The Solution to Their Water Problem
“This family has struggled a lot. The Lord provided a gift to the whole community through Pastor Apa. The community of Nambo in Uganda has been given the solution to their water problem.”
– Juma Bwire (Uganda)
A Powerful WHY: Sharing the Message of Clean Water and the Love of Jesus
Recently, Juma, a SWIM team member from Uganda, went to a Muslim community with the message of clean water by showing them how to use the SWIM chlorine producing unit (CPU).
“We had the opportunity to share about the love of Jesus Christ, His gift of salvation, and forgiveness of sins through faith in Him!” exclaimed Juma.
His WHY Made Him Cross Five Districts to Get a CPU
Creating safe, clean water was so crucial to Pastor Massabo from Kamuli, Uganda that he traveled many miles, crossing five districts, in order to be able to pick up a chlorine producing unit (CPU) from SWIM. He had learned about the value of chlorine and the need for a CPU and wanted to help his community, church, and family who were suffering from typhoid.
Byansi, a Ugandan SWIM team member, said, “Even though we couldn’t give him the solar panels and batteries due to not having enough funds, he was willing to buy them to help his community. That is the power of love because CPUs save lives! In addition to a CPU, he also received five Bibles to give out. Thank you, SWIM!”
Climbing Steep Mountain Roads to Share the Gospel
Recently, Juma, one of the Ugandan SWIM team members, climbed steep roads up a mountain in order to share the Gospel and safe water with the people there.
Even though he is afraid of heights, he reported, “God’s grace is sufficient!” He traveled safely in the mountains and spent a whole day sharing about Jesus with pastors and their congregations.
“Thank you SWIM! I am happy to be serving in the mountains.”
Your support allows people like Juma to travel to remote areas to share the Gospel and distribute the chlorine needed to create safe water for people.
Sharing the Blessings
“We give glory to God! Chlorine making and water treatment training was done successfully,” shared Juma, a Uganda SWIM team member. “What a blessing to serve the Lord! It’s an honor to meet brothers in Christ and encourage one another. God bless you, servants of God in Butaleja district.”
Juma added, “Thank you SWIM. The Lord is good!”
Helping to Fulfill Their Visions
It is wonderful to minister to the coming generation.
Juma, a SWIM team member, shares, “As we offer education and discipleship for children and feeding to their souls, we ask you to stand with us in prayer and support. Each one is gifted with a great vision for the future. Our goal is to fulfill their visions by giving them education.”
Most important of all is that “God has placed us in this community to be the hands and feet of Jesus.”
God Provided a Women Empowerment Program in Uganda
A few months ago, our SWIM team was not able to go out into the community because everyone was isolated. So instead of distributing CPU (chlorine producing unit) projects, they fed the hungry. Some of whom they fed were ladies who had been forced into prostitution. As a result of sharing food with them, they joined a Bible study being offered.
Just like in the book of Ruth, there were two women who struggled to have food, but God was with them and provided food for them. Likewise, for these ladies, since we didn’t want them to go back into prostitution, God provided a Women Empowerment Program. With this program, these women are empowered in farming and discipled for the work of God.
Some of them have taken out micro loans and are already paying them back! So far 150 ladies have benefitted, with 650 on the waiting list!
With God’s help, this is a result of the SWIM team being there and meeting their needs. With your support, we are making a difference with the women in Uganda!
The Struggle Continues
“Thank you for fighting waterborne diseases in rural and urban communities in Uganda by providing chlorine producing units in the country,” said SWIM team member, Tony Bwire. “But the struggle continues.”
“The Lord blesses His work. The Gospel will be preached to all people to confirm Jesus Christ is Lord,” said SWIM team member, Juma Bwire. “Through the precious gifts of chlorine producing units from SWIM, we are happy to reach out to the Muslim community with the Gospel of Jesus Christ.”
Through an empowerment program, women are being reached in these communities. “It is a blessing they lead us from community to community,” Juma added. “Jesus is Lord!”
Sharing Chlorine and the Gospel – a Powerful Combination!
Juma shared some wonderful ways that the Uganda SWIM team was able to make a difference for His Kingdom by sharing chlorine and the Gospel of Jesus this past year (2021). Praise the Lord!
