Some of you have had the opportunity to work with us in one of the three countries where we are spreading the Good News – Kenya, Uganda, or South Sudan.
In Kenya, we are currently equipping many new laborers. Ten evangelists have just graduated and are busy spreading the news, while another ten are in training. Pastors and church leadership are also busy learning strategies for taking the Gospel to other areas and casting vision for church planting. The goal is to make every believer a soul seeker in our ministry.
Orphanages
It is common for the grown orphans to think back and say that they cannot imagine what their lives would be like today if they had not been cared for in the orphanage. These are children that would have hardly been eating, hardly have clothes to wear, hardly have shelter, hardly be loved and therefore would hardly smile or laugh in the villages, and would have no hope in life. Today, God has moved some of these kids to universities and colleges, with some in medical school, law school, and teachers college. The nation of Pokot is beginning to see a source of future leadership in these kids. And so does POM! We see preachers, teachers, nurses, and other ministry workers coming from our orphanages. They have been given a spiritual foundation, and they love the Lord!
Water Drilling
When the Samaritan woman at the well asked Jesus if he was greater than their father, Jacob, who dug a well for them, she was expressing how water was such an important element in their society.
The water wells POM drills have become many things to the Pokot people. Because of the many good things water brings to a village, everyone in the village looks forward to having a well drilled.
Water wells are a great asset that God has given to us. Many people have come to Christ because of water. One well groups people together, gives clean water, allows women to rest from journeys finding water, saves babies from miscarriage, allows school kids to learn instead of looking for water, and stamps out disease. One well ignites a village of 2,000 to 4,000 to become lively and vibrant. Schools have started along with the churches that we try to plant with each well. The wells attract a crowd, and pastors have a ready-made gathering. While we rejoice over the positive things that water has brought to our ministry, we have a challenge. When God provides the finances, five to six boreholes can be drilled each month meaning that we need to have that many new preachers each month. Please pray with us for the Lord to send more men willing to lead these new churches.
Medical Mobile Clinics
When POM first started, the Pokot people wondered if the God of Christianity really saw their medical needs. I pointed them to seek first the Kingdom of God and that all of the rest of their physical concerns would be provided according to His will. Twenty years later, I can say that God has answered these prayers step by step and little by little over the years.
Mobile clinics have enabled us to go to places where no other medical services are available. Treating the physical ailments of the people opens the door for conversations about the Great Physician.
Conferences
Over the years, God has given us the opportunity to minister to Pokot women and youth with annual conferences. These week long meetings include fellowshipping, sharing testimonies, and hearing the Word preached. Hundreds of women and youth give their lives to Christ! They return to their villages and begin sharing the new hope that they’ve found. Each year these conferences grow and we trust that God will continue to move.
Please pray with us:
1. for the overwhelming need for more laborers to be trained
2. for safety in South Sudan
3. for God to provide a multipurpose center in Karita, Uganda
By Julius Murgor, Pokot Outreach Ministries
Yuriy (pictured here) found himself at camp by God’s will when the orphanage administration replaced another child with him. He had never shown any interest in the Creator during church programs led by our field director. But the knowledge of God he received at the camp absolutely fascinated him! He asked for a Bible and later said that he has many questions on the book of Revelations that he will ask the pastor. Pray for him as he begins his faith journey.
To say that the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) is a difficult place is an understatement. Decades of war, rebellion, and governmental corruption have resulted in extensive poverty and need. According to the United Nations World Food Program, about two thirds of the population live below the international poverty line of $1.25 per day and lack access to adequate food. The situation is even more extreme in the eastern parts of the country where Harvesters International’s ministry partner is located. The reality that children are often the most vulnerable to the harsh impacts of such circumstances is easily seen in the DRC. Without someone’s help, countless orphans are destined to crime and prostitution just to survive. Harvesters International’s partner in the DRC, the Union of Baptist Churches, is being used by God to bring desperately needed care to a number of these precious children. Aside from their extensive church planting efforts, the UBC led by Pastor Athanase Habimana is housing, feeding, and educating 55 children at the Orphans Framing Center near the city of Goma. These children have lost their parents to war, disease, and other causes and face a critical need in their lives. At the Orphan Framing Center, they receive three meals per day, have adult supervision, attend school, receive health care, and are taught about the love and grace of Jesus Christ.
photograph that he looks at often now that he is home in the U.S. The picture is of a young boy standing on the outside of the fence that surrounds the Orphans Framing Center. The child is looking intently over the fence and watching as a meal is being served. This photograph is a reminder of the needs that remain for the children of the DRC. We look forward to touching more and more young lives as God supplies through His people.