MAGAZINE & PRAYER DIARY

Africa Inland Missions OCT-DEC 2014

Christ-centred churches among all African peoples
26
LITERACY WITH
WOMEN IN
SOUTH SUDAN
14
MEET MY NEW
SAMBURU
FRIEND, LENA
04
WHY BOTHER:
WITH LANGUAGE
AND SCRIPTURE
ENGAGEMENT?
04 WHY BOTHER:
WITH LANGUAGE
AND SCRIPTURE
ENGAGEMENT?
Looking at the role and
impact of scriptures
in heart languages in
reaching the unreached.
06 NEWS
A tribute to Christine
Molyneux plus news of
a placement for a new
missionary family.
08 OCTOBER 1-4
This weeks focus is on the
country of Kenya, looking
particularly at RVA.
10 OCT 5 - OCT 11
The ministry focus for this
week is evangelism, in a
creative access context.
12 OCTOBER 12-18
Join us this week as we
focus on the unreached
Lesotho Shepherds.
14 OCTOBER 19-25
This week we share the
challenges and joys of
mobilising people for
mission.
16 OCT 26 - NOV 1
Church development
in Mozambique is our
ministry focus for this
week.
18 NOVEMBER 2-8
Our people focus for this
week is the Antakarana of
Madagascar.
20 NOVEMBER 9-15
We introduce you to our
new members and share
their story into mission.
22 NOVEMBER 16-22
Following last quarters
magazine, our people
focus this week is the
Mbororo of CAR.
24 NOVEMBER 23-29
The focus this week is
news from across the
country of Tanzania.
26 NOV 30 - DEC 6
This weeks ministry focus
is womens ministries in
South Sudan.
28 DECEMBER 7-13
Our people focus for this
week is the Datooga of
Tanzania.
30 DECEMBER 14-20
We focus this week on
Childrens and Youth
Ministries at Dwelling
Places, Uganda.
32 DECEMBER 21-31
For Christmas and
New Year we bring you
news of our short term
programme.
Looking for more prayer resources?
Visit our website:
www.aimint.org/eu/prayer
04 WHY BOTHER
WITH LANGUAGE?
What role and impact does language
and scripture engagement have in
helping to reach the unreached?
14 MEET MY
FRIEND LENA
Mobilised through the Canadian
ofce, Courtney introduces us to her
Samburu friend, Lena Lemus.
26 LITERACY
WITH WOMEN IN
SOUTH SUDAN
In South Sudan, an adult literacy
programme is helping many women,
who often feel marginalised and
lacking in confdence.
The hills in Torit district, South
Sudan, where the unreached Lopit
people live - www.aimint.org/eu/lopit
2
I
n 2002 when AIM asked permission to place a Training in Ministry
Outreach (TIMO) team, in four Digo villages in Tanzania, other Tanzanian
Christians were incredulous. The Digo were known for their resistance
to the gospel and even Christians in other Tanzanian tribes around them
were nervous about trying to evangelise them. However, you prayed and the
Lord opened doors.
I was privileged to be part of that TIMO team and even more privileged, at the
start of this frst issue of Connect, to introduce you to Elia Kangaja. Elia is an
evangelist, he is also a Digo. A young man who grew up in this Islamic tribe,
who grew up in an environment hostile to Christianity and yet, because of
your vital work in praying, giving, sending and caring, this young man has
met Jesus and is sharing the good news he knows with others.
Our hearts desire is to see more young men and women like Elia across all of
Africa. There is now a fedgling Christ-centred church amongst the Tanzanian
Digo, but we want to go further and help reach the remaining 950 plus
unreached people groups. This is AIMs vision and we are so thankful for your
partnership in sharing this vision too.
It is for this reason that we have changed the format of this magazine and
prayer diary. We hope that in Connect, we will be able to give you more
informative stories, prayer items and introduce you to the people God is using
and the lives he is changing.
In this edition you will be introduced to, amongst many others, Lena, a
Samburu woman from Northern Kenya (p14), Davitika, a woman desperate to
read the Bible from South Sudan (p27) and Gabriel, a boy from Tanzania (p24).
Our dream, and that of the mission partners working amongst these people,
is that one day they, or people in their community will also be like Elia, so
convinced of the gospel that they want to share it with others.
So, we hope you enjoy this new format, and that it gives you a deeper insight
both into Africa and into the lives of our mission partners. God is doing a
mighty work in Africa, and through your sending, your prayers and fnancial
support, you are playing a vital role in it. Thank you.
European Director
by Andrew Chard
INTRODUCING
ELIA KANGAJA
3
We asked Bruce Rossington,
AIMs Scripture Engagement
Consultant why literacy and
language is worth investing
in and what beneft it has
in reaching the unreached
with the good news of Jesus
Christ
MY LOVE OF LANGUAGES
AND CULTURES
W
ith the beneft of
hindsight, I can
trace my interest
in languages and cultures
back to my time in secondary
school. Some of my best
friends were from ethnic
minority backgrounds I used
to love going to Vikas house
after school and sample his
mums Indian cooking. Summer
camping holidays in France
led eventually to a degree in
French, and my year abroad as
a teaching assistant in a French
lyce was my frst extended
cross-cultural experience.
Although I qualifed as
a lawyer and practiced that
profession for ten years, my
love of languages and cultures
did not diminish, and at the
heart of my call to mission was
a desire to make Gods Word
accessible to those whose
language and culture are a
barrier to faith in Christ. In
2006 this led Jan, my wife, and
I to Rwanda. After learning
language and culture on a two
year TIMO team, I spent three
years at a local Bible college,
training pastors how to let
Gods Word speak into post-
genocide Rwanda.
SOWING THE SEEDS
THROUGH SCRIPTURE
During our time on TIMO, Jan
and I spent our month out
with a couple who had invested
their lives in translating the
New Testament with a North
Kenyan people group called
the Rendille. As Jan and I
witnessed at frst hand the
way in which the availability
of Scripture in their mother
tongue had sown the seeds of a
Christ-centred Rendille church,
we both had the sense that this
was something we should get
involved in at some point in
our lives.
The opportunity came
sooner than we anticipated
when our time in Rwanda
came to an end in 2011, the
Lord opened up an opportunity
for us to be seconded to
SIL-Cameroon, a Wyclife
THE
ROSSINGTONS
T
he Rossingtons have
recently moved to Kijabe,
Kenya from Cameroon. Bruce
is training and supporting
Africans and expatriates who
are translating the Bible into
African languages for the rst
time. Jan is teaching French
at Rift Valley Academy and
strengthening the schools
ability to meet the educational
needs of its British/European
students. Zoe, Martha and Joe
have just started at Rift Valley
Academy.
organisation that is helping
Cameroonians to translate
Scripture into the countrys 270
plus languages. During our two
and a half years in Cameroon, I
trained as a Bible Translation
Consultant, studying linguistics
and anthropology alongside
Biblical exegesis. By the end of
that time, I had helped three
language groups to translate
Marks Gospel their frst
mother tongue Scripture.
by Bruce Rossington
WHY BOTHER:
WITH LANGUAGE
AND SCRIPTURE
ENGAGEMENT?
4
HELPING THE UNREACHED
ENGAGE WITH GODS WORD
After the completion of our
secondment in Cameroon, the Lord
provided a way for me to continue
my translation work with AIM
and to draw on my long-standing
interest in language and culture.
We are now based at Rift Valley
Academy in Kenya, where Jan
teaches French and heads up the
schools IGCSE programme. I am the
Scripture Engagement Consultant
for AIMs Eastern Region and will be
supporting AIM mission partners
in Kenya and Tanzania as they seek
to help unreached people groups
to engage with Gods Word in a life-
transforming way. I frmly believe
that as people engage with Gods
Word in their mother tongue the
language that speaks to both their
mind and their heart Gods Spirit
breaks down cultural barriers and
builds a bridge to faith in Christ.
For some people groups, the
best way forward will be helping
them to engage more meaningfully
with the Scripture that has already
been translated and written down
in their language. For many
unreached people groups, however,
the challenge will be to translate
Scripture into their language for
the frst time and make it accessible
to them in the form of oral stories
the medium that they have
traditionally used (and often still use)
to communicate the most deeply
treasured values of their cultures.
Engaging with other peoples
language and culture means that
I am always working outside my
comfort zone, but in order that they
can have the same access to Gods
Word that we do, it is well worth
bothering with!
KIND OF CRAZY - THE
DIFFERENCE A BIBLE MAKES
Steve Titterton from Cornerstone Church, Nottingham
is currently working amongst the Rendille people in
Kenya. He introduces Naryo
L
et me introduce you to Naryo. When you meet her,
you cannot help but notice that she has had an
encounter with the living Lord Jesus. The love she
has found in Christ is refected in her love for her people,
the Rendille. This love has made her kind of crazy: crazy
in the very best way. She goes to villages where no one
else is going, to share the gospel. She goes where many
of us would fear to tread, walking across burning miles of
forgotten desert lands,
or risking the perils of
the night.
So what changed
Naryo from an illiterate
Rendille woman, with
a vague interest in God,
but no understanding
of Jesus Christ? How did
she become this lady
who will risk it all, so
that one more person
might hear about Jesus Christ? It was the book of Mark,
translated into Rendille. Some other Christians were also
crazy in the very best way: they gave their lives to the
arduous, dangerous work of translating the Bible, and so
Naryo had access to the book of Mark. Just one book of
the Bible, translated into her heart-language, was enough
to change Naryos life forever; she met Jesus in those
pages. You should see her copy of Marks gospel now,
it looks like an ancient parchment stored in the British
Library. She has loved those pages, but more importantly,
she loves the Saviour, who can be found on every page.
How did she
become this lady
who will risk it
all, so that one
more person
might hear about
Jesus?
the challenge
will be to translate
Scripture into their
language for the
rst time
Watch a short video of Steve and his experience teaching
in Korr, North East Kenya amongst the Rendille people:
www.aimint.org/eu/stevetitterton
5
HOWS
LANGUAGE GOING?
Frazer Mayhew, working with the
Samburu TIMO team, gives this
update on how language learning is
going so far
So, how do you say Whats your name?
in Samburu?
Well, thats the thing, they dont really
ask that.
They dont ask, Whats your name?!
No. Oh
S
o began our frst intrepid steps
into language learning. Instead of
asking Whats your name? you
are more likely to ask Which family are
you from? I know three diferent words
in Samburu for desert. I know words
to describe animals that are white
with spots, black and white, patches of
two colours, many coloured, and four
diferent words for grey. I know the
names of all the clothing and bracelets
that the people wear. None of these
things would make the school syllabus
for learning a foreign language, but
here these things matter. Language
learning is much more than learning
words; its learning a culture and a
way of life, its expressing an interest
in the people and valuing the things
they value. There are days when it is
exciting and days when it is frustrating.
