When Light Occupies The Land

Our vision at POM South Sudan is to let light occupy the land. Church planting, disciple making, and leadership development are at the heart of our ministry. The light will only occupy the land when as many as those who hear and believe the good news let the light occupy their hearts.

We praise God for the impact that our teams are making in different tribes, and we can confidently testify about those who have believed; and now, the light is residing in their hearts. We would like to share with you what God is doing among the Diding’a tribe. Among the ministry leaders reaching different locations for Diding’a, four men are in the frontlines rallying the troops for spreading the light – Jacob, Joseph, Atanazio, and Simon. Their passion for the lost is always being renewed.

Hope Restored
We would like to share the story of a girl whose hopes were restored because of the good news that was preached by Atanazio and his team in Khartima. Susan Akongo, in her naivety, was lured into premarital sex in her late teens while in primary school. She got pregnant and was forced to drop out of school. Since there was no commitment from her child’s father that would have led to marriage, Susan felt that her life was wrecked beyond repair. With nothing else to count on, she felt as though she was a social outcast. For several years, she was hopeless, living in shame and with low self-esteem.

At the height of her despair, she had a chance to hear the news of Jesus Christ from Atanazio and his team of evangelists. When she believed and accepted Jesus as the Lord and Savior of her life, she was not the same again. The chains of shame fell off, the cloud of hopelessness was lifted away, and what remained was a new sense of purpose in life and hope, not only for a promising future, but also the hope of eternal life. Her life was given a new order!

Susan is now attending primary school to continue her studies (even at age 27!), and she is ready to continue to high school and beyond. She is one among the believers of the church in Khartima, and she is a new witness of Jesus in His Kingdom. She enjoys working with the children on Sunday mornings. She’s seen here on the right giving out a snack during the children’s fellowship. The love of Jesus is truly a love that frees people from all chains associated with sin and its consequences. We praise God for the great restoration.

Continuing The Fight

Rebeca Chebet from POM hosted the annual International Zero Tolerance Day rally against FGM (female genital mutilation) on February 6. Although this horrendous cultural practice is against the law, it is still a threat for Pokot girls. Almost 1,000 Pokot gathered to learn more about the physical and emotional impacts of FGM, hear how God has changed the women that have laid down their knives, and celebrate girls saying no to FGM.

During the rally, four women relenquished their knives! Because FGM is illegal, it was incredibly brave for them to do so publicly. The punishment could be a minimum of three years in prision, as well as fines of 100,000 to 200,000 shillings, equivalent to $1,000 to $2,000. Please pray that these women will remain steadfast in their decision to no longer be part of this heinous practice.

Service Leads To Salvation

We thank our Lord for this new year of 2020 and for the ended 2019. Our ministry has seen much fruit this year as more people have heard the Gospel. Here are just a few examples:

In Remera, members of the church wanted to help rebuild the home of an elderly woman. Her home had been destroyed, and she had no one to assist her with repairs. She was deeply involved with witchcraft, but the church members felt strongly about ministering to her. They approached her to ask about helping, and the pastor asked to pray with her. In that prayer, he asked the Holy Spirit to touch her. She has rejected witchcraft and is now serving Jesus! Here you see church members working on her home.

We recently held a one-day workshop for women to encourage them in their everyday life. One woman, Agnes, shared her testimony about how Jesus sustained her even when she was struggling the most. She spoke about her life before becoming a Christian. Her husband wasn’t a Christian either, and most of their days were spent fighting. He would send her out of the home during the night. There were many days when Agnes wasn’t able to eat because her husband spent all of their money on alcohol.

Members of the church visited her village. She heard them praying and wanted to know more. Soon after, Agnes accepted Christ! She became a singer in the church and began faithfully praying for her husband and family. She prayed for God to give her strength. God has answered her prayers, and her husband is now a believer!

Our children’s feeding program in Kigali feeds hundreds of children experiencing malnutrition. Their families are now attending church and hearing the good news of Jesus. We thank God for these opportunities to tell others about Him!

Small Loan = Large Growth

We thank God for our partnership with Harvesters. Over the years, we have enjoyed working together to build the Kingdom of God spiritually, socially, and economically.

Last year we embarked on empowering the women in our community through providing micro loans so that they can work to be bread winners. A micro loan can cover a number of projects.

Gertrude
Gertrude is a widow taking care of her three children, one of whom attends our primary school. She also runs a grocery retail store, which was left to her by her late husband. However, this business could not meet their basic needs. She came to our ministry for a micro loan. Since receiving the loan, Gertrude’s business has been picking up so well, and her capital is increasing! She is now in position to efficiently take care of her family.

We have also provided training to other women in the community, together with their husbands, on modern farming. We conducted a workshop in November, which attracted 102 participants. This training enables them to productively use the small plots of land they have to do multiple things.

