Posts in Africa
Home of Hope - January 2018 Update
Home of Hope - January 2018 Update

Dear friends in Christ, 

At the beginning of another year, we are trusting God for what 2018 will bring in the U.S., worldwide, and our little Zimbabwe. We are filled with so much HOPE in our God who is our Hope of Glory! We see and hear of his mighty hand at work in so many instances. How blessed and privileged we are to be called his children, heirs to his Kingdom and co-heirs with Christ his Son – no longer called servants but friends who walk and talk with him each day along the way and come boldly before his throne of grace. Praise and bless his mighty and holy Name!

Zimbabwe has a newly appointed president promising to eliminate corruption, force the return of vast sums of stolen money, and restore the country to its potential. Though the mostly peaceful military intervention was mainly to secure the ruling party’s position, the population was grateful for the change of president. The country may benefit from Mnungagwa, who is said to be a born-again Christian. He will have to produce results if he is to be elected fairly later this year. There have been too many broken promises in the past. We are optimistic.

Read More
Africa, ProjectsThe Outreach FoundationHome of Hope, Zimbabwe
Bob and Kristi Rice - January 2018 Update
Bob and Kristi Rice - January 2018 Update

Abiding in Christ, Resting in the Lord

While living in Rwanda several years back, Antoine RUTAYISIRE, then team leader of African Evangelistic Enterprise (AEE) Rwanda, and I would spend a week in prayer and fasting as we began the New Year. We enjoyed being refreshed together by God’s presence, earnestly crying out to the Lord about life and ministry issues which lay deep in our hearts. While in seminary at Fuller, each year I would take a few days of retreat at St. Andrew’s Abbey up in the High Desert of Southern California where I would reflect over the past year while seeking God’s presence and will for the year to come. Those were incredibly meaningful times of prayer and silence and enjoying the beauty of God’s creation. 

The day after Christmas, Kristi and I spent several days doing a prayer retreat on the shores of the Nile River here in Juba, South Sudan. It was an enjoyable, restful, and relaxing time of reflection, enjoying nature, and praying over 2018. 

Read More
Africa, MissionariesThe Outreach FoundationBob and Kristi Rice, South Sudan
Developing South-South Mission Partnerships - January 2018 Update
Developing South-South Mission Partnerships - January 2018 Update

One of the frequent features of Christianity in Africa, Asia and Latin America is enthusiasm for mission and evangelism. Through our “Developing South-South Mission Partnerships” project, The Outreach Foundation seeks to come alongside efforts that our partners are undertaking to bridge cultural differences with the purpose of sharing the Gospel in areas where there is less access to it.

Last July I visited with a Brazilian family dedicated to demonstrating the love of Christ in word and deed in a North African country. Having arrived in the country 16 years ago after 13 years of fruitful ministry in Jordan and Morocco, their mastery of the language and culture is exceptional. They are currently working in coordination with the small Christian community there to follow up with the growing number of people that have expressed an interest in learning more about the Christian message. They are also mentoring other missionaries arriving from Brazil, Guatemala and other countries.

Read More
International, Projects, South America, Asia, AfricaThe Outreach FoundationDeveloping South-South Mission Partnerships
Tumaini Children's Ministry - January 2018 Update
Tumaini Children's Ministry - January 2018 Update

Tumaini-Huruma Homes Recent Success Stories

The Outreach Foundation would like to thank each and everyone who made a difference in the lives of children in Nyeri-Kenya. As most of you know, this children’s ministry started by The Very Rev. Bernard Muindi went through difficult and trying times after the passing of Rev. Muindi. We also learned recently about another death at Tumaini – a child named Saitoti who was ill and died after being hospitalized at Tumutumu Hospital. We continue to pray for the young and vulnerable 150+ children who are residents at both the Tumaini and Huruma homes. At the same time, we celebrate the success of those whose lives have been impacted by the Tumaini ministry through your generosity.

