The SEED – September 2022 – Share International

The SEED – September 2022

Posted September 27, 2022

In The SEED Newsletters of 2022

September 2022

“For in the Gospel the righteousness of God is revealed—a righteousness that is by faith from first to last, just as it is written: ‘The righteous will live by faith.’“
– Romans 1:17

Special Appeal by Founder, Sammy Murimi

The end of Year 2022 is approaching fast! And so is the reality of reaching the remaining 35% unreached Turkana people with the Gospel sooner through the proven DMM Methodology, the prospect of accelerating the spread of the Good News across the northern frontier of Turkanaland into Toposaland through our ongoing Next Generation Initiative, and the call to spur believers to increasingly become self-supporting and self-sustaining through the arm of the established Share Society Kenya entity. The need to develop a robust strategy that will make all that happen faster is now urgent. It is therefore now critical for me to spend time on the ground in Turkanaland to work with the SHARE staff during the month of December this year to enhance, facilitate, and help propel execution of that strategy before Year 2023 kicks in.

To free me up to do that in early December, I need to raise the remaining balance of funds to meet the 2022 budget ahead of time. You will be receiving a letter from me in the mail soon that indicates the balance amount needed. I kindly request you to prayerfully consider the special appeal in the letter and make your year-end donation before December if possible in the envelope to be enclosed with the letter, or in the designation box if donating online by clicking the ‘Click to Donate’ button below or at www.shareint.org/give.

All-the-while, together, let’s praise the Lord together for the ongoing outreach by the Turkana believers themselves to the Toposa people of South Sudan, and the inroads they already are making to the unreached Nyang’atom people of Ethiopia that’s taking center stage more and more. Indeed, the Turkana people have become a “Missionary Tribe”! Hallelujah! Thank you for your continued support for this ministry. You may reach me at sammymurimi@shareint.net.

– Sammy

Thank you SO MUCH for your prayers and support!

In Sopel Zone, SHARE has planted 45 churches to date. With the newest one planted at the end of August in Nakoyo-angisikiria Village! These churches are discipled by 17 Motivators who live within walking distances of the villages that they serve. Over 3,300 people attend church weekly, including 1,000 children. In August, 117 villagers accepted Christ in the zone and 38 were baptized.

Nine members of the SHARE staff traveled to Sopel Zone at the end of August to conduct a mini-STORM, along with 4 Motivators who serve in the zone. They reached 4 villages with the Gospel message through homestead-to-homestead evangelism, age/gender appropriate teachings, DMM Training, and screening The Jesus Film. A total of 176 people attended the DMM training; 38 people were saved.

Attendance at The Jesus Film screenings was as follows:

Elelea Village – 106; 21 saved
Kalomegur Village – 136; 11 saved
Nakoyo-angisikiria Village – 113; 1 saved
Nakurichanait Village – 76 attending;13 saved

Motivator James Lolem will oversee this new church planted in Nakoyo-angisikira Village. At the first service in this village, there were 51 believers in attendance, and 38 of those chose to be baptized. Six of the believers have indicated their desire to be discipled and become Champions to disciple others. They will join the current 74 Champions in the zone and multiply disciples beyond the present 309.

Video: Testimonies from 3 believers in Nakoyo-angisikiria Village

The first homestead to be visited by the SHARE Team

Operations Manager and Zone Supervisor James Ewoi teaching the men using the DMM Methodology

The first congregation at Nakoyo-angisikiria Village

James and Jackson baptizing an elder of the village

The number of young men attending church services in Lokori, Sopel, and Kalemng’orok Zones has increased over the last month. In August there were over 6,000 young men attending church services, with 2,500 also involved in a Lighthouse throughout Turkana. They have been sharing their faith and leading others to Christ. In August alone, they led 351 people to Christ, including 135 young men; 7 were baptized. These young men are the disciple-makers of tomorrow for Turkana and beyond borders. Pray for them as they learn to share their faith and the Gospel message.

Peter Etaan, a new Champion of Young Men in Nakoyo-angisikiria Village, teaching the “3 Circles” to boys

The Young Men in Nakoyo-angisikiria Village, area Adult Literacy Teachers, and SHARE Staff

God’s Word continues to be proclaimed among the Toposa people of South Sudan. In August the Toposa Outreach Initiative (TOI) team shared the Gospel in 27 villages, with 47 men and women accepting Christ as Savior. Although rains came this month, there still is not enough water to baptize. The team is meeting weekly with the new believers and the 44 Champions that they have identified, encouraging them to listen to the Audio Bibles more, and share their faith story and God’s story with their friends and families. This past month, they handed out another 72 Audio Bibles and 28 DMM Bookmarks. They are working on creating Prayer Network Groups and Prayer days in the reached villages. They are also encouraging the new believers to invite others to the screening of The Jesus Film when it is shown in their village.

