Neel had made arrangements with a Ugandan pastor to show the Jesus Film in some villages. So, I was especially excited to read Neel’s text message that said, in part: “Hello O — showed Jesus Film tonight to about 120 and 15-20 responded despite many obstacles.” Now, that is the kind of news I love to read. And, because Neel will leave our Jesus Film kit with the Ugandan pastor, these folks who came to faith in Christ last night represent the first-fruits of a greater harvest to come. Advancements in technology are making it possible for the gospel to make greater strides toward those who live on the dry and ragged edge of existence — in the places that have little or no access to the gospel. And because we live in a connected world, we can receive news about what God is doing on the other side of the world in real time.

I once heard a missionary say that the first thing he was going to do in heaven was to ask Peter what it was like to preach on the day of Pentecost and see so many people from the nations come to faith in Christ. I think that what is more likely to happen is that Peter will ask us what it was like to live in a day when we had so many tools available to share the story of Jesus with the nations and to see a response like Pentecost every hour. We are indeed fortunate to have access to people who live in so many remote places and to be able to introduce them to the story of Jesus and to see them come to faith in Christ. I am always more than willing to lose sleep over this kind of news.

When I arrived in Katy, Texas five and a half years ago to serve as Kingsland’s first Missions Pastor, one of the first things I did was to brand our missions ministry with the words “Go Beyond.” I did so because I believe that in each of our lives there is a line that defines the farthest we’ve ever been and the most we’ve ever done for God and His purposes. Everything on our side of that line is familiar, comfortable, manageable, and predictable. However, the kingdom of God advances only when we are willing to step across that line and allow God to lead us to places we’ve never been, engage with people we’ve never met, and fight battles we’ve never fought. When I arrived at Kingsland I was determined to provide opportunities for our people to go beyond that line in order to advance God’s purposes and pursue His passions among the nations.

On the international front I had a very intentional strategy in mind to go to last places first. In other words, to lead our people to take the gospel to the world’s least reached and least engaged people groups. I did not want to duplicate what others were doing or go where others were going. I did not want to give a second and third helping of Jesus to people who already had access to the gospel while millions are still waiting to hear the gospel for the first time. Like Paul in Romans 15:20, I wanted to “make it my ambition to preach the gospel, not where Christ has already been named, lest I build on someone else’s foundation.” And then, God providentially interrupted me to add something to our strategy that I never expected would ever blip on our international missions radar.

A few weeks after arriving at Kingsland, Mary Whittington, one of our members, invited me to join her and her husband to breakfast to meet Kurt Dillinger, the President of Life International. Honestly, I did not want to go to breakfast or to entertain anything that might detract from a strategy of reaching the world’s least reached peoples. But, because I was new at Kingsland and did not want to be rude or unkind, I accepted Mary’s invitation and met Kurt the following morning. I listened politely as Kurt shared about the work of Life International on the mission field created by abortion. And then, Kurt said something that was the key to unlocking my interest and redefining my vision. He said that babies in the womb are the world’s largest hidden and most vulnerable people group. I don’t think I heard anything else he said because those words in particular disturbed me. I could not sleep that night as I thought about this hidden and vulnerable people group in need of champions. That night, the Lord convicted me that in addition to all of the other unreached people groups I would lead our missions ministry to adopt, He wanted for me to lead us to adopt the pre-born as one of our people groups.

The following day I talked with my Pastor, Alex Kennedy, to ask how he felt about our missions ministry adopting the pre-born as one of our people groups. Pastor Alex has a huge heart for the welfare of the pre-born and affirmed that we should do so. And thus began our partnership with Life International. Five years ago we worked with Kurt and the staff at Life International to underwrite and to help start The Comforter’s Center in Uganda. Our people embraced the vision and gave generously to make a pregnancy help center in Kampala a reality. And then, a couple of years ago, Kingsland purchased a building for the center, ensuring that it will have a geographic presence to promote the sanctity of human life even beyond our generation. The best thing is that over the past five years hundreds of abortion-minded young women who have visited the center have chosen life for their babies and hundreds of these women have come to faith in Christ.

