Update From Kyangwali Refugee Camp: January 2019

I spent the last couple days at Kyangwali, a refugee camp near the border between Uganda and Democratic Republic of Congo.  The population of the cam has grown from 36,000 to 80,000 in the last six months. The growth is caused by conflict between the DRC government and rebels forcing many to flee for their lives. Tribal fighting and power-grabs also cause much conflict. These people, like refugees around the world are generally fleeing for their lives from their homes and arriving in neighboring countries with little more than the clothes on their backs. Refugees in general, have little hope for the future. Refugees in Uganda are particularly desperate.
Because of your generosity and obedience, there are new glimmers of hope in Kyangwali.

In December, we sought to raise $12,000 to drill a well and build a church in the camp. The well provides fresh, clear water for hundreds of families. We unlocked the well while I was there and officially opened it to the families. In a matter of minutes, dozens of jerrycans were lined up to collect water for dozens of families. We saw families running down the road with jerrycans in hand to get their place in line as we left for the day. Here is a family that filled their can, and also brought a pot to drink from. They sat down and drank the cool water and then got back in line to fill a can.

We also helped the local pastor and his church to construct a church building. The work is in progress, but I got to

spend Sunday at the church where 300 people gathered and about 30 decided to trust and follow Jesus. It was an amazing time of worship with a beautiful Congolese flair. The church is under roof and the members will begin filling in the walls with stones and then covering the stones with mud. They are so happy to have a place to gather.

We are not finished. Because of your generosity and the amazing generosity of our great God, we have raised enough money to drill a second well and install a second latrine. The church has asked to locate them near the site where a school and a medical clinic may soon be built. It is a short walk from the church, but they want to put these where the community will be best served. They are in the process of negotiating the exact location with the government authorities.

We will continue to partner with the local church and a church outside the camp to best use the resources that you contribute. It is amazing to see the happiness and hope on the faces of our brothers and sisters in Kyangwali. Let's continue to provide a physical representation of the hope of Christ, the Living Water. At the same time, we will speak of the real hope of the Gospel.