connect oct-dec 2014

8/11/2019 Connect Oct-Dec 2014

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MAGAZINE &PRAYER DIARY

Africa Inland Missions OCTDEC 2014

Christ-centred churches among all African peoples

26

LITERACY WITH

WOMEN INSOUTH SUDAN

14MEET MY NEW

SAMBURUFRIEND, LENA

04

WHY BOTHER:WITH LANGUAGEAND SCRIPTUREENGAGEMENT?


2/36

04WHY 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 14

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 acreative access context.

12 OCTOBER 1218

Join us this week as we

focus on the unreached

Lesotho Shepherds.

14 OCTOBER 1925

This week we share the

challenges and joys of

mobilising people formission.

16 OCT 26 NOV 1

Church development

in Mozambique is our

ministry focus for this

week.

18 NOVEMBER 28

Our people focus for this

week is the Antakarana of

Madagascar.

20 NOVEMBER 915

We introduce you to our

new members and share

their story into mission.

22 NOVEMBER 1622

Following last quarters

magazine, our peoplefocus this week is the

Mbororo of CAR.

24 NOVEMBER 2329

The focus this week is

news from across the

country of Tanzania.

26 NOV 30 DEC 6

This weeks ministry focus

is womens ministries inSouth Sudan.

28 DECEMBER 713

Our people focus for this

week is the Datooga of

Tanzania.

30 DECEMBER 1420

We focus this week on

Childrens and Youth

Ministries at DwellingPlaces, Uganda.

32 DECEMBER 2131

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

office, 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 confidence.

The hills in Torit district, South

Sudan, where the unreached Lopit

people live - www.aimint.org/eu/lopit

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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 first 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 fledgling 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 financial

support, you are playing a vital role in it. Thank you.

European Director

by Andrew Chard

INTRODUCINGELIA KANGAJA

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We asked Bruce Rossington,AIMs Scripture EngagementConsultant why literacy andlanguage is worth investingin and what benefit it hasin reaching the unreachedwith the good news of JesusChrist

MY LOVE OF LANGUAGESAND CULTURES

With the benefit 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 houseafter 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 first extended

cross-cultural experience.

Although I qualified 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 Iwitnessed at first 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 Wycliffe

THE

ROSSINGTONS

The 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 first

time. Jan is teaching French

at Rift Valley Academy and

strengthening the schools

ability to meet the educational

needs of its British/Europeanstudents. 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 first

mother tongue Scripture.

by Bruce Rossington

WHY BOTHER:WITH LANGUAGE

AND SCRIPTUREENGAGEMENT?

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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 firmly 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 alreadybeen 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 first 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 deeplytreasured 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 Tittertonfrom Cornerstone Church, Nottinghamis currently working amongst the Rendille people inKenya. He introduces Naryo

Let 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 reflected 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 ofthe 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 BritishLibrary. She has loved those pages, but more importantly,

she loves the Saviour, who can be found on every page.

How did shebecome this ladywho will risk itall, so that onemore personmight hear about

Jesus?

the challenge

will be to translateScripture into theirlanguage or thefirst 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

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HOWS

LANGUAGE GOING?

Frazer Mayhew, working with theSamburu TIMO team, gives thisupdate on how language learning isgoing so far

So, how do you say Whats your name?

in Samburu?

Well, thats the thing, they dont reallyask that.

They dont ask, Whats your name?!

No. Oh

So began our first 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 different wordsin 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

different 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. Languagelearning 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 efforts and we hope one

day soon for the privilege of explaining

the good news of Jesus in the heartlanguage of the people we are growing

to love.

The Samburu, relatedto 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

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This testimony has beencompiled from thoughts

from Colin, her husband, herchildren and others who knewher well

DOING SOMETHING FOR HIM

Christine 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 ata 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 qualified as a nurse and

began working for Faith Mission.

It was here Colin met

Christine, sneaking her off

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 off 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. DickAnderson 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 five 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 fields.

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 suffered a

heart attack in 2008 and was

diagnosed with cancer in 2010.

