On Sunday, August 15, Douglas and I traveled about two and a half hours north of Kampala to a district of Nakasongola where a prison facility housing about 450 inmates is located. Why? 47 inmates graduated with ‘Diploma’ Certificates from Bible Way! This means they successfully completed the ten courses we provide plus Spiritual Warfare: Who is Jesus, Basic Bible Teachings, God’s Wonderful Plan, Gospel of Mark part 1 and 2, Responsible Christian, Christian Marriage and Family Life, Life of Paul, Old Testament Prophets, Ten Rules for Living, as well as Spiritual Warfare. They completed these books in one year.
We also gave Bibles to students who were half way through the course having completed five Bible Way books and having memorized 60 Bible verses.
After this we shared Christ with all the inmates and the staff that were present. 87 of the inmates and staff prayed to receive Christ and were immediately enrolled to begin discipleship course, Who is Jesus. Among these was the Officer in Charge of the Prison Facility, Allan. The whole prison facility was on fire for God and Bible Way!
After graduating the students at Naksongola prison, Douglas and I, plus one friend who works with the prisons, drove for about 15 minutes to the army barracks. We reached the Quarter Guard at 4:00 PM and were stopped and interviewed for about 7 minutes. They retained my identification card (passport) and a lady army officer escorted us to our destination. I had never entered a military barracks before. I did not know what to do, but God knew.
It is incredible what we saw. Universe, our mobilizer at the army barracks had mobilized 30 army officers of different ranks, put them into his small house of 12 x 12 feet and was ready for us! ( If you have come to Kampala before, you could be familiar with the house church meeting).
Douglas shared a little bit and then I took them through Joshua 1: 1-9. After sharing, we gave out certificates to the 25 army officers who had completed the first course, Who is Jesus, and they asked if they could enroll their fellow officers into Bible Way. We left 40 new Who is Jesus books with them to enroll their fellow army officers.
So, now the gospel is shared even in the Ugandan military. Bible Way is launched, army officers are graduated, a house church is planted in the barracks, another stream of ministry is flowing, and above all God is glorified as the gospel is preached to the ends of the world!
I’m not aware of any evangelical group in Uganda that is reaching the military! God has opened wide that door! He continues to amaze us on how He does His things!
Joseph
As Joseph said we never expected to have a work in the Ugandan Military, but we do! We never planned to work in the prisons or schools either, but we do. God has carried this ministry far beyond our expectations, dreams or even prayers when we begin five years ago. It makes me wonder what’s next.
By the way, these military personal who are now in Christ and studying his word, they are scheduled to be deployed in Somalia. Now, you don’t think…
“Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us…” – Ephesians 3:20
