Immeasurably More
“Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen.” -Ephesians 3:20-21
When I was four years old I came home from Sunday school and told my mother, “I want to be a missionary to Africa!”. I had no idea what any of those words meant. I did not even have a relationship with Jesus yet. But I heard missionaries sharing about the work they did and my heart was captured. Over 20 years later I now work for Divine Care Ministries, an amazing organization that is transforming the culture of Uganda into the kingdom of God. This position is more than an answered prayer, it’s a dream come true! I was beyond blessed to have the opportunity to visit Uganda last month and see how Divine Care Ministries operates. DCM does way more than I ever thought or imagined! Helping vulnerable children is at the core of all that DCM does but it expands into helping the whole family, community and country. Peter and Phoebe have impacted their nation through the power of the gospel and by meeting the needs of those around them. Although the ministry is based in Kampala, we traveled all around Uganda to visit the many schools and communities that we support. Over 2,500 students are currently supported by the ministry but only 300 are in the sponsorship program because we are still seeking more sponsors. Our sponsorship program allows the sponsor to pray for, encourage, and build relationship with these children through writing letters. In some cases, the sponsor is the child’s only source of love and support. While I was there, I was in awe of the dedication of the students. Children will walk miles to attend school because they have such a value for education and dreams of a better future. Some of the children attend Divine Hope or Divine Grace but many of them meet under trees or in temporary structures. They also have such a heart of worship for Jesus. Every class we visited sang us a song about their love for Jesus. Some students would share their favorite scripture or explain to the group what God has been speaking to them. Their joy was contagious! It was eye opening to see children with hardly any clothing, sitting in the hot sun, miles away from water sources with the biggest smiles on their faces. We also had the privilege of meeting some of the student’s families and were invited into their homes. They showed us the best hospitality and expressed their gratitude for the ministry. DCM has a program that empowers women to learn life skills that helps them to be able to provide for their families. They’ve also started a savings circle where all the women save money every week and put it together so that they can take out small loans if they need to. This has helped them break out of a poverty mindset and believe that all things are possible with God. Evangelism and discipleship is another key aspect of DCM. Over 14,000 people were reached with the gospel just last year. Our vision is to make disciples who make disciples who make disciples. This is done through Discovery Bible studies where a group reads the word together and learns how to hear the voice of God. Then from what they learn they share with the people in their sphere of influence. While I was there I got to hear so many testimonies of people coming to Christ through these methods, including Muslims. DCM also began a project of voice recording passages of the Bible in the many different Ugandan tribal languages for those who are illiterate or don’t have a Bible in their language. Spiritual health is so important to DCM but so is physical health. We have a clinic that helps people affected by malaria and a dental clinic. We also have farmland and gardens with fresh fruits, vegetables and many different animals. The most important thing I learned while in Uganda was that none of what DCM does would be possible without prayer. The whole time I was there, we were constantly praying. We would pray before every meal. Pray before every car ride or journey. Pray before visiting each school. Pray with each classroom. Pray with each family we met. Pray with our discipleship leaders. Prayer is even part of the work schedule at the staff headquarters. They pray for an hour before they begin working, they pray for an hour at lunch time and they pray for an hour at the end of the day before going home. I got to see with my eyes the power of prayer - a nation being reconciled to Christ and equipped to thrive.
-Kim Rangel (U.S. Coordinator)
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