Families of Believers' World Church and the Zion Children's Haven orphan home, in the midst of overwhelming poverty and persecution, can only speak to the faithfulness of God after reaching another major milestone early this year. The first milestone was the construction of a glorious house of worship in the midst of a huge spiritual revival, a major act of faith in dire physical circumstances. It has been a painful wait, but the Lord moved hearts to give for His people yet again, which enabled a significant enough down-payment on a large piece of land that a planting of corn was able to be successfully harvested this year! This has taken place in spite of a severe threat of crop loss in the final month before harvest due to abnormally rainy conditions. We praise God for mercifully answering the prayers of His people for His Name's sake!
In spite of missed land payments, the owner will allow another planting, which is to happen imminently.
There are 12 other families who also had a share in the planting and were able to take home maize. Eleven of those families are part of the church, but the twelfth is a catholic widow with 17 children who helped with hoes during the gardening. It is a joy to see God's hand of mercy extending to those who help His people.
February 27, 2024
Photo of the boy Grace in his last week before entering heavenly rest
When peace like a river, attendeth my wayWhen sorrows like sea billows rollWhatever my lot, thou hast taught me to sayIt is well, it is well, with my soul
Though Satan should buffet, though trials should comeLet this blest assurance controlThat Christ has regarded my helpless estateAnd hath shed His own blood for my soul
-By Horatio Gates Spafford (1873)
"Weeping may endure for a night, but joy comes in the morning" (Ps 30:5). With this promise we embrace the providence of God in taking the boy Grace of Zion Children's Haven to heaven after battling a kidney infection. So great is the grief at ZCH. Please pray for them. In Pastor Emma's words, "The children are devastated by the loss," having only just lost their brother Julias to a car accident. And of course, Pastor Emma and his wife Eunice are brokenhearted.
Please continue to pray with us for Tito with leukemia, whose prognosis is also not looking favorable.
Her persecutor has been arrested and is being prosecuted. This woman was a neighbor who had already expressed malicious intent toward the children at ZCH. She had kidnapped and gagged Ruth to prevent her from screaming out and had deliberately poured boiling hot water over half of her body, resulting in extreme burns that had threatened organ failure.
Photo of Ruth immediately after suffering burn injuries
Justice and God's miraculous healing mercies reassure of the Lord's continued compassion and kindness, yet in spite of the many ways God reveals His tenderness toward His people, the separation of death is of so great a heaviness that it feels it drowns out the joys. How can these seeming endless waves of trial even be borne? How great is the grief! Yet the Scriptures say, "But He gives a greater grace" (James 4:6). May it be that such occasions of suffering produce a communion of joy with the Savior that could never otherwise be known by our dear brethren in Iganga.
Sadly, there is still a caveat. The land is still being paid off, and there is trouble in procuring it permanently due to missed payments. Please plead with the Lord for provision and for the provision of all other basic needs, including schooling and hospital fees and day-to-day needs.
Thank you always for your support in our Lord Jesus for His sake.
December 20, 2023
He was crucified for us. We are crucified with Him. Please let these Scriptures sink in before reading the news below. "I have been crucified with Christ, and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me. And the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself up for me" (Gal 2:20). "Indeed, we had the sentence of death within ourselves so that we would not have confidence in ourselves, but in God who raises the dead" (2 Cor 1:9). "And His disciples asked Him, saying, 'Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he would be born blind?' 3Jesus answered, 'Neither this man nor his parents sinned, but this was so that the works of God might be manifested in him'" (John 9:2-3).
All of us are called to prove the faith of Christ in us throughout this life of tribulation, but some, I think, are called to prove it in a much more intense measure, as was the man born blind, and as is this storm-struck church in Iganga.
It is a truly joyous occasion to hear, as we have a few times recently, that God is moving in your hearts to support them in prayer and to send some desperately-needed funds to help Zion Children's Haven get through another day, maybe another few weeks, without starving. So it's easy to ask "why" as did Job's wife and friends when that brief blip of joy has to be so smothered by news of the sudden death of one of their children. Clinging to the truths of Scripture as quoted above is the only thing to be done.
Julias, whose photo is attached (red shirt), was run down by a speeding car on December 9, while on his way to a local restaurant to look for a food handout for him and his brothers and sisters in the Zion Children's Haven. Pastor Emma filed a missing-person report with the police today when they could not find him. They had to identify him at the hospital mortuary.
Julius was born with two others of a mad woman who has passed away. Three of the children were brought to the orphanage. Julias had just recently taken his final primary school exams. The grieving surviving family of ZCH are confident that Julias is now with the Lord, and in this there is joy, knowing that he will never again hunger.
Please pray for the supernatural comfort of God in these overwhelming hardships.
October 17, 2023
The above photograph is of Pastor "Emma" Kisa on the land that the Lord has made provision for WoH to begin using for planting! This is a dream come true! We continue to hope in expectation for the cup of God's lovingkindness to overflow to Iganga and beyond in physical provision.
Mark 10:28-31
Peter began to say to Him, "Behold, we have left everything and have followed You." 29Jesus said, "Truly I say to you, there is no one who has left house or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or farms, for My sake and for the gospel's sake, 30but that he will receive a hundred times as much now in the present age, houses and brothers and sisters and mothers and children and farms, along with persecutions; and in the age to come, eternal life. 31But many who are first will be last, and the last, first."
Zion Children's Haven of 19 children in-house is now assisted by two nurses: Carol and Daniel. Daniel was one of the children raised in the home who now works at a local clinic and continues to live at the orphanage and assist.
Zion Children's Haven supports a total of 43 children. Even though 19 live in-house, 11 are in boarding school, and 13 are in institutions doing courses. Pastor Kisa informs me that they are "starving." The children are only being served a small bowl of porridge once per day. Even that supply is going to run out in the current situation in two days. This is a critical need. Very difficult circumstances, including persecution and skyrocketing food prices have resulted in this current crisis.
An effort is being made to plan out a way to create a community farm that could result in better long-term sustenance. We plan to inform this community and create a fundraiser for this when a roadmap is in place.
Other basic needs are also lacking presently, including: soap, meds, Vaseline and lotions, toothpastes and brushes, clothes and some bed sheets. Pastor Emma said, "The food is obviously the most basic, but these are also lacking [to a] great extent."
May 30, 2023
2 Corinthians 5:7: "For we walk by faith, not by sight."
About one month ago, during an evangelistic outreach that Pastor "Emma" Kisa was involved in, the Kisa family decided to take into their haven two more needy orphans. Their names are Shekinah and Kisakye. In the photo, these are the ones in the wheelchairs, with Pastor Emma between them.
Shekinah lost her mother, and her father disowned her because of her condition. Pastor Emma recounts, "That day [that she came to ZCH], I told her, 'I am your father from this day and I will do everything as the Lord gives me power to help and support you, and one day, you will bring glory to God when you walk. You will be a great woman.'"
Kisakye lost both parents.
March 10, 2023
Updated photos and videos from Zion Children's Haven, Pastor Kisa's orphan home:
In early November, Pastor Emma wrote:
"Many things have happened after the most recent crusade and conference. [See the linked YouTube videos.] But I have seen the body of Christ unite like never before. The pastors came together. And I was very honored when they brought me gifts and thanked me for visiting their district with a crusade and a conference, and for teaching them the things of God and for being meek. They said they have never seen so many people give their lives to Jesus, and they have never seen a preacher ask if anyone was left unhealed so he can pray for their healing. There is no sick person who did not receive their healing. Wheelchairs were made empty.
