Responding to What God is Doing in Uganda
March 03, 2020
By Ed Anderson, Thru the Bible, Board of Directors
God is at work in Uganda and it is clearly His work. We simply have the joy of going along for the ride.
Four years ago, by pure “coincidence,” a friend of mine invited me over for a BBQ to meet two visiting ministers from Mbale, Uganda, who “just happened” to be visiting my friend’s church that Sunday.
From our first conversation, I could tell God was at work. I met Michael Mataya and Wilburforce Okumu that day. Boldly they said they would love to take Thru the Bible to Uganda and would like me to be their liaison. After meeting with Gregg Harris during their visit, we collectively decided to launch Thru the Bible in the Luganda language in Uganda.
Soon I was on a plane, headed for Uganda to meet the team and lead the initial training. Michael and Wilburforce had hand-picked their choice team, ready to begin. The man who is the Luganda “voice” of Dr. McGee simply came because his pastor asked him to.
Even now, four years later, the same team is intact—translators, sound engineers, radio station contacts, and administrative personnel. On my last visit they told me they personally and collectively “own” the program and they would not think of quitting until the entire five-year Bible Bus journey is complete.
Thousands of people throughout Uganda are being impacted through the four FM radio stations—either coming to know Jesus Christ for the first time or believing in Him in a much deeper way. Many pastors write to tell us all they are learning—something new every time they study with Thru the Bible.
You know God is involved in the program when less than two weeks into the first broadcast an Imam (a Muslim prayer leader) came into Pastor Michael’s church and said he had been listening to the program that morning and a voice had told him, “Get dressed, go to the Christian church in Mbale, and give your life to Christ.” And he did!
God has been preparing hearts in Uganda to hear and respond to the whole Word just like this man. No man-made program can change lives so dramatically.
It is a joy to be a part of something so much bigger than yourself. The opportunities never end and when God is at work, just stand back and watch His love and power prevail!
If you’re on the World Prayer Team, please pray specifically for the new team in Western Uganda who are going to translate Thru the Bible in their language—Runyakatara. It will air on two radio stations and the new translator and “voice” would covet the prayers. It is not an easy task to translate and record almost 1300 programs. Fortunately, some of the experienced team from Mbale will help train and guide the new production.