As an IM international associate missionary, and together with leadership of local Baptist Regional Moderators and Pastors, I led a7D Evangelism Outreach Mission this past August.

The “7D” means Seven Days or one week, and the program is divided into two activities. Pastors gathered in the morning to pray together, then went out in two person teams to go to the villages and households proclaiming the gospel of God’s Kingdom to every person in their home. The objective of this activity was to proclaim the good news of Jesus Christ to every person living in rural areas. The event commenced early in the morning and ended at the noon hour, which is when the gospel messengers returned and gather together to share the results of their outreach. At the end of the week, 151 persons experienced Jesus Christ and believed Him as their Savior. There were also prayers for the sick, and healing was experienced. There was also some resistance to the message, as some people heard the gospel but did not receive it.  The team summarized that their task was to take the gospel to them and the rest of the work should be left to the Holy Spirit.

Open air crusades are public gatherings where preachers proclaim the gospel to the general public and invite people to make a decision on how the gospel has spoken to them. In these gatherings, praise and worship songs with prayers play a vital role in mobilizing people to understand their need for the gospel and make a decision to follow Jesus. In these recent trips, about 1,300 persons decided to become believers and followers of Jesus Christ. Geographical areas covered were Amakuriet, Kaptugen, Odong, Sasaak, Nauyapong, Loya, Lorengipi, Lokiriama, Lochorlwolim, Luksee, Kalomwai, Morita, Kowur, Takaywa, Turkwel, Sisit Sigor, and Kipsaina.

The pastors on the team also visited churches. This was done to encourage them as some of the rural churches are going through many challenges, e.g., many congregations have no building and are still gathering under trees, so their fellowship sometimes is distracted by rain or intense sun. Other churches don’t have a public address system. Still other churches don’t even have land to construct a building; instead they operate by renting land and buildings. There are communities with no school buildings, so children are learning under trees. They also have no health centers or medicine. In some area churches, there is a lack of water and people are experiencing hunger caused by drought due to climate change. There is plenty of work to do; the need for more laborers is great.

Thank you for your prayers and support! It is my humble request that you join me and pray for God to send more laborers to serve in His Kingdom, with a great faith that God’s Kingdom will reign in this area. God has transformed the past to its present, and God is not yet done!  He is still transforming the past and present to His future! The question is who are we in this journey of the past, present and future? God saved, redeemed and blessed you and me to participate in, and build His Kingdom “on earth, as it is in heaven”.

Boaz