It's a bold thing to ask people to give financially to help children in Kenya, but it is also gratifying to know that your gifts have changed the lives of orphans and vulnerable children. It is such an honor to watch the transformation that happens when we listen and obey the voice that whispers in us the message to share resources.

Knowing that our Lord commends us to care for the least of these and to love them as our own children, we would like to share that at the conclusion of 2017 we had nine Tumaini/Huruma students who graduated from various universities in Kenya and entered the job market. They hold degrees in Computer Science, Social Work, Cooperative Management, Education, Wildlife Enterprise Management, Information Technology and more. All these youg people are shining examples of God’s servant leaders who ha

Read More
Africa, Projects, Vulnerable ChildrenThe Outreach FoundationTumaini Children's Ministries, Kenya
Bob and Kristi Rice - December 2017 Update
Bob and Kristi Rice - December 2017 Update

Equipping and Preparing Leaders for the
Church in South Sudan
“College Day” at Nile Theological College

A festive quality filled the air. The large tents were erected by students and faculty for this special, annual occasion. We were gathering to celebrate the 26th anniversary of the founding of Nile Theological College (NTC). Our small contingent of mission co-workers showed up close to eleven in the morning amidst a flurry of activity. In attendance were alumni, faculty, former faculty, esteemed guests and the student body. A local choir led us in song, filling the tent with vibrant sounds and distinctive Arabic praises. The theme verse for the day, emblazoned on the banner up front, was from Paul’s letter to the Philippians. Amidst all the adversity the apostle Paul faced, he boldly proclaims, “I can do all things through him who strengthens me.”   Philippians 4: 13

Perhaps this theme reflects well the journey of Nile Theological College, particularly over the last six years. From their origin in Khartoum, a second campus was planted and developed in Malakal in the Upper Nile State in 2011. 

Read More
Africa, Missionaries, ProjectsThe Outreach FoundationBob and Kristi Rice, Nile Theological College, South Sudan
PCEA Mabati Church Construction - December 2017 Update
PCEA Mabati Church Construction - December 2017 Update

Dear friends and partners,

Gandini Church was dedicated on October 12. This church is unique in many ways. Located about 90 minutes north of Mombasa one hour off the Mombasa highway in the bush, it is in a heavily Muslim area. Quite remote! So far not too unusual but here comes the uniqueness. The four-acre plot that the new church sits on was donated by a Muslim, Mzee Piro, and his wife who are now church members. Piro said he wanted to have an altar that his people could go to. Also unique about Gandini Church is that half of the members came from the Islam faith and 97 percent are from the Duruma tribe. This is the first Duruma church with PCEA.

This church started in 2004 under a tree until a mabati structure was built. The original structure blew over once before their new church was built. In 2012, they began building their new church. I received a call from the Moderator of the General Assembly last June asking if we could help with the cement floor. We agreed to help, and when I visited and learned the story about Muslims being converted, we decided to find funds to help complete the church with the assistance of the Pwani Presbytery.

Read More
Africa, ProjectsThe Outreach FoundationPCEA Mabati Church Construction, Kenya, Stu Ross
Women's Ministries in Africa - December 2017 Update
Women's Ministries in Africa - December 2017 Update

Dear friends,

In 2016, The Outreach Foundation included “Goats for Rwanda” as an alternative Christmas gift to honor a loved one. The gift of a goat is very beneficial financially to a Rwandan household. Goats produce milk which is sold for drinking or making cheese and yogurt. As “payment,” the families team up with others from their church to breed the goats. The resulting kids are then given to other church families.

A gift of 34 goats from The Outreach Foundation was given to 34 households from the Matyazo Sub Parish of the Presbyterian Church in Rwanda (EPR), Gitarama Presbytery. The General Assembly of the Sub-Parish selected the deserving households on November 5. A committee of three people appointed by the Sub-Parish Council met with the representatives of the beneficiaries at the area market place on November 9. Each family representative was given the chance to select a goat of his/her choice. 

