Karamoja Okkens

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....