UGANDA
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Uganda is known as the Pearl of Africa because of it's luscious landscape, even though there has been a history of violence and dictatorial leadership. But, as of now, God is doing some wonderful things and many are coming to know Him and leave their roots of witchcraft.

For the first two weeks, we stayed in Soroti in northeast Uganda. We started working in the mornings at 6:30 AM in order to escape the mid-day sun.

We helped the local missionaries by painting, brick laying, planting trees, and moving rocks and gravel, building a road.

In the early morning we would set to do ministry in the schools, colleges, nursing schools and hospitals. On Sundays, we would split up and preach in several different churches. After two weeks we split up, half going to the Buvuma Islands and the rest, with me, up north.

We lived in mud and grass huts out in the bush in the middle of nowhere! In the mornings we would head out with a local translator and walk to different huts to talk to the families about Christ.

In the afternoons, we would hold open-air crusades where we saw many healed and saved. At night, we would have times of discipleship with the old and new believers.

One morning, as I was going from hut to hut, we stopped at the hut of a lady who said she was tormented by evil spirits and couldn't sleep at night, and would start to scream. As we were praying, God told me she was bitter towards someone, and when I asked her she explained how her sons had left her without any hope after her husband had died. Not only that, but she couldn't walk and would drag herself along the ground to get around.

We prayed and she repented and we rebuked the demons and she gave a shout, "They're gone! I'm free!"

She had the biggest smile on her face as we helped her up.....and there she was, walking again. God is good!

We saw many others touched by God, other healed from epilepsy, fevers, all kinds of pain; but there was nothing better than seeing someone come forward to receive Christ with their eyes full of tears because God had touched them.

The team of fifteen that I took did a great job. For many it was their first time away from home. It wan't always easy getting along, but they knew what they were there to do. As Christians, we may all set the table differently, but we all still eat of the same food. We can't let go of our goal, but have to stay focused on what God has called us to do. So often we let minor differences cause major disunity.

We arrived at this town called Otuboi where we were the speakers at a pastors conference. This was the first time the pastors from different denominations had come together. God showed us what to speak about. We spoke on unity, the Grace of God, leadership and how God cares about the condition of your heart.

They all said it is exactly what they needed to hear. In the evenings of that week we took the pastors with us to our open-air evangelism, it was great to have them all there with us, because they would divide the new believers up and take them to their churches. Unity had been established like never before in that town which was awesome. For a young group of people like us it was amazing, to be used by God and to see such awesome things take place.

We also went to a number of prisons to tell them about Jesus. The wardens were very happy to receive us because they have noticed an amazing change inthe prisoners lives who had in the past received Christ.

One prison that really sticks out in my mind was a high-security prison full of thieves and rapists. We were given 30 to 40 minutes to speak to them and perform our dramas which were incredibly effective over there. At the end, we saw twenty-two of these hardened men come forward to repent of their sins and ask God to change them from within. In many other prisons the team saw this happen over and over again.

God took good care of us as we traveled and no one got seriously ill. We ate all kinds of things like roots, crocodile, ostrich, termites and grasshoppers, which tasted pretty good actually. You should try them some time; they're best fried!

I want to thank you so much for your prayers and support. You play an important role in what I do and what God has called me to.

Please don't hesitate to write or e-mail me if you have any questions.

Thank you once again for your prayers and support in reaching the lost, and may God bless you.

Joel