A message from Alice:
A huge thank
you for
your support individually and as
a church, both financially and
especially in prayer. The team
had a very successful and
enjoyable time, so I knew you
were praying for us!
The main aim of
the project was to complete a
building which had been donated
to the local Elim church - so
that it could be used as a
secretarial college. Overseen by
the church, the college aims to
equip the girls for employment by
teaching them secretarial and
administrative skills, hence
enabling them to support their
families. Although some walls
were already standing when we
arrived, we completed the walls
and floor of another classroom
and then ‘ring-beamed’
and roofed the entire building.
All this was done under the
instruction of our expert builder
- Moses, the pastor’s
brother-in-law. Each morning
before we started work at site,
we would pray for safety, and our
prayers were certainly answered -
no injuries either on or below
the rickety scaffolding.
In addition to
the building work, Pastor John
involved the team fully in the
church programme. This included
preaching, leading a service,
Sunday School and
‘cell’ (bible study)
group ministry. Each team member
was given a cell group, mine was
called ‘Odeke’
(God’s) cell. My cell group
leader, Thomas, would collect me
by bicycle-taxi each week, cycle
me to a group of houses on the
edge of Soroti, and then
disappear to collect the cell
group members. Meanwhile I shook
hands with the local women, who
were going about their daily
chores, and was mobbed by small
children who also wanted to shake
my hand! Held outside the
collection of houses, the cell
meeting consisted of praise and
worship, led by Thomas, followed
by prayer. Then Thomas would
invite me to lead the bible
study. More like preaching, this
consisted of me reading,
explaining and applying a bible
passage, all with the aid of my
trusty interpreter.
Following the
bible study, Thomas would invite
people to come forward for
prayer, a bit like an altar call.
He would then indicate to me to
pray and lay hands on these
people. Often mothers would bring
their sick babies or children for
prayer. One mother sticks in my
mind in particular. Sofie, the
church chairman’s wife,
brought her baby daughter Sarah
forward. I asked if the baby was
sick, and she said yes. Again, I
asked if she had malaria, and she
said yes. The look of anxiety and
worry on her face said it all. So
I prayed for baby Sarah and to my
joy she had recovered the
following week. It wasn’t
that I didn’t trust God to
heal her (either with medicines
or miraculously), but I found it
very difficult to discern
God’s will in these
situations. How could it be
God’s will for the child to
die? (Its estimated that 1
million children worldwide die
from malaria each year).
The leading of
the bible studies in cell group
alone taught me to rely totally
on God. For my 1st
cell group I was very nervous. I
have no bible training, and I
don’t even like public
speaking! But God showed me that
I had to be prepared to take
risks for Him (ie looking
foolish!).
All in all I
had an amazing time, which was
unique in so many ways. I learnt
loads about God and a few things
about myself too! Ultimately it
was the people who made the whole
thing worthwhile. Often they are
struggling for health, education
or basic everyday needs, against
all the odds, but they still have
a resounding joy and peace. And I
know where they get it from -
Jesus!
The REAP Soroti
1998 team are setting up a
charity to support the work of
the Elim church in Soroti. In
particular we want to send over
286 and 386 computers for the
secretarial college, and to
organise sponsorship for poor
children in the church run
secondary school. Both these will
enable the community to help
itself - educating the children
will enable them to provide for
their families in the future. If
you have an old computer to
donate, would like to help
financially or would like to know
more about REAP’s summer
missions and 9 month training
course, please contact me.
STUDENT PROJECT