Musa & Mileta Youth Ministry

 

Last March we were privileged to be visited by evangelist Musa Njagamba of Singida, Tanzania.  Our oldest son, Cliff, met Musa when teaching at a secondary school in northern Tanzania a few years ago.  Musa's visit was such a wonderful blessing to our family and our local church...it came right on the heals of Sally and me returning from Mexico and being overwhelmed by God's presence through the wonderful people he put us in contact with on that journey.  The Lord has laid a vision for a youth and music ministry on Musa's heart, which is described below:

MELITA YOUTH MINISTRY FOR EVERY ONE!

“God has made us what we are, and in our Union with Christ Jesus he has created us for a life of good deeds, which he has already prepared for us to do” Ephesians 2:10.

Melita Youth Ministry Briefing:

Ø  Melita Youth Ministry is a non-denominational Christian Ministry based on Youth Empowerment and strengthening in the church. It focuses on Youth especially from Rural/Remote areas and some of the Urban areas.

-          Melita Youth Ministry aim is to Restore Youth Ministry in the church and maintain Church Identity through Music, Word of God (Truth) and Entrepreneurship skills.

Melita Youth Ministry Vision:

“Multiply God’s Kingdom through the Youth’s Music, Talents and Entrepreneurship”

 

Melita Youth Ministry Mission:

“Orient Youth towards God’s principles on music and Entrepreneurship through learning, training and practicing properly”

Melita Youth Ministry Slogan; Start Small Simple (S.S.S.)

Melita Youth Ministry Purpose statement:

“Restoration of Youth Ministry’s Identity in the Church through Music, Talents and Entrepreneurship with Biblical Principles”

Melita Youth Ministry Objectives;

1.      To return the Identity of Church Music by teaching singers to sing in spirit and truth as Jesus taught in John 4:23, whereby youth learn how to compose and present songs with powerful messages from the Bible.

2.      To inspire and train youth to learn music skills, whereby they should understand how to write and read music and how to play different musical instruments.

3.      To sharpen different Youth gifts, abilities, and talents so that they can use or utilize them in building God’s Kingdom and helping their families, churches and communities as whole.

4.      To open Youth Minds through training on self-employment whereby they will be taught Entrepreneurship skills which will help them use all opportunities and surrounding resources like land, livestocks, human resources, etc. (Start Small Simple-will be applied).

5.      To build a Youth Music Centre with full Music Systems where there will be a Ministry Band of 6 people who are skilled in Music. The Hall in the centre will be used to train Youth on Music. It will also be used for life guidance with pre-marriage counseling, economics training etc.

6.      To train youth for and send them on MISSION, After sending them, Melita Youth Ministry will continue to mentor them and follow–up on their performances.

                For More Information Contact to;

Ev Musa Njagamba

Tel: +255 758 122 610

Email: mnjagamba@yahoo.com

In order for Melita to be recognized by the country it is required to be tied to physical property...a financial obstacle.  However, Musa has recently linked up with LEA, an established Tanzanian ministry to street children and very poor children in Tanzania; Melita will be a branch to reach.  A post on LEA is coming next.  Following are some recent photos of crusades Musa has been a speaker at - God is working through this man.

 

Aletheia Ministries

Michael Turay is the director of Aletheia Ministries and pastor-in-charge at Grace Center Bible Church in Freetown, Sierra Leone.  Michael and I met at a conference this past January in Spokane.  He was a speaker.  During a breakout session he shared about the desire his church has for a building for worship, as well as a discipleship training center and pastor training center on some on land they have in Freetown. The property is very steep and rocky as the photos on this page demonstrate.  The church members are working hard to clear this site. Next they need plans:)

Following are some further descriptions Michael has shared about this new facility:

"We are requesting that HIM help us with a building plan that would enhance the effectiveness in our reaching out to the lost in our nation, and to disciple them with God's infallible Word...We need an auditorium that would hold about 300 people, as we are presently using the community center of the village, which others are also using.  we need it also to provide training for pastors, and education for our illiterate community."

and in another note he wrote:

"I am so thankful to God to have met you at our DM2 conference in Washington.  God knows how to connect people together to further His work in nations all over the world.  I hope our coming together to do God's work will be a blessing to many, and more specifically to our peoples in our land of Sierra Leone."

As Michael points out - it is God who orchestrated our coming together on a cold January weekend in Spokane...God is so amazing.  Please pray that He gives me the right ideas as design of this facility gets underway.

What's next?

Beginning in late January - I have received the quite a few inquiries or requests for missionary architectural service;  in addition to the Church at San Luis, Mexico, and the Portland Rescue Mission work.  Some are likely to take shape in the next month or two, some may take over a year, and some may not be more than inquires.  Following is a list with brief description and comment:

Church & Discipleship Center in Sierra Leone: Pastor Michael Turray and I met at a conference in January - and began corresponding about the vision his church has to build a building for worship, training, and lodging for guest speakers. Following is an excerpt from an email Michael wrote last week: "I want you to know that we are very much interested in helping us out with the architectural design for our church. One of the biggest challenge we have right now is how to send the pictures to you, as our internet is very slow. But I will be in USA by July 2nd, 2013. So I will then be able to send you all the pictures you need of the land so that you can get started in approved by your organization. I just want you to know that you are the hope that we have to make this happen for us sir."