Grateful young Moms at The Comforter's Center.

Because of the success of The Comforter’s Center, we are now working with Life International to start another center in Cambodia. This past December, through the generosity of a family at Kingsland, we provided the funds to purchase 7.5 acres of land along the Cambodia-Thai border. This location will become the home of another pregnancy resource and women’s health center and facilities to care for children at risk of being kidnapped and trafficked for sex and labor. Last year I invited Steve Hyde, our joint partner in Cambodia, to join me in Kampala to see the work of The Comforter’s Center. While we were meeting with Veronica, the director of the center, there was a knock at the door. Five young girls holding their babies walked in to the room and said, “We heard that someone from Kingsland was here and we wanted to personally say thank you for supporting the work of the center. Because you have given, our babies are alive, the five of us came to faith in Christ, and we meet on Thursdays to pray and to encourage one another to be godly moms.” I smiled and thought back to the morning I had reluctantly met with Kurt and God challenged me to go beyond in a way I never expected. Our hope at Kingsland is to continue working with Kurt and the Life International team to sow the seeds of life on the mission field created by abortion in Uganda, Cambodia, and beyond.

Tonya and her adopted daughter, Kira.

Who | Tonya LaTorre

Where I’ve Traveled with Kingsland | In October 2009 I was a member of the team that traveled to Kampala, Uganda.

What I Did | Our team partnered with the Comforter’s Center, our pregnancy help center, and taught pastors in the villages the truth about abortion. Women in Uganda are known to get multiple abortions, usually as a means of birth control. We taught about human development in the womb and showed photos of a developing baby. We had the honor of seeing them realize that it was human life growing in the womb. We shared what the Bible says about the sanctity of life. And we encouraged them to teach others the rhythm method of birth control and stop using abortion as an answer to an unplanned pregnancy.

How God Touched My Heart | I have visited 23 countries in this world, and I have not found anywhere a people like those I met in Uganda. I fell in love with the people of Uganda. It was the sort of attachment that I knew would be a permanent fixture in my heart. I was inspired by their welcoming and friendly ways, their eagerness to learn with an intensity I had never seen before, and their bond with one another that creates community. On our final afternoon we visited an orphanage for the pleasure of playing with babies. While I held a child in my lap, God whispered into my heart, “Come back for one of my precious ones.” I heard His voice loud and clear.

What Has Happened Since | Within a week of returning home from that mission trip my husband and I began the paperwork for adoption from Uganda. Thirteen months later our family was on a plane to Uganda to meet our nine month old baby girl, Kira. We lived in Uganda for six weeks during the adoption process. Our constant prayer was that God would show us how we could serve Him while there. He was faithful to our request and we were able to do an enormous amount of mission work in six weeks.

Where I Am Headed Next | On Christmas Eve we were invited to a poor orphanage for their Christmas celebration. When I saw that the kids slept on the ground, ate once a day and sometimes not at all, and that none of them were in school, I again heard God whisper, “This is what I want you to do for me.” It was a leap of faith, but our family adopted this orphanage in Kyengera, Uganda. When we offered to pay their food bills, the children cheered “Bye-bye going to bed hungry!” We bought them two cows to have milk, and two hundred chickens to have eggs, and new mattresses. We have done fund-raising and in two months raised all the funds to enroll 47 children in school. Praise God!

Our family has started a non-profit called Kirabo Seeds so that we can prepare to buy land to build a new orphanage with a water well, electricity, and a real community. This June we will lead a mission team of doctors and nurses to Uganda to immunize the children and teach them about health. We will also be shopping for land to purchase so that next year we can lead a team to begin construction of the new orphanage.

Mary teaching in Cambodia.

Who | Mary Whittington

Where I’ve Traveled with Kingsland | I have traveled to Uganda four times and to Thailand and Cambodia this past year.

My Most Recent Trip | A few months ago, we joined the Life International team in Cambodia in partnership with Steve Hyde, Director of Asia for Jesus, to teach church leaders about the sanctity of human life. We also visited one of the children’s homes that Steve and his wife Noit founded to care for orphans along the Cambodia/Thai border. These are children who otherwise would be vulnerable to being kidnapped and trafficked for sex and labor purposes.