At the beginning of this year,she became increasingly ill

and weak. Suffering from heart

failure and advancing cancer, she

was finally 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 Hofmannfamily 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, initiallyin 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 Wycliffe

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

REMEMBERINGCHRISTINE

Hundreds omessages havepoured in duringthe past months all testiying to the

act that Christinewas greatlyloved

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Find out more online about AIMs boarding school,

Rift Valley Academy:

MEET THEROSSINGTON

CHILDREN

The Rossington family haverecently moved to Kenya,having spent over two years

in Cameroon. We asked Martha,Zoe andJoetheir thoughts onmoving 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 busyand 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 different

to Cameroon, because there will be a

lot more kids at the school.

ARE YOU LOOKING FORWARDTO 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 AIMsboarding school. It exists to provide qualityeducation in a nurturing environment for thechildren of mission partners serving in Africa.Peter & Katy Wilsonteach at Titchie Swot, theprimary school at RVA. They say

Sending your kids off to boarding school will bea 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, somesimply 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

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WEEKLYFOCUSPlease join us in prayingfor our mission partners inKenya, 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 Ididnt 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 TOLIVE 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.

1OCTOBER

WEDNESDAY

Please pray for Martin& Joy Koch and FrazerMayhew who areworking amongst theunreached Samburu inNorthern Kenya. Praytoo for Anna Kloningerworking with SundaySchool teachers. Praythe Sunday Schoolteachers go on to inspireyoung Kenyans to reachthose who have not yet

heard the gospel.

2OCTOBER

THURSDAY

Support services areessential in allowingmission partners to goand to stay on the field.Pray for Peter & Katy

Wilson and their family,teaching at Titchie Swot,the Rift Valley Academyprimary school. Praytoo for Mark & BarbaraPhippen. Mark works asa counsellor at TumainiCounselling Centre,whilst Barbara teachesEnglish.

3OCTOBER

FRIDAY

Please pray for ourmission partners

involved in TheologicalEducation. Edith Currieworks in Eldoret, at the

AIC Missionary College,now a satellite campusof Scott ChristianUniversity. Please prayfor her and for GeorgetteShort working at ScottChristian University inMachakos. Pray too forMargot Reich working atKapsabet Bible College.

4OCTOBER

SATURDAY

Please pray for ourmission partners

involved in healthcare.Pray for Pete & LibbyHalestrap and familyserving at KijabeHospital and for RenateHornung teaching smallgroups and individualsabout community healthin Lokichogio, Turkana.

See People & Places p18For more info on missionpartners 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 Biblecharacter is Jesus.

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Kirstyworks as a nurse in aCreative Access Nation. Sheshares about her opportunitiesduring Ramadan to speak intopeoples lives

THE MOON HAS BEEN

SIGHTED

Its 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 anddiscuss 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 theystrive 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 showoff 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!

5OCTOBER

SUNDAY

Pray for those thathave truly sought toknow more of God overthe summer period ofRamadan; that as theyseek him, he will makehimself known.

6OCTOBER

MONDAY

Give thanks andcontinue to pray for themany conversationsour team has been ableto have throughoutthe period of Ramdan

and beyond- that theLord would continue

to challenge, and ourwords would not fall ondeaf ears.

7OCTOBER

TUESDAY

Please pray for the

ongoing translationwork happening here

that one day soon ourfriends would be ableto read the whole Biblein their own language.Pray for more local

helpers to come onboard.

8OCTOBER

WEDNESDAY

Very few island women

have chosen to follow

Jesus and most see

religion as mens

business; as long as they

fulfill their religious

responsibility no furtherthought 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 areyou asting? comesup in almost everyinteraction

Oct 5 - Oct 11

Salat is

the obligatory

Muslim prayers,

performed five

times each day.

MINISTRY FOCUS:EVANGELISM

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WEEKLYFOCUS

Please pray for the menthat form this Trainingin Ministry Outreach

team to the Shepherds.

Pray that despite coming

from different countries,

backgrounds and culturesthey 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

Many of you will know

about the struggles

this team has had to

raise their finance. We are so

thankful to God for the many

of you who generously helped

raise all that was needed. Chris

Klompascommented by saying,

words cant begin to describe

the joy and gratitude at beingon 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

TIMO is a two-year training

programme with a team

approach to learning andoutreach amongst unreached

people groups. Each team is

different 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 ableto share stories of Jesus in this

way as a powerful witness.

