Thank you for praying for the CC Philly missions team that were ministering in Uganda last week. For the last seven years CC Philly has been partnering with CC Entebbe, Uganda and it is such a blessing to go back there multiple times a year and see all that the Lord has done and is doing there in Uganda. This past trip was a medical outreach and consisted of 16 people from our church. Many of them were either nurses, doctors or dental hygienists and others came along to help with the children’s ministry and evangelism outreaches held at the same time as the medical outreaches. Our team was based on the property of CC Entebbe’s farm and sister church CC Nangombe which is a 25 minute boat ride on Lake Victoria from the main church in Entebbe. CC Entebbe has adopted 5 island communities on the Lake that have no electricity, running water, hospitals, or police. They go to these islands to minster much needed medical aid, as well as to share the gospel and work with any local pastors that may be ministering to these least reached people of Uganda. Our team hit each of these islands everyday during the week that we were there.
In total, we were able to treat over 1,000 people, and we are thrilled to announce that close to 200 people made a profession of faith in Christ Jesus during the week of outreaches to those islands. The team made it back safely (though having to endure almost 24 hours on 2 planes coming home) and they wish to thank all of you who so faithfully prayed for them and the outreaches. The leadership at CC Entebbe said this was one of the best and most fruitful weeks of ministry they have ever seen at the church – we owe this all to God’s grace, and your faithful prayers! Please continue to pray for the ministry that CC Entebbe is doing in Uganda, as we see many open doors for them to continue to be a light and salt in their community!
Thanks for praying for our team. We had our 3rd outreach today on the island of Bussi. The island is about an hour boat ride away from our home base in Nangombe village. We saw the most people on this island then the two islands previously. All told today, the medical team treated over 300 people, the dentists had over 70 teeth extracted, the kids ministry taught 75 kids, and the outreach team got to lead 12 people to know Jesus as their Lord and Savior!
We are thrilled at all the Lord is doing through these outreaches and understand that your prayers are a key part in the advancement of the Kingdom of God here on the islands of Lake Victoria, Uganda. Please continue to pray for our team during these last two days of medical outreach and ministry. We know the Lord wants to do more and we are excited to see what He has for us!
Tomorrow night Pastor Carlos will be teaching at Calvary Chapel Nangombe and the team will get to be a part of this village church that CC Philly was able to build a couple years ago – please pray that this young congregation will be encouraged by the Word and our time of fellowship together.
The team is all healthy and doing well, and we are all enjoying getting to hear each other’s stories and testimonies.
That’s about it for now, Lord willing when we have access to internet we’ll be able to upload some more video for you.
Hi everyone just wanted to let you all know after a day delayed flight, our team finally made it to Entebbe! We’re at our base camp now and meeting with our Ugandan medical team to go over the details for the islands clinics this week.
All our bags made it, everyone is healthy (but tired) and we’re ready to hit the ground running tomorrow morning. We’ll try to update with some videos on Tuesday when we get access to wifi.
Please be praying for the outreaches this week and for many hearts to be given to the Lord!
Blessing’s
Carlos
Updates From Uganda Medical Team
Stay tuned for updates from our medical missions team, who will be traveling to Uganda, Africa. They will leaving January 27th and returning February 5th.
Also check our Facebook page and Instagram as they will be posting video updates.
Please continue to be praying for safety and much fruit to come from this trip.
The Following is the Itinerary of the team.
Saturday, January 28th – Arriving in Entebbe, Uganda.
Sunday, January 29th – Pastor Carlos will be teaching both services at Calvary Chapel Entebbe. Our team will be gathering with our Ugandan Medical team and going over the details of the week’s outreaches.
Monday, January 30th – Thursday, February 2nd We will be traveling to various islands on Lake Victoria where we will have free medical clinics to provide much needed medical care to those living in the villages there. In addition to the medical outreach, we will have a Prayer Tent, Gospel
Outreach Team, and Children’s Ministry taking place on the islands.
Wednesday night, February 1st—Ron Rushton will be speaking at
Calvary Chapel Entebbe’s mid-week service.
Friday, February 3rd – The team will be helping out Calvary Chapel
Entebbe with various work projects around their campus.
Saturday, February 4th – Visiting CC Philly’s missionary Julianne Heilman at Asifiwe Child Care Ministries and spending time with the kids. Leaving that night to return home.
Sunday, February 5th – Arriving back in Philadelphia.