But language opens doors; the people
appreciate our eforts and we hope one
day soon for the privilege of explaining
the good news of Jesus in the heart
language of the people we are growing
to love.
The Samburu, related
to the Masaai, are
unreached people living
in North East Kenya
For more prayer information on the
Samburu, download a prayer sheet:
www.aimint.org/eu/samburu
6
This testimony has been
compiled from thoughts
from Colin, her husband, her
children and others who knew
her well
DOING SOMETHING FOR HIM
C
hristine was born in a
small village in Cumbria
and attended a local
grammar school, where she met
friends who knew Jesus. Her
journey into mission began at
a Billy Graham crusade in 1954
where, despite having already
made a private confession
of faith, she left her seat as a
witness to others. From the
beginning of her faith, Christine
felt God wanted her to do
something for him with her life.
So, she qualifed as a nurse and
began working for Faith Mission.
It was here Colin met
Christine, sneaking her of
the Faith Mission premises,
with their austere rules about
dating, to get to know her better.
After three weeks Colin asked
her, Would you like to share
your life with me? Fortunately
Christine understood that to be a
proposal, and they were married
in October 1968. A month later
they set of on a great journey
to Central Congo, living in
sweltering humidity in a remote
village. They served there for
almost 4 years, during which
time their daughter Joy was born.
JOINING AIM
On home assignment in UK their
son, John Mark, was born in 1973.
During this time AIMs Dr. Dick
Anderson met the Molyneuxs
and invited them to join AIM in
Northern Kenya, should they be
unable to return to (turbulent)
Congo. They joined and worked
there for two years, before being
asked to help out at another
mission location, where they
joined forces with the national
Christians for fve more years.
In 1979 the Bible Society of
Madagascar asked if AIM could
send missionaries to work
with them, and the Molyneuxs
responded. They moved in 1980
and worked there until 2005,
with a break in the nineties
whilst their children settled back
into UK culture. In Madagascar,
Christine was involved in
caring for sick people and
orphans, teaching English, Bible
training and encouraging other
missionaries and volunteers.
Her son says; She was like an
English rose, blooming in the
Malagasy rice felds.
GREATLY LOVED
In 2005 they returned to the UK
but still remained involved with
AIM and projects in Africa. In
recent years Christines health
deteriorated. She sufered a
heart attack in 2008 and was
diagnosed with cancer in 2010.
At the beginning of this year,
she became increasingly ill
and weak. Sufering from heart
failure and advancing cancer, she
was fnally welcomed home on
July 10. A Thanksgiving Service
was held in Sutton Bonington on
July 25.
Hundreds of messages
have poured in during the past
months all testifying to the fact
that Christine was greatly loved
and deeply appreciated by people
of many countries and cultures.
P
lease join us
in praying for
the Hofmann
family as they begin
preparations to go to
Madagascar in January
2015. They will be
joining a Focus Team
in Antananarivo, with
the vision of equipping
Malagasy cross-cultural
workers to bring the
gospel to unreached
people groups, initially
in Madagascar and
eventually in Indonesia.
Please pray for the
family as they seek
to raise the required
support and in their
preparations to leave.
During November,
Jurgen will be taking
part in the Wyclife
Bible Studying Course,
here in the UK in
preparation for this
trip. Pray for Katya and
the children, Vanya,
Issa, Abbey & Dani
especially during this
time.
PRAY FOR THE
HOFMANNS
REMEMBERING
CHRISTINE
Hundreds of
messages have
poured in during
the past months
all testifying to the
fact that Christine
was greatly
loved
7
Find out more online about AIMs boarding school,
Rift Valley Academy:
MEET THE
ROSSINGTON
CHILDREN
T
he Rossington family have
recently moved to Kenya,
having spent over two years
in Cameroon. We asked Martha,
Zoe and Joe their thoughts on
moving and starting at RVA.
WHERE DO YOU LIVE?
ZOE: Im moving to Kijabe, Kenya, to
live at RVA.
MARTHA: Im going to live in Kenya,
at Kijabe, an hours drive from
Nairobi.
JOE: Im going to live at Rift Valley
Academy in Kenya.
WHAT WAS CAMEROON LIKE?
DO YOU THINK THAT RVA WILL
BE SIMILAR?
ZOE: I had a good school in
Cameroon and a lot of good friends.
On the whole, I liked living there.
I think, in terms of friends and
schooling, RVA will be quite similar.
MARTHA: Cameroon was quite busy
and chaotic and humid. I dont think
RVA will be similar, because its in
the mountains and its quite a quiet
village.
JOE: I liked Cameroon because I had
friends. I think RVA will be diferent
to Cameroon, because there will be a
lot more kids at the school.
ARE YOU LOOKING FORWARD
TO MOVING TO RVA?
ZOE: I am looking forward to moving
to RVA. I think it will be a great
school and Ill make lots of new
friends. But I think Ill miss my old
friends quite a lot.
A PRIVILEGE TO SERVE
Rift Valley Academy in central Kenya is AIMs
boarding school. It exists to provide quality
education in a nurturing environment for the
children of mission partners serving in Africa.
Peter & Katy Wilson teach at Titchie Swot, the
primary school at RVA. They say
S
ending your kids of to boarding school will be
a very alien concept to many of you. It was and
still is in some respects to us too, but we respect
the many who do. Kids from as young as 8 years old
can board at RVA and while not many of them do, these
kids are some of the most wonderful weve ever come
across. They come from locations where there are
no real educational options, countries where theyve
done and seen things not many adults ever would.
Their parents are seeking to bring the gospel to the
unreached all over Africa and without them, some
simply wouldnt hear. They are obeying the call to go
into all the nations and we count it a privilege to help
them as they do so, by loving their kids.
www.rva.org
COUNTRY
FOCUS:
KENYA
October 1-4
8
WEEKLYFOCUS
P
lease join us in praying
for our mission partners in
Kenya, both those mentioned
below and those we do not
name, who work in areas of
the country where Christianity
is not welcomed. Pray for
protection and courage as
they reach the unreached.
MARTHA: Yes, I am looking
forward to moving to RVA. The
bit that wont be so good is that
my dad will travel more, so I
wont see as much of him. But
the good bit is that Ill get to be
with kids my own age, and its a
great school.
JOE: Yes, Im looking forward to
moving to RVA. I think the good
bits will be nice food, and the
school is very good. But Ill miss
my friends.
DID YOU GO TO CHURCH?
WHAT WAS IT LIKE?
ZOE: Yes, I went to a
Cameroonian church. It was nice
because the service was only
one hour long, but it was all in
French, and I sometimes didnt
understand the sermon.
MARTHA: I did go to church in
Cameroon. It was quite a loud
church.
JOE: Yes, I did. But the slight
problem was that the sermon
was in French, not English, so I
didnt understand it.
WHAT DO YOU GET ASKED
MOST BY FRIENDS AND
FAMILY HERE IN THE UK?
ZOE: Do you live in a desert?
MARTHA: How was Cameroon?
JOE: Whats it like in Africa?
WHERE DO YOU WANT TO
LIVE WHEN YOURE OLDER?
ZOE: Anywhere in Africa.
MARTHA: In England for a bit,
and then move to Africa
JOE: In Africa.
WHOS YOUR FAVOURITE
BIBLE CHARACTER?
ZOE: I like Elijah because he
had amazing faith and was very
brave.
1
OCTOBER
WEDNESDAY
Please pray for Martin
& Joy Koch and Frazer
Mayhew who are
working amongst the
unreached Samburu in
Northern Kenya. Pray
too for Anna Kloninger
working with Sunday
School teachers. Pray
the Sunday School
teachers go on to inspire
young Kenyans to reach
those who have not yet
heard the gospel.
2
OCTOBER
THURSDAY
Support services are
essential in allowing
mission partners to go
and to stay on the feld.
Pray for Peter & Katy
Wilson and their family,
teaching at Titchie Swot,
the Rift Valley Academy
primary school. Pray
too for Mark & Barbara
Phippen. Mark works as
a counsellor at Tumaini
Counselling Centre,
whilst Barbara teaches
English.
3
OCTOBER
FRIDAY
Please pray for our
mission partners
involved in Theological
Education. Edith Currie
works in Eldoret, at the
AIC Missionary College,
now a satellite campus
of Scott Christian
University. Please pray
for her and for Georgette
Short working at Scott
Christian University in
Machakos. Pray too for
Margot Reich working at
Kapsabet Bible College.
4
OCTOBER
SATURDAY
Please pray for our
mission partners
involved in healthcare.
Pray for Pete & Libby
Halestrap and family
serving at Kijabe
Hospital and for Renate
Hornung teaching small
groups and individuals
about community health
in Lokichogio, Turkana.
See People & Places p18
For more info on mission
partners working in Kenya
www.aimint.org/eu/
peopleandplaces
MARTHA: My favourite
character in the Bible is Esther,
because she was very brave when
she went to the King without
being summoned, as it might
have cost her her life. She saved
the lives of many Jews.
JOE: My favourite Bible
character is Jesus.
9
Kirsty works as a nurse in a
Creative Access Nation. She
shares about her opportunities
during Ramadan to speak into
peoples lives
THE MOON HAS BEEN
SIGHTED
I
ts been an odd week in the
hospital this week, the moon
has been sighted and Ramadan
is over; the relief is clear. Ramadan
is an interesting time to be living
in a Muslim country but also a
challenging one. The increased
religious activity and enthusiasm
surrounding the month bring
many opportunities to share and
discuss our faith, but its also
a time of heightened spiritual
oppression and I am more keenly
aware of the devils handiwork
in this religion. According to my
friends, this is the month that
really counts, and during it they
strive to do all they can to earn
Allahs favour through good works
(and make up for their behaviour
over the last eleven). The question
are you fasting? comes up in
almost every interaction; from
patient consultations to passersby
in the street. For many, they are
merely interested in whether we
are physically able, or wish to show
of that they are, but with some
this common question has been a
stepping stone to share what the
Word says about what is pleasing
to God, and about salvation based
not on good works but grace!
5
OCTOBER
SUNDAY
Pray for those that
have truly sought to
know more of God over
the summer period of
Ramadan; that as they
seek him, he will make
himself known.
6
OCTOBER
MONDAY
Give thanks and
continue to pray for the
many conversations
our team has been able
to have throughout
the period of Ramdan
and beyond- that the
Lord would continue
to challenge, and our
words would not fall on
deaf ears.
7
OCTOBER
TUESDAY
Please pray for the
ongoing translation
work happening here
that one day soon our
friends would be able
to read the whole Bible
in their own language.
Pray for more local
helpers to come on
board.
8
OCTOBER
WEDNESDAY
Very few island women
have chosen to follow
Jesus and most see
religion as mens
business; as long as they
fulfll their religious
responsibility no further
thought is required.
Pray that God would stir
their minds and hearts
that they might begin
to ponder and question.
Pray that he would give
them a desire to search
out the truth.
