Operation: Feed Your Enemies

This is Truman here.

Our Uganda team has recently returned from a two-week mission in Northern Kenya. Under the leadership of Jesse Digges, we joined the 2nd year students of the Youth Ablaze Discipleship School (six African men) and set out to reach famished areas with temporal food and the good news of eternal life. We targeted two Muslim towns, Marsabit and Moyale (on the Ethiopian border), spending about five days in each. Our desire was to imitate our Father in loving and blessing those who may hate and persecute us. Paul tells us, "If your enemy is hungry, feed him… overcome evil with good." (Rom. 12:20-21)

Here are some highlights of this amazing trip.

Nairobi

On our way to Marsabit we stayed in Nairobi and were visited by a Somali pastor. He spoke from his personal testimony about the cost of following Christ in Somalia and Eastern Kenya. This was an impacting time for us as we learned different strategies to reach these types of people groups with the gospel. One of the "bridges" we learned to use on this trip was the Quran. In a respectful manner, we take the Quran at its word to "believe the former books" handed down from Allah, namely the Injil (the gospel) of Jesus. Beginning with similarities in the Quran, we teach what the Injil says concerning the Incarnation and Divine Sonship of Jesus who came in fulfillment of the prophetic writings to bear our sins as the sinless Lamb of God and who will come again to judge the world at His appearing and kingdom.

In Nairobi, we spent time preparing in prayer and waiting on the Lord. Our plans for the upcoming Marsabit outreach formalized into a simple schedule of mornings spent in door to door town evangelism and evenings doing village crusades (showing JESUS film and distributing food to the needy). We also felt a prompting to set aside several people each morning who would keep a prayer furnace burning during these times of evangelism. I believe this strategy was from God.

Marsabit

We arrived in Marsabit and joined "Christ To the Nations", splitting up into teams of about 3 (including translators) for door to door evangelism. Each day, about four of us would stay behind in the "upper room" to pray for the outreach. One morning, I stayed behind with Belen, Linda, and a Youth Ablaze student named, Emma Mudodo. As I played keyboard and led songs/choruses of prayer, the Holy Spirit guided our prayers into prophetic declarations. The Lord was giving us new songs from John 1 concerning the Light of Life, Jesus Himself, being revealed. We also sang from Romans 8 asking for the Spirit of adoption to call Muslims by name from darkness to light as we prophesied from the Father, "Come home to Me, come home, I'm waiting for you… Do you know, Do you know how I love you? I would give My life just to find you". During this flow of prayer, one of the local leaders in the room received the names of three Muslims to pray for. One name was "Nurke". About an hour later after the prayer time the evangelism teams returned with testimonies. One group had led a man named, Nurke to salvation! They said he was so convinced he instantly began preaching Jesus to his own mother! I believe this whole experience was a picture of what the Lord is doing to build His church in Marsabit as a house of prayer, truly partnering with His heart in new songs to reap a ready harvest among Muslims.


We also desired to reach the many villages surrounding Marsabit with food and gospel. Rigging up the projector and a dirty sheet on the van, we gathered each night and showed films of Jesus, gave a gospel presentation, prayed for the sick, and handed out food. These times were very powerful for all of us as we literally went out to the byways to call people to the Wedding. We visited 4 of these villages, one of which was a poor IDP (internally displaced person) camp. The last village we went to was the smallest. About 50 people assembled as we sang songs. After a short gospel message we prayed for anyone who was sick. As Jesse prayed for one lady, the power of God touched her and she fell to the ground. This began to strike interest in many and several desired to receive the gospel. Casey and I prayed for an elderly lady who was deaf. After testing her hearing, she declared that after many years she could hear again! Others in the crowd tested her hearing and it was confirmed, this was a miracle from God, confirming the gospel message! This demonstration of the Spirit and power (cf. 1 Cor. 2:4-5) opened the door for about 8 people in this village to be saved.

Between door to door evangelism and village crusades we saw over 30 people come to Jesus in Marsabit.

Moyale

Moyale is situated on the Ethiopian border of Northern Kenya. In Moyale, we divided our efforts into door to door village evangelism, food distribution, open air crusades in town, and local church revival meetings at night. Moyale was the toughest ground we encountered thus far. Here, disciples are made in the fire. One tribe would even kill those who would convert to the Faith. Over 80% Muslim, we truly stepped in as a minority. During the first couple open air crusades, there was a great tension in the atmosphere and we felt tempted to give into fear. Several stones were even thrown our way from the crowd but the Lord protected us. :) I felt the romance of preaching to Muslims dissipate. The ground will not be easy, but there is a harvest that awaits us. Even after these crusades, a few Muslims secretly followed us to the church and accepted the Lord. Though we may not realize it, whenever the Word is proclaimed, light and truth are really going forth and it really does something.

