I will be going out to Zambia from the 13th January as a volunteer and based in Chamba Valley in Lusaka with Mission Direct. We will be doing the official hand over for the New Rescue Centre, which was our main 2015 building project. When we left at the end of October works were still in progress but the time has come for the opening. I'm very excited to be able to participate in the grand opening and hand over of the new building and to celebrate with the girls at Vision of Hope as they move into their new home. God has done great things through this wonderful ministry and I feel very privileged to be a part of this work in helping the orphans and widows. We will continue to serve VOH by supporting their needs through further facilitation and individual sponsorships.
I will be engaged in outreach, community visits and ministry during my visit. The gospel must be preached as there are many lives that needs Jesus!
In Lusaka, sadly there are so many children in my reach who have not had the opportunity to go to school. My heart is motivated with challenge upon challenge as to how I can help to meet some of these needs. I would be so honoured if more of you would help me to sponsor these beautiful children and help break the cycle of poverty by giving them an education.
"As one person we can make only a small impact but together we can become a mighty river, reaching a lost and needy world with the love of God."
Please refer to the 2015 Zambian mission Link for the Report of works in Zambia.
INDIA
I will be travelling on from Zambia to India on 07 Feb. I have always had a desire to go to the mission field in India as I feel a purpose in my life to serve there. God has graciously opened this door for me to be in Lalitpur which is a rural part of Northern India (about 7 hours from Delhi by train). I will be there for 6 weeks leading volunteer teams from the UK. We will be supporting and working on two projects at the Harriet Benson Hospital and Emmanuel Hospital. Although the hospitals are open to all, the poorest people do not have access to these medical facilities. This Christian community hospital provides essential care for the most destitute in the local communities. With many patients suffering from chronic diseases, they are totally reliant on the dedication of the hospital staff, the Outpatient Department and Consulting Rooms which over the recent years have suffered neglect and needs major repairs and restoration of vital services. Our team will be working to renovate these areas in order to create a safe and clean environment for both patient and staff.
Other visits - We will go out into the local villages with the Palliative Care team, offering care and compassion as well as letting people know that there is a place they can receive medical attention – something many of them don't realise.
Please continue to pray for myself and the team for God's work to be done. India is a nation in need of God's presence and power reaching lives. We thank God that we can at least be His hands and feet, showing His love in Action and supporting our Indian brothers and sisters.
Without the help, financial support and prayers from you my brothers and sisters in Christ this work would be very difficult to do.
Your love gifts, donations and support would be greatly appreciated.
God bless you and thank you!
His Servant
Christina
Prison Ministry, Guyana
In Georgetown, Guyana, we have visited and ministered to the inmates of the Georgetown prison. We have seen many saved and now with a thirst for the word of God as they try to turn their lives around. Mission Fellowship International's David Williams a former inmate of Bell Marsh High Security prison in Britain whose life was turned around after God met him in his prison experience. Today he holds three doctorates as a result of the work that God has turned his life around to produce. He has a God given passion to help prison inmates; correctional officers and the police force and has accumulated years of expertise working with the prison reform strategies and inmates rehabilitation programs. We now use that expertise to give continual support to the prison service and inmates of Georgetown and Guyana prisons. We also send supplies of books and bibles for them. We plan yearly visits to speak into their lives and to demonstration the love of Christ to them. We not only help and support the inmates in Guyana but also facilitate the equipping of those in leadership, mentoring and supervision in the prison service.
Feeding the Hungry Guyana
There are people all over the world living in hunger including children who have not eaten a proper meal while there are some having more than they can manage. We help to manage the reduction of food waste by local redistribution and giving international support.
We feed and support projects focused on feeding the hungry and starving children locally and internationally. A gift as little as £5.00 is enough to feed one child for one week and with your regular contributions we can keep them fed and healthy until they are able to work and continue the cycle of giving and helping others in need, but it starts with us. Sow today reap tomorrow.
Zambia Summary Report – 2015 I was blessed and honoured to serve God on the Mission field in Zambia from 12 June – 18 Oct 2015. I worked on the staff team with a Christian organisation called Mission Direct who work alongside local partners to build homes, orphanages and schools etc.
