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About Matt and Keila

Matt was saved as a young boy at a family camp.  He graduated from Oklahoma Baptist College in 1996 majoring in Secondary Education/Missions.

Keila was saved in March 1989 at Windsor Hills Baptist Church in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma.  She graduated from Oklahoma Baptist College in 1997 majoring in Secondary Education/Missions.

Matt and Keila were accepted by Baptist International Mission, Inc. in June 1996.  They took a survey trip to Uganda in August 1996.  Then after Keila’s graduation in May 1997, they started full-time deputation for the field of Uganda.

About Their Ministry

Matt and Keila arrived in Uganda January 18, 1999.  They began their work helping Matt’s father, Bryan Stensaas, in his church in Mbarara.  They started the W.O.W. (Warriors of the Word) Club for children on Sunday afternoons with an average attendance over 100.  They also worked with the young single people in the church.  Keila was able to assist in starting a deaf  ministry in the church.

In April of 2001, Matt and Keila started having services in the village of Kyahi.  After meeting under a pole shelter with a tarp roof on borrowed land, the Lord allowed the church to get their own property not far away.  With time, prayer, and hard work, a church building was raised.  June 6, 2004, the church was turned over to Pastor Eliab, a national pastor.  Praise the Lord!  The church continues to grow in grace, maturity, and attendance today.

Now, Matt and Keila are busy working on translating materials into the Runyankore language for the national churches to use while helping in the Independent Baptist Church of Mbarara.  They have completed a two-year curriculum for children’s Sunday School teachers as well as 50 chronological lessons through the Bible.  As they continue to translate and work on the language, they are praying where the Lord would have them start another work.

 Uganda Facts

Capital: Kampala

President: Yoweri Museveni.  He came into power in 1986, was elected president in 1996, and was re-elected 2001 and 2006.

Currency: Ugandan Shilling (about 1,680 USH = $1.00)

Languages: English, Luganda, Runyankore, and 46 other dialects.

Major Religions: Anglican (Episcopal), Catholic, Islam, Pentecostal

Independence was gained from England October 9, 1962.

Uganda is roughly the size of the state of Oregon; however, Oregon’s population is 3.6 million where Uganda’s population is 26.9 million.

Life expectancy: 44 years

Wildlife: lion, leopard, elephant, buffalo, rhinoceros, hippopotamus, crocodile, impala, bushbuck, waterbuck, giraffe, cheetah, ostrich, zebra, warthog, hyena, baboon, gorilla, chimpanzee, various species of monkey, and a large variety of birds.