ASSIST News Service (ANS) - po box 2126, garden grove, ca 92842-2126 usa
e-mail: assistcomm@cs.com, web site: www.assistnews.net


monday, december 31, 2001

american missionary murdered in uganda
mike stachofsky was working with a christian organization that assisted people in rural areas drill wells and install water pumps

by dan wooding
founder of assist ministries

mbale, uganda (ans) -- an american missionary was shot dead near mbale, in uganda, on friday, december 28, is has been reported in the new vision newspaper.

the ugandan newspaper said that thugs who broke into his residence on plot 27, wanale road in mbale senior quarters, at around 3.15am gunned down mike stachofsky, 59. the assailants had not yet been arrested.

mbale police chief celestine eyagu said the motive of the murder was not established. he, however, said the thugs demanded money but got nothing.

according to the newspaper, stachofsky reportedly wrestled the assailants before he was overpowered and shot through the right ribs. he died moments later.

stachofsky, who comes from the state of idaho, had been working with a christian organization assisting people in the rural areas drill wells and install water pumps.

he had worked in lira district since 1996 and had constructed a health center called the whole nation's christians care center. he moved to mbale early this year.

the american missionary is to be buried at the same place, according to his wife, pattissue who also said there was no need to transport the body to the us.

us embassy officials were expected in mbale to participate in the burial.

pastor elijah mabala of the mbale christian center, where stachofsky was a member, told the new vision they were scheduled to travel to wanale ridge east of mbale town where the missionary had plans to construct a health center. "we had seen the suffering of the people on wanale ridge, who are sometimes carried on stretchers to mbale for treatment and had decided, as a church with the assistance of the deceased, to construct a health center on the ridge," he said.

mabala said the stachofsky had already contributed money to purchase land for the center.

friends said stachofsky had two american visitors with him who witnessed the murder. they said because of a heat wave, stachofsky and his family had left nearly all the windows open.
dan wooding is an award winning british journalist now living in southern california with his wife norma. he is the founder and international director of assist (aid to special saints in strategic times). wooding is also a syndicated columnist, and was for ten years a commentator on the upi radio network in washington, dc. wooding is the author of some 40 books, one of which is "blind faith" which he co-authored with his 93-year-old mother anne wooding, who was a pioneer missionary to the blind of nigeria in the 1930s. copies of this book are available from the assist usa office at po box 2126, garden grove, ca 92842-2126. his writings are on the assist website at: www.assistnews.net

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