Missionary Bridger Patrick Lutalo recently wrapped up the first project of his ministry Teach Men to Fish. The ministry equips young people of Uganda with marketable skills along with discipleship in the Gospel. Patrick led youth apprentices in constructing a maternity facility for the community. You can read Patrick’s March 2022 report, which shares how many women and children have already been blessed by the maternity facility, here.

The official dedication ceremony took place on December 20, 2021.  Patrick reported to his senders: 

Today was the official dedication before God of our maternity facility project at Naama Health Center 111 in Mityana. We started off with spiritual mentoring from the Rev. Emmanuel Luka of St. Andrew’s Cathedral at Namukozi. He is the youth coordinator in the diocese. He is so young at heart and shared his childhood experiences, which resonated with the apprentices. He urged us all in the importance of doing what we can for one another for the glory of God. Rev. Emmanuel Lukabwe attended Trinity School for Ministry in Ambridge, Pennsylvania, and he is familiar with SAMS. This created a special spiritual bond for us. We are making plans for the continued spiritual mentoring of our apprentices.

The newest edition of The Messenger & Prayer Calendar is here, and it has been expanded by four pages to bring you more stories of God’s work around the world through SAMS missionaries!

In this issue:

• • A little girl experiences healing through Christ-centered care
  • New avenues open for Gospel impact through educational technology in East Africa
  • The Good News crosses cultures through the power of narrative
  • Prayer Calendar for Spring/Summer 2022
  • An invitation from Mission Director Stewart Wicker
  • Missionary testimony: Discerning a Call to Missions

Click this button to read it and join us in prayer!

SAMS Missionary the Rev. Gregory Whitaker, discipling Christian leaders in Cambodia with his wife Dr. Heidi and three of their five daughters (two having begun college in the U.S. in the past 15 months), shares the following story.

Mabt has been a friend of ours for years. He belongs to a tribal group in remote northeast Cambodia, and he met the Lord when he moved to a city to continue his education. For years, he was the only believer in his family. During one of his visits to his home village, Mabt prayed in his home, welcoming the Holy Spirit and breaking the curses of the mountain gods. As he began playing the guitar and worshipping Jesus, the shelf holding the family idol crashed to the floor, and the idol shattered. Mabt’s father, Yang, rushed in, saying: “My son, what have you done? Now I will not believe in anything. Not in the mountain gods, and not in your God.”

Yang held to that statement for years, during which his vision, already compromised by the loss of one eye, deteriorated. Mabt approached us to ask for advice, and we referred Yang to Mercy Medical Center, where Heidi serves as a pediatrician. He made the daylong trip by bus from the province and underwent successful cataract surgery.

After Yang returned home with restored vision, he was able to read the beautiful words of the Gospel in his own language for the first time, the Bunong translation of the New Testament having been completed only a few years prior. Yang has become a follower of Christ, and freely shares his story with other villagers.

Pictured: Gregory, Mabt, and Yang rejoice together in God’s saving grace. 

Please pray for:

1. Mabt and Yang’s village, that many more will become disciples of Jesus Christ who disciple others.
2. Discipleship and the equipping of leaders in the rapidly growing Cambodian church, which has increased by as much as 30-fold in the two generations since the tragedy of The Killing Fields.
3. Heidi as she trains young doctors at Mercy Medical Center with a Christian discipleship perspective.
4. Gregory as he leads the international Anglican congregation, mentors the Cambodian pastor of their sister Cambodian Anglican congregation, and reaches out with the Gospel in the community.

Missionary Candidates Eric and Liz Larson are preparing to serve in Cambodia alongside Gregory and Heidi. They desire to spread Gospel impact through theological education and ministries of compassion.

We invite you to join in the ongoing work of SAMS, partnering with Anglican churches to raise up, send, and support missionaries in response to Christ’s Great Commission (Matthew 28:18-20).