The

"Long" Awaited Update

I am sorry for not updating this blog sooner. To say we have been busy would be an understatement. Since my last post in late July we have mostly been on the road (and in the air). Our training schedule has been very busy and will continue to be that way for as far out as we can see. It sometimes means that we travel together while other times we travel separately. Although we prefer to travel together we are trying to be good stewards of our resources and time in a way that would accomplish everything that we believe God is calling us to do.

  Community Health Evangelism is expanding across Africa faster then we could have possibly hoped for. Through CHE, pastors are coming to realize that their calling goes far beyond their Sunday morning sermons. They are learning about how the Jesus has called us all to address a person's spiritual, physical, emotional and social needs. They have been trained to address the spiritual needs of their people but never had the tools to address their physical, emotional and social needs. They are seeing CHE as the tool to meet those needs and as the keys to opening the doors for sharing the gospel in their communities. As one man said "We are so glad that you have come to teach us that we are fully capable of solving our own problems and God has already provided the resources that we need to do so.  Why weren't we taught this in Bible school?" They are also asking for their wives to be trained in addressing the many issues that face women in African culture. Together these Pastor's and their wives are looking forward to ministering as a team in their communities. This is a whole new paradigm shift for Africa and we are very excited to be a part of what God is and will be doing through these leaders.

 What have we been up to?

     Since our last update, I have been to Uganda many times over the past three months where I have been meeting with the Evangelical Free Church of South Sudan leaders to help develop their organizational structure and develop their next five year goals. They are a great group of leaders and I am very encouraged by their maturity and motivation.

  August:

 I facilitated a Community Health Evangelism Vision Seminar for 20 pastors in Bujumbura Burundi. Some of the participants came from as far away as Congo. They have asked for me to come back and give them the full CHE training so that they can expand the ministries in their areas. They have also asked for Holly to come and train their wives in CHE and the Womens Cycle of Life training.

 I facilitated two Community Health Evangelism Vision Seminars for Congolese Pastors in Nyrugusu Refugee camp and in Kigoma Town Tanzania. Although this is just an introduction to CHE, these Pastors and church leaders have already begun training other church leaders and Congolese refugees in what they have learned. They are ready for me to come back and give them the full CHE Training and for Holly to come and train their wives.

September:

Training Tanzanian Missionaries

  I continued the Bi-Vocational Pastors training with the Tanzanian pastors many of which have already put what they have learned into practice and begun small businesses to support their families and their ministries. A good example of their business creativity  is that one of the pastors began a ice making business. He purchased a freezer and went to all of the restaurants in his community to offer his service and create a business route. He now supplies ice to many of those restaurants and shops that want to sell cold sodas. He saw the need, did a market analysis and began his business. Some of the others have done similar small businesses. These are sharp guys.

   Holly spent a week in Chad training women on Womens Cycle of life. The training was very well received and Holly was very encouraged by their participation in the training.

October:

  We took a couple of weeks of vacation time to relax as a family with Holly's parents. No internet and no email! Just family! It was a much needed, very relaxing and restful time.

  Upon our return home we trained a group of Tanzanian missionaries, who are working with the Maasai in how to implement the Community Health Evangelism strategy into their ministries. This was an amazing time with amazing people. Our overall goal is to have National's reaching out to National's. These guys are doing just that! PTL

Shelter Cove Team after landing in Nimule

  Immediately following that training, Holly and I boarded  our flight to Entebbe Uganda where we prepared to receive a team of 6 peole from Shelter Cove Community Church in Modesto Ca. After completing the two day process of getting our visas for South Sudan we all boarded a small airplane "Cessna Caravan" and headed off to Nimule South Sudan where the team facilitated four different trainings for 20 Sudanese pastors and their wives. Three of the team members conducted an in-depth analytical approach to studying the bible and effective sermon preparation. These pastors have never had this kind of training and were very blessed by Garth, Scott and Walters training. Holly Joy and Lori  conducted a training on the Womens Cycle of Life for the pastors wives. This is the first time in the history of the EFCSS that Pastors and their wives have been brought together for this type of conference. One of the women told me, every day, "This has never happened before, I love this". Myself and Mike conducted and introduction to Community Health Evangelism and What is a Bi-vocational Pastor. These Pastors and their wives had a very full five days.

