Tuesday, April 7th, 2009
We arrived at the Mpunge district, northeast of Kampala, where 75% of the community is HIV positive. When I arrived, the village chief, a tall and large women, came running to me and lifted me off of the ground!She took me and my colleague, Dave Goneau, into her hut for a local meal and then took us to greet the crowds of people. We had 200 mosquito nets and the gospel to share with 3,000 plus people. How do I decide which of the 3,000 get nets and which need to continue being exposed to malaria? They pressed against me so hard I couldn’t see my feet. Others handed me slips from the doctor showing they are HIV positive.
In another village, I had gone door to door on a Saturday afternoon with my daughter and some others. At each house, 5 to 10, or even 20 people indicated a desire to accept Christ. We invited them to a new church plant and well over 400 showed up that same afternoon! There, we built a church structure and a clinic, and we are in the process of building a school.
Our desire in these villages is to bring the gospel in word and deed—sharing the hope of the gospel and providing education and health care in areas that desperately lack all three.
The image of this women lifting me off the ground (Imagine!) illustrates the thirst these communities have for help.The picture of hundreds squeezing in on us made me wonder, ‘Are we doing nothing for this population?’ How can the love of Christ be in us and we do nothing for this massive community that is led by 15-year-old kids who each look after three or four other kids who have lost both Mom and Dad to HIV Aids?
Seeing the smiles of hundreds accept Christ and seeing the hope that comes into the life of the village community when a simple clinic is built—this is the light that Word In Deed is attempting to bring. To bring hope to communities in the name of Jesus.
Steve DeMoss, Director of Ministries WID
Posted in Uganda | Comments Off on A Glimpse of the Mpunge District of Kampala
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