Dear friends!
 
Here’s a little memorial update from Mbale.
 
Our congregation has 62 publishers were of 12 are in a group 12 km away from town.
Last year Mbale Luganda had 90 for the Memorial.  By that time we were in Kampala in our Language Course.  This year we were happy to have 117 and 49 in the group!! So a total of 166, more than 80% up from last year, so it’s easy to see the effect off the campaign. English have 80 publishers and had 213 + 79 in their group so total of 292. but the top this year was our neighboring Luganda congregation, they have 39 publishers and had 293 at the memorial. So the potentials in Mbale is good.
We were very happy to se that 22 of our studies and returns came!!  Some to Luganda others to English… so Carl Christian stayed in both Memorials while I was driving some back to their homes… they live quite far, so it was a wonderful effort from their part! 
 
I was specially happy for Jackeline, the wife of one of Carl Christian`s studies who was opposing him so hardly when he was studying.  Surprisingly enough he decided to stop, but at that time I had started teaching her how to read and write Luganda!  So now she is progressing in her reading and happy that she can now look for the scriptures herself (it hasn’t been an easy project, but little by little is paying off J).  She came to the Memorial even she is high pregnant J and she was so happy that she could sing together with us!!  It was really touching!!
 
Some studies delivered invitations to their friends… Benjamin brought 2 friends from his school and was explaining them about this occasion!
While Simon was happy to bring a document  stating that he paid 3 cows, 4 goats and 175.000 UG shillings to his father in law, so he is legally married in the custom law, now he only has to register it with Caesar!! But that means that he can start to give talks at the school.  Fun!! He has been preaching to everybody from the very first day. So now when I go to his place on Wednesday evenings there can be up to 10 people there who want to join in on the study. So to study with him I have to come at other times, because we are now in the last chapter of the “Teach” book. So with the big group we’re in chapter 1. it’s hard to make any progress because they have so many questions, but it’s fun.
Last Friday when I was supposed to study with Simon alone, he introduced me to yet another he had been preaching to. We talked a little about the need for accurate knowledge. So I asked him about what he thought happens when we die, and of course he answered heaven and hell. So I turned to Simon and asked him the same question, and it was beautiful to see how he at once turned to Ec. 9:5,6,10 to prove that there is no life after death. He said so if we don’t love or hate or feel anything can there be hell? The other one called Patrick had to agree that no there couldn’t be any hell. So Simon continued to say: but what about heaven? Lets se what the Bible says then he went to Ps. 37:9-11,29. And after reading he asks Patrick so the good people were will they live?
So he concludes and say: so does the Bibel teach that we go to heaven when we die? I just sat there and enjoyed how Simon used the Bible to explain. I felt really proud of what the Bible can do to a person. So he has proved that he’s ready for becoming an unbaptized publisher.
One of the biggest challenges here for people to progress is work. They do anything to get and to keep a job, even if it means working 12 hours 7 days a week, then meeting attendance becomes a big issue. Same with students they study 7 days a week. So even if they want to study and go to meetings, they find it very difficult. So it’s very important to build a strong faith in Jehovah in them. So progress takes a long time here. But little by little step by step, they are making the changes.
 
We are so happy that Jehovah allows us to be used in this wonderful work. We do pray for all of you that have to struggle with no at home and people who are not interested or just apathetic. So keep up the good work. Be sure that Jehovah sees the good work you do and blesses it.
 
So may Jehovah's blessing be with all of you
 
Love from Carl Christian