But I told them the secret of seeing the miraculous is simple child-like trust in His Word.
We usually think God is somewhere but not in us, and we fail to see Him in the very place he indwells, us."
Luke 17:21b: "For indeed, the kingdom of God is within you."
1 Cor 4:20: "For the kingdom of God is not a matter of talk but of power."
1 John 5:14: "And this is the confidence that we have before Him: If we ask anything according to His will, He hears us."
Matt 17:17-20: "'O unbelieving and perverse generation!' Jesus replied. 'How long must I remain with you? How long must I put up with you? Bring the boy here to Me.' 18Then Jesus rebuked the demon, and it came out of the boy, and he was healed from that moment.
19Afterward the disciples came to Jesus privately and asked, 'Why couldn't we drive it out?'
20'Because you have so little faith,' He answered. 'For truly I tell you, if you have faith the size of a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, "Move from here to there," and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you.'"
Heb 11:1: "Now faith is the assurance of what we hope for and the certainty of what we do not see."
How can we be certain that it is God's will at a given time to heal a person or to bring salvation to a town? The only way is by walking in the Spirit--not demanding God act according to our word but acting according to His word. Faith is confidence He will do what He already said He would do. This is why the prophets of old had full assurance to step out boldly with miraculous feats--because God had already spoken to them privately and told them to act! This is the difference between the false miracle movement and the true work of God. It was because the Pharisees did not walk with God by faith that they could not distinguish between Jesus and Theudas--though both drew followers and both claimed to be somebody. (See Acts 5:35-39 for reference.)
See what our God is doing; take note of the fruit He is producing consistent with repentance! And may He carry out this same work all over the world!
Believers' World Church plans to host another conference and crusade 30th Jan - 3rd Feb 2023. Please pray for God to pour out His Spirit!
"Truly, truly, I tell you, unless a kernel of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains only a seed; but if it dies, it bears much fruit."
John 12:24
In the midst of great physical pain, illness, and famine, God regenerates through Jesus Christ. Using the desperation of self-poverty, He reveals that He is the source of all when our sense of self-dependency is completely eradicated. The Apostle Paul said, "Therefore I will boast all the more gladly in my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest on me. That is why, for the sake of Christ, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong" (2 Cor 12:9).
October 8, 2022
Acts 11:27-30: "In those days some prophets came down from Jerusalem to Antioch. 28One of them named Agabus stood up and predicted through the Spirit that a great famine would sweep across the whole world. (This happened under Claudius.) 29So the disciples, each according to his ability, decided to send relief to the brothers living in Judea. 30This they did, sending their gifts to the elders with Barnabas and Saul."
Due to a lack of rain this past growing season, the food prices have doubled in Iganga, and many of our Christian brethren of Believers' World Church are literally dying of starvation, not to mention that those who might have a chance to improve their lot by getting educated in a skilled job have no hope of obtaining tuition for such an endeavor. Many of the men of households have abandoned their families.
Already, these children of God were suffering greatly from extreme poverty. The famine has only escalated the situation, and there has been almost no support from outside.
I (your American correspondent) would like to make a proposal on behalf of our desperate brothers and sisters, that each of us fast one or more meals for Uganda. During the time that you would normally take to eat, try to get away in prayer for both the physical and spiritual needs of Uganda. And would you please consider donating the amount you would have spent on the meal(s) you skipped?
To God be the glory in His church!
Psalm 24
The earth is the LORD's, and the fullness thereof,
the world and all who dwell therein.
2For He has founded it upon the seas
and established it upon the waters.
3Who may ascend the hill of the LORD?
Who may stand in His holy place?
4He who has clean hands and a pure heart,
who does not lift up his soul to an idol
or swear deceitfully.
5He will receive blessing from the LORD
and vindication from the God of his salvation.
6Such is the generation of those who seek Him,
who seek Your face, O God of Jacob.
Selah
7Lift up your heads, O gates!
Be lifted up, O ancient doors,
that the King of Glory may enter!
8Who is this King of Glory?
The LORD strong and mighty,
the LORD mighty in battle.
9Lift up your heads, O gates!
Be lifted up, O ancient doors,
that the King of Glory may enter!
10Who is He, this King of Glory?
The LORD of Hosts-
He is the King of Glory.
Selah
Dated August 12, 2022
God is continuing to do great and mighty things at Believers' World Church, with the preached Word being a primary focus. As God's people center their hearts on the way and will of Jesus Christ, our wills become enmeshed in His, and we see the fruit of righteousness. God has blessed BWC with great victories against forces of darkness in high places, and we praise God!
Psalm 126
1 When the Lord turned again the captivity of Zion, we were like them that dream.
2 Then was our mouth filled with laughter, and our tongue with singing: then said they among the heathen, The Lord hath done great things for them.
3 The Lord hath done great things for us; whereof we are glad.
In this video, you will see that bags of maize flour were handed out to a number of starving families. Most don't have a way to cook it but just eat it mixed with water. It is keeping them alive in the midst of a horrible food shortage due to an unprecedented drought. Pastor Emma told us, "While the needs are many, the people are directed daily to Christ, who is the bread of life, and who turns little into a lot. The flour is given to them with great prayer and intercession that just like it was during Elijah's time, the flour will sustain them until the famine is over. Those who believe it, receive it. He feeds thousands with little, He will sustain them that receive of this gift of food of faith, and it will eventually release a well of hope in their lives, so they will continue to believe the message they hear...We also had people come to Christ. They said they have not seen anyone show them much love, as to provide for them a meal. 119 families were reached. 90 families are from church, and the rest were non born again, and all gave their lives to Christ and even others that didn't receive any food. They are eager to come to church."
Though it might seem that the church is filling up because the people are looking for physical food, Pastor Emma clarified this for us: "Some come for food, but the vast majority come to worship. The days I wasn't providing food, they still came in great numbers. We show them Christ. If there is food, it's a gift. Although they greatly appreciate it."
"Other families are coming daily for support, and now we are again gathering something that we can give again, to another group of families. Some need medical attention and others help to maintain their shelters."
The financial support is a small trickle. Please pray with us for an increase! One widow whose husband was martyred is an example of the myriads in need. Pastor Emma wrote:
"The Lord keep on bringing food store keepers to us--this time, a widow who requests that I help buy her food from the store at a fairly reduced price. She is being chased out of her house with 7 of her orphaned children, and the only way to get money is through sales, but no one can take so much at the moment. She is selling beans, maize flour and rice, enough to serve at least 250 families, at $4300. It's a very fair price...Please pray for her that she gets someone to buy at least enough to pay her rent before she is thrown out. She needs $1900. May the Lord make a way for her. This lady's husband was a street preacher, but he was run-over by car, intentionally, and he died on the spot."
Pastor Emma wrote to us, "This building has confused so many people! The most beautiful in the region and what boggles their mind is that it belongs to the born again Christians. Many people have come believe that God is able to do what no man can do, and that He has a great plan for the born again community. Many have received Christ, and many still are in awe of God's power! This building is gathering [souls]." I replied, "That is a marvel to me. Only God would know how powerful a meaning it would hold in your culture." We have walked by faith; now we are starting to see the amazing benefits of God's glorious wisdom!
July 11, 2022
Acts 4:32-35: "The multitude of believers was one in heart and soul. No one claimed that any of his possessions was his own, but they shared everything they owned. With great power the apostles continued to give their testimony about the resurrection of the Lord Jesus. And abundant grace was upon them all. There were no needy ones among them, because those who owned lands or houses would sell their property, bring the proceeds from the sales, and lay them at the apostles' feet for distribution to anyone as he had need."