My purpose for this journey was to make myself available for His work, to facilitate others and to learn more of Him…But also, to grow as His child and to capture the very heart and essence of God through the eyes of His beautiful children who often lived a life of poverty and experienced harsh surroundings at such a tender age.
My work with Mission Direct gave me an opportunity to actively be hands on and work alongside other important projects based in Lusaka. Working with such unique projects allowed me to experience at first-hand a true reflection of everyday life within poverty stricken compounds. I was very blessed to see the greatness of God at work in many broken lives.
Main project: Vison of Hope – A Recue Centre built for girls (ages 5-18yrs old) who had previously been living a harsh life of physical abuse and neglect on the streets of Lusaka. Many of their testimonies are horrific and very sad. We starting building at the beginning of July and completed most of the work in Oct with the help of 69 volunteers from the UK who came out over the course of 3 months. This beautiful home will be a place of peace, restoration and healing. The official handover will be done in January 2016 when our team returns to Zambia and the girls have moved and settled into their new home.
Some of the girls from VOH on a visit to the new centre.
One of the most rewarding opportunities I had on the Mission field was doing Outreach, sharing the gospel and praying for many young adults and children who were often high on a drug called STICKER (a residule from gas fuel) and sadly, living aimlessly on the streets in filth and squaller.
Sharing the Love of Jesus and praying the sinners prayer…
Matthew 28:19 Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.
Luke 19:10 For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost."
Matthew gave His life to Christ and is now serving the Lord. He likes working with his hands and has a dream to become a carpenter but he requires finanical support to do a local training course to learn this skill. He earns very little by washing cars for people at Soweto market.
Sadly many of the children die on a monthly bases from full blown Aids because they do not receive medical care in time. Others are killed by vehicles because they are too high on drugs and cannot judge the distance of oncoming traffic.
Homecare visits were also very important part of our ministry. We were able to visit poor families living in the compounds that was organised by our partners. Many of the family members we met had lost loved ones to HIV, leaving the children as vulnerable orphans and some even infected with HIV. Many of the homes were overcrowded and quite dark inside with no light coming through any windows. A family with little choice would struggle to sleep up to eight or nine in one room. If fathers were still around, they usually had no job to provide for their family. Food was often scarce and medication a luxury for anyone who had Malaria, HIV or TB. These precious families desperately need our prayers and financial support.
Matthew 10:42
"And if you give even a cup of cold water to one of the least of my followers, you will surely be rewarded."
Your love, gifts, support and prayer made a difference to these young boys and girls…
Testimony from Richard Hello,
My name is Richard Mutombo, I am 17 years old and live at home with my mother and 2 siblings. Last year my father left us without telling us where he was going. He never returned and it left my family devastated. My mother could no longer afford my school fees so I had no choice but to give up my education. I had no skills and no job to help my family. I was very hurt by my father's actions but God helped me to forgive him and I continue to pray for his safety and that one day he will return home to his family. I never stopped praying for the chance to resume my education. One day I heard that Aunty Christina was in Zambia and she wanted to see me. I met her at my old school and told her what had happened. She prayed for me and reminded me that all things are possible if we put our trust in God. Soon after that she contacted me again to say that someone wanted to sponsor me for school through Mission Fellowship International. I am so happy and grateful for the kindness and support of my sponsor. I give God thanks for your life and pray that He will bless you and your family. You have given me hope and the opportunity to go back to school.
God bless and thank you
Richard
Richard – Sponsored to go to school
Mercy (on the left) – Financial help towards school fees
Gift – Received a new pair of trainers and books
The Sonkani Family were given financial help for food and their eldest son age 7yrs wasbable to go to school for the very first time. The Projects
Vision of Hope
Vision of Hope was founded in 2009 by Chitalu to address HIV/AIDS prevention, personal hygiene, and reproductive health with young girls in crisis in Zambia. It began with weekly meetings in the backyard of the Girl Scouts building underneath a tree and evolved to a transitional girl's home for girl's ages 11-18 who are experiencing homelessness due to poverty, lack of family support, or abuse in the home. Vision of Hope provides medical care, skills training, and counselling to young girls in crisis that have no access to support systems. The streets of Lusaka are not an easy place for a child to live. Many are exposed to HIV/AIDS, and drug abuse are common ways of dealing with harsh living conditions. Some girls are forced to resort to prostitution, an extremely dangerous lifestyle in a city where 20% of the population is HIV positive. The opportunity to go to school is also rare for these children, as 80% of children living on the streets have no access to formal education. This further limits their capacity to secure a life for themselves outside of the streets.
