Greetings from Uganda.

We pray you’ve had a restful and a wonderful New Year with your loved ones; your families and friends all over the world.

As we begin the New Year in Uganda Soroti, we here at the A Kiwi’s House of Aroha, we are praying and fasting together as a Christian community for God’s will to be done regarding buying the land and the people in the Soroti district council.

Romans 16:17-18 - I urge you, brothers and sisters, to watch out for those who cause divisions and put obstacles in your way that are contrary to the teaching you have learned. Keep away from them. for such people are not serving our Lord Christ, but their own appetites. By smooth talk and flattery, they deceive the minds of naive people.

Christmas in Soroti
Most of December was about preparing for Christmas. We didn’t have much presents and it was more about getting together and meeting one another. We invited Doctor Simon (who I met at the hospital) and his wife, Mary, and their five children. They came and filled up the numbers and it was a great day. First on the agenda was a colouring in competition followed shortly by a lolly scramble. There were all sorts of activities going on most of the time, and the children really did enjoy the games. We were filled with so much joy just watching the parents enjoying watching their children, who were thoroughly enjoying themselves. We set up a decorated stage with a backdrop and curtains out on in the yard and we were giving our guests notice that they will have to perform a play, a song or a dance. The Doctor and Mary’s children got up and they sang lots of songs and it was really good to see them enjoying themselves.

The day finished roughly around 6pm and I drove Doctor Simon and Mary and their family home. I got a real surprise when I arrived at their house and opened the door of my van, because I never saw the children get in the back. So, as I counted them falling out, I realised that my 7-seater was overloaded. I went to the Lord with it and told the Lord that I was sorry about overloading, so now I have restricted our capacity of how many people we can take. It was a wakeup call. We have to be obedient to the Lord as the government is upon his shoulders.

Romans 13:1 - Let everyone be subject to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has established. The authorities that exist have been established by God

Doctor Simon is robbed but all is restored
On the 27th of December, Dr Simon went to town to get his bike fixed and while he was there, somebody stole both of his phones. Thieves are everywhere at Christmas time. Sadly, he didn’t have any ID as it was all on his sim card, also he didn’t have any money as that too was on his phone. His money gets paid from the hospital directly into his sim card hence he didn’t have any money and couldn’t pay anyone. About three o’clock in the afternoon, as I was standing at the sink, the Lord wanted me to contact Simon.

Immediately I got ready and went to their home, I realised that the Lord had actually called me there because the doctor was so upset and concerned about the loss of his phones, his ID and all of the papers. He was in his bedroom. It wasn’t until I gave him a note to say that we’re outside and we were here actually praying in the car and waiting for him, that he quickly came out.

He felt a lot better after praying, and it was easier to talk to him. He said that he had lost his information and he didn’t know what to do.

I told him that at 8am the following morning I would take him to the police station where he’ll get his certificates and get everything redone. We prayed along the way that God would open the door and it would be very smooth. God was with us and it only took us one and a half hours to do it all. Praise the Lord.

Update on our Accommodation
A couple of months ago, our landlady said that they were increasing our rent by 1 000 000 UGX, and we knew that we would have to move out as this was too much. We have prayed and brought this before the Lord, and the landlady has now decided not to increase our rent. Praise the Lord we do not have to move.

A short while ago, the landlady’s husband returned home from Tanzania, and after inspecting the house arranged for all the repairs to be done. It wasn’t long until everything was fixed and up to standard. They were also very impressed by the way that we have taken care of the house and would love for us to continue staying on.

House of Aroha Staff
We now have face recognition and the fingerprinting facilities so that we have an electronic control of people signing in and out for work to help us pay wages accurately and simplifying the process. The cook we would need for when the home is up and running would need to cook four different menus for Mondays through to Fridays: three meals a day for elderly people that can’t chew hard on food ; meals for the children that are malnourished and need to have special vitamins and minerals in their food in small amounts; starter food for babies who are still on milk but starting solids; and the staff, they are African and they will eat their food and we need a menu for them too.

And all I need is fresh fruit and vegetables and I would like them to be prepared into a salad or into it like a fruit salad or a vegetable salad and that I would be happy with that. A lady said that she would like to do this job for 800 thousand NGX a month, but when I gave her the menu of what I’m wanting her to do, she said that she couldn’t do it and it was too complicated.

