CCAP Community Schools in Zambia - March 2021 Update

The CCAP Community Schools Program in Zambia exists to help vulnerable and orphaned children receive an education. The daycare and nutrition centers, which began in 2001, have evolved into early learning centers for thousands of children who would not be able to attend schools otherwise. Demand for education is high as 52% of Zambia’s population are under the age of 18.

Like so many programs, the Community Schools Program has suffered under the restrictions of the government’s efforts to control the spread of COVID-19. There are 30 still-functioning schools in three provinces (Lusaka, Copperbelt, and Eastern) that are operating on a reduced schedule. Some schools have temporarily closed as parents and guardians have withdrawn their children to work, and there are no funds to pay the teachers’ allowances. Teacher training workshops have been suspended, and home life has also been challenging.

Africa, Projects, PartnershipThe Outreach FoundationApril 1, 2021CCAP Community Schools in Zambia, Zambia

Daniel and Elizabeth Turk - March 2021 Update

The FJKM Church’s Response in a time of COVID: Urgent Appeal for Southern Madagascar

Dear friends,

It is hard to believe that we are in Lent and Easter is around the corner! As we head into the second year of uncertainty in this time of COVID-19, we remember God’s presence and our blessings which gives us hope. We have been blessed to be close to family as we wait for the time when we can return to Madagascar. Our daughter Frances graduated from college in December and has now started teaching first-grade in person in Orlando. Our son Robert is in his 2nd year in a master’s program in art therapy and counseling in Chicago. It is a blessing to work in partnership with the FJKM (Fianangonan’i Jesoa Kristy eto Madagasikara), The Outreach Foundation’s partner church in Madagascar. We give thanks for the technology that enables us to be in frequent contact with our FJKM colleagues.

The contracted economy and lack of tourist revenue because of the COVID-19 pandemic continue to bring daily hardships for the vast majority of Malagasy people. The cases of COVID are now increasing. In the midst of these struggles, there is some encouraging news coming from our Malagasy colleagues. Things to be thankful for in Madagascar include:

Dustin and Sherri Ellington - March 2021 Update

Dear friends,

We usually speak of Justo Mwale University as a place for preparing pastors. Indeed, JMU has trained many pastors for seven countries throughout Southern Africa. But additionally, JMU plays a key role in equipping scholars who themselves go on to train pastors in other African theological schools.

For instance, Rev. Bannet Muwowo, whom I (Dustin) advised during his master's program, now trains pastors himself as the principal at Chasefu Theological College in eastern Zambia. Rev. Agnes Nyirenda Nyondo, who graduated a few years ago, is a new lecturer at the University of Livingstonia’s School of Theology in Malawi. We also have former students teaching in seminaries in Zimbabwe and Mozambique.

Lauren Scharstein- March 2021 Update

The Rev. Lauren Scharstein is Deputy Director for Mission with the Presbyterian Church of East Africa (PCEA). Lauren began this call in Kenya in 2017 when the PCEA leadership invited her to serve as a lecturer in theology and biblical studies at the Presbyterian University of East Africa. During the same period, she was invited to come alongside the PCEA Mission Department in ministries of compassion, empowerment, and evangelism.

In early 2019, the PCEA leadership asked Lauren to accept a new position as the Deputy Director of Mission for the denomination, and she officially began this role in June 2019. The PCEA Mission Department has responsibility for PCEA mission schools and rescue centers, sustainable water projects, evangelism, church-planting, and global partnerships. Lauren has been particularly involved in ministry with vulnerable women and girls, providing training, administrative leadership, and program development for schools and rescue centers. She recently shared this update:

Naretoi Women’s Co-op Update
“Naretoi” means “a place of help” in the Maasai language, and the Naretoi Women’s Co-op is a group of Maasai women who came together to help and support one another. These women live in a semi-arid area of Kenya where the main economic activity is livestock herding.