We are immensely grateful for you who have stood with us in prayers or giving or both. If you have followed previous posts, you know that this ministry has been a roller coaster of trial and joy, heartache and glory, drought and rain. On the spiritual level, we have witnessed a marvelous ongoing harvest and miracles that have put the enemies of Christ to shame. For this, we greatly rejoice! However, the physical side languishes, and we know that it matters by God's measurements.
Pastor Emma reached out to us in a rare tone of desperation a few days ago: "Many people come to church with hopes of getting some food. They carry cooked rice in their pockets and handbags to feed on for some time. The last two weeks I haven't been able to provide. The farm is also not helping because of the economy that's falling." While he is able to provide tea and groundnuts to the people who are taking shelter in the church building (presently 50 of them), there is almost no funding for food. Pastor Emma said, "I feel bad that I have to tell people to go when they come for food. Old women and widows."
There is a severe drought, which ruined the crops, and food prices have soared. Meanwhile, the prices for pork have dropped, which has severely hurt Pastor Emma's income. He said, "I used to sell a kg of pork at $3.5 and now it's gone to $1.5, and yet buying food is very expensive." WoH has sought to feed 1,000 people on a Sunday when they come to worship, and $700 per week is needed for that. Many people are dying of hunger. The people who come to worship are too poor to give much to the church as is common in America, which enables churches to have their own income. Even when people are able to gather enough money to start a small business, there is so much crime now, that what is gained is often stolen.
While one donor was led by the Lord to fund the entire building that now serves as the WoH center and the place of worship for Believers' World Church, other support for the ongoing sustenance of WoH is almost non-existent. We appeal with the heart of Christ's love to remember these languishing brethren in your prayers, and with gifts if you are able. Please seek the Lord with us if He would have you help us to fundraise and share this ministry with others that He lays on your heart. We are desperate for the body of Christ to go into action in places where He has given the church provision. It is not the way of Christ to only feed the soul and not the body, yet on this earth, it is His primary way to show His physical love through His church body. For this reason, we have hope that He will prompt some of your hearts to help the Ugandan church.
The water well that began this entire journey is fulfilling its physical and parabolic mission!
Acts 12:1-17
About that time, King Herod reached out to harm some who belonged to the church. 2He had James, the brother of John, put to death with the sword.
3And seeing that this pleased the Jews, Herod proceeded to seize Peter during the Feast of Unleavened Bread. 4He arrested him and put him in prison, handing him over to be guarded by four squads of four soldiers each. Herod intended to bring him out to the people after the Passover.
5So Peter was kept in prison, but the church was fervently praying to God for him.
6On the night before Herod was to bring him to trial, Peter was sleeping between two soldiers, bound with two chains, with sentries standing guard at the entrance to the prison. 7Suddenly an angel of the Lord appeared and a light shone in the cell. He tapped Peter on the side and woke him up, saying, "Get up quickly." And the chains fell off his wrists. 8"Get dressed and put on your sandals," said the angel. Peter did so, and the angel told him, "Wrap your cloak around you and follow me."
9So Peter followed him out, but he was unaware that what the angel was doing was real. He thought he was only seeing a vision. 10They passed the first and second guards and came to the iron gate leading to the city, which opened for them by itself. When they had gone outside and walked the length of one block, the angel suddenly left him.
11Then Peter came to himself and said, "Now I know for sure that the Lord has sent His angel and rescued me from Herod's grasp and from everything the Jewish people were anticipating."
12And when he had realized this, he went to the house of Mary the mother of John, also called Mark, where many people had gathered together and were praying. 13He knocked at the outer gate, and a servant girl named Rhoda came to answer it. 14When she recognized Peter's voice, she was so overjoyed that she forgot to open the gate, but ran inside and announced, "Peter is standing at the gate!"
15"You are out of your mind," they told her. But when she kept insisting it was so, they said, "It must be his angel."
16But Peter kept on knocking, and when they opened the door and saw him, they were astounded. 17Peter motioned with his hand for silence, and he described how the Lord had brought him out of the prison. "Send word to James and to the brothers," he said, and he left for another place.
Habakkuk 1:5: "Look at the nations and observe--be utterly astounded! For I am doing a work in your days that you would never believe even if someone told you."
Pastor Emma has literally, in one hour, walked from the brink of death to renewed health!
We will explain the story, but first, let's start at the beginning.
The parables of God's Scriptural narrative reaching their climax continue to astound us in this day! We have been speaking here, through the physical building that God set up in Iganga, of the parable of the New Jerusalem--that glorious city of saints called down out of heaven at the end of the age as a display of God's finished work of grace! But God is extending the parable now to flesh and blood through Pastor Emma.
As recorded in the book of Acts, Peter was the head of the Jerusalem church--the Apostle to the Jews. Israel represents all who put their hope in the Lamb of God, who takes away the sins of the world. These believers are the true Israel, the heavenly Israel. The head of the church is Christ, and the Apostle Peter was a type of Christ the Head as the apostle to the Jews. In the very first prophecy of victory over evil and death given to Satan in the Garden of Eden, God promised, "He [Jesus] will crush your head, and you [Satan] will strike his heel." Satan tried to crush Jesus at the cross, but He in turn crushed the devil at the resurrection and ascension to His throne in heaven. Satan tried again to stuff out Christ's church at the execution of Peter, but God showed who was really in charge, delivering Peter miraculously out of what seemed an impossible scenario.
What goes around comes around. Jesus is showing parables of His "omega" moment. He who is Alpha and Omega--Beginning and End--is tying into a bow the great story of His marvelous redemption! The enemies of God have sought throughout these 2,000 years since Jesus' ascension to stuff out the church; have they succeeded? Who can fight God?
In this living parable, Pastor Emma is a symbol of Jesus--the head of the church universal. Is it coincidental that "Emma" is short for Emmanuel (God with us)? The WELL of HOPE is a symbol of that life-giving River of Life flowing from the Throne. The building "happens" to be the meeting place for Believers' WORLD Church, located in one of the most-destitute places on the earth from a human-poverty standpoint. Surely our God is making a profound statement! How does such destitution result in such wealth of souls of eternal proportion? How does a beautiful, palatial building for worship, provided by one God-sent donor, go up in such a languishing place? No human mind would conceive of it; no one in their right mind would use all that money on a building in such a needy place! So what does it all mean?
Like Uganda, the world has been a most-unlikely place to nurture the Church of God. She has been persecuted, hated, misunderstood, rejected, and killed by the world. Yet it is the very furnace in which the power of God is displayed through human weakness! Oh the paradox of God! When Babylon (the world) sees that God walks with the church in the hottest furnace, then the world will have to give God glory--whether voluntarily or coerced, just as King Nebuchadnezzar did when he saw God walking with Shadrack, Meshack, and Abeddnego in the furnace. If the world will not bow to God now on His terms of eternal life through the Lamb of God, it will bow to Him in His furnace of eternal hell.
As the devil sought to symbolically strike at the head of the church by trying to publicly execute Peter, so also in this day through Pastor Emma's story, God is reminding us of the enemy's ultimate failed attempt to fight God! The enemy may have caused the church much pain and suffering, but it has made her stronger in holiness and submission to the will of I AM, and in the end, will secure for her a crown of life that will never fade away.
