“He is not here; for He is risen, as He said…” Matthew 28:6

Dear Friends and Family,

HE IS RISEN! HE IS RISEN INDEED!

This past month we had a very nice time preparing for celebrating Jesus’ death and resurrection. As we prepared there were other new beginnings taking place amongst our church members as well.

Recently, two of our church members, Wilbur and Leona, announced to the church their intentions of getting married.  In Uganda the process of getting married is quite long.  Of course there is the normal courtship / dating time.  When the man wants to take the relationship further he doesn’t ask the girl to marry him, he has to ask the father and uncles.  This is called the visitation.  At the visitation the man will go with who ever would be his bestman and one of his uncles.  They will meet with the male heads of the girls family and there they will discuss dowry and whether the family believes the match is acceptable. The man normally comes with some gifts to show his seriousness about the marriage proposal and his ability to pay dowry. After the families come to an agreement then the man may ask the girl officially to marry him. After the girl accepts his proposal they then publicly announce their intentions to the church. 

The reason behind this is twofold. First because the government requires at least three weeks of gazetting before a marriage so that if anyone knows of a reason the couple shouldn’t get married then there is time for it to be revealed and dealt with.  Secondly, the couple will rely heavily on friends, family and church members to cover the costs of the dowry and wedding expenses.  The church announcement will then kick off wedding meetings about once a week where money will be raised to cover these costs as well as the planning of events. 

Before the actual wedding the couple will have an introduction.  The introduction is a huge event, sometimes even bigger then the wedding.  It is where the two families are officially introduced, the dowry is paid and the girl is “given” to the man and his family.  It is very colorful and sometimes even involves a lot of acting, dramas and comedy.  During this event sometime before the girls is handed over, after the gifts are given and dowry paid the boy is required to eat a whole chicken. Wilbur and Leona this past month completed all the visitation, church announcement and Introduction, now we are looking forward to their wedding.

Starting with Palm Sunday the passion week was filled with activities and outreaches to make people aware of what the meaning of Easter is and what Jesus did for them so they could be saved. On Palm Sunday Palms are being waved all over. You see them in church being waved as we sing Hosanna and as Brian, teaches about the triumphal entry but you’ll also see them decorating the front of business or tied to motorcycle taxis. With Uganda being a somewhat Christian nation this time of year is played out openly and in the streets.  On Good Friday many different churches come together and reenact the procession of the cross, literally in the streets.   The cross is carried from one end of the city to the next.   This year we saw it 2 times on the roads of Kampala.

At Arise Christian Fellowship we celebrated Good Friday and Easter Sunday with services at church as well as visitations to the needy families in our church to deliver chickens.  The chickens are raised and sold by some of our church members so it blesses both the giver and the receivers.

On Good Friday Brian taught about the last supper and Jesus’ arrest and crucifixion.  Together as a church body we took communion and reflected on what Jesus’ death meant for us.  On Easter morning we celebrated Christs resurrection.  The second largest religion in Uganda is Islam.  Currently they are celebrating Ramadan just as openly and passionately as Christians celebrate Easter.  Brian shared major differences between their and our celebrations with the #1 being the foundation of Christianity and our hope, the resurrection of Christ.  No other religion has that evidence or hope. Along with the message of Christ’s resurrection the church celebrated through special music and performances from the youth.  We ended the celebrations with a light meal together.

Thank you for praying for our family and for the ministry in Uganda.

In Him,

Brian, Jill, Luke, Laylee, and Liana

PRAYER REQUESTS

• We are so thankful  for the many ways the Lord has blessed us and for everyone who supports us and the ministry in Uganda.

• Please pray for Wilbur and Leona as they take the steps to finalize their marriage.  Pray for the many young married couples in our church to build their marriages on the truth of God’s Word.

• Pray for Arise Christian Fellowship as they continue to reach out to the market place and surrounding communities. Pray for those who have recently received Christ to grow in understanding and in a personal relationship with Him.

• Continue to pray for  Luke and Laylee as they learn to navigate online school. Pray for the Kanyike children to get called for their citizenship interview.

• Pray for Brian as he pastors and leads the ministry team at Arise Christian Fellowship.

• Please prayerfully consider becoming part of the Kanyike Family support team.

I will worship toward Your holy temple, And praise Your name For Your lovingkindness and Your truth; For You have magnified Your word above all Your name. Psalm 138:2

Dear Friends and Family,

This month Arise Christian Fellowship celebrated completing the New Testament on Sunday mornings.  The church began just over 8 years ago.  It began as an out reach to the market people. This was no easy task as many of them suffered from alcoholism and drug abuse. When the ministry first began there Brian was actually advised by the local officials to run away because it was too dangerous.  God had other plans and with in a short time there was a Bible study meeting under a tree outside of the market with 20—30 men and a study meeting in a little shop with market women. 

After hearing a teaching on Baptism, Brian was asked how they could be baptized.  We began to look for someplace near by  that they could get to on their own and we saw a sign with a pool on it.  When we talked to the owner it turned out she was a Christian and was very happy to let us use the pool for a baptism.  We then asked if she would ever rent out her restaurant on Sunday for a church service and she was actually very excited to do so. 