Rebuilding Hope in South Sudan - February 2021 Update

Dear friends and supporters,

John Jock Gatwech is the coordinator for education in the South Sudanese refugee camps in western Ethiopia. Using public transport and the bicycle provided by Outreach, he supervises 20 preschools in the six camps in the Gambella region. Four of the camps are within about 30 miles of Gambella Town. The other two are about 70 miles in the opposite direction! During his monthly visits, he supervises teachers, encourages students, and assists the trauma healing groups (established and supported by The Outreach Foundation since 2017). John has also helped establish 43 centers for adult learning in the camps – teaching basic literacy and the Bible.

PCEA Church Construction in Kenya - February 2021 Update

Dedication of PCEA Kirathimo – Njoro Church, Njoro Presbytery

On February 21, we dedicated PCEA Kirathimo Church. Because of COVID, the congregation waited a year for us to complete the church. The foundation stone was laid in November 2019 in anticipation of a group coming in March 2020 but they were unable to travel, so The Outreach Foundation completed the work in January 2021. The project included the church and two classrooms.

We first dedicated the two classrooms for the 71 children that currently attend. They would like to continue building two classrooms a year until eight are completed, which is a complete primary school.

Africa, Partnership, ProjectsThe Outreach FoundationFebruary 24, 2021PCEA Church Construction in Kenya, Stu Ross, Kenya

The Presbyterian Church in Rwanda - February 2021 Update

The Presbyterian Church in Rwanda (EPR) has more than 300,000 members and is composed of seven autonomous presbyteries located all around the country. There is an office of the General Synod, which acts as the headquarters of the church, in Kigali. The Head Office oversees most of the administration and organization of the church. Like other institutions in Rwanda, the 1994 genocide affected the church which lost sixteen of its pastors and many members. Since the genocide, much emphasis has been placed on training the younger generation in peacebuilding and reconciliation, but the church also faces the challenge of caring for many orphans and widows, most of whom still suffer from trauma. We recently received this update on Outreach/EPR partnerships from EPR President Rev. Dr. Pascal Bataringaya:

I would like to take this opportunity to wish you all the best and blessings in this new year 2021. We are still facing the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic. It is a very complicated situation, but we keep our hope and our faith in God and we know that he is in control. We keep you in our prayers

COVID-19 Appeal - February 2021 Update

Your gifts to the COVID-19 Emergency Appeal are making a difference...all over the world

When we launched this Appeal almost a year ago, none of us could have grasped what the devasting effects upon the global community would be with almost two million dead and economies devastated. Vaccines provide a glimmer of hope, but we know it will be a long time before large parts of the world can access them.

The Outreach Foundation is grateful for your faithful generosity over these past months as your gifts of over $277,000 have allowed us to respond to urgent needs in 23 countries: Iraq, Syria, Ghana, Rwanda, China, Cuba, Venezuela and so many more. These gifts have provided food relief, tuition help for seminarians so that their studies could continue, salary support for pastors in impoverished villages, and refugee relief for those whose lives were already being lived on the edge of calamity. The Global Church has used these gifts to shine the Light of Christ upon those who might not yet know of him and to encourage the faithful to “hold on.”

Jeff and Christi Boyd - February 2021 Update

Dear siblings in Christ,

As the world went into a pandemic-induced hibernation earlier this year, one might assume that ministries, too, have slowed down or come to a halt. For the Presbyterian Ministry for Vulnerable Children in East Kasaï, Congo, nothing could be farther from the truth! Four years ago, I shared through the story of Serge, how in the current Congolese context losing a parent can put a child at risk of abandonment, and highlighted different models of ministry for vulnerable children applied in the Presbyterian Church in Congo (CPC).

At the time, the most prominent of these ministries retrieved unaccompanied minors from the markets and streets by taking care of them in halfway homes while tracing back their biological parents or extended families to mediate reunification. The transitional character of these ministries provided an appropriate alternative to the more permanent nature of traditional orphanages, but the center-based model still proved costly for an economically deprived context like Congo.

