Pastor Vincent grew up as a refugee and a soldier’s son moving around Uganda. He got saved at a young age and the persecution started immediately. God brought him back to his home in Midigo and called him to the ministry. He since has finished Bible College and married Melissa. Melissa Aniku grew up in Southern California and felt a calling for missions. She went to Uganda in 2009 and is now a permanent resident for life. ...
Family in Spirit “For as many as have not seen my face in the flesh.” Col 2:1b CC Flower Mound, Texas was amazing! God really showed us how close we are to those who pray for us and we for them, even if we have never met in person! From the moment, we met everyone, it was like seeing a best friend you hadn’t seen in sometime and need to catch up. Like Paul says in Philippians, true companions. Encouraging each other in Christ, sharing the amazing things He has done and is doing. What a beautiful family we have in Christ! Please never cease to pray for those you have not met! We are knit together in God’s Spirit! ...
“Since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us.” Hebrews 12:1 From Vincent: I grew up playing soccer, our balls were made of banana leaves and inflated by hang gloves wrapped in rags and threads. I played for schools and fun. In our time, we did not have real balls, cleats and uniforms. Instead one team would remove their shirts. In 2008, as youth pastor at that time, we started using soccer to evangelize to the 95% Muslim community. Most of the team was talented school drop outs who had become drug addicts. We first started with 8 clubs and it quickly grew to 18. In 2010, we registered in a league and now 2018 we play professionally in the 3rdregional league. I want to thank my beloved wife and all the many people who have supported this ministry! Through God, your support we has recruited players, rented dorms for them, feeds them, carry the traveling costs, they have cleats and uniforms and now many of them have been able to go back to school to finish their educations. ...
Christmas is such a precious day! Celebrating the birth of Christ and His love for us! This year we were blessed with the finances to do 3 Christmas party/outreaches. Children’s ministry party had over 700 children that attended. The icing, our daughter Gaga was asked to be Marry and put a pillow in her shirt. The children laughed to tears as she sat on her friend who was pretending to be a donkey. All those children will forever remember the birth of Christ! The Football/soccer players, fans and all involved in the ministry had theirs at our house compound. We were blessed reading the scripture about our Savior to the Muslim boys. Lastly, our church Christmas part was colorful and over 1,000 people attended including Muslims. Christmas, a day where no one can deny the love they see, the love that only Christ can bring! ...
Persecutions The Lord is moving mightily in our midst through the school, hospital and sports ministry. Therefore, we are experiencing a volume of persecution especially through the hospital ministry. Please pray for our hospital staff facing persecution from the government staff who are almost all Muslim. Las week we received eviction letters from some minority community families who are claiming to own the land were our homes are and the church premises. These evictions letters are influenced by Muslim government officials though we legally own our homes, church and have land titles, you never know. Imagine 10% Christian community against 90%Muslim community. It is only God! The Muslims had organized to come destroy our homes last week. We gathered as to pray and up till now we haven’t seen anything. We believe God will continually protect His ministry and fight for His people. ...
The last teaching of women’s fellowship went a little like this… I was extremely sick with flu/cold. It had rained so I needed to walk to church through the thick slippery mud. Upon arriving at church, the only couple of cars at the church happened to be parked where we have women’s fellowship. This meant we needed to find another place so I had to tape the posters to a tree with wind blowing. I knew this was going to be a challenging teaching because there were already so many attacks before the fellowship even began. As we started worship, a chicken and a rooster came in the middle of us and I had to chase them. Then someone tied very loud goats to the fence behind me. Vincent had taken the boys to Arua so that I could focus on the study during the day. Unfortunately, he had to drop off things purchased for the church. Because we had to move areas for the fellowship, the boys saw me, jumped out of the car and ran to me. Vincent tried to get them back, Sister Annette ended up giving them chairs. All this before half of the first page. In all, we made it through the teaching on the “Holy Spirit.” I know God blessed the women because it was the most distracting teaching ever, but also because women asked me for copies of the teaching after, for themselves and also to share with others. We continue to pray for their Growth in God’s Word. ...
“And whatever you do, do it heartily, as to the Lord.” Colossians 3:23 I’ve said it before and I will say it again. Writing newsletters each month is one of the hardest parts of being a missionary. This month I am late because there was no big story or moment to talk about, it has been a month of small things that we pray, one day could make a big impact. ...
“Be Still, and know that I am God!” Psalm 46:10 Every break from school the children and I climb the mountain. Following tradition, we climbed this week. Because of being sick I stopped halfway while the others continued. This gave me a couple of hours of just sitting, praying, being still. These last few months we have been faced with the most Spiritual Warfare I have ever had in my life. Just sitting there listening to all the birds, insects and monkeys that God takes care of, I knew this moment was a divine appointment. Hearing the wind blow through the leaves of the trees that have withheld many storms, I felt His peace come over me! Be still, I am God! I have this! One of the worship songs that we sing here came in my heart so I sang to God and the monkeys. “Who has the final say? Jehovah has the final say. Jehovah turns my life around, Jehovah turns my life around. He makes a way, when there seems no way! Jehovah has the final say.” Encouragement, strength, trust all swept over me. When there seems no way for us, God has His perfect way! Moses and the Sea, Joseph as a slave and a prisoner. God has His plan and nothing can stand in the way. After these needed reminders from God, the kids came back and we walked the rest of the way down the mountain and through the grass singing the song together. ...
“For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and love and of a sound mind.” 2 Timothy 1:7 As Ebola spreads in our neighboring country, the Congo. There was a close call nearby us. Praise God He has and continues to protect Uganda from Ebola. I have to confess that on and off for a few days I had fear. As I reflexed at all He has brought us through these past years I had to laugh at myself for having fear. There is always something to fear, but God! When I first came it was swine flu, then malaria, pneumonia, staph, losing a baby, persecution, cancer, poverty, the future of the church, rumors, our loved ones back in America. The list can go on forever. As soon as we get over one fear, another one comes. Some have come to truth and God has seen us through with His perfect peace! But we must be still and know that He is God! Fear not for He is with us! He has our future and He has already triumphed! It is easy to let fear cripple us out of serving or doing what God has called us to do. But, God has not given us a spirit of fear! No! He has given us a spirit of power and love for the lost and His people. The spirit of a sound mind knowing in the midst of the storm He has us! His plan is better than ours! The safest place to be, is in the center of God’s will! To quote Ian’s favorite song, “My fear doesn’t stand a chance when I stand in Your love.” Chase fear, trust God! ...