The question are
you fasting? comes
up in almost every
interaction
Oct 5 - Oct 11
Salat is
the obligatory
Muslim prayers,
performed ve
times each day.
MINISTRY FOCUS:
EVANGELISM
10
9
OCTOBER
THURSDAY
Ramadan is often tough
for local believers as
they come under closer
scrutiny. Fear about
the repercussions of
meeting together and
pressure from family
to return to Islam have
greatly afected the
small body here. Pray for
boldness and courage
to continue meeting
together and for families
to accept and believe.
10
OCTOBER
FRIDAY
Pray for strength for
my colleague Becca and
I as we fnish up our
internship and prepare
for work in the clinic. It
has been a tiring three
months. Please pray
that we would learn as
much as we can in the
last couple of weeks
and cement the new
relationships weve built.
11
OCTOBER
SATURDAY
Pray for our new
community, that God
would be softening
hearts and will lead us
to those he is already
working in. Pray too for
the local association
who will run the clinic;
for good working
relationships and for
the association to make
decisions with fairness
and honesty.
THROUGH OPEN DOORS
Over the last couple of
months, as I have had my
frst taste of healthcare in
this setting and have seen
people at their weakest and
most vulnerable, I have
been struck once again
by the fear, fatalism and
desperation around me. I
pray that in my interactions,
in the small things such as
a hand to squeeze or a word
of encouragement, that they
would see a God that is not
distant or uncaring but that
is intimately acquainted
with their pain. I know Im
not always the best example
of this; adjusting to the
diferences in nursing here
has at times been very trying
and frustrating and there are
many things Ive had to learn
and unlearn. But Im looking
forward to the privilege of
being able to speak into
peoples struggles both
medically and spiritually
as the Father opens doors
for conversation through
health.
WHAT IS RAMADAN?
T
his year Ramadan ran from the 27 June until the
28 July. You may well have noticed particular items
for prayer in our prayer diary over this time as
we sought to pray more for Muslims and our mission
partners working in Islamic contexts. Ramadan is the
name of the ninth
month in the Islamic
lunar calendar, but for
Muslims its signifcance
is far greater. They
believe that it is during
Ramadan that the
Quran was revealed to
mankind through the Prophet Muhammed, making it
sacred. Its a time of total fasting between dawn and dusk,
where not even water can be consumed. During this time,
an emphasis is placed on seeking Allah and empathising
with those who do not have food and water to drink. As
this time of spiritual awareness has now come to an end,
please pray that mission partners will be able to continue
conversations with those who are truly seeking God.
See People & Places p7
For more info on mission
partners working in
outreach & evangelism
www.aimint.org/eu/
peopleandplaces
WEEKLYFOCUS
K
irsty lives and
works as a nurse
in a Creative Access
Nation: a country
in Africa where
Christianity is not
welcomed. Please
pray for her this week
that through her
healthcare ministry
she may be able to
show the love of
Jesus to those who
have never heard the
gospel.
During this time,
an emphasis
is placed on
seeking Allah
PEOPLE FOCUS:
THE LESOTHO
SHEPHERDS
October 12-18
Sam Williamson, who is leading
the Lesotho Shepherds TIMO
team, talks about fnding
a suitable location for the
team and the unique living
conditions
BASIC LIVING
O
ur team is unique to
TIMO in that their living
conditions amongst the
shepherds of Lesotho will be so
basic that theyll need a week a
month at a basecamp home to
keep them going for 2 years of
shepherding! Their shepherd
huts will consist of no furniture
(so thats easy), just a camping
mat and sleeping bag and theyll
be building the very small basic
huts themselves. We still need to
source some long grass for the
thatched roof, but all the other
materials will be taken from the
land where they build.
FINDING A LOCATION
Finalising the location theyll be
living in has been more difcult.
The shepherds are semi-nomadic
and a cattle post could be occupied
one week and vacant the next.
Not only that, but if we decide on
a location for the team to start
in then we have to be confdent
that when they move with the
shepherds they wont be too far
from a road. This would cause
problems for us being able to
reach them for weekly 1-2-1s and
emergencies. Once we have a fxed
location we still need to negotiate
permission from the stock-
owners, who efectively employ
(but some call it a form of slavery)
the shepherds, to allow our team
to live at their cattle posts. Weve
also had continuous maintenance
problems with our vehicles that
has hampered attempts to get to
the shepherds. All of that mixed
in with the on-going uncertainty
of how many team members we
will have and their own difculties
of raising support, plus settling
our children into new schools,
new cultures and a new home
has led to an eventful, enjoyable
and emotional 6 months! We rest
on Gods word that assures us his
plans will prevail whether we do
the right thing or not (Prov 21v30),
and that he desires all nations to
hear the gospel (Matt 28v19).
ABOVE: Sam
Williamson on the TIMO
survey trip with one of the
local shepherds
We rest on Gods
word that assures
us his plans will
prevail whether we
do the right thing
or not
12
WEEKLYFOCUS
P
lease pray for the men
that form this Training
in Ministry Outreach
team to the Shepherds.
Pray that despite coming
from diferent countries,
backgrounds and cultures
they will be united in
their message of Christ.
Pray that they will work
well together and that in
their relationships they
will show Jesus to the
Shepherds.
THANKFUL
M
any of you will know
about the struggles
this team has had to
raise their fnance. We are so
thankful to God for the many
of you who generously helped
raise all that was needed. Chris
Klompas commented by saying,
words cant begin to describe
the joy and gratitude at being
on the receiving end of such
an amazing miracle! The peace
experienced has been priceless
for me, knowing that God is
behind this mission trip.
TIMO: SHARING
STORIES
T
IMO is a two-year training
programme with a team
approach to learning and
outreach amongst unreached
people groups. Each team is
diferent but shares the same
12 core values, one of which is
to learn the local language and
culture. For the Shepherd team
that will mean learning Sesotho.
Lacking literacy, the Shepherds
have an oral culture of songs and
stories. The team hope to be able
to share stories of Jesus in this
way as a powerful witness.
Watch a lm about the recent
survey trip to the shepherds:
www.aimint.org/eu/shepherds
12
OCTOBER
SUNDAY
Pray for the teams frst few
months with the shepherds.
Pray they adapt well as they
learn to speak Sesotho,
from shepherds who speak
no English at all; learn to
survive at an altitude of
over 3000m with very basic
huts to live in, cooking on
an open fre and almost no
communication with the
outside world.
13
OCTOBER
MONDAY
Pray that the shepherds
enjoy hosting our team,
caring for and teaching
them how to survive and
live. Pray they see the team
as friends and that they are
honest about their lives
and beliefs paving the way
for the gospel as the teams
language skills improve.
14
OCTOBER
TUESDAY
Pray for the teams
curriculum reading and
study for TIMO. That they
will be disciplined and
creative in how they keep
up with their theological
studies in a very unacademic
environment. Pray their
growing knowledge grows
their faith and efectiveness
as much as their brains.
15
OCTOBER
WEDNESDAY
Pray for the stock owners
who employ the shepherds
that they might see the light
of Christ in the team and, in
time, the shepherds. Pray for
opportunities to discuss the
gospel when Sam & Leanna
meet with them occasionally
over the 2 years.
16
OCTOBER
THURSDAY
Pray that God is softening
the hearts of the shepherds
so that when they begin
to hear the 31 bible stories
that the team will learn in
Sesotho, they will be moved
by the Spirit to accept with
joy the good news of Jesus.
17
OCTOBER | FRIDAY
Pray that Sam and
Leanna are granted great
wisdom in their discipling
and theological training
of the team. Pray that they
remain focused on Jesus in
their own lives, in raising
their children and for the
team. That they remain
committed to the Bible as
full and fnal authority in all
their decisions.
18
OCTOBER
SATURDAY
Pray that, as the teams
language skills improve,
shepherds will receive the
gospel like seed sown on
good soil. That they hear
the word, accept it, and
produce a cropsome
thirty, some sixty, some a
hundred times what was
sown. (Mark 4v20) Pray that
the good news is shared far
and wide by the shepherds
themselves.
MOBILISING MISSION
We asked the Canadian
mobilising team what
they are doing to help
send people to reach the
unreached.
COURTNEY FROM
CANADA
L
ast month Courtney,
a young lady from
Ontario, wrote home
from Kenyas northern
desert: Ive been learning
that God doesnt call us to
the safe places, but to the
ends of the earth. Jesus
isnt in this community
and so my mission is to
spend every day learning
the language, serving
chai, laughing and, most
importantly, sharing about
Jesus!
Thats exactly the
heart we want to see in
those who serve with AIM
Canada.
MULTICULTURAL
CANADA
Since Canada has
the highest rate of
immigration in the
Western World, we have
a growing, multicultural
church. So as we
mobilise to reach Africas
unevangelized we must
engage New Canadian
congregations. We work
hard to attract young
people like Victor. Victors
favourite sport isnt ice
hockey or soccerits
dragon boat racing! His
parents are Chinese, but
since they frst emigrated
to Guatemala, Victors frst
language is Spanish! Hes
now serving with TIMO.
Canada is an ofcially
bilingual country. Not only
do many Canadians grow
up in French communities,
millions of us non-
francophones learn French
October 19-25
Read more stories from Courtney
working amonst the Samburu:
courtneybissell.blogspot.co.uk
MEET MY
FRIEND LENA
Mobilised through the Canadian
ofce, Courtney introduces us to
her Samburu friend, Lena Lemus.
I
found a kindred spirit amongst
our Samburu neighbours; her
name is Lena Lemus. She is such
a spark of life with her giant grin,
expressive personality, hilarious
sound efects and billions of stories to
tell. Although Lena is only two years
older than me, she already has four
children and has been married for
several years (girls here get married
around 14). Every interaction with my
dear friend Lena makes me want to
learn the language so much more, so
I can understand her stories and tell
her some of mine.
Canada has
the highest rate
of immigration
in the Western
World
14
in school. Thats a huge
advantage as we seek to
evangelize the unreached in
French Africa.
AIM Canada has a
particular burden for
French-speaking countries
like Chad, DR Congo, CAR,
Mozambique, and North
Africa. In upcoming months,
Thomas & Abbie, Steve &
Margaret, Byron & Erica,
Greg & Kristen, Nick, Paul
and Aaron leave our shores
to reach out in three of those
countries.
THE UNREACHED IN
CANADA
Hundreds of thousands
of unreached Africans
have made Canada home.
Toronto is the second
largest Somali city after
Mogadishu. Montreal has
a swelling population of
Moroccans and Algerians.
For the last ten years AIM
has come alongside African
immigrant families to build
friendships by providing
legal and practical family
help. In upcoming months,
gospel outreach to our North
African arrivals will be
signifcantly expanded.
Thank you for praying for
AIM Canada, as we partner
with you in reaching the lost.
