Dear partners in ministry and friends,
This is some update on the new work Bethel started this last Sunday. I will attach photos of the work, and some few on Florence’s life change. Her attitude, her behaviours and lifestyle have changed positively. I know you all have prayed for us this way, and we can see God doing great things already.
Bethel took a step of faith yesterday; we went up in Busimba to start a new ministry there. It all went very well. People of the community had gathered together in the classroom waiting for us. When we arrived they warmly welcomed us, which was a great sign that God was with us. We started with Music and then we worshipped. They enjoyed our way of worshipping with freedom and in the known language. After Music I was called to preach. I started with my testimony. Most people older people know my background anyway. My testimony touched so many. Others were a bit teary. Then I shared the goodness of Jesus in my life and i told them that it is the source of my motivation to do the good things they see us doing. Bethel has already been involved in doing social welfare to that community. So people know us as good people. Now they are discovering the source of our love to them.
After I had finished preaching, we decided that we go out in the open and sit down in different places. This was a one on one session. People were free to ask all their questions and at the end we ended up with 14 adults giving their lives to Jesus. There were also some who knew God before but they did not have a strong conviction. They come up and renewed their faith to Jesus.
The total number came to over 20 people. That was so good. After we finished a one on one, prayed for all the people present, then they provided a drink to all members of Bethel. They Decided to give their new church the name Emmanuel. For they said that God is with them. Since there was a gospel in that community in the seventies, there has been no one coming to tell them about Jesus.
There were so many children who also committed their lives to Jesus, but we did not count them as it is tougher for the children. If their parents are Muslims then we shall not want to cause them trouble as we don’t have a place to keep them when their parents kick them out of homes.
We shall be going there every Sunday for at least 4 to 5 weeks, but even in the week days when there is time we shall be going for door to door evangelism. That is what other members have decided to do. We believe that is the birthing of Emmanuel Baptist Church.
Within the district Mooni is known for having the highest percentage of Muslims, Traditional worshippers (people who worship ancestral spirits) and those involved in witchcraft. As a result, highly destructive behaviour such as polygamy, child sacrifice, prostitution (including child commercial sex), early marriages, robbery, drug abuse and alcoholism is common place in Mooni. This has led to large numbers of vulnerable people including orphans, widows, people suffering from HIV/AIDS and children living on streets.
Bethel recognises the need and desires to increase its involvement within the community. We are confident that the most effective way to achieve this would be to introduce new churches throughout Mooni. That is our vision for the next coming 9 -10 year.
Our plan is that we start 10 new churches in 10 years, so each year we aim at starting one. This is the 3rd in three year, including Bethel itself. But ten are shall not be the end. We aim at covering the whole area with Christianity.
Our prayer requests are:
- You pray that God will soften the hearts of the people so that they will turn from other Gods to the true father and creator of the universe. This is the only way they are going to gain their self worth. when people who have lost have know God they gain their hope because God is the giver of hope.
- That other people from different parts of the world shall join us in the work of the harvest. The harvest is in plenty but the labourers are still few. We need is bigger, we needs others who have the same vision to join us.
- That members of Bethel shall keep having courage to reach out for Jesus. The opposition from other faiths is too high. Sometimes people want to quit in fear. I know that fear comes from the devil.
- That God will provide enough resources, transportation and tools to reach out and serve him in the way that will bring glory to him. We need to build shelters for worship; we need a pickup to carry our tools and members. For the distance is long. All these can be achieved through prayers of the saints of God.
- Also pray for me the leader of the ministry. People look at me and my wife all the time, when we lose heart they also lose heart. Pray that God will help us to stand and serve him, and that he will provide for us so that we may continue without worry about what we are going to eat.
I will end by thanking you all for being faithful partners of Bethel. I believe we are accomplishing a lot simply because people pray.
Vinnie
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