Meet your team

Meet your team!

Everyone who works at BMS World Mission partner Justice Livelihoods Health (JLH) has a faithful passion to help those in need. And this harvest, you can join them! Meet your new teammates below, and find out more about how you can help transform lives in Uganda.

In Gulu, Uganda, a dynamic team is changing lives every day. Their aim? To see everyone in their community thrive, by helping them with access to legal justice, abundant livelihoods and flourishing health. You may have heard of them before, because the story of how they’ve come alongside farmers like Barbara is the focus of this year’s BMS World Mission Harvest appeal. And when you partner with them, they’re not just a team. They’re your team. Get to know them below!

Meet the JLH team and discover their vision for a flourishing Uganda!

Jimmy and Phionah Okello

A man and a woman standing outside of a building, both are smiling

“When I think about JLH, I think about gospel hope, transformation and a new life in Jesus Christ.” – Jimmy

Roles: Jimmy is a pastor and works in church engagement, Phionah works in accounting.

Jimmy and Phionah are passionate about seeing Christians in Gulu thrive. With their JLH hats on, Jimmy runs training for local church leaders to help their ministries go from strength to strength, and Phionah offers crucial accounting support for the JLH team. You’ll also find Jimmy and Phionah serving at University Community Church, where Jimmy is the pastor and where Phionah serves on the worship team, bringing the light of Christ to students at Gulu University.

“The thing I love most about my job is that I get to be the lubricant that helps the JLH machine keep running.” – Phionah

Susan Blanch Alal

a woman in a coloured and patterned dress, standing outside of a building, smiling

“Something that I enjoy about my job is ensuring proper co-ordination of JLH programmes, creating linkages with other partners and mentoring and coaching staff.” – Susan

Role: Programme Co-ordinator

You’ll find Susan overseeing all the different projects JLH runs, from speech and language therapy to child protection, borehole drilling and agricultural projects. Susan is often out in the field meeting the people that JLH support, and helping make sure everything is running smoothly across the board!

Benon Kayanja

A man standing outside of a building, smiling.

“When I think about JLH, I think about social justice, securing people’s livelihoods and good health.” – Benon

Role: BMS mission worker, Head of JLH

Benon’s vision is for a Uganda transformed through God’s power. Based in Kampala, Benon’s role is to head up the JLH team. As well as overseeing the running of JLH, he also works with Baptist churches in nearby Kasese, encouraging and supporting them in their local ministries.

Wilson Okelokoko

a man in a dark blue shirt, standing outside of a building smiling.

“When I think of JLH, I think of partnership and teamwork.” – Wilson

Role: Cek Cam Manager

Wilson manages the Cek Cam (pronounced ‘chek cham’) storehouse, helping farmers store their produce safely before selling it on at local markets. His job is crucial in making sure that farmers get a fair price for their crops. When farmers can earn up to 30 per cent more by selling through Cek Cam, Wilson plays a hugely important role in helping local families improve their livelihoods.

Genesis Acaye

a man in a red and blue checked shirt, standing in a farmers field, smiling.

“My favourite thing about my job is interacting with farmers, sharing ideas and learning from one another how to grow crops, get better yields and better livelihoods.” – Genesis

Role: Agriculturalist, BMS mission worker

You’ll often find Genesis visiting local farmers, delivering training and giving advice to make sure their crops are growing as well as they can. He travels to different farms on his trusty motorbike, building relationships and offering help where needed. In a country so affected by wildfires, droughts and erratic weather, his bountiful knowledge of Uganda’s flora is pivotal to helping crops thrive and growing plentiful harvests!

You're part of the team

Your support is crucial to helping the JLH team reach people in need across Uganda. Each staff member is supported by BMS donations, and they truly can’t do it without you. If you want to join the JLH team in bringing abundant life to farmers in Gulu this harvest, why not host a Days of Plenty service at your church? Visit the Days of Plenty appeal page to find out more.

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Words by Laura Durrant
Editor of Engage, the BMS World Mission magazine

Days of Plenty

Days of Plenty

Bring lasting hope to farmers like Barbara this harvest

Wildfires. Famines. Climate change. And years of civil war that left farmers rebuilding their lives from scratch.

