In All You Do

George explaining his vision for ISO Graphics

In all you do.

Kingdom business.  Gospel centered business.  Biblically based business. 

 What do all these really mean?  Shouldn’t business and Jesus be kept separate?

  Keep church at church and work at work?  What can a small business owner 

do on the mission field?  These are questions that I have grappled with since 

starting a business some 15 years ago.  After nine months in Africa there is 

an answer to all these questions emerging.   People.  Yes, people.  Business 

is relational.  Jesus gave us some commands to be lived out.  The first is to 

love God with all our heart, mind, soul and strength.  The second one is to 

love our neighbor as our self.  There are many more life directions from Jesus, 

but these stand apart.  How do we bring glory to God and show our love for Him? 

 By loving people.   Can it really be that simple?  Yes.  The temptations in business

 are to lie, steal and cheat our way to success.  If there is a shortcut to riches, take

 it.  It all comes down to loving ourselves more than others.

God has given us work.  He worked to create our Earth.  He loved us and shared

 the joy of work with his prized creation, people.  Unfortunately, because of sin,

 work now has more challenges as the weeds are constantly growing, but it is 

still a gift that we can bring glory to God through.  I have found joy in working 

with a few young followers of Christ, who also happen to be bright, young 

entrepreneurs. 

I met George and Henry on the streets of Soroti Uganda.  Henry fresh out of 

college and George busy working in a one room shop making sign posts.  Both

 of these young men are in their twenty’s and will tell you that they love God 

so much.  They love to share His word and desire to see the community of

 Soroti grow in their love for Him and each other.   As our relationships grew

 we discovered we all shared a passion for business, God, and had compassion 

for the oppressed. 

George grew up without a father and had to fend for himself and “make his

 own way”.  Here in Uganda that means doing small work wherever you can 

find it to have enough money to eat that day.  George found out that God had

 given him a gift.  The gift of ideas.  Give him a book and it will be devoured 

in only a day or two.  He will take the information and share it with those he

 knows the information could help.  Whenever he has a few extra shillings you

 can find George sharing it with the boys living on the streets with no mothers

 or fathers.  George has a smile.  It is as wide as the ocean and when he is 

smiling it just lifts your spirits.  He loves people.   With a little business

 building knowledge like a working business plan, a knowledge of keeping 

your business finances and personal finances separate, where to  get start

 up capital that won’t penalize your business and cash flow management 

George was off and running.  I stopped in the ISO Graphics (In Salvation

 we Overcome)  office he is working out of today.  His smile was big as ever. 

 Work is coming in.  People are taking note of his professionalism, his honesty

 and his genuine love for them and their businesses.   God is glorified.

Henry is one of 12 sons.  His father and mother have done a fine job raising

 their children in the village of Obule Lira.  They have spent their evenings

 pointing their kids to Christ.  His Dad was one of the first Christians in the

 area.  Henry recently graduated from a business school and was excited to 

begin working.  In Uganda the attitude is that when you graduate you need

 to make your own way in business because there are no jobs.  In other words

 you need to create your own job.  There are many talented graduates who 

don’t have the resources to do this and soon find themselves idle and doing

 small jobs to get by.  There was a training in Soroti teaching people a new 

method of farming called Farming God’s Way.  Henry and his brother Fred 

accompanied me at that training.  We learned so many principles, including 

taking care of God’s world and the soil.  There is no plowing or burning in 

Farming God’s Way!  Henry led a team in his Father’s village to begin a 

garden utilizing the information we learned.  Today we harvested the popcorn.

  It was a celebration of what God has done and what the future will hold for

 this family.  Henry was also open to an idea of drying mangos with the use 

of the sun.  Henry wasn’t sure there would be a market for this in Soroti, 

but decided it was worth a try!   Partners Worldwide is an organization 

out of Grand Rapids Michigan.  Henry, Fred, George and myself took an

 overnight trip to Gulu to meet them and see what they were doing.  It 

was so inspiring for all of us.  They met a man named Timothy Jokenne

 who owned several successful businesses.  He emphasized how 

important operating a business with integrity was.  This lesson was an 

important one to see.  Success can come and does come with honest 

business practices.  You don’t have to lie, steal and cheat!  After returning 

we scheduled a business training with a gentleman from Kampala Uganda 

that Partners Worldwide endorsed to teach lessons on starting Biblically

 based businesses.   The training was very informative and Henry

 implemented them, quickly finalizing his business plan he was able to

 secure a market at the local supermarket for his dried mangoes.  Village 

Foods is now looking into what other foods they can pack and sell.  Henry

 has partnered his business with his brother Fred and his wife Ruth’s vision

 for helping orphans in their community.  So a portion of the income from 

the sale of mangoes goes to help these children with school supplies, fees,

 and other necessities.

Henry and Fred

What a joy it has been to be used by God as a Christian businessman

 here in Uganda.  He doesn’t waste His gifts.  They can all be

 used to expand His kingdom and bring glory to His name.  

 Henry and George are living out Matthew 5:16 “In the same 

way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see 

your good works and give glory to your Father who is in Heaven

       Chris