Karamoja Okkens

An update is way overdue, especially considering how deeply we feel the need of your prayers these days. The Knoxes left at the beginning of the month. The Tricaricos left just last week. Then Taryn Dieckmann left this week. Our team feels extremely small at the moment. Saying goodbye to teammates has been bitter sweet. On the positive side, it has provided wonderful opportunity to reflect upon our years together and how much we have been blessed by our friendships. The bitter part is obvious. Seeing them go has left much sorrow in our hearts this Christmas Season. I suppose it should help us to think about the sorrow endured by the Son of God who for a time left behind his home in glory with the Father and came into this world to suffer for us. We rejoice that his sacrifice means such a wonderful reunion which we will all enjoy together in glory one day! As for the departure of the Knoxes and the ongoing work of the Clinic, some of you may have already read what I wrote fo...

Not a word I really like because it means change, and I don't like change. But, that is what this year has been about. As most of you know, two families on our team are leaving the field this next month and returning to the States. I know God is in all of this but it still requires steps of faith - sometimes I feel like just baby steps - on my part as I walk through it. This past week our whole team (minus two families) gathered for a retreat. We were blessed by good times of fellowship and encouraging messages. Pastor Chris Folkerts, who is our teammate, Eric Tuininga's cousin, shared from Ephesians 3: 14-21. He reminded us of the relationship we have with our Father, how He strengthens us through His Spirit, Christ's immeasurable love for us and what a glorious God we serve. What a needed reminder and good encouragement to remember Christ's power and love. Things I am blessed by because I am His child. I also need to be praying these truths daily in my life as Satan l...

Thank you for your prayers for the team that is here. We have a quality group of young men and women eagerly serving the Lord. Last week we were in one primary school where we spent five days teaching Bible stories, performing skits, teaching songs, playing games and just enjoying being with the kids. The teaching has been on how Jesus fulfills the Biblical offices of prophet, priest and king. The students responded well to the instruction. The team also had opportunities to visit various villages where they taught some of the same lessons. Today we began the same program in a new school. Since this week’s program is in the afternoons, the team is also spending time in the mornings in other local schools where our pre-primary teachers have a regular presence. So we are thankful for the many opportunities before us to be sharing the gospel with hundreds of young folks. On Thursday, Pastor Peter, Pastor Al and I led the conference for pastors. As advertised, some one hundred pastors...

We ask that you please pray for the ministry of a team who will be here for a month beginning at the end of June. They are being organized and sent by my own home presbytery (regional church), the Presbytery of Southern California of the O.P.C. I am excited about the fact that the team will be led by my friend, Peter Sim, a pastor from Anaheim. We will use this time of ministry for our official launching of the children’s catechism, which we recently completed translating and then publishing. Our ministry will focus on its teaching about the 3 offices of Christ. As the messiah, Christ fulfills the office of prophet, priest and king. We have arranged to be in at least five different schools. The team will conduct a V.B.S. program in which they will teach these Biblical truths, tell Bible stories and perform skits. The students will also get to do crafts and play games. Please pray that the Lord will touch the hearts of the students as they learn about Christ and meet some new...

One of Caleb's latest writing assignments has been to write some poems. Below is a sonnet he wrote... My Friends The boys are in the field to catch some meals; traps are set as they think about the meat. They sit and wait the hunger each one feels; the roasted rats are really quite a treat! Then to the river for a dip, no trunks to wear they remove all, no fear of cold, no quivering lip, they jump they splash they have a ball. Then chasing goats cause it’s their job; to lose them means they face the cane, resulting in a terrible sob. They do what they must to avoid the pain. Oh Karamoja, it’s my home; there my friends, they love to roam.

I guess since baseball season has begun in the States, the kids think it should begin here. It's fun to watch Caleb's friends slowly getting the hang of it.

David's students while teaching a course in Mbale

I mentioned in our last update that I would be teaching a course in Mbale. It went very well. About twenty-five students attended the course. Many of them are already village pastors but have had no theological training apart from their studies at our Mission’s school, Knox Theological College . Others are training to become pastors. They come from a variety of different church backgrounds (Reformed, Pentecostal etc.). We studied redemptive history in the Old Testament, examining the various covenants and seeing how they all find fulfillment in Christ and the New Covenant. The teaching seemed to be well received. There was also extensive discussion regarding a host of other topics of life and doctrine, which they raised during the course. The sessions were very lively, to say the least! I enjoyed it very much and I pray that my instruction was a blessing to them as their fellowship certainly was to me. Some of the students took a few pictures which I hope to receive and post soon....

This is Lotee Sam and his wife Clemetina. Sam is our friend and one of our compound workers.We were invited to his house for a Karimojong version of a house warming party. They gave us a great meal and it was fun to visit with some neighbors.

Greetings from Karamoja! It is quite unbearably hot these days. Since we were on furlough last dry season, we have not lived through such heat for a while. Anyway, we are overdue for an update. You have prayed for the village of Akuyam where we have a Bible study led by Lokeris Simon Peter every Thursday. It has been great to see his teaching gift develop. When I was out there with him a couple of weeks ago, a very large group of mostly men (along with many children) all seemed to be listening well and reading along as he shared the various scripture texts. Pray for both the teacher and those who are receiving his instruction. And now we have a new venue nearby. Actually, Akuyam is quite a large area. There are many who live in homes a bit too far away to come to the study. So I talked to Lokeris about doing the study twice in the same afternoon so that the second one can be much closer to those other residents. We all agreed and it began this past Thursday as a small group in the n...

Some missionaries in Karamoja have organized an effort to have prayers for the region offered 24/7 for 40 days beginning February 1st. Please pray with us.   https://facebook.com/karamojaprayer .

Today we had Lokeris, his wife Josephine and their little boy Nangiro John over for lunch. Lokeris is one of the young men who leads some of the village bible studies throughout the week.