Review of the Ten Commandments

“Dishonesty…comes in all different sizes. There are the big lies – the whoppers and the grand deceptions. Then there are the little lies we tell – the half-truths, the flatteries, and the fibs. What we say may be true, as far as it goes, but we leave out the details that might put us at a disadvantage. Or we say something that is technically true, yet nevertheless intended to deceive. We overstate our accomplishments, putting ourselves in the best possible light. At the same time we exaggerate other people’s failings, thinking and saying the worst about others. We mislead, misquote, and misinterpret. We twist people’s words, taking things out of context…we exchange the truth for a lie.”

Uganda Ministry

This year we are preparing to plant our eleventh church. To understand the seriousness of our mission, you have to put yourself in a rural village in Uganda—Branch in human terms is in the middle of nowhere. It is a poor village with no infrastructure; the people eek out a living through raising crops; the village is not even on large maps of Uganda. I suspect most of its residents have never heard a clear presentation of the Gospel.

Our major goal this year is to raise up a Christian witness in this village, by building a church facility and pastor’s home to the end that a congregation of worshippers is raised up. The materials for these structures must be transported over miles of dirt roads that often resemble stream beds. Last week we were able to send the funds needed to purchase two acres of land for this new ministry. Already God has provided a host of workers to erect the building. We hope to start on the construction soon before the rains come. Upon our arrival on June 14th, our plan is to go hut to hut doing evangelism during the day, while sharing the Gospel with many in the village through evening crusades. Then, on our last Sunday there, we hope to install the new pastor and dedicate the new facility.

This is not easy work; it takes God’s providence, as well as the focus, determination, prayers and financial support of many of God’s people. Nothing this important can be accomplished without sacrifice and holy sweat. It takes 40 hours to get to Uganda from Hawaii, and then we travel seven hours up into the mountains. Each member of the team must carry supplies—medicines, Bibles, Sunday School literature, generators, musical instruments, sound equipment. But as a team, we can be used by God to change a village.

Please pray for this work and help us financially if God lays this on your heart. In keeping with the command of Christ to "Go and make disciples of all nations" and our desire to help expand the Kingdom of God in Uganda, we share with you our vision for this year.

1. Start a new church in the village of Branch. We want to build a church facility and a house for the pastor. Remaining project cost: $32,000.

2. Send Pastor Pete to Uganda to preach the Gospel. His main responsibilities include leading the church planting team and overseeing the work of our school, clinic and orphanage. Project cost: $4,000.

3. Modernize Yancey Medical Clinic we built in Kaserem in 2002. We want to bring electricity to the clinic and maternity ward, add windows to the maternity ward, and provide a refrigerator in the clinic for vaccines and medicines. In addition we plan to continue our monthly support of our medical clinic. Project Cost: $23,400.

4. Initiate "Million Student Vision," a program to reach out to one million Ugandan school children by financially supporting and equipping a core of speakers who would show the "Jesus film" and evangelize in schools throughout Uganda. We already have a dozen people trained and ready to begin this ministry. Project Cost: $37,400 over three years.

5. Construct two Christian radio stations, one in the Kampala-Entebbe area and one in Kapchorwa Town. Pete’s brother, Sid, a missionary in the Czech Republic, will be installing these stations. Project Cost: $7,500.

Welcome Home!

Welcome home from your service in Iraq! Christ Presbyterian Church wants to support you in your reunion with your family. Please contact us with any concerns or questions you might have.