Read More
Africa, ProjectsThe Outreach FoundationWomen's Ministries in Africa
Home of Hope - December 2017 Update
Home of Hope - December 2017 Update

Dear friends and ministry partners,

At this very special time of the year, we once again greet you in the Name of our Lord Jesus Christ as we reflect on our awesome God and Father’s goodness and the powerful work of the Holy Spirit we have witnessed here in Zimbabwe. As Mary did, we rejoice in our Lord God and Savior for the amazing works we have seen him perform during this past year and which we know we will continue to see. His mercies are new every morning and he is doing a new thing in our country.

Praise God that the swelling in Joan’s foot has gone down and she has been more comfortable with it. Dave is also doing better with the back issues he was experiencing. The problem remains but by monitoring his actions/movements (e.g. not working on the vehicles any longer in awkward positions) he is much like he was previously. He just cannot stand for very long anymore. Praise God for both of them and that we can see his hand of protection and healing on them. In the same way, we are confident that our Lord will heal the hearts of Joan and Craig and their family at the unexpected and sudden loss of Joan’s son (and Craig’s brother), Gary. The void such a loss may leave in our lives can only be filled with the knowledge that our heavenly Father can fill such a void with his compassion and love.

Read More
Africa, Projects, Vulnerable ChildrenThe Outreach FoundationHome of Hope, Zimbabwe
Frank Dimmock - December 2017
Frank Dimmock - December 2017

Dear friends,

2017 has been a year full of new experiences, blessings and lessons learned. I am thankful that during the challenging times, both personally and for those around me, God has been calling us to trust in him. I am reminded by Isaiah 58:11: “The Lord will guide you always; he will satisfy your needs in a sun-scorched land and will strengthen your frame. You will be like a well-watered garden, like a spring whose waters never fail.”

The newest country in the world, South Sudan, is at the top of the Most Fragile States list. More than two million South Sudanese are living as refugees. They are part of my concern and my ministry as Africa Mission Specialist with The Outreach Foundation.

During my visit with South Sudanese refugees in June, church leaders stated that healing trauma wounds and memories was a priority for all refugees, adults and children. We then began planning to conduct a training of local facilitators to work with children from each of the six camps for South Sudanese refugees in the Gambella region of Ethiopia.

Read More
Africa, Missionaries, Vulnerable ChildrenThe Outreach FoundationFrank Dimmock, Mission Staff
Nile Theological College - December 2017
Nile Theological College - December 2017

Dear friends,

Nile Theological College carries on its ministry in North-East Africa through its campuses in Juba (Republic of South Sudan) and Khartoum (The Republic of Sudan). Each location has its own unique character and lives out the calling to develop Christian leaders in very distinctive ways amid formidable ethnic and religious tensions. The Khartoum campus recently sent us a moving update worth celebrating.

Leading to a bachelor’s degree, Nile Theological College (NTC) in Khartoum offers the highest level theological training institution in the Republic of Sudan. Presbyterians, Episcopalians and members of other Protestant traditions attend school there. 

With ninety-eight percent of the population of the country being Muslims and seven percent of the population having access to college-level education, the school plays a crucial role in the current and future life and witness of the church. As only eight percent of those attending college in the country are women, The Outreach Foundation comes alongside the efforts of Nile Theological College in support to its female students.

Read More
Africa, ProjectsThe Outreach FoundationNile Theological College, Africa, Sudan, South Sudan
Dustin and Sherri Ellington - November 2017 Update
Dustin and Sherri Ellington - November 2017 Update

Dear friends,

Greetings from Zambia. Being on a Southern Hemisphere schedule, we at Justo Mwale University are rapidly approaching the end of the school year. Eighteen of our students are finishing the main program, the Bachelor of Theology. At least fifteen have congregations awaiting their arrival as pastors. I’ve had the chance to talk with four outstanding students about their hopes and fears as they move on, and I’d like to share their words with you.  