Why This Matters to Me | The Christian church is very “young” in Cambodia — a culture that has known only death and oppression. It is crucial in this culture to disciple and train church leaders on the value of life. This is foundational for protecting the unborn from abortion and for helping Christian women and men who have experienced abortion to heal and to experience God’s forgiveness. To value life is also to rescue and protect children and adults who are victims of or at risk of human trafficking.

What Troubled Me Most | The bondage of past abortions and the toll it has taken on some of the women I prayed with was heartbreaking for me. One woman, the mother of 9, had 2 abortions after 2 months of development. She grieved not only her aborted children but also her lack of bonding with her living children. After the conference she understood her pain and loss.

My eyes told me more than I wanted to know about human trafficking and forced prostitution in Cambodia and Thailand. I watched a 3-4 year old little girl from my hotel room wander in and out of her lean-to shelter unattended all day. She wandered alone up and down the road of the slums where her family lived. She is forever on my heart. I have even given her a name that I use when I pray for her.

Why We Must Care and Act | God uses us to move and act for justice. The people of Cambodia and Thailand are valuable to Him – they are not discards. A chorus in one of the Cambodian songs says “Cambodia is for Christ.” And, Christ is for Cambodia.

First Trip with Kingsland | My first trip with Kingsland was to Uganda. While there, we met with pastors of village churches to teach about the sanctity of human life. I chose this particular trip because I know the unborn need a voice and I felt God calling me to speak for them. I knew that God was calling me out of my comfort zone — and just about everything on this trip pushed those boundaries.

The Purpose of Our Trip | The purpose of our trip was to teach pastors of local churches about the sanctity of human life. Specifically, I taught about the scientific aspects of life from conception to birth and what God’s Word says about life.

My Favorite Memory | My favorite memory took place at the first village that we visited. The group of pastors were so eager to hear the Word of God that they sat on the edges of their seats, pressed in closely to hear us over the rain that was falling outside, with Bibles open, taking notes and soaking in every word. It made me wonder how often I listen to or read God’s Word with that much anticipation. This experience challenged me in a new way.

My Most Recent Trip with Kingsland | Last month, I went to El Salvador and helped drill a water well for the people of San Lucas. Not only did I get to help with some of the aspects of providing clean water and teach about hygiene, but I also had the privilege of spending time speaking with the women and children about the Living Water that comes through Jesus. Once again, God showed me that He can use me with all my faults, failures, and imperfections to accomplish His will. He doesn’t require perfection or need me to have everything together; He just wants me to be willing to step out and follow Him in obedience.

Who

Where I’ve Served | My wife Michele and I have served in lots of youth ministries since the day we met each other at Pine Cove in 1980. We particularly love 12th graders and have been embedded in their world during most of our life at KBC.

Where I’ve Traveled with Kingsland | I first visited Uganda with Pastor Omar and an adult team in Summer ’07. During that trip, Omar apparently observed that I was more ‘kid’ than ‘grown-up’ so he challenged me to help lead the 12th grade mission trip back to Uganda the following summer. Some things you almost don’t have to pray about.

What I Did | We brought gifts and encouragement to Veronica and her team at the Comforters’ Center (Kingsland’s Pregnancy Help Center in Kampala), equipped village church leaders with sound evangelical doctrine to teach their local congregations, hugged, sang and danced with HIV-stricken orphans and shared testimonies of purity and abstinence with hundreds of teens on a dozen urban high school campuses.

How This Experience “Troubled My Waters” | Two things: First, when we go beyond, “they” often give more than “we” bring (ask me later because Omar didn’t give me enough space to explain it here). Second, when it comes to the Western World vs. the Third World, God is good but life is far from fair. Now that I’ve experienced that, what does God require of me as I continue doing life in cozy Katy?

Most Meaningful Connection | I met a young believer named George whom I affectionately refer to as “Dubya”. He is a worship leader in his local church, KBC’s occasional mission trip concierge, and a university law student who favors “Eddie Murphy” in looks.

