The SEED – March 2024 – Share International

The SEED – March 2024

Posted March 27, 2024

March 2024

“Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moths and vermin destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moths and vermin do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.”
– Matthew 6:19-21

In February, the Toposa Missionary Team revisited 37 villages, and reached 18 new villages with the Gospel! They screened The Jesus Film in two of those villages, and as a result 54 villagers surrendered their lives to the Lord! A total of 129 were saved and 5 baptized. A total of 55 villages have established Lighthouses, with 95 Champions teaching 906 disciples how to make disciples of others! The Team checks in with these Lighthouses frequently to fellowship, encourage believers, and provide additional training. Another 20 Audio Bibles and 18 DMM Signage Bookmarks were distributed.

A Champion sharing the Gospel with young men in Kop Village

Missionary Phanuel Loole coaching Champions in Lopetakire Village

Missionary Ekidor Ewoton baptizing a believer with a bucket of water

WAPET SENDING CENTER
(Est. Jan. 2023)

There are 115 pupils attending classes Monday through Friday at the Wapet Sending Center under teacher Sammy Lokir. The center has been equipped with desks and learning supplies. All of the pupils can recite the alphabet, read simple words, and count all the way to 50. They enjoy coming to the center and learning. They have memorized John 3:16 and Matthew 6:19 and are being taught how to tell their personal testimonies. Three of the children have led others to a saving faith in Christ! This center is also used for church service on Sundays under Motivator/Pastor James Edapal Maisa, with about 35 members in attendance.

Next-Gen Coordinator, Mary Esinyen, reviewing what the students have learned at the Wapet Sending Center

LOKIDING SENDING CENTER
(Est. Dec. 2023)

Classes have begun at the newly opened Lokiding Sending Center with 80 pupils in attendance taught by Francis Nakalei. They can count to 10 and write numbers. They are still learning to recite the alphabet, as the school is still young. Most importantly, they are learning about who God is. Desks and learning supplies should be delivered to this center by the end of this month.

In addition to Next-Gen classes, women use the center for fellowship on Wednesday evenings. It’s also used for church service on Sundays with about 70 members attending under Motivator/Pastor Anna Arwakin Ewoi.

Mary visiting with the children at the Lokiding Sending Center

A boy counting to 10 at Lokiding Sending Center without the teacher’s help

The completed Sending Centers are marked in red.

There are 13 SHARE Motivators overseeing a total of 40 churches and 92 Lighthouses throughout Lorugum Zone. A total of 462 disciples attend these Lighthouses where they are learning how to make disciples of others. In February, they witnessed 202 accept Christ as Savior and baptized 18 where water was available. There are now only 11 unreached villages remaining in this zone.

In the same month, the SHARE team of staff and Motivators visited 4 villages – Lotaagor, Lobereta, Echoke, and Ekoropus – in Lorugum Zone for evangelistic outreaches. They shared the Gospel from homestead to homestead, screened The Jesus Film, and held age/gender-appropriate DMM teachings in all 4 villages. The results were remarkable, with 315 accepting Christ as Savior, 98 baptized, and a new church planted in Lotaagor Village! Ten of the new believers volunteered to be trained as Champions! Motivator/Pastor Abraham Lokuwom will train the Champions and oversee the new church where approximately 75 new believers will attend. He oversees 6 other churches in the area as well.

SHARE Staffer, Simon Akuta, praying for a sick boy during door-to-door evangelism in Lobereta Village

Evangelist, Daivd Ekal, praying for those who accepted Christ after screening The Jesus Film in Lobereta Village

Coordinator Moses Ng’akipi and Motivator Abraham Lokuwom baptizing new believers

The newly planted church in Lotaagor Village

Testimony

My name is Paul Lokolong. I am an evangelist in Lorugum Zone, and Jesus is my personal Savior. I used to be a bandit who killed people. I was also an alcoholic, but Jesus saved me.

One day, I was coming to a village to get alcohol, and I heard Motivator Abraham Lokuwom preaching the Word of God. It caught my attention, so I approached and began to listen. During the altar call, I could not resist and decided to put my hand up. I received salvation.

Since then, I started going to church, and God transformed my life for the better. Now I preach the Gospel and am reaching out to other lost souls. I oversee 2 churches and 2 Lighthouses. SHARE gave me an Audio Bible as a tool for disciple-making. It’s very helpful because the message is in our own dialect. Thank you SHARE and may God bless you.

PRAISES

– Many saved and baptized in Toposaland and Turkanaland in February

– Completion of 9 of the 14 Sending Centers and for the many children attending classes at each

– Successful outreach and church plant in Lorugum Zone

– Evident effectiveness of the contextualized DMM Curriculum used in teaching throughout Turkanaland, Toposaland, and Nyang’atomland

– Successful outreach and church plant in Nyang’atomland between March 11 and 17th (Be on the lookout for more details in the April newsletter!)

PETITIONS

– Peace in South Sudan during the election season

– Continued growth of Next-Gen children, construction of the remaining 5 centers, finding qualified teachers, and providing food and water at each of the centers

– Successful outreach and church plant in Kalobeyei Zone March 25-29th

– Safety and perseverance for the Motivators/Missionaries in Turkanaland, Toposaland, and Nyang’atomland

– Peace between the Turkana and the Pokot tribes along the Kalemng’orok and Lokori Zones’ borders and in South Sudan

I believe it’s the same all over the U.S. and perhaps elsewhere around the globe – construction of new storage facilities is rapidly multiplying. Have you observed that? More stuff! Homes running out of room! Run to the nearest storage facility! Store! Store! Store! More! More! More!… It’s a heart-mind condition. Human beings have a hard time letting go of stuff. And that’s an old, old problem, and problem that Jesus Himself addresses in Luke 12:13-34 and Mark 10:17-27. He gives a very clear solution to the problem: “…You fool! This very night your life will be demanded from you. Then who will get what you have prepared for yourself? This is how it will be with whoever stores up things for themselves but is not rich toward God.” “…go and sell all you possess and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow Me.” “Provide purses for yourselves that will not wear out, a treasure in heaven that will never fail, where no thief comes near and no moth destroys. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.”

So, I ask myself, what am I doing with any form of wealth with which God has blessed me? Am I being “rich toward God” – choosing to invest in heaven each day? Besides the greatest joy of seeing Jesus face-to-face, the special treasure we can all be certain to find in heaven is what Jesus came to redeem – people! Let’s reach out to people with “the power of God that alone brings salvation to everyone who believes” (Romans 1:16) – The Gospel.

That’s what SHARE is all about. Join us in reaching many more people with The Gospel, and, together, look forward to meeting Christ’s own most valuable treasure in heaven one of these days (John 17:24). Let’s be “rich toward God”. Let’s take the Gospel to people in the uttermost parts of the earth!

Our budget for 2Q is $175,000. We humbly request your continued support. Thank you SO MUCH!

– Sammy