Dear brethren,
Uganda School of Evangelism
I am very sorry to have not been up to date with my reporting. Let me hope that I will be able to continue communicating very often as possible. We are doing fine here in Uganda and the Lord is blessing us very much. Margaret is doing fine here at the school making sure that everyone gets something to eat and also that the school compound is clean, plus all the dormitory and all classes. The front roof of the dormitory needs some replacement, the cement ceiling is too heavy for it. We need to replace the whole front with the ceiling boards. The cost is estimated to be 1,777,600/= $750 dollars.
We have ended our short course and on March 3rd the long course of the last quarter of the second year is beginning. Ouma Christopher is going to teach the “Beatitudes,” “Anti-ism” and the book of “Revelation” in the English Class, and Samson Omutele is going to teach the same subjects in the Kiswahili Class. Ojiambo Morris going to teach “The Millennial Mania.” Peter Ambaka is going to be teaching “Is God the author of the Bible” and “The Synoptic Gospel.” Graduation date is still on the May 9th 2014. You are all welcome to our third graduation.
Our Solar System is doing fine as of now. The last time problem was caused when someone turned off the a small button behind the inverter. We have piped the water up to the fish ponds, but this has been done late. We are likely to lose all our fish due hot weather here. This year the wet land is very dry. We can only pump water for an hour that is between 12 and 1 pm. Another problem is that the pipe we used is small and amount of water little. We have two more holding ponds of 12m x18m and another 9m x 17m and now we are digging another one which is 42m x 20m. The reserve pond which we had dug is one meter deep. We have gone as deep as two meters now after the advise we got from the Chinese technicians who were brought to our school to teach us more about fish farming by the Busia District Local Government. They also taught us how we can plant rice in the fish pond and harvest rice as we harvest fish. After having planned where to put all these, we have started fencing. The fencing area will be bigger than we had estimated at first but we shall see what to do as we go on.
Church of Christ Nandwa
The attendance is now ranging from 50 to 60 every Sunday. As all students of the Uganda School of Evangelism become members of Nandwa congregation and they are now using six students in evangelism. Nandwa has sent the remaining students to villages where the school had planted congregations. We have seen that it is not good for the school to send workers, but the congregation helping weak congregations with preachers and teachers of the gospel. As a school we have been getting problems with those congregations asking a lot of things from the school, some thinking that it is the headquarters where all problems should be taken. The Nandwa congregation’s men business meeting has selected four committees to take care of her daily work. We have now the financial committee, benevolence committee, education committee and evangelism committee. This year five people have been baptized. Margaret and I have started a kindergarten school which is being housed by the Nandwa church building. The school began on January 12th 2014. We have now 45 children. Every one has paid their fees for this term. We have sponsored one lady from Nandwa congregation to go for nursery school teacher course. She attends class on Friday from 2 pm to 5:30 and on Saturday from 9 am to 5:30 pm. She will be there for two years.
Church of Christ Namungodi
Emmanuel Mawa and Edith my daughter are working with Namungodi congregation. They have now meeting 10 people every Sunday. They have purchased a church plot and right now they are making bricks. They have so far made 7,000 bricks they want to make 10,000 bricks before the burn them. These few people are working very hard to make sure they have their own building. If there is any one who can help them with some money for buying 30 iron sheets of gauge 30 at 26,000 UGX and each with 20 bags of cement, they will appreciate it.
Church of Christ Bukalikha
Andrew Wanyama Tanga, a member of Nandwa congregation and a student of Uganda School of Evangelism, goes to Bukalikha village every Sunday to help them. He rides his bike for about 26 km round trip every Sunday. This congregation is meeting in my sister’s home. They are about 8 members meeting. Most of them are women and school children.
Church of Christ Sirere
I helped this congregation purchase a small plot on which there was an old house, which I hear fell down. Wandera Peter, a student of Uganda School of Evangelism who was sent to school by this congregation, visits this congregation every Sunday. This year one person has been baptized.
Church of Christ Haboomi
Kizito Joel, a student of Uganda School of Evangelism, is still visiting this village. There was an old lady who had given the church a place to build a grass and mud building for the church to worship from there. Then members contributed the poles and labour. I helped them with the grass to cover the whole roof. The son of this woman did some evil in the village and he was convicted and jailed for a year. When he came from prison he wanted the church to pay money for the area the mother had given to the church. When the brethren did not pay, he demolished the building and chased away the church. They are meeting in the home of one brother now. They bring their cries to the school for help and this makes the school look like the missionary society, instead of the church. After graduation, when Joel will be going back to his congregation in Kenya, that congregation will have no one to help them grow in the Lord. When there will be new students who ware members of Nandwa congregation, then the Nandwa congregation will send men to that village to continue the Lord’s work.
Church of Christ Bulukuyi
This church is growing in the Lord after some up and downs. Last year they lost one of their members, brother Ouma Amborosi. This brother died on December 29th 2013. He died at the age of 82 years. He was once a student of Uganda School of Evangelism, but due to his weak sight, he was asked to withdraw from school as he could not see well on the board. Brother Olendo James, who dropped from school last year to take care of his family needs and later left the church, has been restored and now he is the one helping to teach that congregation the word of God. Brother Oswad, a first year student, started going there every Sunday when he is at school. The Nandwa Church of Christ will be sending him there this month if they will have means of supporting him with transportation and also be with him in all his small needs as the school does not have any funds to send students in the villages. It is my opinion that if there could be anyone in need of helping our students who are members of Nandwa Congregation to evangelize, he could send that help to the financial committee which is overseen by the business committee of all men of the Nandwa Congregation.
Church of Christ Nekuku
Brother Bonex Odongo, a student of the Uganda School of Evangelism and former member of Bulukuyi church of Christ, has been traveling with his wife from Nekuku village to Bulukuyi village which is about ten kilometers, for the last two years. After coming to school and starting to share the word of God with his friends of Nekuku village, two people were baptized and the church started meeting in that village. They are currently meeting in Bonex’s home under a tree.
We wish you well and may the Lord bless you as you continue in his vineyard.
Yours
Francis Wechesa