November:

Vision Seminar in Mundri South Sudan

  As soon as the Shelter Cove team left for the states I met up with another team from an organization called NeverThirst and headed back to South Sudan where together we introduced the CHE strategy to the  community of Mundri. This training was very well received and I was asked to stay and complete all the trainings so that they could begin a CHE program now! One of the people in the training was a Member of Parliament government official. He was so impressed with the CHE strategy and teaching style that he wants to implement CHW at a government level. He sees it as a very effective and new way to approach the communities about their Spiritual, Physical, Social and Emotional health. This is a great opportunity for the Gospel to be shared to a huge number of people.

   When the Shelter Cove team left Holly headed off to the US to speak at the Global Missions Health Conference in Louisville Kentucky and to meet with coworkers to discuss a new program that we will be starting in Congo this March. She will be returning tonight. Yay!



As I said, We have not been letting any grass grow under our feet. God is truly blessing our efforts and many Godly leaders are ready to begin reaching out to their communities in ways that they never imagined.  God is so good!

   We are blessed to be here in a time when ministry is changing for those who we are working with; Pastors are wanting their wives to work alongside them, Bi-vocational pastoring is becoming a reality for many pastors who were living at a poverty level below those in their congregation, Pastors are getting the training that they need to effectively preach the gospel, Communities are seeing the need for taking ownership of their own problems and not waiting for someone else to come solve their problems for them... the list goes on!

Thank you for your prayers and for partnering with us. Many of you give sacrificially every month so that we can be here and we appreciate your commitment to our ministry. Its only because of your prayers and support that we can be here.

Brief Home assignment    January 2nd - Febuary 6th 2013

   We are scheduled to come home for our Home Assignment (furlough) this summer but because of Devin's year round school schedule we have determined that it would not be wise to take him out of school for the summer. Because of this we have been given permission to come home in January and try to accomplish as much as we can in this short period of time. Below is our schedule and prayer requests for the things that we will need to accomplish while there.

CHE Conference!
  Initially we will be attending the Global CHE Network Conference in the Phoenix area. Holly will be Speaking about the Womens Cycle of Life program and I will be attending in place of our Africa leader Kevin Kompelien. My official title will be "ReachGlobal Africa Representative."  Sounds impressive doesn't it?

 Looking for help!
  Because of the rapid growth of our Community Health Evangelism ministry we are looking for one or two couples who might consider joining our team here in Africa. Please pray that God will connect us with the people that he has been preparing for this ministry.

Raising Support!
  Along with ministry growth comes cost. God has blessed us with all of our needs and we trust that He will continue to do so. We also believe that we need to be transparent with you as to what those needs are. Our expenses each month are exceeding our income. We are required to raise all of our training costs and everything that is associated with those trainings. This is a good need to have because it means that our ministry is growing. While in the US we will need to raise our support level so that we can continue ministering in the areas where God has called us. Please pray that God will provide through His people $800 per month to bring us back into the black and to maintain the growth of our ministry. $800 seems like a difficult task to complete in such a short amount of time  but we know that it's really nothing in Gods economy!

Other Needs:

Vehicle Maintenance!
  Our vehicle is 21yrs old and in need of repair. One of our workers says that I spend more time doing repairs than I spend driving it. I think he might be right!  Unfortunately, the parts are getting harder to find and getting more expensive.  We aren't looking for a new vehicle but to maintain the one that we have. At this point the transmission is in need of replacement, the AC needs replacement parts and the diesel injector pump needs to be replaced.

Devin's Schooling!
  At the end of Devin's 10th grade year of High School we had to make a very difficult decision to send Devin (at his request) to Rift Valley Academy in Kenya. The schools here in Tanzania operate on the British system and for someone that has spent their life in the western school system it can prove to be a challenging transition to the British system. Devin tried very hard, for two years, to adjust and just could not do it. His grades were failing as well as his self esteem. After much prayer and many tears, in August we  took Devin to begin his first year at RVA. Since August he has maintained an A,B average and loves the boarding school life. This was an expense that we never expected, or planned for, when we came to the field. The cost per year for school and boarding at Rift Valley Academy is $6000. The cost for Devin to attend  HOPAC (Haven of Peace Academy) here in Dar es Salaam was $2000 per year. We need to raise an additional $4000.00 for Devins Senior year.


Thank you for your prayers in the above areas.