Bob and Kristi Rice - January 2021 Update

Dear friends,

Rev. Santino Odong, principal at Nile Theological College (NTC), is getting creative in finding ways for students to continue studying as they prepare for ministry in the church. Schools have been prohibited from meeting since March 23, 2020, in South Sudan, and they did not have the equipment or connectivity to switch to online classes. They were able to use some large church buildings to allow students to social distance while completing interrupted courses from last semester. Most of the students came to Juba from remote regions of South Sudan, leaving their families while they study at NTC in preparation for serving as pastors.

As everyone realized that COVID-19 will continue to hinder the normal way schools have functioned, Rev. Santino and the other faculty at NTC wrestled with how to start the new semester so that students could continue their studies. Now they are experimenting with teaching remotely over WhatsApp, a smartphone application for messaging and calling over the internet. They asked Bob to teach two classes remotely from the U.S. while we wait to be able to return to Juba. With only two weeks’ notice, Bob jumped into the research, planning, and preparation for teaching classes on the Exegesis of Acts and African Church History.

Home of Hope in Zimbabwe - January 2021 Update

Dear friends,

We thank God that despite the pandemic, we were still able to celebrate Christ’s birth by giving gifts to the destitute. We did not know how we would be able to get clothing to distribute, but our Heavenly Father provided. There is nothing that he can’t do even in a worldwide crisis. At the beginning of the lockdown, many felt abandoned when churches were forced to close and the people who usually helped them could not but we were able to give them help and a bit of a Christmas celebration which helped to show them that their Father still cares.

We usually serve food to about 100 people a day three times a week. We expected about 120 people to come for the Christmas parcels, but we prepared for 150 just in case.

Africa, Partnership, Projects, Vulnerable ChildrenThe Outreach FoundationJanuary 25, 2021Home of Hope, Zimbabwe

PCEA Church Construction in Kenya - January 2021 Update

Dedication of PCEA Kiburuti Church in honor of Rev. Dr. Rob Weingartner

Dear friends,

Today, January 10th, we dedicated PCEA Kiburuti Church. The first picture shows the former church building and the second picture is their new church. EVERYONE was very excited about “their new modern church.” It was completed in about three months with the congregation doing all the masonry work and then donors through The Outreach Foundation finishing the upper part of the church.

When the construction started at the end of October, the church had 40 members. By the time the church was completed the congregation had increased their numbers to 60. I predict the church will grow to 100 by year’s end.

The church is located in Central Province about a five-hour drive from our home base. It is at the foothills of the Aberdare Mountains, beautiful countryside. Despite the beauty, the people living here are subsistence farmers and have very little.

This is a very special church for all of us in Kenya and our Outreach colleagues in the U.S. since it honors The Outreach Foundation’s recently retired Executive Director Rob Weingartner

Stu Ross - December 2020 Update

Stu Ross links U.S. congregations with East African partners to strengthen the church for God’s mission. Through these efforts, over 300 churches and over 150 schools have been built, hundreds of girls have been cared for and over 500 evangelists have been trained. The following report from Stu includes information about partnerships between the Presbyterian Church of East Africa (PCEA) and The Outreach Foundation:

PCEA Church Construction
PCEA Mabati School Construction
Girls’ Education and Rescue Centers
Clean Drinking Water in Kenya

Despite COVID and curfews and masks, the work of The Outreach Foundation continues – cautiously – here in East Africa. Travel and work during this time have been difficult. We currently have about 125 workers and no positive COVID tests.

This year we will complete twenty churches and three schools. Many of the churches were great distances from our home in Kikuyu. Many were in very isolated areas.

Holistic Evangelism in Tete Province - December 2020 Update

Dear friends of Tete Province,

Our Holistic Evangelism Project in Tete Province, Mozambique was challenged and stretched in 2020 by the COVID-19 pandemic. We completed about one-third of our lay leadership training and dug 5 new wells before the border was closed in late March and activities in Tete Province were strictly limited. As the coronavirus started to spread in Africa, our project director Sebber Banda and project assistant Carlos Faquione turned their focus to educating the church congregations on mitigation practices like social distancing, hand washing, masks, and limited-size gatherings. Carlos, who is a pastor and lives in Tete Province, was able to work with our Mozambican Presbyterian church pastors to reinforce these safe practices from March through October when the borders were reopened.