It’s been one year since a family from C.C. Philly left the United States and was sent to serve the Lord in a restricted Islamic country in Asia. Below is a recap of their first year as well as some prayer points that we can all be praying for. If you would like more information on how to support this family, please email Pastor Carlos Kalczuk the missions pastor at C.C. Philly – carlos@ccphilly.org
“After concluding our first year here things have been quite busy both with the family, work, and outreach. There have been ups and downs with some of the relationships that the Father has opened for us. One of my young coworkers who I was reading the good news with obtained a visa to travel to the US for one year. He is currently living in the US and trying to find work there. This is great for him as he has dreamed about this since he was young but disappointing to me since we were just starting to study the word together. Please pray for him. Pray that the words that he read and heard from me would find good soil and grow. I had the privilege of sowing seeds in his heart and now someone else will water and nurture them.
Another athlete that I have shared about in the past who I had many in depth discussions with had to give up his dreams to be a professional fighter and get a normal day job. He was not receiving any real opportunities here to make enough money to support his wife and child. Since then, I have had almost no contact with him. He has been difficult to track down. Please pray that I will have an opportunity to reconnect with him and that he will read the good book that I gave him.
Just today I had two opportunities to share with people in the gym, both out of sad circumstances. One young girl who cleans the gym was acting funny this morning and when I asked her if she was okay, she showed me her arm. Last night her husband got drunk and beat her with something iron, she said. Her entire arm was black and blue and at least one of her fingers appeared to be broken. She seemed surprised when I told her that I would pray not just for her healing but for her husband as well. When asked, I told her about what Jesus had done in my life and how he healed and cleansed my heart. I told her that I would pray for the same for her and her husband. Sadly, this is not an uncommon occurrence where we are. Most women expect abuse and see it as normal.
Later this morning I was speaking with another new athlete who shared with me several weeks ago that she is recovering from a severe bout of depression and is now ready to get herself back together physically as well. Today, she asked me after class if I could help her find a mental health counselor. I told her that I would look around but then shared the good news with her and how our heavenly father could heal her mind and more importantly, her heart. She seemed very receptive and when I told her that I would pray for her, she exploded into tears. I was very moved at this display of emotion and she texted me later saying how much it meant to her that someone said that. Please pray for me to have more opportunities to share with these two women. I am conscious of the cultural issues here with sharing with them, but father has now given me multiple opportunities to speak into the lives of at least six women here in the gym.
The kids start school at the end of next week! They are actually excited. They have had a summer mixed with boredom and day trips with friends. Several new families arrived over the summer so they have made some new friends and are looking to spend more time with them as the school year begins. Please pray for them as they transition into the academic season.
Lastly, my wife and I have an opportunity to attend an international conference for like-minded workers in October. It is being hosted by our sending fellowship and all the attendees will be from various fellowships of the same sending body from all over the US. I am also currently preparing to travel south of our border and spend a week or so in the capital city. There has been much in the news lately to dissuade anyone from traveling there but of course nothing is ever reported about the amazing things that father is doing there. I have met a brother there who is interested in partnering with me for sports/gym outreach. I have also been invited to travel to a remote area in the mountainous regions there where no one is or has ever been working to our knowledge. In preparation for this and future trips, Lord willing, I have begun language lessons to supplement my current studies. Please pray for provision for both of these trips. They are both very important for our continued work here and we are trusting father to provide for us to go. Also, pray for my protection in the event I am able to travel south. I am taking all precautions but it is not Disneyland.”
Sweet, Sweet Sunday with the Saints
Sunday morning, one of the elders of Cree Gospel Chapel came by to pick up John Rogozinski and take him to the radio station. Each Sunday morning there is a Gospel radio broadcast to Moose Factory & Moosonee. Our John shared his testimony and God’s work of grace, goodness and power in his life with the island’s listening audience.
At 11am, we joined children and adults in worshipping the LORD at the Chapel. We were blessed to see children from VBS as well as some visitors attending. I taught from Acts 20:28, 2 Timothy 3:15-17 & Psalm 19:7-11 on “The Word of His Grace”
After the study, the young men on the team went to the home of Zach & Bianca, our beloved fellow laborers in youth ministry to Moose Factory, to move a large boat and tear down a shed. When you ask a junior or senior high student to tear down a structure, you get the greatest look of “this is too good to be true.”