Life in Gulu, Uganda isn’t easy. But the people who live there can see a brighter future ahead. Hear how BMS World Mission’s local partner has found a life-changing solution to the challenges facing farmers like Barbara in the Days of Plenty Harvest video. Then, learn how you’re invited to join in, making incredible change happen.

Barbara sitting outside her home with her four children

Barbara loves her children and would do anything to see them grow up healthy and strong. This harvest, your church is invited to come alongside hardworking farmers like her to bring lasting hope to their families. Could you save the date to host a Days of Plenty service this harvest?

How will your gifts make a difference?
  • A gift of £12 could enable a farmer like Barbara to sell their crops through Cek Cam and earn up to 30 per cent more for their family.
  • With £38, you could buy a specialised crop like onions for a household to plant, kick-starting an abundant harvest.
  • £86 could cover a week’s wages for a worker to meet the spiritual needs of people in Gulu, as well as helping their physical needs.

Gifts to the Days of Plenty appeal will be used to support BMS agricultural work in Uganda. If our appeal target is exceeded, we will use additional funds to support urgent BMS work in other parts of the world.

I want to help

…in days of famine they will enjoy plenty
Psalm 37: 19



What is Days of Plenty?

Days of Plenty is a video appeal resource, created by BMS for your church. Use it at harvest time or throughout the year to help your congregation engage with the urgent challenges facing by farmers in Uganda. Collect a harvest offering or encourage individuals to give using the price points above, and see how you can bring about lasting transformation for Ugandan families in real need.

Days of Plenty resources to download or order

We’ve created all the resources you’ll need to support Days of Plenty, taking the hard work out of hosting a harvest service. They’re copyright-free and free to download, ideal for online services, in-person gatherings, youth groups, prayer meetings and mission Sundays.

A global cost of living crisis: your response

A global cost of living crisis: your response

Thank you for bringing hope

In the midst of a global cost of living crisis, you helped people like Richard to survive, thrive and have hope. Read on to find out how your gifts have helped families across Uganda, Lebanon, Nepal and beyond.

Relief, hope and delight. When Benon Kayanja first heard about the response of BMS World Mission supporters to our Global Cost of Living Crisis appeal, launched back in July, he couldn’t have felt more encouraged. Benon is one of BMS’ mission workers based in Uganda, and, like many of our workers, he’s seen first-hand the devastating impact that the Ukraine war has had on families around him. Fuel and food prices were on the rise, sometimes more than doubling. Wisdom from leaders was that the only way to handle the crisis was to live more frugally. But people like Richard, a farmer living in Gulu, were already struggling to feed their families, sometimes surviving on just one meal a day. With exploitative middlemen ready to make a tidy profit from farmers who could no longer afford to transport their crops to market themselves, it felt to Benon and his colleagues that bridging the gap to meet essential needs was impossible.

Benon Kayanja is one of BMS’ mission workers based in Uganda.
Benon Kayanja has seen first-hand the devastating impact that the Ukraine war has had on ordinary families.
Richard, a farmer in Uganda, stands in front of his crops.
Your gifts will help farmers like Richard to support their families through the crisis.

Wonderfully, BMS supporters read Richard’s story and responded with incredible generosity – despite many families in the UK facing their own worries about escalating living costs this autumn. You raised over £96,000 to support projects in Uganda, Lebanon and Nepal that are helping families to weather this crisis – as well as shoring up similar work right across the world.

“As the planting season begins again in Uganda, my team is excited for all the support we can bring to small-scale farmers,” explains Benon. “Thanks to the incredible amount raised through this appeal, we are able to increase the number of farmers we can provide seedlings to. This will have an amazing knock-on effect, meaning a greater number of farmers can provide vital food and help generate income for their families.”

But Benon’s plans to bring transformation don’t stop there. Together with his colleague, BMS Agriculturist Genesis Acaye, he’s devised a way to help farmers avoid exploitative middlemen altogether, protecting their precious profit margins. They’re calling the project Cek Cam, meaning, fittingly, ’abundant food’.

How does Cek Cam work?

