"A Choice For Eternity"


24 “Very truly I tell you, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life and will not be judged but has crossed over from death to life.  John 5:24

Be encouraged. Even though we are experiencing unfathomable evil in the world, God is revealing to us the sense of urgency about sharing His gift of salvation and restoration. God didn’t create the world to be full of evil but filled with good. Making choices that honor God seems to be at the heart of our conversations and discipleship.

God gives us choices so our relationship with Him is real, not robotic.

This year has been one of exciting changes. Kingdom View in Uganda is continuing to have 20-30 students weekly at movie night. During mission week the balance of our Life Application Bibles were distributed by Christopher in the Uganda Christian University chaplain’s office. Part of our continued work in Uganda is providing Life Application Bibles to people wanting to go deeper in the Word along with remotely preparing people to understand their identity in Christ. Click here to donate to Bible Resources.


Margaret continues to mentor Honors College students assigned to her each term. Mark is active with Freedom in Christ Ministry, encouraging, listening to people one on one and available for small group Bible studies. God continues to open doors to both of us as we bridge the gap between students and their sponsors from a variety of organizations.

We realize we can’t change the world ourselves but we can impact and help people one person at a time. The joy we experience from this helps us cope and focus on shining a light.

So often we forget where evil comes from and live in a state of deception. God wants us to see things from His perspective which is illustrated in the Bible. It supports a true worldview that is trustworthy, loving and just.

Recently we heard author Lee Stroebel speak and his message was direct. Do we believe in what Jesus did on the cross for us in our hearts or just our heads? Do we accept the gift of forgiveness and restoration? Have we become a child of God as an outcome of acceptance of His gift? To know in our hearts that we are going to heaven 100%, we must choose to believe, receive and become. Without all three the transaction is incomplete. 

John 1:12 says,

Yet to all who received Him, to those who believed in His name, He gave the right to become children of God.

Stroebel says essentially, then, the formula for becoming adopted into God’s family is:

Believe + Receive = Become.

Stroebel mentioned even the demons believe. If we truly love people we will share and pray that they choose to have eternal life in heaven. We need to realize we all live eternally in one place or another. The choice must be made before we die as described in the Bible

https://www.biblestudytools.com/topical-verses/bible-verses-about-life-after-death/. Randy Alcorn’s Biblically based book, Heaven is very encouraging.

My question to those who haven’t completed the three parts of the transaction, what is the down side of accepting this gift? 

Let’s make it a point to share the good news of Jesus to people God puts in our path before it is too late. We have been convicted that we haven’t been more bold and courageous about this but time may be getting closer than we realize. So many signs and other things are complete. We don’t know exactly when but let’s be prepared. 

Sending our love and encouragement as we stand with you in preparation.

Please contact us so we know how to pray for you and others in your families.

Mark and Margaret 

"Exciting Outcomes Inquiring of the Lord"

Then David inquired of the Lord, saying "Shall I go up against the Philistines? Will you give them into my hands?" And the Lord said to David, "Go up, for I will certainly give the Philistines into your hand."
2 Samuel 5:19

Greetings,

Life is a real adventure as we inquire of the Lord. Often we pray, “God, please bring the people to us you want us to help.”

Inquiring of the Lord is at the forefront of all our decisions. It is amazing what God does when we ask for guidance and wait to see what He wants us to do next.

When we traveled back to the US from Uganda we wondered what was ahead. God’s showing us many open doors and closed doors as we transition to new things.

God is always connecting the dots.

A friend from Watermark Church contacted me to help a Ugandan youth she sponsored for years. The student had finished school and was no longer sponsored. After searching for her sponsor, the young woman found her on social media. She desperately needed emotional and spiritual help as the result of a trauma. She was suicidal and had no where to turn. Margaret and the sponsor were able to connect to her on Whats App. After discovering the details, Margaret suggested a plan to get help in Uganda and put her sponsor in touch sharing a weekly Bible Study on-line. Margaret felt the study would help draw them closer together and provide healing for the young woman's heart. Margaret agreed to help her with her resume and have a Ugandan friend introduce her to a small group of women in Navigators close to where she lived in Uganda. She told us she wanted to be a barista so we are exploring her options. We are so grateful to God she is recovering.

Another amazing story started with a wedding announcement of two students we mentored at Uganda Christian University and a 12 year old letter. They were just good friends at the time but romance bloomed.

Elizabeth, who is an industrial designer/artist, sent Margaret a message she was getting married and guess who it was? Simon Peter is his name. Both received help with their resumes and completed a class" Problem-solving God’s Way" from The Rock. As Margaret chatted with them Simon Peter asked for help finding his sponsor. He lost track and wanted to show his appreciation. The family was from Dallas, the father worked for JP Morgan, his wife was named Sarah and they had two daughters and one son. I called a friend, mentioned the name of the family and she knew the family. God is amazing!

Simon Peter’s grandmother had been contacted two weeks earlier about a letter for Simon Peter from his Compassion sponsor. The Ugandan postal system is very different from the U.S. With amazement he read the letter and realized it had been lost for years. Their youngest child was two years old at the time the letter was written. Now the son is 14 years old. When Margaret chatted with Sarah in Dallas, she mentioned there were many letters written but apparently not received over the years. Simon Peter is so grateful being reunited with his sponsors.

Simon Peter and Elizabeth are just a few of the over 600 graduates of Uganda Christian University who have been mentored over the years. To read more about the 600, click here.
 


Mark participated in a mission trip to Guatemala, where his mission work began more than 20 years ago. The banner was used as a camp visual aid and is about being accepted, secure and significant as believers in Jesus. Our identity in Christ is foundational. The Rock donated the banner and Spanish Life Application Bibles to the discipleship ministry there. Below are pictures of the Guatemala team from Dallas and Mark's group of children.

