Dear Partners
Glad tidings in the name of Jesus; Thanks for the great work that has seen the expansion of God’s Kingdom in the nations. I believe you are fine and doing even better than before. As for us at Mercy Link, all is well. We thank God for the successful mission outreach we had in partnership with schools, individuals and churches this past week. We can’t help but thank the good LORD and attribute this success to His greatness and ability to have made us partners. I am therefore writing to share of this goodness.
PRISON MINISTRY
We are excited as witness our ministry in the prison steadily growing and exploding. This month, we have been able to reach out to Gulu Prison with a lock in of 1,121 inmates.
Gulu prison is a prisons found 335 km from Kampala city Centre. This prisons have always welcomed the word of God being that they have witnessed its power first hand and seen the transformation brought by it when applied to their daily challenges. This outreach was no exception. We had the opportunity to share the word with 1,112 of the prisoners and 258 prisoners gave their lives to Christ.
EVANGELISTIC AND DISCIPLESHIP PROGRAM
This month, a total of 130 bibles were distributed through the church planter program with 30 church planters trained. 2,142 people were reached through the evangelistic programs with 412 people surrendering their lives to Christ. 2 churches were planted with 103 baptisms conducted
Through the children’s ministry training program, 36 children’s workers were graduated after completing a three module children’s ministry training and a total of 1,956 children were reached through the school, and community outreach programs with 901 salvations recorded. 4 community Bible clubs stated in the communities.
PRAISE REPORT
Pr. Emma is a church planter who was identified and handpicked by his pastor through the youth program at his church and sent to engage in the church planter training program we conducted in his community. Through this program, Emma was equipped with skills pertaining to Evangelism, discipleship, Membership, Leadership and Worship. The five module training program, saw him grow from being a team player in the youth ministry to planting churches in his community and surrounding districts.
“This awakened the God given gifts in me. I was built physical that is in my outlook and spiritually. The skills I attained through our first module training helped me a lot on how to evangelize and do follow-up among the new believers. From that time, I have never settled but continuously preached the gospel on radio, communities and church” he says.
However, Emma’s breakthrough was realized after the Module two training that focusses on discipleship and establishment of small groups. Emma was determined to go back after the training to try this cost effective way of panting a church. He began with a prayer team of six (6) whom he mentored into his first set of Cell (small group) leaders. Through this team he planted six small groups and continued to train more. Before the third module training, 3 churches had been planted in North Eastern Uganda.
“This has been one of the greatest things I have done for God. I have so far planted 3 churches which all begun as a home cell. I currently oversee 9 other cells with the potential to become churches.”
Through the next module trainings, Emma embarked on establishing 3 fellowship groups in 2 primary schools and 1 high school reaching 319 children weekly, establishing his own church planter program with 13 potential church planters, start a radio ministry once a week, engage in hospital and prison ministry but also family visits. In using his profession (engineering) to reach the community, Emma is in the final stages of establishing a youth innovative center, a local skills training center for youth and Adults equipping the youth with skills pertaining to Tailoring, brick laying and carpentry. Since its inception January this year, 21 youths and adults have been trained and 15 salvations recorded.
Despite of all this achievement, Emma has remained submitted to the church he worships in serving under the youth ministry. He pastors none of the churches he has planted but time and again visits them and helps where need be.
“I would love to do more than I have but a number of hindrances have halted my progress including transport, communication problems since the communities are rural but also language barriers being a great obstacle to reaching non Ateso speaking communities” he says
PRAYER REQUESTS
Please pray for us in the following areas
- Commit our next training programs for the month of May unto the Lord including the Kayunga and Kaliro church planter training programs and Wakiso and Hoima district children’s ministry trainings.
- Pray for the different church planters and children’s ministry workers in the community. Pray for the safety, provision and strengthening of the workers.
- Pray for the church in Mbarara prison with a lock in of 1,350 inmates and a church congregation of 356 inmates. The church is in need of tabs to use to baptize inmates who have turned to Christ. This can’t be done outside the prison walls due to the prison policies.
We can’t help but thank the Lord for His great favor. This could not have happened without the prayers and support of partners like you. It’s on this note that we would like to thank you who have generously supported us prayerfully, financially, materially and in all other ways. There are no words good enough to thank you but our prayer is for the Lord to abundantly bless and increase your store houses.
God Bless You