Cek Cam cuts out the middleman and buys produce at a good price. Excellent storage facilities mean communities of farmers are able to store their produce, wait until they have a large enough quantity and identify when the market prices are high. Produce sold through Cek Cam results in a competitive price which is split fairly between the farmers so they can buy more seeds. In fact, farmers like Richard earn as much as 35 per cent more when they sell through Cek Cam. Thank you for making all this possible. The plans are to help over 1,000 farmers by the end of the first year!

“Seeing the farmers doing better gives me joy,” adds Genesis, who uses his extensive agricultural experience to mentor farmers out in the fields of Gulu, northern Uganda. “Richard is among the farmers who have worked really hard to help their communities. We have given him the skillset to grow his sugarcane, and I’m also really happy that we have been able to help him with transporting his crops to market at a reduced cost. Thanks to your support, initiatives like Cek Cam are really making a massive difference.”

BMS Agriculturalist Genesis uses his extensive experience to mentor farmers.
BMS Agriculturalist Genesis uses his extensive experience to mentor farmers.
Doreen, Richard's wife, smiles with her crops.
Richard and his wife, Doreen (pictured), have been able to transport their sugarcane to market at a reduced cost.

But in a crisis with a truly global impact, your gifts have stretched beyond Uganda to support vulnerable families in places like Lebanon and Nepal, too. In Nepal, farmers have been given access to veterinary training and breeding goats that will boost their income. And in Lebanon, families are feeling hopeful for the first time in years. “I am 100 per cent sure that God is here and he listens to our prayers,” says Maha*, a Syrian mother whose family you supported through the appeal.

When Maha and her husband Mahmoud* fled Aleppo in 2013 with their three small children, they left behind everything they had ever known. Their first winter in Lebanon, the family of five slept on one mattress with a single blanket to keep them warm. Things haven’t been easy in Lebanon since their arrival, but there have been two big changes that have given Maha renewed hope. One is the presence of a BMS-supported Church Learning Centre that has given her children back the education that was snatched from them when they left Syria. The other is the family’s faith in Jesus. “The kids are still at the centre,” says Mahmoud, “and are very happy there. They feel valued and they love their teachers dearly. They’ve kept on learning English, Arabic, and mathematics, and they have art lessons. The centre has been our safe haven.”

A BMS-supported Church Learning Centre in Lebanon has given Syrian refugee families renewed hope.
A BMS-supported Church Learning Centre in Lebanon has given Syrian refugee families renewed hope.

“Jesus does not give up on us,” Maha continues. “Now I have faith that God has a better plan for me.” As the war in Ukraine continues and other economic factors add their own pressures, it’s clear the cost of living crisis isn’t over yet. And yet your generous response means that vulnerable people across the world will still be reached with life-changing help. Please pray that God would guide our finances and our prayers as we continue to support the most vulnerable families in Uganda, Lebanon and Nepal. Thank you again for your generous gift and for standing with Richard, Mahmoud and Maha in these desperate times.

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*Names changed.
Words by Hannah Watson
Editor of Engage, the BMS World Mission magazine

The families you helped feed

The families you helped feed

News from this year's spring appeal

If you gave to the BMS World Mission Feeding Families appeal, you’ve blessed the lives of countless people. BMS workers Genesis Acaye, Laura-Lee Lovering and Ruby* share the latest on how your donations have made a difference.

“I am so grateful for you,” writes Genesis. “Thank you for giving to help some of the world’s most marginalised people. Your gift is supporting families like Simon’s, who I’ve been working with here in northern Uganda.” Genesis is responding to an email we sent, asking what difference the donations to the BMS Feeding Families spring appeal have made to his work. His reply, as ever, is filled with joy at the progress of the crops lovingly cultivated by farmers he’s been supporting, and excitement for the next batch of seedlings to arrive. In the email, he tells us the story of Simon, one of the youth leaders of Pajja Baptist Church in Gulu, Uganda – and we’re hooked.

A Ugandan couple called Simon and Ketty, pictured by their house in Gulu, northern Uganda.
Simon and Ketty hoped to build a safer home for their three-year-old daughter.

Simon had long dreamt of building a house with a tin roof for his family. In his neighbourhood, it would be one of a kind. Houses in Gulu typically have grass-thatched roofs which, though beautiful and practical, are very vulnerable to wildfires. A tin roof would keep Simon, his wife Ketty and their daughter, Lakareber Faith, safe throughout the year, and especially during the dry season.