Chitalu was inspired to found Vision of Hope after leaving her husband and discovering the difficulties of raising two children independently in a country that highly discourages divorce. With little support from her community, Chitalu knew she wanted to help other young women find their inner strength to confront their own challenges. Four years later, Vision of Hope has evolved into a transient home that has supported over a hundred girls reunite with families, gain access to family planning/healthcare, and to further their education through both school and skills training. Because there are so few organizations serving this population, the demand for services outpaces Vision of Hope's capacity with only 20 beds available. A new home for the girls was desperately needed. In 2014 God answered their prayer. Mission Direct are now working with VOH to build a new rescue centre with the capacity to hold up to 50 beds!
A Testimony from VOH
Elaine was a young girl who enjoyed going to school and just being a normal teenager. Her father died suddenly and her mother was left to carry the burden. Elaine tried to help her mother pay for school fees by selling plastic bottles at the local market to fill with water. The idea took off but every time she made the extra money the older women would steal it from her. The same thing happened time and time again until she eventually gave up! Her mother soon remarried so Elaine asked if she could now help her to continue her school education. The mother abruptly told her "that she was no good to her with an education" and refused to help! The stepfather started to take an interest in her and one day when the mother and everyone else was out of the house, he forced himself on her and violently raped his stepdaughter. This poor girl became very sick and left with eternal damage after the ordeal. She went to a clinic and received bad news that her stepfather had infected her with the HIV virus. She was raped again and eventually removed from her home by Social Services and placed at VOH where her restoration and healing began. Praise God, despite her pain and the awful trauma Elaine experienced, she is now continuing her education, doing better and receiving the love and care she deserves within a loving family atmosphere at VOH.
Fountain of Hope
Fountain of Hope is a local charity based in Lusaka, Zambia. A centre of refuge for orphans, vulnerable children and street children. They provide shelter, schooling, food and healthcare, and look to develop them as individuals by showing them God's love
Their vision is simply to enable children to enjoy their rights and become responsible citizens. Most of the children they care for are Aids orphans, from poverty stricken and broken families and the street children of Lusaka. They offer more than just food, clothing and shelter. They also have a small clinic that looks after their health issues, free education, including computer skills, a loving home, spiritual growth, survival skills, sports and recreation. This place of refuge saves lives and help the children find their place in society.
We spent some quality time with the boys at FOH. The boys shared their testimonies and life on the streets. We were wonderfully entertained with their great talent of dance, song and poetry. I was captured by their humility and gentle manners. They have a simple dream to belong, loved and a chance to be someone…
Boys at the Orphanage desperate to be loved and cared for…
Footprints
Background - The Footprints team provides outreach to children who find themselves on the streets in Zambia. They support them with the objective of moving them off the street into partner organisations or back to their own family to give them a brighter future. The unique focus of Footprints is based on the vision of founders, Nikki and Vasco. With a team of amazing young men who dedicate their lives to serving the vulnerable, they focus on visits to the streets and spend quality time with the children, talking to them, getting to know then and gaining their trust. They also give practical help to children on the street who find themselves in difficult circumstances with no parents to help them.
Testimony - I was privileged to go out with the Footprints team to share the gospel and encourage these young people to find a safe place of refuge like Fountain of Hope. During this time I felt compassion and compelled to witness to the boys and share the love of God. Life expectancy on the streets is very short, up to 3 or more youths are buried each month because of the Aids virus and lack of medical treatment.
This scripture verse came to my heart. Luke 19:10 For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost."
Earlier on in the campaign, I remember praying and reaching out to a young man who gave his life to Jesus there on the spot. It was a joyful occasion but unfortunately he chose to remain on the street so I wasn't sure if he would get any support or even overcome the addiction of his drug habit. The problem is that drugs are so prevalent on the streets of Lusaka and very cheap to buy…the temptation is great!
