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.
