The gospel is enough
Our friends in Manchester, UK, Roger and Jean, introduced us to Ben and Maureen, who, with their two children, live in Wakiso, eighteen kilometres from Kampala, the capital of Uganda. Five years ago, God asked them to “raise witnesses for Him”, and they set up Witnesses for Children International to help children follow Jesus and have a positive impact on their community.
There are many people there who have no one to encourage them, no one who can even smile at them, no one who can pray for them. So, we thank God for what he has used us to do. ~ Maureen
Over 80 children attended this weekly programme of worship, prayer, games, and Bible teaching. They also have two children’s cell groups, work with ten schools in the area, and offer workshops to teachers and parents. A key challenge for them has been engaging the parents. This is important, as Ben and Maureen want to empower them to raise their children to know Jesus and be active in their community. Many parents are single mothers. Families struggle to afford food and send children to school, and fathers are absent during the week. Drinking, adultery, and witchcraft are common, and few parents engage with church.
When we explained the concept of Life Groups to Ben and Maureen, they were excited about how they can be a tool to reach parents, introduce them to Jesus, and engage them to tackle areas of concern in Wakiso. A Life Group is a simple idea that allows everyday people to find a purpose within their community and make a difference. They then have the potential to reach a far greater area than Ben and Maureen can themselves and impact many more children’s lives with the good news of Jesus.
It’s so good when you learn something and put it into practice. ~ Maureen
Three weeks later, we returned to Wakiso to teach people about Life Groups and help them begin. To make it fun, we used drama, and asked the group to act out a situation inspired by experiences in their village, and the challenges they saw there. We then explained how Life Groups are a way of bringing people together to share Jesus and tackle these challenges. The group was excited. They even had cake to celebrate!
To understand how they can start Life Groups and bring change to their community, Ben and Maureen are studying Village Journey with up to twenty people each week. In a place where in the past everybody was trying to survive and focused solely on looking after themselves, they are now taking action to love their neighbourhoods and reach out to others. There have been encouraging developments.
Ben and Maureen helped people in the group accept who they are in Jesus and taught them how God cares about them and about the people around them. The couple also worked with women who had problems in their marriages and helped them think about how they might love their families better. Members of the group hadn’t previously prayed for their neighbours, but when they began to, it helped them care about them more.
I feel overjoyed that through using Life Groups with the villagers, we have seen practical things happen, which has led to transformation. ~ Maureen
One week, the group studied teaching about the Gospel in Lesson 7 of Village Journey. They shared the stories of how they had come to know Jesus, and the difference he had made in our lives. Some spoke about a neighbour, Harriet, whose father was suffering from HIV/Aids. Members of the group went to her home and recounted the story from Acts 3 where Peter and John meet a man who had been lame since birth. He's a beggar, and Peter explains that they have no money, but asks him to believe in Jesus. They pray for him, and he’s healed. People then prayed for Harriet’s father, who was going to hospital the next day. Through this, Ben and Maureen saw the message of God at work for the first time. Since then, they have made plans to start a Life Group in the community and want to take action to help those in need.
‘It’s so good when you learn something and put it into practice,’ Maureen said. ‘It made me so happy. I am excited to see each Life Group care for one another. We hope we can do great things, that we can bring life into the community. There are many people there who have no one to encourage them, no one who can even smile at them, no one who can pray for them. So, we thank God for what he has used us to do.”
The gospel is enough and it’s able to bring life. ~ Maureen
‘The gospel is enough and it’s able to bring life,’ she added. ‘We believe God wants to use us to bring about changed in that community. I feel overjoyed that through using Life Groups with the villagers, we have seen practical things happen, which has led to transformation.’
Story told by Becky Burr