The enemy tried to poison Pastor Emma after he had been taken to jail through unexpected charges. He was tortured but tells of how God's presence sustained him with joy. Following his release, he worsened daily and was in the hospital for many days. He was told he would die unless treatment was given him at a more-equipped hospital in Kenya. However, the way for this was not made possible. Intense intercession was being made for him and those under his care, yet it did not humanly appear the Lord's will was to preserve his life. But God did a miracle! Pastor Emma tells the story in his own words:
The Lord told me to go out of the hospital and not to return to it. "I have made you whole. Move out of this place and do not return."
I was feeling a lot of pain in my abdomen, and my leg was in severe pain. A hospital cleaner came to me and asked me, "Sir, you need to take a walk around. Can I help you up?" And he held me up and started walking me down, passed the hospital admin and the people that I thought would get mad at me or be surprised. They all seemed not to see me. I went out through the door and the gate without hospital security intervening. I then realized that the stomach pain had been stopped. I still felt mild pain in my leg. So I turned around to see the hospital cleaner, and he was gone in such a short moment of time. I left and went to church and had a very beautiful moment with the Lord. My condition on Sunday was not good. And the doctors had done what they could in their power and were only saying I should be referred to Nairobi Hospital for management, but they were skeptical if I would make it even there.
Matthew 16:18: "Now I say to you that you are Peter (which means 'rock'), and upon this rock I will build my church, and all the powers of hell will not conquer it."
1 Peter 2:6: "For in Scripture it says: 'See, I lay a stone in Zion, a chosen and precious cornerstone, and the one who trusts in him will never be put to shame.'"
The need for fasting and prayer has reached heightened levels for multiple reasons of crisis. Please join us!
From a human standpoint, it feels like the God of Hosts who went before us has now abandoned us to our spiritual enemies and left us as sheep to the slaughter. However, it is impossible for the Good Shepherd to abandon His sheep. While things appear as bleak as it must have looked to Israel sandwiched between two mountain ranges and pressed against the Red Sea with Egypt's army bearing down on them, we know we serve the God who divides even the sea and makes a way in the desert. Please pray with us and for us! Pray for breakthrough! Pray for a way! Most-importantly, pray for God's glory to shine in such a dark place!
If you are led to help us financially, the most-desired means would be for you to directly wire the money through a service such as Western Union, MoneyGram, WorldRemit, or Remitly to (256) 753428885 via Airtel. Please contact us at wellofhopeafrica@gmail.com for further instructions if you have questions. If you cannot wire directly, you may donate via PayPal to wellofhopeafrica@gmail.com. Limited amounts can be wired from PayPal through our friends.
I know it's been a quiet two months, mostly because God has been quiet in regards to WoH and the future of the Believers' World Church corporate meetings. We have been waiting with a sense of burden for the Lord to resolve the pause that is currently imposed on the building project and the WoH ministry due to finance roadblocks, and yet, we have been rejoicing as the Lord has continued to work a great harvest of souls in the great revival of Iganga.
We also rejoice that Mrs. Merab Kisa's surgery was successful in India. She has spent extended time in the hospital recovering, and there is family in India that's taking care of her, all praise to God in His loving provision! It was very tough for her after the operation, but she has greatly improved. The Kisa family greatly looks forward to her return to Uganda in just over a week!
9/21/21
Pastor Emma's story (as spoken in the video):
In 1993, I lost my father. He was martyred by Muslim jihadists after many years of devoted works of evangelism. As such, my mother had to work double to sustain us. Sometimes she spent weeks away from home labouring in people's gardens. In 1995, she started baking bread and small cakes, cassava chips, pancakes and sweet bananas. She could give portions in small basins to each one of us, and we would start walking to the marketplaces and from door to door singing out our businesses to people. We would leave home as early as 5:30am and had to be back by 7:30am so we would prepare and get to school. We started digging people's garden for a small amount so that we could get school fees. In 1998, I joined [the] boarding section which was mandatory for primary seven candidate[s]. It was one of the most powerful schools around. My first day in boarding section, she told me, "Amos, it's God Who gave you to me. You are different from all your brothers and sisters because you were called by God before you were born. Therefore, I want you to study so well and score high grades." When I returned home after the first term's holiday, I discovered that robbers had broken into our house and stole everything we had, including all the money that my mother had gathered to upgrade the family business. This was a major setback. Mom started riding a bicycle boda boda (bicycle that carries passengers for pay). She was about 45 years old. She looked frail and beaten by the thorns of village life. But to earn a living and support us, she had clung to riding a bicycle for a living. She was visibly weak but spiritually strong. Many people used to send her for different errands and pay her because she was trustworthy. Her job was riding the bike to ferry passengers for a little fee. Sometimes she worked for free. She wore worn-out slippers, had no shoes, and wore the same dress. She would come to visit me at school every Sunday, to pray with me and to teach me God's word. All the children at school knew her. Some children would bully me that 'your mother rides a bicycle.' When someone wanted to pick on me, that was the line. I was that orphaned kid from a poor family who is visited by a poor woman wearing tired slippers, an old torn dress, and an old bicycle. I don't remember a Sunday she did not come to visit me. It did not matter whether it rained or not...whether she was sick or well. During every visit, she would bring me some food from home. The distance between our home and our school was about 3 hours by bicycle. It was a rough road with many broken culverts/bridges. When it rained a lot, sometimes the raging running water would overrun the culvert, carry away the stones and soil...and cross. Still, mom would find a way to cross that water and come visit me. One time, water almost took her. She was saved by some boys who were fishing. I went through the primary school with the best grades in the district and fifth nationwide. I earned government scholarship at secondary level and I maintained that through the university. I graduated with a bachelor's degree in human medicine and surgery. I started working for the government as a doctor, until I quit three years later to serve the Lord. I have no regrets whatsoever. I am very grateful to God for the opportunity to serve Him this way. My heart is overwhelmed with grief today, seeing my mother in a painful condition. Although thankful to God for the long way we have come in regards to getting her treated. I have a friend in India who has offered the help of a caretaker for my mom when she is gets to India, and that has greatly reduced the amount of money needed. But I am still very sad that I can't raise $2700 for her travel. It's a miracle that she is still alive, and I totally believe that the operation will save her life. I have done all I can.
The video is of the bathrooms, which need to be finished for the building to be opened for public worship. Pastor Kisa: "[The landlord] has closed [the old, rented building] already, and we had to remove all the church property. Three days ago, we started taking it down from the inside. He poured rubble around the entrances...I was very happy to hear the president lifted the lockdown restrictions, but also very sad that we are not yet ready to open [the new building], and the people are very eager to come for fellowship...I have requested permission from the municipal council and they have told us that we can use the premises if the toilets and washrooms are ready to use. They have given us permission for one month, after which they will require us to have all other requirements in place. We need $1800 to have the toilets ready. We need doors and balustrades and plastering, at least the inside."
We need to pay the terrazzo contractors: Pastor Kisa said, "Please pray for the terrazzo contractors. They are threatening to leave the work unfinished and not to return. They said they have workers under them that haven't been paid for a whole month and yet they are casual workers. I don't want them to leave because this would be double work for us and also it wouldn't be a good thing for us as a church."
The rest of the requirements that will be needed after a month are as follows:
-CCTV cameras installed for security. The police demand weekly footages.
-The ceiling in the main church to be completed.
-The fitting of the glass in the windows and doors.
-The installation of fans in the main auditorium.
The expected amount to complete the building is $33,000.