Travel schedule 

Jan 2-6 Seattle
Jan 8-11 Phoenix
Jan 11- 28 San Jose/Modesto
Jan 28- Feb 3 Indiana
Feb 3-6  open (Possible East Coast)
All dates are subject to change according to requests (this is just a rough draft)

We would love to meet with you for coffee and share, in person, what God is doing through our ministry. Please e-mail us to schedule a date and time. Tony.Freitas@ efca.org

If you would like to become a part of our support team then you can send your tax free donation to:

EFCA Donor Services 901 East 78th Street Minneapolis, MN 55420-1300  Note on the memo line Freitas #1647

                                             OR

YOU CAN GIVE ONLINE BY CLICKING ON THE LINK BELOW...... (at the bottom of the blog page)


  







  

CHE at Work

COMMUN ITY HEALTH EVANGELISM AT WORK!

What does it cost $ to develop a community for Christ ?

answer: Love for the People and Time! Neither of which run out!

Tony and Merle

I have just returned from a 14 day trip to South Sudan with our Africa Leader Merle Wiens where we took part in the EFCSS 2012 conference where a new Moderator, Vice Moderator, Secretary and Treasurer (1st woman in EFCSS leadership) were chosen. I spent much of my time traveling to many different EFCSS ministry areas with Pastor Moses. The ministry in South Sudan is continuing to grow and the pastors of the EFCSS are showing great spiritual maturity. The trip was truly a blessing for me and an encouragement as well.

Pastor Richard

Pastor Richard

Kerepi, South Sudan

Kerepi Primary School

Six years ago Calvary Church in Trumbull CT began a partnership with a South Sudan community called Pageri. They sent a team to that community twice a year for the first three years and once a year until present. Pastor Richard, from a neighboring community attended every CHE training and began to implement what he learned in his community. For pastor Richard, it wasn't just a training on how to develop his community but it was a totally different way of thinking. Pastor Richard had what he calls "Poverty of the mind". " I have nothing, therefore I can do nothing". After realizing the resources available to him in his community, and with no outside funding Pastor Richard built a simple church from tree posts, mud bricks and thatch for roofing. Completion of the church building encouraged him to reach out to the people in his community to build a primary school. Together, he and the community built six classrooms (shade structures with thatch roofs). Currently 300 children attend the school. The South Sudan government took notice of what he and the community accomplished and is now paying the teachers. Each day, Pastor Richard holds chapel in his church for the children and also teaches them Christian values in the classroom. He is using the funds that he raises from school fees to feed the students a morning breakfast of oat meal and maintain the school.

   Pastor Richard watched what others were doing with what they learned in CHE, discussed their successes and failures, and used that information to improve the lives of the children in his community. Pastor Richard is helping his community in a very Physical and Spiritual way. 

Pastor Moses

Pageri, South Sudan

Leader from Pastor Moses Church

  His church is doing very well; however, getting men to attend has been challenging. Alcoholism is very common among South Sudanese men. Pastor Moses is looking to begin a men's ministry in Pageri that reaches out to those with Alcohol addiction. Using the Micro-enterprise CHE training material that I used in training the pastors for managing the Seed Bank programs, he hopes to begin a business training course that will teach men the basics of business management. Upon completion of the course the men will receive the basic tools to begin a business together. For example, a block making press that they can use to produce and sell high quality compressed construction blocks. If anyone attends the class drunk then they will be asked to leave. After three dismissals they will be asked not to return and their spot will be given to another man. I plan to work closely with Moses on this as he begins the first class.  

  Moses would also like to offer to the women of Pageri, the opportunity to store bags of maze from their harvest (early in the season) and then sell the seed at the end of the season and at a higher price when the demand for maze rises. The women will then make a good profit on their seed and have money for school fees or clothing for their children.

Guest House

  As you can see from the picture of the Guest house, it is coming along very nicely. Considering that the only outside contribution was $2500 for doors, windows and roofing sheets, you would have to agree that it was money well spent.

The Pageri women's groups are meeting in the Guest House for their revolving fund program which has expanded to 5 groups of  25 women in each group.

Moses' Seed Bank

Moses has also begun the first Seed Bank and is doing very well at managing the business. Many have benefited from the Seed Bank and expressed their gratefulness while I was there.

This is just two stories of what Community Health Evangelism is doing in South Sudan. As word spreads about CHE then so does the demand for trainings. Along with the trainings come frequent travel to the training locations. Please pray for my (busy) travel schedule.

