And God is able to bless you abundantly, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work. 2 Corinthians 9:8
We jokingly say that God started IHN around the kitchen table but now we feel He has moved us to the dining room! What an awesome God we serve!
God has blown us away on every level. He is sending people, opportunities for the Gospel and more—"more than we could ask or imagine.” We are just holding on and keeping our eyes fixed on Him. If He is sending these opportunities, we know He will provide the means to accomplish them. As God began putting these things in front of us, the IHN team took a day of fasting and prayer for God’s direction and discernment on how to proceed. As usual, He has more than answered our prayers.
Here are some highlights:
We are partnering with two other ministries to fully fund the Malnutrition Clinic in Uganda for a year. We thank God for allowing us to be a part of saving malnourished babies while feeding their moms/caregivers the Gospel!
“Farming God’s Way” in Uganda has grown! Thanks to Bill Meacham’s hard work, the Gospel is also being planted with the farmers. What a spiritual harvest we pray it will bring!
God has sent some wonderful folks to partner with IHN this year. Jeanne Meacham retired from her career as a business executive and is now helping us navigate insurance and travel legalese and more. She is a huge blessing!
God also called Kim White, a nurse practitioner who has traveled with us to Honduras many times. Kim just received her PhD and wants to use it in missions. Pray for direction for IHN and Kim. God has also connected IHN to three nursing colleges here in Kentucky as well as a nursing school in Uganda. We’re not sure yet how this will all play out but it seems like God is setting something up.
Back in 2012 God connected us to a man who did an eyeglass ministry in Uganda. This man is now in his 80s and wants IHN to continue his eyeglass ministry! He has given IHN inventory, made connections for IHN to be trained on setting up an eye clinic. He may be in his 80s but he’s still on fire for the Lord and for helping people know Jesus!
Please pray for our Upcoming Trips:
- Uganda in February ’22 -- IHN agriculture and eyeglass team will head back to see the crop progress and to train for/set up the eyeglass clinic.
- Honduras in March ’22 IHN will coordinate a team to for Lifeline Christian Missions. We are so looking forward to seeing our dear brothers and sisters there!
This is just a short list of some of what God is doing.
We are thankful for your prayers and support throughout the years. Continue to pray for God’s guidance as we move ahead IN HIS NAME!
While traveling from village to village in Uganda in September ’21, the IHN team arrived at a church that outwardly and inwardly revealed a glimpse of what Heaven just might look like.
As we were entering the church, the excitement and enthusiasm was radiating off their faces. They were so kind and hospitable to us, listening intently to everything we had to say and share with them. Afterward, we were standing outside talking with some of the leaders. When suddenly we heard clapping and singing in an upbeat, rhythmic tempo. Several of the ladies, dressed in beautiful bright colors, had gathered in a circle dancing and singing praises to God!
I stood off at a distance and watched with amazement at the way they showed their love for God. For me, the highlight of the trip! ---Greg
How do you acknowledge or recognize true greatness?
Jesus described greatness this way. “The greatest among you will be your servant. For those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.” Our team had the privilege and honor to be served meals by Ugandan men and women while traveling from village to village during our September 2021 visit. Out of very little means, they served what they had with gracious and humble hearts. I
’ve been told before, “What a blessing that you go to a foreign land and share with those you come in contact with.” My reply, “The blessings we receive, always, far outweigh any blessing we give.”
Our Ugandan brothers and sisters truly have the heart of servanthood. ---Greg
“We can make our plans, but the Lord determines our steps.” Proverbs 16:9
I planned on serving in another area but God offered Uganda. As part of the January 2021 scouting team, we planned to observe, BUT GOD put us to work. We quickly learned to follow God's prompting.
This was a truly growing exercise for my faith. The fear of traveling outside our country in a Pandemic was real. Public speaking is painful. God helped me speak in front of a church congregation and to hundreds out under a tree about dental and nutrition.
I held fast to Joshua 1:9 “Be strong and courageous, do not be terrified or discouraged, for the Lord God will be with you wherever you go.” And He was.
I worked in the area of dental care, praying that I could show Jesus through compassion, comfort, and relief of pain. The need for dental care is great and they are open for preventative practices to be taught.
Out of my comfort zone, prayer became alive and God's answers more evident.
The Ugandan people we met were warm and loving. Please continue to pray for Passion Christian Ministries and your involvement in In His Name Ministry. -- From Laura Blanton
The primary leader of ‘In His Name’ is God.
He calls the shots. He guides and directs where IHN goes and what we do.
In His Name is a ministry made up of many partners. Partners in ministry. Partners in prayer. Partners who donate time and funding and more.
We feel like we take each one with as we go! We can feel the love and support that so many of you give us. We continually give thanks for all our partners in this ministry of the Gospel.
The Board of IHN is made up of Cheryl and Greg Leathers, Darlene Johnston and Sherry Perciful. Continue to pray for us as we move forward IN HIS NAME!
