Glorious Service of Thanksgiving

Pastor Johnson reports on the service today. "We had a glorious service today, this was our first service in the church with a roof, a part from the old shelter, which we left more than two years ago. It was today that we could tell the difference, we were kind of used to the open space. There was great joy in the service as people were testifying one by one of the goodness of the Lord.

I also visited the Sunday school and the teachers were distributing the shoes and clothes, I have sent Yvonne some of the pictures hoping you saw them. You should have seen the joy on the faces of children who were putting on shoes for the first time. It was fun for them. Some of them ... it was hard to have the shoe on the foot though it was the right size because the feet were not used to shoes."

New Tin Roof After Downpour!

Rain, wind and blown off tarps made it difficult for members of Revival Tabernacle Ministries to study, worship and serve the community in this temporary structure. But God is good and when a recent visitor experienced the downpour as he preached, God touched his heart along with several members of the local congregation. Now the structure has been rebuilt with a new tin roof.


The site is the location for a more substantial church to be designed by Engineering Ministry International. All of the ministry activities such as church services, AWANA, women's ministy and Bible studies use this temporary facility.

If you are interested in helping with fundraising for the new multipurpose building for Revival Tabernacle Ministries in Kabale, please contact us.

Sweet Smiles and Sweatshirts

Children in Kabale are warmer with their new sweatshirts as the cool weather and rain causes temperatures to drop. Kabale is in western Uganda near the Rwenzori Mountains and as a result the climate is cooler. When asked what the children needed, Pastor Johnson mentioned, "warm clothes." So a friend from Trinity Christian Academy in Dallas, Texas asked the school if they had any clothes to donate. Wow! Warm, new sweatshirts were the perfect weight for the cool days even though Kabale is near the equator. Smiles abound as the children show up toasty warm for Sunday school.

Many thanks to Trinity Christian Academy for their generousity to these Ugandan children.

Land for Children's Home Buoye, Kenya

Mzee (pictured below wearing hat) the head of the village donated land for a House of Hope for children on our last visit. Today we met with Pastor Paul Oselu who will oversee the project and Mzee. As we walked the grounds he decided to provide more land for the initial home and allow for further expansion with possibly a school or clinic. One of the children in the village recently died of asthma because they were too far from the hospital. We are beginning the process of completing the Engineering Ministry International application form to receive guidance on the project. The area is very beautiful with lots of aloe vera growing wild.


Margaret ministered to the ladies on the last trip and encouraged them to use the resources God put in their path to generate an income. Much to her surprise they showed up with some beautiful seed necklaces and bracelets. Samples are being brought back for the Houses of Hope store. The women and children are excited about making the necklaces and also some sisal baskets.


Mark shared with the church congregation the plan for the homes and also a garden to help the homes be self-sustaining in 5 years. As we partner with various churches we want to equip and raise prosperous disciples. Mark told the group, "it is better to teach a man to fish than to give a man a fish. If he learns to fish he can eat for a lifetime instead of just one day."

When asked "are you ready for the challenge?" They responded with clapping and cheering. Step by step we are seeing God open more doors to minister and give hope to the widows and orphans.

Kisumu AWANA Gains Momentum

"Train a child in the way he should go and when he is old he will not turn from it." Proverbs 22:6

Today 30 leaders were trained by Charles Ndertu, the AWANA Missionary from Nairobi, at Deliverance Church in Kisumu, Kenya. A few weeks ago 50 children were registered and a waiting list started. By the day of the kick off 120 children were on the list. Many thanks to the Bent Tree Bible Fellowship life group that sponsored the start up fees for the club. You are storing up great treasures in Heaven!


The joy of the leaders, children and parents experiencing AWANA for the first time was a huge blessing. Several of the men from the men's discipleship group, who went through the class Mark taught on the last trip are volunteering as leaders. Even the AWANA commander George was a part of the Kingdom builders group of businessmen. (See blog story "Iron Men" of Kisumu Kingdom Builders)


God is so faithful and so far 114 children are sponsored for the club and parents are paying a percentage of the cost while AWANA International subsidizes the rest. We are trusting the Lord for members of the church in Kisumu to partner with their U.S. brothers and sisters to "top up" for the rest of the children. Once again AWANA began a club from America and it became a Kenyan ministry with the church partnering in support. The AWANA missionary said, "this is going to be a big club because the leadership is really committed." God is creating momentum in this church and being the first AWANA club in the city is an exciting development.

Medicine, Mercy and Love in Kabale

Master the AWANA commander with the doctor and some children.