July 31-Aug 6 Travel to Burundi to facilitate a CHE vision seminar to 30 pastors and church leaders.

August 13-15 Travel to Kigoma to facilitate a CHE vision seminar to 30 pastors.

August 16-18 Travel to  Nyarugusu Refugee Camp to facilitate a CHE vision seminar to 30 Congolese refugee pastors.

Sept ? Travel to Uganda to meet with the new EFCSS leader to discuss organization of the Churches in South Sudan. 

Mama Christopher

Holly is currently on the road, traveling to Olbili (Maasai village) to continue the women's health trainings and will return on July 23rd.

HELP!

It has been said that, "If your visibility goes beyond your ability, you will lose credibility!"

We are at a point where our ministry is outgrowing our resources that cover our travel to the areas where we have been asked to serve. As you can see from the stories, Community Health Evangelism is doing amazing, life changing things in the places where we can take it. Unfortunately, travel into these remote undeveloped areas has become very expensive. We have current requests for trainings in Liberia, Congo, Nigeria, Burundi, South Sudan, Tanzania, Ethiopia but are limited by our travel funds. We need your help! If you would like to contribute to our travel so that we can share God's Word in a very practical way while helping communities break the bonds of poverty. Please send your tax deductible contributions to: 

EFCA Donor Services 901 East 78th Street Minneapolis, MN 55420-1300  Note on the memo line Freitas #1647

OR YOU CAN GIVE ONLINE BY CLICKING ON THE LINK BELOW...... (at the bottom of the blog page)

Aid that Increases Poverty? A Case Study in Unintended Consequences

Aid that Increases Poverty?

by Scott Wisely

Scott Wisely was born in Thailand to missionary parents, attended boarding school in Malaysia and spent four years in the Philippines. After earning a Masters degree in Third World Economic Development from Eastern University he has served in Papua (formerly known as Irian Jaya) since 1996. Scott describes his service as “focused on wholistic ministry with a big emphasis on discipleship.” In particular, he helps operate an elementary school, a strategy which “impacts the whole family and community.”

Papuans were totally self-sufficient for thousands of years so it is a difficult task to convince them that they are hopeless and helpless. But in the last decade well-intentioned outsiders have made significant headway. The Papuans, who viewed themselves as “the people”–strong, free, brave and capable–are becoming dependent on government, mission, and aid organizations.

Beliefs are what shape us. If you convince someone he is poor, he will act poor.

I teach a college class of aspiring teachers about poverty and education. I asked them, “Who convinced you that you should get everything free?” They blamed the outsiders. I asked, “Who made schooling and medical services free here?” When they named the head politician I asked where he was from. They got quiet because he is a local. I called to their attention the many campaign posters promising giveaways. I said, “If I came to you and said ‘Oh, you poor Papuan student, I feel so bad for you. You were malnourished as a child and came from a single parent family. This is really hard what you are doing: working and going to school. You can’t do this. I will pay your school fees and I will give you clothes and food and a place to live and spending money. I’ll do your homework for you and take your tests.’ What do I believe about you? That you don’t have what it takes. You are weak and I am strong. You are poor and I am rich. You are stupid and I am smart. Is that what you are?

“What do I believe if I have to come in and put in a clean water system for you and build all your houses and teach you farmers to raise vegetables and take your kids to raise and educate myself? It says that I don’t believe you have what it takes. You don’t know how gravity works and you can’t glue PVC pipe or swing a hammer or farm or raise your own kids. You are helpless and hopeless.”

Anger rose on their faces because everyone hates being pitied and disrespected.

Then we talked about how God views us. He looks at each girl in the room and says,

You are my precious, beautiful, smart and very capable – daughter. I made you to love and live and praise me with your sweet voice. I made you to nurture and care. I delight in you.

He looks at each boy and says,

With me you have what it takes. I made you strong and brave and ready to lay down your life to protect those I love. I made you a builder, a leader, an influencer. You are THE man.

I challenged them to stop believing the lies of politicians and well intentioned AID workers and missionaries. Believe in God and what He says about you. You might not have much money or stuff but don’t take on the label ‘POOR’.”

There wasn’t a dry eye in the room. Grown men and women crying. We all want to be respected, not pitied.