A week before I was due to return to the UK our group of volunteers did one last visit with the outreach team. In moments of frustration I began to wonder if our presence or even our prayers were making a difference as most of the boys seemed incoherent due to the effects of sniffing a drug called "Sticker" (A residue from gas fuel)…But interestingly, on this occasion many of the boys were coming to us and asking for prayers which was wonderful to witness. While talking to another boy, I felt a gentle hand touch me on my shoulder…as I turned and looked up, I saw a tall young man with a smile brimming from cheek to cheek. He asked me if I remember him and of course I did! His name was Kelvin, the same young man who I prayed for months before; our paths did not cross again until now! He was totally transformed and shared with me the miraculous healing he received from God. He was now free from his drug addiction and on fire for God. His journey now was giving back to others, saving lives on the streets by sharing his own testimony and telling them of the wonderful gift of salvation!
Together we had the opportunity to pray for a young woman who we found during a walk about on the streets. She was angry, cursing and high on drugs. Her baby had recently been taken away from her by Social Services because of her drug addiction and inability to take care of a new-born on the streets. Kelvin's prayer was so powerful that he left the woman enveloped in Gods peace. I and the team were left in total awe as we watched Kelvin pray with the heart of a great Evangelist…Now that was a miracle and the power of GOD at work!!
Kelvin (on the left) is now serving the Kingdom of God and sharing his testimony on the streets.
Summary
I was surrounded by so many strong and faithful servants of God who really inspired, encouraged and helped me to grow in my faith and spiritual walk with God. I never lacked the word of God or seeing Christ in others...Everyday was a new day with Jesus; I was surrounded by His children, embraced with beautiful smiles and hugs daily, I met inspiring Partners, fellowship at the local church, Homecare visits, getting to know the volunteers, building genuine friendships, sharing the gospel on the streets of Lasaka and witnessed many Miracles.
The following questions was asked:
Q. What do you consider to be your major accomplishments on this campaign personally?
A. Taking that leap of Faith and saying YES to GOD
Seeing the campaign through to the end.
Witnessing to young people on the streets and having the opportunity to pray with them.
Meeting amazing men and women of God who touched and inspired me to want to accomplish more for His Kingdom
Walking in the purpose that God had set for me…
Q. What were the major factors that assisted the meeting of your objectives?
A. Working with a well organised Christian organisation
Having a good leader and experienced In-Country Manager
Well-chosen and God centred projects
Working with Inspiring partners
Having regular fellowship
Support and prayers from my family and my brothers & sisters in Christ.
It has been a great honour and privilege to serve my Lord on the mission field. I have learnt so much about God's great love and His provision for those the world has forgotten, the vulnerable, the widows, the poor and the suffering…His love is never ending, never failing and He continues to use ordinary people to do extraordinary things to touch lives and make a difference that will live on for ever. "To love another person is to see the face of God."
I want to say a special thank you to Mission Fellowship International subscribers and to the founder brother Dave Prasad for all your support…you've demonstrated your deep commitment to God's work…feeding the hungry, giving a child the opportunity to go to school and so much more. It was a divine relationship from God and I couldn't have done it without you! Thank you to all my faithful brothers and sisters in RICC for their love, financial support and prayers on the mission field. We accomplished this work together as ONE in the body of Christ! You have blessed and cared for many because of your generous giving.
My missionary work continues and I will be returning to Zambia on the 13th January and then onto India in February for 6 weeks. Please follow my story on the Mission Fellowship International website.
May God bless you and shower you in abundance with his riches and glory from heaven….Proverbs 28:27 He who gives to the poor will not lack…
God's servant
Christina Farr
Mission to Guyana
This trip was a three and a half week trip to engage in the 50 year jubilee anniversary of the Full Gospel Fellowship, teach worship as a lifestyle, impact young people, and minister in the prisons and evangelise. We started with a Golden Jubilee march across the city which was an awesome start. It was amazing to see the crowds that came out in celebration of what God's done through one simple man's obedience.
We joined other believers in standing strong and declaring the Name of Jesus over the nation of Guyana as we marched, danced and celebrated.