Two of the four students I talked with have not previously pastored a congregation and are eager to start. Watanga Ngoma is the youngest graduate in his class. He says, “I am excited that I will be serving as an ordained minister at a congregation... I am happy that I will be in full-time service to the Lord, a thing which is upon my heart and which has been my desire. This brings joy to me that I will be able to contribute more to the church and body of Christ.” 

Read More
Africa, Missionaries, ProjectsThe Outreach FoundationDustin and Sherri Ellington, Justo Mwale University, Zambia
Women's Ministries in Africa - November 2017 Update
Women's Ministries in Africa - November 2017 Update

Dear friends of women’s ministries in Rwanda,

Greetings in the name of Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior. I hope this note finds you well. 

Bibles
We are grateful to you and to The Outreach Foundation for the support we received for Bibles for both women and children. It is a great gift to receive a Bible especially for people newly evangelized who cannot afford to buy one for themselves. It may be hard to comprehend how much it means and the happiness your gift brought to these believers. I cannot put a value on the joy I see on the faces of the children and mothers as they return home with a Bible in their hands, holding it tightly to their chests like a highly valued treasure. 

Dear Outreach friends, with part of the gift you sent we were able to procure 300 Bibles for women in Gitarama Presbytery, as well as children’s Bibles and hymnals. We gave Bibles to those who did not have one and who could not afford one themselves, most of whom are women and children. We purchased “Bibiliya Yera” Bibles with large print which is easier for everyone to read, especially older people. We also distributed 300 Bibles to children in other communities. Each of these recipients appreciates this life-giving gift which strengths their spiritual life and knowledge of the word. Having a Bible in their own language is a great gift. The presence of the word of God in their homes brings hope to families.

Read More
Africa, ProjectsThe Outreach FoundationWomen's Ministries in Africa, Rwanda
Namumu Orphanage Center - October 2017 Update
Namumu Orphanage Center - October 2017 Update

Dear friends,

Some of you have traveled to Namumu in Siavonga, on the edge of Lake Kariba, and fallen in love with that place and even more so with the children being cared for in that place. God has changed so many lives since Namumu’s inception. Frank Dimmock and I visited Namumu Orphanage Center in August and would like to update you on the situation there.

The vulnerability of children and families in the Siavonga district of southern Zambia is obvious and has been affirmed during our visits and by others we met there. During the three days we spent at Namumu this summer, we met with the children; Mr. Simamba, the director; Ms. Rudia Mwela, the nurse; the Namumu Board; and the government District Commissioner. They expressed appreciation for the support given to the Namumu children and addressed some of the concerns for the children’s well-being. 

We also met with the board of management and went to see the fishing boats on the lakeshore. Several years ago, The Outreach Foundation and other supporters assisted in the purchase of four fishing boats for Namumu to generate income with the goal of creating financial sustainability for the orphanage.

Read More
Africa, Projects, Vulnerable ChildrenThe Outreach FoundationNamumu Orphanage Center, Zambia
PCEA Mabati Church Construction - October 2017 Update
PCEA Mabati Church Construction - October 2017 Update

Dear friends,

East Africa Mission Catalyst Stu Ross writes this summer from Kenya:

Building Churches in Distant Places    
Mission work is not easy…that's what Daniel and I always relay to each other when we send men off to distant places to do difficult tasks in the mission field.

We had such a challenging task. We loaded materials to build two churches in Boruhalo and Karare way up in northern Kenya not far from Ethiopia. The area also borders on the dangerous northeast province of Kenya where Somali bandits roam. The two churches are close to a town called Marsabit, a ten-hour drive from our base in Kikuyu.

We worked all day loading the twenty-foot truck. First, we loaded all the mabati for the two churches in the middle of the truck, then the steel for each church, one on the left and one on the right. Then we added the cement and all the doors and windows which were already fabricated in our shop. 