Many well intentioned outsiders are unwittingly bent on convincing Papuans that they are poor. (See Steve Saint’s article, “Projecting Poverty Where it Doesn’t Exist”.) Compassion is a love for the hopeless and helpless. It is the brother of Pity and cousin of Tolerance. That whole family of loves is supposed to serve in the hospice or mental health ward, not venture out into the streets and accost healthy people.

Why don’t we see these peoples’ strengths? Why do we only focus on what they can’t do and what they don’t have? Is it because we have so little respect for them? For me, I believe the main reason is pride. I think I am stronger, smarter, healthier, and richer so I condescend in compassion or tolerance or pity. But are we really that wealthy? Are they really that poor? I asked my Ugandan roommate in Turkey why Development Associates International has such a great cross cultural team. “We respect each other. Each of us brings our strengths to the table.” Then he listed the strengths, and his list was as long as the list the Westerners bring. Wow! We need a lot more of this kind of respect-filled love.

Other villages have asked us to start a branch of our school for their kids. We always begin the discussion by saying they have to provide land, building and houses, and pay teacher’s salaries. We will partner with them and come up with the rest but this is THEIR school so THEY have to PAY for it. They love being treated with respect but PAYING the price of being respected is a hard choice.

Recently we met with the church and village leaders in Eragaiam in the Walak tribe. (Watch our YouTube video, “4×4 school in Eragaiam”) I shared that I didn’t view them as poor but as strong, wealthy, brave and very capable people created in the image of God. Some tough Walaks started tearing up. They are starving for that kind of affirmation. They said, “We have to give the wood and materials and help to build this school. We have to build a road in. We are ready to pay the teachers’ salaries.” In the 60s the missionaries treated them with respect and thousands of churches, schools, and health clinics were built this way. In those days missionaries lived in the villages with them and saw their strengths and abilities every day. One wrote a great book called The Amazing Danis!: the title says it all. But times have changed. Now missions means a foray. Outsiders jet in for a short trip. They can only see what the people don’t have. Such a practice engenders little respect.

This village had asked us to help them start an elementary school, even though already had one. A beautiful school building stood 50 meters away from where were meeting. At 10 o’clock on a Tuesday morning it was totally empty. It was built and is supported with foreign aid money. The children attend is free. But they graduate with a shattered identity and crushed self-worth. Most cannot read, write, or do basic math. The villagers realize this and are ready to pay $60 a semester– in a place that Reuters reports as one of the poorest spots in one of the poorest countries in the world–for their kid to go to school.

In the book The Beautiful Tree by James Tooley, an African father was asked why he sent his child to the private school with its run down facilities when he could send his child to the government school that had great buildings and was free. He answered, “When you go to the market and someone is giving fruit away for free it is because it is rotten. If you want good quality fruit you pay for it.”

The villagers named our school Ob Anggen, “Good Fruit.”

Exercise in Achieving your Business  Goals

  Bi-Vocational Pastoring........ A New Concept? 

It looks like I have some catching up to do here on my blog. These past weeks have been very busy. I have almost completed the the training of the first group of pastors in the Bi-vocational Pastors training course. I have been very fortunate to have some very sharp guys that have really grasped the concepts of small business. A few of them have already began the process of starting small businesses. One of the students has improved his bread making business by understanding the customers needs and money management. Another began an ice making business where he has developed relationships with the local restaurants and shops that sell soda. He is now supplying them with ice every morning. Another has really grasped the concept of supply and demand and is going to open a small shop and sell various items while keeping close track of the inventory and marketing. The stories continue to come and I am proud of these guys in their desire to follow the Apostle Paul's lead in supporting their ministries and to not be a burden on their church's that can hardly support their families. This will allow the church to use what little money that it brings in to re-invest into the church.

   Please pray for these guys as they have allot of challenges ahead of them but they now have the tools they need to face those challenges.


   Huge Opportunity For Ministry Growth

EFCA Africa Conference

Four Weeks ago Holly and I attended our ReachGlobal Africa Conference where I was able to connect with church leaders and church planters from across the African continent. As I met with each of the leaders I realized that there was a common thread between them and an opportunity that we could not pass up. Each pastor expressed a strong desire for the new Bi-Vocational Pastors training, a need to train the communities where they are working in Community Health Evangelism and also Women's Ministry/ Women's Health. At first the idea of training all of these villages, in all of these topics, across Africa seemed like an impossible task until I realized that we have everyone we need already in place "Church Planters". The idea is to now train the Church Planters in three to four different locations from West Africa to East Africa, in turn they will add these trainings to their church planting curriculum. As these Leaders train new pastors to begin new churches they will give them the skills to help the people in their communities with finding solutions for their physical needs while sharing the gospel in very practical ways. It is a great opportunity for the Churches in Africa to really become that shining beacon on the hill.