Food
Because we didn’t have a cook, we decided that we would go down to different restaurants to ask them if they would supply us with a cooked meal at lunch time. This lasted for about a month but it became too expensive and the Baptist church Bishop referred a lady to us and she is cooking for the staff at the moment.

Land
We looked at several properties that cost around thirty million UGX an acre, but with the elections on at that time, it forced me to stop and think. At the moment our electricity and internet go off frequently and can be off for days or more at a time. God has used this so make us pause and pray more about the cost, but God has answered our prayers and shown us the way forward.

John and I went to look at another piece of land which is about 5 km from here where I live, it has got a swamp area of two acres which has orange and mango trees on it, and the people who own the land have sent the fruit to the juice factory so that brings an income.

Today John and I went to go and see the Chairman (the mayor) who took us directly to the owner of the land. Instead of us having to drive around to all the people that live around the property to ask them to give acceptance of us buying the land. While we were there the Chairmen said that the documents I had in my hand were in fact for a different piece of land that was only 2 acres big, and not the land I was interested in. The land that we were interested in was 10 acres. The owners of the land have a lot more paperwork to do now to get it ready for sale. Praise the Lord that whatever was done in the darkness has been revealed in the light.

A woman is set free
On the way to seeing the owner of the property, I was giving out sweets to children along the road, and I saw this motorbike coming towards me. Sitting between two men on the bike was a lady who was half naked and nothing on her top. She was gagged and tied up with rope. They mayor was sitting beside me in the van, and he yelled out to them to ask them what was wrong. They replied that she was mad in the head. I then asked if it was ok if I prayed for her, and they replied that it was so we all got out of the van and I started praying for her and rebuking the evil spirits in her. She was hissing at me and making noises; making gurgling noises and trying to spit at me as I was praying. But the evil spirit came out of her and she was set free.

And then I prayed for the dad and told him never to shame his daughter like that again. I also prayed for his brother. The father wanted to give me a gift of money but I said that I would not take money for it. Well, this has caused a ricochet of amazing things to happen. The mayor is so excited and is talking to people about this and are in awe and wonder about it. It is similar to the story in the bible about the good Samaritan where no one wanted to help. In this instance no one would have done it, as they were all men, and embarrassed about the fact that she was half naked but praise the Lord, I was bold enough by God’s grace. It was very good. It emphasized to the people of the village that they need me here as I am a woman of God.

The Baptism and a New Church
After a bible study and praying with a group of people, I sensed something was wrong in the spirit, so, I didn’t take part in acknowledging what they were doing. But I did talk to the Doctor and his wife and told them that there’s something wrong and I will be praying about it, and four days later I wanted to talk to them about it. Four days later, the Lord gave me these scriptures:
Mark 16:16 - Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned.

Acts 2:38 - Repent and be baptised every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins and you will receive the gifts of the Holy Spirit.

I made an appointment to meet them at the gardens and shared with them simply what the Lord had shown me: Jesus said repent and be baptised and Peter said the same thing. As soon as I had said it, they looked surprised and looking at each other and looking at me they said that they had never been baptised. I said that Jesus said it and it’s a command. So, four days later, on Friday the 23rd of January at a hotel swimming pool, eight people were to be baptised; the doctor, his wife and their children. We had to pay $4000 UGX per person just to get them into the swimming pool.

At 3pm my staff and I picked them all up and took them into the pool. In the pool I had John and Simon the doctor to help lower people into the water. As we were doing the baptism, more people came along and requested to be baptised so we told them to come on in, and then we were told there was a car of people coming and wanted to be baptised and so we waited in the water for them. I baptised a total of eighteen people that day! There was a lot of Joy and ululating, and as they came out of the water, many of them came out with such force and spoke in tongues full of the spirit. It was so good! We praised God, and afterwards we went into the hotel where I bought a bottle of coke for everyone. As we sat around the table talking about it and the excitement, they looked like they were in shock.

told them it’s because when you went down into the water, you left the sinful nature behind, and when you came up, you are now a new creation in Christ - truly born again and full of the spirit. It’s an unusual feeling for them but this is their new life in Christ. This Sunday we are starting a church in a hall over the road from a hospital and we have 18 members already!

John 3:22-24 - After this, Jesus and his disciples went out into the Judean countryside, where he spent some time with them, and baptized. 23 Now John also was baptizing at Aenon near Salim, because there was plenty of water, and people were coming and being baptized.

