For the Sperlings blog click hereSperling NewslettersWhere we lived and worked in Uganda:From 2007 - 2020 we lived near Jinja, Uganda which is a bustling business and market town. It acts as a business, administrative and social hub for Busoga (Central Eastern Uganda). The daytime population doubles that of the night population as traders and farmers come to Jinja in order to buy and sell their wares for the day and then return to nearby communities where they live. It is a beautiful town where one can take a ride on the Nile with one of the local rafting companies or go for a nice round of golf next to the River Nile. Jinja is also a tourist town with rafting, kayaking, ATVing and horseback riding being just a few of the local attractions. There are no shortages of cafes, restaurants and mini supermarkets. Jinja is located along the busy and dangerous Malaba-Kampala highway which is host to hundreds of overloaded and poorly running trucks and buses which weave dangerously around bendy roads and deep potholes on their way to or from Kampala and points beyond.
Websites and Resources
Equip website
Facebook Pages
Farming God's Way Documents
Other reports of Interest |
East Africa Trip January/February 2023
Chris and his outreach team at In Field Mentoring Uganda
I've just got back from more than three weeks in Uganda, Rwanda and Kenya. Thanks so much for your prayers -- I could sense God's peace and hand on my time in Africa. I had a great time in each country connecting with many great trainers and farmers alike!
My goal was to continue to cultivate relationships and grow new ones for the purpose of spreading the Good News through Farming God's Way in Uganda, Rwanda and Kenya. First off was a week in Uganda devoted to In Field Mentoring where trainers from all over the world gathered to reach out to three local communities, meanwhile developing our trainers "in the field" as they teach the rural farmers. It was great to meet old friends and make new ones in the great Farming God's Way family. Southern, Western and Eastern Africa were represented as well as North and Central America -- it's amazing to meet people who are reaching people all over the world! I was in charge of a team in a community called Bujagali which is actually one of our own communities where Isaac works - Isaac did a great job of getting our community ready. Our outreach coincided with a celebration of witchcraft in the same village -- it was a spiritual battle but we know Who is winning! Pray for these people in Bujagali who are captive to evil spirits and jealousy. Pray for our farmers to implement with courage and to share their knowledge with their neighbours. We already have a number of farmers who have seen the great difference following God's ways makes! One young man has enough (dry) beans to feed his family for a whole year! Each day of our outreach started with a nice peaceful boat ride across the Nile to our site. I really enjoyed getting to know our team over the week! At the end of the week we were able to accredit 5 new trainers; Jesse, working in Central Uganda, Deo working in Western Uganda and DR Congo, Paul working in Liberia and Nicaragua, Denis working in Central Uganda as well as Joel working in East and Central Uganda. These are the most accredited trainers that we have ever had at an In Field Mentoring event. This is a testament to the great work done by Klint and the rest of the Uganda team! Exciting times -- we can't wait to see how things will unfold in the future! We were able to see 14 people come to the Lord during the week! Pray that these people will carefully tend to the seed of the gospel and grow in their faith. While in Uganda, I was able to see Tugume and Andrew which was good! Tugume is busy at second-year university and Andrew continues to work in Kampala. I also spent my last day in Uganda with my good friend Bill who is reaching out to DR Congo. It was good to have time together like we used to when we both lived in Jinja. He dropped me at the airport in Entebbe where I left for Rwanda six hours late, after a cancelled flight. I was really looking forward to the Rwanda part of the trip. I feel quite at home in Rwanda which I think is a product of Jane being Rwandan, having family there combined with the more orderly way of life. Also, the roads are good, there is almost no garbage anywhere and they drive on the right so I feel like there are some similarities with Canada. I can understand much of the language but have never been really good at speaking as all of my Rwandan relatives can speak Luganda. I was also looking forward to engaging with Peter and Venuste who are great men whom I first met in 2019 at a previous Uganda IFM. Together with Peter and Venuste, we organized a national training in Nyamata, a town just east of the capital Kigali. Peter and Venuste have been working with ATN, a local NGO, for a number of years teaching their communities Farming God's Way and putting it into practice themselves with astounding success! These guys have so much potential! Their impact on their communities can be easily seen in tangible ways! With ATN's help, we put on a three-day workshop in Nyamata which had over 50 people in attendance! A great turnout -- including the local agriculture agent. People from all over the country came, including some Buruindians sent by my childhood pastor Ray Bale who has worked in Burundi and DR Congo for many years. After the second day, I was able to visit a few nearby farmers whom Peter works with and then after the third day, I drove with Venuste all the way to the southern part of the country to stay with him for a couple of days and visit his family and a few of his farmers. Farmer follow-up is one of my favourite things to do -- we were able to witness amazing changes in people's lives as they worked faithfully implementing Farming God's Way. One man, Anaclet, who is a government teacher is getting more from his tree tomato plot each week than he gets from his government teaching job per month! That doesn't even take into consideration that he has enough food for his family from planting maize and beans and cassava! These Rwandan farmers under Peter and Venuste have very quickly moved from attaining food security to economic freedom in a matter of 3-4 years! Another lady, Betty, testified that she went from weighing 50kg as a poor and stressed out conventional farmer to now weighing a contented and healthy 80 kg after switching to Farming God's Way with her husband Philipe. These people are so eager to share Christ and their new-found path to prosperity with their village friends despite jealousy and theft from their fields. They have gone from being despised and overlooked for their poverty to being people who are sought after for their knowledge. One of the reasons these people do so well is that Peter and Venuste are such inspiring examples themselves! Please pray that this marvellous work in Rwanda will continue. My time in Rwanda solidified my relationship with Peter and Venuste and ATN's leaders and thus we look forward to growing a great training and trainer development network in Rwanda through our established connections Another bonus to my time in Rwanda was meeting my newest niece Precious Kalera who was born while I was there ! What a great time seeing friends and family and growing our Farming God's Way network there! My last stop on my trip was a stop in Kenya for almost a week to help run the first Kenya National Training in some time. There has been a lot of Farming God's Way activity there over the last 15 years or so but we needed to consolidate our network and bring new life to the existing relationships. Kenya is in great hands with a great team of trainers and implementors; the goal now is to make these relationships strong and intentional with a move towards coordinated training and follow-up. Antony and Griffin were able to join me for the training with Antony having done a massive amount of work to get the workshop organized. Thanks to Karen Community Church for hosting us so well! We had over 70 people in attendance which was a great way to start off this new era in Kenya! With people coming from all over the country we look forward to great reports of God's Kingdom advancing. Thanks, everyone for your prayers and financial support for our work. I'm hoping such strategic trips will be the norm going forward. Your faithful prayers and giving really make our work possible. We continue to need your financial support, your prayers and even your moral support! A donation, a prayer or an email with an encouraging word go a long way to extending the work we do! Thanks so much! 
