In April of this year, Comfort International’s Relationship and Development manager, Peter McLean, visited the Comfort international Ministry School (CIMS) in Burundi and Uganda to meet and encourage our partners there and also to teach in person. Below is a report on the trip and and update on how things are going with CIMS. We hope it will encourage you as we praise God for all he is doing through the Ministry School.
CIMS – Ngozi, Burundi
“The Old Testament – Story of Salvation class was enlightening for the students. Their overall sense of the ‘big picture’ of the Bible, history and even geography was previously non-existent. This class helps them to widen their view and understanding of Christ’s purpose in history and where they/we are in His story. Pastor Gerard (our partner and CIMS representative in Burundi) is a wonderful man. He was my ‘Ananias’ throughout my short but busy time in Burundi. Gerard, who has no car, journeys tirelessly over many distances on poor roads to serve his churches and pastor his flock. The class was so successful that Gerard plans to organise two more classes in the next eight months, so we look forward to returning to Ngozi very soon.”
CIMS/LEMA – Busia, Uganda
“Both ‘The Leader and God’ and ‘Christian Character-Sermon on the Mount’ classes went extremely well. The students learned the importance of prayer – what it is and what it is not, and the value of being in the ‘secret place’ with Christ each day. Some students kept asking: “where is heaven and where is Jesus?” After much discussion, they comprehended that heaven is not somewhere ‘up there’ that we ‘go to’, nor is Jesus somewhere ‘out/up there’. Christ is ‘with us’ and ‘in us’, and when He returns visibly to earth, He will ‘bring heaven with Him’. 1Th 4:16-17, Rev 21:1-5. Words cannot express the joy and exuberance of the graduation weekend celebrations for 84 F-level students. Only pictures and videos can even attempt to merely partly capture this.”
“Please pray for our LEMA partner Fred and his wife Josephine. They serve Christ diligently and open their home to all Rom 16:3-5. Fred’s vision for CIMS-LEMA is unbounded. The last day of class included the LEMA leaders’ meeting. Among the many things discussed were the plans to roll out the CIMS teaching across the rest of Uganda. They have had requests from 200 pastors at churches in towns in the west (Fort Portal, Kibanga and Hoima), and from a Pastor in Mbale (north of Busia) who was in the F-C01b class, to take our teaching there. Bishop Wabudi Grace had told students at the graduation that the CIMS teaching was of a far higher standard than any seminary in Uganda. We are encouraged by this, and value your prayers and support as this expansion evolves.”
“The LEMA leaders displayed such grace, faith, and humility in all things. Even with Uganda’s great material poverty and need, their spiritual richness is beyond compare. In laying out their support needs for LEMA, to achieve their future vision that many church leaders in Uganda would be fully trained to minister the Word of Christ, they could not have done so in a more humble and trusting way. CIMS leaders Wabudi Grace and Egessa Charles have a dream to build a college library. For this, I intend to gather as many books as I can lay my hands on. Also, some laptops for the CIMS LEMA certificate programme would greatly assist students in doing essays for class. If you or someone you know has good quality used laptops please let us know.”
“The CIMS teaching is done in the hope and faith that the church in Africa will rise under the rule of Jesus Christ. The teaching that we do with our partners in Burundi and Uganda (and as we hope to start a CIMS college in DR Congo) plays a small part with Him in building His Kingdom. We and our partners thank you all for your support and urge you to remain with me/us/Him on this journey toward a Kingdom that will last forever and ever Php 3:12-14, Heb 11:10, Rev 21:1-5 Amen.”
To find out more about CIMS and to donate to this crucial work please follow the link below: