Author: Sam Garcia

Hello and greetings in the name of the Lord Jesus. I hope you are all well!

We have been very busy, so my last update may have been a bit confusing. Today I will try to make things a bit clearer for you.

As most people know, one of our main ministries is to prisoners in the Uganda government prisons. In “normal” times, we would preach to about 2,000 prisoners every week. COVID has kept us out of the prisons for over a year now, but slowly by slowly, we have been allowed to begin teaching again, as long as we adhere to the rules for masks and social distancing. Our prison teachers are also being required to receive the vaccine so they can resume their normal schedules. We were so grateful when a few of the prisons invited a group of us in just to do worship and teaching, and then from there, to allow once a week Bible studies again. 

We also had an enormous blessing for the prisons this last couple of weeks—an amazing couple in the US donated $15,000 for blankets for the prisoners, and we were able to buy 4,020 blankets and distribute them to thirty prisons. Most people ask why you would need a blanket in Uganda, but the prisoners sleep on the floor in concrete cells, and they only have a pair of shorts and a shirt. They get really cold at night, and the blankets protect them from mosquitoes, so there is much less malaria when prisoners can cover themselves. We had been praying about this project for five years, and now it has happened. We visited each of the prisons with the Regional Prisons Commander, and each prison welcomed us with joy, asking us to come back and teach the Word of God to them. We had to sign a guest book at each prison, and in “reason for coming” we always wrote “bringing blankets from Jesus!” 

A few years ago, one of the young men we had raised graduated from school as a Clinical Officer (similar to a Physicians Assistant in the US). His name is Johnson, and he has helped run one of the small hospitals here for some time. His dream has been to build a maternity and pediatric clinic in his home area, because women and children get so little medical care in the villages, and often die for lack of that medical care. Another incredible couple donated $10,000 for building that clinic, and it will be called The Jesse Rich Memorial Medical Center. Construction has been going on for almost two months now, and it looks great. The $10,000 estimate was a bit short because the ground turned out to be slushy, so more materials were needed for the foundation, but we are raising funds, and the clinic will be finished before the end of the year. We are so excited about this!

We have been asked sometimes why we do so much humanitarian work alongside the teaching and preaching of the gospel of Christ, but every time we do something that takes care of peoples’ basic needs, we show that Jesus loves them. It is difficult to listen to anyone when you are hungry or sick, or your child is sick, so just as Jesus fed and healed people before He spoke to them about God, we try to do the same. There is no God like ours—one Who loves His people enough to send His Son to die for them! So we often introduce our Lord as The God Who Loves You. This draws people to hear the words of the God who cares, and because of that, many more people will spend eternity with us in heaven, and what a joyful noise it will be when we are all there together!

We work closely with the social worker from the Main Hospital here, but I will not show you many of the photos of the people that we have been able to assist there with food and medical. The photos are often too graphic for public viewing. But we were able to feed those in the Isolation Ward and the TB Wards throughout the COVID lockdown, and now we continue to help with medicines and food for many of the patients there. I will just put a few “clean” photos on this page, but just know that we do a large amount of medical assistance. This month someone brought a 14-year-old boy, Julius, from the village who had chronic osteomyelitis and his lower leg bones were filled with infection. They had been taking him to the local healer for treatment, but his leg had gotten so bad that when they finally got him to a hospital, the doctors said there was no hope but to amputate his leg. We know an excellent surgeon here in Jinja who also assessed Julius and said he did not have to have the leg amputated, then did surgery to clean out the bone and save the leg. Can you imagine being a 14-year-old boy and having to think about losing your leg? It was very expensive, and he will still be in the hospital for two more weeks for treatment, but it is such a joy to us all to know he will be able to go home and be a “regular” boy with both legs.

The same day we started helping Julius, a baby was brought into the hospital that had been stabbed in the chest and thrown in a pit latrine. We have been able to pay for his medical treatment, clothes, and soap, and for food for the auntie who is caring for him. We are so grateful that God gives us the opportunities to help these people in their times of desperation.