The church began the day of the baptism. The next Sunday we began the book of John. While we have had some guest speakers, special occasions and the time off during covid, Brian has taught book by book, chapter by chapter, verse by verse just like Isaiah 28:10 says, “For precept must be upon precept, precept upon precept, Line upon line, line upon line, Here a little, there a little.”  and Acts 20:27, “ For I have not shunned to declare to you the whole counsel of God.”

The week after finishing the book of Revelation, we celebrated and reflected on all the Lord has done and taught us as a church.  We had a afterglow with times of worship, times of prayer and of testimony.  One of our worship leaders shared with us the testimony of how recently both his children fell sick at the same time and his daughter who is 3 almost died, needing blood transfusions.  He shared how it was scary but he knew the church was praying for them and helping them when they needed help. He rejoiced that now the children are both well and in church. We had quite a few visitors.  2 were construction workers who have been helping with the renovation of the guest house and 1 was the husband of a lady who has been attending on her own.  All 3 of them accepted the Lord that day.  We are excited to see what the Lord has next as we continue to teach and study His Word.

Since finishing the Book of Revelation, Brian has been praying about where he should teaching from on Sundays.  He has decided to teach through the book of Mark. Many of the people in our church, who have been there since the beginning, have been serving in various ministries around the church and in the community.  We are now beginning to raise up the next generation of “servants” or ministers.  Mark shows Jesus as our servant king, so what better way to begin this next step of discipleship.  Mark 10:45, “For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for.

Uganda is both north and south of the equator.  Where we live is just 35 minutes North of the equator.  This causes the seasons to be very mild and the hours of daylight and night time to be almost equal. The weather stays pretty consistent with just one rainier season and one hotter season.  Our hotter season begins in December and ends around Easter.  Because of this, we consider this time Summer.  The school year ends at the beginning of December and begins in February.  This means schools have only just begun for this year.  My kids also just started their new years.  Luke and Laylee are now in middle school.  I wanted them to have more experience with structure and how to use a computer so I have enrolled them with an on line Christian school called Liberty University Online Academy.  We have had a few technological challenges but are slowly getting the hang of it.  Having to spend less time teaching them as freed me up to spend more time focusing on schooling Liana.  She has some behavioral challenges that make learning difficult for her so she really needs the one on one attention.  I would definitely ask for prayer as we all navigate this new school year and online experience.

Another exciting event happened this month.  Our 3rd God-child was born.  A little sister was born to our other God children, Israel and Lindiwe. Her name is Keziah Jean.  She was born in the States so we can not wait for her to come so we can meet her in person.  Congratulations to her parents, Greg and Jo Clarkson.

Thank you for praying for our family and for the ministry here in Uganda!

In Him,

Brian, Jill, Luke, Laylee, and Liana

PRAYER REQUESTS

In everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.

1 Thessalonians 5:18

Dear Friends and Family,

Happy Thanksgiving!

This Thanksgiving season there is so much to be thankful for.  As I meditated on all I have to be thankful for, the number 1 reason that kept coming to my mind was my family.  Being in ministry there is a tendency to always be occupied with every-one around you and their families and prayer requests.  Recently, while I was missing both my parents, the Lord showed me my family and I realized I needed to always be sure that I was ministering to them first and with my best, not with what was left over after ministering to others.  I am so very thankful for each of them and their unique personalities and giftings.  I am thankful for my husband Brian.  For his upright, loving pastor’s heart.  I love the way he takes time to talk and pray with everyone who needs it, when they need it. I love how he is gifted with teaching the word in a simple yet challenging way that draws the people to want to know more.

I am thankful for my son Luke.  I can not believe he is 12.  He is gifted in so many ways.  He plays the piano and is learning guitar.  He is very artistic and can draw as well.  He does very well in school. Recently he tested for his brown belt in Karate. I pray for him to grow in his walk with the Lord as he is also a gifted speaker to whom evangelism comes naturally, even when he does not realize that is what he is doing.  I am thankful for my oldest daughter, Laylee who is now 11.  She is shy but loves people.  She is a beautiful ballerina and also plays the drums.  She raises bunnies and loves animals.  She is very helpful around the house and at the guesthouse.  She is especially good at cooking and baking. She dreams of one day having her own hotel. I am praying for her as she is my only child who has not openly professed a personal relationship with Christ. I am thankful for my baby Liana, 8.  She is a handful: energetic, hyper, active, nonstop.  She likes to dance and play sports.  She would gladly spend the whole day outdoors in the dirt. She does not like to do anything that requires sitting still except to play chess.  She recently won a gold medal for her age group at a chess tournament.  She is very social and has many times brought a child she has just met an introduced them to us as her best friend.

Losing my parents also caused me to realize how thankful I am for my sisters.  I am the youngest of 4 girls.  I am thankful for my eldest sister, Julie.  She has always been another mom to me as she is almost 18 years older.  I am thankful for my 2nd sister, Jenny who is 14 years older than I.  It was through and her husband that I learned to love the Lord.  I am thankful for my sister, Jan, who is just 17 months older than I.  We grew up more like best friends than sisters. Though I am very far from these sisters we are now much closer than we ever have been as we now turn to one another instead of to my parents.  I pray for each one to know and love the Lord as I do.