19
OCTOBER
SUNDAY
Sundays often see me
preaching in supporting
and sending churches,
or at those which are
interested in mission
and AIM. The word of
God is central to what
we do, so pray that I
declare it faithfully and
that Gods people will be
encouraged to act upon
the Great Commission.
20
OCTOBER
MONDAY
Each autumn, together
with a number of
other mission agencies
and UCCF, we visit
University CUs to
share Gods vision for
the nations and the
work we are doing to
take the gospel to the
unreached. Pray we
inspire and encourage
students to follow Gods
plans as they explore
mission.
21
OCTOBER
TUESDAY
Our annual autumn
conference takes a
lot of planning and
organising, especially as
we want to keep it fresh,
relevant and benefcial
for all who attend.
Currently, we are tying
up the fnal details for
this year and already
planning for 2015.
Please remember me as
I organise this event.
22
OCTOBER
WEDNESDAY
How do I know if God
is calling me to be a
missionary? Early
meetings with enquirers
are so important as,
together with them and
their churches, we seek
to hear Gods voice and
determine the right way
ahead. They also need
to hear about AIM, what
we do, how and where
and why.
23
OCTOBER
THURSDAY
Pray for the interviews
of candidates. After
time spent with them
and their churches, we
review their application
and references and
put together interview
questions from the
receiving regions. After
this process, we can
then recommend them
for a fnal interview.
24
OCTOBER
FRIDAY
Spending time with
mission partners as
they share about life in
often dark and difcult
places demands a bit
more than a spare hour
and chat in a cofee
shop. Pray for wisdom,
and a genuine love and
concern, as we discuss
the more personal
aspects of their lives
in Africa.
25
OCTOBER
SATURDAY
Mission partners are
sent by the church
not AIM. AIM helps
churches send and
support. Pray for time
spent with church
leaders, sharing with
them how we can work
together to best care
for mission partners in
Africa.
LEFT: Jacob, Amy, Frazer,
Courtney and Josh preparing
to join the TIMO team in
Northern Kenya working with
the unreached Samburu.
WEEKLYFOCUS
T
he focus this week is for Tim
Matthews, AIM Europes Area
Mobiliser for North England and
North Wales. He writes, My weeks
often have little routine depending on
what part of the country and which
meetings Im involved in: an early
start, then a couple of late nights and
maybe a day in the ofce. It adds to
the excitement, but pray that I maintain
a close walk with our Heavenly Father
and not neglect my family life.
15
Tim & Beth Wood serve in a
church called Vision in the
Word of God, focusing on
discipleship and teaching.
Tim also teaches at Sofala
Bible Institute and Beth
works on translation projects
and Bible study material.
Here they give an overview
of their passion to help the
church focus on the lost
TRUSTING IN GOD ALONE
W
hen we frst came to
Mozambique in 1995
to teach at Sofala
Bible Institute, our mission
leader placed us in the church
that had sent more students to
the Bible school than any other
denomination. Through the
years, we have been privileged
to be a part of a church that
has been willing to change in
order to grow toward maturity.
Most of the believers came
from Zionist backgrounds, a
branch of Christianity that,
here in Mozambique, tends
to keep traditional practices
such as ancestor veneration
while confessing Christ as
Lord. Before wed even fgured
out everything that was going
on, we listened to a graduate of
Sofala Bible Institute convince
the church leadership that
changes needed to be made
in the prayer ceremony for
new-borns so that the mothers
would trust in God and not in
prayer cords, special baths and
other rituals.
HARDENED HEARTS
Later on, the group of churches
we worked with within the
denomination organised
seminars with the goal of
opening the eyes of Zionists
in the church to the heart
of the gospel. Tim had the
opportunity to teach in a variety
of congregations. Sadly, in
the end the Zionists hardened
their positions (on polygamy
and ancestor veneration) and
rejected change. Since they
were in control of the national
leadership, the congregations
we worked with decided on
their own account to leave the
denomination two years ago.
A VISION FOR THE LOST
Vision in the Word of God
Church was the name they
selected. There has been a
renewed push for teaching,
Oct 26 - Nov 1
MINISTRY
FOCUS: CHURCH
DEVELOPMENT
evangelism, and church planting.
However, more growth toward
maturity is needed. Some
believers tend to focus almost
exclusively on healing and
deliverance from evil spirits
instead of living and sharing
the gospel. Moreover, like
many Mozambican churches,
church planting is more about
establishing ones denomination
in a new location, regardless of
the number of other churches,
rather than fnding a location
that doesnt have a church. Our
desire is for a clearer vision of
church growth that focuses on
the lost both those outside the
church and those in churches
where salvation by faith alone is
not clearly proclaimed.
WHATS ZIONISM?
Z
ionism, also known as the
amaZioni is a religious
movement within Christianity.
There are between 15-18
million amaZioni throughout
Southern Africa. Zionism
blends traditional African
beliefs with Christianity,
focusing on healing and
deliverance from evil spirits
instead of the good news of
Jesus Christ.
16
26
OCTOBER
SUNDAY
Sofala Bible Institute
now ofers a BA in
Theology. However,
there arent enough
professors with Masters
to teach. Pray that God
would raise up more
missionary professors
to fll the gap.
27
OCTOBER
MONDAY
Pray for peace in Central
Mozambique, where
we live. For over a year,
the main opposition
party has been involved
in armed confict with
the government. Many
have died, others are
displaced and tension is
rising in the country.
28
OCTOBER
TUESDAY
Presidential and
parliamentary elections
have happened recently.
Due to the confict, one
of the main presidential
candidates was in hiding
through the campaign.
Pray that the vote
counting and outcome
would be free and fair.
29
OCTOBER
WEDNESDAY
Throughout
Mozambique, new
mosques are being
constructed, especially
in the cities. In
Beira, there are now
mosques in most
neighbourhoods. Pray
for Christians to be bold
in witnessing to their
Muslim neighbours.
30
OCTOBER
THURSDAY
Vision in the Word of
God Church faces the
privilege and challenge
of making a fresh start.
Pray for wisdom that, as
the church is organised
and policies are
developed, taking the
gospel to the unreached
will be a priority.
31
OCTOBER
FRIDAY
Our children, Jonathan
and Sarah, now study at
RVA in Kenya. Pray for
good communication
while we are apart. Pray
for Sarah to handle the
pressures of school
well and for Jonathan
to make wise decisions
concerning university
after he graduates in
July 2015.
1
NOVEMBER
SATURDAY
Pray for Mateus &
Regina as they lead the
youth of Vision in the
Word of God Church,
in the local church and
in the denomination.
Pray for Mateus as
he challenges and
confronts others and
that he and Regina will
continue to live godly
lives.
THE YOUTH OF
MOZAMBIQUE
A
lmost 50% of Mozambiques
population is under 14. These
young people need mature
leadership and examples of godly living
so they can
grow up
centred
on Christ
and with a
passion for
the gospel.
Mateus, and
his wife
Regina, lead
the youth
work in both
the local
Vision in the
Word of God
church and
across the denomination.Their greatest
concern is that these young people come
to accept the Word of God as sufcient,
not to be supplemented with elements
of African Traditional Religions. They
also recognise that many of these young
people will be future leaders. Mateus
says I love teaching the youth on their
role in the church and society; it is
important for them to be salt and light
as it says in Matthew 5:13-16. Our young
people today face many temptations
and difculties, it is so important that
I, and the Church, give proper teaching
on these issues, especially things like
courtship so that our young people can
avoid immorality and live pure and holy
lives.
See People & Places p12
For more info on mission partners working
in church development.
www.aimint.org/eu/peopleandplaces
many of
these young
people will be
future leaders.
WEEKLY
FOCUS
T
his year we are
celebrating 20
years on the mission
eld. Please join us
in giving thanks for
all who have faithfully
supported us during
this time. Please
continue pray for
us as a family as we
seek to follow where
the Lord leads us and
share more of him in
Mozambique.
PEOPLE FOCUS:
THE ANTAKARANA
Adam & Lora Willard plan
to lead a TIMO team
amongst the unreached
Antakarana people. They
gave this update on how
preparations are going
and slowing
THE TEAMS HOMES
H
ere on Nosy Mitsio,
the last 10 months
have fown by!
The job of building team
members homes has been
both a new experience
and a tremendous task
for us. Theres very little
economy on Nosy Mitsio
because its separated
from the mainland, still
rural and undeveloped.
Most people survive of
of what they can grow or
catch for themselves and
they have little need to
buy things or look for jobs
for hire. So an endeavor
like ours has encountered
many challenges and some
misunderstandings along
the way. Finally, all of our
team members homes
were completed in May!
THE CULTURAL TRAP
Back in the US our
team were also facing
challenges: fundraising
has been difcult for a
few team members and
the original deadline for
leaving (July) was upon us.
We also began to realise
that our eforts at getting
our teams homes built,
while successful, hadnt
left us the time needed to
really focus on the people
around us, on learning
their lifestyles, and on
learning the nuances
of the local dialect. We
got caught in the typical
Western cultural trap of
focusing on work and
accomplishments to
the detriment of having
November 2-8
We got caught
in the typical
Western
cultural trap
of focusing on
work
Download a prayer sheet and watch a
lm about the Antakarana online:
www.aimint.org/eu/antakarana
THE PEOPLE OF
THE ROCKS
T
he Antakarana are one of
Madagascars 18 tribal groups
and one of the least-reached
with the good news of Jesus. They
number about 300,000 and live
on the northern tip of Madagascar
and small surrounding islands. The
Antakarana speak the Antakarana
dialect (about 70% similarity to
ofcial Malagasy).
In the early 1800s another tribe
expanded their kingdom through
warring. The Antakarana fed and
survived for over a year in the
limestone caves of northwestern
Madagascar. Many Antakarana were
buried in those caves during that
time and the place became sacred
to them, which is why theyre now
known as the people of the rocks.
18
meaningful relationships
with many of the people
around us. We werent
modeling the type of
learners that we should
be and which our team
members will be.
SLOWING DOWN
So the decision was made
to delay the start date of
our team. Now theyll be
arriving to join us here in
Madagascar on 6 November.
In the meantime, our own
pace of life has slowed down
wonderfully and weve been
investing lots of quality time
meeting with people in their
homes and villages. People
are now beginning to see us
as fellow villagers and our
relationships are growing
quickly. Our team members
fundraising is progressing
and they now have a little
more time to make a
smoother transition. Living
here will be very new and
diferent for our team, but
were all bringing something
new with us: Gods Kingdom
is ready to grow, even among
the Antakarana!
2
NOVEMBER | SUNDAY
Please pray for us, that God
would draw us closer to him in
the midst of such a dark place.
Please pray that the Holy Spirit
would transform us daily in
his strength to be the hands
and feet of Christ amongst the
Antakarana people.
3
NOVEMBER | MONDAY
Please pray for the
relationships were still building
with people before our team
arrives. Pray that God will
give us wisdom in growing
and maintaining healthy
relationships in a culture we
dont fully understand (only he
does!). Pray that through these
relationships, God will soften and
open hearts to the good news we
want to share with them.