God is working for Called Christians these days, and we are so thankful to Him for that.  Over two years ago, a vehicle that we had sold in the past was in an accident and ran over a young teacher who lost both his legs. He sued the man who hit him and won the case, but then the man had no money to pay him. So he got an attorney to help him find money, and they discovered that (even though I had signed the papers for the transfer of title) the title of the vehicle was still in the name of Called Christians. So they sued us for 300 million shillings (about $84,000 US Dollars). We also hired an attorney, but he advised me not to go to court because I would be seen as “deep pockets,” so my representatives, Aaron and Barbra, have been going in my place. This week the case against us was dismissed. Hurray and Praise the Lord! Better to pay the attorney $2,000 than to pay $84,000 for something that was not our responsibility. Now I hope God gives us the same favor with the National Social Security Fund who is also trying to get 50 million shillings from us ($14,000 USD), saying we did not file properly. Our accountant, another young man who was raised from here, is working with them to reduce that amount significantly. Satan hates us, but God is fighting for us.

I have probably talked too long here, but there are so many things going on and there are so many ministries to talk about that I haven’t even touched on. But I will add just one more praise before I go. About a month ago, three of our staff and one baby were on their way to Kampala to pick up the driving permits that had just been renewed (for the adults, not the baby!). On their way to Kampala, they were in a terrible rollover accident and went off a very steep embankment. They all walked away with only scratches, bruises, and one broken rib. A true miracle. Calvary Church in Albuquerque sent us the funds to repair the old vehicle or get another one. We were able to purchase a vehicle almost exactly like the old one for exactly the amount Calvary sent. We will repair the old one slowly, and then I will let the beginning drivers drive the old one and continue to crash it, while only experienced drivers will drive the new one.

Our friend and coworker, Deborah Roberts, went to the US on furlough on 22 April. She arrived there suffering from malaria but did not realize it was malaria. Six days later she ended up in the hospital in a coma. After some time, and to the great surprise of the doctors, nurses, and the CDC, she woke up. She was starving and malnourished, and her kidneys have not yet started working again. At this point, the doctors are hopeful that her kidneys may start working again, and she has a feeding tube. She is also able to walk up and down the hall now, but then she must sleep because it makes her so tired. Deborah is an amazing woman of God; please pray seriously for her.

May God bless you and keep you always! If you pray for us, please pray for some of these things:

• Complete healing for Deborah.
• Uganda may be going into lockdown again. Please pray that we do not need to.
• The completion of the maternity/pediatric clinic.
• Enough support funds to pay our bills and continue our ministries.
• That we may enter prisons fully again to preach the Word of God.
• That our Bible studies in the high schools bring great fruit.
• That all our women’s Bible studies grow spiritually and physically.
• That the Woottons, who have moved on to a new ministry God has prepared for them, get settled in and filled with joy as the Lord uses them to fulfill the vision He has put in their hearts.

God bless you and thank you for everything you do for the Lord.

