Hello,
My name is Amanda Degler and I will be filling in for Vikki for the next few weeks. I am currently visiting Arua for one month and we thought it would be fun to give readers an outside perspective of the base and all that is happening here.

My husband and I came from the ywam base in Colorado Springs. We were excited to see that a team from Colorado Springs just built a new bridge for the base here. Apparently this is the sixth or seventh bridge that the base has had, because the rain keeps washing them away. This bridge is a sort of symbol of the base's purpose, which is to be a bridge of healing to the nations. This is a perfect mission for a base that borders Sudan, Congo, and Kenya. Over the past few weeks, we have heard many stories of how they are reaching each of these Nations. It is so exciting to see their God-given vision becoming a reality.

Since we have been here on the base, we have had a great time playing with all the children here on base. Here is a photo of some of the staff's children. We find it amusing that they call my husband and I, Uncle and Auntie.

Well, that is all I have for now, but I will be sure to keep you updated on what is happening here in Arua.

Eric Higiro

This is the second post highlighting a YWAM Arua staff member. Today we'd like to introduce you to ...

Eric Higiro

Eric is an out going, dramatic young man, who relates well with people, and delights sharing the word of God with others. He enjoys working with the youth and loves to see Muslims come to faith in Jesus. He is passionate about bringing hope to the hopeless and sharing in their challenges. His heart is to see God bring true forgiveness and reconciliation between his fellow Rwandans, freeing people from the bitterness that has existed since the genocide.

Eric did his DTS in 2007 in Rwanda, his homeland. After doing his outreach in Arua, he came to like the way the base related to the local community. He joined the staff in 2008. His passion is to see God open doors for ministry to the un-reached people in the neighbouring countries.

During his free time, he loves to pray and to visit his friends. He shares his testimonies of how he has grown in the knowledge of God since 2007.

As you read this post, Eric is on a journey back to Kigali to meet with some Rwandan pastors and other YWAMers who are serious about mobilizing the African churches to financially support their African missionaries. Many years of being on the receiving end of missionaries and financial aid has left many of the African countries with a wrong conception that missionaries come from the West and are supported by the West.

But the Great Commission calls ALL believers to go and tell the Good News, and that includes African Christians. We are excited that the Church in Rwanda is catching the vision of supporting their own people into missions , and we are blessed that they called Eric back to Kigali to discuss the calling God has given him to be a missionary in Uganda.

We are trusting God that some of the people Eric talks to will feel called to start a support team that will be praying and providing financially for him. At the moment Eric has no regular financial support.

Let's pray for Eric and the people he is meeting with, that they will hear God clearly and join hands in seeing His kingdom come in this place.

YWAM Arua staff pray for Eric as he prepares to visit Kigali

Meet Yolam and Dorothy Bingi...

Thanks for your patience in the long delay between posts. We apologize for keeping you waiting for more exciting news from YWAM Arua!!

You've been reading a lot about some of the amazing things our visiting teams have been up to, and now we'd like to take time to introduce you to our staff.

We'll be posting short biographies of each of our staff, either as individuals or couples, intermingled with other posts about what's happening on the base. We'd like to thank students on the School of Journalism outreach team from South Africa, Lydia and Agnes, who interviewed our team and wrote these biographies for us...bless you ladies!!

So we'd like to kick off the first of our biographies by introducing you to...

Yolam and Dorothy Bingi!!

Yolam has worked in business all his life, and owns two transport trucks in Soroti. As a practical, hardworking man he is a huge asset to the base, fixing the vehicles and acting as the base driver. Yolam enjoys the adventure of driving outreach teams deep into the bush, has a great sense of humour and loves playing with the young children on the base. With these skills and passion, Yolam wants to run a vocational training school for the local youth, teaching them mechanics and driving skills.

Yolam became a believer late in life, after his wife Dorothy, who was already a Christian, was miraculously healed. He did his CDTS in 2006 and joined Arua staff in 2008. He looks at his time in YWAM as a season to serve and share knowledge through interacting with visitors.

Dorothy grew up as a Muslim in Soroti, Uganda, and was the first of her family to become a Christian. Coming from this background, her passion is to reach out to Muslim women and children - especially those traumatized by war. Wanting to empower them, Dorothy teaches tailoring skills to a group of local women, and loves this discipleship ministry. She also uses her dress making skills as a means of raising personal support and enjoys expressing herself in this creative way.

Dorothy and Yolam have three older children. She joined YWAM Arua staff in 2006 after doing her CDTS the previous year. She has staffed two DTSs, and having led an outreach into the Congo, feels a strong sense of calling to this area. In the long-term, she would love to be part of pioneering YWAM in the NE Congo.

