Ministry of Margaret Nelson
Uganda, Africa


May 12, 2004

God's Provisions

After spending nearly a month in southern California with my family, I am once again back up in the Everett, WA, area, my home base. On Mother's Day I had the best visit with my mother of my time there. I'd not been able to see her for a week due to my having taken cold. The day after that, I flew back to Seattle.

Furlough is a busy time for missionaries. It's not a long "vacation" as many think. It's a part of our work. We have our field work overseas, and then when we come home, it's a time of visiting with family and friends, yes, but it's also a time of connecting with supporting churches and friends, speaking, and travel. I enjoy this time, but I find I need a resting time after returning to Uganda just as I do here when I first get home.

I can still be reached by calling New Life Center at 425-355- 9330 if you want to contact me or make arrangements for a visit or speaking engagement.

There has been good news from the ongoing ministries in Uganda. I've talked with Pastor David by phone twice now. The biggest news is that he's finally been able to put a down payment on 3 acres of prime land for building a new church that will house the orphan project, New Life Kids Club. A witchdoctor had offered this land to him over a year ago and David had investigated it thoroughly. We began praying for God to provide the money for him to purchase it, as he cannot do many of the orphan projects he desires to do on rental land. For instance, he wants to start an agriculture project which would 1) teach the kids good farming techniques, 2) provide food for the Saturday New Life Kids Club meetings, and 3) provide food for the prison ministry. A brick making project will provide bricks for the needed structures, and a source of income from selling bricks. Planting a tree nursery will help teach the children the value of trees to the land and to their future while helping combat the deforestation taking place nationally.

A few month ago, some developers looked at the 3 acres and wanted to buy it badly enough that they offered the witchdoctor 25% above his asking price! But he said no, and told David that he was still wanting to sell him the land at the original, lower price. Because of the nature and location of this prime land, the developers have been insistent, and the witchdoctor began to waver a bit under the pressure. We continued to pray! This week David received nearly 50% of the needed money to buy the land right at the time that the developers had gone before the local town council to start the process to buy it at the higher price! But because 2 Muslim members of the council have worked with David on some of his orphan projects, they also told the developers that they could not buy this land - they wanted David to have it!

So God has answered our prayers and has solidified this land transaction. There is an equal amount of money which is also on its way to David, leaving only a small portion of the final balance to be paid. Please continue to pray with us for the land to be 100% paid off.

Living for Jesus is an exciting life!

Margaret Nelson