The District Council
On 28th January, Doctor Simon rang me and said we need to talk about what we are going to do about the church, but my phone went flat so I popped over to talk to them face to face. We talked about 5-10 min and we managed to decide on everything in that short space of time – it was good! I asked them about the registration with the city for my company so I can do my work here, and he said to me that he would go to the District Council this coming Monday and tell them on behalf of me that I have written two letters and you I never received a reply from them. I have waited two months and still no reply. He will tell them that if they don’t want me here that I will move to another district. That was discussed and we were happy with that and that will happen. He asked for a copy of my registration so that he will have it ready for Monday. We were all excited but his wife, Mary, said that if we do not get it then we will go to another district to get the registration done. She said that in fact she has got the district 10 minutes away who said they will give the registration and it would only take only 20 minutes to do it. Then I can start the home in the next district. But if that doesn’t happen then we will look at going to Mokono. The doctor said that they have a house in Mokono and that they would go back there tomorrow as they love Mokono. I then told them that I have a registration for Kampala or Mokono and they got excited and prayed about it, as we can see how God is doing things. Psalms 30:1 - I will exalt you, LORD, for you lifted me out of the depths and did not let my enemies gloat over me.

While I was telling them and looking out the door, I saw a bright shiny thing. I got up and saw it was an angel. One with wings were straight up like a doberman’s ear. It was a warring angel and it had commanded the other angels to surround my house. The Lord said to me that the angels are linking arms all around my house they encamped around the house. I saw all the angels – they had their backs to the house looking out. We stood there for a long time looking at it and then it faded. God showing me that as we had purged the home from sin - we had asked a worker who was in sin to leave – we were obedient to the Lord and the Lord encouraged me by showing me the angel and that we were not far away from getting the registration.

This reminds me of Psalm 34:7 - The angel of the LORD encamps around those who fear him, and he delivers them and Psalm 91:11 - For he will command his angels concerning you to guard you in all your ways. Praise the Lord that His word is always true.

1st Timothy 4:1-5 - The Spirit clearly says that in later times some will abandon the faith and follow deceiving spirits and things taught by demons. Such teachings come through hypocritical liars, whose consciences have been seared as with a hot iron. They forbid people to marry and order them to abstain from certain foods, which God created to be received with thanksgiving by those who believe and who know the truth. For everything God created is good, and nothing is to be rejected if it is received with thanksgiving, because it is consecrated by the word of God and prayer.

When I first arrived in Uganda, the Lord told me that everything would be accomplished and ready to start within a year, and that year is up in about 15 days. So, we will wait and see what happens in the next 15 days.

 With love from Sandra.

Praises
We praise the Lord that He consistently reveals all that has been hidden in the darkness and protects us from the incredible attempts of robbery and fraud, and that people are repenting and being saved.

Testimonies
There will be a testimony from John in the next newsletter.

We Need Prayer

Urgent prayer needed because when we were looking at the land they told me that a 32-year-old pastor had been poisoned and all the people were dressed to go to the funeral. When I got home I heard of a pastor that had also just died from being poisoned and he was being buried on Saturday. Then I heard of a priest that had also died of poison. That’s three people in one week. The reason that people are being poisoned is that when they die, they don’t do an autopsy to determine the cause of death and it’s the easiest way out. They are just buried. There is no follow up and it is becoming more common. That is one of the reasons that I am here; because everything that is done in the dark will be revealed in the light. Please pray for us working here. There has been an attempt on me. It is witchcraft.

Tino, a student who lives nearby and helps me from time to time, told me four days ago that her sister, who was only 26 years old and was married with three children, had suddenly died. Tino is planning on returning to school, but my concern that she will have to give up school and her life to take care of her sister’s children aged 10, 9 and 6 years old as there is no one else to care for them. But it’s good that she trusts me enough to come over every second day or so asking for prayer. Please pray that God’s will be done in her life.

Please pray that God’s will be done regarding the purchase of the land. We need the right staff to fill all the job descriptions at the right time.

Contact

Sandra’s Ugandan whatsapp Phone +256 7677218367

Sandras's app number is +64 220938806.

this is free phone calls and texts anywhere in the world

ANZ Bank New Zealand ltd

corner of bank street & rust ave; Whangarei Northland area code 110; Swift Code ANZBNZ22

NAME: SJ KING / ADDRESS: Upon request

ACCOUNT NUMBER: 06-0493-0566562-08

Is for orphanage: Last two digits personal is 00 same number