At 4:30pm, our Moose Factory brethren gathered for a pot luck Feast that was mega memorable and delicious. We dined on moose, goose, rabbit, pork, and much more. We were honored with the generous and delectable hospitality. After the feast we prepared for our Skype connection with the CCP Sunday night prayer folks. It worked beautifully. Afterwards we moved into the Sunday night study, joyously singing knowing the people of God were praying for us in Philly at that very moment. Our students presented the “Everything” skit to the adults in attendance. I then exhorted the congregation regarding God’s gracious commitment to rescue and return their prodigals by His great power. The Biblical teaching was from Psalm 1. At the conclusion of the teaching we prayed for the CGC congregation, turned and faced them & sang to our Far North family-“May the Grace of the LORD be with you, now & always may you stay blameless til He comes…”
We are leaving the island for the mainland Monday afternoon, we’ll rest in Cochrane Monday night and head out towards Philly on Tuesday morning. Lord willing we’ll drive into the CCP parking lot around 10pm on Wednesday night.
Hallelujah Jesus!!!
Ministry to Youth (7/8-7/9)
On Friday night we hosted a Movie & Ice Cream Social event for students in junior & senior high. There was a good turn out of teenagers we’ve met as well as some new faces. Popcorn was popped and we showed the movie Woodlawn. Even in the far north, young people feel that their smart phones are an extension of themselves that they can’t put down but for quite a few students the movie prevailed and they gave it their attention. After the movie was over, Pastor Josh gave an invitation to receive God’s gift of His Son & His great salvation. There wasn’t a response at that time but while ice cream was being served and enjoy, CW students were personally sharing with those who attended and two young men requested to recommit their lives to Christ.
Saturday evening after the Hot Dog Handout outreach we invited students to come to the Chapel for a night of board games, testimony and a drama presentation. It was way cool to watch junior and senior high school students playing Jenga, Uno, coin soccer and other non-electronic games. Everyone then gathered in the front of the sanctuary to hear two members of our team and a young man from Western Ontario, Tony (who had become one of our team) share their testimonies. They were precious, powerful, real & so resonated with the hearts & lives of Moose Factory students. Our team then presented the “Everything” skit and Pastor Josh followed up with an exhortation & invitation to follow Jesus. Some of the students stood and prayed, afterwards there were many heartfelt life stories & tears being shared in personal ministry around the room. Moose Factory youth lingered long after the event was officially over.
I praise the LORD that I was blessed to see students we serve and pour our lives into being used by the Holy Spirit to do the same to the teenagers He’s put in our lives from Moose Factory.
Hallelujah Jesus
Hot Dog Handout @ the Mall
After the last child left the Community Hall, we walked across the parking lot to the island’s mall area. The complex hosts a Northern grocery store, post office, pharmacy, Deli, the Moose Cree government offices & a few other shops. It’s the gathering place for both young and old who live on the island.
Pastor Josh and some brethren from Cree Gospel Chapel had already set up the grill, picnic tables and had the dogs fired up. Our team armed with “Life in 6 Words gospel booklets & hot dogs in hand greeted those going in & out with a bite to eat & the Bread of Life. Soon the tables were occupied by children, teens and adults. Tracts were given, conversations started, the Gospel shared and invites to join us on Sunday morning were given. After an 1.5 hours, our team left the mall area to return to the Chapel for dinner and preparation for the Youth Game Nite. We learned that some significant Gospel sharing continued taking place with individuals at the outreach.
Hallelujah Jesus!
Conclusion of VBS in the Hockey Rink
Our VBS has run each day from Tuesday afternoon to Saturday afternoon. It seemed we had to flex and run it different each day due to time & room changes within the venue but Grace won out each day. We served 85-95 children & teens each day. With each passing day we saw more smiles, heard the singing louder and were blessed to be His hands & feet to the little lambs.
After our singing this afternoon, members of the team presented the “Everything” skit (so precious & powerful-hasn’t gotten old since the first time I saw it a number of years ago), & Chris taught on the return of Christ. When an invitation was given to believe in, receive & follow the Jesus they had learned about all week, 18 or more children stood & prayed with Chris. The children worked on a craft about Jesus’ return, played games and then left smiling wearing the backpack of gifts & holding their balloon sculpture. May each of them by God’s grace, LJ3 (Learn Jesus, Love Jesus & Live for Jesus) day by day-all their days.
Hallelujah Jesus