We apologize that we cannot feature photos of all 102 native language Bible recipients on this page. The site will not accomodate that many photos on one page. Thank you. Danny McDowell
A note from Bishop Pastor Bita James Oloo [Jimmy]
Am so grateful to present to you report about our BFU August Teaching and bible distribution conference.
I started my trip from Lusenke on Monday 24th August 2015 at 4am. I traveled in a village taxi with my bags packed with my clothes and stuffs and a heap of clothes which we distributed at the conference. I traveled to Kampala to meet with Joshua and pick our boxes of bibles from the book stores. I arrived in Kampala at 7:00am and few minutes later, Joshua also arrived. We got the bibles from the bookstores and boarded a bus to Bukedea. We left Kampala at 9am with a bus, traveled safely and arrived in Bukedea at 5pm. We found Pr Okurut Robert and other pastors waiting to greet us in Bukedea town. We were then received by them with much joy and taken to Okurut’s home on a boda-boda with all our luggage, where
we were being accommodated until the end of the conference.
Jimmy's bus arrives in Bukedea
Jimmy stepping off the bus
a long ride from Kampala-----and more to come
on to Okurut's home deep in the village via boda boda----Okurut photo right
The following morning on Tuesday 25th, the conference began successfully with quite a good number of pastors and Church leaders/elders, about 100 people. The venue was Bukedea sub county, Amacha village. Because the organizing team expected a good number of pastors, they asked one of the pastor who has a big church house which was constructed for them by a Chinese missionary, to allow the venue to be in that big church house. So it was in a big church house.
Bishop explains how N.T.F.I raises money through an Ateso interpreter.
The first day was a good beginning. During the morning session, we gave a detailed information about NTFI/BFU, a detailed information about our donations, the donors and about our mission trip. We then started in serious teaching in the afternoon session. Teaching New Testament Christianity based on the written word of
God/scriptures, challenging them to study the word in order to come to the knowledge of the truth. Our first lesson was the HOUSE OF GOD based on Hebrews 3:6. All the Bishops, pastors and elders were so challenge to learn and come to the knowledge of the truth about the Temple of the lord ["which Temple we are"] and House of God. Everyone liked the teaching and felt so blessed. Some pastors never expected such good teaching from us because of our modest appearance. To them, we were just ordinary poor men like most of them having no expensive suits/clothes, riding on taxi and boda-bodas [motor bikes] instead of driving expensive cars etc. like the "real bishops" and "mighty men of God" of these days. They thought that we are just giving bibles from some Bazungus to give to the village pastors and that is all we do. Everyone went back and spread the news about how good the first day was. So from the second day, people came in big number and every one was so blessed. We had village local church bishops, pastors and leaders from over five districts;
1. Bukedea
2. Palisa
3. Kumi
4. Serere
5. Ngora
6. Katakwi
Bishop Bita teaching
Every day was a great blessing to them and they all received the word with great joy. They promised to go back and teach the same truth to their churches. We had three bishops in the conference, felt so sorry and so sad about their spiritual parents/leaders who did not show and teach them the true gospel but instead blinded them in wrong doctrine which was adopted from Rome and traditions of men. They then stood before the congregation and admitted that their leaders did not teach them the true teachings of our lord Jesus Christ
and they have also taught the same way because they know not the truth, but now that God has given them a great opportunity to study and come to the knowledge of the true gospel, both them (bishops/overseers) and Local church pastors/leaders should go back and continue in serious study of God’s word and teach the entire church as well.
Due to threatening number of murders by poisoning which is taking place in Teso sub region, Most of these leaders believed not in God’s miraculous healing power upon his Church according to Mark 16:17…. but after the teachings, they all gained their faith and trust in God to keep them safe.
We had a team of Catholic and Anglican Church leaders who eagerly joined and participated in the preparation and attentively attended all the teachings. They were so blessed to learn the truth, each of them received a new Ateso bible and promised to go back and continue to study their bibles in line with the truth they learn from the conference.
Catholic delegation with Bishop Bita
On Saturday being our last day of the conference, we taught about the true meaning of foot washing and did a demonstration. Not even one person in the conference new that we ought to practice foot watching
as Christ did to his disciples. We also taught about and did the praying for the sick according to the New Testament church. All was received with great joy.
Bishop Okitel Bosco----first time foot washing
Bishop Emelibai Richard-----first time at foot washing
Pastor Okurut----organizer of this conference
Bishop Bita
Clothing
The shirts were then brought in and displayed before the congregation. We called for the pastors and their associates and every one picked one shirt. We were able to give 45 shirts. Then, in the same
way, we called the pastor’s wives and female leaders and gave out 30 dresses and 20 blouses. You can’t imagine how grateful these people were.
selecting clothing provided by a U.s. donor
We then gave out the bicycle to pastor Osire. He was most active pastor during the preparations and time of the conference. This pastor had no bicycle but could walk by foot over 20 miles to attend all the
preparation meetings together with his wife. He walked the same distance to make sure that he reports a day before the conference,helps in the final preparations. He was the most flexible pastor walking up and down on foot during the conference. So I was convicted that he is the rightful owner of the bicycle. I told no one about it until the last minute when I told Joshua to bring the bicycle inside and told the congregation the name and showed them a photo of that beloved donor who donated this new bicycle to our dear pastor by the name Pr Osire and He could not believe he was the one. Then I pointed at him. He ran and hugged me, then handed the bicycle to him, and his wife ran to him from the congregation and hugged him both holding the bicycle in the middle. They began to worship God and speaking in a new tongue. The whole congregation began to worship God with great Joy.
Pastor and Mrs. Osire
Brand new bicycle provided by a Mennonite family from Augusta Georgia
We then Explained to them about our faithful donors, who out of great love, give their money for native bibles in order for the village church Pastors and leaders to get new bibles. We also told them about our team of Board of directors who are doing a great job to mobilize funds and plan for the success of NTFI/BFU. We then distributed the bibles in the middle of great joy, sweet trill and appreciation to God and our donors.
More than 100 native language Bibles ----the language is "Ateso"
stamping every Bible
Not for sale!!!
Let's eat
Familiar African meal----posho [corn meal mush] and beans
James 5:14-15
14 Is any sick among you? let him call for the elders of the church; and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord:
15 And the prayer of faith shall save the sick, and the Lord shall raise him up; and if he have committed sins, they shall be forgiven him.
KJV
