Hope is Rising

Not long ago, when a northern Uganda child lifted his hand to his mouth to eat, all he held were a few grains of rice. After that meager bit of food, he went to sleep hungry. Today, through the impact of God’s people, the horror and despair of such a scene has begun to change—and rapidly. Many children in this region now have a daily supply of food and their families have a small plot of land on which to farm and the local church is helping them to build homes.

A few years ago, World Challenge brought truckloads of emergency food into this area just to help fend off starvation. Today, in partnership with local churches, we are helping people discover and implement means that help break the cycle of perpetual hunger and poverty. This year God has enabled our work to expand into five communities, with a potential of over 50,000 people to be reached. These communities are hearing the gospel and churches are reporting unprecedented growth. People now have access to life-saving health care, and sickness, disease and malnutrition are decreasing. Meanwhile, hope is rising in these precious people who no longer have to live in hunger, lack and poverty.

Our local outreach headquarters in Lira, Uganda, is a beehive of activity that is making a lasting difference to many. Recently six zealous evangelists were employed by World Challenge and have been given a motorcycle for their mission. These evangelists now passionately spread the love of Jesus, along with practical good works, throughout the region. They must travel across rough terrain to touch hundreds of lives, and plans are now underway to expand the territory they are covering. More families will be reached, churches blessed, and people trained to find solutions to the crisis of poverty.

God called Moses to lead a nation from bondage to freedom by using “what is in your hand.” All Moses had at the time was a stick. Yet that humble resource, when infused with God’s power and purpose, became the rod that provided a way of escape for an entire nation.

Our ministry is also offering what is in our hands to give, so that God may free a people and a nation from the grip of spiritual, physical, mental and economic poverty. Likewise, the Ugandans are being asked to use “what God has put in their hands,” having faith that he will multiply it. We always thank God for you and your willingness to join in his works of compassion. Together we are called to ask what God has put in our hands to use for real and lasting kingdom change. We bless you in the name of Jesus for your prayers and generous giving on behalf of the world’s poorest peoples.