Please stand with us in prayer for Yolam and Dorothy as they struggle to put their children through school and university, and continue serving God in the areas He has called them to.

The Great Gospel Crusade

(Apologies for the delays in getting this post up. I had to rush to England unexpectedly to attend my father-in-law's funeral. Many thanks to Brienne from the Colorado Team who sent me the photos and explanations via e-mail in England so we could post this update. Blessings, Vikki)




An opportunity came up suddenly for some of the Colorado Springs Discipleship Training Outreach team to join with members of Grace Pentecostal Church in Arua for a crusade in the town of Nyadri, in the West Nile district of Uganda.

Eric, one of our YWAM Arua staff members from Rwanda, heard about the crusade and organized
several of the Colorado team members for the journey to Nyadri to take part in the Great Gospel Crusade.


Brienne writes: "We became quite close with a number of the girls throughout the four days of the crusade. We were eating, ministering and sleeping along side them. Comfort, who is on the left of the man in the blue shirt, was paired with me for one of our days of house visits. It was awesome to be able to lift each other up as we shared God’s love with many people.

"The very last visit we made was to the gang of boys who gather at the edge of town to give Boda (bicycle) rides to people. It was an intimidating group of more than 20 young men. They sat down in the shade to hear what we had to say, maybe more curious what these two girls were doing sitting down with them than anything. As we shared we found that three of them were very interested in Jesus and were able to lead those three and many others to God. It was an exciting moment! We felt like God wants to use the three who were so eager to learn as teachers for the town. They now have Bibles of their own and have been sent out to grow and share what they are learning with those around them."



Throughout the Crusade, several of the team took turns preaching and sharing their testimonies.



Here is Carol sharing a testimony....

...and Britnee sharing a testimony.

Worship was a key part of the Crusade.

"Joseph played guitar with the worship band during all of the crusades. Three days of crusade and three hours of worship an evening…his fingers were about to fall off. The people really appreciated him stepping in and enthusiastically filling a hole in their band. He was able to build strong friendships through this simple act."







Joao, Carol and Brienne lead worship on stage.












"We were so thankful to have Eric as our guide. He was my favorite person to look out and find as we were worshiping as he always had a smile on his lips and joy exuding from his body as he danced and sang to Jesus."

Carol dancing during worship

"The last day of the Crusades, we were in the back lifting up people right before the preacher began to preach. The entire week was bathed in a ton of prayer, it was the common thread in the middle of all the activities."







"Joao is holding a boy who we prayed for healing. He is four years old but looks like he is maybe 2. He was born with a condition where he just doesn’t grown up. He couldn’t sit up before we prayed for him, but the next day his mother brought him up to the front to say that she heard his back cracking in the night as he slept and when he woke up he was able to sit up with a straight back by himself."









"This young girl’s story was especially touching. Mandy looked like she was about four years old and was carried by her mother up to the front for prayer. Her arms and legs were like toothpicks and she didn’t speak a word. As we spoke with her mother, we were shocked to find out that the girl was almost 10 years old and had been like this since she was very small. The last day of the crusade, the pastor asked for testimonies, and the mother came up holding Mandy. She said that on the way home, after being prayed for, Mandy started to talk to her and asked her for bread and chai (tea)! They were blessed with a gift of money as they walked, and so she was able to buy bread for her daughter to eat. There was much rejoicing over everything that God was doing in that town."




"Milka is a girl from town who has some mental problems caused by malaria when she was about 7. She hugged and loved on us whenever we saw her. She was desperately sad when we had to leave and wanted to go with us. Her father is a pastor and we were told that she hasn’t allowed anyone to pray over her for the healing of her mind. Because of the relationship Britnee and I had built with Milka, we were able to spend some time in prayer with her. It was a blessing to us and I think encouraging to her family as well."


"We left tired, but so refreshed and encouraged, both by the people we were with as well as the miracles that we saw. The best part is that the whole ministry was planned by the churches here in Arua and we just came alongside them. It is beautiful to see the church functioning as it should, growing strong and then reaching their own people. "


YWAM Arua would like to say a big THANK YOU to the whole Colorado team for their hard work, commitment, and passion to share the love of God. We appreciate and love you all! Be blessed as you continue to follow God's leading.

The Colorado team sees God at work in northwestern Uganda

A few days ago we posted some pics from the Colorado Springs DTS outreach in a Congolese refugee camp in southern Sudan.

Today we want to show you more photos and share more testimonies about the amazing things God is doing in and through this team in Uganda. Be blessed as you read!



The team went from Sudan to a small town called Paidha in Western Uganda, where they met

Pastor Sipi and his wife Mama Rose.

The pastor and his wife hosted the team while they were busy doing ministry in the town.


The team started off with doing open-air crusades where they

worshipped God,

acted out skits,

and preached the Good News!