Through your incredible support of the BMS Feeding Families appeal, you raised over £39,079.97 (at the time of writing!) to help intrepid women and men like Simon to provide for their loved ones in the harshest of circumstances. In fact, more than 500 UK Christians responded to the letter we sent out, describing how raising a healthy harvest has become more and more challenging for daily wage farmers worldwide due to erratic weather patterns and the changing climate. And through BMS agricultural training that you helped fund in Uganda, Simon learnt how to grow a wide range of crops to provide for his family, protect the environment, and make his dream a reality.

“Equipped with new farming knowledge and through a lot of hard work, Simon grew and sold cabbage, soybeans and corn, and over time he raised enough money to buy iron sheets for his dream roof,” says Genesis. Simon, Ketty and Lakareber Faith have now moved into their new home. They are now better protected from erratic weather and wildfires, and they’ve inspired the rest of the village as to what is possible with the right support and skills.

“First and foremost, I want to thank the churches in UK for their support to us here in form of seeds, trainings and encouragement,” says Simon. “The trainings and support have changed me and the way I farm now… We trust God and believe that our lives will keep on improving. We will keep praying for you and pray for us too so that we can work hard and change our lives.”

Two Ugandan men laugh together in a field of crops.
"Over time [Simon] raised enough money to buy iron sheets for his dream roof,” says Genesis.

“Sometimes when you give a gift to support the work of BMS, you may not know the whole community impact. It might look small and you may not know who you are supporting. But I want to tell you that your support is actually very big. You may think your gift is only enough to help a few people — but those people will go on to help others. And so, person by person, your support is causing magnificent transformation around the world.” — BMS worker and agriculturalist, Genesis Acaye

But food shortages caused by the Covid-19 pandemic and the climate crisis extended beyond Uganda – and so does the help that you’ve so generously given. The £39,000 total has also gone towards providing training for 40 river pastors in Peru on creation stewardship and living well. Knowledge dissemination is the key to large-scale change in the region that has been described as ‘the lungs of the Earth’.  So, radio shows that your support has funded will also reach communities for an 80-mile stretch along the Amazon River. “Thank you so much for your support,” says Laura-Lee Lovering, BMS environmental scientist in Peru. “You are helping us continue working with local pastors and leaders, encouraging and equipping them to recognise the natural resources God has provided to them through the rainforest (such as food, water and medicine), and their important role as stewards of God’s good creation.”

A lady in a dark top stands against a background in the Amazon jungle.
Laura-Lee Lovering loves training pastors in Peru in creation stewardship.
A hand planting a sapling in Afghanistan.
Very little fruit is ordinarily able to grow in this area of Afghanistan.

Likewise, your giving has made a difference in the rural mountains of Afghanistan, where the winter snow melt can mean the difference between having enough to eat in the spring, or utter despair. Needless to say, there’s no supermarket to pop to for supplies when times are hard. “Thank you so much for giving so generously to the Feeding Families appeal,” says BMS mission worker and agricultural expert Ruby. Ruby is creating a ‘food forest’, with apple, pear, plum and walnut trees, and it’s already attracted the attention of families in the surrounding villages, coming to ask about how to look after fruit trees, feed and prune them. “Very little, if any, fruit is grown in this area,” explains Ruby. “So with the food forest we hope to teach people about healthy eating, as well as helping the environment by planting much-needed trees.”

Your support for the Feeding Families appeal in Afghanistan means that:

• The team will be able to run five training sessions, each for 25 local farmers, focusing on caring for fruit trees and sharing basic techniques to help the trees flourish, like composting, mulching and water management.

• Farmers will receive ‘how to’ booklets to help them grow more nutritious food.

• In the long term, families in remote villages will improve their diet and health, and have increased income through selling their excess fruit.

Thank you for supporting BMS’ Feeding Families appeal, helping precious people to adapt and thrive in a hugely difficult year. Genesis says it all, writing: “Sometimes when you give a gift to support the work of BMS, you may not know the whole community impact. It might look small and you may not know who you are supporting. But I want to tell you that your support is actually very big. You may think your gift is only enough to help a few people – but those people will go on to help others. And so, person by person, your support is causing magnificent transformation around the world. May God bless you abundantly for your gift and your prayers.”

