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An update from Uganda where God is working a country that is just about to become the youngest country in the world. I'm with my friend Mark Guthrie, a rare coffee and a delicious coffee at a French pastry, a new one here in Winston-Salem called Copain that my buddy Jimmy Noble recently opened. Pretty cool place. It's nice to get a taste of French, isn't it my bud? It's awesome. It's awesome.
I don't even like stew. I just came for the restaurant. What would you say in French to somebody out there about how delicious this is?
Tres bien. He stole the words right out of my mouth. Mark, God's working in Uganda. I get chills and I get excited every time I see you, and I may not see you for some time, so I had to grab, I had to turn on the mic.
Our listeners want to know what God's doing in a country where young people are everywhere and where are the parents? It's just been just an epidemic of that. Talk about it. Yeah.
In just a moment. It is either the youngest or becoming the youngest depending on what statistics you look at. It's the size of Oregon and has 48 million people in it. Oregon has 4 million. The government statistics tell us by 2050, 100 million, the 21st most populous country in the world. Right now, the average age is 15, and so half the population is under 15.
There's 24 million kids right now that are under 15 years of age. What we're doing, I had the opportunity to build a school there called the Amazama School right on the edge where the Nile River starts from Lake Victoria. Then taking that model, we started something called the Renew Uganda Initiative. We're working with the Ministry of Education. We're working with the Church of Uganda, many of the major education organizations going after the hearts and minds of the administrators and the teachers. There's 500,000 of them because they're the ones influencing those 24 million kids. Our motto is transform people, transform people.
Just like from Acts when Peter and John are like, I can't help but speak what I have seen and heard. We want thousands and even hundreds of thousands of administrators and educators working in the lives and the hearts of these kids saying, we can't help but speak what we have seen and heard. This ministry systematically goes after those 500,000 educators. With all these young people, you have this awful... I'm a dad of daughters, hashtag girl dad. My heart breaks for the young lady. Talk about the young 13, 14-year-old girl who goes to school in Uganda.
Talk about what she faces and how all that's broken your heart and driven you to do something so big that could change the whole country. They're targets, too. They're targets. As young ladies approach puberty there, they're targets even among their family, but certainly among the village. As soon as they approach puberty, they become sexually active.
One of the hardest parts of a girl's life is just being in a village and growing up because everybody is coming after. I work with 15-year-old girls that have three children. It's an epidemic and those girls are just unprotected. There's not a lot of dads. There's a lot of men going around and impregnating women, but not a lot of dads that stayed the course. Very, very, very, very, very few. What happens again are these girls grow up unprotected. The only thing they have is themselves. It's brutal. Often, even a young lady, because they have nothing left, they would sell their bodies for maybe $0.30, $0.40.
God has said they're priceless. They do have a defender. I tell all the men that. They do have a defender.
He is watching everything. One of the things we do, again, with the Renew Uganda Initiative working inside the schools is put in place policies and procedures that protect the girls. They cannot learn unless they're safe. They cannot learn if they fear. That's one of the best things that this ministry does is it really allows them to have a safe space to learn and grow and heal.
Mark, why Uganda? You're a gifted guy. You've been a missionary in France. You've taught at the highest level. You were one of the real key leaders at Caldwell Academy, a classic Christian school over in Greensboro, North Carolina, where a lot of leaders went there.
What is it about? One day you called me and said, Stu, you're not going to believe this. I couldn't believe it. You told me God called you there.
Then these doors have opened like an amazing Roman road, Roman's road right there. You've got to talk about that. Again, God's humor, I think we would say, and many of you can identify with that. I had no desire growing up that I'm going to be a missionary in Africa for now 11 years.
That's not it. But in 2010, when I was the head of school at Caldwell Academy in Greensboro, we ended up adopting two young men that have changed our world for the better. Pius and Brian, they're biological brothers and they're Ugandan. We went to Uganda and we adopted them and that started opening. You know how God works. That started opening doors and opening doors and opening doors till four years later, we moved them back over to their country and built this school.
And so it was just God, again, working. When you say you're open and you search the scriptures and you say, here am I, then he puts you in a place. And now I would say, I don't have a passion bigger anywhere than Uganda. When I landed in Tebe, Uganda, which I'll do next week, I'm home.
I'm home. And God has given me a heart and a passion and a desire to see this 48.5 million people come to know Jesus Christ as their savior. They're beautiful people. It's the Pearl of Africa as Winston Churchill called it. It's a beautiful country. And so for me, it is really a privilege that he has called me there. And for me, it's, it's a lifetime calling.
