FHLM AUGUST 2023 NEWSLETTER

GREETINGS:

Greetings from somewhat rainy Masaka! We are on the verge of the second rainy season, but it’s been a little late this year. But when it does rain so many of us are walking around in jackets and sweaters. Of course most of you reading this are a bit surprised to read that Uganda can be cool, but it’s true, kind of like spring in the Mid-west. This month’s verse: Proverbs 4:18 But the path of just is like the shining sun, that shines ever brighter unto the perfect day.

DIRECTORS UPDATE:

Fun Day: On the 12^th I took the FHLM Board Members out for a fun day in appreciation for all they do for the ministry. We went to Masaka Cultural Resort for the afternoon. It was a perfect, sunny day so after we enjoyed lunch several of the members went swimming. I’m thankful that God provided this blessing to the board.   

Social Worker: We congratulate Aunt Shakira for making 6 months with FHLM! After her review I took her out for an appreciation lunch. It was a nice time for all  

Prayer Requests: Since the youth have started their 2^nd Term Holiday we will be taking our Annual Youth Outreach & Educational Trip. This year we are going to Kisoro from 09 – 13 September. Kisoro is a town in the southwestern part of Uganda, almost to the Rwanda boarder. Since our former Social Worker, Aunt Kellen, is from there she has blessed us with a lot of help in preparation and planning. We are requesting your prayers for journey mercies, God’s safety and provision. Also for God to use us as we minister in the village of Gitenderi, to children, elderly and the community. Thank you!   

Furlough: It has been 2 years since I last went on a U.S. Furlough. I will be taking this year’s furlough in October and November. Here is my schedule for the trip:

• Indiana 04^th – 25^th October
• Colorado 25^th October – 08^th November
• California 08^th – 19^th November

I’m looking forward to seeing many of you during my time in the states. Please keep my preparations and journey in prayer. Thank you and may God bless you! 

YOUTH UPDATE:

University: Both Justine and Oliver started their 1^st Semester of 1^st Year of university. Justine started her degree in statistics at Kampala International University on 24^th August.  

Oliver is at Kisubi University taking a diploma course in fashion & design. She was to start weekend classes on 11^th August, but when she arrived she discovered that she is the only “weekend” student. That said she has been forced to attend classes all week in order to receive her lectures and instruction. This has put a stop to her working to earn money for her basic upkeep and food items. This will put a bind on our budget for her since her materials for this practical course are over a $400.00 per semester. She does have a sponsor that covers her tuition, but I am appealing to anyone that would be led to give “top up” sponsorship to her for materials and general food upkeep. It would consist of $50.00 per month. Please contact me via email at reetsindiego@yahoo.com or click on the Shepherd’s Staff link:  https://ssmfi.denarionline.com/donate/?missionary=6050

Holiday: The secondary youth finished 2^nd Term on 17^th Aug. They are now on Holiday for the next 4 weeks. As you read on you will note that this will be a very busy holiday for them. 

Candidates: Since Eddy (S6), William and Milly (S4) are all secondary national exam candidates, so they unfortunately did not get a proper term holiday. They attended class Monday-Saturday for 3 of the 4 weeks holiday taking Mock Exams. These exams are to prepare them for their national exams that they will sit for in October and November. We pray for God to impart His wisdom and knowledge upon them!   

Camp: From 25-29 August five of the secondary youth; Immy, Pius, Ruth, Charity and Pamela went to Scripture Union Camp at Kako Secondary School. This year’s theme was Stir Up On Another To Love And Good Works (Hebrews 10:24).  The youth had Bible studies, quiet times, games, cultural night, and workshops. Here are some of the youth’s Camp Testimonies in their own words:

Pamela: On Sunday night we had a powerful prayer night! I managed to break the convents that were following me since childhood. I saw chains broken and received a anointing of God. On Monday during the Sexual Purity Workshop I learned how to be a responsible woman and how to pray for my family. I also learned team work, to be kind, and to be sincere. All in all camp was very educative. 

Ruth: This was my 1^st time to attend S.U. Camp and I thank God who enabled me to attend! From this camp I learned how to pray and to go deep in prayer. Learning how to have “deep prayer” gives me time to worship and praise God, thanking Him for what we have attained, and repenting for my sins (and others), and then asking for forgiveness. I will never forget SU Camp 2023!

Charity: I learnt many useful things which will encourage me in life. Hebrews 10:23-25 says that we should know what we are. We should avoid being jealous because jealousy is a common disease for all human race. I learnt that traumatic experiences can be given to God and I can go to Him and ask for my heart to be changed. Then I can forgive others like, my relatives, who hurt me. God needs us to love and do good works in order to restore our lives. Since camp I am now very free from everything.    

As you have read a few of the youth’s personal testimonies about camp, God has moved mightily in them. He has set them free and released them from bondages that satan has tried to keep them in for years. I praise God over and over for providing these opportunities for our youth and for ALL He has done in transforming their lives!! Glory be to the Lord!    

YOUTH PROGRAMS:

Human Rights Talk: On 5^th Aug we had two visiting pastors George and Ntaganda Gustevous. The first speaker, Pastor George from Latter Glory Assemblies shared on FHLM’s ministry verse, 1 Corinthians 13:13.

The second speaker Pastor Ntaganda serves at Masaka Christian Fellowship and works at Masaka Division Of Human Rights. He shared that the Uganda Constitutional Book consists of all Laws governing Uganda. It was put in place in 1995 to help people to know their rights. Articles 51, 52, 53, 54 of the Constitution Book deal directly with the laws governing Uganda human rights. He posed the question to us; What is Human rights?  Some of the youth answered; they are our right to freedom and justice via Constitutional rights. They also are feelings that show us that someone’s rights should not be violated. He also said that the constitutional right for Uganda were derived from the Bible.