Watch a film about the recent

survey trip to the shepherds:

www.aimint.org/eu/shepherds

12OCTOBER

SUNDAY

Pray for the teams first fewmonths with the shepherds.Pray they adapt well as theylearn to speak Sesotho,from shepherds who speakno English at all; learn to

survive at an altitude ofover 3000m with very basichuts to live in, cooking onan open fire and almost nocommunication with theoutside world.

13OCTOBER

MONDAY

Pray that the shepherds

enjoy hosting our team,caring for and teachingthem how to survive andlive. Pray they see the teamas friends and that they arehonest about their livesand beliefs paving the wayfor the gospel as the teamslanguage skills improve.

14OCTOBER

TUESDAYPray for the teamscurriculum reading andstudy for TIMO. That theywill be disciplined andcreative in how they keepup with their theologicalstudies in a very unacademicenvironment. Pray theirgrowing knowledge grows

their faith and effectivenessas much as their brains.

15OCTOBER

WEDNESDAY

Pray for the stock ownerswho employ the shepherdsthat they might see the lightof Christ in the team and, intime, the shepherds. Pray foropportunities to discuss thegospel when Sam & Leannameet with them occasionallyover the 2 years.

16OCTOBER

THURSDAY

Pray that God is softeningthe hearts of the shepherdsso that when they begin

to hear the 31 bible storiesthat the team will learn inSesotho, they will be movedby the Spirit to accept withjoy the good news of Jesus.

17OCTOBER | FRIDAY

Pray that Sam and

Leanna are granted greatwisdom in their disciplingand theological trainingof the team. Pray that theyremain focused on Jesus intheir own lives, in raisingtheir children and for theteam. That they remaincommitted to the Bible asfull and final authority in alltheir decisions.

18OCTOBER

SATURDAY

Pray that, as the teamslanguage skills improve,shepherds will receive thegospel like seed sown ongood soil. That they hearthe word, accept it, andproduce a cropsome

thirty, some sixty, some ahundred times what wassown. (Mark 4v20) Pray thatthe good news is shared farand wide by the shepherdsthemselves.


14/36

MOBILISING MISSION

We asked the Canadianmobilising team whatthey are doing to helpsend people to reach theunreached.

COURTNEY FROM

CANADA

Last 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 AIMCanada.

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 Canadiancongregations. 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 first emigrated

to Guatemala, Victors first

language is Spanish! Hesnow serving with TIMO.

Canada is an officially

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 Canadianoffice, Courtney introduces us toher Samburu friend, Lena Lemus.

Ifound a kindred spirit amongst

our Samburu neighbours; her

name is Lena Lemus. She is sucha spark of life with her giant grin,

expressive personality, hilarious

sound effects 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, soI can understand her stories and tell

her some of mine.

Canada hasthe highest rateo immigrationin the Western

World

14


15/36

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 besignificantly expanded.

Thank you for praying for

AIM Canada, as we partner

with you in reaching the lost.

19OCTOBER

SUNDAY

Sundays often see mepreaching in supportingand sending churches,or at those which areinterested in missionand AIM. The word ofGod is central to whatwe do, so pray that Ideclare it faithfully andthat Gods people will be

encouraged to act uponthe Great Commission.

20OCTOBER

MONDAY

Each autumn, togetherwith a number ofother mission agenciesand UCCF, we visitUniversity CUs to

share Gods vision forthe nations and thework we are doing totake the gospel to theunreached. Pray weinspire and encouragestudents to follow Godsplans as they exploremission.

21OCTOBER

TUESDAY

Our annual autumnconference takes alot of planning andorganising, especially aswe want to keep it fresh,relevant and beneficialfor all who attend.Currently, we are tyingup the final details forthis year and already

planning for 2015.Please remember me asI organise this event.

22OCTOBER

WEDNESDAY

How do I know if Godis calling me to be amissionary? Earlymeetings with enquirers

are so important as,together with them andtheir churches, we seekto hear Gods voice anddetermine the right wayahead. They also needto hear about AIM, whatwe do, how and whereand why.

23OCTOBER

THURSDAY

Pray for the interviewsof candidates. Aftertime spent with themand their churches, wereview their applicationand references andput together interviewquestions from thereceiving regions. Afterthis process, we can

then recommend themfor a final interview.