I thank my God every time I remember you. In all my prayers for all of you, I always pray with joy because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now, being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus. Philippians 1:3-6
We traveled to numerous villages over a nine day period during our September trip to Uganda. The last village we stopped at was one of intrigue and challenge to say the least. On the day prior, our interpreter was more quiet than usual. He shared that this was the village he had grown up in. Many people in this area were of Muslim faith. As we pulled into the village we were met by two large tents set up for our arrival. There were about eight people sitting under the tents. Our team walked down the road to a house where some elderly ladies lived. They were dressed in wonderfully bright colors. They met us under shade trees with plastic chairs and insisted we sit in them as they sat on the ground around us. After a time of sharing, they walked back to the tents with us.
Our interpreter introduced our team and before we knew it there was over a hundred people under and around the tents. As we began sharing Jesus, my interpreter’s quite demeanor changed to one of confidence. The Words of the Holy Spirit flowed out of our mouths and into the ears of those hearing God’s Word that day.
Once we finished speaking, Bill followed with teaching” Farming God’s Way.” Afterward, we passed out over one hundred Bibles to both Christians and Muslims alike. – From Greg
Jesus could have chosen a robe, as he deserved, yet chose the towel to serve you and me. As team members serve with In His Name we give each person on our team a piece of a towel as a reminder that our hearts should be like Jesus, choosing the towel over the robe. To serve rather than be served.
I rode in the van in Uganda for several hours on bumpy roads. Some paved, but many not. One morning the sun was shining through the dusty window. The rays of sun filtered through the piece of towel on my back pack. This piece of towel, first clean and white, was now tattered and dirty by several days of service in Uganda. The towel or the robe lesson came to my mind and penetrated my heart. This little piece of towel serves as a powerful reminder of where my attitude should be. Not only in Uganda, but daily wherever God has me. What will you choose, the towel or the robe? --Cheryl
After receiving the call to go to Uganda the summer of 2019, God led me through the wilderness. And then in January 2021, I was on a plane bound to Uganda. Who knew! In the middle of a pandemic with political unrest both here, and in Uganda, we arrived early Sunday morning and hit the ground at a very swift pace. The excitement was high, and God was before us each step of the way. ”The Lord is faithful, and He will strengthen you and protect you from evil…” 2 Thessalonians 3:3. We had no idea what He would put before us. We saw poverty and hopelessness like I had never seen before in the US. I knew I would never be the same again. God was starting something new in me and I pray He continues to allow me to serve Him with an open heart full of intentional love.
The warmth that embraced each of us was an expression of the desperate need for help and a longing for hope beyond the hopelessness that surrounded them. I think of the Ugandan people and pray for God to make His way into their lives daily.
So, God said “Let it Be Uganda”, and so it is! My love for the people in Uganda is forever etched on my heart.
“In His Name”
Debbie Colvin
Malnutrition was not halted by covid. The clinic space was temporarily used to care for covid patients. During our recent trip Dr. Emma received word that there were five babies at a hospital in an out lying area that needed immediate malnutrition care. I had the opportunity to accompany Passion Christian Ministry (PCM) to pick up and transport the babies and their mothers/caretakers to the Malnutrition Clinic located in Kampala.
This clinic not only serves and restores these little ones through medical and nutritional intervention, but through the love of Christ. Mothers and caretakers alike are fed and cared for. They are taught daily life skills but participate as well in a daily routine. The daily routine involves practicing what they've been taught along with devotions and worship. Part of the healing process is counseling with compassion, love, and unmeasurable grace of God. There are faces of hopelessness at first but smiles and joy appear as songs are raised to the Lord.
This clinic is life giving in so many ways and IHN is humbled to be a partner in this ministry! Our prayer is for IHN to partner with PCM and help fund the clinic. Your prayers and donations will help do this!
During our September 2021 trip to Uganda, there were many moments that were orchestrated by God. There were opportunities to share the hope of Christ with people that were hopeless and there were situations where Jesus followers needed some words of encouragement. There were other times when we knew God was in control and we were simply along for the ride.
In 2014, we were trained by New Life International to produce “safe” water for communities that don’t have access to drinking water. We have since installed seven systems in Honduras over a two year period. In Uganda, we installed a system at a school that houses approximately 700 students.
The purifying system utilizes 1/3 of a cup of salt and the “Machine” breaks down the chemicals into a form that can generate 10,000 gallons of safe drinking water. The top tank is 1,300 gallons that we use to mix into safe water and then transfer to the lower tank which is 2,100 gallons for distribution. We trained two young men on how to build, operate and maintain the system, they were both very excited to learn the processes and grateful to be involved with providing safe water for the students.
There are 8 faucets that allow the students to get drinking water. Many of the students have not been receiving enough safe water to drink, which has led to several outbreaks of typhoid fever.
The structure that contains the water tanks has been painted with Bible Scriptures that refer to water. John 7:37-38, Mark 9:41, Matthew 10:42, John 6:35 and John 4:13-14 were painted as a reminder for the students, staff and visitors that Jesus, our living water, is where we need to place our hope and life.
