The SEED – January 2022 – Share International

The SEED – January 2022

Posted February 7, 2022

In The SEED Newsletters of 2022

January 2022

URGENT PRAYER REQUESTS

Lokori & Kalemng’orok Zones

We request urgent prayers for residents in Lokori and Kalemngorok Zones. Our Lodwar Office reports that raids by bandits have occurred in 8 villages in the two zones – Lokwatuba, Kaadeng’oi, Echo Lodge, Nakisila, Karenyang and Nariamao in Kalemngorok Zone and Napeitom and Kaamuge in Lokori Zone. The attacks happened in the early morning hours of February 4th. Unconfirmed report says that 10 people were killed in a gunfire and many others wounded. The bandits made away with 450 goats. Gunshots were heard 3km away from our own Samara Center. The attacks in Kalemng’orok Zone rendered the Great North Highway impassible between Kitale and Lodwar. On their way back from Samara Center on the 4th, our staff met with hundreds of women, children, and the elderly, and droves of their camels, cows, goats, sheep, and donkeys scattered and fleeing the raids to safer places.

They trekked long distances without food and water. It took many hours before security agencies responded to the situation. The situation has not been contained yet; tension is still very high. Residents are still on the run. Please pray that calm is restored in the region and that people will co-exist peacefully.

Also, pray that we’ll have a perimeter fence erected soon to protect Samara Center in Lokori Zone. We appreciate your prayers and support for our brothers and sisters in the two zones very much.

We’re sorry, our January newsletter is late! We have now combined our bulletins into one informative monthly newsletter. This newsletter will feature 1 Turkana Zone, 1 Turkana ministry, the Toposa Outreach progress, the Next-Gen Initiative, Praises and Petitions, a Financial Update, and any other important information. We invite you to read this new and improved newsletter! We hope you will take to heart these real-life stories and join us in praise and prayer each month. Your prayers and support make it possible for the Turkana and Toposa people to hear the Gospel, grow in their faith, and become disciples who make disciples of others. THANK YOU, and may the Lord bless you abundantly in the Year 2022!

“Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one.Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength. These commandments that I give you today are to be on your hearts. Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up.”
– Deuteronomy 6:4-7

The 11 Motivators in Chokchok Zone are ministering to over 4,000 members in 41 churches through weekly fellowships, prayer times, and Lighthouses. In December, 49 people accepted Christ, and 46 believers were baptized! The church continues to grow rapidly in Turkanaland!

Currently there are 69 Champions leading Lighthouses, with 467 disciples enrolled. These numbers have slightly decreased since November, as people are migrating in search of green pastures for their livestock. The Motivators have distributed 102 Audio Bibles, 12 hard-copy Bibles and 113 DMM signage Bookmarks to the Lighthouses. Many more disciples would like to have their own Audio Bible so that they can share the Good News with their neighbors.

One of the current challenges in Chokchok Zone is that the men continue to insist that Church is only for women and children; they don’t feel compelled to go and hear the Gospel. Pray for the men in this zone; that God would soften their hearts to hear and respond to the Gospel.

Monitor David Nang’olol sharing the Word of God with his Lighthouse using the Audio Bible

TESTIMONY

My name is Rebecaa Erupe. I live in Ngasapanet Village in Chokchok Zone. I thank God that He saved me.

Before I knew God, my family did not know God’s Word or that God existed. We did not pray to God at all. The only thing that we prayed to was the moon. When the rays of the moon came, my father called us, the children, and wives, to prayer. He would tell us to face the moon. Then we would follow our father’s instructions as he prayed. He would say, “Wele! Wele!” (Creator! Creator!) So, we would also. The prayer asked the moon to give us good health, provide food, give us children, and give us livestock. This is what we did, praying and thanking ‘God’ when we gazed at the moon without even knowing that there is a living God!

We also made alcohol in our home. People would come to our home and pay money or exchange food for alcohol. We would take the money and then eat the food. I participated in the trading to the extent that those that I gave liquor to later became so drunk they would sleep near our place, but now they did not have any food! I participated in this business for a long time. People became drunk while we ate their food! Later I came to realize that what I was doing was wrong. I was destroying people’s lives by giving them alcohol.

One day a certain pastor came to our village with people from SHARE International and brought The Jesus Film. That night we watched the film with the rest of the village. After watching the film, I learned that Jesus came to die for the sins of the world; and that meant me! I accepted Christ that night.

I continue to learn the Word of God. I realize now that knowing God is better than doing the bad things that I used to do.