4
NOVEMBER | TUESDAY
Please pray for our team
members. They will be arriving
from the US this week. Pray that
all their needed support is 100%
raised and that they are ready for
the challenges ahead.
5
NOVEMBER | WEDNESDAY
Please pray for the four
villages who will host our
team members: Antanimivony,
Andavakabiby, Antsakoa, and
Marimbehely. Please pray that
theyre ready to receive our
team members well and to be a
positive community for them
when they begin the process of
adapting to a totally new life.
6
NOVEMBER | THURSDAY
Please pray for the families
of our team members, they have
had the stress of dates changing
as they have been preparing for
difcult goodbyes. Pray that they
will know peace now the team
has left the US.
7
NOVEMBER | FRIDAY
There will be 7 young
children on our team. Please
pray that the transition for these
little ones will be smooth and
that the Holy Spirit will already
begin transforming them as they
walk alongside their parents
and our team in furthering his
kingdom.
8
NOVEMBER | SATURDAY
Pray for the Antakarana
traditional leadership (the head
king of the Antakarana and the
king of Nosy Mitsio), that theyll
be receptive to our message and
not want to hinder its spread.
LEFT: The king of the
Antakarana making a sacrice
to their ancestors.
ABOVE: The view back
over Nosy Mitsio, where the
TIMO team will live.
WEEKLYFOCUS
S
ince August 2013 the
Willards from Oklahoma,
USA have been working on
the island of Nosy Mitiso,
Madagascar, preparing the
ground for a TIMO team to
reach the Antakarana people
with the gospel. Please join
us in praying for the Willards
& the whole team, that they
would nd ways to share
Jesus with the Antakarana
who describe themselves as
Muslim, and are also deeply
committed to ancestor
worship.
19
9
NOVEMBER
SUNDAY
We thank God for the
arrival of our daughter
Grace. We pray that by
Gods Spirit we would
grow together as a
family with Christ at
our centre and that with
Gods empowering we
would bring up Grace
to know her Heavenly
Father.
10
NOVEMBER
MONDAY
We thank God for the
opportunities and
training he has given
us so far. We pray that
we would be open
and receptive to Gods
ongoing equipping at
this time for all he has
planned for us to do.
11
NOVEMBER
TUESDAY
We praise God that
his plans are so much
higher and greater
than our own human
thoughts and ideas. We
pray for wisdom now
as we assess diferent
options for our future
ministry and pray that
we would trust in his
sovereign plan in all
decision making.
12
NOVEMBER
WEDNESDAY
We thank God for our
loving Christian family
at our church. We
ask him to bless them
in and through their
support of us, especially
as we will be the frst
people to be sent from
this relatively new and
growing congregation.
We also pray for Gods
guidance of our church
leaders with respect to
this.
13
NOVEMBER
THURSDAY
As we continue to battle
with our sinful and
selfsh selves we pray
that God would give
us more and more of
See People & Places p20
For more info on mission
partners working in
health care
www.aimint.org/eu/
peopleandplaces
November 9-15
This week we introduce two
new members to AIM. Bill,
Lizzy and their daughter
Grace. These arent their
real names and we havent
included a photo because
their assignment still hasnt
been fnalised and there
is the possibility that they
will serve in an area where
traditional missionary work
is not welcome. Wherever
they serve, they need your
prayers and support.
BILL, LIZZY & GRACE
M
arried in 2009, we
have recently been
blessed with our
frst child, Grace, born on the
5th July 2014. We are from
Nottingham, England, where
we have lived since fnishing
our studies at Nottingham
University; we are members
of a local independent
evangelical church where we
have had the opportunity to
serve God through discipleship
and childrens work.
NEW MEMBERS
Were passionate
about the training
God has given
us, and see our
medical work as
both a means to
share Christ and
as an adornment
of his gospel
his heart for his people
in Africa, enabling us
to love them as Christ
loves them, willing to
give ourselves fully for
them.
14
NOVEMBER
FRIDAY
We ask for
opportunities and
boldness in witnessing
to our non-Christian
friends and family as
we discuss and explain
the coming changes
to our work and home
circumstances.
15
NOVEMBER
SATURDAY
Even in writing this
short summary of
ourselves we know the
danger of temptation,
and so we pray that
God would convict
us of sin, of pride
and self-reliance,
and help us to
fee from them
to complete
dependence upon
him in all the
necessary plans
and preparations.
WEEKLY
FOCUS
P
lease join us
in praying for
Bill, Lizzy & Grace
as they continue
their journey into
mission with AIM.
Pray for them, their
church and for AIM
as we seek to work
together to discern
the place God wants
this family to serve
and witness the
saving love of Jesus.
THE PRIVILEGE
IN SENDING
I
(Fiona) have known Lizzy
for 9 years; over this time
weve shared a lot of fun
times growing up together
when we shared a house in our
early twenties. Throughout
our friendship I would say that
Lizzy has always been aware
of Gods call on her life for
mission. It was clear to see God
calling her and Bill together
and then their relationship
and marriage cementing the
joint call on both of their lives
to serve God overseas. Its so
exciting now, to see them, with
their new baby, Grace, take
the frst steps into long term
mission with AIM.
Lizzy is a midwife and a nurse.
She enjoys reading, sleeping and
ham sandwiches. Lizzy frst put
her trust in Jesus in her early
childhood and has followed
Gods call into medical mission
since this time.
Bill is a doctor in Emergency
Medicine. He enjoys rugby,
football, cheese and the Lake
District. Bill became convinced
of his own salvation as Gods
free and gracious gift whilst at
University.
SHARING CHRIST
We are passionate about the
training God has given us, and
see our medical work as both
a means to share Christ and as
an adornment of his gospel of
salvation. We feel the urgent
call to address the ultimate and
global human need in this way,
as well as providing immediate
healthcare.
We are excited to join the AIM
team and look forward to serving
as a family wherever God has
planned.
LEFT: Most unreached peoples
are in areas where there is no
church and no church health care
providers. These peoples are
mainly in Islamic counties.
So where do we as their
friends ft into their call?
Well, were in the fortunate
position of being able to be
part of sending Lizzy & Bill.
Over the last few years we have
seen other friends embark
on journeys into mission.
Our part in that has been
through praying and through
ofering fnancial support.
Well be doing the same
with Lizzy & Bill. I hope we
will be able to get alongside
them, when things are going
well and when things arent
going too smoothly. Perhaps
when theyre struggling with
homesickness or culture
shock, things that arent so
easy to put into a prayer letter
to people you dont know.
We see this as a partnership,
not everyone can go, but
everyone should be involved
in mission. As Paul says in
Romans 10:15 how can they
preach if they are not sent?
Support is important, and
we count it a privilege to be
supporting Lizzy & Bill as they
live out the Great Commission.
By Fiona & Andy Nicholls
21
PEOPLE FOCUS:
THE MBORORO
& THE ZANDE
November 16-22
A STEPPING STONE
T
he team are almost
ready to leave, to go
to the Democratic
Republic of Congo to learn
language and the culture of
the Zande, a stepping stone
to one day fulflling a bigger
vision of working with the
Zande church to reach the
unreached Mbororo. To say
they are not going into an
easy context is somewhat
of an understatement. The
team will leave the wide
concrete roads of America
and instead drive down dirt
roads to houses that are still
not completely ready for
their stay. With no mobile
reception and therefore no
internet, theres will be a true
cultural immersion. The
church is ready to welcome
them though. We introduced
you to Jean Baptiste and
Julienne Mboriundore in our
last magazine, this Zande
missionary couple will be
amongst the church leaders
seeking to support the team
and work with them as they
adapt to life and culture in
this border area between
Central African Republic
and Democratic Republic of
Congo.
THE CENTRAL AFRICAN
REPUBLIC CONFLICT
We in no way claim to
be experts, and do not
want to become political
commentators on this
confict, however, we feel it
is important to share with
you news from the ground
in the CAR. In December
2012, 5000 Seleka forces
marched from the north of
the country and by April
2013 had destroyed their
opposition and efectively
taken hold of Bangui (the
capital of CAR) and the whole
country. The Seleka forces
are Islamic and in destroying
opposition to their rule,
they also carried out brutal
attacks on Christian pastors
and traders. Unsurprisingly
perhaps, the population
rose up in opposition to the
Seleka forces, a wave known
as Anti-Balaka. Despite what
you may have seen portrayed
via our western media outlets,
these fghters are not in fact
WHO ARE THE
ZANDE?
O
ver one million Azande
live in South Sudan,
Democratic Republic
of Congo, and Central African
Republic. The Church exists
among them but there is much
need for revival, for further
equipping of church leaders,
and for the discipleship of
believers. As many Zande
believers continue to follow
their traditional ways of
thinking and doing, there is
great need for eforts that will
help them develop a biblical
worldview. The difculties
these people are facing - living
in isolated areas ravaged by
rebels, many people displaced
and living as refugees, poor
infrastructure resulting in an
economy that is limping along,
weak educational systems, and
lack of quality health care
are also major prayer needs.
Download a prayer sheet:
www.aimint.org/eu/zande
22
give thanks,
that in the midst
of the all of the
violence and
upheaval the
gospel is still
being preached.
16
NOVEMBER | SUNDAY
Thank the Lord that many
Azande have come to faith and
are living as examples of the
power of Jesus to transform lives.
Pray that God would protect those
who are committed to following
him, as cultural pressures
(especially from family members)
tempt them to do otherwise.
17
NOVEMBER | MONDAY
Pray for Zande church
leaders that they would grow
in their personal faith and that
they would spend time reading
and meditating on Gods word.
Pray that the Holy Spirit would
inspire their preaching, teaching
and counseling, pray that they
would look to God for their daily
needs.
18
NOVEMBER | TUESDAY
Pray for church and
lay leaders who have been
trained in recent workshops on;
Biblical-based trauma healing,
the evaluation of cultural
practices in light of the gospel,
and on church leadership. Pray
that those trained would be
motivated to share what they
have learned with many others.
19
NOVEMBER
WEDNESDAY
Pray that the recent acquisition
of over 7,000 Bibles for the Zande
areas in Central African Republic
(CAR) and Democratic Republic
of Congo (DRC) in local trade
languages as well as in the Zande
language would be accompanied
by a Spirit-inspired desire to read
Gods word. Pray that as believers
read, God would strengthen and
solidify their faith and help them
to apply biblical truths to their
daily lives.
20
NOVEMBER
THURSDAY
Pray for peace! The South Sudan
Zande area spent many years
involved in the civil war that took
place there for over two decades.
The Zande areas in both CAR and
DRC have been tormented for
over six years by the presence of
members of the Lords Resistance
Army. With the Seleka rebellion
now overtaking much of the
rest of CAR, instability reigns.