 

 

Emmanuel
Before he gave his life to Jesus Christ, Emmanuel was practicing witchcraft. During his work as a witch doctor, he met a young lady with whom he had a child. Because of her strong Christian faith, his family refused to let her live with them, which forced him to move to Pallisa. While there, he was introduced to River of God Church and was led to Christ five years ago. Through our discipleship programs and practical ministry, Emmanuel has led many to Christ in open-air crusades, door-to-door outreach, and street preaching. Not only that, he has also developed skills in running our church sound system. Currently, Emmanuel runs our daily lunch hour meetings, which draw a huge crowd. He is among those that we are planning to send out this year to plant a new church.

End Of The Year Ministry Needs

POM’s ministry in Kenya continues to expand with churches being planted, giving rise to the need for additional pastors. There are several ways that you can help the growing church and advancement of evangelism. Currently, 40 church buildings need roofs at a cost of $300 each. Thirteen students are waiting to attend Bible College. The cost is $1,000 per year per student.

Providing a Bible in the native Pokot language is an important component of the continued discipleship of new believers. We would like to provide 300 new Bibles at a cost of $12 each.

Recently, construction of a rescue dorm in Kodich was finished. This dorm will house young women who are taking a stand against FGM, especially those in immediate danger. This safe place will allow girls an opportunity to finish their education and live a life free from the effects of FGM. The dorm, which will house 60 to 65 girls, needs furniture. One third of the $15,000 cost has been provided leaving a need of $10,000.

We are grateful for the partnership that we have in bringing the love and good news of Jesus to the needy world. Thank you for your continued support and prayers.

Another Year of Summer Camp

Another year of camp has come and gone, but its effects will forever remain in the hearts of the many orphans who were blessed to attend. This year, 25 orphans accepted Christ as their personal Savior! Each child who accepted Christ has a mentor from an HFL home or church that will follow up with them and encourage them in their walk with the Lord. Two testimonies stand out and show us God’s grace and His unfailing love for the orphans in Russia.

 

Ksusha is an orphan who accepted Christ this year at camp. She is pictured (on the left) with her sister and brother who have also come to Christ through the camp ministry.

 

 

 

Polina (back left) came to Christ five years ago at camp. This year, she went to the camp to serve as a cook’s assistant. After a few days, the camp director asked her to be a mentor’s assistant because of her strong testimony!

 

 

All of the Hope for Life Homes have shared with us that the kids have come back from their time at camp encouraged, renewed, and with a greater desire to serve the Lord. Many of our house parents serve in the camp as counselors or in the kitchen. It is a great opportunity for our families.

Hope for Life Homes exists to equip Christian couples in Russia to care for orphans. While our flagship home has ten orphans, we also help couples that care for only one or two children. This has allowed us to help many more orphans without the start up costs of purchasing a new home for a larger family. These families are typically in need of funds for a bedroom or small addition, beds, school supplies, and clothes. To date, we have assisted 20 couples that are collectively caring for 56 orphans! This month, we are considering helping three more families. Any gift, small or large, will help us provide a loving family for an orphan in Russia.

Committed To Orphan Care

There are more than 20 million orphans in India, with the number growing every day. The parents die of HIV/AIDS, addiction and other diseases, accidents, violence, and the ever-looming complications of poverty. Children are left to fend for themselves at very young ages and do not receive proper nutrition, education, or care growing up. These children then continue the vicious cycle as they try to survive by any means necessary – prostitution, drugs, gang violence, and crime.

SAC committed to being a solution to this epidemic and established a Christian orphanage in 2010. The home can care for up to 200 orphans, but at present, they serve 45.

Most orphans are severely malnourished. As a consequence, they are stunted in growth physically, emotionally, spiritually, and mentally. SAC Ministries provides these children with consistent and loving care, starting with their most basic needs – shelter, clothing, and plenty to eat.

SAC Ministries also provides primary education and skills training for the youth, along with a strong, Christian foundation. Our ultimate goal is to raise our children to have a rich relationship with Jesus Christ.

When you sponsor a child at SAC Orphanage, you are giving them an opportunity for a hopeful and prosperous future. Through love and a consistent upbringing, these children can break the poverty cycle and become contributing members of society. Through their Christian foundation, they will become part of the solution to fighting the orphan epidemic.

At the SAC Orphanage, the children can learn to be children once again. We also provide many opportunities for fun and games, and positive life experiences. The children learn what it means to be a family who cares for one another, regardless of their life’s circumstances.

Would you please join with us in raising up the next generation? The cost to provide for a child is $49 per month, or $588 per year. Your generous commitment gives them an opportunity to grow up and live as a walking testimony of the love of Jesus Christ.