24OCTOBER

FRIDAY

Spending time withmission partners asthey share about life inoften dark and difficultplaces demands a bit

more than a spare hourand chat in a coffeeshop. Pray for wisdom,and a genuine love andconcern, as we discussthe more personalaspects of their livesin Africa.

25OCTOBER

SATURDAY

Mission partners aresent by the churchnot AIM. AIM helpschurches send andsupport. Pray for timespent with churchleaders, sharing withthem how we can worktogether to best carefor 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

The focus this week is for TimMatthews, AIM Europes AreaMobiliser 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 office. It adds to

the excitement, but pray that I maintain

a close walk with our Heavenly Father

and not neglect my family life.

15


16/36

Tim & Beth Wood serve in achurch called Vision in theWord of God, focusing on

discipleship and teaching.Tim also teaches at SofalaBible Institute and Beth

works on translation projectsand Bible study material.

Here they give an overviewof their passion to help the

church focus on the lost

TRUSTING IN GOD ALONE

When we first came to

Mozambique in 1995

to teach at Sofala

Bible Institute, our mission

leader placed us in the churchthat 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, abranch of Christianity that,

here in Mozambique, tends

to keep traditional practices

such as ancestor veneration

while confessing Christ as

Lord. Before wed even figured

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 andother 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 theopportunity 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 thedenomination 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

MINISTRYFOCUS: CHURCHDEVELOPMENT

evangelism, and church planting.

However, more growth toward

maturity is needed. Some

believers tend to focus almostexclusively 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 finding a locationthat 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?

Zionism, also known as theamaZioni is a religiousmovement 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.

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26OCTOBER

SUNDAY

Sofala Bible Institutenow offers a BA inTheology. However,there arent enoughprofessors with Mastersto teach. Pray that God

would raise up moremissionary professorsto fill the gap.

27OCTOBER

MONDAY

Pray for peace in CentralMozambique, wherewe live. For over a year,the main opposition

party has been involvedin armed conflict withthe government. Manyhave died, others aredisplaced and tension isrising in the country.

28OCTOBER

TUESDAY

Presidential andparliamentary elections

have happened recently.Due to the conflict, oneof the main presidentialcandidates was in hidingthrough the campaign.Pray that the votecounting and outcomewould be free and fair.

29

OCTOBER

WEDNESDAYThroughoutMozambique, newmosques are beingconstructed, especiallyin the cities. InBeira, there are nowmosques in mostneighbourhoods. Prayfor Christians to be boldin witnessing to theirMuslim neighbours.

30OCTOBER

THURSDAY

Vision in the Word ofGod Church faces theprivilege and challengeof making a fresh start.Pray for wisdom that, as

the church is organisedand policies aredeveloped, taking thegospel to the unreachedwill be a priority.

31OCTOBER

FRIDAY

Our children, Jonathanand Sarah, now study atRVA in Kenya. Pray forgood communicationwhile we are apart. Prayfor Sarah to handle thepressures of schoolwell and for Jonathanto make wise decisionsconcerning universityafter he graduates inJuly 2015.

1NOVEMBER

SATURDAY

Pray for Mateus &Regina as they lead theyouth of Vision in theWord of God Church,in the local church andin the denomination.

Pray for Mateus ashe challenges andconfronts others andthat he and Regina willcontinue to live godlylives.

THE YOUTH OF

MOZAMBIQUE

Almost 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 boththe 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 sufficient,

not to be supplemented with elements

of African Traditional Religions. They

also recognise that many of these youngpeople 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 difficulties, it is so important that

I, and the Church, give proper teaching

on these issues, especially things like

courtship so that our young people canavoid immorality and live pure and holy

lives.

See People & Places p12For more info on mission partners workingin church development.


many o

these youngpeople will beuture leaders.

WEEKLYFOCUS

This year we arecelebrating 20years on the mission

field. 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.


18/36

PEOPLE FOCUS:THE ANTAKARANA

Adam & Lora Willardplanto lead a TIMO teamamongst the unreachedAntakarana people. Theygave this update on how

preparations are goingand slowing

THE TEAMS HOMES

Here on Nosy Mitsio,

the last 10 months

have flown 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 off

of what they can grow or

catch for themselves and

they have little need to

buy things or look for jobsfor 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 difficult for a

few team members and

the original deadline for

leaving (July) was upon us.