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*Ruby’s name changed to protect identity

Words by Hannah Watson,
Editor of Engage, the BMS World Mission magazine.

Offset your Christmas: grow trees and change lives in northern Uganda

Offset your Christmas:

Grow trees and change lives in northern Uganda

Have yourself a carbon-neutral Christmas, with the easy-to-use BMS World Mission carbon calculator. By offsetting your Christmas, you will help protect the environment AND transform two communities in northern Uganda.

Genesis Acaye is passionate about Jesus. He’s passionate about communities thriving in northern Uganda. And he’s passionate about the environment.

For BMS worker Genesis, these three things are inextricably entwined.

“The environment feeds us. Everything that we eat is because of the environment. Every problem that affects the environment affects us directly. It affects food availability, food quality, food prices,” says Genesis. “Working to ensure the wider community is safe is good because you are supporting people’s health, people’s lives, and you’re also fulfilling the command from God to take care of what he’s given us.

Genesis Acaye is passionate about trees. He's also passionate about people.

“That’s why I love to see trees and forests – to see people growing more food, more harvest, famine reducing, people earning more money and living better. It improves lives. It transforms lives.”

This Christmas, you can support a life-transforming project in northern Uganda, and help fight against climate change while you do it!

Using the BMS carbon calculator, you can offset your Christmas dinner, your Christmas travel, your heating, the postage on the Christmas presents you send… and you can use that money to give a long-lasting, life-transforming gift to 30 families in northern Uganda.

Right now, Genesis is preparing to begin a new agroforestry project in two communities. The project has the Climate Stewards Seal of Approval, and Genesis and his team are preparing the ground at two churches to set up demonstration sites. When the dry season finishes in March, trees will be planted and the exciting work will begin. And you can be a part of it.

The problem

There are devastating deforestation rates in Uganda. Over the past 25 years, the country has lost 63 per cent of its forest cover. This loss of trees has a huge impact on the environment – and also on people’s daily lives. Poverty rates have increased, with an estimated 10 million people now living below the poverty line. And with 90 per cent of the population relying on fuel woods for heating and cooking, sky-rocketing prices for wood and charcoal mean that many cannot afford to buy fuel. As a result, rare tree species are being cut down and forests are being destroyed for the charcoal trade.

Decline in soil fertility, increased erosion and erratic rainfall patterns are also contributing to this picture. There has been a general decline in crop yield and livelihoods and lives have been put at risk.

The problem is particularly great in northern Uganda, where people spent two decades living in Internally Displaced Person camps during the war.

The solution

More trees. Reduced fuel use. Sustainable farming.

Genesis and his team have a plan. They are selecting 30 households from two communities to take part in an agroforestry pilot project that will have long-lasting effects in the region. They are going to:

1. Train families to successfully plant and grow a range of trees, which will enable them to meet their immediate needs for food, income and fuel, AND help protect the environment through increased forest cover. Through two demonstration plots, and ongoing follow ups, households will learn to plant fruit trees (such as jackfruit, mango and pawpaw), timber trees, and umbrella trees on their land. Some of the trees will be used by the families, others will be left to grow into forests and will be managed and used sustainably.

By creating diverse forests on their land, families will increase carbon sequestration and reduce air pollution, as well as having improved soil fertility, less soil erosion, and clear boundaries to their land – reducing land wrangles and conflicts which are common in the region.

2. Train households to construct and use energy-saving stoves, reducing fuel use by 50 to 60 per cent compared with the commonly used three stone fire stoves.

3. Teach families about creation care, sustainable forestry and why it’s important to God. Genesis and the BMS-supported team will use the Bible to show how caring for creation is a command from God. The project will be run through local churches, and biblical principles will be central to the teaching.

4. Trained farmers will train others. The 30 families who have been trained in this project will be empowered to teach others the skills they have learnt – and sustainable agroforestry techniques will spread as these farmers teach and partner with their neighbours.

How you can help: offset your Christmas

That’s all we’re asking you to do. By carbon offsetting as much of your Christmas as possible, you can be a catalyst for change in northern Uganda. You can help protect the environment. And you can help families grow food, improve their livelihoods, and teach others how to care for creation.