Another thing I am so thankful for is our family in Christ.  Yes we have 3 children but the Lord has brought many others through our doors who we consider part of our family.  Evelyn and Shiella came to us when they were just teens after their father had left.  Though they are now grown, with jobs, they still consider us their parents.  Amina came to us after she was born again from a Muslim family.  She is “our eldest” and is now married to a pastor with a son of her own. We have 2 god-children, Israel and Lindiwe, with one more on the way.  We love them and enjoy when they come stay with us in Kampala.  Recently, we have had the privilege of caring for friends of ours’ little girl they are adopting while they had to be out of the country.  Also, we have had another friends little boy whom they have adopted but are waiting on his paperwork to be able to join them in the States.  One of the chaplains in Sudan has a teen niece, Lovina, going to school in Kampala.  On the weekends and when she has a break she spends it with our family. Our house is often noisy and chaotic and some people see it and say our quiver is full but we know that our house is always open to a child in need. I am thankful that the Lord continues to provide for each of these young ones.

There are so many people, so much ministry and so many things we are thankful for that it would take a book to write about it all!

We are very thankful for all of you.  Thank you for praying for our family and the people of Uganda.  This month we would ask that you pray for health and safety for us and Uganda as we are facing and Ebola outbreak that has a 50% death rate.  Thank you once again for your love and support.

    In Him,

        Brian, Jill, Luke, Laylee, and Liana

Prayer Requests

• We are so thankful for the many ways the Lord has blessed us and for everyone who supports us and the ministry in Uganda.
• Pray for the Kanyike children to grow in the wisdom and knowledge of the Lord and for Laylee to know Christ personally.
• Please pray for the unsaved members of Jill’s family. Pray for Jill’s relationship with her sisters.
• Pray for the all the young people who have come through the Kanyike house in the past and for the children currently under their care.
• Pray for the Kanyike children to get called for their citizenship interview.
• Pray for Brian as he pastors and leads the ministry team at Arise Christian Fellowship.
• Please prayerfully consider becoming part of the Kanyike Family support team.

“..And you shall call His name JESUS, for He will save His people from their sins.” Matthew 1:21

Dear Friends and Family,

We pray that you all had a wonderful holiday remembering the birth of our Savior and looking forward to this new year and all that God will do in it.

For us the season was very busy and very blessed.  As is true for most of the world, Christmas and Easter are the 2 times a year when people are most receptive to the Gospel and to coming to church or church related activities.  We try to make the most of these opportunities and plan many events and community evangelism,

Our holiday season started with having extra little people around.  Friends of ours, Richard and Susan, asked us to watch their daughter and their nephew who they have been caring for because Susan has been ill and requires admission for her treatment. We have already been watching a friend of ours son, Jesse so for the holidays we had 6 children.  I wont say it wasn’t without challenges but at the same time children bring so much joy to Christmas and the preparing for Christmas activities. 

Richard and Susan’s nephew, Ishmael, comes from a muslim background though being only 6 he doesn’t really know what that means.  One day we were preparing for the Christmas party at church.  We were giving gift packages of sugar, salt and other things to help the families of the church prepare their Christmas meals.  The littlest kids, Liana, Jesse and Ishmael were helping me put them together and wrap them.  Ishmael was looking at them and said they looked like birthday presents and I said well Christmas presents kind of are birthday presents since we are celebrating Jesus’ Birthday.  His expression was priceless, He was like “wooo…you mean Jesus was born on the same day as Christmas?”  I, then a little shocked myself at his response, went on to explain to him all about Christmas with Liana and Jesse helping by adding their favorite parts of the story.  We also included the reason why Jesus was born and had to die.  He is little but I think he really is beginning to understand.  We prayed over the gifts when we had finished and when I asked Ishmael to take a turn praying he prayed that the people would know it was Jesus birthday. At the Christmas party at church we handed out these gifts to over 40 families.  We celebrated with carols by Christmas lights and fellowship.

After we had the Christmas party for church I also had a Christmas party for my women’s Bible study.  In January 2022 we began our study after the long lockdowns of Covid.  We began with a study on the teaching od Christ and currently we are going through Psalm 119, taking a thorough look ant the Word of God.  For the Christmas party I asked the ladies to invite others because as I mentioned before more people are open to coming or have the free time to do so during the holidays. Evelyn and Shiella, have been staying with us since their mom had her stroke and were also on holidays from their work.  Shiella shared the Christmas message on the events leading up to Jesus’ birth and their fulfillment of prophecy.  Evelyn led us in worship and a time of Christmas carols.  We had mad little care packages to distribute to the women as Christmas gifts.  It truly was a blessed time of fellowship.

Most of church comes from the market place and the surrounding slums.  We held a Christmas party for the children in their neighborhood so we could reach out to the whole community.  Some of the women from our church cooked and from generous donations we provided gifts to the children.  We shared the Christmas story for everyone who could listen and invited them to Christmas day service at church.