Pray the evil forces behind these
movements would be brought
down.
21
NOVEMBER | FRIDAY
Pray that the Zande
church would see the presence of
the Mbororo and Muslim traders
among them as opportunities
to share the gospel. Tensions
among Christians and Muslims
have been raised during the
Seleka rebellion in CAR. Many
Mbororo in DRC create problems
with the local population as their
cattle invade and destroy the
gardens of the Zande. Pray the
love of Christ would overcome
these issues.
22
NOVEMBER
SATURDAY
Pray for the Congo Team as
Adam, Cori, Cruz, and Javen
Willard join Wendy Atkins
in Banda for this curriculum
based team. It will be focused
on learning Zande language
and culture as well developing
friendships with many in the
Banda area.
associated with churches
in CAR, instead the name
originally stood for anti
bullets of the AK47. Many
of the Anti-Balaka fghters
are strongly tied to African
Traditional Religions wearing
amulets and necklaces to
protect them from harm.
Now the Anti-Balaka forces
have driven the Seleka out
of Bangui, and in doing so
destroyed in retaliation the
things the Seleka valued;
mosques and Muslim
businesses.
7000 African peacekeepers
have been deployed to the
country and at the moment
a peace settlement appears
to be holding. An interim
President has been installed
and negotiations are
underway to agree upon an
interim Prime Minister. This
is a country that still needs
your prayers. But give thanks,
that in the midst of the all of
the violence and upheaval the
gospel is still being preached.
One church in Bangui was hit
by a mortar in the midst of
the fghting and tragically 37
members of the congregation
were killed. The church
however, continues to meet,
prioritising the declaration
of the gospel and worship of
their Lord. Give thanks in all
circumstances for this is Gods
will for you in Christ Jesus.
1 Thessalonians 5:18
WEEKLYFOCUS
P
lease pray for the team
going to learn the
language and culture of
the Zande. Pray that this
will continue and that team
members will go on to work
with the Zande churches in
CAR; challenging them to
develop their own strategies
for reaching out to share the
good news of salvation with
the Mbororo.
COUNTRY FOCUS:
TANZANIA
November 23-29
WEEKLYFOCUS
T
his weeks prayer
points have been
submitted by Lucas Ndaro,
Acting Principle of Nassa
Theological College,
Tanzania. Lucas is married
to Limi and they have four
children. The whole family
is currently studying in the
USA. Please pray for Gods
provision, spiritual growth
and physical safety for
their two sons as they start
college. Pray too for their
two daughters at elementary
school, Limis education at
Evangelical Seminary and
Lucas as he seeks Gods will
for a doctoral programme.
Sandra Meyer works with
SAFINA Street Network in
Dar es Salaam, Tanzania.
Their main aim is to see
young lives redeemed,
restored and transformed
through the love of Christ.
Sandra writes
A CHANCE TO TALK
W
hile still on the
streets, kids come
into our Drop-In-
Centre where they can get food,
medical care, a chance to talk
about their lives and listen to
our teaching about the Word
of God. My heart really beats to
help them through counseling
sessions. These one to one
times are good opportunities
to teach them personally about
the presence and love of God.
If they decide to stop living on
the streets they come into our
shelter for about three months.
Here they learn to get used
to rules and a daily life again.
We also try ascertain their
education level and give them
some schooling. Our main aim,
however, is to get in contact
with their families so that they
can be reconciled with them. If
that is not possible then they
join one of our foster families
where they live until they have
fnished school or training.
HOME AGAIN
One day I met Gabriel, he
looked so sad. He told me
that he got into trouble with a
neighbour at home, because
the neighbour beat his dog very
badly. Gabriel got very angry,
beat up the boy and then ran
away. But now in the shelter he
told me how much he missed
his parents. We have a branch
in the area where he used to
live, so we sent workers to try
and fnd his family. His parents
were already searching for
him, and I had the privilege to
drive his father and brother to
the shelter. I wont forget how
Gabriel looked when his family
suddenly got out of the car and
he ran into their arms. It was an
awesome and touching moment
for me. Now he is home again.
24
See People & Places p10
For more info on mission
partners working in Tanzania
www.aimint.org/eu/
peopleandplaces
give thanks
to God for
evangelical
eforts to reach
the unreached
23
NOVEMBER
SUNDAY
Please pray about the lack of
religious tolerance between
Muslims and Christians.
In the last three years,
the relationship between
these major religious
groups in Tanzania has
deteriorated, especially
with the awakening of
fundamentalists in Zanzibar
which spills over in
mainland Tanzania.
24
NOVEMBER
MONDAY
Please pray against false
religions and teachings.
Christians are faced with
several movements of false
religions some of which are
purely satanic in nature.
They deceive people by
promising them wealth.
For example the Masonic
movement, which is
increasingly becoming a big
problem in the country.
25
NOVEMBER
TUESDAY
Most Tanzanians are
struggling in poverty. Most
Christians, including church
leaders, struggle for their
survival. Pray for more
sustainable methods for
church leaders to support
their ministries. Give thanks
for the commitment of
church leaders to ministry
regardless of poor fnancial
support.
26
NOVEMBER
WEDNESDAY
Please give thanks to
God for the good things
that are happening in the
church in Tanzania such as
evangelical eforts to reach
the unreached as well as
evangelistic campaigns
carried out by churches
to reach those in their
communities. Praise God
that recorded Christian
music can often be heard in
public squares.
27
NOVEMBER
THURSDAY
Give thanks for the
opportunities the church has
to reach unreached people
groups with the gospel.
Give thanks that Kiswahili
can be used commonly to
reach the unreached tribes
and that there is such
freedom of public worship
and evangelism around the
country.
28
NOVEMBER
FRIDAY
Pray for the churchs Bible
schools: Nassa Theological
College, Majahida Bible
School, and Katunguru Bible
School. They lack strong
leadership, sustainable
funding and exit strategies
from AICT and AIM
missionaries.
29
NOVEMBER
SATURDAY
Pray for missionary
established nonproft
projects: dispensaries and
hospitals, press, studios and
publishers, and various craft
skills. Many of these services
once run and funded by
missionaries are struggling
to survive current poor
management and lack of
funding.
TRAINING FOR
PASTORS
Tony Swanson shares the
vision of the Institute of
Bible and Ministry to Enable,
Mobilise and Inspire pastors
in Tanzania

E
MI is not only a record
label but an acronym
for the mission of the
Institute of Bible and Ministry,
to Enable, Mobilise and Inspire
pastors in a closer relationship
with the Lord and greater
efectiveness in ministry. Our
ministry is in partnership with
Africa Inland Church Tanzania
and provides an in-service
training programme for around
140 pastors and wives, most of
whom, work amongst Muslim
peoples along the coast of
Tanzania.
One candidate shared,
Attending this training seminar
has had many benefts for
me it has enabled me to
reach Muslims in their areas
without ofending them. The
mobilising part includes local
initiatives for resourcing the
programmes. As well as training
we ofer pastors opportunities
to hear excellent speakers. One
pastor shared I have been
blessed, I feel encouraged and
I feel strengthened. My time
here has aroused a new vigour
to work and inspired me to
develop fresh strategies to reach
needy ones.
For more information, visit
Sanga Sanga on facebook:
f.com/aictsangasanga
25
MINISTRY FOCUS:
WOMENS MINISTRY
30
NOVEMBER
SUNDAY
Pray for the many
women who quietly
want to learn to read the
Bible, and develop new
literacy skills to help
their families stay well
and bring income to
their struggling homes.
Pray they may know
Jesus freeing their lives
through their learning.
1
NOVEMBER
MONDAY
Praise the Lord for
the volunteer literacy
teachers. May they be
faithful and regular in
teaching the adults.
May they know the
rewards of helping
their people and joy
for themselves, as they
serve the Lord in this
way.
2
NOVEMBER
TUESDAY
A committed AIC
member who is well-
educated and has a deep
desire to help people
learn to read is needed
to lead the Otuho work
in the AIC church Torit
area. In our last two
years in South Sudan
we would like to focus
on wherever the Lord is
leading us next.
3
NOVEMBER
WEDNESDAY
People are still afected
by war trauma from
the last civil war and
now the recent political
struggles and tribal
fghting. Clan fghting
around one church
literacy centre has left
many dead. Pray as
Christians seek to bring
peace and reconciliation
to their own people.
4
NOVEMBER
THURSDAY
Pray for the AIC
church leadership in
Eastern Equatoria led
by Assistant Bishop
Sarafno Oseyek. Many
things inhibit the
ministry of the church.
However, they continue
to meet each Sunday as
Russ & Lyn Noble are working
with the African Inland Church
(AIC) in South Sudan to develop
an adult literacy programme.
They talk here about how
this programme is helping
many women who often feel
marginalised and lacking in
confdence.
LEARNING TO READ
T
orit is the capital of Eastern
Equatoria State in South
Sudan. We are thankful for
the relative calm during the last
seven months of great political
upheaval and sufering in this
newest nation in the world.
The majority of Christians in
the AIC church around Torit are
women - most of these women
cannot read in any language! Our
main focus since 2007 has been
training and equipping volunteer
literacy teachers from the AIC
among the Otuho people group.
We have been working with them
to develop a learning curriculum
for adults along with small books
of Old Testament stories. Most
of the literacy teachers are male
church leaders. Most of the adult
learners are women who have
never been to school, mainly
because of war and the limitations
of their culture.
Nov 30 - Dec 6
The majority of Christians
in the AIC church around
Torit, South Sudan are
women.
Rose is now
thrilled to be
able to read
the Bible
Her 30-year old
son, a soldier in the
army, was killed in
the ghting against
rebels in February
Women in South Sudan are
marginalised. This has led to many
women lacking confdence to try new
things, low in self-esteem to speak
out, not being invited to training,
and as they cannot read the Bible for
themselves; not reaching their full
spiritual potential in the Lord.
DAVITIKAS PRAYER
Davitika is a very active woman in
her local church. She has sufered
a lot recently. Her 30-year old son,
a soldier in the army, was killed
in the fghting against rebels in
February. Then in April her home
was bulldozed down to clear poor
people away from an area wanted by
the government. Davitika longs to be
able to read well. This was her prayer
translated from Juba Arabic, another
language we work with, at a recent
lesson time
May our hearts be opened. May
our minds be opened so that in
the night, whilst we sleep, all this
knowledge will enter us like a dream
and we will remember it. Help us to
take what we are learning so that we
can teach those in darkness.
well as preaching the
good news at the many
funerals the leaders are
called to minister at.
5
NOVEMBER
FRIDAY
As we write cholera is
gripping the area and
people live in fear of
this and other illnesses.
Basic community
teaching on sickness
prevention, hygiene and
frst aid is needed. Pray
Christians will reach
out to their people with
this freeing knowledge
along with Jesus love.