In context to the bold proclamation of the gospel, the Lord used us to strengthen His body in Moyale. On the night of our second and most "intense" crusade, I was asked to preach at the local church revival meeting. I shared a word the Lord had given me for the church in Africa, "You are the work of My hands and you are in My hands." I spoke from Ps. 139 about God's Spirit always being with us (His hand upon us) like He was with David, ensuring us of the resurrection and empowering us to love and witness to the ends of the earth. I needed this sermon just as much as anybody else at the moment. Our team ministered to local believers during these meetings and the last night was a powerful time as many were weeping under the presence of the Lord. He was commissioning them to not shrink back in fear but overcome by the blood of the Lamb, the word of their testimony, and not loving their lives even when faced with death (cf. Rev. 12:11). Many in the body were strengthened and encouraged.

During our time in Moyale, we visited three local villages doing door to door and a local prison. About 15 people came to the Lord in Moyale. Hallelujah!

Epic Story and Conclusion

The final miracle of this trip must be our journey home from Moyale. Although it rained for a few days prior to our departure, we decided to leave on schedule. Our two vans took off at 10am on Saturday through the long and dangerous desert road. We encountered such floods of water that we thought impossible to cross. But someone's insanity prevailed and before we knew it we were fording this river (see picture)! Darkness began to fall. The roads were so bad that we ended up spending nearly 8 hours pushing our vans out of the mud. Into the night we pushed and drove, pushed and drove, and on one tank of gas each, we safely arrived in Marsabit at 9am, 23 hours later. Seriously! I believe this was a miracle!

On our way home the Lord gave a word to Jesse Digges about our labors, "You fed My people- You did it to the least, you did it to Me" (cf. Mt. 25:40). Handing out packages of corn meal, beans, and oil, we may not have realized it, but God took it personally.

Powerful Times in Uganda!

This is Truman here.

Because we have not posted for a few weeks I want to give a sweeping overview of what has been happening since my last update.

After Peter and I returned from our week-long outreach in Pokot, Kenya, our team prepared to host the "House of Prayer" conference, a five-day conference calling the local church to the Biblical vision of day and night prayer in their city. Carly and I spoke on several radio stations with Jesse Digges and a team of translators. The Sunday before the conference, our team split up to go to about 11 local churches to preach at their services. Nearly all our team had the opportunity to preach a full sermon as we invited people to attend the upcoming event. (Picture is of our team leading a special song at the "House of Prayer" conference)

About 300 people attended the conference. I preached a main session and our team led several "Harp and Bowl" model training seminars with the local Africans. They received the vision, values, and a practical model of day and night, enjoyable prayer with eagerness. Our team served throughout the conference with excellence and also had times to share on the vision of day and night prayer, intimacy with Jesus, and lead several worship sessions.


In line with our central mission to help strengthen a furnace of prayer for the church in Tororo, I believe this conference was a big step towards this direction. Our team's weekly schedule is intentionally focused around maintaining this house of prayer. We have been leading devotional and intercessory worship sets throughout the week (from 8am-2pm three days a week) and our desire is to see the local community of believers gather daily in prayer (Acts 2:42, 46). Our team has also taken the initiative, led by Ashley, to beautify the house of prayer by painting the stage with the verse, Is. 56:7 surrounded by flags of unreached, Muslim nations.

Throughout our time in Tororo, Uganda, our wonderful team has also taken the initiative to reach out to the city and preach the gospel, particularly to the Muslim and Hindu community. One day, on their way to preach the gospel, a man ran out of his house and called out to Casey, Linda, and Mark (one of the Youth Ablaze students) for them to come and preach to him. He recognized them from one of the street corner Muslim debates we had attended. They spent an extended time talking with him and he committed his life to follow Jesus. They even baptized him at his house!

Another powerful story that unfolded just a few days ago involved Belen and Linda as our team split up in groups of two for street evangelism. They walked up to a group of street venders and proceeded to preach. A lady asked them to pray for her hurting legs. They prayed and the Lord healed her right on the spot! More people gathered and two others asked for healing prayer. They prayed and a man with hip pain was healed, then another woman with a leg condition was healed!