That’s all we’re asking you to do. By carbon offsetting as much of your Christmas as possible, you can be a catalyst for change in northern Uganda. You can help protect the environment. And you can help families grow food, improve their livelihoods, and teach others how to care for creation.

Carbon offsetting may sound complicated – but we’ve made it simple! We’ve got our very own carbon calculator, and you can enter in details like how many miles you (or your family) have travelled for Christmas, how much meat you’re eating, and how much you spent on posting Christmas cards. You can even offset some of your Christmas presents, like clothes and books!

BMS Agriculturist Genesis has been working to improve farming techniques in northern Uganda for years.

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Ready to help protect the planet and transform lives in Uganda this Christmas? Offset your Christmas now!

In crisis: ‘Look for the hope no-one but God can give.’

In crisis:

‘Look for the hope no-one but God can give.’

Praying for this

Genesis Acaye used to sleep in his shoes. Living in an Internally Displaced Persons (IDP) camp during the civil war in Uganda, he never knew if he would have to outrun soldiers in the night… or walk with them if he was abducted. These are his lessons for living through a crisis.

Thankfully, since the end of the civil war, Uganda has seen a number of years of blessed peace. BMS World Mission worker Genesis has been able to support local farmers in re-learning vital farming methods almost lost through those years depending on the support of IDP camps.

But the years of hardship felt in Uganda have helped its people prepare for future crises. As the UK and Uganda alike steel themselves against the Coronavirus pandemic, we spoke to Genesis to see what advice he had for UK Christians in these trying times.

God will intervene and give wisdom to people who will come out with answers

Many people in the UK have not lived through a crisis of these proportions before, but in Uganda, whole generations faced many years of civil war. Can you tell us about the struggles and uncertainties you faced?

Life was very hard. Every family in Northern Uganda in one way or another was affected by the war and lost at least one relative. We would walk every evening to go and sleep in town and then go back home in the morning. The soldiers would only guard the town; therefore, everyone was crowded in the town or in the bush trying to survive. The rebels would move from home to home looting and abducting people. They would kill those who tried to escape, the weak ones, or to scare people from escaping.

I remember when I was at school, we used to sleep fully dressed up with a jacket, shoes and trousers, ready to run at any time or ready to walk when abducted. Students had been abducted before from my school and the trauma was there, that at any time rebels would come and abduct students. At night you would be half asleep and half awake. Any small sound would cause you to check around or run. If you were travelling, you just had to rely on God that you didn’t enter an ambush because many lost their lives in ambushes.

Everyone at some point in their life will have a moment where they need everlasting hope and comfort that no man can give, only God

How has the experience of already having gone through extraordinarily tough times prepared you for the Coronavirus pandemic?

In 2000, we had Ebola in Gulu, and many lost their lives. We are living the life of 20 years ago again and the news from around the world, especially Europe and the USA, makes us worry. What if the spread increases, shall we be able to contain it? We are scared, but we have hope in God.

I know that the Coronavirus will affect the world and us for some time, but I believe at one point it will go. God will intervene and give wisdom to people who will come out with answers to the virus. The war has prepared me to look at what takes place around the world, therefore I pray that God will comfort and heal the families affected.

What is the situation like under lockdown in Uganda?

Farmers are already facing challenges due to the lockdown. Most of them get their seeds from town and there is no transport, as motorbikes are not allowed to carry people even though it’s the most common form of transport in the rural areas. Farmers have to cycle for 45km or more to buy hoes and seeds, etc, and those who cannot ride have to pay more or resort to low yielding seeds. Access to seeds is already a problem as well as an increase in the prices for the seeds. If the farmers miss proper planting in the first rain, then we are looking at famine around June and July.

The communities are very worried too: there are no church services, no school, no public and private transport. Only those riding bicycles and motorcycles, on foot and driving trucks carrying goods are allowed to move. No-one is allowed to carry anyone, not even a sick person unless permission is requested.

You can help people in Uganda, and across the world, right now.

Your support can provide farmers in Gulu with seeds that could prevent life-threatening famine. You can also get food parcels to people who’ve been affected by floods elsewhere in Uganda, as well as providing PPE, hygiene products and mental health support across the world. We need you to make all this possible. Please, give to our Coronavirus appeal today.

How can UK Christians draw near to God when things are tough?