   The challenge is still big but not overwhelming!  I believe that our biggest challenge will be travel cost to and from the three or four training areas (Yet to be determined) but God will provide the way." He always does!


     South Sudan Seed Banks are finally Sprouting Up.

Lam Michael, Juma John, Tony, Moses Andruga

Last week I  traveled to Uganda where I met with three of my favorite Pastors (Moses, Lam Michael and Juma John) from Southern Sudan to discuss the business plans that they were required to complete so that they could receive "one time" startup funding to begin Seed Banks in Southern Sudan. This is a very new idea in which the Seed Banks will be stocked with seed that can be sold to those who can afford to purchase the seed. For those without money, they can borrow with repayment in the form of seed from their harvest. With interest of course! This idea began as a dream that started in a conversation around a late night fire with Pastor Moses from Pageri, my good friend Pastor Dave McIntyre from Trumbull CT (who is now with the Lord) and myself in an effort to prepare food reserves for the next famine that WILL come. Currently, there is nothing like this in Southern Sudan. Most South Sudanese travel to Uganda to purchase seed so the convenience of local availability gives opportunity for ministry and business to come together in a way that will help the local churches reach out to the Sudanese people who in turn will be open to hearing the gospel.

Update:

Moses's Seed Bank in Pageri is now up and running and doing very well. The communities around Pageri are very excited and love the convenience. Moses has developed an application that needs to be completed for one to qualify to borrow seed. He is also helping those who do not have farming experience by working alongside them to help them understand basic farming skills. Moses has also been attending free classes that have been offered by  NGO's, traveling through the area, on seed production, storage and fertilizer usage.

Lam has already rented a shop in Magwi for his seed bank and has invested some of his own money and also borrowed money from his relatives to get the Seed Bank started. He has also attended trainings on seed production and storage. He hopes to open his shop for full service within the next few weeks.

Juma has decided to plant crops on land that he already owns and supply the seed banks with seed. He also hopes to produce enough seed to sell to local NGO's. Juma is planning to get his seed certified by the government so that he can sell the seed as certified seed at a little higher price. He will also add nice packaging and treat the seeds against insects and fungus. Moses and Lam are going to teach Juma what they have learned from their courses on seed production, storage and fertilizer usage.

These Pastors all live within an hour or two from each other and plan to work closely together to help make each of these Seed Banks a success.

 Pastor Dave would be proud of these guys. I know that I am!

What Next?


Tony's Schedule


June 9 Final Bi-Vocational training of pastors here in Dar es Salaam.

June 19 - 30 I travel to South Sudan with our  ReachGlogal Africa (in country)Leader Merle for the EFCS Pastors conference in Torit. We will then travel to Magwi, Pageri and Nimule where we will observe CHE Community Health Evangelism Programs and Seed Bank progress.

June 20-July 13 Hosting team from the US that will be working at a youth (outreach) camp

July 31 - 9  Travel with Merle to Burundi to follow up on possible ministry opportunities, introduce CHE and Bi-Vocational Training  (refer to article #2)

July 13-18 Kigoma Refugee camp/ Seminar for Congolese Refugee Pastors in CHE strategy Vision Seminar


Holly's Schedule


June 4- 8 Holly is currently doing a Womens health training in Maasai land with Lauren's friend Corrie

July ?-19 Travel to Chad to Facilitate Womens Cycle of Life training

I will update her schedule when she returns.

Holly is on her way home from a few days in the village where she was training the Maasai women in Women's Health issues and solutions. Holly has also been asked by our previous organization, Medical Ambassadors International / Lifewind, to head the Women's Cycle of Life program for Africa. Our current organization (ReachGlobal) has agreed to this part time position through a "Memorandum of Understanding" between the two organizations. This will be a great opportunity to reconnect and work together with with many of our past co-workers.