This is just a sample of the many stories that God has been writing through our team members as they have been opening their mouths to share the gospel, pray for the sick, and serve the community. There is such an open door for us to minister here, maybe partially due to the fact that we are white "mazungus".

Since the "House of Prayer" conference the Lord has surprisingly connected us with several street boys. We have had the privilege of ministering to several of them, bringing them to "Smile Africa" (a day-time center for needy kids and orphans to be fed, play, learn, worship, etc.), finding them homes, and even connecting them with their families. There are many stories to be told in this. One quick story:

Since rededicating his life to the Lord at the "House of Prayer" conference, a 17-year old street boy named Paul had been spending all his time with us at the house of prayer. I took some time to hear his story and I offered my help, having no clue how to walk this out. He had been living on the streets of Tororo for about four years. One of the Youth Ablaze leaders helped connect me with an amazing pastor in Malaba, Uganda (30 minutes away on the Kenya border) who has rehabilitated and discipled over 100 street boys since '94. I went with Paul to this pastors' home and basically gave Paul over to his care. Paul now has a home and is pursuing an education. I think so much was planted in my heart through this experience and I am excited about what the Lord has in store. (Picture is from our time at "Smile Africa")

Currently, two of our girls, Kendra and Ashley are finishing up a weekend outreach trip with the first year Youth Ablaze students in a region near Jinja, Uganda. We have stayed back, laboring in intercession with them as we await to hear the stories of what God accomplished though them.

We are also planning a two-week trip to Northern Kenya with Youth Ablaze to reach famished areas with provision (food, clothing, etc.) and the good news of the Kingdom. Some points of prayer for us would include:

-Holy Spirit guidance and protection into Kenya during this tumultuous time
-Open doors to preach Christ and clear boldness upon our team to proclaim Him
-Financial provision for our assignment in Kenya
-Grace to gather and strengthen the church of Tororo further into the place of day and night prayer
-For the Lord to father and establish the street boys we have been ministering to

But above all,
    "I do not consider my life of any account as dear to myself, so that I may finish my course and the ministry which I received from the Lord Jesus, to testify solemnly of the gospel of the grace of God." (Acts 20:24)

Love,

Truman

A Week In Pokot

This is Truman here.

As I mentioned in an earlier post, last Monday, Peter and I headed off with the 1st year "Youth Ablaze" students (Uganda) to a small town named Lomut in the region of Pokot, Kenya for a week long outreach. We took two days traveling, spending the night at the home of a pastor who recently planted a church in Lomut. 

Arriving in Lomut, we found that although they were a tribal people and many were unreached, they generally wore normal clothes and drank Coca-cola. : ) The town is planted in a valley with a river running through it surrounded by beautiful and towering mountains. Nestled in the mountains were crops of maize, mango trees, and huts dotting the hillside. Many of the people wore traditional Pokot attire which was brightly colored.

I honestly believe the grace of the Lord was upon us through your prayers. There was a wide open door for the Word of Christ to go forth in this town and in the hill country surrounding it. It felt as though we literally stepped into a ripe harvest field.

Our time consisted of door to door evangelism in the mornings, a loudspeaker marketplace crusade in the afternoons, and a revival service in the evenings. The last evening we showed the Jesus film in the Pokot language. I thought it was amazing to see the Pokot people excitedly watch the story of Jesus in their own tongue.

The most impacting part of this trip for me was the door to door evangelism. We split up into about four teams and went out to find lost people. The first morning each team led at least 10 people to the Lord. Nearly everyone we talked to were eager to accept the message of Jesus and most of them had never been to a church. 

The next day we desired to go further up into the hills that surrounded Lomut and reach those who may have never heard of Jesus. Peter and I joined up with one of the Youth Ablaze leaders, Rev. Paul, and a few of the Youth Ablaze students and headed out for the hills on boda-boda taxis (motorcycles). As we arrived at the point too rocky for the bikes, amazingly, one of our boda-boda drivers asked if he could hike with us into the hills and hear more about Jesus. We took him with us and preached the word to him and he accepted the message, confessed, repented and believed in Jesus. 