Pastor Emma explained the significant increase in costs to build this building, from when we first began the project:
"When the country underwent the lockdown, many things changed and the body of Christ has greatly been affected. There are quite many churches that didn't operate after the first wave. The second wave has also brought in stricter rules, that will greatly affect the church. Churches that don't comply will strictly not be permitted to operate. Unfortunately, most of these standard operating procedures involve money. Some of them we have already met, such as having permanent structures. Security measures are in place, but we are still not set and they are also involving money. The debt we incurred was for materials to fabricate the basement windows and doors and the gate for the perimeter wall, which is also mandatory for child protection from kidnaps. And so are the CCTV cameras. These things are part of the things without which churches will not be allowed to operate... Also, from the start, we have paid private guards to offer security for the building materials. However, the government now wants us to have police guards every day we have a meeting, including Sundays. But that's not also for free. Although, once the church opens, we shall be able to take care of some of those things."
September 8, 2021
Since we began following the leading of the Lord in this work of generosity to the needy, we have taken every care to ensure that it is indeed a work of the Lord and not crafted by men. Through many means, the Lord has confirmed to our hearts again and again, month after month, roadblock after roadblock, that He is indeed the author and finisher of our faith.
to break the chains of wickedness,
to untie the cords of the yoke,
to set the oppressed free
and tear off every yoke?
7Isn't it to share your bread with the hungry,
to bring the poor and homeless into your home,
to clothe the naked when you see him,
and not to turn away
from your own flesh and blood?
8Then your light will break forth like the dawn,
and your healing will come quickly.
Your righteousness will go before you,
and the glory of the LORD will be your rear guard.
9Then you will call, and the LORD will answer;
you will cry out, and He will say, 'Here I am.'
If you remove the yoke from your midst,
the pointing of the finger and malicious talk,
10and if you give yourself to the hungry
and satisfy the afflicted soul,
then your light will go forth in the darkness,
and your night will be like noonday.
11The LORD will always guide you;
He will satisfy you in a sun-scorched land
and strengthen your frame.
You will be like a well-watered garden,
like a spring whose waters never fail.
12Your people will rebuild the ancient ruins;
you will restore the age-old foundations;
you will be called Repairer of the Breach,
Restorer of the Streets of Dwelling."
Proverbs 19:17: "Kindness to the poor is a loan to the LORD, and He will repay the lender."
Psalm 41:1-2: "Blessed is the one who cares for the poor;
the LORD will deliver him in the day of trouble.
2The LORD will protect and preserve him;
He will bless him in the land
and refuse to surrender him
to the will of his foes."
On August 17, the government began doing an investigation on Pastor (Emma) Kisa. He tells the story:
Yesterday (8/17/21), I was summoned by the District Crime Intelligence Officer to be interrogated. He told me that there are some people who are fighting the construction of the church, with allegations that I am receiving money either from homosexuals or from people who are anti-government. That he received a command from the police headquarters to do a thorough investigation into who I am, what I do, how I receive the money. So he told me to compile all the information I need and I will be facing a committee for further interrogation at a soon date to be communicated.
Some of the things he told me is that I built an expensive church building and so it causes alarm.
I told him that God deserves even much more than what we have done.
I also told him that the construction of the church, from the time of buying the land to the current stage has been funded by one person from a her life's savings because of her love for Jesus, and that Jesus must first approve before she sends it.
I let him know that all the money that I receive goes directly to the construction of the church building. He didn't accept it. He told me to prove it.
I went with him home to see my mother. I told him out of all the money that I have received, if I had ulterior motives, would I fail to take my mother to the hospital? He was shocked to see her condition. I also took him to my bank, loan department, and he saw the loan I have been serving for two years now that I haven't cleared. I took a loan of UGX 9,000,000 ($2400). I am now left with UGX 1,360,000 to clear, but I have never even thought of using Jesus' money to solve personal issues.
So, he told me that I should get the loan statements and my mother's medical information ready to show the committee.
The devil isn't settled at all.
On August 31st, we received word back from Pastor Emma that the investigations on him had been closed for lack of reason to continue. All glory to God and another confirmation of the upright proceedings of the Lord's servant Pastor Kisa and those he works with.
We understand that the primary purpose of God in this building was to create a visual "forum" in which people in the community would become aware visually of the power of God in the area over the efforts of Satan's stronghold, and would seek Jesus savingly. This has resulted in over a thousand conversions within the months of this construction, which included God moving in miracles among the people who visited, all glory to God!
The WELL of HOPE relief has also gone out from this building, even during its construction, and we praise the Lord for opportunity to feed many destitute families and orphans.
Many workers were given opportunity for meaningful productivity in the community because of this building, during a time when Covid-19 lockdowns have created great crisis. Although many of the workers have volunteered their time, they have been paid with food relief packages.
If the Lord moves you to help us in any way, please reach out to us at wellofhopeafrica@gmail.com.
July 26, 2021
"I walk with my head held so very high because of what the Lord has done. Our enemies were put to shame."
"I walk with my head held so very high because of what the Lord has done. Our enemies were put to shame. Their mouths are shut as though they have never spoken a word. They said we shall not obtain land, and the Lord bought us land. They said we shall not even be able to build, and the Lord started building. They said we shall not be able to fulfil the demands of the municipal council, and yes, the Lord has the heart of the king in His hands. They said, after the ground floor, we shall never be able to raise close to 200 million shillings for the first floor construction, and what did the Lord do? He made it possible. Then they said, pastor is an Illuminati. How could he raise that money? They forgot that those who trust in the Lord will never be put to shame. Then they kept quiet and the second floor part was lifted and built. Then they said, he can't have the money to put door and windows, only to discover that we had already started fabricating them. For the Lord passed where they didn't see. "He will not roof the building. For the money that roofs such a building is more less the same that brought it to that level. And the Lord who owns everything made a way again though his secretary. We now roofing! Hallelujah!! Then now they say, if he has roofed the building, the rest will be a walkover! But it's again the toughest part of this whole journey my sister. May my faith not fail. I have put my hope in the Lord, I have put my trust in the one who called us to do this work. He will provide." - Pastor "Emma" Kisa
The food packages given to those seeking help include the following, according to Pastor Kisa: "...all that they need to run for more than 3 months for an individual. We give them rice, maize flour, beans, cooking oil, sugar, tea leaves, soap, and money to buy charcoal."
As usual, God is making a spectacle of His glorious spiritual work by using physical symbolism for a greater spiritual construction. This church building is far from an end in itself. Ever since the construction, the Holy Spirit has been powerfully moving in hearts, with NINE Catholics transformed by the true gospel of Jesus' saving grace in just the day prior to this update.
He used a pause in funding to remind all involved, including the unbelieving supplier, that HE is the complete mover of this project. Indeed, He will not give His glory to another.
Yet it is right for us to thank each and every one who has submitted to the prompting of the Holy Spirit to support this work, either in prayer or funding. You will be richly rewarded. Obedience in the smallest ways that step out in faith are greatly honored by our God. "Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness" (Rom 4:3, James 2:23, Gal 3:6). And though it's scary in our flesh to walk against the tide of man's "approved" religious organizations, we are truly the beneficiaries of God's glorious work in the Earth when we walk by the Spirit. Who can put into words the joy of being taken under the wing of the Almighty and enabled to share in His work?