Pastor Johnson and Dr. Michael with one of the nurses in training


Medicine and instructions for the children

Over 200 women and children were assisted with free medical care and drugs during the medical outreach done from the church. Two Ugandan nurses in training assisted in conjunction with a nurse from Kampala and a doctor who is a member of the church congregation. Because several of you helped with the cost of the drugs, some children are more comfortable tonight and some moms have peace of mind that their children are getting well. We left behind enough additional medicines to serve the children for several weeks. Pastor Johnson asked if it might be possible to continue the ministry in the future because the people in the poor community were so appreciative.

God at Work in Kabale

From the moment we arrived in Kabale, God had many things for us to do. Pastor Johnson Bakashaba met with us to define the vision of Revival Tabernacle Ministries and the phases needed to partner with the ministry in a variety of ways. As we talked we identified several priorities in the short term.


First the church facility is not adequate for the growing congregation. (There is a nearby building that is used for small group meetings but is too crowded for church services.)They have moved to the land they own and are using a temporary structure which is woefully inadequate when it rains. While we were there it rained a lot and the tented structure had to be repaired due to no substantial roof. (See picture below.)


The church is the central meeting place of the ministry and a new community center/worship center will provide a home base for many activities such as AWANA, crafts ministry training, medical and mercy ministry to orphans and widows and mid-week and Sunday services and Bible studies. At the same time funds are accumulating to begin a House of Hope for abandoned or orphaned children. The short term ministry tasks pertain to working with Engineering Ministries International to come up with a basic facility to accommodate 500 people and find a home for the children in the neighborhood. Like Nehemiah we are prayfully considering what needs to be done, seeking approval from various Ugandan sources, doing careful research and developing a plan. Please join us in prayer as we know God wants many people to be involved in this ministry.

Long term plans include acquiring more land to build Houses of Hope for children, a school, an Internet cafe, a community kitchen at the church, a dispensary for the medical and mercy ministry, a guest house to generate income and also provide life skill training for orphans along with a child sponsorhip office.

The foundation for administering the ministry needs to be solid to allow for a meeting place for the various activities in the interim. Step by step the Lord is ordering our way so that we build a strong foundation in the church as a hub and branch out as we partner with the congregation in Kabale.

Bibles Held High!

Words can't describe the excitement of the pastors and leaders receiving Life Application Bibles with their names on them. From Kampala to Rukungiri to Kabale,Uganda and Kisumu, Kenya Bibles were held high and many were praising the Lord. In Uganda and Kenya there is a lack of seminary training for staff members and having Life Application Bibles allows leaders in the church to better understand the Word and apply it as they teach.

We have been careful to give them to people who are serious teachers and those who have requested the Bibles. Thank you so much for assisting in this ministry. You have no idea how much impact each Bible has on the communities where these leaders live. A list is already starting for AWANA leaders requesting copies of the Bible for our next trip in March!

The Eyes Have It! Rukungiri AWANA

Sunday, Nov. 5 Rukungiri Community Church began AWANA with 100 children sponsored by U.S. donors. But 147 extra children showed up wanting to participate.

Pastor Elisha Kakwerere along with his wife Rebecca and David Echau the AWANA missionary for Uganda challenged the congregation to partner and sponsor the rest of the children. Before the kickoff meeting was over the 147 children were sponsored by church members. It began a "Mzungu" (the African term for caucasians) ministry from the U.S. but ended a UGANDAN AWANA ministry to children. Praise God the church leadership responded and the congregation responded. Enjoy the pictures of the precious children participating in AWANA for the first time in Western Uganda.

Saturday was spent training the AWANA leaders and learning the games.

Answered Prayers...Thanks for Praying

1. Safe travel and no lost bags.
2. Rest and good health.
3. Training logistics with training for business men and pastors.
4. Good meeting with EMI.
5. Hearts prepared for AWANA.
6. Safe travel to Kabale and Rukungiri.
7. AWANA miracle-247 children sponsored at Rukungiri Community church.
8. Good weather most of the time.
9. Good communication with pastors and leaders.
10. Appropriate expectations set for ministry relationship in Kabale.
11. Open door with Uganda Pastor Joshua's church finance class.
12. Preparation in Kenya progressing for AWANA club in mid November.

God’s Word Changes Uganda Businesses

Several people gave testimonies of changes in their business practices after Mark’s two-day “Doing Business God’s Way” seminar to 100 people in Kampala Oct. 30-Nov. 1.

