nakasongola Prison, in the Nakasongola District. I have stopped here several times before on the way to Murchison Falls, but not at the prison – at the Rhinoceros farm. The big news this week in Nakasongola was that a baby Rhino had been born at the farm. But I digress.

Nakasongola Prison is home to 361 inmates at the present time. Three hundred fifty one of these are men. Ten are women. Seventy-two are HIV positive.

The prison structure is brand new. But they ran out of money before they could buy beds, blankets or mats. The inmates sleep on the concrete floor. Some have small pieces of foam that they can lay on. There is a lot of vacant land around the prison where the prisoners grow their own food.

The warden was expecting us. He gave us a guided tour of the facilities and was very accommodating. Pam and I received a straw mat and purse that the inmates had made as gifts. The prisoners make crafts that they can sell and get a little money from. Joseph worked out a schedule for Douglas and he to come to the prison to minister to the inmates and get them started in the Bible Way material. At the beginning they will drive up twice monthly to work with them. It is amazing how open the institutes here are to Bible Way!

Masindi is about one and a half hours from Nakasongola, four hours from Kampala. We arrived there at lunch time. We found Kenneth, a young man who is working in the prison at Masindi, and went straight to the New Courtview Hotel for lunch. We were all hungry. It had been a long drive and the snacks had long since worn off.

Kenneth came to faith in Jesus Christ while an inmate at Luzira Prison. Through Bible Way God changed his life. After getting out of prison, he worked as a volunteer with Bible Way. For about four months he worked at the Ministry Center with the IMFC staff, then decided to move to his hometown of Masindi and start a work in the prison there. His goal is open Bible Way works in all six prisons in the Masindi District and to start house churches. Big dream. Young man. New Christian. He needs your prayers.

After moving to Masindi, Kenneth found a job and begin working in the prison. Twenty prisoners immediately enrolled in Bible Way and completed book one, Who Is Jesus?. When the administration saw the change in the lives of the prisoners that came when they gave their lives to Chirst, they made Bible Way a part of their values curriculum. This is why we came to Masindi.

After lunch, we were able to meet with the mayor of Masind, Joshua Kizza. He is a Christian and is very supportive of IMFC’s work in the prison.

We were unable to visit in the prison as planned, but we were able to spent some time talking with Kenneth. I found him to be a very teachable young man. He loves the Lord, there is no doubt about that. And, he is committed to serving the Lord through Bible Way. But he is a new believer. He has much to learn. He needs a mentor. I pray that Joseph will be able to stay in contact with him to keep him on track.

We prayed and left. The drive back was long and we arrived back in Kampala well after dark, almost 10:00 PM. But the long day in Masindi was worth it. Kenneth is worth it. The work in Nakasongola is worth it.

Pray for Kenneth. Pray for the work in Masindi and Nakasongola Prisions.

During my stay in Kampala, Uganda, I had the opportunity to visit Luzira Prison with Douglas and Joseph. This is the third time that I have been to Luzira prison. Luzira was the first prison that Bibe Way was allowed to work in and it is the biggest. It actually has several wards, or separate prisons within the one main prison: Remand, Murchison Bay, Women, Upper Prison, Condemned Prison.

Remand Prison is for those who are awaiting trial. They are yet to be convicted. In fact, many of these men are innocent. Some one accused them of a crime and they are here awaiting trial. Our teams was told by the Head of the Prison in Nakasongola that some men have been placed in his prison because a neighbor made up a story against them so that he could take their land while they were in prison. Did it work? Yes. Upon leaving prison these men found they had no home to go to. Everything had been lost. And they had done absolutely nothing wrong. So it is with some of the prisoners in Remand.

Murchison Bay is for those who have gone to trial and have been convicted.

Women’s Prison is for – women. Women who are awaiting trial. Women who have been to trial and found quilty. Women who have been condemned of capital offenses and are on death row. Which means that only men are in the other prisons of Luzira.

Upper Prison is for those who have been convicted of capital offenses and for political prisoners.

Condemned Prison is for those on death row. They have committed crimes worthy of death.

Currently, Bible Way is working in all but the Condemned Prison of Luzira.

We were allowed to pass through the outer gates with no problems. By now the men of Bible Way are well known to the guards. We passed through two gates, parked the Toyota Pajero, left our cell phones and all unnecessary items in the vehicle, and walked through a third gate into Remand Prison.

We were given the guest book and Joseph pointed out to me where I had signed the book in January 2009 with a team of volunteers from Mt. Zion Baptist Church. It really didn’t seem like five months had passed.

There were about 125 men already gathered under two large Mango tree awaiting us. We had a great time with them. They sang and testified. Six prisoners gave really good testimonies of God’s grace. Others wanted to, but due to time restraints, where unable. I have no reason to doubt the truth of these men’s word. We were in the open and many could hear these men profess faith in Jesus Christ. This takes boldness.

When it was time for me to share, I ask how many of them had been there in January when I was there. Only two raised their hands. Well, there was really three. Emmanuel was with us. In January, Emmanuel was sitting before me clothed in yellow. He was an inmate. Today, he returned to Luzira as a helper. He works at the Bible Way center and wants to help in the prison ministry. Decisions made in prison can be life changing. Genuine. Real. It was for Emmanuel.

I shared for Ephesians 3:7-8. Paul declared himself to be the least of the apostles. Paul never felt worthy of God’s grace. He knew his past. Joseph had shared with me before we entered the Prison that when they counseled with the men many questioned how God could forgive someone like them. So, I spoke on God’s grace that mystifies us. We are never worthy. We never deserve it. But God freely gives it.

I made three observations to the men: 1. God’s grace forgives. 2. God’s grace changes our lives. 3. God’s grace give us a place and purpose in His Kingdom. We have a reason to live.

I ask Joseph to challenge the men to commit to faith in Christ who had never humbled themselves before Jesus. Twenty men immediately rose to their feet and stood before their peers when he challenged them. Douglas pulled these guys to the side and counseled with them while we concluded the time with the men. These men are now enrolled in Bible Way and will begin working though Book One: Who Is Jesus. I pray they continue though all twelve books.

I ask you to pray for these men. Are they saved? Only God knows. Only He can see into their hearts to know if they meant it when they rose to their feet to give Him their lives.

But I do know that some men who have given their lives to Jesus Christ while in Remand though the witness of Bible Way, now work beside Bible Way to help other prisoners come to faith in Jesus Christ. Maybe one of these men will be another one. Another Emmanuel. I pray so.