“How beautiful on the mountains are the feet of those who bring good news, who proclaim peace, who bring good tidings, who proclaim salvation, who say to Zion, ‘Your God reigns!’” Isaiah 52:7
Her name says it all. Winnie Gift is indeed a precious gift to 4africa’s ministry. Months ago, our team met this incredible woman with a heart of gold. We recognized her peaceful spirit instantly, so we invited her to join our ministry team by sharing the gospel and discipling new Christians as they grow in their faith. As an answer to prayer, she eagerly agreed.
After receiving training and resources through the Disciple Making Movement program, she went out boldly in the name of Jesus.
Winnie’s faith is inspiring. While many of us have plenty of riskless opportunities to share the Good News with friends and neighbors, it’s not so easy for her – and yet she does it anyway because of her confidence in Christ. The majority of her neighbors in the remote region of Yumbe District, located in Northern Uganda, have never heard of Jesus. In fact, many have deep religious and cultural beliefs that contradict the gospel.
Sharing the gospel could have hurt Winnie’s reputation and relationships within her community – with those she loved most. But nothing could stand in her way to bring renewed hope and peace to her community. It’s impossible not to love her, and she attracted others to Jesus through her loving kindness.
On a Mission to Love Like Jesus.
Oftentimes, personal experiences lead the way to Truth. That’s why personal testimonies are so powerful. As humans, it’s much easier to have faith in God when we experience his love firsthand, which is exactly why we infuse all of our services with ministry. Caring for physical needs allows us to tangibly demonstrate God’s love.
In Aiinga, a community within the Yumbe District, with funding from two partner organizations, 4africa rehabilitated a broken borehole, bringing clean water to the community while building trust and inroads with those living there.
Winnie seized the opportunity! She was able to share the gospel with two unreached families who, today, hold Discovery Bible Studies in their homes, leading the people of Aiinga to Jesus!
According to Winnie, the rehabilitation of the borehole by a Christian organization presents an even better opportunity to reach unbelievers with the gospel because they are eager to know about the God who reached down to meet their physical need for water. Through her ministry, she has been able to reach out to many Muslim brothers and sisters across the district. Today, they proclaim the gospel alongside her to other nonbelievers.
Winnie explains,
“The previous water challenges in Aiinga Community gave the people very little time to think about God. Due to their prolonged suffering, it was difficult for them to believe that God could change their situation. But today, things are different. Since they have seen that God can provide through his servants, they are more welcoming and willing to listen to the message of salvation that we share with them. The borehole rehabilitation has surely created more access to reach people with the word of God.”
In conclusion, Winnie says,
“My hope is to reach more ‘Persons of Peace’ in Aiinga and see Discovery Bible Groups grow. Through these DBGs, God will do great things in this community. A spiritual revival is surely underway for the community of Aiinga, and I encourage all of us to pray for the people here. I thank the Christian organizations for funding the rehabilitation of this borehole, and 4africa for training us to carry out DMM in Yumbe. Your efforts have made our work much easier.”
Will you join us in praying with Winnie?
Heavenly Father,
We thank you for opening new doors to unreached East African communities. Thank you for guiding us to places in desperate need of clean water, better health, and most importantly, YOU! We praise you for teams who work fervently to not only provide the necessities but work with communities long-term to better serve their needs. And we thank you for introducing us to ‘Persons of Peace’ (Luke 10:6) like Winnie Gift who faithfully shares your Good News across Yumbe District.
We pray that their hearts would continually turn toward you and that in your Word they will find true peace, rest, and salvation. We pray for the hundreds of Discovery Bible Group leaders who meet in homes each week. We pray that their own faith will grow more and more so they can teach boldly and confidently in Your name.
In addition, we pray for more opportunities to serve you by serving others. With the global pandemic still at large, we pray that our teams and leaders like Winnie will be a hopeful light in the darkness, banishing fear while work to prevent the spread.
And finally, we thank you for being incredible partners who make our work and our ministry possible.
In Your Name,
Amen
Thank you for praying with us! We hope you all stay healthy and safe during these times. Continue following along with our blog for more stories of impact like Winnie’s – thank you for your support and partnership.
We love you, and we’re here for you,
The 4africa Team
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