· 92 communities were reached with the Gospel of the Lord and CPUs (chlorine producing units).
· 130 souls were won to Christ.
· 205 Bibles were given out.
· 55 pastors were equipped – most of them came from churches planted by Juma and his team.
· 155 women received loans to use in farming to have food in their homes through the women’s empowerment program.
· Over 500 children were blessed with food distribution in their homes through the children’s program.
· 240 needy and orphaned children were registered so they will be able to receive an education.
What can one person do?
“What can one do in this world that is full of challenges, deception, hatred, etc? One can tell a friend that Jesus Christ is Lord.”
Juma Bwire, one of the Uganda SWIM team members, shared this thought as he thanked SWIM for helping communities to have treated water and be able to hear the Gospel of Jesus.
“Whenever you have an opportunity to share the Gospel, use every means possible for the glory of our Lord,” he said. “Thank you SWIM. We were able to reach communities with the Gospel of Jesus Christ.”
The church
Praises from Uganda
The best part of distributing chlorine producing units (CPUs) in Uganda? Every single house that has access to a CPU has access to the Gospel of Jesus Christ!
Juma, a Uganda SWIM team member, shares, “It’s a great pleasure to show love to people and help them with water treatment. The most important thing is encouraging evangelism in communities to spread the message of Christ our Lord and Savior!”
“We give glory to God for every single community that receives a CPU for their water treatment. Thank you to SWIM. Thank you Okello Charles for sharing the Gospel and teaching the people how to treat their water. We give glory to God!” he added.
Your support of SWIM is making such a difference! Thank you!
Unsafe water wasn’t the only problem this church had…
A church in Uganda called Love and Truth had a problem with water. But they also had something worse than that to deal with – they did not have a complete copy of the Bible!
The Bibles they had to teach from contained only parts of Genesis and Revelation and Jude.
Thanks to Tony of SWIM Uganda, not only were chlorine producing units (CPUs) given out with instructions, but the Gospel was preached and 10 new copies of the COMPLETE Bible were distributed!
Praise the Lord! What JOY this church now has!
YOUR support of SWIM helped to make this happen!
Wiping away tears from their beatings, the children came back to church
Byansi of the SWIM Uganda team started his story with these words: “Hallelujah, You are worthy of my worship!”
In a Ugandan community, two witch doctors came during a church service, after discovering that their wives and children had been escaping to church every Sunday. Coming with bundles of sticks, they called their wives and children out of church, taking them home to beat them.
The witch doctors claimed, “Your Jesus and your pastor sent fire and demons to our homes. Now we have no peace, no money.”
But – the children responded to their fathers: “We love Jesus and our pastor, but not demons and shrines in our home. Beat us and after, we are going back to church now.”
Immediately after being beaten all of the children returned to church, wiping away tears on their face.
Byansi said, “I am in awe of God. The children (between the ages of 5 to 16) had the boldness to speak out to their fathers which had resulted in the two families giving their lives to Christ. Jesus is working!”
Please keep these families in your prayers.
CPUs Desperately Needed in a Ugandan Refugee Camp
In a refugee camp called Bidibidi, located in northern Uganda, there is a huge need for chlorine producing units (CPUs). One of the SWIM team members there reported that he has been approached by many people, asking for CPUs. His answer was telling them to pray for more to be provided.
This is Pastor Yunda Andrew from the biggest refugee camp in Africa. He said people are dying from typhoid and diarrhea. No medical care and lack of clean water are huge problems. He wants to help these people – CPUs are desperately needed here. There are SWIM team members who can deliver and share them as soon as they are provided.
Praise and Thanks from Uganda
Juma, a SWIM team member, shares praises and thanks from Uganda.
PRAISE:
I am happy to report that I have been able to secure the solar panels, batteries, and solar charger controllers so we can reach 25 communities with CPUs this spring.
I have bought 150 copies of the Iuganda Bibles. These will be given to people in churches who do not have their own copy. Special emphasis will be given to new converts.
THANKS:
Thank you so much for the support of building up the body of Christ in Uganda – especially as the world is going through a hard time with the pandemic.