"He who receives you receives Me, and he who receives Me receives the One who sent Me. 41Whoever receives a prophet because he is a prophet will receive a prophet's reward, and whoever receives a righteous man because he is a righteous man will receive a righteous man's reward. 42And if anyone gives even a cup of cold water to one of these little ones because he is My disciple, truly I tell you, he will never lose his reward" (Matthew 10:40-42).
WoH is extending its arm to the families of those working on construction, as seen in this video:
Besides the orphans they regularly support, WoH is also reaching out to a community of white Africans called "Albinos" who have been despised in the community, mistreated, and even taken as sacrificial victims for demonic worship. This group of people have been given the hope of Jesus in these past months through the WoH ministry who have been ministering to their desperate physical needs.
Pastor Kisa Emmanuel (Emma) Amos, head of WELL of HOPE has shared his typical day, which is nothing short of miraculous in itself:
"I wake up at 4am to pray and worship and study the Bible. At 6am, I am at the construction site, also pray with all the workers and preach to them a ten-minute word. Then [I] delegate duties for the day. I work hand in hand with the engineer to see and make changes as the Lord wants.
I visit church members in the homes for fellowship, and pastoral visits. I usually have one meal at 4pm.
I go back to the church site and meet with visitors who specifically want to see me. At 6pm, I pay workers and recruit those who work at night. At 7pm, I meet security guards for security updates, followed by duty assignments to the night shift teams. At 8:30, I'm back home. At midnight, I'm back to check on the construction, since the engineer doesn't work at night, so I do the oversight. At 1am, I go sleep."
There are no words for such a schedule by a human being except miraculous, and the devil is prowling like a roaring lion. Therefore, friends, please pray diligently for this highly favored pastor of Believers' World Church, that he should never slip but win the prize when our Lord Jesus returns for His Bride. And pray that God would raise up more helpers to assist him and those among the ministers of BWC.
Juliana was able to have a final surgery on her eye (this was requested for prayer in the included video), and she is doing well and joyful in the Lord. She has lost most of her outer left ear, and without surgery, will be unable to hear well. Please pray this might be made possible for her, for she is hindered to gain proper licensing in her evangelistic enterprises without good hearing. Here is her backstory:
Juliana had the accident that resulted in hospitalization months ago, because she had been returning from an evangelistic trip. She was greatly involved in telling people about Jesus, though God used her hospitalization to enable her to speak the gospel to those around her in the hospital.
Pastor Emma wrote to us her testimony:
"Before Juliana started preaching the gospel, she was very unruly. She had two boyfriends and she was unfocused. My wife and I tried so much to counsel her, but she played wiser than us. One night, we heard someone screaming in the girls unit. And it was Juliana. She was dreaming.
So, we woke her up. She said she saw a great light and what sounded like a battle cry. She saw a multitude of people rise from the dust. That they were very many, more than anyone could count. That then she suddenly ran home too because she was scared seeing radiant people coming out of the dust. When she reached home, that she was the only one at home. That she looked for us but couldn't find us, then she remembered when I taught in church about the rapture, and then she knew we had been taken. She screamed out of sadness and intense sorrow for the great loss and how she could live alone in the world.
That night, Juliana gave her life to Jesus. And a few days later, she started preaching in the hospitals."
May 20, 2021
April 22, 2021
Pastor Emma reports, "The Lord is faithful to His Word. Indeed, many people have come to Christ in unbelievable numbers over the time of church construction. What's amazing is that they come without man's invitation, but the Holy Spirit draws them.
"Some have joined different ministry groups. The photo below is for the new youth members. They are all so eager to serve the Lord, so glad they are part of us."
Pastor Emma reported, "She is getting well so quickly! Glory to God!! The only issue that needs our help is doing an ear reconstruction surgery. She has trouble hearing. She requested me to ask you for support.
Despite the fact that she is not well, she has managed to lead two patients and one nurse to the Lord! She reported that to me with unspeakable joy! God is indeed amazing."
She had to undergo many surgeries to repair rib damage from the impact of the accident and graft skin onto areas that were burned to the bone. It is a miracle that she is alive. She remains in the hospital but is now able to stand for periods of time. One of her sisters of Zion's Children's Haven is presently staying in Kampala, which is four hours away from Iganga, in order to help care for her. Please continue to pray for her full recovery and for the return of these dear souls to their family.
I have drawn out the time since our last blog post because of a desire to include more footage and photos, and now, I'm so excited to be able to share a couple videos with you of this amazing construction project!
The building project is serving as a symbol of God's vengeance on the murder of His children in history!
"That same place where they were burned, a church is being built today."
While the original blueprint had planned for a basement floor, this was changed for the sake of increasing the speed of construction due to deadlines of evacuation of the rented land and building. Now, the building will be two stories, making it more of a landmark in town, and God is already using it to greatly bless the community. Many muslims have given their lives to Jesus because of the sheer miracle that this building is even being constructed. Efforts to sabotage this project have failed, and even an effort to murder Pastor Kisa failed due to a miracle of God, who literally put the murderer to sleep at Pastor Kisa's home gate. He was found there with a military rifle meant to gun down Pastor Kisa. God will not be stopped! The gates of hell will not prevail against His church!
The church building project has also helped the community's employment, as many dozens of workers have been employed day and night.
Finally, and remarkably, the building project is serving as a symbol of God's vengeance on the murder of His children in history! Pastor Emma shared:
"The other day while we were praying on the church land, Pastor Mwesigwa had a dream in which people were burned alive for accepting Jesus. Yesterday I visited one of the elders in the community and I asked him if any people were killed for being Christians in this community. And the response was apt. Hundreds were killed for accepting Jesus. The word CMS (Church Missionary Society) was given [a district in the area] because it was the very place where a real church was merged out of the Catholics. The people who defected were killed for disobeying Catholic rules of worship and for not worshipping the Catholic idols. They were gathered in one grass thatched house and they were tied and burned alive. That same place where they were burned, a church is being built today."
We are still seeking the Lord for a church or organization with 501 tax status to step up in helping us with the transfer of funding for the church building and for WELL of HOPE (WoH). Also, the giving for WoH has been severely limited, and we are praying for more of Christ's body to step up on this front line. Thank you for caring enough to read this and for your prayers on behalf of Christ's body in Iganga!
2/16/21
We are calling out to all of our friends and supporters to help! One of Pastor Emma's orphan children who lives with them at Zion Children's Haven is called Juliana. She is in critical condition in the hospital.
"She was coming back from an evangelism mission on a bodaboda (motorcycle), and they collided head-on with a truck that was carrying sulfuric acid. The truck had lost control. It hit them, hit others on the road, and collided with a taxi. Only Juliana survived.
"She was rushed to Iganga Hospital where she stayed a few minutes and was immediately transferred to Jinja Regional Referral Hospital, and was there a few hours. She was then referred to Kirudu Hospital, which is one of the hospitals equipped for such cases.
"Juliana is now battling for her life. We know that it's God's will that she is alive. The Lord has spared us great sorrow. Her treatment costs are very high and we don't know how long it will take. So we are only working on daily expenses as we await the final bill. Most medicines are bought. Right now, for the next 13 days, her treatments cost 475,000 ugx per day ($130). She will be going to the theater again today and that will cost us 1,500,000 ugx ($410). She will have to go to the theater again on Friday.
"All the hair on her head is lost, parts of her skull are exposed, her back, hind neck, butts and right breast are severely damaged, but we hope they are not beyond repair, at least not hard for our great physician, the balm of Gilead...Thirteen [other] people died [not belonging to Pastor Kisa]. Five died on the spot, and eight died in Iganga Hospital." Please pray for their loved ones.
