Volume 1, Issue 42
Kingdomwork Ministries International
December 2022*
In the movie A Christmas Carol based on the book by Charles Dickins, there is
a scene where Belle asks Scrooge---who is now successful but wasn’t when they first
started their courtship---if they just now met, would he seek after her, a dowery-less
woman. Scrooge pauses way too long and replies, “Do you think I would not?” Belle’s
answer is, “Oh Ebenezer, what a safe and terrible answer!” At that point she released
him from their commitment and walked away...and that was the end of their love.
There is not an exact parallel here, but my heart’s desire is never to give the
“safe and terrible” answer. I met Christ many years ago now and committed my life
to Him then: I never want to come to the point where He asks me if I would seek Him
out today! I want Him to always know that he was then, and is now, my first love. You
can read about what happens to those who lose their first love in Revelation. It tells
of a church who did so, but aren’t churches simply people? Aren’t churches bodies
who join together locally to worship, follow, serve, and love our risen Savior?
I would like to tell you that 2022 was a “Banner Year.” All went well and KMI
had a perfect year of ministry is what I would like to say. “It was the best of times; it
was the worst of times.” The opening line from A Tale of Two Cities, by Charles
Dickens, better describes the year we had.
In truth, many positive things happened. We were able to purchase
truckloads of food for the starving at K & K and many of the surrounding villages.
Our folks there just never seem to get a break from starvation, and it is our privilege
to serve them with the essentials of life. Your gifts and donations were used to feed
all who were in need. We didn’t ask if they were Christian or Jewish or Catholic or
Muslim or Jehovah’s Witness or atheist: if they were hungry, we fed them. We were
able to be the hands and feet of our beloved Lord Jesus Christ to those in need. Also,
we were able to begin planning a church at K & K, a structure to house The Amazing
Grace Church of K & K. Next, Hundreds of children attended school and did well once
again. They received two meals per day and great Christian instruction from our
dedicated staff at both Amazing Grace Primary School and Amazing Grace Secondary
School. Others attended vocational schools to become mechanics, carpenters,
plumbers, nurses, and teachers. A few moved on toward university and one
graduated with a degree in accounting. Yes, many positive things happened in 2022.
It is with a very heavy heart that I share with you that we lost our beloved
pastor and overseer, Pastor Chemonges Michael this year. After a long and hard-
fought battle with stomach cancer---including three surgeries---Mike went to be with
the Lord. My heart still grieves for him. Not only was he our amin contact, our leader,
our pastor, and our trusted friend, Mike was like a beloved son to me. We have
known each other and worked together since 2005 when we first started going to
Uganda.
My first adventure as a missionary was with Mike. We were given the task of
delivering a bale of mosquito nets to the Ngenge region. When I say a bale, I mean a
BIG bale. It weighed over 150 pounds and it was a task for the two of us to man-
handle it to get it ready to sort out for all the people. A bale of mosquito nets
contains between 250 and 300 nets. None-the-less, we were able to deliver the nets
to the distribution location safely and they were later dispersed to the villagers.
Having delivered the nets, I asked Mike to take me to the top of the nearby Prayer
Mountain. (We would call it a knoll here in the U.S.) The grass was as tall as me and
Mike warned me that we might encounter snakes on the walk up...but we went
anyway. There were five of us in total.
It took us about 20 minutes to climb to the top. We saw no snakes. Mike
pointed different places out to me. I stopped and faced to one side seeing two very
tiny villages in the distance, and I asked Mike what they were called. Kabacheriya
and Kaplobotwo was his answer. Two small mostly forgotten villages. I just stood
there and looked and looked and looked. The Holy Spirit spoke to me, and it was
then that I knew God wanted me to help those two forgotten villages. I didn’t know
how, what, when, or why, but I did know who and where. Over time God provided all
the other answers, and he still is today.
We are not finished at K & K. Mike is in heaven enjoying being with the Lord
and Savior that he loves and followed and served so very faithfully. So now we much
go on without him. On January 15 Pam and I are taking a trip back to K & K: the first
one where Mike won’t be there. We get to be with the students, parents, teachers,
staff, villagers, and Mike’s beloved wife Phylis, our Goddaughter from years ago. We
get to rely on the direction of the Holy Spirit to help us figure out new delegations
and responsibilities as we continue moving forward. It was not Mike’s school: it is
God’s school! We will continue to serve Him there as long as He calls and allows us to
be physically and mentally capable.
Thank you for joining us in this venture. Thank you for your many loving
prayers and kind notes of love and reassurance. Thank you for purchasing the Gift
cards to provide milk for the pre school children. And thank you for sponsoring
children. Your financial gifts to KMI keep us going with the business end of things
and we are deeply grateful. In the 11 years KMI has been a 501c3 non-profit, we have
remained in the “black” 100% of the time, and we have done it without paying wages
to anyone in the U.S. Thank you for your hearts for the hurting, the hungry, and the
needy. We will continue to serve them as God directs us.
Serving Him,
D.C.
*KMI serves locally, and regionally as well as internationally, but I have
dedicated this month’s newsletter to the Uganda mission.