Report on Ministry Trip to Uganda – 23^rd November to 15^th December 2004, by Peter Marchand, Director, Inn Christian Ministries

Including

• Summary
• Notable points
• Video testimonies (Now includes video of Mrs Grace Otuku-Otim and family)
• Pictures

The trip was largely successful under the difficult circumstances created by rebel insurgencies to the north and east of Lira. This has created considerable unease, with Lira town now sustaining a population of 400,000, increased from its more normal 60,000. Their homes, fields and farms have either been taken over by the rebels or destroyed completely.  Nothing has been sown for the next harvest season. The aim of the rebel groups now seems simply to be indiscriminate killing of anyone encountered, in a deliberately grotesque and painful way.  People are traumatised and really do not know what to do or how to cope. The churches are trying their best, but the problem is far too big for them to handle. Aid from other nations and global aid agencies does not appear to reach its destination to any significant degree. The Red Cross are providing the very basics in the camps. There appears to be little Government effort to repel the rebels, as the north is the area of greatest political challenge to the current President who wants to remain in power, maintain a One Party State system, and so is currently engaged in changing the Constitution to that effect.  In reality, this situation could have been resolved long ago had there been the political will. 46 members of Parliament recently walked out in protest at the Government's lack of real commitment to resolve the crisis.  6000 local volunteers are currently being trained to go and repel the rebels. Of course, all this is difficult for the Western mind to understand, but it is certainly the experience and view of those suffering there.

The programme did not appear to be well co-ordinated this time, not only because of the uncertainty of life in general, but also because there was no-one to oversee it in the absence of  Milton Ogwal who was preoccupied with so many other projects and programmes connected with his church and other overseas ministries, his small business, and two funerals. The person whom we were told in January would be assisting us, and with whom I had been communicating in advance, was not available for the majority of the time.

Teaching input from previous years is gradually being implemented.  Signs of genuine growth, progress and development vary. Certainly, all the networks we have been working with have grown numerically.  One church we planted in a hard, strong Muslim area now has 10 churches. Another, planted in the heart of an area strong in witchcraft, has multiplied to 6 churches. The Land Rover Defender was out of action and not available for use throughout the trip. We distributed a good quantity of Lwo and Swahili Bibles to church leaders free of charge, and made much use of the video "Raised from the Dead" about the Nigerian pastor who in November 2001 came back to life after 3 days dead. It had a profound impact everywhere we showed it.  We only used the 'Jesus' film once as we were restricted in movement.

It was probably the breadth of the trip that was most notable, touching congregation and cell leaders through seminars, numerically large and small churches through preaching, teaching and large scale video projection, a whole school and community with seminars and gospel crusade, women leaders, and individuals through radio broadcast and personal contact.

I am very grateful to Milton and Irene Ogwal for personally hosting me, and to Godfrey Tuka, who made himself available throughout the three weeks.  Thanks also to Tom Ongom, Francis Nyang, Richard Ogweng and Moses Akena for their help at various times. The trip was also marked by excessively heavy and unseasonable rainfall. We were without electricity for a significant percentage of the period, because of lightning strikes damaging the power grid, and unnecessarily long delays in repairing damage.

It was never our call or vision to establish our own separate ministry in Uganda, and this season of evangelism, church planting and leadership training may well have come to an end in its present form.   We began in December 1994, and it has been a privilege to have played some small part in God's work there.   All the churches planted through our ministry were handed over at their inception to local denominations and networks whose responsibility it has always been to nurture and develop them.  Should a properly planned programme be presented in the future, indicating a sincere commitment in Uganda to organise and execute a future ministry trip, together with a justification for overseas involvement other than for financial benefit, and an invitation issued, we would certainly consider it favourably. Otherwise it seems wiser now to resource from home, to develop other areas, and consider more seriously invitations from elsewhere, particularly from those who are not receiving assistance from other overseas ministries.  We plan to continue to support the widows and orphans we have been helping, until the children are fully educated, trained, and in employment. 13 new students are enrolled at our Leadership Training Centre which we shall continue to resource with teaching materials.  We also hope to complete the church building in Kigumba, and maintain correspondence with the many close friends and colleagues we now have.

Summary

26-27 Nov      

·        Leaders seminars - Living Waters Christian Fellowship (LWCF)

28-29 Nov      

·        Leaders seminars - Power of Jesus around the World churches (POJAW)

30 Nov           

·        Gospel Service: Living Waters Christian Fellowship church, Lira - several saved

·        Open Air Gospel Service: Power of Jesus around the World church, Lira - several saved

1 Dec            

·        visit beneficiaries - widow and orphan children

2-4 Dec          

·        Seminars and Crusade: Victory Outreach Ministries (VOM) - many saved

5 Dec             

·        Radio Lira broadcast

·        International Christian Women’s Foundation Executive Committee meeting (ICWF)

6 Dec             

·        Cell Church seminars - VOM, POJAW, LWCF    

7 Dec             

·        Worship Services: Victory Outreach Church, Lira - several saved

8 Dec             

·        meet with beneficiary - widow and orphan

9 Dec             

·        follow-up 1998 POJAW church plant, Kiryandongo

10 Dec           

·        preparation; visitation

11-12 Dec      

·        mini-Convention: POJAW

13 Dec           

·        return to Kampala

14 Dec           

·        Worship and Gospel Services: POJAW churches, Kawempe and Luzira, Kampala

15 Dec

·        return to UK

Notable points

·      vast numbers and desperate conditions of displaced people

·      ability to text UK for as little as 3p

·      rapid numerical growth of Victory Outreach Church, Lira to 1200 members within 3 years

·      steady development of ICWF, now getting established in neighbouring Kenya also

·      life and health of Kiryandongo POJAW church, planted after crusade in 1998, especially in light of sudden premature death of the pastor two weeks previously

·      excellent day with Kampala POJAW churches

·      meeting with Adalla Khalid, Muslim convert, who has planted his own Inn Christian Ministries church

·      special risks taken by Jackson Ongora (POJAW) to come to Lira to say goodbye

Video testimonies

Pictures

Radio Lira

Victory Outreach Church, Lira

Widow and orphan

This church was planted after our crusade in 1998

Displaced people in Lira town

Receiving new personal Bibles in Lwo language

Milton and Irene Ogwal

Widow of the late Pastor Alex Opio, Kiryandongo POJAW Church

She has five children, the last born was 2 weeks old when his father died

Pastor Margaret Ego, Luzira POJAW Church

No problem - if on a long ministry trip!

Thanks for reading this report!