Hello Everyone, and Greetings from Uganda!
I hope you are all doing well during this interesting season. We in Uganda are under a pretty tight lockdown, and so far have only registered 74 cases of the COVID-19 in our country. The government was so strict about quarantining people that came into Uganda at the airports, and our visitor, Deborah Roberts was in Institutional Quarantine in a local hotel in Entebbe for 19 days before we could bring her back to Jinja. Unfortunately, the one place they have NOT been strict is with the cross- country truckers that have been coming in from Tanzania and Kenya, and our last 16 cases have been truck drivers. We are praying that the government chooses to put more restrictive measures on those people today!
Our compound is locked and only people that live or work here (with a few exceptions) are allowed to come in. And anyone that does enter must immediately wash his or her hands, and we wash down the gate with soap and water every 30 minutes! No private vehicles are allowed to travel on the roads at this time, and there is no public transport either – not even the motorcycle taxis. So everyone has to walk or stay home unless they are carrying cargo. Our double cabin Toyota pickup is allowed to move, so we use it when we need to buy quantities of goods, or when we need to get rid of our rubbish. And our bus has been given permission to continue to pick up the sick prisoners from the prisons and take them to the hospital and back to prison. Otherwise our entire fleet of vehicles is grounded. This is a lot less expensive in fuel and vehicle repairs though!
Our stores are closed, and markets can only sell food, but no other goods. Everyone must keep 4 meters distance between themselves and someone else. The market people are not allowed to go home each day, but must sleep in the market. Motorcycles are allowed to move between 7am and 5pm to carry goods, so one of our young men who has a motorcycle does our shopping for us. He says that when you carry eggs, you have to drive with one hand!
Almost all of the “daily” workers are without work right now because of the restrictions, so most of the country is experiencing hunger, since most live hand to mouth. The Bridge Calvary Chapel has bought a large quantity of food to distribute quietly to our church members that are in need. (You can’t publicly distribute food right now or you will be arrested.) And Called Christians received a generous donation of $2000 that has been used to feed 85 families for the next two weeks! We are very blessed on this compound to have food, shelter, and space to move around, but those around us are truly suffering, and we are doing our best to be the hands and feet of Christ to as many as we can.
At the same time that we are under the COVID lockdown, Uganda is also being attacked by huge swarms of desert locusts that could cause further hunger by devastating the crops. The government is waiting for them to settle down at night and then the army is spraying them while they are at rest.
And because of the prolonged rains, Lake Victoria is at its highest level since 1960. Villages, markets, and homes that are along the lake shores are flooded with water, and large pieces of land and gardens are breaking off from the shores and floating to our power dam and blocking the dam, cutting off electricity supply to much of the country at different times. Our March through May rains have started, so now flooding will increase. It seems that Uganda is facing a battle on several fronts, but we know the ONE who loves us and knows our every thought. We will continue to pray for His protection and provision, and that He uses all of these catastrophes to draw people to Him!
Supporting the Mission
If anyone wants to donate special money to feed the hungry in Uganda right now, sign up for the “Sendwave” app and send money directly to my phone. +256 752 624 589. This is a special app for sending money directly to Africa. I promise that every dime will be spent for feeding the hungry.
Praises and Prayer Requests:
Praises – Most of our village pastors are farmers. The locusts were heading right toward the fields of one of our pastors, but as he prayed, a great wind came and blew the locusts back the way they had come!
Because of donations, Called Christians has been able to provide food for many hungry families!
God has been protecting Uganda from the COVID-19 virus up to this point. What a blessing!
And we on this compound are more than blessed with food, shelter, companionship, and safety.
That our support is enough to provide for our budget plus have an excess that will continue to feed many families that are destitute.
That God continues to protect Uganda from the virus, and that the government is wise enough to stop the influx of affected truck drivers.
For the entire world that this virus disappears soon and that economies are restarted.
That people all over the world turn to the Lord during this time of stress and need, and that the world experiences Revival!!
Blessings to you all, and may you feel the presence of the Lord surrounding you!
Beverly Rich