This man, Alfred, was in the crowd at one of the open-air crusades, and then started visiting the team at Pastor Sipi's house to ask questions and learn more about God. After several discussions, he decided to give his life to Christ! He is the first in his family of Muslims to become a follower of Christ.


Joam was given the honour to baptize Alfred, after which he was prayed for by Pastor Sipi and given a new name...Joshua. Please pray for this lovely man as he goes to his family in Congo to share with them the Good News!

















These women were also at the open air. Gloria, one of the team's faithful translators, is on the far left with the crutches. The woman on the far right of the bench in the green shoes is Mama Rosalyn. She was lying uncovered in the bus park waiting to die. Her relatives chased her out of her home and then burned it because she has Epilepsy and they didn't want to care for her any longer. She hadn't eaten for five days and had just cried out to God to save her when we came along. She is now well fed, clothed and staying with the pastor and his family.






The team also spent three days in Paidha running a youth camp. There were over 150 children and many adults who came to learn and play. On the first day this dear girl, Makieve, walked up to Britnee and shyly asked her if she would be her friend. She was there at every event they held the entire week and would walk up to Britnee so she could hold her hand.













This precious girl also followed the team everywhere they went.













The team made lots of friends and were able to input into many people's lives.

Joe, Shadrach, Nick, Francis, Ben have a hug and a smile on the day they left Paidha.


Please continue to pray for their remaining weeks with us here in Arua. Another post coming next with stories of the team in Maracha seeing the lame healed, the blind see and the deaf speak!! Don't miss it!

Colorado team shares God's love in Sudan

The Colorado Springs DTS outreach team is with us here in Arua after spending several weeks at our sister base in Yei, Southern Sudan. Here are some pics of their time in Yei.

In the next few days we'll also post pics of their time in Paidha (Uganda) where you can see them baptizing a former muslim who accepted Christ after hearing them preach.


Please keep praying for the team as they share God's love with the people around Arua.


Open air in a Congolese Refugee Camp.

Brienne said, "We spent a few days ministering in the camp and were touched by the people we met there. We split up into two groups and stayed in tents in the middle of the camp. We wanted to live as close to the people as possible.
The refugees were mainly from Congo and were displaced by LRA activity. You can see the white tarps supplied by the UNHCR to each family. There were over 20,000 people in this one camp with more arriving each day."

Brienne playing jump rope with some girls in the refugee camp

William and Britnee play soccer with the kids

"Hatia had been struggling with mental illness for the last year. When we met her she would just sit around in her own world wrapping string around a stick again and again never looking and never smiling. We prayed for her healing for two days and on the third day we were ecstactic to find here helping her mother cook our lunch! Her mother, Mama Mary, basically adopted us and came to our camp site each morning to cook and care for us. She wouldn't let us do anything for ourselves and was a huge blessing. We would not have been able to minister as much as we did if she hadn't blessed us."

This is the son of Pastor Phillip, who was our guide and translator for the time we were in the refugee camp. He is playing with a toy truck that was a gift from supporters in Colorado.

Back at the YWAM base in Yei...





Isaiah is an orphaned boy with AIDS. He was brought to the YWAM clinic on Yei base by his 9 year-old sister two weeks before we arrived in Yei. He and his sister Rose stayed at the base for almost two months while he regained health. They are now living in an orphanage just down the road. Isaiah really became a part of our team and could be found in the arms of one of the boys whenever we were in the compound.



Isaiah and Derek

Isaiah and Nick

Kurt with a crew of boys at the Iris orphanage where Isaiah and Rose are now living.











We praise God for the many lives He is touching through this team!

Headin' to the hills

The staff of YWAM Arua took a much-needed break this last week and headed to Biku Retreat Center in Paidha, 2 hours south of Arua.

It rained all morning as we drove up into the hills, which made the journey quite terrifying as our vehicles fish-tailed back and forth on the muddy murram roads.







We co-opted some of the Colorado DTS team that are here on outreach to come lead worship for us, so it was a huge blessing to have Brianne, Joseph and Derek singing, strumming, and drumming for us.


























We were also honored to have Les Hall, another YWAMer from Colorado Springs, speaking to us and encouraging us in God's Word. It was the first time someone came from outside our base just to speak into our lives, and it was a big blessing to us.







Thank you so much, Les!!! We love you!









The rest of the time we enjoyed various team building activities, lots of good food, energetic dancing around the campfire (and s'mores!!) and quality time with God and each other.

Lowering a stick to the ground...it's much harder than it looks!

It was pretty cold the first two days, and our team members came up with some interesting head gear to keep themselves warm.












The other method of warming up was lots of singing and dancing.














Thank you, God, for special times like these of fun, friends and refreshment. We needed that!