The Christmas service at church was beautiful.  It was nice for Christmas to fall on a Sunday.  Brian gave a message on the Meaning of Christmas. This message has been an unplanned running theme through all of the events and conversations surrounding this years holiday activities. The Sunday school put on small Christmas cantata with singing, dancing and acting out the Christmas story. As usual the children really make the meaning of Christmas come to life with their innocence and pure faith/belief in what they are singing about or acting out.

Thank you for your prayers and support for our family and for helping us to reach the people of Uganda.  May the Lord bless all of you and your ministry this New Year.

     In Him,

     Brian, Jill, Luke, Laylee, Liana, and Jesse, Abby, and Ishmael

Prayer Requests

• We are so thankful  for the many ways the Lord has blessed us and for everyone who supports us and the ministry in Uganda.
• Please pray for the many people who heard what the meaning of Christmas is this season.
• Pray for people to wholeheartedly follow Christ. Pray for this New Year that there would be a fresh outpouring of the Spirit on all of those serving with Arise Christian Fellowship and those attending.
• Pray for the Lords direction for ministry and out reach.
• Pray for the Kanyike children to get called for their citizenship interview.
• Pray for the Kanyike children and those whom they are caring for to grow in the wisdom and knowledge of the Lord.
• Pray for Brian as he pastors and leads the ministry team at Arise Christian Fellowship.
• Please prayerfully consider becoming part of the Kanyike Family support team.

“Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you…” Matthew 28:19-20

Dear Friends and Family,

Happy 60th Independence Day to Uganda!  Uganda received independence from England 60 years ago.  One of the lasting influences from those days is the freedom of religion, specifically  Christianity.  Uganda is by name a Christian country and the ability to share the gospel openly, anywhere is a privilege most countries do not have.  After saying all of this, the truth is Christianity in Uganda is “a mile wide but only an inch deep” as the saying goes.  Ugandans are very traditional and most Christianity is mixed with witchcraft and other traditional beliefs and practices.  Uganda is a country where human sacrifice, especially child sacrifice, still takes place.  As missionaries in Uganda while it is easy to share the gospel it is a more challenging task of discipling people in obeying and following God’s Word above all else.

This month we have had the privilege of helping others who we have been discipling to begin their ministry of discipleship of others.  Recently, two of our church members moved to other areas outside of Kampala.  They have tried commuting on Sundays to come to church at Arise but during the week they began Bible studies at home.  These Bible studies have really grown and the people seem hungry for God’s Word and to grow in their knowledge and relationship with Him.  We recently had a get together at Arise Christian Fellowship with these Bible studies and with the members of our church for a baptism.  Everyone came to service where we worshipped together and Brian taught on baptism and the importance of discipleship and being in fellowship.  After church we had the baptism of 54 people and a small meal together to celebrate each persons decision to follow Christ and declare Him publicly.

At Arise we have had various activities and outreaches taking place for the youth.  On Saturdays we have youth group, on Sundays we have Sunday school, during the week there are various community youth outreaches and on Wednesdays we have been showing a Christian movie.  During the most recent school holiday we had a worship camp.  During this time the worship team taught the youth all about why and how to worship and provided music lessons for those interested.  Through these youth activities we have had quite a number of youth ask to be born again and to be baptized, including our own daughter, Liana.  During the church baptism we were privileged to be able to baptize this next generation od believers.  We pray that they would continue in the way of the Lord and not depart from it.

Brian and I have been blessed to also help out other ministries around Uganda and South Sudan.  Fort Portal, Uganda and Nimule, South Sudan are like second homes or families to us.  This past month the assistant pastor and his wife from Fort Portal returned from their furlough in the states.  We have known them for many years, we did their premarital counseling and are the god parents to their children.  We enjoyed our time with them praying and looking forward to what God has in this next season of ministry for them. 

On that same note the Russians returned this past month as well.  We were so happy to have them back with us.  This time around though they are not to be with us in Kampala but we prayed for and commissioned them to go work with the church in Nimule.  Sasha will be pastoring as he disciples and raises up a national pastor.  Arise Christian Fellowship has another missionary already there called Ivan, who leads the worship team.  He is excited to have some fellow missionaries from “Uganda” join him .  I look forward to travelling both to Fort Portal and Nimule sometime soon to be a part of what God is doing through these faithful ministers.

Thank you for praying for our family and for the ministry in Uganda.

In Him,

                                                       Brian, Jill, Luke, Laylee, and Liana

Prayer Requests          

• We thank the Lord for everyone who supports us and the ministry in Uganda.
• Pray for Arise Christian fellowship as they disciple and raise up future teachers and disciplers.
• Please pray for the men of Arise who are reaching their communities through bible study and home fellowships.
• Pray for the youth of Arise who have made public commitments to Christ and for the 54 people who were baptized.
• Pray for Greg and Jo Clarkson and all of the ministry team at  Calvary Chapel Fort Portal.
• Pray for Sasha and his family as the minister in Nimule South Sudan.
• Pray for Uganda as they enter their 60th year of independence. Pray for continued religious freedom and for many people to truly come to Christ.
• Pray for Brian as he pastors and leads the ministry team at Arise Christian Fellowship.
• Please prayerfully consider becoming part of the Kanyike Family support team.                         