I learned to trust in God every day and every night during the war and up to now, I know that humans still have limits and at some point, the cross is everything. Even if the Coronavirus was not there, everyone at some point in their life will have a moment where they need everlasting hope and comfort that no man can give, only God.

Trust God every day in all the ups and all the downs. The valleys come to us at different times and hours and ages, but remember to trust in God. Some of them are so painful and you may feel so lonely, but remember to trust in God, for he said: “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways… As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts” (Isaiah 55: 8-9).

For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways... As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than yours thoughts Isaiah 55:8-9

How can Christians encourage and support people in their community at times like this?

Christians can stay connected and united and pray to God at such a time. You are available and you have a role to play. Whatever position and capacity God has given to you, use it well to serve others. Do what you can according to what God has given you.

We lived in the IDP camp for 27 years, being fed by people around the world whose hearts had been opened by God. They supported us generously for all those years. Some of us are alive now because we were fed, supported and prayed for by those people. I am reaching out now to farmers with seeds through BMS support so that in three months, they will have food to eat. You can do the same as an individual, a family, a church and a wider community.

Is there a Bible verse or a prayer you can teach us in the UK, to lean on when life seems uncertain?

Job said this on the worst day of his life: “Naked I came from my mother’s womb, and naked I will depart. The Lord gave, and the Lord has taken away; may the name of the Lord be praised” (Job 1: 21). Remember we live because God allows us to live – despite what is happening around us, lean on the Lord, for his faithfulness endures forever.

Whatever position and capacity God has given to you, use it well to serve others. Do what you can according to what God has given you

How can the UK pray for Uganda at this time? And for your project and the farmers you work with?

  • Pray the spread of the virus will be reduced and stop eventually and that life will go back to normal in Uganda and all over the world.
  • Pray for wisdom on how to support the farmers at risk of famine during this time.
  • Pray for good rain so that the farmers can plant the crops that will provide food for the community.
  • Pray that additional resources will be available to support the farmers in terms of seeds to feed their community, because at the moment most of the items have their prices doubled, making it harder for the poor communities to access them.
  • Pray for victims of flooding in Kasese, having to deal with the loss of their homes and livelihoods as well as the Coronavirus pandemic. Pray that they will receive the support necessary to rebuild.
Pray for the world on Sunday 31 May

Join Baptist churches across the UK on Solidarity Sunday, 31 May, to pray for Uganda and the world during this global pandemic. Find everything you need here.

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Answers from God

Answers from God

Praying for this

Lives are restored, fellowships flourish, abundant life flows. This is what happens when we speak to God. This is what happens when we pray together.

Mission is powered by prayer. That’s why we encourage you to pray with us, asking God to move mountains overseas and at home. And your prayers have been working in powerful and wonderful ways. Here are just a few stories about how God has been faithful. Thank you for praying.

1. Anointed and far from disappointed

On the road to Macchu Picchu, in the Sacred Valley of the Incas, lies a small village called Pisac. BMS-supported Pastor Amilcar is planting a church against a backdrop of the majestic Andes mountains, where local Baptist pastors feel that many don’t have a personal relationship with Jesus.

A photo of Pastor Amilcar with an arrow to the mountains of Pisac.
Pastor Amilcar heads up BMS-planted church "El Puente" in Cusco. Now he's gone from the city of Cusco to the mountains to plant a church in the village of Pisac.

Remember when we asked you to pray for Pastor Amilcar? He had also been praying, for a new leader for this new church plant. But as his fellowship was so new, he wasn’t sure any of them felt confident enough to take on a leadership role.

In December, an answer to prayer emerged as a dedicated member, Joseph, expressed an interest in studying God’s Word and becoming a church leader. “The life of a pastor can be really lonely sometimes,” says Pastor Amilcar. “But now I have a partner.” Praise God!

2. Unforgotten in the floods

After floods destroyed homes, crops and livelihoods across Bangladesh last year, we asked you to pray with us for a swift recovery, that food supplies would reach those with the most need. Thanks to your prayers and support, BMS partner Bangladesh Baptist Church Sangha (BBCS) was able to supply food parcels in Sreemongal, Manikgonj and Shiragonj and in the Hill Tract area, where mudslides devastated lives. “When we arrived, people said nobody had come to help them,” says John Karmakar, Assistant General Secretary of BBCS. “But BMS quickly sent aid.”