We also began to realise

that our efforts 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 onlearning 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 caughtin the typicalWesterncultural trapo ocusing onwork

Download a prayer sheet and watch a

film about the Antakarana online:

www.aimint.org/eu/antakarana

THE PEOPLE OF

THE ROCKS

The 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 Antakaranadialect (about 70% similarity to

official Malagasy).

In the early 1800s another tribe

expanded their kingdom through

warring. The Antakarana fled 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 sacredto them, which is why theyre now

known as the people of the rocks.

18


19/36

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 ownpace 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 progressingand they now have a little

more time to make a

smoother transition. Living

here will be very new and

different for our team, but

were all bringing something

new with us: Gods Kingdom

is ready to grow, even among

the Antakarana!

2NOVEMBER | SUNDAY

Please pray for us, that Godwould draw us closer to him inthe midst of such a dark place.Please pray that the Holy Spiritwould transform us daily inhis strength to be the handsand feet of Christ amongst the

Antakarana people.

3NOVEMBER | MONDAY

Please pray for therelationships were still buildingwith people before our teamarrives. Pray that God willgive us wisdom in growingand maintaining healthyrelationships in a culture we

dont fully understand (only hedoes!). Pray that through theserelationships, God will soften andopen hearts to the good news wewant to share with them.

4NOVEMBER | TUESDAY

Please pray for our teammembers. They will be arrivingfrom the US this week. Pray thatall their needed support is 100%

raised and that they are ready forthe challenges ahead.

5NOVEMBER | WEDNESDAY

Please pray for the fourvillages who will host ourteam members: Antanimivony,Andavakabiby, Antsakoa, andMarimbehely. Please pray thattheyre ready to receive our

team members well and to be apositive community for themwhen they begin the process ofadapting to a totally new life.

6NOVEMBER | THURSDAY

Please pray for the familiesof our team members, they havehad the stress of dates changingas they have been preparing fordifficult goodbyes. Pray that they

will know peace now the teamhas left the US.

7NOVEMBER | FRIDAY

There will be 7 youngchildren on our team. Pleasepray that the transition for theselittle ones will be smooth andthat the Holy Spirit will already

begin transforming them as they

walk alongside their parentsand our team in furthering hiskingdom.

8NOVEMBER | SATURDAY

Pray for the Antakaranatraditional leadership (the headking of the Antakarana and theking of Nosy Mitsio), that theyllbe receptive to our message andnot want to hinder its spread.

LEFT:The king of the

Antakarana making a sacrifice

to their ancestors.

ABOVE:The view back

over Nosy Mitsio, where the

TIMO team will live.

WEEKLYFOCUS

Since August 2013 theWillards 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 theywould find ways to share

Jesus with the Antakarana

who describe themselves as

Muslim, and are also deeply

committed to ancestor

worship.

19


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9NOVEMBER

SUNDAY

We thank God for the

arrival of our daughter

Grace. We pray that byGods Spirit we would

grow together as a

family with Christ atour centre and that with

Gods empowering wewould bring up Graceto know her Heavenly

Father.

10NOVEMBER

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

TUESDAYWe 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 different

options for our future

ministry and pray that

we would trust in his

sovereign plan in all

decision making.

12NOVEMBER

WEDNESDAY

We thank God for our

loving Christian family

at our church. Weask him to bless them

in and through their

support of us, especially

as we will be the first

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.

13NOVEMBER

THURSDAY

As we continue to battle

with our sinful and

selfish selves we pray

that God would giveus more and more of

See People & Places p20For more info on missionpartners working inhealth care


November 9-15

This week we introduce twonew members to AIM. Bill,Lizzy and their daughterGrace. These arent theirreal names and we haventincluded a photo becausetheir assignment still hasntbeen finalised and there

is the possibility that theywill serve in an area wheretraditional missionary workis not welcome. Whereverthey serve, they need yourprayers and support.

