Greetings in the name of our Lord Jesus! I hope you are all well! It has been a long time since I have done an update (as usual), and actually, the last update was a bit of a mistake where you received a letter I sent to my Care Team instead of the actual update, ha ha! But I will do better this time!
Called Christians (along with The Bridge Calvary Chapel) has been very busy these last few months! Of course, that is nothing new, but it is always fun to say it. In November and December, we were especially busy in the prisons. The ladies in Women’s Prison wanted to be baptized and we were able to get permission, so our prison team baptized 27 women! It was a joyous time! Photos are not allowed in prisons here, but the Officer in Charge took a couple of photos for us from behind the ladies so that you can’t see their faces, but I can show you what the baptism looked like!
Then during November and December, we had about 50 young people practicing every day to perform the Christmas program that we do every year in the prisons. All but two of the young people were brand new and had to learn the songs and ,dances and skits from scratch, but they were so excited and enthusiastic, and every day the compound resounded with Christmas carols and, Christmas songs and lots of laughter from the performers. They did a two hour program in 9 prisons in 4 days, and about 60 people gave their lives to Christ when the pastor preached and gave the altar call! Then they did most of the performance again at The Bridge Calvary Chapel Christmas service. We were allowed to get photos in only one of the prisons, so I can show you that one, and the kids getting ready to go to a prison, and then as well as some photos from their performance at the church! We had a wonderful Christmas time this year!
I, Bev, have gotten to use my gift of teaching a few times lately. I am mostly administrative these days, but I still do love to teach the Word. I was invited to teach the Gospel on one of the islands in Lake Victoria. ,And also as well as by Concy, the pastor’s wife, to teach at a Women’s Conference at Calvary Chapel 12 Springs in Gulu, Uganda. There were about 150 women there, and I was asked to teach Daniel Chapter 6. There were also many performers who led the women in praise and worship, and the women from the church did a fabulous skit of Chapter 6! The lions were fantastic and had us all roaring (along with them) in laughter!
This same church (which was planted by Jesse long ago) had their School of Ministry Graduation this week!
One of the projects that Called Christians tries to raise funds for is clean water in the villages. At the village springs, the people get their water for drinking and bathing from the very same place that the cattle drink and mess in. We have been able to have four of these springs transformed into places where people can get clean water, and cattle can still drink in a separate pool. We have another that we are getting an estimate on right now. The rejoicing in the villages when they get clean water to drink is beyond what you could ever imagine!
Another great ministry that Called Christians is allowed to be a part of is sending Calvary Chapel pastors to Pastor’s Conferences. The big Calvary Chapel Association of East Africa pastor conference was held in January, and we were able to send 30 men. And The Bridge Calvary Chapel Worship Team (because they are SO fabulous!) was invited to do much of the music at the conference, so Called Christians also sent a team of 14 people there to lead worship. The Bridge Calvary Chapel will hold their annual pastor’s conference here in April, and about 150 men will attend and be fed and housed on the Called Christians compound. We will also fund the conference. Several of the Senior Pastors of the village churches will be teaching, and the guest teacher will be John Chitwood from Albuquerque. Everyone is very excited about this conference!
There are, of course, many other things going on around here, such as Bible studies in two local low income areas; Bugembe and Danida. We do a children’s Bible study first, and then a study for the adults.
Our fences were being cut and thieves were trying to come in at night, so a few generous donors gave us the funds to build a wall at the most crucial part of our thorn bush fence. We have not had a thief on the compound at night since it was built!!
Another large project we would like to raise funds for is a clinic in the far West in Uganda. It will be called the Jesse Memorial Clinic and will be mostly maternity and pediatric. It is being built and will be run by a young man that we supported through university named Johnson Musinguzi. He is an excellent clinical officer who cares deeply about his patients. His contractor gave him a quote of $10,000, and then because of slushy ground, the price went up by another $5,000 – quite a surprise for all of us! So the clinic was built up to the ring beam, but now has been sitting in the rain and sun for two years and is beginning to deteriorate. We are hoping to raise the funds in the next few months to complete this clinic.
In Northern Uganda, next to the South Sudanese border is a pastor named Tom. He is an incredible man with a true heart for the Lord and the Lord’s people. The area where Tom lives is 95% Muslim, and they are very radical Muslims, often destroying churches and killing Christians whenever they can. In fact, Tom’s wife was poisoned recently by a woman selling juice in the market. The next week was bad, and no one knew whether the wife would live, but God saved her life and healed her. Tom continues to boldly share the Gospel in local schools (that are also Muslim operated), refugee camps, prisons, and on the streets. Recently a Muslim man named Chemical Ali, who has killed many Christians, came to Tom in the night to talk to him about the many who are converting to Christianity, and he asked where Tom gets the power to do this. Tom has been talking with him every day, telling him about the power of God, and Ali has vowed never to kill another Christian because Christians are not like he has been taught by the Muslim faith. Pray for Ali’s salvation please!
I mentioned that Tom has a loving heart towards people, so let me give you a couple of examples. About two years ago, Tom was moving around and discovered a widow named Kenneth, just sitting under a tree waiting to die. Her husband had died, and she had no children, so the husband’s family just threw her out to die since she was of no use to them. Tom and his wife took her into their own family and began caring for her. She has stayed with them since, and is the grandmother in the house. Recently a destitute Muslim girl named Zubeda came to Tom’s house begging for food. Her family threw her out because they said she was cursed. His wife fed Zubeda and bathed her, and then the little girl begged to just stay with them and never leave. Tom and his wife can barely feed the widow Kenneth and their own three children, so they were torn over whether to keep Zubeda. Kenneth begged to keep her, and after praying, Tom and his wife did choose to keep her. Several people have sent money to help clothe and care for Zubeda, and instead of being a sad little girl, she is always filled with joy now! Kenneth even carries her around on her back sometimes, just as mothers carry their little babies here.
I realize that this update is long, but I haven’t written in quite some time, and I truly do want to catch you up. Please know that we at Called Christians, and those of The Bridge Calvary Chapel are very, very grateful for your prayers and your financial and emotional support! The compound is at peace and the staff of both the NGO and the church are living together in harmony with one goal in mind – to share the good news of the Gospel of Jesus Christ! We have reached this point because of the prayer cover that we have! Thank you so much for praying for us. We do quite a bit of physical assistance to the poor in the Name of Jesus, and we can only do that through your financial support. We are all so grateful to you as a huge part of our team! May God bless and keep you always!!
Love in Christ,
Beverly Rich, Called Christians, and The Bridge Calvary Chapel staff.