Wow. So paint the picture because I want people listening to everyone I've talked to every church I go to every, I've got, we, we've called three people while we've been here telling them to call you back, have everyone's got some kind of Ugandan connection, or they know a, well, I know a missionary that went over there, or I know a, an educator that retired and went over there to serve. Or I know someone who traveled through there on a short term missions trip. You got 30,000 schools and they've all just said, come on in, talk about the scope of this and how listeners can get involved in terms of praying, donating, what kind of, what, what are the needs and what is the scope? You know, uh, I'm biased, but I'm going to tell you, there's a window here that is wide open in Uganda, especially which influences a huge part of East Africa. And that window is I do have the ability to go into Muslim schools, into, um, obviously church of Uganda schools, into secular schools and all of that, and clearly proclaim the gospel clearly go after the hearts and minds. Again, the spirit has to do that, go after the hearts and minds of those educators and teachers. There is a window that God has opened and we are pouring in for the night is coming.
And so you say, what do you need? I think it's the best investment in the world cause we're not building buildings. There's already 30,000 of them built and we already built one of one school there already.
We don't want to do that. We want to influence what is there. And so for the renew Uganda initiative, you go to renew Uganda.org you can see a, please give with us.
It is not a zillion dollar budget. It is every dime going to build people again, transform people, transform people. So we're working inside the colleges, we're working inside the schools, we're working inside the ministry of education. We're doing all of that because that's where we believe our impact is. It's influence.
It's not building more infrastructure. And so that part's great. And again, the open doors, the, the literally the lady that was just appointed, the permanent secretary of Uganda for education is part of the renew Uganda initiative. And so God has said, said here that he's, his spirit's working greatly. What do we need?
Sure. We need giving. We need prayer desperately. We took time last year and paused the ministry for a moment just to say it's going fast is God here and making sure all of us came together and we spent a ton of time on our knees begging God to make sure again, it's his spirit moving forward and not something else. And so yes, funding would be wonderful. We would be, we would be so happy for that prayers. We're desperate for it because again, without it, we don't get favor and nobody's heart gets changed radically without it.
And then, Hey, I didn't think I'd ever go over there. If you're especially an educator, contact me, we can use you. The harvest is exploding. We are systematically going after these 500,000 educators, 30,000 kids. Um, I mean 30,000 schools, 24 million kids, but we need people. And so transformed people that want to come and say, I can't help but speak what I've seen and heard as we just talked about.
And so if you have an interest in a short term or longterm mission, let me know because we have a place, we have a place where you could plug in and, and, uh, and really multiply your gifts a thousand times over. 24 million people in Uganda are 15 and under. It's a country of children. So you're like one big fat youth pastor, but you're an educator. God's given you these advanced degrees from big universities here. He's giving us this foundation of being a teacher, being a headmaster of significant schools of education, being in the mission field, being trained by the best. And now all of that is just being fleshed out in a country that's so desperate and he's the gospel and you need our help. Friends, please. I know the people on this guy's board, they're solid as rocks. I know this guy, I've known his family. He loves Jesus and he is really doing something there. So please support.
I believe you said it's renew yugana.org is that right? And people can go there and they can just get dialed in and just start praying because the Lord's moving and friends get your quit, quit navel gazing. You know, we, we, we look at our, you know, we look at our mirror where myopic, we, we have this short term vision. Well, I've got my problems in America and there are people over here that need food.
Of course there are. But just think about the nations. Think about God. God is a God who, who, who loves the world. God so loved the world, right? John three 16. Get us out of here with that.
Mark and your final thought. Yeah, God, God is a diverse God. He loves the whole, the entire world and it's not a, it's not an either or God is at work and he's bringing his kingdom together. And so what I do in East Africa, and if some of you jump in or invest with us again, you're investing for eternity, but also it is crossing over with what happens in the United States and in Europe and in Asia.
Things are now becoming much smaller as the world goes. And so again, pouring out your heart and your life in Uganda is, is all, is, is all kingdom focused. And so our passion is not the renew Uganda initiative. It is the name of Jesus Christ and that it goes forth in East Africa and in the United States of America and far beyond because we again join hands with, with people that are like minded and built around the scripture and the name of Jesus Christ.
And so again, I never thought I would invest one day in Uganda and yet here I am 11 years into it and saying, I can't imagine being anywhere else. Again, may God be glorified. Hey man, Mark challenge us about being ambitious for the gospel because if we're sitting down with a bunch of guys in ties and they're, they're talking to the top fast food franchise or to the top bottling franchise in America to take it to Africa, if they don't, if they go into a country and they don't have 200 of these restaurants up in the next two years, they're fired and someone else comes in and they go over there and it's gangbusters. And everyone says, I want my big Mac from here, you know?
