This past year has been one of great challenge and fulfillment for our ministry in Uganda. We have grown deeper in our faith as we have seen God's hand of provision and care for us. During this time of uncertainty and difficulty over the controversies raging in the Anglican church, God has brought together a faithful remnant to stand in the gap for our mission. We are deeply appreciative of those who have joined our team of prayer warriors and support partners.

David is doing very well at UVA. He is involved with the worship teams at Chi Alpha and his church. We are encouraged to see that the secular environment hasn't weakened his faith, but only made him stronger. His major in Classics has enhanced his understanding of Scripture through the intense study of Greek. Owen is his usual cheerful self and doesn't seem to carry one burden of the world on his shoulders. He has just finished the grueling process of completing his college applications and we are happy to announce that there are no more SAT exams for the Leber family!!

Highlights from our ministry in Uganda for 2005:

On Christmas Eve we continued our family tradition of eating lunch at Komamboga Orphanage with the children and Aunties. Jennifer made a large cake and we took presents for all the children. It is a highlight of our Christmas celebration! Jennifer spoke to them about the love of the Father and that He will never leave or forsake them.

Jennifer has been working this past year with African Development Foundation to initiate and implement a project in Gulu – northern Uganda. The CEO of ADF, Ward Brehm (photo below), and the President, Nate Fields, visited Uganda several times and Jennifer flew with them to meet with the Bishop of Northern Uganda and his staff to discuss the project. A $200,000 grant proposal will be presented by ADF to Congress early next year and approval is expected. Jennifer has been asked to be on the Board of Trustees. The ADF-Gulu project will involve leadership training and mentoring of P-7 students who must to take an exam at the end of the year in order to qualify to enter secondary school. The funds will enable us to renovate a building, adding electricity so we can provide tutoring to night commuters. We will select the top 8 students from the 35 schools and they will receive intensive tutoring so they can boost their scores on the exam and be able to continue their education. This is to develop emerging young leaders from northern Uganda.

Phil negotiated an agreement between the Church of Uganda and Far Reaching Ministries to provide security and discipleship programs on church property adjacent to the Muchwini IDP camp in Kitgum Diocese. Kitgum is one of the poorest dioceses in Uganda and experiences the most LRA attacks. They raised $100,000 to complete Phase one of the work, which was to erect 2 kilometers of fencing with guard towers. Muchwini is in a very insecure area and when we travel to the project we must be escorted by armed military personnel.

Phil has also initiated a project for the Diocese of Kitgum to start a Computer Training and Internet Center. Truro Church partnered with Uganda Christian University and donated 20 computer systems. The purpose of this project is to produce income from the Learning Center for the Diocese and it is planned to be self-sustaining.

Jennifer was recently involved with two short-term mission teams to Kitgum – one from the USA and one from UK (on this one she was the team leader). One conference was a Trauma Counseling Training Conference for Pastors and the other was a conference for 50 lay readers and their wives on The Holy Spirit and also a Marriage Conference. She also taught eight intercessors for a two-day conference in Kitgum organized by the Bishop's wife, Margaret.

Please pray that the Lord will bless these ministry efforts in northern Uganda. It is a region of Africa in which most people have lost hope, and we may be witnessing the death of an entire culture. Now, the rebel war has touched the lives of three generations of Ugandans, and there seems no end to the terrible trauma experienced by the children. It is unconscionable that the children are the targets of this ruthless conflict. God keeps opening doors for us to minister, so we know He cares so much about these children who sufferer in unimaginable ways. We can only commit to pour Christ into their lives, one child at a time.

Jennifer has been involved in a number of conferences and retreats during the past few months. She was asked to teach daily Bible sessions at the 5-day Bishops' wives conference for the Church of Uganda, where Edwina Thomas and a team from SOMA-USA joined us. Jennifer also provided Bible teachings for a 4-day Pastors' wives conferences in Kampala and Kitgum Dioceses, an all day prayer retreat for 45 business women in Kampala. In addition, we have led two couples individually through an 8-week premarital counseling course. Our home is open for counseling and prayer and many people come for both.

Earlier this year, Jennifer traveled to the USA with the Minister of State for Youth (Government of Uganda) to expose him to Senators, Congressmen and leaders at HHS and State Department regarding International Adoption. Since that time, The Honorable Felix Okot-Ogong has implemented changes to the Child Statutes regarding the 3-year Foster Care law for parents who want to adopt in Uganda. He has presented this to Parliament. This trip was to help with the orphan crisis in Uganda (nearly 2 million) and try to affect change in the law so more families can adopt these orphans internationally by educating The Minister of State on the laws in the USA. The trip was extremely successful. Jennifer worked with the Congressional Coalition on Adoption Institute.

Jennifer has placed one child from Uganda in the USA under the law that allows for legal guardianship and the child has been officially adopted under USA law. (See photo below of Steve and Debbie Taylor and their little Ugandan daughter, Sarah.) Jennifer is working with two other families in the USA to help them with legal guardianship.

For the second year, Phil held a 3-week residential certificate course in Worships Arts at Uganda Christian University (UCU) attended by over 60 people. The course was a great success and Phil plans to expand the course in the future. Our mission of training and discipleship continues throughout other parts of Uganda as well. Phil has been teaching weekly sessions of the Worship Foundations seminars at Makerere and Kyamboga Universities, and in a number of churches and dioceses.

A highlight of the year was the visit by Steven Curtis Chapman and his family. Phil accompanied them to northern Uganda where they ministered together in orphanages, schools and "night commuter" shelters. Steve is deeply committed to helping the orphans of the world, and his heart was broken over the plight of the children in the IDP camps and those who have lost their families in the rebel war.

Please remember to pray for the countless children who are suffering daily from the ravages of war, sickness and poverty in Uganda. There are tens of thousands of children who are living in conditions of fear and violence in the IDP camps. They are homeless and struggling to survive.