Saint Paul's Church in Singida, Tanzania: Evangelist Musa Njagamba, a guest at our house for two weeks in early March, noted that his home church was needing a new facility.  He put me in touch with his pastor, Benjamin Mbago, who wrote the following in April: "I'm glad to know that you met our brother Evangelist Musa in your country and that he shares with you on what we're doing at St. Paul's Church in Singida.

 

Among those good works done here, we're planning to build a new church for the one used now was built many years years and now can not accommodate many congregation members following increase number of them. Kindly, I'm writing to ask you on how you can join us in this planned work."

 

He wrote recently to note that though his church had intended to send me information earlier than now, his daughter, Beatrice is not well, and this has postponed things for short while:

"We're fine and doing well at St. Paul's. The Lord has been so good to us in many ways, and we're thankful to him. We planned to write you immediately and let you know our progress on our work, especially more progress plans on building our new church. However, as you're aware, since November last year, I've been facing many challenges on my daughter Beatrice's treatment. It has made to move from my place to Dar es Salaam, Moshi and Arusha for further treatment and check ups. Right now, my wife Sophia and I, we're in Dar es Salaam together with Beatrice for treatment at Muhimbili National Hospital. Please Edward, join with us in prayer as we continue with this challenging task." I ask those who read this to join me in prayer for Beatrice, Benjamin, Sophia, and his church family in your prayers during these difficult days.

 

Melita Youth Ministry in Singida, Tanzania: The Lord has laid on Evangelist Musa Njagamba's heart to develop a music and youth ministry for the youth of Tanzania.  I will share more about this very wonderful ministry vision in a future blog, but from an architectural standpoint, he envisions a Youth Music Center, performance hall for ministry, and the entire community of Singida.  He has recently been offered a wonderful piece of land for $9,000 (US), but with very little income; he has asked me to pray that God, who owns the cattle on a thousand hills, provides.  Please also pray with me for Musa, and this ministry.

 

Hospital in Haiti: This is more of a consulting service for a young architect, Theodore Prophete (who goes by Kerby) who moved to Haiti shortly after the earthquake a few years ago and has been providing architectural services for orphanages, hospitals, and many other organizations. He was connected with me in February (while we were serving in Mexico), requesting some medical design assistance for a hospital he is designing in Haiti.  It has been a wonderful honor to provide help him, and it sounds like we might be collaborating on additional projects soon...stay tuned.

 

THE FOLLOWING ADDITIONAL PROJECTS ARE IN THE "INQUIRY" STAGE:

 

Baptist Church in Puerto Rico

  
Orphanage in Guatemala

 
Orphanage in Dominican Republic

 

 
Guest Missionary House in Uganda

 

 
Hall of Residence at St. John's University in Dodoma, Tanzania

 

As you can see - the Lord seems to be steering some wonderful opportunities this direction.  Please pray that He be glorified in every interaction through each project and inquiry as they develop. 

 

 

Ray and Carol Williams

Ray and Carol Williams opened their home to us when we were serving in Mexico a couple months ago.  This precious couple have spent all of their adult years actively serving our Lord as missionaries in multiple countries and in multiple ways. Ray shared that God called to "go to the nations" as a very young man, and relative newlywed.  He said he responded to this calling by making a deal with the Lord, that he would go wherever the Lord pointed, but that he would not seek to raise support; the Lord would need to provide.  Some 47 years later, they are still actively serving, sometimes they have needed outside employment to make ends meet and raise their family, most of the time Christians learned of their ministries and provided for their needs (even including airplanes).  They are based out of Yuma, AZ these days, but as a pilot, Ray is able to get around pretty easily - and boy does he! They really blessed us during our stay - and have been a blessing to so many others.  Following are some excerpts and closing reflections from their recent newsletter that you may enjoy.

 

We have spent most of the last couple of months in Mexico... Carol brought a beautiful message to a group of ladies on a Saturday morning. There were almost 80 women who were first time visitors. Many of them stepped forward to acknowledge their new found belief in the finished work of Christ.

The “Mother Church” in Mexico City (which they planted) has grown immensely. There are six daughter churches now. On Easter Sunday the Pastor baptized many new believers. Through the years they have baptized almost 1,000 new believers in that Church. Most of the leaders and elders now were babies in the arms at the dedication service of the Church sanctuary many years ago.

In April, together with CALO, Fundación Codett and Hospital El Buen Pastor, we took a volunteer medical team to the city of San Quintín, on the Baja Peninsula to do an eye clinic...The unity and the love of the entire team was so sweet to watch.

On Mother’s Day (May 10 in Mexico) Carol and I each taught a session and served lunch to the ladies of the Church David and Iracela Power are planting in San Luis Rio Colorado, Sonora (this is the church we've drawn Community Center plans for). It was sweet and really anointed. The young mothers were like hungry little birds. It is so much fun to minister to people who really want to learn and grow.

