Stay tuned for the final report which is almost ready for you! In the meantime, enjoy one of the testimonies from the Kampala ‘Return to Jesus’ mission below.
Veronica
On the dusty fringe of Kampala, where the old railway lines crosses the city, sits Kinawataka slum, crowded with some of Uganda’s poorest urban population.
Veronica lives in the slum with her two young children. For years she has struggled with alcoholism and has had a hard life.
“I have no stable job and no husband to help support me and my children,” she said. “So I turn to alcohol to try forget my problems.”
Though she became a Christian many years ago, Veronica has struggled to keep her faith alive through the hardships of her life. When missionaries from African Enterprise met her this week during the Kampala mission, they asked Veronica what she needed. Her answer: prayer. She has tried to stop drinking, but life keeps pushing her back down.
“For the sake of my children, I want to stop the alcoholism, I want to stop living this lifestyle,” she said. “But it is hard.”
The AE missionaries prayed with Veronica and shared with her the hope of the Gospel.
“I know that I cannot do this on my own,” she said,” not unless I involve God.”
Please pray for Veronica and her children! Pray that God would give her the strength to stop drinking and that He would provide for their needs. We are grateful for the work of the AE evangelists in Kampala! May they continue to touch lives this week during the mission.
And we are grateful for your support! Veronica said,
“Thank you so much for being God’s ambassadors.”
Today begins AE’s mission to one of the world’s fastest growing and most vibrant cities in the world – Kampala.
More than 500 Ugandan evangelists and 80 local churches are involved.
They join the AE International Team, the AE Kenya Foxfires and associates from Ghana in a goal to reach 300,000 of Kampala’s un-evangelised people with the Gospel!
For months, African Enterprise Uganda has been busy with preparations for this mission. Ahead of the mission, AE’s Team Leaders and International staff gathered in Kampala itself, for a series of meetings to discuss the very core of AE’s existence.
“The staff are here for a training and consultation whose main purpose is to refine and harmonise the AE mission training materials,” said AE CEO, Stephen Mbogo.”We are equipping staff with the knowledge and skills required to deliver on the AE calling and mission.”
He and 35 of AE’s leaders from across Africa met for three days at the Lweza Training and Conference Centre in Kampala, sharing information and resources, and above all, sharing their passion for evangelising the cities of Africa.
“I am so happy about what we are doing here,” said AE Rwanda Team Leader, John Kalenzi, “because we are harmonising our evangelism material, to contribute to having a ‘common ‘AE DNA’.”
At the end of the training, the Team Leaders joined other staff and volunteers gearing up for the Kampala citywide mission. Over the next week they will devote themselves to spreading the Gospel to the people of Kampala.
Join us in praying for the city! Pray for those who will attend the mission, and for those leading it. May Christ be glorified and may thousands of lost souls turn to him!
AE Rwanda Evangelist Salim Bakundukize Ndugu was once far from God.
He was born into a complicated family – his father had three wives, and Salim was the ninth child born to his mother, but there were other children too. He describes his life as “weary and burdensome”. Though Salim and his family identified as Muslims, Salim dabbled in spiritualism and experimented with traditional witch doctors practices. He felt no guilt in pursuing a double life of devotion to Islam and evil spirits.
Power and fear were his gods.
“I went to so many witchdoctors that I turned into something like a walking demon because of the evil spirits. I committed adultery – I had evil medication to draw women and girls to me. I even had things to wear (impigi) that protected my body against bullets, and others that made people fear me.”
All these controlling practices yielded a restless, tormented existence without peace – until Jesus met Salim.
Striding into a prayer room, Salim came selfishly to ask for greater power and glory, and for the ability to see into the future – but Jesus was waiting to call him to account and caused him to repent immediately!
“I confessed my sins, and some servants of God prayed for me and from then Jesus had me in his hands. I went home with peace in my heart that I had never felt before. I still have that peace in my heart.”