 Be always on the watch, and pray that you may be able to escape all that is about to happen, and that you may be able to stand before the Son of Man. Luke 21:36

Dear Friends and Family,

This has been a very interesting time in Uganda, our family and the world. It seems only fitting that recently Brian started the book of Revelation. He did not start it because of the events taking place in the world but it is literally where he is teaching by going book by book, chapter by chapter, verse by verse through the Bible. It has been a interesting study for the church as many of them have ever done more than skim through the pages and decide it was too difficult to understand or too scary to read. I believe now through hearing teaching on it, instead they are now expectant and excited.

Every week after church there are deep conversations about the Book of Revelations but also world events and how they all relate. I know even at home with the children the conversation and questions continue. One Sunday after church Luke said, “These things would make a great movie”. That inspired us to restart our movie night at church, which had been shut down since covid. We are currently showing the Left Behind series. While it is fiction, many of the events seem similar to some of the events happening in the world today and it has been eye opening for people that Jesus really is coming back soon for His church and they need to be ready. Before the movie we share a bit what is going to happen and review for newcomers what has already taken place. After the movie the Gospel is given. So far we have had one young man named Wilson ask to get saved. We are praying that many more will make the decision to not be left behind.

On Sundays, if someone has a testimony we often will let them share.  This past Sunday Luke out of the blue said he had something to share.  I was a bit of a testimony of how he shared Christ with a friend who doesn’t believe in God but really turned into an evangelistic message on the realities of hell and how it is our unbelief, not God, that sends us there.  I know the Book of Revelation and the subsequent conversations and movie have made these truths so real to him.  It was a proud mommy moment to hear him share these truth with the church.

If learning about tribulations has not been enough then seeing and hearing about them has really shown us they are all around us. I wrote a while back that FRM had held a refresher course for the chaplains. After that we learned of about 15 who had various sicknesses and injuries. They were sent down on the bus to us in Uganda to receive proper treatment. The night they arrived you would not have know the seriousness of some of the ailments. They were happy, social and almost immediately upon arrival broke into praise and worship. It turned out many of them were very ill with Hepatitis. Thankfully the type they had is very treatable and we expect a full recovery.

One of the chaplains was suffering from 2 old bullet wounds where the bullets had remained in, one in his head and one in his leg. The doctors were able to operate to remove the bullet in his head but they said they could not remove the one in his leg but they cleaned the area very well. One of the chaplains has been suffering from the effects of chemical warfare for years. He was here being treated for some new symptoms. Another of the chaplains had an injury to his eye that required a lens transplant. He was very blessed because the doctor who performs that surgery is only in the country 3 days a month and happened to be here just at that time. Another chaplain thought he had a slipped disc or some sort of back problem and it turned out he had a small benign tumor pressing on his back. Praise God they were able to remove it without any complications. The last chaplain came a bit later when Wes Bentley saw an injury on his leg that looked very infected. It turned out that he came just in time as it was tetanus. We are so blessed to be here at the guest house not just ministering to the lost of Uganda but to the heroes of the faith serving God on the front lines of both spiritual and physical battles.

At Arise Christian Fellowship one of our members, Robert, had his own trial recently. His home is in the slums near the market place where people live very crowded together. Someone nearby left their iron on and it caused a fire. We praise the Lord that Robert and his family were not home when it happened so no one was hurt but everything was burned. When things had cooled down and he and his wife were walking around they found their Bible scorched but not destroyed. It reminded me of in 2 Cor. 4:8-9 “We are hard pressed on all sides, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair;  persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed.” He was very thankful when we were able to give him a new unscorched Bible, though he says he will always keep the other one as a reminder of God’s faithfulness.

Thank you for praying for us and the people we are blessed to serve.

In Him,

Brian, Jill, Luke, Laylee and Liana

Prayer Requests

• We thank the Lord for everyone who supports us and the ministry in Uganda.
• Pray for Arise Christian fellowship as they go through the book of Revelation. Pray that they would truly be ready for Christs return. Pray that the staff and church would be stirred up to share Christ with others.
• Please pray for the many chaplains who have been treated for sickness and injury recently.
• Pray for Jill and the children as they have all had a bacterial stomach infection.
• Pray for Robert and his family, as well as any other who were affected by the fire in the slums near the marketplace.
• Pray for Brian as he pastors and leads the ministry team at Arise Christian Fellowship.
• Please prayerfully consider becoming part of the Kanyike Family support team

Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom, teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord. Colossians 3:16

Dear Friends and Family,

The summer of mission teams is coming to an end.  It has been quite a busy and fruitful season for ministry in Uganda and in South Sudan.  It has been a blessing to have the guesthouse continually full of people, with fellowship and worship happening all the time.

This past month was the chaplains refresher course in South Sudan.  We had around 30 people from many different places, come through to help teach and encourage the chaplains that came for the refresher.  Over 300 hundred chaplains turned up.  Many have been on the front lines facing extreme conditions.  This time is set aside for them to continue their training as well as to give them a time of rest and spiritual renewal or fill up.  It gives them an opportunity to share what the Lord has been doing in their area of ministry and testify of the things they have seen and done.  It is also a time where they can receive medical care and checkups that might not be available where they have been.