An amazing farmer Fillipe who is doing so well with Farming God's Way in southern Rwanda
Pray for Chris' trip to Africa - January '23
Chris will be in Africa for over three weeks from the end of January to mid-February, helping to build strong trainers and strong training networks around the Farming God's Way resource in Uganda, Rwanda, and Kenya. Strong networks and strong trainers mean that the Gospel of the Kingdom will be taught with heartfelt conviction and many will be led to walk in God's ways in both word and deed! This is a spiritual battle -- the darkness of witchcraft, ancestral worship, jealousy and fear is being exposed and pushed back through the teaching of God's word in this powerful and practical way. We need you to pray for this time to be effective and transforming.
First up -- Uganda! In Field MentoringPlease pray for everyone traveling from all over the world to this major event -- pray for safe and timely travels in the air and on the road. Pray for negative COVID tests for those who need them to enter (and leave Uganda. Pray for safety on the roads -- Ugandan roads are crazy! Pray for the up-and-coming trainers who are looking to become accredited; pray that they would put much effort into preparing their hearts and minds for this event. Pray for the communities around Kyando, Mayuge district where the outreach will be. Pray that hearts would be softened so that they may repent and turn from their own wicked ways to God's ways. Pray against the strongholds of witchcraft and ancestral worship which bind so many people in darkness! Pray for good weather and pray that nothing would hinder the local farmers from coming to the village trainings that will be the culmination of this great event. Rwanda National Training In Rwanda, I'll be helping a small team put on the first-ever Farming God's Way national training. Please pray that we will get the word out ahead of time so that the people who would benefit from the training can hear about it and have time to plan to come. Please pray for Chris and his two Rwandan friends Pierre and Venuste to be able to plan a well-organized event that will help impact many. Also, pray that God would add to us key people who will be willing to get this message out with sacrificial commitment. Again pray for safe travels for myself and others who will be traveling to this event just outside Kigali. Pray for many enthusiastic attendees who will return home eager to implement what they have learned and share it with others. Kenya National Training The last leg of my trip will be a few days on the outskirts of Nairobi helping a great team of trainers run a national training. This will be another great opportunity for many to encounter Farming God's Way for the first time and many to brush up on their knowledge and skills and get connected with a great network of farmers and trainers. Pray that possibly another accredited trainer could join me for this time to help share the training burden. Please pray that this event would help relationally link the many trainers and farmers from all over this large country. Pray that people will encounter the Holy Spirit as they attend the training and be convinced to walk in God's ways. Pray that there would be a solid unity among the trainers as we build a forum of men and women who want to see many reached for the Kingdome with this powerful tool. Central Africa Focus Our work in Uganda, Rwanda and Kenya are all part of a strategic thrust into Central Africa to build relational networks as a foundation to good trainings and strong trainers. Please pray that God will direct as we move ahead and consider countries like Burundi, Tanzania and the DR Congo. We need good connections with people who love their communities and nations and are willing to put effort into serving in such practical ways. Prayer Requests as of April 2018-Praise that Jane is feeling better after a bout of low pressure. Praise that we’ve all recovered from a bad cold and flu that came through last month.
-Pray for our farmers and trainers with Farming God’s Way. We will be running our third annual Young Lions Camp where we mentor our young trainers at the beginning of May. Also, we will have our annual National Farming God’s Way workshop in Kampala in early June. Please pray that people will encounter God in a way that leads to change in their lives as they attend these events. -Praise for money for a new vehicle! We’ve now started driving our new Landcruiser! -Pray for our plans this summer. We need finances to come out to renew Jane’s Permanent Resident Card. We are also looking for a place to stay in Abbotsford. Please lift these needs to our heavenly Father in prayer and let us know if you know you have any connections to housing. -Pray for wisdom and strength as we minister to the people of Uganda -Pray for God to open hearts and mind to the Gospel -Pray for the church of Uganda to become mature and partake in building the Kingdom of God in Uganda and throughout the world -Pray for the farmers we work with to be brave to implement Farming God's Way wholeheartedly. -Pray for wisdom for us as parents as we figure out the best education options for our children. The curren toptions of homeschool co-ops is quite expensive for us. -Pray for Jane's father as he is in poor health; pray also that he would truly seek God in these later days of his life -pray for safe travel as we move around Uganda with work and family! Uganda has some of the craziest driving in the world! -Please pray for our son Andrew as he makes his own way in Kampala. Pray that he will humble himself and truly seek God and follow Him is all his ways. Thanks for all your prayers! They are essential to our life here and to the advancement of the Kingdom of God here in Uganda! |