I believe many lives will be touched and souls will be won to Christ.
Bibles + Chlorine = Excited People
From the Buwembula Heartland Worship Center in Uganda: “Thank you God for the ministry of SWIM which has blessed our church with six Bibles and a CPU system. Many families are excited and blessed to have chlorine.” Every church member received chlorine.
Gifts of Bibles Bring Excitement!
In the Namadhi community in Uganda, there was lots of excitement as really old copies of Bibles were replaced with new ones and church members who did not have a Bible were gifted their own copy! Okello Charles and Philip visited the church to share these Bibles with the people.
The old copies (see photo) were not complete as books of the Bible missing, but it was all they had – until SWIM gave them new, complete copies of the Bible.
“Our appreciation goes to SWIM! Thank you for giving us this wonderful opportunity!”
The Gospel + Chlorine = Lives Being Changed
Lives are being changed in Uganda! Juma reported that he recently had the opportunity to share the Gospel and chlorine with people in Buwagama.
He wrote in an email: “I introduced them to what the Bible teaches about loving one another.”
He added, “It was a great refresher for the souls of people who for a long time have been spending on the treatment of typhoid. Everyone was surprised how the church can serve clinically to save people’s lives.”
The local authorities also gave their appreciation of SWIM’s ministry.
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Sharing the Gospel in “Unreachable Areas” with CPUs
Below is part of an email from Juma, who is a SWIM team member in Uganda.
I have been able to reach out to people in communities with the Gospel and chlorine. By the grace of the Lord, I have reached five communities and given them CPUs.
The communities I have reached are in the most unreachable areas. They are located far from the hospitals, have poor transportation, and big problems with water. They use community wells that are unprotected and contaminated.
The greatest opportunity I have through SWIM is that I can reach communities in my country with the Gospel, in accordance with the Great Commission. We have the greatest blessing to reach out to souls.
Because we are encouraging people to use treated water with chlorine that is freely available in these communities, this has increased the population in churches that have CPUs. They use CPUs to evangelize the communities.
Our women’s program is doing well. They share chlorine whenever they meet, and they invite friends to meet for Bible study. We teach them to encourage one another in any hardship and to work together.
Give a Gift with Impact and Eternal Significance!
Give a gift with purpose – one with eternal significance! Fund an on-site chlorine-producing unit (CPU) for those around the world suffering from unsafe water and share the gift of Jesus.
See for yourself the powerful impact people have experienced by receiving a CPU! Watch these short examples of actual people who have been helped by the CPUs and as a result have been told about Jesus.
SWIM video: https://youtu.be/vldqNsyjxG0
In the video, Juma, one of the SWIM team members, said, “Our work is to coordinate with people in the communities by giving them CPUs which are used for making chlorine. It is that which they use to go to people’s homes and teach them how to use the chlorine to treat their water, and we also share with them Christ. So the main point as to why we do everything is to share with them the love of Jesus Christ.”
Praise the Lord for a New Church in Uganda
A new church is beginning in Uganda! Bricks are being made for the church building. Praise the Lord for this progress! One team member explained that this new church is the “result of SWIM’s distribution of chlorine in the community.”
Reaching an Isolated Community
A CPU was given to the community of Nabinyu, which is located in a very rural area in Uganda. “We praise the Lord for the opportunity to reach this isolated community,” said a SWIM team member.
“I Praise the Lord I Have Not Been Arrested!”
A SWIM team member from Uganda sent a message about how they are doing during lockdown. Your support of SWIM has allowed them to be able to distribute four chlorine-producing units (CPUs) in different communities.
He wrote: “Under lockdown we have had the opportunity to share chlorine and give out a total of four CPUs in different communities. One of which is a potential for a church plant. Thank you so much for your support. Our country is still in lockdown, so by having gatherings, we break the COVID-19 government policies. Our communities are most affected by the effects of policies put in place because of the virus.
The Lord has given me the opportunity to reach several communities and share with them chlorine. I praise the Lord I have not been arrested! Right now, my team and I are ready to reach more communities and teach them about chlorine. If we are blessed with more batteries and solar panels, we shall be able to reach more with the gospel.”