The Soroti Orphan Assistance Project (SOAP) is a ministry of the Independent Baptist Church of Soroti specifically targeting double orphans from Northeast Uganda. Over the last 18 years, over 500,000 people have been slaughtered in rebel attacks by the Lord's Resistance Army led by Joseph Kony, and many more have been abducted in his attacks. Additionally malaria affects nearly every family annualy, and over half of those in the tribal areas of Northern Uganda are affected by HIV/AIDS. As a result of these rebel atacks and widespread disease, many families in Northeastern Uganda have lost both mother and father. Through ministering to these children, SOAP seeks to further the work of church planting in Uganda in several ways, including the following:

• Nationwide, literacy is only at 43%. This slows the progress of many enrolled in the Bible Institutes as they prepare for ministry. By reaching children beginning in the first grade, we can teach them not only the language and communication skills they need, but also help them to be grounded in the Word of God from an early age. This will give these children the skills they need to be future church planters, missionaries, and faithful, active church members

• Many new Christians lack an understanding of core Bible stories and principles forcing our Bible Institutes and discipleship classes to spend more time on "milk" and less on "meat." By beginning a ministry to these children at an early age, when they reach adulthood, they will already have a solid foundation in the Word of God and Christian character that we can build upon in the Bible Institute and Seminary as we train those called to be church planters and missionaries.

• Corruption is rampant in all of Africa. Many Ugandans make decisions based on a corrupt worldview. Our prayer is that many of these orphans will grow up to be church planters and missionaries, but also that the others will be business leaders and government officials who will be light in this dark land and lay leadership in future churches planted by their peers.