6
NOVEMBER
SATURDAY
Solomon and Kamilo,
church leaders and
literacy teachers, taught
Rose to read. Rose is
now thrilled to be able
to read the Bible and last
year her longing to read
the story of Jesus birth
in church on Christmas
Day came true! Pray for
more to learn to read.
LEFT:
Davitika has
sufered a lot in
recent years, yet
is very active in
her local church.
She attends
one of the the
literacy classes
run by Russ &
Lyn Noble.
WOMEN
OF SOUTH
SUDAN
I
n July 2011, South
Sudan gained
independence, an
outcome of a peace
deal that ended
Africas longest
running civil war.
Peace was short lived,
with Presidential
power struggles
soon leading to
violence. Unrest,
poverty and lack of
infrastructure means
that few receive
any meaningful
education, with only
16% of girls learning
to read (the lowest
female literacy rate
in the world). A
woman is more likely
to die in pregnancy
or childbirth than
graduate from
primary school.
WEEKLY
FOCUS
W
omen make up
approximately
60% of the
population of South
Sudan, a direct result
of years of civil war
and tribal violence.
Please pray that this
country would be
able to nd lasting
peace and that
women would have
new opportunities to
access education and
literacy programmes.
See People & Places p15
For more info on mission
partners working amongst
women.
www.aimint.org/eu/
peopleandplaces
27
PEOPLE FOCUS:
THE DATOOGA
On 25 November we were
encouraged to pray for
sustainable methods
for church leaders to
support their ministries
in Tanzania. One such
project is the loan of
goats to evangelists
working amongst the
unreached Datooga
people. Simon French
gives an update on how
things have been going
recently
A SUSTAINABLE WAY
F
or a number of
years now AIM has
been running a
livestock project which
loans goats to evangelists
from the Africa Inland
Church Tanzania (AICT)
working in the Lake Eyasi
area, and in particular
to those working among
the Datooga. The project
aims to help them in a
sustainable way, encourage
them to breed a herd and
then return the original
goats to the project within
a four year period. The idea
is that through the goat
herds the evangelists will
be able to supplement their
incomes.
RECENT HIGHLIGHTS
Recent highlights have
included seeing the
frst goat twins being
successfully reared and
seeing one evangelist
having to enlist the help of
second herder as his fock
grows. It has also been
encouraging to see people
who have tended to live
hand to mouth start to
take a more long term view
of things as they have seen
the value and number of
their goats increase over
time.
Some of the evangelists
are either not gifted with
livestock or are not able to
care for them due to a lack
of space or the availability
of a family member to
herd animals. In these
cases, they need to fnd
another family who
December 7-13
Download a prayer sheet about the
Datooga people in Tanzania:
www.aimint.org/eu/datooga
HUT TO HUT
E
arlier this year Peter Root, AIM
Europes Personnel Director
visited Simon & Sue French
and the goat project in Karatu,
Tanzania. He comments, It was just
amazing to see how the church in
that area has grown since the TIMO
team, that Simon and Sue were part
of in 2006. It was really encouraging
to go from hut to hut to share and
minister with Datooga believers. Our
hope is that the goat project enables
the new Datooga evangelists to
spend more time sharing the gospel.
Without the goats they may have
needed to work as well as evangelise,
or face extreme poverty whereas the
goat project, with its sustainability,
allows the gospel to go to more
unreached areas.
28
Many of the
evangelists
working among
the Datooga are
from other people
groups.
already have a fock to
look after their animals for
them. This practice happens
widely in Tanzania but it is
dependent on the honesty
and diligence of the host
family. Early on the project
sufered a high rate of loss
of animals which were cared
for in this way. More careful
checking of host families is
now reducing this loss but
fnding good herders can be
hard.
7
DECEMBER | SUNDAY
Available grazing land is
becoming increasingly scarce in
some areas of Tanzania, in part
as a result of the desire for land
to be set aside for agriculture,
conservation and game hunting.
Please pray that the voice of the
Datooga is heard along with
other pastoralists when land
issues are decided.
8
DECEMBER | MONDAY
Recent increased
education opportunities have
lead to a number of Datooga
secondary school children
returning to their communities
with qualifcations but few
opportunities for employment.
Pray for opportunities to open
for them that will allow them
to make use of what they have
learnt.
9
DECEMBER | TUESDAY
Many Datooga Christians
face the daily temptation to
return to cultural habits which
are not compatible with their
new faith. Pray that they will
be able discern and keep those
aspects of their culture which are
compatible with Gods word and
be strong enough to reject those
that are not.
10
DECEMBER
WEDNESDAY
Many of the Tanzanian pastors
and evangelists working among
the Datooga are from other
people groups. Give thanks that
they feel called to this work and
please pray that more Datooga
will feel called by God to reach
their own people.
11
DECEMBER | THURSDAY
Please pray for the Eyasi
livestock project as it seeks
to help evangelists reaching
the Datooga. Pray for project
members who are not able to
look after their goats themselves
and have to rely on others to
do so. Pray that they will fnd
faithful partners to share in this
work.
12
DECEMBER | FRIDAY
Please pray for Simon
& Sue French as they seek to
balance their role of witnessing
to the Datooga and other people
groups in the Eyasi area with
their role as AIM Unit Leaders
for their area of Tanzania.
13
DECEMBER | SATURDAY
Please pray for Hannah
and Jasmine as they continue
their studies at Rift Valley
Academy. Hannah starts her fnal
year at the school this autumn -
pray for wisdom as she considers
colleges and further education
options. Pray too for Jasmine
as she enters the high school
section of the school at the start
of the new academic year.
LEFT: Evangelists working
amongst the unreached
Datooga people are given a
goat to help supplement their
income.
ABOVE: Yatoshta Dalele
and the twin Goats that were
successfully reared.
WEEKLYFOCUS
S
imon & Sue French are
involved in discipling
Datooga believers in
partnership with the Africa
Inalnd Church Tanzania.
They write, please give
thanks that our family has
been able to serve the Lord
here in Tanzania for the
last nine years. Pray that
we each continue to sense
Gods calling on our lives as
we look to the future.
Pastoralists in Tanzania
face many challenges such
as theft of livestock, wild
animals eating domestic
animals and livestock
disease. However despite
these issues there is a
thriving culture of livestock
rearing in the Lake Eyasi
area. We trust that God
will continue to use this
project to help a number of
evangelists proft from the
opportunity to rear livestock
as they seek to raise their
families in what at times can
be difcult situations.
29
v
MINISTRY FOCUS:
CHILDREN & YOUTH
14
DECEMBER
SUNDAY
Being an accountant
and seeing frsthand
the fnancial need in
the organisation, I
cannot help but make a
prayer request for Gods
resources for the work.
It is not just money that
is needed but ongoing,
meaningful partnerships
so that more children
can be reached with the
love of Jesus.
15
DECEMBER
MONDAY
At Dwelling Places, we
start every day with
staf devotions. These
are blessed times but
often very sobering.
Life is not easy for a lot
of our workers as they
face common human
problems like sickness
and death, as well
as joyful events, but
with limited fnancial
resources.
16
DECEMBER
TUESDAY
Give thanks for our
beautiful children.
Remember them
as we seek their
rehabilitation; coming
from a chaotic lifestyle
on the streets with all
the behaviours that
come with that, to
becoming ready to go
to a mainstream school
and hopefully to return
to a loving family set-up.
17
DECEMBER
WEDNESDAY
In some cases our
children are going
back to a non-Christian
environment. Pray
for them to come to a
personal knowledge
of Jesus while they are
with us, to stay close
to him when they are
resettled and to be salt
and light in their home
communities.
Its December and Donna
Morrison from Martins
Memorial Church, Stornoway
has already been in Uganda
a year. Here she flls us in on
what she has been doing to help
reach young people
AMAZED AND THANKFUL
I
am serving in a Ugandan
Christian NGO called Dwelling
Places (DP) as Deputy Director
of Finance and Sustainability,
which means that I oversee the
Accountancy, Procurement and
Sustainable Business arms of the
organisation.
I am amazed and very thankful
at how well I have settled already.
I live and work in a lovely
neighbourhood and I have made
great friends. Ugandans are
probably the friendliest people I
have ever met!
One of the highlights of my
week is helping lead a newly
formed youth discipleship group
in our local community. I love
meeting outdoors with them as
night falls and the stars come out,
getting to know them and seeing
them grow, and at times start out
in their relationship with Jesus.
FOCUS ON PEOPLE
My main focus while I am here is
to do on the job training, passing
on skills and experiences to the
team I manage. I have a great
team, although recently the
December 14-20
v
main person I was training to one
day succeed me as an accountant,
got a job ofer he could not refuse
and left. This was obviously not in
my plan, and it has made things a
bit more challenging, but I trust that
God has a greater plan in it all.
There is lots of scope to improve
the way we do things but I want
to remain focussed on developing
people and not just processes. This
is more time consuming and makes
me feel quite inefcient at times, but
I hope and pray it will be worth it.
That is after all what discipleship is
all about people. Sharing Jesus and
hopefully demonstrating in every
area of life what it looks like to be his
follower.
18
DECEMBER
THURSDAY
Maybe on a Friday night
4-6:30pm UK time, you
could remember our
newly formed youth
fellowship group? We
are currently going
through Youth Alpha
and it is exciting to see
growth already taking
place. Please pray for
relationships with Jesus
to deepen and lasting
fruit as a result.
19
DECEMBER
FRIDAY
One of the group, MJ,
asked me to pray for
him. He needs much
encouragement. He has
poor eyesight and he
told me that the clothes
he was wearing were all
that he owned and that
he is separated from his
family.
20
DECEMBER
SATURDAY
On a personal note, I
need to abide in Jesus.
Everything fows from
the place of intimacy
with him and I can only
do what I have been
called to do if I remain
in Him. Pray that I dont
rely on human wisdom
but that I focus on him.
ABOVE:
Donna Morrison
from Scotland,
with two of her
colleagues from
Dwelling Places.
REACHING THE
KARAMOJONGS
K
aramoja is located in the northeastern part
of Uganda, a days drive from Kampala. The
land there is so dry that agriculture is almost
impossible, famine and drought are common. The
region is flled with insecurity caused by rampant
cattle raids, during which many people, especially
women and
children, are killed.
This, alongside the
poverty, has forced
many Karamojong
families to fee.
When Michael
reached the streets
of Kampala from Karamoja, his family were destined
to sleep in shipping containers for 0.30 cents a night,
and forced to beg on the streets so they could aford
accommodation and food. Begging turned into a way
of life. For Michael this story has a happy ending, he
was found during a street outreach by Dwelling Places
and ultimately he has returned to the Karamoja to live
with his grandmother. Dwelling Places is working
to give many more Karamojongs a happy ending,
reaching them with alternatives to begging, and most
importantly, with the gospel.
he was found
during a street
outreach by
Dwelling Places
WEEKLY
FOCUS
D
welling Places
is dedicated
to the rescue and
rehabilitation of street
children, abandoned
babies and high-risk
slum families. Please
join us in praying for
these children and
families as well as
the team working
with them. Pray for
Donna Morrison,
who left the Isle of
Lewis, Scotland, last
Christmas to use her
accountancy skills
at Dwelling Places,
and helps to equip
national staf.
