Dec. 29 – I gave her my glasses – Kumi Prison

 

Ministry Partners, 

Goodness, what a good night’s rest I had last night. My usual sleep pattern is to go to bed and then get up every 2 – 2 ½ hours before finally rising at 6 – 6:30 but last night’s sleep told me just how tired I was as I did not wake up once but slept straight through until 6:30. Thanks for your prayers.

We had a good breakfast of Rolex’s, potatoes, pineapple, squares, yogurt, and tea. The guys added the local foods including peas, eggplant and beet juice but I passed on those.

During our travels, we saw two of these Hindu Temples being built.

“You Are Chosen

By whose measurement or standards do you evaluate your value? The Lord has specifically chosen you for a specific work in His kingdom (1Thess. 4: 4). We are not to think more highly of our selves than we ought but soberly for we were broken, disfigured and defiled by sin but He saw we were of some useful purpose and capable of working wondrously and redeemed us. He expects total surrender and dedication from you to Him for that work He has not only chosen us but molded us for our specific task. We are His workmanship created in Christ Jesus unto good works (Eph. 2: 10)”. (DK & GSM)

Our drive to Kumi was 2 ½ hours but we arrived before noon. The Deputy O.C. welcomed us and had us go inside where we, and the inmates, were seated under a tree. Some were on benches before me and in the open area behind the tree. We were about to start our crusade when the bell rang and the inmates had to go back to their “wards” to be counted. It was not an orderly, quick, count like the ones we have observed at other prisons.

Then the 14 women prisoners entered and sat on benches to my right. But an officer came in and said, in front of the prisoners, that they had lunch ready and did we want to start and then take a break OR let them eat and then have our crusade. Of course, I was not about to make them wait to eat, hungry as they must have been. I told him to have them eat first, we would wait. We were able to observe a lot of things as we waited. Like, how a couple the men prisoners (mainly one M…im) were allowed to converse with a couple of the women prisoners and when they also brought food for the women, how four women would not eat. We watched as the other women kept picking “something” out of the food and throwing it on the ground. It was sad to watch.

The young prisoner who translated into Ateso for me did a good job and the prisoners responded to all the invitations, Salvation, Forgiveness and Apologizing. At the end, I gave the women all a donated scarf, there were no children there. Then a man and a women prisoner gave a testimony. The man said he had heard all kinds of preachers but today I broke into his heart.

The elderly woman inmate said how the Forgiveness message had influenced her and then held up her bible while saying, “But I can no longer see to read my bible.” I told her that I had a pair of reading glasses in the van and I was not sure they would help her but I would get them. When we went outside I got the glasses and started to go back inside but the women were coming out to return to their area. I stopped her and gave her the glasses but she put them on right up to her eyes. I pulled them down a bit on her nose to show her how to use them and as I did, she opened her bible and started reading aloud. Two guards standing there said, “She’s reading.” to the other guards standing nearby the rest of the inmates. Oh dear Jesus, how do I ever thank you enough for letting me come to Africa again and continue this wonderful prison ministry. It was a very good day.

Then we drove to Mbale where we will stay for 3 nights before going to Kenya. Our Uganda mission actually ended today as we have completed the 49 authorized prison crusades and 1 village church crusade but when Alfred realized we now had two days with no ministry because our Kenya trip was rescheduled by Chaplin Edward to start on Jan. 2, 2026 instead of Dec. 31,2025. Alfred called the O.C. of the local prison here in Mbale and asked if we might come to his prison tomorrow and do a crusade to which he said “Yes” but when he called the O.C. of the women’s Prison she said “No”.

Although prison officials are on Christmas break Alfred called Commissioner of Prisons, Jacob Kivumbi and he intervened for us by calling the Mbale Women’s Prison O.C. who then called Alfred and told him we could come tomorrow for a crusade.

Christmas and New Year’s is not a good time to find lodging although we found rooms at a hotel, they were not very good and I could not get internet in my room. So even though it cost more we moved into a better part of the hotel where I could get good internet.

I have had dinner and as soon as I finish this blog, I will shower and get to bed since it is already 9:30.

Please continue to pray for the inmates and for us.

That none would be lost,

Arlene