BILL, LIZZY & GRACE

Married in 2009, we

have recently been

blessed with our

first child, Grace, born on the

5th July 2014. We are from

Nottingham, England, where

we have lived since finishing

our studies at NottinghamUniversity; 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 passionateabout the trainingGod has givenus, and see ourmedical work as

both a means toshare Christ andas an adornmento his gospel


21/36


22/36

PEOPLE FOCUS:

THE MBORORO& THE ZANDE

November 16-22

A STEPPING STONE

The 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 fulfilling a biggervision 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 ourlast 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 notwant to become political

commentators on this

conflict, 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 theiropposition and effectively

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. Unsurprisinglyperhaps, 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 fighters are not in fact

WHO ARE THE

ZANDE?

Over 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 ofthinking and doing, there is

great need for efforts that will

help them develop a biblical

worldview. The difficulties

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


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24/36

COUNTRY FOCUS:TANZANIA

November 23-29

WEEKLYFOCUS

This 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 fortheir 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 Meyerworks withSAFINA Street Network inDar es Salaam, Tanzania.Their main aim is to see

young lives redeemed,restored and transformedthrough the love of Christ.Sandra writes

A CHANCE TO TALK

While 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 havefinished 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 find 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


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26/36

MINISTRY FOCUS:WOMENS MINISTRY

30NOVEMBERSUNDAY

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 knowJesus freeing their lives

through their learning.

1NOVEMBER

MONDAY

Praise the Lord for

the volunteer literacy

teachers. May they be

faithful and regular inteaching 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

TUESDAYA 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 Sudanwe would like to focus

on wherever the Lord is

leading us next.

3NOVEMBER

WEDNESDAY

People are still affected

by war trauma from

the last civil war and

now the recent politicalstruggles and tribal

fighting. Clan fighting

around one church

literacy centre has left

many dead. Pray as

Christians seek to bring

peace and reconciliation

to their own people.

4NOVEMBER

THURSDAY

Pray for the AICchurch leadership in

Eastern Equatoria led

by Assistant Bishop

Sarafino Oseyek. Many

things inhibit the

ministry of the church.

However, they continue

to meet each Sunday as

Russ & Lyn Nobleare 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

confidence.

LEARNING TO READ

Torit 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 suffering 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 malechurch 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 nowthrilled to beable to readthe Bible


27/36

Her 30-year oldson, a soldier in the

army, was killed inthe fighting againstrebels in February

Women in South Sudan are

marginalised. This has led to many

women lacking confidence 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 suffered

a lot recently. Her 30-year old son,

a soldier in the army, was killed

in the fighting against rebels inFebruary. 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 inthe 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 thegood news at the many

funerals the leaders are

called to minister at.

5NOVEMBER

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

first aid is needed. Pray

Christians will reach

out to their people with

this freeing knowledge

along with Jesus love.

6NOVEMBERSATURDAY

Solomon and Kamilo,church leaders andliteracy teachers, taught

Rose to read. Rose isnow thrilled to be ableto read the Bible and lastyear her longing to readthe story of Jesus birth

in church on ChristmasDay came true! Pray formore to learn to read.

LEFT:

Davitika has

suffered 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

In July 2011, South

Sudan gainedindependence, 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.

WEEKLYFOCUS

Women make upapproximately60% of the

population of South

Sudan, a direct result

of years of civil war

and tribal violence.

Please pray that thiscountry would be

able to find lasting

peace and that

women would have

new opportunities to

access education and

literacy programmes.

See People & Places p15For more info on missionpartners working amongstwomen.


27


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29/36

Many o the

evangelistsworking amongthe Datooga arerom other peoplegroups.

already have a flock to

look after their animals for

them. This practice happenswidely in Tanzania but it is

dependent on the honesty

and diligence of the host

family. Early on the project

suffered 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

finding good herders can be

hard.

7DECEMBER | SUNDAY

Available grazing land isbecoming increasingly scarce insome areas of Tanzania, in partas a result of the desire for landto be set aside for agriculture,conservation and game hunting.Please pray that the voice of the

Datooga is heard along withother pastoralists when landissues are decided.

8DECEMBER | MONDAY

Recent increasededucation opportunities havelead to a number of Datoogasecondary school childrenreturning to their communities

with qualifications but fewopportunities for employment.Pray for opportunities to openfor them that will allow themto make use of what they havelearnt.

9DECEMBER | TUESDAY

Many Datooga Christiansface the daily temptation toreturn to cultural habits which

are not compatible with theirnew faith. Pray that they willbe able discern and keep thoseaspects of their culture which arecompatible with Gods word andbe strong enough to reject thosethat are not.