I will begin the Pilot program of The Bi-vocational Pastor training this Saturday April 14th. This will be a great opportunity for these pastors to to learn how to develop a business plan and then to begin small business's.  The culture here does not understand this concept however these pastors are looking forward to learning to do bi-vocational ministry to fund their work, just as the Apostle Paul funded his ministry through bi-vocational tent making/pastoring. Its such an old concept yet so new to these people. Please be praying that this goes well and that the pastors will grasp this very important concept.

Meeting with a group of pastors in town tomorrow (Friday) to introduce them to the idea of Bi-vocational Pastoring through Micro-enterprise. This will be a very new concept to most African Pastors however, if motivated to proceed with the 8 weeks of training they will learn how to support themselves and their families without looking for outside assistance. Pray that the idea is received well!

Latest Update
Its been awhile since my last posting. Being new to the world of Blogging I am not sure if anyone reads these postings. My motivation in updating the blog is to keep everyone informed with the latest news about our ministry. Writing is not one of my favorite past times but I am sure that it matters to those who read this blog. With all of that said, I need your help! Is there any way for me to track the number of hits that this blog gets? Any help would be appreciated!

   On to the latest news,

   Many things have happened since my last posting. In November I traveled to Kigoma Tanzania to open a new field of ministry among the Congolese refugees that are living in the refugee camps along the Congolese border. My primary goal is to train a group of 20+ pastors who, in turn, will train other Congolese leaders in the CHE strategy so that when they return to Congo they would have some very useful skills that they could use to rebuild their communities and churches. Pastor Faliala is my key contact who has been working with these pastors for the past 6 yrs. This is an exciting and challenging opportunity. The area around the Refugee camp where they are living is very difficult to get to and has a high crime rate. The area that they hope to return to is constantly at war which adds to the complications. The camp where I will begin the training houses approx. 50,000+ people that are anxious to return to their villages in the Congo when it is safe to do so.

   I was scheduled to do our first Congolese Pastors training in Feb. when I received a message from Pastor Faliala that we needed to reschedule the training as the Refugee camp was taking a census during our scheduled training and no one was allowed in or out of the camp. We have now rescheduled the training for June which will be after our rainy season here.


  I was also scheduled in Feb to lead a Pastors conference for our Sudanese pastors. This was to be a time of reflecting on their past ministry, current ministries and where we are going in the future. Due to a conflict in their schedule, I was asked to reschedule our conference. This has now been rescheduled for late June.

 A couple of weeks ago I was asked by one of my teammates to join him for a training on the island of Zanzibar. He was to do a pastoral training and I was to bring an introduction to Community Health Evangelism. This training was also cancelled and will be rescheduled.

  Holly continues to travel into the bush to train the Maasai women in the CHE Women's Cycle of Life lessons.  This helps the Maasai women understand how they and their bodies were designed by God to serve a Godly purpose here on this earth and that they are highly valued. Most Maasai women have been raised to believe that their value is less than the value of their cows.

  Last month I traveled to the US to speak at a conference on the value of short term teams in the mission field when armed with a sustainable training strategy. It is amazing to see that there is a wave of US churches that are wanting to train their short term teams in cross cultural ministry before sending them to the field so that they can have a sustainable impact in the mission field while helping people around the world without creating dependency in the process.





   Please pray for our team:

 As of now our team is made up of three families and all of them are under spiritual attack!

   Holly has been dealing with severe shoulder pain in both shoulders. This began about three months ago and at times can be debilitating. It has required her to fly to South Africa twice for treatment. She has received two injections of cortisone in one of her shoulder joints. Once it has proven successful they will inject the other shoulder.

   Wife of teammate #2  has had allot of random debilitating medical issues that is requiring their family to return to the US for treatment. Their son has also had serious stomach issues that the doctors here cant seem to resolve.

   Wife of teammate #3 has just returned from South Africa after a 3 day stay in the hospital. It has been determined that she has a form of rheumatoid arthritis and other medical issues that have kept her in bed for a good part of the past month. She is still in bed until the medicine that she will now have to take indefinitely begins to work.



 As you can see, there are many issues plaguing our team. There are too many to be a coincidence which is why we are all convinced that these attacks are spiritual in nature. Please pray with us that these attacks will stop!

   We continue pressing forward because we know that God has called us here to work among the African people. Sometimes it is discouraging and uncomfortable but we know that our God is bigger than any trials that come our way.

  “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.  Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.  For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”  Matthew 11 28-30 

                                                                  

                                                                              Tony Holly Lauren and Devin