We would be greatly blessed on behalf of Pastor Emma, his wife Eunice, and all at Zion Children's Haven and the WELL of HOPE team for your prayer intercession for Juliana and all supporting her. If the Lord lays it on your heart to help monetarily as well, please send by PayPal to wellofhopeafrica@gmail.com.
We are also still seeking a 501-registered intermediary to send the donated money for the church building to Uganda. The time urgency is at its height, yet we are at peace, knowing that our Lord has a plan! Please pray with us!! Thank you so much, friends, for your ongoing support in prayer or gifts. Your work in the Lord is not in vain.
BWC had hoped to disassemble the temporary building that is on the rented land and move it to the newly-purchased land; however, the municipality will not allow a temporary structure on the land. Again, God made a way for the funding of legal blueprints to be drawn up for a permanent building, which needs to be started almost immediately if the basement floor is to be completed in time for use and for the move off the rented land by June.
Our new partner, Carla, received this word from the Holy Spirit on 2/7/21:
"Surely I will build a church in my name in this place. The walls of the city will fall like Jericho..."
"...You will be my hands and feet. I am doing a new thing and if one were to hear it they would not believe it. I am sending fire upon this place, the Spirit of Truth of Holy Spirit fire as you have asked me to send. I will utterly consume the town with fire of truth and destroy every lie. I will utterly consume everything that exalts itself against the knowledge of Christ. Have the faith of Abraham; did he not believe and it was accounted to him as righteousness? Was he not called a friend of God? Did I not tell him in advance what I was about to do? I have claimed this city. I will build this church building in my Name. My Name will be glorified in this place. See how many will understand there is no other god besides Me; I AM God and there is no other. I am King of kings and Lord of lords, and I will tear down strongholds in My Name."
In a vision given to Pastor Emmanuel Amos Kisa (Emma), the Lord Jesus said to him:
"You will surely build a house in the city that Baal has possessed and there I will rule and show them my compassion. They will fight against you but they will not win. I have given you helpers. Yes, I have sent you my servants before the sickle comes to harvest the wheat. Are not two better than one? And who can break a cord of three? But see, I have more than that. I have sent them to do my great work and they will not relent until they see me glorified. Those who worship Baal today will worship him no more. The days of my glory on Earth are at hand. Blessed are those who do not stumble at me. Blessed are those who obey my word. I will surely plant them, and they will be oaks of my righteousness. I will plant them by the rivers, and they will be nourished by the water from my Father's throne."
Pastor Emma said that there's even more community benefits to this church building besides a place to worship:
Though we did not know how we were going to come up with $90,000 to fund this building, the Lord laid it on someone's heart to give the full amount needed!
But now, we need to cross the Red Sea! God has parted it, but we need dry ground. We believe the Lord has laid it on our hearts to seek an organization with 501 tax status that can channel this money to our partners in Uganda. If anyone can connect us to such an organization (a church or non-profit), please reach out to us.
We are grateful to those of you who have continued to give donations for the WoH endeavor, and this money has been put to good use in helping some people continue their education. It has also been used to help some with rent payments and food. Further, the SAC offices are almost complete! These will be rented out, Lord willing, to provide an ongoing income for the SAC orphan work.
Believers' World Church (BWC) of Iganga (facilitator
of WELL of HOPE) learned that the landlord of the property on which the church building is constructed is requiring BWC to move off the land by the end of March due to his desire to build residential buildings on it. Humanly speaking, this seemed like a painful blow to the work of God through BWC; however, there are two positives:
Obviously, this kind of money seemed impossible to raise in three months (notice was given early January), but God has done a miracle!!
The Lord laid it on some hearts to help in donating large sums toward the land that was for sale, right at the time that the the landowners were considering another buyer. We had some hard battles getting all the money wired over in time due to some opposition, but the Lord made it happen, and the land is now ours! We praise Him for doing great and marvelous things. This is the first property to be owned by a Christian church in the Iganga municipality. There are 53 mosques with owned land in Iganga.
Pastor Emma testified, "Many Muslims are promising to join us once we start fellowship in the new location. It is indeed a miracle because some of them strongly opposed us in the beginning."
We are also seeking that you prayerfully consider assisting us by sharing this work with your church and/or other churches that the Lord might bring before you. We envision that BWC and WELL of HOPE become a regular ministry of prayer and monetary support among the churches that the Lord calls. Please direct churches to reach out to us here, at wellofhopeafrica@gmail.com in order to connect with us.
Friends of Jesus' WELL of HOPE Uganda, we are immeasurably grateful for those who have sent generous donations to enable the completion of the water well in Iganga, as well as the continuing work on the SAC (Save An African Child) building we had started last year and the giving of food, medical, and business donations to many people in the community. In just one week's time, we served over 20 families! See below the video of these families and their thanks. Also see below the current progress of the well, which has been fully funded, including the pump and water tower! Glory to God through our Lord Jesus Christ!
We wish now to make an appeal for a special Christmas fund. The families that WoH has served, are destitute of the most-basic provisions that we can imagine such as food, clothing, and basic medical. These families have no concept of anything "extra," (including fruits, seasonings, or meat, let alone personal gifts) which is especially painful during the Christmas season, a time when people should get an extra sense that there is a loving Jesus who came into the world to "give life and give it to the full," while binding up the "strong man" Satan and freeing us of his power of theft, murder, and destruction. If you are led, please send a special Christmas gift and designate it "Christmas" by PayPal to wellofhopeafrica@gmail.com. Thank you! And God bless you!
To all who have followed the work of SAC (Save An African Child), I have very exciting news! Last year, we created a Website for SAC that had to get closed because of a lack of funding for the site. This happened because we were obligated, due to some God-orchestrated events, to close the ability for people to make donations. But during the time that the site was in operation, many generous donors enabled significant progress in the building of the SAC house and offices; we had since been waiting on the Lord for how He was planning to complete what He started.
Furthermore, while the Website was in operation, the ministry of the SAC correspondents here in the USA exploded, as many more people in the Iganga region and beyond began to reach out to Rachel and Claudia for assistance. Most of these were people who were helping orphans. The contact list became overwhelming, and we were in great prayer over how to proceed, as the work was too great for just two stay-at-home moms. Furthermore, we were in deep prayer over the need for hands and feet on the ground locally in Iganga, because we knew that at a distance, we did not have the wisdom needed to properly administer the donations. However, for a short few-month season, the Lord used a number of confirmations through Scripture and various circumstances to show us that He was in a season of building up rapport with these people through the unconditional love of Jesus. When the Lord decided that season was fulfilled, He systematically shut down everything in the USA, which also greatly hindered the effort of SAC in Uganda. It was a long summer, full of grief and questions. But then the unexpected happened.
The Lord connected Rachel with a man named Eric Tibiryango, who is even now diligently seeking to set up a pregnancy resource center in Iganga. Eric offered to visit a good number of our contacts. He did so multiple times over a period of a few weeks, taking many photos and videos, and documenting all that he was able to determine about their situations. He furthermore suggested a plan to create an umbrella organization that would be a center of support for all those in poverty--not only in the sense of being a food pantry but also in the sense of creating plans and facilitating opportunities for family and orphan groups to create businesses and means of self-sustenance. Beyond this, and even most-importantly, this organization would be a connecting point for people to hear the gospel and see the love of Jesus in action.
