Harvest Partnership Update May 2015

Abel and Anita N'zoa

West Uganda

Praise God for Abel’s safe travels to West Uganda – and his recovery from a motorbike accident. He was pleased to see the new action from the Emmanuel Assembly in Rukungiri since the new lot of training. While in Rukungiri he visited Murumba Christian School and one of the teachers was converted. He also trained 8 leaders in Reuben's house and discipled the house church at Justus' house. 

Pray for growth in the three newly planted churches in Ntungamo and Kihihi and the 12 Bible Reading house churches. They visited the Kihihi church and, inspite of the motorbike accident, they now want Abel to return for a 1 week input.

Rwanda

Unfortunately Abel couldn’t have seminars there as it was the special fortnight of remembrance of the genocide of the mid 1990’s.

He was planning to go there again last week but transport was fully booked as people escaped from Burundi’s problems.

Pray for our friend Pastor Theo, the Good News church leader and Simeon, whom Abel has trained. Abel asked Simeon to take the seminars planned, promising to come later.  Pray for good results from Simeon’s visits.

We thank the Lord for the great progress the Ruhengeri Church is making in planting new churches in nearby places. 

At Home in Bujumbura, Burundi

In Bujumbura Abel has helped the churches at Kinama, Kamenge, Mutakura, Kiyangi and Bwiza with daily Bible reading groups and regular prayer for those they know are unsaved and they seek to reach.  He is pleased with the growth.

The church at Nyoth and the Good Shepherd Church are active and working to “fill their Jerusalem”.

Pastor Vincent’s church at Kanyosha are training up emerging leaders to go prayer walking in new areas to reach.

These are urgent days in Bujumbura and elsewhere as the present President has completed his allowed two terms in power but is seeking to bully the system and stay in power for another term. There are many street protests and it has become unsafe.  It was not safe for Abel to leave the family and go to help the churches in Rwanda.  They are staying near the lake and will escape to Uvira if need be.

Pray for their planned micro-business to come together – planned initially to cover the children’s needs and house rent.

Pray over his responsibility for the work and our missionaries in Congo, Burundi, Rwanda and West Uganda.

Pray for Alex and family – his associate in Bujumbura.  Pray that his hairdressing business will prosper to meet the needs of the family; and for their safety.  Pray for the churches he encourages to be effective in personal growth and outreach. 

Alimasi and Chance

Uvira, East Congo

Alimasi and Chance are responsible for the East Congo work in Uvira and up the Rusizi River plains. The family is well and the children are happy to have begun a new school term.

Praise God for the 13 Bible Reading Fellowship (BRF) house churches in Uvira’s suburbs – churches in Songo, Kimanga, Kalundu, Mulongwe, Kasenga.  Uvira is an old town and existed with a big slave market when David Livingstone explored the region.

Praise God for the outreach from the Uvira Moravian church and for the recently baptised converts.

Pray for those trained to tell 36 Bible Stories as a means of evangelism.

Rusizi River Valley

The Anglican Church in Luvungi has succeeded in planting Bible reading groups in villages on the Plains.  

Pray for the church at Lemura where the nine leaders trained have accepted to plant churches in their mountain villages. Friday evening is the chosen night for their house churches where they share how God has spoken to them through the Bible and to pray for those they know who don’t know the Lord.  Many of those prayed for attend and come to Christ.

At Mboko the Free Methodist church pastors and elders are busy in the work – and learning to follow the church vision of reaching out.  Their 4 BRF's meet on Saturdays to share and pray together.

Pray for the many other Rusizi towns and villages Alimasi visits every 2 - 3 months – the churches have altered their ways to be active in Bible reading, praying and outreach. 

Pascal and Yohana in Fizi, along Lake Tanganyika

Pray for Pascal and Yohana as they visit churches in these very rural places in the greater Fizi area and where rebels attack communities. In rural areas witch doctors and polluted versions of Christianity compromise many churches and blunt the witness.

Alimasi also goes south down back-breaking roads to encourage Pascal and co-teach the churches.  

Pray the family will be kept in good health and that the remote mountain churches won’t be neglected.

Daniel and Jolie

Bukavu and beyond Northern Kivu

Daniel and Jolie have been with us full time for a year and show a real call to serving God and people. Praise God we have been able to send 10 months rent to secure a Bukavu home. This month the family will arrive from Kalehe.  Pray for them to have all their needs met and that they will settle well, finding good schools etc.

The Lord has given Daniel new and effective ideas that work well in Bukavu. We thank the Lord for much fruit. He has just helped leaders and churches in Bagira, Nyawera and Kadutu.  They are teaching people to use the 36 Bible stories for people to use in evangelism.

At the CERPIE church in Tchimpunda he has begun training 11 leaders to launch daily Bible Readings in the church and start home Bible Reading Fellowships.  Pray for the 23 who gave themselves to the Lord and were baptised!