Mark finished his certification with Freedom in Christ and is scheduling Freedom appointments as he receives referrals. The Rock also provided a Community Freedom Curriculum to a friend’s church in Grand Rapids. He had shared with them the discipleship tools when he visited. Embracing the concepts, they were excited to implement it at their church. The freedom tools which are Biblical help us deal with all kinds of challenges in life. It is a practical way to embrace being more than a conqueror with Jesus.

Margaret continues working with people needing help understanding their God-given skills, resumes and healing from past hurts both in Uganda and Dallas. This week she has eight students in Uganda needing career assistance and the students continue to refer their friends to her.

Part of our continued work in Uganda is providing Life Application Bibles to people wanting to go deeper in the Word along with remotely preparing people to understand their identity in Christ. Click here to donate to Bible Resources.

Sharing our joy and appreciation,
 

Mark and Margaret 

 

"A Light On the Hill for Jesus in Uganda"

 

You are the light of the world. A town build on a hill cannot be hidden.

Matthew 5:14
Greetings!                                                                                                        

As we prepare for Resurrection Day, we wanted to share our gratefulness for our risen Lord and the many blessings we have experienced.

Read the story that was published in the UCU Standard to learn more about the process of donating Kingdom View to Uganda Christian University. 

New UCU guesthouse is ‘light on the hill for Jesus’

 April 4, 2023 0 Comments

By Pauline Luba
Uganda Christian University (UCU) has added a new guesthouse to its collection of hospitality facilities. The Kingdom View Guest House, located on Besania Hill, Mukono, was acquired as a ministry donation from The Rock Kingdom LTD (UG), funded by The Rock Outreach (USA) late 2022. The guesthouse, completed in 2016, becomes the university’s fifth hospitality facility, but the first outside the precincts of UCU’s main campus. The other four guesthouses — Eunice, Garry, Missionary House and Tech Park Units — are within the university. 

Kingdom View Guest House, whose architecture was inspired by the shape of an African hut, offers catering services, high-speed internet, laundry services, free parking and airport transportation access for international travelers. The architectural design was done by American Mike Reid, who is also credited with drawing the plans of UCU’s gate, as well as other buildings within the university, including the Hamu Mukasa library...(click on headline above to read whole story)
UCU’s Vice Chancellor Aaron Mushengyezi, Deputy Vice Chancellor David Mugawe and other managers and guests after acquiring the Kingdom View Guest House in late 2022.
UCU’s Deputy Vice Chancellor David Mugawe, Vice Chancellor Aaron Mushengyezi, and other managers and guests after acquiring the Kingdom View Guest House in late 2022.(left to right)

 

Transition Update
Christopher tells us things are going smoothly. Vanessa who is managing the guest house part of the property was visited recently by the archbishop of the Church of Uganda.  The chaplain uses the pavilion quite often for meetings of the chaplaincy as well as training the leaders of various fellowship groups on campus.  Dorcus and Norman of our old staff are assisting Vanessa with hospitality.

Every Saturday except during final exams, Christopher and a team of volunteers show Christian movies and discuss what they have learned from the movie. Christopher shared he had helped some students with their LinkedIn accounts and one law student has received three great internship opportunities.  Margaret and Christopher continue to work with individual students developing their CVs/Resumes and preparing them to enter their careers. See the pictures on the Rock website Discipleship Memories from Uganda with A Kingdom View.

As time goes on we see the Lord's fingerprints in so many things and are excited about the new things he is presenting for us to do in Texas. Mark has been going through the book, Victory Over the Darkness with board members, to deepen their knowledge of the expanding Freedom In Christ focus through the Rock Outreach. It is an encouraging book and a practical discipleship tool. April 16th he leaves for Traverse City, Michigan for a practicum completing his training as a Community Freedom Associate for Freedom In Christ Ministries. The training allows him to be certified to be a discipleship resource to churches desiring to set up Community Freedom ministries.

In June, Mark returns to Guatemala on a mission trip. It has been 23 years since the first mission trip. Look what the Lord has done!

Margaret has been pleasantly surprised at the number of requests from Ugandan students needing assistance with career planning and learning their God-given skills. Mentoring UCU Honors College students each term is such a blessing.

Our Ugandan ministries of providing Life Application Bibles for students and pastoral care weekends for pastors, missionaries and their spouses who need a peaceful weekend break in the Kingdom View Guest House continues. Your donations are to the Rock Outreach as we continue to serve.

Thanks to all our supporters and prayer warriors. Your involvement continues to yield an amazing dividend. We look forward to sharing more with you as God continues to open doors. Please feel free to share our contact information with future missionaries, people planning trips to Uganda or needing information about the culture. 

Joining in where God is at work,
 
Mark and Margaret Noblin
 
The Rock Outreach, Inc.
Dallas, Texas
www.rockoutreach.org

"Discipleship Memories From Uganda with A Kingdom View"

 In 2005 we moved to Uganda for the first time. On our previous trips, we visited the villages or slums with no exposure to the middle-class life of Ugandans.  Little did we know that there was a whole other life we hadn't explored. Just in case, we prepared for what we thought might be ahead of us. We adapted recipes, brought extra stuff from home but found the adjustment easier than we thought after finding a few key resources. The people are big-hearted and fun to be around. If there is one thing I miss the most is cooking classes with students in the kitchen and dancing to music when we were waiting for brownies or cookies to bake.

This attached file


is a file of some of my favorite recent memories on the last trip to Uganda. I hope they put a smile on your face.