Beverly and Called Christians

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I have been very busy from the moment I returned from the United States. I got to be a part of a presentation/worship session by Called Christians and The Bridge Calvary Chapel. We have also begun teaching by Zoom in the main prison, and four of the prisons are now allowing us in to teach. We are also about to purchase 4,000 blankets to supply to nine prisons. And we are teaching two women’s Bible studies in two different villages while also coordinating two local evangelism outreaches. At three schools, the bore holes that provide clean water are broken so the children have been drawing drinking water from a local swamp in the same place the cattle come to drink. We have repaired one bore hole and the children now have clean water. We are praying about funding to repair the other two, (about $400 each). Kids are going back to school—some have already started, and others will begin soon. We will have several young people in trade schools for mechanics, plumbing, social work, and culinary skills. Lastly, someone has donated the funds to build a clinic in the village of the Clinical Officer that we have raised and sponsored. He has bought land and has plans for the clinic, which will focus primarily on maternity and pediatric care. Building on the Jesse Rich Memorial Clinic will begin in two weeks. Debbie Rogers has also provided this update on some of the projects we have been working on: Worship Day The prison warden (the operational commander or OC) invited a group of ten volunteers from Called Christians into the main men’s prison for a few hours of worship one Friday morning. They specifically asked for a keyboard player; not the way your grandma plays keyboard, but someone with energy. They loved the keyboard; we also sent in a beat box, a guitar, and people to sing and dance. We were supposed to start at 10 am, but this is Africa—they did not get started until after 11 am but they sang for a long time. One of the volunteers danced and sang for an hour straight. Afterwards, Pastor Mugoya Joel gave a message on Psalm 27 and four men were saved. The group stayed at the prison praising, worshiping, and dancing until about 3 pm. They returned to the Called Christians compound full of smiles and stories about how God used them. One young man who played the drum box said his arms hurt so much from playing for so long, but he did not care; he felt so blessed to be used by God. The volunteer who danced said he was a little sore the next day, but he had so much joy from serving that he did not care.  A speaker/karaoke machine was donated to the women’s prison. The prisons in Uganda are still locked down and have had no visitors for over a year now. The karaoke machine they used before to listen to worship music and to sing and dance broke. Two women delivered the new speaker and they immediately plugged it in and began worshiping. The music was so loud, you could not talk over it. The women were shouting with joy. The women’s OC gave us some pots the prisoners had made as a thank you. (See first included picture of the box the speaker came in. Volunteers had written words of encouragement on the outside of the box.) One lady who does not speak English had a woman translate an entire letter to the prisoners to encourage them to stand strong and trust in God, which was read to the prisoners when the speaker was delivered. (See second picture of the pots with the women’s teacher Loyce, her daughter Haddassah, who just loves to be in pictures, and Timothy, the driver.) Our prison ministry has been trying to operate inside the lockdown restrictions by sending in weekly messages on paper (old school letters back and forth). When prisoners are released, they are given a little money for transportation back to their home village but sometimes it is not enough. Some of those prisoners come to the Called Christians compound looking for help to get home; we give them some transport money and prayers. In March, a man was released from the main prison and he came to the compound looking for help with transportation. The only thing he took with him from prison was a stack of those weekly messages he had written notes on. He was so happy showing the volunteer what he learned. We were able to encourage him and pray with him, give him a little transport money, and send him on his way.  We also send a monthly letter into the prisons that are not located in Jinja. Once a month, the prison leader drives around to the other prisons delivering a written message and some soap, razors, and hand sanitizer. We sent in prayer cards to see if anyone wanted prayer and got back a five-inch stack of requests. We received so many requests that we organized a time of prayer so additional volunteers could be brought in to pray over these prisoners’ requests, and we now meet once a month to pray for the ministry and prisoners’ requests. (See picture of two volunteers with boxes of soap being delivered to a prison.) Hospital/Benevolence A case was brought to us of a mentally disturbed woman who had been attacked. We know she was beaten and robbed, but we are not sure what else happened beyond that. They beat her in the head with a crowbar so severely that it tore a chunk out of the side of her face and damaged her teeth/gums inside her mouth. Another Christian organization in Jinja (dentists) performed surgery to repair her mouth and face. We provided prayer, pain medication, and liquid food. She was in the hospital for a few months. We eventually found out her name was Sandra. She slowly remembered things and declared one day, “I am from Kenya!” So, when she was ready to be released, we gave her some food, money for