The faithfulness of people who love and trust us has allowed Carol and I to be a part of a world changing, sometimes battlefront and sometimes victory parade which has lasted since we were sent out to be full time servants in 1966. That is 47 years of faithfulness on the part of God and of God’s people. We have no plans or thoughts to quit or retire. No one has ever had a job that was more fun.

We have note been in Europe or on the African Continent for a couple of years, but we do stay in close contact with some of our dear friends and disciples there.  The young men and women we have trained and sent out over the years have planted more than 700 churches on five continents, and created schools, hospitals and feeding ministries all over the globe.  I always feel like I've never really had a job in my life, and that I just get to show up and watch the incredible things God is doing.

We love you. Thank you a 1000 times. Ray Williams

O. Ray Williams, D. D. Pres.
I CARE, Inc.
P O Box 1000
Yuma, AZ 85366-2345
928-580-1285

Skype: oraywilliams1
oraywilliams@roadrunner.com
www.icaretgc.org

 

OH, MEXICO - Days 1 & 2

We arrived in Yuma on the evening of February 23rd.  That day, and the previous day, David Power and Rene Bustamante set up a make-shift clinic at the Church at San Luis site.  We were not part of this clinic, but what was intended to help provide medical assistance to this very poor community, provided the life changing Hope of Christ as well.  Following is a Facebook post by Rene summarizing the clinic experience:

 

"We had a succesful medical clinic last weekend.  There was a total of 86 families who received medical attention and perscription medicine.  Half of the families knew about God but had drifted away, and the other half were non-believers.  There were about17 people who received Christ as their Lord and Savior. AWESOME! All of these people were planted in the local church of Iglesia de San Luis with Pastor David Power.  As a result, we saw the need of additional medical clinics in the future.  Please maintain us in your prayers."

We spent Sunday, the 24th, attending a wonderful worshp service in Yuma with Rene & Gloria at "Champion Church" (www.championchurch.org), and visiting San Luis for the first tim.  Rene & Gloria drove us around a bit, giving us a flavor of this city.  Rene showed where he and his mom crossed the dried up Rio Colorado when he was 8 (he received his US citizenship this January!).  San Luis is a border town, with the issues that surround border towns such as drug and people trafficking.  Border security is tight, which translated into more than 3 hours of waiting in a line of cars to leave that evening.  We visitedthe city park, where every week locals spend time visiting.  We witnessed a group of young men chanting and dancing around the park, representing the traditional, pagan worship system of these peoples (but mostly seeking to raise money it seemed). 

 

We had hoped to attend the Church at San Luis sevice that afternoon; but the windy, dusty, and cool conditions led most of the regular to stay home and the service was canceled.  This did allow us to visit more extensively with David Power and his family, and hear more of the vision that the Lord has placed on his heart.  We learned that if you want excellent Chinese food, San Luis is the place to be (who would have thought!).

OH, MEXICO church community

Following are eight photographs representing housing in the Reforma District of San Luis Rio Colorado, Mexico, and the nearby city landfill housing.  This is the community where the Church at San Luis has been planted, and is developing (75 or so strong so far).

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

OH, MEXICO intro

What an amazingly powerful week we had in San Luis Rio Colorado, Mexico.   and I went to serve in this architectural ministry, and indeed, much was acomplished in this regard, but we left feeling that we were the ones being ministered to, particularly by three wonderful couples.

CAROL & RAY WILLIAMS

We spent our evenings in Yuma, AZ at the home of Ray and Carol Williams, missionaries for nearly 50 years and still actively and passionately serving our King (www.icaretgc.org). They were such wonderful hosts; sharing some life experiences and wisdom that words cannot adequately express.  I hope to write a blog "attempting" to express their experiences in a future post.


GLORIA & RENE BUSTAMANTE

Our daily hosts and guides were Rene and Gloria Bustamante (on Sunday), and Rene on Monday and Tuesday.  Rene's testimony is awesome.  God pulled him out of a destructive life and has given such amazing passion for serving our Lord that it was infectious (and Lord willing, contageous as well). Rene has been mentored by Ray, and is also being mentored by and serving alongside David Power, subject of the next paragraph.

 

 

DAVID & IRACELA POWER FAMILY

David is the Pastor of the Church at San Luis, and initiator of Church Mexico, and church planting initiative (www.churchmexico.com); he and his wife, Iracela, and family live in San Luis, in the Reforma District. His love and compassion for the lost and hurting people of Mexico is evidenced by his families commitment and sacrifice.  He would not likely look at this as sacrifice, but as just being obedient to the Lord's calling.  The Church at San Luis was able to purchase some land in one of the most impoverished parts of San Luis, and presently meets under a tarp, with an outhouse as the restroom facility.  Yet, the people of the community increasingly respond to the good news, are joining in regular worship and Bible study, are being mentored to reach out to their neighbors, and are doing so more and more.

 

There are days (such as the Sunday we visited) were the weather is not conducive for meeting outside for worship (frequently wind, sometimes rain), so a building where this church could meeting would be helpful.  However, rather than building a structure solely for the church, the Lord has laid it on David & Iracela's hearts to build a Community Center for the entire community to enjoy (see David's vision on an earlier post).