This advice was exactly the desire that Rachel and Claudia had, and was perfectly in line with the prayers that we had been lifting up for the whole year. Besides this, it had been our prayer that such an organization would proceed from the ministry of a Spirit-filled church, because Biblically speaking, this has been the pattern of how God has extended His gospel love--with the church as the facilitator and sender.
Then God did it! Within a very short time after Eric had given this counsel and had also suggested those he unequivocally felt were the proper people for the job, the Lord began to pave the way for what is now called WELL of HOPE! This ministry of Believers' World Church in Iganga is not only helping SAC now but also all the people we connected with and beyond!
For the full story, please see our movie:
2 Corinthians 5:6-7: "Therefore we are always confident, although we know that while we are at home in the body, we are away from the Lord. For we walk by faith, not by sight."
Psalm 73:28: "But as for me, it is good to draw near to God. I have made the Lord GOD my refuge, that I may proclaim all Your works."
My name is Rachel Adamus, and I'm the founder and writer of this blog. I am writing an unusual post as a way to bring to accounting God's working in SAC and the confirmation I have received this week from the Ugandan government of their legitimacy. But let's start at the beginning.
This journey really begins before I even knew about an organization called Save An African Child (SAC) in the district of Iganga in the country of Uganda, Africa. The Lord brought the gospel to me in a life-altering way in January, 2018. Though I had been a Christian since my childhood and had sought to obey Jesus, I had still been walking in the flesh in many respects, and the gospel had not come to me in such a personal way that it had utterly decimated every delight I had in sin--not just for a day or a week or a month but now going on over a year. This is the power of God in Jesus Christ! In January 2018, the Lord began an intimate journey with me to teach me His Word from the perspective of the Holy Spirit's personal application to my life, and to show me practically what Romans 8 says, as summarized in verse 14: "For all who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God."
In July 2018, a man named Ivan Wakabi contacted me through Facebook. He lives in Uganda. He was a football player for a team called Mission Boys Football Club (2012-2016), when he was injured and unable to return to the game. Shortly before the injury, in 2015, Mr. Wakabi began taking in needy children from his community, beginning with four little boys and reaching a total of 17 live-in children. Over time, multiple people volunteered to help him, and his church, World Believers Church, got involved. After the injury, he could no longer support the work financially and began seeking those with a heart to help. Since his district, Iganga, is an extremely depressed region, there is very little money in his community. Everyone is in extreme poverty. Organizations like World Vision are not even in the area. But God is. He sees all, and He knows the needs of the poor. God led Wakabi to me, and He began a very intense work of refinement of my faith at the same time.
Because of the extreme poverty of Iganga, there is almost no connection in the community to the World Wide Web, in that businesses do not have Web sites, churches do not have Web sites, and anything that a typical Western Christian would do to look up people and places on the Web to verify their identity simply does not work there. When Wakabi began requesting help from me, he started by building a relationship. He called me via What'sApp video and Facebook video to give me a tour of the community, to introduce me to the orphan children, and even to meet some of the volunteers and friends from the church. We had many such encounters, and I began to get to know the children personally as well. It was the next best thing to a personal trip to Africa, which simply could not be done. As in every case in which a decision must be made, I brought the organization to my husband and told him their needs. Honestly, I expected him to say, "No, we can't help them." But after bathing the matter in prayer before God, having a strong affirmation in my own spirit that this was something we needed to do, and then getting a surprising, "Yes" from my husband, whose personality leads him to critically ponder every decision we make concerning money and everything else, I had no shadow of a doubt at that time that God was in it, though that confidence was to be tested time and again. It was God's course Being Led By the Spirit 101 for me and my husband. Nobody recognized SAC. Nobody believed me when I told their story (almost nobody). No churches would help. And only those individuals who really knew me well ventured to put their trust in my word (though I myself wrestled with ups and downs of whether I was being a fool for even venturing others' money on the enterprise). All through the year, God used His means of answering prayer and bringing confirmations to keep us hanging onto SAC, and most of all, He used love. I have had an ongoing, unquenchable burden and passion for the children of SAC--a passion that only God could fuel, for in myself, I'm very fatigued often. Many a time, I would get a message from Wakabi about a certain need that I had no idea how I was going to help with, and I would feel exhausted at the core of my being. But then, the gentle nagging of the Holy Spirit would keep the matter on my mind, and the power that He gives would enliven me, and He would always send me to the right places and people and provide what was needed.
In fact, SAC has been a big player in God's handbook to build faith in me this past year, so much so, that when a friend of mine began investigating them from an official perspective and brought back very questionable news, I was shattered--not that I couldn't bear the thought of all the money we'd sent a potential scam (though that played into it), but that I couldn't bear the thought that all the steps I'd taken with Jesus through the year with SAC were a fraud. What then was my faith built on? It had been a personal Jesus journey. It wasn't some human enterprise that had flopped. One can move on from that. It was the very core of how I lived that was being called into question. I was on my face. "Jesus, help me!"
Very shortly after that news, God brought more news that helped to clarify what looked so hopeless for SAC. I was encouraged. It wasn't over yet, even though the last bump in the road was the strongest test of my faith yet. I procrastinated the investigation because I was so basking in the relief of not having to totally dismiss SAC as fake, and also, because I was busy moving; however, when Wakabi messaged me that one of his boys had an awful toothache and needed money for care, I talked to my husband. Once again, the voice of doubt appeared. Were they really legit? I knew this was the kick in the pants that God was giving me to finish the investigation. There had to be no shadow of doubt. The door in the devil's face had to be slammed.
Though previous to this point, I had no idea how to even find out the truth without personally flying to Uganda, the Lord brought to my mind to Google the Iganga government Web site. Thankfully, they have one. I found a phone number and messaged someone on the other end through What'sApp. I was amazed to see that their profile image was a Scripture verse: "I, the LORD, have called you in righteousness. I will take hold of your hand" (Isaiah 42:6). The government official was very polite and responsive and began an investigation right away. Though one of the departments, the DCDO (District Community Development Officer), that needed to provide verification for my contact was away at the time, I was able to get an affirmation several days later. SAC was indeed registered as a CBO (Community Based Organization). Later, the DCDO went to Bukoyo Village where SAC is located. He found the place exactly as I had seen it in the video calls. I was overjoyed! Indeed, God's people "walk by faith, not by sight." Praise the LORD!
The faith test isn't over yet. Save An African Child is on a rocky road. Their financial supply is so limited, that they have only basic food to eat every month, their rent money is always uncertain, and there is no money for clothes or schooling. One of their certificates has expired and needs renewal, which is another cost requiring help. But God is for us! If God wants SAC to continue, they will, and I will continue to recount the works of the Lord.
Families of Believers' World Church and the Zion Children's Haven orphan home, in the midst of overwhelming poverty and persecution, can only speak to the faithfulness of God after reaching another major milestone. The first milestone was the construction of a glorious house of worship in the midst of a huge spiritual revival, a major act of faith...
Pastor Emma shared pictures of baptisms that have taken place among the hundreds of converts God has brought into the Kingdom of Heaven recently, and we praise God for many more conversions since a recent evangelistic crusade February 1-3, 2023. It had been themed, "Jesus Saves and Heals." You can follow the Believers' World Church YouTube channel...
God has made a way through one donor for all government building requirements to be met and all loans to be paid! Praise the Lord and His Christ!
"On that day the Branch of the LORD
The well is fully funded now, thanks ultimately to our faithful God who has moved your hearts and for your sacrificial donations! The Lord will reward you with much more!