See People & Places p22 - For more info on mission
partners working amongst children & youth.
31
AIMs vision is to see
Christ-centred churches
among all African people,
with a priority for the
unreached. So how do
short term mission trips ft
with this vision? We asked
PJ Holmertz, the current
Eastern Region Short Term
Coordinator and soon to be
International Short Term
Programme Director for his
views.
ITS BEING THE SAME
THAT MEANS WERE
DIFFERENT
T
he fact that short
term shares the same
vision as all other
AIM programmes, and sits
alongside them, is what
makes AIM distinctive. You
see, within AIM, a short
term trip is never an end
unto itself. Short termers on
the feld arent involved in
something that fnishes when
they leave, instead they are
part of a chain of mission.
When their service begins it
is because of what has come
before. When they leave,
their ministry continues.
They become an integral
part of how AIM is reaching
the unreached and building
Christ-centred churches
among all African peoples.
The two, short term and long
term mission, cannot be
separated. And because of
SHORT TERM
December 21-31
Short termers
on the eld
arent involved
in something
that nishes
when they leave,
instead they are
part of a chain of
mission.
AIMs Short Term programme
ofers anyone over the age
of 18 the opportunity to get
involved with cross-cultural
mission in Africa. Find out more
about opportunities online:
www.synergyafrica.com
MEET
PJ HOLMERTZ
F
or PJ & his wife Emily,
following God is an
adventure. Growing up
in suburban Iowa, USA, both
of them were involved with
mission from an early age;
going on short term mission
trips to Mexico whilst still in
High School. Perhaps its not
surprising now that theyre
continuing to follow Gods
call into mission, using their
varied experiences as they
head up AIMs Short Term
programme. They live and
work in Nairobi, Kenya, with
their children Sarah & Aiden.
this integral link, I believe
that short term mission
with AIM ofers individuals
a strong introduction to
mission as well as being a real
beneft to the feld.
32
The only limit we have on
our short term programme
is our imagination. There
are so many places and
ways in which short term
missionaries can support
those already ministering
in Africa. There are so many
long term missionaries
and ministries that would
massively beneft from
having short termers
working with them. Part of
my role at the moment is
to get alongside long term
missionaries to help them
reprogramme their own
mindsets. To make them
aware that there are people
who are willing and able to
help them for a time. This
applies to myself as well.
Recently we were down a
member of administration
staf in our ofce and we
were struggling. Thankfully
a short term mission worker
got involved and was a
tremendous help.
21
DECEMBER | SUNDAY
Paul & Di Allcock began
their second year of assignment
with us in Mbarara, Uganda, in
October. Give thanks that they
felt called to return for a second
year and pray for them as they
support the team there.
22
DECEMBER
MONDAY
Emma Foxall began a six month
assignment in Madagascar
in August. She is helping
with administration in our
ofce there whilst the Long
Term Administrator takes
home assignment. Pray for
good relationships with her
colleagues in the ofce and
for opportunities for her to be
involved in outreach to local
people.
23
DECEMBER
TUESDAY
Gnter Springer, Sarah
McArthur and Bethany Sinclair
all began an assignment
teaching English in Bunia, DR
Congo in October. Please pray
for them as they continue to
share their knowledge but also
their faith with their students.
24
DECEMBER
WEDNESDAY
Celebrating Christmas ofers a
great opportunity for our Short
Termers to share about the
reasons for Jesus birth with
those that dont know him,
through special events and
parties. Pray for all such events
that will likely take place today
and that our Short Termers
would be bold in proclaiming
their faith.
25
DECEMBER
THURSDAY
Being away from family and
friends in the UK at Christmas
can be hard. Please pray that
our Short Termers currently
on assignment will not feel
homesick but that they would
enjoy celebrating with new
friends in Africa.
Korr, Kenya is a perfect setting
for a game of football. There are so
many places and ways in which short
termers can serve.
Maybe they didnt have
the most exciting mission
experience, but they played a
big part in making sure others
got to the mission feld, to
reach the unreached.
ARE YOU CALLED TO
SUCH A TIME AS THIS?
And what about you? It
just may be that you have
the skill and ability thats
needed on the feld at this
time. There are so many
new and exciting ways for
short termers to get involved
in mission, we have people
serving through maintaining
vehicles, through discipleship
in Bible colleges, and through
using their medical skills
and abilities. We have seen
short termers make a big
impact when they come out
to the feld as educational
support for families. A busy
family can end up getting
caught up in the day to day.
When a short termer arrives,
dedicated to working with
their children, parents are
released into language
learning, relationship
building; into ministry.
I NEED AFRICA MORE
THAN AFRICA NEEDS ME
We only really ask one thing
of you; come with a learner
attitude. You will be impacted
as much as you are there to
make an impact. Theres a
lot to learn from Africa and
many opportunities to dive
into language and culture.
You wont be coming to
Africa to solve problems,
youll be joining with the
African people to learn, so
that together, you move
forward. A short term mission
can radically alter your life
and the lives of people you
interact with on the feld.
To reach the unreached and
build Christ-centred churches
in Africa, we need people of
every age, with a variety of
skills and experiences to form
that chain of ministry. Please
consider whether God is
calling you to come and work
in Africa, and ultimately to
learn more of him.
There are so
many new and
exciting ways for
short termers to
get involved in
mission
A BETTER
SYNERGY
Y
ou may have noticed
that we are no longer
using the name
Synergy to refer to our
Short Term Programme. This
is part of an efort to make
the programme feel more
connected to AIMs ministries
as a whole, to make Short
Termers feel that they are an
integral part of seeing Christ
Centred Churches among all
African Peoples and to make
clear to enquirers that AIM
does do short term mission
too! Many changes have taken
place over recent months and
there are still more to come so
please continue to pray that we
would continue to glorify God
in all we do!
PEOPLE &
PLACES
I
f youd like more
information about the
current short termers
serving in Africa with AIM,
view and download the Short
Term People & Places from our
website:
Short term People & Places can
be found online at:
aimint.org/eu/shortterm
34
WEEKLY
FOCUS
P
lease pray that all
our Short Termers
would have a positive
impact wherever
they are serving in
Africa. Pray that they
too will be impacted
and draw closer to
God through their
experiences. Many
will use their time as
a means to discover
whether long term
mission is for them,
pray for them as
explore Gods call on
their lives.
THE BEST
THING WAS
BEING USEFUL
I
am the kind of person that
does not go on foreign
holidays, is rubbish at
learning languages and is not
excited about new cultural
experiences, but I am really
aware that Gods message is
for the whole world. I read an
AIM magazine years ago which
opened my eyes to mission and
then met Mat and Katy Linley
when we went to the same
church.
At the end of last summer,
I was praying for God to open
doors for my future. At the
same time, the Linleys asked
for prayer for a British teacher
to come and help with home-
schooling. God opened doors!
This summer, I travelled to
Mandritsara, Madagascar
and spent almost six weeks
helping the families to plan
their home-school curriculum
for next year. I gave advice,
encouragement and taught &
assessed their children. It was
good to help the missionary
familiesparticularly when I
wasnt able to do much else! At
the beginning, it was hard to go
from being a very independent,
socially adept adult in the UK to
being very dependent and almost
universally inept in Africa.
However, it was a privilege to
become part of a community
who support each other so much.
I was surprised at how much I
enjoyed eating diferent foods
(even crickets!) and visiting new
places. By seeing the people and
the project personally, I will now
be able to pray for the Linleys
and others who work there with
much more understanding, And,
I am signifcantly more open
minded about what type of
person God might call overseas.
Naomi Coleman
26
DECEMBER
FRIDAY
Steve Titterton recently
returned to the UK
following a 15 month
assignment teaching
in Korr, Kenya. Pray
for Steves adjustment
back to life in the UK
and especially pray for
guidance for him as he
considers what the Lord
wants him to do in the
future.
27
DECEMBER
SATURDAY
Caroline Bell is
preparing to go out
to Adi, DR Congo in
January for 6 months
to do medical work
and work in the AIDS
programme. Pray for
her in these last few
days of preparation that
God would be exciting
her about the work he
has for her in DRC.
28
DECEMBER
SUNDAY
Anna Wilmshurst
& Julia Howarth
are preparing to go
to Madagascar in
January for 6 months
to encourage teachers
in their outreach to
non-Christian students
and their families. Pray
that God would prepare
them for the challenges
ahead.
29
DECEMBER
MONDAY
Our Area Mobilisers
have spent the last few
months visiting many
university CUs and
speaking with students
about serving with AIM
during their summer
holidays next year.
Pray for all those we are
working with to fnd
suitable placements for
next summer.
30
DECEMBER
TUESDAY
Currently the AIM
Europe Short Term
programme is being
run by interim staf
as Amy Birtwistle is
on maternity leave
and Rosemary Rettie
is in Kenya. Pray
for the continued
smooth running of the
programme amongst
these changes.
31
DECEMBER
WEDNESDAY
Thank you all for
praying for the Short
Term programme
throughout 2014.
May you know Gods
blessings in the year
ahead and may you be
flled with the joy of
knowing you are sharing
in his work through your
vital commitment to
prayer. Thank you!
LEFT: Naomi Coleman with the
Linley children (Phoebe, Barnaby
and Jonah). Naomi helped families
plan their home-school curriculum
for the year ahead.
MAGAZINE & PRAYER DIARY
Africa Inland Missions OCT-DEC2014
Christ-centred churches among all African peoples
CONNECT is AIM Europes
Magazine & Prayer Diary.
European headquarters
Aim International
Halifax Place
Nottingham NG1 1QN
United Kingdom
0115 9838 120
admin.eu@aimint.net
@aimeurope
f.com/aimeurope
Scotland
scotland.eu@aimint.net
South England/Wales
south.eu@aimint.net
Ireland
ireland.eu@aimint.net
North England/Wales
north.eu@aimint.net
French speaking
france.eu@aimint.net
Netherlands
nederland.eu@aimint.net
Africa Inland Mission
is an evangelical,
interdenominational
organisation with the goal of
seeing Christ-centred churches
among all African peoples.
AIM Europe | October 2014
Africa Inland Mission International, a company limited by
guarantee (04598557), a registered charity in England
and Wales (1096364) and a charity registered in Scotland
(SC037594) Registered Ofce: Halifax Place Nottingham
NG1 1QN.
Friday 7 Sunday 9 November 2014
aimint.org/eu
AUTUMN
CONFERENCE
SHARING IN GODS
UNFINISHED MISSION
The Hayes Conference Centre, Swanwick
Book online at aimint.org/eu/autumnconference