Proclaiming the gospel through evangelism, discipleship, and community development.
Karen, Acacia, Liana, Gabriel, and Michael (April 2006 at Lake Kyaninga, Fort Portal)
The Bundibugyo district in western Uganda is a very isolated and beautiful place
in the foothills of the snow-capped Rwenzori Mountains. It is home to over
100,000 Babwisi and Bakonjo people, many of whom have become our friends. It is
home to Karen and me and our daughters Acacia and Liana, and to our World
Harvest Mission team. Bundibugyo is also a very needy place. It is very
economically depressed with most families living in extreme poverty. Medical
facilities and basic health knowledge are very limited. Lack of clean water and
sanitary facilities cause the spread of water born disease. A minority of
children go beyond a primary school education, and even then the school system
is very poor. Recent attacks by anti-government rebels have claimed many lives
and disrupted life further by causing people to flee their homes. Spiritually,
the lives of many are characterized by fatalism, fear of evil spirits, and
sometimes a thin veneer of legalistic Christianity.
In the face of such a seemingly hopeless situation, our team developed the
following vision statement: The power of the gospel of Jesus Christ transforming
hearts and lives in the Semuliki River Valley. We believe that the gospel, and
only the gospel, can offer any hope for a deep, lasting, holistic
transformation. The gospel offers hope based on a restored relationship with God
regardless of the circumstances, and it starts a process of change that effects
our relationships, our community, and our stewardship of God-given resources.
Our team is sharing the gospel through a variety of ministries including church
planting, leadership training, discipleship, evangelism, Bible translation,
community health, high school education, and community development.
My particular contribution is to share the gospel through the provision of clean
drinking water and through other community development activities. Something as
simple as a water pipeline is already saving lives by reducing the spread of
water born diseases. It has demonstrated in a tangible way the love of God, it
has helped the community learn to work together, and it has offered a glimmer of
hope in the midst of a very discouraging time.
I am learning, however, that long term development will come only as a result of
a much deeper transformation, and the process will be much longer and harder
than I anticipated. Lasting change will happen only when members of the
community take the initiative for change. We particularly want to see Christians
take the lead, not simply to increase their own comfort or wealth, but to serve
others and to live as stewards of God’s resources for the advancement of his
kingdom. Now how is this going to happen? Only when God answers prayer and
changes hearts and lives. This could take decades to unfold, yet I think there
are ways that we can be instruments in this process. Following are some of our
specific goals.
Language & culture study: We must start
by listening and learning. Unless we understand the way people currently think
and view the world, all our talking will be meaningless. Karen & I both will
set aside time to focus on language and culture study.
Relationships: As we do this we will be
building relationships. Often the most significant impact happens through
deep, personal relationships rather than through programs and projects.
Karen’s primary ministry will be through personal relationships with local
women.
Development projects: There are still
many more villages and camps in need of water and sanitation facilities. There
is an urgency to supplying clean water in crowded refugee camps, but at the
same time we design systems which can be used when things return to normal. As
my work team gains experience I am able to let them work more independently as
I focus on other areas of ministry. The projects are a great practical way of
sharing the hope of the gospel.
High school world-view teaching: I think
one of my most exciting projects is the teaching of a series of courses for
high school students on Christian world-view and community development. It may
be the next generation that really sees real transformation, particularly if
we can train young believers to take a servant-leadership role in their
communities.
Church leadership training: We want to
teach the same kinds of issues to our current church leaders. It is important
for them to see how the gospel transforms every aspect of life, so that they
can lead the church accordingly. We don’t want the church to think of the
gospel as a private matter tucked into an isolated spiritual compartment of
our lives. In all areas of ministry our goal is to work ourselves out of a job
by training indigenous leadership.
Micro-enterprise development: As the
church matures and leaders emerge, we want to offer practical assistance in
helping families, churches, and communities attain economic sustainability.
This can be done largely without direct foreign aid. The emphasis will be on
encouraging saving, cooperation, creativity, basic business skills, and solid
stewardship principles.
Study existing development theories and
models: Rather than re-inventing the wheel, I will set aside time to visit
other holistic ministries in the region and to read available literature on
the subject. It is a very complex process and it will be very fruitful to
learn from what others in the field are doing.
Communication with senders and supporters:
In working towards this vision, we are not lone rangers. We need the body of
Christ to send and support us with encouragement, financial support, and
regular prayer. We are like human bridges between the church in America and
the people of Bundibugyo. We have already described what we do on the field,
but it is essential that we not neglect the people who make it possible for us
to be there. We need to rely on prayer and recruit prayer regularly, and we
are committed to keeping our senders informed about the ministry they have
sent us to do. This is a form of ministry to our senders in that we encourage
them with what we are learning, with reports of answered prayers, and with
stories of how God is building his kingdom around the world.
We in America have been blessed with ample opportunity to hear the gospel and to
grow in faith. We have also been tremendously blessed materially. We have an
opportunity to share these blessings with a world in need of the gospel.
If you would like to join our prayer or financial support team, please contact us directly or write to our sending center office. All our support comes through the donations of churches and individuals. We welcome both occasional gifts and regular monthly support. If you want to learn more about our ministry and support us through prayer, we will be happy to send you periodic newsletters and/or email updates.