Helping People Live Healthy Lives E-Newsletter April 2019 Vol. 14 No. 2
UCE's chastity programs in Africa continue strong. This year, 2019, UCE marks 15 years of ministry! We thank God for the UCE co-founders, Drs Ken and Kim Dernovsek, the UCE Board of Directors, and the UCE teams in Uganda, Tanzania & Burundi. We also congratulate and pray for the 452,437 youth who have signed chastity commitments through UCE, for these are lives saved!
Mr Isaac Lema presenting at a UCE Tanzania outreach
This April we welcomed Mr Isaac Lema, UCE's Africa Director for a visit to UCE's headquarters in Colorado, and to take part in our Chastity Heals and Afternoon in Africa events. We were fortunate and grateful that he was brought to the USA to present his research, thereby allowing UCE to bring him to Colorado at very low cost. Many UCE donors were able to meet him and hear first-hand about the successful UCE ministry during two special events (see below).
We thank each one of you who support UCE as volunteers, in prayer, and financially. Your support is the life-blood of this precious ministry. In this Easter season, I pray you experience the spirit of the living God in your lives.
In Christ,
Sarah Smith
UCE-USA Director
"He is not here, but He has been raised. Remember what He said to you while He was still in Galilee, that the Son of man must be handed over to sinners and be crucified, and rise on the third day." Luke 24:6-7
"Chastity Heals" Evening Inspires Attendees
An enthusiastic group attended UCE's Chastity Heals evening Friday April 5th at Pueblo Christian Center featuring a soup supper, speakers, and all-night prayer vigil. We were pleased to host Mr Isaac Lema, UCE Africa Director as one of our honored speakers for the evening.
In a live interview by USA-Director, Sarah Smith, visiting Africa Director, Isaac Lema shared about UCE Tanzania's amazing success and and gave a testimony from his own life about chastity.
Enjoy a clip of the interview with him here.
Chastity Heals Soup Supper
Kim Dernovsek, MD, and UCE co-founder, also provided an excellent, informative presentation to attendees about the need for the virtue of chastity in all walks of our society. Pastor Steve Cornella from Pueblo Christian Center supported the evening with his presence and opening remarks. The evening concluded with an all-night prayer vigil. Each hour throughout the night, prayers were offered for chastity in ourselves, our families, society, and in the Church. Pueblo area churches, clergy and seminarians were prayed for
by name. Chastity is purity of heart, mind, body and soul. It is a Christian virtue we are called to strive for at every stage of life, whether single, married, or in religious life. Let us continue to unite as Christians to pray for chastity!
UCE hosts "Afternoon in Africa"
A sunny, April Sunday afternoon in Pueblo was celebrated as an
"Afternoon in Africa" featuring an update from Mr Isaac Lema, UCE Africa Director about the thriving UCE Africa programs. He shared stories of the growth and expansion of UCE within the countries it operates: Uganda, Tanzania, and Burundi.
UCE Board members present with UCE-Africa Director Isaac Lema and UCE-USA Director Sarah Smith
Additionally Ken and Kim Dernovsek, UCE co-founders and I (Sarah Smith, USA Director) shared highlights, stories, and pictures from our mission trip to UCE-Burundi in February. We received a warm welcome and hospitality from the UCE-Burundi team. I shared about how when participating in a mission trip while doing a program evaluation, she likes to determine 1) if there is a need and 2) if the program actually reaches the people it intends to reach. She shared a story of how, during a UCE outreach fo an advanced high school, a boy stood up and asked,
"Why is the Burundi Ministry of Health teaching students to use condoms? Is the Burundi government lying?" The UCE team simply responded that they are not teaching the
complete truth and proceeded to state that 1) abstinence is the best method for students and that 2)yes, abstinence is possible! I observed that if UCE had not been there teaching, it is guaranteed that the students would not have heard this important chastity message! Special personal moments were honoring previous UCE team members who had life circumstances preventing them from continuing their involvement with UCE. The devotion to UCE of Rev Charles and Mrs. Claire will not be forgotten. In addition to it's people, a joy of Burundi is it's music and drums. If you did not yet have an opportunity to look at a fantastic pictorial summary of our Feb 2019 UCE Burundi mission trip (a short 4 minute video),
enjoy it here!
Denver Catholic Medical Association
hosts UCE co-founder, Dr. Kim Dernovsek
A vibrant group of doctors were present at Dr Kim Dernovsek's March 2019 presentation entitled "Chastity from the Medical Perspective". In her informative and well-researched presentation, she makes the case for chastity as a Christian virtue that is the best practice medically for any person, whether single or married. Abstinence while single and faithfulness in marriage are protective from sexually transmitted diseases. She presented the scientific evidence for the changes to abstinence and faithfulness in marriage having resulted in Uganda's reduction of HIV prevalence rate from 21% in 1991 to 5% in 2001. Today, despite an influx of condoms, Ugandans continue to embrace programs like UCE for their youth, and the HIV prevalence remains low, at 7%. Other countries like Botswana, where a condom strategy has been embraced, still see HIV raging at 23% (2017).
Guest speaker Dr Kim Dernovsek at Denver CMA
In 2003, the Ugandans had recounted having "gone back to biblical ways", and how God's method of abstaining until marriage to one spouse, and staying faithful, did indeed work against the scourge of AIDS.
Dr Dernovsek encouraged the attendees to regain their trust of God's simple principles, be inspired by the Ugandan success, and to share the truth that these simple behaviors are healthiest for all. Rather than feeling overwhelmed by all that physicians face, she shared a simple prayer that starts her day: "For His sake, I am but one. But I am one. I cannot do everything, but I can do something. What I can do, I ought to do. What I ought to do, by the grace of God, I will do. Lord, what will you have me do?"Sit down with a cup of coffee and enjoy this fascinating perspective on faith and reason, science and virtue and better understand how this lifestyle is best for all of us. CLICK HERE for the complete talk
Saturday August 17th-Save the Date!
UCE Bluegrass and Braai Fundraiser
Donors, we THANK YOU: 452,437 people have made
life-saving commitments to chastity through UCE programs
Universal Chastity Education, Inc. (UCE) is an educational organization established in 2004 and determined to be a public charity, exempt from Federal income tax under section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code. Its promotes through education sexual abstinence until marriage and marital fidelity as healthy lifestyles free from sexually transmitted diseases including HIV/AIDS. UCE operates in rural Uganda. and launched in Burundi in 2007 and Tanzania in 2009 and in the USA in 2012. Visit the UCE website Click to DONATE to UCE