He asked us what are the different rights each person has? The youth came up with these; right to life, right to good environment, right to vote, right to walk, right to help, right to go to hospital and receive treatment (health), right to eat, right to speak, right to question, right to an education, etc.

He said with each right we, as citizens, must take responsibility for our own rights and ourselves. Example if we are given education it is our responsibility to be smartly dressed at school, work hard, study, and get good grades for ourselves and our future.    

He also said that where your rights begin is where the others’ end. If you want to enjoy life you need to work hard for that life and rely on God! In Ephesians 6:10 it says that we should put on the full armor of God. He said without the Spirit of God we are powerless. God is our best defender.

Church Visit: On 5^th August we all visited Eddy’s church Prayer Palace New Jerusalem City. We were blessed with a teachings by two pastors, one from Rwanda and the other the wife of the senior pastor. It was an interesting mix of the Rwandese and Ugandan languages, and learnt new praise songs from each country. 

General Cleaning: We have to keep our Centre clean inside and out, so at the beginning of every term holiday we have a deep clean. On 12^th August we did so and beautified the Centre! The young ladies mopped, cleaned windows, and walls and the guys pruned all the foliage in the garden. This keeps our Centre clean and helps us to be proud of it when people visit us! 

Bible Study: In August we continued through the book of Revelation, by chapter and verse. Since the youth are on holiday we now have a few hours to dig deep into each chapter! We are not only reading and discussing, but bringing pictures, visual aids and quizzes to our study to gain a deeper understanding of the Word. Our study in Revelation 4:1-11 on 16^th August, where we discussed the Throne Room of Heaven, was very impactful. The chapter’s central message is; In Heaven God is worshiped unceasingly. He is Creator and Lord of the universe. He is always in control so we need never to doubt His power and wisdom. Here is what the Holy Spirit imparted to us:   

• Pamela: This chapter describes to us in the Spirit was deep and true worship of God looks like. It reveals real worship, as the elders lay their crowns down as a sign of surrender. If they lay their crowns down why can’t we surrender? For we are all created to worship, surrender, and love Him!  
• Ruth (verse 7): the ”wings” represent freedom. And we are all free to worship God but some fail to worship because they are proud or don’t believe. God breathed worship into our body, soul, and spirit.   
• Justine (verses 8-11): We have to look at the “worship” songs that are being sang in church or on the radio today. Some don’t give glory to God. We should be careful, as some songs don’t give worship to the one true God, the Creator and our Savior. (She had us read Ezekiel chapters 1 and 10)
• Charity (verses 9-10): Everyone must use all God gave them to worship Him! The four creatures even praised with their wings. We have eyes, voices, hands and we are to use them to worship and praise God! John 4:23-26…Worship Him in spirit and in truth   

Worship Day: On 21^st August we kicked off our Term Holiday with a beautiful day of worship to our Lord! We all enjoyed praise and worship led by Pamela, Precious, Aunt Juliet, and Justine. As they sang the Presence of God was ushered in and set the stage for our hearts to receive the teaching. Aunt Shakirah taught us from Ruth 1:1-21 and her theme was what should be done in our salvation journeys?’’ She brought us through the following points; prayer & fasting, determination, persistence, uplifting ourselves and each other, perseverance/ patient/ endurance, and bearing the fruits of the Holy Spirit relating them to various verses in Ruth chapter 1. We were all blessed by the teaching. Immy closed the day with a song and a prayer. I’m thankful for days like this where we can just seek God’s face and His presence.   

Crocheting: On the 22^nd Aunt Shakirah led the youth in crocheting sponges. They used fishing net line to crochet and all the youth learned how to make. Most of them did ok, but Aunt helped a few tell they caught on. This craft was a blessing as the sponges they made for themselves were used at camp.

Movie Day: On 23^rd Aug we watched a “Christian teen- high school” movie called Switched about two girls; Katie Sharp the social media celebrity and most popular girl in school and Cassandra the unpopular, nerd, who sang and played guitar. After Cassandra was seriously bullied at school, distraught, she went into a serious prayer and asked God to make her Katie Sharp and that Katie would live her life. God heard and answered the prayer and their souls were switched! When they woke up the next day they found themselves in the body of the other. We were also blessed to have two of Pius’ friends join us for the movie, Jonah and Jeremy. Here are some of the lessons learnt from the movie:

• William, learnt that being like other people leads to selfishness. You can be yourself and achieve what you want to be other than admiring others and wanting to be them.
• Ruth said that we should also stop admiring what people like Katie sharp are. For we don’t know what their families are like. Katie’s Dad made her do exercises and was tough on her. We should not admire someone’s life, but be contented with ours.
• Immy said that not everyone you admire is contented. Trying to be someone else, when God didn’t want you to be, means nothing.
• Precious talked of love. Katie Sharp was hurting others, but when she was switched, she learnt how to love others.
• Pamela talked of knowing the value of everyone’s life. Katie had many friends, but had no value for them. She came to understand when she was switched that we all have values and purposes.
• Charity, talked of respect for each other and that talking to everyone even if they are different is good. Because God has a reason to why he created us differently.
• Pius said, don’t hate someone because he/she is doing wrong, show love to them and they will change. He also talked about the social anxiety that Cassandra had and that God can help you.
• Precious, God’s love, the exchange of souls was God’s plan, God could bring many messages. We should love others, God introduced love in her and God manifested himself in her.

BELA BULUNGI (GOOD-BYE):

August has been a wonderful month and we’ve been very blessed by God with abundant provision, protection, love, restoration, and wisdom. We are thankful for all He gave us! As your summer winds down and fall approaches may the Lord bless and keep you all.  

In His Grip,

Rita Bulegeya

Director -Faith Hope Love Missions

reetsindiego@yahoo.com