The average Toposa family has about 8-11 children. That means the children outnumber the adults in each village, with hardly any formal education available. One of the perpetual challenges facing the team is the scarcity of clean drinking water in the villages. Catholicism is a major barrier to sharing the Gospel. Insecurity during travel is another challenge, especially in the inner villages as cattle rustling, child kidnapping, and robbery have been spotted in these villages. Many of the villagers are also addicted to alcohol, illicit drugs, and chewing tobacco. The TOI team is praying that as these people come to Christ they will see that they no longer need these unhealthy practices.

The rainy season has begun, making travel unsafe and difficult. Humid and cold weather can be stressful on the team’s health. Please continue to pray for the team.

The team is very grateful to all the donors that have provided them the supplies they need to share the Gospel with the Toposa people using the DMM materials – Audio Bibles, motorbikes, and projectors.

Missionary James Lomudang using the DMM Bookmark to share the Gospel message with some villagers

Proposed Champion (her back to the camera) sharing the Gospel message with her family

Missionaries John Eipa (right) and Phanuel Loole (center with Bible) spending the morning with a Toposa family

Lomilmil Village is one of the 14 villages in Kalobeyei and Kachoda zones that has benefited from construction of a Sending Center where next genration learners will be taught and trained how to share the Gospel using the DMM Curriculum while they receive formal education at the same time. The program took off with earnest in July. The facility is also used as a house of prayer, worship, and fellowship on Sundays. The building is also used for protection from the strong dusty winds and sporadic rains that can be a challenge to the learners. Attendance at the center has now reached 165 children and youth who come every morning excited and eager to learn.

In September, Mary Esinyen, SHARE’s Children’s Ministry Coordinator, visited the children at Lomilmil center. She reported that it was awesome to find the children able to count and identify some letters already! Amazing and encouraging progress! Ironically, due to drought that has stricken the area, even adults are now joining in the classroom to learn along the children and youth!

The Children’s Ministry Coordinator, Mary Esinyen, talking to the children about what they had been learning that morning in class. DMM teaching methodology is inscribed on the back of their t-shirts.

Adults sitting in the back of the classroom as the children receive a snack

Reaching the Nyang’atom People of Ethiopia

On Thursday, September 8th at 4:00 am, 23 SHARE staff and Motivator departed from the SEND Center in Lodwar on a 253-mile journey to Kang’aten Township in Ethiopia. They traveled through rough terrain, encountering multiple flat tires, mud holes in the road, and getting stuck in River Nakuwa. The team breathed a sigh of relief as they entered Ethiopia where the main roads are tarmac – but they did have to remember to drive on the other side of the road once they entered Ethiopia!

Back in 2019, the SHARE Team had done an outreach in Kibish near the Ethiopian border, but at that time they had to be under police escort due to the raids and robbery in the area. The team had prayed during that outreach with hope that one day they would be able to cross the River Nakuwa and bring the Gospel message to the people of Ethiopia. On September 9, 2022 God was answering their prayers! They crossed the river and entered Ethiopia!

The team arrived at Kang’aten at 11:00am. The existing Ashenafi Birhan Pentecostal Assemblies of God Church there had made all the preparations. The team gathered for prayer of thanksgiving, followed by welcome, greetings, fascinating and awesome Nyang’atom music, lyrics and dance, then introductions.

The congregation was then divided into social groups of Men, Women, Young Men, Girls, and Children and taught the DMM methodology by the team. That was followed by a session by Dalmas with Church leaders, which was also graced by the local Nyang’atom Magistrate and the Inspector of Police. The Nyang’atom residents were very pleased with the sessions and promised to replicate the methodology to others. Over 800 people attended the meeting in Kang’aten. The Jesus Film was screened to 850 people. A total of 38 believed the Good News and received Christ as Savior. The team distributed food and clothes to residents of Kang’aten village. On the trip back, the team made another stop in Kibish, Kenya where a church service with 112 people were in attendance was held and 9 of them received Christ!

The Team stopped in Kang’itusia Village (Kenya) to change a flat tire before crossing the River Nakuwa, into Ethiopia, shared the Gospel and gave Audio Bibles to a crowd that gathered to watch.

Crossing River Nakuwa into Ethiopia

The SHARE Team being introduced to the congregation at Kang’aten

SHARE Director, Dalmas Esekon, talking with the Church Leaders in Kang’aten

PRAISES

The church plant in Nakoyo-angisikiria Village, Sopel Zone and for all those that came to Christ
Donors providing the necessary tools to reach the Toposa people
Rains that have started in Toposaland
Openness that the Toposa people have to the TOI Missionaries
The building of the Sending Center
The safe and successful recent vision trip to the Nyang’atom people of Ethiopia

REQUESTS

Champions in Turkanaland to establish solid DMM Lighthouses
More Adult Literacy Classes and Early Childhood Schools are needed in Turkana and Toposa
Kidnapping of young girls in Toposa along the South Sudan-Ethiopian border would stop
Establishment of solid DMM Lighthouses and Champions in Toposa
Moderate rainfall to eradicate prevalent drought and famine, which is forcing families to migrate away from their home churches, both in Turkana and Toposa
For the Young men who are Champions
Peace between the Turkana and the Pokot people
Guidance regarding expanding the ministry into Ethiopia