Tumaini Children's Ministry - November 2020 Update

Christian greetings from Tumaini/Huruma Children’s Ministry.

We pray and trust that you are staying safe and healthy during this unprecedented pandemic. Nyeri county, home of the Tumaini Children’s Ministry, has been affected by the pandemic with 704 confirmed cases to date. Unfortunately, infections have been on the rise, affecting the marginalized at a disproportionate rate.

In March of this year, the government directed all schools and children’s homes to close down to control the spread of COVID-19. To remain compliant, we repatriated all of the children except four to guardians.

Africa, Partnership, Projects, Vulnerable ChildrenThe Outreach FoundationDecember 1, 2020Tumaini Children's Ministries, Kenya

Dan and Elizabeth Turk - November 2020 Update

Dear friends,

As with all of us this year, COVID-19 has brought unexpected changes. In August, PC(USA) extended the travel ban for all staff through June 2021, so we will be in the U.S. until then. As Thanksgiving approaches, we give thanks for being close to family and having good health. We are thankful for productive and resourceful colleagues who have continued the work in Madagascar and for technology that allows us to communicate regularly with them. We are also thankful for a wonderful Madagascar Mission Network (MMN) conference this past November 12th-14th. It has brought new opportunities and avenues for mission in Madagascar.

Brief Update from the Field
After the travel ban was lifted, the FJKM AIDS committee was able to complete its AIDS training at FJKM’s five seminaries – of course with masks and social distancing! They distributed masks and food items to all seminaries as well. Colleagues with the Fruits, Vegetables, and Environmental Education Program have recently taken steps to start new fruit nurseries at the FJKM seminary at Mandritsara and the FJKM church at Ankaramena. A nursery and orchard at the FJKM's new agricultural high school at Fihaonana were inaugurated.

First Virtual Madagascar Mission Network Conference
The MMN paved a new path with its first virtual conference! The virtual format, while challenging, brought together a diverse group of people from 8 countries and at least 12 states.

Africa, Missionaries, Global Workers, PartnershipThe Outreach FoundationNovember 25, 2020Dan and Elizabeth Turk, Madagascar

Scholarships for Presbyterian Students at PIASS - November 2020 Update

Dear friends,

We greet you in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. The Outreach Foundation is committed to helping equip the global church with capable leaders, particularly in areas like Rwanda where the church is growing. The Presbyterian Church in Rwanda (EPR for the French name “Eglise Presbyterienne au Rwanda”), needs trained pastors for their many young and vibrant congregations. In recent years, Outreach and partners have helped train five pastors who graduated from the theology department at the Protestant Institute of Arts and Social Sciences (PIASS) and are now leaders of EPR congregations. There are currently several Presbyterian students sponsored by The Outreach Foundation in the theology program. This update includes stories from two of these students who are studying at PIASS thanks to your generous gifts.

CCAP Community Schools in Zambia - November Update

There are 40 community schools for orphaned and vulnerable children managed by the Church of Central Africa Presbyterian (CCAP) Synod of Zambia. More than 6,000 children are supervised by over 120 volunteer teachers. Many classes use church buildings but have been lacking student desks and teaching materials.

As reported in the June update, Zambian schools were closed in March to prevent the spread of COVID-19. Most of the schools reopened on September 21. There were some challenges in reopening the community schools since they did not have adequate space for social distancing.

Africa, Partnership, Projects, Vulnerable ChildrenThe Outreach FoundationNovember 11, 2020CCAP Community Schools in Zambia, Zambia, CCAP

Partner Updates

Dedication of PCEA Kirathimo – Njoro Church, Njoro Presbytery

Dedication of PCEA Kiburuti Church in honor of Rev. Dr. Rob Weingartner