Right. And so, but, but why as believers, should we be any less ambitious? Why as believers should we be saying, Oh, don't take my donor or Oh, that's my territory.
No, that's my area. What are you doing over here? I mean, why are we so in our little turf wars and you know, protecting our quote unquote territory. Talk about that, how we need to be ambitious for reaching this world with the gospel. There's still 3 billion.
I say it and people are like another, he said it again, like a broken record, but what about the people that have never heard the gospel? Yeah. Wow. That's, that's what, what a, what a questions do. Again, what, what I would say is a work for the night is coming and there's certainly no time for, for the petty arguments. Missions is like the worst. By the way, often we try to push other missions down. So we raise ourselves up. So you'll give to us, not to them.
I want, we want no part of that. Again, the, the we're at war, we are at war and, and other, other, other religions are, are strategically moving forward and we're fighting amongst ourselves. And, and we're seeing that very much.
There are now, when I left Uganda a couple of weeks ago to come back here, there are, the number was 50,000 Chinese that have moved into Uganda, moved in to Uganda and they are building the roads, they're building factories, they have, and they are strategically quietly and strategically taking over. And, and so it is a, but, but again, it's the strategic part about it. The Muslims, the march to the sea, we should talk about all of that stuff. You know, they are strategically having lots of children there and they're there. So they're basically multiplying through reproduction and, and so they all have a plan.
They're putting, trying to get people in strategic parts of the government and they're trying to vote their people in. And then we as Christians are sitting down on the side saying, we're trying to be nice and tolerant and accommodating and we're at war and we're at war and war being, again, it's not a physical thing that we're out there. It's a spiritual war. And so we need to realize the dynamics of what's happening right now. Our lives are short and it's a generational battle. And so all that counts about us is our faithfulness and then passing the baton to the next generation and trying to create a godlier generation beyond us, behind us than we were, Stu. And so for me, I think about it literally every day I wake up and say, Mark, we're at war.
Okay. Get in the word, get your armor on because the spiritual attacks are, are, are, are, are unbelievable. And where I am literally in Uganda, they considered a spiritual portal. And I mean, they, again, we have a lot of child sacrifices, a lot of witch doctors, every village has one, you know, all of these things that we deal with. And so again, it is a real demonic battle that you're fighting, but we have, we have the crucified blood of Jesus Christ. That's what we're celebrating Easter. We have the resurrecting power that all of these demons tremble, all of them tremble. We just need to get out there and share.
Yeah. You know, the coach often quotes Truman and of course this has been attributed to a lot of guys. It's amazing what can be accomplished when no one cares who gets the credit.
Mark Guthrie is a man who doesn't care who gets the credit. I've introduced him to so many people doing either similar things or different things in the same area as Uganda or Africa. And he just is like, open arms, come on, let's go. Let's reach the world together. Also, I'll financially support you. I mean, it's really, there's so many people that need to hear the gospel, you know, that we're not, we're not in competition with other Christian radio stations. We're all on the same team. And if they win more souls than me, more power to them. Hallelujah. You know, we're all on, we're all on the straight commission called the great commission, right? Mark Guthrie.
So this is huge. What you said, thank you for what you're doing. Folks, please pray for Mark and all those that are involved in what, what God is doing in Uganda and all over the world. He's traveling a lot just to meet me for coffee here with all this chaos here. We're an outside, it's a beautiful spring day, windy and nice. We had coffee, but there's some horns honking and there's some delivery trucks going by, but you just, you and I are sitting here, we don't know next time I'll lay eyes on you. Maybe, you know, maybe six months, maybe a year, you know, maybe in Uganda when I would finally get a basketball team up with crossfire and team truth and, and a baller nation to go over there.
We'd love to do that. But Mark, as we get out of here, your favorite verse, what is a verse that Mark Guthrie kind of hangs his hat on that just hits your heart that God has put in you that you want to share with our listeners out there? So many amazing listeners that listen to this program every week.
Yeah. Thank you, still. And thank you listeners.
Really. Thank you for, for being engaged and involved in the kingdom of God. My favorite verse is first Corinthians 15, 57 and 58. It says, but thanks be to God who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore, my dear brothers and sisters stand firm, let nothing move you always give yourself fully to the work of the Lord, because you know your labor in the Lord is never in vain. And that certainly wakes me up every morning. Labor in the Lord today is never in vain, doesn't matter what you're doing changing diapers. Whatever it is, the labor in the Lord is never in vain. God takes it, he expands his kingdom and he receives the glory.