Salim has nothing but praise for his Saviour, who has since blessed him with a wife and five children and a tongue ready to declare the praises of Jesus to anyone who will listen. He works in the AE Rwanda office, and shared the Gospel with hundreds of people through the recent mission to Kigali, Rwanda.
“He is the true Lord”.
Thank you for praying for AE missions. You truly are transforming whole cities for Christ.
In just 2 short months, AE will be venturing into Zambia with a new project – the Lusaka Leadership Initiative.
AE International CEO Rev. Dr. Stephen Mbogo visited Lusaka, the bustling capital city, for an initial establishment meeting with local partners to pave the way for a successful mission in November.
The team met with local partnering churches, conducted an inaugural leadership conference, and met privately with judges and members of parliament.
God is already making his way into the hearts of Zambians through the Gospel. At one of the meetings 70 church and community leaders came along to hear Stephen’s message about the importance of Godly leadership. Others in attendance were touched by Stephen’s powerful word from God, and 12 people committed their lives to Christ.
University student Tapalo Mwila came to know Jesus that day.
Stephen said,
“The best thing a leader can do is to submit himself to Christ and lead with godliness and humility – that is why AE meets with leaders, so that leaders of all the sectors will be transformed, and be leaders of integrity.”
Please pray with us for the preservation of these 12 new believers, and that many more souls might be saved in the lead up to this mission to Lusaka in November.
If you’d like to give to this mission, click here.
Ernest Owusu didn’t look like a man who cared about Jesus. He filled his days with smoking poisonous, addictive substances with unsavoury friends in gangs. He had spent time in gaol for armed robbery. He took pleasure in exploiting other people so that he could thrive.
“I lived this lifestyle because I took pleasure in it. It was a way of getting my daily bread.”
At 26, his life seemed destined for disaster.
But God has a funny way of breaking into people’s lives.
On a cool morning in June, Ernest pulled a shirt on over the gun and dagger tattoos on his arms and went out to smoke. That day, a group of strangers approached Ernest and his gang and started talking to them. The strangers said they were part of an organisation called African Enterprise and that they had come to tell the men about Jesus.
They spoke about love and forgiveness, about a changed, purposeful way of living. As they spoke, Ernest felt something change in his heart. He decided to ask their God to help him.
“African Enterprise showed me the way to God. I am a changed person because Jesus has forgiven all my sins. Now I am happy.”
Ernest decided to join a church. Since AE’s Kumasi Mission in 2016, he has been learning more and more about his new God. He has also asked to join AE Ghana’s vocational training programme to acquire skills that will enable him to find a job.
Unfortunately, the gang that Ernest was a part of have started threatening him for his swift exit. Please pray for his safety, and for the growth of his faith, that the Gospel would transform his life in a powerful way.
When the Foxfires came to Paul Kiarie’s school, he thought they would be like every other dull and boring Life Skills teachers he’d had in the past. To his great surprise, they were youth – just like him!
“I could easily relate to them. They spoke on topics that that were relevant to us as young people, and shared their own life experience to get our attention.”
As the months passed, the Kenyan Foxfires visited with fresh insights into living life for Jesus each week. Paul was confused, and tried to antagonise the Foxfires.
To his great surpise, instead of anger, the Foxfires answered Paul with clear, honest answers. They realised Paul was a young man searching for answers. He wasn’t used to people taking such an interest in him.
“I am sure they knew I was playing around with their minds but they did not want me to be left behind. Their concern for me touched my heart.”
One day, one of the Foxfires asked Paul if he had ever thought about Jesus as the answer to his life questions. Paul told the Foxfire that he had never sought answers from God.
“The Foxfire took his time to explain to me why I needed Jesus in my life,” Paul said.
“Jesus is the answer for the whole of mankind and if I accept him, He would become the same in my life.”
That evening, Paul invited Jesus into his life as personal Saviour. He had finally found the answer to all his questions.
“I praise God for the African Enterprise Foxfires. God bless you for the work that you are doing among the youth of Kenya!”
To give to Foxfires ministries, please click here.