Besides spending time in South Sudan with the chaplains the team also spent time with Canaan Farms in Masindi.  There they hosted a large Pastors/Leaders conference as well as a women’s conference.  Some of the team were also able to visit and minister at the school, Sanctuary of Grace while they were there. The focus of the pastor/leader conference as well as the refresher course was the End Times.  The theme of the Women’s conference was Wake Up and Cast Off (Live in the Fullness of Love). 

For some of the team it was a reunion with us as they had been here before. A couple of the team members used to live here and minister with us.  For other team members it was their first time and we enjoyed getting to know them.  The world is really small when it comes to missions.  I met a family who lived and ministered in Europe when I did and were close friends with a couple who I had served with in Austria and Albania.  For the most part though it was such a large team, everything went smoothly, though we had one lost passport (it was found) and about a dozen cases of malaria.  We praise God how he is able to work every detail out and make not just a team but a family out of strangers in Christ.

This was our last month with the Russians who had been staying with us.  Sasha, Sveta and their baby, Taya were with us for about 3.5 months.  They very much became part of our ministry team at Arise Christian Fellowship and part of our family,  we already miss them so much.  While they were here we also had 6 other Russians come through.  One couple, a pastor and his wife, came just for 2 weeks and the others for a month.  The wife of the pastor said many things that have stayed with me and encouraged me with my ministry here as well as to continue to pray for Russia. 

One evening when we were talking about the following week of ministry, I was talking about evangelism in the marketplace and the slums and she was surprised.  She asked if we could just go into public places and neighborhoods and share openly about Christ with strangers.  I told her yes that that is actually part of our ministry and how the church started. She looked at me and said,  “that sounds like a beautiful fairytale”.  On the day the couple were to leave the husband had gone to the market with the evangelism team and she attended my women’s study.  When her husband returned and she realized it was almost time to leave she broke into tears.  She said that though they had been here shortly she felt at home, like the home of her youth in Russia, not the Russia of today, and asked us to remember to pray for Russia. 

Among the other 4 Russians that were here were a pastor who has come a couple times before to teach the chaplains and Natasha who used to be a missionary here with us.  She came with her daughter and 8 year old granddaughter. All of the Russians took part in the Masindi conferences and in the refresher course in South Sudan.  They also spent time with Arise and Natasha and her family joined in with our worship team.  As the Russians prepared to go back, the church laid hands on them and prayed for them and their country.

Lastly, I wanted to share that a beloved member of our church, one of the original men from the market, has passed away.  His name was Blessing.  He was hit by a large vehicle while riding his motorbike home form the market.  He has left behind his wife and 3 year old son.  Please pray for his family and for the church as we grieve his untimely death, though we are confident he is rejoicing in the presence of the Lord.

Thank you for praying for our family and for the ministry in Uganda.

In Him,

Brian, Jill, Luke, Laylee, and Liana

Prayer Requests

• We thank the Lord for everyone who supports us and the ministry in Uganda.
• We are thankful for the many people who come through Uganda and South Sudan each year who desire to share the love of God with the people.
• Please pray for for the pastors and leaders in Masindi as well as the chaplains who came for the refresher course.
• Pray for the team members who came through to not only have ministered but they left being ministered to as well. Pray for those who had malaria to be completely healed.
• Pray for the Russians who have now returned to Russia. Pray for their ministries and for their country.
• Pray for Blessing’s wife and son as they grieve for him. Pray for the church to be a comfort to them.
• Pray for Brian as he pastors and leads the ministry team at Arise Christian Fellowship.
• Please prayerfully consider becoming part of the Kanyike Family support team.

Day after day, in the temple courts and from house to house, they never stopped teaching and proclaiming the good news that Jesus is the Messiah. Acts 5:42

Dear Friends and Family,

This has been a very, very busy time for us.  For the past 2 years, since Covid hit, the guest house has been pretty quiet with just a couple of people coming through here and there.  In the past month with teams coming through the guest house and through the church we have had over 60 visitors.  I can honestly say that at moments I was so busy that I forgot what day it was.  I know some people just say that to make a point but it really happened to me.  I had my kids and the visiting kids all in my apartment after having had a sleep over in my living room.  By 6am I was outside where team members who were about to fly back to the states were being tested for Covid.  This is required by Uganda to get into the airport,  I had just finished getting breakfast for everyone on the table when the guard called me to come outside.  He told me someone was at the gate for Bible study.  I told him, no, Bible study is on Wednesday.  He said very matter of factly, “Today is Wednesday”.  Wow, I have never moved so fast.  I was pulling kids off the couches and having someone sweep, another boil water while I quickly set things up for Bible study.  Thankfully, only 2 ladies experienced the mad rush taking place.  I am also thankful for what we call “Uganda time” because most ladies showed up 15+ minutes late.  This is just a small illustration how busy its been.

