I have been here in Uganda now for a week and it has been an intense and fruitful time! The Ugandans are so gracious to us, receiving our ministry and the provision of the water tanks with unique (for us) expressions of gratitude. Last week, we received a cow and two guavas, and today we received a chicken. We were in a bush area meeting with pastors to discuss putting in some water tanks, and they bound a rooster’s feet, and gave it to us as an offering. As I write this from the internet cafe back in Kampala, the poor thing is laying on the floor of our van outside. I think we may offer it to the youth at the youth conference we are doing tomorrow. That, or we’ll have an African friend prepare it for us at the guest house. As we have all purchased African machedes, our photographer, Ryan Morris, wants to do the honor of chopping off its head. Other highlights:

“SLUMDOGS” Our outreach to the slum orphans began with a bang. No sooner had we gotten out of the vehicle than a thief stole our first aid kit out of the van and took off running. Collins, who works with the street children and was hosting us, chased after him into the slums. When he caught him, a mob formed to kill the thief as they began beating him right in front of us. Collins talked them out it, and instead called the police, who took him away. The outreach was very moving as we shared music, spoke God’s Word to them, and fed them two meals. We were overcome with compassion and sorrow as we interacted with these poor children. Thankfully, we also got to see the orphanage inside the slums that rescues some of these children from the streets. The children clung to us as if we were their fathers and mothers.

HELP SCOVIA As we were praying for people at a rural conference in Kayunga, a mother approached us, begging for help for her daughter Scovia. She lifted up her dress and showed us her lower legs, revealing a bone sticking six inches out of her leg. All the wounds were scarred over, as the injury had happened two years ago, and the mother wasn’t able to afford any medical treatment. The sores that remain around the exiting bone are too grotesque to describe, but suffice it to say, we all fear for the little girl’s life. We were outraged that she was not able to receive any medical attention, so we told her broken-hearted mother that we would let our friends in America know about this to see if we can raise support for her treatment. We’re also looking around for solutions in Uganda. Please pray that this poor little girl can live through the agony and infections long enough to get treatment. What if she was your little girl?

EYES OPEN TO THE GOSPEL As everyone that knows me understands, my personal life mission is to “help people experience the grace of God through His Word and His presence.” Coming to Uganda, it is my passion to impart the word of grace to believers and unbelievers in this fatherless nation. Many are testifying of coming to a saving knowledge of Christ, and many believers are receiving a revelation of God’s grace. The response to the Word has been enormous! In Kayunga, they begged us to return again next year and bring the word to them again. We are just thankful that “the word is being received with gladness.”

I’m also personally blessed by the team’s growth on this trip as their eyes are being opened to God’s heart for the nations. We’re here with a team of 9. Up next is the national youth conference and then ministry in Jinja, the source of the Nile. Thanks for your love, prayers, and support! If you still wish to make a donation to support our work in Uganda, you can donate online at www.isaiahsix.com or send your gift to: Isaiah Six, P.O. Box 10A, Lima, NY 14414.

I’ll blog again soon!

Derek Joseph Levendusky

I’m writing this from Dubai in United Arab Emirates in the heart of the Islamic world. We’re resting for the night before we take off in the morning for Uganda.

When my roommate Ryan Morris and I got to our room, we read Psalm 2, which says, “Ask of Me and I will give the nations as your inheritance; the ends of the earth as your possession.” Then we prayed for the Islamic world and also for those we’ll be ministering to in Uganda. Isn’t that an amazing verse? When you ask God to bless you, he sends you to the nations to reap a harvest!

Every time I’m in foreign nations for Christ, I hear His small still voice say, “Derek, I’m glad you’re here.” Please join us in praying for “the ends of the earth for our possession.”

One of the joys I get to have on this trip is to be leading a team of 9, several of whom have never been on an airplane, let alone a short-term mission! This is such a great environment to mentor other and just watch God work in their lives as they see the suffering in the world, and watch God move through us in the nations.

Again, I thank you for your support and prayers! I’ll send an update from Uganda!

All for Jesus,

– Derek Joseph Levendusky

August 16-31, 2009

Here we go again! I’m writing this the day before I leave for Uganda (again) as part of a team of nine. We’ll be ministering at the national youth conference in Kampala for the second year in a row, ministering at a pastors’ conference, working with street orphans, and visiting tank sites for the Ugandan Water Project. —–DONATE———–OVER————HERE———–>>>>>>

I know the title of this newsletter is odd. What do I mean by “Visiting Jesus in Uganda”? In Matthew 25:40, Jesus tells a story about Judgment Day, when He says He will separate people like sheep and goats. The sheep are those that love and serve the poor, sick, and naked. The goats are those who do not love or serve them. Jesus said He will say to all of them, “I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of Mine, you did for Me.”

Jesus likens your treatment of the poorest and weakest among us as your treatment of Him. Therefore, as we serve the weak, the poor, and the forgotten in Uganda, we’re going to visit Jesus.

I remember when I was a full-time missionary to Tanzania in East Africa right out of high school in 1989-1990, I met a man named Reverend Kunda. This man was an evangelist, traveling from village to village in rural areas of this poor country preaching the gospel. Whenever I’d see Kunda, he’d finish our interactions by saying, “People are waiting for me. I must go!”

What he meant by this was that people were “waiting” in the places he was going to preach the gospel to hear the life-transforming message he was going to share. My brothers and sisters, I believe people are waiting for us in Uganda even now.

We are still receiving donations for our journey and for our ministry as we go. This is my second trip this year to Uganda. To do this, I have to raise $8000. I want to thank all those of you that have given already, and ask all those who read this to consider giving a tax-deductible gift to help send us to Uganda. You can donate through PayPal online on this site: (See the “———>>>”  symbol above)  or send a check to:

Isaiah Six Ministries P.O. Box 10A Lima, NY 14485

Thanks for your prayers and support! You can keep up with updates from Uganda right here!

I must go now. People are waiting. I’ll tell Jesus you said hi.

All for Christ Jesus,

Derek Joseph Levendusky director, Isaiah Six Ministries