Read More
Africa, Projects, MissionariesThe Outreach FoundationPCEA Mabati Church Construction, Stu Ross, Kenya
Doug Tilton - October 2017 Update
Doug Tilton - October 2017 Update

Dear friends,

It is 6:30 a.m. in the remote village of Andolofotsy, a six-hour drive from Madagascar’s capital, Antananarivo. Léa Harilalao opens the door and looks across the road to the thatched shelter where a dozen or so people have already begun to congregate. “The dispensary is only meant to open at seven,” she laughs softly, “but, as you can see, people come early.” So, often – when she does not have visitors to look after – Harilalao, a midwife, begins to examine patients well before 7 a.m.

Today, though, she graciously makes time to introduce us to her work and to the community she tirelessly serves. Harilalao runs the dispensary at Andolofotsy, one of 36 largely rural dispensaries established around the country by the Development Department (SAF) of the Church of Jesus Christ in Madagascar (known by its Malagasy acronym, FJKM). This is also one of seven facilities that SAF has opened with assistance from Presbyterian World Mission – which is why I have joined Dr. Josoa Randrianonivelo, the head of SAF’s Health Program, and Pastor Paul Razafintsalama, the president of the local FJKM regional synod, to visit the area. 

Read More
Africa, MissionariesThe Outreach FoundationDoug Tilton, South Africa
Nancy Collins - October 2017 Update
Nancy Collins - October 2017 Update

Dear family and friends,

Greetings to everyone from Tulsa, Oklahoma. I have been spending time with my 24-year-old son Charles, who finished his nursing program on September 21. I managed my schedule so that I was able to be there with him. YAY!!

It is also interpretation assignment time again – I have the opportunity to spend time with many of you who support my ministry as regional liaison in East Central Africa. It is wonderful to see folks face to face and hear in more detail about the important ministries of your congregations. Partnership has been a theme sounded in the visits I have made to date.
 
July 29 was the 20th anniversary celebration of the partnership between Eastern Oklahoma Presbytery (EOP) and the Church of Central Africa Presbyterian Synod of Livingstonia (CCAP Livingstonia). CCAP Livingstonia General Secretary Rev. Dr. Levi Nyondo and Mrs. Ruth Nyondo were present at a special worship service with some of the key leaders in the EOP partner team. They shared the ways the partnership transformed their lives. 

Read More
Africa, MissionariesThe Outreach FoundationNancy Collins, Zambia
Rwanda Church Construction - October 2017 Update
Rwanda Church Construction - October 2017 Update

Dear friends,

We would like to share a joyful update sent to us by Outreach Mission Staff Stu Ross on the dedication of two churches in Rwanda. Stu traveled to Rwanda during World Communion Sunday weekend to dedicate Nyabubare Church on Saturday and Karambi Church on Sunday. Both churches are part of the Presbyterian Church of Rwanda (EPR) with whom The Outreach Foundation has a strong relationship.

Stu writes: The dedications were well-attended by the congregations and leaders of the churches including the new President of the Zinga Presbytery, Rev. Daniel Dushimimana. Rev. Daniel told the congregations to remember where they came from. 

The bulk of the work building these churches was done by the congregations. They made bricks, collected sand, brought water, collected stones, and did other manual labor. 

Read More
Africa, Missionaries, ProjectsThe Outreach FoundationRwanda Church Construction, Rwanda, Stu Ross
Scholarships for Presbyterian Students at Protestant University (PUR-formerly PIASS) - October 2017 Update
Scholarships for Presbyterian Students at Protestant University (PUR-formerly PIASS) - October 2017 Update

Dear friends and partners,

We are happy to share the following exciting news from Professor Elisee Musemakweli, Vice Chancellor, PUR: Complying with the PIASS Strategic Plan (2013-2017), the Protestant Institute of Arts and Social Sciences (PIASS) General Assembly voted in August 2016 to transform the institution into a university. The Rwanda Governance Board responded favorably to the request, and PIASS changed its name to the Protestant University of Rwanda (PUR) therefore increasing the scope of its operations. This decision was based on achievement in terms of academic activities, research, community service, and partnerships with other local and international universities. 

Read More
Africa, ProjectsThe Outreach FoundationScholarships for Presbyterian Students at PUR, Rwanda