Despite the busyness we have absolutely loved having people come though once again.  We are always blessed personally by teams but also by the ministry they do while they are here and seeing them love on the people we have been called to minister to.  We had a team from Calvary Chapel Westgrove come through that was helping a local pastor plant a church about 5 hours outside Kampala.  When they first arrived they asked us if we could give a cultural debrief to the team. Before we began, since they were 20 people who didn’t know each other well before this trip, we had them share about themselves and what their preconceived ideas were of what this missions trip would be like.   I shared with them the largest cultural and spiritual differences and what they could expect as they shared the gospel to people here.  Brian shared about Ugandan culture. Sasha, one of the Russians who has been staying with us shared his experience of being a foreigner doing ministry in Uganda.  Then we had someone who works with youth share about the challenges and joys of reaching out and sharing Christ with the youth of Uganda. 

When the Calvary Chapel Westgrove team came back from their church planting mission they had 2 days to do ministry with Arise Christian fellowship before leaving.  Since our church was born out of evangelism to the mark and slums near by, we decided to have them do some outreaches culminating with a mini crusade at the church.  The team was divided into 3 evangelistic groups, one for the market place, one for the slums and one to reach out specifically to youth.  The night before the evangelistic outreaches we had an evening of evangelism training at the church, both for the team and for the the church members.  We had a teaching, a question and answer time as well as some role playing.  The next day we paired the mission team members with church members who were familiar with ministering to each of the groups.  It was truly amazing.  The openness of the people here to the gospel and their receptiveness of foreigners is such a blessing.  Both in the market and visiting homes in the slums drew crowds and about 30 people wanted to know Jesus personally.  Everyone was invited back to the church in the evening but I would say maybe only half of those who expressed interest showed up which is still a great amount to disciple for the kingdom of God.

One of the most amazing evangelistic opportunities the team had was actually on their way back from the village to Kampala.  It was raining and there was and accident on the main road.  They were detoured onto a dirt road through what appeared to be the middle of nowhere.  Their bus slid off the road and they got out to wait for help.  It turned out they were very near a small village and they were invited to wait there.  Most of the people in that village had never seen white people up close.  One of the pastors on the team shared the gospel and 40 people got saved and asked if they could send a local pastor to come and keep teaching them.  It is so true that man makes his own plans but God is directing our steps.  God directed them to this village that was so ready to receive Him. 

This newsletter could go on for many more pages if I wrote of everything that has been happening all at this one time.  Praise God for all He is doing!

Thank you for praying for our family and for the people of Uganda.

In Him,

Brian, Jill, Luke, Laylee, and Liana

Prayer Requests

• We thank the Lord for everyone who supports us and the ministry in Uganda.
• We are thankful for the many people who come through Uganda and South Sudan each year who desire to share the love of God with the people.
• Please pray for many people who heard the Gospel from the mission team. Pray that they personally know the love of Christ and will continue in discipleship. Pray for the neighbors and family members who heard about Christ that they would come to know Him.
• Pray for the village that heard the gospel and that a national pastor who speaks their language, would be sent to minister to them..
• Pray for the Russians who have been staying with us and for the ministry they have been doing alongside us. Pray for their country.
• Pray for Brian as he pastors and leads the ministry team at Arise Christian Fellowship.
• Please prayerfully consider becoming part of the Kanyike Family support team.

Day after day, in the temple courts and from house to house, they never stopped teaching and proclaiming the good news that Jesus is the Messiah. Acts 5:42

Dear Friends and Family,

I hope you all are enjoying the summer. In Uganda, while its hot or warm all year, December, January and February are our summer. This time of year is kind of a combination between spring and fall. It rains on and off and we have some cool days and some very warm days. While we are not in our summer, summer in the States and Europe bring many visitors to Uganda and through the Far Reaching Ministries Guest House. We are currently preparing for a couple very large teams as well as we are currently hosting a family from Russia, who have been very involved with ministry in our church.

Before the Teams begin pouring in, we, with the help of Sasha and Sveta, have been trying to take the time to really get to know the people in our church better. It has been a blessing to get to know where people live and how many people are in their family. Most of our church comes from a near by slum area. Visiting the people in their homes blesses them as well as opens the doors to witness to the many neighbors who all live very close together with them. We have actually seen some of these neighbors come to church. Visiting the church members at home also opens our eyes to what true needs they may have. Living in a developing country like Uganda the needs can seem overwhelming, we obviously can’t meet all of them and that is not what we are here for. While personally ministering to people, as we share the gospel verbally we can also give some help to meet some pressing physical needs such as food or medical care. Sasha and Sveta have shared with us how these home visits have blessed them as much as the people who have been visited have been blessed. I believe as word has gotten round that home visits were taking place we were also specifically invited homes to visit families, meet new babies and to share a meal with some of our church members.

At the FRM guesthouse we have quite a few nationals who serve along side us. When we started home visits at church we also had some visits to the staff of FRM.  Some of the staff we have visited in the past but for some it was the first time.  It is quite interesting because we live at the guesthouse and see these people almost everyday so it seems that they are part of our family and home. In reality they actually go home to their own homes and families.  Most of those who work at the guesthouse also attend Arise Christian Fellowship but through the visits we learned more about their personal ministries outside of work and church.

This month at the church we were able to dedicate 2 of the babies from the families visited. During the dedication we shared with the parents that the dedication is really more for them than the baby.  It is their public commitment to raising their child in the ways of the Lord.  At each of the dedications the church also committed to coming along side the families and children to help them in their pursuit and service of the Lord.