The celebration service was an awesome time in His presence and of remembrance and so was the two days of conference and fellowship with all the ministries with ministers from all around the globe. We were privileged to minister in song for the conference.
We visited Hararuni and while we were there our faith was challenged to financially sow into the bible school for the completion of a dining room building. We stood in the shell of the dining room and prayed and between all that was present we raised $10,000 U.S Dollars.
In Plaisance we taught "Hearts on Fire", a youth program designed to teach them about worship, praise and being in a relationship with God. All of the young people, from the team, were a blessing and were blessed over and beyond and did an amazing job with the young people. Apostle Jason Yorrick expressed his heart of gratitude and appreciation to us as a team, as he heard and recognised how much of a blessing we were to the children and young people.
We also taught on worship as a lifestyle and the ministry of the Psalmist where many were impacted so much so that we were asked to come and teach it again for the whole church as they recognised the benefit it would have for the entire congregation.
We thank God for the opportunities for the radio and the TV shows. These were indeed God's doing and led to many accelerated outcomes and were all God's amazing ways to fulfil His plan and purpose.
Pastor Lanre was on TV bringing the timely word in the nation. To God is all the glory! We were truly blessed to see how God does great things.
In Grove Church we have imparted a greater understanding of personal praise and worship believing God will complete the work He has privileged us to start in their midst. Pastor Morris expressed his appreciation for the ministry and sessions of teachings.
The prison doors were miraculously opened – God just turned up and showed us that He is God alone and will fulfil His word and plan. It was since April that we had been trying to make arrangement to access and visit the prison, but several attempts failed. But GOD in one miraculous morning took charge and gave us an OPEN door. Awesome God! We now have a long term engagement to serve in the prison services. Hallelujah!
We also fed the hungry with Lifespring Ministries we would like to continue financially facilitate feeding the hungry in Guyana every week.
A gift of £5.00 can supplement one child for one week. If you would like to support feeding these children, please visit the donate page.
Our time in the Agricola Bible Fellowship Church with Pastor Sankar and Kay was a time of ministry to the body and sharing The Gospel. Pastor Lanre was so challenged by this assembly of saints that he has committed to continue supporting their missional evangelism efforts with resources from London and revisiting them next year.
Agricola is one of the most notorious areas of extreme criminals but together with the church we stepped out boldly onto the streets and had an awesome evening of outdoor evangelism.
There were many who responded to the ministry times, especially at Ann's Grove on our last Sunday evening. So please remember them in your daily thanksgiving and prayers.
PRAISE Jesus! Hallelujah!
Swedes to London
A group of 50 young people from the Power of God church in Sävsjö, Sweden visited London for a long weekend and spent their time here in street evangelism. They set up stages and shared a powerful message of Christ through drama in Peckham and Croydon. They had traffic stopped as onlookers stopped to witness what Jesus can do.
Mission to Sweden
This trip was not only a follow up from our last trip to Sweden but also a precursor to our trip to Guyana in 2014. We spent the majority of our time in Sävsjö strengthening relationships and sharing the vision for Guyana and God's heart for revival and mission.
We spent time again with the youth and children. Teaching them, in expressions of worship, God's heart for the nations and being able to relate to God daily and openly.
While we were there we were also told of a young boy who had a brain tumour and we spent time praying for him and his family and bringing him before God.
When we were asked to pray for him he had been given 2months to live and was rapidly deteriorating. As we began to pray daily and rallied other believers to pray the symptoms and rate of deterioration began to considerably slow down.
We had a great meeting at Alingsas on our way home. We ministered through song and worship and shared The Word and a little about Guyana with an interpreter. The Word so overwhelmed him that he struggled to interpret and then he shared how The Word affected him.
We witnessed a change in him over the period of time we were there and we are sure he wasn't the only one who God touched but it is great to visually see the change God can have in people's lives. Members of the team had stayed in his home and he drove us and interpreted for us on various occasions during our trip.
Mission to Sweden
The people of Sweden have been, over the years, more than a great continual supporter of the missionary work Philip Mohabir had started in Guyana. They contributed their time, skill, equipment, industrial expertise and millions of pounds over the years to help propel the missionary work.