Pray for the three new CPM Bible Reading Fellowships at Grace Church – asking that they will grow in faith and fortify the new believers.  The same in Ndendere.

Rural North

Daniel had been a local church leader and school teacher in distant and often rebel oppressed Kalehe. He loves visiting many rural places where home Bible Reading Fellowships have brought many to the Lord as well as deepening the believers.

The churches in Toyota have long used CPM.  5 kms from there is Mugogo where the 22 leaders from the Shiloh church were trained.  They began three home Bible Reading Fellowships – pray that these may multiply.

In Nyangezi the three day training and encouragement visit encouraged him.  10 Bibles were given to the leaders so that many can be involved in the Word daily.  Praise God for their vision to reach out further than they ever had before.

Praise God for the groups who, as they pray for one another, are seeing prayer really answered including deliverances.

Kalehe is still greatly troubled by rebel groups but God’s people are strong and reaching out beyond their own town. 

Other Congo Workers

1) Keep praying for Pastor Munga as he visits, teaches and encourages his Siloam Churches in Congo and Burundi.  May he have safety as he travels, inspiration for his pastors / leaders that they will apply the vision and see a great intake of souls.  Pray for the needs of his extended family.  Thank God for this humble envisioned man of God!

2) Goma.  Pray for Pastor Anatole (Baptist church) and Jean Pierre (Methodist) in Goma at the north end of Lake Kivu – that their CPM house groups will bring in overwhelming fruit, and that the BRF's will multiply and multiply.  

The Baptists plan to spread the work to the north and as far as Lubumbashi in the south, in spite of many rebel groups.

Jean Pierre uses his appointment as Methodist Youth Director to spread the CPM vision to their churches.

Pastor Bob, West Kenya and East Uganda

Pastor Bob was converted as a teen from a Moslem family and immediately became an evangelist and later – a church planter. He coordinates our Kenya ministry and we have been partners since 2003.  

He has seen his OCC church becoming fruitful through house fellowships, even in Mosque dominated areas.  They previously had 18 House churches and 21 Daily Bible Reading groups.  Now they have 70 Bible Reading groups in their area. These are people who have covenanted to read the Bible daily and apply it to their lives, to pray for family, friends and contacts who need the Lord daily, and then come together weekly to share how the Lord has spoken to them and what has happened when they do what He has told them.  This is an adventure that the whole church is on – and together they are taking responsibility to reach their town and beyond for the Lord..  It is simple and fruitful! Pray that his leaders will continue with vision and fruitfulness as he is away often.  His church needs to be a “model” to others.

Church planters are attracted to him as their churches change from a one-man-band to a family of active believers.  He currently has 30 pastors in Kisumu that he teaches, mentors and encourages. That means that there are 1000's involved and  activated in this simple movement of planting and growing churches.  I am greatly encouraged. His news is always like the book of Acts as he ministers to hundreds of leaders and thousands of Christians.  

His wife Lillian is just recovering from typhoid and malaria.  Pray for the family, especially during his weeks away.

Pray also for the churches across the border in East Uganda – including Busia and Tororo.  Pray for constant growth. And for his planned visits to churches in Nairobi the capital.  Big city life captures much time, hindering growth.

Please also pray for the local and Sudanese youth we support in the schools in Nairobi.  Pray for more supporters for them.

Pray for the safety and protection of God’s people and the nation because of the Al Shabaab Islamic jihad attacks.  

Shaban and Kensha Street Kids Football Outreach, Mariakani, Kenya

Praise God for the week Pastor Bob was with Shaban and Kensha over Easter. There was much fruit. Also thank God that Shaban is out of hospital again recovering from typhoid and malaria.  

Praise God for all the youth who are now in school through Kensha.  May the Lord provide funds to us for this new term and for more youth to be able to get into school.

Pray for the up to 200 youth involved in Kensha, especially for the ones who have trusted the Lord and the senior boys who are discipling them.  The football team keeps winning and exhibiting good sportsmanship!  They pray much!

Pray for Shaban as he mixes leadership with completing his high schooling because his orphaning left that unfinished.  

Our other co-worker there, Pastor Willy, even though he is 31 has also gone back to school.  At his school he has 200 youth doing daily Bible readings.  Willy’s church is growing through having 20 Daily Bible reading groups.  This is great growth.  Praise God.  Bob gave them the next level of training.  

In Shaban’s home, Shaban has his brother Eddy (co-coach – also schooling) and 5 boys whom we help through school. They urgently need new (off the floor) beds and mattresses with mosquito nets.

This is an example of what is happening all over East Africa and the Great Lakes of Africa.  The news that pours in from other countries / areas is equally exciting – just ordinary African Christians being turned upside down as they are serious with God and seriously working for God – encouraging one another to be churches, who mean business with and for GOD!

Thank you for praying.  Together we are part of the advance – and part of the joy!

His blessings,

Ken