10DECEMBER

WEDNESDAY

Many of the Tanzanian pastorsand evangelists working amongthe Datooga are from otherpeople groups. Give thanks thatthey feel called to this work andplease pray that more Datoogawill feel called by God to reachtheir own people.

11DECEMBER | THURSDAY

Please pray for the Eyasilivestock project as it seeksto help evangelists reachingthe Datooga. Pray for projectmembers who are not able tolook after their goats themselvesand have to rely on others todo so. Pray that they will findfaithful partners to share in thiswork.

12DECEMBER | FRIDAY

Please pray for Simon

& Sue French as they seek tobalance their role of witnessingto the Datooga and other peoplegroups in the Eyasi area withtheir role as AIM Unit Leadersfor their area of Tanzania.

13DECEMBER | SATURDAY

Please pray for Hannahand Jasmine as they continuetheir studies at Rift ValleyAcademy. Hannah starts her finalyear at the school this autumn -pray for wisdom as she considerscolleges and further educationoptions. Pray too for Jasmineas she enters the high schoolsection of the school at the startof 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

Simon & Sue French areinvolved in disciplingDatooga 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 thatwe 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 Eyasiarea. We trust that God

will continue to use this

project to help a number of

evangelists profit from the

opportunity to rear livestock

as they seek to raise their

families in what at times can

be difficult situations.29


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MINISTRY FOCUS:CHILDREN & YOUTH

14DECEMBER

SUNDAY

Being an accountantand seeing firsthandthe financial need inthe organisation, I

cannot help but make aprayer request for Godsresources for the work.It is not just money thatis needed but ongoing,meaningful partnershipsso that more childrencan be reached with thelove of Jesus.

15DECEMBER

MONDAY

At Dwelling Places, westart every day withstaff devotions. Theseare blessed times but

often very sobering.Life is not easy for a lotof our workers as theyface common humanproblems like sicknessand death, as wellas joyful events, butwith limited financialresources.

16DECEMBER

TUESDAY

Give thanks for ourbeautiful children.Remember themas we seek their

rehabilitation; comingfrom a chaotic lifestyleon the streets with allthe behaviours thatcome with that, tobecoming ready to goto a mainstream schooland hopefully to returnto a loving family set-up.

17DECEMBER

WEDNESDAY

In some cases ourchildren are goingback to a non-Christianenvironment. Pray

for them to come to apersonal knowledgeof Jesus while they arewith us, to stay closeto him when they areresettled and to be saltand light in their homecommunities.

Its December and DonnaMorrisonfrom MartinsMemorial Church, Stornowayhas already been in Ugandaa year. Here she fills us in onwhat she has been doing to helpreach young people

AMAZED AND THANKFUL

Iam serving in a Ugandan

Christian NGO called DwellingPlaces (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 madegreat 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 seeingthem 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


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main person I was training to one

day succeed me as an accountant,

got a job offer 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 inefficient at times, but

I hope and pray it will be worth it.

That is after all what discipleship is

all about people. Sharing Jesus andhopefully demonstrating in every

area of life what it looks like to be his

follower.

18DECEMBER

THURSDAY

Maybe on a Friday night4-6:30pm UK time, youcould remember ournewly formed youth

fellowship group? Weare currently goingthrough Youth Alphaand it is exciting to seegrowth already takingplace. Please pray forrelationships with Jesusto deepen and lastingfruit as a result.

19DECEMBER

FRIDAY

One of the group, MJ,asked me to pray forhim. He needs muchencouragement. He has

poor eyesight and hetold me that the clotheshe was wearing were allthat he owned and thathe is separated from hisfamily.

20DECEMBER

SATURDAY

On a personal note, Ineed to abide in Jesus.Everything flows fromthe place of intimacy

with him and I can onlydo what I have beencalled to do if I remainin Him. Pray that I dontrely on human wisdombut that I focus on him.

ABOVE:Donna Morrison

from Scotland,

with two of her

colleagues from

Dwelling Places.

REACHING THE

KARAMOJONGS

Karamoja 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 filled with insecurity caused by rampant

cattle raids, during which many people, especiallywomen and

children, are killed.

This, alongside the

poverty, has forced

many Karamojong

families to flee.