New Rwandan Construction Standards Require Churches To Rebuild

Recently, much has been reported about the challenges being faced by churches in Rwanda, including Harvesters’ ministry partner, the Seira Community Churches. New governmental regulations led to the closing of thousands of churches nationwide because they did not meet stringent building construction standards. The impacts to SCC have been significant with 12 of its 17 churches (as seen here) initially shut down by Rwandan officials. We are thankful that through the giving of our donors, three church buildings have been significantly remodeled and are now open and growing. Also, earlier this year, a completely new church was built in the town of Ruhango to replace the previous building, which had been closed by the government. This new church was dedicated in September.

Currently, support is needed to build nine churches in order to reestablish the SCC congregations. The village of Kivu is a priority location in need of a church. Kivu is located in western Rwanda in a remote, mountainous area. Since the closure of the previous church building, there is nowhere for the local believers to meet as a congregation. Rwandan laws do not allow house churches, open-air meetings, or other typical arrangements that occur in many other countries. The believers there have a strong desire to gather for worship and to have an active church to evangelize their community. Construction cost of an adequate building is $30,500. Due to the remoteness of the location, the price to construct is higher than in other areas. We are praying for supporters to provide the funding needed.

Another aspect of the new laws impacting churches are the educational requirements now imposed on pastors. Essentially, pastors must have a bachelor’s degree in Theology to serve a Rwandan church. The deadline to accomplish this for existing pastors is in three years. Currently, we have two pastors attending Bible College and several others who are capable and willing to obtain their degrees, but need sponsors to do so. A gift of $135 per month will cover tuition, books, supplies, transportation, and other costs in most situations. We ask that you prayerfully consider this urgent need.

Building The Church

God has truly blessed the ministry of Harvesters’ partner in the D.R. Congo, the Union of Baptist Churches (UBC), led by Bishop Athanase Habimana. Currently, they coordinate 300 churches, 175 ordained pastors, and 285 evangelists working throughout the troubled eastern area of the country. Planting churches is a priority for UBC. Likewise is helping them to grow in their impact of the people in the areas they are reaching with the Gospel. Most of the congregations are very poor and many lack the resources to construct an adequate church building, especially the roof structure.

UBC has identified five congregations that each need roofing for their churches. Specifically, “iron sheets”, which is typically referred to as metal roofing or tin in the US, is used to cover the structures. Each church requires a total of 80 sheets to complete the building and increase its usefulness as people gather to worship and learn more about God’s Word. Each sheet cost an average of $9 to obtain, depending on the remoteness of the location.

The churches in need of roofing include the Muheto village church located in the Masisi territory. The church was planted in this village because most of the population had not been evangelized. Many people there believed in the false gods imposed by the culture. The church was started nine months ago and has grown extremely rapidly to include hundreds of Christians. The local believers contributed and have built the walls of the church, but it still lacks a roof. Here you see church members working on the building. A gift of $720 would provide a roof for one church. A gift of $3,600 would completely meet the need for five churches! Will you consider a gift that will allow congregations to gather with protection from the elements? Visit our website at www.harvesters.net to give.

Changing Lives Through Education

Our two schools here in India currently serve over 300 students. Our students receive education, uniforms, textbooks, exercise notebooks and stationery, all FREE of cost. They are provided with a nutritious lunch three times each month. Snacks are given as frequently as possible. Both schools have several computers. Students are taught basic computer skills, including a “Fundamentals of Computers” course and also practice drawing (utilizing Paint Brush). Our students sing and dance as children’s rhymes are shown on the computer screen.

Each school day begins with the students and staff members singing choruses and joining in Christian prayer. Bible stories are taught during Moral Sciences sessions. Several villages are being reached with the Gospel through our students.  In a few instances, our students have counseled the elders in their homes and stopped their addiction to drugs and liquor.

Nitin is from a very poor family. He was affected by polio and hardly able to get up. He became terribly depressed. His elder sister was a student of our school, and Nitin would tag along with her. He has now been our student for the past five years and is in the second grade class. He is very happy, active, and full of life. We thank the Lord for this miracle!

Area parents are very keen to enroll their daughters in our school, knowing they are totally safe here. One student, Kareena, having passed 8th grade in our school two years ago, was very keen to study further, but her parents were totally opposed. We sent for them, and after long hours of counseling, they finally agreed to allow her to continue her education.  Kareena is now in the 10th grade in a nearby school and has consistently been at the top of her class.  When you educate a girl, you educate a future mother, her family, and descendants; thus it has a ripple wave effect.

We currently have several urgent needs at our school in Kollukhedi village.
• 197 pairs of shoes and socks costing $10 each
• 197 school bags costing $10 each
• The cost to sponsor a student is $19 per month