“Most days feel like an answer to prayer!``

We also asked you to pray for BMS workers Louise and Peter Lynch, who work with BBCS and went out to help during the recovery efforts. “The distribution of help and the delight of recipients was very moving,” says Louise. “Most days feel like an answer to prayer!”

A map of Bangladesh highlighting Dhaka and the Hill Tracts area.

Louise and Peter Lynch singing a worship song in Bangla

3. French Connexion

We know that many faithful members of the BMS family in the UK have prayed for more young people in France to be transformed by Jesus’ love since we asked you to remember them. And we’re delighted to report that that is what is happening. French Christian youth camp “Connexion” took off in October with 460 people in attendance! Action Team France, a group of four young people on a BMS gap year, were amongst the volunteers.

Four young people in fancy dress with cakes behind them.
Team France: Hamish Rice, Jennie Lockett, Ruth McCormick and Bridget Turner

The event was all about seeing young people engage with God. “People were surprised to see that we chose to spend our gap year serving God in France, when we could have just gone travelling,” says Hamish. “They were excited to see young mission workers.” The team also led last year’s Christmas service, at the church in Gif-sur-Yvette, where BMS worker Christine Kling is minister. Over a hundred people attended, filling the building to capacity. What an incredible answer to prayer!

4. Bringing the world into churches

We wanted UK churches to hear what their prayer and financial support was achieving directly from the people who were doing the work. But getting visas to visit the UK is not always easy. Sometimes we even doubted whether our workers from Uganda (Benon Kayanja and Genesis Acaye) and Mozambique worker (Carlos Tique Jone) would be allowed to visit churches in this country. So, we prayed. And we asked you to pray.

Three BMS mission workers looking at the camera and smiling.
Three incredible BMS mission workers: Carlos Tique Jone from Mozambique, Benon Kayanja from Uganda and Genesis Acaye, also from Uganda.

We waited months, weeks, without permission for all of our African friends to enter the UK. And then, in God’s time, the visas were granted, and Benon, Carlos and Genesis set off to visit churches across the UK, telling people about the amazing impact they are having through BMS work overseas. “Without you BMS wouldn’t be able to do this work,” says Genesis, who helps farmers get the most from their crops in Uganda. “Really, you are doing the work.” Genesis loves to thank BMS supporters. And we want to join the churches our overseas workers visited in thanking them!

“Thank you so much for bringing Carlos to Park Baptist Church,” says Elizabeth, the BMS representative from Great Yarmouth, Norfolk. “He was an inspiration.”

5. The magnificent six

We’ve been asking you to pray for more people to serve in Chad for years, and now, we’re so happy to give you the praise report of six wonderful workers for Guinebor II, a BMS-supported hospital in Chad. Six wonderful people, all serving as long-term BMS workers in this marginalised and under-evangelised country.

With the existing G2 team, they’ll deliver healthcare to 19,000 people a year. Please continue to pray as we urgently need a second surgeon for this busy hospital.

The magnificent six are:
1. Bethan Shrubsole – developmental music therapist
2. Gareth Shrubsole – G2 hospital manager
3. Mel Spears – health specialist
4. Tom Spears – GP
5. Brian Chilvers – nurse
6. Jackie Chilvers – nurse

Three photos of three mission worker couples
Another answer to prayer is actually six answers - six mission workers for Guinebor II mission hospital in Chad.

With the existing G2 team, they’ll deliver healthcare to 19,000 people a year. Please continue to pray as we urgently need a second surgeon for this busy hospital.

Prayer warriors unite!

Want to see even more prayers answered? Join us!
We are so excited to invite you to the annual BMS Day of Prayer on Sunday 9 February. Join us as we pray for BMS projects, partners and mission workers across the world. Whatever your style of prayer, whether using Bible reflections, sung worship, using creative prayer spaces, individually or in a group, we’d love you to join us.

You can find all the BMS Day of Prayer resources you need. Let us know what you’re praying for on Twitter and Facebook. We would find it so encouraging. We’re so grateful for everyone who prays for our work and we know God will do incredible things thanks to you.

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Words by Melanie Webb.