The Word of God is continuing to spread among the young women of Turkana. In October through December of 2021, 376 young women accepted Christ! At least 232 of them did so because a friend shared their story and God’s story with them! It’s One-to-One Evangelism! It is a direct result of the DMM training in the Lighthouses. A total of 62 of these girls were baptized. More are ready to be baptized when water is available.

One concern that is still prevalent among the Turkana young women is that they are forced into marriages at a very young age. This affects their ability to learn to read and write because they are unable to attend school. Continue to pray for these young women who are still young in their faith, that they would continue to grow in their faith, and that they would strive to serve God.

Young Women’s Coordinator, Anna Karimojong, teaching the young women from the DMM Curriculum in Naurenpuu Village, Nayada Zone

In December, the Toposa Missionary Team was able to visit six villages – two in Kapoeta North and four in Kapoeta South. They travelled through the villages praying for people, sharing their testimonies, and screening The Jesus Film. The Toposa people are very open to hearing the Gospel message. As a result, 33 people were saved. The team baptized 95 believers, including 62 who had confessed Christ as Savior prior!

The team is now working with the new believers; training them to use the DMM methodology to make disciples of others. They have handed out 16 Audio Bibles and several signage bookmarks to the new believers. They encouraged the new believers to be brave and share their new-found faith with others in their respective villages using the DMM tools. The team will be returning in January to further train and encourage these new believers. They have started cell-groups where they are training leaders who will in turn will train others.

TESTIMONY

My name is Anjelo Lopeyok from Toposaland. I am very grateful to SHARE International for sending Missionary Stephen Lobolia to our area in the Paringa Region. He visited us in our local school.

Missionary Lobolia was bold enough to confront me in front of my classmates and share his testimony of how he came to know Christ. I gave my life to Christ that day when he shared the message from 1 Timothy 2:3-6, which says, “This is good, and pleases God our Savior, who wants all people to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth. For there is one God and one mediator between God and mankind, the man Christ Jesus, who gave Himself as a ransom for all people.” He later challenged me to share Christ with the rest of my classmates and at home with my family members. I am working at sharing the Gospel message with others.

I am so thankful for Missionary Lobolia and SHARE International for bringing God’s light to our people, and especially to me, Anjelo Lopeyok!

The sites for construction of the very first two Sending Centers have now been donated by two local villages. Our Motivators – John Ebei and Thomas Lokora – who minister in these villages share their excitement in these video clips.

The children of Kangipusia Village who will be educated in the new Sending Center

Motivator John Ebei points at the site where the new Sending Center in Kangipusia Village will be built

Children’s Ministry Coordinator, Mary Esinyen, speaking with the church in Lopusiki Village

PRAISES

More and more are coming to Christ through Lighthouses as they hear the message on the Audio Bible (Romans 10:17)
Continued commitment and dedication of SHARE staff, Motivators, and Champions
Encouraging outcome of the Adult Literacy Classes, enabling people to read and write
Four motorbikes were provided for Motivators in Kachoda Zone to aid in sharing the Gospel in remote unreached villages
Completion of water drilling survey at Kalemng’orok Zone DMM Center; drilling will begin soon
The Toposa people are a peaceful social people; they have welcomed our 15 missionaires

REQUESTS

More Adult Literacy Classes are needed in Turkana and Toposa
Young men, young women and girls are victims of human trafficking along the Toposa/South Sudan border along the Ethiopian side
Gender-based violence is common, with many young girls being forced to marry at an early age
Motivators to grow spiritually strong and healthy congregations and Lighthouses
More men in the villages to be drawn to Christ and join Lighthouses
Moderate rainfall to eradicate prevalent drought and famine
Drilling of clean drinking water boreholes and relief for starving masses throughout Turkana and Toposa

TURKANALAND, TOPOSALAND, & NEXT-GEN INITIATIVE

We at SHARE thank you for allowing the Lord to use you through your prayers and/or financial support for this ministry in 2021. Together, let’s eagerly anticipate witnessing God do even greater things in 2022 in Turkanaland, Toposaland, and through the Next-Gen Initiative. We are confident He will as we continue to stay focused on the very purpose for which He sent His Son – “to save sinners” (1 Tim. 1:15). With our unwavering commitment to see that happen all-the-more, we invite you to join with us in raising the remaining budget of KShs.7,695,000/$76,950 for the 1st Quarter of 2022.

You may reach Sammy, SHARE Founder, at 318-243-4243 or sammymurimi@shareint.net or Dalmas, SHARE Director, at +254-711565644 or dalmas@shareint.net.

We also request you to consider sponsoring one or more of our Motivators that are in need of support at $2,400/KShs.240,000 per year (or $200/KShs.20,000 per month). You can sign up to support one here.