August 2003
Dear Partners in Ministry,
We praise the Lord how he has blessed with scheduling for deputation. In September the door has opened for us to travel to Nova Scotia and New Brunswick, Canada. Jason Cochran, a good friend of mine, was recently accepted as pastor of Grace Baptist Church, and has invited Kristy and me to be in his first missionary conference September 28-October 1. There is one other meeting scheduled while in Canada, and we have the possibility of a couple more. Please pray specifically for God’s mighty working as we travel in Canada. October and November’s weekends are becoming full too…with 3 mission conferences and 5 meetings, life will be anything but dull!
Please pray for us as we continue trying to fill the schedule for January, March and April. Is it not amazing how God works! I just received a phone call from Rick Johnson in Huntsville, AL. He received one of our packets of information and called wanting us to be in his missionary conference in March. This is an illustration of how your prayers are being heard and answered.
The entire time in Uganda we saw only one snake, and we were inside a vehicle while it was sliding through the brush. This past week we encountered a snake in our living room. What an adventure as we tried to dispose of it!
As you pray for our ministry, we ask that you will also be in prayer for the missionaries currently in Uganda. The situation is often volatile with rebel leaders. We are enclosing an update we received this week from one of the missionaries.
Thank you for you for your prayers and support.
In His Service,
Tony & Kristy Applegate--(update below)
Again let me say thank you for your prayers. We are not getting much information about the results of the fighting. A teacher from Teso college, which is about 2 miles away, was going nearby to get some food and was killed yesterday. There is much activity around the military camp but no one will say anything.
I really need your prayers. We are helping around 600 at the church and another 100 in the homes of our people. Let me give you the scenario I face several times a day. Already today a family, husband, wife and 3 children and 30 minutes later a lady with 4 children came and sat down in the dirt in front of me and said, "Please pastor, we are sleeping on the ground with no blankets, we have not eaten for at least a week. Could you please give us some food?" 10 minutes later one of the ladies in our camp came and they showed me the baby on her back and said the baby was dying. They asked if I could help them to the hospital. They were not asking for a ride, they have no money to get the baby into the hospital. It would cost about $3.00. What do I do? I turned away an old man and his grandchild when we thought we were full when we had 250. I cannot get their faces out of my mind. With the thousands of people here like those I've mentioned I have to draw the line somewhere.
I have not asked for anyone to help but God has been bringing in some help from individuals and churches. I have simply told God that I would feed, get blankets etc. for as many as I can without being foolish and as long as the money is there. Several have asked where to send help. If you want to help, send it to us at BIMI for Ugandan Refugees # 688. That keeps the accountability for us. Please email us so we will know what has been sent in. We do ask for your prayers that God will give us wisdom in this situation.
Because of Christ,
Bryan and Cheri Stensaas
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