Relief Work

July 21, 2015 By Steve Wheeler

With My Own Eyes

— I had heard about how difficult life was in the rural villages of Uganda from our Field Director, Pastor Onesimus. But often it is when we encounter an environment with our own eyes that it sinks in. I have just returned from my visit to Rukungiri, Uganda. I saw first hand not only how deficient the physical living resources are in this town—such as the difficult travel to get to the place—but also how desperately they need true biblical teaching.

Josh, James, Me & Onesimus; beginning our travels on day one. — Josh, James, Me, & Onesimus; beginning our travels on day one.

The road to get there is dirt for much of the last two hours of our drive. The trip takes over 7 hours from Kampala, the capital city, and is an additional two hours from the next nearest “big city,” Mbarar. My travel partners—James, Dean at Southern California Seminary, and Joshua, my son and photographer, heard over and over that “Very few ministers come here because [Read more…] about With My Own Eyes

WATER

To reach our goal of seeing community transformation in the world, we equip many of our church planters with the resources to solve community problems. Solving the lack of clean water is one of the largest issues we are asked to help with. According to the United Nations Inter-agency on freshwater issues, approximately 783 million people do not have access to clean water. Worldwide, one out of every five deaths in children under the age of five is due to a water-related disease. Our pastors see water as an additional way to engage their community with the Gospel.

Donate to Water Project

By providing the local church a solution to the desperate need for water, we have opened many doors for the members to demonstrate in tangible, practical ways the Love of God. In Uganda and Myanmar, we network with ministries that provide local people with the technology and training to create sustainable water sources for their communities. Your donations will provide resources to build rainwater collection tanks made from ISSB Bricks, Boring for Wells, and concrete permanent Water Storage and filters.

The Bricks

Interlocking Soil Stabilized Bricks (ISSB) are environmentally friendly and an economical way to build water tanks and buildings. A cohesive team using a brick machine can produce 700 bricks a day. The cost to create a single brick is on average about $1 USD.

You can mail a check to:
White Fields, Inc
PO Box 1839
San Marcos CA 92079-1839
Write — “Water Project” in the memo section of your check.

You can also call (760) 846-8610

The Brick Making Machine

In 2016 White Fields purchased two brick making machines for our churches in southwest Uganda. These tools empower the congregation with the ability to construct new church buildings and water tanks as the Gospel goes forth into new communities.

The church is also able to sell their construction services to people looking to build additional structures. We partner with Connect Africa Ministries for training and development in the projects.

This provides income to members of the church.
Raises their quality of life.
Increases the offering given to the sustain their local church.
Provides dignity to the people as they support their own families.

The Tank

Our churches built their first rainwater harvesting tank in Rukungiri, Uganda in 2015. This tank, strategically placed next to the church of God’s Embassy Kotobo Village is now the central collection point for water in the community. Water is given away freely to all the neighbors of the church and provides church members the opportunity to interact with their neighbors and share the Gospel with them. The rainwater harvesting system uses gutters to channel rainwater from a roof into the tank protected from insects and contamination. A water tank made from ISSB bricks is stronger, longer lasting, and one-third of the price of a traditional plastic tank. It uses approximately 300-750 bricks to build and is made in both 528-gallon household sizes, as well as larger 2,641-gallon community sizes.

The Filter

Made of concrete, Bio-Sand Water Filters are virtually indestructible, easy to use and maintain, and are made entirely from local materials so that filters can be manufactured, distributed, and utilized by local entrepreneurs. A single filter can produce 19-gallons per day or enough clean water for four families.

The design of the filter that we are duplicating is easy to build, has longevity (the oldest one is over 20 years old), and the cost is relatively minimal—about $60. All materials are available locally. Because the resources are available locally, nothing needs to be imported.

The Training

White Fields coordinates with a ministry in Uganda — Connect Africa Ministries — to provide training to the young men in the church so they can build and maintain these filters, thus transferring ownership and responsibility into the hands of the local people.

At the training hub in Kampala, these men learn the fundamentals of building, practice their craft through trial and error, and the experienced staff encourages and develops them.

Donate

You can provide the solution, so the families of these children will have clean water and can live, grow, and hear the good news. Your donation will provide the needed materials to advance this water project.

$3 provides materials for making the brick for a water tank – a 15,000-liter tank requires about 750 Bricks.
$2,500 provides a Brick Making Machine that makes an interlocking brick used to make water collection tanks.
$1,000 provides for a week-long training session for many local church members to learn how to build and use the filters and the water tanks.

Your gift, in any amount, will help us with the next stage of our goal. We need your support to provide the funds that will purchase the materials. We will combine your donation with other partners to accomplish

If you are interested in providing the funds for one of these one-time expenses and want more information: Call (760) 846-8610 and ask to speak with Steve Wheeler about the Water Project in Uganda.

January 8, 2015 By Steve Wheeler

They Threw Rocks

“They threw rocks.”

That was his response to my question when I asked, “How did the people respond when you started a church here?”—“They threw rocks.” The small, bamboo structure with a tin roof made a perfect target for rocks. It is located in a poor, rough-looking neighborhood. There were no Christians here when Pastor Shwe began his ministry to reach the lost.

Despite this, the pastor was undaunted and was encouraged by evangelist Aih Kham Goh (also supported by White Fields) and our Field Director Pastor Thawng to continue on. So the pastor came, and when he would gather the people together into the church house to hear about Jesus, the neighbors would throw rocks. But those who had come to listen continued to attend, drawn by Pastor Shwe and his family’s zeal for Christ. After a year and a half, people began coming to Christ. [Read more…] about They Threw Rocks

May 20, 2014 By Steve Wheeler

Pastor Norberto in the Cemetery

You heard right! Pastor Norberto is starting a church among the families that have taken residence in a cemetery. These people are too poor to live anywhere else. They are allowed to live among the tombs in the cemetery so this is the place they reside. The tombs provide a form of shelter to keep the rain off them.

The sign marking the entrance into the cemetery.

The members of a church White Fields began several years ago help provide large cauldrons of soup with chicken and rice. This may be the only meal each week that provides meat to the children of these families. Your prayers are helpful as this pastor and his family take the gospel to the people in this place

Explore Pastor Norberto’s Prayer Page