Ministry Newsletter

Dear Friends of the Mordecai Project:

The Lord called me out of my comfort zone almost 20 years ago—and now one of my greatest joys is taking the freedom of Jesus to developing countries. I just returned this week from a 13-day trip to Uganda. Below you can see my spiritual son, Robert Kaahwa, with his wife Doreen. We are partnering with them to build a women’s empowerment center and shelter in the town of Masindi.

While in Masindi I spoke at conferences for pastors as a two-day event for women. Below you can see women worshiping at a conference we did in the city of Hoima. Women there struggle with abandonment as well as abuse. I am very excited to announce that we have purchased land to build our women’s empowerment center near Robert and Doreen Kaahwa’s church, C3 Church of Masindi! We got an incredible deal on the land. In this center the women will learn vocational skills, and they will also be able to grow pigs and cultivate bananas and other fruits to make a living.

The women of Uganda don’t hear too many people talking about domestic violence, polygamy or the discrimination of women. So it was very healing for them to be able to break into small groups during our conferences to speak honestly about how they feel. Below you can see women supporting each other during our Hoima conference.

I love investing in pastors! I did leadership training several times, focusing on why we must make disciples. Below you can see our pastors’ event in Hoima. Lives were changed during these events.

I also did a marriage conference, and we saw many marriages healed. In some Ugandan villages, pastors think it’s normal to hit their wives. I confronted this behavior with the Word of God. In the photo below, you can see pastors repenting at the altar for the way women have been mistreated because of harsh cultural traditions.

After eight days with Robert and Doreen Kaahwa, I went to the capital city of Kampala where I have a partnership with the couple below, Medad and Connie Birugi. Medad is an anointed Anglican evangelist who has seen many churches revitalized by the renewal of the Holy Spirit. One Sunday I preached in three services at an Anglican church that was packed with dancing worshippers! In each service people were saved, healed and delivered.

Medad and Connie share my concern for abused women and girls in Uganda. A few years ago they started a school in the city of Rwentobo that has grown to 600 students. Many of the students are orphans who cannot afford school fees, so Medad has raised funds to help them. And in Uganda, girls are often pulled out of school if their parents have financial problems.

The young woman below, Apophia Biryomeisho, has been hired by Medad and Connie to lead a special project to train women and high school girls in sewing and other skills so these women can make a living. I decided during my trip that The Mordecai Project will begin covering Apophia’s monthly salary, which is $150 a month. If you would like to help us cover this, please make a pledge today by arranging a monthly donation.

We are also looking for sponsors to help us pay school fees for the orphaned girls in the photo below. They are all enrolled in the school in Rwentobo but they have no parents to help them. The cost for their school fees, room and board is only $30 a month.

Before my trip to Uganda I traveled to Puerto Rico and Washington, D.C. in January. In the photo below you can see my dear friends Luis and Cynthia Roig, pastors of Casa del Padre church in Trujillo Alto, Puerto Rico. Luis is now serving on my ministry board, and he has agreed to be our Latin American director.

While in Puerto Rico I preached in two churches as well as to a large student group on the University of Puerto Rico campus. I also preached at our fourth men’s retreat on the island. In the photo below you can see a group of young men who prayed to receive Christ for the first time during that event. Of all the miracles we see during our ministry events, first-time conversions are my favorite!

Below you can see my dear friends Paul and Christina Hanfere, who recently planted a church in the Maryland suburbs of Washington, D.C. Paul, who is from Ethiopian heritage, is a dynamic leader who I have helped mentor for several years. Paul has traveled with me on several occasions and has grown into a mature leader.

I spoke at Paul and Christina’s church on Sunday and at a special gathering of their core leadership team (in the photo below). Being around Paul and Christina gives me so much hope for the future of our country. Almost all the members of Overflow Church are in their 20s and 30s! One of my greatest joys is investing in this next generation!

Thank you again for praying for me and our work around the world. If you’d like to give to our work—especially the Uganda projects I have mentioned in this newsletter—just click on the “Donate” button below to give online, or mail your check to The Mordecai Project, P.O. Box 2781, LaGrange, GA 30241. You can designate your gifts for Uganda if you prefer. All gifts are tax-deductible.

We appreciate your commitment to us. And we love you so much!

Lee and Deborah Grady

The Mordecai Project
P.O. Box 2781
LaGrange, GA 30241