Jars of Oil Mission Africa (Uganda) ministers to elderly widows who lost their children due to AIDS and now take care of their grandchildren. JOMA’s director, Bibian Baralemwa, has observed that there are no church programs for children in the grannies’ villages. While JOMA can provide care for the grannies and help them to be able to care for their orphaned grandchildren, they see so many children who don’t know the hope of the gospel.

Through conversations between the JOMA and Oakseed directors over the summer, an idea was born to plan for a Vacation Bible School program for these kids, and the kids at Faith Reformed Baptist Church prayed and raised money for this program during their week-long Vacation Bible School by doing extra chores and jobs around their houses. The Lord heard these prayers and used the children of FRBC to provide more than could have ever been imagined! Each day, the sum grew as the kids brought in the dollars and coins they had earned, and by the end of the week, they had raised enough by themselves to put on the entire VBS program for the kids at JOMA!

The camp was successful, with over 80 children attending, plus many curious parents. Most of the children had never attended Sunday School, so while they knew that the Bible was God’s word, most were hearing Bible stories for the first time. One of the Scriptures the children committed to memory was John 3:16: “For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son that whosoever believes in Him shall not perish but have everlasting life.”

JOMA desires for these kids to continue to hear the Word of God, and they are thankful for volunteers who have committed their Saturdays to be with them. Some of the kids have memorized memory verses, can recite the Lord’s prayer, and are beginning to understand about Christ’s death and resurrection. The kids are then encouraged to apply their little knowledge of this to their daily lives.

Please pray for wisdom and direction in these endeavors and for Bibles and other Christian literature to give the children to take home with them for everyday use. Pray for the Lord to give these kids and their families new hearts of faith and hope in Him as they learn more about Him.

“The Lord has been answering our prayers! Do keep on praying! There are still so many things. “ ~Rev. Sam Oluoch, Oakseed Ministry Liaison to Africa

Watch a short video about this project here: