UGANDA—CHALLENGES FOR PRAYER

UGANDA STATISTICS
FAST FACTS—Please Pray!

· The average Ugandan lives on less than $1.80 a day.

· 38% of children chronically undernourished or stunted.

· 30% are illiterate.

· only 25% of young people remain in school past grade 6.

· There are 2.5 million orphans, including 1.2 million orphaned from AIDS.

CHILDREN IN CRISIS
Did you know that nearly 50% of the population in Uganda is under the age of 14? Children are the most vulnerable victims to corruption. Thousands have been abducted for use as child soldiers in occult-powered militia groups or forced to become sex slaves. Also numbing poverty deprives many children—including up to two million orphans—of care, finances for education and hope. Pray especially for street children, who are most numerous in Kampala, and for children living in the north where wide-spread terror and countless atrocities have occurred.

CHURCH UNITY
The Church in Uganda has seen both wonderful breakthroughs and immense obstacles. There are numerous divisions in the Church, and the proliferation of independent and single-congregation denominations makes true unity a massive challenge. Syncretistic practices and false teachings are multiplying even as the Church grows. Pray for reconciliation amoung churches and that the Holy Spirit might lead Christians into all truth and that all falsehood might be cast aside.

SUPERFICIAL CHRISTIANITY
The majority of Ugandans identify themselves as Christian, but materialistic attitudes, polygamous practices and non-biblical worldviews – all affecting lifestyle – are common. For many, being “Christian” simply means not being Muslim. Pray for renewal that would turn nominal Christians into true disciples of Jesus Christ.

*Above info from; Operation World—7th Edition; www.operationworld.org

PRAYING FOR LABORERS

Then he said to his disciples, “The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few, therefore pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest.”  Matthew 9:37-38

We are in the middle of our busiest time of the year for recruiting student missionaries for our summer international outreach. As we have shared with students in churches, Christian schools, and online, we are keenly aware of the fact that “the Lord of the harvest” is in charge of sending out these laborers. The nations must hear the gospel. Yet, the Lord himself teaches us to plead with him to call, equip, and send out laborers. The task in near impossible. But it is our responsibility as believers to pray, put our faith in action, and depend on Jesus to see it happen!

Please pray earnestly with us as we work to raise up a generation of laborers who will go and bring the good news of Jesus to a world in need. Lord, we plead that you will burden and convict students to fully surrender their lives to your call:

· Enable them to have a deep and intimate relationship with Christ.

· Mold them into powerful witnesses for the sake of the nations.

· Grant them to have a clear and definite call to missions.

· Remove anything that would hinder their service for the summer and beyond.

As you pray, ask the Lord to put a young person in mind (ages 13—26), who you can share our brochure with (enclosed) and talk to about possibly serving with us this summer. Thank you for your partnership in sending out laborers for the harvest!

ALBANIA MISSION TRIP

Last month, Reign sent a mission team to Albania to serve in church planting efforts. Albania is 60% Muslim and less than 1% Evangelical Christian. The team focused mostly on English training and cultural exchange, but the underlying effort was to expand the presence of a partnering church in their community.

Student highlights included: Thomas sharing the gospel with three Muslim teenagers; Rachel teaching English in a school;  Henry visiting the homes of new Albanian friends. When asked what compelled them to love the Albanian people whom they never met before, Rachel responded, “We genuinely care about their salvation.” Everyone agreed!

KAIROS L.A. MISSION TRIP RECAP

Kairos Minneapolis and Kairos Seattle teamed up in Los Angeles, California for an inner-city mission trip last month! They partnered with remarkable organizations such as the L.A. Regional Food Bank, Union Rescue Mission, Midnight Mission, Compton Initiative, and Dream Center. Students learned practical ways to engage with and serve the homeless in their respective communities!

KAIROS MINNEAPOLIS—HONDURAS

Kairos Minneapolis has returned from another successful mission trip to the Southern Opalaca Mountains in Honduras. Trip highlights include: serving in an orphanage of 35 girls, working on construction projects around the facility, leading church services, teaching a workshop on worship and prayer, and running a vacation Bible school. Over the years, students have built strong relationships and boldly proclaimed Christ.

KAIROS SEATTLE—COSTA RICA

In March, Kairos Seattle will be in Costa Rica as they continue to pioneer a new ministry in two different towns. Their main focus of ministry will be in high schools running their English classes. They are also partnering with a local church to help develop a youth ministry within their town. Please pray for their time and investment in these new areas as they help propel the gospel for years to come!

MEET FAITH - A Student at Kairos Discipleship School in Minneapolis

What’s been the most beneficial part of Kairos this school year?

“Learning about identity and who I am in Christ has impacted me the most. Everything I have learned has tied into who I am in Christ.”

What’s after Kairos for you?
“Oak Hills Christian College in Bemidji, MN. My future depends on me listening to God’s call for where I’m supposed to go.”

What has Kairos meant to you?
“Kairos has been the most influential thing in my entire life. It has helped me in my faith in God. I don’t know what I would have done if I didn’t come to Kairos.”