How I Have Stayed Connected | God quickly and deliberately knit Dubya’s and my hearts together. Then He prompted me to see Dubya through law school with money and mentoring. We Skype nearly every Saturday morning and Dubya unintentionally but constantly exposes my shallow faith and reminds me to count my blessings. He is already assuming leadership at a national level by launching a non-profit organization to build new dwellings for over 700 Ugandan families whose village was buried by a mudslide last year.

Caution: You may get what you pay for! | 2007 | Uganda

In March of this year I returned to Kampala, Uganda. While there I had the opportunity to visit my friend Robert Nabulere, pastor of Miracle Center Kawempe — my home church in Kampala. Miracle Center Church is located in one of the poorest and most densely populated communities in Kampala. Pastor Robert is no stranger to poverty. He grew up in a poor family and did not own his first pair of shoes until he was fourteen year old. He worked hard to get his education and was the beneficiary of the kindness of the Christian Children’s Fund — an international aid organization that paid his school fees. Pastor Robert has never forgotten his humble beginnings and the difference the kindness of others made in his life. He cares deeply for the people of his community, especially the children.

A few years ago, Robert and his wife Rose acted on a vision to provide quality education for poor kids and kids whose parents are HIV-positive or have AIDS. These are kids who otherwise would not have the opportunity to get an education. So, Pastor Robert and Rose started the Miracle Destiny School with little more than a vision and a whole lot of faith. While visiting this school in March, Robert took me to the home of a single mom whose two kids attend Miracle Destiny School. This mom is HIV-positive, lives with her two kids in a home that is roughly 100 square-feet, and earns about $2.00 per day. Pastor Robert and Rose and Miracle Center Church have given this young mother, and many more like her, hope for the future. They are making a difference in their community one child at a time.

Pastor Robert visited our community this past weekend. While in the States he wanted to visit Kingsland and to express his gratitude for the support we have given him and Miracle Destiny School. My friends Craig and Tonya LaTorre, who are in the process of adopting a child from Uganda, hosted Pastor Robert. We enjoyed an inspirational weekend and wonderful fellowship around the LaTorre family table. Pastor Robert will return to his own community in a few more days, refreshed by the love and kindness of the people of Kingsland. And, those of us who were privileged to spend time with Robert are more determined than ever to continue making our own community a better place by loving and serving others. Robert reminded us that God uses ordinary servants who love others to make the places where we live better for everyone.

Hope for a Nation | My friend Steve Hyde is a big man with an audacious vision. He wants to reach the nation of Cambodia for Christ in his generation. And, he just might be the guy God uses to do it. Steve is the founding director of Asia for Jesus, a multi-faceted ministry based in Cambodia. Steve and his staff train thousands of national pastors, translate and publish Christian materials in the Khmei language, produce Christian radio broadcasts that span the nation, and operate homes for orphans and at-risk kids, And if that were not enough, Steve has a team that is working to translate the Bible into all of Cambodia’s tribal languages.

I met Steve last year when I joined Kurt Dillinger, President of Life International, in Cambodia to teach on the sanctity of human life. Steve, Kurt, and Kingsland will team up this year to take the first steps to start a pregnancy help center in Poipet, Cambodia — the Devil’s front porch! Steve joined us in Uganda to learn about The Comforter’s Center, the pregnancy help center we underwrite in Kampala. Steve met with the staff, volunteers, and board of directors to get an idea of how a pregnancy help center functions. We had very fruitful and encouraging meetings.

Hope for a Generation | Steve’s ministry cares for a few hundred Cambodian orphans. So, I arranged for Steve to visit Watoto (the Swahili word for “children”) – one of the most impressive ministries to orphans I have ever seen. Watoto cares for eighteen-hundred orphans in Uganda. My friend Wayne Thomas, who works for Watoto, introduced me to this ministry last year. Watoto takes my breath away. Their homes and staff give new meaning to excellence. The folks at Watoto are giving hope to a generation of children that would otherwise be dead or without hope in the world.