One Bible verse that seemed to cause considerable conviction among the pastors and business people gathered was James 5:4, “Look! The wages you failed to pay the workmen who mowed your fields are crying out against you. The cries of the harvesters have reached the ears of the Lord Almighty.”

At least two people acknowledged their sin in this area to the entire group and said they would begin paying their workers on time. It is common in Uganda that employers do not pay their workers in a timely fashion.

Also, many for the first time understood and embraced Matthew 5:37, “Simply let your ‘Yes’ be ‘Yes” and your ‘No,’ No’; anything beyond this comes from the evil one.” In Uganda, it is considered impolite to say “no,” resulting in many misunderstandings and much confusion. This is particularly damaging in the business world because people make commitments they know they cannot keep because they do not want to say “no.”

The training was conducted in cooperation with the Uganda Fellowship of Born Again and Pentecostal Churches, which represents more than 10,000 congregations.

While God’s Word did touch many hearts, Mark had a strong sense that the Holy Spirit was being restrained. Only after the training was completed did he realize what was holding things back: Sin in the camp. (See posting below, “A Tragic Casualty.”) Mark then realized he had experienced a similar situation as Joshua did in the Bible when Achan defied God and took plunder from Jericho after God tore down its walls and allowed the Israelites to conquer it. Because of this unconfessed sin in the camp, the Israelites were routed in their next battle. (Joshua, Chapters 7 and 8).

Charles, Mark’s ministry assistant who misdirected ministry funds for personal use, attended the training and participated in it before Mark knew of his deeds. Mark believes it was Charles’ sin and concealment that led to the sense of the Holy Spirit being restrained in the training.

Mark takes comfort in Isaiah 55:10-11, “As the rain and snow come down from heaven, and do not return to it without watering the earth and making it bud and flourish, so that it yields seed for the sower and bread for the eater, so is my word that goes out from my mouth: It will not return to me empty.”

A Tragic Casualty

“News From the Frontlines” is not always good. There are casualties. We have some very bad news to report. Our good Ugandan friend Charles Wandera, who has served as our ministry assistant and employee, stumbled badly in his walk with the Lord and was relieved of his duties with us.

As our employee, we sent Charles about $350 to pay annual automobile registration fees on our Ugandan vehicle before our arrival in Uganda Oct. 30. Charles diverted the funds to his personal use without authorization and lied to us to cover up his actions. He also falsely accused others in an attempt to conceal his sin.

Once his misdeeds became obvious to us, we confronted him and he has apologized and says he has repented to the Lord. We have forgiven him. Charles claims Mark as his spiritual father. Mark told Charles he will continue to be a spiritual father to him. Mark also told Charles he loves him and will remain his friend.

As Mark’s assistant in the “Doing Business God’s Way” ministry, Charles had been responsible for holding men accountable to be faithful, trustworthy and truthful. When Charles failed so grievously in these areas himself, he removed himself from our employment. Though painful, there are lasting consequences to actions even though we are forgiven.

Please pray for Charles and his family. It is a very difficult time for them. Also please pray for us that God may use us to help restore Charles while taking courage and learning from this experience.

Hitting the Ground Running!

October 30th we arrived safely in Uganda. After checking into the guest house we drove to the office of Engineering Ministries International to meet with Chad Gamble the East Africa director along with Johnson Bakashaba from Kabale. The purpose of the meeting was to get Chad’s advice about the many construction projects in Johnson’s vision for the ministry to the children in Kabale.

After covering the basic EMI requirements the steps in the process were clearly defined. Phase one has been identified as the hub of the ministry which involves the simple church facility for 500 members and office. (Currently the church is meeting in a tent and has no offices.) Chad made several suggestions for how the foundation of the church can be built for further expansion to include a covered area for worship and later a facility to include over the next few years a child sponsorship office, a kitchen, classrooms, Internet café, medical dispensary/clinic, guest house, a restaurant and resource center for village pastors. During this trip a needs evaluation is taking place with prayer concerning the possible locations for the ministry components. The concept for the ministry focuses on sustainability of the ministry with an exit component as the ministry becomes self-sufficient as commercial income generating aspects to provide jobs for children and members of the congregation are implemented.

Simultaneously, a home will be rented to house up to 15 children with house parents the first quarter of 2007. Future developments include the purchase of additional land in Kabale for the construction of three homes for children. In addition the long-range vision is to serve the abandoned children not only in the city but also around Lake Bunyonyi just outside Kabale. More exciting news to come as we plan step by step as God opens more doors.