transport back to her village in Kenya, and extra pocket money for her to get started when she returned. (See two pictures: one with her mouth wired shut while she was healing, and one on the day she was released from the hospital). Hospital Prayer (Weekly at Main Hospital) Our hospital prayer team is getting ready to head back in and pray each week with people. We have only been able to go in a few times with one or two people due to lockdown restrictions. During one case, two men went in to pray. One was helping Sandra and the other was moving from bed to bed praying. When I asked him about his experience, he said it is so dark there; people are without hope, and it is vital that we get back inside to pray for people again. He told me of times that even Muslims were asking for prayer; he said they were desperate and asked him for prayer even knowing that he was a Christian. He recalled being in the diabetes ward that day, and the smell was horrible due to people’s skin rotting off their bodies. He prayed for one woman named Janet, who was in danger of losing her foot (puss was running down her foot). He prayed fervently for God to help this woman. As he was praying, he was reminded of another woman he prayed for in the past. She was in town from Rwanda for a conference and broke her leg in an accident. The hospitals in Uganda work differently than hospitals in the US. The hospital does not provide medication or food; you bring an attendant that provides these items for you. This woman had no one since she was here on a business trip. He recalled praying with her and taking her food and medication until she was released and returned to Rwanda. Pray for us so we can get back in and minister to people. We are hoping we will be able to Friday, April 9. Neighborhoods (Danida & Bugembe) In 2021, we added Bugembe to our neighborhood outreach ministry. In Bugembe, most of the population identifies as Muslim, with a small group of Mormons. We thought we would go and evangelize for a year and God would clear the path for a Bible study to start, but God had other plans. We evangelized in one neighborhood and fifteen people came to a Bible study the first day. God even provided a location for us to meet. We continue to go each week and are seeing lives changed. A woman recently asked a volunteer what he was doing to her husband, who she said was an abusive drunk, but since he had been attending Bible study over the past few weeks, he had stopped drinking and had been nicer to her. She asked us to keep doing whatever we were doing. (See picture of one of the first Bible studies.) Villages/Women’s Bible School Every Thursday we hold a women’s Bible study in one of two villages: Iguluibi and Lumuli (villages have no paved roads and are usually at least a twenty-minute drive off the main highway). We spend one week at Iguluibi and the next week at Lumuli. (See picture of road to village lined with sugar cane). A young single mother named Sarah has been attending the Iguluibi women’s Bible study for about four years. She walks 4.3 miles one way every other Thursday to attend. We recently held a meeting in the village to talk about starting a women’s Bible school there. Sarah came and helped cook a meal for us to eat even though it was 10:30 in the morning; she is very excited for the Bible School to start. We are anticipating a start date of September or October, with a two-year curriculum. We are currently finalizing the plans and curriculum. Food is very important in Uganda. Whenever you visit a village, they want to feed you. Normally they serve matoke (mah-toe-kay) bananas that are steamed or boiled, some sort of boiled or roasted meat, and rice. It could come with g-nut sauce (ground roasted peanut sauce) or greens (collard greens or kale). All of this is cooked on little charcoal stoves in villages. Women in Uganda have a lot of responsibilities at home and after having a discussion, we determined it was not practical to have women come to the Called Christians compound for a Bible school. They cook on charcoal stoves each day; they even heat water for cleaning and bathing on the stove. In addition, they tend to gardens so their family can eat, watch kids, and clean. We are hoping to take the school to them to raise up women who can raise up other women (to make disciples who can make disciples). We currently have a women’s Bible school on the Called Christians campus for pastors’ wives. There are six women attending and the plan is to have them help teach at the women’s Bible school in the village. (See picture of these women celebrating when they completed their first book on inductive study method). Schools There are “scripture union” in schools in Uganda. Students meet over their lunch hour to worship, practice scripture drills/verse memorization, hear a teaching, and eat their lunch. Called Christians has relationships with five schools (only two are meeting currently, due to COVID; the other schools will begin meeting in April and May). A Called Christians pastor teaches once a week at each school. We have also been holding a Sunday church service at two of the schools. We are currently looking for ways to expand this ministry and pour into these kids more. They range in age from eight to eighteen years old. Most of these schools are boarding schools. This is where we met Esther, a Muslim convert to Christianity. Her dad tried to drown her when he found out she had become a follower of Jesus. She was exiled and now lives with her grandmother in Jinja. We helped her with school fees and a little extra money so they could start selling food as a business. (See picture of Esther). God bless you and thank you for everything you do for the Lord. Beverly and Called Christians