As well as visiting families, this month we were invited to come to Calvary Chapel Entebbe and share with the Sunday service there.  Brian taught the service and Sahsa greeted the church in Russian and played a song of worship in Russian for them.  The church has recently taken on a new pastor so it was good to meet him and to encourage him in the ministry.  We are good friends with the founding pastor of the church and Brian is on the Board so we have been involved with the church for many years. We look forward to seeing what the Lord is going to do for their church in this new season.

Thank you for praying for our family and for the ministry in Uganda.

In Him,

Brian, Jill, Luke, Laylee and Liana

Prayer Requests

• We thank the Lord for everyone who supports us and the ministry in Uganda.
• We are thankful for the many people who come through Uganda and South Sudan each year who desire to share the love of God with the people.
• Please pray for the families that have been visited. Pray that they personally know the love of Christ and have been encouraged in their faith. Pray for the neighbors and family members who heard about Christ that they would come to know Him.
• Pray for the babies who are being born in the church, for their parents to raise them with a strong faith.
• Pray for the Russians who have been staying with us and for the ministry they have been doing alongside us. Pray for their country.
• Pray for Brian as he pastors and leads the ministry team at Arise Christian Fellowship.
• Please prayerfully consider becoming part of the Kanyike Family support tea

But God shows His love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Romans 5:8

Dear Friends and Family,

I pray that you had a wonderful Resurrection season and a Happy Mother’s Day! Our time of celebrating Christ’s resurrection was both busy and fruitful. While I know it is our responsibility to share the love of Christ everyday, this time of year really brings it into focus and keeps it ever on my mind.

We began the Passion week with showing the Passion of the Christ at church on a Saturday evening after youth group. It was quite the interesting experience. As you probably know the movie is in the original language with English subtitles. The copy that the church media acquired was dubbed into Luganda. When it first started I couldn’t figure out what was happening and you could hear some joyful murmurs in the church. Brian then told me about the dubbing. This was actually good since many of the church members do not speak very good English and definitely don’t speak Aramaic. Another interesting fact about the dubbing was that there were times where maybe only a couple words were subtitled but there was much talking. Brian said that the Uganda translator would take time to explain what was happening biblically and give little messages. I don’t speak Luganda but it really seemed to help people to understand the movie.

I wanted my kids to really pay attention even though some of the scenes were difficult to watch. We talked about it afterwards and they brought it up for many days. One time Liana was telling me something and I said I didn’t remember it from the movie and she said that it was probably when I was too busy weeping. I guess it really affected all of us.

After the film the youth leader shared a little with the people about what they had watched and then Brian shared and he and another pastor, prayed for everyone who wanted to get saved or repent from their sin. During the week the youth pastor called and asked if we could show it again the next Saturday as there were still many people asking to see it. We showed it again with an even bigger turn out.

In Uganda the Covid numbers have been almost nothing. The government has relaxed a lot of the restrictions, especially if you are vaccinated. This was a blessing for the Easter season because it allowed us to add more chairs to the sanctuary. Palm Sunday was our first Sunday back to full capacity. It was definitely needed as we had to give the room we had been using as a second overflow room back to the Sunday school since the children have returned to church. Palm Sunday was packed and we had a beautiful service ushering us into the Passion week. On Good Friday we had an evening service with communion and afterglow. The message of course was on the crucifixion and why it had to happen. After having just watched the Passion it was very vivid in may people’s minds as we took time to reflect, and repent before communion. Laylee and Liana took communion for the first time. As Brian led them in the meaning of each element and prayed with them I couldn’t but help tear up once again. On the Saturday after, we delivered chickens and food stuffs to those in our church and community who would have gone without or with very little for Easter. We are thankful to those who gave to make it possible.

We ended up having two resurrection services at the church. We had one on the Sunday that most people celebrate and we had another on the Sunday the Russians and Eastern Orthodox celebrate. The Russian pastor, Sasha, who has been staying with us, shared on that Sunday. He shared about where he comes from, about Christianity in Russia as well as the gospel message. Both Sundays were days of rejoicing that Christ is risen. Luke played the piano for all the services. In Sunday school they had a special Easter service for the children and Liana was able to help the teacher as well as share some candy with all the other kids. The church was encouraged and were blessed with the resurrection messages and to find out more about Sasha and Russia, especially with all that’s been on the news lately about Russia.

Thank you for praying for our family and for the ministry in Uganda.

In Him,
Brian, Jill, Luke, Laylee, and Liana

PRAYER REQUESTS

• We thank the Lord for everyone who supports us and the ministry in Uganda.
• We are thankful for being able to share the Passion movie in Luganda and for the people who have chosen to follow Christ. We pray for the discipleship and growth of the Christians at Arise.
• Please pray for the people who attended any of our services for the passion week. Pray especially for those who came only because it was a holiday, that they would come back.
• Pray for the Sunday School at Arise Christian Fellowship. Pray for teachers and for all the children who come.
• Pray for the Russians who have been staying with us and for the ministry they have been doing alongside us. Pray for their country.
• Pray for Brian as he pastors and leads the ministry team at Arise Christian Fellowship.
• Please prayerfully consider becoming part of the Kanyike Family support team.