|
|
Space Mountain Ride at Disneyland helped me keep alert!
Johnson Ogema, ICM staff man in Uganda, had a carload. Two fellow pastors and his wife Betty had gone with him to deliver Purpose Driven materials for ICM's upcoming weekend
conference. Spirits were high and expectations energizing. As they traveled toward home
on a two-lane road, all seemed well with the world. Johnson was paying close attention to his driving, while the others kept a joyous buzz of conversation going inside the car. He passed many trucks along the road, so at first sight the fuel tanker heading toward him was barely noticed. Then suddenly he realized it was drifting into his lane. Johnson flashed his headlights over and over as the truck headed straight at them.
Johnson writes,
"God gave me a sound and stable mind. I did all I could to miss him, but he still knocked us from our rear indicator. Our vehicle tumbled, overturning twice. The truck driver, while speeding, had fallen asleep at the wheel. To my surprise, my experience riding Space Mountain at Disneyland helped me keep alert and sober during the accident. I did not panic or lose my mind! In fact I remembered to turn off the engine as our car rolled-over the second time! What could have been a head on collision, turned into another opportunity for us to see God rescue us from tragedy. The Lord gave me a sound and stable mind, sparing our lives and most of the things in the vehicle. My laptop cracked but not our bones or our confidence in the Lord. In all this we are
more than conquers thru Him who loves us so much!"
Click Here for more of the Story
UGANDA
1877 Protestant missionaries arrive
1879 Catholic missionaries arrive
1888 United Kingdom rules
1962 Independence gained
1971-1985 Idi Amin rules country as military dictator, costing an estimated 300,000
Ugandans' lives
1992 ICM begins work in Uganda
1999 ICM-Uganda Seminary begins
2004 First BA graduation at ICM-Uganda Seminary- Tororo
Hope of Africa Fund
The Hope of Africa is Jesus, nothing more or nothing less. We in ICM are committed to partnering with you and those in Africa to ensure that every man and woman has a chance to hear the Good News of Jesus and to grow in the grace and knowledge of the Lord Jesus. Your donation to this fund helps make this goal a reality. To donate on-line just click here.
 The Ogemas saw the favor of God and His promises very clearly that day. Phone calls and emails have come from all around the world. "Over four hundred believers and nonbelievers reached out to our home to thank God with us," Johnson marvels.
“We are recovering fast, and His grace is sufficient! Above all, the love of God through the brethren has been our comfort. Thank you for loving us and praying earnestly with us! We have nothing to offer except 'thank you very much!’"
While driving to work on an ordinary blue skied, praise filled morning, a slam, swerve, crash, roll is not supposed to happen. Good and bad commingle in such moments. Joy and grief, blood and gasoline, relief and remorse all interlace. All things work out together for our good.
This accident stopped the ICM van, slowed down the team with aches and pains and placed more financial obligations on an already shoestring ministry. Yet the Uganda team resounds with the Apostle Paul, “Since God has so generously let us in on what He is doing, we’re not about to throw up our hands and walk off the job just because we run into occasional bad times.” II Corinthians. 4:1, The Message
Two weeks after the accident Johnson Ogema and the ICM team started trainings again:
On Feb 5th and 6th, they trained 40 pastors in Kampala, Uganda’s capital, on how to grow Christian marriages!
On Feb 10th and 11th, 150 pastors were trained to teach Purpose Driven principles. Johnson reports: “The first day participants did not have any food to eat for the whole day. They voluntarily listened attentively to the word from 8 am to 5 pm! We wondered if they would even come back the following day. To our surprise, most of them showed up! I was challenged to pick up the $13 I had in my pocket and help them buy food! Salvation is real to these guys!”
On 12th and 13th, the team trained well over 200 pastors and many civil leaders! They also launched an agricultural program in their area, which will help alleviate poverty.
Such encouraging reports from the field give cause for thanksgiving. Considering these come just weeks after their pain gifting accident, elicits songs of praise, “Well done my good and faithful servants.”
ICM joins together with the Apostle Paul as he continues speaking God’s truth.
But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us. We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed.
II Cor. 4:7-9
Subscribe to the ICM Newsletter
|