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 afford

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 oundduring a streetoutreach byDwelling Places

WEEKLYFOCUS

Dwelling Placesis dedicatedto 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 staff. See People & Places p22 - For more info on missionpartners working amongst children & youth.

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AIMs vision is to seeChrist-centred churchesamong all African people,with a priority for the

unreached. So how doshort term mission trips fitwith this vision? We askedPJ Holmertz, the currentEastern Region Short TermCoordinator and soon to beInternational Short TermProgramme Director for hisviews.

ITS BEING THE SAME

THAT MEANS WERE

DIFFERENT

The 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 field arent involved in

something that finishes 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 buildingChrist-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 termerson the field

arent involvedin somethingthat finisheswhen they leave,instead they arepart o a chain o

mission.AIMs Short Term programmeoffers anyone over the age

of 18 the opportunity to get

involved with cross-cultural

mission in Africa. Find out more

about opportunities online:

www.synergyarica.com

MEET

PJ HOLMERTZ

For 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 notsurprising 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 offers individuals

a strong introduction to

mission as well as being a real

benefit to the field.

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The only limit we have on

our short term programme

is our imagination. Thereare 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 benefit from

having short termers

working with them. Part ofmy 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

staff in our office and we

were struggling. Thankfully

a short term mission worker

got involved and was a

tremendous help.

21DECEMBER | SUNDAY

Paul & Di Allcock begantheir second year of assignmentwith us in Mbarara, Uganda, inOctober. Give thanks that theyfelt called to return for a secondyear and pray for them as theysupport the team there.

22DECEMBER

MONDAY

Emma Foxall began a six monthassignment in Madagascarin August. She is helpingwith administration in ouroffice there whilst the LongTerm Administrator takeshome assignment. Pray for

good relationships with hercolleagues in the office andfor opportunities for her to beinvolved in outreach to localpeople.

23DECEMBER

TUESDAY

Gnter Springer, SarahMcArthur and Bethany Sinclairall began an assignment

teaching English in Bunia, DRCongo in October. Please prayfor them as they continue toshare their knowledge but alsotheir faith with their students.

24DECEMBER

WEDNESDAY

Celebrating Christmas offers agreat opportunity for our Short

Termers to share about thereasons for Jesus birth withthose that dont know him,through special events andparties. Pray for all such eventsthat will likely take place todayand that our Short Termerswould be bold in proclaimingtheir faith.

25DECEMBER

THURSDAYBeing away from family andfriends in the UK at Christmascan be hard. Please pray thatour Short Termers currentlyon assignment will not feelhomesick but that they wouldenjoy celebrating with newfriends in Africa.

Korr, Kenya is a perfect settingfor a game of football. There are so

many places and ways in which short

termers can serve.


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Maybe they didnt have

the most exciting mission

experience, but they played a

big part in making sure others

got to the mission field, 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 field 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 field 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 thingof 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 field.

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 somany new andexciting ways orshort termers toget involved inmission

A BETTERSYNERGY

You may have noticed

that we are no longer

using the name

Synergy to refer to our

Short Term Programme. This

is part of an effort to make

the programme feel moreconnected 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 andthere are still more to come so

please continue to pray that we

would continue to glorify God

in all we do!

PEOPLE &

PLACES

If youd like more

information about the

current short termers

serving in Africa with AIM,

view and download the ShortTerm People & Placesfrom our

website:

Short term People & Places can

be found online at:

aimint.org/eu/shortterm

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MAGAZINE &PRAYER DIARY

Africa Inland Missions OCTDEC 2014

Christ-centred churches among all African peoples

CONNECTis AIM EuropesMagazine & Prayer Diary.

European headquartersA International

Halifax PlaceNottingham NG1 1QN

United Kingdom0115 9838 [email protected]

@aimeuropef.com/aimeurope

Scotland

[email protected]

South England/[email protected]

[email protected]

North England/[email protected]

French [email protected]

[email protected]

Africa Inland Mission

is an evangelical,

interdenominational

organisation with the goal o

seeing Christ-centred churches

among all Arican 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 Office: Halifax Place Nottingham

NG1 1QN

Friday 7 Sunday 9 November 2014

AUTUMNCONFERENCE

SHARING IN GODSUNFINISHED MISSION

connect oct-dec 2014

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