Tendo Bible Camp
Psalm 115 Not unto us, O Lord, not unto us, but unto thy name give glory, for thy mercy, and for thy truth’s sake. 2 Wherefore should the heathen say, Where is now their God? 3 But our God is in the heavens: he hath done whatsoever he hath pleased. 4 Their idols are silver and gold, the work of men’s hands. 5 They have mouths, but they speak not: eyes have they, but they see not: 6 They have ears, but they hear not: noses have they, but they smell not: 7 They have hands, but they handle not: feet have they, but they walk not: neither speak they through their throat. 8 They that make them are like unto them; so is every one that trusteth in them. 9 O Israel, trust thou in the Lord: he is their help and their shield. 10 O house of Aaron, trust in the Lord: he is their help and their shield. 11 Ye that fear the Lord, trust in the Lord: he is their help and their shield. 12 The Lord hath been mindful of us: he will bless us; he will bless the house of Israel; he will bless the house of Aaron. 13 He will bless them that fear the Lord, both small and great. 14 The Lord shall increase you more and more, you and your children. 15 Ye are blessed of the Lord which made heaven and earth. 16 The heaven, even the heavens, are the Lord’s: but the earth hath he given to the children of men. 17 The dead praise not the Lord, neither any that go down into silence. 18 But we will bless the Lord from this time forth and for evermore. Praise the Lord. 18 But we will bless the Lord from this time forth and for evermore. Praise the Lord.

Why is Pre-field Important?

  We are often asked, “Why do you need to go through Pre-field?” “Why do you need support of churches and individuals?”  “Why not just go to Uganda, get a job and do the ministry on the side?”

These are all real and good questions, that we even ask ourselves. 

Missionary work takes a team – it is not just about Denny & I working alone – it takes the body of Christ. When Paul went out on his missionary journeys he did not go alone, but he had Silas, Timothy and Luke, along with some others who journeyed with Him. Pre-field ministry gives an opportunity to encourage and mobilize others whom the Lord will add to our team on the field.  Just as Paul had Silas and Timothy, we need teammates to share in the ministry. 

 We are also gathering those who will follow the ministry – those who the Lord will lead to invest in reaching these communities in Uganda with the Gospel, by giving sacrificially. They may not be physically on the field with us but they are just as involved in the ministry. Just as, Jesus and the Disciples had those faithful women following them, giving out of their own means (Luke 8). We know that there is a blessing to those who give sacrificially to the service of the Lord. 

The Local Church

  When Paul went out on his missionary journeys he had the church of Philippi supporting him, meeting his needs as he served the Lord. And it was not that Paul wanted or needed their gift, but that their gift to him was a gift to the Lord. We believe that the Lord has mandated that the Local church not only reach their local community, but to be a part of global missions – to send out missionaries to make disciples. A way that churches can be involved in world missions is by sending out missionaries and financially supporting them, enabling the missionary be 100% dedicated to the service of the Lord and not distracted by other obligations. We are looking for churches that are not just interested in sending a monthly check, but who are dedicated to walking with us in this ministry through a partnership and personal relationships – through prayer and communication. We desire to be used by God to encourage and mobilize others to this Great Commission. When one gives to their local church and missions – there is joy.  When we go to Uganda, we want to be 100% dedicated to reaching the people in the community – we do not want to be distracted by other things that will take us away from the calling that the Lord has called us too.

Every missionaries journey is slightly different. There is no cookie-cutter path to reach the field. From the time a missionary is called until they reach the field of appointment, the Lord teaches His servant(s) to trust in Him. Sometimes, He moves quickly and sometimes He moves slowly, but the servant of the Lord must trust in Him. God’s timing is not our timing, His ways are not our ways.
Although, raising financial support is a huge part of Pre-field ministry, it is not the only thing. Much of Pre-field ministry is learning to trust in the Lord in all areas of life. It is learning to listen to the Lord – to go and do what He wants. It is learning to Listen to the Lord, instead of our own thinking and what others may say. It is learning to preserver through the negative and discouragement. Many people give up on the journey to the field because of the discouragement. But there is a blessing in waiting upon the Lord and trusting that He will fulfil what He promised to do. It is learning to be joyful in the here and now. It is learning that above all God is in control and that the mission, the ministry, the people are His and we are but His vessels. We go when He says to go, and we stay when He says to stay. It is learning that we serve the Living God – who has a mouth to speak, ears to hear and hands to move. He is not like the gods of this world. He hears and He knows. Our ministry is to serve Him and to lead others to Him. Just as many of the men and women throughout the Bible waited upon the Lord, so do we. He is not slack. His timing is not ours, His ways are not ours! He is God in Heaven!  

Thank you for standing with us in Prayer & Sacrificial Giving,

Striving Together,
Denny & Cassie Nuwagaba