Hope for the Oppressed | Steve and the staff of Asia for Jesus also fight for the oppressed in Cambodia. Steve recently opened two homes for orphans at risk of being trafficked to brothels in Thailand. After visiting Watoto, we met my with my friend Annette, the director of Rahab House – a ministry that cares for young girls rescued from the forced commercial sex trade. Rahab House is one of many ministries working to give hope to the oppressed. More than 27 million people on the planet are in some type of slavery. People like Steve and Annette are each addressing issues of injustice in their corners of the world. God is using them to rescue and to restore hope to those who have suffered gross injustices. I’m glad that Kingsland is also involved in seeking justice for the oppressed. To learn more about Kingsland’s justice initiatives, please visit KingslandJustice.com.

Hope for the Poor | After our meeting at Rahab House, we traveled across Kampala to visit Miracle Destiny School located in one of Kampala’s poorest districts. My friend Robert, pastor of Miracle Center Kawempe (my home church in Kampala), and his wife Rose, acted on a vision to provide quality education for poor kids. I was impressed by what I saw and the teachers I met. They care deeply about the children and families in the neighborhood. We visited a single mom who has two kids in the school. She is HIV-positive, lives with her two kids in a home that is roughly 100 square-feet, and earns about $2.00 per day. Pastor Robert and Rose and Miracle Center Church have given this young mother, and many more like her, hope for the future.

Hope for the Villages | Our final stop of the day was at Warriors of Christ Church. I met Joseph, the pastor of the church, on my first visit to Uganda several years ago. Last year we conducted a training seminar on the sanctity of human life at this little church with only half a roof. The place was packed. Kingsland provided funds for the church to purchase materials to complete their roof. Pastor Joseph asked me to stop by because the church family wanted to express their gratitude to Kingsland. We enjoyed a sweet time of worship. Small rural churches like this represent hope for the villages of Uganda. In recent days the media has reported on child sacrifices in Uganda. We need folks like Pastor Joseph and his church family to stand for life in tough places. I’m grateful for these warriors who are fighting a good fight with the weapons of love, grace, and truth.

   I am glad to be back in Uganda. Jon Davis, our Missions Associate, and I arrived here on Wednesday afternoon. We are here to introduce Steve Hyde, Director of Asia for Jesus, to the work of The Comforter’s Center, the pregnancy help center we helped to start in cooperation with Life International. Later this year we will work with Life International and Steve to help start a new pregnancy help center in Poipet, Cambodia. Steve is already doing some remarkable things to rescue children at risk in Cambodia and wants to start a pregnancy help center there. One advantage of starting a work like this in Cambodia is the ease with which Cambodians can adopt children. In most cases, the paperwork is completed in an hour and costs only a few dollars. And, Cambodians are very willing to adopt unwanted babies and children. Adoptions by foreigners are not allowed at this time.

   This morning we spent the day talking with each of the ladies who serve on the staff of The Comforter’s Center. They gave Steve a detailed understanding of the process of working with the young girls and women who come to the center for help. But, the best thing that happened this morning was unplanned. Five young women who chose to give life to their babies stopped by the center for prayer. These young girls from different parts of the city met each other at The Comforter’s Center and formed friendships. They meet for prayer every Thursday. When they learned that we were here, they asked to speak with us. One of the mothers spoke for the group and said they all wanted to thank the people of Kingsland for supporting the work of The Comforter’s Center. “Without your support,” the young mother continued, “our children would not be here. We would have continued on the wrong path to abort our babies. So, please thank the people of Kingsland for caring about us.” Enough said. That makes it all worthwhile.

   I thanked each of the moms for choosing life and promised that we would remember them and their children in prayer. I am so glad that we had the opportunity to meet these mothers and children today. Every week I read reports and statistics sent from around the world by our ministry partners. But, today we met the human beings behind some of those statistics — babies who are here because of a decision we made to promote the sanctity of human life from our own community to places like Kampala, Uganda.

   Please remember these mothers and children in prayer. The names of the children in the photo below (from left to right) are: Shanita (4 months), Prince (1 week), Kilabo (13 months), Veronica (1 year), and Joshua (14 months). I asked Kilabo’s mother to tell me the meaning of her daughter’s name. She smiled and replied, “Gift.” That says it all.