Over the years many people who were there at the birth of the work over 50 years ago have now passed on. Some of their children and grandchildren still help to support the missionary work but the well was beginning to dry up. So we planned a trip to Sweden to reignite their missionary hearts and share with them a new vision of revival and remind them of the partnership and work our fathers and grandfathers had. We shared with them what had been accomplished and how much more we could do together.
We spent time in Vrigstad, Rovik, Applehult and Sävsjö meeting some of the first missionaries out of Sweden to Guyana, meeting some of the younger generations who wanted to get more engaged in the work and sharing with the various congregations the vision and the heart of Mission work in Guyana.
We also recognized the need for training them in living a lifestyle of worship and spent some time in teaching and engaging them in different styles of worship and ministering to them with the intent to spark a revival in them that they saw and fell deep in love again with Jesus.
We spent time with some youth groups in coffee houses and churches, teaching on purpose and being designed by God for particular reasons and obedience to God's call and instruction is an act of worship. We encouraged them in growing up in a relationship with God and realising it's a daily commitment and not just a Sunday activity.
As we came to the end of our trip we felt that there was a stirring in the stagnant well and when we left we felt we had sown seeds in the hearts of the people and prayed that God would nourish and nurture them for His glory.
2011 Mission to Guyana Full Gospel Fellowship in Guyana is one of several nation's result birthed as a result of the late Philip Mohabir's obedience to a call on his life for mission. You can read all about this in the just published autobiography Building Bridges. The writings of this book will grab you as you read the stories of his obedience, challenges, experiences and exploits. Every member of Mission Fellowship International has read this book and been challenged and impacted in some way.
April 2011 was our first mission trip to Guyana with opportunities to challenge impact and support young people, equip the worshippers, engage in evangelism, deliverance, deeper life, while supporting the Bible school and training Centre in Hararuni.
This team was comprised of 24 members with willing hearts, serving the locals in areas of need. Every member, in their serving were abundantly blessed and changed.
We had five teams to cover these areas:
1. Evangelism team (Land of Canaan, Swan & Coverden)
2. Deeper life team One (Timehri Church)
3. Evangelism and Deeper Life team (Agricola church)
4. Youth team (Hauraruni)
5. Worship equipping (Georgetown)
While there were many challenges, the devil clearly was trying to interrupt Father's plan but the prayers of the saints everywhere garrisoned us and we saw great achievements. God blessed and prospered our every step; gave us supernatural strength, anointing, gifts to serve the body, great grace, favour and wisdom and so we accomplished that which we had set out to do and more. We were all stretched to full capacity and beyond and saw the miraculous through our availing of ourselves.
The feedback reports from the Georgetown 'Worship Equipping Program' reflect that we have had a 98% satisfaction and reception of all that was delivered. Praise God!
The Agricola Church were all blessed at the week of ministry and now pursuing their destiny of growth and lifestyle development to a fully equipped body ready for that which God will do in and through them.
The evangelism and deeper life teams yielded satisfaction, accomplishment and good results. Lives were changed, healed, strengthened, revived, restored and transformed. In our prayer and planning we felt Father was sending us to the churches in the remote and deprived areas as He wanted to give them special attention, and that is just what happened as we listened to all the reports Father used every team member to pour out His love and grace.
The Youth Camp was awesome! We planned for 200 to 250 youths, but we had 360 youths turn up. This exploded our plans and budget. But we quickly inclined our faith to Father to multiply the little we had, and He gave us the confidence to run with the challenge. On the launch night the Holy Spirit was there and what an awesome time it was. The team was overwhelmed but the Holy Spirit gave them all that they needed to minister to the entire camp at the altar, ministering to individual and specific needs. It was an awesome start. To the youth camps that now run yearly! We give God thanks and praise!
Our mission finale was a grand thanksgiving & worship celebration at the Albouystown Full Gospel Assembly. This was a time of prophetic worship, hearing testimonies from the team and recipients of the various ministries throughout the week, mixed with expressions of thanksgiving and worship.
We give God thanks and praise for all He has done! As we worshipped there was such a liberty and freedom that everyone just lingered at His feet in His presence. The Holy Spirit led David in a throne room prayer for the saints, churches and the nation, before Sister Carmen Williams brought the celebration to a close.