We hiked for over an hour and found huts but no people (at work somewhere). Continuing on, we found a gathering of about 11 men in the woods resting from their morning work. Rev. Paul preached the gospel to them and all of them accepted the message and made prayers of confession and repentance. We told them about baptism and then went down to the nearby river and baptized over half of them, including the boda-boda driver. I personally got to baptize three of them after asking them to count the cost. "Will you endure for the sake of Christ? Will you die with Him that you may be live and reign with Him at His return?" (2 Tim. 2:11-13). This aquatic picture of being buried with Christ is such a witness to the day when our dead bodies will rise in glory conformed to the body of His glory.

After this we asked, "What do we do next?" This was a significant moment for me. Here we led 11 men to the Lord, but that was the easy part. What do we leave these men with? For all we knew, there was no church in any close proximity to where these men lived. They wanted one of us to stay back and be their pastor. They even had a plot of land where we could build a church. Umm… pause. What do we do? How do we ground these believers in the faith? We didn't have the answers and had to go, but these questions pounded at me. At that moment, I committed my life to seek the answer to this simple question, "What does it mean to make disciples?" 

The next day Rev. Paul went back to the hills with some other students and a local pastor to plant a church for these men and the many others we led to the Lord the day before. Peter and I went to the flatlands and preached with the rest of the students there. During the entire trip, we led over 200 people to the Lord (nearly all were during the door to door outreaches). 

On our way back to Uganda, we stopped in Kitale, Kenya and visited the Kenya ACTS team who are here. Peter and I decided to be dropped off and spend the day with our ACTS friends as the rest of our Uganda caravan continued back to Uganda. We are currently spending the day with the Kenya ACTS team before Peter and I jump on a bus for Uganda tomorrow.

We praise God for all that He is doing in Pokot. We want to see worship arise from all over the region and burning lamps set on lamp-stands, giving light to all men (Mt. 5:14-16, 1 Thess. 1:8-10).

Team Uganda Update

This is Truman here.

Our team has successfully landed in Uganda and it has taken us a few days to settle in. Since arriving we have participated in setting up a new prayer room in the midst of Tororo, Uganda. The building is actually an old barn-like facility. We moved sound equipment inside, set up chairs, cleaned up, scraped and painted the walls, and filled the place with worship and intercession. Our desire is to establish this gathering place of day and night prayer to Jesus so that more people in Tororo may come and pray.

On Thursday afternoon (10/6) we had a time of prayer for two young men (23 and 21) who have graduated from the two year "Youth Ablaze" Missions Base discipleship school founded by Jesse and Rachelle Digges. They shared the vision God has placed in their hearts to travel long-term to a region further East in Africa to reach specific unreached tribes with the gospel of Jesus Christ. They spoke from Prov. 25:25, "Like cold water to a weary soul, so is good news from a distant land." They said, "We should not be afraid to preach the good news to those who may reject it and persecute us. They do not know what they need. We are driven by love to take this drink to those who are perishing."

As we began praying for these two young men in our new prayer room, a great thunderstorm came. Rain pounded violently against the tin roof to such a decibel level that all we could do was shout with wonder and excitement at the exclamation point of God's majestic power. This is what God is doing with the youth of Africa. He is setting apart many like He did with Paul and Barnabas in Acts 13. He is raising up faithful witnesses of the truth who will burn and shine the light of Christ in the darkest places (specifically North Africa). May these ones be shot out as arrows to boldly speak the words of Him who whose voice is like the sound of many waters, who will thunder from the heavens on that Day.

Currently, our team is split up on a special 3-day outreach with Jesse Digges and the 2nd year "Youth Ablaze" students. On Friday morning (10/7), my co-leader and five of our team left with the students for the bush to do a 'crusade' of public preaching and door to door evangelism. I've already heard report that over 20 people have turned to Jesus. Let's pray that the Lord will gather those who need to hear His word and that the power/grace/gifts of the Holy Spirit would rest on the team in greater measure. They return Sunday.

Looking at the next week, there is another outreach opportunity with the 1st year "Youth Ablaze" students. Peter and myself will join them in a 5-day outreach to an intensely remote and nearly unreached area of Kenya. From what I know, this will be a rare opportunity to share the gospel with a tribal people who 'wear animal skins as clothes' and hold to an animistic belief system. We leave Monday.

Join us in prayer that the worth of Jesus would be seen and understood by believers and unbelievers alike so that the incense of worship and prayer would ascend day and night in Africa.

Love,
Truman

Here we go!!

Here we Go! The greatest journey our hearts have ever known in less then 3 days and counting...

4 more Days!

Hey everyone!

So in just 4 days, we'll be on our way to Kenya, Uganda & Thailand!!